Rolling Stone, the number one global brand in music publishing and media, today announced a partnership with the World Surf League (WSL). As part of the new partnership, Rolling Stone will celebrate the elite athletes competing on the WSL Championship Tour, the series that crowns the men’s and women’s world surf champions each year.

Rolling Stone will devote significant editorial backing to the project, including features and photos essays in the magazine as well as video and digital content. Athletes featured in the partnership include Stephanie Gilmore (reigning 7X WSL Champion), John John Florence (2X WSL Champion), Coco Ho, Lakey Peterson, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Conner Coffin and more.

Watch “My First Time with Coco Ho”

The first piece of content, “My First Time with Coco Ho,” has been released today.  Watch here. “My First Time,” is an ongoing fan-favorite series featuring a wide-range of artists, actors and celebrities as they sit down to divulge a series of “firsts”. Through “My First Time,” viewers get a closer look at some of pop culture’s most well-known faces. Past participants have included, Ringo Starr, Lizzo, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Willie Nelson and Seth Rogan. New content will be released each week on RollingStone.com and WorldSurfLeague.com.

“The athleticism, drama, and adventure of pro surfing is a perfect fit for Rolling Stone readers, who count on us for the most cutting-edge cultural content in the world,” said Rolling Stone President Gus Wenner. “Rolling Stone is thrilled to partner with the World Surf League on a slate of joint initiatives that celebrate the world’s best surfers and the Championship Tour as music is such a critical part of surfing and life on the tour.”

“Rolling Stone is legendary in the music industry and it’s really awesome to work with such an iconic brand,” said 7X reigning WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore. “I’m passionate about music and there’s a strong natural connection with surfing, which makes this an extremely exciting partnership. Rock and roll.”

Partnering with Rolling Stone

The partnership will also include Rolling Stone’s sponsorship of the music stage featuring The Raconteurs, as well as a special edition co-branded apparel collection with Rolling Stone and Outerknown at the upcoming Freshwater Pro pres. by Outerknown. The event is a crucial stop on the WSL Championship Tour and takes place at the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California, from September 19 – 21, 2019. Founded by professional Surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown is a coastal men’s and women’s lifestyle brand made For People and Planet. The Raconteurs will be the headlining performer on Saturday evening following the conclusion of the surfing competition. To purchase tickets, click HERE and to pre-order the co-branded apparel collection, click HERE.

About the WSL

The World Surf League (WSL) is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The organization, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.

The WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, annually running more than 230 global events across the Men’s and Women’s Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Redbull Airborne, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed Men’s and Women’s World Champions across all tours.

Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Tyler Wright, John Florence, Lakey Peterson, Grant Baker, Keala Kennelly, Paige Alms, Kai Lenny, Steven Sawyer, Soleil Errico, Mateus Herdy, Kirra Pinkerton, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue and more battle on the most dynamic field of play of any global sport.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com

About Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone, the number one brand in music publishing, has been the leading voice of music and pop culture for over 50 years. Rolling Stone offers the latest in music news, in-depth interviews, hard-hitting political commentary and award-winning journalism across platforms including print, digital, video, social and live events. It has won 15 National Magazine Awards and has been nominated 54 times. Published by Penske Media Corporation (PMC), Rolling Stone reaches a global audience of 60 million every month and is headquartered in New York City.

About PMC

Penske Media Corporation (PMC) is a leading digital media and information services company whose award-winning content attracts monthly audience of more than 180 million and empowers more than 1 million global CEOs and business thought-leaders in markets that impact the world. Our dynamic events, data services, and rich content entertain and educate today’s fashion, retail, beauty, entertainment and lifestyle sectors. Headquartered in New York and Los Angeles with additional offices in 11 countries worldwide, Penske Media is the way global business leaders and influencers are informed, connected, and inspired. To learn more about PMC and its iconic brands, visitwww.pmc.com.

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Gus Wenner
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Stephanie Gilmore
World Surf League