“I can’t stop surfing coz surfing makes me feel loved, surfing brings me peace, and surfing takes me back to my youth.” – Moena Rashid, Malaysia’s very own Hijabi surf girl
If you’re familiar with the surfing arena, then you already know who Moena Rashid is. But if you don’t, Moena, the nickname for Mona Rashidah Abdul Rashid is Malaysia’s very own hijab surfer. In early January 2019, Moena won the national surfing competition COMPLOT 2.0, which was held in Pantai Batu Burok in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. She continued winning multiple competitions since her first competition in 2011 and proudly presented Malaysia in the 2019 Sea Games.
[eltd_blockquote text=”In conjunction with the Cari Freedom campaign, Hipshut wants to share with our fellow readers about Malaysia’s very own hijab surfer as Moena talks about surfing and living life by your own means.” title_tag=”h2″ width=””]How it all started?
Moena Rashid first started surfing in 2009. She learned surfing as she saw her friends were enjoying the sport and decided to try it out. Moena Rashid was instantly hooked.
Can you tell us your personal feelings about riding the waves?
Moena Rashid: It’s all about living in the moment. I enjoy every second I’m on the surfboard. The feeling is special, and can’t even be described with words. They are magical. I personally feel that every ride is a gift from our creator. The ocean is one of Allah’s greatest creations and without HIM, the waves won’t exist. Without waves, surfing is not even possible.
Moena Rashid, Hijabi Surf Girl
Moena is the only surfer who wears Hijab at the 2019 SEA Games and perhaps other surfing competitions too. To date, Moena highlighted there are only 2 girl surfers who wear hijab, it’s her and Vina Marwan.
In the sports scene where you rarely see hijabi joins a surfing competition, Moena Rashid breaks the norm. She’s more confident and comfortable wearing one than not while doing sports.
“For me, this is more comfortable, I feel more confident, more secure because when the hair is in the headscarf, it doesn’t interfere with us doing sports. ”
It’s inspiring how Moena Rashid is able to be her true complete self, wherever she is. A true rebel ( in so many good ways ) and this particular sport, surfing, allows that to happen. Surfing shows that the sport accepts any differences. That’s freedom to us.
[eltd_blockquote text=”Freedom is all about having the right to be different in any circumstances” title_tag=”h2″ width=””]
Surf and Life
As some of you are familiar with the saying by Giles Andreae, “It’s not the destination, it’s the glory of the ride.” The basic principles of surfing and life have many characteristics in common. This way of thinking is ingrained in Moena Rashid to the point where it teaches her how to manage large waves and gnarly wipeouts. “Every wave is different, so take advantage of each ride while it lasts,” added Moena. Make lemonade when life hands you lemons.
To talk about her personal relationship with the waves, we unraveled her personal best surfing spots that are worth the trip located here in the peninsula of Malaysia. These surfing destinations have undoubtedly existed for a long time, as many reputable surf shops and schools have planted roots there. Starting with Teluk Cempedak, the eastern coast of Malaysia’s Pantai Pelindung and Cherating are unique. Surfing is humbled by picturesque views of seaside rocks, fishing boats, and screeching seagulls. Moreover Terengganu’s beaches like Pantai Teluk Bidara, Pantai Kijal, and Pantai Merang. The beaches in Terengganu, according to Moena, are some of Malaysia’s best spots for surfing.
Moena Rashid, in our opinion, has found her self-freedom. We gather from the way she displays her authentic self and the way she brings herself. That is why, she is so influential and lovable in the outdoor sports community, particularly the surfing and skating scene.
Running her own surf skate community, Gadis On Board offers surfing and skate surfing lessons to all levels. Surfing lessons are between November to January yearly while surf skate is all year long. During the late-night pub visits, they play billiards and level a pool table since it was a lengthy one and continued till early morning.
Gadis On Board sells merchandise too, you can head over to Instagram to learn more.
VISIT: Gadis On Board for more information.
Seeing how content Moena Rashid is, we want to have it and spread that vibe with our HIPhearts. We asked her tips for those who are still searching for freedom.
[eltd_blockquote text=”Go explore and find what makes you love yourself and happy doing it. It never hurts to try something new and challenge yourself.” title_tag=”h2″ width=””]Thanks for sharing your story with us, Moena Rashid! We hope it inspires everyone to keep on experimenting to find the thing that makes you happy!
CHECK OUT: Cari Freedom Campaign
