Doing away with wildcards
"He showed the Hawaiian boys something today that really rocked them to their core. He was in the heat with Derek and Kong and there was some serious business on the line with that world championship. Tom wasn't in the running for that but certainly Gary and Derek were, and there were quite a few times there where we were sitting with the binoculars on the lineup and watched Tom just sit back and let Derek have a good go at it, you know." - Gerry Lopez, December 16, 1993.
The quote above is about Tom Carroll and was uttered after the 1993 Pipe Masters when Derek Ho beat Gary Elkerton for the world title. The reason Carroll's actions 'rocked the Hawaiian boys' was because he sat back and let the two surfers in contention for the title duke it out naturally. He didn't interfere, and his actions jeopardised his own chance at winning the heat and contest.
The reason I resurrect this twenty year old quote out is that a comparable situation has again transpired overnight. In Round 2 of the Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal a little-known local wildcard, Frederico Morais, knocked out Kelly Slater cruelling his 2013 world title campaign. The other legitimate contender, Mick Fanning, will win his third world title if he makes the semi finals at Portugal. If not it goes to Pipeline.
It's not the first time a wildcard has ruined a title campaign. In 2009 Joel Parkinson led the ratings for most of the year, however he suffered an injury mid-year that let other surfers chip away at his lead. In the final competition, the Pipe Masters, Parko was knocked out by another little-known wildcard, Gavin Gillete, leaving the door open for Mick Fanning to take his second world title.
Wildcards are a curious anomaly unique to professional surfing. Spilt fairly evenly between 'local' and 'sponsor' wildcards, their existence is partly to appease local surfing communities and partly a value add for the company ponying up the bucks for the comp. Besides those justifications some punters consider them an exciting element in pro surfing; unknown surfers with nothing to lose knocking 'CT surfers down a peg.
Which is all well and good till they interfere with world title campaigns. The world title being the sole reason for the World Championship Tour. The Top 34 surfers who make the 'CT grade have earned a shot at the title. Introducing novelty surfers, who have no chance at winning the World Title, seems an absurd way to run a professional sport. Especially one that is already beholden to the whims of nature and subjective judging; individual heats - world title deciding heats - can be lost by sheer bad luck or dubious decisions. Why introduce yet more unknown elements?
It's gonna be interesting to see how ZoSea handle wildcards next year. ZoSea have made it clear they will market the Top 34 surfers as elite athletes and marketable personalities. The surfers will become the assets that sell the sport. And while ZoSea are keeping next year's cards close to their chest, it's hard to see how that attitude equates with the continuation of unknown wildcards.
There's also the fact that, as of next year, presenting sponsors will cough up less money to run 'CT contests. Hopefully this lessens their bargaining power and sponsor wildcards are done away with. Which leaves only local wildcards and how ZoSea handle that, especially in Hawaii where locals all but demand entry into the Pipe Masters, will be telling of their power of negotiation.
"I don't think they [wildcards] are fair," Tom Carroll said to Swellnet this morning, "although at Pipeline I can understand the argument that it's good to be pitted against the best." However, when pressed on the matter Tom dropped all equivocation bluntly stating, "No, there's nothing much fair about them."
Back in 1993 Tom Carroll wasn't a wildcard yet he understood the importance of contending surfers competing without outside interference. "I paddled out with them," said Carroll, "and it was already in my mind that I was going to keep away from Gary and Derek and let them have as much room as possible to fight it out."
Hopefully ZoSea treat the Top 34 with the same level of respect that Tom Carroll once did.
Comments
eh?
who cares?
Slater? Fanning? Ripcurl? Quicksilver? the consumer?
Not me. (even though i was hoping S1a2er could get the WT)
World titles don't just fall off trees. The "fairness" is irrelevant as the surfers, asp and contest organizers agree to compete for a world title under these conditions and many more. Too late to cry poor now.
Lets get some metrics on the judges that actually decide who goes home with the glory. Now there is something to sort out before you go kicking the locals out of their own event!
:b
"eh? who cares?Slater? Fanning? Ripcurl? Quicksilver? the consumer?"
Well, for about 45 minutes this morning I did.
See Indo Dreamings post in the other article.
Shame to see Kelly done over in onshore crap. Had a pretty stellar season thus far against some worthy and genuine competition for it to falter at the pointy end.
Do you think the wildcard would have taken out Kelly if it was 8ft and barrelling?
Hard to say, but if the venue was Pipe you'd have to give the wildcard good odds.
I think KS have enough titles already.
He'll probably be able to get by without another.
Slater stated in a post heat interview that he wasn't motivated surfing the conditions, so it's probably a null and void argument as a fellow top 34 surfer would have produced the same result against him. All the grovel events this year Slater hasn't featured whilst he's ripped the ones that pumped. Keep the wildcards and the trialists, they add an extra element.
@TLC,
It ain't about Kelly Slater or how many world titles someone has. I'd feel the same if was a surfer going for their first title.
Dump the wild-tard system.
No preferred parking for the local punters.
Wildcards are mini-leaguers in the A-league...a joke.
Which makes them perfect for pro surfing!
I don't see a problem with wild cards if there is actual waves to be surfed but Kellys heat yesterday and even the first round wasn't about the best surfer or the best surfing it was about pure luck of having priority when a half decent sized wave came through that didn't close out, i only watched Kellys heats but im sure the majority of the contest was the same deal.
Maybe these kind of comps/conditions are forgivable at the start of the year, but at the pointy end of the season who wants to see the title race decided in inconsistent mostly closeouts, no one wants to see that happen the last few comps should be held in at least half decent waves preferably world class waves, yeah sure im a huge fan of Kelly but id be just as happy to see Mick win if it comes down to pipe in decent waves.
why not give the up and comers a chance.
if a world title contender gets knocked out in a heat by some noname wild card then he should have been surfing better.
its a competition not a charity handout.
Every comp surfer knows that conditions will vary, even at the best spots. They know that they're strictly entertainers, and that the show goes on.
This one's all about wildcards....
And derra83 just summed it up perfectly with the comment of the year!
yew.
But where do you draw the line?
If you are on the tour, and you can't win the crown and are surfing with two who can, should you try ? Is it any worse for another pro surfer to knock out one of the contenders (not literally) than if a wildcard does it?
In tennis if you are losing and give up, you are fined. Why should surfing be any different ?
@TLC,
1) They're not all "up and comers". Most wildcards, the vast majority in fact, will never make the WCT. In Hawaii, they're often seasoned Pipe specialists.
2) Yes, but they're surfing for different agendas which distorts the competition.
3) Wrong, for sponsor wildcards it is a charity handout.
@Scotmond,
"Is it any worse for another pro surfer to knock out one of the contenders (not literally) than if a wildcard does it?"
At least they're surfing for the same agenda - the accrual of 'CT points.
Don't wildcards earn their spot in the main event via the trials on most occasions?? So to a degree they have every right to have a good crack at it. As you pointed out, gives the top seeds a bit of a shake up, not surf to safely and have a go.
Its not just in surfing either. Pretty sure that in Aus open golf years back, Badley earnt his spot in the open via trials (or whatever they call it) and won. Couldn't get the prize money though. Bastards!
I agree with scraping the spono wildcard, that is charity. Every trial event should be a 6star WQS to get the best of the rest there to compete with the best locals for extra spots outside of injury wildcards. Make it even harder for the top 34.
I can't accept that wildcard entrants should be dropped on the strength that a World Title contender is knocked out of one event by one. Given that only the best 8 events are counted (i.e. the worst 2 events are dropped) I don't believe one heat can be blamed for someone winning or not winning the title. No surfer over the past 20 years has understood and used the rules to their own advantage like Kelly Slater, so I can't imagine that Kelly would agree that wildcards should be dropped. The World Title is run over 12 events in varying conditions and consistency over those 12 events will generally put a surfer into Title contention. It should be noted that Kelly has had two 13ths in the 8 events completed to date and by his standards he is not having a very good year (I wish I could have a year when I could get two 13ths).
Just a heads up -Fanning hasn't won the title yet. Still got rounds to go hasn't he?
Serious logic deficit going on here, sorry - it's not fair on the 11 time world champ because he had to surf against a lower-ranked surfer than he would have otherwise? But the guy had a different agenda. Huh? In a man-on-man heat, the agenda is surely pretty simple: win by defeating the other surfer. Sure, it was a shitty way for the crown to be (almost) decided, in crappy beachies etc, but blaming the wildcard system doesn't make any sense.
Tom's argument about staying out of Derek and Gary's way is silly too - titles should be won by competing hard all season against the best, and he was limiting that by pulling back in the 4 man heat at Pipe, distorting the competition. Anyway, must've been the first time in his life he pulled back, filthy little drop-in artist that he is!
I'd like to see the waiting periods have a little more flexibility - it would have been good if they could've run Rd 1 on the trials day...
Hawaii makes an absolute mockery of the ct with there 4 man locals have to be included heats. Maybe zoosea should cancel pipe and see how Hawaii needs the pipe event more than the asp needs them , no more blackmail over having locals in the event or no event. World titles have been won and lost because of this blackmail . the locals have a pipe event its called the volcolm pro, and it is a specialist event for non ct pipe specialist surfers.
I like the wildcards. It keeps the dream alive and gives the local communities added reason to be excited. It fuels folklore for the pubs/campfires long after the circus has left and keeps the tour and its participants linked with the rest of humanity. Perhaps without these unique aspects of surfing the tour might become like..well.. I don't want to say tennis.
If you want to win a title, you have to earn it. Not get given it.
Same thing happens with the tennis and plenty of other sports.
Personally I think the current wildcard system is OK and in response to matt79 the 4 man heats in Hawaii present the same problem for every surfer on the tour. So I don't see an inherent unfairness. However, if you changed the scheduling of the tour and made the Hawaii event the first on the tour in late Dec/Jan, you could pay homage to the home of surfing, keep the 4 man heats etc but not have the title decided in controversial heat formats. Instead of the tour ending in Hawaii it ends in Europe.
"The world title being the sole reason for the World Championship Tour"
I disagree - the WCT is a marketing tool for the big surf brands.
Hey Stu
Why didn't you write the article after Jacob Wilcox beat Slater in Rd1?
He was a wildcard too, a sponsor one no less.
*In Round 2 of the Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal a little-known local wildcard, Francesco Morais, knocked out Kelly Slater cruelling his 2013 world title campaign*
Not surprised he's not very well known, given that the bloke's name was Frederico Morais...
Yeah, yeah, very droll Dave...but thanks for the heads up.
I wrote it when I did because that was the point Slater's title campaign was truly savaged. And yeah, it's true each loss through the year affects a title campaign they only come to prominence - and hence reader interest - when the cause and effect is fully evident.
You need 6 consecutive heat wins to win a CT event. If Kelly were to surf against local specialists in every single heat in every single comp, how many wins would he have by now? Not many at all, he'd struggle because hometown advantage is huge in the sport of surfing, more so than cricket or footy. But everyone agrees he is a freak of surfing. "To be the best you have to beat the best" does not apply unless you want to award a world title to "mr home advantage". Couldn't agree more Stu, earn your spot on tour then duke it out only there and then.
Shoredump is right. Get rid of all the wildcards or give every venue an equal amount of 'specialist' or locals as they do at pipe.
its not just world titles that have been won and lost with the inclusion of locals at pipe . guys have lost there spot on tour after being eliminated from pipe by someone who is not even a ct surfer (nor will they ever be).
Well put Shoredump.
Hey Shore dump don't know about the home town advantage. Young Jacob Willcox had to win the trials to get in to the event, Never been to Portgal before and surfed the place for an afternoon before the event. Would not call that a home town advantage. He then went on to beat Slater in very contestable conditions. Good wave selection, strong will and a bit of help from Huey gave him that heat. If you cant beat a 16 year old wildcard you don't deserve a world title. Where is your Aussie spirit go the underdogs, keep giving the wild cards a shot
Wasabi, Did you even watch that heat with Slater and Jacob? Shitty inconsistent waves push the luck factor up dramatically and I think most people in the surfing world understand this. Even young Jacob appeared to know he got lucky as opposed to out surfed Slater.
That been said a bright future lies ahead for Jacob and he will win and lose a few heats in the future just like this one.
Hey Wasabi, I'm a proud Aussie don't worry about that, but Slater lost to a local in Rd2, & this artical is about doing away with wildcards which, whether it's Portugal, Pipe or Bells, always holds some locals. I'm just a surfing fan really, & what I want to see is the best surfers / surfing getting the results. I want good surfing to be the winner, more than anything else.
the amount of wildcards in Pipe/ Hawaii is a worry for all and any Pro surfer that is on the WCT.
there should only be 4 surfers max Allowed...at the end of everyyear there are world titles going down to the wire ,but more so, some surfers are fighting for their carreers,bonus's to keep the family fed!!!
You run into the best locals in the world at what was once the heaviest break on tour......trying to get free surfs out there is all but impossible.....so a lot of learning about Pipe goes down in Heats..
Is it fair that a surfer who has qualified by spending years 100's of thousands of dollars ,finally gets to WCT level and must compete at a spot where the Locals rules,especially in free surfs,and often Pipe will make or break ya carreer......local knowledge is a huge advantage,and what does the wild card have to gain....??
Yeah Smeeagain. I watched the whole heat. The surf in that heat and Matt Wilko's was probably the best they had all comp bar the last day and the trials. The kid in that heat got the best waves he read it better. How many times has Slater surfed that place. It was the young blokes first time there.the kid out surfed him in that heat. Simple. Why not keep giving young up and comers a crack at the big guys. Keep them on their toes. No one likes losing to a kid especially Slater by the way he behaved.
I am so conflicted. Half of me agrees with Stu wholeheartedly, but the other half loves watching Dane in Quik events and Mitch in Volcom events and Robbo at Bells. I do agree that there is something a bit off with the number and special treatment of the locals at Pipe (agree with @Matt79) - but then again i do like watching JOB surf against the 'CT crowd...
As much as I agree with the logic against them I have to admit that wildcards do add a significant element of excitement to the sport. Maybe the issue is in the seeding - could it be a little more random so the Top 2 seeds didnt get wildcards every time...
'ZoSea have made it clear they will market the Top 34 surfers as elite athletes and marketable personalities. The surfers will become the assets that sell the sport.'
There aren't any truly elite athletes, in truly elite sports that would be in the slightest bit concerned about, or capable of getting regularly flogged and beaten by untrained little kids. There would be hell to pay if it happened in the elite sports to elite athletes. Yet it is a pretty standard occurrance in Pro Surfing. Its one of the main reasons for the still to this day small fan base. 'Fans', used to seeing genuinely elite athletes that would totally oblitherate, totally annihilate untrained kids, or the local specialist (aka Kimbo Slice), expect much, much, much more from the 'elite' Pros.
When Koby abberton went on that diving show, most surfers figured it was a given that he would win. And why not, he was one of the only people still in their prime, still a participant in their specific pass time. Yet he lost to an overweight, retired cricketer. Most surfers assumed that reknowned hellman and charger Richie Vas would take the MMA world by storm. Yet the opposite has occured. He is trying his best, but still has to learn a totally foreign level of committment and level of all round training. There are ridiculously long periods of sitting around in surfing, especially the present format of Pro Surfing, that far outweigh the activity period.
Then, there is the reality of truly being the best, and of wanting to see the best as a spectator. If Larry Blair hadn't have been given a literal 'wildcard' to the Pipe Masters, which he won back to back, a lesser surfer would have claimed the title. Blair should have won it 3 times, but was totally blocked the third time, as it was too embarrassing for the locals and 'Pros'. He had no hometown advantage, and hadn't surfed there very much. He had a winners attitude though. And those McCoys. I spoke to Geoff heaps about all the effort and planning that went into those boards, and Blair truly felt, and so truly subconsciously 'knew' that he had superior equipment. In the second comp he beat all the top Pipe surfers, including Carrol, in serious waves. A bit different thoughI guess, as he too was a Professional Surfer, who beat the likes of Lopez, Russell, Dane, Lynch etc. Those McCoy boards!
The day a top Pro Surfer can absolutely oblitherate any wildcard, anywhere, anytime, and show those kids what elite really means, like truly elite athletes do, is the day the fans will treat them like those athletes. At the moment that day isn't even on the radar. Imagine Floyd Mayweather, or Lebron James getting flogged by some untrained, unfit little grommets, regularly. And then squealing about it.
Hi uplift you have a point that the gap between elite professionals and the top level amateurs is narrower in surfing than other pro sports but there are factors other than fitness involved. One is that truly gifted individuals often have opportunities to become professional in more than one sport and surfing is a poor relation compared to most others so highly gifted athletes are less likely to pursue it. Second, there is a huge luck factor in surfing that doesn't exist in most sports and that can never be entirely neutralised; a good surfer on an outstanding wave will often out score an elite surfer on a more ordinary wave. Third, the conditions themselves can limit the performance level. Poor waves reduce the difference in ability by limiting the energy available. Finally surfing is intrinsically motivating in ways that other sports are not, so there exists a whole stratum of surfers training as hard as the pros in waves of equal or better quality.
So yes, the elite performers could increase the gap by training smarter and harder but it is hard for me to see that it would ever become as clear as the gap in boxing, tennis or most other pro sports.
Gidday Blindboy
Yeh I agree with some of your points. The way Pro Surfing runs at the moment, luck of the draw is a huge, almost ridiculous element. Its like one basketball team having a ring to shoot at, and the other no ring for a quarter. Pretty hard to judge the talent and performance of the performers under those scenarios. The fans would leave in droves.
And its true that the most gifted athletes are lured into sports with the most all round rewards. The top athletes aren't in the Olympics, they play rofessional sports. Like Major League Baseball, where longevity (paycheck) is a factor, least traumatic injuries, retirement lifestyle, etc, etc.
The poor wave thing, not sure about that. If all the surfers are in poor waves, the best surfer, with the best equipment, will still shine. Likewise when surfing bombs. Sometimes I think about a team format in surfing, where each team has a specialist, like other team sports, for each scenario. So a team would have barrel riders, air specialists, carvers, small waves, big waves and so on.
I pretty much dedicated a massive portion of my life to surfing, lived where no one wanted to live, did shit work no one would do, created a life where I didn't have to work, whatever it took to surf Blacks and that area, and had a set up where I pretty much surfed more than anyone on the coast. But that thinking came from basketball. It was drummed into me from basketball as a kid. We slept with basketballs in our hands, got regularly blasted at school, home , everywhere and our basketballs confiscated because we would practise every possible nano second, anywhere. I and my friends would miss lessons to play one on one. Its all I lived and breathed for years, as did my team mates. I played for the top club in the country, and we were the number one juniors in the country. I honestly can't even remember losing a game as a junior. Our coaches were so different, and we were expected to live and breath basketball to extremes that were eventually normal to us. When I practised with friends from other teams, many with much more natural talent than me, it was easy to see why they lost. They had an entirely different mindset and attitude. Some said I was lucky to play for that club, but I chose to, because even as a kid I could see that court time with a dud team was just that. That if I really wanted to be a top player, I had to do what they did, and more. Tons of people in all sorts of sports and pass times are motivated just as much as amateur surfers to excell at their direction. Look at triathletes. Everyday people go to amasing extremes to do events. Yet the elite, can go places way beyond.
I guess I am saying, you could claim to be an elite basketballer/athlete/surfer/ whatever, by eliminating chances and situations for people that are better, that can defeat you from occurring. Psuedo elite. Clayton's Pros. In my experience elite athletes would cringe at the idea of being afraid to be beaten, and genuinely love to show the vast diffence between their level and others.
I think the approach outlined in the article is wrong. I laugh when people mock NFL (grid iron) players. Years ago a Pro Rugby team, I think it was Sydney St George, went to the US to see the NFL first hand, and train with them. Their coach was brutally honest on his return. The athletes were so much superior, (bigger, stronger, faster) to the rugby players that they were all totally shocked... and embarrassed. The rugby players were exhausted trying to wear the protective armour, and said that they were afraid of getting their necks broken because of the weight of the light weight helmets. Yet without the gear they were in danger of being killed. The weight training was beyond them. Naturally their honesty wasn't popular with many. Even today, the biggest strongest, most skilled AFL players are lucky to get a utility position as a kicker in the NFL. Al Green, a second string athlete in the US College system came to Australia and won every Professional sprinting event here, and became a celebrity here. An elite all American in 3 sports, Walt Campbell who went to the same college as Green came out here, and thought the Green scenario was hilarious. He was one of the most gifted athletes I've seen and trained/competed with. Unbelievably athletic. 6' 8", 20 stone, college records for sprinting, standing jump, every measure of athleticism. When I asked him why he didn't play Grid Iron, as he was the biggest, fastest, strongest, most coordinated athlete I'd seen, he was honest and said he wasn't strong, resiliant, hard or tough enough. He described try outs to me, where aspiring defenders were encouraged to knock him out, and show what they could do.
People will hate all this, but its my experience. Pro Surfers are dreaming if they think theycant be much, much fitter and athletic, and are capable of a much higher level of Professionalism, and fitness than they what they class as elite. I know tons of amateur legends, have and fitness wise, forget it. Elite athletes would all round annihilate them. No contest. So for me that is the direction for elite surfers. Actually get elite.
Imagination and scenarios are pretty much infinite. So there is a way Pro Surfing can eliminate luck, attract gifted athletes, and its athletes dispense with wildcards with ease. Its just no one has chosen it, or thought of it. How hard is it really. Compared to the first guys that chose to fly, to make planes, with zero example, or guidance, and everyone howling them down as dreamers and idiots. Now, people are booking outer space flights. Choice is powerfull.
Gidday Blindboy, im back, jeez I bet you missed me.
Yeh I agree with some of your points, but only the ones that mentioned me. Luck of the draw is a huge, almost ridiculous element. Whether blokes can swim is another. I have it on good authority many people don’t have their Herald or Sun swimming certificates. Its like one swimmer having a ring, and the others having no ring and just floaties. Dunno how this is relevant to the topic, but its the only excuse I have to make this next half hour of bullshit all about me. If I don’t make it all about me, my fans leave in tears.
I pretty much dedicated a massive portion of my life to bullshitting, shat in the place where I lived, did shit work no one with any brain bigger than a gnat would do, created a life where I didn't have to work – some people call it the dole, but whatever.
That thinking came from basketball. It was drummed into me from basketball as a kid. We slept with basketballs in our hands, down our pants, up our jumpers, under our pillows. Bloody hard to sleep but we would try to every possible nana second, anywhere, even at night. I and my friends would miss lessons to play one on one. Sometimes, afterwards, we might play basketball too. But not often – usually we’d be too buggered. Bloody priests.
I lived and breathed for years, as did my mates who were also living. We were the number one juniors in the country. Or in our part of the country, anyway. Our district. Well, the best juniors on the east side of the south end of our road. Dunno how we would have gone in town. But I honestly can't even remember ever going into town as a junior. Our coaches were so different, so hands on. God knows how we were expected to breath under the blankets.
Such things were normal to us. When I played with friends from other dorms, many with much more natural endowment than me, it was easy to see why they liked me. They had an entirely different mindset and attitude. They said I was lucky to have such a beautiful arse, but I chose to have one, because even as a kid I could see that getting some attention – even this kind – was better than getting none. If I really wanted to be loved, I had to do what I did, and more. Everyone wants to be loved, but most aren’t willing to pay the piper. In my experience, many people cringe at the idea of being beaten. I genuinely love to show the vast difference between them and me.
Years ago a Pro, I think she came from the big smoke, Port Lincoln, came to the country and she was totally shocked ... and embarrassed. When I asked her why, she said I was the biggest, fastest, strongest, most coordinated pool boy she’d seen. In our part of the country, anyway. Our district. Well, on the east side of the south end of our road.
Other than that, she said I wasn't hard enough. But I didn’t care. And my capacity for self-delusion remains pretty much infinite.
Hey gateso, looks like your all racked up again! I can just picture you... weird, inked up, ignored, a scrawny, useless, womanless little fucker, sitting in a dingy little room, snorting up a storm, throwing knives and forks at pictures of me, and God knows who else, smearing kittens blood all over shop, weird music blairing, playing with your nipple rings... a lee harvey oswald/gimp/red dragon type. Gatester, this is your life!
Did I mention its all about me? And did I tell that my amasing capacity for self delusion is pretty much infinite? Yes? Well, let me tell you again.
That little-known Portuguese wildcard bloke is in the final at Sunset and surfing pretty well.
He's had John John in three heats this comp and beaten him each time!
Yeah, he''s going alright old Francesco Morais.
Unbelievable. Apparently, this whole ball of fukall is on account of protectionist regulations. Laws enacted by local government/politicians.
Billabong Pipe Pro. Heat Analyzer. Round 1. Heat 10.... Skip ahead to the 48 minute mark.
http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2013/heat-analyzer
Randy Rarick will fill 'ya in.