Sally Fitzgibbons says that her missing the cut has nothing to do with wanting equal number of women on Tour. Photo: WSL
In 2018, a viral photo depicted the unequal earnings between men and women in surfing. It catalyzed big change. The ensuing media uproar forced the WSL’s hand, as they committed to awarding equal prize money to men and women. The move was overdue, adding surfing to a list of sports that had already been awarding equal money to men and women, such as the major tennis tournaments, snowboard and ski, and beach volleyball, for example. (There are, of course, still many mainstream sports that do not offer equal payouts.)
But there was a missing piece to the announcement – the part that everyone was thinking – and Sally Fitzgibbons is just the latest to say it out loud: When will the men and women compete in equal numbers?
While the individual men and women now earn the same amount of money for their achievements, there is still much more money to be earned for the men. The men’s tour has 35 surfers that get trimmed to 22 after the mid-season cut. The women’s tour has 18 that get trimmed to 10. The men’s Challenger Series features 80 surfers, 10 who qualify. The women’s features 48 surfers, five who qualify. Through the five CT events of the 2024 season, male surfers had collectively earned upwards of USD $3.1 million, while women had earned just over $2 million.
“It’s inevitable (the female fields are increased),” Fitzgibbons told the Gold Coast Bulletin. “It has to change. The level of surfing is insane and to have 10 people for the back half of the year is a wild thing to think about. I don’t write the rules, I just see the talent and I think it is an awesome show. I love being part of it.”
“It’s not just because I didn’t make the cut,” Fitzgibbons continued. “I’m just stating facts. I want to watch some of those heats go down and watch more of the women. It’s also important because you are talking about the livelihoods for some of the young kids coming through now. If there isn’t a viable spot on the tour for them it is a grind on the Challenger Series. You might just be making a tiny bit at the end of the day but a big slice of the pie are making no money. They are running off their parents’ budgets and not much sponsorship. It is the state of the things. I would love to see that change and the first step is to action it now for the future.”
The WSL submitted a response to the story that hints a change may be on the horizon.
“The WSL is committed to equality and the progression of women’s surfing,” said a WSL spokesman. “The WSL instituted equal prize money in 2019 and has hosted equal venues on the Championship Tour and Challenger Series since 2022, but there is still more work to be done. Working in partnership with our athletes, we’re creating pathways to ensure continued competitive progression, and we’re committed to our goal of having an equal number of women and men competing in our events in the future.”
So, equal numbers of men and women tour surfers is on the way, “inevitable” as Fitzgibbons says. The question is: When? Will it take another viral photo to speed up the process? Or will it happen organically. Words from an accomplished surfer like Fitzgibbons certainly help, but it will take more than that to force the change. Unequal numbers of competitors isn’t as visual and visceral as a photo of oversized, unequal checks, so it will be hard to reproduce the media uproar that sparked equal pay. But something of that nature is probably what it will take. A few well-placed words (or phone calls) from surfers like Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina, or Carissa Moore could go a long way, too.
