Game Over - Is Kelly finally done?

As long as he pays his taxes, I hope he makes billions off of adoring fans (you).
Making it "to a world tour event" is clearly for you, but not for me. Anathema.
You see, I like to surf myself, not adore others as they do, which is what you appear to like to do.
But then again, you are from New Jersey......

 

I don't follow Pro surfing but isn't JJF the next coming? Won't they start pushing his brand more?

 

DP, no disrespect to you brother...in the big picture of life; it doesn't matter.

 

for some idiotic reason they continually push the Brazilians

 

No disrespect taken, I realize and agree with you. I'm asking the people who follow it. I figure they will simply take the money they invest in Slater and will shift those funds over to JJF, and the next generation of surfers will follow him as the last couple generations followed Kelly. It's the natural progression of professional athletes.

 

It is exactly that....."NEXT!!!!"
Nothing more.
Then it will get boring to the world, and fade away, as has tennis compared to 20 years ago......kept alive by money from Nike, etc.

 

To build a more global brand I would think. They did the same thing with the UFC, and it worked. Brazil is a huge market they can tap into by building a star or two from there. They still have Kelly for the American market, but when he's done who's next? That's why I think JJF will be next.

He's seems like the most marketable in his age group, so they can build him into a huge star just like Kelly. Unless there is another guy out there in the same age range who is better and a true professional. Is there someone as good or better than JJF that is as marketable? I'm asking because I don't know many of the guys on tour.

 

Which means more waves for us!!!!! YEEEEEEWWWW

 

Lol I guess. I mean, pro surfing hasn't had any affect on my life, it hasn't prevented me from getting any waves. I get what you're saying, but is it that bad where you surf?

 

Well, while that is true, you are looking at it narrowly--pro-surfing encourages many to start surfing, and fill in the breaks everywhere.
PR was ruined by Pro-surfing. Once the World Tour was held there in 1968, crowds began to show up. The locals hated it then, and many do now.

 

That may be true, but it hasn't ruined it too bad or else we wouldn't be flying there to surf as much as we do. Am I wrong? If it was THAT bad, wouldn't we go elsewhere? I'm just sayin.

 

the resurgence of the longboard did more to clog lineups than pro surfing did.

 

We go there because it is easy and we hope to hit it when there are no crowds, but those weeks are quickly disappearing, I am told by my friends.
As many other locations did, PR went from crowds being 3 surfers for the week at Marias (for example) to now, 80 surfers at the break for every day. Thanks to marketing of events, clothing, Corona, Don Q, etc.
This is what teaks those that actually surf, and not "sit on the beach adoring fans".

 

It all seems the same to me for the last 21 years since I first started surfing. I live in a bubble though, I'm sure other places have been hit harder.

 

Disagree, but it didn't help.
Longboards in themselves did not get the TV time contests have, or the active marketing of a "personality cult".

 

Try going out at Pipeline, or even Sunset Beach on a nice big day.
You can walk out to the break on others boards.....

 

You may be right, I just don't feel it's been ruined per say. I've had some crowded sessions there that are frustrating but I've also scored Maria's solo for most of the session.

 

Those are bone spurs

 

Yeah those places are more popular. It's Hawaii! That by itself brings a crowd, it's "paradise".

 

Yup, and you and I keep trying....because we actually surf, we don't attend "world events" as the goal of a "surf" trip. Anathema to me anyways.....