When the COVID-19 lockdown forced professionals to work from home, a group of young Sydney lawyers used the increased flexibility to meet up for a surf and ride the wave of a massive spike in female participation in the sport.

Surfing was one of the fastest-growing activities during the pandemic, alongside basketball and soccer, with 196,000 people aged 15 or older picking it up in 2020 or last year, according to the latest data from the Australian Sports Commission.