Billabong's former CEO heads to jail... but for
what exactly?
Oh hubris is a great and wild burden. So are
below the knee boardshorts. And ex-Billabong CEO Matthew Perrin was
found guilty of both yesterday morning in Sydney. Let us read from
Australia’s ABC news.
After a day-and-a-half of deliberation, the jury found
Perrin, 44, forged his then-wife’s signature on mortgage documents
to get more than $13 million finance from the Commonwealth
Bank.
He admitted signing his wife’s name, but claimed he had her
permission.
The former multi-millionaire surf wear boss committed the
offences in 2008, after a series of failed investments left him
facing financial ruin.
Perrin did not say anything when the verdict was delivered,
but kissed his partner Belinda Otton, who was sobbing.
He was remanded in custody and is likely to be sentenced in
the new year.
And what do you reckon the sentence for fraud is? Four years?
Six years? But what about for knowingly manufacturing below the
knee boardshorts? Fifteen years? Life?
Stay tuned!
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Halfway through the Final, Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
committed to an incredibly late drop on a lefthander, grabbing the
rail of his board to engage into a bottom turn before being eaten
by the mountain of white water behind him. Mitchell later surfaced
with his equipment and was rewarded an excellent 8.67 for his
effort, stealing the lead from Burle. The Australian quickly put a
second score on the board to cement his lead and hold throughout
the remainder of the Final. The Australian walked away with his
maiden Big Wave Tour victory at the Nazaré Challenge, a result
earning 12,500 ranking points and rocketing him from 13th to 5th on
the tour rankings. “I got into a good rhythm at other events but
lost it at some point, but this one I managed to keep it and it
feels amazing,” he continued. “I’m going to be here until Friday
and it looks like there will be more giant waves coming, so I might
just take a day to recover from today and try my luck again out
there.”
What a 24 hours of professional surfing!
Pipeline wowed up until the
final few heats wherein announcer Ron Blakey said it “fizzed.”
Still. A new Pipeline Master was gifted the world and he looked the
part, strong and bronze.
Zeke Lau jumped onto next year’s main card and Kanoa Igarashi
showed that he will someday win it all.
Across the Pacific, continental USA, Atlantic Nazare picked up
the juice that the North Shore left behind and ooolala! Can you
imagine paddling out in those waves? I cannot but I can imagine
Jamie Mitchell doing it! Remember when I spent some minutes on a
boat with him in Tahiti? He changed my mind about SUPs! That’s how
impressive he is.
And Jamie did it so well that he smashed the entire field! Beat
everyone to a pulp!
Let’s examine the press release:
Today’s Final opened with an exciting first exchange
between tour veteran Carlos Burle
(BRA) and newcomer Pedro Calado
(BRA), Burle taking the nod and an early lead with a clean
lefthander on his backhand and a 6.50.
Nic Lamb (USA) followed in dramatic
fashion with two of the most horrific wipeouts seen all all season.
Local wildcard Joao De Macedo
(PRT) struggled as well, air-dropping
unsuccessfully into a monstrous set wave.
Halfway through the Final, Jamie Mitchell
(AUS) committed to an incredibly late drop on
a lefthander, grabbing the rail of his board to engage into a
bottom turn before being eaten by the mountain of white water
behind him. Mitchell later surfaced with his equipment and was
rewarded an excellent 8.67 for his effort, stealing the lead from
Burle. The Australian quickly put a second score on the board
to cement his lead and hold throughout the remainder of the
Final.
The Australian walked away with his maiden Big Wave Tour victory
at the Nazaré Challenge, a result earning 12,500 ranking
points and rocketing him from 13th to 5th on the tour rankings.
“I got into a good rhythm at other events but lost it
at some point, but this one I managed to keep it and it feels
amazing,” he continued. “I’m going to be here until Friday and it
looks like there will be more giant waves coming, so I might just
take a day to recover from today and try my luck again out
there.”
Long-time competitor and 2009 Big Wave Tour
Champion Carlos Burle (BRA) placed
Runner-Up in this inaugural Nazare Challenge, courtesy of his early
efforts in the final this afternoon. Burle managed to fence off
numerous assaults from the new guard on his way to the final and
will flew the Brazilian flag high in Portugal.
“I’m super proud of my body, it was a tough event
all-around in this cold weather, dropping huge waves and getting
pounded all-day long,” an emotional Burle said. “I made the final
and came close to winning, against the best guys in the world. This
is my last season as a competitor but I will keep this great memory
and hopefully leave a legacy for the next generation, and I hope
they will do their best like I did every day of my life. Nazare is
an amazing wave and it was just a matter of time before people
recognized that. I’m super happy to have been part of this event as
I feel there will be much more to come.”
Making waves among the big wave community were local
wildcards today, with Portugal’s Joao De
Macedo and Antonio
Silva reaching the final in Nazare. De Macedo was the
giant killer of this event, eliminating reigning Big Wave Tour
Champion Greg Long (USA) in the first round, as well as current BWT
leader Grant Baker (ZAF) and Aaron Gold (HAW) in the semis. De
Macedo’s amazing run culminated with a third place in the
final.
“It feels amazing, just the camaraderie in the water
and the way all of us were really pushing our limits today,” De
Macedo explained. “The amount of preparation that goes into
paddling and surfing this size out there is huge, I’ve been
training for months and it feels great. I hope everyone’s really
stoked about this event and that we keep coming back, the
performance levels were really inspiring. Those were some of the
biggest waves that have been paddled into here I think, and to do a
contest in those conditions is great. The water patrol guys are so
great, they make us feel so confident and allow us push ourselves
further.”
Recent winner of the Pe’ahi
Challenge, Billy Kemper (HAW) suffered a
shock elimination in the opening round of competition, narrowly
defeated by local wildcard Silva in a tight battle for third place
alongside Kai Lenny (HAW).
Watch the semis here!
And the final here!
Nazaré Challenge 2016 |
1. Jamie Mitchell (AUS), 23.94
2. Carlos Burle (BRA), 13.00
3. Joao de Macedo (POR), 10.84
4. Pedro Calado (POR), 9,34
5. Nic Lamb (USA), 3.00
6. António Silva (POR), 0.20
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After the "worst final" of his career, Michel Bourez
wins the 2016 Billabong Pipe Masters, squashing, but only just,
little Kanoa Igarashi.
Squashes, but only just, the tour rookie Kanoa
Igarashi!
It’s an artistic picture. A humid Monday
afternoon on the North Shore of Oahu. The entire world of surf
tuned into two beautifully in-form surfers bobbing in a flat ocean.
After half-an-hour, and four average rides, Tahitian Michel Bourez
wins the Billabong Pipeline Masters from the surprise finalist,
tour rookie Kanoa Igariashi.
“You know what?” says Michel. “That was the worst final I ever
had. It stopped breaking.”
“It was a fizzer,” says the commentator Ronnie
Blakey.
The day was anything but average. Three-to-five feet. Oil slick
smooth.
There was a little jive here and there. Kelly Slater, whom you
might count as the best surfer at Pipe and broker no argument,
scored his lowest heat total ever in round four, a 2.24 total.
The Michel v Filipe round five heat? Both surfers rode with
all the single-mindedness of burglars blowing a safe.
Were you gratified by Kolohe Andino’s hit-and-run of Jeremy
Flores, who now drops out of the WCT? (Wait! No he don’t! He
finished seventh on the WQS!)
Watch as Michel vamps like a motherfucker to squash John.
In the dying light, in a dying swell, the season of 2016
finishes.
Kanoa wraps his year beating Jordy Smith and Kelly Slater. His
efforts slide close pal Zeke Lau onto the tour.
John John, the boy with a complexion a powdered milky white,
anaemic but faintly handsome, wins the Triple Crown, adding the
title to a year that included The Eddie and the World Title. The
first surfer in history to accomplish such a thing.
Watch the final day highlights here!
Here’s the final top 10.
Billabong Pipe Masters Final Results:
1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.53 2: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 6.17
Billabong Pipe Masters Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.37 def. Kolohe Andino
(USA) 13.93 SF 2: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 15.50 def. Kelly
Slater (USA) 15.00
Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.87 def. Jeremy Flores
(FRA) 12.67 QF 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 17.20 def. John
John Florence (HAW) 14.00 QF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 11.50 def. Josh Kerr
(AUS) 10.24 QF 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 18.03 def. Jordy
Smith (ZAF) 15.74
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 5 Results:
Heat 1: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.17 def. Joel Parkinson
(AUS) 4.53 Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.80 def. Filipe
Toledo (BRA) 15.50 Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.34 def. Ryan
Callinan (AUS) 10.17 Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18.10 def. Nat
Young (USA) 16.17
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.66, Jeremy Flores
(FRA) 10.16, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 5.00 Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 11.00,
Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.17, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.83 Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.24, Ryan Callinan
(AUS) 2.77, Nat Young (USA) 1.57 Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 12.00, Jordy
Smith (ZAF) 11.34, Kelly Slater (USA) 2.24
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Results:
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.34 def. Alex Ribeiro
(BRA) 1.93
The Stalinist WSL changes its tune! Let freedom
ring!
And did you just watch Kanoa Igarashi beat
Jordy Smith? DID YOU?
Amazing barrels! Steezy claims!
Kanoa wins and kicks Zeke Lau into the 2017 Big Dance!
Thrilling!
But guess what?
GUESS WHAT?
GUESS WHAT?
BeachGrit and its march for truth in history was the
big winner because…
…and are you sitting down?
…are you ready?
The World Surf League has capitulated and allowed the Red Bull
hat to shine!
It’s true!
The post heat interview with Kanoa (above) and Jordy (below)
featured the Red Bull hat in all of it’s yellow, red, blue, white,
orange, ummmmmm, glory!
And you didn’t think the powers listened? They do! Start
peppering them! What do you want? Let them know!
The Tahitian delivers a resounding blow in the
quarters!
It was the heat of the day, the year even! Not
really the year and maybe not even the day but it was a very good
heat. Michel “The Spartan” Bourez beat John “John” Florence in his
own front/backyard (depending on which way the main Florence home
entrance faces)!
And did you watch it? Did you see? If not hurry up and try and
find a heat on demand. The World Surf League will certainly scrub
it soon because do you know who Michel wears on his forehead? Do
you know who pays him some $$$$? Do you know what he drinks when he
needs wiiiiiiings?
Red Bull!
Trotsky to the WSL’s Lenin!
Where is the Red Bull? Stalinist!
Thankfully you have your BeachGrit. Look at the above picture
and know that we prize truth above all.
We wave it like a banner!
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Jon Pyzel and Matt Biolos by
@theneedforshutterspeed/Step Bros
