12:00a.m. 8 March 2008

| By Jon Tuxworth

Negotiating your way through the hectic World Qualifying Series (WQS) series is a bit like a game of chess.

There are so many different ways to achieve your goal, it’s just a matter of working out the right combination of moves.

It’s a task that confronts Yaroomba surfer Dave Reardon-Smith when he embarks on his WQS campaign, starting with the four-star Arrive Alive Central Coast pro at Soldiers Beach from March 11.

Reardon-Smith will then bypass smaller events at Spain and California before competing in the next Australian legs at Newcastle and Western Australia in early April.

“If you want any chance of qualifying, four-star is the lowest you’d want to go in,” he said.

“You’ve just got to plan your year to benefit you the most and where the least amount of top surfers won’t be there.”

With approximately 20 surfers earning the right to graduate to the World Championship Tour (WCT), Reardon-Smith enjoyed a solid first six months in 2007 before money problems stepped in.

“I only did the first five at the start of the year. I lost my sponsor at the start of the year and didn’t have the funds to finish the last six months,” he said.

“I’ve got a couple of minor sponsors now helping me out and I’m pretty stoked about that.”

The top seven results for each surfer will go toward their overall ranking at the end of the year.

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