Being a professional surfer is a tougher career path than most people realize. Being a female professional surfer is an even more difficult task. Beyond the hours of training required to excel at the sport, the work needed to acquire sponsorships, and the need to interact with sports media that can take a toll on mental health, women in surfing face a number of additional challenges in a sport largely dominated by men.
Apart from the expectations of sports media and fans, female surfers often face significant disparities in both prize money and opportunities for good competing conditions and media coverage, with the largest purses, best waves, and prime airtime often reserved for male competitors. Women in the sport must not only work hard to compete against their fellow athletes, but against an institution in need of change.
Stephanie Gilmore makes waves on both fronts: the Australian seven-time WSL World Tour champion is not only at the top of her game but is also on the front lines of the drive to make the world of professional surfing more equitable for all athletes.
Born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia, she started her life as a surfer at the age of 10 when she first stood on a bodyboard. By the time she turned 17 she was competing in world tour events as a wild card competitor, leading to a 2005 victory at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast and 2006 Havaianas Beachley Classic. The string of successes continued when she claimed the 2007 World Title in the Women’s ASP World Tour, a feat she has repeated six additional times to date. She is currently slated to represent Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, hoping to add a gold medal to her list of victories.
In addition to her success on the water, she has been a champion of women in the sport, working directly with the World Surf League in 2018 to ensure that male and female winners of the Gold Coast would receive the same prize money, where male competitors would previously receive almost twice the purse.
She also constantly works to foster an environment where female surfers are encouraged to lift one another up in spite of the need to compete for career-furthering prize money and sponsorships. With her focus on the upcoming Summer Olympics, Gilmore is keen to show the world how women can work together to build a better sport for everyone.