Surfer Magazine

Oil. Not a laughing matter.

brendon thomas — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:48:02 +0000

The Gulf disaster is certainly not a laughing matter, but laughter can be therapeutic.

Navarre’s Last Session

kimball taylor — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:27:27 +0000

Most Pensacola surfers drove the 15 miles down to Navarre yesterday, because there’s a couple of good banks at the pier and the oil had yet to hit there. Pensacola was already covered. Apparently, in the past, Navarre wasn’t visited much. But the oil situation packed the lineup. The fact that black tar wasn’t visible, however, was hardly a consolation. The talk on the beach, the overall vibe of the crowd, was one of the strangest I’ve come across.

Tropical storm Alex whipped-up chest-to-head high waves. So, surfers were split between taking advantage of the rare swell and their fears of what may be in the water. Real questions about how and where the dispersant travels arose, because it can’t be seen the way oil can. Some said there was also benzene, a known carcinogen, in the water. The two feelings came in waves, one minute I was stoked to be in the clear, tropical surf, and the next minute, I really regretted the decision. Every other person spat out some new factoid about the oil, and the facts got increasingly dark. A couple of surfers braved the oiled line-ups of Pensacola and reported headaches and burning skin. I was told a baby dolphin washed up yesterday, and today the oil line was only six miles out from unaffected beaches.

One aspect that makes the disaster so profound for local surfers, is that they’re also fishermen. And those fishermen who worked on charter boats are now likely working for B.P. The crews head out six-to-ten miles and report their findings back to B.P. I talked to a surfer who’d worked the charter boats his entire adult life. His boat had also been hired by the oil giant. When I asked what it was like out there, he said, “It’s black, it’s brown, it’s red. And everything is dead.”

All of the affected beaches have workers and tractors “cleaning” the sand. Dozens of tractors and large vehicles fill parking lots that would have been packed with tourists this time of year. Many of the surfers I’ve talked to work in the service industry. Both the oil and the expansive media coverage have nearly put a halt to business. B.P. is cutting checks to make up the difference in pay. But the employees have to stick around to collect the checks. So surfers are basically stuck here.

I just got a report that Navarre, the beach we all surfed yesterday, is getting hit with tar balls today. The next spot down the coast is Panama City, which is two and a half hours from Pensacola. Once that gets oil, Pensacola surfers with have to drive six hours to the east coast of Florida.

Sean Penn To Take "Surfwise" Story To The Masses?

surfer — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:42:41 +0000

By Casey Butler

Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz and his brood are definitely one of surfing’s first families. The 2007 documentary Surfwise told us Paskowitz’s life story: physicianing, vagabonding, and surfing.

Still, most people outside of the surf community don’t recognize the fit 89-year-old’s face. That may be about to change. Sean Penn is reportedly in negotiations to produce (and maybe star in) an upcoming biopic about Paskowitz. The likes of Graydon Carter have been trying to procure Doc’s life rights for about 20 years now, and failing. Once producers Alan and Gabe Polsky brought Spicoli in on the deal, Paskowitz finally gave his approval.

2011 PacSun US Surf Team Chosen

surfer — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:59:20 +0000

After the completion of the Surfing America USA Championships on Sunday, a new team was chosen to represent the US. Under head coach Ian Cairns, only 12 of the 21 young shredders will be able to travel to next years Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.

Names like Kolohe Andino, Evan Geiselman, Conner Coffin, Lakey Peterson, and Luke Davis have not only had a considerable amount of experience for their young age, but also possess a level of skill that far surpasses anything we’ve seen from their age group. Expect big things from this group of wonder-kids.

Boys Under 18 Kolohe Andino - San Clemente, CA Evan Geiselman - New Smyrna Beach, CA Conner Coffin - Santa Barbara, CA Luke Davis - Capistrano Beach, CA Jake Halstead - La Jolla, CA Trevor Thornton - San Clemente, CA Derek Peters - Huntington Beach, CA Boys Under 16 Parker Coffin - Santa Barbara, CA Colin Moran - Costa Mesa, CA Taylor Clark - Encinitas, CA Jacob Davis - Capistrano Beach, CA Skip McCullough - La Jolla, CA Kanoa Igarashi - Huntington Beach, CA Jake Marshall - Encinitas, CA Girls Under 18 Lakey Peterson - Santa Barbara, CA Quincy Davis - Montauk, NY Nikki Viesins - Indialantic, FL Jasset Umbel - Melbourne Beach, FL Kulia Doherty - San Clemente, CA Catherine Clark - Ventura, CA Frankie Harrer - Malibu, CA

HURLEY’S RIP MY SHRED STICK TOUR RETURNS TO THE EAST COAST

surfer — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:57:59 +0000

Popular Tour includes an Indo Dream Trip giveaway at Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach

COSTA MESA, CA, — July 1, 2010 — After a brief hiatus, Hurley’s Rip My Shred Stick tour will return to the East Coast this summer. The eight-stop tour, which allows kids 16 and under to hang out with the Hurley team, test-drive their boards and compete in a no-pressure, all-fun surf event, will begin July 7 in Jacksonville Beach, FL and conclude on July 18 in New Jersey. “We’ve had so much fun with the Rip My Shred Stick tour in years past,” says Hurley’s VP of Marketing Pat O’Connell. “And there’s no better place than the East Coast to bring it back. I know our athletes are fired up to get out there and mix it up with the Right Coast’s next generation.”

In addition to the traditional Rip My Shred Stick surf event, the Phantom Truck will be on hand at every stop offering customized boardshorts, prizes and giveaways. The biggest event surrounding the truck will be our official East Coast Phantom with Nike Flywire launch at Ron Jon Surf Shop. There, participants will be able to trade in their old boardshorts, buy Flywires at half-price and be entered in a drawing for a trip to Kandui Resort in Indonesia with Rob Machado and the Hurley Team. So far, three other winners have been picked for the trip in October 2010. The event at Ron Jon will reveal the fourth lucky surfer to join Machado in Indo. “The Kandui resort is a special place,” says Machado. “I can’t wait to get out there and split a few peaks with these guys.” More info on the sweepstakes can be found at www.hurley.com/upgrade.

Regardless of whether you’re the Indo Dream Trip winner or a participant in one of the eight Rip My Shred Stick stops, we guarantee the experience will be unforgettable. Watch for the Phantom Truck and the Hurley Team to come rolling to a town near you starting July 7. For more info, go to www.hurley.com.

Official Rip My Shred Stick Tour Schedule:

DATE LOCATION SHOP

July 7 JACKSONVILLE BEACH , FL SUNRISE AND AQUA EAST

July 8 DAYTONA BEACH, FL MAUI NIX

July 10 COCOA BEACH, FL RON JON (FLYWIRE LAUNCH)

July 12 ONSLOW BEACH, NC MARINE CORPS

July 13 OUTER BANKS, NC REAL WATER SPORTS

July 15 VIRGINIA BEACH, VA COASTAL EDGE AND 17^TH STREET

July 17 OCEAN CITY, NJ HERITAGE SURF SHOP

July 18 LAVALETTE, NJ OCEAN HUT

About Hurley Founded in 1999, Hurley is an authentic “Microphone for Youth” brand rooted in surf, skate, art, music and beach cultures. Driven by creativity and freedom of expression, Hurley develops world-class products for guys, girls and kids, including sportswear, footwear, eyewear, accessories, loungewear, swimwear and wetsuits. A wholly owned, independently run subsidiary of Nike, Inc., Hurley’s corporate headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, CA, with international offices in Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona and Bali. www.hurley.com

Hurricane Alex Possibly Providing Gulf Relief

surfer — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:06:02 +0000

By Alex Haro

With the early onset of hurricane season and the disastrous mess in the Gulf, it’s difficult to escape from the bad news, but there is a glimmer of hope on our oil stained horizon.

The high winds that radiate from the storm could help by evaporating the crude faster. Waves churned up by Alex could help by breaking the slick into smaller slicks, which are then devoured by tiny organisms. The Gulf of Mexico plays host to microbes called Vibrio parahaemolyticus that, while give us humans a reason for Pepto Bismol, actually eat oil. If these little guys weren’t floating around, our ocean would be covered in a thick film of naturally seeping oil. But the microbes can’t feed off of spills the size of the current one, so they just nibble on the edges.

“It turns out that a big, powerful hurricane just disperses everything and the oil breaks up and degrades more quickly," said President Obama in an interview with Larry King. An example of this occurring was back in ’79, when Mexico’s Bay of Campeche was almost destroyed by the Ixtoc spill. Hurricane Henri, while hampering short-term cleanup operations, actually turned out to be a huge help in the long run, breaking up the spill and scouring the Mexican beaches.

So, while we watch one of the greatest man-made disasters in American history unfold, it’s nice to feel as though Mother Nature might still have our back, even after decades of trying our best to destroy her.

Somewhere Near Tapachula Turning Heads

cody iddings — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:20:48 +0000

Browsing the internet, I came across Wade Goodall's new video blog where he asks the viewer, to decide where he goes next on his trip. His video of episode 2 is online, and him and Sterling went down to Tapachula, Mexico to surf and hang out with the orphans at Mision Mexico. They went down there because of two Ozzie's Jonno Durrant's and Stefan Hunt's recent video project called Somewhere Near Tapachula. Their first project, Surfing 50 States, was a small hit — but it made it into our Surfer Poll 2009 nominees. I caught up with Durrant via e-mail and asked him a few questions about Somewhere Near Tapachula. He was preparing to return to the orphanage with donated boards from Bob Hurley and boardbags from Ocean and Earth. How did Somewhere Near Tapachula come about? Stefan and I knew each other from Church in Australia. We were talking about crazy travel ideas and we commented how crazy it would be to try and get to all 50 States...in 50 days. But, we quickly realized that would be no fun, we should just take our time and try to acomplish something in every state. When we were touring Surfing 50 States back in the US, we got an email from a volunteer for Mision Mexico who asked us to donate a DVD to the orphanage. Then Stefan decided he was escaping winter to volunteer there for a month with no plans to make a film. A few days after being there he was emailing me begging me to borrow some cameras and come and join him because he was so blown away by their story. What has the response been to the film? It's been amazing - we raised $80,000 on the Australian tour we organized, and have since raised $20,000 in the States. This story is phenomenal, whether you are a surfer or not. It’s pretty rad that Wade Goodall and Sterling Spencer went down there. I bed the kids loved them and were really impressed with their surfing. The kids love anyone coming down there and giving them a few surfing tips, so to have pro surfers come down is amazing for them. Cheyne Cottrell and Brian Noell came down when we were there and the kids were blown away. They are THE ONLY surfers for 100's of miles around! Wade and Sterling had a blast and the kids loved them—some of the older kids are ripping now! How can we help here in America? They can either donate online - lovelifehope.com, or buy the Somewhere Near Tapachula DVD from which 100% of profits goes to the kids surfindustries.com/snt or walkingonwater.com . Then you are helping and you get a DVD!! What’s next for you and Stefan? Are you still planning on making films? Surfing 28 States...India!

Saturdays Launches AppareL Collection

surfer — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:14:48 +0000

Saturdays Surf, new York City's surf shop, launches its first apparel collection for summer 2010, Saturdays Surf. the capsule menswear collection was created by owners morgan Collett, Josh rosen and Colin tunstall to fill a manifest gap in the market and satisfy a demand for clothing that translates from surf to the city. more over, it is a reflection of the founders' own all-encompassing tastes and lifestyles. Inspired by surf culture's rich and iconic history, Saturdays in-house apparel venture establishes the brand as a go-to for timeless men's wardrobe staples. Founded on the enduring board-short style the 11-piece collection includes mid- thigh board shorts made from quick-dry nylon, 100% Japanese cotton button-downs and striped hooded pullover knits. "this is our lifestyle and what we enjoy - new York City, surfing, culture, travel - and that is what we are trying to incorporate into Saturdays the shop and Saturdays our clothing line," says morgan Collett (co- owner/co-founder) Saturdays is sold at the soho new York location and at select Bloomingdales stores across the usa.

Follow The Light Foundation Chooses 5 Finalists For Photography Award Grant

rbergman — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:20:21 +0000

Winner to be announced at the Shorebreak Hotel during the US Open of Surfing in August SAN CLEMENTE, CA — Follow The Light Foundation (FTFL), a non-profit that continues to fuel the dreams of the world’s most talented young surf photographers, announced its 2010 finalists today after an evening of review and deliberation. This year’s installment of young visionaries include: Ryan Tadao Foley from Hawaii, Matt Lusk from North Carolina, Morgan Maassen from Santa Barbara, Billy Watts from San Diego and Corey Wilson from Santa Barbara. The winner of the $5,000 grant will be announced during the US Open of Surfing at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach on August 3. “We’re very excited about the talent level of this year’s finalists,” said legendary photographer and judge Aaron Chang. “And to celebrate their skills around this year’s US Open will make it even more special.” The FTLF was founded after iconic photographer Larry “Flame” Moore’s passing to ensure that up-and-coming surf photographers continue to get the recognition and support they deserve. Flame — legendary Photo Editor of SURFING Magazine for more than three decades — made it a priority to teach and inspire anyone with a passion for photography. This grant helps keep that legacy alive. Details can be found on the FTLF website. (folllowthelightfoundation.org) Now in its fifth year, the FTLF awards ceremony is part of the world’s largest action sports festival. The US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach will reach all kinds of people, but there is no better place to showcase the best rising talent in the surf photography world. In years past, FTLF grant winners like Todd Glaser, Chris Burkard and Ray Collins have continued to change the game in what is possible in surf imagery. “The Follow the Light Foundation was a huge boost to my career,” says SURFER staff photographer Todd Glaser. “It not only was a dream come true, but it helped give me the confidence to keep following my vision. I couldn’t be more honored to be part of it all.” Come August 3, a new artist will get his due recognition. The reception begins at 7:00PM, The Shorebreak Hotel, 500 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648, www.shorebreakhotel.com. A limited amount of VIP tickets can be pre-purchased for $20 each at www.followthelightfoundation.org. The first 200 general admission registrants are free of charge. Please register on a first-come basis for this event on Facebook at our Follow the Light Foundation "Flame Grant" page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Follow-the-Light-Foundation-Flame-Grant/128942323802095?ref=ts The Follow The Light Foundation is proudly supported by Hurley, Swell.com, Surfing, Surfline and Oakley. ABOUT FOLLOW THE LIGHT FOUNDATION: On October 10, 2005, the surfing community lost one of its most influential figures, Larry "Flame" Moore. After a three-year battle with brain cancer, "Flame," the Photo Editor of SURFING Magazine for 30 years, passed. He left behind a legacy of brilliant photography and an army of photographers trained by him. Through his work at SURFING, Larry literally shaped the "look" of three decades of surfing. Today, honoring Larry's request, we have established Follow the Light Foundation (FTFL), an organization that will help finance the dreams of surf photographers, pushing the sport and its lensmen forward. For more information on FTFL, go to www.followthelightfoundation.org.

The Lost Coast: BP Oil Spill Changes Life for a Small Louisiana Surf Community

jeff mull — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:40 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6322" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Louisiana left-hander. // Photo Mark Windham"][/caption] However far-reaching and colorful the 21st-century tribe of surfers has become, the few that call the southern Louisiana coast home are an anomaly to say the least. At 42, Kent Hornbacker’s family has been living near the surrounding beachheads of Louisiana for generations. With a set of piercingly blue eyes and a soft-but-unique accent, Hornbacker is a mix of both the traditional Cajun and the modern surfer. When it’s flat, he and his friends play the fiddle and Louisiana-centric music along the mud-toned shoreline. When a swell fills in, they’ll build a makeshift shelter and stay in the lineup until the last peak fades into the night. They are truly dedicated and are deeply appreciative of their home waters, even as the worst environmental disaster in this country’s history strangles the very life from them.

With nearly three-and-a-half-million barrels of oil bleeding into the Gulf and a multi-billion-dollar recovery effort underway, it’s easy for us to look at the BP disaster as a set of endless numbers. But however staggering the figures may be, they can never convey the day-to-day grit and painful reality that has swept across the people of coastal Louisiana. Their story—one of desperation, disgust, and anger—needs to have a face. And in south Louisiana, that face is Kent Hornbacker, a man that has lost his job, and his homebreak, because of the spill.

I understand that you’re one of the premier figures in the Louisiana surfing scene. Can you briefly tell us what the surf community is like down there?

Of course. The scene down here is pretty unique. We don’t have a lot of great days down here, but we get a few. I’ve been surfing out here for nearly 22 years and it hasn’t really changed too much over time. I basically surf with about five guys most of the time and there are really only a few places to surf that are accessible by car. All in all, I’d say there’s around 100 surfers down here total. The surf’s not always great, but it’s home and we love it.

How has the oil spill affected you and the other surfers in Louisiana?

I don’t even know really where to begin. It’s changed everything. I’ve lost my job, my homebreak, my family was trying to sell a waterfront motel and now that’s gone. It’s all gone. But you know what, it wouldn’t be as bad if I could go surf. But I can’t.

What were you doing for work before the spill?

I had a business where I was selling ice and fuel to the shrimp boats. But since they’re not fishing anymore, I’ve got no business.

What are the beaches looking like down where you are?

To be honest, I can’t even bring myself to go down there since the beaches were closed off. It’s too depressing. Even if I wanted to, the folks at BP have a barricade up and if you cross that, they’ll detain you.

Who’s acting as security down there? The Coast Guard, BP, or the police?

Mostly BP. It’s pretty horrible. It feels like they’re policing their own crime scene.

In your opinion, how long until you think you can surf your homebreak again?

I don’t know. Maybe never. I hope not. I feel like the area down here has been treated like a Third World country. As soon as a little bit of oil gets down on the Panhandle and their perfectly white sand, you see a whole army of people down there cleaning it up. But that’s not the case down here.

When news first broke that there had been an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon and a subsequent leak, did you ever imagine that it would take this long to stop it?

No. Never. I just want them to stop the leak soon. They should have been able to do it by now. But you know what, you can’t really blame BP without blaming the government.

In your eyes, what needs happen to make this right?

Just stop the leak. Stop it. We just need to get that thing stopped. I can’t believe it’s taking this long. Stop the leak. That’s the first thing we’ve got to take care of.

[caption id="attachment_6323" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Cajun Kent Hornbacker, enjoying better days. // Photo: Windham"][/caption]

12th Annual Surfside Seventies In Memory of John Kissel

surfer — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:02:49 +0000

The 12th annual Surfside Seventies Expression Session this year is also in memory of John Kissel. The event is taking place on Saturday, July 10th at Anderson St. in Surfside, with 72 contestants battling it out on 1970's era surfboards. Surfside Seventies veteran John Kissel passed away this year and a trophy and mucho prizes will be given out for the "John Kissel Power Surfer Award". Contestants pick a number and get to choose between 4 different seventies shapes with the corresponding number. It is always a fun event with young and veteran surfers enjoying some classic shapes. Awards ceremony will be at Taco Surf in Surfside at 3pm. Carl Hayward, Bruce Jones, Harbour, Herbie Fletcher, Ben Aipa, Patrillo, any many more vintage seventies shapes will be on the beach for you viewing and surfing pleasure. Thanks and see you there, Rick Blake

Battle of The Blogs Heats Up

aaron carrera — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:55:45 +0000

In its second day and with only two more days left of voting, emotions are running high, palms are getting sweaty, nerves are racing, and tempers are beginning to flare.

Early last week, Marine Layer Productions creator/author Dane Reynolds was quoted as saying he would be a no-show for his heat. But despite being a no-show, Dane is running away with the lead in his Round 1 match-up.

The battle over the title of the biggest triple threat is getting close between 3 Slobs and The Three Tree Blog. Currently, Three Tree is out in front with 55% of the votes. Will 3 Slobs rise to the occasion or will they lie down and accept defeat?

In what could be one of the more surprising leads in the Battle, PostSurf has a commanding lead over surfing’s debauchery insider Nugable. Despite not having a new post in a nearly year, PostSurf enthusiasts have showed up to vote. If Nugable fans do come out, look for Nugable to make a last minute dash for victory.

The crazy life and antics of Paul “Fishtales” Fisher currently seem to be more appealing than life on the World Tour, as he currently has one of the largest leads in the battle. Fisher has been spotted on Facebook recruiting voters, while In Surf News blogger Freddy P is patiently waiting to attack with his strong Hawaiian contingent.

World Champ Steph “Happy” Gilmore might lose her first race in sometime to nude girl model aficionado Dion Agius. Steph will have to kick it into gear, as she only has 39% of the votes.

And finally, Joel Parkinson is out seeking revenge on the reigning World Champ Mick Fanning. We all know you can’t count out the Champ, but with Parko having 68% of the votes, Mick is going to have to pull every trick out of his bag to win this title.

Time will only tell which one of these bloggers will move onto the next round, and get one round closer to lifting the Battle of The Blogs Trophy high above their head.

Second Annual Ando and Friends Coloring Contest

surfer — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:49:34 +0000

Anyone and everyone is welcome to compete in the 2nd Annual Ando and Friends Coloring Contest

Click Here

Taylor Jensen Joins Firewire

aaron carrera — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:55:35 +0000

For Immediate Release

July 07, 2010

Taylor Jensen Joins Firewire

Firewire is proud to partner with Taylor Jensen and will be releasing a series of signature longboards designed by Taylor and Dan Mann, one of Firewire’s long time design collaborators and an accomplished surfer in his own right.

Arguably one of the most progressive long boarders of his generation and winning numerous titles around the world, Taylor wants to push longboard performance parameters ever higher and believes that Firewire’s tech offers a great platform to achieve that goal.

“I'm really excited to be joining Firewire team and working with my longtime friend Dan Mann to create some of the best longboards on the market. I really believe in the technology behind Firewire and I feel that by using that technology, Dan's shaping knowledge, and my performance surfing we will be able to create the best performance longboards on the market."

“Once again, following on the heels of Michel Bourez’s decision to join Firewire, one of the best surfers in the world has joined our team after experiencing our ‘stock’ technology”, added CEO Mark Price, “Taylor has been riding our boards on the down low for some time which is a serious endorsement of our tech and Dan’s designs. Now that its official, we’re excited to see the results of Dan’s collaboration with Taylor as they develop subtle changes geared specifically towards Taylor’s riding style.

The Firewire Taylor Jensen Series will be released for Holiday 2010 and will include pure performance longboards as well as boards designed for a more balanced approach.

“Firewire believes that refinements to the shape of today's modern surfboard can only produce incremental performance benefits. Exponential improvements in performance can only be achieved through new materials and construction methods which in turn will open up new design opportunities"

Media Contact: chuy.reyna@firewiresurfboards.com

Melali: The Drifter Sessions

surfer — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:15:37 +0000

While wandering through Indonesia filming the award winning surf movie The Drifter, Rob Machado met up with various friends for surf sessions on the best waves the islands had to offer.

Melali returns to the fundamentals of surf cinematography by focusing on the surfing experience the artful relationship between man and surf, and the sharing of this experience with good friends.

Featuring: Dane Reynolds, Kelly Slater, Kalani Robb, Shane Dorian, Dan Malloy, Mike Losness, Marlon Gerber, and Rizal Tanjung.

2010 NSSA Nationals

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:07:19 +0000

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Hands Across The Sand Video in Montauk, NY

aaron carrera — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:39:02 +0000

The fine people at Surfrider put together this video about the Hands Across The Sand movement several weeks ago. More videos like this need to be seen, so we can put an end to this nightmare.

QUIKSILVER AND THE STANDARD EXPAND COLLABORATION Summer 2010

surfer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:49:01 +0000

July 6, 2010- Quiksilver and The Standard hotels have joined forces once again after a successful bicoastal partnership last summer, to expand their boardshort collection and exclusive products sold through poolside vending machines. Four new custom designed Standard Boardshorts by Quiksilver will be sold alongside new Standard Sunglasses By Quiksilver, a reversible Standard Bikini By Quiksilver and Shiseido sunscreen. The Standard, Hollywood and The Standard Spa, Miami Beach will now have their own vending machines to expand those existing at The Standard, Downtown LA and The Standard, New York. And for those who won’t get a chance to visit the pools this summer, products will be available at The Standard Shop at www.shopthestandard.com and www.Quiksilver.com . The new limited edition retro Standard Boardshorts By Quiksilver are again inspired by each Standard hotel location in Hollywood, Downtown LA, Miami and New York and their respective color identities. The boardshorts now come in two lengths, 16” and 18” and are made with Quiksilver’s Diamond Dobby technology - the ultimate material for in-water performance - no rash, perfect stretch, ultra light-weight and quick to dry. This year the ladies get to enjoy a gorgeous custom bathing suit as well. The Standard Bikini By Quiksilver features a solid white bandeau top that reverses to yellow, with a low-rise bikini bottom. The convertible design allows for the top to be worn as three unique styles; tied around the neck, knotted and then tied around the neck or as a strapless bandeau. The new Standard Sunglasses By Quiksilver are hand-made, two-toned black acetate frames with distortion-free, shatter-resistant lenses and 100% UV sun protection. These sleek unisex shades are complemented with the Quiksilver signature black and red checkered print on the inside of the frame. From Shiseido, suncare products including a Refreshing Sun Spray for Hair/Body SPF 16 as well as an SPF 38 Face Cream will be offered for poolside protection. The spray offers cooling sun protection for the body, hair and scalp while the highly nourishing cream-formula offers maximum sun protection for the face. Both products complete the ultimate summer look by defending against UVA/UVB rays to leave skin smooth and glowing without any visible residue or uncomfortable stickiness. Artist, photographer and film-maker Cheryl Dunn was recruited once again to produce a short video to celebrate the collaboration. The film highlights the products set in the ultimate surfing backdrop, Costa Rica, and can be viewed on both the vending machine interface and soon on www.standardhotels.com. The collaboration will be celebrated in true Quiksilver and Standard spirit with a pool party with live music, BBQ, Ping Pong and more at The Standard, Spa in Miami during Miami Swimwear Fashion Week in July and at The Standard, Hollywood in late summer. The Standard Boardshorts By Quiksilver will retail for $75.00, the Bikini and Sunglasses will both be available for $88.00. Shiseido Sun Protection Spray SPF 16 will be available for $28.00 and Shiseido Sun Protection Cream SPF 38 will retail for $32.00. ABOUT QUIKSILVER Quiksilver is committed to providing tools for uncovering, expressing and expanding your personal style. Our aim is to foster the sense of individual expression and excitement - the stoke that is the essence of boardriding*. We're also here to spread the word because the only thing better than finding stoke is sharing it. *Boardriding is about timing and style. It's youthful, active, casual, and free flowing. There is no wrong way to ride a board. The goal is simply to learn, progress, improve, and give it your own interpretation. ABOUT THE STANDARD HOTELS André Balazs’ expanding collection of Standard Hotels include The Standard, Hollywood on the famed Sunset Strip, The Standard, Downtown, LA, featuring a roof-top pool and stunning panoramic views of the city, The Standard Spa in Miami, a holistic and hydrotherapy spa hotel on the waters of Biscayne Bay and most recently, The Standard, New York, located in Manhattan’s thriving Meatpacking District. For more information on The Standard hotels please visit www.standardhotels.com For more information on Quiksilver please visit www.Quiksilver.com For more information about Shiseido, please visit www.sca.shiseido.com Contact: Leslie Bishop Tiana Evans Quiksilver Nadine Johnson & Associates leslie@exposure.net tiana@nadinejohnson.com 212.226.2530 212-228-5555

NAGARE FLOWS INTO BEING

surfer — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:58:07 +0000

New Lifestyle Brand Launches Named after the Japanese philosophy of harmonious ‘flow’ required for optimal design in any medium, NAGARE’S initial product launch features a modest collection of boardshorts honoring the equally important design principle that form should always follow function, and that a great pair of boardshorts are essentially surfing equipment. NAGARE co-founders Dino Sakelliou and Lee Jakobs are long-time collaborators and lifelong surfers, and are passionate about building a lifestyle brand around their love of surfing and their other shared interests particularly in the world of design across all products. Lee has spent much of his career in design, developing websites, print collateral and helping to craft online strategies for some of the top outdoor industry brands such as; Rip Curl, Reef, Tavarua, Giro Sport Design, The North Face and Gotcha Sportswear among the list. In addition to a diverse portfolio including graphics and almost every apparel category imaginable, Dino Sakelliou has always pursued the perfect boardshort, honing his craft behind the scenes at many of the top surfwear brands over the past 20 years including; Reef, Op/seven2, Tavarua, The Realm, Rusty and Gotcha. And while perfection, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder, NAGARE believes surfers will appreciate the function inherent in the companies design ethos and notice the passion for attention to detail, while striving to reach that admittedly lofty goal. NAGARE is by no means trying to change the world. The Companies goals are far more modest than that. But NAGARE is dedicated to creating unique understated products with limited production runs, hopefully a welcomed change. Aside from targeting a handful of premium retailers, NAGARE will live online. “By removing the overhead and resultant financing required to develop a line that crosses all categories, we chose to remain focused for our new beginnings and tap into all of Dino’s experience. We’re able to grow organically, put more into our product and still maintain a reasonable price point”, explains co-founder Lee Jakobs. This will alow Dino to be freed from the traditional product development cycles allowing him to freely explore all of his design inspirations and product ideas.” NAGARE. function.form.flow Media contact: Lee@nagareflow.com www.nagareflow.com

Round 1 Comes To An End

aaron carrera — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:05:37 +0000

The results are in and Round of 32 is in the history books. For some it was a cakewalk to victory (Dane Reynolds), while for others it was a nail-biter that would come down to the final minutes, as the competitors used Facebook statuses, Tweets, and blog posts in their race to gather votes. But in the end, it doesn’t matter how you get the win—you just need to win.

A couple bloggers got off to a slow start, but the best came out on top. Young Wise Tails pulled off the come-from-behind win over the originals bloggers, The Goods Life. Young Wise Tail creators/brothers Conner and Parker Coffin proved the Coffin brothers are the now. And despite being without Internet connection for several days, Anastasia Ashley used her strong Twitter following to get the victory over Centaur creator, Sterling Spencer. Sterling, at a loss of how to gain votes, quickly did what anyone would do—put his face on Anastasia’s body, then posted it on his blog.

One of the more surprising victories was Follow The Fish creator, Paul Fisher, taking the win over In Surf News blogger and World Tour competitor Fred Patacchia. “I thought I had no chance in hell…he gets like 30K people a week on his blog,” said a shocked Paul Fisher.

In the 3 Slobs vs. The Three Tree heat, the Gudauskas brothers proved they’re the number one triple-combo in blogosphere. And still remaining superior, despite the fact that blogger Lewis Samules has not posted a new entry since last September, PostSurf took down the current ringleader of surfing’s debauchery, Nugable.

Will Dane Reynolds’ no-show heat strategy pay-off? Will PostSurf resurrect from the dead for a chance at victory? Or will Anastasia’s strong Twitter following shut down the remaining competition? Stay tuned to find out, as voting for Round 2 kicks off Monday July 12.

Round 1 Results:

Heat 1– Marine Layer def. SURFER 93% to 7% Heat 2 – PostSurf def. Nugable 60% to 40% Heat 3 – Joel Parkinson def. Mick Fanning 67% to 33% Heat 4 – Dooma’s Rumors def. Daily Stoke 56% to 44% Heat 5 –Anastasia Ashley def. Centaur Blog 52% to 48% Heat 6 – Surfy Surfy def. World Pro Surfers 78% to 22% Heat 7 –Transworld Surf def. ESPN 78% to 22% Heat 8 – Josh Kerr def. Julian Wilson 59% to 41% Heat 9 –The Three Tree def. 3 Slobs 53% to 47% Heat 10 –Follow the Fish def. In Surf News 72% to 28% Heat 11 –Dion Agius def. Steph Gilmore 65% to 35% Heat 12 – Young Wise Tails def. The Goods Life 53% to 48% Heat 13 – Stab def. Surfing 73% to 27% Heat 14 –The Surfer’s Journal def. The Brobot Report 62% to 38% Heat 15 –Korduroy.tv def. Arctic Surf 61% to 39% Heat 16 – Swaylocks def. Hydrodamica 61% to 39%

Curren, Kennedy, Merrick Honored

joel patterson — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:50:39 +0000

Last night, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) held it's annual Waterman's Ball, a fundraiser for environmental and other ocean-related charities held each summer at the flash Ritz Carlton at Salt Creek. The night includes silent and live auctions of art and surfboards, a steak dinner, moderate to heavy boozing, and awards in three categories—lifetime achievement, environmentalism, and the coup de grace, Waterman of the Year. While it's fun to socialize and wear that jacket that hangs gathering dust in my closet all year, I go for the speeches by recipients, and this year was the best bunch I've seen in the decade I've been attending. Here's a quick run down: Lifetime Achievement Award: Al Merrick The always jovial Shaun Tomson, the first big-name surfer to help popularize Merrick's Channel Islands Surfboards by showing the world how incredibly well they ride, introduced Merrick, but the legend didn't attend the Ball, sending a video in his place. But there to receive the award was 9-time world champ and honorary member of the Merrick household Kelly Slater, who teared up a bit while taking about the shaper who's been so much more to him than just his board builder. At one point, Kelly became emotional and was having a hard time continuing, and after a long pause, he looked out into the crowd of several hundred and smiling said, "Is anyone gonna help me out here?" The tension was broken, and the crowd burst out laughing and applauding. Kelly Slater continues to amaze. Merrick himself was said to be on an annual family vacation, which surprised no one who's ever met the humble evader of the spotlight. In his video acceptance, Al thanked the guys who rode his boards so well over the years, his family, and god. Environmentalist of the Year: Robert Kennedy Jr. Son of RFK, nephew of JFK, Robert Kennedy Jr. has the genetic oratory gift and passion that catapulted his family to the status of American royalty. President of the influential grass-roots environmental organization Waterkeeper Alliance, Kennedy has dedicated his life to the cause of keeping America's waterways pristine, an ideal he held up Saturday night as "our birthright as Americans." At events like this, I'm often just praying that the speaker gets to the end of his speech with his reputation still in tact, collecting a couple laughs along the way, but Kennedy's 20-minute soliloquy about keeping the oceans, lakes, and streams clean and able to sustain both sea life and the communities that use them as their livelihood and place of relaxation, was truly on another level. He concluded by vowing to continue battling big polluters like BP, saying, "I will die fighting with my boots on." I stood so quickly to applaud, my chair flew into the legs of the person behind me. Waterman of the Year: Tom Curren California's most talented and nuanced pro surfer ever, Tom Curren is many many things to the sport of kings—world champion, style master, and true soul surfer—but great orator he is not, but I had low expectations for his time at the podium. I've heard him mumble his way through a few interviews and appearances, and I always feel for him. Maybe it was the low expectations, or maybe as he ages he's accepted that simple speechifying suits him well, but his simple address and deep-felt thanks for the recognition was surprisingly smooth and coherent. I looked around the room and every 35- to 45-year-old guy in attendance was looking at him like god himself were in the room. When you can bury a rail like Tom, who cares about speeches? Read an archived interview with Curren. Check out a list of past Waterman winners in all categories. [gallery link="file" columns="2"]

RVCA to Join With Billabong

surfer — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:54:46 +0000

9 JULY 2010: Billabong today confirmed it had reached conditional agreement to acquire the California-based RVCA brand.

Billabong North America President Paul Naude said the acquisition signalled an exciting time in the evolution of RVCA and would afford the brand more creative freedom.

“RVCA has done an incredible job to date in terms of building its brand, differentiating its product and supporting various subcultures through its Artist Network Program, its athletes and its advocates,” said Mr Naude.

“We want to see it build on these strengths and we’ll offer the necessary support to allow it to achieve its potential.”

He said RVCA would benefit from the global infrastructure of the Billabong group.

“There comes a time in the development of a young brand when the administrative side of doing business can start to consume resources that are better applied to the creative development of the brand,” said Mr Naude.

“I think this is one of the strengths of the Billabong group. We have capabilities in areas including sourcing and the management of the supply chain, distribution and general financing and these types of support structures allow our brands to focus on product and marketing.”

Brand founder Pat Tenore said he was looking forward to working with Billabong.

“The original concept of RVCA was, and still is, to be a lifestyle brand that integrated different subcultures within one platform … a platform for likeminded people to produce great art and other creative endeavours, while getting recognition for their contribution and involvement,” said Mr Tenore.

“RVCA will be able to take this concept even further and provide a more extensive support base for the artists, athletes and advocates we work with.

“One of the key things about Billabong is its respect for the creative independence of each of its brands and that level of flexibility will allow RVCA to maintain its identity while benefiting from the support of the wider Billabong group.”

Big Issue Release Party

janna irons — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:53:37 +0000

In honor of the release of the year’s biggest issue, SURFER staff, friends, and fans invaded the dimly lit sushi hotspot Zenbu in Cardiff to celebrate. For us staffers, The Big Issue is not only the most unique and revered issue of the year, but also the most work. But what better way to blow of the steam from the long hours spent putting together this oversized edition than to throw a party, drink some sake, and revel with friends. If you weren't able to make it to the party, you can still pick up a copy on newsstands until the end of July. [caption id="attachment_6435" align="aligncenter" width="599" caption="The flaming Sushi Special. Photos: Giuseppe DeMasi"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6439" align="aligncenter" width="599" caption="Managing Editor Brendon Thomas, Photo Editor Grant Ellis, Ad Sales Executive Jye Townend, and Magnum Martinez."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6443" align="aligncenter" width="599" caption="Lovely ladies Alysha, Stacy, and Britt."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6440" align="aligncenter" width="599" caption="Keala Kenelly and manager Roberta Rodger."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6438" align="aligncenter" width="599" caption="Packed."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6446" align="aligncenter" width="599" caption="Julian Wilson, times two."][/caption]

Patagonia Cardiff Board Swap 2010

surfer — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:30:38 +0000

Patagonia Surf Shop in Cardiff hosted a community surfboard swap meet on June 19, 2010. For more info on future events follow them on Facebook & Twitter or email store_cardiff@patagonia.com. Video: ToughPugPictures.com

Welcome To Water

surfer — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:10:49 +0000

Join ILOVEMUSUBI.COM and SURFER Magazine to celebrate the opening of Shorebreak photographer Clark Little latest exhibit at the W. San Diego this Thursday at 7 PM. Guests will enjoy hosted bites, speciality cocktails, and good music, as well as pick up a signed-on-site copy of Little's latest book "The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little"--the signing will be from 7-9 PM, with a Q & A to follow. The W San Diego is located at 21 W. B St. San Diego, CA 92101. You can reach them at (619) 398-3100 or at www.thewsandiegohotel.com.

Innersection Returns With a Vengeance

aaron carrera — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:31:32 +0000

The biggest video sensation to hit the Internet since YouTube is back. Taylor Steele’s newest project, Innersection TV, began its summer quarter (third of four) last Thursday, with submissions from the likes of Josh Kerr, John John Florence, Pat Guadaskas, Dane Zaun, Ian Walsh, Granger Larson, Ry Craike, and Clay Marzo.

The summer quarter is a mixture of current and former World Tour surfers, surfing’s next prodigies, and global superstars. But judging from the first few days of competition, it’s the prodigies who are showing the veterans their time may be running out—and fast. Three out of the top five videos are surfers who are under the age of 21.

With the highest rated video so far, Clay Marzo is holding down the number one spot, with fellow Hawaiian John John Florence right behind him. John John’s section is pretty insane—combining good music, solid waves, and creativity to make it one of the more premier sections. And Josh Kerr gives us a little prelude to his upcoming signature release, The Kerrazy Chronicles, with what could be one of the most innovative airs I have ever seen at the end of his section.

Week Two is nearly in the books and soon the Top 10 will be announced. Voters will then return to weigh on which are worthy of being in the Top 5. Then finally, in Week Four, the winners will be announced and the surfers will go back to work to make their best section possible for the final Innersection DVD.

The final DVD will include the five winners from each quarter—making for 20 sections from the best surfers seen on Innersection TV. From the 20 featured sections, voters will than decide on which one they feel is deserving of the $100K grand prize.

If you haven’t voted yet, make sure to go to Innersection TV and put in your two cents before it’s too late. Stay tuned in the coming weeks, as we have some of the top Innersection candidates from this quarter and previous quarters weighing in on their favorite videos in the competition.

21st Annual Waterman’s Weekend Raises More than $400,000

surfer — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:42:48 +0000

- Tom Curren, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Al Merrick Also Honored -

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (July 13, 2010) — More than 650 professional surfers and surf industry VIPs joined together to support the preservation of the ocean at the SIMA Environmental Fund Waterman’s Weekend fundraiser on July 8 -9. The 10th Annual Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament took place at the Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point on July 8, and the 21st Annual Waterman’s Ball took place at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel on July 9. Waterman’s Weekend fundraising efforts exceeded the event goal of $400,000 for protecting oceans and surf breaks locally in Orange County and around the world. “Supporting the efforts of the 19 ocean-related Waterman’s Weekend beneficiaries has never been more necessary than before with the worst man made environmental disaster happening in the Gulf right now,” said Paul Naude, President of the SIMA Environmental Fund. “Thanks to the surf industry, this year we raised $400,000 and now Waterman’s Weekend has raised more than $5.4 million over the past 21 years for environmental causes. A special thanks goes to our honorees, Tom Curren and Al Merrick for their dedication to the sport of surfing. As well as our Environmentalist of the Year recipient, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for fighting to protect and preserve our playground and livelihood and inspiring us all.” The event also honored surfing legend Tom Curren as Waterman of the Year, environmental leader Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Environmentalist of the Year, and the iconic surfboard shaper Al Merrick with the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award for their powerful influence on the sport, culture and business of surfing. Along with the honoree award presentations, the live auction was a highlight of the Waterman’s Ball. Audi donated the 2010 Green Car of the Year Award Winner, a 2010 Audi A3 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel and the heated bidding for the car finally settled at $40,000. The House of Blues of Anaheim donated a private party for 500 people and doubled up the package, selling each for $32,500. Other auction items included two commissioned pieces by Wolfgang Bloch, a Vans Triple Crown of surfing Hawaii VIP Package, a Tavarua surf trip, and a limited edition wood stand up paddle board accompanied by a private surf session with Laird Hamilton. The dinner table centerpieces, created by Malcom Wilson, were handcrafted, limited edition, miniature replicas of Tom Curren’s famous Black Beauty Al Merrick surfboard signed by both 2010 Waterman honorees Curren and Merrick themselves. Each board was created using actual Clark foam and featured a wood stringer, handmade fins and fiberglass finish. The centerpieces were auctioned off to the highest bidder at each table. All the money raised during the centerpiece auction will go directly to the Gulf oil disaster cleanup effort. All other funds raised will go directly to supporting specific programs of 19 non-profit environmental organizations that address water quality and ocean pollution issues, defend beaches and surf breaks from development, and provide public education on ocean conservation. Beneficiaries include: Surfrider Foundation, Ocean Institute, WiLDCOAST, Heal the Bay, Orange County CoastKeeper, Surfing Education Association, Alaska Wilderness League, Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Save the Waves Coalition, Reef Check, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, SINADES: Natural Systems and Development Civil Association, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, North Shore Community Land Trust, Assateague Coastal Trust, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Ocean Defenders Alliance and Paso Pacifico. Tom Curren, Waterman of the Year Three time World Champion and Waterman of the Year, Tom Curren, is considered the leader of the surfing revolution of the ‘80s and the source of inspiration for many of today’s surfers. As the King of Style who has been emulated the world over, Tom’s buttery-smooth rhythm, raw power and unique check turns led him to outsurf the rest. In his reign as World Champion, everyone wanted to surf like Curren. The rivalry in the 80’s between Australian wunderkind Mark Occhilupo and California soul champion Curren produced the most exciting competitive clashes in the history of surfing. Their most memorable battle was the Rip Curl Bells Pro semi that clinched Curren's first World Title in 1985. In 2009, the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay pitted the duo in a “Clash of the Icons” for two expression session heats resulting in a tie with one win each. Outside of the water, Curren developed a memorable surfing career alongside Channel Island’s Al Merrick, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, co-producing and riding many pro surfboard models such as the Black Beauty and the Red Beauty. As an overall ambassador for the sport of surfing, SIMA is proud to have honored Curren as the 2010 Waterman of the Year. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Environmentalist of the Year Environmentalist of the Year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has a heroic reputation as the resolute defender of the environment. Kennedy has been given such prestigious honors as being named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet,” for his success of helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 125 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe, which includes Waterman’s Weekend beneficiary organizations: Assateaague Coastkeeper, Orange County Coastkeeper, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and Santa Monica Baykeeper. As well as serving as the President of the Waterkeepr Alliance, Kennedy serves as Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper. Credited for fighting back anti-environmental legislation in congress, Kennedy is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development. His valiant efforts to preserve and protect our waters has set a precedent in environmental law as well as for the future and SIMA is honored to have such a strong environmental leader as this year’s SIMA Environmentalist of the Year. Al Merrick, Lifetime Achievement Award For the past four decades the world’s top surfers have trusted this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Al Merrick, with their livelihood. As the most well-known shaper of all time, Merrick’s fingerprints are not only on the revolutionary boards he shapes, but the progression and culture of the surf industry as well. Merrick hand shaped Waterman of the Year Tom Curren’s quiver since Curen was a kid and when Curren’s status as a pro surfer exploded on the scene in the early 80s, so did Merrick and his surfboard label, Channel Islands. While no one can surf like Curren, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Lisa Andersen or Shaun Tomson, they can at least ride their boards - created by Merrick. Still to this day, Merrick’s mission is to provide the most dedicated surfers with the most advanced, performance designs, continuing not only his legacy but his impact on the surf industry into the future. Although Al was not able to attend the Waterman’s Ball in person to accept his award, one of Al’s longtime riders, Kelly Slater, accepted the award on Al’s behalf. Photos from the event are available for media. For media inquires please contact SIMA Communications Manger, Mandy Johnson at Mandy@sima.com or 949.366.1164 x7. The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 20 years, SIMA's Environmental Fund has raised more than $5.4 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world's oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established in 2006 to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people.

# # #

Contact: Mandy Johnson SIMA Communications Manager 949.366.1164 x7 mandy@sima.com www.sima.com

Patrick Trefz's IDIOSYNCRASIES U.S. Premiere Tomorrow Night

surfer — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:52:23 +0000

Premiering in the U.S. for the first time is Patrick Trefz's newest film IDIOSYNCRASIES. The film will be making it's premiere in Trefz's hometown of Santa Cruz, CA tomorrow night (July 14) at the Rio Theater and will begin at 8 p.m.. Idiosyncrasies' presents an exploration of some truly unique minds, revealing what's behind the impact of some of surfing's most influential underground individuals. Featured surfers in the film include Richard Kenvin, Andrew Kidman, Lance Ebert, Christian Beamish, Tom, Leeann, Frank and Pat Curren, Bill and Josh Mulcoy. To purchase tickets in advance click here.

A Simmons Summit

surfer — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:48:44 +0000

“The Simmons Effect” at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente last Saturday, July 10^th was at once a memorial and technical conference on the design legacy of Bob Simmons. While his modified displacement hulls, shaped from balsa in the late 1940s and early 50s, might at first glance seem to have scant relation to the high performance boards of today, it was in fact Simmons’ awareness and application of hydrodynamic theory that set California surfing on a new trajectory from the previous standard of straight-line plank riding.

[caption id="attachment_6512" align="aligncenter" width="512" caption="The wide selection of both original Simmons boards (including Bob Meistrell's rare slot board), and an even rarer slot bellyboard, and some modern interpretations, including Tyler Warren's, and Carl Ekstrom's shapes. Photo credit: Ben Siegfried"][/caption] John Elwell, a personal friend of Simmons, spoke to the impact the man had on the small crew of La Jolla kids who would scratch their heads at the odd-looking craft that would emerge from Simmons’ garage—wide tailed keel fins with extra nose rocker scarfed-in, a deep concave running through the stern, and elliptical rails—so different that any other craft of the time. Richard Kenvin showed footage from his ongoing Hydrodynamica project of Ryan Burch slip-sliding at top speed on the reef waves of Wind an Sea and fellow conceptual test pilot Lucas, gliding a Simmons keel at Malibu, eerily like the goofy-footed craftsman of old himself, 60-years to the day on a swell of similar proportions. [caption id="attachment_6517" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Modern Simmons Test Pilots Christian Beamish, Tyler "Pickle" Warren, Ryan Burch, and Lucas Dirkse. Photo Credit: Linda Michael"][/caption]

The boards on display (a number of Simmons originals among them) all shared some link to the high aspect planing ratio and findings of Daniel Bernoulli, the 18^thcentury mathematician whose work Simmons applied to the “problem” of surfboard design, and in the widest sense, the boards exhibited the principles of efficient fluid dynamics, which, of course, is essential to being set free on the face of a wave. More and more it seems, the Surfing Heritage Foundation is fulfilling its role, not only as a repository of our sport’s history, but also a place of continuance and exchange, where surfers of today can access the many offshoots of modern surfboard design and learn from the wealth of knowledge accumulating generation by generation.

—Christian Beamish

J-BAY: SHEA'S TAKE ON ROUND 1

shea lopez — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:18:39 +0000

Today at J-Bay was a perfect example of what the World Tour is all about. You see, for the majority of us viewers the real draw, and what keeps us drooling at our computer screens all night, is the mind-numbing perfect surf. Faced with the daily grind and so-so surf at our local break, we become mesmerized with every perfect wave peeling down the point. The surfers are interchangeable and every surfer’s biggest challenge is to perform equal to the quality of the surf. Any mistakes out there and you stand to be crucified by internet critics across the world⎯all of which surely mind-surfed the wave to perfection. Who matched the quality of the surf today? Surprisingly or not, if you compare today's conditions to some of the junk heats so far this year, it was guys who have struggled to get results in 2010. In the first three heats alone, Adam Melling, Andy Irons, and Nate Yeomans all excelled. Andy came out of the gates blazing⎯scoring a 7.5, and as his heat went on he looked more and more like the 3-time World Champ. For Melling and Yeomans, who had three 33rds, it's now or never if they have any chance in hell of seeing the second half of the season. Then there's the obvious stars. Dane attempted to throw his heat away, but still found himself on his board long enough to post two big scores. Bobby, Jordy, Kelly, Taj, Kelly, and Mick were all perfect, as perfect as the surf, and that's what we should expect from 2010's group of World Title contenders. Now, hopefully, these idyllic conditions persist long enough for us to get our fill of J-Bay, as we simultaneously view some smoking heats to witness this year’s lucky winner. Go get some sleep now all you fiends out there⎯myself included of course. For complete results and Round 2 matchups click here.

The View From Mississippi

surfer — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:23:06 +0000

Pro Surfer Mary Osborne’s Firsthand Take

It's been a week exactly since I traveled down to the Gulf of Mississippi. I was completely unsure of what I was going to experience, see, and feel. Being from California, it is almost impossible to imagine what is really happening down in the Southern states with this tragic oil spill. We see things in the media, which is always construed and far from the truth. To experience something firsthand is an entirely a different story. Honestly, I am still very disturbed and confused by this horrific oil spill. I am in my office editing a movie montage of the experience and I am having a difficult time holding the tears back. The photographs and real-life interviews are sadly disturbing.

[caption id="attachment_6536" align="aligncenter" width="266" caption="Workers doing what they can to save the local sea life. Photo: Heidingsfelder "][/caption]

The 26-mile coastline in Gulf Port, Mississippi, is now covered with tar balls, tractors, and BP workers scouring the beach. The same beach I spent watching beautiful fireworks on our nation’s Independence Day, three days later was covered in tar. The most frightening part was the beach was still open to the public. Children swimming in the ocean, tar sticking to tourists shoes, beach businesses down more than 70 percent. Why hasn't BP closed these beaches? Who is in charge here? What is our government doing to protect these people? What are the longterm heath effects of this toxic oil spill?

[caption id="attachment_6533" align="aligncenter" width="266" caption="Mary trying to remember what the beach looked like without the tar. Photo: Heidingsfelder"][/caption] A local Gulf Port fisherman tells me, “It’s so sad to think we know more about our universe than our oceans. Since the spill, all of the local fisherman are out of work. We have no idea what the effects of this spill will bring for us longterm. We don't even know if we can ever fish again. I had $145,000 with my boat and business certificates, today I have nothing.”

It seems that the Southern States have been getting hit dramatically hard in the last five years. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina wiped out Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. In 2006-’07, citizens rebuilt the physical aspects they lost from Katrina. People were able to slowly start over, build their community, and regain faith. In 2008-’09, all U.S. citizens experienced the effects of our nation's economic recession in some way, shape, or form. Then, on April 20, 2010 an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig has been called the largest environmental disaster in America's history, changing the lives of many.

Local business owners Collen and Todd Reed speak out with frustration, “This year was supposed to be our best year yet. We struggled non-stop since Katrina with various economic hurdles. Businesses were slowly picking up, tourists were traveling back to Mississippi, spirits were high, and now this.” While trying to hold back the tears, Colleen states, “It’s almost like AIDS. You can't see the slow long death of this oil spill.”

[caption id="attachment_6535" align="aligncenter" width="579" caption="Locals voice their message through whatever mediums possible. Photo: Mehler"][/caption]

Strange how our nation’s economic downfall and this oil spill are both manmade catastrophes. At least Katrina was a natural disaster where one could rebuild the physical elements of their life that were lost. At this point in time, the future is entirely unknown. So who is to blame in this situation? We easily point fingers at BP, our government, and other people. The reality is, we are all to blame. It is time to stop blaming others and take matters into our own hands. We need to make changes to protect our Mother Earth, changes for this current generation and, most importantly, the future generations. —Mary Osborne

Innersection Top 6 Picks

surfer — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:45:09 +0000

Conner Coffin Weighs in on The Summer Round

With Innersection TV’s Summer Round nearly in the books, we reached out to a select few to have them voice their opinions on which ones should move on, and which ones should go home. In the next week we you will hear from top surfers, as they critique their counterparts in more ways than one.

SURFER Magazine caught up with Santa Barbara’s Conner Coffin, a participant of the Spring Round of Innersection, to get his thoughts on the Summer Round.

Conner’s Summer Round Top 6 Picks

John John Florence:

“First of all, John picked a killer song. Finally, someone switched it up with something besides that techno-electro weirdo stuff. That made his part stand out instantly. I’ve been blown away by his surfing lately. This part reminded me of a Bruce Irons part: big barrels and sick airs. The only thing I wanted to see was a few more Pipe waves, but that one Second Reef bomb sufficed.

Pat Guadaskas:

Pat was surfing really well in his part! It’s weird—when people do the Tour and all of the ’QS events, it seems that you don't see much of them for a while. I kind of felt that way about Pat, so I was really stoked to see what he came up with. He definitely didn’t let me down. He had some huge airs. Plus, Pat is one of the nicest guys ever—same goes for Tanman and Dane. I couldn’t say a bad thing about any of those brothers.

Josh Kerr:

Whoa. This part was kind of mind boggling. He did some airs that I can’t even begin to comprehend. I'm always one for carves, but Kerrzy's airs were nuts! I also liked the editing and all that.

Torrey Meister:

Before I watched Torrey’s part, he told me that he and Victor (Pakpour) threw it together really quickly, without having much time to work together. After watching it, I got that sense, but Torrey also had some crazy surfing in it. I really liked the fact that he had combos in his part: a couple of waves with big turns, straight into huge airs.

Dean Morrison:

The one barrel Dean has at Backdoor is BULLSH*T. So sick! That one clip stood out more than any—in all of the sections I watched. He also had some big airs, and just all in all it was a well-rounded part.

Clay Marzo:

Clay pulls stuff that just shouldn’t be pulled. I don’t understand. He will be completely off of his board and then magically stand up on the thing. I feel like I have seen some of his footage before, but it was a good part. I really like that he made an effort to put some backside surfing in there. Nice to mix it up.

*Check back tomorrow when fellow Young Wise Tail author Parker Coffin tells us who he thinks had the best sections of the Summer Round.

Bruce Irons & Coco Ho Summer Tour 2010

surfer — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:17:42 +0000

PRIMO BEER PARTNERS WITH CHINA UEMURA’S AND 88 TEES 26th ANNUAL LONGBOARD CLASSIC AS PRESENTING SPONSOR

surfer — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:43:58 +0000

PRIMO BEER PARTNERS WITH CHINA UEMURA’S AND 88 TEES 26^th ANNUAL LONGBOARD CLASSIC AS PRESENTING SPONSOR

Honolulu, HI (July 12, 2010) – In Hawaii, tradition runs deep. From upholding the hula to barbecues with family and Primo’s on the beach with friends, we take our history seriously in the islands. But of the many pastimes that we hold dear, China Uemura’s and 88 Tee’s Annual Longboard Classic is one of our favorites. This year, Primo Beer is proud to announce their role in the contest as the event’s presenting sponsor.

Held at Queens in Waikiki on July 22-25, the event is one of the finest examples of surfers coming together under the sun for a good cause. “Primo has been a part of Hawaii for decades,” said Primo’s brand manager Kyle Wortham. “And so has China’s Longboard Classic. It’s great to see these two uniquely Hawaiian pastimes coming together to celebrate the spirit of surfing in Hawaii for this great event. Primo is thrilled to continue supporting Hawaii’s watermen and women.”

More than just a chance to surf and talk story with friends and family, China’s Longboard Classic also gives back to the community with a charity that raises money for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

“I love putting on this contest every year. Between the good vibes in the water and the charity we support, the event is always refreshing,” said Hawaiian surfing legend China Uemura. “And with Primo onboard this year, it’s only gonna make it better than ever!”

True to Hawaii’s waterman roots, the event includes divisions for longboarding, SUP, as well as amateur and specialty heats. For more information and to register for the event, go to ChinaUemura.com

To wrap up a solid day at the beach on July 23^rd, LuLu’s Bar in Waikiki will be hosting the awards ceremony and wrap party for the event and serving Primo specials. On July 24th at 6pm, Tiki’s Grill and Bar will be hosting a fashion show and trunk party with a live DJ.

About Primo:

Primo is proud to support its surrounding communities by donating a portion of the proceeds from each case Primo to nonprofit organizations including the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation that works to help preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture and environment. For more information about Primo beer, visit www.primobeer.com.

Media Contacts:

Jon Holecz

Direct Line: 203-842-2090

Fax: 203-834-8666

holecz@brzoom.com

###

BP’s Containment Cap Shuts Off Flow to Gulf

surfer — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:39:42 +0000

April 20^th 2010 marked a day that will not soon be forgotten. The Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank, kicking off one of the biggest environmental disasters we’ve ever seen. After a series of failed and sometimes ridiculous attempts, BP lowered a containment cap onto the ruptured well. Eighty-six days (with anywhere between 93.5 million and 184.3 million gallons spilled) have passed, and now BP has finally succeeded in choking off the flow of oil puking into the Gulf.

While the containment cap BP lowered into place is still in testing stages, any good news from the oil soaked region is a breath of fresh air. At the White House, President Obama reacted to the news, saying, "I think it's a positive sign. We're still in the testing phase. I'll have more to say on it tomorrow."

BP lowered the cap into place on Monday, saying that they would slowly shut off the flow, measuring the pressure along the way. High pressure measurements would be a good thing, meaning that there are no other leaks. At 11:30 this morning, engineers slowly eased the flow of oil to the kill line and shut the final choke line at 2:25 pm. BP exec Kent Wells called it a “critical milestone”, but stressed that success is not guaranteed. The tests on the well will last anywhere from six to 48 hours, and the longer the better. Longer waiting periods mean more pressure building up in the well, which means no other leaks. Drilling on the relief wells has been suspended during testing, but at last measurement, the drill bit was a mere four feet away from the side of the well and only 150 feet from the target depth.

As the world collectively holds its breath for the next 48 hours, the end of this catastrophe looms closer on the horizon.

For more information, click here

To see live feed, click here

April 20^th 9:45 p.m. – High pressure methane gas shoots up the Deepwater Horizon’s drill column, spews onto the platform, and explodes. Fire breaks out, killing eleven people. The rig sinks, destroying the drilling riser running from the wellhead, and initiates one of the biggest man-made disasters in history.

April 21- July 11 – Amidst serious skepticism from the general public, BP tries and fails with numerous capping tactics. Images from the Gulf of Mexico scorch the eyes of the public, causing one of the greatest public volunteer turnouts ever.

July 11– BP lowers a 75 ton cap over the busted well, with BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles saying "we're going to get this thing stopped as fast as we can. If it is not in the next couple of days with the test, we'll do it with the relief wells."

July 15^th 2:25 p.m. – Oil flow into the Gulf of Mexico stops completely for the first time in 85 days, 16 hours and 25 minutes.

-Alex Haro

Laird Hamilton Urges President Obama to Reinstate Off Shore Drilling Moratorium

jeff mull — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:35:44 +0000

In a recent online video posted by the Surfrider Foundation, Laird Hamilton is urging the Obama Administration to reinstate a federal moratorium on off shore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. In the weeks following the spill, the administration issued a six-month hold on drilling in the Gulf, hoping to prevent another explosion and subsequent leak as a result of faulty equipment. The moratorium was subsequently blocked with an injunction by a federal judge in New Orleans, citing the potential economic pitfalls of instilling a hold on drilling. According to a press release from the Surfrider Foundation, the goal of the video was "to increase awareness about the situation in the Gulf of Mexico and encourage people to take action by writing the President and other elected officials asking them to reinstate the moratorium on offshore oil drilling." Hamilton, who has been to the Gulf and seen the disaster first-hand, added that "...this tragic and devastating spill in the Gulf of Mexico is sickening proof that off shore drilling is not the answer." Although the prospect of another spill is downright nauseating, cutting jobs in the already hard-hit region as a result of the moratorium is equally painful, giving this issue all of the attributes of a conundrum.

SPY Presents: Wade's World Win Goodall's Goods

surfer — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:03:12 +0000

SPY Presents: Wade's World

Win Goodall's Goods

Including: Bodega Sunglass from SPY

Boardshorts, Knit, Tee and Hat from BILLABONG

Full Team Kit from MONSTER

CONTEST ENDS JULY 28TH! ENTER NOW!

Spy Optic was created by a passionate group of action sports and motorsports enthusiasts who quickly attracted the attention of the world’s best athletes. Based in Southern California, at the crossroads of an emerging Action Sports culture in the mid-nineties, the SPY brand was born. The Cross, a symbol commonly used to denote faith, is for SPY a signal rather than a symbol. Representing our unique position as a nexus entity immersed in Boardsports, Motorsports, Fashion and Culture, SPY is the Brand that invites the world to “Live Thru Our Lens.”

The SPY brand has supplied not only the fashion to suit your passion; it has been a market leader in eyewear related technology. The Spy Scoop® venting system combats lens fogging by promoting airflow between the lens and the wearer’s face. Spy’s polarization treatments supersede existing eyewear standards with its premium injected Trident polarized lenses. The lenses effectively eliminate more than 99 percent of blinding glare for precise, unobstructed vision. Look for SPY to keep pushing the boundaries for both taste & technology! Stay on top of all the biz at spyoptic.com.

Dane's Finless Warm Up

brendon thomas — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:43:37 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6622" align="alignnone" width="599" caption="Dane's warm up for his third round heat consisted of a quick stretch and a spin on an Alaia. Photo: Ellis"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6623" align="alignnone" width="599" caption="While everyone's eyes were on Jordy Smith and Nate Yoemans at Supertubes, Dane was down the point testing some new equipment. Photo: Ellis "][/caption]

Bye Round 2; Hello Round 3

surfer — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:07:23 +0000

After spending grueling hours studying and taking intense notes on Innersection TV's Summer Round, SURFER Magazine's Intern Casey Butler, put together this fine list of standouts in Round 3. It's no easy task to decide on who were the best, but Casey found a way and is bringing something new to the table.

Casey's Round 3 Standouts

Something about the summer round of INNERSECTION feels… different. The openings are simple, the endings are sometimes non-existent, and there’s a decided absence of quirk. After some initial disappointment, I decided this is not a bad thing. This round is just more cut and dry. It’s not gimmicky --with the exception of Ozzy’s unicorn, but who doesn’t like unicorns? It’s straightforward. It’s surfing, and the talent is clearly on display for us to judge--no distractions.

5. Ozzy Wright. The dramatic black and white, magical horned horse, and kazoo playing definitely showed us Ozzy’s personality and filled the previously mentioned quirk void. These flourishes are fun, but Wright-Wrong’s stylish cruising and soaring airs are the real entertainment in this section.

4. Ry Craike. Oh, how I wish this section did not begin with sappy wax footage. Beyond that, though, Ry pulls some massive floaters and incredibly mighty cutbacks, not to mention he wedges himself into some great barrels. The cinematography itself is, at times, quite gorgeous, and while there are some quick scene setters, the excess is kept to a minimum. No naked ladies floating around here. What a relief, right?

3. John John Florence. John John’s video is high-energy, high-quality, and does a really amazing job of showing us John John’s breadth of skill. Including skateboarding was an interesting choice that works. The ramps are woven in with an awesome variety of waves--some really heavy and/or gnarly.

2. Pat Gudauskas. Some may call it cheesy, but I like the pins in the map concept. I love that the section begins at Mavericks. I didn’t even know Pat G surfed Mavericks. He manhandles the waves of Mavs, Indo, and SoCal with equal [immaculate] control.The editing is sharp and the Bastard Lovechild of Rock N’ Roll (music) is a top-choice accompaniment to Pat’s mental airs.

1. Josh Kerr. Josh Kerr has style and grace, but even more importantly: he is fun to watch. That first ride, where he’s expertly navigating an insanely crowded wave, perfectly illustrates his dexterity and strength. My favorite shots are the tightly framed barrels, but his boosts are sufficiently impressive as well. Oh, and that purple board? So good.

Good Day For South Africa

shea lopez — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:56:25 +0000

Today was a good day--if you’re South African, or would like someone besides Kelly to win this years world title. Say whatever you want about Kelly losing by .04 to Sean, but the truth is Kelly fell on his first wave and the best wave of the heat. At inconsistent J-Bay, there is no room for error and Kelly lost that heat mainly because of that wave. Plus Sean surfed two flawless set waves.

Before Kelly’s loss to Sean, Andy had looked like one of the few guys capable of taking down Kelly. Andy started off on fire again vs. Sean, but Sean never even blinked. With little time remaining and needing a score, Sean let Andy take a perfect set wave under his priority, in which Andy ripped all the way to the beach. What happened next, to the delight of the kazoo blowing soccer crazed South Africans, was Sean drawing a perfect line through one of the only legit tubes of the day, and in a matter of a couple hours he had taken out 12 years worth of world titles. In case you didn't already know--Sean Holmes is a bad man at J-Bay.

With Kelly going down, we now have a new world Number 1: Jordy Smith. Today was a good day to be South African, or a Jordy Smith fan--easily posting huge scores on mediocre waves. Jordy is now slightly ahead of Taj Burrow as the favorite to win the event. Looks like Slater won't be walking away with his tenth world title anytime soon, as Jordy and Taj look determined to get their first. And that's great news for everyone staying up all night to watch heats online.

Shea's Take On The Final Day

shea lopez — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:08:25 +0000

How the headline would've read in 2009: Congratulations Bede Durbidge J-Bay Pro Champion! But it's 2010 and the ASP has changed the judging criteria. They now have deemed every heat to be an airshow. Apologies to Bede for my error. But what I witnessed was Bede catching proper J-Bay walls and tearing them to pieces. And from Jordy--well, he surfed a great heat if he was surfing one-foot beachbreak.

Is there really a comparison though? I don't think so. There is more to surfing than aerials, and the waves Bede surfed didn't even offer the opportunity to perform above the lip, as a proper J-Bay wave will give you. Take note of this result--riding smaller waves that allow you to perform aerials easier can and will score you above your wildest dreams.

Congratulations Jordy Smith! You are the 2010 Billabong Pro J-Bay Champion! Jordy was by far the best surfer of the event. Taj had moments, but every wave Jordy caught was surfed to its maximum and well above its potential. Taj was noticeably surfing beyond himself, and was making mistakes--most regrettably on his last wave in the semi-final. With a clean finish to that wave, he stood a good chance of receiving the score required to win the heat. Plain and simple the best surfer won. His questionable semi-final heat win was actually a testament to his mastery of the system that perfectly goes hand-in-hand with his freakish ability to perform. With Jordy's first WT (World Tour) victory and now leading the WT rankings, it's official--Jordy Smith has learned how to win on a WT level with a planned, precise, and deadly attack. It's ok to be scared now Kelly. Jordy wants a world title of his own and is doing the dirty work to achieve it. Now if Dane would get his hands dirty as well, Kelly would have reason to be afraid--very afraid actually.

Hope you enjoyed the 4^th and final day or night of WT action. I know I did. Especially seeing Adam Melling crush heat after heat all the way to the finals. With the form he is capable of, it would've been a shame to see him get the boot after Teahupoo. As it stands now, we will be able to witness his committed hyper-speed surfing for the remainder of the season.

Goodnight or good morning and see you all next at Teahupoo--now I'm going to work on getting back on a normal sleeping schedule.

Parker Coffin’s Innersection Summer Round Favorites

surfer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:57:20 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6652" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="Parker gearing up for his Innersection.tv debut. Photo: Glaser"][/caption]

When the Summer Round began, Young Wise Tail creator/author Parker Coffin put aside blog posts and geometry homework to be SURFER’s connoisseur. E-mails full of opinions began to pour in, though Parker claimed this Round was too hard to pick favorites. In the end though he narrowed it down and gave us his Top 5 picks for Round 3.

John Florence

John is surfing amazing in this video--huge tubes, big airs, and sick carves. I gave this video a 10, because the surfing was incredible in all kinds of waves, the editing flowed nice with the song, and the song is real music. No Techno weird sounds that give you a headache--classic music with real instruments. He has the "full package" people are always talking about. In my eyes if the part gets you pumped to surf, then it's a good part.

Josh Kerr

He does messed up things. Airs that aren’t meant to be pulled he pulls, and those reverse things are just out of this world. I gave this video an 8, because of just how good he is surfing throughout the whole video. It shows how much stuff Kerrzy can do that other people can’t. The song was good, just not my favorite. I think the section lacked huge tubes at pipe and mysto slabs. Having waves like that could have brought his section up to a 9 or 10.

Pat Gudauskas

Super good all-around part. Started off with two big Mavs waves (something Pat G isn’t known for doing) and then goes into the rest of the section. Huge airs, good Indo barrels, and big flips. I really like the whole map concept too--it’s a really smart way to group clips of certain areas together so it doesn’t look choppy. I didn’t like the song at first, but as the video went on it grew on me. This video just needs more frontside combos. The backside combos at Lowers were legendary, and I just think it needs some more frontside combo clips to even it out. Overall, I really liked this section. I gave it a solid 9.

Clay Marzo

All you can really say about this video is "WOW." It’s hard for me to comprehend the stuff he does, because nobody else does it like he does. This video part is different than all of Clay’s other ones, because this one shows him going right. However, I still think it needs more of him going right in big barrels. He has a few clips, but it needs more to make it into the 9-10 ratings. Also, not into the song--it’s edited well to the song, but I just don’t like it. It just seemed like the song didn’t fit Clay as a person that much. I gave this video an 8.

Dillon Perillo

Dillon's surfing is super well rounded. He has the big airs, effortless style, and good carves to compete among the best. My favorite clips in the whole section were the couple slob air-reverses. Those things are so hard and nobody does them that much. I thought the song was horrid personally. For how much Dillon flows in his surfing, he should of had a song that matched that. This song was just noise and no rhythm. I think it’s good enough to make it into the movie, but not good enough to win overall. I gave it a 7.

Art Scene: Foam Magazine Gathers Surfing’s Hip

surfer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:37:59 +0000

All photos: Photo: Keegan Fong for Insight

Saturday night, the summer of heavy partying continued thanks to our good friends at Foam Magazine. As the sun set on a scorching summer evening in Hollywood, a crowd of surfers and hipsters gathered at Space 15 Twenty on Cahuenga Boulevard, where the Foam girls had arranged for a couple hundred close friends to check out the band Magic Bullets, have a drink, and browse a gallery showing of several emerging and established surf culture and fashion photographers, including Kassia Meador, Jeffery Jones, Dan Monick, Kyle Lightner, and Joni Sternbach.

After a relaunch a couple years ago, Foam has emerged as a forward-thinking surf fashion/art magazine popular with tastemakers and hipsters, and Editor in Chief Kristina Dechter and her Deputy Editor Zoe Buck have proven experts at identifying creative stars from the realm where the surf community melds with fashion, art, and music—think Alexandra Cassaniti, Edward Sharpe, and Kassia Meador.

“We were excited to collaborate with Urban Outfitters and Space 15 Twenty to throw an event that completely embodied what we're all about: fashion, ocean, art, and music,” said Kristina. “The group art show encapsulates all that we find beautiful and inspiring right now, so we wanted to share that with everyone. And the Magic Bullets are just a rad band that we wanted to dance to.”

And dance we did. Thanks Foamers! We owe you one.

[gallery link="file" columns="2"]

Quarterfinals Kick Off

aaron carrera — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:00:58 +0000

Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, and only eight blogs remain in the fiercest battle since the dawn of Internet. In the Round of 16, we saw some major upsets and some landslide victories.

As if nearly slicing off his heel wasn’t bad enough, Joel Parkinson was another victim in Marine Layer Productions powerful run to the top. In one of the more highly anticipated heats of the week, Dane took down Parko 86 percent to 14 percent. Marine Layer Productions will have their work cut out for them now, as they’ll now face Anastasia Ashley and her strong Twitter following. Will bikini photos edge out black-and white-folk surf videos? You never know what you’re going to get with Dane, but you can bet it will be entertaining.

Pat Guadaskas disappointment from an early round loss at J-Bay was quickly overcome by a stunning victory over Dion Agius. The Three Tree blog probably came into the heat as the underdog, due to Dion having the advantage with nude images of girls on his site, but The Three Tree’s didn’t back down and rose up victorious over Dion 52 percent to 48 percent.

Lewis Samuel’s time may have unofficially come to an end, as Dooma’s Rumors narrowly defeated PostSurf in a 52 percent to 48 percent victory. The people have spoken and surf gossip/rumors may be more interesting than harsh realities/borderline career-ending stories on the surf industry. Despite PostSurf going down in the Round of 16, it’s still pretty impressive it made it that far—considering the site hasn’t had a new post in nearly a year.

The Round of 8 begins today and it’s unknown what will unfold in the week to come. Will brotherly love, hot girls in bikinis, pure randomness that somehow includes surfing, or actual straight surfing be the secret to victory? Stay tuned to find out.

Quartefinal Matchups:

Heat 1: Marine Layer Productions v. Anastasia Ashley

Heat 2: Dooma’s Rumors v. Surfy Surf

Heat 3: The Three Tree v. Korduroy

Heat 4: Follow The Fish v. Swaylocks

Round 16 Results:

Heat 1: Marine Layer Productions 86% def. Joel Parkinson 14%

Heat 2: Dooma’s Rumors 52% def. Post Surf 48%

Heat 3: Anastasia Ashley 55% def. Transworld Surf 45%

Heat 4: Surfy Surf 59% def. Josh Kerr 41%

Heat 5: The Three Tree 52% def. Dion Agius 48%

Heat 6: Follow The Fish 69% def. Young Wise Tails 31%

Heat 7: Korduroy.Tv 51% def. Stab Magazine 49%

Heat 8: Swaylocks 69% over The Surfer’s Journal 31%

Volcom Swim Party, Los Angeles

janna irons — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:25:03 +0000

It seems all of my Office Blog posts this summer have been about parties. Not because I particularly like talking about the post-5 p.m. exploits of the surf industry or because I attend more parties than the other staff members (although, admittedly, I might), but because summer in Southern California is teeming with so many functions—premieres, launch parties, art and music shows, etc., etc., etc.—that it’s hard not to somehow find yourself at one. Last Thursday, Volcom launched their Spring 2011 swim line with a party in downtown LA—yet another great excuse to throw a party. In a penthouse loft with floor-to-ceiling windows and a panoramic view of the city, partygoers were greeted with multiple open bars and a colorful display of bikini fashion, set to the bass-heavy rhythm emanating from the DJ booth. It was a fashion show/cocktail party/dance-off that easily ranks among the top so far this summer. [caption id="attachment_6691" align="aligncenter" width="597" caption="The Volcom girls: Ebonee Spence, Bryn Valaika, Lyn-z Adams Hawkins, Elena Hight, Claire Bevilacqua, Quincy Davis, Coco Ho."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6695" align="aligncenter" width="352" caption="One of the models in next year's neon fashion."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6698" align="aligncenter" width="597" caption="Volcom's Richard Woolcott, Brad Dougherty, Nate Tyler, and friend."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6699" align="aligncenter" width="597" caption="Kristin and Bruce Beach, Claire Bevilacqua, Bryn Valaika, and Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6702" align="aligncenter" width="267" caption="More models. "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6706" align="aligncenter" width="597" caption="Kelly Thomas and Kyle Kennelly."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6716" align="aligncenter" width="267" caption="Alex Grey, passing out wristbands to the after party."][/caption] Though I’m sure Mr. Negative Internet Guy will post a comment from behind the curtain of cyber anonymity about how these parties suck and how the surf industry has lost its soul and are wasting money that could be spent on saving the planet or rescuing baby dolphins or something, I’ll share them nonetheless. After all, he may be right. But it sure was fun.

Ocean & Earth International signs Owen Wright to its Surf Accessory team

surfer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:47:11 +0000

Ocean & Earth International signs Owen Wright to its Surf Accessory team

[caption id="attachment_6745" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Photo: Owen Wright courtesy - Rip Curl"][/caption]

Sussex Inlet, NSW Australia July 16th, 2010 – Ocean & Earth International are proud to announce the signing of Owen Wright to the Surf Accessory Team using our tail pads and leashes.

Owen is regarded as one of the most exciting surfers in the world today, and hailed as a future world champion. Owen grew up in Culburra, on the South Coast of N.S.W, half an hour drive, from Ocean and Earth’s headquarters in Sussex Inlet NSW Australia. From a young age Owen has been at the forefront of progressive surfing, and with his grounding in the powerful waves of the South Coast, is regarded as one of the best big wave surfers on tour. Being his first year on the World Tour, at the young age of 19, Owen is already sitting at number 11 on the ratings, with bigger results to come. “He defiantly has it all, from big waves to small waves, and his attitude and determination, blows me away. I definitely think he has what it takes to be a world champion.” said Phil Macdonald former WCT Surfer and now Business Development Officer for Ocean and Earth International.

“I am really excited to be riding for a core South Coast surfing company from where I grew up”. They have always had the best tail pads and leashes in the world; you can really notice the difference”. I will be releasing my new signature tail pads also in September which will incorporate my signature ‘the claw”. I have also seen the soon to be released new “one” piece leash. It’s amazing in design and will be 40% stronger than any leash on the market”.

Paul Munten Ocean & Earth’s International CEO said, “Owen’s quiet nature and clean living lifestyle is respected by all in the industry and he is a role model for young grommets all around the globe. His style is smooth and tight in the pocket with a handbook of aerial manoeuvres. Owen loves nothing more than floating above the lip, but is just as happy in big meaty barrels”. We are stoked to have Owen on the team using our tail pads and leashes.

For more information contact:

Paul Munten Ocean & Earth International Pty Ltd Cell Phone: +61 414 210 222 Email: paul@oceanearth.com.au Website: www.oceanearth.com

Many Hands Make Light Work

surfer — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:13:17 +0000

By Alex Haro

Although the hole in the bottom of the Gulf has been plugged, it’s too early to say whether or not it will be successful. BP’s final solution is still the relief wells, the closest of which is only about 150 feet away from target depth. But even after the ruptured well that spewed oil into the Gulf for 86 days is plugged for good, this devastating and heartbreaking story cannot slip off everyone’s radar. It will take years of cleanup in the Gulf before it returns to normal.

Complaints from volunteers not being fully utilized have filtered their way to the public ears. We thought it would pertinent to construct a list of websites where you can volunteer your time or donate your cash.

Not the Answer – A blog dedicated to the oil spill--Not the Answer is a regularly updated site with information dealing with the BP disaster. Included are tips on what you can do, links to other similar sites, and a pre-written letter to the president for you to add your John Hancock to stop drilling in the gulf.

Restore the Gulf - Restore the Gulf is the newest federal portal for the Deepwater BP oil spill response and recovery. The site gives the public information on the response, current operations, updates, how to file a claim, and links to federal, state, and local partners.

Volunteer USA Foundation - Among other things like family literacy and mentoring, the Volunteer USA Foundation is deeply involved with the Gulf of Mexico. As the winner of the 2009 Great Nonprofits Youth Thrive Award, you can rest assure your money is going some place where it count’s.

Deepwater Horizon Response - The “Official site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command.” This site is the cyberspace equivalent of a suggestion box. So far, they’ve received over 20,000 ideas (none of which have been put into action). The volunteer tab lists where you can go to help in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama.

Greenpeace - Just because you give money or volunteer for Greenpeace doesn’t automatically mean you have to chain yourself to a tree or ram a whaling ship. Although they have had their share of media scrutiny, Greenpeace has always stood up for what they believe in, and they are always looking for more help. They also have a list of “10 Simple Ways to Use Less Oil” that everyone should read, whether you’re planning on volunteering or not.

LA Gulf Response - If you’re in Louisiana, LA Gulf Response is where to go to volunteer. Mostly dedicated to cleanup in the wetlands, LA Gulf Response lists where and when you can volunteer, what each of the projects will try and accomplish, and has an easy-to-use Donate button.

Greater Good – Unlike a lot of so-called “donations,” Greater Good delivers 100 percent of your money to the cause. Greater Good is a non-profit organization devoted to the “health and well-being of people, animals, and the planet”. In 2009, Greater Good raised and donated over 3 million dollars.

Secure Defenders – Secure Defenders is dedicated to saving and protecting our wildlife. Probably one of the most depressing websites ever, Secure Defenders is basically an obituary for all the animals we’ve killed. It also has a letter to the president asking him to stop offshore drilling, and a meter that shows how many have been sent. Currently over 60,000 have been sent.

IBRRC - The International Bird Rescue Research Centre are basically the ones with the dirtiest hands in the cleanup. With 473 birds already released and extensive lists showing exactly how many animals they have in their care (2802 birds and 643 sea turtles), the IBRRC is working harder than most to clean up someone else’s mess. They aren’t coordinating volunteers right now, but you can still donate.

Matter of Trust - Had a hair cut recently? Hope you didn’t leave the barber shop without collecting your scraps. Matter of Trust is an agency that is collecting hair, fur, fleece, nylon, and feathers for use in the Gulf. This site has detailed instructions on how to send your shag where it will be used for something other than clogging drains.

Audubon - Audubon is concerned mostly with the birds affected by the Gulf Spill. You can register to volunteer, donate, and sign up to receive updates. Audubon is also supporting one of most original ideas (apart from the hair donation) for fund raising, an 11 year old girl that draws birds and auctions them off, donating all the profits to Audubon.

Volunteer Florida - If you live in Florida and feel like rolling your sleeves up, Volunteer Florida is a great site to visit for information on where you can help out. So far, volunteers through volunteerflorida.org have logged a total of 22,173 hours.

Causes - Causes.com has donated $95,058 to the National Wildlife Federation. With 918,733 members, that works out to about .103 of a cent donated by each member. Not the greatest track record. Join the group, don’t have a coffee this morning and donate a buck.

An Idiosyncratic Evening

surfer — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:14:29 +0000

By Christian Beamish

It’s a delicate matter, approaching the doorman at the theater with the line stretching around the corner, and trying to explain that you’re a friend of the filmmaker’s and that you’re “supposed” to be there, without resorting to saying “I’m in this flick, let me in,” and sounding like a big jerk. Such were my thoughts on the long drive to Santa Cruz to see the premiere of Patrick Trefz’ latest offering, Idiosyncrasies. But the man at the door, a cool, laid-back Santa Cruzan, heard my explanation of a connection to the project, told me that I looked like an honest guy, and let me in. See, this is the problem (if you can call it that) of having some level of a public persona via magazine articles and a few pictures here and there, when for the most part, you are an anonymous traveler—because when you do finally surface in the social realm there is a sense that you had better be “worth” the recognition.

Derek Hynd recently wrote [Surfer Magazine “Big Issue,” Summer 2010]: “Physiology and sociology will collide in a sport/lifestyle that gifts fame to the bearer like a poisoned chalice.” Although DH was writing about Dane Reynolds, who dwells in an entirely different surfing galaxy than me (one that is light years ahead), I nevertheless taste something bitter when I think about the self-promotion that is essential to the writing trade. It is possible, I suppose, that I think too much about these things…

Anyway, Idiosyncrasies lives up to its title with a cast of surfers who definitely carve to the beat of their own drum. From Richard Kenvin who, for all his articulate musings on Simmons-design and contemporary culture, remains as enigmatic as Simmons himself, to Andrew Kidman, who rocks out on stage (both liquid and dry) in an almost perfect synthesis of progressive surfing from 1974 single fin roots to the haunted mysticism of the approach he highlighted in the still-never-bettered Litmus of the mid-1990s. As for Kenvin, perhaps his surfing on all manner of craft, from alias (with supreme panache on feathering point walls that make you want to travel) to 9-foot Simmons balsa replicas in thick winter surf at Simmons’ Reef in La Jolla, is his most profound expression.

[caption id="attachment_6762" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="The site of the Idiosyncrasies Premiere, at the legendary Rio Theater in Santa Cruz, CA. Photo: Heil"][/caption]

This film represents a maturing in Trefz’ artistry. There is cohesion here, with the unique quality of Patrick’s photography presented in the moving format. The thought occurs that Idiosyncrasies might well serve as a template for other surf films—not so much to copy what Trefz has done, but to utilize his model to showcase other, off-center characters in our surfing life.

[caption id="attachment_6763" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="Two of Santa Cruz's most iconic figures: Josh Mulcoy and father William "Harbor Bill" Mulcoy. Photo: Heil"][/caption]

The Rio Theater in Santa Cruz was sold out for the show, and the after-party at the Crepe Place across the street made for a neat counter-weight to the film, the spectrum of Santa Cruz lifestyles represented from the girl dancing to the jazzy-reggae riffs in a sundress and Doc Martin boots, to a few snarling locals in the corner who seemed to want fight. In the middle grooving to the music and talking amongst themselves, the rest of the crowd took-in the rich splendor of it all. And the guy who threw his beach cruiser through the window of the fitness club down the street from the film premier—no connection at all to this undertaking… just another anonymous traveler in the Santa Cruz night.

[caption id="attachment_6764" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="The Idiosyncrasies crew: Josh Mulcoy, Patrick Trefz, Lance Ebert, William "Harbor Bill" Mulcoy, and Richard Kenvin. Photo: Heil"][/caption]

STEPHANIE GILMORE, IAN “KANGA” CAIRNS AND RANDY LEWIS TO BE HONORED BY THE SURFERS’ HALL OF FAME

surfer — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:53:22 +0000

Ceremony coincides with annual OC Surfer of the Year contest

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The Surfers’ Hall of Fame announces yet another outstanding roster of inductees for its 2010 induction ceremony. Reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore joins the legendary Ian “Kanga” Cairns and Huntington Beach’s own Randy Lewis to have their hand and footprints immortalized in cement for the ages on Friday, August 6 at 10:00 a.m. in front of Huntington Surf & Sport (corner of PCH and Main). More information is available at http://hsssurf.com/shof.

The nation’s first imprint collection of legendary surfers, the Surfers’ Hall of Fame celebrated its first induction in 1997 inside of specialty retailer Huntington Surf & Sport where several slabs remain. Four years later with the blessing of the City Council and a stunning bronze statue of sport’s spiritual leader Duke Kahanamoku serving as a backdrop, the ceremony moved outside to the corner of PCH and Main; less than 100 feet from the famed Huntington Beach Pier, site of the U.S. Open of Surfing.

“The Surfers’ Hall of Fame induction Ceremony is only a few swells away now and we are getting really excited to honor and thank Steph, Ian and Randy for their contributions to the Surfing World,” said Surfers’ Hall of Fame founder Aaron Pai. “Please come and join us to celebrate their contributions and achievements on this special day!”

The 2010 Surfers’ Hall of Fame inductees are:

Randy Lewis: Lifelong Huntington Beach resident Randy Lewis began surfing in 1961 and was considered a childhood phenomenon along the lines of one of his prodigies, Bud Llamas. He started competing in the boys 14 and under division of local events, surfing until he retired in 2006 when he won his last event, the City of Huntington Beach Championships. Consistency was Randy’s hallmark when competing, performing well and usually placing among the top three. He won the West Coast Championships in 1976 and 1977 and the San Onofre Surf Club titles in 1978 and 1979. In the mid-60’s, legendary shaper Gordie Duane took Randy under his wing and taught him his board shaping secrets. Among the big name surfers who rode Lewis boards—Llamas, Michael Ho, John Bruiser and Joey Hawkins. Lewis has since worked at nearly every surf shop in Huntington Beach, and continues to shape at Chuck Dent.

Ian “Kanga” Cairns: Known as a fierce competitor who carved trench-like turns in big surf, Ian “Kanga” Cairns ultimately turned his attention to growing the sport and played an instrumental role in the development of the NSSA, ASP, Op Pro, Bud Surf Tour and the U.S. Open of Surfing. Under his direction, the venerable Op Pro Surfing Championships created a world-class “stadium” venue to showcase the sport of surfing. The Bud Tour received extensive media coverage and jump-started the careers of a new crop of Americans led by Kelly Slater,

Taylor Knox, Rob Machado, Shane Beschen and Pat O’Connell. Among myriad achievements ranging from co-founder of the Bronzed Aussies, appearances in two-dozen surf movies and overseeing the Bluetorch media company, perhaps the most indelible mark Cairns made in the world of surfing is the gargantuan U.S. Open. Cairns helped lay the foundation for the U.S. Open to become the world’s largest professional surfing competition and a consumer showcase for the sport.

Stephanie Gilmore: With her father’s encouragement, Stephanie Gilmore's life as a surfer began on Australia’s Gold Coast at age 10. By the time she reached age 17 Gilmore was entering world tour events as a wildcard, with a victory at the 2005 Roxy Pro Gold Coast. Soon thereafter Gilmore's success on the World Qualifying Series qualified her for the 2007 Association of Surfing Professionals Women's World Tour, winning four events and claiming her maiden World Title. Proving that first year was no fluke, Gilmore was back again in 2008, looking hungrier and stronger than ever. She went on to secure five ASP Women's World Tour victories en route to her second consecutive Title, then capped the season off with her first Triple Crown of Surfing trophy. Consistency was the key in 2009, when Gilmore claimed a third consecutive ASP Women's World Title. Gilmore is poised to rewrite the record books and may create yet another Aussie surfing dynasty.

The Surfers’ Hall of fame induction ceremony culminates with the announcement of the OC Surfer of the Year winners. The third annual Orange County Surfer of the Year Awards – presented by the U.S. Open of Surfing – is underway and runs through July 30. The contest is staged by the Orange County Register and allows online readers to pick their favorite local surfers.

The 2010 Surfers’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony pays tribute to those individuals who have made an indelible mark on the sport, industry and culture of surfing. Annually, tens of thousands of visitors to Huntington Beach’s downtown area literally walk in the footsteps of surfing superstars and legends from several eras including Laird Hamilton, Mike Doyle, Jack O’Neill, Robert August, Greg Noll, Jericho Poppler, Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen, Martin Potter, Al Merrick, Shaun Tomson and Rob Machado who are already immortalized in cement.

The Surfers’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony is open to the public, free-of-charge. Further information is available at http://hsssurf.com/shof/.

### Press Contacts: Mike Kingsbury, Jennifer Hernandez, Johanna Phillips, MKM Mike@teammkm.com; Jennifer@teammkm.com; Johanna@teammkm.com
(714) 375-2188

Nat Young Picks His Favorite

surfer — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:41:58 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6783" align="aligncenter" width="266" caption="Nat Young has every reason to be smiling right now. Second place finish at the 6-Star Sri Lanka Airlines Pro and has an upcoming section in the final Innersection.tv DVD. Photo: Van Swae"][/caption]

Fresh off a second place finish at the 6-Star Sri Lanka Airlines Pro, Nat Young stopped by to give us his take on INNERSECTION.tv’s Summer Round. Nat put together a strong video segment in the Winter Round, and all but a couple of clips were in his own backyard. Being one of the lucky ten surfers chosen so far on Innersection, Nat’s opinion carries a lot of weight and doesn’t go unheard. This is what he had to say:

Josh Kerr

Some huge technical airs and the tubes at deserts are super sick. The song goes really well with his section and the last air is nuts.

John John Florence

For me this is the best all around section¾huge airs, huge barrels, turns, and combos. The first few airs and the rodeos are so gnarly. Grom John is just gnarly, plain and simple.

Clay Marzo

Clay is one of my favorite surfers. Some of the stuff he is doing is messed up¾those laybacks are so sick. His airs and barrel riding are as good as they get. The only thing I didn't like about this section is the song. Oh, and I guarantee he has way gnarlier clips, which is scary.

Pat Gudauskas

Pat's section is really well-rounded¾he has everything. I like the song and theme in this section as well. Some really big airs and some sick greenbush barrels. This part was definitely one of my favorites.

Dillon Perillo

Dillon has one of the best styles in surfing. He has some gnarly throw tails and airs in his section, mixed with his amazing style. I didn’t really like the song, but that’s always changeable.

The Hangover: Q&A with Jordy Smith

brendon thomas — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:32:31 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6792" align="alignnone" width="599" caption="The Champ, and his aloes. Photo: Ellis"][/caption]

What do you do when you become the first South African to win a World Tour event? Well, after you get your emotions in check and have a couple cold beers with the rest of the competitors, you hire out a restaurant, clear the tables, and invite the whole town of Jeffreys Bay to come along and tear the place down. You also put down your sponsor’s credit card and tell everyone to forget their wallets at home.The following short conversation took place the following afternoon, when the dust had settled.

How are you feeling today?

I wasn’t feeling so bad this morning, and went for a surf, but at about midday it kicked in. Last night was mad. Mad fun. Good times. We went to a local restaurant here, The Mexican, and pretty much danced around on the tables with Mick and everyone and went nuts. It was so good to have my friends there and my family. It was cool to have my mom and dad there. Ya, a R35,000 bar tab later…it was a good night.

[caption id="attachment_6793" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Jordy, the day after his maiden World Tour victory. Photo: Ellis"][/caption] Tell me what it was like to be out there in the water being the first South African to win a World Tour event.

It kinda hasn’t even hit me yet. I was getting so emotional as the countdown was coming up. Even after I got my last wave and I got my second big score things just started rushing. When I was kid I used to come to this event and get autographs and could only dream of one day surfing in the event, let alone winning it. When I turned and faced the beach I just saw the whole crowd erupt and I couldn’t help myself. I kinda felt like a bit of baby crying and all that, but I guess that’s a part of winning. Especially in front of your home crowd.

How special was the win, being that it was in front of the home crowd and friends and family?

It’s everything. I never ever thought the first win of my career would come at J-Bay. Obviously that’s what everyone wanted, but most of the time that sort of thing never happens. And for it to actually happen was mind-blowing. I’ve had a great year and this made everything that much better.

Is this win going to change things for the rest of the year?

It’s going to change things. It will probably give me a little bit of inspiration to go and do better now. I’m going to try not get anything less than a quarters. But I’m still going to be doing the exact same thing and keep surfing the way I’m surfing. Try to just keep having fun and stay relaxed.

Welcome To Water Exhibit

jp van swae — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:46:32 +0000

Last week art enthusiasts and surfers from across the land, gathered at the fine W San Diego Hotel in beautiful downtown, to celebrate the opening of shorebreak photographer Clark Little’s latest exhibit. Aloha spirit filled the room, as guests enjoyed tasty food, delicious cocktails, and good music from ILOVEMUSUBI.COM. Along with good food, specialty cocktails, and solid music, art patrons were able to get an on-site signed copy of Clark’s latest book The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little. A surfboard with one of Clark’s iconic shorebreak images printed on it, sold for $5,000 to a lucky Clark Little fan. Don’t expect to see that board in the water anytime soon.

[caption id="attachment_6806" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="Another happy customer with a signed Clark Little print. Photo: Van Swae"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6807" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="Clark and his staff put on an amazing event for everyone to enjoy. Photo: Van Swae"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6808" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="A slideshow played throughout the evening, showcasing Clark’s newest work. Photo: Van Swae"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6809" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="The aerial view of the lounge area, where people could enjoy good music and delicious cocktails. Photo: Van Swae"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6810" align="aligncenter" width="596" caption="Event gatherers were able to get an onsite book autographed by Clark himself. Photo: Van Swae"][/caption]

To order a book (which SURFER Magazine highly recommends) click here.

Obama Unveils National Ocean Policy

surfer — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:58:19 +0000

By Alex Haro

President Obama has had to recently fight off accusations involving his poor handling on the BP Oil Crisis. However, he’s had something in the works concerning the welfare of our oceans since long before the Gulf Spill. July 19^thmarked the unveiling of the country’s first National Ocean Policy to protect and restore our oceans, lakes, and coastlines.

In June of 2009, President Obama assembled the Interagency Ocean Policy Task force (OPTF), a group convened to determine how we can better protect our oceans. In an irony-laced statement at the 2009 inception of the OPTF, Obama said “We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations.”

While the Ocean Policy wouldn’t have stopped the Gulf Spill from occurring, it would’ve been a much different story than fiasco that has unfolded. The 96-page policy outlines coordination in advance of a disaster like the Gulf Spill, improved protection of ecosystems, and puts forth an approach to enforcement.

Conservation activists like Surfrider’s Pete Stauffer are applauding the National Ocean Policy, saying “A National Ocean Policy a year ago shows the desire they have to provide better long-term management and ecosystem protection.”

With this task force in place, a much-needed change in procedure regarding our oceans and planet is on the way. Though this may be a small step, it’s still a step in the right direction.

Canoa Surf Explorer

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:26 +0000

Wavehunters has teamed up with Ecuadorian based Canoa Surf Explorer, managedand run by local Ecuadorian surfers Eddie "nato" Salazar Jepsen (former Ecuadorian champion in 1992) and Daniel "el flaco" Velasco, (former Ecuadorean junior champion in 1992) to offer the ultimate hardcore surfingexperience in Ecuador & Galapagos.

Ecuador has waves year-round, but the best season is the wet November-April when morning offshores and light wind conditions, combined with 75-80F water temps, offer high performance waves of excellent quality 3-8ft.Wavehunters and Canoa Surf Explorer will be offering 2 fully-guided surfaristyle packages in mainland Ecuador, a Central Ecuador 7 nights package basedout of Montanita, and a Northern Ecuador 11 nights surfari exploring the more remote breaks up to the border of Columbia.http://www.wavehunters.com

Galapagos has world class surf comparable in power and quality to the NorthShore of Oahu, Lanzarote and Indonesia. (See photos attached) Wavehunters, in conjunction with Canoa Surf Explorer, is offering 1-week fully-guided Galapagos tours starting February 2003.www.wavehunters.com

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT WAVEHUNTERS AT THE TEL# OR EMAIL BELOW.

Wavehunters Surf Travel, Inc.
Toll Free: 888-899-TUBE
Local tel: 760-433-3078
2424 Vista Way, Suite 203
Oceanside, CA 92054
Email: wavehunters@wavehunters.com
Internet: www.wavehunters.com

Wave Loch Develop So Cal's First Surf Park

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:26 +0000

Wave Loch, Inc., the leader in advanced action sports technology, hasannounced it will develop Southern California's first engineered surfdestination. The La Jolla, CA-based company recently acquired themaster lease of Belmont Park, a seven-acre beachfront property inMission Beach, San Diego. Wave Loch plans to develop the park as itsworld headquarters, centered on "Wave House at Belmont Park."

Wave House is a global action sports franchise, the first of which opened inDurban, South Africa, in November 2001. Wave House is the world's firstlandmark complex dedicated exclusively to the practices and culture ofthe boardsports lifestyle. Billed as "The Royal Palace of YouthCulture," Wave House features the spectacular double-barreled WaveLoch,training FlowRider waves, a skatepark, specialty retail concept storesfrom core apparel/equipment brands, and a full production televisionstudio. Additionally, restaurant/nightclub/dance areas convert into acommunity forum for concerts, readings, cultural events, and physicalarts demonstrations, establishing Wave House as a complete mind/bodytraining center.

Wave Loch

As the hub of Wave Loch's global operations, Wave House at Belmont Parkwill showcase the hottest stadium surfing over the next few years. Inaddition to planned WaveLoch and FlowRider waves, other new wavetechnologies will be unveiled at the site.

Surf/skate/snow industry partners will have year-round opportunities to use the space forcorporate parties and ASR-related events. For Thomas J. Lochtefeld,president of Wave Loch, it represents the fulfillment of a quest begunmore than 20 years ago, when he first submitted a proposal to developthe Belmont Park site, which has roots in the origins of Californiasurfing. In the intervening two decades, Lochtefeld invented andpatented his technology, which will again put the historic Park on thecutting-edge of surfing. He explains: "My epiphany was… to break theprejudice of Nature."

Jack O'Neill Honored

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:26 +0000

JUNE 27, 2002 Santa Cruz, CA. - Wetsuit pioneer Jack O'Neill was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the category of Lifetime Achievement in the Northern California region. The award is based on business achievement combined with community service.

The awards ceremony were held on Friday June 21st and Jack (donning a tuxedo and his flip flops in true Santa Cruz style!) was accompanied by more than 50 entrepreneurs, whose industries range from software to communications were also nominated. Of the pool, surfing was one of the more original enterprises. "This was really a surprise. I'm amazed it happened," O'Neill said. "It gives us some status, but surfing has already come into its own since I started."

January 2002 marked 50 years of O'Neill doing business. In 1952, Jack opened his first surf shop in a garage on the Great Highway in San Francisco. There he sold his first wetsuits, a few vests he made from gluing together pieces of neoprene. From that very garage Jack expanded the average surfer's playground from Steamer Lane to J-Bay on to Antarctica. Today, thanks to Jack O'Neill, "It's always summer on the inside."

O'Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) was founded in 1996 by Jack O'Neill, and was incorporated in 1997 as a non-profit corporation to provide free educational lessons in ecology, navigation, and marine science on board a 65-foot catamaran sailing Monterey Bay. Through Jack's vision, O'Neill Sea Odyssey has created a living classroom in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Ernst and Young, a global business services company, created the awards program to honor entrepreneurs whose ingenuity and perseverance has created and sustained growing companies.

Protect California Beaches

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:27 +0000

Protect California's beaches and access to them. Support AB2943, which balances beach preservation with carefully planned development.

Senior Attorney
San Diego BayKeeper
Environmental Law & Policy Clinic

It's easy to fax your legislators! Check out the link:

Take Action: Protect California Beaches

Thanks!

Marco A. Gonzalez, Esq.
Chairman, Surfrider Foundation
San Diego Chapter

PSTA Comes To HB

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:27 +0000

Havaianas Pro in Huntington Beach, July 18-21, 2002

SANTA CRUZ, CA (June 27, 2002) - Hawaii-based sandal company Havaianas stands solidly behind domestic surfing with the $15,000 Havaianas Pro Huntington Beach, the fourth stop on the Professional Surfing Tour of America (PSTA) in Huntington Beach at Goldenwest Street, CA, July 18-21, 2002. The contest will feature a PSTA sanctioned Men's shortboarding event and women's event along with juniors and longboard events.

"We are honored to have Havaianas sponsor a PSTA event on the 2002 Tour," said Jeff Grell, executive producer of the PSTA, and longtime owner and founder of Snowsurfing International, Inc, an events development and production company. "Partnering with the PSTA is the perfect opportunity to expand the Havaianas brand on the U.S. mainland," added Craig Hoshide, Havaianas USA representative. The winner of the PSTA event will win a trip to the XCEL Pro in Hawaii, presented by XCEL wetsuits and Havaianas. "This is our way of supporting competitive surfing in the U.S., and standing by our commitment to get kids in the water is what this is all about," Hoshide continued.

This year marks the first time Havaianas has visited Huntington Beach, and also the PSTA's first visit to Huntington. The Havaianas Pro in Huntington Beach is helping to pave the way for a strong U.S. pro surfing tour through exciting sports programming and exposure on the Outdoor Life Network. The Havaianas Pro is scheduled to air on OLN August 26 at 8:30 p.m. (check local listings for exact time in your area).

PSTA 2002 Schedule
May 23-26: Imperial Beach Pro, Imperial Beach, CA
May 30-June 2: Paul Mitchell Pro Oceanside Pier, Oceanside CA
June 14-16: PSTA Pro San Clemente Pier, San Clemente, CA
July 18-21: Havaianas Pro, Huntington Beach, CA
September 19-22: PSTA Central Coast Pro, Morro Rock, CA
October 17-20: PSTA US Surfing Championships, Seaside Park, Ventura, CA

The PSTA official product sponsors include the New Subaru Baja, Paul Mitchell Salon Haircare, Balance Bar, Havaianas, Kawasaki and Outdoor Life Network. Industry sponsors include Surf One, Mountain High Resort, Sticky Bumps, Transworld Surf Magazine, Peak Sunscreen, Sessions, Poorboy, Mandero Sports Products, and Surf Quest Media.

Fans can access Outdoor Life Network TV air dates and times, for their specific region by checking out www.prosurfingtour.com. For more information, contact Jeff Grell at (831) 728-9001.

The Rob Machado Cardiff Experience

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:27 +0000

Event 1: Hansen/Machado Surf Classic & Cardiff Beach Fair

A Cardiff-by-the Sea Chamber of Commerce Event

The 7th annual "Hansen/Machado Surf Classic" is scheduled for November 2 and 3rdat Cardiff Reef, CA. A highlight in San Diego county for the past 6 years, the eventboasts an attendance record of over 20,000. The Surf Classic is a community eventthat focuses on amateur men's, women's and children surf contests set in a beach fairenvironment. In addition to the surf contest, the event features live music (aperformance highlight of last year was nationally known surfer/musician Jack Johnson), Polynesian dance, the 3 annual Surf Art! exhibit, surf history displays, anda professional surfing exhibition featuring Rob and 10 of his Internationally-known prosurfer friends. The Beach Fair includes local and national sponsor vendor booths, afood court, and a beer garden - set in an environment of tropical trees, flowers, andpalapas. The County of San Diego, local Chambers of Commerce, Downtown EncinitasMain Street Association, San Diego North Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City.

More Info click:

Quiksilver Pro France

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:28 +0000

Slater Leads Opening Round Charge

Hossegor, France (Tuesday, October 1) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater(USA) today led the opening round charge in the Quiksilver Pro France. TheUS$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced this morning withfour heats, then increasing tide forced organizers to go on hold for anumber of hours before another eight heats were completed this afternoon.The women's Roxy Pro France was postponed for the day.

Surf was in the 3ft (1m) range at Estagnots, with clean left and right peakconditions on offer. The tide did play a factor with consistency of setwaves at times, but the world's top rated surfers put on a fantastic shownonetheless.

Slater, who hasn't surfed a WCT in France since 1998, edged out anotherin-form Floridian, Damien Hobgood, as well as Darren O'Rafferty (Aus). Thelead swung throughout the heat, but it was ultimately the 30-year-old'sfinal ride, caught right under the nose of his compatriot, which earned an8.75 and sealed his place in round three. His best two-wave total of17-points equaled the highest of the day.

"The scoring was weird that heat, I thought," began Slater afterward. "I gottotally overscored on my 8.25 and Damien actually felt like he gotoverscored on his best one. The waves weren't offering a lot, but I just gotlucky there at the end. He was on the wrong side of the wedge and couldn'tcatch it, so it was just up to me to see if I would make the wave.

"I've literally been in the water two times since my last heat at Trestles,"he continued, of the USA's recent WCT. "I really haven't been surfing atall, so I had a free surf before my heat then and am just trying to warm upnow. Hopefully we'll get some more surf in the coming days."

Current #19 Dean Morrison (Aus) put on a commanding performance to defeatlocal wildcard Miky Picon (Fra) and reigning world champ CJ Hobgood (USA).The Australian collected an 8.25 and then an 8.75 at the beginning of the30-minute heat, to also post 17-points and a direct path into round three.

"I'm pretty happy with that one," said Morrison. "I was nervous beforehandas CJ's a great competitor and never lets up. I got really lucky with thosetwo good waves to start, so I relaxed after those and felt confident. Thehome crowd was really cheering for Miky though, and there were signs on thebeach saying 'Allez (Go) Miky!', so I knew it was going to be tough. I triednot to think about it much and just went out there and tried to have somefun."

Picon, who is currently on the borderline of making it through the WorldQualifying Series (WQS) in 23rd position for a full-time position on theWCT, came on strong toward the end to pass Hobgood, but still requiredanother ride worth 8.86-points to catch Morrison. He will now contest the'losers' second round.

"I knew it was a really hard heat as CJ and 'Deano' surf really well in alltypes of waves," offered Picon. "Deano got the really good ones, but I'mstill stoked I had a good heat. I'm very happy to be in the event here athome, in front of my family, against the best surfers."

Current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw) held off a strong charge from NathanHedge (Aus) in their clash with replacement surfer Jonathon Gonzales (CanaryIs.). The Hawaiian, who won back-to-back WCT's earlier in the year, heldcontrol for most of the heat, but his Australian opponent came back with an8.5 lefthander. Irons then muscled his way into the final set as Hedge alsopaddled, standing first and surfing the right-hander to secure a 7.7 forvictory.

"Any heat with 'Hedgy' is always pretty good as he's so fired up all thetime," said Irons afterward. "I knew it would come down to the wire and hehad me on my toes. Before our heat I saw a couple of good waves but we justsat there for a long time. Nothing really solid came. I had a couple ofseven's, but he came back with an 8.5 and I luckily got an 8.0 inside of himand then a set came and I got to my feet first and did a couple of turns forthe score I needed.

"Patience is a virtue, as they say," he continued, of showing experience bywaiting for set waves. "I'm just trying to learn from mistakes and itdefinitely paid off in that one."

Australia's current ratings #2 Luke Egan, #3 Michael Lowe, #4 Danny Willsand #5 Joel Parkinson, all won their respective heats. Egan, who won thelast WCT in California two weeks ago, advanced today over Rodrigo Dornelles(Brz) and his fellow finalist at Trestles Mick Campbell (Aus). The33-year-old picked off the best ride of the heat for an 8.0, after he andCampbell shared a couple of set waves in alternative directions.

"I was really lucky to get a couple in the scurry at the beginning,"reasoned Egan. "Mick and I didn't have any agreement before the heat, but wemanaged to split two peaks, which is really cool when the waves are thisinconsistent. It's nice to let your surfing do the talking instead of havingto hassle."

Taylor Knox (USA) defeated 1999 world champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus) andwildcard Frederic Robin (Fra). The Californian waited patiently for hisrides, fortunately finding them and posting the scores he needed to hold offthe challenge of his opponents. Robin, in particular, had the vocal crowdlending their support.

"The French have some really good surfers and I think Fred's probably themost underrated of them all," said Knox of Robin. "You can't take anyone forgranted, and I don't think I even caught a wave until 12-minutes left in theheat. I just sat there waiting and it was frustrating, but I did get in somegood rhythm at the end. You don't want to hassle friends out there, but youwant to be a winner at the end of the day."

Current #42 Paulo Moura (Brz) won his first heat since Tahiti earlier thisyear, creating an upset by defeating current #6 Shea Lopez (USA) and ShaneDorian (Haw). The Brazilian locked in a 7.35 on his final wave to swing thelead from his Floridian opponent. Fellow Brazilian Neco Padaratz, currentlyin #43, also eliminated a Lopez brother in #9 Cory, as well as Lee Winkler(Aus), the following heat with a near-perfect 9.6 - the highest of the day -on his final ride.

"I'm pretty stoked as it's been a long time since I made a heat, sinceTahiti," said Moura. "I've been training a lot these days, doing soft sandrunning and trying to train my mind. I was praying to God during the heat tosend me the waves and that's what happened in the last minute."

Quiksilver, in association with Ocean Surf Report, has set up a Hotline thatwill inform the public about which contest site has been chosen for the day.This will be effective as of 8am every morning, on: +33-(0)-892-681-360,then press #1.

Official results of the Quiksilver Pro France round one (1st > Rnd 3; 2nd &3rd > Rnd 2)

H1: Kalani Robb (Haw) 16.75; Luke Hitchings (Aus) 12.85; Fabio Gouveia (Brz)10.25
H2: Paulo Moura (Brz) 14.35; Shea Lopez (USA) 13.4; Shane Dorian (Haw) 12.95
H3: Neco Padaratz (Brz) 14.9; Cory Lopez (USA) 14.75; Lee Winkler (Aus)13.15
H4: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 12.3; Pat O'Connell (USA) 11.1; Victor Ribas (Brz)4.75
H5: Luke Egan (Aus) 14.25; Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) 13.3; Michael Campbell(Aus) 11.9
H6: Daniel Wills (Aus) 16.5; Marcelo Nunes (Brz) 16.0; Jake Paterson (Aus)15.5
H7: Michael Lowe (Aus) 16.6; Troy Brooks (Aus) 11.85; Shane Powell (Aus)11.55
H8: Andy Irons (Haw) 15.7; Nathan Hedge (Aus) 15.0; Jonathon Gonzales(Canary Is.) 8.85
H9: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.75; Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 13.9; Frederic Robin (Fra)12.9
H10: Dean Morrison (Aus) 17.0; Miky Picon (Fra) 15.3; CJ Hobgood (USA) 12.15
H11: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.0; Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.15; Darren O'Rafferty(Aus) 13.35
H12: Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.15; Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 13.1; Phil MacDonald(Aus) 11.65

Upcoming heats in the Quiksilver Pro France round one (1st > Rnd 3; 2nd &3rd > Rnd 2)

H13: Taj Burrow (Aus); Renan Rocha (Brz); Paul Canning (SAfr)
H14: Peterson Rosa (Brz); Flavio Padaratz (Brz); Russell Winter (UK)
H15: Kieren Perrow (Aus); Greg Emslie (SAfr); Beau Emerton (Aus)
H16: Richard Lovett (Aus); Nathan Webster (Aus); Maz Quinn (NZ)

TRAVEL - College in the Islands

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:28 +0000

Being a college student and a surfer are two of the best things in the world, especially if you happen to be a college student and a surfer living in Hawaii. Upon graduating from high school in rural Northern California my sites were set on good, warm waves and a good, warm education. Little did I know what was in store for me as a naive 18 year old male.

"Screeeeech" and with a little shake the wheels touched down in sunny Honolulu. I was there, I had arrived! I was in Hawaii, all by myself, for the first time. I was officially on my own. My belongings included nothing more than a big backpack filled with t-shirts and boardshorts, CDs and a walkman, a worn copy of The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, a Swiss Army Knife, a camera and a surfboard bag with my favorite board inside. Walking through the airport I began to break a sweat in the humid island air as I nervously pondered what was to come next.

A surfer, canoesailer, fisherman, party extrordenare and chick magnet named Bruce was supposed to be my ride to Chaminade University of Honolulu. He also happened to be the coach of the Chamidade water polo team, which I was going to be playing for. I had met him once before on a previous trip to Hawaii. He had taken me sailing on his traditional Hawaiian canoe sail. We left from the Outrigger Canoe Club at the base of Diamond Head to a spot called China Walls on the east side of the island. We longboarded perfect, offshore 300 yard long lefts, just the two of us. Aside from that great experience with Bruce I got the impression that he was not the most dedicated or commited coach. This proved to be true when after three hours I still sat at the Honolulu airport waiting for him.

After many frustrating phone calls to the school, it was determined that Bruce was on Maui and picking me up at the airport was never in his plans at all. Fortunately he had asked a friend to come get me. She showed up after four and a half hours of waiting.

Seeing my water polo t-shirt, surfboard and backpack a white trash women wearing a Hustler Magazine hat and stained Scorpions t-shirt smiled and yelled from an old jeep, "Are you Chris?"

"Yes" I said, quickly getting to my feet.

"Get in, Im Bruce's friend Jenny!"

I loaded my belongings in the back of the jeep and away we went towards Waikiki. We had a friendly conversation on the ride, but I couldn't help but feel a bit confused about what was going on. It would be three weeks before school started, three weeks which were set aside for pre-season water polo training and the Hawaiian Invitational Tournament (held in the summer stillness of Waimea Bay). The rest of the team was going to be coming in over the next week from all four corners of the globe. I was the first one to arrive, even my coach wasn't on the island. It was too early to move into my dorm at school, so I wasn't sure where I was going to sleep for the next few days. Riding through the tourist paradise known as Waikiki, I observed the usual bunch of characters you'll see there: Japanese pop star wannabees with Beatle haircuts, fat middle aged couples from the Midwest carrying bags of overpriced candy bars and potato chips from the ABD store, dreadlocked steal drum playing street performers, tattooed, muscle bound military men and everything in between.

Arriving at a small, hole in the wall beach rental shack between two nice hotels near Diamond Head Jenny introduced me to Kalea, a young, surfer looking guy who was Bruce's business and sailing partner. The shack, which I would work at in time, held surfboards, kayaks, snorkeling gear, fishing poles, sand chairs, umbrellas and other beach parafanalia. Jenny told me that Kalea would help me out then she split, never to be seen again. Kalea and I got to know each other a little while we checked the surf out at Rice Bowls, a hollow left that can get good on a decent south. Kalea spoke slowly and didn't seem too excited about the offshore winds and four to six foot surf rolling in at a number of fun looking reef breaks. I, on the other hand, was having a hard time containing myself. I asked if he wanted to go for a surf with me.

Emotionlessly, he ansewered, "Nah, gotta work, but I'll watch your stuff if you want".

Moments later I was in my trunks, my board was out of the bag (still rubbed down with cold water wax) and I was paddling out with the biggest smile I've ever had on my face. All my thoughts of where I was going to sleep, when Bruce would return, who my teammates were, who my roommate would be and how college was going to be all went out the door... lost in the warm, salty whitewater after my first cleansing duckdive. After making my way out to the lineup and catching a few good ones my stoke grew as I realized what was in store for me. I was 18-years old, on my own, living the dream of surfing warm waves free from the restrictions of parents, high school, girlfriends and most of all, a 5'3" wetsuit! The best thing was, this was only the beginning... day one.

Two years later, I would never have imagined that life would turn out this good. Since fateful day one I have surfed breaks from Diamond Head to Point Panic, Tracks to Yokohama Bay, Haliewa to V-Land. The last two winters I've ridden the biggest waves of my life, pulled into perfect tubes and rode out clean. Between classes and exams I found time to become as much of a local bodysurfer at Sandy's and Makapu' as a haoule from the mainland can. Island friends have taught me how to sail a Hawaiian canoe sail, spear a fish with a Hawaiian sling and deal with being face to face with three 12 foot tiger sharks.

My time hasn't just been spent on the sand or in the sea. School has helped me become well rounded and I've learned a lot. From Buddhism and Taoism to Kant, Voltaire, Dante and Marx I've read it all! The Vietnam War, theatre, Native American culture, geography, Hawaiian history and Japanese have also turned me on. On those flat afternoons I play blues guitar with my friends on the back porch. Occassionally friends I've made from Croatia, Serbia, France, Greece and Brazil get together for an afternoon or evening of water polo. Love struck me in the form of a beautiful girl from Yokohama, Japan. Heck I even grew all my own vegetables in a backyard garden. From my home in foggy Northern California came to paradiseto study. Today I to continue on with my strange and exciting adventures of college in the Hawaiian Islands. Two years from now, not only will I have a degree, but I will have enough stories, experiences and memories to last lifetime. By Chris Howard

KEEPIN' IT CLEAN

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:29 +0000

He's the kind of guy you'd purposely leave a plate of cookies out for on the curb, or better yet, a six-pack. When you hear his clamoring truck coming down the street, everyone comes out to greet him - each for a different reason:

The kids like him because he lets them sit in his truck, the women come out because they want to hear the stats on his wife who is pregnant with triplets, and the men come out to find out how the surf is looking for the day, and his future surf forecasts. His energy level gets a score of a ten, especially for already being on the job at 6:00 in the morning.

Most neighbors comment that he has the perfect job, especially the ones who surf.K.C., as we all know him, really does have the ideal job. It's not the 9 to 5'er kind, and when he is finished with his route, he surfs. To be politically correct, I asked him what his occupation title should be and he proudly retorted, "Refuse Engineer".

His morning starts before 6:00 am and he is usually finished by 3:00 in the afternoon, which gives him plenty of time to rip it up in the ocean, without having to fight off any crowds for a wave. During the winter, he tries to squeeze in a thirty minute session before work.

When someone on his route gave him the special edition of this year's Surfer Magazine, he started whooping and hollering as if he had won the lottery. Mind you, this was at 6:30 in the morning, so he woke up most of the neighborhood after he yelled, "surfing rocks!"

As a true surfer, he is very protective about his favorite surf spots, so when I asked him what his favorite places were to surf, he slyly responded with this: "It's an Orange County surf break." Lot's of help K.C.! So I prodded some more and he finally said, "Ok, ok...I love great lefts and prefer surfing backside". Mind you, he's regular-footed. He's such a nice guy that he really wanted to tell me the location but pleaded to leave the name out for his buddies sake - that if it suddenly gets crowded where he surf, his buddies will never forgive him for leaking out any information.

He is charismatic. You start him on the subject of waves, and he has already spoken to so-and-so down the street who already checked the waves on 56th and reported that they were 3-5', or Mr. M- down the other street who ran past the south side of Huntington Beach and claimed that there was a great south-west swell with a mild off-shore wind with some sets as big as 8'. In other words, he is our personal neighborhood, "surfline". I'd say that he's the happiest guy I know and he loves his job.

So parents: next time you ask your kids what they want to be when they grow up, don't be at all surprised when they reply, "a refuse engineer".

-Ginny Story

Butting Heads

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:29 +0000

Jeff Alexander's patented, double-nosed surfboard design burst onto the scene a few years ago like a vaudevillian nightmare. Everyday surfers reeled, pros shook their heads in disbelief and purists seethed with prejudicial rage. Despite the reaction, however, a cult of ardent separatists stood behind the concept: two noses blending into a conjoined hull and ending with two, twin-fin clusters close to each rail. If the buzz was brief, with only a few sightings out in the line-ups, it was enough to make surfers, shapers and geneticists shudder.

Yet, regardless of support or lack thereof, Alexander, an Imperial Beach local, believed he had bred a superior species, destined to deliver people from the single-hull dark ages. And now he says it's only a matter of time until people see the light.

The Gemini project-taken from the Latin gemin, plural of geminus or twin-has been refined over the past few years to give maximum speed, the ability to surf bigger waves with a smaller board and a sense of freedom inherently impossible with a Thruster. To the traditionalist, regardless of superior performance, it's the surfing equivalent of unethical breeding science gone awry. Alexander doesn't care. "It will change your life," he says. "The only question is 'Are you ready to step up?'"

Through endless trial and error and overwhelming ridicule, Alexander, now 44, has spent every waking hour getting all the bugs out. What he has now is a board that's faster because of added rail constantly in the water, looser because there's more concave at the groin of the noses and throughout the board, and more stable rail to rail because of the independent twin-fin clusters. "It drives like a twin-fin but it doesn't spin out like one," he says. Plus, he justifies the $600 price tag because one 6' 4" Gemini can perform in conditions from three-foot Oceanside to eight-foot Pipe, thus eliminating the need for a quiver of thrusters.

Next on Alexander's palette are Gemini guns and tow-in boards, which has perked the interest of chronic experimenter Brad Gerlach. "I haven't tried one yet," he admits, "but I appreciate that Jeff is committed to designs apart from the status quo, so I'm into testing it out."

Alexander affirms the theory is proven. "I'm over the Thruster," he says, "and I'm glad I hung on to my design." The only kink not quite worked out is public approval. Until surfers are ready to adopt the abnormal, despite its claim to open up a whole new and superior dimension of surfing, the Gemini will remain a freak of nature.

- Carl Friedmann

THE NIXON SURF CHALLENGE

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:29 +0000

Playa Zurriba San Sebastian, Spain September 12-15, 2002

The Nixon Surf Challenge is coming back to San Sebastian September 12th-15th. For the past three years select surfers have made the trip to the seaside village for the 4 day, invitation only Nixon Surf Challenge.

An alternative to the bigger contests that focus on traditional surfing, the Nixon Surf Challenge focuses on progressing the sport and having a good time. The international lineup of surfing's whos who keep coming back because of the great atmosphere, unique format, secluded location and perfect waves. Past attendees include Bruce Irons, Sunny Garcia, Ozzie Wright, Miky Picon, Tiago Pires, Simon Young, Mike Morrisey to name a few.

For more info on The Nixon Surf Challenge contact Chad DiNenna via email at chad@nixonnow.com.

Global Surf Quiz

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:29 +0000

Okay, so you've sipped Mai Tais on Tavarua and Cuba Libres in Tamarindo; you know where to park to surf Zippers and the best rental car deals in Puerto Rico. But hey, what about getting off the beaten track for a change and find out what you really know about global surf travel. We've compiled a short quiz that any surfer with a valid passport and removable fins should be able to cruise through. And if you're just planning your first international surfari, then this is the place to start.

For the correct answers, and to find out how you rate, check Surfer's Travel Issue (vol. 43 #11) available at newstands and finer surf shops in early September.

Good Luck.

FANNING THE FIRE East Coast Tour

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:30 +0000

"The Torch is Officially Lit"

The FANNING THE FIRE East Coast Tour kicks off this Saturday at CBGB's in Manhattan. The streak will then head south to dates along the eastcoast concluding at the Hard Rock Cafe in Miami.

Find dates at: www.evrec.com

If you're into hearing great bands while catching the latest Rip Curl surf vid you best show up and light up at the FANNING THE FIRE tour stop in your area. Evrec Recording artists INDIUM will be plugged in playing live along with TALENT SCAM.

- Kevin Welsh.

15th Annual WindanSea Boardfishing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:30 +0000

Hey Everyone,

July 21, 2002 is the date for that crazy WindanSea Boardfishing Tournament. Wow! Fifteen years, and some of you have been there from day one.

I have been slammed as usual with making a living, so as usuaI am calling on all of you "Vets" to help get the word out and the Sponsors in.

This special event is coming up on its fifteenth year, and with the help of the Website, it is getting attention from all over the World. What started out as a handful of hard-core Watermen looking for an excuse for a party, has evolved into one of the most "looked forward to" family events of the summer for hundreds of people. I have people calling me in the spring, to find out the date, so they can plan their summer. We now even have guys from the early years showing up with the second generation Boardfishermen (sons and daughters), to continue the Stoke into the Millennium.

Even though the event has grown to over 100 participants, the vibe is still the same as it was in the early years. Boardfishing is usually a solitary sport, shared by only a few, and this is the one time a year when stories and tactics can be shared amongst the participants and enthusiasts who have made the sport what it is today.

Here is the agenda for the day:

The location is at the foot of Westbourne Street, La Jolla, California (just north of WindanSea Shack).

Fishermen will be able to hit the water at 5:00 AM and must weigh in by 12:00 noon.
12:00 noon to 2:00 PM will be the BBQ.

All fish will be cleaned and cooked on the spot after they are weighed and recorded. Ballast Point will flow the Kegs of their killer brews such as their Yellowtail Pail Ale

(this beer goes fast, so BYO if you want more)

2:00 PM will be the ever-popular group photo shot.
2:30 PM will be the highlight of the Tourney, and a mini event in itself. The "Dash for Cash" with a "shotgun" start. The first contestant to get a legal live sport fish to the beach gets $500.00 dollars.

As usual, we will have several thousand dollars worth of prizes and goodies to give away to the category winners.

Yoga for Surfers

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:30 +0000

Taylor Knox and Rochelle Ballard Featured in "Yoga for Surfers"

San Clemente, CA - Top professional surfers Taylor Knox and Rochelle Ballard showcase their superfit physiques while demonstrating surf-specific yoga poses in the newly-released "Yoga for Surfers" video, available in surf shops, yoga studios, and online at www.yogaforsurfers.com.

"Yoga changed my surfing - and my life," explains Knox, a noted big-wave charger admired for his powerful, fluid surfing style. "Surfing is all about being flexible and loose, and nothing helps more than yoga."

Avid surfers Peggy and David Hall of San Clemente, California created and produced this unique video. "Yoga and surfing have a natural connection," explains Peggy, a certified yoga instructor, "and we wanted to share with other surfers the infinite sea of benefits yoga offers!"

This beautifully-crafted video, filmed at Ballard and Knox's favorite surf breaks on the North Shore and in Carlsbad, California includes inspiring surf footage and expert yoga instruction designed to:

Prevent injury
Increase strength, flexibility, balance, and focus
Speed recovery time between surf sessions

Yoga for Surfers includes three unique yoga routines:

* Pre-Surf Session: Flexibility and Focus
A perfect warm-up before surfing, this flowing routine will awaken and energize the entire body.

* Water Session: Energy and Confidence
Simple moves to do on your board to stay loose, warm, and focused between sets. * Post-surf Session: Stretching and Rejuvenation
Calm your mind, rejuvenate your body, and shorten your recovery time between surf sessions.

Whether you're new to surfing, a seasoned pro, or somewhere in between, you'll find that practicing yoga will do more than just improve your surfing - it will enhance every aspect of your life!

"Every surfer should discover yoga," says surfing pro Rochelle Ballard.

Volume I Yoga for Surfers VHS (40 min)$24.95DVD (55 min)$29.95
Volume II Fluid Power Yoga for Surfers available December 2002(DVD only) $29.95
Order online at www.yogaforsurfers.com

Film Strips

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:31 +0000

Surfermag.com and Josh Pomer's The Kill Films.com are proud to present exclusive weekly video clips you'll only find right here at Surfermag.com.

About the Producer:
Josh Pomer respected surf-film maker, 1992 Santa Cruz High graduate and 98' UCSB Film Studies Graduate, has created The Kill series. TK1 was named one of the ten most influential surf videos of the last decade. TK5 is coming out at the end of June, 2001. He has also created the surf videos Punk Rock Surfers, Bliss, See It To Belive It, The M10 Movie, Cheap Thrills, and his first movie Thunderballs. Josh is inspired by creative surfing and powerful surfing, as well as music and the ocean. His favorite surfers are Kelly Slater, Occy, Tom Curren and Ratboy.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

lo-band Film Strips

broadband Film Strips

lo-band Film Strips

broadband Film Strips

SEXX offers new sunglass

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:31 +0000

Newport Beach, CA. - SEXX VISION Eyewear introduces XCESS.SV's newest sunglass style exclusively for girls. SV reported that after numerous requests from SV fans for a shade to be worn exclusively by the stronger sexx they designed a handmade frame with classic styling to satisfy the girls. The XCESS is available at select dealers in tortoise and glossblack.

TRAVEL - Wave Watch

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:31 +0000

Contributed by Dr. Geoff

Basic Statistics:
Average Wave Heights: 3'
Maximum Wave Height:10'+
Average water temp: 16C
Average Air Temp: 13.5C
Prevailing Winds: West - Southwest.

Significant Swells:
In the month of July there were 5 solid swells.
1.Southeast swell from July 1st through the 4th. It peaked on July 1st at about 10' at exposed breaks.
2. Southeast swell from July 7th through the 9th. The swell peaked on July 8th and ran at about 6' for three days.
3. Southeast swell from July 10th through the 14th. It peaked at 6' and ran solid for four straight days.
4. Southeast to East swell from July 21st through the 24th. The swell peaked on July 21st at a fun 6'.
5. Southeast to East swell July 25th through the 31st. It peaked on July 25th and showed good 6' surf at exposed breaks.

Significant Storms:
Nil for this month but good low pressure cells, in the right spot produced plenty of swell action. South Tasman Sea low pressure cells are now in the wave window for Southeast swells. Basically as soon as a low cell or front passes up comes the swell. Also this month the lows have moved along the coast to provide a fair bit of East swell as well.

Best Spots:
Merewether, Bombie, Pogo's, Newcastle Reefs, Flat Rock/Cowrie, Bar Reef/ Beach (on small days was picking up all the swell), Swan Sea Reefs.

Worst Spots:
Burwood Beach area.

Warnings:
None apart from big surf.

Outlook:
Next month will continue with big Southeast swells as well as some East swells.

The Hot Seat -- Kala Alexander

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:32 +0000

While many of you may not be familiar with the name Kala Alexander, if you plan on visiting Hawaii anytime soon you might want to be. Kala is the charismatic leader of Kauai's "Wolf Pack," the most dominant surf tribe in the islands today. So when the surfing world invades Hawaii during the peak winter season, Mr. Alexander is the premier regulator of line-ups. From Pipeline to Pine Trees, he makes sure all visitors are familiar with local customs. Naturally, when Hollywood casting crews came into his town looking for someone to play badass local for the Blue Crush movie, Kala's presence couldn't be ignored. His casting was...well, eventful, and soon he was thrust onto the silver screen. Now the acting bug has bitten (he's pretty damn good, too) and this North Shore enforcer has his sights set on tackling a new town: Hollywood. What better reason to be a guest on the Hot Seat.

So did you have to kick any ass to get a role in Blue Crush?

Nah. Chris Won was already in the movie, and he told the casting people about me after he read the script, so they were actually looking for me. But when I went to read it, I was pretty uncomfortable with the lines they gave me, none of it was stuff I'd say. It was like, "Are you kidding?"

Right. So you wanted to kick the writer's ass?

Nah man, I just laughed. The original script had the football player kicking our asses. But when the director made us take our shirts off, and he saw what kind of physical shape we're in, he realized it wasn't believable. The actor who played the football player walked up with his shirt off and they said, "You know what, here's a card for 24-hour Fitness, give us a call in about three or four weeks."

So they got a little North Shore debriefing?

Well, we just informed them that the way they had it wasn't a real depiction of life on the North Shore, especially since I was playing myself. They actually had to re-write the script right there. That's why in the movie only Chris gets in the scrap with the football player.

Damn...so no ass kicking at all?

Well, I did scare 'em once. After I laughed at the lines the guy told me to pretend he'd just dropped in on me at Pipe, just to see how I'd react. I told him normally I wouldn't say a thing, but for his sake I went nuts, screaming at the top of my lungs, spitting in his face, telling him to go back to the mainland. I must have gone off pretty hard because there were security guys outside and they came running in.

Please tell me you kicked their asses.

No man. It was cool. Then the director said, "Enough, enough, okay, okay. You're in. You got a part...we don't know what it is, but you can calm down now."

Okay. So what did you think of the end result?

I was pretty stoked. I thought it would be cornball at first. Kate Bosworth looked a little too dainty when she first got to Hawaii. But Brock Little started training with her and by the time we started shooting she looked pretty good. It's an entertaining movie.

But c'mon, can the leader of the "Wolf Pack" really go all Hollywood on us?

I hope so. I certainly hope so. Actually right now, Brian Grazer and John Stockwell are putting together a cop series and I might play an undercover cop. Plus, I just tried out for Fast and the Furious II, so we'll see. But I think I could go Hollywood for sure.

Wouldn't you miss home?

Hey, if it goes good, I go home and buy a big piece of home.

What would be your dream role as an actor?

Either an action hero guy or a drug cartel ringleader, and I'd definitely like to do some love scenes with Jennifer Lopez and the rest of the leading ladies like, um, let's see, who else is there?

Hmm...any particular type?

It doesn't matter. White. Black. Yellow. Blue. It's all good. I'll do em all.

- Chris Mauro

What did you think of Kala's performance in Blue Crush?
Go to the Surfermag.com bulletin Board and chat it up.

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:32 +0000

O'NEILL & SURFER MAGAZINE WANT YOU TO COME HANG WITH THEM AND ENJOY THE SOUNDS FROM NEVIAH & DON'T LOOK DOWN. TO FIND OUT MORE INFO. AND TO GET THE DATES IN YOUR HOME TOWN LOG ONTO WWW.ONEILL.COM.

US OPEN SET TO ROLL HB

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:33 +0000

AMERICA'S LARGEST MEN'S AND WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SURFING CONTESTS ANCHOR PHILIPS FUSION IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA

U.S. Open Of Surfing Features Four Divisions, Nearly 500 International Contestants

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - For the ninth consecutive year, the U.S. Open of Surfing, July 29 to August 4 at the Huntington Beach Pier, retains bragging rights as America's largest professional surfing competition. Nearly 500 contestants from across the globe - America, Australia, Brazil, France, Japan and South Africa - will compete for $150,000 in cash and prizes across four divisions: men's, women's, junior's and longboarding.

The U.S. Open launches the bi-coastal Philips Fusion series, a $350,000 action sports, technology and music festival that attracts more than 600 world-class athletes and features surfing, skateboarding and BMX in innovative venues along with an interactive festival area and live concerts. Philips Fusion commences in Huntington Beach, July 29 - August 4 and continues on the East Coast, August 22-25 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

With its six-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) rating, the U.S. Open men's division boasts a $100,000 total prize package, $10,000 winners purse, and offers competitors the largest points allocation of any Mainland event this year. The $30,000 U.S. Open women's division, also a six-star WQS, is the world's highest rated qualifying event. The combined contests play a critical role in the composition of the Association of Surfing Professionals' (ASP) 2003 World Tour and America's reemergence as an international powerhouse.

The U.S. Open is expected to draw the sport's major stars including former world champions Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, Fla.), Sunny Garcia (Kauai, Hawaii), and Lisa Andersen (Ormand Beach, Fla.) along with current world champs C.J. Hobgood (Satellite Beach, Fla.) and Layne Beachley (Dee Why, NSW, Aus.). Grand Prix competitors include Taylor Knox (Carlsbad, Calif.), Corey Lopez (Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.), Pat O'Connell (Laguna, Calif.) and Hawaiians Kalani Robb, Andy Irons, Rochelle Ballard, Keala Kennelly and Megan Abubo.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Rob Machado (Cardiff, Calif.) and former World Tour veteran Tim Curran (Ventura, Calif.) will use the U.S. Open as a platform to return to glory. Californian's Tim Reyes (Huntington Beach), Chris Ward (San Clemente), Holly Beck (Palos Verdes) and Julia Christian (Carlsbad) are among the up-and-comers facing the unique competitive conditions at the pier including the Pacific Ocean's variable swells, winds and tides combined with the unique bottom topography. Among other obstacles, U.S. Open competitors must factor offshore sandbars, underwater channels, Southern Hemisphere swells, northwest winds and a huge concrete pier into their contest strategy.

"The U.S. Open's six-star rating will draw the best men and women surf talent in the world, and the Huntington Beach Pier can be a challenging wave, so it should be a great show," says Oceanside, California-based TransWorld SURF magazine Editor In Chief Joel Patterson. "Last year we saw competitive surfing continue to take major strides forward, with guys landing huge airs and throwing crazy turns, and this year we expect more of the same, especially with 150-grand up for grabs."

WEEKLY VIDEO ACTION

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:33 +0000

Surfermag.com and Josh Pomer's TheSurfLab.com are proud to present exclusive weekly video clips you'll only find right here at Surfermag.com.

About the Producer:
Josh Pomer respected surf-film maker, 1992 Santa Cruz High graduate and 98' UCSB Film Studies Graduate, has created The Kill series. TK1 was named one of the ten most influential surf videos of the last decade. TK5 is coming out at the end of June, 2001. He has also created the surf videos Punk Rock Surfers, Bliss, See It To Belive It, The M10 Movie, Cheap Thrills, and his first movie Thunderballs. Josh is inspired by creative surfing and powerful surfing, as well as music and the ocean. His favorite surfers are Kelly Slater, Occy, Tom Curren and Ratboy.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player. Quicktime blows doors on Windows Media and Real Player. That's why we use it. Once you've tried it, you'll agree.

Week of July 8: Tahiti-NUI--3.5MB
The boys get spat upon as if they were cruel camel jockeys.

IMS SPORTS SIGNS SURFERS FANNING AND ABUBO

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:33 +0000

San Clemente, Calif. - July 1, 2002 - IMS Sports, the leading athlete and commercial rights management agency in action sports, has announced today the signing of World Championship Tour (WCT) surfers Mick Fanning and Megan Abubo to the ever-growing roster of IMS Sports' clients. IMS Sports will manage sponsorship, business, and media opportunities on behalf of Fanning and Abubo.

"Mick and Megan are great additions to the IMS family," says Circe Wallace, Director of Athletes for IMS Sports. "Both are young and on top of their game. We look forward to a very promising future with both of them."

Mick Fanning set the surfing world ablaze in 2001, when at age 19, he made history by becoming the first Wild Card entrant and youngest surfer to ever win the prestigious Rip Curl Pro (WCT) at Bells Beach, Australia. After winning the Rip Curl Pro, Mick qualified for the World Championship Tour in 2002 by winning the 2001 World Qualifying Series (WQS) - by the greatest margin ever, and since booming into the spotlight, has not let up. Mick's recognition hit the USA in a huge way when he won Surfer Of The Year at the 2002 ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards. Mick's sights are set on many more WCT wins and ultimately the World Title and there's no doubt that his powerful and dynamic style of surfing will take him there with ease.

Megan Abubo is one of the most well respected and well-recognized surfers on the WCT tour today, backed up by her second consecutive nomination for Female Surfer of the Year at the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards. In 2000, Abubo won the Billabong/MSF pro in South Africa, breaking Layne Beachley's 16-month hold on the #1 world ranking. Abubo finished 2nd in the world title race that year. Currently, Abubo is ranked in the top-ten on the WCT and is laser-focused on winning her first world championship. And keep your eyes peeled as Megan makes her way onto the silver screen as Michelle Rodriguez's stunt double in Universal's Blue Crush, a girls surf movie premiering in theatres this summer.

Currently representing over 30 professional action sports athletes from across the globe, IMS Sports represents a wide range of talent, from marquee names to the emerging superstars, with athletes such as Rune Glifberg (Skateboarding), Pat Channita (Skateboarding), Jamie Bestwick (BMX), Stephen Murray (BMX), Dustin Miller (Freestyle Motocross), Fabiola da Silva (Inline Skating), Shannon Dunn (Snowboarding), and Travis Rice (Snowboarding). Fanning and Abubo join other IMS Sports' surfers Taj Burrow, Taylor Knox, and Brad Gerlach.

IMS Sports is a leading global sports and commercial rights management agency specializing in the action sports market. IMS Sports deals specifically with issues such as sponsorship sales, media coordination, contract negotiation, and image protection for its athletes, as well as licensing, merchandising, sponsorships, broadcast rights and more for its current properties including World Cup Skateboarding, the National Surf League (NSL) - an innovative new surf concept, the Boost Mobile Pro A.S.P. surf tour event and other action sports events currently being developed.

The Rustle

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:33 +0000

"If a surfer gets an offer above the table and we can't or won't match it, good luck and no hard feelings," Rip Curl CEO Brian Singer said in 1992.

It's that bit of over-friendly rustling you've got to watch for. The staple target of the 19th century pirate life has evolved into what is known as headhunting-on the table or under it. And now, as then, branding is the centerpiece. The pro athlete is part of today's livestock herd, invaluable for a variety of market reasons.

What saga recently hit with extraordinary word-of-mouth pace during the Gold Coast's Quiksilver Pro in March was headhunting pure and simple. A rustle on the face of it. Great rope work in another rancher's paddock to ease the prized target out from under the nose of the dozing hands, branding iron in hand, before the shit hits the fan. Just as in the Wild West, and particularly given the ending, it may just have been a wake-up call from one cattle baron to another, a surprise test of strength to shake the earth and spread some awe through the valley; in modern terms a heavyweight homocorporate grapple, a public airing of hostile intent, a fascination to consumer and retailer and thus powerful branding in itself.

Both aggressor and defender can take positives from the incident-indeed, the industry at large. As reckless as Quiksilver's action appeared to be in crash-tackling Billabong in its Gold Coast front yard, there was something more to its intent. The big-end corporate tactic was a first, a public shake, rattle and roll of the billion-dollar rival, all the while reinforcing the global market leadership of both.

But consider the pawn, Joel Parkinson: sitting number one on the ratings after his victory at the Quiksilver Pro. An enviable position? Certainly a Turning Point. And the huge carrot dangled by the rival company, an offer impossible to dismiss. Regardless of the outcome, a lightning strike not likely to happen twice in a hurry-and right as he was hitting 21. It was a cold stress test for a laid-back guy who's as keen for a great night out with his mates as the prospect replacing Kelly as Top Stud.

The spark was The Heat. King vs. Prince-Slater, Parko. A ton of symbolism riding on it. Burleigh. They treated the pitching, thumping waves with limitless disdain, like Johnny Paarman putting the question to Simon Anderson in slightly heavier surf at the Bay of Plenty, 1980, and not too far off Occy/Curren at the 1984 Op Pro, the match up that sent word of mouth flying and the industry boiling. The shock was in overall impact. Surfing, not just Parko, appeared the big winner.

Given how amazingly the vanquished King had surfed, there were few kudos to Kelly. Here was a heat that could have proclaimed the power of both young and old on Tour…but didn't. The loser deserved better in going down first event of the season all guns firing. The signal sent certainly lacked tact. Slater's form looked on. Studying replays, he looks unnaturally enduring, boundless. Quiksilver's subsequent pitch to Parko had a certain black-and-white symbolism to it: over the metaphorical fence into the next paddock in a flash, and into brand new territory as a result.

Grove Getting Lots of Action

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:34 +0000

THE GROVE OF ANAHEIM
FAST BECOMING
THE CHOSEN EVENT VENUE
FOR THE ACTION SPORTS INDUSTRY

The 2002 Calendar

First Annual Surfrider Summerfest Benefit
Premieres Of Op King Of Skate And Billabong's The Blueprint
Surfer Magazine's Upcoming Surfer Poll And Video Awards

Anaheim, CA--The Grove of Anaheim, Orange County's in-demand venue for live music and special events, is proving to be the current venue of choice for the booming action sports industry.On Father's Day, June 16, The Grove of Anaheim welcomed over 2,000 visitors for the first annual Surfrider Summerfest, a festival of music, film, photography, and surf culture benefiting Surfrider Foundation in conjunction with two back-to-back Beach Boys concerts.Less than a week later, on Friday, June 21, the venue played host to the premiere of the new skate film Op King of Skate featuring Tony Hawk and Bob Burnquist, and on Wednesday, June 26, Billabong held the premiere of the Blueprint, its latest film effort about surfer Shane Dorian.

"The Grove of Anaheim recognizes the significance of the action sports industry, both in the impact it has on Orange County specifically and on youth culture at large," states Stephen Lazar, General Manager of The Grove."We have a history of hosting action sports events at our facility and plan to continue doing so, as evidenced by our involvement with Motocross, Surfrider Foundation, Op, Billabong, and Surfer Magazine, among others.We look forward to continuing to build a strong relationship with such programs at our facility."

Located in Anaheim, minutes from Disneyland and adjacent to Edison International Field, The Grove of Anaheim is a flexible, multi-use facility ideal for concerts, meetings, conferences, product launches and special events.The 27,140 square foot venue has been owned and operated since October 2000 by SMG, a facility management company headquartered in Philadelphia that specializes in turnkey events, including rental, production facilities, state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, and catering.

"The Grove of Anaheim is the perfect venue for our special events," says Mark Sperling, Events/Marketing Director for Primedia Action Sports Group (Surfer, Skateboarder, and Snowboarder Magazine)."It provides us with top service and assistance with our internationally known Surfer Poll And Video Awards, which will return to The Grove this fall, and with the recent Op King Of Skate premiere.I feel the rest of our industry sees the value of this location, due to its size, service, locale and the expertise of its staff."

The first annual Surfrider Summerfest, a portion of proceeds from which benefited the Surfrider Foundation, was held at The Grove on Father's Day, June 16, and featured the hottest surf bands in the county, fantastic food, surf photography by Jacques Garnier, Bud Brown, and Surfer Magazine, films by Poor Specimen and MacGillivray Freeman, and appearances and signings throughout the day.Linda Jemison emceed the courtyard stage, which featured Donavon, White Buffalo, The Ziggens, Tiki Tones, Torquays, and Crucial.The Southern California Woody Club provided one of the day's highlights - an exhibition of over 40 vintage woodies.The daylong celebration preceded two back-to-back performances by longtime Surfrider supporters, the Beach Boys.

Op King of Skate, which premiered at The Grove on Friday, June 21, and will be broadcast nationwide on pay-per-view tomorrow, June 28, is the first ever made-for-television pay-per-view action sports event.The event features six of the world's top skateboarders - Bob Burnquist, Tony Hawk, Eric Koston, Geoff Rowley, Mike Vallely, and Danny Way - inventing and performing never-before seen stunts while vying for a cash prize of $25,000.Title-sponsored by the action sports apparel brand Op, Op King of Skate is the brainchild of Cynic Youth + Alternative Marketing and Munson Industries.

Billabong's the Blueprint, a film made in conjunction with Sanuk and Dragon about surfer Shane Dorian, premiered at The Grove on Wednesday, June 27. Showcasing Dorian's explosive surf skills, the movie was directed by Chad Campbell and features surfing in Hawaii, Tahiti, Indonesia, Australia, and Fiji. Along with Dorian, the movie features surfing by Conan Hayes, Kelly Slater, the Irons brothers, Taj Burrow, Pat O'Connell, Dan Malloy, Sunny Garcia, Taylor Knox, Ross Williams, Rob Machado, Brian Pacheco, Mick Fanning, Kalani Robb, Benji Weatherley, and Donavon, plus interviews with Dorian and others.

For more information about booking corporate events at The Grove of Anaheim, please contact Candi Lombard at 714.712.2708.

Jet Pilot's Molded Vest

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:34 +0000

JET PILOT 3D MOLDED SIDE-ENTRY NEO VESTSETS NEW STANDARD FOR BIG WAVE SAFETY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2002, Vista, California...

Jet Pilot has developed a new, ultra lightweight, 3D EVA molded, side-entryneo vest for tow-in and big wave surfing.This is the first vest of itskind in the area of big waves.The goal of Jet Pilot was to not onlydevelop a vest for safety in big waves but to progress vest technology andcreate a product that was the most comfortable and completely functionalvest in the water today.It's ultra-lightweight EVA molded design conforms to your body for an amazingly anatomical fit.The EVA 3D mold is designedto bend, stretch and twist with your body movement. Jet Pilot's exclusiveside-entry design relieves the hassle of a front zipper terrorizing the deckyour surfboard.If that's not enough, the single buckle closure is alsorecessed within the mold for totally flush, comfortable paddling.

With Jet Pilot's continuous innovations in wetsuit and vest technology, theyare always testing materials and ideas with the help of team riders andindustry experts to ensure their goals of pushing product development to new, never before seen limits.The new Jet Pilot 3D molded side-entry neo vest is a prime example of this relentless innovation.

Jet Pilot's Molded Vest is a BILLABONG ODYSSEY favorite: This vest, designed & manufactured by Jet Pilot, has recently been the vest of choice for the BILLABONG ODYSSEY where surfers and watermen as the cast and crew travel &search the globe in hopes of riding the biggest waves ever seen.Jet Pilot has agreed to supply the vests to Billabong, who has screened their own logo's on most vests for exposure purposes.Check out photos of Jet Pilot's Molded vest in action at www.billabongodyssey.com in the NEWS section,10.11.01 & 10.14.01.The overwhelmingly positive feedback from Odyssey surfers & personnel that are using the Jet Pilot vest has reinforced JetPilot's leadership and commitment in developing the highest quality, best designed products available."Technology Changes Everything".

FEATURES:

Jet Pilot Custom Side Entry, Side-Zip Design
Custom 3D Molded Ultra Light EVA Foam Front And Back Panels
3mm Flex-Lite Stretch Neoprene Side & Shoulder Panels
Single 1 1/2" Heavy Duty Recessed Buckle & Webbing

SIZES: S/M OR L/XL
COLORS: Red, Navy, Black
RETAIL PRICE: $127.00
WWW.JETPILOT.COM

"DRIVE THRU" PREMIER

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:34 +0000

4 SURFERS...30 DAYS...1 CALIFORNIA COAST...THE MOVIE

July 17

Hermosa Beach, CA
Come meet Greg and Timmy at ZJ's Boardhouse from 1-2pm and at Spyder from 4-5pm- register to win a surfboard or a Fender guitar!
Premiere at Hermosa Beach Playhouse 8pm- $7
After party 9pm- 2am at Club 705- $5 per person

July 18

Laguna Beach, CA
Premiere Laguna South Coast Theater 7pm & 9pm-$7

July 19

Seal Beach, CA
Come meet Greg and Timmy at the McGaugh Elementary School auditorium at 6:30-- register to win a surfboard!
Premiere at McGaugh Elementary School Auditorium 8pm -$7

July 25

San Diego, CA
Come meet Greg and Timmy at Hansen's Boardroom in Encinitas from 3-4pm-- register to win a surfboard or a Fender guitar!
Premiere at La Paloma Theater, Encinitas 7pm & 9pm- $7
After party at the Martini Ranch-- Appearance by Red West and Donavon Frankenrieter- $5 per person

July 26

Camarillo, CA
Come meet Greg and Timmy at Revolution Board Sports at 7pm-- register to win a surfboard!
Premiere at Revolution Board Sports - 7:30pm

July 27

Santa Cruz, CA
Come meet Greg, Timmy and Donavon at O'Neill Surfshop from 3-4pm- register to win a surfboard!
Premiere at Rio Theater, 9pm- $7

July 30

Santa Barbara, CA
Come meet Greg and Timmy at Channel Islands Surf Shop from 3-4pm
Premiere at Sharkey's time TBD

July 30

Houston, TX
Premiere at Rice University Media Center, 8pm

The Chemistry of Fear

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:35 +0000

Big Balls. That's what they say it takes to surf big waves. With hellmen the world over constantly being described as having "serious sack," plenty of testosterone and a bag to hold it has always been considered a prerequisite for charging the heavy stuff.

Now I'm not the first who has wondered if maybe the surfers who charge monster waves shouldn't have their heads examined. But what if I told you that an examination would reveal that it's what's between their ears and not what's between their legs that make it possible for them to do what they do? Even more interesting, what if I told you that the basis for voluntarily-in fact, enthusiastically-putting oneself in life threatening situations is a chemical imperative for some people? In short, that the guys who dig death-defying surf aren't so much overcoming fear but "self medicating" with it.

GOT SACK?

Take the Wimp or Waterman? quiz and see how you rate.

Face it. We all know that guys like Laird Hamilton and Flea Virostko are a little different than you and me. But today, research explains why: According to Dr. Marvin Zuckerman, a professor in clinical psychology from the University of Delaware and leading researcher on "sensation seeking," big-wave chargers like Flea likely have critical brain chemistry differences that, when compared to "average" surfers, fundamentally alter their behavior. Based upon his research, Dr. Zuckerman suggests that people who regularly engage in extreme risk taking behavior (like back-dooring a Mav's bomb) are actually compelled to do these sorts of things in order to normalize their brain chemistry. Although this chemical imbalance may be an advantage for people who make their living doing unreasonable things-like charging Waimea at the Eddie-there is certainly a negative side to this particular physiological abnormality: high risk factor, and its obvious consequences. Lack of fear, sadly, doesn't make one immortal. And truthfully, the issue here isn't the real absence of fear, but simply the sensation seeker's reaction to it.

Open Wide

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:35 +0000

Most will tell you that November 26, 2002 at Jaws was special. Foremost amongst them is Garrett McNamara, who got absolutely sandblasted out of a huge Jaws barrel (that's him at the end of Open Wide clip #2). Others that snatched glory from the bicuspids of Peahi's mandible include Laird Hamilton, Cheyne Horan, Dave Kalama, Darrick Doerner and Kelly Slater. Rumor has it that Laird was absolutley on a different level. But video doesn't lie, and Garrett owns these clips. We'll have to wait and see what Laird's people have (video project) coming out in the near future.

Special thanks to Curt Meyers and Eric Nelson of Powerlines Productions and Mavfilm.com. Go check out 100' Wednesday clips and get the newest DVD release of 100' Wednesday.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

broadband OPEN WIDE #1 --3.5MB

broadband OPEN WIDE #1 --2.7MB

broadband OPEN WIDE #2 --5.9MB

broadband OPEN WIDE #2 --3.6MB

Discuss these crazy video clips by clicking here.

Creatures Devise New Leash Swivel

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:35 +0000

12 months development and 25 years experience in making leashes has gone into the new "Bearing Swivel Leash System" (patent pending) - a revolution in leash design.

The bearing swivel system is an industry first and unlike all other leash swivels actually lubricates itself as it spins. The stainless steel and Co-polymer plastic construction makes the component practically unbreakable and importantly resistant to corrosion. The result is the fastest and most free spinning leash swivel system available today and welcome news to surfers who know all too well the problems associated with jammed swivels and tangled leashes.

Major improvements have also been made to the intrinsic strength of the new leashes. Factory stretch tests demonstrate the new leases stretches 5 times its original length before breaking.

Other improvements also include a more padded and comfortable ankle strap, rubber logo, and a new universal stress release joint.

The new range includes the Bearing System on all leashes and now includes the addition of Double Swivel on the UltraLite, and Waimea The new range also includes a totally new leash The Teahupoo designed to fit between the Reef 2 and Waimea for 8 to 10' Surf.

Creatures of Leisure are imported and distributed by Oz-Surf International, call (toll free) 1 866 4 Oz-Surf for a 2003 Catalog or your nearest Dealer.

Havoc and Hope in Baja

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:36 +0000

One World Ed's Note:

Below are several items from Serge Dedina at Wildcoast, an ocean organization that has been instrumental in the fight to keep Baja wild. The first is a series of photos of the Escalera Nautica Project currently lined up to ruin some of Baja's best, most rustic point breaks and fishing grounds. The second is a set of photos from a surf contest Wildcoast held at Punta Abreojos.

Which 100,000 Baja inhabitants will this project benefict exactly?

As you can see from the pics, projects at Canoas and Rosalita are well underway. Also planned are projects at Abreojos, Colonet, Scorpion Bay and several other spots. If you can imagine what the Dana Point Harbor did to Killer Dana, then perhaps you can get an idea of what the ultimate vision may be.

Some of you might argue, hell, it's their country, let them do what they want. How can we have a problem with them developing their land when we have bulldozed nearly everything in sight in Southern California? I personally would argue that it's precisely because we have bulldozed everything in Southern California that we can say, "look, see how screwed up this place is? Is this what you want too?" But that's just me.

It wasn't so long ago that you could camp on the beach at Trestles, surf all day with one or two friends, and dine over an open fire on hand-caught lobster and abalone. There are places in Baja where this is still possible...for now.

The second set of photos comes from a grass-roots surf contest held at Punta Abreojos. Abreojos is on the front line of many of Baja's current issues: Overfishing, sea turtle harvests, drug running and the Escalera Nautica Project. Speaking of drug running, imagine what a series of barely guarded, easily accessible, and utterly remote marinas will do for the Baja drug trade.

Recognizing the value of their home, the people of Abreojos are fighting back. With your help, maybe this is one town that can be saved.

--Chris Dixon

Dear Baja Team:

Here are some recent photos of Escalera Nautica stuff -- Please note the sign leading into Pta. Canoas -- formerly the least known Baja "mysto" spot. That ends speculation on whether project was planned there.

-Serge

Dear Baja Team:

Here are photos from our Pta. Abreojos surf contest in late July-- carried out with support from SIMA--celebrating protecting the Baja coast--and carried out at exactly in the same location where we stopped the Mitsubishi corporation from destroying the coast with a one mile long concrete pier and industrial facilities.

This is also a proposed location for Escalera Nautica. At the contest the locals ripped--grommets ripped, and grandmas watched from the dunes.

The stoke level was super high--more importantly Punta Abreojos as a community is behind coastal conservation. This sentiment was included in an article in the Economist that the community is against the marina project!!! That trip generated two AP stories -- one on Nautica and one on turtles.

FYI--independent filmmaker Chris Figler is finishing shooting a feature length documentary on the Nautica project/Baja/surfing--that will include the contest and all of our work to stop the project. After shooting the pro event in San Miguel (next week?), Chris will return to LA and will also crank out an 8-10 minute video on the project and our work to stop it.

Photos courtesy of Kama Dean at Pro Peninsula who also helped out greatly at the event.

Cheers,

===================================

Serge Dedina, Ph.D.

Director

WiLDCOAST

Baja California CoastKeeper Program Director

WiLDCOAST is an international conservation team preserving coastal

wildlands and endangered marine species

Escalera Nautica Press Release from February, 2002

PERFECT BAJA POINT WAVES BEING DESTROYED
NAUTICAL ROUTE MARINA PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BAJA CALIFORNIA
Construction Will Destroy Point Breaks in the Californias

Santa Rosalillita, Baja California, Februrary 11, 2002 -The peaceful and isolated San Andres Valley, along the Pacific Coast of Baja California, Mexico is being dynamite-blasted into a quarry, for a two million dollar marina project under construction a five miles to the south in Santa Rosalillita, a fishing village known for excellent surfing and windsurfing.

The project will destroy significant costal and marine habitats, as well as, a world-class surfing break. And, the benefits of a marina of the proposed size have yet to be demonstrated.

According to Dr. Serge Dedina, an expert on coastal development and the Director of WiLDCOAST, an international conservation team, "the project is also technically unsound and has little chance of success."

"There is a demonstrated lack of planning here," said Dedina. "For example, the heavy movement of sand in the area, will require the marina to be dredged constantly. Similar dredging operations at southern California marinas cost millions of dollars annually. In Santa Rosalillita, is not clear who will pay for this down the road. The project is also located in a heavy surf zone, subject to constant fog. More importantly, no one has shown that there is a market for a large marina. Irreversible damage is being done to a pristine beachfront and a significant surfing break without full consideration of the consequences."

The marina project at Santa Rosalillita is the beginning of Mexico's 1.6 billion dollar Nautical Route Program that proposes the construction of 22 marinas and resort developments throughout the region. Additional marinas are proposed for Punta Canoas, Punta Abreojos and Scorpion Bay.

Officials from Mexico1s National Tourism Fund (FONATUR) suggest that the Santa Rosalillita marina will be part of a terrestrial bridge that will connect the Pacific to the Sea of Cortez fishing village, Bahia de los Angeles.

"Those of us who work in the ocean want to make a living in a way that does not hurt the environment. This Nautical Route project represents the old way of doing things," said Adan Hernandez a fishermen turned conservationist who works in Baja California.

About WiLDCOAST:
WiLDCOAST is an international conservation team working to preserve the coastal wildlands and endangered marine species of the California's. Founded in 1999 by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols and Dr. Serge Dedina, WiLDCOAST is currently working to protect 1.2 million acres of coastal wildlands and marine sites in the California's.

For more info go to: www.wildcoast.net

Photos courtesy www.wildcoast.net

Can you believe this nightmare? Talk about this environmental disaster now. Click here.

Wildcoast Mailing Address:

757 Emory St. PMB 161

Imperial Beach, CA 91932, USA

Tel: 619.423.8530

Fax: 619.423.8488

sdedina@wildcoast.net

www.wildcoast.net

Office Address:

925 Seacoast Dr.

Imperial Beach, CA 91932, USA

(Across from the Imperial Beach Pier)

Dedina is Author of: Saving the Gray Whale (University of Arizona Press 2000),

Available from Amazon.com

An Interview with Greg Schell: The Far Shore

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:36 +0000

In 1972, a young Kevin Naughton and Craig Peterson took to the road with surfboards, camera gear and an untameable desire for adventure. For ten years they scoured the planet in search of perfect waves and the experiences only a traveler on the road encounters. This film chronicles their journey.--from "THE FAR SHORE" video jacket.

Greg Schell is the young filmmaker whose dream it was to capture the youthful innocence of surf travel that Naughton and Peterson emboddied. His movie is both retrospective and introspective. It allows us, surfers of the 21st Century, to examine the surf travel of the past. But more importantly, "The Far Shore" requires that we seriously consider exactly what constitutes surf travel today and in the near future.

I urge you to check out this highly entertaining flick. Below is the manuscript from an impromptu interview with Greg.

S: Tell me what got this whole idea started, give me some background, how did this pipe dream evolve, what was the genesis of this?

GREG: Well I was at a party in Laguna Beach about six years ago and I walked into this beach house and I looked up on the walls, and there were these great old photographs that I had remembered from my collection of Surfer magazines. And I looked at my friend who took me to this party, and I was like, wow, were did this guy get all these photos and he, kind a like, hit me on the shoulder, and he's like, "You idiot this is Craig Peterson's house, this guys a legend." And so I finally discovered the party I was at, was at Craig's house. I ended up meeting Craig, I asked him if he had any old copies of his Surfer articles that he and Kevin wrote back in the '70s and he said sure. So he got me a bunch of old magazines, I started reading all the stories, next thing I knew I envisioned this idea that the stories would make a great documentary some day. So I just put that idea in my head and I kept it.

S: Jump ahead to your college days in film school?

GREG: I'm in film school, yeah. San Francisco State has a graduate film program, so there I am. Senior year, I have to come up with at senior year project, and its got to take a year, and I am thinking God what am I gonna spend a year on that I'm still gonna be enthusiastic about? After working on something for a year...so I just decided that this was the way to go, make this documentary, and I contacted Craig and Kevin and they said, "Okay lets do it."

S: What are you trying to convey in the movie? What is it you want people to leave the theatre with...what is the theme or purpose?

GREG: Well the theme of the movie, I think, is really this idea of free will and determination, and the idea that you can do anything you want, you know, within reason. You know here's two guys who were teenagers in the '70s, who decided to take off and go around the world looking for waves for ten years. They went through all the hardsships: malaria, dissintary, and passport hassles and dictatorships; just to catch a couple of waves. And so its really a story of adventure, determination and free will.

S: Which part of the movie do you feel best portrays that?

GREG: Definitely you could look at it as the whole trip...The ten year trip was filled with all kinds of ups and downs and little stories within the stories. But I think that West Africa was definitely the pinnacle of their adventures, because it combines all the elements of the faraway beach, outdoor on some remote coastline, civil war is happening. Angola and Zaire are in a civil war, and their stuck kind of in the middle they can't leave. It's that moment its like it could be sure terror or sure ecxtasy, and it kind a like their right in between. Its like finding perfect waves in the middle of a civil war, that in itself, to me, seems so cinematic. And when I started reading the West Africa articles that's when it really clicked for me, that's when it was like, "Okay." The idea for a documentary crystalized as soon as I started reading about West Africa. Most people who have seen the film have come back to me and said that that was their favorite part of the movie, the West Africa section.

S: What kind of hurdles did you have to jump? Was your senior project professor all for it?

GREG: It's funny, at first they were kind of disuading me from doing the story. 'Cause they were like well, surfing, this is not really worthy of a graduate project. I tried to explain to them that it wasn't just a surfing movie, it wouldn't be a bunch of images of guys riding waves. It's going to be a story. It's gonna be like a Lewis and Clark, adventure story. So eventually I had to pitch it in front of a panel of academics, and then I had to go to through this question and answer deal with them.

S: Do others have to do that with their projects?

GREG: Everybody. They (academics) were going to fire as many questions...try and shoot me down.

S: How was that?

GREG: It was intense. It was like a soviet politburo, where it was like a big long table, and I stood up in front of the table in a tie. And I had to present my project with Kevin and Craig's slides. And every ones presenting their projects about the Chiapas, whatever, you know their doing the history of poverty in America, and here I am pitching a surf movie. It was pretty funny, but I think I won it over after it was all over.

S: What did you get on your senior project, did you get a grade?

GREG: I haven't been graded yet. It's my Master's. I need to go back and actually present it to them as my final, but I'm hoping for a good grade.

S: The theme of the movie is, as you say, free will and determination. And I see you personifying that, in the same manner as Kevin and Craig. You kind of represent that, in that you go this guys house, you meet him, you have a vision and you thought, "I can do this. If I put my head to it, and take each step as it comes, and conquer each step." And your first step is walking into that party a few years back. It's come to fruition...in a weird way. Before you came in here I was thinking -- wow I wish I would have done that for my senior project. Hook up with these two legends...

GREG: It was timing, cause they had been asked before through out the years, but they never felt it was the right time, and they never felt someone could take the time to do it. And I told them, "Look I have a year to work on this project." It ended up being two years. But at the time I said, "Look, I'll take as much time as we need, I'll go through the steps, baby steps you know, to make sure that this is the kind of film that we all want to present." It wasn't just gonna be my film and my film only. It was gonna be a collaborative effort.

S: Speaking of collaborative efforts, I know you've got a lot of footage from Craig and from Kevin, but in the movie you go back and revisit some of these places, don't you?

GREG: Yeah we went back to Libertad.

S: Is that the only place you went back to?

GREG: That's the only place we went back to because I felt since that was the first place they landed it would be a good place to start.

S: Did that help them rekindle some of their experiences you think?

GREG: Yeah, before that they were kind of...it just seemed like they were a little looser once we got down there. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it's the food...

S: Maybe it's the beer.

For video clips from "The Far Shore", and more of this interview click on the "NEXT PAGE" link below.

Talk about this film on our Bulletin Board.

Draft Day

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:38 +0000

Industry big wigs, media pundits, proud parents, wannabe agents and some model scouts gathered in San Clemente in late June for the NSSA National Championships, which has essentially become surfing's own version of draft day.

Nationals is the marquis showcase for the hottest young rippers in the country, primarily because the long green walls of Lower Trestles offer a well-lit runway for competitors to strut their stuff. More importantly, it's in the surfing industry's backyard, and every major player makes a point to come down and scout out the world-class talent. However, apart from the performances that keen observers gauged was something more important: which surfers seem capable of handling some serious competitive adversity--an inevitable fact on any world tour. For onlookers, there was plenty of insight to be gained during the long lulls, paddle battles and interference calls that Lowers is famous for. "If a kid rips and that's all, that's really not enough," says Brandy Faber, team manager for DVS. "You want to know how a kid can handle pressure. Being in front of this crowd and handling these conditions, it's a lot to deal with. That's why this event is good because if they can handle it here they might stand a chance handling life on the tour, or wherever else they're headed."

In past Nationals, high-profile draft picks like Andy and Bruce Irons, and C.J. and Damien Hobgood nabbed a lot of pre-event hype. But this year's draft was void of any huge favorites. America's current talent pool is still a shallow one that reaches across the country. The deep end of the pool is clearly in Hawaii: Dustin Cuizon, Kekoa Bacalso, Hank Gaskell,

Raymond Reichle, T.J. Barron, Kai Barger and Jon-Jon Florence head up the lethal Hawaiian squad. The Aloha spirit thrives among them. They stick together, in the water and out, and constantly remind each other of the invitees left behind because of lack of funds. The pride of representing Hawaii is evident with every smile.

However, the East Coasters aren't too far behind in terms of numbers. From Gulf Coast stars like Sterling Spencer and New Smyrna's Jeremy Johnston to Jersey boy Ryan Kimmel, they're a diverse bunch capable of ripping in any kind of condition. Because battle conditions on the East Coast are so extreme, with tiny surf a daily reality, the proving grounds at Lowers were a walk in the park. Watching Johnston own the pack during his heats, it was obvious to many why the East Coast has five surfers in the ASP top 20.

Billabong Pro Mundaka

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:39 +0000

Mundaka, Euskadi, Spain (Thursday, October 17) Current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw) today defeated Neco Padaratz (Brz) to win the Billabong Pro Mundaka. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) relocated to nearby Bakio beach at midday and commenced with quarterfinal heats, followed by the semis, before climaxing with the grand finale and crowning of the 2002 champion and EuroSIMA Grand Slam winner.

Waves were 2-3 ft (0.6-1m) at Bakio, though the swell outlook for Mundaka did not appear promising for the remainder of the waiting period. Organizers, together with those surfers left in contention, opted to utilize what they had of offer. While rainsqualls were present during competition today, the major thunder and lightning storm waited until just after the final to erupt.

Irons, 24, entered his fourth WCT final of 2002 extremely eager to avenge the loss suffered to Padaratz during the last one in France 11 days ago. The Hawaiian had already won back-to-back tournaments earlier in the year for a commanding ratings lead, but today shot further ahead and pocketed another US$30,000 prizemoney, as well as the US$5,000 bonus for achieving the highest combined European points over recent events in Portugal, France and now Spain.

Against the Brazilian during the 30-minute final Irons created a strong lead from the outset, with five of his six rides highlighting a desire to win. His second score of 8.75 was the best of the match, and overall he secured a three-wave total of 22.75-points. On one he even executed a trademark forehand carving reverse 360 in the difficult conditions.

"Oh my God," said Irons, as he exited the water. "I'm just on top of the world right now. I knew in these kinds of waves Neco's such a tough competitor to beat, so I had to wait for the better waves and just try and link my ones all the way through and get the bigger turns off. I'm so happy and stoked. He got me in the last one in the final five minutes, so payback is good.

"It's definitely in the back of my head," he admitted, of the ratings race now. "I'm not going to count any chickens before they hatch. I'm going to wait until Pipeline (Haw) for the last heat and just hope it all keeps going so well. It's been an incredible year and I never thought one would come together like this for me. I just thank my lucky stars.

"Wow, I didn't know," he added, when told of the EuroSIMA bonus. "That's unreal. It's been a long two-weeks. We started off in perfect lefts ad ended up here. It's not world class, but it's definitely worthy and I'm really stoked. When you win it's all good."

Padaratz, who beat the Hawaiian last WCT, felt the opposite emotion today. The 26-year-old suffered a slow start to his final campaign, but came back in the second half to post an 8.5 and ultimately only require another 7.51 to catch his rival. Having missed three tournaments earlier this year due to a herniated disc in his lower back, he turned his world around during the European leg to jump from 43rd all the way into 18th position on the current ratings.

"It's good and all the respect to him," said Padaratz afterward. "It was fun and good to be out there. I'm happy with my waves and the points I gained here. Another final is really good for me and I'm stoked.

"Looking forward to the next event," he continued, of the upcoming WCT in Saquarema, Brazil. "I've been there a few times and it's such a good wave. Brazil is home and hopefully I can get my back better. I'm still walking and want to be around for a few more years yet."

Equal third today were Australians Taj Burrow and Kieren Perrow. Both received US$10,000 and a big ratings boost for their best results of 2002.

Burrow, who confidently secured his semifinal berth, was stopped by an in-form Irons. The Hawaiian picked off the best single score of the day for a 9.0, together with another 8.25, leaving the West Australian searching for a combination of rides worth 10.26-points.

"Apparently he got a really good inside double-up and nailed it," conceded Burrow. "He's surfing really good and deserves every bit of it. I was pretty bummed, as I really wanted to do well in these conditions. I was confident with my board and myself, but Andy's confident himself and got some points now. I'll be stoked with a third later, but not yet (laughs)."

Perrow continued a fantastic maiden WCT campaign, securing his best result to date. Against Padaratz the 22-year-old landed an impressive aerial maneuver toward the end, but ultimately lacked the distance and number of turns on waves his opponent was able to secure.

"I was a bit scrappy at the start and Neco got that great wave and surfed it really well," said Perrow, of the Brazilian's 8.5 ride. "I was watching from behind and he cracked it three or four times, so he deserved to get a score. It was a good heat, but I wasn't really having much luck. I was catching too many small ones.

"I'm stoked," he continued, of the semifinal finish. "I really wanted to get a good result here as I'd had three 17th's in a row, so I'm glad to come out of that run. Going to Brazil I'm excited, as it's on the way home and I'm looking forward to Hawaii, too. Hopefully I can solidify and reach my goal of wanting to be in the top 10."

Finishing equal fifth in the Billabong Pro Mundaka were Michael Lowe (Aus), Flavio Padaratz (Brz), Luke Egan (Aus) and Beau Emerton (Aus). All lost their respective quarterfinal matches when competition commenced today.

Current ratings runner-up Egan, who held a comfortable lead against Neco Padaratz for the first half of their 25-minute decider, watched his lead evaporate as the Brazilian secured the heat's best single ride of 8.25-points. The Australia ultimately needed another 7.41 to advance.

"He caught a couple halfway out that I didn't see, but they must have been good scores," reasoned Egan, of his opponents' winning waves. "It's a bummer for the end of the contest to be in this surf... I would have much rather been at Mundaka."

Lowe, rated #3, was unable to answer the surfing of Burrow in the first quarterfinal, after the natural footer posted two 8.5's with his fast aerial maneuvers for a convincing victory.

Emerton, who was beaten by fellow Australian Perrow today, was awarded the best barrel of the 2002 Billabong Pro Mundaka for his perfect 10-point ride during round one. The 27-year-old called for a minutes' silence on stage this afternoon during the presentation ceremony, in remembrance of those lives lost during the recent tragedy in Bali.

Official results of the 2002 Billabong Pro Mundaka

1st Andy Irons (Haw) 22.75 - US$30,000
2nd Neco Padaratz (Brz) 21.75 - US$16,000

Semifinals (1st > final; 2nd=3rd receives US$10,000)

SF1: Andy Irons (Haw) 17.25 def. Taj Burrow (Aus) 13.7
SF2: Neco Padaratz (Brz) 14.5 def. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 13.25

Quarterfinals (1st > semifinals; 2nd=5th receives US$8,000)

QF1: Taj Burrow (Aus) 17.0 def. Michael Lowe (Aus) 11.9
QF2: Andy Irons (Haw) 16.25 def. Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 12.15
QF3: Neco Padaratz (Brz) 14.9 def. Luke Egan (Aus) 13.75
QF4: Kieren Perrow (Aus) 13.15 def. Beau Emerton (Aus) 11.95

Ratings after Billabong Pro Mundaka 2002; WCT #9 (www.aspworldtour.com)

1 Andy Irons (Haw) 7,052-points
2 Luke Egan (Aus) 6,066
3 Michael Lowe (Aus) 5,632
4 Joel Parkinson (Aus) 5,444
5 Daniel Wills (Aus) 5,362
6 Taj Burrow (Aus) 5,172
7 Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 5,152
8 Kalani Robb (Haw) 5,106
=9 CJ Hobgood (USA), Shea Lopez (USA) 5,048
11 Kieren Perrow (Aus) 5,028
12 Mick Fanning (Aus) 5,020
13 Damien Hobgood (USA) 4,972
14 Cory Lopez (USA) 4,956
=15 Nathan Hedge (Aus), Kelly Slater (USA) 4,508

Tourney Raises $$ for Spinal Cord Injuries

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:39 +0000

It's been six years since Jesse Billauer was driven into the sand by the lip after pulling into a backside barrel at Zuma State Beach, causing a traumatic spinal cord injury that has resigned to a wheelchair ever since. Always insistent on turning a negative into a positive, on July 29th, 2002, for the fourth year in a row, Jesse shook hands and welcomed competitors at his fourth annual charity golf tournament that this year alone raised over $70,000 for spinal cord research.

On hand were Benji Weatherly, Nathaniel Curran, event host Rob Machado and overgrown retired Oakland A's outfielder Jose Conseco. But even more impressive than team Machado's 12-under finish or Conseco's unnatural biceps were Jesse's two close friends Brett Sanson and Brad Stanley who pulled Jesse from the water on that infamous summer day in 1996, and whom Jesse thanked emphatically during the closing ceremonies and auction.

This year marks the start of an official co-joining between Jesse's foundation, Life Rolls On, and spinal cord injury-based philanthropy, They Will Surf Again. For Jesse, who was scheduled to appear at an Offspring concert and surf in an expression session at the U.S. Open of surfing in Huntington Beach the following weekend, the golf event must have seemed like a bit of a distraction. But all told, everyone on hand had a terrific time--especially Jesse.

"It's just the beginning," says Jesse of this year's event. "That was a little taste for your taste buds. The meal is on its way."

A Wipeout Explained

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:39 +0000

Earliar this summer, during a sizable south swell in Tahiti, Brad Gerlach found himself face to face with some mammoth Teahupoo beasts. Here he breaks down, using in-depth Gerr-style analysis, one of his wipepouts. Check it out.

All footage courtesy Mike Prickett and PrickettFilms.com. Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

quicktime broadband A Wipeout Explained: Brad Gerlach

wmp broadband A Wipeout Explained: Brad Gerlach

quicktime broadband Teahupoo: Gerr & Laird

wmp broadband Teahupoo: Gerr & Laird

Freestyle News

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:39 +0000

August 1, 2002. Ventura CA-Freestyle a leading manufacture of watches for the board sports and fitness market announces a consolidation of their operations with their parent company, The Advance Group. The Advance Group acquired Freestyle and FADA Industries nearly 2 years ago to become one of the largest watch manufactures in the world.

Freestyle USA announced plans today to consolidate their support functions with their parent company, the Advance Watch Group, to their East Coast office, which produces the Kenneth Cole and Tommy Bahama watch collections. The timing of the consolidation is slated for December 1, 2002.

The consolidation affords Freestyle USA the ability to focus its California based team on sales, customer service, marketing and design, while providing the platform to grow the company through expanded resources and greater sourcing abilities.Freestyle will remain in Southern California and function autonomously in regards to design, sales, marketing and customer service support.

Freestyle USA has recently brought in Billy Berger as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Berger's in-depth knowledge of the core board sports market and years of athlete and event marketing management will help solidify Freestyle's leadership position in its core accounts. Berger will focus most of his energy on reorganizing the sales and marketing team with a priority of developing innovative sell through strategies that support Freestyle's dealer commitment to their brand.

Berger, a native of Hawaii and a UCLA business school graduate not only brings Freestyle a keen perspective of the surf and board sports industry but also a fresh outlook on athlete relationship management and event marketing strategies. As the CEO of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), Berger had numerous opportunities to work with key marketing executives of multi-national companies and gained valuable insight as to what creates the "vibe" behind the brand.Over the past 12 months Freestyle has ramped its core athlete team, evolved its advertising communication, and launched several industry leading products.

Jimmy Olmes, President of Freestyle USA, said; "Over the past several years I have seen the industry, as a whole, redefine itself numerous times. Being part of the original Freestyle company, I am ecstatic that Freestyle has the resources afforded by our parent company, with our core heritage intact, to expand into the new wave of business that our industry is enjoying."

Freestyle Editorial Contact: Christy Parsons805-984-0114, 805-444-1253 cellcparsons@freestyleusa.com

Fred Patacchia Wins XCEL Pro

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:39 +0000

The 19th Annual Xcel Pro was finally completed at Sunset Beach in clean four to six foot surf with Hawaiian Fred Patacchia winning his first professional event and relieving the the 20 year old of any notion of not being able to win a World Qualifying Series event. "The win gives me confidence going into the winter contest season," said Patacchia, who has traveled the Association of Surfing Professionals second tier tour and although he will not qualify for the WCT (top tier) this year he added, "now I can just go all out going into the Triple Crown and have fun and surf with no pressure on me".

The finals started out slow with Kapolei's Kalani Robb taking an early lead in the thirty five minute heat with three big snaps on a wave that broke at Sunset Point and rode through into the inside reef. Marcus Hickman from Sunset Beach, a surprise alternate in the event countered with a set wave that peaked on the main break to took over first place and a motivated seasoned veteran Shawn Sutton got his rythem going by reeling off two long waves hitting the lip consistently on every turn.

Patacchia finally got going and with only two of the competitors fifteen rides being scored, clinched the finals by getting the longest tube ride of the heat with a disappearing act that seemed like he was too deep to find his path out of the tube. "The whole time I was in the tube I couldn't see anything because I was being forced to push deep through and didn't think I was going to make it," exclaimed Patacchia, "and to be out there with three other guys I surf with every day was quite a treat".

$20,000 Xcel Pro Final results

Fred Patacchia Jr. (Hawai'i) $4,000
Kalani Robb (Hawai'i), $2,000
Shawn Sutton (Hawai'i), $1,500
Marcus Hickman (Hawai'i), $1,300.

5th (tie), Jason Bogle (Hawai'i) and Paul Paterson (Australia)
7th (tie), Mikala Jones (Hawai'i) and Doug Silva (Hawai'i)
9th (tie), Myles Padaca (Hawai'i), Pancho Sullivan (Hawai'i), Gavin Beschen (Hawai'i) and Kawika Stillwell (Hawai'i)
13th (tie), Gavin Kennelly (Hawai'i), Roy Powers (Hawai'i), Jonah Morgan (Hawai'i) and Derek Ho (Hawai'i).

In the longboard expression session, Bonga Perkins showed stylish riding skills with huge carving cutbacks to take the title back from last years winner Rusty Keaulana who placed third. Both Perkins and Keaulana ran neck and neck until the last two minutes of the heat when Kanoa Dahlin of Haleiwa caught a six foot set wave and got completely covered up and came out with a huge lip launch to seal second place.

Longboard Expression Session

1. Bonga Perkins, $500
2. Kanoa Dahlin, $300
3. Rusty Keaulana, $200
4. Dino Miranda
5. Lance Ho'okano
6. Keegan Edwards

Event Sponsors: Havaianas, American Savings, State of Hawaii

The Future of Trestles

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:40 +0000

Saving Trestles and South Orange County's Backcountry.

A Surfermag.com Environmental Interview With Brittany McKee,
Sierra Club director of Friends of the Foothills. By Chris Dixon

To surfers the world over, the word "Trestles" carries a hefty amount of history and significance. Surfers have been riding waves along this 2-plus mile stretch of San Onofre State Park from Cottons Point to Oldmans for generations. The excellent surf found along this stretch is caused by millions of years of sedimentary outflow of the San Mateo and Christianitos Creeks. San Mateo Creek gathers water from hundreds of square miles of gorgeous, undeveloped backcountry behind San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo. Christianitos Creek gets most of its water from the gorgeous, undeveloped backcountry along the Camp Pendleton Marine base.

The cobblestone rocks carried downstream from these creeks have been deposited well offshore to create a vast reef system that sucks in and magnifies swells from the south in the summer and the west swells that make it past Catalina in the winter. The setup creates some of the best, most consistently rideable surf on the California coast. Since these creeks are also generally free of pollution from development like lawn and golf course pesticide runoff, motor oil, brake lining dust, antifreeze and other toxins found at the outflow of essentially every other creek or river in southern California, the waters around Trestles stay relatively clean, even when it rains.

But Trestles, and indeed the entire backcountry of Orange County that supports its creeks are seriously threatened by two monstrous projects. The first is a plan by the Rancho Mission Viejo company to build 14,000 homes and more commercial space than a large shopping mall in the areas that directly flow into both San Mateo Creeks and San Juan Creek at Doheny Beach. The other is a toll road freeway that would connect Riverside and Rancho Santa Margarita to Trestles. The tollroad would run right along the San Mateo creek for much of its distance -- opening the backcountry to vast areas of sprawl and development, and emptying the refuse of tens of thousands of cars into the waterways as toxic runoff. Don't believe this scenario? Then use the toxicity levels at Aliso Creek as an example. Aliso carries the runoff from tens of thousands of homes in Aliso Viejo and hundreds of thousands of autos on the 73 toll road to its mouth at Laguna Beach.

Trestles is an escape valve of inestimable monetary and cultural value for tens of thousands of Californians and its backcountry serves as absolutely critical habitat for millions of animals. Much has happened to affect the future of Trestles and indeed that of south Orange County over the last decade. In the interest of informing and alarming those of you who hold the place as a shrine in the midst of urbania, we did an interview with Brittany Murphy who is the director of the Friends of the Foothills organization. FOF is charged with defending Orange County's backcountry and Trestles from the fate that has befallen so much of Southern California. If you want to know more, read on. If you don't want to know, read on anyway because you need to know and you need to care.

In other words, if Trestles has ever given anything to you, maybe it's time you gave a little bit back to Trestles.

This interview will be presented in two parts.

Chris Dixon: Brittany, talk a little about the mission of Friends of the Foothills and how it came about.

Brittany McKee: It started as a task force for the Sierra Club and it's grown into this coalition of groups including Surfrider, the Audobon Society, National Resources Defense Council, Trout Unlimited, and a number of church and community groups. There are over 30 groups represented in all along with individuals and local businesses.

CD: So you started as a task force then decided to become this organization. Was this because once everything was looked at in this area, it was determined that this was really an important issue for the Sierra club?

McKee: Definitely. Task forces for the Sierra Club are normally run at a sort of group or smaller level. But this is what's called an EPEC site, which means Environmental Public Education Campaign.

The Sierra Club national picks 20 or 30 such sites across the country that they consider to be national priority campaigns. So they fund them at a higher level because they think that the campaign there is significant and represents a bigger issue. In this case, the issue is urban sprawl -- that's the issue we're representing here at a national level.

CD: And you get to actually have an office.

McKee: Right.

CD: Where is it?

McKee: My office is in San Clemente, actually in the same building with Surfrider at El Camino Real and Del Mar.

CD: It's funny because there's actually a Tollroad office right down the street from you in San Clemente too.

McKee: Yeah, it's funny, we actually do an information table on Sundays and we do it directly across the street from the Tollroad office.

CD: So you guys formed the Friends of the Foothills at what point?'

McKee: I guess it was about 5 years ago, I wasn't there at the beginning. I've been on for about my 3^rd year now. It was started by Paul Carlton, one of the local San Clemente Sierra Club members who heard of the tollroad proposal and just thought it was a horrible idea. It started with about 10 people meeting in his living room. And its just grown since then.

CD: The Sierra Club picks 20 really significant sites or issues. What are some others that rank up there with this for the Sierra Club? Where is this in terms of importance.

McKee: Another is in Vegas. They have a lot of serious sprawl issues there. There's another on the Gaviota coast trying to protect the coastline up there from development. There are other ones back east. They do one on CAFOS too -- that's factory farming in the Midwest.

CD: That's interesting because the Gaviota coast is obviously of a lot of concern to surfers and so is the watershed that drains to San Mateo Creek at Trestles.

It seems to me that a lot of people who drive the I-5 freeway everyday don't realize exactly how much undeveloped land is back there. How much land and open space there still is behind from San Juan Capistrano all the way to San Clemente?

This landscape can be found behind San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. There are tens of thousands of acres like this behind the towns. Looks More Like a National Park than a Home For Strip Malls and Tract Houses Doesn't It?

McKee: It's amazing. Even the Sierra Club people didn't know what was there. I mean until you go back there, you have no idea. That's why we host hikes once a month at the Mission Viejo Land Conservancy where we can really get an idea of what's out there and then we do another by Trestles up to the San Mateo Campground and down to Trestles so people can see the watershed and the wetlands area and down to the beach.

That's kind of the Sierra club way -- take people to a place and show them what's it's like and what's out there so you can get them more involved in helping to try and save it.

Click Below to Read On

Crimo's Thinking Primo

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:40 +0000

Joe Crimo, well known in Orange County as a red hot free surfer who pulls out the stops on any given day, was caught last week at Lowers getting a little crazy.

Be sure to check out the latest high action video release from BillyGoat Productions, BECAUSE.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO BILLYGOAT PRODUCTIONS

CRIMO GETS CRAZY--200K
We're not sure, but we think it's a "Varial."

BILLYGOAT PRODUCTIONS--2MB
"Because" trailer.

Terror Reaches Surfing's Shoreline

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:40 +0000

Over the past 30-plus years, a world of travelers, back-packers, upscale resort escapists and thousands of surfers have cruised the jam-packed streets, bars and cafes of Bali's international surf/resort town of Kuta (and adjoining Legian town) for food, drink and evening fun. But with this weekend's bombing of the Sari Club outdoor bar, (over 185 people dead as of Sunday night's count and hundreds injured or missing) our world is once again a different place. For the first time the jackals of terrorism have taken direct aim at one of surfing's most popular points of relaxation and good times.

It was as any Saturday night would be on Jalan Legian, the main drag through the heart of Kuta. This is the community that the sport of surfing built, more so than Huntington Beach or Haleiwa or Jeffrey's Bay or even Byron Bay. Since it's creation in the early eighties, the Sari Club has been the most well known meeting place for every surfer hanging in Bali. The beer garden-like bar is sandwiched in the heart of Kuta's oldest shopping/eating zone and has seen almost every surfer stop in for a drink or as a meeting point for friends around dinner time.

Before there was the Tubes Bar or Kuta Square, TJ's or Studebaker's, even before there was a Hard Rock Cafe or Aromas - and light years before the modern malls and outlying shopping centers, there was the Sari Club. The nightclub was an oasis watering hole with that bright "SC" neon lit sign that could be seen blocks away down the car choked boulevard. You knew where to find a friend or get a cold beer and you didn't need to explain to anyone where to meet you, you just said, "We'll see you at the Sari Club later..." and that was that. Everyone knew the Sari Club.

Mid-October is getting late in the surf season for Bali, that the bomb blast was not "set" for earlier in the evening when so many stop by for a drink ( rather than later), and that the Sari Club was so over-filled with Aussie rugby players and their friends, that at this hour there has been no report of dead or injured surfers, male or female, in the Sari Club attack. But, with only a few names released to the public as of this writing, there is a strong chance that our sport will hear of friends either on the death roll or injured lists to be released in the near future. After all, this strip of surf-town Kuta was where most gathered for a late night Bintang beer and to talk over surf strategy for next morning's dawn patrol. The Sari Club was where you checked in with others before the land journey on to Java's G-land camp.

The broad stroke of cowardly terrorism has directly tainted our lifestyle. There's no longer a way to avoid it, turn your back to it or pretend that the menace won't be lurking in the shadows or locked away in the trunk of a car parked on the street as you walk by. The radical Muslim cause seemed to be focused strictly and specifically on Americans. Now however, we all must stand guard. Brazilians, French, Kiwis, and on this day sadly, Australians are targets. Surfers from every continent will have to re-evaluate their travel strategy. This time it was a beer garden in Kuta. Where is next?

Earth To Meekus Info

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:40 +0000

The Earth To Meekus- Unsponsored Tour dates:

What: A play/surf day with kids in the area and a viewing of the Earth To Meekus film, directed by the Malloys.

Who: The Malloys, Rob Machado, Pat O'connell.

August 6th: Santa Cruz, CA
August 7th: Ventura, CA
August 8th: Laguna Beach, CA
August 9th: San Diego, CA
August 10th: Melbourne, FL
August 11th: Jacksonville, FL
August 12: Day Off
August 13th: Kitty Hawk, NC
August 14th: Virginia Beach, VA
August 15th: Ocean City, MD
August 16th: Avalon, NJ
August 17th: Brendan Borek Surf Memorial, NJ

If you have questions or need more information, please call the information hotline @ 949/375-2325.

Enter to Win - Infosurv 1

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:40 +0000

Rusty Amphibious T

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:41 +0000

IRVINE, CA. Always looking to produce innovative and functional products targeting the surfing and youth market, RUSTY APPAREL hit the target head on last fall with the "AMPHIBIOUS" surf shirt. Designed with the brand's world-class surf athletes in mind, RUSTY designers took the conventional design of a basic Lycra rashguard used for surfing, and sourced a revolutionary material that features a patented "snap back memory" stretch fabric.

What originally began as a way to combat the intense sun in the tropics,traveling surfers (including top RUSTY athletes) turned to wearing cotton t-shirts to keep cool and avoid getting 'fried' during marathon surf sessions." T-shirts, however, stretch out and fill with water," according to current world champion surfer, CJ Hobgood, who counts the "AMPHIBIOUS" surf shirt as a part of his 'surfing equipment.'

Tested under extreme conditions in the waters off Fiji, Indonesia, Mexico and Western Australia, the RUSTY surf shirt appropriately called AMPHIBIOUS,"features a blended fabric that stretches to match the maneuvers of today's top'pro surfers,' 'hot groms,' and 'weekend warriors' alike, while always returning to it's original shape. The "AMPHIBIOUS" offers important UV Protection from the sun's harmful rays and is breathable, keeping an individual cooler in anycondition. A stylistic color treatment and RUSTY logo graphics package compliment the technologically-sound surf shirt.

RUSTY APPAREL'S VP of Merchandise and Design, Rick Lohr, and his design team were first to market the 'AMPHIBIOUS' style surf shirt and it's unique fabric blend to the surf industry. "Whether you're traveling to the South Pacific or your local beach break here in the states, 'AMPHIBIOUS' has got you covered and protected. The 'AMPHIBIOUS' is another piece of equipment designed for today's youth that is selling very well for us in surf shops worldwide," noted Lohr.

The "AMPHIBIOUS" surf shirt joins an already stellar Spring 2003 lineup of RUSTYsurf trunks, walk shorts and bottoms, knits, wovens, tees, and accessories.

RUSTY SURFBOARDS and APPAREL, designed for today's youth, are distributed at Surf and Skate Shops and selected retailers throughout the world.

Log on to RUSTY.COM

World Junior Championships Canceled

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:41 +0000

www.aspworldtour.com
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)
2002 World Junior Championships (WJC)

ASP Int'l, Australia (Friday, August 9) Billabong and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) regretfully announce the postponement of this years' World Junior Championships, scheduled for Phillip Island, VictoriaAustralia, during November.

Over the last few years the event has tried to find an excellent wave location in Hawaii and Australia. Permitting issues in Hawaii led to last years' move to Phillip Island, though dates coincide with Australia's and the southern Hemisphere's biggest international horse racing carnival, the Melbourne Cup, in the same region the same week.

Trying to find a suitable date to avoid this clash is just as difficult because the final events of the all important World Qualifying Series (WQS) season are occurring and to collide with these tournaments would unfairly require many of the worlds' best young surfers to choose between a world junior championship title or potentially qualifying for the WorldChampionship Tour (WCT).

Billabong and ASP are committed to finding the right time and place for this prestigious title during the 2003 season and hope to announce a solution shortly.

Billabong remains committed to pro junior surfing throughout the world and sincerely regrets this situation. Seven (7) regional junior champions willstill be crowned and acknowledged in 2002.

The "Big" Issue: Behind the Scenes

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:41 +0000

INTRO

The power of surfing's personality-it may be difficult to describe, but you sure can feel it. Consider the photo session for the cover of SURFER's inaugural Power Issue, featuring our first-ever 25 Most Powerful People In Surfing lineup. Sure, it was easy to dream up:

"Hey, let's get a cross-section of the most powerful people in the sport together for a portrait. Kelly and Laird and a couple Roxy girls and some of the heavy industry guys..."

AUDIO: Sam George reads "Intro"

To get Quicktime Player click here

We could have easily procured individual portraits of each. And then we could have, much like a number of personality culture magazines like Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Mojo, invoked the miracle of computer image manipulation to group the individual shots together to simulate a group portrait. They're much easier to produce, look great, and honestly, you can hardly tell.

But then, a pretty picture wasn't the entire point of the project. From the initial conception, we felt that the only way we could accurately portray what turned out to be the incredibly diverse nature of our power list was to actually get a cross-section of these surfers into a room together, get the camera in focus and then wait for the spike on the Richter scale.

BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO STARTS HERE

BROADBAND QUICKTIME --3.4MB
Timelapse: Alpha and Omega

BROADBAND QUICKTIME --3.4MB
Preparation the Day Before.

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.4MB
Preproduction Scenario at Smashbox

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--2.7MB
Lime Juice on an Open Cut

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1MB
Booking Roxy

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.3MB
Donkey Mockups

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.1MB
Jeff Divine Catches Flak

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1MB
Power Waves

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.1MB
Lighting Concerns

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--2.2MB
Power in Da House--Group Shot

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.3MB
Autograph Hound

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1MB
Bruce Irons Goes Wall Street

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.3MB
Places Everyone

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--900k
Andy, Laird and Bruce: Kauai Boyz

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.4MB
Kelly Slater Talks Story

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.3MB
Roxy's Randy Hild

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1MB
The Man Behind the Behinds

BROADBAND QUICKTIME--1.4MB
Laird Recommends Sparkles

Bali High?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:41 +0000

Another View: The Crimo Shrinkwrap

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:42 +0000

Earliar in the week Surfermag.com brought you Joe Crimo's Shrinkwrap, but we had no idea what to call it. Well, now we know. Here it is, another day, another angle, same move.

Catapult Enterprises Presents:
Joe Crimo's Shrinkwrap.

BROADBAND VIDEO--3.4MB
Crimo Busts Shrinkwrap
Stand by as it loads.
Need QuickTime? Download it for free right now. Don't miss out.
Download QuickTime for MAC or PC.

Be sure to check out the new 411 Surfing Video Magazine Vol. #1 which includes Crimo's radical moves. The new video will be out August 5th, 2002.

For more info regarding Joe Crimo or Catapult Enterprises contact Michael Spencer Taylor at 949 697-6614, or email at spence@catapultsurfing.com.

Discuss Joe Crimo's Shrinkwrap video clip.

Joel Tudor Sits in The Hot Seat

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:42 +0000

So Joel, I'm putting you on the Hot Seat.
Under what grounds?

Well, let's start with the latest 55 DSL advertisement featuring you in our Big Issue where you're covered in boils and blotches. Was that your idea?
No. No it wasn't my idea, it was the guy that owns Deisel's son, Adrea Rosso's idea. He does all the ads for 55 (DSL), and he kind of likes to do things that shock people. You know, things that are little twists on the ordinary, and he thought it was really funny that people surf right in front of a power plant, so...

So what are you supposed to have come down with, exactly?
I think it's radiation sickness.

Speaking of sick, you're looking a little gaunt in that ad.
Yeah, well, I had just come back from a trip, and then I had to go to Holland to do that ad. It's really hard to eat when you're on the road and I've got a really strict diet.

So tell us about that. You're macrobiotic?
Whoa. No. I'm not that gnarly.

But you are a vegetarian?
Yeah, and I can't just go out and pick up a cheeseburger, you know?

Yeah so is that why I saw you in the gym the other day? Are you trying to bulk up?
No. I don't think I could bulk up. It's just good, you know, to be in there and work on strength and things like that.

Pump a little iron...
Yeah, I don't pump too much iron. I only weigh 145 pounds, so...

With that big trucker hat you were wearing at the gym, you looked a little incognito. Do you try and keep a low profile there?
No. It's just that I've been going a little hessian lately with my hair, and I need to keep it out of my face. I'm not going to go in there wearing a headband. I'm not too in to lookin' like Lieutenant Dan.

So that trip you took to Amsterdam, was that the one that you had to miss the SURFER Magazine Andaman Islands trip with Art Brewer for?
Yeah. I was bummed, but it's kind of hard when your sponsors are paying your bills, and they want you somewhere. You've got to be there. I would have loved to be on that trip, but I didn't have much of a choice.

Did Art (Brewer) lay into you?
Yeah, typical Art. He gave me some shit for that one, but I think he'll get over it.

So did you go to Amsterdam, or did you go to Amsterdam? Cause we were thinking maybe that's where all those boils and blotches came from...
No, Holland was great, but I didn't spend too much time in Amsterdam. That place is sketchy. I think Satan lives there. I try to avoid hanging out with that guy as much as possible.

-Ross Garrett

1st Annual ROB MACHADO "Par 3 Experience"

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:42 +0000

On Thursday, October 31st, Rob Machado and friends will hang up their surfboards and tee it up for charity at the Rob Machado "Par 3 Experience" Golf Tournament at Lomas Santa Fe Executive Course.

This Tournament is part of the 7th Annual Rob Machado Surf Classic & Cardiff Beach Fair sponsored by Hansens Surfboards, which is held on November 2nd and 3rd 2002. Proceeds from The Golf Tournament and Silent Auction will be donated to the following foundations:

The Boarding for Breast Cancer Foundation
Life Rolls On
Surfrider Foundation

The "Par 3 Experience" was an idea conceived by Rob to promote a fun and relaxing game of golf. The "Experience" is not your average golf tournament.

First, two sets of Callaway Golf Clubs will be provided to your Foursome, so leave your clubs at home. With each team using the same identical set of clubs, this equalizes the field and makes the game a bit more interesting. The provided set will consist of only 5 clubs, so each team will have to use their imaginations in their shot making.

Second, the tournament is in a scramble format, which means all players will hit their individual ball but play the best ball out of their foursome.

Thirdly, there will be a few surprises throughout the course to add a little more excitement, challenge, and of course a lot of laughs. So come out and join Rob and friends for a truly unique golf "Experience".

Lastly, please bring your checkbook or credit card for the Silent Auction.

Sponsored by CALLAWAY GOLF Miller Beer and Wahoo's Fish Taco's.

Sponsorship Package:

Foursome: $1,000 Receive event t-shirt and gift bag and prizes

Company logo on event brochure and one banner onsite

Schedule of events:

10:45 A.M. --- Registration – breakfast/lunch provided

11:30 A.M --- Putting challenge sponsored by Odyssey Golf.

12:30 P.M. --- Shotgun start

4:00 P.M --- Post tournament party, silent auction and awards presentation. Dinner provided by Wahoo's Fish Tacos.

Prizes:
All Participants will receive a tee prize package. Tournament Prizes to include: Callaway Golf equipment and lots of other good stuff…

Don't miss out on this fun filled day and the opportunity to help raise money for some great charities. To register, simply complete the following form and mail payment as indicated with the attached Registration Form. The 18 team tournament spots are on a first come first serve basis and will be held by received payments. For further information regarding the golf tournament or any other questions please contact Justine Chiara at (323) 571-1853 or Doug Bellows at (760) 815-4136

Directions: Lomas Santa Fe Executive Course -From interstate 5, exit Lomas Santa Fe Drive. Head east approximately 1 mile to Highland Drive. Turn left on Highland Drive. Go left on Sun Valley Road. The Golf Course is located on your right.

FMI please email:
Justine Chiara- Chiara120@aol.com

Surf Wing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:42 +0000

With its 1960's construction techniques and relatively unchanged form (displacement hull with fin) the modern surfboard might seem like a pretty low-tech piece of equipment. But one spacey, former surfboard builder has a different perspective. Kent Sherwood, founder of Foam Matrix (winner of Boeing's 2002 Supplier Innovation Award), has Washington's top brass at attention with his surfboard-inspired, foam wing designs for the Air Force's X-45, or the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV).

Sherwood, 60, made the jump from surf and sailboards-he developed the Malibu Surf Ski paddle board in the 60's-to aerospace in the early 1990's when he started shaping foam fins for, ironically enough, Orbital Sciences Inc.'s Pegasus rocket. "Fins and wings are basically surfboards," he says, "but they require much higher standards of quality control." The process to make the UCAV wings, however, is surprisingly simple and, to a surfboard shaper, very familiar. Liquid polyurethane foam is poured into a mold and a "stringer" composed of wiring and electronic components is embedded into the core. As the molding is precise to the ultimate specs of the wing, there is little sanding and fine-tuning going on after it comes out. Such a revolutionary procedure for wing and fin construction dramatically reduces weight, weeks of labor, reams of paperwork and, most importantly, cost. "It eliminates about 20 steps from the process of making a wing with other materials or metals," says Sherwood. "And it's much lighter and stronger."

The attention and work orders at Foam Matrix have been overwhelming and Sherwood, a Hawaiian native, hasn't paddled out at his home Zuma Beach in a couple years. He's doing everything he can to change that, though. "I'm not doing as much of the work now," he says, "so I'll have more time to get in a few waves before work again." And no one, not even the Pentagon, can dispute that kind of intelligence.

- Carl Friedmann

Blood Bay

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:42 +0000

Check out this loopy, ledgy, lofty carbunkle of a wave.

Special thanks to our friends at SurfTasmania.com. Make sure to check out the latest video production from SurfTasmania.com "Taz Zero One."

BROADBAND VIDEO--2.7MB
BLOOD BAY

Interns Wanted

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:43 +0000

The Action Sports Group (Surfer, Snowboarder, Bike, Powder, and Skateboarder magazines) digital department of Primedia Publishing is in immediate and constant need of qualified interns.

The qualifications include but are not limited to:

1) Familiarity with extreme sports
2) Confident working knowledge of html and photoshop
3) Basic mastery and ability to get around either the Windows or MAC operating system
4) 2- six hour work days per week
5) Intense work ethic
6) Desire to work in the Action Sports Industry

Interns duties will include, but are not limited to:

uploading content to the various ASG websites using a Content Management System (CMS).
formatting images using Photoshop
digitally scanning images
playing ping pong in the warehouse during down time.

This is a non-paying internship that will last a minimum of two months with a one month probationary period.

Students should talk with a school counselor about the possibility of earning credit toward your intended degree or certificate.

Interested parties should email: surfermag@primedia.com

Please put "Intern" in the subject line of email.

Dorian's Camera Angle

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:43 +0000

Shane Dorian's penchant for near-death surfing experiences has always been sublimated; not something he brags, boasts or even talks about. But when we heard that the colorful mass hovering in the face of Andy Irons' wave of the year at Teahupoo was psycho-boy Dorian, we rang him immediately to find out what the hell he was doing there. Under heavy prodding, he finally talked.

- Ross Garrett

SURFER Magazine: Shane, why?
Shane Dorian: Why wasn't I surfing? I was taking pictures of my friends.

Is this something you do often?
Usually when I go somewhere where the waves are going to be really good, I'll take one of those little water cameras with me. Especially somewhere where you're on a boat because you can just paddle back and grab a camera. It's funny because the waves were supposed to be really big for the whole week and I only had a couple boards. I wanted to save them, so I figured I'd just shoot photos. Then they started the contest and the swell dropped a little, so...

So, did you get any cover shots?
I don't know about cover shots but I got a few good ones. A couple real good shots of Bruce Irons, Mark Healey and Mike Parsons.

At what point did you decide to put down the camera and go surfing?
Actually it was the other way around, I put down my surfboard to take photos. Once you've gotten a couple sick ones at Teahupoo you feel satisfied. You don't really need any more.

J-Bay Event Set to Begin

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:43 +0000

Worlds Top Rated Surfers Head To J-Bay

ASP Int'l (Monday, July 8) The world's top 46 rated surfers are making theirway to Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, for the next stop on the 2002 Associationof Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT). Home of the legendary 'Supertubes' surf break; the US$250,000 Billabong Pro is one ofthe most highly anticipated events of the year.

Scheduled for July 16 through 26, the Billabong Pro has an 11-day waiting period to ensure optimum conditions for the four full days required. The fifth of 12 WCT events on what has been dubbed the 'Dream Tour' by surfers, media, and general public for the exotic venues and quality surf breaks itvisits.

After phenomenal waves during the during the opening two WCT's in Australia,and on the reefs of Tahiti and Fiji, all attention will be on the swellcharts surrounding Jeffreys Bay in the hope great surf continues for another epic showdown.

Current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw) holds a commanding position courtesy of his back-to-back victories at Bells Beach Australia, and then atTeahupoo, Tahiti. The Hawaiian, who will celebrate his 24th birthday during the Billabong Pro, is more than 600 points ahead of Florida's Cory Lopez(25), who in turn is only 70 points ahead of older brother Shea (28).

"I'm really looking forward to going to J-Bay," explained Irons. "I'veordered a lot of short boards and worked with (shaper) Eric Arakawa onmaking some good point boards. I've been training at home and gettingpsyched and recharged.

"J-Bay is a world class break for sure," he added. "The waters a little coldfor my taste, but other than that it's a really good right. Super highperformance, long and perfect."

Veteran campaigner Luke Egan (32), a permanent fixture on the WCT since itwas introduced in 1992, is Australia's highest rated surfer in fourth spot.He's followed by reigning world champ C.J. Hobgood (22), another of theFloridian contingent that have made such an impact in the top echelons ofthe sport in the last decade.

Egan, a sentimental favourite amongst the locals at J-Bay since winning ablock of land there years ago, has even more connection to the venue than most.

"There's so many good stops now on the ASP world tour and the way we've had swell the last few months is tremendous," explained Egan. "Hopefully it can keep going when we are in J-Bay and keep up the incredible events. I love the place and won a block of land there in the Dream Sequence a lot of years ago, and have kept it. It's a special place for me."

Mark Occhilupo (Aus), at 36 the oldest WCT competitor in history, togetherwith fellow Gold Coaster Joel Parkinson, who won the tour opener at his homebreak of Snapper Rocks, and Michael Lowe (Wollongong), winner of the lasttournament in Fiji, complete the current top eight.

"It's going to be a big event for me," reasoned Occhilupo. "I haven't donewell there for a long time and I really want to. I'm going there about aweek early to get familiar with it again.

"We saw the leader (Andy Irons) have an early loss in Fiji, so everyone isgoing to be really keen to catch up," he added. "It's going to be a greatcontest for sure."

Lowe, 25, put on an outstanding forehand performance in Fiji's hollowleft-handers to win the last WCT, but will now rely on his backhand attackat Jeffreys.

"J-Bay is definitely my favorite right-hander in the world and the peopleare so friendly there," said Lowe. "When the wave's on, there's no otherplace where you can go faster."

Defending Billabong Pro champion Jake Paterson (Aus) has won the last twoeditions to become the first back-to-back winner since the inaugural contestin June 1983. Flying over early to gain more practice time, the current #29will be vying for a similar result to shoot him further up the ratings.

"I'm going there in need of a good result, like I did last year,"acknowledged Paterson. "I feel relaxed though, as the wave is so good. Thenew 'Best 2 wave' scoring system will probably be used, so it'll beinteresting to see how it works there.

"Every year is difficult, but this year will be the hardest for sure," heconceded of the stacked heat draw. "With Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning,'Parko', and Taj Burrow... everyone's so good. Last year a lot of the bignames lost early and I held on. I'll just be taking it heat by heat. Youcan't worry about the final when you have to get through your first heatstill. I do feel confident though. In the last four years I have won theevent twice and was beaten by the eventual winner the other two times. I'mjust hoping to have a good run again."

Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) will also be a major threat. TheFloridian, now in his comeback season after three years of semi-retirementand the winner of the 1996 event, is extremely motivated to grace the J-Bayline-up again.

"I haven't surfed J-Bay since 1999, or surfed in the contest since 1998,"stated Slater. "J-Bay's obviously a great wave and we worked for years totry and get it back on tour. There was a long period when it wasn't a tourevent, and J-Bay was one of the first steps to getting all the good waves onboard. It's exciting to go back there and surf a perfect right with only twoguys in the water."

East London's Greg Emslie and Durban's Paul Canning will represent the SouthAfrican charge in the continent's most lucrative surfing tournament.

Another four locals - Brad Bricknell (Jeffreys Bay), Sean Holmes(Wilderness) and Durbanites Simon Nicholson and Travis Logie - have beengiven the opportunity to compete against the world's best exponents whenthey contest the Von Zipper Trials against Australians Shaun Cansdell andBede Durbidge, together with Che Stang (USA) and Danilo Costa (Brazil).

The trials will be staged on the opening day of the Billabong Pro with thetop two finishers receiving wildcards into the country's most prestigioussurfing event.

ASP's Al Hunt Retiring

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:43 +0000

ASP Int'l, QLD, Australia (Wednesday, July 10) After 22 years of service invarious capacities, ASP stalwart Al Hunt has announced that 2002 will be his testimonial year as Tour Director.

The retirement of Al Hunt marks the end of an era at ASP. Credited withstatistical input from the inception of structured professional surfing, Altook on an official position as an IPS World Tour Judge in 1978, was promoted to Head Judge and Assistant Tour Rep in 1982, and in 1983, when theworld governing body became ASP, Al was again appointed Head Judge and Assistant Tour Rep by ASP Executive Director Ian Cairns.

In 1984 Al Hunt assumed the position of ASP Tour Director, a post he has notonly held, but shaped over the last 18 years.

On receipt of the resignation, ASP President Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew had this to say, "Al Hunt has been there from day one. No, way before that. I have known Al since 1969 and as for pro surfing, he has always been thereabouts. I salute Al's dedication to the sport and on behalf of ASP International, thank him for his contribution in the 70's, 80's, 90's andinto the millennium. A true foundation member."

As momentous as this announcement is, Al Hunt will still be involved in ASP,as Statistician and Liaison to the WQS. This new position will allow Al to work for ASP from a home base on a part-time basis, allowing more time with the family and hopefully more time on the golf course.

Stepping into the role of Tour Director in 2003 will be Renato Hickel of Florianopolis, Brazil. A former ASP Head Judge, current WCT Judge and ASP Special Projects Manager, Renato brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this already well established position. Tour Director for the World Longboard Tour in 2001/02, Renato will work closely with Al over the secondhalf of the year in readiness for 2003.

Videos - Poor Specimen clips

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:44 +0000

DRIVE THRU - Join in the misadventures of Donovan Frankenreiter, Tim Curran,
Greg Browning and Shawn "Barney" Barron on a 30 day RV surf trip up the
coast of California.

view trailer | get the movie

ARC - A Taylor Knox Signature Series features top surfer Taylor Knox. The film tracks Knox's challenges and triumphs through his entire surf career.

view trailer | get the movie

MOMENTUM, UNDER THE INFLUENCE - A high-energy surf video featuring the top up-and-coming surfers under the age of 23. Set in exotic locations such as the Mentawai Islands, Australia, South Africa, France, Timor Island, Indonesia, Mexico, Hawaii and California.

view trailer | get the movie

UNTITLED - The new "Untitled" movie from Poor Specimen. This video has some of the
best surfing you will ever see. This movie will blow your mind with heavy hitters doing heavy hits.

view trailer | get the movie

LOOSE CHANGE - With a decidedly comedic approach Loose Change takes on the age old question "what would a pro surfer be doing if he didn¹t surf?".

view trailer | get the movie

HIT N RUN - Ever wonder what it is like to be a professional surfer? Are they over paid and spoiled or just a bunch a guys stoked to do what they do?

view trailer | get the movie

SHELTER - The Moonshine Conspiracy's third and biggest project, "Shelter", carries the spirit of Thicker Than Water and September Sessions, however it has a texture and vision all it's own.

view trailer | get the movie

HALLOWED GROUND - A fifteen month skateboarding journey through N. America, S.America, and Europe reminding us all why we dedicated our lives to skateboarding.

view trailer | get the movie

T&C Grom Contest/Surfer Mag Air Invitational

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:44 +0000

Any chance to get to Hawaii should be taken, and to see the T&C Grom/SURFER Magazine Air Invitational was no exception. In early July a fun-filled weekend packed with groms and aerials was in store. For the two-day event, the competitors, all 14 and under, were blessed with clear tropical skies. The wind also stayed at bay and Queens served up 1- to 3-foot glassy, rip-able waves, setting the stage for the contest to go off. Packing the beach with sponsors and an estimated 2,000 spectators, the groms were inspired to show off their best.

With sand sculptures, plenty of free ice cream and hilarious skits and contests, every youngster was a winner. The event helped these kids gain confidence and develop surfing skills to better prepare them for a new, fierce level of competitive surfing. The airshow pros gave the groms something to look up to and inspired them to do better in their heats. It also gave them a chance to get up close and personal with their heroes.

Gavin Sutherland won $2,500, Brian Pacheco took second with $1,000, Jaime O'Brian third with $500 and Jason Shibata took forth. With great backside 360 aerials, Gavin gave the beach a great show and a great weekend. Thanks to the great girls and guys at T&C who helped make this event possible.

BROADBAND VIDEO FOOTAGE COURTESY MIKE LATRONIC

T&C VIDEO #1

Town and Country Grom Contest Final Standings

Bodyboard 8-11

1. Leane Change-Remular
2. Ha'a Aikau
3. Justin Palacoi
4. Kaiao Goins
5. Brandon Kuakini
6. Cassidy Kuakini

Bodyboard 12-14

1. Devin Martin
2. Reis Yonehiro
3. Kainoa Enhada
4. Colin Black
5.Rory Walther
6. Scott Tabata

Shortboard 7& Under

1. A'ala Stewart
2. Kino Cajigal
3. Noah Tom

Shortboard 8-11

1. Johann Hedeman
2. Kaea Bosgra
3. Travis Higa
4. C.J. Owens
5. Josh Plechaty
6. Stu Comuelle

Shortboard 12-14

1. Emerick Ishikawa
2. Isaac Jaffurs
3. Kaleao Cajigal
4. Duke Locke
5. Josh Plechaty
6. Stu Comuelle

Longboard 7 and Under

1. Eala Stewart
2. Kirra Jaquias
3. Kino Cajigal
4. Kalai Daniel Clark
5. Kala Grace
6. Colin Delapena

Longboard 8-11 final

1. Kapu Ping
2. Exekiel Lau
3. Lawaun Stewart
4. Tracy Pruse
5. Kekai Grace
6. Micah Miguel

Longboard 12-14

1. Kaleo Cjigal
2. Armin Baertschi
3. Derek Wong
4. Geoff Wong
5. Dustin Ramos
6. Kody Gedge

Town & Country/Surfer Magazine Air Invitational Finals

1-Gavin Sutherland
2-Brian Pacheco
3-Jamie O'Brian
4-Jason Shibata
5-Dustin Barca
6-Pat Maus

Representin'...

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:44 +0000

Some little green aliens, with big green staple guns, and have come down from the cosmos and demanded one surfer's life which best represents what surfing is ALL about. In exchange they will allow us to surf never-ending perfect surf, in harmony with one another.

But...here's the catch. The little green aliens already know who this surfer is. They are testing us.

If we answer incorrectly, we lose, and we'll be promptly stapled in or around a very private and sensitive area. This is bad. But if we answer correctly, well, it's surfing nirvana for all.

Please think carefully about your vote, staple treatment probably sucks.

O'NEILL/REEF ADVANCED SURF CAMP FOR CHICKS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:45 +0000

Professional Surfer Rochelle Ballard to Host First-of-Its-Kind Advanced Surf Camp

San Diego, CA - Top ranked ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) surfer Rochelle Ballard is hosting the O'Neill/Reef Advanced Surf Camp for Chicks in July 2002 in Carlsbad, California. The advanced surf camp platform is the first of its kind meaning girls who attend the camp will come equipped with some surf skills and possible competition experience.

The camp, which will run July 12-14 and July 19-21, was established by Ballard to promote the sport of women's surfing. "Showing support for these young girls is so important because they are the future of the sport of women's surfing. Hopefully, with more camps like this, a lot of these girls will go on to become the future of the International Women Surfers (IWS) group so that we can grow the sport and get surfer girls from all around the world connected," said Ballard.

Over fifty girls including amateur surfers from the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) and winners from several contests will camp out for the weekend. The girls will receive advanced surf instruction from Ballard and high-level instructors from Surf Diva, learn competition pointers, training techniques, yoga maneuvers and listen to industry professionals speak on sponsorship and career opportunities in the action sports industry. Besides the training aspects of the camp, stars from the summer box office release Blue Crush are slated to attend the camp to surf and mingle with the girls.

A Media Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 20th. Cast members from the Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment film Blue Crush, including lead Kate Bosworth, are scheduled to appear for the Media Day. All inquiries should be directed to Coco Tihanyi (caro@surfdiva.com) or Amanda Culver (aculver@oneillclothing.com) to schedule an appointment to cover the camp.

The camp is proudly sponsored by O'Neill, Reef, Surf Diva, Blue Crush the movie and SG (Surf, Skate, Snow Girl) magazine and sanctioned by the IWS (International Women's Surfing) group.

Sling Blades

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:46 +0000

Question: What do Tom Blake, Nat Young, Mark Richards and Simon Anderson all have in common? They're all great surfers, sure, but each of them also made a significant contribution to surfing progression through surfboard design. Each, during his own particular era, sparked an entire design revolution. But can you guess the single common denominator that earned them their star on surfing's timeline?

That's right. Fins.

Tom Blake was the first guy to put a fin on a surfboard. Ask any of the old Waikiki beach boys how much that little rudder improved their rides and they'll still start welling up with joy.

Nat Young gets credit for helping spark the shortboard revolution by chopping almost a foot off the nose of his board during the 1966 World Contest, but it was the high-aspect, tuna-inspired George Greenough fin that really put that snap in his turns.

Then came Mark Richards. Now M.R. certainly wasn't the first guy to stick two fins on a board but he did perfect the flat-foiled, toed-in design that spelled an end to the single-fin era, and then proved its worthiness with four world titles.

And Simon? Well, there is that little thing called the Thruster.

Truth is, the crucial design element involved in the four biggest breakthroughs in surfboard performance in the past 60 years had nothing to do with the size or shape of the board, or its materials. It was all about fins. With this in mind, it could be said that fins are the most important aspects of the surfboard's performance.

Need proof? Try paddling out on your beloved $600, designer-shaped board and see how it goes, but without the fins. It seems hard to believe but those little blades cutting through the water are 10 times more important than your board's rocker, rail foil, outline or materials.

Yet since the advent of the Thruster over 20 years ago, our shaping gurus have spent most of their efforts dissecting merely the hull of the board, searching up, down and sideways for a key to the next breakthrough. In the meantime, fins have been merely an afterthought. The proliferation of removable fin systems in the 1990s was leveraged more on convenience, not performance.

"We understand everything there is to know about the hull of the surfboard now," says Rusty Preisendorfer. "But fins remain a mystery. That's why they're my biggest passion right now."

He's not alone.

VIDEO:Pipe Masters Trials Clips

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:46 +0000

Every year the Pipeline Masters trials feature the most experienced Pipeline experts: locals who surf the spot all season long. These surfers are all better Pipe surfers than the WCT top 44--save Kelly and Andy. But competitive savy, or lack thereof, has a way of washing away the hopes of the most tried and true Pipe locals. Two surfers, out of 32 trialists, make the cut and get the chance to show their metal against the WCT top 44 during the main event. This year those lucky two were former Pipe Master Rob Machado and local hero Brian Pacheco (aka Pa-shack-o).

broadband PIPE MASTERS TRIALS #1

broadband PIPE MASTERS TRIALS #2

So Long For Now, The Road To Mavericks

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:46 +0000

Thanks for joining The Road To Mavericks. Over 20,000 people each day logged on to catch all the action. Don't worry if you missed it, you can catch up on all the events day by day and still enter to win cool gear. Click below to see the photos, watch the videos and enter the sweepstakes...

Click Here to Join The Road To Mavericks

The SURFER Interview: Coco Nogales

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:47 +0000

At age eight Mexico's most well respected surfer, Carlos "Coco" Nogales, sold gum on the street in Mexico City. He was a runaway, sleeping in bushes and bus stops. If the police caught him they would throw him in a juvenile detention center, or worse, send him back to his mom's house. So he hid under newspapers at night and slaved on the streets for pesos by day. Anything to survive.

He saved up, and after seven months he bought a bus ticket to Acapulco. There he met another street kid, a few years older than he, who spoke majestically of a place called Puerto Escondido, a small family town where young kids could ride surfboards on the big waves.

A week later, Coco was caught by the police and interrogated at gunpoint for leads to the Acapulco drug cartel. That night he decided it was time to move again. He took the sum of his belongings in his duffle bag and bought a bus ticket for destiny: Puerto Escondido.

At 26, Coco is 18 years from when he first set foot on the dusty streets of his new hometown, the "Hidden Port," Puerto Escondido. He's racked up more tube time, and ridden more deadly waves than virtually anyone, anywhere. Today Coco has achieved his dream of making money from surfing, and he's busily helping to foster the next generation of Puerto Escondido super stars.

But that's not all. On the back of international tourism and commerce from surfers who come to ride the "Mexican Pipeline," sleepy Puerto Escondido has become a buzzing city with resorts, restaurants and an airport, and that expansion has come with dire consequences.

The golden grains of sand that grace Puerto's illustrious beach and form its famous sandbars are disappearing. Construction has shored up the beachfront sand flow and stemmed the tide of erosion up river.

Fearing Puerto Escondido will become extinct like legendary Mexican surf break Petacalco, Coco and others are gathering steam and taking their concerns to the Mexican government. We spoke with the native Spanish speaker (in English) about how he's seeking to combat the degradation of his home, about the surf culture in Puerto Escondido, and his incredible ride thus far.--Ross Garrett

When did you begin to notice the sandbars at Puerto Escondido weren't coming back as quickly as they used to?

For the last five years there's been construction on the beach; palapas and all these concrete things. They make the sand tight, so now you need a huge swell to clean the beach. And even then, the sandbar will be good for a short while and then it gets shit again. Before, on the beach it was bushes. Natural plants. And when it rained, water would bring rocks and sand from the mountains. Also, there's a rock jetty in the bay and the current that used to push all the sand around the bay and out to sea puts the sand on the jetty. It makes a rip, and it's affecting the surf a lot.

So you got a group together to help stop this?

Yeah. The association of lifeguards, the association of surfing and the association of hotels, they're trying to stop the construction. At least they're thinking about it. They see it's bad, but there's a lot of signature signing and all these papers that have to go to the government. And just two days ago, I heard that between the beach and the hotels, they want to put in a boardwalk for people to ride the bikes, to skate, to put the basketball. That would be f--ked.

How else has Puerto changed since you first moved there?

Puerto used to be a very small town and it was all family. I was used to being in big cities like Mexico City and Acapulco, with a lot of violence and where you have to watch your back from all these bad crazy people. But Puerto was so nice. When I first came to Puerto, one of the most local guys, Fidencio Silva, let me stay at his mom's restaurant and sleep in the hammock and work in the kitchen and she fed me. After that, I met Miguel Ramirez, the ding repair guy and his brother Juan. They were the tough locals back then. Juan and Miguel used to go to the restaurant to get drunk and all f---ed up, and that's where I met them. Juan sent me to his mom's house with his seven brothers, all surfers. I lived there for three years and I also got to help Miguel doing the dings; sanding, this, that. That got me into surfing. I was so lucky. When I came to Puerto, I met the right guys and they accepted me. I didn't realize how heavy that was until now. Like a one in a million. They put me through school when I was living with them. Now, we're like family. They're like brothers.

Did you learn English in that school?

I first learned English in the beach. Back in the day it used to be all these surfers from California and they used to call me Chico Business because I was always doing some kind of business. Then I moved to California and I went to high school in Santa Monica for two years when I was 14.

What made you want to go to the United States?

These guys I met in Puerto from Venice Beach, all surfers, Rick Massie and Chris Garcia. I lived with them.

So did you finish High School in America?

No. I left in the 11th grade. I was missing Puerto so much. Venice was so different. I was used to having more freedom. I knew it was good for me, and my friends were pushing me, "Go to school. If the police see you, they're going to lock you up, so you have to go to school." I did two years but then I just give up. I was missing Puerto.

Did you have a visa, or were you illegal in Santa Monica?

I was illegal. I crossed the border and those crazy things. Running the border, putting your life through that.

How would you get across the border when you'd go?

Up in the mountains, the Mesa de Otay in Tijuana. You stay there until midnight and watch. If the immigration is slow, you just start running and hiding. The last time I did it, it was December and it was raining. It was so cold, and you're always watching your back. I've been in Tijuana many times without money, not even 20 cents, trying to make it to the other side and just getting stuck there with no food no nothing. I remember once, I was 15 or 16, and I got lost there with no money. I was crying, I was so worried. You don't want to go back to Puerto like that. You want to make it, you know?

What was the most terrifying trip you've had across the border?

The last time. It was 12 at night with this guy I met in Tijuana. It was raining, wet with mud, and we were running all night through the mountains. Finally we got to San Ysidro and there was a sewage tunnel he knew of. It was really dark and tiny but I didn't have a choice. I wasn't saying no. So I go inside there and couldn't see anything. We were going in there for like 40 minutes and I like, how you call it? Asphobia?

Claustrophobia?

Yeah. Like fuck man. And then walking and stepping through things that you don't see but you go on and it's so gross. Finally, I see a little hole of light way down there, and I made it. Even though we made it, I wasn't doing that again. So many people die doing that.

You didn't just want to stay in America after that?

No. To be honest, I didn't go to America for the work. It was more for the surfing. I didn't go there to stay and make a life, otherwise I would have done it already. The purpose was to make my dream come true because if I just stayed here in Puerto and surf, people forget about me. After that winter, I decided to go back to Puerto to do my Army service so I could get my passport and my visa.

You can't get a Mexican passport without serving in the Army?

Global Surf Distributes New Boards

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:47 +0000

Bruce Hansen, Managing Director newsurfproject Hawaii, LLC. is pleased to announce that Global Surf Industries will be the official importer of newsurfproject surfboards in the mainland USA.

Launched in the summer of 2002 NSP has been a hit in Hawaii, Australia and Europe.

The newsurfproject is a line of specialty surfboards aimed at beginners and recreational surfers. The current product line consists of seven boards constructed with top-sheet, thermoforming technology in shortboard sizes: 5'10" & 6'6", funboard sizes 7'6", 7'10" & 8'6" and 9'2" & 10'2" classic longboards. Retail prices range from $279 for the 5'10" shortboards. We great support and extra benefits for retailers store owners will be happy selling these boards as well. All boards come with a one year warranty. Based in Maui, Hawaii, newsurfproject is focused on producing a performance driven, durable and affordable surfboards for the entry and recreational surfing market. Look out for the newsurfproject range in stores on the US mainland from December 2002.

To learn more about the NSP range of boards click here. . NSP boards will be displayed at the upcoming ASR and Surf Expo trade shows,be sure to check them out.

VonZipper Brings In Watters

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:47 +0000

VONZIPPER ANNOUNCES PHILLIP WATTERS TO THE FAMILY

Irvine, CA - October 15, 2002 - Phillip Watters from Melbourne Beach, FL is the newest addition to the VonZipper Family. As one of Sebastian Inlets strongest surfers, Phillip is the future of East Coast surfing and is known for his steez in and out of the water.

"Phillip is the style master of Florida and represents the next generation of surfing," said Greg 'GT' Tomlinson, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for VonZipper. "His personality, attitude, and talent all mesh with the lifestyle we promote and we are excited to have him on our team."

As one of the youngest surfers to ever get a poster in Surfing Magazine some 10 years ago, Phillip continues to progress and improve each year. He is also known for carrying around his lucky blue dice for a little gambling, but don't let him fool you with his charm because many have fallen victim to his c-lo game. When Phillip isn't surfing you may find him rolling in his new Benz or hosting a BBQ in his new crib.

Since its inception in 1999, VonZipper continues to recognize personalities and lifestyles by providing eyewear and accessories to some of the world's most recognizable athletes. Other VonZipper talent include: Arto Saari, Donavon Frankenreiter, Kevin Jones, Rick Thorne, Bastien Salabanzi, Brian Deegan, Mike Parsons, Jason "Weeman" Acuna, Drake McElroy, Steven Duke, Travis Robison, Thomas Horrell, and the VonZipper Girls to name a few.

VonZipper has become the next generation of eyewear and accessories. Check out the latest collection, snapshots of reality by visiting www.vonzipper.com.

Surf-A-Palooza: Dec. 27-Jan 3

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:48 +0000

Hellman or Healyman? During a recent large swell on the North Shore, hard charging Mark Healy, all 145 lbs. of him, was spotted paddling in to some to beasts at Phantoms, keeping the tow crew at bay.

Quiksilver pimps their newest creation the "Cell" wetsuit. Seams like a great idea. Less is more.

Bill Ogden dropped me an email. If you're a surfer, and over 16 years old, you've undoubtedly seen Bill's work, the most famous being "The Forgotten Island of Santosha" poster. Ogden's other notable works include the Jantzen ads that graced the back cover of Surfer during the '60s. But Ogden isn't resting on his laurels. He's got a bunch of cool stuff on this site. If you're a fan of classic surf art, or art in general, go check out it out.

From the Not-Another-Half-Built-Building dept: Baja Escalara Nautica update. Chris Evans, of the Surfrider Foundation, sent me this link . Fill out the required fields at this website and Surfrider will send a letter to Mexico's President Vicente Fox for you. From a pulled-back, objective, global perspective the idea of massive harbors up and down the Baja peninsula seems like a good idea. It should bring jobs for Mexicans, provide dollars for regional infrastructure, etc, etc. Look, the Mexicans have the sovereign right to do with their land what they will. However, as a surfer, I say, "Sovereignty be damned. Save the waves!"

Be sure to check out footage from the Pipe Masters at Surfermag.com . Along those lines, rumor on the street is that Hansen's Energy drink is entering the market place. Look for the Hansen's Pipeline Pro (WQS 3-star). Michael Tomson (Gotcha fame) is marketing charge for Hansen's and Mike Cruikshank will be dealing with team issues.

REEF signed Aussie ripper Mick Fanning to a 5-year deal. Mick rips and a world title is almost assured. His 2002 accomplishments: the ASPs 2002 Rookie of the Year, 8th place on the Surfer Poll awards, A 'CT win at J-Bay. A smart move by Fernando and co.

Surfer lensman Patrick Trefz has compiled a fabulous collection of images into a book entitled "Visions of Surf City". This is a must have for collectors of fine surf lifestyle pics. If you are a fan of "The Surfer's Journal" series (Grannis, Brewer, Divine, Bolster) this book is for you.

Speaking of fine surf photos. I made a foray into Rob Gilley's Pacific Surf Gallery the other day. The shot of Cardiff's south peak reeling along pulls at my heart strings. On another photographic note, be sure to check out Tom Servais's website to view Tom's classic and timeless surf images. Prints available too!

Rise Above: Video Action Sports aligns itself with previously unclassifiable titles that might include such subjects as no holds barred fighting, midnight alligator wrestling or street hot rodding. According to a VAS email, "Rise Above Entertainment's first releases include "Mischief" and "Mischief 3000" - underground import street racing titles, and "Pritchard vs. Dainton" - an antic-driven skating video from the U.K.. Coming in 2003 will be "Rites of Passage" - a gritty documentary on the mysterious world of no holds barred fighting, "Fighting Mad" - a compilation of somewhat shocking home video footage of fights blended with a hardcore metal soundtrack, and the heavily anticipated video featuring Wee Man and Laban (of MTV Jackass fame) appropriately titled "American Misfits."" If you're a fan of crazy video action, stay familiar with this new sub-label "Rise Above".

VOLCOM'S GOLDFISH SERIES

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:49 +0000

The second event of the Goldfish Surf Series was held on October 12th,2002

At 24th Street in Cayucos. The small south swell increased overnight provided some rippable 2-4ft peaks for the event. Over 98 competitorsshowed up to the sleepy town of Caycos to compete for cash and prizes.

In the Grom division it was a battle between newcomer Lorin Anderson and Colin Anderson who are in no way related. Colin edged out Lorin in the last few minutes of the final to get the win and huge bag of prizes.

In the Juniors it came down to Johney Craft from Carmel and BummyKoepenick from Carpinteria but in the end the well deserved win would go to Bummy. Koepenick has been on a roll lately and looks like he is not going to let up. Rounding out the final were Nick Argropolis, Kai Ellison, TJ Mortimer, and Steve Roese.

In the ever heated Pro-Am there are always upsets and today there were more than ever. Dustin Ray looked like the man to beat, but narrowly missed advancing out of his semi-final heat putting a stop to a great run. In the end it would be Nate Tyler who sat quietly down the beach, picking off exactly what he needed for the win. Kilian Garland, Greg Pobst, Carl Holm, Henry Mills, and Colin Dodgson rounded out the final.

Special thanks goes out to product sponsors: BODY GLOVE, SMITH, GLOBE, AL MERRICK, PRO-LITE, SECTOR 9, SANTA CRUZ SKATEBOARDS, FUTURE FINS, REDBULL, SURFER, SURFING, TRANSWORLD SURF, AND HAPPY MAGAZINE.

RESULTS:

PRO-AM 1.NATE TYLER $200 2.KILIAN GARLAND $50 3.GREG POBST 4.CARL HOLM 5.HENRY MILLS 6.COLIN DODGSON

JUNIORS 1.BUMMY KOEPENICK 2.JOHNEY CRAFT 3.NICK ARGROPOLIS 4.KAI ELLISON 5.STEVE ROESE 6.TJ MORTIMER

GROM 1.COLIN ANDERSON 2.LORIN ANDERSON 3.JAKE DAVI 4.JOHN WEBBER 5.CHASE FISHER 6.ROBERT CURTIS

FORECASTING TOOLS FOR YOU

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:49 +0000

Reef Model Search

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:49 +0000

Miss REEF Model Search 2002

When: August 22nd and 23rd Where: REEF Headquarters, San Diego, California

For More Info: Call 1-800-423-6855 or send any e-mail inquiries to: Heather.Vallentyne@reef1.com.Be sure to include a phone number or e-mail address where you can be reached to notify you of your scheduled appointment time, should you wish to participate in the event.

During this event, girls will be selected to receive the chance for an international modeling contract with REEF and numerous other opportunities to represent the company. Each girl will be evaluated and interviewed so as to showcase their beauty on the outside, as well as the inside. A potential Miss REEF must undoubtedly have an incredible figure with no large tattoos, but it is also imperative that she possesses a friendly, outgoing, and effervescent personality, as well as a responsible and reliable work ethic.

Upon contacting REEF, interested girls will be given directions and a scheduled time in which they will be participating. Please note that arriving late may result in a disqualification. In order to ensure that we will not have confusion, this event will run on a schedule that we will not re-arrange, unless we are given enough notice ahead of time of any scheduling conflicts. Scheduled rounds will take place every hour, on the hour. The first round will begin on Thursday at 9:00 am and commence at 3:00 p.m. On Friday, the first round will begin at 9:00 am and commence at 12:00 p.m. All girls must be sure to wear their smallest bikini underneath their clothes and be ready to show a valid form of government issued identification. It is required to be 18 years of age or older to participate. The top girls chosen from each round will be notified the following week.

As this is not a contest, there will be no prizes awarded, but participants chosen as the top girls will be given the opportunity to represent REEF in upcoming promotional events such as tradeshows, local autograph signings and surf contests. Participants will also be given the opportunity to possibly be photographed for upcoming print advertisements, and the opportunity to travel the world as a representative of REEF.

REEF, the worldwide leader in authentic, surf-inspired footwear was born from the passion and love for surfing of Argentinean brothers, Fernando and Santiago Aguerre. After moving to America with their $4,000 initial capital, the brothers built the world's largest beach sandal company that today employs thousands of people around the world. The brand represents the unique attitudes and casual lifestyle of the global surf community and can be found on 5 continents, in over 100 countries through over 11,000 retail accounts.

Surf-A-Palooza: Jan 3-10 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:50 +0000

Disturbing, nevertheless upbeat news regarding Larry "Flame" Moore, legendary photo editor at our 30-plus year adversary, Surfing magazine. On New Years Eve doctors discovered a tumor in Larry's head. Thankfully, doctor's are optimistic about Larry's full recovery, and surgery has been scheduled. Larry Moore has touched thousands of surfers the world over with his imagery and imagination. Our hearts and prayers are with Larry and his family as they go through this tough time.

The North Shore: an international surf scene fish bowl. I ran into a number of friends, associates, and acquaintances during my stay in Hawaii the last two months of the year. At Rocky Point one warm sunny morning I chatted with Ira Opper of Surf History.com. Some of you may also know Ira as the producer of the fabulous Surfer's Journal Biography video series. Opper mentioned an upcoming documentary with famous Surfer magazine, Rolling Stone magazine and pop culture icon/artist/cartoonist Rick Griffin as the subject. Griffin's life was unique in a number of ways that you may not know about, so stay tuned for this one.

Also hung out with Quiksilver Australia's Kirk Wilcox who was claiming, on the those 'tweener' days, when the swell was either waning or rising, that the Monster Mush right-hander was as good as he's ever surfed it.

The Keiki Beach Bungalows was once again my home away from home. While there I shared some time with the movie crew (stars and blue collar alike) of The Big Bounce. Here's my scoop: Morgan Freeman likes sprouts on his turkey sandwiches, and his bread toasted. I thought this was big news, but apparently the National Enquirer didn't bite.

Mike Latronic and Erik Ippel were very busy clicking away for their labor of love, Hawaii's own homegrown magazine/TV show Board Stories. Check it out when you're in Hawaii. And if you are interested in distributing the mag on the mainland, get a hold of Latronic via the website: Boardstories.com.

Steven Webster Remembered

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:50 +0000

On October 15, I wrote a short piece for the New York Times on the three American victims of the Bali bombing. One of them, of course, was Steven Webster. Webster lived in Huntington Beach, worked in Newport and was a mainstay in the lineup at 56^th Street. Webster was a friend to a great many people, including Surfer publisher Kevin Meehan.

To find a little more about Webster, I phoned the home of his best friend Trent Walker. Who should pick up the phone but longtime former Jim Hogan, who surfed the world tour from 1981 to 1990. Turns out Hogan had been a longtime friend of "Webbie" too.

In the interest of telling you a little more about the guy than my short article was able to, I figured I’d put the interviews with both Jim Hogan and Trent Walker online.

The Jim Hogan Interview.

Chris Dixon: Jim, I suppose you’ve been to the Sari Club before.

Jim Hogan: It’s amazing. I’ve been to Bali four times and I’ve sat in that same club with Rabbit Bartholomew, Tom Carroll and a number of other pro surfers. These things can just happen anytime.

CD. Sam George called this bombing an attack against surfing.

JH: Yeah, Kuta beach in general, I’d say 90 percent of their tourism is surfing.

We would always stay in Kuta and take the combi down to Padang Padang or Uluwatu or go outward from there.

CD: When’s the last time you were there?

JH: 6 years ago. I know it’s grown up a lot since then.

CD: Tell me a little bit out Stephen Webster

JH: Well, I’m 39. I’ve known him 22 or 23 years. Trent Walker has been my best friend since we were little kids -- 2 or 3 years old. Walker and Webbie were roommates, and that’s how I met Webbie way back then.

Trent still shares an office space with Webster down on 56^th st. Down where they always were roommates, and the house is still right across the street from the beach. In between work, a bunch of boards were always there, and you could always stop in, grab a one and go out for a surf. Ever since I was 17, I’d come to his house to hang out with him. The place was just a great hangout.

There’s a whole group of guys up here that Webbie was really tight with. Trent Walker and John Parodi, who is still in Bali and a really tight knit crew of guys who would always go golfing, fishing or surfing together.

Steve liked to live his life and have fun. He worked really hard, was totally dedicated to his family and would always look for a surfing adventure. They would take off once a year for a surf trip. Hawaii, Bali, wherever. That’s basically who Webster was, and you know, you could never really go out in the water at 56^th street without seeing him if the waves were good. It’s been that way for 22 years.

CD: What did you think when you heard the news of the bombing?

JH: It’s a nightmare. A nightmare that came true. And you know, there are a whole lot of Australian surfers who are missing as well. I wouldn’t doubt if I know one or two of them. That’s the kind of place the Sari Club and Kuta Beach is. Six years ago, while on a trip, we ran into Tom Carroll, Richard Cram and Rabbit. Of course, we all had once been on the tour together and the next thing you know we’re hanging out at this club on the other side of the world.

CD : Do you think Webster thought he was taking any undue risks?

JH: No way. He was planning on going there and getting some reallly good surf, celebrating his birthday and having a good time. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

John Parodi and Steve Cabler who were over there traveling with him. They’re going to have a lot of healing to do mentally. It’s just crazy.

CD: What are you guys doing now for a memorial?

JH: We’re trying to put some stuff together for the funeral–a scrapbook from friends with pictures and quotes from his life. We’ll probably paddle out at 52^nd street for a big memorial on Saturday.

CD: This one really hit close to home in a lot of ways.

JH: You know, surfers are usually braver than anyone, and they’ll go to exotic places like Indonesia, South Africa or other places where there are problems, but usually of course, it doesn’t turn out like this.

Trent Walker

Trent Walker, was the best man at Stephen Webster’s wedding, and Webbie was the best man at Walker’s recent marriage too. They were lifelong friends.

Chris Dixon: Trent, tell me about your relationship with Stephen.

Trent Walker: We were best men at each other’s weddings. We met as waiters at the Rusty Pelican years ago and there are still a number of us who remain friends after all these years. Steve and I just matured into a best friend situation.

CD: Where have you traveled with him?

Tahiti, Mexico, Hawaii, Costa Rica -- quite a few spots. He was a guy who lived life to the fullest. He set his whole situation up so that he could surf, fish and golf whenever it was called for.

CD: What made him a friend of so many?

He had a huge circle of frineds. His nickname was "instabro". Because he’s everyone’s bro. I remember we went to Tahiti, and we were not in the hotel five minutes before he was riding down the street on one of the local’s bikes and already bro’s with everybody. A total character. Everybody between 52^nd and 56^th knew him.

He was one of those guys -- if you needed to count on for something, he was there. If he came upon a traffic accident, he would be the first to stop and help. If he was on that plane that was supposed to hit the White House, he would have been one of the guys who would have taken the terrorists with him.

I remember one night when we were roommates, he was coming home from work late at night and a car had flipped on the road and there was no one at the scene yet. He jumped out and pulled the guy from the wreckage and held the guy by the neck until the paramedics got there. Most people would have driven right by.

And you know, he wasn’t short on words about himself, but everybody knew that he had such a big heart they’d just kind of chuckle and say "Yeah, right Steve, we saw you in that barrel. The whole beach was on its feet giving you a standing ovation."

All the while, he’d be saying, "Did you see me? Did you see me?"

He was a very good surfer, a very good fisherman and a good golfer who carried a 6 handicap. He was prolific and passionate about everything he did. He got into making a salad, he got into eating a steak, I mean he got into the grade of the pepper grinded on his food.

CD: What about his family?

He was emotional and a free spirit, but he really cared. His wife Mona had a daughter from a previous marriage who he loved. And Dylan, his six year old son, was prematurely born after 28 weeks because part of the amniotic sac was wrapped around his foot and was cutting off the circulation — if they hadn’t pulled him out, he might have lost his foot. He was pulled out C-section and Webbie always said, "well the reason he came out so soon was because he wanted to be a surfer not a kneeboarder."

As it stands right now, Trent Walker and friends are planning a 10 AM paddle out memorial at 52^nd Street in Newport Beach on Saturday the 19^th. They’ve also put up a memorial and a scrapbook for you to sign at the 56^th street house.

To contribute to the trust fund to benefit Steve's children, make checks payable to the Trent Walker, c/o Steven B. Webster Family

Mail checks to:

Trent Walker
PO Box 15967
Newport Beach, CA 92659-5967

This trust was set up by Steve's close friends Trent Walker and Mike Hefner.

"Must See" Surf Movies

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:51 +0000

THURSDAY AUGUST 22ND at 7:15PM A surf film double feature of SHELTER and 5th Symphony Document At Laguna South Coast Cinema

SHELTER

The Moonshine Conspiracy's third and biggest project, "Shelter", carries the spirit of Thicker Than Water and September Sessions, however it has a texture and vision all it's own.

Surfers featured include the likes of Machado and Dorian but the film also hosts the surfing and thoughts from people such as Joel Tudor, Nat Young, Mick Fanning, Malia Jones, and many more. There is even an unconfirmed sighting of Ben Harper in an early cut of the film.

The all-original score for the project is being headed by Joachim Cooder (from the Grammy winning documentary the "Buena Vista Social Club") and is turning out to be an eclectic piece of art on it's own. We can only imagine the various artists he has in store for the ever-changing mood of the film.

As far as surfing goes, there are over thirty hours of footage that according to Brad Gerlach is "the best surfing I've ever seen".

Starring: Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Joel Tudor, Mick Fanning, Dean Morrison, Jack Johnson, The Malloys, Kelly Slater, Conan Hayes, Nathan Webster, Nat Young, Hans Hagen, Joe Curren, Mike Todd, Pascal Stansfeild, Brad Gerlach, Ben Bourgeois,Donavon F, Ross Williams, Brit Caillouette, Shane Dorian, Malia Jones, Jon Swift,and Luke Stedman. Featuring music by: Joachim Cooder, Sunny Levine, Mason Jennings, The Shins, Karl Denson, AIR, White Buffalo, Eugene Blackwell and The New Breed, The Meters, Mike Doughty, Honeyboy Edwards, Morgan Alstot, Bobby Watley, Jon Swift, Ferni Apodaca, Todd Hannigan, Chad Faran, Chris McGreal and Rob Machado

And

5TH SYMPHONY DOCUMENT

Synopsis: A movie about surfers and a rediscovery of the wandering spirit of surf film making, the 5th Symphony Document takes us on a soulful journey around the world to capture the very essence of surfing and the people who love it .

Starring: Shane Dorian, Ben Brough, Conan Hayes, Mikala Jones, Greg Browning, Kelly Slater, CJ Kanuha, Rob Machado, Darieus Legg, Justin Souter, Maz Quinn, Jason Bennet, Jeremy Heit, Kassia Meador, Tom Carroll, Ross Williams, Joe Curren, Tom Curren

Locations: New Zealand, Australia, United States, California, Hawaii, Mexico

Directed by: Andy Carlson and Chad Campbell

Thursday August 29...7pm-9pm- LOOSE CHANGE

With a decidedly comedic approach Loose Change takes on the age old question"what would a pro surfer be doing if he didn't surf?"

In between the surfing segments, viewers follow Rob Machado as "the slacker" traveling around his home town looking for work. On his way, he meets up with today's best surfers as their non-surfing counterparts. The acting is hilarious and the surfing is off the scale.

Starring: Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Kelly Slater, Taylor Knox, Tim Curran, Dan Malloy, Chris Malloy, Keith Malloy, Kalani Rob, Conan Hayes, Bruce Irons, and Taj Burrow

Featuring music by: Jack Johnson, Blink 182, Pennywise, Sprung Monkey, Pivit, Furious IV, Los Infernos, Flogging Molly, Double Drive, The Scotch Greens, Rocket From The Crypt, Supersuckers

Locations: Mentawaiis, Hawaii, Mexico, Australia, France, Reunion Island

Awards won: Best Movie by ASL Australia (readers voted) 2001 AND 46% Groms keepit in the VCR

"Loose Change spends more time in grommet's VCRs than Al Bundy's hand spends in his pants... this flick offers the same edgy ... music [and] ... the most progressive and stylish surfers on earth." --Surfer Magazine

And a very Special addition to the Surf Culture film festival Thursday, August 29th at Laguna South Coast Cinemas: 7:15pm $10 admission for the double feature PREMIERE SCREENING EVENT

As profiled in this month's Surfer magazine!

THE OMBAK A TIMMY TURNER SURF ADVENTURE JOURNEY TO THE INDONESIAN ISLANDS.

The first video release by this 21 year old Huntington Beach surf andcinematography talent...Join in every surfer's dream quest for the perfectunridden wave with Timmy Turner, Huntington Beach local kid gone internationalsurf adventurer, and his crew of top notch surf talent including his brother RyanTurner, Mikala Jones, Rory Parker, Rizal Tanjung, Jason Bogal, Travis Potter,Brett Schwartz and Tory Barron. Also meet local friends Tipi and Bol who join infor some comic antics.

Timmy Turner has spent the past few years getting to know the Indonesian islands,its culture and its people. Timmy and his crew are inspired to go places no othersurfers have been in search of the perfect wave. They are open to enduringisolation, danger, and western comforts to explore the unique cultural andecological treasures these islands have to offer. The Ombak combines adventure,great surfing and camaraderie among friends with the pure beauty of Indonesia.

This film will screen in addition to Loose Change by Taylor Steele.

The double feature begins at 7:15. Be there!

BATTLE HEATS UP FOR FOSTER'S CROWN

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:51 +0000

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA (October 16) -- With only two events remaining on the 15-event Foster's Pro Surfing Tour schedule for 2002, Hawaii's Jesse Merle Jones and Australia's Pauline Menczer are leading a stellar international field of competitors chasing the Foster's crown. The Foster's Pro Surfing Tour serves as America's World Qualifying Series for the Association of Surfing Professionals, the only path for surfers aspiring to the World Championship Tour. This year, the Foster's Tour features over $410,000 in prize money plus the new year-end bonuses -- the Men's Tour winner will receive an extra $10,000 and the Women's champ will take home an extra $3000 in cash.

Following last weekend's Squalo Mexican Surf Fiesta at San Miguel, Hawaii's Jesse Merle-Jones holds the men's lead, but must fend off the wills of fellow Hawaiian Kalani Robb and rising star Dane Reynolds of California. In the ladies' race, former World Champ Pauline Menczer is out in front of

The final two events on the 2003 tour are the O'Neill Cold Water Classic at Santa's Cruz's Steamer Lane October 24-27 and the season-ending Globe/Gallaz Pro at Oceanside Pier November 6-10. The Foster's Tour Champs will be crowned on the beach following the conclusion of the Globe/Gallaz Pro on the afternoon of November 10.

With a developing Pacific winter storm pattern expected to drive significant swell activity toward the California coast for some time to come, next week's O'Neill Cold Water Classic is expected to live up to its name with big performances in the water and every evening at a string of Foster's Night functions. FOSTER'S PRO SURFING TOUR RATINGS - MEN
1. Jesse Merle-Jones Hawaii 2861
2. Kalani Robb Hawaii 2500
3. Dane Johnson California 2318
4. Dean Randazzo New Jersey 2245
5. Trent Munro Australia 2150
6. Jeff Deffenbaugh California 2108
7. Asher Nolan California 2053
8. Magnum Martinez Venezuela 1995
9. CJ Hobgood Florida 1888
10. Ryan Simmons California 1882

FOSTER'S PRO SURFING TOUR RATINGS - WOMEN
1. Pauline Menczer Australia 2500
2. Trudy Todd Australia 2150
3. Julia Christian California 2136
4. Prue Jeffries Australia 1990
5. Melanie Bartels Hawaii 1918
6. Sofia Mulanovich Peru 1825
7. Jacqueline Silva Brazil 1675
8. Megan Abubo Hawaii 1525
9. Jenny Boggis Australia 1500
10. Falina Spires Florida 1465

For competition information contact Surfing America 714-848-8851 (info@surfingamerica.org)
For press information or photos contact Bill Sharp, SurfNews 949-548-6740 (surfnewsed@aol.com)

Boost Mobile Pro - Trestles, CA

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:51 +0000

BOOST MOBILE PRO BRINGS WORLD'S BEST SURFERS TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Irvine, CA (August 22, 2002) - The world's best professional surfers will be making their only 2002 World Championship Tour appearance on the US mainland and the first in two years - when the Boost Mobile Pro comes to Southern California just after Labor Day.

This sixth event on the Association of Surfing Professionals elite WCT
2002 schedule will take place at the legendary Trestles break just south of San Clemente, on the border of Orange and San Diego counties. A ten-day waiting period between September 5-14 will guarantee the best surfing conditions possible as the top 48 surfers in the world battle it out for $250,000 in total prize money. World Champions CJ Hobgood, Sunny Garcia, and Kelly Slater will mix it up with rising superstars like Australians Joel Parkinson Mick Fanning, and current WCT rankings leader Andy Irons of Hawai'i.

Local ASP touring professionals like Pat O'Connell (Laguna Beach) and Taylor Knox (Carlsbad) are banking on local knowledge to give them an advantage over the international field vying for first place and a check for $30,000.00.

"It is with great excitement and pride that Boost Mobile is able to bring a WCT event back to Mainland USA," said Peter Adderton, President and CEO of Boost Mobile LLC. "With the world's best surfers, the quality of waves at Trestles, television coverage and the huge California following for surfing, we are certain that the Boost Mobile Pro will inspire a new generation of hot talent eager to gun for the WCT." Managing the proceedings from the beach as Contest Director will be former ASP contender and famous big wave surfer Mike Parsons, who will trade the challenge of riding 60-foot waves with pressure of having the world's top pro surfers depending on him to use the 10-day waiting period to full advantage. Trestles' proximity to the surfing industry's Mecca in Orange County, and the Action Sports Retailer Expo held in San Diego during the contest waiting period, will attract surfing's top luminaries and put added pressure on contestants to perform at their highest levels.

Also scheduled is an informal paddle-out ceremony at Trestles on the morning of September 11 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the tragic events in New York City and Washington D.C. The entire Southern California surfing community is invited to participate.

Boost Mobile has established an extremely strong youth brand in mobile phone services in Australia and New Zealand, with strong involvement in the action sports lifestyle. In addition to traditional voice and data capabilities, Boost Mobile's US phones offer two-way text messaging, wireless web access, and advanced gaming applications. Boost Mobile products hit the stores at the end of this month, and the Boost Mobile Pro serves to introduce this highly successful mobile phone brand to the USA.

For more information on the Boost Mobile Pro log-on to: www.BoostMobile.com

THE O'NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:51 +0000

The Circus is coming to town. The official start to the O'Neill Cold Water Classic and O'Neill Vans/SMAS Airshow will be Thursday, Oct 24th at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. The first round of 128 CWC competitors will hit the water at 7:00am Thursday morning. The first round of the O'Neill/Vans Surfing Magazine Airshow will take flight by 11:00AM. And the first round of the Women's division will hit the water at 7:00am Saturday, October 25th.

With so much competitive surfing focused over just a four-day period, support from Mother Nature is crucial. And she is heeding the call: according to surfline.com the first big swells of the winter are stacking up in the North Pacific like 747's over LAX.

High drama should unfold as the top local surfers take on the traveling pros for the first place trophies. Some names you should expect to see are: Adam Replogle, Jesse Merle Jones, Bron Heussenstamm, Brad Gerlach, Peter Mel, Jason "Ratboy" Collins, Darryl "Flea" Virosko, Brett Simpson, Kieren Horn, Alek Parker plus many more traveling and local pros.

The O'Neill Cold Water Classic is a one star ASP sanctioned event and is stop number 14 on the 2002 Fosters Pro Tour.

The O'Neill Cold Water Classic Official Party Schedule

The O'Neill Cold Water Classic will be hosting an assortment of party's throughout the week of the event that will feature prize raffles and live entertainment. Prizes include: O'Neill Wetsuits and Clothing, Rusty Surfboards, and many other fine prizes. All raffle proceeds will go to the Jay Moriarty Foundation.

Sunday, Oct. 20th - Cold Water Classic Kick Off Party
Ideal Bar & Grill
107 Beach St.
Santa Cruz
8pm - Midnight

Tuesday, Oct. 22nd
Zelda's Capitola
203 Esplanade
Capitola
Come by and hang out with O'Neill team rider Wingnut and take a ride on the Fosters mechanical surfboard.
8pm - Closing

Wednesday, Oct 23Rd
Crows Nest
Santa Cruz Harbor
2218 East Cliff Dr.
8pm - Closing

Thursday, Oct 24th
Palomar Downtown
1336 Pacific Ave.
8pm - Closing

Friday, Oct 25th
Catalyst
1011 Pacific Ave.
8pm - Closing

Saturday, Oct. 26th
Ideal Fish
107 Beach St.
Come dance to the hip-hop jams of DJ Osha and take a ride on the Fosters mechanical surfboard.

Check out the X Foil Fin...

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:51 +0000

SurfCo Hawaii, developers of Nose Guards, Diamond Tips, Pro Teck Fins, and other unique surfing products, proudly introduces the new and improved X Foil Pro Teck Fins.

The X Foil is a new sharper, thinner, and extended flexible trailing edge. It helps you surf smoother, faster, and more fluid than the original Pro Teck Fins. Team riders are raving about how the X Foil makes their boards ride smoother, faster, with more flow down the line and through turns.

Kekoa Cazimero, a 12 year old team rider says: "I am able to surf faster, smoother, and a lot more fluid with the new X Foil Pro Teck Fins. I won my division in the Local Motion Surf Into Summer and the Hawaii Amateur Surfing Championship contests with these new fins, and they really help me surf better!"

Dino Miranda, professional longboarder, tested the new 4.25" X Foil side fins with the 7" Super Flex center Pro Teck and reports: "My board rides noticeably smoother, faster, my turns are more fluid, and my bottom turns have more drive and projection. These are my favorite fins!"

David Skedeleski, developer of Pro Teck Fins, states: "I am very pleased and surprised that the simple refinements we made in the trailing edges, make such a big difference in performance. The new trailing edges are also more flexible and safer. Pro Teck Fins are the only fins in the world that can offer sharp trailing edges that improve performance and are safe! I think we are onto something really good for surfers."

The new X Foils also come with new edge colors. The regular edge flex is now available in a cool Tint Yellow or Smoke. The stiff edge is available in a rich Pearl White or Silver.

The X Foil will be available at local surf shops, in the 4.25" for FCS by the end of June, and 4.50" for FCS at the end of July. They will be available for all sizes and systems by the end of the year, and sell for about $50.00 per set. by the end of the year, and sell for about $50.00 per set.

HB Surf Theater Makes a Comeback

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:52 +0000

Big Red Productions is proud to announce it has teamed up with Mann's Pierside Pavilion 6 Theatres to bring Surf Theatre back to Huntington Beach! Each month, Big Red Productions will feature a new action sports video, beginning November 14th, 2002 with Timmy Turner's Indonesian "surfumentary" Burning the Map, a Brett Sporich production, following up in December with Josh Pomer's newest addition to The Kill series, The Kill 6, starring Irons, Flea, Ratboy and Curran. Surf Theatre is sure to be a hit with anticipated sell out crowds.

To book your surf/skate/snow video premiere or to purchase tickets to these events, contact Big Red Productions at (714) 960-8718

Or log on to www.bigredprod.com

How to Create a Marine Reserve

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:52 +0000

Rincon, Puerto Rico

In the Northwest corner of Puerto Rico lies one of the best stretches of surfing in the Caribbean — indeed in all of the Atlantic. The small village of Rincon area boasts several world class waves, including Trés Palmas. Rincon also supports pristine reefs, sandy beaches and is a haven for humpback whales and sea turtles.
However, all of this was threatened by a series of mega resorts that were proposed for the area. A little over a year ago, our own Terry Gibson and the Surfrider Foundation got heavily involved in a grassroots campaign to save Rincon. The following two-part Q&A is with Surfrider board member Leon Richter. Leon became heavily involved with the issue, and has helped lead the way in defeating the development measure, and perhaps, just perhaps, in helping to create an entire marine reserve along the entire three kilometer stretch of coast.
Chris Dixon: Leon, give me some background on this.
Leon Richter: I’m not sure who rang the alarm first. But in February of 2000, Surfriders, Chad Nelson, Surfer’s Terry Gibson, and a few others went on an island-wide trip looking at places in PR that had hot spots or issues that required some kind of initiative or attention. At that point, Puerto Rican issues became part of a national spotlight for Surfrider.
CD: Interesting that Surfrider chose to focus on PR so much.
LR. Yeah, I think part of it was that the people were doing such great things that they wanted to support them.
CD: How did you get involved in this?
LR: I’m on the board of Surfrider and we had a board meeting down there last October. Turns out the meeting was rescheduled because everyone was freaked out about traveling. But I went down anyway, and it was a great opportunity to have some impact and help empower the community to do what they wanted to do, which was protect this area, and try to maintain some of the characteristics of the town.
CD: What did they want to develop?
LR: There were three projects proposed that would turn the area into an Orange County type development. That was really unappealing to the community for several reasons. Among them were that the town’s infrastructure can’t support that kind of development. The water supply is really unreliable, there’s no sewage line, they’d have to build giant septic for it. That and access to the beach — this is one of the few pieces of undeveloped coastline left.

Surfrider's Leon Richter and Planning Board Chairman Dr. Hermenegildo Ortiz

CD: Why did it stay undeveloped so long?
LR: It’s privately owned, and the families who own it have held it for a long time and own a lot of land in the area. But I really don’t know. Two of the projects, the Tres Palmas Hotel and the Hotel Manihiki died their own deaths for different reasons, but the Via Icaria project was the last one standing. ( www.surfrider.org/rincon/threats.htm ) We spent a lot of time lobbying at the planning board level and with the local municipality to add our comments about why we didn’t think it was a good idea. Aside from the infrastructure and quality of life issues, there’s the coral reef. The elkhorn coral, so we were able to use that as one of our weapons.
CD: Elkhorn is one of the most endangered corals, and you guys are surfiing over that coral as well.
LR. Exactly.
CD: What did you tell the planning board if this went through?
LR: Well, with the planning board, we focused a lot on the sensitivity of the reef to sedimentation and to white band disease, which is actually the result of human sewage on the reef. So we’re saying look, if you build this here, not only do we think this is inappropriate for the community, but there’s no infrastructure and the reef itself would be imperiled. And it’s a candidate for the endangered species act as it is. Also, the reef protects the beach from erosion. So if the reef dies, the beach is at risk.
CD: How many people live in this area?
LR. Twelve to fourteen thousand.
CD: How is that spread out?
LR: Well, this coastal area is largely undeveloped. There’s a main road with a lot of development, but the nearby hills are not that heavily populated. The land along the coast is pretty much a green area.
CD: Who owns the land in queston?
LR: The Levy family, they’re one of the bigger developers in Puerto Rico.
CD: So, how did you go about trying to build awareness of this?
LR. Well, when I went down, there was very little information about this campaign. It wasn’t really organized. Many locals were like, hey, there are these threats, we want to do something about it -- create a coastal park, or marine reserve, but there wasn’t a real plan of action. Also, there wasn’t a real clear indication of what the community wanted. So the first thing we did — I went around and met as many people as I could — some of it under the guise of looking around for an apartment. And I would ask, do you know what they trying to do there? There was very little awareness, almost no one knew. But also identifying what the real problems and issues were that the town faced.
CD: What were the issues in the town?
LR: One problem was unemployment — a big one. So the concept that hey, construction might be a solution for that was something we had to be prepared to address. Water supply and sewage were infrastructure problems. And then there was access to the beach, because as people were building, they were restricting access. Those were some of the top issues facing the town, so we wanted to be able to identify that and evaluate this project under those guidelines.
We said, hey if what we’re trying to do doesn’t help fix these things, or lessen these problems, we’re not going to be able to get support.
CD: How did you counter the jobs argument?
LR: A lot of people said, we need jobs, so this will be good. So we brought in a professor/economist named Lynwood Pendleton and had him do a study to reveal what drives the economy in Rincon. It showed that 40 percent of the economy is driven by so-called "slow tourism". These are not people who want to go to a big resort. The people who go there stay at B&B’s or guest houses, they eat locally and at local restaurants. There’s this one barbecue place where the guy buys all his food and produce locally. But if you build the condos, the theory is that these are going to be owned by people from San Juan, they’ll stop at Wal-Mart on the way, bring their food and leave at the end. Then on top of that, the buiding contractors were not likely to be local.

Endangered Elkhorn Coral

So we said, hey, you’re jeopardizing your local economy, if you turn this from this unique type of community with the bands of green and the palms leaning over the beach to just another San Juan. Why drive across the island to basically end up in the same place you started? That was one aspect. The other was, we held lots of town meetings to find out what do people think, what do they want?
CD: How many people did you get to these early meetings?
LR: Initially, 70 to 80 people. And these meetings were very informational. You know, what’s happening with this? There was a lot of Q&A in those meetings. So these were happening in parallel with meetings with the department of natural resources and a community reprsentative — the community relations officer for the speaker of the house. That’s where we kind of developed this strategy of starting with this marine reserve and expanding then to a special planning area, which would be the entire watershed. It was kind of a long term planning strategy for the community, that ultimately also included a terrestrial aspect to the park. So first we had to stop the development, which was the lobbying with the planning board. Then get enough time working with the politicians to create the marine reserve. Then we had to have the community work together with a long term strategy. It was a lot of work.
Click Here to Read Part 2 of This Interview...You Just Might Learn Something!

Tony Hawk Goes Boom Boom

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:52 +0000

Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk--the ambassador of action sports-has created a circus of skateboarding, BMX, motocross and music. This fall, the U.S. will see the premier talents of the action sports world embark on a whole new kind of arena tour. The industry will never be the same.

Check out the next show coming to an arena near you...

boomboomhuckjam.com

ACTIVISION 02

BROUGHT TO YOU BY MTV2, SQUEEZ 'N GO AND PLAYSTATION 2

SurfNRG East Coast Summer Tour

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:52 +0000

SurfNRG has announced the release of their 11th volume to the award winning video series produced by SURFER Magazine Senior Staff Photographer Kevin Welsh. SOLAR ENERGY will premiere on the big screen at twenty-two locations along the East Coast of the U.S. and include live performances by Roots Recording artists "Boxelder". Segments from the Surfer Magazine/OP PRO Boat Trip Challenge video will also be shown throughout the evening and plenty of give-a-ways from the tour sponsors are planned for the summertime events as well.

The 2002 SURF NRG EAST COAST SUMMER TOUR kicked off August 14th with an outddoor showing at Da Kine Diego's "Bamboo Theatre" in Satellite Beach, Florida. Later that evening the show resumes at the STORM CLUB in Cocoa Beach featuring live performances by Roots Music recording artists "Boxelder", "Doorway 27" and "Freeflow Conspiracy" along with special guests "Pepper". The tour then heads north through the coastal towns of St. Augustine and Jacksonville before leaving the Sunshine State for the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland and to as far north as Mantoloking, New Jersey. The tour returns to Florida in mid-September concluding in Orlando with blowout shows at the House of Blues and The Social during Surf Expo tradeshow weekend.

The SURF NRG EAST COAST SUMMER TOUR has become synonymous as a fun social gathering for surfers of all ages. Since its inception in 1991 SurfNRG has produced one video program per year and has toured with it to audiences along the East Coast as far as Miami to Rhode Island.

Producer and promoter Kevin Welsh comments, "My intentions since my very first show was to restore the vibe from 70's and 80's while growing up surfing in Cocoa Beach when the latest surf movie would pack out the Surfside Playhouse. When I released my first video, SurfNRG vol. #1, back in '91 I decided to premiere it at four venues within my home state of Florida. The opening show was at the now defunct Brassy's Night Club in Cocoa Beach. Here's my name on the marquise and no one's showing up except my Mom, Dad and older brother. It was pretty scary at first. All of a sudden a rush of surfers packed into the club where they hooted and hollered for over an hour to footage I had then recently shot of the epic Halloween Swell. RC's in Satellite Beach was goin' off ! Charlie Kuhn had a ride for over a minute in some of the biggest surf I've ever seen in Florida. Matt Kechele towed in (something really new at the time), Jeff Crawford took off way back, Bill Hartley rode a 9'1" - and that swell became major East Coast history."

Eleven years later the SurfNRG East Coast Summer Tour still packs them in and keeps them hootin' and hollerin' at footage Welsh compiles as he travels aro und the world with an elite crew of surfers in search of the perfect wave.

SOLAR ENERGY - The Movie
Videographer Kevin Welsh is no stranger to photographing the world's best surfers in some of the world's most exotic locations. Outside of editing and shooting the majority of the video footage to the SurfNRG series Welsh also travels the world as a Senior Staff Photographer for SURFER Magazine - the leading publication in the surfing industry. One of Kevin's recent assignments which is also documented in SOLAR ENERGY was this past June on a boat trip through the Mentawai Islands off Sumatra in Indonesia. His destination was exactly halfway around the world to a Muslim populated country in Southeast Asia.

"The two and a half days of flying time getting to Indo was quite grueling but once we boarded the boat and smelled the salt spray off the Indian Ocean we knew we were in for a surf trip of a lifetime" comments the veteran photojournalist and video maker.

That night the crew onboard the "Nusantara" journeyed 126 miles across open ocean swell and reached their first destination on the south end of the Mentawai Island chain.
Welsh describes the arrival, "Waking up to the sight of perfect, ruler-edged lefts was like living in a dream. The set-up of the reefs, the open window to the southern-hemi swells, the sunny weather with blue water and the pure solitude of the place makes it one of the most magical surfing paradises I've ever experienced."

The boat Welsh and his crew chartered was a newly documented 62' power catamaran custom designed solely for surf charters in the wave-rich Mentawais.
Onboard were state-of-the-art electronics including high-end GPS's, Doppler radar along with modern day luxuries including a Sony Flat Screen TV w/ Playstaion and DVD in surround sound. Two diesel generators powered the vessel when needed , which was usually at night to watch movies and to run a couple of air conditioners that chilled the inside cabin. The crew rarely ventured outside at night in fear of being bitten by the potentially malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

One of the crew joining Welsh and his toolbox of hi-tech documentary camera gear to the Mentawais included 14 year old grom Adam Wickwire of Satellite Beach, Florida. Wickwire was recently named the #1 surfer aged 14 and under in Surfer Magazine's special "Hot 100" issue and for good reason. Not only is Adam a three-time National Amateur Champion he's also known by many of the current top professionals as one of the most promising talents to follow in the footsteps of Kelly Slater and the Hobgood twins.

"He totally blew minds in Indo surfing way beyond his years", comments Reef Team Captain Jeremy Saukel who's watched Wickwire progress over the past several years. Also onboard were 15 year old Gulfcoast surfer Sterling Spencer, New Jersey pro-star Ryan Kimmel, California's 18 year-old Travis Mellem along with seasoned pro and REEF team manager Jeremy Saukel.

Aside from the incredible surfing footage SOLAR ENERGY also captures the cultural ambience of the local Katiek Village tribe. While anchored off the island of Sipora surfing a reef break named "H.T.'s (Hollow Trees) the natives paddle up alongside the "Nusantara" in their hollowed out canoes in hopes of selling some of their hand carved wooden sculptures. After the crew onboard the Nusantara exchange "rupia" (the local currency) for some crafts Wickwire and Saukel test their skills in archery which makes for a rather humorous section in the video.

Another section in SOLAR ENERGY highlights the Olympio Pro Classic Surfing Event staged at the infamous surf break"Soup Bowl" on the East Coast of Barbados. Seventeen years ago Welsh journeyed to Barbados for his first time with a crew that included grommets (surfer slang for young surfers) Sean and Kelly Slater. Twenty something trips later to the island Welsh focuses his lens once again upon the Slaters as well as some of the top surfers from the East Coast and Caribbean. Welsh explains, "I was surprised to see that Kelly blew off the first event of the North Shore season to compete with all his long-time buddies down in Barbados. It was definitely a fun event for him from the moment he paddled out for his first free surf session at Soup Bowl to the moment he popped open the congratulatory bottle of champagne and sprayed the audience celebrating his win".

Also included in the SOLAR ENERGY is an interview with current A.S.P. World Surfing Champion CJ Hobgood, also from Welsh's hometown of Satellite Beach, Florida. SurfNRG cameras were rolling on the North Shore of Hawaii this past winter prior to and up to the moment CJ was crowned the ASP World Champ. It was a fairy-tale finish for the elder of the top-rated Hobgood duo, which includes CJ's twin brother Damien who finished ninth overall and was the previous years recipient of the "ASP Rookie of the Year Award". The final event of the ASP Tour which decided who'd become World Champion was staged at Sunset Beach. In a nail-biting finish it was one of the ecstatic champs closest friends, Ben Bourgeois of North Carolina, that inevitably deciphered the fate of the years #1 rated surfer. "I love Benny", yelled CJ to the crowd as Bourgeois took down Mark Occilupo then Danny Wills giving CJ the World Championship title.

THE SOUNDTRACK
Touring with the mo vie as well as being featured on the soundtrack to SOLAR ENERGY are the sounds of "Boxelder". Their style of music is a blend of ska, raggae and alternative that permeates an upbeat and positive vibe. Their music can be heard on the previous SurfNRG release entitled "XS ENERGY" as well as MP3's on their websites at www.boxelder.com and www.rootsmusic.com. Other bands featured on the soundtrack to SOLAR ENERGY and making special guest appearances at select locations on the SURF NRG TOUR will include Doorway 27, Indium, Freeflow Conspiracy, Chad Jasmin and Re-Form.

THE SPONSORS
Sponsors of this years tour include SURFER Mag, OP, REEF, Smith Sport Optics, WRV Surfboards and Wet Dreams Surf Accessories. Plenty of give-a-ways will be tossed out or raffled at each of the shows.

- The Schedule -

August 2002

Aug. 14th
Da Kine Diego’s
Bamboo Theatre
Satellite Beach, Florida

Video Showing Only
Time: 8 p.m.
Ages: All Ages

WRV Surfboard Giveaway

Aug. 14th

Storm Club
900 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL
Phone: (321) 784-4811

Bands: Boxelder
Freeflow Conspiracy Pepper
Doorway 27

Time: 9:00PM
Ages: 18+

Aug. 15th

Rip Tides
321 A1A Beach Blvd
St Augustine, FL
Info: (904) 471-8566

Bands: Boxelder
Doorway 27

Time:9:00PM
Ages: 18+

Aug. 16th

Freebird
200 N 1st St
Jacksonville Beach, FL
Info: (904)246-2473

Bands: Boxelder
Doorway 27
Chad Jasmine

Time:9:00PM
Ages: ALL AGES

Aug. 17th

Surfside Night Life
510 Highway 17 N Next to Bowling Center
Surfside Beach, SC
Info: (843) 238-2695

Bands: Boxelder
Doorway 27

Ages: ALL AGES
Time: 8:00PM

Aug. 18th

Windjammer
1008 Ocean Blvd
Isle Of Palms, SC
Info: (843) 886-8596

Bands: Boxelder
Doorway 27

Ages: ALL AGES
Time: 8:00PM

Aug. 19th

Kefi
2012 Eastwood Rd
Wilmington,NC 28403
Info:(910) 256-3558

Bands: Boxelder

Time: ALL AGES 7:00PM
21+ 9:00PM

Aug. 22nd ECSC Beach Party
The Main Stage on the Beach
Virginia Beach, VA

Bands: Boxelder

Ages: ALL AGES
Time: 6:00PM

Aug. 23rd

Twin Fins
Mile Post 40 HWY 12
Rodanthe, NC 27968
Info: (252)987-1500

Bands: Boxelder

Ages: 18+
Time: 9:00PM

Aug. 24th

Outer Banks Brewery
Mile Post 8.5 on the Big Road
Kill Devil Hills, NC
(252)449-2739

Bands: Boxelder

Ages: 21+
Time: 9:30PM

Aug. 25th

The Attic
415 Atlantic Ave
Va Beach, VA 23451

Above Watermans

Bands: Boxelder

Ages: 21+
Time: 9:00 pm

WRV Surfboard Giveaway

Aug. 27th

Mellow Beach Sunset Bar
46th St. In The Bay
Ocean City, MD 21842
Info:(410)524-7421

Bands: Boxelder

Time: ALL AGES 8:00PM
21+ 10:00PM

Aug. 29th

The Ketch Bar & Restaurant
529 Dock Rd
Beach Haven, NJ 08008
Info:(609) 492-3000

Bands: Boxelder

Ages 18+
Time: 10:00PM

September 2002

Sept. 1st

Caf La Playa
287 State Highway 35 N
Mantoloking, NJ
Info: (732) 892-7170

Bands: Boxelder
Seven Minds

Time: 8:30 PM
Video First

Sept. 5th

Bubba Mack Shack
520 Bay Ave
Somers Point, NJ
Info: (609) 926-7575

Bands: Boxelder

Time: 6:00PM All Ages
11:00PM 21+

Sept. 6th

Heritage Pro/La Costa
40th & Landis Ave
Sea Isle City, NJ
Info: (609) 263-1111

Bands: Boxelder

Time: 7:00PM All Ages
outside at tent

10:00PM 21+ Only
Inside Club

Sept. 12th

Rip Tides
321 A1A Beach Blvd
St Augustine, FL
Info: (904) 471-8566

Bands: Boxelder
Indium

Ages: 18+
Time: 10:00PM

Sept 13th

Fuel
640 N Grandview Ave
Daytona Beach, FL
(386) 248-3151

Bands: Boxelder
Re-Form
Age: All Ages
Time: 7:30 - 11:30PM

Sept. 13th

Surf Cafe
395 NE Spanish River Blvd
Boca Raton, FL
Info: (561) 392-1965

Bands: Indium
Doorway 27
Sport

Age: All Ages 7-9,
21+ after 9

Sept. 14th

Rays Downtown
519 Clematis St
West Palm Beach, FL
Info: (561) 835-1577

Bands: Boxelder
Doorway 27
AGE: 18+ with possibility of all ages early

Sept. 19th

Orlando Rocks!
House Of Blues
1490 E Buena Vista Dr
Orlando, FL
Info: (407) 934-2583

Bands: Boxelder
Freeflow Conspiracy
Indium

Giant FREE Blowout
Email us for your tickets at surfnrgvid@earthlink.net

21 & up Free with a band ticket , $3 for under 21 with
a band ticket

$5.00 (without a band ticket)

ALL AGES Show

Doors 8:30pm Show 9:00pm

Sept. 21st

The Social
Details Soon

Bands: Indium
Boxelder
Freeflow Conspiracy

Ages: 18+
Time: 9:30PM

SURF INDUSTRY SETS FUND-RAISING RECORD

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:52 +0000

SURF INDUSTRY SETS FUND-RAISING RECORD; AWARDS MORE THAN $266,000 IN GRANTS TO PROTECT OCEANS, BEACHES

October 22, 2002

San Clemente, Calif. -- More than $266,000 in grants has been awarded by the surf industry to seven environmental groups seeking to protect the world's oceans, beaches and surf breaks according to the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA). The grants, issued by the industry's charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund, is a record amount for the surf industry and brings the total amount raised for the ocean environment since 1989 to just over $2 million.

The SIMA Environmental Fund awards environmental grants annually as a result of the fund-raising efforts of the Waterman's Weekend benefit golf tournament and gala and the surf industry's commitment to the ocean environment. The environmental organizations receiving 2002 SIMA Environmental Fund grants include Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, Wildcoast, Surfing Education Association, Orange County CoastKeeper, Ocean Institute and Alaska Wilderness League. These organizations were chosen to receive a 2002 grant based on their dedication of funds received to programs such as clean water initiatives, beach access preservation, surf break protection and environmental education.

"The surf industry and surfing community should be extremely proud of how they take an active role in helping to protect the ocean environment through their involvement and contributions at Waterman's Weekend," said Paul Naude, vice president of SIMA, chairman of the SIMA Environmental Fund and CEO of Billabong USA. "This year's record fund-raising efforts simply prove how devoted this industry is to the environment and how willing they are to give something back."

The 13th Annual Waterman's Weekend was held August 16-17, 2002, at the luxurious St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa and featured more than 800 members of the surf industry and their guests at the Waterman's Ball and Auction on August 17. The weekend fund-raiser and celebration of surfing began on August 16 with the 2nd Annual Waterman's Classic Golf Tournament. The sold-out tournament of more than 200 golfers included an eclectic mix of industry movers and shakers, professional surfers, retailers and celebrities, including Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac and Thomas Gibson from the television show Dharma and Greg."

"This industry never seems to take itself too seriously or do things in typical fashion," said Dick Baker, president of SIMA and CEO of Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp. "From the ice cream truck on the first hole of the golf tournament to the classic 1973 VW Thing decked out with surf gear in the live auction, Waterman's Weekend is not your average fund-raiser." However, the surf industry does take the protection of the ocean environment very seriously, which is clearly evident by the record amount that was raised for the 2002 grant program.

Organizations earmarked for SIMA Environmental Fund grants are selected each year by the Environmental Fund Committee based on the organizations' activism programs. The committee seeks beneficiaries that are dedicated to programs that keep waters and beaches safe and clean for surfing activities, such as clean ocean programs, preservation of the ocean environment and protection of surf breaks. A longtime SIMA Environmental Fund grant recipient, Surfrider Foundation, has committed its 2002 grant to surf break protection and water quality programs. Water quality is such a hot topic right now, said Surfrider Foundation executive director, Christopher Evans. The SIMA Environmental Fund grant will go a long way in supporting our clean water programs such as the Blue Water Task Force and State of the Beach report. Surfrider will also use the grant to help protect surf breaks through our Beachscape coastal mapping program and chapter activist training.

Surf break protection, specifically in Baja California, is the main focus for first-time SIMA Environmental Fund grant recipient, Wildcoast. The San Diego-based conservation team has been diligently working to stop the Mexican National Tourism Fund (FONATUR) from developing marinas at four surf breaks in Baja: Punta Canoas, Punta Santa Rosalillita, Punta Abreojos and San Juanicao (Scorpion Bay). The grant from the SIMA Environmental Fund is going to be vital in our efforts to stop the destruction of these epic surf breaks, said Serge Dedina, director of Wildcoast. The funds will be especially helpful in developing a study on the economic impact of surfing tourism in the Baja California peninsula, which would be lost along with local jobs if the marina project were to go through.

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 700 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports ocean environment efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 13 years, the SIMA Environmental Fund has raised more than $2 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world's oceans, beaches and waves.

Tom Curren Reigns at Rincon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:53 +0000

Surfermag.com and Josh Pomer's The Kill Films.com are proud to present exclusive weekly video clips you'll only find right here at Surfermag.com.

About the Producer:
Josh Pomer respected surf-film maker, 1992 Santa Cruz High graduate and 98' UCSB Film Studies Graduate, has created The Kill series. TK1 was named one of the ten most influential surf videos of the last decade. TK5 is coming out at the end of June, 2001. He has also created the surf videos Punk Rock Surfers, Bliss, See It To Belive It, The M10 Movie, Cheap Thrills, and his first movie Thunderballs. Josh is inspired by creative surfing and powerful surfing, as well as music and the ocean. His favorite surfers are Kelly Slater, Occy, Tom Curren and Ratboy. Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

lo-band CURREN REIGNS RINCON

broadband CURREN REIGNS RINCON

NEWS - Billygoat Productions

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:53 +0000

Billygoat Productions, Inc. separates its production and distribution businesses

San Clemente, CA - August 26, 2002 -- Billygoat Productions, Inc., the leading surf production and distribution company, is separating its distribution and production company into two separate companies (Billygoat Productions, Inc. and Billygoat Distribution, Inc.) effective October 1, 2002. Billygoat Productions, Inc. owner and President, Bill Ballard, will continue to be involved in Billygoat Distribution as an advisor and stockholder. Brendan T. Lynch, former Chief Operations and Marketing Officer of Billygoat Productions, Inc. will become the President of newly formed Billygoat Distribution, Inc. "This strategic move will allow Billygoat Productions the ability to grow and focus on production projects while enabling Billygoat Distribution the opportunity to focus entirely on sales and marketing of its existing and new product lines within the action sports market", stated Mr. Lynch.

Billygoat Productions will continue to produce and develop surf films under the Billygoat brand as well as pursue other action sports production projects. Billygoat Distribution will exclusively distribute Billygoat Productions action sports films as well as continue to distribute other action sports videos/DVDs from its current client base including …Lost, Billabong, Rip Curl, Blue Field Entertainment, Pete Frieden, NVS Productions, O'Neill, Volcom, Transworld, and others. In addition, Billygoat Distribution has strategic plans to grow and market other product lines within the surf market.

Billygoat Productions will maintain its current website, www.billygoatproductions.com and Billygoat Distribution's e-commerce site will be located at www.billygoatdistribution.com effective October 1, 2002.

For more information, please call 949-366-0176 or email: Brendan@billygoatproductions.com

THE HOT SEAT: Taj Burrow Straps Himself In.

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:54 +0000

Taj Burrow is one of the hottest surfers in the world. Period. Ask his peers or any would-be expert if he has the talent to clinch a World Championship and he'll hardly bat an eye before spraying you with affirmations. But apparently, there is one tiny obstacle preventing him from reaching the top: girls. Mr. Burrow, it seems, has a severe problem turning down advances from the fairer sex according to his tour mates. In fact, even longtime tour veterans say they've never seen anything like it. So we caught up with Taj in Huntington Beach during the early rounds of the U.S. Open to see just how severe his problem is.

SURFER: Taj, we know there are a lot of things that can sidetrack guys on the tour. But apparently you're becoming famous for letting the ladies throw you for a loop.

They do. They just do my head in.

Why?

Well, I'm from this tiny little town in Southwest Australia and there really aren't any girls down there. So now that I've been brought out into the world and see what they actually look like...well I get pretty excited. I guess I should try to focus on the job at hand but it's pretty tough sometimes.

So you weren't a lady-killer growing up?

Ah man, I've never been a lady-killer. They're the ones who kill me. I lose it around them. It's a serious weakness.

And has that "weakness" ever cost you a heat?

Not directly...but it does happen. There've been a few times when I've spotted really cute girls down the beach and so, I'll walk way down their way on my way to my heat just to check em out. Then next thing I know I find myself paddling out in the impact zone just getting hammered, getting out of rhythm. It's not good.

So being here in Huntington Beach, is this tough for you?

Oh man, yeah. The girls here really know how to take care of themselves. The U.S. Open is a really important event for me (Laughs). I love it. It's pretty entertaining just sitting on the pier with me mates checking the whole thing out.

You just had your first trip to Vegas last week too. That must've been a trip for a guy from the Outback.

Yeah. Oh my gosh. A few of my friends went last year and they've been talking it right up ever since, so I was dying to go. Plus, I love gambling. That place was just amazing. We drove the four hours from here and I got so excited when we hit the state line and saw all those casinos. It was a little premature but I was losing it.

You thought the state line was Vegas?

Oh yeah. I was freaking on it, but then when we got to the real deal I was just in awe. The place lit up the whole sky. I was just dazed the whole time. I lost a lot of money, but yeah, I had the most fun I've ever had. It was sick.

Were the Vegas ladies working for you?

(Laughs) Well, they were working...but not for me.

Where's the easiest place on tour to get sidetracked by girls?

Everywhere is pretty solid when you're from Western Australia.

Well you just came from South Africa, how was that?

Nuts. The girls are young though and every year we go back it seems like they're still the same age. It's pretty wild. Even J-bay has a bunch of cute girls. I love their accents too.

California surfers often nab wives in Brazil. What's your take on that place?

You're definitely outnumbered there, so it probably makes it into the top five off that alone.

France?

That's in the top two or threeseriously sexy girls there. It's crazy.

And with that being the longest leg of the tour, it must be like getting locked in the candy store for someone like you.

Exactly (Laughs). It's pretty cool. The WQS leg is in August, when the beaches in France are at their best. So that's a good time.

Do you have some mates backing you up in the trenches?

Well, the Aussie guys are maniacs. Darren O'Rafferty's been doing all right. But, well...that's a tough one.

You can't really answer that can you?

Exactly. I've got to keep my boys out of trouble.

So do you think you'll ever actually be looking for a girlfriend?

Gawwwd yeah. I need a girlfriend so bad. Now.

What will it take?

I'd say probably a girl who knows nothing at all about surfingsome librarian or something. I'm so sick of meeting girls at contests that I actually introduce myself with a different name just to see if they're still interested. But yeah, she'd have to be able to hold a conversation. She'd have to know how to travel. Of course, she's got to be cute.

You think that'll cure you though?

It'll help, that's for sure.

Well good luck then.

Thanks, mate.

- Chris Mauro

Surf-A-Palooza: Jan 10-17

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:54 +0000

Wow. Larry Moore, aka Flame, is back in the trenches shooting surf photos, a little less than a week after doctors removed a brain tumor! Welcome back Flame!

On a similiarly scary note, Carlos Burle, noted Brazilian big wave charger (and lover of acai), broke his back surfing at Jaws last week. Videographer Larry Haynes moved his ski into position and drove Burle to safety. Big kudos to Haynes, and God speed to Burle during his recovery. Special note: Thanks to Shawn Alladio for her insights into this accident. Check out surflifeforwomen.com.

My good buddy Justin Krumb over at Surfhistory.com is claiming "epic" Swamis footage on the Surfhistory.com website. Check out the "Clip of the Month" if you want to see Swarmies in all her glory.

Quiksilver Event News:
The "Eddie", Quiksilver's big wave bonanza, was tentatively set to be run today (Fri Jan 10), but increasing onshore wind forced contest director George Downing to pull the plug. Downing remains optimistic regarding running the event before the Feb 28 deadline. El Nino is definitely stirring, so we're all holding on. From the event press release: The "Eddie" gathers the most skilled and daring big-wave surfers from around the world for this invitation-only event. Edward Ryan Aikau was a Hawaiian surfer, lifeguard and legend that dedicated his life to the ocean and ocean safety. Tragically, after saving countless lives guarding Waimea Bay, Eddie lost his own to the ocean at the age of 32 in 1978 during a voyage on a commemorative Polynesian vessel en-route from Hawaii to Tahiti. Tradition, the rarity of the event, and the great spirit of a legendary waterman give the contest a special energy not found anywhere else in the world of sports.

Where: Waimea Bay, North Shore Oahu, Hawai'i
When: Holding period from December 5, 2002, to February 28, 2003
Event Updates: Media is invited to find resources and images at www.quiksilver.com/eddiepress.
Swell Reports & Buoy Readings:
buoy 1 with in-depth forecast by Pat Caldwell.
Waimea Bay Buoy Directional Spectrum, one mile off-shore.

"The Makaha Masters": That title has a certain panache. The 2003 Quiksilver Masters World Surfing Championship will be held in late January at Makaha on the West side of Oahu. Those scheduled to attend include Tom Curren, Martin Potter, Brad Gerlach, Barton Lynch, Damien Hardman. The list of legends and heroes is endless. Here's hoping they get plenty of swell. How epic would it be if the Makaha bowl was working on a giant west swell?!

Worth a Good Look Sea: Surfrider is pimping a new TV show, "CALIFORNIA'S GOLDEN COAST", on PBS. The show takes you on a coastal tour, and highlights environmental issues along the way. "It gives the public a chance to see some hidden gems along the coast, as well as giving them glimpses into areas, like the Channel Islands, that they would not be able to see otherwise," said Chris Evans, Executive Director of the Surfrider Foundation.

Our Truly Endless Summer

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:54 +0000

Pat O'Neill was barely out of diapers in 1952 when his father Jack took him down to the San Francisco Cow Palace for a Sports and Boat Show. This time, though, wetting his pants was exactly what dad wanted.

"My dad put me, my brothers and my sisters on giant blocks of ice for everyone to see," recalls Pat, who's now president of O'Neill International. "It was a pretty impressive demonstration."

At first glance, it looked as if Papa Jack was demonstrating some new method of punishment for hyperactive children. But it didn't take long for the crowd to catch on. The kids were each outfitted in curious-looking suits made of rubber--gas-blown, closed-cell neoprene rubber, to be exact. And even though they were sitting on ice, the kids were having a grand old time. Jack O'Neill's insulating "wetsuits" stole the show, and encouraged the San Francisco beach boy to claim that from now on, it would always be "summer on the inside."

In 1952, surfing in California was still the domain of rugged, hard men. The almost year-round cold temperature of the Pacific made the sport for the most part a frigid, lonely pursuit. The nuttiest of the bunch lived in Northern California's Santa Cruz, for whom ice cream headaches were a way of life. Fellow wetsuit pioneer and Dive and Surf/Body Glove founder Bobby Meistrell, who lived and surfed Santa Cruz from 1950 to 1952, remembers the looks he and his friends used to receive at Steamer Lane.

"People thought we were crazy sons of a gun, and we were. I can still feel the chill in my bones when I think about it. All we had were those wool sweaters to keep us warm, which were pretty meaningless. We'd last for three or four waves, then go lie on the warm sand to heat up and then give it another go. People thought we were nuts. They'd practically move to the other side of the street when we walked by with our boards. But we were the only ones around back then."

But by the end of 1952 word was spreading about Jack O'Neill's amazing new wetsuits. Unlike the rubber "frogman" suits of the era, which simply waterproofed insulating clothing worn underneath, O'Neill's neoprene rubber (discovered being used as carpet cushioning on a DC-3 passenger airplane) provided totally immersible insulation. Months later, the Meistrell brothers followed "suit," joining O'Neill in the production of simple neoprene jackets and "short johns" (named after "farmer john" long underwear) and the sport took its first steps toward realizing the dream of an endless summer.

The significance of this development on surf culture cannot be overplayed. Before the wetsuit, a viable surf lifestyle existed only on the beaches of Waikiki. For the rest of the world's sparse surfing population, the sport was either a seasonal activity or a stunt. The growing popularity of the wetsuit, however, provided the opportunity for year-round participation--and non-stop devotion. In many ways, more than even the light, mass-produced foam surfboard it was the wetsuit that contributed to worldwide development of the surfing lifestyle, as suddenly it was actually possible to surf every day, regardless of the weather, water-temp or proximity to Diamond Head.

VIDEO: Magical Mavericks

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:55 +0000

MAVFILM.COM & POWERLINES PRODUCTIONS PRESENT: Clips from recent Mavericks sessions. Be sure to check out the Mavfilm.com website for the epic DVD 100' Wednesday and other killer swag.

Flea collars an epic wave at Mavericks. A flawlessly ridden wave, from the initial fade to the clean exit at the end, the little bugger displays why he is one of the experts at Mavs.
Quicktime & WMP broadband

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The Kids Have Got Game

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:55 +0000

26th Annual North Shore Menehune Surfing Championships.

It wasn't the size of the surf or the number of kids entered or the screaming, cheering, stressed, edgey, soccer-mentality parents lineing the shore at Haleiwa's Ali'i Beach. Sure, these are the island hotties for a new century and a couple of them absolutely blew away even the water patrol and the judges. Actually, it was the fact that there were 56 KOKUA division entries. For all you non-island readers, that translates into the littlest wee folk, with someone helping to get them into their wave and someone waiting on the shore to stop their ride! Two sizeable weekend swells dragged the meet to its 11th hour, so Director Skill Johnson tightened up the heats, scored the kids on their two best and it was a wrap before the sun washed over Ka'ena Point. Hey, isn't that how the pros do it? - Bernie Baker

AGE 4-6 BOYS AND GIRLS MIXED SHORTBOARD
1. IVAN FLORENCE
2. MONCYR DEFREITAS
3. TJ FITZSIMMONS
4 KAHUKU KANE

GIRLS 7-9 LONGBOARD
1. KIANA KAIWI
2. KALLIE HANCOCK
3. WAILANA HO
4. CIERRA HILL
5. HARPER DEFREITAS

GIRLS 10-12 LONGBOARD
1 TRACY PRUSE
2 ROSIE JEFFURS
3 MEGAN GODINES
4 AMBER DAWSON
5 & 6 MADISON BARNETT / ALEX SHEA

BOYS 7-7 LONGBOARD FINAL
1 KEANU AH SING
2 KAINUI GOINS
3 BRICK SHANLEY
4 NOAH DAVIDSON
5 TIM ABRIGO

BOYS 10-12 LONGBOARD
1 LAWRENCE KNOSP
2 MICAH MIGUEL
3 KAIAO GOINS
4 KEANU KAA'A
5 SHARON MCCALL
6 MANUUHOA KANE

GIRLS 7-9 SHORTBOARD
1 ASHLEY MC KEOWIN
2 NICOLE MC EWEN
3 ALISHA GONZALES
4 JENNA FROWEIN

GIRLS 10-12 SHORTBOARD
1 ASHLEY HUNTER
2 SAGE ERICKSON
3 COCO HO
4 FESI KLINK
5 ALANA MOCK
6 LAWAUN STEWART

BOYS 7-9 SHORTBOARD
1 EZEKIEL LAU
2 EARL STEWART
3 ZANE FITZEK
4 KOA SMITH
5 KINO CAJIGAR
6 DAVID BRIDGES

BOYS 9-10 SHORTBOARD
1 JOHN FLORENCE
2 KAIMANA JAQUIAS
3 KOMU BLOMFIELD
4 CJ OWENS
5 ELI OLSEN
6 CONNER WAGNER

BOYS 11-12 SHORTBOARD
1 ALEX SMITH
2 BRENDEN BOUDREAU
3 BILLY KEMPER
4 DEREK WONG
5 SASHA NITZE
6 HIZSON LIN-KEE

Tow-In Surfing. A Mavericks Opinion

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:55 +0000

by Chris Dixon

The NYT Gets in on the Act.

Last February, I wrote an article for the New York Times on the tow-in surfing controversy at Mavericks. With the first northwest swells of the season reaching California, I figured I’d step out my role as an unbiased observer and throw an opinion or two in on the issue and where it might be going.
First of all, let me say that I’ve never surfed Mavericks. I’ve never driven up the PCH in the middle of the night amping on Minor Threat and shitty Circle K coffee with the very real thought in my head that I might die if things don’t go right. The biggest wave I’ve probably ever surfed was double-overhead Cottons or maybe a wintertime session at Honolua Bay when I certainly rode several waves far, far taller than me and gaped in wonder as the locals put themselves into places that had my heart in my throat. I don’t really have any big wave credentials, and I’m happy with that. I surf reasonably well, and a big day here in Southern Cal is enough to typically satisfy any jones I might have for a long drop-in.

I have been up-close to two big-wave contests in my life though. I once sat out in the boat at a Reef event at medium sized Todos Santos. A few weeks later, I watched a jaw-dropping Quiksilver event at Mavericks that was won by Flea Virostko.

The thing that struck me the most about being so close to waves like that was just how much more immeasurably powerful and fast they were than normal waves and how unbelievably ballsy anyone was who would try to catch them. Unless you've actually seen a wave like that in person, no magazine or video will ever do it justice. At the Quik event, I watched Grant Washburn put every bit of energy his huge windmill arms could generate into a macker that he barely caught – and wished he hadn’t. This was around the time that people first started tow-surfing at Mavs, and I remember saying to Rob Gilley, ‘damn, Washburn's wave was perfect, but there was no way he could ever have gotten the speed to make it past that bowl.’

How wrong I was.

Mike Parsons where no man has paddled before.

And that of course, is the gist of the whole tow-in thing. The physics of a little big man trying to get into a wave that’s just too damned big and fast. When I think of mild-mannered Evan Slater out there in the middle of the Pacific getting ragdolled by that monster he tried to paddle for at Cortez Banks, it still makes me shudder. Why the hell would he want to do that? I’m sure his beautiful wife wonders the same damned thing every day. Evan wanted to paddle for one of those Cortez waves, and paid dearly. Cleary, he found the forbidden zone for paddling, and just as clearly, the guys on jetskis blew that zone into oblivion.

There is no doubt that the jetski or personal watercraft has exploded every barrier we thought existed when it comes to getting into hairball waves. There's also no doubt that in the last few years, Mavericks has become a prime tow-in arena. But as you probably know, towing at Mavericks has come under serious scrutiny.

When I interviewed Mark Renneker on the subject, he likened tow-in surfing to the heinous old west practice of shooting Buffalo from a train. Jeff Clark likened it to looking back at the earth from the moon. Clark spent an hour with me railing against the hypocrites who have a problem with tow-surfing, but let their cars leak oil onto their driveways. "That’s a far worse source of ocean pollution than a jetski will ever be," he said. The eloquent Renneker went on for an equally long time on how tow-in surfing was an oxymoron: "You don’t have to paddle, you don’t’ have to catch the wave. More to the point – and what big wave surfing is all about -- you don’t deal with the drop. And the drop is where people fall, and get crushed, hurt and everything else. So when you eliminate those variables, it fundamentally is not really surfing. It’s some other water activity. It isn’t surfing as we understand it."

Consider the size of this paddle wave.

Renneker also claimed that the entire surf media has been co-opted by tow-in, citing in particular an infamous Indonesia article by my buddy Steve Barilotti that was attended by Peter Mel, Dave Kalama and Kelly Slater. The entire article revolved around towing – not into big waves, but medium-sized performance Indo waves. "That article was a phase shift," said Renneker.

I remember that there was a great deal of discussion about that article. I’m not going to point fingers or lay blame, but in my opinion, that piece crossed the line and gave credibility to tow-surfing in an essential wilderness, where the pursuit is completely inappropriate. Kind of like motocrossing in Yosemite.

Not long after that Indo article came out, I watched an idiot show up and tow a buddy into perfect, head-high waves at the pumphouse in Palm Beach, Florida. The water and air were full of blue chainsaw smoke, and the three or four guys out paddle-surfing were clearly pissed to have their session ruined. I asked a buddy of the skier taking pictures on the beach what gave him the right to blow the session for the three or four other guys out in the water, and he said, "that’s the future dude, didn’t you see that Indo article in Surfer?"

I’m not making this shit up.

Now Consider the Size of this Tow-In Wave. Which Issue of Surfer Would You Be More Likely to Buy?

Today, whether you realize it or not, a great many of the photos you see in modern surf magazines were taken after the surfer was towed into them. Even ones where he or she was made to look like he paddled for the wave. Is it wrong? Is it right? I don’t know, but it certainly creates a false impression, and turns surfing into skiing with a chairlift. It makes the photographer very happy too. He doesn’t have to wait for surfers to paddle back out anymore and gives him way more shots at the perfect photo.

But what the hell does Florida or Indo have to do with towing in at Mavericks? Well, I’ll parallel it to a comment Grant Washburn made. "The jetski is a guilty pleasure and I don’t like to be responsible for making a mess out here. We were out last night, it was a beautiful sunset, an amazing view. You could see the whales and the other animals, but at the same time, there’s this Daytona 500 mentality. I love it, but I hate it."

I think most of us feel the same way. When I see a jet-skier hovering outside of the lineup at Trestles, I fantasize about having a shoulder launched missile and blowing him sky-high. I’m sure the dolphins who were just frolicking outside the lineup feel the same way. When I see Flea, Pete Mel, Laird or Kalama carve a big, open faced turn on a macker, I’m just amazed.

But here’s the point where Mavericks is concerned. It doesn’t really matter how you or I feel. It doesn’t much matter if Jeff Clark loves it and Doc Renneker hates it. What will matter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, ultimately, is not passion, but science. And on that front, things don’t look too good for the tow-in crew.

The Late Great Jay Moriarty. How Big Would he have Gone in the New Millenium?

Here’s the rub. Personal watercraft are dirty. I may get bullshit emails from a few people saying that the new four-stroke models burn cleaner and blah-blah-blah. In October of 2002, that matters very little. Thanks to the boneheads in the PWC industry, who could have designed clean burning machines from the get-go, but put profit before responsibility, well over 90% of PWC’s in the water are horrendously polluting. Studies conducted on PWC’s built in the mid 1990’s found that the exhaust created by a two-stroke PWC running for seven hours was roughly equivalent to that created by 100,000 miles of driving in an average modern automobile with a four stroke engine.

Think about that for a second.

As of 2002, all PWC manufacturers have been legally mandated to switch to far cleaner four stroke engines, but it will be a long, long time before the hundreds of thousands of two-stroke PWC’s currently in use are gone.

I think it was Peter Mel who told me that his PWC used a four-stroke engine, and I’m sure that many towheads will be switching to them in the near future. But even if they burn more cleanly, that’s not the end of the problem. See, a whole lot of the coast up around here, Mavericks included, is a National Marine Sanctuary. This means that the ocean in these parts gets some of the highest protection in the country because it is full of whales, otters, dolphins, big sharks and scores of local and migratory birds – many of them endangered. When working on the NYT article, I spoke at length to officials with Surfrider and area Marine Sanctuaries, and they definitely feel that the science is behind a PWC ban.

Adam Repogle Discovering New Frontiers in His Own Backyard. Photo: Trefz.

So while exhaust pollution is a major concern, it’s not the only concern., All it takes is one kook to drive his PWC at high speed through a group of otters, to harass a flock of birds or to separate a mother seal from her pup. When this sort of thing happens, and someone on the shore or in the water sees or videotapes it, all PWC users suffer. Last January, a crew of guys towed in at Mitchell's Cove in Santa Cruz while the water was filled with paddle surfers. One of the tow-in surfers collided with a paddling surfer named Marc Thomas. This one incident subjected tow-in surfers to scrutiny like never before, and gave a great deal of ammunition to those who would shut PWC's down.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has reams of such incidents and scientific data to support a decision to ban PWC’s. They used such data two years ago to outlaw the machines in the vast Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary North of San Francisco. PWC’s are up for review along the 275 miles of coast in the Monterrey Bay Marine Sanctuary this year, an now is the time for those who ride the machines to get their shit together and come up with more than passion to boost their arguments.

Where Angels Fear to Tread, Hellmen Happily Go.
Peter Mel, Photo: Trefz

In interviews, both Jeff Clark and Peter Mel made great arguments about the tiny percentage of the Monterrey Sanctuary they occupy when they tow-surf. They also made strong points about their own feelings as stewards of Mavericks and the negligible environmental impact they feel they have in that relatively small corner of the ocean – particularly compared to all the oily runoff from millions of Bay Area cars, and from dirty fishing boats in Half Moon Bay Harbor. Water rescue wonder woman Shawn Alladio and the Half Moon Bay Harbor folks also made great points about the safety factor of having jet skis in the water during code red conditions.

Among the several solutions discussed was a licensing system for tow-surfers. The liability issues with licensing are many, but it’s a solution that should be given serious consideration, and might go a long way toward creating a responsible image. The possibility of limiting PWC's to only to Mavericks only under certain conditions was discussed as well. While tow-in surfers may bristle at the thought of being restricted, they'll need to consider real regulation like this in the future.

If the Sanctuary Closes, Where Will We Find
The Next Big Thing?

It seems to me that the bottom line is that someone in the Mavericks tow-surf community needs to step up and put their facts and some potential solutions together for the folks at the NMFS. Then they need to work for some sort of a compromise. Whether it’s Frank Quirarte, Shawn Alladio, Jeff Clark, Pete Mel the surf magazines or the companies like Quiksilver that benefit so enormously from the images they sell of Mavericks; someone needs to take the leadership role as the representative for tow-surfing. That representative will need to defend the tow crew’s point of view with facts and real-world proposals that will address the serious concerns paddle surfers and environmental groups have and allow you to keep towing. If emotion figures into your argument, you’re probably going to lose.

There are a lot of powerful and intelligent people out there who don’t like what you’re doing, and it’s up to you, the tow-in surfers to prove to those people that you can tow responsibly and within guidelines or limits. It’s not up to the regulators to come to you, it’s up to you to go to the regulators. You should also think twice about heckling speakers who disagree with your points of view, or threatening people over the Internet or elsewhere. The people who have a say in your surfing future are watching, and bad behavior counts.

I say all of these things at the risk of being heckled from both sides. But the bottom line is that in researching the story I wrote for the NYT, I found areas for compromise. The burden of proof, and the search for solutions however, lies on the shoulders of the tow-in surfers, because the most obvious solution is an outright ban. So it’s time for you guys to step up. If you don’t, then you and the very magazine that pays some of my bills will have to start looking elsewhere in the north Pacific for the Next Big Thing.

What do you think? Click here to post an opinion on the Bulletin Board.

Surf-A-Palooza: Jan 17-24

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:55 +0000

Escalara NOT-ica: Scorpion Bay, Canoas, Colonett, and San Quintin saved! Surf-A-Palooza has learned that Scorpion Bay and other classic Baja surf spots will not be affected by the construction of large breakwalls, as was first planned. Serge Dedina, of Wild Coast, an international conservation group, received verbal confirmation of this change in plans from a big time Mexican government official during a nationally aired Mexican radio program. An in-depth report will be filed on this website next week. Look for Chris Dixon's "One World" report.

Jimmy Page on a Surfboard: Skate legend Stacy Peralta has written a new movie based on the Z-Boys of Dog Town fame. David Fincher is set to direct (Seven, Panic Room). The monumental task of recreating the infamous POP pier may prove to be more difficult than draining a pool.

Hyp-errr-bole: The last few weeks have offered those of us here in California with an abundance of epic surf. Now "epic" is word that gets over used (with yours truly being the biggest offender). However in the context of this onslaught of swell, wind and weather conditions, I'm confident that I've finally used the word without the worry of being fingerprinted by the hyperbole police.

Ctenocephalides Canis: Case in point, Mavericks. Although not huge, the offshore conditions that swept the state in early January blessed the notorious big wave spot. Some Mavs regulars will tell you that Mavs actually gets better when it is slightly onshore, as it's a bit easier to get into. But with the Mavs crew towing-in on the aforementioned offshore days, performance levels were again pushed. Be sure to check out the video on this site of Flea getting pitted. I've studied this ride in slow-mo, frame-by-frame, and regular speed. No one has ridden Mavericks more perfectly. With intrinsic knowledge and deep purpose, the West Sides own paints the entire canvas with long, smooth arcs, employing fades, bottom turns, top turns and finishes with a climaxing tube ride. Special thanks to Eric Nelson and Curt Meyers of Mav Film.com and Powerlines Productions. The multi-angle shots from these clips are fabulous, with special kudos going out to Meyers for the helicopter shots, a much needed change of pace from the standard boat and land angles.

Steaming Digital Pile of...: A pile of video is stacking up on my desk from the various epic sessions that went down across the golden state. A special 'zona' of beach peaks south of San Diego, and Moidsland to name a few. Speaking of the 'crustacean caves', a few unfortunate violent incidents have taken place in La Jolla of late. A guy who surfs on his belly did much more than just bruise the ego of one who stands. The good waves were apparently not enough.

Access Denied: Ze Lucio Cardim, who is apparently involved with the Tow-in World Cup, sent me a link to the official site. Please access towinworldcup.com to know everything about that event. You can find videos, pics, and info. The word is that the Brazilian organizers of said event are not too happy when you show up at Jaws with your video camera. Among the stories I've heard, a group of German tourists were allegedly berated by an official of the event. In broken english, the Brazilian official herded the pale-skinned elderly tourists back to their red rent-a-car, warning them as they scuttled backwards that their digi-cams would be confiscated if they didn't stop filming. Maintaining the integrity of their event, I guess.

Newps Math: Todd Miller's Factor 54

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:56 +0000

Former ASP Top 44 shredder Todd Miller is launching his new line of gear. He is creating t-shirts, beanies, hats, and a nice mix of women t-shirts as well. His clothing company Factor 54 was aptly inspired by his stomping grounds of 54th Street Newport Beach. "My clothes represent the lifestyle and fashion that I have grown up around and have been a part of all my life, including Surfing, Skating, Music, and the OC lifestyle. If you want to get your hands on some freshly inspired gear call Factor 54 @ 949-394-2255 and checkout the up and coming factor54.com.

Blue Horizon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:56 +0000

What do you get when you mix one of the worlds best competitive surfers with one of the worlds best free surfers? You get the exciting new surfing film Blue Horizon.

Starring currently crowned, World # 1 Professional Surfer, Andy Irons and well known "soul surfer" Dave "Rasta" Rastovich. Direction and cinematography will come from award winning filmmaker Jack McCoy. McCoy, a veteran with over 20 surfing films to his credit, Blue Horizon will be his most ambitious production to date. Its release date is planned for Jan 2004 and will be showcased on the big screen around Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe as part of the Jack McCoy Surf Film Festival.

Taking us to new surf territory in exotic locations around the world, Jack McCoy's film will focus on the lives of the two very different surfers, who in many ways are very much alike. Along their journeys they will acknowledge where surfing has come from, where it is today and where it can go in the future.

McCoy states:
"This is a film that I am really inspired to make because surfing has such a colourful journey from Ancient Hawaiian's down until today. Thru the eyes of Andy and Rasta, we want to acknowledge the icon's and milestones in our sport."

Jack McCoy has worked with many great surfers in his 30-year career, Wayne Lynch, Mark Richards, Gerry Lopez, Tom Carroll, Mark Occhilupo, and Kelly Slater. "For me this is an amazing opportunity to be working with what I consider to be two of the best surfers in the world today. Andy is a totally focused professional who excels in both large and small surf. Dave, on the other hand, is already a wise soul who, at 22 looks at the all aspects of the surfing experience, where it has come from and where it's is going. The two together are a powerful balance of pure energy that we are hoping to capture".

Global surf wear company, Billabong, will be presenting the program. "We are excited to be working with Jack again after a three year break from his last film, 9 LIVES. Jack has a true appreciation of surfers and surfing and we know it will be another classic" said Billabong marketing director Andrew Flitton.

The program will be written by Peter Hock and edited by Calli Cerami, both of whom have collaborated with McCoy on past classic's Bunyip Dreaming, The Billabong Challenge, and OCCY The Occumentary. With principal photography in Australia and Hawaii, The Blue Horizon will take in the best surf it can find through out the world over the next 12 months.

Release dates 2004:Australia in January, New Zealand in March, USA in April and Europe in June.

For further information please call Sinclair Black
61 2 99182215 or 0412 219 878 (international 61 412 219 878)
e-mail: bluehorizon@bigpond.com or http://www.bluehorizonmovie.com/

O'NEILL HIRES NEW IN-STORE MANAGER

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:56 +0000

IRVINE, Calif., October 21, 2002- O'Neill Clothing USA announces the hiring of Beau Maurer as In-Store Manager. Maurer is now in charge of all in-store, POP and tradeshow management.

"I am excited about working here at O'Neill. It is a great company with great history. I look forward to working with all the talented people that are around me," said Maurer.

Before joining O'Neill, Maurer worked for Ocean & Earth USA for nine years. His main focus was sales and marketing. For the last five years Maurer was the president of Ocean & Earth USA.

"We are stoked to have Beau on board. He will be a great asset to the company. The addition of Beau will allow us to better focus on all aspects of marketing," said Rick Petri, Director of Marketing for O'Neill.

WIPEOUTS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:57 +0000

Surfermag.com and Josh Pomer's The Kill Films.com are proud to present exclusive weekly video clips you'll only find right here at Surfermag.com.

About the Producer:
Josh Pomer respected surf-film maker, 1992 Santa Cruz High graduate and 98' UCSB Film Studies Graduate, has created The Kill series. TK1 was named one of the ten most influential surf videos of the last decade. TK5 is coming out at the end of June, 2001. He has also created the surf videos Punk Rock Surfers, Bliss, See It To Belive It, The M10 Movie, Cheap Thrills, and his first movie Thunderballs. Josh is inspired by creative surfing and powerful surfing, as well as music and the ocean. His favorite surfers are Kelly Slater, Occy, Tom Curren and Ratboy.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

broadband BLUE HORIZON

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lo-band WIPEOUTS

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Gooooaaaallll!!!: A Baja Victory

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:58 +0000

Last Friday, I caught up with Serge Dedina of Wildcoast after his group had just scored a major victory in the battle over the Escalera Nautica (Nautical Ladder) project in Baja. He was preparing for an interview on national television in Mexico, but took some time out to discuss an apparent victory for anyone who has ever surfed a Baja point break. It's also a victory for surf enviro activism, and it just goes to show that if you can change the system in a place like Mexico, it's possible to change the system here too.

Chris Dixon: You guys went down to Baja with a Wall Street Journal reporter after you got a copy of the report on the Escalera Nautica's boat traffic projections being 600% overblown. When did you guys actually get a copy of this report?

Serge Dedina: About a week ago and then we gave it to the Wall Street Journal and they made an agreement to have an exclusive on the story. All these guys do is spend their time investigating economic development. So we took Joel Millman, he lives in Carlsbad. We flew him in last week when the surf was really big. Oh man, on the way down we saw some surf in Ensenada that was going off. I mean even Ensenada Harbor -- it was going off. I've never seen it break like that.

So Wednesday he flies in and we meet him at Punta Prieta which is just north of Santa Rosalita. There's a little military outpost with a landing strip.

We get to Rosalita and of course there's a big swell running and you see waves breaking off the point but since there's so much natural erosion there, the waves don't roll through anymore and what was interesting to see was that with that marina what we saw was that all the wave energy backs off after it breaks off the point, and then it builds up and you see corduroy lines breaking right where they built the Marina. So they built the Marina exactly in the worst spot in the whole bay in terms of wave energy and we got to see it.

CD: What was happening out there?

Burrow Defeats Fanning

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:42:59 +0000

Itauna Beach, Saquarema, Brazil (Saturday, October 26) Taj Burrow today defeated fellow Australian Mick Fanning to win the Mundial Coca-Cola de Surf 2002. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) recommenced this morning with remaining round three heats, and then continued right through until climaxing with the grand finale this afternoon.

Clean 3-4 ft (1-1.3m) waves were on offer, with good right-handers coming through on sets. A passionate beach crowd turned out to support their Brazilian surfers, as well as cheer on the international field.

Burrow, who hadn't won a WCT since 1999 when he took out the same event in Rio, also placed runner-up in 2000. The 24-year-old showed his determination today, however, overcoming the hardest opponents en-route to victory and the US$30,000 prizemoney. The West Australian was rated 6th leading into the Mundial Coca-Cola de Surf 2002, but following the win moved up into #3 and can still mathematically clinch this year's world title if he reaches both upcoming finals in Hawaii and wins at least one.

Against Fanning in the 35-minute decider, Burrow trailed for the first half, but after locking in an 8.0 for an amazing re-entry into aerial maneuver, he then struck the lead with his next ride and furthered it on another. Riding his last wave in, he raised his arms in disbelief, overwhelmed with emotion.

"So stoked," screamed Burrow, after being carried up the beach by a group of fellow Australian competitors. "I'm so, so psyched. I wanted that more than anything. It's the first final I've made in that long, and I haven't won one in ages. I thought I blew it a couple of times, as I had such a bad start and Mick was ripping. When I got that 8.0 we were just scrapping for a second wave, and I nailed it. I'm so bloody stoked (laughs).

"That's amazing," he continued, when told he was still in title contention. "I'm so stoked and am definitely going to go mad in Hawaii this year. So amped and it's so special to be in contention. I love it!

"It's too good," he added, of winning another tournament in Brazil and the beach support. "The spectators are the most into it I've ever seen. They're so determined, running around more excited than me, but it's so cool. The guys carrying me up the beach was all-time. They had the (Australian) flags ready... we were guaranteed an Aussie was going to win, but I'm so glad it was me."

Fanning, who began his second final of year in form, ultimately required another ride worth 7.26-points. Despite executing a carving reverse 360 on one wave, as he did in South African when he won, it wasn't enough this time round. Still, the runner-up placing pushed him from 12th into 6th position on the ratings.

"So stoked still," said Fanning afterward. "I knew Taj had an 8.0 and I needed to get something over a seven. I was just stoked to be in the final. It was always going to be hard with Taj and well done to him.

"I'm rapt," he continued, of his maiden WCT year. "I didn't do that well in Europe, but am just stoked to get some confidence back for Hawaii."

Equal third today were Russell Winter (UK) and Kieren Perrow (Aus). Both received US$10,000 and a major jump up the ratings following their semifinal finishes.

Winter, Europe's sole representative on the WCT, was the standout yesterday and kept his focus and momentum going against Australians Nathan Hedge and then Beau Emerton today. Burrow proved to strong, however, opening his account with an 8.0 and ultimately leaving the 26-year-old searching for his own ride worth 8.15-points. The result is the best to date for Newquay surfer.

"I made a mistake at the start by not paddling out first and getting the inside position on Taj," reasoned Winter. "That was the difference, and why I was winning all my earlier heats. I came down a bit late and he was already out there. He waited and when the sets came got the two best ones. I think if I'd gotten his waves I probably would have surfed better, and definitely think I could have won.

"I'm so stoked," he continued. "I was in a zone were you don't get stoked when you win, you just keep going. So I'm definitely happy now to finish off near the end of the year with a result like this."

Perrow began his clash with Fanning on track by posting a 7.5, but than sat too long with priority while his opponent got to work. Toward the end he required an 8.51, and while he caught another set, wasn't able to increase his tally on it. Nonetheless, the WCT newcomer has already established himself well within the current top 10 with his second consecutive semifinal finish.

"I guess I played my game well at the start," said Perrow. "I got my first quickly and then wanted to just wait with priority for another good one. I blew it by letting Mick get a couple underneath me and I respect his scores.

"My goal was top 10 and I'm just rapt," he continued, of his current position. "Hopefully I can achieve it. I can't wait for Hawaii."

Finishing equal fifth in the Mundial Coca-Cola de Surf 2002 were Beau Emerton (Aus), current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw), runner-up Luke Egan (Aus), and Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz).

For more info including complete results click "NEXT PAGE" below.

The Anti-Pro Manifesto

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:00 +0000

"So, who's going on your boat trip?" asked one of my co-workers, expecting me to offer up a short list of B-side pro surfers.

"Nobody," I shot back. "Just some friends."

"No pros?" he quizzed, "How are you going to get photos?"

"I'll get photos," I said coolly.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Feeling the need to explain myself, I clarified. "This trip isn't about spoiled, 'over -it' pro surfers," I preached, sounding rather bitter. "It's about our readers, the rank-and-file, the...the anti-pros."

"Anti-pro," muttered my co-worker. "What's that?"

Stumbling for clarification myself, I went back to my desk and reflected a bit. The anti-pros are 99.9 percent of the surfers in the world. They are the ones who produce the physical act of surfing on a daily basis. The anti-pros are, to put it in Marxian terms, the forces of surfing production. The typical anti-pro is a highly experienced and highly stoked surfer. He gets no mainstream media credit, but doesn't look for it either. He is the working class surfer--the salt of the earth. The everyday, hardcore, checkin'-it-at-dawn surfer. At his local spot, the anti-pro is well respected. The anti-pro is more intrigued by the NFL than the ASP. The anti-pro couldn't care less about clothing companies or demographics, but his equipment must be top shelf. The anti-pro is a white collar IT guy, reading this while sitting in a stuffy little feeding pen-cum-work cubicle, hoping his boss isn't peeking over his shoulder. The anti-pro is a student, in his eighth year of college, festering in computer labs. The anti-pro is a successful, highly paid VP of marketing, whizzing around the net on his laptop. But apart from his socioeconomic status outside the surf world, in the world of surfing his social status is that of the proletariat. He doesn't get free boards, wetsuits or boat trips. In fact, he doesn't get free anything. Especially free waves. He works for everything. He is a cabinetmaker, a sales rep, a sous chef, an engineer. He labors; he toils; he saves...and then he goes on surf trips. The anti-pro carries surfing's version of the sickle and hammer: a tri-fin and rash guard. He bears the financial scars of the proletariat surfer: sizable credit card bills.

Without the anti-pro there would be no surf magazines, no corporate dollars flowing in, no consumers to sell to. In short, there would be no market place for surfing's corporate bourgeois class, represented by pro surfers such as Kelly Slater, Rob Machado and the aptly named Ben Bourgeois. The anti-pro represents surfing's salt-of-the earth. You, my friend, are the anti-pro.

Since anti-pros are so abundant, why then, are there no stories about you? Oh sure, occasionally a fluffy 400-word department piece will shed some light on the anti-pro, but by and large you are ignored. Instead you get "pros" on a boat trip: bourgeois class, all-expense-paid, photo hounds whose concept of cultural awareness is reflected solely in their knowledge that North American DVDs don't play in Asian VCD players.

But the photo pros rip. And therefore they help create, in a big way, stunning imagery. Most of us can't make 3-foot Pismo pier look too good. Tim Curran can. However, level the playing field a bit by throwing a few anti-pros into Mentawai perfection, and the result can be worthy imagery, and a tale that connects with us, the everyday, hardcore, checkin'-it-at-dawn, working-class surfer.

Or at least, that was my plan. So I set out to demonstrate that a few 40-something anti-pros on a boat trip--many who wouldn't be able to muster up the nerve to caddy at Sunset Beach let alone paddle out--could, in fact, be characters in a worthy tale. And in a surf mag, a worthy tale consists of good images--the rest is filler.

Jaws: Open Season

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:00 +0000

Mark the date on your calendar: Nov. 26, 2002, the day that the face of big-wave surfing changed forever. Not that the widespread advent of tow-in surfing hasn't already blown up the blue water paradigm, providing, over the past six years, the sports singularly mind-blowing moments. Bradshaw at outside Log Cabins, Laird at Teahupoo, Parsons at Cortes Bank: all remarkable individual moments. But on this particular big day in November, tow-in surfings true potential was realized on a giant scale, when not just one or two but almost a dozen of the worlds top surfers and PWC drivers converged on Peahi, on the island of Maui, for what onlookers and participants alike are calling the greatest big-wave session in history.

Maybe its the increased mobility inherent in the jet sleds use, but more and more surfers these days seem ready to jump on a plane and chase down really big waves. When the word went out over the coconut wireless and the Internet, with its myriad wave-scale sites that a booming, long-period northwest swell was tracking into the Hawaiian wave window, big-wave ridings new protocol was made obvious. Rather than sit with the pack at Waimea Bay, the cream of the crop revved up their skis, tightened their flotation vests and flew to Maui. But whereas in years past the scene of this mass migration was Honolua Bay, today's hellmen are intent on bigger game, and converge a few miles to the east of H Bay and the gnashing reef break of Peahi.

"When we got there that morning we just couldn't believe it," says Mike Parsons, whos taking advantage of his role as Top Gun on the Billabong Odyssey Expedition to traverse the globe on a moments notice whenever the buoys light up. "It was offshore and just perfect. So perfect, we couldn't really tell how big it was."

Parsons wasnt alone in that assessment. The worlds top tow-in squads from Hawaii, California, Australia and Brazil quickly swarmed the line-up, whipping each other into a frenzy of adrenaline. Parsons, Brad Gerlach, Ross Clarke-Jones, Cheyne Horan, Carlos Burle, Garrett McNamara and Makua Rothman joined a hard-core Peahi crew including Dave Kalama, Darrick Doerner and "Mango" Manny. And then there was tow-ins Team of the Titans. Between waves of his own, Laird Hamilton dragged Kelly Slater into the grinding peaks whose smaller sets averaged 40 feet; the big bombs easily tickled the 60-foot mark.
OPEN SEASON: JAWS VID CLIPS
A crew of tow-in hellmen rode massive Peahi during the last week of November. Check these video clips to see the heavy action.

"It was the most incredible thing I 've ever witnessed," claims Odyssey director Bill Sharp, who watched all the action from a vantage point low on Peah is fearsome lava-rock shore. "All those guys in the water at once. There was Makua Rothman on a huge wave, probably the biggest ridden that day, but then before you could process that image, here's Ross Clark-Jones pulling into an amazing barrel, and almost making it."

Eternal Reefs

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:00 +0000

Possibly inspired by the surf spot "Dead Man's," a company in Georgia, of all places, offers an unusual final resting place. Instead of being sprinkled on the water's surface or packed in a jar as mantle ornament, your loved ones' cremated remains, or cremains, can be put in an artificial reef ball and dropped into the ocean to stimulate undersea population. And, if properly placed, they could add some juice to an otherwise lifeless surf zone.

Atlanta-based Eternal Reefs (eternalreefs.com) currently installs memorial reef balls in coastal locations in 40 countries worldwide, including the U.S., Australia, Indonesia and the Maldives. The reef balls look like huge, concrete Whiffle balls cut in half. They have six-inch shells, weigh up to 4,000 pounds and can withstand hurricane-force swells. It's environmentally friendly too, and a pretty reasonable deal when you consider the barrel of your life could be due to someone's death.

TRAVEL - Playa Kandahar, Mexico

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:00 +0000

Southern California childhood friends Travis Ashbrook (longtime California shaper) and Mark Stanton first visited Ixtapa, Mexico ten years ago to work in real estate. What they discovered was a coastline of uncrowded beaches with hidden surf spots and the perfect place to build a surf camp.

Playa Kandahar Surf Club sits on 12.5 acres of land and 500 feet of beachfront property adjacent to the old fishing village of Majahua. Eight bungalows are sprinkled across a grassy lot that leads up to a central building with a pool, full service kitchen and bar.

Besides a fun fast beach break within walking distance, the best surf spots are found by driving between 25 and 45 minutes, renting a good car is advisable. You also may access these spots from a boat departing from Majahua each morning -- costs about $20 per person. The breaks range from long left point breaks to faster rights. A nearby left point break begins with a peaky outside section then runs into a wide open wave; ideal for nose-riding and big turns. The wave then peaks again with a fun inside section, totaling over 200 yard long rides. Another point break not too far away peals both left and right and has a steeper, faster pitch, ideal for shortboards.

Travel Special: Playa Kandahar is offering a discounted rate of $59 per night for a bungalow for two until November 1^st. Each additional person in the bungalow is $15. Alaska Airlines flies direct to Zihuatanejo from Los Angeles and America West offers a cheap flight through Phoenix, Arizona. Click Here to Contact The Resort

Seasons:

Summer - South swells: April through October, Water Temp: 80+ degrees, Air Temp: 80 to 90 degrees.
Winter - North, Northwest swells: October through April, Water Temp: 72 degrees, Air Temp: 75 to 85 degrees.

Thinking about going... let Surfer Travel Report be your guide

How To Create A Marine Reserve Part 2

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:00 +0000

A Chat with Surfrider’s Leon Richter Continued.

Chris Dixon: What was the feedback from the community?

Leon Richter: I think initially we were met with a lot of skepticism, yeah, ok, a bunch of surfers, whatever, we’ve heard this all before. And so we started to hold outreach activities -- beach cleanups and meetings. And then the politicians told us, you have to demonstrate that the community actually wants this — that it isn’t just a few people who want to preserve their surf break.

So we started a signature campaign and collected 5300 signatures locally out of 12,000 people in the community.

CD: That’s huge!

LR: And that was done all by hand. Everything there is done really old school and grass roots. No one has computers. The internet access was so bad that when I was working with the designer on our maps, I had to stay up or wait til 3 AM to download them. We were definitely working on a shoestring with no budget. If we had a meeting, we had to put up 150 flyers around town -- no postcards and no email. There was a lot of just one on one talking and through the petition campaign, which was all done by hand, you start to learn how people actually feel about the issue and their objections.

Then, you ask someone to sign the petition who happens to be a developer and he freaks out about it. Then you find out why. It was actually a really good way to find out how the community felt about the whole issue and why. It gave us visibility and credibility.

CD: How did you get along with the mayor of the town?

LR: I think our relationship with the mayor is pretty symbolic of how the whole campaign has gone.

Originally, he just kind of glad handed us, but the more we went to see him the more he would include us. So when the president of the planning board came out, we were invited to the meeting, and I was actually able to give the president and his delegation a tour of this area. So rather than it just being photos or someplace on a map, we actually walked a stretch of this beach, and the whole issue really became tangible to them.

We had brought him a bound copy of the first 5000 signatures, and we had conducted beach cleanups and he helped us arrange for the trash to be collected — it had been really collaborative. By the end of the first six months, the mayor made a comment to us that I think sums it all up. He said, "most people come to us asking me for something. Everyt ime you come, you bring me help."

We even held our meetings in Spanish to make sure we were addressing everybody. There’s a real significant expat community, and a pretty strong local surfing community.

CD: What breaks are we talking about here?

The Map of the Reserve. Click Here to Blow it up.

LR: The first is called Little Malibu, which breaks over elk horn coral and is shallow and super tubey, then is Tres Palmas, which is the famous big wave. It breaks really far out and is just an awesome place. Dogman’s — there’s upper and lower dogman’s, a faster, hollower wave, and then Maria’s. Indicators is a right point, and Domes is a nice right in front of the old nuclear power plant.

CD. And when do these places break?

LR: Any storm front coming off the east coast, so you get northwesters and then wrap on big northeast swells. The North shore of Puerto Rico is definitely more consistent, but the thing is, when this area is working, the tradewinds are out of the northeast, so it almost never blows out.

CD: Is there a dichotomy between how the Puerto Ricans feel and how the expat Americans feel? I would think a lot of the locals wouldn’t want these gringos telling them what to do.

LR. I would constantly tell people, look I don’t want to tell you what to do, I’m just here to help facilitate what you as a group wants to do. So once the community said, look, we want to preserve things kind of the way they are, we came up with a strategy to accomplish that and they’re the ones making it happen. We were really just there for guidance.

CD: So where are all the projects now?

LR: Well, they’re pretty much dead. One of them was denied by the planning board, another one Manihiki, was pretty much approved, but the corporation that was building it pretty much went bankrupt. The Via Icaria is the one that we lobbied heavily on. The man who owns the land is the developer.

On the Surfrider website we actually have a lot of the reasons the planning board denied this. And they incorporated a lot of our reasons as to why they denied it — the natural resources that are there, the value of those resources. Which was pretty amazing. The developers appealed the decision, and the appeal was denied. Which means that basically short of going to court, which is highly unlikely, that project is dead.

CD: Did you meet the developer?

LR: I met the developer in February. The mayor invited him and us to a planning meeting.

CD: Do you think he was expecting to find you so well organized? Did he think he had a shoe-in?

One of the area's non-existent turtles.

LR: He definitely did not take us seriously. The way the meeting started in the mayor’s office was that we had our maps blown up poster size and we said, hey, look, we’re part of the coalition, and we’d like to show you what we’re talking about. His reaction was, there are no turtles there, I’ve been going there for 30 to 40 years.

But there are turtles there. We have lots of photos of them.

CD: Were you the only group working on this?

LR. No, Surfers Environmental Alliance was involved as was Environmental Defense. And at the grassroots level, we also weren’t the only group warning about this project. There was another flyer that circulated that dealt with other problems the community already had. Lack of water, electricity -- the power supply is very unreliable. Then there were points that I can’t verify about developers getting tax breaks. Traffic, the fact that it would increase traffic, and then effects on beach access. Environmental harm, quality of life and then small businesses getting hurt. And this was locally generated -- not a Surfrider product. It was the kind of thing that made me say, wow, the community really feels this way.

On the website, we tried to make it like a library so people can see what we did, how we proceeded and the process. So the whole thing has been pretty cool. It’s been a town and its people who knew what they wanted to do but didn’t really know how to go about doing it, and each step of the way there would be kind of challenges thrown up —hey, we need you to demonstrate local support. Well, how do you do that, well, We need to go out and get signatures and that would help us to recruit other people.

CD: Tell me about the bulldozer incident.

LR: Well, I go to the black eagle, a pub, and one of the guys there said, hey, did you see what they’re doing at Maria’s? There’s some guy there with a bulldozer.

So the next morning, I got up there with my little point and shoot camera and I was looking around. Sure enough, they were bulldozing the brush in front of the beach. So I called a woman I knew and said, so what do I do? And she said, ask the guy for permits 11 and 27. They have to be on the equipment before they can do any disturbing of natural resources. So I went and said, "excuse me," in my nicest Spanish. "Sorry to bother you, but can I see your permits?" The guy went crazy and ended up chasing after me with a machete. I ran to the car.

The municipality actually was bulldozing the area for a surf contest. And so, I, like an idiot drove down toward Domes which is a dead end. And so I had to go back, I went back and said, look I’m really sorry, but if you don’t have permits, you have to wait for the DNR to come and sort this out. I was totally nervous for the next week.

But it was things like that that actually gave us some credibility. Instead of everyone just sitting around the bar complaining and not doing anything. A lot of little things like that add up.

CD: And get around a small town like that quickly.

LR. Definitely.

So this guy who’s a forestry expert, he and one of the local surfers, Vito, decided after the bulldozing, that they wanted to do a complete reforestation. And last month, the mayor signed a letter saying the municipality would help.

So we start with one incident, and the more become involved, and the more success we have, the more people participate. We had a big beach cleanup at a contest and the pros were actually picking up trash between heats. That gave us credibility in the surfing community.

CD: Did this grab much attention from the Puerto Rican media?

LR: Yeah, most of the early coverage came from Terry Gibson. And he wrote a huge piece in the Surfer’s Path. And we launched a huge media campaign.

And one of the things that came from that was that we were able to get an audience with Alexis Massol, who was one of the Goldman Prize winners — people call it the Nobel for environmentalism.

Another person who got involved is Edwin Santos. He’s kind of the king of Puerto Rican pro surfing -- everywhere you go with him, people start acting like ten year olds. He saw the flyer and showed up at a Surfrider meeting and his help has been unbelievable.

So, I would say that beginning this spring or summer. We had a dozen pieces in the PR News — including their top newspaper, El Nueva Dia.

CD: So where do things stand now in terms of the Marine Reserve?

LR: Where we literally are now is, we’ve got a draft of legislation to create the marine reserve. That’s going to be introduced at the capitol in the next week or two.

CD: How much of PR’s coast is protected at all?

(at this point, Surfrider’s Chad Nelson sits down at the table)

CN: There’s only one other big marine reserve, it’s on Culebra, the island offshore. There are a number of coastal nature preserves that sort of de facto protect the water by protecting the coast.

I think there are 25 nature preserves.

White Banding Disease on coral. A direct result of human waste in the water.

CD: But PR is not so much known for its environmental stewardship.

CN. Yeah, it’s been sort of a rape and pillage thing, and I think there’s an urgency for economic development because people feel it will get them out of poverty. The irony is that often it gets a handful of people wealthy with the promise of jobs that never really materialize.

CD: Then in the case of something like this — a private development — then you deny the very people access to the beach that they’ve been going to forever. You wipe out their fishing and make them reliant on bullshit jobs whereas they can be more reliant off the land and sea if those are still intact.

CN: Plus the mom and pop outfits there are doing alright. They’re all be gone in the Wal-Mart phenomenon.

LR: There’s also the perception which is probably real that if they end up developing these things, then they’re going to get most of the water and we the locals are going to have water no days of the year rather than half the days of the year.

One of the things I think we’ve been able to accomplish in Rincon is to empower the community to make them feel like they really have a voice. The current mayor won his job on an anti-corruption platform. The previous mayor was incredibly corrupt. I think he has federal charges against him. The town bulldozers were on his son’s ranch. He built a tower hotel right on the beach in a community of single and two story homes.

CD: Sounds like what you see on the Baja coast.

CN: Exactly like that. So one of the other things we ran into besides, ‘hey we need jobs,’ was yeah, whatever, they’ll just pay off the politicians and build it anyway.

CD. That’s why it’s almost such a surprise that you guys had any effect at all. Because you think how hard it is to win an environmental battle here. Much less in a place that’s known for cronyism and corruption. P.R. is supposed to follow US environmental laws in a lot of ways, but often it doesn’t.

LR. Well, there’s no local newspaper in that area. People don’t have Internet access. So local issues don’t get a lot of coverage. It’s all word of mouth. And the other is that there’s a lot of defeatism there. You know, we’re not really a state, we don’t have any power. The government’s always corrupt and it never does what it says it’s going to.

So it was getting local surfers together -- local key figures When Edwin Santos showed up, and Juan Ashton, the godfather of the young surfers, showed up, it gave us a lot of credibilty. Renee, the guy who owns the local surf shops, got involved. All these guys gave us the street credibility, all the way up to Alexis Massol.

Massol’s group fought a 20 year battle to stop mining operations in their community that destroyed forests, and they created the People’s Forest — it’s co-managed between the community and the department of natural resources. They have a cooperative coffee plantation in the jungle and it’s the best coffee in Puerto Rico.

The first think Massol said was, ‘how long has this been going on?’ And we said, ‘well, the work you’re looking at here has been done in the last six months.’ He said, ‘you’ve done 10 years of work here, how can I help?’

We said, we really need media attention to recruit additional people and to put pressure on the politicians. So he agreed. And he really helped, he came and spoke at chapter meetings. He’d never been snorkeling, so we held a press conference right on the beach and Steve Fitzpatrick took these sick photos of him in among the Elkhorn. We’ve probably done over a dozen radio shows this summer. We got every newspaper and all the major networks.

When this guy says, ‘hey, I’m going to bat for you,’ he really means it.

A Whale Breaches in PR While a Surfer Looks On.

CD: So where do you go from here in terms of the marine reserve?

CN: We’ve been working with Vizcarrondo, the Speaker of the House to get this thing on the floor.

LR. Vizcarrondo’s office along with the DNR in a meeting, said we want to recommend to you, the marine reserve, the special planning area and the terrestrial reserve. We’re working closely with Vizcarrondo’s office and the DNR and the planning board.

CD: Why do you think you were able to get this going so big? Was it really the grassroots support?

CN: Some aspects are hard to speculate. But we do know that getting 5300 signatures is a pretty powerful statement. When we first came to them, they said, you need local support.

LR: Yeah, we met with the local congressman and he said, I vote with the mayor. So we got the mayor to sign the petition.

CD: Were you surprised the mayor went for it?

CN: I think it was a sequence of events that led to his support. It took us some time, almost a year, but we started collecting these signatures and he saw that local support was being generated. We also did these beach cleanups -- that sounds so trivial in some ways, but I think they really impressed him. He said, ‘not only are these people fighting for a vision of preservation, but today they’re cleaning up the beaches.’

CD: It will be really interesting if this passes. It will set up an interesting precedent for Surfrider and Rincon and other places that have issues like this.

LR. I think that the other thing is that even if this goes through, and we get a park management plan and everything goes well, one of the greater challenges that lies in front of us is the terrestrial aspect. Private land rights and getting to the table with this guy who owns the land. There’s a new conservation easement law that went into effect last January that provides tax incentives for creating easements — that’s one possibility. Or partnering with another non governmental or conservation organization to buy the land. I think we’re actually to the point where we can get him to the table and work through a solution like that down the road.

Or maybe we put a grassroots education center on the land and other people can come for information as well.

CN: You know, one of our sort of longer, far reaching goals was totally accomplished too. We set up a sort of template, so we can say, 'Hey you can do this for other communities. Here’s a model, we’ve done some of the homework and here are the laws that apply. It can be done. Collect the signatures, do the work and maybe your community can get the same results.

To see how they did it, click here:

http://www.surfrider.org/rincon/index.htm

Surf-A-Palooza Jan 24-31

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:01 +0000

MEXICO NEWS DOS EQUIS: Last week Surf-A-Palooza broke the news regarding the amended plans of the Escalara Nautica project (ENP). It's quite a story, and proof that timing is everything (quite a cliche). The dominos began to fall as a Wall Street Journal business article, which indicted the ENP figures, found its way onto the desk of heavy hitter's in Mexico City (presumably Presidente Fox). On the same day, Wildcoast International's Serge Dedina appeared on Mexican TV discussing the WSJ article and the ENP flaws to a national audience. While Dedina was on the air, a highly placed Mexican tourism official phoned in. An impromptu debate/discussion ensued. Dedina brilliantly framed the project as a good one, just not as currently planned. The official caved into the kill-'em-with-kindness strategy and back-peddled his way into various verbal amendments. For specifics of this news, you can read the exclusive 'One World' interview with Serge Dedina of Wildcoast International on this site. I strongly recommend that you do so. As exciting as this news is, I remain somewhat skeptical until some sort of written agreement is inked. Nevertheless, I commend Dedina, Wildcoast, and the others involved for their efforts. Save the waves.

COLIMA ROCKED: A major earthquake struck the agricultural region in and about Colima on last Tuesday night. Obviously this sucks for many reasons, most notably the loss of life. Many of you have expressed concern (via our message board) for friends and family that live in that region. The lack of telephone and power service leaves us to only speculate. A very dear friend of mine lives in the area with his wife and young son, and I share your concern. Please, if you come upon any inside information regarding the earthquake, the damage to Colima or its neighboring cities and villages, log on to the message board and let us know.

LUNATICS TAKING OVER ASYLUM: Big Rock has been the site of alpha male feuds since the early 60s. A minor hassle here or there is hardly newsworthy. However, a heightened sense of dis-ease has griped the lineup these past few weeks. The characters and situations involved could walk of the pages of an Elmore Leonard novel: an angry sponger, touting a life-long chip; a group of holier-than-thou La Jolla locals, peeved at the ability of the spongers to back paddle and get deep positioning at the Rock; knives; baseball bats; lying-in-wait; malice; forethought; choking; gang warfare; specific intent to cause bodily harm. Somebody call a literary agent.

Here's my alleged, uncertain and ambiguous second hand account of how it all went down:

Day 1: A long running feud between spongers and LJ local surfers boils over with snakes, cut-offs and the usual verbal haranguing. A grumpy belly rider with a chip on his shoulder and a rep for getting into hassles takes matters into his own hands. He punches a local surfer, holds him underwater, and then punches out his fins. Stinkeye and verbal jousting continues all day between belly riders and surfers.

Day 2: Early the next morning, another incident, much more serious though. A group of 12 belly riders, in two separate vehicles, lay-in-wait for a one particular local who had especially ticked them off the day previous. The local guy shows up to check the surf and his vehicle is immediately pinned in--an ambush by the Belly Up gang. Knives and baseball bats are liberated from the squalor of bagel wrappers and coffee cups that lay underneath car seats. The local guy accepts his fate, and gets pummeled into submission. The end result being visual impairment and a lacerated foot. Word spreads through the Windansea lot faster than a pint of Old #7.

Day 3: Chris Ward, of all people, shows up from San Clemente. Completely oblivious to the years of angst that has boiled over, Wardo does his thing, burning a fair share of belly riders in the process. A tussle ensues. Words are spit out, fists fly, antlers lock. The heat has been turned way up.

Day 4: Some belly riders are conspicuously absent, most notably the tough guy who is the belly riders leader. A few, however, do show up. One decides to use his sponge leash as a tea bag string, wrapping it around the neck of a surfer and dunking him like hard biscotti in a Starbucks latte.

Day 5: It is on. Gang Warfare. Neptune street. Spongers vs. Surfers. 6:30am. Everyone meets and words are exchanged--even death threats. A hardened and wise Windansea Surf Club old timer diffuses the situation. The rumble never happens. The characters disperse. No one is pleased.

As of now, the City of San Diego lifeguards are working with the Windansea Surf Club to further diffuse the situation. Interestingly, a 35-year old city ordinance, drafted due to a similar situation at Windansea between surf mat riders and surfers, states that surf mats are not permitted in the surfing zones. Some are suggesting this ordinance binds sponger to Marine Street and the like. That is where it stands. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. Pretty hilarious really.

Who's In Charge?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:01 +0000

(Saturday October 26th 2002)--Some Pipeline regulars paid a heavy toll today as several surfers received season ending injuries, while others were let off with a mere spanking. Leading the list with the most serious wipeout was Liam McNamara. The primed goofyfoot sustained a broken right femur after pearling during a late drop. McNamara landed awkwardly on the face of the wave before being compressed onto the shallow reef. North shore lifeguards were on the scene immediately stabilizing McNamara before air lifting the goofyfoot to Queen's hospital in Honolulu.

Sean Moody suffered a broken fibula to the lower right leg after colliding with his surfboard while paddling out at Backdoor. Mickey Mitchell, who was having the session of a lifetime at the 'Door, ripped his knee up on a sick wave. Earlier in the day, Tai Van Dyke's experienced a vicious wipeout that sent him head first into the reef resulting in 16 staples. Also, Mark Rocheleau, a UH student and a well respected paddler (Outrigger Canoe Club member), sustained a severe splintering to his upper lip along with many bodily abrasions on yet another wipeout at Backdoor. Not to be outdone in the "surfer against board category", hot big wave charger Mark Healy received a 3-inch long gash on the arch of his left foot.

Excitement reigned at Pipe. There were many great waves surfed today, and some of the many outstanding surfers who are already in mid-season form include Ruben Tejada (backside barrel of the day), closely followed by Braden Dias' sick pit. Tory Barron's displayed Backdoor expertise, as well as Mickey Mitchell, while Pipe stalwarts such as Tamayo Perry, Kalani Chapman, and Derek Ho got theirs--as usual.

A big mahalo to the North Shore Lifeguards who worked hard to make sure everyone received the best possible first responder medical attention available.

Much Mahalos & surf safe--Mick O'Brien with courtesy from The North Shore Lifeguard Association

ANTI-PROS IN THE MENTAWAIS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:02 +0000

Without the anti-pro there would be no surf magazines, no corporate dollars flowing in, no consumers to sell to. In short, there would be no market place for surfing's corporate bourgeois class, represented by pro surfers such as Kelly Slater, Rob Machado and the aptly named Ben Bourgeois.

The anti-pro represents surfing's salt-of-the earth. You, my friend, are the anti-pro. Since anti-pros are so abundant, why then, are there no stories about you? Oh sure, occasionally a fluffy 400-word department piece will shed some light on the anti-pro, but by and large you are ignored. Instead you get "pros" on a boat trip: bourgeois class, all-expense-paid, photo hounds whose concept of cultural awareness is reflected solely in their knowledge that North American DVDs don't play in Asian VCD players. But the photo pros rip. And therefore they help create, in a big way, stunning imagery. Most of us can't make 3-foot Pismo pier look too good. Tim Curran can. However, level the playing field a bit by throwing a few anti-pros into Mentawai perfection, and the result can be worthy imagery, and a tale that connects with us, the everyday, hardcore, checkin'-it-at-dawn, working-class surfer. Or at least, that was my plan.

So I set out to demonstrate that a few 40-something anti-pros on a boat trip--many who wouldn't be able to muster up the nerve to caddy at Sunset Beach let alone paddle out--could, in fact, be characters in a worthy tale. And in a surf mag, a worthy tale consists of good images--the rest (text) is filler. --Scott Bass

lo-band Anti-pros in Indo #1

broadband Anti-pros in Indo #1

lo-band Anti-pros in Indo #1

broadband Anti-pros in Indo #1

lo-band Anti-pros in Indo #2

broadband Anti-pros in Indo #2

lo-band Anti-pros in Indo #2

broadband Anti-pros in Indo #2

lo-band Mark Brolaski's Big Left

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lo-band Mark Brolaski's Big Left

broadband Mark Brolaski's Big Left

lo-band Derek Dejonge at HTs

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lo-band Derek Dejonge at HTs

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lo-band The Helminator

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lo-band Site (local ripper from Nias) at Rags

broadband Site (local ripper from Nias) at Rags

lo-band Site (local ripper from Nias) at Rags

broadband Site (local ripper from Nias) at Rags

lo-band Anti-pros Surf Thunders

broadband Anti-pros Surf Thunders

lo-band Anti-pros Surf Thunders

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Where's the Aloha?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:02 +0000

Ventura, CA-The Groundswell Society (dubbed by Longboard Magazine as "surfing's new voice of conscience.") hosts for the 2nd Annual Surfing Arts, Science, and Issues Conference, on Saturday November 9th at the Ventura Holiday Inn from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. "Modern Surfing: Where's the Aloha?" Will be the theme throughout the day, promising lively interaction among speakers and attendees.

"SASIC 2 is for those surfers interested in taking a compelling look at where surfing's core values are thriving, and where they are dying on the vine," states Groundswell Society co-founder, Glenn Hening. SASIC consists of a full day of 18 seminars covering all aspects of the sport and lifestyle of surfing. The event is available to environmentalists, surfers, and the general public.

Hour-long sessions and panel discussions covering topics ranging from corporate citizenship, surf localism, creating new places to surf, innovations in equipment design, and the importance of protecting the coastline, will be discussed in a relaxed yet intellectual environment.

General admissiion for the full day is $75, $50 for students & seniors. Register on the premises the day of event, call 805-382-0657, or contact matt@groundswellsociety.org.

The 19th Annual Xcel Pro

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:02 +0000

Big Surf Hits North Shore Postponing the Xcel Pro

Sunset Beach, Hi-The 19th Annual Xcel Pro has been postponed for today, Tuesday due to closed out surf at Sunset Beach. Waves in the fifteen to eighteen foot range at 6:00 am consistently washed through the lineup. The waves are forecasted to slowly drop today with a potential for start up on Wednesday should the break become manageable.

The swell peaked early this morning in the 20-23 foot range with some areas of the Kamehameha highway being washed by the Pacific Ocean. According to island forecaster Patrick Caldwell, this swell should keep surf at the 'Waimea Bay' level today and within the next eighteen to twenty four hours back down.

The Xcel Pro has two days left to run within the next twelve days and the patterns up in the northwest Pacific ocean show signs of more low pressure brewing. On the last day of competition, a longboard expression session will be run featuring the top Hawaiians including past winner, three time World Champion Rusty Keaulana of Makaha, Bonga Perkins, Dino Miranda, Lance Hookano, Duane DeSoto, Kanoa Dahlin and Hawaiian Longboard Federation's champion Keegan Edwards. Last year, the longboarders displayed some real big wave riding skills in challenging the massive fifteen foot surf with Keaulana catching a wave from Sunset Point and connecting to the inside west peak as the section jacked into an eighteen foot wave and completing one of the longest waves ever ridden at the break.

For Xcel Pro contest information daily call the Surf News Network hotline at 808.586.7873.

Event Sponsors: Havianas, American Savings, State of Hawaii

Paddle Out To Commemorate 9/11

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:03 +0000

Dear Fellow Surfer,

With the anniversary of September 11 approaching, I felt that the surfing community would be making a mistake if we did not do something to properly commemorate the occasion in our own way.

Each one of us was affected by the horrible events of that day, one we will never forget. Many Americans will not know how to deal with the date other than by turning on CNN, but we are surfers, and we are different. Over the years our global community has developed our own traditions of acknowledging a tragic loss, whether it is in our personal family, the family of surfing, or the family of humanity. This is the Paddle-Out Ceremony.

As you may know, a large ASP World Championship Tour competition will be on at Lower Trestles with a waiting period spanning September 11. While it is absolutely inappropriate to make any promotional use of Sept 11 whatsoever, we are provided the opportunity to use the event infrastructure for our ceremony. And the ASP's Top 48 surfers in the world, visiting from far and near, wish to join us side-by-side in our waters to recall what happened a year ago. If there will be tears shed on the morning of September 11, I say let them fall into the lineup at Trestles where they may mix together in the healing waters of our ocean refuge.

Constructing a commemoration for an event like the anniversary of Sept 11 is a very delicate challenge, so I ask for you to share your thoughts on the matter.

The following plan is a draft only and I welcome input from everyone as to tasteful and appropriate ways of showing the thoughts of the surfing community (and precise input in regard to flag etiquette and/or militaryprotocols is crucial).

Everyone who wishes to attend is invited and encouraged to paddle out into the water or stand by on shore. We'll have a PA system and remote mike of some sort available and are looking for an outrigger canoe or something similar to sit at the center of the circles. A friend in NYC has sent us a small symbolic quantity of dust/rubble from the WTC site and the thought is to cast it into the lineup at Lowers where it will settle to the bottom and in a way become a permanent part of California surfing.

Please share this with anyone you feel may have a desire to be involved.

Aloha,

Bill Sharp

SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL PADDLE-OUT DRAFT SCHEDULELOWER TRESTLES, SAN ONOFRE STATE PARK, SAN CLEMENTE/CAMP PENDLETON, CA

6:30 a.m. Sunrise. Raising of American Flag at the event site.

6:43 a.m. (Moment of crash of Flight 77 into Pentagon

6:44 to 6:55 a.m.Gathering and briefing of participants on beach just southof Lowers peak.

6:55 a.m.Participants to leave shore and begin formation of ceremonial circle offshore, in bay south of the Lowers peak.Distance offshore dependent on swell size.If sufficient participants are involved, four circles should be formed to symbolize the four planes involved in the attack.
While not enforced, it is hoped that the lineup at Trestles would remain vacant for 25 minutes, with the empty waves breaking in honor of the spirits of those who lost their lives.
7:05 a.m.(Moment of collapse of South Tower.) Participants in position for ceremony. Lowering of flag to half mast.

Comments over PA system by ASP Officials and/or Surfers.

7:10 a.m. (Moment of Pennsylvania crash of Flight 93.)

Comments over PA system by well-spoken representative of surf industry

Comments over PA system by well-spoken representative of surf community

Comments by any representatives of Fire, Police or Lifesaving services who may wish to be involved.(Input especially welcome!!)

(Should any individuals emerge from within the surf community who lost family members in attacks, their comments are most welcome).

7:25 a.m.Casting of WTC dust/rubble into the Lower Trestles lineup.

7:27 a.m.Chanting, splashing, throwing of leis

7:28 a.m.(Moment of collapse of North Tower) Return of American Flag to Full Staff Position, accompanied by playing of National Anthem over PA.

7:29 a.m.If possible and appropriate, a fly-by of Marine Corps jets from Camp Pendleton in missing-man formation.

7:30 a.m.Completion of ceremony.Participants return to beach or surf in a brotherly and sisterly manner (careful out there, it could be crowded).

"Because" with Chris Ward

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:03 +0000

BECAUSE is the latest release from Billygoat Productions and features extremely fresh footage from todays biggest stars. See Andy and Kalani blow your mind with lightning fast surfing, Joel and Mick destroying waves at their home breaks, Wardo charging perfect tubes, Damien Hobgood launching, Luke Egan smooth as silk, Bobby Martinez forming out, Dean Morrison ripping, and much, much, more.

Check this footage of Chris Ward from "Because".

BECAUSE, sponsored by Dakine and Surfer Magazine, will include an the entire soundtrack on CD.

CALL 1 877 THE GOAT TO ORDER "BECAUSE"

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TRAVEL - NSW WAVEWATCH

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:04 +0000

Contibuted By Dr. Geoff

Average Wave Heights:
3'

Max. Wave Heights:
10'+

Average Water Temp:
16 C Degrees

Average Air Temp:
15 C Degrees

Prevailing Winds:
West - Southwest

Significant Swells:
There were six swell worth mention:

East South East swell from August 1-2. It peaked August 1st at 5'.

South East swell August 4-6. It peaked on August 4th at 6' +.

South East swell August 8-11. It peaked on August 9th at 6'.

South East swell August 13-19. It peaked on August 15th at 10'+.

South East swell August 20-22. It peaked August 20th at 7'.

South East swell moving East South East August 24-29. Stats unavailable at this point in time.

Significant Storms
No local storms of significance this month. Once again all the storm action was out in the Tasman Sea and in our wave window.

Is this a good season? Why?
Yes, South Tasman Sea low pressure cells are now in the wave window for South East Swells. Basically as soon as a low cell or front passes up comes the swell. Also this month the lows have moved along the coast to give a couple of east swells as well.

Best Spots:
Merewether, Bombie, Pogo's, Newcastle Reefs, Flat Rock/Cowrie, Bar Reef, Swansea Reefs, Leggie Point, The Bluff.

WORST SPOTS:
Burwood beach area. Once again the sand has washed out to sea.

WARNINGS:
None.

Outlook:
Next month will see decreasing swell action as less low cells pop up into our frame. Expect at least two biggish South East swells and possibly one East swell. Water will start to warm up and the crowds will start seeping back as the winter action dies. Hopefully some atypical Spring big surf will hit.

Thinking about going? Look into Surfer Travel Reports.

PRO SURFERS TO CHALLENGE HURRICANE HERNAN

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:04 +0000

SAN CLEMENTE, CA - (September 4) Hurricane Hernan gave the world's best surfers a day of spectacular warm-up waves at the Lower Trestles break as they prepared for tomorrow's start of the Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong. With the biggest waves pushing the 12-foot mark in face height, the 48 Association of Surfing Professionals touring pros more than backed up their reputations as the best in the wave-riding business.

Contest Director Mike Parsons spent much of this morning testing the surf conditions amid supervising the construction of the Boost Mobile Pro's contest scaffolding. "I've been surfing Trestles for nearly 25 years," said Parsons, "and this was the best single day of action ever seen here...maybe the best ever anywhere in America. But just wait until the competition gets started tomorrow."

Based on an extremely upbeat forecast issued by Surfline's Sean Collins, the Boost Mobile Pro's five days of World Championship Tour competition have been set to include Thursday and Friday, September 5 and 6, in order to capitalize on Hurricane Hernan. After a one day break on Sept. 7, the action will resume at Lowers Sunday Sept. 8 with the arrival of a new major south swell generated by a storm east of New Zealand last weekend. The Boost Mobile Pro will continue on Tuesday Sept 8 and will conclude with the final heats during the expected peak of the swell on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Picking an event favorite in the booming lefts and rights of the Trestles peak was all but futile given the barrage of great surf and surfing. ASP ratings leader and defending Trestles champ Andy Irons of Kauai set a blistering tone in today's warm-up, but with a single wave 6-time World Champ Kelly Slater erased any question marks that may have surrounded his return from retirement. Wildcard Bruce Irons and Western Australian Taj Burrow also showed world-beater form, while California's Boost Mobile Pro hopes were buoyed by local knowledge of Trestles regulars Pat O'Connell of Laguna Beach and Taylor Knox of Carlsbad.

Surfers continuing today's pace going forward will be amply rewarded - the Boost Mobile Pro will feature an assortment of prizes designed to inspire avant-garde surfing performances. The Oakley Over-The-Top award will provide a $2000 daily bonus to the surfer who pulls off the single maneuver decreed to be the most innovative of the day. The judges will look at every move - it may be a floater, backside air, layback snap, huge gouging turn, or even a "Superman" aerial. The wildest wins.

Airborne surfing maneuvers will have their own moment in the spotlight on the Boost Mobile Pro's concluding day - Tuesday Sept 10. That's when the climaxing heat of the Billabong/Boost Air Show take place just before the ASP pro final. Also known as "Boosting," the Air Show will scored by a special panel of judges only on those surfing stunts that take place above the wave. The preliminary rounds of theBillabong/Boost Mobile Air Show will go off on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Salt Creek Beach Park in Dana Point.

The Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong is the richest surfing competition ever held in the US. The cash prize purse for the men's competition is US$250,000, of which US$30,000 goes to first place. Additionally, the winner will receive a JEEP WRANGLER SE worth US$16,275. The Oakley Over-The-Top bonus will add US$10,000 and the Billabong/Boost Air Show will contribute another US$10,000 to the mix. All together, US$286,275 will be distributed.

The day after the event's conclusion - on the morning of September 11 - the surfing community will conduct a "Freedom Paddle-Out" ceremony at Lower Trestles to honor the victims of last year's tragedies. From world champs to raw beginners, surfers and non-surfers of every sort are invited and encouraged to participate.

Upcoming Round One Heats in the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong

H1: Luke Egan (Aus); Kelly Slater (USA); Paul Canning (SAfr)

H2: Kalani Robb (Haw); Lee Winkler (Aus); Darren O'Rafferty (Aus)

H3: Joel Parkinson (Aus); Pat O'Connell (USA); Victor Ribas (Brz)

H4: Danny Wills (Aus); Nathan Hedge (Aus); Phil MacDonald (Aus)

H5: Shea Lopez (USA); Jake Paterson (Aus); Guilherme Herdy (Brz)

H6: Cory Lopez (USA); Taylor Knox (USA); Neco Padaratz (Brz)

H7: Michael Lowe (Aus); Shane Powell (Aus); Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz)

H8: Andy Irons (Haw); Trent Munro (Aus); Bruce Irons (Haw)

H9: Mark Occhilupo (Aus); Dean Morrison (Aus); Shane Beschen (USA)

H10: CJ Hobgood (USA); Richard Lovett (Aus); Marcelo Nunes (Brz)

H11: Taj Burrow (Aus); Shane Dorian (Haw); Paulo Moura (Brz)

H12: Sunny Garcia (Haw); Nathan Webster (Aus); Luke Hitchings (Aus)

H13: Peterson Rosa (Brz); Flavio Padaratz (Brz); Michael Campbell (Aus)

H14: Mick Fanning (Aus); Greg Emslie (SAfr); Russell Winter (UK)

H15: Damien Hobgood (USA); Fabio Gouveia (Brz); Maz Quinn (NZ)

H16: Keiren Perrow (Aus); Renan Rocha (Brz); Beau Emerton (Aus)

For more information on the Boost Mobile Pro, see www.BoostMobile.com

Action Sport Retail Show 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:05 +0000

Come one, come all to the greatest surf show on earth...all right maybe not the greatest, but there sure was some cool stuff on display at the 2003 Long Beach ASR show. It's evident that modern technology has taken a firm hand in the current development of surfing. From trunks to five fin wonders it's all there for the taking, even wax is getting technical. But don't think that all of this modernism has stolen the soul from surfing. The styles out there are more retro than ever. Not since ball-hugging corduroy shorts and feathered hair has the 70's and 80's been so alive. Top-name board makers are dusting foam off old templates and proving that a little volume never hurt anybody. It's a great time to be a surfer; according to the folks at Board-Trac 2.25 million people can't be wrong!

The state of the industry is healthy. With over 3.6 billion dollars worth of business done annually the surf industry has turned itself into quite the respectable industry. Probably the most telling insight into the industry is that with the exception of several publicly owned companies majority of the players out there are still owned by people that surf. This brings important integrity and authenticity to the business, which in the end is the best marketing tool out there. Surfers are true to who they are and don't want a suit in some high-rise LA office making decisions about what we should wear, or heaven forbid, what type of board we should be riding. For the most part that hasn't happened yet, and after listening to a few captains of industry speak there's no plans on changing this approach.

Reef Brazil's Fernando Aguerre had a few interesting points that should be mentioned because of their extreme relevance to the world's current situation. With a flair for public speaking and the fire of a Spanish tongue he delivered his points that all should consider. First, he discussed how the surf industry is somewhat insulated from economic down times and fiscal bumps in the road.

He stated, "When you are feeling down you want to go somewhere that makes you feel good. The beach is that place, the mountains are that place. People may not buy cars or spend as much money in their everyday lives, but they still want to do those things that make them feel good."

He makes a good point with this, but the real kicker came when he talked about the pending war, "War is not good for anybody. Nobody wants violence and death and war. Think about this, if Mr. Bush puts the draft back in place there's gonna be a lotta 18-22 year olds missing from our industries demographic. This is not good! We don't need war, we need to feel good and go to the beach."

With that being said it's time to move onto the product side of things. There's so much innovation being done out there it's hard to figure out where to start. Since surfboards are the key element in what we do we'll start there. Channel Islands has some great boards on the market. Their Flyer series and Sashimi model all look like a lot of fun in the average, everyday surf. They have a host of longboards, guns and other shortboards that probably work pretty well too. Rusty has a solid line of boards going as well. The C5 series, the five fin gems, boast a lot of drive and enhanced thruster qualities. They're also playing with fiberglass removable fin systems, which look to be a good step into the future. The epoxy laminate boards that Surf Tech is putting out are of the highest quality. They're offering a lot more models these days. If you've ever dreamed of riding Tom Carroll's Pipe Master's winning board Surf Tech has put a replica model out there, it's available in several lengths so you can get the right fit. Never before have there been so many options when if comes to what you ride.

In terms of boardshorts and wetsuits the revolution is on. O'Neill introduced the Fluid Seam Weld on their entire high end suits and what a difference it makes. The suits are practically water-tight (a bummer for peein' in, but a blessing for those cold mornings). Quiksilver has a series of three panel suits that cut down the number of seems and stitches down pretty drastically. This helps the suit stay warm when it's cold, and ultimately last longer. Rusty has picked up their boardshort line, and while 89% of their business comes from surfboards the trunks are pretty slick too.

In terms of gear there's something for everybody out there. From spiffy camera bags to a bag for your boogie if you can't find it chances are it doesn't exist. Da Kine has a huge line of leashes, deck pads, back packs and board bags. All of their stuff is built with the surfer in mind, so you know it's going to work. They make some real functional stuff that looks pretty good too. FCS has a bunch of new graphite and plastic fins on the market. Changing your fins can make all the difference. Oh yeah, don't forget all of the shoes that are out there. Reef's Dingo line was build with the surf in mind, nice and comfy after a long session in the water. Globe also has a solid line-up. They've taken some of the bulk out of their skate shoes and have a whole line of clean, everyday shoes as well. There's way too much to talk about here, but that's a little flavor for ya.

The show was fun, the Reef girls have nice butts, and now it's all over. Deals were made and beers were drank. The world does in deed keep turning so hang on and see where we all end up next time the show comes to town.

JAWS: EXPRESSION SESSION

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:05 +0000

broadband JAWS: EXPRESSION SESSION

broadband JAWS: EXPRESSION SESSION

poll tongues of fury

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:05 +0000

Passion is Gerlach's Game

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:06 +0000

In 1978 Brad Gerlach sat on a bus headed to Catalina Island via Long Beach. Gerr wore a straw hat with shoulder length, stringy, toehead blonde hair draping out the sides, scallop legged Quiksilvers and an oversized Lightning Bolt tank top. A sticker, the classic red and white Town & Country Coca-Cola swoosh, straight off of Bertlemen's twin-fin, was emblazoned across Gerr's hat. Thumbing through the latest surf magazine, he matter-of-factly told any one that would listen that he was going to be a pro surfer. I, for one, believed him. After all, he sure looked the part. Bear in mind, this was during a time when the sub culture of surfing in California was mired in geographic secularism. A surf contest, to most North San Diego County surfers, meant keg beer, rock-'n-roll and Stone Steps. Brad was 12-years old--and way ahead of the times. Simply put, Gerr had a deep seeded passion in his heart: Pro surfing was it.

Close to 25-years later, Gerlach has an astounding pro surfing career to reflect on, and he would, except he's too busy keeping it going. Making the transition from highly successful world tour competitor to vanguard big wave tow-in surfer, Brad has recreated his surfing persona. You'd think he might want to rest on his laurels.

But his next highly ambitious feat of surfing passion, the much-anticipated National Surf League, debuts this Friday morning at Cardiff Reef as part of the Rob Machado Surf Classic. Gerlach's NSL reinvents competitive surfing, and it's about time someone thought outside the box.

The NSL pits two regional teams in a format (known as The Game) which promises more intrigue and fan involvement than the typical 3-to-the-beach surf contest. The idea is to promote a competitive environment that allows the spectators and the teams to remain fired up. Individualism isn't suppressed; rather it sparkles under the mirror of teamwork and regional pride. Kobe and Shaq shine brightest when working within a team format--and against the Sacramento Kings. So, too, according to Gerlach, can Slater and Hobgood when surfing against San Diego's Machado and Knox.

In some ways The Game (TG) is a similar to contemporary team sports such as basketball. The games last between two to three hours. There are coaches, a referee, bleachers, halftime, regional rivalries and timeouts. The only things missing are scantily clad cheerleaders. And who knows, those are probably in the works too.

TG requires two teams, with each team consisting of regional surfers. For example, the match up at the upcoming NSL battle at Cardiff Reef is San Diego vs. Orange County. Surfing on the San Diego team will be Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Che Stang, Gerlach and some other well-known names. Their coach is Carlsbad's own David Barr, a successful top 16 pro surfer in the 80's and now a respected shaper.

Their counterparts from Orange County will include Pat O'Connell, Mike Todd, Mike Losness, and Chris Drummy among others. The OC coach is another former pro from the 80's, Salt Creek's Mike Cruikshank.

As it stands now, competitive surfing, at least from a spectator's point of view, lulls most to boredom. Unless the waves are huge or very consistent, the average fan loses interest, even before they've actually gained an interest. "I get inspired by the best surfers of today and I want to watch them," explains Gerlach. "And surfers like Kelly Slater deserve to be recognized as freak talent the same way that Michael Jordan is recognized. The standard format loses everybody. It loses the competitor, and it loses the fans. I want to be a fan again. I want people to really see who is good, and who is great."

The contemporary format needs not only a re-tooling, but a complete overhaul, for it has, according to Gerlach and many others, lost it's luster. "The current formula doesn't allow for good fan participation. You need to see the competitors, in this case the teams, right down in front of you," says Gerlach. "The spectators can watch the team, and the team's response. Like at a Laker game or a Charger game. The team doesn't just disappear into some scaffolding. You need a social setting, like a stadium atmosphere. It's a must." And atmosphere is exactly what Gerlach's NSL aims to achieve.

"Rivalries, legitimate coaching, an atmosphere for exchanging ideas on everything from equipment to technique, this is what the NSL is about," explains Gerlach. "For the longest time people weren't into contests. They still aren't. I want people to be excited again, you know. Everyone complains about contests. I want people to go nuts. You can go nuts. I want surfing's colors to come out again." Excitement, drama, suspense, cheering fans at the beach: Gerlach has high expectations for pro surfing. And just as he did a quarter century ago, he plans on being right in the middle of it.

Talk about Gerlach's The Game.

New Grinds at North Shore's Kono's

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:06 +0000

Bigger is Better is a phrase that applies to both waves and food. That's the motto of Kono's in Haleiwa, the North Shore's newest place to eat. Opening just in time for the surf season, owner, Mike Motyka, strives to serve up great, big food at affordable prices.

In the morning, Kono's servers up big Hawaiian Style Breakfast Burritos. The "Waimea" is stuffed with potatoes, bacon, eggs, and cheese. Others include Portuguese Sausage and even the Hawaiian favorite, Spam. Fresh Kona Coffee is also served. Breakfast is served until at least 11 AM Monday through Friday and until noon on weekends, leaving enough time for a morning surf session.

The restaurant is centered around the combination of famous Hawaiian Hot Dogs and "Lava Lava" tropical smoothies. The Hot Dogs are big with toppings like mango and onion, pineapple and BBQ sauce, or the ever popular Chili-Cheese. Hot Sandwiches are also in the works with Cheese-Steaks, Chicken Ranch Melts, and a few other killer combinations.

Also offered are big salads, baskets of taquitos and egg-rolls, and a variety of surf grinds. Kono's Big Blended Cappuccino, and Ice Cream is also available.

The back of the Kono's store features Internet Access. The "Coconut Connection," is the North Shore's prime High-Speed Internet Access. With a blazing fast connection, convenient location, and Printer all in one place, Kono's is the North Shore's place to get online.

Kono's is centrally located in Haleiwa, next to Quiksilver Boardriders, at the front of North Shore Marketplace. Right now you can get a 2 for 1 coupon Lunch at Kono's website at www.AlohaKing.com.

Odyssey Surfers Take it to the Bank

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:06 +0000

SAN DIEGO (October 31) -- The big wave season opened in earnest yesterday along the West Coast with a Billabong Odyssey expedition to the Cortes Bank, a legendary open-ocean reef 105 miles west of San Diego.

An all-star cast of big wave riders was on hand for the day-long tow-surfing session, including Cortes veterans Mike Parsons, Brad Gerlach and Ken "Skindog" Collins along with first-timers Shane Dorian, Noah Johnson and Josh Loya. Also joining the session was 6-time World Champion Kelly Slater and Chris Malloy, who reached the spot after their own harrowing all-night voyage.

While much of the California coast saw breakers in the six- to eight-foot range, the faces of the bigger waves at Cortes were well over 35 feet from trough to crest.

It was only the second time in history the break had been ridden at significant size. The right combination of large swell and calm surface conditions is a rare commodity so far out to sea, only occurring a handful of times a year -- or not at all, as was the case last winter. The daunting task of merely reaching the remote seamount has lead to its near-mythical status in the surfing world.

Following the formation of an intense low pressure system north of Hawaii last weekend, Sean Collins of Surfline accurately forecast Wednesday's arrival of a solid long-period groundswell to coincide with light winds at the Cortes reef. Billabong Odyssey Project Director Bill Sharp put the logistical gears in motion, coordinating the launch of the Billabong Odyssey's 57-foot mothership out of San Diego Harbor, carefully outfitted to carry 4 jet skis on deck.

"The Billabong Odyssey is meant to be surfing's Delta Force -- ready to deploy anywhere in the world at a moment's notice," said Sharp. "Getting surfers and photographers from all over the world along with jet skis, surfboards and camera equipment loaded on time isn't simple, but this time it went like clockwork."

Following GPS coordinates in the dark after departing from separate Southern California harbors, a three-boat flotilla met up south of Cortes in the predawn hours and slowly crept up on the notorious hazard to navigation, watching waves break on the shipboard radar screens. Over the course of the day, a roaring low-level fly-over by an F-18 and the effects of a passing aircraft carrier's massive wake all added to the naval flavor of the adventure.

"It was an incredible trip," said Shane Dorian, who caught a red-eye from Hawaii in time to join the fray. "After seeing the photos of the last mission to Cortes [January 19, 2001], I've been dying to get on a Billabong Odyssey expedition out there. It's a really perfect reef that magnifies the swell in an amazing way. This was a great chance to get a feel for the spot...I can't wait to get it on a gigantic swell."

The presence of eight world-class surfers at the break clearly helped to raise performances to a level never seen at such an isolated surf zone.

"Getting to surf Cortes Bank with guys like Shane Dorian, Noah Johnson and Kelly Slater was insane," said Ken 'Skindog' Collins of Santa Cruz, CA. "I was blown away how much everyone went for it. And everyone worked together really well as a team for the intense moments like getting the skis on and off the boat. I'll go with those guys any time...it was like a really gnarly Boy Scout camping trip."

The Billabong Odyssey is a three-year project to find and ride the largest waves in the world. In the last year, the Billabong Odyssey has ventured to exotic breaks in Australia, Hawaii, Tahiti, Spain, France, Mexico, Washington State and Canada. A feature film documentary on the adventures to date will hit theaters in Spring, 2003.

"Going surfing at a place like Cortes Bank is serious business and the Billabong Odyssey has been working to develop the safety aspects of big wave riding," said Sharp. "As a group, we spent time planning rescue protocols and discussions on how to deal with worst case scenarios. Emergency specialist Dr. David Oates was on board with a defibrillator, oxygen and all the medical equipment we'd require if there was a problem. None of this turned out to be needed, but being prepared out there is a necessity, not a luxury."

A full array of photos and video from the Cortes Bank expedition can be seen at www.BillabongOdyssey.com.

Boost Mobile Pro Video Clips

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:07 +0000

Day one of the Boost Mobile Pro got under way with overcast skies and 4-5' SE swell. Here are some video clips of the early morning heats. Check back later on for the complete low down.

Who looked good in the morning: Daniel Wills, Taylor Knox, Luke Egan, Shane Beschen, Andy Irons, Trent Munro, Bruce Irons and Kalani Robb.

lo-band Day 1 Early Heats Clip 1

broadband Day 1 Early Heats Clip 1

lo-band Day 1 Early Heats Clip 2

broadband Day 1 Early Heats Clip 2

San Diego Squeezes Juice out of OC

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:07 +0000

(November 1, 2002) Led by Cardiff legend Rob Machado and anchored by Carlsbad's Taylor Knox, Team San Diego defeated Team Orange County and claimed the first ever National Surf League (NSL) Championship. With an outgoing tide and slowly dropping swell, Cardiff Reef possessed lengthy, crumbly walls in the 3'-4' range for the professional surfers to do battle in. And battle they did. Fans and competitors alike generated raucous, and sometimes obnoxious, cheers and jeers. Not since the 1846 Battle of San Pascual has this area seen such regional bravado. And just as General Kearney faced an untempered foe in the Californios, so too did the hometeam NSL San Diego squad against an Orange County team that San Diego thought it had a handle on.

All hyperbole aside, it was one hell of a battle. San Diego led at halftime, and it looked like smooth sailing for the local squad. However, tough OC competitor Dino Andino racked up a couple of major scores on the tricky south peak at Cardiff. The judges gave Andino a highly respectable 9 (out of 10) on one ride, which had NSL founder, and San Diego team surfer Brad Gerlach scrathing his head. The San Diego lead dwindled, and then disappeared. Seasoned OC surfer Chris Drummy secured a high scoring ride and the pendulum had swung completely. The momentum was OC's.

With one chance remaining in the bottom of the fourth--and last--quarter, and trailing by roughly 49 points, San Diego's second squad of four surfers (Machado, Knox, Che Stang and Dean Randazzo) had quite a task ahead of them. They needed to post scores on average of 11.6 per surfer (two waves scored per surfer).

The heat started rather slowly with only Machado posting a respectable score. Eventually the ocean turned on and a flurry of waves were ridden, Knox carved right, Machado ripped left, Stang and Randazzo floated effortlessly over long sections. With just a few minutes remaining, and the partisan San Diego crowd sensing victory, Knox caught a set wave from the Suckouts peak. The powerful regularfoot ripped two huge rail carves, floated over a lumpy section, beat back the deep middle section with leg pumping rail-to-rail turns, and carried his momentum into the inside sandbar for a climaxing floater. Game over.

After all was said and done, San Diego's second foursome secured an average of roughly 16 points per surfer, soundly defeating the humbled Orange County squad. "That last heat...they kicked our ass," said OC coach Mike Cruikshank on the awards podium.

Stay logged on to Surfermag.com for more complete information to follow shortly. And be sure to check out the NSL website for rosters, heat scores and rules.

Ships of Misfortune

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:08 +0000

"As the midday sun slowly cooked our diesel-soaked skin, I knew that throwing up would increase my risk of dehydration," recalls Ross Greenwood of Queensland as he realized his dire situation. "So I forced myself to stop. I took photos of the wreckage and myself, thinking someone might find the camera and use the photos to identify my body if I didn't make it. From my daypack, I also took out a football jersey I bought for my son and from that point was determined to fight for my life."

Over the years, genuine horror stories like this one have threaded themselves in between all the elation of glorious Mentawai boat trips, serving mostly as precautionary whispers. This year, the silence finally broke.

Some claim that the 2002 wave season in the Mentawais was the worst for boat-trip disasters as tales from the sea, impossible to write off as freakish, poured in with alarming frequency. Ill-maintained boats and inexperienced crews hastily ushered load after load of surfers to the fabled surf breaks mostly without mishap. But some suffered life-threatening transfers for medical help while others were marooned on malaria-infested shores or left naked, adrift and left to die.

Australian Get Slotted surf charters say on its website (getslotted.com) that the 15-meter Duekun Luat (Sea Wizard) is a regularly-maintained, metal-lined, timber-hulled boat fitted with copious safety devices including radar, first aid kit, life jackets, fire extinguishers, a 6-meter dingy with a 60-horsepower motor, EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and GPS. Also, a radio telephone to contact the mainland, it claims, is used twice daily.

But on May 13, after possibly colliding with some debris and taking on water, the Duekun Luat sank within a minute. A distress signal was never issued. Tour operator Keith Golledge and the chartered crew were left to huddle in the broken-down dingy with only salvaged rations, and the unsettling fact that no one knew where they were.

After 32 hours, Greenwood, 42, and the rest of the crew were luckily rescued by a couple of passing fishing boats. But not after learning that boat trips don't always live up to the savory words and images in brochures, promising a return to adventurous surf exploration. For the surfers who pore over those full-color ads and on-line seduction, however, being stranded on a tropical island in front of perfect, 100-yard left-hand barrel is a dream come true. Such a dream, however, couldn't have been further from reality, as more unsuspecting surfers faced disaster.

Word of a new boat called the M.V. Diane quickly spread to the other 30-plus Mentawai surf charters as the greatest bane ever to hit the region: over 110 feet and room for 20 surfers--twice the size and capacity of most other charters. On its maiden voyage in mid August, however, the M.V. Diane dropped its laughably inadequate anchor at Macaroni's and proceeded to drag itself across the reef and up onto the beach far inside the bay. All on board were left to build makeshift shelter as the stricken vessel settled deeper in the soft sand. All the while, captain Peter TK's other boat, the Anjing Laut (Sea Dog), was due to embark on another charter from Padang. But, according to those aboard, he was more concerned with tending to the M.V. Diane than ferrying newly-arrived surfers to waves."The captain completely used us and our boat for his benefit to get to the M.V Diane and take care of his own agenda," says John Yeh of his experience on the Anjing Laut. "Meanwhile, I awoke one morning to see my sandals floating by me in the sleeping cabin. The fresh-water holding tank sprang a leak, so we lost half of our water supply for the rest of the trip."

As horrifying as these tales are to some, with at least six other boats sinking or burning down this year, they don't raise the eyebrows of others. "This year hasn't been any worse out there than in years past," says Jeff Wilson, travel director at Quiksilver. "There are relatively few incidents, and if you book with a legitimate operation, it's a safe trip from entry to exit." But budgets of everyday surfers can rarely stretch to cover a pricey, instituted charter. So the cheaper, grittier alternatives appeal to those looking for a more genuine Mentawai experience. Unfortunately, choosing a boat randomly may be a matter of life and death.

Although traumatized and exhausted, it could have been much worse for all aboard the M.V. Diane, the Anjing Laut and the Duekun Luat. Accidents can be quickly treated while on land, but on a boat meandering through a primitive, tropical island chain, simple procedures become critical, time-consuming races against the clock. Bodily injuries, however, are inherent risks surfers are aware of and willing to take. But thoroughly researching a surf-charter operation is just as important. Before putting an initial deposit down, you should know that your hired boat will safely take you to those transcendent wave gardens, and back again.

Boost Mobile Pro - Day 1

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:08 +0000

Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong (Sept 5-14) www.boostmobile.com
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) www.aspworldtour.com
2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

San Clemente, CA, USA (September 5) Hawaiian Shane Dorian today set the pace in the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong at Lower Trestles. Round one of the US$286,275 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced this morning in great surf, with the world's top rated surfers putting on an amazing show.

Clean 3-5ft (1-1.5m) waves presented themselves all day thanks to Hurricane Hernan arriving on cue for the richest US surfing tournament in history. While the wind did increase, the ideal A-frame lineup continued to promote explosive state-of-the-art maneuvers.

Dorian, currently rated 25th, kept an in-form Taj Burrow (Aus) and Paulo Moura (Brz) at bay in what proved the day's most dramatic heat. Despite a strong start by Burrow, the 30-year-old selected his right-handers patiently and then carved them all for solid scores. The pair went blow for blow throughout the 30-minute decider, but it was the Hawaiian who advanced directly into round three following his best two scores of 9.0 and 8.6 amassing the highest combined total of the day for 17.65 points.

"I knew it was going to be difficult as Taj is actually my favorite surfer," admitted Dorian. "I was just looking forward to having a really good heat and putting up some big scores to make it difficult for him to beat me. The waves were so sick and it was just insane, as every turn you could blow your tail out and go backwards.

"It was almost like free surfing, especially when you see Taj take off and just go nuts," he continued. "On a couple of waves Taj was paddling back out as I was bottom turning, and instead of just doing a snap, I wondered what Taj would do and tried to blow my fins out too. It's great to win."

Current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw) also posted a convincing victory, defeating younger brother and Boost Mobile Pro wildcard Bruce Irons, together with Trent Munro (Aus). The 24-year-old waited patiently as his opponents picked off their initial waves, but then unleashed fast, precise maneuvers to secure the second highest tally of the round with a 9.0 and 8.5, leaving both opponents requiring a combination of scores.

"I just stayed patient, as with only two waves counting you've really got to get an eight or better to stay in contention," explained Irons. "It was fun out there though. We were talking and doing our thing, no hassling and just surfing.

"We've surfed together our whole lives, so it's no big deal, but it definitely motivates you," he added, of competing against Bruce. "It's just really nice to surf Trestles with only two other guys. The wave's a skate park, so anything you want to do you can pretty much go for."

Current world #8 Luke Egan (Aus) clinched the days' opening heat with a nail biting last wave against six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) and Paul Canning (SAfr). The 32-year-old goofy foot worked over the Lowers' right-handers, but with just over a minute remaining still required a 9.01 to overtake Slater's lead. He then paddled into a great set wave and put it all together for the best single wave score of the day for 9.25 points and the win.

"I knew I was still in the ball game when that wave came, so I was stoked to get a 9.25 in the last minute," said Egan. "There are so many good surfers and that 33rd (place) round is so deadly. It's good to have a day off and concentrate on progressing through the rest of the event."

Slater, 30, who began his professional career with a major victory at Lowers in 1990, controlled the 30-minute heat from the outset following two great rides. Egan's final big floater and backhand carves ultimately delegated the Floridian into the losers' second round, however, where he'll now face Lee Winkler (Aus).

"That's the way it goes sometimes," said Slater afterward. "I didn't really feel strong out there. I've been traveling a lot and felt a bit weak in my muscles. I'll be better tomorrow, I'm sure, and get it going.

"It's nice to be back in California and have a contest," he added. "It's been a long time and I really think American surfing, as far as the tour goes, has really suffered the past couple of years. It hasn't been a great year for me competitively. Things just haven't happened, so I'm trying to get back into the flow of the tour."

Former world #2 and local Trestles wildcard Shane Beschen (USA) accounted for 1999 world champion Mark Occhilupo and fellow Australian Dean Morrison. Beschen, who dropped out of the WCT ratings at the end of 2001, reminded peers his ability is still spot on, and also received the Oakley Over-The-Top bonus of US$2,000 for his carving 360 executed first ride.

"I guess Occy has a sore ankle, but it didn't look like it," laughed Beschen afterward. "It's been awhile since I surfed a WCT heat, so I just wanted to put in a good performance and am stoked to get the wildcard from Boost.

"Oakley told me they might be offering extra cash for big moves," he added of the added incentive. "I would have liked to have done a big air or something, but never found the section. I was just warming up on that first wave."

Occhilupo, who injured his ankle surfing on Australia's Gold Coast recently, was skeptical prior to paddling out of his ability to compete. Despite placing second, he still proved dangerous and will now meet Bruce Irons for a highly anticipated round two match up.

"I haven't surfed for a couple of weeks due to my ankle," said Occhilupo. "I was nursing it a little, but I was surprised I was able to surf it that well.

"Bruce is a really tough match, and we're coming into a big leg through Europe," he continued. "I'm not expecting a lot, but I'll try my best (tomorrow). I'm just stoked to be back in the water since I couldn't surf for a few weeks."

Richie Lovett (Aus) surfed a fantastic heat to beat reigning world champ CJ Hobgood (USA) and Marcelo Nunes (Brz). Having won the recent 6-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) in Hossegor, France, Lovett carried the momentum and put his stylish act through its paces. Although Hobgood secured a 9.0 at the start of the heat, he ultimately required another ride worth 7.61 points.

"Absolute pleasure to be out there," said Lovett. "The waves were so fun and rippable, and I'm feeling pretty good with my surfing at the moment. I went and did a couple of the events in Europe and did OK. I just wanted to keep my momentum going, instead of having a break, and I've done that.

"Feels really good," he added of the beating Hobgood. "I think it's one of the only times I've surfed against CJ and I know he's capable of getting huge scores on just about any sort of wave. I was just lucky to get a few myself, and it was enough in the end."

The United Kingdom's sole representative on the WCT, Russell Winter, was another standout this afternoon defeating 2001 World Qualifying Series (WQS) champion Mick Fanning (Aus) and Greg Emslie (SAfr). The Australian, who won the last WCT in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, executed trademark forehand carves for an early lead, but it was Winter who came on strong toward the end posting 9.1 points for his committed attack.

"Obviously Mick rips, so after he got his first 8.0 I figured he'd do his usual thing and I'd need to pull something special out of the bag," said Winter. "I managed to get that good one and it allowed me to do bigger turns.

"I've had a few 17th's and I'm in that round again now," he added, of already reaching the third. "I want to win, though, so this is the way to go."

Local Trestles tour veteran Pat O'Connell (USA) emerged victorious against current #4 Joel Parkinson (Aus) and Victor Ribas (Brz). Near the conclusion he and Joel were in position for a set, but the Californian was able to swing into it and secure the heat's highest single score of 8.9 points.

"It's tough not to be happy when the waves are fun like that," said an always-smiling O'Connell. "There weren't a lot of waves, but when they came it was sort of a dream come true surfing at home like this.

"Every heat is really tough, but Joel is probably my favorite surfer on tour," he added in praise of his opponent. "He's a real gentleman out there as well. We were sharing waves and I think that's what this tour is all about. There's no reason to hassle. It's a great show for everyone."

Renan Rocha secured Brazil's only win this afternoon, defeating Australians Kieren Perrow and Beau Emerton in the day's final heat. He'll now skip a round while his opponents' battle it out in the dreaded losers' second round.

The Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong is the richest surfing competition ever held in the US. The cash prize purse for the men's competition is US$250,000, of which US$30,000 goes to first place. Additionally, the winner will receive a JEEP WRANGLER SE worth US$16,275. The Oakley Over-The-Top bonuses will add US$10,000 and the Billabong/Boost Air Show will contribute another US$10,000 to the mix. All together, US$286,275 will be distributed.

Official results of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong round one
H1: Luke Egan (Aus) 16.5; Kelly Slater (USA) 16.25; Paul Canning (SAfr) 12.85
H2: Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 14.85; Kalani Robb (Haw) 13.0; Lee Winkler (Aus) 7.0
H3: Pat O'Connell (USA) 15.9; Joel Parkinson (Aus) 12.85; Victor Ribas (Brz) 12.35
H4: Danny Wills (Aus) 15.05; Phil MacDonald (Aus) 14.6; Nathan Hedge (Aus) 8.0
H5: Shea Lopez (USA) 15.75; Jake Paterson (Aus) 14.7; Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 11.75
H6: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.9; Cory Lopez (USA) 15.25; Neco Padaratz (Brz) 13.75
H7: Michael Lowe (Aus) 15.15; Shane Powell (Aus) 14.4; Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) 11.9
H8: Andy Irons (Haw) 17.5; Trent Munro (Aus) 14.7; Bruce Irons (Haw) 13.25
H9: Shane Beschen (USA) 16.75; Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 15.5; Dean Morrison (Aus) 13.25
H10: Richard Lovett (Aus) 16.6; CJ Hobgood (USA) 16.1; Marcelo Nunes (Brz) 10.95
H11: Shane Dorian (Haw) 17.65; Taj Burrow (Aus) 16.7 Paulo Moura (Brz) 15.2
H12: Nathan Webster (Aus) 15.25; Luke Hitchings (Aus) 13.8; Sunny Garcia (Haw) 13.15
H13: Michael Campbell (Aus) 15.85; Peterson Rosa (Brz) 15.35; Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 14.8
H14: Russell Winter (UK) 17.35; Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.0; Greg Emslie (SAfr) 13.6
H15: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.4; Maz Quinn (NZ) 15.85; Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 10.4
H16: Renan Rocha (Brz) 15.2; Keiren Perrow (Aus) 14.8; Beau Emerton (Aus) 14.4

For more information on the Boost Mobile Pro, see www.BoostMobile.com

For video clips click here.

For more photos click here.

The Jungle is Looking Back

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:10 +0000

Letter to Surfer magazine from anonymous surfer:

Re: Giving Back: Surfing's Legacy
I read "The Jungle is Looking Back" and was blown away by the amazing dedication and work of Dr Dave Jenkins and crew (Amanda, Ben, Andrew, Liz and Ollie). I was equally stunned to learn that few surfers have responded to the cause (even those surfers making six figures!).

Time to step up for those guys and humanity. They are making the world a better place. Enclosed is a check for $5,000 as well as a challenge. I will match every dollar donated up to an additional $5,000 through the end of this year. Let's make part of surfing's legacy that of giving back.

If you print this letter please print my name as anonymous - it's not about me, it's about SurfAid.

At the End of the World, Deep in a Malarial Jungle, A Small Crew of Barefoot Surfing Doctors Just Might Help to Save The World...And Surfing's Lost Soul.

Straddling a large driftwood teak log washed up on the sinking beach, Yanto lights a black-market Marlboro and checks an incoming swell setting up off E-Bay. He douses the match, takes a long drag and speaks in a low, woody voice.

"The Mentawai people do not want just money," he says, watching the first wave hike up over the shallow reef and begin steaming north. "They need education and medicine. But they need a plan right from the beginning or you will have another Nias. What they see right now is a lot of money for the boats, but none to cure malaria. They are beginning to question what surfing is doing for them."

At the end of good day of waves, surfers aboard big white boats, surfed out and satiated with fresh fish, lie under gently flapping tarpaulins sipping cold Bintangs. Only then, in possible moments of bored introspection, they contemplate what lies behind the mute, unbroken wall of primeval jungle barricading the islands less than 100 feet away.

What they don't realize is that the jungle is looking back. Behind that jungle facade, over 60,000 people exist in virtual isolation from the rest of the western world save an international group of surfing doctors determined to break the cycle of malaria, the TK cause of death in the world.

Yanto, a Mentawai native, tells me that the villagers see the surfers as inconceivably rich. The surfers are big, well fed, rowdy and seemingly don't have to work to feed their families.

Yanto, 33, was born in Maura Siberut, a small copra port on Siberut's east side, before there was electricity or even a cash economy. He learned English and how to surf from European hippie backpackers transiting Sumatra 15 years ago. A professional guide, Yanto runs "cultural tours" upriver to remote jungle villages on Siberut, the Mentawai's largest and most populous island. Under Yanto's bemused watch, western tourists with a yen for the esoteric can brave dengue fever to swelter in traditional thatched umas watching tattooed shamans in loincloths divine chicken entrails and perform the "Dance of No Meaning."

Yantos' feelings for his birthplace are ambivalent. A cultured man with a tailored haircut and a house across the strait in Padang, he receives many of his clients via email. He enjoys good health, alternative rock and air conditioning. He has no desire to grovel in the mud or return to the ghost-filled night forest. He does not hear the calling to become a shaman.

Still, this is his home. He sees the unstoppable mutations globalization is inflicting on his people. A pragmatist, Yanto knows there's no going back. He reasons that the only thing he might be able to change is change.

Boost Mobile Pro - Day 2

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:10 +0000

San Clemente, CA, USA (September 6) Current world #4 Joel Parkinson (Aus) today raised the bar in the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong with an exceptional performance. The US$286,275 World Championship Tournament (WCT), the richest ever in professional surfing history, ran through the completion of round two.

Clean 3-4ft (1-1.3m) waves were again on offer at Lower Trestles. Rain clouds drifted over the contest venue at times, sending spectators searching for cover, though surf conditions remained virtually unaffected.

Parkinson, who won the year's opening WCT event in Australia, was pitted against Neco Padaratz (Brz) this morning. The 21-year-old collected the highest score of the day for an 8.75, and then secured the best of the tournament for a near-perfect 9.5. Combined, his total of 18.25 points surpassed any other so far, and he also secured the Oakley Over-The-Top Bonus for a fraction of his exceptional ride.

"I was really relaxed before the heat and just felt like it was going to be one of those heats," said Parkinson. "Everything went my way. Neco's first wave was a seven, and usually I'd freak out on that and get a bit panicky, but I stayed calm, so hopefully I can keep the same head throughout the contest."

2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw) survived a dramatic climax to his heat with former world #3 Victor Ribas (Brz). Despite falling numerous times and hearing his opponent post good scores, the Hawaiian punished his last wave needing an 8.66 to win. Tense moments passed as the judges deliberated, and when they announced a heat tying score of 8.65 points, a visibly frustrated Garcia was ready to snap. Fortunately for him and those around, a best single wave count back saw him advance.

"I didn't catch many waves in my heat yesterday, so I wanted as many as I could under my belt," explained Garcia, after composing himself once victory was his. "I just kept falling though, even on the good wave I had in the middle. I sat there with a couple of minutes to go and prayed God would send me a wave. Everything seemed to come together, but I wasn't sure if I got the score I needed. It came down to a tiebreak and I was fortunate enough to get the nod. If I had lost I would have been in tears, as I can't afford to be losing any heats. I've had three bad events already this year, and I want to still be in world title contention going into Hawaii, especially with Pipe and Sunset counting this year."

2001 World Qualifying Series (WQS) winner Mick Fanning, who won the last WCT in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, a month ago, then disposed of Paulo Moura (Brz) with a commanding attack. The 21-year-old Australian posted an 8.5 and then 9.0 for the second highest total of the day with 17.5 points.

"I started off OK and then just tried to better those scores," explained Fanning. "I was just having fun at the end. It's not every day you get to surf Trestles with no-one out."

Current world #41 Phil MacDonald created an upset by eliminating fellow Australian Taj Burrow in a highly entertaining bout. MacDonald, who achieved his best WCT result in the last tournament and made a WQS final recently in Europe, used the momentum effectively. After opening his account strongly, he then demolished his final wave for 9.35 points and a berth in round three.

"I saw my name in the draw against him, and especially out here I knew it would be hard," said MacDonald. "I just went out there with nothing to lose and just threw everything I had at it. When they announced 9.35 for my last wave I was just rapt."

Burrow, a crowd favorite with his futuristic array of maneuvers, also surfed brilliantly during the 30-minute match. The West Australian earned a 9.1 for one ride, but required an 8.01 following his opponents' last effort. After paddling into another and executing a series of precise carves toward the end, more anxiety filled the air as he and his supporters waited for the score. A 7.9 wasn't enough, however, and he was dealt the dreaded 33rd place finish.

"Phil just ended up getting really good waves and surfed them really well too," acknowledged Burrow. "He kept pushing it a bit harder when he realized he needed a bigger score. He nailed that 9.35, but I just can't believe I needed an 8.01 and got a 7.9. It's just the way it goes and I did fall at the end, but I didn't think it mattered so much. Anyway, next event for me."

1999 world champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus) put aside an ankle injury to stop the expected charge of Boost Mobile Pro wildcard Bruce Irons (Haw). The Australian credited his selective approach for both seven's he posted, while Irons required another 7.71 to advance.

"It is a little sore, but I can get away with it on my backhand," said Occhilupo of his ankle. "Sometimes being injured makes you more selective and it works out. Bruce is obviously one of the best out here, so I'm feeling more confident. I'm pleased to have a couple days off to rest it."

Guilherme Herdy (Brz) posted a crucial victory for himself over current world #10 Kalani Robb (Haw). The Brazilian suffered a knee injury last year and then perforated an eardrum in Tahiti this season and was forced to miss a tournament. Against the Hawaiian this morning however, Herdy led from his first 8.5 ride and then supported this with another 8.25 to win.

"I'm very stoked to beat him," said Herdy. "I knew I needed to wait for the best waves and surf them really hard. Since last year I had a knee problem, and then in Tahiti I perforated me eardrum. I'm happy to be strong and healthy again. I hope to get a good result here."

Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) then pulled a clincher from his bag of tricks against an in-form Lee Winkler (Aus) in the day's final heat. Despite falling a couple of times and trailing for the latter part, he managed to sneak under the priority his opponent held during the dying minutes and lock in a much needed 8.0 ride. Though unhappy with some of the judges' scores, Slater reasoned the win installed much needed confidence in what has been an otherwise disappointing return to WCT competition in 2002.

"First off I think the judging's been really strange," began Slater, after signing autographs for his legions of fans. "I didn't think I surfed that one way much better than my first, but I got 1.85 points higher. 'Wink' got some good ones and did a bunch of big hits, so it was up to me to try and find one. He had priority, so I had to sneak one when he passed it up and surf it really hard. I was just trying to remember the old times, as I used to do that a lot (laughs).

"That was a real indicator for me," he continued of the positive outcome. "If I lost that heat it was going to be a real bummer of a contest. Surfed the first heat in the first round and lost, then the last heat in the second (more laughs). It would have shot me down a bit, but I'm stoked. It gave me a lot of confidence. I was actually thinking this morning how at the last second I could get a wave and make it out of this round and then win a contest. I was trying to create a positive picture, so if I got behind in the heat I wouldn't stress and then one wave could change the whole event for me."

The Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong is the richest surfing competition ever. The cash prize purse for the men's competition is US$250,000, of which US$30,000 goes to first place. Additionally, the winner will receive a JEEP WRANGLER SE worth US$16,275. The Oakley Over-The-Top bonus will add US$10,000 and the Billabong/Boost Air Show will contribute another US$10,000 to the mix. All together, US$286,275 will be distributed.

Round three heats will not take place tomorrow, Saturday September 6th, but rather recommence on Sunday the 7th at Lower Trestles, when a fresh swell is expected to greet those remaining contestants.

Official results of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong Round Two
H1: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 14.1 def. Bruce Irons (Haw) 12.4
H2: CJ Hobgood (USA) 15.5 def. Marcelo Nunes (Brz) 14.1
H3: Cory Lopez (USA) 15.25 def. Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) 14.4
H4: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 18.25 def. Neco Padaratz (Brz) 15.15
H5: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 16.75 def. Kalani Robb (Haw) 13.6
H6: Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 17.1 def. Taj Burrow (Aus) 17.0
H7: Sunny Garcia (Haw) 15.15 def. Victor Ribas (Brz) 15.15 (8.65 beat 7.65)
H8: Paul Canning (SAfr) 14.85 def. Peterson Rosa (Brz) 14.4
H9: Mick Fanning (Aus) 17.5 def. Paulo Moura (Brz) 11.6
H10: Kieren Perrow (Aus) 17.3 def. Luke Hitchings (Aus) 14.45
H11: Trent Munro (Aus) 13.5 def. Maz Quinn (NZ) 13.5 (8.0 beat 7.0)
H12: Beau Emerton (Aus) 15.5 def. Dean Morrison (Aus) 15.25
H13: Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 16.25 def. Shane Powell (Aus) 14.25
H14: Jake Paterson (Aus) 15.55 def. Greg Emslie (SAfr) 15.4
H15: Nathan Hedge (Aus) 16.6 def. Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 15.1
H16: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.85 def. Lee Winkler (Aus) 16.25

For more information on the Boost Mobile Pro, see www.BoostMobile.com

For QuickTime video clips click here.

Wavehunters Surf Travel Website Gets Upgrade

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:10 +0000

Wavehunters Surf Travel is proud to announce completion of the new www.wavehunters.com

"The Only Surfers' Choice for Surf Travel"... Over 40 international venues including new "frontier" destinations:Tuamotu Atolls, Nusa Tengarra, New Caledonia, Papau New Guinea, Ecuador &Galapagos, Northern Sumatra, Maldives-Outer Atolls, El Salvador-Wild East,Fernando de Noronha, Panama Outer Islands, Reunion, Tasmania, and HEAPS morefor the "committed" surf traveler ...

Call 888-899-TUBE (8823)

Wavehunters Surf Travel
2424 Vista Way, Suite 203
Oceanside, CA 92054
Email: wavehunters@wavehunters.com

Boost Mobile Pro - Day 3

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:11 +0000

Lowers (Sept. 8 2002) - Shane Beschen defeated current WCT #1 ranked Andy Irons in a heat that will go down in California pro surfing history as the most progressive and aggressive ever surfed. These two surfers displayed the type of no-holds barred surfing action that competitive surfing strives to achieve. "Heat" is an appropriate term because the surfing was friggin' red-hot.

"It was one of those heat where I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and that's the way I approached it," said the validated Beschen. "Last year was the toughest year of my career. I failed to qualify for the 'CT. My sponsors dropped me. I wanted to prove that I belong out here and beating the current #1 surfer is good way to prove that my career isn't over, it's just getting started."

It all started with major league paddle hassling as each surfer scrambled furiously for wave priority as the starting horn sounded. The initial paddle dual resulted in Beschen pushing Irons to far resulting in a wipeout for Irons. The spectators sensed the aggression, and the attentiveness of the crowd was immediately heightened. This was no "bro exchange." There were no "hey, can you believe they're paying us to surf" high fives. No sir. Tension filled the air.

Moments later a solid set wave rolled toward Beschen, who maintained priority, and the Lowers local toyed with the long right all the way through the inside. He unleashed a fast, furious and powerful combo of stylish moves. More than once Beschen's tail came unglued, drifting through the last moments of his cutty-gouges.

Not to be outdone, Irons grabbed the next solid wave and busted a unique heel side aerial-he pushed his nose upward and landed fin first in the top portion of the white water. He landed in front of Beschen, giving notice to the sprite regular foot that he wasn't backing down.

"What, you want some?" Was the message Irons' aerial sent. It was friggin ON!

These two surfers were creating history. The first exchange really heightened the crowd's excitement. The San Clemente crowd is a highly knowledgeable one. They understand competitive surfing better than most. Everyone realized they were watching something special-- from the PA announcers, to the working media, to the graying tattooed Lowers locals.

Beschen, feeling perhaps like he'd been shown up at his home break-and in front of his home crowd no less-grabbed the next set wave and launched a clean and prodigious aerial (in clear view of Irons) and landed with a white water coping slide, drifting for about six-feet. The crowd cheered loudly. The announcers were giddy.

Needing a high score (as usual--7.2s aren't gonna cut it), Irons sat with priority for awhile. A set wave came to him. Not a big set wave, just a set wave. Irons took off, ripped it like black bear trying to get into a Krispy Cremes box, and kicked out. They judges gave him a 9.25. Push push. Out the back Beschen was in prime position for a big set wave. He ripped with the same type of vigor, but he added an aerial. The judges gave Beschen an 8.45. Underscored, but enough to move into first place for good. -Scott Bass

The rest of the morning action went as follows:
Heat 1: Damian Hobgood defeated Shane Dorian
H2: Paul Canning defeated Cory Lopez
H3: Kelly Slater defeated Kieran Perrow (last seconds no less)
H4: Darren O'Rafferty defeated Mick Lowe
H5:Joel Parkinson defeated Beau Emerton
H6: I'm not sure. I thing Luke Egan won.
H7: Taylor Knox defeated Jake Paterson

For official results, including the afternoon heats, please go to aspworldtour.com.

For high quality action photos of Sunday morning heats click here.

Action Continues Monday Morning.

Santa Cruz Dependent On Surfing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:11 +0000

National treasures like Yosemite, Bryce Canyon or the Everglades not only invoke awe but they're cash cows for surrounding towns and all the funky enterprises that flank ranger stations. Natural Bridges or a big hole in the ground, however, aren't the only sights that stir the soul and stimulate the economy.

Santa Cruz, for example, has always let its natural beauty speak for itself. A portion of that beauty, in particular, does for the city what a temperamental geyser does for Wyoming. Indeed, with its fertile wave zone and bustling business and industry, the city of Santa Cruz is forever indebted to Pleasure Point.

A recent CSU study put an annual dollar value of $8.4 million on Pleasure Point by using a "travel cost modeling" method, which calculates recreational economics in national parks. Taking locals and visitors into account, the figure was reached based on how often people surf Rockview to 38th Ave., how far they traveled to surf there and how much they spend. Ultimately, researchers at CSU hope surf zones, like east Santa Cruz, will be put in the same category as national parks.

John Robinson, director of community relations in Santa Cruz, adds that it's vital to have a world-class surfing area to nurture its annual $100-million surf industry, which includes heavyweight companies like O'Neill, Hotline and Surf Tech. "The city would survive without surfing as tourism alone brings in $540 million a year," says Robinson. "But take the surfing out and the soul of Santa Cruz would be gone; the culture on the boardwalk would disappear and nothing would sustain its businesses."

Given that a big portion of those annual tourism dollars come from surfers, Santa Cruz's thriving economic success, not to mention a good portion of its population, relies on surfing. "Without it, Santa Cruz would become just a stodgy, expensive beach town," continues Robinson. "I wouldn't live here anymore." -- Carl Friedmann

Boost Mobile Pro - Day 4

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:11 +0000

San Clemente, CA, USA (Monday, September 9) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) today led the charge into the semifinals of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong. The US$286,275 World Championship Tournament (WCT) - the richest in professional history - began this morning at Lower Trestles in epic conditions with remaining round three heats, and then ran straight through round four and all quarterfinals clashes. Semifinals and the grand finale are scheduled to take place tomorrow morning.

Perfect 6-8 ft (2-2.5m) waves were on offer as the world's top rated surfers put on an amazing show, arguably the best ever witnessed at the famous Californian break.

Slater, 30, became the first surfer to reach the semifinals today by amassing the highest overall two-wave total of the tournament for 18.6 points against fellow Floridian Damien Hobgood. Having earlier eliminated Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) in round four, he lifted his game even further against Hobgood with a near-perfect 9.6 first ride, following a series of huge top turns and searing cutbacks, and then locked in another 9.0 for a lead never threatened. As well as these, he then secured the Oakley Over-The Top Bonus for his next 8.5 ride, whereby busting his fins and tail off the back of the wave during a powerful re-entry.

"I wasn't looking to get the highest total of the contest, I was just trying to win that heat," said Slater after the enthralling performance. "I don't want to blow my momentum too early. I still feel like I'm building up and even though I had those scores then, I don't know they reflect truly what more can happen out there. We'll see what happens.

"It's been incredible," he reflected on the day. "The waves are just doubling up and running down the line with a perfect lip and walls with great shape. It's magical out there. Dolphins even started swimming through... It just sounds great to be in the semifinals. I couldn't pick a better event to have my best result in this year, back in America, on the mainland.

Hobgood, who stopped Paul Canning (SAfr) in round four, was never really in contention against Slater. Despite executing some fantastic maneuvers, his wave selection ultimately let him down and he had to settle for his equal best finish this season in fifth.

"I was definitely all fired up for that heat," said Hobgood. "I knew I needed to be on the good waves, but I just blew it from the get-go. I went the wrong waves and he made me pay for it. I was trying to have fun, but it's not too much fun when you lose."

Current #8 Luke Egan (Aus) now faces Slater in the first semifinal after overcoming two mountainous opponents today in Joel Parkinson (Aus) and then former world #2 wildcard Shane Beschen (USA). While the heat with fellow Gold Coaster Parkinson was fairly contained in comparison to the surfing and scores witnessed in other heats, his duel with Beschen was a smoker. The Australian dominated from the outset with his relentless backhand attack, securing a 9.55 second ride and another 7.9 two waves later.

"I'm stoked," said Egan, as his Aussie mates cheered from the competitor's viewing area. "The waves are pumping. Some of the best high performance surf ever. Credit to Shane as he hasn't been competing much lately and he's still ripping. One turn he did straight in front of me was incredible.

"I've just trying to keep the same game plan and improve my own performance every heat and chip away," he continued. "Seems to be working so far. I haven't worried about who I was against all event and I'm going to keep it that way."

Beschen, who won and epic heat over fellow Californian Taylor Knox this morning, pulled off one spectacular turn against Egan, but still required another ride worth 8.96 points. Still, the quarterfinal placing reminded all his surfing belongs on the WCT.

"It just came down to my waves," reasoned Beschen after defeat. "He got the 9.55 and I needed an 8.91. I knew I was capable of getting it, but still needed the right wave to do it.

"Even though I'm not on the WCT I still have the same mind frame," he continued. "These guys are my equals and I don't look at them as any more or less. Even though I was stoked to win those earlier heats, in my mind I felt like I should win those heats. I'm glad I put in a good performance and did some radical surfing."

Guilherme Herdy kept the Brazilian flag flying, eliminating Nathan Hedge (Aus) on the final wave of their round four bout, and then an in-form Danny Wills (Aus) the following heat. The goofy footer belted the right-handers on his backhand, collecting two eight plus scores.

"Very stoked," said Herdy. "Danny's an excellent surfer. I just tried to get the good waves and do strong maneuvers to beat him. I found the bigger waves and had a lot of luck, and maybe did the right things.

"It's perfect for me as I need these points," he continued, since injuries and a perforated eardrum plagued the start of his season. "The year just started for me on the WCT these last two contests. This is a blessing and I'm so stoked. I'll try my best to make the final."

Wills, who dominated his match with 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw) the previous round, was unable to repeat the result against Herdy. Although one of the form surfers today, he too had to settle with equal fifth.

"There weren't a lot of good waves in that heat and the rip was pushing us a bit wider than where I wanted to be," said Wills. "I had a good day, though. It's good to surf well in good waves. It's a bummer I didn't get a chance to make it a little further, but it was good to beat Sunny earlier, and I'm just looking forward to the European events now."

Michael Campbell (Aus) secured the last semifinal position after three blistering performances today. First he eliminated current ratings #3 Shea Lopez (USA) this morning, before posting the best single wave score of the entire event against last WCT winner Mick Fanning (Aus) for 9.8 points on his opening ride. Against Phil MacDonald he continued his run, bashing vertical re-entries to create an all goofy footer's second semifinal against Herdy.

"Phil's been surfing insane all week," said Campbell. "I got two strong ones and fortunately 'Macca' didn't find a second one. That's the way it goes.

"I'm feeling pretty good and my boards are working really well," he continued. "The waves have been excellent down here at Trestles. It's one of the best performance waves in the world and I just hope the swell hangs around for tomorrow's finals. It should be a great day and match up against Guilherme. It'll be interesting to see who does big turns and makes them."

MacDonald, who accounted for fellow Aussie Trent Munro in round four, impressed all with his powerful forehand surfing and secured his best result to date.

"I got some good waves out there today, but in that last heat just choose the wrong ones," said MacDonald. "To Mick's credit he was ripping all day. He thrashed me out there, but I'll just take it on the chin. At least one of my good mates got through, so I hope he can go all the way.

"It's a good confidence booster," he added, in the lead up to Europe. "There were really good waves out here and I felt like I surfed alright. Hopefully I can do one better in Europe and make the semis of the final next time."

The Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong is the richest surfing competition ever. The cash prize purse for the men's competition is US$250,000, of which US$30,000 goes to first place. Additionally, the winner will receive a JEEP WRANGLER SE worth US$16,275. The Oakley Over-The-Top bonus will add US$10,000 and the Billabong/Boost Air Show will contribute another US$10,000 to the mix. All together, US$286,275 will be distributed.

Official results of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong
Quarterfinals
QF1: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.6 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 6.9
QF2: Luke Egan (Aus) 17.45 def. Shane Beschen (USA) 16.15
QF3: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 17.1 def. Danny Wills (Aus) 11.85
QF4: Michael Campbell (Aus) 16.25 def. Phil MacDonald (Aus) 14.0

Round Four
H1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.1 def. Paul Canning (SAfr) 12.9
H2: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.0 def. Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 13.65
H3: Luke Egan (Aus) 13.65 def. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 11.5
H4: Shane Beschen (USA) 15.5 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 15.15
H5: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 16.15 def. Nathan Hedge (Aus) 14.75
H6: Danny Wills (Aus) 17.65 def. Sunny Garcia (Haw) 15.65
H7: Phil MacDonald (Aus) 17.5 def. Trent Munro (Aus) 13.5
H8: Michael Campbell (Aus) 17.85 def. Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.85

Round Three
H15: Michael Campbell (Aus) 17.0 def. Shea Lopez (USA) 14.0
H16: Mick Fanning (Aus) 17.5 def. Nathan Webster (Aus) 14.25

Oakley Over-The-Top Bonus awarded to Kelly Slater (USA) for tail busting re-entry.

Upcoming Semifinal Match-ups
SF1: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Luke Egan (Aus)
SF2: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) vs. Michael Campbell (Aus)

For more information on the Boost Mobile Pro, see www.BoostMobile.com

For a heaping of high action photos go to Surfermag.com's Boost Mobile Pro image gallery. Click here for for Sunday and/or here for big Monday.

Fred Patacchia takes the Xcel Pro...

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

Fred Patacchia Wins Xcel ProSunset Beach, Hi-

The 19th Annual Xcel Pro was finally completed at Sunset Beach in clean four to six foot surf with Hawaiian Fred Patacchia winning his first professional event and relieving the the 20 year old of any notion of not being able to win a World Qualifying Series event. "The win gives me confidence going into the winter contest season," said Patacchia, who has traveled the Association of Surfing Professionals second tier tour and although he will not qualify for the WCT (top tier) this year he added, now I can just go all out going into the Triple Crown and have fun and surf with no pressure on me.

The finals started out slow with Kapolei's Kalani Robb taking an early lead in the thirty five minute heat with three big snaps on a wave that broke at Sunset Point and rode through into the inside reef. Marcus Hickman from Sunset Beach, a surprise alternate in the event countered with a set wave that peaked on the main break to took over first place and a motivated seasoned veteran Shawn Sutton got his rythem going by reeling off two long waves hitting the lip consistently on every turn.

Patacchia finally got going and with only two of the competitors fifteen rides being scored, clinched the finals by getting the longest tube ride of the heat with a disappearing act that seemed like he was too deep to find his path out of the tube. "The whole time I was in the tube I couldn't see anything because I was being forced to push deep through and didnt think I was going to make it," exclaimed Patacchia, "and to be out there with three other guys I surf with every day was quite a treat".

$20,000 Xcel Pro Final results1.Fred Patacchia Jr. (Hawai'i) $4,000 2.Kalani Robb (Hawai'i), $2,000 3.Shawn Sutton (Hawai'i), $1,500 4.Marcus Hickman (Hawai'i), $1,300.

5th (tie), Jason Bogle (Hawai'i) and Paul Paterson (Australia) 7th (tie), Mikala Jones (Hawai'i) and Doug Silva (Hawai'i) 9th (tie), Myles Padaca (Hawai'i), Pancho Sullivan (Hawai'i), Gavin Beschen (Hawai'i) and Kawika Stillwell (Hawai'i) 13th (tie), Gavin Kennelly (Hawai'i), Roy Powers (Hawai'i), Jonah Morgan (Hawai'i) and Derek Ho (Hawai'i).

In the longboard expression session, Bonga Perkins showed stylish riding skills with huge carving cutbacks to take the title back from last years winner Rusty Keaulana who placed third. Both Perkins and Keaulana ran neck and neck until the last two minutes of the heat when Kanoa Dahlin of Haleiwa caught a six foot set wave and got completely covered up and came out with a huge lip launch to seal second place.

Longboard Expression Session1. Bonga Perkins, $500 2. Kanoa Dahlin, $3003. Rusty Keaulana, $2004. Dino Miranda5. Lance Ho'okano 6. Keegan Edwards

Event Sponsors: Havaianas, American Savings, State of Hawaii

Surfer Video Awards

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

For 42 years SURFER Magazine has been the leading publication dedicated to the lifestyle and cultural phenomenon making up the global surfing subculture. The Surfer Poll Awards are unique in that the 1 million readers that make up the distribution of SURFER, the core participants themselves, are the judges choosing who they believe are the best of the best in the world of surfing.

The Surfer Poll is the most prestigious award given in the surf industry and is a gauge of the popularity and value of the sport and the athletes. The awards continue to measure and reward talent, commitment and inspiration. The Surfer Video Awards recognize the best in surf video production with categories ranging from Video of the Year to Best Performance by a Male and Female Surfer to Best Wipeout. This annual event influences the magazine's editorial mission and relationship with its core audience.

Key elements of this year's awards include the top 10 male surfers, the top 5 female surfers and Video of the Year. The best in big wave riders will be highlighted, along with the real women immortalized behind the hit feature film Blue Crush. The categories, Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the new category of Photo of the Year are sure to be favorites.

* Check back on Friday to find out the winners!

* Discuss these videos on our message board.

Surfer Magazine Video Awards Categories
(broadband only - these clips are 4 - 8mb in size)

Best Tube Ride
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

Best Cinematography
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

Most Radical Maneuver
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

Best Performance by Male
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

Best Performance by Female
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

Worst Wipeout
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

Video of the Year
Nominees
Winner (find out friday)

World Premiere of "Burning the Map"

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

The World Premiere of Timmy Turner's Burning the Map, the Indonesian "surfumentary" directed by Dustin Humphrey, is this Thursday, November 14th, 7 & 9 PM. It is also the inaugural event of Big Red Productions' Surf Theatre at Mann's Pierside Pavilion 6 Theatres in Huntington Beach. Get your tickets early at www.bigredprod.com or at Mann's box office. Post-Premiereparty hosted by Fred's Mexican Cafe, upstairs from HSS, show your ticket stub for $2.00 you-call-it tacos!

30th Annual Surfer Poll & Video Awards

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

2002 - 30TH ANNUAL SURFER POLL AWARDS RESULTS

MENS #1 Andy Irons

lo-band
Andy's Acceptance Speech

broadband
Andy's Acceptance Speech

WOMEN'S #1 Rochelle Ballard

lo-band
Rochelle's Acceptance Speech

broadband
Rochelle's Acceptance Speech

SURFER POLL MENS RESULTS

1. Andy Irons

6. Mark Ochhilupo

2. Kelly Slater

7. Shane Dorian

3. Cory Lopez

8. Mick Fanning

4. CJ Hobgood

9. Taj Burrow

5. Bruce Irons

10. Rob Machado

SURFFR POLL WOMENS RESULTS

1. Rochelle Ballard

2. Keala Kennelley

3. Layne Beachley

4. Lisa Anderson

5. Serena Brooke

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

MAKUA ROTHMAN AND RYAN RAWSON

THEIR EXCEPTIONAL BALLS TO THE WALL

PERFORMANCE AT THE

TOW-IN WORLD CUP AT JAWS

poll tow in

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

Globe relaunches globeshoes.com

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

Globe Relaunches www.globeshoes.com

- globeshoes.com Features New Athlete And Product Info,Video Clips, And Dealer Locator -

Torrance, Calif. -January 22, 2003 - Globe today announces the re-launch of www.globeshoes.com. The newly designed site features a brand new look and an improved navigation system. The site will be continually updated to include all the latest team, product, and event news from Globe and will constantly feature special promotions and giveaways with chances to meet the athletes or win the latest gear. Designed by Whyte House Productions, www.globeshoes.com features the following sections:

VIDEOS The VIDEOS section features tons of Globe's latest video and DVD clips, rider clips from demo tours, events and expression sessions around the world, exclusive Globe ads and archived videos.

SHOES The SHOES section highlights the current collection including Globe’s line of shoes, sandals, and Trans Element footwear. Each page includes the specs (in multiple languages) as well as photos of each shoe in all available colors. Many styles also include 360-degree viewing capability.

CLOTHING The brand new CLOTHING section features specs and photos of the current Globe clothing line which includes tees, hoodies, specialty tops, jackets, pants, shorts, accessories and more!

SKATE TEAM The SKATE TEAM section includes a list of the full Globe team roster (including athletes such as Chet Thomas, Rodney Mullen, and Paul Machnau) complete with photos and updated bios.

SURF TEAM The SURF TEAM section includes a list of the full Globe team roster (including World Champion CJ Hobgood, Mark Occhilupo, and Taj Burrow) complete with photos and updated bios on each of the surfers.

EVENTS The EVENTS page includes updated information and news on Globe-sponsored surf and skate events, including a calendar of upcoming events for 2003.

NEWS The NEWS page features updates on what's happening with the skate team, surf team, results and related news from the Globe team.

FREE STUFF The newly added FREE STUFF section should be a Globe fan favorite as users can enter to win a special Globe prize pack (including shoes, apparel and accessories) each month. Log on for details.

DEALER LOCATOR The brand new DEALER LOCATOR allows users to enter their zip code to find authorized Globe dealers in their area.

Globe's business concepts originated in the early '90s from the desire to develop an authentic skateboard and surf footwear alternative for the action sports market. In 1995, Globe's rapid expansion prompted the opening of its Globe International headquarters in Southern California to serve the booming U.S. market and the launching of line extensions and additional brands, including: 1) Globe clothing and accessories, 2) Globe Trans Element, a casual footwear line, 3) Gallaz, the first action sports footwear brand specifically for females and 4) Gallaz clothing and accessories. Supported by a global team of world-class surfers and skateboarders, Globe and Gallaz offer quality products that integrate style, performance, durability and comfort. Globe, Gallaz and Globe Trans Element are distributed throughout the world. Additional information can be found at www.globeshoes.com and www.gallaz.com.

Video Action Sports Pushes Fast Forward

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:12 +0000

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - Video Action Sports, the largest distributor of action sports videos and DVDs, has changed their name and moved to a new address. The 14-year-old company will now be called VAS Entertainment and has moved into a brand new, custom built 23,000 square foot facility just down the road from their previous location in San Luis Obispo.

"Our rapid growth over the past two years demanded change. Our need for a larger and improved facility was not only necessary to house more product and employees, but to facilitate our growing number of services we offer producers and retailers. At the same time, we saw the chance to graduate to a more appropriate and less limiting name that more accurately reflected our business plans" said Scot Burns, marketing director at VAS Entertainment. Additionally, we wanted to get away from the word "video" since it is becoming somewhat antiquated and we pride ourselves on being a company that embraces cutting edge technology."

The new 23,000 square foot facility will allow for VAS' entire inventory to be warehoused and staged under one roof. "Our previous location had three separate warehouses that made it difficult to work efficiently. Everyday we were having to stage product in the most awkward locations just to accommodate the next delivery," said Burns. The energy efficient office portion features an indoor 30-foot climbing wall, a full-service kitchen facility and 6 DVD authoring bays.

Accompanying the new name comes a new look. The new VAS Entertainment logo is reflective of the classic Hollywood image the major studios portray. "If you've ever met our President and founder, you know he is a classic guy that appreciates the 'old school'. We feel that our new logo communicates these principles along with making a strong, bold statement," said Burns.

VAS Entertainment is the leading distributor of action sports DVDs and videos in the world. VAS works with over 800 producers, carries over 3,000 different titles that cover 43 different sports and activities. In addition to distribution, VAS offers producers DVD authoring, creative and production services. VAS sells to sports retailers and sporting goods stores across the country and to a network of distributors who make the videos available in Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America.

Roxy/Quiksilver & MTV Team Up

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:13 +0000

Roxy/Quiksilver is working with MTV and Brass Ring Entertainment to create a new kind of reality show. We will be going around the country looking for eight amateur female long or shortboard surfers between the ages of 18-24. The girls will travel with MTV around the world, to locations like Australia, Tahiti, Fiji, Peru, Costa Rica; to train, surf and compete for the chance to become a professional surfer.

Please pass this info on to any friends, daughters, cousin's, team riders, employees, etc., whomever you think would be great for this show. We want everyone to have the opportunity to try out. If youcan't make the first California casting call this Saturday Nov 9th from 11-3 at the Roxy South Coast Plaza Store, please look for our next casting calls in the following locations:

Hawaii

Nov 16th at 11-3
International Market Place Quiksilver Boardriders Club
2330 Kalakaua Place
Honolulu, HI 96815

North Carolina

Nov 23rd. 11-4
Sweet water surf shop
10 North Lumina Ave.
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

Florida

Nov. 30th 11-4
MTB surf shop
2334 North A1A High
Indialantic Beach, FL 32903

These casting calls will be promoted on MTV and on local radio stations. If you are a retailer, can you please print out theinformation below and pass it onto your customers. If you also have the ability to post it on your store website, please do. We want everyone to have access to this information. You may be helping someone fulfill their dreams. Thanks so much for your support and us helping us get the word out there. Hope to see you there.

Surf Industry Employees Dumber Than Monkeys

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:13 +0000

SAN CLEMENTE, CA (Nov. 12, 2002)- A recent study has determined that surf industry employees are 30% less intelligent than the average helper monkey. The study, conducted by the Vargas Group, a non-profit foundation funded by a number of Orange County surf industry heavyweights, is widely supported by anecdotal evidence.

In a letter to Vargas, a coalition of surf industry employees, led by a group known as SMART (Surfers Moving Around Retarded Thinking) have called the results of the Vargas study "skewered". When it was pointed out to SMART founder Jeff Sepoloci, a glasser at a San Clemente surfboard factory, that he probably meant "skewed", not "skewered", Sepoloci brushed it off as a case of "anti-semantics."

The Vargas Group based their study on a standardized IQ test, followed by a series of simple tasks. These tasks were intended to test the reliability, resourcefulness, professionalism and punctuality of subjects. Participants from four industries were included - rocket scientists, Gap employees, surf industry employees, and helper monkeys. A wide range of surf industry employees were included in the study, including sales reps, surf shop workers, shapers, glassers, professional surfers, and industry executives.

Jim Laddy, head researcher at the Vargas Group, admitted that the results of the study surprised even the most jaded surf industry insiders. "Mainstream perception is that surf industry employees are of below average intelligence and abilities," explained Laddy. "However, we felt that surf industry employees must be smarter than they are given credit for. We hoped to confirm this hypothesis through our study. No one ever really expected that surf industry employees would score lower than all other groups - let alone the helper monkeys."

Other industry watchers expressed concern about the validity of the testing. Jack McCarthy, 32, a sales-rep and former competitive surfer, voiced one of the key complaints. "You have to look at who they tested, bro. They tested too many glassers, sanders, and shapers…I mean, they're classic, those guys, total bros," said McCarthy. "But I'm confident that we could have taken those helper monkeys head to head if they tested more sales-reps and team managers, and at least left out glassers. Good to see you bro, right on, lets go sesh sometime." -- Lewis Buchwald for AP

Visions From Australia

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:14 +0000

EVENT: Peter Webb Art Exhibition - Visions FromAustralia

Australian artist/designer Peter Webb will be at The Surf Gallery on Saturday, November 16, 2002 to present a collection of new paintings. There will be live music and refreshments at the opening. The event is presented by Quiksilver and Surfer Magazine.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 16, 2002, 6-10 p.m. (Show runs from November 16 - December 5.)

LOCATION: The Surf Gallery, 911 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, Calif. (corner of PCH and Thalia Street). For more information, call 949-376-9155 or go to www.thesurfgallery.com.

ABOUT PETER WEBB

Peter Webb is an Australian artist who has built a long-standing reputation as a singular and psychologically insightful painter. A native of Geelong, Victoria, Peter graduated from the Gordon Institute of Technology with a degree in Art, and had his first gallery showing in 1972 while still in school. In 1980 he was awarded the prestigious Alliance Francaise Art Fellowship and spent six months in Paris painting and studying art.

In 1984, through his connections with contemporary Australian artist Simon Buttonshaw, he began working with the Quiksilver International art department, and found a very exciting application of his artistic talent. While pursuing his fine art expressions, Webb supported his career by contributing to the Quiksilver design group headed by Buttonshaw, where he designed hundreds of pieces of artwork used by the company during his18-year association. Working in Torquay, with owner Alan Green, Peter was able to practice his craft and was afforded the opportunity to travel around the world visiting the best galleries and absorbing the various local cultures, music, religions and lifestyles. This experience is reflected in both his graphic work for Quiksilver and his often-controversial canvases for the Powell Street Gallery in Geelong, where he has exhibited for years.

Eventually his good friend Simon Buttonshaw left the ranks of Quiksilver, and Peter was promoted to Art Director at Quiksilver in Australia. He has remained in that position to the present, while continuing to develop and explore the boundaries of his artistic expression. As one of the better-known artists working in the Southern Hemisphere, his canvases were at one point compared to the obscure French art group called Bato/Bateau, whose work like his, contain images both surrealistic and simplistic; primitive and highly erotic.

Webb's art has been exhibited in Sydney, Paris, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Laguna Beach. His style, which utilizes photo-realism, graphic novel influences, and neo-expressionism, as well as a primary Fauvist color palette, has been described as shocking, vibrant, and sexually provocative.

REEF ANNOUNCES

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:14 +0000

San Diego, CA (November 2002)-Fernando Aguerre, Chairman of Reef, announced today that action sports industry veteran Mark Price has joined the Reef team as Director of Global Marketing. Price will work from Reef World Headquarters in San Diego, California, USA beginning on November 25, 2002.

Aguerre stated, "Mark's experience, insight and passion are important assets for the future of our brand. Over three years ago my brother Santiago and I embarked on a mission to attract world class talent to Reef. The hiring of Mark is another step in that direction. We are probably the most international surf brand, with sales in over 100 countries worldwide. This requires special marketing talent that understands the core USA market, as well as the international business and our unique leadership position in our industry. Mark fits the bill perfectly: he was born in South Africa, is a passionate surfer and has an impressive career in international marketing and business. We look forward to his marketing leadership, knowing that he will play a big role in our never ending quest to lead the surf footwear industry toward its future."

Price noted, "Reef has a very respectable domestic and international business. This, coupled with little demographic differences in today's youth around the world, makes close coordination of Reef's market position around the world critically important." He continued, "I see a unique opportunity to take advantage of everything Reef has accomplished to date, and to be a part of the team taking it to the next level. Working with the dynamic Aguerre brothers and the Reef Team is a great step forward for me. I'm stoked."

WORLD PREMIERE OF AMPLIFIED

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:14 +0000

This weekend is the AMPLIFIED premier party in Honolulu. We have the movie plus 2 bands!! Pepper and the Hellbound hounds will play.It's also Bruce Irons 23rd b-day!! Should be raging!It's at The Garden on Nuuanu st in Honolulu.Bruce, Andy, Sunny, Braden, and alot of the gang will be there.The dvds and vhs are now on sale so have them ask for it at there locale shop!!

VOLCOM PRESENTS:
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

AMPLIFIED - A NEW SURF VIDEO

Plus 2 bands: Pepper and Hellbound Hounds

Saturday, November 16
The Garden, 1041 Nuuanu Ave.
Doors Open @ 9pm
Movie @ 10 pm
$5 at the door
All ages welcome

Surf-A-Palooza: Jan 31- Feb 7

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:15 +0000

BLESSINGS FROM THE HELMINATOR: I received this uplifting email from Ray Hollowell, a photographer from Hawaii. Read this and then contrast it to last weeks Big Rock debacle. Ray's story puts life's petty dramas into proper perspective.

The following is directly from Ray's email, with my edit to fit this format (apologies Ray):

"On December 31st of 2002 I was out at Pipeline shooting video from the water. My good friends Hugh Gentry and Larry Haynes were with me. The waves were 6-to-10 feet, and occasionally a second reef set rolled through. One of the lowest tides of the year made it even more dangerous than normal.

A second reef set caught me in the pit. I tried to get under the first one, but it was so shallow that it picked me up off the bottom and worked me. I finally surfaced and managed to get a couple of breaths before the next big wall of whitewater hit me. I knew I was in a really shallow area and that I had no space to dive. I took the wave on the head. I was then driven--head and shoulder first--into the reef. The impact knocked me unconscious and from what I've heard, a few more bombs cleaned my clock. I literally filled up with saltwater and floated facedown.

Hugh had gone in, but Larry had managed to get under the set waves. He noticed my orange camera floating--without me attached. Larry spotted my floating body and swam furiously toward me. I was bloated and unconscious. Larry swam me in and squeezing my stomach he managed to get some water and foam to ooze from my nose and mouth.

Anthony Empting paddled over on his surfboard and helped, as did Raimana Van Bastolear from Tahiti, Sylvio Mancusi from Brazil, and Hiro from Japan. North Shore lifeguard Tau Hannemann sprinted down the beach from the another rescue, and jumped in to help get me to shore, as did Hugh Gentry.

Veteran North Shore lifeguards, Fred Asmus, Mark Dombroski and others pumped more water out of me than any drowning victim they'd ever encountered. They thought I was dead, as I had no pulse! After pumping what seemed like a keg of saltwater out of me, they heard me gurgle and realized I was still alive. The lifeguards gave me oxygen and I came to for a second or two. All I remember is my friend Hugh Gentry yelling in my face, "RAY! RAY!" I responded by asking, "Did I get the shot?" I was transported, via ambulance, to Wahiawa General.

The next few days I experienced pain like I've never imagined. I had two brain contusions, a collarbone broken in four places, two broken ribs, a bruised lung and chemical pneumonia. I managed to recovery from the chemical pneumonia, which in most cases is deadly. I'm probably going to have to get surgery on my collarbone, but only time will tell.

The medical staff said that if I wasn't wearing a helmet, I would have probably died instantly from the blow to my head. Everyone who participated in my rescue, including the medical staff, said it was a miracle that I lived to talk about this experience. I feel God has given me yet another lease on life and obviously my mission is not over. I sincerely thank my friends, North Shore lifeguards and medical professionals that participated in saving my life that fateful day at Pipe. Most of all, I want to thank God for allowing me to have another chance in the game of life. I'll never think twice about wearing my helmet!--Aloha Ray"

WAIT AND SEE TV: "T-Street" is a new reality television series that follows a group of San Clemente locals as they struggle to themselves produce an action sport magazine show for television. Following the lead of other reality shows, all six personalities live together in a house at, you guessed it, T-street. Surfer magazine's own Jason Kenworthy is one of the six protagonists. Model/Actress Randee Lerma is also involved. Tip to producers: The more Randee the better.

HEADHUNTER FOR WAVEHUNTERS: Henry at Wavehunters just sent this to me one minute ago, so it is hot, hot, hot. His company, Wavehunters Surf Travel, is looking to hire one or two travel consultants, either part or full time, minimum 20 hours per week, to work in our Oceanside, CA office. Requirements: EXTENSIVE surf travel and/or dive travel experience in the following areas: South Pacific, Indonesia/Maldives region, Latin America, Hawaii, etc.. Customer service oriented and extremely friendly. Prefer prior experience in the travel industry, surf industry, sales or marketing. Lucrative travel benefits and flexible scheduling. Please fax resume including references to 760-433-4476.

lead in jesse b sdunion

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:15 +0000

Free Hawaii

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:15 +0000

Throw the contest jersey's back in the moldy trunk. This is all free, all Hawaii, all the time. Current footage of Bruce Irons, Shane Dorian et al charging Backdoor and Pipe.

broadband FREE HAWAII 1

broadband FREE HAWAII 1

broadband FREE HAWAII 2

broadband FREE HAWAII 2

broadband FREE HAWAII 3

broadband FREE HAWAII 3

HARSH REALM

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:17 +0000

1700's Hawaiian folklore tells of an adventurous alii from Kauai named Kahikilani, who sailed the treacherous 90 miles from Lihue to the north shore of Oahu with the express purpose of riding the thundering waves at Paumalu, the site today's surfers call Sunset Beach. There the handsome, daring surf-prince caught the eye of a beautiful bird-maiden who lived in a cave high on a cliff behind Paumalu. Seriously smitten, she dispatched two bird messengers to deliver an orange lehua lei to Kahikilani, with an invitation that left no doubt as to her intentions. The two birds led the curious prince back to the bird maiden's cave where, enchanted, he stayed throughout the long, flat summer months. Autumn rolled around again and with it came the season's first swells. Kahikilani, his priorities straight, gathers his board and heads for the surf. The bird maiden, naturally, wants him to stay, but settles for a promise never to kiss another woman. While out surfing Kahikilani attracts the attention of another beautiful wahine strolling on the beach. So taken is she by his performance that when Kahikilani beaches a ride she approaches and gives him an ilima lei—and a kiss. But the bird maiden's spies were on the wing, flying back to tell her of the illicit kiss. She rushed down from her cave in a rage of jealousy, replacing the ilima lei with one of her own, tongue-lashing Kahikilani for his faithlessness. The hapless surfer, protesting his innocence, chased the bird maiden back up the hill toward her cave, but before he could reach it poor Kahikilani was turned to stone, frozen forever, the lehua lei around his neck.

Kahikilani, having played out a romantic melodrama that would repeat itself countless times in surfing's centuries to come, sits on the north shore still, his stony visage peering out of a kiawe patch alongside the Kamehameha Highway, just north and across the road from the A Taste of Paradise Grill.

1832 Having survived the long, arduous sea voyage from Boston, Protestant missionaries the Reverend John Emerson and wife Ursula Sophia embark on a circumvention of the island of Oahu in the brigantine Thaddeus. Putting in near the mouth of the Anahulu River in Waialua Bay, the Emersons come across a village known as Hale'iwa (hale, home, of the iwa, or frigate bird.) The Emersons are met and welcomed by Hale'iwa's Chief Laanui, whose amiability convinces the Protestants to establish a church in the village, backed to the southwest by lush, rolling hills undulating down from the plains of Wahiawa, and facing, to the north, the wide, blue Pacific. The Emerson's journals make no mention of what the surf was like that first day in 1832, but it would have to be imagined that the New England couple witnessed plenty of North Pacific power during their years in Hale'iwa. Their Liliuokalani Church still stands, as does the structure of their original adobe home, located in Haleiwa across from Matsumoto's Shave Ice.

1994 After more than 5 years of detailed analysis, costly feasibilities studies and countless design proposals, the Honolulu Department of Transportation installs a sign on the H1 Freeway, located approximately two miles west of Pearl City, just past the last exit for Waimalu and Waipahu, and in conjunction with the Wahiawa/Schofield Barracks off-ramp. In familiar green backing with white lettering, the State of Hawaii's newest and certainly most poignant freeway sign reads, simply: NORTH SHORE. 160 years after the Protestant missionaries' arrival, it's finally official.

1932 Andrew Anderson Jr., son of the manager of the Bank of Hawaii's Waialua branch, takes up surfing at the nearby Army Beach. The 10 year-old Anderson borrows a redwood plank from a local Hawaiian named Solomon Kukea, who, by all recorded accounts, is the first surfer to ride the North Shore in the modern era.

1951 Phillip "Flippy" Hoffman and Bob Simmons rent a small, clapboard house, tucked between palms and pandanas in the Paumalu neighborhood, several miles west of Kahuku and adjacent to the reef break already known as Sunset Beach. Although surfed tentatively in the early 1940s by pioneers like Woody Brown and Fran Heath, then more regularly in the decade by Island greats George Downing and Wally Froiseth, the newly-dubbed "North Shore" had yet to be colonized by intrepid mainland surfers as had Makaha, located on the west side of the island. Hoffman and Simmons, eschewing the communal nature of the Makaha camp, which included early frontiersmen like Flippy's brother Walter, Buzzy Trent, Jim Fischer and Billy Ming, hole up on the sparsely-populated North Shore, first-surfing many of today's popular lineups by day, eating rice and fish and arguing over fierce chess games at night. Innovations abound, including Flippy's attempt to control the drift of his wide-tailed balsa board in the grinding Sunset peak by affixing a thick hawser to the transom, letting it drag behind like a sea-anchor. Almost 40 years later surfers would make a similar performance leap by towing into waves on a rope, rather than towing one behind.

1943 Having been trapped outside by a fast-building north-west swell at Sunset Beach, Woody Brown and Dickie Cross make the wrenching decision to paddle down the coast to Waimea Bay, which, though unridden at the time, had never been seen to close-out. Both make the journey through and around offshore cloudbreaks that today would host numerous tow-in squads, arriving off Waimea Bay in the late afternoon. Caught inside the point by a huge set, Brown barely crests the bowl, while Cross disappears, perishing somewhere under the avalanche of whitewater. Brown makes it to shore; Cross's body is never found. Big wave surfing retreats to Makaha for the next decade.

1957 Greg Noll, Pat Curren, Bing Copeland, Del Cannon, Mickey Munoz, Mike Stang and Bob Bermel ride Waimea Bay for the first time, paddling out en masse on a clean, "15-to 18 foot" day. Long pondered over, Munoz remembers that, aside from the specter of Cross's demise, the Bay's ominous reputation was that of being shark infested. Locals lined the rim of the bay to watch the crazy haoles deal with the steep drop and run for the shoulder. Munoz, riding his balsa Malibu hotdog board, shows plenty of gumption, but wipes out on every wave he catches. A relatively anti-climactic session, it is still a landmark day. A session much less mythologized, however, comes later on the same day, as under stormy skies the swell builds to a solid 25 feet. Late in the afternoon, as the setting sun fires the tops of the dark-bellied clouds, a very game (considering his earlier performance) Munoz joins the more experienced Stang in legitimately terrifying, maxed-out conditions. Dodging cleanup sets, Munoz clings for his life to his Malibu board while the bearded Stang sits up and hurls Shakespearian taunts at the elements: "Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more, or close the wall up with our English dead!" Munoz survives the go-out, returning home to the Mainland the next day to resume spring semester of his junior year at high school in Santa Monica.

TRADEWINDS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:17 +0000

broadband TRADEWINDS 1

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SURF CAR

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:18 +0000

For surfers, cars are a vital piece of ancillary equipment. Like where we live, or the types of jobs we pursue, the reasons we choose what we do are entirely based around one thing: how it affects our ability to go surfing.

1950 Sunset Special

Surfers have always used whatever they could get paws on to get them to the beach. The Bomber was the sign of what was to come. Usually a '30 or '40s American built machine it took a sturdy car to get those 80 pound boards to the beach.
Honorable Mention: '38 Ford Model T

1955 Woody

For generations the Woody has been the symbol of surf transportation. Even with a couple of boards hanging out the back these boats were big enough to pack up the kids, the dog and a picnic for a summer day at San O'.
Honorable Mention: 1940s era International bread truck

1960 Ford F-150

Trucks are handy to have around, especially if you're throwing wet boardshorts and a longboard in the bed. As surfers became more mobile the F-150 stepped up to be the surfer's truck of choice.
Honorable Mention: Nomad wagon

1965 56 Chevy Wagon

The '56 Chevy is a classic anyway you slice it. The power and dependability enchanted surfers. Never one to shy away from looking cool, they were also drawn to the '56 Chevy because of it's good looking street style.
Honorable Mention: Mercury Comet Wagon

Surf-A-Palooza: 2/7-2/14

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:18 +0000

TIS THE SEASON: Even though we're still in the throes of an epic winter, spring and summer surfaris are on the minds of many. Puerto, JBay, Indo Fiji, Costa Rica, etc., etc.: All of us can rationalize the need for a summertime foray to one of these fine spots.

Luckily, the internet and the travel industry are a near-perfect fit. From great air fares and hotel deals at websites such as travelocity.com and Hotwire.com, to informative internet travel sites such as the Center for Disease Control's Traveler's Health bulletin or Fodors.com. The internet has all that and a hell of a lot more. The World Wide Web really lives up to its name when it comes to travel.

Niche travel, which is the category we vagabond surfers fall under, is available online too. And in fact, this type of stuff is why the internet is worthwhile (besides Surf-A-Palooza of course--and the odd Anna Kournikouva picture). From wide ranging surf travel experts such as Sean Murphy's Waterways, Henry Morales' Wavehunters.com or Quiksilver's travel arm, the people that now about world wide destinations are readily available to help you. At the very least, these websites will create a little puddle of saliva near your keyboard. A drool napkin is advised.

There are some great 'destination specific' travel sites out there as well. If you're dialed in on the Mentawais, you should go check out Sariana Koat Mentawai. The folks at SKM's website created a "virtual trip" for you. From Lax and back again you can experience what your trip will be like when you take this photographic journey. Also check out Greatbreaks.com for info on the Mentawais. I personally think it sucks that they're building camps at some of the spots. But I'm probably ignorant to the benefits. However, it seems to me that the Mentawai culture has been westernized enough with boat visits. Let's leave the land to the locals. For a very interesting read check out Steve Barilotti's exceptional article on the Mentawai struggle.

You may be lucky enough to come across a direct link to a specific boat you want to voyage on. I'll be traveling later this year on the Seimoa. These yacht specific websites are a good way to get a better feel for the boat and its crew.

Of course if you're going to other regions of the world, info on these locales is only a Google search away. The web is crawling with surf travel information on Panama, Costa Rica, South Africa, the list goes on. Log on and get away. I need to warn you though, some of these websites may be a bit sketchy. It's probably best to go with the big boys. It's simply not worth risking your hard-earned dinero on some sketchy website offer. As a general rule, when looking at travel websites, look at the quality of the website. If the site looks professional, it probably is. If it looks like a high school HTML project, beware.

Unfortunately you need money to travel. These trips can be a bit...uh...dear. But, if your lucky, maybe your trip will be free. There's an unconfirmed rumor milling about the Surfer office that a dream trip giveaway promotion is in the works. Where would you like to go? A recent Surfermag.com poll suggests that Indonesia and Tavarua are neck and neck. Maybe we will give away a trip to dreamland. I'll see what I can do. No promises though.

Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:19 +0000

(Honolulu, HAWAII) In what will go down as one of the best days of waves and competition in the history of the Vans Hawaiian Pro, Hawaii's Sunny Garcia claimed his fourth Hawaiian Pro title at Haleiwa today, taking an early lead on the overall Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series ratings. Garcia, who previously won this event in 1992, 1993, and 2000, led the 35-minute final from start to finish to defeat Tom Whitaker (Australia), Jake Paterson (Australia) and defending Vans Hawaiian Pro champion Andy Irons (Hawaii). Garcia, 32, is a five-time Vans Triple Crown Series champion and has his eye set on a sixth title. His win earned him $10,000.

Waves ranged from 12 to occasional 20-foot face heights today and the quarter final heats produced the highest scores of the event. Despite losing in semi-final one to Paterson and Irons, six-time world champion Kelly Slater posted a near-perfect heat score in the quarters - 19.73 points out of 20, with a couple of impossibly long tube-rides and giant top-to-bottom turns (10.0 and 9.73 point rides). Similarly, current world number one Irons had a crowd-filled beach fixated with his combination of powering round-house re-entries and vertical turns.

But ultimately, the day belonged to Garcia. Overcoming a two-month old knee injury that sees him competing with torn ligaments, lower back cramps and a minor gash to the head he sustained in the quarter finals after a collision with his surfboard, the pain was all but forgotten by the conclusion of the event. Overall scores for the final had Garcia on 15.5, Whitaker with 12.6, 10.73 for Paterson, and 10.6 for Irons.

"I was fortunate to get two good waves right at the beginning of the final and then the waves got bumpy and the scores kind of dropped," said Garcia. "My first wave was a deep barrel and that got me going.

"I'm almost speechless. It feels insane to win a fourth time here. I've been surfing here since 1979 and it really is one of the best waves on the North Shore.

Dora Reports Heaven Is "Full of Kooks"

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:19 +0000

MALIBU, CA - Apparently heaven is "full of kooks" according to the late surfing legend Mickey Dora. Friends of Dora hired a psychic to reach the flamboyant Malibu icon. The psychic channelled Dora for more than 20 minutes during a 'session' in the Malibu Canyon area.

"He says the surf up there is great. He's been surfing a right point that's longer, cleaner, and hollower than Malibu," explained one of Dora's friends, who requested we not use his name. "But apparently the lineup is just full of kooks. Mickey said that he gets burned on every wave. They have no respect for inside positioning up there."

According to the friend, who was present when the psychic channeled Dora, "surfing seems to be really catching on in heaven. It's become a tremendously popular activity in the last few years. From what Mickey said, all sorts of people are taking it up, not just people who were mortal surfers. He (Dora) got burned by Napoleon the other day. Mickey was really peeved. He said Napoleon rode a huge longboard, and had a wide butt-stance. He flapped in front of Mickey the whole way. Dora called him on it, and Napoleon just started raving in French. Dora has nicknamed him Nappy Fain. He said Genghis Khan is a total kook, too."

North County Comrades

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:19 +0000

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How Bad Will the Spanish Oil Spill Get?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:20 +0000

By Chris Dixon, One World Editor

The Greek Owned, Bahamian Flagged and Liberian Registered Prestige -- Our Vote for the Most Ironically Named Ship Ever.

Is the worst over, or yet to come in the saga of the Spanish oil tanker disaster? This seems to depend on whether or not the bulk of the dirty heating oil the Prestige was carrying does as scientists would like. It is hoped that the oil will remain in the ship's tanks and congeal into a waxy mass that stays 11,000 feet down, at the bottom of the very cold ocean. If this happens, many of the 22 million gallons will never reach shore.

However, initial reports seem to show that this scenario may not come to pass -- at least not entirely. Large amounts of oil are still appearing on the surface of an increasingly stormy north Atlantic and heading towards shores of Spain and Portugal. "It looks like this could be far worse than the Erika," said Gilles Asenjo, president of Surfrider Europe.

The Erika was a tanker that lost about 3 million gallons of crude off the coast of Brittany, France in 1999. There it polluted about 250 miles of coastline. The Prestige was carrying about 22 million gallons when it sank. According to Asenjo, the ironically named ship was an accident waiting to happen. "She was a ship flagged in the Bahamas, registered in Liberia (an anarchic African country) and owned by the Greeks," he said, "she was subject to very few inspection rules and was probably weakened and rusty just like the Erika." Indeed, French president Jaques Chirac called the Prestige a "garbage" ship whose very existence seemed to be based on the idea of avoiding European safety and environmental regulations.

You Drive a Gas Guzzler, She Guzzles Gas.

According to Surfrider's Asenjo, the captain of the ship initially reported the damage to be far less than it actually was, and this may have led to the decision to tow the ship a hundred fifty miles offshore rather than attempting to get it into a safe harbor where it could be pumped out. Regardless of the decision, a great deal of oil was destined to foul the Spanish coast, but perhaps far less would have leaked had the ship been able to get to calmer waters.

A lack of calmer waters of course, is what caused the biggest problem once the Prestige was towed well offshore. There, her weakened hull couldn't stand up the battering of the wintertime North Atlantic and she split in two.

According to Surfline's Sean Collins, the place where she sank could not be much worse given an impending storm and ocean currents in the area. Collins said that the location of the sinking could create a catastrophic condition should oil continue rising to the surface. This is because the wind-driven ocean currents branch here, with one stream flowing east to west along the north coast of Spain toward France, and a strong north-south current that flows along the coast of Portugal. With a tremendous storm now approaching the European coast, twice as much oil as was in the Exxon Valdez could affect both stretches of coast, and the prime surf and fishing grounds found here. "You would hope that the ship sank far enough out to sea that it won't affect the north coast of Spain," Collins said, "but it's tough to tell."

Principle in the equation is a huge approaching gale. "They had 25 to 30 foot seas in last Friday's storm," he said, "but this next storm is substantially bigger. I'd rate this one an 8 out of ten. You could say it's twice as big"

According to Collins, the storm will begin with 12 to 18 hours of southerly winds in the 35-40 knot range. These south winds may blow long enough to take a portion of the oil northward and into the current that would carry it along Spain's north coast.

"After that," he said, "you've got a northwesterly gale blowing through on Wednesday with winds in the 55-65 knot range. The seas will build tomorrow and then by Thursday the surf along the coast here will be 40 to 45 feet high."

This, he says, would then push the oil southward to Portugal." You have a major swell coming in. Then add to that 30 to 40 knots of west wind, and it could really push this oil onto land."

This, of course, would only enhance what is already a disaster on a scale most California surfers can scarcely imagine. Despite the fact that many billions of gallons of crude pass along our shores each year, only a few comparatively minor spills have blackened California's shores. It's the Euros who have truly suffered.

Besides the Erika, numerous monster spills have occurred in Europe in the last decade. In 1993, the Brear released 26 million gallons off the Shetland Islands, in 1992 the Aegean Sea lost 22 million gallons off northwestern Spain and in 1996 the Sea Empress spilled 18 million gallons off Wales in 1996"

It could affect so much coast," said Asenjo, "from Portugal to the Spanish coast that includes breaks like Mundaka and maybe as far as France." Not only will surfers be affected, so will countless sea creatures, coastal residents and fishermen whose livelihoods are now shattered.

What remains to be seen is just how bad it will get.

Discuss the spill on Surfermag.com's Bulletin Board

Hot Seat - WBs Steamy Reality

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:20 +0000

Judging by its domination in the media these days, everybody loves surfing. But now Warner Brothers wants to know if everyone love surfers. In a palatial, sand-front North Shore spread, six A-list surfers--Danny Fuller, Damian Hobgood, Holly Beck, Sunny Garcia, Veronica Kay and Myles Padaca--volunteered for a new reality television series (yet to be named)-the latest prime-time exhibition for the rest of the country to gawk and marvel at in hopes of a meltdown or steamy romance. For the surfers, it must have been hard to resist with the daily food allowance, cushy furniture and use of flashy North Shore perks like Jet Skis and free rent. We sat down with the subjects-wired at all times-under wavering boom mikes and shoulder-mounted cameras, to see what it's like to be reduced to the next caged freak show and how everyone is coping with each other, the prying Hollywood crew and themselves. So before it hits the screen, find out what happened when Town came to Country. - Carl Friedmann

SURFER Magazine: So this is for Hot Seat, which is pretty irreverent so feel free to be as candid as...
Damian: Okay, we need you to sign a release form before you come here.

SURFER Magazine: I already did that.
Damian: Oh you did? All right.

SURFER Magazine: So how long have you been in the house now?
Myles: About seven weeks.

SURFER Magazine: And how much time do you have left?
Danny: 10 days (dropping his head back, drawing a deep breath). Please stab me.
Damian: I think everyone's counting down the days.

SURFER Magazine: When the idea came together, did any of you have any say in who would be in the house?
Holly: Sunny had more say than anyone. His buddies came up with the idea, so Sunny came up with a list of names and they picked from that list. Some wouldn't commit to the idea so they had to come up with different people.

SURFER Magazine: Have any of you lived or traveled together or hung out a lot before this?
Danny: Definitely not, but you know how small the surfing community is, so everybody knows each other in some way or another. And if you're in a house together for two months, you're obviously going to get to know everyone really well.

SURFER Magazine: Whether you like it or not, right? A lot of frayed nerves?
Danny: Not really. Everybody's got their own trip.

SURFER Magazine: On top of the house, use of Jet Skis and all the food you could possibly eat, you're getting paid a good sum to do this. Has it been worth it?
(Long pause) Damian: What? Paid?
Danny: Yeah, it's been worth it. But I definitely wouldn't have done this show if it were six geeks off the street and me.

SURFER Magazine: What's been the best thing about living here?
Damian: The food money.
In unison: Yeah!
Danny: The best thing, honestly...(his cell phone rings). I'm doing this interview right now; I'll be there in a little bit.
Veronica: They give you a house right on the beach.
Danny: (Wrapping up on the phone) All right, I'll call you back.
Holly: Access to the Jet Skis is pretty nice too.
Danny: Access to what? The Skis? You know what. Basically, I don't want to get into that one with you.

SURFER Magazine: And the worst?
Sunny: When the camera people just walk into your room without knocking. But they find out how quick they need to get out.
Veronica: Yeah, first thing in the morning, when you're just stumbling out of bed and there's a camera light in your face, that gets annoying.
Holly: You're always wired and they're always listening in on what you're saying. But it's fun because they won't film you until they hear something juicy. So we've come up with this code that we speak in, just to tease them and get them all excited over nothing.
Danny: For me, I haven't hung out with my old friends during this whole time because they don't want to come over to the house and have a camera in their faces.

SURFER Magazine: What's a typical day like?
Holly: We wake up and everybody splits and at dinnertime we all come together. I think they expected us to interact with each other or be at each other's throats more. But we all go out and do our own thing.
Danny: I think with the people they chose, they didn't realize how mellow everyone was. I'm definitely not the mellowest guy, but the majority of the time I am.

SURFER Magazine: What's kitchen and bathroom etiquette like?
Myles: We have a maid service once a week, so it doesn't get too out of hand.
Holly: Some people like to have it clean and those are the people who clean. Damian's really good at cleaning up. He's our dishwasher.

SURFER Magazine: Do you get along with the crew in your faces all day?
Damian: They're great. But the best thing is hanging out with the security guards. Sunny kicks it out there all the time too. They always have the best stories about Hollywood scoop. They see everything go down.
Myles: Yeah but one of them fell on one of my boards right before a heat at Haleiwa and buckled it.
Sunny: It shattered his whole confidence.

SIMA & ASR REACH LANDMARK AGREEMENT

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:21 +0000

San Clemente, Calif. - A new landmark agreement between the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) and VNU Expositions, owners and operators of the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expos (ASR), has been unanimously approved in principle by the SIMA Board of Directors. Announced today, the 10-year agreement spells out a stronger, more strategic partnership between the two organizations in support of surf industry growth and is highlighted by SIMA's endorsement of the March ASR Fall Show (formerly named the ASR BACK2SKOOL Show).

EXPANDED AGREEMENT
SIMA, the official trade association of surf industry manufacturers, has endorsed the ASR Long Beach and San Diego trade shows since the formation of the association in 1989. The new expanded agreement, which becomes effective in January 2003, is designed to create more of a strategic partnership between SIMA and ASR with the best interests of the industry in mind. The agreement calls for SIMA to continue to exclusively endorse ASR shows in the Western United States, including the ASR Long Beach and San Diego shows as well as the new ASR Fall Show. Under the new terms, SIMA will now actively and aggressively promote the endorsed ASR shows to its members and surf retailers. In return, ASR will support SIMA and its efforts to grow the industry through expanded funding, including a revenue-sharing plan.

"Over the past 21 years, the ASR shows on the West Coast have become even more vital for surf manufacturers bringing their products to the market," said Dick Baker, president of SIMA and CEO of Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp. "In addition, ASR has been dedicated to the health and growth of the surf industry. A good example of that is the ASR Fall Show, which SIMA will now endorse wholeheartedly. This new agreement reflects ASR's total commitment to this industry and SIMA's desire to better serve its members.

"SIMA has worked hard over the past year to put together a member benefits package in order to help members grow their company and operate more efficiently. SIMA now offers discounts for everything from FedEx to freight shipping discounts to business liability insurance and more. With the expanded support of ASR, SIMA will now be able to tackle necessary special projects that will help the industry grow, such as conducting and producing annual market research reports. That's what makes the agreement so exciting."

NEW STRATEGY
The new strategic direction of the SIMA/ASR agreement was a natural progression for ASR as well, according to David Loechner, group president for VNU Sports. "The surf market is a core element to the overall action sports industry. SIMA has obviously made some big changes in the past year in how it serves the industry, and ASR is committed to seeing that mission succeed.

Billygoat Distributes Art Brewer Print Line

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:21 +0000

Los Angeles, CA - November 20, 2002 -- Billygoat Distribution Inc., theleading surf distribution company, announces it has secured an exclusiveworldwide distribution deal for the newly created Art Brewer Print Line witha street date planned for early November 2002. The initial Art Brewer PrintLine will consist of 4 individual prints selected from Art's book, "Mastersof Surf Photography: Art Brewer" published by The Surfers Journal in 2001.

"Billygoat Distribution is very excited and honored to be working with ArtBrewer. We are confident that Art's prints will be received well by both thecore market as well as the mainstream market and we are committed toexpanding our distribution by offering the highest quality productsavailable." stated Brendan T. Lynch, President of Billygoat DistributionInc. This strategic move for Billygoat Distribution Inc. to acquire newproduct lines and expand it's surf distribution business comes inconjunction with the recent company split between Billygoat Productions, Incand Billygoat Distribution Inc. in order to better streamline and grow bothcompanies separately.

Billygoat Distribution Inc. distributes surf and surf related productsworldwide including Prints, Calendars, Video and DVDs from producers andmanufacturers including Art Brewer, Jack McCoy, Billygoat Productions, AaronChang, Billabong, BlueField Entertainment ...Lost, Rip Curl and more…

To view the Art Brewer print line please visitwww.billygoatdistribution.com.

For more information, please call 323.656.0712 or email:info@billygoatproductions.com

The Outsiders: Vid Clips and Premier Info

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:22 +0000

The Outsiders

Check out an exclusive video clip: Quicktime or WMP.

broadband THE OUTSIDERS

broadband THE OUTSIDERS

Premiere Schedule:

Tuesday, November 26th and Wednesday, November 27th
LA PALOMA THEATER IN ENCINITAS
471 S. Coast Highway 101
7pm and 9pm each night
Free Admission!
Directions: From the 5 Freeway, exit Encinitas Blvd., head west on Encinitas, turn Left on South Coast Highway 101. La Paloma is on the east side of the highway at 471 South Coast Hwy.

Thursday, December 5th
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART IN LA JOLLA
700 Prospect Street
7pm and 9pm each night
Free Admission!
Directions: From the 5 Freeway Northbound or the 52 Westbound - take the Ardath Road exit into La Jolla, merge onto Torrey Pines Road, make a right on Prospect Place, Prospect Place becomes Prospect Street. The San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art is at 700 Prospect Street.
From the 5 Freeway Southbound - exit La Jolla Village Drive - head west on La Jolla Village Drive, turn left on Torrey Pines Road, make a right on Prospect Place, Prospect Place becomes Prospect Street. The San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art is at 700 Prospect Street.

Thursday, December 12th
EDWARDS BIG NEWPORT IN FASHION ISLAND
300 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach (Across from Hard Rock Cafe)
7pm

Saturday, December 14th
THE RIO THEATRE IN SANTA CRUZ
1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz
7pm and 9pm
Free Admission!

Tuesday, December 17th
THE ROXIE CINEMA IN SAN FRANCISCO
7pm and 9pm
Free Admission!

Friday, January 10th, 2003
THE OLD CINEMA 21 THEATRE IN SAN DIEGO
1440 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley
Doors open at 7pm
Free Admission!

SANTA MONICA
DATE AND LOCATION TBA

ISLA VISTA
DATE AND LOCATION TBA

Pro Surfer Paddles Out On Cloudy Day

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:22 +0000

NOVEMBER 22, 2002 (NEWPORT, CA) -- In a move that shocked both friends and sponsors, Jeff Danner, 23, a local professional surfer, paddled out on a cloudy day. According to onlookers, Danner surfed 56th Street for nearly an hour on the afternoon of November 14. Weather records confirm the afternoon in question was overcast, with no blue sky visible.

Danner is known throughout the surf industry as a "photo pro." Forgoing competition and video, Danner concentrates exclusively on still photographs, often working with veteran photographer Mitch Moore. Danner is often seen surfing throughout Orange County on sunny, front lit mornings. Images of his fins-free top turns on shoulder-high rights have been featured in the two major surfing magazines, Surfing and Surfer. In addition, Danner is usually featured in spread ads for his primary sponsor, YeahGuy Clothing. Industry insiders estimate that Danner has not surfed on a cloudy day in at least 5 years.

Top Surfers Win Xpression Sessions

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:22 +0000

The Davidoff Cool Water Xpression Sessions wrapped up in style on 22 November with some of the most radical and exciting freestyle surfing seen at this year's Hawaiian Pro. Jamie O'Brien (US Hawaii), Pancho Sullivan (US, Hawaii) and Mick Fanning (Australia) were amongst the surfing legends who scooped the prize purse for their talents.

The Davidoff Cool Water Xpression Sessions was the only freestyle discipline at the 6 star World Qualifying Series event, where a selection of the world's best surfers, including names like Andy Irons (US), Taj Burrow (Australia), Eneko Acero (Spain) and Miki Picon (France) competed for the $10,000 prize purse and pushed themselves to achieve the most radical and jaw dropping maneuvers

Twenty surfers were split into two heats of ten and went head to head in a 30-minute freestyle spectacle. The heats saw Andy Irons pulling off an epic aerial 360, Pancho Sullivan tore up the surf with his super powerful turns, enabling him to progress to the finals, and a variety of new school specials from young Jamie O'Brien. The commentator was heard to announce "that kid's got super glue on his feet, his board just doesn't move". Both Eneko Acero and Russell Winter (UK) narrowly missed a place in the finals, but Miki Picon (France) held up the European side pulling off a series of progressive and futuristic maneuvers that saw through to the final round.

The finals kicked off with Jamie O'Brien some how finding a barrel in the 6 foot challenging Hale'iwa conditions, he later went on to pick up $5,000 for most futuristic move, with a forehand sip slide to a reverse and also the best aerial, with his back hand air reverse. Mick Fanning's forehand sliding gouge won him most progressive maneuver and $2,500, leaving Pancho Sullivan to scoop up the remaining $2,500 for the most powerful maneuver.

The Davidoff Cool Water Xpression Sessions provided enthusiasts with a unique and exciting element of self-expression and vitality, and took the meaning of free-riding to another level. The Davidoff Cool Water Xpression Sessions are about bringing together the finest athletes and giving individuals the chance to further explore and develop the expressive and energetic nature of these sports - values that are both important to and synonymous with the brand. This is the first of a selection of the world's premier surf and snowboard events that Davidoff Cool Water, the sensual male fragrance that personifies freshness and vital energy, will be supporting over the next few years.

Results

Most progressive maneuverMick Fanning Australia
Best aerial Jamie O'Brien Hawaii
Most powerful maneuverPancho Sullivan Hawaii
Most futuristic maneuverJamie O'Brien Hawaii

RIP CURL CUP UPDATE

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:24 +0000

(Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii) Australian Joel Parkinson today won the Rip Curl Cup in perfect conditions. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) marked the second leg of the 20th Anniversary Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and hosted the crowning of the 2002 ASP world champion.

The all-important final day began this morning with quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and then the grand finale. Perfect 6-8 ft (2-2.6m) waves were on offer at Sunset beach with many barrel rides captivating the strong beach crowd. The penultimate WCT was completed as the sun shined and wind held off for an epic showdown.

Parkinson, who won the season opening WCT at home on Australia's Gold Coast, was in world title contention for most the year. Coming into Hawaii he had slipped just outside the realm into fifth position, but was eager for a strong finish to compliment his brilliant start. He reached the semifinals at the final World Qualifying Series (WQS) event two weeks ago at nearby Haleiwa, and with today's victory took control of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing ratings, as well as collected US$30,000 prizemoney.

Having posted the best single score today for 9.5, as well as combined total of 18.5 during the first quarterfinal this morning, the 21 year old continued his stunning form through the 35-minute decider this afternoon with Lee Winkler (Aus), Nathan Webster (Aus) and Shane Dorian (Haw). The natural footer executed a serious foam climb on a large set wave, maneuvered his way through a great tube ride and finished with a cutback to earn his second 9.5 score of the day. He backed this up with another 7.5 barrel to seal victory and move into third position on the ratings.

"I'm that stoked," said a disbelieving Parkinson, surrounded by media after being carried up the beach by Aussie mates and showered with beer by current #6 Mick Fanning. "I thought I was lucky the first heat today getting a couple of nines, so I figured I'd probably lose the next one. Then the same thing happened again and I was in the final. I had a bad start, but then it all came together (laughs). "I never dreamed I'd win in Hawaii, so my goal today was to stand up on the podium," he continued. "I didn't care what I got in the final, but to come away with it is a dream. I thought it was the biggest dream to win at home, but to win in Hawaii... it's the epicenter of surfing. To be able to prove yourself in Hawaii is everything. I'm feeling confident this year and hopefully I can have a good placing at Pipeline and win the Triple Crown. "I think Andy deserved to win the world title," he added, of the new champ. "He's definitely been one of the best surfers and I can't wait to party with him tonight now that I've got a good reason too (laughs)."

Winkler, who sat in 29th position leading into the Rip Curl Cup and was fearful of losing his position within the elite ranks, also enjoyed a magic day. Having eliminated Irons in their quarterfinal following a paddling interference against the Hawaiian, the Australian remained focused and ultimately secured his best result to date, moving into 21st position on the ratings. "It was a big day, full of mixed emotions," said Winkler. "I was kind of numb to the fact of getting through heats, I just thought I had to go out there and catch waves. That's all I really thought about, so it was good the focus was on Andy all day and it was exciting just to watch what he did. I wasn't too worried about myself, so I stayed relaxed. "That's exactly what I needed," he added, of jumping up the ratings. "I was freaking before this event as I knew I needed to pull a good one out. I didn't think it was going to be this good, but it's a cherry on top."

The Man in the Grey Suit

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:24 +0000

More editorial cartoons from Dave Hobrecht

Surfing's Soul Wipeout

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:24 +0000

More editorial cartoons from Dave Hobrecht

Tow-In Necessity

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:25 +0000

More editorial cartoons from Dave Hobrecht

The Dana Strands Seawall

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:25 +0000

Strands Beach from the Headlands Bluff. Photo © Cliff Wasseman/aku-aku.com

A Chat With the Surfrider Foundation

Many southern Californians, from San Clemente to Laguna Beach and even beyond, have heard of the longstanding plans for a real estate development at the scenic and historic Headlands in Dana Point.

The Headlands is a 123 acre stretch of undeveloped bluff land north of Dana Point Harbor that also encompasses most of Strands Beach. Strands is a heavy beachbreak,which is adjacent to Orange County's legendary beachbreak, Salt Creek. Though not as consistent or well-known as Salt Creek, Strands has its days, and it has a talented crew of rippers to prove it.

The gorgeous stretch of land around the Headlands contains several endangered or threatened plants and animals, including the Pacific Pocket Mouse, and California Gnatcatcher. In his 1830 book, Two Years Before the Mast, explorer Richard Henry Dana called the land the "only romantic spot in California." Of course, we now know that there are a whole lot of romantic spots in California, but Dana was one of the first to recognize the Headlands' significance. Back before 1966, the Headlands also offered wind protection to one of California's best known righthand point breaks: Killer Dana. Killer Dana now rests in peace, buried somewhere underneath and behind the enormous riprap boulders laid down to create the Dana Point Harbor.

Killer Dana, R.I.P.

For many years, Dana Point's citizens have argued with potential developers over a longstanding zoning permit and building plan. That zoning permit would have permitted 400-plus homes, two resort hotels, and a large commercial center. When the residents of Dana Point objected strongly to this plan, a smaller compromise was sought. Today, that compromise involves the construction of a $500 million project that would build 125 homes, a 65 room inn and spa, five small parks, 62 acres of open space and a 40,000 square-foot commercial development at Green Lantern and Pacific Coast Highway. To gain the backing of Dana Point's citizenry, the developer, Sanford Edward also created a proposal for a lighthouse, a veteran's memorial and a cultural arts center.

Headlands Plan. Click this image to blow it up

Yet, according to the Surfrider Foundation, there remains a dramatic flaw with the current development plan. That plan is the construction of a massive new 2100-plus foot long seawall that would stretch from the stairs leading to Strands Beach, almost all the way to the bluff at the south end of Strands. The construction of this seawall could not only have profound implications for a popular but secluded stretch of beach, but indeed, for all the state.

To find out what's going on, SURFERmag.com had a conversation with Surfrider's Chad Nelson, Mark Cousineau and Mike Lewis. Draw your own conclusions from what follows. And if you feel like taking action, sign the online petition here. Read on:

Tour de Force: The ASP Turns 20

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:26 +0000

The year was 1983 and in the midst of a confusing political cultural landscape that somehow included both Ronald Reagan and Boy George, two significant coup d'etats took place. First, U.S. armed forces invaded Grenada, capturing the tiny Caribbean island from its communist Cuban-backed government. Then, in a similar bold stroke, former top pro-turned contest director Ian "Kanga" Cairns of Australia effectively wrested control of the professional surfing world from the hands of its sanctioning body, with the creation of the ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals. The forceful Cairns spoke passionately of a new "fan friendly" circuit, and the day "when the guy rated 44th in the world will be making fifty grand a year!"

This year the ASP turns 20, and though Cairns' original dream of Planet Pro Surf has yet to be, there have been many more highs than lows throughout the decades, as the longest-running show in competitive surfing continues to roll on.

And Tim Curran, from Ventura, California, currently rated number 44 on the ASP Tour, is reported to make way in excess of $50,000 annually.

1983:
1/83 - With seed funding from surfwear giant Op, Ian Cairns, former top IPS pro competitor and brash Aussie-expat-turned contest promoter, launches the Association of Surfing Professionals, a rival sanctioning body to the existing IPS (International Professional Surfers.) Response from sponsors and competitive surfers is enthusiastic as the new ASP's first official season kicks off during the South African leg in June, where Hawaii's Hans Hedemann wins the first two events back-to-back.

11/83 - In what can only be perceived as a power-play to wrest control of the pro surfing scene, Cairns announces that ASP surfers are not allowed to surf in that winter's Hawaiian Triple Crown events. The Triple Crown, which includes the prestigious Pipeline Masters, is still under the control of the IPS founders Randy Rarick and Fred Hemmings. Top five-ranked Dane Kealoha , the only major pro to defy the boycott, wins the Pipe Masters, losing his ASP points and seeding in the process, effectively ending his storied career.

1984:
5/84 - With Hawaii off the schedule, the 1983 season finale is pushed back to May of 84' and moved to Australia, finishing at the Coke Contest in Sydney. Hometown boy Tom Carroll clinches the first ASP-sanctioned world title, ending the four year IPS reign of the great Mark Richards. Former amateur whiz kid Tom Curren finishes in eighth place, becoming only the second Californian to make the Top 16 after Joey Buran.

7/84 - With Tom Curren and Crew beginning to assert themselves on the new tour, the U.S./Aussie rivalry heats up. In separate magazine interviews Aussie upstart Mark Occhilupo vows to "stop these American wankers!" while less-diplomatic Gary "Kong" Elkerton simply calls the Yanks "soft cocks."

8/84 - In knee-high surf, Tom Carroll wins the Wave Wizards Challenge in Jensen Beach, Florida, held in what had previously had been considered "the unridden realm." A large Bertram fishing boat is motored back outside the lake-like calm in an attempt to fulfill the ASP's new minimum 18-inch wave height requirement. Several disgruntled surfers bring rulers to the contest to challenge the call.

12/84 - The Pipeline Masters gets the ASP's sanction, but remains an unrated event. Held in epic, 15-foot barrels, Oceanside's Joey Buran scores a dramatic win against an elite cast of invitees.

Surf-A-Palooza Feb. 14-21

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:27 +0000

FANTASTICA: What does wet-sanding a bonzer have in common with three Italian lounge singers? Why, Captain Ambience, of course.

Most work days you can find J.P. St. Pierre at northern San Diego's finest surfboard manufacturing shop, Moonlight Glassing, where he wet-sands and polishes the quality surf crafts that ship out daily from the San Marcos factory. But one night a week a transformation occurs. J.P.'s persona melts into a strange amalgamation of Phil Henry, Hugh Hefner and Henry Mancini. He becomes Captain Ambience, directing the pirate radio ship, at dirty.org, known as Thrift Store Radio.

What, you might ask, is Thrift Store Radio? Imagine yourself in a smoky, dimly-lit, pre-Castro Havana nightclub listening to Johnny Cash cover a Harry Belafonte tune, while Duke Kahanamoku does back-up on the congas and a saucy cigarette vendor tries to push some Camels on you.

Well that's a good start, but Captain Ambience and Thrift Store Radio are much more than that.

Captain Ambience spins an eclectic array of records to the Internet masses from a quirky little "studio" located down what J.P. explains as the "last dirt road in Southern California," at a friend's house in Leucadia. The "studio" is also a hangout for local Leucadia surfers who maintain and share the lifestyle of groovy old North County. And really, Leucadia is the last holdout--the Alamo if you will--of an area that looks more and more like Laguna Niguel than groovy Leucadia. Yet Captain Ambience (a moniker pinned on J.P. after he transformed a squalorly bachelor pad into a hip Tiki lounge) maintains the smooth Leucadia groove by spinning tunes which include an eclectic mix of genres like 50s Hawaiian, classic surf, Crime Jazz, Mambo, lounge instrumentals and old-school country.

But don't try to pigeonhole the good Captain--even he doesn't know what type of vinyl he'll come across next. A big part of JP's hobby includes scouring thrift stores and garage sales for discarded albums, usually from the 50s and 60s. "I'm not really a music expert," he explains. "I just pick them by the album covers." If the cover art portrays a buxom brunette, martini in hand, lounging casually on a leopard skin throw rug, it'll probably make its way into the collection. "Hopefully it'll have some cool tunes on it," J.P. adds "And if it does, it'll probably make it on the air."

Along with the musical programming, Captain Ambience spices up the show by parodying local FM radio, spitting out a few jokes, and offering up some stinging, but good-hearted, commentary. "Dirty.org is usually run by a crew of capable, well-known DJs," explains J.P. "My show isn't even mentioned on their website. Thrift Store Radio is the pirating of pirate internet radio--basically a mutiny." If you want to join in on the pillaging, there's a chat room on Dirty.org. You can chime in with your own spin on things, or offer up a request.

To listen to Captain Ambience and his Thrift Store Radio tune into on Tuesday nights (unless he's sanding my board) between 6 and 7p.m.

pollasplast

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:27 +0000

poll_pwcmms

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:27 +0000

SURF-A-PALOOZA: MAY 16-20

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:28 +0000

TOW NO MORE: The days of towing-in at Maverick's are numbered. That's right, the party's over, or at least it's winding down. For tow-in advocates (myself included) at Maverick's, it's 3 a.m. and the neighbors just called the police--for the second time.

No more towing-in at Maverick's?

That's a pretty big claim, I know. I did some legwork, and from it I deduced a logical end. Here's how the whole PWC/Maverick's crisis has played out so far.

A task force, made up of pro-environment and pro-PWC camps, was formed by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) Advisory Council. The task force was asked to bring recommendations for PWC use in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to the advisory council.

For recommendations to be made, the members of the task force would have to make concessions. Cool heads would have to find common ground. Reasonable agreement and mediation would have to take place. Both sides would need to make concessions. They didn't. It couldn't. They wouldn't. No melding of the minds took place. Instead, it was a standoff.

Why couldn't they just get agree, even a little bit?

Why couldn't they turn black and white ideals into a mellow shade of gray compromise?

Interestingly, the pro-environment camp leaned the furthest, but their concession was shunned. It turns out there was likely to be a tow-in recommendation--of some sort--for Maverick's. The task force was close to offering the advisory council something to chew on. "We were almost there," said Doug Ardley of the Surfers' Environmental Alliance, and a member of the MBNMS task force on MPWC. "One final person from the pro-environment camp [a non-surfing related environ group, by the way] agreed to give in, in a sincere move to make ground, and allow for tow-in surfing at Maverick's."

However, the pro-PWC lobby on the task force would not take Maverick's and be denied access to the rest of the MBNMS (the equivalent of a national park). For the PWC crowd it was all or nothing. Thus the stalemate.
THE FREAKY FIVE
STRANGE LINKS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MUCH AT ALL

And You Need To Ride On...
Papa New Guinea
Nova Scotia
Cowboy Sidesplitters
Embed This

Why wouldn't the pro-PWC group take the Maverick's concession and run with it, like giddy school children just given more recess time? I couldn't find out, but my guess is that group, made up mostly of jet ski geeks who don't surf, must be banking on their lobbying efforts in DC to allow for a total opening of MBNMS to PWC. It certainly wouldn't be beyond the ideological scope of the Bush administration (pro-business interest) to relent to the PWC lobby.

Here's how I see the PWC ban in the MBNMS scenario playing it after the lame duck task force wastes the advisory council's time in July.

So no consensus from the task force means no recommendation from the task force to the advisory council. They agreed they couldn't agree. The advisory council, which probably did not want to deal with this issue anyway, will simply shelve the whole topic, according to Ardley.

So where does the issue go from the dusty cupboard of shelved advisory council topics? According to Ardley, the PWC issue will rest on the shoulders of NOAA (National Oceanic and atmospheric administration) staffers in DC. Historically NOAA sides with environmentalists. And this is how I came up with my thesis: No more PWC at Maverick's.

However, and this is a big however, NOAA administrators (read Bush administration people) have the ultimate say over NOAA staffers. So if the NOAA administrators don't agree with NOAA staff recommendations, they can order changes. That is, open up part or all of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary to PWC use.

Does the Bush administration covet PWC lobby money? Not in an election year it doesn't. What the Bush administration covets are Electoral College votes in California. Pissing off Californians isn't worth the money gained.

THE HOT SEAT - Garrett McNamara

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:28 +0000

First off, tell us who else was out there that day in Tahiti...
All the boys were out there. Parsons and Gerlach got a lot of good waves but I didn't see them in the barrel very often. I saw them running from the barrel. But they were surfing smart because if you make a mistake there you can die. Makua and Laird were probably going the deepest, but I like to get deep too.

The barrel you had there was pretty huge. Is it hard to tell when you're in the tube when they're that big?
Not when you're deep. I was deep in the barrel. I could see the eye. At one point I couldn't see out at all because it was bending, and when I came out I slammed into the closeout section. Most guys don't that deep.

So did you have any hesitation on that thing at all?
No, I was just having fun, having a good time. We saw that thing on our way out and we did a U-turn mid face just to get it. I was just glad nobody was on it yet.

What were people saying to you after?
Well, there were about 50 guys in the channel. Danny Fuller was one of 'em. Before I let go of the rope they were saying I was too deep. The whole place was basically saying, 'Oh, he's history.' So I faded...I went deeper.

Wait a sec...you heard them saying that while you were riding?
(Laughs) No, they told me after. So I got to the bottom and stalled. Then I pulled in and they were going, 'What's he thinking this is 6-foot pipe or something?' And I was just having the time of my life pulling into the sick barrel.

Were you worried at all?
Well, I was there when that local kid Reece died, I tried to revive him, so I know all about the dangers of the place. I put my helmet on figuring it pushed the odds to 70/30 in my favor if I ate it on a huge one. Some people say you gotta be prepared to pay the ultimate price for the ultimate rush, but I think that's a bunch of bull shit. You just gotta prepare. Know what you're going to do and do it well...then live.

Do you consider your Jaws barrel a bigger feat?
Yeah. That barrel was the highlight of my life--after my kids being born.

Did you realize how close the lip was to taking your head off?
I knew I barely squeaked, but I didn't realize how close it was until I saw it on video. I thought I faded before pulling into it but when I looked at the video I realized I was actually racing down the line when I pulled in. If Teahupoo is a meat grinder, Jaws is one of those torture devices that will just rip your limbs off. God was definitely looking out for me on that one.

Now Garrett, some people say you're not the most humble guy around. How do you respond?
Yeah, I know. (Laughs) Well the thing is confidence in yourself is something you gotta have in situations like that, and sometimes that can rub people the wrong way. I try not to talk, y'know, but sometimes it's hard when you get a waves like those. But I give plenty of respect to everyone who gives me respect. Guys like Dane Kealoha, who drove me into that wave at Jaws and Ikaika Kalama, they know how much I love and respect them, and I've never gone around saying I'm the best guy at this or that.

So you're humble when it really counts?
Always. I'm always humble in front friends, the ocean, and with God. When I stuck my arms up after that Jaws barrel that wasn't a claim. I was just thanking God. --Chris Mauro

pollpwcban

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:28 +0000

3 X 365

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:29 +0000

We've all seen the photos: the sport's top pros looking very glamorous, traveling around the world, their enormous coffin bags stuffed to the gills with eight-board quivers, or posed with a veritable surf shop-ful of beautiful boards fanned out behind them, displayed like a peacock's tail. It's enough to make your average surfer feel downright inadequate--or at least stuck with a major case of quiver envy. Truth is, however, unless you plan on riding really big waves--20 feet and up--you can get by on way fewer boards than the pros (most of whom pad their quivers in case of breakage anyway). To get you started we've designed a functional three-board quiver, one for surfers under 25, one for surfers over 25. Three boards that should keep you out in the surf and having fun, 365 days a year.

NOTE: As explained, serious guns, including tow-in boards have been omitted, and although a longboard is recommended for older surfers, everyone really should have at least one.

UNDER 25 For both active grom and post-grom surfers, the 365 Quiver should be based on this simple formula: a hybrid (or modern fish or whatever you want to call any board that's shorter, wider, flatter and faster than a conventional board) for smaller days, a conventional shape for good days and a semi-gun for those really good days and the occasional surf trip. Consider the following boards and their applications:

Hybrid 5' 7" - 6' 0" Generally ridden shorter and wider, these fuller-area, skatey, speedy models can really breathe life into mushy, small-wave sessions where your regular board might sink. Why let longboarders have all the fun? This high-velocity board will keep you moving quickly when the waves are slow. Teach you how to use a rail, too.

Conventional Board 6' 1"- 6' 4" The high-performance standard, made for those days when the ocean offers at least a pocket to swoop in and out of. Generally narrow and thin, they may not paddle very well, but can hold their own in much bigger surf than their counterparts a decade ago.

Semi Gun 6' 6"- 6' 10" For those special, three-or-four-times-a-year big days. Maybe a touch more volume in the center, and a nod to the guns of old with its pintail. But don't let the short length fool you--big, long guns are sooo 1980s.

OVER 25 This age group includes those surfers who have stopped merely emulating and have begun to develop a realistic assessment of their surfing skills and needs. With increased experience should come increased open-mindedness, hence the development of this three-board quiver based entirely on function, not fashion.

Hybrid 6' 2" - 6' 8" In this case we're not talking about stubby little "fishes" or tubby "fun" boards, but simply full-figured shortboards, with a touch wider nose outline and center width at least 19.5 inches. Fast, versatile and accommodating, it'll help you have fun and look good on a daily basis.

Semi-Gun 6' 8" - 7' 2" Not because you're older, but because you're smarter. A few more inches of length and a tad more center thickness translates into a noticeable increase in authority on those epic days, when how you look in the barrel is a lot more important than how you look on the beach.

High Performance Longboard 9' 0" - 9' 6" Tiny days, lazy days, surfing with your gal, surfing with your kids; the desire to slow down for a few seconds to enjoy the simple act of gliding toward shore. Keeps you in shape and in touch with the inner Phil Edwards in us all, firm in the belief that style does count.

SURF-A-PALOOZA Feb. 21-28

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:30 +0000

Mike Purpus sent in a unique perspective on the late Dru Harrison. I first heard about Dru's passing via the Surfermag.com message board and obviously I was saddened. I never knew Dru Harrison. I don't know Mike Purpus. Nevertheless, as a grom in the late 70's, I devoured everything that was surfing. This meant scouring the pages of old Surfer magazines, and thus the connection I have with these two is based solely on grom idolatry -- distant, one-sided, and yet somehow quite personal.

The thoughts expressed below (from Mike Purpus) say a lot about not only what a great surfer and person Dru Harrison was, but also about the mature nature and wisdom of Mike Purpus. Purpus was often portrayed, and rightly so I'm told, as a sort of playboy/prankster. His piece below, although not a Pulitzer finalist, conveys a different side of Purpus -- introspective, romantic, and melancholy.

Surfing has lost one of it's best. Dru Harrison was a charismatic, soulful, smooth and radical surfer. It made him a champion and a legend. We surfed in countless contests and had even more surf sessions from the early 60's until last year. Funny thing is, we never hung out together and, truthfully, we didn't get along. But we had great respect for each other. Dru was the Ying to my Yang, and every time we hit the water together it was an exciting surf jam.

It wasn't planned, but I would be paired up with Dru for the rest of my surfing career. In the 60's, Dru and I were on both the Jacobs Surf Team and Bay Cities Surf Club, and we were the first and only two surfers from the South Bay drafted by the Windansea Surf Club. We made our first trip to Hawaii and wound up in the finals of The Makaha International Surfing Championships together. Dru beat me.

Growing up Dru lived in a big house right by the Strand on 14th Street in Hermosa Beach. Dru was the youngest and the smallest of four boys. Dru, Dane, Drake and Derrick were all varsity wrestlers on the Mira Costa High School team. Dru might have only been a few inches above five feet but he was tough and never backed down. Dru's father owned a few cement trucks and was successful in the construction industry. At California surf meets, Dru's Mom and Dad would sit next to my parents, as well as the parents of Corky Carroll, David Nuuhiwa and Jericho Poppler.

The Harrison house was sort of a surfing youth hostel for surfers from around the world. David Nuuhiwa spent his first year on the mainland there. Everyone hung out because the best surfers were there. Tiger Makin and Eddie Underwood were two of about thirty kids that kept boards there. When Dru's parents sold the house in the early 70's, and as luck would have it, I moved in and lived there for the next seven years. You could feel kind of a surfing poltergeist throughout the large, four-bedroom home.

In the 60's while I was climbing the competitive surfing ladder, Dru was already sitting on top. He was almost two years younger but already the top rated boys and junior in The United States Surfing Association. Dru would walk to the nose, hang ten, pick his right foot up and kick it past the tip, scamper back, and just cruise. In the late 60's it was shortboards and Dru was equally impressive. He would carve up the face, switch stance at the lip, and float back down. He was great. We had some terrific battles for the next five years, and although joined at the hip by circumstance, we never saw eye-to-eye.

Nancy Katin was only about 4'10" and the only one that called him "Little Dru". She loved Dru and me, and along with Jericho Poppler, Nancy ran five years of advertisements with the three of us. She got a kick out of the friction between Dru and I. She was just like a favorite grandmother to us.

Reggae Nation Island Movement

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:30 +0000

From the movie Reggae Nation Island Movement in stores now! Produced by Resin Music & Fluid Vision Productions. Distributed by Billygoat Distribution.www.BillygoatDistribution.com
www.ReggaeNation.com
or email resinweb@aol.com

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SIMA Image Awards

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:30 +0000

Volcom takes home three of the five surf industry awards given out at the first annual 2003 SIMA Image Awards. In a humble and passionate acceptance speech, Richard Woolcott thanked everyone he works with at Volcom, but especially his family and grandmother for their support and guidance. Inaugural winners also included DVS Shoes for Breakthrough Manufacturer of the Year and Jack's Surfboards for Retailer of the Year. See below for the final results.

For Unauthorized SIMA Surf Summit photos (The pics the other guys don't want you to see) click on this link Unauthorized SIMA Surf Summit photos

Print Ad Campaign of the Year - Volcom

Manufacturer of the Year - Volcom

Breakthrough Manufacturer of the Year - DVS Shoes

Retailer of the Year - Jack's Surfboards

Industry Achiever of the Year - Volcom.

Everybody Needs Freedom

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:30 +0000

broadband ROSS WILLIAMS

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Keeping Up with the Hayeses, and the Joneses

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:31 +0000

Conan, you've formed tight friendships and extended families all over the world throughout your career, but with your marriage to Malia, the family bond is official.
Conan Hayes: Yeah, for me, my friends were one big family because I've been traveling non-stop for the past nine years, and the majority of my time has been spent with them. That's a third of my life right there, so they are just as much family as anyone. Obviously, Mikala, Daniel and Malia are my family now and we all get along and push each other. I think that is really important.

Where is home for you?
Conan: I've lived out of my bag for so long, home's wherever. I don't get homesick. I'm not attached to weird material things. I just like to experience where I am no matter where it is. When Shane and I did our contest [the Keiki Classic] this year, the Big Island was definitely home. You know you're home when you know everybody, when you feel close to the people. There is familiarity there. People need that. Part of my year should be spent there, but I don't ever want to sit in a spot and settle. I'm not drawn to any single place.
Malia Jones: Everywhere feels like home now. Traveling, you identify with certain places and when you're somewhere else, you miss those things. Hawaii, the south of France, Laguna Beach, the Big Island... Somewhere between those places feels like home. We keep collecting places to stay and we still need Australia and Tahiti. Right now surfing is the reason that we travel, but there are so many other things we are interested in, it shouldn't ever have to stop.
Conan: If you sit in one place you become content with what you have. I don't ever want to be content.

How does that work now that you're married?
Conan: It's good 'cause Malia understands. I know there's no way it would work if I was married to a girl back on the Big Island. We're motivated by the realization that it doesn't last forever. That's what it all comes down to for me. I know I'm not going to do this for the rest of my life, so I want to make the most of it right here right now. I can go surfing all day and she supports that. She knows it's not going to matter in the big picture. I'm crazy busy with everything I do, and she understands where I'm at and totally supports me. Some girls don't understand what surfing means.
Malia: If I go to France and we're there and suddenly he has to go back for work for a month, that's fine. I'll stay and he'll come back afterward. Our lives don't go in exactly the same direction, but when we come together, we're together. It's not stressful.

How involved are you in Mikala and Daniel's lives?
Conan: They've traveled with Malia and me for a bit. Daniel spent the summer with us in France, and I've been doing that loop for a while, so I try to pass on some information. I'm definitely not the super old guy, but I think I can help when Daniel gets bummed or if he's losing heats. He's just figuring it out.
Malia: Conan has helped Daniel out a lot. Daniel just likes to surf, but he's not a wheeler or dealer. He's not a businessman. Conan shows him you have to take a little responsibility and plan. It's Daniel's time to get weeded out. He can either sit on the North Shore, or he can go on tour or he can go on surf trips, but he's gotta decide.
Daniel Jones: Conan's just like another older brother. He knows a lot and he gives good advice.
Malia: Because Conan started so early, he feels like Daniel should be snapping to it (laughs). But Daniel's not so snappy. He's learning and he's got us watching over him.

Conan, in a SURFER profile six years ago, you said, "All dreams can come true." Do you feel that all your dreams came true?
Conan: When you're a kid, you surf everyday and you want to be a pro surfer. You look up to guys, and then all of a sudden you open your eyes and you're sitting and surfing next to them, hanging out with them. That's a weird transition, going from being a kid to being that guy. As you go along you set goals for yourself and as you achieve some, you set more. Goals are probably dreams, right? So, throughout life you're realizing your dreams. One of my dreams was having my own clothing company. I think that was my partner Pat Tenore's dream as well. Now Pat and I have RVCA [pronounced "rookah"].
Malia: To get to this point, we have just done what we love. As long as we keep doing that we will find a way to make it continue. For Conan, having a company and supporting kids who want to surf enables him to put a lot back into the sport. It's not just for selfish reasons, it's to make a difference.

How did you and your partner Pat meet and when did you decide to start RVCA?
Conan: Pat's gonna laugh when he reads this, but he used to be a really good surfer. When he was about 15 and I was 13 he came to Hawaii and stayed with Shane Dorian here on the North Shore. I happened to be around and we hung out and surfed. For whatever reason, not long after that he quit surfing for a little while and I didn't see him. I went my way and he went his way and started designing clothes. We had a mutual friends and we ran back into each other about seven years ago and it evolved from there. It was really random.

Where did the name come from?
Conan: That was one of those late night things. We started in Pat's garage, just nights and nights and nights of coming up with stuff. We had the logo first and the V, which we use as a roman U, and the A. It was our yin and yang, a balance between industrialization and nature. Then we wanted a word that could incorporate into it. It had to be a short word. Finally we came up with RVCA. It works out kinda cool because everybody asks, "What is RVCA?" They mispronounce it all day long, but it gives people something to talk about.

A lot of people forget you're a former World Championship Tour surfer. Are surf contests still important to you?
Conan: For my group of peers, our major goal was to be in the Top 16 and all of us realized that goal. There was a time after that, when contests didn't matter as much, but now that the venues are so good, that may change. The conditions at every contest last year were incredible and that was the first time I was really bummed not to be on tour. I made it through the trials in Tahiti and that's an important event for me. I gave up my 'CT spot too easily because it got monotonous, but now I really want to get back. And I want to fully focus on that. It's going to be a really busy year for me. I'm planning to leave home pretty soon and not come back till next winter.

So you're aiming to qualify for the tour again?
Conan: I think it's important that I get back on. At this stage in my life that would be a good move.

You mentioned the transition from aspiring pro surfer to pro surfer. Do you think that feeling was the same for Malia, Mikala and Daniel, having basically grown up at Rocky Point where they constantly had famous pro surfers in their backyard?
Conan: Maybe it's different because they've seen it since they could walk. Their dad John's a surf photographer and they were always around pro surfers as kids. It might seem a little more natural transition for them.

X-DANCE NEWS, INFO

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:32 +0000

We are pleased to announce the THIRD ANNUAL X-DANCE FESTIVAL, a mind-blowing celebration of actions sports culture, film, music and video games.

The festival will be held in Park City, Utah on January 18-22, 2003, once again coinciding with the Sundance Film Festival. Located at Harry O's, the centerpiece of Main Street, the festival will include:

Screenings of top action sports film, including several world premieres

Open forums after each screening with filmmakers and featured athletes

Demos of the hottest action sports video games in our Gaming Lounge

Filmmaker panels on action sports-related topics such as music licensing, the importance of story, & raising $$$

Opening Party with DJs and Giveaways

Awards Ceremony and Closing Party with broadcast partner at Harry O's nightclub where industry stars and celebrities join bands and DJs to celebrate the best in action sports filmmaking and video games

European Surfing's Oily Apocalypse

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:32 +0000

European Surfing's Oily Apocalypse

Going Down? The Prestige--Not Living Up to It's Name.

By Chris Dixon

While CNN, FOX AN MSNBC beat the drums of Apocalypse with Iraq, on the beaches of France and Spain, the Apocalypse has been happening since last November. Here in the states, we haven't heard as much about the Prestige tanker disaster as we should have, and so in the interest of letting surfers know what's really going on, here's an interview with Jaques Beall. Beall is a principle with both Quiksilver and Surfrider Europe. Like most European surfers, he has watched with dismay and growing anger as an unprecedented swath of beaches from northern Portugal to northern France and now the southern UK have all been sullied by oil.

Chris Dixon: Jaques, what's the situation now on the European coast?

Jaques Beall: Well, the worst part is in Spain -- the Gallacian coast. We also got a lot of oil in France last month. And they've started to open some beaches near Bordeaux. So it's slowly improving here. There's not as much left in the sea in front of the French coast as month ago.

CD: We heard that you had a series of storms that pushed the oil ashore in France.

JB: We got very rough weather for weeks and they couldn't get anything out of the sea with pumps, so it all came to the coast.

With these storms, the slicks got broken into tiny pieces and so near the coast you'll have lots of very small pieces of oil, about the size of your hand. So it's very difficult, almost impossible to work with. What we hope is that there won't be anymore big slicks.

The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:33 +0000

Waimea Bay, Oahu. (NYSE:ZQK) The opening ceremonies of The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, or "The Eddie" as it has come to be known among surfing's elite, will be held at Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu on December 3, 2002. As part of these ceremonies, Quiksilver will officially re-name its Quiksilver Boardriders Club Store in Waikiki on Kuhio to "The Eddie Aikau Quiksilver Boardriders Club" in honor of the event's namesake.

Renowned for attracting members of the surfing community from all corners of the world, the Eddie Aikau Quiksilver Boardriders Club store will open with its new name on December 5, 2002. Additionally, author Stuart Holmes Coleman will be at the store to sign copies of "Eddie Would Go," a biography of Eddie's life.

Launched by Quiksilver in 1986 to honor the legendary Hawaiian waterman Eddie Aikau, "The Eddie" gathers the most skillful and dynamic big-wave surfers from around the world. The 48 invitees are handpicked by a collection of influential and experienced watermen. The waiting period for the one-day event will be from December 5, 2002 until February 28, 2003. The event, which has crowned a champion five times over the past 16 years, requires a minimum of 20-foot surf and offers winners $50,000 - one of the sport's richest cash prizes.

"The Eddie is synonymous with surfing tradition. The Opening Ceremony is incredible - hundreds of respected surfers gather to pay tribute to one of Hawaii's greatest watermen," said Taylor Whisenand, Director of Marketing at Quiksilver. "Crowds descend onto Waimea Bay creating a natural amphitheater with amazing energy. When it goes, there is no event in surfing quite like it. We hope this winter makes for three consecutive years in a row."

O'BRIEN RIGHT AT HOME

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:33 +0000

Monday, February 24, 2003 (Honolulu, HAWAII) -- Pipeline local Jamie O'Brien reached the peak of his 19-year-old life today, winning the Hansen's Energy Pro in potentially deadly 15-25 foot waves at Pipeline. 'Energy' was the name of the game and a pre-requisite for survival as the final four rounds of competition were held in some of the most breath-taking, yet life-threatening conditions ever contested at Pipeline. But it was O'Brien's combination of local knowledge and ability to maintain composure and tube-riding form under extreme stress that saw him take the victory. O'Brien earned $7,000 and 750 points towards the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings - a great start to his campaign to qualify for the elite World Championship Tour this year.

The 35-minute final was an all-Hawaiian affair, second place going to defending event champion Bruce Irons (Kauai, $3,500), third to Joel Centeio (Haleiwa, $2,500), and fourth to Jamie Sterling (Haleiwa, $2,000). The highest placed non-Hawaiian was Laguna Beach, CA., surfer Mike Todd, who placed third in the semi-finals behind Irons and Centeio for a final position of equal fifth place. The highest placed international surfers, making it to the quarter finals, were Damon Harvey (Australia, =9th), and Andrew King (Australia), Josh Fuller (Australia), and Blair Stewart (New Zealand), all equal 13th.

Glory came at a price today and no-one escaped Pipeline unscathed. The waves were thrilling to watch but bordered on unrideable at times as they feathered from way out on the second and third reefs. Every surfer charged and the outcome was either the take-off and tube-ride of a lifetime, or a wipeout that could only be compared to having a three story building collapse on you. The surfers unanimously agreed that today was one of the heaviest days of surfing ever at the Pipeline. Laguna's Mike Todd put it best: "If there wasn't a contest on, I wouldn't be surfing out there." To his credit, Todd made the drop into some the scariest and biggest waves of the day - like nothing you would ever see in a lifetime at Laguna.

The final was a summary of all that Pipeline was today. There were plenty of cavernous tubes, more than a few giant close-outs, and enough horrific wipeouts to raise the blood pressure and heart rate of every spectator that packed the beach.

Jamie Sterling charged into the first wave of the 35-minute final, pushing top gear as he had done all day. He hurtled vertically down a 20-foot face of blue, cranked a turn at the bottom and lifted into a huge barrel that closed out in a wall of whitewater for four points out of 10. The crowd was on their feet as Sterling took set wave after set on his head and ended up near shore. Then came the top exchange of the heat. Bruce Irons stressed out the crowd as he opted for a 10-foot wave at Backdoor Pipe (the right-handers). The rights were breaking in less than three feet of water and Bruce had to make it out of the barrel to avoid injury. He disappeared for three seconds then shot out in a mist of spray for a score of 8.5 points. No sooner had Irons emerged than O'Brien came flying down the face of a 12-footer, stalled at the bottom and pulled up into a tube that was as wide as it was high. O'Brien sat deep inside, arms outstretched and exited cleanly for 9.5 points. Centeio made a couple of breath-taking drops but was unable to find the tube-rides. After that each surfer scored major respect but only low scores as they took off on giant set waves of up to 25 feet that either offered little after the take-off or ended in disaster. Irons took off with just 15 seconds to go in a last ditch attempt to overtake O'Brien, but instead hurtled head-first into one of the worst close-out sections of the day. As the wave barreled over him, he appeared to be standing in a huge room that imploded. Somehow he surfaced unhurt.

"That was the future right there," said O'Brien after the final. "Everyone in their 20's (O'Brien is 19) and all of us were charging in huge Pipe. This is the best day of my life. This was one of the heaviest days of Pipe and it's been incredible. I don't even know what else to say. From here, I'm off to Australia and I hope to qualify this year for the World Championship Tour."

Jamie Sterling summed it up in one sentence: "I've had so many amazing rides today that in my mind it has just turned into one big barrel."

Sterling was one of just three surfers to post perfect 10 point rides today. It was in his semi-final that he dropped into one of the biggest tube-rides of the day and rode deep inside for four seconds before shooting out with white-water that then sent him into a high-speed cartwheel. The other two surfers to post 10's were Marcus Hickman (Haleiwa) in the quarters, and Evan Valiere in round four. Valiere earned special recognition today, posting the highest heat score in that round with 18 points out of 20, and winning a special award for being the surfer who charged the most fearlessly throughout the event. He experienced the best and the worst of Pipeline with a perfect 10, a handful of hideous wipeouts and broken surfboards.

Road to Maverick's

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:33 +0000

HOT SEAT: Wild Child Christian Fletcher

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:34 +0000

When we heard that San Clemente's aerial artist and skin-art canvas Christian Fletcher recently scored a speaking part in the new Charlie's Angels sequel and had since moved to Hollywood we were shocked. But can you imagine our surprise when we learned that this son of a beach had actually had moved to Hollywood and Vine before he got his big break? Sure, anyone who's seen Fletcher surf lately will attest that the Wild One still has his aerial chops. But the transition from Trestles to Tinseltown? Obviously, major grounds for a searing on the HOT SEAT.

SURFER: Christian, you grew up on Cotton's Point, a surfer's dream. Why Hollywood?

CHRISTIAN FLETCHER: Well, Orange County sucks, especially after dark. There's nothing to do down there at all. Plus my girlfriend lives up here.

But do really enjoy living there?

Yeah, it's cool up here because I can leave my house and not run into every f--king loser I knew growing up. I like not knowing anybody. I live in a little Jewish community and nobody talks to me, so it's perfect.

So this Charlie's Angels gig, does that kind of stuff just happen naturally when you live up there?

No (laughs), actually I have a publicist and she lined it up for me.

A publicist? You?

Yup.

Wow, you really have gone Hollywood.

Design Forum - Rusty

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:35 +0000

Rusty Surfboards

Shaper: Bill Johnson
Length & Design: 6'1 Hobgood Model
Nose: 10.85
Width: 18.5
Tail: 14.5
Thickness: 2.25

Phone: 858-578-0414
Fax: 858-578-0603
Email: service@rustysurfboards.com
Website: www.rustysurfboards.com

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Parker McNaughton
Action Sports Group
949-661-5192
E-mail: parker.mcnaughton@primedia.com

Design Forum - Bamboo Surfboards

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:35 +0000

Bamboo Surfboards Australia

Shaper: Stewart Pontin
6' 7" Rounded Square
Nose: 10 3/4"
Width: 18 1/2"
Tail: 14"
Thickness: 2 3/8"

Phone: 011-612-66-856-804 (Australia)
Fax: 011-612-66-856-257 (Australia)
E-mail: info@bamboosurfboards.com.au
Website: www.bamboosurfboards.com

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Michael Story
Action Sports Group
949-661-5165
E-mail: michael.story@primedia.com

Oneworld Older Stories

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:35 +0000

New Coastal Drilling Blocked
White House defeat: Federal appeals court upholds a decision that a state panel must review environmental hazards

Newhall Says It Has Enough Water
The developer is criticized for relying on a private company for some of the supply.

Lengthy Talks to Preserve Hearst Ranch Collapse
The landowner says it has entered negotiations with a different environmental partner.

Spain battles to save coast from new oil spill
A huge new wave of fuel oil heading towards the northwest coast from the sunken tanker Prestige

Expanding Beyond Snow Business
Mammoth Mountain Seeks to Sprawl the Eastern Sierra

Endangered Fly Stalls Some California Projects
The Delhi Sands fly spends its two days of life sipping nectar and mating in the local sand dunes.

Firm Under Fire Over Wildflowers
Newhall Land destroyed swaths of endangered spineflowers at a development site.

BLM urges 30-year extension for Alaska pipeline
Aging Pipeline Gets Another Three Decades

California mayor, council at loggerheads over scooter
Is San Francisco Ready for the Segway People Mover?
First Flush' Dirties Ocean
Urban runoff from season's inaugural storm leads to warnings of high bacteria levels.

NYTimes: As Bowmen Hunt, Surfers Feel Like Targets
Bowhunters Off the IB Pier?

Bill Introduced to Establish Tres Palmas Marine Reserve
Surfrider and Local Residents Stage a Coup

Scottish whisky island to run wave-powered bus
World's first bus to be powered by wave-generated electricity

Saddleback OKd for Development
O.C. supervisors approve 283 homes on ranchland. If you surf from Doheny to Trestles, kiss the clean water goodbye.

NYTimes: A Group Links Fuel Economy to Religion
What Would Jesus Drive?

Environmental Group No Longer a Natural
Ventura: Citizens to Preserve the Ojai's loss of a ballot measure last week may reflect a dislike of its evolving tactics.

Whaling renegades resume hunt
Japan sets sights on 400 whales

Save The Shark - UN body may shield whale sharks.
Overhunting of the world's biggest fish.

UN body shields basking and whale sharks
Tightened fishing restrictions on the world's two largest types of fish, basking and whale sharks

It's Not Easy to 'Fix' Nature
Biologists wonder if Bolsa Chica efforts will work.

US Navy can test sonar in limited area
The U.S. Navy may temporarily test a new underwater sonar system in a much smaller area than originally planned

Design Forum - Alexander Surf

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:35 +0000

Alexander Surfboards

Length & Design: 6' 6"-7' 6"
Gemini No. 5 Speed Freak
Pat.#D410-515
Designed for: 6' 10' Hollow down the line surf.
Width: 18"-19 1/2
Thickness: 2 1/8"-3 1/8"
Glassing: Java Glass
Shaper: Jeff Alexander
Airbrush: Jeff Alexander

Available at: Salt Water Majic, IB; Mitch's, La Jolla, Solana; Inland Surf Shop, OB; Wise Surfboards, San Francisco; Humbolt Surf Co., Humbolt Orcidland, HI; SFO, Hawaii, Oahu; Japan

Phone: 619-263-2818
Website: www.alexandersurfboards.com

• read more

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Michael Story
Action Sports Group
949-661-5165
E-mail: michael.story@primedia.com

PWC Ban: What Really Happened

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:35 +0000

A TASK FORCE MEMBER RESPONDS: PWC Ban Inevitable? NOT!
by John Donaldson

I read with interest your well-written article about the status of the tow-in surfing situation in Monterey Bay NMS.

(But) you rely way too much on Doug Ardley's (Surfer's Environmental Alliance) spin as to what happened. The blame (for tow-in surfing consensus falling apart) lies squarely at the feet of Doug Ardley and Susan Danielson (Save Our Shore).

Let me explain.

In the March meeting, Peter Mel made a masterful presentation of what the tow-in surfing at Maverick's is all about. He drew lines on the nautical charts. He talked about the numbers of people involved. He addressed the need to establish some sort of qualifying process, acknowledged the need for enforcement if regulations were enacted and gracefully agreed to a draft idea to pay for the administration and enforcement, costs that would come down on the tow-in community exclusively.

To my way of thinking, Peter Mel was the master of diplomacy. He never got defensive, never got rattled by the nit-picking of the vehement and tenacious anti-tow in folks, and was willing to sacrifice tow-in anywhere else along the 50 miles stretch of MBNMS to save the sport at Maverick's. At the end of the day on March 23rd (meeting #3) there was mostly optimistic head nodding around the table. Peter certainly appeared to have carried the day.

Fast forward to the next, most recent and last meeting, April 22.

One item of contention--the group could not agree--was on the definition of a motorized PWC. The anti-PWC group, including Mr. Ardley, were insistent that the definition be so broad so as to include any motorized vessel that could ever be used to facilitate tow-in surfing. Ardley's intent was never stated, but it was as clear as a 20' wave at Maverick's.

Opposing this quest for an all inclusive, leave no possible boat unexamined, approach were such died-in-the-wool PWC advocates as the US Coast Guard, the Recreational Boater of California [RBOC--the sail boat and marina crowd] and the Harbor Masters from Moss Landing and Half Moon Bay. As a representative of PWC, I did not have to say a word to block a consensus. Admittedly, I said I would abstain from any all-inclusive definition.

So without a consensus of what a MPWC was, we moved forward.

Then the surprise of surprises.

When we were individually polled on the tow-in surfing scheme, on which there had been general agreement in the previous workshop, Doug Ardley and Susan Danielson voted for no consensus.

Then Doug launched into a mantra stating that he had been initially supportive of a complete ban on tow-in surfing but that he had compromised. However now, without compromise on the definition of a PWC, he could not support the plans for Mavericks.

There was instant drama when Ardley made that pronouncement. The RBOC rep, Russ Robinson, immediately interrupted and said that if Ardley was going to hold other issues hostage to an agreement on a MPWC definition, then he, Russ, was through - that the whole process was a railroad job and had wasted everyone's time. Russ was gathering up his papers and clearly getting ready to depart.

Now Russ is a guy who is not prone, I don't think, to explosions of exasperation. But his perception of Ardley's intransigence had pushed him over the edge.

I might add that there seemed to be looks of agreement on the faces of the harbor master contingency, the Coast Guard and a few others.

The NOAA folks clucked and cooed. The members of the Sanctuary Advisory Council who were present had sort of emergency conferencing out of our hearing. And that was the end of consensus seeking on the tow-in surfing.

I can unequivocally say that I, representing the PWC industry, and the guy representing the PWC owners, never once took any position on the tow-in proposals. The derailment of the process is completely in the court of Doug Ardley and the Save Our Shores people.

You might try to find out why Susan Danielson (SOS) was in general agreement in March, and then totally blindsided Peter Mel and the Mav's consensus in April. I believe someone in her organization or one of the organization sponsors gave her new orders in the month between meetings.

Good luck finding that out.

I have NO stake regarding the surf tow-in issues. I said, more than once in the course of the four workshop sessions, that the people who wanted to deal with the tow-in issue should go lock themselves in a room and not come out until they had a consensus. I would not block consensus regarding tow-in surfing.

John Donaldson - Personal Water Craft Industry Association

email Scott Bass - scott.bass@primedia.com

Heal The Bay Report Card

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:36 +0000

"The Beach Bummers" Twenty beaches statewide received an F grade in the 2002-2003 Beach Report Card. The ten worst "Beach Bummers" in California are:

1. Doheny Beach (Orange County)
2. Mission Bay (San Diego County)
3. Pacific Beach at P.B Point (San Diego County)
4. Baby Beach at Dana Point Harbor (Orange County)
5. Channel Island Harbor, Hobie Beach at Lakeshore Dr. (Ventura County)
6. Campbell Cove State Park Beach at Bodega Bay (Sonoma County)
7. Cabrillo Beach, harborside at lifeguard tower (Los Angeles County)
8. Capitola Beach, west of jetty (Santa Cruz County)
9. East Beach at Mission Creek (Santa Barbara County)
10. Surfrider Beach, Malibu (LA County)

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 21, 2003) - Heal the Bay released its 2002-2003 annual Beach Report Card today, assigning an A to F letter grade to over 300 California beaches based on their level of bacterial pollution. The Beach Report Card, a comprehensive evaluation of coastal water quality in California, is based on both daily and weekly samples gathered at beaches from Sonoma County to the Mexican border.

By assessing fecal bacteria levels, and making this information available to the public, the Beach Report Card is designed to protect the public health of the more than 100 million people who visit California's beaches. Local health agencies complete routine monitoring of the beaches and analyze water samples for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources, including fecal waste. Beach Report Card weekly and annual updates are available at www.healthebay.org.

A poor grade means beachgoers who visit these beaches face a higher risk of contracting illnesses, such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and skin rashes, than swimmers at cleaner beaches.

"Heal the Bay is pleased that dry weather water quality results were generally positive this year, in part because of runoff diversions and other projects that minimize urban runoff," said Heal the Bay Executive Director Dr. Mark Gold. "Of all the water quality monitoring locations throughout the state, 85 percent received good to excellent grades in dry weather, resulting in the best year-to-date for California beaches. Over the years, we've found that in dry weather most beaches get good grades."

Heal the Bay also studied the impact a beach's location has on water quality. In Southern California, 88 percent of "open ocean beaches" received "A" grades in dry weather compared to only 44 percent of beaches in enclosed bays, harbors, or marinas, and 71 percent of beaches near a storm drain.

"There are some beaches, predominately those in enclosed areas or adjacent to storm drains or creeks, that even in dry weather consistently get poor grades," said Dr. Gold. "Fortunately, despite the state's economic slowdown, Governor Gray Davis, Assemblymember Fran Pavley, and California voters continue to make beach water quality at these problem beaches a priority for the state.

"As we've learned, rain rinses pollution off the streets and into the gutter, where it flushes directly to the ocean. Most beaches get poor grades in wet weather because not enough has been done statewide to reduce this problem. This year, for example, 63 percent of the beaches monitored in wet weather got "F" grades."

Some of the beaches that made Heal the Bay's Beach Bummers list are also some of the most popular, including East Beach at Mission Creek in Santa Barbara County, Surfrider Beach in Los Angeles County, Cabrillo Beach (harborside) in Los Angeles County, Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz County, and Doheny Beach in Orange County. All but two of the statewide finalists are in Southern California.

"The public deserves access to the water quality information that will help them make informed decisions about where to take their families swimming," said Dr. Aliza Lifshitz, physician and author. "Heal the Bay's Beach Report Card helps families understand which beaches they can visit without fear of contracting the stomach flu, a respiratory infection, or worse."

Heal the Bay, founded in 1985, is dedicated to making Santa Monica Bay and Southern California coastal waters safe and healthy again for people and marine life. It is one of the largest nonprofit environmental organizations in Los Angeles County, with more than 10,000 members. The organization, funded by government grants, corporate sponsorships and member donations, focuses on education, outreach, research and advocacy and annually produces programs and events, including Adopt-A-Beach, Bay Days, the Beach Report Card and Coastal Cleanup Day. Beach Report Card weekly and annual updates are available at www.healthebay.org

3220 Nebraska Avenue
Santa Monica CA 90404
Phone: (310) 453 0395
Facsimile: (310) 453 7297
www.healthebay.org

WATER LEVEL

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:37 +0000

I'm a North Shore lifeguard in Hawaii. That means I'm actually a civil service employee. Tax status SR19, Step I: that's $44,400 a year, $3,700 a month, $170.80 a day or $21.35 an hour--that's before state and federal taxes, health and dental-plan deductions, union dues and retirement-plan contributions. This in the state with the highest cost of living in the country. Travel and vacations are expensive luxury items. There are no photo or contest incentives. Homie don't get off the rock much.

So it's Thursday afternoon and I'm sitting at Honolulu International anxiously waiting for Hawaiian Airlines (running on a Hawaiian time) to whisk me to LAX. Get this: For the first time ever--and a full 20 years past my prime as a bodysurfing competitor--I'm going to compete in the 26th annual World Bodysurfing Championships in Oceanside. A benevolent company called Da Fin is covering my expenses...go figure. But with a little time to kill I call Solana Beach transplant, "retired" pro surfer and budding clothing entrepreneur Doug Silva looking for his sometimes traveling partner Kelly Slater's very private phone number. Figure we might cross paths on the Mainland.

Dougie delivered while casually mentioning the itinerary and roster for the latest Sumatran boat trip he booked, departing the very next Tuesday. I'm sick with envy. I've never been to Mexico much less Indo. But Doug's got a dilemma. Seems he and his girlfriend, Pili, have put a down a non-refundable chunk of change on a long-planned Las Vegas junket. Their relationship could use it. Of course it's right during the planned Indo adventure. I know they're big trunks to fill, but like a true friend I asked Dougie if I could help.

"Do you want me to go to Las Vegas with your girlfriend or take your slot on the mothership?"

A surf trip of a lifetime with a Cooperstown Hall of Fame cast of characters was dangled in front of me, and I already headed in the right direction. Not quite halfway there, but moving nonetheless. I chased it, crashed the party and got on board. My cell phone and Visa bills would vouch for both my tenacity and fiscal abandon.

I knew it was going to be worth every penny, and on a number of levels. Consider my shipmates: a group of the world's best surfers who've grown up in my backyard. From my seat in the tower at Pipeline, I've seen every one of these young men come into his power as a surfer--but have hardly seen them surf anywhere else.

As a bodysurfer, my perspective over the years has been more from water level than from the regular promo pack and surf media--I literally look up to all these guys, and enjoyed the proximity and the intimacy afforded by an exclusive boat trip to develop distinct impressions of each one.

Consider it my two-cent's worth. My last two cents.

SLATER
The kid is dialed in. But he's not a kid anymore. He's not new school or old school--he's president of the university. A couple of years off the tour, the recent death of his father--but he appears at ease, sort of. Those piercing eyes always seem to have tons going on behind them. Phone stuck in his ear, always looking out for an Internet connection. We mortals can only imagine his options. Rock stars and movie stars is one circle of friends. The boys on the boat is another. At airports, hotels and in the line-up I saw people falling all over themselves to have a photo of and/or with Kelly. I called them Slaterazzi. Imagine the patience and humility to put up with that.

SURF-A-PALOOZA MAR. 1-7

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:37 +0000

BLACK AND WHITE: For the past six years Erick Regnard and his twin brother Ian have been using black-and-white film to capture unique portraits of world-class surfers, high-profile personalities and world musicians. Their collection includes surfers Tom Carroll, Joel Tudor, Buffalo and Kahea Hart; international personalities Helena Christensen and music group Buena Vista Social Club among many others. But it was three years ago when a friend, looking through the photographs at the brothers' Tungsten studios Down Under, suggested they edit these photos for worldwide exhibit. The project slowly evolved and the result, "On Unfavorable Days" presented by REEF, is now touring select locations around the world.

One objective of the exhibit is to convey the feeling of contentment. "Most of these photographs reflect happiness," says Erick Regnard. "But it's not as simple as just having the subjects smile. I go after a contented look. It is something deeper than just a smile. It's a positive attitude that I go after. I try to wait for that moment to occur, and hopefully I can capture it."

Although the title seems at first a bit contradictory, it stems from the brothers' own knowledge of surfers and surfing, being born in Mauritius and spending their youth surfing the infamous Tamarin Bay. They realized early on that the best time to photograph portraits of surfers is when the waves are unfavorable.

The exhibit, which has already shown in Perth and finished up today in Hong Kong, has received wide acclaim.

"On Unfavorable Days" presented by REEF will be showing in New York City at the Edward Carter Gallery from June 6 to July 5.

Gallery Address:
4th Floor, 560 Broadway
Soho
New York, NY 10012
1 212 966 1933

YOGA PART DEUX: Peggy Hall is pimping her latest VHS effort Yoga for Surfers II Fluid Power Yoga. And coming soon from the limber Hall, YFS III Xtreme Yoga to help you stay fit, focused, and fearless! YFS III should be available late this year.

MUNRO DOUBLES UP QUIK TRIALS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:37 +0000

Quiksilver & Roxy Pro

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) www.aspworldtour.com2003 World Championship Tour (WCT)

Munro Wins Quiksilver Pro Trials

(Snapper Rocks, QLD, Australia) Defending Quiksilver Pro Trials champion Luke Munro (Gold Coast, Aus) today proved superior for the second consecutive year, earning a wildcard spot into the US$250,000 World Championship Tour (WCT) main event. Earlier an official press launch held on-site welcomed all competitors and kicked off the 2003 Quiksilver & Roxy Pro in style.

Munro, 20, fended off 11 other hopefuls to advance through the Quiksilver Pro Trials. Despite being the last surfer to qualify for the four-man final after a count back on his accumulative round-robin scores, the defending champ found form during the 30-minute decider. Having posted an 8.75 near the start, he kept closest rival Will Lewis at bay, as well as fellow Australians Todd Prestage and Ry Craike, respectively. He now faces reigning world champion Andy Irons (Haw) and Lee Winkler (Aus) in one of the most anticipated first round heats.

"It doesn't really feel two in a row, but more like I'm back to where I want to be," said Munro, on defending his title. "I wish there could have been two wildcards as Will is pretty much the best out at Snapper. I can't say how good he surfs out here, but to beat him is great.

"It's a year down the track and my surfing has changed," he continued. "Hopefully it will reflect in my heats. Last year I took it way too seriously and ended up not surfing how I would have liked, but this year I'll hopefully stay relaxed and enjoy myself. I'm stoked going up against Andy. I can't wait."

Five-time world champion Layne Beachley (Aus) was on hand to express her desire of getting 'back to work' in the Roxy Pro. The driven competitor entered the record books last year by becoming the first women to amass more than four world titles, though has her sights set even higher in 2003.

"It's the best place to start the world tour, here in Australia at Snapper," began Beachley. "It's fabulous Roxy have picked up the first event of the year and I'm looking forward to getting back to work. I've told everyone that I want to win six world titles, but I'm not putting the pressure or expectations on myself that I have over the past five years. There's going to be a lot of challenges this year, so it's going to be a tough season."

Four-time world champion Lisa Andersen (USA) is the dark horse of the Roxy Pro, having been granted the wildcard spot. She faces Beachley and 2002 WQS champion Pauline Menczer (Aus) first up, but is happy just to be included.

"I didn't know I was getting a wildcard until just a few weeks ago," admitted Andersen. "Out of any of the contests I'd probably rather be in this one as the waves are so fun. I'm stoked to be part of the event and am amping to surf."

The Quiksilver & Roxy Pro will be based at Snapper Rocks from tomorrow, March 4th through to the 16th, and being mobile means they will utilize the best surf between North Stradbroke Is, Qld and Ballina in Northern NSW during the allotted waiting period. A decision will be made each morning by 7am (local time) as to the day's schedule, with details posted soon after.

Quiksilver Pro Fiji 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:39 +0000

Official Results of the 2003 Quiksilver Pro

1st Andy Irons (Haw) 19.0 - US$30,000
2nd Cory Lopez (USA) 13.83 - US$16,000

June 3, 2003 (Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji) Reigning world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw) today claimed his second event title this year by defeating Cory Lopez (FL, USA) in the final of the Quiksilver Pro. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced with quarterfinals this morning, ran right through semifinals and then climaxed with the grand finale.

Perfect 6-8 ft (2-2.5m) waves were on offer at Cloudbreak. Boat loads of spectators came out to watch from the lineup, while thousands more logged onto www.quiksilver.com for the live audio and video broadcast.
WCT Top 10 (after Fiji)

1. Andy Irons (Haw) 3,600-points
2. Mick Fanning (Aus) 2,964
3. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 2,940
=4. Joel Parkinson (Aus); Taj Burrow (Aus); Cory Lopez (USA) 2,724
7. Kelly Slater (USA) 2,688
8. CJ Hobgood (USA) 2,676
9. Dean Morrison (Aus) 2,640
10. Shea Lopez (USA) 2,424

Irons flew into Fiji equal first on the ratings following his earlier win at Bells Beach Australia, and remained the clear favorite throughout the Quiksilver Pro. Having posted the first perfect 10-point ride during round three, the 24-year-old continued his devastating backhand attack to reach the final day. Despite creasing his favorite surfboard and being plagued by sea lice this morning, he shook it off like a true champion, collecting another perfect 10 first ride of his quarterfinal clash.

Once in the 35-minute final, the Kauaian set an early pace with another deep tube and 9.0 score. Soon after he posted his and the event's third perfect 10, creating the highest combined total of the tournament (19 out of a possible 20-points) and a daunting score for Lopez to try to match. He ultimately couldn't, and Irons earned an 8th WCT career win, extended his lead on this year's ratings and pocketed US$30,000 prizemoney.

"It feels amazing," began Irons, after being showered in beer by fellow contestants on the marshalling boat. "It hasn't all sunk in yet, but I'm super happy and it was really cool to be in the final with one of my best friends. I travel with Cory all year. He and I were just laughing at each other out there. I've surfed against him my whole life, so it's just amazing. We'll be talking about this when we're old.

"I've never done well here before," he continued, "It was a big goal of mine just to make a few rounds. Every heat I was getting more momentum, and before I knew it I was in the final and got two huge scores before Cory had his first. I'm really stoked and it worked out perfectly. Dream come true for sure.

"Last year was amazing," he added. "It's another season and this is definitely a good start. I've had two ninths and two firsts now, but we've got so many events left still. I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch. I'll be going to Japan (next WCT - Niijima Quiksilver Pro, June 18-28) psyched and will be going for it. I'm just enjoying my world title year, and it's been a good one so far."

Lopez - who finished equal third last year in the Quiksilver Pro - went one better by making the final against his roommate on Tavarua Island. Having eliminated Irons in round four of the previous event in Tahiti, the Floridian wasn't able to do likewise at Cloudbreak today. His best score in the final was a 7.5 and he ultimately required a combination of rides worth 11.5-points. Rated 11th prior to Fiji, the 26-year-old moved into equal 4th position on the current standings.

"It was just the luck of the waves," reasoned Lopez afterwards. "I'd go the first wave and it would look like a sick one, but then the second wave would end up being way better. He's a great surfer and any wave he gets he's going to turn it into an excellent score. Congratulations to him. He's probably the best backside surfer around and he definitely smoked me out there (laughs). I wish I could have gotten out of a combination situation to keep a little pride, but the waves went flat there at the end.

"I'm stoked with second though," he added. "It's great and I'll definitely take it any day. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year. I love Tavarua and this is a great wave. Stoked on Quiksilver for having an event here."

Egoscue Training Method

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:39 +0000

So you had a good winter surfing your local spots and you think you're in shape, and that may be the case--relatively. It's time to step it up a few notches as the Egoscue Sports Camp is about to kick into gear.

Named after author and famed physical trainer Pete Egoscue, the intense exercise regimen he created, based on muscloskeletal focus or proper alignment, is a proven discipline to improve longevity, strength and endurance. Apart from football, tennis and basketball players, Eli Mirandon and Austin Ware, both North County professional surfers, swear by the program. "I feel physically stronger and less prone to injury," says Ware. "I work on muscles I don't use while surfing, so it's also a great type of cross-training."

The Camp, running from June 23 to July 18 in Del Mar, involves two daily workouts in different locations, but its headline feature is "The Patch," a strenuous obstacle course built primarily from logs for lunging, leaping and balancing.

Whatever your activity, realizing there's always room to improve is key for motivation. And getting involved with the Egoscue Method will help you actualize your maximum potential. For more information, call 1-800-995-8434 or online at egoscue.com.

Hansen's Pro Highlights...and Lowlights.

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:39 +0000

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broadband HANSENS PRO HIGHLIGHTS

X-It Strategy

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:40 +0000

It seems like the surf zone at Huntington Beach has always been an extreme place. But on August 9 the Olympics of action sports and the veritable leaseholder on "X-tremeness," ESPN's X-Games, will offer a whole new type of radical to the H.B. pier's line-up. Brad Gerlach's National Surf League and its unconventional team-surfing contest format, The Game, has been added to the ninth annual X-Games roster.

Gerlach's Game is divided into four 20-minute quarters played by two teams of eight. For the X-Games debut, the East and West Coasts of America will square off led by coaches Matt Kechele and Mike Parsons respectively. According to Gerlach, Parsons is hoping to recruit Pat O'Connell, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Shane Beschen, Tim Curran and Bobby Martinez or Chris Ward for his team. Kechele's dream roster includes Kelly Slater, Ben Bourgeois, C.J. and Damien Hobgood and Cory and Shea Lopez. To round out the total, four wildcards will be brought in and assigned to teams on a lottery. Initial candidates for that spot are Taj Burrow, Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and Shane Dorian.

Unfortunately, 12 of the 16 aforementioned surfers compete on the World Championship Tour, and they need approval from the Association of Surfing Professionals in order to compete, something it seems certain factions at the ASP aren't too excited about. The X-Games event, based on a completely different format than the ASP's traditional heat structure, may eclipse the WCT's audience with previous X-Games television viewership exceeding 100 million homes. Ultimately, the success or failure of The Game, particularly on television, will impact the viability of ASP surfing and will have enormous repercussions with current ASP stakeholders and endemic surf companies like Billabong and Quiksilver.

"In a perfect world there would be some spirit of cooperation between the ASP, ESPN, the surfers and the companies that sponsor them," said ex-ASP head and current Billabong vice president of marketing Graham Stapelberg. "It's not rocket science," he continued, acknowledging the mass marketing benefits of the X-Games. "Both skateboarding and snowboarding have benefited immensely."

??(Tone of the surfers were available for comment, almost all of them have previously embraced The Game wholeheartedly, as demonstrated in a National Surf League event held at Cardiff Reef in San Diego last winter where teams and spectators poured in.

The X-Games Game will run August 9, 2003, on the south side of Huntington Beach Pier. The contest will run sometime in the early morning and will take three to three-and-a-half hours to complete. Television coverage will be aired in four to eight segments between August 16 and 22 on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.

Stay tuned here on Surfermag.com and in SURFER Magazine for further developments.

Surf-A-Palooza Mar. 7-14

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:40 +0000

DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER!: I'm convinced. The WCT is not only good, it's great. The level of surfing is nothing short of magnificent. The locations are world-class. The athletic performances are exceptional. Most importantly, it has a legitimate, albeit unspoken, rivalry. Similar to the glory days of MP vs. everyone or MR vs. Horan or Curren vs. Occy, a well-shaped rivalry has formed on the 'CT. Unfortunately, not everybody knows about it, so I'm gonna blow it open right now: Irons vs. Slater. That's right, Irons vs. Slater. Nurtured properly, the ASP could have its very own Ali vs. Frazier: A heavyweight contest of unequaled appeal.

Former six-time world champion Kelly Slater is again committed this year to a full tour of events. Last year's anti-climactic comeback-turned-sour due to, among other things, the death of his father, and his off-again, on-again disdain for the ASP judging. But now he's back, and he is, for the first time since world title numero uno, the underdog. This fact alone spices things up considerably. Especially knowing how ultra-competitive Slater is. The newest world champion, Andy Irons, who for the first time in almost a decade has knocked Slater from atop the Surfer Poll Awards, reigns number-one in the world--in more ways than one. By the way, over the duration of his career, Irons is the only 'CT surfer to boast a winning record versus Slater.

Now the "bro"manship on tour is disgusting--way beyond placating. Tour pros are mealy-mouthed. The ASP would be wise to foster more heart-felt disgust among its competitors. The pros are quoted explaining how they like each other's style or how great each other's bottom turn is...blah, blah, blah. Please, somebody, anybody, publicly acknowledge your foe has hideous style or a slow cutback. I long for the day when one of the ASP press releases is titled "Slater Calls Irons Soft." It doesn't matter if the contention is true. The public longs for good guys and bad guys. Bring back Richie Collins. He spoke his mind and his style was hideous! But I digress.

Quite honestly, Andy and Kelly may very well like each other. Respect? No doubt. But it seems like there may be some hidden tension in the water. It's all speculation on my part of course. But after watching these two scrap and claw at each other during their Pipe Masters' heats over the last two years, me thinks there is, at the very least, an underlying competitive distrust. And this is a good thing. A very good thing.

The tour does not lack in talent, or in depth. The 'CT offers cream to go along with the Irons/Slater caffeine. Parko, Taj and Mick Fanning continue to elevate their surfing, both figuratively and literally. Others rise to the top as well. There are tour stalwarts like Occy and Luke Egan who can recycle the steepest of shoulders with their blazing gouges. Kieren Perrow and Dean Morrison lead the charge of young, confident swashbucklers in the deep end of the pool. Tour officials would be wise to nurture any potential rivalry that pops up.

The real beauty of the Tour is the tour. The 'CT takes the world's best professional surfers to world-class venues--The Gold Coast, Bells, J-Bay, Tavarua, Teahupoo, etc., etc. The Allentown Pro is long gone, thankfully relegated to our surfing subconscious along with scalloped-leg Quiksilver's and mauve Zinka. Luckily, we won't have to see Irons vs. Slater grovel in "epic" Virginia Beach.

Now, I realize there are those of you who despise that concept of professional surfing. Surfing is not a sport, you argue, it's a lifestyle. And I not only understand your viewpoint, but in many respects I agree with you. For many of us, heat sheets, scaffolding, and media tents have nothing to do with our morning sessions, or our board choice, or our uncanny desire to plot out hurricane movement on the hour every hour--just as there are enthusiastic golfers who couldn't care less about Tiger Woods, and avid fisherman that don't follow the Bassmasters series. Surfing is personal. It is not professional. But for the people involved in, excited about, or even slightly intrigued by professional surfing, the WCT is, right now, about as good as it gets. And the Irons vs. Slater rivalry, if it plays out properly, will make it great.

"ANOTHER ROUND OF FOSTERS LADS, GRELLMAN'S SHOUT": The ASP today announced a "realignment of executive duties" which translated means somebody was getting overloaded with work while another was browsing the internet too much. Here's how the ASP executive chambers will run things moving forward. Bugs will be the President, Peter Whitaker CEO, and Richard Grellman the non-executive Chairman of the Board. Who's the new " Rivalaries Marketing Director"? C'mon, we're excited, keep the fire stoked.

THIS BEER IS RICH, AND SHARP: Did you know, the richest domestic surfing tour in American history hits the waves off Jacksonville Beach, Florida on March 20-22 with the Jax Beach Pro presented by Aqua East? The leadoff event of the 2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour is a 2-star. Hats off to Fosters. PT and all the powers that be, it's a start. Fact is the US Tour needs at least four 5-stars, but no one can afford to, or wants to, step up. And young 'QS surfers can't afford to travel all over the globe for 5-star and 6-star events. The ASP should address this. Here's my not-very-well-thought-out-off-the-top-of-my head idea: Each continent have a tour (such as the Fosters here in the US) and present ten surfers from said tour to compete in an event in Hawaii. This event would then seed the available 'CT spots each year. God I'm brilliant. Call me, I just though of a great lotto system too.

REEF BOOTIES

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:41 +0000

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Long Island's Beach Projects

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:41 +0000

A Conversation with Surfrider NYC's Rob Bailey

Long Island Secret Spot.
Photo Courtesy: Surfrider/Long Island

By Chris Dixon

In the mid-1980's, after the devastating Hurricane Gloria struck the coast of New York, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to study ways that such damage could be prevented in the future. The result of that study is today an $800 million-plus dollar plan that encompasses the entire coast of Long Island. The plan spends the bulk of its renourishment, artificial dunes, seawalls, groins and repairs to existing structures. It is also very controversial.

One part of the plan deals with an ambitious plan to completely remake the beach at Long Beach. A very popular surfing area that boasts some of the deepest barrels on the east coast, Long Beach would be heavily altered. The plan in Long Beach, for example would cost around $86 million. It would call for a new dune 15 feet above sea level along the entire back of the beach. (The existing boardwalk that runs along LB is 17 feet high). This dune would be 25 feet wide at the top and a full 75 feet at the bottom. Additionally, a 110 foot wide berm would be created ten feet above sea level and the beach would be filled up with sand dredged from offshore. New groins would also be added, and old ones would be repaired.

But a great deal of the sand that would come from offshore is contaminated, and should all the proposed sand be dredged, there could be serious, lasting detriment to the surf spots of Long Beach. And this is just the tip of the Army Corps' vast undertaking.

To find out more about this project, we spoke with Rob Bailey, head of the New York City Chapter of Surfrider. He offered a glimpse of what's really going on out on "Lawng Island" and urged that other New York surfers get involved. Nothing less than the future of your beaches is at stake. Click below to read on...

pollsaddam

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:41 +0000

SURF-A-PALOOZA: Mar 14-21

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:41 +0000

A SECOND CHRISTMAS: Imagine being a 12-year-old grom in a contest at Pinetrees inside of Hanalei Bay on Kauai. You've got your knotted-up contest jersey on. You've got 15 minutes to display your stuff to the community. The waves are overhead. All you're grom bros are hangin'. You're totally amped. Now imagine Andy and Bruce Irons paddling past you, throwing shakas and smiles, and strutting to the outside, where they proceed to go mental--throwing gouges, spinning fins and launching huge airs. Talk about inspiration!

The 2nd Annual Irons Brothers Pinetrees Classic was held last month on Kauai. These give-back-to-the-community events are great. Rob Machado, Shane Dorian and Conan Hayes, and Ross Williams all hold such events, and I know there are others I'm leaving out, but you get the picture: local heroes come home. The events stoke out the local groms, parents and the local community. They are, by their very nature, rootsy. Hundreds of people showed up for the Hanalei version, with Andy and Bruce being official hosts (Volcom, Billabong, Da Kine, the Princeville Resort and many others folk supported the event).

I can remember staying down on Weke Road during a vacation back in '93. Two scrawny toe-headed groms just brutalized the Pinetrees closeouts. All the local rats oohed and aahed at every wave Bruce and Andy tore into. All right I admit it, I was oohing and aahing too. Ten years later the kids were still oohing and aahing, as World Champ Andy and uber-ripper Bruce displayed their skills, signed autographs, and hung with the local crew, all weekend long.

"The cool thing about this event is that the kids are too young to have an attitude," said Phil Irons, who along with his wife Danielle are the brain trust behind the event, not to mention Andy's and Bruce's parents. "Everyone is just super stoked...the kids, the parents, everyone. Especially Andy and Bruce."

Six kids in particular were very stoked. They each received round-trip tickets, courtesy of RedBull, to the NSSA nationals where they will compete for Hawaiian pride. Ironically, they won without winning, which makes this event unique. They were chosen based on a "per need" basis. Many of the families in the region aren't particularly well off, and paying for airfare to the mainland, along with all the ancillary costs of travel, is beyond their means. Nelson Togioka handles all the administrative duties of running the contest, from set-up to tabulating to judging. But he is also the one, according to Irons, who really has his thumb on the pulse of Kauai amateur surfing. Togioka knows the competitors. He knows the families. He knows each family's financial situation. "The parents were totally blown away. The plane tickets were a big surprise," said Irons. "Nelson Togioka does an excellent job, he really runs the whole show. I count on Nelson. He really knows what's going on with the kids. He makes it run smooth."

The "per need" basis was also the deciding criteria for the three surfboards that were given away. "Nelson and the boys [Andy, and Bruce] got together and decided who not only deserved a new board, but who needed one," said Phil. But it wasn't just the chosen few who scored big prizes. Every competitor walked away with a new Da Kine backpack stuffed with surf goodies. "For a lot of these kids," said Irons "it's more stuff than they get at Christmas."

"HMMM, LET'S SEE, WRESTLING OR SURFING?": I maintain a vague memory of Dewey Weber and I watching Bill Dice perform Dice's version of 'the worm' on the beer drenched floor of the Manhattan Beach Armory during the 1984 Dewey Weber Longboard Classic party. A helluva party. Dewey Weber was a hotshot surfer in 1960, who gave up a college scholarship in wrestling, borrowed $1500 from his Dad, bought some foam blanks, and started designing and shaping. Dewey's gone, but his legacy continues with Dewey Weber Surfboards under the ownership of Dewey's sons, Shea & Corey.

DRINK THIS: Surfrider Foundation has posted a digital version of their newsletter online. Surfrider is "excited about this new resource, which will allow Making Waves to grow in dynamic and interactive new directions."

polltwinspin

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:41 +0000

pollworse

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:42 +0000

injection wells

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:42 +0000

The Sunshine State or the Brownstar State?

With Red Tides Rising, Reefs, Dolphins and Fish Dying, Surfrider Palm Beach Makes a Stink Over Sewage Injection Wells

Red Tide Death Toll. Photo: Florida Marine Research Inst.

By Chris Dixon

In 1997, Tom Warnke founded the Palm Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Since that time, he has been waging an uphill battle against Florida regulators on an issue that should concern everyone who enjoys the state's nearshore waters. That issue is the pumping of partially treated sewage 1000 feet down into Florida's underground aquifers. Florida regulators claim there is no clear scientific evidence that this sewage is ending up in the surf zone. Yet according to Warnke,some one billion gallons a day from 300 separate wells is being pumped into the Florida ground. -- Additionally, there are over 800 shallow sewage wells dotted all around the Florida Keys. Warnke claims that anecdotal evidence of seeping sewage is everywhere. Dead dolphins, killer algae, horrible sea lice infestations, biblical red-tide outbreaks, sea turtles with horrendous lesions and dying reefs in the Florida Keys. He adds that there is increasing evidence that Florida's porous limestone bedrock is doing little to keep your shit out of your lineup. According to Warnke, Surfrider is going to have some big news on this front in the coming months, but in the meantime, the interview that follows should give you a fair understanding of the issue, and what Surfrider feels is at stake. Is it The Sunshine State or The Brownstar State? Read on…

Lake Worth Pier-Clear and Blue:
Courtesy Surfline

Chris Dixon: Tom, what the hell is an injection well?

Tom Warnke: It's the most expeditious way that Florida uses to treat human sewage. They take partially treated human sewage and inject it into the ground instead of treating it until its clean again.

CD: To what level is it treated?

TW: There's a variety but mostly I'd say it's secondary.

The MSRA Form of Staph Bacteria
A Truly Nasty Beastie Found in Polluted Water

CD: Meaning that it looks fairly clear but still has a lot of nasty microscopic stuff in it.

TW: Right. Most utilities directors would say you can hold it up to a glass and it looks clear. Then you ask them, well, would you drink it? And they say no way. Sometimes it might smell, sometimes it might not. But then at other times that well that pumps the fairly clear water might also pump just terrible brown stuff. There's no monitoring as to what they can pump. In times of heavy rains or heavy volume, they'll just pump stuff down that's hardly treated at all. And there's no requirement for them to report anything. The monitoring is one of the big problems that we've got. A well may be permitted to discharge 20 million gallons a day -- then you find out that they're pumping 80 million a day.

CD: So these sewage plants are pumping truly huge volumes.

TW: Well, the Miami well is permitted to pump 200 million gallons a day. They go a thousand feet deep, sometimes a little deeper. But a thousand feet-- that's like 10 houses down the street. It's not that far down.

The Algae Responsible
for Red Tide.

CD: How is it that sewage plants are allowed to do this?

TW: Well, the state's position is that after you're down into the ground a couple or few hundred feet, there's a confining layer called the Hawthorne layer that keeps the sewage from coming back up. They have to go this deep because they've always been hammered by Sierra and other environmental organizations, saying, you've gotta protect drinking water aquifers. A lot of Florida's drinking water comes from a shallow aquifer which is just a few hundred feet deep. They want to make sure that stuff doesn't come back up into the drinking water. But they don’t have any testing or monitoring, or environmental impact statements to say whether or not the stuff moves laterally. In fact, we've got a lot of good data to show that it does come back up vertically. It percolates right back up through relic sink holes from the ice ages -- and there are just all kinds of underground fracture zones. They can show that there is a confining layer at the site of the well. But theses tests aren't done in the wetlands, or across a wide area. They need to go out in the middle of a sinkhole area and try to find the confining layer -- to see if it covers a truly broad area -- but they don't do that.

A Graphic of the Potential Effects of Sewage Injection Wells.
Click the graphic to see it animated.
Courtesy Surfrider Palm Beach

CD: How did this practice of injecting sewage get started?

TW: They allowed it 20 years ago as a temporary emergency measure to try to do something instead of a horizontal ocean outfall. Now we find out that all it is is just a vertical outfall -- it has the same end results. We call the aquifer the subterranean wetlands. We're trying to protect them but they're just using them as a dumping ground.

CD: What about environmental studies on these wells? Seems like you'd have to do a study to be able to dig one of these wells.

TW: There has never been an Environmental Impact Statement associated with any one of these wells. They might do an EIS for the area immediately around the well, but they've never done a statement to prove that it's not coming out in the ocean or bubbling up in a wetland somewhere. We've got tons and tons of circumstantial evidence that wouldn't prove a case for us, but it's becoming a tidal wave of evidence. We're getting pretty uniform readings of human sewage all over the surf zones of Florida.

Hearst Ranch

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:42 +0000

Hey Buddy, Wanna Buy a Beach? Is $1,000 an Acre a Fair Price for Some of the Most Valuable Real Estate in the World?

By Chris Dixon

Hearst Ranch. Photo Courtesy Gary Felsman:
hearstranchconservation.org

A few months ago, this intrepid reporter went up to the top of Malibu Canyon Road to a place called the Ahmanson Ranch. Here, I reported on the state of California's $150 million purchase of this 3,000-acre slice of old California. The purchase, at $5,000 an acre, was significant to surfers in particular because if Ahmanson had been developed, runoff from over 3,000 new homes, shopping and a golf course would have considerably worsened pollution in the waters of Malibu Creek at Surfrider Beach.

Now, however, California has an opportunity to protect a slice of coast that dwarfs Ahmanson. In fact, it dwarfs Malibu. In fact, it's about two and a half times the landmass of the city of San Francisco. I'm referring to the famous 82,000 Hearst Ranch just north of Morro Bay. Right now, a group called the American Land Conservancy is in the final stages of brokering a deal with the Hearst Corporation and the state to protect almost all of the ranch from development and to turn most of its 20 miles of utterly incomparable coastline, into public state parkland. All for about $80 million, or $1,000 an acre.

It might surprise you to learn that all of Citizen Hearst's land up to Big Sur is not actually protected from development. In fact, at one point, parts of the ranch's coastline were zoned to become a mini city of some 60,000 people. As recently as the late 1990's, the Hearst Corporation planned to build a huge golf resort on land not far from the tacky little town of San Simeon. However, outraged citizens jammed Coastal Commission meetings and the Commission put a halt to these dramatic plans. Still though, aside from the 127-acre castle site, which Hearst sold to the state in 1958, the vast, vast majority of the ranch was and is owned by the Hearsts. Just because they've been restricted from their current development plan doesn't mean that they won't try to develop it in the future. In fact, with the value of California's coastal land skyrocketing, it's hard to imagine that some development out here is not inevitable. Consider if you will, that once the Irvine Ranch looked much like the Hearst Ranch does today. Today, the Irvine Ranch has morphed into the city of Irvine, parts of Corona del Mar and Newport Beach and the bulldozed, mansionized hillsides along Newport Coast near Laguna Beach.

It would, of course, be difficult to conceive of the Hearst Ranch ever being developed like Irvine. Indeed, according to Hearst lawyer Roger Lyon, who took me on a tour of the place, the Hearsts love the ranch. In fact, it's the family vacation spot. But still, it's valuable property.

Ragged Point . Photo Courtesy Gary Felsman:
hearstranchconservation.org

The Hearst Corporation, owners of Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and a slew of newspapers and TV stations, is of course, a moneymaking franchise. And while the family, and indeed, much of the corporation appear to want most of the ranch protected, any development here could bring in a lot of money. And though they're not terribly high, the Hearsts have to pay taxes on the land, and it costs substantial sums to maintain the ranch.

Shark Attacks Decline

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:42 +0000

Shark Attacks Decline. The Good News and the Bad.

An Interview with the University of Florida's Shark Specialist, George Burgess.

By Chris Dixon

Last week, the University of Florida published an article stating that for the third straight year in a row, shark attacks have declined by some 30 percent worldwide.

The shark attack data came from George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University's Museum of Natural History.

According to the file:

*The number of shark attacks dropped for the third year in a row, with 55 unprovoked attacks reported in 2003.

*In 2002, there were 63, in 2001 there were 68 and 2000 saw 79 reported attacks.

*Of worldwide fatal attacks, 11 occurred in 2000, 4 in 2001, 3 in 2002 and 4 in 2003.

*A total of 36 attacks occurred in American waters in 2003, and not surprisingly, Florida led the list with 31.

*Volusia County, home of New Smyrna Beach had 14 attacks, compared with 18 in '02 and 22 in '01.

*Of American attacks in 2003, 29, or 54 percent had victims who were surfers or windsurfers.

The report went on to back up a possible reason for the drop in attacks to overfishing. On the East Coast, some species have dropped 40 to 50 percent in population in the last 15 years. A few species have seen their numbers drop 70 percent.

While on its face, a drop in attacks is good news for surfers, is a decline in shark numbers good news on the whole? In the interest of learning a little more, I phoned Dr. Burgess in Florida. He turned out to be a cornucopia of information on sharks, and he did a great job of explaining differences in attack patterns in Florida, California and Hawaii. He also went to explain why, the next time you reel in a little shark while fishing, maybe you should throw it back rather than let it flop to death on the deck of your boat.
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New Smyrna Inlet Jetty

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:42 +0000

oneworld editor's note/correction: Some of you early risers may have read an version of this story that listed Sebastian Inlet as the threatened surf spot. Well, your humble editor made a royal screw up. In fact, it's New Smyrna Inlet, which is to the north. I surfed Sebastian Inlet one time, 18 years ago, and had been under the impression that Sebastian/Smyrna inlets were one and the same. So, I plead geographic ignorance -- though this is particularly inexcusable given the fact that I lived in W. Palm Beach for a year in 1999/2000 and should have known better. In fact, New Smyrna Inlet is north of Cape Canaveral. Sebastian is to the south of the Cape. Both have a unique jetty setups that lead to their wave-magnetism and thus my stupid confusion. Mez and Dugan, I expect to be chastised in the next issue of ESM -- Chris Dixon.

Another Thousand Feet of Rock.

Will a Jetty Extension Destroy the Surf at New Smyrna Inlet?

A Conversation with Randy Richenberg of Save Smyrna Inlet.

The North Side of the Jetties Booming.
Photo Courtesy: Dugan/Surfline

By Chris Dixon

Randy Richenberg has been shaping surfboards and riding the consistent surf around New Smyrna Florida for around three decades. In that time, he has watched his sleepy little community grow by leaps and bounds. As a youngster, he even watched as the Army Corps of Engineers dropped the rocks of the Ponce/New Smyrna Inlet jetties to stabilize the inlet for boat traffic. Of course, an unintended consequence of these jetties was that they created offshore shoals and sandbars that tended to magnify the waves here. In fact, they magnified them a lot. The offshoot of this, was of course, a burgeoning surf scene in the areas north of Cape Canaveral.

But the New Smyrna surf scene is currently under threat from an Army Corps project to extend the south jetty a thousand more feet offshore. To find out more, we spoke at length with Richenberg about the project. He has led a drive to have the surfers of the New Smyrna area heard, and with a website, and concerted push, these efforts are bearing some fruit. But this is one controversy that's a long way from over. How it turns out may affect everything from Kevin Welsh's next NRG video to your next session on a booming Northeast swell. Read on...

Chris Dixon: Randy, you've got some history here. I suppose that would give you some credibility to speak as an advocate and as someone who understands the ebb and flow of sand and water here.

Randy Richenberg: I'm also a pretty avid offshore fisherman. I've been in and out of the inlet in a boat a lot and have also dived in the inlet too.

CD: Right now, there are two different length jetties at New Smyrna. Tell us more about the setup there.

RR: The north side has a really long jetty. The south side originally had a fairly long jetty too, I don't remember how long exactly, but as the sand accreted at the inlet and there was buildup, it shortened the jetty until it's now only about 100 feet long.

CD: Is that because the sand moves predominately south to north or north to south?

RR: The dynamics of that inlet are so complex that I think the Army Corps hasn't been able to figure it out -- even with the millions of dollars in computernumeric and physical modeling and everything else.

Basically, we've got a major sand buildup to the south, but that's just the dynamics of the inlet. That's the way it happens. You get weather events that come from the south like as tropical events then you get wintertime events that come from the north. It's dependent on weather, tides, rainfall, waves and currents -- you've got 500 variables there.

CD: Describe the breaks in that area.

Shea Lopez Perfected his Technique on New Smyrna's Peaks.
Photo Courtesy: Surfline/Carey

The thing with New Smyrna is that it's a very unique area -- being located fairly close to the Cape (Canaveral) on the north side and the way that the inlet has settled in as far as the shoaling offshore -- it's able to pull in swells that are so small, and kind of focus and amplify them and send them in to the beach here. That's what gives us the consistency. We're probably one of the more consistent breaks on the East Coast-- especially during the summer months when it's flat for so long. You go down the beach and it's maybe not even knee high, but the inlet will be waist to chest high. It's just a lot of unique circumstances there: One: you have the ability of the inlet to pull in a swell, amplify and focus it. Two: You have such a broad area from the jetty to the condominiums is probably close to a quarter mile long, so you can accommodate a large crowd there. Then when you look at the break on a good swell, you have all manner of waves -- a thick dredging wave by the jetty and then a slower, slopey wave -- a longboard and funboard wave. So you've got a lot of factors that contribute to it being such a popular place. Then you've also got the Shark Shallows area that's popular with kayakers, about an 8^th of a mile offshore.

CD: When was the jetty built?
RR: I believe about 30 years ago.

CD: Why was it built?
RR: Traditionally Ponce de Leon Inlet is looked at as a recreational inlet. The jetties were to try to help stabilize the navigation channel in the inlet. With no jetties, the sandbars would just move where they wanted to -- due to the weather systems, surf and everything else. It was a little bit trickier getting in and out of it in a boat--especially on an outgoing tide with a little bit of swell.

CD: Now you've got the Army Corps looking to extend the south jetty.
RR: Right a thousand feet more of it. And the colonel who heads the southeast district for the Army Corps terms the whole inlet a maintenance nightmare because it would never do what they wanted it to do. They've been working on it for 30 years. They extended the north jetty; they put in a weir.

CD: Explain what a weir does.
RR: A weir is a concrete structure that has low spots to allow the surges and water flow over that part of the jetty. They also put a scouring apron on the inside where the channel takes a turn because it was threatening to undermine the north jetty and create a small lagoon on the north side. It was a nightmare -- no matter what they did the inlet wouldn't do what they wanted. Basically I said to the maintenance supervisor, it's been a work in progress for the last 30 years.

CD: Why are they telling you that they want to do this extension?
RR: Basically it's to stabilize the navigation channel. The same thing they did 30 years ago.

CD: Would you assert that it's already stable enough as it is?
RR: Well, some of it comes to the economics of dredging. They used to dredge it. And the dredging would be on a needs be basis -- you go three years without any major weather events, the channel stays basically where it's at and there's not really much maintenance that needs to be done. Then you get a major weather event, it changes that bar configuration or the channel layout in the inlet, and they have to come in and dredge it. Our point was: why won't you guys take a look at dredging versus a permanent fixture in the inlet? All the permanent fixtures you've put in to now have had a minimal impact on stabilizing it. The inlet is something that's made to flex, bend and reconfigure with the swells, winds, rainfall and a million different variables. It's a sandbar. I asked the technical advisor: if they think they can stabilize a sandbar, well then maybe they can also stop one spot in the sky and hold it there for awhile. Mother Nature made it that way. That's how it has to bend and move with weather events.

Ponce Local John Logan.
Photo Courtesy: Dugan/Surfline

CD: All anybody has to do is to dribble some sand through their fingers on the beach. It may look like you're looking at a permanent place. But it's so dynamic.
RR: It's just like the beach renourishment projects. They can spend five million dollars on a beach renourishment project, then you have a five-day weather event, and that sand is just gone. It's going to go where it's going to go.

CD: How much do they want to extend the jetty, and what do you think the effects will be?
RR: Well, they want to extend the south jetty 1,000 feet eastward. And Surfrider has been incredibly helpful on this whole thing -- two main chapters in the state have gotten behind us and Matt Rausher, the coastal science manager out in California has been incredibly helpful in providing access to a coastal engineer who has worked for Surfrider. He said that the project would degrade the breaks in New Smyrna.

Basically what it's going to do is throw a monkey wrench in that complex series of shoals out there that brings the waves in, amplifies them and sends them to the beach.

If you look at the layout of the jetty -- I'd say 30 to 40 percent of our best surf comes from the north and northeast during winter weather events. And it's going to shadow that for probably close to a mile down the beach. So you can just kiss those swells goodbye, they'll be completely cut off.

Now the Army Corps, the way they make things look so rosy is to say that their study shows that it would actually increase wave height -- but the trick term there is "on an outgoing tide". Well, I don’t' know if you've been out in a boat on an outgoing tide -- the waves are bigger because they're coming and the tide is going out. I told the technical advisor: five-foot chop does not contribute to quality surf.

CD: So the Corps is asserting that this is a maintenance nightmare because…
RR: Well, because they've been working on it for 30 years and it's been an uncooperative inlet.

Army Corps Diagram of Their Proposal.

CD: Is your group's assertion that a longer jetty is just going to be a longer pain in the ass for them to have to deal with?
RR: Well, that and the fact that one of their own people with the corps gave it a 15% chance of accomplishing what they wanted it to do over a seven year period. And I asked them straight up: well, I'll tell you what, you've got $5.2 million, would you gamble that on a 15% chance?

And the other thing is this: in their feasibility study, they only addressed it with about a 2-inch paragraph on the recreational aspect. They didn't address the economic impact at all. Today, New Smyrna is a main surfing destination in Florida during the summer and winter months. In turn, we have probably a half dozen surfboard manufacturers and a half a dozen surf shops in a town of 20,000. They generate anywhere from $6 to $8 million a year. When you factor that in to the feasibility study, that adds a lot of different concerns to your project. You're leaving yourself open to the possibility of a class-action lawsuit if people lose business and money because all the sudden they had good surf that could support large crowds and now the surf's gone, the number of people is gone and businesses are suffering because of it. That was completely overlooked in a feasibility study that was already 5 pounds and four and a half inches thick.

CD: It's interesting that now surfers, this one time subculture group are a driving influence in this town. It's the same way in Huntington Beach, San Clemente or Waikiki.

New Smyrna, South of the Jetty.
Photo Courtesy: Dugan/Surfline

RR: You've gotta understand too. When you're dealing with politicians and officials in the government. They know absolutely nothing about surfing. You've got to educate them to the fact that surfing is now mainstream. It's not as mainstream as baseball and football, but compared to what it was in the 1970's, it's really come into the limelight. That’s what I bring their attention to also. This is a family with a bunch of surfboards, staying at a hotel and possibly buying a house or condo here. That has a lot more economic clout than people give it credit for.

CD: What was the response of the Corps since you've brought up this economic argument?
RR: The Corps is ready to sit down and talk because they do not want to get themselves in a position where they get sued for more than the project was worth to begin with.

And the local government officials who also fund this are stepping back and saying we need to look at this more closely. And that's just related directly to surfing -- that's not even related to all the trickle down business that goes to the restaurants and hotels and everything else.

CD: What are you asking for right now?
RR: We would like to sit down with the Army Corps and talk about the jetty that they're putting in. We're not necessarily wanting to stop it, but we want to be figured in to what they're going to do to one of our main recreational areas. We also want to have some input from the coastal engineers from Surfrider -- so they can sit down and say 'hey guys, is this the only way you can do this?'

CD: What are the ways that surfers in your area should find out more about this?
RR: They should go to our website, sign the petition and email the funding officials and the Army Corps on it. Voice their concerns.

We're not having any more meetings until after the Trade Show after New Years. In Mid-January, we're hopefully going to be sitting down to form our own Central Florida Surfrider Chapter. We're going to consolidate the coastal cities and inlet chapters to see if we can't get enough people together.

CD: If you had a personal appeal to the surfers in your area as far as getting their voice heard, what would you say?
RR: I'd say join Surfrider. We have to work to maintain what we have. We can actually have an influence on the way things go. It doesn't have to just be the 50-year-old guy who is an attorney. It can be the sixteen-year-old kid who signs a petition, helps with a beach cleanup or writes a politician. Roll your sleeves up and join in.

Click Below to visit the Save Smyrna Inlet Website:

www.savesmyrnainlet.org

Environmental Newsletter

Water, Water Everywhere!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:43 +0000

Mix Salt and Sand, and it Shall Puzzle the Wisest of Men
--Thomas Henry Huxley

HB Closed for Business.
Photo: Courtesy of Keith May and OCWeekly

Desalination: The Solution or a New Problem?
A Conversation with Surfrider's
Southern California Regional Manager John Geever.

By Chris Dixon

On December 15th,at 7PM, the Huntington Beach City Council is set to vote on the contentious issue of establishing a water desalination plant alongside the aging oceanside power plant at the south end of town.

Desalination, or the process of turning salt water into fresh, would seem like a perfect solution to water-starved southern California. But recent articles have run in the Los Angeles Times and the OC Weekly that point out considerable concerns with this project -- and as many as 18 more planned up and down the Southern California coast.

Of real concern to surfers is the fact that these plants might have a negative impact on the surfing environments in towns where they are planned. But in the case of the Huntington Beach plant, even far away Trestles is apparently threatened. This is because the primary destination for HB's water is not Huntington Beach itself, but the gargantuan 14,000 home development planned for Rancho Mission Viejo -- directly upstream of Trestles clean-flowing San Mateo Creek. The HB plant, it seems will be the primary source for this project's water. Not only that, the desalinated water will return to the beach -- both at Doheny and Trestles -- as polluted runoff. Carrying fertilizer, motor oil, antifreeze, brake dust and possibly sewage. The water pumped out at HB could ironically, become a major polluter in south county. Additionally, should the operating plant in nearby Carlsbad be ramped up to high levels, Surfrider Southern California Regional Manager Joe Geever asserts that it could have serious impact on marine life in the area around Tamarack and Terramar.

Interested? Read on.

Chris Dixon: Joe, how did you become interested in the issue of desalination?

Joe Geever: In my previous job, I've worked in fisheries management. We looked at cooling water intakes and the impacts on marine life during that job and because some of the desal proposals that are on the table right now are integrally linked to cooling water intake. It raised some red flags with us.

CD: What are the issues from Surfrider and your perspective with this project?

Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink (in HB)
Photo: Courtesy of James Bunoan,
OC Weekly

JG: The big red flag for me is that these cooling water intakes use ocean water to cool their generators. They suck in raw water, run it through the plant one time and then discharge raw water, run it through the plant and discharge the hot water out the other side. And they kill everything that's in the water -- there are two kinds of mortality there: one is adult fish and larger marine life -- it gets pinned against the intake screens and dies from the pressure. They're giant - that plant runs I think up to 520 millions gallons of water a day. And it's under pretty high pressure - so it sucks in animals from a zone around that intake - anything that's swimming by.

CD: It's like getting caught in a vacuum cleaner.

JG: But the more troubling aspect - not that that's not troubling - because it's a pretty huge impact, but any larvae, or fish eggs or any juvenile marine life gets through the screens and goes through the cooling system and gets introduced to real high pressures and temperatures and can't survive. They call that entrainment.

CD: So it goes in with the train of water and comes out cooked.

JG: Right. So, we don't have a real idea of the cumulative impact all these generators are having on the region-wide populations of marine species.

CD: So there hasn't been much research done?

JG: Well, what they do is study these things site by site to see what's being killed at each site. But because we don't really have a good idea of what the total populations of these species are in the oceans to begin with, we don't know what fraction of that population has been affected.

CD: So there's this proposal to build this desalination plant -- will it result in even high draws of water?

JG: Well that's the big question. What's on the table now is that the US EPA is looking at these cooling water intakes and looking for technology that can avoid these cooling water intakes altogether and build what they call cooling towers that cool the water and recycle it through the generator like a radiator. So there's the potential for getting rid of these cooling water intakes and along with that you get the added benefit of these coastal generators don't really need to be located on the coast anymore, so you free up a lot of coastal space where these generators used to be.

There are two problems I see with adding a desal plant to a coastal generator -- one, is that coastal generator is probably pretty outdated and wouldn't survive much longer on their own. But if you add a desal plant to it, it gives it extended life.

CD: So it gives an added incentive to keep a potentially dated and dirty plant open.

JG: Right. Some of the generators that would have been decommissioned will continue to exist with or without cooling towers. We would hope that they would convert to cooling towers but they should probably just be decommissioned.

The other aspect is that we don't really know much about the mortality of sea life associated with these plants. There may be a small fraction of all species that survive this entrainment and if they do, they will be impinged on the reverse osmosis that are used on these desal plants. Even the dissolved salts don't get through these reverse osmosis filters. So we don't understand what's happening with the survival rates, and the other thing is that oftentimes, these plants, especially Huntington, they will only be running one generator even though they have three on site. But when you add a desal plant -- because desal plants take so much electricity to run -- there's a good chance that the generators will be running overtime and running at times when they wouldn't have been otherwise.

CD: Adding more pollution to the air…

JG: Adding more pollution to the air and higher marine life mortality. You're pulling in more water and the more water you pull, the more marine life you kill.

What their response is that pumps are running all the time anyway and that's true, but my counter response is, they shouldn't be. If you're not cooling a generator with this thing, you shouldn't be running it.

CD: Is it run to keep barnacles out of the pipes?

JG: Right, if the water sits there, you have marine life encrusting those pipes. So they keep the water flowing as much as they can to hold down that marine life growing on the pipes. Then the other thing they do is reverse the flow so that you're pumping the hot water out through what used to be your intake. That kills those barnacles.

So marine life mortality for them is just the nature of doing business. That to me is very offensive. Especially when there's other technology out there that could avoid that mortality.

The desal plant itself has said point blank that we don't create any additional marine life mortality above what is happening now just by the generator itself. I think there are some questions as to whether that's true. Just because they've made that kind of conclusion their environmental study didn't document whether that was true or not.

CD: It seems like a no-brainer that anything that did survive the heating surely wouldn't survive a trip to the desal plant. Plus, if it keeps the plant running longer than it normally would, then it's going to kill more.

JG: Right

CD: Isn't there also the issue of what you do with the brine -- the highly concentrated salt water that comes out of this plant?

Tamarack - Site of Carlsbad's Desal Plant, and a Productive Fishery:
Photo Courtesy, Surfline

JG: Yeah, it's a case by case, site specific study and in the case of Huntington, their discharge is in fairly flat, sandy ,not very productive marine habitat. So my sense is that in Huntington, most of what you're doing is adding salt in a fairly low concentration and it dilutes fairly quickly. So there is a zone around that discharge pipe where you're displacing animals that would have normally lived there -- and they're most likely to be replaced by animals that can withstand that salinity. And it's probably mostly scavengers because you're pumping out all that dead marine plankton.

CD: What are some other areas up and down the coast where these are being looked at?

JG: The first is probably the Carlsbad generator. They actually have a pilot facility there that's producing a very small quantity. They're using it to kind of model what this thing would look like on a larger scale.

That one is troublesome because their intake is in a coastal estuary, and you know, we've lost 95 percent of our coastal estuaries in Southern California. So you're having a potential impact on an estuarine habitat where there's very little left.

CD: That's where the warm water jetties area is.

JG: Right the intake jetty is up by Tamarack and the outfall is right there by the power plant. And that outfall is not miles offshore in deep water, it's just going out into the surf zone -- right next to some hard bottom reefs and surf spots that are just south of there. And that hard-bottom rocky reef habitat is very productive for fish.

CD: So there you could really see a heightened impact from the brine.

Possibly. We haven't seen or done any studies on what those impacts are -- but it would certainly be different.

CD: But doesn't the fact that studies haven't been done call into question the need to do this so quickly? If you don't know what the result is, it seems like you're trying to get forgiveness instead of permission, which is always easier if you screw something up.

JG: There are two things about the rush to desal that are disturbing. One is that we really don’t know the answer to a lot of key questions. The other is the need. Because we really haven't taken water reclamation or conservation to the extremes that you could. Our argument is that before you go racing into producing desal water, let's exhaust all these other remedies we have.

Let's do all these water conservation activities so that we're not using as much water. Two things happen with that. One is that you get the supply you're looking for and two our water usage patterns are creating pollution that we want to avoid.

CD: Meaning things like polluted runoff. You increase the runoff because there is more water to flow to the ocean. The desal water becomes additional water that's going to pick up oil, antifreeze, dog crap, fertilizer and brake dust and dump it into the ocean.

Hatteras Divided

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:43 +0000

Divided Islands: The Outer Banks After Isabel

A Conversation with Mike Orbach of the the Duke University Marine Lab.

By Chris Dixon

Ever since hurricane Isabel slammed North Carolina's Outer Banks on September 19^th, the Cape Hatteras area has had to more than struggle to pick up the pieces. In fact, it's had to struggle to put its islands back together. Nowhere is this more evident than at the new 2000 foot-wide, 25 foot deep inlet that now divides Hatteras Village from its neighbors.

Depending on who you talk to, the new cut is a "breach" that should be filled immediately or a completely natural new inlet that's going to come back during the next big storm, and so, should just be left alone.

Regardless of your point of view, times and sands are rapidly shifting on the Outer Banks. To find out more, we spoke with Mike Orbach, director of the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina. Orbach is hugely familiar with the areas sand, currents, fisheries and development issues. He spoke at length about the future of these narrow strips of sand, and you may find some of his conclusions alarming. Where will the North Carolina coast be in 25 years? Read on -- and think long and hard before you invest in beachfront, or soundside property.

Chris Dixon: Mike, have you been out to the Outer Banks since Isabel hit?

Mike Orbach: I've been out to some of the southern Outer Banks, I have not been up to Hatteras. I have several students and colleagues who have and I have seen some fairly detailed overflight photos of right after the storm and the weeks after that.

CD: What did those pictures tell you?

MO: Well basically that what happened during the storm is the natural phenomenon that happens on the Outer Banks: That there was a new inlet cut in a place that had been cut through previously. That there was an overwash site-- several overwash sites actually, but one fairly major one close to this new inlet to the south. And that's the natural process of the Outer Banks. In fact, most of the dunes along Hatteras Island and up to Oregon Inlet are not natural dunes -- they were actually pushed up there in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps to presage economic development.

CD: Isn't it true that they also even planted grass in places there hadn't been any previously to try and stabilize things even further?

MO: Absolutely. In a sense Hatteras Island is a fairly altered Outer Bank -- fairly altered by humans. Now that's not true of the Core Banks or Shackelford to the south or even Ocracoke. So clearly what happened during this storm is what happens during natural processes of barrier island migration and overwash.

CD: Now on these overwash sites -- to clarify -- you actually had sites where the ocean washed through from one side of the island to the other but it just didn't remain an open cut like the one on Hatteras Island?

MO: Yeah, absolutely. There were probably a couple dozen of those up and down the Outer Banks. Now again, that's a natural phenomenon out there.

CD: The larger inlet -- where is that exactly?

MO: Just north of Hatteras Village. You remember where the Hatteras Community Center is? It's right there.

CD: And it hasn't been filled in?

MO: No, It has not. Last time I heard a measurement a week and a half ago, it was 1700 feet wide and 25 feet deep. So it's a serious inlet. Now what's interesting about it is that the state ceased calling it an inlet and began calling it a 'breach'. So that there wouldn't be the impression that it's a natural feature that now we're altering, but rather an unnatural feature that we have to fix. Which of course, is exactly backwards.

Editor's Note: As of Oct 24, the fill-in project had begun and is expected to be completed in mid-November. Below is a photo of the dredging work from www.hamptonroads.com.

CD: You would assert that this is a natural feature -- just one that hasn't opened up in awhile?

MO: Well, if you look at the natural history of the Outer Banks, inlets have opened and closed with some frequency -- depending on the geomorphology and the wave climate and sea-level rise. There are interesting phenomenon that people don't understand out there. For example -- most inlets that break through the Outer Banks actually break through the sound side. What happens is that water will overwash from the ocean into the sound thereby filling up the sound -- it gets blown to the western side, and then the combination of that water essentially sloshing back and rainwater runoff from inland will actually breach the bank from the sound. Now that does not appear to be what happened in this case, but the larger point is that inlets close and open along the Outer Banks as a natural feature. There are few really constant inlets in the banks -- especially as you get north of Beaufort Inlet.

CD: Some surfers were upset about this, but before this hurricane hit, there was talk of extending the Oregon Inlet bridge so you didn't have all the overwash along Highway 12. Diverting the highway actually made some sense to me, but there's really good surf along that stretch and some were afraid that they wouldn't be able to get to the waves.

MO: The proposal was actually not to extend the bridge, but to take it out and replace it with a causeway similar to seven-mile bridge down in the Florida Keys. It would go from Manteo behind the Outer Banks all the way down to about Rodanthe. This is on the drawing boards -- to really eliminate the bridge and move Highway 12 down.

But you know, the other major option that a lot people bring up, and this is actually my personal favorite as well, is actually going back to the old ferry system. Where you ferry people from somewhere on the north side of Oregon Inlet -- it could be Manteo -- down to Hatteras Island.

CD: I would imagine a lot of people on Hatteras Island would be raising hell about that possibility because they like the convenience of being able to jaunt back and forth so easily.

MO: Well, it depends on how you set that system up. If in fact, you reconstructed our approach to living on the Outer Banks, such that we were going to truly move with the island and follow what our Coastal Resources Commission has established as a retreat policy as opposed to shoreline armoring, then in fact you'd not want to try to keep that bridge at Oregon Inlet at a place it doesn't want to stay. The immediate impacts of that would probably be to reduce the tourist flow volume to Hatteras Island, and many of the economic interests on Hatteras Island would not be in favor of reducing the total flow of people.

There would be some positive impacts too though. You would assume that property values might rise because it would become more exclusive. The economy would change and in some cases the particular businesses to get the tourist dollars might change.

CD: It seems like it might also just change the character of Hatteras Island to make it more like Ocracoke.

Who is Paying for the Headlands?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:43 +0000

By Chris Dixon

Several months ago, after an interview with the Surfrider Foundation's Chad Nelson and Mark Cousineau on the Dana Point Headlands project, Mark Cousineau brought up an interesting question that seemed worthy of a little research. That question was essentially this: were the retirement funds of California's lifeguards, school administrators, policemen, firemen and other state employees, paying for the controversial real estate development at the Dana Point Headlands?

From this, another question followed: If the California Public Employees Retirement System, or CalPERS, was in fact paying tens of millions to back Headlands development, was there a potential conflict of interest with the Coastal Commission? Coastal Commission employees hold CalPERS pensions. Thus, it would seem that the Commission could have a financial stake in whether CalPERS investments increase in value. If so, would they be at all influenced to vote for a project that could financially impact their retirement fund? The Commission says that legally, the answer is no. Mark Cousineau says, that may be true, but it sure does look questionable.

Then a final question: Even if this did not represent a conflict of interest, would state employees care if their retirement funds were being invested in a project that could lead to a new 2100 foot rock seawall being built along Dana Strands Beach?

After doing a bit of research into this, it seems that CalPERS has indeed been the major financial backer for the Headlands project. Whether there is a conflict of interest perhaps depends on your definition.

For those of you who don't know, The Headlands is a very pretty, very large chunk of undeveloped coastal beach and bluff south of Dana Strands. It runs as far south as Dana Point Harbor. The land, which until a few years ago was owned by the Los Angeles Times' Chandler family, has been the site of a contentious development battle for years. On October 9, at San Diego's Del Coronado Hotel, the California Coastal Commission will take up the request by a group called Headlands LLC to build a 121 acre project that includes 125 single-family homes, a 65 room in, 40,000 square foot shopping site and 62 acres of public parks, trails and open space.

One of the key contentions in the Headlands proposal is the developer's request to build the 2100 foot long seawall or revetment along Strands beach fronting the property. The developer has claimed that the project will not be financially viable if he is unable to construct his seawall and a series of homes behind it, and that there is already an existing seawall there. While the existing seawall is far smaller than the one proposed, and has been largely covered over by rocks and sand, parts of it are certainly still visible along the beach. Yet, other groups including Surfrider and the Sierra Club have argued that this is essentially a new seawall, and that such construction is forbidden by California law under the Coastal Act. "It's flat out illegal," the Sierra Club's Mark Massara said. "There is no way you can justify a new seawall for new construction. That would undo the whole law."

While many of the construction points have been addressed in a previous Surfermag.com interview on the Headlands, the CalPERS issue has not received much, if any, media scrutiny. Cousineau asserts that there is a potential conflict of interest here because the Headlands development has not been funded by Headlands LLC or the City of Dana Point. Rather, the principal investment in the Headlands, likely somewhere between $20 and $50 million, appears to have come from CalPERS. It went from CalPERS to Headlands LLC by way of an Irvine-based group called Institutional Housing Partners, or IHP.

The Headlands Project Plan -- Click this Picture to Blow it up.

With over $140 billion in assets, CalPERS is the largest pension fund in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world. CalPERS' job is to invest in businesses and grow the value of its funds so that it can pay the retirements of state employees. "Typically," says Cousineau, "CalPERS finds a manager for every kind of investment opportunity they have: stocks, bonds or real estate. The managers will put together a fund, CalPERS puts up the money. Let's pretend that I'm CalPERS. I say, 'hey real estate investors, I've got a billion dollars and I want you to invest it'. IHP then comes back to me and says, 'ok, I'll create the fund, I'll manage the fund, I'll handle your tax returns, and all the administration and paperwork'. For that IHP gets one percent. Then for everything over a 20 percent return on CalPERS' money, IHP might get half. Again, this is hypothetical, and I'm not positive of the actual numbers."

"So, CalPERS selects IHP, Joe Blow and Acme. CalPERS gives them say, $300 million each. Then folks like Sanford Edward of Headlands Reserve come to IHP and say, 'hey, I've got a great project I'd like you to invest in. Headlands Reserve needs, $30 million and here's how your money will be spent'. If IHP says 'yes', they strike a deal and then IHP would manage all the details and paperwork and give a periodic report into CalPERS."

According to Cousineau, who deals with developers regularly in his day job as an environmental hazard consultant, this is how the game of real estate is played. "Rarely do developers invest their own money," he says, "Maybe they're investing five or ten percent. They're getting paid to make a profit."

He sees a couple of potential problems to CalPERS' investment.

"One: Should CalPERS be promoting projects that put the Coastal Commission staff in a bind? Two: Say the Commission upholds its own staff recommendation and denies the Headlands project. Should CalPERS take the Commission to court through IHP if it's denied? They're doing this through intermediaries and agents, but it's still CalPERS' money. That's the bottom line."

He continues: "If you lose should you accept the will of the Commission or should you spend taxpayers money to have the state fighting against the state?"

When this issue was first discussed, a lengthy round of emails went from Surfrider's Mike Lewis and Mark Cousineau, myself and a gentleman named Brad Pacheco at CalPERS. The essential question was: how much of CalPERS money actually went to the Headlands? After a series of vague responses, a fax was received from Javier Plasencia, CalPERS Senior Staff Counsel. It said essentially that CalPERS had made money on numerous IHP ventures but that CalPERS generally does not report publicly on project specific investments. He wrote: "Project specific information is proprietary and disclosure of such information to the public or competitors may hurt the ability of the Fund to maximize its returns. With regard to the Fund itself, IHP investment Fund I, at its maximum point had approximately $150 million invested by CalPERS and as of March 31, 2003, had approximately $44.1 million remaining."

Currently, there are four other IHP funds, with nearly $175 million in holdings.

What's next? Barring a Freedom of Information Act request, it's reasonable, according to Cousineau, to expect that as much as $50 million of CalPERS money could be tied up in the failure or success of the Headlands project.

"Say you're a fireman or lifeguard who loves to surf at Strands," Cousineau says, "You hear about a project that's going to destroy your beach. You get angry and then find out that your pension fund is the one that's doing it. "

A Maverick Decision

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:44 +0000

After a three day trip to Santa Cruz, for a meeting of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, I was surprised to find Surfline and Surfermag.com claim victory for tow-in surfers by citing a Monterey Herald article: "personal watercraft, commonly called jet-skis, may receive a little more room to operate in the Sanctuary." The bottom line in the Sanctuary Advisory Council's ruling is that if the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration accepts the council's draft plan and recommendations, Mavericks is the ONLY place in the 270 miles from Cambria to San Francisco where it will be legal to tow-in with personal watercraft. One tow-in contest will be allowed per year, and under the language accepted by NOAA, towing would currently be permitted only on the very rare days that the Half Moon Bay buoy 46012 reaches 20 feet or more, and then only from sunrise to 9AM. Additionally, tow-surfers will require a to-be-defined legal certification.

Is that a victory? Considering the fact that many were expecting tow-surfing to be completely shut down, perhaps it is.

Here's how this fine example of democracy in action worked, or didn't work, depending on your point of view: The action plan for personal watercraft should have came from the Sanctuary Advisory Council, which we'll call the SAC. This is a volunteer coalition made up of interest group representatives from harbors, research, fishing, recreational, environmental and legal interests. Each SAC member takes a huge amount of his or her time and personal resources to represent what is called a working group. In a working group, a number of folks with interests from each respective community come together to form a plan that the single representative can present to the SAC. The SAC then acts on that plan, and then gives the results of that plan to NOAA. NOAA oversees the whole Sanctuary, and if the SAC reaches consensus on a plan, then NOAA will very strongly consider its recommendations when drafting its final rules for the Sanctuary.

With regards to PWC's, no consensus was reached by the SAC. The recreational interests and environmental interests could not bridge the gap of difference. They talked productively at three separate meetings, and by all accounts, Peter Mel made a brilliant case for allowing tow-in surfing at Mavericks in particular. But it was to little avail. To some, the enviro-side, knowing the ruling could force a stalemate, basically filibustered the whole affair by demanding a PWC definition before talking about the prospect of tow-ins at Mavs. To others, the PWC users created the stalemate by demanding that they be able to utilize more of the Sanctuary than just Mavericks for tow-ins. In either case, it was impossible to reach a consensus and so when the plan for PWC's was written, several options were listed for the SAC to hash out at last week's meeting.

To a person, the term PWC needed an actual definition. As it stands now, it reads like this: "any watercraft, less than 16 feet in length, propelled by a water jet pump, fan, or turbine, that it designed to be operated by standing, sitting or kneeling on, astride or behind the Surface vessel, in contrast to a conventional boat, where the operator stands or sits inside the vessel."

Some wanted the definition to apply to "behavior" exhibited by a craft pilot, arguing instead that a PWC was a boat, and should simply have to follow the rules of boats in the Sanctuary. With the Sanctuary and this whole coast woefully under-patrolled, enforcing "behavior" of highly mobile PWC users was argued to be nearly impossible. And the problem is, under current boating rules, you're not supposed to ride anywhere near a swimmer in a boat, or in a surf zone -- thus making the whole concept of using PWC's for surfing completely illegal anyway.

The definition is critical, because under current rules, one-or two-person PWC's are ONLY allowed in four small offshore areas of the entire 5300 square mile Sanctuary. Tow-surfers have gotten around this for years by simply using larger machines. The PWC zones were created because they have no surf and the smallest risk of wildlife impact. Should the definition be broadened to existing craft and those foreseeable in the future, , it would essentially shut down tow-in surfing behind PWC's in the Sanctuary. Will it be tough to make such a definition stick with the advent of all manner of jet-propelled boats appearing on the market? You bet. Will NOAA do its best to craft a broad PWC definition? You bet.

On Wednesday night, there was a Sanctuary publc-comment meeting in downtown Santa Cruz. Here over 400 people showed up, interested in everything from cruise ship discharge to no-fishing zones to personal watercraft. The turnout of the tow-in surf contingent, particularly those with the most to lose, was sadly lacking. This was partly because of the premier of Step Into Liquid, but also because a major surf competition and accompanying parties were going on a few hundred miles to the south in Huntington Beach. Still, considering what was on the line, you'd think more folks would have shown up.

The Billabong Odyssey's Bill Sharp showed up at the meeting, along with Mavsurfer.com's Frank Quirarte. Also present were Shawn Alladio, a hellwoman who has trained many of the world's lifeguards in PWC use and rescue, and John Donaldson, a PWC industry spokesman. They were joined by local lifeguards and Don Curry, a fitness club owner who has been discovering and towing into some pretty insane waves along the coast of the Sanctuary. Of course, Jeff Clark was present, as was Eric Akiskalian, who runs Towsurfer.com.

At the meeting, Frank Quirarte commented that perhaps the lack of surfers there was at least a partial representation of the fact that the real impact of tow-in surfers is pretty low. While this may be partially true, far more at the meeting spoke out against tow-in surfing than for it. Among them were Surfrider San Mateo's Mike Kimsey. Kimsey delivered a stack of 600 anti-PWC emails, the bulk of which he claimed, had been received within a few hours of Surfrider's first posting of an Action Alert on the topic.

Kimsey made points about PWC impacts on otters and other sea animals and he pointed to rescent research that's shown that the most modern PWC's can actually be the most dangerous due to "auditory masking" or the fact that the engines are so quiet, that they can run down a creature who didn't hear the machine approaching. He also pointed to behavior modification caused by PWC's that can include a startled group of harbor seals deciding they've been too flustered by a speeding watercraft to reproduce. "This means," said Kimsey, "that you don't have to hit a sea otter on the head to get his attention."

A number of other speakers rose to condemn PWC's for their impacts on the Sanctuary, ranging from wildlife disturbances to conflicts with paddle surfers. Though he chose to compare PWC's to waterborne motorcycles during his three-minute speech, Moss Landing surfer Doug Kasunich raged before the meeting. Kasunich claimed to have watched an inattentive jetski pilot twice run over a seal that he didn't notice because he was looking over his shoulder at a tow partner. But his main complaint was that tow-in surfing has rapidly expanded beyond the borders of Mavericks and into the lineups of spots like Moss Landing -- increasingly on smaller days when they have no business being in the water. He said that this winter in particular, things "went crazy" with six to ten tow crews operating at Moss Landing, mixing it up with the paddle surfers and ruining the waves with the wake from their skis. "They're hurtling through dips and valleys 12 to 15 feet high at 50 miles an hour," he said, "With surfers sitting out there, there's no time to get out of the way. I once complained to two guys that their wake was ruining the surf, and in unison, they said, 'call 9-11'."

Kasunich, who was heavily applauded, also privately related an incident where a surfer whom we'll call "Snips" was towing on a six foot day at Moss Landing, and was actually pursued to the Marina, by an enraged paddle surfer. "Snips" reportedly had to lock himself in the harbor restroom to avoid a fight.

In the pro-PWC camp, Shawn Alladio and John Donaldson both argued that personal watercraft were little different than boats and that were existing boating laws enforced relating to PWC's, then there would be little problem -- particularly since existing laws require boats to remain 500 yards offshore.

The World's Best Big Wave Pointbreak Under the Gun

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:44 +0000

Chris Dixon: Will, how did you get involved in saving Jardim do Mar? It's not a wave that everyone's familiar with.
Will Henry: I've been going there for years. I Went two years after Surfer did it's first piece and the place just looked unbelievable. I did my homework figured out where it was. There were only two surfers there and I actually wrote about that trip for Surfer's Path magazine. I've been going every year since. I think that's eight times. Every winter I go back and stay with some good friends there. It's kind of become a part of my life.

CD: Has it become a popular surf destination?
WH: It's definitely more popular. There are a lot of Europeans. I think most Americans don't know it's there, though a fair few East Coasters visit. There are very few from Australia or Brazil, but there are a lot who come from Britain and mainland Portugal.

CD: Jardim do Mar is on the Portuguese island of Madeira, but where is Madeira?
WH: It's about an hour and a half flight southwest of Lisbon. So it's actually closer in Latitude to Morocco -- 400 miles off the coast of Morocco. It's way out in the ocean, and it picks up all that north Atlantic energy in a generally much more organized way than the rest of Europe.

CD: Who governs Madeira?
WH: It's under the authority of the Madeiran government and Madeira has a sort of interesting position in European politics. They're considered to be an autonomous region of Portugal. Madeira has it's own government but it's supposed to abide by the Portuguese constitution.

CD: Give us some background on this road project. What's the basis or reason it even came about?
WH: There has been a ton of construction going on in Madeira over the last five years. Most of it has been funded by the European Union, which has put forth a lot of development money for the so-called "underdeveloped" parts of Europe. So Portugal got a huge cash injection, and Ireland got a huge cash injection. That's exactly why Ireland's having to fight to save a lot of their surf spots too.

CD: Where does this money go?
WH: A lot of this money goes to infrastructure. The first thing that happened in Madeira was highways. They were horrible. The topography of the island makes it almost impossible to build good roads. So they've built a lot of tunnels. It's just unbelievable the money they've spent and poured into their highway system. But it's a good thing. Where once it took three hours to get from one end of the island to the other, it now takes one. So the highway projects were sort of figured out. And there was a real impetus for the Madeiran government to do these things.

Now there's a lot of opportunity for developing marinas and tourist destinations. The first thing we got involved with on the island was really the reason Save the Waves even came to be -- they tried to build a marina at another surf spot called Lugar de Baixo (pronounced: bai-joo). That was a place the visiting crew from Surfer called Sammieland. We got involved in that and fought hard against it and they decided to move the marina to another location, which was a big victory for everyone. But it didn't really stop any of the projects from happening, and it didn't really make the local population any more aware that surfing is a resource that they should preserve. Now the background on the Jardim do Mar project is that this is something that some of the villagers have wanted for a long time.

CD: Why?
WH: Well, the village has one road that goes into town, and it has a center circle and is really pretty far away from some people's homes and property. So if you come in with a big load of groceries, you have to walk it all. They wanted a road that goes closer to their homes, and they actually rallied for a road that would be in another part of the village, close to the cliffs, but several homeowners shot it down. But -- not only do people want to get to their houses. But there are some big land owners there who are hoping to build hotels. Road access is crucial to these hotels, so there's a lot of money tied up behind the scenes in this. Certain people are going to get more wealthy with this road giving more access to their property. And of course, the construction contracts are huge. When you think of the millions of dollars being spent on this project, the 300 people in the village and the average annual income of those people, it's so out of scale it's mind-boggling.

CD: If this is so massively out of the scale of this small town, how did it get through?
WH: With this seawall project -- emotions are pretty high in the village. Even though many of the people in the village argued against it, it still went through .The government said 'this is what's going to happen' and they apparently got the money for it. They posted a plan for the project on the wall of the church in the town. People in the know realized what this was, but it was written as technical architect's plans, so the townspeople didn't really get a clue on how big it was. It took awhile for the word to get out that the initial proposal was going to put 120 feet of riprap into the ocean! That's what all the commotion was about and that's why we did a protest there last year.

Dieguito Lagoon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:44 +0000

By Chris Dixon

A Small Remnant of its Former Self, The San Dieguito Lagoon Used to Take up Much of This Photo.
In early April, a San Diego Superior Court Judge, Lisa Guy-Schall, invalidated the Environmental Impact Report created for a controversial project called the San Dieguito Wetland Restoration. The project was created as a means for Southern California Edison to mitigate some of the impacts that its various power projects, like San Onofre, have had on natural systems and fish reproduction along the southern California coast.

As envisioned, the Del Mar project would create a permanent eight-foot deep and 130 foot wide channel at the mouth of the San Dieguito lagoon. This channel would allow the tides to flush the lagoon four times a day, hopefully keeping the water clean and oxygenated and providing fish breeding and feeding habitat for an area that has lost much of its natural spawning grounds. But a local group calling itself Save the Beach, has taken issue with the project, calling for more study of its potential impacts on water quality, safety and the effects on the beaches in Del Mar.

Because there is a dam far inland on the San Dieguito River, very little of its flow actually makes it to the ocean -- particularly during the dry season. According to San Diego Surfrider Chapter head Marco Gonzalez, this becomes a problem for several reasons. "Historically," he says, "the water that gets built up behind that sand berm gets eutropic (depleted of oxygen) every summer. Fish die and it gets laden with bacteria from runoff. It's bad all the way around."

According to Surfrider and Edison, the answer is to open up the lagoon. This would result in a natural ebb and flow of water in the lagoon allowing oxygen into the water, creating a healthy ecosystem, and preventing the lagoon water from becoming the runoff-laden mess that heavily pollutes Del Mar's beaches once the sand berm is breached by wintertime rains. "I think a fully functioning lagoon with be great for water quality in the area," says Gonzalez.

An Overview of the Proposed Area. (click to blow it up)

Up Against a Seawall, Surfrider Wins Big

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:45 +0000

by Chris Dixon

Encinitas Going Under.

On March 25, a superior court judge in San Diego handed the Surfrider Foundation a stunner of a victory. The Judge, Lisa Guy-Schall, basically overturned the city of Solana Beach's approval of a shoreline armoring, or seawall, project. The judge's ruling could have significant effects all along the California coast, particularly in places like San Diego, Santa Cruz, Ventura and Pacifica.

The judge's decision set aside Solana Beach's "mitigated negative declaration" on the shoreline armoring project. A mitigated negative declaration basically means that if an engineering project is going to have an impact then the project's builder must do something to "mitigate" or compensate for the impact or damage. For example, if a developer is going to fill in a wetland, he mitigates this damage, by creating a wetland somewhere else. (A process that often results in a dismal failure).

Fletcher Cove Gouged Out. Once This Was Wide, Sandy Beach.

Essentially, Solana Beach said that if it was given permission to further armor the shore, it would "mitigate" future beach loss by a project that would take $20,000 from beachfront homeowners to go to a statewide fund for sand replenishment. In a perfect world, this sand would build up the beach and keep shoreside cliffs from eroding further. Unfortunately for Solana Beach, the judge agreed with Surfrider's argument that the city's plan provided nowhere near enough sand to cover the town's beaches.

The plan that Surfrider fought was Solana Beach's request to fill in eroded notches at the base of the town's beach bluffs with concrete. Surfrider argued that this process actually speeds the loss of sand from the beaches and results in increased erosion elsewhere. The refusal of the city's plan represents one of the first times that this process, called "Passive Erosion" has been recognized by a court.

Otterly Kelpless

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:45 +0000

An Interview with UC Davis Wildlife Epidemiologist, Dr. Christine Kreuder.

Recently, on an assignment for the New York Times, I traveled up the California coast to Santa Cruz and Monterrey to write an article on a series of diseases that are killing California's Southern Sea Otters, and in fact, may threaten their survival as a species.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, otters ranged from southern Baja all the way to Alaska. But the animals were hunted to near extinction. In fact, they were thought to be all gone in California until scientists were astounded when a population of around 100 or so was discovered off the Big Sur coast in 1938.

From that time, a major effort was made to protect sea otters and their numbers began climbing at about a 5 percent rate per year. But then, in the mid 1990's researchers found that the number of otters along the coast had stopped increasing and that their population seemed to have peaked at around 2300. Last year, an otter count only found 2100 of the animals -- an alarming decline. Part of the reason? Disease caused by introduced animals and urban runoff.

To find out more, I interviewed Dr. Christine Kreuder of U.C. Davis at a picnic table overlooking The Hook, one of the southernmost of Santa Cruz's Pleasure Point breaks. A wildlife veterinarian of some nine years, Dr. Kreuder is about to release an article in the Journal of Wildlife Disease on a study she conducted with California Fish and Game, U.C. Davis and number of other respected schools. The article lays out a pretty grim picture for California's sea otters.

As a nice, head high west swell rolled in, Dr. Kreuder described her research. About fifty surfers competed for waves, while a crew of ten or so otters bobbed serenely on the outside. Occasionally the otters would roll themselves up in kelp, or take time to preen their fur, but mostly they just sat on the outside, doing what otters do and puzzling over what the strange creatures with the big heads were doing on the inside.

The interview with Dr. Kreuder should be of interest to surfers all along the Central Coast who value both the otters and the kelp that keeps the water glassy. Without sea otters, the waters you guys surf in are apt to become a lot less filled with kelp. This is because sea urchins feast on kelp roots. But otters feast on urchins. Keeping nature in balance, the water glassy and surfers smiling. But something up here has gone terribly wrong, and it has a lot to do with our onshore habits. Read on and learn something.

A Runoff Election in San Clemente

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:45 +0000

The Waters of San Clemente Often Harbor Dirty Secrets.

Your car leaks oil or toxic antifreeze onto the pavement. It rains on a pesticide-laden golf course. A restaurant dumps its waste grease down a storm drain. A sewer system has holes in its beachside pipes. The Rancho Sprawlo Corporation grades an entire mountain to build 25,000 identical homes and fills a creek basin with mud.
If you live along the coast, where do you think all this shit ends up? The answer is fairly simple. Shit flows downhill, downhill is the ocean, you’re in the ocean, the shit flows into you.

Urban runoff has been a problem as long as people have lived along the oceanside. In recent years, as coastal (and surfing) populations have exploded, the issue has become quite serious. Spurned by increasingly outraged ocean users, a fed up U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and various regional water quality boards, many cities and counties across the country have begun to tackle the issue head on. Nowhere is this more evident in the southern Orange County cities of Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente. Recently, under the prodding of the Surfrider Foundation and the San Diego Water Quality District, San Clemente embarked on one of the more comprehensive runoff-treatment solutions in the nation. The question is: will its voters approve it?

Mark Cousineau is the head of San Clemente’s Surfrider chapter, an environmental engineering consultant and proprietor of the town’s Bagel Shack. He also charges big Cottons.

"Surfrider and others in the community had been pushing San Clemente get a plan to deal with urban runoff," says Cousineau. "And we were able to make it the city’s top priority."

Where Do You Think This Water Ends Up?

"We got an urban runoff management plan partly funded through the EPA," says councilwoman Stephanie Dorey. "That gave us the guidelines on what we needed to do and suggested some ways to do it. Some structural and some educational. We’re still in the learning stages as to what actually works."

Dorey says the plan came about as a result of something called the Drainage Area Management Plan, and because of high-profile pollution and runoff cases like Aliso Creek in Laguna Beach. Towns would say that they had management plans, and many did, but they were not implementing them. "I think the Regional Water Quality Board got fed up with that and said, ‘Okay, we’re going to make you do some things. We’re going to tighten up everything.’ Boy, the towns were squawking and whining. They said RWQ regulations were ‘onerous’. It was unbelievable. I just applaud the fact that the Board did it. It woke everyone up."

The initial San Clemente plan includes a wastewater treatment system at Poche beach, treatment systems at North Beach, diversions for other runoff sources into the sewer system during the dry season, and filters and collectors for trash and rough debris along the city’s various storm drain locations. Additionally, the plan calls for increased street sweeping, which it had cut back on about ten years ago. Street sweeping can be particularly important because a good street sweeping machine can pick up much of the oil, brake dust and animal waste that would otherwise run to the ocean.

"The plan looks at dealing with the acute problems we have now," says Cousineau, "and then educating and changing people’s behavior for the long term. There’s also a town water conservation person who has already been hired." The plan even goes so far as to print thousands of copies of Surfrider’s "20 Ways You Can Keep the Ocean Clean" in Spanish.

Bacteria-laden runoff from improper cleaning methods at restaurants, like this popular sushi joint in north San Clemente is a big problem statewide. Photo: Babski/Surfrider

Cousineau and Dorey both feel the plan could be somewhat more stringent and innovative, but both feel that it will accomplish what it was set up to do. The problem will be paying the $1.7 million that the plan will cost annually. Originally, the plan was to add $5.00 per month to the existing $2.83 storm drain fee that San Clemente property owners currently pay. But a law passed a few years ago said that if a city wanted to start charging new fees, it had to put the fees to a vote. Fearing that the $5.00 increase might not stand up in court, San Clemente mailed out a ballot to property owners on the 16^th of September asking them if a clean ocean was worth an extra $5.00 a month.

The San Diego Regional water quality board has already put into motion new regulations that most coastal towns from Irvine south will have to follow. Should voters in all towns not approve such motions, the towns will still have to instigate them. Thus, San Clemente is a test case for all of California and perhaps much of the nation.

"We have this program," says Cousineau, "and we have to pay for it. If the vote fails, we still have to eventually set up this kind of a program, so it will become a matter of what programs do we cut. Lifeguards? Parks Service? City Programs? After school care? Something will have to go and it’s not going to be police or fire. It becomes a question: Is your beach worth five bucks a month? That’s one beer after work at the Fisherman’s or a pack of smokes. If the city doesn’t comply with this permit, it will face fines of $27,000 a day – that money will go to the state – not to San Clemente."

Dorey, who was essentially the first San Clemente Councilperson to ever win on an environmental platform, helped put together a poll that asked what the town’s environmental concerns were. "With ocean pollution, we found that the level of satisfaction was extremely low and the willingness to make it better was extremely high. In a poll, the people voted for a clean ocean. Let’s see if they’ll actually do it."

This trash was stopped by a "catchment" at Ballona Creek in Los Angeles. Disgusting, isn't it?

To Cousineau, having this measure pass is not only a measure of civic pride, but of gauging people’s environmental commitment. "Are we a greening society? Are we willing to put our money where out mouth is? Environmentalism doesn’t come free. My guess is that this issue is going to come up more and more in the coming years. You want clean water, are you willing to pay for it?"

According to Cousineau and Dorey, the jury is still out on whether or not the city will pay for it. Mostly, according to Cousineau, those who oppose the measure are the same folks who oppose taxation on any grounds, and those on fixed income or Social Security for whom $5.00 goes a long way.

"It’s never going to be completely fair," says Dorey. "You try to do the best you can. Every time I talk to someone about this, I say, ‘we’re all part of the problem’. Let’s all be part of the solution."

Discuss This Article on Surfermag.com's Bulletin Board

Environmental Protection Agency's Urban Runoff Information Page

Surfrider Forum Explores Runoff Fee

San Clemente City Government's Page on the Urban Runoff Fee

The Seawall Amendment: A Discussion

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:46 +0000

AB2943 - The Seawall Amendment.
A Q&A With Chad Nelson
Environmental Director of the Surfrider Foundation
by Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon: Why should any of us give a damn about AB2943?

Chad Nelson: It's important for anyone who cares about beaches and surfing in Calfornia. Which is obviously a lot of people. There's a study by a guy named King out of Sacramento who talks about the $19 billion that our beaches generate a year. So it's more than just recreational tourism, it's also economics. This bill gives beach preservation a shot along with protecting coastal structures. California has the least progressive policy when it comes to building seawalls on the beach of any state in the nation.

CD: You'd think it would be the opposite.

CN: You would because of our reputation as a progressive state. The first thing people think of when they think of California is the beaches.

CD: What would the bill do in a nutshell?

CN: It's a one-word amendment to the California coastal act. It changes one section which describes the coastal commission's options when they're considering alternatives to protect the beach and coastal property from erosion. Right now it says that in certain circumstances a seawall shall be permitted. All we're asking is that they change that shall to a may. So instead of being forced to choose a seawall as the only alternative to responding to an erosion problem, they'll be able to look at other alternatives. It's not going to say that they're going to approve a seawall it just says hey they may look at other alternatives.

CD: Give me an example of where this one word could have an impact.

CN: Well, another element of this one word amendment is that right now there's a section in the coastal act that says if you're going to build a new property on the coast, you need to build it in such a way that it will never require a seawall. The section that we're changing says if there's an existing structure that's threatened by erosion, then you SHALL permit a seawall. So these two sections are in conflict. One part is saying hey, any new structure built, it can't be built with a seawall, then the other part says, well if it's existing, even if you should have built it so you never need a seawall, we're going to give you one anyway.

So anywhere you see new development, there are people who are building houses knowing full well that they're going to need a seawall and just relying on the fact that there's this conflict to bail them out. It's encouraging poor planning. There are examples in San Diego where you'll see a house being built and they'll find a geologist to approve the project, and then they'll guarantee that project won't need a seawall. Then a few years later, that same group will come to the coastal commission and say, 'hey' this property is existing , we need a seawall'.

So we're taking one of the elements of the Coastal Act that requires good planning and seriously weakened it by this conflict. So by changing it to may, now they don't get that auto out, and that will encourage better planning. And it's important to remember that in the grand scheme, it's a pretty subtle change. States like Oregon, Texas, North and South Carolina ban seawalls outright. They're the ones we consider to have the most progressive policies.

CD: I read that in the early 70's San Diego had 3 miles of seawall and coastal armoring. Now there are 20 miles. In 50 or 60 miles of coast, that's tremendous.

CN: I've heard that Solana beach has had 20 seawalls in 20 years. And we know that in the 70's, California had about 20 odd miles of seawalls, and now we have over 100. So there has been a 400 percent increase over the last 20 years - one tenth of our entire coast. That trend is going to continue unless we change ourpolicies.

CD: What are the effects of seawalls?

CN: There are a number of effects. When you build a seawall, that seawall is almost always built on the sand. So there's a thing called placement loss. That's literally just the footprint of the wall. If it's like a riprap seawall (big boulders placed along the beach) like you see protecting the train tracks in San Clemente -- that thing has a very wide footprint. There are acres and acres of public beach being lost to seawalls.

CD: That also amounts to a "taking" of public property by a private land holder, which in this case is the railroad, or in other cases might be homeowners or hotels restricting public access to a beach.

CN: Right. Then there is another effect called passive erosion. And what this means is that if you have a coastline that's eroding but you still have a nice, sandy beach. If you fix the inland side of the beach with a seawall, and that water continues to rise, you'll see a narrowing of the beach. So this passive erosion is where we lose beach. Then there's another effect called active erosion, and that's a controversial topic. The idea is that seawalls actually cause a backwash which actively pushes sand offshore. Some engineers debate that it's not a real phenomenon, others say it is. It's a controversial thing.

CD: Well it seem like an obvious thing where if you've ever surfed a spot where the waves are refracting back out to sea off a seawall.

CN: Absolutely and that's' where these things start to affect swells. Marco Gonzales, our chapter chair in San Diego talks about seeing that happen at Cardiff on big swells and at high tide at Swamis too.

CD: I've seen waves even bounce off the eroding bluffs at places like Terramar. And it seems like at San Clemente State Beach, the beach slopes up so steeply now that you get a big backwash on a higher tide.

CN: Another big impact is called the end around effect -- you build a seawall and through complicated coastal process issues, you get erosion around the sides. So you build a seawall, your neighbor starts to suffer because of it, so they build a seawall too.

Those are the primary impacts. You have the placement loss, the passive erosion, the active erosion that may or may not exist and this end around effect, and then on top of that we see the other impact is that they prevent bluffs from naturally eroding and providing sand.

CD: If you've ever been to the Trails beaches south of San Onofre...

CN: It's obviously an important process.

CD: At Trails you have wide beaches, naturally eroding bluffs and a great beachbreak with no backwash or refraction.

CN: Exactly. And in different locations that bluff has different levels of importance. There were studies in San Diego that found those bluffs contribute 11 percent to the sand. Some argue that is significant, others say not, Considering we're losing our sand from other sources like dams along the watershed, it would be very important.

Drive Thru Japan Premiere

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:46 +0000

Click here to view the trailer in QuickTime

Drive Thru Japan Premiere Dates

Premieres:
Thursday, June 5
Encinitas, CA
La Paloma

Friday, June 6
Hermosa Beach, CA
Hermosa Beach Playhouse

Tuesday, June 10
Santa Cruz, CA
Rio Theatre

Wednesday, June 11
Santa Barbara, CA
Lobero Theatre

Thursday, June 12
Seattle, WA
Museum of History & Industry

Thursday, June 12
San Francisco, CA
Balboa Theatre

Thursday, June 12, 2003
Charleston, SC
The Terrance

Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Honolulu, HI
Varsity Twin Theatre

Tuesday, June 17
Laguna Beach, CA
Laguna South Coast Cinemas

Wednesday, June 18
Arlington, VA
Dr Dremos

Thursday, June 19
Naples,FL
Pavilion Theatre

Thursday, June 19
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Kefi's

Tuesday, June 24
Galveston,TX
Yagas

Wednesday, June 25
Houston,TX
Rice Media

Thursday, June 26
Clear Lake,TX
The Vineyard

pollasp

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:46 +0000

Surf-A-Palooza: May 30 - June 13

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:47 +0000

Hunkered back in our bamboo fort above the train station in Del Mar, my friends and I watched curiously as the late Chris Bystrom skidded to a stop in his VW Squareback.

With his rust bucket still sputtering in neutral, Bystrom marched up and down the dirt parking lot, hastily stapling surf-film posters on wooden electricity poles. Occasionally he glanced at the mushy lefts rolling in--but as quickly as he arrived, he was off--down to La Jolla Shores to continue his mission, no doubt.

His arrival to our little Del Mar surf world meant only one thing: a new surf flick was on its way to the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas. Our social calendar for the summer was set. Our surf horizons broadened.

The year was 1981. I'm talking pre Performers, pre Off The Wall II, pre Taylor Steele. Those evenings at the La Paloma were magical. It was a complete bro-fest as my fellow surf brethren and I congregated in our obnoxious Echo Beach garb, talked surf, burped beer and loudly pleaded for a new swell. The surf fellowship charged the electric vibe of those summer evenings

Alas, around 1983, those magical surf movie evenings sadly became obsolete. Along came the surf video. In one fell swoop the surf theater experience was all but eliminated from our culture. Like the round-pin single-fin, we knew the surf theater experience felt right, but the newer, faster, more accessible VHS (and, God forbid, Beta) format gave us instant satisfaction--like a twin fin.
The Freaky Five

Classy Glass Shop

Facts of Life

Tabs Gone Wild

Kneed Some?

The Gig is Up

Luckily, just as the round-pin single-fin has made its way back into our quivers, companies such as Leslie Carlos' Big Red Productions have brought back the magic of surf theater evenings. Carlos' team runs feature-length surf films and videos on Thursday nights at various Mann theaters (mostly in Orange County). And Steele's Poor Specimen understands the power of the surf theater experience too. They've been re-energizing the surf-theater experience for a couple of years now. Poor Specimen will be making the rounds this June with their premiere of Drive Thru: Japan.

Now a twist. A surfer by the name of Brian Musial has taken the surf theater concept in another direction. His fork-in-the-road idea brightened while he and a friend pondered a dismally lacking unemployment check over a round of a flat draught beer. "What do you really want to do?" asked Musial's friend in an all too familiar paternal tone.

The answer was simple. Musial wanted to bring back the surf theater experience while also giving the independent surf filmmaker a venue to showcase his unique wares. Musial sketched out his idea on a cocktail napkin and WaveFest, a two-year-old independent film festival based in San Francisco, became the end result.

SURF-A-PALOOZA: MAR. 21-28

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:48 +0000

DROP N JAW CAMPAIGN UNDER WAY - XXL STYLE: The real war hasn't yet begun.

Last week news of an event that took place far, far away reached the shores of the USA. A swell had reached Europe of huge proportions. This happens enough, but this time a few hearty souls took advantage of the ideal conditions and towed into some absolutely mammoth waves at St. Jean.

In last weeks Palooza I commented, somewhat facetiously, that the wave at St. Jean was soft. Now I'll be serious. No wave that size is soft. Those waves were massive. Pictures do not lie.

Or do they?

One thing is for sure, video doesn't lie. So it was with eager anticipation that eight office comrades, and a few industry types, huddled around my cubicle to watch the QuickTime video of this session (you can download it from zumaprod.com). Reactions were mixed. One thing is for sure, the judges of this years Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards will have heated debate.

Of course every year they have a heated debate, mix eight surfers with roughly two cases of Foster's and you can get a debate about which Spongebob Squarepants episode is the best. Add $60 thousand United States dollars and 60-foot waves to the mix and the environment will be charged. Add to that the roly-poly character of the wave at St. Jean and, well, I hope XXL officials bring a case of Altoids and plenty of spit guards, 'cause it will be explosive!

From a power perspective, St. Jean isn't Jaws or Mavericks. It's more like really big Cottons. Nevertheless, the XXL rules are very clear.

From the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards website:

The Billabong XXL Award will be won by the surfer who, by any means available, catches and successfully rides the single biggest wave of the winter based on analysis of the available images.

Notice the rules don't say tallest (Read the judging methodology). The rules say biggest. What is a big wave? Is it simply the height? Or is a big wave a combination of the height, the tubular or heaving nature, and the mass? Is power to considered?

pollmarket

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:48 +0000

HAKMAN, SLATER, WORDZ

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:48 +0000

WORDZ
Wordz is a longboarding lexicon. Journey to the Canary Islands, a terraqueous volcanic chain off the coast of Africa, check out the latest winter action at California's classic point break, Rincon and experience the renaissance of surfing in Waikiki. See candid profiles of today hottest surfers; drop in on the current world champion, the always-functional Colin McPhillips, witness iconoclastic Joel Tudor ride evolutionary equipment, and join the women longboarders as they dance like mermaids. Wordz has a rifling sound track that features Steppenwolf, Soulive, DJ Logic, and The B-side Players. The culmination of this movie will come too soon. Released on DVD, Wordz contains killer special features, including bonus surf sessions, music videos, and moronic behavior. With over 90 minutes of content and interactivity, this DVD is a must for any collection!

THE SURFER'S JOURNAL SERIES: HAKMAN / BERTLEMANN
Each era of surfing finds its quintessential expression in the special talents of rare individuals. Jeff Hakman and Larry Bertlemann were two of the most distinctive and brilliant surfers of their times, Although they could scarcely be more different, they shared common struggles. They were the defining poles of shorthboard revolution in Hawaii. Hakman reigned as the standard of excellence from his astonishing 1965 victory (age 17) at the first Duke Kahanamoku Invitational until he drifted out of the limelight in the mid-1970's. As a boy, he faced a man's challenges: as a man his challenges were even greater. Hakman is surfing's ultimate survivor.

THE SURFER'S JOURNAL SERIES: CURREN / SLATER Tom Curren and Kelly Slater are surfing's most important figures in the last 20 years. Both surfers dominated their eras competitively: Tom in the '80s; Kelly in the '90s. Both exhibited innate natural ability and wave knowledge; and between the two of them, they amassed an unprecedented nine world titles.

The Kelly Slater bonus segment is a must see! Slater surfing huge tow-in waves in France and tearing it up at "Le Piste", a classic French beach break. Kelly proves that a break from the world tour has done nothing to hurt his aggressive surfing style. Accompanied by Ozomatli's, "Superbowl Sundae", this hip soundtrack and Kelly's powerful aerial attack will leave you craving a surf session yourself!

broadband WORDZ

broadband WORDZ

broadband THE SURFER'S JOURNAL: JEFF HAKMAN

broadband THE SURFER'S JOURNAL: JEFF HAKMAN

broadband TSJ BIOGRAPHY SERIES - KELLY SLATER

broadband TSJ BIOGRAPHY SERIES - KELLY SLATER

pollmagrole

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:49 +0000

Surf-A-Palooza Mar 28- Apr 4

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:49 +0000

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...: The red carpet won't be sandy, it will be sand. The tuxedos swapped out for cargo shorts and T-shirts. The Champagne will be of the Pacifico Ballena vintage. The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) has unveiled plans to recognize surf industry folk by way of the SIMA Image Awards. The inaugural awards ceremony will take place during SIMA Surf Summit 6 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, May 15-18, 2003.

A call for nominations was sent out to various surf industry honchos, VPs and the like. The categories are Print Ad Campaign of the Year, Breakthrough Manufacturer of the Year, Industry Achiever of the Year, Retailer of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year.

"The whole idea, the goal, if you will, is to recognize the industry," explained SIMA managing director Sean Smith. "People and companies in the industry deserve to be honored for their innovations, their hard work and their leadership."

The buzz in the industry is loud. And based on the feedback SIMA is receiving, next year's awards may be altered a bit. "These are the industry's awards," said Smith. "This first year we started out rather broad in our categories. So we may have missed a few spots, but it's an organic process. It's going to change as the industry sees fit. We'll send out a survey and find out what the industry wants."

Specifically, they need to include an award for the surfboard manufacturer. Certainly some recognition is deserved for those hardworking souls who keep our souls hardworking. And luckily the good folks at SIMA understand this.

"Should there be an award for the surfboard manufacturer? Absolutely," explained SIMA president Dick Baker. "This year we argued among ourselves about including too many awards. Do they deserve an award? Absolutely. They are the essence of the sport, they are the soul of the sport."

Surf-A-Palooza says bravo to SIMA for its recognition awards program. Bear in mind it is new, and like new things, there are lessons to be learned and growing pains to endure. But like a fine Pacifico vintage, the awards are overdue and refreshing.

You can vote for the SIMA Image Awards online at sima.com. I just did!

KING MACHADO: The $25,000 JAX BEACH PRO was dominated and won by California's Rob Machado. For complete results, please visit the ASP website. If you can't get enough of Machado, check him (and Rocky rights slayer Mikala Jones) pimping Bloomindale's in the latest FHM.

Help A Brother Out

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

My good friend Jason Bogle has been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma (cancer). It is beatable, but it is going to be a fight. He is a strong kid, but he is going to need a lot of support from us.

The treatment is estimated at $350,000. As he doesn't have insurance we are trying to raise money for him. Collectively I know we can do it.

We are getting creative as well. CJ Hobgoood is letting us auction a day of surfing with CJ (and a surfboard signed by him). The No Doubt members all signed a guitar to be auctioned and Bob Hurley is shaping a custom surfboard.

Jason will be getting treatment from Stanford. His family is close to Stanford, and the Stanford doctors have an amazing program.

Any donations can be sent to:

Friends of Jason Bogle Cancer Fund

919 Sunset Dr.

Costa Mesa, Ca.

92627

Thank you all,

Conan Hayes

SURF NRG VIDEOS: 2003 XBOX Pipeline Masters Wrap-up

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

SURF NRG Clips from the 03 Rip Curl Cup

BROADBAND VIDEO:

Andy clip #1

Slater & Andy Awards

Parko & McDonald

Slater in finals

Andy clip #1

Slater & Andy Awards

Parko & McDonald

Slater in finals

To your left are clips from the 2003 XBOX Pipeline Masters finals heats, courtesy of SURFNRG Videos.

SURF NRG VIDEOS: Clips from the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

SURF NRG Clips from the 03 Rip Curl Cup

BROADBAND VIDEO:

Free Surf Sessions

Main Event heat 1

Main Event heat 2

Main Event heat 3

2003 XBox Pipemasters Trials

Sorry. No Windows Media clips at this time.

To your left are some clips from the 2003 PipeMasters trials and rnd 1 heats. As an added bonus we've thrown in a free surf session with a few of the boys getting pitted. Enjoy!, courtesy of SURFNRG Videos.

SURF NRG VIDEOS: Clips From the 2003 Rip Curl Cup

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

SURF NRG Clips from the 03 Rip Curl Cup

BROADBAND VIDEO:

Andy Irons Round 3

Cory Lopez Round 3

Taj Burrow Round 3

Winner Jake Paterson Final Heat

Makua Rothman Fosters Expression Session

Dorian and A.Irons Final Heat

Taj and A. Irons Final Heat

Sorry. No Windows Media clips at this time.

SurfNRG's Kevin Welsh provides us with a taste of what's sure to be the most incredible WCT showdown in history as the race for the 2003 World Title continues.

To your left are some clips from the 2003 Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach on Friday, Dec. 5th, courtesy of SURFNRG Videos.

SYNERGY: Tow In Distress

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

Huge Tow-Ins at Jaws featuring Garrett McNamara's Tube of the Year, sick Tow-Ats at Sebastian Inlet with CJ Hobgood, Matt Kechele and Nick Guilarte, Caribbean treats from Tortolla/British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with Dylan Graves and Brian Toth, the Red Bull Ice Break Challenge in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New Jersey with Dean Randazzo, Kevin Richards and A+ clips from the North Shore of Oahu with Andy and Bruce, Mendia, Kimmel and lots more.

Untitled Document

broadband Tow-Ats W/ Nick Guilarte

broadband Tow-Ats W/ Nick Guilarte

broadband Beautiful Tortolla

broadband Beautiful Tortolla

broadband Tow in Distress

broadband Tow in Distress

"Hey Kelly..."

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

On November 8th the City of Cocoa Beach handed over yet another key to the city to it's #1 son, Kelly Slater. As Vice Mayor Tony Sassa presented him with the key, the 2nd in the past year, he also designated the day as "Kelly Slater Day". As a packed room applauded a long line waited outside the Cocoa Beach library waiting in turn to have their copy of Kelly's recently released book, Pipe Dreams, signed by the six-time world champion. Kelly is presently rated #1 on the ASP's World Contest Tour heading toward perhaps his 7th World Title which is about to commence on the North Shore of Oahu. The following audio clips are just some of the questions Kelly was happy to answer for his fans during a short Q & A session prior to the start of the book signing.

broadband Kelly: "I started surfing..."

broadband Kelly: "I started surfing..."

broadband Kelly: Which scares you more, Mav's or Teahupoo?

broadband Kelly: Which scares you more, Mav's or Teahupoo?

broadband Kelly on Big Wave Training

broadband Kelly on Big Wave Training

broadband Kelly: How is your foot injury?

broadband Kelly: How is your foot injury?

broadband Kelly on life after World Title #7

broadband Kelly on life after World Title #7

Punk & Disorderly

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:50 +0000

Produced by THE SURF LAB and Directed by the maker of THE KILL SERIES, Josh Pomer comes a brand spankin new surf movie starring Chris Ward, Ratboy, Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Shane Dorian, Adam Replogle, Mick Fanning, Taj Burrow and hosted by Roid Barney Barron. A part cartoon, part punker that throws everything into his mohawk hosting gig.

Barney takes you through: PERFECT CALIFORNIA POINTS, TAHITI TUBES, MEXICO HOLLOW WORLD, IRELAND IS HOLDING, AUSTRALIA GOLD COAST INTRODUCING DANE RENOLDS, RATBOY IN THE AIR, CURREN ON THE RAIL, SKATER DOES IT ALL, NEW CREW FANNING MORRISON PARKO ROBB, AND CHECK OUT THE BOBBY MARTINEZ FIFTEEN SECOND TUBE RIDE!

See what all the excitement is about. THE special edition DVD comes with a free cd soundtrack with music from Theologian and Lobster Records. There is also three bonus surf sections. Punk and Disorderly the most recomended surf movie of the Christmas season. Available online at justpushplay.com and see the movie trailer at thesurflab.com.

broadband Punk & Disorderly - Shane Dorian

broadband Punk & Disorderly - Randy Bonds

broadband Punk & Disorderly - Peter Mel

broadband Punk & Disorderly - Ozzie Boys

broadband Punk & Disorderly - Kelly Slater

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AMPLIFIED TAKE 2

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:51 +0000

Jeff Donner of Double Vision films sent over this nugget from their upcoming flick Amplified Take 2.

To purchase or get more info: Available at surf shops nationwide, or call double vision films @ 1-866-383-9181 toll free.

broadband AMPLIFIED TAKE 2 CLIP

broadband AMPLIFIED TAKE 2 CLIP

G.Love Meets Malibu

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:51 +0000

broadband G-Love: Back of da Bus

broadband G-Love: Back of da Bus

Bounty Hunters

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:51 +0000

broadband FIRING OZ

broadband FIRING OZ

broadband TEAHUPOO - SWELL FROM HELL

broadband TEAHUPOO - SWELL FROM HEL

broadband TEAHUPOO - PADDLE INS

broadband TEAHUPOO - PADDLE INS

On Board MV Seimoa I

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:51 +0000

broadband MV SEIMOA I - ATMs

broadband MV SEIMOA I - ATMs

broadband MV SEIMOA I - EBAY 1

broadband MV SEIMOA I - EBAY 1

broadband MV SEIMOA I - EBAY 2

broadband MV SEIMOA I - EBAY 2

broadband MV SEIMOA I - RIP IT

broadband MV SEIMOA I - RIP IT

Chile Size

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:52 +0000

BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE EXPEDITION

GENERAL INFO The latest Billabong Odyssey Expedition was held in Chile, home to several known big waves. A base was set to explore outer reefs in the area.

Participants towed into some giant waves, and paddle surfed a very hollow reef barrel. In case you're not familiar, the Odyssey Chile Expedition took place in a region where the weather is generally mild and warm with zero rain, but fairly frequent morning fog. Due to the Humboldt current, the water stays cool (low 60s). The wetsuits used were 4/3's and a 5/4's with hood for the extended am tow chill. Plus booties/gloves/beanies, etc. All equipment for the expedition is 100% mobile.

THE TEAM
Shane Dorian - WCT refugee/surfer
Cheyne Horan - Ageless legend/surfer
Brad Gerlach - Comedian/surfer
Mike Parsons - Brad's driver/surfer
Brendan 'Margo" Margieson - Surfer/Oz Odyssey director
Skindog Collins - Volcom broker/surfer
Magoo de la Rosa - Peruvian surf champ
Alfredo Escobar - Guide/photographer
Max de la Rosa - Billabong Peru/Chili
Matias Lopez - Guide
Frank Quirarte - Mavsurfer photog/videog/web/rescue
Geoff Ragatz - photographer
Steve Hawk - Outside Magazine writer
Chris Evans - Billabong International
Bill Sharp - Billabong Odyssey Director

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 1

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 1

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 2

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 2

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 3

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 3

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 4

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 4

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 5

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 5

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 6

broadband BILLABONG ODYSSEY CHILE 6

Osiris: Out Of Order

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:52 +0000

broadband OUT OF ORDER

broadband OUT OF ORDER

VIDEO: Riding Waves

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:52 +0000

broadband RIDING WAVES - JOEL TUDOR

broadband RIDING WAVES - JOEL TUDOR

broadband RIDING WAVES - JOHN PECK

broadband RIDING WAVES - JOHN PECK

broadband RIDING WAVES - ROB MACHADO

broadband RIDING WAVES - ROB MACHADO

To view more video clips CLICK HERE NOW!

ON BOARD MV SEIMOA I: Indonesian June Bloom

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:52 +0000

Look for Kevin Naughton's (The Far Shore) feature article on hardcore surf travel in SURFER magazine Vol. 44 #10 on sale in early September.

broadband ANOTHER INDO AFTERNOON

broadband ANOTHER INDO AFTERNOON

broadband BIG HTs

broadband BIG HTs

broadband LANCE'S LEFT - BIG HTs

broadband LANCE'S LEFT - BIG HTs

SCHHHNAPPER ROCKS: Quiksilver Pro Vids

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:52 +0000

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Taj, CJ, Luke

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Taj, CJ, Luke

low band SNAPPER ROCKS: Taj, CJ, Luke

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Kelly, Fanning, Mick

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Kelly, Fanning, Mick

low band SNAPPER ROCKS: Kelly, Fanning, Mick

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Dorian, Parko, Hitcho

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Dorian, Parko, Hitcho

low band SNAPPER ROCKS: Dorian, Parko, Hitcho

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Pat O'Connell

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Pat O'Connell

low band SNAPPER ROCKS: Dorian, Parko, Hitcho

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Occy

broadband SNAPPER ROCKS: Occy

low band SNAPPER ROCKS: Occy

THE HOTTEST ONE

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:52 +0000

Longboarders at Pipe

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:53 +0000

broadband Longboarders at Pipe

broadband Longboarders at Pipe

BOOST MOBILE ACTION CLIPS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:53 +0000

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

broadband BOOST MOBILE PRO CLIP 1

broadband BOOST MOBILE PRO CLIP 1

broadband BOOST MOBILE PRO CLIP 2

broadband BOOST MOBILE PRO CLIP 2

broadband BOOST MOBILE PRO CLIP 3

broadband BOOST MOBILE PRO CLIP 3

McNamara Meets the Monster

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:54 +0000

In late July a booming swell rolled through Teahupoo and a bunch of guys (Mike Parsons, Brad Gerlach, Laird Hamilton, Garrett McNamara, the usual suspects, etc. etc.) were on it. Well last week Garrett McNamara made his way into the Surfer magazine office with a mini-dv of the goods. We had heard about the monster wave he caught during a debriefing over Chinese food in which Billabong Odyssey front men Bill Sharp and Mike Parsons revealed the heroics of the swell. In-depth play-by-play and analysis somehow digressed into Natividad horror stories, but not before hearing about Garrett's score.

Check the following video clips for proof.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

lo-band McNamara Meets the Monster: Clip 1--600k

broadband McNamara Meets the Monster: Clip 1--1.6MB

broadband McNamara Meets the Monster: Clip 1--800k

lo-band Got Sack?: Clip 2--600k

broadband Got Sack?: Clip 2--1.5MB

broadband Got Sack?: Clip 2--1.5MB

Discuss these crazy video clips by clicking here.

OP PRO MENTAWAI 2001

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:54 +0000

High action OP PRO 2001 video clips.
Check these Quicktime vids of Occy, CJ Hobgood, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Tim Curran and Shane Dorian. Plus, a very deep tube ride at Macaroni's by Serena Brooke. For the complete OP PRO 2001 story check out the OP Pro DVD by clicking here and subscribe to Surfer magazine by clicking here
.

Surfermag.com prefers Quicktime 5.0 for viewing video clips. Download your free QUICKTIME 5.0 PLAYER now.

VIDEO #1--2.5MB
Shane Dorian Can't Believe It

VIDEO #2--2.3MB
Dorian Goes Casual

VIDEO #3--2.5MB
Serena Brooke Gets Tapped In

VIDEO #4--3.9MB
Occy And Dorian Exchange Pleasantries

VIDEO #5--2.4MB
Occy Gets Air In Finals

VIDEO #6--2.3MB
CJ Hobgood, Barrel Master

VIDEO #7--2.3MB
CJ, And We Have A Winner!

VIDEO #8--2.3MB
Andy Irons Rips It Up

VIDEO #9--2.1MB
Andy Irons, Again, Let's Reiterate, He Rips It Up

VIDEO #10--4.7MB
Shane And CJ Explode

VIDEO #11--3.4MB
Occy, Power Monger

VIDEO #12--2.1MB
Occster Charges It In The Ments

Indo Island Magic

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:54 +0000

These Quicktime clips are brought to you by our good friends at Saraina Koat Mentawai. Saraina Koat Mentawai offers full service Mentawai boat charter service. Check them out.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player. Quicktime blows doors on Windows Media and Real Player. That's why we use it. Once you've tried it, you'll agree.

VIDEO #1--1MB
Right Barrels Are Good.

VIDEO #2--1MB
Deep Tubes Are Okay Too.

VIDEO #3--1.3MB
Ecstacy Bay Lefts

VIDEO #4--1.3MB
Good Lefts Don't Suck

VIDEO #5--1.3MB
Chamber of Commerce Lefts

Man Vs. Nature

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:55 +0000

Nature makes waves. Man makes surf. And pretty damn good surf, too. Granted, not deliberately. In fact, with almost no exception, any attempt man has made to design and produce rideable surf has met with lamentable failure. And yet the coastlines of the world are littered with breaks that without man's helping hand--man's uncaring and often destructive hand--would otherwise not exist. His piers, jetties, channels, groins, break walls and dredge-tailing sandbars have come to define some of surfing's most traditional landscapes, providing as merely an engineering by-product waves that in many cases rival the best that nature itself has to offer. Actually competing with nature in shaping both the world's shorelines and the collective dreams of surfers everywhere who, for the most part, rarely stop to think about how much of the surf they ride is really man-made. Don't believe it? Then think again. If you live and surf anywhere in Southern California--especially south of Point Conception--you probably surf man-made waves most of the time. East Coast surfers? Virtually all the rideable waves south of the Carolinas have been produced by some sort of intrusive coastal development. And paradise? A number of Hawaii's most popular breaks wouldn't exist had not the tropical coral reef been altered in ways no kahuna would ever have condoned.

The irony, of course, is that for decades surfers have dreamed of making their own waves, the fantasy manifested in an enduring preoccupation with what has come to be known as "the artificial reef." As far back as 1968, in a SURFER magazine article penned by big wave ace and oceanographer Rick Grigg, the alluring prospect of being able to create our own waves was being touted as surfing's last hope.

"Grigg is going full-out to save surfing and surfers from extinction in a bumper-to-bumper, swarming world," read the feature's strident intro, in classic, late-60s style. "His plan for artificial reefs is a positive move that stands a good chance of acceptance by the Department of Parks and Recreation, and could reverse the trend of surf spot elimination into surf spot development."

Meanwhile echelons of men in hard shoes and thin ties led the assault on our coastlines, dreaming not of perfect, peeling waves, but of breakwalls that protect expensive beachfront property, jetties that trap littoral sand flow for commercially viable beaches and of vast harbors in which fleets of the elite might park their yachts. Funny thing is, while in the 36 years since Grigg went "full-on" in his efforts to save surfing, not a single functioning artificial reef has been constructed in the continental United States, while the list of inadvertently created waves reads like a Surf Report guide to the West and East Coasts. If you're like the rest of us, chances are you've probably surfed at one of these man-made breaks: Humboldt Jetties, Fort Point, Sharp Park Pier, Princeton Jetties, Santa Cruz Harbormouth, Moss Landing, Cayucos Pier, Morro Rock, South Jetty, Pismo Pier, Sandspit, Oil Piers, Ventura Dredge, Hollywood-by-the-Sea, POP Pier, Venice Jetties, Hammerland, Manhattan Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Redondo Breakwall, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach Pier, River Jetties, all of Newport Beach, Wedge, San Clemente Pier, Del Mar Jetties, Oceanside Jetties, Oceanside Pier, Warm Water Jetty, , Ponto, Scripps Pier, South Mission Jetty, Ocean Beach Pier, Imperial Beach Pier, Sandy Hook, Sea Girt, Manasquan Inlet, Bay Head, Casino Pier, Seaside Heights, States Avenue, Ventnor Pier, Margate Pier, Ocean City, all of Virginia Beach, all of Cape Hatteras, Jacksonville Beach, Ormand Beach Pier, Ponce Inlet, Cocoa Beach, Canaveral Pier, Sebastian Inlet, Palm Beach Jetties, South Beach, Galveston Jetties, J.B. Luby Pier, Bob Hall Pier, Fish Pass, South Padre Island. As a footnote add Ala Moana and Kaisers in Hawaii and you get a picture of a surfing world that, when it comes to artificial waves, hasn't had to settle merely for Typhoon Lagoon.

"You'd have to consider these waves happy accidents," says Chad Nelson, an environmental director at the Surfrider Foundation. "But because the waves that have resulted from this inadvertent development have worked doesn't necessarily mean that it's been a good thing. Look at the thousands of coastal development projects that haven't produced good waves."

The SURFER Interview: TOM CURREN

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:57 +0000

Tom Curren has never had a surf spot named in his honor. He didn't introduce the twin fin, thruster, or tow board, and let's face it; the chances of him becoming a powerful surf industry desk jockey are slim to none. Yet when it's all said and done, very few people will alter the axis of the surfing world the way Tom Curren has. Truth is, this guy changed everything, and by no other means than his revolutionary approach to riding waves that blended '70s elegance with new millennium flair.

Of course his foray into surfing was to be expected considering his pedigree. His father Pat was a big wave legend in the 1950s who moved his family from San Diego to Santa Barbara in the early '70s, where Tom was groomed in the famed points by a colorful cast of underground surf gurus who were altering equipment and performance realities one swell at time. Before long, word was spreading about magical performances their young understudy was putting in. After Californians endured a decade of total dominance by Australians, Tom's radical new approach was smashing performance barriers, which resonated with surfers around the world. Curren revitalized California as a force to be reckoned with, and inspired a nation with his three world titles. Along the way he legitimized a fledgling professional sport, and became the unwitting patriarch of a cultural movement: professional soul surfing. Yet even as he went on to become the most popular surfer of his time, he remained elusive to his fans, the press and his peers, and his mystique and legend only grew because of it. We all thought we knew Tom Curren, but the truth is he's only now getting to know himself. Today, Tom Curren, 39, lives in Santa Barbara with his second wife Maki and their two sons, Francis, 8, and Patrick, 7. When he's not chasing waves or kids he's usually in his studio making music, a passion he's pursued since his teens. In fact, Tom's just completed a new album that not only demonstrates his many talents, but offers a rare glimpse into this man's very private soul. After completing the project, Tom spoke candidly with us about his public triumphs, private struggles and tough lessons learned through both. It's the side of Tom we've all been waiting to learn about. - Chris Mauro

SURFER: Tell me about the effort that went into this album, because I know it's something you've been working on for an awfully long time.

TOM CURREN: Well, I was in Australia in about 1996 when I played some acoustic guitar for some guys at a studio down there. They were pretty happy with it, and mentioned doing an album, so about a year later I met some people who were interested in recording. They had a scheme to make it happen with some investors and the like.

SURFER: And the little white sheep entered the wolves' den...

TOM CURREN: Exactly. (Laughs). But there was no risk for me. I didn't have to put any money up or anything so I agreed to it, and we started recording at my old house in Goleta. The tracks at the time were mostly drums and keyboards. So we tried to lay those down and add the songs, which didn't really work. It's much better to have the song first. We ended up only keeping a few of those tracks and started working on a basic work in progress kind of thing that we showed to a few record companies.

SURFER: What did they think of it?

TOM CURREN: Well, they didn't. They basically said it covered too many genres of music because we'd have a rock song, some blues, some R&B, even some folk. We were all over the map. It also had a pretty high quality, high gloss, very studio feel and the record companies were concerned that it was a bit fabricated...which it kind of was.

SURFER: So how'd you get another chance?

TOM CURREN: Well, during that time Jack Johnson started doing well with his acoustic sound, and of course we all know he's showed a lot of--well, without being too surfing oriented--that you could do it. He blazed his own trail, and proved you didn't have to be punk or be rock or whatever, as long as the songs are good. So our next step was to do a little more of an acoustic kind of sound just because of that.

SURFER: And that went better?

TOM CURREN: A bit. Some were ones from when I first started playing guitar, around 1990. So as you can imagine the songs are pretty old, the material finally seeing the light of day. So the sound we ended up with is pretty far removed from the teeny-bopper sound that's out there today.

SURFER: It's obviously not an attempt to crack the Top 40.

SURFER Interview: Makua Rothman

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:58 +0000

Growing up on the North Shore is tough. Growing up the son of a prominent father on the North Shore is tougher, the privilege often clashing with the need to pull away and establish oneself. Life for Makua Rothman changed when he let go of the rope on a giant November day in 2002. During one of the most historic big-wave sessions in history, Makua followed a borrowed, too-slow jet-ski into the biggest wave of the session--a wave that eventually won him $66,000 and acknowledgement in media as far-flung as Miller Lite beer commercials, all recognizing him as riding history's biggest wave. More importantly for Makua, his success that day has brought respect from those surfers that he has been emulating for years. The respect only grew this winter when Makua won the Best Barrel Expression Session at the Rip Curl Pro at Sunset Beach, and received invitations to both the Pipeline Masters Trials and the Quiksilver in memory of Eddie Aikau big wave contest at Waimea Bay.

The son of Da Hui founder Eddie Rothman, until this point Makua's life has been lived largely in the shadow of his father. But now, at 19, Makua is emerging by strides. With skills that have been incubating since birth, Makua is poised to actualize himself as one of surfing's most central watermen for years to come.

One day in December after a harrowing injury--a violent bounce off the bottom at Backdoor that Makua thought momentarily had paralyzed him--he sat down on his father's couch, where, amid phone calls from photographers and surfers checking in on his health, and under the glaring lights of an MTV camera crew, discussed life to this point. And what's still to come.

A lot of knowledgeable people call the day that you got your wave at Peahi the best big wave session in history. You got the best wave of the day and won the Billabong XXL Big Wave Award. What did it mean to be the youngest person out there and get the biggest wave?

It feels just like a regular day to me. Because all that hype is just politics, brah. I don't really like being hyped up by all kinds of people. I just want to be myself and do what I do--surf. Cruise with you guys, go on boat trips, have a good time. But it happened and it feels good, because I got a bunch of exposure and stuff.

How big of a role does big wave riding play in your surfing?

Now, since I caught that big wave, I guess it's going to play a lot because guys are going to be after me. Or after my wave.

Does that inspire you?

Oh, yeah. Cause I always want to catch a bigger one. I just go day by day; if the waves are small I surf, if the waves are big, I'm out there. But yeah, big wave surfing is definitely something I've always been into.

What initially drew you into big wave surfing?

When I was a little kid, I was kind of fat, and I couldn't get enough speed on the smaller waves, so I was over small waves. I always had Sunset, Pipe and V-Land and stuff like that so ever since I was young I just wanted to surf bigger waves.

What was your single most fearful moment in the water?

Probably yesterday. Backdoor. I took off on a nice sized wave. As I was going down my board went to the side and I missed my whole board as I was dropping in. I went to curl up into a little ball just in case I hit the reef, but the lip landed on my shoulders and piledrived my knee straight into the reef, and jammed my hip and smashed it in and knocked all the wind out of me. Both my legs and my right arm went numb, I couldn't swim--only my left arm was working. All the air got knocked out of me, and I couldn't say nothing, I barely got a yell out. Luckily Shane Dorian was right there, and Ian Walsh and a couple of guys were there and they got me into the beach, and put me on Dorian's surfboard and picked me up.

Hot Seat: Carissa Moore

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:58 +0000

Cute little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, right? Well, Meet Carissa Moore, the sweetest little darling to come along since Shirley Temple...until you draw her in a heat that is, because this 11-year old sensation is already blowing up beyond belief. Last month during the Roxy pro at Haleiwa she knocked out a handful of seasoned pros, and a few months before that she made the finals of the hotly contested Boys division at NSSA Nationals. Bottom line, many insiders are already touting this little phenom as the big threat to surfing's gender barrier. So we figured if she can hang with the big boys and girls she shouldn't have any problems with the Hot Seat. - Jake Howard

SURFER: So Carissa, let's start way back at the beginning. When did you start surfing?

Carissa: Umm, I was four or five.

SURFER: And how old are you now?

Carissa: 11-years-old.

SURFER: So you've already been surfing for six or seven years. What do you like most about surfing?

Carissa: I like surfing with my dad...oh yeah, I also like surfing with my friends. It's fun.

SURFER: Sounds good to me. What's your favorite thing to do when you're surfing?

Carissa: I like riding the waves, just riding them is real fun.

SURFER: What's the newest trick you've learned?

Carissa: 360s, I like doing those.

SURFER: The word on the street is you're a pretty good surfer. I heard you surfed against the boys at NSSA Nationals this year. I also heard you took down Jon-Jon.

Carissa: I did?

SURFER: I don't know, that's just what I heard.

Carissa: Oh yeah, I went to California this year and surfed in the finals against Jon Jon, but he beat me. My dad said I had more NSSA points than him at the end of the year. Do you know what NSSA stands for? National Scholastic Surfing Association.

SURFER: Does it now?

Carissa: Yep, it sure does.

SURFER: You know what else I've heard? I heard you took down some of the big girls at Haleiwa. How was that?

Carissa: Well, it was cloudy and it was windy and it was big.

SURFER: Was it hard out there?

WRANGELLIA

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:59 +0000

Fuck it's cold. So cold that in another attempt to keep my body temperature from plummeting with the falling sun I desperately cling to the idea that around seventy million years ago this glacial archipelagic was actually a tropical island paradise resting somewhere near modern day Fiji. But with light fading on another abbreviated day there's an icy breeze running through the shadows of this hidden sound and the shivery chill it brings to this Northwest lineup is a painful reminder of the urgency of fall, and the notion of a few short weeks till frost. Vancouver Island is a long way from the South Pacific, and for those who'll brave the dark, wet, lonely season to come, there's no escaping this bitter reality.

There is, however, one redeeming aspect to this frigid moment: the arresting panorama of this giant inlet. Many miles away snowcapped peaks towering out of the dense forest reflect the sun's afternoon light, while just offshore a small gathering of islands are being washed over by open ocean swells crashing and exploding into the soft pink twilight. With a quick pan of the horizon it's easy to see how eons of titanic forces and savage elements have had their way with this hidden corner of the Pacific Northwest, yet the people, the landscape and its creatures seem all the more ancient and wise because of it. Between them, they've seen everything.

Geologists believe most of the islands lying between Anchorage, Alaska and Vancouver Island were born south of the equator, and later arrived to the Northeast corner of the Pacific Ocean via the subterranean plate that twirls counter clockwise under the ocean floor. Eventually these islands either crashed headlong into the sturdy Continental Plate or became trapped in the giant armpit of the Alaskan Peninsula. Some merged seamlessly with the mainland, others collided with violent fury and formed coastal mountain ranges, but thousands more studded the coastal horizon, and these islands collectively form a massive network of majestic sounds and inlets stretching for thousands of miles along the Northwest coastline from Washington State to Alaska. This string of islands has been dubbed the Wrangellian Belt... but many just call it Wrangellia.

Great explorers of the past knew Wrangellia as the graveyard of the North Pacific, and considering the harshness of the environment this is easily understood, even to modern day adventurers. Yet life actually flourishes here. Bald eagles soar from their haphazard nests to watch over pods of orcas, prowling cougars, howling wolves and black bears with mouths full of twitching salmon, the lifeblood of the land. In fact, there's a greater amount of biomass per acre in the lush cathedral forests of Vancouver Island than in the Amazon. Upon closer inspection one quickly realizes this is no graveyard--this is heaven...or maybe just the place where tropical islands grow old and retire.

Nevertheless, when you're waiting out a lull in the frigid lineup it gets fucking cold once the sun drops below the cedars so it's time for me to snap out of my watery daze and join friends waiting by the campfire burning on the beach.

As a set stacks out the back of this beautiful round headland I put myself in position for a ride in. I turn, stroke, rise and glide through a section as racy as any south of the 48th parallel. But after some carefree swoops on the outside my ride nearly comes to a tragic end when I reach shore. While trying to negotiate the giant floating logs being tossed amidst the boulders inside I barely escape a crushing death between two fallen trees. Things get so ugly I actually hear myself scream. When the sudden horror ends I ponder the variety of ways death could find somebody up here, and how such an untimely demise would even be explained. Meanwhile, my friends by the fire are bent over in laughter, having witnessed the whole embarrassing debacle at close range.

With tail tucked firmly between my legs, I make my way to the warmth of the flames, my rigormortis fingers and frozen toes serving as clear indicators that my session lasted about twenty minutes too long. Raph Bruhwiler and his brother Sepp, two of the laughing locals, had given me fair warning that despite 7-mil booties all the latest advancements in neoprene technology there remains a fine line between functionally cool and totally frozen. "Some days there's no escape. You just have to embrace the pain," Raph theorized.

Embracing the pain actually defines the essence of the surfing experience on Vancouver Island, especially in the far west near Tofino, where nothing comes easy. If surfers here forego the sloppy peaks in front of their homes there's certain to be a wild adventure at hand, and each has its own list of things that can go terribly wrong. Navigating the old logging roads can loosen molars, break axles, flatten tires and drown full size pickups in mud. Boarding small boats for open-ocean sprints is always full of peril in this fog infested, reef-strewn zone. And even a seemingly peaceful hike through the forest is full of lurking dangers since most bears and cougars are always game for sampling new flavors.

Taking all this into account I can't help but be amazed by the local surfers I've come to know up north over the past five years. Raph, Sepp and friends are as passionate a group of surfers as you'll find anywhere in the world, but what's even more impressive than the elements they endure is how they rip like hell right through them.

I met Raph and Sepp Bruhwiler in Victoria, British Columbia four years ago on one of my wild hair trips to the region. While I'd actually gathered some intelligence before meeting up with them at a local south island pub, nothing could've prepared me for my first impression. Over some frosty lagers and a heart stopping Canucks game we began grilling each other.

"How many chop hops can you do on a wave?" Sepp demanded to know.

"Um, I don't uh, really do-"

"I did five the other day...three on the outside and three on the inside."

"Sepp...that's six you idiot." Raph chimed in. Sepp's excitement grew after recounting on his fingers. "Man...that's cool! I did six then, eh."

Raph tried to apologize, "He asks everybody he meets that question. I've been trying to tell him chop hops are for kooks but he doesn't believe me. You'll tell him, eh."

But why should I kill his misguided stoke.

Raph Bruhwiler, 27, is the oldest of the four Bruhwiler siblings, Sepp, 23, is the youngest. Raph is tall, slender, refined and mellow. Sepp is thick, wide, rough and tumble. Raph told me when we met that Tom Curren and Kelly Slater were his early surfing influences, while Sepp was adamantly backing Hollywood's North Shore as his favorite movie of all time and wanted nothing more than to meet Mike Latronic in person, since after all, he doubled for Rick Kane. In fact, Sepp was not yet willing to forgive Lance Burkhart for his hostile transgressions, and to this day expresses some residual hostility towards Laird Hamilton.

On the long drive north to their home the next day I learned a little more about their surfing history, and how they even came to exist in such a place. Raph and Sepp grew up in a trailer near Chesterman's Beach in Tofino, a little jewel of a town guarding the entrance of Clayoquot Sound halfway up the west coast of Vancouver Island. Today, roughly 1800 working class people live in Tofino year round, most with roots in logging or fishing.

Raph and Sepp spent their fair share of time in the surrounding hills helping their dad Vern fall trees while growing up. When they were young they'd carry the gas for his massive chainsaw. As they got older they played a more active role. But they also worked in the fishing plants, shoveling ice at first, cutting and cleaning the fish later. But today the old fishing plants are rusting away. It was the first industry to fall.

Throughout the '80s and early '90s pressure was mounting to save the salmon that stimulate life on Wrangellia. Local Indian tribes and environmentalists presented damning evidence that over-fishing, especially of the salmon, was starving the wildlife of its indigenous creatures. Scientists were just beginning to realize the enormous significance of this celebrated fish. With rivers and streams running free the salmon can swim, spawn, and die upstream by the hundreds of thousands the way nature intended. This is essential because their carcasses feed species like birds, bugs and bears, and eventually supply rich nutrients, namely phosphorous, to the nearby forest and the ocean below, keeping them both healthy and thriving. Local tribes have long understood the salmon's value as the region's lifeblood, which is why this legendary fish is prominently featured on totem poles throughout the Northwest.

The closing of the fish plant in Tofino was the town's first major economic blow, but the Bruhwiler's were mostly unscathed, since logging still provided food and shelter, and even Raph's early surf equipment. Vern, who's quite the handyman, built Raph a surfboard out of plywood after noticing his son's passion for the water as a young boy.

"Of course that thing didn't work," Raph explains. "But there was already a little surf shop in town and they needed some land cleared so my dad worked a trade with them to get us some decent gear."

Raph eventually burned his plywood board and threw away his two-piece wetsuit for more modern equipment. With his spirit ignited, his love of surfing attracted siblings and neighbors to the pursuit. But while they ventured into bigger waves and new territories they could only learn from a few older locals and one old copy of SURFER Magazine. Inside the issue Raph's dad spotted an ad for the Paskowitz surf camp, and a few months later he loaded Raph in his VW bus and headed 20 hours south to San Clemente. At the time, this was a big adventure. "I didn't really learn much from the camp," Raph says. "They basically just throw you out there and make sure you don't drown. But by watching other people surf I learned quite a bit, and I brought back a bunch of magazines and videos."

Among the videos was the newly released Momentum.

Suddenly, new school testament was being spread throughout the farthest reaches of the Canadian wilderness. Raph, Sepp, their brother Francis and a tight knit group of dedicated friends from their trailer park became even more enthralled with surfing, and all that could be done on waves. During the endless summer days of the 48th parallel, where the sun sets around 10pm, surfing was the perfect time killing distraction. They all bought skateboards and terrorized the town, practicing their tricks on land before taking them to the water. They'd surf, skate and rage till dawn. Suddenly they didn't quite fit with the lumberjack crowd, these guys were surf rats.

Exploration was the next natural step. It was around this time when the boys were beginning to realize there might be more beyond their little sound than just some decent beachbreak. Each new logging road seemed to lead to a new surf discovery: some points, others reefs, but each fueling their desire to go deeper into the far reaches of the north and south. But exploration also takes a few bucks, and hard times were falling on Tofino...again.

After the fisheries were closed the logging industry was next to step into the crosshairs of environmentalists. Naturally, Raph and Sepp resented the earth first hippies that first started flooding into Tofino to protest the local clear cutting practices. In 1993, the international media invaded the tiny town as riots erupted during the heavily publicized protests of Clayoquot Sound. Apparently it was quite the scene: tent cities, rock stars, hippies, and even eco-terrorists who burnt down businesses. The small community was ripped apart over the issue, and some of the deep rifts are still dying hard today.

While painful, the protests were also successful, and logging practices were severely restricted, which made work much harder to find. As eager teens the Tofino boys took jobs wherever they could: construction, dock work, deckhands. But long after the clear cutting stopped, the invading hippies kept returning, some even with their rich uncles, and the former working class town slowly began to transform into a tourist destination. Raph and his friends began working sport-fishing charters and whale watching trips, and suddenly their long summer days always revolved around the sea. They came to know her moods, and all the safe places to run in a sudden storm. Best of all they were making nautical strikes to places they'd never seen, confirming rumors of reefs and points they'd heard about, and finding a few new ones of their own. All the while their surfing rapidly improved.

Eventually, they saved for bigger winter surf excursions that would help them escape the long dark winter. Raph explored Australia with his girlfriend, and later Brazil, Mexico and Portugal. The Bruhwiler brothers and their young protege Peter Devries began representing Canada in international competitions. They've even starred in some cult videos of their own, like 5MM Canada and Numb. But no matter where they find themselves on the globe today, when spring arrives they all long for home. With some 400 miles of pristine coastline north of Tofino wide open for wave exploration is there any wonder why?

Raph lives in a small trailer on the edge of town just above the Esso petrol station where you can buy everything from coffee and donuts to galoshes and fishing poles. "This part here is skid row," he says referring to the trailers at the bottom of the hill as we pass behind the station. One hundred yards up on the plateau behind is where his home is parked. "This is it, man, we call this part Beverly Hills."

The wood panel walls are adorned with photos that verify everything from massive trees felled and 100-pound fish caught, to stunning lineups of secret reefs and points. And in the hallway across from the bathroom hangs a six-foot tall map of Vancouver Island. The top of the island lies just about eye level, but when I look for Tofino, the town farthest north on the west coast, I find it down at my knees. Above lies nothing but wild coast, and thousands of waves breaking into sovereign Indian reservations. From the tip of the island down little red X's mark spots either verified or soon to be.

"Guys have been all up and down this coast looking," says Raph. "There's a lot of rumor about what's up there, but no proof."

Every year he and his boys usually find or validate some of these X's but it remains a painstakingly slow process because it can require weeklong camping excursions, high-risk open-ocean runs and good breaks in the weather, which dictates everything.

"It gets pretty damn rough," says Raph. "Scary shit can happen." And has. On more than one occasion they've come split seconds away from getting swamped by rogue waves while running close to shore to check the surf. But after years of driving whale watching vessels and sport fishing charters Raph's become a poised navigator and trusty captain, even in harrowing conditions. He won't take unnecessary risks now that he and Sepp have their own boat. Together with their small posse they've wasted no time discovering for themselves what's around the next corner.

These days the annual migration of tourists fuels the new economy of Tofino. The trailer park where the boys grew up has long since been torn down and replaced with million dollar homes. In fact, this winter will be Raph's last in Beverly Hills. It's hard to believe, but with the population swelling to around 3000 in the busy summer months Raph and Sepp have carved out a living riding waves...in frickin' Canada. As two local celebrities they run a highly successful surf camp, and business is thriving. This past summer Tofino was sporting three surf shops, kayak stores galore, and countless hiking and sport fishing outlets. Still no Starbucks (in fact they've wisely put laws on the books preventing outside chains coming in) but it's becoming upscale and, dare I say, trendy.

Standing by the fire alongside the local crew some of the boys are contemplating the town's transformation, and Raph is quick to point out the highs and lows. "The good thing is we can surf when we want now," he explains. "The bummer is it's tougher today for the grommets who live here. None of them live on the beach anymore because tourists have bought up all the homes." It's hard to get around when you're a grom, especially up here, and while you'll see huge crowds of people learning to surf in the summer Raph and Sepp have yet to see a new generation of surf-stoked groms coming up behind them.

But on this chilly fall night it's obvious many things remain the same. With autumn's arrival the crowds quickly disperse and the tiny little town of Tofino takes back much of its former life. Vern Bruhwiler is still able to knock down a few trees and the salmon can safely make their runs. And tomorrow will be another day of exploration for Raph, Sepp, and a handful of hearty souls. This is the season when the horizons of Clayoquot Sound prove most tempting. Sepp, now long past his chop-hop phase, would love nothing more than a few perfect tubes to thread. Raph agrees, but yearns for something more.

"There's some big ass waves up there," he says, pointing at the map. "Guys are searching for new waves up here but nobody's really looking for the big ones. That's what I want. I need to be scared again."

It shouldn't take long.

Pro Surfing: THE SHARP END

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:43:59 +0000

In 1994 SURFER Magazine ran a splashy cover story entitled, "Searching For Kelly Slater" in which pro surfing's current crop of teenaged heroes were profiled in relative comparison to the Cocoa Beach superstar. Slater, then 22, and having already won four consecutive U.S. Championships, the $100,000 Body Glove Surf Bout, the first of his six professional ASP world titles, a mega-buck Quiksilver sponsorship deal and his own page in People magazine's 1991 "50 Most Beautiful People" issue, was already making the surf establishment antsy. Like, "OK, you made your point, enough already. Make room for somebody else."

17- year-old Kalani Robb, for example, was touted in "Searching For Kelly Slater" as the next best thing. Or 16 year-old Andy Irons also got a mention, along with his brother Bruce, Tim Curran, Chris Ward, Conan Hayes, Cory Lopez and Taj Burrow. All of them were predicted to rise to the top of the class; pro surfing's future.

So now pump down the line for almost a decade, until today when, with only two events left on the 2003 ASP World Championship Tour, and after a four-event winning season that would ordinarily have to be considered extraordinary, current world champ Andy Irons heads into the climactic Hawaiian Triple Crown and a possible showdown at Pipeline, 648 points behind the only other surfer apparently capable of both dominating the world championship circuit and capturing the imagination of both recreational and pro surfing fans alike in Slater-esque fashion. Facing, at long last, the first true "next Kelly Slater" to come along in over 10 years: Kelly Slater.

That's right. The guy who's got the pro surf scene all abuzz this season, winning four events outright and placing no worse than 9th, and seemingly alone in his ability to wrench the surf world's collective interest from their next wave to his next wave, first appeared in the magazines back in the ' 80s as an ESA Boys Champ wearing Day-Glo Sundeks, taking us from Men Without Hats to Jack Johnson with no serious rival for our affections. Asserting himself yet again as the greatest and most popular pro competitor in the sport's history.

So is this a good thing? Hard to say. What does it say about the current state of professional surfing, to be so dependent on a single individual to generate genuine drama and interest? Does the excitement that surrounds Slater's return to the podium represent pro surfing's future, or is our thrall with the last vestige of a past sporting era, savored nostalgically, Curren and Occhilupo standing in for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson while Kelly--well, the Michael Jordan comparisons are impossible to ignore. As has been an organization like the National Basketball Association's inability to produce a star of Jordan's transcendent brilliance, with the perceived quality of an entire institution hinging on his participation. But the comparisons stop there, basketball, after all, being solely a competitive sport. Professional competitive surfing's role within the culture has always been a complex one. And having found the "Next Kelly Slater" in Slater provides the perfect context in which to examine where pro competition fits, exactly, in this new millennium, the most diverse period in surfing history

First, a little history. (No, first a disclaimer. This is not a critique of the Association of Surfing Professionals, or any other of pro surfing's primary governing bodies. Neither is this intended to categorize the competitors who participate in organized professional competitions the world over in any other way than to say they sure must be stoked.) And right from the start it's important to distinguish between professional surfing and professional competitive surfing. Pro surfing has been around for almost a century. George Freeth, the legendary Hawaiian-Irish surfrider from Waikiki credited with being the West Coast's first stand-up surfer in 1907, was a pro, sponsored by various interests to give demonstrations of his "Hawaiian feats" up and down the California coast; surfing for his supper. Meanwhile back in Waikiki the colorful beachboy culture that sprung up in Freeth's wake and flourished throughout the early 20th century was, in its essence, the purest form of professional surfing: being paid, however marginally, to spend your days on the beach, surfing, teaching surfing, and occasionally rubbing sun-tan lotion on some pretty wahine. Even in the light of today's mega pro sponsorships, no surfers have ever had it any better than did those "brown Mercurys" of Waikiki.

Surfing competition, too, has been around since olo boards and surf chants. In "Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport" University of Hawaii anthropologist Ben Finney describes an 18th century surf contest whose drama the Pipe Masters would be hard-pressed to match.

"Before he became high chief Umi attended a surfing match at Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. While there he was challenged to a contest by Paiea. Because of the small wager Paiea proposed, Umi refused the offer. When Paiea upped his bet to four double-hulled canoes, Umi accepted. He then defeated Paiea and won the four canoes, but during the match Paiea's surfboard had clipped Umi on the shoulder, scratching off some skin. Umi said nothing at the time, but when he later came to power as high chief he had Paiea killed and sacrificed to his god at the heiau at Waipunalei."

There was obviously a lot more riding on those early Hawaiian waves than ratings points.

"It shows how serious the Hawaiians were about competition," says Dr. Finney. "It's also history's first documented case of surf rage."

While in more modern times surf competition tends to be regarded as a recent development, the fact is that as long as there's been surfing there have been surf contests. And great competitive surfers. We've read about Chief Umi, but what about Long Beach's Cliff Tucker, winner of the 1940 Pacific Coast Surfriding Championship, who topped legendary watermen like Pete Peterson and Lorrin Harrison at the annual San Onofre event with a radically innovative approach that saw the ultra-competitive Tucker utilizing a quiver of wooden boards, riding a lightweight, hollow plywood design in the glassy morning heats and a heavier, solid model in the afternoon chop.

Then there was Peterson himself, one of the greatest surfer/designer/innovators of all time, who dominated California competition, taking out the PCSC in 1932, 1936, 1938 and 1941, and who continued to compete into his later years, winning the tandem event with partner Barrie Aglaw at the 1966 World Championships at age 53.

During the post-Gidget surf boom of the mid-1960s a new breed of professional emerged, "sponsored" surfers who, aside from their other promotional duties shilling, say, Hang 10 trunks or Hobie surfboards, gained renown by competing in contests like the Makaha International and the United States Surfing Federation championships at Huntington Beach.

Mickey Munoz knows a thing or two about this era. One of the 1960s top competitors, Munoz, began picking up paychecks as far back as 1959, donning a bikini and doubling for Sandra Dee in the original Gidget, and in 1965 won the sport's first professional cash prize at the Tom Morey Invitational nose-riding contest. Mickey's recollections paint a different picture than the nostalgic image of the period known as "the longboard era," during which, revisionists claim, everyone posed on their noses in a "soulfully" aesthetic stance.

"It was an extremely competitive period," says Munoz, 66. "There were guys who were team riders and that's all they did. Mike Doyle was certainly one of the first. David Nuuhiwa, Nat Young. And I considered myself a professional surfer, whether that meant making money actually riding a wave or not. Not that anybody made enough money to support themselves completely by just riding waves. But the name of the game was doing it all, competing and shaping and doing promos. It was no different than what pros like Kelly are doing today. He's out there whoring, you know, just like we were [laughing]."

Whoring isn't what the surfers who reinvented professional competitive surfing in the late-1970s liked to call it. This new era, ushered in with the inception of the International Professional Surfing Tour in 1976, took on the tone of a crusade with knight errants like Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Mark Warren, Rabbit Bartholomew, Mark Richards and Shaun Tomson girding their loins in Quiksilver, Gotcha, Billabong and Instinct and going forth to do battle with both the evil Day Job and the all-black wetsuit.

Gauging how successful this zealous mission has been depends on which side of the priority buoy you sit. The "Free Ride" generation did help establish what would develop into a legitimate world professional tour while at the same time strike the endorsement mold from which the following generation of pros would be cast. And the lucky pros who have stood on the shoulders of those early giants have realized the dream of making a living--a damn good living, in many cases--simply riding their boards. On the other hand, while elements like travel surfing, the use of modern longboards and women's surfing--in short, recreational surfing--have grown exponentially over the past 30 years, the World Championship Tour, despite offering more total prize money, has shrunk from 1988's 24-event, 21-sponsor season, to today's 12-event tour supported by only five sponsors. And although surfing has never been hotter in the mainstream, from the box office and ratings success of projects like Dana Brown's Step Into Liquid and MTV's Surf Girls, to the projected release of two major studio big-wave documentaries, the professional surfing circuit has, after 24 years of trying, yet to gain any presence on the screen at all, big or small. And if the return of not only the greatest competitor ever but one of People magazine's 50 sexiest to the fold hasn't tipped the scale, what will?

And yet pro surfing still seems to occupy a major portion of our attention. It is almost universally agreed upon that the world's top professional competitors are considered the world's best surfers--period. What else could explain the fact that every top place-getter surfer in the 2003 SURFER Poll--male or female--competes fulltime on either the ASP's WCT or WQS tour? Not a Laird Hamilton or Joel Tudor or Daize Shayne among them, despite those performers' significant contributions and respective iconic reputations. And we apparently still crave the competitor's endorsement, and not just for fashion. The validity implied by this proven, quantifiable skill level affects even the most recreational surfers, pro surfing fans or not.

"There is a trickle-down affect," says Randy French, owner of Surftech, the world's largest producer of epoxy-composite surfboards. "Like with auto racing. What does auto racing have to do with the average consumer buying and driving a car? It's what's learned at the sharp end of the sport. Innovation in things like automatic transmissions, suspension, brakes and tires. It's the same with surfboards."

But next time you paddle out to your local break, take a look at all those surfboards. An informal poll among surfing experts, from 1976 world professional champion Peter Townend to pro surfer/filmmaker Chris Malloy to The Encyclopedia of Surfing author Matt Warshaw, revealed the widespread opinion that surfboard design is the area most directly influenced by competitive surfing today--and has been since 1981. You remember 1981. Simon Anderson. And a little thing called the Thruster.

"The development of the Thruster, the single most widely accepted surfboard design of all time, came as a direct result of surfing competition," says Townend, 50, former competitor, TV commentator, surfwear marketing director and currently an action sports consultant. "It was Simon Anderson trying to come up with a design to compete against all these smaller guys zipping around on twin-fins. But if Simon hadn't proved that the designed worked, and proved it in competition, it would never have been totally accepted the way it was by the surfing public."

Of course the surfboard market has changed vastly since the years immediately following the Thruster's introduction, when virtually every surfer in the water rode some reasonable facsimile. Today's lineups are filled with the broadest variety of equipment ever seen, from conventional Thrusters to ' 60s-style, single-fin longboards, from twin-keeled Fish to progressive tri-finned nine-footers, from accommodating hybrids to aerial discs. And with the exception of the most finely tuned blades, none of them even remotely resembling boards ridden by the top pro competitors. Do we really have to harken back over 20 years to point to any tangible contribution?

"Not at all," says Surftech's French. "From the consumer's standpoint it's still a credibility thing, regardless of what sort of board they ride. And we're looking at it from the design, performance and manufacturing perspective. Our goal as a business is to see our technology used on the pro tour--we need it to be perceived as working for that upper one-percent. The credibility, that's the value of competition. Just like with auto racing--if Goodyears are good enough to run at the Indy 500, they're good enough for my car."

Equipment-wise there are even some cases where civilian surfers have benefited inversely. Listen to Peter Johnson, formerly manager of Rusty Surfboards and currently owner of PSG/Kane Garden Surfboards. Johnson, 47, has been a longtime proponent of "alternative" surf craft (read: hybrids and modern Fish) and while he worked for years producing replicas of the boards favored by Rusty's powerful pro team, he views trickle-down in a slightly different light.

"If you look at the extremely refined boards like Kelly Slater was riding in 1990-91, they didn't so much lead surfers away from reasonable surfboards as drive them toward more reasonable boards," says Johnson. "For about four or five years people were buying boards that didn't work for them. Finally the need to develop more user-friendly boards grew until, at Rusty, at least, we began consciously addressing that market. Like with the Desert Island Series and bigger guy boards. Now at Kane Garden we offer boards that rip and are actually fun to ride and in a sense the whole movement toward this type of board came out of the competition scene."

Another area where competitive surfing has had a quantifiable effect on the broader surf culture concerns the recent boom in women's surfing--quantifiable, but not so obvious. Kneeboarders, bodyboarders, longboarders--hah! No single group has had a greater struggle for respect and acceptance than female pro competitors, whose course since the mid-1970s has been undermined by pitfalls: gender bias, industry apathy, indifferent media coverage, outright hostility from the male pros jostling at the same sponsorship trough. Women's professional surfing has hardly flourished over the years, even in the face of a parallel women's movement that has literally exploded in terms of participation and pleasure, a new wave of recreational surfers whose main aspiration is to have fun in the surf, not make money. The now-ubiquitous "Roxy chick", preaching girl-power in hip-huggers and bikini tops, has proved to be a powerful role model. But just as powerful have been the performances of a handful of top female pros in surf contests held at some of surfing's most high-risk breaks. The surfing of Layne Beachley, Keala Kennelly and Rochelle Ballard in events like the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo and the 2001 Op Boat Trip Challenge in Sumatra redefined the limits of women's performance. Even more so than their male counterparts, these pros have infused the sport with a palpable inspiration, as this new generation of female surfers, most of whom will likely never enter a competition, nevertheless enjoy greater confidence to paddle out and take their place in the waves.

Professional surfing's negative effects? We pretty much have to get subjective here. You could argue that inherently surfing is not a competitive sport and that professional competition encourages the worst sort of cut-throat, aggressive behavior, inappropriate in today's crowded lineups. But then you can't get more competitive than a crowded Saturday at Rincon, where not one of the 300 or so surfers out doing battle is in the Top 44.

You could rail against the elitism that pro rankings foster, and the rampant egotism of pro surfers who define their experience by how much better they are than another. But is this attitude any more marginalizing than localism, one of the sport's most cherished ethics, which defines a surfer solely by how close to a given break he lives?

Pro surfers must be wave hogs--how do you think they got so good? But then ask yourself this: when did you last surf with one? And really, where would you rather have all those uber-surfers, out at your break or off surfing in Tahiti or South Africa or France?

You could make an argument on aesthetic grounds, claiming that some of pro surfing's mercenary aspects are an effrontery to the sport's imagined "Code of Non-Commercialism." But then try selling that to proto-surf dog Tom Blake, who in the 1940s collected surfboard model royalties from the L.A. Ladder Company, or the great Duke Kahanamoku, who in the 1920s was featured in magazine ads hawking table varnish, or even George Freeth himself, who obviously saw no reason why a surfer shouldn't be paid for his "feats." Mostly because the one thing those sepia-toned pros had in common with those of today is that they'd be out there surfing regardless. In that sense they are us. They just happen to surf better.

Nobody knows this better than Graham Stapleberg, former head judge and director of the Association of Surfing Professionals, now Vice President of Marketing at Billabong U.S.A. Stapleberg, 42, grew up surfing in his native South Africa, steeped in Durban's hyper-competitive scene. He began working as an ASP judge in 1987, becoming the sanctioning organization's director and serving until 1999. The world of competitive surfing was his world. Now with the marketing role at Billabong, one of professional competitive surfing's most committed sponsors, "G"'s had the opportunity to regard the concept from yet another perspective. When it comes to chartered glamour, Stapleberg writes the book. But surprisingly the scenario he describes is inclusive, rather than exclusive, distilling, perhaps, professional competitive surfing's enduring cache.

"When it comes to the marketing of the sport, pro surf competition is still very important," he explains. "And as a brand we wouldn't be so heavily invested in both the athletes and the events if that were not the case. But there's another aspect of the pro tour that is almost contradictory to the marketing of it. Pro surfing really is a family, a nomadic tribe that travels around the world from one contest to the next, really no differently than the way other surfers travel. Except that along the way they're breaking new ground, performance wise, and raising the bar for the next generation of surfers. But it is a family. I mean, I can still go to any event and see people who I haven't seen in years and still relate on the same level to points of discussion and values. These are people to whom surfing is the most important thing in the world. They've dedicated their lives to it. And it doesn't get any more inspirational than that."

DISTANT ALL STARS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:00 +0000

We took advantage of a break on the WCT to meet in Indonesia for the standard Mentawai boat trip: Andy Irons, Shane Dorian, Joel Parkinson, Luke Egan, and myself. Nothing super adventurous--just a chance to get away and do some surfing with friends--get a bit feral. On a trip like this everyone treats each other as mates--there's no ego clashes.

Joel was drinking lots of beers. He'd sink a few beers and go fishing but always seemed to come back empty handed. Pretty funny, actually. Andy and Shane were on the major film festival. They were watching The Godfather trilogy, the Austin Powers trilogy, the whole f#@kin' Star Wars trilogy, just powering through the DVDs. Meanwhile, Luke would be messing around on his computer, editing footage he'd shot on the tour all year and checking everyone's surfing out.

I'm sure despite all the camaraderie everyone was slyly checking each other out, gaining an understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses which might help when they're surfing against each other in contests. But the whole competitive thing seemed light years away. It was so cool to watch these guys just surf. All of them would ride longboards or grab a bodyboard for a session or just go body surfing...whatever. It was so great to see that even surfers of this ability level enjoy all these different aspects of surfing. That's probably the best thing to take from a trip like this.

The SURFER Interview: Kieren Perrow

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:01 +0000

Each season on the ASP merry-go-round there's one surfer whose quiet story sometimes becomes the most intriguing. This year, lurking in the shadows being cast by all the bright lights on Kelly Slater, Any Irons, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson sits the soft-spoken and rarely recognized Australian Kieren Perrow. What little fanfare he has received during the course of his career has come primarily from his amazing session in Tasmania a few years ago, where he and his friends unveiled Shipsterns Bluff to the world. The wave was instantly placed on the list of the world's most dangerous breaks, and the hard-harging Perrow earned a rep as a big wave hellion. Since that time, however, Perrow has been flying under the media's radar while quietly shocking the competitive surfing world. In fact, at the mid year point of 2003, he was sitting as high as 3rd place in the WCT rankings. Heading into the final stretch of 2003, the 26-year old regular footer from Byron Bay remains firmly entrenched in one of the best World Title hunts ever. Obviously, there's more to Mr. Perrow than meets the eye, a lot more, so we caught up with him to uncover his current position as tour frontrunner, ASP board member, surfboard design aficionado and second-generation surfer. -Chris Mauro

SURFER: You've had an amazing run of late. Do you ever look at the WCT ratings and just think, "Wow, how did I get here?"

All the time (laughs). Every time I look at it I still can't believe it. If someone would have told me three years ago that I'd be sitting in the Top 5, let alone the Top 20, I would've laughed them out of the room.

SURFER: This year the WCT has lived up to the "dream tour" billing even more than last year, especially with Slater coming back and being on his game, does that make it all the sweeter for you to be right in the middle of it?

Yeah, even the guys on tour feel that way. There really hasn't been a better time to be doing what we're doing, it's more complete than ever with the surfers involved and the waves we're hitting, so I'm thrilled to be a part of something like that, and it looks like it might get better next year with Bruce Irons hopefully qualifying, and Beschen will be back for sure. That'll give it even more validity.

SURFER: You're one of the surfers reps on tour. It must be a difficult position since on the one hand you're trying to please everyone and on the other you're trying to kick some ass.

Yeah, I don't think I realized how much of my time and effort it would consume when I first jumped into it. I was in a meeting this morning for 2 and a half hours, I'll be going into another one this afternoon, and then another at the end of the week. It gets overwhelming.

SURFER: I know one of the big challenges is for you guys to get the WQS events to mirror the WCT in terms of wave quality and format. What kinds of strides are being made there, if any?

Well, it's something we've been meeting on all year, in fact that's exactly what I'm about to go meet on. We're coming out with whole new methods for the WQS for next year, where you may have to qualify to get on the qualifying tour. That will enable us to limit the number of surfers involved and go to better venues with some waiting periods. I know what it's like to be on the WQS and be surfing crappy 2-foot waves, and it's horrible. Now that we've turned the corner with the WCT that's something we can focus on. It's pretty exciting.

SURFER: The X-Games format really shined a light on the weakness of the WCT package, which seems pretty outdated and boring by most standards and even Kelly Slater has proposed new formats. In your opinion is the ASP even open to changing things around?

Yeah, they are for sure but it's really up to us, the surfers, to follow through on those ideas and flush them out. Up until now that resolve hasn't really been there, we'll talk about it and everyone just sort of walks away without anything being done. But I think more people are seeing the value of sitting down and hashing it out. Kelly has some new ideas and there are some other guys who have some of their own. We're well aware of the fact that the format has to change to keep it more exciting.

SURFER: Pro surfing had a pretty profound effect on you and your family even before you were standing on a board, correct?

Yeah, my dad [Neil Perrow] moved to Australia from South Africa when he was about 18. He met my mom in Byron, then got really into shaping. Bare Nature was the label he worked for in Byron, a big label there at the time. Pretty soon he was shaping boards for guys who were doing contests. One of them just happened to be Shaun Tomson. This was late '70s, when he was the World Champion. Before long my dad packed us up and moved us back to South Africa so he could work more closely with him.

SURFER: So did you learn to surf in South Africa?

The Hot Seat: Jesse Hines

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:01 +0000

In late September, as North Carolina was bracing for what promised to be a devastating hurricane, thousands of residents in the Kevil Devil Hills area were sent scrambling in a mass exodus, fleeing the anticipated destruction of Isabel. One of the few unwilling souls that braved the tempest and ignored the National Guard's marching orders was surfing's own Jesse Hines.

Fortunately for Jesse, the hurricane didn't mess up his hair, because at the same time that Jesse was playing King Lear in the Tar Heel state, SURFER staff members opened up a copy of Details magazine to discover the same Mr. Hines modeling for Ralph Lauren. The obvious thing to do, considering Jesse's recent decision making, was to place him on the Hot Seat. -Brad Melekian

SURFER Rumor has it that you stuck it out in Kill Devil Hills during Hurricane Isabel.

JESSE HINES Yeah, we saw that the hurricane was coming, but my wife and I were moving into a new house, and we were pretty busy with that.

SURFER Moving during the Hurricane? Sounds like an obvious thing to do.

JESSE HINES Actually, it was the two days before the hurricane. We had to work really hard for two days, moving furniture out of our storage unit and into our new house. Once it was all in, we had just enough time to board up the windows and take off to my parents' house.

SURFER What was the rationale for staying in town?

JESSE HINES The rationale is that if you don't stay, then you're not going to be able to get back to your house after the fact. There's always a ton of security with the National Guard and all that, so it's really just easier if you stay home.

SURFER But isn't that dangerous?

JESSE HINES Well, we've been through it before.

SURFER Fair enough. Did everybody else evacuate?

JESSE HINES Yeah, most did, and all the tourists got out of there for sure.

SURFER So, how'd you pass the time? Scrabble?

JESSE HINES When the storm started to hit hard, we were actually going stir crazy, so we got in my truck and drove around town, just checking out the damage. Actually, one of my buddies was out there wearing goggles and a rain jacket, filming everything. He got footage of a pier falling down.

SURFER In the end, how did your house and your family fair?

JESSE HINES The only casualty came before the hurricane, actually. My wife collects antique furniture, and when we were in a rush to move, one of her favorite pieces fell out of the back of my truck and we lost it.

SURFER But your new house was okay?

JESSE HINES Yeah, it came out fine.

SURFER Now, you know that there's more to putting you on the Hot Seat than just the hurricane, right?

JESSE HINES Yeah, I knew this was coming.

SURFER Seems that you're an international modeling sensation now. I was reading TIME magazine, and there you were modeling in--what was it--a Ralph Lauren ad?

JESSE HINES Yeah, it was Ralph Lauren.

SURFER So you're a male model now?

JESSE HINES You've got to make money somehow.

SURFER True. How did you get into it?

JESSE HINES Well, I have an agent in San Diego. She saw me in a Found video, and she liked...uh...my looks, I guess.

SURFER Don't be modest--you mean your devilishly handsome looks.

JESSE HINES Whatever you call it. The first shoot was actually an Abercrombie and Fitch ad, and I didn't know it was going to be as risque as it was. Then, the photographer, a guy named Bruce Webber, contacted me because he was doing a shoot for Ralph Lauren, and he likes to work with surfers.

SURFER That's the one they put in TIME?

JESSE HINES Yeah. I didn't expect it because there are guys out there whose whole career is modeling, and I would have thought they would use one of them.

SURFER The male modeling world is cutthroat. Did you have to develop a special look? Did you break out "Magnum"?

JESSE HINES (Quoting Zoolander) I really shouldn't be talking about this anyway (laughs). No, I don't have a look yet.

Following Sea

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:02 +0000

Despite assurances from the California Fish and Game, Surf Beach was in fact closed for snowy plover nesting season, or so the sign read when Keith and Dan Malloy and I crawled out of their dad Mike's big brushed-metal horse-trailer parked across ten spaces at the Surf Beach parking lot. Because of the closure, we only half-glanced at the whitewater through the wet fingers of pea-soup fog and instead, shivering with cold and excitement, hopped the fence and ran down the dunes lest we be stopped and slapped with a $250 citation before our three-day, 50-plus-mile paddle-surf adventure around Point Arguello and Point Conception even got off dry ground.

Only when we hustled our rigs to the water's edge could we see what was in store. It was low tide and, through a curtain of mist, what looked like overhead windswell was pounding on Surf's outer sandbar with whitecaps beyond and three-foot shorebreak dumping on the inside. My stomach, which had been slowly churning since throwing back a steaming cup of Mike's 5 a.m. Vandenberg Air Force Base rocket-fuel, was completely forgotten when I reached down to pick my unwieldy board off the wet sand, all 12 feet 6 inches of it. Weighing 27.8 pounds dry and naked, that morning, "Mongo", my beautiful orange Joe Bark paddle-surfboard, was loaded with a GPS unit, a full two-liter Camelbak bladder and a dry bag stuffed with food, a fullsuit, swim fins, first aid and emergency equipment.

I instantly came to hate it as I attempted to paddle gingerly over the whitewash out of fear the dry bag would rip out of the mounting system I'd installed the night before. Over the next 30 minutes of hard paddling, gallons of cold saltwater poured down my long-john; Keith and Dan were faring no better. After 30 or 40 consecutive soakings, and with teeth chattering, it didn't seem like we would ever make it outside. We alternated between trying to find a hole through the whitewater and laughing at the hilarity of our predicament. If anyone could have seen us through the fog it would have looked pretty silly. The fact that no one was there to witness it somehow made it all the more absurd.

By some miracle, Keith eventually found a path through the sets and Dan and I quickly followed. Once out the back, I could barely see shore through the fog. We laughed at how much difficulty we had in paddling through head-high beachbreak, something we hadn't even thought about in our planning. Looking south, I knew that somewhere down the coast, beneath the fog, the beach would turn to cliff, leaving us totally committed. Vandenberg Air Force Base's ramparts of coastal bluff and man-made parapets of surveillance technology made going ashore virtually out of the question, while the substantial following sea assured us this was going to be a one way trip around Point Honda and Point Arguello.

The idea for the trip was concocted one spring evening in Keith's kitchen in Ventura after a day of riding and paddling his family's Tom Blake replica "kook boxes." There aren't many people in the world who will entertain the idea of a multi-day paddling and surfing expedition, but the Malloy brothers are a special breed. What's more, eldest brother Chris said he'd often thought of paddling the entire length of California, stopping off at friends' houses along the way. Call it sibling inspiration.

I stayed up late that night measuring various distances on a NOAA chart of the Santa Barbara Channel, dreaming up different routes. Back at home, I researched boards and gear, cold-calling preeminent paddleboard shaper Joe Bark with questions. He thought he could build boards that would satisfy my two conditions: they needed to paddle as well as being maneuverable enough to get in the pocket on a head-high wave. Joe figured 12' 6" would be appropriate and ordered the huge blanks from Clark.

As the boards were being made and I was dreaming of triumphant crossings and surf sessions, an eye-opening event occurred. Santa Barbara surfers and experienced Channel Island fishermen Randy Stone and his son Ben capsized mid-channel and were never found. People speculated wildly about what had happened, but most agreed that anyone jettisoned into the water without wetsuits would die shortly due to the extreme exposure. The sad event served to remind me of the realistic danger of our plan, and the relative indifference with which the oceanic environment views human life.

HAWAIIAN SLIDING

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:02 +0000

Tom "Pohaku" Stone is on a mission. For the past nine years, he's single-handedly worked to revive the ancient Hawaiian sport of papa holua (English translation: "to slide down the hill"), thought to be a Polynesian predecessor of modern extreme sports like bobsledding and street luge.

Up until about 200 years ago, intrepid native Hawaiians rode the 12-foot long, 50-pound sleds with narrow wooden runners down steep rock-lined slopes. Riders gripped the sled in one hand and, after running a few steps, dove chest-first onto the papa holua, sliding hundreds of yards to the bottom of a mountain. Some even rode the sleds in an upright stance.

"It's like sledding on your stomach," says Stone, a well-respected surfer (featured on the cover of SURFER twice in his day) and a professor of Hawaiian culture at the University of Hawaii. "You're doing 40 miles per hour, just four inches off the ground."

Despite the risks, papa holua was both a cultural ritual and favorite pastime of the Hawaiians for more than a millennium, says Stone. However, the white Christian missionaries put a stop to the practice when they came to the Islands in the early 1800s because they saw it as a dangerous and barbaric tradition.

Stone's working to bring it back. Through community workshops, he's already taught more than 250 students to build and ride papa holua and has personally built more than 100 sleds. Some have been distributed to different communities throughout the Islands in hopes of encouraging and preparing local riders for the first modern competition to be held later this fall.

As part of a competition, Stone hopes to recreate a 1,000 year-old traditional Hawaiian race that pits a sled rider against a surfer. As a large wave approaches, a flag is dropped and the race begins. The surfer rides the wave to shore; the sled rider slides down the mountain to the beach. Whichever rider makes it to the designated spot on the beach first is declared the winner. "It's on the edge of the Hawaiian extreme," Stone adds proudly. -Mark Anders

Riding His Own Wave

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:02 +0000

There aren't too many 20-year-olds like Cyrus Sutton. Like many surfers who sit in the line-up staring into a daydream, transforming themselves into the writer/producer of their very own Endless Summer, Sutton's idea for his debut surf film, Riding Waves started in the water. But few individuals possess the discipline to follow their dreams, and fewer get the opportunity to have their wave-riding heroes star in their dream project. Young Sutton did. For the past year and a half he's traded opportunities to party with friends for early morning dawn patrols behind the camera. Instead of chasing girls, he chose the solitude of an edit bay, and rather than hit mom and pop up for dough, he took out a hefty loan from the bank. It wasn't easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

The hardest part was tracking down five of the most diverse personalities in the surfing cosmos: Joel Tudor, Rob Machado, Dane Reynolds, Donovan Frankenreiter and John Peck, then selling them on the project. Personal sacrifice and discipline aside, sometimes you have to have a little luck helps in this area. When Cyrus was still in the planning stages of the film he was casually perusing through the board rack in a San Diego surf shop when he spotted Rob Machado who, coincidentally, was inspecting the same equipment. Sutton introduced himself as an aspiring filmmaker and surprisingly, Machado showed immediate interest in the project. Machado was so impressed with young Sutton that he eventually signed on as the executive producer of the film. With Rob's weight behind it Steelehouse Distribution offered its well-connected distribution services, and suddenly Riding Waves had legitimate legs to stand on.

As far as Sutton's attitude towards the release of Riding Waves he comments, "Waves travel a great distance across the ocean. When that wave--that opportunity--finally arrives, it's your chance to shine. You may blow the take-off, but you never know what will happen until you turn around and start paddling...it could be the ride of your life."

Be sure to check out this month's video review of Riding Waves (SURFER pg 146 Vol. 44#12) for more details about the film itself, or click on this Riding Waves link to to view clips of the film.

The Surfer Interview With Jack McCoy

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:03 +0000

Jack McCoy sees things. He sees music in movement. He sees poetry in positioning. He sees grace amid chaos. Jack McCoy sees color and light and patterns like some people see words on a page. And so lucky for us that this seer of things that can't be held in one's hands chose the profession he did. Or, rather that, it chose him.

55 year-old Jack McCoy is the world's premier surf filmmaker. Since the release of Tubular Swells, his first collaborative effort in 1977, McCoy has produced a remarkable body of work, an aesthetic tapestry woven in 16mm that has spanned more eras than any other surf filmmakers--even the legendary masters from whom McCoy took inspiration. Book-ending this epoch, which began with the bursting vitality of Tubular Swells and its depiction of both the new age of professional surfing and the early, exotic allure of dream-waves like Uluwatu and G-land, is Blue Horizon, McCoy's newest project, a look at today's surfing through the shared passion of two equally-talented yet disparate personalities.

The McCoy Look. Which, over the decades since this surf child of the '60s from the east side of Oahu expatriated to Australia and eventually picked up a camera has come to mean the absolute gold standard in slow-motion water photography. This technical excellence, combined with McCoy's flair for mining surfing's rich vein of personality, have elevated his library of films and videos, with titles like A Day In The Life of Wayne Lynch, Stormriders, The Performers, Bunyip Dreaming, The Green Iguana, Occy: The Occumentary, and To'O: Day Of Days into a class by themselves.

As if there is the world of surf videos, and the world of Jack McCoy.

When did it occur to you that you had an aptitude for film making? And when did you start developing it?

When I was a kid growing up on the East side of Oahu I did a lot of bodysurfing and I used to always trip out on what it looked like inside the tube and thought sharing that with people would be very special. Then, in 1967, I met a really wonderful man named Jim Freeman at the Hawaiian premier of MacGillivray-Freeman's Free and Easy. Greg was at one door taking tickets and Jim was over at the other door. Greg's door was closest to the ticket office so he had a steady stream of people. Jim was on the other side of the Roosevelt Auditorium at the time and I thought, "I'm gonna go over to this guy and maybe he'll talk to me a little bit." And sure enough I stood there the entire time talking to Jim Freeman, and he really sparked my imagination. He told me how cool he thought it all was. He answered every question I had. He invited me back the next night, no charge. I went, "Bitchin'!" and so I went back, and then went back every night after that. I started helping clean up and he gave me a little rundown about the projector and what it did. Freeman was the one that turned me on to it all. Then when they did Sunshine Sea, which started out as Waves of Change in 1968, they went over to Maui to do a shoot and Freeman invited me over. Greg had this new high-speed camera that'd shoot really, really slow-motion and Jim was so stoked. When that film came out, well, Greg wasn't a brilliant swimmer or really amazing in the water, but he had this camera and he went out on this two-foot day and shot some pictures of Nat Young riding these little tiny waves in slow motion. It was filmed really late in the afternoon with this pretty light and he ended up producing some amazing shots. And I think it was at that time that I thought, "God, if I could just get that camera, imagine some of the places I could take it to." It was several years until I got my first camera, and I shot a lot of stills and took myself to places with my still camera that I was very stoked about, but the bottom line was that it wasn't until I actually got a movie camera in my hands and started shooting in the water and getting the results that I felt, "God, I can get some pictures here."

That must've been in, what, the mid 1970s? You first went to Australia in 1970?

In 1970. I showed movies around Australia for about three years, then I moved to Victoria thinking I was going to become a restaurateur, figuring I could surf all day, and serve a few meals at night. That turned out to be a big, rude awakening. The restaurant business is pretty full-on and we worked our asses off. It was a couple years later that I had bad a skiing accident--a head injury that actually caused some amnesia, and so I didn't really know what I was doing for a time. Dick Hoole, who I had spent a lot of time showing movies around Australia with, decided that maybe it was time we made our own movie. So, Dick put a 16mm Bolex in my hand and said, "We're shootin' movies." And that's what we did. Off we went.

And off you went in search of Tubular Swells in 1976.

It was actually called Tubular Swells, but when it came to America MacGillivray, who was distributing the film, didn't like the sound of Tubular Swells, so he changed it to In Search of Tubular Swells, which he felt sounded better.

Hot Seat - Mick Fanning

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:03 +0000

While Australian superfreak Mick Fanning remains steadfastly in the hunt for a world title, as much as any self-respecting bloke from Down Under, he still understands the value of cutting loose. And when Mick cuts loose, well, look out, because you might get a little more than you bargained for. Even Stiffler and Frank the Tank would have a tough time keeping up with Fanning, a party animal the likes of which we haven't seen in years. Already famous for his stripping antics and his classic off-the-cuff acceptance speeches at award ceremonies Mick always makes life interesting. Just ask Kelly Slater, who was once interrupted by a slightly inebriated Fanning during his SURFER Poll acceptance speech. When Kelly asked what would happen if he were to come to Australia and act similarly, Mick's response was, "You'd get laid!" Well, damn it all, we think its high time Mick gets credit for turning up the notch on the ol' fun-o-meter. What better way than a visit to the Hot Seat. --Chris Mauro

So apparently you and your buddies are spearheading a whole new movement on the tour?

Yeah, why not? We're only young, and we like to have fun all the time. But we keep it under control. Like, if there's an event I want to do well in, I'm dead sober for two weeks leading up to it. Then it's either letting out the frustration when you lose or celebrating when you win.

But we keep getting post party reports about your stripping activities. Apparently after a few beers you get allergic to clothes?

Nah, it's just that I've always sort of been in the nudist camp. Why not, y'know, I've got a pretty crip rig (laughs). I think it's the best one on tour.

Hmm, I wouldn't know. But that would explain why you posed nude in the Australian Sportbook wouldn't it.

Yeah, uh, that was a bit weird. Kinda heavy actually.

It caught us off guard. But apparently it's a big honor Down Under to be included in it, as it's full of world famous athletes posing in weird ways, so we'll let you slide. The shots are too risqu for us anyway.

It is a big deal, but I'm still pretty freaked out by it--kinda over it now.

Fair enough, so we know you're always going to be a life of the party candidate, but who're some of the others who know how to have a good time on tour?

Well Parko [Joel Parkinson] and Dean [Morrison] do for sure. Hedgy [Nathan Hedge] is pretty out of control too--he's worse than me.

Who's the most obnoxious?

Probably me.

Speaking of your friend Parko, how does a laid back guy like him get waves in a place like the Gold Coast where you basically have to be a prick to catch waves?

Oh, don't let Parko fool you mate. He's the worst person to surf with in the world (laughs). He'll cut anyone off--a total asshole. And Dean is by far the worst guy at Kirra.

Out of all the guys on tour, who's the worst drop in king?

Joel is. For sure...He just goes. He doesn't see anyone.

Is the tour more exciting for you young guys with Slater hitting his stride?

Yes and no. Yes because he's so damn good and no for the exact same reason. There's a pretty good rivalry between all of us, even me, Joel and Taj. If one of us wins it's all good, we'll go big and celebrate...

But underneath?

Ah, deep down we always want the other guy to lose.

Are the Cooly Cats still spitting the winkle?

Probably. Cooly is home to some of the creepiest people in the world.

How much Cooly talent is coming up behind you Parko and Dean?

There's plenty, the Harrington twins are really hot, and there are a few others too.

And they have an appreciation for the wild side?

Oh, they're way worse than us. The Harrington twins are the worst kids in the world. They'd be streaking across the stage at the SURFER Poll naked no problem.

You're part of the new crop of Australians having a big impact on the SURFER Poll, is that something you're pretty proud of?

Yeah, it's cool. We're all pretty fired up about it. We didn't realize how much the SURFER Poll meant until we got here. Of course, I don't remember much of last year...it was one of those dickhead moments in my life.

You mean, because you told Slater he'd get laid. But that was all time.

Yeah, but, still...my sponsors were like, "Hey that was pretty cool...but maybe you should have a couple years off, eh?"

Oh you're fine. You killed it this year. Your speeches are always, well, interesting.

Thanks. I was actually surprised you guys invited me back.

Surfing The World's Most Dangerous Spots, A Travel Survival Guide

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:04 +0000

Warning: The US State Department wants you to be afraid...very afraid. A quick scan of their website shows that most of the world has been declared America-unfriendly due to 9/11 and the subsequent Iraq invasion. Last July, the State Department issued a blanket "worldwide caution" that warns US citizens overseas to keep a vigilant eye out for potential terrorist threats from hijackings, bombings, kidnappings, and suicide operations. "These may," the advisory continues, "include clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels...and beaches." Remember, this includes the entire world, even France. Statistically speaking, you're in the biggest danger of taking yourself out while traveling. Driving drunk, having unprotected sex, sailing aboard dodgy charter boats, riding mopeds, drug dealing and flying on rickety third-world charter planes all increase your chances of an early demise. And some surf locales are inherently more dangerous than others. Should you avoid them? Probably not. To quote a Hindu wise man: "Why do we tiptoe so carefully through life just to arrive safely at death's door?" As a traveling surfer, your chances of dying in a terrorist attack are about the same or less than a shark attack. The following, however, are a few locales that might have empty surf for a reason. Proceed auspiciously.

Indonesia Indonesia is made up of 13,000 islands, 240 million people, 365 ethnic groups, 583 dialects, five major religions and a fragile patchwork democracy. Bureaucracy is rampant, corruption is endemic and most generalizations are futile. The country is 87 percent Muslim but that says little about how westerners are perceived and treated. Depending on the part of the 1700-mile-long archipelago you visit you could encounter friendly "hello meesters" or terrorist bombings, jungle rebels, religious violence or even pirates. Or all of the above. Cells of Jama'a Islamiya, the terrorist group accused of carrying out the Bali bombings and others, lurks in the shadow world of Indonesia under the very noses of unsuspecting tourists. More likely, however, the adventuring surfer runs a greater risk from unsafe traffic, leaky inter-island ferries and a full menu of diseases ranging from Dengue fever to TB. Medical treatment, if available at all, is generally substandard. That being said, the chance of scoring epic surf is generally worth the risk.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_east_asia/indonesia/

Mainland Mexico Mexico has long been the storied "south of the border" where a fleeing felon could conveniently disappear and shady pasts can be easily erased with a decent mordita paid to the right official. Of more concern to the travelling surfer, however, is the banditry and hijacking that is rife along certain sections of the mainland Mexican coast. In the past, traveling surfers have been robbed, beaten, raped and killed. The police are notoriously corrupt. At party towns like Mazatlan or Cabo San Lucas, drunken young foreign revelers are easy targets for pickpockets or underpaid police officers. Mexico City is especially life threatening with over 15,000 murders a year. There are "fast-food" kidnapping gangs who prey on tourists for their ATM and pin number. In the Chiapas Mountains the Zapatistas, heavily armed guerrillas, occasionally hit a tourist in the crossfire between themselves and the Mexican military. Advice: Learn some Spanish and keep a low profile.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_america/mexico/

Enchanted Secrets

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:05 +0000

There is this about Nicaragua: it has lakes, it has volcanoes, and it has waves. Or so I've been told. About the waves, I mean. Driving northwest through the capital of Managua on what a battered street sign tells me is the Pan American Highway, which, if I cared to, I could take all the way from this point in Central America, up through El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico at Calexico then up to Palm Springs (and on to Alaska or south to Patagonia, so they say) I can verify the lake and volcano part. Though we ran quickly out of the city, me and three young surfers in a Toyota 4-wheel drive pickup with board bags piled high in the bed, navigating the honking rush of traffic and whirling roundabouts, bargaining with dirty-nosed street vendors hawking cashews, cellophane-bagged water and cell-phone car mounts at every semaphoro, breathing in the steaming, acrid stink of what is also known as Novia del Xolotolon, this scruffy city of 100,000,000 on the southern shore of Lake Managua, the country's two most renowned characteristics were soon revealed. There was the namesake lake, just a patch of muddy water compared to the vast, 8030 square miles of Lake Nicaragua to the south, and there, on the northeastern shore, was a volcano, Mt. Momotombo, rising up out of the western green lowlands in a perfect cone, impossibly triangular against the denim blue sky, wisps of gauzy white clouds obscuring its peak. No mere ancient core, Momotombo appeared very authentic, very volcano-like, in full possession of its geological faculties. While having last erupted in 1905, scientists who monitor this sort of thing report that as of late Momotombo's gas emissions have turned black. I assume that's bad news.

The emissions problem in the cramped cab of the Toyota wasn't nearly so bad. These, after all, were New Age pros I was traveling with, all three sponsored by Quiksilver, our host on this Centroamerican surfari, all three very courteous, very focused: Josh Hoyer, 26, from Newport Beach, an aerial specialist, the word is. Evan Valiere from Kauai, 19, son of legendary '70s surf traveler Steven Valiere; goofy-foot, fearless at Pipe, cheerful as a lab puppy. And Dylan Graves, 17, from Isabela, Puerto Rico and another second-generation surf star, son of East Coast pioneer Lewis Graves. Elfin, shaggy surfer hair hanging over his ears; a preternaturally stylish regular foot. Good kids, loading up their own board bags at the airport and taking their seats in the truck, getting out their Mp3s and Gameboys, Hoyer with a copy of Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. Not the kind of guys who while driving across Nicaragua with an editor from SURFER would likely lift a cheek and giggle in the crowded cab, but who don't ask a whole lot of questions either. Which was odd, considering none of them had any idea where they were going.

Then again, neither did I.

Only two weeks earlier I had been sitting in the SURFER offices, braying at Martin Daly, the legendary surf explorer and skipper of the equally legendary Indies Trader, the storied mother ship of The Quiksilver Crossing. This incredibly ambitious, corporately funded expedition has spent the last four years wandering around our watery planet-to the tune of 70,000 miles and change-looking for surf.

Daly was in the SURFER office to tell me that during the Central American leg of the Indies Trader's Northern Hemisphere voyage they had come across a very promising point break And would we be interested in sending a photographer down along with a few of their team members to document it. The only hitch: no telling where.

The Last Camper

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:06 +0000

The moonrise over Jeffreys Bay throws a spotlight across the water as twilight fades. A steady flow of waves crash and peel down the point just below me, a stone's throw away from where I sit in the bush. Overhead clouds sail by, glowing in the white light. It's a gorgeous, albeit chilly evening in this campsite, and bundled in my warm jacket I'm feeling a little awkward since both Doc, the frail old legend of Jeffreys Bay, and his young Xhosa friend, Gary, are struggling to find comfort in the cold.

"Gary, where are the matches?" The old man asks. "We've got to build a fire man, I'm f---king freezing."

"Behind you, boss, by your pipe."

"Ah, good." he says, relieved. "But Gary, I need you get some more wood for a nice fire tonight. We have a guest this evening. While you do that I'll spark this bit up and prepare our smoke."

"No problem boss," the young man replies. "I'll get some good branches for us."

A few moments later we're alone, and as he strikes a match I notice for the first time the deep creases on his face. Crouched over his tiny consignment of twigs he immediately begins talking story in his throaty voice. It's merely a loud whisper really, and he's constantly interrupted by extended bouts of coughing and hacking from lungs that are clearly wanting. Time hasn't been kind to Tony Van De Heuval. His whiskers are gray, his skin leather and his body bent and easily broken. Watching him turn his collar to the wind I can only wonder how many winters he has left. While the man in front of me could easily pass for 70 or even 75 years-of-age, this winter is only his 60th.

The two of us are inside a large fynbos bush atop the dunes overlooking Super Tubes, the best 100-yard stretch of reef at Jeffreys Bay. The clearing inside is about twelve feet long, and eight feet wide, with a tiny secret entrance that requires skilled yoga moves to pass through. It opens up on the inside, with a blue tarp serving as a retractable roof. This is Tony's home, where he's spent much of the past "35 years" he says proudly. "Actually, I've been in this site since 1997."

Surfing Hall of Fame

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:07 +0000

In the late morning of August 1st, Huntington Surf and Sport's Surfers' Hall of Fame grew just a little larger, as four new surfers laid their prints in a fresh batch of wet cement on the corner of Main St. and PCH in Huntington Beach. Perhaps the most eclectic mix of surfers to be inducted to date was honored, as the group included Jack O'Neill, Shaun Tomson, Tom Curren and Andy Irons, a smattering of surfers that collectively spans more than 50 years of surf history. O'Neill, of course, is the iconic father of the wetsuit. With five world titles between them, Tomson, Curren and Irons are each icons of their respective generations, as well as together representing the rise of progressive surfing from the '70s to the present day.

Since 1997, HSS has been sponsoring the Hall of Fame to honor surfing's most important figures.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SURFING

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:07 +0000

While the rest of us have been surfing, working, going to school, sleeping, eating and generally living our lives, Matt Warshaw, writer, historian and all-around surf cleric has spent the past four years amassing "The Encyclopedia of Surfing" the first excerpt of which is to be a monthly column printed here. Published by Harcourt and set for release in October, Warshaw's EOS tome represents a monumental effort: 800 pages and 500,000 words, including a 7000 word history of surfing and five appendices, including every surf mag, movie and book ever released. The Herculean task finished, Warshaw is now free to pursue other passions, chief among them the search for the perfect six-foot right tube. The rest of us can read and learn...

Aaberg, Denny
Good-natured surfer/writer/musician from Pacific Palisades, California; best known as co-writer of Warner Brothers' 1978 surfing film Big Wednesday. Aaberg was born (1947) in Boston, Massachusetts, and moved with his family at age two to the west Los Angeles town of Pacific Palisades. By the time he began surfing in '59, as a 12-year-old, his older brother Kemp was regarded as one of California's top surfers. Aaberg's involvement in the sport branched out as he played guitar for the soundtrack on Innermost Limits of Pure Fun, a 1970 surf movie, and contributed a song to Big Wednesday -- a movie inspired by "No-Pants Mance," a 1974 Surfer magazine short story written by Aaberg that looked back at his wave- and beer-soaked salad days at Malibu in the early '60s. The sandy-haired Aaberg continued to serve as keeper of the Malibu flame, appearing in the '87 documentary The Legends of Malibu, and describing in detail Malibu's characters, scene and rituals in "Tres Amigos," a '94 Longboard magazine feature. "Malibu was rough theater," Aaberg wrote. "In ancient Greece, plays lasted all day, beginning at dawn and not ending until dusk. Malibu was the same way." See also Big Wednesday.

Abigail, Cyclone
Long-duration South Pacific tropical cyclone that produced more than two weeks of high-quality surf off the east coast of Australia -- particularly south Queensland's Gold Coast - in late January and early February 1982. Cyclone Abigail was a meteorological oddity in that it tracked south, parallel to the Queensland coast, faded briefly, strengthened, looped back out to sea and made a second pass virtually identical to the first. The Queensland surf season that year was already above average, with a six-day swell arriving around Christmas, and a nine-day swell lasting from early to mid-January. The national weather service identified Cyclone Abigail on January 20th, and two days later the surf at bellwether Gold Coast pointbreak Burleigh Heads was four-foot and tubing. By the 27th, Abigail had moved closer and was bombarding the Gold Coast with non-stop overhead surf, accompanied by clear blue skies and brisk offshore winds. As native Queenslander and 1978 world champion Wayne Bartholomew noted, surfers from across Australia's east coast were now funneling into the Gold Coast. "The jockeying and jostling bordered on comical," Bartholomew reported in a surf magazine article. "You had to ride like greased lightning with a permanent scowl on your face, and often you'd expend so much energy intimidating the hundred-or-so shoulder hoppers that you'd outrun the wave and miss the tube altogether."

By the 30th, Abigail had moved still closer to the Gold Coast, increasing the wave size, but also bringing torrential rains and mixed-up seas; by normal cyclone standards, the storm should have fizzled out at this point. Abigail instead moved back out to sea, dropped to the southeast, intensified, turned once again and made a second, even stronger run toward the Gold Coast. This time Kirra was the focus of attention, and the storied Gold Coast pointbreak delivered hundreds of high-speed tuberides over a four-day period, before Abigail finally unwound on February 7th.

Hot Seat with Brad Gerlach

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:07 +0000

As a rebellious teenager Brad Gerlach was kicked off the NSSA National Team. Later, he walked away from the ASP world tour decidedly unpleased with the judging after finishing second in the world, instantly becoming an ASP critic. Today, he's causing another ruckus with his new competition design called "The Game", a team surfing format that's not only more fan friendly, but a huge hit with the world's best surfers. Thanks to Gerlach, ESPN adopted "The Game" to bring surfing into the X-Games, which didn't exactly sit well with the ASP. So we sat down with Brad to see what the heck this guy's whole deal is. Is he trying to be a hell raiser? Or is he a nice guy who's just misunderstood.

Let's go back to your childhood. When was your first real act of defiance?

Shit. That's where we're going, eh? Well, yeah, I was a total punk as a kid. I definitely had what you'd call an independent streak. And when you mix that with insecurity and immaturity you get a pretty bad result.

Manifesting in...

Passion coming out in ways it shouldn't. That's basically what happens when you don't know how to channel those kinds of feelings into productive means. In fact, I should just apologize now to anyone who was on the receiving end of one of my outbursts.

Were you surprised to find yourself in the troublemaker role again during the whole X-Games vs. ASP debacle?

Yeah...It was never my intention for the surfers to put their careers on the line for this. That was totally their decision. I was totally prepared to go ahead and run it with unrated surfers.

If the WCT surfers are backing "the game" format is that sending a message to the ASP that their own format could use a facelift?

Well, the way I see it there are some pretty exciting sports here in America. The NFL, college football and March Madness with hoops, the NBA, Major Leage Baseball, tennis, golf-the sports pages are filled with sports that are easy to understand. For surfing to compete, it has to be delivered in a palatable format that people can digest the same way. Right now you have to be too in the know to follow how surfing works. It's great to have individual champions but to have one town or a whole country beat another through a team format that's fan friendly is probably easier to grasp. I think there's room for both.

Maybe it's by default, but you're always the guy giving the ASP a little kick in the pants-always playing troublemaker. Do you relish that role?

Well I'm really happy to be making a positive impact in the sport, but I'm disappointed that the ASP sees me as a troublemaker because I'm an ally. I'm a friend of theirs. I know those guys. Hell, I'm an ASP member. I pay them.

Dean Randazzo Interview

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:08 +0000

New Jersey will always be the butt of jokes for late night talk show hosts and stand-up comics. From an outsider's point of view it's simply the armpit of the East Coast, an unfortunate cultural by-product of New York City and Philadelphia, which both flank its border. Granted it has Atlantic City and Asbury Park, the Boss and Bon Jovi and even the mullet and the comb-over, but c'mon, no self-respecting surfer has ever crawled out from the shadows of the boardwalk and lit the surfing world on fire...right? Wrong.

In fact, Dean Randazzo, one of the hottest underground surfers in the U.S. today has deep Jersey roots. The "Jersey Devil" has been the state's star player for almost two decades now, ever since he showed up in California as a teenager for the NSSA Nationals. Since then, with very little fanfare or sponsorship, Randazzo has strung together a pretty impressive career, and one hell of a reputation. But he's faced plenty of hurdles along the way, none more real than his recent battle with cancer. In this long-overdue interview with Dean SURFER reveals a little more about his past, his run through the present and a check into his future.

"COMING OUT TO CALIFORNIA WAS LIKE GOING TO THE MOON."

How far removed did Jersey feel from the surfing world when you grew up there?

Well, it was definitely a different place. It wasn't even in the realm of what you'd consider a surfing environment. As far as everyone else was concerned the chance of someone coming out of Jersey and doing well was about as likely as somebody coming off Lake Michigan today. But it's come a long way since then. There are tons more people surfing now.

Were you aware that surfing wasn't normal behavior for that area?

No. We didn't know any better. When you're a kid you don't know what's outside that bubble you're in, or care. We were so fired up on surfing it wouldn't have mattered. Hanging out at the beach every summer it was just the natural progression. I was tiny at the time, standing up on those little blue and white foam boards.

Like those pool toys you get at K-Mart or Right Aid?

Exactly. We'd run people over all day long on those things.

Were there any guys in the area who surfed well before you came along?

Yeah, there were definitely a few. Steve Dwyer, the Maverick's guy, he was a little bit older than we were and he was one of the main guys from where I grew up. Guys knew what they were doing but there was no way for us to get to that next level. Our crew was pretty isolated, even from the rest of the East Coast.

Once you left home how did you feel the rest of the surfing world viewed you guys?

Well, you have to remember that in the early 80s there was a lot happening in board design, wetsuits and surf fashion. But basically we were still getting used to the 70s. Our equipment was a good 10 years behind everyone in the west, let alone Florida, so coming out to California was like going to the moon. Everyone's riding thrusters with these new colorful wetsuits and we're riding these hideous boards wearing dive suits. We felt like total aliens. I know that's how we viewed you because you guys stayed in our hometown for a while. Yeah, but all the Californians had themselves way up on this pedestal and once you admitted you were from the East Coast they'd just say, "Ah, you poor thing." But hey, look at us now.

Still, how'd you get passed that back then?

Well, we knew how to take are abuse. To us it was actually pretty lightweight because we grew up as total tough guys. It's a culturally diverse area, lots of Jews and Italians mixing it up and we'd spend all day getting in each other's faces, giving each other serious shit, that's basically how you're taught respect. It's almost how you see it in the movies; the guy who's the biggest wise guy is king. Older guys definitely beat up on the younger guys and when you got older you were told you had to push the younger guys around. That's just how it worked. It looks sort of rough from the outside but it was good in a way because we were all taught to respect our elders.

A Long, Lovely Cruise

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:10 +0000

Senegal, West Africa, 1973
The Mabella swayed uncertainly on the docks. A tramp freighter that would be doing the maritime world a favor by sinking. The Greek captain was doing us a favor by agreeing to take us on board-for a price. We'd been stewing in the port city of Dakar for a week, trying to press ahead into West Africa for as little coin as possible. Suddenly, our ship came in, and now was not the time to ask whether that ship was seaworthy. The captain sized up the blond haired, fair skinned surfers standing before him. He was not at all encouraged by what he saw.

"You have knives?" he asked.

We showed him our Swiss Army knives, the kind with all the gizmos you never use. He suppressed a laugh, shook his head and in his eyes you could see him debating if he should go through with the deal. But he smelt those fresh dollars and reconsidered.

"Wait here," he said, disappearing into a cabin.

Moments later he reappeared, holding three machetes.

"You'll want these," he said handing them to us.

"For what?" I asked.

He nodded toward the crew that milled about on the deck. All of them were big, muscular Africans. They had the look sailors get when they've blown all their money and only have hangovers to show for it.

"They're from Ghana, so you shouldn't have any trouble with them," he said. "If they were Nigerian..." he made a slicing motion across his neck.

I tried to get a feel for the machete as quickly as possible.

"You'll be sleeping on the deck, and the rats come out at night," he said. "Keep your machete in hand's reach."

"I'm already sleeping with one hand on my camera gear," Craig said as he awkwardly handled the machete. "Are you sure I'll need this?"

The captain walked off, recounting his money. "Oh, you'll find a use for them all right."

At that moment one of the crew unzipped his pants and took a long, arcing whiz right over my surfboard and down into the ocean below.

I looked at Craig. "What makes him so sure they're not Nigerian?"

Sumatra, Indonesia, 2003
The Seimoa I, our charter yacht for exploring the Mentawais, was moored a short distance off the shore outside the port city of Padang. Thirty years later, I was about to embark on another boat trip to a foreign shore, but the similarities ended there. This was no rust-bucket freighter. It was a 61-foot luxury motor yacht, custom fitted for surfers. Seven of us waited on the dock for the Zodiac to come skimming across the bay and pick us up. In rapid succession we arrived in Sumatra from various parts of the globe, had a poolside layover at a plush hotel and were now embarking on a surf trip that was, like the yacht before us, customized.

I was recruited by Scott Bass, SURFER's online editor who wanted to see how today's surf trips measure up to past adventures. Craig Peterson and I saw our fair share of those adventures. And like all travelers, I'm always up for another trip. Only this trip wasn't going to be as feral as our past searches for surf. Bass lined up the Seimoa I, then organized the pro surfers and legendary surf photographer Jeff Divine. Bass felt that my years of chasing down tramp freighters and groveling on the road were just the sort of qualifications needed to comment on the current state of surf travel. I agreed.

Hottie Holly Beck on the Hot Seat

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:11 +0000

Holly Beck is rapidly becoming one of the surfing world's most visible stars. In the past year alone she's appeared on countless TV shows, including The Best Damn Sports Show, MTV, and of course most recently as star of the WB's Boarding House. We caught up with the former NSSA National Champion to get her real thoughts on reality TV, competitive rivalries and of course, perverted surfers.

SURFER You're on TV more than any other surfer I know, how are you handling that?

HOLLY BECK It's pretty overwhelming but it's been going on for a while now because I have a really good manager, so I'm almost getting used to it. I used to record all the stuff I was on. Now, I don't really even have time.

SURFER Boarding House highlighted a rivalry between you and Veronica Kay. Is that rivalry with her real?

HOLLY BECK Oh it's real. I mean, I've always been the anti-Roxy Girl, but not consciously. It's just that V.K. and I were both in the NSSA together. She was pretty much the princess of the NSSA by the time I got there, basically everything I wanted to be. But she would only hang with the cool people and I wasn't one of them, so I hated her for that. Plus, she always beat me...or at least finished ahead of me. Then she quit competing and went off to be a Roxy model and suddenly her face was everywhere and it sort of haunted me. In fact, on my 18th birthday a bunch of my friends took a Roxy ad of her and blew it up into a dartboard.

SURFER Wow...Girls are scary.

HOLLY BECK Absolutely.

SURFER Did you become friends?

HOLLY BECK You know, we're not buddy buddy or anything. But we accept each other for who we are and we respect our differences.

SURFER Perhaps we've been looking in the wrong place for surfing's next big rivalry?

HOLLY BECK Well, women are competitive by nature anyway, especially female surfers. When I was growing up each girl had her posse of boys to hang with, and she was the girl and those were her guys. No other girl really threatened you and eventually there's an attitude that grows from that. If another girl came along and at first you were like, "Cool, another girl." But eventually it turned into, "Wait a minute. I'm the girl of this group. Back off."

SURFER It seemed like there was a lot of sexual tension in that house.

HOLLY BECK Yeah, Danny had girls every night. We were laughing at him because most of these girls just wanted to get on TV, and he knew it, but he used it to his advantage, and more power to him for that. He's a self-admitted player.

SURFER But isn't it okay for girls to be players these days, too?

HOLLY BECK Ah, that's the double-standard question everyone still asks. You know, with all the female power going on and everything it seems like there's some liberation in that department. I'm not condoning it or anything but I'm certainly not going to judge a girl if she has a tendency to hook up.

SURFER I imagine you get some pretty strange advances being a cute girl in a world full of guys. Who are the creepiest guys you have to deal with?

Surfing's 10 Commandments

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:11 +0000

So read the first few lines of Genesis I, from the Old Testament as interpreted by the King James Bible, history's first written description of surfing. Small wonder it's always been about faith with us. Because what is surfing if not a faith? So far as belief systems go, it's got it all.

We have our Genesis:
"I could not help concluding that this man felt the most supreme pleasure while he was driven on so fast and so smoothly by the sea..." from Volume 11, Chapter IX of Cook's Voyages by Captain James Cook, 1777.

We have our Exodus:
"Acquaintances in the States have asked me why I bury myself in the Hawaiian Islands. The reason is because I like it...the coco palms waving in the clean trade winds, the colors of the water on the coral reef greet my eyes each day as I near the beach, and when the giant waves of Kalahuewehe surf are breaking white, far from shore, it means royal sport is waiting..." from Hawaiian Surfriders 1935 by Tom Blake

We even have our Proverbs:
"Remember, there are two schools of thought. In the first the wave is an incidental means of expressing one's ability to others. In the second...a wave is simply a beautiful expression of nature and respected as reason enough to participate." from What is Good? by Phil Edwards, SURFER, Volume five, Number one, 1965

With its spiritual essence focusing on devotion, sacrifice and reaffirmation, coupled with the essential element of humbling oneself before a higher power, surfing as a faith makes a lot of sense. What's surprising is that more people don't seriously regard it as such. And yet there is an obvious reason for this. Compared to almost every other major global faith, surfing lacks one key spiritual component: a list of commandments. The very basic dos and don'ts that, within each particular faith, constitute right living, right thinking, right devotion. Granted, when it comes to the Big 10, each faith system has its own particular quirks. In the old Hebrew version, for example, number 10, dealing with the coveting of thy neighbor's manservant, ox or ass, may have been a bit more applicable in the year 1670 BC than it is today (except maybe in certain regions of Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi). Even the tone has changed considerably. The contemporary Catholic rendition of Number Three simply states, "Remember thou to keep the Sabbath Day," whereas the Bible's original translation from Exodus, 21:15 warns, "Whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath Day, he shall surely be put to death."

Ouch. Well, at least nobody ever said anything about surfing on Sunday. But that's just the point. Surfing has never had its own set of 10 Commandments. Until now.

1. I Am The Sport, Thy Stoke. Thou Shalt Have No Strange Sports Before Me
Which means that all these newly-coined "extreme" sports you hear about are just that: extremely not like surfing. Because surfing isn't just an extreme sport, it's an extreme lifestyle. Think about it: if snowboarding were like surfing no snowboarder would live within 100 miles of the coast; no skater would ever get a driver's license. So occasional trips to the mountains for some snowboarding, or regular afternoon visits (blown-out afternoons) to your local skate park, or, in fact, any occasional participation in other sports is a good thing, surfers shall keep surfing and the entire lifestyle that it represents foremost in their minds, even when they're not actually riding waves. If this means aspiring to play golf like Kelly Slater instead of Tiger Woods, so be it.

SARS and Surf Travel

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:12 +0000

SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, is the current epidemiological flavor of the month. Because of its novelty, apparent deadliness and mysterious nature, it has garnered front-page play since first cases were reported from southern China in November 2002. To date, the World Health Organization has reported a total of 8,384 probable SARS cases with 770 deaths related to the disease, most of which were in China and Hong Kong. How real is the SARS threat? Compared to malaria, TB or even common influenza, which kills millions each year, SARS is relatively small potatoes in the deadly-disease game. But the SARS epidemic, real or perceived, has had a profound negative impact on travel and the global economy. Surf travel to Indonesia, for example, is down by over half due to concerns about terrorism and SARS.

But according to experts, the SARS scare shouldn't keep a dedicated waveseeker from boarding a plane to or through a suspected SARS region. Still, it's worth a bit of digging through the media hype to assess a realistic risk of SARS and other more garden-variety diseases.

After that, fortune favors the brave.

What is SARS?
The disease appears to be particularly virulent and contagious form of pneumonia that is spread by close contact with infected people; it has proven deadly in one in 10 cases. While researchers have thus far been unable to adequately identify and isolate the virus, strong suspicions has been laid on a group of animal corona viruses first identified in China's Guangdong Province. There is currently no verifiable test or antiviral treatment for SARS.

Symptoms
SARS symptoms usually begin with a fever of 100.4 or greater. Headache, chills, sniffles, and body aches--similar to the common flu--may also occur. After two to seven days SARS patients may develop a dry, unproductive cough. This can progress to severe pneumonia that will require mechanical ventilation in 10 to 20 percent of cases.

How is it transmitted?
SARS is apparently spread by respiratory secretions (i.e. sneezes, spit and snot) from a person who has SARS. The people most likely to contract SARS are health-care workers treating SARS patients. People touching infected items or surfaces--glasses, mugs, countertops, telephones, etc.--can also contract the disease (as one would a common cold).

Pororoca: Surfing the Amazon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:12 +0000

Mention the Amazon and the imagination begins to roam. With so much mystery surrounding the world's greatest tropical rainforest and the mysterious river that bisects it, truth and fiction begin to intertwine until only first-hand experience can be believed. Lost tribes, man-eating fish, pink dolphins and now stories of the world's longest wave. Was it real? And would "Iemanja," the Queen of the Waters and the keeper of the Amazon's secrets, allow us access? In the spring of 2003, Picuruta Salazar and I were sent by Red Bull Brazil to find out.

The approximately 21 hours of travel time divided between airplanes, bus and cattle boat hardly leaves you in a state to confront all of the obstacles that lay before you. In the water are piranha, stingrays and the spiny Candiru or "vampire" fish that can swim up the urethra (yeah, that urethra) and lodge itself permanently. And on the banks of the river amid the bamboo groves lurk poisonous snakes, crocodiles, jungle cats, anaconda and, deeper in the jungle, savage howler monkeys and through this prehistoric zoo travels the two-meter wave capable of overpowering anything in its way.

Great Gift-Subscribe

We came to ride a wave that allegedly travels for almost 15 kilometers along a three-kilometer-wide rivermouth before regrouping at a bend in the river and continuing for another 10 kilometers. The wave is created by the extreme tidal changes from low to high and is called the "Pororoca," an indigenous word meaning "thundering noise" describing its incoming roar. The phenomenon occurs in most of the rivermouths in this part of the world, but the wave that breaks in the mouth of the Araguri River produces a world-class ride. You only get one wave per daylight so navigating all the banks, approximating the next sections and knowing where and when to jump from the boat makes it all the more challenging. Even after two trips last year, we only saw and rode seven waves.

Arriving again in March, one year later and better equipped with jet skis, new boats, a doctor and pro surfers Ross Clarke-Jones, Carlos Burle, Eraldo Guieros and young Sininho, we were up for the challenge again. On each day of the seven-day trip, we surfed a perfect pointbreak-type wave varying from two to three meters as the moon went through her tidal phases.

Taylor Knox Goes Platinum: The Hot Seat

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:12 +0000

If you happened to be in earshot of someone saying, "Coloring your hair is as fun as doing a giant cutback in front of a group of hot chicks," you'd be inclined to duct-tape the pretty-boy twit to a lamppost. But on closer inspection, if you realized said twit was Top 44 legend and big-wave hero Taylor Knox, you'd roil in a sea of confusion: How could Knox, so straight and narrow, void of pretense, void of BS stoop to such vainglorious and highly humiliating levels? Is being the vanguard of power surfing not enough?

Every ambitious surfer has his or her eyes out for side projects to earn a little extra scratch. And the Maxim Hair Color Sports Club jingled their deep pockets for someone who is "super intense riding four- to five-foot sets" to help hock their wares. Knox fit the bill and ignored the embarrassment factor, thinking it would go under the radar being an online campaign rather than a glossy print ad in Maxim. How poorly he underestimated our ability to detect such a sticky morsel.

Knox is looking scrumptious these days (judge for yourself ) and seeing him in the Hot Seat is absolutely something to dye for. -- Chris Mauro

How did this happen?

Taylor Knox: Oh, I had an agent that sucked me into it. I can't believe you guys found it. Who saw it?

Scott Bass, our web editor, busted you. He's Big Brother.

Taylor Knox: I think we should ask him what he's doing on Maxim's website during work hours.

Good point. But don't try to wiggle out of this one.

Taylor Knox: Yeah, that's pretty funny. I'm so busted.

Now you'll do that but when we asked you to go sit under a hair dryer in a salon reading Oprah Magazine for this piece you totally haired out. What gives?

Taylor Knox: I was totally over that idea. That's more up Dorian's alley. He would love that.

You're wiggling again. But you think Dorian is bitter he didn't get the call for the job?

Taylor Knox: Oh, he's probably pissed. He's got the personality for it. But I have to say, the checks don't bounce, so I can't complain.

What exactly is the stuff?

Taylor Knox: It's basically hair dye. That's it.

Are you hiding some gray or something?

Taylor Knox: No, not even. I've never dyed my hair once. But they offered a bunch of money to dye it black, so I figured there's a first for everything.

And it was just an online campaign?

Taylor Knox: Yes, thank God. Can you imagine if it went into Maxim? That would suck. I figured I'd be okay on the web, because only my geeky Internet friends would have a chance to see it.

So any of the web surfers on tour stumble across it yet?

Taylor Knox: No. Not until now. Hot Seat in the Big Issue? That's just frickin' great. Thanks man. Snips [Mike Parsons] and Gerr [Brad Gerlach] are gonna use it as major fuel because I've been riding them pretty hard lately.

Seems like a bunch of you guys have skeletons in your closets? Do you know of anyone else we can bust?

Taylor Knox: Well, Benji Weatherly puts baby powder on his nuts.

4TH Annual Central Longboard Invitational

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:12 +0000

PUERTO ESCONDIDO, MEXICO,
MARCH 11-16, 2003

"It took me four years to finally win this," said Hawaiian longboarder Lance Ho'okano of his come-from-behind victory in small but decent surf at the Central Surf Invitational. "The focus of this event is controlled tube riding and the overall conditions were perfect for that."

Occasional overhead surf mixed in with consistent three- to four-foot waves played well for the competitors, especially Ho'okano who insisted people were getting fabulous waves the whole contest.

Trailing Pete Johnson's almost insurmountable lead with 20 minutes to go and with only one decent wave under his belt, older statesman Ho'okano put on a three-wave, switch-foot tube-riding blitz that not only shocked the younger surfers, but also gave him the convincing win.

Established as a premier barrel rider, the Hawaiian took out three mainlanders proving, as he said, that "tricks are for kids." Then he implored, "Have a contest at Teahupoo and see what these guys can do." - Sim Barhoum

RESULTS:

1. Lance Ho'okano $4,000 USD

2. Pete Johnson $2,000 USD

3. Scott Chandler, Joel Tudor $1,000 USD

Full Fathom Five, A Mike Todd Story

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:13 +0000

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made:
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
-- William Shakespeare, The Tempest

SUNDAY NIGHT
"Thank you," says Miguel Loupe, leaning close over his acoustic guitar, eyes welling. "This is really revealing for me..." He pauses, takes a deep drag off his Marlboro, ashes, holds in his emotion, and finishes the thought exhaling smoke from his nostrils, "you know, as a dad." Mike Todd, age 22 and Miguel's only child, sits on the other side of the table, smiling halfheartedly at his dad's happiness but seeming uncomfortable with the whole scene. It is almost the end of Mike's visit, his first to see his dad in Mexico in 10 years, and Miguel wants to celebrate. A group of visiting surfers and locals assembled for shrimp primavera prepared by Miguel's new friend Bruno, a lanky surfer from Italy.

The food is finished, empty Mexican beer bottles are stacked like big brown party favors amid the ashtrays of smoldering cigarettes on the plastic tables. Overhead, a flickering light bulb keeps the darkness at bay. Miguel, who used to be called Michael before relocating to Mexico permanently from the U.S. in the early 90s, finds his pick and begins strumming The Beatles' "Blackbird" for the first time in eight years. The first time since Mike's mom Vivienne left for good. The melody intensifies and he wails in vulnerability, suntanned and shirtless with his leathery skin stretched like hide across spindling sinews. Every note in his raspy Texan twang nears the point of collision as though he were accelerating, throttle depressed firmly, along a perilous road. Miguel clenches his bloodshot eyes and sings at Mike, the accomplished professional surfer who has come back here to the cradle of Mexico after a long decade of absence. This is the country where Miguel delivered Mike from his mother's womb and gave him his first breath, unwinding his umbilical from his neck and smacking him into consciousness. It is home to the villages that welcomed their nomadic family and Miguel's hand-to-mouth way of life; home to the nearby long left point where Mike honed his speedy and powerful goofyfoot surfing. "Ol' Mexico, man," as Miguel calls it, where Vivienne ran from and returned to and ran from again. The place where everyone close to Miguel eventually fled, but where he stays and surfs and plays his guitar. As his dad sings, Mike swallows hard on the lingering resentment he has for this man who has been absent for most of his life. But his stomach betrays him and after the party deteriorates, Mike goes to bed only to wake up a few hours later, doubled over in pain. He walks outside, gets down on all fours and violently ejects the contents of his stomach into the dirty Mexican sand, heaving under the blanket of stars in the stillness of night.

SATURDAY MORNING
Mike piles in the back of a pick-up with a local fisherman named Mario and a wily tattooed Brazilian everyone calls "Brazil." They're on the way to watch Brazil, the best player on the local soccer team, in a match. The truck stops and honks for Miguel at his place. He lives in a cement room with thatched roofing perched on the second story of an unfinished house. The room is sparse and well manicured, as if he has prepared to pack it all up to flee at a moment's notice. The only unwieldy items are his surfboards and his repaired guitar, the one he attempted to obliterate in a frenzy one wild night but only half smashed and later fixed with surfboard resin.

HOT SEAT - Kainoa McGee

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:13 +0000

Hawaii's Kainoa McGee stunned the professional surfing world earlier this year by making the semifinals of the Hansen's Energy Pro at Pipeline. Since this 31-year-old father of two has really only been surfing for two years, you could understand why veterans like Shane Beschen were somewhat surprised to become casualties of his rise, especially since McGee is famous for his skills--brace yourself--on a bodyboard. He was an integral part of the 1980's pioneer group of pro boogers like Mike Stewart, Pat Caldwell and Keith Sasaki. But now McGee is a reformed sponge rider, catching a whole new glimpse of the tube these days. A perfect candidate to be strapped in the Hot Seat. -- Chris Mauro

HOT SEAT: What inspired you to finally go out and ride erect?
KAINOA MCGEE Well, let's just say I woke up one morning and the idea just sort of came to me.

HOT SEAT: Right, of course, and now you've been stand-up surfing for two years?
KAINOA MCGEE Yeah, but it's different over here because when we were groms we all learned how to surf on boogie boards. Braden Dias, Sunny Garcia, Larry Rios, Bonga Perkins, they all used to ride them.

HOT SEAT: Well, now that you're finally joining their ranks on the hard boards aren't your old boogie-rider friends feeling a little betrayed?
KAINOA MCGEE No. Not even. They're stoked. I think they want me to go out there and kick ass more than I do.

HOT SEAT: Don't you feel better carrying a nice blade of glass under your arm when you're walking across the beach?
KAINOA MCGEE I don't know. Surfers have this thing with having hard things in their hands. I think that's creepy. I like things soft, but firm.

HOT SEAT: Did you put up with a lot of abuse growing up as a boogie boarder?
KAINOA MCGEE It wasn't that bad for my generation, because it was still fairly new and we all did it. It was a little harder to earn the respect of older guys like Dane Kealoha, but they didn't really call us names. It was just, "Whah? You fu--in boogie board-ah!" These days the kids get called every mane in the book. Sponge riders, boogers, speedbumps.

HOT SEAT: Speedbumps was always my favorite.
KAINOA MCGEE There're tons of others, but my generation didn't have to deal with it nearly as much. The young guys today put up with way more, but you should see the stuff they're doing on waves. They're light years ahead of where we were.

HOT SEAT: You beat Shane Beschen at Pipe, that must have been pretty funny considering you used to bodyboard T-Street back when he was a grommet there. How did he react?
KAINOA MCGEE It was classic. He came running up to me, super stoked for me, because we're old friends, but he still cracked jokes, saying, "Damn, I can't believe I lost to a bodyboarder!" But I'd been surfing out there a lot this past winter; it was my first full one surfing the North Shore. I'd seen Beschen and those guys out there, so it wasn't a total shock for them because they were the guys who talked me into entering the contest.

HOT SEAT: Are your bodyboard sponsors stoked or bummed?
KAINOA MCGEE They're stoked because they're getting a two-for-one deal now. keokisurf.com, Huff Surf Designs, Guerrilla Union are all backing my program. But I have kids so I also have a good job.

HOT SEAT: Do you think elements of bodyboard design will ever be applied to surfboards.
KAINOA MCGEE They could. I think it's a two-way street, really. My generation was really into design, because we all had our own model boards. We learned a lot from surfboards but I think it could easily go the other way too. There might be a place for the parallel rails on a surfboard, for that vacuum effect, but I don't want to get ahead of myself here, my shaper and I are experimenting.

HOT SEAT: Could you beat Mike Stewart on a surfboard?
KAINOA MCGEE Easily. Mike's the Laird Hamilton of bodyboarding, but I'll take him on a surfboard any day. He's got a funny style.

HOT SEAT: How's your style. Is it smooth?
KAINOA MCGEE Never. I didn't even have smooth style on a bodyboard. Finesse and beauty was never a part of my repertoire. I was pure animal, just Ahhrrgggh!

HOT SEAT: And you have no plans to work on that at all?
KAINOA MCGEE Nah, screw it. I am who I am.

Hollywood Surfers: Who's just acting?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:13 +0000

With piles of cash, no nine-to-five restrictions and easy access to Malibu, you'd think Tinseltown would be populated entirely by diehard waveriders. Alas, not the case. While they may appear to take off into huge barrels onscreen, in the real world, most celebrities restrict their taking off to Lear Jets and nude scenes. That said, there are some stars we wish would paddle out from time to time. Trainer Mike Justus recently gave Cameron Diaz a couple of lessons so she could at least stand up for her surf scenes in the upcoming Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. "She would be a great surfer," Justus said, "and welcome in any line-up."

THE REAL DEAL

Heath Ledger (stoked on Ned Kelly Aussie location shoot, "...so I can catch up on my surfing.")

Owen Wilson (surfing con man Jack Ryan in the upcoming Hawaii-based crime thriller, The Big Bounce.)

Jolene Blalock (foxy Vulcan T'Pol on Star Trek Enterprise.)

Jamey Sheridan (Captain James Deakins on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.)

Sanoe Lake (Lena in Blue Crush.)

Sean Penn (Narration in Dogtown and Z-Boys.)

Tom Hanks (outhouse soul surfer in Castaway.)

JUST ACTING

Cameron Diaz (But in that bikini, who cares?)

Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez (Anne Marie and Eden in Blue Crush. While both Bosworth and Rodriguez rode the knee-slappers, all the big-wave stuff featured stunt doubles and digital effects.)

Sheryl Crow (She took a few lessons to appear able to shred it up in her recent "Soak up the Sun" video.)

Rick Fox (claimed to be "getting the hang of this surfing thing" in a Ford commercial. His publicist says he has "surfed a few times when he goes on vacation.")

Human Touch - Trent Munro

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:14 +0000

Trent Munro
24, Scott's Head, NSW, Australia

Party you'd crash: J. Lo's
Positive role model(s): Patrick Rafter
Recommended reading: Gangster by Lorenzo Carcaterra
In your CD player: John Butler Trio
Now on DVD: 8 Mile
If I could do it over... I would surf perfect waves and eat good food.
Bummer, man: Knee injury
Can't wait to go... on tour.
But you couldn't drag me to... Iraq
Town or country: J-Bay
Dogs or cats: Dogs
Seven or eleven: Seven

Hollow World

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:14 +0000

For a split second, I imagined I was surfing with one of the tawny-skinned girls from Gauguin's early paintings. Seventeen-year-old Hena, brown-eyed and flawless, bobbed in the warm seawater with a timeless Polynesian grace. Around her, young and old Tahitians entertained themselves on just about anything that floated. At their backs lay a black-sand beach, a palm-shrouded rivermouth and a dramatic blue-green valley peaking on either side with jagged, volcanic spires. This must have been what Captain Cook saw in 1776 when he dropped anchor in Matavai Bay and recorded the sight of Tahitians canoe-surfing the little beach inside of Point Venus. Yet this was 2003. Hena had memorized every Avril Lavigne lyric, could recite lines from her favorite movie, Blue Crush, and had just paddled out on a modern longboard. Still, it was the happy-go-lucky way she did it that caught my eye.

This is where Tahiti surfs, in the average, sloppy beachbreaks. Papara Beach, in particular, is where 80s WCT competitor Vetea "Poto" David brings his kids, where Tahitian flight attendants and hotel workers surf on their days off, and where Hira Teriinatoofa, the island's only representative on the WQS, sharpens his beachbreak skills. The waves that draw foreign surfers and media attention, the ones that have come to define the surfer's image of Tahiti, are often too labor intensive for a quick go out. Most of them are a 20-minute paddle from the beach, requiring a boat--an expensive luxury on an island with one of the highest costs of living in the world. So the average Tahitian surfer mostly settles for convenience.

"I was used to surfing shitty waves," Poto said of his early preparation for the WCT. "People ask why I wasn't surfing Teahupoo in the early 80s. I was a kid, I didn't have a car to go searching for waves let alone money for gas."

Considering the importance of the sandbanks off Papara Beach to the development of Tahiti's young surfers, the lack of aggressive competition in the water that day was mysterious. Waves were shared, and the hierarchy didn't discriminate between canoe, surfboard or bodyboard. It was light-hearted in a truly Polynesian way, and more than the warm water or the volcanic mountains in the background, it was the free atmosphere that distinguished it from a crowded, sloppy beachbreak anywhere else.

A few hundred yards away, 28-year-old Raimana Van Bastolear sat in his modest house, occasionally peering through the open door to the action down at the rivermouth. The three-foot conditions didn't inspire him, though he hadn't surfed in days. This was February and he said he'd rather wait the month or two before Teahupoo began breaking properly, but it seemed that a surf would do him some good. A beautiful day had unfolded, and he'd been shut-up inside. Because he's trilingual and has developed contacts across the Pacific, his surfing career has evolved into a kind of ambassadorship of Tahitian surfing. There were arrangements to be made for visiting pros, equipment to be maintained, and he'd been hired to lay the groundwork for a reality TV show to be produced on the island. But his role as ambassador had him surrounded by papers and to-do lists. Their details, it seemed, had greased his slide into an ambivalent funk.

"We told them this was our day," he said, recounting an altercation out at Teahupoo during the previous season. "We towed a few foreigners. And they f--ked us."

An international pro, Otto Flores of Puerto Rico, made the cover of SURFER on a wave Raimana towed him into. This wasn't unforeseen, but during that session, Raimana demanded to those present that a Tahitian surfer bag a cover shot. It was their wave, and their ski, after all. For Raimana, the demand seemed reasonable, if not overdue. But demands made in the water don't travel well. A sense of betrayal lingered. Along with fellow Tahitian chargers Bgarn and Manoa Drollet, Raimana believed he helped introduce Teahupoo to the world. Now, the beast was a free-for-all.

"You have to be over there when it's big to understand what's going on. It's no good talking about it," Raimana said dismissively to me, a journalist from the same publication he felt had slighted him. Yet I knew it takes more than being here to fully understand the gripe. You'd have to be a Tahitian surfer with an eye on the prize.

"Things changed like that," said Teriinatoofa snapping his fingers. "I think Teahupoo is bringing more of everything to Tahiti." Without any serious heritage in the competitive realm, Tahiti became the site of the World Championship Tour's most harrowing event with the 1998 Gotcha Pro. And socially indicative, a Tahitian wave replaced Pipeline's 30-year reign on the plastered walls of surf culture. Yet the surfers at the source, the ones who helped mid-wife that wave into the world consciousness, are left wondering what this increase of "everything" means for them. They see the surfers who devote themselves to Pipeline garnering salaries, while the surfers who devote themselves to Teahupoo make a few extra bucks in May when the WCT creates a few off-stage jobs.

"It's f--ked up now," Poto admitted, "because people want to make a living out of it." Like John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl, in which a young fisherman discovers "the pearl of the world," but soon finds his simple life destroyed by the greed it inspires, the Tahitian surfers knew they'd discovered something of great value, but weren't necessarily prepared for it's consequences. What are those consequences? Localism, rifts over proprietorship, economic disputes, unwanted development and thwarted ambitions. Poto surmised the situation with an honest bluntness: "The good comes with the bad."

THE HOT SEAT: Chris Malloy

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:15 +0000

Chris Malloy has always been proud of his environmentalist stance and surfing roots. It's even reflected in the surf films he's produced, like Thicker Than Water and Shelter. But naturally, the steady rise of tow-in surfing has had a troubling effect on his ethical stance. His desire to ride giant surf and explore new territories has been at odds with his deeper convictions. For a while, it seemed, he would remain a holdout to tradition. But when Kelly Slater invited him out to Cortes Bank recently, Chris couldn't resist the rope...and yada, yada, yada, now he's gracing the cover of Personal Watercraft magazine. Imagine his horror when he learned we found a copy. -- Chris Mauro

SURFER: How the hell did this happen?

Chris Malloy: Jeez, all I did was let go of the rope...Man, you guys will probably run a shot of me picking my nose, too.

SURFER: Oh please...where's the trust? We're buddies.

Chris Malloy: Yeah, that's what makes it worse. You know you can get away with it. This thing's called the Hot Seat. Nobody comes out looking good. Sorry but the buddy thing brings me no comfort here.

SURFER: You are a wise man. Well, okay, let's just clarify your stance on the issue.

Chris Malloy: You know I've been pretty skittish about the whole thing for a while. For the last five years I've continued to paddle in. So the fact that my first official tow-in outing landed me on the cover of Personal Watercraft, well, it's kind of ridiculous. I can't believe it.

SURFER: It's troubling you?

Chris Malloy: Oh yeah. I've been trying to keep it totally under wraps and now you're outing me...jerk. Just for the record, I didn't drive once. I never towed anyone. Kelly towed me in all morning then when he wanted to take a stab at it, I just watched him from the boat. I was the draggee, not the dragger.

SURFER: So would that make you more innocent in they eyes of your environmentalist friends, like Yvon Chouinard?

Chris Malloy: Well€”jeez€”I don't know...probably not.

SURFER: What if you're just using them for transportation, does that present the same moral dilemma?

Chris Malloy: You mean to get from one side of the lake to the other for a beer run or something?

SURFER: Exactly...or a run out to Todos.

Chris Malloy: I'd say in that case it's legit because it's probably doing less environmental damage than a boat would, thought it's probably pretty close.

SURFER: Your brother Keith owns personal watercraft, correct?

Chris Malloy: Yeah, he and Snips go to Maverick's and Todos all the time. I'll go a little bit with Keith and play around in the big closeouts in Oxnard, just to get...

SURFER: Wait a sec! Then Cortes wasn't the first time?

Chris Malloy: Ah...well...

SURFER: You're so busted man...you fell right into my trap.

Chris Malloy: Okay, okay I'll admit I've been playing around here and there. But it's been really hard on some of my friends. Keone Watson pretty much disowned me when he caught wind of it.

SURFER: Really, what did he say?

Chris Malloy: Nothing. We hang everyday but he won't even speak to me if he knows I've been towing in at the outer reefs in the morning. If someone even brings it up he pretends like he can't hear me. He completely tunes me out.

SURFER: But you and Keone both have a ton of respect for guys like Laird, and they have no problem with it. How are your views different? Where exactly do you draw the line?

THE SURFER INTERVIEW: JOEL PARKINSON

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:16 +0000

His crew hived on a patch of dirt as kids. Up high and set back from the road, the Snapper-to-Kirra panorama was part of the view: the plain to the west, Duranbah due east up the river and the Point to the south. If ever there was a hill on the Gold Coast worth claiming, this was it--and just far enough away from the pack to go unchecked. It was the hangout before and after surfs, a den of mischief by night. Dreams were sown here, not all of them nice.

Joel Parkinson is again hanging up there, as vanguard of the new Australian push. His old mate Dean Morrison too, just 50 yards south. It's a tale that puts them in freshly-built dream houses on what is now a rich man's row, complete with twist. In a sitcom sense their mutual neighbor, conservative and having just puffed up at some wild goings-on at Dean's joint, is now decidedly puffing down into a cloud of depression. Joel has just introduced himself as the new home owner in no uncertain terms. It spells fun for the boys, better than any piggy in the middle they can remember in infant school. The plot will resolve itself after one party too many and Mick Fanning's booming wealth to the fore, leaving the stunned gent with an offer he cant refuse.

It's a year since Joel Parkinson was the target of far and away the boldest attempted poaching in the sport's history; it's a day before the start of the World Title season; it's a couple of hours since officially moving into his home. A giant Flatron TV shows a surfing video to an empty lounge room. His girlfriend is asleep upstairs after a Gold Coast Awards banquet that Joel would rather have missed. An American buddy is out to the world in a side room after a hard night. A top-of-the-line V8 is in the garage, one of two. The only magazine lying around is Wheels. -- Derek Hynd

SURFER Moving into a place like this gives you all you'll really need for 10 years. As a kid you used to come here often. Did you envision what it'd be like to one day have it as yours?

PARKO Not at all. There seemed to always be rumors of people buying it. Even my dad tried to get it...but with the land and how big it was he probably figured it was just not worth it.

Going way back this spot probably had a lot of indigenous significance, starting as a likely landmark and fishing lookout.

PARKO Yeah. It feels full of good energy up here.

Well, with one day of the off season remaining does it feel like you've had a decent break?

PARKO It's been, what, two months? I'm glad its over. A month of that was spent partying, which is fine. It's the only chance I've had to wear off the steam. The last two weeks I haven't done much.

Localism Works

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:17 +0000

"May you be blessed with worthy enemies"- Ancient Bedouin saying.

There is such infinite dirty pleasure in burning a righteous kook. Especially when it's done subtly, with impeccable style, like a beautifully turned glorietta at the Plaza Del Toros. After the third malicious drop-in by some skinhead poser local, The Burn takes on the grandiloquent nature of a storied duel. Your cheek is stinging and one's honor is screaming for satisfaction.

So the set peak arrives and you both scratch for the boil. You have priority, but of course the local has no qualms about fishhooking to your outside leaving you to either pull back or eat his wake again. But this time you match him stroke for stroke, dropping in simultaneously and skillfully freefalling rail-to-rail down the steep harrowing face. Speeding into the first section, you're drafting so close can see the glint of his earring, his cloying musk. But mostly you see his ass-a taunting, contemptuous gesture. You don't make a sound.

Without warning you shear off abruptly beneath your nemesis, executing a deep elegant go-behind that slings you out front in an instant. The local makes a showboat re-entry to suddenly discover your ass in his face. You hear a yelp, a singular meaty explicative of horrified surprise. And with a small, tight grin of malignant joy, you slowly, deliciously begin to tap the brakes.

Suddenly the wave throws and you deftly slip in a funneling portal an instant before it slams shut on your foe's head.

You emerge into daylight, silently spiking the ball hard into an imaginary end zone. Kicking out with a signature flourish you almost hear cheering from the palisades. You wouldn't be surprised to see roses and perfumed scarves raining down.

It's your best ride of the day. It's also your last. Best to prone out to the beach because by the time you paddle back out to the drop zone the Cold War of surf localism will have escalated beyond verbal assaults.

None of this elaborate revenge cycle takes a behavioral science Ph.D. to figure out. It's hardwired into our evolutionary core. Both you and the local are playing out ancient biological scripts: Intruding Man versus Territorial Man. The struggle for space and resources-in this case good waves and the ability to ride them alone-is the leading cause of conflict in the animal (including human) kingdom. Tolerance and altruism between like species-especially in such a loner activity as surfing-are relatively alien concepts in the wild.

A lot of it is also just Darwinian sexual politics. In Robert Ardrey's 1997 milestone study, "The Territorial Imperative," he compares the mating displays of the Ugandan kob (a large African antelope) to the chesty, bellowing behavior one might find at any frat-night kegger-or even Swami's on a moderately good weekend. Each eligible buck-usually 15 or so of the strongest or most imposing out of perhaps 1,000-will stake out a small grassy "stamping ground" and jealously defend their turf against all challengers. The does mince by and choose to mate with the most dominant males (often nearly all of them in succession).

"The human male, encountering a stamping ground for the first time, cannot fail to identify himself with the contestants before him," writes Ardrey. "And despite his most secret dreams of sex and riot he will thank a merciful evolutionary destiny that made him a man and not a Ugandan kob; it's all just a bit too much trouble."

Fast-forward a few epochs to early 21st century, observations of Homo sapiens, subgenus surfer. Substitute waves for women and you see this same testosterone-fueled behavior echoed out in any crowded line-up. Surfers, for all their pious claims of camaraderie and brotherhood, tend to be a divided, fractious tribe. The near-pathological need of one surfer to out-cool the other is carried straight from the parking lot to the line-up.

Pat O'Connell: The Insider

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:17 +0000

broadband Pat O'Connell on Taj Burrow

broadband Pat O'Connell on Taj Burrow

broadband Pat O'Connell on Kelly Slater

broadband Pat O'Connell on Kelly Slater

broadband Pat O'Connell on Joel Parkinson

broadband Pat O'Connell on Joel Parkinson

broadband Pat O'Connell on Occy

broadband Pat O'Connell on Occy

broadband Pat O'Connell on Mick Fanning

broadband Pat O'Connell on Mick Fanning

broadband Pat O'Connell on Luke Egan

broadband Pat O'Connell on Luke Egan

broadband Pat O'Connell on Michael Lowe

broadband Pat O'Connell on Michael Lowe

broadband Pat O'Connell on Kieren Perrow

broadband Pat O'Connell on Kieren Perrow

THE SURFER INTERVIEW: WINGNUT

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:18 +0000

Robert "Wingnut" Weaver is a modern version of a Sixties Surfer. Or at least what we like to think of as a Sixties Surfer. With masterful flow, power and control, he is reminiscent of heroes like Phil Edwards, Mike Hynson and Mark Martinson. And it's a tribute to the man's style and soul that his unique, totally professional approach to having fun offers no contradiction. Because for Wingnut, it all seems to be about fun, a happy-go-lucky aura that belies all the hard work and dedication he's logged creating--with virtually no help at all from the mainstream surf media--one of the most enviable surf lifestyles in the business. With a grin and a good drop-knee cutback, he thrust into the limelight with a starring role in 1994's Endless Summer II. Flushed with success, Wingnut, now 37, parlayed the exposure into the kind of existence most of us--even other pros--could only dream about: a sponsored, traveling surfer and professional international surf guide for very affluent clientele. Then came a blunt twist of fate. In 1997, shortly after his son Cameron was born, Wingnut was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system that, among other things, affects one's balance and equilibrium. But characteristically irrepressible, Wingnut fought on. And hearing him tell about it is a reminder of how sweet life is. In his Santa Cruz home, just back from work in Surftech's marketing department, he sat down with his wife, Janice, son Cameron and beloved dog, Sheila, to spell it all out.

SURFER: How did Wingnut get to be Wingnut? We won't even ask about the nickname.

WINGNUT: My family moved from Cologne, Germany, to Newport Beach back in the 1970s and I basically grew up right in front of Blackies riding longboards, watching classic Newport guys like Don Craig. From that I developed an affinity for what I like to call "classical" longboarding. I did the longboard contest circuit in the late 80s and early 90s, but it was never a good fit. The club contests were fun, and I was winning. I won Oceanside and I won at Malibu...I was right there, poised for God knows what, because there was no money in it. I was competing against any and all of the 25 different Paskowitz brothers and sisters and then came Joel. Joel was like 14, and if he kept his head about him, he could've won anything he wanted to. But he was still flustered. It was funny, because you'd have Donald Takayama or David Nuuhiwa on the beach with Joel's mom and dad and they'd all be yelling separate instructions to this poor little kid who could surf better than all of them. I especially remember the Malibu contest because Joel finally just stood up on his board, tears streaming down his face, yelling back at them to all shut up. Seeing the state he was in, I pressed my advantage and won the event. Still, I knew competing exclusively just wasn't for me.

SURFER: If not the traditional path of a surfer who wants to make it his living, then what?

WINGNUT: Well, then what happened was Endless Summer II. There was life before, then life after the movie.

SURFER: How did it happen?

WINGNUT: Well, I graduated in 1991 from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in economics and marketing. So at that point, as a longboarder, there was no real way to make money surfing competitively. I mean, O'Neill was giving me wetsuits and I was getting free boards, so at least my hobby was free. The club contests were fun, you know, it's all about the barbecue, but making a living? I think back to a low moment when I was at one Oceanside contest. It was Friday at dawn and I already lost my heat. In an announcer's voice: "How bout a hand for Wingnut, all the way from Santa Cruz. Great to see you; see you next time...the beer garden will be open at noon." Something had to be done. So I graduated, Janice and I got married that October, came back from honeymoon and said, "What now?"

SURFER: How did you pay rent?

WINGNUT: Waiting tables down at the Crow's Nest, like all good little surfers. The only thing I was sure of was I wanted to make surfing my life. So my plan was to save up and go down to the January Action Sport's Retailer trade show in San Diego to get a job. I wanted to work in the industry. Then it happened. It was January 14th, 1992 at 1:15 in the afternoon. The phone rang and it was Bruce Brown. Impersonating Bruce Brown: "Yeah, uh, Wingnut? Yeah this is Bruce Brown and we're gonna be doing a sequel to Endless Summer and were wondering if you would want to be one of the guys." So I said, "Well, gee, I don't know, I gotta mow the lawn and do some laundry but if I hurry I think I can make it down there by three." Bruce got a kick out of that. So I went and saw him on the way to the trade show and he told me I had the job. And that's what allowed me to get out of the dead-end competition scene. The movie contract was a two-year, 24-hour notice deal. And Bruce allowed me to negotiate my own contracts within the surf industry.

SURFER: A surfer's version of hitting the lottery.

CURRENT ISSUE - Andy Irons

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:18 +0000

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an excerpt from Surfer magazine Vol.39 #10. To read this interview in its entirety go to your favorite surf shop and pick it up (on sale August 8, 2002). Or subscribe now .

In 1998, during his rookie year on the World Championship Tour, Andy Irons, the surf media's highly touted, "Next Slater" candidate, fell drastically short of expectations by failing to re-qualify. In addition, there were darker rumors, cautionary tales of self-destructive behavior and substance abuse. With his fledgling career already in jeopardy, it seemed, critics were all too ready to paint him as the latest victim of party life on tour, and a prime example of "too much too soon." But on the brink of throwing it all away, Andy decided instead to suck it all up and re-focus his efforts. Over the past two years, his return to the WCT and steady climb since has been one of professional surfing's most inspirational "comeback" stories.

This season, the Andy Irons' turn around tale was completed when he took over the top spot on the current ASP rankings. After nabbing an early lead in Australia, taking out the Rip Curl Pro at Bells, he followed up with a win at the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo. There, in the closing seconds of the finals showdown with tour heavyweight Luke Egan, Irons stole another victory with a heroic last ride. The back-to-back WCT wins extended his ratings lead to over 1,000 points, thrusting him into pole position in this year's highly anticipated race for the world title.

While Irons is undoubtedly riding high, the same expectations that nearly killed his career as a rookie are piling up on him again. Naturally, he remains cautiously optimistic about his title prospects, especially after getting injured in Fiji during a warm-up session for the Quiksilver Pro. We caught up with Andy to find out how he found his way back to the top, and how he intends to stay there. --Chris Mauro

SURFER Magazine: First off, tell us how you got injured in Fiji.

ANDY IRONS: They were supposed to have my heat at Cloudbreak this one evening so I went out there all ready to surf and they ended up calling it off. I stayed out because I wanted to try a new board and it was still going nuts. Anyway, I took off on a wide one, pulled into the barrel and couldn't come out, and the thing smashed me into the bottom. The cut on my right arm was pretty bad but the bruise was worse, it swelled up like a grapefruit overnight, just in time for my heat. Shit, it's still swollen.

Did you still surf in your heat?

ANDY IRONS:I almost didn't. But the doctor set me up, he used one of those cooly beer holder things as extra padding to tape me up. I looked like Allen Iverson with one arm all wrapped. Everyone was calling me "A.I." It was sweet. But I still couldn't grab a rail or anything.

You must have been pissed, considering the circumstances.

ANDY IRONS:I was. It was horrible. The night before? And of course the swelling was as bad as it could get during my heat. I was so bummed out, and really pissed at myself. It was the first time I'd been really pissed off in a long time.

But even though Cory and Shea Lopez made up some ground on you in the ratings, you've got to be pretty happy about where you're sitting today.

ANDY IRONS:Oh yeah, I'm super stoked. I never really thought I'd be in the lead, let alone have 1,000 points on the guys behind me. But then to go and get 17th, and lose to a wildcard, that's pretty tough to handle, especially when the waves were going off.

How different than just a few years ago, when it was obvious that you were going through a pretty rough periodsurfing solid, but lagging on the WCT, and getting pretty distracted with the sideshows that always accompany life on the tour.

ANDY IRONS:That's totally true. I think a lot of it is just being at that age, between 17 and 22. That's college age. Those are the experimental years of your life when you find out how things work. For me, getting to leave Kauai to surf the tour right out of high school, that was like living out my rock n' roll fantasy. It hit me pretty hard.

The pitfalls of fame?

ANDY IRONS:Yeah, you're 18 and everywhere you go there are people ready to take you out and go nuts. So you do. And after a while you don't really care if you embarrass yourself because you're always leaving in a couple of days anyway. So it's like, let's just go to the next country and start all over again. It's wild. You go out to a bunch of killer clubs, you can legally drink and you're doing things you've never done before. I did some pretty stupid things. But you kind of have to go through that period because if you don't you'll be wondering what it's all about.

Some people get stuck in that period longer than others. Some don't come out at all.

ANDY IRONS:Yup. I was around it enough to realize that too. It's fun for a little while, but pretty soon you're just over itand you know it's time to move on.Time to get back to work and figure out what you're doing with your life.

But were you having fun?

ANDY IRONS:Raging, yeah, surfing, no. A few years ago, a big reason why I wasn't having fun was all the pressure to do well. It's heavy to be making all this money right out of high school and have all these expectations piled up on you. It trips you out. From the time I was 18 to about 21, it was really hard to even enjoy my surfing. It was a total job and I really didn't like it at all. I'd totally forgotten how to have fun with it, so it sort of made sense that I cut loose.

And then in the middle of all this, you fail to re-qualify for the WCT. Did doubt start to creep on at that point?

ANDY IRONS:Oh yeah, so many times. I remember being in Japan thinking, "I'm over this. This sucks." I was seriously going to go home and live in Hawaii and shoot some photos and hang out with my boys. My friends there live pretty good lives, doing the Sumatra thing in the summer. To me, that and shooting photos looked way better. I was losing money everywhere I went bombing out first and second round.

What helped you stick it out?

ANDY IRONS:Just talking to the right people. I remember guys telling me, "Look, your time is now. If you don't stick with it you won't come back later." They'd point to a ton of guys trying to come back after going off and doing the photo thing and it never works. Those guys get played out pretty easily.

How much did sibling competitiveness affect your decision to straighten up and get back on tour?

ANDY IRONS:Just having Bruce there in the water with me the whole time growing up, we were always looking over our shoulders, always trying to outdo each other. We'd push each other into every situation: bigger waves, deeper in the pit, everything. And I've always played sports. I get amped. I don't like to lose, ever.

Pounds Per Square Inch

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:19 +0000

A popular pocket-theorem thrown around by mainstream reporters is that if the energy contained a single 10-foot Pipeline wave could somehow be channeled into an electrical generator, the resulting wattage would light up a small town for a night.

So far, nobody's field-tested this intriguing bit of folk science. But if you asked anyone who's ever watched Pipeline casually throw a millpond's worth of water over its shoulder in one elegant heave, there would be little argument that Pipeline has more raw PPSI at three feet than San Onofre has at eight.

So all things being equal why is it the same Pacific superswell that produces a Maverick's or a Jaws, only creates six-foot slop at your local beach down in San Diego?

A little hard science, please...

According to Dr. Shaw Mead of Artificial Surfing Reefs International, a New Zealand-based marine scientist and coastal engineer, the over-riding factor that makes the world's heaviest waves so heavy is the bathymetry (the underwater landscape) leading up to the final impact zone.

"A common offshore seabed feature of gnarly wave spots is a submarine ridge that acts to 'focus' waves so that they break bigger and usually 'bowlier' than other breaks," says Mead, who based his doctoral thesis on studying Shark Island, Pipeline and other world-class breaks.

Underwater canyons, embayments, and rock jetties are some of the coastal features that direct and compress a swell's energy into a small area. Think of a piston compressing air and fuel into an engine cylinder. Now think of Pipeline blowing a huge cloud of spit. Same thing.

Second: Size. The bigger the swell, the more potential energy (theoretically) it contains. High swell energy translates to pure juice when it pushes over a shore with auspicious underwater bathymetry. Bigger wave, bigger boom.

Third: Sharply shoaling bottoms. Steeply pitched bottoms (a 1- to-7 rise ratio is considered optimum for "extreme" pitching waves like Pipeline or Shark Island), if sited correctly, will act as a launching ramp for the swell, giving it added punch. A fast-moving open-ocean swell that rapidly runs out of ocean will topple forward with more force than one that gradually shoals up over many miles. Need a mental picture? Visualize the reef at Teahupoo.Mead states it is rare to get the wave climate and the deep water, but even rarer for the steep reef to be orientated correctly to produce peeling, surfable waves. Hence, just like the rarity of world-class surfing breaks for normal-sized waves, big wave spots are even rarer.

Grant Washburn, a San Francisco filmmaker and notorious big-wave junkie (paddle-in only), has made a career out of studying unique behemoths like Maverick's and Dungeons. His field data comes straight from the viewfinder and the impact zone.

To read more from the 10 Most Powerful Surf Breaks in the World check out Surfer magazine's annual BIG Issue Vol 43 #9. Click here to subscribe or go to your local surf shop or newstand to purchase the BIG issue.

INTERVIEW: CORY LOPEZ

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:20 +0000

The most intriguing tale in all of sport is that of the dark horse. A stealthy threat to those around him, he lingers in the shadows, unnoticed, but dangerous. He rarely deals with the spotlight's glare because his accomplishments are unsung. But when the occasional ray of light does capture the dark horse, it's always for something heroic, something that alters the course of sports history.

In surfing today, Cory Lopez, 25, is the perennial dark horse.

He emerged from the shadows of Indian Rocks, Florida. A tiny town on the outskirts of Tampa Bay, Indian Rocks rest on Florida's hapless Gulf Coast. Yet somehow Lopez thrived, and his creative aerial approach eventually earned him a spot on the WCT tour alongside his older brother Shea. True to form, he was always a threat, and re-qualifying was never an issue.

Then in 1999, Cory Lopez, of all people, single handedly rocked the foundation of the surfing world with one fell swoop. It was during his heat at the Gotcha Pro at Teahupoo, Tahiti, and the world watched from the channel as he two-stroked into the nastiest blue cavern ever witnessed, eventually disappearing into the abyss. By the time he surfaced from that one historic ride, Pipeline was dethroned as the heaviest tube on earth. Afterward, Cory quietly slipped back into the shadows, and continued his steady climb up the WCT ratings ladder.

But he surfaced again last year, making a serious run for the World Title before falling just short. In the end, his 3rd place finish on the abbreviated 2001 tour went completely unnoticed. But emerging from Florida in the wake of Kelly Slater, let alone Shea's, doesn't phase Cory. Hanging in the shadows is nothing new for him, and as you'll find out, he actually likes it that way. — Chris Mauro

SURFER: Growing up on the Gulf Coast you weren't exactly into the surfing scene early on were you?
CORY LOPEZ: Yeah, that's true. When I was a grom, like nine or 10, I was actually hitting the roller rink all the time because I wanted to be a speed skater. Coming from Tampa, it's a whole different scene. Plus Shea and I didn't get along much then and he was into surfing.

Was it ugly between you two, or was it just typical sibling rivalry?
Oh, it got ugly. We were big time haters of each other up until I was around 16 and he was 20. (Laughs) We had a lot of the same friends, and when you're together that much there are always battles. We fought all the time.

According to your parents, you were much harder to handle than Shea.
Yeah, (laughs) You could say that. When I was 12, I ran away from home all the time. My dad had a rough time setting the boundaries after he and my mom divorced. I wasn't really handling it when my step mom came in and tried to crack down either. I would jump on my bike and take off till 2 a.m. Most of the time, I was just hiding in a tree a couple houses down or sleeping in the bushes, but it freaked them out.

So was Shea more of the jock and you the rebel?
We both had our rebellious sides, dying the hair and partying. But Shea was really good at every sport. He could've had a baseball scholarship if he wanted it. But that's right when he decided to move to the East Coast to go to Melbourne High so he could focus on surf contests. He was getting really into it.

Why did you stay back on the Gulf Coast once he left?
I liked it. It's a nightlife town. So for a punk kid like me, it was perfect. I was way more interested in going to Ramones concerts than being in the surf scene back then. With Saint Petersburg and Tampa right next to each other there was never a shortage of gnarly little gigs to hit. All through high school I was pretty into that. Just having fun.

But you were winning contests too, weren't you?
Yeah, but I was bored with them. Before the Hobgoods came along I was winning a lot. I won the East Coast Championships four years in a row. The ESA comps were coming pretty easy, so I pretty much quit for a year or so to go party. Contests didn't seem to be getting me anywhere.

The Slater mystique was in full effect for you guys growing up. Didn't that attract you to the surf movement going on?
Yeah, a little. Everyone knew he was pretty heavy. We knew he was going to make a statement someday, but I don't think any of us realized how huge.

Did his surfing influence your approach at all?
Actually my favorite surfer growing up was Occy. I was totally into his whole thing. I didn't even start doing airs until I was 16.

Really? You were a late bloomer in that department?
Yeah. Well, Kelly and Shea were on the same page then. It's funny because I was just telling Occy this the other day. My brother was totally into airs then and that's when I hated my brother. I mean, I liked him, but we were fighting all the time and I just decided I wanted to be totally different from him. Since he was into airs, I was like: "Airs are gay, they're for kooks. You're just a Christian Fletcher wannabe." (Laughs) I'd just do big layback snaps and power turns as a kid. That was all I was into.

Allan Weisbecker

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:21 +0000

Surfer magazine's Chris Mauro talks with hip-cat surfer Allan Weisbecker

Most surfers have never heard of Allan Weisbecker. He's not a surfing legend. Never been pro. Never appeared in any ads. But through classic stories from surfing's colorful past we've all become aware of surfers like him. The image of swashbuckling pioneers risking life and limb for the perfect wave has almost become a stereotype, but never have they been captured with the romance and eloquent detail found in Weisbecker's 2000 autobiographical novel Searching For Captain Zero.

Weisbecker's evolution from Montauk hippy-surfer to shortboard revolutionist to big-time dope smuggler to screen-writer and back to hippy surfer had more than its share of dramatic peaks and valleys. Those adventures became the basis of Captain Zero, and today, the story is working its way towards the silver screen; among those spearheading the development process is acclaimed actor/producer Sean Penn. Yet there's more to Weisbecker than just his adventurous episodes. At the heart of it all lies a surfing commitment that's lasted 35 years, and his universal law: "Never betray the faith." Translation: take care of your surfing and it will take care of you. But, as his cautionary tale attest, that's easier said than done.

I met up with Allan at his new home, a hidden jungle outpost in Southern Costa Rica. There, amid waving palms, chirping locusts and singing toucans he's cranking away on the screen adaptation of his book.--Chris Mauro

SURFER Magazine: Allan, How in the world did you get hooked into surfing, and the whole little secret society, while living in New York in the mid '60s?

Allan Weisbecker: Well, the short answer is The Endless Summer. In '65 I started surfing. In '66 it came to the theatres in Manhattan and played every night for a whole year. We're talking about Manhattan-ites going to see this movie about two guys looking fo the perfect wave. These people would never surf in their lives but they loved it. It grossed something like 30 million in 1966, which is equivalent to a 200-million dollar flick today. It was a phenomenon. People have largely forgotten that. It's the most successful documentary film ever. For me, well, that's when I realized there was more to this whole surfing thing than the tiny surf of Long Island*it was like suddenly the whole world was my oyster. I remember seeing it again and again. I immediately moved to Montauk from Westchester so I could surf regularly.

But Montauk was still a far cry from Malibu.

Well, it's funny, I had a job as a garbage man in Westchester right after High School, so by 8 a.m., I was off work. Then I got a job life guarding in Montauk. It was a cool scene. I was kind of on the periphery then, but Long Island was much more the center of East Coast surfing than Florida at the time. It resembled the scene in Malibu, just a little behind. But remember we're talking about New York here. Say what you want about it but the place produces some real characters. Florida would soon take over with the quality of surfers, but the characters? Nahh.

And so that sense of character led you to the North Shore of Oahu?

Well, I moved to Miami to go to college and quickly learned there was no surf there. So I told my parents they'd save lots of money by sending me to the University of Hawaii. The tuition was only $125 per semester. I was like, "You know how much money we'll save Mahhm?"
ALLAN WEISBECKER AUDIO
On the comedy of it all

And when you arrived in 1967 it was just in time for both the shortboard revolution, not to mention the social one. That must've been s stimulating time for a kid from Long Island.

Yeah, I thought I was going to be quite the hot shot at first, then I saw what Jock [Sutherland] and those guys were doing and I knew I wasn't at that level. At 20-years old, it was like, well, I'm a good surfer but I'll never be great. I think people know right away how good they are. I was hard ired with a decent style though so I had that going for me.

Was there a status attached to the best surfers that appealed to you?

If you ask anyone who was there in 1969 I think they would say so. There was an elitism over and above the hippie subculture that came out of the accomplishments being made in the water. You had Hamilton, Hakman, Lopez, Barry K...you know the list. But it wasn't like any of those guys were making money. It was just a respect among peers thing.

SHOWBIZ KIDS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:21 +0000

You'd open up SURFER magazine and see them every month. The surf stars, whose names and faces had become synonymous with high performance surfing, with fame, glamour and fortune: Irons, Fletcher, Hamilton, Young, Beschen, Padaca, Sutherland, Heussenstamm, Surratt, Kennelly, Fitzgerald. In the ads, selling board shorts, shoes, wetsuits and shoes. On the surf trips to exotic new waves, getting the centerspreads and the cover shots. Surf stars, heroes, role models...dads.

That's right, every one of them. Because the era we're talking about here is the late '60s, early '70s, when the fathers of some of today's most famous surf stars were basking in the limelight themselves. Now, for the first time in the sport's history, the children of some of our greatest matinee idols have grown up to become big stars in their own right. And in doing so, in taking their illustrious father's place on center stage, each one of these second (and in some cases third) generation celebrities serves to challenge one of surf industry marketing machinery's most sacred tenets, one that relentlessly, aggressively programs us to believe that surfing is merely a youth sport.

These young surfers provide the obvious answer: that yes, surfing is a youth sport--the ultimate youth sport. The question, however, is who's youth are we talking about?

"When I was 17, I wasn't even thinking about having kids," says 53 year-old Herbie Fletcher, father of renowned aerialists Christian and Nathan. In 1966, Herbie, known as "The Kid," was on the island of Maui, starring in MacGillivray/Freeman's surf film Free and Easy.

"My thoughts were...well, I had just got back from the Monterey Pop Festival, or something like that, and here I was in Hawaii gettin' paid to surf for a movie. I mean, I wasn't even thinking about it, man--I didn't want to get married or anything until I was 28."

Power To The People

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:22 +0000

"SURFRIDER FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH AT MAVERICK'S"

This headline hasn't run yet, but inevitably it will if anti-Personal Watercraft (PWC) advocates have their way. It's tragic: a surfer will pay the ultimate price because oblivious, self-serving surfers and pencil pushers can't see the big picture.

For many, the Surfrider Foundation stands for the preservation of ocean use for everybody. But for unfounded reasons, they, along with many others, chose to discriminate against PWC proponents, like me, based on emotional propaganda, not scientific facts or accurate pollution data. If they could show proof that we separate baby seals from their mothers, for example, or kill fish with PWC exhaust, then they would have a case. But they don't take off their blinders to see that massive swells alone can separate pups from their mothers in the local rookeries, or that MTBE-laden car emissions streaming down gutters is the primary source of ocean pollution.

Their argument is based not on fact but aesthetics. However, MTBEs-gasoline additives that mask tailpipe emissions-improve only the aesthetic of car exhaust, not their polluting properties. Plus, the 10 days we're out at Maverick's each year is insignificant to the millions of gallons of sewage that get blown into the ocean every day; our impact out at Maverick's is infinitesimal. PWC fuel, exhaust and oil are broken down to the molecular level and vanish within a few hours after we leave the water, since the greatest osmosis happens when the waves are big, the only time PWC's are put into the water.

The whole case against us clearly lacks perspective. They need only look at Santa Barbara where surfers constantly deal with oil on their beaches, wetsuits and boards to see that they're not on track. Surfrider should go after the local principalities, the counties, the cities and the state. That's the only way they're going to make a pro-active, positive change in the environment, not by simply taking water tests, telling us the water's bad and not doing anything about it. With that mentality, people don't get the real story and end up believing the so-called "experts." The communities need to be properly educated about run-off as opposed to blaming all the environmental faults on one group. But these people working to eliminate PWC's get gratification in imposing their beliefs and influence on people, no matter how unfounded.

Recent scoping meetings have been organized to get input from both sides concerning PWC's at Half Moon Bay, part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. But they end up being gatherings of people who are clueless to what we do or the environment we live in. If anything, we should be judged by our peers. But even then, any facts of environmental damage caused by PWC's have yet to present themselves. Mark "Doc" Renneker is one of the most vocal. He'll never tow-in because he's too stubborn and probably doesn't have the ability to do it. But his argument against PWC's is based on nothing but aesthetics: they're noisy and they're smelly. At a recent symposium with harbormaster Dan Temko and people from Save Our Shores, Doc said "It's nothing personal, but you're completely destroying our environment." If they look at the proof, however, they'd see that PWC's are the most scrutinized, environmentally conscious watercraft ever made because of strict regulations.

Keala Kennelly-The Naked Truth

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:22 +0000

The following excerpt is from Matt George's Surfer magazine profile of Keala Kennelly. To read the provocative profile in its entirety go to your favorite surf shop or newstand and pick up Surfer magazine volume 43 Issue #8 or click here to subscribe.

My name is Keala Kennelly and I have a story that no man wants to hear. Because I am a woman in the world of professional surfing. I am supposed to be invisible. And yet I see and feel and love exactly the same things you assholes do. Probably more.

She has to. Because you guys have made it so damn hard for her to love anything. Especially herself. Think about that next time you're looking down your insecure noses at her. Yeah, I know she doesn't look and act like some piece doing a pole dance at a strip club. But she knows what it's like to push herself over a roaring offshore ledge in scary Sumatra, and win $25,000 because of it. She's won contests at Teahupoo. She's ridden deep at Pipeline, just like you--better than you. She's taken horrible wipeouts; a two-wave hold-down in Tahiti. Almost drowned a few times. She's risked her life, surfing desperately for the money that no one else on earth is ever going to give her. She's earned her stay here on earth--all 24 years--The hard way. All alone. With absolutely no help from you. That's why she knows what it's like to win against impossible odds. Because that's what she's been doing out there. Trying to win. Trying to be something. Trying to rise up in man's world that doesn't even want her. To rise up and love and laugh and dance through life a winner. Who could possibly hate someone, anyone, for wanting that?

EXCERPT 2
Do you have any idea how Keala Kennelly grew up? In a spaceship. Or at least that's what she thought. One of those geodesic domes that her hippie mom designed. A mom that embarrassed the hell out of her by sitting way up on top of the thing and meditating at all hours. Keala got teased a lot for that. That and for being a white, blond chick growing up on Kauai. It was no easy road, especially since she had to raise herself as a boy. Thank God for Andy and Bruce Irons. Like brothers, they were her only peer role models. So she dressed like them and talked like them and tried her best to surf like them; actually beat them both in amateur contests at Pine Trees. Not too many people can say that. So, yeah, even though she was close to Brian, her dad, who taught her how to surf, she pretty much had to raise herself with no girls in her life.

Early on, her mom split. Took a hurricane to do it. Hurricane Iniki, September 1992. A Norfolk Pine karate-chopped the house. It was pretty much all Brian Kennelly had. He was gonna have to start over, so Keala's mom, free spirit that she called herself, up and split. Keala came home from school one day and there was a "Dear John" letter for her on the bed. She doesn't remember much from that note, except that it was pretty short. She remembers that.

So she toughed it out. Keala, brothers Gavin, Quest and dad. She wore surf trunks and t-shirts and stayed a boy and stayed on the honor roll at school, enduring the hell that was Kapaa High School on the East Side. Her first fight was with a boy. That opened the floodgate for the local "titta" girls and then came that defining moment against the big Samoan transvestite; Keala never lost a fight. Maintaining a 3.5 through the mayhem also meant she could surf as much as she liked.

The Importance of Surf Contests

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:22 +0000

In 1975, Californian salesman Gary Dahl came up with a multi-million-dollar idea called the "Pet Rock." For those of you who weren't born yet, myself included, it apparently spread like wildfire. Dahl was an instant millionaire. You could talk to it or dress it up and your rock would love you and be there for you forever. "Yeah. But come on, it was a rock," you're thinking. But in 1975, the Pet Rock, bought at toy stores by millions of people for actual money, turned into $6 million in sales. I know it sounds absurd now, but believe or not it happened.

So why, when there are free rocks all around us, would anyone buy a rock from a store, (or talk to it for that matter)? Put simply, Dahl marketed the f-k out of the thing, tricking gullible consumers everywhere into thinking the Pet Rock was somehow better than an average rock. He created a fad. And today, as millions of 27-year-old Pet Rocks gather dust on shelves or live out subterranean lives in landfills, a surfing lesson can be learned. Without validation, our professionals risk becoming Pet Rocks, destined to pass out of public interest like pebbles in felt clothing. Professional surfing needs authenticity to create lasting and relevant stars. That authenticity can come in many forms, but its best form is the surf contest. In six-inch or 60-foot surf surf contests, give professional surfers a real reason for stardom and popularity, and they give aspiring surfers a stick to measure themselves by.

Essentially, professional surfers are "professional" because they do things that the average surfer can't or won't. Big-wave riding, incredible free surfing, and 10-foot 360 airs are important aspects of the sport that speak for themselves, but they're not concrete like the surf contest. Contests provide a current set of standards where these aspiring and existing professionals can measure themselves against each other. At the end of a heat, generally speaking, the best surfer is the one that's best in all aspects of surfing-paddling, wave judgement and wave riding-on that given day. Contests help to weed out the one-trick ponies, and provide us with an accurate, real assessment of who is best. Think of it this way: Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and it's not because he can drive the ball the farthest or bounce the ball on his sand wedge 50 times in a row. It's because he consistently wins tournaments at the highest level of play.

It's human nature to want to know who's best and to accurately determine that we need proof. In a world without surf contests, what would you say if a major media outlet wanted to do a story on surfing and they asked who the best surfer in the world was-Tell them who's in the most ads? Tell them who did the biggest air or caught the biggest wave at Maverick's last year? Today, the answer would be the guy who's won a record six world titles, Kelly Slater. Even if he isn't your favorite, he is the best because he beat the best when it counted, and he may just do it again this year. Surf contests take out speculation. Granted, the judging format is flawed at times, but so was the referee at the Raider/Patriot playoff game last year, where a questionable call cost the Raiders the game and the season. Without competitions and an eventual winner, that media story is getting put on the shelf, right next to the dusty old pet rock.

What is hard-core surf travel today?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:24 +0000

Hard-core (adj) Unswervingly committed; uncompromising; dedicated
Difficult (adj) Hard to do, make, or carry out; requiring much skill and planning to be performed successfully.

Back in the surf trip days of yore--before surf specific travel agents or surf resorts that promised to do everything except paddle you out into the lineup--the ethos of surf travel revolved around exploration and discovery. There were three firmly held surf travel mores: 1) discovery 2) patience 3) secrecy (yeah, right). And the calamities of surf exploration were many. Back then, long, smelly bus rides; police bribery; back-alley robbery; wrong turns; missed flights; dirty drinking water; malaria; days--sometimes weeks--of no surf; all of these possibilities, and more, wrecked havoc on the anxieties of the traveling surfer. Often just finding an ocean with a ride-able wave was reason enough to claim victory. For discovery to take place the traveling surfer subjected himself to a litany of difficulties. He resided in the "culture of the unknown." The deeper the surf exploration, the more hardships to overcome. The more hardships overcome, the more hard-core the adventure.

The well-documented Naughton/Peterson travelogue (as published in SURFER 1972-84, and documented in Gregory Schell's "THE FAR SHORE") established a benchmark for hard-core surf travel based upon discovery, patience and secrecy. And while there were many other surfing Marco Polos out there, the fervent adventures of Naughton/Peterson represented an ideal that kindled every surfer's imagination.

These days, however, the surf trip based upon the ethic of discovery has taken a back seat to the reality of surf trips based upon the ethic of guarantees. What used to be a two-month exploration is now a ten-day "getaway." No longer do we wait on an African beach for the monsoon season to blow through and a swell to arrive. And the minimal swell that Naughton/Peterson waited for through hell and high water wouldn't even garner small mention at a magazine editorial meeting, what with giant Teahupoo and perfect J-Bay to dispense to the masses.

Don't worry, hard-core surf exploration is not dead. However, I contend that hard-core surf travel has a new, separate and altogether different ideal than "discover, wait, don't tell." No longer is roughing it in the African monsoon season hard-core, rather it is unnecessary. The information and technology available to us has resulted in an ethos not based on discovery, but based on the surgical strike. Our emphasis has shifted from one of exploratory to one of accessibility. It's the ethos of "hit and split."

You see, we don't need to look any more. We still can. I am by no means suggesting that exploring is wrong. It's just that we don't have to. Surfers have scoured, prodded, and examined the world's coastlines for almost four decades. The GPS coordinates for each and every surfable wave downloaded into somebody's iPOD. The surf globe has been so picked apart guys are going on surf trips to Antarctica, for God's sake.

Because, for the most part, we know when and where, the difficulty now lies within our ability to access information (storm force, swell direction, lunar phases, tides, flight availability, wind conditions, etc.) and apply it while maintaining a high probability of "scoring."

daveytahiti lead in

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:24 +0000

BREAK OUT THE BELL BOTTOMS?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:24 +0000

The good thing about any kind of so-called retro-progressive movement is the progressive part. Nostalgia for its own sake is a dangerous thing -- especially in as young a sport as ours -- and can render even the strongest surfer powerless, bitter and spewing from the Lazy Boy rather than spit out of the tube. Fortunately, Surf Style -- a collection of art, boards, artifacts and films that just opened in San Francisco -- has just enough chaos to keep it fresh.

Opening night in July sees no less that three camera crews, a half dozen photographers, a bunch of surf personalities including Matt George, the Malloy brothers, Joe Curren, Andrew Kidman, Jim Banks, Craig Peterson, Matt Warshaw, Bill Ogden, giggling half-drunk surf groupies (a new species in San Francisco), city artsy types and local Ocean Beach surfers all piled in together and drinking and smiling and bubbling as they jostle for space in front of paintings and at the bar. Local boy Tommy Guerrero lays down the music.

It's so crowded that moving from one end of the room to the other is closer to paddling out at decent sized OB than some swanky and sophisticated art show. Herbie Fletcher fairly runs the room and the TV crews, too, leading them around popping off flashbulbs and trying to grab one little ion of Herb's saltwatery charisma. "This is my quiver from the '70s," he smiles, pointing out his boards as the tape runs, completely unsentimental. Now's the time, man. Not then. Herbie shaped and hand-painted a few longboards specifically for the show, and they're proudly displayed facing super urban Second Street. And yeah, just about everyone stares as they walk by, even this far from the beach.

On the retro side of progressive, we've got classic prints from Art Brewer, Drew Kampion, Alby Falzon, and Craig Peterson lining the walls. Each image is a little window into the '70s, whether it's a Michael Peterson cutback, a BK bottom turn at Sunset, or an empty wave spinning off in Mainland Mexico. All nave and hopeful and full of promise.

Contemporary photogs represented include JBrother, who's got some stunning shots of Joel Tudor at Pipe; Patrick Trefz, whose golden backlit wave photo caused every single dusk patroller to skip a beat; Sean Davey, who's behind-the-tube underwater shots look stunning blown up to print size, Andrew Kidman, whose moody wavescapes make you realize how damn big the ocean really is, plus more.

EXHIBIT: Legendary Lensman Art Brewer

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:24 +0000

If you're going to the Big Apple in June, escape the heat by diving into The Earl McGrath Gallery in New York City and checking out legendary lensman Art Brewer's exhibit. Brewer will be showing his limited edition prints from the fabulous Surfers Journal book "Masters of Surf Photography: Art Brewer". I'm sure the gallery is air-conditioned.

The exhibit runs:

June 19 - August 9, 2003

Earl McGrath Gallery

20 West 57th St.

New York, NY 10019

poll_stopsurfers

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:24 +0000

SG's Queen of Surf

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:25 +0000

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- June 5, 2003 -- San Diego's Pacific Beach Pier plays host to the second leg of the Foster's Pro Surfing Tour women's division, the Queen of Surf, on June 7, 2003. An all-star lineup of America's top rising professional surfers highlight the one-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) event including current WQS ratings leader Melanie Bartels (Hawaii), Holly Beck (Palos Verdes) and Julia Christian (Carlsbad).

The only stand alone women's event on the 2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour, the second annual Queen of Surf offers a $5,000 prize purse and leadership of the prestigious tour. With Foster's Pro Surfing Tour leader Serena Brooke (Australia) withdrawing due to a hand injury, runner-up Beck, number three Bartels and number four Lauren Sweeney (Carlsbad) each have an opportunity to move into the overall lead in the race to become the 2003 Foster's and U.S. Champion.

Among the other women competing in the field of 32 are former World Championship Tour (WCT) star Prue Jeffries (Australia), Jodi Nelson (Surfside) and WCT rookie Christian, the first Californian to qualify for the international Grand Prix circuit in 15 years.

As is the case with each Foster's Pro Surfing Tour event, the Foster's Cup will feature a series of promotions at area restaurants where surf fans can meet some of the sport's biggest stars in person. Information on dates and locations is available at www.surfline.com.

Sponsored by SG Surf Snow Skate Girls magazine, this unique, day-long event offers something for every level of surf enthusiast with professional and amateur competition and surf instruction from Op Girls Learn to Ride. The day's festivities also include a "hot guy contest" for the magazine's "Babewatch" section and charity fundraising for the Boarding for Breast Cancer Foundation (B4BC).

"We (SG) are excited to offer a surf contest of this caliber just for the girls," said Robyn Lass, SG's editor. "Dedicated to providing coverage of professional and amateur female athletes, our goal at SG is to continue to grow the sports of surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding though our 'Queen of' series."

The Foster's Pro Surfing Tour incorporates all WQS-rated events in North America and is the stepping stone to the Association of Surfing Professionals' (ASP) elite World Championship Tour. This year's circuit includes stops in Florida, California, New Jersey and North Carolina. The Foster's Pro Surfing Tour is sanctioned and administered by Huntington Beach-based Surfing America, the nonprofit governing body for amateur and professional surfing in America.

AMERICA...MEET YOUR NEW LEADER

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:26 +0000

Last week, during the ISA World Games in Ecuador a historic vote was cast among the ISA committee members that has essentially stripped the USSF of its governing authority over amateur surfing in the United States and reunited it under the Surfing America umbrella. After years of bickering with powerful amateur organizations like the NSSA, ESA, and HASA, many felt this move to strip the USSF of its power was long overdue. American amateurs have been getting soundly pounded in international competition for years now, mostly because the USSF alone selects the team to bring.

After a four-hour debate in committee in which Surfing America, the governing body of the ASP in North America, put their business plan on the table and shed light on the USSF's failures, the issue was put up for a vote, and the historic change was made.

The vote is being viewed as the first step in re-establishing American surfing back to where it belongs within the international community, and should bolster the significance of the ISA World Games in the process. But many questions still remain, so we caught up with Surfing America President Peter Townend, our new leader, to get some answers on what this all means. -Chris Mauro

SURFERmag.com: With your pro surfing background and experience with the NSSA, you're obviously familiar with the politics behind all this. We know the bickering between organizations has been America's biggest struggle for more than a decade now in terms of fielding an international team that's competitive.

PT: Yeah, and if you go back in history we've been in one of these cycles before, which was when Ian [Cairns] and I showed up and Chuck Allan gave us the job of Executive Directors of the NSSA we began the process of Curren winning at Burleigh and the US domination in Huntington Beach for the World Contest in 1984. Then later on when the games came back here in 1996 the games came back here and Taylor Knox won but it's been down hill ever since because of mismanagement of the national governing body which was controlled by the USSF.

SURFERmag.com: I remember each organization, the NSSA, ESA, WSA, all throwing there best candidates to the trials to compete against each other for slots on the US Team that went on to win at the World Contest in 1984.

PT: Yeah, right, each of those organizations was represented in the USSF at the time, so they got to put X number of team members-I'd have to go back in history to look-then everyone surfed off to fill up the slots on the team.

SURFERmag.com: And as it happened the vast majority of those surfers came from the NSSA that year.

PT: Yeah, the NSSA was pretty dominant back then. I think the only guy that got in from any other organization was Bill Johnson, [current shaper for Rusty}.

SURFERmag.com: He was from the ESA. So the past few years we've been sending lambs to the slaughter in these ISA World Games because there's only been one organization sending people?

PT: Yeah, I think there's one thing that's been overlooked. USSF made a tactical error after 1984 in that they told the NSSA to take a hike. So the NSSA went off and committed to simply doing a good job. And they did. They did such a good job that it became more important to surf in the NSSA and surf in the National Championships at Lowers than it did to represent your country in the World Games. That problem just got worse and worse. Eventually, the ESA saw that they weren't achieving what they wanted to achieve and they began doing the same things with their events on the east coast. So when they left the USSF that opened that really opened the door for us to start demanding this change in the governing body of Amateur Surfing in the U.S.

SURFERmag.com: So the vote in Ecuador stripped the USSF of its governing power and gave that authority to Surfing America, which is pivotal because now we'll be able to select from the best of the best here in the states for our team.

PT: Exactly.

SURFERmag.com: So the challenge now is, how do you lift the prestige of the ISA World Games to a level where people here in the states actually give a rat's ass?

PT: Well, it's going to take some time. You're right. This vote alone doesn't solve everything. We're going to have to rebuild and re-instill the pride of surfing for your country. That's what makes these events exciting. Let me tell you on the beach right now in Ecuador there are 25,000 screaming fans and there's a ton of pride among the Australians, Brazilians and the South Africans. But there's no pride at all from the Americans because the team isn't competitive. That was really no different to how our teams were back in the late 70's and early 80's. It wasn't until we started fielding teams with Tom Curren and Chris Frohoff that things really got exciting for the U.S.. When we went down to Australia with those guys, all the sudden it started to mean something and people wanted to be on that team. So that process is going to begin again today. The first part of that is we'll have a credible National Championship in Southern California in December of this year, where the best from all organizations will be invited, and from that we'll select our National Team for the ISA World Jr. Championships in Tahiti in '05.

SURFERmag.com: Do you think we'll be competitive right away?

FIRST PERSON: Jack McCoy -- Filmmaker; Visionary; Surfer

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:26 +0000

SURFERmag.com: Do you consider yourself organized?

Jack McCoy: I'm semi organized, but would be no where I am now in my personal life without the orginazation help of my wife. I'd still be living like a gypsy traveling the world surfing and creating images. But then I met my wife. My wonderful beautiful soul mate is the most organized person I know and it can't help but rub off...sometimes (laughing in the background from Jack's wife).

In relation to the films I make, I have to be very organized. This last production Blue Horizon was the biggest project I've personally undertaken. I shot over 250 hours of material myself alone that I had to keep track of. On top of that there were over 30 other contributors that added up to another 250 hours. I had to keep track of what they'd contributed and where to find it. It all came down when we had to put the rough cut together and the computer called out all the tapes it needed to make the finished product, and I had it organized so that everything was there. Whew! What a relief that was.
SURFERmag.com: What piece of equipment have you lost or sold that you still wish you had possesion of?

Jack McCoy: Couple of things, probably first and most importantly would be some surfboards that I have owned. I remember certain boards during different parts of my life. And I'd like to still have them today. My first board, I saved for 6 months by mowing lawns and washing cars. $128 it cost for the Sparky Inter Island 9'6" log that was my pride and joy. I'd still like to have that one.

There was also a board that Randy Rarick gave to me that was shaped by George Downing and McTavish. It was just after the Duke at Sunset that McTavish came to with his giant V-bottom Keyo that spun out but went vertical really well. From memory let's see, George made the board and Rarick ended up with it. He gave it to me. It was a needle nose down rail with a hip behind center into a little diamond tail V-bottom. The vee was nothing like Mac's but it was rad for it's time. Had a giant fin on the back too. Very very cool board. Fast, really fast.

Another board I wish I still had was one that Lopez made for me the second trip I went to Bali. A big purple thing we glassed at Fitzy's factory. That was my gun in the early days in Indo. An 8'6". I loved that board. I left it out at Wayan Windrow's house there on the point at Ulu and would pull it out every year I returned. As time went by and boards changed I forgot about it and last time I saw it, the family was using it as sort of a coffee table in the house. Didn't have the heart to pull it out.

A piece of camera equiptment I'm sorry I still don't have. Dick Hoole bought a 3.5Mm lens off George Greenough. It wasn't the original one that he shot Coming of the Dawn with but it was like number two or three. You have to remember that George worked with Century Optics to make that lens and this thing had blood line. It was very wide and we couldn't believe we had this thing. It was big and bulky, not like they have them down to now. Dick and I were over the moon. I had it in my camera bag in Hawaii when Huricane Iki came through. I was staying at Randy Rarick's Sunset Beach house when the warning came and I decided to take all my camera gear down to Gerry's Pipe house. I knew Porter had overbuilt that fortress and thought that would be a safer place for my gear. I parked right at the head of the lane and took one load of my water gear down the front door. The car was locked and I had my land camera gear in the trunk. I was out of sight of the car for 30 seconds and in that time some low life took my whole land kit away. Screwdriver in the key hole and presto, the guy had a big part of my life. That camera bag had a Bolex body, 12-120mm Angeneaux, 230 & 385 Century and the Greenough lens. All gone. That was a bummer. I'd love to still have that lens to give to my son. Oh well, he'll have my first water housing which is a real dinosaur but which is pretty cool. But a Greenough lens...Ahhhhh...
SURFERmag.com: At what shutter speed do you live your life?

Jack McCoy: F8. I remember hangin' with Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman when they were shooting Waves of Change on Maui and it was a bit overcast. I asked Jim why he wasn't shooting and he said he was waiting for f8. When the light got to f8, it was perfect to shoot he told me. I was impressed. I never forgot that and whenever I was having a picture perfect day, I'd call it f8. Even though with the stock I shoot with today I'm shooting a f11 on the perfect days I still think of it as f8. Thanks Jim and Greg.
SURFERmag.com: Do you think God prefers wide angle shots over close-up action?

Jack McCoy: No doubt wide angle. I love wide angle. The first camera I bought was a Minolta SRL and a 16mm lens. That was my only lens. I shot everything with it cause that's all I had. Peter Crawford had the exact same rig and we had a lot in common with that camera and lens. My first published pic in color was in Surfing World and Bruce Channon and Hugh McCloud were running it and they did an article on our first trip to Bali and 90% of the shots were with that lens. I've had some great wide angles in my life since then. My current favorite are my 3.5 mm I bought to replace the one I had stolen of George's, and a 10mm I bought in Hollywood in the early 80's. I'd had several 10mm's, but was never super stoked with them. I'd begun to learn that every lens is different, and I started experimenting with different makes and models and this was about the 10th one I'd gone thru. The first time I got some results back with it, a Maui and Sons shoot in Fiji in the mid 80's, I knew I'd found a magic lens. Every 10mm shot since then has been with that same lens and it's seen a lot of amazing action from (Gerry) Lopez to Andy (Irons). I've had a love affair with my wide angle lenses ever since that first 16mm. I'm sure God would agree, wide angle...Yipeeeeeee!

SURFERmag.com: At what movie did you last shed a tear and why (what scene)?

Jack McCoy: Whale Rider. From the last 20 minutes thru to the end of the credits. Our indigenous brothers and sisters can teach us all so much. Great film.

SURFERmag.com: If you could take a one-month trip anywhere in the world and money were not a consideration, where would you go and what would you do?

Jack McCoy: Italy and the Greek Isles with my wife and kids. We'd go have a good look around at a part of the world I've always wanted to see. Italy because I saw Sarge's (Paul Sargent) home movies of going to Italy with Occ and it looked like fun, maybe take Occ with me as a tour guide. Greek Isles for the color of water I'm keen to see.

QuikScience

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:26 +0000

For a few lucky Orange County students, Oceanography 101 is about to get really exciting. Surf industry giant Quiksilver recently teamed up with Southern California's Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) to create Quikscience, a program geared to raise awareness and interest in ocean science among young students. Quikscience is a multi-stage program whereby students actively seek to enhance their own scientific interests while improving school curriculum. The program is comprised of a number of teams, which seek excellence by competing against each other in a number of activities. First, each team must perform an evaluative audit of the current science curriculum in place in their schools. Then, each team will seek for ways to enhance their school's science curriculum. After completing a community service project related to the ocean, each team will submit an artistic portfolio of their efforts, to be judged by a panel of scientists, artists, athletes and teachers. The artistic portfolios allow for aesthetically pleasing presentations, and serve as a reminder to young students that seemingly disparate disciplines often share much in common and shouldn't be considered totally disjointed.

COSEE's Dr. Judy Lemus, a Ph.D at the University of Southern California worked extensively with various representatives from Quiksilver, the main sponsor of the program, to get the project up and running. Lemus sees Quikscience as a healthy, liberating extension of many kids' natural scientific curiosities. "The partnership is intended to use kids' inherent love of the sea as an entry point to enhance their awareness about the ocean," explains Dr. Lemus, "and to help improve science and environmental education."

In early April, the six final teams will convene at Quiksilver's headquarters, where the champion and runner-up teams will be decided. The team with the second place finish will spend a weekend at USC's Wrigley Marine Science Center, located on Catalina Island. The team with the winning portfolio will look forward to spending a week aboard the 72-foot Indies Trader, a legendary vessel famous for its travels as the boat of Quiksilver's Crossing. The team will travel to the Caribbean and work closely with young children from a select middle school in the Bahamas. This presents an opportunity for a unique cultural exchange, whereby kids from different cultures will team up to enjoy everything from laboratory studies to snorkeling.

Future plans for Quikscience include a general enlargement of the program's size and scope. "Although the competition this year is for 7th and 8th graders," says Lemus, "we hope to expand the program to reach all grade levels in future years. We also hope to increase the number of teachers that we reach through our COSEE programs." Dr. Lemus is thoroughly optimistic and excited for the program's future. "In the long run, I think this program will produce a population of students in Southern California that are scientifically informed and involved, and are prepared to become leaders in their communities." --Josh Kimball

Q & A: CJ Kanuha

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:26 +0000

C.J. Kanuha learned the meaning of respect early on in life. He was raised in Kailua, located on the big island of Hawaii, where respect is earned by your deeds, not by your dollars. Now 20 years old, C.J. is beginning to make an impact in the world of surfing. C.J.'s fluid style and fearless approach to big waves has helped him get hooked up with RVCA, FAB Optix, Ipath, Sector 9, and Surf Prescriptions. There is a talented group of young surfers emerging from the big island but none is showing more potential than C.J.--Micah Schiesel

SURFERMAG.COM: How did growing up on the Big Island affect your surfing?

CJ: Being from Kona made me want to strive to go to other places, get off the island because a lot of people end up just staying here. I was fortunate to know Shane Dorian and Conan Hayes, they helped me out a bunch, got me psyched to go surf and travel.

SURFERMAG.COM: How did growing up in Hawaii influence you?

CJ: My Hawaiian roots run deep, my Dad was an old school surfer, he knew all the old timers like Ben Apia. My family pretty much revolves around the ocean, we eat out of it and we live off of it.

SURFERMAG.COM: What do you do when you're not surfing?

CJ: When I'm not surfing I will play any kind of sport, basketball, skateboarding, soccer, football pretty much whatever as long as I'm active. I also train in ju-jitsu and kickboxing, not to hurt anybody but to improve my surfing. When you're out in big waves you get put into situations. You need to be on top of your game because Mother Nature is right there ready to kick your ass.

SURFERMAG.COM: Do you see yourself as under exposed?

CJ: I guess maybe, you could say that. I pretty much like to do my own thing. I do have different ventures and opportunities that are open to me but in the past I haven't made a big enough commitment. Before I wasn't pumped to go shoot photos all day, you know, just go slut off in front of the cameras. This year I'm working hard to blow things up though.

SURFERMAG.COM: Do you feel that it's possible to be overexposed?

CJ: I think it all depends on where you're at and who you're with. Certain people get certain things just because they're out at a certain place. With us surfers from Hawaii we are put in an environment that lacks companies and sponsors, not to say that there are bad surfers from California, but it's definitely easier for them. They can just walk out to the beach where everybody's surfing at and just do a top turn and people are like here let me sponsor you.

SURFERMAG.COM: Do you feel that any surfers are over exposed?

CJ: No comment.

SURFERMAG.COM: Do you like surfing when the camera is on you?

CJ: It's all good. Whenever it's on I'll be out there. I just like to surf; I don't care if there's anyone filming or taking pictures.

SURFERMAG.COM: Where do you see yourself fitting in, in the world of surfing?

CJ: I don't know you need to ask someone else that, ask me that again in a couple of years.

SURFERMAG.COM: What's in the future for you?

CJ: Lots of filming, lots of traveling. During the filming for SNAPT 2 I was plagued with injuries. During my whole part in Puerto I was surfing with a fractured ankle and didn't even know it till I got home. I'm going to get my body in shape and do a lot of contests. I'm going to focus really hard on surfing the North Shore next year and later this year too.

FIRST PERSON: Kevin Naughton Surf Traveler; Irishman; Lover of Plants

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:26 +0000

If at his/her birth you could select what profession your child would pursue, would you do so?
Kevin: People determined to decide for their children what they will become, be it pro surfers, pro athletes or professional whatevers, are projecting their own unfulfilled desires or fantasies onto their unwitting offspring. I see it all the time. It's not a pretty picture. Everyone is born with their natures. On rare occasions some find their calling right out of the gate (these are usually the Einsteins and Beethovens of the world). For the rest of us, it's one big learning curve trying to figure out what on earth we're here for. You eventually realize that what matters is not how you start in life, but how you finish. It's a funny world. The best laid plans can fall by the wayside on apparent whims of fate. That's not to say there are no hard and fast rules to the game. There are. But I'm not here to preach, and besides, everyone must learn the rules on their own terms. To all those parents trying to force their children into godknowswhat careers, consider this: You can take your kids to the beach and introduce them to the ocean. You can point out where the waves are best and where the channel is to paddle out. You can steer them clear of some rips and show them the best take-off spots. You can do all this and more, even to the point of pushing them into that one long wave called life. But after that it's their ride and their ride alone. You can't ride it for them. All you can do is stand back and watch how they ride that wave and hope that you taught them well.
Is traveling completely alone overrated or underrated?
Kevin: The idea of a lone traveler--the rugged individualist--facing the world is a romantic dream and these dreams die hard. Everyone who travels should do at least one trip on their own. If nothing else, you soon find out if you can stand your own company. Don't worry, most people can't. Some lessons in life you have to learn on your own and solo travel tends to accelerate the process, often painfully but sometimes with unexpected joy and revelation. Having said that, too much going it alone tends to brand you as a social misfit, and that can have its drawbacks. Humans are social creatures. We like to share in the moment, especially when those moments are good. Shared experiences are the things that bond us and one of the greatest shared experiences is the simple act of travel.
If Jesus Christ was a surf explorer, would he tell others about his surf discoveries, or keep them a secret?
Kevin: Since Jesus Christ was undoubtedly the coolest person who ever lived, and surfers pride themselves on their cool quotient, it follows to reason that if Christ was around today he would be a surfer. Surfers can relate to his water of life message plus his background credentials were impeccable (Son of God) and if he liked to show his stuff once in a while by walking on water, well, surfers can relate to this also. From the bits we know of him, Christ was not one to keep secrets. He basically told it like it was. However, he had a fondness for getting the word out in parables and other cryptic sayings that few at the time could figure out. That's how I see him describing his surf discoveries. He would allude to a heavenly spot only he knows of, but in such a way as to ensure that we used our imaginations and made some effort to find it. Again, the cool factor comes into play. Having said all this, it's unlikely that Christ would get the opportunity to tell us about all those divine spots, because he also had a propensity for rubbing the establishment wrong. And before he got too far he would once again find himself being sacrificed on the altar of the world's ambitions.
Would you skip the funeral of a dear friend or relative if you knew you would be scoring perfect uncrowded waves all day long?
Kevin: (Note to editor: What deranged mind comes up with these questions?). In this day and age scoring perfect uncrowded waves all day long in southern California is more rare than, well, a dear friend dying. But death is not a topic I think much about. Granted, there are times when I'm out at Trestles trying to snag a few waves and some wanker will cut me off which immediately makes me consider the benefits of the death penalty when judiciously applied to wankers in the water. Mind you, I'm usually opposed to the death penalty except in cases of extreme hopping. When this happens--and it happens quite a bit at Trestles--I try and shrug it off, because that wave is already gone. Instead, I look around at the open ocean, at the light the way it plays off the waves, at the texture of the water, and I wait for another wave to appear from the infinite horizon. I remind myself that being out in the water and riding waves is a celebration of life and something I intend to do for life. So to answer your question I pass on the waves and go to the funeral to face what it means to die. Because there will always be another day and another wave, but there is only one death and that's something you can avoid all you want until it faces you.
What do you think of the Surfrider Foundation?
Kevin: Can surfers really afford NOT to have a Surfrider Foundation? Let's face it: If space invaders were taking over the planet and surfers were in the unlikely position of negotiating a treaty, everything on the inland side of the coast highway would be relinquished freely. Just give us the beaches. The world could be going to hell in a hand basket and so long as the waves are good it's alright. You'd be hard pressed to come across a group more singlemindedly selfish than surfers. Don't think the rest of the world doesn't know this and make fun of us at every opportunity. That's why the Surfrider Foundation is there. It forces surfers to stand up and be counted and forces the rest of the world to take notice. Surfrider gives voice to the powers that be that surfers have come of age, that we can think beyond our last ride and our next wave. Realistically, I know that most of us can't, which is all the more reason why the Surfrider Foundation needs to be there to do the thinking for us.

Unleashed Truths: An Opinion

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:27 +0000

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but I just can't let it go: the surf leash is the single most harmful concept we've had to endure in 400+ years of surfing.

Flown in from outer space, it mated with our ankles and proceeded to suck the spine right out of wave riding. Scant few of us, however, are requesting our boards be shaped without a leash plug. Why?

Convenience? Safety? Designs on becoming an aerialist? Or, after 30 years, has it just become part of our reality? Every board has a leash, right? I wonder how many groms today blindly accept the leash as part and parcel of the standard surf experience. I wonder, too, how many weathered souls hunch their shoulders and quietly acknowledge the leash as a necessary evil, but one they're willing to live with even though it is clearly digging their hole for an early grave.

Yes, most of us wear leashes. The cat is out of the bag, forever. The leash is here to stay. It's a piece of equipment that lets you quickly and conveniently retrieve your board after a wipeout or bailout. Some will say that it's ideal for beginners, it's a wonderful safety device, etc. All fine and good, but the leash was originally developed by and for experienced surfers who were weary of swimming after their boards. Swimming. It's what human beings, stripped to nothing, must do when they encounter water. Most of us wear leashes and most of us have unwittingly given ourselves to this little device and have no intention of owning up to its massive implications. The leash is a modern day fact and a de rigueur piece of surfing equipment. Three decades of convenience has worn down our spirit and forever compromised our flesh. We're not watermen. We're absent minded tourists of the sea. We don't want to think about the leash issue any longer. We strap on and go.

In a nutshell, the leash changed everything...more than board design, more than materials, more than Blue Crush. Chances are, many of you wouldn't be visiting this website if it weren't for the leash, because you wouldn't be surfing. If you did surf, your boards would look tremendously different, for the leash actually drove design direction and choice. If you have less than a 10% chance of landing an aerial, and a 100% chance of losing your stick and going for a long swim, you're way more likely to shun that sort of activity in favor of different maneuvers -- maneuvers that increase your chances of hanging onto your board. Your board design decisions will eventually reflect those choices, all brought about by the leash. One thing is for certain: Many of you wouldn't be spending the day swimming after your board. Many of you would take up inland wake surfing or kite surfing, or worse, golf.

Before Pat O'Neill, before Larry Block, before surgical tubing and bungee cords and Velcro and urethane, there was...swimming. Surfing was swimming. Somewhere along the way we forgot that surfing is about being in the water. The leash came along and said, "You don't have to swim anymore. Surfing isn't about swimming...it's about catching as many waves as possible. It's not about being in the water. It's about being on top of the water, dominating your square patch of sea estate."

Well my friends, surfing is more about swimming than surfing. The dividing line is still there and in fact beautifully present and accounted for in that one critical moment when you bail on a wave of consequence, either paddling out or riding like a king, and you get taken down, hard. You feel that oh-so-familiar steady and strong pull at your ankle. It grows to monstrous proportions, to the point of where you feel your hip displacing...and then...click!...like a fish with the hook in her mouth, she breaks your line and you know immediately and completely what has just transpired. Your $28.95 security blanket has just snapped and your sorry ass is left squirming in the briny blue...staring at a six wave double overhead set, sans board, sans floatation device.

2004 FantasySurfer.com Handicap

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:27 +0000

Surfers are gamblers by nature. Think about it...we live for the thrill of taking risks: a big air, a late drop, paddling out on a huge day, they all add to our addiction of hazardous behavior, and when we're dry docked on land it's only natural that we search for ways to duplicate the buzz. So here's a scary thought, SURFER Magazine is giving each of you 10 million dollars to gamble with this year. While you can't take this cash to Vegas and blow it all on one hand of Black Jack you can distract yourself from school or work for hours on end with our new SURFER Magazine Fantasy Surf League. The premise is simple: you pick and name your own team of eight surfers from among the Top 44 in the world to compete against your friend's team. Then, you manage your team throughout the 2004 pro tour season, making trades, growing your salary cap, and hopefully winning prizes. It's all live and running now at www.surfermag.com. Just click on the Fantasy Surfer button and sign up absolutely free, but only after you examine this here Fantasy Surfer Review of the Top 44, where you can learn how the game is played, find tips on how to make the most of your money, and get started earning points towards a dream trip to Hawaii or Fiji. -Chris Mauro

1. ANDY IRONS

Age: 25

Home: Kauai, HI

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 82% Career Victories: 11 WCT, 7 WQS

NOTABLE: Irons' win percentage climbed to 90% (18-2) when he made it past the Quarter Finals in 2003. Had a 17-4 record vs. the Top 10 (80%).

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 44% Top 5: 90% Top 10: 99%

Price: $2.5 million

How to play him: Pay up and feel good about it.

2. Kelly Slater

Age: 32

Home: Cocoa Beach, FL

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 80% Career Victories: 27 WCT, 2 WQS

NOTABLE: Slater has yet to win at Sunset Beach any time during his remarkable career, a fact that cost him dearly in 2003. Had a 9-4 record vs. the Top 10 (69%).

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 44% Top 5: 89% Top 10: 96%

Price: $2.5 million

How to play him: He won't disappoint, but fitting both him and Andy under the cap may be tough. Decision time.

3. Taj Burrow

Age: 25

Home: Yallingup, Western Australia

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 62% Career Victories: 3 WCT, 5 WQS

NOTABLE: Had four Finals appearances in '03, a personal best, but was 0-3 vs. Andy and 0-2 vs. Kelly.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 20% Top 5: 78% Top 10: 91%

Price: $2 million

Recommendation: Pricey, but will put up good numbers.

4. Mick Fanning

Age: 22

Home: Tweed Heads, Australia

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 69% Career Victories: 2 WCT, 3 WQS

NOTABLE: had just one Finals appearance in 2003 (Brazil).

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 18% Top 5: 77% Top 10: 90%

Price: $2 million

Recommendation: Should be swapped with equally priced Taj or Parko depending on surf breaks you think he'll do well at. (Hint: Gold Coast, J-Bay)

5. Joel Parkinson

Age: 23

Home: Kirra, Australia

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 69% Career Victories: 3 WCT, 5 WQS

NOTABLE: Lost three times to Andy Irons in 2003 during Finals. Is getting married and expecting first child in 2004.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 21% Top 5: 73% Top 10: 90%

Price: $2 million

Recommendation: Definitely outperforms the rest of the young Aussie crew in Hawaii, so keep that in mind going into the finishing run.

6. Kieren Perrow

Age: 27

Home: Byron Bay, Australia

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 62% Career Victories: 0 WCT, 0 WQS

NOTABLE: Highest rated surfer without a career victory.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 7% Top 5: 16% Top 10: 55%

Price: $1.6 million

How to play him: There are higher profile names going for much cheaper, but few gather high finishes as consistently, which is why he makes for a good anchor.

7. Taylor Knox

Age: 32

Home: Carlsbad, California

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 55% Career Victories: 1 WCT, 8 WQS

NOTABLE: Jumped up 18 spots in '03, up from 25th in '02.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 6%. Top 5: 19% Top 10: 51%

Price: $1.6 million

How to play him: He's more likely to win one than Perrow, but not as consistent, so play accordingly off his strengths. (Hint: own him at point breaks)

8. Michael Lowe

Age: 27

Home: Port Kembla, Australia

Surfs: Goofy

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 61% Career Victories: 2 WCT, 4 WQS

NOTABLE: Highest rated goofy footer in 2003.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 3% Top 5: 10% Top 10: 47%

Price: $1.3 million

How to play him: Definitely worth considering on legs two (Tavi, Teahupoo, J-Bay) and five (Hawaii), but everywhere else is dicey.

9. Cory Lopez

Age: 27

Home: Indian Rocks Beach, Fl

Surfs: Goofy

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 64% Career Victories: 1 WCT, 1 WQS

NOTABLE: 5-7 vs. the Top 10, with three losses coming from Irons.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 5% Top 5:14% Top 10: 49%

Price: $1.6 million

How to play him: Cory's lack of consistency makes him a serious roll of the dice everywhere but Teahupoo and Tavi, and if his price drops before the second leg the risk/reward ratio will be more favorable.

10. Dean Morrison

Age: 23

Home: Coolangatta, Australia

Surfs: Regular

KEY INDICATORS

2003 Win Rate: 62% Career Victories: 1 WCT, 2 WQS

NOTABLE: Only three surfers besides Slater and Irons won in '03, Morrison was one of them with his first career 'CT victory on the Gold Coast.

2004 CHANCES: World Title: 1% Top 5: 10% Top 10: 45%

Price: $1.3 million

How to play him: Bet on him at home in Australia, but as of today there's significant risk anywhere else until his focus improves.

TRAGEDY AT PIPE

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:28 +0000

Since long before tow-in lunatics began their assault at Mavericks and Teahupoo, Pipeline has held the reputation of being the deadliest wave in the surfing world. Sadly, that reputation was further confirmed this last Friday as Pipe claimed a victim, Japanese surfer Moto Watanabe. Watanabe, an aspiring pro with limited Pipe experience, suffered severe injuries to the head and neck while surfing in particularly nasty conditions on January 19th.

The swell that Monday morning was still running at 8-12 feet as it had the day before, but the conditions had deteriorated as the swell turned more north and a weird bumpiness set in. Without a spot in the tight Pipeline pecking order, a zealous Watanabe was forced to compete tooth and nail for the undesirable scrap waves. According to East Coast ripper and self-described Pipe "scrapper" Jesse Hines, who had been chatting with Watanabe just seconds before the fateful eight-footer loomed, "the wave looked good at first, but just transformed into a monster. Even a boogie-boarder couldn't have made that drop." Watanabe grabbed his rail and tried to power his way backside into the left, but the wave hurled itself outward, the lip seemingly thicker than the wave was tall. He was wiped out in the lip by a bump and was driven head-first into his board in only three feet of water. Ironically, this was the first season at Pipe that he had chosen not to wear a helmet.

No one saw him for over five minutes. Finally, a group of surfers who were caught inside, including Floridians Matt Beacham, Will Tant, and Noah Snyder, spotted him and put their own safety at risk to pull an unconscious Watanabe to shore. As paramedics struggled to treat and stabilize him, those in the lineup watched in heavy silence. He stopped breathing and then slipped into a coma during the ambulance ride to the emergency room.

Watanabe's parents flew from Japan to be at his bedside along with his girlfriend, and several of the brave surfers who had helped rescue him made visits to the hospital to offer their prayers for his recovery. But after 11 days and the doctor's grim prognosis, his parents made the difficult decision to end his life support. He passed that night, January 29th.

For those who witnessed the wipeout and the aftermath like Hines and Snyder, the accident has brought the danger of surfing Pipe back into perspective. Says Hines, "None of us had ever been that close to death before...it was sobering to be talking with this healthy young guy one minute, and to see him unconscious and foaming on the beach the next."

Surfers Healing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:28 +0000

On Friday January 23rd at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, not far from where the bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku sits surveying over all that is aloha, a new crop of beach boys (and girls) took to the sea for the first time. Riding the wave of an already incredibly successful program on the mainland, Surfers Healing made their first venture overseas to share the stoke with a group of autistic kids that would otherwise while away their days on the shore.

Surfers Healing, a charity formed by Israel Paskowitz and the Paskowitz family that introduces surfing into the lives of young autistic children, has put on several of these "beach parties" in California, but this is the first time they've come to Hawaii. The Islands greeted them with open arms. Old-time beach boys like Rabbit Kekai jumped in the warm water to help. World champion longboarder Bonga Perkins lent a hand. Even young Sunset upstart Nathan Carroll got in the act. But the surf stars were secondary on this day. This day was for the kids.

Maybe a little apprehensive at first, all right, maybe a little terrified at first, but once the kids hit the water it was on. Smiles aplenty, just as surfing should be. The day was spent gliding smoothly to shore. As 14-year-old Aaron Daguio told the Honolulu Advertiser, "It's like a roller coaster on water. I like it!"

With a little love from the Outrigger Hotels and Duke's Canoe Club the day went off without a hitch. When it was time for lunch what's more traditional that a good, old Hawaiian plate lunch. Rainbow Drive-In kicked down lunch for over 175 folks. The surf wasn't spectacular, simple ho-hum Waikiki rollers, but the session was epic.

In his 1911 novel, The Cruise of the Snark, Jack London wrote, "All rules have exceptions." Strip away contest results, contract negations and all of the other relatively meaningless details that consume the surf world and one arrives at the very essence of why we spend our days riding waves--to feel good. For these autistic kids, the words of London, almost one hundred years later, ring more true than ever before. They have "bitted the 'bull-mouthed breaker' and ridden it in, and the pride in the feat shows..." The spirit of aloha is alive and well in Waikiki, the Duke would be proud. - Jake Howard

Broken Dawn

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:28 +0000

I'm sleeping on the couch these days. For waking at an early hour, I no longer have the convenience of a clock radio. My wife fired it through the bedroom window the other evening. Sleepless nights have put her on edge. Look, it wasn't me, really. All I did was duck, and dive.

I hate cell phones, but mine has alarm clock functionality. I slip it under the pillow and worry about microwaves pulsing through my skull the whole night. Consequently, I no longer dream of waves...I dream of flat tires and rotting teeth. I know it's the microwaves.

At five in the morning the little device jerks me awake with a death cry. Vibrating, squealing, you'd think it was being threatened with a careless drop into an open toilet. I cut its tongue and stuff it back under the pillow. This is a critical time. I lay back down and I risk getting a proper amount of sleep. I risk doing the right thing. I risk not risking my life.

The larger, lumbering machines of the morning ensure my rising...the street cleaner, garbage truck, delivery vans...all double parked under my windows, all producing timely, consistently tuned clashes, slams and rumblings. Air brakes, greased metal doors, hydraulics, it's the stumbling rhythm of early morning on this street in San Francisco.

Within minutes I'm flying up over the lagoons of Crissy Field. The Golden Gate Bridge is strung forth like a red coral necklace seen in some Union Square shop window. Davey's down there somewhere, pouring over plans to retrofit the north end, slurping hot coffee with the iron workers, maintaining that careful balance between management and union.

Sometimes he'll call and leave a message: "Jimmy, we just had another one, off the south tower this time. The guy didn't even make the water. His brains are all over the mote. The gulls are on it!"

Beyond the Gate is blackness. The sea and sky are one vast canvas void of horizon, delineations, contrasts of any sorts. The bridge's cold lampwork barely illuminates ribbons of whitewater wrapping around Fort Point.

By the time I make Geary Boulevard, the Wells Fargo sign gives half past five and 44 degrees. My hot water bottle sloshes reassuringly behind my seat. I slow down as the street narrows, as streets often do when they near the ocean. It winds toward the Cliff House, a street named after a city father twisting into that of a wolf, wanting no association with the dirty, tortured beach below. The sea churns there in her insomnia, caught up in her bed sheets.

Standing naked in the blustery sideshores, my wetsuit and I have it out, me eventually celebrating victory but not without dislocating a shoulder first...a painful process of reverse molting. How wonderful the rattlesnake must feel as he writhes out of flaky old skin, basking on a warm desert rock, consumed with thoughts of swallowing small furry rodents.

Gerlach's Game a Reality

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:29 +0000

Brad Gerlach is a proud pappa. Gerlach's brainchild, the National Surf League (NSL), will commence competition in late April along the California Coast. The Game, the NSL's unique competitive format that pits teams of surfers from different geographical regions, will be used to determine regional dominance during a five week NSL season.

NSL teams from Santa Cruz, Ventura, Orange County, and San Diego will compete in games that include coaches, substitutes, quarters with top and bottom halves, and live scoring. After the spray has settled, a season champion will be crowned as victor of the inaugural "California Cup." Gerlach is expecting full television coverage of the entire season, presented on ESPN2, to hurl the NSL into the mainstream spotlight.

The Game was the featured format during last summer's X Games surfing competition in Huntington Beach. That particular competition, although lacking in surf, was considered a huge success for two reasons: 1) Gerlach succeeded in swaying top ASP pros to compete (against the will of the ASP), and 2) ESPN's TV production and event coverage was nothing short of groundbreaking.

The Game is what sets the NSL apart from contemporary surfing competitions. The format is a two-hour competition that pits two regional teams in a format which promises more intrigue and fan involvement than the typical three-to-the-beach surf contest. The idea is to promote a competitive environment that stresses teamwork. Individualism isn't suppressed; rather it sparkles in the mirror of teamwork and regional pride. Kobe and Shaq shine brightest when working within a team format--and against the Sacramento Kings. So, too, according to Gerlach, can Slater and Hobgood shine bright when surfing against San Diego's Machado and Knox.

For Gerlach, years as a WCT competitor proved largely unfulfilling--both competitively and as a fan. "An arena where one must forsake friendships in order to succeed," says Gerlach, "is unable to lend itself positively to our sport, and that's not good. Plus, the current formula doesn't allow for good fan participation. You need to see the competitors, in this case the teams, right down in front of you," says Gerlach. "The spectators can watch the team, and the team's response. Like at a Laker game or a Charger game. The team doesn't just disappear into some scaffolding. You need a social setting, like a stadium atmosphere. It's a must."

The first NSL The Game of the 2004 season is set for April 30. Check back here at surfermag.com or the NSL website for dates, times and locations of the competitions. - Josh Kimball + Scott Bass

More on Brad Gerlach's National Surf League and The Game.

Thank Goodness For Kooks

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:29 +0000

There were only four guys out. Buddies, they surfed together this day and were generally stoked, as they should've been, the waves were surprisingly fun. A spit of south wind had textured the lineup, making it look less than ideal. But the dredging nature of the low-tide cleaned up the wave faces just enough.

I stroked over to my usual spot, lining up just left of the street on the hill. Sitting up on my board, head down, arms relaxed and waiting, I gave off no airs, no overt signs of territorialism, no coughing, clearing of the throat or spitting. None of the signals you might witness from an insecure male surfer attempting to stake his claim in a crowded lineup.

As I waited, one of the guys, a longboarder, paddled just a little past me, swung around on an incoming wave and paddled furiously. His paddling technique, or lack thereof, was such that, with each dip of the arm, he bobbed side-to-side. Anxiety and a single-minded determination poured from his furrowed brow. He was going to catch this wave, port-to- starboard bobbing by damned.

The wave also came to me, and I felt it was my turn, so I too turned to go.

The longboarder dropped in and I hesitated at the top, let him pass me, and dropped in behind. He had no idea. All was fine. We both bottom turned and drew our boards up to mid -face on the wave. Not surprisingly he caught a rail, so I drew my line even higher, going around him on the top half of the wave. "Hey, what the hell is this shit," he cried out confrontationally as he and his board sank. I rode on for another 25 yards or so.

As I paddled back out the four buddies stared me down. I could tell they weren't happy, and I struggled internally with what had just happened. I had meant no evil. There was no malice. I simply rode behind a longboarder on a wave I sincerely believed to be mine. But uncertainty crept into my conscience. Perhaps I was wrong. By the time I reached the lineup I wasn't sure.

"I asked my buddies if you were an asshole," the longboarder shouted out to me with derision highlighting the word 'asshole'. "And that last wave pretty much confirmed it."

I paddled into the mix, sat up on my board and began reasoning with them. "Look," I said, my voice projecting as if I was super-sizing my order through a slightly opened car window. "We can take turns or we can hassle each other. You tell me how you want to play the game, and I'll play it. How do you guys want to do this?"

Nobody answered; they just sort of muttered some stuff, so I re-positioned the question into a statement. "Ok," I said pointing to the furthest buddy outside as a great five-foot set wave approached. "It's your turn. Go man. Go!"

I genuinely and sincerely cheered him on, as I wanted to diffuse the situation. I simply wanted order. I mean, there were only five of us out.

Unfortunately, the guy couldn't pull it off. With all of us, myself and his buddies, watching him, cheering him on no less, he couldn't catch the wave. An entire set of waves went by--good waves, five-foot set waves-all unridden. One by one, the buddies had each missed their chance.

I was a little perturbed. Now I may or may not have been an asshole on that first wave, it depends on who you ask. But to call me out and then not be able to back it up with some semblance of performance (just catch the friggin' wave) was absurd.

"I'm a little out of sync," the one buddy shrugged to me. He must've known a lineup foul had occurred, because he made his way to the channel to sit beside his friends, none of whom could show face at the take-off spot.

I was now by myself, in position, without a soul around as another five-foot set approached. I looked over to the four buddies in the channel and a light went on. "Thank goodness for kooks," I thought to myself. I felt somewhat vindicated for my past...ahemm...indiscretion (all right, all right, I was an asshole!).

A beautiful outside wave was feathering and I awoke from my self-induced hero worship by hustling to get into position. I was all alone, too alone. This wasn't right. I had too much time, too much space. Worst of all, I began to think.

"Am I too deep? Don't forget the boil. Make sure to stall. Is this wave even going to break. What did I have for breakfast?"

A 'zen moment' this was not.

It was going to be a late drop. I swung around, took two strokes and free fell into a late, but very makeable drop. The four buddies in the channel were actually hooting as they stroked furiously towards the shoulder. "This wave will show them," I thought haughtily, as my hideously frail and over blown ego almost burst out of my Gath helmet. "My performance on this wave will be the final nail in the coffin. I was right! I am right! Complete acquittal and total vindication was only a bottom turn away!"

And then horror of horrors, I pearled deep and hard. And right in front of all four kooks.

As I spun underwater, embarrassed and certainly misunderstood, all I could think of was taking my rightful and earned spot in the channel next to my brethren. Thank goodness for kooks-myself foremost amongst them.--Scott Bass

Your comments?

FIRST PERSON: Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew Legendary competitor; Professional surfing icon; Kirra local; World Champion

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:29 +0000

If you could trade in your World Championship for anything, what would it be?
Rabbit There is no doubt about it, as one gets older the appreciation grows for the simple act of riding waves, paddling in the ocean and enjoying the health to do it. World Championship glory dims considerably in the clear light of a beautiful day. If I could wish for one thing, and give it all back, it would be the recovery of my sister Wendy.
What color skin does God have?
Rabbit From space it is actually the blue planet, and when you consider the gifts we have been bestowed with in the oceans, it makes sense, I mean, we have blue blood, maybe God is all blue. Of course, if man is made in HIS likeness, God wouldn't be silly enough to make himself prone to skin cancer, and considering it is halfway between white and black, there is also a strong case for brown.
Would you be willing to give up sex for one year if you knew it would give you a deeper sense of peace than you have now?
Rabbit Yes I would, however I need to quantify that by adding that this would have been a much harder choice 20 years ago. There are many obstacles to a deeper sense of peace in my life, but the birth of my two sons have overridden many of these, and, oh yeah, there was sex involved in delivering this happiness.
You've been physically assaulted in the water. Is there ever a necessary time or place for physical violence in the water?
Rabbit I think not. Violence is generally a self indulgence, I mean, you usually don't see guys picking on someone bigger then themselves. Sometimes the perception of intimidation is enough to prevent a spot being overrun, and for sure there needs to be a code of ethics deployed in the surf, particularly for the visiting surfer, but if you are behaving yourself, being respectful and courteous, and just having fun, you don't deserve to be bashed.
What important decision in your professional life was based solely on your gut instinct?
Rabbit The last time I surfed Big Pipe, around 1990, I swung around and took a huge wedge and went right. The thing got so hollow that it devoured me, I failed to penetrated the face and got slammed on the bottom twice then totally obliterated by a whole set on the backdoor part of the reef. That instinct to go right contributed hugely to my decision to retire from Pipe.
If Wayne Bartholomew were never born how would pro surfing be different?
Rabbit It's funny how revelations come to you, but it struck me the other day that if World War II had gone differently I probably wouldn't have been born at all. I figure we were so fortunate to be riding these beautiful waves at Kirra in the late 60's and 70's, and it was this collection of characters that were in the same boat as me, amongst them Shaun, MR, PT, Ian, Simon, MT, Bruce, Mike Ho and Mark Warren, that all shared this dream of being pro surfers. Even though I have been a bit closer to the machinations then some of my peers, I think the others would have still carried the sport to where it is now--maybe under their stewardship, further.

First Person : Mickey Munoz

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:30 +0000

MICKEY MUNOZ
Optimist; Quasimodo inventor; Regular foot

Which surfer is closest to sainthood?

None of us are perfect, but one that comes close and would be my pick is Bill Wise. Bill is a surfer who broke his neck while we were surfing together in the early 60's; he has been quadriplegic ever since that day. Even though he has not been able to physically ride waves he has never lost his passion for surfing. He writes about surfing by clutching a pen in his teeth, he shots surf photos adjusting the camera with his tongue, he vicariously surfs using totems sent to him by surfers from all over the world. Surfing is not about what kind of board you ride, what kind of wave you ride, or how good you ride; it's about "state of mind". It is about Increments of smile, it's about passion! BILL IS A SURFER, HE HAS "SURFED HIS DREAMES, HE HAS SURFED HIS LIFE"!

Is there something you've dreamed of doing that you haven't done yet?

Sure, if you're interested in living, you dream. It's what keeps you living. But as Patrick de Gayardon, the great French sky surfer said, "live your dreams, don't dream your life away"!

What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

I am not sure "joke" is the right word for the question. Perhaps it should be, smile, laugh, or humor? Seems to me since we are perfectly imperfect, humor needs to be a big part of our life. Wipeouts are part of the lesson, laughing is part of understanding. Remember, the surfing experience is "measured in increments of smile"!

When did surfing sellout?

I don't think surfing has ever "sold out". A surfer is a surfer, you surf to live, you live to surf!

Was the invention of the leash a good or bad thing?

Ah, the two edge sword. They have helped advance creativity at times. They have saved body and board dings, and probably lives, and they have sure helped me get more waves on those just before dark go-outs, and they have helped the surf business by deluding more people into thinking they can surf. But, the leash has polluted our surf breaks with too many people that have not learned the lessons of surfing without a leash, the unwritten laws of courtesy, not to mention, learning to swim.

Would you be willing to chop off a finger if it meant surfing uncrowded Malibu for one entire year?

No, Malibu is a great wave, but my fingers are greater!

Notes From The House

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:31 +0000

The essence of the North Shore, when it's all said and done, is Pipeline. Particularly in the middle of December. With the impending start of the Pipeline Masters, dozens of beachfront houses rented out to surf industry conglomerates, hundreds of weekday spectators flooding the beach, and the world's best surfers slipping into the most recognizable barrel in the world, even the most hardened cynic has a difficult time keeping that glass half empty.

When Pipeline knocked the dust off the welcome mat and opened its front door midday Thursday, the collective attention of the international surfing community-or at least the faction that's currently living here on the North Shore-focused itself on that same stretch of reef that has for so long served as the world's ultimate proving ground. Dozens of the world's best surfers clogged Pipeline's lineup, making a seat on the beach the appropriate roosting spot for the day. What's more, the world's best photographers were graced with sunlight to shoot. (Factoid: One epic photo from Pipeline translates into financial opportunity for both surfers and photographers, which leads to hard charging and an impressive show.)

By Friday, swell had filled in, the contest got underway, and nine trialists worked their way into the main event. As waves rolled through the second reef, feathered and freight-trained down the beach, names like Marcus Hickman, Kalani Chapman, Jonah Morgan and more provided an unexpected (or, if you live here, expected) display of brilliance. And then there was the typical surfing we've come to expect from the likes of Rob Machado, Bruce Irons, and Jamie O'Brien. Though Marcus Hickman drew a perfect 10.0 and Bruce Irons earned a 9.8, O'Brien did the most impressive surfing of the day and, in a completely refreshing display of irreverence to Pipeline, entered a left backside, pulled into the tube, and exited switch stance. Uh...yeah.

Regardless of what took place in and around the water that day, the real story that's captivated everybody on the North Shore is the impending showdown between Kelly Slater and Andy Irons. Celebrity comes at a price, and never has this been clearer in the surf world than this past month on the North Shore. Whether surfing, bodysurfing, walking, talking, eating, drinking, resting or otherwise involving themselves in their everyday lives, these two past and potentially future champions have been invaded in the manner they've probably grown accustomed to over the course of their adult lives.

So Friday night was a quiet one, as nearly everybody on the North Shore awaited the back to back heats of Andy Irons and Kelly Slater in the morning. Both surfers dominated, moving directly into Round 3.

Wish there was more to report from the North Shore, but the majority of energy is being focused on Kelly and Andy. Or Andy and Kelly. But on Sunday, the swell has dropped, the rain stopped, the sun come out and everybody has had a nice little day on the beach. No fights, no fuss. And it's times like these when it makes sense that the North Shore is the closest thing to the home of the surfing universe.

Homies' Odyssey

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:31 +0000

For such a clean-cut, mild-mannered and presumably intelligent guy, I believe Mike Parsons to be secretly, certifiably insane. You might also come to this perfectly rational conclusion after watching the little man from San Clemente continually defy physics, logic and common sense in the film Billabong Odyssey. Opening on November seventh, this big-wave, big-screen, big-budget documentary might just make Parsons, and alter-ego best friend Brad Gerlach, bona-fide stars. And they're not the only ones. In this terribly clever piece of Billabong brand-marketing, the film's jaw-dropping waves and iconoclastic crew might be destined for celebrity status too.

The Odyssey opens with one of the most brilliantly executed pieces of surf cinematography ever. Suffice it to say that this seagull's-eye view of Mike Parsons towing in at Jaws is worth the price of admission alone. What follows is an informative and often staggering series of documentary vignettes. Brian Kealana's harrowing personal watercraft training session at Washington's Cape Disappointment is enough to make even Barney, Flea and Skindog get serious. The Cortes Bank coverage hinted at in Step Into Liquid is terrifyingly fleshed out with Gerlach declaring that being out there is "like walking on the moon."
GET YOUR ODYSSEY HERE
Please see below for a list of theaters showing BILLABONG ODYSSEY beginning this Friday, November 7. Hawaii:

Aiea Pearlridge West (808) 483-5339

Honolulu Ward Stadium 16 (808) 593-3000

Kahului Maui Mall Megaplex (808) 871-6684

Kaneohe Signature Windward Stadium 10 (808) 234-4000

Oahu Signature Dole Cannery 18 (808) 526-3456

N. California:

Monterey Osio Plaza (831) 644-8171

San Francisco UA Galaxy 4 (800) 326-3264 #523

Santa Cruz Signature Santa Cruz Cinema 9 (831) 460-2599

New York:

New York AMC Empire 25 (212) 398-3939

Oregon:

Portland Regal Fox Tower 10 (800) 326-3264 #327

S. California:

Burbank AMC Media Center 8 (310) 289-4262

Chatsworth Pacific Winnetka All Stadium 21 (818) 501-5121

Covina AMC Covina 30 (626) 974-8600

Foothill Ranch Regal Foothill Towne Center 22 (800) 326-3264 #135

Hollywood AMC Hollywood Galaxy 6 (323) 957-9246

Huntington Beach Edwards Charter Centre 5 (800) 326-3264 #139

Irvine Edwards University 6 (800) 326-3264 #143

Long Beach AMC Pine Square 16 (562) 435-4262

Long Beach UA Marketplace 6 (800) 326-3264 #509

Beverly Hills AMC Beverly Connection 6 (310) 659-5911

Manhattan Beach Pacific Manhattan Village Mall (310) 640-1075

Ontario AMC Ontario Mills 30 (909) 484-3000

Orange AMC The Block 30 (714) 769-4262

Pasadena Pacific Hastings (626) 351-7555

San Diego AMC Palm Promenade 24 (858) 558-2262

San Diego Pacific Gaslamp All Stadium 15 (619) 232-0400

Ventura Buenaventura 6 (805) 658-6544

In a great exchange, Gerlach's wild-child days are contrasted with the more temperate, earnest life of his competitive arch-rival Parsons, and then the pair reveal how they work so well together as tow-partners. You'll also see the Mavericks crews' bare asses while you laugh and share a brew with them and gawk at their bravery. Mad scientist Rush Randle gives flight lessons on his foil-board, and the film is interspersed with surprisingly educational vignettes on the how and why of swell-generation, bathymetry and what creates a big-wave spot. Layne Beachley tows into waves that should make you feel small, Ken Bradshaw tells how a Texas football hero ended up in Hawaii and Bill Sharp glibly declares that "we're the Delta Force of surfing".

The film also contains some never-seen footage of Teahupoo, and a Garrett McNamara wave that, on the big screen in particular, simply defies description. In fact, he gives Laird Hamilton's legendary hell-ride a run for its money. And speaking of Laird, where the hell is the rest of the Jaws crew? While this film is a perfectly legitimate documentary without them, their absence should have them kicking their agents for bad advice.

While the film would have benefitted from more personal anecdotes from its stars, it's a solid piece of work. On a five surfboard scale, I'd give this one a four, plus a kneeboard

A Night Out--SURFER Style

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:31 +0000

Continuing in a tradition that has spanned four decades, the 31st Annual Surfer Poll and 8th Annual Surf Video Awards went off in style on the night of Tuesday, September 9, 2003. With more than 2,000 guests gathered at the Grove of Anaheim, the theater was brimming from start to finish with surfers and invited guests of SURFER Magazine, all of whom wanted to be on hand for a night of revelry and a giant feel-good party that would have even the most conservative guests talking for days. Fuel sponsored the evening, and in concert with SURFER Magazine, the red carpet was laid out surfer style, as more than one pair of sandy flip-flops slapped their way into the theater to play witness to what always promises to be an interesting study in surf culture.

Even before the event got underway, guests were greeted at the doors with authentic Polynesian music and cocktails, which lent an authentic island air to this gathering. But by the time catered dinner was packed away, the mingling throng had at least somewhat settled to watch SURFER Magazine Editor Sam George take the stage, uncharacteristically clad from head to toe in a fine Italian suit (though the shoes were open-toed), to deliver a welcoming address that had the crowd cheering with agreement as he highlighted the familial bond unique to all surfers. To the gracious hoots from the crowd, Sam ceded control of the evening to Peter King and Jodi Young, who emceed the Video Awards. By the time that 3 Degrees was announced as winner for Video of the Year, and Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and Dean Morrison took the stage to deliver an amusing acceptance speech written by Fanning and Parko for Morrison to read, the crowd had settled into its groove, and the walls were lined as all seats were taken.

SURFER Senior Editor Chris Mauro took the stage to present the Boost Mobile Breakthrough Performer of the Year award, which for the first time in the event's history went to a female, Chelsea Georgeson, who won a year's worth of cell phone usage in addition to the respect of her peers. It was then time for Photo Editor Grant Ellis to take the stage in spite of his nerves to award David Pu'u a Canon digital camera and lens for the Canon Photo of the Year--a shot of Dan Malloy riding through a Ventura County barrel at sunset (featured on the cover of SURFER's Big Issue). In what was perhaps the most heartfelt moment of the evening, Mauro presented Jason Bogle's sister with a framed photo of Jason signed by friends and well-wishers, as well as a $32,000 check from Boost Mobile and two surfers (Kelly Slater and Tim Curran), to help with Bogle's bout with cancer.

When Sal Masakela took the stage to host the Surfer Poll Awards, the crowd was chomping at the bit to get the party started and greet the winners that more than 17,000 readers had voted on. The first surprise came when Women's #3 was announced and Rochelle Ballard was introduced, for the first time in three years in a position other than #1. Ballard, graciously accepting her removal from the top spot as a sign that others could enjoy the limelight, would appear on stage again just minutes later to bear hug women's #1 Layne Beachley, who won the award for the first time in her career. Beachley was visibly touched by the fact that SURFER readers had voted her #1, and after the onslaught of her peers, gave a reservedly grateful acceptance speech. For her victory in the poll, Layne was presented with a 50cc Honda motorbike presented by Red Bull, and it took all the work of backstage personnel to keep the girls from riding the bike offstage.

By the time that Mick Fanning gave his acceptance speech for winning #3 in the SURFER Poll, the crowd was eager to know who would win the Men's Poll. Last year's winner Andy Irons was the first person to steal victory away from Kelly Slater in 10 years, and it remained to be seen if the readers would vote him #1 again. What was certain was that Kelly and Andy were separated from #3 Mick Fanning by more than 3,000 votes. But when Kelly was announced as #2, the most unusual moment of the evening transpired, as Quiksilver's Danny Kwock took the stage on Kelly's behalf, saying, "Kelly was here tonight, but he had to leave. He had to go see the women he wants to spend the rest of his life with." It was a strange admission, one reminiscent of the Good Will Hunting line, "I had to go see about a girl," and a piece of news that had surf industry gossipers going to work in seconds.

Regardless of Kelly's love life, it was now clear that Irons had won the Poll again, and, after a brief speech by Masakela, he took the stage to accept his award and his 50cc Bike presented by Red Bull, but was soon joined by Reno Abeillera who presented Andy with a bird of paradise flower, citing Andy's grace as an inspiration.

With the feel good thrust of the evening in full gear, the theater emptied and the guests spilled themselves on the bar and the dance floor to cut the rug to the sounds of a DJ provided by Red Bull. And while many guests called in sick for work the next morning, it's a safe bet that they'll all be back next year.

FYI: Users of the Surfermag.com website can get exclusive, random candid SURFER Poll party photos, broadband video of all the SURFER Magazine Video Award nominees and winners, Surfer Poll results, and video acceptance speeches by the evenings Poll winners (Andy Irons and Layne Beachley).
SURFER POLL PARTY PICS
Click here for candid photos.

(Thanks to Fuel, Boost, Canon and Red Bull for their support of the evening.)
and
Elliott "Ebone" Rabin at Ridout Plastics (www.ridoutplastics.com) is responsible for the new look of the Surfer Poll Awards. The factory, based in San Diego, has produced creative POP displays for Reef, Rusty, Spy, and others. The engineering division works with Sony, HP, Hitachi, Qualcomm... Oh - and these are the same guys that made the Flexdex composite skateboards with Slater, Kalani, Wingnut, & Curran. email to ebone@ridoutplastics.com

31ST ANNUAL 2003 SURFER POLL RESULTS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:32 +0000

31st Annual SURFER Poll Awards Results

For SURFER Video Awards broadband clips (nominees and winners) click here
For random candid party photos click here
.

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

ANDY IRONS
2003 SURFER POLL #1

WMP 7 BROADBAND

ANDY IRONS
2003 SURFER POLL #1

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

LAYNE BEACHLEY
2003 SURFER POLL #1

WMP 7 BROADBAND

LAYNE BEACHLEY
2003 SURFER POLL #1

Men

1) Andy Irons

2) Kelly Slater

3) Mick Fanning

4) Rob Machado

5) Bruce Irons

6) Taj Burrow

7) Cory Lopez

8) Joel Parkinson

9) Shane Dorian

10) C.J. & Damien Hobgood

Women

1) Layne Beachley

2) Keala Kennelly

3) Rochelle Ballard

4) Lisa Andersen

5) Sofia Mulanovich

Breakthrough Performer of the Year

Chelsea Georgeson

Photo of the Year

David Pu'u

Jack Johnson "On and On" Samplers

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:32 +0000

All audio samples courtesy of Jack Johnson and The Moonshine Conspiracy
Check out Jack's website to order CDs.

broadband On and On:
Traffic in the Sky

broadband On and On:
Traffic in the Sky

broadband On and On:
Dreams be Dreams

broadband On and On:
Dreams be Dreams

broadband On and On:
Rodeo Clowns

broadband On and On:
Rodeo Clowns

TOWN & COUNTRY/SURFER MAGAZINE AIR INVITATIONAL

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:32 +0000

It was shortly after 12 noon, (at just about the same moment that Pancho Sullivan had ridden a MASSIVE north swell wave at Sunset Beach, which he called "one of the best barrels I've had all winter ") that air specialist Gavin Sutherland scored an 8.8 for a 360 degree aerial spin on a waist high south swell at Queens. Gavin was competing - make that "performing" - at SURFER's Air Invitational on the south shore of O'ahu, in the heart of Waikiki.

The two hour event - in conjunction with Town & Country's annual Surf Grom Contest - included some of Hawaii's best pro and amateur surfers from around the state. Sutherland's repeat win came from a two wave total score of 16 points, blasting him planets away from 2nd place Jamie O'Brien's 12.83. In third was Kauai's Kawaika Stilwell with 4th going to Ewa's Dustin Cuizon. At age 27, Gavin was the oldest of the competitors, leaving the world famous beach with a check for $2,500 for roughly 60 minutes of surfing in the bathtub warm south Pacific - not a bad day at the office!

Vans Triple Crown

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:35 +0000

Stop 2: Rip Curl Cup & Turtle Bay Resort Women's Pro, Nov.24-Dec.7

Women: AUSTRALIAN SERENA BROOKE SURVIVES ANOTHER DAY Men: Slater, Surfing's Reluctant Millionaire

Monday, November 24, 2003 - (Sunset Beach, Oahu, HAWAII) -- Former world No.2 Serena Brooke (Australia) survived another day of attempting to requalify for surfing's elite Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT) today, winning her opening heat in the Turtle Bay Resort Women's Pro to advance to tomorrow's round four. Brooke needs to reach the final of the $20,000 4-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) event at the Turtle Bay Resort this week to have any chance of requlifying for the WCT tour.

It was another anxious day for Brooke today, trailing for much of her heat in tricky 2-4 foot surf. It was only in the final stages of her heat that she bounced back with a strong ride to jump from fourth to first and advance.

"It's been one of those years," said Brooke, 27. "I broke my hand earlier in the year and was out of the water for a while after having surgery to pin it together. I came back with a win in the WQS in South Africa, but the 6-star events are what have hurt me. I just haven't been able to get out of my heats in the 6-stars. Like in the Roxy Pro last week, I had the highest scoring wave of the heat but couldn't get a second ride and lost. It feels like the waves have eluded me every time.

"I know I've got to make the final now, but I don't want to get into looking at all the possibilities. I'm just trying to relax and take it heat by heat, because I know I've got to make it through a few more."

Last week's Roxy Pro champion Melanie Bartels made her first appearance in the Turtle Bay Resort Women's Pro today in the third round, encountering little opposition from her rivals. She won the heat and eliminated last week's fellow finalist Maria Tita Tavares (Brazil) on the way. Bartels posted one of the highest heat scores of the day in her heat, with a two-wave total of 15.1 out of a possible 20 points.

"It's a really hard wave to surf," said Bartels of the soft, right-hander that runs along the poolside grounds of the 5-star resort. "Good surfers do well in good waves, but when you get a wave like this that's hard to read, it's not so easy. You never know where the wave is going to break. It kind of peaks all over the place. It's definitely a tough spot."

Bartels will meet with world champion Layne Beachley in round four tomorrow, also joined in the four-woman heat by Erica Hosseini (USA) and Rebecca Woods (Aus).

The top score of the day came from Australian Laurina McGrath in the third round. Laurina posted high scores of 9.1 and 8.43 for a total of 17.53. Brazilian Maria Tita Tavares had the top scores of rounds one and two - 15.5 and 16.83 respectively, before suffering a shock elimination in round three.

MEN'S RIP CURL CUP, SUNSET BEACH:

The men's Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach also entered the first day of its official holding period today, but with only a dying swell on hand, organizers opted to hold out for the opening day of trials competition. A full day of trials competition will take place when competition does get underway, to determine the six wildcard slots for the main event.

Current world number one Kelly Slater will be competing this week for crucial world title points, hoping to increase his ratings lead over number two Andy Irons (Hawaii). Slater is yet to officially become surfing's first millionaire prize-money earner following his semi-final finish in the Vans Hawaiian Pro last week. Slater earned enough money last week to break the $1,000,000 mark, but apparently is in no rush to officially claim the record as he has not yet collected his prize money from the event.

The Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach, Nov.24-Dec.7. and the Turtle Bay Resort Women's Pro are the second stop of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The third and final stop is Pipeline, for the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters (Dec. 8-20) for the men, and Honolua Bay, Maui, for the women's Billabong Pro (Dec. 8-20)

The Vans Triple Crown Series features the world's top athletes competing in three championship events in each of the following sports: Skateboarding, Wakeboarding, Surfing, Snowboarding, BMX and Freestyle Motocross. The Series is made possible through the support of Vans, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, Roxy, Rip Curl, The Turtle Bay Resort, Billabong, Mountain Dew, Ford Trucks, Right Guard Xtreme Sport, Fox Sports Net, Surfing Magazine, NBC Sports, Road Runner and Pictures Plus.

SoCal Hot Spots

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:35 +0000

For the past few days, Lowers and Salt Creek have been firing, so to speak. A large Southern Hemisphere swell combining with a pulse from the west has rendered the two breaks, and many more like them up and down the California coast, nearly perfect. But, sitting in the lineup at Lefts off the Point yesterday afternoon under the brown veil of heavy smoke carried west by Santa Ana winds, the crowds were smaller than I anticipated. It could be, I thought to myself, that three days of great swell had satiated many of Southern California's otherwise aggressive surfers, or it could be that health concerns prevented the less hardy from indulging themselves in the ruler edge perfection of a goofyfoot's dream. But as I sat smugly in the lineup, and looked eastward over the Ritz, it occurred to me that maybe I was the one missing the point-inhaling, as I almost certainly was, hundreds of carcinogens with each foolish breath.

Unless you live under a rock, or if you've just returned from some remote atoll, you've doubtlessly been inundated with news of Southern California's raging firestorm. We will spare you this information here. What you may not have considered is just how much this firestorm is affecting you coastally. As smoke and ash rains daily on the ocean and its watery coastal cities, it is certainly appropriate to think of just how much those elements are currently affecting you, and will continue to do so in the coming months.

According to the Surfrider Foundation's Chad Nelson, the primary concern for the time being is the quality of air. The air is visibly filthy, and any strenuous activity (such as jockeying around a packed house at Lowers) is not recommended activity. While that may seem like common sense, I enjoyed a certain irony in watching one surfer change into his wetsuit with a dust mask on, only to rip it off and run down the hill, into the surf.

The less obvious consequences of the fire have to do with the ash and debris pouring down on the ocean. The massive amounts of ash that fall into the water everyday contain nutrients that could contribute to algal blooms and red tides, says Nelson. The word is eutrophication, a biological event usually confined to a lake where an abundant accumulation of nutrients contributes to the growth of algae or other organisms. So, it is possible that after a long summer of red tides for California surfers, more could be in store.

And what about rain runoff later this winter? Luckily most of the fires are fairly far inland, but there is a good chance that runoff could contain above-average amounts of sediment, which could, in turn, contribute to more bacterial growth.

The Surfrider Foundation is monitoring the situation, and will be updating surfermag.com on any new developments. But for right now, this much is certain: surfing (or being outside, for that matter) is a dangerous activity right now, and it remains uncertain if it will be in the future. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go catch a wave.

And Then There Were None

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:36 +0000

If you read The Last Camper in the November Issue of SURFER Magazine you absorbed the fascinating history of Jeffreys Bay as seen through the eyes of its renowned underground surfing legend Tony Van Den Huevel. Back in 1964 a young 17-year-old Van Den Heuvel was the youngest member of the adventurous crew who discovered the world's best righthander. Their discovery came just six months after the Endless Summer crew had unknowingly passed it by on their way North towards Durban after their discovery at Cape St. Francis. "The Last Camper" was a quiet tribute to Van Den Huevel and his amazing saga, which has been playing out in J-Bay for more than four decades. Van Den Heuevel, or "Doc" as he was known, was South Africa's 1965 national surfing champion. He made his way around the world in the late '60s before heading home to spend the rest of his years living underground in the dunes overlooking the surf at J-Bay. As the town evolved from tiny Afrikaan fishing outpost to surfing Mecca and finally a popular tourist resort the world slowly squeezed in around Doc, choking the dunes with development and sending the rest of his breed packing. Yet, up until the very end Doc remained a holdout to that magnificent bygone era of J-Bay past.

Just after the November issue hit newsstands we received the sad news that Van Den Heuvel passed away of an apparent heart attack. Details were sketchy but his body was discovered in the same campsite we photographed him in for the story in the November issue. Doc was just shy of 60. His loss has rattled the hearts and minds of many who came to know and love him through the years. As longtime resident Sharron Kraak said just a week before he died, "Tony is a town treasure." Sadly, the last camper is gone now. The dunes, what's left of them are completely void of campsites, and a huge hole has been left in the heart of Jeffreys Bay.

Ezekiel/Sun Diego Pro-Am Surfing Series

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:36 +0000

EVENT #2 Of The Ezekiel / Sun Diego Pro-Am Surfing Series Will Take Place This Saturday And Sunday, November 1 & 2 At Crystal Pier In Pacific Beach!

$1,000 for 1ST Place in the PRO-AM division and $500 for 1ST Place in the Airshow!!

The Event features 10 different divisions including the PRO-AM and AIRSHOW divisions which offer super solid Prize Money for all 4 Finalists, with some cash even trickling down to the Semi-Finalists! We have also added Womens Longboarding as our newest amateur division. The contests are for competitors of all ages and divisions that we offer include: Menehuenes, Boys, Juniors, Open Mens, Masters, Longboarding, Womens Longboarding, and Open Womens - with all finalists being awarded Trophies and tons of Prizes! All divisions will compete on both days. Beach Entries will start at 6:30am and the contest starts exactly at 7:00 with the Juniors division surfing first.

The Series is supported by: EZEKIEL, SUN DIEGO BOARDSHOPS, CORONADO BREWING COMPANY, ADIO SHOES, ON A MISSION, SECTOR 9 SKATEBOARDS, SURFER MAGAZINE, SPY OPTIC, FREESTYLE WATCHES, EZERA SURFBOARDS, SOUNDKASE, CLIF BAR, HANSENS ENERGY and WAHOO'S FISH TACO.

For more information on the PRO-AM SURFING SERIES or to download an ENTRY FORM, go to.......... http://www.sundiego.com/flashset_proam.htm

You can also contact the Contest Director, MARC KATER @ (760) 476-9201 ext.109

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN DVD AND SWEEPSTAKES

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:37 +0000

ENTER TO WIN a skiing or snowboarding trip to Steamboat Colorado or a New Zealand surf adventure to Chalet Surf Lodge. CLICK HERE TO ENTER

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN DVD

A high-octane tour of the world of action sports, Keep Your Eyes Open follows some of the hottest pro-athletes on their quest for the ultimate adrenaline rush! From the mountain peaks of Canada to the churning surf of Hawaii's North Shore, director Tamra Davis takes viewers to the heart of the action, capturing some of the most jaw-dropping stunts and gruesome spills ever seen in the worlds of snowboarding, skiing, surfing, BMX, motocross, and skateboarding.

Click here to view the Trailer

East is a Beast: X Games Gold Goes to Right Coast

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:37 +0000

Kelly Slater and the East Coast team won the first X Games surf contest, held today at Huntington Beach. More than 25,000 spectators lined the beach to watch an all-star lineup of East and West Coast surfers compete for coastal supremacy.

To kick off The Game, surfing's first team event, the teams lined up in pre-game fashion for the playing of The National Anthem. The contest itself was structured much like a basketball game, with coaches, four quarters and a halftime.

In each quarter, four surfers from each team take to the water in 20-minute heats. The top two waves from each rider are added together for a team score. Each wave is worth a maximum of 10 points, for a total of 160 possible team points in each half.

At the end of nearly four hours of surfing, the first gold medals of X Games IX were awarded to the East Coast team, which won 209.06 to 188.20.
The ASP 9
Did you know that nine WCT pro surfers put their careers on the line (not too mention jeopardizing the validity of the ASP) for their perceived vision of the future of professional surfing--which now involves ESPNs X Games.
A gutsy move? Shortsighted?
Let your voice be heard in our online poll.

At the end of the first half, the East Coast team led 100 points to the West's 92. Kelly Slater logged an 8.42, the highest score of the first half. In the second half, Dane Reynolds of the West Coast rode the best wave of the contest with a score of 9.7.

Surfing for the East Coast in the first and third quarters was Shea Lopez, Aaron Cormican, Damien Hobgood and Ben Bougeious. In quarters two and four, Kelly Slater, Shane Dorian, Taj Burrow and Cory Lopez rode for the East.

The West Coast lineup included Shane Beschen, Taylor Knox, Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds in the first and third quarters and Tim Curran, Rob Machado, Pat O'Connell and Kalani Robb in the second and fourth.

SURF-A-PALOOZA- Aug 8-22

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:38 +0000

Ken McKnight likes to lay low. He reminds me of a character actor you see alot in movies, but are always hardpressed to remember his name or what movies he was in. Well, as much as he likes to fly under the radar, I cornered McKnight the other day to conduct a little Q&A regarding his latest endeavor, a hardcore surf e-zine called ALLABOUTSURF.COM.

SURFERMAG.COM: First off, tell me how ALLABOUTSURF.COM came about?

KEN MCKNIGHT: Pretty much it was just a release. I've had a water camera for a long time, shot pictures, but was never quite good enough to get 'em published in a print magazine because I am not a professional photographer. I was just a guy that could swim out in the water and take pictures. My wife bought me this camera, got me this state of the art Nikonos 5. I started taking pictures and I went to Art (Brewer) and said, "dial me in on this camera a little more." So Art showed me a couple of things, showed me the film to use and then cut me loose.

I went to Maui about a week later and shot Honolua Bay on a really good swell, and got back some pretty cool pictures. So, I started shooting more winter shots here, that was in January a couple of years ago, and I kept all these pictures and I didn't know what to do with them. So, a friend of mine said why don't you go the magazine. And I showed them to (Rob) Gilley and I showed them to Art, and they both said the same thing, "they're really good but the magazines aren't gonna touch these pictures." There are too many guys on retainer or whatever. So my thought was why not do something else with 'em? But I didn't know what. A friend of mine suggested I put 'em on the Internet. I went "it's kinda not me to put my whole act on the Internet." I've never kind of been...my ego has never been that big. So I was driving up to Irvine everyday and thinking the whole time...just brainstorming. I thought why not do a magazine online, and then I could sneak a few of my pictures in.

SURFERMAG.COM: Did you have magazine experience or media experience or any tech background?

KEN MCKNIGHT: Well I have been around magazine work. I worked at SURFER, I worked at BREAKOUT, and I have contributed to them as a writer, and I have worked at newspapers and stuff. So I started formulating this idea and coming up with article ideas. I talked with this techy guy I was working with and he said "yeah, I could do that.' And I thought, "wouldn't it be cool to do an interactive magazine where we just pumped video and music and built it around an editorial story." I wanted a package so that when someone read it, they were looking at videos too, and they were listening to music and they were reading copy all at the same time. So that you just have this full visual act coming down at ya. As a surf magazine, something the print magazines couldn't do. And I was seeing lots of cool video on the Internet, seeing tons of good music on the Internet and I was seeing good photos but I wasn't seeing it all together.

SURFERMAG.COM: Well, you must not be logging on here much (laughter).

KEN MCKNIGHT: Yeah..no I dig your stuff. I want to project a Surfer's Journal type mentality. That was kinda my barometer, if I wanted to do anything, I wanted to copy (Steve) Pezman. Just the way he does it with great shots, great editorial and put it up there real clean, real simple so I wasn't trying to toot any horns.

SURFERMAG.COM: What about the video element of ALLABOUTSURF.COM?

KEN MCKNIGHT: What got me going on the video was my buddy Dave, a guy I grew up with in Malibu surfing in the 60s and 70s...I knew he had classic footage. There was a crew of Malibu guys a hung with in 68, 69, 70 to 72...and I was part of this group that rode short round boards. We had tons of photos and I knew Dave had footage of it so I started formulating the idea and in the mean time I was putting ideas together for other articles and I was putting in live pictures wherever I could.

SURFERMAG.COM: How are you getting content now?

KEN MCKNIGHT: Basically my whole mentality was stick with your friends and take care of all the guys that have been cool to you over the years and give them as much publicity and spotlight as you can and you can't really go wrong. I give people links to their sites, and pretty much people have been great. They understand this is a labor of love.

SURFERMAG.COM: So ALLABOUT SURF.COM is a surf lifestyle/culture magazine. I take it you don't focus on pro surfing, or do you?

KEN MCKNIGHT: In the old days I worked at a magazine called Beach Culture, which SURFER put out, and they only did about six issues and we had this great idea to do all this cool stuff. You know, art and music...and lifestyle. So that is where the idea came from, to do another Beach Culture type magazine--but online. Once again I came back to that beach lifestyle of music, art, surf, characters built around pretty pictures and video and that is what the Internet offers.

SURFERMAG.COM: What does the user experience when he goes to ALLABOUTSURF.COM. What does the site look like and how is the navigation set up?

KEN MCKNIGHT: Hopefully it is easy to use. The thing was set up to be as simple as possible. That's why we went with Flash. For the video we wanted to make it really easy. You click on a picture and it takes you to another picture, the pictures pretty much have captions with them and it was supposed to be really simple, really easy so it wasn't something you got lost in. I wanted something that you could always get back to. If you look on the left hand side you are gonna find just a few things - table of contents, cover shot, all about us, which is just a little blurb on us and what we do, and the rogue gallery and a little policy thing. The other thing that I wanted to do was make the site have lots of links. So that people can go and experience other people's web sites and be tied into the whole thing--like a web, that's what the web is for right. Interactivity was the whole thing. Make it user friendly and make it interactive. So the user can do the whole visual thing at one time. And if I could do the smell vision I would do that. All that stuff is part of what we do. It is hard to explain to my wife and to my mother in law about why I do what I do at 5 o'clock in the morning on the dawn patrol. With ALLABOUTSURF.COM that is what I am trying to do -- bring in all the sites and sounds so that can people experience everything about surfing.

SURFERMAG.COM: What plans do you have for the site right now?

KEN MCKNIGHT: More video, more surf, more of everything. I'll tell you what I'm not doing. I'm not doing forecasts, not doing cameras, absolutely. The whole thing is that it is a magazine on line and that's all I am trying to do is put a 100-page magazine, like a print magazine, online. I can't compete with the print magazines, I don't have the money to compete with them and I really don't want to compete with them because they are based on subscription and advertising. Right now this website is a labor of love. Down the road I would like to sell ads because I can't sell subscriptions. People are not gonna subscribe to an online magazine...I know that. So I am just trying to give the world...I want a guy in Japan to be able to check out what surfers in South Africa are up to...on a daily basis and when I say daily basis on an editorial basis with articles, without having to go somewhere and buy a magazine to do it.

SURFERMAG.COM: Do you have an editorial calendar?

KEN MCKNIGHT: I've got stuff set up two months in advance.

SURF-A-PALOOZA: July 25- Aug. 8

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:38 +0000

I recently sat down with promising young filmmaker Cyrus Sutton for a little q&a. We briefly discussed his debut project, a film titled "Riding Waves." The film features Rob Machado, Joel Tudor, Donavan Frankenrieter, Dane Reynolds, and John Peck. An eclectic group, to say the least.

Sutton shot, edited, directed and produced the film himself. To his credit, Sutton had the gumption to approach Rob Machado about becoming the film's executive producer, and Machado gracefully agreed. "Riding Waves" is being distributed by Taylor Steele's Steele-house.com. A release date of September 2003 is planned, with a movie house tour starting in late August or early September.

FMI contact Cyrus Suton at myopicmiracle@aol.com.

Surf-A-Palooza: First off, what is your goal, as a filmmaker, regarding the movie?

Cyrus: The goal is to give people a look at what surfing is today in California because that's what I know and to give them a chance to get inside the heads of some of their favorite surfers.

Surf-A-Palooza: Who is featured in the movie and what's special about the movie? Is it film or is it all video?

Cyrus: It's film and video. It stars Rob Machado, Joel Tudor, Donovan Frankenreiter, and Dane Reynolds.

Surf-A-Palooza: That's right, isn't it set up into those four different...

Cyrus: Five actually. John Peck, too.

Surf-A-Palooza: So it's about their lives or their relationship with surfing?

Cyrus: It's like a day in the life, pretty much. Surfing gives everybody so much and I want to show that it means something different to everybody. It helps people deal with certain aspects of their lives. I wanted to highlight that with each person. I also really tried to look for a diverse cast. I wanted to get a longboarder and a shortboarder and a guy that does the retro thing and a hot kid comin up like Dane and somebody who's seen it all, like John Peck. Kinda give people a good cross-section to fully illustrate what California surfing is all about.

Surf-A-Palooza: What surprised you as you were creating the movie? Is there a specific moment or section of the movie that sticks out in your mind?

Cyrus: It took so much work, I mean that's kind of redundant, everybody will say that, but just thinking of something in your head and then actually realizing it, creating a product, is the most amazing experience and it teaches you so much about yourself. From meeting Rob (Machado) in the back of a surf shop and being this stoked kid. That was the first thing because now Rob's the executive producer. He helped me hook up with Donovan and Taylor (Steele) who's going to distribute it and all these things, and me approaching Rob, and being like, "Hi, you know. I'm this kid and I want to make a surf film," and him, out of the kindness of his heart, not overlooking it and giving me his number and actually calling me back and having faith even when he hadn't even seen anything yet. Now we're going to be working on Drifting II, so it's come a long way. I think that was the biggest surprise.

Surf-A-Palooza: Yeah, Rob has saintly quality about him, no doubt. Tell me a little bit about each segment. Let's start with John Peck. Maybe give me some insight into that segment.

Cyrus: Like I said earlier, every person in the movie represents a certain aspect of riding waves and what it means to people. John Peck is at the end of the movie, so you've seen all these different things and his is like, riding waves is life. He sums it up. He says everything that everyone else can't even say. He's like, "this is how it is."

Surf-A-Palooza: What were some of the waves that we're talking about here.

Cyrus: Well, mainly it's in California. There's a couple waves at Pipeline that I used, but it's mostly just a California movie because that's what I can afford and that's what I'm around. I think it's kind of cool because you watch a lot of surf videos and it's filmed in all the best spots in the world and people spent all this money and time getting the very best footage, but you watch that before you go out and surf and then you look at the waves and it's 2-4 feet, fair conditions, like it is everyday, you know? And it doesn't really carry into that. I wanted to show people these are professional surfers surfing on waves that on a good day in California, they could be surfing. It's kind of more close to home. I think that this movie is really important, especially these days with the population rising and there's going to be more people out in the water. People realize that surfing is such an incredible thing, an incredible gift that we all have. I know for a fact that I started surfing for the wrong reasons. It's around these days and surfing is "the thing." Surfing is like being in contests and to beat something and there's too much of that shit on land. That's what our whole Southern California is. Use the ocean as an escape from that. That's what I really want to show. When you step out there, you're sharing something that's amazing. Then we start getting respect for the ocean and surfers take a more active role in keeping it clean and preserving it. It's such a valuable asset and I don't want to see it go to waste so we have to go to wave pools. I mean, you can compete in wave pools, they can make the waves good enough, but that essence of connecting with something that isn't red light, green light. It isn't on a stopwatch. It's the natural rhythms of life. That's something that I think everybody is lacking these days and I think that the ocean is great. For people in the mountains it might be rock climbing or going hiking, but for us, we have this incredible outlet and I think that it's the best in the world. We need to realize that and respect it.

POTTZ IS A BLOODY FINE CHAP: The BBC is hosting a live webchat with Martin Potter and Russell Winter on July 30, 2003 at 6:45pm (not sure if they meant British time or PST).

SURF-A-PALOOZA: July 11-25

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:39 +0000

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES: Tri-fins, the Triple Crown of Surfing, the Dahm triplets. Rip Curl has now added to the list by applying a technology trifecta to create its new boardshort, the Code:STL.

The Code:STL is the end result of Rip Curl's new technologies that laser-cut the fabric, electro-weld the seams and assemble the pieces around a mold. The result, according to Rip Curl's Adam Sharp, is the best boardshort ever made.

"The new technologies make for a more durable, stronger and comfortable boardshort," explains Sharp, who spoke with Surf-A-Palooza after a highly successful ASR Europe show. "A more precise, cleaner cut facilitates the welding, which in conjunction with the molds create an extremely accurate fit, and a durability that cannot be matched. The needle and thread days are over."

And Rip Curl is putting their money where their mouth is. Sharp said that Rip Curl has put a lifetime guarantee on the electro-welded seams.

When asked about the electro-welding technology, Sharp understandably preferred to keep a tight lip about anything that might give the ultra competitive marketplace any clues. He simply referred to the lifetime guarantee, an industry first, which, according to Sharp, says enough about the technology.

Some random calls to the core surf shop market confirmed a suspicion we had. When it comes to boardshorts, comfort is king. "For the guy who spends lots of time in his trunks, rashes are an issue," explained Doug Jopes, sales manager at Encinitas Surfboards. "We hear it all day long, customers demand comfort. I think the really core surfers will dig a trunk that has no thread."

Look for the Code:STL in core surf shops near you around December of 2003.
<b>Bass's Freaky 5</b>

Design This Pal!

Textual Gobbledygooks

Left Handed Universe

Lose Weight Playing Bocce

Fun For The Whole Family

ALL KILLER, NO FILLER DEP'T: Please take a few moments to check out the second issue of the new surfing site allaboutsurf.com which features a lot of soul, a feew typos (what are those?), and no commercials. This edition goes from Baja to Bells, so check it out and enjoy.

HIP HOPE: DJ star Andy Caldwell announced an Op-branded world tour, with stops at selected venues in cities across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

SURFER Shop Team Challenge

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:39 +0000

The weekend of July 19th and 20th saw the SURFER Shop Team Challenge come to Oceanside and capture the attention of everybody on the beach. The event was run in conjunction with the Globe-Gallaz Pro and enjoyed the benefit of clean waist to shoulder high waves. When all was said and done it was Huntington Surf and Sport€™s stacked team that took the cake right out of Sun Diego's mouth.

The SURFER Shop Team Challenge consisted of 8 surf shops, four from San Diego and four from Orange County, competing for a full page ad in SURFER, a 1,000 bucks in Globe and Gallaz product, a healthy supply of Foster's beer and bragging rights up the yin yang. The four-man shop teams were built around two team riders and two surf shop employees...or at least in theory.

By the time the final rolled around in the afternoon it was Sun Diego versus the ever-present Huntington Surf and Sport squad. Sun Diego made a strong showing with Layen Harrison, Max Hoshino, Kyle Knox and Sean Marceron throwing it all on the line. Danny Nichols, Jay Larson, Ryan Simmons and Brad Ettinger comprised the HSS team, not too shabby of a crew either. As the heat wore down Layen Harrison made the critical mistake of going for the double whammy on a wave that, as fate would have it, ended up being the lowest scoring wave of his heat. This left the door wide open for the HSS storm troopers to take the crown. In the end HSS inched out Sun Diego by a half of a point, taking the title home to sweet home Orange County.

The event went off without a hitch and everybody was stoked with how things worked out. Thanks to Killer Dana, Katin, HSS, Jacks, Sun Diego, K5 Boardriders, Surfride Oceanside and Pacific Drive for making this event such a huge success. A special thanks to PK for speaking his mind over the course of the weekend. Look for the next SURFER Shop Team Challenge coming to the East Coast someday soon. -Chuck Elliott and Jake Howard

State of the Art: Surfer Magazine Art Gala

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:39 +0000

SAN CLEMENTE, CA (July, 2003) - Surfer Magazine, joined by surfing celebrities, artists and musicians, will host a one-of-a-kind art show and commemorative party on July 26, 6-10 pm at The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach (911 S. Pacific Coast Hwy.).

The gala event will feature artwork and photography from Surfer Magazine's 7th annual oversized Collector's Issue that explores the "what is surfing now" theme and the diverse, eclectic nature of the sport today. The highly anticipated 2003 Collector's issue-- at 268 pages--features top artists and athletes like cover subject Dan Malloy, who is expected to be on hand to autograph materials and limited edition posters. The evening also includes performances from nouveau folk musician Tristan Prettyman who tours with Jason Mraz

The show, christened "State of the Art" after the issue's theme, showcases cutting-edge work from surfing artists such as Wolfgang Bloch, Andy Davis, Christopher Ruess, Thomas Campbell, Barry McGee, Randy Noborikawa, Raymond Pettibon and Michael Leon. In addition, photography by noted lensmen David Pu'u, Tom Servais, Scott Aichner, Todd Messick, Jason Murray, and Jason Childs will also be available for viewing and purchase.

"Surfer Magazine has a long history of ties to artists and their work, from seminal 60's cartoonist Rick Griffin to the magazine's founder John Severson," said Surfer Magazine Art Director Jeff Canham. "This show is an extension of that important tradition."

Surfer Magazine's "State of the Art" gala celebration on July 26 at The Surf Gallery is open to the general public. The show is expected to remain at the Gallery through mid-late August. For information, please call 949.496.5922 or the gallery at 949.376.9155.

The Surf Gallery is located at 911 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach on the corner of historic Thalia Street and PCH. Opened in 2001 by entrepreneur Will Pennartz, The Surf Gallery has hosted shows for surf artists the world over including legendary photographers Art Brewer and Jeff Divine as well as the artwork of Tom Blake and John Severson.

About Surfer: Surfer Magazine was founded in 1960. Upon its inception, SURFER brought a unity of voice and vision to an otherwise niche and fragmented sport. Today, as part of PRIMEDIA's Action Sports Group (ASG), the publication is widely recognized as "the bible of the sport," the driving force in the surf world, and a shaping force in American culture at large.

National Surf League (NSL) Offers All-Star Line-Up for X Games

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:40 +0000

Cardiff, Calif. - July 21, 2003 - The National Surf League (NSL) and The Game are excited to announce the all-star line-up for surfing's first-ever appearance at the X Games. The Game, Brad Gerlach's revolutionary team surfing format, will also be making its first major debut. The Game is scheduled to take place August 9, 2003 at 10:00am in surf city USA's Huntington Beach, California and will be broadcast into more than 160 million households around the world between August 16th and 21st.

The Game at X Games IX will feature the West Coast of the United States versus the East Coast. Each team has been hand selected by their head coaches, who are surf stars themselves. Mike Parsons for the West and Matt Kechele for the East have chosen the following squads to represent their side of the country:

West Coast
Rob Machado
Taylor Knox
Shane Beschen
Pat O'Connell
Tim Curran
Chris Ward
Coach: Mike Parsons
Asst Coach: Dino Andino
Asst Coach: Chris Drummy

East Coast

Kelly Slater

CJ Hobgood

Damien Hobgood

Cory Lopez

Shea Lopez

Ben Bourgeois

Coach: Matt Kechele

Asst Coach: Todd Kline

Asst Coach: Todd Morcom

In addition to the already stacked line-up of athletes, the NSL and ESPN have invited four 'Wild Card' surfers to the event and they will be chosen at random to surf on either team.

Wildcards Taj Burrow, Shane Dorian, Dean Morrison, Joel Parkinson

"To have this caliber of talent in the X Games is my dream come true. The Game format really takes the level of surfing to new heights. The already explosive nature of this list of surfers will be exponentially increased when they are pushing each other in the line up," says founder of The Game format and co-founder of the NSL Brad Gerlach. "The Game is a great opportunity for the world's best surfers to work together as a team, dazzle the crowd and showcase their incredible talent."

The Game's format encompasses a team element never seen before in the sport of surfing and makes for a competitive, fun and entertaining competition. The Game format is as follows:

Two teams with 8 starting surfers and 2 subs

One head coach and 2 assistant coaches

Four quarters with a top and a bottom to each

Each team surfs as a group with 4 surfers in the water at a time

Each rider is judged on their best 2 waves

The team with the most points wins the game

Played for pride!

NSL/The Game surf venue for X Games IX will be held at 10:00am on the south side of the Huntington Beach pier. There are over 40,000 spectators expected to watch the star-studded cast take surfing into the future. For those who don't make it to the live event, X Games will be broadcast into more than 160 million households in over 48 countries around the world on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 between August 16th and 21st. Look for specific NSL/The Game surf programming August 19-20th, prime-time.

To kick off the big event, there will be an exclusive invite-only, 'Wild Card' draw party on July 30th at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, California. The event will be hosted by NSL and EXPN commentator Sal Masekela and will feature music by DJ Greyboy.

The Game is a revolutionary surfing competition format founded by Brad Gerlach, pro surfer and co-founder of the National Surf League (NSL).

The NSL's objective is to develop a revolutionary surfing format that is dedicated to the pursuit of surfing excellence, building awareness for the sport and creating a fun, competitive landscape for all types of competitive surfers.

nslgame.com

VINTAGE SURF AUCTION A HUGE SUCCESS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:40 +0000

Honolulu, HAWAII - (Monday, July 21, 2003) - - Collectors turned out en-masse this past weekend for the second Quiksilveredition Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction. The event went down as a huge success at the Blaisdell Center, with gross sales coming in just shy of a quarter of a million dollars, out-performing the first vintage surf auction held in 2001.

More than 100 silent auction lots and 100 main auction lots went under the auction hammer wielded by Surfer Joe Teipel, of Real Estate Auctions, ranging from clothing and artwork to a huge collection of vintage surfboards. While the auction attracted a slew of international collectors, this year it was bidders from the US Mainland who walked away with the bulk of items.

The highest ticket item sold was a 1950s Woody Brown balsa gun, which went for $11,800. Other wood boards sold for in excess of $10,000 a piece, including a 1950s balsa paddleboard and a redwood plank from the 1930s.

Since the first auction in 2001, there was an apparent shift in collectors' interest to surfboards from the 1970s. From that era, one of Gerry Lopez's winning Pipeline Masters boards sold for $8,200. A Larry Bertleman twin-fin from the 70s sold for $3,400.

While surfboards dominated the evening, there was huge interest in surf-art and other memorabilia that went up for silent auction, ultimately fetching great prices. A 1930s bathing suit from the Moana Hotel sold for $1,200, and poster art and old copper plates and etchings attracted plenty of bids.

"The spirit of the event last night was phenomenal," said Event Producer Randy Rarick. "We had everything from intense, heated bidding, to some really emotional moments. While record sales drove the night, personal appearances by some legendary surfers and watermen from way back created a couple of special moments that I'll personally never forget.

"We had one Hawaiian gentleman, Luis Hancga, who was on the Hawaiian team in the 1956 Olympic lifeguard demonstration in Australia. He's 85 years old now and arrived at the auction wearing his official team royal purple blazer from the '56 games. It was just an unbelievable moment as the audience rose to a standing ovation for him. He had an old balsa board that sold for $3,800."

Others in attendance last night included Greg Noll, Ben Aipa, Nat Young, Rabbit Kekai, Charlie Galanto, Kealoha Kaio and 70s Pipeline Master Rory Russell, among others.

The Quiksilveredition Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction was also a fundraiser for the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association Junior Guard Program with a portion of auction proceeds going to benefit the Junior Guard Program.

For a complete listing of auction results, go to website: www.hawaiiansurfauction.com

Red Bull Big Wave Africa

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:40 +0000

Yep, it's true...

The Red Bull Big Wave Africa featured a select group of the world's best big wave chargers (including Burle, Horan, Sterling, Paterson, Washburn and a host of local invitees) spending 20 days in Cape Town to challenge Dungeons, the biggest and most radical surf break on the African continent...

The final was a bruising one hour heat, with the waves backing off a little bit and moderating to the 15 foot range with the odd 18 foot set. John Whittle started off the mullet fiesta with a deep bomb behind the peak, and successfully navigated the avalanche. Carlos and Greg caught a lot of waves early on, then Jamie Sterling started to play catch-up dropping in deep and screaming.

Then everyone got in on the action, Jason Ribbink caught a few wide-deep ones before stroking into a late breaking monster. Twiggy had some absolute screamers and John caught a late, steep mad drop. Sick beyond your wildest dreams of sick.

Greg Long consistently took off on the bigger waves and kept his count ticking over. John Whittle got close with his last wave - maniac drop, but it was too little to late and the 20 year old madman from San Clemente California won it.

Check more out here: http://www.redbullbwa.com/dailylog.php

Miss Reef Contest

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:40 +0000

SURF-A-PALOOZA: May 2-9

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:41 +0000

GENERATION DRAMA: Forget the moldy old slide-show party. No mas. Gone. Thrown in America's cultural trashcan along with the mullet hairdo, the Gut-B-Gone by Ronco and The Sally Jesse Raphael Show.

In these cutting-edge days of Generation D you communicate with your PDA, you listen with your iPOD and you entertain with the DVP (digital video party). A cheesy static shot of you and your buddies waxing up does not compare to the powerful drama of watching live action via your digital video camera. The only thing better is if the action is captured from the water, with a watertight video housing.

A no-brainer, no?

Like thousands of us, Larry Stucker and his buddy Dave Johnson had numerous surf travel plans, and, like thousands of us, they wanted to spice up their presentation with water shots. So six years ago, they went shopping for a good, inexpensive consumer-end video camera housing. But such an animal didn't seem to exist. What they did find was expensive, professional-grade gear that cost up to $2,000. And because the market was driven by scuba diving, the housings were excessively heavy. Weight and cost left Stucker and Johnson's footage high and dry. Hey, let's be serious, they weren't gunning for Dan Merkel's Emmy, nor were they trying to re-create "Free Ride". They just wanted to throw their Sony DVcam into a housing so their buddies could drool on the couch at the next video party.

While some folks see dead ends, others see opportunity. For Stucker and Johnson, the latter shone through. These two entrepreneurs went carpe diem on us. (I know, I know, I just made "carpe diem" a verb--deal with it.) They went into business developing, producing, marketing and selling a line of consumer-end video housings called EPIC. They're built light, inexpensive ($250) and designed with surfers and surf videos in mind. Business is booming.

"Probably the biggest difference between our housings and the others is weight," explained Stucker. "At roughly eight pounds, ours is significantly lighter than any dive housing." Now weight, or lack thereof, is a big deal. But there is more to the EPIC housing than mobility. While most housings use a rubber O-ring to seal out water, EPIC uses a boot, or rubberized end cap, which is basically equivalent to four O-rings. "One grain of sand in a single O-ring can jeopardize the integrity of the seal," said Stucker. "Our 'end cap' maintains a magnificent water-tight seal."

Another bonus is after you buy one, you have enough dough to buy camera insurance, a Costco crate full of Mini DV tapes and an extra round of Pacificos. So for the every day Joe, these housings fit the bill.

So if you're not one already, Stucker and Johnson want to make you an everyday Joe hero. Here's how: Epic camera housings is sponsoring a contest. Five lucky Joes who come up with the finest video footage using their Epic camera housing will win some surf swag: custom boards, clothes, etc., etc. Palooza will have more info on this contest later on, so stay tuned, and start charging up those batteries.

BASS'S WEEKLY FIVE: Wacky web stuff from my computer to yours.

Lose Weight Surfing

To Chum at Church

A Daily Dose

Pocket Knife Amputation

Can't Speil?

Beschen Lowers Boom at Trestles

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:41 +0000

Foster's Cup Results
$50,000 3-star men's WQS

(1) Shane Beschen, San Clemente (16.00 points) -- $7,000
(2) Joel Centeio, Hawaii (14.65) -- $3,500
(3) Roy Powers, Hawaii (12.85) -- $2,500
(4) Chris Ward, San Clemene (11.50) -- $2,000

Saturday, April 26, 2003 -- Former World Championship Tour (WCT) standouts Shane Beschen (San Clemente) and Serena Brooke (Australia) won their respective divisions today at the $60,000 Foster's Cup held at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif. The legendary point break played host to the second leg of the $500,000 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour in front of more than 5,000 spectators on a spectacular Southern California Saturday afternoon. Conditions for the finals were inconsistent, with waves in the 3-5 foot range.

Beschen, world number two in 1996, was in great form, easily defeating Hawaiian's Joel Centeio (second) and Roy Powers (third), and San Clemente's Chris Ward (fourth) in the three-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) men's final. Chasing the WQS in hopes of qualifying for the 2004 WCT, Beschen walked away with a check for $7,000 and, more importantly, 750 points counting toward his goal. The now four-time Trestles WQS winner ('03, '96, '93 and '92) said his plan coming into the event was very simple, "I planned on winning. I definitely want to get back on tour."

Earlier in the day, Beschen and Centeio finished one-two in the day's first semi-final, defeating Huntington Beach's Tim Reyes (third) and Hawaiian Kaipo Jaquias (fourth) to advance to the final. In semi number two, Ward and Powers finished one-two ahead of Americans Nathan Yeomans and Ben Bourgeois.

Serena Brooke, world number two in 1998 and '99, looked like a sure bet to qualify for the 2004 WCT after failing to re-qualify this past year. Leading the two-star WQS final from beginning to end, Brooke finished ahead of Palos Verdes' Holly Beck, who enjoyed her best-ever professional result, to win $2,500 and take the lead on the 2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour. Third place went to reigning event champion Melanie Bartels (Hawaii) while 17 year-old Lauren Sweeney (Carlsbad) captured fourth and gave a glimpse at America's future.

Brooke was able to throttle Bartels who looked virtually unbeatable in the semi-finals after notching a near perfect 19.00 heat total (the event's best) on two scoring rides of 9.50 each. "Everything broke my way," said Brooke. "There weren't many waves, but those that did come, came to me." Brooke added, "Trestles is one of my favorite waves and it's great to win here again. This was a great warm up for the rest of the year."

The next stop on the 2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour will be for women only on June 7 & 8 at Oceanside, Calif. for the one-star WQS Queen of Southern California. The Globe Gallaz pro, for men and women, follows on July 17-20, also in Oceanside, Calif.

The eight event Foster's Pro Surfing Tour incorporates all WQS-rated events in North America and is the stepping stone to the Association of Surfing Professionals' (ASP) elite World Championship Tour (WCT). This year's circuit includes stops in Florida, California, New Jersey and North Carolina. The Foster's Pro Surfing Tour is sanctioned and administered by Surfing America, the nonprofit governing body for amateur and professional surfing in America.

$10,000 2-star women's WQS

(1) Serena Brooke, Australia (13.75 points) -- $2,500
(2) Holly Beck, Palos Verdes (9.15) -- $1,500
(3) Melanie Bartels, Hawaii (8.90) -- $1,100
(4) Lauren Sweeney, Carlsbad (2.50) -- $900

2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour Standings

(1) Rob Machado (875 points)
(2) Shane Beschen (750)
(3) Tim Reyes (736)
(4) Heath Walker (703)

(1) Serena Brooke (500 points)
(2) Holly Beck (430)
(3) Melanie Bartels (365)
(4) Lauren Sweeney (335)

Surf-A-Palooza: Apr 25- May 2

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:41 +0000

EVERYBODY LOVES TO STRUGGLE: I recently spent a few hours in Bryan Ingraham's DogHouse Productions video-editing office. Some office, it's more like the POW sweatbox in The Bridge Over The River Kwai--a four-by-eight plywood lean-to quite possibly held together by a Jimi Hendrix poster. Working temperatures range from 35 to 85 degrees. It's a far cry from the swanky Newport Beach Business Park, but Ingraham wouldn't have it any other way, surviving on to-go tacos, peanut butter cups and the occasional warm Mountain Dew.

These past few months Ingraham, a typical independent surf video producer, has spent countless hours holed up, editing Aqua Dulce, his new film which focuses on the women's surfing movement. Three years and $15,000 dollars later, Ingraham finally sees light despite his eye sight diminished to 20-15 from a perfect 20-20.

Ingraham, stoked and perfectly comfortable whizzing around through the various tasks of his editing software, darts his sight from monitor to monitor, as content as a honeybee in the springtime. "My film started off as a happy-go-lucky thing," said Ingraham. "I wanted to make a surf movie, and I saw the burgeoning growth of women's surfing, and I put two and two together. Now it's turned into this giant project, it's really taken over my life. But it's a great thing."

Another indy video producer, Steve Wasylko of Tuffproductions.com, echoes Ingraham's point. "The time spent on my project is unbelievable," he explained. "Filming alone is time consuming-but that's nothing. There are hours of logging, sorting, and arranging clips...and that's before you even get to the editing process. The hourly rate, if you broke it down, would be ridiculous." How does $2 an hour sound?

Ah, the working life of the independent surf videographer. A labor of love, as potently cliché as it sounds, is exactly what it is. "But it's a great lifestyle," explained Wasylko. "The travel, meeting great people, insane surfing and surf spots, the relationships you build. It's all very appealing."

Ingraham and Wasylko are not alone. There are plenty of "struggling but loving it" independent video producers out there. The market is flooded with the Josh Pomers (The Kill series), John Lynchs (Librium), and Chad Campbells (Fifth Symphony Document) of the surf video-production world. It seems everybody loves to struggle.

Except, of course, the big dogs.

Makua Makes History

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:42 +0000

ANAHEIM, CA -- (April 18, 2003) Hawaiian surfer Makua Rothman beat an international field of much older big wave riders to capture the top spot in the 2003 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards presented by Surfline. Rothman, from Sunset Beach, Hawaii, rode the winning wave at the break known as Jaws on the North coast of Maui on November 26, 2002. A panel of surfing experts measured the face of the wave at 66 feet, earning the teenager $66,000 -- or $1000 per foot.

The award was announced this evening at an invitation-only show at the Grove of Anaheim Theater attended by big wave surfing's biggest stars and carried live on a global webcast. Rothman, 18, barely edged out a diverse roster of contenders which included two other rides at Jaws by Hawaiian Noah Johnson and Australia's Cheyne Horan, and two other waves challenged in France by local residents Fred Basse and Sebastian St. Jean. The average age of the other four finalists was over twice that of Rothman.

Maui-based photographer Ron Dahlquist received $5000 for capturing the image which was deemed to portray the tallest moment of the XXL-winning ride.

It was by far the most difficult judging in the history of measured big wave events. "There were cases to be made for every ride," said contest director Bill Sharp, "and all the judges knew that whatever their determination, the outcome would be discussed for years to come.

"Once they were measured, the rideable faces of all five of the nominated rides were within a foot or two of each other, in the 64- to 66-foot range," said Sharp. "It's been determined the margin of error of these measurement techniques is about 3 to 4 percent, and all five fell within that range. The rules define that if one wave is not distinctly larger, the nod goes to the heavier wave, and in that case there was no debate. In the first ballot it was an unanimous decision...all eight judges had selected Rothman."

The judging panel for the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards included: surf forecasting pioneer Sean Colllins; Surfer Magazine Editor Sam George; Surfing Magazine Editor Evan Slater; big wave surfing pioneer Flippy Hoffman; Surfing Magazine Director of Photography Larry "Flame" Moore; Surfer Magazine Photo Editor Jason Murray; 2001 XXL Biggest Wave winner Mike Parsons; and Transworld Surf Magazine Photo Editor Pete Taras.

The award for biggest wave of the year caught without the aid of a jet-powered watercraft went to Toby Cunningham of Coronado, California. Cunningham paddled into his wave at Todos Santos Island off Ensenada, Mexico on December 16, 2002. Scott Sullivan received a custom SPL Waterhousing for his camera as a reward for photographing the ride.

The Jay Moriarity Memorial Award for best overall performance was handed to Hawaii's Garrett McNamara. "G-Mac" was acknowledged for the two best tuberides of the year -- at Tahiti's Teahupo'o in May and at Jaws in November -- and for capturing the Expression Session at the Tow-In World Cup. McNamara received a check for $5000 .

The Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards are presented by Surfline, the world's premier surf report and forecasting service.

Members of the media seeking photographs, videotape or other information about the Billabong XXL event or the awards presentation, may contact:

Bill Sharp, Contest Director
Phone: 949-548-6740
E-mail: SurfNewsEd@aol.com or
Kimberly Peterson, Billabong Director of Communications
Phone 949-753-7222
E-Mail Kim@Billabong-usa.com

Surf-A-Palooza: Apr. 11-18

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:42 +0000

WAIMEA E-BAY: What's hiding in your garage? If it's surf related, and if it's Hawaiiana, you may want to give Randy Rarick a call. Rarick, producer of the Quiksilveredition Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction, is betting there are some classic pieces of Hawaiiana collectibles in, or lying about, the garages and storage rooms of homes across the Islands.

"We are hoping that word of this Vintage Surf Auction will encourage the public here in Hawaii to take a good look at old items they may have tucked away in a garage or attic," explained Rarick. "We are looking to make this the best auction ever by uncovering pieces that have never been offered before. For sure, the best Hawaiian surf collectibles are probably right here in Hawaii."

Two years ago, when Rarick first geared up for the event, he spent the better part of two months scouring underneath peoples' homes and peeking up into the rafters of parking structures. "I found some really cool stuff. It was really kind of fun, like a big treasure hunt." Already on the auction block this year are a classic Larry Bertlemann Coca-Cola swish twin-fin, a BK Sunset pintail, a Skill 100 planer owned and signed by Gerry Lopez, one of Ben Aipa's Duke trophies and a Brewer gun from the 60s.

Sellers will get 90 percent of the sale, and 10 percent of the proceeds will benefit Hawaii junior lifeguard programs.

For Further Information: Randy Rarick, Producer Hawaii Surf Promotions Tel: (808) 638-7266 Email: surfpro@hawaii.rr.com.

Previews of pieces to be auctioned can be viewed at hawaiiansurfauction.com. And check back often because Rarick has just started adding stuff for this year's auction. The sultan of Sunset promises new pieces will be added on a weekly basis. The auction takes place at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu on Saturday, July 19th.

"SURVIVORS READY?": Thought you would be interested to know that The WB network's new reality/lifestyle surf series has a name. The show's been titled "Boarding House: North Shore," and it'll debut on Wednesday, June 18 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET). Special encore airings of the six episode series will run on Sunday nights from 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET.

Surf-A-Palooza: Apr. 4-11

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:43 +0000

NOT VERY PRESTIGIOUS: With the world's attention firmly locked on Operation Iraqi Freedom it's easy to forget an environmental atrocity that continues to threaten the European surf community. Of course I'm speaking of the Prestige oil spill.

The Prestige, a Liberian registered tanker with 77,000 tons of crude oil broke into two and sank while under tow 150 miles west of Cape Finisterre. It now lies at the bottom of the ocean with roughly 55,000 tons of oil still in her belly. According to some reports, 16, 000 birds have washed ashore dead. The NW corner of Spain is hideously fouled by the oil. French beaches as far as La Rochelle, perhaps farther north, have been affected. Clean up is ongoing.

The good news is that some beaches have already reopened, according to a Reuters.com story. And locals have optimistically pointed out that at least the spill occurred during the off-season. But fears remain that this tourism season, or lack thereof, could severely affect the region economically.

In Biarritz, as early last week, surfers were still being denied access to the ocean, according Reuters.com. "I've never seen the beaches so clean," lamented Michael Clamp, who runs a surf school in Biarritz." But local authorities, desperate to officially pronounce the French beaches clean, are banning entrance to the ocean to accelerate a last minute cleaning.

I recently received an email update from Surfer correspondent Nick Blair and, as you might assume, all is not good in the European surf community. According to Blair, surfboard sales have dropped dramatically. One prominent Euro shaper split for Japan because demand in Europe simply wasn't there. Blair also reports that some of the smaller, seasonal factories won't open their doors at all this season.

Blair's email accentuated some interesting factoids.

#1) According to Blair's girlfriend, who graduates as a marine biologist in a couple of months, oils spills due to tanker accidents only contribute to 5% of the total oil spillage in our oceans. The bilge discharge by tanker vessels on return journeys is a major contributor. By far the majority is actually atmospheric fallout, estimated by scientists to be 100-4000 (yes that's a large difference in estimates) million tons per year. Some of this is from the oil cargo evaporating during transport (about 3.7 million tons per year). Of course, oil spills are very concentrated and localized, and therefore much more horrific and damaging. But an interesting factoid nonetheless.

#2) The detergents and deterrents used to clean up oil spills cause more harm to the marine fauna and flora, which takes up to five times as many years to recover after being treated. But to clean up for tourism sake, these detergents are a necessary evil.

#3) As much as it is admirable to see the amount of sea birds rescued from spills by aid workers, the digestive tracts of the birds are still severely damaged, and propagation of the species is detered or stopped altogether.

A LITTLE TOO LITTLE, A LITTLE TOO LATE: In an effort to prevent more oil spill misery, European Union transport ministers last week endorsed a ban on single-hull tankers carrying heavy fuel oil, according to Reuters.com.

Keiki Beach Bungalows

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:43 +0000

NORTH SHORE BEACH COTTAGES FOR RENT

If you want to go surf the North Shore this year and are looking for the right place to stay, look no further than the Ke Iki Beach Bungalows. These beachfront cottages are a stone's throw from Pipe and Backdoor (between Waimea Bay and Pipeline) and are perfect for singles and families. Recently remodeled in Balinese style decor, they have all the comforts of home with a touch of Hawaiian flavor. Enjoy the sunset from the patios and stay out of the Waikiki scene.

Very affordable rates by the day or week. Please contact Greg Gerstenberger if you are interested at:
(808) 638-8829 or
visit their website at www.keikibeach.com
and book a spot soon as they are going quickly.

PEARL JAM AUCTIONING OFF SIGNED SURFBOARD

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:43 +0000

San Diego, CA (June 5th, 2003) - To coincide with their show in San Diego, all the members of Pearl Jam will autograph a custom 6'6" twinzer fish surfboard from PSG Manufacturing, Kane Gardens and local radio station 94.9FM. This surfboard will be auctioned off on Ebay and ALL the proceeds will be donated to the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. This is an awesome gesture by Pearl Jam whose previous efforts on the MOM Projects (Music for our Mother Ocean 1, 2 & 3) have helped raise awareness for the Foundation. In addition to the signatures, the board design will contain the Surfrider logo.

Want to get in on the bidding?Check it out here.

"We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with community leaders such as Pearl Jam, 94.9 FM, PSG Manufacturing, and Kane Garden," says Heather Hoogendam, Chapter Administrator for the San Diego Chapter. "Their donations and efforts to get the word out about ocean pollution and Surfrider's work to protect our coasts is invaluable."

Pearl Jam

Kane Garden Boards

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The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of our world€s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 35,000 members and 60 chapters across the United States and Puerto Rico, with international affiliates in Australia, Europe, Japan and Brazil.

poll_usopen

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:43 +0000

forecasttip

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:43 +0000

Wait Is On: RedBull Africa

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:44 +0000

The wait for the extreme waves required to satisfy the stringent criteria for the running of the Red Bull Big Wave Africa international surfing event enters the second week of the three week holding period today.

The 12 competitors and three alternates invited to the 2003 version of the event have yet to sample the pleasures of Dungeons, the open ocean reef break at the mouth of Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula, that only starts breaking in swells of three metres (9 foot) or more and produces the biggest surfable waves on the African coastline.

The South Atlantic high pressure system that brings South East winds and cloudless skies to the Cape all summer, but usually dissipates as winter sets in, is uncharacteristically still situated off the West coast of Africa. This is diverting the swell generating low pressure fronts further South than the aptly titled 'Roaring Forties' with a resultant drop in wave size reaching Dungeons. Besides a spate of five days of huge surf in February, there have only been two days of waves that would have satisfied the criteria for the event which are consistent swells of five metres (15 foot) or more with moderate weather conditions. By this stage of the 2002 event there had been more than a dozen such swells and more than 20 surfable days at the internationally renowned big wave break.

Nevertheless, it would take a plastic surgeon to remove the grin from the faces of the surfers who have been enjoying waves ranging between 1.3 and four metres (4 €“ 12 foot) at an array of beach breaks, reefs and points on the Peninsula and up the West coast, along with visits to tourist attractions such as the Cape Point Nature Reserve, the aquarium in V&A Waterfront and sampling the produce from the Stellenbosch winelands.

However, all the athletes are 'amped' to challenge the ocean at its most extreme and with two weeks remaining before the holding period closes on 22 June and the prognosis for staging the contest at Dungeons is still excellent with considerable storm activity taking place in the lower half of the Southern Hemisphere.

While the two to three metre waves currently breaking in Cape Town are expected to drop over the next couple of days, a major swell is expected at the end of this week and another on the weekend.

The water-safety team, under the guidance of California based expert Shawn Alladio, is also honed and ready for action after an intensive three day training regimen prior to the start of the holding period and a refresher course yesterday.

Full details on the competitors, who include 1999 world big wave champion Paul Paterson (Aus) and 2002 XXL winner and runner-up, Carlos Burle (Brazil) and Cheyne Horan (Aus) respectively, as well as the venue, contest criteria and daily updates, images and video clips are available on the website www.redbullbwa.com where all aspects of the event are covered.

Two Industry Press Releases

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:44 +0000

Mick Fanning, one of the world's top pro surfers has formed a working partnership with Speeedfins, the new Australian surf company that designs and manufactures the revolutionary range of free moving 'active' surfboard fins. After surfing on the Speeedfins range recently, Fanning's response was definitive: "Speeedfins are the best removable fin system I've ever used".

He was so impressed with the removable fin system he hooked up with the team from Speeedfins and agreed upon a partnership with them.

Speeedfins designer Graeme Davey said "Speeedfins are the fastest fins available and Mick is known to most as the fastest surfer in the world, so working together makes a lot of sense."

Always looking for greater speed, Fanning will work closely with the Speeedfins R & D team to further develop their fin range and produce his own signature series.

For Further information contact:

Geoff Cropley at geoff@speeedfins.com or go to www.speeedfins.com.

db surf inc. is proud to announce its dingleberries Surfboard Repair is now available world wide. "It is amazing to us how well we have been received by the marketplace..." says co-owner Brian Cox, "...the people were craving a new product like this more than even we anticipated." Since its introduction to the market in November 2002 dingleberries Surfboard Repair has gone from being placed in local surf shops by its principals to being placed in shops all over the world by a network of enthusiastic distributors. "We started with PIAA in Japan, then it just snowballed throughout the winter until we had Shorethings in New Zealand, Gerry Lopez Int. Australia, Gerry Lopez Int. Europe, Canz in Canada, and now we just signed a deal with Billygoat Distribution to handle our U.S. and Hawaii sales."

"Almost all of our distributors contacted us and showed interest after visiting our website, www.dingleberriessurf.com and we couldn't be more pleased with the team that's been assembled", boasts Cox, "Now we (db surf inc.) can focus more on marketing and promotion, as well as our development of new products."

The newest of which is a liquid crystal thermometer that is developed for use in salt water. It attaches to anywhere on your board, just like a sticker, and it will give you the exact water temperature to within a degree.

According to Cox, "This evolved from the ongoing, daily, friendly arguments over, how cold, or how warm the water is. Our dingleberries thermometer sticker ends all the guessing. Now you will know if you are being a sissy or if the wind last night made the water drop 5 degrees. We have several other products in development currently, some are new and innovative like the thermometer and the ding repair and some are improvements on existing old favorites. So keep your eyes peeled for dingleberries products in your local shop."

db surf inc. is a California corporation. Our mission is to provide the surfing public with high quality, unique products at a reasonable price. All dingleberries products are intended to positively enhance your surfing experience and our company philosophy is to help extend aloha and stoke to all who surf. db surf inc. can be contacted at 34145 PCH #335 Dana Point, CA 92629, or 949-492-1507 phone 949-218-5344 fax, or www.dingleberriessurf.com .

HEART OF THE SEA WINS AWARD

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:44 +0000

It's the close of the season for INDEPENDENT LENS on PBS. After each of the 14 television broadcasts, the audience voted on how the films measured up. The votes are in and the audience agrees! Congratulations to HEART OF THE SEA, winner of the first INDEPENDENT LENS Audience Award. A documentary by Lisa Denker and Charlotte Lagarde, HEART OF THE SEA is a portrait of Rell "Kapolioka'ehukai" Sunn, a pioneer of women's professional surfing who died of breast cancer at the age of 47. At home in Hawaii, Rell achieved the stature of an icon--not only for her physical power and grace, but for her leadership in a community that loved her as much as she loved it.

Log onto the Web site to find out why audiences described HEART OF THE SEA as "beautiful and moving," "captivating," "exquisite" and "inspirational."

* Watch selected video clips. Check out Rell Sunn dancing the hula and riding the waves off the Hawaii shores and see Rell reminisce about her childhood, the ocean, ancestors and her first surfboard.

* Find out how audiences reacted to the film: read passionate comments from viewers, accolades from the press and learn of the many awards the film won.

* Visit the HEART OF THE SEA Web site at www.pbs.org/heartofthesea to learn more about Rell Sunn's inspirational story, women's surf history and the making of the film.

The Hot Seat: Brian Conley

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:45 +0000

Brian Conley is a pretty quirky character. Aside from riding funky boards and sporting out-of-date hairdos, he's been known to travel with two board bags, one for boards, and the other stuffed with whole foods, this because he's a fanatical vegan. But this month he's the kid featured on our cover riding our top-secret discovery. So, we tracked Brian down in the South Pacific to alert him of his good fortune, then to grill him on his funky choices.

SURFER: I'm not sure if you're aware of it yet, but we're finishing up that feature on the discovery you guys made and I guess I can tell you right now that you're ending up on the front page.

Brian Conley No way.

SURFER: Way.

Brian Conley Not the cover--No?

SURFER: Yup, the cover.

Brian Conley (Yelling) Are you kidding me?

SURFER: Nope.

Brian Conley Oh my God. That's heavy. (Drops the phone) Sorry, sorry. That's so cool.

SURFER: Yeah, it looks pretty sweet. I guess all that devotion paid off. But I have to ask what the heck you were riding out there, because it looks like a skimboard in the photos.

Brian Conley It's actually this little 5' 5" disc. I had a bunch of other boards with me, but I thought it was the right board to get down the face and under the lip quickly.

SURFER: Interesting. But wasn't it hard to catch them?

Brian Conley I definitely had to put myself right under the lip, but once I caught the wave it was better to have less rail, y'know, because it fit into the pocket better.

SURFER: So what do you ride at say, Backdoor?

Brian Conley I definitely ride a bigger board there, because it's got more of a long drop and you have time to set up. This winter at Off The Wall I was riding a 7'3". When it's bigger there you're screaming down the face. Our little wave has more of a square face with no back so sometimes you can't even go to the bottom.

TRAVEL - USA Travel Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:45 +0000

As Woody Guthrie sang, "From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters, this land was made for you and me." No other country in the world has such amazing access to so many different surf spots. Take a cruise up Highway One or ramble around the Gulf, there are waves everywhere. Not only are there hundreds, if not thousands, of places to surf, but there is an incredible amount of variety too. Warm, rippable little waves like Sebastian Inlet and frigid, mysto Northwest spots are just a tip of the iceberg. From cobblestone points to sand bar peaks, America's got it all. For a slice of the pie check out Surfer Magazine's Travel Report surf maps and information from the Golden Gate to the New York islands.

SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA SURF OVERVIEW
The Santa Cruz area has a vast variety of surf and can be divided into three basic areas: The North Coast, Town (East Side and West Side), and the South Beaches.

The North Coast features an extremely large variety of surf, lots of reefs/points, coves and beach breaks. It is more exposed to all conditions and the surf is generally bigger and colder. S winds are typically bad news for this stretch of coast. N-NE winds are best. The scenic beauty of this coastline is always worth the drive.

Town, from east to west is right point reef after right reef. Mid-town has beach breaks, rivermouths and harbor jetties. The bulk of the surfing population surfs in Town and conditions get extremely crowded. Most points and reefs are protected by large kelp beds keeping conditions generally cleaner than the more exposed breaks. Localism occurs at some breaks, like Steamer Lane and Stockton Ave, but those who take their turn and observe the pecking order are usually rewarded with good waves. Santa Cruz is protected from the N winds by the Santa Cruz Mountains, making it warmer than surrounding areas. It faces south.
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South Beaches. The Monterey Bay is basically all beach breaks once you leave Town. Shifting sand bottomsare common. The Moss Landing area is usually the most consistent and powerful. Moss sits directly in the middle of the Bay and faces west, but from the Moss area south it does not pick up S swells. S-SE winds are offshore here, early morning or during storms.

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK SURF OVERVIEW
There are one hundred miles of Atlantic shoreline along Long Island, much of it on small barrier islands similar to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Shifting sandbars and jetty breaks typify the western end of the island, but rock reefs and point breaks similar to California characterize the eastern end. Unlike the afternoon wind swells that provide surf for many East Coast locations, Long Island surfers often ride clean, well lined-up ground swells like their West Coast cousins due to the long extension of the island out into the Atlantic. Montauk Point is especially consistent. Best season is early spring through late fall, especially June-July (change of seasons) and hurricane season in Sept-Oct. Winter storms can provide fine, uncrowded surf in Jan-Feb, but conditions are frigid. Prevailing winds are SW, but conditions are best on N or NW winds in central and eastern Long Island, NE inthe Rockaway area. Swell direction and tides can affect the surf dramatically. Pick up a tide table at local fishing shops.

TRAVEL - Central America and Mexico

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:46 +0000

Lonesome camp nights, banditos and empty points may do Mexico and Central America some justice. Besides a few stand out, developed surf towns there is more than enough room to wander. Learn your Spanish, be prepared to drive down some long dusty roads, and be it beach break, point or reef, there are waves all over. Baja Norte and Sur are always good for a quick trip out of the States. Get lost with Surfer Magazine's Travel Report surf maps and information.

GUERRO, MEXICO SURF OVERVIEW
The Country. Mexico is the third largest country in Latin American with 760,000 square miles, and has the largest Spanish-speaking population with almost 70,000,000 people. It is a delightfully varied country geographically with mountains and marshes, jungles and deserts,and miles of tropical coastline on the mainland portion. It is this part of the county that is increasingly alluring to surfers, especially ones from California and Texas who can drive there on basically good roads. 75% of the people are mestizos, or mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry, about 15% pure Indian, and the remaining 10% are European or other descendents. In the larger cities you can get by with English, but in the more remote areas likely to be desirable to surfers, a knowledge of the local Spanish is key. The government is a democratic and representative federal republic with a total of 31 states. Guerrero is a tropical state with about 300 miles of coastline located 260 miles due south of Mexico City. Its main claim to fame is what many consider the greatest pleasue resort inthe world, Acapulco. 150 miles to the north and still within Guerrero is the newer and smaller resort complex of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. The state is two hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (LA).
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COASTA RICA SURF OVERVIEW
Long point waves and wide stretches of clean, crisp beach break (with hollow sections on the right tide) characterize most ofthe country. The Caribbean side is more treacherous, with coral reefs, but it also has the best and biggest surf in the country. The Pacific side is usually off shore in the mornings, which is the best time to surf because it's the least crowded and hot. Surf is reasonably consistent year-round, perhaps larger in the rainy season (especially Puntarenas), but many of the best surf spots are inaccessible during the rainy season because the dirt roads become impassable. The dry season is preferred because offshores are more frequent, roads are better and there are good swells on the Caribbean side and the northern part of the country. Sharks are present and numerous, but no attacks have been recorded in the last 10 years. Best times of year to surf Costa Rica: North Pacific Coast (Guanacaste), November to March (offshores during dry season only). Central Pacific (Puntarenas, Jaco, Quepos), May to October (rainy season). Caribbean Coast, December to February. South Coast (Osa Peninsula, Pavones), May to October.

TRAVEL - South America Travel Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:46 +0000

South American surfing has adventure written all over it. If you can find a road that's not overgrown by dense jungle or cracked on a high plain desert chances are you may stumble across some very good, very uncrowded waves. This is not to say that there aren't any crowds in the southern reaches of America, both Peru and Brazil have been known to see a few heads bobbing around out in the water. But in terms of potential, South America is wide open. Juicy southern hemi storms send consistent surf to almost all coastlines on the Pacific side during the winter months (Northern Hemisphere's summer). The Atlantic coast is rich with wave potential too, although it may not be as consistent or big as the West Coast. Surfer Magazine's Travel Report has an in-depth collection for most popular South American surf spots using surf maps.

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS SURF OVERVIEW
The Galapagos Islands are strategically located to pick up many swells from the N and S, and with no continental shelf waves build up fast and strike with little loss of power. Although much of the coastline remains to be explored, the youth of the islands, ruggedness of the shore and prevailing winds some what limit the potential for too many more spots. The sites indicated on the map are those showing greatest consistency and favorability to winds. There are many more spots known to break that are usually blown out. The water is very clear at the better spots, providing sparkling, clean waves, in conditions that are often excellent. Clear water makes judging water depths difficult, so check out bottoms if possible before venturing into critical waves. The tidal range is 4-8' and can have a significant influence on the surf. Low tides provide faster, harder-breaking waves, but smaller waves may break close to rocky shores and caution is advised. There are few beach breaks. Most surf breaks over rock reef or points that may have sharp bottoms thanks to volcanic lava origins. Few areas have warm enough water for coral to grow and then it is white coral that is not very sharp. Early mornings are best during the dry season. Local sharks are well fed but are territorial in nature. If you're approached by a bull (sea lion) on or near shore, exit promptly. There are many unexplored areas on Southern Isabela, the largest island, which makes up half of the land area of the archipelago: and on Santa Cruz, which has excellent potential. Boat captains have reported seeing waves as large as 30'+ on north sides of the islands, especially on Seymour. Overall best time of year would be January-April with consistent N swells and good conditions on Baltra Island and Seymour. Wreck Bay is best July-October, but surf in the Galapagos may be inconsistent at any time of year.

NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CHILE SURF OVERVIEW
You will find crowds during the afternoons and the weekends, especially at Pichidangui, Tongoy, Totoralillo, Balinearios Flamenco, Puerto Fino, Antofagasta and LaPortada. Surfing has become quite popular now with the teenagers, and locals are not so friendly towards foreign surfers. Chilean surfers have explored many parts of the coast with difficult road access during the last few years: from Ovalle to La Serena, La Serena to Calder and Chaaral to Antofagasta. The results were disappointing. The Chilean continental shelf is extremely deep, dropping off too sharply to produce shorebreak in many areas.
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The powerful Humboldt Current brings constant surf to the Chilean coast. This current is generated in Antarctica. Waves are also generated by wind, but this is not the most important factor. The wind comes from low-pressure centers off Central Chile. Summer is the best time for clean surf, even though the waves are often bigger in the winter. The low-pressure systems that usually produce sizable surfare very close to the coast. The surf is sometimes out of control, therefore. Winter wave heights sometimes reach 12-15'. The waves have juice all year, so the visiting surfer should have a board that can handle a wide variety of conditions.

TRAVEL - Pacific Travel Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:46 +0000

It could be said that surfing is defined the action of the Pacific Islands for the past 100+ years. The Duke, Waikiki beach boys and longboard days at Ala Moana set the tone. Today surreal reefs like Pipeline on the North Shore and Teahupooin Tahiti continue to raise the performance bar. Thinking about staying in paradise for awhile? Say aloha to Surfer's Travel Report surf maps and information.

KAUAI SURF OVERVIEW
Although many additional spots have been identified on Kauai in recent years, there is not the abundance of good breaks as found on Oahu. Some of Kauai's best spots do offer outstanding waves, however, and the mood is generally more mellow and low key than on the more populated islands. Visiting surfers may still be looked upon with some suspicion, and a friendly, unaggressive manner works best. Similar to Oahu, the breaks on Kauai's windward (east) side often break on distant, offshore reefs and are blown out except during early-morning, pre-tradewind hours or Kona-wind conditions. The winter breaks of the west side are especially treacherous with large, hard-breaking waves and radical currents. The summer breaks of the south shore are similar to the Ala Moana Park area of Oahu and enjoy prevailing offshore winds. The north coast is temperamental with frequent rain and wrong winds; it needs winter-time conditions that are just right to reach its excellent potential. In the winter the north shore will average 6-8', with waves of 20'+ possible at any time. The areas with the greatest potential for exploring new surf or "secret" breaks would be the northwest shore along the Na Pali Coast where access is difficult and sheer cliffs abound, and the southeast coast from Poipu to Nawiliwili. Private lands severely restrict access to this area which is also the case along much of the north shore.

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS SURF OVERVIEW
All surf breaks in the Western Province break on coral reef and require a boat to get to the breaks. Your best bet is to base yourself at Gizo or Munda where boats can be easily hired. The boats are made of fiberglass with fast outboards and hold up to six surfers. It will cost about $3 per person per hour to hire a boat with six people and will be more expensive with less surfers. However, it is possible to negotiate rates. Good boats are available at Anges, Lodge and Munda. Also at the Zipolo Habu Resort on Lola Island and at the Gizo Hotel in Gizo.
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The best time for surf is between December and April, when cyclones and low pressure systems build up in the Coral Sea between the Solomons and Australia's Queensland Coast, then move slowly south. When these swells hit they can last for more than a week at a time giving excellent clean swells. Winds vary from E-NE which are favorable although winds change often and glassy days are not uncommon. May to November is less consistent but swells do appear and when they do good surf can be had. Windswells are rare on this coastline.

TRAVEL - Caribbean Travel Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:46 +0000

The Caribbean is one of the most comfortable places to take a trip. Kind, relaxed locals, warm water and tropical trades all make the Caribbean Islands ideal for the snow-sick East Coaster. Unfortunately it doesn't get too big all that offer, but chest to overhead surf can be the norm during the peak months and those in the know can find some good big wave surfing on the right swells. Find out more by reading Surfer Magazine's Travel Report surf maps and information.

BARBADOS SURF OVERVIEW
The East Coast has probably got the most consistent break on the Island because it gets the Atlantic swells, best in summer with a south wind and a northeast swell. The West Coast breaks from a north swell between December and March and then perhaps only once per week, usually from strong low pressure systems in the North Atlantic. When the West Coast does break, it can be excellent, generally bigger the farther north you go. A big day is 5', rarely over 8' except at Duppy's which gets bigger but is not a clean wave because it is so far out. The South Coast also breaks in winter (rarely insummer except for local storms), and is more consistent than the West Coast. The winds are usually northeast to southeast which favors the South and West Coasts. A south or southwest wind (usually summer or early fall) means perfection for Bathsheba (Soup Bowl). There are many additional breaks on the Island if you include the distant offshore reefs, especially in the southeast coast near Sam Lord's Castle. They are accessible only by boat and are easily blown out. If you have a car, you can probably surf everyday on Barbados. If it is flat in the Oistins Bay area, go to Duppy's or Bathsheba. However, the Islandis very subject to flat spells, especially on the South Coast, affecting Silver Sands to Batts Rock which are most favored by the tradewinds. Be prepared for the possibility of long periods of surflessness up to two weeks, even in the prime swell months of December through March.
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THE CAYMAN ISLANDS SURF OVERVIEW
The Cayman Islands are located in the NW Caribbean Sea, about 175 hundred miles west of Jamaica and 150 miles south of Cuba. N and W swells result from low-pressure systems coming down from the Gulf of Mexico. These swells are rare, about 5-10 may pass through each winter. S swells are a result of tropical waves forming off the coast of Africa, then traveling into the Caribbean, passing the Caymans and traveling into the Gulf of Mexico. Late summer and early fall are very good for surf because of frequent hurricanes and tropical storms. October and November are generally poor. December through March it picks up with the NW swells. Spring gets flat again until hurricane season starts. Most swells average 3-5' with the exception of the NW'ers and hurricanes, which can get bigger, and there is generally ridable surf three days of each week during the better months. Two-week flat spells are possible during the down times. Grand Cayman is definitely not a big wave destination. Largest swells are around 8-12'. Tides are very minor and rarely effect the surf.

TRAVEL - Australia and New Zealand

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:46 +0000

Australia and New Zealand possess one of the most diverse wave scapes on the planet. It could just be the perfect place for the traveling surfer that wants to get some good waves, but isn't necessarily interested in risking life and limb. With friendly people, beautiful beaches and a decent pub here and there Australia and New Zealand are worth the trip. There's something for everybody. Be it giant storm surf off the western coasts of Australia, New Zealand or Tasmania, perfect points like Kirra and Ragland, or playful beach breaks the potential is limitless. There are waves to be found just about all year round. Depending on when you go water temps can range from warm enough for trunks during the Southern Hemi summer to frigid enough for your thickest wettie during the winter. If variety is the spice of life Australia and New Zealand's got some kick.

NEW ZEALAND SURF OVERVIEW
Although New Zealand is only about the size of the US State of Colorado, it has about as much coastline as the entire mainland US. No part of New Zealand is more than 70 miles from the sea. Beach breaks are the most common, and quality will vary with swells winds and seasons, all of which affect the sandbars. There are many good rock and lava reefs, points and rivermouth breaks, however. Tidal variations affect most spots. 325 surf sites are identified in Wayne Warwick's 1978 "A Guide toSurfriding in New Zealand" which is a major source of information for "The Surf Report," although many ofthe lesser, mediocre beach breaks are eliminated from mention here and some new spots have been added (nine on the North Island). Depending on the strictness of the definition, there may be as few as 20,000surfers in New Zealand or as many as 100,000, either way just a fraction of the number found in SouthernCalifornia alone. This leaves thousands of miles of coastline to be shared by fewer surfers than live in Orange County (California). New Zealand and Australian surfers travel across the Tasman Sea dividing the two countries regularly, so new innovations in design and performance are quickly exchanged.
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MARGARET RIVER SURF OVERVIEW
This is the main surfing area of West Australia and the quality and consistency of the waves here rival any place in the world. In the five-mile stretch from the rivermouth at Prevelly Point south to Redgate there are at least a dozen surf breaks of superior quality. They are often crowded, they can take swells of all sizes, morning winds are offshore, and they break all year long. Several motels and hotels, beach cottages and camping make this a haven for visiting surfers. Most tourists arrive for the summer vacation period right around Christmas, but it's a good idea to make reservations for this area year-round.

TRAVEL - Europe Travel Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:46 +0000

There's more to Europe than medieval castles and fine French wines and cheeses. The various coastlines of the European states have a wide-ranging selection of surf opportunities. Be it arctic offshores in Norway, unridden reefs in Ireland or a long point in Spain or Portugal the traveling surfer will not leave disappointed. Between the Northwest Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea surf runs pretty consistent through most of the year, but as any surfer worth his salt knows winter is always a little better. But even if the surf does drop for a day or two there's plenty to occupy the flat time. Cafes, museums, galleries and historical sites are all worth a visit too. Of course if it gets really flat there's always the discos, parties and nightlife that are available for thosewilling to risk a sleepless night and aching head. Europe is a great place for the road bound surfer and one of the safer places out there these days. Surfer Magazine's Travel Report has an in-depth collection for most popular European surfing destinations with detailed surf maps.

NORTHER IRELAND SURF OVERVIEW
This region has to rate as one of the best areas in Europe. Most of the weather in this region is effected by areas of low pressure that form on the far side of the Atlantic and swing in towards Ireland before sweeping away to the north over Scandanavia. The swells that push down from these lows combine with the prevailing southerly winds to produce powerful surf along the north-facing coastline. The best months are undoubtedly April/May and September/October, when the mild weather of spring and autumn blend with the waxing and waning winter swells. Outside these periods, you have either cold winter water, with huge, often uncontrollable swells, or long flat periods during the warm summer months. If you look out for lows of less than 986 millibars in the middle of the Atlantic, you can be sure of some swell appearingon the beach within 48 hours. There are still many areas of uncharted surf in this region and a gap in the surf spots on the map does not necessarily indicate a lack of breaks. Surf communities are gathered around Sligo, Donegal Town, and Coleraine, and you hassle the locals at your own peril. If you keep a low profile at the beginning, you will find them only too happy to swap stories and you'll probably end up getting guided tours of the local surfing and drinking spots.
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SOUTHWEST FRANCE SURF OVERVIEW
France is divided into three distinct surf regions: The Mediterranean with occasionnal winter swells, the NW Atlantic with less swell exposure and colder weather, and the SW, referring to the Aquitaine region. Aquitaine's stretch of coast stands out as France's best surf. A vast under sea canyon off shore funnels the swell into the wide, right-angled V formed by France and Spain. The result can be surf of great speed and power. This set up also helps to explain why the surf in NW France has less impact and consistency. Most swells are generated by low-pressure systems travelling from NE of Canada, Groenland, Iceland, Scotland and Scandinavia during summer and lower latitude tracks in winter may bring cold storms ashore. The beach breaks north of Anglet work best on small to medium swell and the southern reefs in Cote Basque are best with bigger swell of fall or winter. The Basque Coast was the cradle of French surfing in 1956 when Peter Viertel went to Biarritz to shoot the movie "The sun also rises." Amazed by the waves, he had his surfboard sent and shared it with the locals. Then there were the de Rosnaybrothers and George Hennebutte, who later invented the leash but never patented it. La Barre, in the Adour rivermouth, got pretty famous amongst surf travelers until 1971 when it was destroyed by the jetty construction. Until the WorldAmateur Championships at Hossegor in 1980, surfing in France remained a marginal sport. Then came the professionnal contests first in Lacanau and then Hossegor and Biarritz, with a big boom in the surf industry in 1985 with magazine, surfwear and mass media. Now, there are about 25,000 surfers spread out all overthe country, but mainly concentrated in Aquitaine.

TRAVEL - Asia Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:47 +0000

No where else on the planet seems to evoke such magical, mystical surfing dreams like Indonesia and other Asian island countries. Drifting off in thought during class or at work its the images of deep blue, flawless reef pass waves backdropped by tiny, green islands that consistently come to mind. While its a little more civilized today than it was in the early '70's when seekers were escaping to perfect waves, there's no shortage of experiences to be had. It is anancient and wonderful land. In the immortal words of John Severson, "In this crowded world the surfer can still seek and find the perfect day, the perfect wave, and be alone with the surf and his thoughts." Get lost with Surfer Magazine's Travel Report surf maps and information.

BALI, LOMBOK, NIAS AND GRAGJAN SURF OVERVIEW
The weather of Indonesia has two main seasons: wet (December-February) and dry (June-August). During the wet season winds are predominantly from the west, usually accompaniedby rain squalls, providing offshores for Sanur-Nusa Dua side. If the wind is strong enough, however, Nusa Dua is generally blown out. During the dry season, the SE trades blow, creating offshores for Lembongan, Uluwatu through beachbreaks, and G'Land. The months in between are characterized by variable winds and weather conditions. The worst wind for surfing is a south, as the Uluwatu headland will split the flow into onshores at both Nusa Dua side and Uluwatuside. While temps do not vary much year round, the dry season is the most pleasant, as there is less humidity and evenings are cooler.
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KYUSHU, JAPAN SURF OVERVIEW
The island of Kyushu is the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. Due to the island's location, there are surf spots located throughout the island, with the majority of the surf occurring on the Pacific side (Miyazaki Prefecture). Kyushu has a great variety of swell windows. The east coast from Saiki to Kushimi is open to Pacific swell sources from ENE to S. The continental shelf here is narrow so incoming groundswell will not likely dissipate. The west coast can get swell mainly from Sto W from the East China Sea, but these swells are generally short-lived. The north coast is open to N angled swell from the Sea of Japan, which is mainly short-period wind swell. In winter (Dec-Mar), swell sources come mainly from the west. Tidal range is approximately 4-6' on Kyushu, but may approach 10' near some days. Bring a tidal calendar.

TRAVEL - African Travel Report

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:47 +0000

Surfing in Africa has been around for some time, but when Bruce Brown proclaimed, "Hey, Mike, we're in Africa!" in The Endless Summer it was the beginning of something great. Cape Saint Francis lit the world up in 1964; today J-Bay and Dungeons have the world's spotlight. The wave potential throughout Africa is outrageous. Unfortunately civil wars, disease and great big sharks are some what of a deterrent for the less aggressive surf traveler. If you're thinking about going be sure to do your homework, if you get it good you'll understand why it's worth the risk. Read Surfer Magazines Travel Report surf maps to start your journey today.

SOUTH AFRICA SURF OVERVIEW
South Africa has 2700 miles of coastline and ranks as one of the top three surf nations in the world. An abundance of SW swells are generated by Antarctic storms passing eastwards to the south of the country. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are reversed. Best time to come is April-August, although there is plenty of surf year-round. Size of swell increases after March and decreases after September. Even during the presence of high-pressure systems when onshores do blow in winter, early mornings can have offshore breezes that normally last until about 10 AM. Summer months have notably more high-pressure systems in the weather cycle producing cyclonic north swells, often creating good waves over beach break sandbars between Durban and East London. East of Jefferies Bay a springsuit is needed in winters, vests insummers. West of J-Bay a full suit and booties are required most of the year. Around Durban, springsuits for winter, vests in summer. Antarctic storms travelvery fast and quick changes in the coastal weather and surf conditions arecommon. A weekly cycle is quite typical during winters with summers more stagnant. The continental shelf is narrowest north of East London and off Durban. A gradual widening to the west of Port Elizabeth makes the swells thinner but more lined up with less longshore drift. The shelf is narrow again SW of CapeTown and widens to the north along the west coast.
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REUNION ISLAND SURF OVERVIEW
The best time for surf is the Southern Hemisphere winter, June and July with surf at St. Leu 6' more than half the time. Cold fronts to the SE of South Africa produce the swells that sweep toward Reunion after being cleaned up by the South Indian Ocean anti cyclone. The ocean floor drops off quickly meaning larger, faster waves. Unfortunately, only about19 miles of the 128 miles of coastline provide nice sandy beaches. Most of the coastline is steep cliff dropping directly into the ocean in front of the incoming swells. The east coast picks up most of the swell but is usually onshore from the prevailing trades. The south coast gets swell but is mostly steep cliff. The West Coast has the best reef breaks and offshore prevailing wind, but it is the least consistent side. If you arrive during summer (January), St.Pierre is the main surf spot. Even the best surf spots are usually uncrowded withgood vibes. Boardsailing is developing rapidly with easy conditions for beginners in the lagoons and the open sea for the advanced. Sharks are a common fear and those spots having the most frequent sightings are indicated among the "Surf Spot" section. Barracuda have also been seen.

Paying His Dues

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:48 +0000

Like all surfboard shapers today, Matt Biolas is benefiting from the wisdom of those who preceded him. For nearly a decade, Biolas merely got by with his board building under his San Clemente-based Mayhem label. But he was a partner in a little company called ...Lost too, and as the success of ...Lost clothing and video sales increased, it allowed him to expand especially with Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems that bring shaping to even higher levels.

Today, ...Lost is one of the world's leading board labels, and Biolas has become one of the most flamboyant, outspoken members of the shaping community by never shying away from sensitive subjects. Amazingly, he achieved all this success without ever claiming ownership of a new design. "It's pretty easy to grab a planer and scrape by as a shaper, but to make any real money it's almost a prerequisite to have some other business on the side that pays the bills." Biolas says. "The sad part is most of us today our making our money off the backs of guys like Simon Anderson, who never got financially rewarded for their contributions. I think that's one of surfing's greatest wrongs.

Back in 1980, Simon Anderson, who's a giant physical specimen, had problems keeping up with the young guns on tour, most of whom were riding Mark Richards' remarkably loose twin fins. While the "twinny" was fast, it didn't offer any stability for big, tail crushing blokes like Anderson. So he shaped himself a new board and stuck a larger trailing fin on the back to help solve his spin-out problem. The rest is history. After some successful test runs, which led to refinements of the hull, he came to the States and partnered with Gary McNabb of Nectar surfboards in an effort to bring the three-fin "Thruster" to market. "We brought it to the Florida trade show in late 1980," remembers McNabb, "and basically got laughed out of the building. Nobody thought it would work. When we were walking out, Simon just looked at me and said, 'Well, I guess I'm going to have to show them myself that it does.'" A few months later that's exactly what he did. He won the Rip Curl Pro at Bells in the biggest and best conditions that the event has ever seen, then he backed it up later that year with his win at the Pipe Masters. "After that, there were no more questions." Says McNabb.

Within months, M.R. and Cheyne Horan were the only pro surfers left on tour who weren't riding Simon's three-fin design. M.R. had a good excuse: he was still blazing on his twin-fin en route to his 4th consecutive world title. But Cheyne Horan is still widely criticized for failing to recognize the merits of the Thruster. He's blamed for failing to capture a title despite numerous opportunities because of his stubborn allegiance to his flawed Lazor-Zap single-fins. The three-fin revolution was the last real one to sweep the shaping world, but Anderson only benefited from the sales of Nectar surfboards. Gary McNabb remembers the attempts they made to patent the design for Simon. "We copyrighted the word 'Thruster,' and he made some good money off those royalties alone from Nectar," McNabb explains. "But then the patent office didn't give away conceptual patents like they do now. The only kind we could get was one with exact measurements of fin cluster, fin size, toe-in angles, board width, etc. and since anyone else could come along and change one dynamic by a quarter-inch and get away with it, we passed. It just wasn't worth it."

Today, 21 years after the revolution, Simon has yet to receive a dime from other shapers who've benefited from his innovative design. While he's not the only victim of this plight, he's certainly the most notable. "Simon wasn't the first guy to stick three fins on a board," says Biolas. "But he went out and proved the basic bump-squash design as functional, and that's essentially the same one we design today. There's no debating the fact that his concept has lasted longer than any other in shaping history." Last year Biolas came across an old interview of Simon in which he poked fun at his own financial misfortune regarding the Thruster.

Feeling a bit of guilt amid his gratitude, Biolas decided then and there to try remedying the problem. So earlier this year, he launched a campaign called "Thanx 4 3." The premise is simply to reward Simon Anderson some of the finances he's missed out on. Biolas is pledging one dollar of every 3-fin board he sells in the year 2003 to the big guy. But there's more to it than that. "I'm also challenging other shapers to do the same," says Biolas. "I figure it's the least we can do to pay him back since more than 90 percent of my boards are three-fin." A buck a board may not seem like much, but that's exactly why Biolas thinks others will join him, and he's quick to point out it adds up fast. "He could make $5,000 a year off ...Lost alone. That's a nice trip to Tavarua, at least. Imagine if a handful of other labels step up." Of course, this whole idea could also open up an entirely new can of worms. "I think it's a great thing Matt's doing because nobody deserves it more than Simon," says McNabb, "But some may argue that the twin-fin was a bigger departure from conventional wisdom than the Thruster, and its effect on performance was even greater. Trust me, Simon's early Thrusters were refined M.R. twins, which were refined Steve Lis twins. So while we're at it, why not throw some bones their way?" "Exactly," says Biolas. "If this opens up a can of worms than it's mission accomplished."

poll_aspnine

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:48 +0000

Rip Curl Pro - Bells Beach, 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:50 +0000

Official Results of the Rip Curl Pro (1st>Semifinals; 2nd finishes=5th, receives US$8,000)

1st Andy Irons (Haw) 17.57 - US$30,000
2nd Joel Parkinson (Aus) 15.4 - US$16,000

Current Top 10 Ratings After Rip Curl Pro

1. Andy Irons (Haw) - 1,800
=2. Joel Parkinson (Aus); Mark Occhilupo (Aus) - 1,764
4. Mick Fanning (Aus) - 1,752
5. Dean Morrison (Aus) - 1,680
6. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 1,476
=7. Kieren Perrow (Aus); Neco Padaratz (Brz) - 1,332
=9. Taj Burrow (Aus); Shea Lopez (USA) - 1,212

Irons Claims Back-To-Back Bells

April 25, 2003 (Johanna, VIC, Australia) Defending Rip Curl Pro and reigning world champion Andy Irons (Haw) today claimed his second consecutive winner's Bell Trophy. The 31st anniversary US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) began with semifinals this morning at Johanna, before climaxing with the grand finale and crowning of this year's champion.

Clean 4ft (1.3m) right-handers were on offer, though a strong rip current was still running through the lineup. The large beach crowd, including Rip Curl Co-Founders Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer, cheered on the surfing action. A minute's silence was witnessed prior to the final for ANZAC day, and then a testimonial for Australian surfing personality Marc Prpic, who recently passed away, took place as the finalists paddled out.

The 35-minute decider between the world #1 and last year's runner-up Joel Parkinson (Aus) proved a dramatic exchange. Irons first, and near-perfect 9.8 ride set the pace, following a series of critical forehand carves, floaters, layback snaps and even a clean tube through the inside section. The 24-year-old then collected a couple of solid backup scores through the middle of the bout, but it was a final 7.77 ride that provided the ideal bookend for his outstanding performance and sealed his 7th WCT victory.

Interestingly, Irons is the first to claim consecutive Bells titles since '96, when fellow Hawaiian Sunny Garcia - whom he beat here last year - earned his second of three titles. Having arrived late to this year's event following a lost passport delay, the world champ's win today was yet another huge achievement, bringing with it US$30,000 prizemoney and the current ratings top spot.

"It's just amazing," exclaimed Irons. "I guess lightning strikes twice. I knew Parko was going to be really hard to beat out there, but luckily that first wave came and I scored. I didn't count Parko out until the horn went though. If he needed a 9.9, or even a 10, I knew he could possibly get it, as the kid's so talented.

"I'm stoked the way things went last year, as that was amazing, but as far as world titles go, I'm not getting ahead of myself," he added. "I just want to enjoy this win right now. Going into Teahupoo (Tah) and Fiji - I really like that leg (of the tour), but I'm so happy now."

Parkinson, who last year won the first and then final WCT of the season to finish runner-up to Irons, was determined to get one up on the Hawaiian. The 22-year-old showed his fighting ANZAC spirit to reach the Rip Curl Pro's pinnacle heat, but following his opponent's first wave, odds were already stacked against him.

Somehow he managed to escape from one deep barrel, but afterwards realized he'd buckled his surfboard and was forced to grab another from his father Brian on the beach. Plenty of time remained, however, and he even held the lead momentarily following two average rides. Once the Hawaiian posted a 7.67 though, the Australian was chasing a combination of scores. He collected a great 8.5 ride to narrow the gap, but ultimately required another 9.08 when time elapsed.

"What can you say?" began Parkinson of his opponents start. "I saw that wave come and I knew he was going to go to town on it. Sure enough he did with a 9.8, and then I broke my board, so I thought everything was going to go his way. I tried to fight back and never say die, but sometimes you're just too far behind the eight ball.

"As I came out the barrel I felt the tail flex and looked down and it was just like a banana board," he explained of his equipment. "No excuses though. I'm stoked to be in a good position again at the start of the year. Hopefully I can get a better result toward the end of the year (laughs), but I'm happy."

Finishing equal third were 2001 Rip Curl Pro Champion Mick Fanning (Aus) and 2001 world champion CJ Hobgood (USA). Both collected US$10,000 and a huge ratings boost with 876-points respectively.

Fanning, who secured his second consecutive semifinal berth from two WCT starts this year, was unable to match the wave selection and scores of Irons in the day's first clash. The 2002 ASP 'Rookie of the Year' never appeared in rhythm, either falling off on inside maneuvers, or his waves would fade out. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old holds fourth position on the current ratings and is well primed for another great season on tour.

"I felt alright, but just didn't get any good waves," said Fanning. "Every one I caught wouldn't line up through the inside, or I'd fall off. I guess it just wasn't my day.

"Pretty stoked with my start to the year," he added. "I wanted a good start this year and hopefully I'll keep carrying on. I'd be stoked to get a few more results and hopefully make a final one day (laughs)."

Hobgood, 23, actually held the lead toward the end of his match with Parkinson, but the Australian fought back with a great ride within the final 5-minutes. The Floridian then had another opportunity with priority, as a good set wave appeared on the final minute. His first backhand re-entry hinted the required 5.33 score was imminent, but he fell soon after, and was unable to catch another ride.

"I blew it a couple of times out there," admitted Hobgood. "I had priority and took off on a stupid wave, and then he got a 7.5, so that was my first mistake. Then I had that last wave, but... stuff happens. All the respect in the world for Joel, but I could have had the heat.

"I'm stoked with the result, but it doesn't matter where you're at, you've got take advantage of opportunities," he added. "You're not going to win world titles with Andy and Joel in the final. They finished one and two last year, so with me finishing third today, I blew an opportunity."

The Rip Curl Pro would not be possible without the combined efforts of the different groups involved in the event's staging - Surfing Victoria; The Victorian Government Department of Tourism, Sport & The Commonwealth Games; The Surf Coast Shire Council; and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) - plus the supporting sponsorship of Lifesavers, Ansell, Coca-Cola, Vodka Cruiser, Falls Creek, Fudge & Tooheys Extra Dry.

Satellite and mobile communications from Johanna provided by Telstra Country Wide in Geelong.

Semifinals (1st>Final; 2nd finishes=3rd, receives US$10,000)

SF1: Andy Irons (Haw) 17.44 def. Mick Fanning (Aus) 10.83
SF2: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 13.9 def. CJ Hobgood (USA) 13.57

pollwaco

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:50 +0000

poll_namespots

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:51 +0000

Keala Wins Roxy Pro

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:51 +0000

April 28, 2003 (Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji) Hawaiian Keala Kennelly today won the 2003 Roxy Pro. Boasting the richest prize purse in the history of women's surfing - US$70,800, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT) ran all the way from round three through the quarterfinals, semis and then climaxed with the grand finale this afternoon.

Good 4-5 ft (1.5m) surf was on offer, though strong offshore winds persisted throughout the day. Pods of dolphins and even a deadly sea snake greeted the lineup as competition unfolded, with both Tavarua and Namotu Island staff out to watch the world's best women in action.

Kennelly, 24, lived up to her reputation as a fearless competitor in powerful reef breaks. Against South Africa's Heather Clark, the world #4 entered her first final since winning in Tahiti last year and displayed the same determination.

Despite a somewhat anti-climatic 30-minute decider, since both contestants were out of position for many of the good waves, Kennelly made the most of what she found to create a lasting lead. Although her trademark barrel rides didn't feature, forehand snaps and a couple of floaters proved enough. By claiming victory the Kauaian moved into equal first position on the current ratings and received US$10,600 prizemoney. "I'm so stoked," began Kennelly. "It's unfortunate the conditions got worse as soon as the final started, as when you win an event you hope it turns on and is an awesome final. Heather's an incredible surfer and she's been ripping all day. I can't believe it (laughs).

"I was stoked it was an all goofy footer final," she added, since the two previous winners have been regular footers. "I'm in a way better position than I was in this time last year. After being on tour for six years, I'm definitely thinking about the world title now."

Clark, who also finished runner-up last year in the Roxy Pro, earned the highest combined total of the day during her quarterfinal match with 16.5-points. Against Kennelly in the final, however, the South African struggled to find any good scores. The 31-year-old only required a ride worth 7.06-points, but as time elapsed, she ultimately sat waiting in vain.

"I was glad to be in a final with Keala," began Clark. "Especially in a good left. It wasn't great then, but I'm really stoked to have finished second. Last year I did the same, so you never want to do worse than the previous year. I'm really happy and stoked for Keala too.

"Next week we're in Tahiti and I just hope I don't get her in the early rounds, as she loves the barrel," she continued. "I was trying to get one then, but was too deep and it just didn't happen. I'm still happy with the result."

Equal third was WCT newcomer Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) and 2002 ASP 'Rookie of the Year' Chelsea Georgeson (Aus). Both 19-year-olds were standouts during the Roxy Pro, but had their runs stopped during the semifinals.

Billabong Pro Teahupoo 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:55 +0000

Official 2003 Billabong Pro Teahupoo Results

1st Kelly Slater (USA) 19.57 - US$30,000
2nd Taj Burrow (Aus) 14.83 - US$16,000

(Teahupoo, Tahiti) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (Fl, USA) today returned to the pinncle of professional surfing with an emotional win in the 2003 Billabong Pro Teahupoo. Epic conditions greeted competitors from quarterfinals of the US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) this morning all the way through until the grand finale climaxed with the best surf.

Perfectly hollow 8ft (2.5m) waves barreled along the shallow reef break at Teahupoo all day. Occasional rainsqualls passed overhead, but as the 35-minute decider commenced with boatloads of cheering spectators in the nearby channel, the sun emerged and further highlighted an amazing final.
Current WCT Standings-05/16/03

=1. Andy Irons (Haw), Kelly Slater (USA) - 2,400-points
=3. Joel Parkinson (Aus), Taj Burrow (Aus) - 2,244
5. Mick Fanning (Aus) - 2,232
6. Dean Morrison (Aus) - 2,160
7. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 2,076
8. Kieren Perrow (Aus) - 2,064
9. Mark Occhilupo (Aus) - 2,052
10. Kalani Robb (Haw) - 1,812

Slater ' the undisputed King of professional surfing ' took a three-year hiatus from the tour after clinching his record sixth world crown in 1998. He then only competed in select events - with his last WCT win ironically occuring at Teahupoo in 2000. After electing to return to full-time competition last year, the Floridian finished uncharacterically low in 9th position, following three frustrating semifinal results.

He began this season with two consecutive 9th place finishes, though his surfing continued to blow minds. With gradually building momentum and increasing confidence, however, the 31-year-old finally put it all together during the Billabong Pro Teahupoo to earn his 24th WCT career victory, US$30,000 and jump from 11th all the way into equal first on the current ASP ratings.

Against West Australian Taj Burrow in the final, Slater dominated from the outset. Despite two dislocated toes on his left foot, his first airdrop takeoff and critical tube ride was nothing short of incredible. He then upped the ante with a long barrel and cutback for a 9.57 to leave his opponent searching for a combination of high scores. Burrow managed a great 8.83, but this was soon overshadowed by Slater's next ride and the finals' only perfect 10. While it didn't count in his and the day's highest combined tally of 19.57-points, he also collected another 9.33 at the very end of the well-earned victory.

'I'm kind of emotional right now,' admitted Slater back on the marshalling boat, surrounded by media and admiring fans. 'It's been three years, almost exactly. I'm so stoked.

'As the day progressed I felt things were falling into place,' he continued. 'It's important in early rounds to try and just barely win. You want to keep a reserve, and it went that way for me. I was a bit rattled after my semi cause I had two really high scores, and you usually don't have as high a heat the next time. I was sitting on a 9.57 and an 8.67, and then I got that 10 when I was basically just blocking Taj from going. I got stuck back on the foam ball and it spat me out twice. I didn't think I was going to come out, but when I did I actually didn't want to catch another wave so it would be my last one. That wave at the end was too good not to take though (laughs).

'It's good for my confidence,' he stated, of the win and equal ratings lead. 'Even throughout this contest my confidence wasn't all that great. After going for nine years straight winning at least one contest each year and then not winning for three years, it rattles you a little bit. I knew it was there, but I just had to find it and I did today. If I could pick one event in the year it would either be this or Pipeline (Haw), but probably this one due to the waves.'

Burrow, who had never progressed past the 17th place round at Teahupoo previously, was elated with his runner-up finish. The 24-year-old acknowledged luck was on his side during some close matches en-route to the final, but he ulitmately required more against the Champ. Nonetheless, the result pushed him into equal third on the ratings and sparked his world title campaign

'I don't know what to say or what (I should have done) then,' aknowledged Burrow. 'You couldn't really compete against it as he was just amazing and nailed it. Craziest surfing I've seen. Normally you don't want to see anyone get barreled in front of you, but they were so good I was just stoked for him. I had a couple of fun ones, but wasn't as deep as I wanted to be. I still had so much fun and it was sick to be in the final with Kelly. Every wave out there was a lot of help for me next year, so I'm psyched.

'I've never had a good result here and always felt like I'd missed out by so close,' he continued. 'I'd always lose by the tiniest bit, but then take it so personally. I had the most amazing luck on my side this year though. Just getting waves with like 10-seconds to go, so things just kept going my way. To get a really good result here is great for my world title campaign. I think I can get good results everywhere else, so I'm really feeling excited and confident.'

Equal third today was Brazilian newcomer Danilo Costa and WCT replacement Beau Emerton (Aus). Both received US$10,000 for their outstanding efforts in the 2003 event.

Costa, who qualified last in 45th position for this year's elite tour, was far and away the biggest giant killer of the tournament. Having eliminated 1999 world and event champ Mark Occhilupo (Aus) in round two, then Dean Morrison (Gold Coast, Aus), Damien Hobgood (FL, USA), and finally Kalani Robb (Haw) this morning, Slater proved his only match in the perfect lefthand barrels. Despite locking in a near-perfect 9.47, his Floridian opponent topped this with a 9.43 and perfect 10 in his tally.

John Severson at The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:55 +0000

The Surf Gallery will feature "Rock & Roar" an exhibition by John Severson on June 21, 2003 from 4-10 p.m. in Laguna Beach. The show will feature recent oil paintings, watercolors, and limited-edition prints. Stop by to check out Severson's latest work or get a personally signed poster. The show will run until July 23, 2003.

ABOUT JOHN SEVERSON
Severson is undoubtedly one of the world's top surf artists. Art historian Gordon T. McClelland says Severson is "the premier surf culture artist. No one has captured the stoke of searching for surf, riding huge waves, or just paddling out, better than Severson." John is also well known as a surfer, filmmaker, clothing designer, photographer, writer and the founder of Surfer Magazine. His art has been displayed in several galleries and museums around the world. Today Severson lives on the island of Maui with his wife, painting and surfing every day.

GALLERY INFO The Surf Gallery is located at 911 S. Coast Hwy. in Laguna Beach, Calif. (on the corner of Thalia and PCH). For more information, call 949.376.9155 or go to www.thesurfgallery.com

Quiksilver Pro - Japan, 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:55 +0000

Thursday June 19, 2003 (Niijima Island, Japan) Japanese wildcard Masatoshi Ohno today created an upset as the Niijima Quiksilver Pro got underway. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced with round one being split in half - heats running simultaneously on two separate banks in front of the main contest site. Eight heats of the second elimination round were then decided further south down Habushiura Beach at 'Secret Point.' Tricky 2-3ft (0.6-1m) waves breaking close the shore were on offer this morning, while 2 miles (4km) along the same stretch of beach longer 4ft righthanders peeled cleanly down the line. Organizers set up a mobile site there to the appreciation of all contestants, with four-wheel drives taxiing those involved between locations.

Quiksilver wildcard Masatoshi Ohno put aside nerves to surf confidently and defeat Neco Padaratz (Brz) and world #4 Taj Burrow (West Australia) in a great exchange. Having earlier contested the Quiksilver Trials on Australia's Gold Coast and more recently in Fiji without success, Ohno lifted his game on home turf for a significant career win. The goofyfooter was impressive on his backhand; securing a round three berth.

"It's great," said Masatoshi. "To win that heat with such good surfers is a really good experience for me. I did my best, and I think these conditions really worked to my advantage, so I was lucky. If they were perfect waves, it would have been more difficult for me. The WCT guys have much more experience in good waves, and I know all of them are so good. I'm really happy to make it."

Burrow later contested round two against another Japanese wildcard Masaki Harada - after the Niijima Quiksilver Pro relocated further south to 'Secret Point' and there unleashed a devastating performance over his opponent. The West Australian convincingly advanced with a 7.5 and then equaled the best single score of the event for a 9.0 and the days' highest combined tally of 16.5-points. A carving reverse 360 at the end of his best ride got the crowd cheering.

"The conditions were really tricky this morning and I couldn't even catch a wave," recalled Burrow after his win. "I just had to focus on the 33rd place round. I was a little bit nervous, but once the waves started coming through I was feeling confident after getting a few under my belt. The waves were amazing, like Trestles (CA, USA) and really rippable. I actually surfed here all day yesterday feel pretty confident if they continue to run the contest at this break."

Replacement surfer Ben Bourgeois (USA) - who filled Hawaiian Shane Dorian's spot in the Niijima Quiksilver Pro - made the most of the opportunity by defeating 2001 world champion CJ Hobgood (Fl, USA) and Michael Campbell (Port Macquarie, Aus) this morning. The former WCT surfer narrowly missed out on a full-time position in 2003, but posted the day's first 9.0 and the second highest combined tally of 16.15-points with his smooth forehand attack.

"I got lucky since Shane didn't want to come here," explained Bourgeois of his position in the event. "Stoked just to be here and have a spot, and winning that first heat is great. The waves were really tough and I didn't really have a strategy out there, but I was lucky to catch a really long one. I didn't feel that good on it, but the wave itself was a nine (laughs)."

Reigning world champion and ratings leader Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw) overcame an in-form Pat O'Connell (CA, USA) and Japanese wildcard Masaki Harada in round one. The Kauaian locked in a couple of high scores and then used tactics to advantage.

"They were really tough conditions with the waves only breaking about 10-feet off the sand," explained Irons. "Every wave was really quick. Pat's really short and can fit turns in really quick, like on his first wave where he scored an 8.5 and surfed really well. I got a 7.55 and a 6.85 for the lead, so towards the end of the heat I just sat on him, as I knew if he got another good wave he'd probably get the score he needed. There was a bit of luck and then tactics played a part at the end. It wasn't one of my favorite wins, but I'll take it right now since the waves were really small."

Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) elected to contest his heat with Peterson Rosa (Brz) and Quiksilver Trials winner Norimasa Ohno (Jpn), despite the foot injury he's been nursing. Nonetheless, the Floridian put aside any pain and discomfort to establish a lead and advance directly into round three.

"I was actually going to catch a ferry this morning and leave," admitted Slater. "I didn't think it looked that great and I figured I might let another Japanese surfer have a chance. But then I thought 'why not?' as I'm all the way here and I wanted to get back on my board to feel how my foot is doing. When I paddled out I figured I'd just stand up on a couple and not really try, but about halfway through I had a chance and then luckily it went flat toward the end when I was in the lead (laughs).

"It felt alright," he added, of his injury. "On my last wave I sort of fell a bad way and my board kind of pushed up against my foot. It put a little more pressure on it than I expected, but overall it's OK. I'm just going to ice it, and I have a round off now, so I get to massage it and get in the hot springs here on Niijima to help relax the muscles."

Tim Curran (CA, USA) - winner of the last Japanese WCT held in 1999 - faced Luke Egan (Gold Coast, Aus) and Guilherme Herdy (Brz) this morning and quickly established a commanding position with some wider breaking set waves. The goofyfooter belted his way down the relatively short rides, for his first win since returning to the elite WCT ranks this year.

"I'm very, very happy to win," said Curran. "I was really frustrated with the start of my year since I kept losing heats. It feels good to finally win my first one this season. I think Quiksilver made a great call by splitting the backs this morning. It doesn't seem like we're going to have a lot of swell, so it's good they've powered through it. I knew there was a couple of wide ones and I just decided to sit down there and thankfully the waves came."

Brazilian Paulo Moura then used similar tactics to overcome Quiksilver Pro Fiji runner-up Cory Lopez (FL, USA) and Naohisa Ogawa (Jpn). Moura also sat wide and displayed a great backhand attack to advance.

"I saw Tim find some waves down the beach so I kept me focus on those," explained Moura. "I found two good ones and won the heat. The other boys surfed really well, and I was scared at the end cause Cory got a good wave. I'm just happy to make it and go straight to round three."

World #2 Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast, Aus) was beaten in round one this morning but then eliminated Masakazu Kono - the eighth Japanese wildcard in the tournament -after competition relocated this afternoon. Kono replaced Richie Lovett (Manly, Aus) in the Niijima Quiksilver Pro after the Australian was forced to withdraw due to family matters, but was unable to match Parkinson's fluid forehand style and commanding scores including an 8.5 in his total.

Home Improvement

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:56 +0000

The world is full of surfers, each with their own personality, concentration, and angle through which they carve their turns. But among the millions of differences, geographies and predilections, most of us share a basic sameness: We start and end each surfing day in our garages. While surfing has never lacked for its share of one-room hovels with surfboards strewn about and hung from the rafters, at some point in our maturation we aspire to something more, an area that is completely dedicated to the pursuit and support of our passion. Part organizational experiment, part religious shrine, part history museum, the archetypal "surf garage" has a place in the culture of greater import than first realized. No doubt a list comprised of the greatest surf garages of all time would reveal some outrageously customized temples that any of us could spend days perusing. Walking into the proper garage should be a sensory-bending experience, an overwhelming straight shot to the consciousness of the unsuspecting visitor. If a surfer's body resides in the home, certainly his soul exists in the garage, primed at all times by the heady collection of momentous and photos dedicated to the remembrance of a surfing life well lived.

With that in mind, what would the surfer's "ultimate garage" resemble? Each of us in our own way attains some measure of this greatness with every well-placed surf rack and wetsuit hang-spot, but much like the hunt for the perfect surfboard, the embodiment of the perfect garage is something of a lifetime query. But if we could, if we would, what might it contain? Presupposing something more realistic than the result of a disposable income, I think most of could agree on something resembling the following:

First and foremost, a surfer needs space. All of us have endured the debilitating restrictions of the architect's one-car limitation. But for a proper launch pad, let's figure on a four- or five-car garage. Bigger is better. A detached barn at a suitable distance from the main abode? Now we're talking.

Once on the inside, how to fill up all that space? Surfboard storage is key. We need enough racks to house a properly-sized quiver, with selection running the gamut from short to long. In addition, let's not forget the kink: We need room for the eclectic, the well rounded: the Greenough-inspired Neumatic surf mat, the elegant sleekness of a Joe Bark paddleboard, the historical portability of the custom two-man outrigger. Plenty of hang-up space for all the backup gear - the swim fins, leashes, paddles, boxes of wax and fishing gear. The rack needs to be accessible, protective, and above all else, usable. Most of my dings have been acquired just getting the things in and out of the garage, but in a properly designed ultimo, that design flaw could be once and for all purposefully eliminated. That a suitably-sized wetsuit or towel-storage area is nearby is a given. The ultimate garage houses the ultimate selection, and diversity is the backbone at this level of the game.

The list of backup and ancillary tools could be as thorough as your American Express allows. But supposing some measures of restraint, you'd have to envision a new four-stroke PWC with affixed rescue sled. Two or three new Parmenter tow-boards on padded racks beside the ski, a few various sized tow ropes slung over the handlebars. Alongside the big-wave testosterone tool, de rigueur might be a small, 15-foot surf skiff, something to access the remaining wilderness portions of our coastline while hunting for some quality and isolation with your closest friends. Over in the corner, a custom galvanized box trailer with a selection of ocean kayaks at the ready for those flat-day expeditions.

But the surfer's supreme garage is something more than a matter of physical storage; it has the responsibility to outrageously reflect the inner flame that drives all of us. When not restricted by the workbench, custom cabinets or needed racks, the flat space would be covered if not obliterated by hundreds of archival photos, topo maps, keepsake posters and treasure-like minutiae collected along the trail over the years.

Enter to Win - Epic Challenge

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:56 +0000

Untitled Document

click on image to enter.

St. Regis Monarch to Host Fundraiser

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:56 +0000

June 12, 2003

San Clemente, Calif. - The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) will host its 14th annual Waterman's Weekend environmental fundraiser, August 22-23, 2003, for the third year at The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa. The St. Regis Monarch Beach has committed to hosting the Waterman's Classic Golf Tournament and Waterman's Ball and Auction for the next three years and supporting the event at the highest sponsorship level, as a Triple Crown sponsor.

"We are thrilled to be the official home of the Waterman's Weekend," said Ulrich Krauer, General Manager of The St. Regis Monarch Beach. "SIMA and its members are such a powerful group of environmental supporters and we are proud to host them for this exciting and energetic event."

Located on 172 acres in Dana Point, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, The St. Regis Monarch Beach features indoor and outdoor event facilities-making it ideally suited for an event focused on protecting the ocean environment. The scenic Pacific Lawn will serve as the site for the reception and silent auction allowing leaders of the surf industry and friends of the environment to gather and mingle in full view of the ocean that inspired the surf lifestyle and industry. The contemporary Pacific Ballroom where the dinner, program and live auction will be held is one of the largest and most technologically advanced in Orange County. A one to two-night stay in one of the hotel's 326 oversized guest rooms or 74 suites, each with a private balcony, is included in the highest-level sponsorship packages for the Ball and Auction and the Waterman's Classic.

The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa is a leader in both conservation and implementation of protective devices for water resources in Dana Point. The ownership, in building the hotel, was the first developer in Dana Point to install Storm Ceptor devices at all downpipe locations to clean water prior to discharge into the city's storm drain system, as well as fossil filters at all catch basins. The hotel's onsite championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., which will host the Waterman's Classic, utilizes recycled water and is extremely proactive in taking environmental protection measures. The Golf Links has adhered and will continue to adhere to city and federal pollution guidelines. When the hotel was built, remodels were made to elements of the course, including the replacement of all existing irrigation loops to decrease runoff. In addition, the hotel periodically checks its retention lake water to ensure that water quality is maintained at a better than satisfactory level. The St. Regis Monarch Beach uses only natural fertilization techniques, and it voluntarily agreed to have its runoff tested by a third party, demonstrating its commitment to water quality.

"The SIMA Environmental Fund Board of Directors is extremely pleased to have found a partner in The St. Regis Monarch Beach that understands and embodies the goal of the Waterman's Weekend environmental fundraiser to preserve our oceans," said Paul Naude, chairman of the SIMA Environmental Fund Board of Directors and CEO of Billabong USA. "We are proud to have a host site that is committed to preserving the local resources and has made a concerted effort to limit the negative effect of its business on the environment."

The Waterman's Weekend is a two-day fundraising event that benefits the SIMA Environmental Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that awards grants to various environmental groups based on their dedication to preserving and protecting the world's oceans, beaches and waves. Last year's event attracted more than 800 people and raised a record $266,000 for ocean conservation groups. The annual benefit event begins Friday, August 22 with the Waterman's Classic Golf Tournament and culminates on Saturday, August 23 with the Waterman's Ball and Auction. Sponsorship packages for both the 2003 Waterman's Classic and Waterman's Ball and Auction are currently on sale. Individual tickets for the Ball are scheduled to go on sale in July. To reserve a sponsorship package or for more sponsorship information, please contact Melinda Carter at SIMA by calling (949) 366-1164 or by e-mailing melinda@sima.com.

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 700 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 13 years, SIMA's Environmental Fund has raised more than $2 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world's oceans, beaches and waves.

For more information contact:

SIMA
Megan Hjermstad, Marketing & Communications Specialist
(949) 366-1164
megan@sima.com

The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa
Heidi Jung, Director of Public Relations
(949) 234-3771
heidi.jung@stregis.com

FISH ON!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:57 +0000

"I've always been a speed guy," 61-year-old Skip Frye admits matter-of-factly.

"It's a whole different ball game. It's a glide. It's a feeling," says Chris Christenson, a 30-year-old shaper who's been mentored by Frye, both discussing the merits of the Fish, the storied board design that has become a San Diego legacy.

The two shapers, separated by 30 years of surfboard innovation, are sitting in Frye's San Diego factory discussing a sublimated link in the evolution of the surfboard.

The board in question is short, wide, flat and fat with a pair of twin keel fins, and a broad, split tail. It looks like some aquatic animal that evolved for survival in dual environments. But, as Frye contends, the true "Fish" is the one surfboard created in the heat of the '60s shortboard revolution that, while having changed little in design over the years, remains completely relevant to today's surfing. For the simple reason that, unlike many other less integral designs, the alteration of any of its original parts entirely changes the animal.

Few surfboard designs have inspired the emotional attachment as the Fish (and despite the loose use of the moniker to describe the popularity of short, wider hybrid thrusters, these are definitely not Fish). Passionate San Diego shapers and surfers have long guarded the Fish design as possessively as the localized Sunset Cliffs wave where it was born. And they're adamant about the dimensions of the real thing. Says Larry Gephart, originator of the Fish's classic laminated wood keel fin, "Anything less than 9.5 inches from pin to pin, you've turned it into a swallow tail and it loses the feeling."

Magic Carpets

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:57 +0000

In eighth grade math class, 14-year-old Kelly Slater took out a number two pencil, opened his loose-leaf binder and sketched a new shape that combined a pintail with a squash. After school, he got on his bike and peddled the design to his shaper at the time, Matt Kechele, who quickly knocked out the "Combo Tail." On a test run at Sebastian Inlet a few days later, Kelly boosted four successful aerials-a notable accomplishment in 1986. "I thought I stumbled on the perfect design for doing airs," Slater remembers, but the outline didn't catch on as he had hoped.

Sixteen years later, we're still searching for the ultimate flying surfboard. In the wake of air shows, X Games, Olympic snowboarding and the long overdue Flying Wallendas Reunion Tour, the days of humans taking to the air are reaching an all-time high. No so-called professional worth his weight in WQS points would dare stray from his home break before mastering a rudimentary array of stalefish, slobs, mutes and methods. So the question remains: Can the trusty old thruster keep up?

If you ask Greg Loehr, the perennial Floridian rule-breaker who brought us epoxy boards, the answer is no, and the solution is the Double Ender-basically a blown-up wakeboard that can be ridden in either direction. Loehr felt a responsibility to cater to the next generation of fliers and modeled a symmetrical, snub-nosed shortboard with fins at each end. He enlisted a crew-including John Holeman, Sam Barker and Scott Bouchard-to "go both ways" and report on their findings.

Holeman, who has done more airborne twisting than the entire cast of The Nutcracker and ridden the Double Ender in anything Florida can throw at him, says, "It rides just like a normal board until you want it to do tricks. You can invent all kinds of stuff, and the width stabilizes it, making it easier to pull them off, like going from a vehicle without power steering to one with. It's limitless, just one more tool to break the monotony of Florida waves."

But Loehr's new baby is hardly new. Rick Rock, a shaper for Lost, secured a patent in the mid-90s on a retractable fin system for a similarly symmetrical board. According to fellow, Lost shaper Matt Biolas, "Last Christmas, we built a couple new prototypes with retractable fins on the front and back. If you're going forward, the front fins are inside the board, but when you're going backwards, the back fins retract while the front ones come out." With summer being the season for experimentation, the jury on the new edition is still out. "No one's been motivated to ride them yet," says Biolas. "When it's warmer and more hot-doggy, hopefully some guys will try them out. Any time you're talking about landing backward and riding reverse, it's definitely a crappy wave thing. No one would build a board to do that on any wave of consequence, but it can definitely make one-foot closeouts fun."

As exciting as it is to hop on a new design, many feel that reinventing the wheel isn't the answer. The leading acrobats of the sport are riding shorter, fatter renditions of a common theme-Simon Anderson's 1981 thruster-and they don't seem to be at a loss for airtime. Frequent flier Josh Hoyer of Newport Beach, CA, is intrigued by the notion of reversible surfboards but so far has noticed only subtle alterations among his high-flying brethren's conventional shortboards. "I've been wanting to get something new, but I don't think normal shortboards hold me or the other guys back," he contends. But he adds, "If you're trying to do all the skateboard stuff, the surface area is still too much to control. You need something a lot smaller and denser like a snowboard, so we need to look at different materials. We haven't found a design that works any better."

Al Merrick, Slater's current maestro, is another practitioner of the school of subtlety. According to Merrick, "If a guy just wants a board for airs, I'll make slight changes to the rocker and rails, softening them up, to help with speed and landing." And although skeptical of surfers being totally air-headed, he nonetheless acknowledges the contributions of other brands of surfing. "I'm all for guys doing tricks and pushing themselves to do as much as they can on a surfboard; that will push design. But for tricks to fit in with the whole scheme, they have to be combined with surfing an entire wave. The boards also need to surf."

But since those first drafts back in the eighth grade, Slater isn't giving up on the dream of a perfect board for airs. "Surfers are way behind skateboarders and even bodyboarders as far as pulling off big spins in the air," he laments. "But our equipment is getting more and more specialized." And as for the future, his vision is clear: "I envision pulling clean barrel rolls at Pipeline, so there's plenty of room for improvement."

- Jason Borte

STOCK PURCHASES

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:57 +0000

In pre-PC days, only parents and kooks bought boards off the rack-the core always went custom. But with the advent of extremely close-tolerance molded polyurethane blanks and computer-aided design and manufacturing, surfing's craftsmen are now able to crank out refined boards so close to the shaper's original vision as to be indistinguishable from a custom job. And when you consider all the variables involved in getting the right custom board (shape, glassing, color, sticker placement, etc.) it might be time to take another look at those stock boards. You just have to know how.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Before you think about the type of board you want, think about the type of board you have. What's working; what's not? Take an honest look at your surfing and think about what you'd like to improve with the acquisition of your new board.

A lot of shops display their boards in two inch increments and this makes it much easier to choose the proper tool. But don't be a single-issue purchaser. Your magic 6' 1" may have worked really well because of its foil, entry rocker or thickness, not simply because it was 73 inches long.

"People come in and have a preconceived idea about what board will work," says Craig Gordon of Brave New World Surf Shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. "But I ask my customers a ton of questions about how long they've been surfing, what their last board was, and if they've ever had a board that worked really well. If you have an idea of what works for you, you'll get a better board."

The best way to learn what works for you is to think about what you're riding. Take some time to examine it's various components-entry and tail rocker, rail contours, bottom characteristics, thickness, width. Once you begin to understand how these elements affect your ride, you'll have a better idea of what you need-and what it'll look like when you see it.

KNOW WHERE TO GO
If you go to a shop run by only intermediate surfers, you're going to get only mediocre feedback about the design characteristics of a very refined piece of equipment. "Go somewhere where the people actually surf and know what they're talking about," says Jason Blake of Emerald City Surf Shop in Mission Beach, CA. "Maybe if you've seen the people in the water, then you'll know that they can help you out."

Remember that you are the one dropping the coin, so it's okay to ask questions-lots of them-and listen to the answers. Also, divulge information about your self.

If a board catches your eye, pick it up and check it out-you can learn a lot about a board by putting it under your arm. Feel the rails, the width and thickness. Lay it on a rack so that you can judge the board's contours from a few feet away. Inspect the rails and outline, and consider the weight. The only true way to measure a board's bottom characteristics is to use a straightedge, so ask for one, and check the board's concave. If none of this make sense to you, ask for the feedback of a knowledgeable salesman.

DON'T BE A FASHION VICTIM
Unfortunately, many customers find themselves adrift in a sea of fashionable surfboards when they walk into a shop, and they end up with a board that looks great until it's underfoot. If you don't feel that you're getting good service, or that the person helping you even knows what they're talking about, don't be afraid to leave. After all, your next great board could be waiting in the next shop down the street.

- Brad Melekian

GOING WITH THE GRAIN

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:58 +0000

Dave Rastovich, a nature-loving earth child if ever there was one, had a bit of a crisis of conscience recently about the spawn of evil petrochemicals we all ride. "I was feeling like a hypocrite," he said. "I love to go surfing, and for me it's almost like a church-going thing. Like Gerry Lopez says, 'The church of the open sky, going to have a quiet moment with your maker, going to offer your praise.' And you've got this toxic surfboard. It's really been a frustrating thing for me. I just want to surf on something natural. I went to the extreme, thinking I'm going to get rid of all my boards and just ride second-hand boards or I'm going to be a body surfer."

Instead, Dave's shaper Chris Garrett came up with an alternative that jibes with his sensitive sensibilities: a little timber veneer model Rasta reckons is the closest thing to a non-toxic board going around at the moment. "I want to have my whole quiver out of them," he says.

The construction method is the brainchild of carpenter David Franks, a set builder for the film industry, who's been fooling around with various types of timber veneers for over 12 years. Recently, he got together with Burleigh Heads-based shaper Garrett to develop a timber/Styrofoam construction that is impressive in its sheer simplicity. Their system uses almost no resin, no fiberglass, just a bit of glue and some old boat-building techniques to produce finely-crafted custom boards finished with decking oil.

"It's actually gone back to the roots," says Franks, who takes six to eight hours to laminate each board. "In between movies I've got no job. I'm in the workshop stuffing around. It's become a bit of an obsession."

DF ubb lead-in

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:58 +0000

HTML Redirect

Design Forum - Natural Art

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:58 +0000

Natural Art Surfboards
Length & Design: 5'10" to 6'10"
Shown: 6'4" Beachbreak Squash
Nose: 12
Width: 19.25
Tail: 14.5
Thickness: 2.5
Shaper: Rich Price
Structure: Blue foam, true 1/8 stringers, 6x4 deck, 4oz bottom, UV 100% cure resin. light with guts.

Rich Price took his Rocket Fish template and threw squash tails and round tails on this concoction, creating a summer speed design. Order early. Sold out!
Phone: 321-773-3737
Email: info@naturalart.com
Website: www.naturalart.com

Natural Art Surfboards

Round Nose Fish
5'10" (up to 6'8")
20 1/2 Wide
17" nose
16 1/2" tail
2 1/2" thick

Phone: 321-773-3737
Email: info@naturalart.com
Website: www.naturalart.com

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Parker McNaughton
Action Sports Group
949-661-5192
E-mail: parker.mcnaughton@primedia.com

Design Forum - Ron Jon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:58 +0000

DF - Nezzy

Ron Jon Surfboards

Length: 6' 8" Egg
Nose: 17.5
Width: 19.75
Tail: 15.5
Thickness: 2.5

A fun and stable double ender. We increased the nose rocker and pulled up the "hips" to make this board very forgiving. Easy to paddle and catches small waves easily.

Ron Jon Surf Shop
3850 S Banana River Blvd
Cocoa Beach, FL 32937
www.ronjons.com

Phone (toll free): 1.888.757.8737
Fax: 321.868.0052

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Parker McNaughton
Action Sports Group
949-661-5192
E-mail: parker.mcnaughton@primedia.com

Design Forum - Nezzy Surfboards

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:59 +0000

DF - Nezzy

Nezzy N9

height: 6"0"
width: 18 1/2"
thickness: 2 1/4"

Shaper: Tom Nesbit

Nezzy Surfboards
179 Roymar Rd. Suite A
Oceanside, CA
92054

Phone/Fax:
(760) 721-3018

Sales Rep:
E-mail: sales@nezzy.com

www.nezzy.com

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Parker McNaughton
Action Sports Group
949-661-5192
E-mail: parker.mcnaughton@primedia.com

Design Forum - Indo Board

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:59 +0000

DF - Indo Board

Order your INDOBOARD online

A unique balance training device . . .
it feels like surfing without the waves . . .
or wakeboarding in your living room!

"INDOing"- an exhilarating obsession that sharpens balance skills!

Riding the Indo Board, first and foremost, IS FUN!

The bonus is: INDOing will strengthen your legs and improve your surfing after just using it a few times.

Consider the amount of time you are up and riding on a wave. Unless you are lucky enough to live on a point that breaks 360 days a year, the average ride is about 5 to 10 seconds.

The INDO Board allows you to ride for minutes on end, utilizing the exact same muscles that are used when surfing.

Today many young and old surfers have taken up riding the INDO BOARD to have fun and keep their surfing skills tuned when not in the water. The list of surfers who use the INDO BOARD includes: The Slater brothers (Stephen, Sean and Kelly), Pancho Sullivan, Vince Alessi, Eric McHenry, Kasey Curtis, Mike Parsons, Miccah Pitts, Bonga Perkins, Joel Tudor, Layne Beachley, Ken Bradshaw, Serena Brooke, Cody Simpkins, Matt Rockhold, Christian Fletcher, Seb Wilson, Bart Wilson, Julian Wilson, Craig Harvey, Jimmy Gamboa, Darren Ledingham, Alex Knost, Dodger Kremel, Jeff Kramer, Tom Wegener, Donald Takayama, Herbie Fletcher, Corky Carroll, Laird Hamilton, Titus Kinemaka, Makua Rothman, Barton Lynch, Damien Hardman, Bobby Owens, Vince Klyne, Larry Bertlemann, Aaron Chang, Bob Hurley, Peter Townend, Danny Melhado, Charlie Kuhn, Matt Kechele, Mitch Kaufmann, Tory Strange, Charlie Hajek, Frieda Zamba, Cori Schumacher, Kim Hamrock, Liz Motshagan, Mary Bagalso, Kassia Meador, Holly Beck, . . . and many, many more!

Order your INDOBOARD online

For more information regarding advertising
in our online design forum section, contact:

Parker McNaughton
Action Sports Group
949-661-5192
E-mail: parker.mcnaughton@primedia.com

OPPER OFFERINGS: Three Fine DVDs If You Please

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:59 +0000

TEN YEARS AFTER: It's been over a decade since Opper Sports Productions began documenting the modern longboard revival. Chasing Oxbow World Longboard Championships to diverse locations around the globe as well as the most memorable swells both along the Califonia coast and in Hawaii, the filmmakers captured just about everything that moved on nine-plus equipment. In this compilation with segments from Powerglide, Blue Shock, Atlantic Moon, Super Slide and Wordz, the camera reviews World Title clashes, free surfing at Makaha and Queens, epic California sessions from Cardiff to Santa Cruz. Plus, classic historical footage and contemporary style of World Champs Joel Tudor, Bonga Perkins, Dino Miranda, and Rusty Keaulana, as well as top performers Josh Baxter, Kevin Connelly, Darren Ledingham, Lance Ho'okano and many, many more of the best riders over the past ten years.
Order now TEN YEARS AFTER.

SUPER SLIDE: Super Slide is about classic hot doggin' style with World Champion Joel Tudor leading the charge and getting solid surfing backup from fellow Californians Kevin Connelly, Jimmy Gamboa, Darren Ledingham, Mike Myers and many more. Check out Malibu under prime time south swell conditions, WindanSea going off, and Cardiff Reef delivering perfect winter waves. Trip out in Santa Cruz with Wingnut and Jay Moriarty, get deep into Backdoor Pipeline's throaty barrels with Bonga Perkins, and witness women's longboarding taking off at San Onofre, Makaha and Ala Moana. Also, see how today's roots revival has taken hold in Australia. Classic longboarding can be traced around the Pacific and back through the generations in this video, with amazing footage and the real life stories of those whose surfing inspired the evolution.
Order now SUPER SLIDE.

THE SURFER'S JOURNAL BIOGRAPHIES: CURREN/SLATER: Tom Curren and Kelly Slater are surfing's most important figures in the last 20 years. This volume of the Surfer's Journal Biographies reviews both surfers' careers with intimate perspectives that help us understand who they really are as human beings as well as great wave riders. In addition to the full length documentary about the lives of Curren and Slater, the DVD contains contemporary surfing segments as bonus added.There's a never before seen Curren segment with Tom ripping La Fontania in France. Showing that his smooth and graceful style is still intact, Curren demonstrates the skills that make him one of the most popular surfers of all time. Edited to the song "Supernatural" by Kevin Sandbloom, Curren fans will be mesmerized by his surfing.The Kelly Slater bonus segment is a must see! Slater surfing huge tow-in waves in France and tearing it up at "Le Piste", a classic French beach break. Kelly proves that a break from the world tour has done nothing to hurt his aggressive surfing style. Accompanied by Ozomatli's, "Superbowl Sundae", this hip soundtrack and Kelly's powerful aerial attack will leave you craving a surf session yourself!
Order now THE SURFER'S JOURNAL BIOGRAPHIES: CURREN/SLATER DVD.

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broadband TSJ BIOGRAPHY SERIES - TOM CURREN

Quiksilver Pro - Japan, 2003 (2)

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:00 +0000

Monday June 23, 2003 (Niijima Island, Japan) Reigning world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw) today won the Niijima Quiksilver Pro and extended his already commanding ratings lead. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) again relocated to 'Secret Point' with semifinals commencing at 5:45am (local time), and then climaxed with the grand finale soon after.
2-3 ft (0.6-1m) waves remained for the final day, with a slight onshore wind blowing. After the final concluded however, stronger winds and rain set in on Niijima Island.

Irons, who flew into Niijima with two WCT wins already this season including the previous Quiksilver Pro in Fiji, has now cemented his world title defense with a rock solid foundation. Three wins from five starts and virtually a thousand ratings points now separate him from nearest contenders.

Against world #2 Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast, Aus) in the Niijima Quiksilver Pro final, the Kauaian wasted no time racking up scores and a steady lead he maintained. Conditions deteriorated somewhat for the 30-minute decider, but the 24-year-old scavenged the lineup for superior waves and picked off a long lefthander and then a punchy right for his winning rides. The victory earning another US$30,000, and brings his total prizemoney for 2003 up to an even U$100,000.

"I can't believe I'm in Japan and actually won," began Irons, surrounded by media onshore. "Especially against 'Parko' as he was surfing so good in the semis. It kind of brought my confidence down and I thought I had no chance at all. I just caught a bunch of little waves, but it ended up paying off. The little waves were actually scores as the big ones closed out. I'm really stoked right now.

"Oh my God," he added, at the fact he's won three of this year's five WCT's. "There are still eight events left so we're not even halfway through, but I'm definitely psyched (on the world title). I got it last year and already have three wins this year, so I'm just going for it all out. I'm going to get a whole bunch of new boards when I get home and start going to the gym and then head to J-Bay (next WCT in South Africa July 15-25) early and hopefully get a result there as well. I've never done well there either, but right now I'm just so stoked. It's been an unbelievable year so far. 100K in five events, it's amazing! So cool there's such good money in surfing these days. It's really an added incentive to try and do well."

Parkinson earlier posted the Niijima Quiksilver Pro's highest total score of 18-points against good mate Mick Fanning in the semifinals, but evidently peaked too soon. While Irons continued his hungry attack, 'Parko' failed to find similar drive and never scored beyond a 4.43 in the final. Despite the same outcome as their WCT battle at Bells Beach Australia, in April, the 22-year-old still improved his current rating by locking in fourth position.

"I just couldn't get in the rhythm with the waves," acknowledged Parkinson. "I guess a lot of focus went into my semi with Mick. We've had such a competitive rivalry since we were young. Now that we're in the big league... that was the first (WCT) match up we've had, so a lot of my energy went into that. No excuse though, I should have been able to comeback in the final. I was looking for anything, but I got nothing. Andy's the best surfer in the world and hands down he's the hardest guy to beat.

"The ratings probably won't change much up the top end, but it's going to be interesting to see how the year keeps unfolding," he added. "J-Bay is my favorite event, so I'm hanging for that one."

Finishing equal third in the Niijima Quiksilver Pro were Australians Kieren Perrow (Byron Bay) and Mick Fanning (Gold Coast). Perrow, who proved a wave magnet throughout the event, started slowly against Irons and ultimately left his charge too late. Nonetheless, the ratings #3 earned his second consecutive semifinal berth and landed a couple of great aerial maneuvers for good measure.

"Falling on my first one probably got my mind thinking in the wrong direction," conceded Perrow. "I'm just stoked to make it this far and being against Andy is always really good for your competitive skills and your surfing. Halfway through I realized I needed to pull something out, but unfortunately it wasn't enough at the end. These conditions aren't really my forte, but I'm starting to enjoy surfing small waves a lot more. It's just competition and anyone can win, so I'm looking forward to the next event."

Fanning - the 2002 ASP 'Rookie of the Year' and world #5 - appeared the real danger man throughout the Niijima Quiksilver Pro with his light-footed, super fast surfing. Against Parkinson in the day's highest scoring heat, he opened with a commanding 8.33 ride and locked in two additional eight plus scores, but the judges favored the aerial maneuvers of his opponent, rewarding him an 8.93 and 9.07 to progress onwards.

"I knew it was going to be tough with Joel, as it always is," said Fanning. "He got the better waves and boosted some airs, and I didn't. It's been fun still. This is my first trip to Japan and I had a great time. It's a pity the waves get really good, but hopefully next year. I'll just have to take Joel out tonight in a fight (laughs)... nah, it's good. I'm just wondering how many times I have to make the semis before I reach a final this year?"

Later at the awards ceremony, where finalists were presented their trophies made from Niijima Kohga stone, contest co-director Rod Brooks offered a few pertinent words of gratitude to the local people of Niijima Island.

"I'd just like to repeat out gratitude to the local surfers," said Brooks. "Particularly the guys who drove the 4-wheel drives up and down the beach all week. 'Secret Point' was the best break for the contest and we couldn't have done it without all support of the local guys. We'd also like to thank all the competitors. I experienced a new level of professionalism and maturity from them here at this event and was really proud to see it."

Official Niijima Quiksilver Pro
1st Andy Irons (Haw) 13.4 - US$30,000
2nd Joel Parkinson (Aus) 8.7 - US$16,000

Semifinals (1st>Finals; 2nd=3rd, receives US$10,000)
SF1: Andy Irons (Haw) 13.83 def. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 11.84
SF2: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 18.0 def. Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.56

Current Ratings after Niijima Quiksilver Pro - WCT #5
1. Andy Irons (Haw) 4,800
2. Mick Fanning (Aus) 3,840
3. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 3,816
4. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 3,756
5. Cory Lopez (USA) 3,456
6. Kelly Slater (USA) 3,420
7. CJ Hobgood (USA) 3,408
8. Taj Burrow (Aus) 3,204
9. Dean Morrison (Aus) 3,120
10. Michael Lowe (Aus) 2,976

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surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:00 +0000

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surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:00 +0000

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2003 Boost Mobile Pro at Lowers

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:02 +0000

September 8, 2003 (Lower Trestles, CA, USA) Richie Lovett today defeated fellow Australian Taj Burrow to win the Boost Mobile Pro of Surf presented by Quiksilver. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced with remaining round four heats this morning, followed by quarterfinals, semis, and then climaxed with the grand finale showdown.

Smaller 3ft (1m) conditions were on offer at the famed Californian break, with slight onshore winds, as mainland America's most important surfing event unfolded.
WCT Tour Standings
Current Ratings After Boost Mobile Pro presented by Quiksilver, WCT #7/12

1. Andy Irons (Haw) 5,760-points
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 5,352
3. Taj Burrow (Aus) 5,112
4. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 5,088
5. Mick Fanning (Aus) 5,052
6. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 4,704
7. Dean Morrison (Aus) 4,452
8. CJ Hobgood (USA) 4,428
9. Cory Lopez (USA) 4,224
10. Taylor Knox (USA) 4,200

Lovett, who hadn't progressed past round three all year and was sitting in 30th position on the ratings, began the final with a commanding backhand attack to lock in an 8.0. The 30-year-old then created a lead he maintained, before sealing his maiden WCT victory on the final's best single ride for an 8.07. He earned US$30,000 and moved into 17th position with the emotion win.

"It's a dream come true," began Lovett, after being carried from the water's edge to the winner's podium by cheering Aussie compatriots. "I love Trestles and it's one of my favorite waves. All the boys are here... To be in a final with Taj was also a dream come true, as he's one of my favorite surfers. I'm absolutely over the moon. It's the first time I've made a (WCT) final, and I've been trying for eight years now. My family never gave up on me; my friends never gave up on me... This is just a dream day for me.

"It's been a source of frustration for me the past six or seven years," he continued, of his previous efforts. "I just hadn't been able to crack it, so to have everything fall into place today and to get the win... I can't even put it into words. I'm so happy and this is best moments of my life for sure. I hope I can keep it going."

West Australian Burrow played catch-up throughout the 35-minute decider with his always-impressive act, but failed to post the scores needed. He came close with a 7.53 ride in the latter parts of the final, but still required another worth 8.54 at completion. His second runner-up finish of the year, the 25-year-old is not rated 3rd.

"It was definitely an amazing contest and I'm so stoked to make the final and get a result," said Burrow. "If anyone was going to beat me I'm pretty stoked it was Richie. He nailed it and deserved to win. He got a really good score right off the bat and put me under pressure. I struggled on a couple of good ones, and he smashed it. Congrats to him."

Equal third were Victor Ribas (Rio, Brz) and Taylor Knox (Carlsbad, CA, USA) - both collecting US$10,000. For Brazilian Ribas, the result marks his best this season and moved him into 23rd position on the ratings, after losing a close match with Burrow.

"Before the heat I was stoked with how far I'd gone, but I'm very disappointed not to make the final," said a frustrated Ribas. "I feel bad as I thought I'd done enough to make it."

Knox kept the Californian flag flying furthest, but ultimately had to settle for his second consecutive semifinal finish when Lovett capitalized on a wave selection error by his opponent and secured his best ride toward the end of the match. Knox moved from 16th into 10th position on the ratings.

"I wish we would have a couple more waves to surf on," began Knox. "I made a mistake at the end by taking a wave with priority, thinking it would be good, but it wasn't and the one right behind it was better and turned out to be Rich's best score. Oh well, I'm trying to be a better competitor (laughs)."

Finishing equal fifth in the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Quiksilver were world #5 Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, Aus), wildcard Bruce Irons (Kauai, Haw), world #2 Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast, Aus) and six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA).

Fanning's third round performance remained the benchmark of this year's tournament, with a combined two wave total of 19.13-points, while Irons giant-killing crusade came to a halt against Ribas. Nonetheless, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) campaigner gained valuable experience as he strives to make the WCT ranks for 2004.

The Surfer Interview: Martin Daly

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:03 +0000

Even if it hurts to admit, you have to admire Martin Daly. He has accomplished, and continues to accomplish, every surfer's dream: finding perfect, unridden waves far from the teeming hordes. And in his wake many have followed, adopting his frontiersman-like spirit. Despite having the most renowned surf-charter business in the Mentawais with his Indies Trader fleet, Daly has just a handful of boats among scores of others combing the archipelago, all looking for a slice of how Daly lived for years. Some blame him for selling out, exploiting natural resources and stiff-arming the competition. But Daly, now 45, doesn't bother with the pettiness, keeping his eyes cast on the horizon. He still operates his Mentawai venture but he's years deep and worlds away with a new project. Since 1999, The Crossing, sponsored by Quiksilver, has taken him through every ocean and passed countless waves with no one else in sight except the lucky few who get onboard--yet another source of wrenching envy for the rest of the surfing population, as perfection and solitude seem further out of reach than ever. As he motors his way through the Americas, stopping next in Brazil, Daly braces for the next discovery. Part visionary, part lucky, he beat myriad obstacles and political tangles over the years to maintain, in its purest form, an end goal: to be able to surf at the end of the day--alone. And who could argue with that? -- Carl Friedmann

SURFER: Give some general background on where you grew up and how you got involved in the surf-charter business.

MARTIN DALY: I was born in the northern beaches of Sydney and started surfing on a balsa board. Then my parents moved to waveless northern Queensland when I was about 11. I was pretty mortified. I stayed there for five years, got into boats and diving as a surfing alternative, and as soon as I was 16, I went straight back to the Gold Coast.

SURFER: So you got your sea legs early?

MARTIN DALY: Yeah. I was always diving and spearfishing when I was a kid. We used to go to the Barrier Reef all the time and I got a crew job as a young fella and that was the lead-in to boats. And the diving and surfing businesses evolved from there.

SURFER: Was the coming-out party for Mentawai boat travel the trip you took with Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll in 1992?

MARTIN DALY: That was mainly the first public version. Since the first trip in 1983, we worked with the Indies Trader I. I was part of a crew of six, all surfers of course. We found all these waves and on blood oath weren't going to tell anybody. You can imagine having the Mentawais to yourself. It preyed on our minds all the time. But we had an insane trip with Ross and Tom. It was full on, some of the best surf I have ever seen. And they said, "Don't tell anybody!" And within three or four months a picture was sold to an Australian surf magazine and then a video came out. The rest is history.

SURFER: Do you regret that first trip?

MARTIN DALY: No.

SURFER: And the ensuing exposure was inevitable?

MARTIN DALY: Well, kind of inevitable. There were many compromises, so I sold out for a lifestyle--I get to go surfing whenever I want. I think initially we tried really hard to work together with the magazines. And for years you would see photographs without saying "Sumatra" or anything. Then we did the Quiksilver Surfers of Fortune video and everyone wanted to come here. What do you expect?

SURFER: You are also one of the controlling parties in the Mentawai surf-charter industry?

MARTIN DALY: I wouldn't say I control much these days. If it's out of control I try to inject a little bit of positive in it. We try to set an example as surfers if we can, to be a little bit more mature.

SURFER: That seems to be essential, especially how the Bali bombing last year seriously derailed the surfing businesses in Indonesia. But when did you realize there was a New World for surf travel?

MARTIN DALY: Around when Indonesia started going sideways with the change of government and riots in 1998. Since then, there is more awareness with the rest of the world. There is just a lot to get your head around to go surfing, whereas before there was never a second thought. Indo is actually a lot safer now then it was when I first went there in the 80s. It was a lot sketchier then. We were living in Jakarta and at night you could hear gunshots from our house and in the morning there would be dead bodies in the streets.

SURFER: Your latest global voyaging project, The Crossing, is a huge endeavor. And two parts of its mission statement are to be socially and environmentally conscious wherever you go.

MARTIN DALY: That's right. It's a sort of extension to the early Mentawai frame of mind. That's how we proposed it to Quiksilver in 1994.

SURFER: Who was that?

MARTIN DALY: Bruce Raymond and myself. We met in Bali and started dreaming. Quiksilver just did Surfers of Fortune and I wanted to keep going. We made all these discoveries, like it was a gold rush. But we thought within the following five or 10 years it will be done--no stone unturned and everybody's secret spots will be found.

SURFER: Do you think that's true now?

MARTIN DALY: It's getting close. Ten years is long time; things were a lot different and now this is the deal with The Crossing: it's not about going out and destroying the surf or exploiting it. It's basically to inspire people to explore and not get discouraged. There are still heaps and heaps of uncrowded, perfect surf out there. You just have to get off your lounge chair and look for it.

SURFER: So that's The Crossing's motivation? To pick up the stone, look underneath and put it back down, not telling anyone where it is?

MARTIN DALY: I'm basically allowing the next guy to come along, pick up the stone and feel like he was the first one to discover it. What I really want to achieve with The Crossing is not to spoil it for the young, feral guys who get the maps and do it on their own.

SURFER: What about the stones you have turned?

MARTIN DALY: There have been a lot. In the last two months we found one classic right hand point. It's similar to Jeffrey's Bay. I've always wanted to find the great right point and I think we found it.

SURFER: Can you give a general vicinity?

MARTIN DALY: Africa.

SURFER:How long has this global mission been going on?

MARTIN DALY: Since March 1999. But I was in an initial meeting in 1994 with Quiksilver's Bruce Raymond and Rip Curl while they were involved with The Search. They lost faith in the program and Bruce, who was the visionary in my opinion, took up where they left off after things quieted down. I remember this meeting we had in Hawaii in 1994. I stood up--I was a loudmouth kind of guy--and said, "You guys are going to pay me to drive my boat around the world and go wherever I want and look for surf." It didn't go down very well. They weren't too impressed, thinking, "Who is this cocky prick we never heard of?" But it still happened.

SURFER: Aside from the surf, what other mission does The Crossing have?

MARTIN DALY: This trip is a great opportunity to study these remote locations from an environmental standpoint. Originally, Rick Grigg came up with something called "reef check." The idea was to take pictures everywhere we went to monitor the reefs, but we're not scientists. We just go out and have a look and say, "Okay, this is what's here now" and try to be as accurate as possible. But then it became obvious we needed qualified scientists. So when it's appropriate, we have a marine biologist on board. It's pretty overwhelming, the state of the ocean environment and coral reefs. They're being exploited mercilessly by fleets of commercial fisherman. I can only think of three or four of all the places we've been that are unaffected.

poll_mutualadmir

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:03 +0000

Artificial Reefs

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:03 +0000

Artificial Surfing Reefs. When Will We Get a Wave?

Narrowneck Reef In Australia Doing its Work
Photo: Australian Surfing Reef Design

In late June, Chad Nelson, the environmental director of the Surfrider Foundation, attended a forum on artificial reefs in Raglan, New Zealand. The most newsworthy item that came from the meeting was the news that an Australian company, Artificial Surfing Reef Design, had been given the thumbs up to begin initial research into creating an artificial surf reef at Oil Piers, the now defunct surf spot near Ventura, California.

While he represents Surfrider, and thus speaks more for then environmental side, Chad completed his master's research on the infamous Pratte's Reef in El Segundo. While Pratte's failed to create a surf spot, it served as a valuable experiment, a lesson in coastal dynamics and in how not to create a surf spot. So, Mr. Nelson can claim a good deal of experience on the topic. Is there an artificial reef in your future? With more and more interest in the structures both for erosion control and surf creation, it's a safe bet that the answer is…maybe.

Chris Dixon: Chad, this sort of meeting isn't something most surfers have even heard about.

Chad Nelson: The first was in '96, and the second was in '98 and was hosted by Dave Skelly, who did a lot of work on Pratte's Reef. This was the third, and it was by far the best ever. There were probably fifty in attendance. Folks from Indo, India, New Zealand, Australia the UK and the US.

CD: Australia has built one, England was considering one near Newquay and we've only had Pratte's, right?

CN: There have been three built: Narrowneck and Cables in Australia and Pratte's. Cables is a flop -- its in Western OZ. It was made of rocks and they basically sank.

Pratte's reef was the one we built here. It's basically ineffective, it's not doing anything. Then there's Narrowneck which is considered the grand success. That's the one that everyone sort of looks to. It was built by ASR.

CD: Are there more being planned?

CN: There are a ton of reefs out there being planned. The folks at ASR just got a contract to build a reef at Oil Piers in Ventura. There's a Corps of Engineers project called Section 227 which is sort of their experimental program where they find experimental projects. There'[s sort of a competition up and down So Cal to build reefs. And they put in the project for Oil Piers. In my opinion, if you're going to do an experiment, it's a good site. There's nothing there now and there used to be a wave there. Basically you have the hill, Highway 101 and this big riprap wall and nothing for miles in either direction.

There is a little beachbreak here and there that you see guys surfing on occasionally. The Oil Piers reef is the only one I’m aware of that has any traction at all in the U.S.

CD: When will they start working?

CN: Those guys are going out there next week and they'll start doing preliminary research: put out instrumentation, get current and wave data, do bathymetry, and get a sense for the setup so they can properly design the reef.

CD: What about other countries?

CN: Then there are five or six being planned or in the works in New Zealand. Then there's the reef in Newquay. Go to their website, and you can see a lot of these plans. There are a lot of reefs out there being planned.

CD: How did the meeting unfold?

CN: They did a day on surf science and then a day on coastal management. Sort of a case study on reefs. I thought the surf science was super impressive.

There was a guy named Kimo Walker who was a coastal engineer back in the 70's. He sort of tried to quantify "surfability".

By that I mean, what makes a wave break? How does it break? What controls it? How can you describe that in sort of layman's terms of if it's mushy, barreling -- that sort of thing. So these guys in ASR have really started to push that again. They've done detailed bathymetry for some of the best surf spots in the world, they've got models running to better understand how waves break and they're looking at the setup offshore that creates wave focusing at places like Rincon, Lowers, Pipeline.

CD: I was talking with Adam Wright at Surfline. They've been figuring out things like the fact that a swell of a certain period from one direction will light up Rincon, but if you take one second out of that period, due to the swell's different depth, it will bypass Rincon entirely. That sort of shows the sorts of variables you have to deal with. It's not just sticking down a structure in the water -- there's a whole lot going on.

Billabong Pro Mundaka Over For Today

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:03 +0000

Tuesday, October 21, 2003 at Bakio, Euskadi. Round Two began at Bakio at 3pm, and progressed to the end of Heat 8 by days end. Full RESULTS/STATS via the links at left. The NEWS link has Jesse Faen's latest ASP release round up and the PHOTOS page has Pierre Tostee and Sarge pics.

Results of Round Two: (* = heat completed)
*H1: Kieren Perrow beat Darren O'Rafferty
*H2: Guilherme Herdy beat Damien Hobgood
*H3: Phillip MacDonald beat Peterson Rosa
*H4: Mick Fanning beat Luke Stedman
*H5: Michael Lowe beat Chris Davidson
*H6: Dean Morrison beat Armando Daltro
*H7: Paulo Moura beat Trent Munro
*H8: Kelly Slater beat Nate Yeomans
H9: Taj Burrow vs Tim Curran
H10: Kalani Robb vs Victor Ribas
H11: Luke Egan vs Flavio Padaratz
H12: Daniel Wills vs Shane Powell
H13: Joel Parkinson vs Danilo Costa
H14: Jake Paterson vs Michael Campbell
H15: Taylor Knox vs Lee Winkler
H16: Cory Lopez vs Nathan Hedge

Update One : 9am
The event has moved to nearby Bakio for the day, to finish the remaining first round heats. LIVE SCORES and RESULTS/STATS are on. Due to the remote location, LIVE VIDEOS will not be available. Click links for RESULTS/STATS, surfer profiles on the FAN CLUB page, and more.

ROUND 1 HEATS RESULTS
Winners and second placed progress to Round 2, where they are reseeded, loser eliminated. (* = heat completed) *H1: Red Shea Lopez 3, white Peterson Rosa 1, Yellow Luke Stedman 2;
*H2: Red Michael Lowe 2, White Pat O'Connell 3, Yellow Danilo Costa 1;
*H3: Red Luke Egan 2, White Michael Campbell 1, Yellow Tom Whitaker 3;
*H4: Red Taylor Knox 2, White Neco Padaratz 3, Yellow Tim Curran 1;
*H5: Red Kieren Perrow 1, White Victor Ribas 2, Yellow Tiago Pires 3;
*H6: Red Mick Fanning 2, White Paulo Moura 1, Yellow Adrian Buchan 3;
*H7: Red Joel Parkinson 1, White Trent Munro 2, Yellow Sam Carrier 3;
*H8: Red Andy Irons 3, White Phillip MacDonald 1, Yellow Nate Yeomans 2;
*H9: Red Kelly Slater 1, White Jake Paterson 2, Yellow Iker Fuentes 3;
*H10: Red Taj Burrow 2, White Kalani Robb 1, Yellow Hodei Collazo 3;
*H11: Red Dean Morrison 1, White Guilherme Herdy 2, Yellow Toby Martin 3;
*H12: Red Daniel Wills 1, White Nathan Hedge 2, Yellow Fabio Gouveia 3;
*H13: Red Mark Occhilupo 3, White Shane Powell 2, Yellow Darren O'Rafferty 1;
*H14: Red Cory Lopez 2, White Armando Daltro 1, Yellow Beau Emerton 3;
*H15: Red Damien Hobgood 2, White Chris Davidson 1, Yellow Luke Hitchings 3,
*H16: Red Richard Lovett 3, White Flavio Padaratz 2, Yellow Lee Winkler 1.

A Surfer's Guide For Rubber

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:03 +0000

Click here to view more of Dave Hobrecht's BACKSIDE editorial cartoons.

HUGE THURSDAY - CANCEL EVERYTHING

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:04 +0000

Clear any and all appointments and or dates from your calendar on Thursday May 8th. We've got two important events to you must check out.

The first event is SURF THEATRE!! This month's feature is:

Rip Curl's THIS WAY UP

featuring:

Mick Fanning

Jamie O'Brien

Dane Reynolds

Plus new bonus Jaws footage filmed by Surfline's Sean Collins. Plus a huge raffle including a custom surfboard by Barry Deffenbaugh, a Rip Curl full suit plus Split, Ocean Minded, HSS, Salon 218 and much more!!

Thursday, May 8th, 7 & 9 PM

Mann's Pierside Pavilion 6 Theatres in Huntington Beach

or

Thursday, May 22nd 7&9 PM

Mann's Criterion 6 Theatres on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica!

Need more info? Go to >www.bigredprod.com or call (714) 960-8718.

SECOND BIG EVENT FOR THURDAY MAY 8

"SAVE THE BEACH AND LAGOON" PUBLIC FORUM - May 8, Del Mar, CA

A public forum, entitled "Save the Beach and The Lagoon" will be held at The Powerhouse, 1658 Coast Boulevard, Del Mar, May 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. The event, sponsored by the Friends of the San Dieguito River Valley, is open to the public and free of charge.

The forum will address concerns stemming from some elements of EIR for the San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project to permanently open the river mouth. The Friends of the San Dieguito River Valley are holding this event to present balanced, scientifically accurate information focused on controversial aspects of the project. A panel of environmentalists, scientists and engineers will describe the restoration plan and answer the public's questions.

The forum will be chaired by Former Del Mar Mayor Mark Whitehead. Speakers will include Dick Bobertz, executive director of the San Dieguito River Park; Scott Jenkins, oceanographer, Scripps Institute of Oceanography; Hany Elwany, coastal engineer, Coastal Environments; and David Kay, environmental scientist and project manager, Southern California Edison.

For more information, please contact Mary Farrell at (858) 481-5899.

Wave Crowd

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:04 +0000

Click here to view more of Dave Hobrecht's BACKSIDE editorial cartoons.

poll_contamwater

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:04 +0000

John Severson: Rock & Roar

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:05 +0000

Giddy as a schoolgirl high on Justin Timberlake I stepped through the front door of the Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach. Could it be? Could this be the night that I would come face to face with the man who has steered not only a major course in the direction of my life, but generations upon generations of surfers as well? John Severson, in every sense of the word, is the ultimate surfer.

When Severson released the first issues of SURFER Magazine in 1960 the world as surfers knew it changed forever. Surfing found it's first true and honest media outlet. Fast forward to 2003 and Severson tranquilly lives on a beautiful beach in Maui and splits his time between surfing and painting. Surf media has since blossomed into countless web sites, magazines and video shows. Severson's responsible for quite a lot, yet his attitude and perspective takes credit for very little...humble through and through.

Severson's art and eye for the essence of surfing is unique and unparalleled. The June 21st opening of his show at The Surf Gallery was a brilliant display of his pencil work, watercolor and oil paintings. Every image that explodes from his soul, while being bright and upbeat, is also extremely deep in meaning and rich with energy. His perception of surfing is as the sport and lifestyle should be, positively happy.

As I wandered around the gallery I met up with friends and legends alike. The lineage in the room was unbelievable. One-time SURFER Magazine editor and current publisher of the Surfer's Journal Steve Pezman examined a painting with long-time SURFER photog Tom Servais. Micky Munoz bumped into my girlfriend on the way to the sushi platter while Herbie Fletcher and Jericho Poppler talked a little story outside. The depth of the heritage at the Surf Gallery that night was something to behold.

Being the poor, writer type that I am I didn't have nearly enough cash buy an original painting like I would have liked to, but it wouldn't have mattered much anyway because almost all of the Severson work that hung on the walls had already been sold. I did manage to get Mr. Severson to sign a poster for me, a treasure in and of itself.

In the end I did get to meet John Severson, an event I won't soon forget. We talked about some of the same people we knew in common from back in his Seal Beach days and a little bit about life at SURFER today. For being such an amazing person and contributing so much to the sport of surfing he has remained true to his roots. He is still a surfer first and foremost, and with that comes a smile and stoke to last a lifetime.

The show is running at The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach until July 23rd, and don't worry if you want to buy a Severson original the Gallery has just recently got more in. Click here to check out the current inventory. Or take a peek at Severson's own web site at www.surferart.com. All photos are run courtesy of Sharon Marshall. --Jake Howard

poll_vaca

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:05 +0000

Fake Sharks

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:05 +0000

www.hobrecht.net

Baja Camping

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:05 +0000

www.hobrecht.net

The "Real" Association of Surfing Professionals

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:05 +0000

www.hobrecht.net

The Case for Warning Labels

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:06 +0000

Endangered Species

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:06 +0000

More editorial cartoons from Dave Hobrecht

poll_tighttop

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:06 +0000

2003 Nova Schin Festival

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:08 +0000

November 4, 2003 (Joaquina, Florianopolis, Brasil) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) today moved a major step closer towards clinching a record seventh crown by winning the Nova Schin Festival WCT Brasil over Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, Aus). The US$250,000 ASP World Championship Tournament (WCT) relocated two hours drive south to Imbituba, with round four of kicking off the action. A capacity beach crowd with tens of thousands then watched as the final rounds unfolded this afternoon.
Current ratings after ASP event

1. Kelly Slater (USA) 8,340-points

2. Andy Irons (Haw) 7,692

3. Mick Fanning (Aus) 7,080

4. Taj Burrow (Aus) 7,020

5. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 6,480

6. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 6,420

7. Taylor Knox (USA) 6,000

8. Mick Lowe (Aus) 5,700

9. Dean Morrison (Aus) 5,340

10. Shea Lopez (USA) 5,256

Solid 6ft (2m) surf was on offer at Praia Da Vila, with the best waves seen during the entire event. Long righthanders reminiscent of Haleiwa, Hawaii, gave competitors plenty of room to perform multiple maneuvers down the line.

Slater, fresh from a third WCT win in Spain last event, marked his territory throughout today's business end of the draw with incredible surfing. The 31-year-old posted the only perfect 10 of the tournament, together with the highest combined total of 18.67-points during the quarterfinals. Then in the main decider he created an early lead. The lead changed midway, but the Floridian then nailed his 27th event title with the final's top score of 9.37-points.

"This is the craziest crowd I've ever seen in my life," began Slater, over the deafening sound of thousands surrounding him. "I thought it was mad when I first started, but this is heavy. Andy was really running away there (on the ratings), and we were all trying to play catch up, so to match him with four wins feels amazing.

"I couldn't hear the scores, but I knew Mick got the score he was needing halfway," he continued, of the final itself. "So I needed a good wave, basically, and I guess I pulled it off. I didn't see his last wave, but he's been surfing so well. Neither of us could hear what happened for about two-minutes after, but it's a pretty awesome feeling to come off the beach to applause like that.

"I'm excited," he added, of the coming events in Hawaii. "For me personally, it was real important to try and win this contest after Andy fell out and Taj lost yesterday. Right now everyone is there together at the top... This sea of people is incredible though. You come to Brazil and feel like a rock star."

Fanning had been stopped in four semifinals earlier this season, but finally broke the voodoo to face Slater today. The 2002 ASP 'Rookie of the Year' then took it to the champ and held the lead toward the end after his best 8.17 ride. Following his opponent's last wave however, the 22-year-old required an additional 8.21 score. He caught another, but only posted a 7.93 and was forced to settle with his second consecutive runner-up finish in Brazil.

2003 Surfer Poll & Video Awards: Nominees

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:08 +0000

For Mens and Womens SURFER Poll Results click here.

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Best Performance
Male/Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Best Performance
Male/Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Cinematography
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Cinematography
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Guts For Glory
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Guts For Glory
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Best Tube Ride
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Best Tube Ride
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Best Wipeout
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Best Wipeout
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Most Radical Manuever
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Most Radical Manuever
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Video of the Year
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Video of the Year
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Photo of the Year
Nominees

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Photo of the Year
Nominees

WMP 7 BROADBAND

AND THE WINNER
IS...

QUICKTIME BROADBAND

Breakthrough Performer
of the Year

WMP 7 BROADBAND

Breakthrough Performer
of the Year

2003 BILLABONG PRO JBAY: Slaters Slays 'Em

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:10 +0000

Monday July 21, 2003 (Jeffreys Bay, South Africa) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) today claimed the Billabong Pro after an inspired week of surfing. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) resumed with remaining round three heats this morning and then progressed all the through to it's climax this afternoon.

Great 4-6 ft (1.6-2m) surf was on offer. Unfavorable Northwest 'Devil' winds came and went throughout the day, but warm weather and sunshine added to the epic finish of the 2003 event.

Slater - the 1996 event champ - was pitted against fellow Floridian Damien Hobgood in the 35-minute decider. Having posted four of the top combined scores of the tournament - including the benchmark of 19.5 (out of 20) in round three, and six of the top 10 waves scored - including the only perfect 10, he was clearly the form surfer during this year's Billabong Pro.
Current Ratings (after JBay)

1. Andy Irons (Haw) 5,280
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 4,620
3. Kieren Perrow (USA) 4,416
4. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 4,356
5. Mick Fanning (Aus) 4,320
6. CJ Hobgood (USA) 4,140
7. Taj Burrow (Aus) 4,080
8. Cory Lopez (USA) 3,936
9. Dean Morrison (Aus) 3,852
10. Damien Hobgood (USA) 3,792

While Hobgood earned the first good score of the final, his opponent answered immediately back with a near-perfect 9.47 - following more of the incredible floaters and vertical re-entries he's performed all event. He then caught a succession of quick waves and continued to increase his lead, before nailing it on his last wave for an 8.93. On this, he executed a couple of snaps and another long floater, before pulling off a carving reverse 360 - similar to what last year's champion Mick Fanning had done to win.

Today's victory earned the 31-year-old his 25th major WCT title (2nd this year), another US$30,000 and most significantly for him, a jump from 6th into second on the current ASP ratings. Only 660-points now separate him from reigning world champ and ratings leader Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw).

"I feel so good," began an emotional Slater. "It came together for me. The week started off so badly, as I was in New York and missed my flight, but I just had to get back on the job. I got myself focused and just stayed really positive.

"After my third wave which was my big score, I knew all I really had to do was get something close to his first score and the pressure would be on," he continued, of the match itself. "I was so stoked we made the final together. I remember seeing him and his brother CJ paddling out in contests when they were like six-years-old and I was about 12. It's just so cool to see a bunch of guys from my area all doing the tour together and be doing so well. It's a great feeling.

"Game's on," he added, of the 2003 world title race. "It's kind of the dream scenario for me. Andy (Irons) was at the top and lost first, and then other guys started dropping out around the 9th and 5th (place) rounds. Then all the guys ahead of me were gone, so it just makes us all more even and gives me a better chance to be where I want to. If I can just keep my contest head together the way it is now, I think it'll work out."

Hobgood - in his first WCT final - waited patiently throughout and only really caught two rides. The 24-year-old managed two good scores however, and required an 8.44 toward the end. While he did take off on another wave, Slater held priority further down the line and ultimately turned the ride into one of his best. Nonetheless, Damien secured his best result to date and moved from 14th into 10th on the ratings.

"I was trying to get it out of my head who I was against and just catch some good waves," admitted Hobgood afterward. "I started off with an OK first wave, but when I was paddling out I saw Kelly get that crazy one. It actually wasn't even that good of a wave, but he just blew the bag out of it and turned it into a really good score. I got another wave that was better, but I took a long time and still needed to better my first.

"I had the 9th plague going on," he joked, of failing to progress further all year. "I'm stoked to make it out of that round and then end up in the final."

Equal third were Taylor Knox (CA, USA) and world #4 Taj Burrow (West Australia). Knox, who had actually placed runner-up twice previously (1996 & '01) in the Billabong Pro, was stopped one round earlier by a rampaging Slater. Still, the California still secured his best result of the season and moved into 16th position.

"He was surfing so good all day," began Knox. "This whole event he's been on fire, so I knew I had to lift my game. Unfortunately by the end I still needed a couple of big scores and was just trying to save face. He was by far the best surfer this event, so to be beaten... to be the best you've got to beat the best."

GLOBE-GALLAZ PRO INFO

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:10 +0000

/globegallaz

Foster's PST WQS Men's 2 Star / Women's 1 Star
PRESS RELEASE
($25,000 / $5,000)
Surfer Surf Shop Challenge
Op Girls Learn To Ride

The Globe - Gallaz Pro brings a surfing tradition back to Oceanside Harbor's North Jetty, home to some of the surfing world's most memorable bouts. Top ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) surfers will compete in the only men's and women's San Diego stop on the 2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour.
FOSTER'S PRO SURFING TOUR (Foster's PST)
The Globe - Gallaz Pro is the third of 10 events on the 2003 Foster's Pro Surfing Tour. It is the only men's/women's Foster's PST Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) surfing event in San Diego. The Globe - Gallaz Pro kicks off summer and is an important stepping-stone to the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA.
SURFER SHOP TEAM CHALLENGE
The Surfer Shop Team Challenge is open to 12 shop teams. Shops between San Diego and Orange County are eligible to enter. The four-man shop teams will consist of two team riders and two surf shop employees. The winning team will be bringing home a one-page, four-color ad in Surfer magazine, $1,000 in Globe - Gallaz product, and a healthy supply of Foster's beer.
OP GIRLS LEARN TO RIDE
Op Girls Learn To Ride has created a series of girls-only action sports clinics designed to give females of all ages the basic skills and confidence necessary to participate in skateboarding, surfing, motocross, wakeboarding and snowboarding with over 45 events throughout the United States and Canada.

Fantasy Surfer Game

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:10 +0000

Dana Point, CA--Surfing and Surfer Magazine, part of Primedia's Action Sports Group, have announced a partnership VANS Triple Crown of Surfing to launch an online fantasy surfing game. The game is powered by Big Grin Entertainment Group.

"Everyone knows that fantasy sports online is a huge and growing market," said Scott Bass, online editorial director for the ASG. "We're stoked to partner with VANS to bring this kind of online excitement to the action sports arena."

The game is simple. Build a team of eight surfers per event. The catch is the $10 million salary cap which limits your choices--you'll have to pick some darkhorses. Your team will accumulate points for the entire Triple Crown of Surfing. The team with the most points at the end of the VANS Triple Crown of Surfing wins the free trip for two to Fiji provided by STA Travel. Other prizes include VANS backpacks and shoes and other items.

The game launched on Oct. 28 and continues through the Pipe Masters event in mid-December.

Contacts:
ASG: Chris Smith, chris.smith @primedia.com; Scott Bass, scott.bass@primedia.com
VANS: Paul Kersh, pkersh@vans.com

FANTASY SURFER GAME

poll_wtrmen

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:10 +0000

Sullivan Wins Xcel Pro

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:11 +0000

November 5th, 2003
3:30 P.M.
Sunset Beach, North Shore, Hi- The 20th Annual Xcel Pro has been completed in six to eight foot surf at Sunset Beach in perfect off shore conditions. Winning the event for the third time in six years was the north shore's veteran Pancho Sullivan.

Sullivan took advantage of the west peaks as he drove hard off the top and bottom of every set wave he caught to take a commanding lead through the thirty-five minute final. Last year's winner Fred Pattachia made a gallant effort in the last eight minutes of the heat as he waited deeper in the Sunset Point take off zone and scored a 9.5 score on a huge tube ride with fourty seconds left, to go from fourth to second place. Rounding the final was Nick Muscroft from Australia and eighteen year old Nathan Carroll from Sunset Beach ending fourth.

In the Longboard Expression Session, Haleiwa's Dino Miranda took first with Kapono Nihina from Wahiawa second and Joey Valentin third.

Results;

$25,000.00
ASP WQS two star event

1st, Pancho Sullivan, $5000

2nd, Fred Pattachia, $2500

3rd, Nick Muscroft, $2000

4th, Nathan Carroll, $1500

=5th Gavin Beschen,Myles Padaca, $1200

=7th Matt Thompson,Shinpei Horiguchi, $1000

=9th Marcus Hickman,Love Hodel,Mark Healy, Kaipo Jaquias, $800

=13th Anthony Walsh,Jonah Morgan,Jason Shibata,Ross Williams, $600

Longboard Final Results
$1000

1st, Dino Miranda, $500

2nd, Kapono Nahina, $300

3rd, Joey Valentin, $200

4th, Kanoa Dahlin

5th, Kai Sallas

6th, Lance Hookano

7th, Ned Snow

8th, Kekoa Auwae

Website
Info: Xcelwetsuits.com

Phone
Lines: 596-7873 (Surf News Network Surf line)

Sponsors- Freestyle Watches/American Savings/Hawaii Tourism Authority

poll_plyboy

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:11 +0000

2003 QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:11 +0000

Update #2

October 2, 2003 (Hossegor, France) Wildcard entrants continued their ominous campaigns in the Quiksilver Pro France today. Remaining first round heats were completed in the US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT), before the threat of a major storm stopped organizers from progressing further.

Great 4ft (1.3m) waves were on offer at Les Bourdaines, improving as the tide decreased and clean right and lefthanders graced the lineup.

Picking up where Australian Troy Books left off yesterday, local French wildcard Frederick Robin showed no nerves against Jake Paterson (West Aus) and reigning world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw). The Quiksilver Pro France trialist was all-class on his backhand, displaying the calm confidence of a seasoned campaigner, despite being in one of his first WCT heats. Paterson and Irons now have to contest the dreaded 'losers' second round.

"I waited for some good waves and just surfed without pressure," reasoned Robin. "It went well for me, and I had fun. It's good to be at home in France with all the people behind you."

Patrick Beven - another local French wildcard - did likewise the following match with a brilliant backhand attack to hold off an equally in-form Kalani Robb (Haw), as well as world #2 Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast, Aus). Robb actually posted the best single score so far with a 9.43, but still required another ride worth 7.73-points to catch Beven's lead.

"I feel great," began Beven. "I caught all the best waves. There was a bit of hassling in the water, but I did my job. I didn't have anything to lose, and know those guys can get big scores easily, so I just tried to stay on the inside position and wait. It's great as all my friends are here watching and I can show my potential."

Six-time world champ Kelly Slater (FL, USA) fought back against defending Quiksilver Pro France winner Neco Padaratz (Brz) and Trials champion Tiago Pires (Port). Padaratz led from the start, but Slater took control with a long lefthander, scoring an 8.1. The Brazilian then snapped his board as he attempted to regain the lead, while Pires was unable to find any high scoring rides.

"I hadn't surfed a wave in three weeks before that heat and I rode a new board, so I was trying to get used to it," admitted Slater. "I started getting it going towards the end and found some scores to hold Neco off. Being the defending champ he's wanting to win every heat, even more than usual, so it felt good to get a win over him.

"I'm glad I get the next round off so I can practice some more," he continued. "Andy has to surf the next round, as he didn't look on at all this morning. His timing was off, and he seems to be going through a strange period these past few events, but I'm sure he'll turn it around quick enough."

West Australian Taj Burrow set the pace in this morning's opening heat, earning a 9.33 and the highest combined total of 17.66-points. Against wildcard Jonathan Gonzalez (Canary Is.) and Pat O'Connell (CA, USA), the current ratings #3 dominated with his light-footed approach, performing multiple maneuvers in the tightest of spaces.

"I just tried to stall the organizers as long as I could, as I knew it was going to get better," explained Burrow, of the two-hour wait prior to their match. "When we got out there it was fun. I had a bit of shaky start, but as the tide dropped I managed to get a couple of really good scores and was stoked.

"I'm pretty happy with the ratings and am comfortable with where I'm sitting," he added, of the title race. "I'm excited about the coming events."

Brazilian Guilherme Herdy sealed his opening round win on a fantastic righthander toward the end of his clash with Taylor Knox (CA, USA) and fellow countryman Fabio Gouveia. 'Herdy' worked his way down the line with strong backhand surfing, collecting an 8.27 and third round berth.

"I'm so stoked as I had a problem with my knee last week," explained Herdy. "I haven't been able to train or surf, but then I got some good waves so I thank God."

Australian Shane Powell (Avoca) was another standout, earning a 9.0 on a great righthander. He defeated Damien Hobgood (FL, USA), who finished a close second, and good friend and fellow countryman Beau Emerton (Gold Coast). Chris Davidson (Narrabeen) then controlled the final heat of the round against fellow Australians Luke Hitchings (Bronte) and Richie Lovett (Manly) - winner of the previous WCT in California.

A decision will be made tomorrow morning at 9am (local time) as to the day's schedule.

Quiksilver Pro France Round One Heats (1st>Rnd 3; 2nd, 3rd>Rnd 2)
H7: Taj Burrow (Aus) 17.66; Jonathan Gonzalez (Spn) 12.5; Pat O'Connell (Aus) 11.84
H8: Frederick Robin (Fra) 14.33; Jake Paterson (Aus) 13.17; Andy Irons (Haw) 10.67
H9: Patrick Beven (Fra) 17.16; Kalani Robb (Haw) 16.7; 12. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 12.2
H10: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.1; Neco Padaratz (Brz) 14.76; Tiago Pires (Port) 11.5
H11: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 14.77; Taylor Knox (USA) 14.0; Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 13.3
H12: Shane Powell (Aus) 16.73; Damien Hobgood (USA) 15.67; Beau Emerton (Aus) 11.77
H13: Armando Daltro (Brz) 13.5; Danilo Costa (Brz) 10.7; Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 9.67
H14: Shea Lopez (USA) 15.53; Phil MacDonald (Aus) 12.67; Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 12.27
H15: Daniel Wills (Aus) 14.53; Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 13.77; Lee Winkler (Aus) 10.33
H16: Chris Davidson (Aus) 15.0; Luke Hitchings (Aus) 13.2; Richard Lovett (Aus) 11.9

For more information: www.quiksilver.com/profrance

GLOBE-GALLAZ PRO DAY 2

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:12 +0000

/globegallaz

width="430" height="315" border="0">

usemap="#Map">

GLOBE - GALLAZ PRO
DAY 2: JULY 18, 2003

Day Two Video

Being behind in a heat isn't always the most fun-filled of all experiences. Actually, that would be quite to the contrary. It's bunk. You either can sit out the back and fake like you're some patient guru, or else grovel and probably end up looking like a dork in the process. It's really that simple.
That's where relatively unknown shralper Ola Eleogram had the pleasure to find himself today, 100-feet seaward from the drab features of this past 18 July 2003, amidst a sparest of wind-blown, 4-foot Oceanside peaks sometime near two in the afternoon dial. And like some thousand young shapers before him, he had to be feeling the cringe, here 2,000 miles from his perfectly nice home in Hana, Maui, floating on the guts of an early round loss, when all he wanted to do was become rich, famous, and the winner of a prestigious professional surfing event. This was not part of the plan. So why would it have to be?
Sitting out there waiting with the minutes burning down, he must have been rather agitated, considering what others had already accomplished with this same slop engaging to ruin his day. Every thought must have stung: there was Rob Machado, the self-described "Crafty Veterans" down the beach doo-da, whistling through 8.0 rides that if you didn't know him could most well be taken as a stunning disrespect to the others attempting to ride along his side. A laughing stock, I tell ya.
And who would want to be a part of that? Well, at this point Ola wouldn't even be able to ponder. If he went down now he'd never get the chance. Not like local mysto thrasher Jeremy Sommerville, who'd already posted the day's undisputed dump float deluxe worth 8.5, or even Santa Barbara's Bobby Martinez, with his take on a backside wacking wind-up toy for 8.25. These guys, they would still have their chance at the "skinny ninny," or at least to be made out as stuffy, slow motion geeks by him. But this Hawaiian kid, with last-place secure, he was doing just fine on his own. That's contests.
However, with three minutes to the buzzer, the relatively unknown Eleogram turned around for one of the more solid waves of the day and dug into four strong, relaxed strokes. What he applied over the next 20 seconds was nothing less than a stellar display of fundamental frontside power surfing, and one he didn't deny until absolutely necessary, 2-feet from the grimy sand. Hustling back out, the score was revealed: 9.0. With the comps highest score thus far, the kid had moved from fourth to first, and into another chance tomorrow, even though he did later call the wave "overscored." Which is probably why you're reading about him today. Hagan Kelley

coords="153,16,198,33" href="/globe_bios">
href="/globe_video">

SurfNRG East Coast Tour Update - 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:12 +0000

For more info go to: http://www.surfnrg.com

A MOVIE OF "GIANT" PROPORTIONS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000

A year's worth of shooting, interviewing, editing, re-editing, vacillating, hemming, hawing, debating, watching, thinking, revising, talking, meeting and phone-calling later, and we have what amounts to one of the best surf movies ever made. At least that's what I've been told. You see, I haven't seen Riding Giants. But I've heard plenty about it, considering the fact that my prolix editor here at SURFER magazine (Sam George) has poured his heart, soul and (ahem) attention into this matter for the past year. The brainchild of documentary filmmaker and skateboarding legend Stacy Peralta, Riding Giants is the follow-up to his 2002 debut Dogtown and Z-Boys, and last week Peralta had the honor of seeing his film open up the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Riding Giants is a documentary film in the same vein as Dogtown and Z-Boys, this time exploring the lives and passions of big-wave surfers from around the globe, though centering primarily on three epochs of big-wave surfing as seen through the eyes of their chief proponents. These epochs being early big-wave discovery on the North Shore with Greg Noll, the discovery of Maverick's with Jeff Clark, and the tow-in revolution with Laird Hamilton. Given the recent rash of mainstream media attention devoted to surfing (and big-wave surfing in particular), it's nice to have a surfer's story told by surfers themselves. For their part, George and Peralta took painstaking effort not to sensationalize or dramatize the already dramatic act of riding big surf, opting instead to allow the surfers to tell the story. "We've tried to infuse the story with the freedom of surfing," says my editor and soon-to-be Hollywood bigwig Sam George. "Big-wave riding is the backdrop against which the story of surfing is told in this movie," he says, adding that the greatest compliment he received at Sundance '04 was that most attending surfers said that the movie made them proud to be surfers.

An impressively thorough history results from this film, one that maddened George in the writing as he struggled to punctuate such an exhaustive history in the confining space of a one-and-a-half hour film. But from lost footage of Greg Noll's epic day at Makaha, through Clark's pioneering at Maverick's to the most cutting-edge views of Hamilton and towing at Peahi, the film is said to be as representative a surf film as possible.

And you may be stoked to find that Riding Giants is going to be available well beyond the confines of your local surf shop. No, after opening the Sundance Film Festival, the film's producers set about selling the film for a handsome sum to Sony Pictures Classics, which means that you'll get the chance to scope it on the big screen soon enough, with possible theater release in late 2004.

As for the premiere, Sam George, Stacy Peralta, Laird Hamilton and Co. were rubbing elbows with Hollywood elite for a night and the better part of a week, and it's hopefuls that the success of Riding Giants will inspire other documentary films of the same ilk.

And as for the staff at SURFER, we have our editor back, and a film to look forward to, which is, well, a giant accomplishment of its own. --Brad Melekian

VIDEO ARCHIVE

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000

Untitled Document

SURFERMAG.COM VIDEO ARCHIVE

SHARK ATTACK QUIK PRO SCHNAPPER PIPEMASTERS 1

FLEA @ MAVS JAMIE O'BRIEN PIPE TRIALS

GARRETT JAWS REEF GIRLS BOOST MOBILE' 02

GARRETT T'HUPOO L'BOARDERS PIPE POOR SPECIMEN

G-LOVE MALIBU HANSEN'S PRO PIPE OP PRO BOAT 2001

BOUNTY HUNTERS FREEDOM VIDEO GERR WIPEOUT

MENTAWAI SEIMOA N.COUNTY COMRADES INDO MAGIC

ODYSSEY CHILE GERLACH/HOBGOOD

RIDING WAVES FREE HAWAII

INDO JUNE BLOOM JAWS EXPRESSION

2004 Detroit Auto Show: Top 10 Vehicle for Active Lifestyles

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000

Untitled Document 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
The long-rumored Jeep "Scrambler" was unveiled with other Chrysler convertibles as the Wrangler Unlimited. This 2004.5 model measures 15 inches longer than a typical Wrangler. The added length is split, with 13 inches more cargo space and two more inches of rear legroom, creating a more functional, more livable all-terrain sport/ute. This long-wheelbase model promises improved on-road ride quality, while retaining the legendary Jeep off-road prowess, as engineers were keen to retain a 20-degree minimum breakover angle. Powered by a 4.0-liter/190-horse inline-six, the Unlimited boasts a 3500-lb towing capacity, besting the regular Wrangler by 1500 lbs. The larger Jeep has a large cloth top for foul weather and security that features a large 45x23-inch center flap to create a massive sunroof. Look for this mighty Wrangler to reach dealerships in April.
2005 Ford Freestyle
The crossover segment is about to get as crowded as the "F" section of the Ford product catalog with the Freestyle nearing production. Blending attributes of a wagon, minivan, and sport/utility vehicle, the Freestyle offers command seating, three passenger rows, flexible interior, abundant storage, and Volvo-inspired structure. Cargo capacity rivals many SUVs, with 47.4 cubic feet behind the second-row, measuring 49.7 inches deep. The Freestyle features a single powertrain, a 3.0-liter/200-hp V-6 with a continuously variable transmission offered in choice of front or all-wheel drive. While numerous safety elements are standard, such as ABS, the standout protection can be found in an optional package with side airbags and Safety Canopy to protect all three rows. The Freestyle goes on sale in fall 2004.

2005 Lexus RX 400h
Lexus unveiled the production RX 400h luxury sport/utility vehicle, emerging as the first automaker to prove hybrid vehicles can be about more than near-zero emissions and high fuel economy. This new model features a more powerful, more advanced version of the hybrid drivetrain found in the 2004 Motor Trend Car of the Year Toyota Prius. While the 400h achieves 36 city/31 highway mpg and meets California's Super-Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) requirements, it is the power and its delivery that excites us. The electric-enhanced V-6-based powertrain will produce approximately 270 horsepower, a full 40 horses more than the RX 330. Insiders confide that it is the torque that really impresses, giving the 400h the pull of a V-8. Further defying conventional wisdom, the all-wheel-drive variant reportedly recovers more energy (heightening efficiency) and delivers more acceleration. Beyond the powertrain, the 400h will Vehicle Dynamic Management (VDM), a more advanced version of the automaker's stability control system. Throw in a 600-mile range, and the RX 400h makes being green more appealing than ever.

2005 Nissan Frontier
Nissan crashed the full-size truck party with the Titan, boldly confronting the domestic manufacturers with a powerful, aggressively styled truck that can hold its own. This same spirit, and even design flair, has been applied to the all-new 2005 Frontier. In fact, the Frontier borrows heavily from its big brother, with a fully boxed, all-steel frame; steel double-wishbone front suspension and rigid leaf rear suspension; factory spray-in bedliner; and convenient bed-rail system. For the new generation, the Frontier grows in length, and extends its wheelbase by nearly 10 inches. Also bigger is the powerplant, now a VQ-series 4.0-liter V-6 producing 250-plus horsepower and 270-plus lb-ft of torque. The DOHC engine will be offered with a five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission. Basic truck configurations include King Cab and Crew Cab, each available in two-wheel and four-wheel drive. The 2005 Frontier will arrive at dealers nationwide in winter 2004.

Ford Bronco
The legendary Bronco is back as Ford re-explores the origins of the sport/utility vehicle in this concept. Key design features reminiscent of the original Ford Bronco include the boxy upright roofline, short wheelbase, round headlamps, a winch and guide rollers integrated into the lower fascia, and the Bronco nameplate milled into the modern three-bar grille. The roof features separate removable sections for open-air driving, giving the look and feel of the "Baja Broncos" of the early 1970s. Exterior details include exposed door hinges, cowl vents, flared wheelwells, and unique loop-shaped door handles integrated into the door. The Bronco concept mates a 2.0-liter/128-hp intercooled turbodiesel with six-speed PowerShift transmission and Intelligent 4WD system for a powerful, sure-footed off-roader, and adds nitrous-oxide injection for a temporary 50-horse burst of power at the driver's fingertips.

Honda SUT
Despite denials, rumors that Honda is developing its own version of a pickup truck were to be believed. In Detroit, Honda unveiled the SUT (sport/utility truck) concept, demonstrating its unique take on the pickup market. The development focus was the "active dad," translating into a family-focused vehicle that emphasizes car-like characteristics yet boasts truck-grade toughness for weekend adventuring. The unibody truck has seating for five, along with a five-foot cargo bed for toys like ATVs. The SUT is powered by a VTEC V-6, with output estimated to be in the 240- to 260-horsepower range. Ride and handling are aided by a fully independent suspension. On the safety front, the SUT concept features vehicle stability assist, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, and four-wheel ABS. Bed bonus points awarded for exterior speakers. SUT production at the Alliston, Ontario, plant will begin in 2005.

Jeep Rescue
Designed to be a rugged search-and-rescue vehicle in the most extreme situations and unforgiving conditions, Chrysler says its five-seat Rescue concept is the ultimate execution of a Jeep off-road vehicle. Powered by a Cummins Diesel, the Jeep Rescue's primary mission is rescue capability, and its list of high-tech rescue and safety equipment includes: AC electric power (10 kW) generation in the field; 3-D topographical mapping software and topographical navigation system; under-chassis, point-of-view cameras for avoiding danger in its path; passive, infrared cameras for search and rescue; satellite telephone, VHF radio, and digital video recorder with satellite transmission; high-tech lighting; and front and back remote-control winches. Built to survive anything in its way, Rescue rides on an 80-inch wide chassis with 123-inch wheelbase and 37-inch run-flat tires, and the front hydropneumatic suspension combines with the heavy-duty link-coil rear suspension to give the Rescue solid footing on all types of terrain. Forget the St. Bernard; bring on the Jeep Rescue!

Mitsubishi Sport Truck
With the unveiling of its four-passenger Sport Truck concept, Mitsubishi has revealed its belief that a pickup truck can be both functional and fun to drive. Designed to appeal to urban customers who are always on the move, the Sport Truck Concept's exterior styling is sporty yet rugged. Developed on Dodge's next-gen Dakota platform, the heart of the Sport Truck Concept beats with a powerful V-8 engine mated to an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission. The transmission features a dial-type shifter knob which, rotated into the D+ mode, allows for sporty paddle shifting through controls mounted on the steering wheel. Beyond the practical utility of a truck, the concept also features a four-wheel independent suspension and 22-inch custom alloy wheels for the sophisticated ride and performance more commonly associated with sport sedans. Large "barn-style" side doors open outwards to provide maximum access to an interior finished with chic, modern materials, and outfitted with an assortment of high-tech gadgetry and infinitely variable LED lighting.

Toyota FTX
Criticized for offering two-generations of not-quite-full-size pickups in a market segment absolutely dominated by the domestic manufacturers, Toyota has learned a lesson from the Nissan Titan -- come out swinging. While the next-generation Tundra isn't scheduled until 2006, the FTX concept truck is intended to make a strong statement that the next pickup will indeed be a big player in the high-volume category. Tundra to the extreme, the FTX is a huge machine measuring 19 feet long and nearly seven feet wide, with a bed edge that is eye-level. Ready for off-road adventures, this 4x4 wears 37-inch tires and isolates passengers from trail harshness with suspension-fitted seats. Retractable side step rails aid ingress/egress, and even cargo loading. A hidden ramp at the rear helps roll heavy items or recreation machines into the bed. This concept features a hybrid V-8 powertrain, reportedly under consideration for the next Tundra, though it will not be offered at launch.

Volkswagen concept T
True to tradition, Volkswagen used the Detroit show to unveil a surprising concept vehicle. For the concept T, VW designers looked deep into the company's history, drawing inspiration from the Kubelwagen and the Beetle-based dune buggies, and then looked to the future to identify a micro-niche in the crowded SUV segment to shoehorn an innovative vehicle into. The result is an off-road coupe fitted with a 214-hp V-6, Tiptronic transmission, 4Motion all-wheel drive, and wild, Speed Buggy styling. The sweeping doors move outward and swing upward to aid ingress/egress. The roof is made of two removable parts to enable open-air beach cruising. The interior boasts latest technology with a Personal Mobility Gateway (PMG) wireless communication system. The PMG uses a portable PDA-like device that controls functions such as air conditioning and navigation system. VW officials suggest this concept is more than a fanciful design, leaving us wondering about the potential for a platform- and drivetrain-sharing sport/ute coupe.

poll_under

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000

poll_smoking

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000

Moonshine's Laguna Conspiracy

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000

The Moonshine Festival -- A Biased Review

By Chris Dixon

Ever since leaving his job as editor of Surfer's Travel Reports, Will Pennartz has done pretty well for himself. Two years ago, on wing and a prayer, he opened up The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach. Since that time, Will has held exhibitions of many of the surf world's best, brightest and most visionary iconoclasts, photographers and artists. And with his gallery, the tall boy from New Jersey has filled a hole in Surf Culture that most of us didn't even know existed.

Pennartz Chats with Bolton Colburn,
Curator of the Laguna Art Museum

So, what was next for our surfing/artisting marketing savant? Well, on September 1^st and 2^nd, Will teamed up with The Moonshine Conspiracy's Chris Malloy to create an unprecedented arts and music event called the Moonshine Festival. This first of what will hopefully become an annual event blew the minds of the 600 or so who were able to get in the door of a very cool venue in Laguna Beach called Seven Degrees. The Festival was held as a benefit for The Surfing Heritage Foundation, a group headed by Dick Metz and Surfer's Journal wonderman Steve Pezman to name a few. The Foundation's ultimate goal is to establish a world-class stand-alone surf museum that would house a permanent collection comparable to that which is currently traveling around the Pacific Rim as the Surf Culture exhibit. If the Moonshine Festival was any indication of the caliber of fundraisers that Pez and Metz can expect in the future, I'd say their goal has a reasonable chance of succeeding.

Chris Malloy Gives the Intro to Steve Pezman

"I would go and hang at the Surf Gallery with Will," said Chris Malloy. "I sort of expressed to him that the guys I work with on my films -- the artists, musicians and surfers -- it was sort of sad because they had so much to offer but there was only so much that we could feature in the films. If we could bring them all together in an event, we figured the benefit would be exponential."

"This was more about getting people together than about turning a giant profit," he continued. "And it just so happened that my honeymoon was to fall on the same night. If it hadn't been such a cool event, I don't think my fiancé would have agreed to put it off for a few days."

And it was a damn cool event. Here, some of the most respected artists and photographers in the surf world had their work mingled with the music of Jack Johnson, G-Love, Rocco DeLuca, Donovan Frankenreiter, Ken Garcia and an unbelievable Australian named Xavier Rudd.

"The one thing I have to say," said Malloy, "is that it was unique. Having film, art and music at the same venue happening at the same time was uniqe. But it fit so well. We made a real effort so that you could stand in any part of the room and be involved in the works at any place you were."

John Swift and Fernie

So what were the highlights? Well, Scott Soens' longboard photos were simply sick. Ben Harper's brother Peter displayed a few very cool bronze sculptures. Branden Aroyan had a wall to display photos and the cleverly designed long-distance paddle surfboards that he, Ross Garrett, Dan and Keith Malloy used to paddle and surf along the Central California coast for an upcoming Surfer feature. Dan even auctioned off a handmade, wooden Tom Blake-style paddleboard that he and his pops made on their ranch in Ojai.

Dan, Ross and Keith paddled and surfed these
boards along 60 miles of California coast.

From behind the wheel of his beat up white van, and mobile home, Thomas Campbell always seems to be in search of life, surf and subject matter. He had an impressive wall art display and also showed a promo for a longboard film he's working on called The Seedling. Keep an eye out for this one, it's going to be truly amazing. Also on the walls were works by Norcal's Barry McGee and Margaret Kilgallen, and Wolfgang Bloch showed quite a collection of his stark, striking studies of breaking waves.

Performances and exhibitions on the second night of the festival included skateboarder Ray Barbee's guitar stylings and a folk music gathering with Jon Swift. There was a preview of Chris and Emmett Malloy's pending surf film and then this barefoot Aussie got up onstage. His name was Xavier Rudd, and he showed up with three didgeridoos, foot drums, harmonica and a slide guitar. "He's a kid I met in Australia," said Malloy, "He came up to me and was very bashful and humble. He said, 'It's so nice to meet you, I've really enjoyed your films'. We had a beer that night and I watched him play. I was blown away."

Xavier Rudd blew the crowd away.

For the first few minutes of Xavier's set, the noisy crowd paid him little attention. But within a few minutes, more and more people began to gather around the small stage. The background noise diminished as this human force of nature absolutely ripped through one of the most amazing performances I have ever seen. Cross Bob Dylan, Midnight Oil, and maybe Arlo Guthrie and you could get a small hint of this kid's talent. By his last song, the place was going nuts. Then came Jack Johnson and G-Love -- amazing of course. They were soon joined onstage by Donovan, who killed it with an improvised Hendrix tune. Eventually everyone, including Xavier was onstage jamming. If you weren't there, I hope these words have done the show a little justice, because it was frickin' awesome. Afterwards, people just shook their heads and smiled.

What Would you pay a scalper to see Jack Johnson
and G-Love from this far away on acoustics?

In the end, the that thing that was so terrific, or such a bummer, about the Moonshine Festival, was its intimacy. On the one hand, it was such a priveledge to be at the kind of event where Kelly Slater, Jack Johnson, G-Love and the Malloys could walk around without being accosted by hordes of fans. On the other hand, a lot of people who would have loved the event simply couldn't come because tickets were so scarce. That problem, if you want to call it a problem, may be partially solved next year if the Moonshiners and Pennartz are able to hold the event at a larger venue they've got their eye on. I hope so, though if it does go down at a larger space, folks like Kelly won't be able to just be part of the crowd. That's the price of fame I guess.

Impressive boys. Can't wait to see what you come up with next year.

Click here to visit www.xavierrudd.com
There's an amazing performance on his multimedia page or MP3's on his CD Page.

Rip Curl Cup Sunset Beach 2003

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:15 +0000

Friday, December 5, 2003 (Sunset Beach, Haw) West Australian Jake Paterson today won the Rip Curl Cup with an inspired performance. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) resumed this morning with round three heats, running all the way through to its climax and crowning of the 2003 event winner. A Foster's Expression Session was also held this afternoon.

Great 8-10 ft (3m) surf was on offer throughout the day from an ideal northwest direction. Huge barrels exploded on the inside bowl section, with scores of epic tube rides enthralling the strong beach crowd, including Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis who was on hand to witness the amazing display.
SHOWDOWN AT PIPELINE
Official ASP Top 10 Ratings after Rip Curl Cup, WCT#11/12

1. Kelly Slater (USA) 8,340-points
2. Andy Irons (Haw) 8,244
3. Taj Burrow (Aus) 7,344
4. Mick Fanning (Aus) 7,080
5. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 6,480
6. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 6,420
7. Taylor Knox (USA) 6,000
8. Michael Lowe (Aus) 5,820
9. Jake Paterson (Aus) 5,772
10. Dean Morrison (Aus) 5,718

Paterson, in his first WCT final of the season, created an early lead over opponents Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw), Shane Dorian (Kona, Haw) and fellow West Australian Taj Burrow. With some of the most critical forehand snaps and powerful carves of the entire tournament, he posted a 9.07 and then another 8.57 for the highest combined points total of the 2003 Rip Curl Cup. By doing so, the 30-year-old claimed his fourth WCT career victory, pocketed US$30,000 and jumped into 9th position on the current ratings.

Additionally, he added his name alongside older brother Paul's to the Rip Curl Cup honor roll (1996 winner) - therefore making them the second brothers act since Hawaiians Michael and Derek Ho claimed their respective Cups more than a decade ago. More importantly though, he's now leading the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing ratings following his finals berth at nearby Haleiwa in the recent World Qualifying Series (WCT) event. Having previously won the Pipeline Masters in 1998, the West Australian is a clear favorite heading into the all-important final tournament at the same venue.

"The Davis Cup Australian team last week were (my) inspiration," began an elated Paterson, after being carried up the beach by fellow Aussie competitors. "I just dug deep, and it came down to whoever wanted it the most. I saw those other guys struggling and Andy said he was cramping out there, so it just made me want it even more (laughs). I was frothing. It hurts more to lose than the pain you've got to go through.

"He told me the tide was getting lower and the waves actually bigger, so I should paddle around everyone and sit out the back," he explained of brother Paul's pre-final advice. "It really worked for me and I got some nice, open faced waves, so he probably made me win.

"I can't wait for next week," he continued. "This makes it all exciting. The title race is alive and kicking. I'm leading the Triple Crown... I love this game (laughs). Any final in Hawaii is a dream, but two in a row is incredible. We really had to perform today, so I'm over the moon and can't believe it. To be carried up the beach by your mates is just the best feeling in the world."

Reigning world champ Andy Irons was arguably the form surfer of the Rip Curl Cup today, posting three of the event's top four single wave scores en-route to his runner-up finish. Most significantly, the Kauaian earned the only perfect 10 of the tournament in the 30-minute decider, but still required another 7.64 to catch Paterson's lead.

Nonetheless, the 25-year-old bridged a huge ratings gap and is now only 96-points behind Kelly Slater's poll position. Whoever places further in the upcoming year-ending Xbox Pipeline Masters (Dec 8-20) will secure the 2003 world title in one of the most eagerly awaited showdowns of professional surfing history.

"I've never been as sore in my life," said Irons, completely exhausted afterward. "My body feels like one big cramp. I needed another score... usually when you get a (perfect) 10 you're pretty set, but Jake had two really good waves and I couldn't catch him. Stoked to get second though.

"Coming into Pipeline is a dream come true," he added, of anticipated showdown. "I'm coming from behind and Kelly's got the lead, but I think the pressure is more on him than me right now. I'm just psyching on it and hopefully a couple of Trialists take him out early there too. I'm going for it for sure. It's on."

1998 Rip Curl Cup winner Shane Dorian (Kona, Haw) finished third. Despite announcing his retirement from full-time competition earlier this year and only competing in select events, the Hawaiian secured his best result of the season today. Having emerged from countless tubes throughout the day, he ultimately required another worth 8.98 in the final.

Taj Burrow regained the #3 ratings position by placing fourth. Although unable to claim the world title now, even with a win at Pipeline, the 25-year-old cemented his position near the top with his fourth final of the year.

Narrowly missing out on a finals berth and placing equal 5th today in the Rip Curl Cup were Chris Davidson (Narrabeen, Aus) and Cory Lopez (FL, USA). Davidson locked in some of the best barrel rides of the day, including a 9.23 during his quarterfinal, but was unable to find a second high scoring wave in the semis to reach the event pinnacle.

"Pretty stoked to make the semifinals at Sunset," said Davidson. "Would have liked to have made a final, as it would have been my first WCT final - and especially over here in Hawaii, as it would have been one of the highlights of my life so far. I had some good barrels today though, which was pretty surprising. Hopefully I can build on it next week and get another good result."

Also reaching the semifinals to finish equal 7th overall were Luke Stedman (Avalon, Aus) and Dean Morrison (Gold Coast, Aus). For Stedman, the result marks his best to date, and despite sitting in 39th position heading into the Rip Curl Cup and facing the loss of his WCT position for 2004, he's created the possibility of re-qualifying with another big finish at Pipeline during the year's last tournament.

The biggest shock of the day came when six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) had his hopes of clinching a record breaking seventh title at Sunset squashed, losing to Paterson and Hawaiian Kalani Robb in round three. The Floridian appeared unstoppable, having won back-to-back WCT titles in the previous two events, and held a massive ratings leading into the Rip Curl Cup. His elimination opened the door for Irons to regain lost ground, and that's exactly what transpired.

"Sunset's a tricky wave," acknowledged Slater. "It's sort of anyone's game out there. Jake seemed to be riding a bit bigger a board, and was in the right spot all the time. I let Kalani snake me on one, and that was probably the tuning point. I just got a little impatient at the end, thinking I needed two scores instead of just one good wave. That's the way it goes. I've had a good run the last few contests and I guess it was my turn to stop.

"I've got to get my head back in it," he added, of the looming title showdown at Pipeline. "I've just been relaxing the past couple of weeks and not really in contest mode or form, but I think this is probably what everyone wanted. Coming down to Pipe, and the points are close, so we'll see what happens. There's a lot of sand there, so it's probably not going to be perfect Pipe. You're going to have to know the wave pretty well in different conditions, and I do. If I knew Sunset like I do Pipe, I would have made that heat probably. It's just going to come down to finding the right waves."

Defending Rip Curl Cup champion Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast, Aus) and then ratings #3 Mick Fanning were also eliminated in major third round upsets.

The Foster's Expression Session prior to the final showcased many of the world's best. Hawaiian big wave charger Makua Rothman collected US$2,000 for the best barrel, while fellow local Nathan Carroll earned another US$1,000 for the best maneuver.

Live heat scores, video and audio commentary was available on www.ripcurl.com during competition hours, with information presented in four different languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

The Vans Triple Crown Series features the world's top athletes competing in three championship events in each of the following sports: Skateboarding, Wakeboarding, Surfing, Snowboarding, BMX and Freestyle Motocross. The Series is made possible through the support of Vans, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, Mountain Dew, Ford Trucks, Right Guard Xtreme Sport, Fox Sports Net, Surfing Magazine and NBC Sports. For full coverage of the Triple Crown of Surfing: www.triplecrownofsurfing.com

Rip Curl Cup Final Results

1st Jake Paterson (Aus) 17.64 - US$30,000
2nd Andy Irons (Haw) 17.17 - US$16,000
3rd Shane Dorian (Haw) 14.3 - US$11,000
4th Taj Burrow (Aus) 7.6 - US$9,000

Semifinals (1st, 2nd>Final; =5th receives US$8,500; =7th receives US$7,500)

SF1: Shane Dorian (Haw) 13.23; Jake Paterson (Aus) 11.87; Chris Davidson (Aus) 11.67; Luke Stedman (Aus) 8.57
SF2: Andy Irons (Haw) 15.9; Taj Burrow (Aus) 13.1; Cory Lopez (USA) 11.43; Dean Morrison (Aus) 7.5

Quarterfinals (1st, 2nd>Semifinal; =9th receives US$5,500; =13th receives US$4,500)

QF1: Shane Dorian (Haw) 9.73; Luke Stedman (Aus) 8.67; Damien Hobgood (USA) 6.67; Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 4.54
QF2: Jake Paterson (Aus) 15.5; Chris Davidson (Aus) 13.3; Michael Lowe (Aus) 8.77; Kalani Robb (Haw) 5.93
QF3: Dean Morrison (Aus) 17.17; Andy Irons (Haw) 15.76; Richard Lovett (Aus) 5.4; Michael Campbell (Aus) 3.97
QF4: Cory Lopez (USA) 10.73; Taj Burrow (Aus) 9.5; Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 9.06; Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 7.8

Round Three (1st, 2nd>Rnd4; 3rd, 4th=17th receive US$4,000)

H1: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 10.26; Luke Stedman (Aus) 7.33; Joel Parkinson (Aus) 6.36; Daniel Wills (Aus) 4.36
H2: Shane Dorian (Haw) 11.77; Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.16; Mick Fanning (Aus) 3.76; Peterson Rosa (Brz) 3.76
H3: Michael Lowe (Aus) 14.5; Chris Davidson (Aus) 7.43; Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 6.8; Luke Egan (Aus) 6.07
H4: Jake Paterson (Aus) 14.66; Kalani Robb (Haw) 10.63; Kelly Slater (USA) 7.47; Manoa Drollet (Tah) 3.17
H5: Andy Irons (Haw) 17.57; Richard Lovett (Aus) 10.33; Trent Munro (Aus) 8.67; Love Hodel (Haw) 5.23
H6: Michael Campbell (Aus) 8.9; Dean Morrison (Aus) 7.83; Taylor Knox (USA) 7.8; Luke Hitchings (Aus) 3.93
H7: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 12.83; Taj Burrow (Aus) 11.03; Joel Centeio (Haw) 9.84; Phil MacDonald (Aus) 9.1
H8: Cory Lopez (USA) 14,16; Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 12.0; Neco Padaratz (Brz) 10.33; Kieren Perrow (Aus) 5.53

towrules

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:15 +0000

Official Liquid Force Sweepstakes Rules

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:15 +0000

1. Introduction: Surfermag.com is offering a Sweepstakes. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. VOID IN NY AND FL.

2. Eligibility: Entrant must be ages 13 years and older and a legal resident of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Employees of Surfermag.com and prize sponsors, their parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and agents and the immediate family (defined as parents, spouse, children, siblings, grandparents) of each such employees, and all those with whom such employees are domiciled, are NOT eligible.

3. Timing: Sweepstakes ends at 11:59:59 p.m. E.T. on November 30th, 2003.

4. How to Enter: Enter by filling out the official entry form available at www.Surfermag.com/entertowin/etwliquidforce and fill in required entry information. Individuals may enter this sweepstakes by filling out the online form only once. More than one entry from any person or e-mail address will void all entries from that person or e-mail address.

5. Drawing: This sweepstakes will have 1 drawing. Each entrant selected as a potential winner must comply with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all such requirements. For each prize, a potential winner will be selected in a random drawing from all entries received on or before the entry deadline as listed in the Official Prize Schedule below. All entries received from 10/20/03 to each entry deadline are eligible for the drawing. The drawing will be conducted on or about 12/15/03 by Primedia-Online, whose decisions are final and binding in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Potential winner(s) will be notified by e-mail, phone or mail by 12/16/04 If a potential winner cannot be contacted within fourteen (14) days after the first attempt to contact such potential winner, an alternate entrant will be selected in his or her place at random from all entries received.

6. Prizes: The following prizes will be awarded: One Liquid Force EVO 134 Wake board and one Liquid Force Skimskate 4'6. Sponsor(s) not responsible for lost or mutilated prizes and none will be replaced. Prize is nontransferable and must be accepted as awarded. No cash or other substitution may be made, except by Sponsor(s) in the event that the prize cannot be awarded for any reason, in which case, Sponsor(s) will award a prize of equal or greater value. All taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of winner.

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8. Miscellaneous: All entries become the sole property of Sponsor(s) and none will be returned. In the event of a dispute, entries made by Internet will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. The "authorized account holder" is deemed the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, service provider or other online organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. A potential winner may be requested to provide Sponsor(s) with proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning entry. If for any reason the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failure, human error or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes, Sponsor(s) reserve(s) the right in their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. The Sponsor(s) are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by Sponsor(s) on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site, any combination thereof, or otherwise, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in the Sweepstakes. Sponsor(s) are not responsible for late, lost, illegible, incomplete, stolen, or misdirected entries. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR(S) RESERVE(S) THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

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2003 Billabong Pro Mundaka Euskadi-Spain

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:17 +0000
Current Top 10 Ratings
After Billabong Pro Mundaka - WCT #9/12
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 7,428
2. Andy Irons (Haw) 7,248
3. Taj Burrow (Aus) 7,020
4. Mick Fanning (Aus) 6,528
5. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 6,300
6. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 6,036
7. Taylor Knox (USA) 5,412
8. Mick Lowe (Aus) 5,388
9. Dean Morrison (Aus) 5,340
10. Daniel Wills (Aus) 5,112

October 24, 2003 (Mundaka, Basque Country) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) today won the Billabong Pro Mundaka and took poll position for this year's world title race. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced this morning with both semifinal bouts, and then moved immediately into the event's pinnacle on the last day of its generous 13-day waiting period.

Windblown 4ft (1.3m) surf was on offer, but long lefthanders were still running along the epic sandbar.

Slater began the day by achieving his primary goal of overtaking reigning world champ Andy Irons' (Kauai, Haw) ratings lead upon reaching the Billabong Pro Mundaka final. Then against West Australian Taj Burrow in the 30-minute decider, he surfed a patient match and steadily improved his standing, before nailing victory on his last ride for an 8.9 score.

With two previous WCT wins to his credit this season - both Billabong Pro's (Tahiti & in South Africa) - the Floridian has now racked up 26 career titles and amassed the most prizemoney in pro surfing (US$968,755) so far. More importantly to him at this stage however, is the 180 points' advantage he now holds.

"I'm feeling so good," began Slater. "I think Andy made a little prophecy at the beginning of the contest when he said I was going to win, so thank you Andy (laughs). This is great, as it puts me, Andy and Taj all right there together and I think it's exciting for the tour, and each of us. I'm just stoked, as that final was big and puts me a few hundred points ahead. It's an exciting time right now. Andy seemed like he was going to pull away from us all after the last event, but this one went perfectly our way.

"There wasn't much in it," he continued, of the final itself. "Taj got a few, but they weren't really high scoring waves. I knew I could find a good one if I waited. I'm glad it actually came when I had priority, which was great.

"Everyone seems really excited," he added, of the upcoming event in Brazil next week. "Sounds like there is going to be good waves, and music, and people in Brazil have so much spirit and are so excited about surfing and sports in general. Any event right now is going to be really crucial for the title and points race, so Brazil is just as important as Hawaii."

Burrow cemented his position as #3 on the ratings and moved closer to Irons with another runner-up placing. In a rematch of their Billabong Pro Teahupoo final in Tahiti this year, the 25-year-old took the lead at times, but never had control of Slater. Following his opponent's last ride, he ultimately required a near-perfect 9.53 score as the siren sounded. Heading to Brazil now - where he last won a WCT in 2002 - the West Australian remains a major world title contender.

"It was definitely great to make the final, but yeah, it's a little frustrating," acknowledged Burrow. "It was a close one, but he used his priority well at the end and got a big score. Pretty devastated as I thought I was going to get him, but stoked at the same time.

"I've had some good results in Brazil and I hope I get another one there," he added, of the next tournament. "I haven't been to Florianopolis before, but I've heard it's fun, so I'm looking forward to it."

Finishing equal third today in the Billabong Pro Mundaka were Australians Mick Fanning (Gold Coast) and Nathan Hedge (Narrabeen). Both received S$10,000 and more valuable ratings points.

poll_ironsclad

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:17 +0000

Sullivan Wins Backdoor Shootout

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:17 +0000

"Wow, epic, unreal, what can I say," said Pancho Sullivan after trying for 12 years to secure a victory at one of the breaks he has put so much time into, the infamous Banzai Pipeline. Sullivan surfed flawlessly at the Backdoor reef securing $40,000 for the win at the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. Sullivan said that he "free surfed" the break in between rounds like a kook. Apparently that didn't matter, as he came out and posted incredibly high scores giving him a total that averaged more than the 10 point range, as the waves were being scored on a 1 to 12 basis on the final day. With a new wife, and a baby on the way, the extra cash will be put to great use explained Sullivan.

A fantastic display of surfing was put on for all those who watched the 3'-to-6' waves peel across the right hand reef with the occasional left keeping things interesting. Second place went to Andy Irons who more than lived up to his World Title form, threading the eye of the needle several times to move past many other surfers ahead of him. Former ASP standout Shane Dorian was consistent all day as his tube riding paid off for a 3rd place finish. Kalani Robb's waves in the 1st, 2nd & 3rd rounds showed his commitment to excellence securing him a 4th place finish. Bruce Irons moved into 5th place by persistently pulling-in to what ever was on the table at Backdoor, with a winner takes all attitude that helped the younger Irons brother slide past Jamie O'Brien. O'Brien watched his 2nd place slot after round 2 fade from view with the ASP Pro's moving into 4 of the top 6 places.

A big mahalos goes out to the sponsors who contributed to this event as well as Eddie Rothman & Da Hui clothing line for making sure this great formatted contest was enjoyed by all.--Mick O'Brien

Download Quicktime Player Free

Quiver Love Circa 1976

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:17 +0000

Looking through an old issue of SURFER the other day at work (research, I swear), I came upon this great piece from SURFER magazine Vol. 17, No. 3, 1976 which looked at various quivers. I picked out three of my favorites--as much for the quivers as for the words that come with. Keating's story is fabulous. Naughton's words convey his charmingly stubborn Irish self. But the boards, ah yes, those beautiful boards. I have a thing for diamond tails, and Naughton's diamond tail is sweet! And take a gander at that Aipa noserider in the middle of Buttons' quiver. But Keating! That quiver is almost perfect (no quiver is perfect--that's the beauty! We're always one Malcolm Bonzer or one Lis Fish away!). This look into the past is a quick and fun read, and an intriguing look at what we were riding almost 30-years ago and what we are riding today. -- Scott Bass
KEVIN NAUGHTON-CALIFORNIA

I know surfboards. Trust me. I wasn't born this way, mind you. But some time ago, this hardcore surf dude laid on me a 9'6" reverse t-band Ole that triggered a large habit made downright huge in recent years, now that I'm chasing waves from one end of the San Andreas fault to the other. Keep on trusting me, please- 'cause you can't name the shapes I haven't tried, the oddball designs I haven't fussed over. I've even read books on how to design surfboards, while everybody else was reading books about how to do things I wouldn't want to describe. Anyhow, books got me now-where. Nothing got me anywhere but plain old backyard horsin' around. Here-save yourself the trouble. I'm giving-you can take.
The shapes pictured here are for just about any waves similar to the points, reefs, and beach breaks of California. I prefer to sacrifice tight radius squiggles for solidly defined lines and quick trajectories on a wave, and the length of my boards reflect this attitude. The diamond tail is 7'2". The rounded-pin is 7'4". The gun is 8'. I'm 6'. Each board is just under 13 lbs., and I'm under 180 now that I'm dieting every whipstitch. The 7'2" and 7'4" were designed with 3- to 8-foot waves in mind. The gun is for waves up to 15'. If it's over 15', that's your lookout. I always eyeball the rail line to make sure that it's low and blunt, with an ever-so-slight edge running constant from nose to tail. Bottoms are flat. We're also talking about a fine "vee" in the tail- "fino," right?
The diamond tail is 13 1/2" in the nose, 20" in the middle, and 12" in the tail. The rounded-pin has a 12 1/2" nose, 19 1/2" middle, and 11 3/4" tail. The gun's dimensions are: 12" nose, 19 3/4" middle, 10 3/4" tail. I always get a nicely colored glassed-on fin (it looks impressive when on my car). Notice something missing in the picture? That's right, leashes are for dogs.
That's it. Nothing else. I don't care what you hear from other parties, I say you can store it in your rafters, leave it on the beach overnight, keep it for years, hit it with a hammer, nothing can hurt the wave I just told you how to ride.
BUTTONS KALUHIOKALANI-HAWAII

I try to surf as many types of waves as I can. In my surfing, I try to combine a lot of speed and maneuverability. Since the Aipa Sting is a very versatile design, it can work for me in any type of wave, with only a change in length, width and thickness. In other words, I don't have to keep changing types of board designs, only sizes, except for my longest winter board. I feel this helps my surfing, because I always know what to expect of my boards, as they are all basically the same.
In the summer, I ride a 5'10", 21" wide Sting for small and fairly good-size waves. My longest summer board is a 6'5", 20" wide Sting. For the winter surf in Hawaii, my shortest board is a 6'10", 193/4" wide Sting. For 8' to 10' surf, I ride a 7'4", 191/2" wide Sting. All these boards have a lot of "V" going one third the board, and a slight roll to the belly, and they are all swallow tails, except for my 8', 191/2" wide pintail Sting. I need the pintail to get down into the bigger waves, and by adding the Sting to the pintail, it loosens the board up to that I can do the same kind of turns as I do on smaller waves. All my boards have been shaped and designed by Ben Aipa since 1972. Hawaiian surfers like Mark Liddell, Dane Kealoha, and Channon Valeho also use the same type of boards.
GARY KEATING-CALIFORNIA

When I was 16, my goal in life was to be the best. In that pursuit, I watched and followed the best.
When some of the heavies, such as Hynson and Frye, surfed local spots, I'd look in their cars to see all those beautiful surfboards.
My best friend lived next door to Butch Van Artsdalen. One day we looked in his backyard, and blew our minds. There were so many boards you couldn't count 'em all. To a surfer, you might say he was a millionaire. I was convinced that having a bunch of boards was the way to be the best.
Over the years, my surfboard stash grew. Sometimes I'd even miss good surf because I had to work to pay for a new board. Eventually, I had so many that I never could ride 'em all, but they were impressive to have when guests came by.
Instead of working on boards that were versatile, I'd just get one made for a particular type of riding at a specific spot. This continued and even accelerated. Instead of having a good time in the water, I was always wondering if one of my other boards would be better. Then in 1972, on a triple blind date with Purpus and Ronnie Roman, I met Tobi. Shortly after, we kinda fell in love, and I settled down for awhile, only going through about two new boards a month. Everything seemed OK except my obsession to be a surf star, and her pursuit of being a doctor was taking us apart.
On Valentine's Day, I bailed on a date to finish a board, which I was certain would be unreal. That board later became known as the Tobi board; it didn't work that well anyhow. Finally after several parties, when in a wasted state I accused of trying to foil my plans, our romance was over. That was just fine with me, 'cause now I could pursue my riding full on.
So the craze resumed to such a stage that it even amazed me. The quiver increased to a point where I didn't even know how many I had. Today, things are different-still surf stoked, just not so locked in.
What does your quiver look like?

Mark Worth: RIP

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:18 +0000

If you've ever taken a hardcore surf trip chances are you've had The Surf Report stuffed in your back pocket. Sadly, on January 17, 2004 The Surf Report and the journalism world as a whole suddenly and unexpectedly lost one of its own. Australian journalist and documentary maker, Mark Worth, was found dead in a hotel room in Papua New Guinea under extremely suspicious circumstances. His death is still being investigated at this time.

Mark spent most of the last 15 years producing radio programs, writing articles and producing documentary films about the West Papuan people and their quest for freedom from the Indonesian government. It is believed that Mark was linked to recent footage that was featured on SBS Dateline last November in which resistance leaders made appeals to the international community for help in bringing about a peaceful solution to the problems between West Papua and the Indonesian government. Tragically, two days after the footage was shown, ten Papuans, including one of the leaders seen on tape, were shot in their sleep during a raid by 200 Indonesian soldiers. Once again demonstrating man's unbelievable ability to be brutally ruthless towards his fellow man.

Considering the circumstances it is little wonder that Mark's death remains a "mystery." Knowledge is power. Mark knew and documented a lot. He was the embodiment of what a journalist should be. He is survived by his Papuan wife Helen and baby daughter Insoraki.

For more on the life and death of Mark Worth visit this site or this site.

Busting Down the Door...Again

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:18 +0000

Layne Beachley shocked the world of professional surfing recently by declaring she will compete in the men's division of the Energy Australia Open, held in Newcastle Beach, Australia, from March 22nd-28th. For Beachley, the six-time and current Women's World champion, the entry is viewed as a good opportunity to train for a seventh world title. In reality, her entry is a historic milestone for women in a sport dominated by testosterone.

Beachley will square off against many of the world's elite male surfers. Past event champions include such greats as Tom Carroll, Tom Curren, Mark Occhilupo, Damien Hardman, and Mick Fanning. Hardman, past world and event champion, understands the importance of Layne's presence in the event. "Women's surfing has certainly come a long way in recent years," says Hardman in an event press release, "and I think a lot of this can be attributed to Layne. She's always looking for more challenges and ways to improve. That's why she has six world titles to her credit." Energy Australia Open contest director Warren Smith is thrilled about Layne's presence in the event. "Layne is not only a great Australian ambassador," said Smith, "she is also an extremely talented sportsperson and has contributed so much to women's surfing, taking the sport to a new professional level."

Beachley says competing against guys has always been part of her surfing routine. "When I started surfing, there weren't many girls taking up the sport," said Beachley. "I surfed with the boys. We would pretend to have surfing competitions, and have a lot of fun." While Beachley relishes in the opportunity to improve her competitive attack against the world's top men but shys away from a prediction. "I really need to improve my competitive side," said Beachley in a press release for the event. "This experience will certainly help me competitively."
SOUND OFF
Tell us what you think.

Is Layne taking the spot of a more deserving male surfer?

Do Layne's six world championships and big wave bravado give her more than enough credibility to surf against the boys?

The Energy Australia Open, a 4-star WQS event with a $100,000 prize pool, is part of the Australian stretch of the World Championship Tour. Beachley's first heat is slated for March 26. Her status as a wildcard means that she will automatically progress into the final round of competitors, featuring some of the World's top 64 men. "While I'm almost certain my competitive nature will get the better of me," added Beachley, "I am looking forward to being out in the water and enjoying the moment."

Yeah, but will she get out of her first heat, or is this simply a publicity stunt by event organizers, in the same vein as recent gender crossover events in the sport of golf? Either way, ecstatic event organizers are already expecting massive media coverage due to Beachley's participation. As has been proven in the recent past, these gender crossover events always interest the viewing public and generate mainstream media attention--and this will be especially true in a sport hungry and overtly chauvinistic Australian culture.

2003 Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:19 +0000

Pipeline, Hawaii-The 2003 ASP title race couldn't have ended any more dramatically. For Andy Irons, the day concluded riding the shoulders of friends across the beach. For Kelly Slater, a dejected solo session at Pipeline cleared his head.

Andy Irons made history today, winning for the second consecutive year the ASP World Championship Tour title, the Triple Crown title, and the Pipeline Masters title. The final day of competition got underway this morning, beginning with round three of the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters. At 12 noon, the decision was made by Triple Crown Contest Director Bernie Baker to hold all remaining rounds of competition. By five o'clock, Irons was being rushed up the beach by friends and family members, having repeated his amazing feat of winning all three titles in Hawaii.

With surf in the six-foot range (on the face), Irons had to surf through four heats to victory, meeting tour leader Kelly Slater in the final. On opposite ends of the bracket, the two surfers knew that it would come down to a showdown in the final, and one of the most dramatic years in ASP history did not disappoint in the end. Irons and Slater paired off with Australians Joel Parkinson and Phil McDonald in the final to decide the world title.

With consistent waves coming through at Backdoor all day, the surf allowed some amazing performances, not the least of which was Aussie dark horse, Phil McDonald's ride to the finals, piggybacking Slater through three heats to make it in the end.

Meanwhile, Parkinson surfed masterfully to earn a finals berth, and by the end of his semifinal heat, it appeared as though Parko would play spoiler. Living up to this billing, Parko took second, giving Slater a difficult time in the final by blocking him on a potentially high-scoring wave. "I've come to expect that from Parko," said Slater. "I know because I free surf with him all the time.

Throughout all rounds of competition, Slater had been exercising a unique strategy, opting not to surf the more consistent rights at Backdoor, instead surfing the bigger and more unruly waves at Gums (near Ehukai Beach Park) by himself. "The house I'm staying at is right there in front of Gums, and I just watched it all day," said Slater. "I noticed that a lot of good waves were coming through, and I knew I could pick off some scoring waves." The strategy was sound through the quarterfinals and semis, but when Slater failed to secure a high scoring wave at the beginning of the finals, it became clear his strategy needed to change.

Irons, on the other hand, fought through paralyzing cramps and difficulty with his surfboards to pick off the best rights coming through at Backdoor, racking up a high combination of scores midway through the heat. Breaking three boards throughout the day's competition, Irons had to make numerous trips to the beach throughout the competition. What's more, Irons became dehydrated by day's end, and could barely swim out to the lineup. "I forced him to drink water," said Irons' mother, Danielle. "And fed him bananas. As a mother it was scary to watch my son have to go through that. But we're happy for him in the end."

For both surfers, months' worth of anxiety came to a head in the final. Compounding the difficulty was the fact that the contest was held with four man heats, differing from the typical two man heat that the surfers are used to. "It gives you a lot more to deal with when you're out in the water," said Slater. "It's not as easy to know what kind of mental state your competitor is in."

The victory meant the end to a tumultuous year both personally and professionally for both surfers. "I never ever thought I could do this," said Irons, of repeating last year's sweep of World Title, Triple Crown and Pipe Masters Championships. "It's the type of stuff I dreamed of as a kid, and now I get to live it, which is amazing."

For Slater, who took the stage to announce Irons as the 2004 World Champion, the year was marked by triumph, despite the fact that he ultimately came up short. "I think this was one of the best years of my career," said Slater. "Whether or not I won this event."

At day's end, Slater paddled over to Irons in the lineup, embraced him and dove underwater, but not before he imparted some final thoughts on what has undoubtedly been one of the most exciting ASP years in history. "He said it was one of the raddest days of his career, and for me to hear that was the biggest compliment. I've never had such a close title race, and I've never tried so hard."--Brad Melekian

Chasing Hurricanes - Relive the Road Rally!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:20 +0000

Relive the Road Rally!
We loaded down the cars with gas cans and surfboards, scratched out a route through the dusty Mexican desert, and headed south...this is the quintessential surf trip. Follow along by clicking above on each leg of the trip as Adam Wickwire, Jesse Hines, Ian Parnell and Alex Gray travel over 1200 miles of Baja desert in search of surf and good times and freaky women who don't get a hint to leave!

Untitled Document

Fantasy Surfer 2004

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:20 +0000

SURFER Magazine's Fantasy Surf League Review of the Top 44

Surfers are gamblers by nature. Think about it...we live for the thrill of taking risks: a big air, a late drop, paddling out on a huge day, they all add to our addiction of hazardous behavior, and when we're dry docked on land it's only natural that we search for ways to duplicate the buzz. So here's a scary thought, SURFER Magazine is giving each of you 10 million dollars to gamble with this year. While you can't take this cash to Vegas and blow it all on one hand of Black Jack you can distract yourself from school or work for hours on end with our new SURFER Magazine Fantasy Surf League. The premise is simple: you pick and name your own team of eight surfers from among the Top 44 in the world to compete against your friend's team. Then, you manage your team throughout the 2004 pro tour season, making trades, growing your salary cap, and hopefully winning prizes. It's all live and running now at FantasySurfer.com. Or just click on the Fantasy Surfer button on the homepage and sign up absolutely free. Get started earning points towards a dream trip to Hawaii or Fiji. --Chris Mauro

The following is some insight into the TOP 5 ranked fantasy surfers. Look for more insight of this nature inthe days to come. Remember, it's a long season with a variety of wave locations. Draft and trade wisely.

1. ANDY IRONS
Age: 25
Home: Kauai, HI
Surfs: Regular
KEY INDICATORS
2003 Win Rate: 82%
Career Victories: 11 WCT, 7 WQS
NOTABLE: Irons' win percentage climbed to 90% (18-2) when he made it past the Quarter Finals in 2003. Had a 17-4 record vs. the Top 10 (80%).
2004 CHANCES: World Title: 44% Top 5: 90% Top 10: 99%
Price: $2.5 million
How to play him: Pay up and feel good about it.

2. Kelly Slater
Age: 32
Home: Cocoa Beach, FL
Surfs: Regular
KEY INDICATORS
2003 Win Rate: 80% Career Victories: 27 WCT, 2 WQS
NOTABLE: Slater has yet to win at Sunset Beach any time during his remarkable career, a fact that cost him dearly in 2003. Had a 9-4 record vs. the Top 10 (69%).
2004 CHANCES: World Title: 44% Top 5: 89% Top 10: 96%
Price: $2.5 million
How to play him: He won't disappoint, but fitting both him and Andy under the cap may be tough. Decision time.

3. Taj Burrow
Age: 25
Home: Yallingup, Western Australia
Surfs: Regular
KEY INDICATORS
2003 Win Rate: 62% Career Victories: 3 WCT, 5 WQS
NOTABLE: Had four Finals appearances in '03, a personal best, but was 0-3 vs. Andy and 0-2 vs. Kelly.
Price: $2 million
Recommendation: Pricey, but will put up good numbers.

4. Mick Fanning
Age: 22
Home: Tweed Heads, Australia
Surfs: Regular
KEY INDICATORS
2003 Win Rate: 69% Career Victories: 2 WCT, 3 WQS
NOTABLE: had just one Finals appearance in 2003 (Brazil).
2004 CHANCES: World Title: 18% Top 5: 77% Top 10: 90%
Price: $2 million
Recommendation: Should be swapped with equally priced Taj or Parko depending on surf breaks you think he'll do well at. (Hint: Gold Coast, J-Bay)

5. Joel Parkinson
Age: 23
Home: Kirra, Australia
Surfs: Regular
KEY INDICATORS
2003 Win Rate: 69% Career Victories: 3 WCT, 5 WQS
NOTABLE: Lost three times to Andy Irons in 2003 during Finals. Is getting married and expecting first child in 2004.
2004 CHANCES: World Title: 21% Top 5: 73% Top 10: 90%
Price: $2 million
Recommendation: Definitely outperforms the rest of the young Aussie crew in Hawaii, so keep that in mind going into the finishing run.

Daily Dale Webster Achieves Goal

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:20 +0000

He did it! 10,407 days after beginning what is now the most legendary streak of consecutive days surfed, Dale "Daily" Webster has achieved his goal. On February 29, 2004, on a cold, gray winter morning at Doran Park in Sonoma County, California, Dale paddled out for his ritualistic "three waves to the beach." Everyday for more than 28 years Dale has taken a bare minimum of three waves to the beach. Rain or shine, storm swell or flat spell...every single day. It started with the Monster from New Zealand swell of 1975. From there, Webster set his heart to "never missing waves like that again." As he surfed day after day in 1975, Dale pondered what to do with his surfing streak. It turned into the quest to surf for an entire lunar cycle, 28-plus years according to Dale's original research (once the Internet was invented he came to find out a lunar cycle was only 18-plus years, but true to his conviction he stayed the course on his original date of 2-29-04, that and he was already more than 20 years into it).

With that being said, the next obvious question is what does tomorrow have in store for Daily? As he reckons, "I can't really see not going surfing tomorrow. It's another day, and that's what I do, surf everyday."

Webster, featured star of Dana Brown's Step Into Liquid, hasn't missed a day of surfing since September 3, 1975. He's holds the Guiness Book of Records for most confirmed days surfing (the last edition-printed 18 months ago-recognized him for 10,000 days). He also makes any streak Joe DiMaggio, Cal Ripken, Bill Romanowski or any other professional athlete endured look like tiny baby steps. After getting out of the water on February 29, 2004 he humbly commented, "Anybody can do what I did. If you love it enough you can do anything. All you have to do is start surfing today, and not stop until 2032."

From President Ford through President Bush (two Bushes actually) Dale's been at it. The week he started was the first week of NBC's risky new comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Farley have both since passed. Saturday Night Fever and Eight Mile have come and gone. AIDS was discovered. The personal computer was invented. The Internet bubble burst. Vietnam ended. And now we've been to war in Iraq-twice. Daily's surfed through it all.

What's next for Dale? He's hoping to get on the road and hit every surf spot in the U.S. Quite an undertaking, but with Dale's fortitude and determination it's almost a certainty.

Look to the June issue of SURFER for an in depth look at the trials and tribulations of surfing for 10,407 consecutive days. - Jake Howard

poll_todos

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:21 +0000

ahmanson ranch

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:21 +0000

A Trip Back in Time.

Gray Davis Does Something Good.
Here he is With Rob Reiner at the Dedication of Ahmanson Ranch
Photo Courtesy: www.saveahmanson.org

By Chris Dixon

Last November, in one of his final acts in office, governor Gray Davis signed off on one of the largest parkland purchases in California's history. With Davis' signature, $150 million of state bond money went to buy the last 2,983 acres of a 5,000 tract of land called The Ahmanson Ranch from Washington Mutual Bank. The purchase ended a heated environmental debate that had involved celebrities from Rob Reiner to Martin Sheen to Erin Brockovich. It had been going on for around 20 years, and saved a chunk of wilderness from becoming, basically, a new luxury city of 3,000 homes, shopping, golf and hotels along highway 101 between Ventura and Los Angeles.

Yeah, so what the hell does it matter to you as a surfer that this huge chunk of gorgeous land was saved? Well, if you like to surf Malibu, it meant an awful lot. The canyons, arroyos and hillsides here all drain down to create Las Virgenes Creek and Las Virgenes runs down to Malibu Creek. All that Ahmanson concrete would have held onto a great many pollutants -- including car oil, brake dust and antifreeze. And a golf course would have required a great deal of fertilizer. Despite plans to filter as much of these pollutants as possible, there is simply no doubt that some of this gunk would have ended up in Malibu Creek, and thus in the waters of Surfrider Beach -- particularly after a heavy rain. So, if you like to surf Malibu, perhaps you should be thankful for the purchase.

Because the Ranch Won't be Developed
the Already Polluted Waters of Malibu
Will Avoid A Great Deal More Pollution.
Photo: Brandon Aroyan

If you voted for California Propositions 40 and 50 during the November 2002 elections, this was where your vote and subsequent bond money went. These were both special measures approved to purchase parkland and habitat and to save the land at the top of important watersheds like Malibu Creek. Say you voted against the measure, or simply didn't have time to go to the polls. Well, had the measure not passed, your apathy or politics would have most likely led to the Ahamanson Ranch development being built.

Would this have been a bad thing? It probably depends on your politics and how you feel about development here in the Golden State. But let's put politics aside for a moment and talk about Ahmanson Ranch itself. I went up there to check the land out. In my opinion, every single Californian -- especially its surfers -- got a hell of a lot for their money. If you disagree, go for yourself and see. In fact, if the surf is small, take a mountain bike. It would make a hell of a subsitute for a surfboard on the ranch's serpentine trails.

After a picture perfect drive to the top of Malibu Canyon Road, I was met at the gate of the Ranch by a friendly ranger named Rorie Skei. Ms. Skei is the director of the Santa Monica Mountains Coservancy, a state agency responsible for the purchase and maintenance of the ranch. She showed me around the sprawling historic ranch house and myriad of fully-laden citrus trees that surrounded the place. The ranch sat at the top of a hill, and the westward view from that hill was an astonishing expanse of LA and Ventura County mountains and wilderness. According to Ms. Skei, the whole place was to be leveled and "terraformed" or graded to make way for a shopping mall. "This would have been the most dense area of the project," she said.

Photo Courtesy: www.saveahmanson.org

When we climbed to the top of another nearby hill, the view eastward was equally astonishing, but for a different reason. To the other direction lay the sprawl and pollution of the San Fernando Valley, including Glendale, Burbank and the massive Newhall Ranch, which is being built out now. Climbing into Ms. Skei's Ford Expedition, we took a cruise down one of the fire roads and back in time...

PEOPLE GET READY: SWELL TRAIN HYPE LEAVES THE STATION

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:22 +0000

This week we will not see series of swells, but rather, a series of swell "episodes". At least that's what the National Weather Service is calling it. A fitting word, as a number of smaller events will take place this week, all of them dramatic in some relative sense, and all of them adding to the greater whole: the swells and their aftermath.

First things first. All good episodes have hype.

Ah yes, the hype. Its machinery, in full swing since last week when my inbox was filled with three separate surf forecasting emails urging me to "call in sick", is steaming right along--faster than the swell that is producing it. My Grandfather knows about this swell and he's been dead for five years (may he rest in peace). I haven't heard this much hype, rumor and innuendo since the last Seinfeld. It too was an episode. This week is going to be epic. At least that's what I've been told. Of course, as I write this, the swell hasn't even arrived in California.

Already we've had a few dramatic days in the Hawaiian Islands: Lots of Waimea Bay rescues on Saturday, outer reef tow sessions, and a well known PWC driver who ran over his tow partner putting him in the hospital with broken ribs. There was also rumor of a surfer (green board) paddling-in at Outer Log Cabins. Kam Highway had massive spillovers in the early Saturday morning hours at Haliewa, Puena Point, Laniakea, Chuns Reef, Log Cabins and other known North Shore low points. "The Big Island," I was told by a friend in the lineup, "is all-time." And perhaps you caught a glimpse of frothy Honolua Bay while watching the golf tournament on ESPN.

In California, on a Sunday afternoon, we wait. And the hype rolls on. On the SURFER Magazine bulletin board guys are chimming in about waxing up their 9' 6" guns for Swamis (paleeeze). Rumors about huge Maverick's are heard in parking lots and in-between waist high set waves at Rincon. A hush-hush story about an upcoming violent showdown at Todos Santos has made the rounds.

It is all very dramatic, very "episodic" sounding.

The Granddaddy of them all: True drama at Cortes Bank. Rumor is that Hawaiian tow teams such as Garrett McNamara's are heading over to ride 100-foot waves at Cortes Bank. Conventional wisdom amongst the tow-in sect tells them to go to Cortes. Don't waste your time at Mavs or Jaws. Cortes Bank is where the Billabong XXL wave-and therefore money-will be bagged. It may actually be crowded out there this week. Billabong's $60K prize has a way of mobilizing the men.

High pressure, albeit weak, is forecast for the entire week. Weak high pressure is a sketchy thing, especially 100 miles out to sea. Imagine being in a 55-foot boat in 18 foot seas with a 30 knot wind. No land in sight. An eight hour trip becomes eighteen. Fuel consumption skyrockets. It will be work-with a capital "W".

Another rumor I've heard is that two or three crews are going to fly out to Cortes in a pontooned helicopter. The Malloys or the Longs...again, this is just parking lot BS, I have no sources. I heard it from a friend of a friend of a photographer--pure rumor.

But it wouldn't surprise me. Something dramatic is going to happen in the big wave arena this week. I just hope it isn't tragic drama. That's an episode we could do without.

"Eddie" Book Party Hits LA

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:22 +0000

You may not have received an invitation to surf in the Eddie, but that doesn't mean you can't share in a piece of the legend. On March 23rd Stuart Coleman's latest work, Eddie Would Go, is set for quite a launch party.

This no run of the mill book launch, Tia Carrere is serving as host and the guest list varies from Hollywood heavies like Pierce Brosnan and Kevin Costner to surf legends such as Greg Noll, Bruce Brown and of course Cylde Aikau. The book launch, held at Level 3 on Hollywood and Highland, is also doubling as a benefit for the Eddie Aikau Memorial Foundation and Surf Aid International, complete with a silent auction. David Boyles, along with a surprise special guest, will be laying down live tunes to keep the evening swinging. Quiksilver, SURFER Magazine, Stockholm Kristall Vodka, the Palms Hotel and Casino, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Player Magazine, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays and Your Half Pictures have all gotten behind the evening to help ensure a night to remember.

Press check-in starts at 8:00 pm, expect red carpet arrivals to wander in around 9:00. For more information contact aline Media, specifically Jodi Thomas at jodi@alinemedia.com.

Audio Video Help

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:22 +0000

Should your issues require further technical assistance, please visit the support pages for each of the players:

QuickTime Support: www.info.apple.com/usen/quicktime/

Windows Media Player Support: support.microsoft.com

To Play a Video:
1.) Choose your Player preference (QuickTime or Windows Media Player)
2.) Choose your bandwidth setting. If you have a broadband connection (DSL, Cable Modem or T1 or faster) choose broadband. If you have at least a 56k modem connection, please choose modem.

Your video should load and start playing in a few seconds if you are using a true broadband connection. If you are on a 56k modem, your video make take as long as a few minutes to start playing.

System Requirements:
Macintosh:
A 400 MHz PowerPC G3 or faster Macintosh computer.
At least 128MB of RAM
Mac OS X v10.1.5; v10.2.3 or later

Windows:
A Pentium processor-based PC or compatible computer
At least 128MB of RAM
Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

Frequently Asked Questions
Question: I have a broken QuickTime or Windows Media Player logo on my web page, what do I do?
Answer for QuickTime: If you are using QuickTime, visit the QuickTime Web site (www.apple.com/quicktime/ ). A dialog box will appear to confirm installation of the QuickTime ActiveX control. Accept the QuickTime ActiveX control. The software will download and install.

Answer for Windows Media Player: If you are using Windows Media Player, visit the Windows Media Player web site and download the latest version of Windows Media Player. www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/default.asp Follow the installation instructions. Note: you may have to restart your computer.

Question: Why won't content play?
Answer: The server may be down, the file may not be in a supported format, the content may have been moved, or the URL to the content may be wrong. In some cases, network congestion may cause the player to time out; keep trying, or try again later when the network is less congested.

Question: Why can I play content from some sites, but not this site?
Answer: You may be behind a firewall that doesn't have the appropriate ports opened for use with the QuickTime or Windows Media Players. Check with your system administrator

Question: I see video but do not hear audio?
Answer: Check the speaker connections to your computer. Make sure the volume is up on your computer and your speakers. Make sure your sound card is functioning properly.

Adjusting Preferences
Adjusting your QuickTime Player Preferences:
In Windows, to adjust preferences for QuickTime Player, choose Edit > Preferences > Player Preferences. To set Internet connection speed and other options, choose Edit > Preferences > QuickTime Preferences.

Player Menu in the top right hand side of your screen and choosing Preferences.

Adjusting your Windows Media Player Preferences:
In the Mac on OSX, your Preferences can be reached by going to the Windows Media Player Menu in the top right hand side of your screen and choosing Preferences.

On the PC, you can get to the Preferences by going to the View Menu and choosing options.

Shakeup in U.S. Surfing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:22 +0000

Amateur competitive surfing in the U.S. has been ailing for years. Without adequate industry support and the kind of large-scale domestic competitions needed to groom aspiring pros, a wealth of surfing talent has gone undeveloped. But a group of some of the most influential people in American competitive surfing hopes to change this.

During the ISA World Surfing Games and Forum, to be held in Salinas, Ecuador from March 19-28, an organization called Surfing America will make a bid to replace the USSF as the national governing body of U.S. surfing. Surfing America is a six-year old volunteer organization that 1976 world champion Peter Townend and his cohorts modeled after the one credited with fostering Australia's competitive dominance. Their plan for surfing in America has the approval of not only the ASP and SIMA, but also the ESA, NSSA and HASA.

Kathy Phillips, Director of the ESA, says that USSF mismanagement has caused the U.S. to slide precipitously from its place as one of the great surfing nations. Since claiming its last victory in the ISA World Games in 1996, the team has consistently finished at or below tenth place, and has even lost to surfing, ahem, powerhouses like Argentina and Ireland. No doubt, there is abundant talent on U.S. shores; watching a couple of heats at the NSSA Nationals will make that apparent. But this skill is not being converted into national team wins. Surfing America and its backers have a plan that they say will restore the squad to its rightful place by making it easier for the top U.S. WQS and WCT pros to become part of the team. They claim that with the surf industry, the domestic pro tour and amateur surfing all unified in this cause, amateur surfing in America is bound to benefit.

The supporters of the move also think that Surfing America will help the nation's best amateurs make the transition to life as a professional more easily by offering guidance and greater opportunities for serious competition. Currently, the WQS in America is not functioning well as a springboard for aspiring pros because of the lack of meaningful events, a problem that Surfing America plans to address. But, more importantly, the path from Am to 'QS pro is not a clear one. NSSA Executive Director Janice Aragon explains: "The NSSA got involved with Surfing America for a number of reasons, the main one being to build a bridge between the NSSA and the WQS." By offering WQS wildcard spots and seeds to top amateurs, Surfing America hopes to help propel more U.S. stars into the pro ranks.

Yet not everyone thinks the move will be good for U.S. surfing. Carolyn Krammer, Director of Competitions for the USSF Western Region, contends that the mechanisms for creating a strong U.S. team are already in place under her organization, but the ASP and industry have chosen not to support youth surfing in recent years. "Where do you think Kelly and the Lopez brothers came from? The USSF," says Krammer. She thinks that the industry simply wants greater control of competitive surfing in the U.S., and that youth surfing will suffer for the change because there will be fewer pure amateur venues.

The change is far from definite. It still must be approved by a majority vote of the ISA member nations. Regardless of what happens in Ecuador, whichever group comes out on top has a lot of work ahead of them. -- Scott Basham

Future Glory

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:22 +0000

It took nearly a decade of what many would term squalor, it took long hours of closed-door meetings, it took international flights to South American countries, it took an all night filibuster in front of the International Surfing Association, but American Amateur surfing has a new future--one that in the coming years may heavily influence the impact of mainland surfers on an international competitive scale.

On Monday, March 22, after a lengthy, heated, five-hour debate, the ISA, by a 14 to 7 vote, officially deemed Surfing America the National Governing Body for United States Amateur Surfing. For years, the United States Surfing Federation had been the regulatory board for surfing, but following the past languishing decade in American amateur surfing, change was all but inevitable.

The vote that took place in Ecuador was the culmination of a process that has been spearheaded by 1976 World Champion and Surfing America fixture Peter Townend. PT and the folks at Surfing America were able to bring together the amateur associations of the NSSA, HASA and ESA, all of which groups committed to supporting Surfing America's bid to become the NGB. The only group left in the dust was the USSF, the group that had previously held the governing license as America's preeminent amateur association.

What does all this mean? Well, it means that America may soon be a presence on the world stage at amateur events like the ISA world games, given that the U.S. will now be able to choose for their team the best young amateurs in the country. Further, it means that we may soon be hosting ISA world games in the Northern Hemisphere. And, in long-term speak, it means that there may soon be a clear-cut path for American surfers to qualify for the WQS and the WCT. But more than anything, it means that there is a solidified infrastructure to American amateur surfing, something that has been visibly lacking in the recent past, and something that has contributed to a boom of young talent from countries like Australia, where a solid amateur system is in place.

Despite the fact that long hours of work have gone into this deal, there are long hours still ahead, and plenty of work to be done if the group is to succeed.

For further details on the developing story, check back to www.surfermag.com.

Quebrada en Mexico

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:24 +0000

The accident happened on a typical late summer morning at a mainland Mexico beach infamous for its dangerously powerful waves. I was staying in a nearby town with my Christian missionary friend and knee boarder, Jimmy "Jaime" Downs, and taking the first bus to the beach every day where surfboards and helmet awaited my arrival.

On this particular morning I passed the remains of the 6' 10" surfboard, which a wave had splintered a few days earlier, as I retrieved my 7'6" from the board room at Edgar's hotel on the beach.

The sandbars on which the waves broke were in fairly poor shape. Earlier in the summer they had been battered by waves from several south Pacific swells, and the beach had lost dozens of yards of sand along with over 30 beachfront restaurants.

The surf didn't look too special. But remembering how much worse it looked the day before when I got the best tube ride of the whole trip on my first wave, I was eager to get in the water. While every one else waited to see how the wind and wave conditions progressed, I headed for the surf as a sleepy-eyed Floridian wished me luck with a semi-enthusiastic nod of the head.

In time a number of surfers joined me and negotiated the ever-changing rip currents and inconsistent sets to get a few good waves. It was a nominal day, but there was definitely potential to get some spitting tubes€”the ultimate surfing experience.

At about 9:00 A.M. on August 17, 1998, a fateful 10-foot wave came in and I angled left on it. For me this meant my back was to the wave, forcing me to twist my body toward its face with my left hand feeling the wave's face and the right holding the rail to steer my course. It was a fairly textbook style "backside- rail-grab- pull into the tube take-off," and satisfied with the way things were going, my thoughts went from "This is a nice tube," to "This is a really nice tube," to "This is the best tube I've gotten all morning." As I watched the last section of the tube throw over my head and anticipated my immediate escape from the chamber, the wave suddenly closed down on me. The lip crushed me onto my board snapping my left femur into six pieces instantaneously.

As I endured the rag-doll-in-a-washing-machine type workout in the white water, I could feel my left leg battering the rest of my body. I particularly noticed when the heel was hitting my right shoulder blade, but I couldn't feel my left leg. The turbulence eventually ended and after floating to the surface and gathering my faculties I put my hands on the top of my left thigh and slid them all the way down to my toes. Although I had no feeling in my leg, everything was still there.

Having been swept toward the beach, I ended up in a deep spot where the whitewaters backed off between the breakers and the shore. As I drifted north with the current, my body was in the water and my arms stretched over the mid-section of the board. I intermittently waved one arm in the air and scanned the beach and restaurants for someone to help me, but couldn't see anyone. The waves finally washed me to the beach. The normally harmless one-foot shorepound twisted and tossed my injured leg unnaturally in every direction as I helplessly rolled up and down the beach. Previously numb, the pain in my leg was now excruciating and 1 cried out for help in both English and Spanish.

Within a minute, a big Mexican man from one of the restaurants came to my rescue. After unstrapping the leash from my ankle, he put my arms around his neck and I locked my hands together before he hoisted me up on his back and carried me to a restaurant chair toward the top of the beach. A small crowd gathered and as we waited for the ambulance I joyfully pointed out to someone that I was able to wiggle my toes.

When the ambulance arrived, a board was strapped to my leg and I was whisked away to the nearest hospital. When the paved road turned to cobblestone for the last block to the hospital, the dull horror of having a broken leg in a third world country really hit me.

In the emergency room (the entrance hall) I was questioned about the injury. I was delirious but could communicate some in Spanish. My semi-bilingual Mexican friend, Chelis, who came with me in the ambulance, helped me with the rest. They checked my vital signs and took some blood while, just out of my reach, the flies dined on some day-old wounds on my ankle.

poll_holdon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:24 +0000

Chad Compton Injured In Skateboard Accident

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:24 +0000

March 31st, Rip Curl team rider and SURFER cover boy Chad Compton was seriously injured in a skateboarding accident in Ventura. Upon suffering severe head trauma Chad was rushed to the ER where doctors have placed him in an induced coma to, as father Dave Compton articulates, "keep him out of harms way until they know a bit more about his condition." He is currently in critical, but stable condition at Ventura County General Hospital.

According Mike Makos, Rip Curl's marketing director, "Chad was just skatin' down the street and hit a bump in the road." As the doctors and nurses of Ventura County General continue to tend to Chad the Compton's family faith is keeping them strong. "We are believing in faith that God keeps his hand on him," Dave Compton comments. "If you know of any others who can say a pray for him, we would appreciate it." We're all wishing him a successful and speedy recovery.

Help TJ Barron Be "The Last Boy Standing"

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:24 +0000

What would you do for $10,000? Well, in an effort to put some coin in his wax pocket TJ Barron's got himself into quite a bind. Between sessions at Backdoor and 'QS events Down Under he's been logging on and laying down some serious sap in an effort to be named Young Miss' (target audience, 12-year-old girls) "Last Boy Standing." At first glance the concept may induce a spot of nausea--boy toys, star signs and dream dates have never been surfers' thing. Upon further investigation the nausea is confirmed. A field of 12 hunkalicious young men handpicked by the editors of YM have been thrust into a battle to try and capture the title of "Last Boy Standing" (along with a $10,000 purse). The contest involves nine months of online questions and answers, dreamy pictures along with miscellaneous information relating to likes and dislikes, hang-ups and hang outs...your basic teen idol concept. From there visitors to YM's web site are encouraged to vote for their favorite boy every month. Yeah, it's pretty cheesy. If you needed proof a poetic excerpt from TJ's online swoon fest reads, "I prayed and watched into the distant starz, and finally you came to me...My stomach quivers, my body shivers..." All right, all right, we're just going to stop right there. Need we say more? Obviously TJ's a little hard up for cash. So, we'd like to help a brother out. Better he win the dough than some kooky landlubber from Denver or Toronto. Lets keep the cash in the family. Go online, click over to Young Miss and help TJ be the "Last Boy Standing." If 10 grand is getting shelled out anyway, it might as well go to a surfer.

Hurley Grand Opening in HB

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:24 +0000

Hurley International celebrated the Grand Opening of it's new Huntington Beach retail store on Wednesday, January 16th. Guests were treated to free drinks, food, and music from DJ Jason Valdez. Attendees viewed Hurley's latest product offerings, took in the layout and vibe of the store, and mixed it up with the likes of Bob Burnquist, Kris Markovich, Jodie Nelson, Rob Machado and, of course, Bob Hurley himself. As the evening rolled on, the throng of guests made its way around the corner for the after party at Killarney's Pub & Grill.

Get down to the new Hurley International Store at 300 Pacific Coast Highway in HB, across from the HB Pier.

"For more images of last nights event go to www.hurley.com

Malloy Brothers Move To Patagonia

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:25 +0000

In a somewhat stunning move, the high profile brother trio of Chris, Keith and Dan Malloy announced today that they're leaving the Hurley label to embark on a multi-year project with Ventura based apparel company Patagonia. The move will obviously catch some by surprise since the Malloy brothers have spent the past 13 years riding for Bob Hurley, first under the Billabong label in the 1990's, then with Hurley's own label since its inception in 1999. "Bob and everyone at Hurley has been family to us," says Chris Malloy, leader of the Malloy clan. "This is by far the toughest decision we've ever had to make in our lives, but this move makes perfect sense for us at this point in our careers. Patagonia is a company we have a great deal of respect for because of their support of the environment and other philanthropic efforts, and with their home right next to ours in Ventura it's really a perfect fit for us going forward."

The Malloy brothers have forged quite a friendship with Patagonia founder Yvonne Chounard and his son Fletcher, after Keith moved near the Chounards home on Faria Point. The two families have since become close, traveling on surf, fishing and climbing adventures together.

By nabbing the Malloy brothers, Patagonia is breaking a long company tradition of not sponsoring high profile athletes. The message they're hoping to send through this deal is that they're quite serious about making headway into the surf apparel market. Part of this arrangement gives the Malloys heavy input over the marketing as well as serious input into products and apparel. "They've made weak efforts in the past at penetrating the surf market, and we've essentially told them so. But they belong here as much as anyone when you think about it. They do more to support surfers than most other companies combined, and we wouldn't have made this move if we didn't feel they were going to make the required steps it'll take."

Reaction at Hurley headquarters is understandably mixed today. "Obviously, it's a little weird," says Jeff Hurley. "On the one hand we're sad to see these guys go, but on the other we're happy for them and wish them good luck."

The Malloy brothers instantly became the backbone of the Hurley surf team when Hurley launched in 1998. Since that time, however, Hurley's been successful in picking up a handful of all stars, including Rob Machado and Pat O'Connell, while becoming one of the fastest growing surf industry brands in history. The Malloys absence will likely enable them to go after more surfers. Indeed, there are already rumors that Tim Curran is in talks with Hurley at this very moment.

Bob Hurley is describing the split with the Malloys as "very amicable." In a press release Hurley expressed his support and "heartfelt appreciation for three guys on an amazing new journey. We have and will continue to respect them as people, surfers, and friends." --Chris Mauro

2004 Rip Curl Pro

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:26 +0000
<b>FantasySurfer News</b>
ASP Ratings After WCT#2/12

1. Andy Irons (HAW) 1,908-points
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 1,800
3. Michael Lowe (AUS) 1,680
4. Taj Burrow (AUS) 1.632
5. Taylor Knox (USA) 1,476
=6. Kelly Slater (USA); Mark Occhilupo (AUS) 1,464
8. Jake Paterson (AUS) 1,332
9. Victor Ribas (BRA) 1,212
=10. Guilherme Herdy (BRA); Paulo Moura (BRA) 1,200

Play FantasySurfer and win a trip to Fiji

Thursday, April 15, 2004 (Bells Beach, VIC, AUS) Australian Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast) today won the 32nd annual Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Event #2 on the 2004 Foster's men's ASP World Championship Tournament (WCT) resumed this morning with quarterfinal clashes, running right through until this year's champion was crowned.

Perfect 4ft (1.3m) waves were again on offer, though unfortunately became inconsistent as the event progressed towards its climax on the lower tide.

The 35-minute decider against fellow Australian Taj Burrow (Yallingup, WA) commenced with one of the most dramatic starts to a heat all event. Parkinson stroked into an epic set wave and proceeded to surf it brilliantly for a near-perfect 9.63 score. Burrow, on the other hand, caught the wave behind, but creased his surfboard attempting a re-entry and was forced to return to the beach for his back-up board. Things never really improved for him.

'Parko' - last year's event runner-up - posted the only perfect 10 of the tournament in the semifinals, also earning the highest overall tally with 19.5-points, to eliminate defending two-times Rip Curl Pro champ Andy Irons. Having last won a WCT during the Rip Curl Cup at the end of 2002 in Hawaii, today's victory moved the 23-year-old into second position on this year's adjusted ratings and banked US$30,000 prizemoney.

"I don't know what to say," began Parkinson, after being carried up the beach by good mates and previous Rip Curl Pro winners Mick Fanning and Mark Occhilupo. "I didn't expect that this morning, but I'm pretty much over he moon.

"A wave came and everything felt good," he continued, of his opening ride. "It feels so good not to get second. I got three last year and they were all to Andy, so it was great to beat him in the semis and finally win one. To get my name on the Bells trophy is one of the greatest achievements of my life. I knew Taj could comeback if he got a bomb out there, but I guess it was my day. Thanks to everyone for coming down and sharing it with me."

Burrow - last year's world #3 - never gave up despite his initial disadvantage. The 25-year-old slightly bridged the massive gap created by his opponent, posting a 7.87 with a crowd-pleasing ride, highlighted by a trademark aerial maneuver on the inside. Ultimately he required another ride worth 9.27-points.

"It's pretty hard to make a comeback when conditions are that inconsistent, especially when Joel gets a 9.63 first wave," reasoned Burrow. "All I could do was try, and I got within range, but inconsistently nailed me.

"It was my best board and I heard it crack when I tried to hit the lip," he added, of the initial situation. "It didn't take long to change boards, but it did rattle me a little bit. Then I was just trying to fight back, but you can't get angry that a wave didn't come. The real deal would have be the one, but I'm content and stoked with the result."

Equal third were reigning two-times consecutive Rip Curl Pro and ASP world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, HAW), as well as Californian Pat O'Connell. Both earned US$10,000 and a major boost to their 2004 world title aspirations.

Irons had earlier collected the highest overall tally during round three, but against Parkinson in a rematch of their 2003 final at Johanna, the 25-year-old was unable to stop his opponent going one better. The Kauaian led momentarily during the exchange, before 'Parko' locked in his perfect ride and stormed ahead. The defending champ opted to return to shore six minutes early, but still gained control of this year's ASP ratings with another strong result.

"Joel got a 9.5 and then was really patient, picking off another set to score a 10 on it, so I was pretty much smashed," explained Irons. "He definitely got revenge, but at least it wasn't the final. I would have been nice to be in the final again, but it wasn't on the cards.

"Loving that," he added, of leading the ratings again. "The tour is a marathon, not really a sprint, so two good results already and I'm stoked. Just want to keep the momentum flowing throughout the year and keep it up."

O'Connell, who received a World Professional Surfers (WPS) wildcard for 2004 - following a knee injury late last year - justified the spot with his best result in more than a year. The 32-year-old began his day with a dream win over Bells' roommate and six-time world champ Kelly Slater, but then had his campaign narrowly ended by Burrow. The Californian required an 8.28 with three minutes to go and snagged a clean set wave. After landing a big floater and emerging from a great barrel, the wave unfortunately faded out and his score returned an 8.23, slightly below mark.

"This whole contest has been such a blessing," reasoned O'Connell. "Every time someone else needed a wave against me the ocean went flat, and Kelly's ride was a second too late, so... I didn't expect anything and had a good time. I really wanted to get it, and it was fun surfing with Taj, as I really look up to his surfing. My last wave completely died, but gosh, I almost had it. I'm not disappointed at all though, and I think it was exciting for the people on the beach, which I feel is a big part of it."

Finishing equal fifth in the Rip Curl Pro were 2001 event winner Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, AUS), fellow Australian Toby Martin (Dee Why, NSW), six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) and 1998 event champ Mark Occhilupo (Gold Coast, AUS).

In what proved a wave-starved heat, Slater uncharacteristically fell on his first good ride and then tried in vain to catch O'Connell's lead. As the final seconds elapsed an ideal set wave approached the Floridian, but by the time he had taken his hands from the rail of his surfboard to begin surfing, the siren had sounded to mark the heat's completion. Adding insult to injury, the 32-year-old went berserk on the ride and almost surely secured the 8.0 score he required.

The 32nd annual Rip Curl Pro would not have been possible without the support of Surfing Victoria, the Surf Coast Shire Council, the Victorian Department of Tourism, Sport & The Commonwealth Games, and the Association of Surfing Professionals, plus the supporting sponsorship of Nintendo, Coca-Cola, Triple M, Tracks, Nokia, Telstra, Falls Creek, Frankston Yamaha, Holden and Beaumont's.

Official Rip Curl Pro Results

1st Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.13 - US$30,000
2nd Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.04 - US$16,000

Semifinals (1st>Final; 2nd=3rd receives US$10,000)

SF1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19.5 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 14.33
SF2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.2 def. Pat O'Connell (USA) 16.16

Quarterfinals (1st>Semifinal; 2nd=5th receives US$8,000)

QF1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.5 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.1
QF2: Andy Irons (HAW) 15.67 def. Toby Martin (AUS) 10.0
QF3: Pat O'Connell (USA) 14.5 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 10.77
QF4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.67 def. Mark Occhilupo (AUS) 6.67

MACHADO TRIALIST AT QUIK FIJI PRO

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:27 +0000

Rob Machado Heads List Of Trialists

Quiksilver Pro (May 26 - June 7) www.quiksilver.com & www.aspworldtour.comAssociation of Surfing Professionals (ASP)2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

ASP Int'l, QLD, Australia (Wednesday, May 22) Former world #2 rated surferRob Machado (USA) is returning to top-level competition this weekend as anentrant in the Quiksilver Trials at Tavarua and Namotu Islands, Fiji. Thetop two trials place getters will receive wildcards into the main event ofthe US$250,000 Quiksilver Pro, the fourth event on the Association ofSurfing Professionals (ASP) 2002 World Championship Tour (WCT).

Eight people will contest the Quiksilver Trials as a lead-in to theQuiksilver Pro, including dynamic Hawaiian Fred Patacchia, Pipelinespecialist Strider Wasilewski (USA), top World Qualifying Series (WQS)surfer Troy Brooks (Aus), Spain's Jonathan Gonzalez, local Fijian expertWaqa "Tavarua" Mata, as well as two other local Fijian qualifiers.

ASP President/CEO Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew said the internationalQuiksilver Trials would be a great curtain raiser to the prestigiousQuiksilver Pro.

"Top guns such as Andy Irons (Haw), Kelly Slater (USA), Mark Occhilupo(Aus), Luke Egan (Aus), Cory Lopez (USA), CJ Hobgood (USA) and JoelParkinson (Aus) will have the luxury of assessing conditions at thelegendary Cloudbreak reef before engaging the break themselves," Bartholomewsaid. "Eight hotties will go hammer and tong for the honor of challengingthe tournament's top two seeds, Andy and Occy, in the first round. Withperformance levels going through the roof, Cloudbreak will bring the bestout in the guys."

Contest director Rod Brooks said the swell charts on the Internet lookedpromising for an early start on Sunday 26 May, the first day of the 13-dayevent window that runs through to Friday, June 7.

"There is a strong low in the Tasman Sea, which we call 'Pinball Alley'between Australia and New Zealand," Brooks said. "This system will produce aconsistent, moderate sized swell from the south which is ideal forCloudbreak, a shallow coral reef two kilometers south of Tavarua and NamotuIslands."

Machado's return to major competition has created a lot of interest insurfing circles. The 2000 Pipeline Masters winner, now the father of a youngdaughter, is fit and ready to challenge the world's best.

"Surf-wise I had some of the best waves I've ever seen in California thispast winter and finally had the opportunity to ride any and all thesurfboards I ever wanted to ride," Machado, 28, said. "I feel like mysurfing is in the best place that it's ever been in. Maybe not according tocontest criteria, but definitely in my mind, so I'm excited to put my pastexperience, along with my new love for surfing, up against the Top 46.

"I've gone on a few trips with Fred and he's a great surfer," he continued,of his fellow trialists. "Troy surfed great in the event a few years ago andmade the quarter-finals. And Waqa, he's the man. The mellowest, nicestperson I know. He definitely has the hometown advantage and the home breakadvantage.

"Fiji could possibly be one of my favorite places to visit," he added. "TheFijian people are by far some of the kindest people I've come across in theworld, and they have the best hair. Who ever said that Afros went out ofstyle?"

Fellow Californian Strider Wasilewski also has something of a localadvantage, once being a boatman at Tavarua Island for six weeks, takingguests surfing.

"I got to know the wave pretty well and think I have a great chance to winthe Quiksilver Trials," Wasilewski said. "This would be my forte so tospeak - big left barrels. We're dealing with Mother Nature and the last timeI was there I dislocated my shoulder and got seven stitches in my foot! So Ifeel I have paid my dues and if nothing else, it's a great excuse to go toone of my favorite places."

Brooks, a quarter-finalist in the 2000 Quiksilver Pro, said the Trials wereshaping up as being a very hard event.

"Heats in the main event won't be too much harder because most of thosesurfers have competed on the WCT and Rob Machado finished second before,"Brooks said. "I got a 5th at Cloudbreak in 2000. It's a bit trickier on yourbackhand. The barrel is a little bit harder to work. I'm just going to goout there and have fun and hopefully do what I did two years ago."

Spain's Jonathan Gonzalez will also be on his backhand and said he was veryhappy to have the opportunity to surf amongst the world's best surfers.

"It represents a place in what would be the most important contest in mylife, so I hope to take advantage of this great opportunity and surf mybest," Gonzalez said. "I would be really thankful if I could get a wildcardas it would open up the door to the WCT for me."

Hawaiian goofy footer Fred Patacchia said that if the surf is good, all thetrialists have a chance to win.

"They are all great surfers and competitors," said Patacchia. "I thinkCloudbreak is one of the best waves in the world and to compete against theTop 46 is a dream. I can't wait, but I'm also nervous as I don't want to letthe boys down back home."

Detailed releases will be available from the opening day of the 2002Quiksilver Pro.

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

www.aspworldtour.com & www.quiksilver.com

Patacchia, Slater Live Large in Fiji

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:27 +0000

Patacchia Wins Trials; Slater Dominates Round One

Quiksilver Pro (May 26 - June 7) www.quiksilver.com & www.aspworldtour.comAssociation of Surfing Professionals (ASP)2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji (Sunday, May 26) The Quiksilver Pro commencedthis morning with Fred Patacchia (Haw), Rob Machado (USA) and Troy Brooks(Aus) all advancing through the Trials into the US$250,000 WorldChampionship Tournament (WCT). 14 of the non-elimination opening round heatswere then completed in epic conditions, with six-time world champion KellySlater (USA) producing a near-perfect performance late this afternoon.

Extremely hollow 6-8ft (2-2.5m) waves were on offer throughout the day at'Cloudbreak', allowing for an amazing display of critical barrel riding.

Slater, who enjoyed two great sessions out at 'Restaurants' prior to theday's final heat against Paulo Moura (Brz) and Kieren Perrow (Aus), wassimply outstanding. He waited patiently before picking off a 9.25 ride, andthen posted the only perfect 10 of the tournament so far for an incredibletwo-wave tally of 19.25 out of a possible 20-points. His flawless ride hadthe judges watching a seemingly empty barrel from start to finish, as heremained hidden virtually the entire time. Emerging with both arms raised,even he couldn't believe how long the tube had lasted.

"I took off and just barely got to my feet in the whitewater," explainedSlater of the exceptional ride. "The first barrel spat and almost threw meoff my board. As soon as I made that it started walling up and I grabbed the(wave) face and slowed down and stayed in the barrel for about 10-seconds(laughs). That was one of the longest barrels I've ever had for sure. I'vehad deeper ones, but it was that long I was starting to get mesmerized inthere.

"It's pretty much one of the best waves in the world right here, if notthese best," he continued. "I surfed 'Restaurants' twice today, and that'sone of the most perfect waves in the world too, and then I got to surf'Cloudbreak' and scored two perfect waves. It's been a pretty amazing dayand a good start to the event."

Reigning world champion CJ Hobgood (USA) faced Trials winner Patacchia, aswell as Mick Lowe (Aus) in his round one clash. The Floridian took controlwith two high scores, happy to avoid one of the tournament wildcards in thesecond round.

"There are a lot of good wildcards in this event," began Hobgood. "I justreally wanted to make that heat and avoid going up against another one ofthem in the 33rd place round. I was kind of scared of that, so I really putsome pressure on myself to win so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

"We're spoilt brats I guess you could say," he added, of the conditions hereand in Tahiti for the previous WCT. "To be on tour and compete with a coupleguys out in waves like this... it's such an honor to be a surfer and travelwith the guys and go to the places we do."

Patacchia, who dominated both early heats en-route to the Trials victory,kept the pressure on Hobgood, but ultimately required another wave worth8.61-points. He will now face world #16 Richard Lovett (Aus) in round two.

"I had a great time out there during the Trials," said Patacchia after hiswin. "I love Tavarua and was really honored just to be invited. To make themain event is just the best feeling ever."

Current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw) continued his momentum againstformer world #2 Taj Burrow (Aus) and two-time world champion (1983-4) andevent wildcard Tom Carroll (Aus). The Hawaiian, who has won the past twoWCT's, overcame one of his heroes to advance directly into round three.Burrows, meanwhile, did well just to make it to Fiji, as he still has 11staples in his head following a bad wipeout in Western Australia last week.

"That was the first time I've surfed against Tom Carroll and he's alwaysbeen a hero of mine," said Irons. "It's pretty cool and memorable to get tosurf a heat against him at 6-8ft Cloudbreak.

"It's an incredible feeling and I still can't believe it," he continued, ofhis recent success. "Especially Teahupoo, as I've always wanted to winthere. This one as well, Cloudbreak is such a good wave and I'd love to dowell. I'm psyched, definitely."

1999 world and event champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus) dominated his match withTrials runner-up Machado and Nathan Hedge (Aus), posting the day's secondbest total for 18.15-points. Securing a 9.25 and then an 8.9 later in theheat, the inaugural Quiksilver Pro Fiji winner is in awesome form.

"I was a lot more anxious than usual going up against Rob and Nathan,"admitted Occhilupo. "It was a hard heat, so it boosts my confidence to havea win like that.

"It really is special," he continued of the venue. "I've seen some of thebest waves I've ever seen at Cloudbreak. It's amazing here today. It's beenan unbelievable year."

Machado, who put his stylish act to good use during three heats today, willnow meet 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw) in a highly anticipatedround two decider.

"It feels good just to be here," said Machado after the Trials final. "I hada good time surfing the Trials and had some good waves. I've been inCalifornia for a while, so I haven't really surfed anything of a dangerousnature. It's been really fun catching some real waves and feeling my boardgoing fast again."

Wildcard Brooks (Aus), who was last to qualify for the main event, createdan upset by defeating current #2 Cory Lopez (USA) and Shane Powell (Aus)this afternoon. After being caught and pushed down the reef by a series oflarge waves during the middle of the heat, 'Brooko' managed to secure twogood rides on his last two attempts, taking the lead in the dying secondswith an 8.0. Having finished equal fifth as a wildcard in the 2000tournament when Lopez eliminated him man-on-man, today's win held addedsatisfaction.

"I got flogged halfway through the heat pretty badly," explained Brooks. "Igot one alright wave, then with less than 10 seconds to go I managed to takeoff on a bomb and it lined up and I got the score. I'm pretty happy with theway I surfed."

Defending Quiksilver Pro Fiji champion Luke Egan, who won the event when itlast ran in 2000, took out a fantastic clash this morning against twoAustralian WCT newcomers Dean Morrison and Darren O'Rafferty. Havingfinished runner-up in the Tahitian WCT last week, the powerful goofy-footerfought off valiant efforts by his opponents, with both needing solid scoresat the end.

"You've just got to take it every heat at a time," said Egan, of defendinghis title. "Otherwise it gets away from you. Today is epic out there and somuch fun. 'Deano' and I were screaming at each other and just having aball."

Current ratings #5 Joel Parkinson (Aus), who won the Quiksilver Pro inAustralia as the 2002 WCT season began, today won his opening heat againstfellow Australian Lee Winkler and Brazilian Marcelo Nunes, after locking ina near-perfect 9.6 on his second ride.

"I had a bad run through Tahiti and earlier in the year Bells (Beach,Australia)," said Parkinson. "Hopefully I can turn that around here and comeup with something solid. Andy deserves his lead (on the ratings) at themoment, but still, I don't want to see him get too far in front and becomecocky (laughs)."

Peterson Rosa secured Brazil's only round one win today, defeating 2001World Qualifying Series (WQS) winner Mick Fanning and fellow Australian BeauEmerton. Rosa secured a 9.0 during the midway through, before earning a 7.0and the match on his last wave.

"My style does better in these conditions," said Rosa. "I'm stoked to havewaves like this and I train hard for this. I hope to do well."

Official results of the Quiksilver Pro Fiji Round One (Best two wavescounted)

H1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.25; Jake Paterson (Aus) 10.25; Luke Hitchings(Aus) 3.95
H2: Shea Lopez (USA) 14.75; Maz Quinn (NZ) 12.25; Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz)12.15
H3: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 15.35; Lee Winkler (Aus) 14.0; Marcelo Nunes (Brz)5.0
H4: Luke Egan (Aus) 16.5; Dean Morrison (Aus) 14.0; Darren Rafferty (Aus)13.4
H5: Daniel Wills (Aus) 12.0; Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 5.75; Renan Rocha (Brz)4.5
H6: Kalani Robb (Haw) 17.05; Todd Prestage (Aus) 12.5; Pat O'Connell (USA)9.0
H7: CJ Hobgood (USA) 17.1; Fred Patacchia (Haw) 14.0; Michael Lowe (Aus)12.0
H8: Andy Irons (Haw) 14.75; Taj Burrow (Aus) 10.85; Tom Carroll (Aus) 6.4
H9: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 18.15; Rob Machado (USA) 12.65; Nathan Hedge (Aus)10.4
H10: Troy Brooks (Aus) 14.75; Cory Lopez (USA) 11.25; Shane Powell (Aus)10.6
H11: Michael Campbell (Aus) 13.5; Sunny Garcia (Haw) 11.75; Nathan Webster(Aus) 5.35
H12: Peterson Rosa (Brz) 16.0; Mick Fanning (Aus) 15.25; Beau Emerton (Aus)9.6
H13: Shane Dorian (Haw) 14.1; Victor Ribas (Brz) 13.5; ; Richard Lovett(Aus) 10.65
H14: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.25; Paulo Moura (Brz) 13.4; Kieren Perrow (Aus)10.75

Quiksilver Pro Trials (Best three waves counted)

Final: Fred Patacchia (Haw) 19.1; Rob Machado (USA) 17.3; Troy Brooks (Aus)15.35; Jonathon Gonzales (Canary Is.) 12.1
T1: Fred Patacchia (Haw) 19.6; Rob Machado (USA) 18.5; Strider Wasilewski(USA) 15.65; Isei Tokovou (Fiji) 5.75
T2: Jonathon Gonzales (Canary Is.) 14.65; Troy Brooks (Aus) 13.9; Aca Ravulo(Fiji) 7.7; Eddie Neikaci (Fiji); 6.15

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

www.aspworldtour.com & www.quiksilver.com

Burrow Sets High Mark at Restaurants

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:28 +0000

Burrow Sets Pace At 'Restaurants'

Quiksilver Pro (May 26 - June 7) www.quiksilver.com & www.aspworldtour.com
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)
2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji (Monday, May 27) Former world #2 Taj Burrow(Aus) today set the pace in the Quiksilver Pro after the US$250,000 WorldChampionship Tournament (WCT) relocated to the famed venue of 'Restaurants',directly in front of the dinning area on Tavarua Island. The final two heatsof round one were completed this morning, before nine of the secondelimination round also took place in epic conditions.

The extremely shallow reef break hosted perfect 4-6ft (1.3-2m) wavesthroughout the morning, with the midday low tide creating exceptionalbarrels. Contestants made the most of their first opportunity to surf thepremier spot in competition, but onshore northwest winds increased andforced organizers to postpone the remaining heats this afternoon.

Burrow, 23, showed no signs of inexperience at the venue against fellowAustralian Phillip MacDonald. Despite having only surfed 'Restaurants' forthe first time earlier this morning, he opened his account with the bestsingle score of the day for a 9.4, and then continued to impress the judgesfor the highest combined three-wave total of 24.9-points. While MacDonaldalso put on a fantastic performance and would have won most other heatstoday with his scores, it was the West Australian who advanced into roundthree to now face Aussie Shane Powell.

"That was a great start," said Burrow afterward. "I wasn't sure how to surfthe place 'cause today's the first time I've ever surfed 'Restaurants'. Itwas so hard to do top turns as the waves were sucking up so much and you'dend up doing airdrops down, so I started pulling in and got a couple ofbarrels. I was just learning how to ride it, but I'm stoked to get a 9.4first wave.

"It's so amazing," he continued of the venue. "It's ridiculously shallow.There were rocks popping out all over the place, but the waves were thatgood."

Current ratings #2 Cory Lopez (USA) snuck through his anticipated clash withtwo-time world champion Tom Carroll (Aus). The Floridian led from theoutset, but the 40-year-old wildcard took the lead with only 10-minutesremaining. Lopez required a further 5.41 score and after losing priority itbecome doubtful he'd secure one, but in the dying seconds he picked off awave inside of Carroll and managed to post a 5.75 for victory.

"There was a lot of good waves and some nice barrels, and I was lucky to getthat last one at the end," admitted Lopez. "It was a nail biter and I washoping it was going to barrel and luckily it let me do a couple turns.

"I've always looked up to Tom Carroll, since I was a tiny 'grom'," he added."He was world champ, and always an inspiration to watch. To come back andget him in the last couple seconds, I'm stoked."

2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw) then eliminated Quiksilver Pro Trialsrunner-up Rob Machado (USA) in a fantastic duel. The pair went wave forwave, with the Californian earning a 9.0 one ride, and the Hawaiian a 9.25straight afterward. In the end, Machado required an additional 7.66 scorethat never presented itself.

"Luckily for me the wind was blowing a little strong and playing havoc withthe barrels that Rob was getting," said Garcia "I was fortunate to get someof the set waves and be able to turn, so I'm happy to make round three.

"Rob's one of the best surfers in the world," he continued, in praise of hisopponent. "He won Pipe (Hawaiian WCT in 2000) and got second in the world toKelly (Slater, in 1995). I'm sure if he competes on the World QualifyingSeries (WQS) he'll be back."

World #16 Richard Lovett (Aus) was next to eliminate one of the tournamentwildcards, ending the run of Trials winner Fred Patacchia (Haw). TheAustralian dominated a fairly one-sided match, with Patacchia ultimately insearch of a combination of scores when it concluded.

"I'm a happy boy now," said Lovett. "So nervous before that heat. I really,really hate that round and I had a hard draw. Fred's been ripping. The waveswere good, but a little tricky, so I'm so stoked to get through."

Former WCT surfer Todd Prestage (Aus), a seed replacement in the QuiksilverPro Fiji, created an upset by ousting current ratings #7 Kieren Perrow(Aus). Prestage, who fell out of the upper echelon of surfing's ranks in2000, made the most of his opportunity today with a commanding performance.He will now face 1999 world and event champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus) in roundthree.

"I finished just outside the WCT cutoff last year," explained Prestage, ofbeing a replacement. "A couple of the Brazilians are injured at the momentand had to pull out, so I was called the day before the tournament andpacked my bags. I'm here basically having some fun and catching up with allthe boys an enjoying it.

"I feel like I'm only getting better," he continued. "12 years on tour was along time and I took a year to relax and regroup. My surfing feeling feelsgood and I'm having a blast."

WCT newcomer Darren O'Rafferty was another standout, eliminating fellowAustralian Nathan Hedge in what was an epic showdown. The lead swungthroughout, but it was O'Rafferty's critical floaters and precise backhandsurfing that gained the judges' nod for the second highest total of the day.

"That was unreal," said O'Rafferty. "It's my first time over here and, andsurfing this wave as well. I was a bit timid when I was coming down fromsome of those floaters, as you can see all the colors (of the reef) comingat you and the fish swimming everywhere.

"I've only gotten through one other heat this year, so I'm stoked," hecontinued of his maiden WCT campaign. "If you get a few 33rd's yourconfidence is down. I've had a couple and it doesn't feel good, so to getthrough that second round is a big bonus."

World #4 Taylor Knox (USA) won his opening round one heat this morning overPaul Canning (SAfr) and Russell Winter (UK) to skip the 'losers' secondround. The Californian will now challenge Michael Lowe, after the Australiandominated another great heat with Brazil's Rodrigo Dornelles.

The day's final heat between Pat O'Connell (USA) and Luke Hitchings (Aus)also went down to the wire. The Australian posted the match's best score of9.0 on his last wave, advancing to meet reigning world champion CJ Hobgood(USA) in round three.

Official results of the Quiksilver Pro Fiji Round Two (losers finish =33rd;receive US$3,000)

H1: Cory Lopez (USA) 22.4 def. Tom Carroll (Aus) 22.05
H2: Sunny Garcia (Haw) 22.4 def. Rob Machado (USA) 19.75
H3: Richard Lovett (Aus) 22.3 def. Fred Patacchia (Haw) 17.0
H4: Todd Prestage (Aus) 22.4 def. Kieren Perrow (Aus) 15.75
H5: Taj Burrow (Aus) 24.9 def. Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 23.25
H6: Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 24.4 def. Nathan Hedge (Aus) 23.6
H7: Shane Powell (Aus) 19.25 def. Marcelo Nunes (Brz) 17.25
H8: Michael Lowe (Aus) 23.9 def. Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) 20.0
H9: Luke Hitchings (Aus) 21.5 def. Pat O'Connell (USA) 19.7

Round One (1st advances directly to round three; 2nd & 3rd contest second round)

H15: Trent Munro (Aus) 15.75; Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 15.25; Greg Emslie (SAfr) 4.9
H16: Taylor Knox (USA) 16.65; Paul Canning (SAfr) 13.5; Russell Winter (UK) 12.0

Remaining Round Two Heats

H10: Renan Rocha (Brz) vs. Beau Emerton (Aus)
H11: Dean Morrison (Aus) vs. Victor Ribas (Brz)
H12: Lee Winkler (Aus) vs. Paulo Moura (Brz)
H13: Maz Quinn (NZ) vs. Greg Emslie (SAfr)
H14: Jake Paterson (Aus) vs. Paul Canning (SAfr)
H15: Nathan Webster (Aus) vs. Russell Winter (UK)
H16: Mick Fanning (Aus) vs. Fabio Gouveia (Brz)

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

www.aspworldtour.com & www.quiksilver.com

Parko Racks It Up

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:28 +0000

Quiksilver Pro (May 26 - June 7) www.quiksilver.com & www.aspworldtour.comAssociation of Surfing Professionals (ASP)2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji (Tuesday, May 28) Current ratings #5 JoelParkinson (Aus) today posted the Quiksilver Pro's highest combined scores.The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) returned to 'Cloudbreak'for the completion of round two this morning, before six heats of the thirdround were then decided.

Perfect 6ft (2m) conditions persisted all day, though competition did go onhold between rounds due to inconsistent set waves. The lower tide createdepic barrels, however, and led to more amazing rides with competitors backin the lineup.

Parkinson, 21, dominated his match against South African Greg Emslie toamass the best three-wave total of the event for 25.45-points. In his tallya near-perfect 9.7 after emerging from two exceptional barrels on one ride.While his opponent had eliminated New Zealand's Maz Quinn this morning,Emslie ultimately required a combination of scores worth 15.46-pointsagainst the Australian.

"It was one of those waves you never think you're going to make from thestart," explained Parkinson. "Then I made it part of the way and thought Iwas doing well, kept going and realized I had a chance to make it (laughs).When I came out of the second tube I gave myself a 10! I'm stoked with a 9.7though, it's probably the highest score I've had since I've been on tour.

"I didn't go and watch 'Restaurants' yesterday, I spent about six or sevenhours in the water here," he continued, of surfing 'Cloudbreak'. "Justtrying to get to know the wave and really picking the good ones, like thatone today."

Ratings #6 Kalani Robb (Haw) eliminated former world #2 MichaelCampbell (Aus) in what proved the day's most exciting clash. The pair caughtgreat waves early on, before 'Cambo' took the lead following a brilliant 9.4tube ride. The Hawaiian then used priority to regain poll position with a7.75 score, and his Australian counterpart was unable to find the next wavehe required.

"It definitely was a really good heat," acknowledged Robb. "The lead changeda couple of times. We actually almost didn't have the third round becausethe conditions were looking marginal, but then they started coming in and itwas perfect for big barrels and big maneuvers. Mick and I both got somereally good ones, so I'm stoked.

"Since Tahiti I'm used to it," he continued, of having opponents score greatrides toward the end of his clashes. "It's been happening all year, so I'mused to guys throwing nines at me (laughs). It pushes me to surf better, andI know if I make it I must have done something right."

Reigning world champion CJ Hobgood (USA) dominated his match against LukeHitchings (Aus). The Floridian caught plenty of waves, and ultimately thosethat counted most, including a 9.0 for one tube.

"This one good set came and Luke was a little too far up the point,"explained Hobgood. "It ended up being a really good wave, and after thatnothing seemed to come.

"I'm stoked I didn't peak and have a crazy heat when Luke was kind of havingan average one," he continued. "Everyone you go up against now on has won acouple heats, so they have their momentum up too."

Peterson Rosa (Brz) survived a tough match against 2001 World QualifyingSeries (WQS) winner Mick Fanning (Aus). While the Australian had earlieraccounted for Fabio Gouveia (Brz) with the second highest total of the day(24.0), he made a crucial error by allowing his second Brazil opponent ofthe day to catch a good wave, and then missed the better one behind it. Rosacapitalized on the mistake, having had a slow start to the heat himself.

"I had a couple of wipeouts at the start," explained Rosa. "Then I got an8.3 and began my heat. In the end he left a nice one go by and I knew I onlyneeded five points, so I was nervous, but I got a 6.2 and made it. I did myjob."

World #5 Jake Paterson (Aus) created some momentum today, ousting SouthAfrica's Paul Canning and then fellow Australian Richard Lovett in roundthree. After the initial nerves of round two, the West Australian surfedconfidently against his good mate and will now face Hobgood in the fourth.

"I had a pretty good heat this morning and was pretty nervous, but coming upagainst your friend there were no nerves at all," explained Paterson. "I hada great time and the waves were pumping. We played 'rock, paper, scissors'for the first priority and I won, and then I ended up having a better startthan him and got into a rhythm. I had a dream heat.

"It's good to get out of that 17th place round, not to mention that 33rdround," he joked. "I haven't been doing very well lately, so hopefully I'llget a result here."

Current ratings #8 Shea Lopez (USA) ended Russell Winter's (GB) tournamenthopes. The 'British Bulldog' eliminated Nathan Webster (Aus) with great lastride earlier in the day, but after the Floridian posted a 9.0 in theirmatch, he was unable to repeat the result.

"I got the one good barrel," said Lopez. "My other waves weren't reallykeepers, but I guess they worked today. It was pretty nice to have just oneother guy out there. Hopefully it keeps pumping like it's supposed to."

Paulo Moura kept the Brazilian flag alive by defeating Australian LeeWinkler this morning. Including Rosa, they are the only South Americans leftin this year's tournament. He'll now face defending Quiksilver Pro championLuke Egan (Aus) in round three.

"It was a really hard heat with Lee," acknowledged Moura. "He's a greatsurfer, and I knew he would be able to do some good maneuvers on hisbackside out there. I tried to look for the double up waves, which I found,and got a couple of inside barrels for two good scores.

"I'm going to work harder to go further in this competition for theBrazilians," he continued. "Especially for Neco and Flavio (Padaratz), andGuilherme Herdy, who weren't able to come due to injuries. It always feelslike it's the Brazilians against the rest of the world, so that's why we areso close and support each other."

Australians Beau Emerton and WCT newcomer Dean Morrison also collected winsin round two this morning, accounting for Brazilians Renan Rocha and formerworld #3 Victor Ribas. They will now face fellow Aussies Trent Munro andDanny Wills, respectively, when round three re-commences.

Official results of the Quiksilver Pro Fiji

Round Three (losers finish =17th; receive US$4,000)
H1: Peterson Rosa (Brz) 21.1 def. Mick Fanning (Aus) 18.25
H2: Kalani Robb (Haw) 23.0 def. Michael Campbell (Aus) 22.4
H3: Jake Paterson (Aus) 22.8 def. Richard Lovett (Aus) 15.0
H4: CJ Hobgood (USA) 21.5 def. Luke Hitchings (Aus) 15.75
H5: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 25.45 def. Greg Emslie (SAfr) 12.75
H6: Shea Lopez (USA) 18.35 def. Russell Winter (GB) 14.75

Round Two (losers finish =33rd; receive US$3,000)

H10: Beau Emerton (Aus) 18.25 def. Renan Rocha (Brz) 14.75
H11: Dean Morrison (Aus) 18.0 def. Victor Ribas (Brz) 15.0
H12: Paulo Moura (Brz) 18.25 def. Lee Winkler (Aus) 13.65
H13: Greg Emslie (SAfr) 19.75 def. Maz Quinn (NZ) 10.4
H14: Jake Paterson (Aus) 20.4 def. Paul Canning (SAfr) 17.85
H15: Russell Winter (GB) 20.1 def. Nathan Webster (Aus) 15.75
H16: Mick Fanning (Aus) 24.0 def. Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 19.15

Upcoming Round Three Heats

H7: Taj Burrow (Aus) vs. Shane Powell (Aus)
H8: Andy Irons (Haw) vs. Troy Brooks (Aus)
H9: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) vs. Todd Prestage (Aus)
H10: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Michael Lowe (Aus)
H11: Luke Egan (Aus) vs. Paulo Moura (Brz)
H12: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
H13: Cory Lopez (USA) vs. Darren O'Rafferty (Aus)
H14: Trent Munro (Aus) vs. Dean Morrison (Aus)
H15: Daniel Wills (Aus) vs. Beau Emerton (Aus)
H16: Sunny Garcia (Haw) vs. Shane Dorian (Haw)

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

www.aspworldtour.com & www.quiksilver.com

Michael Diffenderfer RIP

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:28 +0000

Haleiwa, May 25th

The ashes of Mike Diffenderfer were returned to the ocean he loved so much on Saturday May 25th outside of Haleiwa. Family & close friends were in attendance.

Mike played a huge part in the development of the modern surfboard. Diff created beautiful rockers with well defined rails, and he harmoniously carved out exquisite plan shapes thatmany considered some of the finest surfboards ever made.

Many surfing legends turned out to bid Diff a grand farewell. Some of those included were Buffalo Keaulana, Jimmy Lucas, Jackie Baxter, Phil Irons, David Riddle, Max Lum, Randy Rarrick, Wolfman & Sons, Golfing buddie Brian Jet, Bill Sickler, Kimo Hollinger, Mike Latronic, Greg Alterman, the Bloomfield family & many many more as well as Squiddy Sanchez who provided an out of this worldfeed for all to enjoy.

In all a great man has passed away who will always be remembered by thosewho were lucky enough to have been touched by his friendship. Aloha & Ahui Ho Mike. May you Rest In Peace.

Mick O'Brien & Friends of Diffs

Billabong Tag-a-Trunk Website

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:29 +0000

An introductory website detailing the "Billabong Tag a Trunk" promotion haslaunched atwww.billabong-usa.com/tagatrunk/trunk.htm. The site showcases theunique concept that Tag-a-Trunk embodies namely personalized artwork by thetrunk owners.

Customers who purchase a pair of white, ready-to-paint Billabong trunks willalso receive a packet of stencils in the form of flowers, logos, lettering,girls, eagles, skulls, and stars, with an instruction sheet containingguidelines to paint the perfect pair of trunks.

"Surfers will be able to express their own personalities through theshorts," said Billabong Design Director Rob McCarty.

The website demonstration shows the way, using markers, paint pens, spraypaint, supplied stencils, and any graffiti you could think up. A variety ofcustomized trunks are displayed, including 13 examples that the Billabongsurf team riders Taj Burrow, Andy Irons, Shane Dorian, Mark Occhilupo andLuke Egan have tagged.

Viewers are invited to enter the 'Tag your own trunks' contest online. Bysimply sending a photo of the finished canvas, one creative artist will winan all expenses paid trip to the Trestles World Championship Tour event, theBoost Mobile Pro, presented by Billabong. Other prizes include a surfboardfrom the quiver of current world number one professional Andy Irons, a newBillabong Solution wetsuit, or a backpack of Billabong product.

As stated in the supplied guidelines, the idea is to "take art into your ownhands and create your custom board shorts. This is not rocket science -- allyou need is some paint and a little creativity."tagtrunk

Freestyle Watches Tabs Cory, Holly

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:29 +0000

Ventura, CA--During the past 12 months Freestyle has redefined itself with innovative product and partnerships with elite athletes.

Cory Lopez, 24, one of the hottest young members on the ASP tour, is the latest addition to the Freestyle team. Coming into the 2002 season ranked 3rd in the world, Lopez is in position to make a legitimate run at the 2002 World Title. After the first 3 events of 2002 Cory has moved into 2nd place on the ASP World Ranking. Born and raised in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, Lopez is part of the new wave of surf hero--pushing the envelope in all facets of the sport.

Holly Beck, 22, whose amateur career catapulted her onto the "Q" tour, has already shown her stuff by placing 3rd at the Billabong Pro in Costa Rica. Based on Freestyle's aggressive new women's line and unique distribution, which focuses on performance and style in tandem, Beck is the perfect team member to champion this division. Beck earned her degree from UCSD in only three years, and rocketed through the scholastic NSSA almost as fast. If this type of determination has any correlation to her upcoming ascension on the WCT tour, we'll be hearing a lot about this Rancho Palos Verdes, California, native.

Cory and Holly join team member Shane Dorian in continuing Freestyle's dominance in the surf market.

For information contact: Chad La Bass @ 800-776-6449 or clabass@freestyleusa.com

Slater Rolls A 10-Day 4

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:29 +0000

Quiksilver Pro (May 26 - June 7) www.quiksilver.com & www.aspworldtour.comAssociation of Surfing Professionals (ASP)2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji (Wednesday, May 29) Six-time world championKelly Slater (USA) today upped the scoring ante in the Quiksilver Pro. TheUS$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) recommenced this morning atCloudbreak with round three, before four heats of the fourth round were thendecided.

Offshore winds and 8ft (2.5m) waves created epic conditions, though thehigher tide led to some inconsistent heats this morning. As the dayprogressed, however, and the tide dropped, hollow barrels once againcaptivated onlookers.

Slater, who earned a near-perfect best two-wave total of 19.25-points inround one, today pushed the boundaries even further. Against fellowFloridian Damien Hobgood in round three, the 30 year old posted his and the event's second perfect 10 with uncanny tube riding skills, as well as a 9.5,for a combined tally of 19.5 out of a possible 20-points. This all happenedwithin the first 10-minutes, leaving two thirds of the heat remaining andHobgood requiring a combination of rides worth 13.51-points that was neverachieved.

"I don't even know what to say," began Slater. "It's Cloudbreak. One of theperfect waves around the world and I was just in sync first heat and thenagain then. Luck came together for me. I got a 9.5 and didn't want to getcaught up on the fact I already had a good score. I passed one wave up, butmy next one was the real good wave. I got both those waves in the first10-minutes, so I knew Damien could do the same thing. He's one of the bestguys out here.

"I didn't think I was ever going to come out of that thing," he said of the10. "I thought it was going to keep going to Tavarua (laughs). I wasactually sitting out there a bit nervous after my first wave withanticipation for another set, and I started thinking about my dad whorecently passed away. I just got calm and then that wave came. It wascrazy."

Defending Quiksilver Pro champion Luke Egan (Aus) held off Paulo Moura (Brz)to now be up against Slater in round four's most anticipated clash. Findingone of the best rides of the morning, the Australian secured a 9.0 to endthe Brazilians' campaign at 'Cloudbreak'.

"I actually got barreled two times and almost a third," said Egan of hisbest ride. "I'll be up against Kelly next and he's surfing incredibly. I'lljust stick to my own game plan and try to block him out and do my best."

Current ratings #8 Shea Lopez (USA) later posted the day's second best totalto eliminate an equally dynamic Joel Parkinson (Aus) in round four. TheFloridian opened with a near-perfect 9.75 and then consolidated with another9.0 to seemingly steal the match from his opponent. 'Parko', who lost onesurfboard early due to a broken leash and then snapped another board midwaythrough, came back with vengeance on borrowed equipment. First he posted a7.5, and immediately following this ride he stroked into a wide breaking setand scored his first perfect 10 in a WCT. Only needing another 8.76-pointsto advance, and with priority, he wrongly caught an average wave at the3-minute mark and was then held off anything else by Lopez.

"After I got my 9.0 I couldn't believe I was that far ahead," said Lopez."But the waves are perfect, so you never know. He got a good wave, and thenthe third wave of the set broke wide and I realized he was in position forit. I could hear the announcer screaming something, so I was freaking,thinking he may have gotten a nine and then a 10 on two waves out of three.When I heard he only got a 7.5 I was stoked. I still can't believe thewaves."

"You should have given it to me at the beginning," joked Parkinsonafterward, to ASP digital photographer Pierre Tostee, who lent his surfboardto the Australian after he had lost both of his in the lineup and waswithout another.

Current ratings #1 Andy Irons (Haw) was the major upset today, beingeliminated by Quiksilver Pro Trials wildcard Troy Brooks (Aus) in roundthree. The Hawaiian, carrying an elbow injury from his free-surf sessionyesterday afternoon, never found the form which took him to back-to-back WCTtitles earlier this year. Despite paddling into a few good waves, herepeatedly jumped off early and failed to secure the 5.86-points he needed.

"How would anyone would feel if they lost?" responded Irons afterward. "I'mnot stoked, but it's over, so I'm going home to relax and get ready for thenext one at J-Bay (SAfr).

"It was definitely in my head as it's pretty sore," he continued, of hisright elbow. "I pulled back on a couple I probably should have stuck withand that's that. I needed to do well here, I think, as the beach breakevents (in Europe later this year) are going to be tough. It's still a longyear ahead, so we'll see what happens."

Brooks, 23, then faced former world #2 Taj Burrow (Aus) in the day's finalheat. Despite the confidence gained by his early victory, he was unable torepeat the performance against a surfer he defeated in the 2000 event, whenhe had placed fifth as a wildcard.

Burrow, who had earlier eliminated fellow Australian Shane Powell, surfed asmart, tactical heat against the wildcard. He'll now face Lopez in thesecond quarterfinal.

"It was a tricky heat and he beat me out here last time," explained Burrow."I was trying my hardest to beat him, and just had to play the game, sincethere weren't a lot of good ones. I'm so stoked to make the quarters though.

"I really hope he's peaked," he added, of facing Lopez. "Those two nineswere ridiculous, and Parko's 10... that was an amazing heat. Shea's good outthere, obviously. I'm just slowly learning how to ride the waves 'cause it'sreally difficult. I'm hoping it's pumping and I score some nines next heat."

World #7 Peterson Rosa remains the only Brazilian in the tournament after heoutscored Hawaiian Kalani Robb in round four. Rosa led from the outset andthen cemented his position in the first quarterfinal with a fantastic9.0-barrel ride at the end. He'll challenge reigning world champion CJHobgood (USA), who dominated his clash with world #5 Jake Paterson (Aus)this afternoon (Aus).

"In the end there was a good set and he paddled for the first one, and thelast one came to me and I had a nice barrel for a 9.0," said Rosa. "He's areally good surfer in these conditions and I knew it would be a tough heat.I respect him a lot, but I'm stoked. I'm waving the (Brazilian) flag, sonext heat - let's do something (laughs)."

2000 world champion Sunny Garcia locked in a superb barrel ride for a 9.5and ultimately the win over fellow Hawaiian Shane Dorian. He's pittedagainst current ratings #8 Danny Wills (Aus) in round four, after theAustralian eliminated fellow countryman Beau Emerton.

"I was watching some of the scores earlier and seeing someone like AndyIrons only getting a 9.0 total, was a bit of an eye opener 'cause usuallyhe's getting 9.5's on every wave. It's just a matter of catching waves, andI got lucky. I needed a 7.36 and Shane went the first wave of the set, andthe second actually ended up being a bit better.

"There's not too many Hawaiians on tour, so I don't really like to surfagainst them unless it's Andy in the finals, or later in the event," headded. "It's always nice to beat Shane 'cause he's such a great competitor,but on the same hand he's also one of my good friends."

1999 world and inaugural Quiksilver Pro champion Mark Occhilupo advancedthrough another slow heat over fellow Australian seed replacement ToddPrestage. Despite allowing his opponent to catch the final wave that offeredthe score he required, Occhilupo's lead remained unchanged. He will now faceworld #8 Michael Lowe (Aus), who ousted world #4 Taylor Knox (USA) inanother nail-biter. The Californian opened with an 8.9, but was unable tosecure a second score for the win, and even broke the nose off his surfboardat the end of their heat trying.

Official results of the Quiksilver Pro Round Four (losers finish =9th; receive US$5,000)

H1: Peterson Rosa (Brz) 16.75 def. Kalani Robb (Haw) 12.85
H2: CJ Hobgood (USA) 17.9 def. Jake Paterson (Aus) 12.85
H3: Shea Lopez (USA) 18.75 def. Joel Parkinson (Aus) 17.5
H4: Taj Burrow (Aus) 12.75 def. Troy Brooks (Aus) 11.4

Round Three (losers finish =17th; receive US$4,000)

H7: Taj Burrow (Aus) 15.0 def. Shane Powell (Aus) 11.25
H8: Troy Brooks (Aus) 10.85 def. Andy Irons (Haw) 9.0
H9: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 11.0 def. Todd Prestage (Aus) 10.65
H10: Michael Lowe (Aus) 11.0 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.9
H11: Luke Egan (Aus) 17.5 def. Paulo Moura (Brz) 15.45
H12: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.5 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.75
H13: Cory Lopez (USA) 16.25 def. Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 5.5
H14: Dean Morrison (Aus) 14.75 def. Trent Munro (Aus) 11.85
H15: Daniel Wills (Aus) 13.1 def. Beau Emerton (Aus) 11.65
H16: Sunny Garcia (Haw) 15.75 def. Shane Dorian (Haw) 13.6

Remaining Round Four Heats

H5: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) vs. Michael Lowe (Aus)
H6: Luke Egan (Aus) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
H7: Cory Lopez (USA) vs. Dean Morrison (Aus)
H8: Danny Wills (Aus) vs. Sunny Garcia (Haw)

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

www.aspworldtour.com & www.quiksilver.com

Quiksilver and TVN Hook Up

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:30 +0000

QUIKSILVER AND TVN ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE
THE BOARDRIDING CHANNEL

Quiksilver and TVN Entertainment collaborate to bring the best in action sports VOD and SVOD content to viewers this summer.

Huntington Beach, CA & Burbank, CA, May 29, 2002 @ Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK), the world's leader in surf, skate and snow apparel, and TVN Entertainment, the leading digital content programming, distribution and management company, announce the next phase in their groundbreaking initiative to bring the best in action sports programming to television.

In January, Quiksilver initiated the action sports on-demand concept with TVN Entertainment to create a venue for the industry's best new and library titles and to make this content available to a wide audience.

In order to aggregate the highest quality action sports content, and ultimately unify the industry in this venture, Quiksilver invited the top endemic clothing, film and video companies to partner in this collective endeavor, now aptly named The Boardriding Channel. The first industry partners to join include Volcom, Globe, 900 Films, Opper Sports, Bluefield Entertainment and EX TV/The Extreme Group. Additional producers will join the collective to create a vehicle for distributing the best in action sports programming to cable operators.

"While traditional video distribution remains important, we believe on-demand programming is the next wave in providing our loyal customers what they want, when they want it," said Bob McKnight, Chairman and CEO of Quiksilver, Inc. "What makes this opportunity unique and rewarding, is that we are helping to increase exposure for these films, while creating new, high margin revenue streams for the producers."

"The creation of The Boardriding Channel is the first action sports programming package for the on-demand tier that is supported in the market by major retail brands," said Ian Aaron, President and CEO of TVN Entertainment. "Our partnership with Quiksilver and the ability to work with top companies as Volcom, 900 Films and the other leaders in action sports programming allows us to bring compelling content directly to our Cable partners in an effort to lower programming costs and drive their digital boxes."

Richard Woolcott, President and CEO of Volcom said, "The VOD program is the next logical step in video distribution for the action sports industry. As a producer, I am always looking for better ways to get our movies to the kids. The potential for VOD to reach a larger audience is huge and very exciting."

The Boardriding Channel, expected to launch mid-summer, will make available its full subscription packages via TVN's on-demand programming and distribution platform to all US cable operators including TVN's existing affiliates Comcast, Adelphia, Mediacom, Insight, and others. Individual feature titles from partners will begin rolling out to cable operators with VOD offerings over the next 30 days. The first titles available to viewers will include the legendary "Kelly Slater Black and White," "Hal Jepsen's Super Session," and "Tony Hawk Trick Tips I and II," " Seth: The Hard Way," and "Frankenplasm," and "Big Youth Happening Vidzine: Episode I."

Ultimately, the programming will be packaged for video-on-demand (VOD) and subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) delivery to all last mile television program providers including cable, satellite, wireless, DSL and their customers for domestic television viewing. VOD and SVOD provide the consumer with the convenience of being able to watch on-demand television programming by using a remote control to order programs with VCR functionality, such as fast forward, rewind, pause and stop.

It is a growing belief that the trend in viewer-controlled programming and viewing promises to be the future of television. Quiksilver and TVN Entertainment believe this will lay the foundation for the action sports category and the industry leaders who produce it to be able to create a valuable franchise in the future.

Code Red Surf School Info

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:30 +0000

Aloha to everyone, we here at Code Red Surf School would like to invite anyone who is willing to have the time of their lives, to join us this summer.Our camps offer a wide range of surfing possibilities. From never being on a surfboard to learning competitive strategies for surfing contest. Code Red Surf School offers weekly camps (Mon-Fri) full or half days, also private and boogie boarding lessons, check out our website for more information at www.coderedsurf.com

Code Red Surf School prides its foundation from years of professional surfing. Cody Steele, Micah Nickens, and Jeran Fraser came up with techniques to further enhance the surfing ability at a faster rate. All three are well traveled and have experienced all types of surfing conditions. Competing at the treacherous Pipeline on the North Shoe of Oahu, to surfing mere perfection on the Gold coast of Australia.

With years of magazine exposure in all the major surf publications, Steele and Nickens have become well known in the surfing world. Now its time to share their awesome experiences with others and lead them on their way to surfing bliss…Code Red Surf School emphasizes on water safety and proper etiquette, CPR certified instructors will be on hand at all times.

Make this summer one to remember by being part of Code Red Surf Schools. Check out our website at www.coderedsurf.com or call us at (858) 334-1699.

Why Girls?

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:30 +0000

This article first ran in the 1964 November issue of SURFER, featuring on the cover a Bev Morgan watershot of San Clemente's Linda Merrill. "It took us almost five years to get around to it," the cover caption read, "but we finally gave in. Featuring Linda on the cover marks a first in SURFER history. In what was predominantly a man's sport...surfing has slowly given way to the infiltration of the 'surfing girls.' 'Why Girls?' you might ask? 'What are they doing in a man's sport?' Turn to page 36 for 'Why Girls?' The feature we excerpt the feature below with no byline. Its perspective, however, speaks for itself. As does the damage that surely ensued-decades worth-to follow SURFER's first "official' statement on women's surfing. For SURFER's current perspective on "Why Girls?" please turn to page 106. -Sam George

The 1964 story in question ran thus:
"Why does everyone make such a big thing of girl surfers?" "...my friend and I were pounced on by a dozen girls in a frenzy of vandalism..." "In my opinion the girls who run around looking like shaggy dogs dressed in gunnysacks aren't true to the sport..." "I myself enjoy girl surfers..." "Why not soften up, you guys?"

Girls participating in the sport of surfing have aroused controversy to say the least. Many of the male surfers object strongly to "their" world being invaded by the girls. They feel that the closest girls should get to surfing is the beach. Most girls, of course, feel that this is unfair. Some even go so far as to think that the boys should help them carry their boards down to the surf and retrieve lost boards when they get wiped out!
Sam George Reads The Intro

To get Quicktime Player click here

Although the male surfers' opinions on girls also vary widely, the general feeling on the subject is this: Surfing is an individual sport and the girls who want to surf should learn the traditions and courtesies along with the function of the sport. Just because she is a girl, she should not expect extra rights and privileges on the wave. There's nothing worse than an inexperienced girl ruining a good ride by dropping in on the shoulder in front of a surfer coming out of a hot section. On the other hand, the surfer who got dropped in on should calm his temper long enough to explain to the girl (in a nice manner) proper wave conduct. One young surfer summed up everything by saying, "Girls are OK as long as they don't get in the way and if they don't get any better."

The top girls in surfing today are not as good as the top men. Their level of ability, however, is coming up and we may see the day when girls might be a serious threat in an open competition. Still, with less than ten percent of surfers being girls, there is not much chance of them producing an overall champion from their ranks. Then, too, surfing can be a strenuous sport and the girls are just not equipped for power surfing. This is very much in evidence in big waves. Few girls even attempt to ride big surf and the few that do seldom venture out on the larger days. It requires more strength than they can muster.

Fifty years ago women were fixtures in the home. They fought for equal rights and won with the 19th amendment to our constitution. They have an equal right to ride waves along with all surfers. But remember girls-you also have equal rights to carry your own boards, swim in after a wipeout, and no special privileges on the waves!

For the entire scoop go to your favorite surf shop and pick up Surfer magazine volume 43#8, or subscribe by clicking here.

Roxy Gets (Inter)Active

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:31 +0000

SONY PICTURES DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT'S SCREENBLAST AND QUIKSILVER/ROXY PARTNER ON INTEGRATED CROSS-MARKETING INITIATIVE

Summer-Long, Interactive Campaign To Debut In June;Includes Offline Events/Activities, Print and Retail Components and Co-Branded Online Destination

Culver City, Calif., and Huntington Beach, Calif., May 20, 2002 - Screenblast, an online creativity service by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, and the Roxy division of Quiksilver Inc. [NYSE:ZQK], today announced plans to partner on an integrated marketing campaign aimed at an active lifestyle and surf enthusiast audience. The two-month initiative, debuting online and in Quiksilver retail outlets beginning June 3, extends the shared experiences of an active lifestyle audience to an online forum where they can interact, create their own surf videos and share.

The campaign ties together a range of co-branded, cross-media activities, including a special online site at roxy.screenblast.com, serialized sneak previews of Roxy's new "surf, NOW" how to surf video, and the opportunity to purchase the new video online, as well as the upgraded version of the Screenblast Creation Suite. Additionally, the campaign will feature an instructional tutorial showing users how to create their own surf video using Screenblast software and Roxy images, as well as a prize-packed sweepstakes.

"The Screenblast and Quiksilver/Roxy brands share similar beliefs about individual creativity and expression. By partnering, we leverage the strength of these brands for this audience to express themselves and share their digital videos and images in new ways," said Andrew Schneider, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Screenblast. "This is a terrific example of software, digital devices and a great lifestyle brand all working together."

Robert McKnight, Quiksilver Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, added, "The Roxy girl has an inherent flair for demonstrating her uniqueness, individuality and creativity. This relationship is an exciting opportunity for two innovative and strong brands to come together. Screenblast engages our audience in activities that they are already doing and gives them a completely new venue for expression. Allowing them to connect with our athletes, create their own mini-movies, while inspiring them to share their work, is very powerful."

The multi-faceted campaign will launch with the unveiling of a co-branded area on Screenblast @ "Surf, Shoot and Share" (roxy.screenblast.com). Here, users will be able to view the step-by-step "How To Make Your Own Surf Video" tutorial created by renowned surf cinematographer Bobby Williams; download surf-themed video and audio assets to insert into their own digital creations, and preview eight different excerpts from the upcoming Roxy "surf, NOW" video. For even more inspiration, users will be able to interact with Roxy's team of elite, world-class professional women's surfers. Each week, Roxy TeamRiders will update their own Screenblast Showcase Page with new surf footage, personalized creations and messages.Additionally, users will be able to enter a sweepstakes with the opportunity to win a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P5 digital camera, Marine Pack MPK-P5, and $1,000 Roxy prize product package. Throughout the promotion, users also will be able to link from roxy.screenblast.com to the "Screenblast and Roxy Summer Essentials" store at SonyStyle.com to purchase all of the digital devices needed.

"We are glad to be able to provide the necessary tools to create an enhanced consumer experience," said Brian Siegel, Director Business Development, Sony Electronics e-Solutions Company LLC. "This integrated campaign is a great example of how Sony divisions have joined forces to leverage existing company platforms and maximize our offerings."

The campaign will be supported online and offline through advertising (print and online), in-store POP and special-themed events and activities, including Quiksilver/Roxy Summer Surf Camps. Consumers also will be able to purchase Roxy's new "surf, NOW" video online. Additionally, users registering for the Screenblast service can download the Screenblast Creation Suite, access 50Mb of private online storage and receive a personal URL for free.

About Quiksilver
Quiksilver designs, produces and distributes clothing, accessories and related products for active-minded people and develops brands that represent a casual lifestyle - driven from a boardriding heritage. Quiksilver's authenticity is evident in its innovative products, events and retail environments across the globe.

Quiksilver's primary focus is apparel for young men and young women under the Quiksilver, Roxy, Raisins, and Radio Fiji labels. Quiksilver also manufactures apparel for boys (Quiksilver Boys and Hawk Clothing), girls (Roxy Girl, Teenie Wahine and Raisins Girls), men (Quiksilveredition and Fidra) and women (Leilani swimwear), as well as snowboards, snowboard boots and bindings under the Lib Technologies, Gnu, Supernatural Manufacturing and Bent Metal labels. Quiksilver's products are sold throughout the world, primarily in surf shops and specialty stores that provide an outstanding retail experience for their customers. For further information about Quiksilver Inc., you are invited to take a look at our world at http://www.quiksilver.com

About Screenblast
Built on the online entertainment innovations Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment has become known for, Screenblast unlocks the "creativity" inherent in today's digital devices (e.g., camcorders, digital cameras, handhelds, PCs, etc.) @ enabling users to create and share digital music, video and still images.

Reef Nabs Ritter

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:31 +0000

Reef Announces Product Creation Director
Brett Ritter to Head Product Creation Team

San Diego, CA (May 28, 2002)-Reef, the worldwide leader in surf inspiredfootwear, announces Brett Ritter as the Director of Product Creation.Ritter will oversee the product creation process from conception to finalproduct and oversee the product line managers and designers.

Ritter comes to Reef with an impressive history that includes brandmanagement and directing product for Freestyle USA and brand management andtechnical development for Teva. As an avid surfer and outdoorsmen, Rittercompletes his skill set with his firsthand knowledge of the surf lifestyle.

"The main objective in my career is to work for a brand that is authenticand where the mission parallels my lifestyle," stated Ritter. "I have to beimpassioned by the product and the company mission...I have found this inReef. I am thrilled to be the newest member of the Reef team."

Bob Rief, CEO, stated, "We are delighted to bring Brett on board. With hisexperience and passion for our surf lifestyle, he is sure to bring ourproduct creation department to a new level. With the addition of Brett wecomplete our director level positions and our mission to have an amazingstaff of Reefers!"

Ritter joins the Reef team on May 28, 2002.

For more information go to www.reef1.com or call 800-423-6855.

New Magazine for Women Surfers

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:31 +0000

SURF LIFE FOR WOMEN
New magazine for core female surfers hits streets June 4

Morro Bay, California May 23rd 2002- Surf Life for Women, a new publication that caters to serious, dedicated and passionate female surfers, is set to arrive at a surf shop near you on June 4th 2002.

The magazine is a quarterly national publication dedicated to the sport, environment, art, people, politics and lifestyle of women's surfing. The readership ranges in age from 18 to 40 and includes both the beginning enthusiast and the experienced surfer.

Surf Life for Women, which will be available at 800 surf and action sports retailers across the nation as well as by subscription, is the creation of a group of committed surfers, writers and artists who felt compelled to create a magazine that would fill the needs of the real female surfer in America. The magazine stems from the website GirlsSurfLife.com, which will now be known as SurfLifeforWomen.com

The premier issue of Surf Life for Women will feature 96 pages of high quality action photos, amateur and professional athlete profiles, adventure travel stories to Maui and Venezuela, a ten page photo gallery, and the latest in art, music, and environmental issues.

"We want to give back to surfing," says Anne Beasley, Surf Life for Women's editor in chief. Anne, who has been at the forefront of women's surfing for the past five years as the President of the East Coast Wahine Championships, hopes to make a positive impact for the future of women's surfing. "This magazine comes from the heart and souls of women surfers everywhere. It's what we've all been waiting for."

Working alongside Anne is photo editor, Debra Colvin, whose images have been published in all major surf publications, andreporters Katy Clark and Lauren Makarow, who are both avid surfers and skilled wordsmiths. Surf Life for Women's publisher, Sunshine Makarow, was a member of the United States Surf Team from 1999 to 2001 and has been catching waves for over 15 years.

For more info on Surf Life for Women, feel free to contact the staff by email or phone:

Surf Life for Women
3052 N Main Street
Morro Bay, CA 93442
Tel: (805) 772-6896
Email: info@surflifeforwomen.com
Web: www.surflifeforwomen.com

Three Floridian Goofy's In Semi's - Day 5

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:32 +0000

Hobgood Charges Into Semifinals

Quiksilver Pro (May 26 - June 7) www.quiksilver.com & www.aspworldtour.comAssociation of Surfing Professionals (ASP)2002 World Championship Tour (WCT)

Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji (Thursday, May 30) Reigning world champion CJHobgood (USA) today charged into the semifinals of the Quiksilver Pro. TheUS$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) began this morning withremaining round four heats, before the quarterfinals were then decided, withfour goofy-footers advancing - three from Florida.

Offshore winds and 6-8ft (2-2.5m) waves provided ideal conditions at'Cloudbreak', though the higher tide this morning forced organizers to waituntil midday.

Hobgood, 22, dominated the first quarterfinal against Peterson Rosa (Brz)with an outstanding display of tube riding skills. The Floridian secured hisfirst perfect 10-point ride in the Quiksilver Pro, as well as another 9.4,for the second best two-wave total of the tournament so far (19.4-points).His Brazilian opponent locked in one good barrel for an 8.4, but stillrequired a combination of rides worth 11.01-points.

"The ocean just kind of turned on and I was having so much fun," saidHobgood, before describing his 10. "It wasn't like a super big one, but Idropped in and put my arm in (the wave) and started stalling. Then itstarted racing past me and I was trying to catch up. It was really deep andlong, so when I knew I was coming out I was stoked.

"If the waves are good I'll be trying to have as much fun out there as Ican," he continued of the upcoming semifinals. "There's been waves the wholetime, so I've been enjoying myself and to keep going in the contest is thatmuch more enjoyable."

Current ratings #8 Shea Lopez (USA) furthered his campaign by eliminatingratings #15 Taj Burrow (Aus). Already equaling his best result of the yearby reaching the semifinals, Lopez will now meet fellow Floridian Hobgood inwhat is sure to be a battle of the barrel hunters.

"I got a 6.75 for the lead, but after that big set it went dead out there,"explained Lopez, of the inconsistent heat. "I fell and buckled my board on asmaller wave, but I figured it would hold. Taj had priority and missed agood one, which I barely got into for a good 8.0. He was comboed with acouple of minutes to go, but then go that 7.25 at the end to come back some.

"Hopefully this is going to be the best result so far this year," saidLopez. "It's just perfect out there. I'm loving it and can't believe we getto surf with just one other person and now I have another chance to get somebarrels."

World #8 Michael Lowe proved a giant killer today by eliminating fellowAustralians Mark Occhilupo and defending Quiksilver Pro Luke Egan. In thequarterfinal against Egan both contestants were smashed by larger set wavesprior to the match commencing, but when it did, he emerged from two barrelson one wave for a fantastic score of 9.4-points. His opponent waitingpatiently, and it proved in vain as he still required another 8.81-points atheat end.

"We got hit by a good 10ft (2.5m) set before out heat even started and weended up down on the reef," began Lowe. "But I was luckily enough to pick upsome good ones during it. To win the event is obviously my dream, but tomake the semis and catch so many good waves has been a pleasure. Being agoofy-footer in these lefts is pretty much heaven on earth.

"It's been a great day for me," he continued. "First of all was 'Occy' thismorning and then Luke. Two of my childhood heroes, and here I am knockingthem off in perfect waves. It's unbelievable. I just can't wait to get backout there and hopefully get some more barrels."

Egan, 32, has shown great form of late, finishing runner-up in the previousWCT in Tahiti and fifth today. While the waves didn't cooperate during hisquarterfinal, he eliminated six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) todayand remained gracious in defeat this afternoon.

""I waited it out and I was ready if one came, but unfortunately it didn't,"said Egan. "I'm pretty stoked, though. I've put two good places together ina row. I'm back in the hunt and picked up my form. I'm bummed I couldn't getfurther in this contest, but it's the way things go. 'Lowey's' been surfingfantastic all event and he deserves a good result."

Current ratings runner-up Cory Lopez (USA) continued his momentum thisafternoon over 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw). The Floridiandominated his fourth round heat this morning to eliminate Dean Morrison(Aus) with a combined total of 19.2 out of a possible 20-points, and thenpicked off another 9.35 against the Hawaiian. He'll now face Lowe in thesecond semifinal.

"That was a tough one against Sunny," said Lopez. "He's a fierce competitorand started with an 8.1 right off the bat. I didn't get anything good at thebeginning, but luckily I got some later. I had two really good heats today,so hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow. Lowey's gnarly and I know he'llcharge, so we'll just have to see how it goes."

Slater, who had been the form surfer of the Quiksilver Pro, was forced tosettle for an equal ninth place finish. The highly anticipated clash withEgan saw both ultimately waiting for waves not on offer, and while Slatertook the lead on his final ride, his opponent bettered his lowest countingscore directly after to advance.

"I got the score I needed at the end, but then Luke came back and one-uppedme again," explained Slater. "Unfortunately it went against me. Myexpectations were pretty high after the last couple of heats. I waited toolong for my first wave, then ate it on a couple and had to play catch up.

"When the year started I said it would probably take me five or six eventsto get moving again, and that's proven to be true," he continued. "I'm stillstoked with this past week. I'm going to stick around and get some more surfand relax."

1999 world and inaugural Quiksilver Pro champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus) alsofinished equal ninth after his loss to Lowe. Despite finding some goodwaves, he wasn't able to secure the points he required.

"I felt like I could have gotten into a good rhythm," said Occhilupo. "Itwas just a matter of picking the waves when they were right in front of you.I thought there'd be more. I'm a bit bummed, but I'm pleased to lose to Mick'cause he's a good friend and I hope he does really well."

The 2002 Quiksilver Pro is likely to conclude tomorrow, with a decisionbeing made by organizers in the morning as to the day's schedule. A detailedrelease will follow soon after.

Official results of the Quiksilver Pro Quarterfinals (defeated finish =5th; receive US$8,000)QF1: CJ Hobgood (USA) 19.4 def. Peterson Rosa (Brz) 14.9QF2: Shea Lopez (USA) 14.75 def. Taj Burrow (Aus) 11.5QF3: Michael Lowe (Aus) 16.8 def. Luke Egan (Aus) 13.25QF4: Cory Lopez (USA) 18.25 def. Sunny Garcia (Haw) 16.1

Round Four Heats (defeated finish =9th; receive US$5,000)H5: Michael Lowe (Aus) 14.0 def. Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 11.75H6: Luke Egan (Aus) 12.2 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 11.75H7: Cory Lopez (USA) 19.2 def. Dean Morrison (Aus) 15.95H8: Sunny Garcia (Haw) 16.0 def. Danny Wills (Aus) 10.6

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

www.aspworldtour.com & www.quiksilver.com

Lowe Wins Quiksilver Pro Fiji 2002

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:33 +0000

Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji (Friday, May 31) World #8 Michael Lowe (Aus) today defeated Shea Lopez (USA) to win the final of the Quiksilver Pro Fiji. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) commenced this morning with three Floridians in contention, but it was the lone Australian who received a huge ratings boost, as well as the US$30,000 first place prizemoney.

Competition began at 'Cloudbreak' in solid 8-10 ft (2.5-3m) surf, with only the first semifinal decided before organizers were forced to place the tournament on hold. The higher tide and difficult conditions led competitors to push for a change of venue, and after lengthy evaluation, it was agreed to move back to the famed left-handers of 'Restaurants'. Perfect 4-6ft (1.5-2m) waves then showcased the second semifinal, as well as the grand finale.

Lowe, who had earlier today posted the highest three-wave total of the entire tournament for 25.5-points against Cory Lopez, went on to better this in the final against older brother Shea for a 25.7 tally. Having opening his account with an 8.0, he continued to amaze onlookers with his lighting fast re-entries and critical maneuvers down the long walls of 'Restaurants'. His best score of 9.0 at the midway mark put the pressure squarely on his opponent, and when he secured another 8.7 the door began to close. With the 40-minute decider coming to an end, the sound of Aussie cheers in the lineup said it all.

"I'm glad I didn’t peak too early and lasted until the end," began Lowe on the shoreline, after being handed an Australian flag by his mates. "It was so fun out there and really rippable. It's been my dream to win an event in hollow lefts, and this event's probably been the best one to win. We've had perfect waves since day one, so to come out winning is phenomenal.

"After my two second places in Hawaii over the past 18-months it feels pretty good not to be the bridesmaid," he continued, of securing his first WCT win since 1999. "To beat Shea in those conditions, I'm pretty stoked. This place is heaven on earth.

"That's a lot of Australian pesos," he joked of his prizemoney, before giving credit to his vocal cheer squad. "It's one thing you can say about the Australians. They really stick behind each other, as you can see by the flag. There was only me, and three other blokes who had a chance of winning, but they had enough faith to bring the flag out for me, so this one's for the boys."

Lopez, who moved into third position on the ratings following his finals berth, also put on an incredible display today. The Floridian’s speed floaters and aerial maneuvers off the lip kept him within range, but he was unable to secure the higher points of his opponent. His first final since 1999, where he also placed runner-up, Lopez is primed heading into the next WCT in South Africa, where he collected a perfect 10 last year, for his backhand barrel riding skills.

"It came down to the fact I had priority and I let him go on the first wave," reasoned Lopez. "There was a big one behind it I thought it was going to barrel, but it was just a little too big and he got a 9.0 on his. That put him ahead and I was just playing catch-up after that. All I could do was just keep trying and do my best. It was definitely amazing out there.

"I've got to get rid of these seconds," he continued. "We've got three quarters of the year still, and I’m looking forward to J-Bay (next WCT in SAfr) a lot. I want to get barreled some more."

Finishing equal third today in the Quiksilver Pro Fiji were two more Floridians, reigning world champion CJ Hobgood and current ratings runner-up Cory Lopez.

Hobgood, 22, began his semifinal against Shea at 'Cloudbreak' with three quick rides from the outset. He then became more selective, and together with Lopez, were caught inside by numerous 10-12 ft (3-4m) set waves that tumbled them like clothes in a washing machine. Despite securing two decent scores midway through, and losing a fin off his board that requiring a change of equipment, it was his opponent's 8.5 barrel that changed the tone of the match. From there he was behind, and while he earned a 6.65 toward the end, he ultimately required another worth 7.61 points in his best two-wave total that wasn't found.

"I really thought I was in it until the very last second," said Hobgood. "I was just hoping that last set was going to come to me, but it ended up getting us both. I kept catching the bombs and they'd have a sick drop, and then they were so intense through the inside. I got worked pretty much every wave I stood up on, as well as cleaned up a bunch by the sets.

"Thankful enough we're fortunate to have the Jet Skis," he added, of the rescue/assistance they received. "Whenever you were in a tricky situation you could get washed in, take a couple beatings and then they would come and get you. Those sets did start taking a toll though, as I was really tired toward the end. In conditions like that it was you against the ocean, and I guess I didn’t prevail."

Lopez, 25, suffered a similar fate to his brother at 'Restaurants'. Searching for the long barrels a little too often, he missed opportunities to belt the wave's lip, as proved Lowe’s advantage. Still nursing an ankle injury than surprisingly didn't appear to affect his approach, he ultimately required a combination of scores worth 10.91-points.

“There were some good waves, but I think I was going for the barrel too much,” conceded Lopez. “He was going strictly for maneuvers and I kept wiping out in the barrel. I went for it, but it just didn’t work out. He got that last good wave and I was comboed. I wish I could have been in the final with my brother, but that's the way it goes."

Also of note today was two-time world champion Tom Carroll (Aus), who made good use of the evaluation period at 'Cloudbreak', taking out a 5'4" tow board behind Tavarua Island's managing director Jon Roseman's Jet Ski, and then brilliantly surfed a handful of rides. While eliminated from the tournament by Cory in round two, his rides this morning had the judges claiming perfect 10's.

ASP President/CEO Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew, the 1978 world champion, was on hand this week to witness the Quiksilver Pro and summed it up as follows this afternoon.

"We've had great waves and this is the second time throughout the event we've been able to have some of the heats at 'Restaurants'," he said. "I'd have to say that Mick Lowe and Shea surfed exceptionally well all week. They've been very versatile, getting the big barrels out at 'Cloudbreak' during the big days and out here, I think it offered a little bit more freedom to open up their repertoire.

"The lineup of talent and performances by the athletes has been exceptional," he continued of the tour this year. "The level raised about 20-25 percent this year, so that's fantastic. Everyone's been calling this the dream tour and it's certainly living up to its reputation. We've had a great event here at the Quiksilver Pro. Four great events now, so it's been an incredible start to the world tour."

Official results of the 2002 Quiksilver Pro Fiji Final Day

1st Michael Lowe (Aus) 25.7 - US$30,0002nd Shea Lopez (USA) 23.05 - US$16,000

Semifinals (defeated finish =3rd; receive US$10,000)

SF1: Shea Lopez (USA) 14.25 def. CJ Hobgood (USA) 11.65SF2: Michael Lowe (Aus) 25.5 def. Cory Lopez (USA) 20.1

Men’s WCT Ratings Top 10 After Evt#4

1st Andy Irons (Haw) 3612-points2nd Cory Lopez (USA) 29883rd Shea Lopez (USA) 29284th Luke Egan (Aus) 27245th CJ Hobgood (USA) 26886th Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 2640=7th Michael Lowe (Aus), Joel Parkinson (Aus) 25689th Kalani Robb (Haw) 255610th Sunny Garcia (Haw) 2523

Further Information and Surfer Profiles:

Surfrider Summerfest Features Beach Boys

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:33 +0000

SURFRIDER SUMMERFEST 2002
BENEFITING THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
AT THE GROVE OF ANAHEIM
ON FATHER'S DAY, JUNE 16TH

Surfrider Summerfest 2002 To Precede Two Back-To-Back Performances By The Beach Boys Celebrating Surf Culture With Music, Film, and Photography Noon To Midnight

Anaheim, CA - May 16, 2002 - The Grove of Anaheim, Orange County's in-demand venue for live music and special events, will host the first annual Surfrider Summerfest, a daylongcelebration of surf culture to benefit the Surfrider Foundation, from noon to midnight onFather's Day, June 16th. The event will precede two back-to-back performances by The Beach Boys at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., with proceeds from special Surfrider tickets to benefit the organization.

Surfrider Summerfest 2002 is a festival of music, film, photography, and surf culture paying tribute to our Mother Ocean. The daylong event is free and open to the public and will feature the hottest surf bands in the county, fantastic food, and an exhibition of surf photography and film by Jacques Garnier, Bud Brown, and Surfer Magazine, as well as a special preview of Laguna Art Museum's surf culture exhibit. Linda Jemison, most recently of Linda's Doll Hut, will present a courtyard second stage featuring the coolest new wave of surf bands, including Donavon, White Buffalo, The Ziggens, Tiki Tones, and the Torquays, with surprise special guests. Second Stage performances will be from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. There will also be special guest appearances throughout the day, vintage Woody and surfboard exhibitions, and book signings. Listen to K-Earth, our festival radio partner, for all of the latest developments!

Sponsors are lining up and activities are being planned to entertain every member of the family for this Father's Day celebration. From surf film and photography to educational areas where visitors of all ages can learn more about the efforts being made to preserve our waters and coastline, the day will offer a wide variety of opportunities to immerse oneself in the beauty and serenity of the California coastal experience while helping promote and preserve the efforts of the Surfrider Foundation.General tickets to both Beach Boys shows are still available at $62. Special Surfrider Foundation packages are available for $100 per person, which include a membership to Surfrider, pass to the meet and greet, concert ticket, dinner, and VIP pass to the post-show event. Ample parking is available onsite.

Billabong Creates a Dorian Blueprint

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:34 +0000

Shane Dorian stars in upcoming Billabong release, "the Blueprint".

In conjunction with Sanuk and Dragon, the new Billabong surf movie based onthe life of Shane Dorian and titled 'the Blueprint', will premier in OrangeCounty later this month. The action-documentary 45 minutes in length isdirected by Chad Campbell, and showcases Dorian's unique explosive brand ofsurfing in Hawaii, Tahiti, Indonesia, Australia, and Fiji.

"The movie has really, really current stuff from the past six months. Istarted filming right before I went on the Billabong Odyssey training campup on the Oregon Washington border last October," stated Shane Dorian.

Along with Dorian, the movie features surfing by Conan Hayes, Kelly Slater,the Irons brothers, Taj Burrow, Pat O'Connell, Dan Malloy, Sunny Garcia,Taylor Knox, Ross Williams, Rob Machado, Brian Pacheco, Mick Fanning, KalaniRobb, Benji Weatherley, and Donavon, plus interviews with Dorian and others.

'the Blueprint' is Campbell's second time in the director's chair. His first effort titled "the 5th Symphony Document" won the 2001 Surfer Magazine "Video of the Year" award.

Volcom Art Show Stops Stagnicity

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:34 +0000

Every once in a while a community becomes aware of a missing element, an air of stagnicity prevails in this lack of unison and depth, starving progression. So... on Saturday, June 15th a group of 40 artists gathered, showing recent art along side a ten-year Volcom retrospect. For some, it was a chance to show deeply personal work in a forum previously unavailable, others an opportunity to display art with a group of peers long acquainted. Ozzie Wright, Shawn "Barney" Barron, Jamie Lynn, Ben Brough, Mike Parillo, and Ian Parnell just to name a few, displayed original works with special guests such as Ed Templeton, Mark Gonzales, Neil Blender, and Shepard Fairey.

The event took place at seven degrees gallery in a serene summer-time atmosphere in the heart of Laguna Beach Ca. With wine glasses tipped to the sky and a diverse multitude ofguest arriving at dusk, the stage was set. Over one hundred and fifty individual pieces of art were displayed, creating an eclectic assemblage of paintings', sketches, sculpture, installations', photography and performance art. The depth of the art seemed to raise outside eyebrows, confronting preconceptions of the content this community explores artistically. A feeling of re-connection was prominent as individual growth was plotted within the participants and volcom as a family.

The gallery also hosted a Volcom retrospect highlighting the artistic roots and depth of the company, re-assuring the viewer to expect the unexpected. Early sketches for t-shirts dating to 1994 by Jaime Lynn, hung beside crude, ripped and stained "pink is punk" relics that defined an era. Photographs, vintage posters, and memorabilia reminded the viewer of early cinematic endeavors such as "Alive We Ride" and "Magna Plasm," while a Mannequin dawning panties and war-torn classic v-co shirt, slings' a Fender stoneguitar, staring intently.

Overall, it was the happening one had to physically experience in order to feel the event's true depth, and witness the creative output of individuals in a facet of surfing that reminds us why we travel the earth searching for experience.

Snowboard with Gerry Lopez

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:34 +0000

Snowboard with Gerry Lopez at Island Lake Lodge

This is a rare opportunity to ride North America's premier cat skiing operation with surfing legend and original Pipeline master, Gerry Lopez. There is so much more to Gerry Lopez than just being an incredible surfer. He's charismatic, intelligent and as intuitive on land as he is in the waves. Gerry has been pushing the limits of performance snowboarding for years and will be your host and inspiration on this Rocky Mountain adventure.

With 5000 acres of off piste terrain set in the stunning Lizard Range Mountains in Fernie, B.C., Island Lake Lodge is recognized as one of the premier powder skiing destinations in North America. Gowithapro offers an opportunity for 12 skiers and boarders to get an average 12,000-15000 vertical feet per day of pristine cat-accessed terrain in this breathtaking setting. There will be a maximum of only 36 people spread over 5000 acres at any given time.

At the end of the day, retreat to the comfort of Island Lakes 'deluxe rustic' accommodations with 5-star gourmet dining set amidst old growth forests. Enjoy the services of the masseuse, or the outdoor hot tub without an intrusive telephone or television to annoy you, or a computer jack to tempt you. There is lodging for up to 40 people, so there may be room for friends or family not interested in the cat-experience. They will be able to explore the vast forest by snowshoe or relax before a roaring fire in the lodge's stone hearth.
Location: Fernie, B.C.
Number of guests: 6-12
Number of Days: 3
Cost 12 person private cat: $27660
Per Person: $2305
Booking Information: 415.383.3907

Costs Include
Snow-cat Skiing/Boarding
Meals
Deluxe Lodge Accomodations
Fine Dining (all meals)
Powder Ski/Board Rentals
Lead Guide
Tail Guide

Costs Do Not Include
Airfare
Airport transfers

Tour Dates
March 2-5, 2003

Other Activities
Massage
Hot tub
Steam room
Workout room
Game room
Snowshoes
Bar

Scenes From San Onofre

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:34 +0000

Stop by The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach on Friday July 12 from 6-10 p.m. to check out the latest show, "Scenes from San Onofre." The show will feature several artists, including Wolfgang Bloch, Kerne Erickson, Fredric Hope, Greg Murray, Larry McAdams, Joe Severson, John Severson and Kevin Short. There will be live music, food and refreshments at the reception. The show will run until August 18. The Surf Gallery is located at 911 S. Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (corner of PCH and Thalia). For more information, go to www.thesurfgallery.com or call 949.376.9155.

Ronnie Burns Memorial Info

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:34 +0000

BILLABONG USA JUNIOR SERIES 2002

FACT SHEET: RONNIE BURNS MEMORIAL JUNIOR PRO KEWALO BASIN, OAHU, HAWAII

WHAT: The Ronnie Burns Memorial Junior Pro presented by Billabong USA atKewalo Basin, South Shore, Oahu Hawaii, the only event that Billabong USAwill sponsor on the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) Hawaii 2002Junior World Tour. This circuit determines the invitations from seven ASPregions around the world to the annual Billabong Junior World Championshipon the WCT (World Championship Tour). A top 6 placing in this event willgain the Hawaiian contestants an invitation to the Billabong Junior WorldChampionships 2002.

WHEN: The waiting period is from Monday June 10 to Saturday June 15, 2002.

WHERE: Kewalo Basin, South Shore, Oahu Hawaii.

WHO: Some of the hottest junior surfers in Hawaii, including last year'sevent winner Sean Moody, second placed Kekoa Bacalso, 2001 finalists DanielJones and Jordy Brough, 2000 finalist Joel Centeio, plus Ian Walsh, TomDosland, Dustin Cuizon, TJ Barron, Mickey Mitchell, Kolea Fukumitsu, WikiVilla and Nathan Carroll. In order for surfers to compete in this series,they must be 19 years old or younger as of 1st January 2002, ie they cannotturn 21 during the 2002 tour year.

FORMAT: The competition format will be decided by the number of contestantsentered, and will be run to standard ASP 2002 Junior Series event rules.

JUDGING: The ASP 2002 judging criteria will be used by four ASP rated judgeswith the head judge officiating.

MORE INFO CLICK...

These Colors Taste Like Music

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:35 +0000

THESE COLORS TASTE LIKE MUSIC. This short film (20 min) was shot by surffilm legend Sonny Miller (The Search, Searching for Tom Curren) on 16mm and35 mm film on location around the globe. The film focuses on the freakishtalent of Nathan Fletcher and his ability to span the intricate disciplinesof surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding while pushing the limits ofnon-conformist behavior.

Screenings for the film will be on July 12th at The Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa (Placentia and 17th St.) and on July 20th at Moondoggies on Prospect in La Jolla. There's no cover charge at either venue and attendees must be 21.

SIMA Re-elects Baker; other officers

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:35 +0000

SIMA members elect 2002-03 Board of Directors
Dick Baker re-elected as president

San Clemente, Calif. - Members of the Surf Industry ManufacturersAssociation (SIMA) have elected their 2002-03 SIMA Board of Directors, whichwill again fall under the leadership of Dick Baker as president of theassociation. The new board was officially seated at the May 2002 Board ofDirectors meeting and features, for the first time in SIMA's 12-yearhistory, a board builder — Bill Bahne of Bahne Surfboards/Fins Unlimited.New additions to the board line-up also include Jay Wilson, vice presidentof global marketing for Vans; Tom Brady, marketing director for O1Neill; andJeff Booth, director of core sales for Quiksilver.

The 2002-03 SIMA Officers are President Dick Baker, CEO of Op; VicePresident Paul Naude, CEO of Billabong USA; and Secretary/Treasurer JoelCooper, CEO of Lost International. The 2002-03 Board of Directors areFernando Aguerre, CEO of Reef; Bill Bahne, president of Fins Unlimited; JeffBooth of Quiksilver; Tom Brady of O'Neill; Dave Cunniff, president/owner ofCustom X Bodyboards; Scott Daley, vice president of marketing for BodyGlove; Gary Valentine, president of Globe Shoes and Jay Wilson of Vans.

"I'm honored to have been re-elected as president of SIMA and look forwardto working with the impressive group of officers and board of directors thathave also been elected to serve the needs of the membership," said Baker."Our goals for the next two years include continuing to grow the membershipunder the new dues-paying structure, implementing industry-wide researchprojects and building additional educational programs similar to SIMA SurfSummit. Ultimately, our goal is to uphold the purpose of SIMA, which is tohelp grow the industry by helping member companies grow their businesses.SIMA is definitely equipped to achieve this with the Board of Directors wenow have in place."

POOP WAIVER & SAVE SANO NOW!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:35 +0000

AN OUTPOURING OF POOP

by Scott Bass

"Stop the shit!"

Shaun Tomson was pissed. He said the word shit, and I could tell that at first he wanted to use the more PC 'sewage' or perhaps 'fecal matter.' But instead he opted for 'shit.' Normally not a big deal, but pretty heavy stuff coming from the eloquent, classy and well-spoken Mr. Tomson. My image of the 1977 World Surfing Champion is closer to Prince Charles than Jeff Spicoli. Shaun's an ambassador, a diplomat, and an aristocratic figure in the surf world. I think that's why his word choice resonated in the dusty back corner of my brain that I reserve for my conscience--he said the "S" word. And coming from Shaun Tomson, well, thems fightin' words.<
The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) pumps 240 million gallons of shit into the ocean everyday. Half of it, 120 million gallons, receives only primary treatment because no secondary treatment is required. That's right, 120 million gallons of living fecal bacteria or excrement (AKA: shit) pumped into the ocean--straight off Huntington Beach--everyday.

The OCSD has permission to pump the shit into the ocean by way of a dastardly waiver known as the "301 (h) waiver". Two decades ago, when the population base in Orange County was much smaller (approx. 1.5 million) the district received a "waiver" to the 1972 Clean Water Act's requirement. So, for the past twenty years, Orange County ocean water has been on the receiving end of living fecal bacteria.

Here's the good news. The evil waiver (301 h) is up for renewal, and you and I can stop its renewal. Here's how:

The Surfrider Foundation is involved in a city-by-city campaign to stop the Orange County Sanitation Districts 301 (h) Wavier. According to the Surfrider foundation, each city in Orange County serviced by OCSD has a vote on the OCSD Board of Directors. Twenty-one of twenty-five Directors on the Orange County Sanitation District Board are city council members in Orange County. You and I vote these people into office. We have the power. Each member will vote on extending the waiver, or ending the wavier in November 2002. If we can get a majority if the members of the board, or 13 out of the 25, to vote against the waiver, then we will defeat the waiver and OCSD will have to do full secondary treatment of our sewage. The Costa Mesa, Seal Beach, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach City Councils have already approved resolutions opposing renewal of the waiver. Other city councils are considering holding special hearings on this very important issue.

There are two ways you can help. The first is to send a letter to the Orange County Sanitation Board of Directors asking them to oppose the wavier (see the sample). The second is to attend local city council meetings and ask that they pass a resolution opposing the waiver.

TELL THE OCSD BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHAT YOU THINK

Let's all get into action. Shaun Tomson has sounded the trumpet--it's time to move forward. Below is a sample fax letter for you to use. Cut and paste it into an email if you wish.
fax, e-mail or call your city representative.

SAMPLE FAX LETTER BEGIN

Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors
C/O Lisa Murphy, OCSD Communications Manager
10844 Ellis Avenue
Fountain Valley, CA. 92708-7018

Re: 301 (h) Wavier Public Comments-Please Oppose the Wavier

Dear Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors,
As a person who enjoys swimming and surfing in our oceans, I am writing to ask that you vote to oppose the extension and/or renewal of the fecal bacteria waiver (AKA 301 (h) wavier) that is now held and used by the Orange County Sanitation District.

As you know, this waiver allows the sanitation district to discharge 120 million gallons a day of primary treated sewage, which contains fecal bacteria into the ocean off Huntington Beach. This sewage has been shown to make its way back towards the shoreline. I'm very upset that this sewage is not fully treated to the standards of the Clean Water Act, which require full secondary treatment. I am totally opposed to undertreated sewage being pumped into the ocean and potentially exposing me to sewage products when I surf and recreate in the ocean. I am confident you are too.

I support clean oceans across the country and the world. I request that you do too. With elections just around the corner, I am positive your constituents will be watching closely. You can do your part by opposing the Orange Sanitation District's request to renew their fecal bacteria waiver (301-(h) waiver). Thank you for voting for a clean ocean and for opposing the waiver.

Sincerely,

(Name & Address)

SAMPLE LETTER END

*Letters should be addressed to the:
Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors

*They should be sent to:
Lisa Murphy, OCSD Communications Manager

*Mailing address:
10844 Ellis Avenue
Fountain Valley, CA. 92708-7018

*Fax Number: (714) 962-0356
*E-Mail: Lmurphy@ocsd.com

For more information on how to get involved contact the Surfrider Foundation at (949) 492-8170 or emazzarella@surfrider.org or Dr. Jan Vandersloot with the Ocean Outfall Group at Jonv3@aol.com.

Let others in the community know about this travesty. Click here to rap about it in our Bulletin Board forum.

This article is from the Surfermag.com archives. Everyone should send an email or FAX to Lisa Murphy immediately.

We have just learned that there is pending federal legislation that wouldgreatly help the TCA build the Foothill-South toll road by permanentlysuspending all state laws that would regulate the construction, operationand maintenance of the toll road through San Onofre State Beach. As youknow, San Onofre State Beach is on land leased from the US Marine Corps.

This is a sneaky attempt by the TCA to stop California from protecting itsstate park from roads, development and pollution.

If this bill were to become law all California environmental, transportationand public safety protections could be suspended in order to facilitate thetoll road passing through the state park. The bill could also block anyfuture state laws that might protect the park from this destructive road.See bottom of this message for text of the legislation.

TAKE ACTION

You can help remove this pro-toll road language from the legislation. Pleasemake a phone call TODAY to Senator Feinstein's Los Angeles office, whichalso covers Orange County.

WHAT TO SAY IN YOUR CALL

Tell Senator Feinstein's office that you oppose the language in DefenseAppropriations bill HR 4546, Section 2861. Say that the language wouldsuspend all state laws concerning an environmentally destructive toll roadthat would run through San Onofre State Beach, which is leased from theDepartment of Defense. Say that you want Senator Feinstein to have thislanguage removed from the bill in the conference committee. If you live inOrange County, please be sure to mention that.

FEINSTEIN'S LOS ANGELES OFFICE phone number is (310) 914-7300. OFFICE HOURS9am-5pm.

This could be the most important phone call you make this year to stop thetoll road and protect San Onofre State Beach!

Thank you for taking action to protect our state park and stop thedestructive Foothill-South toll road.

H.R.4546Sponsor: Rep Stump, Bob(by request) (introduced 4/23/2002)Related Bills: H.RES.415, S.2514, S.2515Latest Major Action: 6/27/2002 Resolving differences / Conference --Senateactions. Latest Status: Senate insists on its amendment, asks for aconference, appoints conferees Levin; Kennedy; Byrd; Lieberman; Cleland;Landrieu; Reed; Akaka; Nelson FL; Nelson NE; Carnahan; Dayton; Bingaman;Warner; Thurmond; McCain; Smith NH; Inhofe; Santorum; Roberts; Allard;Hutchinson; Sessions; Collins; Bunning.Title: To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2003 for militaryactivities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and fordefense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnelstrengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.Note: H.R. 4546 and S. 2514 are defense authorization bills from the Houseand Senate Armed Services Committees respectively. On 6/27/2002, the Senateincorporated S. 2514, as amended, in H.R. 4546 as a substitute amendment andsubsequently passed H.R. 4546 as amended.

HR 4546 PCS

Subtitle D--Other Matters

SEC. 2861. EASEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS OR HIGHWAYS, MARINE CORPSBASE, CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA.

Section 2851(a) of the Military Construction Authorization Act for FiscalYear 1999 (division B of Public Law 105-261; 112 Stat. 2219), as amended bysection 2867 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002(Public Law 107-107; 115 Stat. 1334) is amended in the first sentence bystriking 'easement to construct' and all that follows through the period atthe end and inserting 'easement to construct, operate, and maintain arestricted access highway, notwithstanding any provision of State law thatwould otherwise prevent the Secretary from granting the easement or theAgency from constructing, operating, or maintaining the restricted accesshighway.

Join Surfrider Foundation today
www.surfrider.org.

Breakfast of World Champions- Sambazon Acai

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:36 +0000

Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is known in Brazil as the most nutritious, energy providing fruit. It grows in the lush floodplains of the Amazon River. About 10 years ago, the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu family, considered the original masters of the blend, started blending this fruit with banana and a little guarana (a mild natural stimulant). Since then, it has gone from a training secret to a daily ritual for surfers and all health conscious people in Brazil.

About a year ago, Sambazon started importing this blend to the US and selling it to natural juice bars and health food stores. Traditionally enjoyed in a bowl with granola and banana, acai is also popular blended into a refreshing smoothie. When Kelly Slater first found out acai was available in the US, he said "acai is one of my favorite things to eat. I would eat acai for breakfast everyday, and for snacks all day." He continued "I ate acai the first time I went to Brazil. I had never heard of it and I was freaking out on the stuff. " Rob Machado, another fan of this natural blend said "The highlight of my trips to Brazil is to eat acai." "You're gonna love it, man, a lot of energy," said Carlos Burle. "Well all I can say about Acai is that it is like a drug. I miss acai as much as I miss the g-string bikinis on the beach in Rio." Vava Ribeiro- world class Brazilian photographer.

Sambazon was started by a couple guys from Dana Point who were down in Brazil checking the culture and getting some waves. Local surfers introduced them to acai and they were hooked. After eating it everyday and seeing how good it made them feel they decided they had to have it here. So they went to the Amazon where it is harvested, "we went down there hoping to find a supplier, we came back with an exclusive contract with the best factory down there" said Ryan Black, President of Sambazon. So we pulled together all the money we could borrow, maxed our credit cards and bought a container. Then we started trying to convince every juice bar in Southern California that this was gonna be the next big thing." We had a really tough time getting a few places to give it a try, but places like Swami's and Melodia in Encinitas gave us a shot and now they they've got a bunch or regulars coming in for their daily fix. One year later Sambazon sells their acai blend to over 300 juice bars and cafes from the North Shore to downtown Manhattan and have even started shipping to Australia. Not too many people know about it yet, but those that do have made it a part of their daily routine. Not only does it do great things for your body, tons of antioxidants, essential omegas and amino acids, but it also gives you a natural energy buzz that people call a "heightened awareness"

Another major benefit is that Sambazon is creating a better market for the fruit, and since the native people can make more money harvesting fruit, it gives them incentive to protect the environment the trees grow in. Greenpeace considers the propagation of acai a solution to helping to save the Amazon Rainforest.

Read more and find out how where you can get it near you or how to have a freezer full shipped to your door at www.sambazon.com.

ROB MACHADO: US Open winner
-"It does everything."
-"Helps you focus."
-"Fills me up."
-"Great for that extra energy, it's healthy, it's good, it's from the Amazon."

FRED PATACCIA US OPEN Pro Junior Final 3rd place
-"It's great, I had it in Brazil and now I am starting to see it in the states."
-"Acai not only fills you up with the right amount of nutrients, but also gives you the strength and power you need."
-"A tasty texture."
-"I would love to see it in Hawaii, I would buy it everyday."

FRED PATACCIA US OPEN Pro Junior Final 3rd place
-"It's great, I had it in Brazil and now I am starting to see it in the states."
-"Acai not only fills you up with the right amount of nutrients, but also gives you the strength and power you need."
-"A tasty texture."
-"I would love to see it in Hawaii, I would buy it everyday."

South Africa Takes World Games Title

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:36 +0000

South Africa emerged triumphant at the 2002 Quiksilver ISA World Surfing Games at North Beach in Durban today (Sunday), claiming the prestigious IOC President's Trophy for the first time since re-admittance to the ISA fold in1992 and 24 years since the country's only previous victory in East Londonin 1978.

South Africans also claimed the titles in the two biggest disciplines contested at the event when North Beach locals Travis Logie and WarwickWright earned career best accolades by capturing the gold medals in the openand junior (U/18) men's surfing respectively, results that contributedhandsomely to the team's victory.

The Quiksilver SA team, comprising 15 wave-riders in seven disciplines, accumulated 27 266 points in winning the 2002 ISA world champion team award,almost 4000 points ahead of runners-up Australia with defending championsBrazil only 190 points further back in third place this year.

Both Australia and Brazil matched South Africa's two gold medals. The Aussies' pair came in the women's surfing through Chelsea Georgeson and KyleBryant in the kneeboard while the Brazilians earned theirs through NeimaraCarvalho in the women's bodyboard and Marcelo Freitas in longboard, with themen's bodyboard gold going to Nicholas Capdeville from France.

The crowds that flocked to North Beach for the finals of the nine day 'Olympics' of surfing were treated to world class performances in theexcellent overhead waves that poured through all day. The highlight was anear perfect 9.87 point ride by junior men's runner-up Ricky Basnett (SAfr)who performed one radical manoeuvre after another on a wave that broke fromoutside the pier right across the bay.

Travel Special-Act Now!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:36 +0000

BOHEMIAN - 47' LUXURY CATAMARAN

N. SUMATRA - Telos / Hinakos / Nias / Northern Secrets

Be one of the first to surf a new region so infested with World Class surfit will blow your mind. This area is a major swell magnet and guaranteessurf between March & November. As the Mentawais are becoming increasinglypopular we have been doing intensive research over the last 2 years surfinga remote region to the North of Nias. Steve Bridge & Charlie Harris of"Bohemian" have surfed some places here that only a handful of people on theplanet have ever surfed. They would like to share their new "surfersparadise" with you and join them on their beautiful catamaran "Bohemian" for10 days of discovery and NO CROWDS !

** SPECIAL: Peak swell season- July 14-25, and July 28-August 8 charters nowdiscounted!

4 persons - Non-exclusive use of vessel (2 forward cabins): $2050 per person4 persons - Exclusive use of vessel (3 cabins): $2670 per person

5 persons - Non-exclusive use of vessel (3 cabins): $1890 per person5 persons - Exclusive use of vessel (3 cabins): $2140 per person

6 persons - Exclusive use of vessel (3 cabins): $1790 per person

FINAL CHANCE TO STOP THE POOP WAIVER!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:37 +0000

Open Forum This Wednesday.

The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) dumps approximately 240 million gallons a day of partially treated sewage wastewater into the ocean in Huntington Beach every day, enough to fill up Anaheim Stadium three times. This sewage comes from the toilets of 2.35 million people from 24 cities in a 470 square mile area of central and north Orange County. It is discharged into the ocean through a mile long diffuser pipe from a 10-foot diameter outfall pipe extending 4.5 miles out into the ocean and 200 feet deep off Huntington Beach, California. The plume created by this sewage discharge is estimated to be 6 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 100 feet thick, and meanders away from the discharge pipe according to local currents. Only 50% of the sewage gets treated to the required minimum standards, the other 50% gets minimal treatment. Secondary treatment is the minimum standard established by the 1972 federal Clean Water Act, and is the standard of nearly 16,000 other sewage treatment agencies in the United States for sewage water that gets discharged into a water body.

Currently, only 36 out of 16,000 sanitation districts have a 301(h) waiver. These waivers allow the treatment facilities to treat waste to less than minimum standards. 301 (h) waivers have been decreasing. Ten years ago, there were 60 agencies that held 301(h) waivers, now only 36 waivers still exist. Orange County is the largest agency in the nation to still have a waiver. The OCSD may be asking for a waiver extension in July. We need your help to get rid of the waiver!

What You Can Do...

Fax the letter below opposing the waiver and the rights of the OCSD to dump partially treated sewage into local waters.

Attend the rally at the next OCSD Board Meeting. This is the final opportunity for you to show your support. The OCSD Board will be voting after the public comment period.

When: Wednesday, July 17, 2002. Public comments from 6 PM - 7 PM

Where: Orange County Sanitation District Offices,10844 Ellis Ave., Fountain Valley

Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors c/o Lisa Murphy, Communications Manager10844 Ellis AvenueFountain Valley, California 92708-7018

Dear Board Members:

I understand that you will be voting on the waiver extension in the near future. I am writing to urge each of you to vote against renewing the 301(h) waiver held by the Orange County Sanitation District.

This waiver allows for less than full secondary treatment of the sewage being discharged into the ocean off Huntington Beach. This discharge has potentially harmful effects to the marine environment and may be causing beach closures thereby exposing the beach going public to a health risk. I request that you immediately direct the staff of the sanitation district to develop and implement plans to treat the sewage to full secondary standards.

As an ocean enthusiast, I demand that our ocean and beaches get the protection they deserve. I do not want to get sick from sewage that is discharged into the ocean and is not treated to the minimum of full secondary treatment and disinfection. I want a clean and safe ocean. The waiver prevents a clean and safe ocean. Please "Do us a favor and get rid of the waiver."

Sincerely,

(Your name & address here)

Fax to OCSD: (714) 962-0356
Click here for "No Waiver" Info

UNKNOWN BRAZO WINS 6-STAR 'QS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:37 +0000

Mr Price Pro
6 Star ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS)Event #19 of 51
North Beach, Durban
July 9 - 14, 2002

Unheralded Beto Fernandes from Brazil, rated 248th in the world going into the tournament, beat a trio of highly rated Australians to clinch the 2002 Mr Price Pro title, R100 000 (US $10 000) and 2 500 invaluable points, which shot him 240 positions up the ASP World Qualifying Series WQS ratings to eighth place.

The 25 year-old from Praia Grande, near Sao Paulo, whose only previous accolade was being voted Most powerful surfer' on the 2000 Brazilian circuit, utilised all of that power on the crumbling chest high waves at North Beach in Durban to finish ahead of current world #11 Danny Wills who was followed by fellow WCT campaigner Richie Lovett with Mark Bannister fourth.

"I'm really happy because I've never made a final before," said Beto through an interpreter at the awards presentation. "The waves here (at North Beach) are like my home town, and things worked out as planned so I'm stoked to be here on the podium," he added as the thousands of spectators, who had enjoyed a day of sunshine and world class surfing, cheered loudly.

The Brazilian was left to scratch for waves in the opening half of the 35 minute final as the Australians shut him out, but a vertical re-entry that sent a sheet of spray into the air on a hollow right-hander off the pier earned him 6.90 from the judges to move him into third behind Wills and Bannister with 12 minutes remaining.

Needing 6.01 to take overtake the heat leader, he gouged three huge moves on a head high wave that had the crowd hooting when he was awarded 8.50 points, the highest score of the final, and took a lead that he never relinquished.

Wills, the top seed for the event, Lovett, the current world #14 and Bannister, the runner up in the ISA world surfing games in Durban a month ago, all needed a score exceeding 7.25 for victory at the final siren, giving Brazil it's second successive winner, ironically after Peterson Rosa became the first Brazilian male ever to win a surfing event in Durban last year.

Beto had signaled his intentions earlier in the tournament when he recorded both the highest accumulated two wave heat total, 18,37 out of a possible 20, and shared the highest single ride score, 9.70 from a possible 10, with fellow Brazilian Raoni Monteiro, in the outstanding overhead waves on Friday.

The South African challenge for the title, which has not been won by a local since Shaun Tomson completed the last of his six consecutive victories in 1978, fizzled out when wildcards Sean Gossmann and Daniel Redman, both from Durban, and East London's Royden Bryson, were eliminated in the round of 32.

South America claimed a second consecutive clean sweep of the titles on offer at the Mr Price Pro as Sofia Mulanovich from Peru clinched her debut WQS women's event title yesterday when, like Beto, she was competing in her first final. This emulated the victories of Jacqueline Silva (Brazil) and Rosa last year.

Full results of the Mr Price Pro are available on the website www.aspafrica.co.za

1.Beto Fernandes (Brz) 2500 pts ($ 10,000)
2.Daniel Wills (Aus) 2150pts ($5,000)
3.Richard Lovett (Aus) 1825 pts ($4,000)
4.Mark Bannister (Aus) 1675 pts ($3,000)

Gromorama Surf Contest Info

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:37 +0000

The Third Annual Grom-a-rama 2002
WHO:150 Junior High & High School Groms (Young Surfers)
WHAT:Surf Contest

WHEN:Saturday June 8, 2002, 6:30 am Registration 7:00 am - 4:00 PM Contest

WHERE: Oceanside Harbor, north jetty

COST:$20.00 registration fee

Grom-a-rama Awards Bash

PLACE:Oceanside Amphitheater

TIME:5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

DATE:Saturday June 8, 2002

FEATURING:

*Saph skateboard ministries
*Speaker: Hagan Kelley
*Video from the contest
*Door prizes
*Trophies and prize bags to third place

Right Coast Reaction

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:38 +0000

Early in the Southern Hemishphere's winter season a crew of young east coast talent including Adam Wickwire, Jeremy Saukel, Ryan Kimmel, Sterling Spencer (yeah, yeah, Gulf Coast--whatever), and Kevin Welsh joined West Coast Surfers Travis Mellon and Jeremy Schluntz on an Indonesian wave field tour.

The following QuickTime video clips reveal the bounty.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player. Quicktime blows doors on Windows Media and Real Player. That's why we use it. Once you've tried it, you'll agree.

BROADBAND VIDEO--1MB
Adam Wickwire Does His Chappy Jennings

BROADBAND VIDEO--1MB
Wickwire at the Skatepark

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.4MB
Right Coast Reaction: The Crew Goes Off

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.1MB
Jeremy Saukel Slotted

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.2MB
Ummmm, yeah, ok: Jeremy Saukel is Ill

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.5MB
Ryan Kimmel at the Skatepark

BROADBAND VIDEO--900K
Jeremy Schluntz: Specific Intent to Claim

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.2MB
Sterling Spencer

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.1MB
Sterling Spencer Gouges and Gets Gouged

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.4MB
Travis Mellon Goes Disco Dancing

BROADBAND VIDEO--1.1MB
Travis Mellon: Local Skatepark

kenworthyknietic

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:38 +0000

O'NEILL 2002 GROM PRIX SURF SERIES

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:38 +0000

JACKSONVILLE, FL.,- The Poles at Jacksonville hosted the 2002 O'Neill Grom Prix. Fun waves, sunny skies, and a Memorial weekend crowd all made for a successful event. "The Jax area has a huge pool of talent that showed up in force for the Grom Prix," said Paul Reinecke, Florida team manager for O'Neill.

"The glassy 2-3ft. waves made for great conditions for the kids to surf," said Reinecke.

Local boy Cody Thompson took down the 13 and under pack with his constant lashing of waves. He was the definite pick to win from the very first heat.

The 14-16 division was stacked to the brim as well. With the pressure on in the final, Brady Mckenzie of Fernandina Beach put on a show for the spectators and solidly won the top prize.

"I don't think it was any thing but the norm for Brady," said Reinecke.

The results of the Grom Prix:

Boys:
1: Cody Thompson
2: Evan Thompson
3: Corey Harper
4: Geoff Lambert
5: Blake Macklin
6: Trey Thompson

Juniors:
1: Brady McKenzie
2: Leon McGovern
3: Eric Rheaum
4: Johnny Barclay
5:Evan Thompson
6: Corey Harper

Best wave went to Eric Rheaum.

"Thanks go out to all who were involved and helped make this event happen (Smith, Ocean Minded, x-trak, and Surfnews). We are all looking forward to the 2nd annual Grom Prix next year," said Reinecke.

SANTA CRUZ GROM PRIX SURF SERIES--click "next page" now!

Irons Rocking in Round One

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:39 +0000

Billabong Pro (July 16-26) www.billabongpro.com & www.aspworldtour.com
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)
World Championship Tour (WCT), Event #5 of 12

Irons Sets Pace In Epic Conditions

Jeffreys Bay, South Africa (Tuesday, July 16) Current ratings leader AndyIrons (Haw) today continued his 2002 World Championship Tour (WCT) dream runby setting the pace in the Billabong Pro. The US$250,000 tournamentcommenced this morning with the VZ Trials producing four-wildcard entrants,before round one of the main event was then decided.

Perfect 6-8ft (2-2.6m) waves persisted throughout the day, though cold windand rain made for less than ideal spectator conditions. As the sun brokethrough this afternoon, however, the swell increased and presented a classicJ-Bay line-up.

Irons, who holds a commanding position courtesy of back-to-back victories inAustralia and then Tahiti, posted the only perfect 10 of the event so farwith a flawless series of tubes on his second ride. The Hawaiian then lockedin another 9.0 following four barrels on his fourth wave, leaving VZwildcard Sean Holmes (SAfr) and world #4 Taylor Knox (USA) both needing acombination of scores. The Californian broke his surfboard and injured hisgroin during the 30-minute heat.

"It's incredible out there," said Irons. "I'm just stoked to get someperfect waves. If Taylor or Sean got my waves they would have gotten perfectscores too, so I was just lucky. Either of those two guys could easily winthe contest. Two other guys out... it's a dream come true.

"I don't want to jinx myself," he continued, of his form this year. "I justwant to keep it going wave by wave, heat by heat. Have fun with it."

Current world #4 Luke Egan (Aus) continued his charge toward the top of theratings, defeating six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) and RodrigoDornelles (Brz). In what proved a great duel between Egan and Slater, withthe lead switching after each secured another ride, it was the Australianwho ultimately advanced into round three following a backhand barrel rideand series of critical off the lip manoeuvres on his final wave.

"The waves were unreal fun out there, and against Kelly, you know he's goingto go mad no matter what," explained Egan. "I got in a good rhythm and wasstoked that wave came at the end. I managed to get a nice barrel and justgot the score (I needed).

polllocalism

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:39 +0000

"ULTIMATE REVENGE" ON PRO SURFERS

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:40 +0000

SAN DIEGO-June 4, 2002-Poor Specimen producer Ren Messer collaborated with the UPN TV show "Ultimate Revenge" to play a prank on the stars of the upcoming Poor Specimen release, "The Drive Thru: The California Coast. " Greg Browning, Tim Curran, Donavon Frankenreiter and Sean "Barney" Baron were caught on camera in one of the largest, most ridiculous, over-the-top pranks "Ultimate Revenge" or Ren has ever attempted.

Unable to give too many details until the show airs this fall, Ren would only say it involved models from Perfect Ten Magazine, Browning's credit card, an RV, and an act of God. Poor Specimen plans to include bonus material of the whole grisly incident on "The Drive Thru" DVD, due out early this fall. Greg Browning continues to shake his head in dismay, and Donavon and the boys have vowed revenge on their producer. Said Tim Curran, "Oh, it's ON."

Volcom's VQS Sea Slug Results

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:40 +0000

VQS Sea Slug Surf Series
Saturday June 1st, 2002
Zuma Beach
Surf 3-6 feet

The first event of the 2002 VQS started off with the Sea Slug at Zuma Beach with hollow waves and 72 amped competitors of all ages battling out for all sorts of cash and prizes. With the sun making a showing thru the June gloom in time for the finals, all had a good time.

In the Groms division final there were a couple of new Sea Slug finalists mixed with a couple of veteran finalists. In the end the experience won out and Matt Mohagen took the win beating out Cory Arrambide for the early season ratings lead and the all-important invite to the VQS Championship.

The Juniors division was a hard fought battle from the start. With obstacles such as pool toys to maneuver around and the tide on the rise, the juniors made a great showing. The final was all Colin Dodgson. Picking off a 7 on his second ride he continued the pace and took the prizes away from Bummy and newcomer Scott Dunton.

US Open Sponsored by Philips

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:40 +0000

Philips Electronics Sponsors The $350,000 Action Sport, Technology And Music Festivals Featuring Men's And Women's Surfing, Skateboarding And Bicycle Freestyle

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA - The East and West Coast's largest professional surfing competitions anchor the second annual Philips Fusion Series July 29 to August 4 in Huntington Beach, Calif. and August 22 - 25 inVirginia Beach, Virginia. The $350,000 action sports, technology andmusic festival, sponsored by Philips Electronics, attracts more than 600world-class athletes from across the globe and features surfing,skateboarding and BMX in innovative venues along with an interactive festival area and live concerts.

In California, the $240,000 Philips Fusion presents the ninth annual U.S. Open of Surfing, a six-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) men's and women's event held at the famed Huntington Beach Pier. The $150,000U.S. Open, which also features a longboarding competition and the Billabong/Boost Mobile Junior, historically attracts more competitors than any other pro surfing competition in the world and offers the largest WQS points allocation of any mainland American event this year. The U.S. Open is co-sponsored by Chevy Trucks, Paul Mitchell Salon Haircare and 180 Energy Drink.

World-class surfers slated to compete include reigning world champion C.J. Hobgood (Florida), former world champion Sunny Garcia (Hawaii), reigning U.S. Open champion Rob Machado (Cardiff, Calif.), Taylor Knox(Carlsbad, Calif.), Pat O'Connell (Laguna, Calif.), Keith Malloy and Tim Curran (Ventura, Calif.). Top women include reigning world champion Layne Beachley (AUS), former world champ Lisa Andersen (Ormond Beach,Fla.) and Holly Beck (Palos Verdes, Calif.).

ubb teaser

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:40 +0000

South African Wildcard Creates Upset

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:41 +0000

Billabong Pro (July 16-26) www.billabongpro.com & www.aspworldtour.com
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)
World Championship Tour (WCT), Event #5 of 12

Jeffreys Bay, South Africa (Thursday, July 18) Local South African wildcardentrant Sean Holmes today caused a major upset by eliminating currentratings #2 Cory Lopez (USA) from the Billabong Pro. The US$250,000 WorldChampionship Tournament (WCT) recommenced this morning with most top seededsurfers advancing through round two.

Surf remained in the 4-5 ft (1.5m) range, though shifting sections made fortricky competition conditions. Sunny skies were a welcome relief toonlookers after the past couple of days rain.

In the day's opening match, Holmes displayed a confident forehand attacksimilar to when he eliminated Mark Occhilupo (Aus) at J-Bay in his worldtitle-clinching year of 1999. Today, however, it was Lopez who felt thepinch. The South African never found a strong third score, but nonethelessadvanced to now challenge current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw) in roundthree.

"I was a little bit nervous before the heat, but I felt pretty good outthere," said Holmes. "I just went out there and gave it my all and came outon top. Bad luck to Cory. He could have got me if he found the wave at theend.

"It's always good for a South African to do well here," he continued."There's a lot of competition between the different nations and we're alwaystrying to prove to each other that we're better in every sport. For us tolose out here is almost like an insult, so we're fighting to win."

Lopez, who has carried an ankle injury all year and almost didn't compete inthe Billabong Pro consequently, credited poor wave selection with his demisetoday.

"I didn't get the waves I needed and I had one good but missed anopportunity on it," said Lopez. "I just needed one more wave and went a badone near the end, and there was a better one behind it that would have beenenough. I'll just have to look forward to next event."

Current #3 and older brother Shea Lopez kept their family name alivehowever, by eliminating VZ wildcard opponent Shaun Cansdell (Aus). Ridingthe same board he used last year to score his first perfect 10 incompetition, Shea held off his challenger to advance with a satisfying win.

"That was hard, Shaun's really good," said Lopez. "He's going to be one ofthe best surfers to come out of Australia in the coming years. I just wantedto start off strong and then hold priority, and I came out on top. It was abummer Cory lost, but someone's got to keep going. Hopefully this board hasmore left in its little bag of tricks."

Reigning world champ CJ Hobgood (USA) dominated his match against another VZwildcard, Bede Durbidge (Aus). The Floridian began on great wave, scoring8.75, and ultimately left his opponent hunting a combination of scoresfollowing another 8.0 ride toward the end.

"Bede's a really good surfer and he's from the Gold Coast (in Australia)where there are a lot of good rights, so I'm sure he felt at home outthere," reasoned Hobgood. "That round is so nerve-racking. You don't getmany points if you finish 33rd.

"It's still early in the year, but Andy (Irons) and all these other guys aremaking heats, so if you want to be in the running you've got go make theseheats here and now," he added. "I was definitely giving it everything I hadout there."

1999 world champ Mark Occhilupo (Aus) overcame initial nerves to oust localwildcard entrant Brad Bricknell. 'Occy', who won a tournament here back in1984, today kept his 2002 campaign alive over the J-Bay standout.

FEATURES - The Secret Handshake

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:41 +0000

I picked up the second issue of Water while loitering at my local surfshop. It's the new surf mag that Steve Zeldin (formerly of Transworld Surf and Surfing) is publishing. If you haven't checked it already, Water seems to be replicating the Surfers Journal vibe (quarterly, glossy, quality paper, low ad to edit ratio), but with an overt wink and nudge toward the surf industry. And for the record, Zeldin's done a first rate job, although I'd like to see more ads, and I couldn't find one word written by contributing writer Kelly Slater.

A new mag in the racks at a surfshop usually raises more than just an inquiring eyebrow. Surfers are serious about their lifestyle and how it's portrayed. We possess it in the simple, but devout manner of a small, neatly groomed Guatemalan woman cradling her newborn: wrapped tightly, snuggled to the bosom in a woven hammock; warm, cherished and protected. So it is with parental authority bred by years of riding, looking and dreaming of waves that surfers scrutinize a new mag with a scientific determination. It is our duty to investigate how the newcomer frames and presents what we love. And generally speaking Water is a cool, clear, quenching read.

But this isn't a magazine review. It's deeper than that.

Water's aforementioned slant toward the surf industry--two, three, four pages of surf industry thumbnail images--left me feeling disassociated. I wasn't a part of the tribe. I was still a surfer, just not a cool one. Was this a surf mag or a newsletter for b-level rock-n-roll roadies? Could it be that my disdain for low-level networking at trade shows meant I wasn't one of them? Was it because I didn't hangout in Hollywood with rock stars and stripers?

Now to be fair, every surf mag pimps the industry (except maybe the Journal). And the surf industry, like many small, struggling industries, is more than a bit incestuous and for good reason. Nevertheless, I was bothered. I wanted to belong. Water seemed to be thumbing it's nose at the average surfer...or at least at me.

How come I wasn't photographed standing next to Bruce Irons, smoking a cigarette and baring my god-awful Tahitian tattoo to the world in a polyp popping pose that may have sent my aged body to the nearest Rite-Aid for some Preparation-H? Some of Water's "whos who" photos were interesting. But it was as if I was looking into my older brothers high school yearbook. I knew nobody--but I really, really wanted to.

Feeling sheepish, like a kid who didn't know the secret handshake, I turned the pages of Water and came upon an image. A simple one really. A wave. A surfer. A golden moment. It was then that a light went on. A moment of clarity. A small epiphany, if you will.

My ill condition had nothing to do with Water's industry insider bro-brah-guy-dude-athon in the front of the book. Zeldin's got to do what he's got to do. It's not bad, nor is it wrong. In fact a lot of people probably dig it. No, my condition had everything to do with my own insecurities. I secretly wanted to be in those pictures, posing with the bros.

Pretty sad, I know.

So I did some soul searching, and I excavated this little nugget of truth from my inventory: (hold on to your seat cause it's is about as deep as discovering that ice melts) the average surfer, you and I, aren't in the surf industry "club", and we aren't the "beautiful" people. And that's okay because riding waves has nothing to do with the surf industry, beautiful people or Sunset Strip titty bars.

So the next time you find yourself coveting the short-lived fame, miss-placed prestige, and unbecoming notoriety of the "beautiful" people, remember this: A long time ago--before surf industry promos, and surf magazines--a Polynesian king put an axe to a tree, crafted a surfboard, paddled out and rode waves. This notion is our Guatemalan baby. This is what we cherish and protect. And this is what's most important.

The Adventures of Wardo

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:41 +0000

Surfermag.com and Josh Pomer's TheSurfLab.com are proud to present exclusive weekly video clips you'll only find right here at Surfermag.com.

About the Producer:
Josh Pomer respected surf-film maker, 1992 Santa Cruz High graduate and 98' UCSB Film Studies Graduate, has created The Kill series. TK1 was named one of the ten most influential surf videos of the last decade. TK5 is coming out at the end of June, 2001. He has also created the surf videos Punk Rock Surfers, Bliss, See It To Belive It, The M10 Movie, Cheap Thrills, and his first movie Thunderballs. Josh is inspired by creative surfing and powerful surfing, as well as music and the ocean. His favorite surfers are Kelly Slater, Occy, Tom Curren and Ratboy.

Surfermag.com produces its video clips using Quicktime Pro. Need QuickTime? Click here to download your free Quicktime 5.0 player.

Week of July 21: The Adventures of Wardo

QuickTime Broadband--3.5MB

QuickTime Dial-Up--1.1MB

Windows Media Player Broadband--1.5MB

Windows Media Player Dial-Up--900K

Surf Camp For Chicks

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:41 +0000

Ha'ena, KauaiMay 2002 - Hawaii's top professional surfer, ranked fourth in the world, Rochelle Ballard, hosted the second annual O'Neill/Reef Advanced Surf Camp for Chicks, April 19-21 in Ha'ena, Kauai.

"The camp couldn't have gone better. All of the kids were insane, adorable and fun," says Ballard.

The camp was a success with 55 girls in attendance. Over 75% of the girls in attendance were between the ages of 8-14.The program was established by Ballard to encourage the growth of athletic talent and to promote the sport of surfing for women.

Along with plenty of surf time the girls heard from key speakers from the surf industry and the pro tour. They also participated in training techniques, yoga, and fun, games and won prizes. Mia Melamed won her entry fees paid for the 2003 season for HASA and one international roundtrip island ticket. Jennifer Newhouse won her entry fees paid for the 2003 season for NSSA and also one international roundtrip island ticket.

SURFS UP ON NANTUCKET

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:42 +0000

Second Annual Ozone Surf Classic Celebrates the late David Ozias' Passion for the Waves andBenefits Nantucket Boys and Girls Club

WHAT:The 2nd Annual Ozone Surf Classic -- a surfing competition celebrating the life and memory of David Ozias, a local islander and surfer, organized by Juice Guys Care/Nantucket Nectars.

WHEN:Sunday, August 11, 2002 from 8 A.M.-6 P.M. at Cisco Beach on Nantucket

WHO:More than 100 surfers are expected to compete to celebrate the life and memory of local islander and surfer David Ozias. Touching the heart of the community, David Ozias was an exceptional individual who exuded kindness and love. Juice Guys Care/Nantucket Nectars are sponsoring the event.

DETAILS:Proceeds benefit the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club on Nantucket. The event also includes an afternoon barbeque. Entry fee is $20 per surfer. More information can be found online at www.juiceguys.com or by calling 617-868-3600 x379.

HURLEY, MACHADO HITCH UP

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:42 +0000

June 7, 2002--California surfing icon Rob Machado looks as if he's finally nailed down a new clothing sponsor after years of uncertainty with his current sponsor Gotcha. Machado has agreed in principle to a deal with HURLEY International. At press time, the terms of the agreement were still undisclosed, and Gotcha lawyers are still working to release Machado from any former contractual residue. While rumors have been floating around the industry for months as to which company Machado would go with, the HURLEY direction does seem to be a natural fit.

Machado wasn't available for comment Friday morning, but Bob Hurley said, "I'm sure [Machado] could have gotten more from somebody else, but he fits right into our family here, so he being a part of our team is a totally organic thing."

Though Machado has always had other sponsors, he's been circling the Hurley wagon for years. "He's always popped his head in here," continued Hurley. "We were making him wetsuits and putting Gotcha logos on them; he's in a band with Peter King, who's our longest running team rider; we've supported a bunch of Taylor Steele's projects, who's one of his best friends, and he hangs out with Chris, Keith and Dan Malloy."

Machado will have no shortage of fun projects to work on as part of the Hurley team. Hurley has just launched their own record label, so he and Peter King will have lots to jam about, and there are several new film projects in the pipeline with budding directors like Chris Malloy and Scott Soens getting plenty of support from Hurley. "At the end of the day," added Hurley, "everyone just wants to have fun, and I think Rob sees that there's plenty of it available here."--Chris Mauro

DRAMATIC FINALS CAP HAVAIANAS PRO

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:42 +0000

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - Nail-biting finales between close friends in the Men's Shortboard and Longboard divisions capped a thrilling day of competition at the Havaianas Pro in Huntington Beach, the fourth stop on the Professional Surfing Tour of America's (PSTA) 2002 season.

In one of the most dramatic and entertaining Longboard finals in recent California pro surfing history, 2001 PSTA champion Josh Mohr thrilled his hometown Huntington Beach supporters with a last second victory over close friend Dodger Kremel and Newport Beach's Geoff Moysa, who made PSTA history by being the first surfer to compete in the finals of both the Longboard and shortboard divisions.

Mohr started the final in typical Rambo "First Blood" fashion with a fluid combination of stretch-fives and progressive roundhouse cutbacks. But the 18-year-old Kremel, who considers Mohr one of his best friends and mentors, was not to be denied on his American flag board, pulling a variety of tricks including fin-first takeoffs and helicopters.

The lead shifted between Mohr, Kremel and Moysa several times within just a few minutes' span leading up the final horn. While Mohr and Kremel drew hoots from their loyal supporters on the beach, Newport's Moysa, who led with about five minutes remaining, became an instant favorite based on his stamina-testing run in both longboard and shortboard finals. But Kremel topped Moysa with a flawless fin-first followed up by a clean helicopter, taking the lead. With less than a minute remaining, Mohr and Moysa split a perfect A-frame peak which would decide the outcome.

Mohr's performance on the right, including a helicopter of his own, was punctuated by a hilarious "cockroach" maneuver up onto the sand (lying on his back on the board with legs and arms flying), an ode to a challenge by PSTA announcer Mike Morgan. Mohr passed Moysa and Kremel to take the win.

"This is what a final is all about," said an elated Mohr as he exited the water. "In the heats before the final, you're trying to stay consistent, and you don't want to do too many risky things because you still want to advance. But in the final, you just gotta do it. Geoff and I had just caught waves, and we were paddling back outside, chatting. We knew there was only a minute left, and that peak just came to us. We looked at each other, he's a goofy-foot and I'm regular foot, so he went left and I went right, and we both got good waves.

"Dodger Kremel is a real good friend of mine," Mohr continued, "and I can't believe how good he surfed out there. I think he had the jitters out there but he's still so young. He had the lead for a while and the crowd was cheering him on. I'm just stoked for everyone. It was a great day."

The Men's Shortboard final pitted Huntington Beach hometown boys Jeff Deffenbaugh and Micah Byrne against Seal Beach's Ryan Simmons and Newport ironman Geoff Moysa, who had just exited the water after placing second in the longboard final. A long lull started things off, but by mid-heat the final became a two-horse race between close friends Simmons and Deffenbaugh, who once roomed together for a year. The exchange of the final came when Deffenbaugh ripped a decent left to score a 5.7. Simmons, knowing he was within percentage points of his ex-roommate, took off on the left following Deffenbaugh's wave and kicked his backside attack into overdrive, driving a bottom turn several yards and vaulting into a long floater to register a 6.5, which ended up being the difference.

"It went back and forth between me and Jeff at the end, and that's how you want it to be," said Simmons. "I saw him get the left, and I figured I could get the one right after that and one-up him a bit, and I did, so I'm stoked."

Simmons pocketed the $3,500 first prize purse, and just as valuable, a seed into the Xcel Pro at Sunset Beach in Hawai'i, an ASP World Qualifying Series event in late October.

Less dramatic but equally compelling was the Women's Shortboard final, which saw 2001 PSTA champion Julia Christian from Carlsbad, CA and current PSTA points leader Jodie Nelson of Seal Beach take on 15-year-old sensation Erica Hosseini of Newport Beach and Australia's Prue Jeffries, who was ranked #14 on the ASP's World Championship Tour in 2001, but lost her elite ranking this year due to multiple injuries.

The goofy-footed Jeffries, in preparation for the US Open starting next week at Huntington Pier, employed her strong backside attack on several rights to easily distance herself from nearest rival Christian and the rest of the field to take the win. "I'm really happy to put it together here in Huntington to get a good result leading up to the US Open next week," said Jeffries, who celebrated her 30th birthday just a few days ago. "It's great to see the young girls getting the experience it takes to travel the world, because that's where the sport starts."

Winning the Futures Performance Fin Systems Juniors division and $250 was Kory LaPoint, 15, of Huntington Beach, who pocketed $250. Kory managed to surpass Matt Perez and fellow Huntington Beach grom phenoms Steven Janosz and Marty Weinstein.

Retaining the Paul Mitchell Black Jerseys signifying the 2002 PSTA points leaders in their respective divisions were Ryan Simmons, Josh Mohr and Jodie Nelson. The next PSTA event will be held in Morro Bay Sept. 19-22.

For complete results of the Havaianas Pro, go to http://www.prosurfingtour.com The Havaianas Pro will be televised as two separate half-hour shows (Men's Shortboard plus Women's and Longboard) on the Outdoor Life Network airing on September 5. Check your local TV listings for exact times, or go to http://www.olntv.com.

Official event product sponsors include the new Subaru Baja, Paul Mitchell Salon Haircare, Balance Bar, Havaianas, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner (1-800-USA-RAIL), Yakima Racks, Venus Swimwear Model Search, Jet Blue Airlines, and Outdoor Life Network. Industry sponsors include Surf One, Mountain High Resort, Sticky Bumps, Transworld Surf Magazine, Cut 4 Media, Sessions, Future Fins, Mandero Sports Products, Poor Boy, Peak Sunscreen, and Surf Quest Media.

For complete information on the Havaianas Pro and the 2002 PSTA season, go to http://www.prosurfingtour.com

Havaianas Pro Huntington Beach Final Results

Men's Shortboard
1. Ryan Simmons 17.50
2. Jeff Deffenbaugh 17.20
3. Micah Byrne 13.20
4. Geoff Moysa 11.50

Men's Longboard
1. Josh Mohr 21.90
2. Geoff Moysa 18.40
3. Dodger Kremel 17.10
4. Steve Newton 13.25

Women's Shortboard
1. Prue Jeffries 15.90
2. Julia Christian 14.10
3. Jodie Nelson 10.85
4. Erica Hosseini 10.80

Futures Fins Systems Junior Pro
1. Kory LaPoint 15.75
2. Marty Weinstein 12.40
3. Matt Perez 8.85
4. Steven Janosz 8.40

Arc Premiere Coming Soon

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:43 +0000

POOR SPECIMEN PRESENTS "ARC: A TAYLOR KNOX SIGNATURE SERIES"

SAN DIEGO--Poor Specimen Productions' latest movie, Arc: A Taylor Knox Signature Series, will premiere in June and be available for sale in late July.

Arc: A Taylor Knox Signature Series features top surfer Taylor Knox. The film tracks Knox's challenges and triumphs through his entire surf career, from his small-wave beginnings to his current status as one of the best surfers in the world. With footage collected from previous films and family members, and recent footage shot with high quality 16mm film by Poor Specimen, the film offers a unique perspective on Knox's life, along with lifestyle footage and interviews with Knox, his friends and family. The film also incorporates media coverage of his career highs and lows to offer a deeper knowledge of Knox's career.

"Taylor Knox's career has been so amazing to follow," said Taylor Steele, executive producer of the film. "We wanted to show his great surfing style, but also give people a little more insight into his personal life by talking to the people closest to him. His career is inspiring-the challenges he's faced has made his success that much more remarkable."

Taylor Knox will be attending the premieres listed below, and will be visiting retail stores in the area during the day. Please visit www.poorspecimen.com for more information.

Beach Report Card

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:43 +0000

HEAL THE BAY'S BEACH REPORT CARD MEASURES BEST AND WORST BEACHES ALL THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

12TH Annual 'Beach Report Card' Goes Statewide for the First Time

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Heal the Bay's 2001-2002 Beach Report Card was released today, assigning an A to F letter grade to 394 California beaches-from Sonoma County to the Mexican border. The annual Beach Report Card is based on daily and weekly bacterial pollution levels in the surf zone, with the A-F grades based on the risk of adverse health effects to humans. This year the Beach Report Card goes statewide for the first time, bringing beachgoers throughout California up-to-date information about beaches in their area. This information is critical to public health and California's economy, as well as to the safety of marine life.

The good news, according to the 12th annual report compiled by the Santa Monica-based environmental organization, is that 70 percent of the beaches-during dry weather conditions-received A grades.

"This past year was one of the driest years on record, leading to some excellent grades," said Heal the Bay Executive Director Mark Gold. "Rain tends to sharply increase bacteria levels. However, while water quality was generally safer this year than in previous years, we need to remember that this is due to weather, and not necessarily a pollution decrease."

"As a result of the dry weather only 26 beaches received an F grade this year, down from 40 beaches last year. Most of these beaches are unsafe due to poor water circulation, polluted storm water runoff and other issues, and people visiting these beaches need to be aware," said Gold.

Foster's Pro Tour Adds Seven

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:44 +0000

FOSTER'S PRO SURFING TOUR ADDS SEVEN NEW SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EVENTS

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — With summer about to arrive, of the Foster's Pro Surfing Tour have announced the addition of seven new events to the 2002 competition schedule. The Southern California area surf contests are part of the Elmore Toyota Surf Series, which has joined forces with the FPST to create a unified North American tour with more than 20 rated competitions.

Six of the Elmore Toyota events will carry a 1-Star WQS ratings while the December finale will be worth 2-Star points. All Foster's Tour events are part of the Association of Surfing Professionals' World Qualifying Series, the only way for America's top wave riders to reach the ASP's World Championship Tour.

The new surf contests bring an additional $80,000 in prizemoney to the Foster's Tour, bringing the total value of available winnings to over $400,000.

Jerry Lehman, the producer of the Elmore Toyota events, is stoked to be a part of the Foster's Pro Surfing Tour. "There's a lot of energy coming in behind professional surfing in the US right now," said Lehman. "To have global brands like Foster's and Toyota joining us on the beach creates a huge opportunity for the up-and-coming surfers. This will provide a pathway for America's best to take on the world."

Hardcore or Softcore

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:44 +0000

Body Glove Signing

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:44 +0000

Meet Bruce, CJ, Gavin, and Conan.

Come out and meet the Body Glove Team at Jack's Huntington Beach on August 2nd, 2002, at 11:00 am. Team members on hand will include:

World Champ, CJ Hobgood
Pipe Master's Champ, Bruce Irons
Gavin Beschen
and Conan Hayes

Take a shot at the free prizes and wetsuit giveaway!

Mike Martin Joins Rip Curl

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:44 +0000

Mike Martin Joins Rip Curl

Rip Curl is pleased to announce Mike Martin is joining the company as National Sales Manager.

Mike brings over 20 years experience across a broad span of the action sports industry, including retail store management, instore marketing and national sales management. After a number of years developing MCD's business, Mike is excited to join a Brand that operates in the youth lifestyle market and in particular has a strong commitment to the specialty store retailer. When asked about his decision, Mike commented, " I'm looking forward to working with a company that shares the same vision, ethics and lifestyle that I do. After meeting with Leigh and Mark, I felt that synergy ".

Rip Curl's President Leigh Tonai was equally pleased with the acquisition. " Mike is one of those talented people who present themselves in a firm but fair manner. We're confident that with the opportunity Rip Curl has in the market today, coupled with Mike's enthusiasm and hands on management style, our business and that of our retailers will benefit greatly. Mike has a good grasp of the challenges facing specialty store retailers today and will be an instrumental interface between our retailers and Rip Curl."

Upsets A Plenty at Billabong Pro JBay

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:45 +0000

Jeffreys Bay, South Africa (Wednesday, July 24) Former world #2 Taj Burrow (Aus) today dominated the Billabong Pro with two commanding performances. After six days wait, the US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) recommenced with round three and then two heats of the fourth this afternoon. Epic clashes resulted in many upsets, including six of the top 10 being ousted.

Clean 4-5ft (1.5m) waves remained all day, though sets were inconsistent at times.

Burrow, 24, won his highly anticipated clash with six-time world champ Kelly Slater (USA) this morning, and then dominated the day's final heat over current #3 Shea Lopez (USA). The Australian amassed the best two-wave tally against Slater for 18.25 points, and then collected a 9.75 for a spectacular ride made up of two amazing floaters and two deep tubes when faced by Lopez.

"I feel great," began Borrow. "I wanted to make that floater so much cause it was a good wave. I'm stoked I got a good score. I owed Shea as he got me here last year and in Fiji this year. I was so keen to beat him (laughs). I finally feel like I'm getting this wave down.

"That was pretty special," he said after beating Slater. "I just tried for the last six days to talk myself into not being nervous for the heat."

Slater secured an 8.5 ride, but watched as Burrow slotted into the heat's best wave for a 9.5 and the win. Having lost early in all events this year, the Floridian commented on his lack of motivation and need for focus heading into the remaining tournaments in 2002.

"There wasn't a lot of surfing going on in the heat and unfortunately I didn't have time to find the rhythm," said Slater. "It's a bummer to lose out here when you know the waves are going to get better.

"It's been horrible," he added of his results. "My worst year on tour ever. I'm just having trouble with two things, basically. My confidence for one, since I haven't surfed so many heats for a while, and my motivation is another. If you don't have just one of those two things you're going to be in trouble, so I was anticipating to have a little struggle here. I guess changes in my life and years off the tour have seen my focus change. I have to try and zone back in on where to put that and how to put energy into it."

Local wildcard Sean Holmes (SAfr) continued his giant killing run in the Billabong Pro by eliminating current ratings leader Andy Irons (Haw). Holmes, who beat current #2 Cory Lopez (USA) in round two, went one better today by outscoring Irons in stellar form. On his second ride the South African slotted in and out of two deep tubes, posting a near-perfect score of 9.8 points, and supported this on his last ride with another 8.0 for the convincing win.

"It's always nice for me to come up against the top dogs," said Holmes. "Gives me a chance to lift up my level of surfing. If it wasn't for guys like Andy… they're the standouts people gauge the rest of us by. But any single guy can win out here and it's just whoever gets the waves. I'm not taking anything away from Andy as he's a great surfer, but today was my day and I'm stoked."

Irons, who turned 24 today, unfortunately didn't receive the present he wanted. Playing catch up from the outset, the Hawaiian failed to find form and ultimately required a combination of scores worth 11.06 points.

"I stalled too much and the waves were going quick," said Irons, of his tube riding tactics. "I heard him get a 9.8 so I knew I needed a big score. He's definitely one of the best surfers I've seen surfing out here and I hope he wins it.

"I'm looking forward to the next event at Trestles (USA)," he added. "Last time they held that I did really well and won, but right now I've had two 17ths in a row, so hopefully I don't keep that up. I just want to dust it off and we'll see who's on top at the end of the year at Pipe (Haw)."

Current #46 Phil MacDonald (Aus) improved his standing by eliminating reigning world champ CJ Hobgood (USA). The Australian showed experience beyond his maiden WCT season, only catching waves that offered optimum potential and surfing them superbly. With four minutes remaining he required a 7.16 since he'd only ridden one at that point, but then locked in an 8.5 double barrel ride to advance.

"You've got to get the best waves to beat these guys and my first was an 8.75, so I was feeling confident," said MacDonald. "I probably let three or four waves go, and just prayed the wave I needed would come. I've had two really good heats in a row, so it's a confidence boost."

Hobgood, currently rated fifth, conceded his waves let him down and reasoned it's symbolic of his year in general.

"I did all I could on my waves, but both of his were better and that was the difference," said Hobgood. "Things aren't going my way this year. I can totally feel it. I'm knocking on the door and surfing the way I surf, but little things aren't going my way. It happens."

Current #35 Fabio Gouveia (Brz) continued the upsets, stopping #4 Luke Egan (Aus). The Brazilian came on strong toward the end posting an 8.25, and will now face 1999 Billabong Pro winner and current #7 Joel Parkinson (Aus), who eliminated Shane Dorian (Haw) this afternoon.

"Having Luke is so hard because he's one of the best surfers," said Gouveia. "He had a good start, so I waited and when my wave came I got a good barrel and that made the difference. I made a board with local shaper Spyder Murphy and it works so well. I'm very happy."

Current #17 Kieren Perrow ended the dream of defending two-time consecutive Billabong Pro champ and fellow Australian Jake Paterson. Both only caught two rides in the wave starved heat, with Perrow's proving superior.

"I'm stoked," said Perrow. "It's a bit disappointing when you don't really get to trade off a few waves when it comes down to the wire. We were waiting and he didn't need a big score, but I had priority, so obviously I wasn't going to paddle for anything terrible. I was feeling really nervous before, but hopefully I'll be able to relax a little bit more now."

Paterson, the only surfer to claim back-to-back titles at J-Bay, earned the heat's best single ride for a 9.0, but ultimately needed to replace his lower score with a 7.01.

"It's a lonely walk up the beach this year," joked Paterson afterward. "What can you do? He got two better ones than I did. This waves been pretty good to me so I can't be too angry. Both of us only caught two waves, and one of mine closed out and that was the whole heat."

2001 World Qualifying Series (WQS) winner Mick Fanning (Aus) was another to post two big wins today, eliminating current #14 Damien Hobgood (USA) and then current #9 Kalani Robb (Haw) this afternoon. The Australian, anxious to improve on his series of third round losses this year, has already secured his spot in the first quarterfinal against Burrow.

"I'm so stoked," said Fanning. "Kalani's been one of the best surfers all week. It's been a big day, but I'm so happy to finally got out of that third round. I haven't made it further all year, so it's great to have half a result already."

Current #24 Lee Winkler (Aus) created a career highlight by eliminating 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw). The Australian surfed a patient heat only riding three waves, but secured eight plus points on two. Garcia posted the best single score for an 8.75, but required another worth 7.76 points. Nonetheless, the Hawaiian leaves Jeffreys Bay with more fans after he donated his cash prize from yesterday's MSF expression session, and then today his six-board quiver to the local underprivileged kids in the ‘Development Surfing Schools'.

"I feel really good," said Winkler. "Sunny had a better one than me, so I had to wait for the best wave and in the last five minutes it came and I did enough to put the nail in the coffin. Just to be in the top 46 is good, but to beat guys of his stature makes it so much better."

Australians Dean Morrison and Shane Powell surfed arguably the best heat of the day; exchanging amazing barrel rides in classic J-Bay conditions. Morrison opened with his first perfect 10 in competition, before Powell took a commanding lead climaxed by his 9.15 ride. The WCT newcomer fell on a wave toward the end and it appeared his fate was sealed, but then another wave appeared and he was able to thread his way through the eye of numerous tubes for an 8.1 to advance.

"I can't believe it," began Morrison. "I got that 10 and was stoked, but I surfed a pretty bad heat after that ‘cause I went a wave I shouldn't have and then ‘Powelly' got that nine. I almost gave up there at the end after I fell. I figured I had the chance and you only get one, but then that last one came and let me get a couple more barrels."

1999 world champ Mark Occhilupo dominated his clash with fellow Australian Luke Hitchings, equalling the highest combined two-wave total of 18.25 points. The goofy footer looked completely at ease and together with fellow countrymen Mick Lowe and Parkinson, was one of only three from the top 10 to survive the day.

"It was just one of those heats when I got all the waves I wanted," said Occhilupo. "I was nervous after watching so many big names lose today, but I'm stoked to get through. My form in that heat has done a lot for my confidence."

Official results of the 2002 Billabong Pro
Round Four
H1: Mick Fanning (Aus) 15.0 def. Kalani Robb (Haw) 14.65
H2: Taj Burrow (Aus) 17.35 def. Shea Lopez (USA) 14.25

Round Three
H1: Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.25 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.95
H2: Kalani Robb (Haw) 14.75 def. Beau Emerton (Aus) 12.0
H3: Taj Burrow (Aus) 18.25 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 14.25
H4: Shea Lopez (USA) 15.25 def. Michael Campbell (Aus) 15.15
H5: Daniel Wills (Aus) 16.0 def. Nathan Webster (Aus) 14.5
H6: Lee Winkler (Aus) 16.5 def. Sunny Garcia (Haw) 15.75
H7: Dean Morrison (Aus) 18.1 def. Shane Powell (Aus) 17.9
H8: Sean Holmes (SAfr) 17.8 def. Andy Irons (Haw) 13.0
H9: Phil MacDonald (Aus) 17.25 def. CJ Hobgood (USA) 15.9
H10: Kieren Perrow (Aus) 16.0 def. Jake Paterson (Aus) 14.75
H11: Michael Lowe (Aus) 16.5 def. Greg Emslie (SAfr) 11.5
H12: Pat O'Connell (USA) 14.75 def. Peterson Rosa (Brz) 14.25
H13: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 18.25 def. Luke Hitchings (Aus) 7.0
H14: Nathan Hedge (Aus) 14.5 def. Trent Munro (Aus) 10.5
H15: Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 14.9 def. Luke Egan (Aus) 14.5
H16: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 14.4 def. Shane Dorian (Haw) 10.75

Odyssey Chasing 100-foot wave

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:45 +0000

Surfing Rivals in Chase for El Nino's 100-Foot Wave;
Preparations Underway for Australian Expedition

NEWPORT BEACH, CA- The Billabong Odyssey and its global quest to find andride a 100-foot wave is NOT taking a summer break.

With an El Nino weather pattern now developing and intense winter stormactivity approaching its annual peak in the Southern Hemisphere, the world'sbest big wave riders are heading Down Under to train for action and sharethe latest in high surf rescue techniques.

The Billabong Odyssey's latest expedition comes on the heels of acontroversial 12-page article in the July issue of Vanity Fair magazine.For the color layout, legendary celebrity photographer Mark Seliger captured thevisual essence of Odyssey surfers Mike "Snips" Parsons, Brad "Gerr" Gerlach, Darryl "Flea" Virostko, Shawn "Barney" Barron, Ken "Skindog" Collins and Josh Loya.

The story, by Evgenia Peretz, chronicles the amazing recent history of big wave surfing since the introduction of jet-powered watercraft andexamines the growing rivalries and rock-star lifestyles of some the best inthe business. "I admit I was frightened," said Peretz of her time hanging out with the high surf hellmen.

According to Seliger, Rolling Stone's chief photographer for 15 years, the Billabong Odyssey surfers brought a larger-than-life presence to thethree-day shoot. "You're hanging out with extremely passionate butsupercool athletes," Seliger recounts in Vanity Fair's Contributors page. "They'relike the guys from Ridgemont High grown up and sophisticated."

The Australian training sessions will begin in July and will bringtogether the current Billabong Odyssey team with a new group of big-wavelegends from the Southern Hemisphere. The gathering will mark a new phasein the Odyssey's ongoing efforts to advance the safety and adventure of bigwave exploration-a newly adjusted format will now provide for multipleexpeditions at various surf destinations around the globe at the same time.

New Athlete Gym

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:45 +0000

"New athletes' gym, trains mere mortals to leap tall buildings with a single bound."

Essex Junction, VT: Fitness Guru, sports physiologist, author and inventor of the acclaimed VasaTrainer, Mr. Rob Sleamaker, announced today the debut of the new Vasa Trainer "Foot Platform". Since 1988, the versatile Vasa Trainer has been the sports-specific training choice of discriminating Olympic and world champion coaches, swimmers,surfers, skiers, triathletes, rowers and athletes from many other sports. Thousands of health clubs, physical therapists and fitness enthusiasts around the world also use the VasaTrainer for its unsurpassed conditioning benefits. The FootPlatform is the latest innovation that transforms this highly effective functional training machine into a complete"athlete's gym".

As the newest improvement to the widely used Vasa Trainer equipment, the "Foot Platform" expands the functionality andappeal of the Vasa Trainer for athletic, fitness andsports-medicine professionals. It allows the athletic enthusiast to perform essential leg exercises including squats, lunges, plyometric vertical leaps and powerfulstarts. Incorporating the new accessory allows athletes tomore effectively perform plyometric leg push offs, lunges, calf raises and aerobic total body exercises.

The Vasa Trainer is recognized and utilized by thousands of universities, colleges and clubs throughout the U.S. as well as the world's top triathletes, swimmers, surfers and trainers. The Vasa Trainer is a versatile sports-specific device that provides over 150 multi-plane, functional exercises using body weight as the primary resistance. Itis designed to condition the entire body by building strength, power, speed and endurance. U.S. swim coacheshave consistently requested Vasa Trainers for theirathletes' use during World Championships and Olympic games since 1992. Here are what athletes, coaches and fitness enthusiasts have to say about the Vasa Trainer:

"It's very important to have long, lean muscles and the VasaTrainer really provides that conditioning. It's very close to what you're doing in the swimming pool which is why it'sreally beneficial to swimming." Lenny Krayzelburg, Winner of 3 Gold Medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and World record holder in backstroke.

The Child is Angry!

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:45 +0000

El Nino, the freaky weather phenomena which puts most of the world on edge, but has surfers licking their chops, has all but arrived according to an LA Times news brief.

The unruly weather event, notorious for wreaking havoc-from floods to droughts to high surf-was blamed for a series of vicious storms in Chile last week. According to the LA Times brief, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) might declare the weather event "official" as soon as July.

While the rest of the world rushes to the hardware store for nails, plywood and rubber boots, surfers the world over are rushing to their local surfshop to purchase an extra foot or two of fiberglass.

El Nino 2002 has already caught the attention of Billabong Odyssey event organizers, who are gearing up for an epic winter season, and are dreamily alluding to the possibility of someone ridding a 100-wave this winter. While we'll take a "wait and see" approach to that possibility, the likelihood of an epic winter isn't a stretch of the imagination. The storm activity in the Southern Hemisphere has been intense, with storm after powerful storm marching through the Southern and Indian Oceans with the timeliness of a commuter train. Those of us in the north should be ready--and amped.

--Scott Bass

Good Will Hunting

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:46 +0000

North Carolina 16 year-old Chases Big Wave Dreams

It was bound to happen. The virtual barrage of big wave coverage focusing on Maverick's has inspired more than just lunatic Santa Cruz and Brazilian surfers. Four years ago, in far off North Carolina, a 12-year-old Will Skudin became obsessed with the growing big-wave scene, and the dream of being the youngest surfer ever to ride Mavericks. But unlike your average magazine fan, Skudin dreamed big.

Three years later, at the ripe age of 15, Skudin requested dream support from his parents.

"They told me, 'If you train hard, study, find out what these guys do, and follow the proper steps, we will take you wherever you need to go,'" the Outer Banks teenager explains.

And his supportive folks weren't kidding. Young Skudin trained. He carried weights under water. He swam. When a swell would hit his homebreak, he'd purposefully put himself in harm's way. Good to his word, in the spring of 2001 Will's dad Tom flew them both to Peru, for some serious off-season training at the famed big-wave break Pico Alto.

By January 2002, the Skudins were motoring out to Maverick's lineup, dreams in hand.

"It was shocking," says Skudin. " I was scared-but not like I couldn't do it. Just butterflies. Scared and stoked at the same time. But I was prepared."

Or so he thought. Skudin paddled out and sat deep until a big set appeared on the horizon. Attempting to push through a massive lip Skudin was sucked over the falls backwards, the vicious Maverick's spin cycle sweeping Skudin and his demolished board into the notorious rocks.

Chopper 8 Surf Check

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:46 +0000

Every morning, Jason Austell checks the entire San Diego coastline for surf-each and every spot from Imperial Beach to Oceanside. Often more than once. And he gets paid to do it.

Austell, 36, is the reporter/cameraman for Chopper 8, the aerial news JetRanger helicopter owned by KFMB, the CBS affiliate in San Diego. But more importantly, he's a surfer. And Austell's job gives him a pelican's-eye view of San Diego's surf. With much of the morning news revolving around the I-5 traffic corridor, Austell flies up and down the coast from 6 to 9 a.m. reporting on breaking stories, monitoring the morning commute and checking out the conditions at Windansea, one of his favorite spots.

"When nothing is going on, I try to show the surf conditions; you can only show so much backed up traffic," explains Austell. "I don't give away specific names of spots, but most knowledgeable San Diego locals know which waves I'm shooting just from the surrounding topography. Surfers are stoked. I have people thanking me all the time for showing the surf."

Austell cruises around in the ultimate surf-scouting vehicle. After his morning check, Austell has between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to reap the benefits. "I always know where the waves are best, and uncrowded," he says. "I've flown over perfect A-frames with no one around. I'll make a mental note of it, and be on it by 10."

Of course it's not all aerial surf checks and mental note taking for Austell. The serious side of his job can take its toll. From bank robberies to car accidents to meth tweakers commandeering tanks, Austell experiences the lunacy up close. "The heaviest experience was the Oceanside chase a few years ago," Austell explains. "Some poor old man wouldn't stop for the police, a chase ensued, and it ended in a horrible high-speed collision. Chases come and chases go, but this one stands out because the moment the accident occurred, I thought somebody died. Fortunately no one did. But it was violent."

Even more reason to hit the surf: stress relief.

But Austell's surf checks 300 feet up aren't his only connection to the surf scene. Chances are, if you've seen the 90's cult classic surf videos Tear Devils II or III, then you're already familiar with some of Austell's camerawork. All the aerial shots are his. The feather in his cap: the footage of red-hot San Diego ripper Seth Elmer from the cliffs above Black's.

So next time you're surfing in San Diego and you see the Chopper 8 JetRanger buzz by, chances are it's Austell, and he'll probably be joining you shortly.

- Scott Bass

Record Intr'l Field For Molokai Paddle

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:46 +0000

Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race
Race Day: Sunday, July 28, 2002

Honolulu, HAWAII - Overwhelming international interest in the sixth annual 32-mile Quiksilveredition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race has forced organizers to limit thefield to a record 80 competitors this summer. In conjunction with strong local participation, the event's excellent reputation abroad has resulted in record numbers of professional paddlers from Australia, California, France and Japan enlisting for this year'srace, which will take place Sunday, July 28.

"It's incredible the amount of international interest that this race has generated," says Mike Takahashi, Race Director and participant.

"We have six-time French lifesaving champion Thierry Krawiec comingover, as well as Japanese lifesaving champion Taku Araki, the finest distance paddlers from Australia, and the top west coast paddlers. Hawaii will be hard pressed to match up to this kind of talent, but if anyone knows the Molokai channel, the Hawaiians do. But they're going to have to play the home field advantage to overcome the Aussies."

Australia lays claim to both the defending champion, Aaron Bitmead,and the race record holder, Mick Dibetta, who set a fierce pace in 1997's inaugural race with a finish time of 5 hours, 22 minutes and 48seconds.

The race will start at 7:30am, at Papohaku Homestead, Molokai, and finish at Maunalua Bay, Hawaii Kai at approximately 12:30pm, Sunday,July 28.

A press conference with a top lineup of paddlers will be held at the Waikiki Yacht Club at 1pm on Wednesday, July 24.

For further information: Jodi Young, OCEAN PROMOTION, Tel: 638-7700

Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2002

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:46 +0000

Dungeons, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
June 11 - 30, 2002

Amber alert for 2002 Red Bull Big Wave Africa!

A huge weather system covering most of the South Atlantic ocean is predicted to generate swells between 15 and 20 foot in height and has prompted the organisers of the 2002 Red Bull Big Wave Africa extreme surfing event to put the 18 invited athletes on standby for a possible start on Friday morning.

The pressure in the centre of this weather system dropped to an incredible 930mb on Wednesday, approximately 2000 sea miles SW of Dungeons, the deep water reef under the towering cliffs of the Sentinel at the mouth of Hout Bay that produces the biggest rideable waves on the African continent.

With swells moving at over 100kph across the ocean, the first waves from this storm are expected to reach Dungeons on Friday morning in the form of 15 - 20 foot peaks, 19 seconds apart, generating waves with 30 - 40 foot faces as they rear up and break into the icy, kelp infested water.

"It looks like a perfect long range swell for the event", says Gary Linden, the San Diego, USA, based contest director who has successfully run big wave tournaments around the world, including the last two Red Bull BWA 2000 events. "The unusually long period between the swells will produce waves with greater power and size than is common and the swell continues into Saturday so we'll have two bites at the cherry, so to speak."

Centio Wins B'Bong Jr. at Kewalo

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:47 +0000

HAWAIIAN TAKES HIS SECOND BILLABONG BOOST MOBILE JUNIOR PRO TITLE.

Honolulu, Hawaii (Monday June 10, 2002). Joel Centeio of Kapolei hasdefeated the Ronnie Burns Memorial Junior Pro defending champion Sean Moodyto win his second Billabong Boost Mobile Junior Pro title. Held in goodheadhigh surf with light tradewind offshores at Kewalo Basin on the South Shore of Oahu, Centeio chose to focus on the right hand breaking waves in the most prestigious junior professional event in Hawaii has to offer future ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) campaigners.

A disappointed Moody (19) fell on four of his eight waves, and the waves he chose did not allow him to pose any serious threat to the front runners ofCenteio (19) and Dustin Cuizon (17). While Dustin Barca (20) held a steady third place throughout the final, the lead changed hands a number of times between Centeio and Cuizon.

The right-handers were the longer and higher scoring waves than the slowerlefts, and it was a trade off of two waves that determined the winner and runner-up places. Cuizon took off on a great set wave, the biggest in the final, as Centeio was paddling back out after one of his lowest scoring rides.

Cuizon's first move was a full speed layback slash, followed by another railgouge in Centeio's face, with a number of roundhouse cutback to score 7.75out of 10 points. Centeio immediately answered back with four full rail lipslash cutbacks, to earn 9.75 within 30 seconds of the final siren and seal the championship.

"Dustin Did one of his turns right in my face as I was paddling out, so Iknew I had to do something big", Centeio said. "Then that wave came out ofnowhere and I was right there, still paddling out. I just swung around andtook it."

PSTA VIDEO COMPETITION

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:47 +0000

Pro Surfing Tour of America announces the creation of its newest competition for the year 2002.

The PSTA Video Competition will be an event open to all videographers, professional and amateur, and will present an annual Video of the Year award to the winner.

To enter the event go to the PSTA website at Prosurfingtour.com and click on the Video competition award icon. This will take you to the application form or you can contact PSTA directly by telephone at 831-728-9001.

Videographers are free to shoot any or all of the PSTA events, edit the work, put it to a soundtrack of some kind, and add credits for anyone that works on the project.

Videos will be judged on creativity, originality, audio quality, and overall technical ability, so don't be afraid to experiment but make sure your technique is solid.

All entries must be submitted to the PSTA by December 31st 2002 ant the top three winners will be announce on January 10th 2003. The Winning videos will be played on the PSTA website and may be televised by Outdoor Life Network or other sports television.

All entries must be submitted using VHS format and become property of the PSTA.
Pro Surfing Tour reserves the right to use entry videos in any manner at any time.
Please be sure to obtain model releases where needed and include parent permission slips for anyone under 18 years of age that appears in the video outside of public areas. Be sure to include releases for any musical scores that are not created from royalty free sources.
Get your cameras rolling and we'll see you at the awards in 2003!

China's Wahine Event

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:48 +0000

RIP CURL GIRL PRESENTS CHINA UEMURA'S 6TH ANNUAL WAHINE CLASSSIC

On June 15th and 16th China Uemura will be hosting the 6th Annual Wahine Classic to be held at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki Beach, Oahu. Wahines from around the globe will be attending the event. The event will include Shortboard, Longboard, and Bodyboard divisions. The age groups include a Pee Wee's division age 10 & below, Jr. Girls 11-16 years, Girls 17-29 years, and Women 30- over. China is expecting over 240 wahine contestants, which would make this the biggest single event ever held in Hawaii.

China has also included a special event called the 'Battle of Da Kapunas'. This event will showcase talent 50 years & over. This division allows the competitors to select any board of their choice and is a free to enter. Operating costs are covered by Rip Curl Girl. The origin of the "Battle of Da Kapunas" was inspired by China himself. "I thought of this event because often times parents would enter 4 of their kids and it would cost them over $120 dollars for the event". China continues, " I figure let the parents come to the contest and enjoy it too, by surfing for free".

In the Rip Curl Girl 6th Annual Wahine Classic, China has included a longboard novice division. This was created to provide contest experience for the unseasoned but competitive Wahine. In this division, the contestants cannot be rated in any surfing organization, nor have entered any contest for at least a year. In addition, they must have less than 5 years surfing experience. China states "This division is for the "real" beginner. This will most likely be their first contest and I want them to have a great experience with competitive surfing". China continues, "I also want this to be their most memorable".

The China Classic has partnered up with Kapiolani Hospital - women and children's sex abuse center to raise awareness for the organization. Over the past 5 years, the contest has raised thousands of dollars to help the center. On the first day of the event June 15th, SATC (Sex Abuse Treatment Center) will have a tent with a staff member to provide literature and answer any related questions. Staff will also be on hand for counseling and to book appointments for the Center. The Center has been instrumental in organizing the "Cheese burger in Paradise Party" to be held in conjunction with the event on Saturday June 15th and Sunday June 16th.

For event and media info, contact Mike Makos, phone# 760-804-2852 or e-mail: mmakos@ripcurl.com

RIP CURL GIRL CHINA'S WAHINE CLASSIC JUNE 15TH & 16TH. KAHIO BEACH, WAIKIKI

Fanning Throws Fans at JBay

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:49 +0000

Fanning finds form as Australians dominate Billabong Pro

Mick Fanning put on a sensational display of high risk progressive surfing to win the 2002 Billabong Pro in all-time two metre waves, bright sunshine and a gentle offshore breeze at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay today.

The 21 year-old rookie WCT campaigner from the Gold Coast crushed any hopes his opponent Michael Lowe might have been harbouring of a second successive WCT victory, taking an unbeatable lead in the first 15 minutes of the 30 minute all Australian final.

Fanning finally found the form that took him to his first WCT victory as a wildcard in the Bells Beach event at Easter last year and saw him win the World Qualifying Series (WQS) crown at the end of 2001.

His win put a halt to four successive 17th place finishes in his debut year on the WCT, earning him R300 000 (US $30 0000) and 1200 ratings points that boosted him from 21st to 12th on the world rankings.

"This was exactly what I woke up to this morning," said the jubilant victor as he danced around the stage holding the winners trophy, depicting a superb Supertubes waves aloft.

"A perfect wave and a perfect day," he concluded after thanking the sponsors, his fellow competitors and the people of Jeffreys Bay.

Fanning took control of the final from the outset, posting a solid opening score of 7.75 points and then followed that up with powerful turns and a deep barrel ride through the 'Impossibles' section for a 9.0.

At the halfway mark he paddled into one of the biggest waves of the day and powered off the bottom into the lip where he successfully completed a 'reverse 360 re-entry', spinning through 360 degrees and sliding backwards down the white water before righting himself and powering off down the line and into the back door of a thick double overhead tube from which he emerged cleanly.

The 9.80 score and another 8.90 point ride later in the heat left Lowe needing a combination of two scores for a total of 12.71 points to take the lead, and try as he did, he could not make a dent in the deficit.

However, Lowe's march to consecutive finals moved him into second place on the latest WCT rating list and the 25 year-old from NSW also pocketed R160 000 (US $16 000).

Fanning's path to the final came via victory over the selfsame Lowe and Brazilian Guilherme Herdy in round one and then man-on man wins over Damien Hobgood (USA), Kalani Robb (Haw) and before eliminating Daniel Wills (Aus) in their semi-final.

Lowe overcame compatriot Kieren Perrow in their quarterfinal and then advanced to the final on a count back after tying with 1999 even winner Joel Parkinson (Aus) in their semi.

The 19th edition of the Billabong Pro enjoyed outstanding conditions, ranging from icy 2 to 2,5 metre (6 - 8 foot) waves with gale force offshore winds on the opening day to flawless 1.5 to 2 metre (4 - 6 foot) sunshine barrels for the final two days.

Earlier in the day Wills ended South African hopes of a victory in the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay when he overcame a disastrous start to beat Sean Holmes in the quarterfinals.

Holmes posted a perfect 10 point ride to start the heat and then uncharacteristically lost his focus, trying to catch the wrong waves, and managed only to add a 4.65 ride to his opener.

Wills fell on his first two waves and then had two short rides, but came back into contention with a 9.0 and then took the lead with a 6.25 before shutting the door on Holmes with an outstanding 8.60 ride that included a 30 metre tube ride and two powerful gouges off the lip that sent sheets of spray flying.

"I was lucky, I started off with a perfect Supertubes waves that allowed me to score a 10 point ride, but then I kind of lost it, got really nervous and just started paddling around, choosing the wrong waves," said Holmes who won a wildcard into the R2.5 million event via the Von Zipper trials and ended up the highest placed South African in fifth place overall, earning R80 000 (US $8 000).

Billabong Pro 2002 - Jeffreys Bay

Today's Results

Final

Mick Fanning (Aus) 27.70 vs Mick Lowe (Aus) 21.60

Semi-Finals

SF1: Mick Fanning (Aus) 17.60 vs Daniel Wills (Aus) 15.25
SF2: Michael Lowe (Aus) 15.75 vs Joel Parkinson (Aus) 15.72
(Tie Break on best one wave)

Results - Quarterfinals

Q1: Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.50 vs Taj Burrow (Aus) 12.50
Q2: Daniel Wills (Aus) 17.60 vs Sean Holmes (SAfr) 14.65
Q3: Michael Lowe (Aus) 17.35 vs Kieren Perrow (Aus) 15.85
Q4: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 18.00 vs Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 17.40

Round 4

H3: Daniel Wills (Aus) 17.65 vs Lee Winkler (Aus) 8.50
H4: Sean Holmes (SAfr) 13.75 vs Dean Morrison (Aus) 13.25
H5: Kieren Perrow (Aus) 19.30 vs Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 13.25
H6: Michael Lowe (Aus) 14.25 vs Pat O'Connell (USA) 13.25
H7: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 16.05 vs Nathan Hedge (Aus) 15.25
H8: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 17.0 vs Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 11.75

Current Top 10 Ratings after Billabong Pro

1: Andy Irons (Haw) 4,092-points

2: Mick Lowe (Aus) 3,600

3: Shea Lopez (USA) 3,528

4: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 3,444

=5th Mark Occhilupo (Aus); Danny Wills (Aus) 3,372

7: Cory Lopez (USA) 3,276

8: Luke Egan (Aus) 3,204

9: CJ Hobgood (USA) 3,168

=10 Taj Burrow (Aus); Kalani Robb (Haw) 3,156

Drummy Wins PSTA Pro San Clemente

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:49 +0000

PSTA Pro creates champions in San Clemente

1. Chris Drummy, 2. Brett Simpson, 3. Ryan Simmons, 4. Bron Huessenstamm in the Men's Pro;

1. Colin McPhillips, 2. Josh Baxter, 3. Linden Brocolli, 4. Zack Howard in the PSTA Longboard Pro;

1. Julia Christian, 2. Jodie Nelson, 3. Karina Petroni, 4. Holly Beck in the PSTA Women's pro;

1. Tanner Gudaskus, 2. Nico Becerra, 3. Chris Waring, 4. Ian Eckberg in the PSTA Junior.

It was Chris Drummy taking the win in a very close heat at the PSTA Pro in San Clemente, there were three lead changes in this closely matched final under clear skys, no wind and 4-5 foot south swell. Another epic event for the PSTA. The Next event on the PSTA Schedule is the Havaianas Pro which will take place July 18-21, 2002 in Huntington Beach at Goldenwest Street. This will be a big event, positioned between two of the nations largest events the Nationals and the US Open. Great competition everyone. All PSTA events will be televised on the Outdoor Life Network starting on the first Monday evening in July.

Men's Shortboard / Final ( 1st=1st, 1000pts - 2nd=2nd, 900pts - 3rd=3rd, 810pts - 4th=4 th, 730pts)

Red 4th Bron Heussenstamm 12.60
White 2nd Brett Simpson 15.55
Green 3rd Ryan Simmons 15.50
Blue 1st Chris Drummy 15.75

Men's Longboard / Final ( 1st=1st, 1000pts - 2nd=2nd, 900pts - 3rd=3rd, 810pts - 4th=4th, 730pts)

Red 1st Colin McPhillips 16.70
White 2nd Josh Baxter 16.20
Green 4th Zack Howard 11.30
Blue 3rd Linden Brocolli 13.20

Women's final( 1st=1st, 1000pts - 2nd=2nd, 900pts - 3rd=3rd, 810pts - 4th=4th, 730pts)
Red 1st Julia Christian 18.25
White 3rd Karina Petroni 12.00
Green 2nd Jodie Nelson 12.40
Blue 4th Holly Beck 11.15

PSTA Junior Final( 1st=1st, 1000pts - 2nd=2nd, 900pts - 3rd=3rd, 810pts - 4th=4th, 730pts)

Red 1st Tanner Gudaskus 17.40
White 4th Ian Eckberg 10.50
Green 3rd Chris Waring 13.15
Blue 2nd Nico Becerra 13.40

6TH ANNUAL WAHINE CLASSIC

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:49 +0000

With an idealic palm tree backdrop, seering summer sun, and local island music playing in the background, the second day of China's 6th Annual Wahine Classic continued at Kuhio Beach, Waikiki today, with local talent dominating proceedings to win all but one of the age division finals.

Presented by Rip Curl Girl the event was a true gathering of the local community and celebration of Hawaiian culture, with competitors revelling in extremely fun and clean 1-2 feet waves at Queens Reef.

Can your average surfing contest, the event was fun and aspirational, giving girls of all ages and from all walks of life the opportunity to perform without the pressures of standard cut throat competition. Every girl today walked away a winner.

"This event is for all the girl contestants and Rip Curl Girl is stoked to support China's Wahine Classic and women's surfing. It's a great event for the local Hawaiian community with a fantastic cause for charity", said Rip Curl USA President Leigh Tonai at the awards ceremony.

Humble as always China paid tribute to everyone for their help and support, "I love this event 'cause it helps alot of people out. It gives the kids a chance and it helps the Kapiolani Hospital for women", he said in awarding the 70 odd trophies to all contestants.

Final results in all the age divisions were as follows :

Shortboard Women
1. Jodi Young (Haleiwa)
2. Joan Fukumoto (Kailua)
3. Sandy Chang (Kaneohe)
4. Chieko Sakamoto (Honolulu)

Shortboard Girls Final
1. Jacqueline de silva (Brazil)
2. Miku Uemura (Makaha)
3. Bonnie Hoover (Honolulu)
4. Tina Handley (Kailua)

Shortboard Junior Girls Final
1. Bethany Hamilton (Kauai)
2. Jessi Milie Dyer (Australia)
3. Amy Lawson (Honolulu)
4. Katherine Van Dyke (Waihiwa)

Shortboard Pee Wees Final
1. Ashley Hunter (Hauula)
2. Ashley Asing (Kapolei)
3. Erika Steiner (Big Island)
4. Vanessa Martinez (Kauai)

Kapunas Final
1. Jeannie Chesser (Honolulu)
2. Suzanne Walker (Honolulu)
3. Claudia Kravitz (Waikele)
4. Haze wentling (Waianae)

Longboard Girls Final
1. Tyra Freitas (Kailua)
2. Tiare Thomas (Honolulu)
3. Tina Handley (Kaneohe)
4. Mike Uemura (Waianae)

Longboard Junior Girls Final
1. Geodee Clark (Honolulu)
2. Mio Uemura (Makaha)
3. Amy Lawson (Honolulu)
4. Lauren Taylor (Hanalei)

Longboard Pee Wee Final
1. Megan Godinez (Kaneohe)
2. Ashely Hunter (Hauula)
3. Vanessa Martinez (Hanalei)
4. Ashley Asing (Kapolei)

Longboard Women Final> >
1. Doreen Teramae (Honolulu)
2. Char Iida (Honolulu)
3. Joan Fukumoto (Kailua)
4. Livia Nahina (Honolulu)

Longboard Menehune Final
1. Bethany Hamilton (Kauai)
2. Noelle Carroll (Haleiwa)
3. Kristen steiner (Big Island)
4. Rosie Jaffurs (Waikele)

Longboard Senior Women Final
1. Pinoi Makalena (Honolulu)
2. Melissa Ling (Honolulu)
3. Dyanne Taylor (Kaneohe)
4. Lee Barraclough (Honolulu)

Bodyboard Junior Girls Final
1. Miya Yamaoka (Honolulu)
2. Mio Uemera (Waianae)
3. Chasity bernabe (Kailua)
4. Lianne Chang remular (Aeia)

Bodyboard Pee Wee Final
1. Maili Enos Branigan (Waianae)
2. Jenna Frowein (Kaneohe)
3. Ashley Hunter (Hauula)
4. Megan Godinez (Kaneohe)

Bodyboard Women Final
1. Sandy Chang (Kaneohe)
2. Joaqn Fukumoto (Kailua)
3. Gwen Mole (Honolulu)
4. Aimee Rice (Honolulu)

In total, two hundred and twenty competitors from four continents participated in the two day event, which has now grown to become the single biggest girl's surf contest in Hawaii, and one of the biggest in the world.

All proceeds raised went to the Kapiolani Hospital Sex Abuse Treatment Centre for Women. The event has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the clinic over the past few years.

Rip Curl Girl is the female sub brand of Rip Curl, with it's American operations based in Carlsbad, southern California. Rip Curl Girl is characterised by technical fabrics and fashion forward edgey products.

For event and media info in the USA, contact Mike Makos from Rip Curl USA, phone# 760-804-2852 or e-mail: mmakos@ripcurl.com

For international media info, contact Adam Sharp from Rip Curl, phone +61 408 027198, asharp@ripcurl.com.au, www.ripcurl.com

SETZLER NOW O'NEILL NATIONAL SALES MANAGER

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:50 +0000

IRVINE, Calif., June 17, 2002- O'Neill announced today the promotion ofCharlie Setzler to National Sales Manager for O'Neill Clothing.

Setzler started his career in the surf industry in 1995 with the helpand direction of Mike Locatelli. Then in 1997 as the NorthernCalifornia rep where he tripled the business in two years. In 1998 hebecame the Orange County rep for O'Neill where he more than doubled thebusiness again.

Setzler begins his new position as National Sales Manager immediately.

"We have a great team and I am happy to be a part of it," said Setzler.

"I am confident that Charlie will bring the same enthusiasm and greatsales skills in house," said Kelly Gibson, President of O'Neill ClothingUSA.

SURF LIKE SLATER

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:50 +0000

"KELLY SLATER PRO SURFER" GAME FEATURES:

9 Authentic Pro Surfers: Starring six time World Champion Kelly Slater and featuring Rob Machado, Kalani Robb, Lisa Anderson, Bruce Irons, Tom Curren, Donovan Frankenreiter, Nathan Fletcher and Tom Carroll, each with signature pro moves, unique riding styles, attributes, personalities and characteristics.

Ultra-Realistic Wave and Ocean Conditions: With an emphasis on big wave surfing, barrels and tubes, and huge tricks in a variety of awesome waves powered by a state-of-the-art, next generation 3D game engine.

14 of the Most Popular and Recognizable Surf Spots: Exotic real-world locations and events around the world, including full beach environments with real landmarks, hazards, and other real-world characteristics.

Story Based Gaming: Non-linear game progression allows the gamer to choose their own path as they interact with the most famous surfers of all time, their sponsors, magazines and photographers.

3 Modes of Play: Gamers choose from Career Mode, Free Surf, and multiplayer games. Each mode will unlock new surfers, boards, events, videos, secret breaks, and secret characters. Also, a Surf Scrap Book allows players keep track of individual rider stats as well as world records.

Optional Mini Missions: Optional missions let the player increase their skill level.

Populated Waves: The only game that lets you surf on waves with other surfers.

Exclusive Footage: Contains over 1 hour of live-action footage including exclusive footage from Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer "Pipeline Sessions" television special, televised on ESPN.

Intuitive Play Control Mechanics: For paddling, positioning, catching the wave and making the drop, riding, carving and tricks combine to bring the thrill of surfing home.

Changing Weather and Tides: Players can now experience dynamically changing weather and tides as they surf.

True to the Sport and Lifestyle: using real locations, sponsors, licensed surfboards and authentic board accessories, wetsuits and Full Motion Videos created by the premier surf movie men, Taylor Steele and Sonny Miller.

Multiple Camera Modes and Replay System: With dynamic gameplay camera zoom-ins, zoom-outs, cuts and pans and TV-style presentation and replays. Includes amazing photos throughout the game by pre-eminent man in the water, Tod Messick.

Record Book: Track individual rider stats and world records in your surf log record book.

Pipe is uncrowded, glassy, and mechanical.

Kalani Robb spins on a set, takes two strokes, stands up and fades straight into the pit. He soul arches and touches the top of the tube. The wave spits, Kalani disappears. It spits again and he comes flying out.

"Sick!" exclaims Rob Machado, watching from nearby.

Speeding onto the shoulder, Kalani cranks a bottom turn and launches a six-foot helicopter 720. He rotates once, twice, loses his balance and comes down on his head in the flats.

"Oohh!" says Kelly Slater, also a spectator. "That'll leave a mark."

"Dammit, I never pull those," says Kalani.

Frustrated, he turns to Rob sitting on the couch behind him and hands over the controller. "Your turn."

Adding to the oddness, Donavon Frankenreiter sits next to Kelly and Rob, strumming a guitar and daydreaming. Tom Curren is in the kitchen making a hummus sandwich and all around the house are four cameramen recording every exchange for an upcoming ESPN special promoting the video game's anticipated release. Meanwhile, Pipeline, the real Pipeline, is just 200 yards from the couch.

It's a bizarre spectacle: top pros shacked up in a North Shore dream-pad, surfing against each other on a video game, dropping into wave after wave by way of a 296-megahertz processor and an advance copy of Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer for Play Station 2.

Someone suggests a real surf session, and all five step out onto the deck to check the waves. It's six-foot and blown out. Nineteen people bob in the line-up and a slight side-shore wind blows an untamable bump up the face. Tamayo Perry limps past us with a sizable gash in his knee. He was caught in the lip, slammed into the reef and is on his way to Kahuku Hospital.

Back inside, they hit the reset button. This time they pull into double-overhead Teahupoo.

SurfNRG East Coast Summer Tour Winds Down

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:51 +0000

The SurfNRG East Coast Summer Tour comes to the end of its long road this Thursday at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney and Saturday at The Social in Downtown Church Street Station in Orlando, Florida.Many surf industry people will be in town for Surf Expo at the Orange County Convention Center and are expected to be in attendance at the final showings to the SurfNRG Tour.Both nights will feature the premiere showing of SOLAR ENERGY, SurfNRG Volume 11 as well as live performances by three bands that are featured on the soundtrack to the new video release including Boxelder, Freeflow Conspiracy and Indium.Sponsors of the SurfNRG Tour include Surfer Magazine, OP, Smith Sport Optics, REEF, Wet Dreams Surf Accessories and WRV Surfboards.For more details drop in on surfnrg.com.

Kevin Welsh will be handing out free tickets for the House of Blues show at Surf Expo on Thursday.You can also pick up tickets at the pre-party at Wolfgang Pucks bar next door to House of Blues between 7 - 9 p.m.

Your show badge from Surf Expo will get you free entrance into the Social on Saturday night.

Offspring Performing For Spinal Org's

surfermag — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:51 +0000

THE OFFSPRING TO PERFORM BENEFIT CONCERT JULY 31AT ANAHEIM HOUSE OF BLUES TO RAISE MONEY FOR SURFER ORGANIZATIONS'SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH

Fundraiser Benefits They Will Surf Again and Life Rolls On

Venice, Calif. -- The Offspring, T.S.O.L., and The Line will perform a charity concert at the Anaheim House of Blues Wednesday, July 31 to benefit They Will Surf Again (TWSA) and the Life Rolls On Foundation (LRO), not-for-profits started by professional surfers dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries (SCI).

Tickets are $25 and go on sale Saturday, July 13 at noon through Ticketmaster and the House of Blues, Anaheim box office. Organizers anticipate a sold-out concert and will award net proceeds totaling an expected $20,000 to SCI Research Advancement and Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Funds are also earmarked for related research to find cures for such diseases as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Two pro surfers, Seth Elmer and James Pribram, along with Richard Yelland founded TWSA in the summer of 2000. Dedicated to supporting SCI research that promises a cure within five years, TWSA was inspired by Bob Dancey, a friend and father of two who broke his neck surfing in Oceanside in March of 2000 and is now a quadriplegic. LRO is a non-profit group founded by former surf star and quadriplegic, Jesse Billauer, who suffered a spinal cord injury while surfing at Zuma Beach in March 1996. Last year the organizations hosted golf and surf events that raised more than $50,000 and the concert is the third and newest fund-raising activity planned for the week. (The Fourth Annual Life Rolls On Golf Tournament is Monday, July 29 at the Malibu Country Club and the Second Annual Surf Expression Session is on August 4 at noon at the Huntington Pier.)

"We decided to build on the groundswell of support and add a concert to the lineup," said Yelland. "It all started coming into place when a close friend of The Offspring, who suffers from Parkinson's, put me in touch with the band's guitarist Noodles. He really sparked the band's interest in our cause and we are grateful for their generous offer to perform and help raise funds for research that promises major breakthroughs in the very near future." Noodles, an avid surfer who first read about the organizations in surf magazines, was eager to participate. "Being a surfer and having a friend who could potentially benefit from their work, this issue hits home with me. I wanted to find a way to help and now that we're doing the concert, the band and I can contribute by putting energy behind the effort to find a cure."

In addition to attending the concert, supporters can also participate in the Surf & Turf Charity Golf Tournament July 29 at the Malibu Country Club. TWSA and LRO founders will be joined by top pro surfers, celebrities and supporters for tee offs beginning at 10 a.m. For more information on the golf tournament contact Josh Billauer at (619) 980-7990.

After Wednesday's concert, the fundraising continues the following Sunday, August 4 with The Second Annual They Will Surf Again/Life Rolls On Expression Session. Scheduled immediately after the men's short board semi-finals during the Philips Fusion US Open of Surfing at Huntington Pier, the surf competition fundraiser will feature the world's top competitors including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Taj Burrow, Tim Curran, Chris, Dan and Keith Malloy, Pribram, and Pat O'Connell (appearances subject to change). Additionally, quadriplegic surf phenom, Jesse Billauer will ride the surf on his custom board in what promises to be an inspirational and emotional performance.

The Life Rolls On Foundation (LRO) is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization established to promote ongoing efforts to develop effective treatments and a cure of paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries (SCI). The Foundation contributes to research aimed at finding a cure for the catastrophic injury and provides funding to non-profit organizations that create opportunities for those afflicted with spinal cord injuries. The Foundation supports efforts to provide hope for those affected by SCIs through a variety of recreational, educational, and developmental activities and programs designed to bring to the forefront of the media the immediate concern of finding a cure for SCI. They Will Surf Again (TWSA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the primary goal of raising money for SCI research that promises a cure within five years. Concurrently, TWSA's mission is to raise awareness surrounding its cause and provide definitive guidance for beach-goers on how they can avoid traumatic spinal injuries. TWSA operates under the belief that providing hope is vital to fulfilling its future dream that those suffering spinal injuries will one day walk, and of course, surf again.


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	Ron Jon Surfboards Length: 6' 8" Egg Nose: 17.5 Width: 19.75 Tail: 15.5 Thickness: 2.5 A fun and stable double ender. We increased the nose rocker and pulled up the "hips" to make this board very forgiving. Easy to paddle and catches small waves easily. Ron Jon Surf Shop 3850 S Banana River Blvd Cocoa Beach, FL 32937 www.ronjons.com Phone (toll free): 1.888.757.8737 Fax: 321.868.0052