Cory Slash-back Photo: By 'Pablo'
The Cory Rumor: Could Cory Lopez be thinking Dream Tour again?
April 2, 2009, 2:57 PM
By: Jon Coen
Rumors. Rumors. Taken a look at the ASP's current WQS rankings lately? Check it out. Cory Lopez is rated No 10 in the world.
Sources close to Cory say he could wreck some dreams later this year.
Lopez surfed the Dream Tour from 1997 to 2007, then spent 2008 getting more press than Paris Hilton — Transworld's "Photoslut of the Year", Surfing's Google Earth expedition, multiple international mag covers, and a TW Exposure-Meter ranking of #10.
But get this — he could potentially qualify for next year's Dream Tour.
It was well known that Lopez and A.I. were the best of buds during their tour days. With Andy already granted a Wildcard for 2010, it's rumored that he wants his boy Cory back on Tour.
Lopez is laying low on the subject, but my sources say he will assess the situation as the year progresses.
"With the requisite events he will be surfing, if a re-qualification continues to look favorable based on his ratings, he will likely add few 5 and 6 Star events to shore it up," says my mole.
Photo: by Kenworthy
Though Cory's management team would neither confirm or deny the rumors, he could be back in the hunt. You may recall Sunny Garcia's amazing run last year, at the age of 38. (As if the WQS weren't hard enough for young surfers, now they regularly have to compete against former 'CT gods.)
This situation is a result of some fortunate scheduling and early results. Lopez surfed the O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro in January and made the finals, racking up 813 points. The next event was last week's Coldwater Classic in Tasmania - another 1882 for making the Round of 48. This is a new three-event series within the 'QS, which happen to offer solid surf, happen to have six start-star ratings, and happen to award Lopez some nice seeds.
With a few decisive wins and some good seeds, Cory might be in the running to requalify come Triple Crown season.
It seems he's registered for the Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River.
"Cory has the talent and ability to compete on the highest levels of our sport. His surfing is as good as ever and he would definitely cause some damage if he were to re-qualify. Cory is an O'Neill icon, and we would be extremely stoked to see him back on the WCT competing amongst the world's best surfers," says Garth Tarlow, of O'Neill.
A surfer's best seven results are used toward qualification. Therefore, if Lopez gets three solid seeds this year, he's in great position to requalify — something no one ever though he would want to do after the year he just had. That sneaky little devil.