WSL 2015 Elite Surf at Australia for NeuLion Showdown

WSL Photography Gabriel Medina in the water. Drug Aware Margies Pro.

World Surf League Stop 3 of the 2015 Elite World Tour disembarks in Western Australia. With forecast of strong high and powerful waves and exiting rough weather, top surfers of the world will surf the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. WSL has signed up with NeuLion -company which worked with National Hockey League NHL, the Ultimate Fighting Championships UFC and the National Basketball Association NBA to boost live digital broadcasting. WSL also teamed up with Brazilian Globosat to reach their 50 million people channel and go live in South America.

April 13th WSL ran a detailed report on for Margaret River Stop 3 “Main Break to the Box”.

“A leader will emerge,” WSL assured. The recent display by top athletes of the ranking at Rip Curl Pro Bells forced a ranking shuffle mostly driven by weather and performance. The unexpected is the main rule, ranking stability proves to be lethal and new faces emerge through wild cards picks from the Qualification Series, where athletes get a chance to escalate the rankings and surf their own way into the Elite.

“Next up on the men's and women's Championship Tour is the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, at a set of breaks in Western Australia. When the Indian Ocean swells march in, they're visible from a distance," WSL warned.

The organization once again will broadcast live to the world through their new app for mobile devices. A significant percentage of viewers of WSL events take to mobile devices to get their kicks off. WSL released a day to day weather and swell brief. Winds from 10 to 14 knots, old school surf maps and SW solid groundswell are the highlights.

“Considering what we've had to deal with up at the Gold Coast and now at Bells, the forecast for the Margaret River Pro looks enticing," said WSL analyst and Big Wave Tour commissioner Peter Mel.

At Bells winds kicked up and conditions began to deteriorate. The shakeup of the positions was described by WSL as “Heavy Blows”.

“The Rip Curl Pro and Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach, forced another shift in the rankings... as the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro men's and women's events draw closer…” WSL recognized that nothing is defined.

Miguel Pupo from Brazil dropped as well as Wiggolly Dantas from Brazil which was degraded. Nat Young from US and Adriano Souza as well as Michel Bourez were among those who fell to the Bells blow.

Stars Mick Fanning -who took the title, Gabriel Medina, Owen Wright, Felipe Toledo Brazil and Nat Young were chosen top for their show down.

Emerging from the Qualification Alejo Muniz from Brazil will have a chance to prove his talent after being selected as the wildcard for the Stop 3 of the WSL 2015 Tour.

Qualification WSL Events are rising and breaking throughout the world as athletes battle for new entry positions. WSL Qualification events span from Argentina and the South America Events to Oakley Lowers in California to the Papara Pro Surf Festival around the world.

WSL also continues its strategy to expand global audiences. The organization communicated a solidified a multi-year broadcast partnership with Globosat in Brazil. WSL says that with Globosat in Brazil they will bring “the world's best surfing to 50 million Brazilian viewers across Globosat's expansive television platform”.

"It is the most exciting time in the history of the sport right now," Paul Speaker, WSL CEO, said.

"The performances of the world's best surfers, the dynamic venues around the globe and the unparalleled adventure, athleticism and competitive drama of professional surfing has surged in the past 24 months. Being able to partner with Globosat, exposing such a large audience to professional surfing, represents a major step for both our sport and our company and is further illustrative of the tremendous momentum the WSL is experiencing."

On April 13th Market Watch reported on another innovative deal driven by WSl. WSL partnered with NeuLion for the global delivery of surfing action.

NeuLion success experience lists work done with the National Hockey League NHL, the Ultimate Fighting Championships UFC, the National Basketball Association NBA and other world-class sport and entertainment properties.

“NeuLion will now showcase the world's best surfers on the elite WSL Championship Tour -- an international 21-event series featuring the top male and female surfers on the planet,” the organization stated.

Market Watch reported that NeuLion Inc is a leading technology product and service provider that specializes in the digital video broadcasting, distribution and monetization of live and on-demand content to Internet-enabled devices.

At location of the Drug Aware Stop 3 of the WSL 2015 Tour athletes begin to arrive, settle into their hotels, check the weather and begin in location surfing to train and prepare for what comes. Today they surf hidden from the eyes of most of the world, in coming days they will go live globally. WSL scheduled events pulse promises for the rest of 2015. The most eccentric locations are yet to reveal themselves to the word, the magic of surf seems anxious and poised, calm and mystical as it takes over the world of sports.

"The mantra at the WSL has always been to bring the world's best surfing to the largest possible audience with the very best experience," said Paul Speaker, World Surf League CEO.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.