Popular Bets for The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

Betting on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

Because the triple crown consists of many, standalone events, there are several betting opportunities available. These range from individual winners, head to head, prop bets, and even a new category based on people's choice. Each of the three events has its own unique betting opportunities, but overall bets can be made during the course of the competition. The first event of the crown (The Hawaiian Pro) occurs on November 12th and runs until the 24th. This is followed by the World Cup on November 25th to December 6th, and the competition closes with The Pipeline Masters from December 8th to December 20th. Some bets must be placed before the start of the first competition, whereas others can be placed up until the start of the final competition.

Outright Winner

The outright winner of the Triple Crown is the most popular bet choice among fans. At the close of all three competitions, one overall winner is chosen. With the re-addition of the women's division in 2020, this means that both a male and female winner is crowned, creating a lucrative betting opportunity for enthusiasts. It's interesting to consider that both the 2020 and 2021 triple crown title went to surfing legend John John Florence. These aren't his only wins to date. He's won the overall competition 5 times so far, with even more wins in individual competitions. Surfers really do seem to go big or go home, because the first two triple crowns in the women's division went to Carissa Moore in 2020 and 2021. That doesn't mean that this category is cut and dry, however. Newcomers are known to take the cake when you least expect it, as Jesse Mendes did in 2018.

Head to Head

Another popular category of bets is head to head. These bets occur more so in the individual competitions, especially in events where surfers compete alongside one another during heats. For instance, two surfers (like Felipe Toledo and Jack Robinson) could go out together during a heat. They both have 30 minutes to catch the biggest waves, with their top two scores being retained and the rest omitted. Bets could be placed as to which surfer will acquire the most points. These smaller bets are great to diversify your betting over the course of the competition, rather than putting everything on the outright winner.

Prop Bets

Prop bets have a long standing history in the sport of surfing. Similar to sports like basketball or football, bets can be placed on how many points a surfer acquires during the course of a competition or event. Prop bets can even be made on the total number of wipeouts, score improvements, or team performance.

Bracket Betting

Many surf competitions pitch surfers against one another using a bracket style competition. 32 surfers take turns catching waves in pairs to see who will win the most points. The winner of the two proceeds to the next round. This leaves 16 surfers remaining, until 8, 4, and the final 2. The Billabong Pipeline Masters is a competition that does this. Bets can be placed on which of the two surfers will win, or which surfer will win it all. This can lead to big wins, especially if you bet on the eventual winner. Caio Ibelli was a surfer that made unexpected gains during his time on the Pipeline bracket. He made it all the way to the quarterfinals and then the semifinals, eventually standing against Seth Moniz for a spot to take on Kelly Slater in the finals. Although he didn't grab that opportunity this time around, this was an interesting betting opportunity as the bracket unfolded in a unique way.

Fan Vote

This new category of competition came in 2020 as the Triple Crown shifted to a temporary, digital only basis. The highest score isn't required to win this category, but it certainly does help: Carissa Moore nabbed the fan vote along with every other category on the board, which is just another reason why she is one of the best surfers of all time, regardless of gender.

Betting on The Vans Triple Crown is an exciting opportunity. The individual competitions opens up a variety of new betting opportunities, and the sport is full of GOATS, fan favorites, and even Olympic champions. If you bet on surfing this year, definitely be sure to check out this competition.