Rich People and Purpose.
While it is still difficult to imagine, we must all come to grips with the fact that we are, officially, living in a post-ELo world. The former chief executive of the World Surf League, ruthlessly fired one week ago, has left behind broken hearts and raving minds but we are forced to move on. Mandated to dry our eyes and cast our gaze upon the new acting CEOs, the Chief Purpose and People Officer Emily Hofer and Chief Legal Bob Kane with particular attention given to Purpose and People.
Hofer, who grew up in San Jose and Miami, was brought on by the aforementioned Erik Logan told Authority Magazine, “Three years ago, he asked me to lead our work in Purpose at WSL, and at the time, I told him I wasn’t sure I was the right person to lead the work. Afterall, I had no professional experience in ESG work, and in particular, I was not formally trained in Ocean Conservation or Environmental Sciences. He assured me I was the right person for the job and said ‘trust me, you’ll do great.’ After a few months, I realized that not only could I lead the work, but I could make a real difference.”
That “difference,” of course, has been in saving the environment though the building and operating of power/water hungry artificial wave tanks that keep impoverished folks locked out, unable to even peer over a large wooden fence.
As you know, surfing is a greying pastime, particularly in the United States and Australia. Wildly high coastal property values means young middle-class families can no longer afford to live at the beach. In Lemoore, California, though, home to Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, a fine home can be bought for $300,000. An apartment rented for $600 a month. There, children all the colors of the rainbow ride bikes in the street, eat rocket pops served from ice-cream trucks and watch luxury SUVs, windows darkened, whiz by on their way to the ultra-excuse manmade wave.
In the warmer months, Surf Ranch can be rented for $70,000 a day.
In cooler months, $50,000.
Zero of those slots are given to the lower-middle class locals. Hard-working migrant farmers, low-income teachers, blackjack dealers.
Hofer declares, “We know that each community has its own unique needs and challenges. At WSL, we partner with grassroots organizations and indigenous, communities to educate us about the unique solutions each community needs to protect and conserve their ecosystems. We believe it’s critical to bring humility and authentic listening to these conversations, and where we can, WSL provides different kinds of support to lift up these solutions.”
That does not include allowing the unwashed to surf.
And while hypocrisy has become sport inside the World Surf League’s gilded walls, the fact that already-burdened salt-of-the-earth folks are used as catchwords to excite millionaires and billionaires is… extreme.
David Lee Scales and I discussed this a few weeks ago on our podcast, in any case. A listener of program called in and said he was one of the lucky few to experience the tub. After his session, he talked with young man working at the facility, asking him if he surfed. The fellow said that he did and learned at Surf Ranch. How many hours of surf did he get per month? Two waves.
Two waves, per month, to the local toiling under the sun so that Diplo can post Instagram videos.
People and Purpose.
Listen here.
