Billabong Pipe Masters 2013 Surf Forecast
Last week the North Shore lit up under a large north-westerly groundswell. Sunset Beach pumped for the World Cup of Surfing while second reef bombs unloaded at Pipe in preparation for the Billabong Pipeline Masters.
Once again the World Title race has come down to the final event, yet between the two contenders Mick Fanning is in the box seat, a huge 7,000 points ahead of Kelly Slater. Most opinions fall as such: if the swell is large Kelly's odds increase, however if it's only small-to-medium Pipe (and Backdoor) the odds swing massively in favour of Fanning.
So what's in store for the waiting period?
We're not going to see anything as big as last Friday, but the first couple of days should see competition getting underway with a couple of pulses of moderate N/NW groundswell.
Since last week's swell there's been no notable storms forming in Hawaii's swell window, but a broad and deep low is forecast to develop between the North Shore and the Aleutian Islands during tomorrow.
The only issue with this storm is that it'll retract away from Hawaii and towards the Aleutians as it intensifies (above right), which will prevent the swell reaching any significant size.
Still, we should see an initial pulse of N/NW groundswell for the first day of the waiting period, peaking to 6 foot with 8 foot bombs. A secondary, less consistent, pulse is then due Monday afternoon as the low stalls off the Aleutians
during the weekend, keeping 5-6 foot+ waves across North Shore. A slow drop in size is then expected through Tuesday and further through Wednesday.
Surface conditions during the first day of the waiting period and first pulse of swell will be favourable with light to moderate winds from the south. A return to weak trades is then expected through Monday and Tuesday.
Not much is on the cards for the middle of the waiting period, and the models diverge regarding the second half. The European global forecasting model is showing the possibility of a medium to large swell from a deepening storm north-west of the Hawaiian Islands, while the American models are showing nothing of significance.
With this in mind, we'll provide running updates on the swell outlook later in the waiting period in the comments below.
You can also follow the North Shore forecast updates here: North Shore Forecast
Comments
After a super typhoon season its all quiet on the Western Pacific front - nothing for Ppass, PNG or the whole eastern seaboard.
Overlapping heats can they wrap it up in 2.5 days???
Whilst I agree with this strategy, it still puts the final and potentially the world title decider in very average waves (Hawaii average I mean). As I said in the other thread, it would be a very very sad day if the world title was decided based on the lack of waves, as opposed to the best surfer.
There is a history of running the finals day in less than average conditions. Kelly was funing when the final day was called on in 2011. Later in that waiting period there was 2 days of flawless pipe.
Love the signature Mick!
Ace is out, does anyone know when is the draw up? Fanning will have lowest ranked surfer plus wildcard Pipe specialist
Here you go Mick:
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) vs. Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Joel Centeio (HAW)
Heat 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Marcus Hickman (HAW)
Heat 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Kaimana Jaquias (HAW)
Heat 5: Yadin Nicol (AUS) vs. Kahea Hart (HAW)
Heat 6: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 7: Dusty Payne (HAW) vs. Reef McIntosh (HAW)
Heat 8: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Olamana Eleogram (HAW)
Heat 9: Mitch Crews (AUS) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 10: Granger Larsen (HAW) vs. Kalani Chapman (HAW)
Heat 11: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 12: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS)
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Adam Melling (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. TBD
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 5: John John Florence (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBD
Thanks Stu forgot the top seeds drop into Round 3.
Draw is stacked against Kelly. He will have Kerzy, parko, bourez and Otton to get through. with John John the real danger in Mick's half of the draw.
Good to see Dorian getting a wildcard too.
Making an assumption but the winner of heat 1 moves onto next round same heat ie So Mick will have in either Raoni, Wilkinson or Bruce Irons in his match up heat 6, round 3???? Questions questions
Looks like they'll try and wrap this up in the first 4-5 days of the waiting period. They should push for overlapping heats IMO, particularly given the swell for Sunday and Monday. That way the finals have a chance of being in something half decent.
What's your forecast Don??
btw Swellnet's long range is picking up a 6-10 foot day on the 15th from the NW.
craig is pipe forecast still on track ? any major changes to the swell size/direction.
Yep, still as expected, but that secondary pulse looks to be more for Tuesday now. Also, if they don't finish in the coming 3 days, there's a similar N/NW swell on the cards for next weekend.
its started.
http://www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2013/live
Did the swell for today come in under forecast expectations? I seem to recall surflines forecast from a few days ago was for triple overhead today. Can't say I saw any of these in this mornings footage.
If today is the peak of the swell then god help the finals if they run them on Tuesday/Wed.
I can't recall Surfline's forecast, but it's come in bang on our expectations today "peaking to 6 foot with 8 foot bombs"
Don, it looks like the event will be saved - that triple overhead is forecast for this Friday Saturday. Primo direction too. Very contestable waves today, peaking with Medina's flogging of Bruce Irons. A lot of north in swell I think so some heats missed out on waves, especially at low tide when waves just stopped. Good highlights real though.
Craig, whats the stats for the swell on Friday / Saturday. Looks like perfect winds forecast at this stage.
Friday arvo upgraded again now peaking four times overhead
Forecast update:
While yesterday's pulse came in as expected, the reinforcing pulse of N/NW groundswell for later today has now been pushed back to tomorrow morning and downgraded to 3-5ft.
The outlook for this weekend is looking much better though with a cut-off low expected to deepen rapidly north-west of Hawaii during the second half of this week. A fetch of severe-gale north-west winds will be projected towards the North Shore generating a large north-west groundswell that's expected to build late Friday and peak in the 10ft range Saturday.
The swell should then ease from 6-8ft Sunday morning with much smaller surf expected into Monday.
Winds are forecast to be offshore Saturday and from the E/SE, while Sunday should see more variable winds from the south.
With the overlapping heats they should finish the competition through the weekend, although if something goes awry there is another swell on the cards for the last two days of the waiting period.
So what's the chances they run overlapping Rd 3 Friday arvo and then the remaining heats/finals in the mackin 10ft Saturday swell?
So by 10ft, I assume we're talking about it breaking on 2nd reef?
Probably but that's a broad generalisation, there's a lot of variables that come into play which I'm not fully across but others maybe? Such as swell period/direction etc.
Current forecasts for Saturday look to be a few feet down (and slightly lower swell period) on the big Black Friday swell from a few weeks ago. Similar swell directions though. Current forecasts also have the peak occuring overnight Friday, which is a shame.
Yeah, still moving around a little, should sure up this evening.
Surfline just put up their official forecast. Here friday sat
FRIDAY 13th: Watching for a possible new/solid NW swell to build in and peak late Friday night
SWELL/SURF: Potential for a new NW swell to build in with well overhead sets rising up for Pipe/Backdoor before end of day, starting small early and biggest late. Increasing confidence as models are becoming tighter on agreement. Still pending development over the next 48hrs.
WIND/WEATHER: Light+ ESE wind. Partly to mostly cloudy skies.
SATURDAY 14th: Watching for a possible new/solid NW swell to show
SWELL/SURF: Possible solid NW swell offering double to triple overhead+ sets at Pipe (10-15'+ faces). Biggest early with a slow ease through the day. Still pending development over the next 48hrs.
WIND/WEATHER: Light+ ESE-SE wind. Mostly cloudy skies, chance for passing rain showers.
SWELL/SURF OUTLOOK
Surf will bump back up some for Tuesday, off a mix of reinforcing/primary NNW swell (335-350°) and secondary WNW swell (295-305°). Buoys have been on the rise, so its coming. Look for overhead up to double overhead+ sets to show at Pipe/Backdoor on Tuesday. This energy will then gradually subside through Wed/Thurs.
Models are starting to jive a little better on the development of a fairly strong storm over the central NPAC through the next 48hrs. However, one of the negative factors about this system is that is looks to track away, rather then toward Hawaii (a pulled punch, if you will). Nonetheless, if this behaves as currently forecast, then we'll see a good shot of NW swell (305-335°) build in over Friday the 13th, potentially with well overhead sets rising up for Pipe before dark. This swell would then peak late Friday night before easing through the weekend, and gradually shifting from NW to NNW. Again, this is still pending development, and we'll be watching the progress of this closely.
Further out; long-range models indicate more storm activity may soon develop out near the western rim of the NW Pacific over the next several days. Therefore, things are looking promising for around the 18th-20th+ time period.
Looks like we're heading for a big finish to the title and the Pipe Masters this Saturday (Sunday Australian time).
The large NW groundswell is still on track to peak in the 10ft range and they should finish off the remaining heats within the day.
Should be great viewing!
Damn, will be away from technology Fri-Sunday.
Oh well, Heat analyser when I get back.
Hope it goes down to the wire.
According to SN forecast, 3m+ at 14 seconds with trades early so it will be perfect for Mick. He can win the title before Kelly even surfs . Winds then coming around with a little more S so should be perfect conditions for the finals day!
Theres a massive swell on the way mid week too
Won't this swell size, direction and period actually favour Pipe over Backdoor? If so, won't that be a massive advantage to Kelly compared with Mick. Mick's not known for excelling in large surf on his backhand. And given Mick's up against a very good goofy who excels in large lefthanders, I reckon Kelly's gotta be rubbin his hands together right about now.
I agree, I think Kelly has the advantage in big Pipe but a bit more pressure.
For sure Don. Going to be a pretty amazing final day.
CJ is an awesome tuberider and he's not afraid to go the big ones. All or nothing for Mick for this one.
Swell has just hit Hawaii and we're looking good for solid 10-12ft Pipe tomorrow!!
Ted Grambeau just put this image up on instagram: http://instagram.com/p/h4ea75rZkL/
I see the ASP report says some 3rd reef wash throughs expected...................
This is one event I am actually looking forward to watching.
surfline pipe cam shows the swell steaming in 8ft+ already with 80 plus surfers in the water........tmoro may be cancelled due to size? anyone agree ?
craig ?
just watched a set break 500 metres out past the pack is that 3rd reef or beyond ?
close to low tide now........pipe beach will look very different tmoro morning at dawn with mega tons of sand being shifted thru the night.
Looks like occasional 10ft sets at second reef, may be a few capping at third reef too. The swell has done an impressive J-curve at the offshore wave buoy too (Wiamea).
I can't see tomorrow being cancelled due to size though. The swell will peak early and ease throughout the day. Will certainly be at the upper end of Pipe's size range (maybe some 12-15ft bombs early morning) but otherwise should level out at 10ft through lunchtime and into the afternoon.
If they wait til mid morning to alleviate the usual morning sickness and allow the swell to calm down a notch, can they still complete the event before sundown tomorrow?
They can't wait for it to calm down if there's no morning wobble from the winds.
15-foot pipe is where their pay cheques are earned.
15 ft pipe is a J.O.B. day........what a shame but im sure he'll be out there at dawn charging until the comp starts.
Wow how is that chart? The fore-runners at 20 secs.
5 hours of heats. Got to be on stand-by for 8am start. Winds are perfect. It will just get better and better.
It's Mick title to lose he gets two bites of the cherry.
so if they've only got 5 hrs of heats left then me thinks they may be delaying the start to even something past 9/9:30am.
Why does Mick get 2 bites of the cherry?
Well Mick's in box seat. If he wins both heats round 5 and qtr, he wins title. But if he loses Kelly still has to win qtr either sea bass or ottz and win semi against probably parko. So two bites was that reference
INCREDIBLE! How was Mick's last wave in his heat vs CJ - he got absolutely belted all heat and then scores a bomb with two minutes to go. Gotta keep my voice down so I don't wake the house but.. C'MON MICK!
Yeah , I was worried his mum was going to have a heart attack at some stage .
Same here , usually when I'm up before 5am - I'm leaving the house.
Not today though . Conditions should get EPIC as the period drops and it gets more consistant and slightly smaller . It would be poetic if Kelly and Mick could reach the Final . Although I'm unsure of the draw ???
... it was a pretty epic heat.
And the winner for most original supporter's singlet is (thanks Cussingman):
I hate comparing people. But shit. Seabass on his backhand, watching him manhandle the pipe barrel. At times it's like watching Andy.
Very slow heats though which is a little disappointing. Kelly will most likely keep busy early in his heat though me thinks. Might even see him go right.
I'm really enjoying it even though it is a little slow. It's much more strategic today because of the hit/miss nature of the swell across the reef.
It is pumping right now.
I think I just saw a yellow butterfly get barrelled at pipe.
Makes me think there's hope for me yet, if a freaking butterfly can get it done out there.
Bit slow atm.
Mick and Yadin just about to paddle out.
Just all adding to the tension.
But hows the waves? Phwoar!
How big is Mick's board? Looks almost like a 7'4 after the way he stepped back after that insane Backdoor barrel.
Go Yadin :P
Man, i'm crying too.
Fuck yeah Mick!!!
Congads mick...would have liked to see it continue..but guess he earnt it with that heat and last wave, now i just hope Kelly wins the contest and goes around another season.
Dont think kelly is having the best week http://surfeurope.mpora.com/features/news/slaters-boards-stolen-on-eve-o...
Wow, that was amazing. Really feel for Yadin though, he absolutely blitzed the heat. But Mick is the man of the moment for sure. Both times winning his Round 5 and Quarter Finals heats in the dying minutes in flawless Pipe. Quite the fairytale ending to the year.
Amazing what Mick Fanning went through to win the title in those two heats.
Ben interesting Surfline was on the webcast already writing off Thursdays swell as an Eddie swell.
Kelly looks pretty bummed
Yeah Mick I saw that interview with Kevin as well. I have a feeling this swell will fall just below Eddie size thresholds too.
Actually, it'll be useful to compare this system to the 2011 swell which I went over for (we filmed some Storm Surfers 3D stuff). Technically it reached the size threshold but was too inconsistent to run the comp (we were seeing 20-25ft sets at Wiamea but with forty minute gaps between 'em, which means mostly one set per heat).
Consistency is a major factor for the comp and the further the travel distance, the less consistent it'll be. Hence the preference for the storm to be 'east of the dateline'.
I was on oahu for this. Avalanches was firing. Good a good day following it at pipe & Aints was possibly even heavier (!)
I'm happy to take down the spot names but I think both of those are pretty obvious.
It has downgraded only a little so far on SN models.
Ben, freakish ability aside Kelly said this in an interview in Hawaii 2003.
"Well, in ten years I'll be forty, and hopefully I'll be right here surfing in the Pipe Masters final against John John."
Hooter blows game on
Yeah that is probably a model aberation.. you'll often see small upgrades and downgrades in the model data as it resolves towards the weather system actually forming. Should recalibrate back up into the 18-20ft range this afternoon.
An insane end to 2013.
What a crazy last 10 minutes.
Best day of pro surfing I've seen in years! Incredible action from go to whoa.
Yeah perfect scenario in a way...
Mick wins tittle in a great heat to come from behind with a sick late one.
Then what many consider the two best surfers in the world right now Kelly and JJF fight it out, slow start, but both show glimpses of perfect barrel riding..
And kelly takes the win.
Mick might have won the title through consistency this year, but there is no doubt kelly is still the best surfer on the planet and we have to remember he is 40+ now.
Personally i think he got ripped off once or twice this year in crap waves, but im a one eyed kelly fan, so off course I'm going to say that :P
Mick earned his win with consistency, but I gotta agree with you Indo. Kelly was clearly the best surfer in the world this year. His dominance in ultra-critical conditions at Cloudbreak and Pipe just reminded me of Australia playing Brazil in the soccer. When he gets focused, no one comes close. Which other sport can boast such a freak??
Some great waves in there and an absolutely incredible standard of surfing.......but how do you sell 25 minutes of bugger all in the final to a non-surfing audience. I watched a few minutes then put in on record and came back to fast forward to the waves. A huge percentage of the potential non-surfing audience they are so keen to market to would have just turned it off.
They also announced that Fuel TV will continue its coverage in 2014 which presumably means more tits and arse, more incoherent highlights packages, more cage fighting in the corner of the screen and a time slot between Lingerie Football and Pro Wresting. Oh Brave New World!
Dont know, but don't really care either, I like watching a little bit of pro surfing but, id be just as happy and wouldn't miss it if there was no such thing, to me surfing not something that can be judged, its rarely a clear cut thing.
I dont want to come off as some chandler hippy type, but the whole idea of competition in surfing for me is in conflict with what surfing is for me.
Like i love watching Kelly surf and as the Americans say i root for him, but i think its such a load of crap when people say he has done so much for surfing, like what?
I can agree with that indo . My point is the same one I keep making, that they're dreaming if they think there is a mass audience for surfing competition out there. It doesn't exist. What is hilarious from an outsider's perspective is the hyperbole. They raved about the crowd at Pipe but look at the footage, what was it? My estimate - a couple of thousand. They raved about the waves and there were a few gems but really a lot of the time it was sketchy and far from perfection. The only thing they got right was the standard of surfing which was beyond anything I have ever seen before.
Soccer. What is it a 90 minute game? 80 minutes of kick-to-kick, 10 minutes of runs at goal and the end result 1-0.
Biggest following in the world.
Comparing pro surfing to soccer is a bit of a stretch yocal.
1. It can and is played everywhere so a huge percentage of the worlds population have direct experience of it compared to...... for surfing.
2. It has a long history and is deeply connected to local cultures all over the world and surfing......
3. It is largely uninfluenced by the weather compared to........
4. Results from the weekend Premier League include 6-3 and 5-0
5. And as Bill Shankly said " It's not a matter of life and death, it's much more important than that!" and that's the level of passion it arouses. Surfing?
No dramas I was referring to the below quote, not trying to draw comparison to the sport in general:
bb: "but how do you sell 25 minutes of bugger all in the final to a non-surfing audience. I watched a few minutes then put in on record and came back to fast forward to the waves. A huge percentage of the potential non-surfing audience they are so keen to market to would have just turned it off."
Soccer is a good example. Non soccer fans would switch over to another channel just as quickly if they were watching kick-to-kick for 10 mins. Same deal as watching a slow heat. But anyone with half an interest is going to get involved in the suspense. Its sport, its competiton.
If soccer can retain such a big fan base on 10 minutes of action out of a 90 minute game then I can't see why you think surfing lacks enough action to retain a crowd of interested punters.
Yeah its something thats very hard to package its not like most sports where its non stop action, jet skis have helped to a degree getting the competitors back to the action at some breaks, but the time riding waves is still short and always will be, and huey always has the last say sometimes deciding to play the game and other times not.
It can look all good packaged up at the end of the day, but once you already know the results its kind of not the same.
I think Kelly got done up with some over zealous judging.
I don think Micks wave was the best in the heat, have to agree with Kelly on that, but well done Mick all the same.
Aloha.
I've only just watched the final replay. I wanted to watch it earlier, but when Zenny started bawlin' he got me going too, and I only just stopped a little while ago, and just managed to get the thing on. Rivetting action, endless minutes of two guys sitting, floating, bobbing. Every emotion stretched, sleep, wakeup, cry, sleep, wakeup, cry, thank God for whales! Then mid way through a rivetting commentatory chat, just when I was getting into it, Slater had the nerve to catch a wave, not make it, and interrupt the commentators! Tears! Back to the hyping, pumping chat... nightmares, clippings, boards left behind, 25 mins in, 4 waves, none made, attachings, airbornes, clampings, potentials, nil all, funkity, trickity. Finally another, this time truly amasing surfing highlight, I quote, a 'huge human being' was spotted in the area... I knew I should've been there, I could have been famous! That was it, the tears just exploded out, and I switched it off, deserting Zenny in the tear fest.
I'm still a little bit stunned by it all, so, what were we actually crying about Zenny?
I was crying because I've missed you ya' big lug.
Hey what can I say? I'm an emotional guy. I put the 'E' in empathy.
Now, don't you have some kittens to drown or something?
Tears of joy apparently uppy. Didn't go there myself but I can understand how a SNAG like yourself might have got carried away by the news. Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi and all that.
Just watched the highlights, missed most of it as I was out diving, looked like an amazing day of surfing, some insane barrels!
was really looking forward to watching this live...damn work got in the way. Great year and ending for mick...most consistent for years now...I think joel was underscored in the semi...still would have lost...but underscored from typical judging through the day...JJ is really proving himself on every stage now, and he's what 19-20 something?..gonna be a real influence, and probably the next world class poster boy for surfing. Some ones gotta take over from Kelly... as long as he doesn't fuck up tiger woods style or worse. Gotta say though, commentary in the semis was great, Occy and some american I didn't catch the name of. Lively, rising with the performances, sorta interesting things to say during the lulls, to then have the final commentated by a pair of flat aussies that sounded like they were watching a round of 128! They had some reasonable things to say, but the whole excitement of the final was nowhere to be heard
What a day! Amazing stuff all 'round with three different champions all surfing in the final heats: world champ, Pipe champ, and Triple Crown champ, with Pipeline about as perfect as it gets. For an hour or two when the wind was light SE it simply couldn't break any better.
Seemed to me a good send off as pro surfing now heads into its Year Zero under the auspices of ZoSea. Hopefully the movers and shakers can see what surfing needs (good waves, high drama) and what it doesn't (too many to single out).
when JJF had come out of his last barrel going right and if..... he layed a full gouging roundhouse cutback or a layback snap which he had room to do......would that have given him a score higher to win that final ?
Not much outside the barrel gets scored at Pipe. Would've had to have been something very special. Think about Gab Medina's early round alley oop; that came after a long running pit, was fully rotated, no grab, clean landing, and just 9.00 points.
Would've got a very similar score for just the barrel.
I cant get my head wrapped around the Mick / Yadin heat.
Who won it? If Yadin had pulled into the end section would he have got a ten on his high scorer?
Was Micks backdoor wave better then Yadins back up?
That heat was so close and hard to call.
I think Mick fading 2nd reef pipe to set up an epically deep barrel, is what clinches the heat for me.
But yeah reecen, the judges were measuring one-1000ths to find a winner there. Either Yades or MF winning the heat, you couldn't have a problem with.
Probably if anything, that heat highlights the fact we need to go back to the 3-wave scoring system.
Taj & Yadin had identical scores and had to go on a countback. This heat with Yadin and Mick is another good example where measuring/ counting a third wave would make results much more clear-cut.
It certainly adds an element of disappointment to a result that should otherwise be nothing but elation for Fanning (and Aussies).
I was going for Fanning 100% but when I watched the heat I felt a little hollow afterwards.
To close to call comfortably and the consequence's were pretty major for all involved.
I think the main reason we're all talking about Yades & MF is; Mick's Semi final performance.
He had his pants pulled down by John John and what it did is demonstrate the gulf of talent between Kelly, then John John and then Mick (and everyone else.)
Mick is clearly an inferior surfer compared to JJF & Kelly. Yet here he is, world title winner.
The entire ranking system does seem flawed.
Parko and Fanning can win back to back world titles between them with only one event win each in their title years.
Meanwhile Kelly has six event wins over the same period and always -- when healthy -- is a cut above everyone else.
... The title "World Champion" doesn't quite seem fitting.
More weight given (via points) to event wins would be an easy fix, would it not?
I don't want to get into straight out comparisons of the three surfers but I totally agree with you on the points system. For years I've thought they have an arse about points system. Obviously it's a subjective thing as to what to value most, and right now they put consistent performance through the year above outright winning. That's fair enough, it's their perogative after all. But I agree with you and think the wins should be worth more. It seems crazy that the guy who made four finals and won three, comes second to the guy who made two finals and won one of them.
But having said that, well done to Mick for this year! Regardless of the scoring system, it takes a bloody great surfer to win the title, and an even better one to win three.
Yeah credit where it's due, no kook has ever won the world tour.