Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Steve Pike
A THRILLING week culminated in Brazilian Felipe Toledo stealing the show at the Corona Open JBay on a stage set for drama in perfect Jeffreys Bay on Thursday.
It was as though Poseidon and Neptune and all the gods of the sea conspired together to script an ocean production that had it all: opera, ballet and tragedy.
The main character was an elf with hair dyed silver who danced on the waves. His ballet moves had the audience gasping, especially when he took to the air twice on one wave in Round 5 to seal a perfect 10 point score en route to the finale.
It was akin to tragedy for the hordes of South Africans on the beach who saw their hero Jordy Smith’s hopes killed by Toledo in the quarter-finals.
But it was not before a virtuoso performance by the big South African. He became the first surfer to score the perfect heat – two 10 point waves – at a contest in JBay. He also became the 10th person to do it in surfing history.
There was even some fluffing of lines, and it was our local hero who bore the brunt. Smith was forced to resurf his Round 5 heat with Conner Coffin after the judges announced they had ‘missed’ one of the American’s waves. The fans groaned at the news, but the big South African assuaged their fears by smashing a 9,37 and his third 10 of the event.
In the finale, Toledo defeated Portuguese rookie Frederico Morais by just 0.27 of a point (18 vs 17,73) to round off an extraordinary few days. While the actors created the entertainment, the Lords of the sea built a flamboyant set for the stage – Supertubes provides a perfect vantage point for fans.
Large lines of swell swept in from an endless conveyor-belt in the deep south, where a country-sized storm straddled not only the Roaring Forties, but the Furious Fifties and the Screaming Sixties too. The musical score was simple: the pulsing roar of the ocean and the drone of tenor Gigs Cilliers’ Durban accent, interspersed with rhythmic hoots from the crowd.
Our aquatic royalty also employed the use of two cheeky minions to add to the spectacle.
In Round 4 on Tuesday, a breaching mako shark shot into the air about 100 metres behind the backline. Australian Julian Wilson was in the water. It was two years to the day since he and countryman Mick Fanning were surfing in the final here, when a white shark buzzed Fanning, causing a digital ruckus worldwide.
On that day, there were tears, consolatory hugs and probably psycho- therapy. But Fanning was back to win here last year.
What is it about Mick Fanning and sharks? His after shave? On Wednesday, another of Neptune’s minions made an eerie cameo.
A three metre white shark was spotted patrolling the line-up. The quarter-finals were paused as the shark response team on jetskis pulled Fanning and Gabriel Medina from the water.
It was all very efficient, leading local shark scientist Alison Kock to comment on Twitter: