The ASP: Judging Like It's 1999

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Surfpolitik

Before I begin: Here's a tip for all the Facebook fiends out there - all you folk who post and comment and look for feedback from the crowd.

It goes like this: If you post a photo or comment on Facebook and get thoroughly abused, ignore it. Likewise, if you post a photo or comment and get thoroughly complimented, ignore that too. Then, with the top and bottom rungs of feedback knocked off read what the people in the middle are saying, cos the truth lies somewhere in that vicinity.

It's exactly the same as judging surfing; five judges give scores, the highest and lowest are removed, and the other three are averaged.

Now with that little pearl out of the way let's talk about the ASP, Brazil, dodgy judging and social media. For those who aren't aware the ASP just ran a comp in Brazil, Adriano de Souza won it, and the whole thing is shrouded in controversy.

Before the first hooter even sounded there was already the issue of terrible surf. Imbituba, where the Brazil comp used to be held, was bad enough but moving it to Rio de Janeiro further reduced the chance of good surf and was yet another step away from Dream Tour ideals. The move caused alarm among surfing fans.

Then there was the quarter final contest between de Souza and the surfer he beat, Owen Wright. De Souza was scored 8.23 – a score that falls in the excellent range – for a one-move wave. It was a good sized wave, no doubt, yet the move he pulled – a tail drop floater – hasn't been considered critical since the Red Hot Chilli Peppers have been considered cool.

In reply to de Souza's one-move wonder wave, Wright stroked into a wave, nailed a vertical reo then stuck a clean slob air - a technical and contemporary move. He needed a 6.7, he received a 6.6. The wave was smaller then de Souza's, yet the ASP recently revised the judging criteria and wave size is no longer relevant to scoring potential.

Since it happened there's been an outpouring of vitriol on the internet. Nowhere is it more evident than on the ASP's Facebook page. For the last three days irate surfers – and, it should be noted, not just Australian surfers – have vented their anger in public on the ASP's main social networking tool. The venom is there for all to read.

The Facebook tirade reached such a level today that the ASP took, what I believe, is the unprecedented step of publishing an article explaining the discrepancy in their judging. It's done very little to quell the anger.

Keeping in mind my earlier advice the ASP should ignore the worst of the abuse (it's tight but I think Luke Okay gets the gong for an extended diatribe that ended with the ASP being called 'fucking monkeys') plus the most positive comment (Graciela Edith Leon with 'QUE GRANDE.....ES UNGRANDE......BRASIL...... LALALLALA...... BRASIL!....BRASIL!').

So that leaves a further nine comments out of each ten that call the ASP into question over the judging in the de Souza vs. Wright heat. The truth lies somewhere in amongst them.

Comments

lukeokay's picture
lukeokay's picture
lukeokay Monday, 23 May 2011 at 11:17am

Well they tryed to tell the surfing community what good surfing was and contradicted themselves all over their lying pile of stink. umm lets just have an apology please ASP. I was just telling it like it is, everyone else is to focused on De Souza's performance, the greater problem is the ASP in general, time for a revolution...

nope's picture
nope's picture
nope Monday, 23 May 2011 at 5:47pm

owan was ripped. sure. did you see the french judge gave a 9? now, remember parkos one move wave, also a floater, scoring an 8 at munduka 2 years ago? i didnt hear anyone but parko himself, in the post heat interview, question it. theres controversy in every event i watch. suck it up, move on. i watch for the surfing and i was stoked the whole event. also have we forgotten the dismal few rounds at chopes last year too? held in knee high wind blown dribble! it never got that bad. honestly i think everyones just scared of 'loosing' the number one spot to zillas.

rebel-tour_2's picture
rebel-tour_2's picture
rebel-tour_2 Tuesday, 24 May 2011 at 1:37am

I think this may prove a watershed moment for pro-surfing. Its funny because when the tour was at idyllic locations and in the best waves, there wasn't much money to be made for the organisation, but there was a belief in what they were doing amongst surfers with an interest in pro surfing. Now they've re-packaged it and tried to sell it to the hoads, the majority of us don't like what we're seeing. There's no way to candy coat what we all saw in Brazil; the scoring, the waves, the outcome.

The new ASP boss has made his intentions clear (thanks to Swellnet's own Outsider interview), but it's hard for most of us to accept that they're actually going to undo Rabbit's years of hard work and plunge pro surfing back into the late 80's, early 90's model. The relationship between surfing's governing body and the companies that provide the cash no longer have that disparity between "church and state" if you will. They're in bed together for real this time and whilst no doubt relishing in the financial windfall, they've lost the surfing publics confidence and the majority of their integrity.

Bell's was pretty euphoric in ways and set up everyone nicely for the Brazilian nosedive. Now we've got the ASP statement, defending its judgements, and it read like its new 'business model'; pathetic!

What will it take for the surfers to give a vote of no confidence? Who will revolt now that so much money's being thrown at them? At what point do we turn our backs on the ASP and its surfers?

twiggy's picture
twiggy's picture
twiggy Tuesday, 24 May 2011 at 10:14pm

I think the bottom line (for me) is, even if "everyone on tour" is doing airs (and "everyone" is not) , they are still harder to do than floaters. And trhe criteria has been (or was) set to reflect that .

where-was-m-p's picture
where-was-m-p's picture
where-was-m-p Thursday, 26 May 2011 at 5:05am

Slater's crazy oop to win the 2010 Bells comp in the dying minutes was an 8.93. Next time he'll just play it safe with a float.

nope's picture
nope's picture
nope Thursday, 26 May 2011 at 11:28am

so everyone ignores my comment on parkos floater getting an 8? the waves in rio were much heavier then slaters final at bells last year or the the ones where parkos mundukka float got an 8. i dont agree it was an 8 and owan did win. you have blinkers on. though i guess aboves comment would be one removed before averaging....it was a crazy floater over a massively long, heavy section landing in a below sea level trough. soooo easy hey! next surf you try one at kirra or a slaby over head wave i think youll get flucked up.

whaaaat's picture
whaaaat's picture
whaaaat Thursday, 26 May 2011 at 11:22pm

Hey, nope. You "watch for the surfing and [were] stoked the whole event" !!? Unless you and I watched different contests, Rio did NOT have a single eyeball-searing moment. Try and convince me that you looked or are looking forward to Long Island, Peniche and San Francisco with the same anticipation as Bells, Chopes, J-Bay, Trestles, Hossegor and Pipe? Even at their dribbliest (let alone when they're heavy), all of the latter will deliver moments of sheer sublimity. As distinct from ... pick any disparaging noun that you like. Let's be clear eyed about this and not defend the indefensible - the marketing monkeys don't need our help.

nope's picture
nope's picture
nope Friday, 27 May 2011 at 6:35pm

see mellings style? best surfing all event in my eyes! see kerrs airs? feel the anticipation at the close of owans quarter? there were many examples of these attributes to surfing competition through the event. bells is a shit wave. as for scoring why the hell would a barrel ride, ie; going straight, score over a loco floato? when a comp is a tubefest its about who gets the wave. 9times out of 10 i could get the score. id never support this capitalist world of marketing-betters-product though. and i just watch for the surfing i cant do...im sure the event would be the same without pissing millions of dollars(collectively) away. sublime tropical barrels dont need a contest singlet. differing opinions. i would much prefer marketing $s to stay in cities then places i want to travel to or possibly live. peniche is cazy good your tripping. cant be bothered clearing this mess up. i think i covered everything. no the marketing monkeys dont need our help im not helping them you are!

whaaaat's picture
whaaaat's picture
whaaaat Friday, 27 May 2011 at 11:41pm

"bells is a shit wave". Hmmm, that says all that needs to be said about this conversation. I'm outta here.

yorkessurfer's picture
yorkessurfer's picture
yorkessurfer Saturday, 28 May 2011 at 2:23am

For flucks sake nope its owen not owan! As for bells being a shit wave- big call. have you ever caught a 10 foot wave out there? you can stick to your dribbly brazillian beachbreaks kook!

stuz's picture
stuz's picture
stuz Saturday, 28 May 2011 at 11:34am

Stay off the dope nope.

nope's picture
nope's picture
nope Saturday, 28 May 2011 at 2:05pm

put things into perspective. the box is a sick wave. slabby, difficult to surf waves are better then fat slow mushy bells. winki fires, bells dribbles. as a generalization. brazils beachies are as sick as any anywhere ive surfed. straddie/france/portugal. not as consistent maybe but trust me when theres swell theres proper waves.

maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley Monday, 30 May 2011 at 2:21am

So de Sauza beat Owen cause his wave was bigger and breaking into shallower water. I didn't realize they were judging the waves and not the surfers...I thought it was all about maneuvers. Anyway let him have it - must be a hollow victory at best. As far as holding a surf contest in Brazil - don't you guys have any reef over there at all? Must suck having to surf beachies all the time.

maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley Monday, 30 May 2011 at 3:02am

Hey nope - you aren't seriously comparing that Brazilian beach break slop to France and Portugal are you? Unlike Brazil Hossgeor and Supertubos can actually hold size and barrel. The Rio contest had to cancel day 1 cause it was 4-6ft and offshore but too big for the banks. Over here in South Oz we only surf beachies when the swell's too small for the reefs.

nope's picture
nope's picture
nope Monday, 30 May 2011 at 10:38am

i surfed 6' heaving kegs yesty. in brazil. have been all autumn. well up till yesty up to 4 foot. yes im comparing slabs with slabs. see the poster for the rio comp? does bells do that? how can i upload a pic? this place is sick without the crowds of other similar waves. if you know where and when....owen beat andre i conceded that many times. parko got an 8 for a floater at fat high tide mundakka. no complaints for him though but from himself. calling it slop is a bit silly watch his float again. check out isla dos lobos ilha da mai.
http://waves.terra.com.br/surf/fotos//confira-galeria-de-fotos/33912
many more less chopes like reefs too. and a few other vert chopes like ones....

nope's picture
nope's picture
nope Monday, 30 May 2011 at 10:46am

Fernando de Noronha~ this joint is worth remembering too. and the lesser know spots i guess are preferred to stay like that. and i believe zillas suffer from the west is best syndrome. sadly, like most 3rd world inhabitants...

osmar's picture
osmar's picture
osmar Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 8:50am

Its funny how people see just what they want to see. What about the 100 times brazilians got robbed? You are a bunch of cry babies, rich mommy boys that can't see a guy that grew up in "shitty beachbreaks", like u say, get the better of you guys. There are floaters and floaters, of course if u use it in a 2ft wave is a bad trick, but try and do it in a 4/5ft punch wave almost closing out and get to next section. The same for airs. Any 13 old kid can do the air Owen did, if thats a good air to get a 7, i am sorry but he is really bad (i know he is not).
Ok, for the yorkesurfer above, was funny to see in the next event, the prime at saquarema that was finished yesterday, getting postponed cause the aussies said was too big and they didnt have big boards. hahah dont remember an event being canceled cause was too big. A local guy paddle out, dropped in a 15 bomb and showed all the aussie pros that it could be done.
One more for you. Have you heard of Danilo Couto? If not is because the kook here is you. Type in google Danilo Couto + Billabong XXL 2011. He, brazilian that grew up in "shitty beachbreaks", plus Marcio Freire and Yuri Soledade (The Maddog Team) had to teach the rest of the world how to PADDLE and catch 30/40ft, or whatever size you call, waves at JAWS.
Just open your mind and enjoy surf. Good waves

osmar's picture
osmar's picture
osmar Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 8:56am

Just forgot to say, imagine if brazilians that grow up surfing shitty beachbreaks, are causing this damage, both in competitive performance surf (WT/Prime/WQS) and big wave free surfing, had the amazing waves aussie and hawaiians have to grow up. I dont think we would have a competition at all. Think about it

osmar's picture
osmar's picture
osmar Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 9:05am

And I want to ask this guy that wrote this article, why last year in Trestles Jadson Andre did 2 airs in the same wave and was given a 6 and lost the heat when there was no barrels and no one was doing airs like him? tell me y. Dont remember yot doing an article saying ""ASP: judging like 99". Man this kind of shit pisses me off. No one got more robbed in this tour that the brazilians, and when the first time a close call happens in favor of us, some cry baby aussies ( i am not saying all aussies are) come out and do like it was the worst thing in the world. Adriano better watch out, cause now more than ever, he will be underscored

maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 9:38am

Hey nope and osmar why are you turning this into a Brazil vs Aussie thing? All that was said was De Souza was over scored and that Brazil doesn't seem to be a good place for a surf contest because the events are held in sub-standard beach breaks. From what we've seen the last few years anyway. No-one said De Souza won because he was a Brazilian in a Brazilian event. And there's no need to defend your waves and wonder what it would be like if you had better waves - you've got what you've got and it's not going to change anytime soon.

yorkessurfer's picture
yorkessurfer's picture
yorkessurfer Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 10:31am

The Brazilian surfers on the tour sure do try hard. I think DeSouza rips! But its funny when you get these patriotic Zilla's slagging off Australian surfers and our breaks. Classic inferiority complex some might say.

z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 4:02pm

I didn't like the Rio contest because of the waves. If surfing is to survive in the contest arena, then it will have to find a balance between what pays and what doesn't.
It looks like they've decided to bring contests to population dense locales.
Whatever floats the boat will succeed.
Gotta pay those pros somehow!
The "bottom line" effect, affects us all!
de Souza should NOT have won.
Nevertheless - Brazil was happy!(BIG market)

1000-fathoms's picture
1000-fathoms's picture
1000-fathoms Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 6:53pm

Well since Adriano got robbed at snapper by Taj so payback is a bitch.
If it wasn't Owen getting the hook nobody would have cared at all... But it was
an Aussie... So the tears begin. The reason why you don't win world tiles more often
is your tour guys are always on the piss, then by the time they hit 30, you've figured that out but
the Alejo's of the tour are going to smash you. Over done on to the next one.

maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 11:41pm

So 1000-fathoms what's the reason Brazilians don't win world titles more often? Is it your average waves or cause you spend most of your time crying about getting ripped off? Perhaps you claim too much? You say Aussies don't win more cause they are all on the piss but it's been either an Aussie or Yank world champ every single year since 1980 - with the exception of Potts in 1989. On the piss or not Aussie's still win em. Off the piss or not Brazilians don't win em.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at 11:44pm

Osmar, just a couple of facts.

The Comp was called off on the big day at Iatuna by contest Director Pedro Muller: “The waves are too big, larger than what was predicted. I don’t think anybody thought that the swell would hit so hard and even the jet skis are having difficulty getting outside. We can’t risk the safety of our athletes, so our only option was to postpone the event.”



Also in the recently finished Quik Big Wave Comp at Punta Lobos, Chile there was a South American Trifecta with Marco Monteiro first, Ramon Navarro second and Gabriel Villan third.

All this wounded pride chest beating is kinda pointless. South America is on the rise. Everyone knows it.

whaaaat's picture
whaaaat's picture
whaaaat Wednesday, 1 Jun 2011 at 12:25am

"Kinda pointless". Hmmm, masterfully understated, Steve, as ever. And MMM, why are you now joining the nationalist sideshow - the first para of your post yesterday was spot on and precisely to the point. Which is this: slops is slops, be they at Rio's main tourist beach, Middleton Point in South Oz or the front beach at Shanghai (Lawd, I hope that don't give the marketers any rash ideas). Isn't the absolute bottom line to all this that we, the public, must have absolute faith in two surfers' claims to being the best bloke and chick competition surfers in the world for those titles to have continued relevance? So if the integrity of each title is undermined by questions of whether in fact the claimant is in fact simply the surfer who got luckier in sloppy beachbreaks more times than his or her peers, rather than the surfer who was consistently the bravest, boldest and best, the marketers have succeeded in destroying something that, to a greater or lesser extent, we've ALL had a hand in building. And if they don't understand already, the marketers need to get the reality that no-one wants non-authentic product. Putting contests in high-population zones will only work in the long-term if the core ingredients (waves and surfers) are as authentic as the claim(world's best)requires. So, rather than a pissing contest about which gene pool has the shallowest end, why aren't we pushing this back onto the real culprits? Of course, if we're okay with the title "world champion" being pointless baloney, let's do nothing. I for one could do with the extra time gained from not watching contests. Ah, so many free to air channels; so little time.

maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley Wednesday, 1 Jun 2011 at 1:03am

Yeah good call whaaat - got caught up in the moment and hadn't intended on making my last post a nationalist rant which in hindsight it was. Seems everyone just wants to see the best surfers in the best surf no matter where it is. Think we all know beachies are a lot more fickle than reefs so by holding comps on reefs it gives the surfers the best chance at getting the best surf. Don't really understand why they want to bring surfing to the masses by holding comps at easily accessible spots (which are usually beachies) cause it doesn't do us watching it on the net any favors and I would have thought we would make up at least 85% of the audience. Poor surf doesn't showcase the surfers skills because even if the conditions are perfect it won't be as good as a decent bit of reef with the same conditions. I want to see good surfers in good surf - not good surfers in poor surf. Would rather be watching free to air.

seal's picture
seal's picture
seal Wednesday, 1 Jun 2011 at 1:20am

So Osmar, as I understand it, only the rich in Brazil can afford to surf, travel or even own computors! Therefore it kinda looks like the rich mommys boys are in fact the ones you are involved with and not the majority of the Aussie "piss heads" you are talking about. Most of the Aussie "pissheads" have come from the poorer or middle class families in Australia not the rich as you portray.
Just face it, Adriano is a great surfer but he shouldn't have been in the final and it looks bad that 2 years in a row the Brazillans have been pushed through at their own contest. Are the judges just bad, or is there some kind of corruption going on ie. being paid or worse, threatened if there is no Brazilly in the final?
As already said we need to get the ASP back to holding the comps in good waves at good locations whenever possible and make sure the judges are doing a creditable and fair job, not pushing through names or country favourites at the expense of the better surfer on the day.
I for one would hate to see the whole show that Bugs tried to create collapse, just to get bums on seats at marginal destinations surfwise because of the mighty dollar. Be it Brazil, USA or even Australia we all want to see the worlds best in the worlds best waves!

1000-fathoms's picture
1000-fathoms's picture
1000-fathoms Wednesday, 1 Jun 2011 at 2:26am

Mad dog, I ain't no fan of the Zillas by any means but Freddy P. said it best last year at Bells. If your going to shove the Owen Wrights of the world down our throats he better win a fucking WT event soon!
That might be Adriano's last WT victory ever, It's hard to win these things, but let's be clear about one thing.
The yanks have dominated since the Curren era. Period. The world knows it. Occy, a one off, Barton and Dooma, played shit tactics to win, and the surfing was fucking boring, you and I know it. Sunny strong armed is way to a title. CJ, got a break, Mick got em when Kelly was bored with the tour and he was banging super hotties. AI and Slater...
13 titles between them they ain't no Aus Holes Mad Dog. Keep drinking your VB;s the title stays with d'USA

maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley's picture
maddogmorley Wednesday, 1 Jun 2011 at 3:26am

Doesn't matter how you get em 1000-fathoms - a world title is a world title. It doesn't come down to 1 event or 1 heat like De Souza's win so no point comparing them. Just to give yourself a shot at a world title you need to surf well all year. I'm sure you didn't see every heat they surfed those world title years so why make comments like you have? No point degrading their achievements - what's done is done and they will be remembered as world champs. Anyway I agree with you the Seppos have done well - Slater in particular - and I said as much in my last post. USA probably should be ahead of Australia in the world title count given their population is 310 million and Australia is only 22 million. Per capita I reckon we've done pretty good.

fcb's picture
fcb's picture
fcb Sunday, 12 Jun 2011 at 4:49pm

Aussie boys, dear aussie boys... tell me... if the author of the floater was Joel Parkinson, would you be crying like this??? C´mon...