Women at sea: surfers win a place on the coast of Rio de Janeiro

When she started surfing, a decade ago, lawyer Débora Futscher bought men’s surf clothes because she couldn’t find good options for women. In Rio de Janeiro, where she lives, she has already faced hostilities from surfers in points traditional. And at sea, it has been cut several times while trying to catch a wave. But the direction of the winds began to change. Although surfing is still a predominantly male sport, women have been conquering their space in the water.

O #hellocity, a Motorola project that seeks to inspire new experiences in the metropolis, caught a wave with women looking for a place by the sea. They are not few. But obstacles are not lacking either. In professional surfing, the difference between the genders is very clear. They fight for more prominence in competitions, they need to work harder in search of sponsors and demand equal value of prizes, in relation to what is given to men. In the amateur environment, disparities are less visible to outsiders, but they are also present.

In surfing, territorial disputes are frequent. A beginner on a beach or a beginner on a wave is not always well received. If you are a woman, the discomfort may be greater. “We are going through difficult situations. Depending on the place, you are intimidated, the guy is positioning himself in front of you to catch your wave”, says Débora.

That’s why she is part of WhatsApp groups aimed exclusively at female surfers in Rio. So, they exchange ideas, win company for the activity and share day by day the best surf spots in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

“The intention of the networks is to have female support and encouragement. Today there are a lot of men encouraging it, but there is still prejudice”, says the surfer lawyer. She says that, in Rio, the beaches of Arpoador, Quebra Mar and Prainha are the least hospitable ghettos for women. Barra da Tijuca, Grumari and Joatinga are more open places.

One of the groups that Débora participates in is the Stringer, which is actually more than a gathering of women who like to surf. It is a network that seeks to show that surfing is for everyone – and all. The group started in 2012 as a kind of blog created by Vanessa Bertelli and Cristiane Brosso. For a long time, they found themselves without company to practice the sport, or were the only women in groups of male surfers.

Vanessa and Cristiane were also bothered by the stereotypes that accompanied surfers – that of beautiful, fit and young girls – and started to produce content to democratize the sport and challenge common sense. Soon, the duo saw that there were several other women on the same beach.

The project grew, left the virtual network and started to promote face-to-face meetings. The experiences, as they call them, are escapes of a day or more to the sands of Brazil and abroad. On the 22nd and 23rd of February 2018, the Longarina docks in Rio de Janeiro. And they guarantee that the experience goes beyond surfing lessons. The experience will include conversation circles and meditation.

“Seventy percent of the women who accompany us do not surf and go as part of a therapeutic process of adventure at sea, connection with nature, sociability”, explains Bertelli. “There are people who write to us saying they would love to surf, but are overweight or think it’s impossible. We always say: ‘come’🇧🇷 We seek to create an environment of sorority and try to block the competitiveness of performance or the perfect body for them to feel comfortable”, she adds.

Want to try a new activity in Rio? Join these surfers! Check out more information available at site of the project or get in touch by email at contato@longarina.com🇧🇷 If you can’t wait for the next experience, get together with your friends and go explore Rio’s waves. Register the experience on social networks with the hashtag #hellocity and see other ways to reconnect with the city at hellomoto.com.br🇧🇷