The world's least demanding sport!
These days, there are two productive ways to spend your time between empty perfect surf sessions at the Kandui Resort in the Mentawai Islands.
One: You can drink beer.
Or, like Jesse Bowman, a Californian surfer/triathlete and corporate acquisitions/merger manager with very little interest in surf media, you can analyze how much actual time one spends on the actual face of a wave in order to become a WSL World Champion in one season.
Surprisingly, it works out to the same as listening to Joe Turpel bray on for about three heats.
Here are Jesse’s numbers based on averages:
10 Contests
6 heats to win a contest, 5 waves ridden a heat.
….…………………………..
Pipe is a 7 second ride. 5 waves = 35 seconds. Times 6 heats = 210 seconds on the wave face.
Sunset is a 12 sec ride. 5 waves = 60 seconds. Times 6 heats = 360 seconds
Bells is a 20 sec ride. 5 waves = 100 seconds. Times 6 heats = 600 seconds
Margies is a 8 sec ride. 5 waves = 40 sec. Times 6 heats = 240 sec.
Land is a 20 second ride. 5 waves = 100 sec. Times 6 heats = 600 sec.
El Salvador is a 15 sec ride. 5 waves = 75 sec. Times 6 heats = 450 sec
Rio is a 4 sec ride. 5 waves = 20 sec. Times 6 heats = 120 sec.
Jbay is a 40 sec ride. 5 waves = 200 sec. Times 6 heats = 1200 sec
Teahupoo is a 7 second ride. 5 waves = 35 sec. Times 6 heats = 210 sec
Trestles. 15 second ride. 5 waves = 75 sec. Times 3 heats win = 225 sec
….…………………………………………………………………..
Total seconds on the face of a wave: 4215
Total minutes on the face of a wave: 70:25
Total hours on the face of a wave to win a WSL World Title: 1 hour and 35 minutes of surfing (Give or take a few sec’s)
A single grand slam tennis match is twice that.
So again, you too could become a WSL World Champion in about the same time as it takes to watch a re-run of an old Rodney Dangerfield movie.
Easy money, hey?

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How is 70 minutes equivalent to 1 hour and 35 minutes? Stay in school kids.
25 minute reset on the back of the ski.
Could he please translate his equations into Jiffys (physics flavour) or Shakes?
10 waves in Rio is 1 at J Bay, Gabriel could win it in 2 waves X 4s X 6 heats = 48 secs of surfing. Less than minute for $100k.
I had the chance to work with and English Intellectual , of Latvian and Estonian decent , who was also a wonderful football player and when watching many a football match he informed to watch what was happening away from the ball , and in his opinion it was possibly more important than what was happening with the ball ? So imagine a 90 minute football match where , besides the Goal Keepers , 20 players are running 10km to touch the football for seconds
…. are they running for nothing ? and in this case are the surfers when paddling out ,staying in position , hunting peaks , jostling for priority and jumping back on the ski to get first in
the line up to perform for a few seconds riding a wave ,are doing nothing ? I think not
On a lighter note the G7 are meeting today 2km from my favorite surf spot …I am just hoping that Surfline is not doing the catering because they have promised me waves for the last 4 weeks at the above spot and not one of their Prophecies has arrived at my table .
WHAT A TRULY AMAZING REVELATION THAT ABSOLUTELY NOONE HAS EVER CONSIDERED BEFORE. YOU MUST BE SOME KIND OF
CUNTGENIUSyou are still stinging from the brazen criticism that you failed us during the Snapper event. Taking it out on this author to distract us from your responsibility in your job, his hobby maybe.
Huh? Criticism where?
Challenger ain’t my beat, pal!
The Ments sound like a cunt of a place.
no way you can handle it.
@finchop:disqus pushing his kids into half foot closeouts on Dora the Explorer body boards in the Manly shorey on Sunday family day trips is the closest to Surfing that Bex has been in years.
Thats what i live for
Damn… I can only aspire to an epic Dora drag sesh like that, for myself never mind the kids!
Unless the kids already have pubic hair and need to use deodorant, seems a pretty decent way to spend time!
Yeah , easily bored.
What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it.
Oh Billy boy
You only need to ride 2 waves across 6 heats per event, to win 5 events, to get the title. It’s more like 20mins total.
Imagine by how much this rainman overvalues assets for his clients.
100 yard dash is like 10 seconds. lazy bastards
You dont like that race?
Love it. Bit lazy though
Careful
The retard factor is strong with this one.
Hi. 70.25 minutes is 1 hour 10 minutes and 15 seconds.