What is happening outside Venice Beach, California? But do you really care?
It is really difficult to imagining surf news happening outside of Venice Beach, California right now. Really hard to think that the World Surf League didn’t press the pause button while leash-gate snagged wall-to-wall coverage. That drama had absolutely everything, surprising at every turn and really solidifying into 2018’s defining moment. There is much more to come including a very deep dive into what Mr. Wagner Lima knew and when he knew it.
In the meanwhile, the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu is either done or almost done and the 2019 World Surf League Championship Tour roster is either all the way set or almost all the way set.
What fresh faces will we be seeing?
Seth Moniz, Hawaii. The WSL writes… what the 21 year-old achieved in the span of two years is nonetheless exceptional. He jumped from 142nd on the rankings at the end of 2016 to No. 2 this year with major results in Japan, Ballito, the US Open and at home at Haleiwa.
Peterson Crisanto, Brazil. The WSL writes… career choices by his sponsors at the time cost him a potential run for the big show and he spent the next seven years battling to come back.
Deivid Silva, Brazil: The WSL writes… his progressive nature and ability to take to the sky will fit right in with his compatriot on Tour in 2019.
Soli Bailey, Australia: The WSL writes… the 23-year-old Australian has been working his way through the Qualifying Series since 2012.
Who are you most excited to watch? Which will still be on tour in 2020?
Oh who am I kidding… All I care about right now is in Venice Beach, California. We have so many storylines to follow, so many things to learn and time is ticking.
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The BBG fix is on at the pipe trials check the heat draws.
So no story on the first black fulla to make the cut?
Munga beat him to it years ago
Didn’t realise! Love him even more now.
Not to mention all the Hawaiians.
Pretty sure he’s talking bout kooris, but yeah plenty dark skinned legends before that
Seth is one of the nicest pros to share the lineup with.
It’s the ultimate title!!!
Besides Wilko who looks like he is putting himself out to pasture at Byron Bay and M Feb who seems to have won himself a Free Surf gig with Vans I would imagine they all will be back trying to requalify on the QS next year ?
I don’t think they have anything else to do!
Well , you can fly around the world partying and surfing or GET A REAL JOB .
When are we gonna see some black girls on tour?
Esp on the Men’s CT!!!
Shouldn’t you change your name to Soli Bali’s Belly?
Gents and ladies, who’s washing out of the tour to make room for the newbies?
Yah — wondered the same? I am bad at keeping count of these things. It’s really all I can do to sort scoring in the title runs. Math is not my thing.
Depends on Pipe a bit but Frederico Morais, Yago Dora, Wilko, Tomas Hermes, Connor O’Leary, Patrick G, Ian Gouveia, MFeb, Keanu Asing, Joan, Wiggs and Caio Ibelli are all outside the cut-off. Parko is retiring, Kelly will get a free kick via the injury thing and so will JJF.
Nick just wondering if Mikey Wright is in the Pipeline Trials because if he is and wins a wildcard spot they will have to reseed the draw as he is currently rated 12th on the CT( would also qualify him to be part of the rookie of the year race ) ? Would be happy to see it as the 26 rated surfer from Elouera is up against Medina and the lowest rated QS Wild card and the 27 rated surfer Patty G is up against the Panda and MRod . Which heat would you prefer to be in at Pipe ?
WSL posted an article he has been surfing all year with two serious bulging discs in the lower lumbar.
Mikey is not yet a CT seed and they can only give him a trials spot because the trials take up all Pipe wildcard spots.
And the injury wildcard , created by John John’s absence ?
Thanks Nick!
I’ve been hoping against hope, that they’d give the second injury wildcard to Caio, not Slater.
Time to man up, WSL (and Slater).
I’m hoping Parko will win pipe and get inside the top 22, and then his spot can go to next on the QS which is Ethan Ewing. Pretty sure MFeb got a full time spot on tour that way when Fanning retired.
Medina, Wilson, Toledo. Maybe Ferreira. Throw Smith and Wright in there too. And Florence if he wants to come back.
These are the only seven surfers out of the what, 33 on tour that will win a title for the next several years. Every other surfer is just there for the occasional highlight or comp win, world champ spoiler heat, or the “what will it take for him to re-qualify” storyline.
I’d LOVE to be proven wrong but in terms of professional surfing and the world title race, these are the only seven surfers I care about.
Like all sports there are a top few who win almost everything for a certain period of time. From Tiger Woods to Roger Federer. Enjoy it while it lasts, would be boring without the real standout surfers, and the ones who only excel in certain conditions causing upsets etc.
I hear ya, and every morning I DO thank Deus for Medina, Felipe and Italo making competitive surfing interesting right now.
But maybe cutting out the ancillary surfers will free up resources that could be used to improve the ACTUAL world title hunt (nimble event windows, better locations, better prize money, etc.). I think my gripe is with a format that produces a competitive field in which the disparity between competitors is just so vast.
anyone know what this means?: Peterson Crisanto, Brazil. The WSL writes… career choices by his sponsors at the time cost him a potential run for the big show and he spent the next seven years battling to come back.
Billabong dropped him around 2010
aaahhh, so he wasn’t encouraged to ride only SUPs and foils then. got it.
Maybe a little later because Billabong gave him a wildcard to the 2011 Billabong Rio Pro after he won the Hurley Junior Pro at Burleigh taking down Conner Coffin in the semi and Thomas Woods in the Final with Wade Carmichael being the other semi finalist ?
strong field!
Very strong ! Funny how everyone knows the former QS grinder from Santa Barbara but only recently discovered Wade even though he’d had a great competitive record for years , including a stellar win at Haleiwa , and had completely forgotten Peterson ? Shame for surfers like Thomas Woods , Perth Standlick and Melling when Oakley downsized .
yeah, i’ve enjoyed wade’s surfing a lot. i sometimes find my expectations (unintentionally) lowered when i see him on land, but he transforms in the water. shows how fucked mental projections can be.
case in point: when i first read the phrase “career choices by his sponsors” i imagined something like “you’re surfing’s fine mate, but we think you could make us more money blowing dudes on the rocks”. so this has been a refreshingly informative dialogue, and a relief from my demented mind. cheers.
Keep working hard. A career as screenwriter could be in your future!
haha. the smallest screen of all
Shame for Wade that his performance in the water and the results he has achieved this year are not being converted to more cash in his pocket on land ?
Thanks for asking for me. I was going to but then thought, “Damn it. It’s my job…” Then I stopped caring.
I also use bg as a means of avoiding work comrade
Kenny Powers doesn’t look so stupid now carrying a knife does he mutherfuckers?
Off my wave kooks.
I am very happy to see the 2015 Australian Indigenous Surfing Champion , Soli Bailey step up to the big show .
It’ll be great to see Soli surf CTs. And more wildcards for Jack Robinson at Chopes, Cloudbreak, Pipe
I know nothing about him but Soli looks like a young man with some fire in the belly. Serious look in his eyes. Could be the new A.I. ? Can he surf good?
He has been around forever , Former Australian Pro Junior Champ , 5th at the World Juniors in Portugal 4 years ago and won the Volcom Pipe Pro in 2017 and seems well supported by O’Neill . Can’t see him being the next AI but would like to see him do well .
Can he surf good? He just qualified for the CT!
Don’t care, really, not one of the new guys has a chance to upend Medina. I’m more interested in the hot rumor flying around that in addition to releasing a lineup of television programs, highlighted by the Ferreira Files, the WSL is set to offer Pay-Per-View boxing matches featuring people’s favorite surf personalities! I hear the first main event pairing is allegedly going to be Mick “weißer Blitz” Fanning versus… you, Chas “Professional Receding Hairline aka Dirty Spaghetti” Smith! Plans are for Fanning, in his customary red, white, and black trunks, to enter the ring first to “Hold the Line” by Toto. Next, you, in your blue and white trunks/robes, will enter the ring to the song “Af Peh Ozen.” Ooooh, what a spectacle!
Chas, pull Mick’s leg rope in the first round…..tell him “this from Venice”.
I hope poor old Chas doesn’t end up with a אף שבור during Fanning’s Festival of Lights .
kelia moniz brother is good for the wsl, 4 new brazzos not-so-much.
Sunset, and indeed the entire Triple Crown is nothing more than a cheap stunt by the WSL to distract us from Leashgate.
You’re just pulling my leg ( rope ) ?
This story is off the leash!
Unleash the Beast .
And John John pulls out of Pipe the DAY BEFORE #Leashgate? Something’s going on and I think Dirk and Goggans are somehow involved…gonna dig deeper.
And gentlemen, I want you to know that Arn Anderson is of sound mind and if anything should happen to me, know there was foul play.
Taking one for the team! Good arn ya.