MODEL BEHAVIOR Women’s World Tour Gives East Coast Wahines A Little Ripping Feminine Inspiration By Nick McGregor
Seeing as how the Women’s
World Tour doesn’t boast a single mainland American — much less an East
Coaster — I thought it would be difficult to come up with a good
Rightside angle for covering the Women’s Rip Curl Pro Search.
But after watching East
Coast girls like Quincy Davis, Chelsea Tuach, Nikki Viesins, and Jasset Umbel
studying the big-league ladies and their action-packed heats with steady focus
and inquisitive eyes, the answer became clear. And even clearer after spotting
Puerto Rican ladies like Lilac Alvarado, Liza Caban, Liselie Gonzalez, Maria
Kuzmovich, and Maria Del Mar flying around area surfbreaks with more fervor
than ever before. And clearer still upon running into other East Coast wahines
like Amy Nicholl, Molly Kirk, Zoe Bonik, and others, all of whom came to Puerto
Rico to surf, have fun, and catch sight of their heroes.
So it doesn’t matter that there
isn’t a single East Coaster on the Women’s World Tour. When an event of this
caliber comes to the East Coast’s extended backyard, it’s only going to help
those that are eager to improve their abilities the only surefire way possible
— by paddling out around surfers with far more talent.
From a personal perspective,
I was shocked watching the Women’s World Tour destroy the challenging Middles
lineup. Stephanie Gilmore carving every wave to pieces. Coco Ho demolishing
lips with no regard for her own safety. Silvana Lima dropping into a solidly
overhead set wave, pulling up into a huge, frothy barrel, and driving through
an impossible doggy door to earn the first — and only — perfect 10
of the Rip Curl Pro Search.
Here’s another angle I’m
willing to take: watching Stephanie Gilmore clinch her fourth world title will
only speed up the global ascent of Rightside surfers like Davis, Viesins,
Tuach, Gonzales, Kuzmovich, and others. And in the long term, that might almost
be as important as Kelly’s 10th world title.
THE OLD IN-OUT
The 2009 WRV Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Is Moving Ahead Like Clockwork
Along The Graveyard Of The Atlantic... Let's Hope Hurricane Season Doesn’t Dish
Out A Bit Of The Old Ultraviolence
BILL OF SALE Surf Expo Comes To Town Early With Lower-Than-Usual
Attendance Rumors And Category 4 Hurricane Bill Zooming In. Will You Blow Town To
Bro Down Or Sit Tight And Get Right?
