Looks like Freddy P got run over in a free surf and thinks everyone not up to pro standard should stay out of the water...****ing knob if he doesn't like it get the ****ing contest moved to somewhere else or stay home...another ****stick hawaiian giving it the big ones...I'm all for doing the right thing but when the top 44 are in town I can gurantee they don't paddle out and wait thier turn like everyone else...its straight to the top of the point and **** everyone else

SPORT
Surf pro Fred Patacchia calls for locals with ?inferior skills? to stay away after he was run over at the Quiksilver Pro

WORLD tour surfer Fred ?Patacchia has implored recreational boardriders to stay away from the Snapper Rocks break during the Quiksilver Pro after being dropped in on and having his competition board trashed during practice earlier this week.

The Hawaiian world No. 21 had three holes punched in his favourite board and left the break with a welt on his arm after another surfer ran over him at Snapper Rocks on Monday afternoon.


Patacchia posted an Instagram photo (below) of himself after the event saying a ?piece of me has just died??.

?All my confidence and momentum has just come to a screeching halt,?? he said in the post.

The incident led the amiable Patacchia to implore the hundreds of surfers who have flocked to surf the famous point to stay away unless they can show some respect.

?Surf etiquette is a big thing that I think a lot of people are starting to learn,?? he said. ?It?s just about education.??

Patacchia is not trying to keep locals out of the water. He recognises the rights of ?locals who regularly surf Snapper to be in the line-up.

But he said like other professional athletes, the professionals needed to practice and those unfamiliar with surf ?etiquette or not able to tackle the conditions, should sit out the contest fortnight.

Patacchia was struck as he paddled back out to the line-up by a rider trying to avoid another surfer who had dropped in on his wave.

?It spooked the other surfer and he came straight down at me because all his attention was aimed at the (other) guy on the wave and I got completely run over,?? he said.

?I tried to protect my board at first. I put my arm up, the board hit my arm and after that I just protected my head and face.

?And then I came up and there were three big holes in the bottom of my favourite board.

?I almost felt like it would have been better to have stitches in my head.??

Send us your pics!

The incident is far from a one-off, with hundreds of ?surfers jostling for position and priority this week after the swell rose, with one longtime local saying the line-up was the most crowded he had seen in a decade.

?This is just a wave that is very user-friendly for pros, for amateurs, even beginners,?? Patacchia said.

?The local guys, they do demand and should get the waves they want, regardless of whether we?re here or not.

?But it is a dangerous wave ? it?s a world-class wave and some of the people that are out there ? and this is not a personal attack on anyone ? I feel like they shouldn?t be out there. They have to hone their skills a little bit better, become more aware of their surroundings and be able to actually surf this wave before they?re out there.

?When (the professionals) are here, I just think it would be really nice if people ? gave us a little bit of leeway.??

In a small victory after his disappointment, Patacchia?s board ? which had three holes from the underside to the deck ? was repaired by Gavin Upon, which will allow the ?Hawaiian to continue with his favourite stick for his Round 3 match-up against Tahiti?s Michel Bourez when the Quiksilver Pro resumes.

Frederick has been to this event enough to know that without thevcomp shirt anf ahooter he's just another body and drop ins snaking ang general hassling are pretty well the go up there especially with extras in town for the event.

If you take a step back from the 'bloody blowins' mentality, I do think Freddy raises a couple of valid points.

He states that he recognises the rights of locals to have any wave they want, and also suggests there are a lot of people in the line-up who need to hone their skills a bit better before taking on such a critical wave. He also stresses the importance of etiquette and says its just a matter of education. I can't say I disagree with any of this.

As surfing continues to grow in popularity, more people are competing for waves and there are many more who don't have a clue about the rules. If these people aren't told or shown otherwise, how do they learn?

If Freddy P's high profile statement has resulted in just one newbie getting on google to find out what dropping-in means, then he may have done the world a favour!

Good on him!

LateStarter said..

If you take a step back from the 'bloody blowins' mentality, I do think Freddy raises a couple of valid points.

He states that he recognises the rights of locals to have any wave they want, and also suggests there are a lot of people in the line-up who need to hone their skills a bit better before taking on such a critical wave. He also stresses the importance of etiquette and says its just a matter of education. I can't say I disagree with any of this.

As surfing continues to grow in popularity, more people are competing for waves and there are many more who don't have a clue about the rules. If these people aren't told or shown otherwise, how do they learn?

If Freddy P's high profile statement has resulted in just one newbie getting on google to find out what dropping-in means, then he may have done the world a favour!

Good on him!

I think part of the problem is only a very small percentage of the top 44 show proper etiquette and then they arc up when they don't get shown respect....news flash champ respect is earned by putting time in at your home spot...not blowing in with your sponno board and taking everywave you can

Maybe when the waves are small, instead of having lay days they could send the pros out on longboards and keep the comp rolling.

When the wave pool gets finished at Ipswich or wherever Freddy and I won't have to put up with the riff raff . We can just lock the gate

A pro surfer gets run over out in the surf at Australias most populated surf spot
People get run over every day in the surf. Just handle it Fred

Tux said..

MornoPom said..

Hey Tux, I've never bothered to head over for the Rip Curl Pro but might do this year. Is it the same kind of circus as they get up at Snapper with hundreds of people decending on Torquay for the 2 weeks??? Surely Bells, Winki and Juc would encounter the same problem with every man woman and child who thinks they are a ripper?

There doesn't ever seem to be as many people around on the TV coverage.

Yeah it gets pretty hectic but if your onto it you can still score quiet sessions around the place...plus if you surf the same spot day in day out you will still get your waves

A few mates were down that way last Easter and from what they experienced it sounded just like Tux said. They had a great time.

laceys lane said...

smh said..

A pro surfer gets run over out in the surf at Australias most populated surf spot
People get run over every day in the surf. Just handle it Fred

spot on, and it's usually the i don't give a ****, im **** hot that do the running over.

i personally don't have much sympathy for the likes of fred because they burn people like it part of the job description.


but then again, any sane surfer not surfing the contest should be as far away as humanly possible for coolongatta.

place is full of 'try hards' that think their going to be discovered or something equally as stupid.

circus clowns

Summed up nicely Lacey...the place is crazy enough at the best of times...when the pros are in,well I would just sit back and watch the show.....remember jordy, I'm chrispy,and I'm a watermen

Freddy p could possibly go and puck pimself

NewScotty said..

I've never heard of Fred Pistacio

Heard he is a bit of a nut and needs to come out of his shell

jbshack said..

Theres nothing worse than parents pushing their kids in at busy spots like Snapper
Even eleven times world champs do it

i know he's old but how could he let himself go like that.

JB, it looks like some of those d1ckheads from the shark thread have followed you in here.
Hence the red thumbs.
Wankers

I have come to the conclusion that Freddy P is taking the P .....

I hear ya JB - welcome back to the Greenroom - don't be a stranger

SP said..

Ted the Kiwi said...
Everywave he paddles for he gets - because no one would dare paddle for one if he is!!! !! From what I have seen everyone just wants to watch him. Its a classic situation. I am sure its different in other spots but when I have seen him on the Northern Beaches he just gets given waves !!

You reckon he's getting this one

He looks happy