Stunner in Lemoore!
The sun was out in Lemoore, California and the water in Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch oddly clear. It was finals day in the tub and our Jen See was on the ground with what appeared to be twelve very excited Brazilians and three drunk community college students from nearby Fresno. A light crowd by any measure and no Sam George as surfing’s golem opted to take Sunday off and bless others with his aura.
J.P. Currie will give the important details, soon, but before he arrives, Carissa Moore took out Caroline Marks on the women’s side. Moore is now in first place and is absolutely dominant. If she has her second rightful crown in a row stolen at Lower Trestles then the World Surf League should be burned to the ground.
On the men’s side, surprise finalist Griffin Colapinto came up Italo Ferreira after smashing Felipe Toledo in the semis even though Toledo pulled a varial into a switch stance’d tube which was actually cool. Italo mowed through Ethan Ewing even though Ewing had a nine-point ride.
Colapinto started it off on the right and surf ranched. Turn, turn, down carve, turn, barrel, fall on the reverse.
“When you go big you fall big as well,” Joe Turpel said.
7.83
He blow tail reverse’d the left to cheers from the mostly empty VIP zone.
“What an effort for Colapinto,” Joe Turpel said.
8.70
Ferreira tucked into a long barrel on his first right, backhand for him, and tucked into a barrel then, shockingly, another one.
“I love that ride away, how does that look,” Joe Turpel said.
8.13
He did lots of things on the left. Barrels, airs, “whips” etc.
“What a special performance,” Joe Turpel said.
8.70
Back against the wall, Colapinto snapped to slide, slide, barrel, blow, carve, tail drift, frontside blunt on his second right.
“He’s been reaching for slob the last couple days,” Joe Turpel said.
9.07
Re-taking the lead, the San Clementine felt confident enough to go for a rodeo flip, on his second left, though didn’t land it.
“Standing ovation for Colapinto,” Joe Turpel said.
Ferreira, now in trouble, backside turned into the barrel, did two backside spinners and raised his hands to the crowd, a gesture of “What else do you guys want to see?”
“What else do you guys want to see?” Joe Turpel said then adding “Unbelievable, Strider.”
8.43
Boos rained down as the twelve very excited Brazilians felt robbed, alongside their hero. On his second left he fell right away and it was over.
Griffin Colapinto shock winner of the Surf Ranch Pro as he is hoisted upon shoulders and serenaded with “for he’s a jolly good fellow.
When was the last time you heard that little ditty? Have we reached Peak White?
Twelve very angry Brazilians storming the Tachi Palace tonight.
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You are one ugly Gorrilla thanks for being vegetarian though, if you teally are even a Gorilla. You got the face for it though, I am confused but not a monkey they do not look at all like my blue squiggly icon thingy. Thanks, not a monkey- obviously.
Gabriel was in no way robbed. His best right was eight of the same exact turn two mediocre barrels and a sub par air. Ethan killed it compared to Gabriel’s run of the mill right. The left is a little suspect but Ethan’s score was not undeserved.
The final was a total joke and no way Griff won no matter how much I dont like Italo and the Brazilian whining about every single score.
Griffin Colapinto is the most powerful and improved surfer on the CT this year. He has proven that in the events so far that have had waves with both size and power. That said, he was clearly beaten by Ítalo Ferreira in the finals at Surf Ranch. I’m not sure what these young judges were looking for but they clearly did not observe his technique and style in getting into his two long backside barrels, never mind his other maneuvers… His experience showed there, where the judges lack of proved that we need both better judges and commentators – AKA Yes-men clowns (not you Peter & Waz). All one had to do was watch. Ítalo’s board was far faster, more responsive, and ridden better during the heat. That was an embarrassment to pro surfing!
Fanatical surf enthusiasts, in the best smartphone hooligan style, are directing death threats towards professional competitors after a surf championship held in a bathtub!
You can’t script this!
#WSL
How much money had the judges bet on the outcome of this contest? Did WSL management demand the judges create this outcome? No HamSammish!!!! Fuk You WSL.
You should be penalized for beating your chest like a gorilla after making a 3 footer 100 miles from the nearest shark. Griff looks like he knows the contest is a joke , Italo needs some style lessons in the 3 footers .
secret turns, sponsors, and livin on $5 a day~
cotton pickers needed…https://youtu.be/uG2eFgDHSCE
I’m Griff…we’re on the 805 or 110 shredding to the coast and Santa Monica’s Incline to Hwy 1? either north or south from there…Valley girls go both ways~”Sure Griff, we wanna go surf?”
don’t leave anyone behind and make it cleaner than when you got there! did you make it out (of the tube?)
my day was way better in my dungeon watching the cup noodle pro
The hits were so sharp, in and out of breaks at such speed. So much spray.
Been a couple hours now since the crime scene and it’s still wrong.
Fuck the WSL.
namaste…we know chiro platsics don’t work…we sell disinfectants
His first left was electric.
Griff surfed pretty well.
Italo blew the doors off.
Italo got robbed
I thought the brazilians surfed better, including Italo. Maybe the social media scum and just the fanatic brazil macho men in the crowd put the judges off. I mean, imagine sitting there judging when those neanderthols are hoop hooping around in the foreground.
I thought Germans where a bit higher in there level of consciousness.
Brazil lynch mob literally lowering the chances of their surfers winning, it’s funny.
OPs username check: racism and core donkinees in and out of water. Great legacy
Looks like us tossers watching the tub missed it.
we were laying the ground work…
I fell asleep during the finals. Did I miss anything?
They needed an American to win at their failing tub. There is some dodgy backroom shit going on for sure
watergate vs navigate the media…discrassed/ both of em~
Brazilian fans sending Ethan Ewing death threats via instagram (check his latest story)
For fans to be upset over a result in a pool. Brazilians showing they are the worst type of fans.
Ethan should have lost vs Medina wtf a 9!?
Ethan didn’t score the wave. The fact that Brazilian fans think it’s okay to send someone a death threat over a score they can’t control is not okay.
WSL should boycott Brazilian events
But it’s ok to rip off thousands of Brazilian fans for the actions of a few idiots on Instagram?
Yes. That’s how social media works. I didn’t make the rules.
Issue is it’s not the first time it’s happened.
Seems anytime a surfer beats a Brazilian in a contentious score, Brazilians will send wild death threats.
Yet the US has had riots and murders during WSL surf events in California while Brazil has had none of that.
Yes it’s despicable and childish behavior, but the number of surf fans in Brazil is probably equal to 1% of the population if not less. But go ahead, mate. We’re used to it.
Shit the fuck up Erik or I’ll slit your fucking throat.
can i toss in the disclaimer?
Yeah it is, they are dogs.
its a mad, mad, mad, mad, world. santa monica. venice is south!
That guy will be the first to line up for his autograph when he goes to Rio.
Not Ethan’s fault. WSL sucks and the judges are every bit of bad. This shouldn’t even be an event on the premier surf tour….
Each of his forehand turns score higher than Medians (or anyone else’s) forehand turns. They are so much more dynamic. Or is the contest only about who can do a rotation? Ethan is a step above everyone else on tour with turns.
You clearly didn’t grow up in surf culture , bet you came to the party late? Let’s see gabby torque maxed it full throttle on rail turns like that ,..? It’s simple , can he ? No
Looks at Gabes best right. 8 of the same exact turn, no variety on his turns, plain vanilla. Ethanks right deserved a way higher score than Gabes dreary run of the mill right. The left is another story and the scoring on Gabes could have been better but the rights were not even close.