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Is Natural Selection Surf the New Dream Tour?

Originally posted on SURFER | By Jake Howard | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 5:32 PM ET

On my first day of work at SURFER Magazine back in 2000, then-editor Sam George had just returned from the Op Boat Trip Challenge in the Mentawais. With an all-star cast of characters, including Occy and Bruce Irons, who were both in their prime at the time, the intrepid crew scored incredible surf all under the guise of "competition." The energy and excitement buzzing through the office was electric.

A few years prior, Billabong founder Gordon Merchant, filmmaker Jack McCoy, and former world tour champion Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew had conceived of the "Billabong Challenge" concept, which sought to put the best surfers in the best waves. Once again, Occy featured prominently, as did world champs like Kelly Slater and Sunny Garcia, as well as style lords Rob Machado, Shane Dorian and Brenden "Margo" Margieson. Bouncing from Gnarloo in Western Australia to Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, it was a surfer's surf contest.

"I figure out could run this event eight times and have at least five different guys win it," said Slater.

And it's here that the idea of turning the Championship Tour, which was headed by Rabbit at the time, into one giant, always-scoring surf trip was born. No more three-to-the-beach and butts in seats, this was surf contesting meets "The Endless Summer." Adventure, perfect waves and inspired performances. Fans ate it up.

The "Dream Tour" concept became a force of nature. Delivering some of pro surfing's most storied performances, it ushered in the era of Kelly vs. Andy, brand-sponsored boat trips and sea planes, and a surfing industrial complex worth billions. The early Aughts was the highest of heights for the sport and business of surfing.

And now, after 15 years of economic darkness and industry erosion, yesterday's premiere of Natural Selection Surf gave fans around the world reason for hope. The power and draw and allure of the concepts such as the Billabong Challenge, the Op Boat Trip and the Dream Tour are still as vital, vibrant and relevant as ever.

In the works for the better part of a year, snowboard icon and Natural Selection founder Travis Rice and his team looked to apply what they'd learned on the mountains and bring it to the waves. They wisely tapped Captain Martin Daly to deliver the surf. They brought in legends like Nathan Fletcher and Brad Gerlach to establish the ground rules. They invited some of the most entertaining names in the water today. And they created a format and viewing platform that had fans locked in all day.

Held at Daly's island getaway in Micronesia, the surf on day one was girthy and scary. The broadcast was rife with hyperbole like "best ride ever" and "heaviest barrel of my life." It was a viewing pleasure from start to finish.

Compared to the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro that had just wrapped up days prior, or even the Pipe Pro for that matter, it's not even close which event surf fans preferred more. The comments on the Natural Selection broadcast on YouTube said it all. Folks were frothing even harder than commentator Tanner Gudauskas (which says a lot, because it ain't easy to out froth a G boy).

Surf fans want to see surfing. Not figure skating or gymnastics. Or tennis. Give us a heavy slab in a faraway ocean, a few surfers brave enough to push over the ledge and we'll watch from sun up to sun down. It's not complicated. The formula's time tested.

Finals day for Natural Selection is on tap for tomorrow. I'm pulling for Alan Cleland Jr. to take the win. Not taking anything away from the others that charged into finals days, I'm just a massive fan of Big Al and this is the kind of moment surfers like him were made for.