Why — And How — To Watch Women’s Surfing in the Olympics — Part 6 — Maneuvers and Scoring
What’s At Stake: Maneuvers and Scoring
First a short primer on types of boards:
Board Selection: I have focused on short-boarding for this article, as only short boarding will be featured in the Olympics, but there are two basic styles of competitive surfing: longboard and shortboard. (Other forms are growing, including foiling, bodyboarding, paddle-boarding, and kitesurfing.)
Competitive surfing focuses on shortboards and longboards. The fish is more recreational, with a loose, fun feeling. What they call a “mini malibu” is also a “fun board,” usually 7–8' long and great to learn on.
An official longboard is at least 9 feet long, and has a different shape (more rounded at the nose) than a shortboard. Modern shortboards are typically around or under 6 feet, are pointed at the tip, and are often shorter than the surfer themselves. The main difference between these boards is that a longboard, based on hydrodynamics, generates more of its own speed. If you catch a wave on a longboard, you will have automatic momentum. If you do this on a shortboard, without learning how to generate speed, you will STOP.
This does NOT mean that riding a longboard at a professional level is any easier. It just means you can get it going, which is why nearly everyone learns on a longboard. In the last decade, Wavestorm has created a foam version of an 8’ board (affectionately or derisively known as the “Costco foamie”) that will catch almost anything and help the novice surfer get enough momentum to figure out what surfing is. That said, what pro surfers do on a longboard is ANYTHING but novice. They command these monster logs into vertical turns, walk to the nose, hang 10 (both feet at the tip of the nose, which requires perfect balance and speed and intuitive hydrodynamic mastery), switch stance on the board, perform on it like a moving balance-beam, all while avoiding the force of what feels like a weapon on land.
A key idea in professional surfing is “progression.” Judges are looking for surfers to add something new to the sport, to “progress.” As this progression has evolved since the 1960s, shortboards have gotten shorter, more hydrodynamic, and more technical. The boards that pros rode in the 1970s or even 1980s look and feel very different than the ones from today. Getting into that progression is beyond the scope of this article, but what you really need to know is that pro shortboarders ride boards that most surfers would feel were tiny sliver-like toothpicks. They do this to make the board as light as possible, for a lot of reasons, including launching their boards into the air. The “air game” is just arriving for women on the pro circuit. The up and coming surfers — now in their teens — will completely transform the sport of women’s surfing over the next 5 years, and the boards they ride are part of that transformation.
You will hear announcers talk about the particular board a surfer is riding, its dimensions, its thickness, and the material it is made from (fiberglass or epoxy). Professional surfers don’t buy their boards off a website or even at a surf store. They team up with a professional shaper who makes each of their boards by hand to complement the exact body dimensions and talents of each individual surfer. A surfer has a “quiver,” which is a set of boards they will bring to a contest. It is a little bit like a set of golf clubs. Some boards perform better in small waves, big waves, hollow waves, or bumpy waves.
How Are Surfers Scored?
Now that we’ve delved into what it takes to even be OUT THERE as a professional surfer, we can finally break down what actually happens when a surfer is on a wave, and how they are scored.
There are excellent missives on wave maneuvers, including this complete list from Surfer Today. I steal…er…borrow…from some of their descriptions (thanks, guys!), but I also am adding in some non-technical info for the newbie or non-surfer.
Wave Selection and Count: The most important part of the score is the one the surfer has the least control over: the size and quality of the wave. There are a few surfers who can “manufacture” a score on almost any wave. This means that they can perform maneuvers that are so difficult even on a mediocre wave that they might score in the “excellent” range even when the wave is not excellent. Waves are scored on a scale of 1–10, and an excellent score is one that is over 8.
Surfers will be able to catch up to 20 waves in the Olympics (they never catch that many, as it would be exhausting), but they only get to keep the top two scores. Only those two are averaged together. So if they catch ten waves that are a “4” or “5”, they only get the top two waves, not an average of all of them. This is why a surfer can win a heat if they get only two waves, and one of them is an excellent score, and the other is only a 4 or 5. It is also why a surfer can LOSE a heat, even if they score a perfect 10, if that is the only wave they get and their competitor gets two 6’s.
Judges are interested in pushing surfers to the edge of their ability, so they want to see the surfer take most powerful, difficult wave. Pro surfers want those too. The waves that most of us would whimper and run from are exactly the waves that get the pros frothing. So the first part of the score is what the wave will actually ALLOW the surfer to do. The bigger the wave, the bigger the score, if they are able to “convert” that wave — to do some bigass maneuvers that are humanly impossible. Other factors include how the wave peels, how long it holds up, and how steep the wall (or face) is, especially in the first two turns.
I’ll go through a few of these maneuvers as a sort of primer, though watching surfing is the only way to truly absorb them. The slo-mo replays are the best way to digest what is happening, and there will be multiple replays from multiple camera angles to break this down. The World Surf League announcers love to dig into the details, and the Olympics announcers are sure to do so as well.
For some perspective, at the time of this writing, the average heat score of 4–time world champion Carissa Moore, queen of the 9s and 10s, is 14.0. Next in line is Aussie Sally Fitzgibbons at 12.5, then 7-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore, at 12.20, followed closely by 2-time world champ Tyler Wright at 12.19. Most riders hover around the 11 and 12 mark, with the occasional drop below 10 in a tough season. What this means is that all heats can be incredibly tight, and even the champions have low-scoring contests. For the spectator, this keeps the competitions fresh and exciting. You truly have NO idea what will happen, or who could win!
Maneuvers on a Wave
The Drop: While not technically a maneuver, the timing, steepness and size of the drop plays a part in scoring. The surfer needs to take off at exactly the right place to set them up for the ride they want to have. They want maximum speed, control, and power. They also want to be as close to the peak as possible, for speed, and also for scoring. A surfer “drops in” to a wave at the moment they get to their feet. Sometimes the wave will literally drop off as they paddle and they “airdrop” to the wave. I cannot even explain the power and strength this requires to maintain balance, composure, and momentum. If a surfer airdrops into a wave, or if it is incredibly steep, the “critical nature” of the drop may come into play in the scoring, especially if they do a huge first maneuver.
Types of “turns”: Generally speaking, everything a surfer does on a wave is a “turn,” because otherwise, they are just cruising down the line. With the exception of giant wave surfing, you get no score for traveling along the face of the wave (“down the line”) no matter how fast you are going, or how big the wave. Different types of turns are considered more difficult than others, just as they are in figure skating, though judges also like to reward variety on a wave. The variety comes from reading exactly what the wave is going to do, its power, shape, speed, and assessing the most powerful maneuver that they can make in that precise moment.
The Bottom Turn: This is the first turn on a wave, which sets the surfer up for the rest of the ride. As they drop into the wave from top to bottom, they sink the rail at just the right angle, then slingshot into a trajectory that projects them towards their next maneuver. A bobbled bottom turn will kill the speed and weaken any of the following maneuvers. A perfectly executed turn (one that reads the remaining wave with just the right angle and power) will project the surfer into the first big maneuver.
Sally Fitzgibbons, Bottom Turn, www.worldsurfleague.com
Carve: This is the arcing turn created by shifting rail to rail on a wave. It is beautiful to watch, like the long sweeping turns on a half-pipe, but for the pro surfer it is can be more of a means to an end, allowing them to carve back into the pocket for power, and to change direction and position. Carving takes place usually on bigger waves, which leave a more open canvas.
Insane backside carve from Carissa Moore, www.worldsurfleague.com
Cutback: Exactly what it sounds like, the surfer switches their forward momentum on the wave back towards the pocket. There are variations of this maneuver, including the layback cutback, and the roundhouse cutback. Awesome to watch, in the roundhouse cutback, the surfer does a massive turn at the top of the wave, sending up a huge fantail of spray, then angles their body back to carve back into the pocket or foam ball, using the power and speed of the wave to return to forward momentum and set up for the next turn. It carves out the pattern of a figure 8.
Snap, Hack, or Slash: A turn at the top of the wave where the board literally slashes the lip and sends a bucket of spray heavenward. Like all of these maneuvers, an effective snap requires perfect timing in relation to what the next few feet of the wave will offer.
Caroline Marks with a back-side snap, buckets of spray. www.worldsurfleague.com
Off the Lip: This is a turn at the top of the wave where the board is literally perpendicular to the wave, and the board comes way over the the top, or lip. At least half of the board shows above the wave before the surfer hurls the board and their whole body back into the meaty face without losing, and often gaining, momentum.
Fin Slide, Tail Slide, or Fin Release: The surfer snaps the board so hard the rear part of the board (with the fins) literally releases from the wave. They maintain control and slide down the wave until the fins re-engage and they drive into the next section. A modern maneuver and one that is about a million times harder than it looks.
Foam Climb: This simple maneuver is also unbelievably harder than it looks. Remember, the power of the breaking wave is concentrated in the lip, and the foamball. The natural result of engaging with that foam ball is to be flicked off like an ant. In this, the surfer exercises perfect judgment, strength and balance and literally climbs the foam to get speed to pass onto the next section.
Floater: The surfer uses the foam itself, and/or the top of the cresting wave (or roof) to fly over to the next section. This happens as the wave is literally closing out or crumbling, so it requires incredible speed and timing to not be sucked over with the wave itself. Again, so much harder than it looks.
Sally Fitzgibbons in the barrel, Rottnest, www.worldsurfleague.com
Barrel Ride: The holy grail of surfing, the first challenge is even engaging with a wave that is barreling. At most breaks, waves do not consistently barrel. Some, like Pipeline or Teaupoo are known for only barreling. For a wave to barrel, it has to be SHALLOW, so the stakes are always terrifying. Other breaks will produce waves that barrel only with the right direction, size, and conditions. In these instances, if the surfer is quick enough to spot one shaping up, they literally take off underneath the barreling lip and hold themselves in perfect position to maintain their position deep within the wave’s barrel. In a perfect barrel, when timed correctly, the surfer stays deep and then rides out before the wave closes and explodes them from within. Often, a surfer is forced to “look for an exit” and duck out of a “curtain,” which means a pounding lip through which they must somehow maintain their balance. Carissa Moore is arguably the most consistent and mind-blowing barrel rider on the women’s circuit.
Finishing the wave: Surfer Today calls this a close-out re-entry. It is the last maneuver a surfer gets to make on the wave, or “finish it,” and is an expected part of a high score. Just as the wave is breaking, the curl closing out into a hollow, shallow barrel, the surfer hits the inner part of the closing section in a lightning-fast top turn then sends them crashing to the foam below. The surfer is expected to “ride out” of this turn and show complete control and balance. Most of us would snap our ankles or be pounded into the encroaching ocean floor.
Air Maneuvers: Women are just beginning to take to the air in competitive surfing, though the air game has been a key component in men’s surfing for several years. Carissa Moore completed a mind-blowing heavenly blast at Newcastle this year and scored a 9.9 for it.
I am not going to break these all down here as they are just entering the scoring lexicon and if they happen at the Olympics, the announcers will take us blow by blow through them. I will only say that the surfer has to “look for a ramp” to complete an air. This means they need a wave that opens up with just enough wall and then will break in just the right way to allow them to not only launch above the lip, but to land in exactly the right mix of foam and water. Similar to skateboarding or snowboarding, these maneuvers include 360s, Alleyoops, Superman, Kick-Flips, and more. Remember, though, that surfboards have sharp points, and sharp fins on the bottom. Not to take anything away from the athletes that launch high above the air onto concrete and hard-packed snow, but the stakes in surfing have an added element of difficulty (it is impossible to know what the “ramp” will do), and of danger.
Other components of scoring: Speed, Power and Flow
Judges lay out their criteria before each contest. In addition to the variety of maneuvers and the quality of the wave, they are looking for speed, power and flow. A surfer that can string together multiple maneuvers at the highest level of difficulty — and make it look easy — will receive the highest score. For example, if a surfer takes off on a bomb, gets barreled, does a massive hacking turn, and finishes out the wave, they will probably score a 10, or close!
A note about “flow.” Although surfers at this level think of surfing as a sport, surfing cannot help but include an element of natural connection. Some surfers just seem to be especially in tune with the ocean. All surfers at this level have been “called” in some way by the sea. They light up when they talk about it, as excited about it as they were the first time they ever met. They have an intimate relationship with it. So when a world-class surfer who is connected viscerally in this manner is having a really good day, and then the surf turns on, it is as if you are witnessing creation in action. Wind, water, sun, spray, breath, heart, soul — they come together in a union that is majestic, and humbling. This is visible any time a world-class athlete goes into the “zone,” but when a surfer who lives in the zone goes deeper into the zone along with nature going into the zone as well, it can feel like a spiritual experience, and the scores seem to grow majestically as well.
One last stop in the technical realm: the introduction of progression. “Progression” is another super-power blaster-caster in scoring. Progression refers to the execution of unproven and profoundly risky maneuvers that surfers introduce into the contest setting. These will be maneuvers that surfers have previously only completed in free surfing sessions, without the pressure-cooker settings of professional competition. Recent progressions include jaw-dropping maneuvers flying high above the lip or full fin-release tail slides. Carissa Moore defined progression with the earlier referenced 9.9 Air Reverse at Newcastle (so worth watching here, just for her reaction). I am not the only one who thought it should have been a 10!
Carissa Moore reacts to her air. www.worldsurfleague.com
Beyond that, the judges adjust the scale of the scores to conditions and expectations based on their knowledge of the surfer and the break itself.
Contest Basics:
If you have never watched a surf contest, there are a few basics that will make it easier to understand. And one caveat for watching surfing — sometimes there is a lot of down-time. The announcers and producers do their best filling in lulls from mother nature with interviews, replays and commentary, but it is easy to become impatient and channel surf just as the bomb set approaches. I truly hope you will hang in there through the lulls so you get to appreciate the spectacular athleticism of these unique athletes when they have a chance to show you what they can do!
One tip: if you watch contest replays on the World Surf League’s site, you can watch “condensed heats,” which focus only on the waves that were surfed. This is a great way to get educated about surfing without having to wait for nature. One of my recent faves: The battle of the goofy-foots between Tatiana Weston-Webb and Bronte Macauley at the 2021 Margaret River Pro.
To watch the replays, either download the app or go to www.worldsurfleague.com. Follow the prompts to watch the replays, and choose “condensed” over “full heats” at the pull-down menu. Here is how it looked at the Rottnest contest:
Go to worldsurfleague.com, click on “Events”, find your Event, then follow prompts to replay. Once you are there, hit the pull-down where it says “Full heat,” and then choose condensed or full.
Heat Times: A “heat” is a contest period. A surf contest starts with the whole group of surfers. They contest each other in a period of time (a heat) that ranges from 30–45 minutes. That is the entire period during which a specific group of surfers can score. This is a Mother Nature variable. Sometimes the ocean turns on for only one heat, or goes completely flat. As much as the pro circuit tries to predict mother nature, she always has the upper hand.
Advancing through the Rounds: In the World Surf League, the first rounds are “Seeding Rounds,” where surfers compete to narrow down to the next rounds, based on where they are in the rankings. The challenge for any up and comer is the highest seed (the surfer with the most points going into the contest) will go against the lowest seeds. The Olympics will follow the same basic format as the World Surf League, though I am not clear yet if they will use seeding rounds. This may be determined after the World Surfing Games, the final qualifying event, beginning May 29 in El Salvador.
Rounds: On the World Championship Tour, after seeding, there is an Elimination Round. After the Elimination, the rounds progress from a field of 32 for men, and 16 for women. They go from there to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. The Olympic format is similar, with the semi-finals and finals deciding gold, silver and bronze.
Priority: A relatively new innovation in pro surfing is the practice of structured priority. Old school, surfers would battle it out for right-of-way on a wave, and the strongest, wiliest, most intimidating competitor always got the best waves. This made it kind of a bummer to watch (especially for the surfer who kept getting aced out by the alpha). I’ll touch briefly on strategy in a bit, but just know that some surfers can literally VIBE you off a wave, so they changed the rules to make the contests more strategic. During each heat, a surfer will have priority, which means they get the chance at the best wave. Priority changes as soon as a surfer paddles for a wave, whether or not they catch it. This translates to strategies that sometimes win, sometimes lose. For example, a surfer might hold out while the minutes tick away to get that superbomb, keeping their rivals off of any quality wave. If it works, they get the win. If it backfires, the surfer that has been holding out ends up with no score at all and has to scratch for whatever the ocean offers up in the last minutes to try to make a comeback. This can lead to an exciting “buzzer beater” finish, when a surfer takes off on wave seconds before the horn blows ending the heat, and gets the score they need to win.
If both surfers catch a wave in the same set, they race back out to the lineup and whoever gets there first wins priority. This is why conditioning and power are so important.
There are all kinds of tricks to scoring around priority — taking a wave “under priority” that the priority surfer lets go is allowed. Sometimes, that discarded wave turns into a gem. And some surfers, like Carissa Moore and Tyler Wright, have the magic to make almost any wave look like an excellent ride, so they are particularly dangerous competitors.
It’s worth noting that one element of strategy for experienced and wily surfers is to “sell their opponent” on a wave. If a surfer is sitting without priority, they will paddle for the first wave in a set to try to force their competitor to shut them down and use their priority. Surfing is as much a mental game as a physical one, and it is always fun to watch this strategy in action.
Jet Ski Assists: At certain breaks, contests have added jet ski rides to the surfers once they finish a wave. Before this, a surfer might spend multiple minutes trying to punch through giant surf and currents while the minutes tick away. Some people think it’s cheating, but most of us would rather watch surfers up on the next world-class wave than battling their way back to the lineup.
Links to the whole series:
Part 2: What’s at Stake — Navigating the Ocean — The Wipeout
Part 3: What’s at Stake — Navigating the Ocean — The Paddle Out
Part 4: What’s at Stake — The Wave Itself
Part 5: What’s at Stake — The Surfer
Part 6: What’s at Stake — Scoring and Maneuvers
Part 7: What’s at Stake — The Olympics!
Sheila Gallien is a writer, channel, conscious creativity coach and soul surfer. Her screenplay, Dropping In, inspired by her own story of finding true courage through surfing is soon to be a major motion picture. She lives on the Big Island of Hawaii, where she dreams of someday getting barreled. Visit www.sheilagallien.life to find out more about her transformational work.