Event Champion Filipe Toledo reminding us that safety turns are a thing of the past.
This years Quicksilver Gold Coast Pro at Snapper Rocks concluded in lack luster conditions that left all of us surf fans wondering what is to come of this surf season. Despite meager conditions the competition did not fail to hold interest for die hard fans. As top seeds kept falling in early rounds to surprisingly remarkable performances by the low seeds it reminded all that it really is any man’s ball game out there. Sure everyone wants to see the best surfers in the world surfing against each other at the best waves in the world, but a major part of surfing is having the ability to surf sub par waves well.
Many got down on Kieren Perrow that he should have canceled the event due to wave quality. I think an event cancellation should be the absolute last possible scenario. We only have 11 events a year to watch as opposed to most other sports where fans get to view 20 plus games a season. If an event gets canceled its a let down to both the fans and athletes alike. What I think should be considered in extreme cases is a change of event venue. We all know in places like Australia there are spots that are wave magnets and such waves should be all set to go as a back up venue. In this case Duranbah would have been a logical option, a location that has been used as a back for Snapper in prior years.
Duranbah on one of its better days.
Professionalism was another topic that came up strong a this years Quick Pro. Josh Kerr was the first to lose his cool in round 3 when he gave his board a few shots with his fist on the way in. Then an irate Gabriel Mendina got on the mic for a post heat interview with Peter Mel where he just decided to speak his mind freely, calling out the WSL, Perrow, and threatening Glen Hall using the F-bomb. Last time a surfer sounded off that hard it was Bobby Martinez in the 2011 NYC event. He was banned from competition for it. In this case Mendina ended up with a fine. Honestly why force guys to do a post heat interview after they lost? Of course the guy is going to be upset. Andy Irons blew up on a reporter once in the height of his career when he was asked how he felt about losing. His reply was “how the fuck do you think I feel? I just lost”. To top off the round three festivities Freddy Pataccia after posting one of the lowest heat scores of the event surfed his board right into the rocks.
One would say these guys need to show a better attitude considering the WSL is trying to build a larger non-surfing audience. Of course one needs to remember that you are dealing with a bunch of surfers who got into this sport for its free form no rules type of feeling. When one attempts to put it into a format and give fair and accurate scores for one surfers ride vs. another there is going to be quite the margin of subjection. This on top the already unnatural environment created by these high profile contests are enough to make any surfer lose his mind. Even Kelly Slater has destroyed more then one board in a post heat tantrum. Lets face it surfing really isn’t a sport to be judged with numbers, but to be ascetically enjoyed.
We cannot control the ocean hour to hour let alone day to day. I love watching surf contests now that I have been out of them for nearly ten years. I for one couldn’t stand contests when I had to compete. Competitive surfing will never sell to masses like other sports do. Its too complicated for your average non-surfer to understand. Fuck, my friends and I have trouble following the judging sometimes. Instead of the WSL focusing on selling to this non-surfing audience they should cater to making it more entertaining for the surfing audience cause that is the market anyway. There are close 20 million surfers world wide and that is who the WSL should be focusing on.
Eventually the event came down to Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo, a final I very much anticipated to be a show down and a half. I even stayed home a little later from the bar to see it. Toledo to his credit put on an amazing performance the entire event and didn’t disappoint running away with the final leaving Julian comboed for most of it. More then anything I am proud of the the judges for allowing two of the more progressive guys to make it to the final. Could this mean the WSL looks to reward explosive surfing in 2015? Lets hope so. We will have to wait for Bells to start June 1st.
Surfing Ruined My Life 