While it might have been Gary Linden’s dream and vision, Pete Mel has done a lot for the Big wave Tour. Hell, he’s done a lot for the WSL, bringing in an air of gravitas when needed, imparting layers of hard-earned information when the time calls for it, and providing jocularity when the rest of the commentating team has opted for default dourness as what tends to happen on day three or thereabouts of a major event.
He’s changing his role now, and at least he’s still going to be around and on screen for the WSL webcast for some time to come, but he’s just not going to be the Big Wave Commissioner any more. That role now falls squarely on the somewhat skinny yet totally dependable shoulders of Mike Parsons.
Snips has been around for a long time. From ‘team captain’ for the Billabong Odyssey project all those years ago, tow-teaming with Brad Gerlach, contest director for ASP events including the JBay Open back in the day, and more recently as coach and mentor for Kolohe Andino and Lakey Peterson. He is also pretty gnarly when it starts getting triple overhead, and is not one to pull back that easily. See below …
As Mike takes the helm, so Mel slips back into a more commentating role, as a result of Ross Williams moving along to coach none other than the current world champion John John Florence. Mel is good at this. He does great work on the mic, and has that afore-mentioned wealth of knowledge. On top of this, the Big Wave Commissioner’s job is extremely stressful.
The weather maps are extremely informative, and big wave experience and knowledge plays a huge part in the decision-making processes for calling a big wave event on, but at the end of the day all eyes are on the Commissioner when it’s looking good for a big wave event but there is still a slight margin for error. That call, to mobilise 72 hours before a big wave green light, is a call to start spending big, and to start getting a huge team on the move, often between continents. It’s a huge responsibility, and if you get it wrong, there is going to be some sort of negative implication, as well as simple financial loss.
One thing that the WSL does not want to do is to lose too much money on big wave calls. Possibly with this in mind they have announced along with the Snips announcement, that they will be focusing on three big wave events going forward, the Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico, the Pea’hi Challenge in Hawaii and the Nazaré Challenge in Portugal.
What this means exactly is still to be defined. The WSL has been talking about a Big Wave Qualifying Series, more of a two-tier tour, but this is not that clear from the press release or from the statements. It might be the culling all the other events to just leave three events on the Big Wave Tour.
I’m not going to miss a few of the other events. Lobos was pretty fun because it was a big left in a world of big wave right-handers, but Punta Galea and Nelscott Reef didn't really excite the glands. Todos has never really excited since Taylor Knox’s K2 wave back in the dark ages and Pico Alto you can take or leave.
The chosen events have the best three venues for many reasons including big waves as well as accessibility and broadcast convenience, and there is still an unfinished story with regards to Mavericks and obliteration of that event this year. Add Mavs to the equation, get those four waves on epic days, and you have one helluva big wave scenario. There should be more to this story unfolding over the next few days.
