Someone has finally delivered a worthy homage to the role of women in surfing. "Surf Like a Girl" is a marvelous piece of work.
The world is changing, and sports are changing, too. The good news is that women have finally started to get the attention they deserve.
Women may have been hidden, riding their waves out of the spotlight, but they have always excelled in the art of trimming a moving saltwater wave.
"Surf Like a Girl" (Prestel, 2019) is an ode to women's surfing. It's a book every male surfer should have. After all, we're all in this together, and surfing never really was a 100 percent male-dominated sport.
Women brought, bring, and will bring many good things to surfing.
A careful look at a female-dominated line-up will reveal that there's much less ego, bravado, and chest-pounding moments when they're ruling the break.
"Surf Like a Girl" features a collection of 30 portrayals and stories about more or less known female wave riders.
It also includes autobiographical articles by Amber Jones, Anaïs Pierquet, Cait Miers, Conchita Rössler, Lindsay Steinriede, Maria Fernanda, Ming Nomchong, Leah Dawson, Valerie Duprat, and many other performers.
The author, Carolina Amell, is a graphic designer based in Barcelona, Spain, who specializes in contemporary visual culture.
Amell kicks things off with a quote that really makes us - men and women - reflect on the true meaning of life.
"Freedom, peace, and love are the only things we should run after. Nothing else truly matters," says Anaïs Pierquet.
Sense and Sensibility
What really impresses in this hardcover masterpiece is the perfect balance between each word poured into the pages and the quality and grandiosity of the giant photos.
Smiles are the only linear variable across the whole book. All the rest is a surprise at every turn of the page.
These are stories from the sea that will help us question our priorities in life. And to be honest, women were always better at that than men.
"Surf Like a Girl" has emotional testimonials from women who lost their loved ones, started a surfboard-shaping career, captained boats, founded spiritual retreats, surfed while pregnant, made movies, taught yoga, and still ride waves at 60.
In the end, you'll get a feeling that surfing has a lot in common with dancing.
The gracious moves, the women's unique stance style, and the way they approach a surf line will drive you to think you're witnessing a performing art.
It's fair to say that this 256-page book is probably the best title ever published exclusively dedicated to women's surfing. Get it and enjoy it.
