Welcome to the W&W collection!
Whether we’ve practiced it for a day, a year or a decade, and whatever the culture we come from, surfing has the power to transcend our lives by bringing joy and an everlasting need to return to the ocean. This magic leads us to travel, to open up to the others and the unknown, and to share.
Surfing for nearly 20 years, the passion for waves has definitely shaped my life in ways I least expected. As it lead me to travel alone to other continents since the age of 17, my wanderlust has allowed me to meet amazing people on the road, among whom women I got very much inspired from.
From Canada to Indonesia, Ecuador, Australia, and passing through Panama, these female surfers are so different in many aspects, and still, they all have one thing in common: the love of surfing has changed their lives. The impact, unpredictable, can range from a simple gain of courage, learning to let go, to a stronger sense of freedom and humility facing the elements. But it can also literally revolution local social and cultural codes, where surfing does not only mean practicing one’s passion, but also question the place of women in their society and to claim their right to lead their life as they see fit.
By pursuing this infinite quest for waves and discovery, I had, along the way -good times, bad times- so many questions regarding my life as a woman and a human being in the world. What is a meaningful life about? Is it our duty to live a meaningful life? What is happiness? How to achieve it? Is it possible to have children and keep surfing and travelling? Should I find a good job and get settled, or should I pursue what makes me happy the most, even though this means less security regarding the future?
I often wished I could ask these women, many of whom travelling alone, what were their goals, their fears, if they were ever feeling lonely, or how essential was surfing to them.
Alternating lifestyles of travelling the world and honoring responsible office jobs, of seeming socially successful but feeling deeply miserable, I found in those women inspiration as they helped me realize that I had to chose happiness and simplicity over conformism and materialism. And meeting girls from very different cultures made me understand life could be lead in an infinity of ways, varying greatly from what was the norm back home.
During all this time of uncertainty, lingered, in the back of my mind, the idea of meeting them back, and asking them all the questions I had, in a quest for identity but also to give them the credit they deserve and share their inspiring lives with others.
The foundation and project Women & Waves are born from the desire to support these surfers who challenge the standards of a society shaped by masculine hegemony and to foster societal change that will benefit future generations. It is also meant to favor networking putting in touch travelers with locals, in order to materially help surfer girls in countries where material is scarce or out of reach.
You will find here a collection of portraits of local surfer girls from all over the world, and a special series featuring surfer expats who decided to live their dream in a new and often challenging environment. I photographed many of them in their daily life and near the ocean.
This collection is meant to highlight the natural beauty of those strong inspirational women, without any gender or social stereotypes, and of their respective cultures, which might be different in many ways but are all bonded by the love of the ocean.
Hopefully, this project will inspire other women to start surfing or to get empowered to lead their lives according to their dreams and passion, even when society has other standards for them to oblige.
At last, for those who may want to venture to new places and taste the great waves featured, they will find a friend to look for, hence creating a world-wide network of surfer who can learn from each other and share a tip, a coffee or a wave.
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| Pavones, Costa Rica - A surfer girls' paradise (photo Roma Arguindegui) |
Qu’on le pratique depuis un jour, une année ou une décennie, et quelque soit la culture d’où l’on vient, le surf a ce pouvoir de transcender notre vie en apportant une joie et un besoin sans cesse renouvelé de retourner dans l’océan.
Cette magie nous amène a voyager, à nous ouvrir à l’autre, à partager. C’est en poursuivant cette quête infinie de vagues et de découverte que j’ai rencontré dessurfeuses de tous âges et toutes cultures.
Du Canada à l’Indonésie, en passant par l’Equateur ou le Panama, différentes par de nombreux aspects et pourtant ayant toutes un point commun : l’amour du surf a changé leur vie.
Cette magie nous amène a voyager, à nous ouvrir à l’autre, à partager. C’est en poursuivant cette quête infinie de vagues et de découverte que j’ai rencontré dessurfeuses de tous âges et toutes cultures.
Du Canada à l’Indonésie, en passant par l’Equateur ou le Panama, différentes par de nombreux aspects et pourtant ayant toutes un point commun : l’amour du surf a changé leur vie.
L’impact, imprévisible, peut aller d’un simple gain de courage ou de lâcher prise, ce sentiment de liberté et d’humilité face aux éléments… à une véritable révolution des codes sociaux et culturels où surfer ne signifie pas seulement pratiquer sa passion mais également remettre en question sa place de femme dans la société et revendiquer son droit à mener sa vie comme on l’entend.
Ce projet est né du souhait de soutenir ces surfeuses qui tous les jours challengent les normes d’une société encore trop sexiste au service de leur passion et d’un changement sociétal qui bénéficiera aux futures générations. J’ai pu photographier nombre d’entre elles dans leur quotidien et sur la plage avant de surfer, afin de montrer qu’en dépit du contraste de nos cultures, nous sommes toutes unies et égales face à l’océan. Enfin, cet hommage vise aussi à développer une aide matérielle participative, en mettant en contact des surfeuses qui voyagent avec d’autres sur place, moins fortunées, ayant besoin de produits spécifiques (planches, leash, lycras…) ou de sponsoring pour continuer leur carrière sportive.
En espérant que ces portraits puissent inspirer d’autres femmes à commencer le surf ou à s’affirmer davantage dans leur vie et leurs envies, en suivant leurs rêves et leur passion, même lorsque la société a initialement prévu d’autres choses pour elles.
Enfin, pour celles qui souhaitent visiter les plages misent en avant et goûter à leurs vagues parfaites, elles auront également l’occasion de se faire une nouvelle amie sur place, et ainsi créer un réseau international de surfeuses qui pourront s’enrichir mutuellement, et partager un conseil, un café ou une vague…
Bon voyage !
https://womenwaves.wordpress.com
