Surfing competition is bullied into allowing transgender woman to take part after facing furious backlash over ban

A surfing competition has been forced to allow a transgender woman to compete after initially banning her from the tournament.

But despite the ban being lifted by a demand from Californian regulators, the surfer Sasha Jane Lowerson, 44, said she would refuse to compete anyway. 

The American Longboard Association said last month that transgender women could not compete in the Huntington Beach Longboard Pro this Saturday. 

'We're gonna stick to our guns, I wanna offer an equal playing field for all athletes and that's the stand we're taking,' founder Todd Messick said.

Sasha Jane Lowerson, 44, was banned from the Huntington Beach Longboard Pro until the California Coastal Commission forced organizers to change policy

Messick's stance divided opinion in the surfing community and he received strong support online from activists opposing trans athletes competing against women.

However, he was on Tuesday sent a strongly worded letter from the California Coastal Commission demanding a U-turn.

Executive director Kate Huckelbridge wrote that surfing competitions in Californian waters could not discriminate based on gender.

She wrote that the ban was not consistent with the Coastal Act and was 'particularly concerned' the event 'does not provide equitable access to all competitors'.

'Prohibiting or unfairly limiting' transgender athletes from competing... impedes access by discriminating against transgender surfers,' she wrote.

Huckelbridge wrote that the event, as per law, would need a permit - but would be given an exemption if it followed the commission's 'environmental justice policy', which forbids discrimination based on gender.

Her letter threatened 'administrative penalties and other remedies' if this was not followed.

Lowerson said she was 'really disappointed and surprised' at being excluded from the Huntington Beach Longboard Pro

Lowerson won men's surfing competitions in her native Australia before she transitioned about three years ago

Despite Lowerson registering for the event sparking the commission's intervention, she was not on the published list for the event and said she wouldn't compete

Despite Lowerson registering for the event sparking the commission's intervention, she was not on the published list for the event and said she wouldn't compete.

'Why would I openly subject myself to the dangers associated with turning up to this minor small time event with little to no safety precautions. This event is poorly planed poorly ran,' she said.

'As far as I know the organizers made a public announcement via social media without contacting me stating I wasn't allowed to surf. 

'I have since yet had zero contact with this organization. They have yet not even bothered to refund my event entry fee.'

Messick said in a video announcing the transgender ban last month that he would 'support biological males and biological females in their divisions'.

'If you were born a female, you enter in the women's; if you were born a male you enter into the men's,' he said.

'You guys can live however and whatever you want to do in life, that's not for me to decide, but it is for me to decide what's fair and what's not fair for the American Longboard Association.

'We're gonna stick to our guns, I wanna offer an equal playing field for all athletes and that's the stand we're taking. 

'This whole thing is about traditional longboard surfing and supporting that.'

Messick said Lowerson registering for the event 'threw me completely off guard, I didn't think I'd have to address this so soon'.

Lowerson has won women's competition's around the world since transitioning, and on at least one occasion outscored both the male athletes while competing as a woman

Messick said Lowerson registering for the event 'threw me completely off guard, I didn't think I'd have to address this so soon'

After the commission forced him to rescind the ban, he told the BBC he was 'surprised by the amount of anger' it created.

Messick referred to comments by prominent professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lashed out in January at new World Surf League policies allowing transgender athletes to compete.

'Male-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports. Period,' she said at the time.

'Many of the girls currently on tour are not in support of this new rule, and they fear being ostracized if they speak up.

'Is a hormone level an accurate depiction of whether someone is male or female?' 

Messick claimed '90 per cent of the female surfers I spoke to are in agreement, but many haven't commented. It's that sensitive'.

Hamilton has not commented on the American Longboard Association issue.

Save Women's Sport Australasia co-founder Ro Edge spoke in support of Messick's ban and blamed California Governor Gavin Newsome.

'A Californian surfing comp organizer tries to protect fairness for females but is stymied by legislation passed by master misogynist Gavin Newsome who’s prioritized a males feelings over all else,' she wrote.

Bethany Hamilton, 33, lashed out in January at new World Surf League policies allowing transgender athletes to compete

'Many of the girls currently on tour are not in support of this new rule, and they fear being ostracised if they speak up,' Hamilton said

WSL's new policy is in line with that of the International Surfing Association, which allows transgender women to compete if they maintain a testosterone level of less than 5 nmol/L for at least a year.

Hamilton said in January that it would be better to create another division 'so that all can have a fair opportunity to showcase their passion and talent'.

Lowerson told the BBC she was 'really disappointed and surprised' at being excluded from the Huntington Beach Longboard Pro.

'You can't cherry-pick the rulebook. If you're going to use the rulebook, you use all of it,' she said.

Lowerson won men's surfing competitions in her native Australia before she transitioned about three years ago.

She has since won women's competition's around the world, and on at least one occasion outscored both the male athletes while competing as a woman.

Surf brand Rip Curl came under fire for featuring Lowerson in its advertising after dropping Hamilton for her anti-trans views.

Lowerson previously told Daily Mail Australia she was hesitant to compete as a trans surfer due to 'fears of rejection and even the threat of violence'

Lowerson featured on the Rip Curl Women Instagram page in January as part of the company's Meet The Local Heroes of Western Australia campaign.

Rip Curl later quietly deleted all mention of Lowerson from its website and social media.

Lowerson previously told Daily Mail Australia she was hesitant to compete as a trans surfer due to 'fears of rejection and even the threat of violence'.

'Surfing was a thing that held me back from transitioning due to the old guard being so patriarchal and transphobic and homophobic,' she said.

'When I started transitioning I stopped surfing for six months. I was willing to walk away from it to be truly happy. 

'To think that something that gave me so much love and freedom was the thing that held me back was really horrible and hard to deal with.'