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Posted on Saturday December 12th 2009 at 11:50 a.m.
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"Not sure where you got that from but I will say, it's not dead," Kelly Slater confirmed, when ASL asked him to comment on rumours that the so-called ESPN Champions Surf Tour (CST) was back.
According to those rumours, the CST has targeted a slew of surfers including Dane Reynolds, Andy and Bruce Irons, Ry Craike, Taj Burrow, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Mitch Coleborn, Clay Marzo and, of course, Kelly himself.
Rumours heard by ASL say the rebel tour is confident of securing the services of all the surfers they were after apart from Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, and Jordy Smith, who have all committed to the ASP tour. The ASP has confirmed that Andy Irons is yet to commit to his wildcard position on next year's ASP tour.
"I will know more shortly but probably won't speak much about it 'til I'm fully aware of how it changes and effects our sport as a whole," Kelly told ASL. "ASP had a chance to go in a new direction and chose not to. That doesn't necessarily mean things disappear. It did seem to show that ASP maintains control of the sport's direction."
Kelly has been a vocal critic of the current surf industry sponsors' control of the ASP Tour, who bankroll most of the events and own their own media rights to each event. The new tour's promise of increased prize-money, mainstream sponsorship and slick packaging of events for television on ESPN helped convince Kelly that change was needed.
"I love and appreciate my sponsors but freedom of choice is a basic part of our world and our sport's structure should reflect that. It's an inherent feeling shared with all surfers," Kelly said.
