It’s been six years since the world has seen a true big wave paddle champion.
The landscape of big wave surfing has shifted dramatically in that time, with surfers focusing more on personal branding and short-form content. Guys like Nathan Florence, Kai Lenny and Koa Rothman have turned to YouTube and personal projects to drive their careers, as opposed to relying on endemic sponsors and contest earnings to keep them afloat.
After the original Big Wave World Tour started in 2009, five champions were crowned before the WSL took the tour under its wing to sanction events in 2014. The WSL continued to run a tour of varying sizes until 2018 when the financial output for multiple events became unsustainable.
“As an organizer, we knew how hard it was to get everyone there and get everyone involved and have it succeed,” says Peter Mel, former WSL Big Wave World Tour …