The World Surf League (WSL) today announced a new partnership with Californian craft brewer Firestone Walker Brewing Company, making 805 Beer the official craft beer of WSL North America. The partnership includes activations in the following Championship Tour events: the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by Shiseido, and the Rip Curl WSL Finals, as well as North American Longboard and Challenger Series events.
“We are stoked to have Firestone Walker Brewing Company join the WSL family,” said Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer. “805 Beer is born and brewed in California’s central coast, and has been supporting the surf community since their inception. This dynamic partnership includes creative storytelling and content throughout the Championship Tour, VANS US Open of Surfing, and the WSL Longboard Championships. The authenticity of this brand makes them a perfect partner.”
“Surfing has been core to our 805 beer story from the very beginning,” said Dustin Hinz, Firestone Walker Brewing Company Chief Marketing Officer. “Our team of 805 Authenticos reflects varied styles and approaches to surfing, including Nate Tyler, Austin Neumann, Matt Becker, Mike McCabe and Conner Coffin. As a California-born and bred company, an 805 x WSL partnership is a natural evolution that furthers our passion for storytelling in this space and ongoing support of the sport.”
Surfing has long been one of the driving forces behind 805’s “Authenticos”— a band of ambassadors who embody the culture and values of 805 Beer. One notable Authentico is Santa Barbara, California based professional surfer Conner Coffin, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 4 in the world heading into the 2022 season of the WSL’s Championship Tour. 805 Beer’s WSL activations will include a film on Coffin, directed by Keith Malloy, that will be released this summer.
“805 isn’t just the beer I drink, it’s the place I’m from,” said Conner Coffin, WSL Championship Tour surfer. “I’m stoked to see my partnership with my hometown brewery, Firestone Walker, expand to the WSL, and share the work I’m doing with 805 beer to surf fans all over the world. That’s as exciting as it gets.”
The holding period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the first stop of the 2022 Championship Tour, runs from January 29 to February 10, 2022. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and WSL’s YouTube channel, as well as the free WSL app. Check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
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
About Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California beer company with three innovative brewing facilities. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. Firestone Walker is also the brewery behind 805, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beers. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.
