LGBTQ icon Tyler Wright protesting. The great Longtom writing, "I want to honour the intent but the corporate embrace of woke culture makes me deeply queasy. Another commodified product for the corpos to package up and sell in the guise of moral purity."
LGBTQ icon Tyler Wright protesting. The great Longtom writing, "I want to honour the intent but the corporate embrace of woke culture makes me deeply queasy. Another commodified product for the corpos to package up and sell in the guise of moral purity."

Protected groups stunned by World Surf League walking back social progression in wake of Surf Ranch Pro insurrection as CEO Erik Logan declares “No one person or group of people are above the integrity of the sport.”

The momentum is real.

Bonafides are only as good as they burnish and the World Surf League’s are suddenly looking extremely dull. Long known for advocacy and allyship, awareness and awaketivity, a new patriarchal head as emerged in the wake of the Surf Ranch Pro insurrection, horrifying protected groups who long considered professional surfing, at its highest level, a beacon.

The whole business started off on the right, or rather left, foot. A Native American blessed the plow there in Lemoore and off it whirred down the line, stirring up magical waves, not breaking down. But then came major complaints of fairness from three Brazilian surfers, each champions, and there exploded CEO Erik Logan, issuing an open letter dripping in victim shaming and white male fragility.

Let us read once more.

To the WSL community,

I want to address the conversation that happened in our community following the recent Championship Tour event at the Surf Ranch. As you likely know, a small number of athletes made statements questioning the judging of the competition and the final results.

I want to respond directly to those statements, however, we first need to address a much more important issue. In recent days, a number of surfers, WSL judges, and employees have been subject to harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence, including death threats, as a direct result of those statements. Those things should never happen in our sport or any sport, and we’re devastated that members of our community have been subject to them. It is an important reminder to us all that words have consequences. We hope the entire WSL community stands with us in rejecting all forms of harassment and intimidation.

In terms of the statements made, we completely reject the suggestion that the judging of our competitions is in any way unfair or biased. These claims are not supported by any evidence.

Firstly, the judging criteria are provided to the athletes ahead of each competition. All athletes competing at the Surf Ranch Pro received these materials on May 20th. Every athlete had the opportunity to ask questions about the criteria at that time. None of the athletes who made these statements took advantage of this opportunity at the Surf Ranch Pro.

Secondly, our rules allow any athlete to review the scoring of any wave, with the judges, and receive a more detailed explanation of how they were scored with the judges. This process has been in place for a number of years, and is the direct result of working with the surfers to bring more transparency to the judging process. It is not acceptable, and is a breach of league policy, for surfers to choose not to engage with the proper process and instead air grievances on social media.

A number of athletes at the Surf Ranch Pro received points for elements such as progression and variety, so it is simply incorrect to suggest these are not taken into account in the judging criteria. Furthermore, our rules have been applied consistently throughout the season, including at events this season that were won by athletes who are now questioning those same rules.

Surfing is an ever-evolving, subjective sport and we welcome a robust debate around the progression of our sport and the criteria used to judge our competitions. However, it is unacceptable for any athlete to question the integrity of our judges who, like our surfers, are elite professionals.

No one person or group of people are above the integrity of the sport.

Sincerely,
Erik Logan
WSL Chief Executive Officer

The last line particularly devastating.

“No one person or group of people above the integrity of the sport.”

Three, or such, years ago, the great Longtom commented on the World Surf League’s pivot to elevating one person or groups of people, writing at the time, “I want to honour the intent but the corporate embrace of woke culture makes me deeply queasy. Another commodified product for the corpos to package up and sell in the guise of moral purity. It feels hard not to gag on the hypocrisy.”

The pile on, anyhow, has showed no sign on slowing, new bodies joining the mass atop Logan every single hour. His milquetoast Instagram account filled with rage, Stab, generally a World Surf League safe space, seeping with opportunistic loathe. One person, though, has remained entirely silent. Jessi Miley-Dyer has posted nothing, released nothing, said nothing since the wildness has started. Quietly sitting by while her running parter, and boss, gets squeezed.

Do you imagine she is trying on the initials CEO before her name?

Standing in the mirror and practicing her introduction?

The momentum is real?

More as the story develops.

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Two-time world champ John John Florence, happy with Yeti.

Grammy nominated DJ Fisher slams WSL in hilarious post to two million followers as former tour greats join the pile-on, “When a surfer gets a ten-point ride on the world championship tour he wins a f*#ing esky! Are you kidding me?”

“What are they going to do, fill it full of beers and use the lid to go down some hills?”

The former-pro-surfer-and-comic-turned-DJ Paul Fisher, who trades under the stage name FISHER, has slammed the WSL in a post to his almost two-million followers.

The thirty-six-year-old who was nominated for Best Dance Recording category at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for the nipple-twisting hit “Losing It” hit out at the WSL for giving any surfer who scores a ten-point ride in the season a Yeti cooler or in Australian parlance, an esky.

Yeti signed a three-year deal with the WSL in January, the brand hosting “on-site activations, including Hydration Stations, Activation Coolers, and branded event bottles, at select competitions, in addition to a branded-content series exploring the iconic locations on the WSL CT and Challenger Series featuring YETI ambassadors John Florence and Stephanie Gilmore.”

“I’m pondering on the fact that when a surfer gets a ten-point ride on the world-fucking-championship tour they get a fucking esky! A fucking esky!” said Fisher. “Are you fucking kidding me? That is unbelievable. What are they going to do, fill it full of beers and use the lid to go down some hills?

“A ten-point ride and you get a fucking esky! Unbelievable. Mate, what about a thousand bucks, just thousand bucks. Are you kidding? You used to get a Nixon watch worth ten-grand for a ten, now you get a fucking esky! Wow!”

(Note to readers: if the gifted Yeti is the famous 82-gallon Tundra 350, it retails at $1300.)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by FISHER (@followthefishtv)

The post was wildly popular with world championship tour surfers and retired greats.

“For reals,” wrote Julian Wilson.

“This is the best fucking video ever!!!!! Captures the tour perfectly haha,” wrote Owen Wright.

“So good,” wrote Leo Fioravanti.

“Someone give me an average 10 years on tour how many 10’s??? Really want to know how many coolers I missed out on,” wrote 2001 world champ CJ Hobgood.

Dark days for the beleaguered organisation, dissent from within etc.

 

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Legendary surf coach blames Surf Ranch Pro judging controversy on Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira and Filipe Toledo’s “victim mentality”!

"Super ethical coming from a surf 'coach' who used to get smoked by 16 year old Medina"

So many tears and sad Instagram posts following Griffin Colapinto’s stunning, surprising even, but very controversial win over Italo Ferreira at the Surf Ranch Pro on Sunday. 

The WSL judging panel, architects of six Brazilian world champions over the last nine years, have been accused of ineptitude, bias and, by swarms of Brazilian surf fans, racism after Gabriel Medina’s loss to Ethan Ewing in his quarter-final and Italo Ferreira in the final against Colapinto. 

To recap, read “Australian surfer Ethan Ewing threatened with death following controversial win”, “Gabriel Medina pens open letter to WSL complaining of ‘shocking’ judging” and “Pro surfing in chaos as its biggest stars turn on WSL and CEO Erik Logan”. 

Now, the surf coach and former world tour competitor Glen “Micro” Hall, an engaging falsetto from Australia’s Central Coast (forget that dubious Irish ancestry that got him into the world amateurs years ago) and whose tour surfers have included Owen and Tyler Wright, Ace Buchan, Wilko, Conner Coffin and Brisa Hennessy, has weighed into the brouhaha.

Last night, Hall posted a Wikipedia definition of “victim mentality”, a pointed reference to the tears of Brazilian world champs Toledo, Medina and Ferreira. 

As expected, many more tears flowed from Brazil’s legion of surf fans. 

Coming here with enormous respect for you as surfer, coach and person that you are.

This is the type of post that does not help, on the contrary, it creates more animosity, it also encourages people to do the same: to belittle the opinion of others and consequently make them lose the courage to take a stand. Let’s not diminish other’s feelings 

Super ethical coming from a surf “coach” who used to get smoked by 16 year old Medina

Now I undestend the meaning of Micro… tiny, irelevant …

Very Micro comment, as a coach you should understand more about progressive surfing. Kind of comment coming from someone that won nothing doesnt surprise me.

Damn, do you call yourself a coach?! What a shit mentality you have

Just like a kid that gets the ball and go home because others are playing better with it. Australians have better personality than that but some are just meant to be ignored

A few supporters in there, 

I put all of this on Charlie, when your child shows unsportsmanlike and tantrum like behaviour from a juvenile age and u don’t pull them into line this is the product of that

Here come the Woman bashers to cry some more

Long-time readers will remember the time Micro gave hell to Medina during a heat together at the 2016 Quiksilver Pro, beating the Champ with an interference. 

The interference was plain enough. Micro had priority. Gabriel pushed it too far; Micro milked it and got it through. Y’could see Micro lighting up on Gabs but you could also sense he pulled his words, just a little, because as every surfer knows, you don’t smack talk a Brazilian, not when his countrymen are “passionate”, as they say.

In his post-heat interview, Micro, who looked like he’d been outfitted by a stylist from Back to the Future with his giant plastic watch and plastic sunglasses housing reflective blue lenses, was smart enough to talk up Gabriel.

“He’s a really good dude, passionate in the water and a legend out of the water.”

Soon, Gabriel appeared. He was very sad. He said, “You know, the waves are pretty bad. Ten days for waves like this? KP didn’t do a good job… I hope he can do better.”

Gabriel said he was confused by the rule that sunk him and then… unexpectedly… although perhaps it shouldn’t be unexpected given Gabriel’s sulky form, he said, “Next time Glen Hall say fuck you to me, I will teach him…”

Cut! Back to booth!

Do you remember? So good.

 

 

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Papa Logan (pictured) attempting to lead. Photo: Instagram
Papa Logan (pictured) attempting to lead. Photo: Instagram

World Surf League CEO Erik Logan emerges from panic room after Insurrection at Surf Ranch, lowers cannon and fires “open letter” into “WSL community!”

"It is an important reminder to us all that words have consequences. We hope the entire WSL community stands with us in rejecting all forms of harassment and intimidation."

Times of woe, of worry and troubled waters demand decisive actions from leaders and World Surf League CEO Erik Logan is attempting such behavior after a weekend meltdown in Lemoore. You can catch up here, here, here, here but, quite basically, three Brazilian former champions felt objectively harmed by judging decisions during stop six and made their feelings known.

Logan, initially playing with a screen printing machine in his panic room, quickly gathered a crack crisis management team and, minutes ago, published an open letter.

Shall we read?

To the WSL community,

I want to address the conversation that happened in our community following the recent Championship Tour event at the Surf Ranch. As you likely know, a small number of athletes made statements questioning the judging of the competition and the final results.

I want to respond directly to those statements, however, we first need to address a much more important issue. In recent days, a number of surfers, WSL judges, and employees have been subject to harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence, including death threats, as a direct result of those statements. Those things should never happen in our sport or any sport, and we’re devastated that members of our community have been subject to them. It is an important reminder to us all that words have consequences. We hope the entire WSL community stands with us in rejecting all forms of harassment and intimidation.

In terms of the statements made, we completely reject the suggestion that the judging of our competitions is in any way unfair or biased. These claims are not supported by any evidence.

Firstly, the judging criteria are provided to the athletes ahead of each competition. All athletes competing at the Surf Ranch Pro received these materials on May 20th. Every athlete had the opportunity to ask questions about the criteria at that time. None of the athletes who made these statements took advantage of this opportunity at the Surf Ranch Pro.

Secondly, our rules allow any athlete to review the scoring of any wave, with the judges, and receive a more detailed explanation of how they were scored with the judges. This process has been in place for a number of years, and is the direct result of working with the surfers to bring more transparency to the judging process. It is not acceptable, and is a breach of league policy, for surfers to choose not to engage with the proper process and instead air grievances on social media.

A number of athletes at the Surf Ranch Pro received points for elements such as progression and variety, so it is simply incorrect to suggest these are not taken into account in the judging criteria. Furthermore, our rules have been applied consistently throughout the season, including at events this season that were won by athletes who are now questioning those same rules.

Surfing is an ever-evolving, subjective sport and we welcome a robust debate around the progression of our sport and the criteria used to judge our competitions. However, it is unacceptable for any athlete to question the integrity of our judges who, like our surfers, are elite professionals.

No one person or group of people are above the integrity of the sport.

Sincerely,
Erik Logan
WSL Chief Executive Officer

Thoughts?

I only mentioned the crisis management team, above, seeing that earlier this morning the “surfing is an ever-evolving, subjective sport and we welcome a robust debate around the progression of our sport and the criteria used to judge our competitions. However, it is unacceptable for any athlete to question the integrity of our judges who, like our surfers, are elite professionals” bit was attributed to an unnamed source.

Wild days.

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Ferreira (left) mad while Logan (insert) dismissive. Photo: Instagram
Ferreira (left) mad while Logan (insert) dismissive. Photo: Instagram

World Surf League drops paternalistic bomb on Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Italo Ferreira after Brazilian stars dare question judging in wake of Surf Ranch Pro!

"The wrong kind of passion."

But who on earth expected the Surf Ranch Pro, there in the cow stink, miles from the nearest ocean, to be the most explosive event of the 2023 World Championship Tour thus far? Drama-filled to the industrial farmed eyeballs? Earthquake still reverberating through America’s Memorial Day and into the early portion of the week?

I mean, aside from surf guru Sam George, of course.

But here we are and it is true. Wild controversy, death threats, absolute chaos heading down to El Salvador, a place known for jailing lesbian women, with no end in sight.

The main issue is, of course, the judging. American and Australian surfers pushed through even though the Brazilian surfers appeared to be more progressive, generally better.

For their part, former champions, Brazilian all, Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo and Italo Ferreira took their complaints directly to the people.

Medina declared, “The surfing community, especially in Brazil, is mesmerized with the poor clarity and inconsistence of judging for many years now, but lately it has been even more shocking. It is quite clear that judging is now rewarding very simple surfing, seamless transitions and have taken critical turns in critical sections off the criteria. This is very frustrating and is stagnating the sport.”

Toledo added, “After a long day, of many thoughts, analyses, news and arguments, I realized that I am tired, psychologically exhausted. It’s not easy to spend 10 years swallowing hard. I’m a surfer, original and rooted, who grew up among real surfers, and fairness has always been one of the main points in my experience. That’s why I feel tired. For the love of sport, I’m still firm and strong. And now, I feel happy seeing the posts by Gabriel Medina, Ítalo Ferreira, and many others, who can still adhere to the idea that what we seek will always be the evolution of the sport, with justice and transparency. We want nothing but fair. Nothing beyond what is our right. We need our voice to be heard and respected, because, after all, we are the protagonists of it all!”

Ferreira closed with, “My intuition is not to attack, hurt, take into credit and judgment, but silence consumes me. The surf that gave me and gives me everything I live by this if I need to prove it yet. My looks and my energy and what they carry says it all. On my part, surf, I give you my all. My devotion My day to day that only me, my team and my family know. And so we shall continue. In the moment of sadness, indignation, reverse and look forward, transform, inspire people.”

In a just-published must-read, tour analyst JP Currie wondered, “Is it surprising that some styles are favoured? Not at all. Why would it be surprising that a pudgy, fifty-something, white male WSL judge would err in favour of classic surfing rather than the brand of athleticism and progression brought to the table by the Brazilians?”

Before concluding, “Brazil owns the fucking WSL, and I’m here for it.”

Though how is the World Surf League, based in Santa Monica and helmed by lily-white Chief Executive Erik Logan and Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer, taking that “ownership” from a former colony?

Not well.

In a paternalistic bomb, an unnamed WSL spokesperson told Reuters, “Surfing is an ever-evolving, subjective sport and we appreciate a robust debate around the progression of our sport and the criteria used to judge competitions. However it is unacceptable for any athlete to question the integrity of our judges who… are elite professionals.”

Yikes.

The World Surf League regularly praises its Brazilian surfers and fans for “passion.” It is, in fact, the only descriptor used to describe them. Passion, passionate, passionately. Criticizing the judging must be the wrong sort of passion, I suppose.

Not grateful enough for all the opportunities and advancement gifted by benevolent masters etc.

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