June 27, 1999 // Hanalei, Hawaii
Synopsis:
From what we’ve seen through the light box this winter, Tyler—or “Newt” as his friends call him—has been pulling into some disgustingly big Pipe barrels lately. Tyler has cemented a name for himself amid his Hot 100 counterparts as a deathly serious charger, consistently finding feats of grace amid some of the world’s most fiendishly difficult conditions.
Variables:
Running the traditional contest gauntlet isn’t on Newt’s radar at the moment. Although he put some focus on specialty events in ’08, most of Tyler’s prowess has been revealed in the water at Pipeline and on the pages of glossy magazine spreads.
Forecast:
What we haven’t mentioned yet is that Tyler is remarkably talented in small-wave conditions as well; the kid’s got the whole package. For him to improve on his success, he’ll need to continue to push himself over the ledge in man-eating surf as well as small-wave, contest slop.