Jack Robinson Is The Most Technical Tuberider Not On Tour

Can you become desensitised to watching three-to-five second barrels at Padang? 

No. Because guys like Jack Robinson will always find a way to squeeze out a few more drops of excitement. He’ll lock inside a little earlier, fade a little deeper and remain out of site a little longer – and that’s exactly how he won the Rip Curl Cup today at Padang Padang.

The day kicked off as predicted. It was written all over the charts. A massive pulse was heading straight for the Bukit Peninsula with enough force for it to bend into Padang and give Rip Curl the conditions they needed to wrap the second half of the famed invite only tube specialist event.

One notable point from the event was the broadcast experience, it was exceptional. Running live on the Rip Curl site and on Facebook allowed viewers the option that suited them best, avoiding any angry face barrages on social media.

With the waves being about as good as it gets, judging was a puzzling affair. Nines were handed out like fives, poor Jacob Willcox wrangled out of a 9.9 melter in his semi heat and still didn’t progress – he fell to locals Agus Setiawan and Adi Putra, who posted whopping 19.85 and 19.05 scores respectively.

Josh Kerr gave it a nudge on his black 5’6″, a different approach compared to Jack, who rode a lengthier, narrower board. Kerrzy’s craft looked a tad skatey, unable to controllably wipe speed, a necessary step in setting up the final tube section allowing Jack and Mega to bump him back into retirement life.

The end section once again became an entertaining feature in the event. This time ’round it was less about the unpredictable clamping and more about the congested obstacles bobbing in the channel; from lensmen, to jetskis and stray bodyboards. During his semi heat, Adi Putra came steaming out of a picture perfect Padang drainer only to meet face to face with a stationary PWC. Spectacular. 

By the time the final started the sun broke through and Jack Robbo paddled out to face a trio of goofy-footed local surf royalty; two-time event champ, Mega Semadhi, and stylemasters, Agus Setiawan and Adi Putra.

Suffice to say, Mr Robinson dominated.

The locals put their bodies on the line, throwing themselves into impossible situations to get the score, but by the time Jack had ridden out of his ten pointer, sending all three into combination, their efforts became futile.

That was one of the best contests all year,” Jack exclaimed on the podium, Cup in hand. “I’ve never got to finish the event, I’ve always had to be somewhere else, so third time lucky! It’s one of the best waves in the world. Every good result you get goes towards your confidence, so I’m just going to carry it through.”

Here’s the washup:

1. Jack Robinson 19.90
2. Agus Setiawan 17.15
3. Bol Adi Putra 15.75 
4. Mega Semadhi 11.00

See more from the event, here.