Riding the wave
In 2018, a photograph of two junior surfing champions, proudly holding their winners’ cheques went viral. The female winner, Zoe Steyn, had won $400; the first-placed male, Rio Waida, twice that.
Facebook erupted. Did the girls surf an easier ocean we don’t know about? What are we teaching our girls through this archaic discrimination? Do I get 50 per cent discount from (sponsor) Billabong because I’m only worth half as much?
The World Surf League (WSL) rolled out its excuses but suddenly there was a tsunami of stories detailing decades of the inequality and bigotry suffered by female competitors. Shortly after came an announcement: From 2019, women would receive the same prize money as men.
For a group of tough, talented, renegade women it was the victory they’d been fighting for since surfing turned professional in the 1980s. “I started crying when I heard it on the radio. I was so happy,” recalls 1983 world title holder Pauline Menczer. She’s one of the pioneer female athletes sharing their wit, grit and vintage video and photos in a new film documenting that fight, Girls Can’t Surf.
Pauline is the epitome of the
