Layne Beachley

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Layne Beachley
Personal information
Born 24-05-1972 (age 52)
Birth name Tania Maris Gardner
Residence Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Surfing specifications
Major achievements 7x World Champion 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006

Layne Collette Beachley is a former professional surfer from Manly, New South Wales. She won the World Championship seven times. Currently she is one of the four vice presidents of the International Surfing Association (ISA) and sits on the organization's Executive Committee.[1]

Surfing career

At the age of 16 Beachley became a professional surfer. By the age of 20 she was ranked sixth in the world. Beachley became the Women's ASP World Champion in 1998, and won the title again in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006. She is the first woman in history to gain 7 World Championships, six of them consecutive.

In 2004, Layne was given a wildcard entry into the Energy Australia Open held at Newcastle, one of the rare occasions a woman has competed in a men's surfing event.[2]

In 2006, Layne was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame. [3]

Beachley announced on 10 October 2008 that she would retire due to her age.[4]

ASP Women's World Tour Wins
Year Event Venue Country
1993 Diet Coke Women's Classic Narrabeen, New South Wales Template:AUS
1994 Quit Women's Classic Bells Beach, Victoria Template:AUS
1995 Rip Curl Pro France Hossegor Template:FRA
1996 Cleanwater Classic Manly Beach, New South Wales Template:AUS
1996 Wahine/Airtouch Pro Huntington Beach, California Template:USA
1996 Wahine Women's US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach, California Template:USA
1996 OP Pro Haleiwa Template:Flagicon Hawaii
1996 Quiksilver Roxy Women's Pro Sunset Beach Template:Flagicon Hawaii
1997 Quiksilver Roxy Women's Pro Sunset Beach Template:Flagicon Hawaii
1998 Sunsmart Classic Bells Beach, Victoria Template:AUS
1998 Diet Coke Surf Classic Manly Beach, New South Wales Template:AUS
1998 Tokushima Pro Tokushima Template:AUS
1998 Kahlua Open Huntington Beach, California Template:USA
1998 Rip Curl Pro France Hossegor Template:FRA
1999 Sunsmart Classic Bells Beach, Victoria Template:AUS
1999 Diet Coke Surf Classic Manly Beach, New South Wales Template:AUS
1999 Newquay Pro Newquay Template:ENG
1999 Roxy Pro Sunset Beach Sunset Beach Template:Flagicon Hawaii
2000 Billabong Pro Gold Coast, Queensland Template:AUS
2000 Elleven Pro Women's Huntington Beach, California Template:USA
2000 Rip Curl Pro France Hossegor Template:FRA
2000 Quiksilver Roxy Pro Sunset Beach Template:Flagicon Hawaii
2001 Billabong Pro Tahiti Teahupoo, Tahiti Template:PYF
2002 Roxy Pro France South West Coast Template:FRA
2003 Roxy Pro Gold Coast Gold Coast, Queensland Template:AUS
2003 Billabong Pro Honolua Bay Template:Flagicon Hawaii
2004 Roxy Pro Haleiwa Template:Flagicon Hawaii
2006 Billabong Girls Pro Itacare Template:BRA

Film appearances

She has appeared in the movies Blue Crush (2002), Billabong Odyssey (2003), Step into Liquid (2003), and the 2001 documentary 7 Girls.[5]

Personal life

Layne Beachley was born Tania Maris Gardner on 24 May 1972 in Sydney.[6] Her mother was only 17 years old and unmarried so she was soon adopted by Neil and Valerie Beachley, who lived in nearby Manly. When Layne was only six years old, Valerie suffered a post-operative brain hemorrhage and died, leaving Layne and her brother to be raised by a family friend.[7] Beachley has spoken publicly about personal struggles, including the fact that she was conceived during a date rape and later adopted out. She met her biological mother for the first time in 1999.[8] Beachley was brought up in the competitive Manly surfing scene and was competing and winning against men's heats at 15. It is thought that here is where she had developed her strength and style that would make her an unbeaten world champion and big wave rider. Beachley was always available when possible for any worthwhile cause in the community whether it was for sewerage outfall protests or promoting the sport and charities that she is close to.[9]

She married Kirk Pengilly, a member of the Australian rock group INXS, in October 2010.[10]

Recognition

Beachley received the Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2004 and was named the Extreme Female Athlete of the Year as part of the Teen Choice Awards in 2005. She was inducted into both the Australian and US surfing halls of fame in 2006, and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2011.[11][12] In 2006 she was also inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame as that year's Woman of the Year; the Walk is in Huntington Beach, California. [13]

At the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Beachley was appointed a Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the community through support for a range of charitable organisations, as a mentor for women in sport, and to surfing as a world champion competitor.[14][15] She was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for her back to back world titles in 1998 and 1999.[16]

References

  1. "ISA Committees". International Surfing Association. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  2. Tracks, June 2004, articles "Get ya own tour" page 29, and Newcastle's Greatest Hits page 78.
  3. http://www.hsssurf.com/shof/?cat=18
  4. http://www.surf.co.nz/news/local/news.asp?newsletterId=6635
  5. "Layne Beachley Filmography". imdb.com. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  6. "Layne Beachley". encyclopediaofsurfing.com. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  7. "Layne Beachley Biography". imdb.com. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  8. http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/09/29/19941_news.html
  9. "Australian Story - Walking on Water". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 July 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  10. Sharp, Annette (29 November 2008). "Layne Beachley and Kirk Pengilly announce their engagement". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney: News Limited). Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  11. "Layne Beachley". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  12. "Layne Beachley". Laureus World Sports Awards. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  13. http://surfingwalkoffame.com/woman.html
  14. "Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (pdf). Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2015. p. 3. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  15. "Beachley rides top of Australia Day honours". Sky News Australia. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  16. "Layne Beachley". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 23 August 2000. Retrieved 26 January 2015.

External links

See also