Real Waves at Last!

The first two rounds of a world tour event, to be brutal, are not that exciting from a contest structure point of view. There is a non-elimination round, and then in round two some of the surfers who shouldn’t really be on the world tour, get eliminated.

Once in a blue moon there is an upset, but in the big picture it doesn’t really matter anyway, as the top echelon of surfers always rise like cream even if they suffer one or two early round defeats. So all in, the first two rounds are pretty boring, especially if it is Rio or small France or Portuguese closeouts.

What gets the excitement going, and the spectators involvement surging, and a whole rush of feedback and interactivity and totally focused interest on the best surfers in the world in the early rounds of an event? Simple. Pumping waves.

Read totally world-class venue, solid swell, big barrels, pumping. Every surfer in the world who turns on the webcast and sees a surfer drop into a wave that could open up into a giant throaty tube or send him sprawling over barely submerged coral, will get excited. Turn on the computer and see Portuguese surfer Tiago Pires drop into a foamy monster that just opens up for the sickest, deepest pit and you’re going to hold your breath for the entire ride. Watch Jordy hurtle over the ledge, land in a tube and slow down by dragging his butt in the wave face to get tubed for the entire wave and you’re going to get amped.

It’s good to watch real waves. It’s good to see just how good the best surfers in the world are at dealing with real surfing situations. Not just endless forehand air reverses, floaters and Brazilian claims. Real waves that require inherent skills like negotiation gnarly take-offs, setting full-speed lines through spitting tubes and selecting the right waves that are going to barrel straight to the judges boat

It’s good to have Tavarua, and Cloudbreak, back on the World Tour via the Volcom Fiji Pro. It’s good to watch real waves. It’s good to see just how good the best surfers in the world are at dealing with real surfing situations. Not just endless forehand air reverses, floaters and Brazilian claims. Real waves that require inherent skills like negotiation gnarly take-offs, setting full-speed lines through spitting tubes and selecting the right waves that are going to barrel straight to the judges boat and not shut-down between the two barrel sections.

It’s good to have Fiji back. While many armchair critics have been lamenting and wailing over the beachbreak locations and recent failings of the ASP, the massive swell approaching is going to temper all of that. Slater has rushed an 8’6 through the system to have a decent gun for the approaching swell, and the rest of the surfers are going to be looking for similar equipment if they don’t have it with them already. We saw last year what can happen when Cloudbreak gets a big push. Biggest waves, biggest barrels, heaviest wipeouts and rides of the year all go down. So stand by, it’s coming.

Volcom Fiji Pro Day one highlights

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