"And so all the athletes were basically like, unless they wanted to give up their career and pay 10k, they were silenced."
Bethany Hamilton is, arguably, the most famous surfer on the planet. The now-35-year-old mother of four became internationally known after a tiger shark stole her then-13-year-old arm when she was out for a surf in Kauai. Hamilton’s grit and courage, the not giving up and continuing on a surf journey, inspired legions, her autobiography becoming a smash best-seller and later a film.
Bethany Hamilton used her platform to share good old-timey values along with wildly impressive surf skill, even competing from time to time in World Surf League events along the way.
Well, you certainly recall the “Home of Global Surfing’s” swing to woke, a few years ago, taking a very progressive stance when it came to the hot-button issue of which side of the draw trans surfers could compete.
Per the 2023 press release:
As an Olympic sport, and with aspirations for all of WSL’s disciplines to be included in the Olympics, the WSL has adopted the International Surfing Association (ISA) policy on transgender participation (the “ISA Transgender Policy”). The eligibility of a Surfer to compete either in a men’s or women’s Event under this Rule shall be subject to compliance with the ISA Transgender Policy.
Oddly, the “ISA Transgender Policy” no longer exists on the ISA website, but if memory serves, biological males transitioning to female could surf in the women’s division.
Bethany Hamilton was not happy and vocal, taking to Instagram in the aftermath and posting a to-camera video wherein she wondered, “Is a hormone level an honest and accurate depiction that someone indeed is a male or female? Is it as simple as this?”
“I personally won’t be competing in or supporting the World Surf League if this rule remains,” she declared at the end.
The World Surf League, for its part, released a statement reading that it “is working to balance equity and fairness, and we will continue to evaluate the policy in the months and years ahead as more research, information, and feedback are available.”
All wonderful, no? Magnanimous and earnest?
Apparently not, for in a mega bombshell just dropped on the Culture Apothecary podcast, Bethany Hamilton shared with host Alex Clark that the World Surf League threatened to financially neuter any surfer who dared speak out.
“They had all their surfers conveniently sign a contract that said, ‘oh, you can’t say anything negative towards the World Surf League, or we will find you 10k, and you’ll be removed from the World Surf League,'” she said. “And so all the athletes were basically like, unless they wanted to give up their career and pay 10k, they were silenced.”
Yikes.
But also, and quickly, do all professional sporting leagues have their athletes sign some sort of non-disparagement thing or is the World Surf League extra, here?
How much would it take you to shut your trap?
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Well said!
Is she ignoring the fact that fines for bad mouthing the League have been in the rule book for YEARS? JOB was fined for it when he burnt the ASP rule book. She probably applauded the League’s woke stance on paying women the same as men. Does she want the WSL to go back and become unwoke and pay women less that the men?
Ok so you are saying all white people born in Hawaii are colonizers?
Like Andy and JonJon etc.
Thanks for making that clear you ultra funking stupid mother fucking dumb cunt!
Is this why some of the sport’s biggest names have been taking off from the tour at times?
Trannies can surf against the girls but the best Pipeline specialists can’t surf an event with the CT tour surfers at Pipe. Fook the WSL. Now get me a HamSammish.
Common theme in these comments is bagging on her religion or faith. I haven’t been to church since I was 14.
Anyway, my girlfriend got weird when we drove past a house tonight with a Bible verse along side Christmas decorations.
OH THAT’S SCARY… she says. So I asked her if she ever met a religious person who scared her. Answer was no. I told her she was basically trained by the lefty propaganda media, movies, literature, stage to fear religious people. She unenthusiasticlly agreed.
So I had to resist responding with… “then”! ” shut your pie hole” or “shut the fuck up”🤠
Its the extremists and the religious extroverts you gotta be worried about, across all religions. Sex, religion, politics are personal and should remain so. Opinions are like arseholes; everyone has one.
Yeah most of the pedo’s are pretty good at masking, the christian ones have a built in network to protect each other too. You should have just given her a crack, see the latest South Park “A christian woman knows her place” song is gold.
So the Catholic church was just a victim of the media this whole time?
Well, I was never an alter boy
Yeah, I guess I was just “trained by lefty propaganda” going to church with relatives when I was five and finding it spooky and weird. Anyway, it was really nice of you to mansplain to her how she’s wrong and refrain from telling that dumb bitch to shut the fuck up. You sound really cool.
Thanks. I hope you’re less scared now without spooky and weird church.
Trans are the perps. Nobody runs around assaulting the mentality ill but the mentality ill.
NFL players are always getting fined. They can’t even flip off the fans. Hey, I haven’t been paying much attention lately. How did Bethany’s theories about third world surfers going Trans to take all the women’s prize earnings play out? Has the WSL been overun by trans women from impoverished countries? Absolutely vindicating Bethany’s bold courageous (very broesphere podcastable) stance? Has the prophecy come true yet? Does she agree with Joe Rogan that AI just might be Jesus Christ? Where’s the Beachgrit exclusive interview? Is Bethany trying to MAGA cancel the WSL? Enquiring minds want to know!
I like how being a white person makes said person a colonizer.
Funny thing non whites did a fair share of colonizing.
I backed out of a solid 10’ windy Sunset Peak once maybe 07’ 08’ or so. Full on haired out tail between legs etc. Turned around in shame and watched Bethany air drop an even bigger one right behind it. My buddies heckled me for weeks.
I just feel blessed that we have such strong independent ladies in surfing like Bethany, Tyler and Keala who are willing to speak up on important issues that affect us all. I encourage my 11 year old daughter to watch all of Tyler’s post heat interviews in the hope her determination and never say die attitude will rub off on her. Thank you ladies for being such an inspiration and fine role models for young ladies all around the world xx
how long are you going to keep this up for?
Hahaha I am done with it now mate, it’s too hard sounding like a wanker
Tyler couldn’t beat Italo if he went trans. Tyler would be big mad. I wouldn’t trust a HamSammish made by Tyler. Psycho killer vibes for sure.
Ok
Anyone ever seen one of these “contracts”?
“They had all their surfers conveniently sign a contract that said, ‘oh, you can’t say anything negative towards the World Surf League, or we will fine you 10k, and you’ll be removed from the World Surf League’”
Pretty standard for any sanctioning body in professional sports – don’t bite the hand that feeds.
Bethany did not surf in WSL events on a regular basis and yet, thought it was necessary to let everyone know she is an ultraconservative right-wing wackjob of a Christian bigot with zero respect for anyone else’s beliefs, rights or values –
And was rightly fired by Rip Curl for her unsolicited opinions, as no multinational corporation can employ a spokesperson, no matter how accomplished or inspiring, who advocates for blatant exclusion, discrimination and moral condemnation for another group of people different than themselves.
Thank You.
Why do proffesional sport playing transmen choose to play in womans pro sports.
And why are they allowed to?
To win obviously
here in the US even Gavin N has abandoned this cause, so Bethany won
That guys all drugfuked
exactamundo, wtf, no go
Yea jeez, opposed to being forced fed Trans lbgtqbla bla bla is ultra right wing. You want your daughter completing with men right( no pun intended)?
That was pretty good until the “Thank You” part.
Fair enough Negman. Not my best work I’ll agree. I’ve said it before..her surfing blows my mind actually. I’ll keep uncle pervy in the box.
Mentioning Bethany is like saying Beetlejuice for JSC, right?
Bethany is way more bad ass than the latter.
Anyone else really annoyed that the podcast is called Culture Apothecary?
Me!
Can a shark rip out her tongue too? Then we can just focus on her ass and her surfing which is the only value add anyway
Oh dear I hope her poor children don’t read this comment
They wouldn’t be allowed on this website, maybe no internet or any form of science and logic anywhere.
Cis pride!!
A big mistake athletes make is convincing themselves that anyone gives a flying fuck about their political beliefs. Kinda mirrors BG.
A genuine question if I may? How does the wonderful Mrs Hamilton manage to paddle out and catch waves with her unfortunately missing arm? Always wondered
There is this new thing called YouTube. You can search for a video of just about anything. Give it a try. She doesn’t go in circles as one might think but she does have a little handle on the deck which I would assume helps duck diving with only one wing.
Of course silly me. Thank you Barreled for that wonderful suggestion and I will have a hunt for said footage whilst enjoying my fruito break
I surfed with her once in Kauai, It blew my mind watching her surf this left beachie point break with a hectic rip, I was puffing trying to stay in the line up and she was dominating, seriously incredible surfer.
That’s so fucking mental. So does she paddle like mad with her one arm and use her weight distribution to keep her straight? Getting yourself into a drainer with two arms can be tough can,t imagine doing it with only one. What a fucking core lord ay good on her yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew