First All-Women’s Big Wave Surf Contest to be Held in Hawaii

First All-Women’s Big Wave Surf Contest to be Held in Hawaii

The first female big wave tour competition aims to inspire female surfers and attract sponsors for the big wave events.

After 8 years of trying to secure permits, the Women’s Waimea Bay Championship’s (WWBC) contest director, Betty Depolito was taken aback: 

It’s a miracle that they did [grant it]. It really is.

It’s been a long and difficult battle to obtain permission to run the event (the first two permits were received during time periods when the possibility of large swell was horribly unlikely) and the struggle isn’t over yet.

The holding period is from Oct. 1st to Nov. 21st which leaves the contest directors, Depolito and Wrenna Delgado limited time to obtain the all necessary funding to run the event. Delgado couldn’t believe it, usually you are given over a year’s notice.

Check Out The Women's Big Wave Event Trailer:

If the event does run, it’ll be held in waves that are at least 15 ft, and will have 24 invitees to the event, including notorious big wave surfers such as Keala Kennelly, Emi Erickson and Laura Enever.

With superb surf films such as “It Ain’t Pretty”, a study of the portrayal of women in surf media (winning multiple awards in film festivals), and with women competing in the first World Surf League event at Jaws last November, this is the ladies’ time to shine within the big wave scene.

The competition aims to inspire female surfers and attract sponsors for the big wave events, as women are still struggling with inequality within the big wave scene. Added to this, is the challenge to revert the prevalent flagrant sexualisation of the sport, epitomised by Brazilian pro-rider Silvana Lima in 2016, when she was considered:

Not pretty enough to sponsor 

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After all, as Ocean Beach charger, Rebecca Sandidge notes:

We need to break down this whole idea of sexualizing everything, I’m not being sexual when I’m out surfing. I’m just getting rad.

Let’s hope Waimea Bay is a symbol of many more women’s big wave events to come.



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