Breaking the Waves: Defeating Discrimination in Christopher Nelius' 'Girls Can't Surf'

Chronicling the experiences of female competitors within the (often aggressively) misogynistic world of professional surfing in the 1980s and 1990s, Christopher Nelius' documentary portrays a rare women's sport in which pay equity has been achieved. Yet while the stories the film tells of the sexist surfing culture of yesteryear are confronting, the sport's broader history shows that progress doesn't always travel in a straight line, writes Greta Parry.

Additional keywords:
Duke Kahanamoku, Isabel Letham, Pauline Menczer, Jodie Cooper, Wendy Botha, Pam Burridge, Nat Young, Australian Playboy, Ocean Pacific Pro, male gaze, Puberty Blues, AFL Women's, Jeffreys Bay, heterosexuality, Sandra Dee, Gidget