Surfing gay
Why I Want To Be The First Openly Same-sex attracted Surfer On The Men’s World Tour
Features
Words by Craig Butler, 7x Irish national champion
I’m at a place in my life right now that would have made me panic just a couple of years ago. Shit, if someone even mentioned the word “gay’’ around me, I would depart red in the tackle and start to sweat. I don’t know how I got here, but I’m very happy that I did.
So I crave to tell you something. Something that’s a petty part of me. Something that you might not agree with and might make you think “what does this even own to do with surfing?” The truth is, it probably has nothing to do with surfing. But I do know my teenage years would have been a lot easier if I could read about a pro surfer who also battled the equal demons I struggled with. That alone might have softened the blow. Maybe if I’d been able to observe just how gay people are accepted in the surf community, I wouldn’t have grown up to be the nervous wreck that I am today. I know these things would have made a colossal difference to me as a kid, and I believe it can make a difference to the thousands out there today facing the same inner struggles.
Growing up surfing in I
Pride Month: 'I pretended to be unbent to learn how to surf'
That trip helped inspire Riley to create Gay Surf Club, which celebrated its first birthday this month.
Its goal is to provide a space where Queer surfers from around the world can be themselves, in and out of the water.
Initially, Riley wasn't sure how it would be received.
"I was so embarrassed even sharing the idea with my boyfriend," he says.
"But then I just jumped in - obviously having an idea of what I thought it could be, but not expecting the reaction it's had so far.
"I retain getting my first direct message from an individual in Australia. They weren't out, but they knew they'd been gay for a certain amount of years.
"They'd never believed they could be their real self in surfing, but said we'd given them hope. And I realised that even if we'd just helped that one person be comfortable with who they are, it's enough."
Wright to compete in Abu Dhabi after safety assurance
Two-time world surfing champion Tyler Wright will strive in Abu Dhabi after inquiring assurance that she will be in a "safe environment" as a gay athlete.
The World Surf League (WSL) added the event in the United Arab Emirates, where homosexuality is illegal, to the calendar for the first time in 2025 - a decision criticised at the moment by both Wright's wife and brother.
Australian world number one Wright, 30, said on Instagram: "I've been working with the appropriate teams in the UAE as well as the WSL and am assured that I will be competing in a welcoming and safe environment."
The WSL said: "The safety and wellbeing of our athletes is paramount. The WSL will always work directly with individual athletes and their teams to ensure they perceive safe and secure at each stop, and this remains our priority as we expand into new regions of the world."
It added: "The WSL is pledged to upholding inclusivity and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. Together with our partners, we have been working closely with Tyler Wright and her team to confirm she feels safe competing in Abu Dhabi.&