I feel like I've seen it all before. Same guys, same turns. Maybe I'm jaded? Am I crazy?
There were three minutes left in Parko v. Banting when I realized I was bored. Is there something wrong with me? It’s flawless rippable J-Bay and I couldn’t care less.
I feel like I’ve seen it all before. Every year, over and over. Same guys, same turns. Maybe I’m jaded? Am I crazy?
It’s like every guy wants to win the same way. No one trying to draw a different line. Coach mentality. Win at any cost and the fans pay the price.
J-Bay’s so fast, so much opportunity to wind up for something huge. Throw some improv. Instead I’m watching high talent choreography. Everything pre-planned, nothing off the cuff.
Didn’t Callinan used to be some aerial wunderkind? Wasn’t Banting too? Did their injuries kill that part of their soul? Are they worried for their joints, thinking like men ten years older?
Maybe we can blame the Brazilians. When it came time for a new crew to storm onto the scene they grabbed the spot. Motivated contest machines from birth. Not something they grew into, ingrained in their psyches from the moment they took their first steps.
Maybe it’s because the old men held on so long this time. Mid-thirties, early-forties, still top of the game. Leading by example. But what they’re doing was new when they started. The young ones are just following suit.
John John’s different. Medina is when he needs the score. Filipe shows flashes. Coffin’s got potential.
Maybe I should blame the judges.
Ah, but it’s not that simple! They’re willing to give single maneuver waves big scores. They just aren’t willing to punish a semi-safe, tried and true, approach.
Dantas/Andre… real demonstration of skill, yes. Floater, backside bash, float. Any one of those turns would have made my year. But it’s so repetitive. There’s gotta be a way to encourage some variation.
You know what it might be? No skis! It’s a damn long paddle from halfway down. A mid wave fail has real consequences. Zip ’em back out right quick and they can risk their shit.
Melling and Coffin was a close heat, the old man took the win. And he deserved it. Mixed up his turns a tad. Coffin just kinda did the same thing over and over. He did it well, but he can do better. Maybe Gerr will give him a flogging. “Mix up your turns, worm!”
Flores beat himself. Let an underscore trigger a meltdown. Elbowed his board, bash bash bash. Used that anger to go hard on the end section. Great to watch. I love it. But you’ve gotta safety bonk for that extra point.
I don’t know why Pupo won, even so. But he did.
Conner Coffin’s got quite the chest pelt for someone his age. Maybe we should stop comparing him to Curren, start calling him Baby Pottz. Judges told him he lost because of lack of risk? Did I hear that right? That’s cool. I can understand his frustration, but he did do the same turn a bajillion times.
Kerr’s stalefish rev warmed my heart. Love how he surfs, even though Rusty’s marking guy pulled his upcoming ad campaign (and a testimonial in our media kit) when I wrote about his IV use at Snapper. I think I’d be justified to hold a grudge. They’re professional fucking athletes, I’m allowed to write about them.
BJ Penn got pulled from UFC 199 and handed a suspension for doing the exact same thing, while out of competiton.Kerrzy did it right before paddling out. It’s newsworthy, damnit.
This is how companies lean on surf media.
Dusty Payne ripped the shit out of one during his heat against Stu Kennedy. Remembered to play it safe at the end. If he’d tried to do something cool, then fell, he’d’ve got a six or something. End section maneuver makes it a 9.77.
I think that’s how it works.
The funny thing about Jordy Smith. The waves always get so small during his heat. It’s overhead all day, then he paddles out and it drops to shoulder high.
Oops, wait. He’s a normal-sized human man competing against a bunch of Oompa Loompas. It’s a perspective thing.
Smith handed Andino the younger his ass without too much difficulty. Kolohe looked out of rhythm. But he was trying to be different-ish, and I like that.
John John opened up his heat with some stylish groovitude that left my panties moist. Payne answered back with a beauty, put all that speed to good use at the end. Heaved a huge one toward the heavens but couldn’t stick it.
Which really highlights a problem with the judging. A boring turn at the end would’ve given him a bump. Might’ve been enough to grab the win. We keep seeing it happen, they get handed a reward for the “finishing maneuver.” But by trying hard he got punished, ended up losing the heat by point-nine.
Kerr manhandled Ferrari in conditions which looked difficult to surf on your backhand. Slightly lined up, crumbly lip. Makes for a target on your forehand.
A target at which Kerr aimed and soared.
Final heat of the day, GOAT v Buchan, saw the conditions continue to deteriorate. Ace was obviously struggling to deal with the semi-gutlessness. Mid face chop catching his rail, slowing him down.
Slater put his forehand advantage to good use. Didn’t really wow, but definitely won.
And that’s the end for now. Swell bump forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully it’ll add some zazz. Maybe it won’t. I don’t know.
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
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.07 def. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.90
Heat 6: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.27 def. Nat Young (USA) 12.93
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.17 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 12.17
Heat 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 18.27 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 17.13
Heat 9: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.86 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 14.67
Heat 10: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.67 def Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.44
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.06 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 15.26
Heat 12: Dusty Payne (HAW) 17.47 def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 11.44
J-Bay Open Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18.20 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 10.10
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 14.83 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 13.93
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 16.40 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.20
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 11.73 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5.20
J-Bay Open Upcoming Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 5: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 6: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 8: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA)
Heat 11: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 12: Adriano De Souza (BRA) vs. Davey Cathels (AUS)
best shaper of moobs!
Joe Turpel and Peter Mel did talk about last year’s shark incident during one of the heats.
Conner Coffin is overrated; USA hype. I didn’t fancy the guy but the pundits said he would do good at J-Bay so I picked him over Parko (god help me). Coffin’s turns were sluggish. I thought Mello smashed him. My only loser so far in Fantasy surfing, which I am taking so seriously since Nick Dee is in 2nd place (atm). Just need Muniz to take out Wilko to pretend being the lounge chair surfing world champ; possibly my greatest life acheivement.
People might expect too much. There are not too many sports tournaments where the opening rounds are super exciting.
With the staged turns. I thought a lot of times it was because surfers were taking off too deep and then they spent the whole wave playing catchup by having to extend their bottom turns and half complete their top turns.
expect too much? it’s supposed to be the goddamn ‘elite’ ffs.
I’m with ya in part here Rory. A couple of things going on I suspect:
– Guys trying to “pace” their performance levels so they don’t peak too early. This for sure is partly a coaching thing.
– A lot of slowish boards underfoot. The transitions (other than with the fuck-off good surfers a la JJF) look sluggish.
– Most important: there’s no blood in the water. No death match rivalries. Tom Curren and Mark Occhilupo in 1985 would have blown most of this crew out of the water for sheer competitive passion. KS vs AI? Don’t make me laugh. Until one of those generational rivalries emerges again, you’ll see quite a few events pan out like this, more or less.
Perfect Nick.
Is Pottz still doing WSL commentary? I haven’t seen his ugly mug for a while
maybe they finally read all my mean emails?
he doesn’t fit in the booth anymore.
I can only hope WSL have fired Pottz on the quiet
Meanwhile … “Joe Turpel hear alongside former Big Wave World Champion Peter Mel … “
Is he a fucking robot?!
22 years separate the two waves …
Jordy … one and a half, and soft, bottom turn …
Curren …
And still it seems so actual and modern as Jordy…
Jordy, scored 10 in this wave, makes the line between the middle and bowl (base) of the wave…
“drives down the line…”, “lot’s of distance…”, “big open lines…”, “another clean carve…”, “waits for the bottom turn…”, “he looks unstoppable…”… Jesus!
Almost all surfers currently on tour, do this line … the same type of surfing based on the same wave line.
Formerly on the tour you had guys with styles and totally different wave lines, Curren, Carroll, Occy, Sunny, Potter …
Surfing has become a tupperware of styles and lines … and interestingly all look very similar, but with a larger number of types of maneuvers that once …
Exceptions today?
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
This with Tomo
Same wave after bottom turn…
bent leg syndrome!
hahaha!!!
Serious question: what is bent leg syndrome?
Not so much boring as there wasn’t much drama and the swell dropped precipitously before they called it off after the Slater heat. Which reminds me…I’m now completely convinced that he can’t do turns with the kids anymore.
Same surf blog, same contest wrap, same opinion, I know i’m jaded, am I crazy?
Get someone else to cover contests or don’t bother.
jorgen wants the media release. better give it to him. without it the fire and excitement of surfing competition is lost!
damn Rory I agree with you , watched all the heats , and I think that it’s coming down to equipment. Boards seem not to do carve at high speed , a lot of 2-3 stage bottom turns , check top turns , I think we are seeing that the current formula/design of the s/bds is nearly as old as some of the surfers , nothing new in equipment for so long , and its showing!
Some of the time you guys don’t want surfing to turn into some tennis-tour cookie-cutter mormon sport, and then you’re advocating for people to be turfed out for using an IV. I agree it’s newsworthy… just a complicated situation. I don’t know what’s best… Lame that Rusty pulled their ads though. That’s not very rock and roll.
Welcome back, Bobby! Remember…you’re always welcome in Long Beach and if we ever get a comp again I’m going on some sort of letter writing/email/hunger strike campaign to get you a wild card.
Cheers you loveable yankee cunt! Can’t wait
We’ll celebrate the end of my hunger strike by splitting a pizza!
My only problem with the Kerr deal is that the WSL allowed him to do it. I don’t think he had any nefarious intentions, and I’d be perfectly happy if the WSL allowed everyone to juice up with saline pre-heat.
But this is a sport, they’re the governing body. If you’re gonna have a rule in the book you’ve gotta enforce it fairly. Which means all the time. Or remove it from the book.
If the WSL claims to follow WADA guidelines they need to actually do it.
Raoni Monteiro violated anti-doping policies and was suspended for 20 months. Kerr violated them with the WSL’s blessing. That’s dirty business.
Yeah on balance I think you’re right. Double standard there for sure…
I’m just glad that you’re getting back to alienating advertisers. It’s a sign of a man at his prime.
thatä’s a damn small group to alienate atm
sorry, BG.
i like Jordy, i do. But honestly i think he’s the worst guy on tour for claiming, he applauded himself on a 7.5… i can’t let that slide. at least when Medina claims like a douche he’s doing it on 9’s