Dave Kalama adds, "We must protect the surfers from themselves!"
The second I pressed publish, extolling you to cancel your dentist appointment and tune in to the technological miracle of Jaws and Honolua running simultaneously, the powers in Santa Monica’s high castle smote me for insolence. The waves at Jaws became to0 big to surf safely, lips too thick and drops too severe according to the Big Wave World Tour commissioner Mike “Snips” Parsons.
What did you miss?
Only the benchmark for the next generation Billy Kemper packing a massive barrel. Only men and women putting on a marvelous show, dancing on God’s fury.
And other assorted “hero moves” according to Pete Mel. Now, the swell should be more “approachable” tomorrow but what if the swell disappears entirely? I trust the buoys as far as I can throw them so what if everyone wakes up tomorrow and there is no Jaws?
Will people be sad and call for Snips’ head on a pike or will people understand that safety should always be first?
Big questions for tomorrow.
Keala Kennelly won the woman’s side of the draw as they went first. Bravo to her but I couldn’t help but feeling that the World Surf League missed a grand opportunity. As you are aware, WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt recently found herself in spot of bother for allegedly telling female surfers trying to get in to Mavericks/get equal pay that it was “an abuse of the #metoo movement.” So what if today, they truly flipped the tables, called off the men because too risky for them, but sent out the women?
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If there was only a handful that wanted to surf then let that 5 or 6 surf a 2 hour final. Would of been insane!!!
The WSL just always seem to make the unpopular decision that the ‘core’ surf fan disagrees with.
big wave event called off due to big waves. thats a tough one. nothing but HUGE respect for all on that tour.
but maybe: kindabigwaveTour or bigbutnot2bigtour
Good call, Snips. God forbid one of the boys makes a fucking mental one.
I’m just bummed they didn’t run. Hashtag neither would’ve I Fucken obviously.
Billy Kemper’s first wave was unreal.
Watching Twigs and his board getting blown out of that barrel was some next level shit.
But let’s be honest…what kind of surfing contest is it if the guys can’t actually surf the wave?
Not “trusting the buoys” is like not trusting your watch or thermometer. They do not forecast anything, only show what’s there.
To be fair, your watch could have the wrong time on it (for your particular place on the globe)
I almost commented World Shame League followed by a clown emoji. Never felt so close to my Brazilian brothers.
Oh hell you are so right. I was trying to get it up in 4 minutes flat then go back and edit but I never went back to edit. C’est la vie! (how you like them apples?)
Hello Ben!
Death barrels and incorrect grammar what a day for the ages…
with 5 minutes left in the womens semi final they were discussing the out they decide who progresses if none of the surfers actually catch a wave.
We humans are strange
Longing for what we desire
Then running away
WOW
And Kelly Slater sits at his Macbook Pro loathing at the 3 Cyber Monday 30% off Outerknown emails he’s sent today in the mix of epic Jaws, women’s world title showdown, and pumping sunset tomorrow. How will the 11 time world champ steal the moment this week in pro surfing?
He may transform a la Peter Drouyn to stop Steph from getting closer to 11 in the battle of the GOATS ?
he will announce to the world he has lost his phone again
Can’t wait to see the close-up pictures of that Kai Lenny airdrop. That shit was mental!
Straight out sailboard move with no sail ?
Who’s that teenage charger that just towed in on that last wave before they ended the live stream?
Come on Dez, get that boy-becomes-man charger on the phone for an interview.
I only saw Kai’s Wave watching the girls at Honolua . Go Alana Go ! Best I’ve ever seen her surf !Steph Gilmore goes GOAT !
Yaaaaa Steph!
Watching Honolua was so painful I had to turn it off, and I’m usually a fan of the women’s events. Seeing that many insanely perfect waves go unridden– or even actively dodged (those double-ups!!!)– was too much for this natural footer to take.
Luckily Round 2 had world title implications though credit to the goofy girls Bronte and Tatiana for attacking the pocket . Would loved to have seen a fit Tyler and Silvana out there and the old guard Sally ,Carissa and Steph stood out in Round 1 and 3 and put on a show .
The only mention I’ve seen just says he’s a 14-year old protegé of Kai. Fourteen years old and getting towed into solid 45 foot Jaws. Surprised it hasn’t gotten more press.
Insane. All that experience riding other stuff allowed him to survive that.
Check it.
I’m waiting (hoping!!) for Karim Braire to make a cameo
He’d be like that Br’er Rabbit in the Briar Patch ,surviving on wit ,cunning and courage ?
Born and bred in that briar patch!
You’d have to ask Old Uncle Remus ?
Wasn’t that the Littlest Hobo?
How do the WSL expect non surfers to tune in if they call it off when it gets big enough to be interesting. Maybe non surfers (and a lot of surfers) actually just don’t care about the big wave tour either way but surely they need to find a way to market this.
The world’s best big wave surfers not in the world’s best big waves.
That was f*in carnage , a hybrid of Gladiator Pit and Rugby . No chest thumping or claims ! Just the world’s best big wave riders getting belted into submission before Snips ( must have been a hard decision ) threw in the towel to let them live to fight another day.
And then all the big wave surfers paddled out immediately after the event was called off to continue living to fight another day while surfing the worlds biggest waves?
They weren’t paddling for long and now they are towing ,with Lenny doing his best sailboard impersonation on a tow board .
Because Kai is a windsurfer first, Kitesurfer second, SUP rider third, foil boarder 4th, paddle surfer 5th.
The paddlers made Jaws appear as it really is, A MONSTER, while Kai made it seem like . . . like he was snowboarding.
The big air drop was amazing. But different sport.
you obviously think he has the same wide cowboy stance he uses to control giant boards, waves and SUP’s. he does not and adapts better than any waterman I’ve seen. his style is better than most brazzos and his skillet is about that of the “average QS surfer in small waves” which is also Jack Robbo. That’s amazing considering all the disciplines Kai excels in – he’s basically a part time shortboarder. Robbo is no CT talent when it comes to small waves mate. that is why most feel he will never qualify unless he is given wildcards in events with heavy surf. but if he does, he will get smashed at spots like snapper, bells and trestles… just as kai would. Look at this link and tell me kai is not an above average shortboarder. those waves are crap mate.
https://www.instagram.com/p…
That’s about average at your local in Oz mate. Jack Robbo was blowing minds in Perth dribble at the age of 10
The AVERAGE surfer at a local Oz break does air reverses to finish their waves? Gotcha. So if Robbo was BLOWING MINDS at 10… Why does he look like he wouldn’t make a single round of the NSSA championships against 14yos today? I’m not comparing his surfing to a young man in Freestone, but as a 14yo in this vid, WHO WAS GIVEN A WILDCARD INTO THE JR WORLDS (you must be special right?)… Calling his surfing “average” in this vid would be being extra nice.
have you seen kai lenny surf a shortboard? i reckon he’d give jack robinson a run for his money in the small stuff.
No. Amazing Waterman, but just no
Big Wave World Tour cancels event for day because waves are actually surprisingly, and shockingly, large! Unfathomable that anyone would actually want big waves for a big wave contest…
Oh, you should be in the headline biz!
This has come as a shock to everyone KVF. Pack up your guns kids we’re going back to the pool.
Sophie wants the remaining paddlers out there to drown so she can show the world (whatever “world” means to the WSL) that she made the right decision.
watched this morning ,not one woman got to the bottom of the wave on her board in the final ,men looked insane and ready to go except the wind looked really bad , and too strong at the top of the wave …so calling it off was not about the size but more about how to make a takeoff with a 30 knot wind…..
I’ll throw it out there , how would a tow in comp be when conditions don’t allow paddle?
I could see insane barrels , backdooring the peak , any size or wind!
And one woman ended up with a dislocated shoulder.
she didnt even make a drop.
emi won