And eight surfers gifted spots into the 2024 Paris Games, surfing to be held at Teahupoo!
The surf world is reeling today after minnows Peru stormed to victory at the ISA World Surfing Games, a sorta Olympic qualifying event held in queer-unfriendly El Salvador.
Last year’s winner Team USA, whose squad this year included world champ John John Florence, world number one and Surf Ranch Pro champ Griffin Colapinto, five-time world champ and Olympic gold medallist Carissa Moore, finished the tournament in fifteenth place behind Germany, Italy and Canada.
Despite the shock withdrawals of the triple world champ Gabriel Medina and world number two João Chianca due to a mysterious COVID-like virus, Team Brazil slid into third, just behind the powerful French team courtesy of Tatiana Weston-Webb winning the gals.
Half-gringo Alan Cleland Jr, who has one of the world’s heaviest beachbreaks in his front yard and a drug-cartel war in the back, won the mens, beating Peruvians Lucca Mesinas and Miguel Tudela and Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the final.
Like France’s Joan Duru who won the contest in 2021 but missed out on getting to the Games, his victory don’t automatically sling Al Jr into the 2024 Paris Games.
If South Africa’s Jordy Smith, who has already booked his tracksuit and dorm room in 2024, double qualifies via the CT, Al will be waving his Mex flag at the end of the road there in Teahupoo.
Despite the confusion that surrounded the event over the format, the withdrawals, a mysterious disease claiming two of the sport’s biggest drawcards, boilover heats where the world’s best surfers were curb-stomped by unknowns, eight surfers were gifted their spots in the Olympics: Shino Matsuda and Kanoa Igarashi for Japan, Billy Stairmand and Saffie Vette for New Zealand, Kauili Vaast and Vahine Fierro, France, and the aforementioned Jordy Smith for South Africa alongside Sarah Baum.
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fuck yeah!
What channel was the contest on? I checked local cable access but they had knitting on. Maybe I’ll catch it next time.
He always looks like he just wandered off the set of Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
No mames buey! This dont make no sense. Al gano el tourno para calificacion pero no califica?!?
Ese Brazzo Aguirre es bien pendejo.
Better we send Sinaloa to Little Fernando to clarify for us Mexicans.
Fernando handing out olympic slots like Willy Wonka in a straw hat was cheesy. The ISA is a jumbled mess.
The whole thing sucks
Boom!
shaka laka
Kauili Vaast wins gold
The El Salvador pro “pull out”, presented by coronavirus… You can’t skip this!
They overscored Tatiana Weston web over that Canadian teenager girl. That girl ripped she will soon be dominating the women’s tour. Erin Brooks
Funnily enough she is a Texan but surfs for team Canada. Not sure how that came about but it’s cool to have Canada more in the game and supporting her. She’s only 15.
Her dad is Canadian. She is a Texan who lives in Hawaii and surfs for Canada.
The only good thing that’s happened for Peru in ages.
Sorry Derek, but “The Americas” don’t get any qualifiers via this comp. Doesn’t matter what happens with Jordy (or Kanoa). For somewhat unfathomable reasons, the qualifier for the americas is decided on the results of the pan american games, which was won by a Brazzo who has no chance of qualifying because the Brazil spots will be gobbled up by Brazzo CT surfers.
Bizarrely this means that Cody Young, who hails from Maui but has Canadian Citizenship, will get a gig in the Olympics instead (he came second in the Pan American games). This means that Mesinas and Tudela also had to eat a shit sandwich regardless of where they placed.
Confusing!
Theyll really get those Olympic feelz when theyre about as far away from it as possible.
The French are well known for cuntardery on many levels.
shout out to Imperial Beach born and Mex power bred AC jr. 🤙 Get him to the Greek Fernando…geez
I agree! AL was very entertaining!
Surfed a bunch with him in Mex. Nice kid who fucking rips.
When does Kelly get gifted the gold medal?
“Like France’s Joan Duru who won the contest in 2021 but missed out on getting to the Games, his victory don’t automatically sling Al Jr into the 2024 Paris Games.”
wut? why not?
https://isasurf.org/wp-cont…
Poor guy won the wrong comp. The Americas spot was decided by the winner of the Pan American games held in April.
Cleland was magnificent and so too the Peru team. Both deserving their gold medals. Weston Webb was fortunate to pip the young sensation Erin Brooks who was gold throughout the event. Speaking of pip what happened to him. Too big for the little chap per chance.
Pretty sure, given his form at the spot.
His training hard for winning the world title again!
At two foot trestle
This right here what makes me wonder why I give a shit in the first place… I guess it’s to see ripping, however, the momentum side of it is fairly stagnant with a mushy af ender. (Usually)
Lowers should be a QS spot, or a bud tour zone. UM, wait, on second thought, maybe just a QS, just a QS.
How does Vahine Fierro qualify when Johanne Defay finished higher than her in the final? I’m stoked that a Tahitian gets in, I’m just confused as fuck.
Qualifying via CT happens before qualifying via any other route.