Our benevolent leader has taken his last gasp of salt air
I know what you’re thinking. This should be Chas’s piece. Only he retains the power, privilege, and wherewithal to bid proper adieu to the WSL’s benevolent patriarch, Mr. Paul Speaker.
Believe me, I’m with you. But Chas is either asleep or boarding snow or whispering sweet nothings to a hungover and regretful Travis Rice. In which case I am the one to deliver this sullen news.
The WSL’s CEO and major financial backer, Paul Speaker, has released a statement on the WSL website announcing his resignation. After five years of developing the shriveled, dilapidated ASP into our pristine, cocksure WSL, Speaker has called it quits in order to “spend more time with family.” He will however remain financially invested.
For now, WSL majority owner Dirk Ziff will take over as interim CEO until a full-time replacement is established.
Will we get a surfer this time around, or another corporate head? Perhaps we’ll go bi-curious and steal Nick Woodman from his crumbling empire. Imagine the mandatory nose-mounted GoPros for every surfer on Tour…
Oh, and one last thing. This affair has already experienced its share of media drama.
Just this morning, noted STAB author Morgan Williamson posited that Speaker’s move could be a “get-out-while-you-can” tactic amidst a financially crumbling WSL. The article was then amended, as Morgan replaced the original thought with cookie-cutter, everything-is-always-sunny-in-Santa-Monica quotes from the WSL’s PR-control man, Dave Prodan. Coincidence? Me thinky not.
More from a lamenting Chas soon!
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They are in the hole to the tune of about 20 million for 2015 and 2016. Yup– a little less than zero…..
well said
Michael, you said Speaker was the major financial backer. As far as we know, he never put in one dime of his own money, it all came from dirk and Natasha Ziff.
Can one “co-own” a company without having at least one dime invested in it? If so I demand 20% of beachgrit.
Yes, of course. It happens all the time. Some one has an idea, and some one else invests in it, and puts up the money..
Ah you’re right, I hadn’t thought of it that way.
20% of nothing is still nothing.
Dudes–you better get chase back—this Michael guy is way ill informed–the WSL’s only financial backer has been Dirk and Natasha Ziff–30 million a year for the 1st 3 years..
“I will continue to be a co-owner of the League and will work with the ownership group and Board of Directors to ensure a smooth transition until a new CEO is in place.”
unless Speaker is a pathological liar…
Well … there was that number of viewers thing
Well said….
never let the truth get in the way of a good story..
I love the close from his resignation.
“See you at the beach”
What fuckin beach might that be?
Fuck I drove all day and missed so much!!!! Has he ever been to the beach?????
Slater should just quit the tour and buy out WSL.. god knows he owns everything else surfing related. Continue to dominate surfing….one way or another.
I heard Dan Bilzerian wants to fund and head up the WSL. Perfect fit surely…
I will burn my boards and move to the mountains if that fucking kook got the gig!
at least he wake surfs’s , still closer to surfing thn speaker ever got.. an there’d be heaps of sluts. beggars can’t b choosers
Man! There’s at least 16 articles in this for Chas. Further suggestions for new CEOs! Nostalgic memories of when WSL CEO Paul Speaker didn’t reply to his texts and phone calls! Job applications! Rain them down Smith. Rain like silver thunderclouds.
An oral history of Paul Speaker not knowing he exists!
Can the Russians help us make Chas CEO?
Up until a few months ago I thought Paul Speaker’s birth name was Former NFL Executive Paul Speaker. I’m serious. Former NFL Executive Paul Speaker. In interviews, whether it’s CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance or Fox Business News, he’s always “Former NFL Executive Paul Speaker.”
Who could forget his exclusive interview with the Inertia (Just kidding. Former NFL Executive Paul Speaker probably thinks Inertia is an exotic dancer from the Westside). Speaking of the Inertia, has anyone ever seen WSL rookie Leonardo Fioravanti and the Inertia’s Zach Weisberg in the same place?
Also, it has been a fantastic 24 hours for “watersports” in general.
oh my…
wsl ceo rory parker ?
Does this make Chas the Julian Assange of surf media?
What do you guys think about Dana White heading the WSL?
Dana Brown, I’d go for that.
Paul Listener? Hey? Ha?
I, too, thought Chas was the only person qualified to deliver this piece. Until, I saw the suggestion that Nick Woodman should be the new CEO. That is some good thinking and it would be amazing.
Slowly earning your stripes.
Paul Speaker had one last comment as he left the podium. “I decree that any person that drops in on your wave be henceforth and forevermore called a Dirk Ziff.”
He’s really just tired of Chas needling him for being a nincompoop.
If Speaker is retaining his stake in the company, Williamson’s theory doesn’t hold much water.
and he is, and you’re right