Professional big-wave surfer; WSL commentator.
Case
Sydney Sweeney, an equity holder in sports-prediction platform Novig, starred in a nude ad campaign that female athletes say sexualizes women's sport. Novig's CEO and a Guardian columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Role at the time: Professional big-wave surfer; WSL commentator
Statement summary
Australian big-wave surfer Felicity Palmateer called the Novig ad "very damaging" for young women in sport, posting on Instagram that it was "hypersexualized content designed to sell a gambling app," not what sport looks like.
“Don't know what Sydney thinks sport looks like, but THIS is what sport looks like... not hypersexualized content designed to sell a gambling app.”
Palmateer directly condemns the ad as hypersexualized content misrepresenting what sport looks like, calling it damaging for young women in sport.
Statement dates: September 14, 2026
