Semi Pro Shakedown: In the Shadow of the Giant
(Editor's Note: If you clicked onto this story thinking it was a final's wrap up we're sorry to dissappoint. Braithy is yet to drop that article. We'll post it very shortly.)
We're staying on mainland Fiji. Our late afternoons are spent travelling back from Tavarua by a small boat. The trip back is long and bumpy, but more than that, it's wet. Really fucken wet. We wouldn't have it any other way.
Our bungalow lies in the shadows of a mountain range named the Sleeping Giant. The range resembles a giant sleeping on his back. Last night I was walking through the garden of the Sleeping Giant, just a man and his thoughts and about a trillion mosquitoes.
When it comes to surfing there's none more giant in the game than King Kelly. He's arguably the greatest athlete and most dominant sportsmen we will ever see in the flesh during our lifetimes. We need to be savouring what he is doing, because one day he won't be doing it, and surfing won't be the same.
If Kelly is the King, Kalani Miller – his girlfriend of nearly seven years – is his queen. I talked with Kalani after Kelly's Round Four demolition job. Kalani and I estimated she'd watched close to 500 of Kelly's heats over the years.
She still gets nervous before every heat, and she still gets very excited every time he wins. Kelly hasn't changed his pre-heat preparation in seven years. He's always calm and in control and his surfing reflects that.
Look no further for proof of the King's calmness and control than his Round Four heat. He was patient, picked his waves and rode them better than any human on the planet could. Bar none.
Season 2013 continues to deal more intrigue than you can shake a stick at. One event ago the buzz was the Brazilians. This time around, by midway through round three, not one Brazilian remained in the contest.
I caught my contest boat out to the lineup with Heitor Alves, we arrived as they announced the results of the first heat of the morning. Pupo was dispatched by Flores, meaning Heitor was the last remaining Brazilian in the event. He clenched his fist, closed his eyes, tapped his chest and whispered, "Go with God."
Unfortunately for him God went with Mick Fanning but even in defeat it's hard not to admire the South American passion for anything they do.
By now you've all seen Trav Logie's Tavarua Tattoo. The most remarkable thing about Trav's reef kiss, is it was a controlled bail out off the back of his board. He meant to bail, because the next section was going to land on his head and paste him to the live fire coral. We could be writing eulogies and scattering ashes this afternoon, not writing recaps and drinking Fiji Bitters, had Travis not hit the eject button when he did.
On the high tide, the good waves are like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Kelly found the needle and popped Mitch Coleborn's wildcard balloon in the early morning heat. I thought Mitch was the unluckiest loser of the day; his opening wave was a dandy and gave him the foundations of a solid heat score, however the ocean never gave him another opportunity to build a score. We caught up back on dry land after his heat and Mitch wasn't in the slightest bit down. He's been working overtime on the WQS this year, so now he's off for some well-needed R 'n R back home on the Sunny Coast. He still hasn't even celebrated his 'QS win in Brazil.
So drink up young gun and see you on the big stage next year.
Another event drifts past us, and another instance where the Round Four surfing blew up. Somehow, Mr Speaker, we need to harness the surfer's mindset and approach to this round, and apply that for entire events. Guys going big, and going often. That's where the ticket to ride is at.
Kelly talked to me about a plethora of ideas and formats he's been thinking of – but, more about that in a future piece. There is a way to solve this puzzle, we just need to start trialling and applying these formats in possibly 'QS events to iron out the kinks and see what works and what doesn't. Kelly's mind is full of innovative ideas to improve our sport, let's explore these.
Something that doesn't need exploring is inter island rivalry.
The competition between Namotu and Tavarua is heating up as every time someone comes up against a guy from the other island the competition ratchets up a notch. It's an interesting by-line as Australians root for Americans (and vice-versa) based on the fact they share the same Island for two-weeks per year.
Only in professional surfing, huh?
The goofyfoot count is at one. Unbelieveably, as we enter the finals rounds we have one single screwfoot still alive, tour veteran CJ Hobgood.
Did anyone else feel like the heats raced past us today? Well you would be right. The pre-heat instructions to every surfer were simple, "Keep moving out there, we're not doing restarts, not today." Everyone from organisers to ASP to surfers wanted to make hay while the sun shone, and chew through the heats to leave as much flexibility as possible for tomorrow.
And this is the position we now find ourselves in.
Four Quarter Final heats, two Semis and a Final to run, where we can cherry pick the best conditions of the day around these heats. Four hours of surfing remain; a dropping swell, a big high tide and increasing winds have to be negotiated around in the process of finding the best waves.
The QFs are stacked with talent, and for the first time in season 2013, there's not one smokey amongst them.
It's all coming down to the wire, and tonight the Giant must sleep, for tomorrow he will be wide awake and rumbling in the Thundercloud and ain't nobody gonna stop him.
Comments
It's all coming down to the wire, and tonight the Giant must sleep, for tomorrow he will be wide awake and rumbling in the Thundercloud and ain't nobody gonna stop him.
And nobody did....
Nice work Braithy.
If you speak to the champ, please ask him:
1. What his diet is like
2. What his excercise program looks like
I must emulate everything that man does.
Who was on that massive super yacht that was shown sailing off just before the last heat? Was it the new ASP overlords Zosea sipping martinis with Russian billionaires devising the new world order of Surfing?
You caught that too? That one was more masive than a Panamex tanker!...
prolly the small one in Larry Ellison's personal stable.