Bethany Hamilton: WSL Threatened Surfers With $10K Fine For Speaking Out On Trans Policy

Surfer Bethany Hamilton says the World Surf League didn't just adopt a policy allowing trans-identifying males to compete in the women's division — it also forced athletes to stay quiet about it.

During an interview on the Culture Apothecary podcast with Alex Clark, Hamilton claimed the WSL required all surfers to sign a contract agreeing not to criticize the league or its transgender participation rules.

Hamilton said she had already told the WSL she wanted "nothing to do" with the organization after hearing they were set to allow trans-identifying males into the women's category. Then, she said, surfers were hit with something even more "awful."

"They had all their surfers conveniently sign a contract that said, 'oh, you can't say anything negative towards the World Surf League, or we will find you 10k, and you'll be removed from the World Surf League,'" Hamilton said. "And so all the athletes were basically like, unless they wanted to give up their career and pay 10k, they were silenced."

Hamilton also lamented the fact that many surfers probably didn't read the contract's fine print, noting that "a lot of athletes" trust organizations "that have our best interests in mind when they don't actually, and they just want to make some money off us."

Hamilton Parted Ways With Rip Curl Over Trans Campaign

Hamilton's break from the WSL came as she also ended her two-decade partnership with Rip Curl. During the interview, she explained that Rip Curl notified her they were featuring "a guy in a bikini" in an upcoming women's campaign. Hamilton said she told them, "Hey, I can't promote this to little girls. Like, I just can't… I can't stand for this. I'm out. Let's end the contract."

As OutKick previously reported, Rip Curl featured then-44-year-old Sasha Lowerson — a trans-identifying male who formerly competed in the men's division as Ryan Egan until 2021 — in its "Local Heroes of Western Australia" campaign.

Hamilton has been outspoken about the WSL's policy since it was adopted in February 2023. The rule allows trans-identifying males to compete in the women’s division if they maintain testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months, mirroring International Surfing Association (ISA) guidelines.

Shortly after the policy's implementation, Hamilton posted a video declaring she "will not be competing in, or supporting, the World Surf League if this rule remains." She said at the time, "This concerns me as a professional athlete that has been competing in the World Surf League events for the past 15-plus years," adding that "many of the girls currently on tour are not in support with this new rule, and they fear being ostracized if they speak up."

Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack at age 13, began surfing professionally in 2007.

(Photo by Brent Bielmann/World Surf League via Getty Images)

Hamilton confirmed she still hasn't competed in a World Surf League event since they introduced the rule. She said it has been "definitely very lonely" being one of the only surfers to speak out.

OutKick reached out to the World Surf League for comment but did not immediately receive a response.