"Honored and super excited!”
There seems to be two entirely different, entirely separate narratives when it comes to our World Surf League.
One one side we have the Grumpy Local. She enjoys the show, and very much, but can’t really imagine hundreds of thousands of fans tuning in to the monotone, nonsensical drone of ’89 World Champion Martin Potter and complete vacuousness of Joe Turpel. He also looked into the corner, during the Facebook Live day, and saw an embarrassingly low number of concurrent viewers dancing there, throwing frowny face’d emojis over the hot surfing action.
She sees Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch never expanded beyond God’s least favorite town, title sponsors like Samsung fleeing and being replaced by Michelob Ultra Gold brewed with Organic Grains disappearing and being replaced BF Goodrich tires signing on for one contest only.
He sees money being thrown after money, neither good nor bad, but assumes it can’t keep up forever and the League will eventually either fold entirely, sell and get hacked to bits or morph into a slam-type tour with five majors a year and a handful of U.S. Open of Surfing-esque specialty events.
On the other side we have the glorious vision of the World Surf League itself. That this is the most exciting time in professional surfing’s history. That engagement is growing by an astronomical 25% year on year. That with the upcoming Olympics, surfing itself is ready to bust free from the stagnant backwater and become a force that rivals major sporting leagues from around the world.
Which is true? Who is right? I stand with the Grumpy Local, of course, but who knows because the League keeps snagging top-level talent and let’s read about the newest executive haul.
The World Surf League (WSL) has hired Nike marketing veteran Pri Shumate as its chief marketing officer, while the NFL UK’s head of marketing, Sarah Swanson, has been named senior vice-president of strategic insights and consumer growth.
Surfing and its associated organizations are already experiencing a boon in brand marketer interest before the sport makes its debut at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Shumate previously ran marketing for Nike’s global running business and departs after 17 years with the sportwear brand. Working out of Portland, Oregon, she previously led the company’s marketing activity throughout the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and headed up its surfing brand, Hurley, as chief marketing officer.
In a statement, Shumate said she was “honored and super excited” to take on the same role at the WSL.
“There’s never been a better moment or opportunity to share what makes surfing so special with the world,” said the marketer. “I’ve approached every role I’ve ever had from the perspective of the consumer, in this case, the athletes, fans and people who love surfing, both the sport and culture.
“I can’t wait to dive in and get to know them better so that, as a team and a brand, we can continue to serve them well into the future and build further equity in the portfolio of WSL brands.”
Swanson will report into Shumate as senior vice-president of strategic insights and consumer growth – a new role for the league. She has been tasked with leading the WSL’s talent marketing division, as well as the data, insights and analytics division.
Swanson joins after building the NFL’s UK brand presence in London for the past four years.
“There is so much we can learn about what our fans, and our potential fans, want from us and look to us to deliver,” she said.
“I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to learn, strategize and create opportunities to bring surfing and some of the world’s most talented and aspirational athletes to an even broader audience.”
Etc.
Now, what do you think about this? Do you believe in the power of surfing to unite and inspire or do you still hate anyone who paddles out and sits next to you in the lineup?
Can you wait to be known better and served?
Much to think upon.
Why can’t everyone who says they want to “share what makes surfing so special with the world” just be honest and cut the BS. The WSL and 99% of surfers are just instagramming, social media-obsessed people who are whoring out this sport to either make a buck or look cool in front of their bros. I firmly believe this trend will ruin the pastime of surfing as we used to know it.
Yet another pointless, misinformed article.
I don’t know if it’s gonna be successful or not. My first thought is no, but I also believe the entire corporate structure that runs the world today is bound to fail eventually…
the hen house is wide open… the foxes are rushing in…
they need to stop hiring people who don’t know jack shit about surfing. it’s getting old. how the fuck can you swoop into a high level position at a strictly surfing company and have that be your starting point to figuring out surfing, what it’s about, what the people are about, what people want, etc? makes 0% sense to me but maybe that’s just my opinion.
I get that they need to hire ~businessmen not surfer bros~ but I can probably guess correctly that there are plenty of business men who are also actually into surfing.
I’m just the kind of exec they are looking for…I can strategize, create runways, pivot ideas and basically bend eclectic theorums around a basic project management wrapper to create value add commercial pathways! However, I cannot make the Saquarama shit-fest surf look good…oh well!
I’m very proud that WSL is a kind of graduation for all these executives since they’re all keen to “learn about what our fans” and whatnots all the friggin’ time.
Better than Harvard!
I think the olympics is the first time in surf history that many surfers the world over will be praying for flat conditions over the comp period. Every other surf comp in history I’ve always hoped it ran in pumping surf regardless of me being able to watch it.
I believe a cast picture from “The Big Short” is quite apropos.
Is there worse than the Barcelona Dragons? At least she is at a beach now
Or it’s cuz Dale JR is gone!! Replaced by Yankees who try to be rednecks. (Truex)
Did you mean Belieber?
Keep riding that Roller Coaster Flat P .
The WsL is going to throw everything at pro surfing including the kitchen sink up until the Olympics, this is their huge big chance to make pro surfing work tied to the Olympics to get the general masses attention. If this doesn’t work for Dirk, what will? Maybe all this loss is a tax write off for him?
Too Big Too Small Too Windy Too High Too Low and finally it turns on an hour before your heat only to turn to shit as you are paddling out . Yes a truly ridiculous ,absurd sport , but I love it . How is the heart going champ ?
Interesting!
Seems like the busiest person on the WSL roster is whoever keeps coming up with these job titles.
Seems they have been super busy at the Wozzel lately – with their new found friends at Ikea. How did we miss this one……….seems they are still living in a very strange world though when it comes to the number of surfers. If they really think there are 40 million active surfers why do they only have 3.3 million insta users. Someone is not doing a good job.
IKEA is teaming up with WSL to better understand the everyday life of people that have a mobile and active way of living in close rhythm with the ocean. There are 370 million people across the world interested in surfing and more than 40 million active surfers. No sport relies on the ocean as much as surfing, which is why sustainability and protecting the ocean are naturally important to surfers.
“At IKEA we’re excited to start a collaboration with the World Surf League and engage with the surf community on life around water. We’re curious to learn what it takes in areas such as organisation, mobility and humidity when you are constantly on the go. And we both share the ambition and passion around sustainability, so we want to keep the wellbeing of our ocean at the heart of it all,” says James Futcher, Creative Leader at IKEA of Sweden.
IKEA , Bloody Hell . I bought a kitchen sink from them which came with a plug . With two babies and no dishwasher it got quite a workout and eventually the plug died . So back to Ikea and I’m thinking this will be easy , just ask where to find replacement plugs ….. Oh no sir , you can’t buy a replacement plug , you have to replace the whole sink …. ARE YOU KIDDING ME ? SUSTAINABLE MY ARSE ! Just to piss them off I have been using the lid off a resealable baby food container which fell into the sink one day and turned out to be perfect fit for the last 4 years
They don’t use a standard size ? You should be able to find something that fits at the local equivalent of Bunnings over there.
The lid from a Philips baby product is still hanging in there . Waste not , want not ..
100% to everything you wrote.
I was a NASCAR scoffer until I went to the California 500 at Fontana in ’97. Jeff Gordon won in an epic battle to the finish with Mark Martin and Terry Labonte… incredible experience. I never became a hardcore NASCAR fan, but I understand why people are. I am a Formula One fan, and though I’ve never been to a race, it is very addicting. The WSL would be smart to look to F1 for business model inspiration, as it is a sport that specifically caters to a more affluent, international fanbase. The F1 TV website allows you to bypass all other television and streaming services and watch all the practice and qualifying sessions and all 21 races live streamed and replayed for $75 a year. They still broadcast on ESPN and Skysports, etc. all around the world. And through its own website, F1 plays up rivalries, personalities. talent acquisitions, contract changes and breaks news before other sports sites.
I think a team approach to pro-surfing would do wonders- either brands or private owner or both. Rather than surfers being “sponsored”- they get hired onto a team. Each team can enter three men and two women per event. Then there’s a team approach to maximize points.You have your individual World Champion (men’s/women’s), but also a Team world championship (similar to the Constructors Championship in F1). The team can “play” different surfers depending on event (with some limitations). Let the Umbro Surf team substitute in their gnarly charger for Felipe at Teahupoo, ie. Make qualifying less of a slog for max points, and more of a showcase of qualification, with minimal requirements by the league, leaving it up to the team. The teams pay a buy-in to the WSL, but also get the built-in advertising that comes with it. Drop the sponsored event format and just bankroll the contests from the buy-in cost. Suddenly team ownership (Bob Hurley, Eddie Vedder, Kelly Slater) and whoever runs the team (team principle/manager) becomes more visible in the interest of it all. Let the dramatic narrative take the focus, so people don’t feel like they need to come get in the water with the rest of us.