Watch: John John vs a Backdoor Closeout

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Form Guide

For those who missed it, here's JJF's second wave in his Round of 16 clash against Mig Pupo.

'Twas an escape that caught everyone, the camera operator, the commentators, off guard. Worth watching, not just for the sublime tube riding, but also for the exasperated commentary that followed.

No explanation for the sub-10 point score. Could've been bigger..? No way it could've been longer or deeper.

The video also shows John's second wave, when Mig dropped out of the heat and it was John John vs himself; seeing how far he could elevate his own performance at Pipeline.

Final heat score: 19.33

Comments

Nick Bone's picture
Nick Bone's picture
Nick Bone Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 2:55pm

hahaahh wtf

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:05pm

The best

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:11pm

Sublime performance by John. That exit caught 95% out, I'd guess. 10 in my book.

(Fwiw, it didn't make me all envious; personally I'd rather be able to do a roll-in into a big open barrel, a'la HT's or 2nd reef Pipe.)

fitzroy-21's picture
fitzroy-21's picture
fitzroy-21 Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:27pm

The judging appears to become increasingly unexplainable every heat. The 2 judges that gave 9.5's are complete fucking morons.

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:29pm

One Hawaiian, one Basque.

memlasurf's picture
memlasurf's picture
memlasurf Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 4:15pm

2 judges need replacing.

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:28pm

10 every day of the week. his back-up was also a 10 IMO

peabo's picture
peabo's picture
peabo Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:52pm

Def a 10, but I reckon back up was over-scored if anything. Pinched barrel, not that long and a fairly cruisy reverse. Maybe he just makes it look too easy haha.

juegasiempre's picture
juegasiempre's picture
juegasiempre Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 5:10am

Same from me, 2 X 10.

Solitude's picture
Solitude's picture
Solitude Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:39pm

They were just keeping the scale low ;) ..............oh hang on that was the last heat of the day

Westofthelake's picture
Westofthelake's picture
Westofthelake Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:42pm

That was an 11. Unreal, love his (non) claim style too.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:50pm

The only time i wishh JJ had a GoPro in his Gob...

baysurfer's picture
baysurfer's picture
baysurfer Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:54pm

should've been a 10

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:54pm

What a combo!

moose68's picture
moose68's picture
moose68 Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 3:59pm

What was he supposed to do in that barrel to get the ten? Make a coffee? Finish reading Proust? Morons

dandandan's picture
dandandan's picture
dandandan Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 5:27pm

This is the comment of the year for me so far haha. Well played moose.

Bungan33's picture
Bungan33's picture
Bungan33 Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 8:19am

Proust...love it!!

yocal's picture
yocal's picture
yocal Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 4:00pm

interesting explanation how he got through the pinch at the end, leaned back?

Fleazool's picture
Fleazool's picture
Fleazool Friday, 10 Feb 2023 at 11:44am

Check out his vid Space from a few years ago.
Super slow mo close up of the ollie over the foam ball escape routine at 2.10
The whole vid is off it's head btw

groundswell's picture
groundswell's picture
groundswell Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 4:05pm

Pump it up to 11 for sure and 9 for the other wave..Spinal tap semi..Anyone know where i can watch day 4 replays? i missed all but last few waves.Robbo vs jjjf final?

lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 4:12pm

Same side of the draw so next up is Robbo vs JJF in quarterfinal 4

groundswell's picture
groundswell's picture
groundswell Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 5:31pm

Cheers LD. Pity though, they are both in top 3 form of all the surfers so eliminating robbo or jjf imo is kind of silly in qf 4.

sean killen's picture
sean killen's picture
sean killen Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 5:11pm

What does a 10 look like ?? If that’s not ..

andy-mac's picture
andy-mac's picture
andy-mac Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 5:15pm

10 every day of the week!

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 5:41pm

He's the best.

frog's picture
frog's picture
frog Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 6:10pm

Houdini

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 6:41pm

Id love to hear the WSL or judges explain why this wasn't a 10 what were those two judges thinking?

loungelizard's picture
loungelizard's picture
loungelizard Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 8:25pm

2 judges and 1 cameraman failed a big moment

Mark.Fletcher's picture
Mark.Fletcher's picture
Mark.Fletcher Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 7:59am

JJF ripped off once again by the WSL - Should have been a 10

Roystein's picture
Roystein's picture
Roystein Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 1:31pm

Anywhere I can find the video?

G.C. Cruiser's picture
G.C. Cruiser's picture
G.C. Cruiser Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 5:21pm

They didn't score a 10 'cause they couldn't see what he was doing in the barrel for so long, maybe he cheated his way out. ; )

Roystein's picture
Roystein's picture
Roystein Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 5:31pm

not many deeper barrels ever ridden, 10 every day of the week. reminds me of 10 at North point, cant remember who it was.

Mcface's picture
Mcface's picture
Mcface Thursday, 9 Feb 2023 at 6:37pm

I thought the same. Sebastian Zietz got that one, it was pretty much the only good wave ridden that day too.

southernraw's picture
southernraw's picture
southernraw Monday, 13 Feb 2023 at 12:36am

This and Medinas backdoor wave were clearly tens. Every day of the week.
But..... for an organisation that holds it's finals in 2foot onshore Trestles and replaces epic left hand tropical reef breaks with a mundane pool that has clearly been rejected by the audience watching it, it's no surprise they can't read the room.
How has someone like Erik Logan, a stand up paddleboarder who's resume reads Oprah, and Zirk Diff, a celebrated waterman of the year, who i'm yet to see a photo of him surfing, been allowed to be the custodians of surfing, more specifically, professional surfing. Something that has real roots in the surfing community/tribe.
It's a travesty at the least and a tragedy at the most.

southernraw's picture
southernraw's picture
southernraw Monday, 13 Feb 2023 at 12:54am

Funny story about Elo, a chick i was seeing for a little bit who was into spirtual healing etc, was randomly followed by Elo on insta while i was with her.
I'd never heard of him before, but he started leaving comments on every single one of her posts, getting all dreamy and spiritual.
I remembered his name because i thought it was a bit wierd for someone to leave so many comments. We checked out his profile and all his Oprah stuff was there which gave us a laugh. Never thought too much more about it.
Anyway, lo and behold, all of a sudden, a year or so later, this same name pops up as the head of the WSL.
Could have knocked me down with a feather!!!!

Roadkill's picture
Roadkill's picture
Roadkill Monday, 13 Feb 2023 at 7:24am

I think it was after 2022 season judges were told to limit giving 10s. The whole criteria changed to limit the max score. That said, JJF should have got a 10…impossible to do anymore in that wave.
Would have been good to have judges front up and clearly explain the rationale behind the score not being a 10.