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\u201cMale-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports. Period,\u201d Christian athlete Bethany Hamilton of Soul Surfer<\/em><\/a> fame wrote<\/a> on X Tuesday.<\/p>\n Surfing company Rip Curl, which was founded in Australia in 1969, featured Sasha Lowerson, a trans-identifying male, in a now-deleted post on Instagram on Thursday as part of the company\u2019s \u201cMeet The Local Heroes of Western Australia\u201d campaign. However, the company disabled comments and ultimately deleted the post after receiving backlash, Outkick<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n Lowerson, once identified as Ryan Egan before transitioning in 2021, is a professional longboarder from Western Australia. Lowerson previously competed and won in women\u2019s divisions. Rip Curl previously featured Lowerson on its social media feeds in August 2023.<\/p>\n The incident comes months after Rip Curl dropped Hamilton as a brand ambassador for over two decades due to her opposition of trans-identifying males competing in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n \u201cRip Curl – a famous surfing brand – have dropped Bethany Hamilton (who lost her arm in a shark attack) from their ad campaigns. They have instead used Sasha Lowerson to advertise women\u2019s surfing,\u201d tweeted<\/a> freelance writer Jill Foster. \u201cTheir total contempt could not be more clear.\u201d<\/p>\n Riley Gaines, a former All-American swimmer who has been outspoken against trans women in female sports, also issued a response to Rip Curl and the company\u2019s deletion of the post following backlash.<\/p>\n \u201cHahahaha Ripcurl suddenly knows what a woman is,\u201d Gaines wrote<\/a>. \u201cThey’ve also since deleted all posts promoting a male surfer posing as a woman after dropping Bethany Hamilton. They want you to forget about their contempt for women. Don’t.”<\/p>\n Hahahaha Ripcurl suddenly knows what a woman is<\/p>\n They’ve also since deleted all posts promoting a male surfer posing as a woman after dropping Bethany Hamilton. They want you to forget about their contempt for women. Don’t. #RIPcurl<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/amScGX3wFs<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) January 28, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The World Surf League, the governing body for professional surfers, adopted the International Surfing Association\u2019s (ISA) policy for transgender participation in early 2023. As reported<\/a> by News.com.au, the International Olympic Committee recognizes the ISA as the world\u2019s governing body for surfing.<\/p>\n The policy stresses that biologically male athletes are to have a certain amount of testosterone levels in the past 12 months in order to compete in a women\u2019s sporting event.<\/p>\n Hamilton, and other athletes, including Kelly Slater, have called for a separate division for transgender athletes after the announcement was made.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did whoever decided these hormone rules come to the conclusion that 12 months of testing testosterone make it a fair and legal switch?\u201d Hamilton asked.<\/p>\n Slater, an 11-time men\u2019s world champion, stated: \u201cMake a trans division, and we don\u2019t have this confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n Did you enjoy the 2011 film Soul Surfer?\u00a0<\/em>Actor Kevin Sorbo who played Holt Blanchard now has a podcast where he brings the Bible to life!\u00a0<\/strong>LISTEN NOW:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n