Kathy Engstrom

ROOTS

‘ROOTS’, by Whalebone and James Katsipis, is a series of photos and stories highlighting friends of Whalebone old and new.

Meet Kathy aka @kathleen.engstrom. We can all agree she’s the Queen of the Peak at this spot and is often seen driving off the beach at sunrise, having already surfed while most people are just waking up. Not only has she raised 3 amazingly talented surfers of her own, she played a huge part in bringing competitive surfing to most of us on the East End, with her role as the director of the ESA for over 20 years (where she competed herself in the 80’s!). When she’s not taking most of the rights at her local spot, Kathy can be found at Montauk T-Shirts, a business she has owned for decades and has since passed down to her daughter, Alexis.