Women’s surfing has never looked more progressive – bigger turns, loftier airs, more time in the tube when things get heavy. While the performance ceiling continues to rise across the CT, that momentum hasn’t fully translated to big wave surfing – at least not yet.
“On the big wave side, there’s a handful of younger girls getting into it, but it’s still so small because it’s just so gnarly,” said former Big Wave World Champion Paige Alms.
“I would love to see more technically sound female surfers get into it. A lot of the big wave surfers on the female side are senders – people who just go all in and are happy to push themselves. But there aren’t many who can draw the kind of lines you see from the world’s best.”
Big wave surfing itself has shifted in recent years. What was once survival has become performance. Surfers like Kai Lenny and Lucas Chumbo are now drawing lines and throwing airs on 40ft waves, as if they’re 4ft.
It begs the question: what happens if that same level of technical precision makes its way into the women’s big wave arena?
Paige believes the answer could lie with the current crop of elite performers.
“They’re already doing amazing things at waves like Pipeline and Cloudbreak, which are some of the heaviest and most dangerous waves in the world,” she said. “I would love to see surfers like Sierra Kerr and Caity Simmers take that next step and go even bigger. With their technical ability, you just know they’d be capable of doing incredible things.”
If that crossover happens, the ceiling shifts overnight. For now, though, the barriers remain and they’re not just physical.
“There is a huge imbalance in the risk versus reward,” Paige said. “We know it’s hard to make money in big wave surfing and it’s difficult to get the financial backing from sponsors to go and do it. You have to really love it and really want it.
“One mistake in a big wave lineup can be enough to hurt yourself or knock your confidence. If you’re a competitive surfer, that’s a serious risk because you don’t want to put yourself out for the season.”
Still, the small crew of women who are committed to the path are pushing things forward.
“We are such a small sample size that one or two extra women in the lineup is like a 10–20% increase,” she said. “There’s a few girls on Maui and overseas who are really giving it a go and it’s amazing to see.”
Progress in big wave surfing doesn’t just come from performance – it’s also shaped by access, safety and opportunity.
“It’s important to have female voices in our sport,” Paige said. “I was lucky growing up that I had the likes of Keala Kennedy to look up to and I hope that myself and others in my generation can become role models for those younger than us.”
As an ambassador for Patagonia and an instructor with the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group’s Surf Responder & Ocean Safety Course, Paige has become a key figure in building that pathway.
Fresh off a weekend in Torquay running the course, she spoke about the shift in her role within the sport.
“It’s amazing to work with so many like-minded people and with a brand that’s so supportive of what we do. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve naturally transitioned into more of a teacher or guardian role and it’s an honour to be able to share that knowledge.
“At the same time, I’m constantly learning. Being around the likes of Greg Long and other big wave gurus pushes me to keep evolving.”
That evolution extends to equipment as well. Later this year, Patagonia is set to release its first female-specific big wave impact vest – a project Paige has played a major role in developing.
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “I’m lucky that I’m 5″10 and 160 pounds so I could fit into a men’s vest, but that’s not the case for a lot of women. We’ve worked on subtle differences that will have a massive impact in terms of comfort and performance.”
Those differences – in shape, sizing and padding placement – might seem minor, but in waves of consequence, they matter.
“The chest isn’t necessarily an ideal place for padding for women,” Paige laughed. “Everything we’ve done has been small, one-percent adjustments, but those can make a huge difference when you’re in a high-performance or high-risk situation. Just having that extra comfort with all the layers on is massive.”
Following her stint in Australia, Paige is already on the move again — this time chasing waves in Fiji.
“I started the year scoring a new wave in Baja that I’ve wanted to surf for a long time,” she said. “Now I’m headed to Fiji and then I’ve got no real schedule after that.
“I try to stay as flexible as possible so I can chase swells when they pop up. I know I want to keep pushing my boundaries and hunting barreling slabs, while making good connections around the world.”
For now, the women’s big wave lineup remains small but the foundations are there. With the increased access to equipment, safety and the rapid ascension of women’s professional surfing it remains to be seen whether that’ll translate to the big wave game.
