The Arugam Bay Girls Surfing Club in Sri Lanka is making waves, literally! The all-female surf club is shattering the stereotype that certain sports are meant only for men, and has become the country’s first officially-registered female surf club.
The club’s president, Shamali Sanjaya is a 30-year-old mother from Arugam Bay. She organises beach cleanups and coordinates surf trips for all the members. “No girls were surfing in the village at that time. My brother is the number one surfer in Sri Lanka and my father is also a good surfer. When my cousin taught me how to surf he said, ‘Shamali, I think you have surfing in your blood.’ Here in Sri Lanka, women stay home or go to school. Married women look after their husband and kids. People think only women tourists surf,” she told a portal.
