Top 5 surfer Kolohe Andino spoke out against the decision to define the world tour in a single event, saying that it makes him sad, that it takes away legitimacy and takes away from the history of the sport.

In an interview given last week to the Brazilian program Serie Ao Fundo, hosted by former coach Renan Rocha, the Californian first refers to the Olympics but then immediately talks about the WSL finals: “It will be very big for whoever wins it. Before they made the change to a circuit tournament that decides everything, I felt that the world title was worth much more. Because you go to Australia, Tahiti, Pipeline, Europe… You are the best surfer in the world, nobody can deny that.”

He adds: “One day in Chiba, at a beach break, or one day at Lowers, one day in a wave pool, doesn’t define for me who is the best surfer in the world but rather it determines who had a good day.”

He also makes a strong criticism: “They are trying to make surfing something corporate and that is something that is not good for me, I suppose that for those who make it to the Olympics or the five who manage to get into Lowers, it will be huge for them, so now I am working to get there, I am trying to motivate myself for that.”

The American said that now the world title loses legitimacy and takes away from history: “I don’t think it’s legitimate, not at all. It also takes away from the history of the sport, which is something more important, being lifted on the sands of Pipeline having surfed the most dangerous waves in a natural arena. You are the world champion and the Pipe Masters… That’s what makes me sad. Think of all the people who lifted the title in Pipe, Adriano, Italo, Gabriel, John John, everyone there, it’s the most dangerous wave in the world, you can die or surf the wave of your life. This is what, when I think about it, makes me super sad, because it doesn’t exist anymore.”

Among other things, in the interview, Kolohe said that he is trying to stay light for Tokyo because he believes that it will be in small waves “any gram I can take off is good for me.”