As with every documentary, making Against the Current required a certain amount of research. This included details about the characters in our documentary as well as the area they lived and surfed in (Durban). On top of this however We had to look at what was behind us, that is the history of surfing for black and female surfers in our country. 

South Africa is widely regarded as one of the best surf countries in the world. It is also a country with a troubled past, and that's putting it (extremely lightly.  Much like other countries like the United States, the birth of surfing was enjoyed by those privileged by the system. Many of the locals who lived in surf cities had little or no access to good surf due to the colour of their skin. 

On top of this systemic exclusion is the fact that surfing has been and still is a sport that favours men. Men have for a long time been giving larger prizes than women in pro surfing competitions, something that has only recently begun to change. This has led to sport being regarded as a bit of a boys club, with female surfers having to work much harder to achieve success in the surf world, despite women being some of the first to adopt the sport.. 

 

With this in mind, here is a visual (and brief) look at the history of the sport in our country for Black and female surfers.