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Wendy Botha (August 22, 1965-) |
 The Largest Surfing EncyclopediaA-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Advertisement
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It might be an indictment of surfing, but Wendy Botha is better known for her spread in Playboy than for her incredible sporting achievements.
That fact says a lot about the pro surfing reportage of the past 20 years -- that due to a male-dominated, and generally uninterested, surf media, some of surfing's greatest champions have been ignored. In such a way, the world of Wendy Botha, one of surfing's most-dominant competitive forces in the late '80s, has so far stayed off the map. And as a result, a great story of competitive tragedies, fierce rivalries, and immense achievement has largely been undocumented. An Afrikaner raised in the powerful, shark-infested surf of East London in South Africa, Botha first appeared on the tour at the 1983 Gunston Pro in Durban, aged 17. While results were a ways off, her strength and confidence were quick to turn heads. It wasn't just that she was a friendly, attractive blonde and that she tended to hang with the men more than the women (still a rarity on the women's tour), but her surfing that spoke to them -- full of snaps, cutbacks, and aggression -- previously associated solely with her male counterparts. That aggression -- which probably developed from growing up competing against men -- marked a major departure from the established "graceful" style of earlier legends like Rell Sunn, Kim Mearig, and Margo Oberg. Botha's initial competitive difficulties could be explained by her unfamiliarity with constant travel. Before joining the tour Wendy had rarely been overseas -- in the 1980s apartheid era, it simply wasn't advisable given that South Africans were virtually international lepers and their currency was rapidly dropping in value. These factors -- coupled with South's Africa's radical apartheid violence -- prompted Botha to eventually move to Australia in 1989. The arrival of the high-action female surfing style obviously appealed to the judges (probably because they could more easily relate to it). Botha quickly improved competitively, breaking into the top eight in 1985 and claiming her first world title in 1987. Constantly pushed by Burridge, Frieda Zamba, and Pauline Menczer, Botha went on to win four titles, equalling Lisa Andersen and Zamba for the most titles ever. In 1989, she claimed a record seven events, and as a freshly naturalised Australian citizen, she became that country's first female professional champion. For her career, her 24 event wins were more than any other woman. By mid-1993, she'd had enough, having milked her world-title publicity for what it was worth (including the Aussie Playboy spread -- the first-ever issue to sell out), and so moved to New Zealand to marry national football star Brent Todd. There she co-hosted a sports TV show for several years, until recently moving back to Australia. Botha even competed again recently, mainly for fun, in a few WQS events Down Under. And how exactly will she be remembered despite the lack of media documentation of her peak? "I think the closest thing you can say is that she was the predecessor to someone like Lisa Andersen," says ASP ex-tour manager Al Hunt. -- Tim MacDonald, October 2000
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