Is the Championship Tour where young dreams go to die?
Getting on the World Championship Tour is the dream of every blue-blooded young professional surfer. He has grown watching his heroes Taj Burrow, Joel Parkinson, John John Florence, maybe even Adriano de Souza, travel the world, surfing iconic waves, winning, laughing, smiling. And he decided to follow in their footsteps, through junior events then low-point Qualifying Tour events before the stars align and he makes the cut. Makes it into the very exclusive club.
Now his jersey will be hanging in a Gold Coast locker and the thrill is just beginning.
Except it is not. Little does the blue-blooded young professional surfer know, but now he must work two full time jobs, toiling on both the Championship Tour and the Qualifying Tour in order to make ends meet. The dream basically turning into a lower-middle class American reality. Morning shifts at the fertilizer plant. Evening shifts driving an Uber.
What a royal bummer and let’s let last year’s budding flower/this year’s wilted weed Patrick Ewing give advice to Griffin Colapinto:
“I’d say just have fun on Tour, but focus on the QS. I wish I would have done that this year but I was too busy focusing on the CT just trying to get heat wins. If I could’ve got a good start on the QS early in the year I wouldn’t be in this position.”
What a giant downer having a “fun” job and a “real” job. Where is the time to kick it with friends at the mall? To go to house parties and whisper about who might be hiding half a beer? It seems a real rip-off, making the Championship Tour and losing everything.
I suppose, at the end, blue-blooded young professional surfers are just like us. Except for those who count Adriano de Souza as their hero. Working two jobs instead of five would feel like a vacation for them.
Patrick Ewing should stick to basketball !!
On Ewing’s. Ethan’s bright star certainly faded.
Chas I hate to try and jack the thread, but can we talk about this a little more? Can we perhaps do a survey of the most fucking ridiculous poser things that the Inertia mods have come up with? https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Remember the soul sucking times when you could accumulate points at connests all over the world to claim a world title? Was it Rabbit who figured he could claim the title if he went to Florida for a 1000 point thing, forcing whoever was leading to also go there?
Probably inspired Kelly to be the man he is today.
It’s true! I loved the drama of trials events where anyone could surf to make the main events. The Nick Wood, Dog Marsh final at Bells had us throwing clay bombs from the cliffs at all the old, grey headed cunts below in a full tilt grommet rebellion!
Thats killer.. A buddy of mine made it into finals or maybe just the semis of trials at Sunset in the later part of the 80’s. We were still groms and he had 1/2 a dead bird hanging out of his car grill after a contest. So as we finished a bucket of chicken we loaded the front end with skin and bones. Wedging the the smallest pieces into radiator. Bad idea.. Got some well deserved abused for a couple years until he ran into on the North Shore. Been close friends since.
Rabbits not the cause of Kellys issues
As Regurgitated sang:
https://youtu.be/Ag43uW4AOFc
Should be the theme song for the tv “show” Keeping up with the Kardashians
Chas you were born to be a QS surfer. You missed the fucking boat, bro. Dream Tour, ha! The QS is like Dream College, where you spend February in Australia, June in Indonesia, August in Europe and November in Hawaii, and never learn a thing! Plus there’s no terrible Kelly Slater figure directing your life and scaring you in heats. If you’re under 25 or over 45, it’s the best days of your life.
Imagine living in an aquatic purgatory where you are the King of the QS but the Whipping Boy of the CT. Please God, don’t make me surf against Wiggioly Dante! Can’t I just stay on the QS and surf against Klaus Bruner the Austrian snowboarder? I’m sure I can get through that heat!
Levels of HELL avoided by under the radar rookies this year
God i hope Wade Carmichael makes the cut. That guy at J.Bay will get me watching. No more 65kg tick tackers thankyou.
Plus…Piping Hot on the big stage.
Viva la 80s. Do i dare call him the hipster version of Kong.
Oh please Wade get them to make you a white slick skin steamer for Bells.
I have now no doubt put the mocker on him and will watch him now finish 11th on QS in a few days time.
he’s like a Conor coffin that can do more than just cutbacks!
Agree 100%.
Plus he gets no backing from major sponsors, i reckon he hasnt made in his whole career the coin Ewing made this year from Billabong alone.
Everyone loves watching man hacks n power surfin, but only ollies, kick flips n chic web clips get the sponsors frothing over fresh young meat.
Well he ‘s on tour , Wade , is probably the best U/30 Aust on tour if you like raw power , big hacks and he does have an air game , at least he’s not just a clone of the HPSC , and he already surfs better that Connor and Kolohe!
Yeah cuz how could Ewing have known to do the QS. If only there was a precedent he couldve followed. Next he’ll be saying he should go to tahiti early.
Checked in on Sunset today and saw Jack Robbo hadn’t made the cut. This made me sad.
Hope he’s not Depactus.
Chas, seriously, how many 600,000 US a year jobs exist on North Stradbroke Island for an 18 year old surfer . Kid just pulled off the greatest rock n roll swindle since the sexpistols .LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK !
You are totally right and I kind of kid but also doesn’t surfing every contest you can get into just to stay alive kind of…. diminish the pleasure?
Not if you love surfing and competing or am I stuck in the 80s.As Micro said “ better to surf for Ireland than dig holes for Australia “
The surfing part would be alright, I think, it’s managing the travel for both that would get me down. And the hustle — keeping enough sponsors happy to keep the lights on outside the top guys looks hella challenging, unless you got a fat trust fund.
doubt he earns anywhere close to 600k…..more like 150 to 200k…which half will go to travel and tax
If the two are really going to be treated separately, ‘CT surfers should be barred from accruing points towards qualification on the ‘QS. They either re-qualify via the Tour or they die and leave the viewers alone for a whole year. This would spare us from having to watch, year after year, the Mellings of the world sucking and fucking up precious slots.
Amen!
Funny how surfers who can’t bring advertising dollars are easy game Melling Kennedy etc
I make fun of Jordy a lot.
But not Jon Jon . He white he American he Hawaiian he rich. Not smart to bite the hand that feeds you .
Did you ever read my Surfer’s Journal profile on John John?
I stand corrected.Very brave of you to dare to criticize the CHOSEN ONE . MR Smith goes to Washington.Keep the bastards honest .
Ha! I try my damndest.
As Mr Whitlam said “ Maintain the rage “
Post a link I would like to read.
Chas- did you single-handedly change the way shakas are thrown? Ever since you wrote about shaka styles in your book, they have been looser than ever. Thoughts?
I got some thoughts on that: absurd.
And we would not have to have seen kolohe growing up on tour but 2million a year silences the doubters,not to mention perennial QS qualifier until recently Wilko , who took a little time to have fun on tour before stepping it up .
you mean like this?
https://youtu.be/pHU6K47qgc8