The Stone too!

What a time to be alive and part of this surf industry we all call home. Oh, you may not like it. You may grunt and growl “Industry? I ain’t no part of no industry, man. I surf for pure reasons.” Only that is simply naive chatter. You, me, Sam Waters, we’re all the same. Cogs in the machine and on that note an exciting new rumor is percolating.

You certainly recall, weeks ago, when whispers grew to loud to ignore that VF, parent company to Vans, Supreme, JanSport was set to acquire Boardriders, home to Billabong, Quiksilver.

Impeccable source BeachGrit penned at the time, “Dreams do come true, as they say, and the acquisition by one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, consolidates VF Corp, which also owns the canvas shoe company Vans, as the hub around which surf fashion now revolves.”

Alas, that dream was but a wisp of tropical air, dissipated by colder fronts from the east.

A new hot rumor, though, has floated and here we have Authentic Brands Group grabbing ahold of the iconic Mountain and Wave, Stagnant Pool and folding them into a robust house that includes Izod, Neil Lane, the licensing rights to Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali and many other brands plus personalities.

Oh, also Volcom.

The Stone.

Authentic Brands Group, headquartered in New York City, was founded by Canadian Jamie Salter in 2010 after he dabbled in the snowboard industry. The company went on an early tear, purchasing Juicy Couture plus image and marketing rights for notable names including the aforementioned Presley, Monroe, Ali plus Shaq O’Neill and Dr. J. In total, some 50 brands are now owned raking in some $22.5 billion a year.

Pop that bottle of vintage Champagne you have been saving to celebrate, if the rumor proves true.

Bravos to the moon.

I think it is now safe to say that no sporting governing body, professional or otherwise, has experienced a string of successes anything near what our World Surf League has in the past few months. Win, win, win, baby, win. What began as one of the most watched events in history, Final’s Day there on Lower Trestles cobbled stone, led directly to WSL Senior Vice President of Tours, Head of Competition Jessi Miley-Dyer being named one of the august Sports Business Journal’s “Game Changers” for 2022, buoying World Surf League owner Dirk Ziff rocketing up Forbes definitive list of American billionaires and now this.

Being shortlisted for the “Purpose and Sustainability” prize at the Leaders in Sport Awards proudly presented by Abu Dhabi.

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A post shared by Jessi Miley-Dyer (@jessmileydyer)

For those who have never been to the United Arab Emirates, the beautiful country that counts the aforementioned Abu as its capital, let me share that both purpose and sustainability are tantamount. Desalinization plants allow the desert to bloom. Tallest buildings in the world shoot to the moon in nearby Dubai.

Golf courses where there was once only sand.

Bugattis replacing camels.

The WSL did not win, I think, but being considered victory in and of itself.

Those plants, planted near Bells Beach in Australia saving… something.

Plants planted elsewhere doing the same.

Never has greenwashing looked so good.

Many bravos.

Bravos to the moon and/or Burj Khalifa.

The Savior.

While important stories on Jonah Hill, Nathan Florence becoming a baron and etc. continue to dominate headlines, a very subtle yet profound shift has occurred in the world of professional surfing. Namely, the rise of El Salvador.

The one-time war-torn banana republic has been on the forefront of cryptocurrency, yes, but the very height of professional surfing too. El Salvador is set to host its second World Surf League Championship Tour stop next year but, more importantly, will decide Olympic gold.

Battling Huntington Beach, the self-proclaimed “Surf City” in El Sunzai and La Bocana has just been announced as the host of the International Surfing Association’s 2023 World Surfing Games.

Per the press release:

“El Salvador continues to solidify itself as an essential part of the pathway to Olympic surfing,” ISA President Fernando Aguerre said.

“We are grateful to President Bukele and [Tourism] Minister [Morena] Valdez for their understanding of the ISA’s mission, but also for their strong commitment to surfing.

“We are happy to continue to expand and strengthen this partnership, and to show the world that El Salvador is a surfing destination worthy of the world’s best events and surfers.

“Our surfers and teams from around the world have come to love and appreciate El Salvador’s beauty, warm hospitality and excellent waves.

“We look forward to returning next year as part of our paddle for a better world through surfing.”

The country’s president also added, “Surf is freedom.”

Can you imagine anything better than paddling for a better world?

Surf being freedom, as dictated from on high?

Should we move to El Salvador yesterday?

Between this and crypto, I’m begging for a negative take.

Viva the savior.

He's baaaaaack!

Surfers near and far are very aware of the great Miki Dora, how he owned Malibu during halcyon days then became vaguely reclusive, popping back on the scene from time to time before popping back out. Mystery and mayhem. Well, it appears that his heir apparent, one Jonah Hill, has taken notes and become something of a cenobite himself.

Hill recently announced that he would know longer promote his films in a public-facing manner, as it causes anxiety, and also deleted his Instagram.

Vanished from view… until, that is, he was spotted near Ventura, California in a “luxury camper.”

The Daily Mail described the “Mercedes adventure vehicle, also known as the Beast Mode 4×4” thusly:

The luxury camper van is fully decked out with mod-cons that include a two-person bed, tons of storage space, a shower, fridge and microwave.

It also is also equipped with a state of the art AC and heating system and gets its power from solar panels that are mounted on the roof.

Hill was companionless, in keeping with his new lifestyle choices, though seemed happy to be snapped, smiling and sharing a generous thumbs up.

You must click here to see.

Heart warming.

But where do you think he will go in the Beast Mode 4×4? Down Baja? Mainland Mex? Through the Darién Plug?

Adventure awaits.