The scandal at Todos Santos turns into Todos-gate!
A very wise boy once told me, “There are two sides to every story. Neither of them are true.” And let us turn our attention, once again, to the scandal at Todos-gate. We heard how San Diego surfer/shaper Gary Linden stopped motorcycle stuntman Robbie “Maddo” Maddison from riding his bike on a wave at Todos Santos, which breaks on an island just off the Baja peninsula, in order to protect the sanctity of the place.
We read Maddo’s response. That Gary Linden was “butt hurt” about not being consulted on the project and was not acting as a noble protector of the sea but rather a petulant child.
Yesterday, I spoke with an insider who happened to be there for the entire dance. He said that the real victim is the people of Baja California. The moto scene is already very big down there with the Baja 1000 drawing tens of thousands of viewers and pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy. In his opinion, Todos Santos is a wave that has fallen off the scene.
He told me, “6 people were there when we were out and everyone was stoked on what we were doing except Gary and a half-Peruvian boy he had paid to be with him. He said we didn’t ask the locals’ permission? We had all 20 locals who actually live there on the payroll for the project! What makes Gary a local? Because he drives down from San Diego to surf it? All he did by shutting down the project was take food from the Mexicans’ mouths and take away a great opportunity to showcase Todos Santos again.”
“But what about the bike?” I asked. “I think most surfers are concerned that it could get dumped and end up spilling oil on the ocean floor or something else unseemly…”
“No way…” he responded. “Robbie loves those bikes so they are each completely sealed and fitted with an airbag so if it goes down it floats to the surface. We also had 2 ex-Navy SEAL divers on site to assist with any other possible accident. The bike pollutes less than a ski or the boats that sit out there.”
But what do you think? Is this a case of a crusty old man standing in the way of innovation or the case of a brave man doing what’s right in the face of vicious odds?
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So…who owns the ocean?
one demerit for incomplete reportage, chas.
did the red bull guys manage to complete their stunt, or not?
and if not, what does it say for their planning that one stubborn old surfer could scuttle the whole works? blame the producer, that’s what he’s there for!
also, exactly how does this stunt out at sea benefit the local motorcycle scene? its like saying felix baumgartner’s stunt is going to bring more business to the hot air balloon guys in temecula
What’s next maddo towing laird in on his jet ski motto…..
I guess the only plus is Maddo will die soon. I hope it’s, ironically, not because of some stunt gone wrong but because he pisses off the wrong Navy SEAL.
Watching someone ride a motorcycle in the surf is about as exciting as watching someone ride a surfboard on a big pile of dirt…..pfffffft!! And listening to a dirt biker rag on an old shaper is about as dramatic as the latest issue of national enquirer…..
Nailed it
“Half Peruvian boy” …? WTF? Too bad this yahoo didn’t pancake in Vegas.
Americans….
Ah the old “stealing food from Mexican babies” defense. A bit patronizing, no? I imagine a Sally Struthers commercial “please, let moto-kook dodge a barrel, or these starving babies will be on Linden’s head!”
If the locals are missing out does that mean they didn’t pay up front? How very surf industry of them.
Red Bull is basically a pointless performance art piece aimed a highly motivated morons with Flaming Hot Cheeto dust running through their veins. And in the third act everyone dies of heart failure and diabetes.
They would piss on the Mona Lisa and call it innovation.
Damn Nug firing on all cylinders lately. I have to constantly explain to the yoot that Red Bull is basically a drug company marking up a can of piss that costs .05c to manufacture and using the profits to co-opt everything deemed cool, including but not limited to surfing, skating, music, all things extreme and Bruce Irons. What they’ve done to needle a way into music is worse than anything they’ve done in the sport world.
At least music doesn’t profess to be a “healthy” lifestyle like surfing does.
I remember in ADS’ post world title interview when Rosie asked him about his strategy and mindset and he said inbetween sobs, i’m not shitting you: ‘I just take a redbull and get out there!’ and then proceeded to produce a redbull can and began chugging it. Just deplorable. Poor guy. Joining the Redbull team must be like joining the illuminati or some kind of satanic cult where you’re compelled to perform heinous acts against your will, or face consequences dealt out by your flat-peak cap-over-the-ears, BlackFlys wearing team manager on a motorcross bike.
bumbum bum bum bumbum….SAIL!
what has happened to all the other articles on this? M.Ciaomeowmeow has been silenced by Chas Jong Um?
BRAAAAAP. kooks.
Braaaaaaap boys
The biggest part of the “moto scene” down there is the locals digging holes so they can watch rich white guys break their toys.