It’s crunch time on the CT, and what better place to enjoy competitors fight for their lives or world domination than the old world of Europe!? It’s the first of the final three events of the CT season; the Quiksilver Pro France, and with that comes some important debates to consider, re-qualification and world title scenarios. Results at the Quiksilver Pro France will see competitors get one step closer to a world title or one step closer to solidifying their position on next year’s tour. 

Realistically it’s a title race between Filipe and Gabriel with Julian having an outside chance, but Europe’s an unpredictable beast and anything can happen. Here are our FS picks for the Quiksilver Pro Europe.

Tier A

Gabriel Medina 

Picking your Fantasy Surfer team becomes especially difficult during the European leg. French beach breaks change more often than a pimply teenager’s emotions. They’re so sensitive to climatic changes, that someone lighting up a joint in an Amsterdam coffee shop could cause a howling onshore to erupt at the contest site. But if there’s one man who has the ability to predict how the ocean will change and when it’s Gabby Medina. Gabby has that sixth sense that we all wish we had. Medina’s Pro France results read 1st, 2nd, and 1st. and he’s won the last two events on the CT. You’d be a downright fool to leave him out of your FS picks for France. 

Italo Ferreira

Italo, like Gabriel, has a healthy dose of that sixth sense. And much like Gabriel, Italo has no problems paddling around the lineup like a hungry lion in search of a stray gazelle to sink his teeth in to, or a sneaky wave to set his fins free on. 

Italo’s won two events this year at vastly different wave types. Bells Beach, (who the hell would’ve predicted that!) and Keramas. If Italo can win at a wave like Bells Beach, a wave we’d argue didn’t suit him one bit before his victory, then he sure is a worthy bet come to France.

Tier B

Michel Bourez

Often mense forget, that Michel’s spent copious amounts of time in the sovereign, surfing shifty French beach breaks and enjoying croissants made with 200-year-old recipes. Michel, therefore, has no qualms adapting to continuously changing surf conditions, in fact, he probably revels in it. The forecast is small for majority of the waiting period, which means we are (most probably) going to see a three-to-the-beach situation, a scenario which suits Michel’s tree trunk, heavy-footed, karate chop to the bek approach just fine.

Sebastian Zietz

Did any of you homies witness Sebastian’s performance at the Surf Ranch Pro!? That 8.67!? OMG, that wave was incredible. View it here. We considered putting him in last events Fantasy Surfer recommendations cause we thought his approach would suit the tight transitions of the Ranch down to a T. But what were the chances that Zietz would be able to concentrate long enough to complete more than three turns without bogging, overcooking it, or just simply trying something the wave didn’t allow? Those are some slim odds, my friend. Like asking an ADD kid to sit through a two-hour statistics lecture. Not gonna happen. 

Given that C-bass is lying dangerously close to being knocked off tour, and that he just knocked up his baby mama, chances are he might concentrate through France as well.

Kanoa Igarashi

Kanoa’s gone from being one of the most boring surfers on tour to one of the most exciting. Overnight. Kanoa’s like a Japanese war strategist with a proclivity for flair. His decision making is impeccable. His heat strategy fantastic. And he always remains calm. Kanoa’s had a fantastic back half of the 2018 season, a 3rd in Jbay, a 3rd at the Surf Ranch and a 2nd at the latest QS 10 000 in Portugal, safe to say, Kanoa’s in form and ready for his first CT win.

Griffin Colapinto

Colapinto looks like he’s having the time of his life on the WT this year. Traveling the world, making the dollar, and kissing foreign ladies from all around planet earth. Sounds like a teenagers dream baby. But the dream hasn’t lacked contest results. Colapinto has put together a solid rookie showing thus far. He’s a well-rounded competitor that has every trick in the book locked ready to pull the trigger. With small surf predicted for the Quikie Pro France, we reckon many competitors will have to take to the air to make heats, something Griffin is well versed in.

Tier C

Patrick Gudauskas 

Ahhh man, Tier C is such a difficult pick, all of these men down south on the ratings are fighting for their careers. For their paycheques! For life baby! We putting Patty G here cause that homie’s been here before, and he knows when you fight for life, the logic goes out the window, you gotta lay it all down. You gotta throw the kitchen sink at the problem. Then head into the bathroom, rip out the toilet, and throw that shit as well. Patty G’s been in this position before, and he knows nobody’s gonna remember he dated Hanalei Reponty, they’re gonna remember the time he fought for his place on tour and emerged victoriously.

Mikey February

Growing up a stone through away from the Dunes which in many ways could be compared to Hossegor, Mikey is well versed in dealing with shifting beach breaks, and if you’ve surfed with him at the Dunes, you’ll know he’s always the guy who’s ‘in the spot’. Mikey’s found himself at the back end of the CT, fighting for his place on tour, and to be honest, we’re looking forward to it! We’re frothing to see Mfeb rise to the occasion, throw everything at it and re-qualify!

#KeepThatBlackAfroOnTour