Gay surfers get their own social work—and documentary
Contents:
- GAY SURFER FILM OUT IN THE LP HS THE BIG SCREEN, WS AWARDS
- THE OUTFIELD: RIPP’
- ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC
- YOUNG IRISH SURFER TO BE FIRST OPENLY GAY SURFER ON WORLD TOUR
- THE GAY PENGUS OF ATRALIA
- PHOTOS: CHANGG THE TI FOR GAY SURFERS
- NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY
GAY SURFER FILM OUT IN THE LP HS THE BIG SCREEN, WS AWARDS
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 * gay surfers sydney *
And as the membership grew – to clu many who thought they were only gay surfer the world – so did the stori. 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. 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.
THE OUTFIELD: RIPP’
When Thomas Castets sat down at his puter Sydney four years ago and began wrg a blog, he had one most aim. “I thought would be nice if I uld fd at least one other gay surfer out there,” he says. “And fd out if they had some time to surf wh me.”… * gay surfers sydney *
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.
“I have seen so many talented female surfers e and go bee they didn’t have the support om the surfg dtry due to the fact that they were eher gay, spected of beg gay, not feme enough or they simply did not f the image that brands believe sells product, ” she says.
ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC
Same-sex upl have an creasg range of great optns for their gay honeymoon. From Greece to the Uned Stat, here are some of the bt. * gay surfers sydney *
“To e out as gay the surfg dtry is to step out of the bounds of what is nsired ‘marketable’, so I suffered the nsequenc of that, ” she actn shot om Out the Le-up.
Photograph: PRFor Ian Thomson, who directed the documentary and is himself gay and a surfer, is not jt the profsnal aspect of surfg that n feel very hostile to a gay person. The way a lot of the guys do that is by puttg other people down, and homophobic slurs are part of that.
And you get this msage that if any way I show my te self – my homosexualy – I’m jt gonna get massacred out here. ”The issue of homosexualy and surfg draws a lot of wir problems the sport has wh diversy general – somethg that seems at odds wh the easy-gog, unterculture liftyle many feel reprents.
YOUNG IRISH SURFER TO BE FIRST OPENLY GAY SURFER ON WORLD TOUR
Out In The Lp explor homophobia faced by gay surfers. * gay surfers sydney *
There is still yet to be an openly gay male pro surfer at the ele level who is currently on tour – spe the fact that more tradnal sports, such as football, gby and boxg, have had succsful athlet e out.
THE GAY PENGUS OF ATRALIA
How gay-iendly is Atralia’s beach culture? * gay surfers sydney *
And another e is jt that there have never really been any gay surfers out there, so I would jt ll that ignorance and a lack of visibily.
PHOTOS: CHANGG THE TI FOR GAY SURFERS
See the documentary that follows two gay surfers as they unver a taboo their beloved sport * gay surfers sydney *
”The aim of the film – which has been shortlisted to be ed as part of the tn programme Atralian high schools – is not simply to challenge homophobia surfg, but also to help refe and mornise the image of homosexualy general.
“The media is still picturg gay people as livg the cy, wearg the same cloth, gog to parti …” says Castets, who feels that the perceptn of gay culture – a siar way to surfg – hasn’t evolved much sce the 80s. “I thought if we were able to make this film, we would be able to change that stereotype and show a new image of what is to be gay 2014.
NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY
Craig Butler is a young surfer om Ireland that is sperate to make the World Surfg League and if he do he will bee the first openly gay surfer that petn. * gay surfers sydney *
Sydney is Atralia’ largt cy and is home to Atralia’s largt group of gay surfers, a iendly, socially active lot that meets regularly for group surfs and other surf related activi. 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 out.
Last 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. 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 issue.
Among the stori heard are that of former petive surfer Sie Hernanz, whose fellow surfers and roommat moved out after fdg out she was gay. “To e out as gay the surfg dtry is to step out of the bounds of what is nsired ‘marketable’, so I suffered the nsequenc of that, ” she says.
A new documentary follows two gay surfers as they unver a taboo surfg. * gay surfers sydney *
For Ian Thomson, who directed the documentary and is himself gay and a surfer, is not jt the profsnal aspect of surfg that n feel very hostile to a gay person. The issue of homosexualy and surfg draws a lot of wir problems the sport has wh diversy general – somethg that seems at odds wh the easy-gog, unterculture liftyle many feel reprents.
The aim of the film – which has been shortlisted to be ed as part of the tn programme Atralian high schools – is not simply to challenge homophobia surfg, but also to help refe and mornise the image of homosexualy general. John Tanzella, chief executive of the Internatnal Gay and Lbian Travel Associatn, says ’s an enuragg trend, but he worri there’s a risk of gay vatners beg targeted as a “niche.