The issue at hand is that Adriano received an 8.23 for a wave where he did one big floater. Owen then caught a smaller left and did one big turn, a tailslide, then a clean slob grab air to finish. He needed a 6.74 and got a 6.6. He, along with most of the world, was furious. De Souza would go on to win the event.
The press release makes a few key points in their defense of the outcome.
1- the camera angle doesnt show the full size of the wave.
2- Adriano's wave was more critical and harder to ride.
I can agree with both of these arguments as possible reasons for the scoring. I still feel that an 8.23 is offly high for a floater, considering it is one of the most basic and non-progressive things you can do on a wave.
Maybe if we were talking about doing a floater on a 20 foot west bowl at sunset, that would be 8 point worthy, but at a head high beachbreak its hard take verbage like "critical" and "risk" seriously.They ended with this:
"I pose the question, would you, as a fan of top-level surfing, prefer the surfers to do a good turn on a small easy wave or a good turn on a wave that is going flat-out with a heaving, unforgiving closeout section?"
Well obviously when you phrase the question like that we'd all agree that big turns on big waves are better than small turns on small waves, but that wasn't exactly the issue here. The issue was one good top-turn and a smooth frontside air with a difficult grab variation thrown in, versus one big floater performed in a stink-bug stance. Adriano's floater was impressive, in terms of the air-drop to land it, but as far as 1) degree of difficulty 2) innovation 3) combination of maneuvers 4) variety, which is the ASP's criteria for scoring, it falls way short of Owen's wave in my opinion. Im fairly certain that the average surfer would find it easier to pull off a backside floater on a big closeout, than do the turns and air that Owen did.
Damien Fahrenfort of doomasrumors.com did some reporting on the subject also. Apparently now that backside floaters are winning heats, Richie Collins is preparing for his triumphant return to glory. Read the story here.
read the whole ASP press release here.
12 Comments
1-12 of 12
Posted by evan gambetta May 24, 2011 11:57pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
wow, Owen got robbed. both of adrianos waves were probably maybe both 4's, maybe.
Just cause that shit was in brazil...
Posted by arod949 May 25, 2011 09:02am PDTReply | Report Abuse
proud day for brazilian ethics, really brazil wow, you guys just sealed Adriano fate everywhere but brazil. 2nd place would have still given him good ranking, pay back is on its way sorry brazil, but hey, thinking short term is in now a days (not)
Posted by arod949 May 25, 2011 09:02am PDTReply | Report Abuse
proud day for brazilian ethics, really brazil wow, you guys just sealed Adriano fate everywhere but brazil. 2nd place would have still given him good ranking, pay back is on its way sorry brazil, but hey, thinking short term is in now a days (not)
Posted by mawkswell May 25, 2011 11:43am PDTReply | Report Abuse
if you look at the second wave of adriano's its even worse, how can you give him a 6 for that when you give owen a 6.6 for his wave? Unbelievable! What kind of system does the ASP have to prevent crooked judging? How many of the judges were brazilians? Some of these judges should lose their jobs over this.
Reply by ryand May 30, 2011 06:47pm PDTReport Abuse
totally. doe not seem fair at all but there isn't much that can be done about it unfortunately
Posted by justin walseth May 26, 2011 12:01pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
it might be because adiane is like 4 ft tall so the wave looks bigger/more critical. Hopefully surfng maneuvers won't follow the slow progression in sports these days of "flops." We see it all the time in soccer...now basketball... I guess surfing now too!
Reply by justin walseth May 26, 2011 12:02pm PDTReport Abuse
the worst part was he gave a fist pump after.... leave that to tiger in a US Open, not a beachy closeout.
Posted by jeff morris May 26, 2011 10:36pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
This was the a) the worst WCT event ever, b) the worst judging ever in a WCT, c) proof that the "dream" tour is really the "Big City/Market" tour. The judging has reverted back and is now worse than ever...i was buying into the "new" judging criteria, but that went out the window this year. Fire Brody.
Posted by rodsal May 27, 2011 02:47pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
I am from brazil and i can't agree more that Owen won that heat.....i was very disappointed that one of our most important wins on the ASP history was on this circumstance. As someone said above "2nd place would have still given him good ranking"....but this happens everyday, everywhere, on the ASP events on your school event, we have to deal with it and try to learn not to do the same mistakes. What i don't agree is trying to blame the country and/or it's people for a mistake that is "international" and has nothing to do with brazil. Brazilians aren't on the command of ASP, the judges aren't just Brazilians....and what this whole shit has to do with Brazilian ethics???
This was a mistake, it was obvious to everybody that Adriano lost that heat (even he couldn't believe it), but if you do a little research, and watch Brazilians heats for the last 3 years on the ASP, you would see exactly the opposite, underrated Brazilians surfers who always have to give 110% to pass heats, this was a total exception.
When you see an American surfer being ripped off on a heat against an ausie surfer, and vice-versa (what happens a lot) nobody questions the country ethics or try to diminish the country or it's people. I might not be proud of that heat, and i am not celebrating the fact that for the first time a Brazilian is number 1 on the ASP tour, but i am very proud of being Brazilian.
By the way, the article author made his point with strong arguments, but the comments were bullshit.
Reply by Janos Palko May 27, 2011 05:36pm PDTReport Abuse
rodsal, much respect for your response. very well put. I agree that young brazilians have been at the losing end of many close heats in america and other places abroad.. This heat was unfortunate, tough to see history changed due to judgement controversy, but it happens. I think if everyone had your outlook on things, we would have no arguments about anything. wish we were all on that page. bravo, dude.
Reply by patrick mickley May 29, 2011 10:35am PDTReport Abuse
Rodsal, Born and raised right here in sunny San Diego. My wife is Brazillian and has better ethics on her worst day than i do on my best. Surfers dont always get credit for being very bright people and some of these comments prove why. Dont stray from your thoughts cuz you got your head on straight. Unfortunately Adriano will pay the rest of the season for this no matter how well he surfs, because people hold grudges even when there not envolved. Brazil is the best of the best and worst of the worst. The US falls somewhere in between. Stay up brudda.
Posted by sam baugh May 30, 2011 02:37pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
Watching that again just makes it even harder to swallow. Both of Adriano's waves were worse than Owen's. His 6.0 could be argued to be bobbled and not completed. Also something I haven't heard argued is Adriano is a tiny little dude and he made that wave look bigger with his stinkbug stance. Owen is probably one of the tallest surfers on tour so the waves look smaller. The poor camera angle arguement is very weak. Step up and say we f@$Ked up and say it won't happen again. Don't continue to defend yourselves when every surfer on tour and knowledgable fan knows that was a big mistake. It's like a bad foul call in a NBA game on someones home court. Fire every judge and send them back to the NSSA or wherever they got their favortism.
Posted by freesurferbr May 31, 2011 09:05am PDTReply | Report Abuse
what you know about brazilian ethics?did you wacth the contest live onte beach?i was there and definitely ADRIANO not adiane won that heat and you guys got to accept , if was ozzy x ozzy would you talk tha same shit about?
Posted by andre puente menasche June 1, 2011 04:08pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
In the begginning Brazilian were accused of winning heats only in small waves.
Now that Brazil have several titles in Big Waves and began the year with 2 major wins, one in WT and another one in BWWT, all the establishment starts to cry.
I remind you that an aussie had a major win in QS Saquarema against the local hero 1 week after the WT polemical heat.
Judgement is subjective and many times i have seen mistakes or I was not in agreement with the judgement.
I always sent emails to the ASP commentators protesting against poor or biased (against Brazilians as most of the times) judgement and they were never broadcasted.
I mean, there is a non written rule that the commentators cannot comment the judgement.
Also ASP, itself, never gave, publicaly, importance to protests against judgement.
Thats why it sounds very strange to me that this case came to the picture and ASP put a blamed explanation on its page.
That shows why surfing is still not admitted in olympics.
It is all about a bunch of aussies and americans that want to keep it for themselves (with some exceptions to the hawaiians, under the penalty of being expelled from the islands) no matter the cost for the sport.
Lets open the gates for the new surfing powers!!!!
Posted by andre puente menasche June 1, 2011 04:08pm PDTReply | Report Abuse
In the begginning Brazilian were accused of winning heats only in small waves.
Now that Brazil have several titles in Big Waves and began the year with 2 major wins, one in WT and another one in BWWT, all the establishment starts to cry.
I remind you that an aussie had a major win in QS Saquarema against the local hero 1 week after the WT polemical heat.
Judgement is subjective and many times i have seen mistakes or I was not in agreement with the judgement.
I always sent emails to the ASP commentators protesting against poor or biased (against Brazilians as most of the times) judgement and they were never broadcasted.
I mean, there is a non written rule that the commentators cannot comment the judgement.
Also ASP, itself, never gave, publicaly, importance to protests against judgement.
Thats why it sounds very strange to me that this case came to the picture and ASP put a blamed explanation on its page.
That shows why surfing is still not admitted in olympics.
It is all about a bunch of aussies and americans that want to keep it for themselves (with some exceptions to the hawaiians, under the penalty of being expelled from the islands) no matter the cost for the sport.
Lets open the gates for the new surfing powers!!!!
Posted by dorianisgod June 6, 2011 01:17am PDTReply | Report Abuse
That is the worst blatant corruption I have ever seen in a surf contest. I could have pulled that floater with more style myself and man...the guy looks like his is taking a crap when he surfs. And his 6.0 for two widgets? Crapsquat Souza wouldn't have gotten a 3.5 in the NSSA for that junk. And the judges thought Owen doing as good a first snap with way more style, then a little snap and then a THIRD MANEUVER which was a slob grab considered one of the hardest grabs next to a stalefish an extra 6 tenths of a point? That's it? Really? And how sick was Owens first wave? A sick slider then an epic grab with reverse all whilst showing incredible style gets a 7.50 when Crapsquat Souza gets a 8.23 pinching a loaf on one floater maneuver that wouldn't have received that high of a score in the OP Pro with Curren versus Occy? Man we know the Free Masons are destroying the world with Central Banking, Corruption and War...but I always thought surfing would at least be free and true. The world has now officially gone to hell in a crapsquat.
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