“Be Fierce and Feminine”: Tennis Legend Serena Williams Influenced Greatest Female Surfer of All Time to Achieve a Historic Feat in 2022

For a long time, surfing was limited to the male territory. Men dominated the water ranches and waves for decades. But it was the heroics of Stephanie Gilmore that revolutionized the industry for women as and changed people’s perception of the sport. However, even the greatest female surfer had to struggle to get equal recognition in the male-dominated sport.

In an interview, Gilmore explained her struggles and insecurities to fit into people’s perceptions of her. She also discussed the gender-discriminatory culture prevailing in surfing. 

Serena Williams inspired Gilmore to shatter the stereotypes about surfing

The eight-time surfing champion revealed the shocking differences in the pay scale between male and female surfers. According to the report by Sound Health, male surfers were getting four times more money than others.  “For my first eight years on tour, my pay was probably $12,000 to the men’s $40,000,”  she said in an interview. However, the 34-year-old didn’t emphasize much on the issue back then as she wanted to surf. 

The athlete further added that her portrayal in the mainstream media was less as a contestant and more as a glamorous aspect of the sport. The audience and media focussed more on her looks and less on her caliber and skills. She admitted to becoming conscious about her looks and posture in the swimsuits. Despite her exceptional talent, the champion surfer slowly started being affected by the sexist culture. 

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However, her motivation for breaking the stereotypes came from a completely different sport. The surfer revealed that Tennis legend Serena Williams became her inspiration. “But I’ve watched other female athletes like Serena Williams be fierce and feminine.” The surfing icon realized the importance of accepting one’s own body after seeing the expressive nature of Momma Smash. “I realize how fun it is to embrace both sides,” she admitted. 

The motivation took Gilmore to her eighth world title

‘This changed attitude in Gilmore was seen in different competitions where she went on to break records and create history. The surfing star from Australia dumbfounded everyone with her miraculous performance in California’s Lower Trestles breaks. 

The 37-year-old created history after beating the five-time world champion and world no.1 Carissa Moore in deciding encounter. With this victory, Gilmore surpassed Layne Nrachley’s record of most world champion titles. Stephanie Gilmore laid her hands on the world champion’s trophy for the eighth time. Last year in September, Gilmore received the much-deserved title of the greatest female surfer of all time. 

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