Why Female Surfers Are Finally Getting Paid Like Their Male Peers
For the first time in its history, the World Surf League requires that cash prizes be uniform for men and women. But gender inequality isn’t completely eradicated from the sport.
When Caroline Marks and Italo Ferreira held up their prize checks for winning the first competition of the 2019 World Surf League’s Championship Tour on April 7, the amount box displaying the money earned was the same. It was a first for pro surfing’s top tour since its inception in 1976.
The change came after a September decision by the World Surf League that male and female competitors would be paid equitably in all WSL events. The top-tier pro-surf tour is now one of the only U.S.-based sports requiring equal pay for men and women.
The move was long overdue. Prior to the decision, in 2018, the 36 male surfers on WSL’s World Championship Tour were competing for $607,800 in prize money, while the 18 for her victory, while Italo Ferreira got for his.
