THE BIKINI ISSUE
The Truth about Women's Surfing
The introduction of women to the media image
of surfing has shaped the
future of the sport to the effect that surfing
is no longer viewed as a male exclusive
sport. Although surf stars such as
5 times world champion Lisa Anderson are
dominating the media, the real action is
on the beach. Female surfers in the
United States number more than 250,000 according
to industry estimates,
However, for the conditions in women's surfing
to improve, the sport
must recognize these women as totally committed
to enhancing their sport.
The career of World Champion Lisa
Anderson is a case in point. Lisa is the most
popular female surf star ever. Her
sex appeal fuelled the marketing machine.
"I'm just lucky I got through puberty before
Roxy took off", says Anderson.
Because the ads might not have gone over
so well in my ugly duckling phase".
Surfer magazine confirms this point: "We'd
like to think that Lisa, often
praised as the first woman who legitimately
surfs like a guy, would get as much
praise is she looked like one too....but
we can't. We're idealist not idiots. If
Lisa Anderson was not stereotypically
good-looking her fame would never
have taken off."
The by-product of the media's representation
of women surfers as bikinied
babes is,
I think, a skewed perspective on what exactly defines a woman
surfer. The answer is simple: a woman
surfer is no more and no less than a
woman who surfs.
