“It has never been okay with me that girls working their hearts out and achieving the same wins earn less than boys.” Photo: GoFundMe
In September of last year, the World Surf League made global headlines after a groundbreaking announcement that it planned to institute true equal pay in 2019 at all WSL-controlled events. The move was unprecedented. Historic. But, it’s far from the end of the story as female surfers continue to push for equal pay and representation at non-WSL-controlled events and beyond.
The latest in that fight is an effort led by Bianca Valenti to crowdfund the $9,000 shortfall between the men’s and women’s prize purses at the upcoming Puerto Escondido Cup.
“Currently, female competitors stand to earn $0.36 on the dollar compared to men, when there’s a women’s division at all,” writes Valenti in a GoFundMe campaign posted on Monday. “In other words, a winner in the women’s division earns $2,500 while a winner in the men’s division earns $7,000.”
Instead of calling for equal pay that could, in effect, redistribute the shoestring budget of the Puerto Escondido Cup by reducing the men’s prize money, Valenti’s effort would instead keep all else equal and subsidize the current women’s prize purse at the event up to the $9,000 mark. Everything after will then be distributed dollar for dollar equally between men and women.
“Puerto Escondido Cup 2019 will be the first international big wave surf competition to offer a women’s division with equal pay – outside the U.S., voluntarily, not mandated by law, creating a bigger win for all,” the GoFundMe page reads.
In addition to including Valenti’s thoughts on the need to create equal pay at the Puerto Escondido Cup this year, the GoFundMe page also includes quotes from local surfers Isabelle Leonhardt and Maya Larripa, Keala Kennelly, and local legend Coco Nogales.
“Big Wave events for males and females are super important,” says Nogales. “To me (they’re a) pathway of motivation for the athletes and can open opportunity for everyone. Competing is also how many surfers make a living. Surfing competition is motivational for the new generations. In short, words also bring good economics for the communities.”
At time of publication, the crowdfunding effort had already raised $3,000 of its $9,000 goal.
For more info and to support, check here.
