Chris Cote: Perfect Timing Is Rad

 This is the last I will mention the opening event of the ASP World Tour. But about three weeks ago, the Transworld SURF staff got together and pulled an audible. We decided to forgo a photo-piece on California and do a Pro Spotlight with Joel Parkinson, basically calling it out that he's our pick for this year's World Champ. While in Oz, I tracked Joel down and interviewed him. Our photo editor, Aaron Checkwood picked a bunch of epic photos of him, and everything came together. He lost in his first heat and we started to worry a little bit. But a few days after we finished the layout for his article, he went ahead and won the whole event! The timing could not have been more perfect. So congratulations to Joel Parkinson, and congratulations to the SURF staff for coming together and making a little last-minute magic happen.

• Joel Parkinson Wins the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast

In other Chris Cote news, my office is still a mess. I called this fool to come put one wall of a photo mural up and he said his rate is $250 an hour. WTF? Then I asked around and everybody said wallpaper was very difficult to hang. Either way, I'm hanging it, it might look terrible, but at least I can say I tried. So far, I have some photos up and some art from friends and pro surfers alike.

This is the wall I look at all day. I shot the truck crash photo, Dane Reynolds (pro surfers) did the little foursome in the middle, Shawn Barney Barron (crazy pro surfer) did the painting, My friend Thomas Johnson did the two lithographs, Sam Allen (Transworld SURF Art Associate) gave me the signed Woody Allen picture, and the cross is by Thomas Campbell, apparently it's worth some dough, but don't steal it, that would be lame.