What? No gravy!
So today reveals JJF has decided he doesn't like the new Hurley's latest paltry offering ( leaving out the word gravy ) and walked. Apparently a lot of the pro's have been axed from Hurley, apart from Julian, and are now watching JJ like a hawk to see if he can secure a non surf industry sponsorship.
Apart from my dislike of Ashton alluding to the idea we are somehow linked to the corporate mothership, the story is getting interesting.
Paging Brad Bricknell.....Business of Surf
Udo this thread is defunct now, but who is Brad Bricknell?
Owner of Business of Surf.com and part time contest commentator
Ex Sth African pro surfer ,wrote a piece on swellneta few years back - In the wake of Surfstitch in the Shadow of Amazon
Yep reckon I've heard him on the commentary, thanks
Just read an article by Ashton Groggans on the current state of the big end of the surf fashion industry.
The guts of it is, the gravy tap is being turned nearly off on the pro's sponsorship deals. The real corporate suits are now running the industry as opposed to the days gone by of the good ole boys at the helm, and profits are in and will be made, but not jobs for mates at profits expense.
We all know it, we've been watching the slo-mo crash happening for years. The fact is things needed to get real up there, and as the bubble expanded it just had to burst, even up there at the top. Fact is we've all had to make adjustments on a slowing global economy, the 80's and 90's are long gone.
But that's not what got me in his piece, it was the last line in in the last paragraph that did
"So what does this mean for the future of A-List surf teams moving into this new Olympic decade? For the families who relocated to give their young prodigy the best chance of becoming the next John John Florence? For the employees industry-wide working under the umbrella of multinational investment firms? And for you, surfing’s stubborn, “sub-” or “counter-” cultural core?
You better start swimmin, or you’ll sink like a stone. The times they are a changin’
Nah, bullshit. I'm not sinking as a stubborn sub/counter culture recreational surfer. Bullshit. I'm doing exactly the same as all of us subbies, and that's going surfing and enjoying it. And I'm happily supporting the real surf industry by buying their boards, leggies, board bags, wax etc.
Nice try Ashton but nah.