Rip Curl, Bethany Hamilton Respond to Transgender Surfer Debate
Rip Curl, the legacy surf brand born in late 1960s Australia, has found itself in the crosshairs of the controversial debate surrounding transgender athletes.
Following a post featuring transgender surfer, Sasha Jane Lowerson, a mob of angry dissenters came for the brand with harsh rhetoric on social media, threats of boycotting the company, and even reports of folks burning the Rip Curl gear.
Rip Curl removed the post, then went silent. But now, they’ve responded to the situation.
On social media, Rip Curl wrote:
“Our recent post has landed us in the divisive space around transgender participation in competitive sport. 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.”
Then, per an email correspondence with surf industry watchdog, Shop-Eat-Surf, the statement was all that was offered. No questions. SES wrote:
“The company declined to make Rip Curl CEO Brooke Farris available for an interview to discuss the marketing campaign and subsequent reaction. It also declined to answer any further questions beyond the statement.”
Bethany Hamilton – the famed surfer, author, shark attack survivor, and former Rip Curl athlete – had previously weighed in on the debate surrounding transgender athletes in competitive surfing. Following an announcement from the World Surf League allowing trans athletes to compete in their events, Hamilton denounced the move.
And with the current uproar amidst Rip Curl’s post, Hamilton posted on X:
“Male-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports. Period.”
The question, now, is: Will critics of the post soon forget, and start buying wetties again? Will all of this blow over like it seemingly did for Bud Light? Or is this just the tip of the iceberg for the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athletes in competition?
More likely the latter. This ain't over.
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