More tubes please, 1722341171

Agreed, worth every cent to watch João v Ramzi in full

Ted from the moon, 1722342433

I agree - he straightened out of that first section. Otherwise it would be a very different story.

Komodo, 1722342527

Wow,
Just got home from work!
Some heavy comments above!
Hope everyone has a great surf
Next session!
Cheers.

campbell, 1722343182

You cant do the biggest claim in history on a 4 ft day and then refuse to catch a wave the next in the biggest surfing event in history without being scrutinised . Phil needs to learn some humility or learn to charge hard enough to back up the machismo.

Go Jack Robbo !

conrico, 1722343826

Crazy day of surfing. Highlight for me was watching semi pro underdogs Cleland and Inada give the WSL pros a run for their money in giant conditions. Inada clearly out of his depth but gave it an amazing crack. Inspiring stuff. Also that huge wave at the end of the Medina Kanoa heat. You know it was giant when Medina allowed kanoa to go, under his priority! Props to all (except Toledo…)

Nick Gee, 1722344381

awesome, thank you.

i just watched the 9 "highlights" and they showed waves out of order... one wave from massive scoring heats or something, who knows? absolute rubbish by 9. g'ah! probably a feature not a bug for the rapidly expanding subscription model on everything.

Nick Gee, 1722344696

if you're going to write entertaining pieces you're going to need to be able to read athlete's minds and know what they're thinking. otherwise you're just making it up.

Nick Gee, 1722345045

Gabe's take off/mid-face pump got him too much speed so he wasn't deep enough... maybe? absolute next level technique though. f$%k he's good... and as strong as an ox.

Joan's waves were the deepest and most critical i saw (from 9's turd of a highlights package....). "he was in there, talking to someone, they just let him out"

Watt Tyler, 1722345413

when your brain get rattled that hard , it takes 15-20 minutes to stop seeing stars and be able top focus again

Remigogo, 1722353531

I've spent the hours since round completion, contemplating the question, Which heat was the best heat?
I can only conclude that the last 4 heats of the day were the best. But to truly appreciate the grandeur of the spectacular, round 3 should be watched in its entirety from start to finish. The day had it all.

Hats off to those out there facing and challenging the rising wall head on and to the rescue crews.

Cheers Steve, entertaining write up as always. Your well thought out response to Fillip just above here somewhere is pretty much about where I sit on the fence. Poor bugger just could not get over that ledge.
Here's really surprised nobody died today. Yeeeeew.

Adrian123, 1722353996

What a bunch of bitter cvnts the writer and most of the commentators here are. The best stage competitive surfing will ever have with the gnarliest day and all you can do is gossip about a scared small wave champion out of his depth. Medina, Colapinto, Duru, Chianca, Oreily, Ewin and others have put on a show that will probably not repeat itself on an Olympic stage ever again, that’s what you cvnts should remember

greg-n.williams, 1722356184

Watched the whole mornings mayhem @ Scary Chopes! Took away from it the fact that I wouldn't have a go @ this leve( above 4 to 5ft) ,butttt I'm not the world champ! Fearlipie went M.I.A. in that heat & the Japanese surfer(who I'd never heard of B4) charged it! As far as JJF & Robbo's heat went they both copped severe floggings for the first 15mins or so then JJF waited with priorty for a high scoring wave which didn't come till afta the buzzer,whilst Jack got busy under priority to pick up enough mid range scoring waves to get the win! Can't remember much about the other heats (on the nod I reckon) as I was fatigued from taking on my own demons @ a regional point @ 6ft plus. Pip needs to take a good look @ himself in heavy Left reef breaks. To his credit though he blew me away @ J-Bay with the double Alley Oop's@ 6ft+ in an ASP comp way back when??? So I'll go back & watch the heats I missed & maybe Pip should too!

Lost1, 1722360581

Wonder if anything is being said in Brazil about his lack of performance?
Especially when we all know Italo would've charged!

Lanky Dean, 1722365513

Surreal.

surf.rat, 1722367401

@Nolan
I agree with you that vitriolic comments are not helpful and people should try and refrain from making them due to the fact they aren't helpful at all.

I feel the reason Fillepe is getting such a hard time is that we don't just look up to pro surfers because they can surf better than us. We also look up to them because they are brave. Surfing 10ft pipeline, chopes, the Box, Cloudbreak is extremely scary and dangerous even IF you have the skill-set to be able to surf these waves. Surfing is inherently scary and it's a big part of why we all love it. To prove that point Nathan Florence won the most popular youtuber this year with his fear inducing exploits. Lets face it, Nathan Florence would be lucky to make a go of it on the QS let alone the challenger or CT tours. He's an average surfer in average waves. He's an amazing surfer in heavy waves. Same goes for Nic Von rupp and all the other Slab/big wave surfers.

I feel you just can't remove the "Fear" from surfing and especially when it comes to a world title. To be the best in surfing, you should be forced to face your fears at some stage. I'm not talking fears of failure, etc, but fear of being feed to the reef or drowning.
I especially love when guys like Jack Robbo talk about how despite all his skills, he still has to face his fears when paddling into a 10ft wave at pipe. He knows it can hurt, mame or kill him.
It's up to each individual to choose their path in life so I've nothing against Toledo's choices. I'm just trying to give my thoughts on why people judge him so harshly.
Peace out and thanks for pointing out how people are not helping the situation with online hatred

Juliang, 1722369738

I’m all for patriotism, but put it in perspective, That was one heat in lucky to survive conditions. Jjf is presently number 1 on the CT and would have had it won if it wasn’t for the anomalies of an unfair finals day . He’s also already won 2 world titles .Jacks was doing well this year , but has dropped off recently. So criticising Jjfs preparation after 1 horrendous hold down, is a bit flag waving.

juegasiempre, 1722369818

If knew about Cleland's local where he grew up, it would be no surprise. Jamie O'Brien wears a big arse float suit when he goes there to do his step offs!

crg, 1722372978

I never said they didn’t have a go.
But both of them couldn’t make their countries team. So they chose to use the rules available to compete for Japan. Both of them if they were good enough, would have been competing for Aus and US respectively. So they chose another country for personal gain.
They both got the hardest draws.
Reo got Flippy.
Irony.

Fazesurf, 1722373060

Stan is so worth it! Nice break from the same 3 ads the WSL runs every 15 mins too.. Full replays then fuck it off after the olympics haha

andy-mac, 1722373287

Thanks for the write up.
Saw the JJF , Robo heat. JJF did look rattled after wipe out, but think his tactics let him down more than fear???? Stoked for Robbo to win, as for EE as well.....
Go Aussie!!!
Glad they got the swell needed to have the chargers shine.

Flat Lands, 1722373679

agree

freeride76, 1722373980

Sorry mate, you don't understand sport.

Sport is about success and failure.

Agony and ecstasy.

My guess is people will remember (in 10 years time) Toledo and Medina, for those very reasons.

Example being Greg Normans epic choke at the 96 Masters still being the most remembered aspect of his highly storied career.

Flat Lands, 1722374509

Wasn’t he in the Pipe Masters?

saltman, 1722375031

Indisputable evidence
Medina is the Messiah
Not a naughty boy

Thanos S, 1722376311

the author got a bit carried away with his own momentum with the drama add on the Jack JJF heat, it was simply a case of first chess move won in that game. Though in his defense, the style he's going for is clearly along the lines of never let the truth get in the way of a good story , shame he cant provide either. :)

garyg1412, 1722376931

"Great write up' FR - coz I'm not paying Stan for the pleasure."
Your loss mate. Just pay the $35 to watch what were some of the best surfing conditions and heats you will see in a long time. Joao and Ramzi heat was worth the money on it's own. The rest were just freebies!!

freeride76, 1722377340

Write your own recaps mate.

I've now gone back and watched that Jack/JJF heat in it's entirety 3 times and taken detailed notes on each occasion.

They both had the head rattling wipe-outs on consecutive waves at almost exactly the halfway mark.

So both had to regain composure at the same time in the heat.

I'm going to call that a wash both physically and mentally- both men have taken hundreds or thousands of wipeouts in heavy reef surf in their lifetimes. And would know exactly what to expect and how to calm the farm afterwards.

In the time it took for JJF to paddle for his first scoring wave (with 3 mins remaining) Jack had caught 3 waves, 2 under JJF's priority and put JJF into combo and took P for the last 3 minutes of the heat.

That's a stunning level of passivity from John.

A monumental choke.

If you see it differently, I'm all ears.

Re-watching the heat, I think Jack's waves were underscored- they had insane degrees of difficulty attached to them and pin point execution. Very few people on this planet could have made his 7.17- and one of them was in the water with him. He did not make a wave of similar magnitude and plenty came through that offered similar scoring potential.
Jack also took two more heavy wipeouts in that heat than John did.

Juliang, 1722378567

Yay

pvfloripa, 1722378886

The only force more present than Filipe's concerns with Chopes is burleigh's concerns with Filipe.

conrico, 1722378963

Thanks mate yep just got Stan. Worth every cent, just to watch the surfing!

andy-mac, 1722379276

I have to kind of agree with your take, I only watched the heat once and you are in a lot better position to judge than me
Heavy wipe outs but surely JJF has been copping them since grommethood??
It would be great to hear JJF thoughts as he comes across as a humble honest bloke, met him briefly once and he was a nice bloke.
Robbo well deserved win and was barracking for him.
Hope an Aussie can claim the Gold!

andy-mac, 1722379277

pvfloripa, 1722379396

I agree. He could have either given his spot or put in the time. It's a phobia he hasn't overcome, much like some people are claustrophobic (only more explainable)

pvfloripa, 1722379745

100%. Nobody complains that I don't surf Chopes well. But I also don't get $$$ millions to surf, The $$$ are only "gettable" thanks to the existence of supporting/complaining fans

pvfloripa, 1722380656

When things are expected they aren't a surprise and don't hurt as much. He did what all Brazzos expected. Unfortunately Brazil has far more important topics to be embarrassed about than Toledo's surfing.

Expectations were always with Gabriel and also João for the Olympics.

john_c, 1722381173

Agree, no clue! Great summation Steve. I've got personal experience competing in Worlds in what is now an Olympic sport (Slalom Canoeing) and your summary above in the comment is spot on IMO. Fark if I was Toledo I'd be spending a few weeks a year at Kandui or Cloudbreak with all the resources he has!!

Juliang, 1722381574

I’m not sure how you can say that any two wipeouts are going to be exactly the same. Mark Foo drowned at Maverick’s, when I’m sure others out there would have taken similar wipeouts but survived.

udo, 1722382321

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-30/paris-olympics-where-is-the-surfing-being-being-held/104158876
https://www.instagram.com/p/C94RHdQxrg6/

Supafreak, 1722382539

Knowing how proud Brazilian’s are of their sports stars , Felipe has done himself no favours by excepting his spot at the Olympics , knowing full well that more than one of his fellow countrymen are far far better at handling chopes . He would have gained a huge amount of respect from them and the world surfing community if he had put his hand up and owned up that he’s currently not up to the task . I spent some time with some Brazilian’s on a surf trip earlier this year, one of them is Yago’s godfather. Some of them didn’t believe Felipe deserved to be world champion as he hadn’t proved himself at pipe and were hoping he would give up his olympic position .There’s a huge difference between Toledo & Medina when it comes down to their faith in themselves and their God . Pride before the fall .

freeride76, 1722383400

Where to now for Filipe?

Does he just show up at Pipe in 6 months time and pretend nothing has happened and bring the same skill set? Hope and pray he won't be exposed again in the brutal spotlight of competition?
With Cloudbreak closing out the season?

It's really hard to see a pathway forwards for him that doesn't involve some very uncomfortable truths.

I'd say all options, including retirement as a Dual back to back World Champion would be on the table.

A Gold Medal, is still on the table too. If he qualifies in 4 years time, he would go to LA and surf (most likely) Huntington as a red hot favourite.

reecen, 1722384577

I watched the whole thing last night and the only thing I thought would have made it better was not having the break between heats.
It seemed like every break the best waves of the day came through. Watching bombs explode while surfers were in position waiting for the countdown was a massive tease.

Felipeavancine, 1722384671

exactly, they should have all heats to watch at 9

Roadkill, 1722384710

Imagine being the photoG that takes this…and the image is owned by the Olympics org.

I think that is how it works? Can any advise who does own this image?

Felipeavancine, 1722384796

on his toes (both feet) on that photo after the pump. what a phenomenal physical balance an mind control in a very heavy situation, so late...

Roadkill, 1722385439

Great write up, I haven’t seen any waves from the day as every link I click on is banned from playing in my current location. The write up on JJF’s heat was so clear and explained it perfectly….as was the rest of the days action.
Ps…I was kinda looking forward to reading FR about Robo’s near death experience which has had a bit of coverage here but no real surfer understandable explanation.

Roadkill, 1722385618

I still love FT. Even if he is scared. Everyone has limitations and everyone knows what FT’s is. Would suck to be in that position as a world elite sportsman.

zenagain, 1722386425

Me too, really. I would love to see Fil overcome this. If he could you'd be hard pressed to find a more 'complete' surfer. I love watching him surf. But, Free very succinctly summarised it above.

What was that saying in the old Billabong vid- 'if you wanna dance, you gotta pay the band'. Fil got free entry and a backstage pass.

fitzroy-21, 1722386436

"He would have gained a huge amount of respect from them and the world surfing community if he had put his hand up and owned up that he’s currently not up to the task ."

100%.

And as someone above pointed out, the day before he claimed like a madman in small conditions (to Chopes standard).

Dukowski, 1722386943

Dribbling can easily be fixed. Shut ya mouth for a minute

shoredump, 1722386975

The biggest irony is Fil has made his decisions to avoid pain

Dukowski, 1722387187

Critical commentary is now viewed as “Bullying”

Juliang, 1722387447

Go back to Russia , that was yesterday!

Dukowski, 1722387784

Took a year off Tour.
Financially rewarded for performing but Toledo hasn’t tried to improve his glaring weaknesses.
Professional only when comfortable.

FrazP, 1722387898

Great day of surfing. Did anyone else think EE's mid 8 against Connors 8 was a bit funky? Didn't make a difference in the end but Connor's wave was a beast and I thought a good point or two better.

Shame the wind come up - although I did fear for some of the ladies about to go out. Very few people on this planet have the skill to take that on, and it is extremely dangerous even for them.

freeride76, 1722388378

I actually though Connor's opening 3 was pretty harshly scored.

saltman, 1722388637

Agree I didn't think there was a huge gap between Connor and EE's first waves

BarbB, 1722389070

I'm catching up today watching Ramzi vs Joao. What a heat. They are having the time of their life.

freeride76, 1722389115

This was a really nice exploration about failing on the big stage.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-31/olympics-biden-politics-shows-risk-of-failure-in-politics/104159748

hamishbro, 1722389242

Hey I reckon Felipe should feel comfortable to say I value my life and my health more than surfing insanely dangerous waves so I’m happy not to compete at these locations.

The problem is that may also rule him out from being a world champion (arguably something should be in the rules about mandatory attendance at key events like this) and that would be career and reputational suicide.

peabo, 1722389299

I liked EEs first better, but it was more like 5.5 vs 4.5.... not 3.

BarbB, 1722389405

[img]https://i.imgur.com/CRgJLTj.jpeg[/img]

only-sams, 1722390966

Connors opening 3 had to go down as one of the gnarliest 3 point rides in history

Standingleft, 1722391195

The Olympic Day of Days
Disappointing cut through. I didn't see it on any mainstream news?
The 10 best waves would make one of the greatest highlight reels, nowhere to be seen?

BarbB, 1722394050

no BS cobber. The clips are below. Pip was told to get off the ski just before the ski washed up on the dry reef. Pip then waved for the other ski that collected him.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/wYDwIlo.png[/img]

BarbB, 1722394449

bizarre score

goofyfoot, 1722394660

Incredible wave, he's a freak

BarbB, 1722394686

i just watched the Joao vs Ramzi heat. So many waves surfed. I thought Ramzi's highest score was 0.7 points better than Joao's corresponding wave but then i think the judges evened it up with Joao's final 8.8, which appeared underscored. All time heat.

Supafreak, 1722396074

Just skimmed through Nick Carrols surfline article on the first 3 days . Very interesting comparison from Steve’s articles . Seems the commentators at the event weren’t the only ones gagged .

freeride76, 1722396240

I read his latest.

Pretty shocked actually, to see him not even mention Toledo's capitulation at Olympic level.

Imagine any other Olympic sport where the current World Champ was so non-competitive against a complete unknown on a day of days.

Would think even the most incurious journalist would want to know why, how etc etc.

seal, 1722396647

Probably the best 3 I’ve ever seen !
Full standup barrel on a pretty heavy wave and only a 3 ??
His 8 was also a really hard wave to ride and deep, so could’ve gone higher also.
I’m glad EE won but there shouldn’t have been that much difference in the scores

Couple a few, 1722396934

Surf forecast? When is likely to be on?

Solitude, 1722398930

Maybe Thursday, more likely friday I think

https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-analysis/2024/07/30/forecast-2024-paris-olympics

amb, 1722400327

So what happened to Pickles?

Supafreak, 1722401275

Just as important would be to find out why the reluctance to report / commentate honestly on what unfolded before everyone’s eyes. Talk about an elephant in the room .

Garryh, 1722402003

Gunna make the call....there will never ever again be an Olympic surfing heat that's better than what we saw on this day (Ramzi vs Joao) . Ever. Full stop. Case closed. That was and forever will be the peak Olympic heat of all time.

Nate1212, 1722402151

Yes that’s probably the only negative of the coverage for me. I loved having commentary audio only. I hope WSL takes note and gets rid of their big studio setup. I only want to see the surfers and the waves in screen. Hopefully it leads to some improvements and reimagining of how to do things.

Nate1212, 1722402247

Sorry double up and haven’t figured out how to delete it yet

truebluebasher, 1722403403

See jocks clinging to rails strapped up tight to Merbau Decking Boards life-lined to escape shuttles!
None of these Olympians are athletic enough or game enough to manhandle a Teahupoo beastie.

tbb will back his 5 year dry docked morbidly obese senile senior bashed up body to steal their gold.
Piece of piss...that's how fucked up this buy me a pony circus is...only see a sea of pretend blowhards.
None could surf to save their own life...No Athletes on show...a war cabinet of moulded Toy Soldiers
Dead from the Waist Down strapped to decking boards in Showcase Arena... Crowd ask : 'Paralympics?'

General public would equally label any / all these woke Olympians as cry baby Divas.
No athletes on show can manhandle the smallest Teahupoo waves of consequence...

True Olympians are Majestic Ocean Serpents surfjustsurf...not yo-yoing ebay ai shop cart clientele!

Barton : But they're Artists I tells ya & the wave is their Canvas...(OMG!)
Yeah! Well how many artists sculpt wave faces with their feet strapped and cemented to 6ft palettes
Then kick flip Bunnings Planks inside Mother Nature's womb...Ouch! Stop that!...
'Where's my medal...for wot the fuck ever laziest unsportsmanlike $50m display that ever was!'

tbb's sport of brutally honest bashing equally flips to reward an artist's touch! Huh! Where's that tbb!

tbb will Tag Team an equally brutally honest prog-caster Chris Cote.
Chris calls out shit as he sees it...squishes nuggets for dullards to trip over...still goes over their heads!

Biggest arena and Chris ignores the Majesty to drop beautifully honest progressive calls of the ages!
Goes over everyone's heads as it's meant to...but tbb is on message & salutes his brutal honesty.
Within 5 minutes Chris made 2 defining ideal Teahupoo calls.

1. Called an obvious low scoring wave as not enough to knock Jack from an honest heat win & R3 spot.
All now know IOC Delayed a well overcooked score to have French secure a podium finish!
Chris never had to stick his head on the chopping block...but feels the heat & stokes it...lets rock!

2. "Hands free Backhand tube riding is one of surfing's most difficult maneuvers!" (Brutally Epic Call!)
Chris articulates dead from the waist down cave dwellers morphing into reluctant sea serpents.

He is charting the coming down from the tree people morphing into real life artzy sea serpents.
Where as Barton ain't got the smarts to call out the Boot polish Palette > Brush stroke revolution.

Like Pinocchio morphing into an Arm waving Surflete being slightly more worthy of an Olympic medal.
tbb is obsessed & enthralled by priority high pressure high speed raw hand surfing.
The Decking Board is now relegated as a stage prop for artist's signature surfing...fuckin' drooling
No longer ONEOFUS decking boredz...now morphing as new rare breed sea serpents of consequence!
Shh! Judges know shit about new dominating frontline risky no holds barred surf technique.
Not one word about it...Taboo it is...Fuckin' luv this wave of Anarchy...stick it to the man...My way!

Just saying...tbb is equally stoked by Boardrider's new wave of Artistic Endeavour...
Come Alive they have...and tbb is more than stoked to Salute this up close & personal surfing .
Let it Rip..make shit up & make love to the wave without the Gum boots! Just do it crew! Drool!

So yeah...tbb sees cowardice but equally within all Teahupoo ebay ai Olympians refusing to surf.
But tbb has one eye on IOC rorts +Toy Story pool toys morphing into sea serpents...that's cool!
Hard to criticize any boardrider morphing dead from the waist down into fuck'd up artistic sea serpents.
tbb is openly rewarding a new wave army shaking off them Moulded Factory Slave hand models.
Still proper to Salute yer VIP Slave Empire when ya Claim...of Course it's their medal also! (Cough!)

Go for it > Just do it > Whatever Floats yer Boat...that's the kinda boardriding that fires up tbb.
Love the new waving Board riders...starting to feel the ride come alive! Yer keeping tbb engaged!
Fuck the Jock numbers...dream up yer own ever morphing unfathomobile Sea Serpent!
Show us the surfer ya never thought possible...go off the rails unleash the beast...set yerself free!
Be anything ya wanna be all at once & never the same to celebrate each 'n'every wave as WOTD!

Sprout, 1722403826

Surely he can't show face now. He'd be so easy to mindfuck.
Flip with priority at 2ft burger Trestles, "You want me to take this one mate? Bit out of your league isn't?", and that's polite. Imagine him copping sledges at an Aussie cricket level, he'd off himself.

Juliang, 1722405911

You’ve lost the script again?

Joshy2000, 1722406099

Surfline and WSL are in cahoots

wally, 1722408243

I think the way forward for Filipe is to win another world title. He can pick up points at Pipe and Chopes if it is not bombing. He can win at most of the other venues. I don’t think Cloudbreak would hold the same fears. People don’t seem to hit the reef there and the wave is more like a big point wave than a slab.

I don’t think he cops the same flak from his other competitors as he does from the commentariat. His work colleagues and rivals primarily know him as a top bloke and a brilliant surfer.

freeride76, 1722408840

Maybe.
Thats the status quo option.
Carry on, pretend it's not an issue and hope you can win enough heats in between heavy days to win another Title.

Doesn't seem to be working for him though.

The status quo option this year led to a failure at Pipe, a withdrawal from the Tour after a massive public reaction citing mental health and a pledge to come back ready for the Olympics.
That failed too.

So, he keeps doing what is so clearly causing him immense distress and hope the cause of the distress (heavy surf) doesn't show up at his work site?
And on the days it does?

He doesn't seem to have a thick enough skin for that.

Mal Caithness1, 1722409708

Agreed.

Jono, 1722412198

And amazingly, if he didn't fall off on one of his mediocre waves on Monday, then he would've been a good chance for an Olympic medal (if the rest of the comp now gets run in small or medium size waves).

bbbird, 1722418867

Gold medal waves for the 2024 Olympics in Tahiti and those brave surfers; power & the passion wins.
Mens R3 Highlights below
https://www.9now.com.au/surfing-olympic-games-paris-2024/2024/episode-12
Medina magic
https://www.9now.com.au/surfing-olympic-games-paris-2024/2024/clip-clz8g0s7n00150ho1jr6bddjz
closeouts & wipeouts
https://www.9now.com.au/surfing-olympic-games-paris-2024/2024/clip-clz7nplxr00100go805hf3wq6
Will the women go tomorrow, doubt it?
Hope Molly gets to free surf with the locals

dawnperiscope, 1722419553

Put a soundtrack to the 30minute highlight reel on Stan and youd have one of the best surf movies ever. That was ridiculous!

Komodo, 1722420338

Wow!
Just got home from work
More heavy comments above!
What say you FR,
Should we feed Felipe to the lions,
Or maybe a week in the stocks,
Rotten vegetables hurled at him!
Shame on him for being human!
Cheers!

Juliang, 1722421504

We stopped mentioning him yesterday!

some_guy, 1722421574

I enjoyed seeing a couple of different video angles from Olympics camera crew. Chopes footage always seems to be from the tower or the channel.

Juliang, 1722422176

No comment

bbbird, 1722422248

Historically, there is a strong evidence for natural selection in ecological terms, based on human experience, intuition, logic and intellegence using the precautionary principal; creating famous fables, proverbs & prophecies. Well documented for at least 2024 years.
This human attitiude has & is now often distorted by fast bucks/money, ego/fame & the 'selfish genes' desire to reproduce offspring.
eg. Global warming was forecast in 1970's by Exon / Caltex scientists. Buisiness as usual (cheap fossil fuel, fashion & profits ) has provailed for almost 50 years..
until it has now become expensive... or unfashionable or both.

Marine scientist now warn on another threat from mining; deep sea, uranium, tar sands, etc....whitewashed by many, except those with intellect and considered advice by those employed by major world leading businesses...with a long term earth survival plan.....eg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iixZ6UptVNo&t=1s
May Philipe Toledo & everyone else live long and prosper ...? its up to us all.

goofyfoot, 1722422712

Me too. They nailed it.

goofyfoot, 1722422783

Anyone know how big Medinas board was? Looks like 6’6 or 6’8 to me

More tubes please, 1722423100

Stab reported that Filipe put in ‘a noble effort’.

I think the Mainstream surf media are well aware of how thin his skin is and don’t want to have access restricted in the future for interviews, novelty photoshoots etc.

The comments are pretty much on point though and tin he wrap up on Ain’t that swell, both Jed and Vaughn absolutely rinse poor Fil.

lostdoggy, 1722423249

Gabe is 5'11 so maybe 6'1 based on the viral pic below?

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-Bcn13yP_T/?img_index=1

udo, 1722423293

https://youtu.be/EbO67arEmkI?si=kuQmeJuvA0v9y1C9

goofyfoot, 1722423567

Looks bigger than that in the second pic, lots of board either end of him.

oldandy, 1722423688

why are the Brazilans allowed to have three male surfers and three female surfers and all other countries only 2 max

lostdoggy, 1722423788

Illusion I reckon.
These two boards on that day don't look that big to me.

[img]https://isasurf-events.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/PARIS2024/photos/competition_day_3/BRA_ath_Gabriel_Medina_ath_ph_Pablo_Franco_ph_9291.jpg?X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASCNZQ7XZDTBBLXHC%2F20240731%2Fus-east-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240731T105102Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=60000&X-Amz-Signature=1da3c0d619c8837629207f80df74039b8755367ae1b5545890e9aa082ae904fb[/img]

Sheep go to heaven, 1722423823

There no doubt that 7.17 of Jacks was underscored , Critically late drop , bottom turn under the guillotine lip and then fading up the face to exit the barrel a la Slater in the epic heat with JJ a few years ago . If that wasn't in the excellent range at minimum then I'll go hee .
To say it was less than a point better than JJs best wave in that heat is just poor judging .

And Pip ..... why didn't he just stay home and look after the billy lids .

udo, 1722424345

6'0 thru to 6'6" according to Warchild comment
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6a4cwsi2YY/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C92Q8yuiO3o/

Zonaras, 1722424547

Great write up as usual with a factual comment........well said.

bbbird, 1722425150

White noize?

basesix, 1722427203

you ever tempted to come down to the forums, bbbird?

truebluebasher, 1722427291

Just saying Olympic athletes should be able to back themselves in/out of any line up without assist.
Without risking another's life...tbb will back himself to comfortably do just that.
Also score a higher combo than $50m Olympians without a dollar or a board...
Reckon 5 year drydocked tbb or any basher would manhandle 2x [5]s in 30min empty lineup...no assist!
They do it at Pipe...why not here...that's the simple truth of it!

2024 Olympic judges rate Olympians with $50m assist as well less than average [9.4] combos.
Only need a pair of [2]'s to win 3 heats & yer wheelin' & dealin' a medal.
Nothing to do with what tbb thinks...that's the sad reality of Surfing's finest hour.
All wanted their Dream Comp but now Fernando would be praying that none are watching.

Imagine explaining away athletes in arena with a truck load of shit still can't pull an average score.
Pull the plug on it...turn off the lights > Demand their money back...
Exactly what we got now...a $50m no show...again...tbb never ordered that...that's reality!

tbb views the sub par comp in best light & seeks progression and happily shared & rewards such!
Darn sight more positive than Olympic Judges, who rank Comp as shit! Take it up with the Judges!
Or are the Olympic Judges off script as usual...most likely wot it is...
Trying hard to salvage something from nothin' but a Wipeout Bloopers Reel!

bbbird, 1722427641

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGc1Z-BxKXY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iixZ6UptVNo&t=1s
eg. a historical lands called 'Pwnt, or Poont'; mythologically known hip society also known as the 'giant golden serpent", with Incredible wealth & global trade 6000 bc....near Adulis, has diasappeared from most historic records. Palm trees and gold...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv0myuOFIeY
Give peace a chance... says John Lennon.
Get a grip on intuition, science facts or go for it blind f'wits...if you desire fast bucks & dare risk the children of the future.

basesix, 1722427925

the forums would love a bbbenthos thread..
(miners disturbing million year old oxygen batteries would go off)

oldandy, 1722428375

how cme Brazil has 3 male surfers and 3 female surfers and all other countries have max of 2

bbbird, 1722428499

benthic is as low as I go...without support from above.
My guestimate is Medina's board maybe working for him; dim's approx... 6'6 x 19" x 2.5".... if that means anything, to anyone, atm.... on 30/7/2024

MonoDesign, 1722428553

Can also pay $15 and get Stan Olympics channel. Full replays not just a Aussie highlight reel

MonoDesign, 1722428629

It’s $15 for the month. Cheaper than 3 blocks of wax

MonoDesign, 1722428633

It’s $15 for the month. Cheaper than 3 blocks of wax

bbbird, 1722429013

Have you been dropped in at Ulus' in Bali in the last 20 years...

BarbB, 1722429408

they won extra places by winning the ISA Games or similar

BarbB, 1722429493

please spare us from this garbage. thanks

bbbird, 1722429763

most dont give a f***

bbbird, 1722430649

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obrL96_a2Rk
consistantly great maneuvers in comp's that most can't do ...or they would win.

Juliang, 1722431593

TBH ,he’s still surfing good, definitely could have won it if it didn’t pick up, his biggest problem is he doesn’t like big waves.

bbbird, 1722432776

Chapter 1
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--"
Ch3
"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other."

references Charles Dickens, Tale of Two cities, 1859.
Chapter 1 & 3
https://www.dickens-online.info/a-tale-of-two-cities.html

Juliang, 1722435462

I went somewhere , somewhere else, where there wasn’t any one else to drop in on you ?

Lanky Dean, 1722453602

Wow what an entertaining thread.
I watched the replay,
chopes looked savage
Not as thick as usual, yet more of a peak style wave.
Savage
Gabby wave, could be the wave of that man's life can't believe they didn't hive him a ten .

Juliang, 1722457888

O’Leary Connor switched countries for the opportunity to win a gold medal, so why aren’t we piling on him for being a traitor. So why should’ve Felipe given up his opportunity to win a gold medal, when he had every chance of winning one if the swell hadn’t picked up? Horses for courses.

truebluebasher, 1722463123

Apparently the World's biggest Drama is how to Fit Gabz #1 Toy Soldier Claim on to a T
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VISXAPhXP6c
https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/unbelievable-olympic-surfing-image-of-gabriel-medina-goes-viral/news-story/5ee6cd2e39ff79f88f4da2fb9c41fb0e
Q : Who's gunna cut The Chord ...need about 2ft Leggie reduction. Oh the Humanity
Protester : [Please don't bugger up a perfectly good leggie]

Q : Will the Photographer sell out for an Uptight T...or is it a Wrap for a Fathers Day Mug Shot!

Best Meme Claims : ...[Surf Taxi] [I'm with Stupid]

Gabz fav version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HCTIHISVjM

Juliang, 1722465746

Surfing is inherently a selfish ‘sport’.Try surfing Snapper when it’s good, so why not toss the coin that the swells going to be smaller, when Felipe would have been up to the task . Obviously didn’t work out that way , but that’s the problem with the ‘sport’ of surfing. I think most Olympians would be pursuing gold primarily for personal fame and fortune, ahead of national pride.

AlfredWallace, 1722466110

Go back to kindergarten, you’re the only woke knob.

Advice, make sure your ‘brain is engaged before putting mouth into gear’.

Might help you in the future. AW

sseven, 1722466926

Came here to ask the same question. Can't find the answer anywhere.

Juliang, 1722467701

Go do another anger management course AW

Jono, 1722468484

Nothing similar at all. It seems like you just enjoy arguing on the internet. Having dual passport/citizenship and competing for another country is very common practice:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sportspeople_who_competed_for_more_than_one_nation

Nate1212, 1722469532

The women and men both won an extra place by being the top male and female team at the 2024 ISA games. Massive effort from all of them to pull it off. Japan men’s and US women won the extra team places at either ISA 2023 or 2022 games.

Juliang, 1722471881

Very ironic, your the one who sent me an email , wanting to argue?

Jono, 1722472806

Yep, here we go. Although I'm confused why assisting you to login is very ironic.

AlfredWallace, 1722475393

I think AI has crept into this forum topic.

@Juliang, @Thanos S, @Adrian123 all the same entity,, sharing a third of a brain each.
Go back and read what you’ve posted. Make sense ?

How does it sound to you ? AW

Juliang, 1722476192

???????????

wetgecko, 1722478187

Bizarre score ! It looked double that from the channel. Don't remember seeing a front angle for the depth !

geek, 1722479913

Mikey Ciaramella was basically praising Fil’s effort on the latest stab podcast (even after fil snubbed him for a post heat interview). So weird

simesy, 1722479924

Wow. What a great article. Thanks for the recommendation. Speaks to the very theme's you seem to pointing at re Felipe - Garside's transparency about his feelings in the context of his (lower than he expected) performance help him chart a course through, and engender empathy, respect, and admiration. Beautiful.

truebluebasher, 1722481764

Salute AW...tbb will wait it out with you!
Well...tbb or any crew ain't ever likely to comment...
"You lost the script again ? or How does it sound to you ?
e harmony Commissioner..."You gotta problem with my pick up lines!"
Yes! We do actually!

tbb was brutally honest & expects the same sportsmanship..
What slap tbb got was a little too bland & blunt!
"You lost the script again?"... Like What's with the ? Just give it a bash & say so!
tbb is open about his mental illness & the crew are cool with that.
Often thank crew and again now for never questioning any Mental disability...All say Aye!
Please play fair and don't pretend to kick tbb or other crew!
Say wot ya wanna say...just keep it to that!

As a swellnet mental health sufferer & supporter tbb is obliged to offer Lifeline [13 11 14]
Again...It's a frontline swellnet health initiative that the crew support & recommend.
tell' em tbb recommended you guys.

Yes! AW we do get ai bots during peak events...
After all that Comment booth drama we gotta expect further infiltration during ideal silly season!
On past occasion tbb has reported one maybe two to the boss if it's constantly suss!
Strange how AW mentions Thanos S...reckon that's a do over...well spotted!
Pretty sure we've had that one before...

AW ain't gone off script...thanx for teaming up and sniffing out these many open ended IOC rorts...
tbb is proud to award fellow swellnetonian AW the Gold Medal for vigilant cyber super powers
How does that sound to you? AW

Like AW is free to return his Gold medal...it's not mandatory!

tbb will gladly tag team AW to flush out the bots...surf hard open and honest to out any pretenders!
Will even back up AW & take the wrap & post Forward Apologies on behalf of AW...
Coz tbb feels the same way! Don't muck with our crew!

Please return comment to tbb on behalf of our ideal crew...but only if you want to...Ok?
"Are you talkin' to yerself again tbb...soon find out won't we!"
Come Out and Play!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jOk8dk-qaU

zenagain, 1722482950

TBB, a wise man said to me once 'be a rock and let the waves crash over you'.

Don't sweat it TB- wankers are gonna wank. You're all good.

truebluebasher, 1722486149

Cheers zenagain & Stu & AW & crew...this exploitation of polarizing events is now the new norm.
No harm in any of the crew touching base, taking stock & backin' up...thanks for the advice.
Yes! Exactly...don't give in to the mania & Just chill > should all blow over soon enough!
Wise words indeed zenagain ....
Thanks for the ideal zhooshing of the swellnet couch cushions...kinda feels dreamier it does!
It's Ok to jump up'n'down a bit...Oopsie! Pass the vibes on and take it easy...just flow!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnzuPsvqmdE

Standingleft, 1722489428

"Wankers gonna wank"
Zenagain classic.

basesix, 1722490378

^ farknell, haha, 'wankers gonna wank'.. @zen gets it @tbb. whatever its name is is just scattergunning.. and missing.. I feel quite sorry for bozos that stand in the middle of a room and expect an audience to their good, bad and ugly entitled bullshit. we all see SN crew always having your back tbb, they just ain't online at the moment.

remember lickwid misreading your ndis & chix wave therapy posts, may 7th last year? a dozen supportive messages.. and what a stand-up guy lickwid ended up being, owning his misread, and acknowledging having hurt someone's feelings? we'll just see if this unit has comparable character and line up respect.

dylred, 1722494566

It has to be frustrating to be a surf journalist, forever beholden to interests within the surf community. In my view this has long been a significant barrier to great journalism in the sector.

Carroll is a great surf writer, but he could have been greater if he was able to write more candidly.

I appreciate that your work is not anchored in the same way freeride, thanks for all the great articles.

Juliang, 1722494649

Yes sorry my mistake, didn’t realise you had issues, or I wouldn’t have said something so unthinking, insensitive, hurtful . But at least I replied , even if it was out of line, which no one else ever does. I’ve actually had issues myself , but got over them .That’s why I wouldn’t have said that . Us bots aren’t perfect you know

KARIO, 1722498037

" not sure what else you have to do on a paddle in at Chopes? "

maybe not claim it ?

basesix, 1722499175

hahaha, god this response made me laugh.. on you Lanky.

Island Bay, 1722500211

Holy heck, I only watched this now. Anat would have won against Fil!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9z-zhMx1y5/

etarip, 1722500658

I hope he can come through this and out the other side. Incredible surfer, if not the complete package. He knows that deep down. Taking the Olympic spot was a gamble. Conditions called the bluff.

AlfredWallace, 1722501172

Juliang.

Hi.

Well done , at least you didn’t bury your head in the sand.

Taking ownership of your actions highlights your steel and mettle in the long run. The mind can be corrosive, to yourself and others,

We all fuck up at various times, me included. All the best. AW

AlfredWallace, 1722501452

TBB.

Hi mate. I hope you’re well.

You’ve flattered me, thank you for your kind words, yours are always kind.

You are kind hearted and thoughtful all the time, such a gift.

Nobody works harder than you on Swellnet

Take care of yourself.

I/we, have always got your back. AW

views from the cockpit, 1722501795

I suggest introducing into the vernacular "doing a Filipe" or "doing a Toledo" in the same way we have "doing a Bradbury"
I saw that Winter Olympics comp live watching Steve and LMAO when it all went down.

Could be used to tell others when the waves are getting out of ones comfort zone- "I'm doing a Filipe!"
and either not paddling out or sitting wide out the back not going for any waves...

AlfredWallace, 1722502405

@goofyfoot, @lostdoggy

Hi to you both.

I’m calling complete bullshit on that Medina photo.

How is it that he’s standing on a horizontal cloud, and there’s no other cloud like it within the vicinity of that snap, his right leg is cocked at the knee, it would not be if he was descending under sheer gravity.

Obviously some kind of promotion to flog boards or t-shirts.

Just my opinion, could be completely wrong. AW

Juliang, 1722502571

Agree

goofyfoot, 1722503019

A bit of AI (not the late great Andy Irons) you reckon AW?

On the replay you can watch him doing it.
He’s a master.

Greebs, 1722503673

Me too! Definitely a surreal experience working through that lot. Good stuff!

AlfredWallace, 1722504293

Goofyfoot. Where can I watch it ?

Have you been getting a wave ?

Plenty of size and good winds over your side of late. All the best. AW

goofyfoot, 1722504532

Hey mate I’ve been watching the replays on Stan Sport. I was already subscribed to Stan so just a bit extra to get the sport coverage.
Takes a bit of looking to find the surfing.

Not many waves, work’s pretty nuts at the moment and had a few other things going on so definitely getting pretty irritable and need to get in the water asap.

You?

AlfredWallace, 1722505443

Gf. I have been fortunate, I managed to surf 5 out of that seven day spell last week.

It was very nice, last Saturday surprised us all, 4ft swell slightly bigger than forecast, light wind fell away early to not even a puff.
Not too many where I surfed, rode my new Arakawa 6’6” twinny rounded pin, had a blast, 4 hour session. Life’s good. Been doing a few small landscape jobs, there is work everywhere, if you want it. All the best. AW

truebluebasher, 1722510269

Not sure where to slot this...about here maybe...
Thanks so much Juliang ...tbb owes you an apology on behalf of the crew just as promised.
Not saying tbb or we had to do wot we did...can't defend that either...it's just in our nature.
Just that Hodad tbb has clocked up a few hours & feels obliged to assist when things run awry.
Mostly coz only tbb perhaps AW would know if anything was...'awry'...feel the wrath!
It may help if tbb shares Elder is central by name & therefore central to being! Born that way!
If tbb puts both sides of case forward...that's by default!

Coz we operate as a frontline mental health unit today & every day...so it's least about tbb's issues!
If you must know...you replied to a perfect bout of tbb's bipolar...
Crew can read both extremes in that Comment...hope that explains why it provoked your response.
Sure...crew are kind & give tbb enough rope no matter what level of disability...
tbb salutes your prompt & kind reply & honesty + crew wish you & your family good health!

It's who we are...can see how we support one another & that ain't ever gonna change, nor should it.
Exactly why tbb posted [lifeline] support just in case others are in need of the same.
Yes! You bet tbb and all thanks the crew often for their frontline support.
Being honest...they've saved my life...many of times over & happy to openly share such!
Several times Govt cut tbb's services without notice resulting in emergency Lifeline assist.
Here's how #1swellnet Frontline Mental Health Volunteers operate...we all pitch in to save a life.
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2023/08/17/swellnet-lifeline-classic-and-board-sale-2023

Welcome to the crew...your baptism of fire is shared by many...that ain't gonna change either.
tbb and all recall similar welcome here or other lineups...we all still cop a sidewinder.
Yes told often enough to sort this & settle that by many crew without much drama.

Ya free to speak yer mind with crew in mind.
Here's the one golden rule that all abide by & may be pulled up on...this is the line...
...................................................................................................................................................................................
*Use common sense. Have Respect...No personal attacks against other users.
Make yer point without making things personal or insulting other people...
....................................................................................................................................................................................
Crew will vouch to self policing one another as demonstrated here & now.
Also...please never post confronting insults / swearing that provoke hate on the dashboard.
In other words never post those quips up front on the Forum Dashboard...

That comes with a warning to boot!
Relax! We all stuff up & generalize & it's tolerated if individuals shirt front as sport.
But if ya don't want that...just say so...AW & tbb just said so...that's your bad timing!
Ok! See now it's not personal...just 2nd nature to check on each other.
Peace & goodwill to all & speedy recovery to others that need support.

basesix, 1722511758

good man, J-lang : )
trial by fire, and a total win. (tbb's a gem).
anyone getting up at 3am?
what's the go?

Juliang, 1722511948

Yes thanks for your reply tbb , just glad it wasn’t a negative one, sorry if I caused you an issue but it wasn’t deliberate. I’ve known a few guys with your problem and know it’s not an easy road. I definitely know I do overreact to criticism , but sometimes I feel I need to push back on it or will end up with issues again. All the best with everything. Juliang

Juliang, 1722512357

Yeah I probably should have been surfing the last few days, instead of becoming comment obsessed, but I’m allergic to sweeps, all the work takes the enjoyment out of it for me.

basesix, 1722512820

I'm currently in a painful stupor. Had the longest surf-cos-it's-fun sessions today (not surf-cos-I'm-forcing-myself) that I've had this winter. Makes all the difference : )
Dinner and a coupla reds and I'm wiped. ..and to all, a good night.

bbbird, 1722513305

These epic stories, trials and tribulations contribute to varied discussions & responses to critical moments of surfing in the Olympics. They can be an epithany, rationalisation, emotional ride, cathartic release, didactic solace, often humorous & momentarily tragic like any heavy wipeout......most seasoned surfers have experienced.
thank you Steve for your concise expression of considered thoughts, Swellnet for hosting these great stories, contributors and praise to all these Olympic surfers alike.

AI may have a lot to learn about humanity.... or,,,,, will just feed us plebs in the future what want we want to hear, 'ombuk bugus,,,.critically endangered oranges . tange.".. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvoxU0jYoYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgOtibdXi84

udo, 1722542947

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-02/paris-olympics-surfing-judge-ben-lowe-sent-home/104173514

Supafreak, 1722544765

Ozzie judge gets the flick because of photo on social media and meanwhile this is allowed in women’s boxing. Fucking opening ceremony crap now this shit . https://www.instagram.com/p/C-Ibp_0t5qN/?igsh=MTNpMGM0enFpeWNzYw==

Kevchecksurf, 1722552265

nice to hear a fair comment on Toledo.
it's a bit much to constantly read such negative bs about a guy who is obviously the most talented surfer in the world in smaller waves (which do require a lot of skill to surf)
he's won all his events and titles fairly. yes he's not as good in big barrels as most of the rest of the field, but so what?
he still deserves respect as surfer, and if he were Australian we would all be wearing t shirts with his face on them regardless of the conditions he won in.

Jono, 1722553196

AW here's a short clip of the wave:
https://x.com/rhuaan17/status/1818288170980503772

Supafreak, 1722553357

I disagree, do you remember Damien Hardman ? He copped a lot of flak from the public and journalists. He was never comfortable at big pipe or sunset . The most people I have personally heard bag Toledo are his fellow countrymen . I think everyone agrees he’s one of the best in 1-8ft waves during competition.

zenagain, 1722554287

Could you imagine how Dooma would have copped it if social media existed back then in less PC times.

peabo, 1722561371

So many transphobes jumping on this story like flies on shit without reading past the headlines....

Supafreak, 1722561606

I’m willing to be educated .

peabo, 1722562166

Well firstly, what exactly do you have a problem with?

Do you think this is a man pretending to be a woman? Or someone who has taken something to become stronger? Or is it just really hard to believe a female boxer might not look particularly feminine and be able to throw hard punches?

Supafreak, 1722563069

Do you believe this person was born a woman ? Plenty of articles on this controversy. I just don’t find all things are equal around this issue and believe transgender should have their own division .

peabo, 1722564222

Firstly, by all accounts she was born and raised as a woman. From her wiki page:

"Khelif grew up in a rural village.[2] Her father did not approve of boxing for girls and prevented her from practicing sport.[2]"

"Khelif is not transgender.[11] In Algeria, the country that Khelif represents, transgender identity is prohibited, changing gender or sex on identity documents is not permitted, nor are medical or hormonal treatments allowed to transition to another sex."

She has been competing as a woman for a long time and has been beaten by other woman many times before. She is not some unbeatable testosterone fueled behemoth.

The IBA refuse to disclose what the actual test was that she failed. "The IBA issued a statement Wednesday in which it said both boxers did not have a 'testosterone examination' last year but were 'subject to a separate and recognized test' for their disqualification. The IBA said the test's "specifics remain confidential" and refused to explain it."

Also, the IBA president is a bigoted friend of Putin who is under sanctions as a member of the Russian mafia. Make of that what you will, but they don't really seem above board as an organisation from what i'm reading.

Seems to me like the Italian woman took 1 good punch to the face and called it and now the transphobes of the world are stirring up controversy because this woman has a masculine look about her. “I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough,’ because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I couldn’t finish the match,” Carini said.

I agree that the issue of transgender people in sport is a complex one. But if she was born a woman and any differences between her and other competitors are naturally occurring, then I don't see what the problem is. And if you can't prove either of these things aren't true, then it's probably best to not to join the pile on with all the other reactive bigots of the world.

Supafreak, 1722565317

Thanks for the education , I did read the articles stating that Kehelif wasn’t transgender , none of the articles mention her birth certificate just that Kehelif is not transgender was born a woman and is a woman on her passport , wouldn’t a copy of Kehelif’s birth certificate clear up everything ? Strange that Kehelif was banned from the last world championships , different rules for different bodies. It just doesn’t all make sense but what does lately ?

peabo, 1722567425

At the end of the day, I could be wrong. But that was what I was able to find out by searching around a bit.

I think if she is in fact transgender, then she has managed to trick both the strictly anti-trans Algerian governing body and the IOC into allowing her to compete..... which seems unlikely.

AlfredWallace, 1722573340

Jono. Hi mate. You’re a champ.

How’s things ?

Thanks for finding that, I’m a bit of an IT dinosaur. All the best. AW

AlfredWallace, 1722574624

@Basesix, @GuySmiley. Hi guys.

Well, the Olympics are up and running.

Coincidentally or deliberately, unbeknownst to all of us, there was a bit of ‘in house’ Swellnet Olympic action happening right under our very own noses.
Yep, it is true.

I have it on good authority, that there were two of Swellnet’s finest competitors participating in ‘Synchronised Surfing’ yesterday at two different coastal locations at exactly the same Eastern Standard Time .

Yes, GuySmiley was ripping it up on the Mornington Peninsula at around exactly the same time, Basesix was gliding through the brine on a stupendous wave on the Limestone Coast, SA.

The MP and Port Macdonnell town folk reported an ‘endorphin slick’ longer than any oil trail left behind a school of Southern Bluefin Tuna.

The dual winners were toasted with carafes of red wine until their salty eyes gave way to darkness. AW

basesix, 1722577309

haha, yep AW, sleep of the dead last night clutching my little Obelisk trophy. The awards ceremony at the Black Swan was a convivial affair. From the fireside I gave a cheery wink to the sad old black dog tied up outside: 'see you next winter, mate'.

Spoke to @Guy, we agreed, time to crack out the paints.

Juliang, 1722578575

Cool, only got to Port Macdonnell once, and it was blanketed in a sea fog . Couldn’t see the waves or the view or anything. Didn’t hang around as I was on a sickie from work in Northern Victoria. Did the full coastal loops from Melbourne to Adelaide and back to Northern Victoria. Pity heard there’s good waves there, looks like it would be a nice remote place.Had more luck West of Adelaide though.

truebluebasher, 1722582429

WOTD ~~~~^~~~~/\~~~~/(~~~~/(`~~~~/C........./(C`[ Juliang )

Juliang, 1722582699

Curious,.,don’t really get it , thanks anyway

southernraw, 1722598699

You're a gem TBB. Said it before and i'll keep saying it.
One of a kind gem and Swellnet and the planet at large would be much poorer without you.
Keep shining legend. Always froth on your posts. A very good egg.

mikehunt207, 1722603696

Figured your were brazzo living in aus by you comments
Growing up here is different of being a new Australian hoolio

Juliang, 1722604280

Figured wrong, grew up surfing Kirra when it was good, don’t worry that’s all been resolved now and we’re on to day 4

Juliang, 1722604282

Figured wrong, grew up surfing Kirra when it was good, don’t worry that’s all been resolved now and we’re on to day 4

zenagain, 1722604944

Here's one for the both of you you crazy diamonds.

https://youtu.be/8UXircX3VdM?si=8Qwiql18tBSrKbKi

zenagain, 1722604952

Here's one for the both of you you crazy diamonds.

https://youtu.be/8UXircX3VdM?si=8Qwiql18tBSrKbKi

Juliang, 1722605398

Welcome to the Machine

zenagain, 1722606779

Cool. I brought oil.

Juliang, 1722616260

From Taylor Swift to Pink Floyd , the Zen of reactive assumption!

zenagain, 1722639952

Who's Taylor Swift?

Is he any good?

stunet, 1722640140

'Never more alive'

Juliang, 1722642316

No , but he’s good looking has sexy legs and too many fans .

zenagain, 1722644235

Sounds like me without the fans.

Juliang, 1722652631

Actually the Pink Floyd video doesn’t bother me, but could be seen as offensive to other people, not that I’m going to have a rant about it!

Juliang, 1722653427

Or assume that that was your intention.

Lanky Dean, 1722658376

TBB !