Bold decision-making beckons.
The forecast for the hours-away Outerknown Tahiti Pro is a tale of two halves. On the front end, Surfline, the World Surf League’s official prognosticator, is calling for minimal swell that might reach “fun-size” of shoulder high. The back end, though, is said to feature double-overhead plus with crazy winds whipping, the reef begging for blood.
Exciting.
Earlier today, Beachgrit’s own Trollformerlyknownasjackmeoff penned, “Great forecast, small stuff for the girls, big stuff for the boys, and some weather to keep it real.”
Except.
As if to directly rebuke, the World Surf League’s Senior Vice President of Competition, Head of Tours (formerly commissioner, I think) posted a stunning historical video challenge.
Then a teenager, Miley-Dyer states, “After competing at Teahupo’o in 2006 as a teenager and a rookie on the Championship Tour, I had strong opinions about women’s surfing and who I wanted us to be. And I still do.”
With the call directly in her hands, might the men be sent out early, thrilling current world number one Filipe Toledo, and the women held for scary?
It would be bold decision-making long missing from the top ranks of professional competitive surfing.
Yay or nay?
Watching these women surfing this spot is like watching a elephant ice skate …. Period 👊
Keala Kennelly is a freak of nature, in the best way.
But there’s another reality. All good athletes in sports requiring lower body performance, like board sports obviously, use their lower body strength and power at its max to compete. And they’re all on the right side of the bell curve for SVJH, the most common measure of potential for lower body power.
The female bell curve is shifted significantly to the left of the male, for lower body power potential.
If you watch Tatiana Guimaraes Weston-Webb dos Santos 😁 surf, she’s skilled, quick, and gutsy. She has a lot of experience in powerful waves. Her only limitation is that, when it gets really big, fast, and powerful, she runs out of leg. You can see it. There’s no shame in that. She’s extremely athletic and she trains hard. But she’s tiny, too. There’s only so much you can do.
Now, Caroline Marks has uncommon strength and power. I feel sorry for the waves, she carves them up so hard. So she might have the leg power and strength for big chopes.
But do we want to see someone else killed or paralyzed when she can’t hold a rail due simply to physical reality? The women who qualify, do so based on performance waves (or whatever you call HB Pier last week). They’re not selected for chopes.
It’s not the the girls don’t have guts. They do. This is just about the appropriate venue for competition. It’s not my call. But that’s the objective take on it, IMHO.
Plus, testesterone correllates to taking risks in dicy situations so for the girls it s twice as hard. They actually have to take more risk on the same waves because the’re not quite as strong and risk-afine. Which makes for great viewing but as a grown up dad I also hate seeing athletes get hurt so it’s a contradictary thing for me for sure.
Toledo will always be remembered for freezing in pipeline a few years ago, eliminating any chances to win the title then.
Will he repeat the plate again in Teahupoo?
Experience aside. Most important factor is the brain going yay, not nay.
If that happens, a lot less waves will get ridden
Well, as a Mom of a son who loves dangerous sports, who has spent many hours in emergency rooms I worry about men and women tackling those huge waves. However, the athleticism needed to ride those waves has made me a fan Every body should have the chance to compete. Maybe each surfer’s qualifications to challenge those waves should be examined -how many wipe outs, how many injuries “talking the talk” is not enough. If people start dying it will shed a bad light on surfing!
I’m unclear as to which way you swing on this issue, as your comment seems contradictory.
How?
As a dad of a son who’s been in IC I feel the same, glad he’s toned it down but we still both watch the best athletes charging incredible stuff across a few sports.
After the last couple years I don’t care about this tour anymore. Let the women surf 10′-15′ Chopes currently being forecasted for next Wed/Thurs. If they go over the ledge and make it (and don’t shoulder hop) it will be amazing to watch. If they go over the ledge and don’t make it, that will be amazing too, lol. And if JMD sends Kelly to surf “fun-size” Teahupoo in his own contest, it will be a hilarious “Crossing the Rubicon” moment for the WSL.
cover shot: WOW! she has a testicle…mine are in my throat! (as the ol sayin goes…)
also, the take-off & drop part…while keeping eyes off the reef…
https://images.fineartameri…
That post is not gonna age well when one of those girls hesitates and gets destroyed. I mean fuck, people have died there.
Teahupoo dont care what gender you are. Hesitate and you’re going head first into the reef.
yep, one of the few contest venues, other than pipe, “that’s just dying to meet you…” (not literally, of course)…also, “cooler heads will prevail!” WSL is waaay sooo coool!
as headlines on any mainstream fish rags are almost entirely wrong, the thrill of BG’s …liners is that they don’t matter…fish rags rarely follow up their leads…BG takes the circulous route and reframes the story from a 360 degree angle…560 even!
JMD will, JMD won’t…JMD don’t know…”It’s on when I say it’s on…2nd opinions?”
….”and then the whip comes downnnn…”
is your avatar two houses down past the a-frame house at Hippys point? Kinda looks like it.
Yeeeah probably a good idea. Severe beatings just waiting to happen. Go master Cloudbreak and pipe first.
https://m.youtube.com/short…
Hey JMD. They had the option of surfing big pipe and all shit themselves and refused to paddle out. Talk the big game when you know it’s going to be small.
Let’s see how you can make the wrong calls with this comp.
JMD SVPOCHOT
is there a tinge of “shut your piehole and don’t hold out, tyler” in the acronym?
Give Toledo the title already. That will legitimize wsl and competitive surfing. While we watch girls try and grow some balls 😆
grab bags required at this b…
icth
That pic of Keala is GNARLY. That being said, Keala is not a real name for butt ass white people. Does Keala know Kirra or Curren or Glider? NoJohn is against them all.
as he should be
Are the WSL locker rooms co-ed yet? Yay or Nay?
National Lampoon’s Destination: Locker Room Vacation
‘What’?
You tell’em Jesse.
If someone has paid to travel there, contributed to the rescue / med / insurance costs, and wants to step up to throw themselves over the ledge then why shouldn’t they be allow to do so?
Same reason why they keep pulling dead bodies off the top of mount everest.
Just because youve got money doesnt mean youre ready.
Very true, but it’s a lot easier to clean up the carnage at Chopes than Everest.