Here is something I have seen that Nick Carroll wrote - a pi** take but I think the underlying message is very clear. It was a poor effort from those highly paid so called professional surfers to not want to go out and surf a comp in those waves. Bull** I reckon. Shame on them. Look I would not venture out in them myself for the record - but if you were paying me as much as those guys and I was surfing 350 days a year and training, eating the right food etc I would have no excuse. What do you fellas reckon? When I was watching the broadcast after they called it off I hardly saw a wave go through that was not ridden. Its not like they don't go out at Big Pipe, Sunset or Chopes.....what was the difference this time around? Half of them went out for a free surf anyway. Bede deserved better.

(a) poor look for pro-surfing
(b) pro surfers are pussies and need to toughen up
(c) best surfers in the best waves and the ASP farrrked up.



WORLD'S TOP SURFERS MANAGE TO AVOID PHENOMENAL 12'+ BARRELS

Sighs of relief and claps on backs were heard to echo around the islands of Tavarua and Namotu this afternoon after a tense and dramatic day of decision-making during which almost no top professional surfers did battle in perfect giant surf.

"It was a tough one – but in the end, uncertainty was the winner today," officials reported after the event was finally taken "off hold" at 2pm Fiji time. "There were grave concerns that our superstar professional athletes – the finest surfers in the world today – might actually have to ride massive, phenomenally challenging barrels in competition.

"Fortunately, that did not come to pass."

After two opening heats, during which low ranked seed Raoni Monteiro charged like a wounded buffalo, real fears were held among both organisers and onlookers that the most highly paid and well-trained surfers ever known in human history would be forced into one-on-one showdowns in vast, gaping, almond-shaped tubes roaring across a 300-metre tropical reef lineup.

But hours of umming, ahhhing, jetski drive-throughs, head-scratching, getting out spare boards and putting them back in their covers, and swapping nervous jokes on the event channel cruiser paid off in the end, with none of the vitally important round three heats taking place.

"Luckily, the wind is just a few degrees off completely straight offshore," reported well known surf journalist Steve Stearer, as a relatively little known surfer, believed to be from somewhere in Hawaii, took off on the back ledge and got stupidly, sensationally pitted for a good eight or ten seconds before being half spat into the channel. "Otherwise, well, you just know those superheroes who are duking it out for the world pro surfing championship would have been out there charging at least as hard – if not harder! – than all these other surfers who are paid about one-twentieth what they're getting."

The day will go down in history as one of the greatest in ASP Dreamy Tour history – possibly even greater than the day only three weeks ago in Brazil when it was five foot, onshore and closing out and the event ran all day.

"This is the sort of thing we want to see at all our events," ASP CEO Brodie Carr* said. "It takes extraordinary, bold acts of surf avoidance to make world championship dreams come true."

* Brodie Carr is no longer the ASP CEO. Indeed, there isn't one any more.

Um, I left my big board at home

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doggie said...

Um, I left my big board at home

someone told that was their reason for not surfing? wtf

What would you expect from a shortboarder,run run run

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62mac said...

What would you expect from a shortboarder,run run run

Surfed any overhead waves lately mac?

Pussies I say,mate way back in time before the doggie was a pup yesNow I'm a grumpy old broken longboarder with a sh-t attitude

Piss weak from the over paid heros.rabbit,MR and the boys in the earlier days had to surf third reef pipe and charge any thing just to get an invite in a comp.

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beerssup said...

Piss weak from the over paid heros.rabbit,MR and the boys in the earlier days had to surf third reef pipe and charge any thing just to get an invite in a comp.

Exactly these modern young guns are no guns

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62mac said...

beerssup said...

Piss weak from the over paid heros.rabbit,MR and the boys in the earlier days had to surf third reef pipe and charge any thing just to get an invite in a comp.

Exactly these modern young guns are no guns

Really, i just find that hard to swallow.

You will more likely find that the money involved these days was more a factor. Injure a few big names that are heavily sponsored and the big brands who are after all paying for this will not be happy that there investment is soured

To say blokes like Kelly and the rest of the crew don't charge big stuff is laughable. Yeah a few maybe might have had second thoughts but most would surf if they had too. Just didn't work out that way

Who saw Kelly's 10 in the semi That is what i call charging..

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doggie said...

Um, I left my big board at home

I heard Parko interviewed said his biggest was a 6'10

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SP said...

doggie said...

Um, I left my big board at home

I heard Parko interviewed said his biggest was a 6'10

And the Hawaiian chargers were on 901 etc, I only had a 6,8

I was in Fiji a month ago...surfed cloudbreak every day from 8' to 4' and it can be one mean mother of a wave...get pushed through shishkabobs (spelling?)and you will feel a big tightening of the sphinkter let me tell you.....if you havnt surfed it you cannot comment...I know this is all a pi$$ take because we all know that every surfer there could do it but I think jbshack hit it on the head...these guys are worth a lot of cash to their sponsers and if the event was held in those conditions the amount of risk that each surefer would have to go to,to get through his heat, I think it would have been complete carnage for eveyone involved...the ski drivers would have been putting themselves in very dangerous places to save guys from the cheese grater

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doggie said...

SP said...

doggie said...

Um, I left my big board at home

I heard Parko interviewed said his biggest was a 6'10

And the Hawaiian chargers were on 901 etc, I only had a 6,8

some of em were on 10'6"s doggie

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arkgee said...

I was in Fiji a month ago...surfed cloudbreak every day from 8' to 4' and it can be one mean mother of a wave...get pushed through shishkabobs (spelling?)and you will feel a big tightening of the sphinkter let me tell you.....if you havnt surfed it you cannot comment...I know this is all a pi$$ take because we all know that every surfer there could do it but I think jbshack hit it on the head...these guys are worth a lot of cash to their sponsers and if the event was held in those conditions the amount of risk that each surefer would have to go to,to get through his heat, I think it would have been complete carnage for eveyone involved...the ski drivers would have been putting themselves in very dangerous places to save guys from the cheese grater

Funny thing is when its called off they go free surfing

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doggie said...

arkgee said...

I was in Fiji a month ago...surfed cloudbreak every day from 8' to 4' and it can be one mean mother of a wave...get pushed through shishkabobs (spelling?)and you will feel a big tightening of the sphinkter let me tell you.....if you havnt surfed it you cannot comment...I know this is all a pi$$ take because we all know that every surfer there could do it but I think jbshack hit it on the head...these guys are worth a lot of cash to their sponsers and if the event was held in those conditions the amount of risk that each surefer would have to go to,to get through his heat, I think it would have been complete carnage for eveyone involved...the ski drivers would have been putting themselves in very dangerous places to save guys from the cheese grater

Funny thing is when its called off they go free surfing

yeah but I'm thinking they dont take as many risks as they would in a 30min heat

I would be thinking it's all about insurance and liability . If they get hurt in free surfing it's their own responsibility , if ASP tells them to surf and someone gets hurt bad or even killed guess who takes the fall

I know it's cr.p but it's the way of the world these days thanks to lawyers .

Look at what Surf lifesaving is going through . They are talking of making it compulsory for surf ski competitors to wear helmets and floatation devices . Makes you wonder if surfing will go the same way .

Good to see some love back in the forum!!!

Here is some additional reading on the incident that covers it pretty well

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/making-the-call-volcom-fiji-pro_71235/

corischumacher.com/2012/06/08/manly-men-fiji-pro-june-7th-2012/

I love this bit the most

But when you manufacture an image that is a construction composing male surfers as "gladiators" going to battle with and dominating nature, then try to back-peddle in the middle of a colosseum calling for blood (which you too have created), you are going to be called out. And that calling out will inevitably be from the anonymous masses you are trying to sell the image to. who have bought the image. who are looking to you to validate the image every time you paddle out into the line-up. and who are pretty damn pissed they have been fleeced and lied to.




So yes I understand that there are many things to consider from broadcasting to safety.....but those fellas should have brought some bigger boards....did they forget that last year the great man missed a comp so he could surf Cloudbreak when it was huge. Short memories. Not too mention that they knew it was going to be big 4 or 5 days before hand so they had a chance to get some more boards flown in - like Slater did. I rearranged my work schedule so I could get some action (6ft and perfect I might add). I am glad he won. I know that the rest of the comp was held in some pretty sick conditions but man up you whimps

Given all that has been written on the subject in recent days and having weighed up all the issues that have presented to date I am of the opinion that they blew it by not holding it there. Have longer heats, there are jet ski's to help, they are pro's, they surf bigger waves at more threatening places in comp's and I think its fair enough that we the public who support them should be allowed to watch them surf in those conditions. How often do we complain (and the surfers as well) of big city locations with average beachies.....ummm go figure. If you are a PRO you should be prepared.

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beerssup said...

Piss weak from the over paid heros.rabbit,MR and the boys in the earlier days had to surf third reef pipe and charge any thing just to get an invite in a comp.

Yep!!!!! Some of those early stories were insane. Also there were occasions where people were not up to it and gave their spot up. No shame in that I reckon at all. If you sign up to do the tour you do it and if you choose not to paddle out you exit the comp and the other bloke in the heat goes through. Its just the way it should be I reckon.

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arkgee said...

doggie said...

arkgee said...

I was in Fiji a month ago...surfed cloudbreak every day from 8' to 4' and it can be one mean mother of a wave...get pushed through shishkabobs (spelling?)and you will feel a big tightening of the sphinkter let me tell you.....if you havnt surfed it you cannot comment...I know this is all a pi$$ take because we all know that every surfer there could do it but I think jbshack hit it on the head...these guys are worth a lot of cash to their sponsers and if the event was held in those conditions the amount of risk that each surefer would have to go to,to get through his heat, I think it would have been complete carnage for eveyone involved...the ski drivers would have been putting themselves in very dangerous places to save guys from the cheese grater

Funny thing is when its called off they go free surfing

yeah but I'm thinking they dont take as many risks as they would in a 30min heat

Lol, I bet they do!!

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arkgee said...


some of em were on 10'6"s doggie

So the longboarders had a crack and the shorties didn't.


arkgee is correct my comments to this thread have been
a p-ss take

Lets compare it to motorsport. If it rains before and during a motorgp or F1 race do they call it off.

No, its a case of get out there and deal with it.

Because I don't see what we do as a sport, and probably never will, I'm possibly the least qualified person to make a comment, so naturally, I'm going to make a comment.

Let's say we measure the starting point of the modern surfboard in Oz from 1956, a little later if you're really into composite construction. Now cast your minds back to all the great surfers of the past and all their great rides, the myths, the truths the legends the hero's, the villains.

How many are remembered for their outstanding rides in specific comps?

Some, but not all, are remembered for something specific that happened in a comp?

If competing and winning is the ultimate goal in our surfing hierarchy, and no other measure or achievement is worthy of comment or memory, we would be sadly bereft of anything anecdotal. But we aren't, because it ain't.

Pro Surfers are a business, The Pro Surfing association is a business, would you put you're business at risk for the sake of a few good waves at a single comp?

My point?

Does it really matter that they made a business decision? I'm just forever grateful that so many others for the last 55 years have surfed from the heart and not from the hip pocket.

^^^^well said

I can remember a bit of controversy when Gary Green and Bryce Ellis (i think) made the call not to paddle out into Waimea Bay in a contest some years back.
There were reports that there was the odd closeout set out there at around 30 feet.
Big call and you would wonder how they feel about it now after all those years.

Eddie Would Go

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obct said...

Because I don't see what we do as a sport, and probably never will, I'm possibly the least qualified person to make a comment, so naturally, I'm going to make a comment.

Let's say we measure the starting point of the modern surfboard in Oz from 1956, a little later if you're really into composite construction. Now cast your minds back to all the great surfers of the past and all their great rides, the myths, the truths the legends the hero's, the villains.

How many are remembered for their outstanding rides in specific comps?

Some, but not all, are remembered for something specific that happened in a comp?

If competing and winning is the ultimate goal in our surfing hierarchy, and no other measure or achievement is worthy of comment or memory, we would be sadly bereft of anything anecdotal. But we aren't, because it ain't.

Pro Surfers are a business, The Pro Surfing association is a business, would you put you're business at risk for the sake of a few good waves at a single comp?

My point?

Does it really matter that they made a business decision? I'm just forever grateful that so many others for the last 55 years have surfed from the heart and not from the hip pocket.

guy I got the 801 from started out in 1958 - still going today

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obct said...


How many are remembered for their outstanding rides in specific comps?

Simon with the Thruster at mega Bells in '81.
Bruce Irons for his 100 pointer in the Waimea shorey.
TC's snap at Pipe.
TC at Margies on that big year.
And many more.

The common denominator being size.
The ASP should be fisted for calling it off.
Although I can understand some of the pros not being keen on paddling out for a freesurf, especially any of them with a shot at the title. It's a lot to risk to hurt yourself on a freesurf.

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smicko said...

obct said...


How many are remembered for their outstanding rides in specific comps?

Simon with the Thruster at mega Bells in '81.
Bruce Irons for his 100 pointer in the Waimea shorey.
TC's snap at Pipe.
TC at Margies on that big year.
And many more.

The common denominator being size.
The ASP should be fisted for calling it off.
Although I can understand some of the pros not being keen on paddling out for a freesurf, especially any of them with a shot at the title. It's a lot to risk to hurt yourself on a freesurf.

Occy & Curren at Bells, just sayin

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jbshack said...

62mac said...

beerssup said...

Piss weak from the over paid heros.rabbit,MR and the boys in the earlier days had to surf third reef pipe and charge any thing just to get an invite in a comp.

Exactly these modern young guns are no guns

Really, i just find that hard to swallow.

You will more likely find that the money involved these days was more a factor. Injure a few big names that are heavily sponsored and the big brands who are after all paying for this will not be happy that there investment is soured

To say blokes like Kelly and the rest of the crew don't charge big stuff is laughable. Yeah a few maybe might have had second thoughts but most would surf if they had too. Just didn't work out that way

Who saw Kelly's 10 in the semi That is what i call charging..

Kelly's 10 was good but this comp will be remembered for the pros not charging monster barrels ,when this could have been one of the craziest competitions ever held.