Photo: World Surf League
The upcoming Surf Abu Dhabi Pro is possibly one of the most contentious stops on the Championship Tour. For one thing, it’s in a wave pool, which has never been a fan favorite when it comes to WSL events. However, the much bigger elephant in the room is the host country’s policies regarding homosexuality and their potential effects on one prominent surfer on the CT roster: Tyler Wright. Today, the WSL and Wright made a joint statement addressing the ongoing concerns.
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Abu Dhabi, with a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. LGBTQIA+ people can also be penalized under Sharia law, which states same-sex sexual activity is punishable with death (though it appears there is no evidence it has been used in this way so far).
As the only openly gay surfer on the Championship Tour, the risks inherent in competing in a country with these laws fall squarely on the shoulders of Tyler Wright. When the Abu Dhabi stop on the CT was announced, her family quickly began to sound the alarm. Tyler’s brother, Mikey Wright, wrote in an Instagram comment that the WSL had “no business putting on an event at a location where my sister can be sentenced by law with the death penalty.”
Though this is the first time a surfing event has been held in the UAE, the issue has been broached in other sports. The UFC has held MMA events in the UAE since 2010, in which openly gay athletes have competed without incident. In nearby Saudi Arabia, which was similar laws, openly gay tennis player Daria Kasatkina competed in the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh, after being “given guarantees” about her safety.
After the announcement of the schedule, there was no official statement from the WSL as to what they would do about any of this. It was also unclear if Tyler Wright would choose to compete in the event at all, as she herself had never made any official statements either (the online criticism had come from her family members, not her directly). The issue became even harder to ignore when Wright won the season opener at Pipeline, propelling her to the top of the rankings going into the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro.
However, today the WSL finally made a statement about the situation. “The safety and well-being of our athletes is paramount.” they wrote in a press release. “The WSL will always work directly with individual athletes and their teams to ensure they feel safe and secure at each stop, and this remains our priority as we expand into new regions of the world. The WSL is committed to upholding inclusivity and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Together with our partners, we have been working closely with Tyler Wright and her team to ensure she feels safe competing in Abu Dhabi. We look forward to the upcoming Surf Abu Dhabi Pro and to bringing our Championship Tour to this new region.”
The statement also included a quote from Tyler herself. “I’ve been working with the appropriate teams in the UAE as well as the WSL and am assured that I will be competing in a welcoming and safe environment,” she said. “Competing around the world has been my job for a long time. Over the years, I’ve seen the impact of the women’s tour and programs like WSL Rising Tides and how they have inspired a generation of women and many to come. Yesterday, I had the privilege of sharing the love of surfing with the WSL Rising Tides girls who had never surfed before. The abundant collective joy in that session was truly memorable. Sport has a beautiful and powerful way of fostering connection, community and representation. ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’ That’s something that has remained important to me throughout my career.”
