I am ever so slightly in a state of shock and awe at the moment.
I just can’t get over the latest Red Bull sports film/documentary, Now Days.
This is a full surf film of the current cutting-edge of women’s surfing and it is a long way beyond radical.
We are talking about eye-popping and jaw-dropping red-hot surfing here.
Even when put side to side with men’s surfing, these young women are completely ripping.
I am not much into energy drinks but next time I buy one, on account of this film, cinematography, content, format and contribution to international surfing for both men and women, I will drink a Red Bull and acknowledge “The Super Six”.
Please google “Now Days Red Bull surfing movie” on the internet and see what I am talking about.
In the bad old days, women’s surfing was somewhat relegated to bikini contests on a ramp and dismal heats in marginal waves with poor prize money.
Our own Wendy Botha (four times world champion) from erstwhile East London (now KuGompo), along with US friends such as Frieda Zamba, Lisa Anderson and Kim Mearig, as well as Pam Burridge, Pauline Menczer and Jodie Cooper from Australia, kicked against the status quo and bust down the door so to speak.
Slowly, prize money and choice of waves for women’s events began to creep up, as did sponsorships, respect and performances.
In 2011, a groundbreaking women’s surf documentary hit the ether.
Nike had decided they were going to enter the surf wear market and their opening access point was going to be women’s surfing.
They put their hand up and signalled their intent with, to my mind, one of the hottest surf films ever launched.
Nike 6.0 Leave a Message — Carissa Moore, Lakey Peterson, Laura Enever, Coco Ho, Monyca Byrne-Wickey and Malia Manuel went on a surf trip together to a number of world class surf spots and with no contest pressure but all excitement turned on, they tore the ocean to shreds.
Along with meaningful short interviews, these young women expressed words, thoughts, philosophy and affirmations that they live by and how and why they love the ocean so much and why they enjoy pushing their limits and the outer boundaries of women’s surfing.
I recall when Leave a Message came out, some guys were in shock and others were just in straight denial.
I recall comments such as “nah mate, chicks don’t surf like that, that has been speeded up and photoshopped”.
AI had not been invented for doctoring surfing movies in 2011.
This movie was a catalyst for a seismic jump in women’s surfing.
I was staggered that after entering the market with such a bang that Nike then decided not to pursue surfing?
Well, 2026 and the new young crew have got the message and they are running with it like a herald to the stars.
Now Days features Caroline Marks (US), Caity Simmers (US), Molly Picklum (Australia), Erin Brooks (Canada), Sierra Kerr (Australia/US) and Sky Brown (UK), just 17 years old!
This film tracks these young women surfing through Indonesia, Tahiti, Mexico and SA.
They are surfing better than I did in the best of my dreams in the best of my days.
I have never once even vaguely imagined an aerial 360º rotation.
Particularly Brown, who comes from Olympic skateboarding background, has translated her vertical bowl skating experience into surfing and is landing some phenomenal flips.
Brooks and Kerr, with bucket loads of wave pool perfection and consistency, have honed some diabolical skills that they have now taken to the ocean.
Picklum demonstrates her mobility, hip flex and warm up routine in an exercise she calls 90/90 level 1, 2, 3 in another short video and you can see why she is the current world champion.
Her talent, physicality and tenaciousness that she displays to be No 1 in the “Super Six” is phenomenal.
Corporate and country sponsorship has moved to a new space in supporting women’s surfing.
Sponsorship of the film and trip is a real shot in the arm for the women.
They have current digital media working for them because every time they film a radical clip, it is instantly circulated among them and the new bar height and goal is immediately set and straight away it is the next target.
Meaningful wave pool training, dieticians, sport psychologists, biokineticists, life skills coaches, physiotherapists, surf board shapers and new approaches to sponsorship and support are driving women’s surfing through the stratosphere.
It surely is a spectacle to behold.
Athletic excellence of the highest order.
The women have stepped away from trying to match men with raw foot-to-foot power and are leaning into their own lane of flexibility, agility, flow, timing, positioning, excellence and speed, and I can tell you it looks great.
I am interested to see how men’s surfing is going to respond to this.
Cheers Red Bull, you have made a fantastic contribution to the entire sport of surfing, and particularly to women. Salute.
Daily Dispatch
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