Shea's Take
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Shea Lopez Makes His Predictions for the Billabong Pro, Tahiti
Ha! The ASP have played a cruel joke on everyone competing at this year’s Teahupoo event. In previous years, Teahupoo has been a pharmaceutical company’s dream as anxiety levels go through the roof. This year, the geniuses at ASP decided to step it up a notch and not only scare competitors to death with the possibility of severe bodily harm, but also put the fear of being booted off the Tour. This combination is enough to cause even the most stable individuals to develop any number of mental health issues (I experienced this challenge myself and witnessed firsthand numerous examples of it during my time on Tour).
In these instances, the mind is your greatest weapon and those able to keep a clear head will have a distinct advantage over their competitors. The wet-behind-the-ears rookies will be affected most by this change. After working their whole lives to compete against the world’s best, they are now one bad result away from having to start all over again. At Teahupoo, where many of them have little to no experience, they will be put to the test and forced to commit to risks that no other jobs demand.
Who wins the event or takes the ratings lead will always be exciting, however, who is left on Tour when the carnage is over will be the real story here. Even established veteran and Teahupoo-elite Dean Morrison has his head on the chopping block. Known for putting his life on the line even in freesurfs, you can count on Dean to put on a display of bravado at Teahupoo few are capable of matching. Then there are rookie siblings Pat and Tanner Gudang. After a year of electric heats, and also a few serious setbacks, the two find themselves needing only a couple more heat wins to guarantee a spot on Tour. If you’ve ever seen the energy these two up close, then you already know that their heats at Teahupoo need to be seen to be believed. Dean, Pat, and Tanner are three surfers I could easily see making history if the conditions warrant such an act.
My team for Tahiti consists of Kelly, Andy, CJ, Damo, Bobby, Michel, Owen, and Manoa. Other surfers I considered, but due to budget and other deciding factors I passed on, are Mick, Fred, Dusty, Dean, Dane, Tanner, Pat, Nate, Kieran, and Ace. Ultimately, when picking your own team, try to balance regular and goofies since conditions at Teahupoo can favor either. Also, be aware that when it’s 10-foot some guys on aren’t capable of competing to the level needed in such conditions.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll be praying it’s 10-foot—that’s when Teahupoo becomes the greatest show on Earth...and then every surfer in the event will need the prayers of everyone watching to assist in their safety as they put their very existence on the line for our viewing pleasure. Enjoy! It’s going to be a good one.
The Billabong Pro Tahiti, begins on August 23.
