The Hurley Pro at Trestles isn’t getting the best waves and we’re kind of missing the surf we saw in New York (never thought we’d say that), but it’s not all bad. Today (September 19, 2011) Round 2 is set to get underway with Round 3 on hold for a possible afternoon start. We’re just hoping the waves hold up.
For the complete heat match-ups and yesterday’s results, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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If the Ocean Beach swell gets too big to paddle into during the Rip Curl Search Somewhere in San Francisco event ASP surfers will not be able to tow-in on a jet-skis according to a story in the San Francisco Examiner.
The National Park Service had initially told event planners that they would create an exception to a law banning such vessels from national parks as a safety precaution for surfers catching waves larger than 10 feet at the contest, which is slated for Nov. 1-11. . . But after further review, officials determined that the beach’s own personal watercraft-equipped lifeguards could provide adequate safety without bending the law.
Just one more reason this will be one of the more interesting events on the ASP Tour.
[Link: San Francisco Examiner]
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This morning (September 18, 2011) the 2011 Hurley Pro Trestles kicks off at 9 AM PDT with Round 1 action. Sadly, Jordy Smith will not be competing due to his Teahupo’o rib injury. As one would expect, Dane Reynolds has also pulled out of the competition.
Click here to watch it live online, click here to download the iPhone app, or follow the jump for an overview of the event and a nearly complete Round 1 heat line-up. [click to continue…]
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Northern California and Florida surfing is quite different.. Florida is warm and flat waves. NorCal has freezing ass water and huge unruly waves most of the time. One thing they have in common, oddly, is sharks. NorCal’s great whites are a little gnarlier than the sharks found in Florida. Just ask Benjie Rose.
Benjie Rose was sitting on his board 40 yards off of Samoa Beach at a spot called Power Poles on Sunday when a white shark came up under him, hitting his board and knocking him into the air. . . His board badly damaged and with a bloody nose, Rose managed to paddle into a wave and rode it onto the shore, where it broke in half and he discovered teeth marks.
Rose was very lucky to have gotten away with a broken board. This reminds us that it’s quite nice of Rip Curl to hold their Pro Search San Francisco event right in the middle of the Red Triangle, isn’t it?
[Link: Shark Research Committee via Press Democrat]
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Police have identified a body recovered off Long Island’s Jones Beach as 31-year-old Zachary Gottfried. Gottfried, the owner of the Amityville, New York based Island Riders surf, kite, wake, and SUP shop, went missing on September 8, 2011 while out riding waves generated by Hurricane Katia, according to a story in the Newsday.
Gottfried, 31, an avid surfer and kiteboarder, disappeared off Gilgo State Park last Thursday while surfing in high-surf conditions with another man, who was identified as his business manager, according to a Tuesday news release.
It’s hard to think that the waves the helped create such an amazing Quik Pro New York, could also end a surfer’s life. Our thoughts are with Gottfried’s family and friends.
[Link: Newsday]
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Those stylish retro longboarders hit up Malibu, California’s Surfrider Beach on September 9-10, 2011 for the first SoCal stop of the Vans Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational. Not surprisingly, first place went to Alex Knost.
After whittling the initial 16 down to the four finalists, Alex Knost took home $4,000 for first place, Justin Quintal $3,000 for second, Christian Wach $2,000 for third and Harrison Roach pocketed $1,000 for fourth spot. Knost’s win in Malibu follows a first place finish in the Duct Tape Invitational in Santa Cruz earlier this year.
For all the details follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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The final between Kelly Slater and Owen Wright was the perfect ending to an amazing week at the Quiksilver Pro New York. The waves were a miracle, the surfing was devine, and Owen Wright found redemption (and $300,000 in cash) in his second consecutive final with the 10-time World Champion.
On the podium Wright was understandably thankful:
I’m just lapping it up right now,” Wright said. “I’ve always wanted to be in Final with Kelly (Slater) and last week at Teahupo’o was great. I think Kelly is ready for payback already. Thank you Long Beach, how good is this? Look at these waves! Thanks to Quiksilver, we’ve been looked after all week and they made it really easy for us and thanks for the $300,000. Thanks to my coach Dean Davies, it’s been up and down and we’ve worked towards a win and it means a lot. Thanks to my friends and family at home. I’ve been getting messages from them and my Dad, I wish he was here, but another day. Thanks heaps, I really appreciate the support.”
New York proved it has waves equal to any in the world and the fans may just be the best on the tour. For the official word from the ASP follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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Welcome to the new world of competition surfing: power surfing has finally been laughed out of the water by the air era. At least that’s how it looked today (September 8, 2011) at the Quiksilver Pro New York as Josh Kerr and Owen Wright schooled the field with some of the most amazing skate-inspired contest surfing every seen.
Rarely have the old and new school be so shockingly contrasted as when Owen Wright went up against CJ Hobgood in Round 3. Hobgood needed to win the heat to stay on tour and surfed as well as he could. But it was obvious his old 2001 World Championship winning ways just weren’t enough as Wright blasted numerous four and five foot airs all around him. To Wright it was another heat to win and to CJ Hobgood it was the end of the World Tour road.
“At the end of it, I don’t want to be known as the 2001 World Champion,” Hobgood said. “I want to be known as a guy that loved Jesus and loved everyone and had fun and that’s it. It’s not a sad day for me. The waves are pumping and Owen went mad in that heat. Everything happens for a reason and I’m enjoying the beautiful day here today. It’s just awesome to be a part of.”
In his Round 4 heat against Kelly Slater and Jadson Andre, Josh Kerr blasted an alley-oop with an backside varial for 9.57 and then followed it up with an alley-oop for a 9.70. Done. He was over the moon.
“I can’t believe it just happened like that,” Kerr said. “I didn’t expect to make that varial and when I did I thought, ‘it’s time to go now.’ Then I got one straight after it. I couldn’t have planned it any better. The fans are really cool and it’s great to be in New York with everyone screaming, it’s great. I definitely gained confidence from that heat. I’ve never beaten Kelly (Slater) and I’m just so stoked right now.”
For the quarter final line up, official word from the ASP and all the heat results follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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Tonight, as the kick-off for the Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational being held tomorrow and Saturday (September 9-10, 2011) at Malibu’s Surfrider beach, Joel Tudor and other invitees will be live on Stickam starting at 7 PM PDT.
Want to ask Joel or any of his guest a question and have it answered live? Tune in to http://www.stickam.com/vans1966 and you might even get some fighting tips.
[Link: Duct Tape Webcast]
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Directly following his round two, heat four win over Bede Durbidge in the Quiksilver Pro New York Bobby Martinez used his winner interview to speak his mind. Saying he has been a vocal critic of the ASP’s one world rankings in recent months would be an understatement and today Bobby made the following comments on the live webcast:
“First of all, I’d like to say (an the ASP are going to fine me) ‘cuz I don’t want to be a part of this fucking dumb wannabe tennis tour. All these pro surfers want to be tennis players. They want to do a halfway cutoff. How the fuck is somebody who’s not even competing against our caliber of surfers ahead of 100 of us on the one world ratings. They’ve never been here. They’ve never fucking made the right to surf against us, but now we’re ranked upon them. Come on now. That’s Bullshit. That’s why I ain’t going to these stupid contests no more. This is my last one because FTW, my sponsors is here and I just tell it like it is. This is my last one and I don’t like tennis. I don’t like the tour… Who gives a fuck? You know what I mean?”
Following this statement, the ASP invoked Article 151 from the official rule book to disqualify Martinez from the Quiksilver New York Pro. The rule states that “All Surfers, shall not AT ANY TIME damage the image of the sport of surfing.” If they do the ASP reserves the right to do pretty much anything they want. And since damaging the image of the sport is as vague as a rule can get, Article 151 can be easily used in almost any situation.
Without going into how unlikely it would be for the ASP to do something similar to a surfer who is sponsored by one of the major labels, or the surfers who have “damaged the image of surfing” in much more serious ways without being cited, Martinez probably could have gotten his point across without getting DQ’d. That said, he did it his way and it may go down as one of the best post contest interviews ever.
Follow the jump for the official correspondence from the ASP to Bobby Martinez. [click to continue…]
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