Author’s note: My email box exploded after the final of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley, due in large part to what many viewers perceived as some very questionable judging. Ironically, the emails came the day after the story below appeared on SURFERmag.com. This report is from day three of the event, which was posted the day of the final. We decided to republish this story to help you better understand what was happening all week, including the final.

The arguments against surf judges are pretty cut and dry. We’re supposed to have confidence in a system that states our judges can rise above their personal biases, and tap into their steady, sage-like logic to void any danger of knee-jerk emotion getting tangled into their decision-making process. Avoiding such evil is the pillar of objectivity and fairness.

Yet rarely, if ever, does this standard hold up.

Let’s be honest. Objectivity didn’t die today, yesterday or yesteryear. Objectivity has never existed. And because we humans are slaves to emotion it really never really will. That’s why Amercans should never be allowed to cast judgment on the French in subjective sports, and why surfing contest will never be entirely fair. Today was a good example. But let me first say this: Kelly Slater deservedly won both his heats today, and quite handily. That said, both heats were closer than the scores indicated, as both Sunny Garcia and Kieren Perrow were shortchanged by judges caught up with the same thing we’re all caught up in right now, which is Slater-mania.

In Sunny’s case it was worse. Ask any competitive surfer what the worst judging sin is and they’ll tell you it’s when they have your best ride counting as your second best ride. That’s exactly what happened with Garcia. Early in the heat he was given just a 6.97 after ripping a righthander apart on his powerful forehand. Yes, he fell at the end, but he’d already completed a number of vicious off-the-top carves and lip throttles. Kelly subsequently bettered the score by two points, which is a sizable lead after just one wave. After the next exchange, Kelly, who was having an average heat in the slow conditions, nevertheless had Sunny in a combination situation. That’s when the judges seemingly started to feel guilty for their transgression, and they apparently set out to correct it during Sunny’s wave somewhere around the 7th inning, a short left.

Granted, Garcia got a vicious backside hack in before doing a couple mid-face carves and a closeout reo, but when the judges awarded him with an 8, there were more than a few people scratching their heads on the beach, because there was simply no way it was better than his earlier ride. Well intentioned or not, that gift was too late to help Sunny. Had his first wave been scored correctly the match would’ve been tighter because his strategy would have changed. There’s a huge difference between being down 1 to 2 points vs. 3 to 4 points. The first lead can be chipped away at, the other calls for more of a Hail Mary desperation attempt, which is what his left was. Throwing either competitor into the desperation box early usually kills any chance of the real showdowns fans are yearning for, and the surfers deserve.

Would Sunny or Kieren have won had the judges not been victim to the hoopla? Nope. Not today. But Slater would’ve have had to work harder, and we’d all be more fulfilled as a result. That’s the point.

Of course, the only bastards worse than starry-eyed judges are “journalists” like myself who are supposed to have the whole objectivity thing down. Well, small confession here. I don’t. Matter of fact I’m going to ask the judges for a huge favor right now. No disrespect to Bede Durbidge or Bobby Martinez, two incredibly talented surfers and super nice human beings, but I really, really, really would like to see a match up between Kelly Slater and Dane Reynolds in the semifinals at perfect Trestles today. If it happens, I’m guessing it’d be a showdown for the ages, especially since Reynolds is the only other surfer that the fans, judges and even Slater have an undying infatuation with right now. Frankly, it’s going to be really hard for anybody to choose sides on that one. For that reason alone maybe we’ll get what we deserve.

Oh, and it’d be great if Jordy could make it to the final and meet the eventual winner, too. Enjoy.

Author’s parting thoughts: By the way, that match up between Kelly and Sunny was their first since 2001, which, if nothing else, illustrates how infrequently the top guys face off each season. That’s one more reason I wanted Dane and Kelly go head to head at Lowers. Will it ever happen now? I sure hope so.

So who really won the final? Well, Kelly did. Yes, he was over scored late in the heat on that 9.7, just as Taj was over scored early. The bottom line is the judges blew it badly when they gave Taj a 9.3 on the opening wave of a 40-minute final, especially a final with surfers of this caliber. That means they only had .7 points left of wiggle room left for the rest of it. That’s ridiculous. Let’s hope something gets done about this soon. 

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