Certainly the competitive animal is there sleeping. Most certainly.
It is now middle to later October and Pipeline, still the final event of the 2018 World Surf League season, is months away. Like, basically forever away but we know who’s going to win the Jeep World Trophy Cup don’t we. We know, unless there is some freakish rip in the fabric of the universe that Brazilian Gabriel Medina will be smiling, maybe even crying, probably even smiling and crying alternately, at the end.
Filipe Toledo made it interesting all year and Julian’s late charge was second only to Lord Cardigan’s in historical importance but we know there is nothing to be done now, don’t we. Gabriel Medina is not the sort to fumble.
He will mercilessly prowl Pipeline’s lineup, sitting on competitor’s boards, playing footsies under the sea if that is what needs be done for the title. It is his and likely should have been his in Portugal if only to spare us the “there’s still hope…” storylines because there is no hope. Gabriel Medina does not falter.
Which brings us to 2019. Gabriel Medina will begin there at Snapper with two trophies in his plywood locker. Who else has two trophies? John John Florence does, it’s true, and do you think being tied with Gabriel will be enough to bring him back? Well?
The thought that John John is not competitive is semi-ridiculous. I have zero doubt that the boy likes more than just competition but a person doesn’t win two of anything without having a killer instinct.
Or wait, was John John simply that good where he could paddle out and surf and beat everyone tactics, swell, etc. be damned?
I don’t know but if I was the World Surf League President of Content, Media and WSL Studios elect I would meet John John in a dark alley sometime before March with a suitcase full of cash. A suitcase full of cash but in case he wasn’t interested, I’d be carrying a giant paddle and I’d be ready to use it.
The perfect carrot and stick scenario but necessary because Gabe vs. John could save professional surfing (if the field was trimmed down by 20 at the same time).
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I looked at the title picture bleery first thing this morning and thought “why is John John standing on a giant hairy bud?” And then “ah well probably makes sense.”
JJF is going to VLOG
Or JJF does this, even more salubrious!!!!
Has anyone even seen John John?
Is he definitely out for Pipe?
Wouldn’t that be fun seeing him take out Gabby in Round 3 or something.
And while someone (Medina) may not falter or fumble, the ocean doesn’t care about that, and it just may throw a good, winning wave to someone else in a heat, this ain’t no tank
Freerider?
There just might be a rip in the fabric, if theres one thing that life seems to teach us, is that– there are no guarantees.
I don’t know man, you can say a lot under the umbrela of comedy, but, do the WSL has really to play this role? Why protect so much this blonde? This shit is a little gay!
Voting for Bolsonaro I take it? Kook!
upvote… #nothim
Vote for Pedro!
projection
E-Lo to JJF: “Hey bro, do you know Kai Lenny?”
Dont bet that Medina is going to win the title, stranger things have happened and the WSL isn’t booking on it
#youcantscriptthat
Word on the grapevine is that Erik actually offered John the starring role in the new-look WSL.
The WSL will be reborn as a Star Wars fan fiction prequel:
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Dickie Toledo enslaves John’s mum, forcing JJF to join forces with Wade Carmichael and co to save her.
In the final scene Gabs and John are squaring off, about to fight to the death when Kelly appears and reveals himself to be the father of both of them!
I can see Dane in the picture but no mention of him in your write up?
gold…
I think JJF was that good! An ephemeral talent that never was a cold assassin like Medina! He has about as much of a killer instinct as Dane… Please prove me wrong JJF!
I wish. Kelly Slater can’t do it anymore…. not even at Pipe.
Cue a butt hurt Kelly taking down an Al Merrick from his rafters to prove you wrong…
I’d be the first one there to chair him up the beach but the tank… it dry!
The way he’s been behaving, you might be the only one to chair him up the beach, Chas. Which would leave him stranded there, cause his foot is obviously injured!
And let’s face it, Chas’ shoulder wasn’t hot before the Ranch incident.. no way he’s shouldering a chia seed laden Kelly.
You would be piggy backing him champ
would be even better if it is a fat, pale JOB who gets thrown in and pipe does an good rendition of the 85 masters. be entertaining at the very least
or a sober Bruce. talk about throwing away 10 years of dominating the best wave on the planet during the prime physical time of life and leaving millions on the table while so doing.
He’s just not that good anymore.
“John John Florence does, it’s true, and do you think being tied with Gabriel will be enough to bring him back? Well?”
Hopefully. It would be depressing (figuratively speaking, of course… I don’t give a shit if he does come back, as I am OK with a Medina dominated future whereby he relishes his role as Lord Vanquisher and Destroyer of Dreams and he crushes all his rivals) to see him five years down the road visibly struggling through his latest installment for Vlogoween on YouTube where he surfs in a carved pumpkin head and then discusses his “creative” process for coming up with content for his channel (“uh, the gestation period is short, uploading three times a week, you know… HAHAHA. Like, coming up with this stuff is sometimes hard… uh, remember to give this video a thumbs up if you liked it and subscribe if you haven’t. I’d appreciate it…” *a hint of a tear in his eye*)….