WSL Season Overview 2024
WSL Season Overview 2024
2023 was an incredibly messy year for the Santa Monica-based World Surf League.
For unknown reasons — perhaps failure to deliver on his entertainment-driven audience growth project, perhaps personal peccadillos, or both — CEO Erik Logan was spectacularly fired mid season, mid-event in Brazil at the end of June. The sacking was right on the heels of a judging brouhaha and Brazilian revolt on the concluding day of the Surf Ranch event in May.
The League, bankrolled by Floridian billionaire Dirk Ziff, found a scapegoat for that event, with Australian Head Judge Pritamo Ahrendt quietly let go in October under cover of the post-Finals media doldrums.
Both of those events cast a long shadow into the new Pro Surfing year, about to kick off in less than 2 weeks time at Pipeline.
For all his faults, Erik Logan was an incredibly involved and front-facing CEO with a strong vision. He steered that ship with a firm, albeit risible, hand on the rudder. He might have steered it in the wrong direction, straight for the rocks, but the overwhelming impression now is of a rudderless ship, aimlessly drifting in a sea of fan indifference or even hostility.
The Final 5 concept has been widely panned, especially under its current manifestation at Trestles, and Toledo's back-to-back Titles have been asterisked after dubious performances at Pipeline and Teahupoo. It's not that we haven't had small wave specialists as World Champs before, it's just that the prevailing arc of history had produced world champs who became masters of heavy water. Toledo seems not only uninterested in that progression, but actively resistant to it.
The CEO of an organisation steers the ship, sets the course, and 2 weeks out from the start of the new season it's now too late to change course for this year.
What's not too late to change is the direction and emphasis of judging. The two most important figures in Pro Surfing are the CEO and the head judge. Both were scrapped last year but the head judge was replaced. It was Paul Keating who said “change the Prime Minister, change the country”. The same logic applies to the head judge and Pro Surfing.
The new head judge is Brazilian Luiz “Luli” Fernando Steffen Pereira, former Women's head Judge. We have no idea how Luli will change the judging emphasis or scale after Pritamo's rigorous reign, which the Brazilians saw as favouring Aussie power surfing over innovation and progression.
With Pipe, Sunset and Portugal all likely to favour rail surfing or tube-riding we may not even see Luli's influence until Bells or Margies or even later. It will eventually have a decisive influence on the direction of the sport and the surfers it favours. Potential winners include Medina, Italo, Toledo, Griff Colapinto and Jack Robinson. Potential losers: Ethan Ewing, Cal Robson, John Florence, Jordy Smith.
Even a subtle shift away from Pritamo's favoured power surfer attack could have profound consequences, somewhat mitigated by the front half of the Tour being overloaded with heavy water and cumbersome sloping face waves.
Judging has much less influence on the Women's Tour where generational forces are having a much larger impact. Improved skills, repertoire and above all tube-riding are forcing rapid adaptation or irrelevancy amongst the top 10.
Current World Champ Caz Marks is the perfect link figure between the two camps, still capable of old school rail game and conservatism but with the tube-riding chops of the teenaged phenoms on Tour.
Pipeline presents the biggest dividing line in Women's surfing currently with a non Tour surfer, Moana Jones Wong, in a completely different league compared to the current Tour surfers. Some elite women surfers, like 8-time Champ Stephanie Gilmore, have shown no interest in keeping pace with the front-runners. Like Toledo, Steph has calculated the risk/reward and largely avoided Pipeline. Others, particularly Molly Picklum and Carissa Moore, are only a notch below Jones Wong and on steep learning trajectories.
Unlike the Men's Tour the pace of progression remains high amongst Women. Partly as a result of skills progression, partly as a result of improved athleticism, partly from increased experience at Tour locations like Pipe and Sunset Beach.
By contrast the Men's Tour has very much plateaued. Progression has become much more incremental. Backside tube-riding at Backdoor remains a skill very few dare attempt with Gabe Medina well out in front. Rail surfing has been refined to a high degree by Ethan Ewing, particularly at Sunset Beach and J-Bay, also by Filipe Toledo at the same locations.
But there's been no seismic shift since JJF's performance at Margaret River in 2017. Progressive surfing has barely advanced since Dane Reynold's Tour and freesurfing clips from over a decade ago. It's hard to see any of the current crop of rookies elevating the sport to any new level, or even competing for the Final 5.
Benchmarks in heavy water lefts still seem in place from Kelly Slater at Cloudbreak in 2013 and Kelly and JJF at Teahupoo in 2014. Those highwater marks for Kelly now seem like precedents for a decade of decline, arrested briefly by the brilliant win at Pipeline in 2022.
The relationship between Slater and Pro Surfing now looks like unhealthy codependency. The league can't quite let go of it's biggest star despite him being cold product at everywhere but the Pacific lefts. Ironically, chances of him making the cut to surf Cloudbreak are next to nothing and he'll need some special dispensation of the rules to surf Teahupoo in the Olympics.
Kelly himself told us he would stay on Tour until the guys below him came and took his spot, which is exactly what happened when Liam O'Brien smoked him at Margaret River last year. Yet here he still is, preventing deserving surfers below him from taking up his Tour spot which he lost fair and square.
Do I still want to see him compete at Pipe, Teahupoo and Cloudbreak?
Of course I do. Until the crack of doom. But we don't need to see him scrap around in onshore Portugese close-outs or high tide Rincon anymore, struggling for a double digit heat total.
This year looks like a holding pattern. Next year, with new leadership, anything could happen.
Forced into a prediction I'd say: The Cut and CS will be scrapped. It devours too much Pro Surfer talent. Forced into early retirements or back to a second tier tour where they are worth very little to their sponsors is not a tenable situation.
Back to wavepools next year. Possibly two events.
The big curve ball is a wholesale ownership change if they can find another billionaire or petro-state monarch who sees some kind value — perhaps sportswashing or greenwashing — in owning a Tour that seems as far away as ever from getting in the black.
Comments
Doesnt Kelly sponsor cloudbreak ?
No.
He sponsored it for one year- it was supposed to be a 3 year deal- reneging because the Fijian government didn't support it.
Corona is presenting sponsor this year.
New hips new Kelly. Watch this space ;-)
so is the rumour true about hip replacement?
Not a replacement @johnwise, but a labral reconstruction.
Found this transcript from a Kai Lenny interview. Not a new hip but as good as. Must have been pretty painful and limiting in range of motion and gotten steadily worse.
"Slater, who’s fifty-one, said his hip has been real bad ever since he did the splits on a wipeout at Sunset thirty-two years ago and thought he’d snapped his femur. A few years later he was towing in Tahiti and doing flips off the back of waves when he landed weird, hurt his hip, and then in the summer of 2000 he went in for surgery to clean up the mess.
Twenty three years later he was back on orthopaedic surgeon Warren Kramer’s operating bench for a complete Labral reconstruction,"
Kelly still on for wildcards??
Up till Margaret River Sean.
Has there ever been a more lo-fi run-up to the start of the Tour?
Almost a dead zone from the WSL - despite an El Niño winter for Hawaii.
No Make or Break to hype up- they just seem to have given up.
Truly bizarre stuff.
I’d love to get the inside word on why they can’t even find a CEO 7 months after abruptly sacking ELO. There must be a bit going on behind the scenes methinks
Are we all feeling less and less enthusiastic about the WT with every passing year?
I know my indifference begun with the final 5 implementation.
Unless a cooking forecast is on the cards I now skip past entire events. It’s more entertaining and economical to just read Steve’s recaps.
+1 Not interested unless its pumping.
The bits I'm most looking forward to this year:
- Fiji
- Women charging big pits
- Steve's write-ups
hopefully the elite pros will be surfin big Hawaiian waves this week.
https://www.swellnet.com/reports/hawaii/oahu/north-shore/forecast
Check the forecasted winds though, they have been cursed so far this winter with bad winds for most of the North Shore spots - bummer!
totally agree, free surfing clips r way more fun
That's a nicely written history lesson freeride - cheers
It’s like DZ has called them on their bs money wasting and everyone is afraid to do anything. Like praying mantises trying to hide from a predator “if I don’t move he can’t fire me”
Look out for DZ’s Deathray!
With a Brazzo running the leaking ship, expect high scores for 2 turns and a rotation at the end of the wave. Surf conditions will be on hold when it's over 8 feet, optimal conditions will be onshore 4 ft slop ie the Sth American leg, Chopes and Pipe will be swapped out for more friendlier waves that adhere to getting air also extra points will be awarded for the lavishness of your claim. Im usually pumped for the start of the tour but after the last few years I can be fucked with it anymore. Not sure what they can do to draw the punters back in?
Way more punters in Brazil than there are here
Where did Pritamo end up? Move sideways within the industry?
Smidge harsh on Fil with the asterisk. There will be no real asterisk, just a metaphorical one that isn't of his doing.
It seems interest in the women's is catching up with the men. Will be interesting to see how Sally goes.
Wrong belly it is his doing as Steve said seems disinterested in tackling the asterisk. You got to go when it is heavy to be a world champ - he paddles the other way.
Can you please do a 'Where are they now'. First article featuring Elo.
The judging has been favouring power surfing?
LOL.
And it seems that there are areas of the surfing world with very mixed up ideas about what is "progressive". Jerkily pumping down the line burning sections to do an air is not progressive.
Gabe Medina's words.
"It is quite clear that judging is now rewarding very simple surfing, seamless transitions and have taken critical turns in critical sections off the criteria. This is very frustrating and is stagnating the sport.
Fans and sponsors will not accept this to continue and will in a near future be drawn away once all they want is equal and fair judging to the sport.
Also, important to note that many coaches and managers have had the opportunity to speak to WSL after heats/events to ask about PROGRESSION and VARIETY in the criteria and the lack of reward for this space. The response given by them is always quite defensive by giving poor examples to illustrate THEIR point".
I'd love to know what critical turns in critical sections were not rewarded.
It's also nonsense to suggest that seamless transitions are simple, let alone 'very simple'. If they were, every tour level surfer would be seamless.
I agree 100%.
To Gabe - So you can't be easy on the eye when making a critical hack; we have to watch rotations ad nauseam (watching someone trying to wiggle out a poo for the whole wave till they pop it); strongly disagree.
Slater = 'cold product'
100%
Old, cold and shiney gold.
Before the Finals concept, even the bad years were good in some way. It's maddening that everyone clearly hates the concept, yet there it still is.
And yep Slater should have just got (deserving) wildcards for Pipe and Teahupoo, the rest is silly.
Wondering about Saudi's as buyers of the WSL?
akin to Liv golf - as a tool to spin away their poor human rights records etc.
To be clear. I would NOT want it to happen - if u think it's bad and unresponsve to core surfers now - can you imagine the superficial circus it would become under that leadership? Kelly's a shoe-in to play the Greg Norman role for the biggest pay cheque of his lifteime? I wouldn't be blaming a single pro-surfer past or present for taking the pay cheque but cannot imagine I could endure the end product
I imagine WSls small audience radically reduces its utility to the Saudis... but perhaps they would just blow up the soundbites and video grabs into the mainstream content market ... punters who have never seen a wave break love the surf lifestyle - that's what allowed Quick, Rip and Billabong to enjoy such enourmous global growth... or was theat a phenom of the 1980-2010 period and now surfing is a no longer a sunny rebeliion of youth and just the sport your uncool parents liked
thoughts - anyone know more about Liv golf and the saudis ... I'm kind surprised they haven't marched in an tried to buy the tennis tour (soccer - too expensive? MMA?). They have apparently had a good $20B look at F1
The product would probably get better. The issue at the moment is that they aren't propped up by surf company money anymore, so they have to make commercial decisions rather than purely surfing ones.
Was interesting to see Lexus sponsoring Pipe, that might be promising.
Spot on
I'd have to laugh if it gets to the point where pro surfing needs an oil daddy to pay everyones salary, who cares at that point
Saudis have started LIV golf because they can play golf in their country and potentially generate decades of tourism out of it. Main guy Yasser is also an avid golfer.
Obviously for the Saudis both those things don’t apply to surfing unless they go all in on the greatest wavepool(s) ever made.
The main issue comparable to LIV golf is that the WSL are very vulnerable to a rebel tour. They currently own the ability to crown a world champ and that’s the only thing keeping any of the competitors there. A wealthy benefactor (maybe even the Saudis) could do a similar thing to LIV golf and simply start up a rebel tour, contract the best surfers, maybe introduce a team format and take surfing to the best waves. The “rebels” would sacrifice the opportunity to be world champ but like LIV golf, the remaining surfers with the WSL would eventually be at best token world champs.
However, I don’t think a single entity has enough money or motivation to do it like the Saudis have done with golf.
Saudis might still do it, the WSL is more vulnerable than ever.
Other option is someone comes in and buys the WSL for a dime. If JJF and Medina lose interest and stop competing then the organisation is essentially valueless
What tour.........i had forgotten about it.......yawn
Should start at snapper and end with pipe............sound familiar..
Yep !
The corporates submit to Brazilian death threats with Brazilian head judge...
... bring back the Dream Tour, .
.
i still have a tear in my eye over the omission of j-bay - whoever made that decision needs a stern talking too!
good coverage steve, and it will be interesting to see whether there is any definable change in the judging....certainly when richie p left the scale appeared to be lowered (ie harder to get high scores) but my own view is that the scoring had started to creep back up again last year (also, maybe they could a higher score than 10 for something that is better than perfect like Cal R's death barrel??)
as always, i'm looking forward to things kicking off again
Looks like a continuation of flip flop surfing which is really sad. It's pretty obvious the WSL understands how lucrative the Brazilian audience is. Increase the number of events and aim for good wave locations as the volume of audience watch online and don't want to see the best surfers in the world surfing small crappy waves. Trestles to be replaced by Pipe at the end of the year but included within the old format.
I would argue very strongly that EE's rail surfing is as progressive if not more so than any "whirly bird" air being done by anyone else.
If a new head judge rewards the air style of surfing even more than they do now then I would think viewership would decrease even more so, along with the boredom that the final 5 BS provides at Trestles it's a sinking ship and it's time to hop off....
Would be funny if "power surfing" isn't clearly rewarded and exponents of said power surfing took to social media raising concerns and I wonder what the response would be from both the surfing community and the WSL.
Yeah Ethan, and John, are the most progressive surfers on tour, and get pretty consistently underscored, especially when compared to those who complained about the judging not rewarding progression.
Completely agree.....Not sure if you saw the comments Jordy made on Stabs series of "how surfers get paid" regarding Gabby and Italo not capable of doing what JJF does on a wave as far as big turns go? I would highly recommend checking it out.
Yeah, great series, and Jordy is spot on.
Completely spot on....
Where Gabby and Italo pump to avoid sections JJF and EE use their rail to get speed from it. Speed + power + flow = progression.
Absolutely....nothing I hate more in competitive surfing than watching someone race a wave that has turn sections only to do one air whizzy , where the wave would have allowed 3-5 turns.
Sadly once wind goes onshore ,quite often at all locations the contest becomes an air show regardless of what head judge may say
Look at junior world title this week at Oceanside California
A joke
An air show hence sierra Kerr and Jeff shilling won doing airs
So boring
Sierra charges big waves mate. Way harder than the current men's **champ. She won because she IS the best female junior in the world IMHO
Bring on the Arabs , and create a no cut tour . The Dubai wave park is only the start . They will create a bigger better .
Bring on the Arabs and create a Full cut tour. Ala the Hunger Games! Watch performances go through the roof.
Yawn.,.. let me know when JJF or his brother drop another YouTube clip... !
Liked Backdoor shootout format, maybe get Eddie Rothman to head wsl... :)
Hopefully the new head judge ditches this trend of scoring the big dogs against their potential, not their opponent in the water. Thinking of JJF and Gabby especially, they’ve both been criminally underscored for years.
One of these is not like the other...
Disagree, both are regularly scored against their potential. Love him or hate him, Medina’s abilities are undeniable.
His abilities are competitiveness, not falling, backhand tube riding.
But like Jordy said, doesn’t do good turns.
And certainly gets overscored more than underscored.
Nah, his turns are shit lol
Think when Jordy talks about his turns he's talking in waves above 4-5 feet, for example margs and sunset etc....and still watching this imo he's good but not great in comparison to JJF and EE. Clearly rips and no one could deny that but to me I think Jordy is bang on...and I guess that's where the judges have their work cut out.
Thanks. Video proof of my point.
They are shit. Slow, uncommitted. Give me Owen and even a few other brazos goofies any day.
I wouldn’t call that frontside grab rail a shit turn
https://youtube.com/shorts/6Pla-cbYiG4?si=RBbOOdZ94mFBHFx3
Enough said hey.
But not a great turn by top level standards
Take your anti brazzo blinders off mate.
Care to make an argument over Gabbys backhand power surfing compared to JJFs? Night and day as far as i'm concerned. JJF is good on the backhand but not groundbreaking.
Gabby is full throttle raw power, one of a kind. Prove me wrong.
Happy to help you along @stamos.
Just the first minute should do.
Looking forward to seeing the footage of JJF or Ethan doing something similar on their backhands. They're definitely the equal on their forehands. I reckon JJF would be close in the Cloudbreak heat he had with Taj. But don't reckon he's got that same unbridled power through the lip that Medina has. Would b happy to be proven wrong cos i prefer both JJF and Ethan as surfers anyway ;-)
That first wave was incredible
Bloody insane hey. The size of the wave and that first turn he does.....that waves double over head and he just hoiks it straiggggght up into the lip.
Then that last turn. Holy fark. Oh, and the third turn out of that weird little lip was insane too.
Probably one of the greatest waves ever ridden, that's somehow just slipped through to the keeper. Can't believe the fucken judges gave it a 9.73. Typical useless woz.
Probably some of Turpels finest work too. Credit where it's due. He called that wave perfectly. Love the Pottz 'ohhh wowww' at the end too. I miss Pottz!!!!
lol
I'll take that as a non argument.
Thanks for proving my point ;-)
You're not taking the piss?
So you're critical of others opinions but can't make a reasonable argument yourself?
Looking forward to that footage of jjf or ethan on their backhands surfing with more raw power than gabby in that jbay clip.
You almost sound like a long ago QS warrior with a grudge that knows better than all. Don't be blinded by your own dissatisfaction Stamos.
It's ok to be wrong.
But fuck ya if you wanna attack people for their opinions that differ to yours, but can't back up your own opinions with a set of balls(and evidence)
One line answers when you were so vocal beforehand? Come on mate.
This isn't the first time. You're definitely a smug little prick.
Sorry @stamos. That was a dickhead response. Humble apologies.
Everything about that first wave was so sick including the colors and textures of the wave itself. Loved that very last angle when he tags that wedgy section! And bang on about Turpel and Potts! Haha! Classic!
Actually, there was some bloke named Parko....you probably never heard of him....i remember him saying, and i quote, 'Gabe Medina is the most naturally gifted surfer to ever ride a surfboard'.
Dayum!
I would be surprised if the Saudis have even the slightest interest in pro surfing. They are very selective with which sports they invest in and/or try to take over. Their primary intention, despite what so many seem to assume due to the countless articles accusing them of such, is not 'sportswashing', it is access. They want to increase their access to big money players. They have 30odd trillion of investments in their future fund that they want to diversify away from oil as quickly as they can. They want to increase their access to CEO's of big western corps and investment firms at the places and events (Big golf tournaments, F1, Elite soccer/football etc) where such people may be found and hobknobbed (slobknobbed) with in order to build relationships and make deals. I don't think they really give a shit about sportswashing. They just want access to investments markets that have so far been difficult to enter for them. Pro surfing does not really fit that bill...
As far as the tour... it holds absolutely zero interest for me in its current state. I might tune in if a good wave was maxing and perfect. I was a rabid fan for years... I could barely tell you a single thing that has happened in the last 6 or so seasons. I doubt that I am alone. The production is simply unbearable these days and the final 5 is the biggest anticlimax you could possibly devise.
The surf industry is built on a dream, an aspirational beach lifestyle. The "dream" tour, exotic locations, sun, surf, escapism. Exactly what the Saudis are after.
And Costa Rica, El Salvador etc are full of learn to surf schools which are populated by mid life crisis execs from all over the US.
Bang on Grug!
Its 12.5 years ago when Gabriel (with John) appeared on the tour. 12.5 years is a long time. Gabriel is still the leader of the pack; the most feared; the one with the most expectations placed upon him. Personally, I think the tour is so stale that Gabriel is the only guy I really want to watch. Yago is reaching protential. Filipe recently dropped a video of the same same I quickly turned off but sure he will light up in the comps, as before. Fark this Ethan hype. I watch to watch surfers cut loose. What/who is the next indicator of "progression"?
The Final Series at Trestles appears to be some type of exhibition event. I guess the world #1 gets a 3 point heat advantage, as shown when Italo was heavily down scored in his final against Filipe in 2022. Filipe was the bona fide world champ for two years because he ended the year at #1. Its illogical to criticize the Final Series then also criticize Filipe because the Final Series is held at Trestles. I think the world #1 can only lose the Final Series when they completely mess up; like Carissa completely messed up two years in a row. I guess in 2021, Gabriel complained & the WSL just replied: "Relax, Gabe. Just go out & surf an exhibition for us".
The bigger asterisk was that in the years when JJF and Medina were fit they were clearly better than Toledo, especially in waves of size or consequence, and he's gotten lucky with their injuries etc.
But he can only face what's in front of him, and he nailed that.
Surfers get injured. John probably got injured because of this cutback shaped surfboards that give him a cutback advantage. Filipe has excelled at every wave on tour, except Tahiti & Pipe Lefts. He is no slouch at Backdoor.
The whole pro surfing experience is starting to get a little too repetitive and predictable for me. If I look at where things were around 2010 when live webcasts started being a thing, not much has changed for the better, apart from maybe the introduction of drone footage. Although the bar has been raised in terms of what surfers are capable of, how often do we get to see it in competition? Aside from Filipe's double oop at Jbay in 2017, John's performance at Margaret River, and Ethan's rail game, what are we seeing that hasn't been done before? And how often are the guys up the top end of the rankings actually meeting in heats?
As for the athletes themselves, I don't find any of them to be particularly insightful, charismatic, upbeat, or entertaining. The post heat interviews are monotone and full of "um, yeah, stoked, happy to get through, opponent is such a good surfer, god sent me that wave, didn't realise I'm world number one" cliches. I don't learn anything from these interviews, and they never make me like an athlete more than before they opened their mouth. The most action we get is a few smashed boards in a locker room, Toledo screaming into a camera, and some passive-aggressive Instagram posts. Also where are the rivalries? Nothing has come remotely close to Andy vs Kelly and there's nothing brewing either.
On top of this, the commentary is exceptionally dull. Less opinionated, less original, and all about positivity. From talking up crap forecasts, to glossing over surfer's weaknesses, to interrupting conversations the moment someone stands up on a wave to commentate it, it just sucks. Turpel is verbal diarrhoea, Laura Enever just says "wow", Kaipo sounds like he's teaching a remedial English lesson, and Mitch "I do accents" Salazar adds nothing. I'm not saying that it was ever great, but I don't understand why every word spoken has to be relevant to what is happening in a heat. i.e., you don't need to say "xyz is up and riding" every time someone stands up on a wave. We have eyes, we can see what is going on. Tell us a story, discuss concepts, talk about other sports, it could be literally anything other than the heat on hand, just make it interesting.
Furthermore, the WSL just needs to get its $h!t together. The heat draws are never published until the day before a competition. The forecasts don't go beyond three days. Rankings are often not updated until the day following each event. The "previous champions" lists for each event often have multiple years of results missing (See the current pipe masters list omitting last year's champs, or the world junior champ list missing everything prior to 2016). The post show "analysis" by the "WSL analysts" is nothing more than a recount offering almost no technical insight or discussion of the implications of each result. The highlight packages of a full day of competition barely last two minutes and are 50% location/crowd shots in slow motion, and footage of athletes getting "in the zone" overlayed with some trash music.
I could say more, but I think the point is made. I guess there's a bit to look forward to this year at least. 1. The surf can't possibly be worse than it was last year. 2. There's a solid group of 7 guys (Filipe, John, Jack, Gabriel, Ethan, Italo, Griffin) who could all win a title. 3. Fiji is back. 4. New Brazilian head judge might finally stop the flood of "robbed, stolen, Shame WSL" comments every time one of our South American friends loses a heat.
That about sums it up.
X 2
You hit the nail on the head there
Love the thoughts....especially the commentators. Kaipo teaching english haha, can you imagine hahahaha
For me there were two main issues.
JJF kept getting injured which robbed the tour of this generation's great rivalry (JJF v Gabe), and this was actually just poor luck for the WSL and the fans.
And the finals concept has made every event less meaningful, which is entirely the fault of the WSL.
Most of the problems you mentioned have always been there, but good rivalries paper over the cracks (although agree that there is more Americanised blandness now, especially in commentary).
agree with everything there except what the commentary team should be discussing... the last thing I want to hear is story time or a history lesson when watching a comp.. I wanna hear about what I'm seeing, the surfing, the tactics, the positioning, the conditions, the paddle battles etc.
Imagine watching a game of footy and all you hear about is the history of the game while they're scoring tries etc... no thanks
They've had plenty of time to get a new CEO.
Why the hold up?
Two potential reasons.
1. Organisation is in the process of being sold or someone kicking tyres.
2. They can't find a qualified candidate willing to take the job on.
All the obvious candidates have obviously been passed over.
My suggestion would be Luke Egan. If the WSL are smart they keep throwing money at him until he signs
How can Elo disappear without a trace? Is he living on a desert island, Dr Morrow style? Why is it no intrepid surf reporter looking for a scoop hasn’t staked out his local 7/11 store?
He's probably back at Toonalook
https://www.swellnet.com/news/ding-alley/2023/06/30/erik-logan-visits-to...
It’s boring
JJF looks bored out of his brain
Medina talent and guts incredible, learnt to surf chopes mid heat
Italo could of been a gymnast but he isn’t easy to watch
Jack Robbo in heavy water may be most technically brilliant surfer alive right now
Filipe does not deserve 3 titles (4 after this year?) it’s not his fault but even Kelly was uncomfortable in heavy waves when young and taught himself so it’s not like others haven’t done it
But basically the level of surfing and athletes is fucking incredible, so how has the WSL fucked that up?
I can't believe they've got rid of the best comp on the roster, J Bay. It's prime time viewing in Oz, has been a standout for waves in a few dire seasons and has seen some real progression in performances. I agree with the evaluation of Toledo but man I love watching him surf there. In terms of judging Australians and Brazilians are fundamentally opposed in their opinion of the best surfing. Brazzos favour radical moves that suit their short scrappy waves, we like power and flow. Ewing's surfing is so smooth and mistake free, while still being critical, that it has to be rewarded above an air reverse or those bloody end section reos with the exaggerated head flick (look judge that was so radical even I can barely believe I did it).
They tried to turn surfing into something resembling american football the way its watched and presented.....it was never going to work..........if they had just kept the 'Dream tour" and been happy with that it would be in a much better place now ........ most people dont know the nose from the tail of a surfboard and if your not surfing it would be hard to understand ....maybe its best for Dirk to sell up or do a fire sale and get out .
Dirk is in Hotel California - he can check out but never leave. Tour is not saleable as the flaws in its business model are too well known.
In mining exploration terms, the WSL drill hole is a "duster" with low grades and complex geology in an out of favour commodity.
One day his accountants will convince him to take the ego hit and pull the pin.
Yeah I feel that if Ziff wasn't bankrolling it, the WSL tour would be already going the way of the bodyboard world tour(s). It's just not financially viable in it's current form, and seems like they are grinding so hard to just get any sort of sponsors for the comps. All was good when the big surf companies were flying high and spending big and supporting the tour.
Good points. When you factor in their assets...(a few fibro portables, some web gear and a couple of lousy commentators) theres not alot of value to be sold at a reasonable price. You could easily set up a rebel tour for the same price as what the woz is worth.
Plus a company with such internal destruction (a vanishing CEO and judging hoo ha) you'd imagine that wouldn't exactly be enhancing the value of the product.
I reckon most non competitive surfers would b happy to see it collapse in a heap.
Something more organic would replace it.
As always an interesting read SS + readers' comments too > my 10cents worth > look at the raw stats of the Australian Open, running live this week > record crowds (1M projected to buy tickets + TV + Internet) = $85M prize pool for the players > a minimum $120k to the players, just for making the 1st round. That's a profession.
By comparison, it shows you that surfing is a "non-product"; the last few years of Dick's "wow factor" executives creating mousetrap viewer experiences pointed at offloading a DCF future of a sport that, after 50+ years, just won't bend into the commercial game.
With all due respect to the aspiring surfing athletes out there looking for a career; I hope surfing emerges as nothing more, or less, than a convivial way to commune with nature.
The key to success is not running in shitty conditions. Find a way to beat nature. Make the product more compelling and people will probably pay attention. Feels like a lot of surfers have turned their back on the tour. The core audience are no longer interested and the desired audience never were.
Also maybe the rest of the surfing world could be a little bored with the dominance of Brazil in the competitive arena so viewership outside of that part of the world can't watch it anymore?
Let's see what the new breed of American surfers are able to deliver.... I really like the look of Col Houshmand and I think he's going to mess up a lot of his competitors
Great surfin will prevail when the waves are on
Pipe wildcards announced...
That's a good selection.
Moana had to be in there.
You'd pretty much put the house on Moana if Pipe lefts are firing
She is great to watch.. local knowledge, longer boards & gets barrelled.
Chalk one up for us goofyfooters!
Shion Crawford and Jackson Bunch???? How was that decided? Don’t they run the trials anymore?
WSL presser says it is because Shion and Jackson are the 2 highest placed Hawaiians on the Challenger Series.
Pretty sure Ross Williams called Shion the best up and comer in Hawaii
Who is that young Hawaiian blonde kid that hangs with JJF a bit? He's pretty impressive, only pops up on vids every now and then, but has amazing potential.
Here we are, answered my own question: Luke Swanson
long range Pipe forecast looking real good for the start of the window.. back to back big swells.. still far away I know, but let's hope it sticks! Slater for the win and retires!
Carissa has quit the tour according to WSL insta
Assume she still has a spot at the Olympics?
Yep, she's gone.
Still surfing Pipe, and Olympics.
Timing of the announcement can't be read in any way other than a giant F. U to the WSL.
Fitting really......
Beachshit reporting Steph will go too. Maybe giving a respectful amount of time for Riss's announcement to circulate first
So a quick glance at Nth Shore forecast sees a pumping Pipe swell just b4 event kicks off followed by a big onshore swell in event window. Looking like woz have carried their misfortune from last year straight into another season. Huey hates wiz (havent seen second week to b fair).
So who runs this shit show niw? Jesse Miley Dyer and Dave Prodan. Would it b fair to say the collapse of the woz can fall squarely on JMDs shoulders, her poor decision making and business ethics, and a craving for self promotion over the good of a once great sporting organisation. Who is above her?
Furthermore. How the hell did she end up running the show? Amyone remember....anything...she did in her pro tour days?
You'd have to think that seven months later and no CEO means the Wozzle and E-Lo are caught up in the classic corporate seppo lawyer's picnic. That not one person from the inside has spilt the beans on what went down shows how scared the pro-tour hangers are of losing their gigs. Same goes for the sycophantic surf media (Swellnet not included) not wanting to lose their passes and access all pro bootlicking privileges. Wonder how the LGBTI pros are feeling about the Saudi connections? Might be some odd "injuries" coming up if a contest ever goes down there
Completely agree @surfalot, especially about the point on the possible double standards looming come Saudi pool comp. Its a joke.
So who gets their spots ? And what happens if Moana wins the first event again ? Still no spot? I don't get how that works ?
Can't believe I am saying this but the woman's tour has more way more exciting surfer's than the men's, welcome to the bizarro world wsl 2024
*Tyler's not included in above statement