When a group of surfers in Coos Bay, Oregon saw a couple paddling a 10-12 foot boat out into the surf they watched waiting to see what would happen, according to a story on The World Link.
Surfer Larz Richardson was wading in the water waiting for a next wave set, when he saw the middle-aged couple paddle out toward the ocean in a small boat. . . When the waves hit, it knocked over the boat, estimated at 10 to 12 feet long, throwing the man and woman overboard. Neither had on a life-vest. . . Richardson paddled about 20 yards and pulled the woman out of the water. . . “She was underwater when I got to her,” 33-year-old Richardson said. “She barely avoided drowning. She got really lucky.”
Kind of makes us wonder what the couple was thinking. Surfers to the rescue once again.
We couldn’t be happier that Australian Stephanie Gilmore, 21, tied up her third ASP world title yesterday at the Gidget Pro at Sunset Beach. She is exactly what women’s surfing needs right now. She is smart, strong, friendly, and talented.
“It’s surreal to win for a third time,” Gilmore said. “It’s amazing! I woke up this morning and knew it was going to be a good day. The waves were building and you sort of get that fuzzy feeling throughout the day. I really don’t even know what to think about it. I just want to thank everyone for the support that I’ve had throughout the whole year.”
It was a third place finish behind Australian Sally Fitzgibbons and winner Hawaiian Carissa Moore that put Gilmore over the top. Stephie won the Roxy Pro on the Goldie and then reeled in three seconds and a fifth. We wish her luck in the Billabong Pro Maui. [click to continue…]
How great would it be to watch the entire Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing on your iPhone? Great right? Live video streaming, live scores, photos, surf reports, news, all right there on one dashboard. It would be amazing. And the new Vans Triple Crown of Surfing app (available in theiTunes store today for 99 cents) does all of that with one catch: you must be connected to a WIFI network.
The app features an opening screen with the three Triple Crown of Surfing event posters. Clicking one one takes you to a page with a nav bar along the bottom that features links to: News, Live Webcast, Results, Video, Photos, and a Surf Report. All of the menu items work as promised. The news section has abbreviated versions of event press releases, the Live Webcast hooks a slightly jaggy, lower resolution version of the live video on the web, the results are there, the video section includes heat-by-heat breakdowns of all the action, and the photos made us feel like we were almost there live. Being able to view all this content on an iPhone is amazing as long as you’re on a WIFI network.
Follow the jump for the rest of the review and full size screen grabs. . .
Alessandro Barreto, 36, an inexperienced surfer, from Richmond Hill, New York died last Thursday (Thursday, November 12, 2009) after being held under while attempting to surf at Rockaway Beach, according to a story on YourNabe.com.
“He was under water about four or five minutes,” said Rockaway resident Dave Monastersky. “He was under a long time.”. . “He was told not to go out,” Monastersky said. “You got to respect the ocean.” . . . The man’s body was dragged from the designated surfing beach to Beach 96th Street — several blocks away from when he first got caught in the tide.”
A 27-year-old surfer in New South Wales, Australia had finished surfing at The Farm, and was up in the car park when he was bitten on the right leg by a red-bellied black snake, according to a story in the Illawarra Mercury.
A witness said the man’s surfboard was on the ground and, when he went to pick it up, the snake emerged from beneath it and bit him. . . . Ambulance officers applied a tourniquet to the man’s leg and took him to Wollongong Hospital.
Sharks and snakes? Damn, Australian surfers will put up with almost anything.
The film stars the break known as Nelscott Reef. Reaching faces of fifty feet, this Oregon wave rivals notorious surf spots like Hawaii’s Jaws and Mavericks in Northern California. But Nelscott’s powerful conditions come only a few times a year, lying undiscovered until Lincoln City transplant John Forse attempted to surf it. . . .The film was co-written and produced by Billy Miller, produced and filmed by Sarah Henderson and features the surf photography of Richard Hallman. Executive Producers are John Forse, Adam Wagner and Jim Kusz, with music by Northwest-based indie musicians and an original score by John Askew.
If you’re anywhere near Portland tonight, be sure to check this film out. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Some reality TV guy (Jon Gosselin?) went surfing this weekend in Hawaii, according to US Magazine. We’re thinking this one photo will do more to clear the lineups than any threat of killer Great Whites . . . on the other hand he looks like great chum.
The weirdest surf media story we missed this week (and we’re putting this up more for ourselves since it’s already been up everywhere else) is from South Africa. According to IOL.com, a 12-year-old girl who was featured in Zigzag surf magazine in a “provacative pose” with the words “all-natural Eastern Cape honey” as a caption was awarded R10,000 (about $1,315.10) in damages by a South African court.
Judge Dennis Davis found it was “properly proved” that the publication was negligent in using the “pin-up” picture without the girl’s knowledge or her and her parents’ consent. . . . This finding was “fortified” by Section 28 of the constitution which found that the child’s best interests were always paramount. He also found the appropriation of her image for the publication’s commercial advantage infringed her dignity and privacy.
When we think about how many anonymous hot girl photos have run in surf magazines over the years, this could get pretty costly, let alone frightening for photographers in general. Zigzag magazine’s editor Will Bendix had to say: “Even though Zag has not been ordered to make any kind of public apology, we really do regret any distress it may have caused the girl, and wish her well for the future.” Click here for ZigZag’s side of the story.
We’ve never really been all that interested in what Bruce Irons thinks about golf. But we’re not Golf Digest. They were so interested they did a Q&A with the Pipeline charger. What surprised us most is that Bruce enjoys golf’s headgames:
It’s the whole mental aspect. You have to hold your composure. I also like the etiquette. When you’re playing the game right, and doing those things, it shows the character of a guy. You have to have patience; you can’t lose it. You have to swallow your last bad shot. It’s really mind over matter. It’s amazing what a little white ball, that doesn’t move, can do to a big, grown-up man.
Funny that someone who can stay composed pulling into crushing inside Waimea closeouts would have trouble on the golf course.
