The Life & Death of Westerly Windina

Thursday 20 March  2025

7.00pm

Tickets $28.00 / Concession $20.00 (Pensioner, Senior card holder, Student, Child under 17, ID Required)

The Surf Film Archive and The J are proud to present…

THE LIFE & DEATH OF WESTERLY WINDINA.

A remarkable story that tells the incredible TRUE journey of Australian surfing icon Peter Drouyn’s glorious and harrowing transformation into Westerly Windina.

In the 1960s and 70s, Australian surfer Peter Drouyn was a towering figure on top of the surfing world. He not only dominated the international competitive ranks but also revolutionized the way modern surf competitions are conducted.

His introduction of the man-on-man format brought a new level of excitement and direct competition to the sport, marking a significant departure from the traditional, more chaotic contest formats.

Drouyn’s boundless ambition was evident; he played a key role in introducing surfing to China, significantly expanding the sport’s global reach and impact.

But behind the macho surf star persona and the adoration of contemporaries was an athlete who felt ostracized by a culture that was often hyper-masculine and sexist.

In the 1980s, Drouyn drifted away from competitive surfing and all but disappeared from the public eye.

In 2008, years after nearly drowning in a traumatic and life-changing surfing accident, Drouyn suddenly resurfaced by coming out as a trans woman on national television.

Her new name, she said, was Westerly Windina. “It was a supernova,” Westerly said of her gender awakening. “It just kicked in one night, and suddenly Peter went; Westerly was there.”

The surf community, and Australia at large, were astonished.

Though she’d once been a top-tier athlete with sponsorships and a burgeoning acting career, Westerly was now living in public housing on Australia’s Gold Coast – alone, poor, and often taunted by her neighbours.

The Life and Death of Westerly Windina explores Westerly’s upbringing, her years as a surfing titan, and follows her into a new chapter as she searches for acceptance from friends, family, a still-hyper masculine sport, and most importantly – from herself.

Director’s Alan White and Jamie Brisick have poured years of work into this incredible film.

It’s an honest and emotional portrayal of one of Australian surfing’s most fascinating characters.“Nobody did it like Drouyn, he was just majestic.

I looked at him and thought, ‘Wow, good to be King’– Rabbit Bartholomew.

Winner Best Film and Best Surf Film – Byron Bay International Film Festival 2024

Duration: 2 hours 30mins,  No Interval