Photo by Matt Dunbar.
In 2003, professional surfer, Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm in a major shark attack. She soon became a worldwide inspiration, as she conquered surfing with one arm.
Rip Curl has represented Bethany Hamilton since 1999. On January 8, 2022, Hamilton decided to re-sign a five-year contract with Rip Curl. Hamilton had a healthy, established relationship with Rip Curl for several years, until now.
This relationship was ended when the World Surf League unveiled its Transgender Policy in February of 2023. That policy stated,
“As an Olympic Sport, and with aspirations for all of the WSL’s disciplines to be included in the Olympics, the WSL had adopted the International Surfing Association (ISA) policy on transgender participation.”
The International Surfing Association allows transgender women to compete in women’s categories under certain conditions.
Hamilton’s reaction to this decision came in the form of a lengthy Instagram Reel, where she explained her views on the ruling, highlighting its impact on “biologically” female athletes.
All of this stir up caused Hamilton to pull out of her five-year contract with Rip Curl. It is believed that the World Surf League’s decision to adopt the ISA transgender policy is the primary reason she exited.
Ryan Egan was a male athlete that won the men’s longboard title in 2019. Egan transitioned and changed her name to Sasha Lowerson. In 2022, Egan won a women’s championship.
Rip Curl posted a video on the Rip Curl Women’s Instagram account, featuring Sasha Lowerson. This feature landed Rip Curl right amid a PR nightmare. Many surfers rushed to leave negative comments on the post, critiquing the brand’s use of a transgender individual in the advertisement.
After this video was posted, Bethany Hamilton went to Instagram again, posting a confident photo with the caption,
“Stand for what you believe in”.
The surfing community quickly concluded that Sasha Lowerson had taken over Bethany Hamilton’s position at Rip Curl. Rip Curl silently removed the video and posted an “apology” including,
“To clarify, the surfer featured has not replaced anyone on the Rip Curl team and is not a sponsored athlete.”
Image by Rip Curl.
This situation has caused uproar in the surf community worldwide. Some support Rip Curl’s attempt at inclusivity, while others are outraged by the polarizing space of transgender athletes.
California surf reporter, Glen Walsh, feels that both Bethany Hamilton and Rip Curl are at fault for creating this uncomfortable situation. In an interview, he said that the Rip Curl ad was “all about freedom! Being free to be who you are and love what you’re doing. Surfing is creative expression”. He disagrees with Rip Curl’s decision to make a public apology, “Rip Curl and their PR department should have anticipated this and stood their ground”.
Many believe that Hamilton is giving people the “go ahead” to spread transgender hate. Others wish to boycott Rip Curl. The power of Instagram’s comment section prevails once again, stirring up an entire community across the world.