Bobby Outburst

Thurs 8 September 2011 In more drama involving the ASP, Bobby Martinez was thrown out of the Quiksilver Pro New York after an expletive laden rant during a post heat interview yesterday. Bobby became the second professional after Jamie O'Brien to let loose at pro surfing's main body in less than a month.

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Were it not so weird, you have to think the interview (youtube version above - and see the funny dubstep version here ) is hilarious, from Bobby's funny accent to his horrendously poor grasp of the English language, from his goofy expressions to the priceless look on interviewer Todd Kline's face. Kline, who is from Quiksilver, can't conceal his delight at something a little more interesting than the usual yawn these interviews yield.

However, it does seem that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark". There are rumblings about the new rules that many say skews pro surfing into an elitist cabal that elevates the top 32 surfers on the 'Dream Tour' into a citadel immune from the cries of the serfs and other rif-raff on the QS out in the wildnerness beyond the castle moat. Reducing the wild cards from three to two at each ASP event has also come under fire, as has the trials criteria for selecting them.

Two high profile surfers have publically and vociferously attacked the ASP in recent weeks. Martinez has been attacking the ASP on Twitter, and so has Jamie O'Brien, who went off during the Tahiti event trying to get Bruce Irons a special favour wild card to honour his dead brother. Sunny Garcia has voiced his support for the outburst by Martinez, saying on Twitter yesterday: @Bobby805 is a great guy he's just saying what all the other surfers are to scared to say to the @aspworldtour

Of course, one could also say that JOB and BOB are two of the craziest mullets, both with highly outspoken tendencies. Either way, there are more than a few surfers who support them, and it warrants some introspection by the ASP.

Naturally, they are not amused, issuing a statement to say that Bobby Martinez (USA), 29, "was suspended from the remainder of this year’s Quicksilver Pro New York due to a breach of professional conduct during his post heat interview on Wednesday September 7, 2011".

The ASP included the disciplinary letter they wrote to Bobby:

Dear Bobby,

We are writing to officially notify you that you have breached Article 151, contained in the 2011 ASP International Rule Book (Rule Book).

Article 151 outlines that all Surfers shall not at any time damage the image of the sport of Surfing and can be found by clicking here.

Article 151 has been breached as a result of the numerous comments you made publicly in an interview on the webcast of the current ASP World Tour Event in New York City, which included the following language:

“First of all, I’d like to say (an the ASP are going to fine me) ‘cuz I don’t want to be a part of this dumb f***ing wannabe tennis tour. All these pro surfers want to be tennis players. They want to do a halfway cutoff. How the f*** is somebody who’s not even competing against our caliber of surfers ahead of 100 of us on the one world ratings. They’ve never been here. They’ve never f***ing made the right to surf against us, but now we’re ranked upon them. Come on now. That’s Bullshit. That’s why I ain’t going to these stupid contests no more. This is my last one because FTW, my sponsors is here and I just tell it like it is. This is my last one and I don’t like tennis. I don’t like the tour… Who gives a f***? You know what I mean?”

“I’ve been here before. I love this city. I’ll tell you right now, if my sponsor wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be here for this dumb contest. ASP? They f***ing…surfing’s going down the drain thanks to these people.”

The interview was conducted on the event live webcast being watched by a global audience, which includes many young children.

Article 147 of the Rule Book provides the ASP Rules & Discipline Committee with the authority to decide appropriate penalties to be issued where there is a breach of the Rule Book.

After careful consideration of these comments and taking into account your multiple offenses of this Article during 2011 that clearly “efface a pattern of unacceptable conduct,” the Rules and Discipline Committee have approved the following action in accordance with Article 147.03 of the Rulebook:
Rule Breach: Article 151 – Damage to Surfing’s Image

Action: You are suspended from the ASP World Tour IMMEDIATELY. You will not take part in the remainder of the World Tour Event currently underway in New York City. A Rules and Discipline Report will be submitted to the ASP Board of Directors to consider expulsion for the remainder of the 2011 Surfing Season. Your suspension will remain in place until such time that the ASP Board of Directors have considered the Report.

Please refer to the ASP Rulebook at the link here for your rights to appeal this decision. Should you wish to have a written submission considered with the Rules and Discipline Report to be considered by the ASP Board of Directors in relation to this incident, please send it to rules@aspworldtour.com before 12 September 2011.

Yours Sincerely,
ASP Rules and Disciplinary Committee