Tensions flared at Punta Roca. Photo: Real Surf Stories//screenshot
The crowd factor at Punta Roca is intense. But when you add 57 Championship Tour surfers into the mix, apparently, things can get even more testy. Jack Robinson had a freesurf cut short at the El Salvador Pro when one of the local surfers demanded he leave the water.
Viral videos circulating on social media showed three surfers dropping in at the Punta Roca takeoff: Robinson on the left with two surfers to the right. The goofy-foot surfer in the middle tried to drag Robinson down by his rashguard on the takeoff. When that didn’t work, he flung his board towards Robinson, the leash stopping the projectile just a few feet from his head.
When Robinson kicked out of the wave, the local paddled over and the two engaged in a discussion with the local animatedly pointing back to the shore. Robinson resisted at first, then gave in and got out of the water.
By just looking at the video, it looks like Robinson dropped in on a local. But there isn’t enough context to really know what happened in the lead-up. Did someone back paddle? Was one of them going out of turn? One commenter said that the same surfer had dropped in on Robinson in previous sessions.
And what about the third surfer? Both dropped in on him. But seeing the tussle unfolding in front of him, he decided to straighten out and avoid the violence. Smart man.
The surfer who kicked Robinson out of the water is pretty brazen, given there are dozens of cameras filming everything on the beach. El Salvador’s entire transformation under President Nayib Bukele has hinged on surfing, and bringing CT surfers to the country is a key ingredient — not a good look to try to skewer them with surfboards.
The viral expulsion from Punta Roca adds to a difficult season for Robinson, who currently sits 14th in the rankings. He defeated Cole Houshmand in round two and is slated to square off against Gabriel Media in round three.
The video below captured the confrontation. For more context on the takeoff, watch this video on Instagram.
