Rip Curl Pro Bells 2012

[iggy]

If you missed it yo can relive the final on the heat analyzer
http://live.ripcurl.com/?aid=2053

[Will.]

Jordy's last wave should have scored more in my opinion and Fannings 9.7 score was too high for a wave he fell off on. Then again a perfect 10 for one move by kelly ? was a sick air though. Still, it was a really good final and could have gone either way. Both were ripping it.Really enjoy watching the comps, was gutted to see Taj go out so early was enjoying watching him and also John John and medina. Big mistake letting Ceej take that wave.

[buzzy]

I reckon year in year out Slater's surfing just doesn't suit Bells. His style looks really choppy there. That said he can clearly pull out some moves and it's a testament to his ability and competitive skills that he's won 4 of them.

On the one move wave thing I reckon it's wrong to score a move like that a 10 on a wave like Bells. To choose a near close out at a place like Bells or Rincon or JBay is just bad wave selection. I actually thought Slater's last wave against Muscroft was better as he picked a medium wave, surfed it as best could be surfed and then pulled a giant air where no air should be pulled.

We watch surfing. I want to see surfing, not acrobatics. Unless the wild moves are integrated into a whole wave it's acrobatics.

This isn't to suggest Slater doesn't surf great, but a one manoeuvre wave on a pointbreak just fails the test of good surfing.

I'm not sure what Parko has ever done to Slater by the way but Slater seems to devote an awful lot of sledging toward him. Maybe he's worried by him?

[Wandi]

Parko cost Slater a world title back in the Andy Irons era back in 2002 I think
In the final at pipe Parko blocked Slater to help Andy win the final and world title
In my opinion the other two surfers should have let Andy and Kelly have all the space in the world
I don't think Slater has ever forgotten

[buzzy]

I think you're right.

Having said that Gavin Gillette should have let Parko win by that theory a few years ago.

[buzzy]

I think you're right.

Having said that Gavin Gillette should have let Parko win by that theory a few years ago.

[Chris]

judges are always going to overscore/underscore because the truth is scoring a wave is, in its purest form, subjective. All they can do is establish a panel that shares a preconceived set of preferences wave judgment.

The killer for me is that i REALLY think that home court advantage plays a stronger roll than it should. As much as I want Taj to win a title, Adriano got burned for his air at snapper. Can you imagine the score fanning, park or Taj would have gotten for that tweaked air?

[buzzy]

Yeah, I totally agree there Chris. There's a definite home court advantage. Aussies get the advantage in Australia, Brazzo's in Brazil, and Slater in the US. Mind you, I reckon the top seeds get sympathetic scores, and Slater in particular gets particularly sympathetic scores.

I wish I could remember the heat right, but I think it was Mick Fanning against a Brazzo with a really powerful style. Mick won the heat fairly in my view...just...but the Brazzo was pulling out low 8's for waves Mick would have got a low to mid 9 for. But then they'll move to brazil and the shoe will be on the other foot.

How good was Patachia surfing by the way? He was surfing great. Makes you wonder how he fell off the tour in the first place. The less said about Taj's mind fart the better.

[Chris]

Yeah Taj struggled there.

Guys fall off tour partially due to beginning of the year placement. For example, Pattachia might always be on Parko's side of the draw and lose 4 round three heats to him over 10 events. That can put a damper on it.

I do think that year long rankings need to go!!! Last year Taj faced slater how many times BEFORE the finals? why should Taj or anyone be stuck in the same position ALL YEAR to face VERY SIMILAR draws while fanning, Parko and owen almost never met him before the finals. I think perhaps the WT winner should hold the 1st spot all year, but the world seed should change from each event. level the playing field. Taj shouldn't hold 3 if he loses and yadin shouldn't hold last if he wins. just like all major sports, you don't get competitive benefits based on your previous year's success or failure, hence, a new year.