Layne Beachley


Layne Collette Beachley is a former professional surfer from Manly, New South Wales. She won the World Championship seven times. Currently she is the chair of Surfing Australia www.surfingaustralia.com

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 only woman in history to gain 7 World Championships, and only surfer, male or female to win six consecutive world titles.
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.
In 2006, Layne was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame.
Beachley announced on 10 October 2008 that she would retire due to her age.
YearEventVenueCountry
1993Diet Coke Women's ClassicNarrabeen, New South Wales
1994Quit Women's ClassicBells Beach, Victoria
1995Rip Curl Pro FranceHossegor
1996Cleanwater ClassicManly Beach, New South Wales
1996Wahine/Airtouch ProHuntington Beach, California
1996Wahine Women's US Open of SurfingHuntington Beach, California
1996OP ProHaleiwa Hawaii
1996Quiksilver Roxy Women's ProSunset Beach Hawaii
1997Quiksilver Roxy Women's ProSunset Beach Hawaii
1998Sunsmart ClassicBells Beach, Victoria
1998Diet Coke Surf ClassicManly Beach, New South Wales
1998Tokushima ProTokushima
1998Kahlua OpenHuntington Beach, California
1998Rip Curl Pro FranceHossegor
1999Sunsmart ClassicBells Beach, Victoria
1999Diet Coke Surf ClassicManly Beach, New South Wales
1999Newquay ProNewquay
1999Roxy Pro Sunset BeachSunset Beach Hawaii
2000Billabong ProGold Coast, Queensland
2000Elleven Pro Women'sHuntington Beach, California
2000Rip Curl Pro FranceHossegor
2000Quiksilver Roxy ProSunset Beach Hawaii
2001Billabong Pro TahitiTeahupoo, Tahiti
2002Roxy Pro FranceSouth West Coast
2003Roxy Pro Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland
2004Roxy ProHaleiwa Hawaii
2006Billabong Girls ProItacare

Film appearances

She has appeared in the movies Blue Crush, Billabong Odyssey, Step into Liquid, and the 2001 documentary 7 Girls.

Television work

Beachley narrates the Seven Network factual series Beach Cops.
Beachley also voices the Character Calypso in the Australian Children’s Cartoon Bluey on the ABC Network.

Personal life

Layne Beachley was born Tania Maris Gardner on 24 May 1972 in Sydney. 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 Neil. 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 at the age of 28. Her biological mother already had a nickname for her, beach. 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 sewage outfall protests or promoting the sport and charities that she is close to.
She married Kirk Pengilly, a member of the Australian rock group INXS, in October 2010. They renewed their wedding vows in 2014 after Layne lost her wedding ring whilst surfing. Layne first met Kirk in 2002.

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. 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.
At the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Beachley was appointed an 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. She was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for her back to back world titles in 1998 and 1999.