And the return of Mikey Wright!
Six days ago, it was rumored right here that there-time World Champion Gabriel Medina was considering making an appearance at the most famous surf contest in Australia. Alas, it is not to be as the World Surf League has just made official his withdrawal from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
Per the press release:
Three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) has withdrawn from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and will be replaced by Barron Mamiya (HAW), who is currently sitting as World No. 2 along with 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA).
Yago Dora (BRA) continues his recovery from his injury ahead of the season and will be replaced by WSL Injury Replacement, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF). Carlos Munoz (CRI) and Liam O’Brien (AUS) sustained injuries at Pipeline and continue their recoveries. They will be replaced by World No. 6 Caio Ibelli (BRA) and Mikey Wright (AUS), respectively. This will mark Wright’s return to the CT after announcing an indefinite break from professional surfing following last year’s Corona Open Mexico.
Exciting that Mamiya can continue his pursuit of the crown but let’s focus on Mikey Wright’s triumphant return to organized professional surfing.
Are you excited to see Australia’s bad boy back in a singlet?
Thrilled?
Discuss your feelings below.
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Mikey is such a waste of a wildcard. Pathetic.
mikey has been given many opportunities and then retired, surely the current leader of the oceania regional qs’ would be a more deserving wc
Or a non CT next highest rated surfer on the QS as that is the “qualifying” path as set out by the WSL , otherwise why have it ?
Like telling the boss you quit on Friday then showing up on Monday saying ‘wot?! Cunt. I said INdeffnt’
that’s a good one
Made myself giggle. That’s all that counts right!?
Mikey Wright eh? Things must be desperate.
I miss getting senseless. I make far too much sense these days.
Word on the cliff says Tatties bloke’s still keen (and more than able apparently) to pick up where they left off in the North Point carpark that time, and isn’t worried about getting busted for it now he’s not competing.
Mikey might have to be careful…
Let me summize this contest before it begins.
Non Elimination round will be consistent with good winds. The women will take up the mid morning tide push and hand the ball back to the men at full high tide.
First real round will be decent, but everyone remembers the conditions the girls ran in so disappointing.
Wait wait wait, Oh my, it looks like the weekend is going to be good so let’s get to the quarters by then, rush heats as wind cheddars the lineup by noon but they push on to set up the weekend.
Friday, JMD decides it’s not good enough and that morning’s free surf at low tide pushing is the best conditions of the week.
Saturday it’s on! Surfline agrees, they send the women out and finish up to the semi’s in over forecasted head high. The men hit the water as the tide swamps and again, that east wind fucks up the bowl and the competitors don’t move over to Rincon because the ladies got a few swing wide sets.
Sunday arrives, the women run the semi’s in draining surf, the men run the quarters in chest high wonk and the contest is on hold through the full tide. Men’s semi’s and final are barely surfable and the women finish on twin fins.
Contest is lauded as an amazing success and Margaret’s River has it’s salad literally tossed in the booth frothing with anticipation.
Don’t forget the ubiquitous 3 heats at Winki
Just enough so the audience knows that they are missing something.
You forgot the part where they play that annoying AC/DC song every morning and the wave still sucks and always will, no matter how “good” it is.
sounds like juicy gossip.
do the Wright kids share any DNA? Never seen three disparate kids that have no physical similarities.
mystery illnesses too.
Can’t wait for Leo to eliminate Mikey.
Did you know Mikey’s now a clubbie?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
He’s on smoko
Leave him alone
Baron should be an automatic wildcard while he’s top 10
Must be some local shred pig who’d give the tree a shake?!
Dear Mr Grits,
I find it highly improper and upsetting that you publish a photograph of Mr. Wright engaged in displaying an obscene hand-gesture like this.
It’s doubly upsetting that he is doing so in a public place, on a beach, where children and other vulnerable persons may be present. I cannot help wondering if Mr. Wright’s corporate benefactors have knowledge of his lewd and insensitive displays? I may need to inform them of this cunt’s shitty attitude and get him to fuckin’ reign it in.
Yours Respectfully,
Channel Arsecrack.
That would make far too much sense, wouldn’t it?
What a silly decision to give wildcards to has-been Fanning and sick-note Mikey. I’d rather watch paint dry. Well done WSL, you’ve kicked the viewers in the teeth and the next generation of Aussie surfers in the bollocks.
Mikey February should get it.
Hmm that would’ve been a tough sell given he’s not Australian but I enjoy his surfing more than Fanning or Wright’s.
Why does the wild card need to be Australian? It should go to someone who has a shot at disrupting, if not winning, no? Who cares where they are from?
Fair point although as I understand it there’s some sort of system whereby the host region is allocated a certain amount of wildcards so I assumed Mikey Wright’s was one of those. Or maybe one wildcard has to be allocated to someone called Mikey, hence the Mikey February suggestion above?
Wait? The system is stupid and they’re doing stupid things because of a stupid system they created? You don’t say.
Mikey’s more of a mildcard.
but he flips the bird in all his land shots! mad cunt!
Or a wildcurr?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Wait. Barron wasn’t already invited? WTF WSL? FFS.
I am announcing my indefinite break from BG.
Breaking Grit
Email me for stickers before you disappear.
Bitch greet
they’ll give you the wildcard
Chazz, how much money will you lose on Mikey thinking he can quarter?
Wonder what a round one Wright siblings multi would pay…
Or a round two trifecta loss…
*dyslexic much? I’ll see myself out
Me? Fuck all mate. I have no affection for Mikey Wright.
You’re in the wright place then.
“REPLACED BY CURRENT WORLD NUMBER TWO”
“replaced by World No. 6”
There are so many things wrong, in so many ways, with both those statements.
Can you imagine if Mick got a Wildcard and Barron was on the bench?
True, but there are so many things wrong, in so many ways, with the WSL. It seems doubtful that they’ll be around much longer.
Agree so hard. WTF? You need a wildcard magically gifted if you’re sitting in #2 spot 20% of the way through the season? Maybe it was much more of a foregone conclusion than the wording suggests but could you imagine if he didn’t get into the event! “Might have won the world title (won’t, but still) if he had been allowed a shot.” Bad look, WSL.