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Amazing News! World’s First Big Wave Surfing Competition For Women Announced

It's about time, huh?

Photo: WSL / Jorma Rodieck

Yesterday was a historic day for big-wave female surfers across the world. The World Surf League announced that there will be a women’s event for the Big Wave Tour 2016-17 season.

Before this, there was not only no events for women to compete in big wave surfing, but women weren’t even allowed to compete in the current competitions against men.

“Over my years of surfing I’ve seen many women charge big waves, but the level in which this has been achieved these last few years is unprecedented,” Peter Mel, WSL Big Wave Tour Commissioner told Transworld Business.

“We are happy to give women the platform to compete and witness their contribution to the sport of big wave surfing.”

Paige Alms, one of the female pioneers in big wave surfing, pushed the issue to the forefront of the media last year when she released her film, The Wave I Ride. Read our interview with Paige Alms here.

“I am ecstatic that the WSL is backing us and that Jaws and Todos are both options for the event!  The prize purse is just a bonus!” Alms told Transworld Business.

In 2015, Alms became the first woman to ever get barrelled at Jaws in Hawaii, one of the biggest and most dangerous waves in the world.

She’s worked seriously hard – working multiple jobs to travelling the world and surf big waves without sponsorship or prize money to help along the way.

We can’t wait to see what happens next season when the planet’s fiercest female big wave chargers take to the world stage.

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