Search: certain privately owned

Apple Watch Gets Into Surfing

by The Editors on January 27, 2023

A certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport) has just announced a deal with Apple Computers that will see their event participants wear Apple Watches while out in the water.

The specially-developed app on Apple Watch syncs with the scoring system in real time. This provides athletes in competition with the information they need including scores, wave priority, and time in the heat directly to their wrist. Apple Watch is uniquely suited for this task due to its large bright screen, durable design, and cellular connectivity.

Surfers will have their choice of the Apple Watch 8 or Apple Watch Ultra while surfing their heat. Not the worst move this entertainment company has made in the past.

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Look Who’s On The Ultimate Surfer

by The Editors on May 6, 2021

A certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport) announced today the cast of beautiful surfers who will “battle it out at [the] state-of-the-art Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California” as part of the new ABC reality competition show called The Ultimate Surfer.

The cast is described as the “world’s greatest up-and-coming surfers” however one look at the list suggests producers may be wading knee deep into hyperbole bay. The crew includes: Anastasia Ashley – 34, Miami Beach, Florida, Kai Barger – 31, Haiku, Hawaii, Mason Barnes – 27, Venice, California, Tia Blanco – 24, Oceanside, California, Austin Clouse – 27, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Brianna Cope – 26, Koloa, Hawaii, Luke Davis – 28, Los Angeles, California, Kayla Durden – 28, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Juli Hernandez – 23, Costa Mesa, California, Zeke Lau – 27, Honolulu, Hawaii, Alejandro Moreda – 35, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Koa Smith – 26, Sunset Beach, Hawaii, Malia Ward – 23, San Clemente, California, Bruna Zaun – 31, Redondo Beach, California.

Are they Insta hot? Yes. Do they surf well? Sure. Will they be entertaining to watch? Maybe. Will the show end up some awkward mix of the worst reality TV tropes and surf cliche? Chances seem pretty good. But yeah, we’ll probably watch it anyway.

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Plug Pulled on Dirk Ziff’s Palm Beach Pond

by The Editors on June 4, 2019

You might expect someone who inherited a massive fortune to be more frivolous with their money, you know, like blowing it on fringe sporting leagues, or building surf ponds on hot, dusty Central Californian farm land, but not the backer of a certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport). No, Dirk Ziff is a savvy businessman who knows when to call it quits, and that’s exactly what his organization did with their plans for a wave pond in West Palm Beach, Florida recently.

More importantly Ziff is wise enough not to harm the rest of his surf interests by admitting in the press that his wave pond business model is terminally flawed. No, when Mr. Ziff pulls the plug on a project, he does what many businessmen have done before him, he blames the location. Here are the details in a story posted on Florida Today.

“The WSL is disappointed to confirm our decision to cancel the development of the wave basin planned for West Palm Beach, Florida. . . .The nature of this site, including the extremely high water table, exposed unforeseen challenges that made the decision around this unique project clear. These projects are complex and, in many ways, without precedent, and we have learned important lessons in this process.”

Seems the local “water table”  would have been the first thing wave pool planners would have investigated, however, often times the majority of the benefit of a project like a wave pool is the press announcement that it will be built, not on building it, or losing money running it. We’re bearish on the Dirk Ziff wave pond model in general. Let us know if they build another one anywhere in the world.

[Link: Florida Today]

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Fox Sports To Broadcast Surfing Sport

by The Editors on February 12, 2019

Fox Sports today announced that they have signed a deal making them the exclusive U.S. television broadcaster for shows produced by a certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport).

FOX Sports will telecast more than 500 hours of [surf event] programming, including live contests and highlight shows, across FOX, FS1, FS2 and the FOX Sports app in 2019.

This just might mean we’ll end up watching some of the surfing sport shows this season. Haven’t for quite some time. . . we’ll see. We were surprised to see no mention of the Oprah Winfrey Network? Maybe that deal isn’t done yet. For the official word from Fox (including all the details we’ve purposely ignored in light of our own sad, tired, anti-establishment proclivities), please click the link.

[Link: Fox Sports]

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Entertainment Company Hires Executive

by The Editors on October 8, 2018

A certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport) announced today the hiring of former Oprah Winfrey Network President Erik Logan as their new president of content, media and studios. The Hollywood Reporter has gone so far as calling it a “shakeup at OWN.”

There’s no doubt this guy’s CV is stacked. Take a look:

[Logan] led OWN’s turnaround from 2011 and has positioned the company today as the #1 cable network in its target demographic with 5 of the top 20 shows in scripted cable programs for women ages 25-54, more than any other cable network. Before OWN, Logan was Executive Vice President, programming and broadcast operations for XM Satellite Radio, where he helped build the subscriber base to over nine million subscribers, negotiated partnerships, and managed day-to-day relationships with major content providers including Major League Baseball, PGA Tour, CNN, Clear Channel Communications and Fox News. Prior to joining XM, Logan also served as President of Programming for Citadel Broadcasting, and served for over a decade at CBS/Infinity Broadcasting in a variety of roles, including Vice President of programming.

We’re worn-out just reading his bio. Think of how good Erik is at going to meetings? Can’t say this company isn’t hiring the best people they can find.

In addition to his deep biz cred, Logan is also described as an “avid waterman,” co-founder of Shred & Speed, LLC Infinity SUP, and co-owner in Nikau Kai Surf Shop in Manhattan Beach, California. Guess that means he knows which way his fins go.

We’ll just have to wait and see if Logan can find an audience or if he’ll have to branch out into something other than surfing if they really want to maximize their ROI. Maybe live SUP events or even scripted cable programs for women ages 25-54? Logan starts his new job in January 2019. 

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Margaret River Cancelled By Sharks

by The Editors on April 18, 2018

A certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport) has reportedly shut down their production at Western Australia’s Margaret River due to sharks.

Following two separate incidents that occurred at nearby Gracetown on Monday, April 16, approximately 6 kms away from primary competition site at Main Break, the [company] actioned safety protocols and met with a variety of stakeholders for feedback over the past 48 hours before making the decision to cancel the event.

So, guess that’s one’s over. Seems this whole surfing content production business would be much more profitable if they’d simply shoot it TV style on a sound stage somewhere. They could shot a whole season in three weeks and then distribute it online over the year.

If only there were a TV production facility that had perfect waves and no sharks. . . wait, doesn’t Kelly Slater have a ranch somewhere that could accommodate this kind of production schedule? Think of it — surfers would no longer have to travel the world all year. They could stay in one place, get their work done in one month, and then spend the rest of the year free surfing at home. People who wanted to watch them surf could travel to the ranch, buy tickets and watch. Kelly’s ranch could become the Branson, Missouri of surfing. If only. . . 

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Jeep Apparently Still Follows Pro Surfing

by The Editors on September 8, 2017

Seems that the marketing people from Jeep are still paying attention to events produced by a certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production even if the rest of us have given up. Jeep has reportedly signed “a long-term renewal and expansion of their global partnership” with said privately owned entertainment company. This is a good reminder that these deals have less to do with real audience than with how well event sales people are at mirage marketing. (Side note: today is a lay day for the Trestles surf content production event.)

For the official word from the privately owned entertainment company behind the Jeep deal, please follow the jump.

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Fanning, Moore Win Apparel Sponsored Event

by The Editors on April 13, 2015

Fanning Bells Act

Frankly, this is about all we know: Australian Mick Fanning won his fourth apparel sponsored event at Bells, and Clarissa Moore won her third consecutive. If we had anything else to say that would be written right here. But it’s not. So, if you’d like to read a certain privately owned entertainment company’s event and online streaming production notes from this latest commercial shoot at Bells, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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Burton Cancels 2021 US Open

by The Editors on May 26, 2020

Thanks to the old COVID-19 Burton is out of their US Open Snowboarding Championships contract with Vail Resorts after cancelling the 2021 event. Not a big surprise seeing as the event was dragged through the press as being one of the alleged hotspots responsible for spreading the virus to Mexico City. Sadly, it brings to a close the longest running snowboarding event in history. It’s been held every year since 1983.

“This was a difficult call to make since we’re so many months away from the next Burton U.S. Open, and we’re not sure what will be happening with the pandemic nine months from now,” said Burton CEO John Lacy. “After playing out multiple options for the 2021 event, we realized there is too much at stake due to the potential public health risk and the financial risk for Burton to invest millions in an event that could end up being cancelled.”

With so many events being cancelled we’re almost getting immune to the pain, but this is definitely one of the saddest. For the official word from Burton, please follow the jump.

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ISA and That Surf Tour Unified On Olympics

by The Editors on December 20, 2017

The International Surfing Association (ISA) today announced an agreement with a certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport) on the qualification principles for surfing in the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020.

In principle, the agreement will see up to 18 of the 40 places at the Games reserved for WSL Championship Tour (CT) surfers (10 men and eight women), with the remaining 22 places determined at the 2019 and 2020 ISA World Surfing Games, the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, and a single slot (each for men and women) for the host nation (Japan).. . With the support of the WSL, the ISA eligibility rules for Olympic participation will require surfers to make themselves available for their national teams to compete in the ISA World Surfing Games in 2019 and 2020 and, if selected by their National Federation, to participate.

A little less that half the surfers will come from theSounds like a nice compromise. For the official word, from the two organizations, please follow the jump.

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