Pauline Menczer, the only surfer from Bondi to ever win a world title, is set to be honoured with a statue at Bondi Beach later this year.
Menczer, a proud lesbian who now lives in Byron Bay, won the world championship in 1993 while living in Bondi – at a time when there was no prize money for female competitors.
That disparity – and Menczer’s personal journey – was highlighted in the 2021 documentary Girls Can’t Surf, which not only elevated the profile of women’s surfing but also helped spark the campaign to have her immortalised in bronze at the beach where she grew up.
“It’s all because of the movie Girls Can’t Surf,” she told Gay Sydney News. “Christopher Nelius was behind it and when he did the movie he realised not many people know the history of Bondi surfing and women surfing in general … and he had this idea to do a statue of me at Bondi.”
Menczer began surfing at age 14, often without support from her local community.
“I’d have my skateboard and sit on my bum from Ocean Street all the way down to the beach and just surf every day after school,” she said.
“It was pretty tough growing up there because guys didn’t really want women in the water.”
The stigma extended beyond the waves, with Menczer remaining closeted for much of her early life and professional career.
“I didn’t hide it but to the general public I was always quiet about it. Another girl who was a pro surfer got kicked in the stomach and beaten up for holding her girlfriend’s hand, so for my own safety I just didn’t come out,” she said.
She later shared her story in her memoir and now encourages others to embrace their identity.
“I came out in my book and I did that because I was hoping that I might help the next person that’s struggling to come out,” she said.
Waverley Council has approved the construction of the statue, which would make Menczer just the 13th woman among about 200 public statues in Sydney.
A local community group, the Pauline Menczer Bondi Statue Committee, is aiming to raise $150,000 to bring the statue to life, with almost $90,000 donated as of Sunday.
Menczer hopes the statue will serve as a symbol of possibility.
“It wouldn’t matter if it was me or if it was another surfer, or another gay person, it just matters that it’s inspiring the next generation,” she said.
Gay Sydney News reporter