Noxious surf journalist extends olive branch to incoming World Surf League CEO Joe Carr

Hello Joe Carr, I'm Chas Smith...

(Update: this is a fast-moving story. Read Bombshell Twist in appointment of ex-UFC exec as CEO of World Surf League.)

Yesterday, in the midst of putting off the Hurley Sunset Beach Pro again and losing money, the World Surf League announced the hiring of a new CEO who, officially, replaced the acting “clean up crew” that was holding the office since Erik Logan’s still unexplained, but brutal and lightning quick, departure.

Joe Carr, Derek Rielly wrote, “has got a few miles under the belt. He helped steer Dana and co into a four-billon dollar buyout for the UFC and, lately, was the founder and CEO of Nitro Circus parent company Thrill One.”

While the hiring certainly looks like a move to shore up loose ends, re-engage the pool model and dump the shootin’ match on our dear friends in Saudi Arabia, history has taught us one thing.

There’s no surviving without the grumbly indifference of surf fans. Paul Speaker grossly big footed with dumb claims and was gone quick. Sophie Goldschmidt followed, felt extremely nervous around, and was gone quicker. Erik Logan felt his years in shock radio had more than prepared him for the Nerf darts that surf fans could fling.

He was gone the most spectacularly of all.

Carr can, if he wishes, believe that all former CEOs and whatever Backward Fin Beth’s title was, disappeared of their own volition instead of being pushed out by The People™ for grossly demeaning behavior toward the only audience professional surfing has.

Or, he is welcome to engage with BeachGrit and not just because it is my favorite. The facts show The Inertia is as irrelevant as it is embarrassing, Stab is openly collaborationist, hoping to be included in the Saudi buy, Surfer is robots and Surfline is already “an official partner” plus gripped by toxic monopolistic greed.

So BeachGrit is it and I would imagine Carr to be lightly scared looking out over the World Surf League executive graveyard which just so happens to be next to the pet cemetery. He, in fact, should be but we all know what not conquering fear looks like.

Filipe Toledo.

Joe Carr, I’ll be reaching out soon.

Until then, congratulations!

David Lee Scales and I discussed the hiring, anyhow, during our weekly chat but spent the lion’s share of the time on the aforementioned Toledo. Scales had seemed to pivot into an apologist. Don’t worry. I stood firm. The episode also includes a hit song on Erik Logan’s poo poo touch by our own DJ Seaweed. Worth a listen for that alone.