Pro Surfing and Contests

Introducing your 2009 World Tour top 45

 

The 2009 World Tour top 45 breaks down into three groups, the top 27 requalifying World Tour surfers, the top 15 World Qualifying Series surfers and 3 ASP wildcards.  While the top 15 WQS surfers and the 3 ASP wildcards are set in stone, there could still be some play within the top 27 World Tour group.  Bruce Irons generated much fanfare when he announced his retirement from the tour earlier this year, regardless of how he finished the season.  He finished at 20th in the rankings, well within the realm of requalifying, but as of yet has failed to tender his resignation letter to the powers that be.  There has also been considerable speculation that Bruce’s big bro, the three time World Champ, Andy Irons, might also step into (at least semi-) retirement, following his less than stellar year and lack of motivation at trying to make up the numbers.  Andy finished the season at 13th in the rankings, after sitting out the European and Brazilian legs of the tour to sort out what he’d like to do with his career going forward.  He gave a strong comeback performance at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, taking an equal 5th, but will it be enough to inspire Andy to give the tour another full year?  Assuming Bruce and/or Andy turn in retirement letters, their default replacements will likely be Roy Powers (HAW), who finished at 28th in the rankings, Mick Campbell (AUS), who finished at 30th in the rankings, or Patrick Gudauskas (USA), who finished at 17th in the rankings on the WQS.  (Note:  29th on the World Tour, Dean Morrison and 16th on the WQS, Marlon Lipke (DEU) already received wildcards for the 2009 tour).  Once the Bruce and Andy issue is settled, we’ll have the top 45 locked in.  Until then, embrace your 43 plus 2 Irons brothers.

 

TOP 27 from the World Tour

Kelly Slater (USA)

Bede Durbidge (AUS)

Taj Burrow (AUS)

Joel Parkinson (AUS)

C.J. Hobgood (USA)

Adrian Buchan (AUS)

Adriano de Souza (BRA)

Mick Fanning (AUS)

Bobby Martinez (USA)

Jeremy Flores (FRA)

Luke Stedman (AUS)

Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)

Andy Irons (HAW)

Chris Ward (USA)

Kai Otton (AUS)

Tim Reyes (USA)

Kieren Perrow (AUS)

Tom Whitaker (AUS)

Dayyan Neve (AUS)

Bruce Irons (HAW)

Michael Picon (FRA)

Dane Reynolds (USA)

Taylor Knox (USA)

Damien Hobgood (USA)

Heitor Alves (BRA)

Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Ben Dunn (AUS)

 

Top 15 from the World Qualifying Series

Nathaniel Curran (USA)

Chris Davidson (AUS)

Michel Bourez (PYF)

Gabe Kling (USA)

Jihad Khodr (BRA)

David Weare (ZAF)

Josh Kerr (AUS)

Nic Muscroft (AUS)

Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)

Greg Emslie (ZAF)

Tim Boal (FRA)

Dustin Barca (HAW)

Tiago Pires (PRT)

Phillip MacDonald (AUS)

Drew Courtney (AUS)

 

ASP Wildcards

Dean Morrison (AUS)

Aritz Aranburu (EUK)

Marlon Lipke (DEU)

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