Santa Cruz, California’s Paradise Surf Shop opened in 1997 with what was a bit of a new idea for surf shops: it was a core surf shop for active women owned by women. And for the last 13 years it has been just that. But on March 28, 2010 Paradise Surf closed it’s brick and mortar shop and will live only online, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Anna Macken, who bought Paradise Surf Shop in 2008, closed March 28 “with mixed feelings,” citing “shifts in our lives” as the reason, according to an e-mail she sent to customers. She is still selling surf gear for women at Paradise Surf’s Web site, reasoning an online store could be easier for busy people to navigate. . . “We believe it is absolutely possible to continue fostering our community of women who surf, even if the physical store we used as a hub no longer bears our name,” her e-mail said.
Sad to see another good shop go, but we hear the future is digital.
The big news from 13th Beach, yesterdays home for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, was that the Hobgoods (yes, both of them) are now out of the contest thanks to a Brazilian onslaught lead by 16-year-old Gabriel Medina (who edged CJ) and followed up by Neco Padaratz (who knocked out Damien). Chris Davidson (pictured above) even make it past Jay Thompson.
We’ll know if round 3 runs by today at 2 PM PST. For Charlie Smith’s thoughts on Gabriel Medina click here. For the rest of the results and official ASP release follow the jump. [click to continue…]
“I’m planning just to capture a piece of the world which is the bull riding in America. I think it must be an amazing subculture,” he said. . . McLeod’s first experience on a bull was two-and-a-half months ago, and he says he stayed on for a couple of seconds. . . “I think it’s a mental thing. If you’re prepared to really put yourself on and learn and try and stick on, you might get fairly good at it,” he said.
The fact that he’s only ridden a bull once hasn’t seemed to slow him down. It seems that McLeod has found the perfect occupation for an Australian: cluelessly dive headfirst into something without a clue and then spray about it for years.
Looks like that early Chelsea Hedges run on the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach ended today in semi-final number two when Sofia Mulanovich took her out in a nail biting tie-breaker. The three-time world champ Stephanie Gilmore marched right in and crushed Mulanovich in much the same way she cut past Sally Fitzgibbons in the semi final one. But Steph is much too humble to say it:
“Two for two is definitely an unexpected start of the year but I guess when you’re not really expecting too much that’s when it all just comes your way,” Gilmore said. “Winning the World Title is such an incredible feeling – it’s quite rare so while I can, I just might as well keep winning. But it does take a lot of energy – it really draws a lot of energy out of you. When you come to the end of the year, everybody wants a piece of your time and it can be quite intense, but it’s something that I enjoy. I think that’s why I just kind of cruise throughout the year and then at the end of the year, I want that big climax.”
One of the few things that creeps us out about surfing late in the evening or early, early morning is bumping into something in the water. And these stories don’t help. Santa Cruz surfers got an eery surprise this morning when they found the body of a 43-year-old woman who had been missing since March 22, 2010, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Around 8 a.m. Friday, surfers noticed Davis’ body floating in the water between the surf break and a small, sand beach at the base of the stairs that lead up to West Cliff Drive. Someone called 911 while Cabrillo College instructor Rick Graziani paddled out to the body. . . “It was kind of a weird way to start a surf session,” the Soquel resident said. “It was moving in toward where the surf zone was so I decided I would stay with the body … and also I just didn’t want to leave her there by herself after she had finally been found.”
Foul play is not suspected. The missing woman, Lee Davis, 43, was a wife and mother.
Looks like the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach is going to wrap up before the men even get starts. Guess they’re following the time-honored Australian custom of ladies first. . . follow the jump for the rest. [click to continue…]
This year when the surf world meets at The Grove Theatre in Anaheim, California on April 23, 2010 for the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards a whole slew of people are going to win (some of the entries have as many as seven photographers and three videographers included in the nomination. Awards will be given in the following categories:
• Ride of the Year
• Biggest Wave
• Biggest Paddle-in Wave
• Biggest Tube
Anastasia Ashley and Gretchen Bleiler are looking for a couple sweet smelling dudes to go on some Old Spice adventures with. Apparently, they’re the BO bait.
“And then I just snapped it back around and threw buckets in Andy’s face. . . he hated it.” Guess the only thing to do on another lay day is stand around in a logo T, talk story, and pose for photos. . . follow the jump for all the details. [click to continue…]
Santa Cruz, California’s Paradise Surf Shop opened in 1997 with what was a bit of a new idea for surf shops: it was a core surf shop for active women owned by women. And for the last 13 years it has been just that. But on March 28, 2010 Paradise Surf closed it’s brick and mortar shop and will live only online, according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
