Women's Surfing by Katherine Kennedy

INSIDE AUSTRALIA’S GOLD COAST

UNTOUCHED SERENITY

LARID HAMILTON HAS GILLS ( PG. 43 )

SHOWING OFF THEIR BACKSIDE WOMEN MAKING WAVES ( PG. 58 )

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHAPER ( PG. 71 )

P L U S SURFING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ( PG. 16 BEAUTIFUL MONSTERS ( PG. 27 REMEMBERING MICHAEL PETERSON ( PG. 50 DREDGING & THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION ( PG. 78 WAVE WATCHING WITH 20/50 ( PG. 101

) ) ) ) )

S H O W I N G

BACKSI DE O F F

T H E I R

Everybody remembers the fictional movie A League of Their Own that was based on the actual AllAmerican Girls Professional Baseball League. It’s one of my favorite classic movies. Men were called to war, and women were advancing into leading roles they never thought they were capable of, including baseball. The sport did not gain much attention at first, and the women not only attempted to put on an exaggerated show for attention, but also had feminine beauty regulations they had to follow. For example, they were fined if they weren’t wearing lipstick at all times, and long hair was preferred. It was a modern day sorority—girls couldn’t just settle on being talented to gain the nation’s attention, they also had to look pretty and act feminine on top of their hard work. You may wonder why I’m discussing a women’s baseball story that happened decades ago. Unfortunately, women still have the same exact struggles in the surfing community. The female model posing sexually with a board in hand appears way more frequently in Surfer magazine than a girl riding a wave. Surfer magazine has its audience confused with the readers of Rolling Stone. I love Surfer magazine, but Rolling Stone mentioned professional surfer Alana Blanchard in its “Hot List” issue, which is one more time than I saw her name in the last issue of Surfer. As a female surf-addict, I don’t identify with Surfer magazine. I know there are many female surfers who are absolutely amazing—Carissa Moore, Courtney Conlogue, Coco Ho, etc. The magazine and other media, however, either doesn’t know this or chooses to ignore it. First and foremost, I am a surfer interested in all aspects of the sport. But this whole “hangin’ out, watching the dudes dominate” deal is getting boring. I am tired of sunbathing in the heat while the boys have all the fun. I am tired of seeing perfect, skinny, unknown girls in Surfer magazine. Compared to men in the publication, we are hardly targeted with apparel. (Which is ridiculous considering how much we obsess over a cute bikini and a nice pair of flip-flops) I want to get my hair wet. I shred too, man. I know I am not the only one who wants to see more talent from girls who I can relate to. Female surfers are allowing the guys to restrict us from going past our knees in the waters of the surfing world. Only a few women, like Keala Kennelly, the true badass and heavy-wave charger of the professional women’s surfing world, will really go headfirst to discover what is separating the “wahines” from the “bros.”

WHATEVER

TAKES

for girls to get noticed

Kennelly believes that women’s surﬁng has been diminishing since the two biggest wave locations, Teahupoo and Tavarua, permanently disappeared from the Women’s World Tour schedule. Now there are only six yearly women’s competitions, down from the previous eight. Meanwhile the professional men are granted 24 contests a year, where they travel to the best breaks around the world.

“THE WOMEN DON’T HAVE A SINGLE EVENT ON TOUR THAT IS HELD AT A CHALLENGING WAVE,” said Kennelly. Attention is brought to the sport when the best surfers compete on the most challenging and deadly waves. Women, although fully capable of competing at this level, are no longer granted that opportunity. Rather, they compete in what Kennelly describes as the “small wave beach break tour.” These waves may appear amusing for a women’s surﬁng documentary, but competition-wise, are a drag. Imagine Tiger Woods and his rivals playing at a putt-putt golf attraction. It may be more interesting than watching actual televised golf, but I doubt Nike would contribute millions of dollars in sponsorships. Although some female surfers are being paid more money than any have in the past, it is still nothing compared to what males make in the sport. A female world champion prize is set around $10K, where a male world

champion prize is set at $300K. Women will come out to compete regardless of the low prize money, and still showed even after they were cut off when “Hurley jacked up the men’s top purse money at the U.S. Open this year from $20,000 to $100,000... [And] the women’s prize remained a paltry $4,500.”

but if they have a hard time gaining attention, there was no hope for us. If the sponsors aren’t fully dedicated, women don’t have the opportunity to travel around the world, and the winning rewards are smaller. As a result, female surfers don’t fight as if they’re trying to be the biggest and the best, and

K E N N E L LY I S T A K I N G ON THE STRUGGLES OF WO M E N ’ S S U R F I N G.

Regardless of the lack of money, I would still choose professional surﬁng over any other career. When I was about thirteen, my best friend and I would have given our right arms to get sponsored by a company. And apparently losing an arm worked out really well for Bethany Hamilton’s career, after she has had multiple sponsorships, written a book, had a movie based off of her life, and even created a fragrance. When I was 13, surﬁng and being sponsored was the cool thing to do. Plus, sponsors could have paid for surf travel and contests—the ultimate surfers dream. Of course we were never on the same level as the pros,

the media pays no mind to the boring competitions. Even Kennelly would rather watch untalented male surfers compete on imaginable waves because the punishing reef wipeouts are more entertaining than some basic cutbacks on glassy, sandbar created waves.

A FEMALE WORLD CHAMPION PRIZE IS SET AROUND $10K, WHERE A MALE WORLD CHAMPION PRIZE IS SET AT $300K.

KENNELLY IS FEARLESS WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING MONSTEROUS WAVES HEAD-ON. SHE ALSO HAS SPOKEN OUT ABOUT THE MERE SIX ANNUAL WOMEN’S COMPEITIONS AT SMALL BEACH BREAKS WITH MINIMAL WINNING REWARDS.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPION SOFIA MULANOVICH IS CAPABLE NOT ONLY OF COMPETING AGAINST THE MEN, BUT ALSO OF BEATING THEM.

CARISSA MOORE WAS RECENTLY THE FOURTH GIRL EVER FEATURED ON THE COVER OF SURFER MAGAZINE IN ITS 50 YEARS OF PUBLICATIONS. THE LAST WOMAN WHO GOT THAT KIND OF RECOGNITION WAS LISA ANDERSEN, OVER A DECADE AGO.

Even though the talent is abundant, interest is rapidly declining. Kennelly thinks that sponsors and funding for the tours should not be limited to companies like Quicksilver and Roxy, but should also include companies for women, like Tampax and Venus. This may be because tampon companies have commercials featuring women that get out into the world and accomplish things. They feature strong girls playing sports and promise protection, no matter how intense the girl’s movements may get. Surfing would be the perfect medium to advertise their brand in, because girls need to have something reliable when they’re in the ocean for a couple of hours at a time. The female surfing world could also benefit by the media showing them in empowering feminine roles. As successful and important to women’s surfing as Roxy is, the company can’t be held responsible for funding every women’s surfing competition and world tour. Adding larger companies could add both financial stability and attraction to the sport from people who have never even touched a surfboard. In an interview and photo shoot with Vanity Fair magazine, professional surfer Courtney Conlogue argued, “It’s really important for us to have recognition outside of surfing magazines... [because] so many people are starting to respect what we’re doing in the water.” While it is typical for many men to be paid more than women while working in the same jobs, professional surfing stretches the money gap to an entirely new level. And the professional surfing world isn’t the only place where women struggle to compete

with men’s salaries. The WNBA games have low attendance, and female athletes make less than one-fourth of an average NBA player’s salary. “Biological differences should not be an issue when dealing with the dedication and achievements these athletes have received.” Many sports programs not only form a habit of separating male and female sports, but they also make it a legal requirement. This includes recreational, educational, and even professional sports. By segregating sports, that states to society that

“ONE OF THE BEST GIRL SURFERS COULD PROBABLY BEAT 80 PERCENT OF THE MEN.” there are physical differences between men and women, therefore suggesting that women are inferior to men. I understand that in basketball height, speed, and overall athleticism are major factors in the players’ abilities, and most of the WNBA could not compete on the same level as the NBA. Surfing, however, isn’t based on strength or speed. It just doesn’t make sense why women’s surfing and men’s surfing are two completely different worlds. There are no male distinctions or female limitations that would lead men to be any better than women. Occasionally, a man could out paddle a woman in brutal strength to catch a wave, but most professional surfers have mastered the strength, timing, and positioning needed to catch any wave.

And when they haven’t, the option of tow-in surﬁng is available, which uses a jet ski instead of pure strength.

It’s also not a sport similar to football where there is a clear length of time that a player is able to remain professional without injury or age interfering. “When I go out surfing, there are kids younger than me, and people older—I mean, my dad’s 60 and still rips. That’s the neat thing about surfing: everyone can be involved in it, no matter your age or skill level,” says professional surfer Sierra Partridge. Even if someone retires his or her jersey from competition, no true surfer ever quits surfing. I admit I temporarily stopped when I was six years old after getting hit in the nose by my dad’s nine-foot long board, but I came back about a year later. Just ask Hamilton if losing an arm stopped her from pursuing her passion. With or without both arms, of any age, and of any gender or sexuality, all professional surfers have proven to be on a similar skill level with each other, regardless of sponsorships and competition locations. Even former world champ Sofia Mulanovich argues, “One of the best girl surfers could probably beat 80 percent of the men.” So why can’t the girls compete for the same $100,000 prize offered to the men rather than the mere $4,500 offered to the women in Hurley’s annual contest? The results would be nothing short of awesome.

SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF O’NEILL’S SURF TEAM. I’D IDENTIFY THEM, BUT I CAN’T. IF THEY SHRED HARD ENOUGH TO BE SPONSORED BY O’NEILL, THEY DESERVE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, RIGHT?

Like I mentioned earlier, I rarely see women in magazines and surf media like Surfer and Transworld Surf. Although surﬁng has advanced tremendously since the beginnings, when a girl named Gidget tried a male’s only sport on a huge long board, no leash, and on surf ﬁlm that looked faker than Godzilla, many surf companies’ mindset still remains stuck in the Gidget days—over 50 years ago. There are a surprising amount of female surf videos out, such as one advertising the O’Neill women’s surf team. The company tried to promote their unknown sponsorships, and they relied heavily on the girls having both an ideal image and lifestyle. The girls prance around in bikinis, jumping off of cliffs and doing cartwheels. Shots of their idealistic bodies

not forget about “her” on Valentine’s Day. I don’t think the magazine is aware of how many girls read their magazine too. I’ve never seen a “Life’s better in a bikini” advertisement, but considering how much money I spend on new bikinis every year, they should really consider marketing to women. If they want to portray women as sexy beach bums rather than shredding surfers, you’d think that advertisers like Roxy and Volcom could at least milk the women’s fashion industry without scaring male surfers away. If I do see girls in Surfer magazine, I’m left wondering, “Who in the heck is that?” The girls that are typically holding a board under one arm, oriented away from the camera, and showing more of the perfect curvature of their asses than

FEMALE SURFERS ARE SOLD NOT ONLY AS WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES, BUT ALSO AS SEX-SYMBOLS. PRO SURFER ALANA BLANCHARD GENERATES ATTENTION IN BOTH MARKETS: QUAIFYING FOR BOTH ROLLING STONE’S “HOT LIST” AND THE WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR. outweigh the minimal shots of the girls attempting to show off on the boring waves they were handed. When watching short surf ﬁlms featuring men, I had endless surﬁng shoved down my throat. The videos I saw primarily promoted contests and professional surfers on waves twice the size of those that the girls rode in their videos. In magazine advertisements, male surfers are portrayed as strong, attractive, and powerful. Most of the pictures are of guys getting crazy airs or intense barrels with an ad targeting the nonprofessional male surfer—Life’s better in board shorts. There are also endless ads for shoes and tail pads, all featuring professional male surfers. The only time I saw a full-page ad featuring a girl was when it was reminding the male readers to

their faces are clearly a targeting the male readers. Many times the girls are even lying topless on a beach—a groupie to the men’s surﬁng world rather than a participator. Who is this girl holding a surfboard? Has she ever even attempted surﬁng or is she just another poser model? In order to be featured by surf media, it seems that girls have to have the image—tan, skinny, preferably blonde, and attractive. I don’t even mind if they throw in a picture of Blanchard’s teensy bikinis on her perfect body for the male readers, but they could also show that she rips and is ranked number four for everyone’s sake. She is the perfect candidate to be featured in the surf media, and she knows it.

DONOHOE IS FREQUENTLY REJECETED FROM SPONSORERS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T HAVE THE DESIRED APPEARENCE OF A HOT SURFER GIRL. Unfortunately, women’s surﬁng is on the decline. And Blanchard’s competitors are noticing that she knows how to get what she wants—by always looking like she’s about to head to a Maxim photo shoot. “It’s also encouraged, by sponsors, and ASP Women’s Tour Manager Brooke Farris, who, since taking the job two years ago, has been aggressively selling the women not just as world-class athletes, but as sex symbols, in a bid to generate the kind of publicity that will make the industry take notice, and, hopefully, bring more leverage to the sport.” The girls are pressured to sell themselves and appear presentable. Winning is no longer enough for them to get attention. Just ask Amy Donohoe, who ended her 2008 career ranked number ﬁve in the world. The 27-year-old shredder, however, has trouble picking up sponsorships due to her sexuality and masculine appearance. When she was asked why she isn’t sponsored, she responded: “The surf industry is never, ever going to come out and say it’s because of my sexu-

ality, but I’ve approached a couple of companies and I just get ‘No, no, I’m sorry.’ I think they don’t want their company associated with that image. They want surfies to have a real feminine look, and I don’t.” In 2009 Donohoe was featured on the cover of Curve, “the self-proclaimed best selling lesbian magazine.” The cover photo bared no skin due to the wetsuit she was wearing. The editor of the magazine, Katie Peoples, argued that a hot girl in a bikini wasn’t their biggest concern. Rather, the magazine chose Donohoe to display a strong woman in her career instead of an attractive woman with minimal coverage. Donohoe may have trouble gaining attention from major surf companies, but her attempts to find media coverage elsewhere shows that girls don’t have to succumb to not covering themselves adequately in order to gain more coverage in the surfing world. Sometimes attention can come from other sources of media besides just the mainstream surf brands.

WINNING IS NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR THEM TO GET ATTENTION.

Kennelly believes that the movie Blue Crush was when the peak of women’s surfing occurred. This movie featured girls who, like Gidget, pushed the limits and surfed one of the most challenging breaks in the world to perfection, stunning the doubtful men. The girls had other life struggles that are seen in women’s surfing today—lack of money, sponsors, and appreciation. After the happy ending, every tweener was buying a new Roxy board and dreaming of a career on the North Shore. The time Blue Crush was released was about the same time I would have given my right arm to get a sponsorship. Girls surfing became insanely popular after the release of one successful, inspirational movie. Hamilton gained huge media coverage not only from surf companies, but also from the world of media after her comeback into surfing after losing her arm in a shark attack. Her inspirational story was retold on Ellen, Oprah, in her book, and even in the movie Soul Surfer. Her dedication to get back on the board allowed her to win a title in women’s surfing, which also led her to appear on the show Biggest Loser. She was able to teach people seeking similar determination for their own personal goals the same passion that she felt about surfing and how important it was to her to not quit. The show, which is viewed all over the nation, showed people that anything is possible. Now Hamilton is someone with a story most Americans know because of the media surrounding her. The movie Soul Surfer only enhanced the knowledge of “that girl who got her arm bitten off by a shark.” She became a hero, and her journey became so popular

CONOLOGUE MAY RIP, BUT SHE ALSO COMPETES BY PUTTING ON A SHOW IN ORDER TO GIVE THE WOMEN’S SURFING WORLD SOME ATTENTION. that sponsors were begging her to join their team. While I’m sure she did make some adjustments to be easily catered to and well liked by the media, she didn’t have to change her appearance or personal values in order for the world to love her just how she was. Although the attack was a huge news story, it was her determination and passion for surﬁng that has held on to her success in the media. Getting attention as a female surfer isn’t easy. It seems like you either have to follow the standards, be hot, and sell your body, or have something as unfortunate as the loss of an arm give you the media coverage you always dreamed of. Unfortunately sex is what sells, and some girls are relying on advertising their backside rather than showing off their front side barrel. When Conologue was asked what her strategy was for the Hurley competition, “she shrugged, and said, ‘I want to give everyone a show. That’s what we’re out here for.’ Then she excused herself to go talk to some cute surfer boys. Just like the girls of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

used their looks and ability to attract attention to their sport, surfers like Conologue and Blanchard rely on their sexual and personal aspects to sell rather than impressing people with pure talent. Unfortunately, there is no war that’s calling all of the men to duty, and not all female surfers can rely on their attractive assets to gain attention.

HAMILTON SHARED HER INSPIRATION WITH THE CONTESTANTS OF BIGGEST LOSER. THEY MAY NOT EVER SURF AS WELL AS SHE DOES, BUT THEY DO HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: DETERMINATION.

70 Although the women’s surﬁng world may be diminished by sex, there are still powerful girls doing big things behind the scenes when no one is watching. Seven-time world champion Layne Beachley argues that the talent is even more abundant than when she was on the

“THEY’RE A LOT BETTER THAN I WAS WHEN I WAS 13,” she said. “They’re throwing world tour in the Blue Crush days:

more aerial maneuvers and 360s, doing more dynamic things than we were. It’s exciting.” And she’s right; Carissa Moore was recently the fourth girl to ever be featured on the cover of Surfer magazine. Most of her attention comes from her extremely high talent at such a young age. Moore became the 2011 ASP Women’s World Champion when she was only 19 yearsold. The previous girl that was featured on the cover was Lisa Andersen, over a decade ago. Andersen was probably my first “I want to be just like her when I grow up” hero since the day my dad returned from a surf exposition with a signed poster of her, written to me. Even though she has been fading in the professional surfing world’s eye, I still have her poster framed right next to my bed. Now Moore is that idol to the next generation.In addition to other accomplishments, Keala Kennelly became the first girl to tow into Teahupoo, a large, heavy surf break in Fiji. Although she injured herself after a gnarly wipeout on the reef, she had some spectacular rides that made the men’s surfing world recognize her talent. I grew up watching women’s surf films, and I remember Kennelly always taking the sport to the next level with her daredevil spontaneous personality. The fact that these women are working so hard to push the limits in women’s surfing with such little reward shows their true passion and dedication. According to Beachley, the passion is the same, the surfing is better, and the rewards are higher: “I was No. 2 in the world back in 1994, and I was only making $8,000 a year from a primary sponsor, working four jobs and 60 hours a week.” The professional women’s surfers of today must be doing something right. I guess no miniscule amount of money or even the loss of an arm would stop any of the professional female surfers from pursuing their passion.

“I WAS NO. 2 IN THE WORLD BACK IN 1994, AND I WAS ONLY MAKING $8,000 A YEAR FROM A PRIMARY SPONSOR, WORKING FOUR JOBS AND 60 HOURS A WEEK.” -7 TIME WORLD CHAMION LAYNE BEACHLEY WHO SURFED PROFESSIONALLY THROUGHOUT THE HYPE OF WOMEN’S SURFING.