Female surfers played a vital role in the sport's Polynesian pre-history. The situation changed in the 20th century and female surfers found their influence reduced—for the most part—to decoration and novelty. The first crack in this picture appeared in 1967 when the Western Surfing Association created a new 4A division for “professionally-oriented super stars.” A precursor of today's elite world tour, the women's division showcased child star Margo Godfrey, who carved her way straight through to the World Title at age 15. Margo set the stage for future generations of women surfers. Names like Rell Sunn, Jericho Poppler, and Lynn Boyer became fixtures in the surfing press. Today, through the efforts of Lisa Andersen, Rochelle Ballard, Layne Beachley, and Keala Kennelly, women are reclaiming their rightful place in the elite lineups the world over. One of the 21st century's most obvious surfing trends is the explosion of females at beaches everywhere. We explore all of the above in this edition of The Surfer's Journal.