'Wake butt' award prompts wakeboarders to create video on sexism in sport

For a group of fierce female wakeboarders, including Saskatchewan's Ashley Leugner, the "Wake Butt" award was the final sexist straw.

In previous years, Alliance Wakeboard magazine, based out of California, offered an award for the top female wakeboarder.

This year, the award disappeared and Wake Butt of the Yeararrived featuring shots of the winner from behind in skimpy attire.

That prompted outrage from female wakeboardersaround the world. Within hours, a group of about 30 of them were collaborating to make a video to raise awareness about what they saw as sexist attitudes towards women in the sport.

"I think the major thing here was they removed a prestigious award that riders in the past that have won have been very proud of receiving," said Leugner, an internationally recognized female wakeboarderwho lives in Regina.

"They removed that award and then added an award that was a Wake Butt award."

Leugner was quick to get involved in helping to write the script for the video, which was released on March 8 in Australia to coincide with International Women's Day.

It includes shots of some of the world's top female wakeboarders, with quotes encouraging the next generation of girls.

Angelika Schriber who was nominated for the Wake Butt award is in the video, paired with a quote saying "for the girls who've been objectified and reduced to a body part."

Alliance Wakeboard magazine posted aresponse to the backlash it's received about the Wake Butt award,saying it didn't select a female rider of the year this year because"there was not a clear standout to us in all categories" on its website.

"To be clear, the award was not 'replaced' with the lighthearted 'Wake Butt of the Year' award," the magazine posted.

People kind of judge you on your looks more than your talent.- Ashley Leugner, wakeboarder

Leugner disagreed, saying a prominent German wakeboarder named Julia Rickhas been pushing the sport's boundaries and landed tricks in 2016 that no one had ever landed before.

"It felt like she got left out or completely forgotten," Leugner said.

Rick is featured in the last section of the video landing a difficult move called a toe-back five. Leugner said it's the first time she knows of that a woman has landed the move.

Decreasing support

Leugner herself is a six-time Canadian champion and has been on the podium at the Wakeboard World Championships, placing second among women in 2009.

But her wakeboarding beginnings date back to when she was 14 in Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask., where she grew up "right on the lake," Leugner said.

"It was perfect to nurture my love for the sport."

While Leugner's experience in Canada was largely positive, things changed when she started to compete internationally and travelto the U.S. to train for half of each year.

"I was very fortunate, I feel like. At home in Saskatchewan I had a lot of support around me," she said.

Outside of her home province, shefound a world where riders were judged based on their looksand female riders would compete for a $2,000 top prize, while themen's top prize would be $25,000.

"It's just hard when you're in a sport where, you know, you wear skimpy clothing and people kind of judge you on your looks more than your talent," Leugner said.

Lack of encouragement

Leugner said that the current reality of wakeboarding doesn't make itso appealing for women to pursue.

"Maybe for a hobby, but not for a career. And the industry is making it that way by not paying the athletes and notrewarding them," Leugner said.

She said the video was designed to change the conversation and curb some of the sexism in the sportfor the next generation of girls.

Within 24 hours, the video had more than 60,000 views on Facebook and YouTube.