Like WSL judges, I love claiming. Not doing it, but watching it. I’d reward it, too, if I were a judge. It’s freakin’ hilarious. Let’s face it; sometimes surfing can get a little too serious. Racism, hostile rivalries, bogus judging, shit talking, and the complete and imminent destruction of our environment have got us sort of disheartened at times. What we need is more claiming. Not just the kind of gesture that occurs after a well-ridden wave, but all kinds of gestures. Including signature gestures like AI’s shotgun-in-hand-claim, or the disapproving “f%@* you” gesture in response to unreasonable scoring. So sit back and have a gander at this funny compilation of some of the best claims ever. Thank you Matt Warshaw and the Encyclopedia of Surfing for providing the pleasurable entertainment.
De Souza’s perfect 10 claim. Photo: Kirstin Scholtz/ASP
