title: Contest, freedom and transformation: Surfing in fiction from 1849 to 2022
Creators: name: Sandtner, Jake S
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: surfing
subject: fiction
subject: literature

description: Contest, freedom and transformation: Surfing in fiction from 1849 to 2022 examines the representation of surfing in fiction, especially the novel. The PhD undertakes a survey of fiction publications since 1849 and focuses its discussion on three major themes evident in the history of the sub-genre: the context of contest as a major aspect of the surfer character's experience; the interplay within and between gender dynamics; and the quest for existential freedom with its accompanying concept of surfing as a transformative experience. The study is divided into five chapters, each establishing and contributing to a new area of surf-writing knowledge. The 'Introduction' offers an overview of the research conducted for this PhD submission. As well as a brief outline of the approaches/methods used, this section introduces some of the fundamental themes and texts discussed throughout. Definitions for frequently used terms and philosophies closely related to surfing and surf-fiction are established. Among other texts, the importance of Jack London's short story 'The Kanaka Surf' is reviewed and discussed. Chapter 1, titled 'An introduction to the history of wave-riding in fiction', serves as the foundation of the thesis. This chapter examines the evolution of surfing and the surfer character's representation in fiction across 173 years of publishing. Tracing the phases of storytelling identified in five eras, and through carefully analysing the publication timeline, Chapter 1 aims to demonstrate patterns and influences that shaped the portrayal of surf in fiction. Chapter 2, '"To come in standing": Adolescents and lessons for growing up in surf-fiction', examines the portrayal of young surfer characters in fiction aimed at adolescent readers. Through a critical lens, this chapter analyses how surfing becomes a marker for adolescent understandings, aspirations, and transformations. Chapter 3, '"The surfer's biggest enemy was himself": Men and the contest with the self in surf-fiction', shifts focus to explore surfing, male characters, and their roles within fiction. This chapter highlights the masculine overtones which persist in writing about the surfing experience - the internal conflicts of what it means to be a man and the transformations that ensue regarding male protagonists. The chapter sheds light on how the surfer's journey in fiction contributes to a broader understanding of sexism in surf media generally. Chapter 4, '"Forget you're a girl and surf like a man": The trials of women in surf-fiction', extends the inquiry to the portrayal of female characters and their interactions with male counterparts. This section compares the male and the female surfing experience and how these juxtapositions can challenge traditional gender roles. Chapter 5, the final chapter, is titled 'Freedom and Transformation' and examines surfing in fiction through a unique thematic lens. Where Chapters 2 through 4 analyse the contests within surfing, Chapter 5 examines the popular literary motifs of freedom and transformation. Focusing on the portrayal of surfers, and what surfing means to them, this chapter investigates how surfers can undergo an existential transformative experience in their pursuit of liberation. At the end of the dissertation is an appendix. In the appendix is a more comprehensive look at the historical survey of fiction titles that contain surfing, surfer characters, or settings connected to surfing culture. The historical survey is formatted to include each work's publication year, title, publisher, genre, and setting, if known. At the time of this research, it is the largest survey of fiction titles concerned with surfing. Overall, the PhD submission Contest, freedom and transformation: Surfing in fiction from 1849 to 2022 offers a comprehensive inaugural study of how surfing is represented in fiction. It aims to map a new understanding of the sub-genre's evolution and contribute to a deeper recognition of surfing's place in literature.