Wanna bet that Parko can beat Slater? See Luke, the Tom Waterhouse of waves

WHEN he retired from professional surfing in 2010 Luke Munro opened betting markets for surf fans combining his love of sport risk and maths.

WHEN he retired from professional surfing in 2010 Luke Munro opened betting markets for surf fans combining his love of sport risk and maths.

Working for Gold Coast based betting agency TopSport.com.au he has placed odds on every round of the Quiksilver Pro and hopes his expertise in the market will give the sport of surfing more respect.

But he said it was tough when odds turned against his friends.
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Pictured at Border Park Race way at Tweed Heads Former Pro surfer Luke Munro who is now a bookmaker and has opened betting markets for the Quiksilver Pro. Picture Mike Batterham

“I have mixed emotions when a good buddy like Bede Durbidge comes up against Adriano de Souza, I start cheering against my mate because that’s the way the books ended up,” he said.

Munro places Joel Parkinson just ahead of Kelly Slater for the Snapper Rocks contest.

“Joel was the man to beat last year, but somehow Medina managed to produce a win,” he said.

“I think with his (Parkinson’s $566,000) loss with the Titans the other day it might add a bit more spice and a bit more anger in his performance,” Munro said.

He put long odds on last year’s winner and reigning world champion Brazilian Gabriel Medina. “I think it was somewhat of a fluke for him to win last year,” he said.

West Australian Taj Burrow and Californian Dane Reynolds are high-value picks according to Munro.

In the women’s comp he put reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore just ahead of Lennox Head’s Tyler Wright.

“It looks like the waves won’t be strong enough for Wright to be massive threat.”