World Surf League on ropes after X Games announces its own transition to league format

"By leveraging the incredibly valuable X Games brand, we will create a durable, global business that will be good for athletes, fans, investors and sponsors.”

The World Surf League has long been standalone-ish when it comes to alternative sports shoved into a traditional format. Arbitrary points, rankings, colorful singlets, trophies and what have you. Certainly skateboarding has its Street League but that is mostly it or, rather, was mostly it.

For, hours ago, X Games announced that it was transitioning itself from a twice a year showcase into the X Games League.

Per Variety:

The X Games League teams will be composed of athletes from multiple disciplines who will compete for individual and team points to earn both individual and team prize purses. MSP and X Games plan to “secure investors for these new teams,” according to their announcement. Team investors and XGL athletes will be able to generate additional revenue streams via sponsorships and team-specific merchandise. In addition, XGL athletes will be provided with guaranteed compensation and new commercial opportunities.

The X Games followed Formula One as a model for the XGL, according to Jeff Moorad, executive chairman of X Games and principal of MSP Sports Capital. “To that end, we are creating a year-round calendar and introducing new commercial opportunities to accelerate the overall growth of X Games,” he said. “These opportunities will provide a secure and sustainable future for our most important stakeholders — the athletes. By leveraging the incredibly valuable X Games brand, we will create a durable, global business that will be good for athletes, fans, investors and sponsors.”

The worry to the WSL, of course, is that potential Saudi/Emirati buyers will want “the incredibly valuable X Games brand” more than the “global home of surfing.” Also, Diplo is an investor in the XGL. But you’ll certainly recall when the popular DJ was savaged by Minnie Driver for being a “giant kook.”

“First of all, I need to tell you what dropping in on someone is,” Driver opened her salvo on the Table Manners podcast. “In the water, there is an etiquette when you surf that people follow, and it is largely for safety, and it’s also because of respect. It’s just how (expletive deleted) works.”

She then went for the throat.

“What happens when you paddle out, first of all, you don’t take the first wave that comes because you’ve just paddled out, you let it cycle through the people that are already there. So here’s the deal.” And if you don’t? Well, “it’s a really (expletive deleted) thing to do as bad things happen in the water when people do that.”

Hammer time.

Back to the XGL, though. You gonna follow?