Breal
07-05-2006, 08:22 PM
There have been certain surfers throughout history who have carved a niche by dedicating themselves to a specific break; think Mickey Dora at Malibu or Gerry Lopez at Pipe. Due to the X venue switch up in 2005 (from lazy Huntington Beach dribble to the bone-crushing barrels of Puerto Escondido, Mexico), new doors may have opened for a few Mex-devotees.
The X Games Surf contest is a team event that follows the format of the National Surf League and pits East against West. And since surfing's introduction to the Games in 2003, the stepchildren of the surf world from Maine to Miami have dominated the competition.
Sam Hammer uses one hand to grab and one to salute. This one's for you, ocean.
In 2003 and 2004, a star-studded cast of Eastside World Championship Tour heavies brushed off their West Coast counterparts in Huntington. But hell, anyone can get lucky in junk. The East Coast silenced any doubters last summer as it spanked the West Enders in "real," by any standard, swell.
The events' headlines touted the verbal shots fired off between NSL director, Brad Gerlach, and Team East, when Gerlach would not allow coach Matt Kechele to replace the absent Kelly Slater, who had called out sick and didn't get a note from Mom. Yet, the East handled the West, 100.75 to 96.50, sans Slater.
But for all their WCT talent, the East's biggest earners were underground kingpins like Florida's Baron Knowlton, Todd Morcom and Peter Mendia. Never heard of any of these guys? That's because while Chris Ward and Cory Lopez are on tour, Knowlton is laying bricks (literally).
"We've all been to Puerto a bunch of times. We know how the wave breaks, and we want to get barreled," says Mendia. Like jellyfish, East Coasters love juicy Mexican beach break, and this year, Kechele has recruited a new crew of stealthy henchmen. Look at this squad: Sam Hammer: Lavallette, New Jersey. Lavallette isn't exactly on the map of the surf world, but it is a town that every Tony, Vinnie, and Salvatore will hit up between Jersey Shore nightclubs.
Hammer's not a WCT regular or even a World Qualifying Series threat, but this occasional bartender can navigate big barrels. But even if Hammer were to Jersey's Casino Pier what Shaun Thompson was to Jeffrey's Bay, his career could only go so far. For the past several years, Hammer has given his body and soul to Puerto Escondido, scoring several video parts at Zicatela. He's been there four times this year alone. "Once I heard the event was in Puerto, I really wanted to be on the team. I was brought up surfing beach break in New Jersey. Puerto is just a bigger, stronger version," he says.
Helm crouches for the barrel and pets the wave.
Until last year, Ryan Helm of Jupiter Beach, Florida, was as obscure to the scene as Yiddish poetry. "I went down to Mexico on a surf trip with my brother and fell in love with the culture, the lifestyle, the endless perfect waves, and my wife, Paola," Helm explains.
He stayed in Mexico five years, enveloped by the people and powerful breaks, including those at Puerto. He came back eastside, blowing minds in contests without so much as a wax sponsor. Now he's on Team East as a Puerto Specialist. "It offers a combination of barrels and maneuver sections like very few places in the world," explains the Mex man.
Helm and Hammer join Morcom, Mendia, and Knowlton, along with Floridian Kyle Garson, Puerto Rico's Carlos Cabrero, Hawaiian wildcard Jamie O'Brien, and poster boys Cory and Shea Lopez.
"East Coast surfers travel to Puerto more than West Coasters," claims Shea, "so I'd say we're more comfortable with the conditions. Plus, most of our lives we've been competing against each other. It is nice to work together at dominating the West."
The West Coast has enlisted full-time WCT surfers Pancho Sullivan of Hawaii, Timmy Reyes of Huntington Beach, and Ward of San Clemente.
Hammer does his best boardwalk game impression. It's called smack the leap frog onto the lily pad.
"I've never done this event, but I've always wanted to," says Wardo, who's been m.i.a. at X because he was too busy qualifying for the WCT. "I don't like the fact that the East Coast has been winning. A couple new players like Pancho and I can turn things around, for sure," he speculates.
The West is riding on WCT retirees like Shane Beschen, Rob Machado, Pat O'Connell, and. . . who's that? Tom Curren? Yes, Tom Curren, three-time world champ, ('85, '86, '90) who turns 42 years young during this event. Curren has done a handful of WQS events in the past few years and still has more tube style and spectator awe-power than most tour hopefuls.
On paper, the West Coast looks good: world titles, hungry young pros, a healthy sentiment of retribution, and certainly no lack of big wave talent. But, the fourth time around, will that be enough to break the reign of the East Coast's golden boys?
The X Games Surf contest is a team event that follows the format of the National Surf League and pits East against West. And since surfing's introduction to the Games in 2003, the stepchildren of the surf world from Maine to Miami have dominated the competition.
Sam Hammer uses one hand to grab and one to salute. This one's for you, ocean.
In 2003 and 2004, a star-studded cast of Eastside World Championship Tour heavies brushed off their West Coast counterparts in Huntington. But hell, anyone can get lucky in junk. The East Coast silenced any doubters last summer as it spanked the West Enders in "real," by any standard, swell.
The events' headlines touted the verbal shots fired off between NSL director, Brad Gerlach, and Team East, when Gerlach would not allow coach Matt Kechele to replace the absent Kelly Slater, who had called out sick and didn't get a note from Mom. Yet, the East handled the West, 100.75 to 96.50, sans Slater.
But for all their WCT talent, the East's biggest earners were underground kingpins like Florida's Baron Knowlton, Todd Morcom and Peter Mendia. Never heard of any of these guys? That's because while Chris Ward and Cory Lopez are on tour, Knowlton is laying bricks (literally).
"We've all been to Puerto a bunch of times. We know how the wave breaks, and we want to get barreled," says Mendia. Like jellyfish, East Coasters love juicy Mexican beach break, and this year, Kechele has recruited a new crew of stealthy henchmen. Look at this squad: Sam Hammer: Lavallette, New Jersey. Lavallette isn't exactly on the map of the surf world, but it is a town that every Tony, Vinnie, and Salvatore will hit up between Jersey Shore nightclubs.
Hammer's not a WCT regular or even a World Qualifying Series threat, but this occasional bartender can navigate big barrels. But even if Hammer were to Jersey's Casino Pier what Shaun Thompson was to Jeffrey's Bay, his career could only go so far. For the past several years, Hammer has given his body and soul to Puerto Escondido, scoring several video parts at Zicatela. He's been there four times this year alone. "Once I heard the event was in Puerto, I really wanted to be on the team. I was brought up surfing beach break in New Jersey. Puerto is just a bigger, stronger version," he says.
Helm crouches for the barrel and pets the wave.
Until last year, Ryan Helm of Jupiter Beach, Florida, was as obscure to the scene as Yiddish poetry. "I went down to Mexico on a surf trip with my brother and fell in love with the culture, the lifestyle, the endless perfect waves, and my wife, Paola," Helm explains.
He stayed in Mexico five years, enveloped by the people and powerful breaks, including those at Puerto. He came back eastside, blowing minds in contests without so much as a wax sponsor. Now he's on Team East as a Puerto Specialist. "It offers a combination of barrels and maneuver sections like very few places in the world," explains the Mex man.
Helm and Hammer join Morcom, Mendia, and Knowlton, along with Floridian Kyle Garson, Puerto Rico's Carlos Cabrero, Hawaiian wildcard Jamie O'Brien, and poster boys Cory and Shea Lopez.
"East Coast surfers travel to Puerto more than West Coasters," claims Shea, "so I'd say we're more comfortable with the conditions. Plus, most of our lives we've been competing against each other. It is nice to work together at dominating the West."
The West Coast has enlisted full-time WCT surfers Pancho Sullivan of Hawaii, Timmy Reyes of Huntington Beach, and Ward of San Clemente.
Hammer does his best boardwalk game impression. It's called smack the leap frog onto the lily pad.
"I've never done this event, but I've always wanted to," says Wardo, who's been m.i.a. at X because he was too busy qualifying for the WCT. "I don't like the fact that the East Coast has been winning. A couple new players like Pancho and I can turn things around, for sure," he speculates.
The West is riding on WCT retirees like Shane Beschen, Rob Machado, Pat O'Connell, and. . . who's that? Tom Curren? Yes, Tom Curren, three-time world champ, ('85, '86, '90) who turns 42 years young during this event. Curren has done a handful of WQS events in the past few years and still has more tube style and spectator awe-power than most tour hopefuls.
On paper, the West Coast looks good: world titles, hungry young pros, a healthy sentiment of retribution, and certainly no lack of big wave talent. But, the fourth time around, will that be enough to break the reign of the East Coast's golden boys?