Category: Drug Aware Margaret River Pro

Ewing With High Wave Score, Falls to Coffin

“It was eight feet and donging offshore this morning, so I saddled up with a bigger board,” said an elated Connor Coffin, who had just held off tour rookie, Ethan Ewing.

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Coffin appeared to be in control, at one point having young Ewing combo’ed, before the rookie began his move with an 8.6, the highest score of round two.

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With a style reminiscent of the late Andy Irons, Ethan “Patrick” Ewing is a favorite among the other tour surfers, as well as the announcers, who never fail to make the comparison to the World Champion from Kauai.

Seconds waning, Ewing forced Coffin’s hand, luring him into using his “Priority” and leaving enough time for hooter-beating heroics.  Fortunately, for Coffin, the Central coast native, Mother Ocean did not oblige the young rookie phenom.

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Onya pigs!

 

Finally Someone Gets Barreled

Big and soupy conditions out at Margaret’s River has these round two competitors doing their best spring cleaning routines with winding, sweeping turns — and it’s all impressive, but it’s not the greatest to spectate.  We’d all like some verticality and creativity, some spice…and some barrels.

It’s Josh Kerr who does his best to answer that call.

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It was sloppy and just barely large enough, but it was there and he struck while it was.  The power of Margaret’s River is put on full display at the end of that clip, as Kerr throws himself in between the colliding walls of white water.

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Kerr, above, tries again to find that cover, and does, but only for a fleeting moment before he’s shot out like a bullet from a gun, and then swallowed by the surging white water monster.

Strider On The Attack

Strider was at the table with Ronnie Blakey and Ross Williams when things got awkwardly (passive) aggressive during the Post Show. It all started when Ronnie asked Strider if he thought Wilko (current #1) would win the Tour.

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Strider responded with “anything could happen, but he does not think so.”  Ronnie and Ross change the subject but for some reason, Strider did not let it go.

Leonardi Fiorovanti: Renaissance Grom

First it was Slater, then De Souza, now Leonardi Fiorovanti took down both Nat Young and Ace Buchan to advance directly to the Quarterfinals. Fiorovanti, hopped up on gelato, is coming off two WQS final appearances and is in line to become the first Italian on tour. Mama Mia this kid is ripping. Not only is he ripping but he held priority from the beginning, not giving an inch to his elders.

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The Merman of the Mediterannean

It seems to me he’s got that De Souza approach where he is ruffling feathers right now. The older guard is looking at him going hold on, wait a sec, you shouldn’t be doing that. You should be showing me respect young man. And Leo is saying no way, I’m going to take you guys down. And that’s exactly what he’s doing. -Martin Potter

leoripping
How Do You Say “Man Turn” In Italian?

In other Round 4 action. Parko, Kolohe, and Seabass also advance directly to the Quarters.

Punt Airs, Radical

Now that I’m sitting here thinking about it.  Simply cutting rounds is not a viable solution.  The problem goes much deeper than that.  I wasn’t entirely wrong, however. The problem is definitely with the archaic surf contest system, but it’s with a different aspect.

The problem is that no one is punting airs.

No one is digging rail like a psycho.

No one is attacking.

No one is flipping.

No one is spinning.

Surfing in contests needs to be radicalized.

The judging needs to reward this radicalization.

John John should not have to dumb down his surfing to satisfy the judges’ obsolete criteria.