Bells heat draw, more injury withdrawals
Last night it was announced that Jack Freestone was withdrawing from Bells due to a leg injury. The rookie hurt himself just after Snapper and has had to use one of his two throwaway results while he recovers. Replacing Freestone is Dusty Payne, who joins Mason Ho. Ho is replacing the injured Filipe Toledo.
The list of injuries on the CT tour grows with Bede Durbidge (pelvis), Owen Wright (complications from concussion), Alejo Muniz (knee), Filipe Toledo (groin), and Jack Freestone (leg). They've been replaced by Adam Melling, Stu Kennedy, Sebastian Zietz, and now also Dusty Payne and Mason Ho.
Along with the wildcards, the list of stand in surfers totals eight - almost a quarter of the surfers in the mens draw.
Here's the draw for Round 1 at Bells:
Heat 1: Jeremy Flores, Caio Ibelli, Davey Cathels
Heat 2: Julian Wilson, Stu Kennedy, Adam Melling
Heat 3: Italo Ferreira, Kanoa Igarashi, Dusty Payne
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina, Conner Coffin, TBA
Heat 5: Mick Fanning, Keanu Asing, TBA
Heat 6: Adriano DeSouza, Michel Bourez, TBA
Heat 7: Kelly Slater, Kai Otton, Alex Ribiero
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson, Taj Burrow, Sebastian Zietz
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson, Kolohe Andino, Miguel Pupo
Heat 10: Nat Young, Adrian Buchan, Ryan Callinan
Heat 11: Josh Kerr, Wiggolly Dantas, Matt Banting
Heat 12: John John Florence, Jordy Smith, Jadson Andre
Comments
Looks like Stu Kennedy (form depending) may get a fair crack at qualifying through the CT rather than the QS.
How many times has an injury replacement done that?
Once I think? Pretty sure Bede did it.
I'm thinking that maybe Luke Munro also did it but I can't check 'cos the WSL hasn't got the history available.
I think Munro was QS, unless he did it another time also.
Nice of bede to pay the favour forward.
From memory L Munro got an injury wildcard at the expense of someone higher up the ratings. Really can't remember clearly on that at all though so take with a grain of salt.
What's with the seeding? Why are world number one and two in the same heat? Without looking into it, i'd say it's based on 2015 results? Is that correct? If so, when do 2016 results start impacting the seeding?
I've just had a brief glance at the charts but any southern ocean experts want to poke at the forecast? Looks reasonably active in the that corridor between 100-150E but that Bells swell window is funky.
Southey, calling Southey.
Okay Okay . Settle .. haha
I don't usually look into too much detail of Craig's forecast ( which are exceptional BTW ) except for final confirmation if i'm heading somewhere tricky .
But since your goating me gf , I'll make one comment .
Craig , the model indications in your automated forecasts for open sea have a more Sth direction indication than the Bass Strait ones . And then to add to it the open ocean direction tends more west ? as the swell deteoriates / time passes .
If this is just a quirk then just ignore it , but if it isn't and your confident would you like to email me .
PS This won't effect any of your forecasts . ( fair chance Thurs could be undercooked -seperate issue ) i just don't want to surf with Pro's . Except Gary , he's welcome anywhere . !
Forecast looking great at the moment.
https://www.swellnet.com/reports/forecaster-notes/victoria/2016/03/21/great-outlook-rip-curl-pro
It just so happens that I will be at Bells this weekend for a family (in-laws) catch up. Can any of you southern folk give me the low down on water temps?
I am trying to travel light as I am with the missus and tin lids, so was gonna just bring Short sleeved steamer. But I am from northern NSW so I may suffer horribly if I don't pack enough rubber.
Short arm steamer is enough if it's a nice day or if you aren't going to be sitting around waiting for sets.
From NNSW, I'd say you'd want a 3/2 sealed to be comfy though.
Thanks mate. Best play it safe. I'll probably end up waiting around a bit with the top 44 in town.
thanks Craig.
I saw this morning that Toledo was being replaced by Mason Ho, who is rated 101 in the QS after the end of 2015.
If the WSL were fair dinkum, you'd think it would go to Connor O'leary or Wade Carmichael being the next two in line from the QS, after Dusty Payne who has already got a start, considering where they finished in the rankings at the end of 2015. Plus they're Aussies for an Aussie held comp.
Maybe even Brett Simpson being the next in line from the CT but I can't see anyway possible that Ho should get to be an Injury replacement. A sponsors wildcard or WSL wildcard maybe but not an injury replacement and if the WSL were to read their rulebook they'd probably see that they have stuffed up yet again.
I guess they can make it up as they go and are only accountable to themselves, so yeah, stick some Hawaiian in that doesn't really deserve the start, in front of blokes that do to try and attract some interest from Hawaii.
Fk. Serious? Poor bastards sitting just off the bubble busting their arses. Typical surf scene shit.
Connor O'Who? Wade Carwho? That's why. You gotta figure if Rip Curl is shelling out big bucks to put on a comp, they're gonna have some influence getting one of their guys in when the oppurtunity comes. If you have a BBQ at your house and you pay for the meat and the beers, you get to make the guest list. Anybody have any idea how much Rip Curl pays to sponsor the event? Take that dollar amount and you can directly translate it to the number of reasons they feel entitled to put their guy in, and I'll bet it's millions. And Ho is more interesting than O'Leary and Carmichael. He's not a contest surfer, he beat Fanning and Freddy P in the first round last year, he posts A.D.D. induced web clips on the regular and people like him cause he seems like a nice dude.
I'm just playing the devil's advocate here. I'm with you, they SHOULD give the spot to the next guy in line but I'm not surprised Ho got it.
I know what you are saying is what's probably happened but the sponsors wildcard is for Ripcurl to put the likes of Mason into the comp not be put in as an injury replacement.
These other fellows do the hard yards and when there's a glimmer of hope of getting a shot at a CT comp the door gets slammed in their face.
I just would like to see the WSL actually read the rules and follow through with them so as to make it consistent for everybody.
It's been corrected now but the initial WSL release said Jack Robinson was forced to withdraw from the comp!
You would think with only a few dozen surfers on the CT they would be able to know their Freestones from their Robinsons.
I guess it means Alana wont be coming down to Torquay either...
JJF put in some decent time in the weekend slop at winki board testing too. Worth a $20 bet to take home a bell this year
Saw Alana at straddie this morning so ur probably right. Jack's injury aside though, I'm surprised her masters have not insisted on her being in town for their event
Following on from having Bede as coach who is JJF installing as coach Adam Robbo or Glyndyn Ringrose maybe Tony Ray? or is Bede travelling the Aussie leg?
Wade Carmichael at Bells would be an awesome combo. Love that guys surfing. Saw him at Angourie a year or so ago in a pretty fine swell and he was the by far the best out there.
The deal with Mason is that after the first 2 injury replacements the WSL commissioners are free to choose the next replacement/s at their discretion.
Still sucks, but it is RC's comp and he is an entertaining young fella' ;-)