'Apple At Play' with Chris Malloy and World Surf League

"Imagine this...a stunning wide of our hero paddling out away from us and the shore. 

We hear only the sound of the ocean, and the subtle beat of their paddling and their heart. 

Immersive POV, never locked-off."

This was the visual that guided director Chris Malloy as he imagined what a pairing between Apple Watch and World Surf League could look like. Visceral, precise, and high-stakes.

For generations, surfing was been defined by instinct. Reading the horizon, feeling the wind shift, looking for a colored flag, and waiting for a call from the beach to communicate vital competition information. Our collaboration with Apple and WSL for the Apple at Play campaign explores what happens when that relationship between tech and nature evolves to transform one of the most dynamic competitive environments in the world.

Captured during the WSL's 2026 Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro event in Australia, we followed four surfers -- Barron Mamiya, Isabella Nichols, Mateus Herdy, and Lakey Peterson -- as well as the technologists who play a pivotal role behind the scenes (including JP Pimentel, Beach Operations for WSL).

Tapped to lead production, Farm League and Chris Malloy know a little something about the challenges of capturing the sport authentic. Chris -- a former surfing pro -- doubled down on his love for directing after he was sidelined following a major injury at Pipeline in Hawaii. 

After a run of pivotal surf films like A Brokedown Melody and Thicker Than Water (both with longtime creative partner and friend, Jack Johnson), he partnered with Farm League founder and EP Tim Lynch to create documentaries like 180 Degrees South and The Fisherman's Son. (More on that journey here.)

Our collective expertise in blending true subculture insight, an athlete's perspective, and the honed eye of commercial pros led to a multi-dimensional campaign that gives viewers an intimate look at WSL competition. Across a suite of long-form and social deliverables, there is an undeniable grit and humanity found in the stakes these athletes and tech teams face.