Contest Preview - QuikPro GC 2018
A lot has changed in the 12 months since I last wrote this contest preview: we have a CEO (hello Sophie; I know you're reading); contests in wave pools have become a thing; the WSL is planning to forgo a Pipe showdown in order to run a boat-trip grand final; and Willian Cardoso qualified to represent the elite level of professional surfing. It's been a massive year. It should be noted, however, that some things remain doggedly unchanged: John and Tyler are still world champions; Jordy still hasn't won a... Read more
Last updated March 10, 2018 by Balyn McDonald
Contest Metrics - QuikPro GC 2018
Welcome back. I may not have a brand new fantasy game ready to go for the first event of the year (dammit), but I still have plenty of stats. In fact, I have back-logged all of the 2013 season into my databases so that all of the data and projections now draw from 5 full seasons of surf contests. Adding the 2013 season has not only added a greater quantitative scope to my averages, but it has also given me data on surfers such as Cardoso and Gudauskas, not to... Read more
Last updated March 8, 2018 by Balyn McDonald
Injuries/Wildcards - GC 2018
It's a box-fresh season and already there's whispered drama surrounding the final make-up of surfers for R1 at the QuikPro Gold Coast: Kelly Slater - IN We've heard it told that Kelly's foot still has some healing to go before he's 100%. I've even heard that he has had another minor surgery recently to clean out the 'debris' of broken/loose bones from the area. Will these rumours have any impact on your team selections? Would you have had Kelly either way? He's certainly been surfing well enough... Read more
Last updated March 5, 2018 by Balyn McDonald
Update: Fantasy Surf Sessions
At the end of the 2017 season, we promised you a brand new season with a brand new fantasy game. A better game. A game run by me. Now, with less than a week until the new season, you're probably wondering what the hell happened. Fair enough, too. It turns out that building a brand new fantasy surfing game from the ground up with integrated stats and room to customise gameplay takes time. Too much time for us to have it ready for the start of the 2018 season. We... Read more
Last updated March 5, 2018 by Balyn McDonald
Pipe / Season Wash-Up 2017
Preamble In case you haven't read the past few articles, Surf-stats will soon merge to become a part of a larger fantasy surfing site, fantasy surf sessions. All of our stats and analysis will be there, as well as the best fantasy game available. We're in the process of building the site right now, but our landing page is up and you can register your details for 2018 so that you don't miss the boat. See our video below for more information:... Read more
Last updated December 23, 2017 by Balyn McDonald
Contest Preview - Pipe 2017
Before I kick off, I want to give a shout-out to Matt Warshaw's Encyclopedia of Surfing. It's at risk of being lost due to a lack of income, and it would be a dark day for surfing if that came to be. If you don't know what the EoS is, then let me give you a quick run down: Matt is the former editor of surfer, has a history degree, has freelanced articles to the Wall Street Journal, Esquire, the New York Times, Outside, and Interview. He is also... Read more
Last updated December 8, 2017 by Balyn McDonald
Contest Metrics - Pipe 2017
Why, hello there fellow stats fans, It's been a while, no? We kinda dropped off the face of the Earth there for a while, disappearing like Filipe's Sunset campaign. We've been busy though, just not on this site (unfortunately). The big news for fantasy surfing and stats fans is that Surf-Stats is branching out. We have taken the leap and are well underway on our journey to create the best god-damned fantasy surfing site possible. That's right, we're making our own game: Read more
Last updated December 6, 2017 by Balyn McDonald
Injuries and Wildcards – Pipe 2017
Kelly Slater - IN We've said it since J-Bay; Pipe is where we'll likely see him return. Some called for an 11th-hour entry at Portugal, but they were wrong. Pipe is the biggest stage in surfing, and Kelly loves a spectacle. Will the come-back event prove a successful one? That's between him and the fates, but Kelly, at this rating/price vs. his level of experience, has got to be the safest fantasy 'risk' this season.... Read more
Last updated December 4, 2017 by Balyn McDonald
Preview - Portugal 2017
Have you had time to catch your breath? The dust has only just settled on the QuikPro France, and yet Portugal is already building momentum. Are you in the running for anything fantasy-wise? Maybe some beers or dollars at your clubhouse friends' expense? Maybe the whole shebang? Portugal is where the world title picture really seems to focus; you better make damn sure your team is sorted. Conditions The WSL forecast tells us that swell will not be an issue for this event. In fact, the opening three days... Read more
Last updated October 20, 2017 by Balyn McDonald
Contest Metrics - Portugal 2017
Our heat score projections and stats are taken from 2014-2017 WSL contest data. Some 2017 rookies include data from previous WSL events, but many do not have relevant results in significant categories, including data for this particular venue. Their modelling is much less reliable and they may have skewed projections due to their averages being heavily influenced by a small sample size. You may notice a few new categories in our stats, such as winning % for the season as well as the number of heats surfed by... Read more
Last updated October 18, 2017 by Balyn McDonald