Waves of Freedom is an all-volunteer initiative and as such we rely on the generosity and participation of our diverse community to design and implement the unique projects that we offer.  No matter what your background or skill set, we all have something to contribute.

Support Us

Financial Support:

As an all-volunteer initiative you can feel confident knowing that 100% of your donation will go directly to our projects.  You can donate safely and securely by using Paypal or by contacting us at info@wavesoffreedom.org for additional options.

Donate Equipment:

More equipment means more participants in our projects and more participants means more impact.  To donate new and used equipment, contact us at info@wavesoffreedom.org

Donate Your Expertise:

The diversity of our community is what allows us to run successful projects in challenging environments.  Lend us your time and skill set to help with a current project or develop a new project.  Got an idea for a new project? A skill-set you'd like to contribute?  Let’s make it happen... contact us at info@wavesoffreedom.org

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It’s all about who you know.  Introduce Waves of Freedom to your contacts and friends and let’s see how we can work together on new and existing projects.

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Waves of Freedom is a voluntary-led non-profit that uses surfing as a medium for empowerment, transforming the most vulnerable and marginalized members of society, especially women and girls, into self advocates and empowered change-makers in their communities and beyond.

The story of "Waves of Freedom"

The story began in 2010 when French filmmaker Marion Poizeau and Irish surfer Easkey Britton traveled to an unknown territory in the remote region of south-eastern Iran seeking new adventures and surf exploration. They were motivated to explore how they could surf and film in Iran, a country geopolitically misperceived by the West and if it would be possible for women to get to the water and go surf? Baluchistan, the poorest and remotest region in Iran is also the only region that offers any potential for surf, an area considered as one of the most dangerous in the world. With a mix of curiosity, apprehension, and uncertainty, Easkey with her surfboard and Marion with her camera bag filled with head-scarves, met in Tehran airport. This was the first time they met in person but both shared a passion for adventure and exploring the unknown. Almost immediately any worries they had were shattered. The Iranian people were the most welcoming they encountered on their many travels. And the locals were very excited to see surfing practiced in Iran for the first time by a woman. Marion made a short film of this first adventure: Easkey surfs in Iran.

The film made a big impact in international media with the short film going viral on the internet. The response was overwhelmingly positive both outside and within Iran. In August 2013, after connecting with other pioneering Iranian sportswomen who heard about their story, the two women decided to continue the adventure and return to Iran. This time with a project built around the objective: To share a passion for surfing in Iran and make it accessible to everyone, including women . They were joined by Mona Seraji, Iranian snowboard ambassador, and swimmer Shahla Yasini. This second trip had a real impact in the region. All three women shared the belief in the power of surfing as a tool for connection, self-empowerment and bridging barriers. This experience became the subject of Marion Poizeau’s feature documentary, ‘Into the Sea’, the story of the first surfers in Iran, a story shaped by women. Together they planted the seed for new opportunities and made history, becoming the first women to surf in Iran. It is the recognition of the power of surfing to transcend social, cultural and gender barriers that inspired Easkey and Marion to found the non-profit organisation, Waves of Freedom.

Our Mission

The power of surfing as a creative medium for positive social change.

Waves of freedom is founded on the type of freedom Persian mystic and poet Hafiz described as the power of realising our own inner truth and “letting the soul unfurl its wings.”

At the core of Waves of Freedom is how surfing can become a medium to empower those who are most vulnerable in society, in particular women and girls.  Why surfing? Surfing is not just a sport but a lifestyle and an art-form synonymous with freedom and creative self-expression. Waves of Freedom has grown from a belief that the ocean does not discriminate:

“Once you get in the water the rules and norms of society dissolve and the power of the ocean to connect and spread happiness is huge.”  – Easkey Britton, TEDx Dublin 2013.

Our Vision

• Surfing as a tool for gender engagement and gender equity across cultures.
• Strong female role models and leaders in surfing
• Self-empowered individuals who are active agents of change in their communities, and beyond.

Core objectives

• Support and equip women and girls to exercise their rights, self-expression and aspirations through surfing
• Catalyse dialogue and create an ecosystem for co-learning, collaboration and outcome-based approaches

 Our Values - 4 pillars of action

• Capacity building – surf development programmes and fostering networks for connection and collaboration
• Self-empowerment – mentorship and ambassador programme for female leaders in surfing
• Storytelling (that moves to act) – creative medium for self-expression, e.g. digital storytelling
• Knowledge – action research and research partnerships

View our Constitution and Good Governance Code.

Dr. Easkey Britton

Co-Founder and Chief Disruption Officer

 “If we could all make small change happen, then it would make a big difference.”

Easkey Britton is an internationally renowned professional surfer, artist, scientist and epxlorer from Ireland, with a PhD in Environment and Society. Her parents taught her to surf when she was four years old and her life has revolved around surfing ever since. [Read More...]

Marion Poizeau

Co-Founder and Film-maker

Freelance filmmaker Marion Poizeau grew up in the French Alps, where her passion for adventure and action sports inspired her to capture and present images on film. Marion has documented environmental and social issues in places as diverse as New Zealand and Kurdistan in Iraq. [Read More...]

Beckey-Finn Britton

Web Ninja

Beckey-Finn is a filmmaker and longboarder from the North West coast of Ireland. She hails from the Britton surfing family in Donegal where life evolves around the sea. She works as a Creative Digital Media Consultant at Bexter Productions and is Digital Media and Community Engagement Officer at Clean Coasts.

Orna Joyce

Guru of Policy and Practice

Orna Joyce is a Business & Human Rights / Opera Singing Professional...not simultaneously- unless thus requested! Orna has a LLM in Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at N.U.I. Galway. Driving her career are her two passions for the creation of sustainable, positive impact in the world and socio-economic sustainability via entrepreneurialism. Currently in the Phillipines working with Relief International to help small-scale farmers impacted by hurricane Yolanda rebuild sustainable livelihoods.

Manuela Estel

Waves of Freedom Intern

Manuela Estel recently got a Masters Degree in Political Sciences and International Relations at Sciences Po Aix, France. Passionate about Iran, she's currently studying Persian in Paris. Born in the Basque Country, where she often goes surfing when she's back home, she soon understood what the "power of surfing" meant, and wrote her Masters' thesis about surfing as a tool for economic, social and environmental development. Waves of Freedom thus appeared as the best opportunity for her to shape her experience with a view to start a career in the non-profit sector.

Síne Friel

Governance & Operational Officer

Síne Friel is a writer and teacher from Donegal, Ireland. She has an M.Ed from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana and a B.Ed from Dublin City University (DCU) through St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. She has taught in socially disadvantaged communities in the US and Ireland and worked in partnership with local communities to develop schools and homes in rural Africa. She received the Outstanding Contribution Award from St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra for her contribution to the Adekyee (“New Dawn”) school project in Ghana’s Volta Region. She is passionate about life-long learning, creating change through collaboration and the power of relatable role models.

Our Ambassadors

Mona Seraji

Operations Manager and Ambassador for Middle East

Mona is a champion, professional snowboarder from Tehran who had always wanted to try surfing, but never had the opportunity to do so, until now she met up with Waves of Freedom in 2013, becoming one of the first Iranian women to surf in her country! In 2009, she became the snowboard ambassador for Iran and is the only international female snowboard instructor in Iran. Her sporting career is filled with traveling, socializing and overcoming fear. Mona teaches snowboard and competes in Iran during the winter. 

Shahla Yasini

Ambassador, Iran

Shahla, 23, is one of Iran's first-women-of-surf and a waterwoman. Taught by her aunt how to swim as a kid she quickly fell in love with the water, competing on the Sistan and Bulchistan provincial swimming team. A trained lifeguard. Shahla participated in the Lifeguard sea tournament when she was 18. Always wanting to push her limits in the water Shahla took up diving and is a qualified Rescue Diver. She likes to dive along the coast of Chabahar where she learned to surf with the Waves of Freedom team in 2013, and got hooked on the excitement of surfing.

• Beyond the Surface International
• Cross Culture Surf
• Bexter Productions
• Oxfam Heroes
• SHE project
• Barry Britton Design
• Artist Pauline Mc Sorley

Sponsors:

• Capsters
• Finisterre
• Jaws
• Waveborn Sunglasses
• PackaShack
• Loime Studios
• OKIWI Shoot & Print