“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.
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.