sport news Pro surfing legend Bethany Hamilton will boycott World Surf League over ... trends now
Inspirational surfing star Bethany Hamilton has threatened to boycott the World Surf League tour after it changed the rules allowing transgender athletes to compete against women without consultation with the current surfers.
Hamilton only has one arm after a shark attack when she was just 13 years old but has overcome that severe injury to become a popular and successful competitor on the WSL Tour.
Hamilton with her children Tobias, Wesley and Micah. The mother of three and champion surfer has challenged the WSL over its transgender policy, saying athletes weren't consulted
The WSL has released its International Surfing Association's (ISA) transgender policy for all of its tours that will allow for all transgender athletes to compete in the women's competitions.
It comes after a push from athlete's like Western Australian transgender surfer Sarah Jane Lowerson who recently took first place in both the open Women's and open Women's Logger competitions at the West Coast Suspensions Longboard and Logger State Championships in WA.
'To be the first transgender woman competing in surfing hasn't been an easy ride emotionally,' she told Surfing Western Australia after the event.
'But the amount of support I've been shown has been phenomenal and I'm so grateful to be involved, welcomed and embraced within the longboard community in Australia.'
Sarah Jane Lowerson is Australia's first transgender pro surfer and said she worked with the WSL on its new policy for transgender athletes
Australian surfing champion Kelly Slater believes that transgender athletes should have their own division in the WSL
Australian surfing legend Kelly Slater has also previously called for a dedicated transgender division.
Hamilton released a video on social media slamming the new transgender policy and accusing the WSL of releasing it without consulting female athletes.
'Today I want to address the
