Peniche

[steve shearer]

everyone's a prime cnut in the water at Snapper.

I've surfed with Parko before and found his manner and etiquette fine.

Fanning more aggressive.

I'd reckon experiences would vary wildly.

[Donweather]

The thing is, he copes with pressure better than the rest.

Exactly, and this is where Slater will shine in the next 2 events. The rest of them will feel the pressure for sure and it will come down to who deals with it the best. Parko in past has not dealt with pressure very well at all.

[buzzy]

Slater's to be respected, no doubt, but I reckon Parko has been demonstrating a real capacity to deal with pressure this year. His consistent results this year show that. He was never in the final against JJF in Brazil, but he just got unlucky against Mick in Chopes and his heat strategy that made him the form surfer in Trestles went against him when set waves just didn't come through for him. Without overstating the position the quater against JJF will, for me, define the year for him. It's in his hands to even up the points equation with Slater and Mick and put a near insurmountable break on JJF. He has to win the quarter, for me, to put more pressure on Slater.

And this all overlooks that Mick is actually ahead of Parko on adjusted ratings and already has 2 world titles under his belt (including one decided under intense pressure), and JJF is a freak at Pipe.

Go Parko!

[Lolo]

Looking at the ASP rankings and dropping the two lowest scores currently looks like this-
KS-44950-After Portugal.
MF-43500-After Portugal.
JP-37000-Portugal result will be value adding.
JF-33400-Portugal result will be value adding.

Just when it was looking predictable Slater and Fanning both bomb out. Has Kelly ever scored a total of 5 in a heat before?

Parko is up against JJF in the quarters. That's a BIG heat in terms of the rest of the year. If Parko wins, JJF is out of the race barring a miracle. If JJF wins and goes on to win the contest its pretty close to a 4 way tie at the top with only 2000 points or so separating all of them. If he's close heading into Pipe he might just win it...

Parko and JJ both need the win tonight big time!

[rmb]

Looking at the ASP rankings and dropping the two lowest scores currently looks like this-
KS-44950-After Portugal.
MF-43500-After Portugal.
JP-37000-Portugal result will be value adding.
JF-33400-Portugal result will be value adding.

Just when it was looking predictable Slater and Fanning both bomb out. Has Kelly ever scored a total of 5 in a heat before?

Parko is up against JJF in the quarters. That's a BIG heat in terms of the rest of the year. If Parko wins, JJF is out of the race barring a miracle. If JJF wins and goes on to win the contest its pretty close to a 4 way tie at the top with only 2000 points or so separating all of them. If he's close heading into Pipe he might just win it...

Parko and JJ both need the win tonight big time!

JP's advantage is he has money in the bank up to this point and the further he goes here the stronger his position gets, the other surfers really need him to stumble at one of the next events. JF on the other hand has a bad result already one more for him with his had two dropped event scores his average mid range event scores start to count. As for MF and KS they have had their two worst scores dropped allready meaning the pressure is all on them to perform to keep in touch which we know they have the ability to do so. I guess we will see how the scenario is a little clearer in a few hours time.

[Nick Carroll]

I personally hope it's Parko. He deserves one .

No one deserves one. Ya gotta step up to the plate and f.u..cken well take it. Parko has slipped at crucial times over the years and he may bow out of pro surfing ala Cheyne Horan and Elkerton if he doesn't jag it this year. Plenty of world title runner up trophys between those guys.

Parko is a more adult and self confident person than the guy who had to fight Mick in 2009. He is also not carrying the ankle injury that was the prime reason for his failure to clinch the title that year.

He's been burning for a win for months and is not taking anything for granted. At the same time, he's been doing what he wants all year. Note the Molokai paddle with Wes, I thought when he did that, it was a sure sign of that new layer of authority and confidence -- it showed he was willing to trust his gut and his desire to do that paddle above any fear of it affecting his comp prep.

It also meant by the way that he has welded his Hawaiian friendships in very deep, Molokai carries a lot of weight with the surf fraternity in that part of the world. If anything Joel might feel more at home there than KS this season.

The's another factor underlying all this. Youse are all forgetting AI. Joel was in the final with Andy, Kelly and Phil Macca that epic Showdown year in 2003 when AI broke Kelly while riding a creased board. He came second, Kelly came third. AI won. Andy was Parko's best mate on tour, for a while there closer even than Mick. If Joel wins the title in 2012, Andy will be in the acceptance speech somewhere, and in his heart too.

[steve shearer]

yeah parko

[blueBottleSting]

I'm not a fan of dropping ur 2 lowest scores. If you f*ck it then so be it. U can argue that u can be unlucky with waves so dropping ur lowest 2 scores evens it out .... but u dont drop ur highest scores where u might have got lucky. their is the injury side, but if ur injured u havent won so u dont deserve it. Are their any other reason for this?

I'd be slightly interested to see how previous titles wld have panned out if u included every result for the year.

[murrum]

Jeepers! Great ending - I'd given up and walked into the kitchen.

[steve shearer]

jeez, great train robbery.

stinky decision

[Grooter]

Parko is like the Mark Webber of surfing for me

Has the talent to win but just when you think he is going to do it he fails at the final hurdles

[alakaboo]

In what universe did Julian Wilson win that one?
Did I miss a change in criteria where the judges were only looking at arse size?

[romak50]

jeez, great train robbery.

stinky decision

Very dubious. Gabs clearly one, but he has to learn to be gracious in defeat. Leaving the stage before JW was presented his trophy was poor form, and his entourage gave JW the stink eye of the century.

[JaM71]

How on earth did Julian get that score for his final wave....

It was scripted drama! Course he was gonna get the score, wasn't it great to see the Medina entourage throwing a tanty? Pure drama! I think that Medina might be better off ditching the family not sure if they re gonna help him in years to come, the ""passionate, emotional"" Brazilian tag might wear a bit thin if he loses another final.

How is all of the ""claims""? It's getting like diving in soccer, I mean seriously ,are these guys practicing their claims in the off season?

If there are no waves, do the top 34 troop off to the gym then go home to practice their claims in front of the mirror?

[Clif]

Please share those drugs you're taking, Mr Ringmaster

[Donweather]

I agree that Wilson was over scored on his last wave. I believe it was more in line with a mid-high 7's score, which BTW would have still won him the heat.

[buzzy]

The judges seem to react to the drama of a buzzer beater, and reward it. It happens all the time.

Medina's only 18 so I reckon he deserves some slack. He does need to learn to lose with dignity but when Slater thinks its ok to continue surfing in the competition area post heat, smashes up his board if he loses and carry on like a prima Donna it's no surprise if others follow his lead.

Slater cried too after losing to AI at pipe btw.

[BA]

How is all of the ""claims""? It's getting like diving in soccer, I mean seriously ,are these guys practicing their claims in the off season?

If there are no waves, do the top 34 troop off to the gym then go home to practice their claims in front of the mirror?

Fully agree. Everyone seems to be doing it. Even putting up 10 fingers as in "that was a 10 point ride judges". Not cool.