Pauline's Legacy Belongs at Bondi

Pauline Menczer is an unsung hero of the Australian sporting community. A surfing trailblazer, and the only surfer (female or male) from Bondi to win a World Title, she paved the path for future generations, championing equality in surfing and led the way for female surfers dominating the Championships today.

 

Pauline's story recently captured hearts around the world through the movie, Girls Can't Surf, which highlighted the injustice that Pauline didn't ever receive prize money after winning the 1993 World Title.

 

Why? Gender disparities in surfing competitions at the time meant only men got the big bucks at surf comps.

 

That quickly changed. With the launch of Girls Can't Surf, supporters from around the world chipped in to raise tens of thousands to finally gift Pauline her prize money.

 

In a huge development, we now have an opportunity to cement Pauline in bronze, honouring her legacy at Bondi Beach with an everlasting statue.

 

Pauline Menczer Bondi Statue

In celebration of Pauline's achievements as the only surfer from Bondi to take home a World Title, her contribution to the local surfing community deserves to be recognised. The Pauline Menczer statue will do just that.

 

This isn't just about Pauline though. Currently, only 12 of the 200 statues in Sydney are of women! That's just 6% representation. A significant injustice when it comes to celebrating female achievements.

 

In consultation with the Waverley Council, we're taking action into our own hands to fund, design and create Pauline's everlasting statue to overlook Bondi's iconic beach.

 

Here is where we need your help

The project will not come cheap. We need to raise $150,000 to commission a sculptor and build the artwork.

 

The Pauline Menczer Bondi Statue Committee will invite five local sculptors to submit their designs for the piece and only one will be selected.

 

How your donation will help

The process of creating a sculpture from start to finish isn't a quick process. During this time all donations will be held in a Trust fund overseen by the Pauline Menczer Bondi Statue Committee.

 

The Committee is working alongside Waverley Council to ensure the statue meets all requirements before the project is undertaken. Upon completion, the statue will be gifted to the Council for its allocated placement.

 

In the highly unlikely scenario that the project is unable to go ahead, all donations will be refunded under the GoFundMe Guarantee.

 

Throughout this journey, we'll be sharing updates on the project's progress and invite you all to see the statue when it is unveiled at Bondi Beach one day soon.

 

Some come on Australia (and Bondi, this is your time to establish something monumental in your community) let's step up and continue to fix these historic gender inequality injustices.

 

Share, support and chip in to ensure Pauline's legacy is cemented at Bondi Beach for generations to come.

 

The Pauline Menczer Bondi Statue Committee.