It was only a few years ago that everyone told us the Canggu river mouth was strictly a shortboard wave. They said it was too fast and too powerful for heavy longboards… haven’t we proved them wrong? Over the past three years the 9 Foot & Single has seen logging at its absolute best. It helps that we’ve had some the best in the world do the waves justice (think Knost, Chojnaki, Roach and more), but seeing the heavy logs lumber along in those kinds of conditions has been somewhat ground breaking. It has changed the way we think about longboarding; it has changed our perceptions about where and when a longboard should be ridden. On any given day, we recognize that the Canggu river mouth is a shortboard spot, but during the weekend of the event, when the water is cleared, our competitors 60’s inspired single fins have their time to shine. And shine they do!
The technique becomes more and more obvious as the years go by… it’s becoming an art form: take-off, noseride, tube, cutback, another noseride, end it off the lip… Each year the level of surfing jumps leaps and bounds. It’s ‘sky’s the limit’ surfing and it’s damn exciting for the spectators. Imagine watching dudes noseride their 9 footers at that speed! This year saw Devon Howard (one of California’s greats) take down guys half his age for the winner’s trophy. You know what he scored? A custom Thomas X Deus 9’6. But honestly, every surfer who competed in the 9 Foot & Single was a winner. The waves were pumping, the beer was pouring and the vibes were... pleasant? Please excuse me, but it’s hard to find a word that starts with P that will do the 9 Foot & Single justice. You’ll just have to come along and see for yourself next year. I can tell you now it’ll be a whole lot more than pleasant.
