By Will Swanton
THE Billabong Pro at Teahupoo has been scrapped from the women's professional surfing tour because of fears the women are incapable of handling the frightening break when the swell gets big and menacing.
Layne Beachley, the greatest female board-rider in history, cannot believe it.
"There's been a rumour going around that the girls all got together and decided they didn't want to go there because we were too scared," she told The Sun-Herald.
"That's completely untrue. It's annoying that people would think that. I report to the ASP board about what the girls wanted and we definitely wanted to keep going back.
"We're extremely disappointed and incredibly frustrated."
The ASP is yet to give the women a reason for the move. The men's event will continue. ASP president Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew was overseas and unavailable for comment, but the women have no doubt they've been ditched because of fears they'll seriously hurt themselves at the remote Tahitian reef-break.
Melanie Redman-Carr, who has taken out every WCT event this year to lead the world ratings, says it's sexist and disrespectful.
"It's a pretty sexist decision," she said. "If the men can go there, why can't we? They're scared about one of us getting badly hurt and having all the bad publicity coming from that.
"The guys are allowed to show their bravado but not us. We've been getting more respect because we've been surfing there. Just going to Teahupoo has improved the standard of women's surfing.
"They seem to think it's too heavy and dangerous for us. We want to show that's wrong, and we've been doing it. To lose Teahupoo - it's just pointless."
Beachley freely admits she's frightened of the place. In 2002, after beating Keala Kennelly in the final, pools of blood formed at her feet as she conducted her media interviews. Her feet, arms, legs and back had been slashed by the razor-sharp reef.
The same year, Megan Abubo and Lynette McKenzie were so afraid they refused to catch a single wave in their heats, casting the women's tour in a poor light. Beachley said those days were long gone.
"I don't like Teahupoo but I know how beneficial it is for women's surfing," she said. "It's of huge importance. It shows how far women's surfing has come. Why would you walk away from such a huge marketing opportunity?
"It's the most extreme event on tour and gets worldwide interest. It shows the women have the depth, the ability and the courage to confront the challenge. Not one girl on tour doesn't have the guts to take off now.
"There was no communication, no nothing. No one asked us about it, they just told us, 'From next year, you're not going to Teahupoo'."
The ASP plans to hold a contest in Brazil instead of at Teahupoo.