The recent incident at the GB Cup in Thurso is a reminder to us all that respect, fairness and inclusion must always remain at the heart of our sport. Intimidation and verbal abuse have absolutely no place in surfing – not in the line-up, not on the beach, not anywhere and we stand united in rejecting it.
The Team England women had delivered some of the best surfing of the competition and all progressed to the semi finals. Four men, not part of the event, paddled out during the last of the men’s semi finals, approaching the contest peak. As that heat ended and the women’s semi finals got underway the free surfers reached the peak, blocked competitors, caught waves right through the contest area and made a fair result impossible to achieve. One of the free surfers tangled with one of our female competitors coming off a set wave – and both competitors and the camera crew were all subject to verbal abuse from some of the free surfers whilst in the water.
At this point, the only possible decision was to call off the event. The safety of the competitors and integrity of the competition had been completely compromised.
This was one of the most upsetting sights we’ve witnessed as Team England – watching intimidation in the line up unfolding at the highest level. It was an act of blatant disrespect that runs counter to everything surfing stands for. This behaviour has no place at any break or in any line up within our surfing community. We stand firmly behind the Scottish Surfing Federation and our surfers, and we’re committed to working on a solution to complete the event in the fairest way possible.
The actions of the men involved were shocking to witness, and whether intended this way or not, it was specifically the women who were most impacted. This is important and has repercussions that risk setting our sport back years. It reminds us all of our role as allies in and out the water to ensure this behaviour doesn’t go unchecked and isn’t allowed to define our sport.
A new era for women’s surfing
It’s taken a long time for women’s surfing to get the same level of opportunity, recognition and media coverage enjoyed by men’s surfing and there remains work to do.
It wasn’t until 2019 that the World Surf League announced equal prize money across the men’s and women’s tours. It was only in 2022 the WSL held the first integrated men and women’s competition at Pipeline, previously deemed too challenging and off limits for the women’s tour. In big waves Keala Kennelly lead the charge as the first women to win an open gender big wave award back in 2016 and 10 yrs later our very own Laura Crane became the first British woman to compete at a WSL big wave contest.
Today, women are surfing and competing on the world’s most challenging waves, Jaws, Pipe, Teahupo’o and countless others once seen as off-limits. The world of arial surfing the latest arena where female surfers are smashing expectations and re-defining what is possible.
At the GB cup we saw the women charging some of the biggest waves and toughest conditions in the contest’s history. Day one saw 6ft – 8ft faces and howling winds, with the tops scores coming from the women. Highest scoring wave of the day was a near perfect 9.33 from Charlotte Mulley and the highest heat total belonged to Alys Barton. A clear reflection of women at the top of their surfing game, not just holding their own in women’s competition, but in competition full stop.
Progress built on years of dedication
These achievements haven’t happened overnight. They’re the result of years of hard work, from the athletes themselves, the coaches, volunteers and organisations who have pushed for progress, and the communities that have supported them.
At Surfing England, we’re proud to have played our part in that journey. Delivering equal pathways for men and women at national level, increasing the number of women in Team England coaching roles, running the first female only judging panels, designing our junior series to support young girls engage with competitive surfing and more. We’ve always felt that a more diverse line up makes a richer surfing experience for everyone and we’ll continue to try and create fair and visible opportunities in pursuit of that ambition.
A lot of work, alongside our partners, also goes into ensuring our events are safe, well-run and welcoming. From our grassroots programme to elite contests like the English National Surfing Championships.
Why inclusion matters in competition and beyond
Surfing has always been about connection – to the ocean, to each other and to ourselves. That connection grows stronger when the line-up reflects the diversity of those who love it. Creating an inclusive environment isn’t just about fairness. It’s about the future of the sport. When young girls see women leading in the water – like they were at Thurso – they see possibility. They see belonging. They see a place for themselves.
Every surfer deserves to paddle out knowing they’ll be treated with respect. That’s how we protect the integrity of competition and the spirit of surfing itself.
Standing together for the future
The actions of a few should never undo the progress of many. One positive to come out of this incident has been seeing the strength of response across the surfing world. People standing up to say this is not ok. This cannot be allowed to happen. The global surfing community has shown it’s support, and so has the local Thurso community who have been nothing but welcoming to our surfers and very clear they want nothing to do with the actions of those who seek to undermine the community and women in sport.
At Surfing England we will continue to champion equality and inclusion in every line-up, event and pathway we oversee. We’ll continue to back our female athletes as they compete on the world stage. And we’ll continue to call for respect, in and out of the water, for everyone who shares our love of surfing.
We are all custodians of the ocean, and that comes with a special connection to our local break. But that doesn’t mean we own it or have a right to determine who should and shouldn’t surf it. The ocean doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from, and nor should we. If you’re treating our sea and our communities with respect and love, you deserve nothing but the same in return.
