Cold Water Classic Santa Cruz: Will the world champion be crowned in California?

The second to last contest of the ASP World Championship Tour 2012 is the Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz, California. Will Joel Parkinson already claim the World Title or will it be decided on Hawaii?

The world’s best surfers are currently converging upon Northern California to contest the upcoming Cold Water Classic, held at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane from 1. till 11. November. Event 9 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Cold Water Classic is the first event of the season where the 2012 ASP World Title can be decided. All eyes will be focused on surfing’s top guns as they battle for this year’s crown.

5 Surfers battle for the title at the Cold Water Classic Santa Cruz

At the moment, five surfers remain mathematically in contention for the 2012 ASP World Title: 31-year-old Joel Parkinson from Australia, 40-year-old American Kelly Slater, 31-year-old Australian Mick Fanning, 20-year-old youngstar John John Florence from Hawaii and 25-year-old Adriano de Souza from Brazil.

For the 2012 ASP World Title to be decided at the Cold Water Classic Joel Parkinson must win the event, while Kelly Slater finishes 13th or lower and Mick Fanning 9th or lower. Should Parkinson win and Slater and Fanning finish in higher positions, the Title Race will go to the final event in Hawaii and both John John Florence and Adriano de Souza will be out of contention.

Former winners of the Cold Water Classic

Parkinson, having won the Cold Water Classic in 2000, headlines a group of five current ASP Top 34 surfers who have previously been victorious at the venue: American Taylor Knox won in 1993, Jordy Smith from South Africa was victorious in 2007, Australian Matt Wilkinson won in 2010, and Miguel Pupo from Brazil picked up the trophy in 2011.

In addition to the prestige of potentially crowning the 2012 ASP World Champion, the Cold Water Classic will also play a vital role in the requalification campaigns of the world’s best surfers for the 2013 season.

The 2013 ASP Top 34 will be comprised of the top 22 surfers of the ASP World Championships Rankings 2012 and the top 10 of the Surfers on the ASO World Rankings, who have not already qualified through the World Championship Tour. Additionally two wildcards will be handed out.

More information about the ASP World Championship Tour can be found on the website. The entire event can be broadcasted online on Red Bull TV.