The best waves of the WCT Tour this year? Quite possibly. The J-Bay Open served up the goods and the surfing was exceptional in more ways than one. One reason being that there was a noticeable lack of aerial tricks in the 6th stop of the 2014 Men’s World Championship Tour, but the barrels sure made up for it. Another was the fact that two surfing legends, Curren and Occy, went head to head in the new Heritage Series that brought some interesting questions about retaining surfing ability with age, but more on that later. So let’s get stuck into the J-Bay Open in South Africa, it was one hell of a comp.
Jeremy Flores Loses His Cool
Early on in the comp Flores flew of the handle after what could be called questionable scoring in his Round 2 heat. Jeremy failed to progress with a tight score between himself and Sebastian Zietz, and he let ASP officials and event staff have it after the heat. The result? A $6,000 fine and suspension from competing in events until August 27th. That rules him out of the Vans US Open at the end of July and the next WCT event the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Ouch.
Upsets and Celebrations
The rounds up to the finals were a mix of elation for the winners and disbelief for the losers. Top performers like Kelly Slater, Michel Bourez, Nat Young, Jordy Smith and John John Florence all fell short of the semi-finals. The Australian contingent on the tour were in force at Jeffreys Bay, eventually taking all three places on the podium. One of the biggest upsets, or perhaps celebrations for many, was Matt Wilkinson knocking out number one ranking Medina in the semis. Wilkinson was down in the thirties on the ranking board before the J-Bay Open, and his final placing saw him scramble up 12 places to 21.
Eye-opening Heritage Heat
Before we get stuck into the finals, a worthy mention is necessary for the Heritage Series, a new feature that is we can only hope is here to stay. Tom Curren and Mark Occhilupo went head to head in a heat that proved these guys have still got it. Curren wowed the crowd with his 10 point wave, and brought up the question of how well he surfs despite being 50 years old. Commentators called it one of the best barrels of the competition. Onlookers remarked how the two surfers were riding so well that they put some of the current tour competitors to shame. Curren won the heat, and reflecting on their rivalry that spans decades, Occy was the first to give credit where credit was due. Watch Curren’s 10 point wave below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Y_iNWeSI4
Fanning vs Parko Final
The two Australian childhood pals found their way to the finals, and with solid 8-foot Supertubes throwing up long barrels and ripable walls an excellent stage was set. Ahead of the final it could have been anyone’s trophy, but Fanning soon stamped his foot down leaving Parko behind. With a score of 9 on his first wave, and following up with a 7.33 and an 8, Fanning left little room for Parko to make a come back. But enough, time to watch the action from the final day at J-Bay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88YkgT7OuPg
So it’s all over, but Brazilian wonder kid Medina has managed to keep hold of his number 1 spot. Parko has jumped up to 2nd place and Fanning comes in at 3rd. Both Bourez and Slater have dropped three places, into 5th and 6th place respectively. No update on the women’s competition this month as they are missing out on J-Bay in favour of the Vans US Open at Huntingdon Beach. We’ll keep you posted on how it all goes down in California next month.