Billabong Pro Pipeline: Day 1
I'm not sure anyone has ever opened up a recap of the opening day of a season held at epic, epic Pipe by quoting the Pope, but it seems appropriate. John Paul said in 2015, “we are not living in an era of change but a change of eras”.
Half of the talent from last year has gone: retired, relegated, taking leave for mental and physical health reasons. The Era of the Surf Star is over, or at least shrunk to a tiny minority. 2022 marks the Era of the No Name rookie.
Miguel Tudela playing centre court (Heff/WSL)
Heat after heat filled with guys we'd never seen at Pipe, never seen a profile film of, never got a push from surf industry sponsors. Guys who'd been driving delivery trucks (Jackson Baker) or relying on their local community selling raffle tickets (Callum Robson) or simply plucked out of the freesurfing lineup as back-up surfers (Jordan Lawler). Guys from Brazil we'd never seen surf before (Joao Chianca) or Central American and Mainland journeymen (Carlos Munoz and Jake Marshall). Not to mention tour retreads on stickerless boards (Connor O'Leary) or Peruvian Pipe guys (Miggy Tudela, Lucca Mesinas).
From this perspective, Morgan Ciblic's 2021 run looks, not like an aberration, but a harbinger of the future. The non-endemic sponsorship that ELO promised from the Olympics, the rivers of cash that would float the boats of these unheralded rookies and allow them to fulfil their dreams is still very far off in the future. The lack of surf stars was refreshing.
These no names have a looming black spot ahead that Owen Wright described as “disastrous for rookies” - the Mid Year Cut. Five comps to get results, starting right now in what Shane Dorian called 10 out of 10 Pipeline.
How did they go? Pretty damn good...
What they lacked in experience they made up for with hot-blooded charging.
Pipe experience was at a premium. Where to sit, what waves to catch, the subtle and not so subtle techniques of speed control, all paid dividends. Owen Wright looked calm and in control as judges established a stiff and very high bar to reach excellence. Owen's 7.17 was the best 7 all day - followed closely by a straight out bomb from Miggy Tudela at the end of the day.
Connor O'Leary had the “session of my life” at lightly groomed perfect 6-10 foot Pipeline. Couldn't make a heat through an Australian beachbreak tour which saved the Woz bacon, and now he looks like a genuine Top 5 surfer. Please go watch his final wave from Heat 3, and appreciate the total commitment and faith in skill, fin, and rails to pull late and backdoor a bomb, missing the decapitating lip by inches.
Jordan Lawler, a guy I would not recognise at the local boardriders, filled in for an injured Liam O'Brien. Has Jordy Lawler ever had a shot in a magazine, an edit put online? Apologies if he does have some presence in the surf world I am unaware of. Future pros will have to do their own heavy lifting as far as raising a profile go if they want fans to “invest” in them. That won't be an issue for me and Jordy from now on. He packed heavy water, both in his Round 2 heat with Griffin Colapinto and Matt McGillvray (another non surf star) and in his elimination heat with Jake Marshall and Fred Morais. Somehow he lost both times, despite mad charging, which made his opponents look timid.
Jordy Lawler (Heff/WSL)
Callum Robson. There's no biographical information on him on the WSL site. Not even the basics: height, weight, age. Nothing but an invitation to join 682 people in “following” him, presumably on some form of social media. Is he 20-years old? 18? 30..? Has he been laying bricks, studying engineering, working the deep fryer for the last few years? I've got no idea, and nor do you. All we know after today is that he wears a black helmet at Pipe and will charge like a motherless maniac. He will take serious punishment and paddle back out and do it again. He had some luck on his side to squeak in ahead of Miggy Tudela, who is a far more experienced Pipe surfer. But luck is what you need as a rookie. Mostly the luck that comes from swinging late and deep on backless bombs, whether you make it out or not.
I'm sure Jackson Baker drove down my driveway last year to deliver a package. How many thumb-shaped rangas with sawn-off porn moustaches can there be on the East Coast? The only thing he delivered today was a beyond vertical drop from behind the elbow of a vicious west bowl. He missed it by a bees dick, and what would have been the only ten of the day. It was a classic example of what Shane Dorian called “learning on the job”.
The last completely unhyped rookie to be a real contender was Italo Ferreira back in 2015. That's a long time between drinks. We have to go back even further to find the last real hyped rookies who were real contenders. All the way to 2011 to find a 17-year old Gabe Medina and 18-year old John John Florence, both beneficiaries, by the way, of the last midyear cut. Also, by coincidence, the last year Kelly Slater won a World Title.
Jack Robbo (Heff/WSL)
You'd be brave in the extreme to claim any of the current rookies as genuine world title contenders. But if you put a gun to my head and said choose one, I'd pick Brazilian rookie Joao Chianca (brother of big waver Lucas 'Chumbo' Chianca). Again, no bio on the WSL site. No hype coming in. For half a heat he made the current best in the world and undisputed best at Pipe JJF, look second rate. Deep makes, lots of tech and style. You'd assume he has an air game, which means if he can deal with heavy water he seems destined for the top end of the rankings.
Look, the Pipe guns really did dominate, and rookie exuberance will only get so far in this draw. Seth Moniz had a picnic. Kelly went Backdoor after a nervous start, and in a heat where he was completely overshadowed by Jack Robinson. He got the wave of the day for mine. Deep, big, no-hands pump then right through a thick bowl with a heavy chandelier falling on him at the exit.
John found his groove and then relentlessly exploited his comfort zone. Every rep adds an another feather to the doona, adds to the comfort zone for a surfer who comes into this comp with the best preparation imaginable.
Jordy got the ride of the day, by the score card. A 9.73 for a beyond vertical drop way behind the bowl. A ride that will, as Dorian stated, “still be epic in thirty years time”.
Jordy on the day's highest scoring wave (Heff/WSL)
That's the thing with Pipe; epic days are timeless. Not even the Woz, with it's penchant for cutting away from live action or filling air time with meaningless interviews, can fuck it up.
ELO is so close, so goddamn close, to nailing it. Not for the mainstream, no-one out there gives a fuck. They don't care about gossip/trash reality shows held in wavepools, nor do they don't care about perfect Pipe, and they never ever will. Not now, not in thirty years. That also is a timeless feature about surfing.
But they could make something a loyal cadre of fans would care about. They fixed the start of the tour. Beginning with Pipe is looking like a masterstroke. He has to fix the finish. Trestles is going to be so terribly lame in comparison to a day like today.
// STEVE SHEARER
Comments
Nice wrap Stevo. Is it safe to say, there are no deers in the headlights on tour anymore. Outstanding viewing today, and everyone having a red hot crack in unbelievable waves. I thought that first wave of chiancas was up there with the wave of the day. Judges rightfully deducted points for ridic claim.
yeah, that was an incredible ride.
Caught half a dozen heats, was a good day of competition.
JJF and Jack Robinson were the highlights Kelly not far behind and at 50 years old in a ten days.
Well the bar has been set rather high. Good for the rest of the year WSL. I pray
What was your read on Morgs, FR? It was incomprehensible to me, watching him let Messina take waves under priority. Messina built his score until Morgs needed an 8+ with less than 5min to go.
Mind-boggling. That kid seems so bloody good. Brain fart or psyched out?
I'll have to watch that back half of the heat again and see exactly what he was doing when those scoring waves came in- looked like he was stuck in a game plan waiting for a certain wave and couldn't readjust as the heat went on.
If you watch the start of the heat, he got absolutely pounded in the impact zone. maybe that stuffed up his game plan a little
I haven't watched any surfing until now so it's funny you mention that, because Youtube/WSL have dropped a whole bunch of six minute summary heats from today, and the first one I go to is the Morgs Elmination heat. Talk about downer. Even though it was a replay I still felt pretty crap as it progressed. How could he not catch a wave in those conditions? Mind-boggling indeed! Didn't he do a similar thing in Rottnest last year against Medina? Not sure where Morgs was. Hopefully not a sign of things to come this year...
So next minute I'm onto the Jack Robbo heat . Wow talk about getting barrelled! And Slater too doing the backdoor like a GOAT on a mission. After that, back to the first heat of the morning, and to give Owen Wright's first barrel a 7.17 out of 10 was a joke. How could that not have been a straight up 10 from the get-go. The mind boggles, again.
Just wondering now what other heat to watch from today, because the conditions look as good as it gets.
Watch Jackson Baker's first wave, surely would have been a 10 if he made it.
Not kidding but that is exactly what I watched!. Yea that would have been an 11 if he made it.
Yeah that was sick. Willing him through that last section…
Jordy Lawler was best on ground in Pipe-like conditions last year, not far from his local..
Also that was epic Pipe, so perfect!
Epic viewing. The damn calendar year and timing of the Christmas break is their scheduling trouble. Pretty sure Trestles has only been jammed in there again to gain some certainty from Covid. I’d be more than happy with a tour that ran May - December with a GF at Pipe in January. It’s just the calendar issue. Pretty sure we will be seeing September sessions in the Indian Ocean for grand final days in years to come, that’s what they want. Plenty to like about this year with the mid year cull. Great start
Today was great to watch and a great article by Steve.
The last three paragraphs resonate though. Finish at trestles? Please.,.. after that??!
Absolutely, what a day of charging, good summary. Fantasy league for this comp is a lottery if it continues to pump and these rookies keep having a dig. Chianca is as mad as his big brother by the looks, loved watching him. So good to see pretty much every Aussie having a red hot crack too, apart from Morgs, but I saw that coming. The head noise he managed to control last year might be a tad much now he also has the burden of expectation on him or just an off day.
When Elo was being interviewed he said something like 'Trestles was more fair because it was a right and a left'. Is it the finale because of equal opportunity? If he looked seaward he may have noticed a certain 50yo going right amongst many a left...and scoring.
Too true about abandoning non-surf audience. It's insane to think there ever was one or will be one.
Just finished watching.
Epic, epic day of surfing.
Cheers for the write up Freeride.
Is it just me or is Elo actually starting to look like a surfer?
It was a pretty core day to be honest. I’d even forgotten that it was a business enterprise up until they shoehorned some snowboarder’s brand promo into the prime heat of the morning.
Can you imagine an NRL game throwing to a live advertorial for a soccer player’s new T Shirt line during the final climactic minutes of a Sharkies vs Bronco’s game?
Someone’s got to pay the band but it was as subtle as a brick to the face and as appropriate as amyl and latex at a Wiggles concert.
Great wrap up Freeride. A great read
And for the woke as hell WSL to promote a brand called, in 2022, WhiteSpace.
it was all so surrealL: a classic Woz you can't script this shitshow.
thankfully the waves reigned supreme.
Now, what are the judges going to do with women scoring.
Are they magically going to invent a new scale for the same waves, or judge them fairly and equitably?
Have to be a new scale. I can’t see many girls (if any) swinging late on those waves today.
Waves that we draw in books would be scary as fuck surfing them
Can anyone tell me what type of Channel Islands model, if it was a model, that Jordy Lawler grabbed as his backup with 15 minutes remaining in his elimination round heat 3 ?
Pretty sure that board might be my soul mate. Love at first sight.
One of these two ?
Mmmmmmmm
Pity they don't score a bit higher for late heavy drops on waves where they don't quite make it. Eg Lawler
Yeah, incredible some of the surfing you need to do to get a 2
Wasn't so many years ago that the Big O progressed through a heat at Chopes without making a single barrel. Lot of tube time, no makes, but the judges scored 'em high.
Been a fundamental shift in judging since then.
Old man Slater has developed a bit of muscle after over 40 years of paddling.
There's been entire years of competition without a wave as good as the one that Owen Wright caught today. I can see why they wanted to set the bar low, but come on, it was a ten any day of the week.
They were having laugh, aye. Madness.
Class from Owen.
that photo of Tudela is as good as surf photos get
Oh man, What a cavern.
And yep, great wrap up Freeride. Some of your finest work mate.
Still can't believe what the guys are doing out at Pipe on waves that can clearly break you in two in an instant. Insane.
Is Jordy Lawler from a NRL or AFL state? Never heard of him however he goes hard.
Best day of Pipe con-ess waves I’ve ever seen.
Go Robo!
Narrabeen
Sea Eagles fan. Knew there was something good about him
Best 2 wipeouts of the day got to Jake Marshall. He'll have a headache after that heat.
Further talking points:
Slats (coincidentally?) opts for slimming black jersey
Mr Pipeline’s interview was peak awks
Jordy’s veneers
Rosie seemingly looking for every opportunity to use multiple words with long vowel sound of i
Depth of critique from commentary was shallow. Talking about precision and practice when there should have been more reference to danger. Ie grabbing rail and pulling under lip when all instinct is to straighten and run. Committing has for more consequence. Barton may have delivered that
Mr Pipeline going full Biden in that interview.
Or maybe he was just tired of being wheeled out each year and hit with exactly the same questions.
Yeah I noticed that as well. Awkward as.
hahahaha it was a real weekend at Bernies moment.
I fast forwarded.
What’s the deal? Uninterested or incapable?
I felt
For Kaipo a lot of heavy lifting for him in that little
Exchange
Fookinhell eh
That is by far the best f'n angle of a foam ball ride I have ever seen on screen. Isn't pipe something.
I will have to agree with Rosie's call on this one. Best low score ride.
How heavy was that thing
His view would be something you’d remember for ever
Haven’t looked at forecast, will it be on tomorrow?
Watched every heat today with the aid of the ff button after taping the whole thing.
Best full day of comp waves I've ever seen I reckon. Too many highlights to count.
Like the author said, even the WSL couldn't fuck that up.
Tipping Gabs must be having a brain aneurysm watching live on TV what he's missed by pulling out of this comp.
Yeh.......Lopez interview was very awks.
Kanoa got a sik one
Great write up for a great day.
It’s easy to say from the sofa but the OLeary wave where he squeezed under the lip, compared to the Pupo wave where he took the split second decision to stay outside of it, showed the difference in commitment required at Pipe.
I thought Tudela was stiff not to win the heat against Jordy. That heat was next level all time. Never heard of him
I thought Tudela was stiff not to win the heat against Jordy. That heat was next level all time. Never heard of him
How good is Jack Robinson only Australian that has that extra flair to win a world title.
Morgan Ciblic looked pretty ordinary out pipe then again im still bewildered how he was
the top Aussie in 5th position last year.
Jordy Smith that was a 10 and Owen Wright was way under scored. All in a great day
of surfing. Thats why I always say the Nth Shore is my favourite place on the planet.
What happened to the heat analyzer on the wsl site. ?
i'm a outa the loop over here !
It was letting you watch waves without watching ads so I'm guessing it's gone :(
Was the best feature they had. shame
Heat analyser back up, thank God.
Poor Gabe must have been crying, watching all those bombs.
Thoroughly missed.
Yep, as much as I find it hard to like the guy it's undeniable that he fuckin' rips. He would have been having a field day out there aye. Still can't figure out how Mason Ho didn't get a wild card though.
Great write up FR as always . The judges really need to get their heads around scoring higher in the first heat of the day . If Owen gets that wave in heat 6 or 7 its an excellent score -eight plus every day . Same thing happened to Italo at the Box a few years ago . first wave , first heat of the day , crazy barrel and they give it a 7 point something .
Contrast to how they scored today…….
I'd much rather see the scale set low rather than high.
Best opening day of the season ever
No mention of Barron Mamiya?
That first photo above, Jordy Lawler, insane commitment and technique.
Love seeing nobodies get an opportunity and saying “ fuck it, I ain’t holding back”.
Great write up Steve.
"I'm sure Jackson Baker drove down my driveway last year to deliver a package. How many thumb-shaped rangas with sawn-off porn moustaches can there be on the East Coast?" Lol, classic write up as always Steve
JL has been a standout since he was a young kid.
Also having spent time at Trestles it is a fun wave to surf and surfing is about fun. FYI
João Chianca will win Sunset and will be World Champion in 2022. Does anyone knows if there is a proper sporting bet website that doesn't require credit card and accepts paypal that I can go to and bet on him right now for World Champion? After Sunset everyone will do it. Thanks