Guerrilla Surf | Storm The Beaches! | Guerrilla Surf Page 2

Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2011 Champion: Adriano De Souza

by Guerrilla Surf on October 19, 2011

Rip Curl Pro Portugal Winner Adriano De Souza

Barrels . . . Barrels . . . Barrels! That’s what was on tap for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2011. As the contest got started in round 1 the swell was solid.

The contest directors as well as the surfers knew what was on the horizon for Supertubos. The swell filled in with some classic barreling waves.

The contest kicked off with some classic battles in the water. Early on Julian Wilson, Kelly Slater, John John Florence, Matt Wilkinson and Gabriel Medina all looked sharp in pumping barrels.

The heat of the event in the early rounds was when Kai Otton went up against Julian Wilson in round 3. Kai Otton opened up his campaign with a 9.97 and backed that wave up right away with an 8.43. Julian was behind for most of the heat after scoring a 9.43 early on. Later in the heat Julian scored a 9.70 to take down Otton who surfed a great heat only to fall short in the end.

John John Florence looked right at home in the barreling conditions when he took out Owen Wright in round 3. With Owen Wright out of the contest, Kelly Slater would be able to make a major move toward locking up the World Title. Kelly did not miss the chance.

As the contest moved into round 4 it was clear who the man to beat in this event was. Kelly Slater seemed to take his surfing to another level (as if there is that higher place). Kelly dismantled the competition in round 4. KS scored a 19.30 two-wave total to beat Chris Davidson (13.40) and Heitor Alves (17.20).

As the round 5 matchups lined up, Julian Wilson vs Chris Davidson on paper looked to be a great match-up only to get skunked on sets coming in. Wilson won with a 6.83 two-wave total to Davidson’s 3.50. John John Florence went down to Bede Durbidge by a tight margin 17.44 to 17.06. Bede was someone to keep an eye on, as he looked strong as the event moved into the later rounds.

The quarters were set with Taj Burrow vs Julian Wilson as the first match-up. Taj opened up with a few low scores, but found his feet on his third wave with a 9.37. Julian’s first scoring wave was a 7.50. Taj was on a mission, but Julian looked like a seasoned vet in just his rookie campaign on the pro tour.

Julian Wilson caught a bunch of waves but nothing with any scoring potential until his last wave of the heat, in which he scored a perfect 10-point ride. It came a little too late as Taj locked in an 8.57 backup score to take the heat. Taj was fired up as he moved onto the semis.

Next up in the quarters was Heitor Alves vs KS. Slater would not be denied as he took it to Heitor catching 12 waves to Alves’ 7 waves. Slater stayed active as he often does after he locked in a 9.70 and then backed that up with a 9.00. Alves is a great surfer, but Slater took the driver seat in this heat and never looked back as Heitor scored a two-wave total of 7.67. The Slater freight train was on the move and the familiar question was “who could stop him?”

Next up was Adriano de Souza vs Michel Bourez. This heat was pure power surfing as these two went wave for wave. Adriano would take the heat in the end with a two-wave total of 17.60 to Michel’s 17.53. Adriano scored a perfect 10 on his fifth wave and backed that up with a 7.60. Michel Bourez had the heat lead early on scoring a 9.50, but only getting an 8.03 backup score. Adriano is one tough competitor.

Joel Parkinson vs Bede Durbidge was the last quarterfinal in the water. This heat was a great display of barrel riding and veteran tactics. Joel got out to a great start scoring a 9.10 on his second wave and backing that up with a 7.50.

Bede matched Joel with a 9.00 on his second wave, but was able to follow that up with an 8.10. Bede used veteran tactics late in the heat with priority to sit on Joel and prevent him from dropping into a solid wave late in the heat. Bede was in form and moved on to the semifinals, which were now set.

In heat 1, Kelly Slater took to the water against Taj Burrow. Kelly Slater would strike first on his first wave scoring a 9.50. Taj Burrow would answer with a 9.80 with a more critical slash after riding out of an insane barrel. Taj Burrow would break his leash later in the heat.

While Taj was paddling out he would witness Kelly Slater drop into a bomb. This wave proved to be the difference as Slater was super deep in the barrel and was able to come flying out after disappearing behind the green curtain. Slater grabbed a perfect 10 to propel him into the final. KS beats Taj with a 19.50 two-wave total to 16.87. Taj had a great event, but Slater showed why he is the reigning king.

The second semifinal was a battle between Bede Durbidge and Adriano de Souza. Adriano scored early with a 6.83 and a 7.00. Bede played catch-up and could not find that epic ride he was looking for. Bede’s scoring waves were a 7.03 and a 5.00.

Bede surfed out of his mind to make the semifinal and it was a real treat to see him rip it up. Adriano is one of those surfers that can be very dangerous when he is on. He definitely found his form at the right time making his way into the final.

The final was now set between Kelly Slater (USA) and Adriano De Souza (BRA) . . . let the fireworks begin.

The heat started with Slater dropping in first, but was not able to make it out of the barrel and scored a 3.00. After Adriano scored a 0.93 on his opening ride he took it to Slater dropping a 9.00 on his second wave.

Slater likes to get out of the gate early, but this time it was Adriano who took control. Slater seemed to scramble to try and make something out of some non-set waves but was unsuccessful. Adriano backed up his 9.00 with a 6.67. Slater managed to score a 6.83 and backed that up soon after with a 7.90.

Slater was unable to get another scoring wave and went down to the Brazilian. Adriano de Souza won 15.67 to Slater’s 14.73. It was a very tight heat. Slater needed one more scoring potential wave that never came. They both caught 8 waves and Adriano’s 9.00 proved to be the difference. Congratulations to Adriano De Souza on winning the Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2011!

This event was amazing. If you missed any of the action I would recommend checking it out on the Rip Curl site. Julian’s heat with Kai was insane. Slater surfed a great event and the Brazilian powered his way to the victory. Portugal proved to be an amazing venue for the WCT once again.

The waves were epic as the barrels filled the hearts and minds of all who witnessed the action. Only a surfer knows the feeling!

Now it’s on to San Francisco… where Slater will be knocking on the door to his 11^th World Title. He needs a 9^th finish or better in SF to clinch #11.

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf – GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Gabriel Medina Is The Quiksilver Pro France 2011 Champion

by Guerrilla Surf on October 12, 2011

Quiksilver Pro France Winner Medina

The young Brazilian Gabriel Medina, 17, took down Julian Wilson in the final to win his first ever World Tour event.

When the World Tour surfers woke up this morning to a solid 5-foot swell and glassy conditions, I don’t think anybody could have predicted what was going to go down on the final day of the Quiksilver Pro France.

As the quarterfinals got underway, Michel Bourez was matched up with power surfer Taylor Knox. Taylor Knox was in form and used his strong power surfing to win the heat in pretty easy fashion with a total heat score of 15.17 to Bourez’s 9.50.

In the second heat, Gabriel Medina came up against Kelly Slater. A classic David vs Goliath matchup . . . Medina took it to Slater early, which seems to be the best formula to beat the 10-time world champ.

Medina scored a solid 7.33 and a 9.33, which was late in the heat, to score a heat total of 16.66 to Slater’s 3.33 and 5.27 for a heat total of 8.60. Medina put the pressure on early and never looked back as the 17 year old took down the king. Even with the loss Slater will increase his lead in the World title race as Owen Wright was knocked out in round 5.

In the third heat of the quarterfinals Jordy Smith took down Alejo Muniz by a heat total of 15.26 to 13.77. Jordy is back from an injury and was in form as he made his way to the semifinal. In the fourth heat of the quarterfinals Julian Wilson was matched up with Taj Burrow.

Julian Wilson put the heat on Taj early with precision surfing. Taj felt the pressure as he pushed the envelope on each wave he caught, but not really finding his feet in this quarterfinal. Julian Wilson moved onto the semifinal with a heat total of 13.00 to Burrow’s 6.84. Julian is on fire as his air attack is sharp.

Onto the semifinals as Gabriel Medina was matched up with Taylor Knox. It was all Medina in this one as he scored a 9.57 and a perfect 10.00 to back it up. Medina pulled massive airs and did not hold back as he surfed his way right into the final.

Taylor Knox did not have an answer for Medina, but made a great showing at this event. Taylor is a legend of the sport, but today he ran into the future of surfing in a young Brazilian named Gabriel Medina.

In semifinal number two, Julian Wilson was matched up with Jordy Smith. These two surfers are two of the most progressive surfers on the planet. Julian Wilson scored a 9.00 and a 9.50 with an air attack as well as precision surfing to take this heat over Jordy.

Jordy had an excellent event and won the first exchange and led for part of the heat, but in the end Julian would prove to be the better surfer today as he won the heat and moved into the final.

The final was set, with Julian Wilson (AUS) going against Gabriel Medina (BRA). As the two surfers hit the water there was anticipation and mystery. Everybody knew that there would be progression at the highest level as well as an insane air attack to back that up… but to what extent was hard to predict.

These two surfers did not disappoint. Julian took hold of the heat more than halfway through the final with his sex change or sushi roll maneuver (they do not know what to call it yet), which I can personally say, is simply an insane move. He landed the move and went right on surfing as if it didn’t matter that he landed switch and jumped right back to continue ripping the wave apart.

As the heat wound down, Gabriel seemed to gain a little momentum after not being called for interference on Julian’s priority with about 3 minutes left. This was a pivotal point as Julian could have surfed right into Gabriel to take the final. That might have been a cheap way to do it, but it has happened many times in the past.

Julian Wilson was in the lead with about 2 minutes left when he took off on a smaller wave with priority. Not the best tactical move. Gabriel would drop into a wave with 2 minutes and 25 seconds left in the heat and would shred the wave to pieces to score a 9.17. He started with an air reverse to a huge floater and worked the wave to the inside to land a forehand aerial to close out the wave.

Gabriel ended up getting the score he needed late in the heat, while Julian Wilson waited out the back only to hear that Gabriel Medina just won the final. Julian surfed out of his mind in this heat, but a tactical error late may have cost him the final.

Julian Wilson’s two wave total score of 16.10 was not enough to take out the giant killer, Gabriel Medina, who scored a two-wave total of 17.00. Congratulations to Gabriel Medina as he is the 2011 Quiksilver Pro France Champion.

The final was epic as the two surfers brought their A-game to a packed beach and showed everyone what is to come on the World Tour. The World Tour now heads to Portugal for the Rip Curl Pro. There is a solid swell on the way for that one when the event kicks off on the 15^th of October. Bring on Portugal!

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf — Guerrilla.Surfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

The 2011 Quiksilver Pro France; Championship At Stake

by Guerrilla Surf on October 5, 2011

The waiting period has begun and the waves filled in nicely as the swell improved to 5 to 7 foot. The tour at this stage can determine the World Champ. Slater will be looking to place a strangle hold on the tour lead at this event.

This wave – with some size – will produce a heavy barrel where all the surfers will have to use their power surfing arsenal along with their barrel riding techniques.

Seignosse, Hossegor, Capbreton and St Jean De Luz are all excellent and rippable waves. The heavy beach breaks of France will provide a challenging venue for the top surfers in the world.

This event will be pivotal in the world title race as Owen Wright, Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson look to make major moves on the road to the World Title.

Mick Fanning, Jordy Smith (back from injury), Taj Burrow, Julian Wilson, Owen Wright and Kelly Slater all won their first round heats. Dane Reynolds is back, but drew an in form Owen Wright and will have to surf in round 2.

There will be some moves on the World Title leader board at this event and it will be interesting to see how the Quiksilver Pro France shapes up. The waves are here and the fireworks have begun.

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf – GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Kelly Slater Wins The Hurley Pro 2011; Extends Pro Surfing Tour Lead

by Guerrilla Surf on September 21, 2011

Slater Takes Rubber Match From Wright

The day started with a grey overcast sky and glassy offshore winds. The Hurley Pro 2011 at Lower Trestles was the stage for the most progressive surfing in existence.

Wright, Burrow, Slater, Alves, Wilson, Kerr… just some of the names that have taken progression to the next level at this event.

As round 5 got started early this morning, Heitor Alves took out Taj with precision surfing. Taj was frustrated out there with no real big scoring rides.

In the second heat of Round 5 Josh Kerr was on a mission and he took out Jeremy Flores by scoring a two-wave total of 15.27 to Jeremy’s 12.97. Josh Kerr wanted the rematch with Slater and he got it.

In the 3^rd heat of Round 5 Mick Fanning beat Damien Hobgood by a score of 18.23 to Hobgood’s 11.47. Mick ripped all heat and looked solidly in form. In the 4^th heat of round 5 Julian Wilson beat Adrian Buchan by a score of 15.67 to 12.37. Julian was fired up from yesterday after losing to Joel in the final seconds. He will get his chance in a rematch in the quarterfinals.

On to the quarterfinals – In the first heat, the battle of Alves and De Souza came down to the wire as Alves took it home with a 12.77 to Adriano’s 12.50. Alves came from behind to take that heat. The second heat had Slater go up against Josh Kerr. Slater took the heat over with scoring waves early and put the pressure on Kerr who waited more than half the heat to catch a wave. Slater owned the heat with a total of 17.60 to Josh Kerr’s 11.07. Slater moved onto the semifinals.

In the 3^rd heat of the quarters, number two in the world Owen Wright tied Mick Fanning (both scoring 15.67). Owen took the heat with the highest scoring wave as tie-breaker. In the fourth heat of the quarters, the rematch was on between Julian Wilson and Joel Parkinson. Julian did not hesitate to take it to Joel. Julian surfed out of his mind with a total heat score of 18.23 to Joel’s 14.93. Joel surfed great this event, but the youngster and his progression took the heat and moved to semis.

In the semifinals, Heitor Alves was pitted against Kelly Slater. Slater surfed with precise moves and put the pressure on Alves early on. Slater took the first semifinal by a heat total of 18.40 to Alves’ 16.57. Slater is in form (even when is he’s not in form) and he’s deadly when he wants an event.

In the second semifinal, Owen Wright took on Julian Wilson. The controversy started right out of the gate with Julian being called on interference on the opening wave. This pretty much put Julian behind the eight ball from the start. Owen walked into the final with a heat total of 14.74 to Julian’s 10.04.

The final was then set, and Owen Wright vs Kelly Slater 3 was a reality. Owen struck first with a 6.50 and Slater battled back with a 7.67. The heat really got going in the closing minutes with the four scoring waves occurring in the last few minutes. Kelly scored an 8.50 to Owen’s 7.87. Slater aired it out as did Owen and Slater put a few extra precision moves into the wave, which pushed Slater’s wave score up.

Owen came back in the closing seconds to score an 8.87. Slater was on a wave behind Owen where he shredded it to pieces to earn a 9.00-scoring wave. The pressure was on Slater as Owen had the lead for about ten seconds, but in Slater fashion it was not Owen’s heat. Slater delivers! Congratulations to Kelly Slater for another key victory.

In the end, it was Kelly Slater who got the score he needed to take the rubber match between the two. Slater increased his World Tour lead although Owen is still very much in the mix.

~ P. Franklin / Guerrila Surf – GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Big Names And New Moves At Hurley Pro At Lower Trestles

by Guerrilla Surf on September 20, 2011

Hurley Pro 2011 Action Packed At Lower Trestles

The Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles is on and the action is intense. The waves are not epic, but they are solid. The air show is on as each heat progresses. Some standouts early on are Owen Wright, Joel Parkinson, Adriano De Souza, Julian Wilson and Kelly Slater. The wave at LT is a playground and the CT surfers are shredding.

One of the most progressive heats of the day was between Owen Wright and John John Florence. Wright won 17.84 to John John’s two-wave total of 17.83. Owen scored a 9.77 late in the heat to take the win. These two names will be on the main stage for years to come. Owen is number two in the race for the world title this year and he is riding some momentum from NY.

As round 4 got underway, the action picked up with 3 surfers in the water. This round nobody is eliminated, but the winner goes right through to the quarterfinals. Taj Burrow had a lead early in his heat with Adriano de Souza and Jeremy Flores. Adriano had some equipment trouble with a snapped fin, but after switching boards twice he pulled out the heat with some power surfing.

At the end of Adriano’s heat with Taj, Adriano had some words for Kelly Slater as he paddled out for his heat. Adriano has been accused for hassling in the water in the past, but Taj did some hassling at the end of their heat. Adriano wanted Slater to take note of that. Slater threw some splash in his direction. The only thing that Adriano managed to do was fire up KS10. Slater dismantled his heat with a score of 15.90 over Heitor Alves and Josh Kerr who did not break 13.00.

Slater is in form and will be one to watch as this event heads into the final rounds. Josh Kerr landed an insane variable air. I am not sure what to call it . . . the announcers were not sure what to call it . . .so you will just have to see it for yourself. He will be one to watch in round 5.

The third heat of round 4 had Owen Wright going up against Damien Hobgood and Adrian Buchan. Owen Wright took to the air to score an 8.33 on one of his waves. Damien is in form and has been ripping apart the faces at LT. Buchan felt the pressure early on and never really got going. In the end Owen took the heat with a total of 16.73 heat total. Owen will be one to watch on the final day.

The fourth heat of round 4 had Julian Wilson, Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning going against one another. Joel jumped out to a solid lead with precision surfing. Julian pulled off another insane move of the day with a more amped Josh Kerr move mentioned earlier. Still no name for that?! Feel free to suggest one.

Julian Wilson backed the move up with another air to score a 9.80 on the wave and took the heat lead. It came down to the final seconds as Joel muscled Julian off of a set wave and ripped it to shreds to score a 9.13 to take the heat with no time left. Julian was upset to say the very least. A tactical error at the end of the heat cost him the jump to the quarterfinals.

Mick had a solid heat score that would have done well in any other heat, but this one. Joel took the heat with an 18.06 two-wave total to Julian’s 17.77 two-wave total. This was the heat of the day by far. Julian is taking progression to the next level and when he lands those moves in heats he will be one to watch.

The contest will finish up tomorrow, as the swell will be consistent throughout the day. The big names are in play and they will be looking to make a statement at the start of the second half of the WCT season. It will be a shootout and I can’t wait to see the action unfold.

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf – GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Quiksilver Pro: Owen Wright Defeats Kelly Slater In New York

by Guerrilla Surf on September 10, 2011

Owen Wright Takes the 2011 Quiksilver Pro in NY

Guerrilla's There: Owen Wright Wins In NY

The sun finally came out for the final day of the 2011 Quiksilver Pro in Long Beach, NY. When the sun rose this morning the surf culture in Long Beach woke up to pure perfection.

Offshore winds with solid 8 foot sets rolling in was just what the ‘Surf Gods’ demanded for the final day of competition. Emotions were high as the crowd filled in early to catch the start of the quarters.

In the first quarterfinal, Taj Burrow faced Jadson Andre. Taj was in form and had to surf a solid heat to pull off the victory in a very close one against Jadson. Taj scored a 9.00 on one of his scoring waves, which helped him advance into the semifinals.

In quarterfinal number 2, Josh Kerr went up against Kelly Slater in a rematch of their round 4 match-up which featured Kerr taking flight and scoring a 19.27 2-wave total. The crowd was really buzzing for this one. Beating Slater once is an accomplishment, but twice in one event would be like climbing Mount Everest twice in 2 days. It’s unthinkable. Slater took it to Kerr in this quarterfinal matchup.

Kerr surfed with a purpose scoring a 9.07 on one scoring wave, but could not back that up with a solid score. He ended the heat with a total of 15.00 points. Slater used his surfing prowess to gain an edge in this heat, scoring a two-wave total of 15.50. In the end, Slater won when it counted.

Kerr, without a doubt, was a human highlight reel, an air show, above the lip, or however you want to put it this whole event. Just an amazing show all contest long from Kerr.

In quarterfinal number 3, Alejo Muniz faced Heitor Alves. A Brazilian duo with an arsenal of talent was on tap for this heat. Alejo took down Heitor in a close heat with no scores over 6.60. Not the highest scoring battle of the day, but action packed as these two guys can shred.

In quarterfinal number 4, Owen Wright took out Julian Wilson in a very action packed battle between these two young guns. Owen won by .49 of one point. These two guys are the future of surfing as they both have the total package in progressive surfing. It will be enjoyable to see these two compete for years to come.

On to the semifinals we go. It was Taj vs Kelly in the first heat. I don’t know how to put this, but ARE YOU ****ING KIDDING ME?! Taj had the heat won until Kelly took to the air with just four seconds left on the clock. That is right Kelly pulled off an incredible air 360. Perfect 10.00!

Slater brought the crowd to a roar of epic proportion. Taj surfed an amazing contest, but Slater was peaking at the right time for this heat. Slater wins 19.07 to Taj’s 18.33.

Semifinal number 2 was between Alejo Muniz and Owen Wright. Owen was in control from the start as he scored a 7.17 and a 7.67 as Alejo never really got going only grabbing a 6.93 and 2.70. Owen wins 14.84 to 9.63 from Alejo.

FINAL . . . Can you say rematch? That is right Owen vs Kelly take two. These two faced off against each other in epic waves in Tahiti just a short time ago. Slater took down Owen to win in that contest. Today it was Owen Wright who came out of the gates hot and in form as he grabbed an early lead on Kelly and never looked back.

Owen had great wave selection in the final, which helped him build a lead on Kelly. Owen got the crowd going with his air assault in the final. Kelly surfed well in the final, but ran into a determined Owen Wright. Also Kelly snapped a board in the final attempting an air, which did not help his cause. Owen wins 17.90 to Slater’s 14.53.

Congratulations Owen Wright for winning the 2011 Quiksilver Pro New York!

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf — GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

New York Plays Host To The Worlds Best Professional Surfers In Long Beach

by Guerrilla Surf on September 7, 2011

Kelly Slater walks Long Beach hunting for waves 9.6.11

Kelly Slater's Spare Quiver in Long Beach

The top surfers are in New York and the Quiksilver Pro Round 1 is completed. The surf was a solid 3 to 4 feet today with a building swell coming later in the week. Hurricane Katia is on the move towards the East Coast and the surfers are stoked.

Will Katia deliver the swell and will NY surf culture gain some deserved respect? Surf culture is alive and well in NY and the top surfers should get a welcomed surprise this week in Long Beach.

The first day of competition is in the books and it was a nice warm-up for what’s about to play out. The Atlantic’s not offering much yet considering the swell that hit Tahiti for the Teahupoo contest just 2 weeks ago, but the waves are definitely rippable.

The sets were coming in around the waist to chest size throughout the day. Even though the weather was not the greatest, the crowd still came out to show their support for the world’s best pros.

The buzz was palpable in Long Beach, and one of the more anticipated heats of the day was heat 6 with Kelly Slater, Balaram Stack and Daniel Ross. Stack (the young local ripper) vs Slater (the Zen master) gave the crowd a nice little boost of energy.

Stack did not hold back as he went for some aerials that he almost landed. I think he should have surfed a little more conservative on some of his waves to get some scores under his belt. It is surfing though… and great surfers leave it all in the water every time. Stack also approached the 15-wave limit in the heat, which I have not seen before.

Slater stuck to his method of picking off some selective waves and shredded them the way that Slater does. He looked in form and surfed the minimal surf with precision. There was a real ‘teacher taking student to class’ moment during this heat as Slater and Stack were in a paddle battle and Slater got the inside track.

He dropped in right in front of Stack to get a decent score. Stack will have his second test in the next round as he faces Mick Fanning in the first heat of the day. To be the best you have to beat the best. This eternal truth is so evident as the local Stack enters the water in this contest.

Another standout today was Josh Kerr, who pulled some above the lip moves that got the crowd excited. Julian Wilson dominated his heat as well. The real competition will begin in the second round when careers are on the line and surfers will be exiting the contest as others dreams will move closer to being fulfilled. Good Luck to all!

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Slater Continues To Roll; Wins The 2011 Billabong Pro in Teahupoo, Tahiti

by Guerrilla Surf on August 29, 2011

Slater Takes Billabong Pro Tahiti On Epic Waves

Epic Swell . . . Classic Surf Contest . . .Andy Irons Forever Award . . . SLATER takes the 2011 Billabong Pro Teahupoo!!!!!!!

She delivered! The 2011 Billabong Pro Teahupoo was exactly what everyone was hoping for. The wait was worth it. The swell was big and perfect. Huge barrels surfed by the best surfers in the world. The contest got off to a great start with solid barrels in 4 to 6 foot Teahupoo. Travis Logie and Josh Kerr were two standouts in the event.

Kerr would eventually lose to Slater in the semi final. Travis Logie battled through some scrapes to put in a great showing. Jordy Smith was injured during his heat with Logie. The contest clock stopped and the heat was re-surfed and Logie took the heat. That was a very interesting scenario. If you made a heat . . . the surfer definitely earned it with these waves.

The final was between Kelly Slater and Owen Wright. The vet with more than 60 finals under his belt vs the rookie reaching his first final. Owen came out of the gates with a few solid scores 6.17 and a 7.83. Slater answered back after some time with a 9.50 on his second scoring wave.

Owen scored a 9.27 on a solid barrel later in the heat. Slater then scored an 8.93 on an inside one which put him out in front for good. A critical point in the heat occurred when Kelly had priority with about three minutes left and Owen went on a wave and Kelly got sucked over the falls. Slater came up bloody, but smiling.

Owen was able to get back out before Kelly to get priority with two minutes left. Owen needed a 9.17 . . . No set wave came. Slater wins the 2011 Billabong Pro Teahupoo in epic surf. This one will go down as one of the most intense contests ever. The world’s best surfers were not holding back as the big sets rolled through.

Everyone was charging and the contest fired on all cylinders from round one to the final. Thanks to the best surfers on earth for the show. Congratulations to Kelly Slater. Kelly really earned this one.

THE SWELL THAT PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD . . . CODE RED (Teahupoo term)

What can be said about a forecast that proved to be one of the most epic days in surfing. The Tahitian government issued a ‘code red’ for the entire coastline on Saturday. The waves were huge and crazy as Mick and Joel put it.

There were a few that braved the conditions such as Dean Morrison, Bruce Irons, Koby Abberton and Laurie Towner. A local broke his leg and Dean broke his foot along with the near drowning of Maya Gabeira, who took a few on the head after eating it on a wave, this day will go down in history as the sets were 20 + feet at Teahupoo.

AI FOREVER

Andy Irons Forever Award went to Jeremy Flores for his performance throughout the event. He charged the big sets and showed the heart of a lion out there in heavy water. True Andy spirit. Flores scored a perfect 20 in his round 5 heat. Flores also won the Nixon watch for the heavy wave award.

Before the final started there was a free surf session in honor of Andy. Bruce paddled out and had the lineup to himself for a couple of waves and then he invited some friends to join him, which was a real tribute to Andy and his legacy. Forever a surfer, Andy Irons.

EPIC TEAHUPOO

This event will go down as one of the gnarliest surf contests of all time just because of the swell and the razor sharp reef that makes Teahupoo so dangerous. There was definitely some skin left on the reef during this event. Matt Wilkinson, Travis Logie and Kelly Slater, in the final, left a piece of themselves in the lineup.

Jordy busted up his ribs after taking a header. There were epic barrels, surfers getting sucked over the falls and ultimate gut check time with the huge swell that hit on Saturday. This event had it all. To top that off, Slater won the contest and takes the WCT points lead going into New York. Thanks for show… NY next stop.

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf — GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

East Coast Bracing For Irene; Surfers Hunt For Waves In Season’s First Storm

by Guerrilla Surf on August 26, 2011

Irene Bears Down on East Coast, NYC

The 2011 hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean has been in season for several weeks now. Not every American becomes truly aware of that until the first major named storm threatens the mainland United States. Irene is on her way and she is bringing heavy winds topping 100 mph and a ton of rain.

Where and when she will make landfall is always a guessing game, but the best estimates are for landfall touching on the coast of North Carolina near Atlantic Beach. Projections are that the storm makes a B line then for the New York Metropolitan Area from there.

Irene is being called ahead of time by experts as very possibly the worst storm to hit NYC in 50 years… and possibly much more historically significant than that.

Right now Irene has just moved pass Florida. Florida is getting some solid swell from the storm at the moment. The storm is likely to become a Category 2 tomorrow and build in the next day or so.

Weather analysts warn that the numbering system is deceiving sometimes and that even a Cat 2 can result in enormous destruction and many deaths reported. This storm is fired up and she will likely show her teeth. If Irene were to ultimately land in NYC as a Cat 3 (an outside scenario), it will be the first time since 1921.

The evacuations are underway, but there are many surfers out there that will be on the hunt for the swell that this storm brings. Hurricane swells are what east coast surfers dream of. Irene will pack a punch to the coastal breaks and if the conditions are right there will be waves ridden. I hope the storm brings a swell, while at the same time everyone keeping safe. Hurricane season is on . . .

This is only the beginning… there are two more storms out in the Atlantic that are brewing up as we brace for Irene.

P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf — GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Epic Surf Expected To Roll Into Teahupoo Momentarily For Billabong Pro Surf Contest

by Guerrilla Surf on August 24, 2011

Teahupoo, Tahiti - stage for pro surfing elite barrel riders

Calm Before The Storm

Anticipation. The waiting is the story as a mega swell is on the way to Teahupoo. That is the best way to describe the atmosphere in Tahiti right now.

As round 1 of the Billabong Pro finished up, the reports were and still are that there is a solid 10’ – 12’ foot swell on the way that will not only push the WCT surfers to the limits of their barrel riding skills, but also brings with it the potential that the swell might become too large to paddle into.

A swell of this size at this break, if you are not familiar with how a wave is measured, will be four to five times the height of a 6’ human on the face of the wave. The swell will be a major highlight reel especially with the world’s best surfers in town.

As the contest kicked off in solid 4’ – 5’ surf, the approaching swell will be a welcomed, but intimidating factor. Round 1 had a couple of surprises, as Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson both lost their heats and will have to surf in round 2. But still, the match-up to watch in round 2 is Bede Durbidge vs Josh Kerr.

Josh Kerr lost his opening round heat to an in form Julian Wilson. C.J. Hobgood scored a 19.37 two-wave total in his heat against Joel Parkinson and Adam Melling. Slater looked in good form also getting by Daniel Ross and Heiarii Williams.

The contest has been on hold for the last few of days, but the action in the water will definitely heat up as that swell fills in. That’s expected to happen on Wednesday. By this Thursday and Friday the swell will be solid, and on Saturday the mega swell will be in play.

It will be an action packed contest if these guys start paddling into bombs. That is what they are hoping for. With big barrels come epic rides and epic wipe-outs. Will Teahupoo deliver? It’s looking ever more promising that she will . . .

~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf — GuerrillaSurfers@gmail.com

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →