Who Is Felicity Palmateer? A Professional Surfer Who Is Celebrating Her Body

Felicity Palmateer, a 28-year-old, a professional surfer launched a short film Skin Deep. In the short movie clip, the surfer is seen riding big waves on beautiful beaches while is completely naked. In an Instagram post Palmateer described Skin Deep as a project which had been in the concept stage for four years. 

“It’s a project that in essence seemed so simple, yet has proved to be incredibly challenging to execute and ultimately, get to release stage. The ocean has always been my biggest mirror to how I’m feeling mentally and the process of shooting Skin Deep was incredibly empowering and cathartic. By embracing my femininity in a place free of judgement it’s allowed me to view my body in such a different way. To honour it for what it allows me to do physically and to embrace self love and acceptance, “ her caption read. 

The four minute clip is Pamateer’s contribution to art and the craft of surfing as she embraces her natural self and tries to let go her insecurities about her body.

Art and surfing both inspire her deeply. “ It’s when I am doing either that I feel most alive, inspired and simultaneously calm and exhilarated,” she said. 

In 2015, Palmateer set the record for the biggest wave ever surfed by an Australian woman. She was later invited to surf first-ever women’s big wave event on the island Maui, where she secured third place. According to her riding those big waves in Maui is the riskiest thing she has ever done in her lifetime. Palmateer's surfing career started when she was just 12 years old. 

A female athlete hardly ever gets to disassociate her athletic self from her womanhood. This is something that female athletes around the world struggle with. Felicity Palmateer’s ‘risque’ take on surfing is bound to raise eyebrows because no matter how many men use women’s bodies to showcase their artistic skills, a woman doing that herself is still called a ‘bold’ step. She is an athlete proudly accepting her femininity in her way. 

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To Palmateer, surfing bare bodied is more than just a ‘risque’ move. While talking about her body issues, she said on her Instagram, “Foolishly, for years I looked to the mirror to find power. I’d dissect and disseminate my body into parts I liked, or mostly hated … Shoulders - too broad! Legs - too muscly and short! I’d dream of being a better, vastly improved version of myself (whatever the hell that is?) Even if someone else complimented me or told me they loved me for who and what I already was, I still wasn’t convinced. Shooting Skin Deep has helped change my inner dialogue.” To her, the short film Skin Deep is about evoking conversation and embracing her femininity.