Other than the occasional profile on a female surfer who somehow impressed the okes with her skills, surfing magazines largely consist of tanned beach bums with the smallest of bikinis.

Kind of like the F1’s ‘grid girls’.

But even the magazine features can showcase professional female surfers as sex objects, and the image is extended to brands and competitions, too.

Now, according to The Telegraph, one female surf champ is calling out the industry.

Her name is Sophie Hellyer and she is a former British champion who has modelled and competed around the world wearing bikinis. However, since she decided to drop the swimwear, Hellyer claims she has “suffered a drop in coverage”, calling the industry “hyper-sexualised”:

She said competing made her feel like “a glorified bikini model” and has now called for a change in attitudes throughout the industry.

Sophie, 30, from Westward Ho!, Devon, said: “I definitely get a lot less coverage in the media now I’m wearing a 5mm wetsuit all year.

Hellyer, below, when bikinis were her choice of clothing:

“Is that linked? Probably. When was the last time you saw a woman in a full wetsuit in a surf mag?”

She added: ” I just want to see a fairer representation of the actual female surfing community, wetsuit hoods and all.”

And below, Hellyer having adopted a wetsuit:

She continued:

“The subject of hyper sexualisation in surfing is especially interesting for me as I have been on both sides of the debate.

“I am full of contradictions. I have modelled in countless bikini photo-shoots and I have shouted feminism from the rooftops. I don’t believe I have to stop riding a pink surfboard just because I believe in equal pay.

“I’ve certainly worked with some companies I’m not proud of in the past. We have to make some pretty big decisions in life about who we work with, especially in the modelling and pro athlete world where you are endorsing brands with your name.

“Recently I’ve personally started putting a lot more research and consideration into who I work with and promote with regards to how they represent women and their ethics and sustainability policies. I wish I had realised the importance of this at 18, not 30.”

I mean, a few examples of what we have had to deal with, below:

Now I am not saying that girls cannot wear bikinis, but as an occasional surfer of the Cape peninsula, I can tell you that wearing a bikini is not always the most appropriate choice, only because some part of you is bound to freeze.

[source:telegraph]