"Everyone starts at QS level, it is a great opportunity for fans to get to know the stars of the future."
Pornhub, a leading online purveyor of pornography, was hacked two short weeks ago, those responsible collecting the identities and browsing histories of “premium members,” though leaving passwords, payment details and the sort of business valuable to most hackers behind. They then sent a ransom demand, to Pornhub, that allegedly declared that if the naughty website didn’t pay up, 200 million pieces of data relating to those premium members would be published online.
Weird kinks and fetishes of doctors, lawyers and politicians brought out into the light.
In other news, Kieran Pender, who writes for The Guardian, openly shared “My surf addiction didn’t need more fuel. Then I found the WSL third-tier live stream.“
A case of getting out ahead of embarrassing information becoming public?
At first, it seemed like a natural progression. I have long been a surf fan, I regularly write about the World Surf League Championship Tour, and once even tried my hand in a local surf competition. And so in recent years, during breaks between top-tier WSL events, I found myself glued to live streams for the second tier, the Challenger Series,” Pender began before really getting into the nitty-gritty of the enjoyment he derives from watching unknowns surf competitively in Taiwan.
He continued, boldly, “The QS is the lowest rung on the ladder that is competitive surfing. The competition is divided into a regional format, with Australian surfers competing across the country and throughout Asia, for a precious few spots on the Challenger Series. Youthful surf prodigies vie with local stalwarts and nomadic veterans clinging on to the dream of WSL glory. Some events feature more than 100 surfers. Short, four-surfer heats in variable conditions make for frenetic action.
Then ending, “The broadcast is important, for at least three reasons. First, selfishly, it provides surf addicts like myself something to while away the time. (Will) Hayden-Smith (WSL head of the QS) compares it to Test cricket: ‘That’s one of the beauties of surfing – it’s a perfect sport to have on in the background.’ (If any of my bosses are reading this, please be assured that watching third-tier surfing has no impact on my productivity).
Second, “It provides an economic model for the events – which are often funded by local tourism authorities.”
Last, “Everyone starts at QS level, it is a great opportunity for fans to get to know the stars of the future.”
Have you found yourself getting weird like Pender?
Would you be strong enough to straight up admit?
BeachGrit is a safe space.