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Top 45 Review Blue Collar
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Working men’s heroes all—the surfers in this category know how grind out heats and understand how to capitalize on the talents they posses. |
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Win ratio: 55%
Vs. Top 5: 60%
At his best: Whenever he gets on a role.
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13. Tom Whitacker 28, Sydney, Australia
From looking at the stats alone, the thing that jumps out about Tommy Whitaker is that he is a surfer who relies heavily on his form to get results. Of the three occasions he made it out of the early rounds in 2007, he went on to make the semi’s of all of them, taking down the big names as he did. Of the five times he came up against the Top 5, he won three times, going 1-1 with both Slater and Taj Burrow and 1-0 against Bede Durbidge. Make no mistake, Tommy Whitaker was the unsung hero of 2007, and when he gets on a role like he did at Bells, Trestles and Brazil, he is a force to be reckoned with. The problem for Whitaker is that when he loses one heat, he struggles to recover his form going forward. For instance, at stop four and five on the tour (Chile and South Africa respectively) Whitaker only managed to amass an average heat score of 6.47, total. This coming from a man who is one of the best point-break surfers on tour. |
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Win Rate: 42%
Win Rate Against The Top 5: 0%
Best result: Made the Quarterfinals in France
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20. Rodrigo Dornelles 34, Torres, Brazil
According to Fantasysurfer.com, Rodrigo Dornelles was the least-owned surfer on the Dream Tour going into Snapper by garnering .6 percent of the vote. Ouch. But here’s something to consider: He double qualified last year on the CT with a 19th –place finish and rounded out the ’QS at the number three position. The man knows how to win a heat. Granted, he’s not one of the most flashy or publicized surfers on tour, but the price is right and a valuable asset to your Fantasy Surfer team. |
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Win Rate: 48%
Win Rate Against The Top 5: 0%
At his Best: In Brazil and at venues with open-faced waves
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22. Leonardo Neves 28, Saquarema, Brazil
Leonardo Neves has been called the “Brazilian Pancho Sullivan” because of his ability to throw down power carves in open face waves. But with aerial skills as well, look for him to perform not only at places like J-Bay and Trestles, but also in small, peaky beachbreaks. His best result last season was at home, at the Santa Catarina Pro, where he finished in the Quarterfinals.Last year, he never rose to the occasion at any of the other venues that suited his strengths, but if he can mend those shortfalls in 2008, he should have little problem staying on tour. |
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Win Rate: 44%
Win Rate Against The Top 5: 0%
At His Best: In right points
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26. Daniel Wills 32, Byron Bay, Australia
Veteran, blue collar surfer Danny Wills has traditionally done well at right points and waves that he can find an open face to carve. Last year, he made the Quarters at J Bay where he ran into Mick Fanning, and did most of his other solid work at places like Bells and the Goldie. However, an 0-for-5 record against the top five, and a 44% win rate slowed his campaign. Some say, at 32, and after a long stint on tour, he’s winding down, but Willsy certainly still has the ability to deliver wins given the right venue and the right opponent. |
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Injury Wildcard.
Most telling stat: was in the Top 10 until sidelined by an injury.
Win ratio: 70%
Vs. Top 5: 0% (0/3)
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29. Travis Logie 28, Durban, South Africa
When Travis Logie first qualified for the WCT in 2005, it was immediately thought that this compact goofy-foot would be limited by his penchant for small waves and his light-footed small-wave prowess. But three years down the line, such speculation has been thrown completely out the window. Logie’s performances at Pipe and Chopes (where he scored a 10-point ride) over the past three years silenced many of his harshest critics. What makes him even more of a threat is that his lethal small-wave formula is still intact. Before an injury struck midway through the J-bay event, Logie was nestled comfortably within the top 10 and was boasting a respectable win ratio of 70%. In fact of the 30% of the heats he lost, all but one were at the hands of top ten surfers (the remaining loss was against Damien Hobgood, who was actually lying in second place before he was injured.) Regardless, if the surgery on his knee was a complete success, look for Logie to return to the top 20 with little or no effort at all. |
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Most telling stat: During the first 6 events, Neve only won 4 heats, but he won 11 heats in the last four events.
Win Rate: 42%
Win Rate Against Top 5: 0%
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30. Dayyan Neve 29, Sydney, Australia
As much of a hardworking, blue-collar surfer as anyone on tour, Dayyan’s got one hell of a work ethic and a training regimen that rivals Mick Fanning’s. Dayyan (pronounced like an Ozzie version of Dion) had a rough go last year on the tour, but looks focused and determined this year. Neve is another enormously talented Aussie that deserves more recognition, especially if his performances continue to improve like they did on the tail end of the 2007 season. |
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