Takes a closer look at the mythology of female surfing as represented by the surf industry (e.g. surf brands/companies; surf media). The key is not to deny forthright the sexuality of women, but to ensure that women are not simply narrowly defined as passive objects for another's sexual pleasure. This is especially important in sports where we find a powerful paradigm of health and mitigating the negative social influences of the media and peers. IDENTIFIES the opportunity of Sports, specifically boardsports, as a social institution that mitigates the influence of media and peers in the sexualization of girls and women; DEFINES the problem of how women and girls (and female athletes) are represented by the majority of surf companies through their websites and advertising and how the surf media narrowly portrays and marginalizes female surfers using sociological concepts; EXPLORES the sponsorship dynamic and how it creates and maintains the internalization of the sexualization, learned helplessness and negative body image of young girls in surfing despite the rhetoric of surf brands claiming to be "authentic" depictions of the life of sponsored athletes; TARGETS three areas which require attention to FIX the problems illustrated, with an added emphasis on the need for the visibility of positive role models who are not narrowly defined by their sexuality.

1. photo: Chris Grant/jettygirl.com
Cori Schumacher

2. From “Stand by your Man” to
“Stand by your Suntan”
Women in Boardsports from a surfing perspective
-Cori Schumacher, 2011

3. Identifying the Opportunity
Sports as powerful tool of empowerment and success
Healthy lifestyle
Sports as an influential social institution
Boardsports are a new haven for girls and women; a “pop” sport

4. Sports: Tool of Empowerment and Success
82% of executive businesswomen played organized sports after
elementary school vs. 61% of general population
14% higher wages among working women who were high school
athletes
10% point increase in girls’ sports participation generates an
increase of 1.9% in probability of being employed
http://bpp.wharton.upenn.edu/betseys/papers/TitleIX.pdf
http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Many_successful_women_say_sports_teaches_valuable_lessons.htm

5. Sports: Healthy Lifestyle
Health: not simply the absence of disease, but the presence of
physical, social, emotional and mental well being.
Control over one’s own body/body image.
Combatting obesity; increasing self-esteem, self-efficacy and
enabling social interaction.

6. Sports: Social Institution of the Third Wave
Mitigates the impact of other social institutions (e.g. media -
including video games, internet and social networking sites-,
peers)
Teaches and rewards: perseverance, persistence, goal-setting,
dealing with failure
Social interaction and negotiation
Early exposure/impact

7. Boardsports as New Haven
New evolution of sport
Individualist (knowing oneself, relying on oneself)
Movement into Olympics
Non-endemics movement into boardsports

8. Defining the Problem

9. The Mythology of Female Surfing as
Created by Surf Brands
Viewing with naivete; what is attractive?
Who is the consumer (male or female; possession or
identification)?
What images, ideas or feelings are being sold?
What can we learn about female surfers from these websites and
advertisements?

14. girls
women

15. “...research on both the prevalence and the effects of the sexualization of
women is highly relevant to understanding the sexualization of girls...”
*Modeling (developmental)
* Media exposure (socialization)
pg.3, http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report-full.pdf

16. Quik Women “Ambassadors”
Surfer, Musician, Singer Songwriter
Photographer
Philanthropist, TV Host Online Fashion Editor, Stylist
Philanthropist, Musician Actress, Musician
http://quiksilver.eu/en-gb/women/featured_women

17. Roxy “Surf Team”
Longboard,15* shortboard, 15* shorboard, 16* shortboard, 14* longboard, 18*
longboard, 13* shortboard, 23* shortboard, ? longboard, 20* longboard, ?
(first Roxy team rider)
shortboard, ? ... (*age rider was initially sponsored by Roxy) http://www.roxy.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2890067

18. Marked Rise in Intensely Sexualized Images
of Women, Not Men
ScienceDaily (Aug. 10, 2011) — A study by University at Buffalo
"What we conclude from this is that popular media outlets such as
sociologists has found that the portrayal of women in the popular
Rolling Stone are not depicting women as sexy musicians or actors;
media over the last several decades has become increasingly
they are depicting women musicians and actors as ready and
sexualized, even "pornified." The same is not true of the
available for sex. This is problematic," Hatton says, "because it
portrayal of men.
indicates a decisive narrowing of media representations of women.
In order to measure the intensity of sexualized representations men "We don't necessarily think it's problematic for women to be
and women, the authors developed a "scale of sexualization." An portrayed as 'sexy.' But we do think it is problematic when nearly
image was given "points" for being sexualized if, for example, the all images of women depict them not simply as 'sexy women' but as
subject's lips were parted or his/her tongue was showing, the passive objects for someone else's sexual pleasure."
subject was only partially clad or naked, or the text describing the
subject used explicitly sexual language. "Sexualized portrayals of women have been found to legitimize or
In the 1960s they found that 11 percent of men and 44 percent of exacerbate violence against women and girls, as well as sexual
women on the covers of Rolling Stone were sexualized. In the 2000s, harassment and anti-women attitudes among men and boys,"
17 percent of men were sexualized (an increase of 55 percent from the Hatton says. "Such images also have been shown to increase rates
1960s), and 83 percent of women were sexualized (an increase of 89 of body dissatisfaction and/or eating disorders among men,
percent). Among those images that were sexualized, 2 percent of men women and girls; and they have even been shown to decrease
and 61 percent of women were hypersexualized. "In the 2000s," sexual satisfaction among both men and women."
Hatton says, "there were 10 times more hypersexualized images of "For these reasons," says Hatton, "we find the frequency of
women than men, and 11 times more non-sexualized images of men sexualized images of women in popular media, combined with the
than of women." extreme intensity of their sexualization, to be cause for concern."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110810133015.htm

19. Ads and Ad Campaigns
Roxy California, 2011: Urban Outfitters, 2011
Erin Heatherton
Desire is created by cultural Hailey Clauson;
(parents sued photographer and
context... UO for $28 million for “salacious
and provocative” pose; 15 yrs old.)
http://sassisamblog.com/2010/09/13/erin-heatherton-roxy-california-springsummer-campaign/

20. Erin Heatherton, 2010, June issue of Marie Claire Italia
http://skinnyvscurvy.com/hot-models/victorias-secret-model-erin-heatherton-looks-ultra-thin-marie-clair-italia.html

21. trivialization
“Eat Your Heart Out”
“Stand by your Suntan”
2010

22. passivity
availability
http://www.fashionreview.com.au/billabong-women-bikini-swimwear/

23. objectification and text (color transference)
http://www.futuresfins.com/ilt-box-technology.php , 2011

24. p.o.v.
objectification
color and transference
http://cooperfishcalendar.com/ccboards.html

25. nostalgia
phallic
imagery
text (“Beat[h]er”;
masturbatory)

26. Volcom Girls Spring 2009: “We are also proud to present our Featured Art
Series - an important part of our Spring 2009 collection. This collection
incorporates female (and a couple of male) artists from around the world
creating featured art designs using their creative freedom to develop a unique
Volcom piece.” http://www.myspace.com/thevolcomgirls/blog

27. artistic
possibility

28. thoughtful
independent

29. self-assured

30. Consumer reposted online,
noting cute hairstyle...
Volcom Girls,
Teen Vogue,
2007

31. Scope of This Report:
*The contribution by society- that is, the
cultural norms, expectations, and values
that are communicated in myriad ways,
including through the media. A culture can
be infused with sexualized representations
of girls and women, suggesting that such
sexualization is good and normal.
*An interpersonal contribution- Girls
can be treated as, and encouraged to be,
sexual objects by family, peers, and others.
*Self-sexualization- girls may treat and
experience themselves as sexual objects. If
girls learn that sexualized behavior and
appearance are approved of and rewarded by
society and by the people )e.g. peers) whose
opinions matter most to them, they are likely
to internalize these standards, thus engaging
This report was originally printed in 2007 and
reprinted in 2008. The current edition contains some in self-sexualization.
updated references. Copyright ©2010 by the
American Psychological Association
pg. 2, http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report-full.pdf

32. Patterns of sexualizing female athletes
*Subtle sexualization occurs through passive objectification-for example, photographs
that favor an athlete’s face rather than athletic performance.
*Less subtle sexualization shown in remarks of journalists/commentators
*”Vigilant heterosexuality” commentary, questions and context to suggest female
athletes are not lesbians. This form of sexualization marginalizes the athleticism of female
athletes in the sense that female strength is redefined as male pleasure... to counteract
aggression and passion in competition.
pg. 9, http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report-full.pdf

33. Female Surfers in the Media
“Gender barriers?
We believe that was the name of an old, old wooden ship
that was used during the Civil War era”
-Carissa Moore // Lower Trestles // 3:08
posted by SURFING Magazine / Video / September 19, 2011
“I’m a huge fan of girls surfing. They mix it up. Ride cool pink
boards and are wetsuited and booted and make waves look crazy-
big against their slight figures.”
-Meet That Big-Wave Chick: Savannah Shaughnessy
posted by Taylor Paul / Blogs, Editorial / SURFING Magazine/ January 18, 2011

34. “Forget I said that...”
“Girls Open Billabong Pro Junior Coffs Harbor With A Bang”
“Call me a sexist pig-I’ve been
called worse-but this title
belongs on another Web site!
Forget I said that, and read up
about some of Oz’s best
junior girls ripping Coff’s
Harbor...
(Diggers Beach, NSW-
Wednesday, 11 February
2009): The hottest female
surfing commodities’[sic] on
the globe opened
proceedings...”
http://surf.transworld.net/1000078177/news/girls-open-billabong-pro-junior-coffs-harbor-with-a-bang/

35. Women’s “rights”
“ ‘Are you girls going to have pillow
fights in your underwear?’
Obviously. Because that’s what girls do when they
get together. And that’s what comes to mind when
guys hear the words ‘all-girls surf trip.’ Most will see
the yearly obligatory girls’ trip, give it a quick flip
through, scanning for the inevitable bottom-turn shot
or gratuitously sexy bikini photo, which deserves a
few more lustful moments of meditation, maybe a
second look or two, before moving on to other, more
interesting subject matters. Most men will accept, or
even invite, the inclusion of a few girls’ features a
year, especially now that the young wave of
professional surfers are openly hyped for their good
looks, and ‘overtly sexy’ seems to be the accepted
marketing shtick associated with them.” http://www.surfermag.com/features/womens-rights/

36. “best day ever” in women’s surfing...
Carissa Moore Wins The Roxy Pro Gold Coast
March 17, 2011
“ ‘Wow I’m just had a really, really good time out
there. I think if I didn’t drop in on her in that barrel I
wouldn’t have won!’ said the teenager from the
winner’s podium. She then turned to Tyler Wright
and said, ‘Sorry I had to do that.’ Tyler was a good
sport and congratulated Carissa.
Beneath that cute smile lies a merciless competitor—just
like Kelly Slater. That said, it wasn’t only Carissa and
Tyler doing the shredding. Girls like Laura Enever and
Sally Fitzgibbons showed they are more than pretty faces
as they took down women’s tour veterans like Stephanie
Gilmore and Chelsea Hedges.”
http://surf.transworld.net/1000126201/features/carissa-moore-wins-the-roxy-pro-gold-coast/

37. Trivialization of Female Surfers in Media
TransWorld SURF: Is it hard to surf with boobs?
TWS: What’s the funniest or worst swimsuit
malfunction you’ve ever had?
TWS: Do you think the top woman could win a
Lakey Peterson: up and coming surf Men’s WQS 4-star? Lisa Andersen: 4x ASP World
star; 2nd pl finish at US Open at 16yrs. Champion
TWS: How do You Tube videos of the top girls dancing TWS: Do you ever worry about surfing sharky
around pillow fighting and stuff affect the sport? areas while you’re on your period?
Keala Kennelly: first woman to tow-
in at Teahupo’o; XXL award winner
http://surf.transworld.net/1000134128/features/3-voices-from-3-
different-generations-of-women’s-surfing/

38. The Sponsorship Dynamic
learned helplessness
“My recommendation to young female surfers with dreams of making
it as a pro surfer: Accept that the surf industry is driven by profits and
that surfing has far more men in it that women. Accept that there will
always be more men in the water, more men making decisions, and
more men with the power to ultimately decide what is hot.”
http://spiderbytes.hubpages.com/hub/Beautiful-Sexy-Hottest-Surfer-Girls

39. Sponsorship Dynamic: Gatekeepers
Girls’ surfing is suddenly and exclusively and fabulously young
“Why is this happening now? Don’t know. Perhaps physiology. Perhaps
women’s bodies peak earlier in ways that affect performance. Perhaps it helps
that no rude fetus ever takes root in a man’s midsection.
Or perhaps this generation is an anomaly, and the age ceiling is imagined —
just a demographic/cultural cocktail shaken and poured all at once.”
-The New Woman Surfer: Through at 21?
posted by Stuart Cornuelle / Blogs,
Editorial / June 30, 2011
http://www.roxy.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3449997
http://www.surfingmagazine.com/blogs/the-new-woman-surfer-through-at-21/

40. The Sponsorship Dynamic: Body Image
-Height: 5' 6 1/2"
“Surf brands enlist surfers on their -”Her solid talent and character, both in and out of the water, have been
team as marketing tools, and those tools hugely influential to the sport. _ has been a major face for the _ brand
must attract people to the brand. It’s that since joining the team back in 1997.”
simple.”
-“...embodies grace, balance, style and beauty all in a petite 105-pound
frame.”

41. About Volcom
Athletes
“The Volcom Girls team
is made up of unique,
edgy, dynamic, and
talented girls. They are
bold, stylish and not
afraid to take risks.
They are athletes. They
are surfers, skaters,
snowboarders,
Olympians, role
models, gold medalists
and they are on top of
their game in their
sports. They live a life of
the road.”
http://volcomunity.com/2011/09/volcom-gals-pals-nails-nails-nails/

42. “I always think that these marketing guys at these big surf brands know what
they’re doing, but maybe they don’t. Maybe that’s why women’s surfing
hasn’t taken off really, because guys don’t know what young girls want.”
-Stephanie Gilmore, 4x World Champion; Surfer Magazine, September 2011
“[T]he media is negatively influencing still another generation because so
few women are in positions of power. We are not tapping into the full
potential of humanity. It’s time to bring new ideas and perspectives to the
table.” -Jennifer Siebel Newsom (“Miss Representation” filmmaker)
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/52630806-79/women-newsom-media-film.html.csp

43. Get educated...
http://www.thegeenadavisinstitute.org/resources/healthymedia.php http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/advocacy/watchwhatyouwatch/healthymedia.asp

44. Impact
http://www.wavesofchangeteen.com/

45. Visibility
http://www.starkravingmadeleine.com/

46. role models
identification
emphasis on action