Maple leaf waving high.
The United States of America, once a proud Olympic power, cannot win for losing, these days. The nation that has won more gold, silver and bronze medals than any other celebrated, initially, when surfing was accepted as internationally respected. But cheers soon turned to jeers as native born talent fled for other pastures.
In surfing’s Tokyo debut, you’ll certainly recall, Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi won silver for Japan.
And in the upcoming Teahupo’o running, the American phenom Erin Brooks has a shot at the podium for… Canada.
Per that dastardly Globe and Mail:
The 16-year-old Brooks was born in Texas and grew up in Hawaii but has Canadian ties through her American-born father Jeff, who is a dual American-Canadian citizen, and her grandfather who was born and raised in Montreal.
Brooks’ citizenship bid was initially turned down. But Immigration Minister Marc Miller has had a change of heart, it appears.
Surf Canada confirmed the government’s change of heart.
Do you think these betrayals (Igarashi, Brooks, etc.) will lead to changes in U.S. policy? I am currently in San Francisco and just toured Alcatraz for the first time. “The Rock,” hovering in the middle of the bay, served as one of the most notorious prisons on earth until 1963. The cell blocks etc. are still largely intact and I would imagine could be reconstituted as sporting re-programing facilities fairly easily.
Mandatory singing of The Star Spangled Banner at 6:30 am followed by readings from Kid Rock’s “Redneck Paradise” before a hot dog and dill pickle luncheon.
USA, USA, USA.
I get the necessary snarkiness but it’s a little different in Erin’s case than for some of the others. She only ever surfed for Canada. No one else. So US “policy” on the matter is irrelevant.
Also, the assumption many are making that surfing for Canada somehow provided her an “easier” pathway to the Olympics is factually incorrect. While it may be true for some other competitors it’s not in Erin’s particular case. No matter who Erin competed for, (which again, has only been for Canada), she still has to go out and actually “win” her qualification spot but unlike some of those other cases Erin would still have several legitimate and open pathways to qualify regardless of who she competed for as things stand today.
In fact, qualifying is something that she would have already achieved had she chosen to surf for any other country in the world outside of the Americas, by winning her hard fought silver medal at the 2023 ISA’s last year. And the opportunities were there but she only entertained competing for Canada because she wanted to make her family proud.
And if she had theoretically competed for the US instead of Canada over the past several years there’s a very good likelihood that Team USA would’ve named Erin to their third “Team Gold” spot based on her performances at the ISA’s etc.
Last I heard they’ve named Caity but I don’t think by the letter of the law (aka ISA/Olympic rules) Caity qualifies because she didn’t compete at the 2023 ISA’s which is (supposedly) required for all competitors ultimately competing in the Olympics. There’s no way to know for certain what coulda, shoulda, woulda been in theory, but the notion that Erin “couldn’t” or “didn’t” make the “cut” for Team USA so she jumped to Team Canada is simply incorrect.
make Neal Peart a purple heart recipient, post mortum…wrong post?
she hates her dad…
beef&beer mistakenly sheared Kelly’s pubes…more as the story evolves…and the substances penetrate…
I reckon she could fit a few more stickers onto that board…
On that train of thought. You can see why a brand would want to endorse a 16yo going to the Olympics over a 30-something longboarder. Far better ROI and mainstream exposure.
Reminds me of Adriano’s old boards. Looked like one of those old vans with every national park sticker on the back window.
She will podium. Molly Picklum for gold.
Hope so. She does more in that one photo than I’ve done on a wave in years.
Montreal has some of the best strip clubs a person could ever hope to visit. I’m sure Grampy there will tell ya. Go Canucks!
Alcachaz
hot tuna
Whatever next? A defection to Syria??
Outerknown x Assad
Oh Canada🤦♂️ our home and native land?
Streets of SF still somewhat cleaned up after the Xi visit Chas, or have the zombies reoccupied?
golden globe winners
Bad weather for touring SF today.
I’m sure Ashton can lend a yellow Bennie.
true local
make a bad habit of washing bed sheets and the beanie before the realators arrive…mine is diver down…beanie…buy ‘as is…’
Free Leonard Peltier.
name x in a sentence/