Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Day 2
It's a truism in sport that you don't get better at something by not doing it.
Not just sport, but almost anything in life - even surf writing. In both endeavours you have to lay down the body of work in the agreed upon time frame, expose yourself to the heat of competition and the judgement of the general public, dust yourself off the next day win, lose, or draw, and do it all over again. It's not really suited for a dabble here and there. Nor the timid.
He may be having a dabble but no-one will ever accuse Mick Fanning of being timid. Considering the aforementioned posit, and the fact he hasn't done it for four years, it's not surprising his heat strategy is lacking. The last time he did it, as a Finalist and Runner-up to Italo Ferreira he surfed six times and his average wave score for his heat winning rides was a bees dick past a flat 7.
As mentioned yesterday, his wildcard appearances to date have yielded wave score averages less than 5. But today something special happened: he finally cracked the 6 point barrier, and in all fairness, was underscored by judges for a scintillating Elimination Round performance. The classic Fanning wrap was whip smart, the placement precise, and the punctuation points per wave were flawless. Rip Curl and the Woz got a much better return on investment after yesterday's debacle, a performance that Fanning himself described as an “embarrassment” that “made me mad”. Fanning was the lead story in Foxtel and the ABC's wrap on the Bells event.
I guess that is one thing that has gotten better without Fanning's coninued involvement: his ability to draw mainstream media attention for the sport.
Seth and Mick (Hughes/WSL)
It was a “contestable” albeit dreary day at Winkipop. The men, through the remaining four heats of Round 1 and the four Elimination Round heats managed one excellent ride, a formulaic but brutal backhand demolition by Connor O'Leary who sits in relative safety at 15th on the CT rankings.
The women made a better fist of the conditions with a brace of excellent rides, including Johanne Defay's pair of 8's for the best heat score of the day, Gabby Bryan's 8.17, and Tatiana Weston-Webb's 8.17. Sally Fitz put in a scalded cat display of energy, looking at times very Fanning-esque for a pair of 7's to escape elimination.
Sal (Hughes/WSL)
A similar display of energy and aggressive turns saw Morgan Cibilic avoid an elimination that would have almost certainly seen him fail to make the post-Margies cut.
Who got knocked?
Tully Wylie, wildcard, looked OK. Seth Moniz, surfed terribly, which helped Mick Fanning's cause. Matt McGillivray, surfed OK, just could not find a good wave. Conner Coffin, a very average performance in waves that did not suit him. Conner was not happy in the presser, presenting a rare downbeat note. And sitting in equal 18th, right on the cut line (there are five surfers equal placed) he will not be celebrating Bells Beach.
Conner (Hughes/Coffin)
Watching Conner's presser and the display of emotion, even if highly attenuated - this was no John McEnroe outburst - forced a conceptual cutback to the morning, where WSL CEO Erik 'ELO' Logan sat in the booth with Bugs and Joe Turpel for a heat. ELO was there primarily to pump the tyres on the new Apple+ pro surfing docuseries called 'Make or Break'. The action 'off the ball', as the management of the sport pirouetted in spirals of increasing levels of difficulty (read: desperation) to try and court a main street audience, was more interesting than the action in the water.
For the past few years, the WSL has tried to emulate UFC, which went from a fringe activity banned in many states to a massive global sporting franchise worth billions. In 2016, UFC Principal Dana White sold the franchise to ESPN for four billion USD. In 2018, UFC was estimated to be worth seven billion and in 2020 that estimate was upped to nine or ten billion, after the huge pandemic success of the UFC and its 'Fight Island' strategy. Juicy numbers. Even for a billionaire like Dirk Ziff.
But the WSL has emptied the chamber of ammo in terms of trying to emulate the UFC. No pay per view. No huge media deals. The outright aping of the phenomenally successful UFC show 'The Ultimate Fighter', with the Woz's 'The Ultimate Surfer', and its first season cancellation means that strategy has to be abandoned. The Woz does not equal the UFC and never will. Anyone, anywhere, anytime, can understand immediately, on a visceral level, the brute equation of ultra-violence the UFC packages up as sport.
Hardly anyone, anywhere, anytime, can understand what makes one wave at Kelly's Tub better than another one.
So, where to next?
The pivot shocked me.
ELO was predictably in a jargon/corpo speak frenzy in the booth. l laughed out loud when he distinguished between the “mass market fans” from the hardcores in terms of who would understand a “swell cycle”.
ELO explained that 'Make or Break' was made by the same crew that made 'Drive to Survive', a docuseries on Formula One racing.
The result was a huge upswing in “mass market” interest in F1.
ELO made the pivot to F1 clear by an unintentional Freudian slip when he proclaimed that 'Drive to Survive' had “exploded the sport of Formula One surfing”.
Umm, not quite, but we got the drift.
The Woz was now eyeing off F1 as the sport to copy.
Am I being close-minded by finding this absurd?
Formula One? Racing cars making tons of noise burning fossil fuels with babes and an easily identified winner and enormous sums of money involved?
I couldn't think of a sport further away from pro surfing, especially now that the Tub dream has died and gone to heaven.
To outline the absurdity further Bugs was riffing wildly in a fit of nostalgia about his reign as CEO of the ASP and architect of the Dream Tour. At one point saying he had created an “entertainment package” that enabled the surfers to be “free to be artists”.
Music to my ears, for sure.
This wild stumbling around looking for a successful strategy reminded me of the description of test pilots like Chuck Yeager in Tom Wolfe's 'The Right Stuff'. Whilst piloting these experimental aircraft at the edge of the flight envelope pilots had to think fast to avoid a catastrophic crash over the Nevada desert as planes failed. The thing to do, according to Wolfe, was to try Plan A, then B, then C, then D, until you found something that averted a fatal crash as the plane rushed towards the ground.
What plan is the WSL up to now? Plan A, B, C, and D all seem to have failed. Now Plan F under ELO?
Will it work..?
Despite the heroic efforts of the Swellian Army to create some atmosphere today I can't see that translating to the mass market.
It's ours, ELO, and it will never be anything different.
// STEVE SHEARER
Comments
Let us hope it never appeals to the mass market......there are too many surfers already.
It was good to see Morgs finally slaying a few. He had some serious speed at times. Looked a lot like he did last year. I still can not believe after two crap days of waves we only lost a few surfers from the draw. I am looking forward to the cut - then they might be able to run some heats in decent waves across the whole comp window. Without Pipe this year would have been very bad so far.
Agreed - two days of surfing and we only lost 4 men and 2 women. Madness. If you must have some sort second chance round it should be heats of 3 people with only 1st going through.
There are too many heats to fit into an average Swell window.
Whats with the non elimination round?
Its not under 8s soccer...."there's no winners and losers"
Theyre professional sports people c'mon !
You dont get a second chance at Wimbledon
Fuck me, how do you wrap a days surfing so eloquently and quickly? Watched a few heats, conditions were very avg. Actually they were Shiite. I would give them a miss 8 mornings out of 10 at my local. Sheer desperation only. But as they do the WSL sent the best out and a few somehow occasionally found a wall. Surely conditions can’t get any worse?
Thursday through to Sunday all starting to look like offshore days
Do recommend viewing Drive to Survive. As a sport, F1’s worlds away from Surfing obviously, but the storylines and storytelling were v v good in DtS. (Oh and F1 is now very pc when it comes to ‘babes’ etc btw). Easy to see how Elo might try to copy the template, seduced by the massive boost the Netflix series has given f1.
So are you a convert, Gra?
Ditto. I have followed F1 since pre teens which none of my friends did as they thought it was boring. Now many of those same people are into it, including many women who are the biggest growth segment.
I reckon they need some controversy. WSL is suffering from toxic positivity. According to the commentators, every wave was fantastic and every maneuver is at least good. This is of course bullshit, they need more authentic voices. Someone who will critically evaluate and call out poor rides and provide deeper insights into what could be done better. I didn't mind the surfing today but commentary...I'm not a child but they're treating me as such.
Imagine Ronny:
‘Ohh nooo Conner has taken off on another dog turd of a wave. This and his lacklustre approach are doing him no favours to avoid the cut. Better sharpen up your quiver for Snapper son’ ………or something along those lines.
Yeah, some balance at least. For example; every surfer, every wave is 'hard of the bottom' in bottom turns. Is that really true? What are the criteria for 'hard of the bottom'. It would be nice to hear 'soft of the bottom' as well. 'He/She should've gone harder off the bottom, it was too soft.. '.
These things exist in other sports so I'm not imagining things. Surfing, however, seems to be immune from criticism. As it currently is they are just lying to me and wasting my time.
Gary is both hard of the bottom, and hard on the bottom
*off
: )
I noticed a year ago that the commentators started the new season with a real "enthusiasm" in their voices. It sounded like they were commentating a final in the first round. It was a bit embarrassing. It seemed like they'd all been taken into a room and told to hype it up. It seems to have settled down now. But it put me off for a while there.
Agree. I want to hear them talk about the surfing like I would hear people at the beach talk about it.
It was interesting to hear the term "perfect canvas" being applied to what the artists were dealing with.
It is due to the fact that all the yank commentators are Californian or Hawaiian. That is the way they carry on with an added WSL boost. Just come back from Slater Tub (long story about a mate who landed very heavily on his feet) and the positivity there was OTT. I spoke to one of the assistants who was from New York about it and he said he really missed the people of New York and their straight shooting approach to life. Sometimes even the WSL cannot polish a Turd.
The WSL have dredged the bottom of the barrel with their new female comentator . Could she possibly sound any worse ? Sounds like she has a clothes peg permantly blocking her nose . I have to turn the commentry off when she is on .
Yeah she is particularly bad, and they couldn't understand me with my accent, gezzus that talking barbie (a valley accent I am told).
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-analysis/2022/01/25/billabong-pro.... So going into pipe the forecast was mediocre and don’t think anyone predicted the “day of days”.
Surfing Australia breakaway super tour. Snapper, north narra, bells/winki, margs. All in prime season. Televised, aussie commentators. Limited numbers for overseas surfers. Big prize money. More surfing, less bullshit…….Bells is a single fin comp for something different
I'd watch that!
For sure I'd watch that.
Good write-up as usual. I enjoyed watching the girls surf moreso than the fellas today. There was some really good surfing going on there by the ladies.
Glad you mentioned the Swellian Army. I don't get it? To drum up interest in their podcast? To create beachside atmosphere? Not a huge podcast fan to begin with and a bunch of hooting, cheering yobbos is the last thing I want to be near at the beach.
Each to their own I suppose.
I agree Zen, i only had ten minutes available to watch the comp and it was the ladies and boy were they ripping. Didnt get to see the mens unfortunately
Zen, agree mate. Its ours and will always be ours, surfing is surfing, nothing more, nothing less. You can’t make something that it isn’t. It’s simply the stoke of arriving at your local or elsewhere on the planet, getting into whatever attire suits the climate and paddling out to ride waves, pretty basic when you break it all down. None of us in our junior burger days were drawn to anything else but wanting to surf and as much as we could before we became partnered, married etc. but surfing, the pure sublimity of it just keeps drawing us back to the ocean, the elixir of life. Why these corporations look for things that aren’t there or try and reinvent the wheel is fucking beyond me. Kudos also to Steve for another good write up on a topic that I think a lot of us are quickly becoming tired of. As Stevie Knick’s once sang in a song with Fleetwood Mac ‘You Can Go Your Own Way ‘ . Go Swellians I’d say.
You can tell the surfing / waves were garbage when 75% of the wrap was about ELO and the WSL.
Despite that thank you Steve,
Enjoyable as always.
They need to let surfing be surfing. It’ll never be anything else. The disingenuous commentary team do not help the ‘sport’s’ cause.
Fr - Yesterday you said 'Mick's performance today did not receive any mainstream media coverage' (suggesting a lack of relevance of both surfing and of Mick as a wildcard to the general public). Today you're telling us he's all over the news - 'I guess that is one thing that has gotten better without Fanning's continued involvement: his ability to draw mainstream media attention for the sport.' I, like Albo, am confused.
Bells is finished along with Aus open
When I heard about Make or Break and it being done by the same people from Drive to Survive, I got nervous. What it did for F1 could be done for Surfing, but perhaps on a slightly smaller scale.
Almost shocking to see Morgs finally kick into gear. He looked very fast and sharp, I thought.
I love Bells. I hope they eventually score. Be great to see John get a chance to swoop and jacko baker hack.
It’s the rail surfing, the cold, the moods, tradition, raw southern swell (I could go on).
Good luck to them. Should be all of the Australian’s time to shine
So if mimicking UFC didn’t work and mimicking Formula 1 doesn’t work, what will they mimic next?
MasterChef? Married at First Sight? Big Brother?
How about “It’s A Knockout”. Bring back family team sports!
Jackie Mac on the mic couldn't be worse than what they've got now.
That new nasal seppo chick's voice is even more grating than Turpel.
After the mimicry of Formula 1 doesn't suit it, they will pivot to mimicry of Test Cricket.
It's a natural fit. Just as they do the overviews of grounds like Headlingly and you get lost in all the green trees and houses - we do the lineup overviews. The action takes a long time to unfold, with long periods of time but then really important moments or overs (waves or heats). They are endurance events. You get to see the commentators before the action discussing the turf and pitch and relative humidity and if it will swing the ball - we get the commentary team discussing the break, being out there in the water, and if the onshore will benefit the aerialists. The interviews with players past and present as the days progress, the players and coaches trying not to give too much away. The history and veneration of all time greats. I can see parallels. And I love Test Cricket, I can be backward and forward all day doing my thing, and keep up to date on it.
The point is, test cricket, and surfing, maybe don't have the natural mass appeal that F1 or UFC do. But go to India or an English pub, and the performance of the side will be very, very important to a lot of people. Pride is on the line.
Faster versions of cricket were created, one day and 20/20... the 20/20 stuff might be similar to tag-teams events for boardriders.
I agree with that VJ.
It's a more natural fit.
Great comment VJ, I hadn't thought of that.
Only issue is that it's easier for punters to barrack for teams, than individual surfers. And patriotism is a huge part of those kinds of sports - it doesn't seem to be as much of an influence with surfing (i.e. everyone wants to see JJF on a tear; lower profile surfers don't seem to get the same enthusiastic support as fellow countrymen). Though Brazil is an exception, they go nuts for all of their surfers.
Spot on Ben, the natural difference is you are crossing a leaderboard of individuals (like tennis) with a setting like test cricket. Brazil is very nationalistic when it comes to sport, but we seem to have had it beaten out of us.
One thing I think WSL do really well is the 'break downs' of the breaks - they treat them like they are characters and determinants in the comps.
And one thing Channel 9 (I think they have had the coverage?) are doing really well is the explanation of techniques to those interested - where you have a former bowler break down how he bowls inswing for example, live, on screen, with how to hold the ball. Some of the best WSL commentary I've enjoyed have been when the commentary team break down how they are doing what they are doing, or strategy. Yago's backhand at surf ranch got favourited.
Surfing also has individual board design, this is an area where we could go further in depth in the lulls (and WSL has done this). Rosie's comments during Pipe were fantastic, and I realised that someone was doing excellent rail shaping for Moana's board - the way it drew so little water while at high speed was next-level.
Good comments VJ and certainly hard to argue with.
How long (if it hasn't already been said) until Mick is referred to as 'Surfing Royalty'?
When he buys his first castle, Zen :)
They can't and they won't - Americans don't play cricket and don't know a Wicketkeeper from a Night Watchman.
Don Bradman? Who's that?
I heard Mick, Parko and Josh Kerr and someone else maybe? sold Balter beer company to carlton united for 180 million dollars...can see why parko is getting a bit fat and Mick isnt really hungry any more.
Excellent beers but only 16 in a case that costs $77 or there abouts.Tasty though and potent.
It’s bloody awful beer and I’m not joking.
Overpriced shit
I like the Indian pale ale, haven't tried the others.
I bet you like VIC BITTER.
Nah haven't drunk that since i first tried it at 15 or 16 years old. Got pissed off two throw downs and never looked back. My favorite is pure blondes or miller chills with lime for hot summer days.
But im trying to give up again.
pure blondes and miller chills, I can understand you want to quit drinking.
Miller lime chills only on 40'C plus days, Heineken is my favorite beer but pure blondes are low carb.
Millers eh? ;-)
I reckon there are a few parallels with F1. Worldwide multi-stop Championships, international names, both athletes probably a bit fitter than they're given credit for, dependence on complex fluid dynamics, drawing lines and placing the vehicle on the very limit of control (the edge of which is always changing), some inherent danger, effortless speed (different scales) and refined handcrafted reinforced plastic composite (CFRP vs FGRP) vehicles.
But yeah, one has a clear winner, the other is unknowingly subjective to outsiders, sometimes insiders too.
If the wozzle would like to make surfing appeal to the masses on a viewing level, then it really is quite simple.
Elo, ask yourself the simple question,. Why do people watch ufc or F1 ?
Simply because people want to see carnage or potential carnage at least and at the end of the days viewing they want to see a winner.
Now what produces carnage ?
Big waves, not small waves.
Hollow waves, not fat waves.
An extreme example of this would be the Peahi competition the wozzle called off due to dangerous conditions and the Cloudbreak competition called off for the same reason. Both perfect opportunities to make surfing “Appeal to the masses”…
G-land should be good but i think its in July where the swells are most often SW and big...too big for moneytrees and too west for speedies..just in my experience.
If its 2foot south swell speedies i doubt it will be interesting especially if its a long wait for sets.
On that note that's one of the boring things about surfing: waiting for waves..no non surfer could be bothered waiting for sets in a sport they are not into.Its boring if you ARE into surfing.
By the way, They should hold g-land in September, better direction swells usually and better tides.
It's this, surfing is boring enough for surfers, we just understand the thrill of a wave and that alone makes it fun.
UFC is very relatable because anyone can throw a punch and tackle someone. F1 is relatable because everyone can drive a car.
Surfing is in no way relatable unless you do it and as you said, it's fucking boring to watch. It's like watching golf, unless you play it you'd rather watch anything else.
As a business I wouldn't buy it for $10. Surfing will progress like skateboarding. Comps will die but the underlying sport will keep growing and the pro surfers will live off making videos and sponsorships for sugary caffeinated drinks. It's surprising that it's lasted this long tbh.
Most sport watching people could be classed as lounge sport watchers.
To keep people interested,the sport they're watching needs to keep moving.
In footy games everyone around whoever has the footy is moving.
In tennis most of the time the players are moving,hitting or recieving.
Between the points is only about 10 seconds of waiting for one of them to serve,not several minutes on average waiting for someone to catch the next wave like is common between waves in surf comps.
In motorsports,the cars or bikes are always moving.
That's what keeps people's attention focussed,constant continuity of some kind.
In surfing the vast majority of the time in a contest,the competitors are either sitting on their boards waiting for a wave,or are paddling around.
It can't hold the attention span of a viewer who knows little or nothing about surfing.
It's too slow and boring for them.
It'll never change no matter what they try to make it more popular.
Surf comps are mostly just for surfers.
But most other sports are for everyone to watch,as the continuing nature of those sports until a result keeps their minds engaged.
Exactly what i was trying to say. A neighbour of mine who is arrogant and cant stand surfing, only likes fishing and drinking and his x-box or playstation, whatever....anyway he says the only thing that makes surfing exciting is if sharks follow a trawler through a lineup full of "skegs".
This is coming from a guy who used to beat up poofs in his 20's(70's and 80's) and uses the N word on a regular basis.He also calls acid speed and thinks sensi means weed has been inbred seven times to get thirteen fingered leaves.Which is a sign its potent.
your life is like a bloody movie groundswell seriously you couldn't make the shit up you come out with haha
Thanks Goofy, there have been some weird moments ive lived through i guess.
'skegs'.
Haven't heard that term since around when Slater won his first world title lol.
Never did see many trawlers motoring through a lineup of skegs either.
They often came close to a flotilla of them paddling across the southport seaway though.
But the sharks always seemed to be content with following the trawlers instead of taste testing the skegs..
Ufc has a wieght cut.
F1 no mid year cut.
Wsl has mid year competitors cut.
** Things that make you go hmm..
Maybe wsl can replace the mid year cut with limiting the amount of boards allowed broken per season.
Brilliant FR. Brilliant observations.
I pissed myself when he made the swell cycle comments too. Good to see even he identifies there is an obvious chasm between the existing market and the desired market. And really, there is no existing market. Just a bunch of crew watching free surf comps online. Wouldn't be watching it if it wasn't. It's not going to make anybody rich except for the guys and girls winning heats.
Joanne Defay surfer of the day for me.
I don't reckon Ash Barty cared too much for pro surfing either to be honest too. 3 foot onshore winki from high up on the cliffs is gonna be hard to impress anyone. Any other day i'd walk straight past it with barely a glance.
Nailed the Mick observation. That one wrap was like the giant had awoken from his slumber. Hopefully he motors on through to the final.
Surfing is scheduled but doesn’t run like clockwork. You can’t pencil in 3pm on a Sunday in your calendar six months in advance and arrange your social life around it to sit back with some mates and watch “the race”.
The vast majority of F1 fans will never regularly drive an F1 or any racing motor vehicle. Majority of surfing fans….surf! If there’s good surf around, and you’re able to enter the water, many will go surfing instead of watching surfing.
I like the Bells event rain hail or shine (or their wave quality equivalents). Of course classic bells is what we all want to see, but I though the last two days were more watchable than dull one-turn/one-punt beach break close outs. I’m still bewildered that Huntington Beach was ever a major comp on tour….of all the waves in California. But that event is more akin to F1 and seems popular in the states?
Time to switch up the heat and round format. Agree that two days of surfing to eliminate total six surfers is very inefficient. Make it elimination from round 1, like tennis. It’s brutal but will make round one (opening round or whatever it is called now) more competitive. Keep it at 3-person heats for round 1 but 3rd place is out. After the mid year cut, make it 2-person heats for round 1 and only the winner progresses.
The commentary team for this event is disappointing. While I’m a big supporter of having female commentators, Shannon is the female equivalent of Joe Turpel and doesn’t add anything to the sport. But maybe that’s what they wanted in trying to appeal to a wider audience - dry commentary without any added spice. Does anyone know why Rosie isn’t at this event? Why not get Jodie Cooper for Bells and Margarets?
As a final note, call me a nerd, but the WSL ad playing during this event has something along the lines of “there’s breaks” plastered on the screen. There is breaks is poor English, Should it not be “there’re breaks”, as plural?
Forgot to add, did anyone else notice how quickly Molly Picklum pulled off the wave from the inside position when Sally had priority on that final wave in their elimination heat? This made Steph’s dawdling to get off Mollys wave in the opening heat seem extra slow. I think that should have been an interference call.
Surfers need to up their personality levels and compete like they hate each other. F1 is ruthless…surfing as we hear, is a big family. Off the water, surfing has nothing to capture the attention of a mass market. F1 drivers come across as intelligent, surfers not so.
Freeride , your writing has got you sitting comfortably inside the top 5 for the end of year showdown . As for Elo, well it would be great if he didn't make the mid season cut and was replaced by someone who is actually a surfer and understands the history and culture of surfing . This heavy corporatising of Pro surfing is so sickening . Other commentators on here have nailed it with the candy cane commentary and Elo's dribble . Not sure where change will come from with Ziffy paying the bills tho ? who was the CEO before Erik ? Someone who didn't even know the fins were backwards on her board . :0
Fins on backwards..
Shame!
Shame!
Shame!
WSL should be holding early rounds concurrently at Bells and Winki. Broardcast would switch back and forward between venues. Twice the content with half the padding. Less pressure to run heats in poor conditions like those of the last few days. Whole circus could move on that much sooner. Everyone wins. Kinda.
Pro surfing has become so sanistised, a major bore to watch.
So where the f#@k is Pottz? Dissappeared. No explanation. No live phone chats. In the past could use travel restrictions as an excuse. Now theyre in the same bloody state. Wheres Pottz?? Besides ron and richie, id prefer listening to him over the other current noise polluters. Any info from the peninsula? Is he surfing?
I know. It's like he's been disappeared- Sopranos style.
I thought that happened to Pete Mel too for awhile but he was rolled out again just recently.
Pottz though is a complete mystery. You never even hear old commetary of him when they do their flashbacks. Very CCP.
Throw enough money at any sport and it can be come interesting to watch, motor car driving is a perfect example. For most of us, car driving is all about shuffling along in traffic, sneakily checking our phones, filling up at the servo...but wow put 400 cameras at Mount Panorama and people will watch that shit all day.
I suppose I'll never really understand the reasoning for the boosting of the "sport", let alone why it needs to go in the direction of F1. More mainstream, more punters, more crowds, less waves, more people in the way, less fun.
At some point, will it be possible for those who want competitive surfing to thrive to actually acknowledge the impact they're having on surfing itself? Is there a way to still have comps but not to kill the goose laying the golden egg?
I enjoy watching the best go at it, but things like Mikey's latest edit makes 2ft onshore winki a bit ho-hum. Why not run it like the last grom comp where they submit their best wave/s from a two-week period on video and get judged?
Not trying to be overly negative, but this is all going in just the one direction. The ending isn't pretty and it seems nobody wants to face up to it.
Agreed tango.
And to think it was only in 1997 that Luke Egan was praising the dream tours changes for holding the g-land pro in such good waves.What happened?
the projection of pro surfing onto screens has always been problematic. that said, its clear that tatiana weston-webbs poo stance turns are from the domain of kookdom and ugly as hell. Focus on fitness, diet, heat strategy etc do not a surfer make. Unfortunately the Wozzles aspirations means we have the wider american-sporting-success template as the yellow brick road
Watching a non surfer watch Deadmans or huge Chopes and you see boredom after two waves.
Watch a non fighter watch UFC and they often can't look away or are viscerally offended by the raw violence and refuse to watch. It has impact.
Only a surfer knows the feeling ( of both the heavy stuff and the nuances of hot surfing) is just baked into the cake I am afraid Elo.
Now if they waited for a GW to be spotted in the line-up or a tagged shark to ping the bouy before sending out the surfers at say Jeffery's Bay or North Coast NSW ratings would be massive. Have the drone hover over the shark as it moves around the line up. Close-ups of surfers faces etc as they face true fear...
Commentary would be edge of seat stuff.
Mmmmm thinks Elo - might run that idea by ziffy.
In the replays showing now while they’re on a break I heard Luke Egan’s voice and thought to myself, yep, he’s probably the most intelligent and incisive of all of them. Haven’t heard him in commentary for ages.
Having said that, I like Ritchie Lovett. Does a good job, adds to the scene. Turps is just background white noise.