Are TikTok reels from American surf influencers about to go the way of the dodo? Photo: Unsplash
As the fate of TikTok remains unknown, the creators who rely on the app are stuck in limbo. The app was taken offline in the United States on January 19 in compliance with a law upheld by the Supreme Court, only to return 14 hours later with a loose promise from the Trump administration to save it. However, TikTok still isn’t available for download in app stores for U.S.-based users.
Many creators on the platform have found success in the surf niche – leveraging their action sport, beach lifestyle, and good looks to attract large followings on the platform. For some, whether directly or indirectly, it has become their primary source of income and an invaluable tool for marketing their brand.
To get a sense of how the surf influencers in the U.S. are reacting to the existential threat of their online body of work, I spoke with five well-followed creators to hear how they’re coping.
@cjkirwan One more 😅🌊 #surf #surfing ♬ “Yakety Sax”- Theme from the “Benny Hill Show” – Boots Randolph
CJ Kirwan (@cjkirwan): 803k TikTok followers
CJ Kirwan started surfing in 2019 and decided to mold his TikTok profile to follow his surf journey in San Diego. Soon thereafter in April 2020, he started to attract an audience and rode that wave of momentum all the way to being selected as NBC’s Olympic surfing correspondent at the 2024 Olympics in Tahiti.
Kirwan posts one to two videos per day and leverages the app as a revenue source.
“TikTok is very important for my career and livelihood,” said Kirwan. “Not only do I make some money from the creator fund, but almost all of my brand deals rely on my following. I could still make money on other platforms, but in terms of brand deals, I wouldn’t have much to offer since my follower count on other social media accounts isn’t nearly as high.”
With the state of the app in flux, Kirwan has already started preparing for the potential loss of his TikTok following. He’s been directing his fans to follow him on Instagram and YouTube as well, where he says he would shift his focus to longform content if TikTok were to disappear.
“A TikTok ban would leave me with some extra time on my hands for sure,” Kirwan added. But he’s also hedging his bets. Kirwan has a part-time gig doing editing and social media for the surf brand Ho Stevie!. He says if his social media income dries up, he could always transition to a full-time position in that line of work.
@anastasiaashley Been a min since I’ve dropped a surf clip on here #surfing #surftok ♬ original sound – li kdub🤠
Anastasia Ashley (@anastasiaashley): 847k TikTok followers
Anastasia Ashley’s transition to life post-competitive surfing was smooth thanks to her digital media savviness. She has amassed a million followers on Instagram – with nearly as many on TikTok – and was a cast member on the WSL’s reality show The Ultimate Surfer. Plus, she also launched an agency to help other creators grow their digital media platforms.
Ashley’s business mainly runs through her Instagram, so losing her TikTok wouldn’t have severe financial impacts. But she acknowledges that diversifying a social media audience to different platforms – particularly the younger demographic of TikTok – is an advantage.
“(Losing TikTok) would definitely be a bummer,” explained Ashley. “Not so much for me, but for the creator community. It’s a great platform for people launching a business and selling products, even more so than Instagram. TikTok is freer with creativity and doesn’t have to be so polished. It gives more people opportunity.”
Ashley directs all the creators that she works with to make a plan B because you’re always at the mercy of the platform, whether it’s a change in the algorithm or the flat-out prohibition of its use.
“I’ve been in the space for a really long time and I’ve seen the trends,” added Ashley. “I’ve seen the market and what people get paid. You could have a great source of income through TikTok and brand deals and it could all be taken away from you. So regardless of what happens with TikTok, you should always have something else – another business or going to school.”
@livv.stoneUntil next time Oceanside… thank you for always blessing me with waves of a lifetime 🩵♬ Ocean View – Pacific
Liv Stone (@livv.stone): 546k TikTok followers
For Liv Stone, a three-time para surfing world champion, the 14 hours of TikTok blackout were a particularly stressful time.
“I was thinking in my head, I’m losing half a million followers and a platform that I can make money on through partnerships,” said Stone. “So it was obviously a big deal.”
Stone credits a positive meeting with her manager with helping her calm down and see the big picture: Everyone in the U.S. was in the same boat and dealing with the uncertain future of their livelihoods.
“TikTok has been instrumental in my career,” explained Stone. “The first paid partnership I had was on TikTok. It was the first platform that skyrocketed for me and has allowed me to grow as a content creator.”
Stone says she is very calculated in how she manages her platforms and is prepared for a life post-TikTok if it were to come to that.
“I’m very strategically posting in other areas and not putting my eggs all in one basket,” she said. “If TikTok were to completely go away, then I just have to be okay with it. It’s not in my control. I’m still posting on TikTok, trying to keep my audience engaged, but it’s also not all my focus right now.”
@lukeguinaldo Living the life I chose. #thesecretingredient #magicbeans ♬ walking on a dream by empire of the sun – sophie
Luke Guinaldo (@lukeguinaldo): 2.1 million TikTok followers
Luke Guinaldo leveraged his lifestyle as a young Huntington Beach pro surfer to become one of the most well-known faces in the TikTok surf sphere. Since he opened his account in 2020, he’s accrued 2.1 million followers, which puts him in an elite league of TikTok creators alongside names like Blair Conklin and Gabriel Medina.
Despite seemingly having a lot to lose if TikTok were to be banned, Guinaldo isn’t particularly worried.
“I don’t necessarily think (a TikTok ban) would have a negative or positive impact on me,” said Guinaldo. “It would just change where I put my content. I believe that the grass grows wherever you water it.”
“I’ve already established a strong following on other platforms besides TikTok, so I should be fine,” he added.
Guinaldo has a healthy 379,000 followers on Instagram – enough to keep his brand afloat.
@solaglocal This audio hit! @daws living it up! I hope this video and the videos I create and film motivate you all to get up and do something you love! 🤙🏼 #SoLagLocal #Motivational #GoPro @GoPro ♬ original sound – SoLagLocal
Greg Viviani (@solaglocal): 274k TikTok followers
“Between Tiktok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Facebook, I would say that Tiktok has definitely been the most beneficial for growth and to create a source of income,” said Greg Viviani, a Laguna Beach-based surf creator.
Viviani grew his following by documenting the skimboarding and surf scene in his hometown, collaborating with other social media stars like Blair Conklin and Austin Keen. He says he gets an income from TikTok’s creator fund and “gifts” from fans during livestreams – plus his page serves as a marketing tool to land photo and video gigs.
“A TikTok ban would be very detrimental,” said Viviani. “Some Americans rely on it for a source of income, for their livelihood, to feed their families and pay their bills. I know some creators making upwards of $10,000 to $20,000 a month just from the creator fund alone. It can be life-changing.”
Viviani has a much larger following on his YouTube page, which has 1.1 million subscribers. But the predominantly short-form content that grew his YouTube channel doesn’t translate to much revenue. He says his TikTok page, which is a quarter the size of his YouTube, creates stronger cash flow.
But even if TikTok survives in the long term, Viviani worries about changes that could come if it’s sold to another company. He’s already started working on longform content for YouTube to access a new revenue stream.
