Surfing you must see to believe!
This video affirms two long-held beliefs.
1. John John is the best surfer in the world (sorry, Dane).
2. Competitive surfing is soooooo dull.
The contrast between the front half of this clip and the back is startling. John wins Haleiwa surfing to maybe fifty percent of his abilities. He then loses at Sunset with aggressive, committed surfing and flunks at Pipe because of poor wave choice.
But the second half of the vid… by gosh some of the best surfing I’ve seen. Better than Dane in Sampler, better than Jordy in …whatever his movie was called. It’s just fantastic! Full speed, full-rail, full commitment in waves of power and pain. No one looks more comfortable on a surfboard than a jersey-less John.
At the end of the clip he states, “I’m gonna go after another world title, one-hundred percent.” While this thrills part of me — for I want nothing more than a decade-long duel between John and Gab, wherein the white man eventually reigns supreme — another part can’t help but wonder what we’re losing in that pursuit. I know I’m not alone in that.
For instance, Albee Layer had this to say after being asked about his and John’s battle to land the first backside 540/720: “[John] showed me a clip of him over-rotating a backside spin, and I showed him one of me doing the same thing. So it started a bit of a battle. I mean, I think if he put half the energy I did into it he probably would have made it, but this year he just shifted his whole focus onto contest surfing. Which personally, I just hate [laughs], thinking about the progression he could do for surfing.”
John is great for competitive surfing, but he’s an even greater barometer for what’s physically possible in the sport. If he’s working towards titles, that means he’s at least partly forgoing the pursuit of progression. Woe is me.
Please tell me he’s using some special wax..
i hope team nz smashes those oracle cunts
It seems pretty obvious that video edits will showcase surfing that’s more technical, relaxed, creative, etc. Still impressive to see a pro nail a wave when it counts in competition, given the pressure, limited wave opportunities, etc.
Also, “wherein the white man eventually reigns supreme”… I know it’s tongue in cheek, but damn, given the current atmosphere of “make America white again”, a little much no?
yes
For truly progressive competitive surfing to happen, WSL must adapt or die
Cynical it ain’t gonna happen. Cue Sugar Water Volcom Pipeline Pro …
It is just me that thinks the huge amount of time between heats would be ample to progress surfing? Cunts like Simpo worked about an 8 hour year while on tour.
I concur.
I think most of the WSL guys actually practice between heats with three safe turns to the beach, competitive paddling, etc., which I find comical.
Anyway, I got hit with two audio advertisements playing simultaneously during the video. Had the volume all the way up with some bitch screaming at me to buy nasal core, whatever that is.
The contest robot mentality comsumes all time and space. It’s a black hole that sucks the best from the best.
I got sooo boring, and woe is me out of this article. Is it fair to say that a no shit sherlock is due on this topic of contest surfing vs free surfing. I think so. Counting the clicks has to get boring at some juncture.