Former competitive swimmer, and prominent conservative commentator Riley Gaines, has been joined by female skateboarder Taylor Silverman, in condemning global surf brand Rip Curl for featuring a transgender athlete in a campaign for women’s surfing.
The 45-year-old Mr. Lowerson is believed to be the first openly transgender surfer actively competing in female pro competitions.
In 2023, the World Surf League adopted new regulations from the sport’s governing body, the International Surfing Association, which required athletes who were deemed male at birth to maintain a testosterone level of less than 5 nmol/L (nanomoles per litre) continuously for the 12 months before a competition.
The campaign has become divisive on social media with many commenting the choice of Mr. Lowerson, is another example of transgender women, born as men, receiving an unfair advantage by being eligible to compete against natural females.
Outspoken critic of the transgender policy Ms. Gaines took to social media platform X on Jan. 28, warning that the company could go “broke” after going “woke.”
“Six months from now: Rip Curl announces that it is laying off half of its staff,” claimed Ms. Gaines.
“How are the advertising team not getting fired for this, how many companies have been damaged and they still use the larping blokes in their campaigns? I thought they had to know trends, not watching hard enough.
“They could not have made their contempt for women clearer.”
Skateboarder Ms. Silverman was also vocal about Rip Curl’s decision.
“According to Rip Curl this man is a ‘waterwoman’ … reality is he’s just a mentally ill man making a complete mockery of actual women and, the ‘community’ is so supportive that Rip Curl had to disable the comments!” she wrote on X.
Women’s Pro-Surfer Cut From Rip Curl After Public Stance on Transgender Athletes
Professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton was formerly a spokesperson for Rip Curl, but was removed from the position in 2023 after publicaly saying she would boycott future World Surf League events over any decision to allow transgender surfers to participate.“We are seeing glimpses of male-bodied dominance in women’s sports like running, swimming, and others,” said Ms. Hamilton in 2023.
Speaking on X, Ms. Gaines highlighted continued criticising Rip Curl saying: “You mean to tell me that Rip Curl dropped Bethany Hamilton for opposing men surfing in the women’s league then picked up (sic) male surfer who surfs in the women’s league as a women’s ambassador?”
Ms Gaines previously took aim at transgender golfer Hailey Davidson, who recently won the NXXT Women’s Classic tournament in Florida.
She said: “I will personally pay any expenses, sponsorships, and/or prize money lost,” to any golfers who decided to pull out of an LPGA-qualifying league tournament that featured Davidson.
In response, Ms. Davidson wrote on Instagram on Jan. 27: “It’s always interesting how no one gets angry until there is any form of success. I will never allow hate to win, especially when based in (sic) some misinformation.”
