Veeco the Redeemer
And so the Volcom Fiji Pro is back on. But was it ever off?
Yesterday the ASP issued a press release that Volcom is preparing for the Fiji Pro. The carefully worded release made no mention of last month's rumour that the Fiji contest would be canned. That news – which swept the surfing world – was neither confirmed nor denied, it was simply ignored.
Odd.
What was also odd was the timing. The Volcom Fiji Pro isn't the next competition on the tour – Bells is. It's not even after Bells – that's Brazil. Fiji is the fourth competition of the season and still two full months away. So why inform the fans about 'preparations' at this juncture unless you are attempting to quash a rumour? And if you are quashing a rumour then why not mention the rumour?
Weird.
Yet for all the oddities and weirdness I kinda like the way this story evolved. The schemer within me likes to think that someone has crafted a campaign out of someone else's car crash. It would explain the silence and stonewalling, and if publicity is your game then why the hell not?
In late February, just prior to the waiting period of the Quiksilver Pro, Billabong announced they were downgrading their J'Bay World Tour competition. In the fertile ground immediately following the Billabong news the Volcom rumour took root. No-one laid claim to its provenance yet many reported, retweeted and regurgitated the details. In the uncertain beginning to World Tour 2012 it appeared to make sense: Rip Curl put the Search on hiatus, Quiksilver dropped New York, Billabong downgraded J'Bay, now Volcom – apparently not immune to the same negative forces affecting the rest - were also opting out.
It only took a small amount of scrutiny to realise things weren't so obvious. Volcom, after all, aren't in a similar situation to the rest. Last May they were bought by French luxury goods company, PPR SA, in a friendly takeover that bolstered Volcom's finances. If 'follow the money' is the mantra used to ascertain someones economic standing then the path led all the way to Cloudbreak. By all reports Volcom are doing quite well, thank you.
In the days following the Billabong announcement I made multiple attempts to get an official statement from Volcom only to receive vague snippets of information. All the while the rumour was gaining traction, further twisting and evolving. People were talking about Volcom during the middle of a Quiksilver competition, providing great publicity at a time when they shouldn't have been getting any (fellow World Tour licensees aren't supposed to make announcements during contests so as not to detract publicity).
Even a week after the Quiksilver Pro had ended Volcom couldn't, or wouldn't, deny the rumour. On Twitter the cancellation was taken as a given. Quiksilver were struggling, Billabong were fighting for survival and the ASP was on its death knell. For Pro Surfing fans the future was looking very bleak indeed...
Yet now the news has been confirmed and the Volcom Fiji Pro is on after all! And who do we have to thank for taking the tour to one of the world's best waves and pulling the World Tour season out of a perilous downward spiral?
Yeah, that's right.
So did a canny bastard at Volcom make good marketing mileage out of a scurrilous rumour? Did he or she leverage off Billabong's misfortune by covertly orchestrating a publicity campaign that paints the Yoof Against Establishment in a glowing light? Thinking I'd solved the riddle I excitedly sent the question to the Volcom office hoping to get confirmation.
This morning I awoke to the following reply: "No comment".
Comments
Excellent. Well played Volcombo. I shall shed some hard earned coin on a Volcombo branded back pack and some stylish Volcombo branded chaps, thusly complimenting your devious marketing shenanigans.
---On Twitter the cancellation was taken as a given---.
twitter...the biggest pile of useless fuck-all in the history of mankind.
volcom were never struggling, they were sitting on a big phat pile of cash with zero debt, which made them a cash stuffed pig ready to be slaughtered.
off to market they went.
that old barney with the bunny ears was wrong...
again.
Don’t poke the rabbit….
@Whaaat,
just like bin laden, old blasphmey Rottkamp is nothing original.
their whole deal was that they wanted to force everyone else to live conform to their shitehouse opinions.
as to kooks with twittie opinions, other than corporations promoting their stuff, Twitter is for bored ass retards that want attention.
Check it for yourself... Twitter is for egotistical self-centered assholes.
rottkamp... one more epic fail.
Their announcement yesterday might have had something to do with this article which went live at 12.00am yesterday. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/sponsor-coy-on-fate-of-fiji-world-...
Roller, me ole china, I have no desire nor am I inclined - even slightly - to check out twitter, or to weigh up the value or otherwise of twits' tweets or twats. I'll take your and Sid's words for that.
I'm just sayin' that I'm enjoying the absence of rancid, mad, manic rants and don't wish any to stir sleeping dogs. Or bunnies.
I wholeheartedly concur.
@Sid
I think you are really a closet Twitterer Mate... Tweet Tweet
Go Broncos.... Neeeeeeiiiiiigggghhhh!!
@Roller
I am on Twitter and maybe I am an "egotistical self-centered asshole" but maybe not, my Surfing Friends of Substance call me a non ego surfer, but more importantly I make money out of Twitter as a Promotional Business... Lots of Money...
By the way Swellnetters Brew is Always keeping a Close, Fatherly, Protective, Concerned Eye on You Guys and he asked me to pass on this little message (Hope its Ok Stu?... tell me if not, I can remove)
B.R.E.W. †@Rottmouth
"Ask the Roller and others exactly how being on Twitter is any more narcissistic or self centered than commenting on websites?"
Other comments from Brew and @Joe32_Blow (No Relation in this Life)
B.R.E.W. †@Rottmouth
@RiffRaffBriz @swellnet That article was just a joke by Stu. No one knows what is happening: http://bit.ly/xPp33B
In reply to Iain C(SilentQ)n
B.R.E.W. †@Rottmouth
@RiffRaffBriz @swellnet Who said Fiji was in the hands of lawyers and not surfers right now... hence the "no comments?" Me? Duhhh...
B.R.E.W. †@Rottmouth
@RiffRaffBriz @swellnet You could see this a mile a way. Volcom's parent company isn't retarded like Quik/Rip/Bong. They know the numbers.
B.R.E.W. †@Rottmouth
@RiffRaffBriz @swellnet If they run this year, it will likely be the last, depending on their contract repercussions for pulling out.
B.R.E.W. †@Rottmouth
@RiffRaffBriz @swellnet Stu was just joking when he said it was a marketing ply since he knows there IS NO MARKET. NONE!
joe blow †@joe32_blow
@RiffRaffBriz @Rottmouth @swellnet c'mon you really think Swellnet are going to be the ones to break the story?
Thats All Folks
Love Yaz All
The Twitter Taxi
Yeah Joe, I'm well aware how informed Brewser is of our updates. I often see he's made an update on Twitter featuring a veiled comment directed toward us before even I've done an onsite proof to a new story.
He's quick alright. And he's utterly addicted to Swellnet.
One thing though: There's more to this Volcom story, but it's not what he thinks it is.
I want rashie and boardshorts with pattern used in Veeco.
Even better - black and day-glo-green in tiger stripes(random)
I recently bought various shorts/rashguards on line and the selection isn't too hot!
Does anyone indulge in Fantasy Surfer? I have tried with little success. My biggest problem is I can't afford the team I want, I end up with a vacant slot or two?
@Stu
Interesting Stu... Keep us informed, I'm told Brew is doing a Gram of Swellnet a day... Expensive Habit... but a fuckin incredible Rush!
@surferjoe,
i'm not saying that twitter is over, or that it's not a viable place for corps and individuals to market and sell stuff, it's just that there are a lot of kooks jazzing others glass with meaningless opinions......
one more meaningless way to waste time these days.
oh, and on a second note, old bunny ears is going to shit his pants over this news.
http://www.americanprosurfingseries.com/
people like to build... and people like to compete. people like to watch competition even more so than whingers like to whinge... and that is not going to go away anytime soon!.
"The American Pro Surfing Series ... will bring together some of the country’s most esteemed surfers to Huntington Beach ... [to] display some progressive surfing."
Jeez, the organisers need to get their story straight. Either they want some progressive surfing or they're running the comp at Huntington Beach. They can't have it both ways.
A lot like running the Aussie titles at Middleton...
@roller
Twitter... Yes it can be a a Time Waster and a platform for Kooks to Weird out, and some of my mates are Incorrigible Twitter Addicts... cant leave it alone... always playing with it!
Re APSS... Sounds good mate, and you know behind Wascally Wabbits Whinging, he does have an Enthusiasm for, and a love of Surfing... in fact he probably is a Kloset Kelly Fan...
and its good to see the work of people like our own Aussie Hero Ian Kanga Cairns is paying off for US Surfing.
@what
Ha... The Yanks have never been good at The Propaganda Message
good stuff 'ya got here SurferJoe, good on 'ya, and yea, anyone whinging on and on about online streaming of competitive surfing is tuning via their closet.
and if you will note, professional mod con surfing in all of it's forms, even those that old bunny ears has been "proofreading: for, are quite good at taking out all of these kooks mining our stoke...
barnolds jazzing everyone else's glass.
Hmmmmm, many's the time I had this very idea...
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/clumsy-cameraman-kills-rare...
Ha ha ha ...get in line, Whaaat.
There are plenty of barneys in this world... And if you really break it down to his rhetoric, and how he conducts himself, old blasphmey rottkamp is no different than those God hates fags kooks.
There will always be douchenozzles trying to jazz someone else's stoke.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church
https://twitter.com/#!/godhatesfags
Twitter Taxi Here
Boys asked me to ask a question Stu for Steve so here it is
Fifth Column
@V_For_Vanguardfollows you
I am you. You are I. We are they. They are us.
Media 2.0
Following
1,628 Tweets
546 Following
168 Followers
COMMENT
"I've been blocked by Swellnet. Has anyone there addressed why Shearer never published numbers for Chopes?"
B.R.E.W.
@Rottmouthfollows you
I am a humble reader, writer, surfer, and avid indoorsman with eleven assholes... each one inside the other one.
Hades · http://blasphemyrottmouth.wordpress.com
Following
16,005 Tweets
205 Following
1,008 Followers (Brew has had a Sudden Surge in Followers, maybe he'll catch me... Yikes!)
COMMENT
"Was the Chopes event carried live, completely in Aus last year? Why did Shearer not publish promised numbers? Does his career hinge on this?"
THAT IS ALL
Joe,
Brewser can still read Swellnet, in fact I know that he has been. Therefore, as he already knows the answer, his first Twitter post isn't a question but a deliberately obtuse rhetorical statement.
If he really wants the answer he'd be better asking The Surfers Journal. They published the article, not us.
The second post was just stupid.
Yeah, yeah, Joe, I've already seen Brewser's Tweet about me. Something about not being in 'the NOW'.
Little does he know I wrote this comment two hours from now. Yeah, I'm in the FUTURE!
@Stu
Check out Twitter Stu... They Went Off
Fuckin Hilarious!
Don't worry Joe. We saw it and are killing ourselves laughing too.
Very, very funny fellas.
You might wanna tell that V for Vanguard bloke that if he has beef with something written in The Surfers Journal then he's best complaining to The Surfers Journal. Silly guy has his publications - not to mention type of media - mixed up.
*This comment was brought to you from two hours in the ¡FUTURE*
@Stu
Yes Oh Wise One, keep us Future Informed... Superb Sage of Swellnet... Soothsayer of Surfing Subjects... Simply Sensational... Shit Hot!
Things that will happen in the next two hours, Joe:
The sun will set on the East Coast.
Blasphemy Rottmouth will make twenty Tweets with generic outrage the subject matter.
A flock of pigeons will Retweet them.
A flock of pigeons will each make twenty Tweets with generic outrage the subject matter.
A good looking stranger will smile at you.
Good luck!
@Stu
Very Good Stu... Mr Nostradameus... Newly Re Born
Mate I'm in Bangkok at the moment, so the last one will happen Ten Fold
ps I retweeted them too... Coo Coo... Flutter Flutter
@ Joe "Boys asked me to ask a question Stu for Steve so here it is" I didn't see where the "Boys" asked you to do that?
"1,008 Followers (Brew has had a Sudden Surge in Followers, maybe he'll catch me... Yikes!)" Brew as you like to call him has 1010 followers at the moment yet follows 205. You have 1595 yet follow over 2000. Do the maths Joe and stop being such a fence sitting / star fucking sychophant. It's not about the amount of followers it's about the content and who reads it. I am quite sure that there are a lot more people reading BR and others tweets without actively following them. Yet all of yours are driving people to your FB page for inane updates.
You are totally missing the point pal. Get with the program.
@Michael P
Star Fucking??? who??? Brew, a Star??? btw he calls himself that.
read my bio... I'm only in it for a laff
Get a Life... I was joking about Brews followers
Content on fb and Twitter?? I dont give a Rats Arse about content
Fence sitter... always put a word in for Swellnet, who I admire
You think I take this or Twitter seriously
and btw they DM'd me.... sorry not for ur eyes MP
The program??? wot fucken program
I use fb for business I want to drive people to my fb page
@Michael P
btw MP, I dont fuck Stars... I do fuck beautiful Brazilian, Thai and Indonesian Women.... girl in every port so to speak
and I know a few "famous" people... know what? ... their shit still stinks
@Michael P
INANE??? Of course they're inane.... I am inane, I like Inane things... Huskies, Waves & Women and drinking Beer, Red Wine, Surfing, Speaking Shit etc etc etc
I also support, sponsor & advise etc young Indonesian Surfers...
What do u do for the Betterment of Surfing MP???
btw... loved your Car Chase MP... I was the Inane, Star Fucking, Sycophant Sitting on the Fence at the Story Bridge waiting for u
rottkamp has a thousand twittie kittie "followers" out of 500,000,000 Twiter users?...
that put's him in the .0002%!
funny thing is this .0002 percentage of kookhole's tuning in also puts old Blasphemy Rottkamp in the same leaky canoe as Rev Phillip Phelps.
https://twitter.com/#!/fred_phelps
which is not surprising. as their meaningless opinions/content is both pretty much the same style... pumped out of the same hater crater.
Hey Rolls
Guess we can deduce u dont send Chrissie Cards to BR no more matey
Surfah Joe,
Next holiday go around, could you forward these two to old bunny ears?
Cheers!
http://bluntcard.com/launch/310.php
http://bluntcard.com/launch/360.php