The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach: Day 2

A chaotic 24-heat day at Sunset continues the chaotic and unpredictable start to the '24 CT season. Coach Dog Marsh called it a “fantastic venue”. “It's big and messy,” he said, “how it's meant to be."

Meanwhile, performer of the day John Florence said there were a lot of waves, “none of them good”.

Both of those statements were equally true.

It was a test of skill, even with jetski assist, a test of endurance, but more than anything a test of a surfer's willingness to roll the dice and commit to heavy beatings to link two turns together.

Ambushed by a lip pitching from mid-face, Jake Marshall reacts with poise (WSL/Heff)

Jack Robinson took so many wipeouts in his heat against Cole Houshmand he was close to spewing up in the last heat of the day against Jake Marshall. At various points, Jack had his leggy ripped off, his rashie violently removed, and his body buckled. He compared it to the “UFC yesterday”, a normally hyperbolic comparison that in this instance may have been underdone.

After Pipe and two days of Sunset carnage the Mens Tour has been flayed. The bottom end of the rankings is a log jam. The Californian rookies are sitting in purgatory. Cole Houshmand, 110 kgs and change with a last (33rd) and second-last (17th) place finish. Kade Matson has two 17th's, same for Eli Hanneman, while a 9th and a 17th for Crosby Colapinto is only marginally better. They aren't Robinson Crusoe. Misery loves company. Jacob Willcox leaves Hawaii with a 17th and a 9th after allowing Seth Moniz to slip through his fingers this afternoon. Another crucial priority error which will haunt him come May if he fails the cut.

Fingers lightly brushing the surface, Crosby Colapinto's smooth bottom turn belies how unpredicatble Sunset was today. His loss to Italo was a case of the Brazilan's superior ability to ad lib (WSL/Bielmann)

The losers will drink in exalted company if they can entice their fellow cellar dwellers to the Kui Lima for a consolatory Mai Tai. Gabe Medina, three-time world champ pockets two second-last place finishes. As does eleven-time Champ with his newly resurfaced hip, Kelly Slater. Odds of Kelly going to Portugal: No chance.

The field has never looked more open.

A large part of that is the total disarray of the Brazilian Storm. Gabe's kicked off with back to back failures. Filipe's gone for the year. Joao with a brain injury after a Backdoor bell-ringer and no set start date. Yago, a nervous 9th and a 17th. Caio a 33rd and a 17th. Deivid Silva, two 17th's. Only Italo remains in the draw for Sunset and he is making up ground after a 17th place finish at Pipe.

Gifted a last second wave from priority holder Jacob Willcox, Seth Moniz made the West Australian pay for his second priority error in as many contests (WSL/Bielmann)

When the Gold Coast started the tour, the sand-bottom points used to supply a clear form guide to the year. More often than not the title contenders were visible from day one. Not now. Well, with the possible exception of JJF who clocked a runner-up finish at Pipe and looked in sublime/unbeatable form today. Can we trust that though? Will this be another year where John looks like a lock for the title only to get injured half-way through? Will his interest hold? Can he get the job done at head-high Trestles?

No, we can't put too much stock in John's Hawaiian performances, incredible as they may be.

Ethan still looks incredible but lost in the Round of 16 to Liam O'Brien after a listless performance. Could this be a year where we see dark horses fill up Final 5 spots? If so, Liam has to be recognised now as a potential threat. Full repertoire, charges, smart with strategy and hides his intelligence behind a humble and quiet demeanour.

How about Ian Gentil, LOB, JJF, Ethan Ewing, and Jack Robbo?

Perhaps more than any other surfer today, LOB lent on the 'flow' element of the judging criteria, rarely losing speed to Sunset's imperfections and releasing the G-forces when the wave pulled taut (WSL/Heff)

The most poignant moment of the day came in the dying minute of the Heat 9 clash in the Round of 32 between Slater and Ewing. Kelly was sitting on a 4.00 and a 3.33 with Ewing only marginally better with a 5.50 and a 4.67. Kelly needing a 6 and change for the W stroked into a set wave and went deep off the bottom into a carving three-o. It was messy, he wound down the windows on the way down and claimed it. Once upon a time judges were in thrall to those types of exaggerated recoveries and dramatics. Now it just garnered a sub 5-point score and Slater hobbled up the beach looking every minute of his 52 orbits around the sun. A dismal end to his wildcard year beckons unless the league can manufacture some face-saving retirement plan, preferably one that involves Cloudbreak and Teahupoo as his swansong events. Watching him scrap around in Portgual, Bells, and Margs will not be an edifying end to his career, even if he is mostly to blame for that.

Forty-minute overlapping heats may have been the nail in the coffin for “out the back” surfing at Sunset (I doubt anyone would have connected a wave from there today) but it allowed surfers to have heap of swings at mostly garbage waves in the hopes of finding a clean face to unload on. Jack Robinson rode nine waves in his heat win against Houshmand and eight waves against Jake Marshall. A seventeen-wave surf at Sunset today would have tested even the fittest Sunset masters, going back to surf muscles like Hakman and Kanaiapuni.

Jack's single turn blasts lacked the full speed punch and hold of JJF but the overall performance was up there as best of the day. “This is what I live for,” he said following the last heat of the day.

John owned the best single turns of the day - and they look better with repeated viewing - but the most seamless connections and carving against the grain went to Jordy Smith, who bested Sammy Pupo then overpowered slim-hipped Rio Waida. Rio goes to Portugal with a 33rd and a 9th in the kitty.

Jordy and John going turn for turn promises to be the heat of the event and is probably the last chance for Jordy to stamp his name as a title threat as his career draws to a close.

Not 'the' turn but this photo shows John's complete commitment to the rail, froth on top be damned (WSL/Bielmann)

Two goofyfoots left in the draw. Italo against Jack, and R-Cal facing LOB. Italo's performances were gritty and grimy, there was nothing delicate or pretty about them but he ground his way through tight contests with Crosby Colapinto and Fred Morais, including a messy tube-ide for a 7 to take the lead from Fred. Ryan looked much more in sync, with the long, deep “on tracks” backside bottom turn and big vertical hooks that left rainbow laden vapour trails drifting into the channel.

There was one perfect Sunset wave which came through today. A long wall that stood up vertical from the reef to the channel. Anyone who caught that wave would have won their heat. Slater had prophesied that a true three-turn wave would be a 10 today. Close enough. Jake Marshall sliced and diced it for a 9.17. Worth a look.

On form you'd pick John. But he has a habit of peaking early and on that basis I go with Jack. I enjoyed the grit in his performance today, as much as I enjoyed the occasional moments of brilliance.

// STEVE SHEARER