Surfpolitik ZoSea and the ASP and the Kelly Slater Wave Company: The link is...?

In: Surfpolitik by Stu Nettle 79 Comments Mon 8th Oct '12

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So much news, so few facts.

If you've been following the ASP news out of France you'd know surfing's professional body has sold the World Tour media rights to ZoSea, a formally unheard of company run by Kelly Slater's manager, Terry Hardy. ZoSea reportedly plan to sell the licenses to willing sponsors for $1 million a pop (down from the present $2.5 - $3 million) and they in turn will handle all webcasting and media. The new order will take effect in 2014. And that, at this stage, is all we know.

Despite a dearth of facts there's been a wealth of conjecture. I've got little to add yet I think it's worth pursuing one of the main grievances of the current tour: a lack of quality waves. How will ZoSea address this issue?

Will they scrap the small wave venues such as Rio, or the fat and slow ones such as Bells? Will they expand the waiting periods to increase the chance of good waves? Will they take advantage of modern forecasting and have flexible schedules, hitting exotic locales with 72 hours notice?

Basically, will ZoSea give the punters what they want: guaranteed good waves, streamed live?

My guess is 'maybe'. I mean, who the hell knows what they're planning? ZoSea and the ASP are, wisely enough, keeping their cards damn close to their chests. The one thing we do know, however, is that Terry Hardy is a director of the Kelly Slater Wave Company. And we also know that the Kelly Slater Wave Company has an in-principle agreement to build a wavepool at Pimpana on the northern Gold Coast.

And if the waves created at Pimpana (or wherever else they build a wavepool) match their ambition then the Kelly Slater Wave Company will have well-shaped, consistent waves with no need for a waiting period. They'll have a fixed surfing schedule and fixed viewing times. They'll have no weird tidal pulses or funky local winds. They'll have grandstands and air-conditioning. They'll have multiple, and likely never-before-seen, camera angles with billboards in the background for optimum exposure.

Terry Hardy and the Kelly Slater Wave Company will have what keen viewers of pro surfing have always wanted: a perfectly controlled environment.

Given what we know, who'd bet against it happening?

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