Guys and gals compete against each other in May teams contest!
Earlier today, a little after midnight if you’re west of the date line, the WSL announced a teams event at the Lemoore tank on the Cinco de Mayo weekend of May 5 and 6.
And in a very inclusive, non-discriminatory kink unique in world sport, the guys are going to compete against girls.
The USA team, which includes Hawaii if you’re wondering, is captained by Kelly, Brazil has Gabriel, Australia, Stephanie Gilmore, Europe, Johanne Defay and Jordy Smith will captain the Rest of the World, although the only WCT surfer not from Australia, Brazil or Europe is the French Polynesian Michel Bourez.
“This technology has captured the imagination of the global surfing community and created a number of new opportunities for the WSL,” Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO, said, cutting through the jargon.
Read about it here. WSL Announces Founders’ Cup of Surfing Event for May 2018
After reading that press release, I had a few breezy questions which I threw at the WSL’s Dave Prodan, who answered with typically good-natured, Soviet-era evasiveness.
How many spectators are going to be allowed in?
“Expecting 5000 in attendance.”
Ticket prices:
“I don’t not have but, on background, probably fair to assume a tiered experience.”
Is there a practice day scheduled? Will waves be served at random or will they be identical?
“Lots of practice days scheduled for all CTers ahead of Founders Cup for both May event and September CT.”
How many sessions? How many waves per session per surfer?
“Ample hopefully. Their preparation is a priority.”
Who can Jordy pick? Michel?
“WSL Commissioner’s Office has a criteria for surfer selection and region.”
Which is?
“TBA upon reveal of full teams.”
But only one non-Australian/Brazilian/European surfer on tour apart from Big Joe Smith.
“QS surfers in play as well.”
And waves? Identical or random?
“Identical. For now.”
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The Wsl is just toying with different ways to try and make a buck off of a wave tank, and to try and recoup some of the millions and millions and millions Dirk Ziff has sunk into into it so far.
Given all the comments, looks like a bunch of old bloaks. Perfect demographic for the world suck league.
Come on Dez, ya gotta go real deal with Billie and Bobby. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Ok , rumour is that there is quite a lot of pressure from Ziffy to test the pool waters and make sure his $300m investment is just that and not a gravy train for a small group of people , so no PPV , but man they want to presell those tickets quick , is it sold out ????
Imagine if they can’t sell all the seats , or create enough interest , as they are claiming WSL world first .
it’s a pity they don’t recognise their ASP history as we had World team Tags for a decade , under the Surfrider banner , yes in France !
Derek , ya should have asked Dave , when will the L’amour CT event announce the contest format ,ie Judging criteria / man on man or scoring like the 1/2 pipes / training schedules/access for the athletes /…
surely the WSL will not start a new Championship Tour , with one of their Newest most excitingest / futuristic, Championship contests and no one knows , well anything….other than the date?
Oh Brute! I just asked David, commissar of media for the WSL Republic. I expect an answer by morning. And, speaking of morning, will you take a call so we can talk “Olympics like B-Grade WQS event!” ?
If Jordy’s will captain the rest of the world team…
I can see the presses in the future…
“Jordy went ballistic!!!”
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Super stoked for this! There must be a webcast.
Are there 5000 lemmings in SOCal, or are the stands gonna be filled by wannabe industry insiders?
Every team has a coach
I wish STAB would do that for their articles. I’d pay them with Vietnamese Dong.
What is the word on that in oz? I have talked to all my degenerate friends and none of us even click on stab anymore.
I get that the pool adds an element of control that was previously missing from events in a real ocean environment allowing for a much more planned production. unfortunately I get the feeling its going to be more “Eurovision song contest” than “big day out”.
it could also be Kelly’s way of giving the flat earther’s a safe space to experience the joy of surfing with out the risk of a rogue undertow dragging them off the edge.
I’d do that for Fiji, not the tub.
oh, we aren’t the everyone they’re looking for, like those droids in Star Wars
i hear ya there. i say voice of mo’ reason
nah, most people are jocks, they need squad goals
Maybe you’re your dad pretending to be your son this whole time. We need to get this into R&D with Ke11y and his one man team* of conspiracy theorists.
* with Ke11y as Team Captain USA, ancient alien theorists suggest Ke11y finally gifts the world with the “I” in “Team”.
Hey you know if you pronounce ‘Kelly’ with a sorta fake Chinese accent you get ‘Kerry’. And that’s really close to ‘Kerring’…
Do you see where I’m going?
WSL will now buy Volcom for Kelly?
Your Dad is on your computer again!
I like, “Ever noticed that glass tastes like blood?”
Oh that would be a fun-killer. Paying is depressive.
And here it starts. Never EVER again will a public beach anywhere in the world be sullied by competitions to the detriment of the meagre surf-pass opportunity of the already-harassed working father.
Yay!
You haven’t got over the weekend fuckup of your surf have ya?? Someone needs a hug!!
I’m just looking forward to the future with joy!!!
…hugs always accepted though.
we’ll hug first then surf somewhere nice!!!
Perhaps a warm handshake on the first date though eh? We’ll see how we go from there.
If you’re still angry a hug, but usually a firm handshake and eye contact is my go!!
Awesome. Thanks.
I’m not really angry, but it’s fun to exaggerate it for the laughs.
and redhead looks very good today by way – waiting for lower tide perchance
I know it was all looking great. I’m “praying” for a good weekend.
Goodbye Surfest .
Amazing! The greatest, most individual, selfish sport on earth has become a team event! We have peaked!
Here’s something. When I was a kid there was a team’s contest at Trigg Point in Perth. Curren was Team USA, can’t remember who else was in it, but it was more compelling, and deeply so, than the individual event. Patriotism, of course, is the willingness to kill or be killed for trivial reasons (said Bertrand Russell). It gives everyone skin in the game! And then there’s the guy-gal thing. I got more heat on this than the WCT at the Ranch.
Damien Hardman, Mitch Thorson, Cheyne Horan… Many more but I cant remember. Maybe even Charlie Kuhn!
I remember seeing Munga Barry at the Point for a Comp. A smiling cuckold as I recall.
wearing legends wrap arounds?
…why do I remember razor blade Oakleys?
Was Munga victim or perpetrator ?
The hopeful cuckold-er [ie he was trying to cuckold], if that’s grammatically correct.
No! It’s a cuckold-maker. “One who has criminal conversation with another mans wife; one who makes a cuckold.”
Yes Charlie Kuhn! Beautiful head of honey curls.
From Cocoa Beach too!
Yep team thing will go off – surftag and boardrider battles etc just totally froth out with patriotism. it is way forward
1983 Kanvas by Katin Pro/Am Team Challenge https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
year before he sprayed spectators standing on the pier on a Northside right I believe, or so goes the legend
I think it was 85, the day the space shuttle blew up.
damn! a day that will live in infamy. and nice work on Batman too.
I doubt a one dollar donation is going cover the costs of almond milk in the chai latte’s.
Aussie boardriders battles are the best!
Kanoa is from Japan 🇯🇵 and can take his place beside Michel Bourez who comes from a POM ( pays d’outre mer au sein de la république française,a bit of a grey area where France is not really France unless they want to test nuclear weapons no where near France ) not to mention surfers from Indonesia,Costa Rica, Peru , Chile ,Argentina,Uruguay and even NZ all of which have surfers rated in the top 100 on the QS. Who chooses the composition of the team ? The WSL or the federations from each region or the wsl surfers themselves?
Yeah, yeah… Kanoa…him too. Bit rough slinging WQS guys at the rest of the world teams though, y’think?
I am sure the fans in the emerging surf world would be presently surprised and this may expand the fan base which seems to be the goal of the business which is the WSL ?If Noa D can make it to the semifinals of the Volcom Pipe Pro imagine what Oney Anwar might do in the pool to the delight of 300 million Indonesians.
I loved that event when i was a kid too. Wish i never threw out all those VHS tapes i had taped off anything surfing that ever came on telly. Australia had 2 teams in it and the B team beat the A team in semis. Occy,Carroll and Kong were in A team im pretty sure.
USA ended up beating B team Aussies in final im 99.9% sure.
Cheyne captained B team.
And there were some actually nice little waves for it. Curren was king of course. Dave Parmenter also on US team. Pottz Europe.
Also think it was hosted by the yaght guy Rob Mundle on channel 10.
April 1986. Swan World Series.
Someone surely has some media from this event?
Yes, yes, that’s it. Swan Super Series. Even dirty little Trigg Point turned on for a day, clean, two-foot runners.
Commentary was classic! “Cheyne Horan going right, Damien Hardman going left”. Every time my mate and I split a peak for the next 20 years we yelled that shit at each other.