• Provide for a fair and safe competition that encourages the development of goodwill between competitors; and

• Provide a standard measure to identify the people who exhibit the best skills in moving a kayak on the most challenging parts of the wave.

The competition will run October 2-4 starting at approximately 7:20 am and ending at 6:00 pm. The competition format is designed to maximize water time and competitive opportunity. New this year, we are introducing a “repechage” bracket that will ensure each competitor surfs at least two times. 

The format differs slightly depending on the number of entrants in the division. Each heat will have a maximum of 5 paddlers. For divisions where the number of entrants is more than five paddlers, the top 2 paddlers will advance to the next round. For divisions where the total number of entrants is five or less, progression is determined by placement in the heat rather than wave scores. Divisions with more than 5 paddlers entered will have a second chance bracket aka “repechage bracket.” Each heat is 19 minutes with 1 minute between heats for the change-over. 

Scoring

• Judges will score 10 waves per athlete and additional waves will not be scored. 

• Scoring is on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the highest score. 

• The top 2 scores in a heat determine the competitor placements. In the case of a tie, the highest wave score breaks the tie. If the score is still tied, the third highest wave score will be used to break the tie.

• An interference call (see the Interference section for more information) drops the 2nd highest score in half. 

• Competitors should complete Registration and pay entry fees no later than the published closing date. Any exceptions to this will be determined by the event organizers.

• Competitors must read and sign the waiver form for the event organizers.

• Competitors must attend the initial safety briefing and make themselves aware of rescue procedures.

• Competitors must ensure their kayak(s) and equipment are to the specified standards for inspection and for every Heat throughout the competition. Non-compliance may lead to disqualification.

• Competitors are responsible for entering their Heat wearing the correct color of bib.

• There is no surfing in the designated competition area while another Heat is in progress.

• Unsporting behavior will not be tolerated by any competitor or by anyone acting on behalf of a competitor. This includes verbal abuse, physical attack etc. to anyone.

• Failure to comply with these requirements and responsibilities may result in disqualification determined by the event organizers.

• Acceptance of Risk. The event organizers will provide safety and rescue cover, and the competition committee will do their best to make sure that the contest runs in safe conditions. It is up to the individual competitor to decide if the surf conditions are within or above their own ability or not. If a competitor chooses to go into the surf, it will be at their own risk.

High Performance (HP) Class Surf Kayak

• Boat Length: 9 feet or under, as measured in a horizontal plane.

• Fins: Unlimited size, quantity, and placement.

• Hull design: Unlimited.

• Construction and Deck design: The kayak shall be of hollow construction, with the paddler sitting in, not on, the kayak. Any material is allowed for construction. In addition, each kayak must utilize a fabric type sprayskirt/spraydeck, which completely encircles the paddler’s waist, and the boat’s cockpit to attain “watertight” status from the waist down.

International Class (IC) Surf Kayak

• Boat Length: 9.8 - 13.1 feet, as measured in a horizontal plane.

• Fins: The kayak can have up to 4 fin boxes, as long as there are no fins in them. Fin boxes must be covered OR empty, and may be no longer than 9.8 inches and no wider than 0.8 inches.

• Hull design: The hull may be any shape as long as the maximum concave depth under a straight edge, placed perpendicular to the long axis of the kayak at any point on the hull, is less than 0.4 inches.

• Construction and Deck design: The kayak shall be of hollow construction, with the paddler sitting in, not on, the kayak. Any material is allowed for construction. In addition, each kayak must utilize a fabric-type sprayskirt/spraydeck, which completely encircles the paddler’s waist and the boat’s cockpit to attain “watertight” status from the waist down.

Waveski

• Length: Under 13.1 feet.

• Design: Competitor must sit on top and it is an open deck.

• Safety: A leash must attach the rider to their board.

Whitewater/Intermediate

• Boat Length: Under 13.1 feet.

• Design: Any plastic production closed deck kayak.

• Construction and Deck design: The kayak shall be of hollow construction, with the paddler sitting in, not on, the kayak. Any material is allowed for construction. In addition, each kayak must utilize a fabric type sprayskirt/spraydeck, which completely encircles the paddler’s waist, and the boat’s cockpit to attain “watertight” status from the waist down.

Sea Kayak

• Boat Length:  12.5 ft or longer

• Design: Must be a "touring style" kayak, doubles are allowed, no rudders

• Construction and Deck design: Defined displacement keel strip, deck height of 10.5”

Kaos

• Boat Length:  10 ft 2 in  or longer

• Design:  Dagger Kaos

• Construction and Deck design: Plastic Sit On Top Wave Ski style production kayak

• Open – includes people of all genders

• Women’s – includes all people identifying as female

• Grand Master’s includes all genders, age 50 and above

• Junior’s – includes all genders, age 18 and under

• Intermediate – aimed at first time competitors

• Kayaks must have rounded ends: All kayaks must have a minimum diameter of 50mm (allowing for 6mm protuberance) in the plan view at the front of the kayak.

• Kayaks Must Not have an “Extended End”: Kayaks must be more than 10cm wide, 10cm back from the front end of the kayak in plan view.

• No sharp Edges: The design of the kayak (and the material it is manufactured from) shall not allow any sharp edges that could cause injury to other paddlers or people in the water as a result of a collision. The exception is the fins, but they must still be made of a suitable material that reduces injury (i.e. not made of metal)

• All kayaks must have buoyancy and float if filled with water: The kayak must have full buoyancy in the back of the boat and some buoyancy in the front, to keep the kayak floating level when flooded. This buoyancy can be: full foam, a bulkhead or a proper manufactured airbag (i.e. no wine boxes, beach balls, swim aids, etc)

• All kayaks must have tails fitted. Tails must be at least 20cm long with a knot in the end, must reach past the end of the kayak and must not form an entrapment (i.e. no loop that a finger or hand can fit through). The tail, if webbing, must have a minimum width of 25mm; if rope, must be 5mm diameter or more (as measured, not manufactured). Tails must be of permanent attachment so not to break off when used.

• Helmets are required while surfing in the competition and during warm-ups.

• Buoyancy Aids / PFD’s (Personal Flotation Devices) are to be worn while surfing in the competition. Inflatable life jackets are not allowed. 

A surfer must execute the most radical controlled maneuvers in the critical section of a wave with speed and power throughout. The surfer who executes such maneuvers on the biggest and/or best waves shall be deemed the winner.

1. Radical Controlled Maneuvers

Judges look for clear changes in the boat’s direction on the wave, including bottom turns, re-entries, cutbacks, floaters, aerials, tube rides, top turns, late takeoffs, trimming, and stalling. Scores increase with the difficulty of the maneuver and the level of control and commitment shown. Judges particularly reward larger, more radical maneuvers performed with top-to-bottom, rail-to-rail surfing rather than single-rail surfing.

A slash is a good stall maneuver but is not rail to rail surfing and will be scored accordingly. Turns need to be fluid and not flicks for high scores.

A surfer must complete a maneuver for it to be scored. It will not score well if they lose control or are not able to continue on the wave.

2. Most Critical Section

Higher scores occur if the surfer stays in the critical section of the wave, the "pocket" closest to the curl. The degree of commitment and the risk involved in performing close to the curl is the reason that it scores higher.

3. The Biggest and/or Best Waves

Wave selection is a critical factor for a surfer in their heat. The waves selected will dictate the maneuvers they are able to perform. There is less emphasis put on wave size in small to medium conditions due to the fact that the best waves may not necessarily be the biggest.

However, in a contest with big wave conditions, a large part of the criteria would be the size. A surfer should be prepared to demonstrate the greatest commitment to the critical part of the wave. A surfer does not automatically score high because of wave size or quality. What the surfer does with the wave is the more important criteria.

4. The Different Categories (Long and Short Boats)

Short Boats: More emphasis will be put on big, more dynamic, maneuvers than on long rides

Long Boats/Sea Kayaks: More emphasis is put on large carving type maneuvers with longer rides.

Note that the longer the ride, the more potential time to score points, so the higher potential score, in both categories

Judging in poor conditions

In poor surf conditions, judges concentrate on surfers who are utilizing the mini power-pockets on the wave with explosive moves that are normally timed to occur at each of these spots on the wave. Higher scores will occur if maneuvers are being linked directly to another without paddling all the way to the next section.

Once a paddler has entered the white water (unless it is part of a maneuver), the wave will be deemed as over unless a proper shoulder is regained.

To determine interference, the judges first decide which surfer has the right of way as a situation arises. The judges then determine whether the surfer with the Right of Way has been possibly hindered in his scoring potential. The key word in these criteria is "possibly." If the judge has to consider whether or not they have hindered the other surfer, then they have possibly hindered the scoring potential of the Right of Way surfer, so the interference must be called.

What Judges Consider

• Which surfer has the Right of Way? At the take off point, the inside surfer always has unconditional Right of Way.

• Was there interference or not? Did the surfer with unconditional Right of Way have his scoring potential possibly hindered?

• What rule in the book reflects to the infringement? Drop-in, snaking, paddling, breaking down a section, or excessive hassling?

The Interference Rule is:

The surfer deemed to have the inside position for a wave, has unconditional right of way for the entire duration of that ride. Interference will be called if during that ride, a majority of judges feel that a fellow competitor has possibly hindered the scoring potential of that surfer deemed to have the Right of Way for the wave.

Anyone who surfs in front of a surfer with the Right of Way has the chance to kick out of the wave without being called for interference, unless he/she hinders the scoring potential of the surfer with the Right of Way by any means including excessive hassling, hindering progress, or breaking down a section.

1. Point Break (Single Direction Wave) - The inside surfer has unconditional Right of Way for the duration of that wave.

2. Single Peak (Left & Right Breaking Wave) - The surfer considered to have the inside position at the initial point of take-off has unconditional Right of Way in the direction he chooses by making an obvious turn. A second surfer may surf in the opposite direction.

3. Beach Break (Multiple Random Peaks) - Two separate peaks that eventually meet, then both surfers are required to kick out of the wave or straighten out to avoid collision.

• If they both give way by cutting back or kicking out, so that neither is hindered, there will be no penalty.

• If they cross paths, collide or hinder one another, the judges may penalize the surfer who has been the aggressor at the point of contact, or may penalize both surfers.

• If neither surfer gives way, by cutting back or kicking out, and both share responsibility for the confrontation, then a double interference will be called.

Paddling Interference

Paddling interference may be called if:

1. The offending surfer makes contact with, or forces the inside surfer to change his line while paddling to catch the wave causing possible loss of scoring potential.

2. The offending surfer obviously causes a section to break down in front of the inside surfer, which would not normally have happened causing loss of scoring potential.

3. When a surfer is put in a position while paddling out that he cannot get out of the way and a collision happens due to this, it is up to a majority of judges to call interference based on whether it is felt to be accidental or not.

Note: If two or more paddlers collide there must have been either dangerous surfing or poor judgment from at least one of the paddlers involved. If one of the paddlers is not at fault for the collision, then both/all the paddlers must have an interference called against them. This is to enforce safety as a prime directive of the sport.

Snaking

The surfer who is farthest inside at the initial take off point is entitled to that wave for the duration of his ride. However, if a surfer takes off on the white water behind the first surfer, he will be penalized if the surfer taking off at the peak is forced to pull out and loses the wave. (Note, this does not prevent behind-the-peak take offs started in green water).

The Right of Way rule says that the surfer closest to the shoulder has the right of way. Judges expect that there will be jockeying for position on some waves. However, paddling in front of, around, or behind a competitor who is closest to the shoulder and is about to take off on a wave, in order to impede the competitor and take possession of a wave, is considered to be snaking, and will result in an interference call.

The penalty for interference with 2 wave scoring is that the competitor loses half their lowest scoring wave from that Heat.

If a competitor commits 2 interferences or more in a single Heat, they will be disqualified from the Heat. This will be the end of their Heat, their scores will only be counted until the second interference.

If the judges or contest organizers believe that a competitor is purposely trying to disrupt the competition, is constantly causing interferences, or is acting unsafely, unfairly or in an unsporting manner, the competitor can be disqualified from the competition.

Competitors have a right to protest. Only clerical errors will be looked at. No protest will be heard against a judging decision. No video footage will be submitted. The protest committee will decide the result of the protest. The protest committee will be appointed from the event organizers.

The cost of a protest will be $25.

Competitors may have assistance emptying their kayaks and re-launching while the Heat is in progress.