In France, "The bill to democratize sport, adopted on March 19, 2021 in the National Assembly, intends to achieve full parity in the bodies for the elections to be held after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games." (Le Monde, April 29, 2021). Thus, within the framework of the Paris 2024 games, there is an objective of parity between women and men in sports. However, on 36 French federations of Olympic sports (including the federation of surfing), only two women elected president! We can thus affirm that "The strength of the male order can be seen in the fact that it goes without justification" (Bourdieu, 1998). Despite the belief systems and prejudices that sometimes characterize it (freedom, independence, counter-culture, etc.) (Guibert, 2020), is surfing in France an activity "disconnected" from social norms? Or conversely - and ultimately like many social activities - does the surfing universe (specialized media, competitions, "surfwear," etc.) contribute to maintaining gender hierarchies and stereotypes (lisahunter, 2018)? Based on a systematic analysis of 150 French surfing magazines published between the 1980s and 2010, this paper will emphasize that specialized media structure, in the mode of "it goes without saying", a normative and sexist view that assigns a specific role to women and female surfers. Magazines reinforce hierarchical and essentialist gender stereotypes (sexualization of female bodies reinforcing gender identities, normative and aesthetic body injunctions, gendered assignments of female roles through specific postures and body usages). However, backed by an ever increasing awareness of social and gender inequalities, we observe in France that female surfers are quantitatively more numerous (free practitioners or licensed to the federation), there is since 2021 a "mixity" commission at the French Surfing Federation, Prize money is equivalent between women and men, female surfers compete (surpass?) with male surfers in "big waves", cultural events promote female surfing in France, etc. The question is now to know if these modifications in the practice and organization of surfing will modify the systems of representations. Bibliography : Bourdieu, P., (1998), La domination masculine, Paris : Seuil. Guibert, C. (Ed.). (2020). Les mondes du surf. Transformations historiques, trajectoires sociales, bifurcations technologiques. Pessac: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme d’Aquitaine. Lisahunter. (Ed.). (2018). Surfing, sex, gender and sexualities. Routledge.

In France, "The bill to democratize sport, adopted on March 19, 2021 in the National Assembly, intends to achieve full parity in the bodies for the elections to be held after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games." (Le Monde, April 29, 2021). Thus, within the framework of the Paris 2024 games, there is an objective of parity between women and men in sports. However, on 36 French federations of Olympic sports (including the federation of surfing), only two women elected president! We can thus affirm that "The strength of the male order can be seen in the fact that it goes without justification" (Bourdieu, 1998). Despite the belief systems and prejudices that sometimes characterize it (freedom, independence, counter-culture, etc.) (Guibert, 2020), is surfing in France an activity "disconnected" from social norms? Or conversely - and ultimately like many social activities - does the surfing universe (specialized media, competitions, "surfwear," etc.) contribute to maintaining gender hierarchies and stereotypes (lisahunter, 2018)? Based on a systematic analysis of 150 French surfing magazines published between the 1980s and 2010, this paper will emphasize that specialized media structure, in the mode of "it goes without saying", a normative and sexist view that assigns a specific role to women and female surfers. Magazines reinforce hierarchical and essentialist gender stereotypes (sexualization of female bodies reinforcing gender identities, normative and aesthetic body injunctions, gendered assignments of female roles through specific postures and body usages). However, backed by an ever increasing awareness of social and gender inequalities, we observe in France that female surfers are quantitatively more numerous (free practitioners or licensed to the federation), there is since 2021 a "mixity" commission at the French Surfing Federation, Prize money is equivalent between women and men, female surfers compete (surpass?) with male surfers in "big waves", cultural events promote female surfing in France, etc. The question is now to know if these modifications in the practice and organization of surfing will modify the systems of representations. Bibliography : Bourdieu, P., (1998), La domination masculine, Paris : Seuil. Guibert, C. (Ed.). (2020). Les mondes du surf. Transformations historiques, trajectoires sociales, bifurcations technologiques. Pessac: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme d’Aquitaine. Lisahunter. (Ed.). (2018). Surfing, sex, gender and sexualities. Routledge.