A changing of the guard in Central America.
French and Japanese surfers have dominated the final day of competition at the ISA World Surfing Games, the last stop on the potholed road to Tokyo 2021.
In the individual men’s event, France’s Joan Duru and Jeremy Flores finished first and third, with Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi and Hiroto Ohhara, second and fourth.
Germany’s Leon Glatzer, who was born in Maui and grew up in Costa Rica, finished fifth.
Owen Wright was Australia’s best performing surfer, finishing eleventh, behind a raft of Peruvians, a Chilean, a Balinese shredder and a kid from Portugal.
The women were a little different, Australian Sally Fitzgibbons dominating throughout the event, although, per the fashion of the event, Portuguese and Peruvians filled out spots second, third and fourth.
Although I saw very little of the contest, too many heats, too many sudden withdrawals by drawcards, Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira, Julian Wilson and so on to provoke any sort of interest, the contest was a harbinger of a rapidly shifting surfing world, the decline of the USA a reflection of a decaying empire, ruined by decades of war, internal strife and barbarians at the gate; a country running on fumes, so to speak.
Anyway, no biggie, below are the Olympians who will be performing in Tokyo, if it runs.
If you’re wondering why Duru ain’t on the list, it’s ’cause France already has its two men (Flores and Bourez) who’d qualified through the WCT.
Each team gets two men, two women.
Men
Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
John John Florence (USA)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Michel Bourez (FRA)
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Hiroto Ohhara (JPN)
Lucca Mesinas (PER)
Miguel Tudela (PER)
Jordy Smith (RSA)
Manuel Selman (CHI)
Leon Glatzer (GER)
Rio Waida (INA)
Leandro Usuna (ARG)
Frederico Morais (POR)
Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Billy Stairmand (NZL)
Women
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Carissa Moore (USA)
Caroline Marks (USA)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Silvana Lima (BRA)
Mahina Maeda (JPN)
Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN)
Teresa Bonvalot (POR)
Yolanda Sequeira (POR)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Pauline Ado (FRA)
Daniella Rosas (PER)
Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
Leilani McGonagle (CRC)
Dominic Barona (ECU)
Anat Lelior (ISR)
Bianca Buitendag (RSA)
Ella Williams (NZL)
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Spin to win …. or in the bin ? It’s not a sin ….
Got it ! Coc runs over Kirk …whisky no go go in semi one …..
Dane is Hamlet …..To surf or not to surf that is the question ?
and Bunker becomes one with the universe ( again ) blowing up Train at Trestles ….
Haven’t seen the film but was reminded of Bunker Spreckels
Taibbi is mostly long gone from Rolling Stone. He’s got his own site thru Substack.com
https://taibbi.substack.com
Ha ha whaaa?
He might have to Bunker down ….?
if it runs…
Nothing like watching Hawaiian Canadians and Australian Canadians drinking beers after a surf …. You did good Shane ( EBC is proud of you ! )
Hiroto definitely displaces more water and possibly delivered one of the greatest post final interviews the year he won the US Open ….. buy some cars .
Enjoyed that quick fire little summary of the state of America at the moment Derek. This article was a brilliant read last year.
https://www.rollingstone.co…
One quote stood out to me about the peak of the American dream that is now a distant memory: “It was not by any means a perfect world but affluence allowed for a truce between capital and labor, a reciprocity of opportunity in a time of rapid growth and declining income inequality, marked by high tax rates for the wealthy, who were by no means the only beneficiaries of a golden age of American capitalism”
disclaimer* Cotton’s Pt. isn’t a real place. It’s a fictional neighborhood. T. is using code, ignore.
I watched a bit of the ISA event and was pleasantly surprised – the surf wasn’t too bad. I’m happy for El Salvador having all those surfers from around the world come and enjoy its waves and culture and stuff. I’m happy for Shun Murakami too – sixth in the world is a fantastic result! Well done to the young man from Chiba.
The heat draw was a nominal kaleidoscope. I didn’t try to make head or tail of it, but I did pick favourites. My favourite competitor names in the event were:
(Men)
1. Iaroslav Dombrovskyi
2. Dimitri Papavassiliou
3. I Ketut Agus Aditya Putra
4. Rogelio Esquievel Jr
5. Kanoa Itchyrashy
(Women)
1. Tiziana Billy Prem
2. Taina Angel Izquierdo
3. Fanny Bühlmann
4. Yun-Jung Chun
5. Claire Bevilacqua
Some seriously great surfers on this list, and yes, sadly I butchered more than a few names I’m sure. Ketut is heading for the CT, that kid RIPS!
Trans-continental.
Maybe they will all do a trans dance at the same time!?
Pierre de Coubertin , the Father / mother / legal guardian of the modern Olympics said
“ L’important dans la vie ce n’est point le triomphe, mais le combat, l’essentiel ce n’est pas d’avoir vaincu mais de s’être bien battu.
The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
No mention that women and men, or combinations of both, could not struggle together ….?
If the Basque , break away from France this month , in a BraXit , then Basque surfer Joan Duru could represent Euskadi in Tokyo ?
So Joan Duru, who won over there is not even going to the Olympics??
Yep, wild, yes?
Now I want to get real and beat these French soft cocks?
Beat a soft cock enough and it gets hard.
The Olympics are so fucking stupid anyway. I mean, they made Bruce Jenner famous. I think that’s condemnation enough.
A 5 ring Circus ….. Bruce and 4 other arseholes …..
Where are the Clowns ,
Send in the Clowns ,
Don’t bother they’re already here …..
I sent them anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
bring back motor boating.
“Since the first modern Games in 1896, 12 sports have disappeared completely from the Olympic schedule. These are croquet, cricket, Jeu de Paume, pelota, polo, roque, rackets, tug-of-war, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and motor boating.”
I like pelota!
is that some kind of bland desert?
What you have to remember about decathletes is that the GB team, which included Daley Thompson, decided to do a change-up training day and follow around a bunch of 6-8 years olds*, copying whatever they did. The athletes were worn out after about 3 hours in the playground.
*Steady on.
Bruce so much hotter as Caitlyn.
So everyone was forced to attend this or risk losing their Olympic seeding, but the guy who wins it is barred. Stupid.
Absurd !
Next level retarded. The ISA even makes the WSL look semi-competent.
I guess it all comes back to the point of view of the observer ?
Over at French Mag Surf Session ….. This was the pinnacle of French Surfing with a win in the male division by Joan , Pauline Ado qualifying , and the French Team taking the win over Japan ….. 40 years after The World Amateurs in Hossegor in 82 , (the year Brutus turned up with the OZ team and stayed to make boards and catch 10,000 barrels ) the work of the ISA and the French Federation , together , has come into fruition …. At least for the French ?
Joan Duru should get an extra award for saving the world from another spastic Igarashi celebration.
The might have had to change the name of the shaking palsy from Parko’sins disease …?
Anyway , if Little K ever wins another event I would suggest the punters on the beach liven up the celebrations with bubbles , not champagne but soap suds , and Chuck their dirty washing at the pulsating puppet …. and quicker than you can say AJAX ….. Laundry is done .
Do you think Surfing Australia celebrated victory over the Germans to steal fifth place?
Australia has a history of celebrating victory over the Germans ,and losing to the Turks ……, so any chance to finish ahead of an economic super power who still manufactures things ( Cars , Trucks , Cranes , Sub Marines , weapons etc etc ) should be cause for at least a six pack .
I got a $100 towards go-funding a beach grit solid gold medal for Duru says “Hard as Candy”.
Has to be a one off and brake the mold after the pour!
Fools Gold …… bloody sad business , Joan is perhaps one of surfing’s last real characters and would have been perhaps more at home on the World Tour of the 80s and 90s than the current band of party lightweights ….
Watched the highlight real of finals, noticed little belly popping out of his jersey during congratulatory hug. Amazing at the highest level of comp these guys aren’t ultra fit?
It’s possible that they are extremely fit but not trying to be body builders , top models or Instagram stars …… the muscles are obviously there , just covered with a slightly thicker layer of fat than the starving ones . Luke Egan and Mick Lowe were classic examples of fit surfers who were never going to grace the cover of men’s fitness magazines .
My wife , went on a date with a very cut man , just before we started dating , and at a wedding they attended , to keep his figure intact , he ate only one piece of chicken and drank only water . I am not sure that being reed thin is actually good for you ?
I ate a whole hell of a lot of pineapple post teens because of a wives tale can’t tell you if that worked out or not, but have to agree with the chicken water scenario.
surely all finalists should be given a start, even if it is at the expense of a countryman. other wise there isn’t much point to having it.
I think pointless is the point of the ISA Games.
im ready for the Olympics and the wsl to die forever
You can’t script this.