People often comment when they visit the town of Broulee, on the NSW south coast, that “there must be something in the water here” because there are so many women in the surf. On any given day you are guaranteed to be surfing with at least one woman … or 10.
Twelve years ago, the women in Broulee started a women’s boardriders club, hoping to provide a safe and inclusive space for women of all ages to surf. Marked by their struggles in the ’70s, the women didn’t want the same thing to happen to the young girls in Broulee.
Over more than a decade, the Broulee Women’s Boardriders club has grown and is now a core part of the small surfing community. There is no difference, there is no second look, all the girls surf and that’s just the way it is. Club members say Broulee is a shining example of gender equality in sport and shows how good it can be when men and women are given equal respect in and out of the water.
This story was originally published on Ocean Roots – People of the Ocean.