The new ASP Big Wave World Tour has announced it’s competitor list for the 2014-15 season. BWWT Champion Greg Long pictured at Pico Alto, Peru. Photo: Rommel Gonzalez
Huge news this week in the big wave surfing world, as the official roster listing competitors for the new ASP Big Wave World Tour was released for the 2014-15 season, highlighting the Top 12 big wave athletes invited to all six anticipated Tour stops. At each venue, the Top 12 will be joined by six local wildcards and six BWWT wildcards, reflecting the most current standouts in the sport of big wave surfing and also rewarding the performances of past champions of the BWWT.
The most decorated athlete in surfing, Kelly Slater (USA), now has the opportunity to compete in each big wave event, receiving a BWWT wildcard spot.
Damien Hobgood (USA) and Josh Kerr (AUS) have also earned wildcard spots to select events.
“The ASP Commissioner’s Office worked long and hard to determine a BWWT roster that reflects the most current standouts in the sport of big wave surfing and also rewarding the performances of past champions of the BWWT,” Peter Mel, ASP Deputy Commissioner, said. “Our qualification process will further add to the sport next year.”
A new video application process was also announced in order to be considered for the new ASP Big Wave World Tour, in which athletes must showcase their best five rides preferably at the ASP BWWT event sites, proving that they are showing up for the heaviest international swells and charging hard.
The season is split into two parts in order to take advantage to the different swell systems in the southern and northern hemispheres. The Top 12 ASP BWWT surfers will be joined by six international wildcards at each event, as well as an additional six locals.
“The ASP Commissioner’s Office worked long and hard to determine a BWWT roster that reflects the most current standouts in the sport of big wave surfing and also rewarding the performances of past champions of the BWWT,” Peter Mel, ASP Deputy Commissioner, said in a press release. “Our qualification process will further add to the sport next year.”
Qualification for the 2015/2016 ASP BWWT season will be defined as follows:
– Top 10 finishers on the 2014/2015 ASP BWWT season
– Four ASP BWWT qualifiers from the Oregon Pro event
– To be joined by six ASP BWWT wildcards and four local wildcards per event, making up the 24-man field.
The Oregon Pro ASP BWWT Qualifier will include the surfers rated 6 through 20 on the ASP BWWT rankings following the completion of the Southern Hemisphere season, six ASP BWWT Video applicants and three ASP BWWT/Local wildcards. This event will determine the four surfers qualifying to the following season’s ASP BWWT roster.
The ASP BWWT Video Application will be an ongoing competition hosted on ASPWorldTour.com that, through a decision process inclusive of a judging panel as well as public voting, will determine the six ASP BWWT video wildcards seeded into the Oregon Pro ASP BWWT Qualifier event.
2014/2015 ASP BWWT Top 12:
1 – Grant Baker (ZAF)
2 – Ken Collins (USA)
3 – Nic Lamb (USA)
4 – Shawn Dollar (USA)
5 – Kohl Christensen (HAW)
6 – Alex Gray (USA)
7 – Greg Long (USA)
8 – Ryan Augenstein (USA)
9 – Anthony Tashnick (USA)
10 – Ramon Navarro (PER)
11 – Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
12 – Tyler Fox (USA)
ASP BWWT Alternates (In Order)
1 – Adur Letamendia (ESP)
2 – Zach Wormhoudt (USA)
3 – Will Skudin (USA)
4 – Grant Washburn (USA)
5 – Marcos Monteiro (BRA)
6 – Aaron Ungerleider (HAW)
7 – Natxo Gonzalez (ESP)
ASP Big Wave World Tour Champion, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, leads the Top 12 elite. Photo: Universal Sports
Gabriel Villaran, of Peru, has received the ASP BWWT Injury Wildcard and will be seeded into the ASP BWWT wildcard selections for all events.
The Southern Hemisphere events consist of Dungeons in South Africa, Punta Lobos in Chile and Pico Alto in Peru with a window running between April 15, 2014 and August 31, 2014.
Billabong Pico Alto ASP BWWT Wildcards
1 – Kelly Slater (USA)
2 – Ben Wilkinson (AUS)
3 – Makua Rothman (HAW)
4 – Jamie Sterling (HAW)
5 – Carolos Burle (BRA)
6 – Gabriel Villaran (PER)
ASP BWWT Alternates:
1 – Shane Dorian (HAW)
2 – Ian Walsh (HAW)
3 – Mark Healey (HAW)
Billabong Pico Alto Local Wildcards:
1 – Miguel Tudela (PER)
2 – Rafael Velarde (PER)
3 – Kodiak Semsch (PER)
4 – Tamil Martino (PER)
5 – Alejo LDM (PER)
6 – Renzo Zazzali (PER)
Local Alternates:
1 – Sabastian De Romana (PER)
2 – Rafael Otero (PER)
3 – Juan Antonio Gordillo (PER)
Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta Lobos Chile ASP BWWT Wildcards:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA)
2 – Damian Hobgood (USA)
3 – Mark Healey (HAW)
4 – Nathan Fletcher (USA)
5 – Marcos Monteiro (BRA)
6 – Gabriel Villaran (PER)
ASP BWWT alternates:
1 – Jamie Sterling (HAW)
2 – Frank Solomon (ZAF)
3 – Ben Wilkinson (AUS)
Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta Lobos Chile Local Wildcards:
1 – Diego Medina (CHL)
2 – Christian Morello (CHL)
3 – Fernando Zegers (CHL)
4 – Reinaldo Ibarra (CHL)
5 – Rafael Tapia (CHL)
6 – Leon Vicuna (CHL)
Local Alternates:
1 – Leon Vicuna (CHL)
2 – Jacob Soto (CHL)
3 – Fabian Farias (CHL)
Dungeons ASP BWWT Wildcards:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA)
2 – Shane Dorian (HAW)
3 – Mark Healey (HAW)
4 – Ian Walsh (HAW)
5 – Gabriel Villaran (PER)
6 – Matthew Bromley (ZAF)
ASP BWWT Alternates:
1 – Carlos Burle (BRA)
2 – Albee Layer (HAW)
3 – Makua Rothman (HAW)
Dungeons Local Wildcards:
1 – Mike Schlebach (ZAF)
2 – James Taylor (ZAF)
3 – Simon Lowe (ZAF)
4 – Josh Redman (ZAF)
5 – Chris Bertish (ZAF)
6 – Andrew Marr (ZAF)
Local Alternates:
1 – James Lowe (ZAF)
2 – Frank Solomon (ZAF)
3 – Jeremy Johnson (ZAF)
The Northern Hemisphere events consist of Todos Santos in Mexico, Punta Galea in Spain and Pe’ahi in Maui with a window running between October 15, 2014 and February 28, 2015.
Pe’ahi ASP BWWT Wildcards
1 – Kelly Slater (USA)
2 – Mark Healey (HAW)
3 – Shane Dorian (HAW)
4 – Dave Wassel (HAW)
5 – Makua Rothman (HAW)
6 – Gabriel Villaran (PER)
ASP BWWT Alternates:
1 – Aaron Gold (HAW)
2 – Nathan Fletcher (USA)
3 – Mark Mathews (AUS)
Pe’ahi Local Wildcards:
1 – Ian Walsh (HAW)
2 – Billy Kemper (HAW)
3 – Albee Layer (HAW)
4 – Shawn Walsh (HAW)
5 – Kai Lenny (HAW)
6 – Tyler Larronde (HAW)
Local Alternates:
1 – Francisco Porcella (ITA)
2 – DK Walsh (HAW)
3 – Marcio Freire (BRA)
Todos Santos ASP BWWT Wildcards:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA)
2 – Josh Kerr (AUS)
3 – Mark Healey (HAW)
4 – Shane Dorian (HAW)
5 – Nathan Fletcher (USA)
6 – Gabriel Villaran (PER)
ASP BWWT alternates:
1 – Will Skudin (USA)
2 – Pat Gudauskas (USA)
3 – Carlos Burle (BRA)
Todos Santos Local Wildcards:
1 – Derek Dunfee (USA)
2 – Rusty Long (USA)
3 – Nick Vaughn (USA)
4 – Coco Nogales (MEX)
5 – Diego Petrusso (MEX)
6 – Vincent Yazbek (MEX)
Local Alternate:
1 – Chapman Murphy (USA)
2 – Dane Gudauskas (USA)
3 – Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Punta Galea ASP BWWT Wildcards:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA)
2 – Billy Kemper (HAW)
3 – Makua Rothman (HAW)
4 – Ian Walsh (HAW)
5 – Nathan Fletcher (USA)
6 – Gabriel Villaran (PER)
ASP BWWT alternates:
1 – Will Skudin (USA)
2 – Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
3 – Damien Hobgood (USA)
Punta Galea Local Wildcards:
1 – Adur Letamendia (ESP)
2 – David Bustamante (ESP)
3 – Aritz Aranburu (ESP)
4 – Naxto Gonzalez (ESP)
5 – Indar Unanue (ESP)
6 – Eric Rebiere (FRA)
Local Alternates:
1 – Guillermo Barandiaran (ESP)
2 – Ibon Amatrian (ESP)
3 – Andrew Cotton (UK)
All ASP BWWT events will be webcast LIVE via aspworldtour.com
