A perfect solution!
And another professional surf contest is in the bag, tied shut, stored in a cool, dry place. Margaret River had its moments no doubt. That day at The Box? I don’t think professional surfing gets better than that. A John John win? Ballyhooed on a certain continent but the right man stood alone at the end. Still, ballyhooed and why? I think it is because the judges have painted themselves into a corner. We expect perfection on each score and we also expect the right surfer to win which leads to a heat like John John v. Caio Ibelli.
Now, it was clear that John John was the better surfer in that semifinal. His turns had more oomph. More of the undefinable elements that make us feel and yet the judges are locked in a garden of numbers and analysis, trying to attach arbitrary points scientifically. John John was better and barely won, the margin so slim that it should have been called a draw.
I could sense the judges cracking this contest, coming undone. That Italo 8.17 on the clearest 10 of the year, acrobatic, incredible, inhuman. The lowball was shocking but makes sense for the men in the booth are now too good and can’t see the forest for the trees. They see numbers and attach them properly but those numbers aren’t properly reflective of what we’re seeing or, more importantly, what we’re feeling.
How to fix?
Let non-surfing, never-even-seen-the-ocean folk judge our contests and give them an infinite scale. These non-surfers will get the right winner every time because they won’t be fighting against the numbers. They’ll be free to judge spinners, tacos (what my six-year-old calls barrels) and big wipeouts however they feel and honestly without thinking about precedent or wave comparison or any other arbitrary nonsense.
There was so much talk about leaving headroom in the damn scale this year but why does it need headroom? Why not continue to blow through until heats are being scored in the millions?
We’ve made it all so fussy and complex but better surfing is easy to spot and easier to understand. It’s the moments that make a heart beat faster and I wonder if the World Surf League would attract the masses they want by actually synching winners with performance.
What do you think about that? Tell me how it won’t work.
They are if anything too professional. That’s why the crazy slater tube atppipe got a 3. The rules say incomplete ride even though it was pretty awesome.
That’s how mick did so well, he was a rad surfer but knew he just had to do as many different variations of turn as the wave would let him. The judges were obliged to give him high scores.
Well ,professional judges are already scoring wipe outs to raise the women BIg wave ,only one stop World champion
The best surfer is the one having the most fun, so…
I judged ASP events in the 1980s. Tough enough job back then. Even more so now I imagine with slow motion replays and social media comments etc. Still, nothing wrong with some constructive criticism when given and taken the right way, because there is always room for improvement. That said, I think by and large the judges today get it right most of the time. But I would still like to see them using their decimal points spread more. For example, in the 8 to 10 scoring category for excellent rides, there is still a load of room, 20 decimal points in fact, to separate surfers rides with. The WSL could also consider having seven or nine judges on the panel, like at Olympic pool diving and gymnastics. More costs, yes, but it might help produce better averaged scores. Perhaps a couple of the extra judges invited to join the panel could be recently retired pro surfers and/or local surf legends from each particular break on the tour, you know, a couple of fresh judges for every event to add a people’s perspective. Most importantly, I think there should be a professional review panel after every event so all the judges, head judge included, analyze the scores and results that were most at odds with how the public saw them. Education should be ongoing and judges not in an ivory tower. Cheers.
The judges are literally in the Wsl tower (raised platform) at events (hidden from view) and that’s not gonna change any time soon.What Dirk wants–Dirk’s gonna get. How much do you think Wsl judges are getting paid? Interesting question. Any idea? Maybe Chas knows?
Before paddling out, each competitor must perform a set dance routine on the beach within a marked area in front of the judges’ tower, wearing a costume of their own making. Points deducted for sloppy moves, poor sewing, or sand kicked into the judges’ daiquiris.
Will they have to dance above or below the high tide mark ?
Degree of difficulties , closes to the curl etc
strictly come surfing (?)
Go Pro nominates: Is it ever too late for regrets
*he lived. Crystal Cove in Newport Beach
https://youtu.be/SKZFv1cFonk
..so he was in the air for 3 seconds, and let’s say he weighed 70kg. How high was the cliff?
High enough to formulate self-reflection on the gravity of the situation mid way down, OR a little over 44 m or 144 feet. Weight doesn’t matter. Zero initial velocity, 29.44m/s max velocity at point of impact with help from gravitational acceleration = 9.8 m/s squared
I think there is an increased willingness to blame the judges – but when you think about it – they are actually much better prepared and professional than at any other time in professional surfing history. Yes we may disagree with them from time to time but its a tough job – they do a pretty amazing job when you think about it. I would hate surfing to go down the path of abusing the judges on the same scale that seems to be existing in children’s sport across Australia right now. Its disgraceful.
Out of all the heats you watch how many really go to the person that you don’t think should have won when its decent? When its marginal crap and one or two turns to the beach max its tough – ie: most QS events. But on the CT it seems pretty good I think. Not perfect but its improving all the time. I would rather be judged now than 20 years ago as a competitor. Unless of course you are just hanging in there – then now you will be found out.
Judging is subjective. The judges are coached on what to look for, advised how they are scoring relative to others and the criteria, have their scores and performances constantly reviewed (both internally and externally by us the viewers) and then the high and low are taken away to make sure any outliers are not influencing the final score.
The NBA have a central based replay centre where all umpiring decisions are constantly being checked and they are graded upon. In the NRL there is Bunker setup to review replays, rugby and cricket also use the third ref / umpire. The AFL apparently do but there have been some shockers this year in that code. Soccer / football have tried to hold off the goal line technology – but in countries to date where it has been used they have done a poor job.
As Michael Lewis states in his Against the Rules podcast there is increasing rage in professional sports. Surfing is no different.
Judging is very, very hard. I think it would be better to just let them surf and then at the end of the heat, have the judges vote on who won.
I like this idea…like a vote out of the five judges.
It cut out a lot f the needless and ridiculous .75 b.s. scores
What I would lI’ve too see is all the longtom who hides , gutless behind his handle commenting via a blog via sitting in a shitty backroom with sperm damage carpet under his computer stand up and give himself a name and explain why his opinion of a wave as a hidden armchair critic is more valuable than those who really do the job ?
Is ‘sperm damage’ to carpets a thing? Can you claim it on insurance?
Asking for the entire comments board.
A beachgrit class action ?
Hmmm
Its got legs…just like the white sperm stuck to your computer chairs
Maybe it is. I would have loved the internet when I was going through puberty !
If you don’t know his real name your comprehension skills are limited. Everyone here knows who he is, who Ben Marcus is and who Maurice Cole is.
I have no idea who any those people are ( exception being Cole, his a great shaper) in real life let alone their aliases on here.
And, so, your saying people use a alias here but at the same time want to be identified?
That’s weird
I doubt anyone really wants to be identified if they are using an alias but when someone lives in Victoria and shaped boards for both Tom curren and Taj Burrow it narrows it down a bit.
Ben Marcus isn’t allowed to post here anymore but was editor of surfer magazine.
Haha, the sports you mentioned all have a clear winner with the highest score at the end–no judges to award points, just referees.
They seem to fuck it up routinely, the judges. Then what’s worse, they try and low score a surfer that has been over scored previously in heat or vice versa. So it seems to me, it’s an irrelevant scale as there is just no way to keep faithful to it without blowing the cover of fallibility in judging tower.
It’s like introducing the VAR to football (soccer). Fucked scores, or a missed handball say, are part of the game. Don’t try and make it better next wave, just score it right, or, fuck it up. The sliding scale makes a mockery of any objectivity.
Fucked decisions = tower raids and chairs being thrown. This is fun to watch!
The Wsl judges and Dirk are in somewhat full control it seems and can tweak the outcome of an event…….
Why?
Flyaway kick outs = 10
Tandem Surfing = 10
what about frothed out groms
Monged-out crusties? Tripping absolute fucking balls, off their nuts with tracers and seeing into the 6th dimension?
I remember that time of my life. Tripping balls, seeing into 6th dimension, tracers…etc.
When he’s 35? Or when he has his AARP card? Is that when he springs the trap??
well that i could do…
As Shakespeare so eloquently put it “There is something rotten North of Denmark, in the state of Western Australia”
Kolohe’s surfing style is pretty common and the reason many of us get bored of pro surfing
Ill comment later
My wife does it while it’s on a loop
Maybe the more important question is– Does Dirk Ziff and the WSL judges have an agenda? Yes I believe, to get John John and Kalohe Dino to the Olympics and spread surfing as far as the eye can see……….
You’re always saying this stuff like you’ve stumbled across some great conspiracy that no one knows about. Of course that’s their objective. They come right out and say it all the time. Go back to posting as Freerider. You’re not pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes, Tony.
I watched a bit with my non-surfing girlfriend (bless her) and she was surprisingly astute…until it came to floaters. “Whoooo, that was really cool” she kept saying. Not sure any of us want Adriano and Kanoa taking it in turns to win the world title for the next few years.
Has Pip gotten over his chicken tacos phase?
What about allotting competitors one score challenge per event? Replay goes to some offsite judge who can make the call that score stands, score increased or score reduced.
And, why is it the high and low score must be dropped. Is that really necessary?
Why not as surfers judge non surfers.
Highest heat total should factor into final scoring. Jack Robinson heat should be somehow included into overall scores.
Yep. Like a leaderboard type of deal, rather than the tired ass man on man format.