"I will never surf by myself here because it’s not safe.”
Australia has a population of 25 million hearty souls and three World Surf League Championship Tour contests, the greatest of which is Margaret River there on the continental island’s west side. Margs is scenic, has a variety of waves and is filled to overflowing with sharks. Who could forget last year when the event, brought to us all by Western Australia’s tourism department, was cancelled due to nearby shark attacks and resumed across the sea in Bali?
A wonderful moment for Western Australian tourism courtesy of our World Surf League.
Well, everyone must have been very pleased with the bright light shown on Uluwatu, very picturesque itself, because the contest has been re-upped for the next three years and let’s read the Guardian. Let’s really learn why.
The Margaret River Pro will remain on the World Surf League schedule after it secured a contract extension until 2021, despite last year’s shark scares. The 2018 event was called off midway through the competition after two non-fatal shark attacks nearby.
Alejandro Travaglini needed surgery to both legs after he was attacked at Cobblestones beach in Gracetown, while Jason Longgrass walked to an ambulance after he was bitten on the leg at nearby Lefthanders break. The presence of beached whales in the area attracted sharks and contributed to their aggressive behaviour.
The Margaret River Pro’s future beyond 2019 was already in doubt even before the shark attacks but the WA state government and Tourism WA have put up the funds to secure a two-year contract extension.
However, it remains to be seen whether the world’s best surfers feel safe returning to Margaret River. After last year’s nearby shark attacks, two-time world champion Gabriel Medina and Brazilian Italo Ferreira expressed fears about entering the water in Margaret River.
“I just don’t feel comfortable surfing there. I will never surf by myself here because it’s not safe,” Medina said after the attack while Ferreira tweeted at the time: “I do not feel comfortable training and competing in places like this.”
So…. hypothetical here. What if 2018 World Champion and very good friend of Neymar, Mr. Gabriel Medina, makes it to the quarters and his opponent bows out midway with injury. Let’s just call his opponent Kelly Slater and let’s say Kelly’s massively shattered foot acts up and Gabriel Medina has to be out there alone.
Will he follow Kelly to the beach?
Will he qualify for the injury wildcard next year?
Many questions.
This photo and subject, A match made in Heaven. Love ya work.
movie. make it a movie!
Yes, if not for dialogue he’d be up to his plums in Bookers.
Hope he gets bumped by a dolphin.
i look forward to Margies getting no swell during the event window and us all wanting it back off tour like we did a year or two ago (pre the JJF year)
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
This is what they pay you for?
Shhhh…. Gabby doesn’t want anyone to know.
GMED
Beach birthing services
they never call off the dakar rally because someone dies
Haha but they did move it to the other side of the world due to security issues 🙂
Is it still called the Dakar Rally?
It’s pronounced
Da car rally
Can be anywhere really
No name change neccesary
Your logic is faultless and iron-clad sir.
Yes. They are talking about moving it back to Africa for 2020. The 2019 Dakar Rally will be raced solely in Peru. You know what this means right? Some will say the Dakar Rally started in Africa. Some will say it started in Peru. Some will say that sounds a lot like a surfing argument. All would say Adult Learners are not good, no matter where they start.
Cuz the open ocean at Margs is way more dangerous than the open ocean at Ulus.
That was such a bullshit call by the WSL.
Glad for WA.
Do people dare surf Margaret River or the Box or Boatramp or the Bombie or Gas these days?
“Yes” you say? Perfectly normal surfing citizens?
jeez eh how about that.
Fuk, GMed just said something.
He didn’t actually bottle it.
He thought it dodgy at Margs
Who the fuk Dosent?
Yeah shit eh, hardly even worth a story is it.
Playing devil’s advocate, does the “citizens” aspect make a difference? Should it?
Well yes of course it does. If you’re just surfing some spot you’re in an entirely different state of mind to a CT pro considering a CT location. You’re freer with your choices about when to surf, but you might also (if you’re surfing there often) have a more educated idea of the risks. Then again nobody is paying you — well let’s see, two week waiting period, abt $3m pa endorsements, prize pool average etc — about $130,000 to be there and surf in a contest.
And not for fame, fortune, points or likes
There is barely any chance we’ll be lucky enough to enjoy another Punch the Shark moment in surfing.
Gab in the Shark?
Sounds familiar…
Can’t quite place my finger on where I’ve heard that before…
Jool’s sponsors (I am going to guess it’s a mountain biking brand) should bury a whale carcass in the beach in front of Main Break just to make sure.
Gabs needs a new mindset for Margs. Might I suggest he spend some time studying the “I’ll play with any creature” attitude of this dog:
https://youtu.be/PKkSMKhRnhQ
That’s epic – we could just dump dogs to sea to “play” with sharks here on east coast. Problem solved?
That was tense!
Repo man’s life is always intense, that’s why we smoke shard.
Name a movie I’m in that I don’t steal. I’m the Bryan Brown of American Cinema.
[+posthumously, that is+]
BB Stole 90 minutes of my life in Cocktail.
You gotta pay the rent. And he didn’t steal “Along came Polly” either, that was Hank Azaria.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Pretty in pink?
True, that “Duckie” guy stole PiP.
PiP was a launch pad for the Donger. The unsung hero so much so they yanky’d his wanky straight into Gung-ho.
Dang Gung Ho. Nice work
Paw patrol paw patrol
Well be there on the double!
No sharks too big no prawns too small, paw patrol are on a roll
So here we go
Paw patrol.
He wouldn’t be there alone, Rosy would be there as a big yellow pink squid jig getting pounded by set waves.
Viva Caio!
Stryder will be out there with him acting as chum so no wucken furries.
Stryder’s neck chum
Alright guys let’s be civil here
That gobble neck is civil disobedience worthy of some catchy name like Occupy Wall St.
What about Occy’s Balls Skeet
I guess you could say that’s taking it in Stride.
Does he shave his nipples too? (I mean while lactating?)
that’s the guy. its like he photo bombed a funeral.
charlie is the creepiest step-daddy this world has ever seen. change my mind.
Maybe second creepiest…
https://m.youtube.com/watch…
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Was Fritzl a step or full blown rapist father?
That reminds me Wiggs.
I’ve got an idea for an Austrian-themed, bread-crumbed chicken joint; Josef Schnitzel.
Special surprises for those cunts who order a big basket of fries and only eat half.
You want in on the ground floor?
I’ve always thought a Chicken Fritzl Burger would sit well on a menu. None of this free range fowl, caged chook only.
You know I googled that sick fucker and I’m kinda astounded. Obviously the Australian news media have some pretty amazing knowledge! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Surely we can workout a deal where I roll my Andy Ironing shares into the new venture?
We’ll get Robbo in on weekends, training up on the iron and trouser press, so he’s good to go when he falls off the tour.
How are you at forging restaurant food safety / health certificates?
Creepiest, luckiest, richest, sexiest.
‘Swallowing’s important’ ….same advice Charlie gave to Gabs
Oooof
not many smiles in that picture. the one I can see looks staged.