The World Surf League says revenue is up 25% from '17 for the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing presented by Swatch, driven by a net gain of six new sponsors that includes Swatch in the presenting position. Along with Swatch, newcomers to the ongoing Huntington Beach event that concludes Sunday include BF Goodrich, Harley Davidson, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, beverage Tea of a Kind, Let it Block sunscreen, Barefoot wines and Australian woolgrower consortium Woolmark. WSL CCO Beth Greve said the tour’s new leadership, led by CEO Sophie Goldschmidt, has emphasized bringing in brands familiar with other sports but new to surfing, hoping to diversify the sport’s fan base. Goldschmidt, an ’11 SBJ Forty under 40 nominee, was hired away from CSM Sport & Entertainment in '17 to replace board member and interim CEO Dirk Ziff, who has served since co-owner Paul Speaker stepped down earlier in the year. “What we’re most proud of is being able to introduce more people to surfing and the surf lifestyle, and we have partners like Harley and BF Goodrich getting involved for the first time,” Greve said. “They’ve been involved in numerous other sports, so it’s wonderful to hear their feedback and their enthusiasm for what they’re experiencing over the past five days.” Swatch has long been a WSL partner, with co-entitlement rights to its annual tour stop at Lower Trestles beach near San Diego. But this year, the WSL swapped that event out in favor of an event at its new inland wave pool venue, Surf Ranch, in September. Wanting to stay on the southern California beaches, Swatch then signed a three-year deal for presenting rights to the U.S. Open. “They feel like their roots are in this area,” Greve said.
