RealSurf Surfers' Forum

WSL have just announced changes to the 2021 tour, world champ determined on on finals day, qs tour now in regions and challenger series at start of the year before the world tour starts.

Wonder what this means for Gold Coast and Bells events. Will they drop back to QS/Challenger status?? Surely the WSL still wants our tax payer money.

umm ledtool! pro surfing fanatic!

I think you'll find the Challenger thing will shift to the end of the year, not the beginning. The CT will focus on six months through mid year. The WSL are v shifty on what happens to Pipe in this scenario but don't be surprised if they pull off the switcheroo they were trying for in 2017.

Like: I dunno how they would sell a Pipe Masters just for the top 8 men and women to the Pipe locals.

Media story from the SMH with quotes..............dominate the world they say

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/surfing-un ... 54nvk.html

Nick Carroll wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:30 am

umm ledtool! pro surfing fanatic!

I think you'll find the Challenger thing will shift to the end of the year, not the beginning. The CT will focus on six months through mid year. The WSL are v shifty on what happens to Pipe in this scenario but don't be surprised if they pull off the switcheroo they were trying for in 2017.

That’s Pro surfing fanatic AND stupid headline commenter Nick. I’m complex.

So challenger series change would more likely change to end of 2021 as surely no events will run this year with all of the border/quarantine restrictions.

Yeah the way it'd most likely work is: CT from late Feb to Sept/Oct, then Challengers Sept/Oct to Triple Crown.

None of this is in 2020. There are many stumbling blocks between now and then. But the WSL was talking about this - a 2021 re-boot -- as far back as Sept last year. They had this idea that it would be a natural post-Olympics segue. Then Dirk watched that amazing last day at Pipe back in Dec and went "come on you idiots, turn this thing into a Showdown". Or words to that effect.

Stu Nettle on Swellnet made the point that this appeared during the video.



If accurate,
“There are 12 gaps, ostensibly indicating the CT begins in mid-April.
Considering Easter can be as early as March 22nd, that puts a question mark over the inclusion of Bells in their forward plans. Snapper too, for that matter.”

That graph doesn’t say it’s in the calendar year though so Nicks idea could still work. So pipe might be first event in Jan like they tried to do few years ago?

Oh yeah, that makes sense.

Over55yrs wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:11 am

Media story from the SMH with quotes..............dominate the world they say

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/surfing-un ... 54nvk.html

christ, that took credulity to new levels, apart from the last paragraph.
The non answer was telling.

ledtool wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:02 am

That graph doesn’t say it’s in the calendar year though so Nicks idea could still work. So pipe might be first event in Jan like they tried to do few years ago?

Yep. They're deliberately being non specific at present. Last time they tried to switch things a bit, they put out this v specific timetable of how it would work then got shot to bits when it wouldn't fit together right.

So this time they're being less specific, just making a broad announcement then working down to details etc behind the scenes.

They are probably also watching the public reaction/response v closely to see if someone has a small yet brilliant idea to add to the pot.

Okay, so segueing slightly, but remaining in the realm of surf tours ... what about the surf travel companies, how are they going to fare?

I was contemplating World Surfaris in particular, who must be in a world of pain right now. Considering all their income is derived from surf and ski packages which would be 99% overseas travel. They'd be holding a fair amount in deposits too, which is cash they can't (or shouldn't) use to pay other expenses and they would (or did) have at least 10 staff members to look after. Overseas travel is going to be off the agenda for quite a few months to come, and even then people will probably be less inclined to go. The domestic market wouldn't really be viable. Its a good bet that they will need to downsize to ride it out, but there isn't much blue sky on the horizon.

Yep very tough.

The travel cos were ahead of the curve response-wise as were many of their customers, who were calling and asking to postpone trips to Indo etc way back in January. Other customers were more stoic, or maybe hopeful that the world's govts would not shut down travel the way they have, and thus would leave some of the world's great surf zones open yet super uncrowded. That dream died in March.

Travel co people I've spoken to are ready to ride it out, they feel that business will come back quite strongly on the back end. It's more -- what will the places they've sold tickets to look like on the other side? Not every country will come out of this looking as rosy as we will.