The first article I had published in Tracks was about a surf trip down the coast with my Mum. The story was a freelance submission sent directly to then editor, Wayne Dart. Tracks had no qualms about publishing the story and I was proud to get a career underway with a story that made reference to my mother’s surfing feats. The following two articles I had published in Tracks were about female professional surfers, one of which was an extensive interview. Pru Jeffries was a professional surfer from Bondi who I often shared the lineup with at the time, and I felt her journey from city-beach surfer to the world stage was worth telling. I was aware that women’s surfing wasn’t Tracks primary audience but the editor still saw merit in the story and again published it.

Fifteen years down the track I now sit in the editor’s chair myself, and when it’s been timely and relevant, I’ve always strived to give a voice to women’s surfing. I’ve written stories on Stephanie Gilmore, Layne Beachley, Tyler Wright, Sally Fitzgibbons and Carissa Moore (plus others), commissioned pieces on the entire women’s pro tour for our ASP guide and published pieces by several female authors. Each time I’ve been to an event where both women and men were competing I’ve gone to great lengths to ensure the women’s competition was also covered on our website. The introduction to this month’s issue attached is written from the perspective a girl surfer who has given up because of the WA shark scare. It was written prior to Olive’s outburst and not as a reaction to it. While I could be accused of failing to commission enough girl surfing content, I have honestly received very few submissions relating to female surfing. Perhaps some of the critics who were so quick to jump on the politically correct band-wagon would like to turn their attention to penning something of merit relating to women’s surfing and women’s surf culture. Perhaps it’s just easier to complain. Maybe Olive Bower’s distinguished grandmother, Helen Garner, whose name no doubt helped young Olive to climb up to the Sun-Herald Soapbox, would care to make a submission?

The second thing Olive and critics have taken issue with is the fact we include a Bikini-model in our magazine. Tracks has always been a reflection of beach and surf lifestyle, and girls in bikinis have always been a part of that culture; as are girls who surf. I’m not going to pretend that this isn’t pitched at our male audience and that the decision to include the page isn’t made with an eye towards commercial realities – namely that male surfers have historically been our major audience.

I found it interesting that the Sun-Herald story, which roasted Tracks was flanked by a piece on Elle Macpherson at 50. The piece clearly celebrated Elle as an Australian icon who had become an international success primarily because of her genetic gifts. “The ‘Body’ at half a century still has the body,” the article states.

It seems to me that the Sun Herald is applying something of a double standard, glorifying a bikini model in one column and then castigating an editor in the next for running a shot of a girl in a … ‘bikini’. I did read a very inspiring piece by Layne Beachley in the very same issue of the Sun-Herald where Layne detailed her struggle to become a world champion, getting by on an around-the-world-ticket that had been bought for her by the owner of the bar she was working at to fund her travels to competitions. Just a tip to yesterday’s editor of the Sun-Herald. This would have been a much smarter choice of story to run adjacent to the one about Olive Bower.

Tracks will definitely take Olive’s comments into account.

We’ve always strived to reflect changes in surf culture and there’s little doubt that in recent years girl’s surfing has risen to prominence in both competitive and non-competitive circles.

Observing the growing popularity of women’s surfing, last year I speculated on publishing a Tracks for girls edition. Unfortunately there wasn’t sufficient support from advertisers or industry to get it off the ground. If that reads like a cop out I suggest you refer to the article in the Herald’s (yes, the Herald again) latest Good Weekend, which charts the demise of magazines in Australia. That probably means making a bit more space in the regular issue of Tracks for girls. We discussed such a move in a recent planning meeting and Olive has certainly given us a nudge. Open for submissions … How about it Helen? Tim Winton has been in Tracks. It would be an honour for both of us.

Related:

http://www.tracksmag.com/features/surf-sister-imogen-caldwell/

http://dev.tracksmag.com/features/THE-QUEEN-OF-COOLANGATTA.html