For many others it is simply a bridge too far. We have hand-selected a few surfers with decent back-stories, to assess their chances of earning a stint on the 2016 Championship Tour.
Brett Simpson needs a 9th at Sunset Beach to qualify for the Championship Tour. This could very easily happen. He has had a stellar year, has shown big match temperament when needed, and has a certain c’est la vie nonchalance which, combined with his experience, had proven to be a winning formula. It’s also a fact that Simpo is a popular figure on the Championship Tour and has the driest, self-effacing sense of humour on tour.
Mitch Crews needs a 4th. This is also a good possibility. He qualified for the Championship Tour in 2013 for the 2014 season, but went on to have a poor rookie year, finding himself back on the QS in 2015. Hats off to him, after two years back on the grind he’s back in the mix. He needs to make the final at Sunset and he is fit, prepared and hungry. If he gets his waves he could easily be back in the premier league next year.
Soli Bailey needs a 4th. There is little chance here. The tall and thin natural-footer would need to have the performance of his life at Sunset – a break where he is not a natural standout. Without wishing to detract from the Suffolk Park surfer’s mad skills, because he will sit very comfortably on the Championship Tour, it would be a surprise to see him reach the final at Sunset.
Cooper Chapman needs a 3rd at Sunset Beach to qualify. To be fair his chances are quite slim. He is extremely hungry though, which ticks a bunch of boxes when surfing a heat at Sunset against desperate locals and experienced competitors, but he will need more than that to get a final berth and not come last. He does have a great Sunset style when he gets going, and has not shown any signs of pulling back when it gets serious, so if he finds the big bombs and rides them through, he might be in the fight.
Dion Atkinson needs a 2nd place finish at Sunset. The Adelaide-born journeyman must be the most determined surfer on the planet. He, along with Mitch Crews, hit the Championship Tour in 2014 after many long, hard and unsponsored years on the qualifying grind. You’d struggle to meet a more likeable fellow, but sometimes that manifests in a competitor without killer instinct. He has much to prove, he enjoyed his time on the Championship Tour, and he loves Sunset, despite some agonizingly close heats there that actually didn't go his way. His win at the 6,000 Australian Open Of Surfing at Manly Beach in the beginning of the year did bolster his confidence, as well as the fact that he beat Leo Fioravanti in the final. This could be a dark horse finish.
Nathan Hedge needs to win at Sunset to qualify. Hedgie has been persevering, battling it out and doing what he needs to do to requalify, and this is the closest he as come for a while. A win at Sunset Beach is not impossible, considering his solid backhand skills and hard-earned experience at the venue. It is highly unlikely, but should he win it will be a big up-yours to his detractors, and another major direction shift for the battle-hardened soldier. Should he not win the event, but still get a finals-berth, Hedgey could possibly find himself with a few CT call-ups next year, and look where that got Sebastian Zietz and Stuart Kennedy.
The Vans World Cup is currently in waiting period
http://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2016/mqs/1536/vans-world-cup