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"It's crazy, isn't it?" pondered Tasmania-based photographer Jon Frank. "This is my first time coming to this thing, and it's quite a madhouse."
I recommended he keep his head on a swivel. You don't want to go missing a midget with a mohawk or a tatted up BMXer going for a triple rotation.
Paying attention to surfing is virtually impossible at the US Open, a fact only exacerbated when the waves drop below knee high the lulls become mind numbing. But don't take my word for it, just look at what happened today to some the planet's more distinguished surfers.
It began when Gabriel Medina and Ola Eleogram -- who's coming from the trials -- blitzed past Aussie tour notables Matty Wilkinson and Dean Morrison in the first heat of the day. Then, in rapid-fire succession, Michel Bourez, Fred Pattachia, Andy Irons, Damien and CJ Hobgood, Dusty Payne, Ben Dunn, Chris Davidson, and Roy Powers were eliminated. There goes your WPS All-Stars.
But to be fair, transitioning from pumping J-Bay to dribbly knee-high Huntington can be neither fun nor easy. But then to be even more fair, they're the best surfers in the world and they just got shown the door by a bunch of kids who aren't old enough to get into the after-party. Young pups Kiron Jabor, Gabriel Medina, Evan Geiselman, Granger Larson and Mason Ho were all winners on the day, dispatching some very heady talent.
"I feel bad about CJ, he's a former champ here." said Geiselman, getting ready for a scheduled autograph signing. "You have to do what you have to do, but to take out another Florida boy, it just hurts."
Did we bear witness to some sort of momentous changing of the guard today? Probably not, the surf sucked. But this next crew is coming on quick, and the talent level is absurd. Consider today a shot across the bow. Losing so many high seeds obviously changes the complexion of the event ... but not that much. Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Jordy Smith, and Mr. Robert Machado have all moved on into the next round, and given the amount of surf contests that foursome has won, wee Evan Geiselman has a lot of work left before we break out the sparkling cider.
US Open of Surfing Men's Round of 96 Results:
Heat 1: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 12.80, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.66, Glen Hall (IRL) 10.36, Leonardo Neves (BRA) 9.76
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 11.17, Ola Eleogram (HAW) 10.87, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.16, Dean Morrison (AUS) 9.24
Heat 3: Shaun Cansdell (AUS) 11.77, Gabe Kling (USA) 11.50, Tim Boal (FRA) 11.17, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.03
Heat 4: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 15.50, Leigh Sedley (AUS) 14.23, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 12.50, Marco Giorgi (URY) 10.26
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.40, Austin Ware (USA) 12.80, Michael Picon (FRA) 11.10, Eric Geiselman (USA) 9.23
Heat 6: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.00, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.97, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 9.80, Rudy Palmboom (ZAF) 6.67
Heat 7: Cory Lopez (USA) 12.93, Nate Yeomans (USA) 12.90, Marcio Farney (BRA) 8.90, Andy Irons (HAW) 4.00
Heat 8: Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.16, Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) 11.44, Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 10.70, Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 10.54
Heat 9: Jihad Khodr (BRA) 13.47, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 10.50, Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.33, Pablo Paulino (BRA) 3.33
Heat 10: Evan Geiselman (USA) 14.67, Blake Thornton (AUS) 13.90, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.60, Nat Young (USA) 12.30
Heat 11: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 13.74, Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 12.97, Blake Wilson (USA) 11.07, Luke Davis (USA) 7.86
Heat 12: Nic Muscroft (USA) 11.17, Mick Fanning (AUS) 10.60, Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 10.27, Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 4.36
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.54, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 12.70, Dayyan Neve (AUS) 10.40, Alain Riou (PYF) 5.90
Heat 14: Thiago Camarao (BRA) 15.17, Oliver Kurtz (USA) 12.66, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.60, Ben Dunn (AUS) 7.33
Heat 15: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.17, Rob Machado (USA) 6.50, Chris Davidson (AUS) 5.17, Sunny Garcia (HAW) 4.16
Heat 16: Granger Larsen (HAW) 15.83, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 8.27, Joan Duru (FRA) 7.60, Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 6.64
Heat 17: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.10, Dion Atkinson (AUS) 10.96, Chris Ward (USA) 8.80, Jack Perry (AUS) 8.70
Heat 18: Mason Ho (HAW) 14.33, Drew Courtney (AUS) 10.40, Paulo Moura (BRA) 10.27, Roy Powers (HAW) 7.80