3 minute read
The World Surf League's decision to award equal prize money for men and women a year ago is already boosting female surfing performance, Sally Fitzgibbons says.
Sally Fitzgibbons can remember how tough it was to make ends meet during her early days on surfing's world championship tour.
The Australian admits her early professional surfing days were a balancing act between sourcing funds and sponsors while also maintaining performance.
With the World Surf League announcing a year ago it would award equal prize money at its events to men and women, Fitzgibbons believes there's already been an improvement in the performance levels of female surfing.
The 28-year-old gathered with fellow tour surfers Stephanie Gilmore, Caroline Marks, Courtney Conlogue, Lakey Peterson and Carissa Moore in California on Thursday to reflect on the impact that decision had made in the past 12 months on the sport.
"The focal point is the performance now," Fitzgibbons said.
"In the first few years, like 10 years ago, the focus was on trying to sustain yourself to continually travel the world on a pretty minimal budget.
"It's a driving force for performance and development. You see all the layers have really kicked in.
"The ones around the world on the qualifying series, the junior series, they're getting better and better, quicker and quicker ... the sport's on the move and I'm pretty stoked about it."
As well as driving performance, seven-time world champion Gilmore said her sport promoting equality not just in sport but other industries was a source of pride.
"The effect of these world tour events having the male and female stand on the stage together with an equal prize pay has sort of sent a message out to all the other sports and industries that 'hey, this is normal'," Gilmore told AAP.
"It should be normal.
"Surfing has always been known as the rebel sport, the party animals and the surf, hippy beach bums and now here we are showing the way and leading the way for so many other sports around the world and industries around the world.
"We've shown them that you can make these changes and we really can make a difference in the world through sport and what you do."