Photo Credit: live.ripcurl
A crew that includes many of the world’s best surfers are about to converge in San Francisco this week. Their goal? To shred Ocean Beach (OB) as hard as they can, and try and push the 2011 ASP World Title Series to contest #11, the final contest of the tour, before Kelly Slater seals-the-deal with a win at OB.
I have to mention that earlier this summer we shared an Unofficial Surf Check for OB, and it seemed a few viewers were unaware of what an amazing break OB is. Fickle? Yup. World-class when the right ingredients show? 100%. While the swell may not be perfect right now, there is is a decent waiting period to hold off for prime conditions for the contest, and I don’t think Kelly Slater would have the potential to win an unprecedented 11th world title at OB if it didn’t hold the potential to throw a world-class wave. How’s that for California Love? The potential for world class surf at OB in the morning, and world class pow at Squaw before lunch-does it get any better than that?
Photo Credit: articles.sfgate.com An OB Bomb!
Here’s a few thoughts from Slater as he preps to get after it next week in the golden state:
“I think last year’s title made this one easier to a degree”.
“It took pressure off of me for sure. The 10th was a far more talked about and conscious situation. Everyone wanted to know what I was thinking about 10. That was a much more difficult monkey to have to not think about at all. I think it allowed me to be a bit less worried about outcomes once that was completed and I could enjoy competing with a bit less distraction.”
“I expect cold and paddling.”
That last one is classic.
Poster Credit: live.ripcurl (look at those A’s near the top!)
With an almost two week waiting period who knows when the contest organizers will give the green light to hold the contest. The current forecast shows waves in the 3-5 foot range, with a new relatively small NW swell forecasted to show starting next week. This is Surfline’s current forecast for OB, with two links to watch the contest live here and here when it does go off.
Here’s a look at the current Rip Curl Pro Standings going into the San Francisco stop of tour: