Snapper - Day #2

Bogger. Jordy blew it. He was looking so sharp in the freesurfs leading up to the start of the event that it looked like maybe this could be his year. Well, it hasn't started to well. First he gets knocked into Rd 2, and then somehow manages to blow that against Tiargo Pires...and loses by 0.03 of a point...and is outta the comp. Cheers. Thanks for playing.

Just really wasn't the big Saffa's day. He's so the moering he lost his heat (which he should be), he then chucks a punch at his board and doesn't really connect it in the most satisfying way. Breathe Jordy, breathe. Least it shows he's got some passion and wants to win. Would rather see a guy lose it over losing than walk out with a grin on his face like nothings happened. Like sometimes when the Stormers get klapped, and they all walk off the field smiling. What's with that!? Maybe they happy their hair is still perfectly sculpted and they didn't get too many grass stains on their shorts?

Luckily Trav saved the day for the Saffa's, and took out John John. Pretty inconsistent heat for waves, and Travis got the best of it thanks to JJ not sticking any of the big 'un's he threw out. Gonna be a tough one for Travis to keep advancing though. Only one goofy has ever won Snapper, and that was Mick Lowe way back when.

Mick whipped lightie Matt Banting, who'd won the trials to get a shout into the main draw. Hurley stablemates Julian and Simpo duked it out but Julian emerged victorious.

Dino smashed Kai, Owen Wright squeaked in against Raoni Monteiro, and Brazzo mate Adriano blitzed Spaniard Aritz Aranburu.

Rd 2 was called a day after the 7th heat, and the last 4 heats of the round will resume tomorrow maybe if conditions play ball.

Whilst the surfers are trying to keep the attention on themselves in the water, the beach side circus continues to take centre stage. Have the ASP lost touch with their core fan base? Anyone who's had the misfortune of trying to watch the webcast will tell you yes. It sucks. Coconuts. More ad's than surfing. And lots of ad's with nothing to do with surfing. Really hope the ASP listens to the bucketloads of hate mail they'll no doubt be receiving and make some serious improvements to the webcast - otherwise they're going to be losing many a dedicated fan. Someone best remind them that despite all the mega-dollars that corporate sponsors can bring...if you lose your fans, you lose the tour.

Sad to see that there's little appreciation of heritage too. More bling than core. Nicholas Cage gets ushered in to the VIP surfers area no problems. Yet Greville Mitchell, the aging English philanthropist who kept pro surfing alive for nearly a decade using his personal funds, was refused entry to the Surfer's area. There's some thanks for you. Not.

Greville's a retired multi-millionaire businessman from Guernsey, started championing the surfing cause after his son, Andrew, a keen surfer, was killed. He poured in millions of his own bucks into ASP coffers to keep the organisation afloat during it's darkest hours. Seems they forget quickly. 

Wonder if he'll help out again if this latest corporate gig ASP set-up blows a fuse....