That’s the word from MTV’s Spencer Pratt via Twitter. . .Looks like Mr. Montag shops at the Melrose Burton Store.
We apologize in advance for even mentioning this, but we kind of agree with him for once.
[Link: @spencerpratt via @surfingstoke]
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Jaimal Yogis, the 29-year-old author of Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea had planned to write his book on his girlfriend’s father’s 30-foot sailboat docked in Sausalito, California, but he ran into a little sewage problem according to a story in the Marin Independent Journal.
I thought that would be romantic and somehow Zen-like. But after a few months, the holding tank, no matter how many times I emptied it, reeked of sewage. And the little bed, the one tucked into the bow, the one I compared to ‘being in the womb,’ was right next to the holding tank; so, obviously, it no longer lulled me to sleep. It just smelled. I guess even the prettiest things eventually end up stinking.”
Hopefully, that is not the case with his book, something that Surf Nation author Alex Wade says has “cult classic stamped all over it.” We haven’t read Saltwater Buddha yet, but are looking forward to Yogis summer book tour. For all the dates click here.
[Link: Marin Independent Journal]
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The Loop’d Network (formerly Sponsorhouse) has reportedly rounded up $800,000 in what TechCrunch calls “an undisclosed round of funding from investor Tech Coast Angels and existing private investors.
Loop’d’s platform is a social network for athletes to promote themselves and and participate in a network of online communities based around action sports. Loop’d lets also members connect with brands, including Monster, Oakley and PacSun, for sponsorship.
The company apparently plans to use the money to stay in business.
[Link: TechCrunch via @Valerotti via @Ridertech]
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For aging weekend warriors who idolize Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, or Jeremy Jones and dream of spending some quality man-time with them, former heil-guide Mike Overcast may have just what they need. It’s called EpicQuest and according to a story in Fortune Small Business this high end travel company may have the perfect vacation.
EpicQuest plans a calendar’s worth of seasonal trips for the wealthy, adventurous travelers. . . These trips will run in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 a day. For a little extra, clients can get what Pattee calls the “backstage pass” – going surfing (or snowboarding) with professional athletes like Hamilton, or skiing with Olympic gold medal winner Tommy Moe.
While it seems kind of weird to pay pro surfers and snowboarders to hang out with you, we guess rich people are used to that of thing. . .
[Link: Fortune Small Business]
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Congrats to Bobby Martinez for battling it through a tough Billabong Pro at Teahupoo.
[Link: Billabong Pro]
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What is it about being attacked by a shark that makes people want to get right back in the water? Glenn Orgias, the Australian surfer who lost his left hand to a 2.5 meter great white while surfing at Bondi Beach, has spent his downtime working as an Australian Red Cross Blood Service ambassador but he’s looking forward to going surfing again, according to a story in The Sydney Morning Herald.
He told the Seven Network he hopes to receive a prosthetic hand but it won’t be waterproof, forcing him to improvise when he gets back on a surfboard. . . .”Yeah, I’m not sure how to push up on the board yet and hopefully I can get back on and get up.”
Tough man, Glenn.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
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Like many fans of the WCT tour we cringed yesterday as Kelly Slater fell off wave after wave in the opening minutes of his round 2 heat against Spain’s Aritz Aranburu. It wasn’t until the last two seconds of the heat that we saw the Slater we know and love spring back to life with an inverted snap that reminded everyone that they were watching the world’s greatest surfer on a bad day. But the wave just didn’t have enough on it for Kelly to advance.
Leave it to The Sydney Morning Herald to put Kelly’s third first-heat defeat into proper perspective:
Kelly Slater bombed out of the Billabong Pro in Tahiti yesterday to continue the biggest fall from grace by a king since Henry VIII took a liking to Anne Boleyn. Slater, the greatest of all the surfers, needs a miracle to retain his world title after losing to little-known Spaniard Aritz Aranburu at Teahupoo.
It was a humble and contemplative Slater who answered GT’s questions following the heat–sometimes with the painful honesty of a warrior who has lost something important but just doesn’t know what it is.
“That may have just given me an excuse for a big, long vacation,” he said. “I don’t know yet. It’s really decision time for me. With that many 17ths, you’re really hard pressed to win a world title. I’m not here to just make up the numbers, but I don’t want to fall off the map, either. I guess I kind of have, though. Numbers-wise, I’m still within the possibility of getting in late in the year, but I don’t know. I guess I have a lot on my mind.”
We’re hoping he continues in the hunt, but then again it’s tough to watch a hero repeatedly limping off the field of play.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
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Former WCT surfer Shane Bevan was fired from his job as a baggage handler at Oceania Aviation Services twenty months ago after his employer accused him of participating in Queensland’s Coolum Classic surf contest while on “sick leave with a bad back” according to a story in The Australian.
But now, after two reviews by Australia’s Industrial Relations Commission it has been determined that Bevan should not have been fired.
The IRC initially upheld his sacking but, on appeal, a commission full bench last week supported Mr Bevan’s claim that the termination was harsh, unjust and unreasonable and ordered the company to pay compensation.
Nice work, Shane.
[Link: The Australian]
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Those pesky Florida sharks are still at it in New Smyrna Beach, according to a story in the Orlando Sentinel.
This weekend saw three surfers bitten by sharks, at the main spot where this happens: the surf zone just south of the inlet in New Smyrna Beach. . . Two surfers were bitten 9 a.m. Saturday morning, within 10 minutes of each other, said Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Scott Petersohn. . . .A third surfer was bitten around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at that same location, Petersohn.
We’ve said this before, but it seems shark bites are pretty high price to pay for Florida waves.
[Link: Orlando Sentinel]
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The Santa Cruz Sentinel tells the story of the “hold-down” of Darryl “Flea” Virostko’s life. It wasn’t at Maverick’s. It was a week after a group of his family and friends held a little intervention that Flea finally drove himself to Monterey’s Beacon House drug rehab center and checked in.
When nurses admitted him, Virostko’s blood alcohol content registered at 0.28 on the breathalyzer. A BAC of 0.30 and above is usually enough to put a person in a coma, if not flat out kill him.
The rest is classic story of drug abuse (strangely similar to this clip we just watched of Steve-O) featuring sadness, loss, methamphetamine, and a blown professional surfing career. But that is all old news, the story claims, because now Flea is back and has been sober for eight months.
Today, the intensity in Virostko’s face has returned. The hunger is there. He’s surfing every day. He’s following a healthy diet. He’s moved to Ben Lomond with his girlfriend and three dogs, Mija, Riddle and Passion, to “get away from my wreckage.” Virostko surfed Maverick’s twice this winter – on the only two legitimate Mav’s swells that came through – including the Nov. 30 “Turkey Day” swell, which saw some of the largest, cleanest paddle-in Mav’s in years. He managed to nail a handful of heavy drops.
And that’s good news.
[Link: Santa Cruz Sentinel]
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