Must Watch: Jack Robinson Wins Paddle Battle Of The Year Against Leo Fioravanti - Stab Mag

Through The Doggy Door Goes Live Thursday 5pm PT

2368 Views
Cue Rocky Balboa training montage. Frame: WSL

Must Watch: Jack Robinson Wins Paddle Battle Of The Year Against Leo Fioravanti

How did Robbo close this 15-foot gap?

elsewhere // Jul 18, 2023
Words by Christian Bowcutt
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Read our full day-3 comp report here.

There were 18 minutes left in SITD test pilot Jack Robinson and Leo Fioravanti’s Round of 16 heat at J-Bay today…

Something dramatic (finally) happened. Please allow us to set the scene.

Leo needs a 6.02 to advance.

This is an easily attainable score for him — given the consistent conditions and way that Leo has been surfing lately.

But then, Jack gets a wave, stitches together some respectable turns, stomps the final bash, fist pumps right in front of Leo, and scores a 7.33. Now Leo needs a 8.23.

Leo doesn’t have time to feel his Apple Watch buzz and get this update though. Jack is right on top of him.

How it started. Frame: WSL

They look at each other in the eyes for a second, two 25-year-old men in their physical primes with a long history of competing against each other — they were 2/3 parts of Quiksilver’s boy genius trio in the early 2010s. Side note: part 3 (Kanoa) was also in the water at the time in the overlapping heat watching this go down.

They decide to engage in a duel. Here, at the bottom of one of Earth’s longest pointbreaks, the two men settle into a four-minute marathon. Not a paddle battle, but a paddle war.

With a frothy wave in-bound, the boys are forced to make a split-second decision. Leo duckdives and Jack paddles over the same wave. Leo’s duckdive gives him a 10-foot lead somehow. It appears, for a second, that Jack relinquishes the paddle battle for priority — he’s too far behind. Pete Mel and Joe Turpel are still engaged in the race, but it seems like Leo’s winning is a foregone conclusion.

Leo with a monumental lead. Frame: WSL

But, miraculously, Jack starts closing the now-15-foot gap. Slowly and steadily, with a uniform, chugging pace, Jack is 10 feet behind, then seven, then five, then 3 — now he’s nipping at Leo’s heels.

How is this happening?

Pete Mel, who knows the value of oxygen given his decorated career as a big-wave surfer, mentioned that Jack has been putting an extra emphasis on breath work. He hypothesizes that the moment earlier where we thought Jack had given up, the Australian was actually taking a moment to fill up his oxygen tank, plotting a full sprint at the first sign of Leo losing steam.

Sun Tzu would be proud.

Then, when the time is right, Jack attacks. He clicks into a different realm of paddle power and slowly and steadily — as if channeling Aesop’s tortoise — creates a gap between himself and Leo.

He keeps at it, unrelenting. And after a while it’s sealed — Robbo wins the paddle war and takes priority.

Imagine what’s going on in Leo’s head in this moment. Frame: WSL

Leo didn’t give up though, he still managed to score a 7.77 in the dying minutes of the heat. But after the battle, it seemed like Jack’s win was cut in stone. The psychological work had been done.

Jack caught a victory wave in, hugged his wife, and settled in for a post-heat interview.

Don’t slumber on Leo, though. The man trains like crazy and will be looking for revenge at Teahupo’o.

Read our full day-3 comp report here.

How it ended. Photo by Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

How To Build A Surfboard Factory 

"If you want to make a million dollars making surfboards, start with 3 million." -Jeff…

Oct 1, 2023

Michel Bourez And Jeremy Flores Win Inaugural Edition Of The Quiksilver Festival in France

Turns out you can have your cake and eat it too.

Oct 1, 2023

“It’s Important Who The Fuck These Surfers Are, Because They Form Who You Are”

Legacy surf journo Matt George speaks on his new book 'In Deep' — the literary…

Oct 1, 2023

Was Mikey Wright’s Parallelograming In ‘Repeater’ The Best Accidental Surfboard Ad Of 2023?  

Watch: Ryan Burch, Kobe Hughes and Derrek Disney on Parallelograms, Pickleforks and Keels. 

Oct 1, 2023

Why Jason Momoa Had A 26-Year Old Kauaian Surfer Write His United Nations Speech

Maluhia Kinimaka reminds us that professional surfing, science, and helping the planet are not mutually…

Sep 30, 2023

Maxed Out In France

Massive swell provides both ample playing field and entertainment for second day of competition at…

Sep 28, 2023

Is Australia’s Investment In Youth Surfing Working? A HP Coach Breaks Down The Model 

Watch: ‘Limitless’ ft Lennix Smith, Hughie Vaughan, Sierra Kerr and Isi Campbell and decide for…

Sep 28, 2023

Who Makes The Best Surfboards In 2023?

According to our survey of 7000 people, you and Italo might have similar taste. 

Sep 28, 2023

A Tube Festival Within A Festival

Two-for-one deals all day at the Quiksilver Festival.

Sep 27, 2023

Full Frame: “There’s No Lineups, It’s Breaking All Over, You Just Have To Be In The Right Place At The Right Time When A Bomb Comes In”

Brett Barley on Hatteras Island, by Daniel Pullen

Sep 27, 2023

Long Read: Stradbroke In The Subcontinent

Chasing beachbreak bliss in Prohibition-era India.

Sep 27, 2023

Stab Recommends: Xcel Comp X Fullsuit

A suit that increases blood-flow and protects against burglars.

Sep 27, 2023

How Kipp Caddy Got KO’d + Tore His Hamstring Paddling An Outer-Reef Bombie

It involves a friend’s 8'4" spearing him in the head…

Sep 26, 2023

How Surfers Get Paid Season 2, Episode 2

Loyalty and the Royalty of the Performance Surfboard.

Sep 25, 2023

The Surprising Link Between Neoprene And The USA’s ‘Cancer Alley’

A forthcoming documentary called 'The Big Sea' will change how you look at wetsuits.

Sep 25, 2023

Radioactive Wastewater From Fukushima’s Nuclear Power Plant Is Being Dumped In The Pacific Ocean

What does releasing 500 Olympic swimming pools of fission fondue mean for surfing? 

Sep 24, 2023

Meet Aranui 5: The 126m, 103-Cabin Luxury Cruise Ship & Home To Olympic Surfers At Teahupo’o 2024

Who's gonna get the Presidential Suite?

Sep 23, 2023

Here’s How The Surfers Feel About The 2024 Schedule

Kelly Slater, Caroline Marks, and nine other CTers share their thoughts.

Sep 22, 2023
Advertisement