Oh, darling!
There was, if you can recall, a time before the Coronavirus where human beings touched, school classrooms were filled with laughing children and newly appointed World Surf League CEO Erik Logan unveiled his grand plan for the future of our favorite pastime.
The WSL would no longer simply be a governing body, hosting an international tour and crowning the world’s best male and female surfer at the end of the year. It would, rather, become a “content and media company.”
How that would be, specifically, was both exciting but unclear. It would involve a reality-style network television show, robust TikTok account, “user generated” content, Kelly Slater, Chris Cotê and mounds upon mounds of positivity but… how would it look?
Well, in this time after the Coronavirus where surfers are locked in their homes and school classrooms sit empty, World Surf League CEO Erik Logan has completed a dramatic make-over and shall we go and see the new and improved product?
Wow!
We’ve got content sharing with The Inertia, a Stab-esque layout, the world’s number 1 surf podcast as header, listicles, upbeat “stay at home” messaging and ooooee!
A surf blog, an absolutely fabulous surf blog, and I only have a few small questions.
When Dirk Ziff opened his wallet, those handful of years ago, and purchased the Association of Surfing Professionals for free but then spilled a few tens of millions later is he pleased beyond pleased that this is the end result?
An absolutely fabulous surf blog?
I guess that’s really my only question.
When reached for comment, CEO Erik Logan said, “When look back over the past 11 months or so, the work the team has done to create all of these other franchises that we have on our platforms, like Sound Waves and Brilliant Corners and these other series we put on in-between events, in addition to the things we’ve done off-platform whether that’s 24/7: Kelly Slater [with HBO Sports], Ultimate Surfer, and the other things we have in the pipe, what we’ve seen is that the success rate, the consumption, and the use of the platforms really have all grown exponentially, and it gives us great confidence to double down in that space.”
Nice.
Lemme get this straight – pro surfers are going to speak words, be engaging and entertaining out of the water?
Laughing so hard at the Bruce/Caitlyn pic
Fuck I thought the rona was bad, this just set the new bar.
Jesus.
The WSL; ‘Old enough to have intercourse, but not able to drink in pubs’
Now there’s a mission statement.
Well there is Rosie, and she might be the youngest commentator as well.
Ha! Or brutus
Classic!!
So Brave, so inspiring. A role model
The mobile UX reminds me of another site but I can’t quite put my finger on it… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
wsl.blogspot.tv
Wozstabenertia. Sounds like the surname of my polish mate.
Be better if they had a picture of the cake you baked him up there.
The before and after pics of Bruce above are the perfect metaphor for the Wozzle’s current status: a shadow of its former self (minus the notoriety).
Irons?
Just got my test results back, and sadly, I tested positive for positivity
The results were probably doctored.
Fortunately, you’re in the BG comment section. Many here will be more than happy to offer antidotes to your life-threatening ailment.
My patented 2 ball concoction is a proven cure Cote especially when generously applied to the face and neck
That from 1 test, or 540?
I could make a joke about false positives but I do conclude belief in you Chris.
Are you positive?
Dr astro says, “That’s a false positive, cuntee. You’re still as lame as ever.”
Well, at least Erik will be stoked something from the WSL’s finally gone viral,
For what it’s worth Chris, I think your part is good. It’s just that this whole pivot of the WSL to a broadcast platform smacks of the shit we hated as surfing youth. Being told what was up by older people who were desperately trying to stay with the cool kids. I mean who is the youngest person with a key role presenting anything on any WSL produced ‘show’? Ron Dog?, Turps?
There’s a few young pups introducing spots on your thing, but I couldn’t name them, or even tell them apart. (Which seems to be how they get the job. ie. “You can work here, but only if you act like the others”, despite the fact they are being hired to attract the youth eyeballs…)
The target market is outside the 2%* of surfers that actually care about the contest scene.
The 98% are made of grumpy locals who are cynical about everything, (probably the vast majority), the VAL influx (who are oblivious, although could try to prove their credentials by latching on to content, and younger crew who just like surfing.
It looks like a vast un-tapped market, but the reality is the older bunch aren’t interested in online content and the younger crew, who might be, don’t see themselves being represented, so aren’t going to watch…
ps. If there are any jobs going at WSL HQ for older cynical, grumpy locals, do me a solid and slide into my DMs for more information on how the WSL can integrate the youth market. **
*That’s the 1% shared by Stab/Inertia fans and the 1% of BG fans. (We might be whinging, but we care).
**Insert appropriate emoji(s) here.
WSL tapping into the youth market.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Better. My brain just went with the most convenient…
When I read that, I read it in the voice of Hank Hill.
Think of it with a nasal twang and you’re pretty close.
What was being tested?
kook status
I just wanted to reply to a celebrity like the others.
I’ll reply to you so you don’t feel left out.
If Chris replied I’d just die!!
You should’ve been here for the super political showdown the other night. Knock that positivity right out ya
you also tested pozitive for a terminal case of kookitis
Ziffy’s ELo investment returns so far:
-Soundwaves episodes no one watches
-Godfather of Poo-stance, Shaun Thomson, hosting Transformed, which no one watches
-More SUPpers thinking they’re surfers
-A boring Kelly Slater HBO doc
-Increased awareness of Charlie Goldsmith
-One Top-5 KVF BG comment, personally selected by author
-Dave Prodan gets to unleash his monotone while hosting a top rated surf podcast
-Ultimate Surfer gets canceled
-Kooky new website
In other words, an investment with dubious returns. Ziff would seem to have money to burn. He should send some my way, where it will be put to good use!
But they gave us True Surf video game! Free with in-app purchases!!
ELo certainly has done a fantastic job of “failing up.” I wish I could learn how to do that.
These sound like the parts of a big cash laundry machine. Would love to look at those books and see how much they overspent on everything
You forgot “get sent!”
You can only piss with the dick you got.
Took me overlong to work out that sitting down is convenient after a long night out. Thankfully those days are long gone and I can now sit for preference and not necessity.
Chop wood carry water