Deep thoughts.
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro is now, officially, in the rearview mirror and what a show, at the end. Young wildcards wowed, elders shined, an unlikely champion, but wonderful, was crowned. And now we have, cemented, our final five who will fly from Teahupo’o to Southern California’s timid shore to compete for the entire season’s jewel, best surfer in the world, 2022.
When the World Surf League envisioned this final day, winner take all, and rolled it out for the first time last season, it was an attempt to reprise the excitement of the 2019’s showdown between number one and number two Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina at very fine Pipeline.
Chicken skin.
But this year, the oft used WSL-ism may have a different meaning. As you know, current world number one Filipe Toledo put on a very memorable performance at Teahupo’o’s day of days. Memorable in that he bravely refused to paddle while two geriatrics swapped absolute bombs underneath his priority.
As you also know, current world number two Jack Robinson put on memorable performance too, weaving through the blue maw, sliding vertically down, though less memorable because conquering beasts is part of his repertoire.
Now, at Trestles, the two may come up against each other, assuming Robinson gets through his penultimate heat. There they will bob in 2 – 3 foot surf, swapping snaps and air reverses, the world’s best small wave surfer Filipe Toledo a heavy favorite but, herein, lies a problem.
The King of Saquarema’s Cho-e-hu-p’o’o act will be all too fresh in the spectator’s mind and will he or she be able to accept him as master, carried high above the cobbled stones on Brazilian shoulders, or will the sheer weight of rage break the World Surf League apart?
Banners hastily spray painted “NOT MY CHAMPION!”
“#STOPTHESTEAL”
“ROBBO’D”
What do you think about that?
The best case scenario, likely, for the League is that someone other than Toledo wins at Trestles, even though that is very harsh. The Brazilian flyboy put together an incredible season save one glaring moment of cowardice.
The problem, I suppose, is that surf fans place courage high on the list of desirable traits, maybe even equal to skill.
Many years ago, I bobbed in a boat in Te-ay-cho-p’u’u’s channel with Robinson, Leo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi. It was not a big day but those around claimed at that size it was more terrifying than extra large because it broke directly upon the reef or something. Robinson and Firoravanti were right into it, hooting and laughing. Igarashi got out of the boat slow, paddled to the shoulder, paddled back without catching a wave. The team manager, also aboard, told him he had to go back and charge. The young boy did want to, did not want to at all, but did paddle back and try.
Many years later, Igarashi has found his heart and is unafraid of the big and though many don’t like his claims or his chains, his courage is not questioned and, thus, neither would a crown if he were to win instead of Toledo or Robinson at Trestles. Ethan Ewing charges and Italo Ferreira does too.
The question at the end, I suppose, can a champion, our champion, be a shrinking violet?
If by chance JRobbo wins and believes he has climbed it to the top of the pile after this year and this event , then he is more a fool than TRobbo and thats saying something.
Clammy hands
Courage doesn’t matter to the masses. Nationality does…A mob of nationalist sheep will carry Filipe anyway he wins. And they will take Instagram photos of it all and the WSL will love it because that’s their target market now…
’73. MB. a group of us thought it would be keen to establish an “Ironman” comp: run to the pier and back; grab long board and paddle to the pier and back; grab a six-pack and guzzle…the winner didn’t hurl. There were about 20 of us. Fast forward, this year they had 1,000s of participants. It’s entirely unwatchable on you-tube…So much for starting a trend!
I miss real Surf community life. Cant all of u see this boy is an Oprah lackey, and this is just another version of woke ignorance, and the kooks way of trying to crush something that they were never part of….
thanks for posting the video, that was rad! the look on his face when he sees himself on that bomb, so good
How about beachfront pays for a few commenters to go to chopes and have a crack. See how we compare to Fils efforts.
dumb lazy comment….we all have jobs (maybe) all fil does is surf
Fil surf 430x better then me but I’m dumb enough that I’d just go with all those people screaming because I couldn’t live with myself. I would not make it and prob die
I’m also smart enough to not draw a lion on my chest
Such a pity that Julian dropped out. He’d have been all over those waves.
here’s a dilemma…..Marciano shapes Pips bds and has for over a decade , both are Brazilians , so do you think Jack will get the same performance bds that Pip gets?
I know most other shapers would only want their,”boy ” to win…will Sharpeye sabotage Jack and make him some woofers?
Like a lotta shit right now, its a lame joke.
they should have another cut after chopes, pulling it back to the old top16.
add another 16 from challenger after haliewa.
plenty of surfers outside of top5 didn’t give a shit if they won or lost.
Why wasn’t Tahiti the last stop on this tour?
I can’t say Chopes properly so I will call it tahiti
Sat near a seal dying today. Looked like it had been attacked, scratches
everywhere. Eyes usually recessed, bulging and blood red. Dude was on
his way out, spasm after spasm. He looked at me and I just sat nearby,
no threat. It was weird, but not my first time around it. Didn’t know
what to do that would help, just kept company. Old sea dog, just like
me.
damn, that’s a tough one Hippie; I once happened on an otter dying, similar situation, and it stayed with me a long time
sail on
Ok, contest over. Let it go, hippy.
This finals just feels so creepy at the heels of another failure that clouds the whole deal even more. DAng, it’s cloudy. Overcast with fog.
Wanted the dude to step up. Dude could not. It wasn’t that big.
Makes me miss Jeremy.
So is this tour about who can surf an easy wave best?
The cut was a way to save costs (time is money) and by making contests more viewer friendly
Kelly is so sad. He has every reason to be happy, but he is lonely and hates his shallow self.
NonJohn has every reason to be sad, but loves his drunken self. NonJohn will outlive Kelly, no matter how much wellness Kelly eats.
Long live, NonJohn.
Amen
The WSL is trying to create a higher view rate with a “Superbowl” event. The problem is each venue a surf contest is held is completely different vs other sports like football and basketball in which the playing field is the same.
The event at Trestles only determines who surfed that mushy wave the best. It doesn’t indicate whose the best surfer in a varied type wave. Even if they had a final five held at pipeline (an improvement), it still strongly favors a surfer that specifically rides that type wave well.
They need to drop the top five final surf off winner takes all format. While they are at it, drop inferior breaks on tour. Example; replace Rio with Cloudbreak or Nias. A majority of viewership is not in person so the amount of viewers attending an event is irrelevant.
The graphic of pip and Robinson having the exact same placings at pipe and chooyooopouuuo is….well…put that in ur pip and smoke it
Light needs to be shone on the flawed system , they got lucky last year but if filipe wins it will be a mockery of a world championship , deciding the title at a b grade wave ….
will be hilarious
Will be perfect b grade pros have surfed mainly b grade waves all year so why not crownit with the best b grade surfers competing in th best b grade wave for the best b grade world title on the best b grade tour.
“No kook has ever won Bells”… No World Champ has ever had a Lion tattooed on their chest as symbol of what they lacked.