Jessi Miley-Dyer remembers winning her first professional surfing event in 2006, earning one of those big oversized checks made out for $10,000.

She can’t remember what the men’s prize was at the time, but knew one thing: Her winnings were far, far less.

“I never really looked at the numbers, but I knew they were big,” she said of the men’s prizes back when she was competing two decades ago.

Now she is stepping down as commissioner of the World Surf League, after 13 years helping organize professional surfing contests for newer generations of athletes. And during her tenure, she made sure the women were paid the same as the men.

Pro surfers drenched Miley-Dyer with a champagne send-off at the end of the Lexus Trestles Pro surf contest held last week, her last event with the El Segundo-based World Surf League.

Miley-Dyer spent six years as a professional surfer in the early- and mid-2000s and joined the WSL in 2011.

She has been “instrumental in shaping the modern era of professional surfing and advancing equity within the sport,” league officials said when announcing her departure.

One of her biggest milestones was pushing for equal pay for women and men in 2019. The World Surf League is the first professional sports organization in the United States to claim such a feat.

Prior to 2019, women would earn half, sometimes even less, for winning events.

In 2009, for example, Santa Ana surfer Courtney Conlogue received $10,000 for winning the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, while the men’s winner earned a $100,000 check.

Not stopping with equity in pay, Miley-Dyer then spearheaded an effort to ensure the men and women athletes surfed at the same events, an initiative that started in 2022.

Previous to that, women were mostly excluded from competing at the gnarlier, heavier surf spots such as Hawaii’s Pipeline and Tahiti’s Teahupo’o. Oftentimes, they were given fewer events, in worse conditions at meager surf spots.

Most recently, Miley-Dyer drove the expansion of the women’s Championship Tour field, set to take effect in 2026, “solidifying a more equitable future for the next generation of surfers.”

Now, there will be 24 women surfers competing, up from 18. While it’s still short of the men’s 36 competitors, it’s a step in the right direction, she said.

“I think the work never stops. The idea of equal numbers would be an amazing one,” she said. “I look forward to seeing how the tour continues to evolve.”

WSL CEO Ryan Crosby said Miley-Dyer’s contributions go beyond her years as a competitive surfer, but also in her “vision and commitment to fairness and excellence.”

“Her impact on the WSL and the sport as a whole is profound, and she leaves the organization in a stronger, more inclusive place,” he said in a statement. “We’re grateful for her years of service and wish her nothing but success in what comes next.”

She choked back tears as she watched the winners of the Trestle Pro on the stage, soaking in the scene one last time.

“There were things that you would dream of,” she said. “The women really demanded some of these, their performance levels demanded an expanded tour. I think they’ve come really far.”

She said she doesn’t have any plans ahead, except taking a few surf trips, of course.

“I’ll always be the WSL’s biggest fan,” she added, “and I’m excited to see what comes next for both the WSL and our athletes.”