Surfing superstar and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton joins Riley Gaines in standing against the gender inclusivity campaign on sports, as the World Surf League announced that they will allow transgender women to compete against women in professional surfing.
Hamilton took to Instagram to lambast the league to address the issue, “Today I want to address the news that the World Surf League has officially made the rule that male-bodied individuals known as transgender athletes can officially compete in the women’s division.”
The shark attack survivor clarified that her intention was not to attack any gender but as a professional athlete who has long been competing in various surfing competitions.
She said, “I strive to have love for all of mankind, regardless of any differences.”
“But this concerns me as a professional athlete that has been competing in the World Surf League events for the past 15-plus years. And I feel that I must speak up and I must stand up for those in position that feel that they cannot say something about this.”
She went on to relay that many women surfers opposed the new policy and feared that if they spoke up, they would be criticized.
Hamilton questioned the World Surf League and said, “How is this rule playing out in other sports, like swimming, running, and MMA?”
The World Surf League justified the move by saying that they were merely following the Olympic guidelines.
Amid the controversy, Rip Curl, one of the leading surfing brands, earned ire among athletes after they featured a transgender surfer.
Many fans accused the brand of replacing surfing icon Bethany Hamilton with Sasha Jane Lowerson, who they featured on their Instagram account Rip Curl Women.
The post touted the transgender athlete as, a “West Australian waterwoman who loves the freedom found in surfing, disconnecting from the mainstream, and the feeling of dancing on constantly changing waves… It’s a state of mind, always being ready to try something new, curious to seek out knowledge and learn the rules – and break them.”
According to the comments on Instagram, Hamilton lost the brand’s sponsorship after voicing out her opinion on allowing biological male athletes to compete against women.
After upsetting the fans and athletes, Rip Curl took down the post discreetly.
The surfing brand also released a statement saying, “We want to promote surfing for everyone in a respectful way, but recognize we upset a lot of people with our post and for that, we are sorry. To clarify, the surfer featured has not replaced anyone on the Rip Curl team and is not a sponsored athlete.”
