by The Editors on August 22, 2011
Russell Surfboard’s founder Robert “Russell” Brown has died at Hoag Hospital, according to a story in the Orange County Register. He was 63.
Brown has been shaping boards since 1967, and still to this day his shop near the Newport Pier is reminiscent of an old-school surf shop – not taken over by the latest surf clothing brands or accessories – but simply surfboards, lining every inch of the walls.
According to photographer Tom Cozad, Russell was found dead on Saturday, August 20, 2011:
“No other surfboard manufacturer has had a grip on the Newport surf culture as long, or as strong, as Bobby “Russell” Brown and his Russell Surfboards has. The older Blackies crew can be found cruising on his boards. The younger Upper Jetties crew can be found flying around on them. And the Underground Point and School Yards crews can be found pulling into pits throughout the world on them. No one person has transcended the vast array of Newport surf crews over the years like Russell has.
Our thoughts are with Brown’s family and friends.
[Link: OC Register]
by The Editors on August 22, 2011
by The Editors on August 21, 2011
The first round of the Billabong Pro Tahiti gave ASP surfers a little warning shot of how big Teahupoo could be during the finals at the end of the week. Most of the favorites made it through the first round, aside from ASP points leader Joel Parkinson who was sent to round two by CJ Hobgood in heat 8.
“The wind got good which allows you to push it a little further up the point and the waves turned on,” Hobgood said. “I’d like to take a little bit of credit, but the ocean did a lot of work out there. Joel (Parkinson) had a wave that could have been a 10 if he had come out so they’re definitely out there.”
Kelly Slater saved his win for the last two minutes of the heat when, as he has done so many times before, he took off, stall, got covered and got exactly what he needed to the lead in heat 6 from Dan Ross and local wildcard Heiari Williams.
“I wanted to get the deep south ones,” Slater said. “I’d seen enough of those ones in the earlier heats to think they were out there. I got a few small ones that didn’t work out. I was a bit greedy and trying to stay in the barrel a bit longer than I should have. Rossy (Dan Ross) got pushed up the point and I was fortunate to bag a wide one and that made the difference.”
For the rest of the official ASP details, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 19, 2011
In financials reported today (August 19, 2011) by Billabong it appears that the company’s profits are down 18 percent from the year previous, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Billabong said it had been hurt in the year just ended by the strong Australian dollar and a weak retail environment. . . Billabong reported annual profit of $119.139 million in the year to June 30, down 18.4 per cent from the prior year. . . Revenue was 13.5 per cent higher, however, at $1.688 billion. . . Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were down 16.2 per cent in constant currency terms, and down 24.3 per cent in reported terms, Billabong said in a statement on Friday.
Apparently, the current financial storm isn’t over just yet.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
by The Editors on August 19, 2011
It would appear that Quiksilver isn’t the only one getting ready for surfing NYC. According to TMZ, Lady Gaga has been training with some surf instructors in Mex and doing pretty well riding those little Mexican monsters. She’s apparently on the right track, baby.
Click the link for the full gallery.
[Link: TMZ] [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 19, 2011
Today, (August 19, 2011) you can forget those last ditch efforts of flying to Tahiti, getting a taxi down to the end of the road, and talking your way onto a boat to join the flotilla to catch the boys free surfing at Teahupoo, because thankfully Billabong will be webcasting today’s free surf session live beginning at 1 PM PDT. Can’t think of a better way to spend the those last few hours at work before the weekend.
Click the link below for times in your zone.
[Link: Billabong Pro Tahiti]
by The Editors on August 17, 2011
Kassia Meador coming up for air while plunging Lindsay Lohan into another Roxy wave at Malibu. We’re kind of glad there is no audio on this photo because that “Oh, my gawd” look on Lindsay’s face would be painful to hear, we’re sure.
[Link: X 17 Gallery and Daily Mail UK]
by The Editors on August 16, 2011
Seems like these Nixon WTA watches are getting better and better. For intance, this Teahupoo Magnacon SS watch that goes to the surfer who catches the heaviest wave during the Billabong Pro Teahupoo is worth a reported $10,000 and it features the following:
. . . a custom engraved caseback, a Swiss tide movement, 60 rubies around the bezel, four two-millimeter decorative black diamonds on the dial, and 24 black diamonds on the dial for hour indices.
There are probably people off the street who would paddle out at chopes for a watch like that. And what a great game show that would make. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 16, 2011
Burton’s surf division (Channel Islands Surfboards) got a write-up in Businessweek thanks to Dane Reynolds best-selling surfboard shape the Dumpster Diver.
What Reynolds really wanted was to take a standard, lance-like shortboard, cut out the midsection, squash the nose and the tail together, and fatten it up. . . He fished a foam scrap out of a trash bin, and the two repaired to the shaping room. As Smith tells it, the whole time the shaper was planing the foam, he was muttering, “Dude, this is ugly. This is really, really ugly.”
For those who may have thought Dane is getting paid a little too well to be dropping out of J-Bay and Teahupo’o, it should be mentioned that according to Businessweek his ugly boards now account for 15 percent of Channel Islands’ total board sales.
[Link: Businessweek]
by The Editors on August 15, 2011
Brazil’s Ricardo Dos Santos and Tahiti’s Heiarri Williams took the two wildcard spots in the Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trials at Teahupo’o. Dos Santos won the trials and Williams (who has won the trials twice before) finished in second place.
“I feel amazing, it’s been a long day of getting barrelled and having fun in front of friends. To qualify for the main event is the best thing that could have happened today, so for that I am so stoked. I’ve been here the last four years and training I don’t know what the conditions will be like next week, but I don’t care. I’m ready,” said Santos.
The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Tahiti begins Saturday, August 20, 2011. For the rest of the details, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Russell Surfboard’s founder Robert “Russell” Brown has died at Hoag Hospital, according to a story in the Orange County Register. He was 63.
