Rulez

Competitors will be judged primarily on the fundamental principals of good wave riding - speed, fluidity, power and their proximity to the critical section of the wave. In general a more vertical approach to the lip, initiated by a committed, powerful bottom turn will score more highly than a more horizontal “down the line” style of ride. Directional changes will be assessed on the degree to which direction is changed and on the speed and fluidity with which this change is achieved. The amount of spray thrown out during the turn, will tend to indicate the severity of the directional change.

Cutbacks will be scored considering the vertical aspect of the approach, the proximity to the critical section of the wave, how deep inside the lip the turn is made and the speed and power with which the manoeuvre is executed. The sailor who is committed deep into the face of the wave will score more highly.

Aerial manoeuvres will enhance the score but there should be clear differentiation between simple hops after riding straight down the line and aerials that are performed by bottom turning back up the face and hitting the lip. Aerials should be executed in a controlled fashion and a manoeuvre that is cleanly “tweaked” shall score more highly than one that is ragged or twitchy in the air. The sailor that uses the wave and “hits” the lip to create the aerial will score more highly than one who simply hops off the top of the wave.

Freestyle manoeuvres will only enhance the wave score if intergrated into the wave ride and are performed in a critical part of the wave. Sailors who simply set up for one freestyle move on the wave will not be scored higher compared with a sailor who has ridden the wave. It should always be considered that this is the waveriding category, however pushing the sport with radical manoeuvres will be rewarded.

To gain maximum points sailors should demonstrate as wide a variety of different skills as possible. A sailor who performs both cutbacks and aerials should in general score more highly than a sailor who performs the same move repeatedly as should a sailor who includes front and backside riding and any number of other manoeuvres during the ride. Sailors who simply blast down the line and perform one big move will not be scored as highly as those who really ride the wave, but only if the turns and manoeuvres performed are of a high standard. In general quantity should not be scored more highly than quality.

Whilst wave selection is a factor in scoring, it should only influence scoring between 2 equally well ridden waves. In general, a sailor who rides a smaller wave well, shall score more highly than a sailor that takes a bigger wave but does not ride it as well as the smaller one.

Sailors who take risks and perform more radical manoeuvres should be rewarded more than sailors who “play safe” provided that manoeuvres are completed in a reasonably controlled fashion.