Surfing faces a cultural reckoning as women’s voices grow louder over sexual abuse allegations | Lucy Small

When news broke last week about a surfer's provisional suspension due to "serious allegations of abuse within the surfing community," the response online was unprecedented in the sport. While investigations continue, the story has triggered a flood of comments detailing other alleged experiences of sexual misconduct and assault in surf industry settings, from corporate brand houses in Hawaii to organized surf trips.

For women who have long existed in this subculture, these broader stories are sadly no surprise. In 2019, at a World Surf League Longboard Tour contest afterparty in New York City, the author observed teenagers gathered with competitors and staff in their 40s, with alcohol flowing freely and surfers themselves pouring drinks behind the bar. This raised questions about who was responsible for keeping young women safe in such environments and how incidents could be reported.

Culture of Silence

Over the years, stories of sexual harassment and assault have accumulated privately within the surfing industry without accountability. When the author raised concerns with Surfing NSW years ago, she was told complaints would go to the event director then to the state body's CEO, though they claimed never to have received such complaints. The lack of reporting mechanisms is a significant barrier.

In the male-dominated, insular surfing industry where work is often contract-based and opportunities depend on relationships, seeking accountability carries potentially career-ending risks. Without clear independent reporting systems or a track record of taking reports seriously, these institutions create a culture that protects the accused and silences victims.

Historical Context

Australian surfer Nat Young, 1966 world champion and pioneer of the shortboard revolution, described disturbing scenes in his 1998 memoir "Nat's Nat and That's That." He wrote about a woman being positioned for group sex by a friend, with multiple men including himself taking turns. Young referred to the woman as "The Grunter" and described how "friends and acquaintances from other beaches joined in" as the scene "got a bit out of hand."

Breaking the Silence

Such accounts in surfing's magazines and memoirs have normalized and even lauded these experiences, weaving them into the industry's central fabric. Now, however, a shift appears to be occurring. For the first time, rumors that had previously been confined to private conversations are being written publicly in comment sections and Instagram posts.

The most surprising aspect of the recent allegations wasn't that they were being made, but that there was actually a response from authorities. A surfer has been suspended pending investigation in a culture that had previously glorified lifestyles where women's bodies were sacrificed for surfing talent. The critical question remains whether this moment of outrage will lead to actual structural reform or remain a passing reckoning.