"...a great symbol of the long-term commitment, trust and confidence the surfers have in the WSL!"
I’m going to be very honest with you here. I have been aware, at different times during my long and illustrious surf journalism career, that professional surfers have a “union” and it’s called World Professional Surfers or WPS.
To be honest, I don’t know what it does so forget about it for three to four year stretches then remember it again when the World Surf League, or WSL, and WPS sign a “record-breaking” 10-year contract.
I assume the WPS union bosses know something I don’t about negotiating etc. but… 10-years? Why? Like……….. seriously, why? And let’s go to the press release for more.
The global professional surfers’ representative body, World Professional Surfers (WPS), today announced a historic 10-year agreement with the World Surf League (WSL), marking the longest partnership agreement in history between the two groups.
‘The working relationship between the WPS and the WSL has strengthened significantly in recent years and we’re very pleased to announce the 10-year agreement between the surfers and the League today,’ Christian Beserra, WPS COO, said. ‘It’s a great symbol of the long-term commitment, trust and confidence the surfers have in the WSL and the direction that ownership and management are taking the sport of surfing. It will be great for the Athletes to continue to have a world-class platform to perform on for many years to come.’
Crowning the undisputed World Champions since 1976 – first as the International Professional Surfers (IPS), then as the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) – the World Surf League (WSL) runs a global tour for the world’s best surfers at some of the most premium surfing locations on the planet.
‘The WSL has transformed the sport of surfing so much in the last few years and the elevation of how we’re treated as athletes is really important,’ Adrian Buchan, Championship Tour surfer and Surfer Representative, said. ‘The next decade is poised to be the most exciting in the sport’s history and we look forward to continuing to build this together.’
Acquired in 2012, the then-ASP-now-WSL aggregated all the previously-disparate aspects of the sport under a singular organization. It has invested heavily in the quality of venues, broadcast and promotion of professional surfing for its international audience, which has resulted in quantum shifts in terms of performance from the world’s best surfers and significantly growing interest from fans and partners around the world.
So 10-years with a strong “working relationship” between the masters and the busy-bees?
Ace? You negotiated a 10-year banger? For…………..?
Seriously, and someone tell me true, has China already taken everything over?
Even my Australian blue-collar man Ace Buchan?
Even Co-Waterperson of the Year Dirk Ziff?
Does this wildness not read as straight propaganda?
More as the story develops.
Are the surfers getting a 50% share of the SRI (surf related income) pie like other sports? What’s 50% of zero? Or do they have to cough up if WSL is losing money?
So is Ace.
i love surfing just as much as the next person but i feel it’s a bit inappropriate to compare this to, you know, north korea?
“The working relationship between the WPS and the WSL has strengthened significantly in recent years”
fuck you Wiggs. sell out.
it is in Hong Kong
Sounds mysterious, but my guess would be it’s pretty straight forward. Pro surfers know that brand sponsorship money is tight atm and they don’t believe that’s going to change any time soon. Doesn’t seem all that stupid to take a billionaires money instead.
Nobody said it was, probably the smartest thing they could do. They really didn’t have any other choices or options.
fuck china
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
OK here we go , a 10 year contract , which really means that the WSL can be sold as a sport which before the 10 yr ,it could not!
What is really the current state of the WSL and ol Ziff’y’s investment?
Lets visit the original Paul Speechless’s incredible vision of ,NFL like spectator viewing numbers, the Japanese Olympics being held in the most incredible invention of the century ,the K-Tub. K-Tubs were going to be used as an attraction for Billionaires and Governments everywhere , building Eco hotels/training facilities , the whole surfing culture being transposed into mega $making facilities because everybody in the world needs an avenue to experience the wonder of surfing and become one with us?
Fast Forward to this week……The Freshwater Pro couldn’t attract any spectators , even free tickets couldn’t fill the stands , lowest ratings ever , one might use the term, ” massive failure!”
Was the failure because of the location, or surfers are just not interested in a repetitive boring format in a shit enviroment (pun intended) , where even the surfers themselves mocked the event as not serious (Jeremy Flores)…..basically an abomination of our surfing culture.
The Quiky Pro just finishes , budget cuts everywhere very noticeable , especially the food and the constant pressure to finish the event ASAP to save $’s…..a 10 year deal is announced between the WSL and WSP ………a couple of events to go …..clean up the balance sheet …..and voila , a sellable product…….
So ol Ziffy’s a billionaire , and knows there is a big market/economic correction coming….the K-tubs future looks very grim , ratings are not what was promised , the once giants of the surf industry are all for sale or been sold , Nike comes out with ” surf fashion is dead”…..anyone want Hurley?
the big question is can Ziffy sell the WSL now while Kelly still promotes green wash and the future is….ah Kelly and all his amazing business success’s?
Ok, maybe? Some good points….but who, besides another physco billionaire would buy a ‘money losing’ unproven, niche venture, that can’t attract real sponsors, in as you said–
a ‘surf companies selling out’ atmosphere……….It seems Dirk might be stuck with it.
ha who bought Qikbong from Oaktree , and who did Kering sell OK/volcom to?
Volcom – http://www.jeffharbaugh.com…
did you notice the promo video fro the Quik pro France featured nearly all billabong team riders.
……….
Well, you never know, pretty sure Durk will hold on to it for another two years and let this all play out through the Olympics and see if he can recoup some of his lost money. If he does sell it then we can maybe suffer abuses at the hand of another.
I think the cool (real) point is, we really don’t need pro surfing. They may need us to survive but we don’t need them to survive…….I have a pretty content surf life and feel no real need to watch others go aggro and compete…….
the thing for me is that todays greed is destroying the dream and future of kids who want to be world champs…..but the system is geared against them as you can see what Starky has done , made tons of money like some of the heads of the surf industry , and still out there cashing in , just like Kelly!
It’s obvious Dirk has passed the point of no return now–(a 10 year commitment), Dirk , Elo, and Sophie, the ‘Non Surfer’–the ‘Sup Rider’ and the ‘Tennis Player’, et al, are now at the helm and are gonna take the Wsl (surfing) for a ride down the path of more commercialism, mainstream exposure, and who knows what else as they try and rake in a profit from it.
Unfortunately, when someone watches a contest, they’re inadvertently supporting Dirk, Elo, Sophie and the others. I think someone needs to start a more unified ‘resistance’……….
Basketball is in the Olympic and i still don’t play or watch it, tennis is now in the Olympics and I don’t play or watch it, athletics is the cornerstone of the olympics and I don’t do or watch any of them. What the Olympics does is introduce you to those sports so If you are flicking through channels and land on the world shotput titles you go oh I saw that in the Olympics I might watch this. Does it mean there are more shotputers? Maybe there is a spike if your country gets gold but overall there is little change. Same with surfing, no matter how many more surfers there are meant to be in the world there is still only a top 5 out of 20 that know what they are doing and come winter the same 5 are still in the water.
Pending more detail on the agreement, 10 years does sound extreme unless there is a significant uplift to surfer conditions So how about you go and find a copy of the contract so we can have meaningful discussion as to the pros and cons of the deal.
is the WSL for sale now?
with rumors of a new big wave tour another type of world Champ thru videos being bandied around….now ziffy can sell the WSL!
Will the wozzle even be around in 10?
Hello?, Dirk has how many billions? 40 mil. a year times 10 years = 400 mil.– not even half a billion–ya, he could pull it off. He could probably fund it even without any ad dollars. Looks like trouble………
The UAW is currently paying the striking GM workers $250 a week….not so much.
I wonder if the UAW directors are taking a pay cut to $250/week in solidarity with their members? (not a chance)
The UAW probably has over $1 billion in ‘their’ bank account.
UAW don’t surf.
Dirk don’t Surf.
Double double concave, with extra volume.
Good points– except there was no “two in the bush”,– not even a bush. There was nothing else being offered to the pro boys.—nothing…….Dirk was the only show in town–the prize money was already good…….they took the offered deal…….no choice really…….
They should have held out for the BeachGrit Fun Fun Surf Fun Tour. $1,000,000 per contestant* was being bandied about.
*Entry fee
High level wsl job coming his way soon
Ace just dealt himself a good hand
Did he? Yes and no. $$-yes. But being a puppet for the Wsl–Ziff–no………..
Career move.
Not stupid that lad
Better than floggin legropes for the rest of his life
WSL superannuation plan, health care etc
Get Flores to do it next time hes got more fire and the WSL would hate it hahaha
Just? He’s been the WPS surfers’ rep (male and female) and a WSL board member for 5+ years.
“A surfer should think carefully before selling his being to these ‘people’, since he’s signing his own death warrant as a personal entity”. The Wsl is gonna control the horizontal, the vertical–how they want the masses to percive surfing. And the pro boys will have to go along for the ride or get off the gravy train.
Gosh…I’m really missing the ASP these days.
Lets not forget that most sporting associations in a professional sports body have one main role…..to safeguard the rights of both present and past participants. They normally list a few others but thats the only one they really care about.The 10 yr contract creates a strong barrier to entry for any other organisation thinking of starting up and take the Wozzel on. Smart play from them. Not from the surfers though. Unless they think the TV deal will not get any better (which is true in most sports currently – but its currently worth close to zero in surfing – so only has upside) but I think there is more to it from the surfers perspective. I wonder if this locks them into the same format – with no chance now of a smaller more elite 16-20 person field. Maybe the surfers are more terrified of this outcome and are seeking protection for their livelihood. Lots of questions that need answering. Put on your surf journalist hat on Chas and start asking some questions – especially those surfers in the back half of the rankings. Ask what really made them sign up……..
There is no other organization that would want por, pro surfing, and try and take on a billionaire. No one. The Wsl is the only show in town. The old Asp could barely give its self away……..
Creating a Monopoly .Lets hope they don’t pay the surfers Monopoly money ?
While I’m certain men and women were well catered for, I highly doubt there was any Professional Big Wave Surfer included in the “surfers” group that is being so well catered too.
Other than Kai, naturally
I just broke my hand this morning, punching a door.
Must be why I haven’t signed.
Edit: not properly broken enough to show up on X-ray. Still a stupid grumpy old shithead.
Still no word from Sophie as to a delayed signing of my new contract.