As with the wider world, the internet is slowly democratising the surfing world, uncovering fresh elements that add depth and breadth and colour to the surfing life, and yet the magazines blindly continue with their insular fiefdoms of sponsor and celebrity. I'm tempted to say that unless something changes it will be the death of them. But that ain't necessarily so, at this pace irrelevance will creep up faster.
What place is there for ethics in the modern business landscape? How many businessman would forego dollars and ignore the bottom line to do 'the right thing'?
Strange questions indeed. Even stranger when you consider I was sitting at a surfing press conference when I flashed upon them.
Billabong today anounced that it had begun exclusive talks with one of its takeover bidders, ex-head of its North American division, Paul Naude, and his backers, Sycamore Partners. The move is a sign that the Billabong saga is finally drawing to a close. The deal, if it holds, will see Naude acquire the beleaguered company for $0.60 a share valuing Billabong at just $287 million, a paltry sum for a once-mighty company worth $5 billion only five years ago.
The race to build the first wavepool specifically designed for surfers is heating up. Less than a month after Kelly Slater's Gold Coast project was aborted, Wavegarden, the European-based company, are about to unveil a demonstration lagoon that will, according to their Australian partner, "blow you away."
This is an article about blame and responsibility. I was provoked into writing it after getting hit by a loose surfboard at Manly Beach on a midsummer Sunday. As all right-thinking surfers know, the chances of getting hit are greatly increased when surfing at such an hour. Therefore, if first principles are to be observed I'm at fault simply for being out there.
The Kelly Slater Wave Company has been dealt a blow with today's announcement that LM Investments has been placed into voluntary administration. LM Investments is being investigated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for multiple breaches of corporation law.
It was the defining moment of the Quiksilver Pro final: Joel Parkinson, standing tall in a clean Kirra barrel, sticking his middle finger up at Kelly Slater who was just about to drop in on him.
Of course the photo has a back story...
Over the last few decades surfing has moved from a sport enjoyed by a keen and capable minority, composed in the vast majority of fit young men, into a recreation enjoyed by large numbers of all ages, genders and capabilities. The most obvious result of this is that while the standard amongst the elite has risen, the skill level amongst the rest has declined.
Recently Surfing Australia held its annual awards night. As it was their 50th anniversary Surfing Australia marked the milestone with a special presentation, 'Australia's Ten Most Influential Surfers.' Bob McTavish was deemed Australia's tenth most influential surfer, and, as they were announced in reverse order, he was the first to accept his award. Bob began his speech by opening up on an old topic: Is surfing a sport or an art? As the speech progressed it felt like we were heading toward an awkward faux pas, a black mark on a black tie night.
"I don't really know what we're doing here, Stuart."
This wasn't the interview I'd intended it to be. Three days before those words were spoken I'd arranged to meet with Richard Grellman, Executive Chairman and acting head of the ASP. It was an easy interview to secure and I quickly found out why; the following day Paul Speaker of ZoSea was announced as new CEO of the ASP and Grellman was relinquished of his top dog duties.
I continued with the the interview anyway...
I've been thinking about the worth of celebrity riders. It's something I've been mulling over since news that John John Florence signed to Hurley for a rumoured $40 million over ten years. At the time Brendan Thomas, editor of Surfing Magazine made a poignant Tweet, and I paraphrase: "Companies that get caught in bidding wars are like two surfers paddling each other too deep on the peak – no-one wins."
The professional surfing tour and coporations attached to it preach creativity and freedom in the slogans but it's possible to argue that they actually bury them, destroy them, make them only connotesales. The professional surfing tour can be argued to be surfing as control – an apparatus of capture. As the commentators and judges remark, he/she surf's "in control".
So what to do?
