The horror, the horror.
Deeper, man. Losing myself then finding myself. Horror and mortal terror becoming my friends. The bullshit coming out of Santa Monica had piled up so high that I needed wings to stay above it. I Had to leave. Had to come to the last place former World Surf League CEO Erik Logan was before becoming brutally fired then ruthlessly vanished.
I can smell what happened now. Like caipirinha in the morning.
My idea of great r & r has become a cold cachaça-based cocktail and warm acarajé com vatapa de inhame. The only ways home death, or victory. And on that note, before we get to what Logan did, where Logan is, I asked the rooftop bar staff at the iconic Hotel Fasano if they knew anything at all about competitive professional surfing at the highest level last night.
The World Surf League.
English is not universal, here, which shouldn’t surprise but did and the two women plus four men scrunched their noses, repeating “World Surf Leash?
Gabriel Medina?” I wondered and boom, they all broke into smiles and wild hoots. Pumping fists, showing passion.
“Famoush!” one hollered.
Buoyed, I offered, “Italo Fereirra?”
“Ohhhhhh!” The celebration grew in both tone and intensity. “Italo!”
On a roll, I dropped current world number one and champion Filipe Toledo, expecting his gilded name to bring the house absolutely down.
Spontaneous samba, vuvuzelas etc.
The celebration instantly stopped as they looked at each other, passing the name “Filipe Toledo” around the circle, each time accompanied by a light head shake, until it returned to me with a “Filipe Toledo? Não sei.”
I was shocked and wondered how the King of Saquarema was not known.
“Filipé Toledo?” I tried again, accenting the e.
Nothing.
What sort of voodoo spell had Logan cast while wearing the li’l lionheart’s skin?
Did he bring Toledo with him to hell?
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Oh come on everyone knows Pips, too scared to surf waves over 4ft
we should just wait a few weeks, then binge read ‘em all!
But are you really in Brazil Chas ?
Or are you sitting at home pretending to be in Brazil ?
How about a photo of you (with obligatory cocktail) in the Ipanema pool that Jessi fcMD of the wosl made famous, to prove you’re actually on the job in Brazil and not skiving off at home.
Cheers
Have a great day
(wherever you really are)
P.S.
Rumours are he’s in Abu Dhabi testing out the new pool he’s got sneaky shares in…
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
So he can get on the big kid rides?
So many pent-up hucks over the ledge at Teahupo’o stored in that weave.
More lionesque.
They were probably just Lion to you.🦁
Glue coins on the ground, that place will keep you entertained for a long time.
Glue is for amateurs.
The real pros actual weld/braze a peg onto the back and epoxy it into a drilled hole.
You’re going to make us suffer aren’t you ?
Like pulling a tooth without anaesthetic…
Chas prodding tooth, “ How’s that feel? Not too sore?”
BG, “unnghh unnghh js urr up”
Chas rattles the tray,”Now this might hurt a little.”
BG, “ I no, I no. Et onn ith it!”
Chas, “Now where’s those pliers? Hmmmm”
BG, “Ur a shihea, you no tha, ight?”
Classic stalling tactic… predict he has a source off the record, trying to convince source to go on record, stalling in meantime.
Filipe Toledo isn’t as known by the everyday joe in Brazil as is Italo or Medina. Mainly because of olympics.
But it is clear as the sky some of the Australians (and probably Americans too) readers are so envy of Brazilian surf dominance. Filipe wants to live on a place with better waves and better travel logistics? So what? Stop this BS and accept defeat!
Lion heart the brave! Is a posturing little coward who can’t surf proper 10 ft .. get off yourself kook and cringe again this year as we all scoff when little girl Toledo gets smashed by everyone not Brazilian
One must rush to the center of the Rain Forest floor deep….deep below the canopy where more species live than any place on earth and remove thy clothes….then light many candles for the missing Elo and he will be returned to you.
You gonna visit the Gabriel Medina Institute?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Even the Brazilians don’t really give a fuck about professional surfing!
Are you gonna visit Charlie?
They disowned him when he moved to San Clemente.
and the SC surf community has never exactly wanted him around either. He’s been mostly tolerated, but not ever welcomed. I certainly don’t blame him for wanting to get the fuck out of Brazil though
I feel the same way about San Clemente re: get the fuck out. Have you been to Brasil yet? Go! In most of my metrics, it shits on San Clemente. If the orixas granted me a choice of a house and a life on the beach in either San Clemente or Saqurema, say-ya-fuckin’-nara SoCal. *perspective colored by being born/raised/living in SoCal*
Favela kids over e-bike homeschoolers who surf better than me. Chicks’ boom booms over June gloom glooms. Brazzos over Marines and rich OC dillweeds. Street parties over Stab premiers. Etc.
No cannabis, and too much poverty.
They don’t have weed?
Yes, but its weak. The strains never get past 3 generations.
Wow, that seems odd.
Weed here is almost too good. I bought a batch of Maui Wowee and it was causing night sweats, vivid dreams, restlessness, had to drink beer to mellow it out at one point.
43% THC. Should have read the box.
right. pot which mimics coke. sativa is not mellow.
That’s a good thing in my book.
I lived in San Clemente for almost 3 years.
Nice people, but easy to leave. I spent more time surfing Oceanside anyway
E-bikes turned that place from a mostly pleasant place to live and surf to a mostly annoying place to live and surf
In my day, nobody walked further than Uppers. I was in heaven.
Had a buddy last week tell me that the trail was dangerous with guys gunning to Lowers.
Where hes from, ubatuba
Its kinda paradise if you got some Reais. But a bitch to travel from.
Phillip Tolled
They got Tati in exchange , not a bad deal !
Felipe abandoned Brazil for the OC at a young age. Unlike Italo and Gabe who are still loyal to Brazil. It’s like when you had a best friend when you were younger and thought you would hang out all the time forever. Then he goes away for college and joins a frat. As time passes so does your memory of him.
More moqueca