Dealing well with loss is a rare gift. It is a psychological barrier that all professional athletes handle in their own way. Brazillian Victor Ribas once threw fist-sized rocks at judges following a loss in a 2001 heat. Mick Campbell and Andy Irons traded blows in the shower after a 2000 heat in Hossegor, France. As Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers basketball legend said, “Fans don’t understand our lives and what we go through”.
Unless you’re Kelly Slater and have a security escort, the walk from water’s edge to the competitor’s area after a loss can be a long and lonely one.
So how do these situations come about?
Despite an impressive barrel on his first wave, Frenchman Jeremy Flores came second to Bobby Martinez in his round 1 heat at J-Bay, beaten by a relatively comprehensive 3.06 points. Upon being approached by a fan for a signature post-heat, Jeremy declined and exited the beach. Even with the prospect of re-qualifying in round two.
No one but Jeremy himself knows how he feels, but as Iverson said, we can’t understand what he’s going through. - Elliot Struck
Voiceover by Sterling Spencer.
