Layne Beachley, 7 x World Surfing Champ, announced last month that she is retiring from professional surfing at the end of the 2008/09 season. Although it is a massive blow to women’s surfing, it’s no surprise really as Layne has definitely put in adequate time over the last few decades, and can be stoked with her solid involvement in the growth and evolution of women’s surfing.

Layne got her first taste of life as a Pro at the young age of 16 when she made the decision to focus all her attention on the tour and competing, which back in the late Eighties was considered ‘a big thing’. She kicked off her professional career by winning her first event in 1993. By 1998 she had her first World Title under her belt, and has spent the last decade gathering a collection of trophies, awards, accolades and building in her own words, ‘an empire’ in the process.

As well as that, Layne has been a pivotal factor in the development of women’s surfing as we know it today. Formerly a massively male dominated sport, Layne’s hard work, constant efforts and skills have helped women’s surfing enter the inner golden circle of surfing and gain the respect and recognition it deserves. Gone are the days of women being the weaker sex, or being laughed at and gone are the days of contests offering virtually no prize cash purses, or getting embarrassing amounts of media coverage. Women’s professional surfing is a main stream sport now, and gets the coverage and attention it does because of women like Layne. With her involvement in movies like Blue Crush and Step into Liquid, she has promoted the sport beyond the boundaries that have kept it such in such a niche in the past too, and helped to open up its glorious lifestyle to the large and enthusiastic female masses globally.

Not only has Layne focussed her energy on surfing, but she has spread her ambition across different platforms too. In 2003, she started her own project company in Australia called Aim for the Stars Foundation, which was created with the aim to inspire Australian athletes and women to dream and achieve. Layne maintains that the inspiration behind her foundation was that she realized her personal struggles and hardships that she faced in her professional surfing career have given her the experience, that once transformed into knowledge and advice that can help people in similar positions to achieve their dreams. She also has her own company and brand, Beachley Athletics, and sponsors her own event on the world tour, The Beachley Classic, offering one of the most generous prize purses on the entire circuit. On top of all of that, Layne has recently released her own biography called Beneath the Waves. In it, she opens up to the world and surfing community and talks about how she dealt with personal issues, like finding out she was an adopted child and was in fact conceived through rape. For most the read is shockingly honest, and downright genuine, and leaves you feeling motivated and inspired. She talks about the tour, working to provide for herself and in the end, achieving her dreams. It’s about climbing over obstacles and letting go of the past.

Layne is currently lying 3rd on the tour, made the official announcement last week, saying that she was retiring from Professional Surfing as of the end of the season. When asked by an ASP representative as to why now, especially when she is lying 3rd on the tour and performing at her best, she commented that “I am an all-or-nothing kind of girl and to achieve the goals I set for myself in surfing, I have to give it my all and I’m not. It doesn’t mean that I can’t win world titles, but my priorities are beginning to shift and my focus and my passion in business and charity work and my ambassador roles is beginning to have more appeal to me than competing for a living.’

It will be sad to say goodbye to such an incredible women, although we can be sure that Layne will always remain an active figure in women’s surfing and on the tour. By retiring she is simply opening the door for the future of women’s surfing. In her own words, she has ‘instilled hunger and passion into the future generations of female competitive surfing coming up through the ranks. I know Steph (Gilmore) looks at me and wants what I got. It was Lisa Andersen before me that gave me the motivation to become seven-times ASP Women’s World Champion. That kind of drive and dedication that it takes to be a champion is the legacy I think I am leaving behind and it’s something I’m very proud of.

Tags: Layne Beachley