From Curren to Florence and everywhere in between, we’re all in it for the same thing.
The next time you paddle out, take a good look around the lineup. It’s quite the eclectic gathering, isn’t it?
The mix I normally encounter ranges from groms to the old, from the meek and the bold, and just about everything in between. Regardless of age or ability though, we’re all there for the same thing. With that being said, you would think the young rippers would have the advantage. But there’s something to be said for experience.
Nowhere was that statement more true than at last year’s J-Bay Open. The sixth stop on the 2014 WCT provided not only a forum for fistfuls of superbly surfed heats, but also a finals day that produced near-epic conditions unlike those ever seen before at the famous South African right-hander.
While the competition was fierce among the current pro surfing elite, the most memorable moments came during a special “Heritage Series” heat. The stab at nostalgia pitted sport icons Tom Curren and Mark Occhilupo against each other in a 35-minute battle. The enigmatic, 50+-year-old Curren and the charismatic Occy, now in his late 40s, took center stage and turned back time for themselves and all who watched.
Both displayed impressive form, but it was Curren that ran away with the show. The man dropped a perfect 10 on what was easily the best wave ridden all day, and he did it in a heritage heat, years after his retirement from the Tour. He shredded his way to a convincing win in the long-awaited re-match of rivals and set the bar markedly higher for those partaking in the regular event’s remaining rounds.
The impact from the Heritage heat was apparent not only during, but immediately after the event. Curren’s inspiring performance still lingers. Being closer in age to Curren or Tom Carroll than say, John John Florence, Curren’s performance gives me hope that my best days of surfing can still lie ahead. Ultimately, that’s up to me. It’s important to have something to shoot for. That’s what keeps us all coming back for more—regardless of age.
