Day three of the Hurley Pro at Trestles. Photo: ASP/Rowland
I’m going to be honest here. The waves at Trestles weren’t that great today. They were decent in the morning, but they slowed down a lot. They certainly weren’t as good as everyone said on their various social media outlets. If the best surfers in the world weren’t surfing these “small but rippable” (according to almost every surf outlet) conditions, it’d be downright boring to watch. That said, though, it’s an interesting scene here at the Hurley Pro 2013. Observations from the media shack – by the numbers.
37: Flat brim hats, sized extra large. One thing I don’t understand about fashion is its penchant for ill-fitting clothes. There are a lot of giant hats here, sitting low on people heads, covering their ears, and occasionally falling over someone’s eyes. But it’s ok, though, because they don’t need to see. Cool guys don’t look at explosions, right?
2. Number of times the poor guy on the longboard had to drag the giant Hurley buoy in and out of the water. Possible inflation issues. Also noted: lifeguard boat cruising slowly beside exhausted paddler, watching from their motorized vehicle. Nice, guys. Real nice.
8,678,000: Number of machine gun clicks from surrounding cameras in Kelly Slater’s round 3 heat with Pat Gudauskas. If I had been in Vietnam, being around the photographers whenever Slater gets on a wave would give me flashbacks.
67: Number of smiles from Pat Gudauskas after his heat 6 win. Watching his post heat interview makes me happy. I think he’s the happiest guy on tour. His cheeks must be either constantly sore or incredibly strong.
1: Person smoking. I only really noticed this because of the lack of people smoking. What is this, some sort of cultural shift? I suppose it’s got something to do with the type of people that surf and are attracted to the outdoors and nature and all that, but still, it surprised me.
7: Number of 100% Raw Coconut Waters I drank. I am hydrated, which is lucky, because I spent a lot of the day waiting in a line for the porta-potties, and it’s hot out here.
19: Number of times I heard Lowers described as “rippable.” I don’t think I can assign a number to the amount of times I’ve heard it described as such. It usually comes after the words “small but…” making it seem like an excuse to run a contest when they need to get through the waiting period.
2. Number of times Dave Stanfield told Josh Kerr over the loudspeaker that he “has a hot wife,” making the entire beach feel awkward. Easy, Dave.
