It’s always a challenge to review a heat with a contentious judging decision. To review a day of said decisions, no matter which way you cut the cake, is going to make you opinionated.
So how do you start? With the massively clichéd statement that “I’m no judge, but…’, or the very popular cop-out ‘I don't have a degree on the WSL rule book, but…’ or do you just go with the flow and bemoan the incredibly shit judging we are being witness to at the moment like the rest of the faceless, nameless soft-cock web trolls having a field day on the carnage that was the Hurley Pro Saturday.
Wilko Vs Simpo wasn't actually that bad. While there were most definitely some over scores, and then some corrective under scores, the final results were pretty much spot-on, despite the seething. Brett surfed great, Wilko surfed great, and Brett beat Wilko. Much anger, frustration, chatting with head judges and Instagram posts, but the final result, either way, was set in stone.
Julian Wilson vs Alex Ribeiro was a close heat, but it was a decision between Julian’s polished rail surfing and Alex’s adventurous air game. Not massive whoop-airs but good, polished forehand reverses and just a slightly different approach to Jules. It could have gone either way, but there was no robbing and there was no conspiracy at play. It was just a fucking close heat and to lose by .04 is going to hurt no matter what. Julian is calm and collected, but a crack in his composure after this result is totally understandable. This year’s Julian is a refreshing and cool Julian, so he’s obviously getting some good advice somewhere.
The Gabby/Gudang heat was awesome to watch, and I’m no judge but the the scores were close. Who knew that Gudang was so strong on his forehand? It was his backhand however that saw him advance to a roaring local crowd and a grumpy Medina clan. Did Gabby get underscored? Maybe he did, and maybe he didn’t. It’s judging, it’s not clinical, and there are variances. The result, as before, was set in stone.
His applauding and lampooning of the judges is not going to work in the long run however. At this stage Gabby has a world title to his name and some incredible contest victories around the world in junior, QS and CT levels, as well as a bad sportsman award for crying on the stage and refusing to remain on stage for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal (2012) awards ceremony to his name. Now he has an additional bad sportsman tag to his name, and his attempt at ridiculing the judges is unfortunate.
Much has been written about it, and the Brazilian social media has run it to the ground. Conspiracy theory #312. JJF has to win the world title. No more Brazilian world champs please we need to spread the love amongst the First World Surf Loving Countries In The World.
The first time I heard of a real conspiracy theory was when there was rumour that Sunny was pushed to a world title in 2000 so that he would ‘just hurry up and retire.’ They have been going strong ever since. Some are close enough to be excruciating, others are just so whack as to be a laughable. But. They. Are. Just. Theories.
The tour is not rigged. The tour has some poor judging..
I miss the steel-jawed 1977 world champion Shaun Tomson’s approach: he said to me recently while in Durban for a visit that, "The most important advice about competition was from my dad. He said to me, 'When you win, you win like a gentleman, and when you lose, you lose like a man.'"
WSL Championship Tour surfers are the most privileged surfers in the world.
Please lose with dignity.
