Sports & Societies
8 FEBRUARY 2021
A New Wave for Women’s Surfing Frances Howe, LLB Two-time world champion Tyler Wright has made surfing history with her recent Maui Pro win at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. The event was the first time that the World Surf League Women’s Championship Tour has held a competition final at Pipeline. The Maui Pro began at Honolua Bay as normal on 4 December 2020. Following a shark attack which claimed the life of a surfer on 8 December, the event was postponed and relocated islands from Honolua Bay on Maui to Banzai Pipeline on Oahu. Before this event, the women’s tour had not been allowed to host an event final at the wave. Banzai Pipeline is located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Pipeline is one of the most renowned waves both as an opportunity for surfers to barrel as well as the notoriously shallow reef. According to Tracks Magazine, at least seven surfers have lost their lives to Pipeline since 1989. Wright beat four-time world champion Carissa Moore in the event final earning her the number one spot on the championship tour. Following the event Wright took to her Instagram on 24 December and wrote ‘To all the women who pioneered and put skin in the game for equality, knowing that this day maybe wouldn’t come in time for their competitive careers. Thank you.’ The historic event comes two years after the World Surf League (WSL) announced that it would pay its female surfers the same as their male counterparts. Wright also made history at the competition by becoming the first surfer to wear a Pride flag on their jersey at a championship event. Wright wore both the Australian and Progressive Pride Flag on her jersey. The Progressive Pride flag adds black and brown to the traditional Pride flag to represent marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community. She is only the second surfer to wear a distinctive flag on the championship tour, following Soli Bailey who became the first by wearing the Aboriginal flag in 2019. Wright posted a photo of the jersey on her Instagram on 7 December and wrote ‘As a proud bisexual women of the LQBTQ+
Tyler Wright takes on the notorious Pipeline (Credit: WSL/Keoki Saguibo)
community as well as an Australian, I’m delighted to be able to represent both this year on my competition jersey.’
“Why are we forcing our female athletes to travel to foreign lands to compete?” The event final also comes one year after the Honolulu City Council voted to promote women’s surfing equality. On the topic of the vote, renowned big wave surfer, Heala Kennelly, spoke to Jason Lock of Magic Seaweed: ‘the men have five qualifying events on the North Shore this winter season: the women have zero. So, what this means in layman’s terms is that if you are an aspiring pro surfer, who wants to qualify
for the professional circuit and you are a male, the opportunities are here for you. If you are a female, however, you will need to travel to qualifying events in foreign countries at your own expense.’ Kennelly continued, ‘Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing and the North Shore is referred to as the Mecca of surfing. So why are we forcing our female athletes to travel to foreign lands to compete? I consider this to be a travesty. I also consider this to be gender-based discrimination which goes against our Hawaii State Constitution and federal law.’ Kenelly is known for trailblazing women’s surfing at Pipeline. Wright’s win is the first of the 2021 championship tour following the cancellation of the 2020 season. The next tour event was set to take place on 19 January at Sunset Beach, Oahu but has been postponed due to Covid-19. The Australian leg of the tour is still scheduled to open with the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in Victoria on 1 April 2021.
Resolute Rashford and the Order of School Meals Kat Brown, MA Chinese Studies
The coronavirus pandemic has brought to light many equality gaps in our society. For many, the gap has continued to widen as job losses are at an all time high with furlough schemes extended through until 30 April 2021. Schools in the UK have been through the A-Level and GCSE exam fiasco last year, experiencing rapid u-turns concerning the reopening earlier in January 2021, as well as the free school meal debate. The motion to provide free school meals which would help those most impacted by coronavirus lockdown measures began in June 2020 after Marcus Rashford MBE began lobbying with the government. His campaigning for free school meal provisions throughout school holidays has been one of the foremost issues at the centre of public discussion. The motion was initially rejected in parliament, including by Secretary of State for Education - Gavin Williamson - and
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Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock voting against the extension of the school meal plan. However, the provenance of child poverty and lack of access to healthy foods alongside the decision to sideline the nation's most vulnerable children has created tension. According to a report from The Guardian in October 2020, the Treasury insisted that Gavin Williamson had never asked for the extra money to fund the half-term free school meals extension. In January 2021, photos of the food parcels distributed by Chartwells - a private catering company who supplied the subpar food parcels - were circulated on social media. Williamson was quoted saying that he was ‘absolutely disgusted’ and that his department had made it clear ‘this sort of behaviour is just not right and will not be tolerated.’ Chartwells has since apologised, and the education secretary said schools will be able to offer vouchers rather than food parcels from next week. Albeit this, the Chartwells issue highlights cronyism in the Tory government.
Rashford’s campaign has provided 1.3 million children in the UK access to free school meals vouchers and packages. The footballer, philanthropist and activist has spoken candidly about his family’s own struggles with poverty growing up and lack of access to food. This has spotlighted endemic poverty and child malnourishment in the UK. The government has pledged a further £170m in the winter grant scheme, £220m for holiday activities and food programme, and the rolling out of the national food voucher scheme. Rashford’s positive activism and leadership has won him a Sports Personality of the Year Award 2020, becoming a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020. Rashford has also set up his Child Food Poverty Task Force with the help of some of the UK’s largest supermarkets and food brands ‘to guarantee that no child goes hungry’. Currently, there were 4.2 million children living in poverty in 2019, with numbers projected to increase to 5.2 million by 2022. The pandemic will only
catalyse this growth. In a social media statement from November 2020, Rashford wrote: ‘I had a good conversation with the prime minister to better understand the proposed plan, and I very much welcome the steps that have been taken to combat child food poverty in the UK. There is still so much more to do, and my immediate concern is the approximate 1.7m children who miss out on free school meals.’
“...a symbol of hope in the darkness of the pandemic." Rashford has become a symbol of hope in the darkness of the pandemic. He has successfully used his platform to raise awareness of the issues facing the UK’s poorest families and the growing number of children living in poverty.
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