by The Editors on December 14, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013 will likely go down in history as one of the best single day of competitive surfing in Pipeline’s history. As the final event of the ASP World Tour and the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, a lot was riding on the 2013 Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons. There was the ASP World Title battle between 11-time winner Kelly Slater and 2-time winner Mick Fanning, and then there was 2 John Florence’s drive to win his second Triple Crown and his first Pipeline Masters title.
In the end, everyone did what they had to do. Fanning won his third ASP World Title, Slater won his seventh Pipe Masters title, and Florence won his second Vans Triple Crown. There’s no doubt that Florence will win a Pipeline masters, just not this year.
Before the event Kelly Slater was asked what was left for him in surfing. He’d already won the world titles, the six Pipe Masters. His answer, “My dream was to surf a final against John John at Pipeline.” Slater didn’t make his title wins a dozen, but he did get his wish in the final.
“It was a strange Final,” Slater said. “John John (Florence) and I both waited for a while and neither of us really got a score until late in the match. I knew it was going to be a sprint and it was probably a little advantageous not to have priority in the Final as I was able to go for a lot of waves instead of wait for those that took a while to eventuate.”
As for the big question of Slater continuing on the tour? He said, referring to coming so close: “I think that pissed me off just enough to keep going!” And Slater staying on the tour that is owned by his manager Terry Hardy is probably good for everybody involved. For the official word from the ASP and final results, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 14, 2013
It took the mind and body of a warrior and several last minute heat-saving waves, but Mick Fanning marched on through to claim his third ASP World Title on Saturday December 14, 2013 by making it to the semi-finals over Yadin Nicol in the quarter finals of the Billabong Pipe Masters In Memory of Andy Irons.
“The world title is something that takes a whole year, but sometimes it can feel like it boils down to the final day and the final heats,” Fanning said. “I’m sure I gave my wife Karissa and my mum enough stress today to last a lifetime. I was never worried myself now that I think of it. I knew what I needed to do and if the opportunity came, I knew I could do it. That opportunity came in both heats today. It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve been having fun all year and to clinch on a day like this at Pipeline makes it that much more special.”
When asked how he felt about winning his third world title and the hunt for Kelly Slater’s 11 title record, Fanning shrugged, laughed and said, “I don’t know. I was happy with one.” For the official word from the ASP follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 11, 2013
Here’s the current 2013 ASP World Title situation: After losing to John John Florence and Nat Young (thanks to a last second interference against Florence) Mick Fanning was bumped into round 5 where he will face barrel riding magician CJ Hobgood. If Mick loses to CJ AND Kelly Slater wins the 2013 Billabong Pipe Masters, then Mr. Slater will win his 12th ASP world title. If Kelly wins and Mick gets third place or second, then Mick wins his third world title. If Kelly doesn’t win the Pipe Masters, Mick wins. See how crazy all this stuff is getting?
While the deck appears to be stacked against Slater he stayed right on message all day, both in his round 3 heat against Mitch Crews and his round 4 heat against 2012 Vans Triple Crown winner Sebastian Zietz and Miguel Pupo.
“I was worried this-morning about the conditions,” Slater said. “John John (Florence) and I were out trying to catch a couple of waves and I kind of thought ‘maybe we shouldn’t run, maybe we should wait and hour or two until it gets better.’ It seemed like it turned on during my heat and some kind of energy came through for me. I knew I had to make that heat, you can’t let those things escape your mind, that was the reality of the situation, but it’s not going to change how you go out there and perform. I had to go out there focused.”
Surfline is calling for a rising swell on Friday, December 13, 2013, and a pretty large swell on Saturday. It would appear that round 5 through the finals will go down on Saturday, December 14, 2013. And you just might want to tune in as it just may be the heaviest day in pro surfing history. Follow the jump for the official word from the ASP. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 8, 2013
The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons kicked off today (December 8, 2013) in firing six to eight foot surf that faded over the course of the day, but never stopped delivering barrels. Brazilian Gabriel Medina put down the highest score of the day (18.67) and landed one of the biggest airs ever done at Pipeline on his way to blazing Bruce Irons.
“I got a little bit lucky,” Medina said. “I got three really good barrels and did the air at the end. I was watching the guys always getting big scores at backdoor and had them in my mind. Somehow, I found those lefts and that was such a fun heat. I’ve always watched Bruce (Irons) and I really respect him. To be surfing with him is a dream come true.”
The top seeds jump into the action tomorrow in round three. For the official word from the ASP including complete results, follow the jump.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 6, 2013
The most glamorous night of action sports award showing goes down tonight live from the North Shore of Oahu as Surfer Magazine presents the 2013 Surfer Poll Awards. Here’s what Surfer has to say for themselves:
The night of the 6th, we’ll honor the Top Ten men and Top Five women as voted by the readers of SURFER Magazine, and we’ll be presenting awards for Best Barrel, Worst Wipeout, Heavy Water (our award for excellence/craziness in big-wave charging), Best Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Short (for films under 20 minutes), and the big one, Movie of the Year.
The live show rolls out on Surferpoll.com (and via Oceanic Time Warner Cable in Hawaii) at 7 pm HST, 9 pm PST and midnight on the East Coast. For more info, click the link.
[Link: Surfer Poll]
by The Editors on December 3, 2013
On December 10, 2013 the band Switchfoot is releasing their first feature tour film Fade West on all the leading Video On Demand platforms in the US including X Box and Sony Playstation.
Inspired by such films as Rattle and Hum and Endless Summer, Fading West follows Switchfoot as they travel the globe in search of new musical inspiration and perfect waves. Directed by Matt Katsolis and Executive Produced by Greenlight Media & Marketing and Switchfoot, the film was shot during their 2012 World Tour and charts the creation of the San Diego-based band’s upcoming ninth album in its earliest and most unpredictable stages.
Jon and Tim Foreman get what look like some great waves all over the world and Rob Machado even shows up in the film to surf and say those things he says about how similar surfing and music are. For more info and the official word from Switchfoot, follow the jump.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 2, 2013
Hawaii’s Ezekiel Lau, 20, slipped past Damien Hobgood, Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro and Portugal’s Frederico Morais to win the 39th Annual Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset on Sunday, December 1, 2013. It is the biggest win of Lau’s professional surfing career and a.
Lau made a late tube-riding charge from behind to turn the tables on Damien Hobgood (Fl., USA) and Raoni Monteiro (Brazil) in the latter half of the 30-minute final. Fourth place was Frederico Morais, 21 (Portugal), who was announced the JN Chevrolet Rookie of the 2013 Vans Triple Crown. Lau went on the hunt and found his way onto the biggest waves of the final that also offered high-scoring tube riding potential. His final scoreline was 15.5 points out of 20 (8.67 and 6.83 point rides). Hobgood was second on 14.3; Monteiro third with 12.33, and Morais on 7.16.
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing continues on December 8, 2013 with the opening of the waiting period for the Billabong Pipe Masters. For the official word from the Triple Crown of Surfing, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 2, 2013
The producers of Out In The Lineup, a documentary film on surfers who are gay, are raising money to complete their project on Kickstarter. They’re hoping to raise AUS$30,000 and with 11 days left they need only AUS$3,000 more to get it done.
OUT in the line-up is a feature documentary about two gay surfers, David and Thomas, who set off on a global journey to uncover the taboo of homosexuality in surfing. They travel from Australia to Hawaii, California, Mexico and the Galapagos Islands to speak with people from all corners of the surfing community, from former world champions through to everyday surfers. Stories of fear, isolation and self-doubt emerge alongside ones of hope, self-empowerment and transformation. As their journey unfolds, Thomas and David are inspired to promote change within the existing culture by looking to surfing’s grassroots values of freedom of spirit, open-mindedness and love for the ocean.
If you’d like to help them finish their film, click the link and do what you can.
[Link: Out In The Lineup]
by The Editors on November 27, 2013
We have to admit, we’re not exactly up on the NYC and/or longboard surf scene, but apparently, Joel Tudor’s company Kookbox (which he co-founded with New York based photographer Andrew Blauschild), is having some organization issues, according to a story in the NY Post.
But Blauschild claims that Tudor — one of the world’s best-known surfers — became increasingly arrogant over the years and started treating him and other staffers like serfs . . . “Joel is one of the best-known surfers in history,” Blauschild told The Post. “But he has some issues.”
Now, Blauschild is suing Tudor in Federal court to have him “officially booted from the company.” Blauschild is also “demanding unspecified damages for slander and other misdeeds.” Guess that’s what happens when a California Surfer and a New York Photographer try to bridge the West Coast/East Coast gap in a business.
[Link: NY Post]
by The Editors on November 18, 2013
Uppercut Deluxe, purveyors of authentic mens’ grooming goods, has signed surfer Jack Freestone as an ambassador.
Freestone joins a growing roster of Uppercut Deluxe ambassadors including surfers Josh Constable, Nick Wallace and Matt Chojnacki. Uppercut Deluxe director, Steve Purcell, says he’s proud that his company is representing a surfer who reflects his brand’s two most prized values— style and quality. “Jack Freestone represents a brand of surfing that aligns itself with the direction and values of Uppercut Deluxe,” says Purcell. “We do not look to conform, we are original and focused on style- just like Jack’s surfing.”
For the official word from Uppercut Deluxe, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
