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Born in the Philippines and raised in San Francisco, Dianne Finez has come to view surfing as her one true pathway to freedom in life. It’s more than an escape for Dianne – the ocean is the one place where she can focus solely on herself, with all other responsibilities fading so far in the background that for those precious hours in the surf, her worries no longer exist.

“Surfing itself isn’t just an activity, it’s a self-help outlet for me to quiet the mind,” Dianne said. “It also gives me a chance to reflect on what I could be doing better, whether it’s in surfing or in other parts of my life.”

Dianne only recently dedicated her soul to surfing a little over four years ago. At 21-years-old, she paddled into and caught her first wave at Linda Mar Beach when she was 17. Technically, she had been surfing once before during a summer camp with the nonprofit organization City Surf Project, which aims to make surfing equitable for all in the Bay Area. The organization specifically focuses on youth who experience financial, social and other barriers to accessing the ocean.

But surfing didn’t stick, despite Dianne being an active kid involved in a handful of sports. She didn’t think much of the ocean as a child, even when her parents would take her to different piers around the city and occasionally to the beach.

Dianne had to step into the role of caretaker of her family at a young age, and as a teenager she felt isolated. For years she had nothing she could turn to that was her own, while everyone else was relying on her. So when the pandemic hit after she had just turned 17, those feelings of loneliness and disconnect only exacerbated. She also found herself with no sports to keep her busy for the first time. Dianne was yearning for connection – to herself, to nature and to community.

After confiding in one of her high school teachers, she rediscovered City Surf Project – a full circle moment for Dianne.

“After I got reintroduced to City Surf Project I began rebuilding those connections I once had. It came at a time of my life I never thought it would,” Dianne said. “As soon as I got back into surfing it was the only thing I ever did, it’s the only thing I still ever want to do.”

Surfing took over Dianne’s world. She began surfing everyday at all times of day, whenever she could squeeze it into her schedule. It quickly became the activity that anchored her amid all of her other responsibilities – work, school and taking care of her family.

She’d be in class and her mind would be on the waves. In between work she’d be checking surf forecasts and planning her next session. She’d have a bad day, get in the surf, and leave the water with a lighter heart.

Surfing was always there for her to turn to and is now at the center of Dianne’s world.

“Surfing itself fuels my individual light, it's a fuel for everything I do on a daily basis,” Dianne said. “It translates into all aspects of my life – if I have a bad day at home, surfing allows me to feel a sense of freedom for myself and I am able to let go of the emotions around the hard stuff.”

Dianne has now conquered more than one surf spot in and around the Bay Area. She claims the unruly break at Ocean Beach as her hometown spot and often drives down to Santa Cruz to score some waves. She recently was able to travel to her original birth country to surf in the Philippines, a special adventure for Dianne.

The trip was humbling, and she got to surf amongst people who looked like her – yet she said they surfed so differently than surfers in NorCal. There was a playfulness in the lineup she hadn’t previously experienced, and she said it allowed her to drop into more of a childlike state of joy in the ocean.

“Once I got in the water in the Philippines it felt like everyone was family,” Dianne said. “That’s what the Filipino perspective is – we’re all surfing here for fun, we’re all welcome here and we’re all forgiving of one another.”

Although Dianne started casually competing in surf events two years ago, she hasn’t fully committed to the competition lifestyle. The aggressiveness of some heats can feel overwhelming to her, as does getting judged. But she likes finding ways she can improve, and competitions are a quick way to discover areas of growth.

Women on Waves, though, feels different to Dianne and she’ll be competing for the third time this year. When she goes out to surf at Ocean Beach or other surrounding spots, she said it’s rare to see more than one or two women in the water with her. But at WOW, the feminine energy is invigorating for her and she said she looks forward to this event more than any other.

“I have a ton of fun with the other women in the water and it is an unreal experience at WOW,” Dianne said. “It’s an event that aims to bring a community of women together every year and I so appreciate it.”

As a student at the City College of San Francisco, Dianne is studying to be a physical therapist so she can help others reclaim their lives through improving movement in their bodies.

Additionally, she works as an alumni instructor for City Surf Project, giving back to the organization that changed her life. She takes kids out into the water at least once a week, and gets to remember what it’s like to discover the ocean through her students.

“I take out groups of kids from different high schools and middle schools around the city who have never gotten a chance to see or experience the ocean,” Dianne said. “Working there has been a dream because I never thought I’d be a surf instructor, especially because it took me a while to find surfing, so it's a nice opportunity to give back to the community that's given so much to me.”