Words By Chas Smith; Photos By Nate Lawrence

And it is time for quarter final three. Dane Reynolds in white versus Joel Parkinson in red. Even though some clouds drifted in when Mick lost, it is so totally sunny again. The tide is all the way out and the surf is firing. Big blue and green and white dusted with sand barrels. Gorgeous women and a handful of handsome men wander to water’s edge. Snapper Rock is a nice place to watch people surf. Brazilians flash their backsides.

I had talked to Channel Island’s Travis Lee about Dane’s boards earlier in the blah blah part of the day. He told me that Dane had been riding a 6’1 18 1/2 2 1/4 Proton nicknamed the Taxidriver a lot. It had cracked on the rail where Dane puts his back foot and they had kept getting it repaired because Dane loves. “Protons have a lot of bend and work really good in a lower tide” Travis had said. The tide is so low right now!

Dane wastes no time in catching his first wave. It is a perfect wall and he tears it to shreds. He is so loose on land and so angry in the water! Like a drunk man beating a bad wife. He violates every ounce of salty water he can. He smashes the lip and sets his fins free. He bottom turns and smashes again. So much smashing! He gets a 9.27 and the full decks of people can’t help but hoot and cheer. Joel is hometown hero, but my goodness. Did you see that?

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