That’s all, folks.
Things are not boding well for our World Surf League. Writing very clearly on the leaderboard, presented by Bailey Ladders, that it is underperforming and, possibly, near an extinction event.
No hard hat able to protect from that vicious fall.
Take Bailey Ladders, for instance. It was one of the celebrated MOMENTUM IS REAL sponsors of the 2023 Championship Tour. Yes, a regional Australian ladder company. Jeep has been downgraded to Great Wall Motors and Barefoot Wine to… I honestly have no idea what is worse than Barefoot Wine, aside from Great Wall Motors, so par for the course.
And let us re-read the exciting and/or exiting press release from just four years ago.
The World Surf League (WSL) 2019 Championship Tour (CT) season kicks off today in Australia and will see the world’s best surfers returning to the global stage, with the Quiksilver and Boost Mobile Pro Gold Coast. The 2019 CT is set to be the biggest year in surfing yet with incredible partnerships, broadcast innovations, the launch of WSL Studios, equal prize money and the WSL Women’s Initiative.
WSL is proudly supported by global partners Anheuser-Busch, Red Bull, and Jeep, in addition to many of our regional and event partners all over the world – some of which include Quiksilver, Roxy, Rip Curl, Billabong, Vans, Boost Mobile, Hydro Flask, MEO, Woolmark, Swatch, Barefoot, Jose Cuervo, Polo Blue, TropicSport and many others.
The WSL is equally excited to welcome new partners Red Bull, Breitling, Outerknown, Harley-Davidson, BFGoodrich, Boost Mobile and New York State Division of Tourism.
Quik, gone. WSL Studios shuttered. Boost, chilling in the amateur ranks. Vans pulling out of the biggest surf competition on earth, the only one they sponsored. Anheuser-Busch, Kelly Slater supports shooting. Red Bull still maybe supports various athletes and maybe an athlete zone, New York State Division of Tourism poking the World Surf League’s corpse with a stick but nothing more.
It’s over, folks, and so relatively quick. For new rumors suggest that season three of the much ballyhooed Apple Television program Make or Break has been cancelled, Apple Watch and all its failures likely with it, and how to keep making lemonade out of these lemons?
Seriously.
Programs cancelled before Kelly Slater’s blood sprays everywhere after mid-season guillotine.
Kelly Slater’s body miraculously revived due late night rule changes.
Now that is must see Apple TV but no.
Done.
Finished.
So what to do?
Chief of Executives Erik Logan has insisted on going back patting weird, exhuming the bones of “Throw Back Thursday” to celebrate himself and country music.
Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer protecting dogs from Covid while also not social distancing.
It’s an official wrap and I’d dare the aforementioned to prove me wrong. The erosion of legitimate sponsors plus cancellation of Make or Break dead giveaways to all but the most delusional.
Though what comes next?
Where does professional surfing go from here?
What would you like to see?
That momentum actually is real.
David Lee Scales and I, anyhow, discussed all this on our weekly chat alongside much more including, but not limited to, Erik Logan being Max Headroom’s nerdy younger brother and never washing beach towels.
Sample here and dare not to keep listening after long discussion of tongue sucking.
