The AMAZING Sofia Mulanovich

Sofia Mulanovich made surfing history. And while sports analysts usually have to spin statistics and results in an effort to make them more exciting, in this case, there is no denying Mulanovich’s record breaking feat. Neither man nor woman, no Peruvian nor South American for that matter, has ever made it to surfing’s pinnacle. Never, that is, until this hard-charging natural foot “surf goddess” made her mark. In effect, the blue eyed “Gringa” has done nothing but make her homeland proud since she first stood on a surfboard.

Sofía Mulanovich

Sofia Mulanovich is beloved in her homeland and beyond for her far-reaching significance in the world of professional surfing. So, it is somehow appropriate that she proudly hails from Lima, Peru, known as El Pulpo ("The Octopus") for its stretch and sprawl.

Born in the Pacific Ocean beach town of Punta Hermosa, a district in the Lima province, Mulanovich was the first Peruvian surfer to win an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour event and the first South American (man or woman) to win the world title.
Surfing is not an Olympic sport, but that didn’t stop organizers of the Lausanne, Switzerland-based museum from deciding to include Mulanovich in a new exhibition called “Heroes,” which highlights the achievements of influential athletes from different eras. Mulanovich, who was inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame in 2007, will be featured alongside such superstars as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Diego Maradona, Carl Lewis and Roger Federer.