Exciting!
In a major announcement just ahead of surfing’s official Olympic debut, it was revealed that the United States’ Kolohe Andino has hired global marketing agency Finn Partners to represent him. The PR firm, which describes itself as, “one of the fastest-growing global, independent agencies with a heart and a conscience,” is a major coup for Andino’s team as it was the very same that made snowboarding’s Shaun White a household name.
Managing partner Missy Farren told trade publication PR Week, “[White] is his own kind of character with the hair and personality, and we thought, ‘Why can’t we take the Olympics out of typical sports media and do something different?’”
Partner Laura Anderson Sanchez added, “We saw the tremendous opportunity ahead for surfers who are having their Olympic debut. They may not know what’s in store for them, but want to make sure that [Andino] can fulfill his potential and reach a broader audience outside of surfing.”
It has long been assumed that Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi would be the face of Olympic surfing what with his megawatt smile, almost conversational fluency in Japanese and Huntington Beach pedigree.
Face of Olympic surfing today.
Line of boy’s clothing in Target tomorrow.
Dating rock stars etc.
The Shaun White path.
Not one surfer was even challenging that trajectory, not even the great Gabriel Medina, but Andino must see an path in which he will be able to knock Igarashi out and steal that line of boy’s clothing in Target.
This battle of the personal brands will, likely, be the most compelling subplot of Olympic surfing and we all must watch carefully.
Much pressure on Finn Partners.
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Kolohe branded american flag covid masks? it’ll take the best to cream a 10th place finish.
Kolohe is the “Wonder Bread ” of surfing! He needs to move away from the SoCal program and its comforts! Raise his family in the wilds of world. Go to warrior school and learn how to conquer before it’s too late. These PR clowns can package anything I guess. Kolohe I hope you are training and prove me completely wrong..
Andino’s last chance to salvage his nextbigthingthatneverhappened career.
he’s a long shot.
his last chance.
Am I meant to know who Shaun White is?
The Olympic disaster ahead may just have us looking forward to a return to the pathetic Elo-debacle WSL in August…
Hopefully that’ll happen cos it’s definitely the best possible outcome.
A vast majority of any wOslers sniff too many of their own smug-filled farts…
I’m back from my family holiday to ‘near Orange, NSW’ and I must say I’m disgusted with the lack of surfing opportunities there.
It looks like BG has also run out of any surfing related oppurtunities too.
It’s cyclical. Like the tides. Or the Tour de Pants.
Perhaps converting cattle and sheep dip facilities into some kind of pop up flow rider show. I am thinking a Fred Brophy kind of thing. Minus the testosterone.
Hopefully Kolohe doesn’t follow Shaun’s path forming a crappy band. Shaun’s band was called Bad Things. Then Shaun got sued for doing bad things and almost lost some big sponsors.
If Kolohe formed a band that had a girl on drums, what do you think he should name the band?
https://www.digitalmusicnew…
Kornholio hasn’t got enough character to be a drumtechs bumboys assistants relief driver let alone actually be IN a band, girl drummer or not.
P.S.
After reading that article I find it unlikely that he’d be motivated enough to even attempt any alleged sexual abuse, ongoing or otherwise, though the term “pre-emptive pullout” sounds appropriate for him…
You’re right. Some “what if’s” are just too ridiculous to even ponder. But then again, we DO have a dork from Nebraska running the WSL.
And a commie paedo in the white house … c’mon Otto, you’re slipping …
Chas: One that got away
His Wife: We only support winners
Chas: Fair enough
It will be interesting to see how they hype up a guy who hasn’t won a CT event!
Yago Dora should put out his own line of Scooby Snacks, I’d grind a box or two.
Who’s Shaun white?
Sean Beige’s cousin. “With hair and personality”
Kinda ridiculous to think that a rather bland whitebread guy who’s won nothing and isn’t even going to get close to bronze will become as internationally well known and commercially successful as an easily recognised scarlet tressed character who won three Olympic golds and a whole heap of other things, just because of a PR companies involvement.
P.S.
Good BG style joke though…
The PR juggernaut dosn’t let small things like zero success in contests by Kolohe get in the way of selling cheap crap from Target. They just need somebody to fit the mold of a white guy from so-cal. It’s been like that in the surf mags for Kolohe his entire career.
It kinda sums up how I feel about So-Cal in general, selling you a fake reality to get you to buy things you don’t need.
An interesting side note. Japan just announced there will be no spectators allowed. Which smashes Fernando’s dream of presenting a surf lifestyle “village” on site that was supposed to help sell surfing to the masses. Assuming correctly that surfing itself never will.
Mid western housewives read this and ask Kolohe Igawhoshi?
Kanoa Andino from Huntingtonmente, CA
It’s called “being white” – that’s what makes Kolohe and not Gabriel/Italo and not Kanoa the guy picked to be the $$$ cow of greatest potential. And let’s face it, the Olympics, despite its “global” connotations, is for a white audience. Kolohe sells, and it’s white people with $$$. How many Ugandans or Pakistanis are wearing Shaun White Target boys line clothing? off the rack, I should say…because it is true that the 3rd world does receive a lot of shit castaway clothing from the US, sorta thrift store style. I saw very many Hanson (of “MMMbop” fame circa ’98) t-shirts in Africa, for example. But I digress. How many Wheaties boxes has Usain Bolt been on? How many beard oils has he moved? It’s fucking sad. Surfing, wherefore art thou going…..
How old is K dog now forty? Seems like he’s been on the tour forever. Has stayed the same surfer he was in 2009 while the Brazilians have taken over. Never really had a world class game to begin with. What is it about the California pros that make them so lame. Overcoached? Never just surfed because they love it?
Hate all you want about Andy Irons but he would travel to places like Desert Point and Chopes and put out insane footage. Just seems like the pro’s today are surfing for different reasons.
How many Pros have managed to stay on Tour as long as he has? Not many. It’s quite an accomplishment on a Tour which doesn’t reserve many positions.
You’re right not sure why I’m criticizing somebody that has been paid millions of dollars to stay on tour. Good for him. I feel bad for thinking that he would somehow evolve past surfing like a little kid.
Not everybody has aspirations to be the best at what they do.
For some mediocrity always was the goal.
That sort of speaks volumes about the state of the CT.
Kolohe is not comparable to
It’s like any sport. Look at tennis, you have the top few who could win an event then the rest.
In keeping with his finals record, he should have hired the second best firm.
Heyooo!
Shaun what?,? KANOW HOW!..kolow who?.
Anyone looking for a laugh should look at NBC’s Olympic Surfing site. It includes a glossary to help define much used terms such as “break line” and “crest”, and all sorts of personal drivel.
Sweet Joey Turps is going to have a whole new game to beat into the ground after the Olympics. Adios, Hand Jam!
I couldn’t find the page you’re referring to but I did find this little video https://www.nbcolympics.com…
He’s never seen a shark?
Chas can you get to the bottom of this lack of shark sightings?
nbcolympics.com/surfing
But do we know who is announcing the olympics? Hopefully Bob Costas…