Professional women's surfing has a big problem. Or it doesn't. It just depends on who you ask.
Over the past few years the way professional women's surfing has marketed itself - both by brands and from the athletes themselves - has been rubbing some people the wrong way. It's seems to those people that the marketing of surfing has become too sexy. Too focused on the good looks and model-fit bodies of the surfers rather than the actual surfing. Adding fuel to the fire is, of course, the sheer amount of exposure these ladies can get through social media - again, both of their own doing and through the efforts of their sponsors. Just take a look at Alana Blanchard, for sure one of the top female surfers in the world skill-wise but who has over 700,000 followers to her Instagram account which she generally keeps stacked with shots of her in her bikini and generally looking drop-dead gorgeous.
A month or so in the life of Blanchard's Instagram account
But hey, who can blame her? Sex sells. Right? Everyone knows that. Or does it?
According to some, the act of promoting your brand based on the looks of your athletes, versus the athletic merits, actually hurts sales. According to a very smart sounding article on ESPN W, "Research showing that consumers, when deciding whether to buy a sports-related product, respond more to advertisements that portray female athletes as -- get this -- athletes.
Because that's exactly what grassroots studies have shown, according to Janet Fink, an associate professor in the department of sports management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "Another thing we are finding, and this makes sense, is that each time a female athlete is pictured in a sexualized way, it diminishes the perception of her athletic ability," said Fink, who specializes in sports consumer behavior, as well as media and marketing depictions of female athletes."
Hmmm. Ok. Well there goes that theory. So why does it happen then? One of the big reasons that I think this is getting worse and worse is that the way media is consumed today. Most content is discovered through social media, which is very conducive to the quick fix/click mindset and, like it or not, sex may not sell product but it does get a hell of a lot of clicks. In my past year as Editor of this fine publication I've definitely noticed that posts that feature sexy women tend to do a whole lot better than other random news posts. Dudes like to look at hot chicks, but therein lies the exact problem. Aren't these women and brands supposed to be marketing themselves to other women?
So what's the solution? Well, before we even get there I think it's important to identify if there is even a problem. A few month ago, pro surfer Carissa Moore was asked about the issue of sex appeal in surfing and said "To be honest I’m a little undecided. I think it’s great that the girls in our sport are so attractive and they’re athletes and they rip…and if you ask anyone on the beach their favourite surfer it would probably be Alana Blanchard. That’s great she brings a lot of eyes to our sport but I’ve definitely been on the opposite site of the spectrum. I’ve definitely been criticised for my looks, last year I gained a little bit of weight, I wasn’t doing as well on tour and you hear comments like, “She’s had one too many cheeseburgers and it’s hurtful you know?” But unfortunately we’re in a sport where you’re in a bathing suit the whole time…". You can see her full comments in the first section of the video below.
So is it a problem or not? Well, only you can decide for yourself if this is an issue that is important to you. And realistically, unless you are a pro surfer there is probably not a ton you can do to directly affect change, but by keeping the discussion alive and keeping your opinions heard perhaps the industry will begin to shift back to a place that makes everyone feel a bit less creepy.
There was a really great article about this phenomenon on Cooler last month that inspired me to take a closer look. In the comments of that article there are a lot of really good points being made, such as this one by Laura:
"Personally I am a bit disappointed about the recent developments in womens surfing. I was shocked to see one of my favorite athletes Steph Gilmore posing half naked in bed and under the shower in the recent swatch pro ad. Anastasia Ashley’s weird twerking warm up dance was even worse, to me it appeared like just another embarrasing publicity stunt. But what exactly is happening here? Are brands like swatch, roxy or rip curl now inreasingly tapping into the opportunity to use the sexappeal of pro surfer girls to sell their products? Sounds familiar. If these athletes choose to do so, like with Alana Blanchard here, shouldn’t it be fine then? Personally I believe in personal freedom which is why my obvious answer should be “Yes”. However, I also recognize that women all over the world still find themselves in a massive struggle to gain acceptance and not least respect for their achievements in sports such as surfing. I don’t think that this goal can be reached if the female surfing scene is plastered with boobs and bums. Pro- Athletes need to be conscious of the message they are sending. Sex might sell products (Alana Blanchard’s bikini) but it surely does not sell surfing. What side would you want to be on?"
Another great Cooler article by Anna Langer states: Despite women’s surfing gaining relevance, respect, and exposure over the last 20 years, women’s surf events are being held in often poor conditions, with nearly half the events than in years past. Even more frustrating is the fact that surf periodicals continue to trivialise the female surfer, asking questions in interviews like “Is it difficult to surf with boobs?” or “Do you worry about sharks while on your period?” or running features like “Waves are Women: Please no red tides.” ddds
So. Problem or not?
Well, at the very least I think it's safe to say it's a very slippery slope and the whole surf industry is starting to slide down it a little bit at the very least. And like most things, once the ball is rolling, it's often next to impossible to stop before hitting rock bottom. Coming from the world of snowboarding - which surprising does not have a bikini problem - it's easy to see the ladies of the sport being pushed in directions that are not always in line with their own values, or those of the target market they are trying to reach. It's always going to be easier to focus on an athletes good looks and toned body, relegating the action to a small thumbnail at the bottom of the page - but I seriously don't think it sells product. The girls and women who are looking at these ads and potentially buying the product are not looking for a pretty face, there's enough of those in Vogue. What they are looking for is powerful, strong and inspirational role-models who they can look up to and try to emulate.
What do you think? Comment below with your opinion!
