ABSTRACT
In November 2004 I was conducting daily participant observation at Sandon Point, a suburban Wollongong reef break, in the Illawarra region, on the east coast of Australia, some 80 km south of Sydney (Figure 8.1). Locally and nationally, this is now considered one of the most prized surfing locations for shortboard riders, given this right-hand reef break consistently produces hollow, barrelling waves, four feet in height and over. Over the course of my observations, although at some breaks groups of young women on shortboards could often be seen, particularly in small surf (less than four feet) or attending surf schools, at Sandon Point, women’s participation was almost absent. Here, riding high-performance shortboards is almost an exclusively young, white, able-bodied male activity. Shedding some light on the gendered dimensions of surfing are my observed reactions of how young males respond to the few young women entering this male-dominated space. For example, a young woman carrying her shortboard is apparently ignored by a group of young males evaluating the morning surfing conditions. Dressed in a skin-tight wet suit, she cannot conceal her body. She confidently passes the group of young men, crosses the rocks and paddles out in the rip tide. The group of young males seem surprised by her decision. One young male comments that: ‘She’s not local. I hope she knows what she’s doin’.’ Another remarks on the size of the young women’s breasts. The group dissolves into laughter and wolf-whistles.
