Surfing is a magic carpet ride, an ode to a life in freedom. But in some cultures, freedom ends at the shore, and surfing takes on a political dimension. Why? Because those surfers are women. CHICKS ON BOARDS are rebels on boards claiming freedom against all odds. Soon Sabah will ride her last wave in Gaza. She is going to get married. Then her husband will make decisions for her. Because Aneesha wants to become a surf-pro, she was expelled from her family in India. Suthu is the only black female surfer in the water and in love with another woman - a dangerous mix in South Africa. For safety reasons, women were not permitted at Big Wave Contests in Hawaii. Until Paige turned up. In England, Gwyn is making big waves without realizing it. She was the first in the water - and still is, at 72.

In unserem Roadmovie Chicks On Boards besucht Dörthe Eickelberg fünf außergewöhnliche Surferinnen, die in ihrem Land die große Welle machen. In vielen Kulturen ist Surfen ein Männersport. Von Frauen wird erwartet, dass sie sittsam zuhause bleiben. Wer sich dem widersetzt, wird verlacht oder verstoßen. Doch es gibt Frauen, die aufbegehren. Für sie ist das Wellenreiten ein politischer Akt, eine stille Rebellion.