Locals pull Dungeons from the Big Wave Tour calendar
After running just two out of six big wave events last season, the WSL's Big Wave Tour has taken another hit of credibility with South African surfers pulling Dungeons from the itinerary.
Wavescape in South Africa is reporting that negotiations between the between the Cape Big Wave Trust (CBWT) and the World Surf League (WSL) have stalled. The result is one less stop on an already lean Big Wave Tour.
According to Barry Futter, spokesman for the CBWT, the issue hinged upon restricted entry to local surfers. Last year there were six local invitees, next year the WSL proposed just four.
"The vote to not run the competition this year was 100% unanimous," Futter told Wavescape. "All South African big wave surfers...voted against having an event at Dungeons as part of the BWT".
The surfers also took issue with the lack of a "reliable, open, and clear qualifying system." What this means, Futter says, "is that surfers from the media centric areas get chosen. This would mean that in the event of an event happening here a really good and capable South African surfer may have to sit and watch a less capable, but more social media popular surfer from a different area ride waves here. Given that we only get to surf here 5-10 times a year, this is a bitter pill to swallow."
Further, Futter says, "Even if a South African surfer did well at Dungeons it seems unlikely that he would get into one of the major events at another location like Jaws."
In 2013 an attempt by the Big Wave Tour to establish an event in South Australia was met with local opposition. At the time BWT founder Gary Linden said he wished to have more Southern Hemisphere events on the calendar.
Swellnet has contacted the WSL for comment.
Comments
Geez talk about fading the WSL. So that leaves two fat burgers for the Southern Hemisphere. The hits keep coming for the newly formed WSL.
Good on the South Africans for standing up to them, they are right it is more about networking than talent in some cases. They can draw straws for this years world title.:-))
These turkeys think they can come into any location on the best days and take over. This is just the beginning of the fight back for basic surfer rights.
I'm with you Dyson - don't support or encourage these guys and hopefully the whole pro surfing schtick will wither and shrink. Unfortunately I don't see it dying totally as young kids are always going to be more easily manipulated.
Couldn't a few judges just turn up on the best day of the season and judge a few waves? If you're out there, you're entered into the BWWT. So simple, everyone gets to surf.
Gold.
Breath of fresh air . Some surfers bold enough to point out the injustice of popular social media surfers getting in before truly deserving hardcore surfers . Have a look at the eddie , mavs , jaws invites lists for prime examples . Not that it bothers me just pointing it out . Stunet writes that apparently all south african surfers voted against dungeons , does that mean twiggy was one who voted against ? So why did gary linden sell the bwwt ? All that passionate work then its looking like eddie rothman says " burying the bwt ". and stunet ; your last paragraph is unnecessary , some things are best left unmentioned . Dont spark up a smouldering fire . Besides , theres a perfect bwt location in w.a. In the heart of contestville cape where the majority of fuckwits would like another surf comp event . Mikehunt wont like me pointing that out and rightly so . But mike if u read this also please comment on this canceled bwt event at dungeons and how wrong the invite system is .
Caml, last para was more to show Linden's original vision for the BWT and how it's retreating from view.
From all reports the SA vote as unanimous so Twig sided with his countrymen.
Yeah ok re twig . That link article by wavescape seemed to suggest that . So gary why did he sell the vision & how will he feel now along with greg long / twig & those visionary crew ?
BITE. Southern hemi big wave event? Just not as consistant or get as big as Hawaii or mavericks swells. Sure WA gets big surf but just not the same magnitude as north pacific, not to mention mostly less favorable winds when big surf patterns . Chilie and South Africa get bigger more often than Australia and they still don,t run often. @ caml sure afore mentioned bombie could have a 20ft + half a day once every 2-3years, when the tide is low enough to run a big wave contest( and you would get a wildcard no doubt) and there sure are a lot of contest frothers in the region who would love to put their VIP hats on and feed from the trough and also where little to none of the solidarity is found in the local surfing community that the dungeons surfers have shown and their sense by telling the wheels of big business to piss off, good on them.
Come to someones town, take over and ban the local surfers access - sounds like every other surfing contest I,ve ever seen. Fuck those guys
Big waves don,t happen enough to be sold off for silver. Photo incentives have already done enough damage.
MH yeah agreed cloubreak is a possible venue but consistency ? I actually believe mainbreak is the one . Twiggy says a 15ft wave is a big wave & punta galea first comp & dungeons & punta da lobos have all run at 15-20 ft . Thats actually all they need . Sorry to suggest that break ( im fond of it too ) & i dont care less if it does or doesnt happen im just sayin thats the prime venue but nobodys noticed
What about shipsterns, consistant, spectacular for non surfing viewers and the local boys love the media circus. Cloudbreak also gets my vote, don,t have to effect locals, already set up for contests, central to all "invitees" NIMBY thanks/please
yeah. just downgrade the size, threw in a few local wildcards and it will work. THey all must have penis envy, seeing heaps of waves ridden in 10 to fifteen foot is still exciting. Shit, eventually some of the mad bastards will be going for crazy moves, rather than just trying to survive it. missing big opportunity here, look at quikkie pro, what a fizzer, the worlds public amped up, and what, nothing.
10 , 12, 15 feet surf happens a fair bit, get em out, get a local winner, get it happening, give a prize to the gopro wave of the day-joke-
Funny that. Saffers, the inventors of apartheid, don't dig another form of apartheid when it's applied to them.
Heh.
Can I just be an absolute asshole of kook here: don't we want surfers to be able to make a living of surfing big waves, hence they should be able to run a comp? I totally agree with all of the above, WSL should take locals in to account, but just voting against means no competition at all....
They've only voted against it this year. If conditions are met it can run in subsequent years.
not much of a living to be made if they only run two comps a year.
Like Mike said, probably not worth selling the family silver for that.
good point, hope they can work it out next year. think WSL have a lesson to learn here.
Surprising actually when you think of the risk these guys take. They would have fork out a sh$t load of mirrors and beads to get me in those conditions!
All else aside this articles interesting & a bummer that jaws , mavs , & dungeons have all had problems . Im not interested to compete but did think it was cool what they had started with bwt