Professional surfer Laura Enever visited the small African island state of São Tomé and Príncipe. On the country's largest island, where tourism is few and far between, the Australian discovered how surfing helps women to emancipate themselves.
"Know The Feeling" is a series created by Billabong in which viewers discover different cultures through surfing. Each episode focuses on local women and surfers. The series has already been filmed in Morocco, Hawaii, China, Sri Lanka and Canada. Recently, the Australian brand unveiled a new episode of "Know The Feeling" featuring one of Billabong's muses, surfer Laura Enever. She had already played the role of explorer in several previous episodes.
In the video above, the Australian surfer and 2009 world junior champion travels to São Tomé and Príncipe. This small country is divided into two islands off the coast of Gabon. It is also one of the least visited states in the world. The island of São Tomé is the largest of the three islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, and is home to the majority of the archipelago's surf spots, at least those that are accessible.
In São Tomé today, the vestiges of the colonial era are aging beneath the lush jungle and spectacular peaks, but it's the beauty of gestures rooted in tradition that's impossible not to notice. The echo of songs sung in the river while washing clothes, people dancing to the rhythm of the dusty streets. Vibrant colors in the midst of incredible landscapes, warm and welcoming smiles: this is São Tomé.
And it was there that Laura Enever met Francisca Sequeira, founder of Soma. This association enables young women in São Tomé and Príncipe to learn to surf. Originally from Portugal, Francisca first visited the archipelago as a flight attendant in 2017. She has been coming back ever since, convinced that surfing can be a springboard to many other things in terms of self-esteem, especially for young girls. However, even if surfing is a powerful tool, she believes there is an additional need: that's how Soma was born.
The film also introduces Maura. Aged just 13, Maura is the current national champion, and has only been surfing for a little over two years. Although they grew up right behind Santana's surf club, Maura and her twin sister, Maury, didn't escape the heavy housework that falls to most women on the island, and didn't start surfing until they were introduced to it by Soma. Surfing gave Maura access to opportunities and experiences that a young woman from Santana would never have had otherwise.