Cover photo: WSL/Nolan

A few days ago Italo Ferreira joked that in one of those "the bald guy" appears wanting to compete in the WSL finals and the rules change. Well, the best in history did not appear wanting to compete but shaking the nets so that Medina could compete.

With Ethan Ewing injured, if he doesn't make it to the finals in time, the WSL rules state that there are no replacements for the finalists. That is to say: if one is missing and the sixth is not there, that series simply won't be surfed.

So, if the rule is maintained: The winner of the series between Chumbinho and Jack Robinson goes directly to compete against Griffin Colapinto, the second in the ranking.

That's how it's set up and that's how it should be but Slater has stepped in and so has the entire fan base of one of the most popular surfers on the planet: Gabriel Medina, who are hurt by his loss to Jack Robinson that left him out of the finals.

On the other hand, 81% of Stab's followers (who we already know are not that big fans of Medina) voted that he should be allowed to participate.

These are all elements that are on the table of the WSL, of a WSL that has never been a solid institution and that has changed its rules 700 times for 700 reasons.

If you add to that the fact that they are without a leader, even though Logan was a monkey with a machine gun, it doesn't seem impossible to me to think that they will end up changing direction like a weather vane based on all this talk.

I think that if they want to maintain any dignity, the institution that created Ultimate Surfer, that invented the mid-year cutoff and the nonsense of finals, should not change the rules.

For now, at least he should not change them with the cards on display, knowing that Medina attracts many more people than an empty series; that is, making it clear that they sell themselves for the show and not for the sport.

Also directly damaging the Olympic qualification of Chumbinho Chianca, who has qualified today but with a motivated Medina in Lowers that could easily change.

I love the best of history and I usually agree with him, he said: “Medina coming from nothing to win, that would be a great story,” he said.... It would be quite a show, yes, but based on complete illegality.

So here we are again faced with the dilemma of the new WSL: Sell your soul for clicks, drama, make or break and the sea in your car or maintain a little decency and sporting justice.

I hope the second prevails.