Stab Magazine | It's Been 10 Years Since A Male Californian Won A CT Event

Live Now: Chapter 11 Mini-Documentary With Dane Reynolds

1543 Views

It’s Been 10 Years Since A Male Californian Won A CT Event

“Californian surfers are brought up fucking soft and pampered.” – Kolohe Andino on how this decade-long trend came to be.

news // Mar 23, 2019
Words by stab
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Ten years.

That’s how long it’s been since a male Californian won a Championship Tour event.

Bobby Martinez was the last to do it in 2009, leaving radical Californian talents like Dane Reynolds, Kolohe Andino, Nat Young, Brett Simpson, Conner Coffin, Brett Simpson, Pat Gudauskas, Griffin Colapinto, (previously) Kanoa Igarashi, and Brett Simpson eerily winless.

The only question worth asking is: Why?

Considering they’ve owned more than 10% of total CT slots over the past ten years, and taking into account the talent of that group in comparison to, say, Willian Cardoso (who won an event in his rookie season), it seems strange that roughly 100 events could go by without one Bear Flagger reigning supreme.

And yes, they’ve gotten close.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/qHLrOLpjBH0

Kolohe has three seconds to his name, as does Nat Young. Dane nearly took home trophies at Lowers and France, while Conner made a final at Portugal and Kanoa another at Pipe (while he was still under the US banner). That makes California 0-for-10 since the new decade began.

Despite the Participation Trophy era in which we live, when it comes to surfing, silver medals do not suffice. So we asked California’s two foremost CT “veterans”: Why can’t you guys* win?

(A year and a half ago, we posed this same question to three of California’s former CT winners, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, and Bobby Martinez. You can read that here.)

DM8R0zfV4AAbpP8

Conner’s sole CT final came in Portugal in 2016. He lost to the newly crowned World Champion John John Florence. Photo: WSL

Conner Coffin (has had one CT final in his career, finished 7th place overall in 2018)

On how California has gone so long without an event win:

Holy shit, I don’t know! A bunch of us have finished in the top-10 too, so I think it’s wild that no one from California has won an event in the past decade.

I feel like to win an event, you have to have that mojo going and make sure you ride it to the finish line – you can’t slow down at all.

On why he, personally, hasn’t taken home a victory:

I can’t speak for the other Californians, but for me, I think I just really started to believe I could win an event in my last year of being on Tour. I maybe had glimmers of hope before that, but my confidence and belief in myself weren’t there before.

I used to be like, “Oh, I’m in the quarters against Mick, this is rad,” instead of just considering it as another heat and being super hungry to win it. I was already stoked with that result, ya know? But the extra experience that I’ve gathered at the pointy end of the events is extremely valuable, and I’ve changed that mindset in recent times.

I don’t have the air game that some of the top guys have, so that probably makes it harder to win a few events on tour as well. But I know my strengths, and I know I can do it, so I think it’ll take that little bit of extra drive, hunger, and belief coupled with some solid surfing for me to finally win one!

Ferreira DX20269 Keramas18 Sloane

Italo wears winning well. Photo: WSL

On why Brazilians win so often (they claimed 9 of 11 events in 2018):

I think the Brazilians are really hungry because surfing is such a sick lifestyle and it’s become a way to a great life, especially when you’re coming from a place where there’s a lot less opportunity than somewhere like California.

Even within the surf industry – less and less these days, but still – Californians have had the opportunity to make a decent living outside of the jersey, whereas in Brazil that’s not typically feasible. But Brazilians are super talented and they have that attitude that they will do whatever it takes to win.

We’re all products of our environment and Brazil is a badass place where you have to be full alpha to get to the top!

ScaleWidthWyIxMjAwIl0 Screen Shot 2017 08 30 at 6.49.08 PM

Against the world’s best surfers, second is a place of happiness but never fulfillment. Photo: WSL

Kolohe Andino (has had three CT finals in his career, finished 11th place overall in 2018)

On learning that Bobby was the last male Californian to win a CT (in 2009):

Fuck, it’s pretty crazy, huh? Especially because Nat and I have each had three tries, then Dane had a couple too. Plus Conner and Kanoa. Yeah, it’s wild.

On seeing surfing as a culture, not a “sport”:

Miki Dora was one of the best surfers in the world, but he never competed. He was just this rad, fucking badass surf dude that lived on the beach, you know? And I feel like that spirit has kind of persisted within the California surfing culture. It’s always been more about seeming “cool” than it is trying to win at all costs.

Even for someone like myself, who had sponsors as a kid and loved competing, I just liked being a little “ripper grom” in San Clemente and all the perks that came with it – money, media attention, chicks, whatever – but I wasn’t thinking of World Titles.

When I was young, my favorite surfer was Taj, and he never won a Title. Then it changed to Dane, who is obviously not known for his “competitive” surfing. It wasn’t until I got on Tour that I realized I wanted to win a World Title and started working toward that goal**. Whereas I feel like Gabriel probably wanted to become World Champion as soon as he started surfing. 

Gabriel Medina0468TahitiPro18Poullenot mm

Medina’s “Monster Mode” turned Cloudbreak into an air wave. Photo: WSL

On Brazil’s X-factor:

Look at Gabriel, Filipe, and Italo. All three of them kinda came out of nowhere, and they were pretty much instantly successful on the Tour. Imagine how much work they had to put in when nobody was looking to get to that level. They must have really wanted it.

And those guys are all amazing surfers, but it’s about confidence as much as it is ability. When they put the jersey on, it’s like they go into a monster mode where they’re going for the biggest stuff they’ve ever tried, and then somehow they can’t fall off. You’re like, “What the fuck?”

We’ve all felt that type of confidence before, but it comes and it goes. Meanwhile with the Brazilians, and Gabriel in particular, it’s like he’s always on. No matter where he’s surfing or who he’s surfing against, there’s no part of his mind that thinks he’s going to lose, and he rarely does.

On California’s “comfort” conundrum:

Basically what I’m saying is that the Californian surfers are brought up fucking soft and pampered. I mean, look at Kelly by comparison. After watching the movie he was in, I realized he was brought up in a gnarly situation. So was Andy. Mick too. Look at almost any sport, and you’ll see that people who came from tough backgrounds tend to have the most drive to succeed. 

That being said, I don’t want to put myself in the silver spoon conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been fortunate in a lot of ways, but I also think I’ve earned a lot through hard work. My dad pushed me so hard when I was young, so maybe that’s why I have that “fucking… fuck that” kind of attitude. But a lot of the surfers that have grown up in California don’t feel the same way. They’re pampered, I think, too much. And they’re built up to be stars too young when they haven’t done anything.

On winning his first CT event:

I’m backing myself to win one this year. Hopefully I do it early in the season so I can win two [laughs]. I mean there’s 11 events, why not? 

*Lakey, Courtney, and Sage: you gals keep killing it!

**In pursuit of both physical and mental strength coming into the 2019 season, Kolohe has risen before 4 am for 45 straight days. Gym, surf, sleep, repeat. 

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

Full Frame: Scandinavia Is Surfing’s Next Frontier

A 30-hour drive, bathymetric maps, and 10 years of searching yield surfing's newest discovery.

Mar 29, 2024

Watch: João Chianca Had A Remarkable Hawaii Season Before His Injury

Plus an update on his condition.

Mar 28, 2024

Pittar’d And Feathered

Do the WSL judges deserve the internet's wrath? We asked the man of the hour.

Mar 28, 2024

Robbo, Pickles, And Tyler Wright Become The Underdogs Breakfast At Uninspiring Winkipop

The foreboding blade sharpens and inconsistent judging prevails on Day Two in Torquay.

Mar 27, 2024

“I Don’t Always Win Heats, But When I Do, I Try To Beat John John”

Slater shines and the axe begins its descent on Day 01 at Bells.

Mar 26, 2024

Back Against The Wall: The Ramzi Boukhiam Redemption

Morocco's first CT surfer on speaking six languages, having no coach, and snatching Fil Toledo's…

Mar 25, 2024

Will Kirra, Babies or JJF Stop a GOAT Winning at Bells?

Bluesky BOAG advice from a Superman specialist and former Trials winner.

Mar 25, 2024

Bells Preview: The WSL’s Victorian Sword Dancing Equinox Ritual

Will a Brazilian crack the Top 10 at Bells?

Mar 25, 2024

69 Shin Bones Later + the Anticlimactic State of Big Wave Record-Breaking

Lucas Chumbo might have surfed the biggest wave ever this year. But how will we…

Mar 23, 2024

Watch: ‘Fresh and Fried’ Ft the Quik Kids

How taxing is it to tackle the Gold Coast’s Triple Crown in a single day,…

Mar 23, 2024

The Popular Vote: The People’s Stab In The Dark With Kolohe Andino Champion

Which board looked best — to you —under Kolohe's talons?

Mar 22, 2024

Six Key Learnings From Portugal

Three CT events in, what do we know? 

Mar 21, 2024

‘Zipper’ Is Going On Tour, Here’s Where You Can Watch It  

Dates, times + locations for the Venice, Encinitas, Sydney + Byron premieres.  

Mar 20, 2024

Dane Reynolds On His Future, His Past, And Chapter 11’s Raison D’être

Our 9-minute plunge into the collective psyche of Ventura's pillar(s).

Mar 20, 2024

From ‘Blue Ribbon Cross Country Runner’ to Vogue – How Steph Again Is Back With A Rip Curl Remix

Everything we know about the she-GOATs sponsorship boomerang.

Mar 18, 2024

Stab Interview: Darren Handley Explains Why You Can’t Buy The Winning Stab In The Dark Model

And his decades-long standoff with Slater.

Mar 17, 2024

Griff Embraces Portugal’s Eternal Time Loop To Vanquish Medina + Ewing, Defay Delays The Inevitable

A redeeming closing act at Supertubos.

Mar 16, 2024

The Secret Behind Lungi Slabb’s Inconceivable Greenmount Funnel

Six broken boards, one leaking forehead, and five days of Superbank mysticism.

Mar 16, 2024
Advertisement