World number one surfer Molly Picklum earned 37% more than her male counterpart Yago Dora in 2025.
World number one surfer Molly Picklum earned 37% more than her male counterpart Yago Dora in 2025.

Women Pro Surfers Outearn Men by 78%, Highlighting Shift in Sport new study finds

“We pulled the numbers from very wave ridden, every heat surfed, and every dollar earned.”

In one of the more interesting studies surrounding the mysterious gender pay gap, it has now been revealed that in 2025 the best five gal pro surfers earned, on average, almost twice as much per wave as their male counterparts.

The delightful and indefatigable reporter Lincoln Eather, whom I’ve known for decades, a fine surfer although beset with terrible chronic injuries, runs a website called Empire Ave, which includes the offshoot surf-employment arm This Is Never Work, recently as he describes, “Crunched the numbers of the Final 5 surfers from both the men’s and women’s tours. Every wave ridden, every heat surfed, and every dollar earned across the 11-event season.”

The numbers are surprising, I suppose, if you didn’t figure that 36 men are fighting over the same prizemoney stack as the 18 women. Equal pay etc.

Anyway, the top five men averaged $1351 per wave compared to the women’s $2413. World number one Molly Picklum banked, or at least I hope she banked ‘cause sporting careers don’t last forever, $491,500 compared to Yago Dora’s $360, 110.

Gender pay gap ended in pro surfing
Gender pay gap a chasm in pro surfing!

World number two Jordy Smith, meanwhile, earned $291,110 compared to Gabby Bryant’s $446,500.

World number three Italo Ferreira, famous lately for teary posts about bully boy Hot Rodent Guy Jack Robinson, earned $267,830 compared to gal’s number three Caity Simmers’ $374,500.

Interestingly, world numbers four and five on both sides earned roughly the same.

Many more insights, if you’ll click here.

An important and  historic victory for women’s rights.

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23 Comments
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Instalo Feedeira

Does this mean Ethan Ewing will start an onlyfans to suplement the lack of earnings?

Capt Sensible

And in an effort to disguise or underplay the prize money discrepancies the WSL overscores the woman’s ( zaffa for wonen) rides , its Flick as fuck.

John Smith

Should do the qualifying series as well. 3-4x as many surfers on the mens side.

Michael Flatlately

Surf smarter not harder. Surely Italo has the rub on per turn earnings?

Andy C

I to want hear Tyler’s thoughts on the matter

deeks

Go fund me for the fucken men !

astro

welcome to insanity and unreality.
A tour that can’t stand on its own two feet, where it’s “athletes” (and I use the term extremely loosely) earn more than the “athletes” (same again) on the tour it hitched itself to.
A triumph of wokeness. Congrats wooz. Give em all a gold jersey and a participation trophy.

Picard Madeoff

Sasha Jane saw the trend years ago…

Chuck Dukowski

Equal pay for less work… Brain and balls got put in a handbag.
The gender agenda… The Australian newspaper had a big article about Molly Picklum winning Tahiti great stuff but not one mention of Jack Robinson winning the same contest on the same day.
My fault for picking up the old man’s paper I guess…

Keepingitreal61

Well the Australian is owned by News Corp same crew that run Sky News and Fox News
so you know they aren’t really aware of reality or facts. Old Rupert is of course a high ranking member of the reptilian overlords cohort.

Low wide stinkbug stance

Earnings and winnings aren’t really the same though.

Chief Hot stuff

Did you win the surf comp thing?

Low wide stinkbug stance

Nah, picked Yago and dudded out (in the dying seconds!).

Not too fussed, there’s only 6 guys left now and it’s kind of shit when it comes down to the final 5 as you then have to nominate who wins each heat.

I dunno what happened to the OG guys. There were only two left but the guy who runs the comp basically stopped updating things which is pretty shit given he’s sitting on about 20k of entry fees.

The Bitchy Crab

And that is true! Keep smashing the patriarchy!

Low wide stinkbug stance

Funny how there’s no glass ceiling in all the shit jobs like garbage collector.

Chief Hot stuff

Makeup and bags etc are expensive

Ramathorn

And Ram Trucks

Low wide stinkbug stance

Government gives you 10k to put towards it if you’re a bogan though.

The Bitchy Crab

Tell me about it!

Ramathorn

That can be extended beyond the final 5 to all surfers who got past the cut where prize money increases. Season earnings for each surfer are on the WSL website. BLSJ earned more than Jordy and Italo yet didn’t make the final 5. It’s all a bit dimensionless. Jack and Griff earn more than Jordy and Italo but are behind them. Needs Mitch Salazar to explain.

The Bitchy Crab

Lincoln just explained to me! You make extra prizemoney after the cut hence Jordy getting stiffed.

Ramathorn

Yip, and it’s easier to get if you’re a women because you surf less heats.

Huli Opu

woo hoo betty loo


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