Back in October, headlines warned surfers of the ASP's decision to cut the world tour roster from 45 surfers to 32 midway through this season. And the axe is now looming large with just two World Tour events left before heads roll. Naturally, the pending cut is garnering most of the media's attention.
But it's only half the story.
What slipped under the headlines was the ASP's promise to finally address significant structural changes to the entire ranking system during the January 2010 off season. Chief among them was solving the "one world ranking" concept they'd tossed aside a year earlier.
And solve it they did.
After weeks of stressful debate during the January break, the ASP brass finally emerged from their hidden bunker with changes in hand -- the most dramatic ever made.
Yet there was hardly any fanfare -- no screaming headlines -- just a new tour schedule that separated events into three tiers: World Tour at the top, Prime in the middle, and Star Series at the bottom. Each level provides precious ratings points toward the newly announced "ASP World Ranking."
The World Ranking is a list that includes surfers at every tier, including the elite World Tour surfers. While the World Ranking is playing a similar role to the WQS this year, its full impact comes in 2011, when it becomes the only ranking that matters.
In 2011, elite World Tour eligibility becomes far more fleeting than it is today, because the roster will be refreshed several times per year (word is three or four times, but has yet to be decided) using the most up to date list of the Top 32 based on the new World Rankings.
In order to qualify or remain eligible to surf in the elite World Tour events -- events that ultimately decide the title -- a surfer will have to perform, because losing early -- at any level -- is severely punished with the new point system. If an elite World Tour surfer starts his season with back-to-back 33rd place finishes, unless he's been keeping his ranking up via the second tier Prime events he's certain to miss the next cut.
That said, he can just as easily climb back into the Top 32 via the Prime events and 6 Stars, and find his way back to the elite level before the next one.
"We'll see guys fall off the World Tour after the first cut and claw there way back on later that same year, and vice versa," says Ian Cairns, who founded the ASP in 1983. "What it ultimately means is if you're not performing there's absolutely no job security in pro surfing anymore -- which is how it should be."
Cairns is quick to point out the positives of this new system. "The best young talent will be fast-tracked to the top," he insist. "If Julian Wilson goes on a hot streak he won't have to toil in the minor leagues for three years. He can get up to that elite level in a hurry, because the hottest guys -- the guys who perform -- go straight to the top. So each level will be much more competitive and exciting. This event is proof of that."
In fact, Julian Wilson seems ready to rush the door opening in front of him next year. After winning
his Round of 96 heat Wednesday afternoon he told beach reporter Jodie Nelson, "I'm all about getting on that horse as quickly as possible," referring to his elite World Tour ambitions. The points available to him at the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro (one of nine Prime events on this year's schedule) hold up nicely next to the points handed out at elite World Tour events. Saturday's winner will earn as many World Ranking points as an equal third place finish would net at an elite event like Bells, Snapper or Teahupoo. See breakdown.
The reality of that breakdown is modifying the travel itineraries of the world's best surfers, who are showing up in droves to compete in events like the the 6.0 at Lowers -- not just because they may want to, but because they have to.
More than 30 of the Top 45 showed up at Margaret River last month for the Drug Aware Pro, including Mick Fanning, Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson. And 35 of the Top 45 are here at Trestles, including Dane Reynolds, Jordy Smith and Bobby Martinez. The big winner of all this, of course, is the fan who gets to see more of his favorite surfer.
"It's really just starting to sink in for a lot of these guys...what this all means," says Cairns. "The bummer for guys like Brett Simpson and Dusty Payne is you couldn't have picked a worse year to be a rookie. It only buys you about a half season of protection this year. But next year it only gets worse -- for everyone. The next cut will always be right around the corner."
