Preseason Surfer Profile: Italo Ferreira

Leading up to the 2016 World Surf League Championship Tour season, I will be counting down my projected Top 10 surfers for the highest level of men's competitive surfing. A preview of the women's 2016 season is also to come.

Italo Ferreira, Brazil

2016 Go Left World Ranking Projection: 7 

2015 World Ranking: 7

2015 WCT Wins: 0

I must admit, I did not see Italo Ferreira coming in 2015. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the Brazilian when the year started, but that quickly changed. Italo looked like he belonged with the big boys right out of the gate when he posted a ninth at Snapper Rocks. After a pair of less-than-stellar results on the remainder of the Aussie leg, Ferreira really began to show his chops in Rio when he did his brethren proud by appearing in the semifinals. I was prepared to chalk that up as a fluky result, but there was no denying this kid’s staying power after he reached the quarters in Fiji.

Ferreira throwing some spray on his backhand at J-Bay.
Courtesy of Leo za1

Italo continued to post good finishes as the season progressed, including a fifth in Tahiti, a fifth in France and a second in Portugal. It was a no-brainer to vote him as Rookie of the Year, and he finished in the Top 10 for the season. Italo surfs well in all conditions. He has an electric air game, and he quickly proved himself in barrels as well. His backside hacks are always on-point, and he’s a real threat to break into the Top 5 this season if things really click for him. He failed to reach Round Three just one time in 2015, an amazing feat for a rookie. There could be big things in store for this youngster.

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf

Don't Be Fooled By the Name, Firewire's Creeper Looks Really Fun

It seems like a match made in heaven. Firewire and Rob Machado have teamed up to create a new surfboard, The Creeper. While the name may conjure up some negative imagery, the design looks fantastic for those surfers that don't feel the need to pretend they're Mick Fanning on a daily basis. The Creeper has an old-school look to it in every way, from the woody appearance down to the dimensions and specs.

The Creeper looks like it should be named The Cruiser, and it definitely has the feel of a Rob-inspired board. Machado's effortless style endeared him to many a surfing fan when he was on the Pro Tour in the '90s, and he remains one of the most popular free surfers on the planet. He's a personal favorite of mine, perhaps somewhat due to Encinitas bias, but there is no denying that the guy oozes surf style in and out of the water. As for Firewire, I've had a Baked Potato for a few years, and it's probably my favorite board in my small quiver. Last year it accompanied me on a three-month trip to Costa Rica, and I couldn't have been happier with my choice to bring it, even when the swell picked up. The Creeper certainly looks different than the Baked Potato, especially in the tail, but it appears decisively casual in every way. Plus, with the TimberTek design it's a bit better for the environment than your average stick. Alexander Haro has a nice, little piece on The Creeper over at The Inertia, and I'd say it's worth a read.

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf 

Preseason Surfer Profile: Nat Young

Leading up to the 2016 World Surf League Championship Tour season, I will be counting down my projected Top 10 surfers for the highest level of men's competitive surfing. A preview of the women's 2016 season is also to come.

Nat Young, USA

2016 Go Left World Ranking Projection: 8 

2015 World Ranking: 10

2015 WCT Wins: 0

Nat Young is an interesting case. He surfs consistently from heat to heat, and for the most part from event to event. However, he rarely looks spectacular the way the guys ahead of him in the 2016 projected rankings often do. Nat is best on his backhand, as his hacks on rights can be some of the best on tour. He has a lot of raw power, and that's probably his biggest asset, but Young's not much of an aerial guy, he’s not a standout in barrels and he needs a pretty big swell to truly showcase his abilities. That said, there is enough potential for conditions of which Young can take advantage on the World Tour for him to log another 10^th, or better, in the world rankings.

Nat Young on his backhand, where he often puts up his best performances.
Courtesy of Steven Tyler PJs

Young has been on tour for three years now. In those three seasons he’s finished eighth, 13^th and 10^th in the rankings. Like I said, consistency. He needs to perform really well in big, open-faced conditions to have a chance at a career year, which means he'd do well to advance deep into events like Bells, Margaret River and J-Bay. 2015 saw Nat finish third, third and ninth in those stops, respectively. I would expect similar results in those events again in 2016, but if he can win one and make a final in another he could be looking at a potential Top 5 finish in the rankings this year. One thing is for sure; this guy works extremely hard. He’s just 24 years old, but how much better will his repertoire get?

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeft

A Drone's View of Massive Waimea

Waimea Bay Surfing Drone Video. from Makai Creative on Vimeo via The Inertia.

Go Left is Back!

Dear Readers,

After a more than two-year hiatus, I’m happy to say that the Go Left blog is back. My time away was filled with lots of travel and life changes, and with things settling down a bit I thought it a good time to resume some surf writing. This time around Go Left will focus on a multitude of topics in the surfing world. The blog will extensively cover the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, the elite level of competitive surfing. It will also be a place to find videos, information on coastal conservation and musings on a variety of surf-related topics. If you’re a surfer, then you surely understand what an integral part of your life the pursuit of riding waves quickly becomes, and hopefully Go Left will serve as a place where you can quench a thirst for all things surf while you’re not in the water. So welcome back to any returning readers, and welcome for the first time to any new readers. I hope you enjoy Go Left and get something out of it. Shakas.

Sincerely,

Morgan
@GoLeftSurf

Watch: Plastic Seas

Plastic SEAS a Surfing video by MPORA

Mick Fanning Leads World Tour Rankings

In 1976, Peter Townend was named surfing's first World Champion. The odd part about that honor being bestowed on Townend was the fact that he didn't win an event that year. However, he surfed the most events and was consistent enough in those contests that the point system used by the then-IPS awarded him the trophy (even if the trophy was a fake). This year, we've got another Townend situation brewing, as Mick Fanning has been the model of consistency this season, reaching at least the quarterfinals of every event this year but failing to win one as of yet. We're at the mid-point of the tour, and Mick owns a narrow lead over Kelly Slater. Reigning World Champ Joel Parkinson, fresh off his dramatic win at Keramas, has catapulted himself into third place in the rankings after some disappointing results earlier in the year. Jordy Smith is currently slated fourth, while Taj Burrow rounds out the Top 5.

Who is the favorite to win the World Title this season? Your guess is as good as mine, as this race feels increasingly tight with every passing event. Nobody is separating themselves from the pack, but again, there are still five events to be surfed. Could Mick keep surfing well but missing out on wins and still take home the title this season? It's possible unless someone really tightens their game and puts up some big results. If I were Fanning, I would be most worried about Kelly and Parko, for rather obvious reasons. Kelly can win any event at any time, and if he decides to flip his killer instinct switch he could run away with this thing before anyone knew what happened. Parko, on the other hand, just got his first win of the season, and in doing so looked like the Parko of 2012. These three guys are the favorites right now in my eyes, though Jordy, Taj and Adriano are definitely in the mix. If you want a dark horse, then I'd go with Nat Young, who is surfing better than ever right now and has shown some serious consistency in his own right this season. Should be a hell of a race.