Everyone can agree that everything related to surf is pretty cool. So are surf competitions. They’re fun to watch, they connect us to our surfing inspirations and it’s pretty nice to see people killing it at what they do best. But if you’re new to the world of surfing, understanding how the competition world works can be quite confusing. That is why I want to break it down for you. That way, the next time you’re watching a competition and everyone around you is talking about heats, priorities or wildcards, you will actually know what the heck they’re talking about. Let’s do it.
In the Water: Heats, Priorities and Scores – how do they work?!
Surf competitions always work more or less the same way, either it is a big international event or a national one. Basically, there are heats that a surfer needs to pass in order to move on to the next round.
A heat consists of 2 to 4 surfers at the same time in a pre-determined competition zone. Surfers have between 20 to 30 minutes (the duration of the heat depends on the type of competition) to catch the best waves possible. Every wave they catch is rated on a ten-point scale by a panel of judges and only the two best waves of each surfer is counted, giving them a score on 20. So if a surfer gets a 20/20 it would mean that he had two perfect waves and he’s doing fucking awesome 😉 But it’s not common!
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Every surfer has a lycra of a different color. When the heat starts, there is no priority which means the competitors can catch a wave with the same system of priority as a free style session. When one surfer takes his first wave, he then has second priority (if it’s a man to man / woman to woman heat) or fourth (if they’re 4 competitors). This means that, even if after coming back from his wave, he finds himself in the inside for the next wave, if the other competitor choose to go for it, he shouldn’t go because the first priority would be to the other one. If he goes anyway, he would receive an interference penalty (we will see that further). Also, if a surfer paddle for a wave, even if he decide not to go or if the wave is not taking him he would “loose” priority, meaning that the other would now have priority. Surfers know the order of priority by looking to the judge panel where there are some square with the same colors as their lycra and a number next to it (1 for 1st priority, 2 for 2nd priority etc.).
The surfers that get the best results get to move on to the next round. And so on, until the finals. When it’s a heat of 4 surfers, the 2 first one get to go to the next round. When it’s a man to man/woman to woman heat (2 surfers), the first one moves on and the second gets eliminated.
Wave Scoring
The wave scoring is done with five quality levels in mind: 0-1.9 (Poor), 2-3.9 (Fair), 4-5.9 (Average), 6-7.9 (Good), 8–10 (Excellent). The judges analyze the following major elements when they are evaluating a surfer’s wave:
1. Commitment and degree of difficulty
2. Innovative and progressive manoeuvres
3. Combination of major manoeuvres
4. Variety of manoeuvres
5. Speed, power and flow
You’ll understand that the surfers need to choose their waves wisely because it’s not about the quantity of wave they catch but the quality.
An Example of a perfect 10: Italo Ferreira during the 2018 Corona Bali Protected.
Factors judges have to consider when scoring a contest:
– Level and category or surfers – Open professionals are scored much harsher than say under 12 mini-grommets
– Type of wave – A wave like Pipeline, Hawaii will score barrels higher then, say, an air-show wave like Trestles, California.
– Quality of waves that day – A scale has to be determined based on what is possible according to the waves that particular day.
– Individual heats – Since ocean conditions are constantly changing the scale has to be adjusted for each heat.
– Length of each heat – What can be achieved in a set limited time frame.
Dropping-in, Interference and Tactics
If ever a surfer drops in on someone (there’s an other surfer catching the wave on the inside or the other one has priority and he goes anyway), the judges take away half of the points of its second best wave. We call that “interference”. Sometimes, the surfer that is losing the heat can try to make his rival do an interference in order to make him lose points. Surf contests are a dice game. The best surfer doesn’t always come out with the trophy because there are too many variables at stake. There’s a lot of heat tactics that surfers can use so it’s not just about being a good surfer, they also need to be super competitive!
Becoming a Surfing World Champion
Today, the main surfing competitions organized on a global scale are those of the World Surfing League (WSL), the International Surfing Association (ISA), and the Olympic Games. These are high-level circuits where many professional athletes make a living through prize money and, more importantly, through sponsorships. Of course, there are also many regional and national competitions for amateurs looking to climb the ranks to professional levels.
The Championship Tour (CT)
The most prestigious and widely followed circuit is the Championship Tour, commonly known as the CT, organized by the WSL. This circuit currently features 36 male surfers and 18 female surfers competing in shortboard categories. This surfing elite participates throughout the year in a series of events with prize money at stake. They travel from continent to continent to surf some of the world’s most famous waves, reserved for them for a few days, competing for the prestigious title of surfing world champion.
The road to qualifying for the Championship Tour is long and rather complicated. The qualification circuit is called the WSL Qualifying Series (QS) and also includes the Challenger Series events. It operates with an annual points system per event and ranking, allowing the top ten male surfers and top five female surfers from the QS to earn a place on the CT for the following season.
It’s worth noting that there are many parallel circuits just as fascinating: the Junior Tour, the Longboard Tour, SUP competitions, masters, invitation-only events for XXL big waves, and more!
See current rankings for the CT here.
The World Surfing Games
There are also major competitions organized by the ISA (International Surfing Association) that do not offer prize money but instead focus on personal honors and medals for their country.
The World Surfing Games are the largest global competition in terms of participants and take place in a different country each year. Each country can send a team of three men and three women, where it is possible to win both individually and as a team.
ISA-organized events play a crucial role in qualifying for the Olympic Games. Additionally, they offer a great opportunity for athletes from all countries to gain recognition and, ideally, secure sponsorships.
With this fresh information in mind, you can now follow your favourite surfers as big league events are always being broadcasted live online !… only this time with some actual clue what the frick is going on. 🙂
>> 8-Day Surf & Yoga Trips for Women
>> Surf Inspired Workouts to do at Home