Tears flood WSL's Santa Monica office. Tears and frowns.
Of course you follow the women’s surf game. How could you not? Some of the most exciting players are rising through those ranks. Is it possible to say no to Carissa Moore? What about Tyler Wright? Tatiana “The Mother of Dragons” Weston-Webb? The Taggart Women’s Pro in Craig Anderson’s hometown of Merewether, Newcastle is on hold today but you know what will not be on hold ever again maybe? The Target Maui Pro.
The final event of the season, taking place on gorgeous Honolua Bay, Maui, has allegedly lost its sponsor, Target. The rumored reason? Insufficient value to cost.
Ouch!
Remember when America’s second favorite big box discount retailer got into the surf? Signings of Carissa and Kolohe Andino, a house on the North Shore, event sponsorship, the works!
But now, many years on, the powers have glanced at the ledger and found return on investment to be wanting. One would maybe have to assume that Carissa/Kolohe sponsorships get dropped next.
Really, though, Target jumping ship begs a larger question. The World Surf League has tucked one full season under its belt. CEO Paul Speaker did the business television show circuit, promising to grow our beloved pastime massively. “The world surfs!” he shouted, jabbing a thick finger in the air. “And brands are going to want to reach those multiple tens of millions of people. Yes, the world surfs even though I don’t!”
Except maybe uh-oh? There hasn’t been one major sponsor coming on board. There have been major sponsors jumping off board. Could it be possible that basically only me, you and the other two people in BeachGrit‘s comment section care about surfing?
Will you miss Target? Will CEO Paul Speaker? If you formed a shell company right now, how much do you think it would cost to be title sponsor of a World Surf League event? Do you think $50 and three packs of gum would be enough?
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that is awesome, now if only samsung would lose interest in the whole thing too
I don’t like where this discussion is heading.
So I don’t die wondering… what or who is Trogan?
Get me the loot Waterbrothers will take care of it …
Jesus Sid, stay outta this, WaterBros and RI dont need to get involved with this…..
But with a bit of Vaseline we could
What’s the onomatopoeia for barfing?
http://www.shop-eat-surf.co…
Target’s only female surfer wins the Target event the past two years with the best waves on tour and they’re STILL ending the partnership?
I wonder if an older or younger you would be concerned at how creepy you had become.
I have the presence of mind to be concerned for myself regardless of age.
target pulling out of the surf game won’t deter me from entering the encinitas target. pound for pound the best milf-lurking target in all the americas.
That ain’t no joke either! I usually do at least two extra laps even after I have all my biscuits in the basket.
Ohhh so sorry. Bye bye.
The Mad Huey’s half a star event will be upgraded to a CT stop soon. Models showing their breakfast in tiny bikinis and beer being drunk out of a shoe while some hyper midget runs about screaming inaudible bullshit will definitely appeal to the general public.
The above photo is a great reminder as to why its best to think twice when growing a goatee type facial hair arrangement. Oh and speaking of Kolohe, I have a beach grit rumour for you all! Kolohes nemesis Danny Clayton is soon to be unemployed cause channel V is closing up shop! http://www.dailymotion.com/…
Can we please just go back contests sponsored by surf brands, beer, soda and cigs. Maybe big pharm. would like some too now that I think about it. Just image “Welcome back to the Prozac pro coming to you live from wherever” or “Yeah Slater’s arthritis was flaring up, but the good folks at Merck hooked him up with some fast acting Vioxx.”
That photo is a great argument against facial hair and short-sleeved collared shirts.
Thing is, if all the WSL has to offer viewers is Honolua and Margaret River and only if there’s decent swells, the WSL is super boring. Wheres the Pipe contest? That would be the evolution the “girls” need…a proper 10′ feet Pipeline day. All the Pipeline girls contests have been a joke si far, all of them….Extreme sports are more extreme, guys ( and KK and Andrea Moller and Paige) are paddling Jaws. Wake up people….!!!
Now is the time! Strike while the iron is hot: the “Beach Grit Presents the Women’s Maui Pro in Memory of Kolohe’s Career.” It’ll cost you less than the money you’re raking in from the damn ads that pop-over every image.
1.6 billion viewers say you’re wrong, Chas!!*
*actual number referenced by WSL PR following the Australian leg of the 2014 world tour. Fuck, there’s gonna be some golden look back moments down the track if things go sideways.
Any link or source that shows that number in their claim? I remember it and believe it, I ask out of scholarly interest to be able to cite it…
It’s in a press release — which I have kept. Along with quite a few other press releases, before they decided it was best not to do any more viewer number press releases. Did you know, for instance, that the 2014 Margaret River CT drew more than four million online visits? and the Aust leg that year was seen on tv in over 10 million households worldwide? how can Target justify stepping off such a bandwagon?
Epic. Any means of contacting you to get copies of said press releases?
Check that, those dumb fucks left them up on their website. Thanks, Speaker!
This is totally amazing. I’m going to go have to find these and frame them and sell them in our store!
Read them. Read them for fuck’s sake. Absolute magic.
Swellnet.com were also doing pretty heavy critical analysis of these publications weren’t they? Look how grown up we are.
I’ve written some bullshit press releases, and even THAT seems too far for me. You can’t claim viewership like that without proof.
I would venture to say that charmin, the toilet paper, would be a perfect fit to throwing some money towards the WSL. After all it is a big steaming pile of it, ripe off Paul Speakers hole, and needing double ply strength to remove.
When I was a bar manager I would stream all the womens contest and when they didnt run I would play the nike 6.0 womens video. Dead serious it was the best bar entertainment ever. Guys are hyped because, “hot chicks surfing” better than they can. Women get stoked because,”fuck yeah these chicks are bad ass!” Am I going to sit at home and stream the womens contest? Not really. The market is there, in all honesty get some girls up to par with the men and run coed contest at places like pipe/fiji/honolua/jbay that would be sick and also,”fuck yeah! Equality! ”
Speaker should approach the Altria Group. They’d love to market their products to fresh young customers…
Do I play basketball? Yes. Do I like to watch basketball on TV? Yes. Do I think girls should play basketball? Yes. Do I think they are tremendous athletes? Yes.
Do I watch the WNBA? No.
Yeah. That’s the dilemma for women’s sports, right there, I think.