Time for a revolution?
World Surf League Chiefs Erik Logan and Jessi Miley-Dyer are but minutes away from taking the stage at SXSW in Austin, Texas in order to praise themselves for “Surfing’s Swell of Success and the Business Behind it.” It will, no doubt, be a fascinating panel discussion, also featuring Jadson Andre (who might need a wellness check), with much talk of vectors, synergies and ladders.
Absolutely wonderful and very deserved but while the two poobahs, and Andre, are toasting Barefoot Chardonnays over Beyond Meat ribblets, rage is boiling south of the border, down in surfing’s birthplace Peru. For it is there that the announcement has just come across the wire that the South America region is losing yet another qualification spot, one that will return to Santa Monica, after losing a qualification spot just last year.
Per Surf Place Peru (translated):
Imagine struggling for 1 year to qualify, taking into account that there are only 8 spots. Imagine training, making sacrifices and spending money to do the tour and just one day before the start of the last event of the season, knowing that you need X result to get into the top 8, they tell you that now there are only 7 spots. Imagine being that surfer who finishes eighth and loses the Challengers Series. That is happening with surfing in the South American region.
Word of the sudden change, the day before the qualifying series event, came via a WhatsApp message to the surfers as WSL LatAm “confirms the wild card invitation due to injury to Brazilian Mateus Herdy, who finished the CS 2022 season in position 22. Therefore, the 2022-23 regional ranking will classify 7 surfers for CS 2023 after Layback Pro Floripa.”
Herdy, in must be noted, participated in the entire Championship Tour from May to November while not appearing hurt in any way.
The South American region had 10 qualifying spots back in 2022, a number now maliciously eroded by imperialists.
Request for comment from the World Surf League went unanswered, as Logan and Miley-Dyer are extremely busy trying on ironic cowboy hats and pointing finger guns at each other, but Surf Place Peru asked:
– Why was it decided to take a spot from the South American region when the official WSL regulations state that there are 8 spots for the region?
– Do you think it is fair that the South American surfers have to find out this decision one day before the last event of the season?
– Why is an injury wildcard given to a surfer who hasn’t been injured?
– Why has the first QS 5000 (the most important of the regional tour) been scheduled on the same date as the Pan American Games?
Time for a revolution?
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Worls Surf League execs are scum of the earth.
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Since he died 5 yrs ago, I wonder if his family still have it ?
Maybe he thought that world surf championships should only be decided in Hawaii
lifeguard for $4.00/hour…
With the USA having
390 million people and more money than the rest of the world put together how is it they can only front up with pro surfers the calibre of Khloe , lakey, Courtney these days , still hanging hopes on a pensioner , jeez … I guess if being a hungry poor brazzo is the formula for success maybe it’s time to head to the trailer parks and hunt for some real talent
Injury wildcard, qs 5000, Pan American Games….this all sounds like surf journalism. Chas, you ok?
Always thought the basic concept of the regions and challenger series wasn’t too bad. Good for surfers who can’t afford to travel as much and so on. But also thought the number of qualifiers from region to region seems a bit off…
Australasia and Oceania – population 43 million – 1 world title in last ten years – 7 spots
South America – population 423 million – 6 world titles in last ten years – 7 spots
I get that it’s hard to balance fairness and ensuring the best surfers get onto the CT, but those numbers do feel a bit skewed towards Australia, although you could argue that they invented pro surfing, heritage, etc.
South America has ten times the amount of people than Oz , but Australia has ten times the amount of people with access to surfboards and surf
Those All You Can Eat bbq joints are gonna have to change their signs.
They won’t know what hit em…
Time to get rid of this stupid challenger thing. It’s so stupid.
Looks like they are working on it. Only two events on the Challenger series scheduled.
The best one, Haleiwa, is not happening, according to a rumor.
yes! three tiers is a bit much.