Italian surf Olympian and House of Gucci pinup dumped by long-time sponsor as once-fabled surf industry crashes to wild new nadir, “(Unlike surfing) in fashion, you can be whatever the f**k you want to be!”

Surf is dead!

The Roman surfer and face of Gucci Leonardo Fioravanti, who now lives in a pretty house on the beach in Hossegor, France, with step-daddy Stephen “Belly” Bell, has been dumped by his sponsor of fifteen years, the once-iconic Quiksilver.

“When I started surfing at 6 years old my dream was to be sponsored by Quiksilver, because Kelly was there, because it was the best surf company in the world, because they made the best boardshorts in the world and especially because the story they told inspired everyone in the surfing world,” Leo, who is twenty-four and an ambassador for Gucci for the past five years, wrote. “I signed with Quik when I was 9 years old, 15 years ago… today is the end of a chapter for me but especially the start of a new and even more exciting one.”

 

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A post shared by Leonardo Fioravanti (@leofioravanti)

Quiksilver, of course, led the surf industry charge through the seventies, eighties, nineties and two thousands before theatrically crashing into bankruptcy and eventually selling the name, brand, logo and whatever else that was worth a few nickels to the circling vultures.

Leo’s estrangement from the surf industry began earlier this year when he gave hell in a mainstream newspaper interview, comparing the stiff surf world with the glorious freedom offered by dressing pretty.

“It’s a different world, I love it. In our world you get judged a lot for your surfing style, who you sponsor with or whatever and that’s how it goes. But in fashion, you can be whatever the fuck you want to be. You can dress however you want, nobody’s going to judge you for it, they’re going to respect you for it. That’s so cool for me. The first fashion show I went to, I was only dressing in black. Everyone looks good in black and no one’s going to judge you in black. Now if I’m going to a Gucci show, give me the craziest shit you’ve got. It’s so cool, and I know they’ll never judge you for it. Give me different every time.”

 

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Reeves (pictured) contemplative.
Reeves (pictured) contemplative.

Beloved Friend Matthew Perry takes vicious swipe at surf hero in forthcoming book: “Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?”

Spilled ink.

There have been, throughout our time, a very few proper surf heroes in movies. One handful. Vince, from North Shore, might be considered. Jan-Michael Vincent, from Big Wednesday, too. In God’s Hands’ Shane Dorian for those smoldering good looks and possibly Kate Bosworth from Blue Crush but that is it, that is all, save the best of all.

Keanu Reeves in Point Break.

Johnny Utah, as he was then called, was perfect inspiration. A football gunslinger turned FBI hotshot turned surfer who discovered the true meaning of stoke etc. learning at the feet of Patrick Swayze’s Bodhi.

Reeves’ laconic drawl, his slow eyes and languid movement were perfection and have aged like fine meatball sandwiches though, apparently, our champion is not appreciated by all.

Friends’ star Matthew Perry, for instance, was not and is not impressed. In a forthcoming memoir, Perry, without prompting, wondered, “Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?”

Ouch.

Though the actor who played Chandler Bing later apologized, declaring, “I’m actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead,” the ink has already been spilled, printed, published, out soon.

Who among us has not written things in hardback that were later regretted though?

Certainly not me.

Buy here, here, here and here.

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Layer (pictured) in air.
Layer (pictured) in air.

Maui flyboy Albee Layer publicly vents after insulting Pipeline snub: “I’ve spent most of the 31 years of my life giving ever fiber of my being to this sport and it still likes passing me (and a few others) over every chance it gets.”

Shame on Stab.

It seems odd to think that early winter, and its Oahu, North Shore boom season, is already upon us but here we are and here it almost is. As you certainly know, the World Surf League jettisoned the Pipe Masters in order to end its season at thrilling Lower Trestles and now runs the “Pro Pipeline.”

The Masters is held by Vans and, this year, there is a bold re-imagination wherein airs will be scored alongside barrels and something rather else. It is also by invitation only and, days ago, those names dropped.

Per Stab, the men’s draw consists of:

CT Surfers: John John Florence, Filipe Toledo, Jack Robinson, Italo Ferreria, Seth Moniz, Barron Mamiya, Gabriel Medina and Kelly Slater.

Hawaiian Invitees: Billy Kemper, Koa Smith, Mason Ho, John John Florence, Nathan Florence, Ivan Florence, Shayden Pacarro, Eli Hanneman, Makana Pang, Koa Rothman, Eli Olson, Seth Moniz, Barron Mamiya, Jamie O’Brien, Matt Meola, Noah Beschen, Imaikalani deVualt, Jackson Bunch, Kala Grace, and Kaulana Apo.

Blow-Ins: Tosh Tudor, Eimeo Czermak, Kauli Vaast, Balaram Stack, Nic Von Rupp, Joao Chianca, Al Cleland Jr, Crosby Colapinto, and Riaru Ito.

Misfits: Matt Meola, Rio Wada (CT 2023), Craig Anderson, Mikey February, Harry Bryant, Noa Deane, and the Vans Stab High Winner.

Notably missing, big wave stud and Maui flyboy Albee Layer.

The aforementioned, peeved, took to Instagram in order to share his frustrations, writing, “I’ve spent most of the 31 years of my life giving ever fiber of my being to this sport and it still likes passing me (and a few others) over every chance it gets. I never got used to it and I never will.”

He found support below the line from the likes of Kai Lenny, who responded, “Verified. Big Barrels + Big Airs = Albee Slayer,” and Jesse Mendes to added, “I support.”

Unfriendly was Billy Kemper who declared, “Come surf pipe for once before you start another sob story. You still owe @healeywaterops a session out there on (mushroom emoji) (laughing face emoji).”

So maybe friendly after all.

But what do you think?

Do you stand with Albee?

I sure do.

Shame on Stab.

Tosh Tudor.

Also, what do you think of the “blow-ins, misfits” categories. Is Rio Wada really a dissenter?

David Lee Scales and I, anyhow, discussed Layer’s omission as well as the potential danger Nathan Florence might soon find himself in. The dreaded porn factory. Be ready for an intervention.

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Hill (pictured) driving something else.
Hill (pictured) driving something else.

King of Malibu Jonah Hill distances himself from carbon belching Mercedes “Beast Mode” luxury van, swaps to clean n green electric Rivian for recent surf outing!

Environment first.

But let’s stop being polite and start getting real. Where are you, currently, on the issue of electric vehicles? Do you drive, or dream, in Tesla? A car that you could use to whip across town, shaming your greenhouse gas spewing counterparts while also taking them off the line? Maybe a more luxurious Lucid Air? Swedish Polestar? Or do you just scoff at the hole thing, telling your electric vehicle driving friends that they are not, in fact, saving the environment but simply passing their gross onto coal powered plants that hurt the air of working class families?

Well, wherever you find yourself, surfing’s Jonah Hill has just made a bold statement rolling himself to the beach for a recent surf in a army green 2022 Rivian R1T electric truck. When he last saw the heir to Miki Dora’s Malibu throne he was just up the street, in Ventura, having driven himself there in a Mercedes 4×4 Sprinter that had been retrofitted into “Beast Mode.”

The Daily Mail described it 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.

Rough estimates suggest the vehicle gets somewhere around 14 miles per gallon.

Carbon belching.

Hill, anyhow, stood chatting with a pal by his new Rivian, which retails near $90,000, wearing loose-fit cuffed blue jeans, a black tee-shirt and green loafers. He also had a bubble-wrapped longboard and, apparently, another longboard in the bed. You must take the whole scene in here and rate it on a scale of 1 – 10.

It must also be noted that he was without female companionship.

Electric boogaloo.

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Santa Barbara County on high alert after Prince Harry, Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker move to town as surfer-killing Great White shark dubbed “Tough Guy” slips back into region!

Bite me.

But when was the last time Santa Barbara County had this much heat? That sleepy chunk of California coast, home to a handful of fickle when not unfortunate waves, is typically happy to remain under the radar, as it were, housing the rich and famous whilst, at the same time, avoiding various spotlights.

Alas, in the past few years, Prince Harry of England and his wife Meghan Sussex née Markle had moved into town followed, just yesterday, by American royalty Travis Barker and his bride Kourtney Kardashian. While the notably camera-averse Dane Reynolds may be sad with that glamorous shine, he is certainly sadder with the re-introduction of Tough Guy.

The alleged surfer-killing great white shark had been absent for a hot minute but not hot enough.

Per USA Today:

A tagged great white shark nicknamed Tough Guy has been tracked to an area where at least three attacks on surfers have occurred since 2010.

The male shark, which measured 12 feet when he was tagged in November 2021, pinged this week off Minuteman Beach, 20 miles north of Surf Beach.

Both are on Vandenberg Air Force Base, north of Santa Barbara. Both are open to the public.

Fatal shark attacks occurred at Surf Beach almost exactly two years apart in October 2010 and 2012. A nonfatal bite, also attributed to a white shark, occurred in the same area in 2014.

Yikes.

Getting down to brass tacks, though, would you prefer Tough Guy or Kardashian in your neighborhood?

What if Kardashian was combo’d with Travis Barker?

Think hard before answering.

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