While the Surf Ranch Pro might be their immediate priority right now, the WSL have nonetheless released some info on their upcoming air event in France—and it’s interesting to say the least.
The Red Bull Airborne France will run in Hossegor in October, alongside the Quikky Pro, and sees the WSL not only attempt to revive a contest format that has been dormant for the better part of a decade, but join forces with Red Bull, who they’ve historically been at odds with. Depending on the success of the event, the collaboration could have big implications for the future of the sport, with the money and vision Red Bull bring to the table potentially opening up a lot of avenues for the troubled WSL.
Another interesting factor to emerge is that former air show star turned CT journeyman Josh Kerr will serve as event director. In an interview with the WSL, the newly-retired innovator revealed that he was responsible for bringing the initial concept to the WSL and it was brainstormed and given the green light from there. With Kerrsy’s lauded history in the air game, his appointment as event director brings a level of credibility to the event that has perhaps been missing from some of the WSL’s other ventures. It also announces the latest chapter in Kerrsy’s ever-evolving career, which has become one of the most diverse and interesting to follow in recent years.
Sixteen surfers have been confirmed for the inaugural Airborne event, with a further two wildcard spots up for grabs via an online submissions process. Of those invited, there’s a curious mix of CT and non-CT guys. Noted innovators Chippa Wilson, Albee Layer and Noa Deane will line up against tour heavyweights like Filipe Toledo, Jordy Smith and Italo Ferreira, while less prominent shredders such as Hector Santa Maria and Eric Geiselman have also found themselves in the mix. Interestingly, Gabriel Medina and Julian Wilson are not on the list despite being at the forefront of aerial innovation throughout the last decade. Whether they were left off the list or declined their invitations in order to focus on their title campaigns has not been established.
In a format similar to the Kustom Airstrike series and the way Hurley chose their wildcards for Trestles, an online submissions process will decide the final two spots for the event, with a wildcard going to one surfer under-18 and one over-18. Applaudingly, the WSL have enlisted former legends Taj Burrow, Tim Curran and Jason ‘Ratboy’ Collins to help Kerrsy make this decision, presumably in an effort to again add credibility to the event.
With a criteria geared purely towards progression, it’ll be interesting to see what the outcome is from this latest venture. Will it decide once and for all where the most innovative surfing is happening? Will Toledo, Colapinto and the like leave their freesurfing rivals for dead? Will anyone get injured, and if so, what impact could it have on the world title? Will the waves even be conducive to the kind of surfing the WSL is hoping to showcasing?
All these questions and more will be answered come October, but the big question, the one the WSL is desperately trying to solve, may take a little longer to decipher: can surfing be packaged into a captivating, wide-reaching spectacle?
We wait. We wait.
