Top Dogs
Mick is one of those guys who loves being an underdog and knows how to win
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Posted by Damo @ 7:34 pm
34 Responses
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August 11th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
the Arizona cardinals made it to the super bowl last year!
who doesn’t love an underdog
thats life thats sport
August 11th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
top 16 with 8 ft. barrels on a beach that never breaks more than 4 feet.
August 11th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I like the idea of 28.. all sports allow for the underdog factor…
on the other hand… most sports become much more interesting when the playoffs come around.
maybe best of both.. a top 14 with a qualifying round/wild cards of top 2 surfers out of 28. leading to a top 16 contest.
August 11th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
definitely say 28, i love watching the underdogs, and its okay to have a couple sleeper heats, as long as there aren’t as many as with the regular 45 plus wild cards… gotta love the Cinderella story
August 11th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
28 guys but a totally different format…you have one initial draw where each surfer will surf twice against the guy he got in the draw, the first time in a whatever beach he chooses from the country he represents (home match) and the second heat in the beach the other surfer picks from his own country (away match)..of course the heats would have to be 55 minutes long at least…a mix between the soccer world cup and the uefa champions league format….actually it could be like a world cup of surfing held every 3 years…but a lot cooler than the ISA world surfing games just held in costa rica.. those kinda sucked…..congrats to jeremy though
August 12th, 2009 at 3:47 am
…a contest with top 16 with no sleeper heats ???? sure they´ll be less than with teh top 28 but it will happen for sure.
Top 28 looks great, forget rounds 1 and 2, put Tavarua back on, a stop in Indonesia and another one in Portugal
and youll have a great tour for EVERYONE.
For me the tour main problems have been things of conflict of interests like Egan being Parko´s coach and also a contest director for ex, and the judging criteria that is clearly diferent depending on where the surfer´s from.
Keep up the good blog, see you at the Search event…
August 12th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Agreed: Tavarua and an Indo spot (or two). Imagine the high performance surfing at Maccas and barrel riding at G-land or Kandui. Any other spots for the new dream tour?
August 12th, 2009 at 8:32 am
I guess it depends on what you are trying to get out of the league. Honestly, there are probably only 6 to 8 surfers in any given year who have a legitimate shot of winning a season title (maybe less). If this is the case, putting the top 16 of them in a made for TV limited series might be a good thing for the sport. Showcase the best of the best if you want to get ratings and exposure. However, you will lose many core fans as well as the local flavor of some of these events. Some of us want to see that no-name who just happens to rip Jeffrey’s or Pipe, but wouldn’t stand a chance at a 3ft beach break in Brazil. I happen to like big contests with a wide assortment of talent (a la the U.S. Open this year). It had more drama than any usual ASP event, even in less than perfect conditions.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:23 am
28
August 12th, 2009 at 11:26 am
16…. anything out of the top ten realistically IS an underdog with the level of surfing the top 5 guys produce
August 12th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
top 16
August 12th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
parko, cj, damien, dane reynolds, kelly, andy, bruce, taj, mick fanning, jordy, adriano, bobby, bede, freddie p, jeremy flores, deano, & adrian buchan – thats 17, maybe make it the top 20 guys. I can think of 3 more (knox, ward, and whitaker)
August 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
@Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer 2009
so you mean top 28?
August 12th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I think anyone on the tour has the potential to throw down 9’s and 10’s. 45 is a lot of people to squeeze into a small swell window. But that’s sport and that’s nature.
Agreed bring back Tavarua and an Indo contest.(like the Op boat contest a few years back)
Tavarua= finals for the Hobgoods(I’m sure you guys want it back)
August 12th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Definitely 28!!
August 12th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I think 16 is too few… 28 is fairer and is more attainable for young groms trying to qualify… Top 16 only? Does that mean Dane is out?
August 12th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
jihad !!! da guy rips! in waist high waves… top 45 is def. not top 45 surfers… guy is skurred of da barrel
August 12th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
what, you want the top of the heap to continue making way less than the bottom rung of the LPAG?
Let’s not stand in the way of progress.
16 top shelf surfers.. getting paid the amount they deserve.
the rest will follow. competition is good.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
sorry, mates. that’s LPGA, Ladies Pro Golf Asso.
August 12th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Tough to make a compelling tour out of only 16, considering the different locations and that everyone has places that suit their surfing more than the next. That said, an event with the right 16 surfers would be more interesting to me, but the 16 would change every event in my book.
August 13th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Very Good….
August 13th, 2009 at 8:18 am
28 fo sho! I always, always root for the underdogs! esp when they take out guys like Andy! Picon def Andy – AI threw such a stink. Jihad def Andy, he quits the rest of the comp! haha.
August 13th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I would rather see all events open to anyone wanting to enter. Easy to pull off. All entrants not in the CT put their name in a hat. Draw 10 names and put them in the main event surfing against pros. That way, normal guys would not only get to surf against a super pro, but they would get to surf world class lineups with just a couple guys out. How many normal everyday surfers get to surf Pipe with only a few guys out? Wanna talk about an underdog. How about a 40 year old teacher from Oklahoma winning the trophy and the money by beating a top seed in the final. Now that would be an underdog. It would also make 10 lucky souls very happy. Peace.
August 13th, 2009 at 10:52 am
The Soul Of Its Own World Tour
Coming To A Sphere Near You. 4 Seasons, 10 events, 8 Paddle in events, 2 per season plus 2 Special Death Defying Tow in events!
32 competitors, The Complete 16, capable of all & more, plus the top 12 qualifiers from the ASP tour & 4 invitees from God knows where, round out the 32 who will compete in the most challenging conditions our planet can provide. Athletes, not surviving to see who makes fire first or able to gather better than the rest on a Hollywood set. No, these are unlike others who challenge themselves & the elements, not on track or field, but against the Supreme Force, the Giver of Life, Our Mother Ocean. A plethora of potential sites will be at hand with permits in place. Modern tech. allows our athletes to be flown to their accommodations, whether on land or at sea, depending on location to meet the coming challenge. Contestants on call, ready & mobile at the moment. No waiting period, it’ll be pumping, and the world will be watching, as we search our planets’ surface for its strongest pulse, its unscripted pure energy, to be tapped like never before in a competitive format. Where will our athletes be swept off to next? What exotic isle, dangerous reef pass, or unknown slab will test the best? We’ll take you to places where dreams are made & broken. Wave riders from all points will froth at the arenas, pushing pearls shoreward. And of course Current Footage will be available on demand.
As the Endless Summer touched a spark, so will the Soul Of Its Own World Tour, creating an audience unsure what’s up, but unable to deny it. Surfing, the creator & father of action sports, and soon to be spokesman of a planet gone astray, will usher in a wave of consciousness that only a surfer understands.
The ASP will be what it always was, what it is, proving grounds for the best competitive surfing & will continue to spawn & develop future World Champions. So calm down boys, it’s all there, better than ever. The ASP will update & integrate the Q.S. 100 vying to become 1 of the 12 disciples on next years World Tour as only ESPN can bring you.
32 competitors. I’d like to see the bottom 16, including invitees, go 4-man, 4- 45min-1hour heats. The hassle is important, brings out character, creativity, the interference possibilities, the bump & grind, and when its pumping, the playing field expands, plenty for all. Remember these boys are professionals. The victors will pit themselves against #9 to 16, so impersonal. When its game on 4-man rules continue, its called Action Sports, with 4– 1hour heats. 8hrs. in, you are left with the cream for day 2. Might be boring live, if not a purist, but with slight delay we got chicken dinner. Live cast a must, in ESPN we trust that this will be more than another sporting event wedged into the grid, where’s Tesla, wave master. To be Hollygood takes a special sort. Do you see a problem here? Na, me neither. This is their last chance to paddle out, it’s hot & glassy, & there’s one coming their way. No scores called here, keep your own score & give it your best shot, watch your ass & keep your head up, quit thinking you need to know something, you got a watch, that’s all you need. It’s no longer what you need, you need only to tear it up! You’ll know who won soon enough. So cut the crap fools, school’s out, it’s your J.O.B. join our brotherhood, the Brotherhood Of Surfing. Well that might be to much, depends on the fence you sit on, I quess.
1st place Tour Champion receives 500k for his efforts
$250k You figure out the points.
2nd 100k =3r 50k =5th 25k =9th 15k 10k for the rest
That’s a 100k all expense paid trip around the world for the rest, if you got the nuts to tow, with incentives, for showing up. F*ck you if you think you’re worth more than that, let’s see it!
OK, that’s 830k, plenty enough prizes for the 1st go round. That leaves 670k per event to do things right & look towards the future.
So what say you, f*ck off, or is it our time?
Brought to you by
VPSports
August 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am
they should have a hurricane chaser event that has a waiting period from the middle of august till sometime in september. it would take place all aloung the east coast or gulf wherever the waves look like they are going to be the best. with a 16 man format it could be pulled off in one day. us east coasters deserve a chance to see the best surfers in the world and with the spot changing year to year as the hurricanes change position each area on the east coast would get a chance to see them. after all we spawn the best surfers in the world right here with more to come no doubt…
August 14th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
i would rather to watch more surf and more surfers with different aproches and styles…
28 to 44 guys!!
August 16th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Maybe I’m nuts, but I can almost guarantee that I’ll be more entertained by watching the upcoming 6* Sooruz Pro in Lacanau–an event without a single member of the top 16–than I have been by 95% of the heats on the WCT this year. The QS guys surf with a hunger, while several of the “top” CT guys surf with a measured and strategic focus and precision.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
They need to bring in surfers who are pushing the limits like Marzo and JOB. 28 is still alot of guys. It would be better 24 or less.
August 16th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I love guys like the ranga’ stepping up, it shows in Micks surfing.
Whole thing seems like a nightmare…
August 19th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
def 28. the story’s of adam robbo and even sean holmes are the stories of the year to date for mine. Both of those guys showed how anyone can beat anyone, and they both did it in good waves.
sport is about underdogs, cinderella stories, and an even playing field, it isnt about the elite getting richer and the hardcore guys never getting recognition.
August 20th, 2009 at 11:45 am
16… number 16 is an underdog! a reasonable one
August 20th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I am sure that Kelly will organize something really good.
Who knows better than him anyway ?
August 26th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Surfing is about surfing, it is not about anything else. So I would rather watch better surfing with no sleeper heats.
Competitive surfing was only established to label someone as world champion, as the worlds best surfer. You cannot judge the worlds best surfer on crappy 2 foot, closed out heats…. that creates a greatly flawed system.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
sleeper heats is not all about who. even slater sleep in heats sometimes. also there’s no escape from yawning when you depend on the ocean. j-bay this year was awesome but what can you do about 20 minutes lulls? people complain a lot, sometimes it’s for the best, but not always. 28 sounds better