And challenges Gabriel Medina to fight!
Day five, six, whatever it is caught me on the hop. Women’s heats called on, and it’s not that I’m not interested in womens Pro Surfing – my plan is to transition into full-time coverage and ditch the mens – but after thinking and focussing on pro surfing so much a sportswriter needs some clean air away from the screen. ie. the waves were pumping here.
The notification came half way through heat one round four. But first should we riff a little more on John Florence? Does his year not recall that famous quote from Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, “How did you go broke?”
“Slowly at first, then all at once.” Paraphrase, I know.
We’ve failed, so far, to attribute any of the blame to mere randomness, what author Nassim Nicolas Taleb calls the “Black Swan event.” His first loss to Mikey Wright (at Snapper) just occurred from a slightly too sleepy start in a heat where the best waves came to Mikey.
Then at Bells, he was hassled off the first wave by Zeke Lau and over-compensated with patience.
Margarets he is still going and here in Bali he again suffered a slightly too sleepy heat against an unfancied opponent who threw caution to the wind and prevailed.
Surf journalist Nick Carroll in comments said he could have walked to his second title last year except for a relapse in heat strategy. I see it slightly differently. He was on fire at Bells and should have won his heat against an over-scored Ibelli. Same in J-Bay against Morais. Again, luck: randomness. The subjectivity of judges. If those two events went his way, the title would have been won far sooner.
I don’t believe he wants to walk away.
Why?
My short but intensive interviews with him revealed a man of surprising competitive intensity. I take at face value his claims to want to win big by going bigger and redrawing the boundaries of competitive surfing. I believe that is sufficient motivating force for him to be on tour.
But he’s been mugged by the reality of randomness. So far. Problem is now plugging the holes so the losing slowly, heat by heat, doesn’t begat the catastrophe of losing the whole year in a torrent of uncontrolled bad heats. J-bay, more than Ulus, offers a reset.
Four heats today, in perfect high-perf conditions. Bourez masterful, masterful rail lord in heat one.
Heat two was a banger. Ace out of the blocks quickly, Mikey looked hesitant and slow. Griff patient. In the back third Ace’s lead was reversed as Mikey caught fire then Griff bought full repertoire from rail game to fins out surfing. One thing to note: Mikey has been unable to score using hi-fi surfing and has had to “backpeddle” to the rail game. If he meets Filipe that will be telling. Wright and Colapinto through.
Jordy stole away from Flores and Medina in heat three to open a slender lead with very big opening turns. Medina looked beastly, again. But could not finish a wave properly to ice a lead. J-Flo played patient tube hound and rode the best waves of the heat. The heat pivoted on a paddle battle with three minutes to go. Jordy greased a slick air, kicked out in front of Gabe, then went toe-to-toe with Medina in a physical paddle battle. I was stunned Jordy won that. Absolutely pole-axed. That left Medina last priority as the clock ticked down and a heat loss he will bitterly rue come year’s end.
“This really fired me up,” said Jordy in the post-heat presser with Kaipo Guerrero. “We were paddling and he pulled my leg once and I went, ok accident, twice, I thought that’s deliberate. Put em up. Let’s go.”
“Love it, love it, that passion,” muttered a panicked Kaipo, echoes of Todd Kline’s interview with Bobby Martinez in 2011.
Jordy had just said, on a live webcast, that he’d been deliberately interfered with by Medina and that he’d subsequently suggested they fight.
No follow-up question. No investigation. No probing.
“Can you carry that passion into the quarter-final?” said Kaipo.
Yawn.
The final matchup with Italo, Filipe and ADS was a slight, slight anti-climax. Not for aficionados of backside surfing because Italo showed the game has changed and he is at the apex of high performance surfing, not John, not Filipe.
It was slight anti-climax because he skipped away so quickly and with so much dominance that it was no contest. He too, can not quite grease one of the towering airs he’s been attempting. If he sticks one, the dam wall will burst. If Australia can support thrre CT’s an actual Bali leg should be a no-brainer, even if the tech billionaires who now seem to control Big Surfing are enthralled with trains in tubs.
We’ll meet again tomorrow for the final, I guess.
Corona Bali Protected Men’s Round 4 Matchups:
Heat 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 17.00 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 13.60, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 11.66
Heat 2: Mikey Wright (AUS) 15.80 def. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.73, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.50
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.76 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.70, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.76
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 17.00 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.87, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.16
Corona Bali Protected Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
Heat 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Heat 2: Mikey Wright (AUS) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
That’s what I love about our sport.
Is it “Pole-axed” or “Polaxed”? BTW, my 9-year old is calling him “Jor-duh-eee”.
How can some guy who scored Madonna in her prime become such a softcock wanker? Come on Kaipo, have some passion yourself you little bitch!!!!
I dunno man. He kinda looks scared, like he’s got one last chance and he can’t blow it. Maybe this is his only gig and if he fucks up he goes back to working at Foodland stacking shelves.
Let’s be real – between young Kaipo and Madonna, who was the predator and who was prey ?
Can you define “high perfomance surfing” for me? because that is obvioulsy subjective. for me JJs tubes where more high performance than Jesse’s sloppy air
were
deflection
Yes, sorry; just yanking your chain.
I do have a more substantial answer, just got a few goats showed up so I need to attend to business.
right on, it was somewhat of a rhetorical question anyway. aloha
Medina and Jordy in a ring? Maybe there would be a heat I’d pay to see!
Medina would kill him! Remember that heat loss where Jordy tried to punch his board and missed!
That’s okay, it’ll redirect and hit Charlie.
In his rd. 4 heat Italo catches a left, much to the amusement of the 89 World Champ and Turpel…
89 Champ Martin Potter – “Where are we?”
Turpel – “We’re at Keramas. I love it.”
They really can’t get any shittier.
https://youtu.be/BWHTo-07M7…
Jordy’s interview was fire. Kaipo blew it by not squeezing the juice out of the lemon, and did anyone see the candid Jordy/Jeremy profanity laced conversation after that heat? Pure gold. Embrace the drama WSL, for fucks sake, that was the most entertainment we’ve seen all year.
Charlie would have him in a Kimura right quick.
Does Charlie roll?
Yeah — the lack of a follow-up there was like wut. It’s not always easy to pull the right question on the spot, but that one shoulda been there.
Isn’t the”big break” what all live-to-air reporters dream of?!
I would think, yes! I mean, if I’m interviewing someone for not-live shit, I’m always hoping they’ll say something like that! And then, it’s like, poker-face, oh really? Do tell me mooorrreeeee. 😀
That’s because you have skill… Wsl news team are a little more Ron Burgundy!
Sometimes. Other times, I listen back to interviews and I’m like, howwwwww. How did I miss the obvious question. (cringes)
Hey Jen,
The women are competing live right now, so random question for ya:
Are there any women judges on the panel when they compete? Or is it only men?
If not, why?
The way you handle that moment is lightly. Say something like “you’re not pulling MY leg are you Jordy?” And let him do the rest.
Then go and talk with Gabriel. Who btw has provided more competitive fire moments than all the others combined in the WSL era. They should mic him up and just roll with it.
would have been great if Jeremy got involved too. real missed opportunity for a great moment in competitive surfing
Seriously, the WSL completely ignores the fact that the world is obsessed with reality TV. I’ve been saying this forever, show us wtf really goes on with these surfers!
Oh he just panicked. Could see his own career evaporating if he didn’t douse the flame.
Who is more annoying, Gabby, Zeke or Helen? Helen is the name Potz and I gave to Wilko’s haircut, a persona all it’s own on tour. It’s still probably Zeke. Yup, def Zeke.
Gabe then Zeke and then Helens absurd over scoring for the doing same turn over and over again
The funniest subtlety after that interference explanation was Jordy being the first to say they were calling it off for the day
He has the loosest lips!
No take on the women’s event?
he said he went surfing, which is an alright excuse.
if you’re takin’ requests, LT, we’d like a women’s wrapup? please?
With lots of Louisa May Alcott and Judy Blume references.
are you there god, it’s me tyler
Tatiana has that one cornered already.
it’s a problem of capacity and resources Mapski.
I gots to earn money outside this gig.
I think Mikey Wright kills it and really like his raw power and intensity, but what’s up with him always going to a grab-rail cutback? For him this is a “training wheels” safety turn when he should be digging in.
or his laybacks, this is safety turn. I find he looks boggy, his boards look shit. Surfs great but is the most juiced up surfer since slater. gets an extra point each wave for “coolness”.
Wait…did the comp shut down for Brody Jenner’s wedding???
Scratch that…wedding is in Nihisumba (formally Nihiwatu).
I wonder if Mark Healy still has his water sports outfit there. Anyone know?
Bring back the buoy!
Fuck I hope the WSL keeps up with with the on demand approach to comps. I’m liking the cadence of a couple of heats followed up by LT’s precise analysis to round out my day.
If Jordy consistently surfed with the intensity he paddled today, he’d be a three time world champion. Loved his interview, Jesus he hates Gabby!
Fuck I need to watch this! You mean there was some personality? Crazy
It was pretty funny!
Derek will be adding an important addendum to this article addressing it.
It was the realest moment in pro surfing since Mick got bumped.
God i want them to fight so badly..can Chas organise this with his industry connections you think? I would pay to watch.
remember a couple years ago when gabby dropped in on jordy at chopes and jordy kicked his bored at gabes head? they hate each other. Jordies post heat interview was great.
Sure do! Reminds me a bit of the ‘89 World Champ and Brad Gerlach tangling many moons ago.
Who is this ‘89 World Champ of which you speak?
Fuck yes!
Wendy Botha.
WSL will edit it from the heat analyser. Fun sheriffs.
it was during the early morning free surf, right before the contest started.
im sure the footage is long gone or maybe not?
well, lets not ignore that he surfed pretty bloody intensely too
An angry Jordy is obviously a good Jordy!
I read that as”Jesus hates gabby”.
Bit harsh but understandable.
Jesus loves everyone! Except Jordy.
I think Jesus frowns down on brazzo buttnuggets tattooing mentions of him all over their freshly shaved bodies more than hardened Durban boys standing up for themselves!
And loved himself! What a puffed up thing he is.
if you dont project that confident energy outwards where he grew up than you are seen as prey by people that will kill you for the two dollers in your pocket
With all due respect, that’s rubbish. I’ve spent a lot of time in SA, and there are lots of humble people. And Jordy doesn’t even seem to project ‘confident energy’; he breaks down in tears at the drop of a hat, and his surfing falls apart too often.
I never said anything about all south african people.
When does Jordy break down in tears?
If you mean Chopes, than you have never almost drowned before in heavy surf and had your brain chemistry wacked out by the survival struggle.
Have you ever walked down the street or the area Jordy grew up in?
its not safe by any means.
When he loses at J Bay, for one. No, I didn’t mean Teahupoo, but yes, I have had a few scares in heavy surf. I didn’t make me more arrogant.
Not sure which Durban neighbourhood Jordy grew up in, but I have been to sketchy places with very friendly, humble people – in SA and elsewhere.
whatever, you obviosly dont understand, a person sees thing differntly when they have lived somwhere as opposed to just visited.
Right!? As much as I loved the tangle, Jordy is really hard to like. Such overt arrogance
Ain’t nothing quite like Jordan when he’s wild and bitter.
You know what’s fucked about Ulus and my fantasy pool? The fact that I picked my Margs team for North Point.
Asing all day.
I’m still flabbergasted on Julian bogging rail yesterday. Italo will crush the Bali leg and the boy from Aus will be having nightmares about that wave well into retirement.
Julian Assange bogs less in the Embassy dunny
That Jordy kick-out to paddle battle was mental. I was out of my chair.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
hot flush from menopause?
Check out heat analyzer between Italo and Filipe, after Jordy’s interview they pan camera to Gabe. He looked ‘passionate’.
that ‘pan’ technique has been my favorite maneuver of this comp, maybe this season
I’ve never been prouder of Jawrdee! In fact he’s always kinda errked me a bit. When his farm is burned he can chill here in Oz.
I like Jordy because he’s been stabbed before and talks about it like it was no big deal.
Now I have two reasons to like the young buck
I lived in Durban for a year and its a seriously dangerous place. South Africans can come off sounding dickish sometimes but it makes more sense when you see what danger you are in any time you walk down the street alone.
i’m so proud of jawrdeee bla bla bla, poof hes gone.
He’s probably thinking about Jack Robbo in his next heat at Uluwatu…
Cardoso shouldn’t be here.
I like the panda. he gave the spartan a high five after his good barrel during the heat. You dont see that much or ever
Yeah I saw that and dug it too. I just don’t think his surfing is there yet.
I can’t remember, but didn’t Kelly seem to frequently find buzzer beaters to win heats? You could never count him out. We loved him for his (consistent) last second super hero abilities. Now that’s totally gone and I don’t see JJ really providing surfing that same type of thrill. I’m bored AF. I do like Griff, Jordy, Felipe, Italo though.
and Spartan…
His surfing is so nice to watch lately.!
True, yeah him too
Yea – he’s been great. Man carves !
Fuck better than Jordy’s power turns imo. I was uncontrollable watching those turns…
JJ’ s thrills come in heavy surf, thats where he shines far beyond the rest
It’s true