Truthfully, we’re still to busy rolling through all the Instagram photos from last night’s 2011 Surfer Poll Awards to really know anything other than that this years crop of attendees were hot, hotter, hottest. But we thought it would be good to at least mention who won: Kelly Slater took his 17th title and Carissa Moore took her first.
“The first one I won was in 1992,” says Kelly Slater. “I remember the cover shot was me, and it said Curren, Carroll, Potts’ names too. That was pretty mind-blowing at the time to win against those guys. Now I’m still inspired by the crew of guys coming up right now—Dane, Julian, Medina, John John.”
Current ASP women’s champ Carissa Moore seemed the most surprised:
“I’m still grasping the situation,” said a visibly shocked Carissa Moore, “but it’s amazing to win this award. It’s a great night in surfing and I’m so thankful for all my fans for voting for me.”
For those still locked in the 90s and paying for cable TV, The 41st Annual Surfer Poll Awards show will air live on Time Warner Cable in Southern California and Hawaii on Tuesday, December 6, 2011.
The 2011 awards show, which will honor the world’s favorite 10 men and 5 women surfers, will take place at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii during the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Awards will also be presented for top video parts, movie of the year, and many other special awards for those who have made an impact in the world of professional surfing this year and years past.
John John Florence, 19, grabbed the Vans World Cup at Sunset against Michel Bourez, Adam Melling, and Hank Gaskell and took the lead in the 2011 Vans Triple Crown on Friday, December 2, 2011.
“This is my first 6 star Prime win, it’s at home, it’s one of my home breaks and all my family and friends are here, so it’s one of the best moments of my life, for sure. It means everything. I’ve watched these guys since I was so little growing up here and coming to events when I was six years old, getting their autographs.”
For the official word and complete results follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Watching the Vans World Cup of Surfing is a reminder why Sunset Beach is one of those surf spots that can deliver everything on one wave. A hulking, shifting wall of chop, a spitting barrel, and bone crushing closeout. And yesterday, Dane Reynolds reminded those who thought he’d given up that he still can pretty much anything better than anyone in the world.
In the final heat of the Round of 64 Reynolds blew past Hank Gaskell, julian Wilson, and Tomas Hermes with a highest of the contest so far 18.37.
“I saw Hank and Julian sitting about 10 or 15 yards further out than me, muscling the peak. No matter what the lineup, I like to sit further inside. I like to see the waves coming at me. I guess I got one they couldn’t catch, a smaller wave with nice lines. I did a couple of turns on it, it felt good, but I didn’t know if it was a three or an eight. Turns out it was a 9.3 or something. . . “Competition for me is just an opportunity to see what pans out. I got really nervous, but it’s pretty rad to feel that sort of intense pressure. I kinda dig it. It makes you surf in a different way. And whatever happens, you always learn something from it.”
Is this the new competitive Dane Reynolds speaking? Sound like it. In other action Jordy Smith, Evan Valiere, Dusty Payne, Josh Kerr, Michel Bourez, Taj Burrow, Dane Gudauskas, Ian Walsh, Damien Hodgood, Adrian Buchan Sunny Garcia, and John John Florence all won their heats. Follow the jump for the official word and complete Round of 64 results. [click to continue…]
Filmmaker Jack McCoy takes the Tron crew surfing in celebration of the first day of summer in Australia.
On summer’s eve, 17 Strongbow surfers descended on Bondi Beach in custom made glow-in-the-dark surfboards and wetsuits as an official “welcome to summer” for Strongbow. Channel 10’s Bondi Rescue lifeguards, Corey Oliver and Andrew Reid, were among the surfers taking part.
With a title about as direct as Snakes On A Plane comes a new South African documentary film Surfing And Sharks, “a film about close encounters in South Africa.”
The focus point of this film will portrait 3 local surfers that live and surf in Eastern Cape and KZN their history and involvement in the surfing industry and their ideas about shark attacks / encounters in their daily life, backed with a A-List panel of shark specialists, we aim to inform and educate the viewer to bridge the gap between myth and reality.
The film premieres December 15, 2011 at the Wavescape Film Festival in Cape Town, South Africa.
Sports Illustrated, the flagging old media mag known more for nearly naked high-priced models than insightful sports coverage, has apparently nominated 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater for the title of Sportsman of the Year.
Slater has long since established himself as not only the greatest professional surfer of all time but as simply, The Surfer. He’s the one guy your grandmother in landlocked Topeka has heard of, the guy who singularly transcends his discipline. Babe Ruth. Wayne Gretzky. Tony Hawk. Yo-Yo Ma. Kelly Slater.
Hey, you don’t have to convince us. Just put him in a bikini and give Kelly the award already.
After weeks of flat and mostly small surf for the first jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, surfers got a faste of North Shore juice as the $250,000 Vans World Cup of Surfing kicked off its first day of competition yesterday (November 27, 2011) at Sunset Beach in 10 to 12 foot surf. Pancho Sullivan explains:
“Every time you think you’ve got this wave figured out, it humbles you,” said Sullivan, 38. “It takes a lot of time and dedication to the break and your equipment, to surf well here. The adrenaline you get as you come towards the inside bowl, the wave is warbling and you just have no idea what it’s going to do. I think that’s why we all surf: that excitement of the unknown. Sunset delivers that on all levels. It is a tough wave.
Today, Sunny Garcia will face off against women’s ASP World Champion and Vans Triple Crown wildcard Carissa Moore. For the official word, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
After a terrible start the first jewel in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing the Reef Hawaiian Pro finished off on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 with some overhead waves and a win for Taj Burrow.
“I had a good run, it feels good scoring in the 9-point range and it’s hard to do,” said Taj, world #3. “I just really wanted to win an event here. I am really happy. . . It’s funny I have never really gotten a good shot (at the Vans Triple Crown). I was thinking, maybe I should really have a go at one of these things so I actually have it right in the front of my mind.
It would be great for Burrow to win something, right? He edged Adam Melling, Adriano De Souza, and Nat Young in the final. Follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
Matt Wilkinson continues to shameless charge on into the surf media world with his rarely safe for work Tumblog Out 2 Brunch. This time it’s sex on the beach. And yes, the edit does feature some surfing. . .
Truthfully, we’re still to busy rolling through all the Instagram photos from last night’s 2011 Surfer Poll Awards to really know anything other than that this years crop of attendees were hot, hotter, hottest. But we thought it would be good to at least mention who won: Kelly Slater took his 17th title and Carissa Moore took her first.
