SL SURFING WORLD CUP

SurfWatch recently caught up with Colleen Brennan, SLSA Advisor and lead organizer of the SL Surfing World Cup competition, to get all the latest information on this multi-league event. The SLSA (Second Life Surfing Association) and ABSSL (Associacao Brasileira de Surf no SL) are reportedly making significant progress in negotiating the details of this Surfing World Cup competition first announced approximately two weeks ago. Since making an historic hand-shake agreement to stablish the first “international” interleague surfing competition, representatives from the SLSA and ABSSL continue to meet and iron out the details such as when, where, and how. SurfWatch will be providing team coverage of the entire process right thru the finals of the series.


SurfWatch: Is this competition intended to create a "champion of surf champions"?

Colleen Brennan: No, absolutely not. Despite its lofty title, this competition is not in any way intended to crown the “World Champion of all SL surfing.” Rather, it is an exhibition match bringing together top surfers from each league in a friendly competition designed to promote surfing in Second Life, unity of Second Life surfers in general, and to be a cultural exchange of sorts. Bottom line, it is an excuse - if anyone even needs one - to go out and have fun surfing.

SW: Who is “in charge” of the organization of the SWC?

CB: It is a joint effort of both leagues. I am most familiar with how the SLSA side is organized and can comment on that. Recently I submitted a proposal through the sponsorship of Bonheur Chenaux (current SLSA Director) to the SLSA Board. It basically asked for Board approval to sanction a joint venture establishing an exhibition match for fun between the two leagues. With Board approval, we are able to access and use SLSA resources such as the forums pages for registration, the spectator stands, the judges HUD, and the scoreboard system.

SW: Who is “we”?

CB: I was getting to that. “We” is a secret international conspiracy headquartered in Zurich and made up of international bankers, politicians, and the secret owners of the military-industrial complex .... just joking, of course. For the SLSA component of “we”, the proposal approved by the SLSA Board established a special competition committee composed of SLSA Board members, SLSA Advisors, and SLSA members who actively want to make this happen. It is important to emphasize that this competition is an independent joint venture of both leagues and an owned subsidiary of neither. That way, it is able to draw upon the expertise of each league in running a competition, yet is financially independent and will have to get its own sponsors. The point person for the SLSA Committee is Boneur Chenaux. Her counterpart from the ABSSL is none other than Leogarto Burt. Bon is doing a great job and it is so helpful that she is fluent in Portugese.

SW: What is the format of the actual event and who decides who participates? Is it invitational only, or is it open to all?


CB: Each League will choose its own format for deciding its 15 representatives. The SLSA is all about being open to all whenever possible, so all members can compete for one of the 15 open positions to represent us. The committee will host an open surfing competition similar to the first round currently used in SLSA competitions and the top 15 will move on to represent the SLSA team in the joint World Cup Match. One significant difference is that current SLSA rankings have no bearing on the selection. All members have an equal shot to make the team based solely on their performance in the open.

SW: Wouldn't it be easier to just take the current top 15 surfers and send them?

CB: Perhaps, but that is not what this is all about. We want to offer the maximum opportunity for members of both leagues to participate. Additionally, earlier I mentioned the cultural exchange component of this event. As you know, the SLSA and ABSSL use different wave systems and boards during the course of their respective seasons. By coin ,the first SWC will be held on the ABSSL waves at Crab Island using ABSSL HP Boards. Because of that “cultural exchange” , SLSA surfers will have to operate on a wave that will be new to them and a board they perhaps have not seen before. Current standings therefore have very little bearing. We will need to choose the top 15 based on performance on the wave and boards that will be used in the Cup.

SW: Won't that put the SLSA surfers at a disadvantage?

CB: Well, of course, it presents a challenge for the SLSA team to have to learn a new system and compete at a high level on it. I have never seen an SLSA surfer run away from a challenge, though. Many will embrace the challenge as a fun thing and the ones who do the best with adapting will be in the main event. We did lose the coin toss when it came to picking location and board system, but our surfers can still win this competition despite that. In fact, I am guessing many members will like the fact that even our most seasoned surfers will have virtually no greater amount of experience of the boards used in the open and main event. This may be the most competitive open we have ever had.

SW: What “cultural exchange” will the ABSSL surfers have to deal with?

CB: While the competition will be at the ABSSL home sim and using ABSSL boards, it will be run under the SLSA heat format and will have SLSA judges scoring system. This will be new to most ABSSL surfers. They are used to a format in which each surfer gets 4 minutes alone on the water to surf as many waves as they can and score as many points as they can in that time.

SW: How can you use SLSA judging if the board is scripted differently?

CB: The SLSA judging standards are, for the most part, independent of any particular script. They are “universal” in that the things that count are style, control, use of wave, and length of ride. They have survived several script changes and will be applicable for the ABSSL board and waves as well. The judges, as always, will have to have knowledge of the waves and boards in use, their capabilities, their limitations, and the degree of difficulty of various surfing moves. The details of unifying the SLSA standards with the ABSSL ones and training of judges is one of the things currently being worked out by the Committee. It is a challenge, but not an insurmountable one by any means. By the time the event occurs, the judges, as well as our surfers , will have had sufficient time to come fully prepared.

SW: It sounds like a lot has been done already. When will the full details be available? What is still holding things up?

CB: A lot certainly has been accomplished, but there is still much to do. A lot of people are working very hard to make sure it does get done. The committee has to get sponsors, the event still has to be scheduled, and both leagues must come to formal agreement on even some of the things I have discussed here. One of the very big challenges also arises in the area of having very good translation. We need to be certain that all surfers fully understand all the rules, how the judging works, etc. Additionally, not to put Socks (Clawtooth) on the spot, but he and others have already, at least tentatively, agreed to help with the all important tutorials so that our surfers can learn from each other how to quickly adapt to competing on a different board for one event. Also, there are always a million other details that need doing to have a successful surfing event. They run the gamut from getting rashies made and distributed prior to a competition to having pose balls in place for the winners on the podium at the end. We are on top of it though, and I feel very certain that everything will be officially announced in the near future.

SW: Do you have any other major concerns at this time?

CB: Right now, my main one is that people understand exactly what thiswill be. It will be a fun competition and reason to surf. It will be a challenge for all involved. It is also an opportunity to share a mutual love of surfing with another surf group, as well as an opportunity to restore the team spirit and feeling of good will and community in our ownSLSA group. This is an exhibition event for fun. Though anyone would love to win and certainly winning this event against such competition is a major accomplishment, the intent is not to say the winner is the definitive champion of all surfing.

Some people have even taken me to task over the proposed name of the event. This is still subject to change. Admittedly it is “promotional” and draws attention. But I have also personally already received a cultural lesson. As an average American who barely follows American football, I did not quite grasp the connotations involved with the title “World Cup” and soccer. If viewed only in comparison to the soccer World Cup, obviously this comp pales in comparison and is not for determining a world champion.

That was never the intent, though. The intent was so that all surfers could see that there is a bigger surfing “world” than just the one they have immediate involvement with. Also, if the event is a success, it is hoped we will have another in about 6 months alternating waves, boards and sims to the SSi ones currently in use by the SLSA. Also, if the Japanese league were to be resuscitated, they would be more than welcome to send a contingent to compete, as would any other viable SL surfing association

Finally, as most of us already realize how truly international the SLSA itself is. It is my hope that no one thinks the SLSA is the “American Surfing League.” We already are a worldwide league, and I have always loved that about SLSA. How else would I have gotten to be friends with the Big Kahuna of all Poland?



Stay tuned to SurfWatch for more information on the SL Surfing World Cup event.

Share: