Matt Meola - $100,000 Innersection edit

Meola proved it. He was an unknown, barely-sponsored kid from a small island...but nobody could argue that his section ruled.

So who's next?

Slater might argue that Innersection is an underdog's game, cause people don't wanna give $100k to someone who's already got $500k...but that was just Year One, and our evolved judging may be just the thing to fix that. (We'll have a inexpensive digital download available on the site — offering votes simultaneously to everyone around the world.)

Taylor has said that he'd love to see a big name win this year. A Dane, a Jordy or a Taj... just to show it can go either way. There's a reason these guys are stars. Every time guys like that hit the water something amazing happens. Pack that into an exciting section...it's hard to deny when something is clearly the best.

And that's the point right there.

Meola didn't prove "anyone can do it." Meola proved that the best section wins.

If you look at all the top contenders, the connecting factor isn't their location, their sponsors, their fan base or their hairstyle. Meola. Ando. Devries. Marzo. Villeran. Nothing in common, except this:

Good waves: we are surfers. Good waves are pornography to us. This may be the single most important element of a winning section. You're not going to win surfing in front of your house unless you're Jamie O'Brien.

Good surfing: this is a surf contest. Best surfing wins. Freesurfing performance standards are ridiculously high these days, and our judges have very discerning and critical tastes. Obviously you need to demonstrate a compulsary range of turns, barrels and airs...but what else have you got? Meola's surfing had a definitely X-factor. Something loose and wild about his style compels you to take another look.

Good filmmaking: this is a film production...and film is all about selling the package. The song's gotta get your blood pumping. The lifestyle has to fill us with a unique sense of place and person (check all top five for this — well played). And the surfing should be well shot, with a few beauty shots to establish the feeling.

Maybe this all sounds obvious. Pretty much all the section in the film accomplished this on some level. But don't forget, those were the sections in the film. More than 100 other applicants didn't make the cut.

The bar's gonna get higher every round, every year, but one thing will stay the same:

Best section wins. —NM