Volcom Pro 2012 Fiji/Tavarua Preview

The first contest held at the ICONIC Cloudbreak for the first time since 2008 is getting set to kick off!!! We've really got to give it up for Volcom for bringing this stop back to the tour, it's been far to long since we've seen the top 36 go head to head at the best left in the World.  Even better news is it going to be firing at 8 to 10 feet on the first day of the waiting period and then stay at a steady 6 to 8 foot for the next few days! I am pretty damn excited to sit back and watch this one over the upcoming week!

At smaller sizes it definitely favors the goofy footers but when it's bigger (like it's forecasted to be) it's really anyone game! Cloudbreak itself is a challenging wave with three sections that can either pinch off or just lineup all the way through. Restaurants is just about as perfect as a wave can be with 10 to 12 second barrel rides the standard when conditions are right.

That being said let's talk about the Fantasy Team and who to think about adding for the Volcom Pro.  First off experience and time spent in the water here is really going to pay off so picking veterans who've competed here before is a solid idea.  Secondly the judges are going to be looking for the longest deepest barrels so make sure if you've got guys with air game on your team they can thread a barrel or two also.

Slater: pretty much a sure thing here and the fact that he's already there means he's ready to compete. He's spent as much time at the place as anyone and know's it on a locals only level.

The Brothers Hobgood: These two have set the standard on how goofy footers ride Cloudbreak. They have spent so much time there that they too have a locals only level of knowledge of the wave. Damo has won here twice and CJ has two seconds.  CJ is cheap too, worth it in my opinion!

John John: What should I say here.... hot off a win, lives in the tube, could easily win here...

Owen Wright: Can go left as good as anyone and if you look back at Teahupoo when it was massive Owen made it to the finals! Owen likes big barrels!!!

Michel Bourez: Super powerful and can muscle his way through the largest of pits!

Freddy P: Hasn't had the best start but he's at home in powerful barreling lefts.  A good investment at for his price!

Josh Kerr: Can get pitted with the best of them and he's having a hell of a year so far!!!

Travis Logie, Ace Buchan, Kai Otton: All can hold there own in the forecasted surf and know there way around the tube!!!

The usual suspects are always solid bets here too. Mick, Parko, Taj, & Jordy.

The contest starts on the 3rd so get your Fantasy Team in order!!! Got a rad prize pack of Volcom and Electric gear for the winner!!!

The Rio Pro Recap, John John Florence Wins

Get used to the sight of John John being carried up the beach

Say what you want about the waves in Rio but for a second year in a row the Rio Pro delivered!!! By no means were the waves epic but as far as watching and following a contest goes it was as good as it gets! Insane barrels, ridiculous airs, good judging, and intense battles in the line-up!!!

John John finally found what he's been looking for, a World Tour Victory!!!!  Man did he earn it too! Pretty much just steam rolled through the contest comboing his competitors at the drop of a hat. He had Joel up against the ropes six minutes into the final so bad that Joel hardly made it out of combo land by heats end.

What's crazy is that out of all the contest on tour this year this is the one I would least expect John John to do well at. The fact that he won here says a lot about what we're going to see for the rest of the year.  Looking forward to the coming months there are five, yes FIVE, events that John John will be heavily favored to make quarters, semis, and finals. Tavarua, Teahupoo, France, Portugal, and Pipe are all going to be barrel shoot outs and it's no secret that John John is the BEST barrel rider on the tour, maybe the planet.  If John John maintains his current form the title race will be coming down to two names this year...

JOHN JOHN FLORENCE & KELLY SLATER.....

As far as the rest of the field went Josh Kerr, Julian Wilson, Joel Parko, Mick Fanning, and Alejo Muniz all looked amazingly in form and surfed so well.  The wonder boy, Gabriel Medina, who came in riding his recent Trestles win absolutely flopped losing in the opening round... Big surprise for a lot of people... Not so surprising, Taylor Knox earned his 3rd 25th finish of the year, how stoked is he that they did away with the mid year cut off this year???

Now looking at the Pioneers Fantasy Surfer Club we've seen some places change hand!  Coming in as the club winner for the Rio Pro,  Sialylphllx did it with his team earning him 955 points!!!  Well done!! Swing by the shop some day this weekend and we'll hook it up with a little prize pack!!!  Now the big story is Jon Mackin, club leader for the past two events, has been dethroned and sent back to sixth place. Our new leader is non other than MUD DUCK!!!  I've personally had a hard start this year but after being mid pack I'm finally starting to inch my way toward the top ten.  Log into your account and see where you're at, and don't forget to start thinking about your barreling left handed team for Tavi/Teahupoo!

We'll see you in the water!!!

Looking at Competitive Surfing in the Past and in the Future

I can't remember a better year to be a fan of surfing...

Slater comes back to the tour after winning his 10th World Title, he wins the first stop of the year and goes on to win an unbelievable 11th World Title, but then he didn't actually win it, but then he did!!! He faces off against Owen in 3 finals in a row. A new rivalry is born.

The Brazilian showed up, claiming 4 of the 11 tour stops this year. Medina made the biggest impact by getting on tour at the mid year cut off winning two events, stopping Kelly twice, and doing amazingly well in Hawaii. Medina is the real deal and WILL raise the bar of professional surfing in the future.

Bobby stated his case and left the tour amid a world wind of controversy losing his position at the mid year cut off to a young Brazilian that came on and killed it. In my eyes Medina's showing in 2011 proved that the one world rating and the mid year cut-off is a GOOD THING FOR COMPETITIVE SURFING.... and Bobby is just talking sh*t.

WAVES, REALLY GOOD WAVES for the last 6 events in a row!!! Tahiti, New York, Trestles, France, Portugal, San Fransico, and Hawaii all FIRED!!! Combine waves, with great surfers, and good webcasts and you've got a winning combination.

Here is the schedule for the 2012 ASP World Title Series:
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast – Australia (February 25 – March 7, 2012)
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – Australia (April 3 – 14, 2012)
Billabong Rio Pro – Brazil (May 9 – 20, 2012)
Volcom Fiji Pro – Fiji (June 3 – 16, 2012)
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay – South Africa (July 11 – 22, 2012)
Billabong Pro Teahupoo – Tahiti (August 16 – 27, 2012)
Quiksilver Pro New York – USA (September 2 – 14, 2012)
Hurley Pro at Trestles – USA (September 15 – 23, 2012)
Quiksilver Pro France – France (September 26 – October 6, 2012)
Rip Curl Pro Portugal – Portugal (October 7 – 17, 2012)
Billabong Pipe Masters – Hawaii (December 8 – 20, 2012)

Notably absent from the 2012 ASP World Title Series schedule is the Rip Curl Pro Search, but the event will return in 2013. Back by demand we have the Volcom Pro in FIJI!!!

Here are the top 34 surfers for the 2012 season that will be competing for the World Title.
1. Kelly Slater (USA)
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
3. Taj Burrow (AUS)
4. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
5. Owen Wright (AUS)
6. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
7. Julian Wilson (AUS)
8. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
9. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
10. Michel Bourez (PYF)
11. Josh Kerr (AUS)
12. Damien Hobgood (USA)
13. John John Florence (HAW)
14. Mick Fanning (AUS)
15. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
16. Heitor Alves (BRA)
17. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
18. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
19. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
20. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
21. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
22. Brett Simpson (USA)
23. Adam Melling (AUS)
24. Kolohe Andino (USA)
25. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
26. Tiago Pires (PRT)
27. Jadson Andre (BRA)
28. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
29. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
30. Dusty Payne (HAW)
31. Travis Logie (ZAF)
32. Taylor Knox (USA)
33. Kai Otton (AUS) *surfer wildcard (next on the ASP World Rankings)
34. Yadin Nicol (AUS) *surfer wildcard (injury)
1st Alternate: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
2nd Alternate: Willian Cardoso (BRA)
3rd Alternate: Chris Davidson (AUS)
4th Alternate: Thiago Camarao (BRA)

I'm really excited to see what 2012 has instore for surfing. What will Kelly do now, go for 12? Will Mendina dominate? Will Jordy shake off a bad year and come back hungry? Will the young bloods deliver? I guess will have to wait a full year to answer all these question.

Hopefully it will be as exciting getting there as it was this year.

And remember when it comes to SURFING no one knows it like PIONEERS!!!!!!!