The un-Abu Dhabi.
The surf fan, beleaguered from years of abuse, gazed at our snowboarding brethren with starving eyes, in 2008, as living legend Travis Rice launched an almost perfect event format in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Majestic terrain, iconic riders, a show for the core as opposed to some imaginary audience.
Natural Selection was honed, over the years, becoming a sort of tour in 2021, moving to Alaska and Revelstoke, Rice searching high and low for lines that would push the art to its limits.
And surf fans, sorrowful, gazed from a distance before turning teary eyes back to Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch and its Surf Ranch Pro.
Then some rumblings.
I likely heard them first, as my wife is Rice’s longtime agent, but could not truly believe. Natural Selection entering surf? The chitter-chatter grew louder, over the next few months, real plans coming together featuring the renowned wave-hunting pirate Martin Daly and a spot he discovered in Micronesia.
Gaping blue barrels, sharp ouchy reef.
Filipe Toledo’s worst nightmare.
And then rumblings became reality.
Unlike World Surf League events, “Mother Nature is the lead character” and the supporting artists cast around her.
On the men’s side, Mikey February (South Africa), Victor Bernardo (Brazil), Kauli Vaast (Tahiti), Noah Beschen (Hawaii), Eithan Osborne (USA), Harry Bryant (Australia), Al Cleland Jr. (Mexico), and Soli Bailey (Australia). The women’s featured Coco Ho (Hawaii), Milla Brown (Australia), Anne Dos Santos (Brazil) and Kirra Pinkerton (USA).
The action will unfold over two days, the first going live in a few short hours.