Fleischauer Jewell will again watch as Carissa Moore and John John Florence represent America. Photos: USA Surfing//ISA
Becky Fleischauer Jewell is taking over the reins of USA Surfing, appointed Executive Director by the federation’s board. USA Surfing – the U.S.’s national federation recognized by the International Surfing Association – announced the move on January 3. Fleischauer previously led USA Surfing’s communications and media relations campaign leading up to Tokyo 2020.
Fleischauer now has the responsibility of guiding one of the most influential and decorated national federations in the sport. USA Surfing earned Olympic gold via Carissa Moore in 2021, have already qualified five Olympic slots for Paris 2024 (Moore, Caroline Marks, John John Florence, Griffin Colapinto, and Caity Simmers), and earned 2023 podium finishes in the disciplines of junior surfing and para surfing. USA Surfing is also among the most well-funded national surfing federations.
I was curious. What does a new Executive Director of USA Surfing mean for the state of surfing in the United States? We went straight to the source to hear about Fleischauer Jewell’s vision of the organization in an Olympic year.
Did you have to campaign for this position or did the board ask you?
I was helping with planning and marketing and they liked the ideas and wanted me to do more. I was honored to be asked and am committed to gathering the right support to make the improvements the board and the surfers we serve want and deserve to see.
So what has you most excited about your new role?
We have the best stories to be told in sport:
The U.S. is the only country in the world to be going into the 2024 Olympics with the first Olympic woman gold medalist Carissa Moore, the WSL world champ Caroline Marks and the only country in the world to win a third Olympic spot for women on the 2024 team for the WSL Rookie of the Year, Caity Simmers. USA Surfing’s under 18’s won ISA World Junior Championship team Silver with a mostly rookie team.
USA’s para surfers won team silver and individual gold for Alana Nichols, who set world-record high scores with an insane barrel. Alana is a triple sport athlete in wave ski surf, wheelchair basketball, and alpine skiing, and the first American woman to win gold in both the summer and winter games.
SUP racers Connor Baxter and Candice Appleby continued their run of dominance on the global stage. Maui SUP surfer Zane Schweitzer brought home a gold medal just months after devastating fires ravaged his community. And U.S. longboarders are some of the most stylish and impressive in the world.
What will be your key initiatives?
At its heart – creating a strong platform to celebrate and support surfing. That means elevating the coaching staff and sports performance experts to do more trainings and learning opportunities for more surfers, and videoing these sessions to expand the reach of all the tips, insights, and inspiration shared.
Reading between the lines, it seems like you want to monetize things. Especially the story telling?
There was a wildly entertaining PacSun video series following surfers like Courtney, Lakey, Nolan Rapoza, Jake Marshall, Kolohe Andino and others when they were groms. Coach Ryan Simmons did a lot of the interviews and commentary. It had adventure, drama, great surfing, personalities, beautiful locations – all the elements of compelling video. There is a great opportunity for a sponsor to bring something like that back. It was really ahead of its time before social media and vlogs.
The para surf team surfers are some of the most talented, diverse, interesting, inspiring, funny, big-hearted, high-performing, hard working athletes you will ever meet. Getting to know them in a video series is what the world needs more of right now. What brand would not want to align with that?
There are also opportunities for sponsors to support broadcasts for the Prime Series, Championship at Lowers, Para Surf trainings, and competitions to grow our fan base and allow more people to watch top talents.
In your statement you ominously pointed out the fragile state of sponsorship in the surf industry? How important are sponsors to a national federation, among all the income sources, and how will this affect your plans as Executive Director?
It’s just the reality of the industry right now – there are fewer surf brand sponsorships for young, budding talent, or even top professionals on tour. In the U.S., sponsorships, donors, and fundraising are imperative to building a program that supports surfing’s development.
Interestingly surf imagery is increasingly being used to promote non-surf brands, because it’s fresh, beautiful, powerful, and relevant. Surfing’s storylines and imagery support environmental stewardship, innovation, mental health, fitness, beauty, friendships, and families. We need to connect with the brands that want to be aligned with all the good of surfing.
What will be the biggest challenge?
Gathering the right support (funding, expertise, volunteers) quickly to provide the boost surfing needs right now at the talent development level.
What are you looking forward to most in 2024?
To see all of the potential in surfing grow and flourish. I’m always on the edge of my seat to see what surfers are going to do next.
