A thoughtful discussion.
I am sitting in the airport on my way to work a bike event in Seattle. No lie, I checked a bag filled entirely with Goretex. I love my bike people, but their choice of weather is not always my favorite. Somehow, I will survive this experience.
Even through the shitty airport wifi — and really, in 2019, why is airport wifi still so shitty? — I can hear you. I can hear you yelling at me, like, Jen, Jen, what the fuck, what is up with the women’s big wave event at Jaws. Help us understand. Well in truth, I think some of you just want me to post up as a target for your comment section shenanigans. Well, someone has to do it, so here I am.
My foundational belief about women’s sports is the following: I believe that women athletes should have agency over their sports. They should be able to determine how and where they compete and what they earn. They should be able to progress their sports at the speed they want to progress them. They should have events that reflect their priorities, their ambitions, their values, and their dreams.
The women who compete in big wave surfing have made their priorities very clear, I think. Based on what we know from Daniel Duane’s reporting (among others), the women in big wave surfing want equity. They have set as their goal to achieve the same opportunities to compete that men enjoy. They’ve sought equal prize money and they have made it their priority to build their sport on these values.
That means, if the men paddle out at ginormous Jaws, the women are going to paddle out, too. That means if there’s an event for men at Mavericks, the women are going to demand entrance, too. And they will take the hold-downs and the criticism that comes with their determination to chase the biggest possible waves and the biggest possible goals. They would not thank anyone who tried to hold them back, who tried to tell them that it’s too big or who tried to tell them that they aren’t ready.
By contrast, I think it’s fair to say that the women on the CT are following a somewhat different path. When I asked Steph Gilmore and Carissa Moore about surfing Teahupoo, they were open to it, but they want to take it step by step. On the question of prize money equity, Gilmore says it wasn’t a priority for her. She only came late to understanding the symbolic importance it has in inspiring other women. Of course, Gilmore doesn’t speak for the entire CT — Fitzgibbons and Conlogue both told me they would go, right now today, if an event happened in Tahiti.
Shortboard surfing is a different sport from its big-wave sister and it makes sense that the women who do it are searching for different things. They want opportunities to showcase their style, their meticulously crafted turns. They want space for self-expression. It’s not that they’re ignoring the men’s side of the sport and it’s not that they aren’t looking at how the men are pushing what’s possible. Moore, in particular, says she’s aware of the gap in the performance levels between men and women — and perhaps more than anyone, wants to change it. But exact parity does not appear to be how they are thinking about their sport.
But, and read this slowly my people, both approaches are equally valid, as long as they reflect what the women doing the sport actually want their sport to look like. It doesn’t matter what I think, or what a bunch of men yelling in the comments section think. What matters is what women want their sports to be and what goals they set for themselves as athletes. That’s it.
To support women’s sports, in truth, requires coming to it on its own terms and engaging it based on the goals that women athletes have set for themselves. What it doesn’t mean is setting men’s sports as the norm, and constantly measuring the ways that women fall short of this imagined ideal.
Sure, the women competing at Jaws were not on the same level as surfers as the men. That’s true. But on their own terms, they have already succeeded. They paddled out in the same event, on the same day. That is the goal that they’ve set for themselves. And they’re evolving their sport steadily and determinedly in the direction they want it to go. Nothing is ever built in an instant.
The thing about elite athletes is, they are never willing to settle. They are always pushing, always chasing, never content with average or normal. In this, women athletes are no different from men. That process is not always pretty and it doesn’t always run smoothly.
Stand or fall, the women in big wave surfing have my respect for their determination to paddle out and their refusal to back down. There is, eventually, something inspiring in that — which is maybe the point of watching sports at all.
They have set as their goal to achieve the same opportunities to compete that men enjoy. They’ve sought equal prize money but eventually won’t get it if no-one bothers to watch them.
That means, if the men paddle out at ginormous Jaws, the women are going to paddle out, too. But only paddle out rather than catch waves.
fuck the olympics and anyone who froths from their downstairs about it. corporate sell out shit that destroys environments and economies.
“they’re sitting about 25 metres too far on the shoulder” some honest commentary.
they are physicaly capable but lack the testosterone to pump them to the next level. evolution gave men testosterone to go to that next level, where rational thought is suspended.
that’s true – and explains why men are better in high risk uncontrolable situations and women perform so well in wavepools.
I thought it interesting that the girls really stepped up at the pool event. Just speaking generally I saw more committed turns and far deeper, technical barrel riding overall than I’d ever seen before in the ocean. It seemed that being relieved of having to hunt for the right wave and discern what the wave was going to do let them really open up and push their performance levels.
I think you’re up such a blind alley with this. Women’s surfing is not a own thing. period.
If you take gender and contests out of it women going surfing and men going surfing are obviously equally great. great…
But on to contests & professional sports. The IOC says about their olympic recognised sports (yoohoo, surfing is one now) that male and female are the only two recognised performance categories in competitive sports. So women’s surfing is a performance category of competitive surfing, and the protected one at that too so women could actually win something (you have to prove you’re a women to be allowed in, the men never actually have to prove their sex).
Maybe the historical separation of women’s and men’s sports in general was mostly sexist anyway, maybe it did make for a fairer playing field. But the binary sex separation thing in pro sports and olympics is outdated already and in future people will probably compete according to their legal gender which could be anything!
The whole world is moving towards less destinction by sex, less discrimination by gender so why on earth should competitive surfing as in the WSL do the opposite and try and sell women’s surfing as an own separate thing?
You sir, can pack your paddle and leave.
I don’t get why people are pissed. The gender war seems to have nuked discourse, I enjoyed the display and non display(s) of the women, cant imagine how fucking scary that place is. Maybe they should look at the format? Major respect to the women who had a dig. I want to say they “deserve” the same cash as the dudes but who am I to even say, KK has said a fair bit on the topic. Honestly I wanted to see them charge and the lickings they took were, in some cases equally heavy with the dudes so, maybe that’s a case for pay equity in itself? I dunno.. That’s for the powers in the high tower to decide I guess. If we can look at other board sports such as Snowboarding and Skate as a template, I’m pretty sure this discussion is moot. Still, going over the falls shouldn’t be a scoring wave! If you’re good enough you are good enough. And.. there was literally no womens div’s for skate, or any/ many street parts in vids, I think Elissa Steamer kind of broke down the doors there and in snowboarding women have just always gone big. With Skate even though the tricks aren’t as “big” they are a shitload bigger than they were when non-existent. I guess what I’m getting at is it all has to start somewhere, and starting at macking Jaws is pretty steep as far as learning curves go.
Maybe post heat interview should go ” Rosie! I want to thank the crew that pushes deeper each swell. My shaper for equipment I trust in these conditions. I decided to paddle out many swells before this in preparation for today. Thanks for the opportunity to put on a jersey. I am very happy to take the cash. I’d be surfing this beautiful swell today even if this circus wasn’t in town.”
That would be a great. Show me monaaay!
Is this lit quit?
Their legs aren’t strong enough.
Well there’s a lot of debatable things there, but it does seem that to paddle around in conditions they can’t handle isn’t the way to go for a good show of big wave prowess.
Far better would have the women’s run today at a more handable size so they can all get to ride a wave.
To be very polite I’d have to say I thought it was less than should be accepted as good…..
Good stuff Jen. I watched the women at Jaws for entertainment value. Also with the underlying hope that one, or some of them, might actually make a take-off and ride a giant wave to its end, maybe even get a massive tube. Their wipe-outs, pull-backs etc in the meantime add more to the fear factor, and show what it must feel and be like for all us “normal” male surfers (non big wave riders), who’d never be out there. So hats off to these brave pioneering women for putting themselves out there in life threatening surf, unwittingly, as representatives of all us common surfer people. Keep at it and they, and others like them in future, will surely get better. PS – Would like the commentary to include realistic interviews with the women, asking them about their wipe-outs, hold-downs, along with their fears, aspirations and so on.
Yes, I would love this commentary also
My highlight was watching two chicks rip each other’s gear off.
“The thing about elite athletes is, they are never willing to settle. ” The thing I adore about elite athletes is they are that. They are the 1percent in the crowd who I can look up to, who push the boundaries and excel so much in their chosen sport. They wear the colours that I so desperately wish to wear and they do it with a community behind them. I get behind them because it is my opportunity to share in their greatness, their abnormally excessive talent. Watching the girls get rewarded yesterday felt like participation “thanks for coming” awards.
” I believe that women athletes should have agency over their sports”. Yeah I like this fundamental belief. Is that to the point that women have their own governing body, no male involvement whatsoever? I probably wouldn’t be as interested in watching surfing curated like that, but then I’m probably not the target audience. If women controlled how their sport of surfing went would it become/be sexualised?
Great article Jen, lots of food for thought!
Affirmative action thoughout history has never worked, be it racism or sexism (or ageism etc etc). its nice for everyone in a rainbows and unicorns kind of way ,to be able to pat themselves on the back and say “bully for us we are all even now” but equal pay for unequal workloads produced changes all that. Prize money for incredible rides ie B Kempers first wave makes more sense, maybe instead of a grand prize for the eventual winner some kind of format where scores from rides work out to $ amounts perhaps? A 10 point ride is 10k or something and a 1 point ride being $100 bucks? I sat through the entire event, great show, consistent waves and a lot of charging, the womens heats were as stated above fairly underwhelming ( again) and on the back of last years Womans Big Wave World Championship crowned on a couple of spectactular wipouts and no completions yesterday was pretty similar . KK “charging” as she is prone to do ,is more like here we go , got a crazy chick who consistently goes but rarely makes it (great for the viewer wipeout reel anyhow) taking another crazy beating and then another while the rest of the field sat wide and missed waves , this years winner progressed with barley a point score and then one decent drop before being run down to become the winner, the other competitors not producing much better. Paying these ladies to go out in conditions and take beatings and dodge sets when they do actually try and “send it” (how many times did athletes send it yesterday?(maybe a new drinking game there every time a commentator says “send it” lets have a scull) is going to end badly sooner or later, a cash and fame carrot attracts the worst kind mentality (both in men and in women) and results in people being out in situations that really they are not ready or able for. Re inventing oneself as a big wave surfer may be a good way to resurrect an ailing pro surfing career but the motivation is coming from the wrong direction. speaking of which BTW congrats to F Palmateer for doing so well in this event,actually catching and making it to the bottom before falling off on 2 waves, went from ok mid range qs surfer, came out one time to a west oz bombie ,got towed into a a big wave infront of lots of cameras she brought with her and bingo instant big wave surfer, now 4 waves into a career and doing well (would love to see some footage of her on a real day that wasnt a contest with all the safety and cameras but we never will, no point show boating without an audience is there Flick?). At least Page has a history of surfing and making big waves for love rather than just fame and fortune. Rant over.
if women’s sport stood on its own you’d have $500 prize money and 17 viewers. you NEED men. and we will continue to prop you up and pretend it’s cool. real equality would break your lil heart.
Tough one as what I saw was painful but good on em. My daughter played competitive hockey, every now and then they would have a friendly with one of the male teams. Now female hockey doesn’t involve checking and what usually happened was the girls outplayed the boys – call it different skills developed with puck handling and skating as well as different skills and plays with checking but they each had played the same sport with a major fundamental difference. The girls were just as strong on the skates and even in some of the hussling for the puck (my own daughter broke an ankle twice – got her bones from her mum). I don’t know what female surfers need to do, maybe not compete in the same ways as the men, they just need to figure that out.
Hey Goaty, assholes are always the loudest, and they’re only gonna get louder without your voice.
I agree that the women should be given a chance to have a bash if they’re up for it, and that it’s not me putting the money up to run the contest, so if they get equal prize money for inferior performances (compared to the men) it shouldn’t bother me. So, I’ll be interested to see what the women’s performances look like if the Nazaré tow-in contest runs. No excuses about how hard it is to paddle in with all that wind and bumps coming up the face when you’re getting towed in. It’s all about being brave enough to drop the rope. I would have said “having big enough balls to drop the rope” but that could be construed as being sexist, and if you know me, you know that I’m anything but!