The biggest threat Gabriel faced was himself. That mix of arrogance and dominance tends to the kind of catastrophic priority error we saw in Portugal. Gabe kept himself in check. His form looks imperial.That mix of arrogance and dominance tends to the kind of catastrophic priority error we saw in Portugal. Gabe kept himself in check. His form looks imperial.

Billabong Pipeline Masters, Day one: “Gabriel Medina’s form imperial; Kolohe moves beyond Ego itself; Lots of god-praising!”

Longtom

By

Medina awesome, John John half-cooked, Billy Kemper hot wildcard.

I tried to keep pace with the Triple Crown but was forced onto a low information diet, so only got to watch bits and pieces.

But it did feel strangely disconnected from the season finale at Pipe, in a way that appears to be becoming more prominent. John Florence’s 2016 Triple Crown was the last great unifier, tied in with his World Title.

Griffin Colapinto’s 2017 win and Jesse Mendes 2018 victory, along with Fred Morais potential 2019 win seem cut off from Pipe mastery.

Medina having no input into the Triple Crown this year was significant, Toledo doesn’t seem interested.

Was Jordy in there? Kolohe? Not with any impact.

The Triple Crown tied the QS and CT together into a credible finale that seems to be ebbing away.

Or is it just cyclical?

Pipe seems more on its own this year. Looking at the heat draw and the contenders all looked locked into relatively safe heats. On paper, Kelly’s round one heat with Seabass and Bourez was most competitive.

Lot of funky, low-scoring heats. Filipe over-cooked a high-line exit on an opening tube-ride after a deep tube. It could have been a seven, judges gave it a 1.13. Pip relaxed though and easily took out Deivid Silva and Ricardo Christie. That was a heat that showed just how many of the Top 34 have severe deficiencies in the Pipe skill set.

Toledo vs. Silva vs. Christie – Seeding Round, Heat 3 – Billabong Pipe Masters 2019. Source: World Surf League

Peterson Crisanto in his narrow victory over Jordy Smith claimed it was the first time he had surfed Pipe.

Lots of god-praising and life coaching cliches.

Filipe said, “a connection to God has been super healthy for me”. It made me think of a conversation I had with my son’s pal, a nine-year-old who goes to a Catholic school.

He said, “I don’t believe in God, I believe in the big bang.”

Explicit faith now is a prerequisite for success at the CT level.

In a sense, it makes perfect sense. You can’t deny the utility of the belief.

Kolohe thanked God and went even further, claiming he had moved beyond Ego itself. I think he meant in terms of producing a performance and that “advancing is the most important thing”.

Heats five and six gave us a head-to-head comparison of the two frontrunners and their respective approaches and current form. Halfway through his heat Medina was sitting on 15.50. He shifted gears between buried arm stall take-offs, aggressive tube pumps from very deep on the reef and big hacks. Perfect makes, no wipeouts.

The biggest threat he faced was himself. That mix of arrogance and dominance tends to the kind of catastrophic priority error we saw in Portugal. Gabe kept himself in check. His form looks imperial.

Medina vs. Cardoso vs. deVault – Seeding Round, Heat 5 – Billabong Pipe Masters 2019. Source: World Surf League

Italo was more scattered, more haphazard, more reckless, risky. He wore heavy water. Got pounded by waves that could have easily injured him. He has put in a lot of time on the reef, with Shane Dorian as coach.

Even with the Doz back-up that would not be easy for him. A recent Surfers Journal interview with BG Principal Derek Rielly revealed the Italian Ferrari had no love of localised line-ups and line-ups don’t come more localised than Pipeline.

If it wasn’t for Billy Kemper he would have looked good. Billy said in the presser he “loved to rough ’em up” meaning the title contenders and that’s exactly what he did.

With nine minutes to go a three-wave exchange went as follows: B.Kemper, big Backdoor wedge from deep on the Pipe side. Scary, technical tube-ride expertly wrangled.

M-Rod, freefall Pipe drop to shallow tube.

Italo, super intense late drop to Pipe tube.

Italo will go, we know that now, after the Box and Tahiti.

The question marks are over judgement and mastery.

Medina would have crushed him, as Kemper did.

Ferreira vs. Rodrigues vs. Kemper – Seeding Round, Heat 6 – Billabong Pipe Masters 2019. Source: World Surf League

One more thing about Billy. Has any surfer in history faced down a schedule as insane as his looks for this week? Multiple heats at moderate to macking Pipeline and a Jaws comp thrown in, for good measure.

How do you go from ten-foot Pipe to twenty-five-foot Jaws and back again without your adrenal gland exploding?

John John was subdued in his seeding round heat with Ace and Mendes. He sat there, unmoved for twenty minutes, then tried to scratch into one on the buzzer when Ace had the P.

He admitted in a later presser that he was a long way from being fully prepared. There were a lot of non-makes, hesitant kick-outs. Still, a John John at fifty or sixty percent is still going to beat a lot of the Top 34 at Pipe. The x in the equation will be how he goes against a fired up Pipe guy.

Like Zeke Lau.

Florence vs. Buchan vs. Mendes – Seeding Round, Heat 8 – Billabong Pipe Masters 2019. Source: World Surf League

There was a lot of heat in the hustle in the opening exchanges of Zeke’s heat with Caio and Flores. Mostly with Caio. Nothing physical, although Billy Kemper in the booth said Zeke was the modern day Sunny Garcia and Sunny was not averse to a physical encounter.

Splashing water, stern words and angry faces was the limit of it. Zeke spiked the wave of the day soon after. Rocket drop, no-grab pull in and a couple of Hail Mary pumps while levitating on the foam ball.

I wrote a little ten next to his name straight away. Strider in the channel, agreed. Judges low-balled a 9.73 and tightened a spread with Caio who had a clearly inferior ride given an 8.33.

Lau took it out of the judges’ hands with another critical ride.

Will he put the hustle on John again, seeing as it is a proven strategy? I know people disapprove, but I hope, yes.

Flores vs. Ibelli vs. Lau – Seeding Round, Heat 9 – Billabong Pipe Masters 2019. Source: World Surf League

The Slater/Seabass/Bourez heat was a dud. Slater skipped out to an early lead, Seabass fucked up several rides and Bourez did enough to advance.

Slater vs. Bourez vs. Zietz – Seeding Round, Heat 10 – Billabong Pipe Masters 2019. Source: World Surf League

The broadcast was wavering badly by then. After watching Brazilians, Hawaiians, Australians and a token South African and a European or two, basically the status quo for the last decade, Barton was chewing up minutes telling us how globalised and diverse the Pro Surfing world had become.

Say what? Where? Who?

Dorian did great in the booth but he went off script telling us there were more unbelievable kids coming through than ever before.

Really? I thought. Who?

Where is the next John John, who was a superstar at thirteen? The next Medina? Toledo?

Do you seen ’em?

(Editor’s note: Yes! Cruz Dinofa, Jackie Doz)

Kelly seemed to veer dangerously close to saying that even were he to finish ahead of John John in the ratings he might give up his Olympic Spot for JJF.

But then he walked it back, saying “I’ll think about it”.

Leo Fioravanti got axed in round two and the WSL cannily wheeled out Renato Hickel to explain that three injured surfers would not go into two wildcard spots.

A smart move to get out in front of the story. Basically, Leo would have to re-qualify through the rankings, and that ain’t gunna happen, so he’s out.

Or is he first injury alternate? Those rules never seem clear to me.

TL:DR: Medina was awesome. JJF looks half-cooked. Everyone else was off the pace, bar Billy Kemper who is setting an unprecedented pace.

Billabong Pipe Masters Seeding Round 1 Results:
HEAT 1: Soli Bailey (AUS) 14.33 DEF. Conner Coffin (USA) 7.17, Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 4.70
HEAT 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 7.27 DEF. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 4.34, Jadson Andre (BRA) 3.33
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.93 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 6.07, Ricardo Christie (NZL) 4.10
HEAT 4: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 7.36 DEF. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.33, Frederico Morais (PRT) 2.60
HEAT 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.30 DEF. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 7.56, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 6.10
HEAT 6: Billy Kemper (HAW) 15.63 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.67, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 5.60
HEAT 7: Owen Wright (AUS) 7.94 DEF. Jack Freestone (AUS) 4.90, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 1.40
HEAT 8: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 7.76 DEF. Jesse Mendes (BRA) 7.33, John John Florence (HAW) 4.57
HEAT 9: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 16.93 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.00, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.60
HEAT 10: Michel Bourez (FRA) 11.33 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 9.10, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 4.90
HEAT 11: Joan Duru (FRA) 15.00 DEF. Julian Wilson (AUS) 4.60, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 4.23
HEAT 12: Seth Moniz (HAW) 9.34 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 5.77, Yago Dora (BRA) 1.90

Billabong Pipe Masters Elimination Round 2 Results:
HEAT 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.60 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 8.00, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 3.26
HEAT 2: John John Florence (HAW) 10.93 DEF. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.16, Frederico Morais (PRT) 2.70
HEAT 3: Yago Dora (BRA) 8.60 DEF. Ricardo Christie (NZL) 6.80, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 6.04
HEAT 4: Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.40 DEF. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 9.57, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 8.07

Billabong Pipe Masters Round of 32 Results:
HEAT 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
HEAT 2: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) vs. Conner Coffin (USA)
HEAT 3: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Yago Dora (BRA)
HEAT 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)
HEAT 5: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Ricardo Christie (NZL)
HEAT 6: Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
HEAT 7: Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Billy Kemper (HAW)
HEAT 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
HEAT 9: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Imaikalani deVault (HAW)
HEAT 10: Wade Carmichael (AUS) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 11: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
HEAT 12: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Soli Bailey (AUS)
HEAT 13: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Jesse Mendes (BRA)
HEAT 14: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Griffin Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 15: Michel Bourez (FRA) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
HEAT 16: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)

Billy Kemper (pictured)
Billy Kemper (pictured)

Confirmed: The cbdMD Jaws Big Wave Championships set to run Thursday, Dec. 12!

Chas Smith

By

What a time to be a surf fan!

It’s raining surf, hallelujah! Between the Pipe Masters, land/water shenanigans in Australia and a severe uptick in shark activity, the surf news enthusiast is having an early and robust Christmas. To make things even better, the cbdMD Jaws Big Wave Championships are set to run this Thursday, Dec. 12 2019 and let’s head to the press release, quickly, before continuing our jibber jabber. For as you know, the format for the Big Wave business has changed. There is now one paddle event (Jaws), one tow event (Naz) and a fun video party (Mavs).

In the men’s division, 24 competitors are divided into four heats of six surfers for the first round. Heats are generally 45 minutes and surfers may catch as many waves as they wish with a panel of five judges scoring each ride on a scale of 1 to 10. Each competitor’s two best waves are counted, with their best wave score doubled. The three highest-scoring surfers advance to the semifinals, which run in the same format, and the top three from the Semifinals advance to the Final.

The women’s division runs in a similar format with 10 competitors participating in two five-surfer Semifinals with the top three surfers in each heat advancing to the Final.

Got it?

Who’s your money on?

Billy Kemper seems a perpetual lock but he’s also in the Pipe event so what does this all mean.

Help!

Hopefuls (pictured) with trophy.
Hopefuls (pictured) with trophy.

Comment Live: Seeding Round, Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons!

Chas Smith

By

A day that might live in infamy!

And it is here, our Super Bowl, our Wimbledon, our World Cup, Ashes, WNBA Finals. Our Pipe Masters. You know the storylines, the tension, drama, the stacked top of the World Surf League Championship Tour rankings where only 8000 points separate first from fifth. You know that Italo is clinging to the top spot followed by Gabe, Jordy, Filipe and Kolohe. Theoretically anyone’s game.

No?

And although no one will pack his bags today and head to Honolulu then home, we will learn many things. We will sense truths. We must discuss live.

Kolohe Andino surfs in heat 2. Filipe in heat 3, Michael Jordan Smith in heat 4, Gabe in heat 5 and Italo in heat 6.

Is that everyone?

No.

It is not for we also have a hot Olympic race on our hands. Kelly Slater vs. John John Florence for that final spot on the U.S. National Surfing Team in memory of Kolohe Andino.

John John surfs in heat 8. Kelly in heat 10.

Tell your boss to bug off… it’s time for professional surfing with friends!

Watch here but leave this page open. Comment your thoughts, feelings, impressions below and be responded to by people who care!

"Don't worry, baby. Surfers will forever protect you."
"Don't worry, baby. Surfers will forever protect you."

Heartwarming: Costa Rican surfers hear baby whale crying in the shallows, spend hours rescuing her!

Chas Smith

By

Surfers are the BEST!

And just yesterday we learned that not all surfers are selfish, self-centered creeps. We learned of Roger Casugay from the Philippines who rathered to save a competitor from drowning, in the middle of a surf competition, than to wear shiny gold around his neck, proof of his absolute dominance. It made me believe further in us, our power, our ability to change the very course of the earth.

Today, my beliefs are solidified for, halfway across that earth in Costa Rica we have a pack of surfers out for dawn patrol who opt to save a baby whale over getting some and let us read the heartwarming tale of Mauricio Camareno and his friends.

A group of local surfers in Boca Barranca, Costa Rica were about to catch the waves when something unusual caught their attention. It was around five o’clock in the morning when Mauricio Camareno and his friends have spotted something that looked like a “black lump” in the mouth of a nearby river.

Shortly after, a creature could be heard crying from the spot, so the surfers decided to check in. They soon realized it was a baby pilot whale who got stuck there, about 150 feet downstream. As the poor creature seemed to be too exhausted to swim back into the sea, the surfers carried her back into the open sea.

“She was very weak and could not keep afloat,” Camareno told Amelia Rueda.

The ordeal took over six hours and ended very successfully with the baby whale regaining strength and swimming out to sea.

Do you have tears in your eyes? Rolling down your cheeks?

Well, pat yourself on the back, dear surfer. YOU are a benevolent and wonderful creation.

Death in the Afternoon!
Death in the Afternoon!

Horrifying: Magnificent “man-eating” Great White shark gets stuck in Mexico eco-tourism diving cage then dies bloody, tortured death!

Chas Smith

By

But who is to blame?

Well what a giant bummer. What a real wet rag. And imagine that you have mustered enough resources to fly all the way to Mexico’s Guadalupe Island not to surf, not to be “bait” as it were, but to slide into a metal cage, into the magnificent, “man-eating” Great White sharks’ natural environment in order to witness her blood-lust. His rage. In order to float there and be one with nature.

Then imagine that one of those exalted beasts swims close to the cage, sort of into the cage, and you witness glory first hand.

Right there.

But then imagine that encounter kills the bastard, I mean glorious creation. Literally kills it dead. That curiosity, as it were, killed the shark but let us read first from a dubious sporting website…

Disturbing videos have surfaced showing a great white shark trying to squeeze into a cage with divers inside at Mexico’s Guadalupe Island, and ultimately sinking after apparently dying from injuries it sustained during the ordeal. (Warning: The footage is graphic.)

Mexican activist Arturo Islas Allende shared the first video to social media platforms on Dec. 5, under a title that translates to “Negligence kills white shark.” He implicated a Nautilus Dive Adventures vessel and complained that cage openings were not adjusted in a manner to keep sharks and divers safe.

The divers, who were clearly frightened as the massive predator writhed after getting its head stuck in a cage opening, were not injured.

On Dec. 8, Allende shared the second video, showing what appears to be a dead shark sinking in the blue water. In the second video, Allende complains about noncompliance of rules by Nautilus Liveaboards and other operators at Guadalupe Island, and a lack of enforcement by Mexican authorities.

And then let us read from shark whisperer Ocean Ramsey…

View this post on Instagram

Great white shark ecotourism is really good for monitoring shark populations, encouraging conservation, & keeping poachers away, but it needs to be done responsibly with the sharks welfare in mind. A couple years ago there were several incidents with white sharks getting into cages, which can harm the sharks gills & more & could also potentially harm people, however conanp and scientists from Pelagios and Ecocimati advised on better designs for cages with smaller openings so the sharks couldn’t get their head stuck or in up to their gills & also advised on better bait handling to keep sharks out of line with cages…However as you can see not all companies followed the guideline recommendations and now that white shark was reported to have died and those people could’ve been injured. It’s a tragedy to lose a white shark because the owner of that company didn’t update his cage design & it makes great white shark cage tourism look bad when it shouldn’t because other companies complied. The video is calling for the owner of that company to be held responsible & the government authority to enforce the guidelines & consequences for this incident. I support cage tourism because it allows for protection from poachers and show the value of helping to keep sharks alive & inspires connection for conservation and I know far more sharks die from nets and fishing but had the regulations for the cage specifications been followed this could’ve been avoided. Will the owner of this company please comply to the regulations for the sake of sharks and people?

A post shared by Ocean Ramsey #OceanRamsey (@oceanramsey) on

Great white shark ecotourism is really good for monitoring shark populations, encouraging conservation, & keeping poachers away, but it needs to be done responsibly with the sharks welfare in mind. A couple years ago there were several incidents with white sharks getting into cages, which can harm the sharks gills & more & could also potentially harm people, however conanp and scientists from Pelagios and Ecocimati advised on better designs for cages with smaller openings so the sharks couldn’t get their head stuck or in up to their gills & also advised on better bait handling to keep sharks out of line with cages…However as you can see not all companies followed the guideline recommendations and now that white shark was reported to have died and those people could’ve been injured. It’s a tragedy to lose a white shark because the owner of that company didn’t update his cage design & it makes great white shark cage tourism look bad when it shouldn’t because other companies complied. The video is calling for the owner of that company to be held responsible & the government authority to enforce the guidelines & consequences for this incident. I support cage tourism because it allows for protection from poachers and show the value of helping to keep sharks alive & inspires connection for conservation and I know far more sharks die from nets and fishing but had the regulations for the cage specifications been followed this could’ve been avoided. Will the owner of this company please comply to the regulations for the sake of sharks and people?

I’ll be honest. That is too much for me to read. So, help me, who is to blame?

The eco-tourists?

Mexico?

Curiosity?

No way sharks.

Right?

All I know is that sharks, worldwide, will be looking to avenge this death. No surfing is recommended for weeks if not months. No surfing especially in California.

Photo: Steve Sherman/@tsherms
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