Mick Fanning and Ronnie Blakey Talk WSL Amid Covid-19

 

Mick Fanning and Ronnie Blakey, a 3-time World Championship Tour surfer, and WSL commentator, respectively, speak with STAB Surf mag about the future of WSL 2020 amid Coronavirus.

Two of professional surfing’s more charismatic actors, Mick Fanning and Ronnie Blakey, sit down with STAB Magazine’s Sam McIntosh to discuss the impact of Covid-19.

The 2020 World Championship Tour of Professional Surfing has ground to a halt. With the whole world stuck in lockdown due to a global pandemic, what are some aussie surfer blokes to do? Drink beer, of course!

In this insightful and highly entertaining episode of STAB Magazine: Unplugged, Mick Fanning and Ronnie Blakey cover a range of topics. They discuss the best place to quarantine (hint – it’s in Fiji). They also consider a possible Indonesian location for a new world tour event.

The boys also discuss the recent sale of Balter Brew to a major Australian Beer Company, the massive salary cuts most professional surfers have suffered (including John John Florence) and the prospect of an end-of-year surf off to decide a 2020 champion.

Changing Times in Surfing

The world of professional surfing has evolved constantly over the decades. Like many industries it’s seen its share of highs and lows. The 1980s saw large sponsorships in crappy waves. The 1990s saw small sponsorships in crappy waves. The 2000s brought back large sponsorships in better waves. In addition, the 2010s experienced the best waves and lots of flux in business models.

As the ASP Tour evolved into the World Surf League and print and mainstream media gave way to digital, pro surfing and the surfers that make up the tour are more accessible than ever to the surfing fanbase. Yet the collapse of the endemic surfing industry’s financial prowess has also limited the growth of the sport.

However, despite these ups and downs, surfing remains a sport of joy and a community of like-minded peers. If ever two surfers represented this ethos, its Mick Fanning and Ronnie Blakey. We love these blokes. We look forward to watching more surfing and more hilarious antics from these two. Whatever the new normal becomes post-pandemic, you can be sure they’ll be there, and we’ll be watching. 

Good onya boys!