Tonight (December 6, 2012), some of the most beautiful people in the world (yes, better than the VS runway show) will arrive at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu for the 2012 Surfer Poll Awards (online live tonight at 8 PM PST). But in anticipation of that event, check out Jay “Bottle” Thompson’s short edit on the Girls of Hawaii with comments from connoisseurs Matt Wilkinson, Evan Geiselman, Jack Freestone and Paul Fisher.
[Link: Stab Mag]
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Australia’s Adam Melling took the Vans World Cup of Surfing and $40,000 in prize money yesterday (December 4, 2012) at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. And he didn’t just sneak by a bunch of old B-teamers either. In the final he faced down Gabriel Medina, Ace Buchan and Reef Hawaiian Pro winner Sebastien Kietz.
“Waking up this morning I was like, this comp is going to be over today and I really want to be on that podium,” said Melling, who surfed a total of four heats today. “Pretty glad that I loaded myself with a lot of breakfast and just hit the vitamin water after each heat to keep a bit of energy in me. . . “I don’t know why it comes to this but on tour it’s definitely hard. It’s only 32 guys and they want it so bad and they all surf so good. Some of the smaller seeds come into play in heats especially man on man. I haven’t had too much luck this year but felt like my surfing’s been the best it’s ever been, so hopefully I don’t put myself in this position ever again.
Melling moves into a tie for second place in the Triple Crown rankings with Alejo Muniz behind Sebastien Zietz, and just ahead of John John Florence. We missed the final because, well, while surfing Sunset well may be one of the biggest challenges in professional surfing, it’s never really has held our online attention for more than a couple heats. But that’s our cross to bear.
Follow the jump for the official word from the Vans Triple Crown. [click to continue…]
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Surfers Healing, the organization that takes autistic kids surfing, would like your help getting a grant from the American Giving Awards, presented by Chase. What they need is your votes on Facebook.
The charity with the most votes in their respective category will receive $1 million, runner up will receive $500,000, 3rd place will receive $250,000, and 4th and 5th place will each receive $125,000 grants. . . “Every year we take over 3,500 autistic children who normally suffer from sensory overload and give them the profoundly healing experience of surfing at no charge,” said Co-Founder, Izzy Paskowitz. . . “For some kids, this experience becomes a rare moment of calm and connection. Every year we have to turn families away. Even $125,000 would allow us to reach many more autistic kids with this life changing experience.”
The programs ends tonight at midnight, so if you want to help you’ve got to click here and vote now. For more info, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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The artist/filmaker Thomas Campbell aka T Mossian has a new book out titled Slide your Brains Out.
The first of ten projected volumes in Um Yeah Press’ surf photobook series, Slide Your Brains Out compiles work from the past 15 years. Often lo-fi and gritty, other times lush and saturated, Campbell’s compositions–which include portraits and action shots of some of the best surfers in the world–are always surprising and full of emotion, from melancholy to exultation.
The book features a foreword by The Surfer’s Journal’s Scott Hulet and an afterword by Ed Templeton and if available for purchase at the Mollesk Surf Shop website for $39.95 or on Amazon for $26.37 with free shipping.
[Link: Mollesk via Monster Children]
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Transworld Surf’s Justin Cote drops in with a page view a-bomb with The Hottest Girls In Pro Surfing 2012 Edition. Yes, it’s just the sexist “girls that give us boners” kind of photo feature that you’d expect, but then again, apparently, being sexy is what drives the entire world. As a bonus, all 20 of them will kick your ass on the waves, so there’s that.
The list begins at 20th place with Courtney Conlogue and finishes right where you’d expect.
[Link: Transworld Surf]
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We’ve mentioned Westerly Windina a.k.a. Peter Drouyn before (twice, actually). He’s the former Australian surfing hero who in 2008 announced that he would live as a woman rolling forward. Now, Santa Monica, California based filmmakers at Westward Productions are hoping to make a documentary about the man and the woman he became in a film titled: Westerly: A Man, A Woman, An Enigma. Not surprisingly, they’re asking for your help on Kickstarter. Here’s what they’re pitching:
In 2008, Peter Drouyn announced on Australian national television that he was living as a woman. His new name, she said, was Westerly Windina. The surf community—and Australia in general—was astonished and mostly repulsed. Since then, Westerly has been living in public housing on Australia’s Gold Coast. Her life is not easy. She is alone, poor, and often taunted by her neighbors. . . We will explore Westerly’s past as a man, document her upcoming gender-reassignment operation in Thailand, and follow her post-up as she acclimates to the newest chapter of her enigmatic journey.
Westward Productions is hoping to raise $50,000 for the project, however, with only 18 days to go they’ve only raised $6,298. If you’d like to see this film completed, click here to back the project.
[Link: Kickstarter via Monster Children]
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The 28th Annual Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau season official opens on December 1, 2012, but the opening ceremony and blessing are tomorrow Thursday, November 29, 2012 at Waimea Bay.
The ceremony will feature this year’s 28 Invitees, including newly elected riders John John Florence (Hawaii), Ian Walsh (Maui), and Alex Gray (California), as well as former “Eddie” champions Kelly Slater (Florida), Greg Long (California), and Ross Clarke-Jones (Australia). The surfers will be joined by members of the Aikau family, including Eddie’s younger brother and Invitee Clyde Aikau.
This ceremony is one of the most moving ways to experience the true spirit of Hawaii and the spiritual connection between the Hawaiian people, the ocean, and the surfers who ride the massive waves of Waimea. Go tomorrow. The ceremony begins at 3 PM at Waimea Bay. For the official word, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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Large companies often make seriously idiotic decisions. For instance, when Nike bought surf brand Hurley back in 2002 someone at the company decided that even though they had a solid surf brand, they would also dive into surf category with the Nike brand and compete directly with the company they just bought. Well, those days are reportedly over according to a story on Shop-Eat-Surf.
Nike is announcing this morning it will exit the surf category for the Nike brand and roll all surf resources under the Hurley umbrella, including Nike’s marquee young surf team riders like Julian Wilson, Carissa Moore and Kolohe Andino. . . . Going forward, Nike will focus Nike action sports on skateboarding and snowboarding, a company spokeswoman said.
Nike has done quite well in skateboarding, but we’ll bet their snowboarding efforts will continue moving in a direction very similar to their surf work. Then again, maybe they could buy an established snowboard brand. Hmmm, anyone know any recently streamlined companies with a strong last name and great brand recognition?
[Link: Shop Eat Surf]
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Kauai’s Sebastien Zietz, 24, blasted by 2 John Florence, Fred Patacchia, and Alejo Muniz to grab the first jewel, the Reef Hawaiian Pro, in the 2012 Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing.
“Coming into Hawaii I was definitely feeling confident, feeling really confident in my boards,” said Zietz. “And you know, I’ve had a few injuries over the years, and they’re all healed up so I just believed in myself and I’m super stoked. I kept my head down and whoever I drew it didn’t matter, I was just in a heat against myself.”
Florence may have finished in second, but he was still super stoked for Zietz.
“I’m just so happy for (Sebastian) to win and it looks like he’s going to be on tour next year,” said Florence. “It’s always good to have another Hawaiian on tour, especially someone like him who’s always positive and happy and making everyone laugh.
For the official word from the ASP and complete results, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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After several days of watching surfers that only the most hardcore fans have ever heard of, the ASP top seeds paddled out at the 2012 Reef Hawaiian Pro and it was game on as usual. John John Florence (above) may have had the highest scoring air of the day, but it was Kelly Slater who reportedly drew the biggest crowd during his heat against Sunny Garcia, Alex Smith and Jesse Mendes.
Slater’s comments after the heat were classic:
“He’s just as grumpy as ever, I love it,” said Slater, on Sunny. “He has to catch the first wave and paddles right back around you. You’ve got to try to get a score and put a little pressure on him… but you know Sunny, he’s stubborn, he’s got this mentality where you know he’s going to play the heat his way, and you can’t change that. So you have to do your own thing.”
Slater one their exchange, but Garcia took home the $10,000 win in the Clash of the Legends event over Kaipo Jaquias, Mark Occhilupo, and Tom Curren. For the rest of the action from the day including the round of 64 results and the first two heats of the round of 32, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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