BIANCA VALENTI
When Bianca Valenti asked a shaper to create a surfboard for her to ride at Mavericks, the famed monster break off the shore of Half Moon Bay, he said he'd do so only if she promised not to die.
With her signature pink surfboard, Valenti became a fixture at Mavericks, previously a male domain until she proved her mettle on waves reaching 50 feet. Valenti was awarded this honor because of her prowess as an elite big-wave surfer, proponent of gender equality in professional surfing and inspiration to thousands of women to set aside their fears and paddle into the roiling ocean to surf.
At the time Valenti began competing in big wave surfing, there weren't female divisions, so she competed against boys and often won. As a teen, she won regularly but saw that women weren't being treated as serious competitors. This led her to successes in achieving gender equality in surfing and changing the sport for women, everywhere.
She is one of 11 women who compete in the World Surf League’s big-wave tour and has been at the forefront of creating opportunities for women outdoor athletes. This league competes at such legendary big wave venues as Puerto Escondido, Mexico; Pe'ahi, Maui, Hawaii; Mavericks, California; Nazare, Leiria, Portugal; and Haiku, Maui, Hawaii.
Valenti led the charge in 2018 to get women equal prize money as men in professional big-wave surfing. Outside Magazine named her one of the Most Accomplished Athletes in 2018 along with famed climber Alex Honnold (COHOF Class of 2020 member) and tennis champion Naomi Osaka.
Most recently, she finished on the podium at the 2021 XXL Big Wave Awards for biggest paddle of the year, is a two times winner of the Puerto Excondido Cup (2018. 2019) and was the first woman to win a big wave competition at Nelscott Reef in Oregon (2014).
She has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, PBS, BBC World News, and ESPN, among many other publications. Valenti volunteers with Brown Girl Surf to promote women and girls of color to become surfers. She is equally committed to ocean conservation as an ambassador for Save the Waves Coalition and Sustainable Surf. Valenti also founded the Better Wave Foundation that seeks to empower outdoor athletes by getting them healthcare, 401k and support.
