What is it like to be a surfer girl : a phenomenological exploration of women's surfing

Using a phenomenological approach, this study describes the lived experiences of women surfers and how these experiences interact with the wider patterns of women’s lives. The experiential descriptions were derived from unstructured conversations with 37 women surfers. Three shared essential meanings provide insights into how women made meaning from their surfing experiences. Connectedness, self-actualisation and empowerment were meanings of the women’s surfing experiences and highlighted how surfing affected the life-worlds of the women. The outcomes of the study contribute to the literature on women’s experiences of alternative leisure cultures as well as serious leisure and further existing research on women’s surfing experiences in relation to gender and empowerment.