The CT Class Of 2019 Is Here

Every year the CT says goodbye to a few familiar faces and introduces a sparkling set of new ones. You can think of it as the CT’s annual molting process, where all the dead, sunburnt skin of our gizzled heroes is shed for some fresh rookie complexion. 

Throughout the Pipe event it’s the World Title race that commands most of our attention, yet in the back of our minds we ponder which faces will be plastered upon WSL propaganda for the upcoming season.

Now with the CT wrapped and QS positions decided, here’s the official roster for 2019:

2018 Top 22 CT: 

Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Conner Coffin (USA)
Michel Bourez (PYF)
Wade Carmichael (AUS)
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Mikey Wright (AUS)
Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Yago Dora (BRA)
Joan Duru (FRA)

2018 Top 10 QS (minus double qualifiers from CT):

Seth Moniz (HAW)
Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Deivid Silva (BRA)
Ricardo Christie (NZL)
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Jadson Andre (BRA)
Soli Bailey (AUS)
Jack Freestone (AUS)

The new faces here are Soli Bailey, Deivid Silva, Peterson Crisanto, Seth Moniz, and the CT hop-along Mikey Wright. Some fresh returning faces you might have noticed are Jack Freestone – who scraped back on just after the first birthday of his boy, Banks – Leo Fiovaranti, the perpetual QS grinder Jadson Andre, and Stab staff favourite, Ryan Callinan. 

The Newy screwfoot is back on! Photo: Respondek

We’ll also be seeing much more of the 2018 Rookie Of The Year Wade Carmichael, who’ll be keeping the Central Coast rep strong after fellow coastie, Matt Wilkinson, fell off the CT. 

Other fallers-off include: Keanu Asing, Mick Fanning (kinda), Ian Gouveia, Michael February, Pat Gudauskas, Tomas Hermes, Connor O’Leary, Joel Parkinson, and Frederico Morais. 

On the much debated injury wildcard side of things, the WSL has awarded the two spots to John Florence and Kelly Slater. Leaving Caio Ibelli as the first replacement surfer, followed by Frederico Morais and Ethan Ewing.

There’s more to come on this, in the meantime, here’s Kieren Perrow’s explanation.

“It’s always a challenge when we have a large number of applicants for a limited number of wildcard positions,” Kieren Perrow, WSL Commissioner, said. “We truly appreciate and understand the value of being on tour and take this process very seriously. As it has for years, this process includes an independent medical review board, which assesses the applicants based on severity of injury and the impact it has on the surfer’s ability to compete at the Championship Tour level.

“In the case of 2018, all three applicants were deemed to have severe injuries that prevented them from competing in multiple events. From there, we apply our technical criteria and career achievement factors – which include World Titles, career results, prior year ranking, and ranking at time of injury. While all three have strong cases, we have determined that Kelly Slater (USA) and John John Florence (HAW) will receive the WSL wildcards for 2019 and Caio Ibelli (BRA) will be the first replacement for the tour – not something we guarantee to a third applicant most seasons but is deserving in this case.”

On the women’s side of the draw we’ll see the following names within the top-16:

2018 Top 10 CT:

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Carissa Moore (HAW)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Caroline Marks (USA)
Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Malia Manuel (HAW)
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)

2018 Top 6 QS (minus double qualifiers from CT):

Coco Ho (HAW)
Paige Hareb (NZL)
Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Brisa Hennessy (CRI)
Silvana Lima (BRA) 

Macy Callaghan and Brisa Hennessy are the two women’s rookies, who’ll be joining the CT returners Coco Ho and Silvana Lima. With Caroline Marks, the absurdly Occy-esque talented 16-year old winning Rookie of the Year honours. 

Caroline Marks and the Bells Bowl are in a symbiotic relationship. Photo: WSL

The injury wildcard for the women was handed over to Tyler Wright, who’s been sick with Influenza A and chronic fatigue since the South African leg of the tour.

Keely Andrew and Sage Erickson received the number one and two spots for the replacement surfers. 

The 2019 CT isn’t just a standard title chasing endeavour though. Next year, the CT rankings will play a significant role in who gets to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“The world rankings at the end of the 2019 CT season will determine 18 of the 40 places at the Olympic Games (10 men and 8 women).” Read the WSL Press Release. “The remaining 22 places will be determined at the 2019 and 2020 ISA World Surfing Games, the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, and a single slot (each for men and women) for the host nation, Japan.”

“Of these 18 places determined by the WSL, there is a maximum of 2 men and 2 women for each country (e.g. if there are 3 women from Australia in the Top 8, only the Top 2 female Australians will qualify).”