Momentum fixture and former movie star takes reigns
of tour events…
You must give me a moment to catch my breath
and wipe the sheen of sweat from my body. My favourite surfer
of all time, the nineties superstar Pat O’Connell, who is so kind
he can absorb any evil and whom you want to cover in lipstick marks
and who has wrinkles on his face like cat whiskers, has been
appointed WSL Commissioner, although the job title is now WSL
role of SVP, Tours & Head of Competition.
Pat, now forty seven, starred in the Endless Summer sequel in
1994, qualified for the tour in 1995 and retired in 2004, his best
rating an eleventh place in 1998. He was also a regular in Taylor
Steele’s Momentum series.
“I want to be everybody’s friend,” Pat told
Surfer in ’98. “I suppose that’s a character
flaw in pro surfing.”
The WSL’s just-as-adorable Chloe Kojima emailed,
Commissioner Kieren Perrow is stepping down to take on
a supporting role at the WSL, which will leverage his decades
of experience in evolving and championing the technical aspects of
the sport.
“I’ve been a part of professional surfing my entire life,
and I never imagined it would get to the level it’s at today,”
Perrow said. “To be able to live out my dream on tour as a
competitor, while also being a surfer rep and board member, was a
massive high point in my career. However, getting to transition
into my role as Commissioner and foster new talent and development
pathways for surfers, has been even more rewarding. I’m really
proud of my team and the WSL for all we have achieved together.
With the role now needing to be based in Los Angeles, I’m taking
this opportunity to step down and spend more time in Australia with
my family, while continuing to be a part of professional surfing in
a more focused capacity.”
And,
Pat O’Connell, former WSL Championship Tour (CT) competitor
and current VP of Sports Marketing at Hurley, will succeed Perrow
in the newly titled WSL role of SVP, Tours & Head of Competition
(formerly titled “The Commissioner”), overseeing the Commissioner’s
Office roles and responsibilities. O’Connell will be based out of
WSL Headquarters in Los Angeles, California.
“Words can’t describe the amount of respect I have for the
WSL, Kieren and his team,” O’Connell said. “From competitor to
surfer rep to board member to commissioner, he really has given his
all for surfing to get it to where it is today and I couldn’t be
more thankful. It’s super hard to leave my family at Hurley as it’s
been such a huge part of my life for more than 15 years. I’ve had
an incredible experience at Hurley, but I’m beyond excited for the
opportunity to lead the competitive aspects of surfing and further
elevate the sport. I believe in the WSL, I believe in what it can
be, and I’m stoked.”
A very good buy for the WSL, a Peter Pan to Sophie Goldschmidt’s
Wendy, and a meteoric surge in talent levels at the Santa Monica
office where Vals patrol the hallways with apparent impunity.