Billabong Pro Pipeline: Day 3
Where to even begin on a day like today? My mind is thoroughly exploded...
Two epic Pipe days in one week.
The Best Pipe Day ever, on Day One, eclipsed by the Greatest Day Ever at Pipe..?
It could be true. An historical day for the Woz, without a doubt.
Let's reverse the timeline and work backwards from the end.
Nothing put the Change of Eras mentioned in the Day One wrap in greater contrast than the final heat of the day. Well-established title contender over multiple years, Jordan Smith, sitting forlorn on his board staring out to sea as Third Reef monsters bore down on him, well beaten by Brazilian rookie Sammy Pupo. Sammy ain't exactly a no-name - big bro Miggy has been sitting around the relegation point on tour for a decade - but the pre-game hype around Sammy has been minimal. After watching the WSL site like a hawk since the title wrapped last year I can't recall a short profile on Sammy, nor a sexy little edit to pump-prime the new season. Nothing. And now we have a kid, learning on the job and making a world title contender look timid and second rate.
Sammy Pupo (Heff/WSL)
By this stage of the day Pipeline had been roaring for hours, overloading the First Reef ledge in a way not seen in competition for years - certainly not in the modern era, which by my reckoning began with the first Slater Title in '92.
That was a moment of glory for Kelly, as a twenty-year old with serious question marks over his 'worthiness' as a title contender in heavy lefts. Nine days shy of fifty he provided another stunning rebuttal to critics - more on that in a moment.
Fully-formed non-surf star rookies didn't always win today. Miggy Tudela, who's Pipe game is A-grade, lost a tight battle with Italo Ferreira. Carlos Munoz looked sensational against Freddy Morais, easily accounting for him in a match-up that showed even experienced CT surfers still have substantial skill deficits at Pipe. Paddling into his last wave, Munoz pulled back in a grimace of pain, earning a sled ride to the beach in the safety position with a dislocated shoulder.
Munoz is a true battler, obviously tour standard but dropped by his main sponsor on the eve of the tour.
Forced into singing for his supper by a lack of support, Munoz attempted to paddle out in his Round of 16 heat against Peruvian Lucca Mesinas, who to my mind had shown his mettle in a last-second winning ride against Kolohe Andino. There's no way, even dosed on painkillers, an injury as severe as a dislocated shoulder can be overcome at ten foot Pipe and Munoz was again machine assisted back to the beach.
Carlos Munoz (Heff/WSL)
Left alone to roam with the Wild Things at Pipe, on an afternoon reminiscent of Huge Monday 1972, where Owl Chapman and Sam Hawk reigned supreme, Mesina's declined to take a meaningful ride. The howls of protest by surf fans were only exceeded by the response to Filipe Toledo's total concession in the face of Pipeline. One toy little tube and a couple of small in-betweeners, along with a paddle battle he lost and which seemed completely performative and token. After a decade on tour, Pip has gone backwards with his skill set and composure in heavy water. But for the grace of Medina, we would have been subject to our current World Champion completely out of his depth on an historical day. How would the Woz have spun that? Not even their rolled gold corporate fuckery could make that inconvenient truth disappear.
Pipe flexing (Bielmann/WSL)
That is the function of sport. It satisfies a deep biological urge to have status ranked and sorted. Which makes the Woz's complete inability to understand the meaning of its activity so “anti-intuitive” as Kaipo would say.
Everyone is quite clearly not the same, at Pipe. The gap in skill set and courage is yawning. You could fly an Andean Condor in it, and not touch the sides.
And even for those who have the experience/ability/composure you still have to get the job done on the day. You have to execute. Which was white hot favourite Jack Robbo's problem. 79 % of fans watching picked Robbo to win, according to their fan pick widget. He rode six waves and made two. Both ordinary. He fell on the take-off a bomb, and failed to make an exit on another. The reason why doesn't matter now, because his opponent Joao Chianca, our potential World Title-worthy rookie from Day One, rode five and made two solid ones. Chianca got the job done under pressure and Robbo crumbled.
Joao Chianca (Heff/WSL)
Which put Chianca into a Round of 16 heat against JJF at maxing Pipe. The fan picks were even more heavily weighted against him, with 80% of people assuming JJF would wipe the floor with Brazilian rookie tears. Has there ever been a surfer better prepared for this day at Pipe than JJF?
Fully fit, fresh out of winning the (digital) Vans Triple Crown, a whole winter spent practising at his home break, current event champion, multiple hours of competition time in the lead-up. You could not invent a better preparation.
And yet Chianca came within a half a bees dick of beating Florence on his own turf in surf as good as it gets, as big as it gets.
I think he did beat him. The crux of the nut was their two best scoring rides. Absolute Pipe bombs. JJF's was a perfect wave and he rode it perfectly, dragging arse the whole way and buried in on the foam ball until being spat out. Total control.
Chianca's was a barely rideable mutant. It was convulsing and spasming like some wild, alien creature. Chianca buckled on the drop, barely regaining control before riding through this mutant, which dropped huge chunks of water like debris falling out of a collapsing mine shaft. It was an outrageous ride, for a rookie doubly so. A ten. Or at least better than a point more than JJF's wave.
JJF (Heff/WSL)
The tight spread cruelled the Brazilian from what would have been the second major upset of the day. A truly staggering effort from a rookie on a day like today.
Can this kid surf small waves? Again, I've seen nothing from the WSL pumping up his tyres pre-event. Could a completely unhyped rookie class be the best rookie class ever? Just pocket that question for now.
And lets go back to Slater. The single greatest sporting moment I've ever seen. There, it's been said. Outflanked the WSL hype machine. Kelly was on the wrong side of the generational divide in his Round of 16 heat against Barron Mamiya. Well and truly on the wrong side. A whole flock of Andean Condors could have soared around in it, and you could probably throw in a chopper and a 737.
Kelly trailed the whole heat. Mamiya was fooling around in perfect surf, getting deep, throwing airs on the end bowl.
Five minutes to go and Kelly is cooked. Takes a bad wave for a non-make. Wears a ten foot set on the head and looks beaten on every level. Needs a 7.18 with the clock counting down.
After the massive set passes the ocean goes quiet. Less than a minute to go.
The story can't end like this, surely, I thought. It seems the fate of so many champions to hang on too long, but not Slater.
Twenty seconds to go, two small bumps stand up. They look like nothing. The first wave comes. It is nothing. Kanoa Igarashi, surfing in another heat, catches it for a small score.
Five seconds to go, the next wave stands up - a perfect west Pipe bomb - three, two, and Kelly is dropping into it super deep, super late. Pumps, adjusts deep in the tube and comes out with the spit.
The winning wave on the buzzer.
It's shocking, truly shocking to see a fifty- year old still dominating kids at Pipe.
On the beach, Kelly fights back the tears.
I'm fighting back the tears.
He strikes a spiritual tone. “It's crazy thinking back on thirty years,” he says, “and how many times thats happened to me”
“I don't know why.”
The Greatest Of All Time (Heff/WSL)
No-one can decipher greatness. All you can do is increase the chances of so many random elements coming together in beautiful, terrifying symmetry, as they did today, and sit back in awe of the results.
Surely, the Woz can't get another day of this kind of magic?
No-one could dare dream of that, not even Kelly Slater.
// STEVE SHEARER
Comments
Unreal day of proper bombs.
Would I be wrong thinking the days of Tom Carroll beating Derek Ho in the early 90's would be the last time it was like this for a comp?
Can't say I watch much of the WSL stuff but always watch Pipe. Day One was sick but today was up another notch. It had me upstanding and yelling at the TV like a Sharks game... Report is great FR76 and thank you for the images but it really was a day to watch it all go down. Slater Haters ain't gonna be happy but far out man, that another moment to savour for the GOAT. He was also very gracious toward Barron Mamiya post heat. Class act.
Ha ha, yeah, now that the event is over, the Slater Haters will be grumbling into their cornflakes for days.
As much as I hate to admit it I really did miss Medina. He would have been all over it today. I wonder if we'll see a JJF / Slater final? Does the draw allow for that?
Also who else had to mute the commentary? Pretty much unlistenable. I just put on some music instead.
Yep Gabe at maxxing Chopes or Pipe is a class above...and forehand. Article above is somewhat cryptic about his absence, hope he gets sorted...I wonder if hes watching, surely. froth on
Yeah i liked the last 2 heats the best, when Rosie was out of the commentary box getting ready for the final interviews on the beach. I think I will try music next time
"Chianca's was a barely rideable mutant. It was convulsing and spasming like some wild, alien creature. Chianca buckled on the drop, barely regaining control before riding through this mutant, which dropped huge chunks of water like debris falling out of a collapsing mine shaft."
Best work yet FR. Absolute poetry.
And yep, i've already been blabbing to friends that it's the greatest sporting moment i've seen.
I said that about Nadal a few nights ago. haha. But when all the elements that conspired for that moment are considered, that's the one.
Awesome write up. What a day!!!! Thanks.
SS > well-written, thank you..I ruined all my plans of productivity today by tuning in over breakfast, tuning into what was the best day of competition surfing I've ever seen, at Pipeline or anywhere else...ever.. also agree that Joao Chianca's wave was THE ONE, next level nuts; his commitment on take-off, skill on rail re-set, then pure joy at the magic. Ironically I think Barron Mamiya could learn something from that kid's savage approach to the drop & hunger to win vs. BM who was close to showboating whilst still in the water against KS - showboating with the GOAT? The universe works in funny ways; he got his arse smacked and I recon on review JJF must be thinking "I just snuck through on my hubris"..and exciting time to be a rookie...all power to them all.. finally WSL commentator superlatives equaled the vision..bring it on tomorrow..
'Not even their rolled gold corporate fuckery could make that inconvenient truth disappear' – pure, sheer reading pleasure.
agreed but rolled gold is a bit generous . they make KFC ads look sophisticated
agreed but rolled gold is a bit generous . they make KFC ads look sophisticated
agreed but rolled gold is a bit generous . they make KFC ads look sophisticated
Excellent write up again FR76, you should write a book, I'd buy it.
Exceptional journalism, captured a historical day perfectly.
Yes! Historic..!
The great thing about today was how inspiring the surfing was. Rather than sit on my arse all day in front of the tube (TV kind) I raced to Westernport Bay immediately after Slats' 'miracle on water'. I threw my ageing carcass over the ledge on the meanest onshore 2ft wave I could find. I now know how Slats felt on the glass with Rosy.
Love it mate. Thanks for the giggle.
Ha ha, classic!
“Just one more moment like that”
Congratulations Kelly. You’re an inspiration mate. Thanks for bringing us all on your epic journey.
How’s Kelly’s life !
Love how long his boards were in the 90s
i heard that as well as toledo, ethan ewing also sat on the shoulder and paddled for the horizon every time a set came. easy to criticise from my armchair, and i wouldnt be charging those bombs either, but when you are paid 6 figure+ salary just to surf, you can train all week for maximum fitness, you can work on breath holding techniques with the best trainers from around the world etc, you should not be dogging that. put a helmet on and give it a crack. shame on toledo and ewings sponsors. its not always 4ft snapper or trestles. be nice to see the sponsors drop them for some of the more worthy rookies.
Well said! They weren't the only 2 either and the commentary will never call it out like they should. Amazing how pipe exposes the gap in levels between the top 32 that you don't see at the other stops other than maybe teahupo'o if its on. They should have to count Pipe as a result at the end of the year, no throwaways for these sponsored babies
yeah true, should not be allowed to throw away results in waves like that. the wsl commentary makes me want to vomit. i cant believe they persist with it.
I'm not making any excuses for anyone but I think most of us underestimate how dangerous surf like yesterday was. People die at pipeline. You have to weigh up if your willing to risk serious injury or death and I for one am glad it's not me. I've never surfed pipe but after 35+ years of surfing, I can say without even paddling out there that it would be 100 times more heavy than it looks on video.[Especially at the size it was yesterday]
Hats off to those who did charge! You make the show worth watching
Totally agree, just look at Owen
I've been away so haven't watched a heat but these recaps have been awesome.
It was pleasing to hear a few of the pro's and rookies admit post heat interview that "it was scary out there"
An incredible day of surfing.
Lesser-known names/rookies charging and with the over-lapping heats it was non-stop action.
Add in a building swell and pristine conditions, it was hard to keep the eyes off the webcast. I enjoyed the commentary and that moment when Strider lost his load on back to back waves from the channel. Gold!
What amazes me was the listless horizon with the buzzer counting down on Kelly's heat for him to then end up pulling into an 8-10ft bomb with three seconds to go. Jeezus, where did that even come from. Incredible moment and to see the post heat interview, so emotional.
A day to remember.
Up there with Cloudbreak 2012 for can't-take-your-eyes-off-the-screenedness.
My thoughts precisely. I'll be oweing the boss a few hours of unpaid overtime to make up for my lack of productivity.
Yep or Chopes on those epic 10 point days with Gabe,JJF and Slates going deep. Thanks Mother Nature.
Intense reading!agree with comments above,excellent journalism and write a book,I'd buy it.x2
"But for the grace of Medina, we would have been subject to our current World Champion completely out of his depth on an historical day".....yes perfectly said Steve.
I missed a lot of meetings today and that heat was well worth it for the conformation that he has gone backwards - as you so eloquently put it.
Great day and great write up - With JJF and Slater on opposite sides of the draw it looks ominous. Maybe he gets a first here and retires....or a second and a reasonable result at Sunset and in Portugal and can still make the second half of the year despite missing the Aussie leg. Maybe you can script this.
"and how many times has that happened to me"
Sums it up perfectly, Slater has been so lucky on the buzzer so many times!
well summed up Steve, what an amazing day.
Can this guy surf small waves, you asked?
Great write up, Steve.
How's the back after that?
I would like to see some more angles of Chianca's massive drop to grab rail bottom turn to snap under the lip to packing the closeout.
Unreal. The commentary is classic. Love hearing crew losing it over that wave.
Nice write up fr76, I honestly couldn’t take my eyes off it today. Insane viewing
Loved Slater's emotion. It's been his whole life. It was almost as if he realised he has special powers and he can't explain it.
Kelly copped a 10ft (30+ for normal folk) set on the head yeah … but let’s not forget the fact that he tried to duck dive the second one got picked up and thrown over the falls !!! ABSOLUTELY TRASHED !! Then Gets one small one and then the buzzer beater … fuck me I watched the whole thing screaming my head off .. fucking wicked soooo good
Not trying to pull down the Kelly facade, but did anyone notice he spoke briefly and commiserated with Baron straight after the heat (presumably unaware of the camera’s presence), but then when he was fronted by Rosy and cameraman, he made a point of doing it again, and this time with more feeling? Was one for show?
He’s always controlling the narrative, after all…
Yeah, although his score was announced in between the two chats.
Yeah good point, although everyone knew the result, but fair enough
Geeeeeezz........talk about nitpicking mate.
I thought Slater was totally genuine and even he was overcome with what he'd just done. The bloke is a bona fide surfing savant the like of which we will never see again so enjoy what he does now before he finishes.
Yeah Kaiser, noticed that too. I wonder if Kelly was feeling a tiny little bit guilty that he had not been called on a priority decision, for a wave which he seemed to take a couple of strong paddles for during that heat but didn't lose priority...then scored a comeback wave with that priority, which set him up for the barn-stormer finish. No worries, still a great day of pro surfing with some amazing results, waves and rides. And so good to see Kelly emotional like that in the end. Great write up Steve, and agree that John John was over-scored and Cianca underscored. Hope the finals are as good and the gals get some serious Pipe too and show their mettle.
Can see it here, he goes back after getting the score confirmed..
"By this stage of the day Pipeline had been roaring for hours, overloading the First Reef ledge in a way not seen in competition for years - certainly not in the modern era, which by my reckoning began with the first Slater Title in '92"
Statistically speaking, early February Pipeline is usually better than December Pipeline - all the summer NE tradewind sand has been scrubbed off the reef and carried down towards Ehuka'i Beach Park by previous west-angle swells and west-angle swells are more common later in the North Pacific season than the predominant North-angle swells of the early season.
With the superlative waves and conditions for this contest period - folks will be asking "Why didn't they always have the Pipe event later in the season?"
What a day!!!
Some serious upsets to boot!!
My fantasy team got ripped to pieces haha!
I haven't watched the replays yet, but was surprised that Kolohe didn't get through that heat. Did I miss something? He got some great backdoor bombs...
I reckon the pipe regulars would be spewing that the woz moved the comp from December to January February
I’ve now watched it 4 times .. Kelly’s last wave was sent from heaven AI perhaps incredible day of surfing..
Chianca's turn and no hand barrel on a Bomb was the single most spectacular wave from a rookie ever.
my thoughts exactly! that shit was so fucking impressive! his bottom turn on that wave had soooo much projection... Then he did that crazy turn/stall under the lip -- just like Carroll used to do! -- got completely tubed, rode out of the tube and then got tubed again in that closeout... I think he will be world champion this year he is too good
Chianca was outrageous. What a day for a rook.
I would normally read the contest write up on beach grit from that longtom fella.
But this Steve blokes nearly as good.
Keep it up mate.
LOL
Severe onoMo today. Work kept me busy so I'm backtracking. Went looking for Heat Analyser - Not there anymore? Looks like the punters are the ones being analised. - Probably been gone for a while, or am I missing something else? I've had to click / scroll through replays and watch half a dozen adds and it takes ages to find the interesting bits . F.U. Wozzle - get it right.
Anyone who bothered to read the above and is thinking "this guy is an idiot" - you are correct. I am a confirmed idiot. I found the heat analyser.
Ha.
In your defence, they don't make it easy to find. The WSL site is anything but intuitive.
To the guy who complained in Steve’s day 1 recap about Joao claiming his rides and arguing that it warrants a lower score… EAD
Tiger…Just to clarify, where is your 9 point ride at all time first reef pipeline?
I also said it was up there as best ride of day. But yeah more an observation that I think the judges cruelled him for a claim that looked like he was suggesting to be awarded a 10. And now I look back, wrong of me to say it was warranted. Can't imagine the amount of adrenaline going through your body in such a situation. Chianca is an animal, think he was on the wrong side of the result against JJ too.
Well you’ve made my day! Kudos to you Tiger.
...well if you ever wanted to know the crap you gotta go thru for 'The' shot...
3 days learning.
Well summed up Freeride. Epic day alright.
Funny how some people like to call out a surfer when they don’t appear to charge in these type of conditions. I don’t see it as a weakness. We’re not all made equal in that sense. It just adds to the theatre, the tension & beauty that is competitive sport at the elite level. You see it in every sport. It’s just proof of being human. If we were all the same it would be boring as fuck. I salute them all. Great stuff.
Very gracious Rabbits. I watched all day but am not compelled to call out anyone who ‘didn’t go’.
Yes some cracking lines in there Freeride, really enjoyed the read.
Also well tempered Rabs. I think its analagous to when guys go missing in state of origin or internationals.
Every professional sportsperson has their limits and some just can't step up. At the end of the day I think its all relative to the individual circumstances - from some of the girls dodging to Fil sitting wide through to the fact we don't see many CT guys getting barreled at Jaws - which as you say is a huge part of the allure of professional sport.
Football commentators call out piss poor efforts.
Surfing commentators positive feels only.
Edit. *WSL commentators
Indeed, gracious response Rabs, however the Woz have set the co-ordinates for the next iteration of the Dream Tour and it includes Pipeline, Sunset, G'Land, and Teahupoo - while Teahupoo is also the site of the next Olympics.
All of the above applies to the Men and the Women.
If an aspiring pro surfer isn't ready for heart-stopping conditions then they're chosen the wrong profession.
"If an aspiring pro surfer isn't ready for heart-stopping conditions then they're chosen the wrong profession."
I suppose the fact is that you can still be good enough to make the tour and for most part compete at a high level, but at some stage, all of sudden, find the edge of your current limits. Watching that drama unfold in real time, on the biggest stage, is a fascinating part of the whole deal I reckon.
For me personally on this particular day, one of the greatest moments was actually on land, with KS momentarily totally overcome after his last gasp heat win. Very powerful moment given all that man has achieved in the ocean. Great stuff.
Great write up I really like the truthfulness no holds barred approach especially when you
called it how it was about the women. Todays surf was epic no doubt. Slater well I mentioned
somewhere on hear that as much as I would hate to say it but when I was last there 2020
Slater was the best better than JJF, JOB etc with more style and composer and in total control
made it look easy wouldnt mind if Slater took it out.
Bummed for Jack Robbo . My personal fave. He was beaten fair and square. Was out of rhythm . If he had surfed an hour later as the swell was pulsing who knows . Flat for the second half of his heat .
No redemption .
Great day of viewing epic challenging pipe and backdoor .
Agreed Hastoes, he surfed like a monster on that first day and on that form, I thought he'd go much further up the draw than he did (although the match-up with JJF would have been a challenge). Disappointing result, but that's surfing I guess.
https://explore.org/livecams/hawaii/hawaii-pipeline-cam
I been wanting to see how the crowd goes straight after the comp, especially that crew at 3rd reef. Cheers udo
Great report on a day of great surfing. Well done competitors and scribe.
Indeed Steve, it was an historic day.
And thank you for writing ‘an’ rather than ‘a’. Shows a commitment to the craft.
I loved it, started around 6.00 am and glued to the spot until 1.00 pm finish, except for carrying my iPad downstairs for brekkie so I didn’t miss a moment. Carried me back to the finest contest days I’ve had the pleasure of viewing, the best of Pipe, a day I spent at work flicking between screens when the last Eddie was on ( which I also remember you wrote up, probably back in realsurf days, when Stu was drudging around a printing business still).
I’ll offer just a few points of difference though, mere opinion, nothing more.
“ It's shocking, truly shocking to see a fifty- year old still dominating kids at Pipe.”
Perhaps dominating other kids, but he did not dominate Barron Mamiya. Barron was bold as brass, took on absolute beasts and put himself in hazardous positions to do so. If he had made his air, lazily constructed as an afterthought, after a heaving barrel, even the 9.17 might not have been enough for Slater. Barron may have been underscored in any case on both his waves and basically he had Slater on toast until a miracle that just wasn’t there popped up with seconds left. He didn’t dominate Mamiya.
Robbo, yeah he made two mistakes that you wouldn’t see normally. One with a bump in the face just as he was popping up saw him fall for what seemed like the first time ever, the second getting so deep and we all expected him to come out, he has 100 times before, but this one clipped him and he didn’t make it. Either wave wins it. Then not a peep from the ocean in the last 7 or 8 minutes. He had his chances and he made mistakes but he lacked luck too. The ocean pumped after that.
And finally Chianca. Unlucky to lose but I thought it a fair decision. Having given a 9.17 for Kelly’s last wave, the 9.77 for JJF was a fair call. It was bigger, twice as thick and more critical than Kelly’s. Chianca’s best wave was a mutant beast but there ain’t much room between 9.77 and a 10, and he did slip out on the bottom turn, so they couldn’t give him perfection. JJF’s second wave was superior to Chianca’s, in my humble opinion, a perfect wave ridden perfectly.
Close but no cigar for Chianca, but he didn’t lose any friends.
Great write up.
Good call Batsy.
Yeah, I meant dominate in the general, more than the specific.
He sent Jake Marshall packing with a 1.50 heat total earlier in the day and to have the composure, skills and courage to get that last second ride against Mamiya was a type of dominance, even if that heat was close.
Indeed he did, Steve.
I think i agree with you that JJFs bomb was actually the better wave. It all happened so fast, JJF locking into what is probably the biggest, most perfect, thickest Pipe wave i'd ever seen, and riding it to JJF perfection, followed up on the next wave by the cowboy from hell and the accompanying jaw dropping action. It made me forget how insane John Johns wave had been. But yeah, splitting hairs. Both freaks! The waves and the surfers.
Excellent run down Steve you have out done yourself. I just don't get Pip he has the skills to surf big waves, the quick reflexes to adjust, and now the experience yet he doesn't go and is shown up massively by a rookie, who in my opinion beat JJF. No matter if he wins the championship, I just don't consider him a world champ. Even Italo looked really average amongst this lot, although it wasn't from lack of courage. Someone needs to get inside his head and figure out what is going on. And to those who say I am too harsh, the buck stops at big pipeline that is what they are there for, to be the best.
Dripping with passion FR love it thanks.
Chianca was dreaming up a line of merch .. "I combo-ed the GOAT"
Will have to change it to
'i got slam-dunked by the GOAT'
Mamiya
We are just lucky to have FR76 writing in the same time as days like these.
Feels like reading Liebling, McIlvanney and Mailler on boxing.
Cheers Steve and Stu for that.
I 2nd 3rd and 4th that! Gem journo
Just had a rewatch of Barron v Kelly & Joao v John.
Tell you what if you were a casual sports fan who wasn’t too aware of the history or reputation you’d be forgiven for believing the two young lads won their respective heats
Great write up FR! I admit as a fifty-something to shedding a tear on Kelly's buzzer beater. Astonishingly, all the experts predicting a Toledo win with his "new found big wave acumen" have vanished lol. He literally wet his pants. I would too of course, but I'm not in the top three surfers in the world.
Great wrap up and very enjoyable reading and a great quote from Noel Pearson. Wrong thread
Maybe JJ v Joao, but you cant take Kelly's away. That was the best buzzer win I have seen. Absolute freak.
Waves so good that you forget for a minute how terrible the Aussies are right now
I thought the new fellas did okay, Callum looked solid enough. Very disappointed in Ethan and Morgs though. Will Morgs go on to be the new Wilko? Temporarily elevated beyond his capabilities? I hope not...
Morgan killed it last year but there were heaps of average waves (including the whole Australian leg). Can't see him being a perennial top 5 guy like Taj, let alone a champ like Mick or Parko.
I think we still have a few more years in the darkness to come
I don’t know. Jack Robbo is an absolute standout, he just had an off day.
J. Lawler covered himself in glory I thought. Callum what’s is name had a dig.
If you’re talking about Pipe contest there was some hope coming around. If you’re talking about world titles, yep, probs only Jack Robbo has a chance somewhere in the next few years.
Have to say though, the top 5 shootout for the title is a terrible way to decide the champ.
Robbo was borderline missing the cut last year until he won Pipe, and he's already thrown away Pipe this year.
Don't wanna be a hater, but there is no realistic Top 5 surfer from Australia this year.
Willing Slater towards the Top 5 would've been fun, but he's an anti-vaxxer so he'll miss a heap of events.
Just gotta hope the waves are good all year so JJF cares enough to put on a show.
Cibilic - Boy can Charge
Is there any clip that you can’t put your hands on, Udo?
I’m assuming Morgan’s heat was more tactical error, waiting too far out for bombs that didn’t arrive, rather than lacking bottle to go?
I think Cibilic got really lucky last year , the first couple of comps in the kind of waves he grew up in ie soft east coast shit , hometown/ state hero advantage would have helped a lot too, a good surfer but a hundred guys better than him in the kind of waves that pro surfing should be held in .
Tyler Wright gets more unlikeable everytime she opens her mouth and seemingly got no backhand act (and a girlfriend that looked like she was out of the last Mad Max movie???) so Carissa for the win of the women and most likely JJF for the men (if Slater has used all his magic up with that last heat win) but anything could happen with KS and being the same age as him would I,d love to see an old man do up the young lions-again) .
WTF? What kind of redneck dumbass shit is that? Should all the surfers be as straight and predictable as you? Who gives a fuck who her partner is and even less what she looks like? You sound like a typical triggered bogan who was butt hurt she speaks up on matters that mean a lot to her - and most intelligent informed people. My take is her being out there and not fitting into your little undereducated Christian white bread world view takes more courage than you have shown in your whole narrow life, not to mention Tyler rips harder than you in your wildest dreams. I'll wait for the predictable "leftie snowflake" retort....
Dunno if anyone remembers this buzzer beater but quite a few years ago now in the final of the Backdoor Shootout- JOB had it comfortably in the bag and pretty sure right on the siren a young John John scratched into a bomb and came out with the spit and the win.
I'll never forget the look on Jamie's face, it was only for a second but if looks could kill as they say.
Pipe is certainly the place where legends are made.
Jake the trouser snake did up Bruce Irons like that too, early 2000,s , they were actually carrying Bruce up the beach as the winner and Jake got one on the buzzer , closeout at Backdoor but somehow came out waaaay down near OTW and won it (Jake is / was a dropping in cunt but that was a great win) . Watched it from the beach and it was a real downer for the Woffpack which was hilarious quietly.
Rode a 7'4
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/461198/18-jake-patterson-win-web
For all the criticism from everywhere, including WSL commentry, I really thought Jordy Smiths stand up pit was one of the best. That was thick and all stand up, after an amazing entry, which the water footage highlighted. .
Agreed, was awesome to watch. Jordy & JJF were my highlights. Love watching the big man surf and cannot wait to see him in the finals
Between this and the new taping of old tracks in the downhill, I’ve got a boner for professional sport again
I also believe Morgan Cibilic was given the red carpet treatment last year im
not convinced hes the real deal I hope he makes the cut but I doubt it.
Slater did vintage Slater with his insane busser beater. Vintage but I feel its
his last party trick. Now my number one boy Jack somehow fumbled JJF is my
bet if its big and heavy he will be untouchable.
With regard Kelly and his last minute Buzzer beater, it brings me back to that moment in the Rob Machado video where they ask him about why he didn't get the wave at the end of the heat. Machado says " do you think I should get mad, at the ocean, ....."
These guys, and us, are under the puppet strings of nature/ the ocean. They/ we can only make the most of what is presented to us/ them.
Luck has nothing to do with anything.
Hi there guys, anyone cares to explain what is "Woz" to a non-native English speaker? First I thought that that stood for "WSL" and then for "Strider" but none of them seemed to make sense... Thanks in advance to anyone that can help me with this!
@ludurigan "Woz" or "The Woz" is the WSL.
@Lucky13 thanks mate!
If you say WSL as if it was a word not an acronym, you get something like wozzle, which is shortened to woz.
Thanks @Pops, I wouldn't have figured that out by mysellf