What happens when surfers don’t ride any waves in a heat?
Imagine a competitive surfing heat in which surfers catch no waves and score zero points. Who wins? Who advances to the next stage?
The surreal scenario is not an impossible one.
Recently, in a World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) event, two surfers were tied with 0 points with under two minutes to go.
Teresa Bonvalot and Bahia Frediani were surfing a quarterfinal heat at the Pantín Classic in Galicia, Spain.
The swell forces were low, and the small sets on offer were spaced out.
Minutes passed without any surfer taking off on a wave. Both athletes were sitting side by side, with Bonvalot wanting to keep close to her opponent.
At some point, the WSL Rulebook (10.02) gives the head judge a few options.
It states that if no surfers have had a ride after ten minutes have passed in any heat of 30 minutes or less or event finals, the head judge may:
- Continue with the priority situation maintained;
- Restart with the priority situation continuing if it had been established;
- Postpone and re-run the heat in their sole discretion, taking into account all circumstances;
None of the three above options were activated, apparently because the head judge considered that both surfers were out of position.
The truth is that a few small yet rideable waves passed by their side, with none of the competitors paddling for them.
So, the judgment was correct – surfers were not in the peak or take-off zone, supposedly more focused on not losing the priority.
The Zero Points Rule
But what would happen if no surfers caught any wave?
If they were tied on above zero points, the rulebook (10.06) says the tie would be split by:
- Counting each surfer’s best counting wave score;
- Compare each surfer’s next best wave until the tie is broken;
- Surf-off;
However, because they were tied with zero points and none of the above options are applicable, the WSL Rulebook says, “the advancing procedure to the next round will be per their seeding.”
Consequently, Teresa Bonvalot would go through to the semifinal based on the seeding into the Spanish event.
However, with 1:55 seconds on the clock, Frediani decided to paddle for a very small wave, scoring 0.23 points.
Forty seconds later, realizing she needed to do something, Bonvalot takes on a slightly better wave and 1.93 points for her effort.
It would be her sole-scoring wave of the heat.
Suddenly, needing desperately for a backup, Bahia answered with another 0.23-point score, but in the end, it was not enough.
“We were fighting for the first priority. We both knew we were too much to the right,” explained Bonvalot.
“I wasn’t going to give her the inside, so I just sat there, and in my mind, I was OK with that. To be honest, I thought she would just go.”
“In my mind, I was not expecting the judges to restart the heat. If they did, it wouldn’t make sense because we weren’t obviously in the right place.”
“With this higher tide, you can have one wave in the beginning and then nothing in the end, so whoever gets that first one will be one step ahead.”
In one of the most unusual women’s heats in surfing history, Teresa prevailed.
She indeed got the best wave of the heat, even though it wasn’t the first one ridden.
Is the First Wave Worth It?
Kelly Slater once said that the chances of the first wave being the best wave of the heat are relatively low, so there’s no reason to fight vigorously for it.
Statistically, the greatest competitive surfer of all time seems to be right.
However, in small surf conditions, no one knows what your opponent(s) will do.
Are they thinking the same way you are? Are they going the exact opposite way?
Will they try to gather points from the get-go and give up on a potential priority situation for a better mid-heat wave?
Which wave management strategy is the best?
Statistics and knowledge of the rules can help, but sometimes, there’s nothing like a strong and confident mindset and well-thought strategic options for all moments of the matchup.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
