There are a couple of things that resonate with me every time the WSL elects a new CEO (and sadly I've seen a few go by now. Which is definitely a bad sign):

1) He is never a surfer or someone who is really a surfer or comes from the world or the surf industry.

2) His words in the press release are never directed at the sporting side. They are always more or absolutely oriented towards the business side of the WSL: “I am excited to leverage my experience to elevate the WSL brand,” said the newcomer, whose name is Ryan Crosby.

The two points are connected but it is worth addressing each one first: Are there no MBAs, PhDs, or simply people qualified to lead world surfing coming from the world of surfing? Are we surfers a bunch of ignoramuses incapable of having the biggest league in the sport always run by outsiders who understand absolutely nothing about what real surfing is?

I answer the first question with a yes and the second with a no, obviously. Of course there are people in the industry or in the world of surfing who are capable of running a company successfully and of course not, we are not ignorant… As in all areas of life, there are all kinds: brilliant minds, mediocre minds and ignorant minds.

I don't like the idea of ​​these guys who say they like surfing coming to run the sport. I'd much rather see people who come from the sport do it, like Bob Hurley, Pat O'Connell, Ross Garrett, Chris Evans and a long list of others.

Let's look at the lineup: Paul Speaker, Sophie Goldschmidt, Eirk Logan and now the friend from Riot Games who was born in Pennsylvania and studied in Arizona and says he likes waves. How pathetic!

It's the eternal attempt to make a sport that isn't mainstream and never will be mainstream. How has Dirk Ziff not realized this yet? Why do we want it to be mainstream?

About 2: Of course they won't be aimed at the good of the sport because they don't really know what the good of the sport is. They don't know that surfers are not happy with the three-tier system, with the mid-year cut and with the finals. They don't know what it is!

They don't know that it's not fair that there are more right-wingers than left-wingers on the tour and they don't know that this affects goofy footers tremendously, just to give a couple of examples.

So: We can't expect a non-surfer to give a speech that is for the good of surfers because he doesn't understand anything about surfing and we can't expect the WSL to improve in the way we surfers want it to improve because a non-surfer doesn't understand anything about surfing.

So: We are doomed.

If anyone wants, please forward this editorial to Dirk Ziff… I doubt he'll pay attention to me, but if he does, things might improve a bit.

-“Do you know why I was the best competitor in history? Because my heart was made of stone”: https://dukesurf.com/do-you-know-why-i-was-the-best-competitor-in-history-because-my-heart-was-made-of-stone/

-Strong Spanish team will be present at the longboard world championship: https://dukesurf.com/strong-spanish-team-will-be-present-at-the-longboard-world-championship/

-Wavegarden got angry and sent a statement to combat what it claims is false information: https://dukesurf.com/wavegarden-got-angry-and-sent-a-statement-to-combat-what-it-claims-is-false-information/

-This is how Costa Rica travels to the ISA Longboard World Championship: https://dukesurf.com/this-is-how-costa-rica-travels-to-the-isa-longboard-world-championship/

-Doing monster aerials at nine years old: https://dukesurf.com/doing-monstrous-aerials-at-nine-years-old/

-Hennessy Breeze has officially crossed the mid-year cutoff: https://dukesurf.com/hennessy-breeze-has-officially-crossed-the-mid-year-cutoff/

-Nathan Florence: “I couldn’t have asked for better treatment”: https://dukesurf.com/nathan-florence-i-couldn’t-have-asked-for-better-treatment/

-The longboard tour seems a bit messy: https://dukesurf.com/parece-un-poquito-desprolijo-lo-del-tour-de-longboard/

-Ryan Crosby: “I’m excited to leverage my experience to elevate the WSL brand”: https://dukesurf.com/ryan-crosby-im-excited-to-leverage-my-experience-to-elevate-the-wsl-brand/

-Colombia will finish defining its team in El Salvador: https://dukesurf.com/colombia-terminara-de-definir-su-equipo-en-el-salvador/

-Breeze started with a loss in Western Australia: https://dukesurf.com/breeze-started-with-a-loss-in-western-australia/

-Kirra Seale left her position as head of the Longboard Tour and took on a wildcard as a competitor: https://dukesurf.com/kirra-seale-left-her-position-in-the-longboard-tour-and-became-a-wildcard-as-a-competitor/

-Strong Uruguayan team will be at the ISA World Cup in El Salvador: https://dukesurf.com/strong-uruguayan-team-will-be-at-the-isa-world-cup-in-el-salvador/

-Another class free surfing in Margaret River: https://dukesurf.com/van-por-el-trofeo-asi-viajan-los-peruanos-al-mundial-de-longboard-de-la-isa/

-They are going for the trophy: This is how the Peruvians travel to the longboard world championship: https://dukesurf.com/the-first-free-surfings-in-margaret-river-before-the-ct-of-los-llantos/

-A strong Mexican team will be in El Salvador for the ISA World Cup: https://dukesurf.com/a-strong-mexican-team-will-be-in-el-salvador-for-the-isa-world-cup/

-The defending champions of France travel to the ISA World Cup like this: https://dukesurf.com/the-defending-champions-of-france-travel-to-the-isa-world-cup-like-this/

-The internal fight between Barton and Carlos in last year's Bells CT: https://dukesurf.com/the-internal-fight-between-barton-and-carlos-in-last-years-bells-ct/

-Full Moon Festival video highlights: https://dukesurf.com/full-moon-festival-video-highlights/

-The playing field of the ISA World Championship, in photographs: https://dukesurf.com/la-cancha-de-juego-del-mundial-isa-en-fotografias/

-This is how England travels to the ISA Longboard World Championship: https://dukesurf.com/this-is-how-england-travels-to-the-isa-longboard-world-championship/

-Carissa Moore is the highest paid surfer by Red Bull: https://dukesurf.com/with-599-000-dollars-per-year-carissa-moore-is-the-highest-paid-surfer-by-red-bull/

-Kelly Slater on his much talked about retirement: “That candle is going out”: https://dukesurf.com/kelly-slater-on-his-much-talked-about-retirement-that-candle-is-going-out/

-North and Macaulay won the trials and qualified for the Margaret River Pro: https://dukesurf.com/otis-north-and-bronte-macaulay-won-the-trials-and-qualified-for-the-margaret-river-pro/

-This is how Australia travels to the Longboard World Championship in El Salvador: https://dukesurf.com/asi-viaja-australia-al-mundial-de-longboard-de-el-salvador/

-Lucca did it again: https://dukesurf.com/lucca-did-it-again/

-Ryan Crosby will be the new CEO of the WSL according to Stab: https://dukesurf.com/ryan-crosby-will-be-the-new-ceo-of-the-wsl-according-to-stab/

-Lucca Mesinas's win photos at Huntington: https://dukesurf.com/lucca-mesinass-win-photos-at-huntington/

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