"It's so endemic to who we are as a sport."

As with many business, the Covid years have not been kind to our World Surf League. 2019 ended with such promise, one of the more exciting finals in professional surfing history delivering an Italo Ferreira title. Co-Waterperson of the Year and League owner, Dirk Ziff, buoyed by the thrill, quietly floated its availability on the market for $150m+. A newly appointed CEO Erik “ELo” Logan getting to work creating the programming of his dreams including unboxing shows and home tours. A Chief Community Officer, Tim Greenberg, sensing opportunity on new predominately pre-teen Chinese social media platform TikTok, declaring, “It’s so endemic to who we are as a sport.”

Enter the Peking Suck.

The 2020 World Championship Tour wiped off the books, much staff furloughed, Rumbles at the Ranch.

But at least the League still had TikTok, which it had grown its follower account to a robust 600,000, making it the fifth largest of any sporting league.

Greenberg, further declaring, “As [TikTok] creates enhanced tools and more opportunities for us to reach newer audiences, we want to make sure that we’re focused on what’s going to drive our business and that consumer journey that connects back to the WSL.”

Did those “enhanced tools” creating “newer audiences” involve Beijing spying, stealing user information, etc.?

Possibly, and last President Trump threatened to ban TikTok entirely from the U.S. market, something entirely within his power so to do.

Thankfully for girls aged 7 – 10 and the World Surf League, Trump reversed course over the weekend and gave Microsoft a 45-day window in which to purchase TikTok’s U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand operations.

Cautious relief could be sensed emanating from the World Surf League’s Santa Monica headquarters in the form of cute little dancing videos.

More as the story develops.

"The interviews delve into the shocking details of what happened and why many of the surfers have continued to ride the waves after their attacks."

As you well know, one of the most successful ventures in proud history of cable television has been the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. The mid-tier educational network was nothing but a click-through between Country Music Television and E! once starring Kelly Slater’s biggest fran (friend-fan) Sal Maskekela.

But then Discovery discovered sharks and the rest, as they say, is history.

Well, similarly ignored NatGeo (National Geographic) has decided to catch some of that white lightening and launched its very own SharkFest.

Tonight, Sunday, August 2. at 8 p.m./7 p.m. CST with an encore presentation on Nat Geo WILD on Thursday, August 13, at 9 p.m./8 p.m. CST, “Sharks vs. Surfers” will air.

The episode will detail the daily humiliations of prancing about in the man-eating beasts’ watery domain. The indignities etc. Also, “The interviews delve into the shocking details of what happened and why many of the surfers have continued to ride the waves after their attacks.”

Lastly, the special will include insights from marine biologists Ryan Johnson and Dr. Stephen Kajiura to provide context on just how likely shark attacks are while surfing at these popular, shark-filled spots.

Derek, Longtom and I recently discussed sharks ourselves on Dirty Water (Listen here later). I discussed too much but only because I become overly excited anytime Longtom is on the screen.

I love him very much but will try to control my mouth-running glee next time.

Relax, relax, relax.

To criticize selfie culture is, at his point in time, hollow and silly. Dumb. The selfie is as ubiquitous now as brushing one’s teeth. As bidet-ing one’s bottom. There is no associated shame with snapping a selfie in front of a Black Lives Matter protest, of snapping a selfie on a golden Buddha, of having your male pal snap a selfie of you in the shower…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC_KbT-Fcob/

…of snapping selfies on a jetty whilst hurricane waves lash its rocks and that is precisely where we lay our scene, near Houston. For there two girls stood and snapped but something went horribly wrong and they fell into the ocean and began to drown.

Thankfully, surfing champion Johnny McGee, 67, was in the water.

Without missing a beat, he paddled over to the girls and had them hold onto his legs then paddled them all the way to shore.

A hero?

Without doubt.

McGee told the local radio station, “I guess I was meant to be there because there was nobody else out there. Surfers know through experience, [if] you go underwater [you should] relax, relax, relax. Don’t fight it or you’re going to end up using your energy and your air.”

Fine advice.

It is unknown if McGee later told them girls that they were “on glue” before blocking them on social media.

More as the story develops.