On University of New England College of Business Week: Surfing has a gender gap issue.
Aimee Vlachos, teaching professor and program director of Outdoor Business & Innovation, suggests a solution.
While attending Western State College of Colorado for my undergraduate degree, my passion for outdoor recreation blossomed. I was fortunate that the recreation classes I completed included a number of field work experiences. This included: ice climbing up frozen waterfalls, building winter snow caves at the top of a 16,000 foot mountain, river rafting through the Grand Canyon, and planning skateboard contests. I have been teaching sport management and outdoor recreation courses for the past 18 years. In addition to my education and teaching experience, I also the owned a recreation business for 12 years and am a non-profit executive director. I am the founder and executive director of Wahine Kai International (www.wahinekai.org) and the goal of the 501(c)7 is to promote amateur women’s surfing across the country and soon around the world. We have chapters set up across the country and we currently have 500 paid members. I am very proud of what we have accomplished over the past 20 years. My research focuses on gender inequality in alternative sports. It is the idea that women feel “less than” men while participating in sports such as surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding and why this happens that interests me.
She Surfs Good…For a Girl
In 2008, I conducted a study examining gender inequality among women surfers in southern California. As a female surfer myself, I have seen the disparities firsthand. My research — which has spanned over fifteen years — highlights common themes among women in male-dominated sports.
The interview questions for my first study were designed to explore women surfers’ experiences in southern California, focusing on gender inequality, surfing ability, frequency, locations, and companions. The goal was to determine whether gender inequality exists in surfing and how it shapes the experiences of women. A follow-up study in 2018 revisited this topic, comparing the experiences of women surfers in Huntington Beach over the past decade.
Since conducting the original study, significant progress has been made for women surfers. In November 2016, Sarah Gerhardt became the first woman to surf Maverick’s, a legendary wave in northern California capable of producing 60-foot swells. In 2017, the Agadir Open in Morocco introduced a women’s division for the first time, and by 2019, equal prize money for male and female surfers was announced.
Despite these advancements, the 2018 study revealed that gender inequality persists in surfing. The research highlighted the enduring challenges faced by women in this male-dominated sport, critically examining the resilience and determination required to carve out a space for themselves.
A predominant theme that emerged in the interviews was female intimidation. A majority of the participants complained of coercion in the water because their male counterparts are incredibly aggressive. This concept has a direct connection to the theme of male surfer aggressiveness. This ongoing struggle underscores the broader barriers women encounter when participating in male-dominated sports.
Read More:
[Taylor & Francis] – Narratives of Women Surfers
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