One-move waves does not make a great spectacle. Think of all the insane, perfect waves they could have held a comp in instead. Or even just average waves. I'm all for diversity, but those waves were crap. Not even average beach break waves.

Agree, its not really pro surfing, more of an x-games style big air contest.

Filipe is the man in the small stuff pretty much unbeatable with his air game. If he gets a couple of results fiji, chopes and jbay he would have to be favorite for the title given the run in of trestles plus the beachbreak events.

Could be done and dusted by the time pipe comes round and he sure would have deserved it. Still got those turns at snapper burnt into my psyche...

Huge congrats to Durbo, great to see him in the 10 again!

I don't know if it was just me?…but it was like this comp never happened, i barely heard a whisper of it i only saw the odd clip come up in my facebook feed.

BTW. of all the Brazo's i do like Filipe the best.

He does seem very gracious and realises he needs to step up is bigger wave game, both rail and tube. Those waves were absolute rubbish. I thought I surfed some crap but if that is all Brasil has to serve up no wonder they all live in Bali. My highlight was Owen Wright he is a beast when it gets heavy.

Stu those airs from Toledo blew me away. One in particular, may have been his 10 in the final, he span so high, fast and projected so far over the section and then landed clean and on to the next turn... It was simply mindblowing
And im guessing you've seen that thing Matt Meola pulled recently? Wowzas.
It almost seems like a different sport to me, because I know im never going to get close to pulling off something like that.
Im 31, so im kinda in the middle of the carving, power turn generation and the air generation. I love watching good surfing weather its massive turns or huge airs. But I can relate to the turns, carves and tubes a bit easier.

I saw Slaters first heat and then is rnd 3 heat. Watching him get embarrassed scratching for a makeable corner was the end of the road for me.

Then Rosie Hodge asks Slater what he has learned from the heat , and what will he take to the next event. WTF!

Hi everyone, I have become addicted to reading the comment sections on swellnet so decide to join the conversation!
I agree with Stunet, great highlight reel but definitely not entertaining enough to seat through watch the whole thing. As it has been said, it is called the world tour and all regions need to be represented so I kind of agree with having the comp here even though it is a big closeout and nothing else. The interesting thing to me is how these guys can make something very exciting out of these very average waves.
Toledo is definitely on another level right now and I love the fact that every time he lands a massive air he would go to rail surfing on the next wave. I wonder if people would be criticising one move scores if it would have been Julian or JJF pulling them of….

Another Nail in the coffin of pro surfing.

Watched a bunch of heats mainly recorded with Foxtel and fast forwarding through the garbage. I'm okay with beach break Brazil leg but understand the frustration of the waves especially comparing Slater 1st and 3rd round heats, that shit must mess with your brain. Kelly so relaxed in the interviews but I'm sure he wanted to blow up over the call to send them out on the low tide.

The heat of the comp was Ricardo Christie v ADS. The melt-down of Adriano - must give some ammunition to the other guys and surely has a psychological effect on him in front of the home crowd. So far this season has been unflappable. I have written him off in his career chances of winning a title - but he has done his time the past two seasons staying late in Hawaii and is ready for Pipe and Tahiti.

They won't be scrapping Brazil but better beachy would be Puerto. It was pumping the whole time the comp was on.

Has anyone found a clip of the Rosie Hodge question to Slater? Most entertaining moment of the whole comp, but I couldn't find it on any of the highlight reels and I'd love to see it again.

Only watched mainly the highlights but the locals certainly know how to create atmosphere in an otherwise crappy event and the final was entertaining with the crowd egging on Toledo,good on him,boy sure knows how to surf.Feel for Bede but it would have been a buzz for him in front of that crowd.

Wonder what Bede was thinking in the water???

I remember that heat when Taylor Knox was blown out of the water by Medina's air game in San Fran. Pretty hard to compete on a level field for anyone, and it must signal to the CJ's of the world time is almost up. But massive credit to Bede what a ruthless competitor, he consistently nailed his average heat scores 14 and over (bar the round 4 heat) and was on form. On paper you wouldn't expect him to be a contender for the event but seeing him surf those types of waves at currumbin in person, unreal surfing, it shouldn't be a surprise but no one ever picks him. Good bloke too says hello like that.

I didn't think watching on Foxtel counted? Only online - same in Brazil I guess..and NZ etc etc. So they go to Fiji then J'Bay and Teahupoo, one beach average beach break in amongst it and they get ridiculed despite some legitimate entertaining and spectacular surfing....and at the same time those that relentlessly stab it, keep watching??? Go figure and Go Kiwi brother Ricardo -- who by the way is now a sporting identity in NZ having been on every channel and every newspaper multiple multiple time...but we don't count either!

I quite enjoyed Rio comp too and agreed with Mick re Ricardos heat against Adriano. I guess because of that the NZ media was all over it so you couldn't miss the event being on in NZ. Sky sport are now running even replays on the surfing pop up channel. There's something to really like about Toledo for a Brasilian. He is just so exciting to watch even on crappy waves and his enthusiasm is awesome. I wonder how Gabbys feeling now with such a poor start to the Year for him and being upstaged by not one but two others.

Saw filipe in the flesh first time at the wreck a few years back was impressed but fark this year he's had his weetbix. Anto everyone would be frothing if it was julian or john john look at how much publicity kellys "540" got.

To be fair saw those airs plenty of times on the news last night the dude is truly on fire if theirs ramps he's the man to beat. Gabriel is too focused on his sleeve mick the old war horse is the outside chance for the whiteboy crew.

Personally im stoked for the brazzos will take some of that world cup pain away and they are the ones taking the average waves to the next level so sit back and enjoy the show or piss off back to the 70's.

You'll be wishing you were in the 70's when another 5000000 Brazillians start surfing.

touche but those wheels where in motion long ago

An article written somewhere about the Brazilian economy going to shit possibly on swellnet, Might keep them at bay for a a little while at least.

Those waves where shithouse but they need to have one on the tour, makes the slop i surfed this arvo seem ok just couldn't get as high as filipe.. Come to think of it couldn't get any air at all but the closeout floater washed the day away.

Good idea rees. Stunet could actually research the Brazil economy.

Bob they get ridiculed because this is supposed to be the best waves for the best surfers. And the beach break wasn't even average in my opinion, it was truly awful. There must be better waves in Brasil than that. Notice we don't hold a world comp in Bondi? Gabby is having a premiership hangover and Felipe is unbeatable in small stuff however he really comes a cropper when the waves get serious. What were his results at Bells and Margarets? For my money the best surfer on the tour is JJF - when there are some decent waves. Agree that Slater has had his day in rubbish conditions I mean how could anybody get exited at his age and skill over what was served up there? I remember speaking to a Zilla out in the water at Ulu's a couple of years ago and even he agreed the waves are rubbish. For me it was like holding a F1 comp on a go cart track.

Memla - His result at Bells was 1/4 finals, 5th. Also, did he place 3rd at pipeline last year?
JJF is awesome and in the coming three events he'll probably get an amazing chance to elevate himself in a massive way - and then he has Pipeline as the final event as well - and if beach breaks in france pump and/or Portugal - great -- I'm sure Perrow will try and deliver the best possible hardest charging surf -- Here's what I wonder --- the 4 amigos and others -- do you think they look at the forecast for upcoming events that wsf run and do you think they get excited if it's a dud forecast? I wonder???

Bob I suppose I am in awe of JJF's accomplishments in anything of size and his man turns at Margarets were so far from what Felipe can serve up it was chalk and cheese. On a hollow tubey wave like Pipe I can see Felipe's technical ability getting him through but for man turns even his fellow countryman Adriano has a huge edge in big wally waves. Also Bells was relatively small this year so his progression through the comp reflected that. Yes I bet Felipe is licking his lips for rubbish conditions with a cross shore wind so he can remain airborne. If he gets three more of those he has the title.

Um --- that's weird because you actually asked what his results were at Bells???? And then when you get the result --- OH....the waves were no good. And Pipeline? He got through a heat??? WTF - he made the semifinals, that's a lot further than getting through.
And it's not him I'm referring to looking at a forecast hoping the event gets scuppered. I'd imagine he's hoping to get great waves !

Bob!

The champion of the WSL!

I hope you get a lanyard at all events!

I can see Bob standing at the gates, autograph book in hand, trying to get past the cross-armed burly security guards.

"Over here! Over here!" he screams as Jeremy Flores runs past. But we all know, Jeremy don't give autographs to just ... anyone.

"But I have a lanyard! A lanyard for Christ's sake!"

Bob I watched some of the Bells and I couldn't remember where he ended up and I feel you would have to agree it was sub par Bells. While I was watching the Margarets comp one of the US commentators was inferring he was the best thing since Geelong won the Grand Final in 2007. The token Australian made the remark that both contests were held in head high waves and that big West Oz surf will test him. When I said he got through Pipe I am Australian so my hyperbole reflects this (unlike the US commentators one of whom likened Brasil to Fiji until he was corrected by Martin Potter who politely told him it was nothing like Fiji). Got through for me can be anything except the final and even that is often not good enough. I grew up watching Geelong loose Grand Finals so perhaps I am bitter and twisted (those of you from the north cannot fathom how passionate we are about our footy teams) so anything less for me is a waste of a lot of hard work. Your right I am sure he wants great waves like all the surfers (I was being facetious) however if the conditions play into his hands I am sure he will be there first to take advantage of it. Australians generally like to keep a lid on things until they are a sure bet. I have heard him interviewed and he seems to be doing that and knows he has weaknesses in the big solid stuff (I heard this in an interview after he won it and the South African woman - can't remember her name - went into a head spin). So good luck to him I hope he gets there.

You're right Cliff --- I'm going to join the overwhelming majority here. WSL suck, they have no idea, Stunet please bring us up to date with how bad WSL are performing and also let us know when the evil pricks plan to activate pay to view - like as if we'd pay - are they serious? Fiji?? Raglan will tell us if the surf will pump there so watch them botch it up...again.

You know Bob, I can't ever recall Stu or Freeride and whomever else you accuse, of being anti-WSL. I do recall however reading a series of articles explaining that in a particular span of time, the actual viewing figures contrasted sharply with the figures marketed by the WSL. I don't ever recall them wanting to see an end to pro surfing, I just read a well balanced argument refuting a lot of what's being spoonfed to us. I may be wrong but I think those two blokes above like pro surfing, or aspects of it anyway.

You seem to go on and on about a conclusion that you've drawn yourself as opposed to something actually written purporting to be fact.

Anyway, I'm a pro-surfing tragic. I love it and in way shape or form I hope it continues.

i agree and they were extremely well researched as well.

I thought so too.

I want to pay to view

I would.

Sorry zen I think loose was meant to be lose. What was that little ditty you had about change in the pocket?