I just read Alicats post and realised that the Women yet again only have 8 spots at the National SUP Surfing Titles.
Frankly I believe this is a JOKE
Surfing Australia has seen fit to increase the numbers in others mens divisions and totally neglected the women's only division.
I would like to know how they justify this decision?
Are we trying to motivate the women to compete?
What would it take to increase the numbers to 12 or possibly 16?
I would like to know what people think?
Phill[}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]
Maybe Surfing Australia has taken a leaf out of Rebel Sport's book - they recently decided to appoint an ambassador for women's sport in Australia and so they scoured the sporting landscape in search of a woman who truly personifies dedication, commitment and achievement in sport... and they came up with the non-sport playing wife of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke.
What do I think of only 8 spots for women at the National SUP Surfing Titles? I think Surfing Australia should jump at the chance to include as many women as they possibly can. I think government funding and commercial sponsorship opportunities are absolutely crucially interlinked to maximising women's involvement in this sport. Unless of course, they plan on tapping Rebel Sport as a title sponsor, then we just need some pretty WAGs in plunging neckline frocks.
Well it was an assumption, but just had a look at the info package for the NSW titles.
Here's the allocations across all division - racing and surfing.
As one of the protagonists for an over 50's category at all levels of competition in the Australian Sup competitive scene and having witnessed how successfully that has been embraced by the older demographic, I agree that an overall policy of inclusiveness be adopted by all the Sports Governing bodies to recognize not only the need for an expansion of age categories to include a juniors category but for heavens sake, the amount of women now taking to the paddle, needs to be immediately addressed by providing the opportunity for those that wish to compete at all levels be afforded that opportunity by the expansion of the positions made available at this years National Titles.
We have just seen Angie with 3 gold medals in Peru, really the time to act is now to give the women an equality they deserve....
Ock makes a good point - Surfing Australia follows the gold in a lot of ways and Angie just made it pretty hard to ignore the contribution she brought to the overall result of the team. Take away her medals and those of Jordan Mercer in prone, and Australia looks decidedly shaky.
Shakey is being kind, Shak in 2nd was a fair effort too IMO.
Many women don't compete in the different disciplines of surfing because they know they get openly discriminated against in competition in terms of encouragement surfing conditions etc.
Last year at the Vic Titles Kristi and Lucy didn't surf the main break they were allocated a small inside section and the heat ran at the same time as a mens heat. This is pretty typical for surf comps and the women are expected to be stoked to just be included.
Phill
Just on the women's successes, in SUP Emmas 1st 2010, 2nd 2011, Kristi 5th 2011 and 4th 2012. Not bad for a state with as few as 3 or 4 competitors.
Phill
many years ago I was at the Bells Easter surf event in the big crowd vying for vision of the surf, when I recognized the lady standing beside me, Gail Cooper I knew of from early surfing days around Lorne, here she was a 10 time champion winner of the Bells event so humble, standing there, it was saddening, when in reality she should have been a guest of the event... such was the attitude back then, now Gail is a recognized part of the History of the Australian surfing scene.
The point being, the Sup world governing bodies have to be pro active and not reactive to this issue Sup women in the sport....
