Back in the day....
The prize money has increased, but the endorsements are where the big money is coming from today. Top rated surfers are getting large salaries with incentives and bonuses, not to mention travel budgets. Companies are picking up young talents at a much earlier stage and starting them out with more money than the veteran pro surfers made during their entire careers. Money is now also coming from outside the surf industry; from energy drinks to airlines and even skin products.
With all of these changes at the forefront of my mind, I did my best to prepare for my return to competition. I practiced surfing on a much shorter board and worked diligently on my fitness.
To review how I did on my last trip to the Masters, I was matched up against Shaun Tomson in a Quarterfinal heat. Shaun was surfing very well as always and the competition was close. In the closing minutes I caught a high-scoring ride to advance by a mere quarter-point into the Semi-Finals. This is where I was pitted against the four-time World Champion Mark “MR” Richards. Unfortunately for me he got the better waves and surfed them very well advancing into the Final. [“MR” would not be coming to Rio however, due to his ongoing back issues.] In the Finals, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew was MR’s competition. Rabbit had a solid Final; got all the good waves, then rode them with brilliance and skill to easily win the event, taking home the trophy.
It had been eight long years since then, so I was filled with excitement and anticipation towards my return to the competition. The feeling for me is like going back in time and seeing old friends.
I had high hopes of a good, competitive event, held in good waves that would allow everyone to showcase their current surfing skills. Shaun shared with me his view on the event “I think these Masters events can turn into something special. It’s not just about having an event to be a vehicle to sell more stuff. When we connect with people that come up and say: “I named my son after you.” At that point you know what you did in your career has made a difference in someone’s life, and when they come to these events they are reliving a special time in their life and now they want to share with their families and it’s still special. I’m really hoping these Masters are going to continue to be a celebration of what is special and pure in surfing. I would love to have two Masters events a year, maybe one in the Northern and one in the Southern hemisphere. I could bring my family, everyone could bring their family and turn it into a celebration of surfing.” Ian continued saying, “I love these events because we have all been in the same family, a little bit rambunctious at times, but you know for instance, you [Buzzy] and I have had some good times and some bad times, but we are able to come here and laugh about the past and enjoy it. Not many of us have shared those experiences. I think it’s really great to have this event and get us all together, shake hands and smile about the past. It’s less about the competition and more about the brotherhood; getting back together, being friends and laughing about the old times.”
When I arrived in my hotel room in Rio–that I would be sharing with my old friend whom I rarely see as of late, Hans Hedemann–I looked out the window and the first thing I saw was Michael Ho riding a little wave; He was out surfing with his brother, Derek. I finned, then waxed my board and headed down through the lobby, where I ran into Shaun Tomson and Simon Anderson. It felt like we were getting ready for a high school reunion. I paddled out for my first surf with Hans in the tiny beach break, Aprador, located at the end of Ipanema Beach. I quickly knew I had my work cut out for me because I could barely get my new 5’ 10” board moving as Hans and some of the other guys were surfing super fast and making it look easy and the current forecast was for small surf during the entire event. I felt a lot like a downhill ski racer who showed up for an event then finding out he would be racing on the bunny hill at the bottom of the mountain. I changed to a little longer, six-foot board and started adapting myself to the small wave conditions. Soon I was feeling like I had a good chance.
This event would begin with a four heat, round robin allowing us all to surf against each other, with the eight highest placing surfers advancing into the Quarterfinal round. In my first heat I was up against none other than Shaun Tomson, local hero, Daniel Friedman and Hans. The heat started with Hans riding a smaller wave and earning a good opening score. A wave came to me so I rode it all the way and felt like I was off to a good start. Then I paddled back out near Shaun and we sat and we sat; it felt like we were in a lake. Finally, Shaun caught a couple small ones and posted some decent scores. I took a small second wave and moved into second place behind him. Shaun said, “The next one’s yours,” and we sat together and waited and waited as the minutes quickly ticked away. I desperately paddled for a small wave and missed it only to turn around and see Shaun paddling for the best wave of the heat, a solid two footer. He took off and did two powerful “off the top snaps” before it closed out. The scores were announced. Shaun received an 8.5 – a huge score in those conditions. I sat there disappointed while Hans got another one down on the end and moved back into second, time ran out without another wave in sight.
Shaun is a former World Champion from 1977, and the man credited with starting to maneuver inside the tube, that changed the art of tube riding forever. He recently released a documentary called “Busting down the Door” based on pro surfing on the North Shore during the late 1970s, and how he and Australian surfers Mark Richards, Rabbit, Ian Cairns, and Peter “PT” Townend pushed the limits of performance surfing and helped create pro surfing as we know it today.
