Thoughts in Process: ASP Reality Check

The ASP is a game. A game run by humans and played by humans. And humans aren’t perfect. 

So, though they stun us in their video parts and contest triumphs, professional surfers are a normal breed. Hard to believe, huh? Hard because the WCT top 32 are our idols. And we have a thing with idols. A skewed view. We think they are flawless, genetically evolved to be above our faulted human tendencies. We think they are unbreakable and unbeatable. But they worry, yell, and cry just as much as the next guy. If a WCT pro has been surfing for the last two events with boards that feel amazing under his feet, creating momentum, and then brakes them via Hail Mary floater or a huge air, he’ll get upset and unbalanced. It’s only normal. And its only normal to go on to get a 33rd (25th) afterwards. It’s normal for a rookie to say “yes” to surf in a beachbreak if they’re just coming off the ‘QS and struggling to get a result. It’s normal to get anxious for a event to start and surf two-foot Teahupoo. Imagine having a career, a future, on hold for ten whole days. It’s like being in Limbo. Hell or Heaven, they just want a decision. Certainty is something we all yearn for. 

And if Sir Slater loses, he tastes defeat like everyone else. Look at Tiago’s [Pires] loss this week in Portugal, round two of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal Peniche, against Brett Simpson. Onlookers complained about Tiago losing again in his home country. But can you imagine the pressures of surfing a-not-so-pumping beachbreak with shifty winds in a heat with a shitty beach-break connoisseur like Brett (2x US Open at HB pier champion) while 15,000 frothing fans scream at you from the beach?

But we mustn’t be too sympathetic. Pro surfers are not some poor guys to whom we have to give a break all the time. They do surf like superheroes and can paddle for days, but sometimes we do have to give them a break. So next time you’re seconds away from bashing your computer screen mid-heat during an online contest feed, take a breath and remember this. It could save you $1000 and a trip to the hospital. Até breve.- Diogo Alpendre 

Sights in Process 4.2: Rodeo Owen

Surf media has changed a lot in the past decade. Contest results stream live from your couch and video sequences go avante garde with storylines and plot scenarios. But some things never change, and surf photography will always be at the heart of the industry. The camera was invented over a century ago- and yet, its ability to mesmerize surfers with infinite barrels hasn’t faded one bit. Yeah, Modern Collective blew our minds, but a sick video can’t be hung on a wall or folded into a wallet. Sick photos can.

Which is why Aussie photog Rod Owen is dedicated to capturing waves and the men who ride them. To ensure that the joy and the beauty of surfing are eternalized in pixel immortality. To stoke our minds when we’re only able to shred paper instead of saltwater. And he does a pretty damn good job of it too. Owen’s new website boasts quite the collection of Australian clientele, from Craig Anderson to Koby Abberton to Wolfmother. And not to mention his travel photography is literally pushing the envelope in surf coverage. We couldn’t be more proud of our photo contributor and his brand-new website. Peep it at www.owenphoto.com.au.-Alex and Lucas Ryden