Joel Parkinson

DANE AND DUSTED

It was an interesting week at the Quiksilver Pro all right.

Probably a little disappointed that I didn’t make it further than the quarters, because I felt I was surfing really well and I was in good rhythm. I just had the misfortune of drawing Dane. Everyone on tour has known that Dane has had that heat in him for two years, and we were all wondering when we were going to see it. Unfortunately, the bastard unleashed it in my heat! I could hear the crowd going nuts and I figured he was on fire. I finally got to watch the replay later that night on Fuel and it was pretty amazing what he was doing. It’ll be great for the Tour if he can keep surfing like that for the rest of the year, I just hope it doesn’t happen again against me. I was really happy with the way I surfed though in the contest. It’s a different year with a different feel to it, and I’m happy to walk away with a 5th and will be looking to do well at Bells and really get things rolling. I reckon the great thing about the contest at Snapper was the level of surfing. Guys seem to be really pushing themselves, and it’s going to be a pretty huge year. It was hard to single anyone out because just about everyone surfed above themselves. It was great to see Taj chalk up another win… he’s on such a roll at the moment.

I’ve got a week at home for some solid surfing and training, then I head to Margies to surf the QS event over there. I love that place so much that I’m really pumped about being back there. I’m psyching on Bells though, and reckon a week in a steamer and some cold water swell at Margies will be good preparation for it.

THE WIN WAS A BONUS

Fully whipped. //Shorty

How good was today? I thought when I paddled out for my Quik Pro heat that it was as good as Snapper was going to get, but then it just kept getting better and better all day. It was a bit hit and miss when I paddled out for my heat with Dusty, and no one had been barrelled all day because of the high tide… but the tide was dropping and I knew they were there. I was pretty confident I could find a couple and I was lucky enough to get two in the first five minutes. It was a real danger heat for me cause Dusty is a freak, and I was pretty stoked to make it through to the next round.

I watched the last few heats from home on Fuel and was blown away by how good it got. My God, how was Bede’s heat? Are you kidding me? It was like watching Backdoor some of those barrels, and I’m just hoping it’s as good tomorrow. Am pretty psyching on my heat with Freddy, and just hope we get some waves like today. I’ll just be happy if I get barrelled a few times.

ROUND THREE IS ON…

Snapper has jumped up a foot or two overnight and I’ve just heard that Round Three is running today. I had a quick freesurf out there this morning and there are some fun waves. I’ve got Dusty Payne which is going to be a huge heat for me. I was so stoked Dusty qualified last year and I reckon he really adds something to the tour… I just hope he doesn’t add too much today. There’s some killer heats… Taj v Owen, Mick v Brett Simpson, Andy v Bobby. Going to be a huge day. Check it out on Fuel TV or online… I’m in Heat 9 which should be around 11.30.

SO FAR SO GOOD

So far so good. My heat today at Snapper was a pretty interesting one. The tide was almost low by the time I paddled out and there were four foot sets out there, so it made for some interesting waves behind the rock at Snapper. Some of them were so square you had no chance of getting into them. You kind of had to wait and find one to let you in, but when you got one of them they were sick. It reminded me a lot of the finals day here in 2007. I surfed against Kekoa and my young mate Blake Ainsworth, and it was pretty close for most of the heat today but I always felt like I had it under control. Not my best heat ever, but it was solid and I felt good coming out of the water. It’s a relief to have that first heat out of the way and to get a win, because last year I lost my first heat at D-Bah and I had to visit the room of mirrors a bit… I went fishing for the day. The only casualty today was I creased one of my good boards, but I’ll take the win and the day off tomorrow.

I’m hearing the coverage on Fuel TV today was epic. If you can get in front of a TV with Fuel you should.

IT’S ON…

Just heard the call that the Quikky Pro is going to run today. The tide is a bit high this morning – they’re big tides at the moment – but by my heat around lunchtime the tide should be right out and there should be some really fun ones behind the rock at Snapper. I’ve got Kekoa and local wildcard Blake Ainsworth. Can’t wait to get amongst it.

The contest will be webcast but will also be on Fuel TV.