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Layne Beachley facts for kids

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Layne Beachley
LayneBeachleyAug2011.jpg
Beachley in August 2011
Personal information
Born Layne Collette Beachley
(1972-05-24) 24 May 1972 (age 52)
Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Residence Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Surfing career
Major achievements
  • 7 x World Champion 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006
  • 2005 Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year Award
  • 2003 Teen Choice Awards Extreme Female Athlete of the Year
  • Surfers' Hall of Fame (inducted 2006)
  • Australian Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 2011)
  • Officer of the Order of Australia (awarded 2015)
Surfing specifications
Stance Regular (natural foot)

Layne Collette Beachley AO (born 24 May 1972) is an Australian former professional surfer from Manly, New South Wales. She won the World Championship seven times. Currently she is the chair of Surfing Australia.

Surfing career

Laynebeachley
Beachley was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, California.

At the age of 16 Beachley became a professional surfer. By the age of 20 she was ranked sixth in the world. Beachley became the Women's ASP World Champion in 1998, and won the title again in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006. She is the first woman in history to win 7 World Championships, and only surfer, male or female to win six consecutive world titles. She shared the woman's record for most World Championships won with Stephanie Gilmore until Gilmore won her eighth title in 2022.

In 2004, Layne was given a wildcard entry into the Energy Australia Open held at Newcastle, one of the rare occasions a woman has competed in a men's surfing event.

In 2006, Layne was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame.

Beachley announced on 10 October 2008 that she would retire due to her age.

ASP Women's World Tour Wins
Year Event Venue Country
1993 Diet Coke Women's Classic Narrabeen, New South Wales  Australia
1994 Quit Women's Classic Bells Beach, Victoria  Australia
1995 Rip Curl Pro France Hossegor  France
1996 Cleanwater Classic Manly Beach, New South Wales  Australia
1996 Wahine/Airtouch Pro Huntington Beach, California  United States
1996 Wahine Women's US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach, California  United States
1996 OP Pro Haleiwa Hawaii Hawaii
1996 Quiksilver Roxy Women's Pro Sunset Beach Hawaii Hawaii
1997 Quiksilver Roxy Women's Pro Sunset Beach Hawaii Hawaii
1998 Sunsmart Classic Bells Beach, Victoria  Australia
1998 Diet Coke Surf Classic Manly Beach, New South Wales  Australia
1998 Tokushima Pro Tokushima  Japan
1998 Kahlua Open Huntington Beach, California  United States
1998 Rip Curl Pro France Hossegor  France
1999 Sunsmart Classic Bells Beach, Victoria  Australia
1999 Diet Coke Surf Classic Manly Beach, New South Wales  Australia
1999 Newquay Pro Newquay  England
1999 Roxy Pro Sunset Beach Sunset Beach Hawaii Hawaii
2000 Billabong Pro Gold Coast, Queensland  Australia
2000 Elleven Pro Women's Huntington Beach, California  United States
2000 Rip Curl Pro France Hossegor  France
2000 Quiksilver Roxy Pro Sunset Beach Hawaii Hawaii
2001 Billabong Pro Tahiti Teahupoo, Tahiti  French Polynesia
2002 Roxy Pro France South West Coast  France
2003 Roxy Pro Gold Coast Gold Coast, Queensland  Australia
2004 Roxy Pro Haleiwa Hawaii Hawaii
2006 Billabong Girls Pro Itacare  Brazil

Film appearances

She has appeared in the movies Blue Crush (2002), Billabong Odyssey (2003), Step into Liquid (2003), and the 2001 documentary 7 Girls.

Television work

Beachley narrates the Seven Network factual series Beach Cops.

Beachley also voices the character "Surfer" in the episode called "The Beach" of Australian Children's Cartoon Bluey on the ABC Network.

Personal life

Layne Beachley, Kirk Pengilly (6542793841)
Beachley and her husband Kirk Pengilly at the Sydney premiere of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2011.

Layne Beachley was born Tania Maris Gardner on 24 May 1972 in Sydney. Her mother was only 17 years old and unmarried so she was soon adopted by Neil and Valerie Beachley, who lived in nearby Manly. When Layne was only six years old, Valerie suffered a post-operative brain haemorrhage and died, leaving Layne and her brother to be raised by Neil. ..... She met her biological mother for the first time in 1999 at the age of 27. Her biological mother already had a nickname for her, "Beach".

Beachley was brought up in the competitive Manly surfing scene and was competing and winning against men at the age of 15. It was at this time that she developed her strength and style, contributing to her future success as an unbeaten world champion and big wave rider. Beachley was always available when possible for any worthwhile cause in the community, whether it was for sewage outfall protests or promoting the sport and charities to which she is close.

She married Kirk Pengilly, a member of the Australian rock group INXS, in October 2010. They renewed their wedding vows in 2014 after Layne lost her wedding ring while surfing. Layne first met Kirk in 2002. She is stepmother to April, his daughter from a previous relationship.

She is a passionate Manly Sea Eagles supporter.

Recognition

Beachley received the Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2004 and was named the Extreme Female Athlete of the Year as part of the Teen Choice Awards in 2005. She was inducted into both the Australian and US surfing halls of fame in 2006, and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2006, she was also inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame as that year's Woman of the Year; the Walk is in Huntington Beach, California.

At the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Beachley was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the community through support for a range of charitable organisations, as a mentor for women in sport, and to surfing as a world champion competitor. She was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for her back to back world titles in 1998 and 1999.

See also

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