The profound physical and psychological benefits of surfing, often linked to sensory immersion in "blue spaces," are well-documented in the literature (Anderson, 2022, Britton Falaix et al., 2021;lisahunter Wheaton Towner Usher, 2017) and Ruttenberg and Brosius (2025) provide an interesting theoretical intervention within these debates. In line with their previous work, they argue that critical surf scholarship has too often flattened surf destination management into a standard critique of neoliberal governmentality (Ruttenberg Moser, 2020;Walker, 2008), surfing is increasingly becoming a site of demographic diversity, as marginalized and underrepresented groups challenge entrenched patronizing surfing experiences (Comer, 2010). Wengel (2026) provides a compelling study of female surfers in Hainan, China. While the other authors in this special issue are well-known in surf tourism studies, Wengel has recently investigated the field from a different angle in Hainan, China (Guibert & Taunay, 2013). Hainan is a developing surf destination that experienced domestic tourism growth when international borders closed during the pandemic. There, women surfers explain the extent to which surfing acts as a powerful catalyst for personal transformation, empowerment, and rebellion against traditional societal gender norms. Wengel also notes the friction caused by rapid post-pandemic commercialization, highlighting the tension between the democratizing aspects of expanding surf culture and the superficial commodification of the sport. This contribution broadens ongoing debates by demonstrating that sustainable surf tourism should continue to consider social and cultural transformation, alongside environmental and political changes. More inclusive and diverse futures also depend on who gets to belong, whose experiences are valued, and the way rapidly expanding surf destinations negotiate social change.
Lemarié et al. (Thu,) studied this question.