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

A culture of silence has buried the stories of women who allege sexual assault in surf industry settings

When news broke last week that a surfer had been provisionally suspended from international competition, after what the International Surfing Association (ISA) described as “recent reports of serious allegations of abuse within the surfing community,” the response online was unprecedented in the world of surfing.

While investigations into those allegations are ongoing, the story prompted a deluge of comments detailing other alleged experiences of sexual misconduct and assault in surf industry settings, ranging from corporate brand houses in Hawaii to organised surf trips. While horrifying, for women who have existed in this subculture across the decades, those broader stories are sadly no surprise.

Lucy Small is a professional surfer, journalist and film-maker from Sydney, with a special interest in women’s sport