Lane Davey: Pipeline Pioneer | Honoring a Surfing Legend
- Laura Day
- Apr 28
- 3 min read
At The Surf Société, we’ve always believed that surfing is about more than riding waves — it’s about honoring those who paved the way for us. Today, we’re celebrating the life and legacy of Lane “LaneSki” Davey — a true pioneer in women’s surfing, hip hop culture, and creative expression — who sadly passed away from cancer on April 26th.
We were incredibly honored to host Lane inside The Surf Société, where she shared her story with our community in one of the most inspiring interviews we’ve ever had.
You can watch the full conversation here:
A Life of Breaking Boundaries for Lane Davey Pipeline Pioneer
Lane’s journey was anything but ordinary. She began as a B-Girl breakdancer in Seattle during the early days of hip hop, immersing herself in a culture that — like surfing — was misunderstood, marginalized, and wildly creative at its roots. At just 13 years old, she was spinning on the streets, absorbing the respect-driven traditions of hip hop that would later parallel her relationship to surfing.
After moving to Hawai‘i in the 1980s, Lane took up surfing on the Big Island — and once again, found herself forging a path where few women had gone before.
At a time when very few women were even seen in the lineup, Lane began paddling out at Pipeline — one of the most critical, dangerous, and revered waves in the world. She surfed Pipeline for 15 years without seeing another woman out there, learning the wave’s moods, its dangers, and its beauty through sheer dedication and instinct. She didn’t do it for fame. She didn’t have sponsors cheering her on. She simply did it because she loved it — and because she refused to let barriers define her.
The Struggles No One Saw
Lane’s story is a powerful reminder that women’s contributions to surfing — especially at the most critical waves — have often been overlooked.
She spoke candidly about the challenges she faced:
Being told women weren’t "good enough" to compete
Being excluded from sponsorships because companies refused to make gear for women
Watching her pioneering efforts at Pipeline go unrecognized, even as the surf industry celebrated others with far less experience at the break
Despite the odds, Lane helped design the first functional boardshorts for women and inspired a generation of surfers to demand more — more respect, more representation, more opportunity.
As Lane put it herself:
"We put our lives on the line. We got nothing for it — just people getting mad at us. But we went anyway."
The Legacy of Lane Davey Pipeline Pioneer
Lane’s influence stretches far beyond the North Shore.She was a fierce advocate for documenting women's surfing history, preserving the roots of hip hop culture, and honoring Hawaiian traditions with deep respect.
Her dissertation, "Intelligent Movement: The Dynamic, Improvised, Synchronized Collective Overstandings of Hip Hop and He‘enalu as Language, Literature, and Literacy," reflected her belief that surfing, like dance, was an embodied, performative form of storytelling — one worthy of academic recognition.
Above all, Lane lived what she believed: That surfing isn’t about external validation — it’s about your personal relationship with the ocean, with yourself, and with the culture that shaped the path before you.
From All of Us at The Surf Société
Lane, it was an honor to hear your story in your own words. You inspired us not just with your surfing, but with your spirit — your courage to show up, paddle out, and keep creating new paths where none existed. You will forever be a part of the lineage we are all lucky to learn from.Thank you for everything you gave.
We hope this conversation helps more women surfers — and all surfers — understand the importance of remembering who came before, and the sacrifices that were made for us to have the lineups and opportunities we do today.
🌺 Rest in Power, Lane Davey. You’ll always be riding with us.
Watch the Full Interview with Lane above
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