Dane Reynolds and the call of the wildcard
"Dane Reynolds gets wildcard into Fiji Pro."
Few headlines illicit as much surfy goodwill as the above. An editor types those seven words into the CMS and he or she knows exactly what the response will be. Like the story about the cat rescued from a tree there's only a hero, no villain, and it's endorphin hits all 'round. A job well done...
So it goes that this morning Dane Reynolds was announced as wildcard into the forthcoming Fiji Pro. The WSL issued a press release and the editors did their duty. However, nowhere in the press release did it mention why Dane Reynolds was allocated the wildcard.
Under normal circumstances - that being, a CT contest with presenting sponsor - two wildcards are issued: one to the local Trials winner, and one to the sponsor. The Fiji Pro, however, has no sponsor so the wildcard is selected by the WSL Commissioner's Office, as per the WSL rulebook.
Swellnet reached out to the WSL to understand their criteria for choosing the world number 38 surfer. We're yet to hear back.
Since Reynolds quit the tour in 2011 he's been gifted 10 wildcards (Fiji will be his 11th) and reached the Quarter Finals just once. He's come last six times, scored two 13ths, one 9th, and three years ago at the 2012 Quiksilver Pro France he came second.
Assuming those 10 events were in one season Dane would be hard pressed to make the cut off for the following season. And Dane has never competed at Cloudbreak so has no form on the board at that particular spot. Fitting Dane's selection into the criteria of "the best surfers in the best waves" involves some mental contortion and a spot of goalpost shifting, but when he paddles out I'll be tuning in and my guess is you will too.
And that, I suppose, is all the WSL needs to know.
Read the WSL press release here.
Homepage photo www.strawberry-wax.com
Comments
Don't get this one Stu the guy professes he hates contests and gave a recent backhander in his twitter or bookface or whatever to the WSL. Love his surfing but he is a dud in contests at this level. Why not give it to so young up and comer. Matt Mieola?
Give it to Scardy.
my god!
Fair call I'll second that.
What about that thing.
Showing it's pedigree by the fact that that clip is five years old and hasn't aged a day....which is saying a lot in this era of near daily exponential performance increases.
"Scardy, you're a Maddog , no way...." That's going into the greatest surfer quotes ever.
Full, proper freight train that he had to pump the fuck out of.
Too bad he'd be iced by every single member of the Top 34 once it got under 6 foot.
There's no justice in this world.
But who needs justice when you're getting pits like that ?
They should have given it to one of the up-and-coming younger riders, not some jaded ex-pro who no longer gives a rats' about performing in competition. Jack Robinson charges in big, hollow lefts!
Although he doesn't sell boardshorts like Reynolds can...
Just did a quick tally, Reynolds has surfed 48 CT comps in his career. 32 were earned through his place on the tour, while 16 were wildcards (5 before he qualified, 11 after). So a third of all CT comps he's entered have been as a wildcard.
Must be a record.
Move aside Raymond, it's Dane that everybody loves.
"Although he doesn't sell boardshorts like Reynolds can..."
Ding, ding, ding. If I was a cynical bastid I'd bet Speaker was in closed doors with Quik begging them to back the Fiji comp.
Give it to Dion Atkinson - was rookie of the year last year wasn't he?
I don't think they give that title out if no rookies re-qualify...harsh I know.
Yeah, but aging no name journeymen from South Oz don't shift product.
No disrespect to Dion either, he showed what is he is capable of at Teahupoo while Dane was sitting on the couch watching with a six pack of Coors light.
The Wsl should give me the trestles wild card for this year whilst the wsl tv audience can go kiss my arse whilst I have fun butchering perfect 3 footers on my fun board
I don't imagine the WSL would want the wildcard to actually win.
To be eliminated in the 2nd round, after putting on a jolly good show, is what would perfectly fit the WSL narrative. That the WSL already has the best surfers. There aren't actually these mythical other guys, the free surfers, who are better. And we've had the wildcards to prove it.
Cloudbreak - it seems quite a technical, unforgiving wave where choices are constrained. Everything Dane's small wave free radicalism isn't.
Publicly, the WSL might say, we love Dane.
Privately, they might be thinking, cop this you smart arse.
Interesting selection for sure and someones pulling strings but now hes in i hope its big,clean and pumping cause i would love to see him shine for a change,last chance...again.
Fiji pro ... no sponsor.
If they can't get a sponsor for Cloudbreak then something is very wrong.
Why not another one in Rio. Unreal waves and huge audience. Come to think of it just hold every contest there. Set up a permanent structure on the beach and watch one turn radical surfing. Yeeehaaa we nailed this here WSL no problems. Down in Rio........
Totally agree, just don't get it. Viewing numbers being affected by time zones is the only issue I can think of but that would apply to the Aussie events and Teahupoo too.
I personally don't understand the reasoning behind the selection of wildcards for these events... well I think I do, it is just marketing as 90% of professional surfing is.
If the WSL wants to be taken seriously then there should be a more transparent process for the selection of wildcards. I think it should be the QS highest ranked surfer maybe?? At least something based on merit and then whoever gets will actually be motivated to compete.
I like dane's surfing but I never thought that he was that special.. I'm a pretty sick of watching him just throw away waves whenever he is on a contest, it is pretty disreespectufull to the hundreds of guys trying to qualify.
Blergh, this really annoyed me. Danes past it and personally I never got on fan list. He sucks at snapper every time he gets a shot to surf there, and he never looks like he gives a toss.
Compare that to the energy Jay Davies had to smash Medina and Fanno at the Box. That's what the Wildcard should be for. Give an up and comer the opportunity to test themselves against the best.
Jack Robinson Jay Davies Laurie Towner would all be better than Dane Reynolds although some journalists get particularly frenzied about Reynolds. Cant believe they have given him the wild card - WSL is finished.
I was sure it was supposed to go to the next surfer on the rankings which is some Brazza.
Saw Dane over 3 days free-surfing at cloudbreak. Shit he was doing was unbelievable, was better than everybody else in the lineup which included 5 of the best surfers in the world.
Bloke can't win a heat but will drag in the viewers from Mainland USA. It's all about ratings folks.
Mick he must have complete brain fade in contests. Was he picking the best ones off? Waiting his turn? Love to see the footage as it sounds impressive.
Memla, Mimi his camera guy videoed all his surfing so footage should be around if you sniff it out. Same day they filmed Mick Fanning Missing. Chris Bryant also filming. He's a weird unit Dane but but they're all patient / wait there turn except Parko haha, he wants them all.
I'm okay with Dane in it, it's the Commissioners call, and KPseen first hand what he can do at Cloudbreak. He showed in Quiky Pro in France what he can do when the waves are good
Thanks Mick. Searched around but couldn't find it but some of his other recent stuff is as good as ever. You forget how impressive he really is in the right waves just hope he can catch a few in the contest. Good point that KP saw it all first hand and he would know as he charges.
Clay Marzo - Barrelling lefts....check
- Rippable left walls....check
- Shallow reef with powerful long period swells.....check
- Wind blown sections .....check
- Boardshorts.....check
Tailor made for a supremely talented charger to fall out of the sky into some bomb pits or tear the shit out of the feathering lip.
This would be epic
No good wildcards, no good swell forecast and no WSL!!!
What about Dingo? If anyone deserves a freeride its him. Having recently listened to him tell us about his difficult & disadvantaged upbringing right in front of Kirra for all those years, then watching his sublime skills during that swell, he's got to be seriously considered. Come on people, #dingoforfiji, we can do it......
I cannot understand the hype around this guy he has to be the most overrated surfer
in history and when it comes to comps he is nothing short of pathic. To be blunt I dead
set fucking hate he way he surfs. And he has a personality of a ZOMBIE.
its too late for this event because Reynolds is in the heat draw but how do we stop the bastards ever doing this again. Dingo would have been a much better choice and if it's huge, which it won't be because they screwed up the schedule what about Ryan Hipwood who has charged Cloudbreak in the past?? Bastards
Fully agree Evo.
It shits me the way Reynolds obliterates section with his reckless and radical style.
The fact that he combines power, innovation, utter commitment to each turn as a complete entity in itself and a sense of abandon indicating a freedom of spirit unoppressed by the constraints of competition really makes me cringe.
Do you think he might actually be a zombie ?
They're pretty big in the arts these days, mainly motion pictures, and art imitates life doesn't it ?
I mean, I've never seen one personally , but that's not to say they don't exist
Or maybe it's just the fact that his personality isn't fully expressed by the limitations of the interviews portraying him to the public.
Sometimes media can fail to fully represent someone's persona.
For example, you can't surely be the grumpy, disenchanted whinger that you come across as on the internet.
Surely not ?
I'd press the "like" button if there was one for your comment Blowin!
Me too
Ease up blown! Reynolds has been given too many wildcards in the past and evo's just getting behind the fact that reynolds is getting preferential treatment from wsl. it's not fair play. like Free said, this smells of corrupt money scams
For sure Bob, it's a play to the masses - a populist notion with no merit based on his previous competitive history.
But it's ENTERTAINMENT. That is the true role of the WSL.
To make money by providing entertainment.
The notion of a serious platform for surfers to establish a hierarchy through competition is way down the list of priorities for Speaker et al.
Thus a populist notion that plays to the masses is exactly what the masses actually want.
Would you rather see Reynolds go apeshit at Cloudbreak and push the paradigms of surfing or see Bede go down to De Sousa in the final ?
Nothing against Bede or Desousa - they fucking rip.
PS Don't fret mate, Evo loves it.
He digs an opportunity to get abrasive.
Yeah Blown but Free pointed out WSL are playing money games behind closed doors and Free knows this shit and Stunet has the facts laid out here -- all these wildcards to reynolds.. I mean WTF WSL? It don't matter end of day they'll get shit waves no sponsors no interest no WSL - yew like Memla said go back to Rio.
What a bunch of sell outs at the WSL
There would have to be 50 blokes or more viable for this comp before anyone would pick Dane, what a joke
#go_away_dane
You gotta be kiddin me...... Dane is a ruler at solid reef breaks with attitude.
Just cos quiksilver decide not to cut out all the endos doesnt mean all the other pros never fall off. Get real. He will clean up any pro on the day with ease.
Natxo would charge .
If Dane's surfing I'm only watching if its pay to view.
The homepage blurb says he's only made the quarters once in his 10 wildcard events.
Isn't that (true but) a bit misleading on its own, given the one time he made the quarters he actually made the semis and, well, the final too? France 2012?
Walter -- Stunet gave us an accurate summation of Dane and wildcards, don't try and hype it up. What WSL 's doing is all wrong.
And Walter, I do not find it at all misleading, Stunett has presented the facts! An Aussie like jack Robinson should be afforded that wildcard.
get facts right, ' so has no form on the board at that particular spot', Dane made his own movie 'loaded' featuring him surfing Cloudbreak....
The article is about competition, and the word 'form', as in form guide, also refers to competition, so in that context I'd say he has no form on the board despite having surfed it before.
Exactly Ollylc, we always do get the facts researched from Stunet, another great read Stu.... --- serious WSL??? If you had to give to a USA why not give to Bobby Martinez? Should be Aussie guy regardless
Pisser Bob imagine getting Bobby out and about in the WSL - now that is entertainment.
The wsl has won, we're all talking about Dane, everybody wants to know how he'll go. Marketing 1 o 1
Blowin of course I am the person you described and just loving it.
And I still think his surfing is rubbish but maybe just maybe im
just to old to appreciate it. I just don't understand the hype and
this day and age with corporate $$$ involved you are required to
be the full package in and out of the surf. He is a moron.
Evo, I know you're gonna hate this love in but....Appreciation of surfing is subjective - if you don't like his surfing so be it.
Might be an age thing, might not. Who's surfing do you enjoy out of the current crop , if anyone ?
Regards modern surfing requiring the full package - fuck that.
Surfing is surfing.
It's not statesmanship.
I even suggested Clay Marzo and he's as effusive as a house brick .
But his surfing makes my mind soar.
Blowen, you ollylc and walter I think are living in the past. Stu did the numbers and this is blatant preferential treatment of a guy no longer up to it and Free again figured out what WSL is trying to achieve. This is a sham, should be jack robinson or some other aussie or bobby martinez.
I'd sit through all his shitty heats again just for the chance to see one explosive move and even if he bombs out, as per usual, I'll still be lining up again for his next chance.
Should be that Flying Squirrel girl from the Goldy .
Bob'll gobble your knob for 2 bob - living in the past ?
Do you recall that turn Reynolds did at Haliewa a couple of years ago ?
It's yet to be equaled.
And that's his old material.
His new shit will make the couple of neurons that make up your feeble mind collide and create the diametric opposite of the Big Bang.....a disturbance in the force so small that Yoda wouldn't notice at two paces.
Blowin, please keep this civil.
Haliewa was a couple of years ago - time flies for surfers like Dane. Stu laid out the facts for us and converted it to FORM - he researched it and Danes no good as a wildcard and Freerider worked out why WSL does this shit.
If it's not pay to view I won't be watching any of Dane's heats and there'll likely be not many of them anyway!
WSL = desperate
Ricardo Christie should be a real chance in Fiji because it’s as close to local waters as the champion Kiwi will get BUT, we think he has no chance because he’s Kiwi and from marketing and future sponsor potential for WSL he therefore will not win any WSL contest this year. And does Freeride highlight It’s all about numbers and cash out of Brazil and USA? NZ doesn’t count on any front so bad luck Ricardo and good luck Reynolds except not even luck will help Reynolds because Stu has analysed the FORM and exactly like a racehorse running the FORM says he’s going to finish last again. Take note of all this Blown/Walter/Memla and Ollylc and any other doubters.
This FORM guide that Stu has revealed is interesting. I've applied it to Christie and his FORM is 25 , 25, 13 and 5! I'm going to talk to a racehorse friend who follows the FORM and I'll bet he'll look at those numbers and say - "ready to win". Problem for him, he don't know about the NZ bias thing and no sponsors and money but regardless, Stu is onto something with the FORM guide.
You can see how I'd be confused.
bob, go wash the sand out of your vagina mate. You'll feel so much less irritated.
Scrady
Jay Davies
Tai Graham
Clay Marzo
Rye Craike
Conner Coffin
Alex Gray
Jamie O'brien
Ando
Jim Banks
....there's a massive list of people I would like to see surfing at cloudbreak before I tune in to see Dane do one turn and then huff and puff his way back to the top of the lineup looking like a pre-come back Occy or a Fat Elvis wanna be...fuck imagine how good it would be too see Jim Banks school the top 44 if it got big
Bit late but...." Call of the wildcard "- nice work Stunet.
Dane Reynolds doesn't pose a real threat and WSL think he's gunna boost viewing, so in their eyes it's a winner. If they wanted a real "wild" card and an American, Chris Ward would have been a good choice, or as others have said Jay Davies, who showed up quite a few at MR
Can't we give it to Medina? He could do with the extra points.
At least Blowin keeps it civil!
Give it to JOB on his Walmart/Costco board - same result probably. Dane's Free surfing is brilliant but I'd like to see someone completely from left field if the WSL's going down that path. Rob Machado comes to mind. Australian Born, American Bred. He's only 41. I'd watch just to see what his hair looks like and he'd donate any prize money to charity. There's a bit of insight about theses sort of decisions. Google his name and wild card.
How did that vaginal flush go 2bob - still irritated?
Slater short price favorite at $5, theres no odds on Dane yet. Be 100/1 I think.
I'm actually surprised at Slater being favourite. FORM looks like 13,9,5,13 but I guess his history at the venue, which as Stu pointed out is only relevant form at venue in contest is good. FORM for Kolohe Andino at 13, 13,25,25 is shocking and maybe his form would improve if he was gelded? - Free would maybe know better about that?
hahaha, you might be right there Bob.
I think we'll need a forecast before dropping any kind of form guide.
How'd you go having a word with that racehorse you know Bob ?
Apparently the producers got Mr Ed to get mouthy by a thick application of peanut butter to his gums.
According to rumour , a girl from a school a few districts away from mine discovered that German shepherds could be manipulated in a similar manner but to a different end.
I've since heard that her and the Shepherd are still together and continue to support each other in their unconventional relationship.
And good on them
Love will always find a way .
PS Owen Wright or Gabriel Medina for the win.
Is this the same German Shepherd that gets its nails clipped twice a week?
Good story and I don't doubt it Blowin but prefer to stick to the topics of Reynolds and FORM. I agree Free, the forecast is key and my punter mate advises that type of thinking has synergy to Track conditions and it's key to the results. We're being sexist not talking about the chicks and the wildcards there are an emerging youngster from Hawaii who has form but on the forecast I'm going for Tyler Wright. Can i bet on her?
Sorry about the confusion Bob, but you actually referred to your punter mate as a racehorse friend in your previous post.
So , your talking about a human that attends horse racing competitions and not an actual equine competitor ?
My mistake.
Carry on.
Yes, my bad grammar - I think sometimes, actually more often than not it pays to read between the lines on these forums.
My punter mate is human and he's analysed Stu's revelation on FORM and while he's not convinced he definitely thinks Stu might be "on the money" - we're going to place bets to test Stu's theory and I still find it hard to go past the Christie FORM 25 25 13 5 but the payout needs to be good but Free's advice on waiting for conditions forecast has been taken on board so we'll wait to bet on the men...can we bet women and Tyler? . The Reynolds wildcard is just a WSL disgrace to the entire field.
Brazzer dominance = end of pro surfing as a global competition and the greater increase in free surfers being invited.
I feel a bit of a connection with this article, I too consider myself a bit of a wild card
WSL reporting Jay Davies is in with Simpson out to injury....
Question. Does that mean the heats get re-done.
ie I mean reseeded. Jay Davies is 28th in the world ahead of Kohole and 5 other surfers in the event?
MY PRAYERS GOT ANSWERED....
Go Jay!
Trials winner, WSL wildcard and now 3 injury replacements. Is this a record number of wildcards?
Any idea who the 5th wildcard is going to be?
well thats good news. Jay will do justice to Cloudbreak.
Go the big brute !
Can Stu give us some FORM on Davies? especially seeing he also hasn't surfed a contest situation at Cloudbreak which is as per Dane? I look forward to this, before I start placing the bets.
And the winner will be ... Hobgobblin Hobgood
geez you giving it a good crack Bob. Have you got any stirrers left? They must be getting pretty worn out. I wish you would get that vagina cleanser, it's bloody fishy what you are pushing out.
Form is on the up for Jay Davies 5th at Margs and a 9th in Keramas. So his small wave game is on point too...which by the look of the forecast is what he will need, unless they bring the comp forward by two days which is on the cards
Hobgoods FORM reads 25,25,25,25! My punter mate looked deeper and reckons despite history at the venue he's still no good and on the basis of age he actually should retire immediately. How is he still competing at this level?
Got a spot in Jbay also?
Parko would kill for Reynolds backhand bottom turns....like a V8 strapped to the back of the board. Give me Dane rather than some bore, sorry guys thinking like Jack Freestone, he is so over rated....just saying. He is the Micthell Moses of Australian surfing.
Yes I tend to agree hover. He is one of those guys who is technically competent at everything but has no stand out strength. Dane is amazing to watch when he is on just out there. Jack is very forgettable really looks like a contest machine and quite mechanical. At that level you really need something extra to set yourself apart otherwise you are just making up the numbers.
Yeah stoked to see Dane get another wildcard even if its to see Evo flare up again !
This is bullshit - gifted another wildcard at the expense of an Aussie. What's going on Stu? Please bring up the FORM like you did at Fiji? This is WSL at work I'm telling you.
Which Aussie would you like to see in there ?
Jack Robinson is more worthy. Read Stu's well researched FORM on Reynolds. It's not right that he gets wildcards.
It seems to me like the WSL are forcing these wildcards on Dane in order to give him the points to qualify for the tour.
With Dane on tour they would attract way more fans IMO.
I agree ABC_ did the original article here get altered for some reason? As Pottz might say - wow!