No one had ever seen a woman surfer go so far! She would paddle out to the second and third reef Pipe fearlessly. Her 115-pound frame on top of 12-foot surges was a sight that surfing fans couldn’t get enough of. But unfortunately, this woman who defied the limits of what surfers could do has now left us. Yes, the surfing community is reeling with a heavy loss right now. The demise of this pro surfer has shaken the community, moving veterans like Kelly Slater to mourn her death.

We’re talking about Lane Davey, a surfing icon who had been suffering from stage 4 colo-ovarian cancer since 2023. By the time they’d diagnosed it, the cancer had spread to her liver and lungs. Chemotherapy was the only option. “Straight away she got to work, fighting this horrible affliction with every fiber of her being,” says her husband, Sean Davey, a pro surf magazine photographer. But despite her ambitious attempts, she lost her battle to the disease and breathed her last on April 26, 2025. It’s just the memories that remain now, and Sean pulled out some of the best ones in his post for her.

On April 26, Sean Davey took to his Instagram and penned some touching words in memory of his wife. “I lost my best friend early this morning,” his words reflecting the intensity of the loss he has suffered. Also, they attest that Lane sure fought till her last breath. “She threw everything at it including the proverbial kitchen sink, along the way enduring 5 serious operations that left her grossly disfigured. I’ve never seen anyone fight so hard to live,” he wrote. But the most moving bit was when he wrote, “I hope you’re making up for time out of the water and surfing plenty of beautiful waves up there in God’s kingdom my warrior princess.”

Looking at Sean’s irreplaceable loss and the one suffered by the surfing community, Kelly Slater, the 11-time world surf league champ, couldn’t hold his emotions back. “Oh man. I’m so sorry to read this. Hope we can all help lift your spirits, Sean. You’ve been an incredible support and partner for her through this,” he attempted to console Sean. Whereas pro surfer Nathan Florence penned a heartfelt condolence too, “So sorry sean, sending love from the family, rest in peace lane will miss seeing you early am at pipeline.”

For those who don’t know, here’s a little something about Lane Davey. She was a surfing pro who was never intimidated by statements like, ‘girls don’t do that.’ She was also one of the very few women who surfed in the early 90s, in Oahu’s most challenging surf spots. She has surfed waves in the 18ft range at Waimea Bay. Can you imagine that? She was also the one who worked alongside legendary surfer Banzai Betty to hold the first women’s surfing contest at Pipeline in 2005. And now that she moves to the higher realm, the surfing community is pouring in their condolences.

The surfing world pays tribute to Lane Davey

Not just pro surfers like Kelly Slater, but hundreds of fans and community members have reached out to mourn Lana Davey’s loss. After all, she was a professor at the University of Hawaii, a breakdancer, and the mastermind behind “Us Girls” the first real women’s sports apparel line. In fact, having studied fashion, she was the one who designed the first women’s boardshort in 1993. Thus, a fan wrote, “Sooo sorry to hear this Such a smart & talented, inspirational woman! She humbly made such a big impact on the world. Sending all the love and comfort your way.”

Today, the surfing community not only remembers her as a surfing icon, but a trailblazer in this field. No wonder one of the mourners also wrote, “Aloha Sean, Lane was my Pipe inspiration for years…when I would check it first thing seeing her pink helmet out there gave me the nerve to paddle out…even if I never wanted to catch big waves I am grateful for her inspiration to get out and enjoy this magical place we are so blessed to call home.”

Truly, Lane seems to have inspired so many surfers. Speaking of her resume, she won the Hawaii State Champs in 1994, and had conquered events like the Volcom Pro Am, China’s Wahine Classic, and more. Plus, she was also the winner of the Surfing Girls Biggest Manuver Award in 2000, the same year when she got gold in the local motion surf into summer competition.

A third one then chimed in with, “Sean, all my feelings go to you. I remember surfing a lot with her around rocky rights to Pūpūkea back in the day. She was always a good presence in the water.” And don’t think Lane’s presence was limited to the pipeline. She onboarded the WQS Pro Tour for 2 years (1999-2001), where she surfed across locations like California, Virginia Beach, Africa, Australia, and France. The best result she could get was a 7th place. So yes, her loss leaves a certain void that most in the community can feel!