Oprah Winfrey Network presidents Sheri Salata (L) and Erik Logan speak during the Discovery Communications cable television sessions at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, California August 2, 2012. REUTERS/Phil McCarten/File photo
(Reuters) - Erik Logan, the chief executive of professional surfing's World Surf League, has left the company effective immediately, the WSL said on Thursday, part-way through the sport's 10-stop world tour.
No reason for the abrupt departure was given, and Logan, a former president of Oprah Winfrey's OWN television network, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement comes during the WSL's Brazilian contest and just weeks after several top Brazilian surfers criticized some of the judging at the WSL-owned Surf Ranch wave pool contest in California.
Since joining the WSL in 2019, Logan had boosted the sport's profile with deals for surf-based TV shows including Apple TV's 'Make or Break'.
During his tenure the WSL introduced a number of major changes on the world tour including a mid-year cut of about a third of the surfers, which proved unpopular with many of them.
He also rescheduled the traditional season-ending contest at Hawaii's famous Pipeline in favour of a one-day, winner-take-all Finals contest in Southern California for the top five mens and womens surfers.
The WSL said that while it begins the process of identifying a new CEO, Emily Hofer, WSL's Chief People & Purpose Officer, and Bob Kane, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Legal Officer, will jointly lead the company.
The WSL, owned by American billionaire Dirk Ziff, declined to comment further.
(Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Sydney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
