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SP said..
It is Steph, and you have just killed your own post, she is Australia most recognisable female surfer and you didnt recognise her..... So why is female surfing marketed like this... Cause female surfing doesnt rate. Sad but true.
Most surf fans leave the beach when the womens comps are on, the promoters also usually send them out in the worst conditions etct etc......
So why not market it this way, the target audience is young girls id guess 14- 20. Lets remeber the goal is to sell clothes and accessories... So why not market the lifestyle fashion aspect of it , thats what young girls like, i say bravo and hell even you blokes have shown some interest init which is more than you would have it was marketed normally. I cant say i agree with some the marketing practices, gratuitous arse shots of young girls etc etc but....
Id say Quik marketing would see it as a success as it has generated a lot of publicity for nothing more than a clothes ad. having said that i'm sure some blokes look at it and think porno thoughts but.... what do you do? blokes are blokes and would beat off over a kmart catalogue if it was all that was around.
She would be one of the best Aus women surfers but not necessarily the most recognisable. The thing is we don't know its Step, they don't even say that, honestly it could be absolutely anyone. I understand why it was done that way. I don't agree with it though.
The womens events this year i have almost rated more than the boys. I should remind you i have a daughter who also idealises these surfers. But she doesn't want her arse out there, and i think its sad that even the top girls are now getting told, if you want sponsors and more finical support get your gear off

(oh and i got that from the "Horses Mouth" so to speak just this week.)
I guess its just another way that the manufactures are using surfers as pawns to simply sell product, with no regard for any form of decency..
There was noise about what surfing did (or more so what surfing didn't do) for people like Andy Irons, and i see this as similar..
I guess its no different then say Anna K in tennis, but i suppose i take it more personally as its my sport and because i have a vested interest with a teenage female surfer..