Fiji Pro 2016 Updated Forecast
It seems a lifetime since we last saw competition at the Fiji Pro. A lot has gone down including one of the largest cleanest easterly swell events ever seen across the southern NSW coastline. Cape Fear was run and won and now that the blocking pattern has shifted away, Fiji's set to pump.
You see, the weather system generating Australia's prolonged easterly groundswell event completely shutdown Fiji's swell window, with north-east gales extending from the South Pacific, all the way past Tasmania.
This weather system moved off during the weekend and since we've seen a series of strong fronts pushing through Fiji's swell window. One such system pushed from the Southern Ocean up past Tassie over the weekend, generating a strong pulse of S'ly groundswell for the East Coast Sunday/Monday, with the swell due to fill in Wednesday across Fiji.
Cloudbreak is expected to build all day from 3-4ft during the morning to a larger 6ft through the day, holding around 4-6ft most of Thursday.
Friday, the last day of the waiting period is now due to see a large and powerful long-period S/SW groundswell, generated by back to back fetches of severe-gale W/NW winds to the south-west and south of Tasmania the last few days.
A couple of different pulses are due off this progression, one for Friday and then a second for Saturday, but on the last day of competition we should see Cloudbreak building to a strong and powerful but infrequent 6ft to possibly 8ft.
With Wednesday seeing the swell building along with more variable winds, followed by weak E/SE trades Thursday and Friday along with steady amounts of swell, we'll likely see competition run on the final two days of the event period.
So although there's been a big break between competition we're set to see the finals run in big clean Cloudbreak, more than worth the wait.
Comments
Fuck me how's the stuff scheduled to come through this coming Sunday. Size and swell period are very fucking impressive. I'd imagine quite a few of the pros will be hanging around after the main event.
What are your thoughts on the days Tuesday through till Saturday next week for Fiji?
Be really interested for some feedback.
Yep, it's going to be so powerful, large and strong!
And tons of waves Tugun.
Thanks Craig.
The forecast has been jumping around a fair bit for those days next week. Initially we were looking at a new bump on Wednesday / Thursday, but this swell seems to have evaporated.
Is this what you are seeing?
Yeah depends what happens with this low in the Tasman Sea, it's linked to the swell due mid-late week.
I keep questioning next weeks pumping waves more each time I see the forecast...
I know you can add 2 foot on the SN at cloudbreak, but rthe models are a bit lean eh?
Early swell arrival?
More so this long-range swell under-forecast by Wave Watch III. Luckily we know the storm and front that generated it and knew 6ft surf was coming from it.
It's so pumping out there!!
Rodger that especially the two heats Kelly and John John. Now everybody gets to go free surf....bastards
JJ and Taj heat :o wow, just wow.
Onya Wilko.
Dodged a bullet as they say.
How epic was that? Gawd, it's such a good wave at that size.
It's absolutely cooking again!!
Unbelievable waves.
Wow calling it off till tomoz,big call but they must be certain it will be better..........jeez and i thought today was good......
How good is cloudbreak? Will be there in 3 weeks :)
Wish the WSL or the board companies gave a run down of what they were riding during heats. JS do an ok job of the whole quiver but I want details of specific boards they are riding. The freaks are probably just riding their standard short boards.
they were riding 6'1 to 6'3"'s Eel.
I would have ridden a 6'9" I reckon.
Desert Storm FR
Cheers mate. So slight step ups as most seem to ride 5'11s (give or take an inch)as their regular SB
Hey Free, what do you think the girls would have ridden out there today? Pity the events on tomorrow, you might have chased this swell? Maybe next week will also be good there?
I reckon Kelly's peaked too early in the quarters.
He just caught over 10 waves, not that I blame him , but at his age and with two big heats to go in big Cloudbreak I think he's done his nuts.
Kelly of old would have paced himself, pumping waves or not , reckon he would have valued a win over getting as many sick barrels as possible while they're available and conserve some energy .
Kelly - Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Twenty years of ruthless strategy returned by the new master of cat fighting.
Although I love Medina's surfing I hate to see him win.
Not a fan of Kelly's board either, looked very skittish.
Fuck i hate Medina
Buchan and medina final.
Medina for the win.
Medina's world title.
Please no...
I seem to recall the WSL at the start of this year announced a change to the rules to limit priority 'blocking'. Something along the lines of a surfer taking off with priority purely to block can't immediately flick off the wave. There has to be a genuine attempt to get a scoring ride.
Sounded like a great rule change at the time. But there was Medina doing a straight up block with no attempt to score points and I cant for the life of me find the rule change.
Maybe I imagined it?
Kelly's tube riding looked amazing at times but by god, that banana looked bizarre under his feet, and not in a good way.
Was close but not quite:
"An interference can be called on a Surfer with Priority if, in the opinion of
the Priority or Head Judge, the Surfer utilises their priority in an
unsportsmanlike manner to intentionally block another surfer with lower
or no Priority outside of the Primary Take-off Zone."
New rule means surfer with priority can block while on takeoff - as Gabs did - but not further down the line - i.e outside the Primary Take-off Zone.
great research Stu!
Go Wilko .
You can save valuable seconds by staying in your pyjamas.
Pyjamas are the new smart casual - just go to any airport and witness the muppets rocking up in their flannels with their neck pillows attached before they leave home.
Or work from home in a muumuu ala Homer Simpson.
Took the words right out of my mouth Blowin.
Go Wilko.
PS Stu above, been saying it for ages, to solve that, the last 5 minutes of the heat should be no priority. Easy.
Surf is pumping whilst I watch surfing online.
Strange.
That's a hallmark of success right there.
I thought your offices were up Sydney way ?
And Bens on the North coast.
You fellas are laughing.
Nah, we got sick of each other. I'm in Thirroul, office up above Finbox, Ben is up on the Tweed Coast, and Craig is in Manly.
Not sure if they're in pyjamas or not.
Id be riding down the office in full Lycra .
Even if it was only 50 peddles away.
Stop off for a coffee and get that package right up in some poor unsuspecting punters face before they're fully awake.
That's the joy of modern cycling.
Thinking of going to work in your pyjamas .....at 10 in the morning.
Looks like I picked the wrong industry.
Choose your career, choose your consequences .
Waves pumping. That drone shot WSL using is gold. They've clearly put some thought into that, no swooping or low altitude flybys, just hang in position and show us the sets rounding the reef.
Someone said it was a ex-Black Hawk chopper pilot on the controls. Nuthin' but the best for Dirk Ziff, eh?
...and just as I say that the goddamn fly boy shows insubordination with a wide shot.
Looks like that larger swell energy is now pushing in.
pretty unfair for the viewing public.. 3 heats in a row with turpel and Pottz in the Box.
My feed has dropped out. Same wave on repeat for last ten minutes.
Five minutes to go and a recap. Really? Can I have a word with the manager?
Bummer Wilko. Congrats (begrudgingly) Gabs.
I'm going surfing.
Manager doesn't give a fuck Stu.....as Mickfree said, why else would Turpel still be calling finals ?
Fuck I'm all bitter now.
Missed surfing to watch the finals.
Feed dropped out, Turpel talked shit , Medina won.
Wilko doesn't deserve a world title, he's the new Barton Lynch .
If Barton Lynch used gimmicks.
OK , enough.
Breathe....
Beautiful day, suns out , waves are still pumping .
And relax...
Once again the best waves happen through Rds 4 and 5. Perhaps they should've continued on yesterday? Or as Joni Mitchell said, don't it always seem to go, you dont know what you've got till it's gone.
Good forecaster was old Joni.
Yeah I agree, never look a gift horse in the mouth, less consistent swell today made a big difference.
Every one was amping and on a high yesterday, should of kept rolling on..
Consistency wasn't the problem: it was the extra W in the swell angle and the outside ledge wash-throughs.
They spent most of the heat dodging set waves.
Was madness to stop when it was pumping yesterday. And I even thought that yesterday!
But the main thing I'd like to know is when will people start giving Wilko some credit? Since Bells everyone's been saying, nah he won't win the title. And maybe he won't but gees he's in with a shot. Rosie Hodge interviews the people he beats by saying, the conditions didn't cooperate for you today did they? Seems no one is prepared to say, hey Wilko surfed better than you today. JJF even basically agreed with her, and gave no credit to Wilko.
If the world title is supposed to go to the "best" surfer in the world, then they might as well not run the contests and just give it to Kelly (every year for the past 20), and now JJF. But if it's supposed to go to whoever wins on the day, then get over yourselves and start giving props to Wilko. The man can only surf what is in front of him and if he's winning, he's deservedly leading the tour. Don't have to get 9s to win, only have to get more than the other fella in the water.
Two wins and a second so far? Parko got it with no wins (remember he won the pipe masters after getting the title at the semis). Wilko's doin alright I reckon.
I'm hearing you Benski.
Wait till J'Bay is 6ft and reeling and see how well Wilkon can surf.
That heat a couple of years ago (think it was against Parko) was some of the finest surfing I have seen EVER.
Agreed, he was easily the best surfer at JBay.
Old Johny on the spot was stoked they called it off yesterday.
love that vision of Walshies,and they called it off,be kicking themselves now.
The best thing about this result is that Gary is now coming third in his Fantasy Surfer clubhouse.
When Gary's coming third you KNOW it's been a good party
I agree with Benski, go Wilco. The guy is a seriously good and stylish surfer. Zero little pump pump pump in between manoeuvres like the Brazo's, just full rail carves and toobs. The only Brazo's that don't do it are Miguel and Wiggly- who should given is name - sorry bad pun.
Italo? Dont reckon he could be accused of lacking power or style.
No problem in that department just not as stylish in my opinion as Wilco and he does the wiggle waggle as well. Look at De Souza he looks great when powering then if he has to get through a section he reverts to the Poo stance waggle. It seems to be a Brazilian thing.
As stylish as Wilko?
Wide stance, bow legged, stiff torso. Agree he gets the job done but he's far from stylish.
Yeah you got me there Stu however I love his swoopy transitions there is a real flow there which not many surfers have, and none in the WSL at the moment although am happy to be corrected. Maybe he is just very different to the run of the mill.
Re: the decision to stop the heats on Thursday.
Besides the forecast, and Commissioner KP acknowledged it was just a forecast, KP said they stopped because the wind might turn a bit onshore sometime in the next 2 hours so it would obviously be unfair not to run all the quarters in the same conditions. They say this type of thing regularly.
Why is this so? It's unfair to have competitors in the same heat under different conditions. But that doesn't happen.
Why the pressing need to have the same conditions over a whole round. It actually virtually never happens anyway because of the vagaries of wind, swell and tide.
Why not just keep going in the quarters while the conditions are great, and run the rest the next day if needed? Not unfair. If someone ends up making the final and has to surf 3 heats on the last day compared to the other's 2, well that's pro sport and you are expected to be fit enough to handle it.
The spectacle is really all about the waves. I reckon the surfers wouldn't object to split rounds if it increases their chances of surfing in the best conditions.
Wilko's backhand - superb.
Wilko's forehand.......did I mention his backhand ?
Not a fan of his cut back? I love it and speaking of his backhand, hail JBay he looks the goods there.
Wilko rips, don't get me wrong.
I just don't think he's top ten material, let alone World champ material.
Wilko's big deal is that ludicrous backhand rhythm he gets going , that shit is incredible.
Zero stutter, just relentless twelve o'clock hits with plenty of spice driven by that spectacular bottom turn.
His forehand cutty is .....
I'd hate to see it paired against Fannings, Connors, Smiths, etc etc
Agree.....but I'd still be happy to see him claim a tittle if JJF can't grab it.