Uncut

Maui's Top Dog Blogger GP Cammaro gives it to you uncut.

And Tom from Hot Sails went boom-cam crazy too.

Chris Pressler's been testing Starboards  in 'Nam.

The Black Local enjoyed Ho'okipa too.

JP sent out a Press Release containing an interview with Antoine Albeau.

I've uploaded the [Word] file so you can read it uncut. Antoine's contract with JP/NeilPryde started February 1st.

WIND magazine (French) have an interesting piece on how up-and-coming youngster Camille Juban was refused entry to the Cabo Verde World Cup.

 With old-skool riders like Goya being allowed in instead, Juban is feeling the cold wind outside of the PWA Top-32.

However some youngsters such as Kai Lenny and Graham Ezzy have been given Wildcards, which is great in terms of seeing fresh blood, but a bitter pill to swallow for a youngster with experience.

What are your views on this? Should Juban have been given his chance? Please leave any comments below. Thanks. (No sign-in required.)

Continent Seven posted something 'Baltic' to contrast those balmy images of Maui. Check out the link 'Halliday' on their front page.

Boards Mag report a new Ocean Source clinic in Morocco with John Skye and Nayra Alonso.

Mind you, 'Skyeboy' is out for a while after picking up an injury in Cape Town. Let's hope that heals swiftly before Cabo Verde.

Planche Mag 316 is out on the stands.

That's all for now folks. Please leave any news of other new print issues out or hot links in the Comments section underneath. Thanks.

Comments

[Kris]

I find that allowing Goya to compete is the right decision, as he is not only a legend, but also one of the best riders in waves. In my eyes this made the whole Cabo Verde comp even more awesome. As for choosing between Juban, Lenny and Ezzy.. its hard, but it's reality, they all just wont fit in the format that is run in Cabo.

[Groeneveld]

Juban should simply enter!

[Jay]

he is in the top 32, he is 32nd!!

Juban should be in it.

[Beej]

I don't think being in the top 32 is a guarantee for entry anyway. Normally each event is seeded on a number of factors such as overall ranking, your performance at that event the previous season and your performance at the last event of that season et cetera. (Juban came equal 15th.) So, being the first event of the year, and a limited (32-man) contest means that '08 ranking only counts for the top 22, and places 23- 28 are PWA committee voted Wildcards and 29-32 are Local organizer's wildcards. Of course the local organizer can and should choose entrants from the host nation/spot but in my opinion it would have been good for the PWA to vote some young and proven blood onto the entry list. OK Ezzy has a few events under his belt, but surely, and no disrespect intended to a certain star of the future in Kai Lenny, but Philip Koster or Camille Juban would be more 'deserving' in this instance? What I'm not sure of in this case is if the PWA Wildcards include any qualification event such as was run in 2008, and whether Juban could advance via this method? On the PWA entry list so far I can count 31 names...

[mat]

Camille should enter. The PWA should make room for the younger generation. I don't want to see Scott McKercher or Nik Baker for the 100th time. It's also a question of promoting the sport.

[gp cammar]

I guess Camille is hoping that Skye doesn't heal fast enough...

Hey Brian, thanks for these PWA insides. Are you going to Cabo Verde?
If yes, are you going to do the live ticker? Any news on the webcast front?
Thanks!

[Beej]

Hi GP - No, no and no! Sorry. yeah Camille would do well again. Another frenchie, Denel was also good as well as Jean-Baptiste Caste. Francisco Fonseca, let alone Katchadourian or Porcella or even Diony G. it's a tough one we limited to 32. But I guess it'll be nice to see some new blood from the top flight like Mevissen let rip. We'll have a beer one day and talk webcasts...

[Beej]

OK here's some more info - there's no qualifier this year. Lenny, McKercher, Ezzy, Williams, Ojeda and Siver got the PWA slots/votes so the hopes for the likes of Juban and Koster are fading fast...

I guess it's OK to see established guys like Williams, Ojeda and Siver get in - they've all got experience and are dedicated full-timers. I know McKercher's 'retired' but he did state he'd do certain events and while he can still get into a non-jumping high quality event without qualifying or having a low seeding he's a fool not to take the chance of a cut of the cash- especially as he's recovering from a serious injury that would mean he couldn't enter a jump fest right now. Still, those massive hits on the main peak at Ponta Preta are about as high as a Pozo jump I reckon...

[gp]

Wow.
No qualifiers, no chances for sailors like K.K., Porcella (11th last year), Juban...
Not sure I like that.
The ASP has 45 surfers each year in the world tour (plus wildcards at each event), but they are not "voted". They earn their right to be in the dream tour by earning points in ASP contests or in WQS (world qualifying series) ones.
Brian, can you tell us something more about the PWA "votes" and why no qualifiers this year?

In other words: Lenny, McKercher, Ezzy, Williams, Ojeda can compete and K.K. and Porcella can't... why the hell is that???
Sponsor and market reasons are the only thing I can think of.

[Beej]

GP - it's not the sponsors or market reasons. I suppose most PWA wave events are 48-man in windier locations so the double elimination can be run quicker. At Ponta Preta it's mobile, which uses time up, the heats are over half an hour, so longer than [ASP] surfing comps which also only run a sinlge or 'dingle' equivalent, and so it suits better to run with a limited entry. Not even the girls get a chance.

Before anyone's too hard on the PWA it's important to understand that the Wildcard votes are made by the riders committee not someone in the organisation. Wind mag gave the PWA a hard time saying they wouldn't let Juban in because he's French, (and now they're annoyed Albeau didn't make it either), but actually it is some sailors on the board who have seen riders they think deserve a chance that make the decisions by votes. I guess Juban, Porcella and KK have all had their chance and they must have in turn denied someone else at the time too (Dunkerbeck and Baptiste Gossein in 08, and Dani Bruch in 07 for example.)

I guess there's loads of outstanding riders that don't make the cut but that's how high the level is! I know KK and Procella must seem familiar to you guys in Maui, but Ojeda and some of the Euros are amazing and not just specialist wave riders so they deserve their shot at a title over the season in varied events and CV is a valuable ranking event. Ojeda has been top-10 many times for example.

I suppose if Lenny didn't make it in there would be a fuss too.I heard that the qualifier event was too controversial so they canned the idea. Reason - it has to be run properly to be effective in my opinion i.e., to PWA regulations not as a casual trials event. (There were some question marks over last years qualifier...) As it also has to be finished before the main holding period that would entail extra budget for experienced judges and organizers etc.