A hot whisper suggests that the World Surf League is trying to undermine Hurley. Shall we investigate?
As co-proprietor of your beloved BeachGrit it should come as no surprise that rumors come in fast and furious.
Bam!
Bam!
Kelly Slater is a chemtrail?
Bam!
New wavepool for San Clemente?
Bam!
Sometimes their veracity is worth chasing. Worth spending the time, energy and resources to dig for underlying truths. Mostly it is not and do you want to know why? Because 7 times out of 10 the rumor is true and the other 3 times it is funny!
And lets nibble a fresh one! It has been suggested by a tremendously good, tremendously inside source that Hurley, your second favorite eponymous surf brand after Mayhem, that exactly zero dollars has been spend marketing the upcoming Hurley Pro.
Zero by the World Surf League. Zero, as mandated by the World Surf League, by Hurley.
Allegedly!
No marketing!
And I kind of believe it because I have not been served one pop up ad whilst shopping for Christian Louboutin smoking slippers online, I have not seen one print ad (in the Los Angeles Times) and I have not seen one billboard or streetlight signage even in San Clemente.
Furthermore, the same tremendously handsome source has also suggested that the entire contest will be run in the double, or overlapping, heat format.
Purportedly!
But why? And the only thing I can imagine is that the WSL is aggravated by Hurley for some reason.
Maybe WSL CEO Paul Speaker thinks it is rude for your third favorite eponymous brand, after Mayhem and Maui and Sons, to simply squat on the mainland USA’s only Championship Tour surf contest without caring about his bigger, fabulous, 24 billion people picture?
Maybe the WSL is trying to flex its muscle and force Hurley’s parent company (Nike) into doing a major spend, becoming title sponsor of the whole deal like it is title sponsor of professional skateboarding’s Street League? Like, an all or nothing kind of play?
Maybe WSL CEO Paul Speaker has Graham Stapelberg in the wings really begging and pleading to be the sponsor and is thus making it very uncomfortable for your fourth favorite eponymous surf brand, after Mayhem, Maui and Sons and Stubbies, to wring any value out?
“Please…” Graham implores WSL CEO Paul Speaker while on his knees “…please my lord. Give me the Trestles contest. If it is mine, if it is the Graham Stapelberg Pro, then nobody will ever slap me again. I will be all-powerful! I will be the Graham Stapelberg Pro!”
Maybe?
Who knows but guess who’s not going to dig any further?
You’ve got it, baby!