Rip Curl Search 2011

[booradley]

Well if Rip Curl wanted to put their anti-capitalist critics to bed then choosing San Francisco as the site for this year's Search Comp isnt going to help. They cant argue that "The Search" is about unveiling interesting and "exotic" locations anymore, it's about the cash. Look at the thoughts of Oceanside local Andy Olive
"We're not star-struck, we don't care about guys like Joel Parkinson."
This is true. There are no groms at Ocean Beach. No shortage of grumps. And the anti-contest/anti-industry sentiment is palpable.
There ya go "no groms" ! A rich market just gagging for exploitation. Just like the comp in New York

[BA]

Worst decision ever. Dream tour my lily white arse.

It'll be just like the old days in no time. Contests held in average grovel type waves. There will be a contest back at Manly in no time.

[Quangers]

How's the big push into the US market? They are kidding themselves if they think by having a few comps in shite beachies on the doorsteps of big cities that they will be able to increase the advertising buck.
Geez Manly would be better than Ocean Beach

[2nd Reef]

Geez Manly would be better than Ocean Beach

Watch this space...

[tiger]

^^
I spent 4 mths in NorCal, some 13yrs ago. Only surfed Ocean beach the once. It was on one of the smallest days of my stay, the spots I frequented over there were knee high at best. OB was head high and like a fun day at Sth Straddie, peaks detonating all up and down the beach as far as the eye could see.

I've surfed Manly 20+ times over the years and it's never been close to that sesh.

FWIW though, I still think it's a dumb idea to run the search comp there. I was hoping they were gunna get back to the original premise of mind boggling exotic waves at somewhere like P-Pass or Morocco or some such.

[booradley]

^^
I spent 4 mths in NorCal, some 13yrs ago. Only surfed Ocean beach the once. It was on one of the smallest days of my stay, the spots I frequented over there were knee high at best. OB was head high and like a fun day at Sth Straddie, peaks detonating all up and down the beach as far as the eye could see.

I've surfed Manly 20+ times over the years and it's never been close to that sesh.

FWIW though, I still think it's a dumb idea to run the search comp there. I was hoping they were gunna get back to the original premise of mind boggling exotic waves at somewhere like P-Pass or Morocco or some such.

Larry Blair might argue with that assessment of Manly

Like you said, it's not that Oceanside doesnt get surf but it's clear that money is the underlying concern. Same sort of language being used for the New York comp - "its a funky location", "vibrant city", etc. I think its more likely theyre looking at the approaching Baby boom retirement and lots of old blokes stumping up top dollar for H-Bomb wetties and new boards.

I was also thinking P-Pass given the improved quality of webcasting

[mustkillmulloway]

i actually don't mine the new yorker idea...can't be any fatter wave than bloody bells

i'd love see a totally mobile event....like world wide......trully chasing the best surf on the day around the globe

the old old surfabout on steriods

[oldman]

We're not star-struck, we don't care about guys like Joel Parkinson."
This is true. There are no groms at Ocean Beach. No shortage of grumps. And the anti-contest/anti-industry sentiment is palpable.

No doubt.

They aren't caricatures of teenage knob boys seeking an identity by following the latest surf fashion trends.

They're a bunch of caricatured superannuated bogans who are buying SUP's because they are so rad and cool and not for following the latest bizarre fashion trends.

On no, not these boys, they are independent thinkers, leaving their wives, taking up with their secretaries, buying red sports cars, carbon fibre bicycles, obligatory bike pants and excessively expensive and marine-challenged SUP's.

Oh yeah, they don't care about Parko, and quite frankly, I don't care about them.

Hey narcissists, it isn't all about you!

[WANDERER]

When I was in Nova Scotia last year we got a motel room near Dartmouth on our first night in town due to torrential rain ruling out camping, we were waiting for the hurricane swell to arrive, in one of the adjacent rooms was occupied by a Long Island gent with whom I spent the next 2 days learning the lay of the land of scotian surfing. He'd been going up there for 20 years, anyway he was quite emphatic about the quality of surf that long island could get and had many a story of some serious waves with some decent whallop, the angle of the coast and depth of some of the offshore waters coupled with the hurricane swells rolling their way up from down south meant that double overhead waves were not unheard of. He was no kook, as that was my original theory but after a couple of days of talking story and him divulging some of Nova Scotias localised semi secrets put that to bed. I'm looking forward to the NY comp, but I reckon he isn't seeing as he spent a considerable time chasing away surf journos and travelling surfers from some of Long Islands spots that have managed to fly under the radar for so long. East coast surf may be seasonal, but when it's on, it's on as good as anywhere.

[offshore1]

True Wands, but if there's no hurricane sending swell up, there's fcukall likelihood of any decent surf to be had. I rate it at about one in ten odds. maybe more.
How big a window will thay have that they can wait for something to happen?

hold on, New York isn't where the Search is going to be.
wrong thread..

[northeasterly]

I've surfed Ocean Beach when it's on. It's an incredible beach break. It holds HUGE peaks. If Rip Curl get a swell and the wind behaves itself we'll see a proper contest. But they'll want to have some jet skis there to get them back out - watching a 20 minute paddle out on a webcast would be pretty average. And they'll need good zoom lenses on the cameras - it breaks waaaaay out.

[BA]

^^
I spent 4 mths in NorCal, some 13yrs ago. Only surfed Ocean beach the once. It was on one of the smallest days of my stay, the spots I frequented over there were knee high at best. OB was head high and like a fun day at Sth Straddie, peaks detonating all up and down the beach as far as the eye could see.

I've surfed Manly 20+ times over the years and it's never been close to that sesh.

FWIW though, I still think it's a dumb idea to run the search comp there. I was hoping they were gunna get back to the original premise of mind boggling exotic waves at somewhere like P-Pass or Morocco or some such.

It was sarcasm Tiger. Manly now being dominated by department store sized surf shops, cashed up X5 driving baby boomers, it would be an ideal site for a " dream tour " event.

[LONGINUS]

Ah well, it was always going to be somewhere cold this year - still gotta shift that 2008 H-Bomb backlog of inventory. With the choice of San Francisco though - can anyone out there still try and convince me that the days of the ASP aren't over? It is what it is - a showcase for the event sponsors but arent we looking for something 'else' to replace it?

I found it most amusing to read the recycled vomit from every site remoely feeding a buck from Bells or Rip Curl advertising over the past week. So many people pointing out how 'good it was' just how 'back' Joel was, just how 'angry' Slater will be next time. There was a lot riding on this year after the last five duds.

The worst thing now is that I have two whole weeks of Billabong telling me how 'green' the Rio Pro will be - thanks a fking lot - I wish Smirnoff was still sponsoring the thing.

[dUg]

still gotta shift that 2008 H-Bomb backlog of inventory

Nah... they were all shredded by the end of January that year to prevent devaluing of the 2009 model.

[Beanpole]

In a recent article Roy Masters was claiming Nike buying out Hurley and becoming a player has shifted the playing field. He reckons QSilver has now broken ranks with the other members of the big three and will now start promoting contests where they can get bums on seats rather than a couple of local fishermen and a few local hookers as a live audience.

This would mean the end of the dream tour and a return to stunt surfing at "famous" beaches near large populations. This fits perfectly with the rise of aerial surfing since on shore crap is not seen as a big minus as it used to be.

[buzzy]

There'll always be someone, somewhwhere, complaining about your decision.

For me, I reckon the world champion should be the best surfer across a range of conditions. So I reckon there should be left and right reefbreaks, left and right points, rivermouth breaks and...metro beachbreaks. Maybe no more than one or two but I just reckon it's a legitimate and indeed required part of finding the world's best allround surfer.

Just me.

Mind you, it doesn't bother me much either way.

[oldman]

True Wands, but if there's no hurricane sending swell up, there's fcukall likelihood of any decent surf to be had. .

Sounds like Qld!

[Quangers]

There'll always be someone, somewhwhere, complaining about your decision.

For me, I reckon the world champion should be the best surfer across a range of conditions. So I reckon there should be left and right reefbreaks, left and right points, rivermouth breaks and...metro beachbreaks. Maybe no more than one or two but I just reckon it's a legitimate and indeed required part of finding the world's best allround surfer.

Just me.

Mind you, it doesn't bother me much either way.

I can see where you are coming from in regards to best in all conditions...but who wants to waste their broadband on watching shite onshore closeouts?? Yeah, I know, these blokes can still turn twice and finish with a air reverse in conditions like that, but where is the dream??
Kind of like saying Tiger Woods should be made to play on some crap suburban golf course and set the course record to prove he is the world's best. The best shouldn't be made to do that... that's why we have the WQS.