There has been much talk in the past year about the future of Billabong. We came to know that they were in financial trouble after canceling the Billabong Pro J-Bay last year. That may be the least of their worries after investors have been on a selling frenzy in the past five years. Since 2007, their stock (BBG.AX sold on the Australian Stock Market) went from $17 per share to $.96 this year, and is at $1.02 at the moment.
There are virtually three main options that Billabong has: 1) a miraculous recovery within the corporation (restructuring of the board, executives, etc.) 2) bankruptcy; I am not familiar with Australian regulations on bankruptcy, but in the US, companies can file for bankruptcy and eventually their companies will recover - Donald Trump has done this with many of his companies numerous times. 3) a buy out. Yes, you read that correctly; some other company could come in and purchase Billabong.
We have seen this before; not many people realize that some of today's leading surf companies are owned by a larger (and wealthier) parent company. Hurley is owned by Nike, Volcom is owned by PPR, a French-based company that owns major global fashion brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen. This is a common occurrence, especially in a weakened global economy.
An acquisition of Billabong would also mean the acquisition of the companies that Billabong owns. Unbeknownst to many, Billabong is the owner of some well known corporations in the surf and skating world such as Element, Von Zipper, Xcel, Honolua Surf Company, Kustom, Palmers Surf, Nixon Watches, Tigerlilly, Sector 9 Skateboards, DaKine and RVCA. These are major clothing and hardgoods companies that would look appeasing to an interested buyer.
This may mean a better future for Billabong. Nike is now becoming a powerhouse in the surfing world by sponsoring major events and some of the worlds best WCT surfers (Kolohe, Julian Wilson, Carissa Moore, etc). Hurley is still Hurley and Volcom is still Volcom; I believe that from a financial standpoint, a buyout will be Billabongs best option. It will be sad to see Billabong, once the largest name in surfing, have to become an acquisition of a larger company. But stubbornness cannot overpower the reality of the situation. If Billabong does not act, they will go under. Many surfers are worried about the status of the Billabong Pro Tahiti and if it will still run. I do not see them canceling that event in such short notice, but only they know the true state of their company and if they have to then I am sure they will.
This is big news in the surf world and it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out in the near future. Will Nike or another company buy Billabong? Will they have a recovery and restructuring internally in the company? Or will they have to file for bankruptcy? We don't know yet, but we will have an answer within the year I believe and I will keep you up to date on this subject.
Leave thoughts and comments about this situation. I'm interested to hear.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
International Surfing Day
Happy International Surfing Day! The second best day of the year next to your birthday.
Formed by the Surfrider Foundation, ISD is a day to celebrate not only the sport of surfing, but to also celebrate environmentalism and the health of our coastal ecosystems. As a former intern of this organization, the passion and love for the environment, and surfing, flows through the veins of every single employee and volunteer.
We must remember that it is nature who gives us the ability to slide a board down these playful walls of water. Many of us take this for granted when we should be embracing nature and showing the love we have for her back!
I unfortunately cannot participate on this celebratory day, but I got my surfing in earlier this week to make up for my absence in the lineup today. I hope you all enjoy your day out in the water whether you are surfing a lake (literally and metaphorically), fun waves, or pumping waves somewhere around the world. Surfing is surfing. But do not forget to give back to nature a little by cleaning up trash that you may find in the water or on the beach. Remember, a clean beach is a healthy beach!
Send pictures of yourself surfing to my email if you have any after today. I will post a whole International Surfing Day photo album once I get some pictures.
Email to: clementiv@comcast.net
Have a great day and spread the word about Worn Trails to other surfers/environmentalists who you feel may like the material that you like!
Formed by the Surfrider Foundation, ISD is a day to celebrate not only the sport of surfing, but to also celebrate environmentalism and the health of our coastal ecosystems. As a former intern of this organization, the passion and love for the environment, and surfing, flows through the veins of every single employee and volunteer.
We must remember that it is nature who gives us the ability to slide a board down these playful walls of water. Many of us take this for granted when we should be embracing nature and showing the love we have for her back!
I unfortunately cannot participate on this celebratory day, but I got my surfing in earlier this week to make up for my absence in the lineup today. I hope you all enjoy your day out in the water whether you are surfing a lake (literally and metaphorically), fun waves, or pumping waves somewhere around the world. Surfing is surfing. But do not forget to give back to nature a little by cleaning up trash that you may find in the water or on the beach. Remember, a clean beach is a healthy beach!
Send pictures of yourself surfing to my email if you have any after today. I will post a whole International Surfing Day photo album once I get some pictures.
Email to: clementiv@comcast.net
Have a great day and spread the word about Worn Trails to other surfers/environmentalists who you feel may like the material that you like!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Reader Response: Summer Boards
This response came from a New Jersey local, Gabe Dunn:
"Almost bought exact board you bought but headed to margate for the 5'6. Posca pen art added for some flare. Fun board to ride in good conditions 3-5ft. Never rode it in 1-2 yet but summer is here so I am sure it won't be long. Enjoy your new ride. "
Thanks for the response Gabe. Kind of ironic, but I almost bought your board - I went with the 5'8" which is a little easier for me to catch waves on, but I wanted the 5'6" which is better for turns and maneuvers. Great minds think alike though. Great spray on it. Posca pens are awesome, thats what I use on my boards. I went out on Tuesday in some 1-2 foot storm chop and although it would be tough to catch anything in that surf on any board, I did catch a few fun quick rides. I'm looking forward to getting out on it in some clean 1-2 foot surf to put Mayhem's words to the test. Enjoy your Motivator and I'm sure I'll see you out in the water. If you get any pictures or videos of you on it, feel free to send them my way!
"Almost bought exact board you bought but headed to margate for the 5'6. Posca pen art added for some flare. Fun board to ride in good conditions 3-5ft. Never rode it in 1-2 yet but summer is here so I am sure it won't be long. Enjoy your new ride. "
Thanks for the response Gabe. Kind of ironic, but I almost bought your board - I went with the 5'8" which is a little easier for me to catch waves on, but I wanted the 5'6" which is better for turns and maneuvers. Great minds think alike though. Great spray on it. Posca pens are awesome, thats what I use on my boards. I went out on Tuesday in some 1-2 foot storm chop and although it would be tough to catch anything in that surf on any board, I did catch a few fun quick rides. I'm looking forward to getting out on it in some clean 1-2 foot surf to put Mayhem's words to the test. Enjoy your Motivator and I'm sure I'll see you out in the water. If you get any pictures or videos of you on it, feel free to send them my way!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Rip Curl Grom Fight 2012 Voting
Hey Guys,
A quick favor from you all. My Cousin is good family friends with the Marshall family in California. Some of you may have heard of Jake Marshall, one of the sons, who is an absolute ripper. The kid has a future in surfing. But for now, he is up against a few other top rated groms in a video contest. His backside surfing is unreal and he throws down two massive turns in this video. Click on his name to submit a vote for him so he can advance in the contest. Thanks!
http://www.surfingmagazine.com/news/rip-curl-grom-fight-2012-huntington-beach/
A quick favor from you all. My Cousin is good family friends with the Marshall family in California. Some of you may have heard of Jake Marshall, one of the sons, who is an absolute ripper. The kid has a future in surfing. But for now, he is up against a few other top rated groms in a video contest. His backside surfing is unreal and he throws down two massive turns in this video. Click on his name to submit a vote for him so he can advance in the contest. Thanks!
http://www.surfingmagazine.com/news/rip-curl-grom-fight-2012-huntington-beach/
Energy Use in the United States
A pretty interesting study was recently released by the AP NORC Center on Public Affairs on energy use in the United States. I found the results staggering and, frankly, a little unnerving. This report is "an in-depth and up- to-the-minute look at how the American public feels about where responsibility for the nation’s energy problems lies, and who holds responsibility for addressing them" (Tompson). This survey that the AP NORC conducted was on more than 1000 adults across the country to get a range of views on energy issues in America.
The first section of the survey discusses where the public thinks that the responsibility should lie as it relates to energy savings. Many of those surveyed believe that the true responsibility lies with the government and the energy industry. 64% also believe that a major reason that energy prices are what they are is because there is such a high demand of energy and not many people are willing to reduce their intake. I believe that this is one of the biggest issues in the American Energy industry (Tompson).
Statistically speaking, Democrats are more aware of energy issues, and support alternative energy, than Republicans. It is no secret and it has been this way for decades. A major issue that our nation faces, as well as the entire world, is decreasing levels of fossil fuels. The entire globe primarily runs off of fossil fuels, which include oil, natural gas and coal. Since the Industrial Revolution beganin the 1800's, we have almost depleted all of the world's oil reserves. Studies have shown (and it is a globally accepted consensus) that by 2013-2020, world oil production will peak (Although the EIA estimates it to peak between 2031-2068 [Caruso]). Oxford University came out with a study predicting that oil demands will surpass oil supply in 2015 (OPEC). With an average of 25 billion barrels extracted each year, and with close to 990 billion barrels of oil still left, experts believe that we have 40 years until ALL oil deposits are depleted world wide.
With that being said, in the past decade, global extraction rates have risen exponentially. Many geophysicists, and other scientists, believe that within the next decade, we could see rises to 30-35 billion barrels of oil extracted each year, if not more. That drastically reduces the estimated oil depletion year from around 2057 (the accepted year), to sometime sooner. With many U.S. politicians, such as Mitt Romney, advocating for more oil production and consumption in the United States, the expected rates for oil consumption are set to increase. The EIA (US Energy Information Administration) expects US consumption to rise from 18.87 million barrels per day in 2011 to 18.96 million barrels per day in 2012 and to 19.06 million barrels per day in 2013 (EIA2). It may not seem like a lot, but over the course of a year, that is close to a 100,000,000-barrel increase by 2013. The EIA also believe that these numbers could be well shy of the actual numbers during those years.
Many people will say, "Who cares, that’s a long time from now." Not really. While some of our parents, and surely our grandparents, will not be here, the majority of people who are now 1 year old to 40, or even 50, years old will be. Our environment is very close to "The Point of No Return". Our climate is shifting more rapidly than ever. We are seeing extreme changes in air temperatureand sea temperature, glacial melting like we have never experienced and rises in sea level which is threatening many low lying island nations as well as nations such as the Netherlands.
I hate being informal and unorthodox, but to those that think that climate change is a hoax (cough, cough, Rick Santorum and many Republicans in our government), do you honestly believe that, or are your political identities and beliefs making you say such things? Romney has stated that he believes oil is America's future. Interesting. His "reason" is because it will create jobs. True; boosting oil production in America will create jobs. Creating the Keystone XL Pipeline will create jobs (which he said he will do on Day 1 if elected in November). However, increased oil production, as well as the Keystone XL Pipeline, could be some of the worst things to happen in this country and to the global climate. The Republican Party supports Big Oil because they are usually paid to support it. I am sure there are plenty of politicians who will say that increasing oil consumption in the US will create environmental issues and health issues. But each year, the Koch Brothers and Big Oil spend billions of dollars lobbying for increased oil production in the US. These companies are the ones who are to blame for high gas prices, not the government, and in some ways, not President Obama. They are willingly keeping prices higher than they have to be; they are not being forced to raise prices. Supply isn't low forcing them to keep prices high, no; supply is there, there is still plenty of oil, they are keeping prices high because demand is higher than ever and they know that they will continue to make record profits off of it. Highway robbery and corruption do not come close to the appropriate description of what is happening to Americans each day.
Now, with that being said, Americans can't walk away from this with no blame either. Americans are some of the most ignorant and stubborn people on the earth. There I said it. I love America, but I have been fortunate enough to talk to people from all over the world and hear what they think about our country and its people. The things they say are not out of jealousy, they are said because they are true. Most of the world is becoming more environmentally friendly, not because they have to, but because they want to. People realize that humans are the primary source for the rapid increase in climate change over the past 150 years and are now looking to change their ways in an attempt to reverse the impact that we have had on our planet. This is happening almost everywhere (in developed countries) except in America. Yes, we may have had some laws that show we want a cleaner environment - such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA, NEPA, etc - but they only affect our nation. Most nations are working in an international effort while we sit on the sidelines. There have been recent international talks to lower CO2 emissions, but the US does not want to be a part of it, they want to make their own laws different from everyone else, which are also not as effective as every other nation because once again, Big Oil is getting in the way. If we were to impose the same international laws that many in the EU and Asia are imposing, it could potentially destroy Big Oil, or at least make their profits go from $400 billion a year to $200 billion a year, such a shame. But like I said, Americans are stubborn; they do not want to be like everyone else, THIS IS AMERICA! We are living the American Dream; "I want 5 or more cars that get 10 miles per gallon", "I want yachts", "I want this", "I want that." That is what America has come to - The Land of Capitalism: Show Your Money Off and F@&k the Environment (once again, sorry for being informal, but it is true). The United States, and similar countries that act like us (Russia and China), will soon not be able to support the life that many now live. Once oil is gone, those cars and boats will be obsolete. They sure as hell can't run on natural gas or coal so what will people do then?
Coal isn't the future, look at China. In 2008, every Olympian had to wear air filters over their mouths the entire time they were there, except when they were not competing. That certainly will not be accepted in America, although there are many cities in the US that are close to that level of pollution, smog and CO2 levels. I think that it is funny how many energy companies are advertising for "Clean Coal", that’s about as funny as McDonalds "Healthy Menu". There is no such thing as burning clean coal. There is "cleaner" burning coal than traditional coal, but it is still horrible for the environment and human health and will most likely be shot down by clauses in the Clean Air Act directed at healthy levels of CO2 in the air. If the United States were to switch the main source of energy from oil -once it is gone- to coal, we will set out air and health back to the time of the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. We will be living in early 1900 Pittsburgh-esque cities where the sky's will be black and we will be breathing in large amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, as well as other harmful chemicals, from the burning of coal.
The big thing now that many in our government are pushing for is Natural Gas. Within the last five years, the discovery of the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits have sent energy corporations in a frenzy to figure out how to acquire the gas. This deposit covers the most of the Appalachian region of the United States and is said to have close to 100 years worth of natural gas stored in it. The problem though, is how to acquire it. The most recent method is through Hydraulic Fracturing; this is the process of extracting gas from the ground by pumping freshwater, mixed with over 600 chemicals to break apart the ground, which then releases the gas for extraction. Unfortunately, the issue here is the part about the water being mixed with over 600 chemicals; 632 to be exact. Scientists and doctors have discovered that of the chemicals used, close to 25% can cause cancer (Colborn). Another issue is that in some regions where Hydraulic Fracturing, or Fracking as it is known, is being practiced, many of these chemicals are finding their way into local water sources, which are being consumed by the citizens living in that area. Many states are now cracking down on Fracking; in fact Vermont recently banned the process all together. As more research is done on the issue, we may see more states ban Fracking as studies are conducted on the health issues associated with it. Now, the main states, which will be the focus of the Fracking debate, due to the amount of gas deposits in those respective states, are Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. This is not something that environmentalists want to see. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are currently two of the United States leading coal producers and are more than willing to add the natural gasindustry to their state economies.
The big thing now that many in our government are pushing for is Natural Gas. Within the last five years, the discovery of the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits have sent energy corporations in a frenzy to figure out how to acquire the gas. This deposit covers the most of the Appalachian region of the United States and is said to have close to 100 years worth of natural gas stored in it. The problem though, is how to acquire it. The most recent method is through Hydraulic Fracturing; this is the process of extracting gas from the ground by pumping freshwater, mixed with over 600 chemicals to break apart the ground, which then releases the gas for extraction. Unfortunately, the issue here is the part about the water being mixed with over 600 chemicals; 632 to be exact. Scientists and doctors have discovered that of the chemicals used, close to 25% can cause cancer (Colborn). Another issue is that in some regions where Hydraulic Fracturing, or Fracking as it is known, is being practiced, many of these chemicals are finding their way into local water sources, which are being consumed by the citizens living in that area. Many states are now cracking down on Fracking; in fact Vermont recently banned the process all together. As more research is done on the issue, we may see more states ban Fracking as studies are conducted on the health issues associated with it. Now, the main states, which will be the focus of the Fracking debate, due to the amount of gas deposits in those respective states, are Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. This is not something that environmentalists want to see. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are currently two of the United States leading coal producers and are more than willing to add the natural gasindustry to their state economies.
But like Oil, and all fossil fuels, natural gas will eventually run out. The 100 year estimate is the best-case-scenario meaning that this number is the total of all POTENTIAL;t here have been some estimates that put the level of natural gas deposits in the US at only 11 years worth of gas (based on the proven deposits), hardly enough of an estimate to go through the trouble of acquiring it and putting human health at risk. What do we do after that though? What will America and the world do when ALL fossil fuels are depleted? Believe me, this is no fantasy, it will happen and it is going to happen much sooner than what some think.
There is only one solution to this, besides going to war for resources, which will also most likely happen within the next 50 years. But the solution is simple: Clean Alternative Energy. When some read that line, I'm sure there will be a few "Whoa, that’s for you green freaks." Wrong, that is what most of the world is in the process of transitioning to. It took millions and millions of years for the natural world to produce the fossil fuels that we are so close to using up and once that is done, this is the only type of energy that we will have on planet Earth for the years to come. That means solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, bio-fuels, nuclear and ocean energy. Sooner or later, we will all be forced to change our ways and the way we currently live life. There will be uproar, protest and disgust, but it is our own fault. I was once told, "when you point your finger at someone, you have four pointed right back at you." We mustn't wait until 100 or so years down the road, when we have no sources of energy, to change our ways, we must change now. I will be the first one to admit that I didn't want to do it. I used to have a Ford F-150 that got 7 mile per gallon; I thought I was the cool guy riding in this massive vehicle that was not only eating my wallet, but also destroying the environment. When my international friends came to visit, they would see my truck and say that "it was the biggest personal vehicle they had ever seen” That all changed when they saw aFord F-250 on the road and again when it was a Ford F-350 - All cars that we can own if we want to. But his comments made me think, we are one of the only countries in the world with people who own commodities such as the massive vehicles, yachts and other energy eating machines.
We currently have the ability and technology to transition our current coal-burning power plants, oil refineries and natural gas plants into power plants outfitted to handle these alternative energy sources. Many believe that completely transitioning to alternative energy will cause job loses; I believe it is the exact opposite. We will still need people working at each power plant, jobs will not be lost there. Jobs will actually be created during this transitioning period, and continuously as the years go on. The demand will be extremely high for workers to not only create and install the products and machinery to acquire energy, but to also operate and maintain the windmills, solar panels, etc. I believe that hundreds of thousands, if not millions of jobs, could be created if our nation turned onto alternative energy. It is not just steel workers and mechanics, but physicists, engineers, electricians, and more, that will be needed. The United States will most likely need a larger amount of alternative energy plants around the country meaning more workers than there currently are. This could solve the "Job Crisis" that our nation currently faces.
We currently have the ability and technology to transition our current coal-burning power plants, oil refineries and natural gas plants into power plants outfitted to handle these alternative energy sources. Many believe that completely transitioning to alternative energy will cause job loses; I believe it is the exact opposite. We will still need people working at each power plant, jobs will not be lost there. Jobs will actually be created during this transitioning period, and continuously as the years go on. The demand will be extremely high for workers to not only create and install the products and machinery to acquire energy, but to also operate and maintain the windmills, solar panels, etc. I believe that hundreds of thousands, if not millions of jobs, could be created if our nation turned onto alternative energy. It is not just steel workers and mechanics, but physicists, engineers, electricians, and more, that will be needed. The United States will most likely need a larger amount of alternative energy plants around the country meaning more workers than there currently are. This could solve the "Job Crisis" that our nation currently faces.
Americans frown upon and make fun of those with the small cars - the Prius' and Chevy Volt's - because it isn't American. Well soon enough, those people who own those cars are going to be laughing at the "Real American's" when they can afford to drive, when there is almost no oil to produce gasoline, and when they can drive because they purchased a Chevy Volt (which can run off of electricity) at a reasonable price and finally, before electric vehicles are the only cars being sold, most likely at prices double of the current Volt prices due to high demand. What we see as the American Dream now, the ability to buy all of these lavish items, will soon be a memory of the past. We are seeing this in Europe, where cars are becoming smaller, more fuel-efficient and are capable of running on sources other than gasoline. High gas prices are due to American's demand and the manipulative nature of the Big Oil Industry. America and Americans must become more accepting of the fact that alternative energy is our future, NOT OIL like Romney and other Republicans might say. The fact of the matter is that Americans must decrease energy consumption and invest in alternative energies now, before prices keep rising and we eventually have no fossil fuels left to use. It will be a much easier transition for all of us if we voluntarily change, rather than being forced to change.
I really hope that after reading this,you truly think about the future of America, of the environment and most importantly of your families’ future generations. While you may not be here, they certainly will and they will be the ones dealing with the burden of the future of the worlds energy issues, the ones fighting wars over oil, gas and coal and the ones who may not survive because there is no energy left to produce food, or clean the water and air.
Caruso, Guy.
"EIA." When Will World Oil Production Peak?. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 June
2012. <www.eia.gov/neic/speeches/caruso061305.pdf>.
Colborn, Theo,
Carol Kwiatkowski, Kim Schultz, and Mary Bachran. "Natural Gas
Operations from a Public Health Perspective." Human &
Ecological Risk Assessment 17.5 (2011): 1039-1056. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
EIA. "EIA." Short-Term Energy Outlook.
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2012.
<www.marcon.com/library/articles/2012/PDF_Articles/Short%20Term%20Energy.pdf>.
OPEC. "OPEC." World Oil Outlook 2011.
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2012.
<www.opec.org/opec_web/static_files_project/media/downloads/publications/WOO_2011.pdf>.
Tompson, T., J. Benz, J. Broz, M. Kozey, J. Agiesta,
and D. Junius. "Energy Use in the
United States." AP NORC. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 June 2012.
<www.apnorc.org/Common/pdfs/AP-NORC-Energy-Report.pdf>.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Volcom Fiji Pro: Final Days
Day 5:
Round 5:
The Volcom Fiji Pro returned to Cloudbreak (where it would stay and finish out the contest) on Day 5 to kick off Round 5. The heats of Round 5 went as so: Heat 1: Damien Hobgood/Mick Fanning; Heat 2: Taj Burrow/Joel Parkinson; Heat 3: Owen Wright/Julian Wilson; Heat 4: CJ Hobgood/Heitor Alves. My picks for this round were Damien, Taj, Julian and CJ. I went 3 for 4.
The day opened up with Damo and Mick in 6-8 foot Cloudbreak perfection. It was a relatively low scoring heat given the quality of the waves that were out there. Damo opened up with a 3.67 and earned a 4.87 later in the heat. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to overcome Mick who scored a 4.5 and followed that wave up with a 5.67. Mick moved on to the quarter finals where he would meet John John who has absolutely torn apart everyone he had been matched up against.
Heat 2 was Taj and Parko. Parko, at the time, was ASP number 1. With a win here, he could pull away in the rankings and making it a very strong possibility to win the World Title this year. Taj on the other hand has been surfing extremely strong all event. His back side surfing is some of the best on tour and he was not going to let Parko move on without a fight. I had a feeling that if anyone was going to stop Parko, it was going to be Taj in this heat. Both Taj and Parko surfed extremely well all heat, but Taj really put the pressure on Parko after he opened up the heat with an 8.5. Parko answered back with a 7.0 and soon after, a 6.0. It was now Taj who was feeling the pressure and needing a big score. A nice runner came to him and he was able to get the score he needed, a 7.53, moving Taj into the quarterfinals and ending Parko's run in the Volcom Fiji Pro. Taj would then face Gabriel Medina.
Next up was two young guns who have been surfing better than ever all event, especially Julian Wilson. Wilson took on goofy-footer Owen Wilson in Heat 3. I have been saying all event that Julian needed a strong result here to give him the momentum that he has been lacking all year. Julian pretty much ended the heat early on earning two high 7's (a 7.0 and 7.83). Owen was looking for scores to beat Wilson, but he could not get it going. He scored a 5.6 and 6.4 which also ended his chances at winning. Wilson advanced to the quarters where he would face Kelly Slater.
The last heat of Round 5 was CJ Hobgood and Brazilian Heitor Alves. CJ blew Heitor out of the water in this heat. Heitor could not find the waves he needed and CJ threw down two excellent scores, an 7.5 early on and an 8.07 towards the end of the heat. CJ advanced where he would take on Adriano de Souza in the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals:
Competition was called off after the first two quarterfinal heats due to sketchy winds. But the two heats that did run were shockers in my eyes.
Heat 1 was John John and Mick. Florence has been scoring massive heat totals all event and has been surfing like an expert out here at Cloudbreak. I was expecting him to do the same in his heat against Mick, but it did not happen. Mick surfed arguably his best all event in this heat. Mick took it to him early on and lured John John into bad waves. It was very smart competition surfing and it showed the veteran side of Fanning and the rookie side of John John. Mick scored a 7.93 and 8.67 which was more than enough to overcome John John, who only scored a 4.33 and 4.77, one of the lowest heat totals for him all year.
Heat 2 was extremely close; I saw Taj winning this due to his experience here, but Medina proved not only me, but many fans of the surf world wrong. Both started the heat with two 7's (Taj a 7.03 and Medina a 7.00). Each surfers next wave was an average score. Medina backed his score up with a 6.6 making a win by Taj a strong possibility. Unfortunately, Taj could not find a wave after that to beat Medina. Medina moved on to face Mick Fanning in the semifinal heat 1.
_____________________________________
Day 6:
On the final day of competition, we saw the last two quarterfinal heats, the semi's and the final. Every heat was exciting and massive scores were everywhere.
The say started off with Julian Wilson, who had beat out favorite Owen Wilson in Round 5, and Kelly Slater. It's sad to say, but this was no match for Kelly. Kelly opened up the heat with an 8.67; Julian only caught 3 waves all heat, a 6.93 backed up by a .93. No one really saw this surfing by Julian coming, he has been surfing extremely well all contest, but just could manage to find himself on this day. He managed to place equal 5th in the event, a much needed result and a confidence builder going into Tahiti. Kelly solidified his win of the heat by posting an almost perfect, 9.9 after receiving 10's from 3 of the 5 judges.
The last heat of the quarters was CJ and Adriano. I felt that CJ could not only win this heat, but win the event if he went on to beat Adriano. de Souza started the heat with an 8.83 and soon managed to score a 6.93, putting pressure on CJ who had only had a 6.17. In need of a massive score to advance to the semi's, CJ found a gem, and boy was this the wave he needed. He scored a 9.97 to move on to the semi's where he would face Kelly Slater to go to the finals.
Semi-Final's:
Heat 1 of the semi's was Mick Fanning and Gabriel Medina. Goofy versus regular (same as the next heat of CJ and Kelly). In a shocking result, Mick lost to Medina; Mick only managed to score a 1.67 and 4.90. Medina once again beat another veteran to move on in the event. At this point, some believed that this could be his event to win.
Next up was Kelly and CJ, two legends and expert surfers at Cloudbreak. Kelly did what Kelly does. Slater comboed CJ after scoring an almost perfect heat with a 10 and 9.5. It was another heat that proved why Kelly is the best surfer in the world. It seems that no one can eliminate him from an event anymore.
Finals:
It would be Kelly and Medina in the finals. At this point, Kelly has yet to beat Medina in a WCT heat. This final was over before it even started. Kelly only caught two waves in the final. It was enough to beat out Gabriel Medina after Kelly was awarded an 8.33 on his opening wave and a 9.83 on his next wave. The level at which Kelly was surfing was unbelievable. Many surfers, including Taj Burrow, said this was the best contest that Kelly has ever surfed. It seems that he has yet to reach his peak. At 40 years old, he is doing turns that the rest of the WCT surfers only wish they could do. He is getting deeper than anyone in the barrel. Can he do it again? Can he win his 12TH World Title this year?
On a side note, this event made me reevaluate my views towards Gabriel Medina. To be honest, I have not been a fan of him since he came on tour. I thought that he was a one sided surfer who could only excel in punchy beach-breaks and do airs. But after the Volcom Fiji Pro, he has proved to the world, and me, that he has a much deeper repertoire than that. Even Kelly is saying that this kid is the future. Kelly seems to be having rivalries with everyone these days, Josh Kerr, Owen Wilson and you can now add Gabriel Medina to that list. Medina has surfed like a maniac all event. So props to him and thank you for proving me wrong. I am interested to see how he will do in Tahiti at Teahupoo.
This contest greatly rearranged the World Rankings. Mick Fanning moved from second to first, Kelly jumped from 7th to 2nd and Parko is now 3rd. Mick and Kelly are only separated by about 1000 points, which is virtually nothing. Julian Wilson and Owen Wright are back in the top ten. Also, this result by Gabriel Medina catapulted him from 29th to 13th in the world. Volcom put on the contest of the year so far - big upsets, 10's everywhere, barrels, big turns and endless barrels. I hope to see this event back next year.
Here are the final two day recap videos:
Round 5:
The Volcom Fiji Pro returned to Cloudbreak (where it would stay and finish out the contest) on Day 5 to kick off Round 5. The heats of Round 5 went as so: Heat 1: Damien Hobgood/Mick Fanning; Heat 2: Taj Burrow/Joel Parkinson; Heat 3: Owen Wright/Julian Wilson; Heat 4: CJ Hobgood/Heitor Alves. My picks for this round were Damien, Taj, Julian and CJ. I went 3 for 4.
The day opened up with Damo and Mick in 6-8 foot Cloudbreak perfection. It was a relatively low scoring heat given the quality of the waves that were out there. Damo opened up with a 3.67 and earned a 4.87 later in the heat. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to overcome Mick who scored a 4.5 and followed that wave up with a 5.67. Mick moved on to the quarter finals where he would meet John John who has absolutely torn apart everyone he had been matched up against.
Heat 2 was Taj and Parko. Parko, at the time, was ASP number 1. With a win here, he could pull away in the rankings and making it a very strong possibility to win the World Title this year. Taj on the other hand has been surfing extremely strong all event. His back side surfing is some of the best on tour and he was not going to let Parko move on without a fight. I had a feeling that if anyone was going to stop Parko, it was going to be Taj in this heat. Both Taj and Parko surfed extremely well all heat, but Taj really put the pressure on Parko after he opened up the heat with an 8.5. Parko answered back with a 7.0 and soon after, a 6.0. It was now Taj who was feeling the pressure and needing a big score. A nice runner came to him and he was able to get the score he needed, a 7.53, moving Taj into the quarterfinals and ending Parko's run in the Volcom Fiji Pro. Taj would then face Gabriel Medina.
Next up was two young guns who have been surfing better than ever all event, especially Julian Wilson. Wilson took on goofy-footer Owen Wilson in Heat 3. I have been saying all event that Julian needed a strong result here to give him the momentum that he has been lacking all year. Julian pretty much ended the heat early on earning two high 7's (a 7.0 and 7.83). Owen was looking for scores to beat Wilson, but he could not get it going. He scored a 5.6 and 6.4 which also ended his chances at winning. Wilson advanced to the quarters where he would face Kelly Slater.
The last heat of Round 5 was CJ Hobgood and Brazilian Heitor Alves. CJ blew Heitor out of the water in this heat. Heitor could not find the waves he needed and CJ threw down two excellent scores, an 7.5 early on and an 8.07 towards the end of the heat. CJ advanced where he would take on Adriano de Souza in the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals:
Competition was called off after the first two quarterfinal heats due to sketchy winds. But the two heats that did run were shockers in my eyes.
Heat 1 was John John and Mick. Florence has been scoring massive heat totals all event and has been surfing like an expert out here at Cloudbreak. I was expecting him to do the same in his heat against Mick, but it did not happen. Mick surfed arguably his best all event in this heat. Mick took it to him early on and lured John John into bad waves. It was very smart competition surfing and it showed the veteran side of Fanning and the rookie side of John John. Mick scored a 7.93 and 8.67 which was more than enough to overcome John John, who only scored a 4.33 and 4.77, one of the lowest heat totals for him all year.
Heat 2 was extremely close; I saw Taj winning this due to his experience here, but Medina proved not only me, but many fans of the surf world wrong. Both started the heat with two 7's (Taj a 7.03 and Medina a 7.00). Each surfers next wave was an average score. Medina backed his score up with a 6.6 making a win by Taj a strong possibility. Unfortunately, Taj could not find a wave after that to beat Medina. Medina moved on to face Mick Fanning in the semifinal heat 1.
_____________________________________
Day 6:
On the final day of competition, we saw the last two quarterfinal heats, the semi's and the final. Every heat was exciting and massive scores were everywhere.
The say started off with Julian Wilson, who had beat out favorite Owen Wilson in Round 5, and Kelly Slater. It's sad to say, but this was no match for Kelly. Kelly opened up the heat with an 8.67; Julian only caught 3 waves all heat, a 6.93 backed up by a .93. No one really saw this surfing by Julian coming, he has been surfing extremely well all contest, but just could manage to find himself on this day. He managed to place equal 5th in the event, a much needed result and a confidence builder going into Tahiti. Kelly solidified his win of the heat by posting an almost perfect, 9.9 after receiving 10's from 3 of the 5 judges.
The last heat of the quarters was CJ and Adriano. I felt that CJ could not only win this heat, but win the event if he went on to beat Adriano. de Souza started the heat with an 8.83 and soon managed to score a 6.93, putting pressure on CJ who had only had a 6.17. In need of a massive score to advance to the semi's, CJ found a gem, and boy was this the wave he needed. He scored a 9.97 to move on to the semi's where he would face Kelly Slater to go to the finals.
Semi-Final's:
Heat 1 of the semi's was Mick Fanning and Gabriel Medina. Goofy versus regular (same as the next heat of CJ and Kelly). In a shocking result, Mick lost to Medina; Mick only managed to score a 1.67 and 4.90. Medina once again beat another veteran to move on in the event. At this point, some believed that this could be his event to win.
Next up was Kelly and CJ, two legends and expert surfers at Cloudbreak. Kelly did what Kelly does. Slater comboed CJ after scoring an almost perfect heat with a 10 and 9.5. It was another heat that proved why Kelly is the best surfer in the world. It seems that no one can eliminate him from an event anymore.
Finals:
It would be Kelly and Medina in the finals. At this point, Kelly has yet to beat Medina in a WCT heat. This final was over before it even started. Kelly only caught two waves in the final. It was enough to beat out Gabriel Medina after Kelly was awarded an 8.33 on his opening wave and a 9.83 on his next wave. The level at which Kelly was surfing was unbelievable. Many surfers, including Taj Burrow, said this was the best contest that Kelly has ever surfed. It seems that he has yet to reach his peak. At 40 years old, he is doing turns that the rest of the WCT surfers only wish they could do. He is getting deeper than anyone in the barrel. Can he do it again? Can he win his 12TH World Title this year?
On a side note, this event made me reevaluate my views towards Gabriel Medina. To be honest, I have not been a fan of him since he came on tour. I thought that he was a one sided surfer who could only excel in punchy beach-breaks and do airs. But after the Volcom Fiji Pro, he has proved to the world, and me, that he has a much deeper repertoire than that. Even Kelly is saying that this kid is the future. Kelly seems to be having rivalries with everyone these days, Josh Kerr, Owen Wilson and you can now add Gabriel Medina to that list. Medina has surfed like a maniac all event. So props to him and thank you for proving me wrong. I am interested to see how he will do in Tahiti at Teahupoo.
This contest greatly rearranged the World Rankings. Mick Fanning moved from second to first, Kelly jumped from 7th to 2nd and Parko is now 3rd. Mick and Kelly are only separated by about 1000 points, which is virtually nothing. Julian Wilson and Owen Wright are back in the top ten. Also, this result by Gabriel Medina catapulted him from 29th to 13th in the world. Volcom put on the contest of the year so far - big upsets, 10's everywhere, barrels, big turns and endless barrels. I hope to see this event back next year.
Here are the final two day recap videos:
Day 5
Day 6
Some pictures (Surfline.com)
I hope you all enjoyed my coverage of the Volcom Fiji Pro event. Be on the lookout for my preview of the Billabong Pro Tahiti which will come out soon. Also keep an eye out for some really good environmental posts that I am in the process of putting together right now. Don't forget to leave comments, "like" the Facebook page (top left of the site), take the Worn Trails survey (top right of the page) and finally, SUBSCRIBE TO THE SITE!!!
spread the word and thank you all, enjoy.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Volcom Fiji Pro: Day 4
After answering the publics call and holding the remainder of Round 2 at Cloudbreak the other day, Volcom and the ASP decided to hold Round 3 and 4 at Restaurants. It was the right call as the winds were not cooperating at Cloudbreak. Both Kai Otton and Bede Durbidge won their Round 2 heats pushing them through to Round 3.
We opened up the day with perfect 4-6+ foot Restaurants. For those who have never seen this wave, it really is the epitome of perfect. Reeling lefts that go for hundreds of yards with the ability to let a surfer get three barrels on one wave. My Round 3 picks were so off, but then again, I was under the impression that the contest would be held at Cloudbreak when I made that call. Nonetheless, Restaurants was unreal and I could not turn away from the contest. The first heat of the day was Taj Burrow and Bede Durbidge. Taj put it to Bede early, opening up with an 8.83. From there Taj went on to earn a 6.17. Bede never really got it going until late in the heat unfortunately; with only earning a 6.83 and a 3.17, Bede's run ended.
Heat 2 was all about John John Florence. I have a strong feeling that he will win this contest. The way he looks in the water is unlike any other. Dane Reynolds tweeted yesterday calling John John, "the present, and the future" while also saying that Kelly Slater is "the past...present and future" I think the comparison between Kelly and John John is extremely appropriate. He is still in the building blocks, but with each contest, he is looking more and more dangerous out in the water. John John posted an almost perfect 19.30, making it the highest heat total of the day. After a slow start, only earning a 1 and 2 for his first two waves, John John went on to post a 9.5 and 9.8 giving Ace Buchan no chance at winning the heat.
Next up was Damo Hobgood and Josh Kerr. Kerr sustained a Grade 2 tear in his ankle on the first day of competition, but proved that it would no affect his surfing as he beat Taylor Knox in his Round 2 heat. I was hoping that Kerr would prevail, but he was unfortunately matched up with Fiji legend Damien Hobgood, who 24 hours earlier was charging 20 foot Cloudbreak with the world's best big wave surfers. The Hobgoods are looking dangerous. It is almost impossible to say that so-and-so will win this contest because he looks the best out there. Almost every surfer left in the contest, to me, has the ability to win this contest IF it remains at Restaurants.
ASP No. 2 Mick Fanning took on Tiago Pires in Heat 4. It was no match for Mick here - Tiago was only able to post a 2.36, the lowest of the day. It seemed as if he too could not get it going. Fanning set the tone early posting a 7.77 on his third wave.
Heat 5 consisted of the two young Brazilians, Gabriel Medina and Alejo Muniz. Medina found the waves in this heat earning an 8.0 early on and a 7.93 at the end of the heat. He only needed the 8.0 as Muniz was only able to put together a 3.83 and 3.97. Medina looks like he feels really comfortable in the medium sized surf here at Restaurants. Like many of the rookies on tour, he has never surfed Tavarua before, but he is surfing as if he is a regular here. He is so tuned in to the wave that he is almost mastering it.
The next to heats were the heats of the day to me. In Heat 6, ASP no. 1 Joel Parkinson took on event wildcard Mitch Coleborn. On Day 1, Coleborn beat 11-time world champ Kelly Slater along with Kai Otton on a last second drainer at Cloudbreak. Today he had the pleasure of taking on the number 1 ranked surfer on Tour. Parko was not going to give this away. On his second wave, Parkinson dropped in on a runner and earned himself a 9.5. Until his last wave, Parko had the 9.5 and a 4.67. Coleborn didn't get going until the middle of the heat after posting a few low scoring waves. He finally earned a 6.0 putting him right back in the mix. The two had an amazing exchange on their last waves. Coleborn needed an 8.18 to take the lead and eliminate Parko from the event. Right before Coleborn caught his wave, Parko managed to catch a perfect Restaurants wave underneath Coleborn's priority. Parko did was he always does and showed us why he is number 1 right now. A perfect backside tube ride put the pressure on Coleborn to do something amazing. He new that he would most likely need a higher score than 8.18; in the dying seconds, Coleborn caught a wave just before the buzzer sounded and got his score - a 9.0. Unfortunately, it would do him no justice as Parko earned an 8.5 sending him to Round 4. It was an unbelievable run for Mitch Coleborn. This result will do him wonders in the rankings. He proved that he can hang with the big boys and has the ability to beat the best. We could see him doing big things in the near future. I am sure that this result will push him to do better in the coming contests and make it on Tour.
Heat 7 was all time. Kelly Slater and good friend Freddy Pattachia. Freddy is arguably one of the best frontside tube-riders in the world. He was excited for the challenge to take on the world's best surfer, but knew that it would be no easy task...And it wasn't. Kelly Slater ended the heat on his first two waves. As the horn sounded to start the heat, he caught a perfect wave and earned a 9.27 and then quickly backed that score up with an 8.87. Freddy didn't give up after that, he tried to fight back earning a 5.0 (which I thought was very underscored) and a 7.5 (questionable as well). This was a good result for Freddy after being eliminated early on in Brazil. Hopefully he has the chance to surf Teahupoo - another wave that he could be dangerous in.
In Heat 8, Jeremy Flores was upset by Brazilian Heitor Alves - the current underdog in the contest. Flores expressed his frustration via Twitter after the heat calling it "one of his worst performances ever." An unexpected loss, but I am happy that I made the choice of replacing him for CJ Hobgood prior to the the start of the event.
Next up was Owen Wright and Brett Simpson. Wright absolutely put a beating on Simpo posting a 19.27 over Simpson's 4.00. We all know that Owen is more than capable of reaching the finals, especially in a tricky reef break such as the waves on Tavarua (note: Owen took on Kelly in pumping Teahupoo in 2011). Look out for Owen here as well. Like I said, no one can comfortably say that one surfer will win because there are too many capable - Owen is one of them.
In the 3rd "Heat of the Day" CJ Hobgood took on Jordy Smith. In this heat, the first of THREE perfect 10's were awarded out. This one to CJ. Jordy lost out by .2 points in the closest heat of the day. CJ quickly backed up his score with a 7.33. Props to Jordy though for hanging in with the other Fiji legend and posting an 8.0 on his first wave, and a 9.13 later in the heat.
Julian Wilson, as I have been saying this entire event, is looking like the Julian Wilson that many said could win the World Title this year. While it will be extremely hard to win this year, Julian could very well get the result that he needs to jump start his race for the Title, be it this year or next year. Unlike many of the surfers who find early, high-scoring waves, Julian didn't find his two waves until the end of the heat when he earned a 7.33 and 8.0 on his last two waves. His opponent in this heat was Miguel Pupo who got here by upsetting Matt Wilkinson in Round 2.
Round 2 ended with Adriano de Souza and Kai Otton, who got here by beating out Raoni Monteiro (Monteiro sustained an injury while trying to escape a wave through the doggy door on what would have most likely been a 10 ride at massive Cloudbreak the other day). If this contest was held at Cloudbreak I believe that Otton would have bettered de Souza, but Restaurants is a wave suited for de Souza's surfing. It was a good heat as the two exchanged scores, but it was Adriano who would eventually prevail and move on to the non-elimination Round 4.
ROUND 4:
Talk about stacked heats. Round 4 could be the most exciting heats of the year so far. Heat 1: Damien Hobgood, Taj Burrow and John John Florence. Heat 2: Mick Fanning, Gabriel Medina, Joel Parkinson. Heat 3: Kelly Slater, Heitor Alves, Owen Wright. Heat 4: CJ Hobgood, Julian Wilson, Adriano de Souza. Every heat was full of action and high scoring waves.
In Heat 1, we saw the second of 3 perfect 10's awarded - this one to John John Florence. John John once again proved that he is a serious contender for this contest. With the exception of the 10, John John had an extremely low scoring heat with his backup score being a 3.17. This was one of the lower scoring heats; no one scored higher than Damo's 6.77 (with the exception of John John). John John solidified his spot in the quarterfinals, whereas Taj and Damien will have to surf in the elimination Round 5.
The world number 1 and 2 battled it out in Heat 2 to move on to the quarters safely. Oddly enough, neither of them won and it was Gabriel Medina who managed to beat the two veterans. Medina posted two high 7's to move on, but it was Parko who posted yet another high 9 (9.5). Parko and Fanning will now have to compete in Round 5 to attempt to continue on in this contest.
Next up was Kelly, Heitor Alves and Owen Wright. Kelly and Owen continued their building rivalry here in Round 4. Kelly was awarded the 3rd perfect 10 - unanimous across the board - of the day on his opening wave of the heat. From there, Slater went on to score an 8.33 later in the heat and sending Wright and Alves into Round 5. Owen did not let Kelly win this without a fight as he posted a respectable 9.4 and an 8.5.
In the final heat of the day, it was Brazilian Adriano de Souza who beat out Julian and CJ, sending himself to the quarterfinals. In one of the lower scoring heats of the day, the surfers were unable to manage to get much over a 2 other than their highest scored waves. Julian Wilson put together a 5.5 and 4.9, CJ a 6.5 and 6.3; de Souza a 7.0 and 6.4. Other than that, it was low scoring with the exception of one or two of Adriano's waves. The waves seemed to get a little questionable at the end of the day which could be the reason for the lack of high scores in this heat.
ROUND 5 Preview:
I didn't think we could see more excitement in a round of heats than we saw in Round 4...BUT there is. Round 5 is looking to be epic to say the least. Heat 1: Damien Hobgood/Mick Fanning. Heat 2: Taj Burrow/Joel Parkinson. Heat 3: Owen Wright/Julian Wilson. Heat 4: CJ Hobgood/Heitor Alves.
There are some very big and very important heats that could significantly affect the World Title race. These are my picks for the round: Damo, Taj, Julian, CJ. All close heats, very close. I do not see one heat that will be a blow out. The forecast is looking strong and there seems to be a new pulse of swell filling in around the middle of next week. It will be interesting to see if they keep it at Restaurants or move it back to Cloudbreak.
I still have half of my Fantasy Surfer remaining (Julian, John John, Kelly, CJ). If all four place in the quarters, I could get some serious points here. How are your teams looking and what are your thoughts on the contest so far? Thoughts about the upcoming heats?
Leave comments!
Here is the video recap of Day 4 as well as Day 3 and clips of the massive Cloudbreak free surf. Enjoy.
We opened up the day with perfect 4-6+ foot Restaurants. For those who have never seen this wave, it really is the epitome of perfect. Reeling lefts that go for hundreds of yards with the ability to let a surfer get three barrels on one wave. My Round 3 picks were so off, but then again, I was under the impression that the contest would be held at Cloudbreak when I made that call. Nonetheless, Restaurants was unreal and I could not turn away from the contest. The first heat of the day was Taj Burrow and Bede Durbidge. Taj put it to Bede early, opening up with an 8.83. From there Taj went on to earn a 6.17. Bede never really got it going until late in the heat unfortunately; with only earning a 6.83 and a 3.17, Bede's run ended.
Heat 2 was all about John John Florence. I have a strong feeling that he will win this contest. The way he looks in the water is unlike any other. Dane Reynolds tweeted yesterday calling John John, "the present, and the future" while also saying that Kelly Slater is "the past...present and future" I think the comparison between Kelly and John John is extremely appropriate. He is still in the building blocks, but with each contest, he is looking more and more dangerous out in the water. John John posted an almost perfect 19.30, making it the highest heat total of the day. After a slow start, only earning a 1 and 2 for his first two waves, John John went on to post a 9.5 and 9.8 giving Ace Buchan no chance at winning the heat.
Next up was Damo Hobgood and Josh Kerr. Kerr sustained a Grade 2 tear in his ankle on the first day of competition, but proved that it would no affect his surfing as he beat Taylor Knox in his Round 2 heat. I was hoping that Kerr would prevail, but he was unfortunately matched up with Fiji legend Damien Hobgood, who 24 hours earlier was charging 20 foot Cloudbreak with the world's best big wave surfers. The Hobgoods are looking dangerous. It is almost impossible to say that so-and-so will win this contest because he looks the best out there. Almost every surfer left in the contest, to me, has the ability to win this contest IF it remains at Restaurants.
ASP No. 2 Mick Fanning took on Tiago Pires in Heat 4. It was no match for Mick here - Tiago was only able to post a 2.36, the lowest of the day. It seemed as if he too could not get it going. Fanning set the tone early posting a 7.77 on his third wave.
Heat 5 consisted of the two young Brazilians, Gabriel Medina and Alejo Muniz. Medina found the waves in this heat earning an 8.0 early on and a 7.93 at the end of the heat. He only needed the 8.0 as Muniz was only able to put together a 3.83 and 3.97. Medina looks like he feels really comfortable in the medium sized surf here at Restaurants. Like many of the rookies on tour, he has never surfed Tavarua before, but he is surfing as if he is a regular here. He is so tuned in to the wave that he is almost mastering it.
The next to heats were the heats of the day to me. In Heat 6, ASP no. 1 Joel Parkinson took on event wildcard Mitch Coleborn. On Day 1, Coleborn beat 11-time world champ Kelly Slater along with Kai Otton on a last second drainer at Cloudbreak. Today he had the pleasure of taking on the number 1 ranked surfer on Tour. Parko was not going to give this away. On his second wave, Parkinson dropped in on a runner and earned himself a 9.5. Until his last wave, Parko had the 9.5 and a 4.67. Coleborn didn't get going until the middle of the heat after posting a few low scoring waves. He finally earned a 6.0 putting him right back in the mix. The two had an amazing exchange on their last waves. Coleborn needed an 8.18 to take the lead and eliminate Parko from the event. Right before Coleborn caught his wave, Parko managed to catch a perfect Restaurants wave underneath Coleborn's priority. Parko did was he always does and showed us why he is number 1 right now. A perfect backside tube ride put the pressure on Coleborn to do something amazing. He new that he would most likely need a higher score than 8.18; in the dying seconds, Coleborn caught a wave just before the buzzer sounded and got his score - a 9.0. Unfortunately, it would do him no justice as Parko earned an 8.5 sending him to Round 4. It was an unbelievable run for Mitch Coleborn. This result will do him wonders in the rankings. He proved that he can hang with the big boys and has the ability to beat the best. We could see him doing big things in the near future. I am sure that this result will push him to do better in the coming contests and make it on Tour.
Heat 7 was all time. Kelly Slater and good friend Freddy Pattachia. Freddy is arguably one of the best frontside tube-riders in the world. He was excited for the challenge to take on the world's best surfer, but knew that it would be no easy task...And it wasn't. Kelly Slater ended the heat on his first two waves. As the horn sounded to start the heat, he caught a perfect wave and earned a 9.27 and then quickly backed that score up with an 8.87. Freddy didn't give up after that, he tried to fight back earning a 5.0 (which I thought was very underscored) and a 7.5 (questionable as well). This was a good result for Freddy after being eliminated early on in Brazil. Hopefully he has the chance to surf Teahupoo - another wave that he could be dangerous in.
In Heat 8, Jeremy Flores was upset by Brazilian Heitor Alves - the current underdog in the contest. Flores expressed his frustration via Twitter after the heat calling it "one of his worst performances ever." An unexpected loss, but I am happy that I made the choice of replacing him for CJ Hobgood prior to the the start of the event.
Next up was Owen Wright and Brett Simpson. Wright absolutely put a beating on Simpo posting a 19.27 over Simpson's 4.00. We all know that Owen is more than capable of reaching the finals, especially in a tricky reef break such as the waves on Tavarua (note: Owen took on Kelly in pumping Teahupoo in 2011). Look out for Owen here as well. Like I said, no one can comfortably say that one surfer will win because there are too many capable - Owen is one of them.
In the 3rd "Heat of the Day" CJ Hobgood took on Jordy Smith. In this heat, the first of THREE perfect 10's were awarded out. This one to CJ. Jordy lost out by .2 points in the closest heat of the day. CJ quickly backed up his score with a 7.33. Props to Jordy though for hanging in with the other Fiji legend and posting an 8.0 on his first wave, and a 9.13 later in the heat.
Julian Wilson, as I have been saying this entire event, is looking like the Julian Wilson that many said could win the World Title this year. While it will be extremely hard to win this year, Julian could very well get the result that he needs to jump start his race for the Title, be it this year or next year. Unlike many of the surfers who find early, high-scoring waves, Julian didn't find his two waves until the end of the heat when he earned a 7.33 and 8.0 on his last two waves. His opponent in this heat was Miguel Pupo who got here by upsetting Matt Wilkinson in Round 2.
Round 2 ended with Adriano de Souza and Kai Otton, who got here by beating out Raoni Monteiro (Monteiro sustained an injury while trying to escape a wave through the doggy door on what would have most likely been a 10 ride at massive Cloudbreak the other day). If this contest was held at Cloudbreak I believe that Otton would have bettered de Souza, but Restaurants is a wave suited for de Souza's surfing. It was a good heat as the two exchanged scores, but it was Adriano who would eventually prevail and move on to the non-elimination Round 4.
ROUND 4:
Talk about stacked heats. Round 4 could be the most exciting heats of the year so far. Heat 1: Damien Hobgood, Taj Burrow and John John Florence. Heat 2: Mick Fanning, Gabriel Medina, Joel Parkinson. Heat 3: Kelly Slater, Heitor Alves, Owen Wright. Heat 4: CJ Hobgood, Julian Wilson, Adriano de Souza. Every heat was full of action and high scoring waves.
In Heat 1, we saw the second of 3 perfect 10's awarded - this one to John John Florence. John John once again proved that he is a serious contender for this contest. With the exception of the 10, John John had an extremely low scoring heat with his backup score being a 3.17. This was one of the lower scoring heats; no one scored higher than Damo's 6.77 (with the exception of John John). John John solidified his spot in the quarterfinals, whereas Taj and Damien will have to surf in the elimination Round 5.
The world number 1 and 2 battled it out in Heat 2 to move on to the quarters safely. Oddly enough, neither of them won and it was Gabriel Medina who managed to beat the two veterans. Medina posted two high 7's to move on, but it was Parko who posted yet another high 9 (9.5). Parko and Fanning will now have to compete in Round 5 to attempt to continue on in this contest.
Next up was Kelly, Heitor Alves and Owen Wright. Kelly and Owen continued their building rivalry here in Round 4. Kelly was awarded the 3rd perfect 10 - unanimous across the board - of the day on his opening wave of the heat. From there, Slater went on to score an 8.33 later in the heat and sending Wright and Alves into Round 5. Owen did not let Kelly win this without a fight as he posted a respectable 9.4 and an 8.5.
In the final heat of the day, it was Brazilian Adriano de Souza who beat out Julian and CJ, sending himself to the quarterfinals. In one of the lower scoring heats of the day, the surfers were unable to manage to get much over a 2 other than their highest scored waves. Julian Wilson put together a 5.5 and 4.9, CJ a 6.5 and 6.3; de Souza a 7.0 and 6.4. Other than that, it was low scoring with the exception of one or two of Adriano's waves. The waves seemed to get a little questionable at the end of the day which could be the reason for the lack of high scores in this heat.
ROUND 5 Preview:
I didn't think we could see more excitement in a round of heats than we saw in Round 4...BUT there is. Round 5 is looking to be epic to say the least. Heat 1: Damien Hobgood/Mick Fanning. Heat 2: Taj Burrow/Joel Parkinson. Heat 3: Owen Wright/Julian Wilson. Heat 4: CJ Hobgood/Heitor Alves.
There are some very big and very important heats that could significantly affect the World Title race. These are my picks for the round: Damo, Taj, Julian, CJ. All close heats, very close. I do not see one heat that will be a blow out. The forecast is looking strong and there seems to be a new pulse of swell filling in around the middle of next week. It will be interesting to see if they keep it at Restaurants or move it back to Cloudbreak.
I still have half of my Fantasy Surfer remaining (Julian, John John, Kelly, CJ). If all four place in the quarters, I could get some serious points here. How are your teams looking and what are your thoughts on the contest so far? Thoughts about the upcoming heats?
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Here is the video recap of Day 4 as well as Day 3 and clips of the massive Cloudbreak free surf. Enjoy.
Day 4
Day 3
Cloudbreak FreeSurf
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