Margo Godfrey Oberg

Born: 1953
From: Kauai
Known for: 1st female big-wave rider
Competitions won: World Champion in 1968, 1977, 1980, and 1981

Biography Margo Godfrey moved to La Jolla near San Diego, CA at 5 years old. She started surfing at age 10. She had a regular foot stance and beat an all boy field to win the 12 year old division of the Winansea Surf Club Menehune contest. At 13, she was mentored by the legendary surfer Mike Doyle. She eventually became a finalist at Makaha International and runner up in United States Surfing Championships. In 1968, she placed 1st in 3 events on that years elite AAAA rated California circuit. Margo then won the Makaha and East Coast Surfing Championships. From here, she swept all 4 AAAA-rated events and became 1st woman to earn prize money check for $150 and the Santa Cruz Pro-Am contest. In 1970, she was second place in the world. After this, she retired from surfing for a few years and got married. She moved back to Kauai where she was born. Now known as Margo Oberg, she went back to surfing in 1975 and won the International Professional Surfing Championships in Malibu. Around this time she decided to challenge herself even more than before, she started riding even bigger waves up to 15 feet. In 1977, the women's division of the pro tour started. Margo won the first ever world title that year. In 1978, she finished as a runner up to Boyer. She took a break in 1979. In 1980, she won both world events that year. In 1981, Margo won 3 of 4 events in 1981 to earn her 4th and final championship. She retired permanently at 29 years old. These days Margo Oberg continues to surf though and do some other things as well. Margo will always be known as the top female athlete in surfing. She was named one of the top women athletes in the last century by Sports Illustrated. Oberg is also in the surfing Hall of Fame along with Rell Sunn and Duke Kahanamoku.

In her free time, she operates the Margo Oberg Surf School in Hawaii where she teaches surfing.

Read more about women surfers.