New ratings change after the Quick pro France, check below for current standings. Its could get interesting with the top 7 guys in reach of the world title.

New World Tour Remours: Well the skinny is that Matt Tinley, a former boxing promoter, Terry Hardy, Kelly Slater's manager, ESPN, and alledgedly but no true eveidence yet, Kelly SLater himelf are behind this new world tour that might change the course of surfing and where it needs to be in the future. Will this tour even be excepted, will Kelly's idea of this new tour with a new judging format be excepted by the current world tour pros. Some hear say is that some pros are not for it and think Kelly Slater is selling out by secretly helping out other private entities to capitalize on the small nitch surfing industry. There will have to be some kind of agreement between the Dream World Tour and the alledged new tour because you cant have 2 competing tours and 2 world champions. Of course this comes down to a money issue. Will the new tour incentives be good enough for the top pros to cross over? It should and ultimatly mean more bucks and bigger salaries for the top pros and more dollar signs for there sponsors as well. It seems like a win win situation for all because the tour has been the same now for 30 years and the judging and format probably can use some updating to allow for more excitement in competition. Its going to come down to the money issue, will everyone benifit from a new tour or only the creaters who capitalize on selling big dollar add space on ESPN when contest are being televised. When companies like IBM, Burger King etc start to sponsor events or buy air time, will these huge dollar figures benefit the surfers and companies like Quciksilver and Billabong? If so, this change that will then bring surfing into more homes and make surfing a more mainstream sport might just happen. Then guess what, maybe just then surfing will finally end up in the olympics.

Kelly's Parntership with Quicksilver Keeps Growing and Growing.

Quicksilver capitalizes on kelly, while kelly capitalizes on his world titles. A great deal for both. U know as well as i do that Quicksilver needs kelly to retire with 10 world titles and we also know kelly wants ten bad. Does this mean more dollar signs for Kelly or Quicksilver? It is a yes and a yes. This is the scenario of the perfect relationship, partnership going. Who was the genuis that created this perfect success story for a surf company and a surfer? Well, we have to give all the credit to two great minds, Robert McKnight, CEO of Quicksilver and Kelly Slater.

So here is the low down on the Quick, Kelly deal. Here say is, Kelly signed another 5 year extension deal with Quicksilver. THis will insure the greatest surfer of all time will be sponsored by the leader, Quicksilver for his entire competive career. Smart move for Quicksilver and smart move for Kelly. Kelly is no fool, he knows Quick capitalizes huge on his name and image. Like Michael Jordan and Niki, Kelly knows his value to Quicksilver so this dollar figure deal will most likely not be made public, but the stock that Kelly gets as a bonus and more ownership of the company is known. At the end of the day and regardless of the money, Kelly is going for world title number 10 for himself. He was born to surf and born to compete, its what keeps him on the tour at age 37. His last second come from behind wins, his number of victories, his world titles and what he is doing against the elite level of young guns on tour at his age will never be matched.

The Perfect Parnership:

Regardless of the dollar figures Quicksilver and Kelly are capitalizing on from each other, You have my back, i have your back: they are like family and great friends. Kelly stats, " Quick has been family to me for so long its hard to remember a time before them." The perfect duo partnership of Kelly and Quick have big plans for the future of surfing and their own marketability. Part of these ideas will be coming from the embassador himself, Kelly, people are sure to follow and listen to his icon status. Its a win win for both and us as fans as well. Just listening to Kelly commentate a heat you learn so much from him. Surfing needs someone like Kelly, its almost going to be great when Kelly retires because we just might see a new chapter of surfing come to life, from his ideas or just his words. Some of the concepts that are in place now is a surfing IMAX movie, ideas on how to enhance the marketability of surfing and bringing surfing to a broader audience in new and innovative ways. So, we should be hurrying Kelly to win that tenth world title, so then we can finally see another side of the greatest surfer ever.

(More to come soon, come back soon, article gets juicer, know what u are suppose to know about the best in the world.)

To round 44 is Kelly slater, Cj and Corey and Eric Geiselman. lets see how they do. good luck east coasters.

OUt early was Dylan Graves, Brian Toth, Jessee Heilman and Sterling Spencer. Advancing to the 96 round is Cory and Shea Lopez, Evan and Eric Geiselman, Asher Nolan. Lets see if the east coasters can hang around this year to the later rounds. WEll keep u posted. There were some heavy brother duos that were a double threat, Kelly and Sean, Cole and Cam Anderson, COry and Shea, Cj and Damien, Eric and Evan Geiselman, Justin and Blake Jones, and Kyle and Bryce Cohen, and Kyle and Joel Garson.

Joel has big league, i quess at this point, dmaien and cj has a beter chance to catch Joel for the #1 spot but its hard when at his calliber is so in form and hungry for a title. well see what happens at next event and go east coast.

Kelly came through again with minutes to go. He get the 2 highest scores in the finals both under 5 minutes. It seems like hes not listening to what people are saying and he is riding what he wants. He rode a few borrowed boards at this event and also a board that he shaped and in the final, an epoxy. He was trying not to come to brazil but did so for his fans. He quotes, "everytime i try to pull out of an event, i wind up winning". I quess there is no pressure on him now since he is comming from behind. I am sure he has the top five guys second quessing their lead especially after this quote. " I have the leaders right were i want them, I dont feel any pressure right now. J bay which is the next event, is historically my best and hopefully i can build of this win in Africa." Things will get interesting now since Kelly is still in contention of a tenth world title. Slater will push the level of surfing again bec he will not hold back and can easily be in the top five by the next event. He will be very focused and ready for one of his favorite events in Africa, J bay.

Gabe had a terrible first year on the world tour in 2007. He had to requalify in 2008 in which he did but then a simple turn in a heat in Tsanami turned into a injured. He landed awkward with all his weight on his back leg, tearing ligaments in his knee and ankle. Its been 2 months but his rehabe is going slow. While home in FLorida, he tried to longboard a little after being restless about not being in the water but couldnt even do a bottom turn. So to kill time he has been fishing, swimming laps and hanging with family and friends. More on his comeback soon.

Kelly almost had another record upseting comeback with one second to go after a terrible slow start. He was on a regular 6'1" shape and it looked like he was struggling a with the flow of the board. Maybe he should have stuck to his smaller fishy shape boards that he gets so much critisizm for. ( He won the pipe masters on such a board) Anyway back to what happen. He needed a 8.17 to advance and caught a wave at the horn and did an amazing straight up under the lip snap, landed it and completed the wave with to more menuevers. He almost came away with the win but he just fell short to get the score. So the question is now, with a depressing start for a tenth world title try and three 17th finishes, will Kelly go to Brazil and finish the tour? If he doesnt finish the tour will he take next year off? Well from what i can gather from his interviews, he probably wont finish the year and just do a few more select contests. He says he wants to get his body in tip top shape before he continues for another world title. So this means he will again try for another title, i would say next year. His body and muscles, he claims are bothering him so he will probably take some time to get some kind of rehabe and back in form shape.

On the other end of this, CJ and Dmaien are surfing really well and are both in the quarter finals. Cj had some really late take offs and always starts out fast and strong to put his competitors against the ropes. In Cj's round 3 heat, he caught 2 waves within one minute. Good tactics for a floridian and it seems like he and his brother have a great sense of sneaking waves that are good when their competitors seem to let go.

Check back tommorrow for more results and play by play acion if u dont watch it live.

Peter Mendia surfed the trials of teahupoo today and fell real fast, round one. We dont have many east coast competitors who can hang with the rest of the worlds talent. Think we need some qualified coaches to help out the esa and nssa kids to give them proper training,quidence and skills so we see more world competitors. Florida use to breed many world tour guys and lots of magazine photo talented surfers year after year. But its looking like slim pickings for the entire east coast. The only world tour hopefulls for us in FLorida right now are Eric and evan Gieselman, Sterling Spencer and Jessee Hielman. Also puerto ricos, Brian Tooth and Dylan Graves. We need more.

Only 6 east coast guys are in the top 100 on the wqs. We are not looking good against the rest of the world.

Gabe kling says he will be more prepared with the different types of waves on tour and with his boards this time around. His more favorite spots on the tour are the beach break spots like in france and also like Snappers and Tresles. He relizes that people and the judges want to see more exciting surfing. His strategy is to be more active and going big and more verticle. He and Ian Cairns have been critiquing his surfing and how he can improve. The critiques came from harsh critizism by Cairns after they watched video of his surfing. Gabes goal is to finish in the top 15. He also says he would like to beat Kelly but there are 44 other guys that have to also be beat.

1.Mick Fanning 7140 2. Joel Parkinson 6772 3. Adriano De Sauzo 6148 5. CJ 5748 4. Bede Durbidge 6146 7. Kelly 5514 6. TAJ 5524 8. Bobby M. 5421 9. 9. Damien 5116 10. Jordy 4828 44. Last place goes to Gabe Kling he has an excuse, he is injured. Hey he made the tour, thats hard to do, props to gabe for shizzle.

WQS ranking: East coasters are droping out fast from the top 100 on the World Qualifying Tour. 47.Corey Lopez 39. Brian toth 94. Eric Geiselman Ben Borgeous has fallen below 100 along with Sterling Spencer and Jesse Heilman.
Remember to qualify for the world tour, u have to finish the year 16th or better.

DID U KNOW: when cj travels for a week trip he might take up to 6 boards. his quiver can be from a mix of shapers such as, Tufflite, bill johnson, Stacey, Chris Gallager, Mayheem.

DID U KNOW: Kelly Slater's most valued possesion is his health. His hunting ground is fiji and tahiti and eats organic foods whenever possible. Damien hobgood was seen last month in panamas bocas del toro with friends peter mendia and crew. look for photos of the trip to pop us soon, the swell while he was there was meduim size so they had to surf the beach break but scored some sick overhead close out barrels.