World Surf League (WSL) has today announced that GWM will become the Official Automotive Partner of the World Surf League Australia as well as the title sponsor of the Sydney Surf Pro Challenger Series event and World Longboard Tour event.
An emerging brand in the Australian automotive market, GWM produces Utility Vehicles and SUV’s that suit the surfing lifestyle, making them a fantastic fit as the category partner of WSL. As well as strong involvement at the GWM Sydney Surf Pro presented by Rip Curl, GWM will have a presence at the Margaret River Pro, Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl.
“World Surf League sees a great synergy in this new partnership with GWM,” said WSL APAC General Manager Andrew Stark. “GWM produces vehicles that are robust and suitable for the outdoors and the surfing lifestyle so WSL sees it as a partnership that makes sense. Having GWM onboard for four major events in Australia including as the name rights for the GWM Sydney Surf Pro indicates their interest and investment into surfing and for that the World Surf League is extremely grateful.”
Adding to the high stakes will be Australian professional surfer Sally Fitzgibbons who has a passion for adventure and performance, and has been welcomed as a GWM ambassador for 2022.
“We’re delighted to enter into this partnership with the WSL and with Sally,” said GWM Head of Marketing Steve Maciver. “With a range of vehicles designed for an active lifestyle, the WSL is a perfect fit for us. We look forward to working with the WSL and Sally as we continue our growth across Australia and New Zealand.”
Olympian Fitzgibbons is very pleased to be a part of the GWM ambassador team.
“I’m constantly seeking environments that inspire me to perform at my best,” said Fitzgibbons. “Brands like GWM allow me to do this by providing me with a mobile home base that supports my every move in a day. The state of the art built in technology allows me to be efficient and hit my goals in comfort and style. My Haval H6 Hybrid also allows me to ride the green wave of environmental change with a more fuel efficient car. This is one small daily action that we can all do to create a bigger wave of change. I look forward to teaming up with GWM to continue to do my best in and out of the water.”
The partnership will also see GWM with a robust media plan across WSL’s owned and operated channels, branded content featuring Fitzgibbons and prominent onsite presence with GWM vehicle displays.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com
About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing.
A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.
Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com
WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.
The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com
