New wave surging
IS 2018 ushering in a new era of professional surfing?
Judging by the wash-up of the first WSL World Tour event of the year with new winners Coolum’s Julian Wilson and California’s Lakey Peterson, you’d have to say yes!
And then there’s a whole new guard of rookies on the rampage creating all sort of carnage among the rank and file of the so-called world title challengers.
California’s Griffin Colapinto is the ultimate rookie.
A fresh-faced first-timer on tour who was surfing Kirra for the first time, he showed maturity beyond his 19 years in the Quiksilver Pro.
The humble laid-back but fully fired-up and clinically focused challenger would have taken Wilson down in the semi had he exited out of the last double keg ride.
Then there were the new breed of “Brazilian storm” with Tomas Hermes taking down Brazilian favourite and former winner Filipe Toledo to reach the semis, admitting it was his first surf at Kirra.
WSL commentator and 1989 world champion Martin Potter knows only too well what it’s like to be an upstart rookie.
In 1982, at 16 years of age, he created a huge upset by beating four-time world champion Mark Richards in the quarterfinals at the Sydney Coke Surfabout Classic.
“I’ve been around the sport for a long time,” said Pottz now 52 years of age, “long enough to say that there is a definite shift in the ranks.
“We are living in a new era of surfing. These kids are groomed at a young age, come from surfing 1000 heats, have studied the world’s best and are ready and hungry for a result.”
Fortunately, Wilson and runner-up Ace Buchan withstood the rookie pressure and salvaged our pride with an allAustralian final.
This could be Wilson’s best chance yet to win that elusive world title.
He was in the top five last year and if he can win at Bells Beach over Easter, he will be hard to stop as long as the shoulder hangs in.