"If you haven’t qualified for the next year, you’ll have to pick yourself up again.”
Well, the surgery is almost over, the World Surf League’s “cruel” and “unimaginable” and “fun” knifing basically made complete in Western Australia. As surf fans know, the “cut” was introduced a few years back by flimflam man Erik Logan who looked to spice up the Championship Tour with a mid-season public execution of poorly performing pros. The field hacked from 34 men down to 22. The women hacked from 18 to 10.
Not continuing on to Lowers, Rio, J-Bay or Tahiti will be Messrs. Matt McGillivray, Liam O’Brien, Jackson Bunch, George Pittar, Ian Gouveia, Samuel Pupo, Deivid Silva, Ian Gentil, Edgard Groggia, Ryan Callinan. The madams, not having begun the bracket stage, still up in the air.
Connor O’Leary dispatched his countryman O’Brien in his Round of 32 heat and told The Guardian, “It sucks, man. To come up in such a high-pressure heat with one of your close mates… I’ve been hanging around with LOB [O’Brien] for a couple of years now, we’re really close. It sucks, but I guess you’ve just got to put it all aside and put yourself first.”
Local son Jacob Willcox, chopped last year but still in the game, this, declared, “Last year was just bitter disappointment – this year I feel like I’m going for a bit of redemption at home, and set myself up for a good year on the Challenger.”
He also understood what was going on in the minds, and hearts, of the murdered, adding, “It’s heartbreaking watching those boys – I know exactly how they feel. If I can say anything, it all comes around – you’ll get your chance again. Both those guys are so talented, they’ll get back on tour. And I get to travel with them for a year (on the Challenger Series), so we’ll have a good group of people all getting around each other and all getting back on tour for next year.”
World Surf League commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer, once a grand cheerleader for “The Cut” as well as the finals day format that gifted the globe’s best baby wave surfer Filipe Toledo two world titles, shared, “I feel for people (who have had their dreams smashed). It’s one of those events where we’re going to watch people have incredible performances and leave on really big highs; if you haven’t qualified for the next year, you’ll have to pick yourself up again.”
Sound advice.
But will you miss any of the vanquished?
Whom?
Chris Dixon and Frank: please email [email protected] from the address you'd like your BeachGrit login on.
Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
Fair enough. Probably didnt read your comment properly. They’re all fucked. Trump goes off half cocked and the ANC leadership are as corrupt as the day is long. Every one of those crosses represent a murder victim and in most cases, they were in their home, with their family, when the attack occurred.
Every single South African has a story. Her is one of mine.
I held my neighbours body on my lap, he breathed his last, gunshot in front of his own children, at middday on a Tuesday. The victims 14 year old son driving while I attempted chest compressions on the back seat of the car on the way to the hospital. He wasn’t ‘white’. None, of of give a fuck about the colour of the murdered skin. He was my neighbour, then he was dead. We all moved on. I moved to another country as soon as I could, taking my skill set and my family with me.
Always nice to hear the opinion of someone who doesn’t know what the fuck they talking about. Watch 8-10minutes in. Explains the origin of the Afriform crosses, each one is linked to a name and date of attack. Its a protest, not a mass grave, but the fact the US president has asked questions about from the white house in front of the worlds press, proves the effectiveness of such. Interesting that the international response is to call it a ‘conspiracy theory’. https://youtu.be/JU4m8hkf-O0?si=IAgyGS9frzKlVTY2
The cut was always a sham. It was always clear that the judges ensured that the big names didn’t get cut – and it was also clear that even if they had been cut that the WSL would retrospectively change the rules to keep the stars in the tour. The most egregious example of this was Steph getting pushed through a load of heats so she didn’t get cut – only to make the final five and win a fraudulent championship in lowers.
At least they pack up and leave town quicker with the cut. Next year and beyond might be torture
Haha didn’t realise Chas looked like one of them Marg’s hippy wannabes that doesn’t actually surf 🤣
Here’s who I would like to see go at the mid-season cut:
JMD
Joey
Kaipo
AJ
Flick
Cote
Salazar
Slater permanent ban from wildcards and commentary box and event attendance and existing in any form of media. Fuck off to Soup Bowls and never come back.
And if Pete Mel hasn’t been cut, cut him.
Who does this leave on staff? The Bailey Ladders rep?
Why AJ?
A Slater ban from contest sites just like Daddy Gabby was a while back for throwing chairs around. That shit was entertaining. Stomping around murmuring Brazilian cuss words under his breath, punching walls. Knocking coffee cups out of competitors hands. Instead of banning him, they should have focused on him.
Ban Slater from competition for some dumb rule infraction, but let him access the VIP and competitor areas, mic him up and keep 3 cameras on him at all times and that would be some great drama tv.
I wish Matty made it. He charges
He surfed beautifully in El Salvador
Bad news for Matt McGillivray, as he will most likely now be a victim of white genocide as he must return to his home country. Thankfully, Jordy is allowed to continue the tour, avoiding his impending murder for the time being.
Ha .. yeah too bad. I been digging Marty McG lately
Liam! knocked off tour with the turn of the event!!
Best surfing I have seen this season was him in an early round at Burleigh
Less is more when you are talking about the cut. Cut the tour down to 16 and leave it there. Less surfers = better surfing in better conditions.
Good riddance I tell ya!