Surfer Bethany Hamilton says she won't compete in WSL events if new transgender rules are upheld

    Bethany Hamilton surfing on January 30, 2022 in Haleiwa, Hawaii.

    (CNN)Surfer Bethany Hamilton says she won't compete at future World Surf League (WSL) events if it upholds its new policy on transgender athletes, saying she wants to see a different division created for transgender people to compete in.

    The WSL recently announced it would be adopting the International Surfing Association (ISA) policy on transgender participation, which requires trans-female athletes to maintain a testosterone level of less than five nmol/L for at least 12 months in order to compete in the women's division.
    In a video posted on Instagram Sunday, Hamilton asks, "Is a hormone level an honest and accurate depiction that someone indeed is a male or female? Is it as simple as this?"
      "I personally won't be competing in or supporting the World Surf League if this rule remains," she said.
        Hamilton -- a devout Christian - says the new rule "concerns" her as a professional athlete who has competed in the WSL for over 15 years.
        The rules allows an athlete who was assigned male at birth, and now identifies as a woman, to compete in women's events, if their testosterone levels meet the requirements to compete as a woman.
        "I personally think that the best solution would be to create a different division so that all can have a fair opportunity to showcase their passion and talent," she added.