This epoch was supposed to feel different. Kelly Slater’s 40 year run of surfing domination coming to an end (save 5 – 7 wildcards per year) ushering in a youth bonanza at the highest levels of professional surfing. A new crop of rippers homeschooled on the best rights and lefts in the world grabbing the reins and steering the old horse in fresh ways.
Then it became suddenly clear that surfing is not, as once advertised, a young person’s game, on the men’s side of the draw, but a middle-aged man’s one.
But let us examine the Championship Tour rankings wherein 37-year-old Jordy Smith is some 5000 points above his nearest foe. The big and older South African has been dominant all year, winning in El Salvador and Margaret River with hometown J-Bay still coming up.
And let us also consider the Challenger Series wherefore 41-year-old Josh Kerr and 36-year-old Julian Wilson bashed their much younger opponents in the opening round of the Burton Automotive Newcastle Surfest to advance.
Over 100,000 people have now watched Day 1 wherefrom professional surfing’s second tier enjoyed playful shoulder high waves in Craig Anderson’s hometown.
Josh Kerr surfed in heat 2, besting Brazilians Jose Francisco and Rafael Teixeira on his way to the Round of 64. Julian Wilson shattered the budding dreams of Connor Slijpen, Wesley Leite and Tenshi Iwami (from South Africa, Brazil and Japan respectively) on his own way to the aforementioned Round of 64.
The two will come up against the recently knifed surfers Liam O’Brien, Edgard Groggia, Ian Gouveia etc. in the next frame and things might become lightly more difficult. A question for you, though. Are you cheering the old heads along or bored to tears with the same tired song?
More importantly, will you be tuning in today and would you like a live chat?
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