Surfing: Tyler Wright’s 439-second Black Lives Matter protest

Taking out the Tweed Heads Pro, Tyler Wright mirrored remarks by Naomi Osaka and took a knee for the Black Lives Matter movement.

NSW surfer Tyler Wright at Cabarita Beach following her win at The Tweed Coast Pro. Picture: Richard Dobson

Tyler Wright beat the Olympics-bound duo of Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons to win the first leg of the newfangled Australian Grand Slam of Surfing after beginning the Tweed Heads Pro by taking a knee for 439 seconds … one second “for every First Nations person in Australia who has lost their life in police custody since 1991.”

Riding a board that had BLACK LIVES MATTER written on its undercarriage, and which performed like a magic carpet in sparkling if mid-sized waves at Cabarita, Wright knocked over Fitzgibbons in the quarter-finals and then Gilmore in the final. She was ineligible for the Olympic team because serious health issues had forced off the tour during the selection period. Gilmore and Fitzgibbons are guaranteed to contest the 2021 Tokyo Games. With the World Surf League’s championship tour torpedoed this year, the three-event speciality series will take Wright and company to Western Australia’s Margaret River and Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island.

Tyler Wright used her Tweed Coast Pro win to say something about racial inequality. Picture: Richard Dobson

Wright spent most of the COVID-19 lockdown training with Gilmore. She wrote on Instagram of her protest: “Before I’m an athlete, I’m a human being. So today, before my heat at the Tweed Coast Pro, I’ll be taking a knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. These are divisive times and I’m a long way from perfect, but I deeply believe in the pursuit of racial justice and equality for everyone. I understand that my white privilege and having this platform with the surfing community means I have the choice to say something and do something … and that many don’t have that opportunity. I need to say more and do more with mine and I’m committed to challenging and changing the systems that continue to discriminate and oppress people of different backgrounds.”

It mirrored the remarks of US Open champion Naomi Osaka, whose face masks in New York City carried the names of African-Americans killed by police. Wright’s action had only a fraction of the vast global television audience for Osaka during the Open, but it was a dedicated – and long! – protest nonetheless. Osaka said in NYC, “Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman …”

Tyler Wright takes a knee before entering tyhe water at the Tweed Coast Pro. Picture: WSL/ Matt Dubar

Wright continued: “This is a lifetime commitment and it starts by examining one’s own prejudice, stereotypes and bias – something I’ve been spending a lot of time on myself recently. I encourage others to listen, learn and educate yourselves on the experiences of others while acknowledging that learning about racism is a privilege compared to having to experience it … in life.”

The WSL said: “The WSL is in full support of Tyler Wright and everyone around the world who are making their voices heard against racism and injustice. Surfing is for everyone and the WSL stands in solidarity to proactively work against racism and fight for true equality.”

Queenslander Ethan Ewing beat South Africa’s Matthew McGillivray by 18.6 points to 13.9 in the men’s final. Wright’s brothers, Owen and Mikey, were both eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Two-time world champion Wright beat seven-time world champion Gilmore by 15.67 points to 10.27.

“Steph has been one of my biggest idols for a long time and a good friend now,” Wright said. “Through COVID, Steph and all the girls have really been there. When it all shut down I was probably still in recovery from the last few years. Steph called me and said, ‘I’m coming to pick you up,’ and we’ve been surfing every day. It’s been a really nice time to connect.”