Ian Clap. Guarantee this fella has a story to tell. Photo: Robin Ernst
Allow me to begin with some context. When I posted my last piece, provocatively titled “The Pe’ahi Challenge is Boring as Shit,” it was around 4:30 am my time, at the end of day one. I was suffering from illness-related insomnia, and I was feeling particularly critical. (I should add that the headline wasn’t mine. My original title was “The Pe’ahi Challenge: Much Ado About Nothing”).
You see, what I found disappointing was not the spectacle of some extraordinary humans tackling giant surf, but rather the WSL’s superficially-hyped presentation of the whole thing. Captured live, broadcast through a screen, and with lulls not accounted for, big wave surfing does not make for particularly entertaining viewing.
But I know that this opinion could be misconstrued as a lack of respect for the men and women who tackle these waves, and the time they dedicate in preparation for these brief moments in the spotlight. This was certainly not my intention. Rather, I meant to suggest that the presentation of big wave surfing, and the surfers themselves, is something that deserves re-thinking.
I stand by what I said. I said pretty much the same thing last year. I’ve never regretted anything I’ve written. Without people to stand against the flow where would we be? Surf media is bland enough and sycophantic enough as it is. I’ve also advocated for shark culling, criticized Dane Reynolds (ooooohh…the outrage!), and I really hate kickflip attempts on surfboards. I wouldn’t take back any of it.
The thing is, after my last post went up I didn’t feel particularly good about it. It was critical without being constructive, and my opinion about the production of the event was not meant to belittle the achievements of the athletes. I had written it after the first day (which was slow), and it was colored by my frustrations of previous experiences watching big wave comps. Had I waited until the conclusion of day two, it might have had a different slant.
Day two of the Pe’ahi Challenge was, in moments, spectacular. It brought two, well-deserved 10-point rides, it brought more consistency in the sets, and it brought the women.
After last year, I wondered whether women could, or should, compete on the same playing field as the men. After seeing them this year, albeit with a scaled down field and format, I wonder if there is actually any barrier to women competing against men in future (given a few years of continued progress and more opportunities, of course). I think Paige Alms might be competitive in the men’s division already.
The commitment of all the women in this year’s event was impressive. It was even more impressive in the context of last year, and the fact that they have so few opportunities to showcase their ability in this realm.
However, regardless of sex, there is no doubt that events such as the Pe’ahi Challenge have the potential to be the greatest show in all of surfing. But we’re just not there yet.
How to improve it? Well, how about giving the commentators and color guys something to work with, for a start. Pete Mel and Kaipo Guerrero are likeable and knowledgeable, Dave Wassell is enthusiastic. But they are armed with little aside from repetitive platitudes.
A live broadcast of big wave events will always need to account for lulls between sets, and this space must be filled. It seems to me that the WSL, with a bit of creative thinking, has everything at their disposal to solve this problem.
They have at hand some incredible athletes, in any context. Why not give us some insight into these athletes as characters? Why not give us some glimpse into their lifestyles, their backgrounds, their training regimes, how they pay their bills? Why not give us some story?
More often than not, story is what engages us. The necessary downtime in a big wave competition should be looked upon as a gift for production, as opposed to a problem. The lulls provide an opportunity to interlace plot, context, and storytelling with live, dangerous sport. Does greater potential for entertainment than this exist? People crave stories.
I was happy to see Ian Walsh win the Pe’ahi event. Not necessarily because I thought he was the best performer, but because I knew his story. Red Bull told me in the excellent documentary Distance Between Dreams. As for DK Walsh’s Instagram post congratulating his brother on the victory – phenomenal. Glimpses into the human experience like this are what keep us engaged. Because it’s not just about surfing, and it’s not just about the fleeting moments of actually tackling the giant waves. It’s about people, their victories and defeats, their histories and hardships, their struggles and goals. And it’s about giving credence to their hard work by doing them justice, by telling their stories.
So WSL, don’t leave it to Red Bull, don’t rely on Instagram, don’t leave it to our imaginations. If these athletes are going to hurl themselves over the ledge for you, then you need to do your part. Give them their time in the limelight. Engage us, entertain us. Tell us a story…
