Some things are best just left – Rip Curl back tracks from Trans blunder with massive golden girl contract
Breaking news
Iconic surf brand – Ripcurl signs Stephanie Gilmore, and launches massive PR counteroffensive amid avalanche of poor publicity .
“It’s historic,” says Gilmore an eight-year, multimillion dollar contract.
Two months after Rip Curl hit a media brick wall when it celebrated the inclusion to thier team of transgender – girl, Sasha Jane Lowerson, the company has now launched a counteroffensive.
The timing has run hand in hand after splitting surfing’s sweetheart Bethany Hamilton, world-famous shark-attack survivor reportedly because of her anti-trans-gals-in-sports views, Rip Curl decided to join two other Australian swimsuit brands in a pivot to the queer market, with a complete disregard to for the core demographic, 14-year-old females. This direction blew up in their face.
This is not a trans in sport issue. This is a significant brand being a marketing ping-pong ball with no focus on its core market and trying to score brownie points by being WOKE and then being called out on it. In a month they managed to offend the core female surfing market and then in the same swipe reveal their shallow commitment and offend trhe ‘queer/trans’ community as well.
Rip Curl described Sasha Jane Lowerson as a ‘West Australian waterwoman who loves the freedom found in surfing, disconnecting from the mainstream, and the feeling of dancing on constantly changing waves… It’s a state of mind, always being ready to try something new, curious to seek out knowledge and learn the rules – and break them.’
Calls to boycott quickly followed after high-profile American swimmer Riley Gaines slammed Rip Curl as ‘crazzzyyyy’ and skater Taylor Silverman wrote, ‘According to Rip Curl, this man is a ‘waterwoman’… reality is he’s just a mentally ill man making a complete mockery of actual women.’ The Rip Curl post was removed, and Silverman struck back with an image.
The question at the time was, how much was Rip Curl owner Kathmandu willing to lose in sales to promote the trans agenda?
Transparently; that question has now been answered after Rip Curl signed an eight-year deal in the ‘multi-millions’ with the recently semi-retired Steetheart of Australian surfing Stephanie Gilmore.
The eight-time champ golden girl will be forty-four when the contract ends.
Steph comments:
“To be able to partner with Rip Curl on a deal that not only for myself but for women in sport is something that’s truly groundbreaking, just it feels right,”
“You can align yourself with brands for certain things, but unless it really feels authentic and true to who you are, then the audience can feel that. It feels right to me, and I’m super happy with that.
“It’s an iconic deal. It’s historic. And there’s something about that, that makes me feel proud to know that I’m allowing this space to open up for the women of the next generations – and also for the companies that we’re working alongside to realize that this is a fantastic way to celebrate female athletes and it can be very healthy and successful for both of us.”
Watch this space