“I am excited to leverage my experience to elevate the WSL brand, deepen our connection with fans, and continue building something that surfers can be proud of.”
Thus begins the Ryan Crosby tenure as the new CEO of the World Surf League. The WSL announced the hiring of Crosby this morning in a press release.
It’s been roughly 10 months since former CEO Erik Logan left the WSL. That’s a long time to let the top chair sit vacant, and pro surf fans speculated wildly about the next CEO. Would it be someone like Pat O’Connell, a beloved ex-pro who has plenty of contest experience? Some hoped for Kelly Slater to take the reins, which, had he had the interest, would have immediately lent star power to the WSL’s C-suite and kept him in the competitive fold. Would it be an action sports super-agent? Or just removing the interim tags from Chief People and Purpose Officer Emily Hofer and COO and Chief Legal Officer Bob Kane, who’ve run the show in Logan’s absence? Your humble author even floated his own name in repeated, unanswered DMs to WSL brass.
Nope. It’s a former video game and streaming service exec. Let’s meet him.
Crosby is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and went to school at the University of Arizona. He learned to surf when he moved to Southern California after graduation. Job-wise, he’s held executive positions at Activision, the video game company best known for the Call of Duty franchise, something Crosby worked on, as well as Hulu and Netflix. Most recently, he’s been with Riot Games.
Aaron Hughes/World Surf League via Getty Image
His LinkedIn profile features a photo of a hollow, offshore left that at first looks like Pipe, but may very well be somewhere in Nicaragua. It does hint the new CEO is a goofyfoot.
Dirk Ziff, the WSL’s principal financial backer said this about Crosby’s hiring:
“Ryan’s exceptional track record across some of the most important media platforms, his authentic, approachable manner, and his genuine passion for surfing make him a great fit to lead the WSL into its next chapter of growth and innovation.”
Crosby does sit on the board at the Surfrider Foundation, so he has industry ties, albeit in the non-profit wing.
“What I love about surfing is that it’s an incredible competitive sport, but it’s also much more than that,” Crosby said in a statement. “It’s a way of life [Spicoli reference?], a passion and a deeply committed global community.”
It’s easy to imagine where Crosby’s experience might lead the WSL. Will a subscription model be coming to the WSL app? Hard to imagine it’s not being kicked around by the former streaming service exec. You kinda have to assume video games may again be in the works. Is he a fan of the mid-season cut? Would he consider reducing the field and shortening events? Will there be video game sponsor ads on jerseys and splashed across judging towers?
Probably all in play. Or maybe none of these things are. We’ve reached out to the WSL for more, and will report back.