Bianca Valenti - The Caregiver

BIG WAVE SURFING

ARCHETYPE: THE CAREGIVER

Day 5/135

Athletic Accomplishments

Bianca Valenti is one of the most accomplished big wave surfers in the world. What is big wave surfing? Oh, nothing much. Just surfing 15-60 foot waves that ride for 60 feet and enough power to topple a small city. It's an extreme sport that takes strength, balance, poise, knowledge of the surf, and c-c-c-courage.

Valenti has won surfing competitions, including the 2012 ASP Women's Pipeline Pro in Oahu, Hawaii and was the first ever champion of a women's big wave event in the Big Wave World Tour at Nescott Reef, Oregon (2014). She also made history as the first Women's Big Wave Champion in Latin America at the Puerto Escondido Cup. She was named one of Outside Magazine's Most Accomplished Athletes in 2018.

Character Archetype: The Caregiver

Bianca Valenti is not scared of surfing "The Mount Everest of Big Waves." She's not scared of being one of the only girls on the U.S. Junior Surf Team. And she's definitely not afraid to fight for equal opportunity and equal pay.

While making a name for herself as one of the best big wave surfers in the world, Valenti also has a way of making her surfing career about much more than herself. She fought hard for a women's heat to be included at a major surf competition in Mavericks, California, lobbying the California Coastal Commission to override the objections from competition organizers that it was too dangerous for women and guaranteeing equal pay where previously men's winnings could be 10x the women's winners.

She didn't stop at Mavericks. She gained the support of the California State Lands Commission, which forced the hand of the World Surf League which later announced they would guarantee women's heats and equal prize money, not only at Mavericks, but throughout all WSL events.

Bianca has won, not just in the water, but in creating space, opportunity, and pay equity for women surfers. That's what I call Big Wave Energy.