Why we need feminism in surfing  environment / main

A lot has happened in the world of surfing in recent years, especially for women. The new generation of professional women surfers are raising the bar and putting in incredible performances on waves like Pipeline and Teahupo’o. The number of female recreational surfers in line-ups around the world is growing steadily, and the surf media is covering more and more female surfers.

However, the supposed equality of women in the surfing world is deceptive. A closer look reveals that in the male-dominated world of surfing, it is still much harder for women* to get waves, to be respected and to face sexism and discrimination. In many areas such as judging, coaching or in the surf industry, there are still very few women. It should be noted, as Belinda Wheaton says, that ‘’the challenges are diverse and depend on factors such as where you live and the type of surfing you do (beginner, advanced, short board, long board, etc.). There are also factors such as age, gender, sexuality and ethnicity.’’ Women’s experiences are diverse. A female surfer in Brazil will have different challenges to a female surfer in Australia. 

Despite these obstacles, women in surfing have made impressive strides toward greater equality, a testament to the dedicated efforts of trailblazing professional surfers, supportive allies, and those in the surfing community advocating for change. In the words of author and feminist theorist bell hooks: “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression.“ (Bell Hooks, Feminism is for Everybody, 2000)

Why is feminism in surfing essential? Because surfing is a global community, and activism that improves surfing for women uplifts the entire community, ultimately influencing society. By fostering spaces where women can share their experiences and ideas openly, and where men can participate as allies, we can build a more inclusive surfing culture. We all belong to the surfing community, and here, there’s space for every surfer— and surfers can be feminists too.

A look back at the history of women’s surfing

Women have a long history in surfing, dating back to ancient Hawaii. One of the earliest records of women surfers comes from Princess Keleanohoana’api’api, also known as Kalea or the Surfing Princess of Maui. It is said that Kalea pioneered the sport of surfing and could surf better than anyone. The sport of kings and queens became the ‘sport of kings’ as it gained popularity around the world from Polynesia to Hawaii. Through a male-dominated narrative that no longer gave the queens a platform. The grandfathers of surfing, such as Duke Kahanamoku, George Freeth and Tom Blake, took the sport to the world. On their travels, they encouraged some women to try surfing, who went on to pursue it, such as Australian Isabel Letham (Matt Warshaw, The History of Surfing, 2010). But the grandmother of surfing was missing, and if she existed, she was barely mentioned in the history of surfing.

For many years, the history of surfing was dictated by white men. Between the early 1900s and the 1950s, coverage of women surfers was rare (Douglas Booth, From Bikinis to Boardshorts: “Wahines” and the Paradoxes of Surfing Culture). There were several developments in surfing communities around the world, but it is beyond the scope of this article to go into all of them. In the 1950s, surfing became increasingly popular, helped by the book and film Gidget, which tells the story of a teenage girl in California who immerses herself in the male-dominated world of surfing. From today’s feminist perspective, the film may seem like a step backwards. But as scholar Krista Comer describes, “Gidget integrated herself into male spaces, loved the ocean and her surfboard, and focused largely on play at a time when Cold War rhetoric suggested that women should devote their lives and bodies to the imperatives of the state, such as getting married, having children, and taking care of the home. Instead, she surfs, skis, swims, laughs, kisses and cuddles“ (Krista Comer, Surfer Girls in the New World Order).

In the early 60s there were several female surfers, all of whom could surf better than most men. Among them was Linda Merrill, who in 1964 became the first female surfer to appear on the cover of Surfer Mag. Soon after, Surf Guide published a portrait of the Calhoun family, Marge and her daughters Candy and Robin. Marge Calhoun had won the prestigious Makaha Contest in 1958 and co-founded the Amateur U.S. Surfing Association in 1961. She was also the Association’s first and only female judge. In 1959, Linda Benson, then 15, surfed an 18-foot wave at Waimea. This made her the first woman to surf O’ahu’s big wave mecca (Lauren Hill, She Surf).

Big wave surfing, however, was enthroned by surfers like Buzzy Trent, who said in a 1963 article, “Girls are good at housework, child-care, office work, the twist, and even surfing small ankle-high waves in Malibu. What I can’t stand is girls surfing, or trying to surf, big waves. Girls are much more emotional than men and therefore more prone to panic. There’s nothing more ridiculous than a girl trying to show off and then panicking (Matt Warshaw, The History of Surfing, 2010).“ Female surfers have been largely ignored and overlooked. After the world championships, Surfer’s Magazine ran an eight-page story on the men, including all the results, while the women were given a scant 20 words, with no results. As Matt Warshaw describes it, “this was surfing sexism in the boomer era. It got worse in the years that followed (Matt Warshaw, The History of Surfing, 2010). “

In 1975, the Women’s International Surfing Association (WISA) was founded to tackle gender injustice. WISA organised its own events. Female surfers were treated with great disrespect as the line-ups were not emptied for the events (Lauren Hill, She Surf). From the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, women surfers were often marginalised. They received little sponsorship or prize money and were largely invisible in the surfing media. There were exceptions, as Benson’s cover shows, but mostly the magazines featured women in bikinis on the beach.

This is shown in the documentary Girls can’t Surf, which tells the story of professional female surfers in the sexist 80s and 90s. Margo Oberg, Pam Burrdige, Jodie Cooper and Wendy Botha became the pioneers of contest surfing. While the male pros were already stars and could make a living from surfing, the female pros had to pay for their participation on the World Tour out of their own pockets and earn a living. In 1989, the organisers of a contest in California decided to cancel the women’s contest in order to give the men more prize money –but to hold a bikini contest anyway. It was a slap in the face. Female surfers struggled to find sponsors, were paid less and their heats were often scheduled during lunch breaks. Sexy beach girls were expected to worship the surfers and rip the waves themselves. The professional surfers of the time often received sexist comments for their surfing instead of encouragement. But they fought for more equality in the surfing world, with surfing talent and solidarity.

In 1993, Pauline Menczer became world champion and went home with a simple trophy and no prize money. The 90’s saw the emergence of a new generation of surfers who performed more radical manoeuvres such as Lisa Anderson, Frieda Zamba and Debbie Beachham. Lisa Anderson won four world titles in a row. She took the surfing world by storm, especially after her cover in Surfer Magazine with the headline ‘Lisa Anderson surfs better than you‘. Anderson was followed by Layne Beachley, who won the title seven years in a row until 2006. During this time, there was still the conflict that athletic-looking women didn’t necessarily fit the mould of what a female body should look like, and this caused difficulties for sponsorship and marketing. But women surfers remained strong and increasingly broke the stereotypes.

Women’s surfing today

As Lauren Hill says, “our current top level professionals like Carissa and Steph, standing on the shoulders of all of the professional female surfers who came before them – like Frienda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, have completely smashed those old stereotypes. And that’s what can happen when people are given fair access, financial and social support.“

With the move to Equal Pay 2019, the WSL has taken an important step towards equality. The decision came after a meeting with the Surf Equity Committee, who are campaigning for equal prize money for all athletes. They made a clear call for equal pay and prize money worldwide.

According to Camilla Kemp, “a lot has happened in the last three years, including the development of women surfing the same spots as men on the CT Tour. “ In 2022, the WSL added Pipeline to the Women’s CT Tour. Since then, women’s surfing in Pipeline has taken off like a rocket. The up-and-coming generation of Caitlin Simmers, Molly Picklum, Bettylou Sakoura Johnson, Sierra Kerr, Moana Jones Wong and Erin Brooks continue to raise the bar. Progress can only be made through equal access and this is becoming increasingly evident. On the last two CT tours we have seen what equal conditions and spots can do.

Another achievement of Surf Equity, a committee formed in 2016 by Paige Alms, Andrea Moller, Bianca Valentini, Keala Kennelly and Sabrina Brennan, is the inclusion of female surfers in the prestigious Mavericks contest. The road there was rocky. The committee urged the California Coastal Commission not to grant the Mavericks contest a licence if women are not allowed to take part, as this would violate the Civil Rights Act. In 2018, women surfed in the Mavericks Contest for the first time – with equal prize money. We often only see the innovations in surfing and the big organisations like the WSL take the credit, but a lot of respect goes to the female surfers who have worked hard for this progress.

Tahiti also had no women’s contest at Teahupo’o for a long time. It wasn’t until 2022 that the wave was added to the women’s CT tour after 16 years. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were also be a step forward, with the same number of women and men in one division. 20 female and 20 male surfers competed for gold in their respective categories. In the WSL, there are still 36 men and only 18 women on the CT. So there is still room for improvement. The inclusion of action sports in the Olympic Games with surfing and skating has great potential because the target group is much younger. And now women have the opportunity to showcase their skills on the Olympic stage at Teahupo’o. According to researchers Belinda Wheaton and Holly Thorpe, the IOC has set a target of 50 per cent female participation. Through a study, the pair also suggest that this has a positive trickle-down effect on international federations, influencing decisions on staff recruitment and committee representation.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has launched a number of initiatives, such as the Women’s Judging Programme, which I took part in. Since then I have been invited to three contests in Europe where I was the only woman on the panel. I was invited precisely because of the effort to promote more women. This experience has shown me how important it is that men in decision-making positions also work for more equality and actively involve women.

Surfing industry and media

The image of a female surfer is still sexualised and objectified. “The steps towards equality in areas such as the WSL and the Olympics have definitely been important steps to improve the situation for elite female surfers, e.g. in terms of prizes, funding, status of events, etc., but there are still many stories where this is not the norm. The surf industry still seems to be lagging behind, with issues such as the sexualisation of women and the promotion of white, heteronormative women,” says Belinda Wheaton.

Female professional surfers often criticise the fact that models are often favoured over female athletes because of their looks. The most prominent example of this is probably Alana Blanchard, who earned significantly more than the other surfers when she was still on tour, even though she didn’t make it into the top 30 in the world in 2016. But she was also dropped by her sponsors when she decided to become a mother and the changes to her body were not accepted.

“Even people who don’t surf themselves are often given a problematic image of female surfers. Be it through films, advertising etc. Female surfers are usually portrayed the same way in the media: White, slim, beautiful, blonde, cis, straight. It is immediately noticeable: It’s not about the sport itself and women being good at it, but about factors that have nothing to do with the sport! Surfing itself is left to men who do big turns and surf big barrels. Feminism can help to challenge these stereotypes and gender roles, to change society’s perception of women in surfing, and to advocate for equality and inclusion“, says Maya Sauer.

Lauren Hill says that “it’s important to differentiate between the surf industry and the surf community. The surf industry tends to be small scale. It was created by and for young, white, male Southern Californians (and to some extent Australians).”

This was evident in the magazines for a long time. I remember discovering the “Hot Girls” section of a German surfing magazine, which only showed women from behind or in bikinis smiling on the beach. This was published a few years ago, but it describes quite well how women were portrayed in surf magazines for the male gaze. It was less about women’s talent and surfing. Stab Magazine also wrote almost exclusively about surfers for a long time and there were no female writers involved in the stories. Things have improved in the last few years. Stab now writes a lot of stories about female surfers, focusing on their skills. There are now magazines for all surfers, such as Emocean Mag, Strange Seas and the women’s magazines Sea Maven, Golden Ride, Surfer Girl and Daughters of the Sea.

Voices from the surf community

“Especially in the last few decades, when the surf industry has been struggling, surf communities seem to be revitalising and defining surfing in interesting and new ways, adapted to the meaning of surfing in the context of their culture and their waterscape. I find that really exciting. Localised versions of surf culture are much healthier because of their diversity, inclusivity and creativity“, says Lauren Hill.

I also have the feeling that the surfing space is being shaped and organised more and more by many players and that this is having positive effects. Many surf communities are organising events by female surfers for female surfers. But the interest of surfers in talking about the experiences of female surfers is also growing.

To delve even deeper into the status quo of the surfing community and why we need feminism in surfing, I interviewed various women from the surfing world. Some of the perspectives were already presented in the text. Belinda Wheaton is a professor in New Zealand and researches developments in action sports, among other things. Maya Sauer is the reigning river surfing champion and Camilla Kemp is a surfer in the German national squad.

Molly Lockwood is co-founder of the surf magazine Sea Maven and Lauren Hill is an author, co-host of the Waterpeople podcast and freesurfer. Alex Siebert is the artist behind the artwork of this article and a surf instructor.

How do you see the current state of gender equality in surfing?

Molly Lockwood: After decades of disenfranchisement, discrimination, and exclusion, it’s almost as if the pendulum has swung in the other direction. Women are “trending” across surf media, competition, and brands. More women are charging big waves and showing up in traditionally male-dominated spaces. A lot of this industry investment in equal pay and equal opportunities is genuine, and some of it is just marketing. I have been given a seat at certain tables explicitly because I am a woman. I’m happy to seize the moment and ride the wave as long as it continues. But it’s important to recognize that there is still work to be done: equal-sized divisions in elite competition, more women in the lineups in general, more women in leadership positions across the industry, more sponsorship dollars for female freesurfers.

Lauren Hill: Gender equality really has come a long way in a relatively short time in the surfing world that I know and am part of. When I was a grom, truly the biggest (and most common) cut down between male surfers was telling someone they “surfed like a girl.” This meant weak and subpar. Our current top level professionals like Carissa and Steph, standing on the shoulders of all of the professional female surfers who came before them – like Frienda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, have completely smashed those old stereotypes. And that’s what can happen when people are given fair access, financial and social support. 

I think it’s important to differentiate between the surf industry and surfing communities. The surf industry has tended to be very narrow in scope. It was crafted by and for young, white, male Southern Californians ( and Australians to some degree). It has tended to value a particular kind of wave riding above all others. That is, the way that young, white, male Southern Californians draw lines. 

Especially as the surf industry has struggled over the past couple of decades, surfing communities seem to have strengthened and are defining surfing in interesting and novel ways, adapted to what surfing means in the context of their culture and waterscape. 

I find this really exciting. Localised versions of surf culture are much healthier for their diversity, inclusion and creativity. 

Alexandra Siebert: As you saw at the last Pipe Masters, the women in professional surfing put on incredible performances and show that they deserve to surf this event. The very fact that I use the word ‘deserved’ shows that it is a constant proving and a constant battle to be recognised as equals. This is also shown by Caity Simmer’s comment ‘Pipe is for the F***** Girls’ in the interview directly after her victory. In my opinion, many people still see the female gender as the weaker sex.And the ‘dominance’ of men can definitely still be felt in surfing.

Belinda Wheaton: It’s hard to generalize because the communities really do differ depending on factors including the type of wave, e.g. whether it’s popular, crowded, etc. From my own experience, I can say that I see a lot more women and girls than before, and many of them are really good surfers. However, women are still in the minority most of the time. Equality is of course much more than just a question of the number of participants. I see a lot more young girls taking part in surf contests.

Maya Sauer: You might think that women and men are on an equal footing in surfing these days. It starts, for example, with the fact that women on the World Tour now get the same prize money as men and have also been surfing the same waves on the tour for a few years now. But apart from the superficial glamour that is supposed to convey how progressive surfing is in this respect, there are very deep-rooted problems that are unfortunately still very firmly anchored in the surfing scene.

Can you tell us something about your personal journey and your experiences as a woman in surfing?

Maya Sauer: I’ve been through the whole spectrum of experiences in this regard. On the one hand, I realise that the support for and from women in surfing is growing from year to year, which makes me incredibly happy. On the other hand, I regularly realise that as a woman in a male-dominated sport, you often face challenges. It starts with the fact that I have to fight much harder for my waves at sea, as women often don’t follow simple line-up etiquette. Unfortunately, there’s often a lack of respect and so they get snaked, paddled around and dropped in. Or you’re not even seen as an athlete, but reduced to your body and the clothes you’re wearing.

Alexandra Siebert : I started surfing as a teenager. I didn’t really think much about equality or the image of women in surfing. Over time, however, I realised that there were far fewer women surfing and that it was sometimes difficult to keep up with my male surfing friends. At some point, I got to know more girls at the ADH Open and we went on more and more girls’ surf trips and formed a small collective (Velwet crew) where we pushed and supported each other. I keep hearing that it motivated and inspired other women to see us as a group of women back then, how we surfed together, travelled together, motivated each other, and so on. I think there just wasn’t that much of that back then, at least in Germany.

Today you see more and more women’s groups and through social media alone you get to know a lot more about surfing women all over the world, which is super nice and inspiring.

Molly Lockwood: Where my surfing journey began in Northern California, I didn’t know any other women who surfed. I met another surfer girl for the first time on a road trip to Malibu and am friends with her to this day. Now, I’m lucky to be surrounded by a community of waterwomen. We share an incredibly special bond and we support each other not only in surfing, but in our careers, relationships, and lives overall. Professionally, I started out writing for all-male media and quickly realized filtering my work through that editorial perspective was not what I wanted. That’s why I started Sea Maven in 2018, and it’s been an amazing ride!

Camilla Kemp : Especially when I was younger, I had to prove myself in the line-up. Most people had to see me surf before they respected me. Nowadays you see more women in the water and I think that makes the path a bit easier. But especially in the past, you used to get a lot of bad comments and women surfed in worse conditions at contests.

What challenges do female surfers often face and how can a feminist perspective help overcome these challenges?

Molly Lockwood: One of the challenges I’ve faced as a female surfer is not being taken seriously in the lineup. The feminist perspective reminds me that I belong, that I am capable, and that my presence in these spaces is powerful.

Maya Sauer: Women surfers often face challenges such as a lack of recognition of their abilities. In the line-up, women are often seen as weak and there is unfortunately a preconception among many that they can’t surf. Unfortunately, surfing is incredibly competitive and in order to get waves at crowded spots, you have to fight for them. There is a blatant hierarchy at many spots, and as a woman you are very often at the bottom because you are not taken seriously. You’ll be dropped in and paddled around. Getting waves and then not having anyone to drop in can be extremely difficult and exhausting. In addition, many people have a very fixed image in their minds of what a ‘surfer girl’ should look like.

Women who don’t conform to this stereotype often have to deal with inappropriate comments and find it even more difficult to get sponsors in the professional sector. A feminist perspective can help address these challenges by aiming for gender equality, education and creating support systems and platforms for women in surfing.

Alexandra Siebert: 1. to prove herself in the water: Most of the time there are hardly any women in the line-up. I’m often the only woman in the water.I then have the feeling that it’s difficult for me to keep up with the men.That means I immediately get this feeling that I have to prove myself and have a good wave first in order to position myself in the line-up and be respected.Otherwise I’m paddled along, skinned or dropped in.I think this behaviour in a crowded line-up is probably similar for all genders, but in my opinion a lot more extreme towards women.Of course, this is not always the case, but it is often the case.

2. having the feeling that you have to justify yourself: Women have the female cycle, with 4 cycle phases that affect the female body and psyche differently.Now it’s the case with me and I know with many other women that in one phase you are physically very weak, in pain and much more sensitive than normal. Or in another phase, particularly when you’re anxious, you suddenly don’t dare to do anything that you would normally consider normal. In other words, your comfort zone in terms of wave size, reefs and crowds varies depending on where you are in your cycle. And having to justify yourself, e.g. why you were in the water yesterday in big waves (with lots of good waves) and are suddenly scared today in the same wave.

3. how could you do it better: in my opinion, surfing is a very selfish sport. At least if you compare it to skating, where you always cheer each other on and celebrate each other. So I think it would be good if people talked about it more and worked on more education, like this article, for example. Support and push each other.Breaking down old patterns and learning to understand each gender, thus creating an equal, understanding coexistence.

Camilla Kemp: I think it takes a lot of stamina and a certain amount of strength to take on such challenges in order to assert yourself in a male-dominated sport. And it gives you a lot of strength to be in a time where a lot of changes are taking place and where we are not alone. There is so much around us that helps us to push through this feminist idea and simply assert ourselves as women.

Lauren Hill: I don’t know about you, but I still feel a little intimidated sitting in a line-up when it’s all guys around me. I still have to sit with my feelings about not belonging there, about not being good enough. About how some of those guys might snicker if I eat it on the take off. This often happens at waves of slightly more consequence, and it still happens for me every few months- and I’m 38 years old ! It’s silly. I hope younger surfers don’t have that inner voice that I obviously learned from the very sexist surf culture that I grew up in. I hope that layer of exclusion is gone now, but I suspect that for many people it is still there ( for women, transgender and non-binary, people of colour). This can be a small part of the surfing experience, or it can be a big part. It really comes down to what we do with those feelings when they arise in us – and how resourced we are to wrestle with them. 

A feminist perspective has challenged those moments of doubt in me by making me question the “whys” of not belonging –  it has made me look at the modern historic cultural forces that pushed women out of oceanic spaces, and out of surf media. And that brings me to another challenge that I have taken quite to heart – the lack of depictions of women in surf media. This also has changed so much. Still, I often pick up surf magazines on the shelf and do a gender representation test: how many women actually surf are on the printed page? It’s like the Bechdel Test in film. And still there are issues of magazines on shelves that I’ve seen in the last year that include zero women riding waves. Years ago I saw US statistics that estimated that as much as 30% of the American surf population was women. Why would a magazine choose to exclude 30% of a potential readership ? It’s not good business, its just habit and bias. 

When we look at the long arc of surfing history, for the bulk of pre-American surf history, surfing was for everyone. Women were celebrated as amongst the MOST powerful and skilled surfers. I detail this in my book, and I want all surfers to know that the recent exclusionary version of surf culture is just a modern choice that is no reflection of what surfing actually is. 

Have you personally encountered any gender-specific obstacles in your surfing career?

Molly Lockwood: Nothing serious, beyond the occasional unsolicited advice, unwanted attention, misogynistic comment, or targeted drop-in. Surfing with other women really helps to prevent these negative experiences, but a lot of times, I’m still the only woman in the lineup.

Maya Sauer: Unfortunately, I realise that sexism is a huge problem. As a female athlete, I am often reduced to my body. I get comments about my body on social media almost every day and am sexualised. Male surfers hardly ever get comments like that. And I know I’m not the only one, because I often read comments like that under the posts of other female surfers. If you confront these men, you get classic victim blaming: you want to be sexualised because you surf in a swimming costume.

Belinda Wheaton: Yes, but it’s important to think beyond the personal. Not all women will face barriers and many will face barriers but not necessarily recognise how they relate to power relations.

How can the surf community become more inclusive and welcoming to women of different backgrounds and abilities?

Molly Lockwood: I think we need more women everywhere: on editorial staff, in leadership positions at companies, as surf instructors and surf retreat operators, on judge’s panels, in the water at heavy waves, in surf shops…the list goes on and on!

Camilla Kemp: I think the surf community needs more women overall. Especially in the surf business, shaping, judging and surf coaching. There are almost no women in this area. And I think women’s surfing is very different to men’s surfing and we should see it as two categories so that women have their own platform. And their own surfing model.

Belinda Wheaton: Again, it’s hard to generalise. But it’s certainly important that attitudes continue to change, especially among the old guard of men who are nostalgic for a certain experience of surfing, especially those in positions of power (e.g. in the surf industry, surf clubs, etc.).

Maya Sauer: It is important to provide food for thought so that the classic, clichéd image of female surfers is challenged. This needs to happen through increased representation of FLINTA female surfers with different skills and backgrounds, especially through brands and media. This will hopefully encourage more women to take up surfing and can also help to break down old stereotypes.

Lauren Hill: On a personal level, I think offering a warm and welcoming smile to people in the water makes a difference. Making people feel welcome. Gift a wave. Share a moment of awe about the beauty of the ocean with a stranger. Be concerned with building a community at your local spot, one that helps nourish a culture of kindness, play and inclusivity. Above all, surfing is meant to be fun ! On a cultural level, I think the media still has a big impact on shaping what it looks like and what means to be a surfer. I love that we see more diverse representations of surfing in the media now – more than ever. Grassroots publications and zines – like Sea Maven, Emocean, etc.– have really led the charge and they’re  making the surfing world a better place.  Each season on the Waterpeople podcast, we set out to share stories from 50 % women and 50% men. It doesn’t always end up precisely that way, but it’s the goal. 

Alexandra Siebert: To create a space where people feel safe, seen and respected. I think we’re on the right track at the moment; there are more and more women’s surf camps where you can get to know the sport without the pressure of having to prove yourself. It certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea to start several mixed events where each gender can be part of it and you have to achieve something together.

Are there any special initiatives or programmes that you think could encourage more women to surf?

Maya Sauer: I see more and more initiatives that encourage women to surf. There is the WSL Rising Tides, which encourages young competitive female surfers to pursue their dreams. But there are also more and more initiatives on a smaller scale. The Leinewelle in Hanover has founded a women’s surfing community, which organises surf sessions exclusively for FLINTA, and also strengthens the community spirit with shared meals, events, etc. It’s important to create spaces like this to give women the opportunity to support each other and to give them a safe space to practise surfing. And such initiatives also help to represent to the outside world that surfing is a sport for everyone, regardless of gender, origin or sex.

Camilla Kemp: I know Rising Tides, but I think there could be many more initiatives. I also think that after my active surfing career, I will help to promote the younger ones in particular and we will see a new generation of German female surfers.

Belinda Wheaton: Yes, but they need to be centred on the local context. For some (but not all) women-only groups work very well, especially as learners. For others, they are support networks. The media must be responsible.

Alexandra Siebert : Firstly, there are all the women’s surf camps such as Wavesisters and many others that offer a good environment to get to know and connect with the sport and other women with the same interest. Then there are various events such as the Queens Classic in Biarritz or Make Some Waves in Hossegor, which pushes women’s surfing and allows you to find a community. I think that’s a really good way to grow and establish your place in this male-dominated sport. It would be great if there were more events and platforms like this to motivate and support women.

How can feminism help to change society’s perception of women in surfing?

Molly Lockwood: A long history of exclusion has contributed to a scarcity mindset among female surfers in some cases. This can lead to competitiveness instead of companionship in the water, a reluctance to open up, gatekeeping opportunities, and other unpleasant interactions. But feminism holds that when we are stronger when we join together. There is more than enough room for all of us. If there isn’t, we’ll make room! When one of us succeeds, we all do. I’ve seen that in action and it is so encouraging.

Are there certain cultural or social norms that you think need to be challenged within the surfing community?

Belinda Wheaton: I think the idea of a single surfing community can be misleading – surfing cultures differ around the world, especially in terms of local ethnicity, culture, etc.E.g. women in Brazil struggled for so long, which was related to Brazilian beach and body culture in general. In some cultures women have to be covered up etc. The ideas about who has rights and responsibilities locally are still an issue that I have written about.

Maya Sauer: For men, too, there is still a very fixed image of how they should behave. Although their focus is more on sport, there is still too little representation of POC or surfers from the LGBTQIA community, as this is not compatible with the typical image of the surfer. Unfortunately, this is probably due to a huge structural problem in our society, which is probably beyond the scope of this article. Let’s also take a look at professional sport, where surfers are dependent on sponsorship from big brands. Tyler Wright is the only woman on the World Tour to come out publicly, and it took her an extremely long time to do so. Her concern: no longer being attractive and marketable for brands and therefore having financial difficulties due to a lack of sponsorship. There are currently no men who are out. A few years ago, Alana Blanchard highlighted the fact that the body of female surfers plays an important role in acquiring sponsors in a detailed statement. She reported that after her pregnancy, she was hardly ever used in photos by her sponsor at the time, and ultimately lost the sponsor as well, as she pursued her family planning, which no longer fitted in with the classic image of the ‘surfer girl’.

Alexandra Siebert: The principle of sex sells. Surf brands should focus more on variety and surfing than on sexy girls posing in bikinis on the beach. There are so many great, inspiring women who surf. However, the women who show a lot of skin are increasingly getting sponsorship contracts. In general, women are told how they should look and how slim they should be. It says it all when professional surfers lose their sponsorship contracts because they get pregnant or refuse to surf in a bikini. What the f***! And there are many more examples of this.

How can feminist principles help to create a sense of self-determination and solidarity among female surfers?

Maya Sauer: It’s important that female surfers experience mutual support so that they can face the difficulties head on.

Can you give examples of how women in the surf community support each other?

Molly Lockwood : Through working on Sea Maven, I’ve connected with other women-led media platforms and they have been nothing but supportive. We promote one another’s work, celebrate each other, share resources, and have conversations about challenges and triumphs. It is heartening to see this camaraderie in a faction of the industry that is historically competitive. Quite literally, there is an incident on video of one male surf mag editor-in-chief punching another male surf mag editor-in-chief. 

Why do we need surf feminism?

Molly Lockwood: We need surfeminism because a world without true diversity is bland, boring, and vapid. Surfeminism is good for recreational experiences, creative endeavours, childhood development, commercial success, and every other facet of surfing. Institutions that refuse to recognize that will evolve or die.

Belinda Wheaton : Male bodies (who are young and athletic) are still seen as the natural and legitimate inhabitants of surf space. I’m not sure I like the term surf feminism because feminism is needed in all sporting spaces as has been written about for several decades. The surf zone is not immune to power relations and therefore, as in all sports and recreational spaces, feminism can help understand cultural politics and create change as individuals and collectives.

Maya Sauer: FLINTA people often face big challenges in surfing, which can quickly take away the motivation to pursue the sport. Nobody should be prevented from pursuing the sport that makes them happy because of their gender.

Alexandra Siebert: To show that we women are not the weaker sex, that women are worth the same as men and deserve to be treated with the same respect.

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We have already achieved a lot in the surf community, but there is still a lot to do. The many perspectives of female surfers have shown that there are still many obstacles and problems. In order to tackle these challenges and make the surf community more inclusive, it is important to adopt a feminist perspective in order to find ways to dismantle the structural problems. It is also important to think intersectional, as women in the German surf community face different obstacles than women in other surf scenes. Many voices also come from white, cis women like me and it is important to include more perspectives from POC and LGBTQIA+. It is definitely in the hands of all of us to work together to ensure that women* have equal opportunities and recognition in surfing.