The King is back!

For all the asterisks surrounding Filipe Toledo’s world title, no John John, another failure at Teahupoo, Finals Day in two-foot waves thereby hobbling any chance Jackie Robinson would win, the most glaring might be the absence of three-time world champ Gabriel Medina.

Medina made a sensational return to the pro tour in 2022 following a six-month break for “emotional issues’ after splitting from wife Yasmin Brunet. He banked semi-final finishes at El Salvador and G-Land, but was forced to pull out of J-Bay with a tweaked knee. 

Down but not out, as you’ll see.

Medina, who will be twenty-nine next month, proved his ability to turn a contest at a whim earlier today when he won the Corona Saquarema Pro, stealing a last-minute victory from the Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam.

The victory scuttled, at least for the time being, the Moroccan’s dream of qualifying for the Championship Tour.

Boukhiam, a tall splendid creature with dark and enormous eyes and flesh that ripples into bronze ridges, now has to turn up the volume at the Haleiwa event in a few weeks to make the cut.

“He’s (Boukhiam) such a great surfer,” Medina said after the final, sinking breathless into a divan, his body continuing to move in rhythm with his heart. “I hope he can make it to the tour, he deserves this. He’s one of the best to surf in a QS event and I can’t wait to see him on CT waves.”

"Foam Ball Ride of the Decade!"

Nathan Florence, brother of US Olympian John John, has knocked the surfing world for six after shucking what some big-wave surfers are calling the “best barrel ever.” 

Florence, who is twenty-eight and whose couronne of red hair is masked by the bleaching effects of sun and salt, rode the wave at a remote Irish reef on November 6, the swell generated by the remnants of Hurricane Martin. 

“When riding the lightning all comes together!” says Nathan. “One of the rides of me life, thanks all local boys for having me in their beautiful land and inspiring always to send!”

 

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A post shared by Nathan Florence (@nathan_florence)

 

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A post shared by Nathan Florence (@nathan_florence)

Compliments were quick to follow. 

Mark Healey, no stranger to oversized waves, wrote, “You may have my two favourite backhand tube ride ever.”

From WSL commentator Strider Wasilewski, “Best heavy wave surfer in the world.” 

Tube hunter Brett Barley, “Foamball Ride of the Decade.”

Dorian, “Sheesh epic!!”

Pipe Pro runner-up Seth Moniz, “Best Barrel ever.” 

Florence’s brother, John John, older by two years was quick to collar tie the middle bro of the Florence triumvirate, writing with a masterfully droll wit, “Could’ve been deeper.” 

If you’re wondering, Nathan’s on an eight-five Pyzel Padillac, set up as a thruster not a quad and the protuberance from his mouth is a miniature POV camera, although that footage has yet to be loosed.

Apartheid comes to Makua Beach!

You’d be hard pressed to find a more inviting stretch of sand as Makua Beach over there on Oahu’s westside, the rainless leeward coast where Sunny Garcia was born and where Greg Noll famously rode his last-ever wave.

It ain’t an easy or an obvious find.

You gotta drive past Makaha, the road narrows, ain’t no shacks or development, and head towards Yokohama Bay. The sunsets are divine, you can camp there, and if you want to swim with happy marine creatures, turtles and dolphins abound. Tiger sharks, too, but use prudence when approaching.

The Makua Valley, beach to the mountains, holds a special place in the hearts of Hawaiians as the birthplace of man, Makua meaning parent. Also believed to be the kick-off point for souls travelling to the afterlife.

A recent race-based imbroglio has cast a long shadow over the peaceful Makua Beach sands, however, after police were called following what one woman, @_ladyshark, is calling a race-based attack, the woman recording the aftermath for her 10k followers’ enjoyment.

It’s all very entertaining, as these things usually are, and no one escapes the event with clean hands or with dignity intact.

Question: where do you stand on these matters, indigenous owners of land given a slice here and there where they can frolic without the stench of whiteness or is public land for all, including the distant descendants of the hated colonialists?

 

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