The WSL's New Challenge
Time was when we didn't watch the QS. We didn't have to. We knew it was a boring movie, overly long but saved every year by some brilliant final scenes which were called the Triple Crown.
All we had to do, to see who could surf at a CT level, was tune in to this. Aspirants and incumbents alike would battle it out in Hawaiian surf of varying pedigree and degree of difficulty to get on the CT. From fluffy little reforms at Haliewa to horrifying storm surf at Sunset Beach, and a few would even make it through to the Pipe Masters - itself a CT of course - where they'd get a taste of top-tier surfing in colliseum conditions.
The Triple Crown separated the sheep from the goats, as they say, and, if we are being completely honest, rendered the rest of the QS redundant. Backmarkers who could not be arsed grovelling in Atlantic closeout beachies would storm home with huge performances to qualify - Jack Robinson being exhibit A. Dusty Payne is another who comes to mind, Sebastian Zietz too. It wasn't perfect by any means, but the Hawaiian end to the QS season was a reasonable form guide for a surfer's CT-ready status.
As a concept in itself, the Triple Crown came with tremendous status and was thus keenly contested.
Hold that thought, if you will.
In 2012, Sebastian Zietz won the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haliewa, kicking off a seven year career on the CT that included a win at Margaret River in 2016 (WSL/Cestari)
What do we have now? A six-event Challenger Series, ostensibly designed, as per the original 2019 presser as the “ultimate battleground for surfers to showcase their talents and qualify for the elite-level of competition”.
The presser outlined an eight-event tour finishing in Hawaii with two contests: Haliewa and Sunset - so the same as the old Hawaiian season - with aspirations to expand to a ten event tour.
Theoretically that proposal is awesome, while in its current incarnation the Challenger is the worst of all possible worlds. Flying across the world for a single contest in absolute caca waves. It's expensive, demoralising, and wasteful of CT talent. It's also a non-spectacle and is doing a horrendous job at its stated goals of allowing surfers to showcase their talents and qualify for CT level competition.
New Zealand shredder Kehu Butler pulled no punches when asked recently why he recently quit the Changa. “I was surfing bad waves in contests for so long, and I just got tired of it.”
Anyone who saw the discrepancy between Butler's surfing talent and what he was able to showcase will understand his reasoning.
Brazilian aspirant Mateus Herdy who was able to demonstrate CT-worthy surfing in his wildcard appearances in Mexico 2021 (3rd) and Brazil 2022 (5th) outlined a widespread disillusionment with the Changa. In a STAB interview Herdy claimed many had pulled out of competing on the QS/CS because, “simply put, it’s just not worth it. Unless you make the quarters, you’re just torching cash”.
Despite a 10-point ride in the Round of 32, Herdy fell one heat short of qualifying for next year's CT (WSL)
Five years since it was first proposed, the Changa has never met its ten-event promise. It peaked in 2022 with seven events and has gone back to six events for the last two years. 2022 was also the last time it had any Hawaiian events.
The poor quality venues and subsequent lack of visibility for rising surfers results in sponsors often dumping surfers, putting the Changa in a kind of mutual death spiral. Talent is pulling out due to poor quality surf and cost, sponsors are abandoning surfers due to junk venues and lack of visibility. Why would anyone sponno a Changa surfer who could be gone after thirty minutes in two-foot junk which no-one bothered to watch anyway? What possible commercial sense would there be in that..?
Before we reach a devastating conclusion about the Challenger Series, let's cast a quick eye over the current year and see if anything can be gleaned from the form guide.
Men first and the answer there is...not bloody much.
Three event winners failed to qualify this year. Mikey McDonagh won Snapper and could only find his way through one more heat in dismal two-foot surf at Huntington Beach.
Al Cleland, a CT-worthy surfer if there ever was one, rode his Olympic momentum to win the US Open but could only manage one more heat win than Mikey with two successful heats, one at Snapper and the other at Saquarema.
Jordy Lawler, who didn't even intend to compete this year, won at North Narrabeen and managed one heat win at Saquarema.
Looking for patterns in the men's results, we find mostly chaos. Only Sammy Pupo showed any level of consistency on a magic small wave board. Two dud results and a 1st, 9th, 5th and 2nd place finish saw him easily on top. Sammy's a known quantity for us now - on and off Tour the last two years - and it would be very brave money to bet on him making the Final 5. Still, he shreds and he's back.
Once we get past Sammy and Ian Gouviea, who's early season charge saw him qualify with two events remaining, it's hard to discern any reliable pattern of results.
Marco Mignot, for example, managed two 49ths, two 17ths, a 2nd, and a 1st.
On it goes, with the last spot in the Changa cut going to Jackson Bunch, with a pair of 49ths, a 25th, a 17th, a 5th, and a 3rd. Ironically, Bunch, with his Pipe experience, is probably the rookie with the best chance of a hot start to the year.
Sammy blazing on his black JS at Snapper where he was beaten in the final by Mikey McDonagh (WSL/Shield)
On the Women's side, results are almost irrelevant in the face of a generational shift as genuine surfing superstars move into contention. We don't need to nitpick through Erin Brooks results; we already know she is a CT winner and likely a World Title favourite if she can crack the 5 - with the Good Lord on side of course. Bella Kenworthy is another of the next gen of stars coming onto the CT. Likewise, we know Vahine Fierro comes on board as a favourite at barrelling lefts.
Paradoxically, it's the winner of the Changa, Sally Fitzgibbon, who looks like the outlier. The last charge of a superseded generation that has seen Carissa retire and Steph retired in all but name. Tyler hangs on, for now, but it can't be long before the negatives of pro surfing outweigh the positives. Especially with her much ballyhooed queer identity now coming into the cultural crosshairs of a more conservative Middle Eastern petro-state.
Anyway you slice it, and looking at CT results over the past three years emphasises this simple point: Sally Fitzgibbon is the past and the future has already arrived.
Winners from this year's US Open, Al Cleland, who missed qualification by one spot, and Sally Fitzgibbon who finished the series 5,000 points ahead of second-placed Bella Kenworthy (WSL)
In 2019, the Challenger Series seemed necessary, but in 2024 it isn't fit for purpose. Wasteful of talent, a terrible showcase of surfing skills, a failure at identifying and nurturing CT-level surfers, at odds with the stated aim of offering more opportunities, and a non-spectacle for all but the hardiest surf fans.
Its one saving grace is its ultra-competitiveness. No-one owes pro surfers a living. This should be recanted like a daily prayer for home-schooled kids with surf dads giddy on pro surfer dreams.
The competitiveness is a good thing, as long as we get the right guys and gals through in a timely fashion. We don't want to see guys like Ramzi Boukhiam bogged down for a decade. Winner of Pipeline and Sunset Barron Mamiya was only rescued from trench warfare by wildcards. These are objectively bad, or at least sub-optimal, outcomes.
What to do? Junk the current schedule. The easiest, lowest hanging fruit is to restore Hawaii as the heart and soul of the Changa. Fill some of the dead air before the season kicks off at Pipe and give rookies a chance at starting the season with momentum, instead of the current standing start.
Add some juice to it at the start and fix the post Finals Day hangover.
France in their autumn makes sense, plus late season Ulus and Cloud Nine in its current slot albeit with a promotion, then into a two event Hawaiian leg.
Boom, we have something we want to watch, something surfers want to compete in and a fair test of CT-worthy surfing skills.
Yeah, there'll be some hurdles to clear. For instance, neither Indonesia or the Phillipines have ever fielded many surfers on the Changa - neither country had a single surfer, man or woman, on this year's CS - so there's no domestic incentive to host the series.
Perhaps the WSL has to step in and run the contests, rather than just sanction them? Or perhaps there's another way to follow the season and improve the odds for good waves?
The recent CT upgrade was a long time coming. Whether new CEO Ryan Crosby was the architect or not, it happened on his watch. It's now time to fix his gaze on the Changa so it achieves its original purpose.
// STEVE SHEARER
Comments
to add to the "not fit for purpose" list would also be the insane climate miles you're adding up if you chased every event: australia, australia (so far so good), africa, america, europe, south america. why wouldn't you at least try to bung them all together? make some sort of logical pilgrimage of it?
also you don't need the apostrophe in the first word of the paragraph that begins "It's one saving is its ultra-competitiveness", just to be nitpicky
What apostrophe?
haha legend
Stu. 20 Changas. Make him stop. It's annoying to read. It's annoying to say. Nobody uses it. It's not going to catch on. Help your friend. FRUOK?
Turn it up.
- the time is pnau…
for a solo flying changa sanga ;)
https://m.
&pp=ygULQ2hhbmdhIHNvbmc%3DHar-har. Also, Pipe's been good viewing today.
Sorry Sprout had no idea it grated.
I'll cut down.
heard of postrophies.
what are they? sound shell-fishy.
10 events during the back half of the year seems optimistic?
The OG Changa was a full year tour - was supposed to begin at Piha in March. Only got reduced to the back half when the mid-year cut was introduced in 2022 as a COVID-era requirement.
Another reason it's a distortion from its original aim.
Oh no. Not you too. SN office ground zero for Changa disease. Send help!
Can't believe you counted them. But anyway, there's been a revision with half taken out.
Can't believe I counted them either.
Thanks changaion.
I think Al Cleland should've got in. He charges good waves but above it shows him winning the US open, which would have to be the worst contest wave.
Maybe if you're shit in bad waves and need good waves to thrive, you're not CT worthy? Same if you can't do good airs in 2024.
Put Medina, Italo, JJF in 10ft chopes or 3ft dogshit and they're going to blow minds all the same.
Well he should have won more heats in Portugal and Brazil
Cry me a river for the challenger non qualified
Yet won an event
Come on......
Start with Aus x2 in late summer, then Raglan for early winter swells, Indo x 2 in peak season, France in autumn, then Hawaii x 2 to finish.
8 Events, whole year thing.
just go back to the trials event before the CT at this rate.......
For what it's worth, I really think we have to stop going back to the dream tour way of thinking.
Everyone surfs such varied equipment nowdays that the thruster qs surfer doesn't even exist to them
Ct surfer is on the corner waiting for a ride.
Times moved forward.
Hardcore shortboard surfers are no more
The fun board revolution is apon us
And those people don't care about the qs or ct
........
So have 5 events, they start on a five fin bonzer, each event you lose a fin. Any configuration of remaining fins allowed.
Surfer who wins at the end will be a master of everything.
Very " left field" concept vj.
Think about the era when Simon, MR and Cheyne were duking it out on 3,2 and 1 fins... Huge innovation in equipment. Today we're quite sanitised in the one pro formula, while the core audience is off experimenting again.
Similar to cars, in early series production the public could buy what was raced at Bathurst and drive it on road, there were very few constraints on the manufacturers so anything goes and was tried - so you got XU1s and E49s and GTHOs... (which are now ridiculously valuable); and then this form of racing got sanitised into the V8 supercars class where you got busted if your weight or aero was too different.
Vj, I was on the beach witnessing it. Though very young I was there.
I watched Bathurst a little ...though at that point I had little to no interest.
Need some waves of consequence or we’ll just end up with groveling brazzos who will be out the next year
Have the CT in Different Regional zones available to the local Guys only
APAC
Europe
North America
South America
Africa
Then the best of em surf in the triple crown in HAwaii at the end.
No need to travel the world.
How many challenger series surfers have major sponsors?
Photo of herdy sans quik stickers
Sallys the past eh?
You know i won't hear bad of our Sal.
Question. If Sally is the past, why is she the only one consistently taking to the sky in her heats? Name one other female pro that is consistently punting in their heats.
Sierra Kerr kinda but not really and hasn't cracked the CT before anyway.
Our Sal is the future!!
How many successful airs did she make during the CS?
Ahhh you'll have to tell me. I honestly didn't count but a few i heard she'd made. Moot point though. She won the CS, also attempted airs whether successfully or unsuccessfully, no one else did, yet u stiill wanna sink the boot in. Surely she deserves some credit for all she achieved last year including an ISA gold medal. Seems its always a Sally bashing no matter how well she performs and her achievements.
Grrrrr! I got ya Sal!! Hehe
I don't think it's bashing to say an athlete who is approaching mid 30''s - has been unable to make the mid-year cut last 3 years in a row and is now coming up against a crop of genuine superstars is the past.
That just seem a realistic statement.
In the same way when Sal came on Tour, Layne Beachley was the past.
At some point, you realise athletes have reached the end of their careers.
Maybe Sal will prove me wrong.
Hmmm.
You said Sal was 'the past'.
Her achievements i listed are the very definition of not being 'the past'.
I think you're having a crack at her age first and foremost.
Gotta keep in mind that the ISA games she won gold in was against each and every single female current pro surfer on the planet. (not to forget she's done it multiple times).
I reckon she'll give it a huge crack this year, without the burden of a wildcard she probably felt some pressure from with all the backlash that came with it.
Anyway, good chat as always FR.
Nice woman, perennial underachiever who is famous for being a nice girl.
Where she excels now is in 4 person heats. Where her experience really pays off. Which is what we saw on the men’s side this year. It’s a great skill for changas and ISA but doesn’t really help when you get to the CT
Totally agree FR. Sal was good at her peak, with consistent but predictable surfing, and rarely exhibiting the wow factor. The tide has turned and the next gen of women’s surfing are raising the bar.
I think she'll get spanked by the top CT girls this year. Their surfing has progressed past hers. She obviously still rips, but they're a step above.
I can't be the only one questioning: what is going on with Zeitz's thumb in the first photo? Severe rail grab blister?
Born with three thumbs.
Woah, not to derail this thread but this puts his 2016 CT win at Margs over Julian under the spotlight. I was dubious at the time of his high score for a rail grab top turn (most people don't need to grab for a top turn) but to think he had an extra digit, and used it, to his advantage over other competitors. This probably needs a cold case investigation.
Pro surfing is a little like Australian Rugby. It had a short golden period but, then devolved back to a niche sport followed by traditionalists, participants and misty eyed sentimental geriatrics longing for a deleted past.,
Yeah, or it's for the purists....
I have family who played pro rugby union.
Has a strong following worldwide.
Yet doesn't have the fan base or interest of nrl
Which globally is very niche....
Good point. I was comparing to the Australian market as an example.
In a nutshell, if you don't surf you don't follow pro surfing, if you do surf it's unlikely you'd follow it like a sporting team and or say the golf or tennis circuit. Well, possibly a hand full of semi-retired or retired blokes might and the odd grom bullied into it by desperate surf Dads with vicarious ambitions. With respect to the author here who writes a decent article, I'm not sure how anyone stays employed in a job associated with surfing bar a few board makers, close to bankrupt clothing companies, surf websites owned by private equity companies to push ad space and Kelly Slater. And to me that's reassuring.
"I'm not sure how anyone stays employed in a job associated with surfing bar a few board makers, close to bankrupt clothing companies, surf websites owned by private equity companies to push ad space and Kelly Slater."
For the record, Swellnet is none of those things. Hence, why we value your subscription so much.
Sarcasm the lowest form of humour. LOL.
Was talking about those other horrible sites. Certainly not this bastion of subscriber satisfaction.
All good, it was meant as a compliment.
In all seriousness though, as someone who runs a surf related business, I’m genuinely fascinated how others managed to pay the bills.
'if you do surf it's unlikely you'd follow it like a sporting team and or say the golf or tennis circuit'
I surf and keep a lazy on the contests with good waves but what is Golf and Tennis? I sure as hell don't follow those circuses!
My Sal love aside, it was a great and timely article FR.
As a grom i grew up reading the old Tracks mags and frothing when the Hawaiian edition came out. Same time every year.
I'd study those pages of who stepped it up that year, what went down out of the water, the big swells that came through.
Now, the Hawaiian season, doesn't exist. Not for the Woz. Not for the Changas.
Hooray for the Hawaiians though, they're probably stoked.
But just feels like the most important piece of history is starkly ommitted,....and we as fans are just left with a random schedule that has random highlights that i'll forget pretty quickly. Can't even remember who won Cloudbreak this year already.
Guaranteed i'd never forget who won any of the Triple Crown comps.
A meaningful Triple Crown has to be the starting point
Ditch the CT 'Finals Day' and delegate it to the QS.
Have QS regionals to qualify for the Hawaiian leg of the QS and then have a QS Finals Day to qual for the CT.
Have the Hawaiian Triple Crown series for both QS & CT levels.
Elevates Hawaiian competitions to allow for overlap between QS & CT surfers, consolidates costs, headlines regional surfers for the local & global sponsors, and then tests the surfers in "dream tour" conditions.
Finals Day for 12 x QS level surfers + 12 x cut CT surfers to qual for the CT.
Or some variation thereof.
It's interesting Ironman/woman racing isn't the ratings attracter it was in the 90's. If you get the chance to watch an event this year do so, it's 300% more exciting than most surf comps.
Names like Hendy, Leech, Kenny were household even in very land locked places.
I wonder what happened there Sol?
It was huge there for a while.
Sunday arvo. Only 4 tv channels to choose from. No internet, YT or Netflix. A lot more prizemoney. Carnage at big surf locations like Portsea and Piha. Bit of Baywatch cross promotion
Spot on. Weekend arvos at home with nothing to do. Oh, the Ironman's on? Sure, I guess i'll watch that....
Think I even used to watch lawn bowls sometimes.
Will never forget that big day at Piha...
I almost got swept out to sea on my surfboard at Piha. Large swell, outgoing tide, fading light and fog no less.
No one could see me and I was struggling. I had to opt for paddling in through the 8ft closeouts by Lions Rock. I'm a competent surfer and I've never struggled with a rip before but it was like all of the water wanted to leave that beach.
I made my way back to my car with heavy thoughts and my tail between my legs. The fact no one could see me due to the fog was one of the most disconcerting things
they’d get an 8 foot swell at Portsea quite often from memory. Used to be good viewing.
Portsea from 2001. Includes archive from the 1996 event showing "eight foot, ten foot" waves at the 11:45 mark (sans Darrell Eastlake, unfortunately).
Sarah Hull gets smashed by a solid closeout around 43:35.
"That's dead set dangerous!"
Great TV viewing!
1996 Piha carnage etched in my memory.
I grew up in Piha through the late 90’s/early 00’s and the I remember watching some hectic clubbie events.
The surf row boats were particularly chaotic especially if it was big and they got an afternoon low tide - south Piha basically an 8ft close out to chest deep water.
Hard to compete with this. Newcastle, 1996.
Guaranteed million views on YT with the right thumbnail and caption.
"Death Wish - we launched a quarter tonne wooden row boat into 8-10ft mutant close outs (in G strings) featuring John John"
Which was the year where it was huge for the boats on the gold coast in the 90s? Worked with a fella who had gone over for the boats and called it 15ft, was terrified. I believe one of the competitors drowned too, RIP.
Full carnage , I watched it live.
So hectic.
Probably is even more entertaining with the commentary.
4 channels... we only had 2.
I think there’s just too much choice for both the consumer and money men now. Sponsor’s money can only go so far. As was mentioned the four channel,
Sunday arvo thing - and it was truely compelling.
It hasn’t changed, still some of the fittest athletes on the planet racing around out there.
I think it might be going through somewhat of a revival, Shaw and Partners pumping a lot of money into what they calling the ‘World Ocean Series’ (formally Summer of Surf), in addition to the Nutri Grain series (not called that now)
sugar got demonised so mum stopped buying nutri grain
Swap Nutri-Grain for Woolworths and the two worlds aren't so far apart.
Household names back in the day, they need another high profile love affair sponsored by muesli bars!
Good article FR. Bizarre times. Amazing how the administration have completely lost their way on this. Hard to believe anyone in that space looks at the schedule and thinks it’s the way forward.
The skeptic in me wonders if it’s a ploy to make the schedule so shit that wavepools will seem like a better idea. But I guess there is some other corporate explanation.
Give any surfer who can get barelled a pen, a piece of paper and half an hour and tell them they need to plan a year long surf trip and not worry about funds or crowds.
Sounds like someone should check the O-rings.
Did someone say Grimes is a surf fan?
Vote 1 Changa.
Thanks Steve for another great balancing act of critique, drama, humour, with a hint of hope.
Don Chipp would be proud. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Chipp
"In 2020, the World Surf League (WSL) will launch the Challenger Series, a new level of competition that will provide athletes more opportunities at the highest level to qualify for the elite Championship Tour (CT). The premium Challenger Series events, that will exist as part of the overall Qualifying Series, will be the ultimate battleground for surfers to showcase their talents and qualify for the elite-level of competition. "
https://www.boardriding.com/news/world-surf-league-introduces-the-challe....
Maybe all the National boardriding Associations, sponsors, surfers & their managers can lodge an "ultimate, highest level" legal case of breach of contract with WSL next year; before going to Indo, or Fiji, or Tahiti, JBay....etc ?
or ...its back on the same hamster wheel of fortune.....
or like many great surfers, musicians, artists, idealists after their youthful bloom....get a trade & have a family. !!!!
Every day is a winding road...
Super sandbank pumping sponsored by NSW PAYE taxpayers for your enjoyment & W$Ltd
https://www.tweedsandbypass.nsw.gov.au/operations/tsb-transition-project...
The operation and maintenance of the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project (TRESBP) facility is being carried out by (TRESBCo) under a long-term contract.
A 2017 valuation commissioned by TRESBCo gave a Replacement Cost Estimate for the jetty component of the TRESBP facility of $38,240,000 (excluding GST).
Replacement cost would be shared on an equal basis between the New South Wales and Queensland governments. Queensland’s share would then be split equally with the Council of the City of Gold Coast.
As I’ve said each time this yr a Changa event was on pisses me off no end one guy throws an air and whole judging criteria goes out the door
1 sir and you win a heat in shit 2 ft crap
No wonder guys like kiwi butler are jack of it
Head judge needs to make a call.it ain’t an air show but they haven’t the balls to do so
Stu won’t agree as he didn’t all yr
Joel Vaughan a good surfer but I want to see him doing something other than 8 air attempts per heat as he did in Brazil
Italo taught him well
2024 Final's Day Average Combo Comp scores (2x SF / Finals)
+ Handful of exclusive swellnet mystery comp scoring reveals...(Promise!)
Women CT 11.84 > *CS 12.18 > Cut 12.96
# Finals Day Avg Combo Scores (*CT Comps)
Trestles 15.86 El Salvador 13.46 *GC 13.33 WA 13.3 Teahupoo 13 Fiji 12.67 *Huntington 12.45 *Ericera 12.42 *Narra 12.2 Bells 12.2
Men CS 13.38 > CT 14.24 > Cut 14.65
# Finals Day Avg Combo Scores (*CT Comps)
El Salvador 15.77 Margs 15.76 Trestles 15.68 Sunset 14.96 Teahupoo 14.77 Saquarema 14.45 *Narra 14.28 *GC 14.08 Supertubos 13.91*Saquarema 13.88
Ok! No surprises that Judges reward Natural > Cabin > Slash > Aerial Closeout
Of interest is Narra Open Field + Oz CT flops/Back-Up seals their season's fate.
tbb dedicates this first 'reveal' to Steve for giving a damn reviewing Tour...
Seriously...Crew appreciate the hard yards mop up...Super Job Steve!
Truly...tbb did wonder about this comp anomaly but Steve is driving this research!
Thought the crew could step up to lend a hand here! Happy to pitch in...
Right here's somethin' from nuthin...& it had to be that way coz it's organic.
Narrabeen is One Shot at Fame > Wind up a Rock Star Hail Mary...CT or Busted Board!
Ok! Worth doing above Stats as it Explains why this CS Comp is a Wreckerz Ball.
Only after Steve reviews the Tour + slotting these Score did this out itself!
Why we see Higher CT Scores on this very short CS Close out line-up...(Why/ How!)
Each year these Narra competitors smash Boards & Snap Leggies...(Now know Why!)
Happy to share that this is Peak CS Career Crunch time...otherwise it caves yer head in.
You fuckin' put yer head on the chopping block & close yer eyes > CT or No Mans Land.
That's why ya got the Euro Trash smashin' it like Spinning Tops in Battle Arenas.
CS hooks up highly crowded / accessible Oz x 2 /SA/Brazil/US/EU Flight Locations.
Fair to say 2024 : 6 CS comps averaged more crowds than 9 CT comps
Quite a few CS had 10,000's on finals day Hard Fizz Gigs up to 30,000
Online Gaming bankrolls the CT + WSL Inhouse Sly Grog Beach Parties bankroll CS.
WSL just hook up Fish Dick to flow the WSL Pro Hard Fizz for 30,000 x $300/pop.
Qld/Goldie Cr : LNP Herman Vorster banks the shares > sames as SA Gaming deal.
Local Heroes smash these CS Surf Stoke Piss Up Finals...crew hoot'n'holler
CS is pulling Top Dollar for Few Pros + WSL Hard Fizz intoxicated crab cannery site.
$6m for extorting & Locking up the WSR 30,000 x $200 Gig Tickets
Ban Taps to hook up W$L Relief Stations for Sponsor's compliant Drinking vessels
$3m for flogging off WSL Inhouse Dicky Pro's Hard Fizz $20 x 5 cans each
High Tide entraps punters on WSL Grog Dunes > $9m haul bankrolls 3 CS comps.
Selling/Poisoning/Trampling the WSR Habitat saves the Govt diggin' into pockets!
Explains why Govt tore up the WSR Legislation...Turn the WSR into a WSL VIP Disco
Exactly Wot 99.99% of submissions Vehemently argued against...WSR [SOLD] to WSL
Not one remote dreamy CT comp boasted Disco Duck Surf Stoke & all know it!
Premium CT Dream destinations restrict Flotillas to 200 well to do VIP insta models
CT Comps are angling toward online WOTD watch > Chook Fighting betting Arenas.
Ok! So tbb has already partly revealed these WSL Chix Rorts but they are escalating...
Few note they pay CT chix twice as much as much as guys to paddle into half size Slabs.
Feel free to divide Prize Purse per Appearance fee...(Shh! Just don't let the Guys know!)
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2024/ct/201/shiseido-tahiti-pro/main
Teahupoo Men $5,489.58 each paddle out (No extra) for #1 Slab risk
Teahupoo Chix $8,062.50 each paddle out (46.84% extra for reduced heats / size risk)
Booth Judge awards a brave Man [10] but it's devalued as a Chiko Chix throwaway [5]
Guys have gotta be taught a valuable lesson on how insignificant they are on Chix Tour.
Chix Anomalies to keep an eye on...
More Olympic Chix in CS than CT but only 1/10 made Top 5 (So there's that shame!)
How to explain 9/10 Olympians not making the grade...(Were Olympics B or C grade?)
Wots weirder as all these failings these CS chix still outscored front end CT Chix
Also see blokes earning less than Chix just to Compete on CS + less per performance...
(Above Feature) Hear blokes not being able to afford CS Tour on lesser scrap coin.
WSL promised = Pay back in 2019 & touring blokes still dream of that day...
Now before ya say tbb is having a crack...at the chix...never wish to do that...Go Gurlz!
Research also outed that Chix are not only earning 2x as much in Teahupoo.
So crew may have read tbb reporting Wavepool LB Chix outscore men in every round
Just uncovered this current consecutive run of Higher Chix SF/Finals Scores have come on!
( Premium Google Comp ) Fiji : M 12.57 (vs) W 12.67
( Premium WSL Finals ) Trestles : M 15.68 (vs) W 15.86
( Premium Wavepool) Abu Dhabi : M 13.97 (vs) W 15.68
Crew can all equally see Chix outscoring men in all recent run of Premium WSL Comps.
Be interesting to see if these scores keep progressively climbing higher...Wot then?
Coz as it stands ...WSL Chix are outscoring Worlds best Male surfers in every Format.
Big Wave Reef / Finals Arena / Worlds # 1 Surfers Wave on Long Boards
World's best ever male surfers of the day are being wiped out..
Their scores no longer register enough to topple their Towel Minding Chiko Chix.
Potty Mouth Grom : Chix Rule WSL (This ain't no joke!) WSL Judged they actually do!
Just saying to buy Steve a beer...tbb is just mopping up after Steve...Happy to Share!
So tbb...what are we sooky little men folk gonna do about it...Well nothing obviously!
Ok then ... tbb brought this up so feels obligated to at least investigate the crumb trail..
Kinda know where to look...will run further checks to pinpoint the origin..
Maybe marry in any Corp / Booking Deals with run of high Chix Scores...
Fiji 18/1 Grom WC rort bankrolled the 2025 CT....well durr tbb!
So far ya can lock that in as the Anchor Point unless tbb can dig out earlier!
Still not done with that ridiculously hamfisted over orchestrated caddy interference comp!
Ask what other sport babies athletes in the Middle of nowhere Comp. C'mon!
Ok! All know tbb thinks it's an Online Bookies Scam &/or Fashion Parade [Score Cards]
Chiko Chix modeling lashings of Gold Jewelry / Animal print Cat Suits...getting ridiculous!
tbb feels they're taking the piss > Not a Surf Comp but a Fashion Parade for Jewelry Sponsors!
Started with Pros taking off watches in Comp Lineups...Fucking mental it is!
None of it has anything to do with surfing but all aligns with RFID Comp wear Rorts.
So tbb will back pedal or wallow about to see if it coughs up more on this Chix Rort!
Crews job...Keep an eye on this end of season WSL Comp date.
15-17th Nov 2024 Surfing for Hope Longboard Classic
{see} WSL Chix Rule Conquest being locked in...or Chix come back down to Earth.
All pray that Blokes outscore Chix in these LB finals or Comp Surfing is truly fixed...
Fuckin' be a laugh if it wasn't that would freak everyone out...
Coz if these are clean Comp Sheets...
Then higher earning Teen Chix gotta teach Top Pro Olympic male surfers how 2 surf.
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2024/lt/333/surfing-for-hope-long...
Ok! Crew might think that was a wild ride...Nope! Just another bog standard WSL rort!
Trip over these each time any see something weird or argue over a wild comp score.
Exactly as Steve is questioning the CS then obviously it leads to this...plain as day!
tbb has no way of controlling it...it's all WSL pulling our strings...just another WSL rort!
Point to where any crew see conspiracy other than WSL's own doing...(Bingo!)
It's not tbb draggin' this out...got a million better things to do...than trip over buckets!
Can someone give me a 2 line summary of the above!,
CS (Councilor's Shares) Beach bars bankroll Starkie's pub crawl to preserve dignified daggy boardies.
States win online bets by mandating RFID bejewelled 2x prized G string purses for CT (Chix Tour)
Thanks that much clearer!
Prequel...?
Prequal....?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prequel
Over crowded Sunset & sand filled Pipeline exit
70's backing track
Prequel
Maybe we cant be everything, everywhere, all at once...
Please – "Perhaps the WSL has to step in and run the contests, rather than just sanction them?" – no! Let the contests grow locally. WSL = death. But thanks Steve for the reminder of just how bloody good the Triple Crown was. Highlight of my year, which is sad, but, (comma) fuck-it, it was.