Global Surf Brand Panned for Featuring Transgender Athlete in Women’s Promo Campaign

Former swimmer Riley Gaines took aim at Rip Curl’s decision to promote the athlete, after removing shark-attack survivor and surfer Bethany Hamilton.

US surfer Bethany Hamilton competes in the Outerknown Fiji Women's Pro surfing competition in Tavarua, Fiji on May 31, 2017. Tom Servais/AFP via Getty Images

Former competitive swimmer, and prominent conservative commentator Riley Gaines, has been joined by female skateboarder Taylor Silverman, in condemning global surf brand Rip Curl for featuring a transgender athlete in a campaign for women’s surfing.

In May 2023, West Australian surfer Sasha Jane Lowerson, who identifies as transgender, competed in the World Surf League’s Manly Longboard Classic in the women’s division, after previously competing in male competitions.

The 45-year-old Mr. Lowerson is believed to be the first openly transgender surfer actively competing in female pro competitions.

In 2023, the World Surf League adopted new regulations from the sport’s governing body, the International Surfing Association, which required athletes who were deemed male at birth to maintain a testosterone level of less than 5 nmol/L (nanomoles per litre) continuously for the 12 months before a competition.

In a new brand marketing campaign called Meet The Local Heroes of Western Australia, Rip Curl featured Mr. Lowerson, describing him 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.⁠”

The campaign has become divisive on social media with many commenting the choice of Mr. Lowerson, is another example of transgender women, born as men, receiving an unfair advantage by being eligible to compete against natural females.

Rip Curl, which is based in the town of Torquay in Victoria, Australia, has since removed an Instagram post promoting Mr. Lowerson.

Outspoken critic of the transgender policy Ms. Gaines took to social media platform X on Jan. 28, warning that the company could go “broke” after going “woke.”

“Six months from now: Rip Curl announces that it is laying off half of its staff,” claimed Ms. Gaines.

“How are the advertising team not getting fired for this, how many companies have been damaged and they still use the larping blokes in their campaigns? I thought they had to know trends, not watching hard enough.

“They could not have made their contempt for women clearer.”

Skateboarder Ms. Silverman was also vocal about Rip Curl’s decision.

“According to Rip Curl this man is a ‘waterwoman’ … reality is he’s just a mentally ill man making a complete mockery of actual women and, the ‘community’ is so supportive that Rip Curl had to disable the comments!” she wrote on X.

DALLAS, TX—Taylor Silverman, skateboarder, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole August 6, 2022. Bobby Sanchez for The Epoch Times

Women’s Pro-Surfer Cut From Rip Curl After Public Stance on Transgender Athletes

Professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton was formerly a spokesperson for Rip Curl, but was removed from the position in 2023 after publicaly saying she would boycott future World Surf League events over any decision to allow transgender surfers to participate.

“We are seeing glimpses of male-bodied dominance in women’s sports like running, swimming, and others,” said Ms. Hamilton in 2023.

Surfer Bethany Hamilton accepts Favorite Comeback Athlete onstage during Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards 2014 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on July 17, 2014. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Speaking on X, Ms. Gaines highlighted continued criticising Rip Curl saying: “You mean to tell me that Rip Curl dropped Bethany Hamilton for opposing men surfing in the women’s league then picked up (sic) male surfer who surfs in the women’s league as a women’s ambassador?”

Ms Gaines previously took aim at transgender golfer Hailey Davidson, who recently won the NXXT Women’s Classic tournament in Florida.

She said: “I will personally pay any expenses, sponsorships, and/or prize money lost,” to any golfers who decided to pull out of an LPGA-qualifying league tournament that featured Davidson.

In response, Ms. Davidson wrote on Instagram on Jan. 27:  “It’s always interesting how no one gets angry until there is any form of success. I will never allow hate to win, especially when based in (sic) some misinformation.”