It was one of the best days of waves in recent pro surfing history. So good that losers in round four didn’t seem to mind so much because they got to surf again in pumping 6-8ft Cloudbreak.
The Tracks team watched the day unfold from the channel and on board the luxury Volcom cruiser, the Bel’mare.
The whole day was a blur of brilliance and barrels but below are a few things that stood out.
Parko: First out and best on day.
Photo: ASP/Kirsten
Our trio arrives at Cloudbreak, hoping to be the first in the lineup. However, upon arrival a lone figure in an orange and black vest sits patiently waiting for a set. “I love it out here when there’s a groundswell,” shouted Parko as we joined him in the lineup.
First out bragging rights belonged to Joel Parkinson, as would the overall performance of the day. Just when you thought Joel was being distracted by his angling adventures there he was slipping out before dark to beat the pre-contest rush and get the jump on the competition.
In round three against Yadin Nicol he swooped through bottom turns like an albatross and found holes like a golfer on his putting game. After an 18.73 heat score some observers felt that perhaps he had used up all his luck. However, in round four his momentum continued. By the time he’d wiped the floor with Kolohe and Nat Young [Arguably the form goofy footer on tour] Parko was so wrapped in Cloudbreak, he was swearing himself off going right. “I never want to go right again, I just want to go left,” he told Tracks when we asked him how much he was loving Cloudbreak. Parko was riding only a slightly bigger board as Cloudbreak pulsed to eight foot and the best surfing of the year went down. “They’re just such big canvasses you don’t need it, ” he said with a grin you couldn’t wipe off with a well-swung cricket bat.
Dino Andino is the Dad on a ski
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
It’s near the end of Julian Wilson’s and Kolohe Andino’s third round heat and Julian is chasing a mid-range score. When Jules takes off on a wave, Kolohe’s Dad is parked right in the channel on his ski, staring him down. When Jules fails to exit a tight barrel, Dino knows the heat belongs to his son and starts cheering and fist pumping in front of the entire flotilla. Jules is left to make the paddle of shame across to the channel while Dino loudly celebrates his loss.
Kelly Vs Coleburn
Photo: ASP/Kirsten
The night before the match up Kelly surfs until dark at Cloudbreak in windswept conditions. The day before that he’d surfed for hours. There wasn’t a hint of complacency about Kelly’s act; he was behaving like someone who wanted to win.
However, you sensed as the two surfers paddled out that Coleburn could beat him, as he had done in round one of this event last year. “I’m way less nervous this time around,” Coleburn had told Tracks before the match up. “I just have to make sure I don’t let Kelly play mind games,” he insisted.
It was the all-American hero up against the Aussie, beatnik punk – a clash of styles and character.
Kelly, as he so often does, tries to apply the screws from the outset, jamming two backside hooks and a barrel into the opening moments of the heat – 7.17 However, Coleburn gets the best of the opening exchange when he slots into a double barrel for a 7.43. Kelly nails a solid back-up but from then on Mitch can’t find the exit signs on the barrels. He comes frustratingly close a couple of times but the unpredictable and shifty Cloudbreak pits mystify him and Kelly dodges a bullet. On his last wave Kelly breaks a board and as his super-caddie Stephen Bell paddles past us he says nonchalantly, “ I don’t reckon that one went any good anyway.” Good enough to win.
Not quite Perfect-Kelly’s Super Heat, round 4
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
As Kelly flies past an applauding flotilla he throws his head back and laughs the full-bellied laugh of one who knows it’s good to be the king. He has just ridden a double barrel screamer that earned him a perfect 10 and right now life obviously feels, well – almost perfect. As Kelly makes his way in from the heat in which he posted a 19.3 heat total, he describes the waves as being like “Teahupoo but down the line”, then the eternally self critical Kelly climbs on the deck of the surfers’ boat and says out loud, “ What about the two tens I fell on?” He admits they were some of the best waves for a contest in his life but is probably still a little haunted by the perfect score that eluded him.
Jordy and Josh Kerr
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
Jordy and Josh Kerr both find themselves in round five. Both are travelling with their partners and have been spending a lot of time together. When Jordy returns from his narrow, round four victory against Jeremy Flores he plants himself down on the deck of the bow of the luxury cruiser alongside Josh, breathes a sigh of relief and exclaims “ Fuck that was an important heat,” for me. It’s obvious that Jordy is alluding to his world title aspirations and not just the contest. “Yep, semis or better, that’s what you need if you want to win the thing,” coaches Kerrsy. There is an intriguing dynamic between the two. One friend genuinely wants to see the other do well but it’s still understood that all bets are off if they have to pull on a singlet against one another. “When’s your heat, I’ll caddy for you,” Jordy tells Josh as they both watch the contest.
Kerrsy nails his round five match-up with Nat Young, scoring one of the best barrels of the day and a massive 18.76 heat total. Two friends through but only one can survive till the end.
Mick, The Coach and Three minutes of Mastery
“Waves are good, wind is good and now we just need Mick to come good,” states Mick Fanning as he walks around the bow of the Bel’mare in the lead up to his round five heat against Kolohe Andino. As usual Mick was flanked by his trainer Phil McNamara. The two have worked together for over a decade but Phil has travelled with Mick full time for the last couple of years. Away from events his meticulous technical analysis has played a big part in honing Mick’s raw ability. At events Phil spends his day analysing heats and looking for patterns in the judges’ scoring as well as studying the conditions for any scrap of information that might help Mick. Prior to the round five Mick hadn’t really been barrelled all day. Pre-heat, he and Phil have a quick discussion before Mick commences his rigorous pre-heat routine. After catching a scrappy first wave Mick finds his Mojo and in the space of three minutes performs one of the most demonstrative and rapid heat turn arounds in contest history. He nails a 9.83 and a 9.70 in quick succession. The performance inspires the commentator to come up with a new term. “Kolohe you are now in a ‘massive combo’ situation. Combo alone wasn’t enough. As Phil comes out of the water he is smiling. “ I was calling him all sorts of names after that first wave but, but he turned it around.”
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
Photo: natesmithphoto.com
Quarter Final match ups:
John John Florence Vs Jordy Smith – Page Boy vs The Lion King
Kelly Slater Vs Sebastian Zietz or God vs Captain Goodvibes
CJ Hobgood Vs Josh Kerr or the American Vs the Expat
Mick Fanning Vs Joel Parkinson – NSW vs Q.L.D State of Origin
