“When the stories disappear, the sport stops meaning more than the result.”
A man calling himself a brand architect has had a wild ol’ swing at the current state of pro surfing and, y’gotta admit, brother red got a point.
The central thesis behind Hamish Charlton’s claim is that once sport enters its optimisation phase, all the good gear that made it compelling, the insane heroes, the ruthlessness and the brutality, the colour and vibrance, all fall away leaving the sport but a husk of its former greatness.
Something has just started to happen to sport, and I think it’s going to become a problem. We are producing better athletes but worse stories.
If you don’t believe me, look at surfing.
Back in the Dream Tour days, you didn’t just watch the heat, you watched the surfer. And back then there wasn’t just one way to do it. The Dream Tour didn’t just allow personality, it rewarded it.
Andy Irons was chaos. Fanning was control. Kelly Slater, evolution.
None of them surfed the same.
That was exactly the point. They were all just trying to win in their own unique way.
The WSL hasn’t broken the sport. It just made it more efficient.
Now there’s a perfect way to win. And this isn’t just happening in surfing. Once a sport enters its optimization phase, individuality becomes a risk.
Everything starts to look the same.
The talent stays elite, but the stories start to disappear. And when the stories disappear, the sport stops meaning more than the result.
That’s the problem. We’re not losing the sport, we’re optimizing out the part that made it matter.
Much agreement in the comment pane.
Society is producing homogeneous people with no spirit activation
Everyone is a softc*ck , tasteless and boring
Same as food , same as actors we used to watch film because of the actors like we watch surfing for surfers 🏄🏾♀️ but the same thing is happening everywhere
The human spirit is being sucked out of people and replaced with machine behavior
All Brain No Heart
Keep it unapologetically HUMAN !
The WSL is a joke….the Dream tour was the wheel…. They tried to reinvent….now look at it…
I think the word optimisation is interchangeable with corporatisation.
And so on.
A lone soldier in the comments was the excellent surf blog Stab which pushed back against Hamish’s thesis writing,
Nonsensical ChatGPT platitudinal script.
They make a good point about the script, I think.
Yeah, that’s an LLM.
Examine the tell-tale tricks: The contrarian reversal sentence, done twice.
“The WSL hasn’t broken the sport. It just made it more efficient”
“We’re not losing the sport, we’re optimizing the part that made it matter”.
AI uses this technique to create the impression of insight without adding new information.
Then there’s the rule of three (Irons/Fanning/Slater as chaos/control/evolution), a classic pattern-completion move.
The one-line paragraph as mic drop (“That was exactly the point.” / “That’s the problem.”). Boom etc.
But!
Was the word platitudinal used correctly?
Non!
See, a platitude is a statement so obvious or overused or so damn meaninless it’s empty, like, “everything happens for a reason” or “it is what it is.”
That’s not the prob with Hamish’s rant.
The thesis (competition judging criteria narrowing style, flattening personality) is a legit claim even if its based on feels on not any presentation of facts etc
A better adjective would be vague, generic, unsubstantiated, maybe hollow.
Do you like games of finding and sharpening synonyms, too?
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
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When a “professional” sport tour starts in march and ends in December with sometime months between events with average surf it slowly sinks into obscurity
wozl might not want to repost their athletes hanging out with rapists (again).
terrrrrrrible look.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DbW_yAGBjRc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
now here’s something that’s not superficial and we can dig into why surfing sport has been sanatised.
Once upon a time there were surfers , who were learning a new sport/art and passions ran wild, attracting hardcore characters who would surf in winter without wetsuits/no leggies/no sponsors/no industry…..these hard core characters created the foundation of surfing as a pure but rebel sport because of the wild characters all interacting with each other creating craft that would take them to realms never seen or experienced before/pioneering with a bunch of madman creatives….no-one had control..anarchy??
Then came an industry that started financing trips/growth etc……at one point top surfers would have a wetsuit sponsor and a clothing sponsor……..of which neither controlled the athletes until Quiksilver 100% sponsored Tom Carroll……and that was the beginning of the end of the individual surfer as he was now 100% under the banner of a brand which means the brand took control , made contracts that stipulated a code of behavior , and to not bring the brand …into disrepute…….word extreme was banned ,as punters couldn’t relate to a marketing plan that went outside their comfort zones. The market for surf clothing was the mid west USA…..and elsewhere similar.
At this time the was the last remnants of the old surfing code….and what happened was there was an inner sanctum amongst the surfers that banned all journalists and unwanted wannabes…….there was partying etc……..but all out of the public eye-mostly,LOL!
So as the surfers were integrated into the Surf Co’s , they lost their individual identity and became part of the brands identity …now there brand houses/teams etc all having to toe the Corporate rules.
So for a couple of decades before the commercialization of surfing…..surfing was the surfers…then came the industry, privately owned at first where monster egos went to war with each other , until they worked out if they went public , they could be incredibly rich….to the point where now the stock exchange / venture capitalists bought all the big surf Co’s…and their rule 1# make profit for the share holders…so a few cashed in big time and left what was the dynamic surf brands that were actually run and controlled by surfers.
Now what we have left is a decimated once surfer owned surf industry….we now have a homogenized surf culture…….
This is why someone like me who was actually apart of the 60’s surfing scene and saw first hand all the surfer/industry original culture….from 66 – 26……there are just small outposts of the original culture…..it’s not the WSL as their product is the best we have ever seen….it’s just now we live in a Vanilla world….with the odd left field person…but here we are on BG which was once very gritty…now it seems like it’s about superficial dicks /cunts/me stories…..Vanilla grit?
There’s the commercialisation of surfing, for sure. But, then, how’s all the parents encouraging kids into surfing now. And into sporting careers, in general. Pro sports are as financially doomed as they’ve ever been, yet most parents go giddy telling you about their kid that’s in some overseas university high performance scheme. Schools, too. I surfed Raglan recently and the lineup got bombed by a school group. Don’t get me started on non Indo children in the Mentawais. Sport should always have some hint of rebellion to it. That’s where the characters came from. Even if it’s just yelling at the little fucks to finish their homework first. That said, the homework is probably a faux heat. Don’t come in until you’ve ridden-out of two air revs.
that’s why surfing is not really developing ……you hit the nail on the head with the lack of rebellion….or sanitizing kids by taking away their childhoods and filling their early years with a dream narrative of becoming a pro-surfer…or worse there is pressure from the parents to do better than they did!
Interesting times!
Sad times, really. Was over at a neighbour’s house the other night and he’s almost in tears over his boy, who they run all over town for a couple of different sports. They can’t understand why “he won’t try to get better.” I need them to grant us permission for our garage rebuild, so took a light approach. Couldn’t tell him what I really wanted to, which was to remember his young self and his obsession with looking cool and that this probably involved something very different to what his dad wanted him doing. Somewhat ironically, you’re more likely to see those radical, rebellious attitudes in gamers, nowadays.
Nailed it. Let kids be kids.
yep and yep……kids today , it seems like they are just living in the moment as the future for them looks so grim….so parents trying to convince them sport and discipline is the way forward….nah let’s just entertain ourselves and we’ll deal with the issues of the world…..much later!
All too true. We have lost the culture for a dollar. Now only the rich can raise kids by the beach but they would never let the beach be the babysitter like we had in the past. Instead you get an old pro as the kids coach with a pb&j with the crust cut off and a juice box. Not to mention the oversized SUV with the heater on if they get cold. Surf schools, soft tops, coaches, and every type of sun protection have knocked the barrier of entry down so low most can step right over.
And YES thank you for a story worth enjoying. That bar has been really low lately.
yeah we all got bought out and are starting to pay the price……yeah it’s been pretty superficial on BG this year….nice to see ya back……I see ya over at Stab every now and then………I think BG has become a victim to homogenization…but we carry on as though nothing is happening in the world at large….Rome is burning and we are playing and fiddling,LOL!
I disagree on WSL – they have certainly sanitized the fuck out the sport. They want to pretend real rivalries don’t exist. They want me to believe that everyone is best of friends – and I know that is simply not true. Tell the story.
I just think the WSL under Elo had visons of grandeur…and tried to attract the masses to surfing by turning it into a show of sorts , which alienated the core followers and the bitching began and became an us & them…..the WSL/pools and of course Kelly……they tried and didn’t attract the millions of viewers/fans…….just never happened so the financial models fell over and here we are with a new CEO…back to Pipe…..and the WSL is for sale……..as the commercial realities of investing in surfing…well …..just not a great investment because of the numbers of surfers who are interested in watching competitive surfing….keeps dwindling……rivalries are what entertains us so we barrack/follow, whatever….if sport doesn’t have rivalries……well you are 100% right……it’s detrimental to the sport and it’s fans!
Yes – rivalries and story lines attract viewers! There is too much down time to keep the interest of a casual fan – there has to be something else. Otherwise BORING. One thing I do not understand is the overlapping heats – I prefer this – keeps the action going and less down time.
absolutely true the down time is a heat is a problem and yeah overlapping heats make it way more interesting and all the waves get used……so the presentation of Surfing by the WSL…is a reflection of what surfing has become and the problem is let the rivalries loose….talk them up as per Curren/Occy, Kelly/Andy/ Medina/everybody, LOL……hope is, chopes will bring a cleansing even though heats are slow…I cheat…don’t watch live…record and fast forward!
Well we had Kanoa looking gay sexy in a spa bath for the Gold Coast Tourism Commercial. Nothing more hardcore than that! Maybe WSL should hire Bobby Martinez as marketing director.
I am contemplating the notion that once a sport achieves Olympic recognition, it may have attained the developmental stage posited by this chaps therory
That is likely a good standard, as the surfing culture of the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s could never have been an Olympic sport.
Surfers were not “athletes”, they were surfers who surfed, took drugs and drank like fish for several years, until dropping off the tour, going into rehab and having to find a real job!
actually surfers were one of the fittest athletes on the planet…surfing 3times a day…surf trips 8 hr sessions……… the majority of pro surfers were on the party tour…90% of at least the top 100 pros….and most went onto jobs in the industry/retired…and a couple went to rehab…but a very small minority…..
Thats fcukikng Hilarious STAB trying to dis the dude for using LLM’s when their copy is full of it- as admitted by them.
They called Fanning a robot.
Ask Chas- he built a career around it.
“It’s one of the damndest things I’ve ever experienced, that thunderous downward spiral from almost-everyday shredder to rarely if ever.” WHY?
….Because “all the good gear that made it compelling, the insane heroes, the ruthlessness and the brutality, the colour and vibrance, all fall away leaving the sport but a husk of its former greatness.”
Q asked, Q answered.
you working on a psych degree, Dez?
You’ve had a half baked opinion validated by a chatbot designed to please you. And that’s brave.
so strange none of us idiots picked up on any of this,,,,,
The WSL tried, and failed, story-building with the Make or Break series on Apple TV. I watched and found it contrived, overly polished, and boring. (I’m not ChatGPT. Rule of three just sounds better. I also use the Oxford comma).
WTF is a Brand Architect?
I’ve got to admit. I watched the short clip and while I didn’t think he said anything overly groundbreaking I didn’t realise that it was an AI-styled script. I have to up my game.
and Im a cynical bastard too. My elderly mother asked me the other night whether I thought it was true that 29 million people “signed” some petition against the Argie football team the other night, and I told her that as of 2025 (and likely before) these “polls and petitions” are meaningless because they likely count your vote as soon as they fool you into clicking on the link to even view the “poll”. Internet is almost full misdirection these days. Apparently bots interacting with other bots is at an all time high and makes up a huge amount of internet activity. So not long from now we’ll be using up all our water and energy so that bots can try to sell each other goods and services, and we’ll be told that 29 million people “liked” this new, cozy blanket
I think it pays to be cynical. I pretty much assume the activity I see on social media is bots, unless I actually know the person behind the account. I keep Facebook (and view it sparingly) to see pics of my friends’ grandkids or pets and to occasionally buy something on Marketplace . I almost never look at Instagram unless my kids send something to me. I find Reddit useful at times but beware the bots. I come here because I appreciate the snark and the fact it’s not just US focused/biased, and I enjoy the live chats during events.
We’re all ‘brand architects’ of our own delusion.
… it’s an actual profession within the advertising/marketing world.
New warning on big pharma adverts and WSL watch numbers: “This product may produce ‘false positives’…
BTW, Covid killed pro surfing and encouraged young VALS (and old) to revisit and relive their childhood dreams of becoming a pro.
Dilution is the solution to pollution.
An era of cookie cutter world champs is upon us ?
I think everyone keeps forgetting that pro-surfing was basically dead in the water—before a clueless billionaire bought it as a play-thing for his wife…..
Clueless about pro surfing, or clueless in general ?
Not that clueless –
In 1994, Dirk’s father, William Bernard Ziff Jr., sold 95% of the family’s media empire, Ziff Davis, for $1.4 billion. Dirk and his two brothers, Robert and Daniel, split the proceeds of this sale, receiving roughly $467 million each.
Current Net Worth: Dirk Ziff’s personal wealth stands at $4.8 billion. Together, the Ziff family maintains a total combined fortune of approximately $14.4 billion to $15 billion.
Rather than passively managing their inheritance, Dirk and his brothers actively grew their capital by roughly 10 times through strategic reinvestments.
A 1996 $450mil investment tracking the nasdaq100 would be worth $28 billion today. Anyone wealthy from back then who didn’t make fuck-you money WAS clueless.
10x is a massive fail over that period – passive investing pissed all over that clown’s active attempts?
Nope – your numbers are way off.
“A $450 million investment made in July 1996 tracking the Nasdaq-100 would be worth roughly $19.3 billion in nominal value by July 2026”
See? Even your own numbers show a passive investment would have gone 40x! Anyone that “actively grew their capital by roughly 10 times through strategic reinvestments” over that time is a fucking idiot.
Underperformed the market by 75% & left $15billion on the table – lololololololol!
Plutocratic hagiography, much?
Like CJ said a few years back, we need a bit more wild west back in the sport. WSL sterilized the fuck out of it. Outside of heavy barrels, it’s boring, stale and uninteresting. Where are the rivalries? They need to lean into these things. They continue to lose their core, and once that is gone, it’s very hard to get back.
I gather that in all pro sports that the participants feel that they are appropriately compensated they are all buddy buddy with each other. Much better to live a happy, chilled life than to be raging at the guy you’ll be travelling with all year. Much better to be able to drink a beer or two with your competitor at the beach bar and wish them well for the heat the following day than to be stressed out in your room, popping pills for the anxiety and alcohol to numb the rage at some perceived superiority/inferiority complex related to the other 33 guys you work with.
I follow club soccer and these guys have a lot of respect for each other now and won’t try to injure their fellow competitors, less than they ever would before, because you might take away tens of millions from someone just because you were an angry, cunt.
I don’t need to see angry rivalries to enjoy high-level competition. I just want healthy, elite competition and fair judging.
Well that’s quite a level beyond ‘rivalry’ – nowhere did I mention or imply one single thing that would warrant that type of reply.
Rivalries are a natural part of sports and make for compelling story lines – and frankly that is an inarguable point. You can have a rivalry and still have a beer with your adversary. Some rivalries may be as you describe but that is usually the exception vs the norm – many are respectful. It’s healthy for the sport and to pretend these do no exist, like the WSL tries to do, is not only dishonest, it’s fucking boring.
The craziest thing about the WSL for me is how they try to target a new audience when what the dumb cunts should be doing is trying to claw back all the old, core audience who have turned their backs on this shit show. Without the live chat on here I wouldn’t watch a second of the comps in shit waves and yet have been an avid watcher since the start. Like I’ve said sooooo many fucking times nearly all young Strayans and heaps of older fans could no longer give a flying fuck about this new feminist, Americanised version of the tour
They did this at my old work, too – went out hunting a new audience. The changes shed half-or-more of their true-blue / core audience. They picked up a decent amount of the new, but then they didn’t stick around. 10 years later, they’re 3/4 the numbers they had at the start. Management of course blame everything but what they did.
The lack of characters is probably why they need heavy barrels more than ever. We can have the blandness of a Kanoa vs … (I’m having to look up the WSL rankings for another name) … Jake Marshall heat, yet gaphoar at delinquent west bowls.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c… Too far out to be certain but…, looking promising
Stab learned a new word today!!!
saw it was a comment from stab and my first thought was , ‘speaking of nonsensical platitudinal script’
I like games of finding spelling errors. What does meaninless mean?
One of the factors that made the recent World Cup 2026 so compelling was the STORIES behind the matches – the unlikely, yet incredible run of the Blue Sharks from Cabo Verde, the ruthless, racist efficiency of Los Hermanos from Argentina, the explosive firepower of Les Blues from France and of course, the possible “Coming Home” of the trophy to England which didn’t quite work out.
The WSL should look to the world’s most popular sport as an example to build storylines around the mens and womens tours, rather than an AI generated savant – the stories are there, they just need to be told in a compelling manner.
Almost the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard—a bunch of vanilla stories from guys that almost all look the same and surf the same.
The real difference is—the real Stoke, for surfers and surfing—comes from ‘actually’ riding waves—Not from watching others surf and doing it vicariously as a sofa-surfer.
Soccer fans are just plain nationalists and a bunch of nut cases.
that’s why pro-surfing will (hopefully) never be mainstream—you can’t capture the stoke sitting on da sofa watching it…..
It all ready is and its in the olympics and is part of the education sport program in many schools etc
I feel called out here…
What a stupid statement. More soccer fans are lovers of the game than nationalists and nut-cases. Try again.
“the real Stoke, for surfers and surfing—comes from ‘actually’ riding waves—Not from watching others surf and doing it vicariously as a sofa-surfer”
That is a complete self-centered opinion and misses the point – of how to make professional surfing interesting to the viewing audience.
If you just want to surf, go ahead – leave the audience strategising to people who are less selfish and more imaginative, thanks!
Like I said previously, anyone who calls football “soccer” is a massive kook in any context.
from your favorite kook who doesn’t watch soccer we have footy here it’s Aussie rules……
the point is the surfers have been sanitized to a point, like the industry……it’s just become a vanilla culture…….people now want be entertained …..and there’s not much left…….and were you threatened by Kona’s ,” sofa – surfer”…when was the last time you surfed?
Ummmm – absolutely no one watches nor understands Aussie Rules football except Australians. In sporting terms, it is actually even more irrelevant than surfing –
Speaking of surfing, I did see several clips of a large, clean winter swell with offshore NW wind at Bell’s and Winkpop recently, hope you got a few waves!
Cut and paste surf journalism is it the cart or the horse? You wan’t us to believe once upon a time “dream tour” blah blah. The brands controlled the narrative and damn if any of you boys crossed the line to writte what was really going on behind the scenes, the lifestyle was to damn good. Now the WSL controls the narrative by the use of filming permits and hired security keeping out the media hoarding the content and the story. Finally home schooling of little Johnny and little Suzi has been the death spike to the American surf contestant story..
also a lot easier to mythologize those guys before social media , bc the only thing you had was how they were described in the surf mags , which had an interest in playing up the mythology angles
when you are bombarded on the daily w/ what these people eat for breakfast , and their ‘deep’ thoughts on whatever , and their struggles getting through airports w/ giant board bags — the myth / legend crumbles pretty quick
Indeed. Imagine 90s Michael Jordan on Instagram.
I first read that as Michael Jackson!!
@kiddie_thriller
Why yes, and they rhyme ! What rhymes with « Bumhole » ? !
Xox
When I hear (or read) bumhole, I immediately associate it with Dogsnuts so maybe they rhyme?
It’s “Cumhole” !
Xox