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3 Posts tagged with the sports-&-gender tag

Women Surfers Want Equal Pay Too

Posted by ActiveAdmin Mar 9, 2007

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/femalesurf.jpgIn surfing, the participation and performance of women have been surging, boosting industry profits. But going on 50 years since Kathy Kohner Zuckerman (nicknamed Gidget), earned grudging respect from the guys ? and two weeks after pledged to pay equal prize money to women ? gender equity for the sport remains a point of contention.

The Association of Surfing Professionals men?s and women?s world tour seasons began last week on Australia?s Gold Coast, near Brisbane, with the men?s Quiksilver Pro and the women?s Roxy Pro. The contrast is stark.

On the men?s tour, 45 surfers compete in 10 events, with the Quiksilver Pro offering $300,000 in prize money. The women?s tour consists of 17 surfers in seven events. The Roxy Pro, which was won by Chelsea Hedges on Monday, paid a total of $80,000 in winnings. Layne Beachley, the seven-time and defending women?s world champion, said the surf industry needed to do more.

?There is always room for improvement, both at the elite level and at grass roots,? Beachley, 34, said in an e-mail message from Australia. ?And considering the industry have made an enormous amount of money through its representation of this lifestyle, I feel that the disparity between the incomes of the men and women still have a long way to go to become ?equal.? ?

0 Comments 0 References Permalink Tags: sports-&-gender, surf, trish-oberhaus, water

Women's Surfing added to X Games

Posted by ActiveAdmin Mar 5, 2007

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/womensurf.jpgESPN announced the full lineup of events for X Games 13 to be held in August. The major change to the event slate is the addition of Women's Surfing.

"In the tradition of progression, adding Women's Surfing is a perfect fit and will highlight the best athletes in the world competing on the biggest stage in the world," said Ron Semiao, senior vice president, ESPN Original Entertainment.

Surfing's seven-time defending Women's World Champion, Layne Beachley, commented on the addition from her hometown in Australia. "The talent of women's surfing coming through the ranks from all over the world is definitely justified now as it is included into the X Games," said Beachley. "I am really excited that finally the world of action sports acknowledges the existence of women's professional surfing, and I think it is going to be a great environment for our sport to be exposed to."

The X Games is the premier action sports event in the world, featuring athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and Rally Car Racing. Last year for X Games 12, more than 138,000 fans attended the competition while another 35.6 million fans tuned in on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Now, X Games 13 is shaping up to be the biggest one ever!

(Photo provided by Getty Image/Rebecca Woods)

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Female Ski Jumpers Out of Luck

Posted by ActiveAdmin Feb 8, 2007

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/73199329.jpgSki jumping has been an Olympic sport since 1927 and it is among the events most watched on television at the Winter Games. Yet it, and the companion Nordic Combined event, which involves jumping and cross-country skiing, are the only two Winter Olympic sports that still bar women.

It is not that women's ski jumping is a novelty. Tens of thousands of women around the world are involved in the sport. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has ranked more than 140 female ski jumpers. There are 22 events held on three continents in eight major ski jumping nations, including the US, Japan, Norway, Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Canada. In this country one quarter of ski jumping Canada's 80 competition-level athletes are women.

While the International Olympic Committee is eager to have gender equity in all sports, officials said women's jumping hasn't yet been fully established, noting that the first world championships in the event aren't scheduled until 2009.

"It's still not ready," IOC vice-president Gunilla Lindberg said. "In our analysis, there are not enough athletes and not enough countries. They have to work with the international ski federation and Nordic combined to be ready for 2014."

However, the IOC stressed it would closely monitor the progress of women's ski jumping "with a view of its inclusion in future Olympic Games."

Canada's female ski jumping team is launching a human rights complaint in an effort to change rules that prevent them from competing in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

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