Billabong Pro Teahupoo 2014

i like medina.
and nat. and JJF.

 

jjf. did you see the article on surfline about his boards for tahiti? How is the biggest board the kid rides is a 6'6 for tahiti and pipe/backdoor? I understand the idea of small boards with more volume in the front for extra paddle power with a pulled in tail for getting in under the lip for these dudes, but damn.

 

Also, did you check the volumes on his boards? The dude is 6'1 170 and his volumes are 26 or something. Man I feel like a loser I am just a few pounds heavier and my boards are in the low to mid 30s. Then again, JJ and I having very little in common when it comes to surfing

 

I saw that, pretty ridiculous. Funny that he didn't worry about the dimensions. Just length, model, tail shape, 3 fins.

 

Most of the guys won't ride much bigger than 6'6 in Tahiti

 

same goes for pipe I think, with a few exceptions. reminds me of that nuts cloudbreak contest a couple of years ago when that swell went nuts and all they had was smallish boards given the conditions. I know they're mostly not really big guys, but still.

 

"Most" ASP pros are like 150-160 lbs, 5'8-5'10
Small dudes, beyond fit and obviously extremely skilled surfers. A 6'6 would suit them fine in most bigger surf, especially the way boards are made now with some extra volume and width hidden in the boards.

 

I chalk it up to impressive sets of skills and balls.

 

Yes I just saw Kelly's quiver for the trip on his facebook page:

6'1 x 18 1/4 x 2 3/8 SP12
5'11 x 18 1/4 x 2 5/16 SP12
5'11 x 18 1/2 x 2 1/2 in center with a tapered rail (modified Fred Rubble/Deep Six)
5'10 x 181/4 x 2 5/16 Semi Pro
5'9 x 18 1/4 x 2 1/4 Fred Rubble

Yes, the biggest board he brought to Teahu****ingpoo is 6'1 x 18 1/4 x 2 3/8. That's nuts.

 

Kelly's biggest for the contest is a 61 i think

 

kids - do not try this at home without parental supervision.

 

what a beast.

was it 2008 pipe contest he won riding something around a 5'11? It was going off, big tubes and big drops on the tiny board. crazy to see that.

 

theres only a few surfers in the world I can probably name them all that ride small boards in massive waves.like they say its not the board,its the surfer.kelly,johnjon,Jamie o,nate fletcher,bruce irons,one more I cant think of.then u look at guys like Flynn novak,kalani chapman there pushing 8'2s at pipe on the big days.the surfline wave of the winter movie explains it pretty good.u have to sit super deep where ur basically in the line of fire and every wave is a late takeoff,but those guys can do it.lol I miss the days of big boards,seeing Kelly surfing 7'4s,andy on big boards.i think bigger boards throw more spray,those small boards are mostly for airs and shooting through closeouts

 

It is about the surfer. They are paddling monsters. Video feeds and footage doesn't do it justice. They can paddle into a 3 footer 50 yards deeper than the long boarders are sitting and go from zero to 60 in 2 seconds. As long as you can get into the drop, the pros are better off on small boards in big surf. They can control the speed checking and little ankle adjustments and maintain their proper placement in the tube, yet still come out and throw a nasty turn on the face. But those guys surf waves of consequence on the daily, get paid to do it and have the luxury of training as professional athletes. I have seen Taj Burrow up close in the water, and it was mind blowing to see his paddling skills and speed and how it was all so effortless.

 

ahaaaa wow i really suck at surfing.

 

YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
when the conversation turns to kelly/jjf/jamie'o......um, we ALL suck.....

 

At chopes it's more about the wave. It's so concave that they say a smaller board fits better in the barrel. The bigger the board the easier it is to pearl.
Guys that ride big boards at pipe don't at teaupoo

 

just the thought of THAT WAVE on a surfboard 5ft anything...gives me the willys...

 

Those guys have more ass than I do to get after the bombs coming at you at those locales. Longboards, shortboards or SUPS, you make a mistake there and you can pay dearly for it. @ 52 years of age, I'll stick with overhead (1') and be stoked with that.