Sacked WSL chief Erik Logan reveals (almost) all in Substack confessional!

Stroke, heart surgery, divorce, losing his WSL job and surprise pivot from surfing and into tennis!

To know the former WSL boss Erik Logan, as they say, was to love him. Sparkling eyes that milked your essence, a body that made any man or woman’s cheeks flame and all wrapped in the calming assurance of a man who knew how to set limits. 

Thoroughly intoxicating.

It came as a terrific surprise, nine months ago, therefore, when Erik Logan was disappeared by the WSL mid-event at the Vivo Rio Pro, no reason given, only a curtly worded press release that neither thanked nor exalted their high-profile CEO.

“Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced that CEO Erik Logan has departed the company, effective immediately.”

Silence ensued as per the WSL’s policy regarding transparency, ie none, despite Logan’s almost five-year reign as head of pro surfing, which took in the pivot to a one-day world champ playoff, a mid-year tour cut, as well as failed ventures including The Ultimate Surfer and WSL Studios.

As Chas Smith reported following the disappearance,

The lack of any information, whatsoever, from the World Surf League in the aftermath, alongside the “flabbergasting” lack of knowledge by those close to the levers of power, suggested an absolutely ruthless NDA.

A championship tour surfer had told me, directly, that Logan had made certain surfers “feel uncomfortable” with his behavior and by asking them to one-on-one dinners or drinks. He also, it was said, became “erratic” when he drank. The assertion of both troublesome requests and over-indulgent drinking was corroborated by at least two others, both with direct experience.

“He was getting away with it for a while,” another with first hand experience told me. “Lots of reports the last few events that he’s been drunk and making inappropriate comments to the women.”

Putting pieces together, it suggests the sort of firing that would deliver no praise and require an ironclad NDA. One almost certainly concerning personal conduct and needing the head of human resources and the head of legal to take over at a moment’s notice.

One that forced him to “fly home immediately,” according to one source, directly following his ouster.

There was excitement today when Erik Logan posted a lengthy screed on his Substack detailing his cataclysmic descent from 42-year-old beginner surfer, loving everything surf, to architect of the entire sport with all its ensuring baggage. 

Erik Logan writes, 

We’ve all been told, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Or maybe, “Follow your passion; the money will follow you.” There are countless variations on this theme.  Throughout my career, I let this idea guide my professional choices, and tried to make  my job my passion.  The reality was that I was passionate about my work, but it was never my burning passion.    Four years ago, I took a passion that I had discovered and made it my job and I can now say I’m not 100% sure this cliche is the best advice, at least for me.

There was an eroding and flattening of my love for surfing. It wasn’t sudden; bits and pieces of joy chipped away here and there until the love was broken and the passion was gone.  I would think back to those early moments of feeling that this job would be so great for me; and that being on the ‘inside of surfing’ and getting deeper into this world I loved would unlock more ways to deepen my passion and engage my business brain.  I was wrong again. 

The reality is that when my passion became my job, those lines became blurred.  What once was a sanctuary, where anonymity was nearly assured with many of us wearing identical black wetsuits on our boards,  not caring at all what anyone did outside of the ocean, suddenly became a place I didn’t want to be. People constantly approached me, wanting to talk about surfing and the WSL and give their unsolicited opinions of the sport or the company (good and bad).   I would always take the time to talk with them and listen, thank them for the conversation, and try to be as present and thoughtful as possible.  To be honest, there were many times that it felt good; my ego loved it, and even when the conversations got heated, I still loved the debate.  So, on the one hand, I was feeling good on the ego level; on the other, my love for surfing and passion were eroding – catching fewer and fewer waves.  

The erosion continued. 

I used to have fun and get up at 4:30 and get to the water at first light, but no longer. What was clear to me was that I was not having fun surfing anymore.  The passion was gone.  I couldn’t find it anywhere. It was gone as fast as it overcame me.  And then, in late June of 2023, I was no longer working – passion and profession both gone.  

Does confession of events that created his downfall follow? (No!) But read here!