John John’s Competing*, Filipe’s At Chopes And Medina’s Taking Selfies On Instagram

Teahupoo is two weeks away. And,as you’d anticipate, the world’s most competitive waveriders are all blending their greens, stretching their limbs (namaste!), and flexing their abilities in a range of wave-appropriate conditions to avoid a second round exit and early flight home from Tahiti.   

Obviously, the best training ground for Chopes is Chopes, but only one of the top crop have actually opted for that primary choice – well, excluding Michel Bourez who lives there.

Here’s where and what some of the CT have been sharpening their teeth on leading up to the Tahiti Pro.

Filipe Toledo

As our insightful Micro Ciaramella pointed out, current world number one, Filipe Toledo, doesn’t often find himself in the top fantasy picks when Tahiti rolls around.  

So what is the best remedy for poor heavy water performances? Heavy water!

Filipe is currently ‘in training’ at Teahupoo. We’re only a few days away from Filipe traditional US Open bloodbath, but rumour has it he’ll forgo the slop of Huntington Pier to practice caressing his outside rail.

This is Filipe’s season, so instead of winning his third US Open in four years, he’s dialing in the weakest and most scrutinised discipline in his repertoire – heavy tubs. There will be no 0.00 chatter post Chopes.  

John John Florence

John John is back!

Not on the CT, nor even on a shortboard, but he is competing at the Molokai Paddleboarding World Championship this weekend!

If he were to make a miraculous comeback now that we know he’s not getting surgery – John’s opting for a rehabilitation process – there’s no training ground better than paddling a few miles between the Hawaiian Islands on a SUP.

He might not get the ‘three-peat’ this year, but if Kai Lenny blows out his ACL in a “freak” Tonya Harding-esque incident, John might just take out a World Championship in something else.

In all seriousness, he will be back in 60-120 days, according to his Instagram post uploaded this afternoon.

Ace Buchan and Matty Wilko

Indo’s copped back-to-back XL swells courtesy of the Indian Ocean’s roaring 40’s. While many risked it with unhooked boats and doubling up death bombs at Nias, Ace and Wilko opted for G-Land along with their coach Glen ‘Micro’ Hall – not to be confused with Stab’s Micro Ciaramella.

Judging from the early imagery boasted by Wilko’s Insta, he’ll be turning the chapter on his recent performance slump.

Kolohe Andino

California’s just endured its biggest swell event in months, Surfline even dished out a “major swell alert” to every subscriber’s mobile device in the days prior.  

If you’ve never been to the West Coast, a Californian swell event is about as underwhelming as your first sexual encounter – a whole lot of hype for a short-lived and frustrating affair; Kolohe made the most of it though by punching it from San Clemente to Santa Cruz, escaping the Lowers crowd, whilst also tucking into as many left hand tunnels as California can offer.

Griffin Colapinto

Before California’s southern swell had petered out up and down the coast, it reached landfall upon El Salvador; without hindrance from the swell consuming Channel Islands and with a bounty of sand patches to roll upon.

Griffin made the most of the summer swell by trekking down to El Salvador with Seth Moniz, joining local boy, Bryan Perez to ensure he chipped into the best Central America has.  

Jordy Smith

Jordy’s lucky enough to call the wave rich country of South Africa his home although he lives in San Clemente. While it’s not exactly plagued with short, heavy, left-hand tubes, there’s enough swell there in the winter to acclimatise to solid swell.

He’s kept himself busy by surfing back in SA with his coach, Damien ‘Dooma’ Fahrenfort.

Kanoa Igarashi

Kanoa’s coming off the back of a big result at J-Bay, and with a new batch of Sharp Eye’s under his soles you can bet he’s throwing everything he’s got at this Tahiti Pro…

Or not.

He’s surfing at the US Open and as Filipe Toledo is not, he’ll probably win… unless Hiroto Ohhara rolls up in his new car bought this year with his prize money from 2015. Finally.  

I guess it’ll boost him up the QS ratings, at least.

Italo Ferreira

Wakesurfing behind a boat, filming himself in the gym, and keeping his peroxide perm blooming.  

Gabriel Medina

With an extended arm, the selfie cam on and a consistent stream straight to Instagram stories.

Wade Carmichael

This year, we’ve seen Wade tear apart a J-Bay wall, and we’ve seen him hammer it out a Brazilian beachie, so to prepare for when the take-offs are steep and sea-floor sharp, he’s stopped surfing entirely and resigned to an oceanside pool in Greece. Oh the life of the tour’s favorite wookie.

Mikey Wright

Posting yet another batch of innuendo-soaked photo captions to social media.

Kelly Slater

Kelly don’t need no practice. He just rides electric pushbikes instead.