And Silvana Lima wins the Swatch Pro!
I pulled the covers over my head when the slate grey sky became too bright to ignore. Its dull glow represented hard truth. Represented that the last twenty-four hours had not been but a very bad dream. Had I really put ground parsley on my yesterday morning’s poached eggs, smoked Scottish salmon and hollandaise sauce? Ground parsley? Oh sure the jar said it was freshly ground along with being organic but still. Jarred ground parsley. The very height of petit bourgeois. And it was Nick Carroll of all people, Manly Australia’s Nick Carroll, Lifesaving Association belonging Nick Carroll who called me out.
“‘Freshly ground parsley'”? Who grinds parsley?”
Simply Organic is who and they grind it for the petit bourgeois. A terrible nightmare.
Quarterfinal number three paddled into the Lowers obsidian but I didn’t care. John John Florence and Jeremy Flores but I didn’t care. The elites were in their tabernacle drinking hot coffee and nibbling madeleine but I didn’t care. The people were on the dirt and the stone, their children gnawing driftwood but I didn’t care.
I didn’t care and stayed put under the covers trying to find an episode of Sex in the City on my phone to momentarily drown the sorrows. When Carrie and Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte’s punchline-filled debate about soul mates refuses to elicit a smile, though, I know it is time for me to face my new and uncomfortable life.
The shower was warm but not all of the Hermès soap in the entire world could scrub my shame. Nick Carroll for pity’s sake. Nick Carroll.
Oh sure, when I had first gone down to the Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles I had received a revelation. “Forget the small comforts. Forget the elites. Forget the free Michelob Ultra and chicken caesar salad wraps and shade from tents. Get thee amongst the people. Be one with them.”
And I had heeded its clarion call, standing shoulder to shoulder with them in their dirt and filth and the Africanized trash bees. I brought them pears. I carried their sunburn. But never did I imagine that the people would become one with me. That their naturally gauche taste would become my own. Ground parsley. Ground parsley.
My phone rang and a photographer friend said, “Are you here? Standing in your spot? John John just beat Jeremy! He’s going to the semis!” But I didn’t care.
I went downstairs to make breakfast and stood in front of the cupboards paralyzed. Not being able to trust my instincts anymore. Not being able to know if caviar on small toasts with a Veuve Clicquot mimosa is fair or foul. Not even being able to know if I was pronouncing Veuve Clicquot properly.
My phone rang again and a team manager friend said, “Are you here? Near the trashcan? Filipe just beat Kanoa! He’s going to the semis and against John!” But I didn’t care.
What was my life going to look like now? Was I going to accidentally end up wearing Teva sandals, zip-off travel pants a The Inertia t-shirt and SPF 50 wide-brimmed hat and not even know? I buried my face face in my hands.
And didn’t move until my phone rang again. It was a low tier professional surfer who said, “Are you here? Next to the fat shirtless man? Jordy beat Ace. Jordy is going to the finals!” But I didn’t care.
I decided to pour a damned Veuve Clicquot, or however the hell you say it, and Sunny Delight. Screw it. Just screw it all. I was going to sit until both bottles were empty then go to the Red Rooster in Oceanside which came recommended in the BeachGrit comment section. I’d get onion rings covered in packet gravy and cheese-whiz and drink Smirnoff and cran-apple juice. I’d…
…my phone rang again and a surf journalist friend said, “Are you there? On the cobbled stone? I wish I could see it but they moved the media tent down to Tijuana and President Trump has just Tweeted that we won’t be let back into the country. Filipe just beat John John! He’s going to the finals against Jordy!”
And suddenly I cared! Filipe Toldeo! The new Kelly Slater! The world’s current best and most exciting surfer! I sprinted upstairs, taking them two at a time, and ripped into my closet without even thinking, pulling on an old pair of unwashed APC jeans, Turbonegro t-shirt and rammed my feet into a stinky red pair of Vans smashed at the heel. I sprinted to the driveway and the wife had taken the Panamera to Los Angeles for the day so I jumped into five year old Volkswagen station wagon filled with melted crayons and SeaSnax wrappers.
I sped as fast as I could north, past Camp Pendleton, past the immigration control center, past the San Onofre nuclear power plant and said a silent prayer my surviving surf journalist brothers and their difficulties. I sped past the Basilone exit knowing that $20 dollar parking would surely be filled. I sped up Cristianitos and, as if gifted by God, there was a spot available in a dirt patch next to a dumpster. I parked and sprinted.
Sprinted across the 5 freeway bridge, sprinted down the bike path, sprinted though the parking lot, sprinted down the trail and sprinted through the reeds.
I was back! The Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles! And the dirt and the cobbled stone and the sand were filled. Completely filled with all manner of men and women, boys and girls. Old, young. Fresh, haggard. Rich, poor. Surf industry, mechanics, yogis, teachers and landscape engineers. Brazilian and non.
The tents stood empty. Completely abandoned.
“What happened?” I asked a large man with a barbed wire tattoo and a Brazilian flag tied around his neck. “Is it over?”
He looked at me, smiling, and said, “You wouldn’t even believe. Silvana Lima won! And then… Filipe! Filipe Toledo! The judges tried to steal from his pants but God didn’t let them! Nós somos um!”
It made me sad, for a moment, that the current most exciting surfing in the world was almost robbed blind by the judges but then I looked around at the melange of humanity, threw my head back to the sun, which had broken though and was shining full and bright and shouted from my heart, “I am people! We are all people!”
Hurley Pro Final Results:
1 -Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.67
2 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.80
Hurley Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.33 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.17
SF 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.90 def. John John Florence (HAW) 12.66
Hurley Pro Remaining Quarterfinal Results:
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) 14.84 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.80
QF 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.26 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 11.10
Swatch Pro Final Results:
1 -Silvana Lima (BRA) 17.60
2 – Keely Andrew (AUS) 10.93
Swatch Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 16.90 def. Lakey Peterson (USA) 15.60
SF 2: Keely Andrew (AUS) 13.43 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 13.17
2017 WSL Men’s Jeep Leaderboard (After Hurley Pro at Trestles):
1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 45,850 pts
2 – John John Florence (HAW) 43,400 pts
3 – Julian Wilson (AUS) 37,200 pts
4 – Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 36,450 pts
5 – Owen Wright (AUS) 35,850 pts
2017 WSL Women’s Jeep Leaderboard (After Swatch Pro at Trestles):
1 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 45,100 pts
2 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 44,800 pts
3 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 44,700 pts
4 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 39,950 pts
5 – Sage Erickson (USA) 37,150 pts
hahaha hah hahaha!
“Had I really put ground parsley on my yesterday morning’s poached eggs, smoked Scottish salmon and hollandaise sauce?”
By all accounts the answers are yes and you have been suitably chastised. And what the hell? Has this cocaine book led you to some the secrets of the highs available from smoking Scottish salmon and hollandaise sauce. I guess a bong would be too downmarket. You would have to use an ornate hook-ah.
Look Chas it’s simple, just go to Ralph’s or wherever, buy a bunch of fresh parsley, then finely chop it with a sharp knife. Then we will give you a 9, just like Jordy.
Nick, remember he’s in ‘Murica, the home of ‘convenience.’ If you tried to get fresh parsley you might get arrested for being a communist or something.
Mate he lives in fucking Encinitas or somewhere. They probably try to give you fresh parsley in the street.
It’s true! They do!
Finished $85 up, would have been more if not for the safety dance. Enjoy that stuck in your head next surf.
I swear to you, The Safety Dance has been stuck in my head for many past surfs. No idea why, other than that it is a masterpiece of song.
Some shitty song possessing magic powers ala Britney’s Toxic.
This is fucking amazing. Bravo on this series. some of your best yet imo. please continue
Its voove klee-co. And mixing it with sunny-d is a crime. Animal.
I actually heard the “veuve” is pronounced like “love.” Derek?
Verve. As in verve.
Yeah — closer to love than to an “oo” sound. Those eu vowels are a pain in the ass for English-speakers.
Oh, those English speakers want nothing to do with the EU.
And the saga of Chas among the peasants ends, inexplicably not devoured like Sebastian in Suddenly Last Summer.
You so Zen!
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
A non set wave at Pipe, fiji, et al wont get you a nine. And dont you dare try to disprove. Im tipsy
Well done Filipe and Silvana!
Congratulations!!!
Dá-le dá-le dá-le dá-le ôôôôÔÔÔÔÔ
ps:
what hell Mick? How come you lose, twice, to the outsourced japanese???
What the hell WSL!
The true japanese it’s far, far, far, far far, far better than the outsourced… in flow, lines, drive, power, speed, progressive maneuvers.
Igarashi it’s an WSL enigma… like Asing and Banting…
Well looks like Cali still have Brother…
Great parsley counter-punching…..but something niggles: Has this new Chas Man of the People lost a bit of edge, become a bit emasculated , a bit Matthew, John, Mark and Luke?
Have we swapped the lion for the lamb, even if grass raised, with no hormones?
Where’s our little biz partner gone? The one who loved blowing shitt up?
God I hope Trestles doesn’t get cut in the brave new world.
Oh just you wait……… I am pushing pieces around the board even right now for the biggest explosion of my life.
Oh, I only jesting. Great series, you set a very high bar now.
I can’t wait for your next.
you suck
You sir, suck way harder. Way.
funny how i wrote that in protest to over punctuating and trying way too hard to add spice and weird inflections to an internet comment nobody is going to read. its awkward. If you want to show off your writing skills or appear witty maybe try writing a full article.
Longtom has written a few articles in his time? You?
Damn Charlie. Damn. Fuck. Mother fuck. Shit. Godammmit. The fucks down at the league office don’t deserve writing this great. I just read the whole series and I need a drink.
Thanks Nug….
I’ve been emailing people telling em to read the Lowers series from the start. don’t even know who I’m emailing. Ive been roaring with laughter during breakfast for the last week. laptop covered in disgusting flecks of weetbix and toast.
What did the judges try and steal from his pants? His wallet?
The pickpocketing world tour PWT could be a go
wait wait wait wait wait
you spend $400 on pants but then buy parsley that comes in a JAR? did you buy premade hollandaise too?
Because parsley is so fucking tricky to grow…
Well you do have to water it? Idk.
It is best described as a weed. No maintenance required. No one of an organic bent should be without a specimen tucked away in their back yard. Word.
…weed? grind it & bong yourself silly, dude…
Parsley in a jar at Whole Foods isn’t even 12 dollars though, steal!
Wait, you’re fucking married??
I think that more than anywhere else on tour, the judges judge the wave and not the ride at Trestles.
I was cheering for my local girl in the semis but Silvana earned this one. Good on her.
Also zip off pants are an abomination and should be shot into the sun.
The WSL is trying to keep Filipe in the mix with Jordy and JF, but they have already decided that Jordy will get the last real WSL trophy in history at the very end. KP has seen the forecast for pipe and it is looking like 2-3 feet with howling 35 knot offshore gusts, Jordy’s favorite conditions.
If only the Brazilians had displayed this two-footed dominance when they were being invaded by Medina’s ancestors.