Brazilian João Chianca points himself left at the righthand point and nails Griffin Colapinto with an interference call.
By Derek Rielly
“Wrong and sad call. What was João gonna do, go left? He should have been penalized for silly games."
Tears across Southern California tonight after San Clemente’s great world title hope Griffin Colapinto was deemed to have interfered with Brazilian João Chianca in their round of 16 heat at the El Salvador Pro.
Examine the footage below.
The pair are jostling for priority. Griffin Colapinto has to do a little duck-dive under João, whom we last saw getting his head belted into the Pipeline reef, who appears to be going left at the righthand point. Immediately, João theatrically throws his hands in the air demanding a paddling interference.
Which he gets.
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The WSL’s Wall of Positive Noise is briefly shattered when commentator Strider Wasilewski says, “Ooof, honestly that was a bad…uh…I mean a tough call.”
In a post on Instagram the WSL’s Renato Hickel explained the decision,
“Unfortunately for Griffin (Colapinto) a pretty text book interference. Heats start with no priority and the normal interference rules apply. And, in that situation, João was in position for that wave and Griffin did a classic block so he loses half of his second scoring ride.”
Which meant, in theory, Griff could still win the heat but even with an almost perfect score, a 9.43, the decision meant his second best ride, an eight, was slashed to a four.
Final heat tally, Joao, 14.50, Griff, 13.99.
Without the interference Griffin Colapinto would’ve won 17:43 to 14.50.
“Complete and utter bullsh*t, flagrantly and purposefully caused by one man’s insecurity, knowing he was vastly inferior in the conditions,” wrote Griffin’s shaper Matt Biolos.
BIPOC surfing icon and activist Selema Masakela wrote, “This call is HORSEsh*t…”
Former tour standout Cory Lopez, “No need to call that, let them surf.”
“That call was DOG,” wrote Jett Schilling.
“Just a bad call honestly,” wrote Kade Madson.
Big-wave surfer Rusty Long: “Wrong and sad call. What was João gonna do go left? He should have been penalized for silly games. I think they should re do the heat how incorrect that call was.”
A little push back, here and there, and some crowing from Brazillians, but most commenters critical of the decision.
“I knew I would have to play tough against Griff, he’s one of the best,” said João in his post-heat interview. “Such a bummer that that interference happened so early. But when that happened, the first thing I thought is, ‘Don’t hate the player, hate the game.’”
In these matters I tend to cede to the judge’s call, but, here, it did seem like João forced the interference.
You got an opinion. Where do you stand?
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By Chas Smith
"Many investors view sports as a largely uncorrelated asset class, making it a good hedge when markets are down."
The men and the women are in El Salvador, currently, slogging through elimination rounds at stop number seven on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour and it sure does feel doggy. Not Punta Roca, per se, or any of the competitors, necessarily, just the vibe. Like, no one really cares. After the intense rush of Teahupo’o, it makes sense, I suppose. Still, surfing as sport is weird and only appeals to degenerates who will put up with anything, from Joe Turpel to the spelling of Deivid Silva, and come back for more.
Rumors, anyhow, have been intensifying this year that WSL owner Dirk Ziff is actively looking to unload the Pastime of Kings, quite possibly to a Middle Eastern interest. Well, his quest just got easier as the august investment firm Goldman Sachs includes surfing amidst the list of women’s sports and ultimate fighting that “emerging sports family offices want to own.”
The story, which appears in Fortune, shares that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and his partner Rob McElhenney’s purchase and subsequent marketing of the small market soccer team Wrexham has spiked interest in being in the sports’ game. Owning an NBA franchise or MLB or NFL of course nets billionaires more billons but Anushka Gupta, head of Goldman Sachs Apex in the Americas, is bullish on smaller fries like surfing.
Family offices are mostly in the early stages of considering sports investments, evaluating factors such as whether leagues are open to expansion and how they handle media rights. “There’s been a lot of focus on the rapid rise in media contract values,” said Gupta, “which has allowed engagement with a much broader audience.” Many investors view sports as a largely uncorrelated asset class, making it a good hedge when markets are down.
Very cool.
Back to Reynolds and McElhenny, though. Would you like to see a power couple like that atop competitive professional surfing?
Welcome to Woozle?
Exciting times.
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By Chas Smith
Guerillas in the mist.
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By Derek Rielly
Includes an assortment of personal items left in the van by the great singer-songwriter!
Last September, the man Kelly Slater referred to as his surrogate daddy, travelling minstrel Jimmy Buffet, died, not surprisingly given a life braised in the Caribbean sun, of skin cancer.
Jimmy was a well-cooked seventy-six.
“I grew up listening to Jimmy Buffett with my family. His music basically outlined the lives we desired… fishing, diving, dreaming about being in the tropics, playing music and just living the dream,” Slater wrote in a long Instagram tribute.
Slater said he eventually met Jimmy Buffet in France in 2010 and ‘cause ol Jim reminded Slater of his daddy, “from that moment on he kind of became a surrogate for me. I’m having a tough time accepting his passing but I do feel blessed to have some incredible memories every single time I hung out with him.
“It is 5 o’clock somewhere, Jimmy and I know you’d be smoking a joint with a drink in your hand and a huge smile on your face like any good pirate would.”
Real sad, he had some good songs, Pirate at 40, Margie-ville, and was once arrested in France for carrying one hundred ecstasy tablets aboard his private jet, a sexy Dassault Falcon 900, which he piloted himself. Cops fined him three hundred bucks and Jimmy released a statement saying they were his Vitamin B supplements.
Anyway…
A slice of history is up for sale, Jimmy Buffet’s 2004 Ford E-350 Sportsmobile 6.0L Power Stroke 4×4, a go-anywhere travelling home that Jimmy owned until 2020 when it was sold to its current owner.
Selling deets.
It is powered by a 6.0-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 linked with a five-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case,” writes the seller. “Features include an extended-height roof, an awning, roof-access ladders, 16″ American Racing wheels, a kitchenette, sleeping surfaces, a fold-down entertainment screen, and an Alpine touchscreen head unit. This Sportsmobile has 69k miles and is offered with service records, spare parts, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Colorado title in the seller’s name.
The van is finished in white and is fitted with an extended-height roof. Additional exterior details include a Fiamma awning, hood louvers, Aluminess bumpers, side ladders, Yakima roof bars, an ARB air compressor, a rear shower, and AMP Research retractable running boards.
But that ain’t all!
“An assortment of personal belongings including a belt, hats, DVDs, and a hand blender that are said to have been left in the vehicle by Jimmy Buffett are included in the sale.”
Examine the gallery and full description here.
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By Chas Smith
Tainted?
The departed but never forgotten disgraced former World Surf League CEO Erik Logan ushered in two important changes to the Championship Tour season during his time and, like him, both are funny to look at. In the middle of the year, we have the mid-season cull wherein hard-working dreamers are sent to unemployment lines. While I imagine the lack of fairness haunts those in the salt mines, a few lousy wave-starved CT heats ending years upon years of surfing lousy wave-starved QS contests, the surf fan rejoices at the spilling of blood.
At the end of the year, we have Finals Day wherein those who survived “The Chop” and have clawed into the top five get a chance to win it all at a playful cobblestoned chest-higher in Southern California.
Yes, Logan’s brainchildren have made for entertainment, certainly, but have also undermined the long-established faith in professional surfing as an honest and true sport. The new Finals Day format, for example, has robbed Carissa Moore of a title and hung an asterisks on the bigger wave averse Brazilian champ Filipe Toledo.
Karma, as they say, is my boyfriend.
And this year, we have John John Florence rounding into as fine a form as we have ever seen, competitively, as he heads into retirement. He is currently in the Great Wall Motors Yellow Jersey and looking to stack points upon points with a first round victory in El Salvador over LOB and Rosie Perez, vaulting him past the elimination round.
Florence will, very likely, head to Trestles number one, which means any challenger will have to beat him twice. A tall order. A tall order, that is, for anyone other than small wave wizard Filipe Toledo. If the Brazilian champion had not vacated the year, opting for a well-deserved mental health break, and entered the top five, he would be odds on favorite no matter where he ended.
Which begs the question. Will Florence’s almost inevitable third championship be festooned with a many pointed star?
*
What’s good for the goose is good for the goner, as they also say, and if Toledo’s championship is questioned due his terror of big, shouldn’t Florence’s also be questioned due his not beating the best small wave surfer at a small wave?
David Lee Scales and I discussed during our weekly chat and you should listen, mostly for the segment where it is revealed that the Grateful Dead was an evil CIA psy-op, but also weigh in below.
Does double J deserve an asterisks?
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