How does someone become pro in surfing, they don't really do tricks, so how do judges determine who is best or

Question

How does someone become pro in surfing, they don't really do tricks, so how do judges determine who is best or

Answer 1

Surfers do perform tricks and maneuvers.  

There's simple things like a bottom turn, carve or carving, tailslide, backside rail grab, and stall.

There's the cutback, slash, backside roundhouse, frontside carving 360, frontside snap, floaters, off the lip, air reverse, shove-it.  

Some tricks can get pretty ... tricky.  Like a fakie, which is where you're riding backwards on the surfboard, tail first.  A layback or coffin, where the surfer actually lays backwards on a wave.  

There's also pulling into (and eventually back out of) the barrel (or tube) of the wave.  This is usually not an easy thing to accomplish.

When you're talking about longboarding, there's cross stepping, hanging ten, or headstand.  (along with many more).

To become pro, all you have to do is compete in surfing contests, and win enough competitions to support your lifestyle, so you can quit your "day job," therefore making surfing your only profession, aka you're a "pro" surfer.

Judges determine who is best by a lot of things.  Choosing the right wave, doing the above maneuvers with style, grace, fluidity, ...and, of course, without falling.  :)  

I believe each contest has it's own rules and judging criteria.  They're usually spelled out before the contest begins.  

For example: for surf competition "make believe" we're going to judge your three biggest waves you catch, and we'll go by number of maneuvers you can perform, as well as how defined and smooth they are.  We'll rate on a scale of 1-10.  Whoever gets the best score wins $10,000 and will be sponsored by Company Made Up.  

Get it?

Answer 2

Most ASP contests use the following judging criteria:

Gleaning valuable data from free-wheeling events such as the Foster's Expression Sessions and Kelly Slater's Fiji experimental event, Perry and other members of ASP's Technical Committee, including WCT surfers, set out to free up the criteria with the dual objectives of further rewarding progressive surfing and introducing a reward system based on demonstrating variety of repertoire and linking maneuvers together, still in the critical sections of the`wave, in a seamless flow of power and speed. The results should be extraordinary, check it out;

"A surfer must perform radical controlled maneuvers in the critical section of a wave with Speed, Power and Flow to maximize scoring potential. Innovative / Progressive surfing as well as Variety of Repertoire ( maneuvers ),will be taken into consideration when rewarding points for waves ridden. The surfer who executes this criteria with the maximum Degree of Difficulty and Commitment on the waves shall be rewarded with the higher scores."

Scale Base:

[ 0 - 2: Poor ] [ 2 - 4: Fair ] [ 4 - 6: Average ] [ 6 - 8: Good ] [ 8 - 10: Excellent ]