As much as we’d like to be at the Turtle Bay Resort on Monday, December 6, 2010 for the 40th Annual Surfer Poll Awards, we’re going to have to watch the antics of hosts Sal Masekela and Freddie P, and red carpet interviewers Mark Healey, and Saxon Boucherlive on the Internet with the rest of the civilians this year.
Here’s a little of what we’re going to miss in person.
This year’s SURFER Poll Awards will be held in honor of recently lost legend, three-time World Champion Andy Irons. While acknowledging all of the surfers lost this year, the event will put a heavy focus on Andy and the legacy he leaves behind in and out of the water. Another focal point of this year’s show will be Kelly Slater’s 10th world title win. Touted as the world’s most dominant athlete, Kelly’s accomplishments have catapulted the sport of surfing and garnered the world’s attention.
We won’t be sipping Mai Tais on the lawn, but we won’t get pushed off the rocks either. Internet show begins at 9 PM PST Monday December 6.
Tony Hawk held his Stand Up For Skateparks event at The Wynn resort in Las Vegas on Satruday (November 6, 2010) and all we can say is: where else would we ever see a photo op that included Shaun White, Tony Hawk, Holly Madison, Eric Estrada, and Kevin Staab. Seriously. If Andre Agassi had been in the shot it would have been all time.
We’re pretty sure the event raised a lot of money for the Tony Hawk Foundation and may have even moved a few units of Tony Hawk Shred. Click here for the full slideshow from the Las Vegas Weekly. Follow the jump for the official press release.
Lyndie and Andy Irons at the premiere of Fly In The Champagne February 19, 2009.
Reports of Andy Iron’s untimely death began circulating via text message and phone calls a little after 1 PM today (Tuesday, November 2, 2010). The 32-year-old three-time ASP World Surfing champion reportedly succumbed to fever during a layover in Dallas, Texas on his way home to Hawaii. He was found in his room by Grand Hyatt Hotel employees at 9:44 AM, according to the Associated Press.
Irons was in Puerto Rico to compete in the Rip Curl Pro Search Puerto Rico but reportedly was ill on arrival and was too sick to surf his round one heat 8 against Luke Stedman and Owen Wright.
Tony Hawk’s annual Stand Up For Skateparks Fund raising is going down in billionaire Ron Burkle Beverly Hills, California estate again this year. (As some might remember Burkle own’s Skateboarder Magazine parent company Source Interlink.)The October 17, 2010 event will feature a performance by Jane’s Addiction.
The exclusive event will feature games, activities, food, live and silent auctions, a Vert Demo by Tony Hawk and an all-star cast of pro skateboarders and BMX riders on Tony’s personal ramp, and a special set by Jane’s Addiction that promises to make for a unique, intimate, and one-of-a-kind event.
If you want to attend tickets are $350 a piece (on the low end) and $20,000 for the “Platinum Package” which allows the buyer to bring a 19 person entourage to the event, shower them in Tony Hawk gifts and goodness, and hang out with people like: Shaun White, Andre Agassi, Lance Armstrong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Michael Eisner, Jon Favreau, Mia Hamm, Mat Hoffman, Terry Kennedy, Chuck Liddell, Howie Mandel, Sal Masekela, and Paul Rodriguez, Jr.
Tony Hawk’s personal ramp was set on top of one of the resort’s swimming pools, and a family-centric action-sports carnival filled the surrounding area with games, food, activities, a special musical performance by Rancid, and a Vert Demo with Tony and skaters Andy Macdonald, Bucky Lasek, Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, and Kevin Staab, plus BMX pros Jamie Bestwick, Simon Tabron, and Dennis McCoy. . . Several celebrities attended, including Andre Agassi, Erik Estrada, BMX legend Mat Hoffman, T.J. Lavin, Holly Madison, Sal Masekela, Aubrey O’Day, UFC fighters Chuck Liddell, Frank Mir and Gray Maynard and UFC President Dana White.
The Kelly Slater vs. Andy Irons documentary A Fly In The Champagne premiered tonight (February 19, 2009) at the Legendary La Paloma Theater in Encinitas, California during two packed-house showings.
Through back and forth interviews with Andy and Kelly, the film breaks down the story behind what many consider the greatest rivalry in modern surfing. In a story in the Sydney Morning Herald former ASP President Rabbit Bartholomew spoke of the rivalry and its effect on the entire tour: “Kelly came back but AI was killing it,” Bartholomew says. “The next three years, they just went hammer and tong. They took it to a whole other level and the rest of the tour went with them.”
Kelly wouldn’t disagree. “People don’t get pushed by nothing,” Slater says in the opening moments of the film. “Competitively in sports you get to see what people are made of when they really get pushed with their back to the wall.”
Hearing about what both surfers went through to put the other up against the wall and seeing how much they both hate losing had the audience laughing out loud. Even when Andy and Kelly went on the “bury the hatchet” surf trip together (which is the focus of the movie) they still ended up jocking each other for waves. But at least they were reportedly talking and hanging out together (not that we saw much of that in the film), and that was a big step forward in their relationship.
One thing we couldn’t help feeling bummed about as the movie ended was how much we’re going to miss Andy Irons on the WCT tour this year. Not that we have anything against Taj, Mick, Jordy, or Bede. We just enjoy the drama and emotion that Andy brings to surfing and selfishly hope that this year off will bring him back to the tour better than ever.
It was Ryan Sheckler Fight Night at The Grove in Anaheim and apparently former pro skater, satellite radio DJ and all around funny guy Jason Ellis won his match by submitting “Tony Gianopulos with a guillotine choke in the second round.”
Apparently, MMA is the new skateboarding. Yes, that was Sal Masekela on the mic.
Stoked Mentoring will be giving Tony Hawk their Stoked Achievement Award on November 12, 2008 at the Red Bull Space in New York City on November 12, 2008, to recognize the Birdman for giving away more than $2.3 million to 390 skatepark projects.
Skateboard legend Tony Hawk says, “I’m happy and excited to be given the Stoked Achievement Award. The work of the Tony Hawk Foundation, as well as the opportunities that Stoked is giving kids through action sports to make them more successful, is something that we need more of.”
The event is being sponsored by Toyota Matrix and will be hosted by our favorite entertainment reporter Sal Masekela.
Maybe we should start handing out awards. Looks like a really good reason for a party.
Tony Hawk is taking his Stand Up For Skateparks show on the road this summer with the help of Activision. On August 10, 2008 he’s hitting New York City in the wallet with an event in Bridgehampton, New York.
This exciting event is the foundation’s exclusive, family-centric, action-sports carnival that features a Vert Demo with Tony Hawk and a cast of top skateboarders and BMX pros on Tony’s personal ramp, as well as games, food, auctions, and music. Proceeds from Activision Presents Stand Up For Skateparks help create free, quality public skateparks in low-income communities across the U.S.
Tickets to the event run from $150 for kids up to the $20,000 Platinum Package which includes 20 tickets/giftbags and a VIP reception with celebrities like: Lance Armstrong, Andre Agassi, Russell Simmons, Rob Dyrdek, Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jon Favreau, Mat Hoffman, Shaun White, Bobby Kotick, Bob McKnight, Ron Burkle (Surfer Pub’s owner), and Scott Greenstein.
That’s how we’d roll it. . . if we lived in Manhattan. Follow the link for all the details.
If it weren’t for the short list of genuine action sports heros who are schedule to attend the Ryan Sheckler X Games Celebrity Skins Game, the celebrity list would read something closer to a joke: So, Brody Jenner, Mia Hamm, Kevin Federline, Bode Miller, and Vern Troyer walk into a bar. . .
If you want to join Ricky Carmichael, Eric Koston, Sal Masekela, Dave Mirra and the boys, the cheapest foursome spots are going for $20,000. The Gold super VIP package requires a $50,000 donation. We think that package includes getting your balls washed by The Hills Star Audrina Patridge, but don’t quote us on that. (Damn, there we go again. Sorry.)
Golfing sucks, so if you’re going to golf, might as well do it for a good cause. And Ryan doesn’t have to do this stuff, but he does. And that’s pretty cool.
As much as we’d like to be at the Turtle Bay Resort on Monday, December 6, 2010 for the 40th Annual Surfer Poll Awards, we’re going to have to watch the antics of hosts Sal Masekela and Freddie P, and red carpet interviewers Mark Healey, and Saxon Boucher live on the Internet with the rest of the civilians this year.
