As Surfing Makes Its Olympic Debut, Billionaire-Owned WSL Hopes To Catch A Wave Of Opportunities
Yesterday in Forbes, Isabelle Bousquette - who's byline reads "I write about billionaires for Forbes" - wrote about surfing's most famous billionaire.
In what was a fairly pedestrian article, no doubt given the green light simply cos of the Olympics, a few nuggets of gold were found in the bottom of the pan. Among them:
- Ziff invested $25 million into ZoSea in 2012, after ZoSea acquired the ASP for nix.
- In 2017 he invested a further $25 million - the figure gleaned from a recent lawsuit.
- Though it isn't clear, the timing would indicate the second $25 million was what he paid for the Kelly Slater Wave Company (pool revealed in 2015, money paid in 2016, the same year the Woz bought KSWC)
- One-time Woz CEO Paul Speaker was sacked, with Ziff paying $12 million for the majority of Speaker's ZoSea shares.
- Pre-pandemic, Ziff was rumoured to be shopping the League around, asking price $150 million.
- Beach Grit gets an appropriate name drop.
There's also a bunch of stats and figures - YouTube views, hours of online content watched - that seemingly assert the Woz's rising popularity but they're nonsense figures one and all.
Comments
Pretty major slam down from the mainstream press.
They usually get their gushing smoke and mirrors advertorial printed without any questioning from credulous journalists.
Surfing is like any other art form , it needs its benefactors.
Ziff and the WSL enable a group of the world's best surfers
to be professionals in their art ,otherwise probably not available
to them. Bankruptcies have shown corporate sponsorship does
not cut it.
"Surfing...needs its benefactors"
Does it? I seem to be getting on just fine, same as every other surfer I know.
But hey, if someone wants to bankroll my life choices I won't turn them down.
Big call but give me an hour with the guy and the whole thing would be set right and make a fortune.
he be playing with our beloved sport like a cat with a ball of string. what u think craig?
Humans are f*%$# mad. The way we can take a simple, honest, enthralling, fluid, natural, energising and soul nourishing thing like surfing and dress it up and parade it down the street in a glittering facade of shit - all the while spouting mantras about professionalism of the sport being able to release the worlds huddles masses from poverty.....bloody hell. Im going to stop before I sound like Karl Marx....but bloody hell capitalism has some shit to answer for.
When is enough enough?
Nailed it! Thank you
Your right it’s becoming a joke
Nailed it Bungan33!!
It went from a way of life, to a way to make money.....
Until it made money the mainstream frowned on it and didn't want to know about it!!
Ziff and the WSL must be praying for pumping Mex and Chopes.
It would certainly drive away any 'new, organic viewer' if they got crappy waves,
It's like the closing scene in Mad Men. And folk are still wondering who to blame for crowded breaks...
Nah, Nick Carroll has already proclaimed that because crew took up surfing during Covid*, that it was evidence that 55 years of promoting surfing for commercial reasons had no effect on surfer numbers whatsoever. It definitely wasn’t responsible for every well known break being crowded!
*Certainly had nothing to do with every other activity being shut and the fact that surfing could be done whilst social distancing during everyone’s new found free time.**
**Sarcasm
***Yep, got it!
I'm not sure the Olympics boosts the number of spectators for a given sport. Who watches gymnastics or equestrian outside of the Olympics
I think that's it. I look forward to watching a week or two of hockey every four years, but wouldn't seek it out otherwise.
But maybe it's a bit different for more exciting or 'cool' sports... or maybe it's unproven because these sports are new to the olympics.
Storm in a tea cup (again). If no-one watches surfing comps, problem solved but heh, virtually everyone here does watch them so can't complain about wsl without being a total hypocrite.
Never met a billionaire but they all come across as egotistic assholes to me.
Personality disorders. We’ve all got them but most mortals only get to inflict theirs on a few other people at a time at best. Billionaires get to affect the lives of millions with their bullshit.
I honestly believe there should a maximum amount of wealth any one person/ family / corporation can attain.
Every Billionaire is a Predator
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2020/07/16/every-billionaire-is-a-predator-...
Step 1: Be the billionaire class.
Step 2: Buy up all news media.
Step 3: Structure outlets to elevate voices who defend the status quo.
Step 4: Smear non-plutocratic media who don’t protect the status quo as crazy conspiracy theorists and Russian propaganda.
Step 5: Dominate the narrative about what’s going on in the world.
~
Mainstream news is just advertising. You watch advertisements for maintaining the plutocratic status quo, then you watch advertisements between those advertisements for useless crap to make plutocrats even richer. It’s all just different layers of marketing. When I was getting my journalism degree they used to talk about journos selling their souls and going into marketing, going into PR. It’s like bitch, you’re already doing that.
~
It’s amazing how after all the lies we know we’ve been told about countries our rulers don’t like, people are still all derp duhh China’s harvesting organs and Russia’s attacking our democracy and Iran wants to nuke us and Maduro’s a dictator and Assad gasses babies for fun.
~
It is true that social media platforms are run by oligarchs and depraved government agencies. It is also true that ideas and information are moving vastly faster than they used to, in a way establishment power structures can’t really keep up with. Denying either of these is dumb.
People who say “Twitter isn’t real life” really mean “Twitter isn’t mainstream life”. Obviously this bleeds into the mainstream. It’s what university culture used to be, only far more populist and democratic, and much faster.
MSM has always prevented enlightened ideas from ever moving at the speed of print or broadcast media, which means until social media they mostly moved at the speed of university papers and books. They took literally years to circulate. The speed jumped from that to instantaneous. To think this isn’t having an impact on our collective consciousness is demented. Our species has literally never looked anything like this. We’re now like a giant planetary brain in which each of the billions of internet-connected humans is a neuron. This can’t not change us.
Obviously establishment power structures are working to bring this unprecedented movement of ideas and information under tight control, but there’s only so much control you can exert over a force this big. Past a certain point it’s like trying to wrestle a tornado. We’re moving.
~
The relationship between Wall Street numbers and people’s wallets is more divorced than ever. People are more aware than ever that anything they read can be propaganda or disinfo. Deep fakes make it impossible to even trust video. Narrative itself is crumbling on all levels.
It has always been almost impossible to know what’s really going on, since the narrative about the present has always been controlled by the powerful and the narrative about the past written by whoever won the most recent war. What’s changed is that now people are realizing this.
~
Julian Assange’s Twitter account was one of the most interesting, heterodox and insightful voices in the world before he was silenced and it’s absolute bullshit that we’ve had to navigate this bizarre and confusing political landscape without the resource of his perspective.
Not every predator is a billionaire, but every billionaire is a predator.
Capitalism will let you starve to death while sitting meters away from food.
Me, a naive idiot: The world can be saved by a mass-scale shift in human consciousness into a healthy relationship with mental narrative.
Smart, realistic person: No that’s stupid and impractical. The world will be saved by monopolistic profit-chasing tech oligarchs.
Credit: Caitlin Johnstone
Its obvious.
Still relying on money to pay bills to avoid authorities who want to take my home. Need tools to build. Need batteries to run. Need boards to ride. Have been under pressure a lot. What do we do?
Surfing is now a total whore....all political agendas get pumped into surfing, you name em, they have have been in Surfing....Most likely why Potz is no longer there, he has had enough of the fakeness which never existed back in the day....
Pottz is no longer there (hopefully) because he was boring as f#*k, always repeated the same phrases and called every grown man a kid.
Biggest sell out of them all. " Pros not bros." Please give me back the bros, at least they might say something real. I almost pissed myself when they came up with life unscripted. More like, life as scripted as possible without losing all viewership.
Potz is one of the most respected surfers of all time....Joey Turpell always seemed rattled by his presence and commentary craftsmanships, and is now nothing without him....no worries m8...
Was probably a bit harsh. I always liked him as a surfer and he was pushing boundaries when it wasn't really well rewarded. I just never really liked him as a commentator..
“Surfing’s most famous billionaire.”
‘Nuff said.
What pastime represents the counter culture these days? Probably riding a fukn goat boat. Fuck it, I’m out there on one. Get outta my way, pretty boy billionaire surfers.
Grab a Boog, cheaper and you can surf heavier waves.
“There’s going to be an expansion of surfing across the globe funded by Olympic enthusiasm,” Kanga, always looking to find a new way to finger the corporate world. I'm not convinced the Idaho couch potatoes give more of a shit about surfing post the five ring corruption circus than a week ago. Maybe Owen is now the only true Bronze Aussie.
Bronzed Aussies now that was a concrete balloon of an idea. That arrogant little bugger and his big mate got hounded out of town. They were not nice people and Owen seems to be so don’t anoint him with that poisoned chalice or should I say plastic pot.
Once you try to make a buck from surfing your perspective is forever distorted.
Ian Cairns and Shaun Thomson are still bleating on about growing the sport in their 60s!!!!
Older and wiser after all these years? Any empathy for the vast majority of surfers trying to get a few uncrowded waves?
No. Growth is good is hard wired into their brains .... and business plans.
Ziff is just an extreme incarnation of a common theme. And, instinctively surfers know that major success for the WSL means far more grumpy locals than he ever could conceive.
Quicksilver and Billabong would have had similar goals. But hid this under a veneer of cool and were quite happy to flog broadshorts to the masses who they knew would never surf. So they seemed wolves in sheep's clothing.
You can hear the WSL death rattle.
Something smaller and more niche will take its place.
@Frog said "Once you try to make a buck from surfing your perspective is forever distorted."
Thanks for this Frog. That's quite a profound statement. It was in my head all day and put some things in perspective.
I've made a good living from surfing (coaching and guiding) over the years, and have kinda just let it happen.
A situation came up this week where the opporunity to really cash in on surfing came up....but it just felt wrong. It's not what surfing is to me.
Had your words echoing through my head all day today so thanks heap. That's a good perspective. It's always gotta be with love, otherwise the surfing experience isn't whole. Cheers Frog.
The ripple effects of being in the industry on a small scale are mostly pretty harmless.
But, as with many things in life, be careful what you wish for as you might just get it.....
I am sure many people who work outside the surf industry enjoy their surfing far more than those immersed in it daily where burn out and contradictory motivations can disturb your peace of mind (i.e. need more surfers or to film the semi secret spot to earn bucks but need fewer surfers cause favourite spots are packed).
It must be fun being a billionaire playing capitalist surfer while the rest of the world is just trying to survive.
The wozzle is like a bad egg fart in Ziffs world.
I think I have PSTD from the crowd increases from COVID. Because the waves have been shit on the Goldie and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten how to surf, I was dominating (in my own head) at the local skatepark. It might have been from the fear of the surfing experience lived but I could've sworn the skatepark was busier than ever, which I can't help but feel might be related to the Olympics.
I remember reading a comment that Italo had an extra 500k followers, or some other zoomer metric, since his gold medal win. I can't help but feel that the Olympic exposure won't translate to even more crowds.
Jeez I hope I'm wrong though although once the waves return to the GC, I'll get to see the hypothesis in action. Meh, IDGAF, I'm outta here when SloMo lets me.
Alempack Ideal Serrfers / Skeighterz are locked in and loaded.
Future of Surfing is here & now.
Surf / Skate Chix (You can be Anything!)
White Star Line Israeli Soldier Surfer Anat Lelior (Barbie Role Model)
Barbie Anat's (Hookline!) : "Surfing is a Sport before it's a Culture!" (Redefining Jockette's hook!)
Watch vid ending for a surprise...(All think the Tokyo Doll is modelled off "White" Anat)
Barbie : "Surfing combines speed power & flow while competing against 'Nature' & fellow 'Athletes'."
Barbie image : Switchfoot Gold Medalist is a Coloured Girl.(That don't look like Anat?)
Companion like Surfboard doubles as a date Stamp, so sister wins a free VIP upgrade.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6yFOVk-8U0k/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qAulX6znCeY/maxresdefault.jpg
Looking closer, the Olympic Surfer Doll has Green Eyes (Teresa Bonvalot is the Barbie Model)
Basically a shade darker...could be slowly expanding the surf chix market.
http://www.magia2000.com/2020-inspiring-women-barbie-ooak-role-models/
We see Brazzo Coffee Gromz from the Posh neighbourhood playing with Dark'ish Surfer Doll.
https://dzonwrx1ctmqu.cloudfront.net/images/MAT-GJL73-GJL76-02.jpg
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wBsClDq3L._AC_SY350_.jpg
Skater Chickz (Micro Grom Olympic Podium) Medal winnerz are too young to play with dolls
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-26/tokyo-olympics-three-teenagers-to...
https://time.com/6083877/olympics-womens-skateboarding-stars/
Message : "Skateboarding is performed in either Streets & Parks"
Barbie Role Model : Sky Brown (Her Original Doll looks older but it's still too young)
http://www.shackedmag.com/2020/12/barbie-honors-sky-brown-with-her-own.html
Later Mattel Tweeked it into a big sister Reddish Haired Hampton's Grom.
(The fiery red hair is vital to cling onto up town pasty white Tom Boy Skate Gromz)
https://static-01.daraz.pk/p/ea078d8935498b9268cf5329cfad33bd.jpg
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91TK0XSR1hL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
https://media.mattel.com/root/Images/MainImage/GJL78_C_20_022.jpg
Da Boyz- obviously comes with a next level Super Hero Warning!
{ Surfs Up )
Indestructible Silver/Bronze GOAT Surfer rides the Sun Roof of his (Green/Blue) Wave Mobile
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lGUAAOSw84Nf2tkj/s-l400.jpg
Skate Grom is moulded off 2013 Hot Wheels (Skate Punk)
https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Skate_Punk
https://i.etsystatic.com/14603282/r/il/858a2b/2327356898/il_570xN.232735...
Let's Skate'n'Surf
So..if we add all the messages together we get...
Olympic Ideal Gromz : "Soldiers / Super Heroes race to win the War against Boat People."
See! Nothing to fear...same as it ever was!
Why isnt Potts commentating anymore? I thought he was pretty good. Where are ya Potts?
Stu where you say:
"There's also a bunch of stats and figures - YouTube views, hours of online content watched - that seemingly assert the Woz's rising popularity but they're nonsense figures one and all." - is there a way that this can be turned into a Media Release, linked to irrefuatble data soiurces, that leads to "the surf journalism industry" (if there is such a thing) reporting on it in such a way that the WSL's advertisers have to consume this alternative truth/reality.
My interest is in encouraging/fast-tracking the fall of rome.
RR
Unfortunately not, RR.
All those social media user figures are deliberately vague. They give the impression of popularity, yet when drilled into they mean SFA. I think most advertisersing managers - at least the younger ones - are aware of that.
When a company begins an advertising campaign then they get the real figures, stats that actually mean something, such as individual users, concurrent users (industry standard), and click through rates. Since 2014, the Woz has mowed through advertisers; companies come on board, a flashy presser hits my inbox talking about the relationship moving forward, and then they disappear, replaced by another company announcing their new relationship with the Woz. Repeat, ad infnitum.
That tells you something.
More specifically, I did the trilogy of 'It's On But Who's Watching' articles back in 2014. At the time, the Woz was using YouTube to broadcast webcasts and we created software to scrape their concurrent viewers every three minutes that a webcast was running, effectively giving us stats that matched sports broadcast standards. Pro surfing viewership was woeful in comparison to other sports, and the real viewing figures weren't a scratch against what the Woz told us they were - via those fuzzy social media numbers mentioned above.
When the Woz caught wind of it, they moved their webcasts from YouTube to proprietary tech called Neulion that couldn't be scraped.
The lesson learnt was not to believe a thing the Woz say in regards to viewership.
Stu > thanks for the additional info. An update to that excellent investigative "scrapping work" you did in 2014 was what I was thinking about. I for one would love to see the practical application of the word "arbitrage" as it relates to real data vs. marketing disappear in my lifetime. The constant mis-information that Trump touted, a horrendous strategy that was eventually rebuked by the "voter fraud" fiasco has created a world where that is possible. I'd love to find a way to bring it on to pro-surfing. Not that I have anything against pro-surfing, I just hate the way our culture has been co-opted into meaningless marketing drivel. I'm open to ideas as to how we can politely undermine the system, by referencing real data. You'd think, after 70 years, the surfing journalism industry (I'm not including Swellnet in this sweeping generalisation) had grown some investigative balls but it would appear they are all beholden to the advertisers > RR
"I just hate the way our culture has been co-opted into meaningless marketing drivel."
The hideous picture at the top says it all. No culture is safe from meaningless marketing drivel.
If you build it they will come has truth in the advertising world.....
The lack of sponsorship and hope that the "hail Mary" Olympics will bring a surge of permanent eyeballs is recent proof that the Wozzle numbers are soft as jelly.
Surfing spiked briefly above twerking in July on google trends and is now back down to being sort of cheek to cheek. WSL had a brief heart beat in May / June but is now back to flat lining at low levels.
Ziff's worst ever investment unless he finds a bagholder. And... his magnanimous act gets no love from anyone but the brown nosers. Should have just bought more Apple stock.