The World Surf League announced Thursday that Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira set a new world record back in February when she surfed a 73.5-foot wave in Portugal, the biggest wave surfed by anyone so far this year.
Why are we just now hearing about Gabeira’s record-breaking ride? Because the women’s competition has a different set of measuring criteria than the men’s, meaning male surfer Kai Lenny was called the competition’s winner, even though Gabeira rode a wave three feet taller than Lenny’s.
For the first time ever, a woman, Maya Gabeira, surfed a taller wave than her male counterpart, breaking a world record in the process. So why do some people think the World Surf League is burying that news? @maggiejmertens reports: https://t.co/PEDT665Nih
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) September 12, 2020
After the competitors’ waves reviewed by scientists multiple times, the WSL finally said Gabeira did indeed surf 2020’s biggest wave.
Should there be gender-specific measurements for a sport like surfing? Why couldn’t men and women compete in one division in a sport like surfing? Are there needless gender divisions in other sports?
