CHASING WAVES, the rise of women's surfing in South Africa

311pp., illus., paperback, Karavan Press, Cape Town, 2026

ISBN: 9781049215129

After watching South African surfer Bianca Buitendag win the first ever Olympic surfing medal for South Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Melissa Volker decided to document the transformative journey of generations of female surfers who fought through male-dominated lineups, cold water, fear, apartheid-era beach restrictions, and a lack of media representation.

"In Chasing Waves, Melissa Volker gives voice to the girls and women who shaped South African surfing’s past and continue to make waves in the present. Weaving in reflections on her research journey and her own surfing life, Volker crafts a tapestry detailing the choices and challenges of courageous female surfers since the Sixties. In documenting their life stories, Volker surfaces hidden surf histories and shows how the waves have become more inclusive. This is not only a book for those who surf but also for those who wish to wade into the unfolding history of South African beach cultures." Glen Thompson

"An extraordinary book. Chasing Waves, and the women surfers it recognises and celebrates, will inspire you both in and out of the water. I know I will return to it often."Qarnita Loxton

Melissa A. Volker's publications includethe environmental romance Shadow Flicker. She learnt to surf in 2015 and won the Women’s 45+ South African SUP Surfing Championships in 2017 and 2019. She lives in Cape Town.