A revitalized surf culture in Ghana is also supporting a movement for equal opportunities for girls and women. The re-emergence of surf clubs is contributing to interest in a sport widely favored by locals. However, in a sport predominantly associated with men, a number of clubs are working to make the sport more inclusive.
Surf culture promotes a lifestyle that supports individuality and strengthens the bond between surfers and the natural world around them. This deep connection to the outdoors in oceans, lakes and rivers is at their heart as captured by wild water scientists and advocates, Wallace J. Nicholswho explains the ocean’s unique spark: “there’s science that shows how being near, in, on or under water can make us happier, healthier, more connected and better at what we do.”
According to Surf Aid, it is one of the the world’s oldest sports, with what we know today originating from the Polynesian islands of the Pacific. At the same time, historical evidence of surf has been observed in West Africa and Peru. Regardless of location, however, “women who wanted to surf had to compete with men and were often ignored as surfers,” the organization says.
This is the case in the small fishing town of Busua, Ghana, one of the many hotspots for local surfers. It is also a city where many earn a living through its fishing industry, but many die from drowning. In a BBC Sport history, it was noted that “[p]they do not fear for their daughters with reason, but also with discrimination. While they prevented their girls from enjoying the beach, their boys learned to take advantage of the local waves.”
Surf in Ghana, a surfing and skateboarding collective founded in 2016 to use extreme sports to promote diversity in education, social inclusion and youth empowerment, is working to change that – while improving physical and mental health. The collective has invested in workshops to build surfing knowledge for those new to the sport and highlight the many benefits of the sport, including financial.
For many girls and women, sport is considered a luxury traditionally reserved for boys and men. Since Busua thrives economically on fishing, surfing is seen more as a recreational activity than a profitable avenue. Clubs like Surf Ghana are tackling this issue by making surfing profitable while continuing to promote gender equality. It promotes surfing for tourism and also creates jobs in the surfing community to enhance youth development and increase engagement as mentors, surf shop employees, surf instructors and more.
As a founder Sandy Alibo he told the BBC, “I also develop skateboarding in Accra and I definitely notice a change as soon as he offers a job. That’s what makes the shift, something immediate and effective. If you’re a surfer, you can get a job. That’s the only way he understands the community that is the beneficiary of all this”.
The rise of these clubs challenges the norms that women are expected to follow. For girls and women, surf culture gives them the tools to explore a life away from traditional conventions. The Obibini Girls Surf Club is another example of a club that empowers women to serve as ambassadors for surfing as well as invest in their livelihoods. Since its debut, the club has contributed to the reduction of teenage pregnancy in Busua through information and prevention workshops.
The revival of surf culture is helping to spur action to create equal opportunities for young women to access the benefits of the ocean, find diverse employment paths and be empowered through the sport.