PARKO be kickin’ some okole on the World Tour

Pretty cool experience. Not something we need to do all the time, but every once in a while, watching a professional surf contest can be extremely entertaining. The best day of the contest went down on the second day. The weather was frigid, it started off with a light drizzle while ominous clouds loomed over us and a scary storm cell sat on the horizon. Rain or shine the surfing would continue and the die hard fan didn’t mind. We on the other hand felt that if we were going to get wet we might as well be in the water.

Stormy conditions, but great waves.

So we ran back to the house, threw on our suits and got back in the water just in time for Jordy Smith and Dane Reynolds heat. We were sitting at the very edge of the contest zone sitting right next to the water patrol. We were catching the meanest, best, most hollow waves we’ve gotten so far. I was getting double barrels on the waves and getting so deep it would get dark inside there sitting on the foam ball. The waves were so long that you would get out and run up the point to start all over again.

That end section where all those people were, that’s where Louise and I posted up for the best heats of the entire contest.

But the best part was that on the biggest waves at Supertubes (the section closed off to the public / contest-zone), the contestants would be catching the waves all the way through our section giving us the best seats in the house. We saw Dane Reynolds 10 point ride and then watched Slater in the next heat get 4 waves over 9 points. We all thought he got underscored. He should have had four 10’s. I had to duckdive to get out of their waves a couple of times, and you could even catch the same waves that they were on earlier up the point if they had fallen or gotten off prior to it getting to you. In the water is the best place to watch the contest in my opinion.

WATCH THE HEATS BY CLICKING HERE, YOU CAN SEE US IN THE WATER. WE’RE FAMOUS!!!!!! Watch Slaters heat against Nic Muscroft. Slater still has what it takes and more.

The special heats between Mark Occulipo and Tom Curren could have been a lot better if they had waves, but in both of their heats, the waves didn’t cooperate. Curren and Occy for non-surfers, are legends of the sport. It would be kind of like if Jordan came back to go one on one against Magic Johnson. Needless to say there were a lot of spectators for these heats. We watched both of their heats, and they were entertaining. I will have to say that Tom Curren is surfing better than Occy, but Occy when given an open face at Jbay continues to be the epitomy of back hand power surfing. In their history they have been in 16 heats with them going 8-8. Now they have been in 18, going 9-9. The suspense continues……..

It was supposedly the busiest event they’ve ever had there. There sure were a shit ton of people.

The last day we posted up on a media stand and watched the remainder of the contest. With every wave as the surfers were hitting the lips of the waves or getting barreled, you would hear the corresponding shutter clicks of the hundreds of photographers cameras. Its hard to see how they can make a living taking photos with so much competition. They’re taking the same photos using the same gear. I figure there is some inside track where the popular photographers have an inside in getting their shots chosen rather than the joe blow with the exact same photograph that would probably sell theirs for a lot less.

Our location wasn’t as nice as being out in the water but the surf had dropped a bit and waves weren’t coming all the way through. For the day it was perfect because we got to see the whole wave and at the end of the heats the surfers would walk right by us. The morning started with Slater getting eliminated by Taylor Knox. Slater just couldn’t get a wave. That’s the tough part of surf contests. It doesn’t matter how good you are, I was telling Louise it seems as though 75% is skill and 25% is just mother nature cooperating or not cooperating with you. As the day progressed all the guys I wanted to win were eliminated and although I love Parkos surfing, I was cheering for the Americans. In the end, Parkos surfing was unstoppable. This may be his year to take it all but I hope that Slater fires up again to make it one of those years that go to the very end, keeping us on the edge of our seats and making professional surfing exciting.
With marketing budgets shrinking at surf companies around the world it is definetly going to trickle down to the surfers. Less money, less free gear, etc. Unless the fans continue to demand the competitions, the WCT could be in jeapordy. I prefer to believe that the WCT is in fine form. The contest was put together beautifully with no visible hiccups. They are getting better at what they do and therefore are set towards further success. You can now watch the contests live on the internet, just open up a window on your computer screen while at work and you can get work done while they wait for waves. Then when the waves come, maximize the screen and enjoy being virtually in an exotic location watching your favorite surfers. You can always get to the live links to the contests at www.aspworldtour.com. Then next contest is at Trestles in California in a couple of weeks.