Surfing double standard or not?

[blueflinch]

I can't see a double standard existing anywhere here unless men are being bullied by the public/sponsors into wearing board shorts, and women are being pressured to wear bikinis.

I think we're discussing cultural norms rather than sporting regulations. I.e. do men feel pressured to wear board shorts for surfing by culture? By what their mates and girlfriends might think, etc? By subtle social pressures and stereotypes?

Cultural norms eventually influence sporting regulations. I mean, do women really need to wear flimsy bikinis for Olympic volleyball or are such bikinis merely decorative, reinforcing gender stereotypes of feminine = decorative? Do female tennis players really need to wear costumes so tight and sexy? The answer to this question is - a top female athlete who refuses to embrace a sexy/girly image might have trouble attracting sponsorship in the first place, whereas a male athlete who's too sexy/gay-seeming/flamboyant will lose sponsorship deals and/or be the butt of jokes for his unmanly presentation.

[swimsharkau]

Surf brands' most well known product for males is board shorts. Rip Curl or Billabong don't have many options for speedos, so makes sense the riders would wear shorts and the sponsors would promote them. Same goes for females and bikinis.
Yes you could say they are marketing to the cultural norm, but is there anything wrong with the norm being shorts and bikinis? Is there a big group of pro surfers desperate to have Speedos accepted?

As for women and bikinis, lots of women choose to wear bikinis. Because they want to embrace their femininity, feel empowered, sexy, fashionable - there are so many options for bikinis. Interestingly nearly all the most popular womens swimsuit brands have women as their head designers.

Before the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) changed the rules to allow shorts and a top for females, competitors were often asked if they had any issues with the bikinis and they said no. (Note there was always an option for a full bodysuit - mostly worn during cold conditions but also available for people with certain religious beliefs etc.)

[SpeedoUSA]

Surf brands' most well known product for males is board shorts. Rip Curl or Billabong don't have many options for speedos, so makes sense the riders would wear shorts and the sponsors would promote them. Same goes for females and bikinis.
Yes you could say they are marketing to the cultural norm, but is there anything wrong with the norm being shorts and bikinis? Is there a big group of pro surfers desperate to have Speedos accepted?

As for women and bikinis, lots of women choose to wear bikinis. Because they want to embrace their femininity, feel empowered, sexy, fashionable - there are so many options for bikinis. Interestingly nearly all the most popular womens swimsuit brands have women as their head designers.

Before the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) changed the rules to allow shorts and a top for females, competitors were often asked if they had any issues with the bikinis and they said no. (Note there was always an option for a full bodysuit - mostly worn during cold conditions but also available for people with certain religious beliefs etc.)

Makes a lot of sense and well put Shark!



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[blueflinch]

I'm not a surfer. However, bikinis don't seem very practical for the rough and tumble of the ocean? Are these string bikinis we're talking about? Or are there "sport bikinis" like "sport bras", with extra reinforcement for vigorous activity?

Forgive my naivety, but I've always thought of bikinis as incredibly flimsy garments - I don't see how they won't come away in the water? A guy might want to make sure his speedos fits properly too - I just have visions of everyone's cozzies falling down at inopportune moments! Is this a real possibility or just my overheated imagination?

[BJE]

When tied mine won’t come down.

[diveguy]

Some surfies wear cossies rather than boardies.

And I bet they feel great while doing it. (this picture BTW is awesome) I'm not a surfer but I imagine the feeling of pure freedom they get from wearing a speedo is wonderful, just as it is for any of us. Also keep in mind that during the early years of surfing in the 1950s and '60s, down-to-your-knees board shorts were decades from being invented, men's swimsuits were a lot smaller and bared the thighs, and even small briefs were common suits in surf culture. Just look up historical photos. There may be a bit of truth to the long shorts being invented to solve the problem of rashes, but I'm convinced 90% of the look is a result of culture and fashion. And it sucks. And a well fitted speedo, with a tightly tied drawstring, is never going to come off, and there won't be any drag from all the extra cloth running down the legs. Oh and, more often than not, surfers wear speedos inside their wetsuits and not board shorts because all the extra cloth bunches up inside around the legs and crotch. Speedos are just better all around. Board shorts suck big time.

[diveguy]

I'm not a surfer. However, bikinis don't seem very practical for the rough and tumble of the ocean? Are these string bikinis we're talking about? Or are there "sport bikinis" like "sport bras", with extra reinforcement for vigorous activity?

Forgive my naivety, but I've always thought of bikinis as incredibly flimsy garments - I don't see how they won't come away in the water? A guy might want to make sure his speedos fits properly too - I just have visions of everyone's cozzies falling down at inopportune moments! Is this a real possibility or just my overheated imagination?

Again, just like with speedos, it's more a function of how well fitted the swimsuits are. American girls tend to wear more conservative bikinis, and often, the suits are too large and baggy, and they loosen up in the surf or on water slides. Brazilian girls, on the other hand, wear much skimpier suits, but because their suits fit the contours of the female body so much better, those tinier bikinis tend to stay on a lot better.

Here's an example, this youtube video of a couple of beautiful young women swimming on and under the water, and more significantly, frolicking in the waves and surf, while wearing very skimpy, but very well fitted, triangle string bikinis. It's such a joy to admire the beauty and athleticism of these girls as they perform their underwater movements with supreme confidence in their bikinis, not having to think about their bikinis, knowing their bikinis will remain in place. The freedom, the joy, the sensuality these girls display is amazingly sexy.

https://youtu.be/bLsOQBIt_L4

[SpeedoUSA]

I'm not a surfer. However, bikinis don't seem very practical for the rough and tumble of the ocean? Are these string bikinis we're talking about? Or are there "sport bikinis" like "sport bras", with extra reinforcement for vigorous activity?

Forgive my naivety, but I've always thought of bikinis as incredibly flimsy garments - I don't see how they won't come away in the water? A guy might want to make sure his speedos fits properly too - I just have visions of everyone's cozzies falling down at inopportune moments! Is this a real possibility or just my overheated imagination?

Again, just like with speedos, it's more a function of how well fitted the swimsuits are. American girls tend to wear more conservative bikinis, and often, the suits are too large and baggy, and they loosen up in the surf or on water slides. Brazilian girls, on the other hand, wear much skimpier suits, but because their suits fit the contours of the female body so much better, those tinier bikinis tend to stay on a lot better.

Here's an example, this youtube video of a couple of beautiful young women swimming on and under the water, and more significantly, frolicking in the waves and surf, while wearing very skimpy, but very well fitted, triangle string bikinis. It's such a joy to admire the beauty and athleticism of these girls as they perform their underwater movements with supreme confidence in their bikinis, not having to think about their bikinis, knowing their bikinis will remain in place. The freedom, the joy, the sensuality these girls display is amazingly sexy.

https://youtu.be/bLsOQBIt_L4

Hot women and one wearing my favorite Rio back bikini where it shows off her ass... nice


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[_su_]

I have enjoyed surfing in my speedo, and in board shorts. The only thing more enjoyable is a hot chick paddling up in a string bikini next to you, her wet body glistening in the sun.

[Thom]

Did you take the pic, or was it on the net?

The photo is from an online article "Boardshorts vs. Cossies.

http://www.sportsocratic.com/2017/02/09 ... s-cossies/

Very cool article. Thanks. Love the Aussie humor.


T

[Thom]

It's such a joy to admire the beauty and athleticism of these girls as they perform their underwater movements with supreme confidence in their bikinis, not having to think about their bikinis, knowing their bikinis will remain in place. The freedom, the joy, the sensuality these girls display is amazingly sexy.

https://youtu.be/bLsOQBIt_L4

No kidding. And they've mastered the dolphin kick.


T

[blueflinch]

Great topic, frankjath. So many great responses!!

[forthebest]

It really doesn't matter what people wear to or to . At times I feel that we are trying to impose on others the things that we feel are right for the lgbtqa community. Not everyone will wear a speedo, thong or any form of skimpy swimwear. Just because we used them does not make it right or wrong it only shows that we are comfortable with our bodies and how we look. Given that culture and how you were raised will have a great influence in how you think about Speedos. And by the way speedo is not every small swim brief that pops up. speedo is the brand and should never be confused with Adidas, Tyr, Mizuno, etc.


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[Bullseye]

And by the way speedo is not every small swim brief that pops up. speedo is the brand and should never be confused with Adidas, Tyr, Mizuno, etc.

I guess you also joined the Adidas forum, the Tyr forum, the Mizuno forum....?

[SpeedoDad78]

Some friends invited us out on their boat for Seafair in Seattle. It's not exactly surfing, but they tied an inner-tube to the back of the boat for people to ride. My son and I wore our speedos. My wife wore a one-piece and my daughter wore a fitted bikini with a thong style back.

The women in the other family were similarly attired, but the dad was in shorts and the son was in boardshorts.

The kids were behind the boat on the inner-tube. It hit a wave and flipped over. We came back around to pick them up. As they climbed back onto the boat, the other mom said, "Sweetie, where are your shorts?" I turned around. Sure enough, his boardshorts had come off when the inner-tube had flipped. When he realized what had happened, he quickly covered himself with his hands.

We searched the water for the shorts, but couldn't find them. There were a lot of boats on the water and the water was turbulent. His mom eventually got him a towel to cover up. Our clothes were in the car. We didn't have time to go back before the air show, so he stayed that way for a while.

It was still a fun day, but it just goes to show that shorts often aren't idea.

[forthebest]

And by the way speedo is not every small swim brief that pops up. speedo is the brand and should never be confused with Adidas, Tyr, Mizuno, etc.

I guess you also joined the Adidas forum, the Tyr forum, the Mizuno forum....?

I would if they had any but u
I love the brand speedo as I have more than 400 in my personal collection


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[Norfcountryboy]

The other day after my run I was walking back to my car. I parked in a parking lot where lots of surfers go park to get ready before surfing. I noticed a lot of the women are either wearing one piece or two piece bikinis while the men are wearing board shorts. People argue that men need to wear board shorts for surfing because the board might pull hairs or cause a rash. My question is then why doesn’t this apply to women as well. Buy this logic women would surf in boardshorts. I think it would make more since for men to surf in speedos because of the less fabric and maneuvering in the water easier.

A double standard with implications for any male who wants to check out girls in swim suits. If guys who have the body aren't confident to rock what they've got then why should the girls make the effort?
Years ago- we're talking the 90's here- there was a female rebellion in our school because why should the girls be "Exposed" in swimsuits at the school pool when the lads could wear shorts? Don't get excited chaps, it wasn't teenage evidence of voyeristic chicks trying to enforce Speedo wearing amongst the males, they just demanded the right to wear tee-shirts in the pool. It got nowhere, partly because the teachers weren't having it and partly because- ahem- "Someone" said that the boys fully supported the idea because a girl who looks sexy in a swimsuit would still look sexy in a wet tee-shirt!
Fast-forward to now and I'll sometimes see attractive women at the pool wearing a one piece swimsuit with shorts over the top. I never used to see this but who can blame those girls for not making the effort when so many guys don't?