Judge for yourself

Does claiming pay ?




Chopes is such a one dimensional wave that judging is so difficult. Every pit that someone makes is basically the same so winning is more pot luck that really beating someone. I don't think Fanning's waves were better or worse than Parko's but I much prefer Parko's smooth style to Mick's poo stance.
Chopes is a world class wave on it's day but is it a world class competition wave ? Especially when we move on to two more barrel riding contests before years end, Supertubos is Portugal and the real left hand tube riding test Pipeline.

No waves today

Onshore slop and likely to stay that way.

Swell 0.81 @ 13. Seas 1.30. Winds westerly gusting to 40 kmh

Mick wins

Mick worked his way out of a combo with 4 minutes to go to beat Parko at Chopes.

As predicted the surfer making claims after each wave came out on top. Mick could have been Brazilian ! The super deep tubes helped as well !

Mick vs Joel

Joel just beat John Florence and will meet Mick Fanning in the final after a short rest.

The waves are nice but inconsistent. As usual with Teahupooo each ride is either a eight or a two so its anyones event.

Final

Second semi in the water.

Mick Fanning is the first finalist up against either Parko or John John.

Up to five

The Billabong Pro finally got back in the water in inconsistent but contestable waves. With one wave sets and every wave being either a 8+ or a shut down winning has a little luck involved. It does seem that claiming gets you an extra point as was seen by Ricardo dos Santos' Slater killing wave.

Taj is in round five against dos Santos so will need to do something he never does and double pump after every coverup. The lineup remaining is probably the highest class seen in ages. Basically the top ten minus Slater and adding Perrow and the Brazillian. Hopefully the waves will improve.

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.17 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 8.34
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.83 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 9.37
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.04 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 11.00
Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 18.30 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 17.50
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 18.30 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.17
Heat 6: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 18.34 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 16.44
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.83 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 4.47
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.60 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.60
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) 15.10 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.93
Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW) 13.30 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 13.17
Heat 11: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.60 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 4.73
Heat 12: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 16.87 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.67

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 4 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.60, Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.10, Julian Wilson (AUS) 2.80
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.76, Owen Wright (AUS) 15.60, Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 9.67
Heat 3: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.23, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 17.77, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.47
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.83, John John Florence (HAW) 7.00, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 3.23

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 5 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)

Surf Movie Sunday

I know its really late but that's what you get for free. Mainly American's and Hawaiians this week.

Bit of old school big wave riding.



POV tubes at Desert Point.



Timmy Reynes in Mexico.



And finally if you don't like any of these why not DIY.

No hurry

Bit late with the post but the waves were iffy anyway. There is some swell and the banks at Juniors, BP and the groyne are still squeezing out lefts and rights.

The wind was flukey with a fair bit of north in it and is still light. If you still want to get wet you'll probably still get a wave or two.

If you're wondering where the Billabong Pro updates are the event has been on hold since day two due to a complete lack of swell. The forecast is for a bump over the next two days, the last of the waiting period.

0.57 @13

Looks ok

Some glassy conditions and a swell that has started to straighten up today.

I didn't get to the beach till late but I saw a few out at the groyne while I was driving around and some waves coming in at Juniors on sunset. Seems the bank and rip are still hanging in there.

Tomorrow looks ok on the forecast with light offshores early. The wind looks light most of the day but will swing onshore. Sunday looks very iffy.

0.59 @ 13

Gross again

Another front moving the sand around. There are no surfable waves around locally.

The one guy out at the Wall is a bit deluded because it is way to messy and raw to be working. It is possible that if the wind settles a bit then it could clean up later but the front is meant to strengthen not calm.

0.94 @ 8 seconds, seas up around 2.20

Surf Movie Sunday

Decided to take the handplane and mal our for a little play so the movies are a little late. Anyway you should be outside doing jobs and leaving this pretty poor collection to this afternoon when the weather moves in.


Jay "Bottle" Thompson launched his new website bottlesurf with some WA goodies.


Some arty tropical shooting



When Teahupoo goes wrong



And that will have to do you for this week.

Going

Swell has dropped again. There is the very, very odd one footer running off the rocks at Juniors and off the groyne.

Nice conditions but I can't recommend surfing. Its nice if you have another way to play in the ocean.

0.38 @ 13 (and going straight up)

Billabong Pro

Inconsistent waves for day two and round two. Most of the top ranked surfers got through with the exceptions being a rapidly fading Bede Durbridge and Jordy Smith, who would have been to big for the little tubes. Yadin Nichol also dropped out and adds another 33rd to his season.

Round three looks like this -

Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 11: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

Much will depend on the conditions but Mick Fanning and Joel need to look out. If it is big Taj and Adriano will have a tougher day.

Watch the highlights from the first two days and look for Josh Kerr's double barrel right on day one !

Like spring

 Great mid-winter day. Just a little nip in the air, wispy winds and clear water.

The swell has continued to drop but there are still some shortish waves out of the rip bank at Juniors. The odd set has chest height takes offs but its mostly around waist height. Best of all is that there is no one out.

I've just had the best three board session for ages all by myself. I started on the map, switched to the slab and finished off with a couple using the hand plane. Nice start to the weekend but now the jobs around the house start.

0.40 @ 11

Nice

Looks like the waves have hung around even if they are smaller.

The sun is setting later so I got 45 minutes in afterwork. The rip is still equally angel and devil but there was the odd fun one. Always worth the effort on Friday.

Saturday looks cold in the morning and winds light, afternoon and Sunday are touch and go.

0.43 @ 11

Billabong Pro

The Billabong Pro Tahiti has started in inconsistent head height surf at Teahupoo.

So far all the top seeds other than Mick Fanning are straight through to round 3. Adriano DeSouza scored 19+ in his heat.

It's an early morning time zone for us and you can watch online, through the Billabong and ASP apps or on FuelTV.

Missed opportunities

Some nice waves this morning out of the rip at Juniors and at BP groyne. The winds were light, tide mid to full and the crowd a manageable five.

I was meant to be heading south this morning but my cold won't get better (or worse) and has given me infectious eye boggers. So not being allowed to work means no trip south.

The wind has just swung to the south and cranked into double figures. It looks like it will be onshore for the rest of the day, although the forecast does leave a little wiggle room for a late afternoon glass off.

The rip looks like it is around for a little while. Its the split personality of ocean currents. It is making the waves A frame and hold up into the channels but drags you out past the take off point and spits you down the beach. There is a lot more paddling than surfing !

The wind conditions look ok for tomorrow but on a pretty quickly dropping swell.

0.61 @ 11

Washing Machine

The wind has passed by and left mush. The ocean is just a messed up wash with light onshore winds. The swell doesn't look that big and doesn't seem to have direction.

It doesn't look like it will clean up today so go to work. Mid week seems to be a possibility.

The harbour buoy is still down.

Surf Movie Sunday

Bit of a mix of longer videos for a wet, stay at home Sunday.

We'll start with the second episode in Billabong's pre-Chopes series



Bruce Irons got smashed during last year's massive Chopes session. He talks to Surfer Magazine but I can't embed the video so click here.

Fox has released a feature movie of its sponsored surfers.



And finally nothing to do with surfing other than it was in the water. Regardless it is pretty amazing !

They were right

Front started to hit early this morning and it has been windy and rainy since.

Don't expect much change or to get ocean wet today. I'm guessing that a few will head to the Wall for a look but you'd need to be keen.

As usual in this weather the harbour buoy has dropped out.

WEATHER SITUATION

A strong cold front and associated rain band approaching the South West of the
state may cause HEAVY RAINFALL that could cause FLASH FLOODING and DAMAGING
WINDS to  100 kilometres per hour which could result in DAMAGE TO HOMES AND
PROPERTY from mid to late Sunday morning about the SW district, extending
throughout Sunday afternoon and evening. DANGEROUS GUSTS in excess of 125
kilometres per hour could cause SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOMES AND PROPERTY IN
LOCALISED AREAS.

HIGHER THAN NORMAL TIDES are expected near the south coast .

People in the southwest of WA experience a front as windy as this about 5 times
per year.

Last chance

If you need to get wet this weekend you've got about an hour. A severe weather warning has just been issued for tomorrow from dawn and it looks like we'll be battening down for the day.

It's onshore but about 1 in 10 holds up. I just had a quick bash and it wasn't easy out there. It not the size but the strength of the rip thats making it a little difficult. Lots of paddling in, out and sideways.

If you aren't keen start putting away your outside stuff instead.

0.73 @ 12.

Glassy

Glassy with light and variable winds.

The swell is still around and pretty consistent with some nice walls coming out of the Juniors rip and off the groyne.

0.79 @ 12

Typical

Clean, offshore and some decent banks. But I'm crook so its photos only !

A few guys out at Juniors and the groyne getting some nice rides. Get out there if you can.

0.63 @ 12 and steady

LAGO-ish

Light onshore winds late this afternoon and a decent size swell. Some guys out at the BP Groyne getting the odd one between sets on the head and closeouts.

Fraggles looked like it was pumping but when you looked it was hours between waves. Long time to be dangling your feet in the dark copping sinkers on the head from the fisherman so no one was there.

Down at the Bay a couple of guys were using jet ski assist to overcome the wash.

0.8 @ 11

Peephole

Its just offshore first up and there is plenty of swell. However after the fronts of the last few days it is messy, brown and not looking like any fun.

Go to work and wait for the banks to settle.

1.00 m @ 13

Update

The Wall is a no-go, no enough swell and the wind straight on to it.

The conditions are getting worse by the minute but the blue sky seems to be tempting some to at least try.

Swell heading down and seas up - 0.72 @ 11 and a bit, winds NNE and gusting to 29 kmh (up from 9 in the last two hours).

Surf Movie Sunday

Here's this weeks efforts

Dean Morrison in Africa



Ry Craike in Java



And finally the Billabong has released the first of its pre-event videos before Chopes (which is two weeks away). Something warm for when the wind and rain comes here.

Don't be fooled

It might be sunny but the northerly is in and strengthening.

Theres a little swell and a few having a bash here and there but its not really worth the effort.

Front coming tonight with a decent blow. Maybe next week ?

I'm going to walk the dog to the Bay soon so there might be another post if the Wall is ok.

0.8 and rising at 12.

Wintery

Bit of a very late glass off but with the low tide there wasn't much on offer.

The Bay looks like it has a bank or two forming. There were three out at the Wall, one way out the back (but not far enough) and two in the normal spot. There were some swells coming in but breaking to close to the rocks. In the 15 minutes I watched it for they didn't get a wave and probably only missed one that could have been surfable.

More bad weather tomorrow and stronger onshore winds. The swell is meant to be coming up but the conditions will make it pus. Stay inside.

0.78 @ 11 seconds from the west. Seas 1.01