Australian surfing legend Michael Peterson died today (March 29, 2012) after a heart attack at his home in Coolangatta, Australia, according to a story in The Age. He was 59.
Peterson will be remembered for being virtually unbeatable in competition in the early 1970s and for providing the defining image of the iconic surfing movie, Morning of the Earth, in 1971. . . The greatest tribute to the reclusive rebel from Coolangatta was delivered to his face by the world’s greatest surfer, Kelly Slater, who once told him: “You are better than me, MP.”
His story is one is one of rockstar-like status and one that is sure to endure: A volatile parallel with drugs and a unique and beautiful approach to riding waves. He may be most famously remembered for a car chase that required 35 cop cars to stop him, but more likely that classic cutback shot – surfing’s most iconic ever.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends who stood by him through it all.
Brixton is slowly creeping into all aspects of action fashion and this summer their Plank Trunks promise to be the favorite at chopper crowded swimming holes across the nation.
The Plank is a polyester striped slim leg trunk. It features a rear patch pocket with velcro flap closure and custom “barber shop” wax comb. It has a 19” length and custom Brixton patch at the left leg.
What more do you need (aside from a bedroll on the bars)?
2 John Florence grabbed his first title and Courtney Conlogue snapped up her second Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River title Saturday, March 24, 2012 in Western Australia. Florence edged Olamana Eleogram with two 9 pointers.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun this week,” Florence said. “The waves are are a lot like at home, even the wind when it’s good for airs is a lot like Hawaii. The waves have been fun in all of my heats. I’m so stoked to win. This gives me a lot of confidence going into Bells because I hear the waves are similar. I was so stoked to make the Final with Ola (Eleogram), I’ve grown up surfing with him and to have him in the Final with me at Margaret River was great.”
Conlogue took out Malia Manuel in the women’s final with two 8 point rides.
“I was trying not to think about going back-to-back too much because I didn’t want to put pressure on myself,” Conlogue said. “I’m stoked to have gotten two in a row. This place taught me a lot last year and the years before. The first time I came here I lost in the second round and it was quite an embarrassing heat. Going from that to what I’ve done now feels great, and each year I come back I feel like I get to know the waves better and better. Now I’m looking forward to going to Bells because this place is great training for down there.”
Penny Skateboards is stoked to announce that free surfer Nick Rozsa is the company’s first signed athlete. For more about who Rozsa is, where he came from, and where he’s headed check the video.
This is not a surf movie, it is a film about surfing’s deepest roots: in the subconscious; in ancient lore; in the craft of surfboard building; in man’s perpetual quest for a joyful relationship with the natural world. . . . In eleven interwoven chapters, today’s leading surfers are linked to those who came before, for a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a surfer and the soulful underlying power of modern surf culture.
The world’s most famous shark survivor Bethany Hamilton got a chance to share the aloha with a group of overly large people when she attempted to teach contestants on The Biggest Loser how to surf, according to a story on People.com.
“I surprised them on the beach,” Hamilton, 22, tells PEOPLE of the episode that aired March 20 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. “They were super excited and maybe a little nervous, but I think they were just so stoked to be there.”
Yes, sea water is reportedly good for large people. We’ve heard it makes them feel weightless plus, there’s probably no safer place to be in the ocean than surrounded by big, thick, juicy people. Click here to watch the full episode.
His boards have been dominating ASP World Tour line-ups lately, so Surfing Life Australia decided it was time to get the story straight from Matt Biolos. And as we know, conversations with Biolos are always entertaining, enlightening, and energizing. Here’s just a snip:
I really like to put a real effort into the people I am currently working with, and prefer to do them right. Kolohe is the main reason for the resurgence of my competitive shaping and he remains my primary focus. Taj called in January and asked if I would commit to his needs and whims, and if he could rely on me, and I said yes. Julian knows I am here to go the extra mile for him whenever he calls. At that level it’s hard to commit to much more than that.
Underwater cinematographer Mike Prickett (who has filmed for Riding Giants, Step Into Liquid, and Ultimate Wave Tahiti among others) was partially paralyzed while working on a dive in Tahiti recently.
Prickett, 47, sustained a severe case of decompression sickness while saving the life of another diver on the job. He was paralyzed from the chest down but has today regained some sensation in his legs. Doctors are hopeful for his recovery. . . “I was doing an underwater shoot for wetsuits and dive gear,” Prickett said. “I saw another diver sinking and panicking. I dove down to 220 feet to save him, but he used up all my air. I’m glad I was able to rescue him and he could walk away from the incident.
Mike family would like everyone to keep him in their thoughts. The above reel of some of Prickett’s work was posted on Vimeo by Brian Bielmann. For more details, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
On March 22, 2012 a limited run of signed and numbered collectors edition of Greg Noll’s iconic “Jail House” striped trunks will go on auction. The bids will start at $200 a pair. Whoa.
Greg Noll, the most mythic of big wave surfers called “Da Bull,” a surfing legend that rode to fame in the halcyon days of the 1950s and 60s. Iconic in his jailhouse trunks, he stared down fear, achieved the impossible and became the benchmark for busting the limits.
We keep looking to see if this is a fund raiser for something, but it’s not. Just a pair of signed, numbered trunks in a really cool box. To check out the more affordable items in the Greg Noll x Billabong collection click here. Or follow the jump for a short Greg Noll video. [click to continue…]
Australian surfing legend Michael Peterson died today (March 29, 2012) after a heart attack at his home in Coolangatta, Australia, according to a story in The Age. He was 59.
