World Surf League makes Apple Watch its official wearable
The Apple Watch will be used in the World Surf League for the first time – after being appointed the official wearable of the event.
Competitors in the 10-event series, which starts later this month, will be given an Apple Watch before every heat. However, rather than tracking performance or stats, as we’ve seen wearables used in sports events, the Apple Watch app is designed to give competitors real-time information on their scoring.
This is done by a WSL Surfer app (below), which will feed back live scoring in real-time.
The app will work on Series 8 and Ultra, and enable surfers to check live scores, wave priority, and their time in the heat.
The WSL says that the Apple Watch is one of the few smartwatches capable of delivering this information, thanks to the “large bright screen, durable design, and cellular connectivity.”
Surfers have previously kept tabs on their performance using scoreboards and announcements from the beach. That is understandably not easy to follow through crashing waves and inclement weather conditions.
“Challenging conditions can make it hard to see the beach and a priority penalty could cost you the heat, so not needing to rely on seeing the beach or hearing the announcers makes a huge difference and prevents guesswork,” said ítalo Ferreira, WSL Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist in the official announcement.
And those that have tested it have found it makes a difference:
“I was able to test the Apple Watch last season,” said Isabella Nichols, one of the WSL competitors.
“Having real-time access to everyone’s score and the clock throughout the heat made a significant difference. It helped me plan my heat strategy and eliminate the confusion that can sometimes happen in our field of play,” she continued.
While it does look like something of a contractual love-in, with a WSL TV show starting on Apple TV+, it does show the benefits of wearables in sports. The Apple Watch is well placed with its water resistance and versatile watchOS, which can handle bespoke apps and LTE connectivity.
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.
