WSL extends virus action till the end of May
In a morning announcement, the WSL has extended the cancellation and postponement of contests at least till the end of May.
This includes the postponement of the remainder of the events in the Australian leg of the Championship Tour, Bells Beach and Margaret River, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The Quiksilver Pro G-Land - scheduled to take place in June - will either be cancelled or, claims the WSL, "moved to an area with more infrastructure".
In a video released today, WSL’s Erik Logan said: “We have every intention of commencing the 2020 Championship Tour season, and all our tours, as soon as possible. We are already hard at work doing scenario planning for what a reimagined 2020 tour might look like.”
Logan also claims to be "in constant dialogue with world health leaders", and that said health leaders agree that June feels like the most likely time to kick off the 2020 season safely.
According to Logan, "We are going to increase the volume of content we are producing from WSL Studios, deepen our editorial, and find new ways to stay connected all while we wait for that next opening horn to sound."
Comments
"re-imagined" 2020 tour. I would have used the word "salvaged" but hey I'm not good with the corp-speak that is the new WSL.
"June feels like the most likely time ......"
Sounds like a VB ad.
sounds like gland could go to ulus with 'more infrastructure'
With the public all spreading the virus around up in the clifftop warungs while watching, as opposed to there being no public at all at G land.
He's got a funny way of saying the event will be cancelled this bloke.
'"constant dialogue with world health leaders" sure he is. More like reading the WHO reports and press like everyone else. As if world health leaders are worried a frailing commercial surf comp.
Hahaha, Correct!
Won't be June.
"...and we will continue to deliver a daily celebration of surfing...from now until infinity "
stop it Erik, please, just stop it.
G land moved to an area with more infrastructure in Indonesia?
Oh my, the WSL really hasn't been paying attention. Anyone with any brains knows Indonesia will be one of the worst hit countries in the world.
If a CT event happens in Indonesia in June, I will get an image of Gary G tattooed on my backside.
If they can move Margs to Ulus, then they can move G land to....... Gnaraloo lol.
More infrastructure there.
Carvarvon hospital is better than Denpasar hospital and always has spare beds.
Big call ! LOL
Bells in October???
Yeah.....nah
Done and dusted till 2021
Would this break the streak as the longest running world championship-level surf contest?
I guess Leonardo wins the QS series and technical becomes the worlds number one surfer having one a 10,000
Did Erik get all choked up when he said "I'm a fan"?
Nice tan for a office worker.
It had to be “ constant dialogue “ didn’t it ?
I mean, if they are genuine about alienating the entire surfing world ( bar the industry cock slobberers) , then Corpo speak is essential at all times.
In summation:
Adult learner SUP rider with his own personal photographer to document his every knee high wave , who was until recently scared of water , former handbag to a daytime TV queen of wokeness
Paired with
A non- surfing, silver spooner who’s pursual of surfing makes Gordon Gecko’s interest in Bluestar Airlines seem like an affair of the heart .
In an unapologetic play to run the romance from surfing in order to wring it of cold hard cash that neither of them need.
And they’re surprised when people such as myself , hear news such as this and are physically taken by a single overwhelming reaction.....
He forgot to use the other key phrase right now - "an abundance of caution". That's a fail for the SUP lord. Back to training with Scotty from Marketing
Well, as much as I do enjoy watching the pros totally dismantle the Bowl when solid surf coinsides over the Easter period like last year, It'll be nice for a change, that the usual crew can get out there and have a crack. Sure it's nowhere near as pretty but it always so hard to watch a decent solid run from the beach.
The tour might already be dead, we just don’t know it yet. If the virus doesn’t fuck off quickly, and we get a full tilt depression
And we all end up surfing in Australia again... tbh I was surfing this afternoon and me and another bloke were actually saying its disappointing but the reality of covid19 hasnt sunk in. The decision by the wsl is the right one.
Wouldn't G land be fine because it's in a national park away from all the extra people that somewhere with more 'infrastructure' would bring?
We all know by now that more people in close proximityy to each other means more chance of the virus spreading.
It won't happen anywhere in Indo anyway unless this thing starts backing off really soon.
Which it's not going to in time for the call to be made it looks.
Maybe reschedule it to September.
Still offshore and plenty of swell at that time.
As for Jbay i'd imagine that'll be canned too if you listen to the health specialists saying this virus will be much worse in Africa when it gets a foothold there because it's the poorest continent with the highest population of people being susceptible to the more serious effects of it.
It'll hit there later than elsewhere because it has much lower rates of people travelling internationally than other continents.
Tahiti in August is when this year starts if it does at all i think.
Maybe they could start planning some extra events (if the situation is back to near normal by then of course) and have shorter breaks between chopes and europe/europe and hawaii.
Back before it was the dream tour it was like that.
You need at least 8 contests to make it a legit world title tour i reckon.
“If you get in the car I’ll give you a lolly....”
Gotta be. Out and out.
"Already hard at work doing scenario planning for what a reimagined 2020 tour might look like"
"From now until infinity".
Sounds like he's smoked too many spliffs on the balcony of his beach side palace over the last week whilst self isolated wondering what the fuck next, tearing up yesterday's plan as each new day begins. About to crack from toy story being played over and fucking over again.
Fair suck of the sauce bottle.
Not all sports can have the best PR teams you know. There are only so many to go around.
But seriously Logan, are you joking or what?
Meanwhile: https://www.smh.com.au/national/rotten-shameful-surely-no-one-can-now-ig...
I don’t get it. Actually, I get it but I’m not sure why people would expect anything different.
Recipe for murder :
Take a handful of hot blooded young men. Select them specifically for their tolerance of violence and propensity to brutality harm others with a simple command. Indoctrinate them in the ways of war and violence. Instruct them on the most practical , efficient and effective ways to kill. Arm them heavily with cutting edge weapons.
Send to foreign country , surround them with a culture they dont understand . Place their lives in danger every day on missions with no clear objective and no qualifiable outcome amongst an angry , resentful population which includes similarly violent, armed and dangerous men who are motivated to defend their homeland and remorselessly attack those of a different appearance and religion.
Ensure that at no times are the young men completely certain who is friend or foe amongst the surrounding population.
Incite them to violence. Permit them to be violent. Encourage them to be violent. Have them lose a few of their closest friends killed by the people they have been sent half way around the world to kill.
Traumatise them . Distort their personalities with unimaginable terror and stress.
And then act surprised when they kill someone in potentially suspect circumstances.
Ever been in combat Ape? Terrible story but maybe more to the story too? Fighting guerilla warfare in someone else,s country would be the hardest job in the world I reckon. This Afgan guy may well be innocent or may well have ditched his weapon/ radio whatever and playing innocent , the Australians may well have been being shot or killed in the altercation? you dont know and I dont know either. As they say a picture tells 1000 lies depending on how you view it or you want to show it. Australian SAS and they are best soldiers on the planet IMO and its not like the media (especially in today,s day and age) to beat the hell out of a story for clicks as this has done. I wouldn,t crucify this soldier for doing a job that you and I nor any fucking journalist that works for 4 corners would do. As the saying goes "war is hell" ...
Spot on with your last sentence especially there Mikehunt207.
Small fry regards to larger alleged attrocities media ignore for the good of man kind.
Found it.
Anyway ya dont have to worry about the poor ol pros ,they will struggle on regardless
As of 2020, an equal last place finish in a men’s CT event nets $10,000, while an equal last place finish in a women’s CT pays out $10,500. That means even if the WSL has to shelve the whole of the 2020 season, every male surfer on tour is going to take home a cool $110,000, while every female surfer will pocket $115,000. Considering they won’t have to fork out for the cost of travel, that’s a pretty good earner for a lot of surfers, but for guys like Italo, Gabby and John John, who routinely earn a couple of $100,000 winner’s cheques each year, it’s a fair hit to their annual income.
If part or all of the tour is scrapped, do the CT surfers still get paid?
Remigogo....well looks like it,ol Dirks a generous guy....this is from tracks....
But it’s worse for the guys on the WQS, who have no safety net in place for the cancellation of events. No competitions mean no prize money, and with a lot of guys chasing the dream off their own back these days, that means no income. Like the CT, it also means no travel costs, which will be a significant saver, but when all your hopes and dreams are invested in making the world tour, that’s of little comfort.
‘ Now all you surfers take note , Never fear and leave everything to me . We have it all under control . Long gone are the days of scruffy matted haired surf bums running surfing , I’m at the forefront of the new wave of surfing CEO’s , you are all to be trained and guided well under my stewardship ! ‘
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportspromedia....
Apropos recurring convo about uncrowded Indo waves, sailing the archipelago etc etc...I just received word that all camps at G'Land are closed this season.
If you can get there it'll be Laverty and Boyum days all over.
Wow , Maybe Bill Murray will go hangout at G Land for a few months.
Anyone can get there. Planes are still flying.
@Stu net .
Why? Camps closed?
Not sure exact reason, might ring around tomorrow, but my feeling is that they're not going to staff them due to lack of business. There's also a lesser possibility that it's a govt restriction.
Yeah but entry Visas will stop being issued as of this Friday according to the news this arvo.
There'd be a decent boat heading up that way surely if you have the cash?
Maybe Rem, I really don't know. I imagine their border patrol doesn't care which method you use to plan to enter the country, if they not issuing visas for indo, then your not welcome, and I think their close waters probably classifies as their territory.
Kelly’s quietly plotting his last chance at another world title with only a quarter year worth of events to win it from ....
I read an interesting comment a few days ago which correctly posited that the WSL didn’t even buy the rights to bestow The World Title . They only bought the rights to bestow A World title.
And now that the title- bestowing has been deducted from the equation, I must ask exactly what it is that Dirk Ziff imagines he bought from the ASP for that one dollar ?
The shell of a company. A registered name of “ Association of Surfing Professionals “ is what he bought .....and then he changed that name.
In reality, DirK Ziff and the WSL have no claim to any history, culture , cultural artefact or good will amongst the world’s surfing community.
They’re trying to whack a dollar sign on something that isn’t theirs to sell . At least the tour gave them a patented product to shill . Now that’s gone and we are to accept that a non surfing billionaire who’s selling us our own stories is palatable ?
How’s get fucked sound ?
Two bit salesmen trying to flog seawater at the beach.
PS For those who want to quibble that Dirk isn’t actually selling us anything as their is no upfront fee required from our end , I put to you that yes indeed we are paying. We pay with more surfers at every break. We pay with lessened enjoyment as our escape from society and humanity becomes overwhelmed by society and humanity. Every webisode and production produced by Dirk is another face in the lineup competing for the inside.
Wow. Amen to that Blowin. I'm just hoping all the usual frothing Brazzos and Team Tokyo that infest Cooly will fuck off now, like right now. No show - go home FFS.
No news from the WSL regarding the rest of the year. Their initial postponement was until "at least till the end of May", which is in a month's time, but I really can't see how they'll be able to run this year at all.
And for the record, I reckon 2021 will be a struggle too, thanks to ongoing travel restrictions for at least the next 12 months (or more) in some capacity.
Borrow Ziff's plane get the Top 16 to the Ment's in Sept for two weeks and film everything. Package it and roll it out. Top 4 performers surf a two hour heat at Pipe over Chrissy.