Golden Days' Warriors on 2017 World Tour Marathon Edge

Mick Fanning looks out into the open ocean horizon...WSL 

The points and prize draw back to zero...the ranks set to rock, Championship Tour Elite landed on Australia for the first stop of the Leg of the WSL 2017 World Tour. The Icons, the Legends, the World Champions, the Rookies, the Wild Cards...Will this year be the best ever? WSL asks...and they have a point ...Warriors  will make 2017 part of Surf History, Golden Days will be reborn.

World Surf League reported on March 7 on “the 2017 Contenders”...

“These gentlemen are the six warriors within the Top 10 that have never won a World Title, but are surely looking like they could this season…”

WSL listed among the Contenders Jordy Smith -ranked high on top and performing at his best level, Kolohe Andino -escalating from 25 to 4 in the rank and giving an incredible under the radar performance, Wilkinson -who managed to hang on to the yellow jersey most of 2016 with a smile, Bourez -tube master delivering on big conditions, Wilson -”surfing simply astounding”, Toledo -needs no introduction the Genius in Red and others…listed.

Besides the established favorite picks - JJ Florence, Medina, Fanning -on focused return, Slater -yes, still flying high and several others just taking one look at this year's Roster is the way to understand why 2017 are the Golden Days revisited.

In deserved order of appearance the 34 Warriors are; JJ, Jordy Smith, Medina, Andino, Wilkinson, Bourez, Slater, Wilson, Parkinson, Toledo, de Souza, Zietz -a rising marvel, Wright, Kerr -looking strong, Buchman, Ferreira, Ibelli, Fanning, Coffin, Stuart Kennedy -no longer making a name for himself, Igarashi -Japan`s own Storm, Dantas, Pupo, O'Leary, Ewing -the Young Gun, Durbidge, Morais -who blew the thing wide open at the end of last year making a force entry into the CT World Tour, Duru, Fioravanti -who most can't wait to see, Flores, Gouveia, Freestone and Ezekiel Lau…what more can be said.

Last year Australia proved to be defining doors were opened wide by new rookies and wildcards who shut down the experienced. Wilkinson drew three unexpected winds and led the rankings most of the year thanks to that but sure all have learnt from that experience? That said anything can happen. Waves are rolling in and surfers are pumped. They've had their long rest and sharpened their moods in hard training...the Spirits run high.

Australia is but the beginning. The CT World Tour of the WSL is not a sprint race it is a long, long, long and exhausting and pressure piling marathon. A test for any kind of professional Athlete. A test of Will, Body, Mind and Spirit. The Marathon is on, Warriors will run the entire Regions of the World. The Best Waves of the World and the Best Surfers of the World and that is what it is all about.

Glenn Hall agreed that there is something special about 2017. “There's a palpable energy pulsing through the Gold Coast of Australia in the lead up to this year's Quiksilver and Roxy Pro. Walk into any cafe, restaurant or surf club from Duranbah to Burleigh Heads and you will see, hear and feel the anticipation,” Hall blasted away on March 12.

“And there's plenty to be excited about this year,” Hall kicked it.

Hall could not help but to mention Slater in the World Title Stage. He called Slater`s actions the “Last Stand” but given the nature of Kelly Slater -11 Times World Champion we find it hard to put the words “Last” and “Slater” together...

“That Kelly Slater is still in the World Title conversation at the age of 45 is astounding. After a few years of being admittedly non-committal about Tour life, Kelly has made it very clear he's committing to a full-blown Title fight this year. If that's the case, I want front row seats. Kelly is arguably the greatest sportsman of all time. And I'm certain there will never be another male surfer who comes close to his record of World Titles,” Hall wrote for the WSL front desk.

One most exciting comeback this year is without a doubt that of Mick Fanning. After taking 2016 “off” giving a show here and there at CT events Fanning is out for it all and assures that he is fully focused on the World Title.

“Mick Fanning's life story is a movie script. He's been training like a warrior and I can't wait to watch him operate,” WSL expert added.

Some Icons on Tour have been flying silently at year`s Season break. JJ Florence, Medina, Toledo, these guys who will unleash hell and heaven all year round have already proved they can take on the legends and are now icons themselves. But Heritage is Heritage and Competition is Competition.

Make no mistake Warriors will give war...

“John John Florence, Gabriel Medina, Jordy Smith, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo believe they're ready to take over the Tour reins. But the big bosses on Tour: Kelly, Mick, Joel, Ace and Bede have no intention of just handing things over without a fight. The old guard still sit wherever they want on the bus, deservedly so. But with Gabe and John John holding World Titles, Jordy a pair of runner-up finishes, and Julian and Filipe getting more and more comfortable in the winner's circle, the pressure is building. This could be the last year where we see a balanced mix of old and new school generations,” WSL enlightened us mortals.

It will be old school vs new schools, air games versus solid turns, barrels against power surf, Brazilian Storms vs… -pretty much against everyone else, new Rookies against old Rookies, World Champions against World Champions, and it will just go on and on and on...and it will explode online this year with much more force and fever fan.

WSL has been broadcasting the CT World Tour Events for a long year now. Recently being born into the Massive Sport Broadcasting Kingdom they are already acting like a fully mature adult and want the World and the Dreams to share it with their audience. WSL viewers tuning into the World Tour events have already peaked to millions but this year WSL will switch to Facebook broadcasting and expect the crowds spread spontaneously.

“In collaboration with Facebook, fans can now watch all the action in real time on the WSL Facebook Page. All Championship Tour events and Big Wave Tour events will be broadcast live, enabling followers to experience the sport's top moments together. This partnership will allow more interaction between fans on a global level. Because event schedules can be very unpredictable and highly dependent on wave forecast, Facebook is one of the fastest methods when bridging the gap between athletes and viewers,” WSL officially reported before the start gun.

"One of my favorite things about surfing is that it's always evolving  -the equipment, the approach, the progression," said World No. 2 Jordy Smith. "It's great to know that this evolution isn't limited to the water. Facebook is such a special place for different cultures to connect and now the evolution of surf will be shared beyond coastlines. Looking forward to a great year, although I just got a bit more nervous thinking about a few more million people watching my heats."

But beyond broadcasting and transmission and getting back to the Golden Days and its 2017 Warrior Clan Fanning said...

"I'm getting super excited about this year's lineup of surfers - it might be the best field from the top seed to number 34 we've ever had.I also think it's the biggest group of legit Title contenders we've ever seen on the Tour ever and I want to be part of the race."

"If Mick is in 100 percent I'd put him right at the top of the heap," Kelly Slater said. Slater has already confirmed his commitment to chasing a Title in 2017. "You'd be silly to not think Mick is Top 3 in the world right now. All things considered. Having won at so many different breaks and being so dominant at places like Bells and Jeffreys Bay, there's no way he's not a contender."

WSl wave breaks is a place where anything can happen and in fact everything happens. One learns to expect the unexpected and even then one is shocked. Wildcards and new Rookies can take Quantum Jumps in no time...they break into the heats through these unexpected doors.

“Wright is the younger brother of CT title contender, Owen, and current women's world champion, Tyler. He's got an ample supply of that rock ‘n roll rebel vibe. He's got tats, rocks a severe mullet, surfs on throwback front deck traction pads and launches wayward airs that normal humans shouldn't try. He's basically everything a wildcard should be,” WSL signals to the be on the look out for the Wildcard who ripped it hard last year in the  Australia leg.

Kanoa Igarashi is another one of those Quantic Jumpers. “When he was in utero his surf-stoked parents packed up, moving from Japan to California to give Kanoa a crack at a wave-riding career. Fast forward 18 years and he's competing at pro surfing's highest level, nearly capturing a Pipe Masters Title in the process.When Kanoa qualified for the Championship Tour in his first attempt at the Qualifying Series in 2015, some pundits wondered if his surfing (and maturity level) was ready for the demands of the elite Tour. If his rookie season -- which featured an incredible level of synchronicity without a single loss in Round Two and a Runner Up result at the Pipe Masters -is any indication, the wiry regular-foot looks ready to spend the next decade and a half right where he belongs...On the WSL Tour,” WSL explains.

The new Warriors just keep piling up...Fioravanti, Morais, Ewing and others are the kind of surfers leaders want to look back on their shoulders for.  

Round 1 of the Event 1 of the WSL World Tour starts “Supercharged”. The start of a Marathon...what could be better. All year long...nothing but the good vibes coming through. Right?