Lopez Brothers

TEAHUPOO has again lived up to its awesome reputation as the wave of waves, the fearsome reef combining with ever increasing deep ocean swells to give us another unforgettable day in the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Against all adversity, with everything from power failures to torrential downpours thrown into the mix, we witnessed a stunning day of surfing here at Teahupoo as the third round of the prime Billabong event was completed in picture perfect 4-10’ surf with the Foster’s Men’s World Tour surfers hurtling themselves into barrel after unbelievable barrel. Man, what an experience for all!

The waves just got better and better throughout the day, and the surfers got deeper and deeper. The judges awarded four perfect 10-point rides, the stars being Cory Lopez (USA), Kalani Robb (HAW), Paulo Moura (BRZ), and Tom Whitaker AUS). Now there is an indication of the talent spread right across our surfing world! There were also eighteen of nine-plus rides scored today.

Even more exciting was the number of last minute exchanges as surfers risked life and limb chasing points on the whimsical beat of the ocean swells. In these kinds of conditions, the surfers’ fortunes can be switched in the milli-seconds it takes a wave to pitch.

A surfer leading by something as high as nine points is still not safe because at any moment his opponent could reap a perfect ten. It was suspenseful competitive stuff all day long

You’ll see in the results (below) that the Carlsbad Carver Taylor Knox (USA) lost his heat three to Cory Lopez. Taylor Knox is a ‘ten’ surfer, but he and heats don’t mix. He scored a 9.8 against Cory today, but still lost. He got a 9.6 in round one at Woolamai (Philip Island, ex Bells), and still lost, then a 9.0 in round two, and lost again. Something has to change there.

Day : 13
“Cory Lopez (USA) ripped, posting the highest heat score of the day, a near perfect 19.63 (out of 20). On the other hand, Cory Lopez doesn’t appear to need to change too much at all, as far as competitive formulas go."ou’ve got to fight and hang on in the guts of those waves. I was hoping for the best, I kind of almost wrote myself off at first, because I was paddling so deep and eating it. That’s what I thought when I got to the bottom of that wave (the 10 pointer).”
—Cory Lopez

On the other hand, Cory Lopez doesn’t appear to need to change too much at all, as far as competitive formulas go. He finally got his first WCT ten point ride today. It would be considered a comical calamity by all that have witnessed his surfing, in small and big stuff, that the nine year long WCT spirit should take such a lengthy time to score his first top shelf ten. He was finally rewarded today.

“You’ve got to fight and hang on in the guts of those waves. I was hoping for the best, I kind of almost wrote myself off at first, because I was paddling so deep and eating it. That’s what I thought when I got to the bottom of that wave (the 10 pointer).”

“I pumped high, and kept hoping for it, and I could feel it breathing on me, and the whitewash started hitting my board a little bit, but the wave was a good wave, and it let me come out!”

There’s greatness in that skinny square-shouldered frame of a man. Whether it’s fishing, or charging any wave, the lad just goes. Last week he jumped out of a boat into the water, and dove 15ft down, wearing a full south-wester, to wrestle a harpooned 50lb+ Mahi Mahi to the surface because the line to the spear broke in the battle between big man and big fish.

Look at the portrait of him in the surfer’s profiles section on the ASP web site www.aspworldtour.com . Look at those eyes, and the determination they categorically state. Why hasn’t Cory Lopez got an ‘official’ ten before?

“I guess it’s because I pulled in too deep, too often,” smiled Lopez back on a boat after his win over Taylor Knox.

The perfect '10 virgins', besides Lopez, were Tom Whitaker (AUS) and Brazilian Paulo Moura. It is noteworthy to mention that Cory's elder brother Shea pulled a perfect 10 at the 2000 event of the same sponsor; only his was a backside barrel during the 'Billabong Pro', J-Bay South Africa. Also of note is that both Lopez brothers started off their professional careers as Billabong team riders - for a bit of 'B-Bong' trivia.

Considering conditions, and disregarding the fact that mere mortals would have mostly been unworthy or incapable out there in today’s conditions, we were lucky to escape with only cuts and bruises. There was some skin lost.

Treacherous conditions were the norm - some of the days highlights included a wave were Lopez took off way too late and hit the reef, head slammed and got a couple of bruises, but after his butt-butting a jet ski yesterday, Damien Hobgood was the story of perseverance today. Admitting to enduring pain after his mishap yesterday, he survived an even more ridiculously steep drop than Lopez’s today, and incurred a head hammering from the lip as he tried to pull in, disappeared, then re-appeared surging over/through the foam ball, then ate it and hit the reef to skin his right hand and knee.

From what we saw today, this is anyone’s event. A book could be written about what went down today, making other sports of far broader renown seem insignificant ploys.

(From Paul Sargeant)
ENDS

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