In The Mix WHERE IS OUR WORLD TOUR HEADING?

In: In The Mix by philgallagher 2 Comments Thu 25th Mar '10

Tags: IBA , BOX , Terry McKenna , Ben Player , Pipeline

There has been a little buzz around of late regarding the proposed WA BOX IBA World Tour event 2011. Not since 2002 back when the tour was called the Global Organization of Bodyboarding (G.O.B) has there been a major event held at the reef.

I was lucky enough to be at that event shooting for my magazine contacts around the world. The hype back then about having an event at such an amazing wave was huge. Every publication worldwide wanted content, there was a 30 minute movie made on the event and the eventual winner Beau Day featured on many magazine covers from the event and gained some main stream media coverage with such exciting footage gained from the event which was held in 4-6ft perfect conditions over two days.

When the Shark Island Challenge was scratched from the IBA World Tour due to feuds between contests directors and the IBA, that was it Australia had lost its one and only global event. I set out to try do some research on the proposed event and speak to both a rider and organiser for their current thoughts on the tours and its workings.

It seemed crazy to think Australia had no World Tour event the last 2 years with so many of the top professionals being Australian. I asked Ben Player former two times World Champion why he though it was?

"Companies put a lot of their budgets into paying their riders in Australia that's why we don't have a top world tour event, simple.

I am lucky as this gives me a salary to live and survive from, as do all of the other NMD / VS riders but the downside is there is not that money going towards sponsoring the major events. In other countries also the local government seem to help out a lot with the actual funding and marketing. The government also sees the events as a good thing for the youth and also a way of bringing money into the local economy.

It's a shame as I think we have all the right locations and outlets to make a big competition plus with so many Australian riders competing and performing well it seems only fitting to have an event out here" Ben told us.

But don't lose hope in the World Tour and Australia just yet. IBA general manager Terry McKenna has been meeting with the local governing bodies in Western Australia to try make the BOX contest a reality for the 2011 tour.

"Events Corp (WA Gov) are keen for us to roll off the back of the WQS event in March next year so it would be the 2nd event after Pipeline. We are searching for around $30 thousand US in the next 12 months to lock it down so we are hopeful that the industry will get behind this one. The first three days of the event would be surfed at Gas Bay and then the top 16 trialists would join the top 28 and 4 wild-cards for a 48 man draw at BOX. EBB have all ready committed to sponsoring the trials. Negotiations are also underway with the Tahitian Surfing Federation for another event in Tahiti in 2011and if the Mexico event proves a success we hope to add it to the Grand Slam circuit", said Terry.

There were general meetings held back in 2008 and 2009 between competitors and World Tour staff where an event at the BOX was promised for the following years tour that has always fallen through due to lack of funding it seems. So the majority of competitors are not holding their breath waiting at this stage.

This years World Tour features 4 Grand Slam events Pipe, Chile, Sintra and Confital each worth 2000 points all the other 8 events are 1000 points with 50 extra points per US$5,000 over the minimum US$20,000 prize money generated. In the end it's the best 3 Grand Slams and best 2 others that determine your end of year rating.

If you look back at some of the locations in the past where events have been run like Super Suck (Indonesia), Shark Island (Australia), Cloud Nine (Philippines), Mentawais (Indonesia) and Teahupoo (Tahiti) it can almost give you the feeling that the tour is going backwards moving away from such amazing locations.

The big question now is, why has the bulk of the tour locations reverted to below average waves which end up portraying the sport as a less than impressive to the mainstream audiences?

"We are somewhat tied to the small wave venues at Metro beaches in 2010, because that's where the money and the crowds are, plans are underway for bigger and better venues with more money in the future. The IBA are currently undergoing a re-structure and will be negotiating a 5year deal with an equity partner that will inject much needed financial assistance to take us to the next level. IBA plan to have 10 Grand Slam events all worth $100,000 US within the next 3 years. These gradual changes are the same as what the ASP experienced in its early years, it was not always marketed as the "Dream Tour". Its important that the bodyboarding fraternity understands this and sites like Fluidzone and publications like Le Boogie need to educate them."

From an editors point of view I personally would find it very easy to report on this site and even publish photos in my own magazine of events if they all were held in locations that were suited to high performance bodyboarding and resulted to good content.

Don't get me wrong the locations like Pipe and Chile are perfect, but it's pretty hard to get excited the recap of a days competition highlights and photos when you know its just 2ft dribble and its guys grovelling to the shore. There is a certain level of responsibility to report on what is current and happening within the sport but for example, I don't see how showing things like the 2 minute Pipeline Pro Trails clip with guys battling it out in 1-2ft closeouts on reef can do any good for the sport in anyway and some of the European events are not too far behind this standard.

We can only hope that the positive steps the IBA World Tour is taking will become a reality in 2011 and the competition side of the sport is portrayed in the ways it deserves.

The only other alternative I can see could be a "Rebel Tour" where the number one focus was on the waves and not on the number of people at the location watching. Back to the concept of the previous Super Tour style events, bringing you all the action either with live webcasts or daily clips to watch online from remote and exclusive locations worldwide. By linking events which are currently happening like the Shark Island Challenge and Nazere Big Wave competition and creating new events at locations which offer the same amount of high performance riding and attracting a different breed of riders who's talents and focus might suit this format more could be an option? But this too would take large financial support from within and outside the industry to make it happen.

In the meantime Australia has secured 1 event for the World Tour. Soldiers Beach Pro held on the Central Coast of NSW, which is a mid level rated event held on the 15th of April until the 18th. Terry was quick to point out that "We would never select a venue like Soldiers Beach for an IBA World Tour event in Australia. In reality, Soldiers Beach selected us".

Regardless it's a starting point and the event has attracted some of the tours top international riders like Peirre Costes, Mike Stewart, Amaury Levernhe Jared Houston, Jacob Remero and current World Title holder Hawaiian Jeff Hubbard. You can keep up to date with all of the events daily recaps here on Fluidzone regardless of the conditions.

- Phil Gallagher