Hurley Sunset Open: Day Two
Sunset has changed the game. Made fools of the great and the good, and opened up opportunities for the new era of non-surf star pro surfers.
Why are we here?
It wasn't obvious yesterday but it seems clearer today.
To shuffle the deck of the old order, and usher in the new. There will be a new Top 5 this year; the long, long periods of stasis seen in the upper echelons are no more and will likely never return, not if this schedule remains in place.
Everything seemed completely random for a time today. Last year's Top 5, including 2019 World Champ Italo Ferriera, Finalists at Trestles Connor Coffin and Morgan Ciblic, seemed brittle and way out of their comfort zones.
Only God, according to heat winner and injury wildcard Caio Ibelli, had a plan.
Manna from heaven for Caio Ibelli (WSL/Bielmann)
Even a hardcore atheist like me has to admit God's plan was pretty cool today. The unridden realm of the Outside Peak continued to torment commentators and surf fans alike.
“Sunset is a big wave spot,” Makua Rothman reminded us, then mused openly that if it stayed on the schedule we may see an evolution towards surfers riding bigger boards on the back button. He maintained it was up to the judging criteria to usher in the change.
Seen through that lens, we're never going back there. Apart from Kanoa Igarashi's dreamy three-banger from out the back, the highest scores today consistently went to two turn waves.
A preference was evinced by judges for short turns as opposed to long turns. Only Ethan Ewing seems capable of consistently bridging that divide. A long swoop out the back, with an exaggerated finishing flourish back to the high-line before a series of shorter arc snaps and laybacks of varying angles of attack were undoubtedly the most aestheticly perfect waves ridden today.
I've never really “got” Ethan Ewing. He tones it down when he should be opening up - the opposite of the Andy Irons approach he has consistently been compared with. Today he looked well gone against Toledo who made short arc Sunset surfing a thing, possibly the greatest thing. Needing an eight-something with time disappearing he opened up on a mid-size set in a way that finally made total sense of the Ewing hype train.
There looks to be room on the downside for Ewing's approach; his turns will match anyone now that JJF is out of the draw, even in smaller conditions.
EE not AI (WSL/Heff)
Let's be honest, we'd never heard of Jake Marshall. A wildcard at Kelly's Hot Tub last year where he looked like he would struggle to make a boardriders heat. Today he pounded John John Florence into the lava.
What happened?
John's board broke underneath his feet during a crucial finishing turn. That wave was a mid-seven all day long - enough to win the heat if he made it. He then lost rhythm. Jake Marshall got two waves while John reset, including the winning 8.60 ride while John had priority. For all his genius and undoubted freesurfing mastery, the Gods do love to laugh at John's contest prowess at crucial times.
There must have been hilarity in heaven as the clock ticked down. The yellow jersey framing the famous brown dome of Robert Kelly Slater, surfing the non-priority heat, was seen stalking a barren area of the reef.
A minute-and-forty to play, John catches a set with priority, does a turn then pulls under a closeout.
A minute left, Marshall catches a wave, he's gone from the line-up.
Florence sprints back out to the takeoff.
Forty seconds to go, we see the yellow jersey and brown head dropping down a whitewater-fringed mountain.
John hops aboard and Kelly crosses his path before kicking out. He does not impede John's path.
The wave closes out after one turn. It's not enough.
John is out.
An interference is called.
Kelly, surfing the other heat, is also out.
Which seems ridiculous.
In a four man, overlapping heat at Sunset how can you call an interference, when there has been no interfering done?
That was the last thing I saw before being wheeled into a metallic MRI tube to get a needle in the spine, forty miles inland. No doubt Kelly was furious in the presser I missed while in the tube. But with John and Kelly both gone, he'll appreciate, in time, the sheer craziness of the spectacle.
When I came out, Connor O'Leary was being beaten up by the inside bowl, trying to kamikaze his way through a late hit.
I felt the impact, most keenly.
It was a similar wave at Sunset that tried to snap me in half that led to me being miles inland praying the needle was going to get me back in the water. Actions have consequences, that can reverberate down the ages.
Connor up to that point had been the goofy not afraid of that big late hit, along with Nat Young. The one turn to set up a distinction with the best natural foots. Now he was gone, along with Nat, and that vision of a goofy-foot led victory was gone with them.
Callum blows the tail in a dignified way against Jack Robbo (WSL/Bielmann)
Zeke was just slightly luckier against a starved Jordy who had looked special against Jacko Baker in a morning heat. Jacko would have won many heats today with his brand of power surfing. As would have Evans Head's Callum Robson.
Unlucky draws.
Jacko with Jordy, and Callum with Jack Robbo, who confessed to a special relationship with Sunset that defied words.
Is he the new red hot favourite? Can he win Trestles, while we are indulging in hypotheticals?
Robbo's small wave game still looked way off the pace on the Aussie leg last year. His Sunset attack is top of the pile. No-one can find a tube out there like him. Does a special relationship trump God's plan?
My dark horse Caio is still in there, as is the new Bad Guy on tour, Zeke Lau. Don't hate on him too much, sport needs bad guys and heels as much as the golden good guys.
Zeke chucks the big don't argue (WSL/Bielmann)
And where, in God's name, are the women? Are they going to run at Sunset as a completely separate event, as we surmised after Pipe?
What a contrast Sunset is making, from the typical Aussie leg start to the year. In the 2019 D'Bah event to start the year off we saw more aerials in one heat than we have seen so far this year. It may be April before we see an aerial win a heat, and that could produce a seismic shift in the sport, though undone by a single day at Trestles.
Ponder than one for a second.
// STEVE SHEARER
Comments
"I've never really “got” Ethan Ewing." Are you a WSL judge?
What sacrilege.
He's a top 3 surfer in the world, and Mick's retired.
No, just someone who has watched his heats over the time he has been on the CT, both first time around and now.
Today was by far the best surfing he has done in heats.
I've seen him surf to that level in a lot of heats. He is consistently under-scored.
How the judges only gave him .5 more than Filipe's 9.17 is mind boggling. Given that scale, it's a straight 10.
He's done just as well in other heats on 1 wave, but not 2 waves.
The style every surfer wishes they had.
It would’ve been a travesty if Toledo beat Ethan Ewing.
In my opinion Toledo was over scored on his second scoring wave and Ewing looked to be a far more comfortable and in control surfer.
John John and Ethan are the two surfers that I look at and think that’s how it should be done out there at Sunset.
100%
Yep toledo look jerky
Actually, Kelly was particularly wry and accepting in his post-interference presser. It was classic good Kelly. Good on him.
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/496384/kelly-slater-reacts-to-unex...
Well done to him for doing the interview but what a tool saying "I don't respect Sunset"
It'll still be doin its thing when your dead and buried Kelly.
Funny, I didnt hear it like that because he alluded to not putting in the time out there. I know he's a not a fan of the wave, but when he said I dont respect the wave, I thought he meant: I dont give the wave enough respect and just so happens, it doesnt respect me either... that's why I dont do so well. Thats how I heard him anyway. Could be wrong. :)
I thought he was a bit flippant about it, cocky. But i get where your coming from
same here crab nebula
Kelly threw a lot of shade on the wave and the folks who surf it. Was pretty funny.
Respect Kelly. Quite matter of fact and even headed.
‘I don’t like the wave, I don’t like the crowd, everyone’s on 10 foot boards, I haven’t put the time in. I don’t respect the wave and it doesn’t respect me back’
He was really ok with the loss and the rules. Hats off mate.
Yeah I agree. Very honest and upfront.
….and really, if you can get waves and have the skill to score 10’ pipe, why would you bother with the deadset Ironman that is Sunset
Very considered tone.
Could anyone else on Tour deliver a presser like that?
One more reason to enjoy having him on Tour.
Fully. I haven’t been much of a fan for a while but I’ve changed my tune.
I’m enjoying the bloke for the surfer he is. Pure surfing considered, it is truely remarkable to witness.
Although it would be hard to top Pipe, it would be great to see him have a few more moments this season. He deserves to soak up a well supported lap around the globe this year.
He has never been a big carver always more in the pocket doesn't like Bells either.
Kelly was a lot cooler about the interference than i thought he would be... a rule they need to modify .Ethan and Robo looked so good out there hope they keep going.
He spent like an hour out in the lineup post interference to blow off steam.
Strider said he was going off about it as he paddled past him.
Strider had a few other comments which made me laugh, they need to let him go for it.
I think given a shandy of luck and half an opportunity, Ethan will be a threat in any right. Look out Bells and Margies.
Just a quiet bloke who maybe needs to believe he is as good as everyone else knows he is.
Jack Robbo v EE
Good to see two aussies in the quarters, and they were probably two of the best performers so far
Ethan Ewing got to the semis in the Vans World Cup of Surfing in 2019 at
pumping Sunset. You could see his Sunset game was very strong. Jack Robinson won that event.
some very questionable scoring going down today, Mc Gillivray's 9 was one of them.
McGilvray's 9 was nearly as ridiculous as Kelly's interference call
If it was a 9 then Jack Robinson's 9.17 should have been an 11
How was your tube time FR?
hahahaha, yeah, it's a great feeling when they stick that needle into the nerve......like getting shocked by the electric fence.
had to take a little while before I could get vertical without feeling green.
Feeling OK now, but no major changes.
Great write up mate. Can I ask how long has that injury been with you? And did it really happen at Sunset?
snapped in half at Sunset mid 90's, injured working on boats.
This a different iteration of a back injury now though.
Look after yeself old boy, hear?
Sorry to hear… must be frustrating. Take care.
Hopefully jack robbo or Ethan wins the event.. go the Aussie boys
I really, really like Sunset being on the tour. It's such a different event, massive lineup, waves that shift, uncertainty about what you are going to get. Hope someone might run a wave or two from the outside peak at size (skimmed through last Kanoa heat & must've missed it - what time is the wave in the replay?). Rail turns of Jack Robbo (5:03:02 I think - whoa...), Callum, Mamiya and the way they read it has been masterful. Learned a bit about small thruster fins in big surf size in Toledo's interview after the heat. Big boards and big rail turns - nice. It would be a feather in the cap of the most complete surfer, so leave it in the pro tour. Very different to last year, especially JJF's air-reverse at Narrabeen to win the heat in the last few seconds which was funny as.
Ethans clearly the best surfer on rail out there imo but the reason Toledo got scored super high on his 9 plus ride was the fact he hit the lip on his first turn. Not many others doing that today so was rewarded for it I guess. Ethans surfing is a joy to watch. His flow and speed out of turns is unmatched imo. Imagine him making the top 5 then surfing Trestles. His turns will match that wave perfectly....
The 9 plus ride that got me scratching my head was Kanoas in the last heat. Didn't see that score coming.....
Good point. Not an easy lip to attack.
Still think the relatively small size should have suppressed the score.
Seems similar (maybe not as extreme) to getting a good score at Pipe by taking off at gums at sticking a big air - hard to do, but not what the wave's about...
Yes Pops, the wave size that Felipe was going on should have made 8.0 the absolute ceiling. If you aren’t going bigger waves the scores should reflect that.
And re him hitting the lip on the first turn, point taken, but would he have done that on the bigger waves? And controlled it?
Scores mesmerised me all day. Ethan totally deserved his win, I thought all 3 of his high scoring waves were as good as Felipe’s best.
Agreed Ethan clearly won that heat imo. Way more on rail even though Filipe is great on rail too however Ethan does not stop out of his turns which is so impressive....
As far as scoring goes yeah it was all over the place at times but as long as the right surfer gets through the scale doesn't matter so much, as long as they don't score too high coz ten it gets messy.cheers
i would make 5,0 the ceiling for that wave size
did I read it right that JJF snapped his board at a crucial moment to lose his heat - today at Sunset and last week at Pipeline - if so the glorious run of the Pyzel Ghost may be up for review - or is it that these outcomes are further proof that JJF does the heaviest moves of all; too heavy for any surfboard?
It's not the shape / model that causes a board to snap. It's the power of the wave and glassing layup. Pretty sure JJF likes his boards glassed light regardless if it is a ghost or not.
The Ghost does have a thin tail foil, which is where JJF's board snapped when he hit the lip.
Good to see the WSL didnt put the girls out in real sunset that has saved
a lot of embarrassment. At least they learnt something from pipe.
Cant hear them whinging either thats refreshing as well.
Would be refreshing if you stopped whingeing about women’s surfing. I suppose we can be thankful you’ve left the gratuitous homophobic comments out this time.
Bit harsh.
Not really, unfortunately. ES has loads of form with regards to making derogatory comments towards women in general
Looks fairly 'real' out there today.
Perhaps worth remembering that the early heats of a comp take a lot of time to get through.
Great day… except can not work out why the womens first rd was not run after the mens rd of 32. Just baffling. I get it’s challenging but they all have board caddies and jet skis ready to assist. Hardly progressing the sport as they claim.
This event has made the tour so much more interesting now. Lots of the big names out already. Will be interesting to see how they perform in coming events with a bit of pressure on them. Great to see Jack and Ethan still in the mix. Genuine chances at Sunset. One of the commentators said Mick Fanning thought Ethan had the best style on the tour.
Yeah, wow, what a start to the year.
I heard the rooster in the background during last coupla heats today.
Any and all shit fuckery is forgiven.
Come on Aussies.
Umm, maybe not all. 2x interference calls very questionable and need adjustment of rules.
With any luck, Kelly is onto it.
Reckon the finalists will brave the intimidating West Peak at Trestles?
I've really enjoyed it so far, hoping Ethan goe's all the way. Would be nice to see at least the women's first round sprinkled in through the last 2 day's.
Toledo should stick to the wave pools...and the kiddies end at that.
Great to see Kanoa tackle a proper Sunset peak (of which there's been an endless supply for 2 days) in the very last heat, and Jaddy had a crack at one too, even though he got properly lit up.
Speaking of lit up, anyone know how Connor Oleary pulled up after that awkward wipeout? That closeout float/reo he did in his earlier heat was balls to the wall. So sick!
@Bluediamond
"Toledo should stick to the wave pools...and the kiddies end at that."
No offence but that's pretty disrespectful to a guy who has dedicated his life to surfing. Would you really say that to the guy's face!
Toledo is no charger in big heavy waves but does that mean he should be in the kiddie pool? By your statement, most of us should be in the kiddie pool.
The guy is is one of the best surfers in the world, pushed the boundaries of surfing, and the fact he hasn't faced his fears in big waves does NOT take away from his brilliance in the ocean.
Toledo has even admitted his failings in that area which also makes him a man of integrity. Plenty of other pros are in that "won't go" boat yet they don't have the balls to admit it.
Although I agree he is not a big wave charger, Toledo puts high risk into his surfing with Airs that could instantly break him in half so I wouldn't be calling the guy out on fear completely.
10 years on the tour and still yet to see him surf a wave over 8 foot.
No disrespect, just fact.
If the tour is no place for big wave surfers only who can't do airs,
then its no place for someone who can only do airs and turns on small waves, if he can't lift his game when the surfs bigger than what he's comfortable with.
10 years mate. How long til we see some kind of improvement in that area instead of going backwards??
Surprised it wasn't mentioned in the article.
I could think of alot of up and coming groms that probably do better airs than Toledo now. Where does that leave Fil? Time will tell.
I'm sure he's a nice bloke. Maybe just not cut out for the tour.
I can't work him out as BD says 10 years is more than enough to master these waves. Every champ has done that why doesn't he just go and see what happens and seeing him claim waves after the whoosy effort in really heavy waves just looks pathetic. He has the skill just needs a shrink.
I agree to be the complete pro surfer he needs to work on this area, i find it kind of strange as he clearly the ability.
But that said some of the best surfing ive seen in this contest from the heats ive caught has been his surfing where he wasn't holding back at all.
I wonder how much a wife and children changed the landscape for Filipe. No longer a free wheeling single lad who can bounce around the world at his leisure, camera crew in tow, perhaps getting the heavier waves dialed in. These days he's parked up in San Clemente, surfing locally, no doubt keeping his sponno happy but also balancing the demands of being a husband, father and provider. Someone wise once said to me everytime you say yes to something you are saying no to something else. So make your choices carefully, guided by your values.
I remember listening to Mick speak once about all the sacrifices (read "no"s) necessary to put together a world title campaign. I don't think you have to dig deeply to find the underlying costs.
I recall with some fondness when Parko finally snagged one in 2012 and turned and gave Monica a cuddle, his high-school sweetheart come wife who had as long as I could remember accompanied him on tour, billy lids in tow. I found the scene quite striking and an intriguing contrast with the man whose 12th title he had just successfully thwarted. The latter had never been materially encumbered by wife or children and perhaps the fruits of that choice were immortalised in his record. Conversely I wondered if this might not have been Parko's first were his focus not beautifully divided for most of his career.
Both had attained something wonderful but both had paid a cost for it. It was not a meaningless exercise to pause and consider what my own choice would be in a parallel universe where I had that kind of talent. But superstar surfers or not, the reality is we make decisions like this literally all the time. Perhaps Fil has made his.
great take RJ.
I don’t think Felipe is as bad as people think in juice. He has had some close calls and been a little unlucky also. He charged against Benji Brand (pipe specialist) and Kelly at Pipe the other year, just got clipped out of a psycho back door barrel that could’ve won him the heat.
2021: 1st Margies
2019: 9th Tahiti
2018: 3rd Tahiti, 13th Pipe
2017: 3rd Margies
2016: 9th Pipe
I thought he surfed Sunset fairly well this year also.
Good call. Maybe it's the intent from earlier in his career that people can't get past?
I do recall him being fairly wide-eyed at the box against Jack the other year.....I wouldn't mind being as "bad" as him in solid surf though
2nd that, rj. Some wisdom right there.
I understand the sentimentality of your post. And it all is legitimate.
Just wonder then if maybe he should let someone else have his spot if he's not willing to be 100percent into it, when there's an opportunity for someone else who is.
I loved that quote by the way, that every time you say yes, you're saying no to something else. So true.
But there's also a point where it all starts to seem like excuses.
And @solitude below, with all the results posted. Yes, he won at big wave venues, and did well, but did he surf big waves to get those results or was it more ducking and weaving and paddling to the inside to snatch a few sneaky little waves he could impose his will on. If there's video footage of him on big waves in a contest and really charging i'd love to see it.
As a spectator it feels like i'm watching a supremely gifted boxer, flexing and showing his boxing prowess on kids or smaller opponents, but as soon as someone jumps in the ring who could hurt him, he jumps out and doesn't want a part of it. Fair enough, but as a fan, it's a bit of a non event to watch him in anything over the size he can generate his own speed on the waves. Him hitting the lip on a small Sunset wave didn't do much for me.
But....doesn't matter. He's killing it, well paid, the judges are happy, going by above comments, the punters are happy, so i guess i'll just have to accept this is how pro surfing wants to look now.
Thanks for your cool reply.
@ blue diamond
Can’t argue with a lot of your sentiment. It would be good to see him commit more to the heavy water, I’m not sure why he doesn’t but as was mentioned I’ve often wonder what that family aspect does to one’s psyche.
I went digging and as you say it’s tough to find good footage, even the events listed above there was an element of dodging and weaving as you say. However Margs last year was 10’ + for a couple of days and check this barrel out at Pipe (5:50)
https://m.
I don’t know why but I have a soft spot for the fella. He’s humble, he supports his fellow surfers and seems like a nice family man. Like you, I hope he improves his big wave consistency but recognise it takes all sorts.
Good luck to him.
Not bad not bad @solitude. I appreciate the effort it took you to find this. Can't have been easy!! haha. Geez that's a pretty thunderous barrel...it's on the right track. Far out he nearly made that hey. Like everyone, i have no doubt he's got the ability. Just needs to back it. I guess that's whats frustrating. He could be one of the best surfers in the world in big surf!
I have a funny feeling a similar thing happened when he won Margs...he got a few small to medium ones on the big day to get through and the finals dropped. And all power to him if the judges wanna reward it.
Yeah he definitely seems like a nice fella but also, can think of plenty of other nice family men Aussies that charge who aren't on the tour.
Anyway, good luck to him, his surfing in small waves is amazing, but not what i as a fan tune in for. Who cares though eh! haha. Cheers mate.
ps: imagine swapping Toledo out of the Hawaiian events and Laurie Towner in....speaking of good blokes. Yew!
How refreshing is it to see a a challenging wave like sunset on tour
pure entertainment. I wasnt a fan of the year starting off in Hawaii
but I sure am now if they could finish somewhere more entertaining
job done. The interference rule could do with some refining at a place
like sunset its not the usual playing field which is clearly evident.
Ethan has come a long way since he was last on tour he is surfing
brilliantly right up with the very best. How good would it be if Jack
and Ethan surfed off the final against each other. Jack for the win
in my eyes.
Yep evo. Interference rule at Sunset has to be adjusted, accommodations should be made for someone taking off at the peak and riding 100 metres before seeing the inside surfer. Overlapping heats also need a refinement of interference rule. Harsh call on Kelly but those are the rules, at the moment.
EE’s surfing lit the place up, it would have been a tragedy for Felipe to get through. EE’s first wave barrel into two big hacks got less than Felipe’s smaller wave two turn combos. Don’t care how well he did them, a barrel to two big hacks on a bigger wave should have scored higher.
Jack Robbo just looks zen out there. That man can surf heavy water.
And support here for Sunset. Yes, it isn’t a picture perfect wave, yes it peaks all over the place, but it tests a surfers skills to the max, reading the line-up, knowing what to take and what to leave. It isn’t just about surfing, it’s about timing, judgement under pressure and performance. And there really isn’t a wave like it on the tour.
Sunset’s now Part of the Deal.
Ok, fine.
But, judging by the comments here, things need a little attention to bring them more in line with the nature of Sunset Beach.
As an example, airs get no score at Pipe. Fair and reasonable. We already know they tweak the rules to suit the venue. So ok, so let’s tweak the rules for Sunset Beach, too.
For Sunset, with size:
Sliding scale, rigidly adhered to, size corresponds directly to points awarded.
We wish to push things out to the outside peak, as much as possible, and reward/punishment in the form of scoring is the only way to do that.
The best of two different bottom turns imaginable, otherwise completely identical, will be scored higher on a 10 foot wave, and lower on a 7 foot wave. Same deal applies with any other turns, top, bottom, middle, we do not care, the sliding scale is rigidly adhered to. Dead-simple concept.
Barrels on the outside (which are extremely rare) get noticeably higher scores than barrels in the middle, or on the inside section, unless the barrel on the inside section is one of those long contorted runners with sufficient size and a slabby lip, making for proper consequences if not made, in which case full points are awarded for it.
Score drive and speed.
Score the drop. They have never, not here, not at Pipe, not anywhere, given proper attention to the difficulties and consequences associated with the initial take-off and drop. Sunset Beach is all about the drop. It’s one of the main elements to the place, and seeing people flutter into SIZE, on the outside peak, and pulling it off, should damn-well be properly rewarded. It’s not like they haven’t already been highly rewarding single-move rides at other places with other moves besides the drop. This is not a new concept. They’ve been doing it all along and everybody is fine with it.
And yet they ignore the drop completely.
I’ve never understood why late drops in respectable waves do not get scored any higher than they do. It’s been a missing element to the scoring system for so long, that people don’t even realize there’s even something missing here.
I understand that in the end, it’s about money, about sponsors and ads, and in order to further the agenda, they need to pay close attention to their viewership, and… ok. Viewers like ACTION with a side-order of consequence, and with more size there’s more action, and what’s to not like about any of that when it comes to taking the drop at Sunset Beach?
They have perfected their video technology to the point that they can reliably deliver high-resolution slow-motion footage of people way the hell up in the highest rafters of the wave, in a strictly pass-or-fail environment, taking gut-wrenching falls, perhaps in full contact with the face of the wave, perhaps not, attempting to escape the detonation exploding against the backs of their heels as they reach the bottom of things, trying to make the wave, and Sunset Beach is the premier wave in all the world to showcase this sort of thing.
Lengthen the heats and make them 6-person, to give competitors sufficient chances on the outside, to spread out and take the requisite time to wait till a proper set arrives out there. They’re already fully capable of running 4-person heats, and the addition of a third pair of competitors (or perhaps a second trio of competitors), given their own 20 or 30 minutes (or 30 or 45 for trios) to sit on the far outside and WAIT, could not possibly impede things at a vastly spacious arena like the outside at Sunset Beach.
And while we’re at it, since we’re attempting to get everybody there on the far outside (there’s more than enough room for 6 people out there, make no mistake about it), lets adjust the interference rule to give non-priority people who took the drop all the way outside precedence over the sort of dirty-pool tactics that people sitting farther inside might attempt to employ, grabbing backed-off whitewaters out on the shoulder, to get into a wave that’s already half-way over and done with.
So ok.
So tweak things to accommodate the wave, when it’s breaking at size.
When it’s smaller, fine, go right ahead, score it like Trestles.
But when it’s big, score it like it’s Sunset Beach.
Just my two cents.
I like it!! Way too sensible and practical for the WSL to ever adopt though!!
Agree especially on the drops. There's one Jaddy took on a proper W peak horror show that obliterated him...but he had a crack, and it was very exciting! ....as opposed to inside reform foam roll ins. Almost embarassing to see the pro's resort to that at a premier big wave venue.
god I'd love to read this aloud to JMD.
I like it, but can't have 6 person heats because you might get a year where the swell doesn't arrive so a bit hard to just completely change the schedule of the event depending on conditions like that.
I'd like the 4 person heats best 2 advance for Hawaii.
That means you shouldn't lose any of the better surfers out there to unlucky matchups early on.
If they really want man on man - then bring it on in the semis, or quarters at earliest.
My apologies lostdoggy for the poor communication. My comment was already over-long and in my effort to wrap the damn thing up, I kind of skipped over the important part of things that you pointed out, and instead of wrapping things up with "go right ahead, score it like Trestles," I should have written go right ahead and run heats and score it like Trestles. Using the standard heat format instead of tossing additional people out there when it's small.
Schedule it as usual, no special treatment (except maybe being sure to use a mid-January to mid-February block of time for running it to increase the odds of getting Real Waves), and if it's big, make the proper adjustments, and if it's small, it's WSL business as usual, and run it like any other contest.
Hopefully this clarification will be of some small help, and I wish to thank you for drawing it to my attention.
Please accept my apologies for the miscommunication on that one. It was never my intent to mislead.