"He might be smiling, but this is a man used to winning at life."

Now that the Olympics is behind us and the upcoming Mexico event is very much hanging in the balance due a Covid outbreak in Oaxaca, even though Surfline has just given the swell report a “favorable” rating, and the 2022 Championship Tour has been announced to fanfare-adjacent, rabid surf fans are looking for the next next and, thankfully, the World Surf League is here to deliver.

The Ultimate Surfer, to air August 23 and promising to find “America’s greatest up and coming talent,” is putting its greatest up and coming talents, those who hope to crack the aforementioned Championship Tour and maybe win a title, in the spotlight.

First up world #572 Alejandro Moreda from America-adjacent Puerto Rico and let us read and learn together.

For the last decade, Alejandro Moreda has been at the beating heart of Puerto Rican surfing. The natural footer has been considered one of the Island’s best surfers, mixing stone-cold bravery with oodles of style. And while his surfing has been compared, favorably, with the late, great Andy Irons, unlike his peers like Brian Toth and Dylan Graves, “Ale” he never strayed too far from his beautiful island home.

For the ever-smiling, ever-moving Ale, it was just a way of giving back to the place he loves. With his partner Mia Blakeman Gomez, one of Puerto Rico’s top models and entrepreneurs, he has carved a life that balances eternal surf stoke, a sense of community, and successful business life. Make no mistake though, this is a serious surfer with serious talent. He might be smiling, but this is a man used to winning at life.

But wait.

I thought the World Surf League was set to play matchmaker on the show, introducing former Bachelors and Bachelorettes to the cast in order to spark romance?

How will Mia Blakeman Gomez feel about that?

Oh drat.

Lemonade out of lemons!

“When the world gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is a fine aphorism, one that inspires and delights in times of trouble, one that the World Surf League has just utilized by revealing next year’s “landmark fully-integrated 2022 Championship Tour” in order to paper over the now-more-than-likely cancellation of the upcoming Barra de la Cruz event.

As you know, Covid has ravaged the state of Oaxaca and images of smiling professional surfers traipsing in for play play fun time will likely not make a positive impression on locked down locals. Also, the WSL does not have the best track record as it relates to its patented “abundance of caution™” as CEO Erik Logan contracted the respiratory illness at the beginning of the year, in Hawaii, even with much daily testing, promises of safety procedures etc.

But on to the lemonade, and per Santa Monica’s press release:

The 2022 WSL CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January at the world-famous Pipeline in Hawai’i, for the first-ever men’s and women’s joint event at that legendary break. The CT will return to G-Land, Indonesia, which is back on the CT for the first time in 24 years for the men and for the first time ever for the women, and conclude in August at the infamous Teahupo’o in Tahiti before the second-annual Rip Curl WSL Finals in September, where the WSL Final 5 men’s and women’s surfers will face off for the undisputed World Title.

“The WSL exists to steward and celebrate the world’s best surfing and this redesigned Tours and Competition framework is historic in many ways, serving as the core engine of our business,” said WSL CEO Erik Logan. “In collaborating with our surfers and partners on delivering events like the Billabong Pro Pipeline, the MEO Portugal Pro, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the Quiksilver Pro G-Land, the Oi Rio Pro, the Margaret River Pro and others, we’re thrilled to announce one of the most exciting WSL Championship Tour calendars in history for next season and set the framework for the sport for years to come.”

2022 WSL Championship Tour Schedule*

Pipeline, Hawai’i – January 29 – February 10
Sunset, Hawai’i – February 11 – 23
Peniche, Portugal – March 3 – 13
Bells Beach, Australia – April 10 – 20
Margaret River, Western Australia – April 24 – May 4

Mid-Season Cut – 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.

G-Land, Indonesia – May 28 – June 6
Trestles, USA – June 15 – 22
Saquarema, Brazil – June 27 – July 4
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa – July 9 – 18
Teahupo’o, Tahiti – August 11 – 21

WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the undisputed men’s and women’s World Titles.

Rip Curl WSL Finals, location TBA – September 7 – 18

How do you feel about that?

Refreshing and delish?

Lightly bitter?

Proud.

I am often made proud by our wonderful grumpy locals, our gorgeous salt-crusted grouches. Out there, barking, frowning, paddling over VALs, paddling through VALs, trying to drive over SUPs left in parking lots, not allowing large SUP groups to come to surf camps.

Speaking of, Thunderbomb Surf Camp in southern Nicaragua which asks, “Why not get uncrowded waves with great accommodations? With our surf vehicles and local boat captains you will have the freedom to surf more than just the beach out front. Here you can surf world-class waves, get barreled at The Boom, carve epic points, or even learn to surf without the crowds that plague the beaches of Costa Rica and southern Nicaragua,” just received a sure-to-be-financially-rich offer from a SUP group and publicly said, “Fuck no.”

The reveal was met with much praise. Proud. Proud that grouch is praised more highly than the mighty Córdoba. Proud that 8 mistaken men, some with wives, are going to have to think about life choices and reflect.

Proud.

So very, very proud.