When celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre decided to open one of his pop-up restaurants on the Big Island, Quiksilver jumped right in and offered the services of Mark Healey, Stephanie Gilmore and Reef McIntosh. Check out the video to see how it all turned out.
[Link: LAist]
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A team of researchers at the University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia believe that they can design a wetsuit so visually repelling that sharks won’t even come near a surfer who is wearing the suit, according to a story on ABC.net.au.
“Sharks are highly visual animals but the world they see lacks colour and will appear as shades of grey like we see when we watch a black and white movie,” he said. . . “It may be possible to use this knowledge to change the way a shark reacts to certain objects. . . “It may also lead to better design of equipment such as wetsuits and surfboards that reduce the risk of shark attack.” . . . UWA’s Professor Shaun Collin says they plan to create a wetsuit, using particular patterns, that would make the wearer look unappealing to sharks. . . “It makes the wearer appear obnoxious, poisonous or unattractive to the shark, somewhat like a sea snake,” said.
Sounds like a description of half the groms at our local break. . .
[Link: ABC.net.au]
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There have been easier ASP WCT events to follow. It seems the Quiksilver Pro France 2012 has been sputtering along in snapping little pieces without every spending an entire day in the surf. Today, (October 2, 2012) the afternoon got through seven heats and culminated with Julian Wilson’s perfect 10 wave (the second of the day) in Round 2 Heat 7.
“The 10 felt really good,” Wilson said. “I spent the first quarter of that heat getting smashed. I got smashed on my first wave and then probably got smashed by fifteen more trying to go back out. As soon as that rip kind of cleared out of the line-up we saw some really good waves come through and yeah I was really happy to get that first one, get that 10 and then it up. Melling caught a couple too, he just was unlucky and fell off but it was cool to surf a heat like that coming to France. It’s so much fun.”
There was talk about running the eighth heat of Round 2, but the sun was already down. For the official word, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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When The Boardroom International Surfboard Show rolls into the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California this weekend (October 6-7, 2012) four-time World Champion Mark Richards will be honored as the “ultimate surfer/shaper” during the Icons of Foam shaping Tribute.
The sensational and stylistic MR firmly stamped his mark on surfing history by winning the ASP world title four-times. One of only two world champions to shape and compete on his own handcrafted surfboards (PT), the legendary MR will be at The Boardroom to watch six shapers replicate a classic MR twin fin. A board that MR shaped, sprayed, glassed, and sanded all by himself. And oh yeah, then Richards went out and won the Mainstay Magnum 500 (South Africa 1982) ASP event on the board.
Follow the jump for all the official details, ticket prices, live webcast info, and more. [click to continue…]
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The SIMA Humanitarian Funds‘ Stokes Me Challenge kicks off its 30-day fundraising contest today. Stokes me pits surfers, shops, brands, etc. . . in a fundraising competition to see who can raise the most money for 10 surf-related humanitarian organizations.
“The Stokes Me Challenge will take place all online and it is super easy to get involved,” said Ross Garrett, SIMA Humanitarian Fund President and Vice President at Surfline. “You have three choices on how you can get involved in Stokes Me. You can become a fundraiser for your favorite surf brand, retailer or partner team; start your own team; or make a one-time donation. All options lead to prizes and we are stoked that this year we will be sending the top fundraiser on a trip for two to Hawaii for the Triple Crown, including VIP treatment to Surfer Poll.”
For step-by-step instructions on how you can get involved and who the money will go to, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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The Australian has a great Fred Pawle overview of all the dire news that’s been clogging the surf blogs lately, describing what could make September 2012 the worst month even in surf business ever.
The turbulence began on September 17, when news leaked that Rip Curl, the iconic multinational surf company founded in Torquay in 1969 and still mostly owned by surf buddies Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick, had been quietly placed on the market. Their subsequent press release gave only vague reasons for the sale. Requests from Inquirer for an interview were declined. . . Three days later, in a reflection of the business world’s appetite for equity in surf labels, one of two offers from venture capitalists for Billabong, the Gold Coast multinational struggling to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, was withdrawn. The other, from TPG, is half the value of a previous offer made earlier this year. . . On the same day, New York law firm Levi & Korsinsky announced it was investigating “compensation to certain executives” at Quiksilver, another Australian-born surf label, now listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Turns out that even though Quik’s loss increased from $9.68 million in 2010 to $21 million in 2011, CEO Bob McKnight’s salary increased from $2.91 million to over $10.2 million. We wouldn’t mind a 300% pay increase year over year, would you? Click the link for the rest.
[Link: The Australian]
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Have to be honest. The Quiksilver Pro France 2012 kind of snuck up on us. Before we knew it eight heats of Round 1 were already over. What bummed us most was missed wildcard Dane Reynolds sending ASP number 2 Joel Parkinson directly into round two.
“The waves were pretty fun out there when they came through,” Reynolds said. “It’s nice and spread out so Joel (Parkinson) and Bede (Durbidge) were kind of down on their own peak and I was up on my own peak which is always nice. I’m not much of a hassler. Competition is fun for me and I don’t put pressure on myself to do well. I do like to see how I perform in this environment though and that’s why I do these.”
We do so like seeing Mr. Reynolds surf when he is in the mood. Looks like we’ll have to wait until Round 3 now. The Quiksilver Pro France waiting period runs September 28 – October 8, 2012. Follow the jump for the official word from the ASP and complete results. [click to continue…]
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It’s only the first official week of fall and water temps are still in the high 60s, but the chilly mornings make putting on some rubber essential. Patagonia’s R1Back-Zip Full Suit is the perfect thing for surfers wanting to stay warm without overheating.
Made using Patagonia’s high-density nitrogen cell structured 2 mm neoprene and lined in a bright green recycled polyester and nylon, the full suit is available for both men and women.
If a full suit isn’t your thing, the R1 series is rated for 65–75 degree water temps and comes in a variety of styles for those looking for a little less rubber. Click here to find a dealer near you.
[Link: Patagonia]
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Vans is letting out another little clip from their upcoming surf promotion video presentation Gettin’ Classic Volume 2. The film-marketing viral teaser posted here (completely free of charge to Vans) features 2 John Florence bombing a Fijian monster wave of catastrophic consequence. The Vans promotional film (in which video representations of sponsored athletes will induce consumers to feel the need to buy more products from the VF Corporation) premieres world-wide on October 3, 2012. Watch for it if you dare.
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This is hardly worth mentioning, but (big surprise) Nike has reportedly gotten everything it can out of both the US Open of Surfing and the City of Huntington Beach, California and is kicking their whole sponsorship deal to the curb, according to an interview on a Shopping Eating and Surfing blog.
As one would expect Nike’s Global Action Sports VP Sandy Bodecker believes Nike did so much for the event, the sport, and the entire world of action sports that the company (and all its brands) can now move on to other venues and spread their all-knowing amazingness.
Connecting with millions of fans in the heart of the action sports community was amazing experience for both brands,” Bodecker said. “Working with IMG and the City of Huntington Beach allowed for the elevation of the US Open of Surfing to positively impact a broader audience and introduce them to the power and excitement of sport. . . In putting on an event with such large exposure, we pushed our teams to find an authentic connection to stay true to the core of the sport and lifestyle. . . The biggest challenge ahead for the US Open is to bring the energy from Huntington Beach to even more fans across the world.
In the Orange County Register, Nike apologist Evan Slater (Hurley PR) said Nike did what it came to do in terms of elevating the contest and attracting more top surfers.
“But we also strive to constantly innovate and evolve. For us, we’ve decided to export what we created at the U.S. Open and invest it into other aspects of our business, like a renewed athlete focus and new and exciting ways of connecting with millions of kids.”
As we’ve said before, Nike’s only interest in action sports is that they occasionally believe our sports will help them sell more branded product to more people. When that stops working they’ll move on to something else.
[Link: Shop Eat Surf and OC Register]
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