do ya reckon mick was unprofessional by not getting on the sled and resetting?

[--++sunstroke++--]

Would you?

[shaunmorrison]

Yes, your right. He was a bit soft, should have had a 1 hour break and in that time a few more jet skis could be organised and they could have had half a dozen jet ski's with a bloke on the back with a shotgun(no shortage of those in J/Bay) patrolling the line up. Would have added to the tension of the contest.

[gardie]

Next time they could have some brave people like fongss floating in the lineup every 10 metres s decoys or sacrificial lambs.

I am trying to work out if this thread is serious. Someone nearly lost their life.. Last thing in the world you would think about is returning to the water for something so inconsequential

[alakaboo]

He couldn't, JW didn't want to.
Don't they have a shark clause, both need to agree to go back out?

[chrisb]

In MR's biography there is a story about a 1980's Waimea Bay event held in macking surf in which MR suffered a horrendous wipeout where he almost drowned. This was the same event where at least 2 other pro surfers had decided earlier not to go out. After the wipeout MR reset, paddled back out and had some good rides.

More pro surfers drown in the surf than from shark bite so looking at the statistical aspect only, MR took a much bigger risk than Mick. However, to be fair to Mick, he is probably like most of the population and has a greater fear of shark attack than of being drowned.

[Drailed]

Jesus f christ. He had just come face to face with a decent sized GW shark.

Stop being such a desperate attention seeking tard fong.

[Nick Carroll]

In MR's biography there is a story about a 1980's Waimea Bay event held in macking surf in which MR suffered a horrendous wipeout where he almost drowned. This was the same event where at least 2 other pro surfers had decided earlier not to go out. After the wipeout MR reset, paddled back out and had some good rides.

More pro surfers drown in the surf than from shark bite so looking at the statistical aspect only, MR took a much bigger risk than Mick. However, to be fair to Mick, he is probably like most of the population and has a greater fear of shark attack than of being drowned.

oh come on, I was there. Waimea was 20-25' and clean. MR had surfed the place numerous times before in much more dangerous conditions. He didn't take any horrendous wipeouts that day - and he surfed in the first heat of the day before anyone had decided to pull out of the contest. That heat featured RCJ's first starring turn in major surf by the way. It also featured a Brazilian surfer, Alberto Salazar, and Rob Bain of Queenscliff, who were both caught inside by a closeout set.

The surfes who pulled out that day, Bryce Ellis and Gary Green, were very much in the minority, everyone else was psyched even though they were scared.

Maybe wait till a great white shark knocks you off your board in a CT final and see how you respond before passing judgement on this one eh.

[Rustt]

Trolling from Tahiti sounds like bloody good work if you can get it.

[Davros]

Has Bryce Ellis or Gary Green lived that down? But now I'm getting into Fong territory.

I've read articles inferring Jody Smith gets a little more nervous than some others, but again why wouldn't he with 15ft cloudbreak etc...

[The Mighty Sunbird]

in my experience MR is not one to usually blow his own trumpet so I believe him if he says he almost drowned: hell that happened to croissant in 2 foot waves in the flags!

[chrisb]

in my experience MR is not one to usually blow his own trumpet so I believe him if he says he almost drowned: hell that happened to croissant in 2 foot waves in the flags!

You're right, MR isn't a trumpet blower, the story was written by David Knox in MR's biography. It's a few years since I read the book and the near-death experience may not have occurred at that specific event but it did occur at Waimea Bay (it was in the intro to the book). I remember reading how his leg rope was stretched permanently to twice its length.

If Nick was there I will rely on his first-person account ie. the actual Waimea Bay comp that saw the withdrawal of 2 Aussies may have been a different comp to the event where MR's near-death experience happened.

In my original post the point I was trying to make was that statistically more pro surfers have died by drowning (at least four that I can think of) than by shark attack (nil). Seems that Derek Hynd is the most rational one out there.

[Nick Carroll]

MR was probably talking about the 1974 Smirnoff Pro final day.

Many more surfers generally have died just while surfing than by shark attack. In fact more surfers in the past decade have died by heart attack in the surf than by shark attack.

[pinhead]

In fact more surfers in the past decade have died by heart attack in the surf than by shark attack.

And you're sure they hadn't just seen a shark?

[shaunmorrison]

Soft as, the show must go on.

Couple of red bulls and out again, end of story.

[foamy]

The final 35 min act had delivered the greatest climax to a pro surfing event ever. Just not the climax that was expected.
The true professional knows when to leave the stage.

And what was more important, attending quickly to the post-shark interviews and immediate reaction shots that was of intense interest to billions, or diluting the impact of all that by running another heat that was only of interest to a few thousand?

[shaunmorrison]

Hmm , Good point.

[alakaboo]

And assessment of potential earning implications for himself, sponsors and the tour if he
A) goes back in and gets eaten
B) goes back in and loses
C) goes back in and wins
D) doesn't go back in

He clearly chose the most professional option

Sorry Fong, mercantile logic trumps trolling every time.

[chrisb]

The final 35 min act had delivered the greatest climax to a pro surfing event ever.

Maybe the next time a final gets boring just drop a toothless GWS into the
Iineup.