The Outsider
Latest piece from The Outsider up: http://www.swellnet.com.au/news/348-the-outsider---day-one
I saw Carroll again. His synopsis: People were putting on more of a show than normal for Rd 1.
My synopsis of his synopsis : "No fucken shit Sherlock".
Of course I didn't say that to his face though.....I just pulled out my gold leopard skin pen and rubbed my chin thoughtfully with it. You have to listen to Carroll, even if he is part of some old guard that is going to be extinct in, oh, five years time. It's in the contract. I wouldn't listen to any of those wankers from STAB though, not unless it was for fashion advice.
His synopsis: People were putting on more of a show than normal for Rd 1
Incisive, insightful and interesting....well at least compared to his brother's observations on Fuel TV to the effect that the yellow stuff in the waves was sand....which stimulated about five minutes of further discussion with Potz to the effect that "Yes indeed it was sand."
"No fucken shit Sherlock".
But we shouldn't take the piss too much. What would you have talked about in the five minute breaks between waves with no replays?
Me? I would've ruminated on what will happen to Snapper Rocks when the sand pumping contract runs out. And hence what will happen to the Quiksilver Pro.
That'd keep 'em occupied for a couple of minutes, after which I'd probably start pointing out the sand in the water.
i would have said something like, 'who was it said something about a world in a grain of sand?' and pottz and tc and i would have argued over who said it for a minute or two. then i would have said, 'who said something about infinite space in a nutshell then?' and pottz would have said john travolta, and tc would have said jimmy barnes, and then the next set would have rolled in and we'd have been away...
stu, i reckon steve knows so many people in pro surfing that the 'outsider' cap doesn't fit. i reckon you should call his series of reports 'pro surfing, the universe and everything'.
But then I couldn't use the Clint Eastwood logo Al.
Or perhaps I could? Old Clint, when he was rocking around in his Man With No Name days, knew a thing or two. He just didn't let on, that's all.
Is The Outsider going to appear every day of the competition?
Personally, following in the footsteps of a great Australian sporting legend with considerable experience in such matters, I would have gone for the seagulls. If you can't do five minutes on seagulls twice an hour you shouldn't be commenting on sport in this country.
Those two blokes need to watch more cicket. The commentators there can fill time during a sport where nothing at all happens the majority of the time. What I can't understand is why with two world champs at the mics they don't recant a few old war stories and experiences they had while they where on tour.
I mean It doesn't have to be a continual "back in my day" scenario but the odd comparisson here and there would keep me interested.
And Stu, don't worry about Clint..he knew everything.
Well Shearer, looks like you might end up 'The Insider' after all this hullabaloo surrounding your insights.
You're no Samuels, but you're an intersting read so far.
Who's driving the bus? Might need to make their temp position permanent me thinks.
BTW can you ask the ranga what the song in his Sagres 4ever clip is? Been trying to work it out for months!
I admire a man who can cover a surf contest with barely a single reference to events in the water. He has grasped the essence of sports journalism....it's not the game that is interesting, it's the players.
I can't read the right hand side, it's cut off on my computer. If it's as good as the left side of the column, or I have a good imagination, then can't wait for an interview.
fixed that by cut and paste nito a document, reads better in full than I imagined, all credit
Steve Shearer's Quik Pro blog up now: http://www.swellnet.com.au/news/345-the-outsider-27-02-10
A great piece of surf-writing, whether you're a pro surf fan or not...
"Surfing contests are sometimes lonely places. The fundamental connection between human beings seems subsumed by a level of consumerism bordering on the obscene. There are no ugly people here...so it was with real relief that I spied veteran surfing journalist Nick Carroll. Nick was striding shirtless around the hill behind the contest like some sawn-off Colonel Kilgore."
Steve's gonna be reporting each contest day (and hopefully laydays too!)