Mikey Meet Buttons
Monday 27 August 2018 Is Michael February about to win his first CT event? Judging by this Facebook video of him carving the chlorine at the Surf Ranch into byte-sized chunks, it sure looks like it, writes Spike.
Okay okay, I don't want to put the mockers on Mikey, but jees, looking at the video on Facebook has many people frothing. I mean, look at the first move. What is it? It's like Buttons jumped into Mikey's skin from the back of beyond.
Mikey gets an air going frontside on the right-breaking iteration of Lemoore, but lands it on top of the lip backside, ie backwards. It's pretty much what I think they call a backside smith grind ... the skate move along the coping of a half pipe, wheels free. He lets it slide finless - briefly - before pulling it back down the face.
And what about the style he oozes like an Afro-African version of Montgomery "Buttons" Kaluhiokalani? Remember Buttons, the radical Hawaiian showman whose carvy, slashy surfing style exuded an unforgettably unique flow that is remembered today as crucial in the evolution to how we surf?
Buttons was only 55 when he died in 2013 from lung cancer, but he left an indebible mark on surfing. He was the first person to pull off a carving 360 on film. But it's that bent-legged, hip-leading scoot - followed by a sudden elastic snap - that makes us morph Mikey into Buttons. Surfing in the pocket using moves that are ... like ... so seventies bru! But yet so exciting and modern too.
HISTORY: Mikey February resembles a modern day Buttons Kaluhiokalani. Photo From the video
The Fantasy selections are going to be mighty interesting. A couple of Mikey's moves in the above video are close to the best and most innovative I have seen at the Surf Ranch. And with the first artifical surfing event on the elite surf tour fast approaching (September 6 to 9), thank f#%k for that.
Remember, it's happening on those dates so don't get the lay day malaise otherwise you'll miss it. Already, the partisan WSL is geeing up Californian fans with the call to "Come Support Cali", in other words, California CT competitors Courtney Conlogue, Kanoa Igarashi (he's Japan now tho guys), Griffin Colapinto, Andino Kolohe, Lakey Peterson and Sage Erikson.
Adult tickets range from $100 (Saturday pass + blink-182 ticket) to $500 (VIP weekend pass with all the frills). Looks like blink-182 is a sponsoring partner to the event as well.