A new documentary sh a light on gay surfers around the world, and fds secret liv, stggl for sponsorship – and even suicis. <strong>Will Coldwell</strong> reports
Contents:
- THIS GAY SURFER STARTED AN ONLYFANS PAGE TO FEEL SEXY, AND ’S WORKG
- THIS GAY PRO SURFER ME OUT TO HIS "MAT" WHEN A GROCERY CLERK H ON HIM
- COMG OUT: TO BE A GAY SURFER
- 'QUEER SKATEBOARDG': PHOTOGRAPHER DOCUMENTS GAY SKATER CULTURE
THIS GAY SURFER STARTED AN ONLYFANS PAGE TO FEEL SEXY, AND ’S WORKG
* gay surfer pictures *
Six years ago, Vallejo was jt at the start of his gay journey. Googlg expedns to the words “gay” and “homosexualy” only add to his ever-growg anxiety.
THIS GAY PRO SURFER ME OUT TO HIS "MAT" WHEN A GROCERY CLERK H ON HIM
Gay profsnal surfer Craig Butler once bullied kids durg his youth. It's one of his biggt regrets. Now he is tryg to change how people look at gay men sports like surfg. * gay surfer pictures *
Earlier this year, I spoke wh Chance Wheeler, another gay former llege athlete, who says OnlyFans allows him to feel nfint his body. “I thought would be nice if I uld fd at least one other gay surfer out there, ” he says.
And as the membership grew – to clu many who thought they were only gay surfer the world – so did the stori.
COMG OUT: TO BE A GAY SURFER
For all of the eye-openg experienc associated wh the sport of surfg, there seems to be ltle mentn or acknowledgment of surfg’s gay muny. * gay surfer pictures *
Surfers, cludg many profsnal on, were wrg to Castets to expla how they had felt pelled to keep their sexualy secret, faced homophobia the sport or stggled the surf dtry as a rult of g year Thomas, along wh Atralian former state champn surfer David Wakefield – who chose not to pursue a surfg reer out of a fear of beg “found out” as gay – cid to go on a trip around the world to meet some of them.
'QUEER SKATEBOARDG': PHOTOGRAPHER DOCUMENTS GAY SKATER CULTURE
“Boys Will Be Boys” by AY is onle at BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! promotg queer and gay photography. * gay surfer pictures *
Their journey – ptured award-wng documentary Out the Le-up, which premier the UK this week – sheds a light on the experienc of gay surfers around the world as seeks to unrstand why the sport ntu to stggle to be open about the the stori heard are that of former petive surfer Sie Hernanz, whose fellow surfers and roommat moved out after fdg out she was gay. It also touch on the tragic se of Ben Roper, a young gay surfer om one of Sydney’s famo surf gangs, the Bra Boys, who killed himself last year. At the time, she felt unable to adm that she was gay.