by The Editors on September 12, 2014
ZoSea Media’s entertainment property currently operating under the moniker Association of Surfing Professionals will get a new name come January 2015 it was announced today (Friday, September 12, 2014). Next year the new name will be World Surf League.
In a letter to the surfing community, CEO Paul Speaker explains that the change is happening because the new name will help bring the sport of professional surfing to more fans, athletes and partners worldwide. The ASP will continue to operate under the existing name until the end of 2014 and in January 2015, will begin the season as the World Surf League.
Hey, they’re the marketing professionals. Plus, to most of the ball handling world “league” means sports. And it will go quite nicely with Street League and maybe Snow League. Right? We’re talking expansion here. But please, whatever you do don’t think bowling when you hear the new name. This is not a bowling league. It’s a surf league. To read the entire letter from Mr. Speaker, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 5, 2014
Oh yes, fall has returned to Southern California and with it comes the ASP World Championship Tour. Not the sort-of-world tour US Open of Surfing, but the bonafide 2014 Hurley Pro At Trestles (and Swatch Women’s Pro Trestles). Here’s what Kieren Perrow has to say about it.
“Trestles is a very consistent wave, and for high-performance surfing there’s no better wave in the world, especially when conditions are good, so it’s great to have a longer waiting period this year so we can take advantage of the best waves,” said ASP Commissioner, Kieren Perrow. . . In order to do well at Lower Trestles surfers will need to show a variety of maneuvers and really push the boundaries and I can’t wait to see what the ASP Top 34 and Top 17 have in store. On the men’s side Gabriel Medina will be one to watch but, when the waves are big enough, Jordy Smith can be devastating. I’m really looking forward to having the women at the competition this year and I’m excited to watch Carissa Moore and Tyler Wright compete because of their power turns.”
It all starts on September 9, 2014. Follow the jump for the official word from the ASP. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 4, 2014
Boarding for Breast Cancer has a new mobile app for iPhone and Android that helps women help themselves when it comes to health.
Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) wants you to be your own biggest health advocate by downloading the free B4BC App for Apple and Android devices today. The recently released mobile app allows you to set a personalized automatic reminder to help you maintain your monthly Breast Self-Exam (BSE), one of the most effective means for early detection of breast cancer. And for those who aren’t sure of the proper technique, the Check One, Two® guide provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to perform your own BSE. . . For the active girl on the go, the app has the latest B4BC info with updates on B4BC programs and events, plus tons of health and wellness content by B4BC’s contributors and team riders including pro snowboarders Elena Hight, Jamie Anderson, Kimmy Fasani, Megan Pischke; pro surfers Sage Erickson, Malia Manuel, Courtney Conlogue and more.
What’s good for breasts is always good for us. For the official word from B4BC, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 29, 2014
On Saturday, September 6, 2014 the Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow Gallery in Laguna Beach, California will kick off the Expression Session 2 show.
Selected by guest curator Will Pennartz, founder and owner of The Surf Gallery (2001-2010), the exhibition consists of paintings, photographs, prints and posters by John Severson, Mike Salisbury, Rick Griffin, Thomas Campbell, Geoff McFetridge, Andy Davis and Tyler Warren. The show will be on view September 4-28, 2014 with an opening reception on September 6. Among the works available will be never-before-exhibited prints of 1960s-era Surfer Magazine drawings by Salisbury, as well as a new limited edition print from Thomas Campbell.
The opening (which features Pizza Port Brewing beverages) beings a 6 PM. AR4T is located at 1175 S. Coast Hwy in Laguna Beach, California. For the official word from AR4T please follow the jump [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 26, 2014
The final day of the 2014 Billabong Pro Tahiti will likely go down in history as the most perfect day of contest barrel surfing ever. Gabriel Medina surfed like a giant killer all the way through the contest, but it was a tiny mistake on two of Kelly Slater’s potentially 10 point waves that delivered the final to Medina by .03 of a point. Slater needed a 9.33 and a solid wave in the final seconds of the heat was scored as a 9.30. Medina was ecstatic saying that before the final he went in and talked to his mom. “My mom told me, “Nothing is ‘bigger than God,'” Medina said, tears coming to his eyes.”
“I don’t really know what to say,” said Gabriel Medina. “I’m so blessed to have these conditions at ‘Chopes and surf against all these guys. This is such a special event and I’m just so happy right now. Kelly (Slater) is a legend of surfing and it’s the best feeling ever to win. The waves were big and perfect and this feeling is amazing. I love surfing and to get these waves is incredible. I want to thank ASP for the event and I’m so happy to be part of this.”
Watching this contest made us wonder why the ASP doesn’t hold half of the season’s events at Teahupo’o. For the official word from the ASP including the final results, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 25, 2014
The wait has paid off for the ASP and the 2014 Billabong Pro Tahiti. On the final day of the competition we’ll see 12 to 15 foot waves rolling through for the Round 4 survivors. Here’s who is up:
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Heat 3: Brett Simpson (USA), John John Florence (HAW), Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA), Owen Wright (AUS), Dion Atkinson (AUS)
For the official word from the ASP, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on August 22, 2014
Today, the Surfrider Foundation turns 30 years old and to celebrate they have launched a website that chronicles the last three decades of the organization’s history. Here’s a little piece of it
Thirty years ago a group of surfers from Malibu, California, were concerned about the health risks associated with environmental threats posed by escalating coastal development at their favorite surf spot. They took action. Not even they could have envisioned the history they were making when they succeeded in protecting their beloved surf spot. . . .Since its inception in 1984, the Surfrider Foundation has evolved into one of the largest non-profit grassroots organizations with a volunteer-activist network dedicated to its mission to protect and enjoy the world’s oceans, waves and beaches. . . . Today, the Surfrider Foundation is measurably stronger, with more force and movement than ever before. It has 84 chapters, including 30 high school and college clubs, 50,000-plus members and more than 250,000 supporters and volunteers, fighting 90 active campaigns around the country. Armed with a model to defend the coast the organization has a record of 271 victories (and counting) since 2006.
Happy Birthday, Surfrider. You are living proof that good people can do great things when they work together. For the rest of the timeline, click the link.
[Link: 30 Surfrider]
by Sponsored Post on August 5, 2014
This post sponsored by Driftingthru.com
Innovations in surfing equipment are coming thick and fast, but not all of them catch on. The industry is buzzing with new sustainable ways for manufacturing surf products, asymmetrical surfboards seem to be making a comeback, and the foam Beater boards from Californian company Catch Surf are attracting a lot of interest. They have been around for a few years now and are becoming a staple board in many-a-surfer’s quiver, but what makes them so good?
Let’s start from the beginning. The name “Beater” is a pun really, because one of the original ideas behind the board was creating it so that it could be surfed during busy summer periods when lifeguards raise the dreaded black ball flag. While conventional hard surfboards are deemed unsafe to be in the water when the yellow and black flags appear, a soft foam board could be acceptable. And so the blackball ‘Beater’ was born, a fun surfboard perfect for small summer surf days. Plenty of buoyancy for a board with such a short length, and soft enough not to cause any significant damage to swimmers in the water if a collision occurs. The first ones did not even have fins, and no doubt were disregarded by many in the surf industry as just another surf toy that wouldn’t take off. A few years on and the Beater has progressed somewhat.
Follow the jump for the rest of the story. . .
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by The Editors on July 24, 2014
Legendary shaper, surfer, and all-around waterman Rusty Preisendorfer is being named to the Surfers’ Hall of Fame on Friday, August 1, 2014 and it’s about time.
Nicknamed the “Stradivarious” of shapers due to his reputation for quality and innovation, Rusty was born in Los Angeles to a research mathematician (his father worked at Scripps) and an occupational therapist. He became a Windansea local at a fresh six weeks of age and eventually entered shaping during a groundbreaking era with influences that included Dick Brewer, Mike Hynson and Skip Frye. While attending the University of California at San Diego, he spent his initial stint shaping for Gordon and Smith. Exploring Australia in 1974, he garnered his first serious exposure when Rabbit Bartholomew purchased one of his 8-foot guns.
For more about Rusty, and the 2014 Surfers’ Hall of Fame event, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on July 19, 2014
Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson celebrate after the Final of the J-Bay Open.
Image: ASP / Kirstin Scholtz
It was an Australian showdown in South Africa as Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson faced off in the finals of the J-Bay Open, stop six of eleven of the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championships Tour.
Fanning’s first wave of the heat earned him an excellent 9.00 for a double-barrel and powerful carves. He went on to use his polished skills to bank a second solid score and a two-wave heat total of 17.00 (out of a possible 20). Parkinson, the 2012 ASP World Champion, fought his way back into contention with rides of 7.43 and 6.17 but was still looking for 9.57 points when time ran out. Fanning previously dispatched Owen Wright (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA) and Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) on route to the Final.
For the official word from the ASP including final results, follow he jump.
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