As surfing grows in popularity, the competitive scene follows suit. When you know and understand how competition is judged, it becomes a far more thrilling experience than when you’re just watching it live or on television.
For those who want to enter the competitive surfing world, it’s an important part of learning how to think about your surfing before your first heat.
A panel of five judges awards points for surfing competitions. A surfer can catch as many waves as desired during a ‘heat.’ The judge gives the surfer a score for each wave he or she captures.
The surfer’s total score for each heat is determined by adding together the two highest wave scores. Typically, the bottom surfers of each heat are eliminated until only one surfer remains.
How Surf Contests are Structured
Competitors are initially grouped into brackets for surfing competitions. Each of these rounds is a round of heats. These heats are usually divided into four to six participants, and the highest scorers from each move on to the following round.
The bottom eight teams in each division (or 16 if there are two divisions) compete in an elimination match. If a team wins four matches, it is eliminated from the competition; otherwise, it goes on to the next stage. The top six teams from each division then participate in a single-elimination tournament.
As the heats progress, the other contestants are eliminated. There are only two people in each heat at the end of the game.
The heats are usually 20-40 minutes long, and surfers must make the best of their time. Sometimes there is a maximum number of waves they may catch, while in other events, they are free to catch as many as they can.
But, while quantity is important, it isn’t the most essential criterion for getting a surfer through to the next round. Instead, it’s quality that matters most.
How Surf Contests are Scored
The World Surf League (think the NFL to football or the NBA to basketball) sets the standards that most other competitions, from minor and local leagues on down, follow. This aids in establishing a consistent baseline for judging by allowing their judges to compare against a common standard.
The performance of a surfer is judged by a panel of judges (often five), who give them an overall wave score ranging from 0 to 10 points, decimals included.
The judges’ average scores for each wave are totalled up, and the surfer’s best two waves are combined to compute the overall total.
The heat score is the number that determines whether or not the surfers will advance. A perfect heat score is a 20, which comprises of two individual wave scores.
In general, wave scores can be broken down as follows:
0.0-1.9 (Poor Score)
2.0-3.9 (Fair Score)
4.0-5.9 (Average Score)
6.0-7.9 (Good Score)
8.0-10 (Excellent Score)
How to Earn Points
The score for this individual activity is determined by five distinct judging criteria. Judges may accurately compute a wave score based on the instructions below. Each of the following categories contributes equally to each wave score.
Commitment and Degree of Difficulty
The higher a surfer’s commitment level, the better. In surfing, “commitment” has a few meanings. The first is that it implies dedication to the actual wave. Committing to entering a huge, steep, and aggressive wave is an excellent demonstration of dedication.
The second consideration is related to the degree of commitment and difficulty in each maneuver. A significant turn or a strong air that necessitates a full degree of willpower to complete and will earn you a higher score.
While surfing conservatively may suffice, those who take the plunge are rewarded with the highest ranks.
Innovative and Progressive Maneuvers
A nice cutback or a standard turn are fine moves, but surfers must be creative in order to score well. Choosing to innovate an air or lay back into a carve with a distinct style will earn you more points than sticking to the usual.
Combination of Major Maneuvers
To achieve the maximum possible score, surfers must perform all of the essential big moves in succession on the same wave. The more skills you can execute on a given wave, the better.
Variety of Maneuvers
On a single wave, many of the same techniques and spins may improve your score.
A surfer who executes six identical hacks will score lower than one who opts for a barrel, does a hack, makes another cutback, and finishes the wave with a spectacular floater.
Speed, Power, and Flow
The higher the score, the better. The faster a surfer can keep his or her speed down the line while still executing tricks, the higher his or her score will be. A surfer’s power (for example, digging deep into a lip and expelling as much water as possible via a hack) determines how well he or she performs.
Last but not least, the higher the score, the smoother and classier the surfer’s movements are.
Judges’ Scoring
The judges’ responsibility is to look at all of these categories in order to assess what a surfer scored on a wave.
The judges must also consider the type of wave being competiti on (barreling or playful), the quality of the waves throughout the day, and other factors. After that, five judges present their final number.
The two highest and the two lowest scores are ignored. The remaining three scores are averaged to arrive at the final score.
Point Deductions
Surfers must also be aware of circumstances in the water that might result in a point deduction, such as if they are too crowded behind another surfer.
The term prisim is derived from the word priory, and it refers to who is permitted to catch the first waves. Prioritization is established at the start of a heat and is carried over when a surfer with first priority catches his or her wave.
When two surfers both catch a wave, you may witness a “paddle battle.” When both surfers paddle as fast as possible back into the takeoff zone, they engage in a ‘paddle battle.’ The first one back receives priority.
A surfer in first place has priority and can ride any wave that appears. Regardless of how badly a surfers with a lesser priority may want to catch the current wave, they must relinquish it to a surfer with a higher priority.
If the higher priority surfer does not make a clear show of paddling to catch the wave, the next surf may go for it.
If a lesser priority surfer catches a wave that the higher priority surfer has (and has paddled for), the lower priority surfer will be fined.
Typically, one of the wave totals is reduced by one when penalized for interference. As a result, instead of combining the wave points to produce a final score from 0-20, the highest possible total is only 10.
The importance of keeping to priority is critical — it’s difficult to do well in one’s heat with just one wave score.
Advanced Surf Competitions
Beginning surfers typically join regional organizations such as the Eastern/Western Surf Association or National Scholastics Surfing Association. To participate in the Champion Tour as one of the 32 total surfers, a surfer must complete the Qualifying Series.
The Qualifying Series (QS) is a rigorous chain of competitions with outstanding competitors. A surfer’s placement in each individual event is determined by his or her total score, so surfers compete to receive the highest overall ranking for their best eight events.
The top 16 surfers are invited to the Championship Tour (CT).
The standings in the Championship Tour are based on the sum of each tour competition’s points (1st place 10,000 points, 2nd place 8,000 points, and so on). At the end of the year, the surfer with the highest global ranking receives World Champion title.
The top 16 surfers from the CT qualify for the following year’s CT, while the bottom 16 are removed and replaced with the top 16 surfers of the Qualifying Series.
