by The Editors on October 20, 2009
The Rip Curl Pro Search from Peniche, Portugal has kicked off with two straight lay days thanks to no swell and “stormy seas and heavy rain” according to the ASP press office.
“We’re obviously off this morning with victory-at-sea conditions and heavy winds,” Damien Hardman, Rip Curl Pro Search Contest Director, said. “The winds are heavy out of the Southwest at the moment that are projected to go heavy Northwest by 10am so it is onshore all day. This is the supposed to be the worst day for weather so we’ll be back in 8am tomorrow morning to reassess conditions.”
Surfline is predicting some surf tonight and tomorrow, so stay tuned. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on October 17, 2009
A 15-year-old North Carolina surfer died in the Outer Banks on Friday when his leash became tangled in the pilings of the Avon Fishing pier according to a story in the Star-News of Wilmington.
The teenage boy, Craig Marshall (pictured on the left), a student at Topsail High School in Hampstead, was surfing with a group of eight teenagers on Hatteras Island when the current dragged him into Avon Fishing Pier sometime around 11:30 a.m., said Bob Helle, the assistant chief with the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad.
Our thoughts are with Marshall’s family and friends.
[Link: Star-News of Wilmington via WRAL.com]
by The Editors on October 17, 2009
For as much grief as we’ve given print magazines recently there is no arguing with the legacy that is Surfer Magazine.
When John Severson launched his magazine in 1960 (as a program for his movie Surf Fever) he basically created the action sports magazine genre and all of us have been living in his shadow ever since. Shockingly, that was 50 years ago.
To celebrate this historic milestone in surfing and media, the surf world is getting together in Oceanside, California on November 21, 2009 for the Surfer Magazine 50 Year Anniversary Tribune.
The Surfer Magazine 50 Year Anniversary Tribute will bring together generations of Surfer Magazine editors, publishers, photographers, and surf pros presenting its story in a varieity of media showcasing the rich history of the magazine and the sport.
The event begins at 8 PM Saturday, Nov. 21th at the Grace Theater, Oceanside. Tickets are $25 for members $35 for non-members. But the real party will be the exclusive VIP reception at the California Surf Museum starting at 6 PM. Click the link for all the details.
[Link: California Surf Festival Image via SurfResearch]
by The Editors on October 13, 2009
It was the ASP event that we missed and somehow it doesn’t seem like we missed much as current number three in the world Adriano De Souza knocked out a wounded Kelly Slater in the semi-finals of the Billabong Pro Mundaka/Sopelana and then snagged his first tour win.
The young Brazilian dominated the crumbling lefthander of Sopelana, racking up an insurmountable 16.40 out of a possible 20 to overtake his Australian opponent, resulting in his history-making win as the first South American to take out the prestigious event win. . . “The conditions have been hard for this event but we surfed the best waves that were available to us,” De Souza said. “Davo (Chris Davidson) is such a strong surfer and he has been going after a win for so long. When he beat C.J. (Hobgood) in the Semifinals, I knew it was going to be a battle. I was able to get the better waves today and that’s why I won.”
Guess we’ll have to catch all the heat videos later. . . because the World Title hunt is getting a little more exciting now that Mick is in the driver’s seat. Follow the jump for the complete ASP press release.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on October 9, 2009
A surfer was found dead this morning drifting in the water still attached to his surfboard near Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, England, according to a story in the Daily Mail.
A spokesman for Portland Coastguards said: ‘A member of the public had seen what they thought was a body on Kimmeridge Slipway.. . . A coastguard helicopter and rescue team were tasked to attend the scene and confirmed there was a body of a man in the water. . . ‘He was a surfer and was still attached to his board. We are unsure how long he was in the water but yesterday’s sea conditions were not very good for surfing.
There are probably much worse ways to go.
[Link: Daily Mail]
by The Editors on October 5, 2009
The Billabong Pro Mundaka, Event No. 8 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, completed the opening eight heats of Round 1 today in clean three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at the primary venue. Survivors from the first eight heats of Round 1 man-on-man elimination included Jihad Khodr, David Weare, Drew Courtney, Tiago Pires, Ben Dunn, Kekoa Bacalso, Michel Bourez, and Kai Otton. Losers of note: Roy Powers, Tim Boal and Heitor Alves.
Follow the jump for the entire ASP press release. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on October 1, 2009
Chris Nel, a surfer from New Zealand was out with four other surfers on the south coast of Samoa’s Savai’i island when they all noticed the water getting weird, according to as story in The Age.
“All of a sudden the water went real weird, it kind of glassed off and got real lumpy, then we started moving real quick, getting sucked out to sea. . . “It was pretty scary looking back and seeing the reef completely dried up. It looked like a volcanic riverbed – it was just gone.” . . . A “big-as spurt of water” then hit the shore, Nel said. . . “I was thinking, `this is it, we’re going to get washed away and smashed into the jungle’.” . . “After about 35 or 45 minutes of floating around we managed to time it between a surge to get to land through the reef channel.”
The five surfers returned to find that the surf camp where they had been staying had been completely destroyed along with all of their belongings. Nel left Samoa today wearing jeans that he “found in the jungle.”
[Link: The Age]
by The Editors on October 1, 2009
We keep reminding ourselves that not only was there an earthquake and tsunami that wrecked Samoa, but there was also a 7.6 earthquake that hit West Sumatra yesterday (Wednesday, September 30, 2009) that has already killed more than 530 people. SurfAid has launched an Emergency Response Appeal to help the people of Padang.
Our Program Director, Dr David Lange, narrowly escaped death as he fled the Ambacang Hotel, which then collapsed, killing many and trapping others. . . Many buildings have been destroyed with people caught underneath the rubble. There is a report that schoolchildren are still trapped underneath three schools. One hospital is destroyed and another so badly damaged that staff are working in tents outside. Doctors used car headlights and torches to operate on the injured overnight.
Dr David Lange said: “People are trapped and screaming for help but they are below huge slabs which will take heavy equipment to move. I saw dozens of the biggest buildings collapsed in town, most of the damage is concentrated in the commercial centre market, which was fully packed.”
SurfAid is asking for any donations you can make. To make a donation click here.
[Link: SurfAid]
by The Editors on October 1, 2009
When the 8.0 earthquake hit just south of the islands of Samoa on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 06:48:10 the quick thinking staff at the Salani Surf Resort evacuated all their guests to higher ground immediately, but the entire resort was washed away by the tsunami, according to a story on Goldcoast.com.au.
“They didn’t get any warning before it hit but our resort managers said they felt the earthquake really badly and then they noticed the water level lowered to the point where reef coral was showing, which isn’t normal,” resort owner Shannon Donato said. . . “They didn’t take any chances and evacuated everyone, including getting them to tell the village to evacuate. . . “They saved a lot of people from being hurt.” . . All eight bungalows, a restaurant, bar, staff accommodation, two surf boats and volleyball courts were washed away by the tsunami and looters stole from the only building left standing — the manager’s bungalow.
Donato said the staff was “very shaken,” but she is glad everyone is okay.
That was not the case at neighboring Samoa surf resort Coconuts Beach Resort, according to a story on etravelblackboard.com:
. . . Sinalei Reef Resort and Coconuts Beach Resort have both sustained considerable damage to public areas as well as guest rooms and villas, while one Tasmanian death was a guest at Coconuts. . . We would also like to send our deepest condolences to the Annandale family who own and operate Sinalei Reef Resort. It has come to our knowledge that Tui Annandale much loved industry personality and wife of Joe Annadale, Sinalei Reef Resort Owner, was killed in the tsunami yesterday.
According to the Sinalei Reef Resort website “all guests and staff on the resort at the time the Tsunami hit are safe and accounted for.” Both resorts are currently closed.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those effected by the tsunami.
[Link: Goldcoast.com.au and etravelblackboard]
by The Editors on October 1, 2009
Hang Ten is often credited as being the world’s first surf clothing company. Hang Ten’s co-founder Duke Boyd was on San Diego’s KPBS These Days show with the President of the California Surf Museum Jim Kempton yesterday (September 30, 2009).
Among other things Boyd talks about the founding of the company, helping to create the surf clothing industry, and how important advertising in Surfer Magazine was to the success of the brand.
Most of the surf shops at that time didn’t have the money to advertise . . . Dorris [Moore] basically took the plunge and said I’m going to buy an ad and took out a contract for one year . . . our success ran right after that.
It all seemed so simple then, but we know it wasn’t. Listen in to the complete audio interview by clicking the link.
[Link: KPBS]
The Rip Curl Pro Search from Peniche, Portugal has kicked off with two straight lay days thanks to no swell and “stormy seas and heavy rain” according to the ASP press office.
