The tour misses Filipe
Ponder for a second what might have been if Filipe Toledo competed at the Rip Curl Pro. Would airs have been scored, would his rail game have been tested? Undoubtedly yes. The Brazilian rubber band is currently at home mending a torn groin and according to our sources has already indicated he’ll be back at the Rio Pro to defend his title.
Conner Coffin is a revelation
Oozing SoCal cool and a deft rail game that is a mix between Taylor Knox, Curren and Reynolds the Santa Barbarian is America’s best hope at a world title. Boasting a five-year working relationship with Brad Gerlach, Coffin’s got the demeanour of a tour vet. Expect him to romp it in as Rookie of the Year and stir things up at Margs.
Jordy Smith is back
I’ve knocked Jordy plenty. Too soft, injury prone, distracted self-sabotages etcetera. At Bells he proved me wrong. He looked fit, focused and determined to ring the bell. He made light work of Mick Fanning and looked massively comfortable in the juicier conditions where he can cleave thick warbling lips. The loss to Wilko woulda stung but hopefully it’s enough to poke the bear into realising at 28-years of age it’s about time he made a serious run at a world title.
The judging was a little confusing
It’s not a job I would want. Would you? Passing judgement on the best surfers in the world under in a 30-minute heat is a tough ask. No question the judges have their work cut out for them, stumble and they’re picketed by a swell of condemnation (as they were with the result of Malia Manuel and Steph Gilmore’s round 4 heat). Get it right and they’re praised. “I would like to thank the judges,” quipped Matt Wilkinson on the podium before ringing the bell. There are also tight calls, at Bells many left questions. Caio v Jordy in round five could have gone either way with many of the Bells armchair critics suggesting Jordy’s final wave was overcooked at 8.37. Caio might consider himself unlucky for eventually losing by just 0.47. Meanwhile Italo’s 6.9 in the quarters against Nat Young that looked like an 8.0, seemed heavily underscored. If there was a pattern emerging it seemed that the judges were inclined to make the numbers climb on bigger waves as opposed to cleaner inside walls that offered more scope for dynamic surfing with a variety of manoeuvres.
The WSL are flogging merch, gambling ads and alcohol
Does it bother you? Did you notice it? Don’t care? Whatever your stance, it’s time we talked about it. If you’re in Australia you’ll notice that Ladbrokes – “a world leader in online betting and gambling” is advertising on the WSL. Corona Extra has come on board as the official beer sponsor of the league and the sporting body is now selling jerseys branded with the names of tour surfers. Shell out USD$79.99 and you can get Mick Fanning’s “athlete jersey” online at the WSL. Sources say that each athlete also earns a royalty from the sale of their jersey. Mick Fanning’s kit sold out fast at Bells. Even if he takes a vacation his jersey sales will be earning him bonus bucks while he sleeps. Point is; times are changing. The WSL are looking for revenue streams beyond core surf brands. Is it good or bad? That’s up to you. One thing’s for sure…pro surfing is currently going through a mighty metamorphosis.
Micro Hall is a genius
Whatever surfing’s latest super coach has said to Matt Wilkinson in the off-season it’s working. He indicated to Tracks at Snapper that his role is more about listening to his athletes (Wilko and Tyler) and keeping them honest with their goals related to surfing and training. Wilko’s dropped weight, seems more flexible and is surfing more vertical on his backhand than ever. He’s also surfing smarter heats. He crushed Jordy with fifteen to go by exercising priority and selling Smith on closeouts. Against Julian and Wiggolly he proved he knows how to generate a clutch score. His next task will be dealing with the weight of expectation that now surrounds his bid for the world title. He’s two from two but nine events is still a long way from home.
Barton Lynch needs to be in the booth
Anyone else enjoy the ’88 world champ’s perspectives at the Rip Curl Pro? We sure did. Lynch is able to break down technical nuances that few experts can. Take this for instance: “I do feel that when you watch the traditional backhand line that there has not been as much exploration into the possibilities of backhand surfing as there has been on the front side. If you take Conner or John John for example there’s just so many variations of the frontside turn that they have to add variety to their attack but I don’t feel that’s been explored quite so much on the backhand. The traditional straight up, straight down lots of board in the pocket, in the lip, is so consistent, delivers results, delivers points and is so consistent that people haven’t strayed far from that. So I think there’s a lot of opportunity, personally, I think there’s opportunity in the exploration of that backhand line.” Barton delivers articulate and insightful technical analysis in an animated, charismatic fashion. He offers both credibility and entertainment value and should be signed up for a fulltime gig post haste.
Kelly Slater admits he’s in a “long-term slump”
Many pundits argue that Kelly continues to labour under the false illusion that he can compete for major championship victories. Do you believe it could be time for the King to call it quits? “There hasn’t been anyone on the tour before at my age and it’s really easy for people to accept that it could be the time or adversity can’t be overcome at this age,” said Slater after his loss in round three. “It really comes down to freeing your mind up and keeping your body healthy and having goals and desire. So for me personally I’m kind of in a long-term slump right now.” Hopefully he will be able to free his mind in time for Margaret River, click with his equipment and synchronise it all with a good forecast, lest we see arguably the greatest individual sportsman of all time sink into an unceremonious decline.
The Rookies and Wildcards have learnt how to win
Forget being unnerved by facing world champs, this generation of Rookies are here to stay. “I think this new crop of rookies, we’ve been battling it out on the WQS for so long, I think we’re a bit more hardened than previous years – we don’t want to be back on that QS so we’re here and we’re trying to give it our best shot,” said Davey Cathels after handing Gabriel Medina an upset loss in round three. Whether it’s the fear of grinding back on the QS, the rise of Matt Wilkinson, or Gabriel winning a world title at 21, the new faces on tour are rewriting the rules of the game.
