Beyond Prize Money
Barriers to Gender Equity in Australian Surfing
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23309381 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ece Kaya (0000-0003-2500-4131, University of Technology Sydney), Leila Khanjaninejad (0000-0002-7308-5653, University of Technology Sydney), Lloyd Rothwell (0009-0005-4972-5103, University of Technology Sydney), D Adair (0000-0001-7998-3414, University of Technology Sydney) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Sport and Social Issues (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0193-7235 • E-ISSN: 1552-7638 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01937235261471026 |
| OpenAlex | W7169837236 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 48 |
In Australia's surfing culture, significant barriers have long impeded women's full participation and advancement in the sport. Surfing has been a male-dominated sport, with women surfers often feeling unwelcome in both competitive and recreational spaces. Through a qualitative approach involving semistructured interviews with 20 competitive Australian women surfers, our research reveals that despite recent progressive reforms, women still face systemic obstacles. Applying Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, this study examines how the structure and culture of surfing in Australia contribute to women's participation and advancement in the field. It explores the extent to which access to different forms of capital is constrained and how women's dispositions are shaped and reinforced through formal and informal settings, norms, and practices, ultimately influencing participation and sustaining persistent systemic barriers. The research uncovers the barriers in three key areas of women's surfing: structural barriers in organized surfing, including competition structures, lack of funding streams for women's development programs, and unequal sponsorship distribution; cultural barriers in informal surfing, including lack of codes of conduct in local surf spots, mentorship programs and gender-inclusive teaching methods in surf instruction; and insufficient leadership development to create pathways for women across surfing organizations, competition judging, coaching roles, and industry administration.
Coaching · Competition (biology) · Face (sociological concept) · Feeling · Gender equity · Mentorship · Qualitative research · Recreation · Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking · Outdoor and Experiential Education · Sports, Gender, and Society
Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health
Surfing and Social Theory
Thematic Analysis
A national assessment of the economic and wellbeing impacts of recreational surfing in Australia
Outline of a Theory of Practice
Women in Action Sport Cultures
Saturation in qualitative research
The Logic of Practice
The Trouble with Newcomers
Women's recreational surfing
Surfing through the life-course
Going surfing/doing research
The influence of paternal co-participation on girls’ participation in surfing, mountain biking, and skateboarding in regional Australia
History, Culture, Surfing
Subcultural enterprises, brand value, and limits to financialized growth
Feminists re-reading Bourdieu
Bourdieu, Feminism and Female Physical Culture
Killing waves
Context and Background
Locals Only! The Impact of Modernity on a Local Surfing Context
The challenges of 'researching with responsibility
Surfing with Bourdieu! A Qualitative Analysis of the Fluid Power Relations among Surfers in the Line-Ups
Action Sports, the Olympic Games, and the Opportunities and Challenges for Gender Equity
Bodies Matter
Professional Habitus and the Construction of Gender
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |