Scary times.
Last year, the World Surf League introduced a brand-new format to competitive professional surfing, The Final 5, wherein the top five male and female surfers travel to Lower Trestles’ cobbled stone and go against each other for the the title fulfilling the classic old adage “if it is broken fix the part that isn’t.”
For those who need a refresher, number five goes up against number four, the winner goes up against number three, the winner goes up against number two, the winner goes up against number one, the winner is the winner.
Exciting and this year, on the male’s side, we have Kanoa Igarashi going up against Italo Ferreira first.
Igarashi, who was born in Huntington Beach, California to Japanese parents has grown into a “global superstar” over the past two years, slingshotted into the stratosphere when surfing was introduced into the 2020 summer Olympics in Japan where the Surf City boy surfed for his parents’ home country.
Orange County would have certainly been hurt but maybe also understood the opportunities, for the handsome young man, associated with competing with the home nation’s flag on his tracksuit.
Now, though, that “Final’s Day” is here, and that it is in San Clemente, Orange County is laying full claim with the county’s official organ, The Orange County Register, releasing a most provocative issue today, headline screaming “OC SURFER IGARASHI EARNS SPOT FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT TRESTLES; CONOLOGUE WINS BIG IN TAHITI”
Yikes.
Japan has, thus far, remained quiet but experts in international relations worry that a response is being crafted in the Yakusuni Shrine to punish California’s third most populous county for such insolence.
What might it be?
Fu-Go bombs floated in early September?
A Manchurian Candidate-esque plot wherein a SUP enthusiast from Oklahoma is secretly groomed to be installed at the very pinnacle of professional surfing power?
Scary times.
Right on I wish I could get a pass to surf in the contest ass a free agent
Can’t wait for all you old racist, homophobic, kook surfers to die. Jfc
Isn’t this more about clicks and views than competition? Drama, international representation that draws in the huge audience’s from China, the Midwest and whatever they call land locked Australia. Trained monkeys and caged baboon commentators scratching for dinner. All while trying to ignore the stench of their heroes decapitated egos lying in the trenches for all the rebellious souls to fear. Is there a press tent? Are there unbiased media outlets taking notes and judging the judges? Or is it just a campaign to box the free ride and own the point. Is Charlie learning how to surf? Seems like the commies are taking over the beach scene. Trestles can’t crown our champ!! We already have our insta heroes.
Yasukuni,meht.
Weirdly, they still buy surf mags and watch the Woozle over here.Stuck in the ’90s Bubble glory years…
Expect another Pearl Harbor.
Chas, weren’t you in Oregon when the invading forces from the East dropped a firebomb from an air ballon in the pines? Hostile act! Decades later, we exchanged Kanoa for what? Stay tuned…gotta go pick-up $65 worth of sushi from Kobi’s…
also a send-off/shout-out to ELO!
https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx….
Can we give some acknowledgement to the thumbnails here on beachgrit, quite good. This one in particular, good to see Quinoas close mates carrying him up the beach.
Really if they going to do this should done the top 10 – 1 heat 1 chance 25 min heat thats it – who can handle the pressure? 1 wave scores it – so go nuts
BUT then why the fuck have a 8-10 event tour?? If its top 5 or top 10 and winner comes from 5th or 10th its a fuckup anyway.
For me its pipe, 4-5 roaming events in indo , fiji and tahiti, back to pipe to crown champ – done. winner is winner
The environment needs these pro surfers to fly around the world mending the coral reefs and planting marram grasses!
So the kid who looks like a member of a Korean boy band is torn between Japan and California, huh?
If Douglas David(La Di Da Di), and Mason + Coco had jobs operating some important production-line machinery in a factory pumping out heavily processed industrial-grade food, the company could still truthfully label their cans as “Fresh & Ho-Made.”
It’s a vibes-based economy these days.
How will Joe and the gang weave through calling Kanoa Japanese and homegrown hero?! Tune in to the WSL Finals presented by Hydroflask™ on September 8th at 7:30 PST!
You can have him Japan, provided that he agrees to leave HB and never return.
Stole the words outta my mouth, but I’d substitute California as a whole for HB
If HB had a specialized talent, it would be roughing a few ethnic feathers. That said, if Eddie Rothman is Hawaiian then anyone can be anything!
Well until there is a statue of Ronnie G in HB I will boycott the place
‘ruffling’
xx
Yeah… a “handsome young man” who wears eye-liner.
I believe the Kinks wrote about him in Lola long before his time
Leave Derek Carr out of this!
So Italo is the only one in the top 5 who isn’t a child of a former pro/bell’s champion or groomed for stardom from an early age. I’m team Italo.
Have you seen his jeans though? take a look and let me know if you still team italo.
Technically Trestles isn’t in Orange County
Even though Mr Smith is a NoCo resident, being geographically accurate would not fit his narrative. Also nobody in San Diego county except for Chaz cares about professional surfing.
Gonna miss Griffin, lament Quinoa, doesn’t matter anyway, the cowardly lion will light up chest high Mushels and be crowned champion.
* (with asterisks)
Italo could totally flare-up and beat Lion boy me thinks…
He grew up eating cookies on Sesame Street with the rest of the gang.
Kookie Monster!
33.3% Japanese, 33.3% American, and 33.4% Annoying
You forgot Portuguese.
50% American, 50% Japanese, 100% annoying!
No no no that’s ridiculous. It’s half man, half bear and half pig.
All this claiming birth right is an attempt to put more sheckles in teir pockets.. So why do i care?
All this claiming… why do I care?
You gotta send that meme you made to Derek so they can use it for the finals….
Hilarious.
Which meme?
The hilarious one.
If Kanoa does another face-punch claim and knocks himself out cold, it would be epic.
Claiming is an important part of modern hi-perf competition surfing, just like aerial manoeuvres, dropping anchor and smashing açai bowls.