For three days the WSL remained tight lipped on the possibility of extending the waiting period for the Quiky Pro. Rumours began circulating on Friday that the WSL were considering their options for extending the event window to coincide with a building east swell. All the talk emphasised the uncomfortable reality that the contest has been stranded in a dismal swell pattern for the majority of the event.
Obviously pro surfing’s organisational body want to make this a successful event. The Quiksilver Pro is really the launch party for the newly anointed WSL. It’s easy enough to wheel out the dancing girls and fireworks but waves are an entirely different matter. If the WSL wanted to earn respect from pro surfing fans and an opinionated surf media then a tough decision needed to be made – even if it meant taking a hit financially. Hats off to the WSL for making a bold call and prioritising the most important ingredient in any surf contest – waves. To fans at home it may seem like a no brainer to extend the waiting period but this move wouldn’t have come easily or cheaply for the WSL.
Meanwhile, we were given an entertaining insight into the stage-managed approach of the new WSL when the announcement was made. The message was delivered like a well-oiled soccer team setting up a play. Four to five passes back and forth from Ross, Blakey, Strider and Peter Mel before tapping it to Commisoner Kieren Perrow to score the winning goal and deliver the good news. The waiting period is now extended until “Friday the 13th” of March. Boom! KP comes out looking like the hero even if the last day is scheduled for the so-called unluckiest date of the year.
Yesterday when Tracks contacted VP of Communications Dave Prodan he had hinted at a possible extension but declined to comment on the costs associated with the decision or how much pressure the organisation was facing to put on the greatest show on earth. Below is the official party line that Prodan delivered.
“The world surf league is all about putting the world’s best surfers in the world’s best waves, we’re exploring all possibilities for completing the event in the best possible conditions. We’ve had a great event so far with some really exceptional surfing and we’ll be back tomorrow morning to assess the conditions and make a move from there.”
It’s no secret that historically the event has been marred by less than stellar conditions. In 2013 and 2014 as the marques and scaffolding were being dismantled pros, punters and the WSL pit crew were gorging on some of the best Snapper and Kirra barrels the points had ever seen. In the past both Mick and Kelly have implored contest officials to be more flexible and secure the best possible conditions for the event, with Kelly famously taking them to task after last year’s event. You can bet they were both lobbying hard for this decision.
Yesterday the WSL made approximately five to six “standby” calls to run men’s round 2 of the Quiky Pro before pulling the pin at 2pm. Jordy Smith told Tracks he couldn’t believe how close they came to running the event at Snapper despite 1-2 foot onshore waves dribbling down the point. Brett Simpson told Tracks he’s in favour of holding out for the predicted swell. “I’m all for it now. We could of run the other day but we passed it up.” Understandably the judges are on board too. “The judges definitely want to see the contest run in better waves,” stated veteran WSL adjudicator, Pritamo Ahrendt.
Expect to hear plenty more hyperbole about the predicted swell for Thursday and Friday. The WSL will be pulling out all the stops to foreshadow the greatest event in Snapper Rocks history.
