Caitlyn Jenner and Vanity Fair Magazine broke the Internet earlier this week – introducing the public to a new person we’d all formerly known as olympian Bruce Jenner. It has sparked open conversations about the reality of transgender lives, of sexuality, but most importantly about an individual’s ability to be true to themselves. Today it remains a timely news topic in the LGBTQ community, in the world of pop culture and entertainment, and in sports. No matter where you turn, whichever TV channel you flip on, or radio channel you’re listening to, the discussion transcends any singular community. And for as much insightful discussion as we’ve seen, there’s been more than enough backlash as far as creating a petition on Change.org to take back the Olympic Gold Medal Bruce Jenner won in 1976. Personally, I’m fascinated at how uncomfortable people can be when somebody starts discovering, becoming, and ultimately being themselves.
Interestingly enough, the surf world has seen a transformation like this before.
And it’s a fascinating, even inspiring story that’s teaching us plenty today. In the 1970s, the same time period Bruce Jenner was one of the best athletes on the planet, Peter Drouyn was a rockstar of a surfer. He brought surfing to China in the 80s and gave us the man-on-man heat format in competitive surfing, but is most well known today as the sport’s first transgender “surfer of note”. There is a film still in production and still fundraising so the world can hear Westerly Windina’s story, according to their Kickstarter page.
In the trailer Westerly speaks of Peter and tells his stories in the 3rd person, bringing home the fact that she is, quite clearly, her own person. She remembers his victories, his waves, and breaks into tears in some moments. Most fascinating is the story she shares that the transformation was sparked whilesurfing in 2002. “It was a supernova,” said Westerly of the near-death hold down. “It just kicked in one night, and suddenly Peter went, Westerly was there.”
And if you do a little digging, listen to what people have to say about the surfing of Peter Drouyn, it should be no surprise that Westerly’s revelation came through the physical act of surfing. Drouyn, like any amazing surfer, had style that inspired and stood out among the masses. And according to Rabbit Bartholomew, Westerly kept that same grace. “Given Drouyn, the seemingly fearless surfer, was shaped like a ‘square gorilla, Westerly Windina is disconcertingly slim and graceful,” he said. It’s kind of a hopeless romantic’s perfect storyline if you think about it: Surfer finds herself while surfing.
Westerly from Record Collection on Vimeo.
