People lose, we win!
Five of my Fantasy guys are in round two, so
for the sake of this analysis, let’s hope a majority of them
survive. The waves look fun again, so let’s get this party
started!
But first, let’s jump back 14 hours to what Nick Cannon
described as the WSL’s “minor desperation in bunging on two heats
out of nowhere late on a Thursday afternoon.”
Mikey vs. Michel
The late afternoon, low-tide conditions at Snapper looked
thoroughly enjoyable. Mikey’s tight, powerful surfing suited the
steep transitions, and he was able to put together a few solid
combos. He really could be a Tour surfer, if he tried.
Michel got a mini-tube for a solid eight-pointer. He needed a
five in the dying seconds, but his buzzer-beater attempt was a
barrage of jerky, forced flicks, resulting in a high-four and heat
loss.
Kelly vs. Nat
Poor Nat. He did everything he could in this abbreviated
comeback tour, but besides the trials win, nothing’s gone his way
in the past year. Surely he’ll re-up through the QS within the next
two seasons.
Kelly’s board looks very buoyant. This means ample flow between
maneuvers but a slight diversion from rail-soaking maneuvers. I
honestly prefer this from the old man, as I’ve grown tired of
watching him bog on the little Banana. If he continues to pick the
right waves and maintain his flow, he could compete his way into
the finals.
Aaaaaand it’s morning on the Goldy again! Sun rising to
right of screen etc.
Filipe vs. Zeke
It’s not 8 AM and already contest favorite has fallen.
Filipe looked out of sorts – bad wave choice, misreading sections –
and paid the price against rookie Zeke Lau. Fil nearly saved
himself with a patented full-roter but lost his footing in
mid-air. Despite eventually coming down with the maneuver, he was
unable to surf the rest of the wave and therefore fell short of the
required score.
Zeke surfed well on the waves he was dealt, but you can tell
he’s yet to unleash the beast. He got his scores then played the
priority game in the last few minutes, winning in veteran
fashion.
Seabass vs. Jack
Jack picked off a gem to start but again safety-surfed to a
seven. He rode his next wave with more tenacity and dropped a six
for two turns, which was a welcome reprieve from his
twelve-flick seven. Such is the crux of catching a perfect
wave — you’re so focused on not blowing it that you forget to
actually surf. Jack then sat with priority and never picked off
another good one.
After a sleepy start, Seabass started swinging. He wasted his
time on a few duds but was ultimately rewarded for his scavengery
with a pair of eights. Seabass was the first to realize the best
waves reside about halfway down the bank.
Freestone footed the bill on that discovery.
Josh vs. Ian
Josh Kerr couldn’t have surfed a worse heat. He picked off a few
good waves, but either fell or was too deep on all of them. His one
decent ride put him in a position to make the heat, but he never
found a back-up. He’s gotta be kicking himself right now.
Ian got away with murder here. His poor wave selection and
clunky turns continued from round one, though this time he at least
broke into double-digits. To compound his shitty surfing and wave
choice, Ian made a major priority error at the end of the heat
(when Kerr only needed a small score) but somehow held onto the
win. He needs a complete reboot before round three.
Jeremy vs. Ace
The goofy-regular dichotomy unloaded at Snapper for an electric
thirty minutes. While Ace paced his way through waves, picking
apart the steeper sections with a 12 o’clock attack, Jeremy used
his rail to bisect the turquoise walls.
Both surfers conjured upper-fifteen scorelines but it was Jeremy
who eked out the win. This comes as a relief to the Frenchman who,
as recently as yesterday, has historically suffered from close
losses.
This was a great heat despite the atrocious use of claims.
Italo vs. Italy
Did I ever call 50% of this heat’s outcome! Sure, yesterday’s
prophecy of Leo got unlucky with waves today, but I see him
making a few rounds at this event went to shit. But what
about, Oh how I adore the little pipe bomb that is Italo
Ferreria. He didn’t amaze today but soon… soon?
And did the little pipe bomb dismantle your perception of
reality, or definitely? After an impressive display of wave
catching and quick-twitch score manufacturing, Italo was gifted a
closeout wedge. He hucked and spun and fell and somehow popped out
of the whitewater ten yards away from where he’d entered it. The
little bugger then proceeded to ride white water for ten seconds,
followed by a pop-shuv it and switch float-climb, because why
not? 10 points!
Caio vs. Joan
The world’s best backhand went limp in round two, which is a
bummer, because he actually would have won most heats yesterday.
Joan’s a proper shred, he’ll come back firing at Bells.
Caio dropped the hammer today. A combination of clever wave
choice and big boy turns led the diminutive Brazilian to an easy
victory. This is how he won rookie of the year in ’16.
Conner vs. Bede
For the majority of this heat, Connor and Bede traded rides so
dull that I found myself losing interest mid-turn. They looked so
busy trying not to fall that neither of them remembered to win the
heat.
The only noteworthy moment came from the final exchange when,
needing a mid-range score, Conner delivered two legitimate
layback hacks. Like… the kind where your board goes past 6 o’clock
and you might actually fall if you don’t recover properly. Eight
pointer, heat winner.
Stu vs. Ewing
The wave that delivered Stu’s nine-pointer was so far superior
to anything else in the heat, Stu could have surfed it at 60% and
still gotten a seven. Instead, he unleashed one of the maneuvers of
the comp and even tried to cap it off with a punt. I respect that
type of recklessness, especially when it pays off. Stu is back on
my good side. (Interesting note: this score was changed from an 8.9
to a 9.1. Don’t know how or why.)
Ethan never got in a rhythm, but he ripped the shit out of an
eight-pointer in the dying seconds. Kid sure can surf, but I see
him having a rough year on tour.
Kanoa vs. Connor
Kanoa’s board looks too big and his eight was wildly overscored.
He also fell for the rookie’s priority trick at a crucial
moment, leading to his competitive demise. On a positive note, the
weight of the streak is finally lifted from Kanoa’s bronzed
shoulders! He’s free!
Connor surfed better today. In fact I’m almost ready to accept
his presence on Tour. The priority steal from Kanoa followed by a
last-minute eight makes me feel a bit of endearment towards the
Aussie-Irish-Japanse kid. Plus, that backside whip is lethal.
Wig vs. Mig
Both Mig and Wig have a surplus of style, flow, and back foot
Whaaapaaaaa. Considering their turns are so similarly
awesome, this heat came down to wave selection and Miggy
reigned supreme. I recommend watching and re-watching this heat if
you’re a fan of backside surfing.
