Below Surface

‘Below Surface’ follows longboard surfer Lucy Small as she grasps the baton from the renegades who fought for equal opportunity in the world of surfing decades before her. After winning a surf competition in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2021, and receiving a prize of less than half the male division’s award, Lucy courageously called out the event organisers on stage for their blatant misogyny. The incident went viral and catapulted Lucy into a world of accidental fame. Lucy found her feet amidst the media maelstrom that followed and channeled this newfound attention into founding the Equal Pay for Equal Play campaign in New South Wales. The petition aims to not only mandate equal prize money at all levels of competition, but that sporting organisations need to provide equal opportunity to both men and women, such as access to facilities, pathways into the industry, and avenues to participate in training and competitions. What began as a student project quickly evolved when we realised there was much more to say about the issue of women’s equity in sport than we could fit into a seven minute assessment piece. Director Chloe Keeley is a professional water skier and amateur surfer who learned of Lucy Small’s viral moment in 2021 and was inspired to amplify her story and campaign beyond the bounds of the surfing community in New South Wales. The response so far has been resounding - an indication that this issue deeply resonates with not only women athletes but women across all professions, from all walks of life.

Sustainability Notes:

Our film primarily addresses women's equity in surfing and sport but, as our cast and crew are all equally driven towards cultivating a greener, healthier planet, we were conscious of our carbon footprint during filming. Production was already low budget by implementing simple sustainable practices, such as avoiding single-use plastics, using rechargeable batteries, and handling all paperwork electronically, we were able to capture this story while maintaining a low impact on our surroundings.