A Celebration of the Female Form

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Surfpolitik

What do I know about female surfing?

Well, not a whole lot. But it doesn't stop me thinking about it.

For instance, when aerials were first popularised in the early-90's I distinctly remember thinking it was an opportunity for the fairer sex to get even with the men. Power, it seemed, was on the wane. The numbers of hairy-chested, rail-gouging brutes were dwindling and on the rise were nimble gymnasts with the requisite qualities - fast-twitch reflexes, spatial awareness – that this armchair sports scientist thought necessary for vaulting above the lip.

With visions of Eastern Bloc lasses deftly mounting the pommel horse and twisting through the air I thought that aerial surfing would be the great gender equaliser in the water.

But I was wrong...or at least I'm not yet right. For whatever reason – gender limitations? lack of competition? – women aren't yet performing as well as men in the surf. Even in the air. Especially in the air.

But this doesn't preclude some absolutely startling moments of female surfing in recent times – Tyler Wright's all-rail layback hacks at Snapper are the first that come to mind. But for the sake of this story cast your eye to the photo of Chelsea Hedges taken yesterday (click 'enlarge' for mind-boggling 800x534 effect!).

Now, if webcast commentators are to be believed then the bottom turn is the measure of a surfer - the turn that all surfers should be judged on and around which good styles are built. Witness Mark Occhilupo in shot two laying it over at Bells with his gold standard of backside bottom turns. And then there's Chelsea parking her derriere in the trough at Margaret River, grabbing the rail for good measure and blasting a bra-burning turn for sexual equality.

For power, commitment and sheer subliminal beauty it is a doppelganger to Occy's turn.

Now, how long till they take to the air?

(Photo of Chelsea by ASP/Woolicott, photo of Occy by Steve Ryan)

Comments

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 6 Apr 2011 at 2:00am

I saw that bottom turn from Chelsea.......best turn I've seen from either sex for quite a while.

lennoxlocal's picture
lennoxlocal's picture
lennoxlocal Wednesday, 6 Apr 2011 at 4:00am

Hopefully she topped that bottom turn with an equally stylish re-entry?

abc-od's picture
abc-od's picture
abc-od Wednesday, 6 Apr 2011 at 9:20pm

Nice article stu. I've always thought Chelsea Hedges was the most powerful female surfers on tour and wondered why she didn't get more recogntion for this. You raised an important point: what is holding female surfers back?

One thing - and a lot of people may disagree with me here - is that the big companies (all run by men) throw huge money at skinny, lithe young women like Alana and Laura, yet if we want to see women surfers doing full-rail turns or big airs they are going to have to put on weight. Read: get another body shape. And that means they won't be so appealing to the drooling adolescents that the big companies make their money off.

Mark my words: Alana or Laura will never surf powerfully or do proper airs. Not unless they change body shape and, lets face it, they never will.

surfwanker's picture
surfwanker's picture
surfwanker Wednesday, 6 Apr 2011 at 10:01pm

Sophie Limar did some nice airs in the Snapper contest a couple of years back when it was at D'bar.

abc-od's picture
abc-od's picture
abc-od Wednesday, 6 Apr 2011 at 10:08pm

think you mean silvana lima, wanker. Not meaning disrespect to Silvana but it (it was only one) wasn't a good air, especially not in comparison to what the men now do. More a novelty and it got attention just because it was a woman doing it.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Wednesday, 6 Apr 2011 at 11:31pm

@ abc-od (first post)

It's a good point. And the implication (at least as it seems to me) is that the companies who push the pretty young things are actually holding back the performance side of women's surfing.

Food for thought...

bigwayne's picture
bigwayne's picture
bigwayne Thursday, 7 Apr 2011 at 10:32pm

mr od , thats an od name, as the only person with self proclaimed royal linage an this site i feel it necessary to say that man and woman are different so therefore never the twain shall meet! v8 supercars are tightly controlled in every way but do you see leanne tander doing the same lap time as her husband? my point is that you are comparing oranges with apples, although you should get rid of your misoginest attitude . this advice is golden treat it as such.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Sunday, 10 Apr 2011 at 1:38am

Excuse my impertinence nuncle, but don't you mean oranges with figs?

bigwayne's picture
bigwayne's picture
bigwayne Sunday, 10 Apr 2011 at 9:49pm

exactly mr again , that is exactly what i mean, well at least i think it is. maybe? i know of one lady that still rips even though her competing days are over and the yunguns take all her time but can outsurf most men on any given day, miss falconer was and in my opinion still is one of the best female surfers on the planet.

greenroomhoon's picture
greenroomhoon's picture
greenroomhoon Thursday, 14 Apr 2011 at 10:21am

Being a chick with 16 years experience in powerful surf, i can try and address this question with some personal insight. I have observed and talked to alot of other female surfers, and generally, one thing that seems to hold women back is fear, which results in unconfident surfing.
how can you launch into the air stylishly when you're not confident?
Also, women are simply not as coordinated as men, and lack the testosterone and aggro-ness necessary to RIP!!!
I've always theorised that i have an abnormally high male mix of hormones for a female, which i believe has made me particularly athletic. and even though i'm very petite, i always win in a wrestling contest with a guy! having a healthy dose of that testo-aggro-ness makes a surfer or any athlete rip. I've surfed along-side Rochelle Ballard, Meghan Abubo and many other pro's and I can see it in them too.
But, there is still not enough of it to really send us flying through the air with style and ease.
How many chicks do you see ripping up a skate park?
we're just not built for it physically, mentally, or homonally.
While i wish it wasn't the case, i'd have to agree with the figs n oranges comment. Mars/ Venus !!

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Sunday, 24 Apr 2011 at 1:02pm

I don,t want to sound old fashioned but if and or when I see a female surfer get a serious tube I will be impressed. Woman s surfing has come a long way but really there will never be a women surfer who could compete with the men, both in power or style. Any of my mates I grew up with could hold a world title in the women,s division. Why this is I don,t know but reality for me is the only thing I hate more than a surfing contest is a surfing contest for women-what a waste of time and money, why pay for B grade entertainment and or advertising, that shit is not selling anything to anybody .Fact. Just look at the sponsor dollars.

merg's picture
merg's picture
merg Friday, 13 May 2011 at 10:32pm

The new Nike 6.0 movie coming out on the 24 May has some incredible footage of the new school female surfers that are definitely pushing the boundaries of womens surfing.

http://www.surferm.ag/surf-articles/leave-a-message-nike-all-girl-surf-m...