CUE SOUNDTRACK: AL GREEN, LETS STICK TOGETHER

FADE IN: BAR SCENE IN TORQUAY

INT EMPTY BAR IN TORQUAY, EVE OF THE RIP CURL PRO, 2010 DAY

MICK FANNING SITS BY HIMSELF AGAINST AN EMPTY BAR. ACROSS THE TABLE, TALKING OUT OF SHOT, SITS DAMIEN HARDMAN, EVENT DIRECTOR FOR THE RIP CURL PRO, BELLS.

HARDMAN (OS)

I think your gonna find...when all this

shit is over...i think you're gonna find

yourself one smiling mother fucker.

Thing is Mick, right now...you got ability,

but painful as it may be...ability dont last...

and you're days are just about over.

Now thats a hard mother fuckin fact of life...

but its a fact of life your ass is gonna have

to get realistic about. See this business is full

to the brim with unrealistic mother fuckers...

mother fuckers that thought their ass would

age like wine...if you mean it turns to vinegar

...it does...if you mean it gets better with age...

it dont. Besides Mick, how many more wins you

think you got in you...two? Surfers don't have

an old timers fund. You came close to three titles

but you never made it and if you were gonna

make it , you would have made it before now

HARDMAN REACHES INTO SHOT IN FRONT OF FANNING WITH A LARGE OPEN ENVELOPE FULL OF CASH

HARDMAN (CONT.)

You my man?

FANNING REACHES OUT AND TAKES THE CASH

FANNING

It certainly appears so.

HARDMAN (OS) Now the day of the final, you may fell a slight sting, that's pride fuckin' wit ya. Fuck pride! Pride only hurts, it never helps. Surf through that shit. 'Cause a year from now, when you're kickin' it in the Ments you're gonna say, "Damien Hardman was right."

FANNING I got no problem with that Mr Hardman.

HARDMAN (OS) In the final with Slater, your ass goes down.

Fanning nods his head: "yes."

HARDMAN(OS) Say it!

FANNING In the final with Slater, my ass goes down.

TAJ BURROWS and SLATER walk into the bar and talk to the bar manager WAYNE LYNCH

SLATER Where's the big man?

LYNCH He's over there, finishing up some business.

SLATERS POV: FANNING shakes hands with HARDMAN. FANNING stuffing the envelope of cash into his jacket.

LYNCH (OS) Hand back for a second or two, and when you see the white boy leave, go on over.

SLATER How you been?

LYNCH I've been doing alright, how bout yourself?

SLATER A'ight

LYNCH So I hear your takin Mia out tonight...Have you met Mia?

SLATER Not yet.

LYNCH smiles to himself.

SLATER What's so funny?

LYNCH Not a goddamn thing.

SLATER Look, I'm not a idiot. She's the big man's fuckin' wife. I'm gonna sit across a table, chew my food with my mouth closed, laugh at her jokes and that's all I'm gonna do.

LYNCH puts SLATERS coffee in front of him.

LYNCH My name's Paul, and this is between y'all.

FANNING bellies up to the bar next to SLATER, drinking his cup of coffee. FANNING (to Wayne Lynch) Can I get a pack'a Red Apples?

LYNCH Filters?

FANNING Non.

While FANNING waits for his smokes, SLATER just sips his coffee, staring at him. FANNING looks over at him.

FANNING Lookin' at somethin', friend?

SLATER I ain't your friend, palooka.

FANNING does a slow burn toward SLATER.

FANNING What was that?

SLATER I think ya heard me just fine, punchy.

FANNING turns his body to SLATER, when...

HARDMAN (OS) HEY! Kelly Slater, 10 in 2010 has entered the building, git your ass over here!

SLATER walks forward OUT OF FRAME, never giving FANNING another glance. We DOLLY INTO CU on FANNING, left alone in the FRAME, looking like he's ready to go into the manners-teaching business.

FANNING POV: Vincent hugging and kissing the obscured figure that is HARDMAN.

FANNING makes the wise decision that is this asshole's a friend of HADMAN, he better let it go -- for now.

LYNCH (OS) Pack of Red Apples, dollar-forty.

FANNING is snapped out of his ass-kicking thoughts. He pays WAYNE LYNCH and walks out of the SHOT.

FADE OUT: