Waves of Exclusion and Resistance: Intersectionality and the Struggle of Black Women in Brazilian Surfing

Abstract

This article investigates the multiple barriers faced by Black women in Brazilian surfing, using intersectionality as a central analytical tool, drawing on authors such as Lélia González, Sueli Carneiro, Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins. Based on the trajectories of surfers like Nuala Costa and Érica Prado, it reveals how gender, race and class oppressions marginalize these athletes in a sport historically dominated by white men. The study examines how such barriers affect access to sponsorship, media visibility and professional opportunities, showing that white aesthetics and structural racismo shape the exclusion of Black women. It also highlights forms of resistance, such as the Todas Para o Mar project and the Black Women Surfers Movement, which promote inclusion and challenge inequality. The article concludes that recognizing the specific experiences of Black women is essential to democratizing surfing and transforming its exclusionary structures.