Is Surfing Sexist? Hell yes!

Chas Smith, the reason it is sexist that she can’t get a sponsorship is because these companies would rather pay faux surfers so they can capitalize on their Instagram famous sex symbol status than sponsor this woman with raw talent and a perceived lack of sex appeal. Athlete bodies don’t have to be traditionally sexy to be at the top of their sport and they shouldn’t be monetarily penalized (no sponsorship= no $$/livelihood) for this fact. You train your body to be the best it can be to achieve at the highest level of your sport and whatever you body ends up looking like to be #1 is irrelevant. If it gets you first place in your heat who gives a shit what it looks like? Talent and being a champion means you are a leader in your sport and should be recognized, both in prize money and sponsorship wise, for it.

I’m going to use tennis as an example because Wimbledon 2016 just went down and it is important to look at other sports as foils when we examine our own. Should tennis sponsors withhold sponsorships from Andy Murray, who just won the Men’s Final and admittedly looks like a ferret, because of his busted face? No, because he is massively talented and deserved that title. Or take Serena Williams for that matter, she just won her 22nd title (holy shit, amirite?!?!), who gets constantly told she is too black/ her body is too masculine/ she isn’t traditional sexy, blah blah blah, but she gets sponsored by huge brands and makes an impressive salary. Why? Because she is one of the most talented badasses that sport has ever seen. Would you want to tell Serena Williams that she doesn’t deserve to be sponsored because she doesn’t meet the white/ traditional standards of what some random dude reading a tennis magazine thinks is hot? No, because you would sound like an ignorant a$$hole.

Or what about Misty Copeland (she is a ballet dancer at the American Ballet Theater in NYC and the most recognizable face of Under Amour’s “I Will What I Want” campaign)? She used the fact that she didn’t look like the traditional ballerina to her advantage and secured a massive sponsorship because of it. It is her unique look and body type that has given her the edge over other ballerinas both in sport and in the sponsorship arena. Young African American aspiring ballerinas across the world see her and now think, “I could be a ballerina and be recognized for my talent and make a living at it too, if I work hard enough at my craft.” Those little girls don’t play into the traditional physical stereotypes of ballerinas, but they shouldn’t have to. Most people would say that Copeland’s sheer determination to become the best at her sport despite the multiple times people put her down for not being a white girl ballerina is exactly why she is a change agent for the world of ballet and an athletic role model in general.

As I said above I’m using tennis (and ballet) as analogies as these aforementioned athletes are currently culturally relevant, but the argument is still applicable to surfing. When all these dudes in the comment section come out of the woodwork to downplay sexism in surfing, it only highlights their own sexist opinions and active denial of the still pervasive sexism in surfing that are holding the sport back from realizing its own potential in achieving gender parity. I do not understand how these guys that have no clue about what female surfers go through feel they have a right to comment on what female surfers experience on the daily. You ain’t living it, so you don’t get speak on behalf of the people who are or discredit their stories for that matter. These guys act like they are offended by female surfers pointing out obvious disparities that need changing so surfing as a sport can be in line with 2016 cultural standards of gender equanimity. Women do not go out of their way to question the stories that men tell about their lives as men in pro surfing, so the reverse cannot happen either.

What about the importance of gender inclusion to grow a business/gain new followers/make money? It matters. Surfing can’t, from an outsider’s perspective, solely be man’s sport anymore, where the majority of magazine covers go to men and when there are ranking lists of “the best surfers of all time” only men are on that list if it wants to grow as a sport. Let’s take a recent movie, “Star Wars:The Force Awakens”, that broke records as an example of the power of putting strong women front and center to rake in the big $$$ revenues and revive a franchise from the dead. Let’s admit it, we used to make fun of Jar Jar Binks and the last 3 Star Wars movies because, quite frankly, they were terrible and even George Lucas had to cut himself off after realizing he had destroyed his own once adored franchise. One of the reasons “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” made all that cheddah and is now considered one of the best in the series (Physics college major and Star Wars nerd here, so I’m biased) is because they put a strong, capable girl right at the center of the plot. They made a fortune (and got phenomenal reviews btw) because women now feel included in what was once a “men only” club and they paid over and over and over to see a version of themselves represented and finally be a part of the Star Wars cult phenomenon. I promise you Disney is NOT kicking themselves right now for giving a woman hero status, they are happily rolling in money. Gender inclusion can be the tide that rises many boats, so to speak.

I’m taking a circuitous route right now to make broader point, but let’s get back to surfing. It seems to me that it isn’t just the lack of opportunities that female pro surfers experience if they ain’t hot/lily white/blond that is the only problem. The women aren’t being given the same quality of waves at comps; they are given the shittier waves, while the bros get the “holy shit, that looks sick as fuck!” waves. Meaning that the male surfer comp competitors get the luxury of having the badass waves, while women get the leftovers. No one wants leftovers. Unless its last night’s cold pizza or yesterday’s chinese take out, those are ALWAYS delicious (beside the point, but worth noting).

Surfing as a sport cannot exist in a vacuum. It must be held accountable for sexist double standards just like other sports and the rest of the world. If you are a dude and have the audacity to speak out like you know what’s it’s like to specifically be a woman in the pro surfing world and all the roadblocks that comes with that, don’t. SIT DOWN, listen to their stories, learn how to be an ally to them, stick up for women in pro surfing instead of injecting your own ignorant bias and eat your cold pizza.

I never understand why any surfer thinks they deserve to be sponsored. If you can’t prove your worth in economic terms (and not just eyeballs, clicks etc., but actual ROI) you’re worthless from a business perspective. All but a few surfers are worthless.

.at least in stab article there’s a chick in his undies at the end… boring…

WNBA… no one cares.

All things being equal the best looking people are going to make more money in surfing as they are more marketable. She says the men don’t have these problems? CJ didn’t get sponsored. Who sponsored Micro? He had to coach old Wilko to make ends meat.

With the exception of giant surf, there is no strenuous physical activity in surfing. Pro surfers are not athletes. Disagree? Put Wilko on a treadmill.

You’re right but you’re wrong. Athleticism alone is enough to get any ugly dude who surfs at her relative level paid, handsomely. Therefore at some level, Silvana Lima not getting paid to surf is a reflection of sexism.