WSL: This is what a 9.73 looks like?

Four comfortable turns and a closeout twitch an almost-perfect ride in 2017?

Have you felt the thrill of mob anger? Under the flimsiest of pretexts becoming enraged at who knows what, exclamations of ribald encouragement yelled as you tear down a sign, throw a rock at the damn police or kick someone you’ve never met?

Oh I’m so…so…angry with the WSL.

I got such a tick in my groin when it was announced Filipe had officially interfered with Kanoa Igarashi. Oh I knew it was coming. It strained my nerves so much because I knew those judges in their loud shirts would thrust their thumbs down at Filipe.

But, I think, much worse, was this almost 10-point ride from Owen Wright in round four. When I read that morning’s WSL press release (who can stay up so late to watch live?) I threw back why sheets and opened my laptop to watch the wave.

An almost-perfect ride on those odd, backwash-ridden waves?

What bag of bon-bons did Owen serve?

Four identical backhand swipes, none presenting any difficulty or risk for Owen, and a closeout re-entry on a wave you would only generously call three feet.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, presenting what passes for an almost-perfect ride on the WSL in 2017.

Cue to 4:58.

Caveat: I know, I know, waves are scored heat by heat, scale is set on the first wave etc, put it into context and so forth. But this is nearly a ten?

Kanoa Igarashi vs. Julian Wilson vs. Owen Wright - Round Four, Heat 4 - Oi Rio Pro 2017

 

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Abhijit Ganguli
Abhijit Ganguli
9 years ago

Meanwhile, a backside 360 air reverse that 99% of the world’s surfers wish they could do but can’t gets scored as a 6.0.

Dennis Commentary
Dennis Commentary
9 years ago

No c onspiracy dez, he smashed it

Lemon Next to the Pie
Lemon Next to the Pie
9 years ago

Again, did Kaipo use my “Sailor on shore leave…” comment when the opportunity presented?

Mariano Landa
Mariano Landa
9 years ago

Who’s going to start the Gofundme to get Jay Larson back on tour to peg some 9.00s?

Black Rubber
Black Rubber
9 years ago

Backside surfing is in dire need of an overhaul. If Wilko taught us anything last year, the exact same backside turn is the most deadly weapon on the tour. And it’s such a bore.

Shampoo Poo
Shampoo Poo
9 years ago

Totally NOT a 9.73…more like a 9.67.

Antipodes
Antipodes
9 years ago

Hopefully Fiji is going to be pumping so we can see Owen get some legit high scores.

Manuka
Manuka
9 years ago

Judging​ tower moved to that click-farm in China?!
Chass, can you investigate?

Manuka
Manuka
9 years ago
Reply to  Manuka

Maybe the Russians did it?

Tom
Tom
9 years ago

Fuck me i’m back from Bali after 10 days and oh so much I have missed!!
Forget Bali – chinese learning surfing everywhere. The masses are coming.
Other than that russian packs of kooks everywhere. They try and control the line up as well as buying up property!!!!
Russians plus Chinese – it is all fucking over up there.
Owens wave 7 range maybe but a 9.73 fucken hell

huma's tears
huma's tears
9 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Despite all this, no one ever blames Jerry Lopez, the Laird of Uluwatu.

Bleach'd Git
Bleach'd Git
9 years ago
Reply to  Tom

If you could turn back time, eh? Totally all-time keyboard battles going down and you were wasting your time “surfing”.

Tom
Tom
9 years ago
Reply to  Bleach'd Git

I totally wasted my time surfing!!! Bali is not the place for me – I had waves but the amount of kooks – mainly Russian was out of hand.
I would have better wasted my time on here!!!

abs(ə)nt
abs(ə)nt
9 years ago

Owen & Tyler. Brother & sister. 2017 world champions? You can’t script this..

Seaman Staines
Seaman Staines
9 years ago
Reply to  abs(ə)nt

Ahem….yes, in fact you can.

Billy
Billy
9 years ago

Was it less than a point better than Kanoa’s best wave (yes) was it twice as good as Julian’s 1st wave (yes).
Time to take the tin foil hat off I reckon, why don’t you drop Davey or one of the lads a line and get some factual insight that your good readers can relate to. That wouldn’t make for attention grabbing headlines though would it ???

Anthony Arturo Leone
Anthony Arturo Leone
9 years ago

Technically, speed power and flow were all there. Only saw him hold back for one little section. If that was the best wave of the heat shape and size wise then the score makes sense. Its just excellent range surfing and since the judges cream themselves over safety surfing does that really surprise anyone? Its also a three man heat so no ones getting eliminated.
I will say the WSL pushing narratives seems so blatant sometimes.

longtom
longtom
9 years ago

I feel the meta-narrative 2017 is Owen Wright storming home for his first World Title post brain injury.
You can see all those little asian-american interns in Santa Monica wsl HQ logging the footage now so they can get the edit out soon as the siren sounds for the end of the season at Pipe. It’ll be so stirring: grown men all over Australia will come out of their houses with their trousers down weeping.

Eddie Haiku
Eddie Haiku
9 years ago
Reply to  longtom

Little asian-Americans? Is that meant to be a put down or did I miss the nuance?

huma's tears
huma's tears
9 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

Interns are little. For example, Ciaramella. It’s the main reason they didn’t hire Currie. He was too big. Apparently, it has to do with tucking interns in bed at night, a practice dating back to the early seventeenth century.

longtom
longtom
9 years ago
Reply to  huma's tears

thats what I meant….but asian-american little interns didn’t read write

Lance Carson
Lance Carson
9 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

its ok to be racist if it’s not against black people I guess.

Neah Kah Nie Pirate
Neah Kah Nie Pirate
9 years ago
Reply to  longtom

I think the Meta Narrative will be how much people missed the WCT and now just have the WQS to log into for the late night jerkoffs. Probably be a few bald, over the hill Aussie surf writers lamenting the image of these fabled Asian interns – but we know where in Indo they get their rocks off.

Anyway.

Certainly won’t affect grown men in Australia.

Abhijit Ganguli
Abhijit Ganguli
9 years ago
Reply to  longtom

Your comment became so (NOT) so much funnier once you racistly threw asians under the bus

huma's tears
huma's tears
9 years ago

Like the straight politician leading the gay pride march, the judges are going out of their way to prove they’re not goofophobic.

Huckleberry
Huckleberry
9 years ago

He ripped the bag out of it, but I feel ya.. Only in Brazil. Looks like a fun ass summer day at my local..

Jocks
Jocks
9 years ago

There’s a WSL CT comp running in Brazil?

Nick Carroll
Nick Carroll
9 years ago

I think my lil brother did that in 1987 and got an 8.5

lorne
lorne
9 years ago

you obviously missed the comeback narrative section of the judging criteria. easy enough to do


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