The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is changing it’s name to World Surf League – WSL
Here’s a short video by the ASP about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuiXrg08j_8
And what ASP SEO Paul Speaker has to say about it:
“At the start of the 2015 season, we will change our name to the World Surf League (WSL). We’re making this change because we believe the new name is easier to understand, and gets us on a better track to serve our fans, athletes and partners, and to grow the great sport of professional surfing worldwide…”
(read the whole statement here.)
Everything else remains of course: the pros, the spots & the webcasts, just the name has changed.
Personally I’m not too sure about the new name… sounds just like another sport you flick to on your TV sports channels. Surfing is something special to me, there is no other sport where humans are as connected to nature as in surfing and giving it such a ‘standard’ name just puts it next to the AFL, NBA and others.
On the other hand ASP has probably not been the most obvious abbreviation out there and many people didn’t actually know what it stands for.
At the end of the day it doesn’t really mater what the world tour of surfing’s name is as long as the audience gets to see the best surfers compete in the best and most fair way and surfing making it’s way to become an internationally accepted sport.
One thing is for sure, this name change is only a small first of many changes to come for the future of professional surfing.
Source: www.ASPworldtour.com
