Seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion.
What more does one need to say?
How about the winningest professional female surfer of all time? Or one of the most confident big wave female surfers out there? Her achievements in the water speak volumes, so she doesn’t need to. Fearless when put to the test, no one would challenge that all of her accolades have been hard fought and hands down equally deserved.
DailyStoke.com interviwed Layne Beachley in Hawaii, just after her 2nd place finish at the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, where Layne lost the chance for a last second crack at winning the event when Coco Ho dropped in on her, causing the most controversial moment on the Women’s surfing tour this year.
(And let it be known that Layne is every bit the gregarious, straight-shooting, charming and effusive personality as the surfing media depicts her.)
Layne Beachley: A Movie in the Making
As Layne Beachley tells it, her life story is “a movie in the making.” And while that is certainly a possibility, given her immense popularity, the book was the first to arrive. Beachley recently penned her story in a new book, Beneath the Waves (currently only available in Australia), which follows her personal history, from the unusual circumstances surrounding her birth (she was born to an unwed 17 year old Scottish mother, who was the victim of a rape) to becoming a seven time World Championship surfer and an Australian national icon. In her book, in the public eye and in speaking with DailyStoke.com, she is incredibly open and straight forward, a behavior she describes as cathartic. Says Beachley: “People draw inspiration from my openness on my background. My story really draws people in.”
Beachley was born in Sydney, Australia in May 1972. After spending six weeks in an incubator, she was adopted into the Beachley family, a twist of fate which she feels forever blessed for. Says Layne, with a laugh: “I got a lucky break getting adopted into a beach family with the last name Beachley.” Beachley started surfing at the age of four, after being introduced to the water by her father. “I’d often steal my older brother Jason’s foamie,” she says. By age five she was paddling out the back on her own. (By the age of five, I was just out of diapers!)
From Five to Twenty
And from the age of five onwards, she has gone on quite a run, with consistent wins in her career. (Beachley is like a point break wave that just keeps on coming.) At least, until 2009. To the dismay of many a loyal fan, Layne announced her retirement from the ASP World Tour in 2008, after completing what is her 19th consecutive year as a pro surfer.
2009 ASP World Tour?
Why not pull a Kelly Slater, in a way, and make it an even 20? Says Beachley: “Everyone is telling me to compete next year, just to have a solid 20 years on tour. Since I’m already going to re-qualify, despite my retirement, I might do more than half of the events in 2009, which will officially make it a 20th year for me.”
Beachley says she may show up at some of her favorite stops on tour; “Bells Beach, Hawaii and Peru,” she says. We may even see her pop up at the Rip Curl Somewhere event, which Layne claims is “a fabulous concept.” When pressed on where the secretive event will be held this year, all Layne would tell us was “somewhere in Europe. We know pretty far in advance where it will be. But… if I told you where, I’d have to kill ya!”
Focusing on Beachley Athletic and her Charitable Foundation
While she might squeeze in an unofficial 20th year, we will not be seeing Layne pull a Mark Occhilupo, with a comeback tour. Says Beachley: “There is no chance at all of a comeback. Competitive surfing is hard emotionally, mentally and physically. When I’m on tour, I really push myself so hard. I could do it for another three or four years, but I really want my brand to succeed so I can help others.”
And by “brand”, Layne means her sportswear and lifestyle company, Beachley Athletic which she formed after splitting with her longtime sponsor Billabong, after feeling they were not giving women’s surfing the appropriate attention. Layne certainly has stepped up to control her own destiny and give back to other female surfers, with the mini empire she has created, and her branding of the most lucrative contest on the Women’s World Tour, the Beachley Classic. Beachley will certainly compete in her own event, held in Sydney in the middle of the 2009 tour.
Fortunately for Layne, she has plenty on her plate to keep her busy after the Tour. With a mind towards charitable giving, she started The Layne Beachley Aim For the Stars Foundation. “My charity gives the girls of Australia the moral and financial support to pursue their dreams.” Focusing on preventing promising young stars from quitting their passion because of financial burdens, the charity receives over 300 applications a year, focusing on academics, sports, cultural and community pursuits. “Each group of girls has been fantastically talented,” she says.
It bodes well for Aussie surfers.
Layne Beachley’s Crystal Ball
Beachley sees a strong future for women’s surfing, with all the up-and-coming talent from around the world. She’s got a special spot in her heart for Australia, saying: “Australia seems to be producing,” citing the rise of young Aussie surfers such as Stephanie Gilmore, Sally Fitzgibbons, Laura Enever and others. Beachley also mentioned another star on the rise, the talented young Hawaiian, Carissa Moore. “She’s so competitive. My semifinal heat against Carissa at Haleiwa was like surfing against one of the boys.”
With Layne’s exceptionally busy schedule, she finds precious little free time. “Most of my free time now is on planes!” When not on tour, or during down time on the tour, her favorite places to grab a free surf are at home in Sydney, and in Hawaii. Says Layne: “I just can’t surf enough in Hawaii. I surfed before my heats in the Reef Hawaii Pro, surfed a few heats, then surfed for another few hours afterwards.”
With her retirement, Beachley is “looking forward to surfing for the hell of it. And, I’m definitely looking forward to having more than one month off a year.” She plans on reading and sleeping more, and spending more time with her long-time boyfriend, INXS rockstar, Kirk Pengilly. Says Beachley: “Kirk’s band is not touring at the moment, but they’re still writing and recording. The two of us have a TV show that might get off the ground in the beginning of the year.” Layne and Kirk have been creating music together for 6 years now.
(As it turns out, shortly after our interview, Pengilly popped the question.)
Congrats to Pengilly, and to surfing’s Queen of the Waves, Layne Beachley.
See below a great video of Layne Beachley and other rockin’ surfers at Teahupoo.
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