Just when you thought it was dead in the water… our friends at Surfers Village picked up on a bit of gossip from Australian Surfing Life – Kelly Slater’s “Rebel Tour”, AKA the breakaway tour, AKA the Champions Surf Tour, is alive and kicking.
“According to those rumours, the CST has signed a slew of surfers including Dane Reynolds, Andy and Bruce Irons, Ry Craike, Taj Burrow, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Mitch Coleborn, Clay Marzo and, of course, Kelly himself.”
“Rumours heard by ASL say the rebel tour has scooped up all the surfers they were after, apart from Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, and Jordy Smith, who have all committed to the ASP tour. The ASP has confirmed that Andy Irons is yet to commit to his wildcard position on next year’s ASP tour.”
What does this mean for the sport of surfing? Well, based on their alleged signing on of two world champs, a few senior stars and some of the most advanced young surfers on the planet, we should have some exciting competitions that play out like surf video highlight reels. But, since the ASP is adamant about not allowing their surfers to compete on both tours, and since the new tour will lack the supporting feeder system, it’s likely to start out as little more than an exciting sideshow. The bigger question is, what will it transform in to? Should it prove a success, how will other surfers opt in? Will it be invite only?
As things stand, it seems like the Champions Surf Tour is coming together as an ESPN sponsored reality pro surfing competition tour/show (right now, I’m thinking “professional” wrestling mashed together with one of those reality shows with preselected contestants, but without the homoerotic undertones). It also has the feeling of a more high profile version of the “air shows” of yester-year (which the CST is easily likely to trump in entertainment value).
Whatever the Champions Surf Tour evolves into, I’m signed on.*
*Of course I’ll still chase after my beloved ASP, as well.
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This is beginning to look a lot like the ChampCar/Indy Racing League split of the late 90s. I predict that whoever negotiates exclusive rights to surf Chopes and Pipeline will emerge the victorious sanctioning body.
I hate to unleash the nerd side, but those are storm troopers in that picture. Storm Troopers are on the side of the Empire, which is what the rebels are trying to defeat. So it makes no sense to represent the “Rebels” with storm troopers.