The Stab Alphabet: Fiji

Stab presents a letter-based summary of a whole lotta things you probably saw and definitely loved about the Volcom Fiji Pro…  A is for the Ankle of John John Florence, which repaired itself before this event and was dragged through two 10s and three nines. B is for Bula, the first word you’ll hear and learn when the wheels bounce on tarmac. C is for CJ Hobgood, who still rules enough at this place to make the semis and bounce himself eight spots up the title ratings. D is for Dusk, which is when perhaps the most visually-arresting session occurred at Cloudbreak. E is for Endure, which is what Kelly Slater’s legacy in this particular place will continue to do. F is for Fishing, which is where everyone thought Joel was during round one, and they were kinda right. But… G is for GPS, and the malfunctioning type that got Joel Parkinson lost during round one, and stuck on a reef ’til the tide came in. H is for Happy, which the stranded Joel certainly wasn’t when the texts started flooding in about his impending heat. I is for Island, the blessed land formation we owe the last two weeks of entertainment to. J is for Jetski, without which the amount of waves ridden in each heat would be far lower. Thank you, PWCs. K is, of course, for Kelly Slater, who’s performance was beyond adjectives and many say his career best. L is for Lazy Days, of which there were too many but ultimately, if conditions on finals day had been any different, the world wouldn’t seem so bright right now. M is for Mitch, as in Coleborn, Volcom’s wildcard, and his 19.33 combined total in round one. N is for Namotu, the smaller, prettier of the two islands within equal distance of Cloudbreak. O is for “Oh My God,” and the amount of times it was said in the commentary booth. P is for #Paradise, which requires little spelling out if you saw any kinda vision from this event. Q is for Jason Shibata’s Questions. R is for Restaurants, the speedy little gem that serves as back-up location and polishing zone. S is for Scorpion, which is what Glenn Hall was unfortunate enough to do on the reef during a heat, and required a chopper lift outta there. T is for Tavarua, the island where you’ll find Restaurants and a rather exquisite pool bar. T is also representative of the stance Kelly assumed on his first wave in the final. U is for Unload, which is what Kelly’s two waves in the quarters did on the reef. V is for Volcom, and the enormous Bravo! they deserve for this event. W is for Wassel, as in Dave, for delivering commentary that drips with more metaphors than George Orwell’s Animal Farm. X is for Xtreme! Which is what the surfing was at many points. Just ask Pay TV. Y is for Yacht, and the super kind that burned past the channel. Z is for the unchanging Zeitgeist: Kelly is still the best. – Elliot Struck