Two world title contenders disappear from important event. The WSL and Rip Curl refuse to comment.
I doubt if there’s a more compelling story within pro surfing than the Wright family.
Even the most cursory examination reveals myriad story lines: the two-time world champ Tyler who won a tour event at fourteen, qualified at sixteen and who threw it in briefly before returning to the tour and carving and plating her two titles.
Owen? Returns from a catastrophic brain injury, bleeding on the brain, paralysis and (temporary) inability to speak to win his first event back on tour one year later and return to his normal position as a world title contender.
Mikey? Hot and salty and greasy (like a sunbathing German) and a wildcard world title contender.
At J-Bay last week, Tyler and Owen both withdrew from their respective events citing colds, a mysterious “African flu.” The story was given little air time and no official statement was made.
I contacted the WSL who told me they’d provide me with an “update” from their “medical team.”
Shortly after, I was put in touch with Rip Curl’s Media and Communications manager, Mimi LaMontagne (disclaimer: I’ve worked with Mimi and find her a very good writer, an appealing person and so on) who said, “Unfortunately we are not making any statements on behalf of the Wrights at this time.”
Obviously, I called to ask:
Why was no statement made, either by the WSL or Rip Curl?
Was the virus so grave neither could surf?
Will they be at the next event?
Everything I was told henceforth was off the record, but nothing real exciting.
A. Virus wasn’t a big deal so no story.
2. Yep. Better to recover and be good for the next event.
3. Yep.
The lack of an official statement about significant, and potentially world-title altering withdrawals from both events (Tyler is rated #4, Owen #11) strikes me, as it does you given the various commentary here, as very odd.
But it is a year of mystery.
John John’s mysterious knee injury. One contest called off because of sharks, another that treats the arrival of Great White sharks as a gorgeous sideshow and, now, two title contenders, one already a champion, who disappear from an important event and not a damn thing is said or written.
Oh it’s like a good old Hollywood melodrama!
All three of the Wright Boys, surf amazing.
I always thought the strategy to have AI self combust , was like the ultimate advertising campaign , it has grown organically ever since, simply a work of beauty.
This video was so good.
Give me the high scores!
I suppose ‘real exercise’ is relative to one’s fitness. But the docs’ cautions were pretty strict. Even if it ain’t “kill you” it’ll be unpleasant.
Maybe Dengue fever, like they told us Andy had ???
No comment.
I wish I could shut this goddam trap Twillsy
I’d be curious to know which athletes had doping controls at JBay. If any. Obviously, anyone in the Olympic pool for their respective countries is also getting tested by national ADA’s by now, too, though I’d expect that to be out of competition. It’d be nice if there were a tad more transparency on this side of things.
I wonder how long the “no comment” PR strategy is really going to work with this one. It seems like a number of people know more about the Owen Wright story than they can currently publish. How long before “a source close to the situation” goes on record?
It’s surfing. Probably never.
Silence is like a deafening admission of guilt, in my opinion.. Why all the murk surrounding ‘doping controls’ etc..? It’s black and white is it not??
Methinks you nailed it, Jen.
Serious question…why doesn’t someone who writes as well as you go after this story?
I can’t source it. If I could, I wouldn’t be askin’ questions here in the comments 🙂
Ha! Excellent point.
felipe sure was surfing fast
Ok. Just before I go to sleep Ima gonna get boring.
Doctors have repeatedly told me NOT to do any real exercise while cold/flu/virused.
The little fuckers (the viruses, not the doctors) get pushed, with the hard-pumping blood of exertion, deep into your heart muscle tissue and create merry hell for years to come, even much later in life.
So… I reckon being full of the cold and surfing a heat at JBay would count as medically unsound in that regard.
Goodnight.
I got Tick Fever when I was at J Bay. it sucked!
I had the “African Virus “ once.
A shot of Penicillin cleared it up
Let’s start with the mundane/innocuous…do we know when their contracts are up with Ripper and do we think this is just an old skool training camp hold out for more money or better terms.
Now we move on to the Brad Melekian type expose with a storyline that is more nefarious/salacious. I know that it has been inferred that Owen’s Pipe “head injury” was nothing of the sort so has there been a recurrence of said “injury?”
Could Tyler be taking time off to help or is she a participant/enabler in Owen’s “head injuries?”
In other sports athletes have come clean with their substance abuse issues and the public has barely batted an eye so I would think Sophie with the guidance of Speaker would be more adept at handling something like this.
Did you read Chas’ new book? He seemed to suggest that Owen’s injury was made up to cover a coke habit.
He doesn’t really seem the type but who knows. Very suspicious that they would both pull out with illness. How sick do you need to be to not paddle out for a 30 minute heat.
Has Chas written another book?
Yes…”Fast Eddie and Chas…A Love Story.”
That’s exactly the reason for my reference.
Obviously it doesn’t need to be cocaine…it could be any drug. Painkillers, perhaps?
Doesn’t Owen have a history of back issues or am I confusing him with Jordy?
I know more than one person whose back pack caused them to get hooked on painkillers.
So funny that they know they’ve got the ‘surf journalist’ fraternity so firmly in their pocket they don’t even need to bother releasing a statement because they know everyone’s too scared to do the digging
Well after reading Chas’ latest book (all spin, no substance. However an entertaining read) I wouldn’t be expecting any real journalism from ‘surf journalists’.
Mimi La Montagne is a sublime name. Brings up a metal image of a small, attractive brunette with an annoying voice. I once new a Barbara Boobier, who we called Babs Boobs (behind her back).
Snapchat took them out of the event in a show of clear disrespect to the Facebook League. I’m starting a Tinder and/or Grindr Surf League. It’s going to be HUGE! Tons of Brazilians and Euros.
Predict Grindr to far exceed Tinder in terms of popularity due to Brazilian storm. Gabs’ blonde tips will be a massive hit with the boys!
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I mean, old mate Buck Shelford continued to play rugby after having a
testicle rucked out on field, where there is a competitive will there is
a way… I smell a fish.
God Derek, Mimi yes nice person etc etc but appalling corporate shill. Every word she ever wrote for a surfing publication read as thinly veiled cover letter to get a job in PR/Comms for a surfing company.
In that respect, she is very smart.
Garbage Steve. Mimi is a hard working little hustler who’s done a fantastic job of climbing the ladder at a number of mags including working with Derek at Stab and myself at ASL, and now there are only bitchy website’s left she’s moved her career elsewhere. I know you love being the grumpy industry outsider guy but Rip Curl is full of former mag staff because Neil Ridgway (former editor of Tracks, FHM etc, though you probably think that was all a 20-year-long scheme to get an industry job too) knows the value of good content.
Blood Feud!!!
I don’t disagree with anything you say there Binnsy, but none of that disputes my point.
In fact, it proves it.
No personal beef with Mimi either, good luck to her.
Websites
Mimi is responsible for some of the worst pieces of “surf journalism” I’ve ever read. The only reason I remember that name is because of the absolute rubbish that was pubished of hers.
The editors who let that crap slip through need a good hard punch in the face for insulting thier readerships.
So in conclusion I would not expect anything of substance let alone informative from Miss LaMontagne. Mindless drivel is more her style!
Boooo!
“hard working little hustler who’s done a fantastic job of climbing the ladder at a number of mags.”
Think you just agued LT’s point better than he did.
PS read her stuff – shill of the highest order. But, Surf writing brings the shill out in a person.
Bitch be bitchin’ on the bitchy website?
Zzzziiinnnggg
Bitchgrit
Derek’s like the touchy-feely priest’s favorite alter boy that has yet to be touched. Wonders why everyone’s so distrusting of all these spectacular industry folks. I’m sure she’s a great gal.
I would up-vote this a thousand times if I could Surfmom.
The guy on stab writes all his articles like job applications for one of the big 3. Cringeworthy.
Ha ha yeah — feels more and more like the smart move is to change sides. Related, I am stupid.
You crazy, colourful stupid !
You stay – you go nowhere !
Ya hear me, missy !
Pretty sure y’all are stuck with me for now 🙂
What I find ironic is Derek is now investigating this when the surf media allowed billabong to lie brazenly about Andy with NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Billabong lied time and time again, getting out in front of the lie with another lie, paying off the Dallas Coroner to delay release of the toxicology, pandering to the general public to support Andy’s family (?)…. Dengue this, intravenous that… why?
And Stab was not curious one bit.
When Sarge arrived in Portugal, was he there to take Andy to the hospital for an IV drip? How many cases of Dengue were contracted that year in Ericera??? None? Should we believe Billabong or the Portugal Ministry of Health?
The surf media accepted Billabongs continuously moving goal posts, rationalizations and diagnosis of that situation. The enabling corpo managing the death of their icon and his “brand”? Shameful and crass. A “learning moment” that revealed corpo negligence left on the table, no one hungry for truth.
And interestingly, the Hippy, yes me, was banned from Stab comments for asking questions. Was it Jed or Derek? Does it matter? The protection of Billabong was profound, even when most of the surfing world had questions. Questions Stab, etc… never asked or answered. None of the industry ad copy writers were curious.
Nick wasn’t curious, Baker had no interest in a real story, he writes for Rip Curl…. You’re welcome Derek, call Tim, he’ll know.
Heavy man
Nice wrap up.
Truth bombs dropped.
Well written Hippy.
God I was too busy navigating the snow storm to slap the cuffs on anybody.
Also while your at it Derek why don’t you call Shannan North, Andrew Flinton and Mike Savage on what they know about the AI. All they cared about was the brand and sales. Even if it meant not sponsoring AI, that would have been a better option than turning a blind eye.
But everyone knew what really happened. Just like we know that the moon landing was fake, and 9 11 was staged, just like Irans ‘Nukes’ they don’t actually have, will start the next oil war. why state the obvious?
https://www.instagram.com/p…
Don’t you need a journalism degree or a cadetship to be a journalist?
Oh, I think Chas has done his miles.
Just out of curiosity, do you think that one needs a degree in surf-studies to be a surfer?
Critical surf studies make you a critical surf scholar, just ask Tara Ruttenberg
Journalist and writer are not the same thing.
Also, why are both wright males featured in the members wall at mooloolaba surf club, BUT NO WRIGHT FEMALE?
Burger was a 7/10