Girls Can't Surf

Most but not all athletes interviewed are White. They largely come from the U.S., Australia, and South Africa. One woman describes not getting as much media attention or sponsorships because she wasn't blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Feminist messages. One scene shows a protest on behalf of gay rights.

A woman says her dad was murdered when she was a kid. Big waves can be dangerous -- surfers are pulled out of the water by helicopter or ambulance. A woman ruptures discs in her back while surfing, another has arthritis, another describes suffering anorexia as a result of media telling women surfers they needed to be thinner. A woman says she ran away from an unhappy home where her dad was addicted to alcohol. Another says she felt unwanted when she learned she was adopted. Two gay women recall being shunned by their peers or else feeling they had to hide their sexuality, describing a "hostile" environment.

Women surfers were treated as sexual objects by the media, fans, and the male surfing community. One posed for nude photos in Playboy. Others knew their bathing suit-clad bodies were always on display. A female surfer got pregnant, had to give up surfing temporarily at six months until after birth. A man grabs his private parts on camera. Women describe unwanted advances from men. A man says women should just "look attractive"; another says they should take sponsorships only from products like perfumes and make-up. Mention of shaving the bikini line, keeping a breast covered, getting an "enema" of seawater, menstruation. A headline asks "how surfing compares to sex."

"F--k," "fricking," "s--t," "bulls--t," "hellhole," "sucker," "boob," "dykes."

A woman describes having had a drinking problem. Another woman says her dad was addicted to alcohol and made home life unhappy. A third describes heavy partying. Images show a man smoking and people drinking alcohol in bars and elsewhere.

Parents need to know that Girls Can't Surf examines the decades-long struggle by female surfers to be treated equally in their sporting world. The film does a great job conveying the message that women can and should be treated and paid equally in sports, and that excelling in any sport regardless of your gender takes hard work and dedication. Interviewees describe some difficult periods in the past, including alcohol use, anorexia, illness, injury, the loss of loved ones, unwanted sexual advances, sexist treatment, and homophobia. Language includes "f--k," "fricking," "s--t," "bulls--t," "hellhole," "sucker," "boob," and "dykes."

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