A surf fan has created a GoFundMe campaign to pay Tanner Hendrickson’s $5,000 fine for fighting. The WSL has yet to officially fine either Hendrickson or Michael Rodrigues. Photo: WSL/Poullenot
On Tuesday, a surf scuffle occurred on the North Shore that you may have missed if you weren’t paying attention (we wouldn’t blame you). But to catch you up, QS staple Tanner Hendrickson, of Hawaii, approached CTer Michael Rodrigues, of Brazil, while he sat down for an interview with Brazil-based Off Channel. Fisticuffs ensued. Hendrickson was “provisionally suspended” by the World Surf League from the Pipe Invitational “until a full investigation can be completed.”
The back story, apparently, dates to bad blood between the two surfers since at least the US Open in Huntington Beach.
All in all nothing new in professional sport, much less professional surfing. Back in 2013, Jamie O’Brien had a dust-up during the Billabong Pro Teahupo’o with the late Ricardo Dos Santos. O’Brien was suspended for the remainder of the competitive season as a result.
What is unique, however, and borderline strange–as if fighting isn’t ridiculous enough–is after Hendrickson’s and Rodrigues’ blow throwing, a surf fan named Richard Ciesco set up a GoFundMe campaign to pay Hendrickson’s $5,000 fine. To be clear, the WSL hasn’t yet announced if or how much Hendrickson or Rodrigues will be fined.
Ciesco told us that he doesn’t know Hendrickson personally, but decided to act after reading the numerous stories about the incident.
“As a surf fan and reading the story I feel [Hendrickson] didn’t do anything wrong,” said Ciesco. “He was being harassed and stood up for himself. I think if the WSL is going to suspend one of the guys, they really need to apply this to both until a final investigation is done.”
Ciesco, who lives in Carlsbad, California further explained his point of view in the text of the GoFundMe campaign, which admittedly leans heavily in favor of Hendrickson.
At time of publication, the campaign had only been live for an hour and hadn’t raised any funds.
