Chopes 2012

whaaaat started the topic in Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 07:53 am

So. Thank Dog the USOS circus has left town. Give us some good news - what the forecast looking like this far out?

thermalben Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 08:53 am new

We've been monitoring the long range stuff for some time, but there's been too much divergence in the outlooks to post an article (things were changing considerably from day to day).

Anyway, Craig's on leave this week so I'll see if I can rustle something up this afternoon.

whaaaat Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 10:00 am new

And the Outsider? Can we look forward to his tales from the death zone?

thermalben Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 10:31 am new

No, we're not covering Tahiti in person this year.

zenagain Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 11:11 am new

Speaking of which. Where is Freeride? He seems to be conspicuously absent these past few weeks. Did he go mad in the desert?

I will miss the Outsider if he isn't writing about Tahiti.

roubydouby Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 12:43 pm new

No Outsider??

His piece about Nathan Fletcher during last year's event was seriously one of the best pieces of surf journalism i've read, PERIOD >>>> .

Sometimes he gets too abstractive IMO, but when he is has an inspired angle his work is brilliant.

Gonna miss the read.

donweather Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 12:44 pm new

I agree with Ben, the long range models have been bouncing all over the place. Long range EC (which is usually the more reliable) isn't showing anything of real substance from what I can currently see.

So which surfing destination has Craig scuttled off to now, Ben?

thermalben Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 12:49 pm new

Actually he's snowboarding in New Zealand!

donweather Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 12:51 pm new

Lucky b@stard. He's always off on leave (well so it appears anyway).

whaaaat Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 01:15 pm new

No Outsider?!!!!

No in-person coverage of Chopes this year???!!!

Bummer!!! What's going on? Did you guys buy into BBG when it was $3.50 or so? Did the Wascally Wabbit threaten to come back unless Steve was pushed out??

thermalben Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 01:23 pm new

Nah, he's just very efficient with his weekends.

thermalben Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 01:30 pm new

Whaaaat, it's bloody expensive to get to Tahiti these days. The entire Swellnet office would be over there in a jiffy if we could, but it's just not affordable.

Let's hope the event gets some swell again this year. God it's a boring wave to watch when the surf's under 5ft.

whaaaat Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 01:36 pm new

Ah, I see. Damn.

Well, I'll just have to make it up meself.

victor Tuesday, 7 Aug 2012 at 04:35 pm new

whaaat, p.m. sent...

donweather Thursday, 9 Aug 2012 at 10:01 pm new

Still nothing of great excitement lining up for Chopes.

Perhaps Huey's deliverance for Fiji was all he's going to give this year on the tour?

blow-in-9999 Friday, 10 Aug 2012 at 09:45 am new

Jbay? Volcom pipe? Assuming we're allowed to talk the 1 tour.

Both of which had very strong fields as well. The latter is generally better than real pipe as there's less sand on the reef.