This post was published in The Inertia on 4 July 2013.
“I have a dream that one day a female pro surfer will be judged not by the tightness of her ass but by the greatness of her surfing.” @Waves_SD on Twitter
Since #WhoAmIJustGuess’s derriere seared my eyeballs far too many times without touching surf, I wanted to write a post on Roxy’s awful teaser for the 2013 Biarritz Pro contest. But my thoughts wouldn’t cohere past “Grr!” and “Ugh!” Fortunately other strong voices stepped in. Twitter and Facebook are all over it, and there’s a hilarious parody video. The furor eventually prompted Roxy to offer an unsatisfying response on its Facebook page.
Former pro surfer Cori Schumacher has decided to do more than talk. She’s started a petition asking Roxy to stop using sexy marketing to promote contests and sell product. When it reaches 1,000 signatures, she’ll personally deliver it to the Roxy/Quiksilver headquarters in Orange County.
Dear Roxy,
Roxy is the world’s most visible and well known women’s surf brand. Recently, Roxy released a trailer for the 2013 Roxy Biarritz Pro contest that showcases a style of marketing women’s surfing that is not conducive to a healthy, empowered vision of women. Instead of women surfers being presented as an alternative to the sexualization and objectification of women in the culture-at-large, this campaign succumbs to the lazy marketing that is already so prevalent.
As the most visible and well known women’s surf brand, Roxy has a unique opportunity to truly make a difference in how women and girls are represented in the world.
We ask that you stop the sexualization of women in your marketing and advertising and instead, help to present women surfers in a light that women can be proud to be associated with and young girls can truly admire.
Add your comments and sign the petition here.
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