Filipe Toledo, meanwhile, sings a dirge.
Former World Surf League CEO Erik Logan gave us many things before his untimely demise. Mostly they were laughs at him, with a hefty amount of wincing at him thrown in for good measure, but he also delivered a mid-season cut and finals day there on the cobbled stone of Lower Trestles.
The cut, I think, a necessary evil that should be increased and maybe applied twice per season.
Finals day silly in its current iteration, and at Lowers, but some version of a one-day shootout is not bad and maybe even good.
In any case, this year’s tour ender, set to run sometime between September 6 and 18, will not be like every other 2023 stop. Those were each ravaged by climate change, no waves during the waiting period thanks to big oil. Plenty of waves before and after thanks to World Surf League bush planting. Lowers, though, seems to back bucked the trend.
Kevin Wallis, chief forecaster at official wave prognosticator Surfline, took to Instagram days ago to declare:
Looking ahead to the WSL Finals at Lowers, there are decent odds for medium-size swell around the 8th-11th. This doesn’t look like a monster, but could be in the real sweet spot for Lowers on swell direction, period and size. Resulting surf could be in the head high to overhead range.
We’re still more than a week from the South Pacific storm forming, but there is good general agreement on the pattern developing across the various models (GFS and Euro), ensembles, etc. We’ll see how things play out in the next few days – and quality of surf will obviously be dependent on local wind and if/how much local NW windswell might get into the mix – but a promising sign roughly two weeks from the start of the event window.
While good news for surf fans, what do you imagine the feeling is in Filipe Toledo’s camp? The world number one, who will surf last and get another chance to redeem himself in case he loses, is a small wave maestro but his knees go weak in the bigger stuff. Do you think a little PTSD might kick in? Him, swinging, paddling, seeing those aforementioned cobbled stones and getting flash backs to Teahupo’o?
Yikes!
Stay tuned.
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Sounds like a load of cobblers from the wall of positive noise.
I experienced those 25 min lulls hoping for a massive 2-3 ft wave at Doheny Fri night. I’m still waiting…
let’s give harry reid the last words….”we swapped land to build Las Vegas…from the tax-payers”
GUYS, C’MON …
LET ERIK LOGAN GO, DAMN, HE’S DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE AND EVERY TIME i scroll you’re here, TALKING WRITING DISCUSSING REFERRING TO HIM … LET HIM FADE WITH THE TIDES … GET A NEW JOB, BG NEEDS FRESH NON AI NON E LOGAN WRITERS OF PISS POOR RHETORIC.
Rumor has it that Elo will resurface with ProRodeo as they need someone who is woke enough yet with Oklahoma roots to lead them to where the WSL has arrived…
If we could limit WSL to one day a year that would be fantastic
Guys…your surf site is like not to be considered serious as WSL last rules to avoid #6th to win world title…..right ?
Shame on Americans and Aussies that want to take back the firat position imposing scores and rules….ridicuosly
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
god bless the internet
oh yeah cos overhead Lowers is so intimidating, a heavy wave it is not
Sounds like me on the tabs when I get hurt.
That was the plan.
When you are lying
on your tummy all waves
are over head high.
@Eddie Haiku:disqus
Head height to Felipe Toledo? So 2 ft sets?
Looks like they’ll score 7-13 German Legs
Decent, doesn’t, could
General, dependent, might
If/how, promising!!!
I like the “it’s going to be shitty” dismissal in the screen grab. The biggest lie told was that surfers are chill.
…of time.
I’ve heard that filipe, his father and crew have intentionally been driving the least ecofriendly vehicles they could find for the last couple years in an attempt to make the waves smaller.
Good try, but you turned that upside down.*
how many wahines are in the water blows up the margin of error…
Rats….cheesey a frames
https://youtu.be/UPXUG8q4jK…
Hahahahar – I can picture all of the computer models all standing around the map tables and nodding their heads in Good Agreement.
Resign, Wallis – you’re redundant.
and the WeatherSurfPeople of The Year Award goes to either:
Euro model
GFS
Raglan Guy
WeatherPeopleSurf