Tyler Wright will compete in wave-pool event in Abu Dhabi where homosexuality is outlawed

After outrage from the family of an Aussie star when the World Surf League confirmed an event in an Abu Dhabi wave pool she’ll hit the event this week as world No.1.

Controversy around the move to add a wave-pool event in Abu Dhabi to the World Surf League schedule goes beyond the impact on newly minted Pipeline champ Tyler Wright, who wears the LBGQTI+ flag on her shoulder and is heading to a country where homosexuality is outlawed.

Aussie veteran Sally Fitzgibbons, who hopes the move to the UAE, which has hosted other female sports, increases attention on the matter and “creates change”.

Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates, and the move from the WSL to hold an event there moved Wright’s brother, Mikey, to launch into the WSL, declaring it was taking the tour to a location where his sister, who is married to Lilli Baker, is “at risk”.

Fitzgibbons, who was bundled out in the elimination rounds in the season-opening event in Hawaii last weekend won by Wright, said other female sports, boasting gay players, had been played in Abu Dhabi without issue, but every event was a positive towards possible change.

“It’s something which is definitely beyond my jurisdiction, of how the powers to be decide on these things,” she said.

Pro surfer Tyler Wright and her wife Lilli Baker Picture: Instagram

“I think culturally, there will always be differences, but as surfers, I guess, it’s not really in our hands, then that all boils back to the sense of what it’s going to be like.

“But I think watching female sports move into the space within the WTA (tennis) and obviously football federations, and obviously there’s the rugby (sevens) there too, no shortage of women’s sport in the area. And hopefully that brings you attention on the right reasons and creates the change.”

While Fitzgibbons saw a positive in the move to a man-made wave pool for landlocked countries to still host the Olympics, she was concerned about the capacity for everyone to compete equally, and she sensed wave-pool surfing could become “elitist”.

“There’s a lot of barriers. It can become really elitist too because of the nature of costs trying to practise in the pool, so there’s definitely some barriers, pros and cons,” she said.

“But as a surf fan, and first and foremost, I just have a crack at it. I’m not too sure. I don’t place a lot of expectations on myself to be a specialist, but I definitely have fun.”

There isn't even a missed whitewater in a perfect wave pool 😂

🏄‍♂️ Seth Moniz and Mateus Herdy
🎥 Stace Galbraith and Tom Tokes

The #SurfAbuDhabiPro kicks off Feb 14th. pic.twitter.com/6IoFg6TS8I

— World Surf League (@wsl) February 10, 2025

Fitzgibbons also said the consistency of conditions could create wave-pool specialists.

“I just can’t stop thinking that there’s going to be an amazing field of specialists that come out of learning in wave pools, and it will become almost more gymnastic, like the things that they’re going to learn how to do, and the equipment they’ll ride, and the amount of reps they’ll have in the pool,” she said.

“I think that’ll transform that side of the sport.

“I think where it sits now, at times it has that sterile nature because it’s trying to create predictability and all the opposite things to the ocean.

“It’s a lot of money spent in development, so the promotional aspects and competing in it, we’ll definitely have a go and it is fun for the surfer to try and work out, like playing a video game, nearly, of a wave.

“And then the interest will just kind of go from there.”

Originally published as Tyler Wright will compete in wave-pool event in Abu Dhabi where homosexuality is outlawed