Layne Beachley – Biography
Layne Beachley is the most dominant woman surfer…ever. The powerful natural footer from Australia ruled women’s surfing on both a competitive and cultural level amidst her 20 year career. In truth, her only competitive comparison would be Kelly Slater as she practically wiped clean the records of her female peers. Beachley was hell-bent on success from the moment she first tasted victory as a pro surfer, going on to win seven world titles and distinguishing herself as a legitimate big wave charger. With 20/20 hindsight, she later commented on her achievements, proclaiming, “To dream takes courage…to set yourself apart from the masses by allowing yourself to set a goal, no matter how unrealistic it may seem.” But it’s doubtful that a teenage Beachley back in Manly ever dared to dream this big.
Powerful stories so often begin in adversity, but Beachley’s painful roots can be traced back to conception. Her 2008 biography, Beneath the Waves, unflinchingly tells of her birth in Sydney, 1972. Her mother, a single 17-year-old who was the victim of rape, gave up her baby daughter for adoption. Fate provided the little bundle a loving family who as luck would have it, also loved the ocean. The foreshadowing was inescapable as her surname washed from Gardner to Beachley. Her new dad had her on a skateboard at 3 and a surfboard at 4. By 5, the wick was lit. She told Daily Stoke about those early days, “I’d often steal my older brother Jason’s foamie.”
Surfing wasn’t her only love as Beachley loved competition of all sorts, but it was the waves that would eventually inspire her passion. Sadly, just as she was finding purpose, she lost her adoptive mother, Valerie, but the Beachley’s strong extended family unit remained a guiding force.
Surfing was at first simply a fun past time for Beachley, but by 16, it became much more. As most aspiring pro surfers had been planning for the big leagues for years, Beachley instead had no amateur career whatsoever. Instead, she jumped right into the shark tank of the ASP Women’s World Tour in 1989, finishing 48th her first year. 4 years later, she won her first event and climbed to 6th place. Nick Carroll would later write that “Beachley’s career was dogged by an inconsistency which seemed to spring from over-eagerness.” Indeed, she lost some battles, but she showed herself more intent to win the war as she bounced around in the top 4 for the next few years. As chronicled in Beneath the Waves, Beachley battled debilitating attacks of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in both 1993 and 1996 prior to winning her first world title in 1998. She would not relinquish the number 1 slot for 6 straight years, an unmatched feat.
During this time, Beachley proved driven to not just make a name for herself, but rather to make a name for women surfing as a whole. She integrated an intense physical training routine into her surfing as she raised the bar for female wave riders with much publicized tow-in sessions in giant surf, charging every male dominated lineup, including Outer Log Cabins and Teahupo. In competition, her powerful regular foot approach fit perfectly into Hawaii’s massive caverns that negated the need for the oft used qualifier of “female” surfer. Her accomplishments defied categorical significance. Through shrewd self branding and fearless performances, Beachley had created a total package that couldn’t be ignored by the industry, prompting full press coverage and global name recognition. She came back in 2006 to win her resounding 7th world title as if to slam the door shut on all contenders.
The following year, she placed 5th, and by 2008, she was ranked 4th.In her last year on tour, a deliberate drop-in by Coco Ho during the final of the Reef Hawaiian Pro Haleiwa not only robbed Beachley of an event win but seemed to sour her on competition as she soon officially retired from competing after 20 years. She told Aimee Donohoe, “I’m still competitive by nature but after seeing how well the girls are surfing at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, I will admit that I feel I have made the decision at the right time as I’m no longer passionate enough to push myself to remain a contender. “
Regardless if she ever wins another event or even dons a contest jersey, Layne Beachley has rewritten the history books with 7 world championships, 29 pro contest victories, and a penchant for keeping herself relevant. Called the “Queen of Self Promotion,” Beachley was never one to let the grass grow under her feet. In 2009, she was towed into a giant wave at Ours, one of Australia’s most mutant right hand meat grinders and was an entry for the Billabong XXL Ride of the Year. Bursting the confines of surfing, she performed on Australia’s Dancing with the Stars. In a nod to her ever expanding interests in business, she told Aimee Donohoe, “She told AmimI feel the more we allow the corporate world to participate in the sport, the greater our chances of growing outside of the limitations placed on us by the surfing industry.” Further orbiting outside the surfing galaxy, she married Kirk Pengilly of INXS and worked with writer Michael Gordon on her biography, Beneath the Waves. She kicked off her own clothing line, started a world tour event (the $100,000 Commonwealth Beachley Classic), and spearheaded the Aim for the Stars Foundation and the World of Difference program.
With all the awards and titles and qualifiers that have been thrown her direction, critics and Internet trolls have been quick to attack her omnipresence in magazines and websites well after the zenith of her competitive life. However, they ignore the fact that Layne Beachley’s career arch has yet to descend as she transitions into business and philanthropy. Besides, even in the face of the harshest criticism, the fact is that Layne Beachley has 7 more world titles than you do. That’s saying something.
Comments on this entry are closed.