Surf Journalist Reverses 2023 Apple Watch Skepticism After WSL Film Shows Heat-Management Need
Updated
Updated · BeachGrit · Sep 17
Surf Journalist Reverses 2023 Apple Watch Skepticism After WSL Film Shows Heat-Management Need
1 articles · Updated · BeachGrit · Sep 17
Summary
A surf journalist publicly recanted earlier mockery of the World Surf League’s Apple Watch tie-in after watching a new promotional film during the Lexus Trestles Pro.
The film argued the device solves practical competition problems: surfers can be 500 yards offshore, struggle to hear announcers, lose visibility in sun glare, and need live priority and target-score updates.
That marked a sharp turn from the 2023 backlash, when the WSL’s Apple Watch mandate drew ridicule and resistance from surfers including Carissa Moore, Leonardo Fioravanti and Kelly Slater.
The reversal reframes the partnership less as a corporate gimmick and more as race-management technology embedded in how elite surfing heats are run.