The 2007 WCT season saw the WCT status quo shift, and 2008 promises to be one of the most exciting years on tour in ages. Kelly and Andy’s dominance is waning, opening the door for new contenders (such as new tour pit boss Mick Fanning), of which there are over half a dozen with a legitimate shot at the title in 2008. There’s a fresh new crew joining the ranks of the World Tour elite, including two of the most exciting surfers on the planet. The level of surfing on tour has never been higher. And anyone anywhere in the world can get front row seats with veteran commentary, just so long as they have a good Internet connection. There’s never been a better time to be a professional surfing fan than now. 

And don’t forget about the WQS either. Next year will see a slew of up and comers battling it out with the grizzled veterans for a coveted spot on the Dream Tour. California has a solid crew of top 100 finishers from 2007 who will be poised to make a push for The Tour in 2009. So check your high speed, oil your favorite sitting chair, make sure you have a solid supply of popcorn and get ready for what promises to be the most exciting World Tour in a long time. 

WCT Review and Preview

In 2007 Fanning ended his world title hopeful status and went on an absolute tear -- finishing in the semifinals or higher in all but two events, Trestles and Pipe, and securing the world title in Brazil. With the way Fanning absolutely dominated the tour this year, the other top finishers never really had a chance. 

After exploding out of the gates with a win at his home break, Fanning backed up his opening victory with a string of podium finishes and took a strangle hold on the ratings lead. The only time he stumbled all year was at Trestles when California phenom Dane Reynolds sidelined the front-runner in the third round. Aside from that, Fanning dominated. 

Taj Burrow had a banner year in 2007 as well, sitting in second place post Brazil. His flaw? He couldn’t match the consistency of the steel willed Fanning. Burrow stepped up his game this year though, traveling with a personal trainer, eating healthy and perfecting his firewire quiver. In years past, it seemed like Burrow was more concerned about getting sick video segments than he was about winning a title. Not this year. Burrow’s lightning fast surfing and radical moves served him well, making him one of the most feared draws on tour. Burrow’s been near the top of the world tour totem pole for quite a few years now. He’s improved his consistency by miles, but he’s going to have to work on his act at Teahupoo and eliminate all tactical errors to have a solid chance at a title in 2008.  

Slater never really found his groove last year. He won one event, but other than that had a string of third and fourth round losses to kill his hopes for a ninth title this year. He did however break Tom Curren’s all time event win record this year at Trestles to indisputably become the most dominant surfer of any era. If Slater’s head is in the game, then he’ll have as good shot at a title in ’08 as anyone on tour. We’ll just have to wait and see where his focus is. 

Parko had a slew of quarterfinal or better finishes this year, but only made one final. If he can push into more finals next year and grab a few wins he’ll have a good chance at the trophy. We all know he wants it. It’s just how bad? Because apparently that’s what it takes to win the title -- sheer, unmitigated desire and yearlong, deadly focus. If Parko can ready and arm himself with the kind of mindset Fanning did this year, then he’ll be a serious threat. The talent’s there; the killer instinct’s the question.

Rounding out the top is the surprise performer of the year, Bede Durbidge. With two finals appearances this year, a second on the Gold Coast and a victory at Pipe, Bede really stepped up his game in ‘07. Silky smooth, polished and radical, if he can find the consistency, he could make a push for a title in the next few years. 

Andy Irons sleepwalked his way through 2007, and still finished sixth. Flat out, Andy didn’t look as motivated this year. He showcased his supremacy in heavy water barrels though, winning the Rip Curl Pro in Chile in the year’s heaviest conditions. If The Tour has better waves next year, Andy will assuredly rise from his slumber as the competitive monster we all know. 

Outside the top five, there are a few other potential title contenders for ‘08. Damien Hobgood looked prime for a title run early this year until he was sidelined by an injury. He missed almost half the events this season and still managed to finish in the top 16. If Damo can stay healthy in ‘08 he’ll be a contender. More heavy water next year would help his cause too. Bobby Martinez looked to be stumbling early in the year after an outstanding rookie season, with a slew of third round finishes, but salvaged his year with a win in Spain. His competitive instincts are as sharp as any, and his radical approach translates well to the WCT. 

Rookie of The Year honors will surely go to The Tour’s youngest competitor Jeremy Flores, who proved to be a tack sharp competitor. Taylor Knox is aging like fine wine, reminding all those on tour what power surfing really means. On the fringes of the top 16 is Chris Ward, similar to Bruce Irons in that he is an amazing talent but needs to work on his competitive skills. If he can improve his strategy look for him to place higher in ‘08. Rounding out California’s WCT contingent is Tim Reyes. Tim was sidelined seven out of ten events this season due to a knee injury he sustained in 2006 at the Cold Water Classic. Reyes received the injury wildcard next year, as he finished 2006 ranked 11th, and this year he ended the season ranked 46th. If Tim can successfully rehab his knee in the off season to the point where it’s not an issue any longer then look for him to make the top 16 in 2008. 

WQS Qualifiers

The big story on the WQS in 2007 was obviously the domination of young guns Jordy Smith and Dane Reynolds. For both of them 2007 was their first year competing full time on the WQS. They represent the forefront of postmodern surfing, have huge industry backing and finished the year ranked first and second on the WQS. A new era in professional surfing is dawning, one in which three to the beach is no longer important, and one in which a single huge maneuver can turn the tide of a heat. Gone are the days when the world’s best free surfers and the world’s best contest surfers were two distinct groups. Today the world’s top contest surfers are the world’s top free-surfers. The only difference is whether they’re wearing a jersey or not, which for the top surfers in the world really makes very little difference whatsoever. Sure Dane Reynolds’ wild air attempts in his fourth round heat at Trestles against CJ Hobgood didn’t seem like good strategy. But just imagine if he could’ve pulled off a back flip. The judges would have to reward such critical surfing. At this point in time, on the WCT at least, it’s more of a risk to safety surf than it is to go for broke. Judges don’t reward three to the beach anymore, unless those three happened to be fins free and radical. 

Jordy Smith absolutely demolished the WQS this year, finishing a solid 1,600 points ahead of second place finisher Reynolds, and winning four contests. For his future opponents on the world tour, the scary thing about Smith is that he’s not only a phenomenally talented free surfer with a complete bag of tricks, he’s a bulldog of a competitor, he’s got nerves of steel and he’s proven himself in heavy water too. Smith’s not afraid to take it to his heroes either. At Trestles, Smith showed the WCT crew what to expect next year when he took out Joel Parkinson and Andy Irons. He did it with consistently powerful and radical surfing along with considerable contest savvy. 

Like Reynolds, Smith’s a big guy but he surfs small waves amazingly. This bodes well for Smith’s WCT ambitions, as he should be able to do well anywhere on tour. Obviously, by winning the WQS this year he’s proven that he’s an amazing competitor and a dominant small wave surfer. He did well in Hawaii this year and last year too, so his big wave skills are there. He’s from South Africa so he’s definitely been to J-Bay a few times. Jordy is the complete package, tailor made for WCT success. Without a doubt, he’ll finish in the top 16 his rookie season, and probably the top 10. After he gets a feel for the WCT he’ll push into the top five, and probably compete for a world title in the years to come. You hear a lot of bold predictions in the surfing press about guys like Jordy Smith. It’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll claim a world title, but he’s got the skills to pay the bills. 

Dane Reynolds -- California’s golden child. Long touted as one of the world’s best free-surfers who didn’t care for contests, Reynolds was amazingly successful his first full year on the WQS. He surfs radical in his heats, although nowadays he’s learned when to launch and when to keep it in the water. Although he didn’t win any events this year, he came up with big results when he needed to. 

Reynolds could be dangerous at just about any event on the WCT schedule next year, but he’ll be particularly suited for some of the right points and the beach break locations, which will allow him to showcase his full aerial arsenal. He has the tools, however, to perform well at any of the venues on tour. Although not particularly well known for his skills in dredging reefs, Reynolds definitely has what it takes to succeed at Pipe and Teahupoo -- balls and talent. 

The only question mark about Dane is his competitive head. Will he be able to keep a cool head in tight heats, or will he panic and take unnecessary risks when things get tight? If Dane can keep his competitive game tight he should have no problem finishing in the top 16 his rookie year. He’s going to need to be careful not to underestimate his competitors though. Even though he’s phenomenally talented he could be surprised by the competitive prowess of some of the mid ranking vets on tour, as he’ll be drawing them in the early rounds. 

Qualifying for the 2008 WCT behind wonderkids Jordy and Dane are a slew of road hardened tour vets ranging from guys who just re-qualified for the Dream Tour after losing their spots years ago, WCT guys using their WQS positions to requalify and some new faces. You’ve heard of some of them before, and some of them not so much.

Take Jay Thompson for example, he narrowly missed qualifying for the tour last year by just a few heats, and this year finished the WQS ranked third. But nobody in the states has heard of him. Hailing from Queensland, Australia, this guy could be really dangerous on the Gold Coast, as well as at places like J-Bay. The Aussies are claiming this guy’s gonna blow up. Don’t underestimate him. 

In the same category as Thompson, that of little known WQS warriors who finally made the cut, are Tiago Pires from Portugal, Aritz Aranburu from Spain, Jihad Khodr from Brazil, Heitor Alves from Brazil, Daniel Ross from Australia and Nic Muscroft from Australia. These are the guys who will be battling it out in the middle of the pack and hoping to make the top 28. Many of them will no doubt hedge their bets and compete on both tours. The WCT is no easy place for a rookie, especially when you’re not as high profile as a Dane Reynolds or Jordy Smith. But don’t overlook these battlers. Some of them may not make the cut next year, and will be relegated to slugging it out on the Slop Tour once again, but a few of them will find their niches and snuggle into the mid to lower echelon of the WCT. Besides possibly Jay Thompson and Tiago Pires, don’t expect any top 16 finishes out of this group. 

Then there are the veteran road warriors who had previously made the elite tour level only to fall off, and had to scratch and claw their way back onto the WCT. This group includes North Carolinian Ben Bourgeois, Aussie Kieren Perrow, Hawaiian Roy Powers and France’s Mikael Picon. Besides Perrow -- who had a successful run on the WCT in the early 2000s -- all of these surfers made the WCT and then failed to qualify the very next year. None of them were the highly anticipated rookies that Reynolds and Smith are this year, so it didn’t exactly make headlines when they failed to re-qualify. But make no mistake about it, these guys are veterans who have no doubt learned a great deal from their competitive experiences, and they’re not keen on returning to the grueling WQS circuit. They know what it takes to succeed at the elite level. They know the breaks. They know the ins and outs of tour life. They have the motivation factor behind them. They don’t have huge sponsor deals, and the industry’s not blowing them up, but they are the masters of the intangibles -- grit, drive, determination and knowledge. This group will be much more successful than the unknown WCT newbies. They’re not going to let this second chance slip away easily.

The final group to make the cut is the crop of 2007 WCT rookies who had to requalify through the WQS. This group consists of Australians Dayyan Neve and Luke Munro and Floridian Gabe Kling. These guys were the battle hardened WQS warriors who finally made the cut for the 2007 season, and each had his problems during their rookie campaigns. Whether it was contest jitters, adjusting to two man heats, surfing different conditions than they’re used to, heat strategy, or just plain bad luck, each one of theses guys struggled to make the grade in ‘07. Each, however, had his moment in the sun this year too, and showed hints of why they belong on tour. It’s an extremely hard road to qualify for the WCT, and that each of these guys has it in them to make the ‘CT cut. It just seems like none of them surfed to their ability this year. They made rookie mistakes. They sat too long, they were too impatient, they didn’t take enough chances or they took too many chances. It’s all about doing the right thing at exactly the right time on the ‘CT. Very few surfers can make mistakes and still win heats at this level. If they eliminate the mistakes, they can carve out a notch for themselves in the middle of the pack. 

California’s 2008 WQS Hopefuls

If you didn’t already know it, the WQS is a relentless grind. To compete on the WQS you have numerous obstacles to avoid, too much partying, jetlag, language barriers, delayed flights, pissed off sponsors, bad waves, etc. Only the freakishly talented can jump on the WQS and qualify their first full year in (see Dane Reynolds guide to the WQS). Most surfers spend years slogging it out on the lesser tour, gradually improving their seed, and then only after years of hard work do they even have a shot at qualifying. For most, if you’re competing on the WQS you might as well be living on the moon, as far as media exposure goes. This lack of media exposure doesn’t sit well with sponsors, so unless your sponsor has a lot of faith in you, they’re probably not too stoked on supporting you through years and years of exposureless WQS campaigns. Look at Bobby Martinez, who until this past year was the most successful NSSA surfer of all time and finished his first year on the WCT ranked fifth. He spent years on the WQS trying to qualify for the big show, his sponsor dropped him, and then he proceeded to qualify using money out of his own pocket. If it took Bobby that long then you know it’s a tall order.  

These are the guys that didn’t quite make the cut this year, but they’ll have a good their shot next go round. They have good seeds, plenty of industry support and a burning desire to make it to the next level.

The second highest ranked Californian on the 2007 WQS is Huntington progressivist Brett Simpson. He finished 2007 ranked a very respectable 36th on the WQS. That means in 2008, Simpson’s going to have an excellent seed, which should make things a bit easier. Brett’s exactly the kind of surfer that seems to excel on the WCT -- the radical kind. So if he does make the cut for 2009 he’s likely to make an impact.

Tailing Simpson is Patrick Gudauskas at number 47. Early in the season it looked as if Gudauskas might be on the qualifying bubble this year, but as the season progressed others filled the spots and Gudauskas dropped down the ratings list. Look for Gudauskas to make a serious push towards qualifying in the ’08 season. He’ll have a solid seed for the start of the year and now he knows what to expect out on tour. He’s still young so he’s got plenty of good years left in him.

Alex Gray (ranked 64th), Nathan Yeomans (tied for 64th), Mike Todd (ranked 68) and Shaun Ward (ranked 100) have all put themselves in good position for their respective 2008 WQS campaigns. Next year will be a critical year for each of these surfers. Now is the time for them to make a serious push towards the top of the WQS pack. If they don’t show upward momentum then their sponsors may loose interest and decide to pull the plug. Like I said, flying around the world in search of WQS points is an expensive endeavor. And it’s not like there are photographers lined up along the beach to catch every small wave lip bash, which means their visibility is lower while on the WQS. Once in a position to qualify, your time is limited. Very few sponsors will provide a surfer with an unlimited meal ticket. So get out there and show ‘em what it is you got guys. And good luck.