We run through the numbers every contest.

We make our projections. We post teams. We hope like everyone else that our 8 selections won’t crash and burn.

The thing is, we don’t seem to be winning much. I mean, we do OK; we’re ranked in the top 25% of all teams overall in the WSL game and our Fantasy Surfer team is beating Groundswell, but that’s hardly going to impress readers.

What we need on this site is some sort of connection with success. We need to align ourselves with greatness so that people associate US with proven results. We need The Badger.

Leading the Surf-Stats club in Fantasy Surfer this year is a team simply known as The Badger. The thing is, he’s not just leading the club, he’s destroying it. He is currently ranked 3rd in the world overall and is in serious contention for the Turtle Bay Resort prize at the end of the year.

We decided to chat with The Badger, find out his secrets and possibly endear ourselves to him enough to score that +1 ticket to Hawaii. Here goes…

So, who is The Badger?

Well, my name’s Jason Badger, so the team name is obvious. I’m born and bred on South Coast of NSW, Australia. My local break is Woonona, where I learnt to surf just over 30 years ago. I still surf pretty regularly and compete at my local Boardrider’s club. I work in IT for a local television network.

Which fantasy games do you/have you played and for how long?

Have been playing the Surfer mag Fantasy Surfer for around 5-6 years, and the WSL Fantasy Surfing since its inception in 2014. The funny thing is we have a WSL group going for boardriders this year that we have all chipped in $20 to make it interesting, so my focus has been on that comp. It wasn’t until after Margies that I got a text from a mate saying “Killing it bra! #2 in the world” that I realized I was doing well in Fantasy Surfer. Not even sure if I’m eligible for the prize if I win, being from Australia, but I’ll still be giving it a red hot go. Last year was the first time I actually cracked a 1000+ score and this year I have 4 already, so I’m pretty stoked.

We generally shape our advice into form, conditions and heat draw info; how much do these influence your selections and which ones do you hold to be most important?

I’ve only discovered the Surf-Stats site pretty recently so my selections have mainly been based around knowing who normally does well at each break. I do always make sure I check the heat draw just prior to the comp starting to ensure I don’t have too much, or any, friendly fire in round 1, especially with the amount of injury replacements lately causing the draw to change. I do like checking the Surf-Stats site to see who has had good results over the past years for a particular event. I guess I am a bit of a stats man but don’t select my teams based purely on data. At the end of the day, my final decisions are probably more gut instincts, and knowing who usually performs better in the types of conditions that are forecast. But the stats don’t lie, so you need to take them into consideration as well.

Are there any other significant factors that come into play?

Obviously the forecast is pretty important. You’d have to be pretty game to pick Filipe at macking Chopes despite his good form at JBay and more recently at Huntington. Also knowing if anyone is carrying any slight injuries that could affect their performance at a particular break. Social media is pretty handy for finding out that sort of stuff and also for finding out who has turned up early to prepare.

Which FS guy has been the ‘best buy’ for you this year? Did you have Wilko at Cooly?

Yep, definitely Wilko. Had him for every event this year so he’s done well for me this year. He’s been a little frustrating to have on your team in past years. I’ve managed to pick the winner of each event as well, so that helps too.

Without giving away your team secrets, do you have any bold predictions for Tahiti?

You’d be pretty silly not to have JJF, Gabby & Kelly on your teams especially if the forecast is for solid Chopes. Gabby will be hard to beat in whatever conditions Tahiti throws at them. As for a darkhorse? If it’s pretty decent Chopes, Wiggolly might chalk up his first win.

Finally, what’s more likely: Slater winning another world title, or Ribeiro winning a heat?

To be honest I don’t think Kelly can win another world title. No disrespect to The King, but the new guard are a step above, especially in average conditions. He may win another comp. Most likely at Chopes or Pipe, but a title is out of the question. Will Ribeiro do a Ricky Basnett? No, he showed glimpses of what he’s capable of at JBay, so I think it’s not far away. Maybe at Chopes? Ya never know! That’s the joy of professional surfing and playing Fantasy Surfer/Surfing.

Thanks for the chat Jason, good luck for the rest of the season.

Any time. You too.

So, did you get that? He only recently discovered Surf-Stats, and now he’s cracking the 1000 point mark consistently. We think we’re a shoe-in for an invitation to Turtle Bay as compensation. Better start building up our Hawaii quiver…