Tears in Oceanside.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Thursday, January 26, 2023) – Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the launch of the 2023 Vissla Championship Tour (CT) Shaper Rankings, a season-long battle to determine the best high-performance surfboard shapers. The Vissla CT Shaper Rankings is a new leaderboard that tracks the performance of the best surfers in the world via a combined men’s and women’s rankings counting Quarterfinal-or-better finishes at each of the ten CT stops this season. The best high-performance shaper will be determined by the end of the 10-stop CT, ahead of the Rip Curl WSL Finals.
“The surfboard builder community is amongst the most important in all of surfing and the shapers that support the surfers on the WSL Championship Tour are designing and innovating at the highest level of the sport,” said Dave Prodan, the WSL Chief Strategy Officer. “Their time, energy and investment in the world’s best surfers absolutely need to be recognized and celebrated. The WSL is excited to be partnering with Vissla on the inaugural Vissla CT Shaper Rankings and look forward to the broader surfing community tracking how the shapers perform this season.”
“Surfboard Craftsmanship has always been part of the Vissla brand DNA” said Paul Naude, Founder of Vissla. “Surfboards are the cornerstone of the Surf Industry and together with the WSL, we’re pleased to create a platform which will highlight the exceptional craftsmanship that board builders provide for advancement of surfing excellence.”
At the start of this season, 18 shapers provide surfboards for all the CT competitors. The goal of the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings is to spotlight which equipment consistently performs throughout the season. The rankings will also provide a behind-the-scenes look at shapers’ backgrounds and businesses.
The Vissla CT Shaper Rankings will count performances for surfers finishing in the men’s and women’s Quarterfinals or higher, offering 16 potential placings per CT event. Overall rankings will be combined across the season, beginning at Pipe and ending in Tahiti, with a winner being determined ahead of the Rip Curl WSL Finals.
And while I am absolutely certain the Stab folk are angrily gnashing teeth over ripped idea, the men’s interest magazine has legitimately lifted every concept it has ever had from others without even pretending to hide (See: Anthony Bourdain, Thrasher, Derek Rielly, etc. etc. etc.)
Excited, though, to see Marcio Zouvi hoist the trophy, or whatever, at the end.
But how mad will Matt Biolos be?
Jon Pyzel laughing at the junk show.
Wave Storm not paying attention.
Sharp eye.
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Surf industry! Hahahahaha
I remember back when I worked at the surf shop one of the reps told us that when kirra surf (I think it was) had a board on the rack that was not selling they’d just add 100 bucks to the price and some Japanese guy on holiday would inevitably buy it because it must be better.
https://www.bing.com/images…
Really interesting fin shape as well.
Everyone seems to have gone full deck grip too.
I think just being able to still turn go fast vs Logging/Mals where ya trim and become a low speed Hipster!
u plete me! show ma the pesos…
Although polyurethane, fibreglass cloth (!) and polyester resin surfboards are a toxic mess of archaic materials, environmentally poisonous chemicals and overrated craftsmanship, the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings® is a great idea – perhaps will promote changes in surfboard design and materials.
If someone can win a title, heck; if someone can win a single EVENT on a board NOT made with polyurethane foam, fibreglass cloth and polyester resin with a pice of wood down the center, that would be a good thing indeed.
why would they take the risk?
Because they have the confidence of knowing that their board is better designed and constructed than their fellow competitors and they want to prove it to the world?
Isn’t that what Mark Richards was doing with his interpretation of the twin fin – and certainly; Big Simon Anderson was doing with his three-finned “Thruster”?
Precious little of any significant importance has happened since at the pointy end of surfboard design and construction since the Thruster – the most important advance in surfboard design and construction has been the advanced production of the softtop by companies like Wavestorm.
They are using far more sophisticated methods than polyurethane foam, fibreglass cloth and polyester resin, techniques developed some 60 years ago, FFS!
they had magnifying glass’s to check quality
absolutely correct , I learnt so much about quality in Japan , made a fortune , but promptly lost it all……the wonderful thing about Japan is the trust and respect you receive
I’ve spent a bit of time in Japan. Yes, they have a mania for quality, especially hand made quality.
But having been in a few of the surf shops in Tokyo, I don’t think those shops actually sell surfboards to real surfers (different to the surf shops on the coast). Lovely looking boards and lovely glass jobs. Not sure if they work very well though. Not sure if those $2500 a pop mals ever go in the water.
I thought it moves at the same speed but the wavelength changes? Isn’t that snell’s law?
Hopefully she had solid legal counsel advising her before she signed the prenup
we’ll have to read the rulebook? nope. hype only. there will be NO RULES!
On the spectrum ^
Agree. When Slater came out with the rockered boards they were so thin and bowed.
“We would like to announce the roll-out of WSL’s green board initiative, which in other words means we would love to change the world…but we don’t know what to do!”
Murray
who doesn’t like moist??
NASCAR peaked when Jr. was #8 – @seaofseven
speed, power & flow…racegrit.
Will the boards be enviro friendly, Paul?
the loser’s boards will be tossed into a bonfire…for the vanities.
Moist the trophy !