Format Changes
In terms of competition format all the events have remained the same as last year. The single biggest alteration was the change in the rankings and relegation system. This year the lowest ten ranked surfers on the WCT at the end of the year (rankings 22-32) are dropped automatically, replaced by the top ten in the QS. There are no second chances, or double qualification. And this is a good thing. It is much easier to understand (10 in, 10 out) and for those in the bottom ten on the WT, every heat now comes with real tension. The two other format shifts, were the changes to the Pipe event, outlined here. This again was positive, making all the events standard, and adding new weight and importance to the Trials event, which can be replicated. People are still calling for the changes to the individual event format, mainly to end the two loser’s rounds, but this couldn’t have been done this year in any case. So far, the ASP’s changes have improved the situation.
Ace Buchan, the surfers’ rep, is currently sitting in 23rd on the world rankings and in jeopardy of facing the axe on current form. Photo: ASP
The Numbers
Ahh the numbers, as usual, the truth is in there somewhere. After the Australian leg, Swellnet’s Stuart Nettle’s analysis via the youtube figures stated that global online concurrent viewership averaged around 20,000 for the three events and spiked at just 47,000 during a Kelly Slater heat at Bells. The inference was that these were very small figures and represented a genuine lack of interest in the sport from surfers, let alone the mainstream.
The ASP itself countered with its own stats, which included the three Oz events plus Rio, saying there was 1M uniques (a different measurement that tracks unique visitors to the ASP website) to the event during the window and 300K additional watch hours via ASP video on demand. Importantly 40 per cent of viewing was done on tablets and phones. As the quote goes there are lies, lies and damn statistics, however the main problem is that we are unable to compare these stats to previous years. Most pundits expected higher figures (although relatively poor conditions can’t have helped) and maybe its best to hold judgement until full analysis of the year can be done.
Report: B
The Sponsorship
Perhaps directly linked to the numbers above, but unlike them, the ASP won’t reveal any figures on the current deals such as with Samsung Galaxy and GoPro. Kirk Owers in his article in Tracks noted that sponsors are missing for two men’s, two women’s and three big wave world tour events and it’s telling that a recent ASP press release was forced to big up sponsorship deals of some of the surfers (Seabass’s deal with SoBe, a PepsiCo producer of tea, sports, and energy drinks) concluding that, “So brands may be going younger, but so far this year they’re not losing interest in the surf world.” To me that seemed a little desperate, almost an attempt to persuade themselves.
The budget to run the tour has been put at around $100 million, although there was unconfirmed rumours that the Quik Pro Gold Coast had run significantly over its allocated budget. Add the acquisitions of the Big Wave World Tour and the Triple Crown (again no figures were made available) and the ASP, currently being bankrolled by Dirk Ziff, is spunking a lot of coin. Which means they need a lot of sponsorship. As Phil Jarratt said on Swellnet, “It’s a brave business model, that’s for sure, and if it fails, it’s difficult to see where pro surfing goes from here. Which of the surf brands could afford to join the bail-out this time round?”
Sebastian Zietz aka “Seabass” got taken down at the Fiji Pro by fellow Hawaiian John John Florence. Photo: Joli
The Product Itself
A subjective judgement really. The webcasts are definitely more slick, professional and we have had much greater access to all the surfers (even when they lose). The tradeoff for this seems to be a loss of surfing’s spontaneity, fun and humour. The corporate shirts, anchor desk and American accents can make a man’s blood boil, yet the additional video footage and interviews have been great. As for Rio though, you could have Will Ferrel on the mike and a nude Miranda Kerr doing water safety, but two foot close-outs are always going to be two foot close-outs.
The Future
Upcoming events at J-Bay, Teahupoo and Trestles provide a cause for optimism. An a-grade swell at any of these events should cause those webcast numbers to rise, no matter which way you bend them. We also have new world title hopefuls in Medina and Bourez, the first new names in the mix for over a decade. The so far dormant Big Wave World Tour might finally come to life (Peru starts this week), providing welcome variety to the ASP mix. On the flipside, the current format and sponsorship issues remain all prevailing. The question is can the current model sustain itself into a viable long term solution for pro surfing? Six months in, your guess is as good as mine.
Gabriel Medina, the new face of surfing in 2014 and potentially the first Brazilian World Champion in the making. Photo: ASP
