Surfing Soapbox: Biggest stars to shine

If you’re a surfer you have to love this time of the year. The days are getting longer, and the ASP world tour is set to take place from Saturday to March 10. The Quiksilver Pro is on the Gold Coast of Australia with a brand new mixture of surfing talent on hand, along with professional surfing’s brightest stars.

These include defending world champion Mick Fanning, defending Quiksilver Pro champion Joel Parkinson and let’s not forget the best of all time: nine-time world champion Kelly Slater. This year’s tour talent will have a great mix of veterans and rookies in the likes of Owen Wright; Orange County’s Gudauskas brothers Patrick and Tanner; and Orange County rookies Nate Yeomans and Brett Simpson.

As in every sport, everyone loves the comeback story and the Quiksilver Pro will mark the return of former three-time world champion Andy Irons after a year off. Last year’s tour saw Parkinson winning the first event and getting off to a great start, only to be caught in the last couple of events by an on-fire Mick Fanning, in what was the greatest two-man battle for the title since 2003 when Irons beat Slater for the title at the last event of the year at the Pipeline Masters.

Last year also marked a big year in the change in surfboard equipment, with surfers choosing to ride smaller boards. Some might say it was Slater’s equipment experimentation that cost him last year’s title.

I have a feeling that Slater will return this year more focused and riding a more conventional surfboard — but will it be enough to beat the likes of Fanning and Parkinson?

I think so. Peace.

JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach native, professional surfer and John Kelly Environmental Award winner. His websites include AlohaSchoolofSurfing and ECOWarrior Surf.com. He can be reached at Jamo@Aloha SchoolofSurfing.com