If you could personify the three Australian events of the WSL tour, and put them on notice regarding their place in the 2018 season, who would you expect to step up to the plate and prove their worth? Which event would you have laid money on to metaphorically catch a 9+ wave in the dying … Read more
The West is Wild. “I love surfing this break, and just going fast and doing big turns.” And didn’t he just? You know: go fast, and do big turns. That’s exactly what John John did; and by gosh, he did it well. I don’t remember those turns for a few years back, but we can … Read more
Owen fricken Wright. Where did that come from? Who the hell cares; it was just so good to see that he’s still got it. Welcome back Owen! There’s been so much written about Owen’s comeback (and deservedly so) that I won’t waste too much time revisiting. Suffice to say that we certainly missed the boat … Read more
The Winnner Destiny: has there been a more over-used word in professional surfing these past 72 hours? Maybe it’s just my jaded world-view, but destiny is a bullshit concept that serves to undermine the true elements that lead to success (like focus, hard work, talent and maybe a bit of good fortune). Destiny Attained was … Read more
Congratulations are in order: Keanu Asing has taken a formidable list of more talented surfers (Medina, Florence, Slater, Buchan) and soundly beaten them through smart-if-somehwat-conservative competion surfing. It was, as he admitted himself, his first event win since his junior days (including a history of no outright wins during his QS days), so we can … Read more
Drama? Check. Controversy? You bet. Cutting edge surfing at it’s best? Heck yeah! Step inside and let’s take a look at what went down at the Trestles Hurley Pro… Trestles was won on the rail. For all of the talk about ramps, new-school-above-the-lip surfing and high performance expectations, it was the surfers with solid turns … Read more
I’ve hesitated to write this article for a couple of days. Part of the delay had to do with the craziness of this time of year, but motivation was also lacking due to my disappointment at Mick’s loss. As a writer/commentator I try to limit my biases (except towards the 8 surfers on my fantasy team), … Read more
Even to a non-surfer, Pipeline has an aura about it. You don’t have to know about World Title races, Triple Crowns or the WSL to appreciate the spectacle that Pipeline/Backdoor provides. During the past 25 years, this writer would have had no issue getting psyched for each and every Pipe event. The first Pipe that I … Read more
That Hansel Medina, he’s so hot right now! I’m pretty sure he’s an ambi-turner as well. Medina was head-and-shoulders above the competition at the QuikPro, sometimes literally. He has been building form steadily since JBay, and I don’t see him slowing down as the season draws to its crescendo. The ticket for guys like Adriano … Read more