Reporter Laylan Connelly got these 10 notions on the future of surfing from Huntington Beach's Peter "P.T." Townend, surfing's first professional world champion in 1976 and one of the sport's most recognizable and influential stars. ...
1. Stephanie Gilmore wins her 11th ASP Women's World Title to set the all-time record for ASP championships…
2. At 48 Kelly Slater is granted a "Wild Card " to the WCT Billabong Pipeline Masters and reaches the …(final losing to) HB-raised super-superstar Kanoa Igarashi.
3. Surfline has developed forecasting technology that now allows your embedded surfboard personal device (PD) to alert you to the next set with size and direction of the approaching swells.
4. The sport of surfing is the action sports global leader in webcasting, which now automatically feeds into your household big screens.
5. Now with acceptable Wavepool technology, surfing will finally make it into the Olympics fulfilling ISA President Fernando Aguerre's dream.
6. Wetsuits are now lazor thin, hydrodynamically designed for more flexibility and increased down the line speed, enabling incredible new aerial maneuvers. Speed kills! And the women look amazing in these new form fitting suits! ha!ha!
7. The latest surfboard technology allows new boards to be computer generated ready on-site in less than an hour with space-age materials… enabling the surfers to reach new heights of performance.
8. There are now gated surf communities with a centralized Wavepool for a daily dose of wave. Kelly's concept, like the golf course communities, becomes a reality.
9. There are now college degrees in Surf Industry/Surf Culture at major educational institutions that feeds the industry with qualified business, design and technological talent.
10. At the 2020 Billabong XXL Awards, three of the nominees for "Ride of the Year" are in the 100-foot range and San Clemente's Greg Long is one of them!
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