prize money for pro women surfers

[prawnlady]

AN interesting point was raised today with Layne Beachley havin a winge about the levels of prize money offered up for pro women surfers, ie the 45th WCT Brzilian male surfer getting twice her earnings. To say that she should just be happy with the lifestyle and free sponsorship packages offered to her and stop wingeing, is perhaps a little belitttling and unfair. I could go on but i would like to hear what other people have to say about it

[slicktrigger]

If she can cut it with the blokes, yes. If not, no. However, I agree that the blokes at the bottom end of the ladder should not be paid more than the womens number one. It's no differnet to tennis , golf etc.
Additionally, you have to look at the target market for sponsers. The simple fact is that they make more money out of blokes than women.

[tshelper]

I would say the women definately need to earn more than they currently do. But ultimately they don't come close to the skill level of the guys so they shouldn't be getting equal winnings.

If the girls got to the level of the top 10 guys then their sponsorship would go through the roof and eventually they would be getting payed much more both in sponsorship and prizemoney.

Or alternatively they could just start competing topless and see their incomes skyrocket.

[xfactor]

mmm. topless women surfing :)

[yewwww!]

yeah womens sport is underpaid. but have a look at the way womens sport is broad casted. if i was a sponsor i wouldent be able to justify putting all that money into someone wearing my lable when they are shown half as much as the male competetors are. males have more skill and therefor are more enjoyable to watch. until that changes, womens prize money and sponsorship isent going to change very drematicly....

[canuck]

but the women shouldnt be as good as the men otherwise it would be a unisex contest. The women are competing seperately to the men and should be earning their fair share. It all depends on how much money they make by running a womens contest, they cant pay the women the same as the men if there is half the money made.

[zingomar]

Layne surfs well, but watching most female pro-surfers is still much the same as watching some good locals at the local break. I'm 43 and only surf a couple of times a month but could beat quite a few female pro-surfers.

You do not go wow! very often watching them. It is a mystery in a way cause female gymnasts can do amazing things, female surfers should be able to surf a lot better than they do (in smaller waves). Without the wow! factor the audience for comps, vids and news is low and so then is the money.

[canuck]

There are way more male surfers out there than female so the mens contest will always attract more people (more money) The women need to lift their game a little and market themselves more, get their faces out there and be known. More sponsors, more money. I could name 10 Aussie surfers but I dont know if I could name 5 girls. Its not that they dont deserve the money its just that womens surfing isnt as established as the mens.

[ljw]

It does seem unfair that the prizemoney is so much more for men's surfing. A lot of it can be put down to the difference in skill and wow-factor, but I do think it comes down to shallowness (or something like that)....

...for instance, 90% of photo-ads for surf clothes will have some average looking male pro surfer and a glamour female model who has bugga all to do with surfing. What can you read into that? To me it says that society doesn't value women unless they are super hot looking as well as good sports people eg. Anna Kournikova never won a contest but mades heaps of money.

Not that I have any answers, just seems like the way it is. Not that perve factor is bad. :shock: Just not good for women surfers.