Flip to Turn to Shuv

A while back, when Chris ‘Chippa’ Wilson’s non-biopic biopic NOW came out, directed by Riz Blakeway, our favourite wave in the film was one from the Panama section, on which Chips stomped a rodeo-to-shuvs combo.Linked by a turn in between the two moves, Riley described it at the time as “The most progressive wave ever surfed.”

Incredibly, eight months later, what could just be the most progressive wave ever surfed, has be replicated. Or, not so incredibly, considering it was by Jordy Smith. Jords, on vacation in the Maldives between WT events, threw down the wave y’see below, two days ago. It’s almost identical to Chippa’s wave fromNOW.  

Stab called Chips for a rapid-fire Q and A about the combo.

When Riley filmed your combo, he called it the most progressive wave ever surfed. Now, someone else has done the exact same thing. Amazing, no? It’s so nuts, Jordy’s wave is so sick. It’s super progressive. But, it’s also really do-able. To start your wave with a flip, that’s the hardest part out of the way, then anything after that is easy. Shuv-its are pretty much standard now. I actually did something like this for (Kai Neville’s new film) Lost Atlas, on a Sumbawa trip. Same combo but just a slightly smaller version.

Sorry – did you just say shuvs are standard? Yeah. Well, not bigger ones or full-rotation ones, but the one like Jordy does here is. It’s kinda reached that point.

D’you reckon Jordy’s seen NOW? I actually have no idea. We’ve spoken about it before, but I’m not sure. Do you think he’s seen it?

Maybe? Probably. Actually, shit, definitely – I reckon all pro’s watch every surf movie, but in secret, maybe.Yeah, for sure! Like, they sit at home in secret and psyche out on everything.

Uh-huh. What about your own surfing at the moment? What’ve you been psyched on? I’ve landed a few frontside bigspins now and I spent a month in Cali where you surf one-turn waves… get up, hit it once and your done, which annoys the shit out of you after a while – so I’ve pretty much been super into combo’s of any kind, lately. I think that’s where progressive surfing is headed too, really crazy double or triple-hits. Heaps of combo’s.

And though it’s hard to compare Jordy’s wave to your own… how do they compare? They’re pretty similar… actually, they’re pretty much exactly the same. It depends on who you like better, I guess (laughs).”