Hundreds of thousands of twelve-year-olds weep.
You know the Vans US Open of Surfing as a pedophile’s dream. Professional surfers know the Vans US Open of Surfing as a place to Huntington Hop their way to $100,00.00. The World Surf League used to know the Vans US Open of Surfing as a place to give Brett Simpson 6 stars worth of points but maybe not anymore!
BeachGrit’s exclusive insider tells us that the World Surf League is busy making a new enemy with the Vans US Open of Surfing’s rights’ owner IMG!
IMG, a “…global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world…” has owned the event for some time and last year was acquired by the agency William Morris Endeavor, or WME. You know the Endeavor part as the agency helmed by Ari Emanuel, played lovingly by Jeremy Piven on HBO’s Entourage.
In any case, the WSL, according to our insider, does not like anyone else owning a professional surfing event. IMG/WME thinks the WSL is goofy and won’t sell its stake for the $7.86 that Graham Stapelberg has in his bank account. So there they stand, glaring at each other. The WSL has even launched the first salvo on its website, calling the event the “US Pro” and listing it as “tentative.” In your face Ari Emanuel!
If the WSL pulls its sanction then professional surfers trying to Huntington Hop their way to $100,00.00 could get kicked off tour. Such power mongering! Who do you think will come out on top? Will Ari scream at Lloyd? Will Paul Speaker scream at Graham? Will Lloyd and Graham fight? Who would win? Let’s wait and see.
I hope pro surfing dies a quick death.
Not just the U.S. Open. Over half the remaining events are now tentative. Gonna be a hard year to qualify for the CT….if there even is a CT next year.
why would it be harder? Guys will need fewer good results with fewer comps running.
Ah the age old story of two guys getting into a pissing match then one of them realizing the other has a way bigger dick.
Would pay (read: create a Kickstarter to raise) $100,000 to have Jeremy Piven as Ari announce the entire U.S. Open.
Best power struggle since Janice Aragon sunk the USSF.
I’m confused by what appears to be a newly discovered number – 100,00. Has the purse been cut from $100,000.00 to $100,00.00? I can only imagine the impact this will have on us all.
It’s called one hundred thoundred. Learn to math, dude.
See, this is why I love BeachGrit – I learn something new every single day!
saturdays is owned by a billionaire japanese firm. many bought into the idea of a kool, locally grown small nyc surf shop. but that would be all wrong. the branding is to make people feel its real and local. how u think they pay of that 500 page all color no ads mag thrice a year?? and open another store in hi rent district? latte sales?
Isn’t this the event the US guys use as their one QS event in their “region?” If this gets pulled what options do they have?
Lowers is a prime event.
Are we talking about the Oakley event that starts in 9 days?
indeed. For as fubar as the WSL is, you can actually see the events on their website!
I realize they post the schedule on their website. Since the decision hasn’t been made yet to remove the sanction for the US Open and the WCT guys are mostly in West Oz it’s a case of shit timing?