And Kelly Slater wins a round one heat!
Riding at a jerky trot that he’d later blame on “45 mile an hour gusts”, Kelly Slater just beat, but only just if we’re to be transparent, Filipe Toledo in three-foot waves.
Would you ever guess such a thing?
Even Fantasy Surfer has tired of the old champ, tossing him into the bargain bin, a four point seven million dollar buy, well under half his usual price tag.
Oh, if you should’ve seen Filipe, swatting the air like a pompous conductor trying to reign in a rebellious orchestra, as the scores for Kelly’s last wave came in half a point more than he needed to beat San Clemente’s best surfer.
But, Slater aside, the thrills came entirely, again if we’re to be transparent, from Gabriel Medina, who screwed his volume knob to a new level, and Jordy Smith, who shone and delighted like a summer full moon. Wiggoly Dantas, Joel Parkinson, Caio Ibelli and Julian Wilson also appealed.
Most other surfers looked docile and inoffensive, like weevils among spiders.
Watch Gabriel and Slater win their heats here.
Jordy thrills more than a little here…
And how about a little game from Wiggoly…
Highlights wrap here.
J-Bay Open Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.67, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.80, Conner Coffin (USA) 9.97
Heat 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.33, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.06, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 8.43
Heat 3: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 15.64, John John Florence (HAW) 13.24, Keanu Asing (HAW) 12.60
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.76, Kai Otton (AUS) 10.80, Josh Kerr (AUS) 7.00
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.27, Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.77, Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 12.27
Heat 6: Davey Cathels (AUS) 11.33, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.33, Steven Sawyer (ZAF) 7.43
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.26, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.00, Matt Banting (AUS) 9.43
Heat 8: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.16, Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.66, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.50
Heat 9: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.43, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 15.10, Adam Melling (AUS) 9.40
Heat 10: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.26, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.60, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.90
Heat 11: Julian Wilson (AUS) 18.77, Jack Freestone (AUS) 10.17, Nat Young (USA) 7.50
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 17.90, Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.90, Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 9.74
J-Bay Open Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 8.47 def. Steven Sawyer (ZAF) 7.93
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.27 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 11.77
Heat 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.54 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 14.34
Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.50 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 3.87
J-Bay Open Round 2 Upcoming Match-Ups:
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Heat 6: Nat Young (USA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 9: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 12: Dusty Payne (HAW) vs. Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
17.27 vs 8,47 say it pretty simply who’s better, you idiot…
Joel surfed incredible (despite not wining his heat). Very unique style & control at J-Bay showing why he has been the King there. Medina has that ‘stall & acceleration’ thing going, hard to describe (as I have been saying for years now) very similar to the ancient supreme speedster & tube-staller Cheyne Horan. Julian was easily the star of the day, perfectly in the zone, backfoot power looking like the prehistoric Tom Carroll in his small wave prime. It was a pleasure to watch. Wiggolly sure can bash a backhand reo. Seabass manically surfed like he was on methamphetamine; obviously inspired by Julian.
… not the current World Champ by accident.
… for my coin – Adriano looked on-point! The slow-mo footage only confirmed just how laser sharp (IMhO) his surfing is: no check-turns, no uneccessary body jive, just seamless red-lined flow from buried rail to buried rail.
are you taking the piss?
I guess there’s no accounting for taste but I thought Slater looked weird as hell.
Really if he didn’t find that last hail mary tube ride he was cooked.
There was certainly no mastery involved.
in good 3-4ft JBay he came up with a high 5 and a low 6. Thats club surfing not CT standard.
http://1.jbay.surfline.com/14/
Looks distinctively non-Firewire, that’s all.
A five-ten shaped by the Hawaiian Keone Downing…
Was The King riding – GASP! – a board with a wooden stringer? Do my eyes deceive me?
“Riding at a jerky trot ……”
thats a fair call Dell. He looked funky as hell but got the job done.
Why do we keep saying Gabby has the best backhand on tour? Wilko won a few events on his backhand this year…..what did Gabby do? Packing 8 mid face bottom turn to lip snaps may get you scores but a trained eye like my own says big slow and powerful bottom turns from below the bottom look better and require more skill…..give me three big turns from Wilko’s, Owens, or older guys like Occy in his prime, or Bobby M
Gabby is the best surfer in the world, that’s probably why
Why? Because Gabby has. Wilko’s 2nd round heat yesterday showed how one-dimensional he is (similar to Nat Young). Owen has those perfect lines but Gabby is the most adaptable plus the best airs & tube rides. Don’t underestimate his power. Last year at Snapper, he came back & outpowered a rampaging Wiggolly.
Power surfing is reference for big rail carves…… On big sections and walls…..gabby floats them and does quick beyond vertical shots that throw a ton of spray but are never done holding a rail…..I’ll give you this, if gabby wins Jbay without any airs in big pumping surf, I’ll shut up
I think 17.27 vs 8,47 say it pretty simply who’s better, you idiot…
Wilko…. The #1 poo stanced surfer in the world!!
Don’t remember his poo stance last year when it got big, just remember him looking like Occy
Matty Wilko….not lookin’ so good and was lucky to pull out that heat.
In all seriousness…has JJF finally figured it out?
Yes!, JJF was visibly doing a Bebe and surfing at 70%. But I’m happy with that, get that kid to the winners podium!
San clemente’s best surfer is wardo, when he’s not in court.
Even when he is in jail
I know compared to snapper margs bells it’s pumping but i hope it gets good at Jbay. liiiiike powerful. turn finishingly good.