THE SPOILER

DEAN MORRISON, 26, Australia

Vitals: 45% win rate in ’06. Average event result of 15.18.

Behind the Numbers: Once he made it past the third round, he was a shoo-in last year for the quarters or semis, which means he’s capable of getting on rolls. But those 17th-place finishes were a little too familiar last year.

Heading into 2007: While Morrison was lumped in with his fellow Gold Coast mates Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson early on, he’s been off their coattails for a while now. There’s no hiding that fact that his growth curve has been flat when compared to his mates’, and the critics say he’s reached critical mass unless he shakes things up. They consider him much more of a threat when he surfs “lower” in smaller waves, which was once his biggest strength. These days he’s a bigger threat at Teahupo’o and Pipeline.

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