“Erik Logan is a world-class media executive with a profound personal connection to the sport of surfing.”
A wall of silence has descended over the World Surf League following the Soviet-esque disappearing of its once-beloved CEO Erik Logan and the handing of the poison-filled chalice to Emily Hofer, WSL’s Chief People and Purpose Officer and Bob Kane, its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer
Four days ago, Logan was in Brazil and having a hell of a time, vigorously posting videos on his Instagram account, even writing a passionate “love letter” to the same Brazilian surf fans who threatened death following several unfavourable judging decisions at the Surf Ranch Pro although he did write, prophetically, “Stay tuned for some exhilarating action.”
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Now, apart from a tersely worded press release from the WSL…nothing.
(It ain’t the first time the WSL has disappeared a key employee. Who remembers the former world champ turned commentator, once the sexiest surfer in the world, who was there one day and gone the next with not one word said?)
Compare Erik’s departing presser to the teary farewell Sophie Goldschmidt got from the WSL’s billionaire owner Dirk Ziff when she split in 2020
Erik:
“Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced that CEO Erik Logan has departed the company, effective immediately. As the WSL begins the process of identifying a new CEO, Emily Hofer, WSL’s Chief People and Purpose Officer, and Bob Kane, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer, will jointly lead the company and continue to drive the WSL’s mission to showcase the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves as the global home of competitive surfing.”
Sophie:
“Sophie has had a huge impact on the WSL. She is responsible for transforming both our business capabilities and culture in her tenure as CEO. With the converging trends in sports, media and entertainment, we mutually agreed it was time to make a change. Erik Logan is a proven leader and a world-class media executive with a profound personal connection to the sport of surfing. We are excited about what he will accomplish as CEO. We will always be grateful to Sophie for her contributions to surfing and we look forward to the WSL’s next chapter.”
While speculation, oh yeah we heard a few things too, is gonna end in tears for your pals at BeachGrit there’s a few reasons why CEO’s, and half of ‘em do get fired at some point, suddenly disappear.
1. Poor performance. If a CEO doesn’t meet performance expectations, financial targets, strategic goals or market share growth, the board is probably gonna ice ’em.
2. Ethical or Legal Issues: Any sorta ethical breaches, misconduct, or involvement in illegal activities and you’re gone.
3. Leadership Problems: If the CEO demonstrates poor decision-making, a lack of transparency or an inability to effectively manage the company, he, or she, gotta go.
4. Culture Clash: If the CEO’s approach clashes with the organization’s desired direction or if they fail to align with the expectations of key stakeholders, you’re out.
5. Strategic Direction: A sudden change in the company’s strategic direction or a need for a shift in business priorities is gonna convince the board, the owner, to replace the CEO with someone with different skill set or a fresh perspective.
Many swords to fall on here.
It shows how tenuous the grip on the top job can be.
Just a few months back, Australia’s premier broadsheet The Sydney Morning Herald lovingly profiled the Okie-turned-surfer in the story, “‘Something the sport has never seen’: The former Oprah exec bringing soap opera to surfing.”
“He has led a series of seismic changes to the World Surf League’s (WSL) professional tours as it recovers from the pandemic – ruffling feathers and raising record revenue, all with narrative in mind.”
Critics of each new drama-driven concept exist at both a professional and pundit level, and the WSL is seen in some surfing quarters as overly sensitive, with a propensity to airbrush drama when it doesn’t suit.
Logan counters with a slice of Oklahoma simplicity.
“The growth and the explosion of the sport, with the firepower we have with our surfers is something that the sport has never seen. And our job as the WSL is really simple – to grow and create the world’s largest platform for professional surfing.”
Meanwhile, surf fans continue to dance on Erik’s freshly dug grave.
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Bullshit. You can’t compel speech.
Can we tax the coconut trees?
bring him back in for a comedy interview on “Who’s My Line? w/ Scales cause we’re looking to fill this position: BG’s Chief of People, Places, Some Things
movie ’bout her: “The Last Non-Action Hero to be Hoisted to a Leadership Position Before The End of Affirmative Action.”
Some actual journalism from BG for a change.. guess that’s contingent on some actual news. From a pro sports perspective, when a coach, manager, etc. gets fired with only a few games left in the season, it’s a symbolic slap in the face for a job poorly done.
If BG had a journalist in their California Bureau, they could paddle out for the morning session at El Porto and maybe get a comment from ELo. They could probably even pick up a few surf tips from him.
OK…sitting in the line-up at El Porto, I would ask ELO:
Why are footballs called “pigskins?” No one knows why because footballs are actually made out of cow skin.
It takes 600 cows to make a season’s worth of NFL footballs. Wow, that is one of the most striking of the sports fun facts.
Someone did the math and found out that a cow has a 1-in-17,420,000 chance of being made into a football that gets used at the Super Bowl.
The ball is only in play for about eleven minutes out of an average three hour long football game.
But ELO is surfing the MB Pier. Or at least the picture of his last wave was there. Can you hear me ELO?
My guess is he isn’t posing as a surfer now that he has been kicked out of the inner circle. Having disappeared from media and of course BG for a 3 days I missed this global changing event. BUT at least the waves sucked at Salt and Doheny so I had that going for me.
stop the madness, I say…NOT!
They are rushing decisions before two of them are disbarred
Mystery!?! I think not. Dirk just discovered a corporate babbly algorithm on chat GPT. Elo obsoleto!
Humor me while I unpack one of them there instagram posts…
Developed with an aim to illuminate the power and business of professional surfing – and what exactly was highlighted from the power and business of professional surfing for participants of this Academy? Openly publicizing a financially failing business’ willingness to accept funding from a government committing heinous human rights violations toward their own people with extreme hubris?
the WSL Academy is a testament to the strength of our sport and the community it fosters. And what community is being fostered here? A closed community circle jerk that does not include, listen to, engage or even acknowledge its core fan base? A community where only toxic positivity is spewed forth in overproduced reality tv-risqué media bites that do not highlight the business’ only product?
It’s been a wonderful experience seeing so many partners, promoters, and surfers come together – Great Wall Motors from communist China, an Australian ladder company, a Japanese face cream company know for testing products on animals and a pride of self congratulatory state and federal politicians (to name a few), stroked vigorously by media executives, spasming and convulsing towards a blended corporate climactic squirt…
to learn about the driving forces behind the World Surf League. Do I have to?
Pass me the cum rag. And some water.
Me. Humored. Also came in the Yeti, Hydrocup, freshly-planted tumbleweeds, women’s red jersey, announcer’ s pockets, Ziff’s yacht, Sam’s club, and all over the judge’s stand. Oops. (Pissed on the judge’s table.) That’s just me. Can’t imagine what damage the Brazilians have done: should be new breeds delivered in 9 months. Outbreak!
C’mon Derek cut the shit what happened in Rio, you must know.
I have friends who are there but won’t say, this is true beach grit fodder, break the story
Going to need some Bailey’s ladders to find him buried down that deep.
Those ladders dig too?
I sit in traffic everyday dazing out until I see a Bailey ladder now.
Carissa will be demanding retrospectively her 6th world title from last year now that Logan’s on the run with his game changing box of tricks and inventions.
Ok just putting the pieces together….ELo disappears ,JMD has been missing…….
Has Elo and JMD eloped?
Has JMD been relegated to the back stalls as the new owners of the WSL are from the UAE..and want to clean up the sport , back to a macho laden association..so JMD/ELO gone?
JMD was seen in the Ukraine trying to join the Wagner Goup….or how to blow a coup?
Elo was just too white with no real edge, and he wouldn’t wear a rainbow head banned!
so where to now…not the ME!
Loose lips sink ____? Enough contacts in the biz break the real story Bruuuu! These guys are the tail wagging the ____!
I will take ME radicals over woke kooks with no knowledge of the sport’s history.
Possible, but JMB prefers manly men and/or women of which ELO is neither
Will be very surprised if alcohol isn’t involved
Get on the piss cunt
Oooo maybe ELO had some Cachaça rage!
I reckon it’s not so much rage, but some unwanted lovin.
HMMM, was ELO hittin JMB while on a White Claw bender?
There was also quite the bloodbath over at ESPN today.
Have you read the dissenting opinions for the cases they ruled on this week? Those three “liberal” Justices did a helluva job revealing how much those Justices prefer abandonment of adherence to the Constitution in favor of ideological gobblygook.
the Supreme court of the USA……isn’t there some black bloke who has been taking pressies of a certain billionaire?
they found Judge Thomas’ pubic hair in Anita Hill’s coffee cup and he was still confirmed. and the beat goes on…
Violated zero rules of ethics. He’s allowed to have friends. Don’t t you wish your friends were successful?
Jalen Rose, Sotomeyair, and some other white guys. But they kept Steve A Smith?
Ahhhh nice and subtle Mr Reilly, and we hear you very clearly. A bit of nose candy and some grabby grabby aye! When in Rome!
I think sunk by those jealous of his success!
sailin’ ’til ‘f’ur no’ce
Ha – well he’s just another slob in the lineup now.
Good luck you Okie fuckwit. Hahahahahahar
Oh yea, tomo, Go JJ ftw!
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The WSL is a joke and until it is sold or a new tour emerges it has no significance. The waves and surfing suck. Next.
It’s because he used words like “activations” and “learnings”
Deserved instant dismissal
Nice observation. Couldn’t agree more.
Did you get to keep your Weasl mug, Chas?
(Not asking about Mrs Scales coz she would’ve snuck it into her handbag.)
Just make the Women’s competition somewhere different than the Men’s, and let’s look at this thing for what it is!