For not the first time this week, John John Florence is standing in the car park peering through a pair of binoculars at The Box.
Though the odd plume of spit is still hissing out of its end section, the hucking brute of a wave is busy doing a fair to middling impression of what it has done all week.
It’s about 7.30am and a call on the final day’s proceedings at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro is due in the next half hour.
Further afield, photographers Russell Ord and Ed Sloane are debating the chances of the comp even running at all today.
“Doubt it,” says the ever-pragmatic Ord.
“Should’ve run it on Sunday.”
Ed meanwhile is struggling to comprehend the appearance of an unfamiliar object overheard.
“Are they clouds?” he quips.
“Didn’t think you had them here in WA.”
And nor should he, for up until this morning, the event has run in flawless conditions with wave after barrel and barrel after wave seemingly at Commissioner Kiernen Perrow’s fingertips.
But today looks different. Today Margaret River looks like…Margaret River, big, wild and woolly.
On cue, John John’s opponent for the first semi scheduled for today, Nat Young, pulls up and gives the lanky Hawaiian a casual single fingered G’day before also turning his attention to The Box.
The two make an interesting comparison when it come pre and post heat strategies.
Nat has taken a fairly concienscious approach to his free surfing this week, restricting it to in and around the comp site.
John John, it’s fair to say, has been a bit a more liberal, racking up a couple dozen more lengthy pits at North Point last night to add to the kilometres of tube time he’s had this week.
A couple more gigs of footage hash tagged MargiesPro were fired up into cyberspace yesterday, both of the women’s final and the free surfing going on over at The Box.
But amidst all the footage to emerge this week, it’s the bit that hasn’t that has the world intrigued.
When the first images of John John being trailed by Jack Robinson holding a borrowed RED emerged on Sunday, the surfing world went into meltdown and no doubt a small bidding war began.
But for now, John John isn’t sure when his highly publicised double act with Jack Robinson will emerge.
“I think I’ll just keep it for one of my movies,” he says between glances out to sea.
“There’s some shots in there though…for sure.”
And with that he’s gone. The event has been called off and the entire contest site is abandoned bar a few well-tattooed security guards. The weather’s taken a turn and the infrastructure is rattling.
Out to sea old men on big boards do there best to drive down the face of some big ones.
Commissioner Perrow’s call really only leaves tomorrow for optimal conditions.
It’s no secret he’s hoping to finish it out at The Box and judging by the increasing swell, he may get one last crack.
WSL Commissioner Kieren Perrow doing some R&D out at his favourite spot in WA, The Box. Photo: JoliDrug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Semifinal Match-ups:
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Nat Young (USA)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Tune in when competition resumes here.
