If the tour ended today, Kaua‘i’s Alana Blanchard and Malia Manuel would reclaim their spots in the Association of Surfing Professionals Women’s World Championship Tour for 2014, earning Top 17 status. But to borrow a golf expression, both are sitting right on the cut line with less than a handful of events to go.
Blanchard and Manuel have identical results and are tied for 10th in the WCT standings. The Top 17 consists of the top 10 WCT finishers, the top six Women’s World Rankings finishers (other than those already in the WCT top 10) and one Wild Card slot.
Not sweating the Top 17 is Australia’s Tyler Wright, who notched her second victory and fourth final in five events this season with the completion of the Girls Rio Pro on Saturday. Wright jumps back ahead of O’ahu’s Carissa Moore for the WCT points lead with only two contests remaining. Wright, Moore, Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons and California’s Courtney Conlogue have separated themselves in the standings and should have an entertaining battle for the 2013 crown. Aussie Steph Gilmore sits fifth and is more than capable of re-entering that group, but she was sidelined with a fractured foot this week.
Blanchard started the 2013 season with a pair of quarterfinal appearances (fifth place), then a ninth place at Bells Beach before placing 13th in the past two events. Manuel reversed those finishes, going 13th, 13th, ninth and fifth, before another fifth for her quarterfinal showing this weekend in Brazil.
That leaves them deadlocked for the final guaranteed position. The best way to assure their inclusion for 2014 will be to do no worse than ninth in the two remaining WCT events — France’s Roxy Pro (July 10-14) and the US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach, Calif. (July 22-28). Otherwise, they have to compete with the much larger talent pool in the Women’s World Rankings at Star events.
The Swatch Girls Pro France and the Pantin Classic Galicia Pro are two remaining Star events, each taking place in August. They will give Blanchard and Manuel a chance to earn points for those six additional spots, if bumped out of the WCT top 10. Manuel is in much better shape for one of those positions after a third place at the Breaks Burleigh Pro in Australia. On its own, that result currently gives her enough points to qualify.
Blanchard has a pair of 25th-place results in Star events, so she would need to move up significantly if her WCT standing dropped. With the top-heavy point structure for Star events, one big result is all that is needed to jump up the World Rankings. That’s good news for Blanchard, as well as Nage Melamed, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Leila Hurst and Bethany Hamilton, all Kaua’i surfers ranked in the top 50.
While their focuses should be on enjoying the exclusive waves and exotic travel, there is a major financial boost for making the Top 17. Prize money for WCT competitors will average out to about $45,000 to $50,000. Wright, Moore and Fitzgibbons have already earned in excess of $50,000 in 2013.
Those competing in just Star events are fortunate to reach five figures.
The prestige and security of reaching and staying in the Top 17 will make the remainder of this season similarly important for Blanchard and Manuel as it is for those vying for the World Title.
• ‘My Thoughts Exactly’ appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays in The Garden Island. Email David Simon your comments or questions to dsimon@thegardenisland.com. Follow David on Twitter @SimonTGI
