If you’re not pretty tuned in to the surf scene, you might not have heard this story, which is why I am telling it to you now. As a warning, this is a bit redundant because I am just sharing the news through what I have read and heard. Hearsay. Admittedly terrible journalism. I have no first hand accounts here. I only find this report extremely interesting because, even though he is a few months removed, the Erik Logan saga rolls on.
To make a short story even shorter, ELO called Conner Coffin a liar. He put him in a terrible position as the Surfers Rep, and the Santa Barbara native quit the job as a result. According to this recent Stab article, as well as this recent Grit podcast, Erik Logan heavily mistreated Coffin in multiple ways. He lied about Conner’s stance on the Mid Year Cut, he blamed the surfers’ petition on Conner, and apparently even told Conner “I will ruin you”, which is rumored to be on a recording. Heavy stuff.
Since leaving the Wozzle office, Logan has been completely silent on social media. The WSL itself, no peep on the topic after the initial press release. The surf sphere, however, has been spiraling like a dog chasing its own tail in search of the true story behind his departure. Tons of hearsay, no facts. Yet. The only ‘media’ member with enough cojones to speculate on the debacle has been the lovely Chas Smith. The rumors of late you can read about here, but if you’d prefer to skip, here’s the bottom line: ELO was making surfers uncomfortable with his behavior. He was reportedly getting drunk and “making inappropriate comments to the women.” Thus, fired.
Only time will tell when (if) we will get the truth. And with Finals Day quickly approaching, I’m expecting a decision on the CEO shortly after that. We will be looking at 2024 sooner than you think. The Olympics. A (possible) new Finals Day location? A rescindment of the Mid Year Cut? Slater’s retirement! We’ve got a lot to look forward to. Poor Conner though. Can’t help but feel like he was almost forced out of professional competitive surfing by this Oklahoman Clown. As David Lee Scales and Chas put it, you couldn’t meet a nicer kid. Really looking forward to seeing what kind of projects Conner pursues now that he officially just retired at the US Open. YoungWiseTails seems like an obvious answer. Best of luck to him, and congrats on a memorable career.
Fuck you Erik Logan.
Cheers,
hwilsin