SURFING’S BEST EVER
RANKING THE GREATS:
TWO events down and some of the established world title contenders have already used up their two throwaways.
It’s redemption time at the Margaret River Pro, the third and final Australian event of the world tour.
From today at the West Australian event the pressure is on two-times world champion and defending champion John John Florence, who is languishing in 26th place in the world rankings.
So far, the humble Hawaiian has had a “Barry Crocker” in 2018.
He was bundled out of the season-opening Snapper Rocks event in the second round by rampaging triallist Mikey Wright, who had gained a place when Kelly Slater withdrew again due to his foot injury.
Florence’s defeat in Round 3 of the next event at Bells Beach at the hands of fellow Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau – choosing the argy bargy approach to establish wave priority – delivered another disappointing result.
Last year Florence rewrote the professional surfing manual for Margaret River with easily the most impressive modernistic surfing seen since the Slater years of domination.
Julian Wilson and Italo Ferreira share the 2018 ratings lead with a first and an equal 13th.
Mick Fanning, who has now retired, would have been third but now Owen Wright and Tahiti’s Michel Bourez move into equal third.
Avoca’s Adrian Buchan holds down fifth place while Brazil’s Gabriel Medina and Californian rookie Griffin Colapinto are seventh, leaving Brazil’s rookie Tomas Hermes and California’s comeback kid Patrick Gudauskas in equal ninth place.
The top 10 comprises three Aussies, three Brazilians, two Californians and one Tahitian surfer.
The 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson is sitting on the bubble in equal 22nd.
As a former winner of Margs, Parko will be hoping to make up some lost ground to stay on tour.
On the women’s front, how good is it to see Stephanie Gilmore back in the golden leader jersey?
Steph’s win at Bells Beach over Easter has put a whole new dynamic back into her surfing and the goal of winning a seventh world title to equal the record of fellow Australian Layne Beachley.