Chris Heffner, the WSL’s new Director of Athlete Relations, announced his new role on LinkedIn, writing that he is excited to join the organization at a time when it is “shifting its focus from chasing the mythical ‘surf fanatic’ who doesn’t surf.”

Heffner was a long-time marketing executive at Billabong where he worked for two decades and has already been seen at more than one WSL event since the middle of last year.

In his column, he elaborates: “The new management, along with ownership, is leaning toward a ‘surfer first’ strategy. While the industry’s biggest brands are chasing mass markets and big-box distribution, the pinnacle of high-performance surfing is looking inward. And I’m here to support it.”

“Despite the noise about the surf industry, surfing as a lifestyle and sport has never been in a better place. The Olympics have amplified its global reach, wave pools are giving access to new communities and more people are surfing than ever before, which, yes, makes for crowded waves, but there are still empty waves if you know where to look,” he adds.

And he explains: “And perhaps because of this growing participation and Olympic prominence, surfing is once again attracting world-class brands. Lexus, Neutrogena, Red Bull, Corona, Apple, Yeti, Amazon, Fox Sports, GLOBO, Disney+ and ESPN; even Nike is back, signing Italo Ferreira and Sierra Kerr.”

“It’s not perfect. There’s work to be done. But change is in the air, and this time, it’s being led from within surfing. I’ve been fortunate to have spent more than half my life improving the sport, the lifestyle and the surfers themselves. Now, I get to do it from within the WSL,” she says.

And he ends by acknowledging that there are surfers who will not be on the tour this year, but others who returned, like Toledo himself.