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]
by The Editors on September 30, 2009
There’s one thing successful pro surf girls of the new millennium seem to understand: their asses are their assets.
Knowing this better than most, Claire Bevilacqua is joining Serena Williams, Dwight Howard, Christina Kim, Manny Pacquio, Laird Hamilton and other sporting stars and reportedly appearing missing most of their clothes in ESPN Magazine’s “The Body” issue, according to USA Today.
Guess this will give people at least one reason to buy the magazine.
[Link: USA Today]
by The Editors on September 29, 2009
It hasn’t stopped snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler or Travis Rice, but doesn’t it seem weird that Layne Beachley (pictured center) is competing in her own ASP tour event? The contest is called the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic and Layne is in there competing right along side everyone else.
Unlike Gretchen and Travis, Layne won’t win her contest, and she has reportedly announced that she will absolutely, positively retire after the classic is over, but still it just doesn’t seem right.
Follow the jump for the complete details from Day 1.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 29, 2009
Philippine actor Jericho Rosales, of Manila has been surfing since 1999. So when Tropical Storm Ketsana caused flood waters to rise in his Quezon City tneighborhood he took action, according to a story on ABS-CBNnews.com.
“On my way back to my house, I saw my friend, asked me if I had transport and then he said they needed help because some kids were stuck in their houses,” he said. . . Rosales . . . rushed home to get his surfboards and some basketballs, then donned his vest, board shorts, and a rash guard. . . Lying flat on his surfboard and paddling over the flood waters, he and his friends were able to help some villagers and neighborhood dogs get to higher ground. . . In all, he said, he was able to rescue 2 dogs, an old woman, a lady, and a child. Rescued villagers, he said, were brought to higher ground within the village.
[Link: ABS-CBN News]
by The Editors on September 29, 2009
Don’t try and say that Dave “Rasta” Rastovich isn’t doing anything for the environment. On Thursday, October 1, 2009 the recent recipient of the 2009 SIMA Environmentalist of the Year Award is heading off on a 700k ocean paddle from Byron Bay to Sydney to “raise awareness of whaling in the Southern Ocean,” according to a story in The Australian.
He will embark on his ambitious Transparentsea journey on Thursday, tracking the annual migration south of humpback whales over a gruelling 36 days. . . Rastovich, 29, an environmental activist and surfing champion out of Brunswick Heads, aims to paddle the entire distance in his single-seat kayak. . . If all goes to plan, he will hit Bondi Beach on November 5. . . “What excites me the most is being able to combine the high-risk elements of surfing and sailing and the notion of endurance and pushing your body,” Rastovich says. . . “I’m eager to bring those elements together with environmental awareness initiatives.”
Well, at least he’s not pushing a longboard skateboard through the outback.
[Link: Transparent Sea Voyage via The Australian]
by The Editors on September 29, 2009
Most everyone is flying to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico today to party with the surf industry at the 12th Annual SIMA Surf Summit which runs September 30 through October 3, 2009. Speakers this fall reportedly include VF Corp’s Steve Murray, Volcom’s Richard Woolcott, Andrew Zolli of Pop!Tech, and The Intelligence Group’s Jane Buckingham.
We’re just hoping there is some good surf, because it makes all the nob polishing so much more palatable.
[Link: SIMA]
