The trials are done, the forecast is coming into focus and the metrics have been updated; let’s do this: Conditions The WSL forecast doesn’t looks fantastic. There is the potential for the WSL to run the first few rounds on a mild-mannered SSW swell in the first 3 days, possibly getting us past R4 if … Read more
Tahiti now has the unenviable task of following a truly epic J-Bay contest; one that provided a spectacle for fans and managed to raise many surfers’ AHS for 2017. Mind you, Tahiti can wow fans with the best of them. The success of this contest will depend on the conditions, just like your fantasy team. … Read more
Image: Gabe attempting some mid-heat spray intimidation against Slater in 2015 (Kelly won the quarter-final) Fiji feels like a season ago, no? JBay is a world away from tropical Fiji, a fact which the the stats reflect quite clearly. Let’s don the neoprene, stretch the quads and test our mettle against the wild southern point-break. … Read more
Hey fellow Surf Statisticians, You may have noticed (the 12 of you who read them) that the contest review for Fiji was M.I.A. Yeah, sorry about that. SS is a one-man-show these days, with little other than a love of surfing and a few rad-as-hell donors keeping me going. Which is fine; I wouldn’t be … Read more
Image: our projected Fiji Pro champion threading the south Pacific needle The girls are (nearly) done and dusted and the scene is set for event 5 of the Championship Tour. There’s something exciting about a Fiji contest; it’s guaranteed to throw up at least one talk-of-the-line-up heat each year (remember Taj’s farewell in 2016?). Warm … Read more
Image: Owen Wright on his way to another perfect 10 at the 2015 event All projections and stats are taken from 2014-2017 WSL contest data. Some 2017 rookies include data from previous WSL events, but many do not have relevant results in significant categories, including data for this particular venue. Their modelling is much less … Read more
Rant The purpose of the first few pages in a story is to get the reader hooked. Australia served that purpose well in 2017 with its (mostly) good waves and excellent surfing. Usually the next part of the narrative arc requires some background or character development; a context through which the mounting tension can be … Read more
Ok, who had JJF last event? It’s hard to think of any other surfer coming into Bells, but you need a team of 8 so let’s get cracking… Conditions Coastalwatch were kind enough to fill the void left by the WSL’s forecasting department by dropping this excellent piece detailing all of the various breaks on … Read more
These projections and statistics use the 2014-2017 contest data. 2017 rookies include some data from previous WSL events where applicable and some data from the 2016 WQS. This means that they have much less reliable modelling and have skewed projections due to their averages being heavily influenced by their small sample size. Many also have … Read more
The West is Wild. “I love surfing this break, and just going fast and doing big turns.” And didn’t he just? You know: go fast, and do big turns. That’s exactly what John John did; and by gosh, he did it well. I don’t remember those turns for a few years back, but we can … Read more