Rip Curl Faces Boycott Calls
Instagram page and apparently severing ties with pro surfer Bethany Hamilton.Rip Curl came under a flood of criticism after using Western Australian professional longboarder Lowerson in a promo post for women's surfing last week.
Lowerson appeared on the surfing brand's Instagram page on Thursday, January 25, as part of its Meet the Local Heroes of West Australia campaign.Lowerson's inclusion in the since-deleted post came after Hamilton's past comments about transgender individuals in sports sparked threats to boycott an upcoming women's event in Wisconsin, where she will serve as keynote speaker.In 2023, Hamilton posted a video on social media responding to a policy by the World Surfing League championships that would allow transgender women to compete in the female surfing category if they can show a specific level of testosterone, USA Today previously reported."I personally think that the best solution would be to create a different division so that all can have a fair opportunity to showcase their passion and talent," Hamilton said, adding that she would not compete if the policy stands.Reiterating her stance, Hamilton wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on January 29: "Male-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports.
Period."Over the past several months, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the inclusion of transgender individuals into different sports categories.
