From: Rick Starr <Starr@mlml.calstate.edu>
Category: Surf Kayaking
Date: 10 Apr 2000
Time: 16:41:09
Remote Name: 192.100.161.254

Comments

Surf Kayakers, In the process of gathering information for the next World Championships, many people told me that we need to better define the rules for judges and competitors. Interference calls especially are subjective, and we need at least to give judges a basis for making a call. Most surf kayakers I have talked with over the years think we should be trying to surf waves in the same way as longboard surfers.

Since we are trying to surf in the same way as longboards, I thought we should look at longboard judging rules to define interference. Diane Bacon hunted up a copy of the International Association of Surfing Professionals judging rules. I went through them and pulled out what I think is relevant to kayaking. What do you think about these rules?

The International Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) use a 10 point scale, with decimals. All judges watch all rides. They instruct judges to pay most attention to riders at the critical points of the wave, especially the beginning. They use a panel of 5 judges who watch all rides. The best 4 waves on each judges sheet are tabulated and places are given on each judges sheet. The high and low judge for each surfer is crossed off and the 3 remaining places are added. The lowest total gets first, next lowest second, etc.

Here are the ASP judging rules, this text is pulled straight out of their judging handbook written by Renato Hickel, Graham Stapelberg, Steve Fookes, Dave Reed, Ian Cairns, Alan Atkins, Romulo Fonsesca:

Surfing Criteria In 1982, the founding members of ASP decided to formulate a criteria to emphasize what constituted good surfing. The resultant criteria has been amended three times since then to read:

A surfer must execute the most radical controlled manoeuvres in the critical section of a wave with speed and power throughout. The surfer who executes such manoeuvres on the biggest and or best waves for the longest functional distance shall be deemed the winner.

Longboards will be judged on a combination of traditional and modern manoeuvres with control being the major factor. The emphasis of the criteria must be placed on control and the maneuvre's degree of difficulty.

They go on to break the criteria into 4 main sections:

A. Radical Controlled Manoeuvres. This is by far the most important part of the criteria. Modern day manoeuvres basically constitute change of direction of the board on the wave. Such manoeuvres would include bottom turns, re-entries, cut-backs, floaters, aerials, tube rides, top turns and fade take-offs, late take-offs, trimming and stalling, etc. How radical they are, followed by the amount of control and commitment put into each of them, will determine how high they will score. It is important to note, even if a surfer has completed 90% of a manouevre, it will not score if he loses control and falls off or is not able to continue on the wave.

B. Most Critical Section. The critical section of the wave is the "pocket", closest to the curl. The degree of commitment and the risk involved in performing close to the curl is the reason that it scores higher. Generally in beach break conditions the most important critical section of the wave is the first section. However, there are certain waves around the world where this is not always the case.

C. The Biggest and/or Best Waves. Wave selection is the single most important factor for a surfer in his heat. The waves he selects will dictate the manoeuvres he is able to perform. Today, there is less emphasis put on wave size in small to medium conditions due to the fact that the best waves may not necessarily be the biggest. However, in a contest with big wave conditions, the most important part of the criteria would be the size. The surfer who is prepared to catch the biggest wave shows the greatest commitment. A surfer does not automatically score high because of wave size or quality. He must comply with the first section of the criteria and wave selection to capitalise on full scoring potential.

D. Longest Functional Distance. It is important to note that the functional length o f a ride means the longest possible distance that can be ridden in the horizontal plane across the judges field of vision whist performing manoeuvres.

Judging in Bad Conditions In poor surf you should concentrate on surfers who are utilising the mini power-pockets on the wave with explosive moves that are normally timed to occur at each of these spots on the wave. Observe if each manoeuvre is being linked directly to another without hopping all the way to the next section. Establish if the surfer is generating/creating his own speed out of turns because the wave will certainly not be cooperating. You also have to notice which surfers are completing each wave flawlessly with major, perfectly executed manoeuvres. In poor conditions the wave size is not a factor, concentrate on the quality of the surfing.

Judging Difficult Heats In every contest there will always be some heats that are more difficult than others. The following factors should be considered when analyzing each wave in such particular heats. 1. Where was the first manoeuvre executed? 2. How well was it executed? 3. How well were the manoeuvres connected together? 4. Did the surfer execute rail to rail turns through the flat sections or did he just hop all the way to the next section? 5. Compare the quality of manoeuvres. 6. Compare take off areas and how deep the surfer was at the initial point of take off. 7. Consider how the surfer utilised the wave. 8. The ability of the surfer to make sections and whether the manoeuvres were functional in doing so. 9. Did the surfer actually complete the manoeuvre and with control? 10. What did the surfer complete before falling?

Interference: The interference rules will help the judge decide which surfer has the ROW (Right of Way) as a situation arises. It is then up to the individual judge to determine whether the surfer with the ROW has been possibly hindered in his scoring potential. The key word in this criteria is "Possibly". If the judge has to consider, did he or didn't he hinder, then he has possibly hindered the scoring potential of the ROW surfer, so the interference must be called.

What to Consider: 1. Which surfer has the Right of Way? At the take off point concentrate on the shape of the wave, the inside surfer always has unconditional ROW. 2. Was there interference or not? Did the surfer with unconditional ROW have his scoring potential possibly hindered. 3. What rule in the book reflects to the infringement? Drop-in, snaking, paddling, breaking down a section, excessive hassling.

The Interference Rule is: The surfer deemed to have the inside position for a wave, has unconditional right of way for the entire duration of that ride. Interference will be called if during that ride, a majority of judges feel that a fellow competitor has possibly hindered the scoring potential of that surfer deemed to have the Right of Way for the wave. Anyone who stands up in front of a surfer with the Right of Way has the chance to ride or kick out of the wave without being called for interference, unless he hinders the scoring potential of the surfer with the Right of Way by any means including excessive hassling, legrope pulling, or breaking down a section.

A. Point Break (Single Direction Wave) - The inside surfer has unconditional ROW for the duration of that wave. B. Single Peak (Left & Right Breaking Wave) - The surfer considered to have the inside position at the initial point of take off has unconditional ROW in the direction he chooses by making an obvious turn. A second surfer may surf in the opposite direction. C. Beach Break (Multiple Random Peaks) - Two separate peaks that eventually meet then the first surfer to stand has unconditional ROW.

If two surfers stand at he same time then: A. If they both give way by cutting back or kicking out, so that neither is hindered, there will be no penalty. B. If they cross paths, collide or hinder one another, the judges will penalise the surfer who has been the aggressor at the point of contact. C. If neither surfer gives way, by cutting back or kicking out, and both share responsibility for the confrontation, then a double interference will be called.

Paddling Interference: Paddling interference may be called if: a. The offending surfer makes contact with, or forces the inside surfer to change his line while paddling to catch the wave causing possible loss of scoring potential. b. The offending surfer obviously causes a section to break down in front of the inside surfer, which would not normally have happened causing loss of scoring potential. c. When a surfer is put in a position while paddling out that he cannot get out of the way and a collision happens due to this, it is up to a majority of judges to call interference based on whether it is felt to be accidental or not.

Snaking The surfer who is farthest inside at the initial take off point is entitled to that wave for the duration of his ride. If a surfer takes off on the white water behind the first surfer he will be penalized if the surfer with ROW is forced to pull out and loses the wave.

Cheers, Rick Starr