The US Open & a Tour Update

Hi all, I’m over in the States right now competing in the US Open at Huntington Beach. I haven’t been to the event for a while so it’s all kind of exciting. I’m also doing the WPS Surfing All Stars expression session which should be good fun. Anyway, just wanted to explain what happened at the past couple of events. I’ll start with Brazil. It was a weird event for me, all my heats were extremely slow. My Round 3 heat with Roy Powers was pretty bad. We both started with low scoring rides and sat for 23 minutes before catching another wave. I ended up getting through with a 6 and a 4. Not too exciting. My Round 4 heat against Wardo was very similar to the previous heat but this time I was ready for the slow heat. I started the heat quickly with a 6 and sat and waited and got a 5 late in the heat. Wardo didn’t really get anything, I don’t think he didn’t expected the ocean to slow up as much as it did. In my Quarter Final with CJ Hobgood things were really slow. I started with a 6 and CJ with a 5. I made an error and went an average wave and CJ was on one not too far behind me and got a 7. I only needed a 6 for most of the heat and we didn’t catch another wave. That was really frustrating,  I hate having slow heats where I can’t battle it out wave for wave against my opponent. For some reason I have had a lot of those slow heats this year but hopefully that will change.
Actually, that did change at J-Bay. The waves were firing for my heat against Michel Bourez. I started off the heat on the siren with a 8.1. Michel followed that up with an 8.2. I got back in the lead with my next wave which was a 9. As I was paddling out I saw Michel drop into the most perfect wave I have ever seen at J-Bay. As soon as he hit the bottom I knew it was going to be a 10. After his 10 I sat for about 17 minutes. Another set came through but it broke really wide and didn’t allow me to get around it. In that heat though I felt I put a good heat together and surfed perfectly. I came in with a lost feeling, couldn’t be mad because I was happy with what I did out there. but was un happy that I lost. Michel surfed great and I love heats where people are battling with high scores so I wasn’t unhappy about that. I guess some days it just isn’t meant to be.
I just wanted to explain myself and give a huge shout out to Parko. He surfed great to win his third event of the season. He has a big lead and someone is going to have to win a couple of events in a row to peg him back.
Before I head home and start preparing for the end of the year, I’m going to try and take out this US Open so I got some spending money for my holiday with the wife. Thanks again to everyone for their support over the last couple of events, I’ll be looking to come home strong! – MF

Disappointment after a poor result at Jeffreys Bay. © Getty Images