Waves of Freedom: Pioneering Women In Iran Unveil the Power of Surfing

“Once you get in the water, the rules and norms of society dissolve & the power of the ocean to connect and 

spread happiness is huge.”

– Easkey Britton, TEDx Dublin 2013

'Waves of Freedom' is a trailblazing initiative in Iran that aims to harness this power of the ocean in the best possible way - as a creative medium towards positive social change through making surfing, a typically Western sport, accessible to people in the country as a tool of self-expression, storytelling and catharsis. The non-profit aims to empower the marginalised sections of society in Iran, especially women and girls, to make them realise their potential as individuals and changemakers in their societies and to help work towards gender equality. Initiatives like these have assumed a renewed importance in light of the shocking laws proposed recently in Iran that reduced them to 'baby-making machines' by banning voluntary sterilizations, restricting abortions and blocking access to information on contraception with a second bill encouraging early marriage and making divorce more difficult. These laws also legalize discrimination against female job candidates, especially if they are single and have no children, and have consequently been denounced by Amnesty International. Initiatives like Waves of Freedom assume the role of a significant ideological pushback against these regressive steps, giving us hope towards moving firmly forward.

The idea initially saw the day of light back in 2010 when French filmmaker Marion Poizeau and Irish surfer Easkey Britton travelled to a remote region in south-eastern Iran in a quest for adventure and to gauge surfing opportunities. These gutsy ladies hadn't met in person before their encounter at Tehran airport, but knew they shared a passion for treading into hitherto unexplored territories, and they were curious as to how they could surf and film in Iran, a country that has remained largely inscrutable to a lot of other countries around the world. The two wondered what it'd be like to get women to come hit the waves with them, and they eventually took to Baluchistan, one of the remotest areas in Iran being the only region offering any surfing potential that's also considered as one of the most dangerous in the world with a blend of curiosity and apprehension, Marion with her camera bag filled with headscarves in tow, and Easkey with her surfboard.

Their apprehensions seemed to be unfounded eventually and the uncertainty melted away, as the locals were warm and welcoming, and - most of all - thrilled to see surfing being practised for the first time in the country by a woman. Luckily for us, Marion lensed Easkey's surf shenanigans in Iran, making her the first woman to surf in Iran, which you can watch here (got to love the C2C):

The film caught on in a big way, especially with international media, and it went viral on the net due to overwhelming encouragement and positive response from across the globe. Cut to August 2013 - the two women had succeeded in having their short film really reach out to people, and had also connected with other pioneering Iranian sportswomen who had heard their story. The waves in Iran beckoned to them again with the promise of adventure, and this time, the objective was to spread the joy and get other people involved as well, especially women. Mona Seraji, Iranian snowboard ambassador, came on board along with swimmer Shahla Yasini and together, they really did make waves, so to speak,  in the region with this second trip. Using surfing as a means to build bridges and open up channels of communication, all three women connected on the ethos of the project and born of this experience was 'Into the Sea,' Marion Poizeau's feature documentary that depicts the first surfers in Iran hitting the waves, 'a story shaped by women'. Becoming the first women to surf in Iran, they have been using the power of the waves to transcend social, cultural and gender barriers and to spread the message through the film, and the love for waves through the first Iranian surfer's club, Waves of Freedom.

“After introducing the three characters, the film reveals their journey to the remote southeastern region of Iran, Baluchistan, where Mona and Shalha are going to learn to surf with Easkey.”

You can get involved and support Waves of Freedom here, and follow them for the latest updates on their Facebook page.