Stephanie Gilmore, making or breaking it. Photo: Apple TV+
On the heels of the news that The Ultimate Surfer hasn’t been renewed for a second season, a press releases hit inboxes informing readers that Apple TV+’s documentary Make or Break has been renewed for a second season. And that’s before the first season has even premiered.
Make or Break is a seven-part series that follows Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Gabriel Medina, Tyler Wright, Italo Ferreira, and Tatiana Weston-Webb (among others) as they compete for a WSL world title. The first episode debuts on April 29 on Apple TV+.
According to a press release, the first season of Make or Break “offers an intimate deep dive into the aspirations, challenges, accomplishments, and personal lives of the surfers who compete to remain on the elite 2021 Men’s and Women’s WSL Championship Tour (CT), and takes viewers on a journey to stunning surfing locations across the globe.” It also “follows the 2021 competition, navigating as the league responds to the global pandemic, while exploring the dynamic surfing culture along with timely issues, including diversity, mental health, and the physical impact of the sport.”
Also included in the show are Morgan Cibilic, Johanne Defay, Leonardo Fioravanti, Jeremy Flores, John John Florence, Filipe Toledo, Kanoa Igarashi, Matt McGillivray, Isabella Nichols, and Jack Robinson.
The docuseries, which is being produced for Apple by Box to Box films, is created in partnership with the WSL. It’s produced by James Gay-Reese, who produced Exit Through the Gift Shop, an Oscar-nominated documentary directed by street artist Banksy. Also holding a producer’s credit is Paul Martin, who produced Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
While only time will tell how the show fares ratings-wise, the fact that a second season has been approved before the first is out for public viewing could be an indicator that it might do a little better than The Ultimate Surfer. Production on season two of Make or Break is currently underway as the tour heads into the Bells event.
