There are a few people in surfing who go hand in hand with certain waves. Gerry Lopez and Pipeline. Garrett McNamara and Nazaré. Kelly Slater and… the Surf Ranch? And Jack Robinson and The Box. When it comes to serious waves anywhere on earth, in fact, Robinson is a real threat to anyone who draws him in a heat.
That has never been more apparent than in his heat against Filipe Toledo at the Margaret River Pro. The 21-year-old Robinson was awarded a wildcard into the event, and the conditions could not have been better. “Today is a memorable day on Tour and in life really,” said Kelly Slater at the time. “These conditions, if you get to surf with one guy out at The Box, I would say is the day of the year for us on Tour.”
The Box blew up, churning out 12-foot tube after 12-foot tube. Robbo, who grew up just a stone’s throw away from the wave, knows it the way a kid knows their own backyard because, quite literally, it is. Toledo looked like a fish out of water and Robinson looked like a man who was exactly where he was supposed to be. When the final horn sounded, Toledo only managed a meager mid-6 while Robinson dropped a heat total of 18.57 (9.23 + 9.30), the highest of the 2019 Championship Tour season.
“It’s pretty much as good as it gets out there,” said Robinson. “Especially if you’re on the good ones, but it’s just another day surfing The Box for me.”
While Robinson was eventually knocked out of the event by Seth Moniz in the Round of 16, the heat you see above was just another reminder of exactly how good he really is.
