Does "Indo decides the title" have the same ring?
The World Surf League released a fine promotional video for the final event of the year, The Pipeline Masters, earlier this week with John John, Jordy, Julian and Gabriel speaking about what it takes/will take to win the this year’s title. Jordy, for example, says, “Believing in yourself…” whilst looking like a serial killer.
Julian says, “Never giving up…” Gabriel says, “Brazil shshu fashoo…” and John John says, “My backyard.”
His backyard! Pipeline!
And of course you have heard by now that the League is shifting their focus away from Hawaii, preferring to end not next year’s tour but the following year’s in Indonesia instead. This, to me, is the worst idea ever. Hawaii is the grandest dame in our surfing world, Stab magazine and its infernal anti-Hawaiian sentiment be damned, and a tour that does not end there feels hollow. The League is pushing hard on the “Hawaii Decides the Title” narrative, even launching a stand alone website (wsltitlerace.com).
Ending each year on the North Shore just makes sense. Beginning on the North Shore feels like a rejection of our faith and why are the powers doing this? What problem does it solve? Is it simply a slap at the Hawaiians who agitate each year for more wildcards? I’ll get to the bottom of this but in the meantime watch Jordy Smith look like a serial killer.
Wouldn’t hurt my feelings any if the entire WSL came crashing down.
The CIA Had everything to do with this. Pocket sand be damned,they do have excellent pocket sand at pupukea,Used it on Reagan in 88′ .
Does anyone know how LeBore is going to be scored?
The good news is that it will likely be one and done.
Maybe they’ll go back to NYC?
YES, please…
(If you’re just fuckin’ with me because I ran past the 2011 comp site today then that’s just cruel. But if you’re serious then I shall be expecting you for cocktails on the deck during the waiting period)
I’m not fucking with you.
I only drink mojitos…..can you get good rum?
This is NY, my friend…we get the good stuff. 😁
stay the fuck out of NY. there are no waves there
damn good idea
it is. God I forgot how much Iove terje. He still got a kook style when he surfs but.
Italo is out, I’m done.
Twillsy, you seem a man of knowledge and passion when it comes to the tub.
What format do you think would both excite the masses and throw red meat to the base?
Fuck, how’s Haliewa right now, looks like a good day at Bondi.
that is some hella bad surf for reals
Victory at Sea
Rick dominated the pool…not Burkhart so it would probably devolve (evolve?) into a guaranteed Blood Feud™
They’d mostly be at the casino.
we can only hope.
“The League is pushing hard on the “Hawaii Decides the Title” narrative, even launching a stand alone website…”
This is akin to the final 3 months (3 WSL/dog years) of a failing relationship with your girlfriend where everything has eroded to bitter contempt for one another but the sex is still grand as ever. That final push, hard-pressed to want things to be better. In the end, wisdom’s whistle as it sits atop the ever closing walls of confinement rings loudest. You jump the fence and its done.
hemingway-esque
Seen the 2018 Tour just dropped?
No Trestles.
No Fiji.
They added Keramas but Fiji is by a million miles the best event on Tour.
No naming rights sponsor for Teahupoo either.
Steady withdrawal of the surf industry continues.
No Hurley = No Nike = ?
well I gotta say I know a bunch of people who will be exceedingly stoked about Lowers being off the program
Why? This is such a bummer
Trestles sucks. Its a gutless wave.
True, but at least it’s a surf spot. Rather watch Trestles all day every day than European close-outs.
Because most of the crew who surf there day to day recreationally don’t like the event very much.
I will miss it, I guess Lemoore won’t have that problem
But it will be the most boring contest ever. Either everyone gets 19.98 heat totals or 4.5 heat totals. How do you possibly score it when EVERY wave is the same?
They have to re format the whole deal for lemoore.
They have to, right? What do we think it will look like?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
And THAT, my friend, is exactly the problem.
Completely locking out US mainland fans from viewing a CT event in person. Definitely not for the people, Chas!
Story on the way. For the people!
yeah, why pull Fiji,Trestles I understand. Any news on Brazil?
Money.
Bugger! when you say money, is it that the WSL is not getting the financial returns from fiji/trestles? It is a business and can see where they are coming from, even if I don’t like it.
Jeez let me dispel this idea once and for all. People don’t make money from professional surfing contests, they only spend money on them. You make money from the spin-offs, not the events. This has been the biggest problem for the WSL: believing the events would become a revenue source. They’ve grown smarter about this in recent times, ie they now get other people to spend the money, mostly government tourism departments. The Fiji government doesn’t have the money to spend on a CT and there is no coherent government support for tourism in California. Meanwhile the WSL is tuning up what they believe may become the revenue source spin-off from the CT — the Pool. There’s the last four years of pro surfing in a nutshell.
As i thought. The W$L is a socialist tour relying on govt handouts. J-Bay often struggles for waves. Running two events there might be difficult but the Saffa must have some spare cash; maybe some of Mugabe’s stashed loot.
Are you saying there is coherent government somewhere else in the US?
I would pay $10 ppv if not more for a contest at cloudbreak. Would you? Provided of course that it was a good format run in epic conditions with no shit house repetive commercials. I think its the only way. It means the people that acually care enough to pay will in a way dictate where and how these events are run..
Well I’m in a weird spot on that one, being a journalist means I’d probably wangle a freebie somehow. But I reckon they’ll test the market on this in 2019.
I think it will succeed.. i subscribe to ufc fight pass at $10 a month and just the archives of every event ever is worth it.. you cant currently go back very far on the wsl app but if they opened this up and you could watch all the old pipemasters, search events etc lock me in
Ha! coincidentally Joe Carr, the guy who got the UFC’s Fightpass thing up and running, now works for the WSL. So that will give you an idea of what’s coming.
You, me and about 1000 other people world wide.
I bet theres more than that ya cynic haha.. im not talking about paying to watch fucken ubatuba! The common man will watch huge cloudbreak or pumping gland or wherever.. they gotta get this stadium shit out of their heads and just stream siick waves.
No argument there knackers!
Exactly why they were never going to drop Margies from the schedule when they have the WA government forking out the costs
I do like that there is a women’s JBay! But no Fiji is sad.
I watched Bianca surf big J bay. she knows the waves. my money is on her
BG should have their article up about it sometime mid-week
Shshu fashoo, my thoughts exactly on the subject.
Jordy’s look is more like the “Oh Fuck, That Felt Liquidy…” Face…
P.S. Best quote from the site, “It’s been 40 years since a ZAF won the Title. If Jordy doesn’t win, it might be another 40. Can he do it?” Snap, Crackle, Pop!… the answer is a hard “no.”