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Lower Trestles, in surfing circles, is something of a mecca.
Key points:
- The World Surf League finals will be held at California's Lower Trestles break
- Jack Robinson heads to the season-ending event ranked in fifth place
- Robinson says a win is a possibility if he can bring his best on the day
The Southern California break is insufferably crowded with what's called the 'fibreglass curtain' of wall-to-wall surfboards, as locals and travellers alike attempt to catch one of the globe's most famous waves.
But on Friday, those masses will be moved, and the 10 best surfers in the world will own the break.
Those include Western Australia's Jack Robinson and compatriot Ethan Ewing, who overcame a broken back to compete in the World Surf League finals, and Molly Picklum and Tyler Wright who are in the women's final.
Until then, Robinson is sharing the break with the locals as he tunes up for the final.
"I see all the other sports, and they have their own basketball court ... like when I'm out at Snapper or all these places, there's like a million people to share with," he said.
"I didn't like it before. I was like ... this is so annoying.
"Almost in a way now I feel like it prepares me for contests because I have to compete with 100 people. I'm always in that [competition] mode."
As fifth seed, he will need to beat fourth-ranked Joao Chianca, from Brazil, before a potential clash with Ewing.
The other surfers in the male top five are American Griffin Colapinto and Brazilian Felipe Toledo.
The Margaret River local has endured a rollercoaster season, from winning at Pipeline and being ranked world number one, to a miserable four months starting in April, to scraping into the finals with a stunning victory in Tahiti.
Coming off three top-three finishes to start the year, a knee injury suffered at Bells Beach derailed his campaign.
Robinson didn't defend his Margaret River Pro title, and then finished 17th in the following three events, culminating in a low point at the Rio Pro where he only had one wave in his loss to Seth Moniz.
"I just lost it," he said.
"Especially with the injuries. I couldn't make a heat for three events. It was just so frustrating.
"I had the knee injury, but then the ankle injury was almost worse. It just kept carrying on."
Weight lifted
But one heat at J-Bay in South Africa convinced Robinson he could still feature at the pointy end of the season.
A poor opening round saw Robinson matched with legendary surfer Kelly Slater in an elimination round, which the Australian won by the slimmest of margins.
He eventually made the quarter finals, which was a springboard to a stunning end of the season.
"I feel like that was such a big event to lift the weight off my shoulders," he recalled.
"I had the heat with Kelly, and once I won that heat I was just like 'ahh'. I just let it all out. That was nice."
The win in Tahiti ensured Robinson would take part in his second-straight WSL finals, after finishing third last year.
Unlike the regular season events, the final is a one-day surf-off. Robinson will need to win three-straight matches to face world number one Filipe Toledo for the championship.
"It's such a big opportunity for me. After doing it last year and just having that experience," he said.
"It's a one-day event. There's a lot happening and it goes really fast.
"It's just about being on for the day."
A two-week window, to allow for the best possible conditions for the day-long event, starts on Friday.