Fuel's Coverage Of Fiji Pro
I take it you're referring to the Volcom webcast, Blindboy? In which case it's got little to do with Fuel, they just provide the channel to air it. All technical and commentary input is by the event licensee.
Got to agree with you though, Chris Cote is a stooge in the webcast booth, trying to make up for a deficiency in knowledge with an overdose in hyperbole and it comes off flat and annoying.
In Volcom's defence this was their first WT outing and other issues such as satellite connectivity and the many associated problems of staging a comp on a tropical island may have taken priority. Here's hoping they boot Cote and put someone with a bit of knowledge behind the mic next time.
I don't know that what you have said excuses anything Stu. If anything the fact that the problem flows back to the major sponsor of the event only increases the offense since you would expect that a "surfing" company, assuming there is still such a thing, should know better. Then you have to add in the insult to those ex pros with proven expertise in commentary. If the intention of surfing's major sponsors is to degrade it to the level of junk sport this was a good start. If that was not the intention they need to turn it around quickly.
Old man blindboy, I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew.
I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey!
(just fuckin' with you)
God bless those Americans 'eh?
I think you will need to get Richard "Woolie" Woolcott on board for Cote's dismissal and that ain't gunna happen. He seems smitten with the nasal drawl that is so jarring to the ears. Heck, he's got Alex Grey in there providing falsetto.
Woolie also seems to be happy pushing the alternative angle of coverage and event delivery - straying from the conservative corporate propaganda of the likes Quicksilver, Billabong et. all. To be honest I don't think that's at all bad - why not have some authenticity and not take things TOO seriously ALL the time (that's why they've killed it as a brand so it's part of their DNA) Umm, who was the black dude providing the comedy clips and perfect 10 shout outs???
Finally, how long have Woolie and Hasselhoff been friends anyway? At times it was hard to tell them apart in the audio and one has definitely followed the other with their style of speech. Hasselhoff gabbing on to Grey felt at times like we were sitting in on their private slapstick routine that only they found funny... I mean turn it on when the moments right be but be cognizant of your audience and why you're there.
The surfing exceeded the webcast. Volcom putting Tavi back on tour exceeds our complaints.
There is no reasonable explanation for the level self-indulgent crap the commentators went on with. Whatever is offered can only be a rationalisation for appalling taste. As they apparently have form in this area it seems the responsibility flows back to the sponsor. If it is their intention to continue with this approach, surfing (though not necessarily the current elite) would be better off without them. I will certainly be having a bit of a think before I buy anything with a Volcom label on it. If surfers don't respect surfing why should anyone else?
"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." I think Mencken's quote can apply to surfers of all nationalities unfortunately.
After the first 5 minutes of the first days webcast, I hit the MUTE button and thats the way it stayed for the entire event.
Problem solved.
Seeing as we're ridiculing Volcom, I'll add to the hate. Anybody else hear them saying, and read on the website that the first 100 people to donate to one of the charities would score a free T-shirt, as well as an entry into a raffle to win a trip to Tavarua? Well I donated, but they failed to mention anywhere that this offer was only open to residents of the USA or Canada. After complaining to them, all they were interested in was giving me a refund, and they couldn't understand that I was happy for my money to go to the charity without getting a t-shirt or raffle entry - I just thought they were a bunch of cunts for not letting the rest of the world take advantage of their offer, after all it was offered on the WORLD WIDE web...
barreldogs, I suspect that there were legal reasons why they couldn't offer the competition to the entire world (the webcast and website are managed by US-based team). Sounds to me like your hate is a little unfounded though - sure, Volcom might have made an error but they were quick to rectify the problem.
Pretty sure there's not a law in the world that bans the main sponsor of an event to post their merchandise anywhere they want to Ben. Can you please clarify exactly how they rectified that problem?
I enjoyed watchin the comp...but the commentators did annoy me , and the final had shitty signal with it dropping in and out for ten mins...glad Fiji is back...but the should have went on the BIG day, massive missed opportunity there imo
VOMIT! Who were the commentary clowns with the American accents? It was an all time low in terms of:
1. Technical insight, no discussion of board design at all.
2. Good taste, whipped like a red haired step child is beyond vulgar and into grossly offensive
3. Hyperbole, if every move every surfer makes is unbelievably, like wow, awesome (screamed into the microphone) then all judgement has been abdicated.
......but what do you expect from a channel that shows cage fighting? Sad to say the whole ASP show falling in a heap may be the only escape from this degrading presentation of what was really sublime surfing.