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.
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…]
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?
“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…]
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…]
This edit is for anyone who has wondered how Vans Classic Tales get all their interstitial animation wizardry. Artist Jay Howelland director/animator Jim Dirschberger explain exactly how all the magic happens, including how you get Geoff Rowley‘s brain to pop out of his head and splash down on the floor.
O’Neill founder Jack O’Neill had a herd of media people rolling through his front yard yesterday after someone noticed what looks like a whale fossil in his front yard at Pleasure Point, according to a story on KSBW.
On Thursday, O’Neill’s house became even gnarlier when a lower-than-usual low tide revealed a gigantic skeleton just outside his back door and seawall. . . The bones were vertebrae that had been fossilized. . . As word of the skeleton spread on social media websites, several hypotheses and theories arose. . . Many hoped it was a dinosaur. . . Gary Griggs, director of University of California Santa Cruz’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said the skeleton was most likely an extinct Pliocene-era whale.
It would appear that wise water creatures have loved Pleasure Point for eons.
This little clip of Peter Devries and Noah Cohen getting into some cold Canadian ramps is called Birds of a Feather. It’s from the Sitka Surfboards crew up in the wilds of Canadalandia. Our fingers are numb just from watching this. But it was worth it.
Stoked Mentoring rounded up a large group of surfers and friends and spent last Saturday (November 10, 2012) helping to clean up at Beach 67 Street in Rockaway Park, according to a story on The Local.
High school students, volunteers and organizers — all members of the Stoked Mentoring non-profit family — descended on the beach community with cleaning supplies, tools and hundreds of meals in lieu of longboards, working through the day to bring relief to the residents of their favorite surf spot. . . “We have a relationship with Far Rockaway. We’re the first and only non-profit to take kids surfing in Rockaway,” said Mr. Larosiliere, known to many as “Stoked Steve.”
The ASP announced today its schedule for the 2013 season. The men’s tour includes nine events, the women’s tour is logging in a “tentative” eight event. Yes, all of your favorites as still on the schedule, but some of the others are gone. But then you already knew that right? Here are the men’s events and dates.
2013 ASP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR:
– Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast – March 2 – 13, 2013
– Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – March 27 – April 7, 2013
– Billabong Rio Pro – May 8 – 19, 2013
– Volcom Pro Fiji – June 2 – 14, 2013
– Billabong Pro Teahupo’o – August 15 – 26, 2013
– Hurley Pro at Trestles – September 15 – 21, 2013
– Quiksilver Pro France – September 27 – October 7, 2013
– Rip Curl Pro Portugal – October 9 – 20, 2013
– Billabong Pipe Masters – December 8 – 20, 2013
Follow the jump for the women’s events, plus a little more info. [click to continue…]
