Rip Curl Pro Portugal: Day 3
Rip Curl Pro Portugal: Day 3
Awesome day for underdogs, 2%'ers, journeyman wildcards, and Gabe Medina, in what ended up being some silky Supertubos caves. It'll likely be the best day of the waiting period but at least they got one good day out of it.
Surf started out a scrappy, rippy mess with three heats held before going on hold to account for an extreme low tide. In Heat 1, John Florence gave us an indication of what was in store with a clean pit to down Kade Matson, while fellow Californians Jake Marshall and Cole Houshman avenged that loss against Liam O'Brien and Jordy Smith respectively.
As a collective, it was a more settled performance from the Top 34 today, who looked rattled on the opening day without the talismanic presence of Filipe Toledo in small beachbreaks. We will see a new Final 5 this year. Toledo is gone, maybe for good, Chianca is still out injured with no word on a possible return, Italo and Gabe are still offering inconsistent performances, though Medina looked in world title form today.
Medina's first wave in his Round of 32 heat against Mig Pupo represented a comeback of sorts after escaping the Elimination Round, and it also set the stage for what was to follow. Gabs landed this air but it didn't stay in his final two scores (WSL/Diz)
So far, Robinson and Ewing look the only definites to make the walk in September. Of the two, Ewing was the only one to advance to the QF's today with two very impressive showings against Deivid Silva and Italo Ferreira. The classic Ewing weakness has always been a failure to get in and scrap around for waves, with him preferring to sit and wait for waves that sometimes do not come. There was no sign of that weakness today. Medina and Italo have proven over the preceeding years that success in the Portugese beach-breaks is often purely a numbers game. Catch enough waves and you'll eventually find something that stands up, offers a tube, enables a big air.
Ewing caught eleven waves to Silva's eight in their Heat 5 Round of 16 match-up. He was even close to parity with Italo, riding eight to Italo's twelve, only slowing the pace when he had locked down the highest score of the heat, an 8.17 for four slick, sharp turns. He followed with a heat winning 6. The bigger picture was the judges paying that precise rail work over Italo's high, rotated airs. Clear implication is Ewing can, and likely will, go one better to be world champ at Trestles without a single air being thrown. Go back a decade or more and that outcome would have seemed absolutely ludicrous - that someone could win a world title at the best small wave on Earth without an air game. No chance. Yet here we are.
Ethan backside, hands-free across the suds (WSL/Poullenot)
Who is the most improved surfer on Tour? Put your hand up if you said Jake Marshall. Most tour surfers don't get better - they usually slowly, ever so slowly, ossify into stiffer, slower versions of themselves. More conservative, less radical etc etc. I could name many, many examples. Improving a skill set over a yearly grind is risky business - it's much more likely that winning heats comes about through increased guile rather than increased skill. The great counter example is Adriano De Souza who radically improved his surfing to win a World Title.
One of the unheralded consequences of the revamped tour schedule with it's immense off season - basically half a year - is that surfers have greater opportunity to develop and improve their surfing. Jake looked like a straight up journeyman in his opening year on tour. He now looks like he could be Final 5. There was one indication of this in year one, when he beat John Florence fair and square at 6-8 foot Sunset. Today he outsurfed John in clean overhead peaks for a 2-1 record over the champ. It's just fast, connected surfing with big turns, but that is all you need at CT level. Simplify it and make the turns bigger.
Jake Marshall during his takedown of the No 1: "fast, connected surfing with big turns" (WSL/Diz)
John still wears yellow, but it's an unconvincing yellow for mine. I think he would be first to admit, he hasn't quite seemed to click with the ocean yet. Coach Williams analysed the defeat to Marshall by saying Jake got waves that allowed him an extra turn and that has been a theme for John's heats this year- he hasn't quite managed to find the waves his opponents have. Still, we will see Florence in Tahiti twice (CT event and Olympics) and Cloudbreak, assuming he stays fit. It's possible John is simply coasting at this point, and why not. Even not quite at his best he's still leading the pack.
Californians apart from Kade Matson had a great day. Cole Houshmand took down Jordy in terrible surf, before losing to fellow 2%'er Crosby Colapinto.
Crosby and Griff both made the Quarters. There will be ice baths over-flowing with rookie tears come Margaret River and local newsagents would be advised to stock up now on leather-bound journals as dreams and goals get re-configured in May. Some will likely sneak through - Crosby looks most likely at this point. He may be joined, after today's showing by Ramzi Boukhiam. Bigger turns on better waves got Ramzi over Connor O'Leary and Yago Dora. Ramzi has always been a CT-level surfer and it does beg the question of how much can be squeezed out of journeymen who should be on the CT but spend years, decades, toiling on the QS and now CS.
After what was a convincing win over Yago Dora, Ramzi now faces the form surfer of the event, Ethan Ewing (WSL/Poullenot)
None moreso than Joan Duru, who I unkindly suggested would garner no more eyeballs than family and friends for his performances. In 2011, at 21-years old, Duru missed qualifying by one spot. That would have put him on Tour with John and Gabe, a peer to Julian Wilson and Owen Wright. He made it six years later in 2017, fell off Tour in 2019, COVID happened, finished last year on the Challenger Series in 17th place with one podium finish and two 33rds. Now 34 years of age, with an Olympic berth booked for Teahupoo and a Finals day ahead at Supertubos, Duru offers the ultimate journeyman dream. Not sure about his journalling game, he doesn't seem to be a believer. After threading a clean, gold-hued tube to defeat Rio Waida with less than five on the clock he didn't offer thanks to a higher power. Is he a cautionary tale or an aspiration for young minds bent on the pro surfing dream?
Though Rio Waida had the highest scoring wave, Joan Duru's consistency got him over the line in their Round of 16 clash (WSL/Poullenot)
Medina smashed Jack Robbo in a one-sided clash. Is he back..? He's not the same guy without Charlie. A better, nicer version of the old Gabe, sure, but lacking that cold killer vibe and steely execution, at least on a consistent basis. Same level of anticipation in regarding the schedule that applies to John also applies to Gabe. Tahiti x 2, Cloudbreak- all offer tantalising prospects for Medina.
Should be a wrap for Finals Day overnight although there is chatter about splitting the day in two if easing swells run out of steam today. Damn Atlantic is no reliable partner so we'll see what happens.
// STEVE SHEARER
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Men’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Jake Marshall (USA) 13.04 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 12.26
HEAT 2: Crosby Colapinto (USA) 13.00 DEF. Cole Houshmand (USA) 11.70
HEAT 3: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 14.34 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.40
HEAT 4: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 15.67 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 10.17
HEAT 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.16 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 8.84
HEAT 6: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.33 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 12.00
HEAT 7: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 16.44 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 6.83
HEAT 8: Joan Duru (FRA) 13.90 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 13.50
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Men’s Round of 32 Results:
HEAT 1: John John Florence (HAW) 14.84 DEF. Kade Matson (USA) 9.50
HEAT 2: Jake Marshall (USA) 12.50 DEF. Liam O'Brien (AUS) 8.83
HEAT 3: Cole Houshmand (USA) 12.10 DEF. Jordy Smith (RSA) 11.76
HEAT 4: Crosby Colapinto (USA) 13.17 DEF. Seth Moniz (HAW) 10.33
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 13.36 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 11.97
HEAT 6: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 17.17 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 15.47
HEAT 7: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 15.10 DEF. Connor O'Leary (JPN) 12.90
HEAT 8: Yago Dora (BRA) 15.77 DEF. Frederico Morais (POR) 13.00
HEAT 9: Jack Robinson (AUS) 11.90 DEF. Matias Canhoto (POR) 7.40
HEAT 10: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.60 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.03
HEAT 11: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.40 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 9.27
HEAT 12: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.00 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 12.60
HEAT 13: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 14.83 DEF. Eli Hanneman (HAW) 5.50
HEAT 14: Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 12.70 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 10.33
HEAT 15: Rio Waida (INA) 11.73 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 11.50
HEAT 16: Joan Duru (FRA) 12.40 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.17
Comments
"There will be ice baths over-flowing with rookie tears come Margaret River and local newsagents would be advised to stock up now on leather-bound journals as dreams and goals get re-configured in May." Reading a bit of FR is the best way to start the day.
I've been down to the newsagent already and let them know, it was that good FR
Beautiful, accurate, funny.
Maybe they will be ‘all out’ of breath work as well.
i just watched the day 3 highlights vid on the woz website and holy god whoever edited that needs to be cast into the sun. it's the worst piece of shit i've ever seen. this is what you get when you get someone to make a surf edit who doesn't consume real surf media. we get four angles of one maneuver yet you don't even see what was done because it's so disjointed. i am filthy
Absolutely bang on. Consistently rubbish “highlights” with lots of sponsors signage shots but fuck all surfing. Alternative is watching 7-10 minute heat replays for every heat. Here’s an idea, what about a recap 10-15 minute video uploaded to their YouTube channel showing the best waves from each heat with some context like wave scores and final heat score. Just show the best angle for the best waves and move on. I can edit a bit and can tell you it could be thrown together in no time at the end of the day. They basically do most of the work already with the heat recaps during the heats. Fuck I really hate the WSL.
Seriously!! I would watch that every day. Make it 30 mins even. Would not be hard!
The small you-tube edits per heat are pretty good Jaspo.
noted! thank you!
so good!
Raises hand. Jake Marshall final 5. Dare to believe.
Those are some brutal 2% lines in the write up. Heres an inspiring link to some rousing demotivational posters:
https://despair.com/collections/demotivators
Do you reckon Charlie Medina and the coach from Cobra kai dojo in the Karate Kid have something in common?
Agreed above, good to wake up to a cup of Free in the morning.
I just watched the brief edit of Ethan Ewing vs Italo Ferreira. Style with completely functional carving vs a series of really ugly twitches and stomps that lead to a single point of aerial acrobatics. After all these years of questions asking whether someone can "go to the air". I have to ask whether Ferreira is capable of stringing together a series of powerful carving manoeuvres with any style?
Glad to see those airs scored lowly
Wasn’t that long ago those big complete airs of Italo would be easy heat winners
Has new head judge turned the page?
I hope so and it’s not a temporary thing
NO
Good writeup as usual Steve, I saw the shitty first two heats and couldn't go on. You know I used to journal but I now find invoicing much more rewarding. Pun intended.
So after pulling out of Portugal due to hip surgery soreness, Slater has been surfing flat out on the North Shore and has now arrived at Snapper.
I think the guy is a massive tool but ya gotta give him credit for absolutely taking the piss out of his employer aka the wsl.
100%. Can’t begrudge him for his choices. If you can get away with it, why not.
Because it makes you an untrustworthy little boy, not a man who can shoulder responsibilities.
I think he's pathetic.
Blame the WSL. They’ve enabled him.
He's 50-something. Should be able to take responsibility for his own actions, I reckon.
But yes they have. It's a lovely dysfunctional relationship, isn't it.
Tending that way too.
If you were to sum up Slater's pro surfing mission, aside from his personal goals, it's been to elevate the standing of professional surfing so it's taken seriously by outsiders.
The last few years, however, he's been robbing it of integrity.
More Miki Dora than Peter Townend.
Fine if you like that but call it what it is.
Not a good way to encourage people to believe what you say, when you get so blatantly rumbled BS'ing.
I guess it's his legacy, his integrity at stake- he can do what he likes with it.
Isn’t the logical thing for him to be running the ASP and surely the main question is why that’s not already happening?
Missed Cloudbreak though.
Yep just retire.
well his integrity is shot, guys just flat out lying........should have retired a hero a couple years ago at pipe ......now he's turning into a zero....or just got wildcards to his pet events which would have been good for him and us.......his ego is all consuming.
Fair points all. I guess his ego tells him he can do whatever the hell he wants, and the WSL is not going to interfere, so he does.
Excellent write up and that line about the leather bound journals was devastating.
Unfortunately I’ve got to disagree with the claim that airs are being scored down. I caught some of this comp and was disappointed to see Mcgivillray taken out by Italo. Ferreira pulled a pretty version of a Tim Curren turn from 1994 and the commentators were gushing about progression. That turn was bunting at the tail end of progression when Eiffel 65 was ruling the charts.
Here’s a heads-up : An alley oop is not the cutting edge of surfing a full three decades after they were routinely deployed by the WCT. I’ll admit that when Italo went to the air and then seamlessly drove into a standard cutback that I let out a gasp. But not a gasp worthy of an 8.7 ride.
My spontaneous gasp, which is the true measure of a ride’s worth , was full volume when McGivillray did that full rail reo / carve under the lip into the trough on one of his final rides. His score ? A full 50% less than Italo’s alley oop.
I’d assumed that the stupid and arbitrary determination that airs were fundamentally superior to face bound surfing was an artefact of the late naughties. Let alone the sad post -2010 years when standard airs overshot their true value to the nth degree.
There is progression to be found on the face of the wave particularly in the post fin throw era when square hits are finally being rediscovered instead of that ghey era of ditching the fins instead of brutal raw attacks against the grain of the wave’s power.
?si=LZ_RXlCBCZfTv86yI just watched Medina's waves in two heats. Gabriel looks very different. Physically, his body looks very stocky. His boards look different. His mentally looks a little manic. While the airs & the tube were good, its not the same old harmonious flowing Gabriel, with things now looking a bit forced. Regardless, I still hope Gabriel wins. Gabriel is still the entertainer.
Re Jake Marshall, I watched his heat against LOB and was shocked to see how fast and precise he was on his backhand.
Reckon that's all down to a magic change to Sharp Eye, or wtf has he done in the off season?
Wanted LOB to win, but Jake was just too good.
Your comment prompted me to watch the replay. For me, Jake has always been a gifted surfer but seems to lack that hyper ego-bravado of similar gifted surfers. Jake's surfing was certainly very fast & precise. In fact, he appeared seriously underscored against LOB. Then Jake went on and did similar to John, with one very good left.
Think he's been on Sharpeyes for a while IB
Yeah, good stuff Steve. Stoked most of the competitors got some decent beach break waves to surf and entertain us with. Especially liked the dreamy late arvo conditions, and Medina's tour de force performance. However, just a little criticism for the show's producer. Please stop showing us so many valuable wasted seconds of surfers paddling back out after they've ridden a wave. It's meaningless vision. As serious fans we'd much rather be viewing what's on the horizon, the next set coming and what position the other surfers are in the line-up. Or more importantly, watching somebody paddling or riding another wave, especially when there is only minutes or seconds remaining in a heat. It's not much to ask for. Other than than yesterday, I am a pretty happy viewer. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
Underwhelming... but far out they have been unlucky. The days immediately before the comp it was pumping and looks like on the 17th (the day after the window) it will be pumping again with 2.5m and 14s swell with straight East off shores...
Watching Pro Surfing while there is a fake cheesy tone of an infomercial going the whole time is a torture test...
Mute button and put a couple of bets on and it becomes watchable for us that aren’t family and friends…
Be aware, the comp ends this weekend and Steve is away. He'll be doing a delayed recap early next week.