"Extremely violent."
Now, I did not happen to catch current World Surf League number one and Olympic silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi’s heat against the much-loved Mick Fanning but was surprised when I had learned of his loss. Igarashi has won many of his critics over, during this first portion of professional surfing’s calendar, with an elevated style and surgical beheading of foes.
Coming into Bells, the Japanese surfer by way of Huntington Beach and Portugal, seemed to be building the proverbial “house,” as it were, but things may have come straight undone at Bells.
After completing a lightly above average ride, Igarashi violently punched his own face in an extreme act of celebration. He went on to lose the heat, and maybe his position in the standings if Filipe Toledo continues his run of being able to surf small waves very well, but the reverberations from “The Punch” are continuing to, well, reverberate.
Important culture watchdogs have called the move “triggering” and declare that “it sends the wrong message” especially in this day and age when stopping Asian hate is paramount.
Were you disturbed? Saddened? Will Igarashi’s personal brand suffer if he is, in fact, marked as “anti-Asian”?
David Lee and I discussed on today’s podcast along with the implosion we are currently witnessing inside the World Surf League itself. Unprecedented days.
Now that’s a real athlete.
If he does poorly in a heat then I expect a Hari Kari performance with a traditional Japanese sword or he must shift back to representing USA 🇺🇸
I’ll listen to it later
You’ve still got it, Pete.
I’ve heard rumours that ELo is planning a broadcasted Easter celebration by forcing the competitors into a novelty free surf using only brightly-painted rounded mid-length ‘eggs’.
Some neoprene ‘chick’ and ‘bunny’ costumes will also be on offer to keen participants who will be guaranteed an extra couple of points on their scores for the remaining rounds.
Will Hurluley sponsor this spectacle?
I’m totally over my finsey dokeys.
Not our sorta bag, ya know?
ELo’s brain fart.
He plans to be on stilts, on two SUPs, and have the camera angle so it looks like he’s pooping out all the Easter competitors / eggs as they paddle between his legs. Madness.
No wonder he’d been attending all those yogi retreats.
It’s cringe.
Kanoa was miming the impact of HEE HAW’S voice upon the viewer.
Perhaps though, the WSL is attempting a commentary equivalent of the indy rock ‘loud / soft / loud’ genre? Alternating between Turpel’s soporific drone and HEE HAW’S blaring sonic assaults.
The WSL could save money by putting HEE HAW out back on the water without a radio mic, and she’d still be perfectly audible from several hundred meters through the surf noise.
Seems even JRobbo has gone to the dark side with his new penchant for clsiming.
I would love to punch Kanoa in the face too
Who are these people? First I hear of anything like that was here. Makes one wonder…
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rusty Cudgel make any sort of claim. Very humble. He’ll be refreshing to watch, esp in heats with the The Mid-Tour Cunt.
Are the carpark rumours true that Rusty signed a multi sticker deal with Hurluley ?
Not sure. I’ll have to chase down our signing agent. She’s been super busy getting new talent on board.
He was just trying to fulfill the wish for him I laid out in my first Power Rankings this year:
“We can only wish that we’d witness a claim from him where he screams and punches himself in the face for all of us.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t fully commit and did it more accidentally rather than fully squaring it up enough and hitting himself purposefully flush. Big time failure. Doesn’t count.
To be fair, he just needs more practice. Hopefully, he’ll soon be doing combinations and knocking himself out.
His mother would say…
“Me love you long time.”
Asian love.
So tight yo.
And for the two humorless fuckers who down voted me…
At least I didn’t quote his mother as saying…
“Me so horny!”
fuck them if they can’t take a joke
Fuck him, if he can’t take a downvote….
Nor did you use “wuv”
Now up to 4. Kooks.
These same people would probably be offended by old school Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Mel Brooks, etc.
Sad, really.
Wonder why they dont just go to surfline or the inertia? It’s pretty clear the spirit of these comments. Most all stay within respectable bounds, too.
Maybe like the guy who shot up the Asian massage parlor in Atlanta this had little to do with his Asian-ness and more to do with his incel-ness.
Asian hate adjacent, as it were.
The All Blacks Rugby team had a ‘thumb across throat’ action in their pre-game ritual of ‘Haka’ (a type of Maori war dance) that had people whinging about it being a violent act.
Iggy could go with his Japanese culture and instead of just simulating Seppuku, he could get stuck in with the knife and actually pull his own guts out.
It’d certainly make an impression on the TV audience…
He could be into wacky Japanese porn.
That would explain a lot.
As a claim, it would be difficult to top.
I am disturbed and saddened by you admitting you do not watch every single heat of every WOSL event, especially one involving your anti-Semitic nemesis. You can do better and we deserve better.
Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown!
If this is a Metallica reference…awesome
Master of Puppets…nice.
Of course it is.
Salmonellica!
Good surfer on his day. But has antagonised the judges over the years. He needs to rope it in otherwise a life sentence of near misses will be his sentence.
ala kolohee
Kanoa a far better surfer than Okole
First thought that came to mind. He did lose yesterday however, smaller waves don’t cut it at bells
Yes, I see a Michael Jordan Smith-esque career arc, how astute of you to point this out, well played old chap, cheers!
On a 1-10 scale of whack claims it was teetering in the upper excellent level. Well surfed wave, micks score hadnt come in until just before he took off, so Im sure he thought he has the 6.5 he needed, but Mick stuck him with needing an 8.
Mostly poorly timed theatrics, and awkward as all hell.