The national surfing industry is also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few days ago, the prestigious Australian magazine Stab Magazine published an article alluding to the severe blow that the surfing industry has received worldwide due to the economic crisis generated by COVID-19.

This impact does not affect the level of surfing; however, the biggest impact has been on elite athletes worldwide. These athletes have contracts with distinguished brands in the industry, and due to the strong economic impact, they have had to reduce contracts or cut up to 50% of the initial sponsorship with surfers.

The article published by the Australian magazine highlights the situation of several surfers, including American Kolohe Andino, who had to renegotiate with his current sponsor Hurley, where he went from having a base contract (without prizes for championships) of approximately $750,000 to this year negotiating an amount of $550,000 and for 2021 adjusting it to $500,000.

It also mentions the case of Brazilian Filipe Toledo who, despite having a contract signed at the beginning of 2020 for five years for $650,000 (without competition incentives), went on to renegotiate for $550,000.

One particular case that could be mentioned is that of John John Florence, who, despite ending his relationship with his former sponsor, has no new sponsorship plans, and although many media outlets linked him to a possible new brand, the information has not yet been confirmed.

In the female field and among new promises, there have also been movements, and in some cases athletes have decided to take a break from sports and dedicate themselves to studying, this is the case of Caled Tancred, Liam O'Brien, among others.

Other athletes, for example Gabriel Medina, have gone beyond surfing and have negotiated over the last few years with brands outside the industry, and this could provide a bit more stability.

The impact has been quite strong, and smaller brands that see and treat their sponsored athletes as family have had to reduce contracts to as little as 25% of the initial agreement.

At the national level, the economic impact in terms of sponsorships has followed the international trend, and many surfers have had to terminate their agreements with different brands or renegotiate in search of a good outcome for both parties.

The current national surfing champion, Jair Pérez, addressed the issue and gave us a general comment on how he has seen the impact on the industry in which he has been a part for so many years.

“It’s no secret that COVID-19 has been one of the biggest global crises of the last 5 or 10 years, not only in our country, but we’ve also seen how surfers from different parts of the world have tried to innovate by creating micro-businesses to survive during the last 5 months. Let’s hope this passes soon. In some ways, it has helped us to be more creative, some to rest, others to think about what we want to do with our lives in the future.”
We know that surfing has been a very affected industry because, firstly, surfers worldwide had huge contracts, and it's obvious that lower-caliber surfers would be affected since the big companies wanted to invest in their top athletes. This is the case that happened to me as a Costa Rican athlete, since we always depend on foreign industries. I see that this is slowly changing a lot in this last year, and I'm a prime example of that. In the middle of the pandemic, I have a new sponsorship with Surfing Republica, a brand I'm extremely grateful to and very excited about, since it's a national brand.
Let's be realistic, the pandemic has affected us all to some degree and personally I have been greatly affected in my family life, since my family is in the United States and as the borders are closed, it's already August and we're going on 6 months of not being able to be together.
The economic aspect will always be a thorn in our side, but for us it has been a blessing to see that many people around us have lent us a hand to some extent.
This week, I have to move from Jacó Beach to Hermosa Beach, and the honest truth is I can't afford the rent anymore. Basic services are very expensive, and my rent has always been the same. We just have to adapt and try to get by. Honestly, I have nothing to complain about; God has been good. But it's a reality many surfers are facing nationwide. In my case, I'm grateful to God because even though things aren't perfect, my basic needs have been met.
Surfing isn't forever, and the work has to be done with love and a lot of effort when you're...
I am privileged to be sponsored by a national brand or company. Personally, I have taken the blow dealt by Covid-19 as an extra push to not give up, and on the contrary, to feel victorious in many other areas of my life, and for that I am very grateful to God.”

Many athletes have had to reinvent themselves, others have tried to study to make the most of their time, while others are just trying to cope with the situation, hoping that it will change a little and everything will return to normal.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero