Toledo Wins J-Bay Again

Now that was pretty good watching, as an online spectator! Sorry dudes, I am not quite affluent enough to make the trip and enjoy the action unfolding live from a confy chair on the beach at J-Bay.

Read the WSL full story here. 

So, my take on the whole event at J-Bay, South Africa is... firstly, the right man won. Now, I can hear the growning from all of you having followed the comments on the live stream. Yes, there might have been some over scoring. But the judges picked the right winner so the scores do not really matter. And, yes, I am a bit of a Toledo fan.

Loving the new FB streaming. Al of the little features that FB include just make for a more enjoyable viewing experience. The viewing experience might not be perfect yet but remember what it was like just a few years ago.

...Buffering.

So massive improvements in the streaming.

Personally, I miss the everyone surfs round 4 and 5 that used to be in play. Watching your favourite surfers surf more can't be a bad thing. I do understand why WSL have made the change and where it comes from, tennis. But I am gonna side with another legend Bobby Matinez and say that surfing just ain't tennis and I don't want it to be either becasue then I'd go watch tennis.

Watch the EPIC Martinez career ending interview here. Sorry dudes, its just a little too rude to feature on our website. Alright, I'll back it up with the post interview interview, click here.

Back on topic let me sharea a little clip from the early rounds of J-Bay 2018.

I think that really shows off Toledo, his intent for the event and just why he was on track to be the event winner.

The question raised for me is that years ago WSL implemented the waiting period for events so that events were not run in poor conditions. Where lay days could suspend the event on days of poor surf and see the action recommence once the waves were back up.

Afterall, what the point in travelling the planet to the most exotic and iconic surf locations just to hold an event in 1'-2' mush?

The waiting period evolved to cover 2 cycles of a swell could rool through giving rise the the finals going down in the best waves. Previously the climax of an event had been an anit-climax watching finals go down in the worst waves. The best surfers being forced to surf the worst waves isn't a great show.

So my point is why have so many recent events, now shorter without the everyone surfs round 4-5 thingy, have had finals in complete garbage waves compared to the opening heats of the event?

WSL you've gotta pick up your socks a bit. Yo've done a good job...kinda. But I want more from you than a tennis tour in the water.

In closing, it's a shame to lose Joel Parkinson but if I were he I'd do the same, it must get stale after a while.

Another shame to lose Kelly Slater but for how long is anyone's guess?

That guy just keeps coming back and keeps proving why he is the worlds greatest surfer even if I do feel that there is going to be Olympic style drug testing coming to the WSL and Kelly might struggle with that in a similar way to Lance Armstrong...

WSL have invested heavily in the surfing world tour and a blow to the world of surfing with an Olympics coming would affect the product and leave some unhappy share holders I'd imagine.

Anyway, congrats to the man himself Filipe Toledo!!!