The 1980s was the golden age of surfing, when the sport went from the fringes of society to the international mainstream with the corporate world eagerly wanting a piece of the action.
However, the sport was dominated by males with peroxide hair and radical egos. "When you heard about professional surfing contests it was always the men everybody talked about."'Girls Can't Surf' tells the untold story of a group of renegade surfers who took on the surfing establishment in the 1980s to achieve equality and change the sport forever, despite not having "the permission of the surf culture".
"An empowering history of bad-ass women." – Stephanie Gilmore (7-time World Champion)
But their fight to be heard and seen faced intense pressure from their male colleagues: "I think they need to look attractive, dress well."
The film features interviews with surfing greats like Jodie Cooper, Frieda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, Pam Burridge, Wendy Botha, Layne Beachley and more detailing the wild ride of clashing personalities, sexism, adventure and heartbreak.
'Girls Can't Surf' arrives in cinemas from 11 March.
