I Told You So Bobby
The internet is just great for those with a temper: Wanna feel the immediate, red-in-your-face anger that comes from an emotionally penned diatribe? Welcome aboard, we've got libraries of the stuff. The sun, you see, never sets in the online world so there's always breaking news with an opinionated runt ready to deliver it.
What the internet ain't so hot for is those with a memory: Wanna feel the mellow glow of vindication? Experience the subtle satisfaction of saying 'I told you so'? Well, no-one cares to hear it 'cos by the time your point is proven that train has well and truly left the station - it's old news, buddy.
The internet is here and now, not there and last month - except if you have your own column.
So let me back this train up a bit and revisit a story from last month: Bobby Martinez blowing up at the Quiksiver New York comp and also in a promo interview. Subsequent news from the tour forces an addendum to that story.
One of Bobo's gripes was the One World ranking system. Said Bobo, "How the fuck is somebody who's not even competing against our calibre of surfers ahead of 100 of us on the One World ratings. They've never been here. They've never fucking made the right to surf against us, but now we're ranked [among] them?"
In the three contests since the rotation one of the surfers - Gabriel Medina - has held a trophy aloft, and another - John John Florence - is shaping as the next Dane Reynolds, only with better barrel skills. If another rotation were to happen now all the graduates would survive, some very comfortably. So, Bobo, those surfers not only earned the right to be on the World Tour by winning Prime events and accumulating points, they've since shown they've got the right to 'fucking be there' through comp results against the best.
Following his New York rant Bobo's sponsor, FTW, staged an interview where he could further harangue the ASP over the midyear rotation. Bobby had calmed down but clearly not smartened up. "Five guys come on halfway through the year," Bobo said. "They can't have a shot at winning the world title, what's the point of having them on that year?"
I'll let ASP World Tour Manager, Renato Hickel, pick up the slack here: "This is not the point. The surfers the newcomers are replacing were not contesting for an ASP World Title either. The idea behind the midyear rotation is to have the best surfers in the world updated faster than in previous years – every six months now instead of annually."
Gabe Kling, who was one of the surfers replaced, came dead last in five of the six comps before the rotation. In the sixth comp he came 13th – equal second last. Cory Lopez, another who got booted, placed last in three comps and equal second last in the other three. Suffice to say, neither of them were threatening for the world title.
And then there's Bobby Martinez - yesterday's boy - who entered four World Tour competitions this year yet still accumulated less points than Gabriel Medina who has entered only three.
So we'll depart this station one last time and leave Bobo on the terminal. Don't look back now. Medina, Florence and company are steaming ahead and they've got every right to be on the World Tour – the point is now proven.
Comments
Very well put. Those blokes well and truly deserve to be on the tour and appreciate the spot they've been given, unlike Bobo. I just hope that Bobo is at least smart enough to admit his comments were bulls@*t, though I somehow doubt it.
Wow Stu! You kind of really missed the point of Bobby's rant. Maybe you should go back and re-listen to both his rants.
It had nothing to do with new guys getting on tour - in fact he said it was fucked up that more new guys weren't making it on because of the point system. His main gripe was that the new guys only get 6 months to have a shot at the tour before they can get kicked off unless they make the grade immediately. Medina and John John are both phenoms and are making it look easy. Others won't be so lucky. Rather than being anti- the new guys he was saying there aren't enough of them getting a shot, and when they do get a shot it isn't a good enough one...
The World Ranking is flawed and pretty much everyone knows it. At the same time you have guys like JJ and Medina coming up you have guys nearly in the top 10 on the CT in danger of getting dropped while some of the guys sitting in the 30s on the CT make it easy??
I'm really not sure why they changed it. The old system with a separate "division" for the CT and QS seemed to make a hell of a lot more sense.
Cant say I really agree with this. Sure some of the guys comments may have been stupid but he does have a point. Its not the point of whether they deserve to be there or not as some of them obviously do but, wouldnt you feel ripped off if they powers that be moved the goal posts on you after your hard slog to get to where you were? How can you justify having having a year long tour but you only get a 6 month shot at it??? Thats just farked in my opinion. Its not about chasing the title for these guys below the 6 month cut off but a proper chance to compete against their peers on the year long tour to retain their place in that tour for the following year. Substituting lots of crappy events and getting lots of points doesnt compare to surfing against the best guys at the best events! Its like they have made it harder for the top guy and easier for the guy trying to make it as the guy trying to make it is surfing and earning points against lesser competitors.
If they are going to do it this way then they should split it into two 6 month tours then. Otherwise, let the wct guys have their proper shot at staying there while the wqs guys have to wait their turn like everyone else did to "earn" their rightful spot.
I dont really understand this article to be honest, just because someone has a major varience in opinion(and rightfully so) its all of a sudden OK to slag him off. Sure he could have done it in a more "tactful" manor but the bottom line is its just a rightful difference of opinion!
Yes I agree with both lolo and bobo - 6 months is nowhere near enough time to make the grade when you're up against guys that have been on the tour for 5 years or more. Especially seeing as these newcomers tend to draw the top guys in the early rounds. Some of the spots like Tahiti, Fiji, Pipe etc all take a lot of getting used to and these new guys have probably only been there a couple of times due to the cost and not having a sponsor which makes it a bit hard to compete against Kelly/Taj/Bede/Joel/Mick who have been to these spots dozens of times.
Bobo did rant about the newcomers not able to have a shot at the title but in the same token the one's being kicked off haven't got a chance to claw their way back either. That's not fair - slug it out for 5 years to get on tour then only get 6 months before getting kicked out and having to start all over again.
Sorry Stu but I think lolo is right - you have only picked up on the pieces you want to pick up on - like most journalists and regulated media outlets.
No, Lolo, with all due respect I think you, like Bobo, have misunderstood how the One World system works.
You say, "His main gripe was that the new guys only get 6 months to have a shot at the tour before they can get kicked off."
Not true. The One World rankings apply for the previous 12 months, so if they have a bad trot on the World Tour their previous good run in Primes or 6 stars should hold them in good stead on the One World rankings (and remember, WT results are worth more than Primes). As an example, Cory, who got booted, wasn't performing in either the WT or the Primes. Therefore off he went.
Then you said "you have guys nearly in the top 10 on the CT in danger of getting dropped while some of the guys sitting in the 30s on the CT make it easy"
Tell me, who was 'nearly in the top 10 and in danger of getting dropped'? Names...
Finally, we had two surfers join the tour in the previous rotation in December. They had 6 months to prove themselves. They did.
We've had four more join in the July rotation and they're proving themselves too. What more do you want?
I agree too. I think this latest injection of young talent is the most exciting thing to hit the World Tour in years. I think even Kelly would agree, as It forces him to push himself to another level. The fact that the younger guys are the ones Kelly is looking to for inspiration, the fact that they are getting immediate results, not only justifies the ASP's new format, but make Bobby as a person and his comments already redundant.
Sorry Bobby, you had your time and I loved your surfing, but slowing down progression of a sport as exciting as surfing can only be detrimental in the long run, for both viewer satisfaction and all the competitors involved. As an avid follower of the World Tour, I want to see the best in the world and unfortunately for Bobby, he no longer falls into that category. It happens to all sportsman, and one day will even happen to Kelly (god only knows when ha ha).
Go the Young Guns and well done ASP.
Yes Stu the one world rankings is over 12 months BUT the guys new to the WT only get 6 months to compete against surfers of another level in spots they have only ever dreamed of going to. Add to this the fact that they get drawn against the top guys in the early round during those 6 months and I think you've got a very unfair system.
You can't let Air Medina and JJ cloud you're judgement here just because they are doing ok because those 2 are prodigy's and not likely to pop up every 6 months.
It's like letting the Crows or the Power play a few games back in the SANFL so they can improve their position on the AFL ladder.....
OK Maddog, well why in the last two rotations have we had six rookies step up and all survive?
Look, there's gonna be back and forths in this system but I reckon it's better to rotate quicker, give the young guys a taste of man-on-man, then have to wait a year at a time just for a chance.
Guess we have to agree to disagree - I like the English premier league system which mimics the old WT system - at the end of each year some teams get relegated and others get to step up but at least they get a full year to compete at the highest level. The same system applies to amateur league footy etc and I must admit that I prefer it.
Easy Stu,
Tiago before the cut was sitting in 12th or 13th on the CT and could easily be top 10 now if he had followed up with some good results. As it was he scraped through in 33rd I think it was on the World Ranking. Currently after going 25, 13, 25 in the last 3 contests he's 18th on tour yet 34th on the "World Ranking. So that's a flaw right there. No way should anyone in the top 20 or so on the CT be sent down.
Julian Wilson was in a similar situation before he started on his streak in the last few events. Where was CJ when he got punted?
Meanwhile KP still sits at 32 on the World Ranking, even with a best CT result this year of "second-last" and dodged the mid-year cutoff easy.
And I sure wouldn't say Miguel Pupo's proven himself yet with 25, 13, 25! Like I said Jon Jon and Medina are freaks. Other's won't be so lucky.
I agree maddog. Winning world titles isnt about flash in the pan results, its about consistancy being rewarded and consistancy can only come from having a fair go at it for a full year.
I cant really even agree about JJ and Medina. Look at their results. Medina has one comp that he was in the zone and punted his way to victory, take the punts away with a barrel and he couldnt even get close to backing it up! JJ has what, a 5th round loss as his top result. They had both better pull their socks up as there is only 2 rounds to go!!
if i remember correctly bobby also said he was over the travel and industry bullshit. he said he had been on the road since he was 15 and just wanted to stay home with his wife and start a family.The way he went out was funny who doesnt love a rant your still talking about it.
Good luck with your family bobby.
i love it when guys bag pro surfers for just being great at airs you just know these people cant do em.JJ has something going on with his left are it looks shit check it out.
the system i reckon we should give it a chance. i watched as much as i could of the last few events and some heats are boring especially round 2 there is dead wood on tour that needs to go.
@Lolo,
Tiago had an extremely poor back-end to 2010 in WT's (13,25, 25,13,25). If you know you're counting those results then a wise surfer should head off and do a few Primes to bolster his One World rankings.
As for KP, it's always been the way that lesser WT surfers maintain their position by qualifying via the QS. Difference now is they've got to survive two cuts a year and not one.
True Stu but ...
Doesn't it seem odd that he could almost get cut being in 13th spot on the CT? If its a genuine Championship how can you cut contenders half way through based on results from the previous year?
Likewise KPs 2nd at Pipe last year is the only thing that kept him up.
If you're going to cycle guys in and out like that whats the point of having 2 seperate tours with 2 seperate ranking systems? Whats the point of having a ranking of 13 if you don't make the top 34.
Just make the champ the guy who is in front on the "World" Rankings. CT events can just be like any other QS event where the start list is restricted based on rankings and only the top 34 get an invite.
@ thunderwood2, if your referring to me about the airs comment then:
1) All I was getting at was to be at the top you need to be a well rounded surfer, not just be able to do big airs. I got nothing against aerials, just gets boring when its the only trick in your book though.
2) Ive have only ever landed maybe one air in my life and havent tried since as I dont surf anymore.
@lolo, your theory on rankings makes sense to me.
@Lolo,
If Tarago was ranked that high then, yeah, it shouldn't happen, but the One World system is a work in progress, same as the two tier system was when it was introduced. And there is a way for individual surfers to avoid the cut - enter Prime and 6-star events. Some of the things Bobo said in his rants made it patently clear that he didn't understand the system.
@Poncho,
Just quietly, I reckon Gabriel has got a pretty good rail game.
One thing that I think is stupid about the new system is that WT event seeding is based off the one-world ranking. So someone like Gabriel, who I think came on tour at about 18th on the one-world ranking, gets a free pass because he never has to surf against the top guys. On the opposite side of the scale, you have Parko who, despite being #1 on the WT for a few events was entering WT events with a low seed and messing up the draw with stacked heats, because he missed half of last year and had a low one-world ranking.
What used to happen is that guys had a seeding based on their WCT ranking - so the rookies always went up against Kelly or Mick or Taj etc. Unless they got through some heats early this would keep happening to them, and rightly so. Because thats what seeding is all about - giving the guys who've earned the top spot the privelegde to surf against someone they're more likely to beat. But now, the one world ranking screws it all up, and you get World Title contenders knocking each other out in Rnd 2 & 3 while other guys get an easy draw.
Poncho,
What ever your reasons you no longer surf, I feel for you. I'm in my early 40's and still froth like a grom every time I paddle out!!
See I just reckon that if you don't like this article, then you don't understand the new system properly. Don't get yourself all steamed up about it kids, took me a while too. Do some homework, then come back with your inaccurate arguments only to realise how silly they sound.
@johnson
Great observation...
I hope someone at the ASP veiws your comment
@johnson
Great observation...
I hope someone at the ASP veiws your comment
Pity Bobby dont articulate so good.
"The surfers the newcomers are replacing were not contesting for an ASP World Title either." -Renato Hickle
The above quote from Renato Hickle is key to his defense of the new system, and while it seems to make sense on a gut level, it's patently and demonstrably false. Allow me to explain using Adam Melling and C.J. Hobgood as an example:
When C.J. and Melling were "rotated off" tour after New York, their top four results were three thirteenth place finishes and one ninth place finish. At the same point in time, Owen Wright's top four results were one first place finish, one second place finish, and two fifth place finishes. Clearly, Owen had a better start to his campaign. That stated, with five contests remaining, C.J. and Melling were still in contention for a world title. Is it likely that C.j. or Melling would go on a five-event sweep at the back half of the year for a miraculous come-from-behind World Title? Even though they are extremely talented and one is a past World Champion and the other has been a finalist in a WT event, of course it's not likely. But it is mathematically possible. Had C.J. or Melling gone on a tear while a few of the other top guys fell into a slump--or had become injured--it is possible that one could have become the world champion. (Moreover, anyone who is "rotated off" could still largely effect the World Title Race outcome, as it's not difficult to imagine C.J. or Melling turning on and knocking key players out of the title race at any time.)
The point here is that the mere likelihood of a scenario is not what should decide a person's fate. The possibility, on the other hand should. And at the halfway point, it was still possible for C.J. and Melling to claim a World Title.
If I could interrupt this thread to speak to Blasphemy Rottmouth...
I know you're reading this Brewser, but you must let it go baby. I Blog, you Tweet - it's a love that's not meant to be.
It's a damn long bow you're drawing there Mr Van Winkle. Perhaps it is 'demonstrably' possible that CJ or Melling were theoretically able to get a world title - say CJ wins every remaining event and each of the current top 12 come last in them - but really, would anyone have given that theory credit?
No, and rightly so - it is massively, hugely, unrealistically, improbable. Why concern yourself with it? The surfers themselves aren't.
Would anyone have mounted this argument BEFORE the rotation. Gone public and said "It's possible [your words] that CJ or Melling can win the world title so they should stay"?
I love these discussions
Hows about enjoying whats been done then arguing some moonshot possibility? Median and JJFlorence are the best things to happen to the tour in ages. Same Wilson and Moniz who came on last rotation.
Shake the trunk of the status quo and watch the deadwood fall, suckers.
CJ was sitting around 15th on the tour heading into Tahiti. Two poor results in Tahiti and New York and he replaces his 2nd from Tahiti the previous year and he's gone. I dont know if he surfed the primes to make up for us crap CT results over the 12 months since Tahiti last year but if he didnt, he should have (assuming he was motivated to stay on tour) and if he did, then he got wooped up by those who replaced him.
Regardless; ASP and its surfers make money from sponsorship. The sponsors believe that the punters like me want to see the best surfers in the world all the time - CORRECT I do.
Am i suppose to have sympathy for someone who is surfing shit (and getting paid for the privelege) or do I want to see the best surfing on the planet.
The fact that I skim down through the heat replay videos looking for the 8+ rides suggests I dont care whos surfing just whos surfing well.
Guys are not going to give up trying to be the best competitive surfer the can be because they risk only being on the top tour for 6 months.
Keep bringing through the best surfers so I can watch more 8+ rides - whoever it may be and reagrdless of how long they stick around for.
Get rid of the WT "club" but not the title itself. Put the 32 surfers on World Ranking to compete on those WT events. No cuts, no dramas. Best 32 always. In the end of the year we'll have our champ: first on the World Ranking.
@ Mt Mecca,
.."Keep bringing through the best surfers so I can watch more 8+ rides - whoever it may be and reagrdless of how long they stick around for."
Allah akbar and amen!
Keep bringing through the best surfers so I can watch more 8+ rides - whoever it may be and reagrdless of how long they stick around for.
Ahhh, i get it now, its more about the viewer ratings than the actual competition to see who's the best surfer.
If you have the top guy from the one world rankings winning the title hows that fair when the lesser non wct events are worth more than the supposed dream tour events?? that means the guy who enters the most lower quality events wins the world title?? why would you even bother being on the CT then?
Hell, I might just start surfing again and bankroll myself to a world title by entering every single event on the planet.
Um, Ponch, yep, with your sure grasp of the rules and the math, that'd work.
Don't sell up the brain surgery clinic just yet, though, just in case.
You're not Bobo's long lost bruvver by any chance?
the irony is: due to the nature of the "field" surfing comps are played on, it is almost never fair i.e. every wave is different and to achieve the 8+ some deem the only rides worth viewing, you need a pretty damned good wave.
Bobby's point, manifested from who knows where within his tortured psyche, is that the format is flawed. which it is.
i recall a Mundaka comp where he beat Mick in the final which only had two or three surf-able waves. guess who caught two of them.
when they build a wave pool capable of providing conditions matching Chopes, Snapper, Pipe, J-Bay, Bells etc, with a format where the best get equal opportunity to perform.. then we can watch surfers of Bobby's limited range get his arse handed to him by a whole host of young guns.
fortunately, the flawed format adds to the unscripted drama allowing comps to be more exciting than the latest surf DVD (all 8+ rides, baby!).
@ Whaaaat... hahaha ya never know, I could be bobo himself :)
Stunet I guarantee that Bobby surfs better than you, he has one of the best back hand styles in the surfing world. So just stop being such a hater. You are just a keyboard warrior who talks shit about everyone so just shut up. Plus I like his attitude towards douche bags in the surfing community such as yourself.
Plus can Medina even surf waves over 3 feet? I watched him surfing at Winki at the Ripcurl Pro this year and he was kooking.
@Johnson
I think you've nailed it mate. Well said.
Bobby needs to do more Zumba
Isn't pro surfing supposed to be competitive? Do not these changes make pro surfing even more competitive?
Stu, as to this Ms. Rottkamp dude possibly twattering away on twitter, fugetaboutit... More meaningless opinion.
Besides, it's a special kind of fool to rely on the opining of a pilled up drunkard.
And now Bobby has told everyone else...
Ahh, sorry Brewser. Bobby told us 'those' surfers didn't deserve to be on tour. One of 'those' surfers then went and won a WT contest.
In that regard - which is also the main thrust of the article above - Bobby was wrong.
Stu, you, like almost every other surf publications only looked skin deep slapped up your knee jerk reaction. His comment about tennis should have led you back to the history of pro surfing. Tennis had much to do with it. Bobby finally saw the light.
The ASP is a complete, top to bottom joke. From begginning to end.
Heh heh...there was a deeper meaning to it? Well, come on, explain it. Be my guest.
You are the journalist. And you are too afraid to report anything of substance. This website mirrors everything wrong with the very concept of pro surfing.
When the grenades drop... Have fun avoiding the shrapnel.
Oh, we'll be fine Brewser, pro surfing is about 0.1% of what we do and, as you may have noticed, we don't receive any ad dollars from the big guys.
Too afraid to report anything of substance? I'm willing to say anything that can be verified and proven on here - so tell me, what have you got?
Being nothing more than a regular chum who's info about anything in the surfing world comes from what the powers that be want us to know (ie I don't know anyone in the pro surfing world or the surfing media, although I did surf with Hyndy once but only recognised him cos of his finless board), I'm keen to know what you've got up your sleeve rotto.
You guys are silly if you think I'd trust anyone in the Surf Media with information. Why? Because its info you either already have and are too afraid to investigate further, or willfully ignorant. Your handling of the AI story is appaling. No. The Truth will come from competent, reliable journalists outside your little bubble.
And pro surfing is only the tip of the iceberg. It affects EVERY aspect of surfing.
So I guess that's a no then. Bummer. Well would you post a link here when the truth does come out somewhere because you've got me curious?
..."And pro surfing is only the tip of the iceberg. It affects EVERY aspect of surfing."
Even surf forecasting, eh? Another scoop from ol' Brewser.
Surfline is the biggest forecasters there is. So yes.
And you won't need a link from me...
This low pressure system is brought to you by Surfline.
Rumors all over the North Shore being reported by Shea Lopez and Chris Cote are that the ASP, with ASP CEO Brodie Carr still at the helm until December, is going to scrap the one world rankings and mid-year cut.
Just thought I'd throw that out there.
As Bobby continues to laugh at everyone else...
Is that 100% confirmed, Brewser?
Like the '100% confirmed' Shea had about the New York comp being cancelled, or is it really, truly wuly 100%?
Yes.
As I said, they are 100% confirmed "rumors" and I waqs just "throwing it out there."
But when has that stopped Surf Media from posting something before? Don't tell me NOW you want to be a real journalist...
Yes. Yes I do.
Got any idea what the prerequisites for the job are?
It's really too bad surfing mega sites can't afford any good journalists, but a free news rag from Orange County focusing on pop culture can.
Bobby's been laughing at this bullshit, ill-thought, propogandist garbage piece for months. Me too. The fucking prophet had a real story.
Too bad surfers and their "Gonzo Journalists" want to be spoon fed every little thing so long as it protects your little bubble.
Read and weep, mutherfuckers.
http://www.ocweekly.com/2012-01-05/news/bobby-martinez-association-of-su...
Yes, as usual you're right, Brewser. I acquiesce to your superior intellect, reason and moral judgement.
By the way, my New Year resolutions are going just great!
Hey Brewser!
Mate, can I give you a quick heads up on my work schedule this year? I know you're interested. Herr Matson demands 52 written articles from me each year - one for each week. So, this year I shall be writing 26 articles on Andy Irons' drug death and 26 articles on the wisdom of Bobby Martinez.
Here's to an entertaining year!
Congrats! Perhaps your work will finally land Matson his deal with Billabong. Be careful what you write, amigo.
I think the first article on Bobby will be a diatribe against the ASP for attempting to put too many young and exciting surfers on tour. Medina, Florence, Pupo...let them wait. I'd rather watch Gabe Kling, Nate Yeomans and Roy Powers fight it out.
Personally I think the ASP should only rotate the surfers every second year. At the most! Give the surfers a chance to prove themselves and really solidify their back end ratings.
I'd rather blow the whole thing up! What the fuck do SURFING and SPORT have in common? Nothing. And the attempt has been nothing but an abysmal failure that even you must recognize.
No one cares outside a paltry hundred thousand or so blokes who roam the internet.
The numbers, even those released by Marketing Managers of the events themselves are indicative of the "sport."
You made a good choice squashing Freeride's article promoting 2 million viewers for Chopes. That number is outside the realm of even Major Pro Sports. Internet servers can't handle even an eighth of those streams if they happened at once.
Bobby fucking nailed it shut.
You may not get the tennis reference fully, as Freeride clearly didn't at my old blog... but the parallels to EVERYTHING in Competitive Pro Surfing go back to those very roots. You're an Aussie. You should know. Ask some of your bronzed heroes what they think. Then talk to Michael Peterson in a real way and get his REAL take on things.
MP should have been the "Modern" day Duke.
Instead, we got the fucked up system that's been operating like bulshit for thirty years with no accountability whatsoever.
Get on you horse Stu.
Find a real story.
I know you can do it.
Hey Brewser!
I'm about to get on my horse (size: not too high) and turn some research into a good story. Stick around, you may like it.
"No one cares outside a paltry hundred thousand or so blokes who roam the internet" says @ b-r.
I recall back in about '85 or '86 or some time in that era when Seppo Dave Palmenter came out with the claim that "Pro surfing is right up there with hog calling" in reference to the relevance of pro-surfing in the general sporting mainstream. Move along 2 and a half decades and that statement is still valid.
Unless it's Hawaii or massive Chopes, surfing barely rates a mention in the news sports segment. Out of all of my mates who surf, I'm probably the only one who takes an interest in pro surfing. My mates might log on to an event to "check the waves" but not so much the surfing or who's surfing.
They're more interested in what the conditions will be like locally tomorrow as opposed to what it's like at La Graviere. They couldn't care less or maybe wouldn't even know if pro-surfing ceased tomorrow. They'd just go surfing.
I couldn't even have this whole discussion with them about Bobby and the One World Ranking System. They just want to go surfing.
So from that perspective, I can see b-r's point. Bobby ranted and in the end, it cost him. But at least Bobby is not a clone. Love him or hate him, he's an individual and his perspective on the the way the current system functions has somewhat been vindicated by the turn-around in the One World Rankings system.
Medina, Florence and Co. made their mark, but so did TB when he chose to stay on the WQS and extra year before making an assualt on the WCT. Having just ranted all of this bullshit, at the end of the day...tomorrow...I'll just be going surfing with my mates.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
wake me up when it's footy season.
This has been a hilarious read , you got burnt Stu..... badly . I appreciate your enthusiasm though .
Really?? Must be my thick skin, or maybe I'm in denial, because I don't feel I got burnt at all.
But just for the sake of argument, care to tell me how I did.
At the end of the day, Bobo Mart is still in the business of selling surf togs.
Even if it is a minor leaguer player with roots extending from Edward the Hardly.
Oh, and old man Rottkamp? He is still a pilled up drunkard!
Really Stu?
I trust that’s an attempt at sarcasm. This article was built on the same premise the Industry made EVERY other blog swallow: “the tour is somehow valid, Bobby is a thug who can’t speak, and new talent makes the tour valid.â€
First, the tour isn’t valid in ANY way. The midyear cut was like cutting a rotten apple on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. It still makes you sick. You either believe the apple is rotten to begin with or not. If you don’t, then keep trying to apply bandages to wounds that will never heal. I told you the midyears rote was doomed, that nobody outside a few thousand to hundred thousand people even cared to begin with, and that the cartel running the whole operation was no longer controlling the narrative.
Was I wrong about any of it?
Was Bobby?
No.
Bobby nailed everything shut with the tennis reference. Competitive surfing as we know it was built by Bronzed Australian Midgets who were tennis enthusiasts. Hell, most of their discussions while creating a format that could defeat the immortal Michael Petersen came on the tennis court. So, they devised a system that would crown their mediocre achievements over the much more artistic, gifted, and SURF oriented style, power, and grace that MP and even Cheyne Horan possessed at the time.
It was a way for the little men to beat the big men. Little men who couldn’t make footy squads but wanted to mount trophies on the mantle.
They created TENNIS as a form of ¡surfing – the sport.
And it left Westerly Windina’s glossy fingernails and been bastardized further and further ever since as The Industry inbred itself to the point that people like Nick Carroll and Tim Baker are writing propaganda pieces for the privilege of wearing a bracelet granting them access to the blowjob booth behind the judges tent.
Bobby was Owen Wright without the lineage and national expectations. He was a part of the system, but always looked at as a “wannabe thug†by the inherently racist Aussies and Saffa’s that populate the upper echelons of ¡surfing. He feed from the teat of the Industry until *one day he woke up and saw the light. It’s not like he was irrelevant on tour. He was no Gabe Kling. But he tossed it all aside to pursue his own DREAM. Real SURFING and starting a clothing line that he believed in (and I abhor – but hey, mom and pop start ups beat Corpo bullshit in my mind).
*Andy Irons situation, and how he was handled by Bong was not something Bobby liked. At. All. Growing up in a ghetto, he knows was pimps do to otherwise talented peeps.
So Bobby basically lays the foundation for why the tour is completely fucked up.
The Industry reacts exactly as Stu did here.
Only, everything Bobby said has since come true. The ASP prematurely crowned Slater, The CEO resigned. The midyear cut was tossed aside. New York was done away with. And who the fuck knows if Bong will even be able to afford Chopes this year (it was a cunny hair short of being cut last year).
So yeah, Stu… you not only got burned, but your flesh is still sizzling because this ain’t the end.
Only the beginning.
People say I’m a conspiracy theorist because I challenge a narrative that has been controlled by three major corporations for thirty years.
Jokes on you, ‘tards. Read Matt Warshaws own comments on Twitter this morning… basically admitting he didn’t have the balls to try and pursue the absurd letter published in Surfer in the early 90’s by pro surfers saying the mags were showing too much Fletcher. The mags acquiesced, and Slater went on his run on an aerial-less tour until twenty years later.
NOW, they revere Fletch’s innovation. How convenient.
Media 2.0 is not me. It’s not Twitter. It’s everyone who now controls the narrative. We ALL have a voice. The fact that Stu and Kaiser Ben let me comment here makes this a Media 1.75.
No need to fear The Industry. Don a mask if you must. Anonymity is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s THE MESSAGE that matters NOW.
Destroy your EGO and put forth your own thought and creativity.
Take back SURFING.
Fuck The Industry. And all THEY love.
mr mouth, now would you like me to tell you what the word prolix means?
having a rant is one thing but having a shot at the two gentlemen that allow you said rants is boardering on idiotic! even ones ego knows how to be humble .
one is aware of your love of conspirisy but steady on big girl steady on
@Big Wayne,
Why?
Who are they? Who am I? Who are you? We're just people. Media 2.0 allows us all a voice. And I'm not going to bend over for someone who doesn't understand the modern world. If Stu and Ben want to delete my comments like Inertia, K'Baa, STAB, and others have in the past... so be it.
This medium is dying because of that very ideology.
False idols will get you killed in most countries.
In surfing, it gets you promoted.
If I am idiotic in your mind for calling out the two gents running this rag and trying to garner Big Three dollars to help support their families, then I'm a big fucking idiot who gives not a shit in the world.
The Truth is the only important thing to me.
And it will get out.
It is getting out.
And those who think they can squelch the voices of dissent as the past 30 years of Media 1.0 did... are not long for this world or employment.
I am not asking you to like me. I am nobody.
But listen to the message.
B+R, you seem to have a few wires crossed. You're proudly declaring how incredibly right you are while trying to portray matson and nettle as some kind of fools for peddling industry propaganda or something. This article pointed out quits clearly how and why bobby was wrong. He didn't like that young upstarts could jump in half way cos they didn't deserve to be there. Yet it's abundantly clear he was wrong. They kicked arsenal once they got on tour. But they got rid of the mid year and you're happily telling everyone I told you so. It's all crap, a joke whatever but you knew would go and you seem to think they should have listened to bobby at the start.
But who got rid of the mid year? Correct me if im wrong but it was The surfers. They didn't like it so they voted it out. Rather curious is it not? Something bordering on real competition that matters, like really matters - do poorly and you're gone, not simply "not challenging for the title" but still on the gravy train - and they don't like it. They vote it down. Despite the young upstarts arriving and proving they belong there. Yeah you were right they got rid of it but it's nothing for you to gloat about. It doesn't show it's a bad idea. It just shows the surfers are the same as you claim rabbit et al were. They got some real competition and ran away like whimps. Just like bobby. That's pretty lame.
Benski,
You completely missed mine and Bobby's point. You are predicating EVERYTHING on the validity of the tour to begin with.
Now re-read my comments, and Stu's article and pretend the tour is not vslid at all (as Bobby, Dane, Bruce, JOB and others believe)... just a complete waste that no one watches, makes no money, and degrades the act of !SURFING itself while being run by a cartel of companies who sponsor the events themselves which is a direct conflict of interest.
THEN, tell me it's lame.
You cannot have a coherent or logical argument with those that wish to destroy the ASP if you believe the tour is worth ANYTHING.
That is where I stand.
Bobby, Dane, Jamie OB, Bruce, John John soon, and others.
The tour makes NO SENSE. Ak your beloved Greenough and that washed up Hynde. They know too. It's a farce. It's 85 pages of rules trying to keep !SURFING in a box. If you think the best surfing in the world is happening on tour, then you need to get a YouTube or Vimeo account.
The tour is dead. It makes no money. No one outside a few internet trolls and Industry folks watch and it's only entertaining if they get lucky with a massive swell during the set timeframe.
It's not TENNIS.
It never will be.
So if you want to argue with me, just tell me you think the tour is legit and state your case.
Otherwise, keep flapping lips about Bobby being wrong because Medina won a few contests. That was NOT what Martines was talking about. That's what The Industry wants you to believe. Martines was talking about the system as a whole being a farce. Hence the TENNIS comment.
Sigh.
Nevermind.
Hahaha....I've got a hilarious vision of you typing those rants, Brewser. Sweaty brow. Furrowed too. Pressing 'send' with all the enthusiasm and vindication of a Fleet Street journo swinging the arm of his Olivetti typewriter.
'Bang!' You hit the mark again. History rewritten. Keep it up and a senior position in the Ministry of Information awaits!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
shall one give sir humphrey from yes minister a call
Sir Humphrey sounds like a dinner I had back in the mid 1700's.
Whoever said the best surfing in the world takes place on the ASP tour? No one here, kook. But, some of the best surfing, and surfers ARE showcased on the highly competitive tour. You know, that place where results matter, and the majority are left spending a lifetime trying to figure out and analyze wondering why they failed to register results...
Bobby, Dane, Jamie OB, Bruce.
More names to the ever growing list of people who's intended and hoped for long term competitive results were major disappointments, and are now old and moldy, relegated posting up the self promotion on mod con vehicles such as twitter.
Rottkamp/rottmouth, once again, your addiction to that proven loser mixture of sauce and prescription pills is showing!...
Get help. Stay clean.
Yew!
"Whoever said the best surfing in the world takes place on the ASP tour? No one here, kook. But, some of the best surfing, and surfers ARE showcased on the highly competitive tour."
Well parsed. I needed to take about five breaks to get through all the contridictions, but very well parsed. Better than an Ambien buzz.
Meanwhile Jamie, Dane, Bruce, Bobby, etc, are sponsored and get as much or alot more than half the guys on the bullshit tour...
Bede Durbidge, perennial Top 10 Bullshit finisher can barely find a sponser.
Believe a farce. Support the farce. Or welcome in the NOW.
Who was making world news and getting major bucks this year: Bruce and Laurie Towner at Cloudbreak, Jamie at Pipe, and Bobby Martinez playing Tiresias before your very eyes.
The 1% snored through a world tour that gave Kelly a 10+1-1+1 title in front of (marketing speak) no one.
Kelly Slater barely got 15 seconds on ESPN SportsCenter vs. GMac's massive wave on the outter reefs... far beyond the ASP.
Competitive results mean NOTHING in SURFING.
Evidence: 99% of surfers don't care enought to watch the tour.
Done.
BR, would you agree that the tour, despite its inherent flaws, represents a benchmark, point of reference, lodestar, measuring point, call it what you will?
Without the tour how can you say what the best surfing in the world is?
@Zenagain,
No. Because there is no such thing in SURFING.
Of the Top 34 on tour right now... how many could sell a single video of their free surfing? How many clicks do they get on Vimeo or YouTube?
It's irrelevant if relevance was irrelevant.
Does it REALLY matter who we corwn a World Champion? Especially when that World Champion says two years ago that Dane Reynolds is the best surfer in the world... which we can all see with our eyes.
The tour isn't "flawed," Zenagain, it was never built correctly.
It was built of bullshit TENNIS rules.
You don't surf to tennis rules. Neither do I. Why should the pros?
mr mouth , do you actually surf? i mean really get in the water and not the net?
have you read matt warshaws history of surfing ? from what one can garner surfers are competitive by nature whether it be against themselves or eachother. we as surfers like to think that we are just that little better than the next bloke dont we ? be truthful mr mouth.
hence the pro tour as we know and love today and yes mr mouth one did have a bit of a crack at comp surfing over the years and one thing it has done is improve ones surfing just by watching and competing against guys that are better.so it has a relevance no matter the names that are ont the tour
Guys getting paid to get clips in videos.... Guys getting props and sections on the local sports news channel.... Guys pulling down results in competition... or not.....
There are all sorts of ways to pull down crumbs from surfing... And absolutely nothing has changed since the very first surfer was paid by a large corporation.. The Father of Modern Surfing, George Freeth was hired to promote the Redondo-Los Angeles Railway, as well as "The largest Saltwater Plunge in the World, Reedondo Beach circa 1907.
As to Gmac getting paid, props, and promotion from that funky shoulder tow-in?... Some just happen to have better publicists than others.
And one other thing that will never change?... old Rottkamp/rotmouth is a bloody kook!
Rottkamp,
From Garret's own bio....
"Garrett entered and placed in the prestigious Hawaiian Triple Crown Series... began to attract the attention of major sponsors and signed deals with a number of prominent brands in Japan"... "They spent the next ten years on the competition circuit, traveling... It was the realization of a dream"..
"his senior year his sponsor at that time entered him in the Hawaiian Triple Crown. Garrett made the main event and won his first taste of surfing for money"... "Through the 80s and the 90s, Garrett and Liam were big in Japan, sponsored by Peekaboo clothing, YU Surfboard and the Murasaki sport store chain"...
So yea, there are several ways to make bank in surfing. And contest surfing is just one of the main vein routes to puling dough...
G Mc Namara is a pimp. A capitalist P.I.M.P to 'da max.
Good on him.
mr roller dont let the facts stand in the way of a good conspiricy
shame on you
Sure Wayne, So, what are these facts you speak of?...
There are no companies sponsoring surfers who are selling tons of surf products? These companies employ no one? No one is making bank with product placement on their boards, wetsuits, gear, and websites?... And just because this has been happening since the days of George Freeth that surfing will never be a marketable product, and all of this money making capitalism will end and never come back?
Dream on luddites.
An interesting development - we're a little more than a year down the track, and B-Mart's ended things with FTW. He wrote on Twitter yesterday:
"thanks to FTW for a year of sponsorship. myself and FTW have parted ways i no longer ride or affiliated with them. best of luck to them!"
Even more interesting - Bobby's previous Twitter post was on November 7 last year. Hasn't he had anything to say for the last eleven months? Prior to November he was full of gushing praise for FTW and vitriol for the ASP. Worth a look: https://twitter.com/Bobby805
Hopefully Bob-o quickly finds a tennis shoe sponsor to fill in the lost wages? As apparently the FTW garb didn't really sell at all.
With the coming 'Armegeddon' re. World Wide Inflation Economic Collapses, spend it if ya got it!
Go Bobby! There have to be some cool hidey-holes near the Ranch?