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
Employees of Source Interlink Media, the parent company of Action Sports Group (Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, and Skateboarder magazines) are reportedly being required to take 10 non-paid vacation days between September 2009 and February 2010 in what amounts to a four percent cut in annual pay.
We can’t imagine the employees are happy about this. Then again, they still have their jobs. . .
by The Editors on October 1, 2009
According to the Wall Street Journal researchers in the US and Ethiopia released information on fossils today from a 4.4 million year old “human forbear” that they say show that early humans were “more modern than scholars assumed.”
An international research team led by paleoanthropologist Tim White at the University of California, Berkeley, unveiled remains from 36 males, females and young of an ancient prehuman species called Ardipithecus ramidus, unearthed in the Awash region of Ethiopia since 1994.
Obviously, goofy-footers came later as evolutionary improvements to primitive man.
[Link: Wall Street Journal]
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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
Dogtown originator C.R. Stecyk III has just designed a blue skies and palm trees version of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, according to a post on Nice Kicks.
As with previous customized Air Max LeBron VII colorways, this shoe also owns a plethora of qualities that are inspired by James’s life and the respective city. For example, its colors represent the blue skies (side panels) and the rich bronze of the soil in Pueblo (predominance of the upper). Other elements such as palm trees and telephone poles also pay tribute to the city of Los Angeles.
Nike really is the de Medicis of the new age.
[Link: Nice Kicks]
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 October 1, 2009
Intrawest, the company that operates nine resorts in North America, wants everyone to protect themselves by wearing helmets when they ride on their mountains, according to a press release sent out today.
Intrawest will recommend that all skiers and snowboarders visiting its resorts wear helmets and there will be mandatory helmet requirements for all children and youth(1) participants in Ski and Snowboard School Programs as well as all students participating in freestyle terrain park programs, regardless of their age.
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