Mick Fanning’s jersey sells out in the first two days at Snapper

All photos by WSL 

As the WSL continues to mainline the mainstream, the fanbase is growing serious. The World Surf League is currently sitting at 1.7 million followers on IG. And this is no AI Forever t-shirt, or Ke11y jazz. The adults and groms alike are dedicated to their fave surfers in a way where they’re willing to drop $65 for a polycotton soccer-jersey style shirt, with their number on it. Just as liquor during the Rodney King riots, they were torn from the shelves at Snapper. The jerseys for sale was a trial run, and it looks like it will continue throughout the rest of the season. “We anticipate a full sell through of the product,” Dave Prodan, VP of WSL communications, told Stab prior to Matt Wilko snagging the yellow singlet. 

Ke11y fucking Slater.

So the question is, what can you get for that $65? Well, Mick Fanning 07 sold out within the first two days, followed by King Kelly 11. John John Florence 12, Julian Wilson 17 and Steph Gilmore 88 were also nowhere to be found at the merch booth, and everywhere to be found on the sand. Pretty soon we’ll see folks mindlessly bogging down the line sporting these puppies as rash guards. Are rash guards cool again? Were they ever? 

The rest of the crew on sale is short of the whole CT roster, for obvious reasons. Not everyone can be a big seller. But as this momentum gains, a Wilko jersey may just hit the booths (it was absent this time around). 

Reports from the merch booth state, Steph Gilmore’s jersey was selling out faster than the men, shortly after Mick and Kelly.

You could’ve acquired a Filipe Toledo 77, Owen Wright 03, Carissa Moore 10, Courtney Conlogue 11, Gabs Medina 10, Josh Kerr 84 and Joel Parkinson 81. They could be signed, framed and hung on walls. Such dedicated fans! On eBay right now, there’s a signed Kelly Slater (ASP) jersey up for grabs for $599.99… seven watching, no bids, yet. 

Is this the dawn of a WSL online store? The time to rep surfer branded gear with a click of a button? Collector’s items? Hologram cards? Oh, boy! This sport’s so official.