Transcendental Tyler Wright taking out the future of surfing for the women.
The GOAT is dead and, apparently, being served, smoked, in a new chain of Gouveia Brazilian churrasarcias or at least according to John John Florence’s former coach Ross Williams. But were you here, today, watching the Lexus Pipe Pro finals day? A true letdown after yesterday’s sneaky fun but also, and let’s be honest, sneaky fun?
More on chains later.
Surf down multiple notches from yesterday leaving our heroes and heroines “reading the ocean” etc. but let us begin with Italo Ferreira vs. Miguel Pupo in quarterfinal heat one wherein Ferreira’s “Red Bull energy” dropped his countryman. Barron Mamiya, next, sent his North Shore County countryman Jake Marshall off. And here we have the aforementioned Ian Gouveia against Kelly Slater.
The winningest professional surfer of all-time, days away from 53-years-old, or 69-years-old per Williams, had the day in the bag but is old and his bag is leaky. Gouveia an early favorite for most inspirational surfer of the year.
Leonardo Fioravanti handled Australia’s George Pittar (Pittah according to WSL booth mainstay Kaipo Guerrero) which left a semifinals of Ferreira vs. Mamiya plus Gouveia vs. Fioravanti.
Don’t forget here, please, it’s more than a beer. It’s a way of life.
On the women’s side, Lakey Peterson came up against a raging Tyler Wright in the semifinals, losing. Tyler Wright mean mugging the beach after ripping a li’l barrel.
Abu Dhabi Pro, it’ll be new, refreshing, time to do a full roundhouse.
The future of all professional surfing next, Caity Simmers vs. Molly Picklum.
More dropping in, more getting out there.
A hammer from the beginning. Picklum swung on the first wave, a bit poor. Simmers on the next, straight into the excellent range. Cool, calm, collected and cruisy. The classic four Cs. Picklum answering, deeper. Simmers, re-answering, deeper still. But is this not more exciting than the men’s draw? Back and forth they went, a “tube shootout” as it were, with Simmers owning Australia once again.
Before the paddle out, before the podium.
I love receiving a lei.
Mamiya owned Ferreira in semifinal number 1, for the men, a fairly ridiculous showing. Combolanding the Brazilian. “The Prodigy” headed to his second finals in a row.
Fioravanti owned Gouveia in semifinal number 2, still men, almost combolanding again even though that Brazilian hammered his way into even the crustiest of hearts with the cutest broken board exchange in professional surfing history.
Tyler Wright made a paddle mistake at the start of the women’s final, vs. Cait Simmers, bracing her from catching a wave thus handing priority to Oceanside’s finest, but it didn’t matter. Australia’s winningest Wright adding colors to the rainbow with a Pipe Pro cup plus a seventeenth championship tour victory.
Bonsoy Brew Break.
But not too long.
Barron Mamiya began his final heat with a heater. Insane, willing waves to come his way, to will waves to come your way? Impressive. Brilliant surf mind. Backdoor Barron. Laughable how in connection he is with this whole event. Double whammy. Leonardo Fioravanti thrown into a “severe combo” early.
Hands cupped, entirely screwed.
An absolutely dominant performance from the Hawaiian.
Barron Mamiya wears two chains, according to Ross Williams.
Yet to be revealed if either is made of smoked GOAT.
Except. Leonardo Fioravanti just snagged a Backdoor drainer… and got absolutely screwed by the judges.
Like, properly screwed.
Well… live by the WSL, die by the WSL.
Barron Mamiya making history as the first ever back to back Lexus Pipe Pro champion.
Actual breakdown tomorrow via world’s best surf contest writer JP Currie.
Undisputed surf contest recap GOAT.
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fuck off
That you, Joe?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
fuck ill take the cooler if you don’t want it
Leo and Jake needed more melanin to get through those heats.
Watched the replay and think the judges put themselves in a corner with Baron’s first wave, the 8.17 seemed high. Baron’s 9.8 was probably a more intense wave than Leo’s 9.1… but I think Leo’s wave was better… all that to say… I think Leo should have won!
and you are the same idiot.
Italians are the New Brazilians
Top conspiracy theory in the comments from the men’s final revolved around the notion that our silly league of pro surf competitions owed it to Hawaii to assure a Barron win. No offense to Barron for sure. If Joe and Kaipo and Strider and co. just planted a few more plants there in the native soil, perhaps Leo would have that yellow jersey for the joke that will be CT Tour Stop #2.
Men’s story similarly delayed by darkness, followed by ice and sunshine!
If Leo was a Brazillian they would be burning the North Shore down right now. Absolutely robbed.
Yes, we would. But Italians don’t know who Leo is… But if he would be a Bike racer… Valentino Rossi is the man.
yes 46! (watch my film “FASTEST”!)
i’ve seen it!!! Its awesome!!!
Nice to “meet” you Paul!
I’m your brazilian connection from now on! Big fan of your job!
Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
I love to see Tyler win just to rev up the pecker heads in the comments. Well done Tyler.
Get fucked she can eat a rock
munch a rug.
Put some holes in the carpet
Do you love her surfing? Cuz Its hard to watch..
She surfs pipe/backdoor better than you and better than at least one male 2 x world champ
Of course she surfs it better than me. She’s a professional surfer ffs. I’m just annoyed that she won while a dozen women in the draw surf pipe way better. She seems to benefit from favourable draws and lack of proper swell than anybody on tour
Nonsense. She’s won pipe twice and two world championships. She had to beat last years world champ and pipe winner, what could be harder than that.
Lucky there weren’t waves.
Bollocks. If Caity won, you’d be claiming it as an all time win.
The waves weren’t amazing but it’s not that long ago that the women didn’t even surf pipe. The improvement in a short period of time is worth recognising
That describes the once a month horror, but why share it here!?
Ahh that was amusing
I love it
get your 70’s poster here for $2.50 plus handling. not Stockland Ave nor is it backdoor nor is it booze-induced. there are fisherman and only one surfer still out there. orangish yellow flag up~
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drink kirshwasser from a shell, San Francisco show and tell…
can’t keep my son alive w/ fam in bend. or…he’ll pay me back?
i dont’t buy straws or flush my toilets…ever!
“Pipeline Is For The Fucking
GirlsLesbians”*Champion
You missed a trick here. Surely:
“Pipeline is for fucking girls”?
yep, I’m the Elmer Fudd of clever quips.
dang wabbits.
However, having lived at Pipe for many years….from my observations, the answer is a resounding yes.
They’re gonna remember that men’s final as the Italian Job heat, because Leo got absolutely robbed.
Leo is a citizen of the world.
onshore coral sand is a detriment to pure surfing. bagel w/ creme cheese and a acai bowl…so isn’t big-beasted girls w/ implants hosting surfing and/or my Challel 13 store and R&D
when I saw Barrons (9.8) backdoor wave I said “that’s a Yeti”.
I just watched the replay and IMHO believe Mammy’s wave was better.
Steeper, deeper and a lot more technical surfing.
Barron was hidden the entire time whereas The Stallion disappeared, reappeared, disappeared….you could see Leo’s board for about half of the wave.
considering the event as a whole, the right man won, and the Wright woman won, just not the right woman.
Happy Camper, what a wanker.
patrick nolan, still a virgin.
Once again it comes down to the backup waves – specifically Barons 8.17. NO WAY Leo’s last wave only a point higher than that……if you use scale correctly you have to go back to all of the keepers that are in the heat so far (I’ve judged a few queys btw)……I would have gone back and said to myself, “a hair under Baron’s 9.8…..easily at 1-1.5 points over Baron’s pipe 8.17…..0.5-1.0 points over Leo’s first keeper……so the score is a 9.5”. Done case closed.
That’s a great explanation
if Leo is the new Gazan , does that mean he get’s a US passport and a new condominium in the USA’s new 51st state?
Barron claims to be one of the best ever. Will be coached by Luke Egan. David Brent’s fingers interlocked.
Leo now has 2 arseholes. That judging was fucked.
Indeed
didn’t watch the whole final so I can’t say for sure but by the replays it seemed pretty close. That said Barron surfed better the whole comp than Leo did so I’m not too butthurt he won
Barron was way out in front & at some point caught a backdoor wave that was awarded a 9.5 (I think). Leo is combed. But the little citizen of the world keeps chipping away until he only needs a 9.1 to take the lead. Then Leo drops into similar looking backdoor wave as Barron’s earlier 9.5 wave. The wave is easily over the 9.1 mark. Judges deliberate. All the judges scores drop except one, which is now critical to getting the score. More time passes. Way more than usual. Eventually the score drops, it’s predictably low, Leo gets fully jobbed, and Ross Williams goes to work polishing the turd.
They all did ! Full team press – Ross, strider, Mendes, kaipo all of the mealy mouthed apologists …
And Williams polished that company turd with tail between legs after initially saying he thought Leo’s was easily as good as Barron’s.
Oh well that’s the wosl for ya.
Heck, old Baldy only beat Rio cos the wosl wanted a ‘story’ (fuck I hate the way they’re always trotting out this ‘story’ bullshit, it’s a bloody sport, not a Scotsman’s novel) of him cracking 100 Pipe heat wins, they just couldn’t let him retire at 99.
Fuckwits…
Yeah I saw that part live and I get it. But I watched the replays closely of both Barrons and Leo’s wave and barrons was a hair bigger and more critical on the takeoff in my opinion. And in my opinion Barron charged the whole event and even got a 10 where Leo seemed to slide his way quietly to the final like he usually does so I think the right person won.