Surfing Review

Introduction to Surfing Betting

The World Surf League (WSL) governs surfing. The body has more Facebook followers than the organisations that run ice hockey, tennis and soccer. Surfing is the third most popular sports for online viewing. Thus, it made sense for a global interest to translate into betting. Individual surfers accumulate points which determine world rankings. The structure of the sport lends itself to betting. There are standalone events and races that take place as part of a tour.

There are also comprehensive online resources for results and injury news. Surfing fans interact and discuss individuals. Most surfing races are one-on-one contests with two surfers competing on the water at the same time.

Betting Events

The most popular betting events are those under the organisation of the World Surf League. The governing body runs world championships for men and women. By the very nature of the sport, professional surfing takes place at attractive coastal locations. The WSL arranges several tours around the world. Some of the locations include Brazil, Australia and Tahiti. Furthermore, there is equal pay between men and women and similar betting interest. The world rankings are based on results in qualifying WSL events. There is promotion and relegation, which creates keen competition which is legitimate for betting. There are 34 qualifiers for the WSL tour which are based on ranking points over a 12-month rolling period.

Betting Types

The basic contest in a surfing event is head-to-head racing and points are awarded based on performance. The lowest possible score is zero and the maximum score is 10. The judging is weighted in favour of manoeuvres and the degree of difficulty. Surf does not lend itself to in-play betting. Especially because racing times are limited, and there are few elements to the action. Surfers can lose rhythm, but there are few possible love betting options. The respective world championships attract betting on races and the championship. Bets on times are also popular. Bookmakers offer ante-post betting on the outright winners of the major championships.

Surfing Markets

The most popular betting market is the winner of a race and the outright winner of a tournament. Bookmakers accept win and each way bets on a tournament winner. After the early stages, the field is reduced to five or less surfers, so the betting is on win only. Surfers accumulate points which means there is scope for handicap and totals betting. Some bookmakers offer more exotic markets such as the correct score. This type of market provides the potential for a decent return from a small stake.