If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I know the horror of ending up right in someone’s projected track. I think we all do. To ensure that embarrassment entwines itself with guilt in that instance, the person whose wave you’ve bungled is sure to be utterly ripping, if not Joel Parkinson. That being said, I still can’t fathom the headspace of beginners who paddle out at Snapper and I’d like to think that none of my lineup f*ck-ups have caused anyone bodily harm. And that being said, it is so. hard. not to get a bit aggro when, amidst your late drop, you look down and realize (at the last second) that a man and his enormous longboard are caught up in the whitewater, only to skid off your board and join him in multiple sub-surface somersaults, resulting in an actual lump on your arm. When you find the air, he manages to be swept into you by the next wave (which is notably smaller), and this time, his fin slashes your leg. He goes, “That’s just my leg.” As in, “Don’t be alarmed; that thing you may have just kicked (HA) is my leg. Not a creature of the sea.” Yeah, cheers, bud!
Okay, enough whinging. Check out my story on ESPN today about the idea of paid webcast subscriptions. Many kind thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Water, Water Everywhere And Not A Drop To Drink 
That blows. I really also hate people that have no judgement on which wave to catch. Sure it is funny when you see a wave that is a sure death close out rise up out of the deep and then you watch in amusement as the person paddles themselves over the falls but it is hardly funny when they are embarking on their death trip 20 feet in front of you. So then you are forced to madly try to paddle off in some direction that you believe they will not go in and pray you don’t get nailed.
Some places are just not for beginners.
Oh yeah! Check out my story I wrote about the ASP and their live webcasts.
http://thesidewedge.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/we-are-live-in-5-4-3-2-1/
It’s not about paying for it but it fits in. Sometimes the quality is so bad with the non-WT events. The commentators (who shall remain nameless) struggle with the names of the contestants as well. How hard is to correctly say Miguel Pupo?
Hey Steve,
Thanks for sharing–I think you’ve got some valid and interesting points in there. Most of the time, the webcast quality (especially for WT events) is great, but some of the smaller events leave a lot to be desired. It also drives me mad when a commentator mispronounces a name like Kolohe… occasionally Kolohe even becomes Conner, or whoever his opponent is. Of course, webcast viewers often have a better view from their couches than commentators do, squinting into the sun at a lineup that’s a few hundred yards away. And Kolohe is a tricky one, haha. There are always factors to consider, I guess. Anyway, thanks again for reading.