68 SurfGirl Magazine
T
he dance on waves, and the grace and beauty
that is surfing, shares a decidedly feminine
aspect. From the Hawaiian surfing Queens
of myth and legend, to the freshly crowned
champions of the women’s pro tour, and the big wave
challengers now exploring that new frontier, women have
been at the forefront of surfing since the very beginnings of
human connection with waves.
For more than 300 years the story of women’s surfing
is the history of surfing itself – the earliest woodcuts from
Captain Cook’s initial discoveries of Hawaii document the
act of surfing. And they are mainly images of women.
As with the world at large, women have always
struggled to be noticed, to win recognition and to gain
respect in the wave arena. In the early 20th centurywomen surfers could still get arrested for wearing woollen
bathing suits that showed too much of their arms.
Each era has had its pioneers, barrier breakers and
legendary stars. And women’s contributions to surfing are
as significant as any in surf history.
It was a woman who became the first surfer in Australia,
when a budding Olympic swimmer volunteered to ride
a wave tandem with the great Duke Kahanamoku –
introducing the act of wave riding to an entire continent
that now dominates the sport.
In the years following World War II, women riding waves
were used as the primary images creating Hawaii’s allure
as a tourist destination.
Women too, were the impetus for the design of lighter,
smaller, more manoeuvrable surfboards. Long before theMaryAnn Hawkins surfing Redondo Beach flood behind car new.