Reef Hawaiian Pro by the Numbers: Round of 32

After an painful day of small surf and interferences at the Reef Hawaiian Pro, we're down to the Round of 32. Unsurprisingly, most of the remaining surfers are Aussies with Brazil, Hawaii, and the US tied for second. Overall however, the remaining field looks quite diverse (check out the graph below). Of the five remaining Hawaiian surfers, three are from Kauai (Sebastian Zietz, Dylan Goodale, Evan Valiere) while a mere two are from Oahu (Freddy Patacchia and Mason Ho).

 



 

Remaining surfers also vary widely in One World Rankings, from 229th place (Dane Reynolds) to 3rd (Adriano de Souza). Nine top 22 World Tour surfers remain and five of the top 10 World Ranking surfers are still in the contest.

 

Here's the list of remaining surfers in the Reef Hawaiian Pro, in order of their World Ranking:

\With little swell forecasted for the next few days, the Reef Hawaiian Pro will likely be on hold for the next few days. Friday looks like the earliest possible day for contest completion.

2nd Lay Day for the Reef Hawaiian Pro 2013

No contest today. Wrong swell direction and unruly weather makes for some serious current and confusion out in Haleiwa. Hopefully things will clear up for a possible Triple Crown start tomorrow morning.

Check out a few photos from this morning: Day 2 Photos

Here's this morning's call:

Gearing up for the Reef Hawaiian Pro 2013



The last weekend on the North Shore was rainy to say the least. On Saturday, Mason Ho won the 4 star HIC Pro in big stormy Sunset. By Sunday, much of the scaffolding for the Reef Hawaiian Pro was already up in Haleiwa. Along with it were hordes of surfers practicing in the messy conditions. With a large swell building through the night, it looks like the first jewel of the Triple Crown of Surfing is likely to kick off tomorrow!

Check out a few images on the North Shore this past weekend:



A set rolling in at Logs.



Waimea breaking.

Waimea shorebreak.

Haleiwa.

Little dudes on the inside of Haleiwa.

What happened today? Here's this morning's call for the Reef Hawaiian Pro:

Fun in Town

It may be crowded, but it's so much fun sometimes you just look past all the madness. Here are a few of those days in Town.

Summer swell 2013

This summer has provided some excellent surf days. We got a monster swell real early in the season and the waves have been fun since! Flossie even threw some fun surf our way today. It hasn't been all roses though. In a battle of face vs. board I wound up with a broken nose, two black eyes, and a solid shot of humility. Regardless, here's to the midpoint of the summer and to hopes that I didn't just jinx the second half!

Moral obligations, fantasy surfer, and the Billabong Rio Pro 2013

Alright folks, we're back. It's the Billabong Rio Pro 2013 and everyone is mysteriously getting hurt just to avoid the contest. No defending champ John John. No Owen Wright. No Tiago Pires. Steph Gilmore had Alana Blanchard run over her foot at Bells, managed to finish that contest, AND competed in the following contest in New Zealand just to call in sick for Rio (check out her story here). Am I sensing some not-so-subtle aversion to Rio here?

I won't lie, I haven't been the biggest fan of the Rio Pro in the past. Last year's post is proof of that ("Here we go again"). But the contest last year was surprisingly entertaining, despite my less than tactful comments. So this year I've got a shred of hope and it's because of this I will keep my big mouth shut for a while. Let's see some barrels again this year!

Just one thing: is a contest without John John and Owen nearly as exciting? I'm going with no. I want to see John John defend his title. But mostly I wanted to see an Owen - Adriano rematch. Yes I'm still harboring some bad feelings about his floater shenanigans (check out "Here we go again" if you have no idea what I'm talking about.) Plus Adriano's kind of a dick.

Which leads me to my last qualm: do morals have a place in fantasy surfer picks? I feel like the Brazilians certainly have home field advantage on this one (that's probably putting it lightly) but I am sooooooo incredibly opposed to picking loud, obnoxious, rude, choppy surfers who claim chop-hops. This certainly does not go for all Brazilians, but the stereotype's gotta come from somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I want to win. I hear the prize-packs are legendary. But at what price? It's a tough one guys and I've got less than two hours to choose...

Quiksilver Pro France 2012: Round 1 Upsets, Round 2 Match-ups

Round 1 of the Quik Pro France is over after two days of questionably contestable conditions. Random shifty peaks, largely closeouts, led to a kind of free-for-all where just about anyone could win. Heats were typically low scoring and it was often a battle of the backup scores. With these trying conditions, I suppose it’s no surprise there were a few upsets.

Jadson Andre barely squeaked by Adriano de Souza and Damien Hobgood with a mere 9.04 heat total. Patrick Gudauskas (12.70) beat Hawaii favorite John John Florence (11.67) and Miguel Pupo (6.86). What’s crazy is that a rookie was odds on favorite in the first place. Tour veteran Kieren Perrow beat out two of his much younger competitors, Julian Wilson and Adrian Buchan. Perhaps the wildest upset of Round 1 came in Heat 5, where Dane Reynolds edged out current world #2 Joel Parkinson. Always the space cadet, Dane floated through his heat seemingly without realizing he was even in a contest, and gave an equally spacey post-heat interview.

Of course a great number of the usual suspects won their Round 1 bouts and get to skip Round 2. Unsurprisingly, Taj Burrow, Kelly Slater, and Mick Fanning made it through.

With some crazy upsets, Round 2 looks really exciting. Joel will be up against Trials winner Wiggoly Dantas. Owen Wright vs. Matt Wilkinson will probably be fun too. But what I’m most excited yet incredibly depressed about is the all Hawaiian heat of John John and Dusty Payne. Why do they have to go up against each other?

At least the swell outlook is finally turning up. Let’s hope the wind doesn’t ruin it!

Check out some highlights:


QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)

Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)

Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)

Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)

Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)

Heat 6: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)

Heat 7: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)

Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)

Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)

Heat 10: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)

Heat 11: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)

Heat 12: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)

Town (finally) gets some waves

It's been a long, miserable summer for Hawaiian surf. A few small, fickle swells and alot of strong wind led to a less than satisfactory 2012. But in the dying days of summer, the south side is finally lighting up. Here are a few shots of the waves today.

 



The Quiksilver Pro France 2012 and the World Title Contenders

Likely to start tomorrow, the Quiksilver Pro France is probably one of the most versatile contests on the ASP schedule. It can be a fun and playful beach break where high flying aerialists shine or a heaving, intimidating cave of water demanding power, barrel savvy, and sheer fearlessness. It was here last year that a teenager from Brazil beat the most decorated surfer in history. With this year shaping up to be one of the most exciting title races in recent history, the Quiksilver Pro France may be a make or break event for a number of title contenders.

 

Who could win the title this year? Mick Fanning (41,250 points), Joel Parkinson (39,700), Kelly Slater (35,450), John John Florence (32,650), Adriano De Souza (30,650), and Taj Burrow (30,150) are all in the running if we are being really optimistic. In reality, I’d say the race is between Mick and Joel. Barring a miracle, Taj and Adriano don’t stand a chance. With two 9^ths and a 13^th, Taj has already expended his two throw-away scores and will have to keep a lowly 9^th (I’d say anything below a 5^th is a throw-away score for a title contender). Adriano has two throw-aways (9^th, 13^th) and would likely need straight 3^rds or better for the last four contests this year in addition to the four guys ahead of him suddenly imploding.  

Although John John does have a win this year, he too already has two throw-aways (9^th, 13^th) and is unlikely to win the 2012 title. That being said, I will never give up on John John until the math makes it impossible for him to win. Yes I’m playing favorites. He’s a Hawaii native and looks so comfortable in the water it’s almost laughable. So yes, I’m a John John fan. Emotional leanings aside, the last leg of the schedule does look to be in John John’s favor.  France, if big and barreling, is perfect for him. Portugal could be a toss- up. Big Santa Cruz is perfect for John John power hacks. And, well, he practically learned to surf at Pipeline.

Kelly’s in a tough position this year: he’s got two drop scores as well (INJ, 13). But he’s also already accrued two wins in the last three contests, including the most recent Hurley Pro at Lowers. I think it’s called being on a role. And he’s also Kelly Slater. So there’s that. But keep in mind that two drop scores means he has to perform nearly flawlessly in these last four contests. Keep in mind that he’s never won the Quiksilver Pro France. This contest could mean more to him than any other title contender.

With about a 5,000 point difference between them and 3^rd place, it’s starting to feel like Joel and Mick are fighting on their own. Both only have one throw-away result (Joel: 9^th, Mick: 13^th). But the differences lie in their wins. Joel, despite making it to three finals, has yet to get a win this year. Mick already has two. One of those wins came at the excruciating expense of Joel at Teahupoo (Joel was winning for about 99% of the heat, only to be routed by Mick in the dying seconds of the final). Joel needs a win here at the Quiksilver Pro 2012 to build up some confidence into this final leg of the year. Right now Mick is certainly the one to beat, as he’s remained consistently strong, with his only falter in the very beginning of the year (13^th at Snapper).

How do these guys look going into the Quiksilver Pro France 2012? Only two of our top six guys got a good result here last year: Kelly (5^th) and Taj (5^th). Mick got a 13^th, while Joel, John John, and Adriano lost in the first elimination round, earning a pitiful 25^th each. Mick has won this contest three times (2010, 2009, 2007). Joel has won it once (2006). Kelly, John John, Adriano, and Taj have never won it.

Final thoughts. Barring a first place finish at this upcoming contest, I don’t see Taj and Adriano in title contention. With three low scores already, I don’t see Taj with much of a chance either way. John John will need to transcend his years and be ridiculously consistent in these final contests, including the Quiksilver Pro France. Kelly just needs to be Kelly. Joel needs a win here, has anyone ever won the title without a single win? Mick is sitting pretty. He needs to be dominant here, but not as desperately as his fellow title contenders.

Check out the contest here: Quiksilver Pro France 2012

Dorks on a board

This is the best surf clip ever. Brent Dorrington, Ronny Nelson, and Kauai native Sebastian Zietz charge Rockpiles on a stand up. This is what surfing should always be: lighthearted, funny, and just a little bit dangerous. Enjoy!

AI forever

It doesn't matter how many times I watch this, it always make me tear up.

The Volcom Fiji Pro is Pau. Please get over it.

I'm sick and tired hearing about the "controversy" over the lay day at the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012. For those of you chasing butterflies, there was a massive swell pummeling Cloudbreak, and I mean massive. After waiting for a couple hours to set up camera equipment, the contest was called on. But only the final two heats of Round 2 were completed before the contest was called off. Crazy wind seemed to be the predominant excuse for calling it quits. Unfortunately, about an hour later the wind died down and Tavarua gave us one of the most spectacular displays the surfing world has ever seen. Beautiful and terrifying, Cloudbreak delivered massive barrels wave after wave. With the contest officially called off for the day, big wave chargers from around the world descended upon the break. Cameras originally set up for the contest continued to roll, giving spectators a glimpse of one of the most amazing free surf sessions ever.

And now everyone and their moms are arguing over whether contest officials were right to call it quits.

I for one am over it. Who cares? The contest was great. We saw a little of everything from massive Cloudbreak to the never ending barrels of Restaurants. Plus we got to watch a crazy free surf session. That's all I need.

I'd love to say more about how everyone that keeps talking about that day are a bunch of whiny brats (on both sides) but the more I say the more I sound like one of them. So I'll finish with this. Please get over it. I won't survive two months of bickering until the Teahupoo contest. Let's argue about something else okay? Like who should be the next leader of the free world? I heard elections were coming up soon.

Gabriel Medina killed it. So can we stop saying he's only good at airs?

For the past two days, the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012 has delivered. Amazing barrels, ridiculous wipeouts, and classic power surfing. Josh Kerr surfing on a super taped-up sprained ankle. Cloudbreak offers a return to a raw, rough form of surfing, the kind we have always loved. It's a refreshing break from all those airs, not that we don't love those too. But I ramble. For the most part, the first two days of the contest have been awesome. Kelly Slater ousted in the last seconds of his heat by wildcard Mitch Coleborn. Don't worry Slater groupies, he won his next heat and is now safely into Round 3.

But Slater going down to a wildcard highlights a really important aspect of Cloudbreak: it's all about the wave. Like Pipeline or J-Bay, you can't force a score here. Catch a great wave and you'll get a great score... assuming of course you don't fall and test out the reef. It makes this contest unpredictable. That being said, just about everyone you'd expect to do well in heaving barrels did do well. Parko, Owen Wright, Mick Fanning, John John, Jordy.

Something you might not expect, and I've been guilty of this too, is that the Brazilian horde is killing it as well. Adriano de Souza, Heitor Alves, and Alejo Muniz all won their first round heats, getting to skip straight into Round 3. Although forced to surf in Round 2, Brazilians Gabriel Medina and Miguel Pupo rebounded and are also into Round 3. The only Brazilian to go down so far is Willian Cardozo and he lost to Taj Burrow (no shame there).

So now can I talk about him? I'm just going to say it. Gabriel Medina can surf. Period. He's not a one-trick pony. This kid does more than just insane airs. He can navigate barrels and destroy waves with beautiful power hacks. And with the contest's first perfect 10 point ride, he's proven it. So are you satisfied yet? Can we stop questioning whether all he can do are airs?

It's a bit of a paradox with Medina. Last year he was ridiculously hyped after making it onto the Pro Tour at the tender age of, what? 17? Anyway, really young. He then went on to - in his rookie year mind you - win two World Tour contests (The Quiksilver Pro France and The Rip Curl Search San Francisco). So, clearly he deserved the hype. What's weird is the excitement was extremely narrow. What I mean is, Medina was type-cast as this hot new kid who took to the air any chance he got. If anyone mentioned his power surfing skills it was only to degrade or at least express some level of concern. Every event he entered was punctuated with the question, "he's good at airs, but can he battle through these waves?" And just about every time he's proven himself. Even after placing 5th at the Pipeline Masters, commentators continued to question his skills outside launch ramps.

The media's views of him have been shaped by his youth, his size (tall, lanky - can those chicken legs really do power hacks?), but mostly his nationality. Brazilians have always had this stigma as choppy, ugly surfers with bad styles and even worst attitudes. While the recent crop of Brazos are working to overcome this wall, there are still years of bias. And that doesn't get overturned overnight. Which is why Gabriel's been so undersold. Ha, see the paradox? Over hyped yet undersold.

And, entering the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012, the questions continued. But Medina's perfect 10 in Round 2 was a game changer. Not even the cameraman thought he was making it out of that barrel. I think he's proven himself, so can we all just shut up now? I'll say it again, just one last time. Gabriel Medina can surf. Oh, and he does airs too.

Check it out:

Preparing for the Volcom Fiji Pro 2012

I don't know about you, but every time I think of a return to Cloudbreak I can't help but jump up and down like a toddler handed a gallon of ice cream. I love Fiji. I love Cloudbreak. And Restaurants. These are the waves that should be mainstays on the contest circuit, rather than the blown out beach break closeouts that have become increasingly common over the past couple years. While I recognize the driving factor in contest placement is and will always be centered around money, we need contests like these to maintain the integrity and soul of the sport. And with a contract spanning 2012-2014, Volcom will be able to give us three years of Fijian perfection.

The 2012 Volcom Fiji Pro marks the World Tour's return to Fiji after a three year hiatus. The contest has actually only been held eight times since its inception in 1999. Occy took the inaugural title, followed by Luke Egan (2000), Michael Lowe (2002), Andy Irons (2003), Damien Hobgood (2004 and 2006), and of course Kelly Slater (2005 and 2008). All were goofy foots except for AI and Slater, meaning goofyfoots have won in Fiji over 62% of the time. US surfers have won four times, Aussies 3, and Hawaiians once (thank you AI!).

Fresh off his win in Rio, and bred for waves like these, I'm looking to John John as the one to beat in Fiji. But I'm also excited to see Jordy, Parko, and Julian, guys who have proven they're not afraid of heaving barrels. Of course expect fireworks from Kelly (and Mick), but don't we always expect that? Finally, I'd like to see how Gabriel Medina and Kolohe Andino fare in waves like these.

Only 10 days till the waiting period! Check out the site: Volcom Fiji Pro

And here's a little tease:

John John wins Billabong Rio Pro 2012

Congrats to John John Florence on his first World Tour win! Next up is Fiji followed by Tahiti, waves tailor made for John John's style. I have a feeling he just might be the one to bring the World Title back to Hawaii.

I take it back...

I'll say it again. I take it back. The Billabong Rio Pro doesn't suck. In fact, it's kind of awesome. No, there weren't perfect lines stretching in from the horizon. And waves were anything but consistent. Rather, the waves were big and weird. Conditions were tough at best. But that's what made it interesting. It was thrilling to watch the world's best battle the tricky conditions. Every wave was unique and that left you guessing what the surfer could do on it. AND BARRELS? Thank you wave gods. This contest just got a lot more interesting.

New Heat Draw

Kelly's officially out. Willian Cardozo (Bra) is in. Currently sitting in 18th on the One World Rankings, this guy looks pretty damn good. No Kelly, mind you. And he's got that Brazilian style. But he's powerful and fast, and should put up a nice fight in Rio.

Check him out here:


**UPDATED** BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Josh Kerr (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS), Raoni Monteiro (BRA), Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS), Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 5: Taj Burrow (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Heat 7: Julian Wilson (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Heitor Alves (BRA), Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Adam Melling (AUS)

Kelly Slater: Too Hurt for Billabong Rio Pro, but not for the Gold Coast

Check out this video of Kelly getting barreled today. Too hurt to surf? Hmmmm....

Kelly Slater likely out for Billabong Rio Pro 2012

The heat draw for Rio has been posted. Dusty Payne, out with an ankle injury, will be replaced by fellow Hawaiian Freddy P. Though presently in the heat draw, Kelly Slater is likely out too. He tweeted (wow I hate that word) earlier today: "I can surf but can't really turn on heel still. Stitches in foot. Likely won't be in Brazil for the event. And it's not April Fool's day." So no Slater for Rio. Convenient. At least it's not J-Bay he's missing this year.

With Kelly out, the World Title seems to be opening up all over again. Currently in 1st with a 5th and 2nd, Kelly's no-show will allow a number of competitors to catch up. Adriano de Souza, currently in 2nd on the World Title Rankings and last year's Rio champ, has to be one of the favorites for the event. Expect fellow Brazilian Gabriel Medina to shine here as well. Although he had a rough start, Medina (currently tied for 25th) is fresh off a win at the Nike Lowers Pro. Not to mention he was basically engineered for peaky beach breaks with onshore wind.

Taj Burrow and Mick Fanning are sitting pretty with a win apiece. A win here would rocket them up to 1st. But I'm most excited to see Owen Wright, John John Florence and Julian Wilson light up this event. A heat with any of these three will definitely be one to watch.

I haven't talked much about the women's contest, mostly because Steph Gilmore has all but cinched this year's title. With only three contests left, it'll be a miracle if Sally Fitzgibbons (her only real competition at this point) can muscle her way to the top. That being said, look for explosive performances from Carissa Moore who seems to be feeling a lot more free without the weight of World title expectations perched on those shoulders. 

So here are the match-ups for the men's and women's contest.  

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Brett Simpson (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS), Raoni Monteiro (BRA), Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 8: Julian Wilson (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 9: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Tiago Pires (BRA)
Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 12: Jeremy Flores (FRA), John John Florence (HAW), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)

BILLABONG WOMEN’S RIO PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA), Lakey Peterson (USA), Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 2: Tyler Wright (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Justine Dupont (FRA)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Sarah Mason (NZL), Juliana Quint (BRA)
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Heat 5: Carissa Moore (HAW), Coco Ho (HAW), Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
Heat 6: Laura Enever (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW), Pauline Ado (FRA)

Here we go again: The Billabong Rio Pro

As we roll around to the worst contest on the tour, I thought it would be nice to look back at the zoo that was last year's Billabong Rio Pro. Adriano de Souza ultimately winning the contest (no way a Brazillian won in Brazil?!), after that infamous heat against Owen Wright. How a single floater could ever score an 8 is above me, and most of the surfing community for that matter.

Relive the drama and gear up for another fun ride. Welcome to the Billabong Rio Pro.

The heat:

Listen to competitors thoughts: