Rio Pro 2024: Day One
Rio Pro 2024: Day One
Look, Brazil is not for us.
Not for the fan, no matter how casual or fanatical, to watch online.
It's for the people who show up to watch live. They come for the spectacle, the event, the festival atmosphere. To see and be seen, to get close to the big stars.
Itauna beach scenes (WSL/Diz)
We can't be blamed for an indifferent attitude. We've simply followed the lead from our surf stars over the years, principally Robert Kelly Slater who seemed to suffer all manner of ailments as Brazil approached, causing him to be marked absent more often than not. I can't find the actual stats but if Kelly showed up to more than 50% of the Brazilian events during his time on tour I will be shocked. If the world's best find it an unappealing prospect, then for everyone else viewing online it's an experience memorably described by Brazilian scribe Julio Adler as a “mild discomfort”.
There is a sense of schadenfreude in seeing pros reduced to kooks by weird, wobbly, flat-faced sections riven by backwash. The bogged rail, the flubbed turn, the over-the-handlebars wipeout going for a closeout reo into a backwashy section. There was a ton of that stuff on display last night. No finer example than in the last heat of the day, conducted under a glorious sunset and the constant thudding of a thousand soccer balls being kept aloft by fit, beautiful people.
Barron Mamiya, an absolute stud and current Pipe Master who can make ten-foot Pipeline look like a summer shorey needed a 4-something to close out the heat against Liam O'Brien, another full blown hellman. The last ten minutes was comical. Barron stumbling and falling and generally kooking it to the max. We weren't privvy to the internal dialogue but it would've made a sailor blush. He finally jagged a little left with a series of soft sections which he surfed so carefully, so deliberately, it looked like an intermediate surfer trying to remember the YouTube tutorial he just watched. In the end it came to naught, a little fins-free drift on the closing section occurred just as the backwash hit it and he spun out of control for a 3-point ride.
LOB, a man who just showed the world he can wrangle foamballs at the heaviest wave on the planet responded by riding the heat-winning wave as delicately as a kitten. He turned flat and tapped the lip for an extremely generously-scored 5.83 and the W.
That was the day, that will be the comp. The collective consciousness of the surf world all wants this to be done and dusted as soon as possible so we can get back to Teahupoo for the Olympics and then onto Cloudbreak.
The one turn Barron made, on the only wave succesfully ridden, during his Elimination Round heat against LOB (WSL/Rodrigo)
Tyler Wright was a no show with a foot injury. We'll take that at face value but note Tyler has a poor attendance record in Brazil (though not as bad as Slater) and sitting in tenth spot, 10,000 points behind fifth-placed Johanne Defay, looks to have conceded a run for the Final Five and be concentrating on the Olympics.
No excellent rides for the women today. Only two for the men which speaks to the surf quality. The best of the women's surfing was Caity Simmers with a 7.17 in her Elimination Heat against wildcard Taina Hinckel after a thoroughly disinterested Round 1 performance. That wave is worth watching (it's the first shown in the condensed heat replay) for the incredibly smooth combination from top turn to grab-rail bottom turn to closeout hit. Everything else was very meh for the day.
Perhaps sensing what was at stake, Caity tossed stilted tactics out the window and surfed to the conditions (WSL/Rodrigo)
Of the current Final Fivers, Caity, Caz, Brisa, and Molly got through. Defay axed. That will likely see Gabby Bryan or Tatiana Weston-Webb through but my intuition is a breakout win and result for Sawyer Lindblad. Her chunky, low slung power turns seem to suit the wobbly faces better than any other goofyfoot with a very good closeout hit seemingly unperturbed by the Itauna backwash.
Sawyer Lindblad absorbing the reverb during an off the top (WSL/Rodrigo)
Two excellent rides from the men's side of the draw: One from Gabe Medina in Heat 6 of the Opening Round, after an opening air and spicy combo of turns, and the other from Crosby Colapinto in the following heat after a turn and huge vertical hit on the closeout. If you watch one heat for the day, watch that one. Italo going beserk with a million attempts, Crosby going big and LOB surfing smooth and radical but unable to decipher the backwash puzzle.
You may as well watch JJF's Elimination Round win over Joao Chianca while you're there. Really solid backside bottom turns from John even if the backwash got him a few times off the top.
John clean off the top, above, and sharing a moment with Joao, below, following their Elimiation Round heat (WSL/Rodrigo, Diz)
All three Brazilians sitting just outside the five made their Opening Round heats. But so did Jordy and Ethan, the ones most vulnerable to a rearguard attack. Still, ominous signs for those two. Gabe, Italo, and Yago will all employ an air game and after judges made it crystal clear they won't go excellent in the Americas unless you go above the lip it's a clear advantage to the chasing Brazilians.
Despite a home-crowd advantage, Brazil hasn't been a fruitful stop for Gabriel. He's never made a Final here, his best finish being third, in both 2013 and 2016, but a good result is crucial if he's to make Final Five (WSL/Rodrigo)
Crappy surf is a great equaliser. Would we be seeing much difference in performance at the QS level here? I doubt it.
Still, Brazilian surfing demands and deserves its contest at the CT level. Tourism funding dictates the B-grade venue, as it does in El Salvador. In an alternate universe we would see our American leg held in Mexico and Chile.
The crowd will enjoy the festival, root for the locals doing the big airs. We will silently hurry them along and wait to see the results.
// STEVE SHEARER
VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Women’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 11.77 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 10.60, Molly Picklum (AUS) 7.00
HEAT 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 9.66 DEF. Taina Hinckel (BRA) 5.67, Caitlin Simmers (USA) 5.30
HEAT 3: Caroline Marks (USA) 11.67 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 5.26, Sophia Medina (BRA) 4.83
HEAT 4: Luana Silva (BRA) 11.16 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 9.70, Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 9.30
VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Men’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 12.87 DEF. Connor O'Leary (JPN) 8.83, Cole Houshmand (USA) 7.50
HEAT 2: Seth Moniz (HAW) 12.40 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 11.30, Griffin Colapinto (USA) 7.70
HEAT 3: Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.87 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 11.23, Samuel Pupo (BRA) 8.30
HEAT 4: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 10.30 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 10.27, John John Florence (HAW) 8.10
HEAT 5: Jordy Smith (RSA) 10.40 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.10, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 7.17
HEAT 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.93 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 12.60, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 6.87
HEAT 7: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.50 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 13.94, Liam O'Brien (AUS) 8.50
HEAT 8: Yago Dora (BRA) 13.60 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 11.33, Jake Marshall (USA) 7.73
VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Women’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 12.50 DEF. Taina Hinckel (BRA) 12.00
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.23 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 6.90
HEAT 3: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 8.50 DEF. Sophia Medina (BRA) 6.60
HEAT 4: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 10.84 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 4.06
VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Men’s Elimination Round Results (Heats 1 - 4):
HEAT 1: John John Florence (HAW) 12.34 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 7.13
HEAT 2: Rio Waida (INA) 12.70 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 11.07
HEAT 3: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 12.50 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 11.97
HEAT 4: Liam O'Brien (AUS) 10.66 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 7.50
Editor's postscript: Though there was no mention of R'Cal in the recap, he was held to second place by Jack Robinson, this photo is a worthy inclusion.
Comments
I'm wondering if a slightly longer board would harmonise Robbo's upper and low body. He's a mess in between turns
Amazing surfer but there is something about his style that looks awkward at times.
Agreed - his boards always look to short. turns could be lengthened and way smoother in between with bit more rail
"I can't find the actual stats but if Kelly showed up to more than 50% of the Brazilian events during his time on tour I will be shocked."
You should've asked...
Out of 27 possible trips* to Brazil since 1992, Slater's called in crook 11 times.
This includes 1996 where he dominated so thoroughly - won 6 of the first 11 contests - that he had the title wrapped up by the third-last comp so didn't need to go to Brazil. So really, it's 10 sick notes.
His record is immensely worse post-2012, attending just 4 of 10 possible trips.
He's won in Brazil three times: 1997, 2003, and 2009.
*Doesn't include his first retirement years.
I thought i read somewhere yonks and yonks ago that he received death threats in zilla land so just never went back.
Maybe just a chinese whisper but i do recall hearing it somewhere.
I do remember sth like that as well
Hard to watch...But I will anyway. A dog of a wave. There was some super ugly surfing going on getting high scores. It seems like recovery is getting rewarded more than skill and flow. Maybe athletics is a better model where points are deducted for sloppy landings etc.
Sacurlcurlarema
haha
So true. Loved this;
"...seeing pros reduced to kooks by weird, wobbly, flat-faced sections riven by backwash. The bogged rail, the flubbed turn, the over-the-handlebars wipeout going for a closeout reo into a backwashy section."
Almost every surf at my local - but I can do all that even when it's good.
Hard to watch. But believe it or not I had many incredible sessions there. It does get really good but this is not the right time of the year. Summer east swell, cold water... Good memories..
Just inside the tropics, fair whack of ocean to the east of it, assuming it must do well under trade wind scenarios?
Definitely does, when it is bigger there is a left from the rocks that goes all the way. And when it is a bit smaller (4-6 foot) there is a right hander towards the channel between the rocks and the banks. Really good stuff....
I've watched a few heats so far.
It's not thrilling, gabby looked solid
Then kinda spacey in the interview.
Not sure what's going on upstairs with gabby
Man just hasn't been the same since the big D
What gives ?
I empathize with you Steve, both having to watch this comp in it's entirety and then to actually report back on it. Wish they'd flush this turd already.
Watched a bit, saw a couple of the opening rounds of the girls. Meh.
The only take away for me is that Kaipo has really good posture in front of the camera.
Can't believe Steve missed that in his recap.
I've probably tuned Kaipo out.
Wish I could tune Mitch Salazar out.
God I hope they get the Aussie team over for Cloudbreak.
Mitch Salazar or Joe Turpel ?
Pick one only
Cholera or the plague?
I never thought I’d say it but turpel for sure.
Wow !
even salazars co workers cant stand him
I think if the Brazilian fans are so passionate, they deserve there own CT event, surf conditions and location , are a different issue
I kind of enjoyed watching it. It’s more relatable for me as I surf in that sort of stuff. I learn a bit that helps my surfing. Probably more relatable than huge pipe or Tahiti etc etc.
I watched a bit of it and it was ordinary at best .
I hope Cloudbreak is pumping is all I can say ??!!
Brazil as a surf nation is like Australia 40 years ago
Does Brazil have a boardriders club culture ? Serious question as I have no idea .
Many beaches have their "surf associations". They run their comps, etc, but they are perhaps not as structured towards bringing up young talent as the surf clubs in Australia. At least the ones that I have seen.
No real mention of Molly - she looked lost in that first round. She has looked lost since the Aussie leg started. I have pegged back my expectations for her this year. Hope she comes good.
Didn’t watch her ER heat but must have been a bit better. Maybe she can find her strengths again. Next round against Gabriela will be a tough one.
knife and fork clown emoji jajaja is gold
Fuck he's good !
Luke is the funniest man in the world
The Raglan Surf Report is gold
Love the raglan report. That said bells still the worst comp and conditions so far this yr. It was nice to keep cole and his repetitive turns in 2 ft slop relevant. Brazil deserve a contest especially after the last decade of dominance. Surely there’s a better option?
Hahaha... It's just a shame that JaJaJa has nothing to do with Brazil. Hahaha! When I say that half of the surfers that half of Gold Coast locals think are Brazilian are actually from some Spanish-speaking country, no one believes me. But even so, still too many! Jajaja.
Ahh Stu beat me to it...
"Tourism funding dictates the B-grade venue, as it does in El Salvador"
FR, I hope this was not giving Brazil and El Salvador the same letter grade. If the surf in El Salvador is B-Grade, there aren't enough letters in the alphabet to properly grade Brazil!! :D
How's the size of the crowd.... big time ! That's a turnout
I think i have the solution to make it more interesting and an authentic Brazilian event.
1. All the remaining surfers in the water at one time
2. No priority system
3. Snakes and drops in encouraged
4. Bribing judges encouraged
I know I bagged out on El Sal pretty hard but The WSL have put out a really cool little vid which has made me reassess.
It's about Matty McGillvray, LOB and Yago hanging in El Sal.
Best piece of WSL content I've ever seen. Zero cringe factor, just three cool cats hanging out going surfing and chatting about their lives.
Good spotting. I enjoyed that. Nice change from some of the other personalities we see a lot of
So Gabby, Charlie and mum obviously didn't pray hard enough for Sophie?
Or does god just not like her?
Thought the collective praying on the beach of thousands of zillas might have got her over the line?
Maybe mixed messages.
Maybe God has bigger fish to fry Southern?
Cool vid above. I reckon El Salvador would be a fascinating destination and I agree, travel is one of the best educations you'll ever get (not just the coasts either).
You did much better than I was about to. Thank you, zen.
Surely the question must be asked I.B
I'm confused otherwise. How does the barter system with him/her work if it so happens that he/her was pivotal in someone winning a heat/contest, but goes missing in such a brutal way for poor baby Medina's first ever CT....with her whole family on the beach praying for her???
R we not allowed to question now??
Will god get angry if we ask for clarification?
Super confused how this all works.
Fair enough...lets stick with the fish to fry theory.
when making pancake mix is it 2 or 3 drops of vanilla essence.....
Thanks Steve, you always manage a poetic phase, pov, laugh & chuckle.
Maybe recent relentless swells have cut deep into the beach profile, increasing backwash at all tides...?
Stylish bottom turns can win heats here... (less pump, pump, pump, flick, trick, mix)
WSL commentators deserve credit for talking a bit more about board design ...during the heat replays
This Brazillian surf comp & warm party waves looks better than Narabeen on a southerly this year.
Collective discomfort!
props to the strong willed people that stay up late to watch this comp, it'd be like getting a 10hr flight somewhere without any entertainment and just watching the live map the whole time
more like when your screen is broken and you have to watch your neighbors or the person in front of you.
Yes a very hard watch, standard onshore slop would be the call over here in Newy...but the level of exitement judging by the crowds and their enthusiasm for surfing in Brazil is warranted on tour and does deserve a mention as Steve gladly pointed out.
I doubt this Brazil leg is ever about the waves, with many other comps in perfect waves where Pro's get chance to prove themselves.. and where mere mortals can only dream.
Brazil to me is surfing your local beachbreak, with all ya mates (and lots of others) which is closer to what average Joe/Jill are used to. Surfing is practiced, competed in all manner of waves and no harm in sending the Pro's out into random conditions, back to where many of them started.
Still, hard to watch but diversity in surfing conditions is what makes it so hard to master and the best must thrive whatever is thrown at them.
Cheers for the write up, always good read.
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Aaahhhh ... schadenfreude - taking pleasure in others discomfort - It may well be the best word to come out of the German language . A close second would be Schiessen- haussen :)
“The bogged rail, the flubbed turn, the over-the-handlebars wipeout going for a closeout reo into a backwashy section.”
I’ve had many surfs like that, especially the last few years, as every beach had backwash in it. Can make you look like an absolute beginner, can be soul destroying.
I don’t need backwash to look shite, but it sure helps.
As for watching this contest, I have zero interest.