Somewhere in the beginning of the waiting period of the 2010 O’Neill World Cup of Surfing we lost track of what was going on. We checked in lay day after lay day, and then we’d get completely caught off when the event would actually run. turns out Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro, 28, won for the men and the 16-year-old Australian Tyler Wright won the women’s event. How? We have no idea. We didn’t catch one wave.
Luckily, the ASP keeps track of these things for us. Follow the jump for official details and results. [click to continue…]
As much as we’d like to be at the Turtle Bay Resort on Monday, December 6, 2010 for the 40th Annual Surfer Poll Awards, we’re going to have to watch the antics of hosts Sal Masekela and Freddie P, and red carpet interviewers Mark Healey, and Saxon Boucherlive on the Internet with the rest of the civilians this year.
Here’s a little of what we’re going to miss in person.
This year’s SURFER Poll Awards will be held in honor of recently lost legend, three-time World Champion Andy Irons. While acknowledging all of the surfers lost this year, the event will put a heavy focus on Andy and the legacy he leaves behind in and out of the water. Another focal point of this year’s show will be Kelly Slater’s 10th world title win. Touted as the world’s most dominant athlete, Kelly’s accomplishments have catapulted the sport of surfing and garnered the world’s attention.
We won’t be sipping Mai Tais on the lawn, but we won’t get pushed off the rocks either. Internet show begins at 9 PM PST Monday December 6.
On Monday, November 30, 2010 big waves surfers gathered at Maverick’s for the opening ceremony for The Jay at Maverick’s big wave contest, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
The day began with a touching opening ceremony honoring beloved Santa Cruz surfer Jay Moriarity, for whom the contest is named, and a paddle out and ceremonial surf ring in the calm waters by the reef break. . . The official contest waiting period begins Wednesday and continues through Feb. 28. The invitees get to vote on contest-worthy swells. Once the majority picks one, they will have 24-hours notice to get to the break near Half Moon Bay.
After all the boys have been through, it’s nice to the see the Maverick’s contest back on track. Click the link for the official heat draw.
Sal Masekela has kicked down the most personal, insightful interview with Kelly Slater we will probably ever hear. Sal takes Kelly through all the questions we’ve all had (and more) for the 10x ASP World Champion.
The two cover thoughts on contest pressure, mindset going into his 10th title win, Andy Irons, Kalani, the future and much, much, more.
Anyone who has ever had a question for or about Kelly Slater, or even casually wondered what the life of a pro board sports athlete is like, take a half hour, sit down in a quiet place, and listen to this. It’s that good.
Outside Magazine has just published a Brad Melekian story titled Last Drop about Andy Irons that has everyone saying, “Whoa, gnarly.”
It is the story that the surf media would not or could not write. It does not include the toxicology reports that everyone is waiting for, but it does discuss some of the darker aspects in the life of the three time world champion.
In Last Drop Melekian quotes industry insiders including Art Brewer, Matt Warshaw, Evan Slater, and others talking about Andy’s troubles with alcohol and other substances. More importantly the story lays out a timeline for Andy’s last few days alive and talks about what could have killed him.
Despite Irons’s history of substance abuse and reports of illness, one can only speculate about what killed him, and it may be that a tragic combination of, say, dengue fever and prescription drugs did him in. Irons had been bouncing around time zones, had gone without sleep, had been drinking in Miami, and, at least according to his wife, was ill on the inbound flight to Dallas. . . Dr. Bruce Goldberger, director of toxicology at the University of Florida medical school, says combinations like this can be dangerous. “The usual doses of Ambien and Xanax are very safe, even when taken together,” he says. “But if there was an underlying medical condition like pneumonia or sleep apnea, the person would be at greater risk. Sometimes, we see deaths with perfectly healthy people when they take a small amount more of the medication than prescribed.”
Hopefully, we’ll all know more as when the reports are released.
Writer, adventurer, director Charlie Smith and Super Action Agent Circe Wallace were married this weekend (Saturday, November 20, 2010) in Las Vegas in front of family, friends, and business associates. Smith dropped his writerly veneer and went straight for the heart with his last tweet on Friday:
Life. Is. Perfect. . . Or saturday night it will be.
Circe followed that up on Sunday evening with the following:
The first day of the rest of my life was beyond perfect. So much love and the most beautiful friends and family..thank you @chasdoesntsurf!. . . Everyone who attended thank you for making the room glow with Love. Here’s to doing next level shit.
We’re still wondering who is going to be on the top end of Circe’s usual 15/85 percent split, while at the same time figuring they’re both giving 100 percent. Congrats. . .
It seems rather obvious, but the best way to win a Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title is to start off with a win at Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa. After sitting out all season recovering from a heel slice it’s nice that Joel Parkinson could drop in with a win. Questions of how Parko recovery have back were answered with authority as the ASP Tour surfer decimated most of his opponents this weekt.
“It has been a pretty up and down year emotionally,” said Parkinson. “I cut my foot and I was out of action for six months, I didn’t surf for three months and I didn’t compete for six months. Then I had a baby son so we had some joy, and then Andy (Irons) passed. It’s been one of those years with one good thing then one bad thing. The year is almost over, we’ll get through it and I’m trying to make amends with all good things that can happen from here to December. . . “Riding a wave is always one of those things that, no matter what happens in or around your life, you can still ride a wave and forget everything. . . “Considering that the last few years I didn’t make a final here, to actually get a win and go to Sunset, which is one of my strengths and Pipe, where I’ve done well, it’s definitely a good start to the Triple Crown.”
For the rest of the story and the complete results follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Swell.com surf gear reviewer Bill Laity apparently spent the better part of his weekend trying to set the Guinness World Record for the longest surf session at the Huntington Beach Pier in California, according to a story in the OC Register.
At 12:25 a.m. Sunday, after nearly 14 hours in heavy rain, biting wind and all-around miserable conditions, he was “going strong,” according to Michael Figueroa of Swell, a surf-gear maker and Laity’s employer. . . “He’s a waterlogged prune of a man at this point, surfed out and sunburned,” Figueroa said.
Laity reportedly gets to take a five minute break every hour. Our question: how many waves did he have to catch between breaks? For all the answers check out the OC Register’s updated story from November 24, 2010.
Artist Drew Brophy has been paint-penning up surfboards for over 20 years and lately we’ve been seeing his work showing up everywhere. His latest design is for the January Surf Expo Show. Here’s what they had to say about him:
A show T-shirt has been part of the Surf Expo experience for years, and many of our longtime retailers proudly show off some pretty ancient specimens. That’s cool. This year we tapped artist Drew Brophy. Seemed like the perfect fit. Drew does a ton of work for a variety of exhibitors at Surf Expo — both in the surf section and also in our resort and souvenir areas. Plus, hailing from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Drew has been a longtime attendee and vocal fan of Surf Expo.
The Drew Brophy designed shirt (which has not been finalized yet) will be on sale at the info booth on the floor of the show January 6-8. 2010.
Anyone seen a perfectly good yacht that’s missing a few very important pieces? Capt. Burrow needs to find it, apparently. Is this what happens when surfers put fashion first.
