Two men enter, one man leaves.
I had too much obvious fun when World Surf League CEO Erik Logan and World Surf League Vice President of Events, Tours and National Regeneration Pat O’Connell swung by Dirty Water last week. Derek Rielly’s pepperings, ELo’s evasions, Pat’s laughter all had me laughing too.
It was only when I read the comments, underneath the posted podcast, that I realized none of this is funny and I blew my second chance to demand accountability from Mr. Logan, master of doublespeak, expert in evasion.
Damn it.
Erik Logan 2
Well, I’m already agitating for a third go ’round. Not to salvage respect, oh no that is long gone, but to try and be a better surf journalist.
David Lee Scales and I spoke about this on today’s Grit! About personal evolution and also about the massive power struggle happening, right now, atop Mount Positivity for the very soul of professional surfing.
Watching Mr. Logan and Pat, splitting the screen, Pat starting to mimic some of the doublespeak but catching himself and laughing at the ludicrousness of saying everything and nothing at once, Mr. Logan appealing to Pat’s core credentials etc. made me realize, for the first time, they are locked in deadly battle.
Both ultra-positive, yes, but both stand in front of professional surfing and see something… different. Mr. Logan needs it to be a consumed product leading to growth in the “content” department. Pat, I imagine, would be happy to simply stick the world’s 16 best surfers on the world’s 8 best waves and let ‘er rip “content” be damned.
He knows how bad Transformed et. al. is. He knows the WSL content is generally terrible with no hope of getting better. His eyes, those friendly, glorious eyes can’t hide it.
So, will Mr. Logan roll Pat? Will Pat smash Mr. Logan? Is your breath bated?
Listen here!
The lids get some sik ones
Pat and Elo seem to be having a lot of fun running the WSL…good on them, they don’t seem like they are taking it too seriously and are making a lot of money while doing it.
I don’t understand why they want to be a media house. Just produce a world champ in the best waves you can.
No sports leagues produce amazing content outside of the sport itself. The ones that do a good job have a variety of opinions to spice things up rather than just Chris Cote and some other guy no ones heard of.
To the WSLs defence I’m not sure what content they could of produced during this lockdown period.
There are too many restrictions in place.
Hynson was magic! O’Connell was bubbly!
They will roll.
In the hay.
Tight embrace.
Dressed in lace.
And Gabby will win the race.
The quality of Youtube videos from the April Pipeline swell provided plenty of noncompetitive surfing entertainment. Maybe Youtube will kill the wsl stars.
It’s very good
I like this guys stuff
No music or dopey talk
Just real noise.
https://youtu.be/FJGJApq2v0k
I’ve been to the big smoke twice and only saw trade winds blow twice. And also got burned twice, on one wave.
Great surf destination.
Looks hectic!
This is the perfect time to implement the NEW TOUR
Literally perfect.
Time is for competition, not storytelling Elo!
So Chas, you’re saying the divide is between those who see surfing as being a traditional competition based sport and those who see it as the next UFC? One where the output is controlled by the owners and sanitised/directed to the point where it is a significant shift from the ‘actual’.
The shift has been in process for a while now. And it’s hard not to see the ELo version being dominant in terms of being in power now. God help us if they win…
There is no conflict if all you want is to crown a legitimate world champion.
It’s a cinch.
Prize money might end up shit but no one is holding a gun to the head of surfers who might want to compete.
The only conflict is (a) the billionaire got sold some bullshit “turn surfing into WWE and get rich off the media rights” story and (b) those in the industry have some vague idea that surfing should be taken to the masses.
Both a and b are superfluous to crowning a legitimate world champion.
I’d rather the wct folds and isa takes over everything and that’s it.
I don’t care if the pro surfers end up earning 10 % of what they did in the glory days. They still get to travel the world, surf amazing waves with no crowds, and get blowjobs from foxy groupies every night.
Fuck, it would be worth doing for free.
Once the mid-90s hit, Eddie lost it, outside of being Donkey on Shrek. Total collapse of any edge or humor. Guess when you’re that rich you don’t need to give a shit anymore.
I, for one, choose to live in a world of peace, and harmony, where the lines of right and left are forever blurred
I choose to live in the new…Chastopia
Let us forgive our bleach injecting trumpeters, and our smug self righteous leftards…love them like brothers…and sisters
I’m with you Chas
Dave didn’t listen
Give me a break.
Is the state officially called “Commiefornia” now? Bear on flag replaced by the hammer and sickle, bread lines, beach bans.. I really feel for my comrades of North west Mex.
…there are doubts in your ability, Elo
https://youtu.be/VSv8FVJtbAk
Excellent band!
Streets on Fire!
Good call, forgot the had a few songs on there. “Sometimes” also, if I remember correctly without googlin’?
https://youtu.be/4cxBz1JhS5Q
The Tellum; Party at the front, business in the back.
Mike Watt really takes a chunk out of those strings eh? More than a few of my bass playing friends are bit so-so about him. But I like that he didn’t always take the most expected approach.
Jam econo! Definitely no Jaco Pastorius or Entwhistle and Im sure he’d agree.
I went down a Mike Watt rabbit hole a year or two back. He is a different cat. His tour diaries are some kind of cross between stream of consciousness and autism spectrum lucidity. Interesting view of the world he moves in. Even down to getting out on the water in his kayak on San Pedro Bay.
It is a rabbit hole! It’s trippy because I used to just listen to the albums and trip on the cover art/notes. Nowadays it’s instant everything at once and you learn everything about these guys. I put away my double nickles album for a few years after a night of hard partying and passing out to it on a CD player on repeat for hours and hours. Mind warped by it. Had to ease back into it thru firehose, and made it to project mersh album. History lesson & this ain’t no picnic today.
Don’t forget about Dos.
“I’ve reached peak sickness of myself..I’m totally sick of myself.”
It’s the new national anthem
https://youtu.be/_nGsT_qFMBs
One of the best songs of my life.
Best bands of life
Stay sicked!!
The other night Adam Carolla presented a great metaphor for big government.
“I was thinking about the beaches and the sort of symbolism of the beaches. And remember when you were a kid and you would go to the beach, and there was a beach sign, and it just said one thing on it? ‘Closed Midnight to 5 A.M.’ And every year, they started adding something to the sign — No frisbee. No dogs. No Beer. No smoking. Well, now it’s ‘No Beach’. The sign is a metaphor for big government. Nothing ever gets taken off the sign. Something gets added to the sign every time.”
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Makes perfect sense. Is that a Waverley Council special Bexy?
Sydney city
A four leaf ..err from Clover..
If there were one politician I’d like assassinated, it would be her.
Nanny state is a favourite of our conservative government here too. They’ve slowly been removing all of our left turn on red signs so that now you have to wait for the lights. Drives you insane, literally. And you don’t even want to know about our drinking laws.
Or drugging.
Get high on a saturday
Get busted on Monday.
Mate.. In Newy cunce are on it 25/8. No Monday if you don’t come down. Just ask Johnsey(s).
Yeah well for us responsible users it’s a problem.
I always tripped out on the no left on red in Oz WTF
In Melbn they got some crazy fuken turning rules, whenever I go there I get road raged big time.
hook turns or something? fucking drive me nuts too
Maybe it’s the burqa?
I’d stay clear of Bourke St if I were you.
Good one!
Sexual Chocolate. Best band ever.
Straight up, that way the name of Dennis Rodman’s boat!
Time to leak the sex tape.