By Phil Jarratt
YOU can tell that the World Pro Tour is getting down to the pointy end when social media lights up with whining every time a favourite gets knocked out of an event.
This is what happened at Trestles in Southern California last weekend when every world title contender got knocked out in rounds two and three, effectively opening up the possibility of a record 12th world title for Kelly Slater, or a first for Jordy Smith.
While the amazing comeback story for the 44-year-old veteran has a few chapters still to be written, there is no doubt that early rounds defeat at this stage of the year is devastating for those near the top of the rankings.
In the case of former tour leader Matt Wilkinson, serious contender Gabriel Medina and outside contender Julian Wilson, the losses were particularly galling because they went out by a fraction of a point. It’s totally understandable that they are not going to take this well when it means a lowly finish gets added to your end of year points.
There is a lot of money and prestige hanging on this stuff, and unfortunately, whereas back in the day a disgruntled competitor would swear at the judges, chuck donuts in the carpark and go home and get drunk, now they take to social media and ring a bell that can’t be unrung.
So we have our own Jules posting on Instagram: “The judges might need to take some responsibility for their scores over the past two days. Might be time to put them under the microscope, like they do to us.”
And Matty Wilko, who has worn the yellow leader’s jersey for most of the year after an incredible start: “It is hard to accept when they make decisions that decide people’s lives and don’t take care to make the decision right and are not at all held accountable.”
The 2014 world champion Gabriel Medina posted, after being taken down by less than half a point by local wildcard Tanner Gudauskas: “Time to go home. Very sad. I have dedicated my life to it. So tired.”
Oh puleez, boys! Because of the time difference and the fact that I like to sleep at night, I’d missed most of these eliminations, so when Twitter, Insta and Facebook lit up, I took the trouble to go through the WSL’s efficient heat analyser and draw my own conclusions, which might be as batty and ill-informed as the boys reckon the judges’ are, but here they are.
Julian Wilson was beaten by a bee’s dick by Alex Ribeiro, a Brazilian rookie whose style of surfing could not be more different to the Coolum lad’s smooth rail game. But the kid was on fire. It was only Jules’s precision surfing at the end that made it so close. It was a tight call. Judges blameless.
Medina’s round three loss to Gudauskas was also a tight call. Medina may have been slightly under-scored on his second wave, but I believe Tanner was hard done by on his first. On balance I would have given it to the Californian.
Wilko’s championship-defining second round loss to local Brett Simpson was the only call where I would definitely have gone the other way, despite the fact that I am not a huge fan of the Australian’s gouging backside attack, while I have loved watching Simpo surf since I saw him as a grom in California a dozen years ago.
In a relatively low scoring heat, Simpo was smooth as silk and Wilko as rough as guts … until he put it all on the line with his last wave, and didn’t put a foot wrong. Needing a high six, I thought his wave bordered on excellent, say a mid to high seven, but he didn’t get it.
Wilko’s disappointment was palpable, smashing his fist in the water, storming the judging tower and then unleashing on social media. The decision may have cost him a world title, but he also has a lot to answer for in that regard himself. Bummer. Move on. Claw your way back, son.
It wasn’t only the competitors with their noses out of joint last weekend either. Having lost team riders Medina and Wilko from the mix, Rip Curl heavy Neil Ridgway posted on Facebook that the team had exited the Hurley Pro for places where they were better loved, but that they might come back to cheer their girls on.
Oh dear. Ridgy, it might have been smarter to just chuck a donut in the carpark.
Writers Festival deserves support
THE Sunshine Coast International Readers and Writers Festival made its debut at Coolum last weekend, and although it was weather-plagued in the early stages, the spring sun was shining brightly over it on Sunday when I chaired a panel discussion with former pro tour surfers Serena Brooke and Simone Day, and indigenous surfer Mick Sidaway in front of a small but appreciative audience.
It was a quiet beginning for founder Wendy O’Hanlon and her committee, not helped by the date clash with the Brisbane Writers Festival, but I hope they won’t be disheartened.
The venue of Coolum Civic Centre and surrounding parkland is perfect, and with local support this could develop into an important part of our cultural calendar.
