The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing will look different this year. “A unique year calls for a radical change,” the company declared this month when it announced a brand new format for 2020’s rendition of the classic event. Those radical changes include a brand new, all-digital format rather than a traditional in-person event run by heats (adapted to COVID-19 safety guidelines) and the inclusion of female competitors in their 125-surfer open invitation field (a push for equality and diversity).
Here’s how the event will work this year:
The contest window opened up on December 21 and runs until January 15, 2021. The 125 eligible men and women will submit footage of their two best waves from each of the event’s three traditional competition locations: Pipe, Sunset, and Haleiwa. Men and Women winners will be picked at each event/spot, with overall title contenders being those who compile the top combined scores from all six of their submitted waves. In total, there will be $200,000 awarded to surfers in this year’s event, and fans will even be invited to participate in a “Fan Voting” period for the contest.
“How rad is it that Vans is giving women the opportunity to compete at Pipe? And they’re gonna have equal prize money,” Nathan Florence says, also pointing out that the new event format will probably invite surfers to get more creative this year, trying different boards at each location now that they’re not beholden to competing in 20-minute heats. “Guys are gonna be a lot more experimental and outgoing in their sessions and for the clips they’re submitting.”
