World renowned surfer Bethany Hamilton in Oceanside, California.
Professional surfing legend Bethany Hamilton announced that she will boycott future World Surf League competitions if a rule allowing men to compete in the women’s division remains.
Last week, the WSL announced that it would be adopting the transgender policy first announced by the International Surfing Association (ISA) in October of 2022. The policy stipulates that anyone wishing to compete as a female or as “X” gender (not identifying as male or female) must simply have “serum testosterone concentration has been less than 5 nmol/L continuously for a period of the previous 12 months.” The policy is modeled after established Olympics policies regarding transgender persons.
“While many Olympic sports still do not have any official policy, the rules for surfing could be considered among the least stringent released thus far.
For example, World Triathlon and the International Cycling Union require transgender athletes to test below 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months to be eligible.”
World Surf League Policy
Hamilton, who was already excelling in surf competitions at 13-years old when she lost her arm to a brutal shark attack, and has one of the most inspirational comeback stories in modern athletics, was among the first female athletes to speak out against the policy. In a video posted to Instagram, Hamilton explained her decision to boycott WSL competitions as long as this policy remains in tact.
“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 stand up for those in positions that they feel that they cannot say something about this.”
Bethany Hamilton
The professional surfer went on to question the efficacy of the policy, alluding to the fact that women (so-called “transgender men”) are not jumping at the prospect of competing against biological males, their physical advantages being significant, especially in a sport like surfing. “There’s no mention of converted women competing with men,” Hamilton added to her list of concerns.
“Should there be a conversation with the 17 women and all of the men on tour prior to a rule change such as this? Is a hormone level an honest and accurate depiction that someone indeed is a male or female?”
Bethany Hamilton
Transgender policies effectively erase women’s leagues, men who “identify” as women are easily able to break records in nearly every sport previously set and held by females. Despite this, very few professional female athletes have spoken out against the rules, in fear of being ostracized from fans or leagues and losing sponsorships.
Hamilton recommended the creation of a separate surf devision specifically for transgender athletes, but noted in a comment, “I really don’t think at this point there is a solution that will please everyone. There are different world views and that is part of life. I may not have the perfect answer. But I do feel the way I do and will continue to stand firm in what I shared here.”
Female teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas were given resources to overcome their alleged “transphobia” because they did not want to compete against or use a facility with a man who looked, spoke, and acted like a man. Thomas went from being a lackluster male swimmer in his first years at college to shattering female records his senior year after “coming out” as trans.
Female spaces being invaded by males should be enough to prompt change, or the creation of a separate division, however the destruction of female athletics are also at stake, and numerous sporting organizations refuse to take action. Only the feelings of one concerned party matter here, and it’s clearly not the women.
