Quicksilver Pro 2008

[2nd Reef]

Surf competition analysis, style breakdown, surfing psyche assessments, keenbert weather guru...

You know NC, you are a SURF PIG.

Ever reckon you'll grow out of it?

[Puff Diddy]

I was gunna ask him if he knew why my geraniums weren't growing well.

Go TB. This year its his.

[Nick Carroll]

I was gunna ask him if he knew why my geraniums weren't growing well.

Go TB. This year its his.

Cos the neighbour's dog is pissing on 'em.

And you know Diddy I sneakily think you might be right. Him or that f**ken scrubber Parko.

[TMC]

but it definitely adds a less genuine side to slater that i wasnt aware of before

oh it's genuine all right...just not quite as nice.

Clearly he isn't as genuine as one may think if he portrays this "cool guitar-strumming new age super pro" image, whilst underneath he is a "ruthless competitor who takes advantage of everything".

Doesn't mean he isnt a nice guy, just that he becomes a different person when he enters the competition arena. But like you said, that is true of most successful elite atheletes.

[spook]

or it could be that he's never tried to portray any image but that's the only side the surf media shows you
i bet lots of the top 45 are right cnts. but i doubt you'll see ASL, Surfer, Tracks etc etc saying so, cos they'll be biting the hand that feeds em

[Beanpole]

He just likes to relax strumming a few chords after ruthlessly destroying his rivals.

[lovenutz]

What does everyone think about Slater and his selective events shenanegans?

never for a minute do i believe this crap about slater saying " I will see how i feel during the year and do a few selective events". to me it translates as..."hopefully i do well in the first few events and then if I am doing well i will do the whole tour and push for the title"

sounds like a cop out in my books..in his head he is thinking how amazing it would be to win this year against dane/jordy/Taj/andy etc for sure this is the hardest year of competition ever...he knows to win would truly grant him the best surfer ever...well more so..

I think slater is too scared to say that he really wants to win...i think he is scared to admit his true intentions

Thoughts?

[TMC]

sounds like a cop out in my books..in his head he is thinking how amazing it would be to win this year against dane/jordy/Taj/andy etc for sure this is the hardest year of competition ever...he knows to win would truly grant him the best surfer ever...well more so..

BINGO

But I dont think he's scared, I think he is just trying to keep his oponents guessing. It's all part of the mindgames he play's.

He said the exact same thing in '06 then came out firing and won Snapper and Bells, whereas last year with all the hype over the supposed $10 million for 10 titles he was a bit more upfront with his intentions to win.

But winning this year, would definitely push him even deeper into surfing folklore as the best of all time.

[Beanpole]

Personally I think he's such an awesome competitive player that he is going to find it hard to let go. Easy if your getting thrashed all the time. A bit hard to turn off the switch if you have a good chance of outwitting and outsurfing your opponents. I'm sure he goes through constant rounds of I'm over this followed by the old fires lighting up for another crack at it.

[Lucky Al]

not many people know this but kelly is actually a dwarf from under the mountain

[Lucky Al]

these pro surfers they're too human (or dwarf, in kelly's case) it's such a disappointment you want them to be all light and air like their surfing

[Nick Carroll]

or it could be that he's never tried to portray any image but that's the only side the surf media shows you
i bet lots of the top 45 are right cnts. but i doubt you'll see ASL, Surfer, Tracks etc etc saying so, cos they'll be biting the hand that feeds em

All the top 45 guys I know are human beings, with the typical good and bad and in-between stuff that implies.

Most surf mag journalism about them is done at a remove of sorts, the journalists are pretty hero-smitten in a lot of cases, and in others they may doubt their own judgement and be scared to report something that runs against the grain. It's not just pro surfers who want to be seen as "nice guys".

That said the reporting environment on land at least is becoming increasingly sterile and controlled. At events these days, the pros are cut off from the surf media and only wheeled out for post-heat interviews, and unless you're cunning and persistent, or somehow privileged, or surfing with guys every morning in warmups etc, you don't get an honest face to face conversation. This has been a significant change over the past decade and I reckon you can tell the difference in the reporting -- it's blander and less interesting.

re Kelly, I think you blokes are mistaken, I think he is dead set a bit over it now and is waiting to see if he can get a bit of excitement going within himself about chasing a title -- if the fire doesn't fully light he'll backpedal. You can only do the same thing so many times.

[Lucky Al]

clearly what the surf media need now is an anton chigurh whose personal code of honour requires him to use a cattle stun gun on any pro surfer he suspects of not giving him an honest face

[Nick Carroll]

Well I was just about to say that myself

[Lucky Al]

cor how's the surfing today they're tearing it apart

[TMC]

Taj just absolutely blew up

20 minutes to go in his heat and he's already got 19.20

13 turns on one wave - 9.87

Amazing

[Lucky Al]

not a bad show at all this i just wish they'd bring dane reynolds back to commentate he's not one to blurt out nonsense non-stop like the two on now.

[TMC]

mmmmmmm

Pottz isn't exactly the worlds most interesting speaker

Mick has just come on, and although he is a great surfer, his ability to express himself isnt exactly the best in the world.

I liked snakes commentary, he actually spoke about things which were relevant to the competition, rather than just spurting cr@p.