It is hard to put a date on exactly when surfing allowed itself to become a milk cow for the entrepreneurial class. At some point the balance between the power of the corporations and the power of the surfing communities from which they sprang changed.
"We had back-to-back swells which meant it was almost too big for most of the days we were there."
Too big? Not a complaint you often hear about surf trips - at least those outside of Hawaii. But anyone who was in Indonesia - especially the western end of the chain - during the first half of August will know the islands were pumped by swell. And that's what Chris Lovell and his mates experienced during their trip.
Just seven heats were surfed at the Quik Pro France yesterday - the remaining heats of Round 2.
Despite his Gallic pride wetsuit, Wilko went down to John John in a slow moving heat. Bede went down too, despite taking to the air and shucking his old school power roots. He lost to Sebass Zietz. Gabs Medina caused a fuss - a good fuss - by blowing up on the rights, and if he keeps to form his raning - a lowly 18th - should improve.
"Dane can do anything at any given time," said big Jordy Smith after his Round 2 match up against the world's best freesurfer. Unfortunately for spectators Dane, again, didn't do anything. Or to be correct, he did something but it was nowhere near enough, scoring just 12 points compared to Jordy's 18.90. It was an improvement over his Round 1 loss that netted just 8.50 points.
It's the second time in two competitions Dane has entered as a wildcard and been bumped - convincingly - in the second round.
