Surfs Up I 4 Min Read

While surfing initially was a sport for all starting as far back as the 17th century, christian missionaries suppressed surfing in the 1800s. They believed that it was "savage" to conduct such acts with men, women and children of all social classes. 

However, Hawaiian Princess Kaiulani defied the orders of the missionaries and paddled out, and lead her people back to their roots in the ocean and surfing. Without Kaiulani there may not be surfing today. 

Princess Kaiulani of Hawaii, circa 1899. (Credit: Library of Congress/Corbis/Getty Images)

Following Kaiulani's display of fearlessness surfing spread around the world. Hawaiian Olympic champion Duke Kahanamoku —considered the father of modern surfing—showed 15-year-old Isabel Letham how to surf. She became one of the most famous Australian female surfers of all time. She later moved to California where she tried to begin teaching surfing but the surf clubs didn't believe she would be able to handle the conditions of the rough seas. 

Isabel Letham Riding a wave

 After World War II, surfing became a popular pastime for Caucasian middle class youth in California. The Beach Boys only amplified the surfer following by their smash hits "Surfin' U.S.A" and there were also many movies and TV shows in Hollywood that centered around the sport.  These associations with the sport all had one thing in common: Men. Everyone would picture a surfer dude when thinking about surfing. What about the women? 

Luckily, there were women of the time who refused to let men own this sport. Rell Sun a native Hawaiian female surfer start at the age of four entering mens contests because there weren't enough for women. She was a pioneer of the sport that founded the "Women's Professional Surfing Association" who established the first ever female tour.  

Rell Sunn The Queen of QUEENS

Billie Jean King recently said that she doesn't want to have network by gender, but the reality is that women need each other and support each other. We need to support our modern day surfers. We need to embrace and celebrate their history. There are many other women that have impacted the sport such as Lisa Anderson, as before she was on the scene, there were no girl’s board shorts barely any wetsuits for women, and there was definitely no Roxy. She is a four time world champion and largely responsible for creating a market for women’s surf gear.

Lisa Anderson Ripping it Up! 

We believe it is also important to mention the likes of Margo Oberg, Sarah Gerhardt, Marge Calhoun, And Layne Beachley as some of the most important women to impact the sport. As we've mentioned before they are the pioneers that fought for the sport to get where it is today. Now it is in the hands of the Carissa Moores generation to continue carrying the torch from within the sport, but it is our duty as fans to support women as they continue the battle against sexism and injustices. 

Hot Cakes & Hot Takes Key Articles of the Week I 6 Min Read

The Only Women’s Pro Hockey League in America Plays On

New York Times' Seth Berkman looks into the current state of things with N.W.H.L. After a number of Olympians and global level stars left the league to support PWHPA (Professional Women's Hockey Players Association), others have stayed on their teams despite the league's low salaries (the highest announced salary is $15,000) and slow growth. However, there's no ill will towards boycotters from the N.W.H.L. players.

Members of Boston Pride before their N.W.H.L. season opener this October. Source: nytimes.com

What is more, without its top stars the League has become more accessible to those athletes who previously thought joining was not an option.

Although there's been no official communication between N.W.H.L. and PWHPA, there's hope that eventually there's going to be a unison, one league that would get the long-desired support of NHL, increased pay, more sponsors, and live television coverage.

A UMaine women’s field hockey game was cut short for football fireworks. 

 

Umaine women's field hockey team

The Division I players for the Maine school were preparing for the second overtime when they were asked to leave the field because of the preparations for a football game fireworks display.

“I personally felt like we were being told that our hard work meant nothing in comparison to fireworks before a football game.”

Riley Field, number 11

The team captain says the message is clear - the work the women had put into that game was worth less than a celebration for the man's football game. The incident was quickly spread online by supporters of both teams, and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association issued a statement in which Kent State was asked to do some soul-searching and take responsibility for their poor decision. Ohio Kent State University's president called the halting the game "a regrettable decision" and also announced an investigation by the school's Office of Compliance. However, less than a month later it was stated that Kent State found no Title IX violations or gender-related bias.

Riley Field wanted other young women in sports to know they have to be persistent and not be intimidated by the limitations others might want to put on them.

Nneka Ogwumike on WNBA misconceptions and salary transparency

President of the WNBA players union Nneka Ogwumike confesses that a lot of the things she is currently fighting for might not be achieved in her career, accepting some of what she's doing now is for the next generations.

Nneka Ogwumike

One thing she hopes could be achieved is the investment - into the players and into the game because for the players it translates into salaries. Also, Nneka hopes one day going to play overseas is not going to be a priority for the players. At the moment, a lot of players make more overseas than they do in the US. She also regrets that people would say that nobody's watching the women's game simply because it is not true. Earlier in our blog, we talked about the idea of men and boys supporting women's sports - or, to be precise, a good game where it doesn't matter if it's male or female.

Most importantly, the WNBA's fight is paving the way for other leagues - like the W.N.H.L. struggle that we covered in this post.

Surfer Bethany Hamilton is living 'an unstoppable life'

In 2003, when she was 13 years old, a young surfer from Hawaii lost her arm in a shark attack. 26 days after the attack she was back on the board. Two years later she was a national champion.

Bethany Hamilton is an example of a person resilient to the extent where nothing is impossible. Her life-long passion for surging keeps her going despite the hardships. Her achiever-mindset played a great role in her journey to the top of surfing.

Now a mother of two boys, she tackles new obstacles every day. Her philosophy of dealing with one wave at a time is also her practice in daily life.

Her life, passion, and unique positive perspective can now be seen in the documentary "Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable".

Bethany Hamilton is a role model and an inspiration to others

Is women's soccer a permament trend? | 5 min read

Is women's soccer a permanent trend?

2019 World Cup raised awareness all over the world, there's no doubt in that. But will the trend survive and is there a chance for the women's soccer to grow numbers of both athletes and supporters?

A casual fan

Every so often we see a sport on top of popularity - just to be forgotten in a couple of months. Think Usain Bolt and track. Or Katie Ledecky at the Olympic's. How many people have followed their careers after that? As Dan Lauletta of the Equalizer puts it, "I would suggest that there is a solid base of die-hard NWSL fans and that the missing element is actually the casual fan. It’s the person who knows enough to keep up but does not necessarily live and die with every cross or errant offside flag." This seems to be true if we think about the popularity of men's soccer. Not every person who follows the bigger news and tournaments also follows the team or player on a day-to-day basis. Women's soccer needs a wider net of supporters.

Also, we should not forget that a casual fan can also be male. Again, think of a men's soccer game - how many female supporters are there in the stands? I bet they are the casual fan type.

Fans of Argentina's national soccer team

So why don't we promote women's soccer, it's achievements, and message to boys as well as girls? Boys can be inspired by athletes of any gender, just as girls can. This should not be an exclusive fan club. So Nike started selling U.S. team t-shirts in men's and boy's sizes - and it worked. And the more female coaches we have - the more appreciation both boys and girls will have for the women's game.

Dayton and Mikey DiTomasso have had strong female coaches and are fans of women's soccer. Source: today.com

How about Europe?

It's great to see men in Europe support their nation's female team - David Beckham used the platform he has to show his support to the game during the FIFA Women's World Cup this year.

David Beckham supporting England  on the Stade Océane stadium in Le Havre

11.7 million viewers watched this game on TV in the UK, making it the country's most-viewed show of 2019. According to UEFA, there are almost 1.3 million players registered throughout Europe, with Germany leading the way. And most importantly for the growing success and permanent popularity, it's the younger players who contribute to growth - youth leagues have doubled in number during the last 5 years. Of course, Ada Hegerberg of Norway still receives around $430 000 annually, and that is far from Barcelona's Lionel Messi's rough of $140 million (source: nypost.com). But money aside, the women's game has never before enjoyed more attention.

So is women's soccer a U.S. phenomenon?

Much of the game's high profile can be attributed to the U.S. team. Why? Apparently, the game was slow to take off here, and women's soccer is perceived as a thing of its own. 73 of the Women's World Cup stars are employed by the U.S. clubs. Moreover, none of the U.S. players is employed outside the U.S. Each player of the U.S. national team also plays for a domestic club.

If women's soccer continues to be a popular choice for young girls, there's hope. And the chances for this happening globally are higher if there's more permanent attention and media coverage for the current teams.

Hot Cakes & Hot Takes Key Articles of the Week I 7 Min Read

Simone Biles is the G.O.A.T

Simone Biles became the most decorated olympian of ALL time this week with 25 total medals. Her performance in the gym has been nothing short of incredible lately as not one but TWO of her new skills are being named after here. The skills are now dubbed as "BILES" and "BILES II". While everything she is doing inside the gym is record shattering, so is how she is embracing her new tittles.

Simone is inspiring women everywhere to own their confidence. She said, " It’s important to teach our female youth that it’s OK to say, ‘Yes, I am good at this,’ and you don’t hold back.” She goes on to say that right now only men are embraced for their cockiness, but even-though she has won five world championship tittles if she were to say she was the best she is looked down upon. This is total double standard as the facts are on paper, she has won 25 total medals and is THE GOAT. Why should women not be able to embrace their power and confidence but men can? Keep on inspiring in and out of the gym simone! We are here for it!  

Carli Lloyd Frustrated with World Cup Role

Carli Lloyd scored 4 goals in 16 minutes in the 2015 FIFA World Cup final. She is a flat out BEAST on the field and a leader many aspire to be in the locker room. However, her 2019 World Cup appearance was quite a different narrative than how we last saw her on the field. Despite Lloyd having great appearances leading up to the World Cup she was a sub throughout the duration of the tournament.

This past week she caught with Julie Foudy on ESPNs "LAUGHTER PERMITTED" podcast where she expressed that "[She] deserved to be on that field that whole World Cup, but [she] wasn't. And [she] thinks [she] grown as a person, as a player. It sucked. It absolutely sucked." She went on to say that her experience with the National team the last few years have been the worst time in her life and have effect her relationship with just about everyone around her including her husband. 

The real drama to this story happen AFTER the podcast aired. Many people criticized Lloyd for expressing her dismay with playing time and her confidence that she deserved to play over others. However, if you truly listened to the podcast Lloyd handled the questions with grace and like a true leader. She praises the team for winning and is grateful they won, but she feels like she deserved to play, why shouldn't she be able to express that? If she were a man to express that she would be met with praise and high regard. People should take the time to truly see and hear women athletes!

We're coo-coo for Coco Gauff!

Coco Gauff, is taking the tennis world by storm! Not only has she had a standout season but she won her first ever singles tittle at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. Gauff is fifteen years old which makes her the youngest player to win a tittle since 2004 when Nicole Vaidisova won two WTA titles. Gauff was quoted as saying she will remember this moment for the rest of her life. 

Winning this tittle ensures that she will be ranked in the top 100 players and invited to the Australian Open in January. Since the Williams sisters a player has not captivated an audience like the way Gauff does. At just 15 years old we are excited to see what she does next. Congrats Coco! 

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei Destroys Marathon Record



Last weekend there were many outstanding performances to celebrate in running like Eliud Kipchge's sub two hour marathon. However, the story often missed was Kenya's Brigid Kosgei set a new world record for women. Previously, the women's record had stood for over sixteen years at 2:15:25 set in 2003 by  Paula Radcliffe. However, Kosgei ran the Chicago marathon in 2:14:04 which was not only a personal best by over four minutes but also now makes her the record holder for fastest marathon time by a woman.  

She broke a world record that had stood for 16 years and yet there was still minimal media coverage of her tremendous feat. She was able to do something that very few would have deemed possible. We not only celebrate Kosgei but also encourage female athletes in the sport to continue shattering records that men have deemed not possible for women. We look forward to the sub 2:10:00 runner ! LETS GO LADIES!! 

International Swimming League the first to include equality into their mission statement

International Swimming League the first to include equality into their mission statement

At the beginning of October 2019 the International Swimming League started off with their first swim meet. This is the first sports league to name #equality and #equalpay on their mission statement. Competitions are team-based with 8 male+female teams uniting swimmers all over the world. 2 of 4 US-based teams have female coaches. 6 of all 8 have female captains. A true 21 century league.

Olivia Smoliga

Katinka Hosszu

Natalie Coughlin

Lia Neal

Sarah Sjostrom

Federica Pellegrini

The Future is Female | 5 min read

Trail Blazers

Assistant Coach of the San Antonio Spurs Becky Hammon  

In recent years’ females have started to become more involved with coaching, refereeing and the day to day operations with men’s professional sports. It is such an exciting time to see females begin to receive the recognition and respect that they deserve. They are trail blazing the way for increased female involvement in professional sports. However, these glass ceiling shattering women like Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Spurs, and Kathryn Smith of the Buffalo Bills have the women that walked in the shadows before them to thank for the opportunity.

Behind every opportunity are the women who worked tirelessly to get that much closer to ending the stigma that women are unqualified to work in mens professional sports. We may not always know their name, so they don’t always get the recognition that they deserve. We thank them all endlessly for creating the mere thought that maybe just maybe women could hold a position within a professional sports league or organization.

However, there are many women whom we do know their name and celebrate. For example, Lisa Boyer was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2001-2002 season, which was shattering and paved the way for the likes of Becky Hammon to be considered as a true applicant for the Spurs position. Behind every female success story is the female warrior that walked before her, and in this case the warrior was Lisa Boyer.

Arizona Cardinals Assistant Coaching Intern Jennifer Welter

For Kathryn Smith of the Buffalo Bills the warriors that walked before her was Arizona Cardinals assistant coaching intern Jennifer Welter. While Welter is believed to be the first coach in NFL history, Sarah Thomas became the first full time female referee in the NFL in 2015. Thomas has Shannon Eastin to thank as in 2012 she was the first female to officiate an NFL game. 

It is an exciting time to see increased female opportunities within such male dominated organizations because its creates hope that someday women may be treated and thought of as equals. The NHL just hired the first ever female pro scout, Cammi Granato, who was asked why she believed it took so long for her to be the first and she simply responded with that women were never considered as a viable option before.  Not only are women viable but have the potential to be better. Leagues should welcome the opportunity to increase their depth of talent pool. After all, the Future is Female.

Hot Cakes & Hot Takes: Key Articles of the Week | 7 min read

Hot Cakes & Hot Takes: Key Articles of the Week

Women’s sports receive 4% of media coverage. Just 4% in a time where USWMNT has won back to back world cups, the top female ice hockey players are fighting for a sustainable professional league, and the WNBA is wrapping up their season. Female athletes deserve more than the 4% of the coverage they receive. 

We hope to raise awareness of their important, meaningful and critical stories each Sunday by highlighting impactful articles. While you Sunday brunch with your hot cakes, read our hot takes:

Washington Mystics finally win WNBA title

Washington Mystics celebrating their win with a team hug

Elena Delle Donne and her team were finally able to win the WNBA title beating the Connecticut Sun 89-78 this past Thursday. The team started 21 years ago, and for a long time, they struggled with coaching consistency. Finally, in 2013 the team stabilized under Mike Thibault. Their biggest personnel boost was the purchase of Elena Delle Donne before the season of 2017. 

Interestingly, Delle Donne praises Mystics' coach for letting her be who she is. Earlier in her career, she said coaches always tried pitting women players against each other, asking Delle Donne to be meaner to her teammates in order to be a true leader. In the article, Elena is quoted saying, "He's said the exact opposite: 'The best leader you can be is when you're true to yourself. Whatever you're comfortable being, be that for your team.' 

LaToya Sanders, the oldest player in the Finals this year, Emma Meeseman who elevated the game, Kristi Toliver who returned for the playoffs and Ariel Atkins all made this win possible to the team.

"Masks On" by Bradley Beal

To continue the topic of women's basketball and Washington Mystics in particular, let's take a look at an essay by Bradley Beal. 

Bradley Beal wearing Elena Delle Donne's face mask

Beal starts off by answering the question of Who is your biggest influence? or Who was your basketball hero growing up? He breaks the stereotype right away, and instead of mentioning "a dude" he talks about his mom - a basketball player herself, and a coach.

As he takes us through his childhood memories of his mom shaping him as a player, Beal comes to the conclusion that "greatness is greatness" - and it doesn't matter if the player is male or female.

He then gives a personal review of the team and its players - Elena Delle Donne, the only female member of the 50-40-90 club, Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins, Emma Meeseman, Aerial Powers, LaToya Sanders, Tianna Hawkins, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, and Kristi Toliver who he praises for making him a better player. 

Beal draws a line under his review by demanding equal opportunities and equal pay for these players. He mentions how they travel in coach despite their hectic schedules and injured bodies with long legs. To quote, Beal says: "These women need to get paid, and they need to get treated like the stars that they are."

It's inspiring to see a male player stand up for what he believes. 

Photos from the second day of the PWHPA’s Dream Gap tour stop

Amanda Pelkey and a fan

In August this year, The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), composed of the best players from around the world, announced a Dream Gap Tour - a series of showcase events played with the mission of closing the gap between what boys and girls can aspire to achieve. "Young hockey players – boys and girls – should be able to share a dream of one day making a living as a professional hockey player,” said Kendall Coyne Schofield, captain of the U.S. National Hockey Team, Olympic Gold Medalist and the first woman to compete in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

Last weekend Dream Gap Tour stopped in Hudson, New Hampshire. The stop included four games over two days. Enjoy the inspiring photo report in this article.

The Dream Gap Tour plans to visit several citied in the United Stated and Canada.

Internationally: Sania Mirza on closing the gender gap

Sania Mirza

As part of the India Economic Summit panel on gender gap, Sania Mirza, tennis champion and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia, remembers the awkward question she was asked back in 2015 right after winning the Wimbledon women's doubles with Swiss player Martina Higins. As she was sitting at a press conference with the trophy in her hands, the journalist asked Sania: "What are your plans for motherhood?"

In her interview, Sania talks about her frustration and how unfair such treatment of women athletes is. She wonders if male athletes ever get asked this question. 

The article highlights the sad facts - apparently, it will take the world 108 years on average to close the gender gap throughout all the regions.

economic gender gap