Erik Logan in happier days.
Erik Logan, back when he ruled the WSL like benevolent king!

Sacked WSL chief Erik Logan gives clue to mystery disappearance in latest confessional!

“My trauma manifested into a default mindset for me to be a runner - specifically, run away, escape, and protect myself.”

The former WSL chief Erik Logan, whose almost five-year tenure as pro surfing’s north star was cut short on a moody June day in 2023 with no reason given, has continued his run of confessionals on his wildly addictive Substack.

One week ago, Erik Logan posted a lengthy screed detailing his cataclysmic descent from 42-year-old beginner surfer, loving everything surf, to architect of the entire sport with all its ensuring baggage. Stroke, heart surgery, divorce, losing his WSL job and surprise pivot from surfing and into tennis!

“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,” wrote Erik Logan.

“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.”

In today’s confessional Erik Logan, who may look like a doll but who ain’t stupid, mines his childhood trauma.

Erik Logan as a child.
Baby Erik Logan, mid-seventies, with Oprah and WSL still in the future!

“My childhood was complicated.  All of us have different issues from childhood, so I’m not assuming mine was any more or less special than anyone else’s.  Any abuse you experience as a child shapes you for decades to come.  Whether it is verbal, emotional, or physical, it all takes a toll on you, primarily if you never deal with the trauma properly.  My trauma manifested into a default mindset for me to be a runner – specifically, run away, escape, and protect myself.  Run from everything: problems, unhappiness, whatever I didn’t like – shut down and run.”

And,

“My coping mechanism for trauma at a young age was using my feet to get running.  The physical running also spilled over into emotional running, leading to avoidance, shutting down, and countless other not-so-great personality traits.  My therapist, whom I will call Jennifer (in honor of Dr. Melfi from The Sopranos), now has lifetime employment and works with me weekly on this trauma.  A lifetime of conditioned reactions to stress or trauma means that I react by running (physically) or emotionally (shutting down) at times still to this day.”

Clues to the disappearance of Erik Logan? Forced to run, escape and protect from WSL trauma?

Read here for more clues!  

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Open Thread: Comment Live on the historic Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach final day!

Loose the dogs.

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Kelly Slater (pictured) thinking about what not to name his son.
Kelly Slater (pictured) thinking about what not to name his son.

Breaking: Spite spirals out of control in surf star Kelly Slater!

"You never realize how many people you just don't like until you try to name a baby."

It is, officially, April every single where in the world. New life springing in its northern hemisphere. Trees sprouting green buds. Birds and bees doing their thang. A glorious time with maybe the most glorious growing in the Kelly Slater home. Yes, the greatest surfer to ever do it announced, after his miraculous Bells Beach heat win, that he and longtime Chinese girlfriend Kalani Miller were expecting a baby boy.

Both, as it turns out, gifts from surf journalist Chas Smith.

I had seen, like everyone else, Slater’s decline in recent months. An inability to muster the 6.37 + 5.89 totals required to win heats on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour and I didn’t want it to end this way. Decades upon decades of dominance merely fizzling. And, so, I planted a spite seed in the GOAT’s heart, openly declaring and repeating that he would never win again thereby guaranteeing a spite victory. I knew this would be hard on the 54-year-old and so I also declared his unborn child would be a girl thereby certificating a spite son.

But as happens with heavy magic, things seem to have careened out of control. In an overnight social media post, the 11-time champ declared, “You never realize how many people you just don’t like until you try to name a baby.”

Slater, up late, making a sort of enemies list. Furiously crossing out Chas Slater, Rob Slater, Clifton James Slater, Hakeem Slater, Elon Slater, et. al.

Spite gone wild.

And as mother of this invention, I now understand how Dr. Oppenheimer felt after creating the first atomic bomb. That wow moment quickly replaced by uh oh.

Will Kelly Slater’s spite spew have unintended naughty consequences? Many innocents maligned? Or will he be able to reign it in?

Also, should we make a betting pool as to name of the li’l fella? It’s for absolutely sure going to be island-infused.

Kai Slater.

Keanu Slater.

Jamie O’Slater.

What you got?

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Chas Smith reacts to Easter crucifixion of Gabriel Medina at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

"Has the World Surf League set up the judges as sacrificial lambs in order for them to be taken to Brazil and murdered in the streets?"

In the latest episode of Chas Hates Surfing, the best-selling author Chas Smith weighs in on the Easter crucifixion of three-time Brazilian world champ Gabriel Medina at the Rip Curl Bells Beach Pro.

After a shock loss in his round of 32 heat to San Clemente rookie Cole Housemand over Easter, thirty-year-old Gabriel Medina unleashed in his post-heat interview with Laura Enever describing it as “the worst judging I’ve ever seen.”

His BFF, soccer ace Neymar, agreed, describing the result as “routine.” Neymar also used emojis to describe the judges as clowns. 

Gabriel  Medina claimed he’d long been underscored by the judges (although it’s difficult to explain his three world titles) saying, “It’s bad for the sport, I’ve been through a lot of judging things but I feel like this is the worst one.… we pretend it’s not happening. It’s happening. It’s bad for the sport.”

Gabriel Medina’s outburst follows a long proud line of Brazilians complaining about losing, notably in El Salvador and at Surf Ranch.

Despite the apparent bias, Filipe Toledo’s two world titles were gifted in two-foot waves and Brazilians have won every world title since 2018.

Chas Smith asks, “Do the judges deserve it? On one hand, yes, the judges are…human. And they made a mistake.”

But…

“Has the World Surf League set up the judges as sacrificial lambs in order for them to be taken to Brazil and murdered in the streets? That would be very good views. That would be must-see TV.”

Essential.

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Surfer Magazine's scurrilous attack on Kelly Slater the beginning of the end?
Surfer Magazine's scurrilous attack on Kelly Slater the beginning of the end?

Robot war breaks out as computer generated website savages AI-powered Surfer Magazine over dangerous Kelly Slater claim

"The situation took an odd turn when Surfer Magazine, employing AI-generated content, steered the narrative towards a far darker and bizarre accusation."

The apocalypse is certainly shaping up exactly how 1980s filmmakers envisioned. Robots have taken over, more or less, masquerading as real humans, sometimes, and working on various tasks from filling donuts with sweet cream to penning whole surf websites. Yes, The Arena Group, which came to own the defunct Surfer Magazine almost one year ago, immediately turned to semi-competent artificially intelligent “writers” in order to keep up with heavy surf and surf adjacent information demands. “Emily Morgan,” “Jake Howard” and others inundated readers with bizarre takes on the surfing life, continuing to publish even after The Arena Group got entirely busted for the ethical no no.

Well, in a turn James Cameron saw coming, the robots have begun to turn on each other.

Days ago, the Surfer bot accused living legend Kelly Slater of attempted murder. The actionable claim was immediately denounced by experienced surf journalists attuned to the intricacies of surfers’ psychological makeups, though, in a surprise, also attacked by artificial intelligence itself.

Per YTECH News:

In the realm of professional surfing, rumors and psychological warfare are as much a part of the sport as the waves themselves. Recently, a peculiar controversy emerged involving Kelly Slater, an 11-time world champion, who ostensibly appeared unmotivated at the start of the 2024 World Surf League season despite receiving a season-long wildcard. Slater, known for his intense competitive spirit, reportedly needed an emotional spark to regain his form.

An experienced surf journalist, attuned to the intricacies of the surfers’ psychological makeup, speculated that motivating Slater would require invoking a sense of spite, a known catalyst for his prior triumphs. Efforts to psychologically stimulate Slater involved both overt predictions about his competitive decline and subtle suggestions about his personal life.

The situation took an odd turn when Surfer Magazine, employing AI-generated content, steered the narrative towards a far darker and bizarre accusation. The publication’s AI implied that Slater had engaged in a dangerously aggressive maneuver against fellow competitor Ryan Callinan, virtually accusing him of attempted murder—a claim that was not only unfounded but also bewildering in its intent and reasoning. The accusation pointed to the limitations and erratic nature of AI-generated journalism in sports, raising questions about the ethical use of such technology.

Odd turn indeed.

For the sake of truth and reconciliation, I hope that the Surfer bot “feels” bad and ceases its scurrilousness. I fear, though, that both sides, not understanding the nuances of surf fights, push it way to far and unloose nuclear warheads upon the other.

AI-Kelly Slater, hopefully, survives. He looks very tough though surfs goofy.

 

AI Kelly.
AI Kelly.

More as the story develops… if the sun comes up tomorrow.

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