by The Editors on March 1, 2010
While the total number of shark attacks worldwide increased from 60 to 61 between 2008 and 2009 the number of attacks in the United States have dropped from 50 in 2007 to only 28 in 2009, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post. That’s the good news.
Worldwide, George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at University of Florida said, more than half of the people who suffered shark attacks last year were surfers. . . Despite the decline over the past few years, Burgess says the number of shark attacks has risen to unprecedented levels over the past decade. . . “As scientists we don’t get so excited about individual years and tend to look at things in terms of decades,” Burgess said.
“Unprecedented levels” doesn’t sound so good. . . neither does Burgess getting “too excited.”
[Link: Palm Beach Post and International Shark Attack File]
by The Editors on March 1, 2010
After the tsunami scare on Sunday, the Quiksilver Pro 2010 got right back on track with eight heats of round two and the first extreme eliminations from the event. All the favorites made it through including; Taj Burrow, C.J. Hobgood, Bobby Martinez, Damien Hobgood, Dane Reynolds, Jordy Smith, Kieren Perrow, and Freddy P.
Reynolds seemed relieved. “I was happy they ran it today,” Reynolds said. “The other morning, I kind of got sacrificed for the tide because they have to start at a certain point to finish the round, and the first heat they’re going to start in bad surf. But today it’s really fun out there and they made a great call.”
Follow the jump for the results and the rest of the round 2 draw.
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by The Editors on February 26, 2010
Now everyone can get exactly what they want on their own trunks thanks to a California company called Shortomatic. Building a pair of trunks with a customized graphic on it is as easy as selecting a waist and leg length and then uploading some art (photo, pattern, graphic) and pressing send. Shortomatic will then make your shorts (in the USA) and send them back to you.
We believe that while there is so much personal style and competition applied to water bound pursuits, then surely the equipment should reflect the same level of distinction. . . . Boardshorts obviously have their roots in popular surf culture, but our approach is much wider then this niche; we think of our product as the new ‘swimming trunk’. As at home in the swimming pool, hot tub or lake as on the beach, a board or just plain sunbathing!
The only problem? The shorts cost about $100 a piece. . . but you can get your name in the waistband. Wonder if they’d let us make some mangina trunks?
[Link: Shortomatic via Coolhunting]
by The Editors on February 26, 2010
The Quiksilver Pro 2010 from Snapper Rocks is on for today (February 26, 2010) at 2:30 PM PT with Men’s Round 1 match ups. Watch it live on QuiksilverPro.com.au or on Fuel.TV or click here to download the free Quicksilver Live app for iPhone.
Don’t think it doesn’t start off with bang bang bang. Check out the match ups:
Heat 1: Dane Reynolds (USA), Roy Powers (HAW), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA), Tiago Pires (PRT), Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA), Ben Dunn (AUS), Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Blake Thornton (AUS)
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS), Chris Davidson (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), TBA
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), TBA
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Mick Campbell (AUS), TBA
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Drew Courtney (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA), Luke Stedman (AUS), Nathan Yeomans (USA)
Heat 13: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Andy Irons (HAW), Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS), Luke Munro (AUS)
Heat 15: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA), Adam Melling (AUS)
[Link: Quiksilver Pro 2010]
by The Editors on February 26, 2010
In the LA Times former outdoor blogger Pete Thomas profiles San Clemente, Calfironia’s three Gudauskas brothers who nearly all made the ASP World Cup Tour together. Pat and Tanner did. Dane did not. But as no one will find surprising, Dane takes it all in with a positive spin.
Says Dane: “Everyone was on their own journey, but we were all trying together so it was like we were all part of every win and loss, so it was hard. But to see it come down to that final competition was pretty cool, and to see it go in a positive direction for those guys was a really nice treat.”
Cool. Nice, and polite till the end.
[Link: LA Times]
by The Editors on February 26, 2010
Not exactly sure what kind of direct connection there is between skateboarding, surfing and coffee, but that hasn’t stopped The Skateboarder’s Journal’s Jack Smith and his friend Adrian Pina from rolling out a new coffee company called Cuppastoke.com. Smith describes it as:
A coffee company for skateboarders, surfers, snowboarders and anyone else who shares the almost indescribable feeling of “STOKE”. . . Skater Joe Dark Roast, Our signature blend. Complex, bright, bold, and rich, this coffee shines through milk in espresso drinks, and tastes amazing in drip or press. An all around winner.
We personally don’t have a problem with the local brew, but for those who want a cup of stoke every morning, then Skater Joe Dark Roast might be just for you. $11.95 will get you 12 ounces. Enter special code “boardistan” and Jack will give you 15% off your order. How cool is that?
[Link: Cuppastoke]
by The Editors on February 25, 2010
Steph Gilmore and Mick Fanning: two world champions of whom we can all be proud. Kekoa Bacalso and Coco Ho were awarded Rookie of the Year honors. For the rest of the awards follow the jump.
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by The Editors on February 25, 2010
Back in the day we had a certain Australian newsstand distributor connection who used to send us monthly packages of Aussie mags. One of our favorites was the dirty, packed newsprint version of Tracks (particularly the letters section). In this age of gloss and digits something has been lost. Luckily, a guy in the UK named Daniel Crockett is bringing newsprint surf magazines back with Kook.
Global contributors include Cyrus Sutton, Mike Black, Mark Leary, Ryan Heywood, Kassia Meador, Tom Haskett, Kate Czucsman, Andrew Kidman, John Eldridge, Jim Newitt, Alex Rowse, Michael Fordham, Ollie Banks, Mark Dickinson, Rob Royal, Seamouse, Ryan Tatar, Ryan Lovelace and many more.
Kook is only 20 pages and costs close to $5 bucks an issue, but that’s a small price to pay to bask for a moment in a forgotten time.
Click here to buy a copy or follow the jump for more images.
[Link: WIldering via Shakas & Single Fins via Empire Ave via Runamuk]
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by The Editors on February 24, 2010
After using an “n-word” in a Stab Magazine website story about how black surfers are better than white surfers (specifically Jamaica’s Icah Wilmot) got people talking (via Cyrusisboard.com) and lost the magazine a “coveted advertising relationship,” Stab’s Jed Smith says he has now experienced the “first significant self-examination” of his writing career.
After speaking with Icah’s father Bill Willmot, it appears Jed has turned things around and apologized.
I am ignorant of the sensitivities that surround race today. I am white, privileged and grew up in an era in which white-black relations were not the defining racial issue (hence my use of the word Negro, a term that after recently reading the Malcolm X autobiography, I legitimately thought was politically correct). I have no right to proffer stereotypes, whether they were intended to be satirical or not, and I am sorry. Sorry.
Apologies are hard and Jed did a great job with this one. We just hope he can get past this, lesson learned, and then remember that his ignorance is also one of his greatest gifts. The world has enough “thoughtful” old surf writers already. Seriously.
[Link: Stab Magazine]
by The Editors on February 24, 2010
Want to hear the realities of the ASP World Championship Tour? Bobby Martinez kicks down all the no bullshit answers in an interview by Jon Coen on ESPN/Action.
What is the WCT and/or Rebel tour really all about?
All it comes down to is money. No one cares what tour they’re on, just as long as they can make the most money as possible before they retire. That’s it, in black and white. We have these meetings on the ASP tour with all the surfers. When this Rebel Tour came up, the only thing that mattered was the money. Everyone wanted to go to this Rebel Tour because they were saying that last-place earnings were the same as first in an ASP event. So if anyone wants the best surfers in the world to compete on one tour, all they have to do is put a lot more money for prize winnings and [the surfers] will all jump on board. That’s the truth. I’ll go with them too if I get an invite.
Read the rest if you haven’t already. It’s short, but it’s sweet.
[Link: ESPN/Action]
While the total number of shark attacks worldwide increased from 60 to 61 between 2008 and 2009 the number of attacks in the United States have dropped from 50 in 2007 to only 28 in 2009, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post. That’s the good news.
