"As islanders this has been difficult; as surfers this has felt crippling."
As yet another Coronavirus variant bubbles up on the international stage, this one called Omicron, we surfers, we sliders of waves should be thankful for what we have. Namely, the vast majority of us have been able to wave slide for the last many months. Oh certainly, we suffered early beach closures, and limited ones pop up from time to time, place to place, except for the gorgeous French Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago for there surfing has been banned from the very dawn of Covid.
The Surfing Association of Trinidad and Tobago, or SATT, has finally had enough, writing a public letter to the Ministry of Health calling the closure a “national embarrassment.”
SATT president Ronald Riley declared, “Our sport is now an Olympic sport seeing great success in Tokyo, and looking forward (to the) impact and viability of surfing as an Olympic sport is clear, considering that Paris 2024 is looking at French Polynesia to host (if not the French Caribbean). We’ve just had front-row seats to the growth of French surf culture as our vice-president and technical director Jason Apparicio has been coaching French Caribbean nationals to great success this past month…and not only in France but in the Azores (islands) in Portugal as well. As islanders this has been difficult; as surfers this has felt crippling; and as a sporting association we recognise how detrimental this could be to any competitive, socio-economic and Olympic possibilities we have here and now moving forward. Globally, surfing is responsible for exponential growth in coastal economies.”
A year-plus without surfing seems punitive. A possible stealing of Olympic hosting downright rude, but did you consider the French Caribbean when you first learned that Paris had won the 2024 Games?
Would you rather watch Israeli surfers hucking into Teahupo’o or Canadian surfer ripping Mount Irvine?
Much to ponder.
oh my bad. New York Post then 😀
Careful Dude, the Rothschilds will be onto you now that you have busted their consipracy wide open. Be sure to make a copy and mail to the New York Times just in case you go missing!
The only conspiracy is between your ears.
How do you suppose the elites are so clever as to be able to wipe out 80% of the population yet so stupid as to let you in on the secret?
I know the world’s a complex place and the stupider you are the harder it is to comprehend. That’s why morons like you clutch anything that can dumb it down for you.
But yeah keep trying to save the world by posting on a surfing forum. I mean what kind of idiot thinks that will make a difference?
Sick! Where do I sign up?
Like a typical moron, you don’t understand where I am coming from. You can’t comprehend anything past the end of your nose. You have shit for brains.
So i’ll ask again. Wouldn’t it be easier to just put this magic poison in the drinking water or milk or aspirin or the flu shot or hell, toothpaste or toilet paper, something everyone uses every day?
You’ve got nothing. You’re full of rage and a fucking moron.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just put this bio weapon in something common like Aspirin or Milk?
The world would be way better off with a lower population anyway, so what are you really complaining about? As an anti vaxer moron you’ll be free to inherit the earth.
Come, friendly asteroid.
Has everyone seen the latest photo from mars? Awesome https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Looks like Nevada.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
An all out ban on surfing throughout the pandemic would have been a blessing in disguise here in California. Especially in San Diego, the epicenter of the VAL apocalypse. VAL’s love these gutless shit waves.
That’s Ottos hat
I’m entertained by anybody “hucking” into firing Teahupo’o. Tahitians aren’t that entertained. My first session was about survival, more than surfing.
Ha ! Know exactly what you mean. Not my favorite thing
If we were using NOAA’s National Hurricane Center name methodology, we’d be at the Covid “Karen” Variant, instead of Omicron.
Hahaa sounds right !
If ya don’t know, don’t go.
Otherwise..
Christ Chas, you’re ignorant even for a yank. Trinidad and Tobago isn’t part of the French Caribbean.
The National language is English. Part of the Commonwealth.
You are conflating the fact that a trinidadian coaches the French caribbean team with trinidad and tobago being French. As they say… non!
The French Caribbean is places like Guadeloupe and martinique. Where they speak… French!
Potato, potato.
Playing cricket is usually a dead give away.
I didn’t know this! But fuck Chas is getting dumber by the day
Why bring facts to BG?
You are getting in the way of quality surf journalism with true facts. Now what do we do?
Sink into a pool of apathy probably! Look I like Chas, he’s a bit of a punk but sometimes the lack of a sub-editor makes me twist off!
The WHO uses the Greek alphabet to name virus variants.
Mu—>Nu—>Xi—>Omicron
The WHO skipped “Nu” and “Xi”, instead moving to “Omicron” variant.
Weird.
I wonder why.
Speaking of the Who, I sure miss Keith Moon
Was he the Xinball Wizard?
Just wait til the Omega Mu comes to town.
Wasn’t that a swine flu variant? What a booger that was.