Boardroom to beach.
Oh but the World Surf League has done it again, and by “done it again” I mean lost out on a thrilling new television program exploring the world of surf. But have you heard of “Barons?” A surf and business drama that will premier this very week over Australian, I think, air?
According to Variety, “Barons is an upscale, but easily approachable, eight-part series that examines what happens when money gets muddled with friendship. The 1970s-set beaches-to-boardroom rivalry story is fictional, but parallels the establishment of the real-world Billabong and Quiksilver surf-wear labels.”
The industry publication sat down across show creator Mick Lawrence and asked how he became inspired to which he answered, “I picked up a book at the airport called ‘Salts and Suits,’ which was a very dry business book by a journalist that I had known called Phil Jarratt. It’s not an absolute roaring yawn or a page turner. But what it did have was the really fun kind of direction as to how the surf industry was built from 1970s. How they turned the idea of a surf lifestyle into a multi-billion-dollar industry.”
A little rude to Jarratt, no? The “a very dry business book by a journalist I had known” dig?
In any case, the first season will cover the 1970s and feature Torquay, I think, which is nicknamed Velcro Valley, then, if all goes well, roll out four more seasons featuring the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
“The 80s and 90s are crazy as far as the characters and the decadence in that time,” Lawrence adds.
Exciting but back to our World Surf League. Isn’t this the sort of business WSL Studios was supposed to be producing before its untimely demise?
Another swing. Another miss, I suppose.
Watch the teaser here.
Roaring yawn? The word you are looking for is yarn.
Looks about as good as Barton’s new game…
Another who really cares story that will feature some artfully designed retro outfits and haircuts cant wait …..
Watch the teaser there, but I’ll fucking tease the watchers here
As Keith Richards has said in interviews, many times “It’s not what you play – it’s how you play it”
Not many people seemed to check out the last ‘Grit podcast post so I’ll repeat myself like the sad fuck that I am.
I may do it again too. You can’t stop me.
Fuckin A
Wicked , cant wait to watch the episode set in the mid 1980s where they start using payola to ensure thier respective primary sponsored surfers win the world titles.
Lol 1983 & 84 carroll was sponsored by instinct. Billabong didnt even have a world champ until Occy in 99.
I dont remmber speccifing it was was just BB n QS and or excluding paving the way to the title , its a really big picture possibly widen your vision to include the whole tour set up back in the day.
Bit rough on Phil Jarratt. Anyone could read Life of Brine and see it’s better than this horseshit.
The trailer almost makes it look like it has some potential, when surfers were still somewhat almost outlaws and living on the fringe.
Those were the days.
But as far as the rest of it– don’t know…sometimes money changes people….and their outlook….
Chas, I don’t think the Wsl would touch this movie, it might open doors and I don’t think the Wsl would want their new recruits, to be aware of Surfing’s somewhat decadent, drug fueled past.
When I started to really see, wake up to, all the exploitation and surf spot exploitation these surf companies were doing, kind of starting around the time of that Quicksilver Crossing bs,
I took any surf tees I had, put them in my front yard, poured some gas on them and burnt them, and never looked back.
True story.
couldn’t you have given them to people in need? it also would have been better for your lawn.
I actually give to quite a few charitable organizations–but the satisfaction of seeing the Ts burn and watching the smoke go up, was way worth it.
Who woulda thought then, that Quick, Rip and the surf industry in general, would eventually file for bankruptcy, sell to the mainstream, and fall on hard times.
Kinda makes you want to smile just thinking about it.
PS
Besides, there are already a bunch of homeless guys (God Bless them), wearing those surf Ts, it almost makes you think that-they are the Surf Industry’s target market.
Just got back from Colombia, heaps of poor people wearing qiik t shirts. I was surprised. I think its gone down the target route.
Rip curl never filed for bankruptcy.
So Rip is owned by Katmando now I think.
I still kinda chuckle if I see anybody in a Rip curl, Billabog, or Quicksilver Tee.
They all spell ‘clueless’ now.
What about the search what a bunch of wankers.
Ya, I think Rip Curl’s Search and ‘Exploit, Destroy’–missions were the worst– ya, no one’s gonna talk– ya right, tell that to Barra La Cruz, and ya, none of the boat or camera crew or surfers are gonna have one beer too many after they get back and not give out some details or exact locations–ya right…..
In our dreams….
.
And today, after the Rip Curl Search event, there are several companies of local Mexican citizens in Salina Cruz that make a decent living in their own backyard providing accommodation, food and beverages to international surfing visitors – what’s wrong with that? You would prefer they migrated to El Norte to find jobs to earn money for their families?
You prefer the alternative – a few surfers a year at a “secret spot”, then massive government-funded development of the Barra de la Cruz location as a marina for rich people, similar to what is happening now with Palmetto Point in Barbuda, which was a very hush-hush secret spot for decades – and therefore had no recognised value as a surfing location.
Times have changed, it’s not the 1970’s anymore.
I think most of the citizens of Salina Cruz were doing fine ‘before’ the Rip Curl advent with what ever the local community provided for jobs, just like the rest of that whole coastal area with no world class waves, per say.
Not at all.
Why do you think MILLIONS of Mexican citizens migrate to the US? Because there are so many well-paying jobs in their states of the Estados Unidos Mexicanos?
No, there are not. After the publicity of the Rip Curl Search event, several companies owned and operated by Mexican citizens have been able to make a good living for themselves and their families in Salina Cruz, serving international surfing visitors- there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Far better than a few travelling surfers each year, who contribute as little as possible to the local economy.
I have been to Mexico way more than a few times, and of the 130 million people living there, not everybody is beating down the door trying to get to the US, there are many making a living in fishing and farming and other trades, and the ones I met were usually way more content than most Americans, a lot of whom are in debt and stressed out.
The issue I have is, Surf Companies ‘exploiting’ surfing, for ‘their’ own personal gain.
If that is a valid analogy, then you must have a problem with companies exploiting runny noses to sell tissues?
Other companies exploiting hunger to sell food?
Still more companies exploiting crotch rot to sell medicated powder?
I think you may have confused exploitation with basic business.
And if you have been to México many times, then you should know why millions of Mexicans have migrated north to the US – not because they love Tio Sam, but to make a living in a violent and sometimes lawless country where it can be difficult or impossible to find a decent-paying job.
The fact that several groups of Mexican nationals, NOT expatriate gringos, are able to operate businesses serving visiting surfers in Salina Cruz as a DIRECT RESULT of the Rip Curl Search event is a good thing to be commended – not lamented.
What a retard.
If you ‘actually’ read my posts, I ‘never’ ragged on the dudes running businesses to travelling surfers, I ragged on the surf companies exploitation of surf spots, which may be a moot point at this time, as most of them have fallen on hard times.
You seem a little (a lot), defensive here, invested in any surf camps anywhere?
Retard.
PS
Negs must be loving this.
I can almost see a big grin now.
Did you also burn bruce brown and alby falzon? Surfer magazine annual travel issue?
Not yet.
Travel issues were actually kinda cool when no names were mentioned, maybe a hemisphere.
One travel piece in the ‘tropics’, they even had the guys paddle out in wetsuits for pics. to throw people off.
But it didn’t last, they started dropping names, even my beloved escape south of the border, and that was it for me, dropped my script. and sent them some hate mail I think.
Well–they are History too–must be Karma..
Would likely be a good show if they broached the subject of cocaine and the role it played in all this. I HIGHLY doubt that subject is touched at all but it is the reality of how some of this started. As has been said before, get a copy of the original (not Martin’s edit) Sea of Darkness and you might start to get the concept of how they funded some of this.
You mean surfers were involved with drugs in the early surf industry? (sarcasm)
Sorry, couldn’t resist that.
That’s actually been on my to do list–know where I can get a copy?
Do not. I have edited copy but not original.
Ok, thank you.
I’ll look around, sounds like it might be good.
The original version got a cease and desist. Ask any local surf shop, someone will have a copy.
Ok, thank you.
I saw a movie pretty similar to that. It was about a dude who had a wild night on Teh Drugz, and forgot to drink much water.
Then SPOLIER ALERT: he eventually went to the toilet and his tinkles were like, really deep deep orangey brown.
The movie was called Pee Of Darkness.
Or read Nick Carroll’s biography book of his brother, TC.
I don’t get along with Nick.
Operation playboy is worth reading, though i suspect they were kooks.
Tom Carroll: The reason we hear about Nick Carroll.
The other way they fund it (same now as then) is charge high prices for t-shirts and pay the workers who make them little or (in the case of Rip Curl’s North Korea factories) nothing.
I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a surf T
So let’s hope the surf companies continue to fall on a hard times.
Rip Curl has a factory in North Korea?
They did between 2014 and 2016. I don’t know if they do anymore. You can Google it.
Offshoring didnt start until about 1990 (give or take a year). Before then all the garments and wetties were locally made. The only offshore made stuff was accessories.
Though there was that time quik got caught making wetties in fiji and putting made in Australia labels on them.
“Isn’t this the sort of business WSL Studios was supposed to be producing before its untimely demise?”
Yes, unfortunately Ziff decided to pull the plug on Studios after he found out a team there has started production of a MTV Cribs style TV show titled “Masturbatoriums” based on one of my old comments* (in full below):
“‘Ranked: ‘CT Rider Implied Masturbatoria Style Power Rankings!’
by Karl Von Fanningstadt
Since y’all asked…
Let’s rank these ‘CT wankers and their setups!*
16. Kolohe Andino
A reformed girlfriend stealer, and now Man of GodTM, Kolohe only feels comfortable wanking in the shower, unseen by his wife, except when she inexplicably comes into pee while he’s in there, which he finds disgusting. It doesn’t conflict with his religious beliefs, seeing as he knows Puff the Magic Dragon doesn’t care. Unbeknownst to his wife, the reason he insists on keeping bar soap in the shower is for proper lubrication.
15. John John Florence
While John John spends a lot of his time outdoors, surfing/sailing around and whatnot, his preferred space for “special relaxation” is in his bedroom, which can get a little messy as a result. On any given day, you might find empty Pringles tubes and brillo sponges on his side nightstand or the laptop on some weird surface.
14. Julian Wilson
When it comes to pleasing himself, Julian favors his bathroom, liking to stand to glance at himself in the mirror every so often and critique his own performance, though he tends to over strategize about how to get it done (placing toilet paper rolls under the computer sitting on the counter in order to bring it up to a more comfortable viewing level).
13. Ryan Callinan
R-Cal, as Turdpel likes to call him, doesn’t have a specifically devoted space to take care of business. He does, however, happen to own a collection of 1980s era Playboys, which he stashes in the third drawer from the bottom of his bedroom dresser, underneath a bunch of Billabong flannels. Despite his young age, he like the idea of flipping through pages.
12. Jack Freestone
Married to one of surfing’s top sex symbols, Alana Buttchard, one wouldn’t necessarily think about Jack needing a special place to five finger shuffle, but that he does: his car in the garage. With an uncomplicated setup, holding his phone in the left hand and connected to the vehicle’s Bluetooth, which he turns down very low, not off, because he needs some sound, he can rub one out to whatever he can find during his latest “ebony big booty” search on Pornhub (viewed in incognito mode on Chrome).
11. Wade Carmichael
The surfing style of a hirsute Sally Fitzgibbons, Wade, really leaning into his lumberjack image, prefers his wood shed out back, equipped with an old(ish) Samsung TV and Acer laptop that connect to each other via an HDMI cable, posters of Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk, and a random bottle of olive oil. Surrounded by tools that no one ever uses, he doesn’t even bother to delete his browser history on the computer, which one would find show him to really be into pubic hair.
…
9. Filipe Toledo
Filipe’s setup is not too flashy, he mainly sticks to his bedroom and dumps into socks, which over time crust over and start to make the room smell like burnt and moldy cardboard. Rated this highly, mostly because I forgot about him, and because…
…
7. Jeremy Flores
When he feels like fiddling Le petit Jésus, he goes to his study, kept dark with red light bulbs and outfitted with gilded second empire furnishings and bookshelves filled with erotic literature.
…
3. Kelly Slater
A particular man, Kelly makes sure that his “self-spiritualization” room in every house has all the necessary parts to help get him off, including mirrors, blown up photographs of his face, various vibrating sex toys, printed out comments from Instagram, a dental chair, and one barber chair there for Kalani to sit on while she lends encouragement.
2. Jordan Michael Smith
As we all know, when Jordy can get pretty intense about stuff, other than improving his surfing, going on about his business until he reaches the point of tears. Like anything else, this applies to his self-love game, which his wife reassuringly tells him is perfectly normal and fine with her. So into it, he converted one of his spare bedrooms into his own “shoe dungeon,” as he calls it, where he keeps his shoe collection and computer which he makes sure remembers his Reality Kings login information. He thinks it’s kinda weird that he’s into ladies have sex while wearing shoes, which at the point the woman takes her heels off, he closes the video, but it’s just what he needs sometimes.
1. Kanoa Igarashi
Becoming such a big sensation in Japan, as their best surfer and the prospective Gold medal favorite, Kanoa has met and made friends with many of the country’s important uber famous athletes and celebrities, including former New York Yankees slugger, Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui, who himself amassed more than 55,000 pornographic films during his career from Japanese sportswriters, several of which he has sold to young Igarashi on the condition he watch them on a huge screen or using VR in his high-tech sperm deposit room. Whatever he is into at the moment, he has access to.”
*Apparently I have nothing really newish to say, as I appear to be stuck on a Greatest Hits mode lately…
Top LEL.
KVF, you’ve outdone yourself. That said, did you forget to include Gabby?
* if only samwaters was as self aware as you.
Excellent wanking ranking KVF
Beat Grit. …Ultra Hard Surf Handy
Tagline for the show:
“You gotta wrist it all over the biscuit”
A show where “beat it, jerk” does not mean “go away, unlikeable person.”
the itchy and scratchy show
What? A TV show about Quicksilver and Billabong clothing companies? YAWN. I can think of thousands of things I’d rather do. Even watching the grass grow or trimming my nose hair would be more interesting.
Fair, but a bit samwaters-y.
That was uncalled for. Your dislike of sam is getting to you!
Oh I don’t dislike him, I just find him incredibly perplexing!
That’s what the monkey said about the wasp that stung him on the ass.
Maybe they should have titled it, “The Beginning of the End”.
another Quik-Bong-RIP to the head!