FABLE OR THE FUTURE?
Female freesurfing. A fairy tale. An idyllic fable where happily ever after means sponsors, perfect barrels, and remote tropical locations. Where Prince Charming is a sticker on a board, and the breadcrumbs lead to perfect waves. It may be a mythical tale we tell ourselves, but for a few women, it’s as real as the sand in our ears.
On the surface, female freesurfing culture seems non-existent, merely a shared experience of being sponsored to surf outside of competition. We chat to four surfers, who, without realising it, are establishing a culture of their own. For Imogen “Imo” Caldwell, Jaleesa Vincent, Anne Dos Santos, and Vittoria “Tori” Farmer, freesurfing is their jobs, careers, and lifestyle.
These ladies hail from different parts of Australia: the Sunshine Coast, Sydney, and remote Western Australia. Their backgrounds and interests are equally as diverse, yet, they’ve found themselves in the same place … blazing a fresh trail in Australian surfing.
Men have been freesurfing since the late ’80s when Gary Green kicked off the first of Ripcurl’s The
