Protests erupt in street as premium surf magazine partners with canvas shoe juggernaut to turn back clock on equality, inviting only half the number of women as men to “reimagined” Pipeline Masters!

Putting the "master" back into Pipeline!

The World Surf League has been on a heavy, heavy equality push over the last handful of years and, whether you like it or not, somewhat admirably so. Attempting to level a playing field that has been tilted since forever. Women not getting a shot. Women being blamed for not getting a shot then not performing when bone is thrown or being thrown a fake bone that is called “real” (where WSL notably fails). Women asked to do better with a fraction of the resources to go, post up at critical waves, hire nutritionists, massage therapists, coaches, etc.

Vans, owned by VF and raking in one billion dollars year, has the extra scratch but seems to prefer posture and make-believe, performance, to actually making a difference.

In any case, and on the same theme, the canvas shoe juggernaut has partnered with premium surf magazine Stab in order to re-imagine the months-away Pipeline Masters. As you certainly recall, the world’s premier surf event is no longer part of the World Surf League. In some lofty wisdom, Pipeline now hosts the year’s first event though it is not the “masters,” rather the “pro,” with Lower Trestles becoming crown jewel.

New can be so wonderful and the new Pipeline Masters is set to be a progressive air show with new judging criteria, selection process, more locals, 40 men invited from across time, space, history and… only 20 women.

50%.

Not even the non-adjusted average female annual salary of around 80% the average male salary.

A very public and aggressive turning back of equality’s clock.

The definition of tokenization.

Protests erupting in streets.

But are you there holding a picket sign or simply excited for a re-imagined Master?