Titled "Finally!", this is MAYHEM's impression after the Hurley Pro.
It's been a long, tense week...the days leading up to the Hurley Pro were filled with anxiety. I'd been building boards for many surfers, testing and adjusting boards with every surfer who came along. The waves leading up to the tournament were very small and weak, making it very difficult to test new boards. I'm sure everyone was hoping for good waves, but maybe they were just hoping the waves weren't too bad.
My early focus players are:
With local surfer Ian Crane
Nate Yeomans.
Both riders narrowly missed the cut and were able to compete in the tournament. They placed second and third in the trials, advancing to the next heat. Although neither rider won their heat, they still managed to show their skills to the local crowd. We are very proud of them.
After winning the US Open this summer, Alejo Muniz returned to California and ordered some new boards based on his 2014 V2 Shortboard, the board he rode to victory in Huntington Beach. His new boards weren't finished until a few days before the event, giving him little time to test them out, and he ended up riding the same old, tried-and-true Huntington board.
Alejo didn't have much success in this tournament, but he thrilled us with his second round against John John Florence. Powerful, solid rail work, and brimming with confidence, Alejo seemed to continue to improve.
With a super smooth blend of New School and power surfing (6'0.5 F1 Stub/Driver), Brett Simpson beat Kelly Slater and Dane Reynolds in round one.
This must have boosted Brett Simpson's confidence. He advanced to Round 3 in first place, facing a strong Jordy Smith.
This was one of the worst heats of the tournament. Brett's 5'10.5 x 19.25 x 2.38 Sub-Driver was in good shape in Round 3, but there weren't enough waves to choose from, and he returned to Huntington in 13th place. As one of the few California surfers with the potential to compete on the world stage, I hope he can overcome this slump and return to the tour next year. But it looks like that's not going to happen this year. His surfing in the smaller waves in Round 3 showed he could beat the WQS competitors and come back for more.
Our favorite, Kolohe Andino, won round 1 with a tiny left.
By giving up on riding the decent waves (not so great waves), Mick was able to ride the mid-sized waves and get the points he needed without any unnecessary struggle.
I finished second in Round 1 and advanced to Round 2. I beat Matt Wilkinson, only to face Taj Burrow in the next heat... It's not fun having the two guys I've invested the most in fight each other early in all four events over the past year. I'm patiently waiting for the day they meet in the finals. Actually, Kolohe's surfing is getting even better. Taj rode the right-hand waves flawlessly. His speed even beat Kolohe's powerful turns and airs.
Kolohe is just 19 years old and has had two good results in back-to-back Prime Series tournaments (second at the U.S. Open and third in the Azores). He looked like he would do it again, but this time he was disappointed.
We all watch his surfing and think he'll do well in the WCT, someday.
He was driving a 5'10 19 2.25 SubDriver in all three heats.
Adam Meling has one of my favorite techniques. His frontside wraparound turns rival Mick Fanning's. He just took second place in the Azores Prime event a few weeks ago.
He was riding a 5'10" x 18.5 x 2.25 Driver that he built a few years ago. He ordered several copies of this board. He used that board to battle current World Champion Parko in round 3. Adam also won the first round, but lost to Kera (Josh Kerr) in round 5. His technique was perfect, and he showed off his talent not only with his aggressive turn-up, but also with his ability to toss the tail (lift it up) as shown in this photo. (The photo above is last year's board, and the photo below is his new board.)
Julian was incredibly strong all week, even on Day 3 of the competition, in the worst waves I've ever seen at a World Tour event. He was hands-down the best surfer of the week. We built him 20 quivers, and he picked them up right before the competition. But he felt comfortable and at home on the JS.
When both Taj and Julian were working on the Red Bull sponsored "21 Days" episode video,
Who would have imagined that these two would meet in the final?
And after watching Julian surf this week, you might have thought Taj had a hard time winning.
In the end, Taj picked a good wave and rode it flawlessly. He surfed really aggressively and brilliantly, winning with a clear wide lip. His frontside snaps and tail fin turns were sharper, more critical, and faster than anyone else's on the final day.
Taj surfed four heats and a half (a restart with Patrick Gudauskas and SET) and with each round, his surfing seemed to improve, while Julian seemed to be off his rhythm from the start compared to his previous heats.
In fact, Julian was getting impatient as he waited out in the ocean before the horn sounded to signal the start of the heat.
To me, it looked like a crack in the armor, and I'm sure it looked the same to Taj.
Taj also said the waves were good, and winning here at the Lowers WCT was a validation of my board.
Taj has lost in the Lowers WCT Finals twice before.
Taj's victory was the pinnacle of my 25 year career as a Shaper!
Ever since Christian Fletcher won a Budweiser Tour event on a board I repaired and painted when I was still an inexperienced shopper, I've wanted to win a World Tour event here in Lower East Side on my own board.
I surf here in Lower Wat more than anywhere else on the planet.
This win for Taj and my board is the best thing that's ever happened to me and my boarding career.
I have won several US Championships and national titles here at Rower,
I've missed out on WCT tournaments until now.
Yes, finally, I won!
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Congratulations Matt!
He looks so happy holding the board up high!
