I still remember the first time I saw Rosy Hodge at Nahoon Beach. A thick head of blond hair and a tiny person underneath it all.
Happy, confident, smiling with dimples, brimming with energy and loving her surfing.
She was about seven or nine years old then and I recall thinking “Oh my gosh, we have another Wendy Botha in the making here”.
Botha, by the way, also from Nahoon Beach, moved to Australia to flesh out her 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1992 women’s world surfing titles.
I commented to Wendy and Steve Hodge at the time, “Your daughter will see the world with her surfing one day.”
Indeed, Hodge has followed the endless summer with her surfing.
First as an ex-SA champion and touring pro competitor and now as a live interview anchor presenting for the WSL at championship tour events.
Still ripping the surf apart on her FireWire and Slater Design surfboards, she has the credibility, wit and charm to interview the world’s best surfers and comment on their rides.
If Ethan Ewing tells her that the devil west is putting chop in the teeth of the wave, she knows exactly what he means and she might ask him how hard or soft his rails are.
Still looking like a supermodel at age 38, Hodge is now married to Ian Foulke and they have a son, Hayes, who is four years old.
She tells me she is living the dream in San Clemente, California, surfing home break Lower Trestles.
Hubby Ian is a good surfer and an even better golfer (1.6 handicap!).
He is brand marketing director for The Golfers Journal, so we are talking about a professional media couple here.
“Commentary and being a mom occupy most of my time these days,” Hodge tells me.
“I am really fortunate to have been a paid sponsored surfer for the last 30 years.
“I get to do five events a year with the WSL and that feels like a good mom/work life balance.
“I feel seriously fortunate and grateful for where my life has led me.
“I love my family and the work I get to do, so I am just absorbing it.
“I love that surfing has taken me so far and been the catalyst for the life I have now.”
She has always been a hard worker with a keen spirit to learn and with a sharp mind for details.
Daughter to a CTA dad and a mom that is excellent in administration, their daughter knows how to keep her head down, stick to the grind and have her hand on all the checks and balances.
She is happy to sweat too. I recall that when she lived in Queensbury Bay she would run to Chintsa and back just to keep her cardio in top shape for competition.
Mindful and cognisant, she does not absently let life pass her by.
“It has been wild,” she said of motherhood.
“I fell pregnant during Covid. I have been so untethered, and travelled the world, so it was really nice to stay grounded and create a home and a family.
“I love introducing Hayes to all the things we love.
“He is comfortable in the ocean, boogie boarding and swimming, which makes me really happy.”
She loves visiting SA and going surfing with her dad.
“East London is such a wave-rich place with so many talented surfers and so much natural beauty.
“I know it has its challenges but I am proud of how friendly and welcoming South Africans are and how beautiful our country is,” she said.
Our golden girl is currently in J-Bay commentating at the WSL Corona Cero Open.
At the time of writing, forecasts point to Friday delivering excellent waves and a perfect completion to the SA leg of the tour.
Daily Dispatch
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