Rhizomatic bodies, gendered waves: transitional femininities in Brazilian surf

Abstract

Surfing, practised along the whole Brazilian coast, was previously viewed as a man's sport; women are now taking to the waves and are among the best professional surfers in the world. This article focuses upon a group of women surfers using data gathered from semi-structured interviews with them. From the interviews it became apparent that at all times, in or out of the surf, the female surfer's body is always a contested terrain, particularly in the economic context and when dealing with sponsors. In this context tensions emerge from the clash of traditional patriarchal mindsets regarding newly emergent femininities. Women in sport and their supporters reject the paradigm that considers them to be merely decorative and subservient to men, Brazilian female athletes are beginning to imagine and construct their bodies differently. As part of the first generation of professional Brazilian female surfers, this group represents a new site for the liberation of Brazilian women.