What have I not been doing this year? The QS full time, surf trips and enjoying my surfing lifestyle.
Last year not qualifying encouraged me to try really hard this year, but
I think I put too much pressure on myself as it showed in certain results.
I competed in my first WCT which was awesome! Peru is a crazy third world country with great waves. You start to learn that even the most un-populated places have great surf.
I think that's one of the best things about surfing, you can go anywhere where there's a coast line and make something surf-able (if that's even a word). I started to really enjoy and absorb other cultures, I fell semi in love with Europe's ancient historic buildings and their espresso shots of coffee in gas stations. My mom pretty much traveled to every event with me this year and that made us even closer than we've ever been.
I won the US Open Pro Junior and that was the highlight of my year. Performing in front of hundreds either makes or breaks you and I really enjoyed succeeding in front of many eyes.
I went on my first boat trip to Indonesia! That was a completely different type of surf trip that I have ever been on! Surfing for 8 hours a day in pretty much the harshest sun ever! I was able to talk with a lot of the locals, who had no idea about the westernized world.
Loving every second at home that I get! Working the facebook page, love twitter. Currently I'm working with Channel Islands surfboards on equipment which is so crucial to surfing.
Love my O'Neill family and all the support they continue to give me! I'm planning on getting really fit and focused for the remainder of the year. You have to over prepare to not under perform! So that my latest motto! Thanks to Shaun Ward! Best team manager..
Airing Tuesday, August 31 at 8:30pm Eastern Time (5:30pm Pacific Time) in the Wake Steady programming block and telecast several additional times, FUEL TV will showcase "Pull: Anna Maria Island."
In this episode, travel to Anna Maria Island just outside of Tampa Bay, Florida, for a classic wakeskate mission as we camp on Nick Taylor's houseboat and explore the calm back waters of the bay for an entire week. Check out Nick's way of life as he lives on his anchored boat without running water or a bathroom. Come jib Nick's rail park and winch along the beach with Nick, Andrew Pastura, Stu Shinn and Travis Doran.
Costa Rica's, Jairo Perez, dominated the Junior Pro division at the 2010 East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach this past week. Perez was on point for the entire event and blew up in the final to take the 2010 crown.
While the event has been on hold for a full seven days, Team O'Neill have not exactly been sitting around doing nothing - that's for sure. Jordy, Timmy, Bobby and Roy have been making the most of the swell on offer in the Tahitian paradise
Check out all the photos and videos
Look for more of this soon. Collin will be back riding in a few months.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – August 11, 2010 — O'Neill, the original Californian surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, and Philips, a diversified Health and Well-being company, have come together to create a new line of headphones. The Philips | O'Neill headphones collection will feature four high performance styles – two headband style headphones, and two ear buds. Official details, product imagery, and microsite will launch on September 2, 2010. Before the official launch, the collection can be previewed from August 13-15, 2010, at the O'Neill booth at ASR tradeshow in San Diego, Calif. Or please visit the Philips booth at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin, Germany from Sept 3-8, 2010.
ABOUT O'NEILL
O'Neill, the original Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand, was founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game. Pioneering the world's first neoprene wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a way to extend his surf sessions in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern California. He opened up the garage doors to his first surf shop in Santa Cruz soon after.
While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, Jack's initial vision of producing functional and innovative boardriding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. O'Neill's set of core values – innovation in style and technology – has seen the brand devote itself wholeheartedly to the evolution of action sports. From the first ever neoprene wetsuit and surf leash, to the world's first stitchless boardshorts and range of groundbreaking wearable electronics, O'Neill's spirit of innovation will always drive the company forwards.
Today, O'Neill can be found the world over. In touch with its rich heritage and the universal stoke of boardriding culture, O'Neill will always be committed to progressing that evolution and growing its reputation as one of the world's leading youth lifestyle brands.
ABOUT PHILIPS
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity".
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 116,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 23 billion in 2009, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare.
With the emerging growth of wakeskating in the past year, riders from all over the world are invited and encouraged to sign up for the 2010 Byerly Toe Jam Festival, taking place in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, September 11 at the Orlando Watersports Complex (OWC) during Surf Expo weekend. As usual, event founder Scott Byerly designed the event to showcase wakeskating in all aspects, including wake riding, rail riding, cable park and winch pulls out of a custom pool-to-rail setup. With all the different areas to compete, there will be over $20,000 dollars up for grabs, made possible by Rockstar Energy Drink, O'Neill, Nike 6.0, Arnette and Nautiques. An open qualifier will be held September 2-4 at OWC. For more info and recent updates, stay tuned to www.byerlytoejam.com.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
QUALIFIER EVENTS
September 2: Wake qualifier (10am - 4pm)
September 3: Cable qualifier (10am - 4pm)
September 4: Rail qualifier (10am - 4pm)
TOE JAM FESTIVAL - September 11
On Saturday, 19-year old,Sage Erickson gave a landmark performance when she claimed the Women's US Open Pro Junior title in a stacked final. Erickson took an early lead and edged out last year's Pro Junior winner and O'Neill teammate, Malia Manuel, and clinched her first ASP victory with a final score of 10.20 to 7.56. The title was Erickson's first competition win and with Manuel by her side, signals a bright future for Team O'Neill.
"This is an awesome experience, I can't believe it," said Erickson. "I came in second last year with Malia (Manuel) getting the score in the last couple of seconds, so she definitely pushed me out there this time. It was a good battle in the Finals, and it feels great to win here in front of all these people and stand next to my friend and teammate."
Surfers competing in the US Open of Surfing are out to clinch crucial ratings points towards their ASP World Ranking. ASP Pro Junior surfers look to finish atop their regional ratings to qualify for the ASP World Junior Tour. Next, Smith will take his number-one world ranking to the ASP World Tour stop at Teahupoo, Tahiti, August 23rd-September 3rd. Meanwhile, Erickson and Manuel will head to World Juniors in Bali, Indonesia from October 2nd-13th.
Jordy Smith takes 2nd, while Sage Erickson pulls off the Junior Pro victory.
Visit Jack's Huntington Beach during the final weekend (August 7th & 8th) of the US Open for your chance to win a FREE pair of Monster Freaks
Wetsuit pioneer Jack O'Neill made a career of protecting surfers from the ocean's chilly waters.
By Kurtis Alexander
PLEASURE POINT -- Wetsuit pioneer Jack O'Neill made a career of
protecting surfers from the ocean's chilly waters. Now he's trying to protect
himself from its fury.
The 87-year-old Santa Cruz icon says his home on East Cliff Drive is
threatened by damaging down-coast currents as a result of a new
1,100-foot-seawall being built by the county. O'Neill claims his best defense
is a seawall of his own, and he's asking state regulators for permission to
build one.
"I was satisfied with my house the way it was," O'Neill said
Wednesday, looking out at the emerging seawall that runs up against his
property. "But the wall creates a little hurricane when the sand and sea
get washed down, and it eats out what's at the end."
O'Neill, who moved to the Santa Cruz area in the late '50s to open a
surf shop, has lived in the house he's now trying to protect for 40 years. The
two-story home, while modestly built, is one of few that sits directly on the
bluffs above Pleasure Point's famed surf breaks and is a longtime landmark on
the county shoreline.
"It's a fantastic spot," O'Neill said from his sofa, which
provides a 180-degree view of the bay that inspired the international wetsuit
company he built and has since passed on to his son, Pat, to run.
O'Neill's seawall plans call for expansion of the county's concrete
seawall around his property. The work, which he says will cost him at least $1
million, involves removing the rock and riprap that now offers him protection
from the waves and replacing them with a sturdier wall contoured around his home.
Like the county seawall, which is in its final stage of construction,
O'Neill's wall would be sculpted and colored to look like the bluffs.
The California Coastal Commission is scheduled to make a decision on
O'Neill's proposal next week.
"He's in a very vulnerable spot," said commission planner
Susan Craig, noting that seawalls often deflect wave energy to nearby areas
that are not armored with concrete. "This new seawall could provide him
better protection over time."
Commission planners are recommending their governing board approve the
project at its meeting Wednesday in San Luis Obispo, with the proposals O'Neill
has made for the public.
One is a path in front of the seawall for beachgoers to use during low
tide. Another is making sure the parcel next to his property, which he also
owns and is commonly called the "dirt farm," is not developed and
remains open to people walking along the bluff top.
Surfrider Foundation regional manager Sarah Damrom, whose organization
fought unsuccessfully to stop the county seawall, reluctantly said she would
not oppose O'Neill's plans.
"We don't support armoring the coast there. However fighting things
piecemeal doesn't seem like it's going to solve the problem," she said.
Surfrider and other environmental groups have challenged the rationale
for seawalls, noting they only deflect the erosion problem. But with the
numerous seawalls on the coast, critics have softened their protest,
particularly to smaller projects, and have instead sought to sway planners to
their line of thinking.
Some worry seawalls, like the ones at Pleasure Point, could dampen the
waves the surf community has come to rely on.
A surfer coming up from the beach Wednesday, though, didn't concern
himself with that potential.
"Hey, it's Jack O'Neill's house," he said. "Let him do
what he needs."
Visit Jack's Huntington Beach for your chance to win a FREE pair of Bobby Martinez's signature boardshort, the "Monster Freak". Hourly Raffle on Saturday August 7th and Sunday August 8th.
FUEL TV's James Krawczyk interviewed Collin Harrington about his recent knee injury and surgery.
Explain in more detail how you got hurt. Anything you could have done differently to have prevented it, or just random? What exactly was torn/damaged?
Basically I tore my ACL ligament in my left knee. It wasn't even that cool of a crash or anything. At least if it's gonna blow, you may as well do it on something cool. All I did was a switch heelside 540. I saw some boat rollers coming down the lake so I actually got excited. I figured I would use it as a mini double up and do a switch 7. Instead I stopped myself at 5.
I landed just past the wake in the hard spot. As I landed I simply squatted down and fell back slowly. As I landed I just felt my knee roll outward just a tiny bit and "POP, POP". I have torn my knee before so instantly I knew what I did.
The guys filming in the chase boat came to me and I told them I just tore my knee. They didn't believe me 'cause it looked like a normal crash. I guess the only way I could have prevented it is that I could have used my CTI knee brace. I hadn't worn a brace on that leg in over a year though.
Was this a re-injury or was this a good knee? How is it different from your other knee injuries?
I did this knee back in 2005 and re-injured it 6 months after surgery in 2006 because I was filming for the Liquid Force team movie The Truth and was pushing it too hard when I should not have been. It was better this time because I didn't tear any maniscus this time like I did the others.
To read the full interview with Collin Harrington check out www.fuel.tv.
July 29, 2010. Cape Town, South Africa – Greg Emslie has won the O'Neill Cold
Water Classic South Africa ahead of Australian, Dion Atkinson, continuing the
sporting success of a nation well into 2010.
"Jordy (Smith) won the other two local events and now I've won the third," said
Greg, hailing from East London, South Africa. "I was thinking to myself I beat Jordy
in this event, now I can't let the guy down and lose the final. We've got to keep
all the trophies at home, so I'm stoked I managed to do that."
The crowds flocked to Long Beach on the Cape Peninsula to witness a South
African win on home soil for the first time as part of the O'Neill Cold Water Classic
South Africa, cheering Greg's every wave from the shore.
"The crowd all want you to win so if you lose you feel like you've let them down,"
said Greg who also knocked out the in-form surfer of this event Shaun Cansdell in
the quarter finals earlier in the day.
The local crowd might even have been hoping for an all-South African final, but it
was Australian Dion Atkinson who mixed things up and gave everyone on the
beach a scare as it came down to a final wave in the dying minutes for Greg
Emslie to take and secure the win.
"I felt the best I've felt all contest when I took that last wave," said Greg. "I knew I
just had to go for it and I did."
For Dion it was a different story: "I didn't even see that last wave," he said. "Next
thing I knew I turned to the beach and saw him on it and thought… oh no, what
just happened."
However it's not all bad news for Dion as he moves up to fourth position in the
O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series ratings in the chase for the $50,000 behind
Shaun Cansdell, Stuart Kennedy and in first, Royden Bryson.
The final day of this year's O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa was played out
in relatively mild conditions compared to what the Cape Peninsula has produced
this past week.
The winds had eased, the swell had dropped and the sun was still shining… but
the water temperature offered a bit of a surprise element for all the guys jumping
in for their heat.
"It definitely hits you when you first get in it," said Dion. "My hands and feet were
feeling it, and I was trying to avoid duck diving as much as I could. It feels as cold
as it is when we surf Canada for the Series. But it was really fun conditions today."
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic Canada is next, starting on October 9th in Tofino
July 28, 2010. Cape Town, South Africa – The Cold Water Classic Series has always offered the wild and rugged. Now comes the drama – with the current World Number One, Jordy Smith as well as the current CWC Series leader, Royden Bryson knocked out of the competition as the quarter finalists were decided in solid 6 to 8 foot surf.
"It would have been nice to win three events here in South Africa," said Jordy – talking about latest wins firstly in his hometown of Durban, then his first World Tour win at J-Bay. "But it's also just cool to be here in Cape Town and have a contest here. I've been having fun and seeing friends."
As the crowds flocked to the beach, Jordy Smith wowed all in his first heat of the day, before bowing out to Greg Emslie and now-local hero Matt Bromley in the Round of 32.
"Jordy is such an amazing surfer. Just to make that heat meant so much to me," said Kommetjie local Matt Bromely after his heat in the Round of 32, before unfortunately stalling in the Round of 16.
It was the third day of competition at the O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa here on the Cape Peninsula, and it was the third different location in a row, held today at Longbeach – but even that didn't remain the same.
"It's like a completely different break out there this afternoon then it was this morning – with the tide and the winds," said Shaun Joubert – one of 6 South African quarter finalists. He is joined by Chad Du Toit, Frankie Oberholzer, Greg Emslie, Antonio Bortoletto and Daniel Redman.
Standing out in the group are the two Australians – Dion Atkinson and Shaun Cansdell. "I get along with the South Africans. Between them and the Australians there's a really good vibe – and I travel with one pretty much full time," said Dion, who despite battling flu powered through to the quarters.
As for Shaun Canselll - while all the focus has been on Royden Bryson and Stuart Kennedy vying for the CWC Series lead, sitting quietly behind them has been Shaun, although there is nothing quiet about his surfing at this event.
"I really enjoy surfing lefthanders being a goofy footer and am pretty stoked to surf them in an event," said Shaun. "It's pretty wild conditions out there with that wind, and there's a really cold current come in today so it's freezing."
"I was in third before this event," he said of the CWC Series rankings. "But there's still three events including this one – so anything can happen. Anyone could take it, so I am just seeing how it all goes."
The next call will be tomorrow July 29th at 8am starting with the quarterfinals.
It was a day of surprises here at the O'Neill Cold
Water Classic South Africa, as some of the event favourites were knocked out of
the second round in massive surf at Outer Kom on the Cape Peninsula.
Among them was Cold Water Classic Tasmania winner,
Stuart Kennedy who prior to this event was sitting in first place on the CWC
Series rankings alongside Royden Bryson. Stuart finished third in his heat
behind Nicholas Godfrey (ZAF) and Indar Perez (EUK).
"Here in Cape Town, you are often not competing
against the three other surfers in your heat, you are competing against the
elements," said Royden Bryson who is yet to get in the water in this
competition to try and take the CWC Series lead. "There is a lot of hype about
the series leader," said Royden, "but I try to shove it to the back of my
mind."
Also knocked out in this round of 64 were last
year's semi-finalist,Jarrad Howse, and South African star Casey Grant. But not
all the surprises were negative. Among the most positive was the heat win of 14
year old local surfer Benji Brand, who with a 16.34 heat score, achieved the
highest of the day.
"I'm really stoked. I surf here a lot at Outer Kom.
It's a really fun wave," said Benji Brand. "There was quite a bit of kelp today
but I managed to get 2 good scores. I've been surfing 9 years. I've lived in
Hawaii as well as just on the point here, which I think helped."
The only part of today that didn't come as a
surprise at this 4 Star ASP event were the conditions.
Typical O'Neill Cold Water Classic conditions were
back with a vengeance here in Cape Town South Africa. Despite a delay this
morning because of wild winds and swell, everything came together to create a
spectacular day of surfing in a solid 8 foot at Outer Kom on the Cape
Peninsula.
Board selection was the topic of conversation on
the rocks between surfers as they watched the heats, readying for their own. "I
came down with a car packed full with everything from 6"8, 6"6, 6"4, 6"2, and
6"0 and a couple of short boards as well," said Royden Bryson assessing the wild
conditions.
While all on the shore were waiting to see the
South African current World Number One Jordy Smith in action, the suspense
continues as wild conditions forced the competition off at the end of heat 9 in
the round of 64.
Jordy will be in the seventh heat of the day
tomorrow – the time and location to be decided at this mobile event at the next
call - tomorrow, July 28th at 8am.
Learn more about Taylor, our Generation Next finalist of the week!
Q: Which season is your favorite to design for?
A: Summer, because you can wear whatever you want! No dress codes.
Q: Do you visit a lot of fashion websites?
A: I usually check out, forever21.com, seventeen.com, and Facebook, even though it's not fashion.
Q: What kinds of activities do you enjoy besides designing?
A: surfing, shopping and skateboarding
Q: What is your favorite date outfit?
A: I love my Louis Lane dress. It's a black sweetheart top and the rest is grey!
Q: What kind of top would you design to score a guy?
A: Nothing too revealing. You want to show some skin, but not too much. God gave you skin so show some of it, but be classy!
Q: What do you want in your prom date?
A: A guy who can dance!
Q: Date, Dump or Kiss? Joe Jonas, Ryan Sheckler, Justin Bieber?
A: Oh, geez, date-Joe Jonas, Dump-Ryan Sheckler, Kiss-Justin Bieber
Q: If you were on a deserted island, what 3 things would you want with you?
A: Music (Ska, rock and reggae), my dog and clothes
Q: Team Edward or Jacob?
Q: Jacob
July 26, 2010. Cape Town, South Africa – Clean 3-4 foot waves, light winds, perfect blue sky and a spectacular
mountain backdrop all set the stage for the first day of the O'Neill Cold Water
Classic South Africa 2010.
It was essentially only the 12-degree water, which
reminded the competitors that they were at an O'Neill Cold Water Classic event
here on the Cape Peninsula.
The first day of the O'Neill Cold Water Classic
South Africa saw the Round of 80 as well as Heat 1 in the round of 64 completed
at Noorhoek beach just North of the competition's base at Kommetjie on the Cape
Peninsula.
"There's not many events in the world now where you
can take a few gazebos and have a choice of about 10 different world-class
waves," said O'Neill South Africa Marketing manager Paul Canning.
"The event last year was awesome," said Paul. "We
had a great last day at Kalk Bay and we've started off in the same way this
year with a perfect first day at the Dunes. It's such a scenic spot to run an
event."
Whilst local talent, Ian Armstrong was knocked out
in the first round, brothers Haydn and Devan MacNicol stormed through top of
their heats. As did fellow South African Shaun Joubert – straight off his
wildcard entry at J-Bay - in the first and only heat surfed today in the round
of 64, giving the local crowd reason to celebrate.
"The world cup was unbelievable here and it really
unified the whole country," said Paul. "Everyone is still in that celebration
mode, so this event still has a lot of that enthusiasm and positivity around
it."
Whilst conditions were atypical of this 5-event CWC
series, according to local forecaster Spike at wavescape.co.za, this is only
the beginning. "Tomorrow looks like it's picking up with 6 to 8 foot swell with
bigger sets in the afternoon," said Spike. "By Wednesday it really is a Cold Water
Classic as temperatures plummet and we are looking at 10 to 12 foot surf in
strong SSE winds."
Tomorrow not only brings
the swell but it also brings the drama as current World Number One, Jordy Smith
will be looking to get into the water for this third South African competition
in a row he hopes to win. And O'Neill CWC Scotland
winner, Royden Bryson and the 2010 CWC Tasmania winner Stuart Kennedy battle to
take the Series ratings lead to get closer to that $50,000 prize money.
O'Neill's Jen GilanFarr took the National title at the 2010 Air Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships in Reno, Nevada! She is the first girl to ever land a kickflip in a contest!
JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Sunday, July 18, 2010) - Jordy Smith (ZAF), 22, has claimed his maiden ASP elite victory, taking out the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay over Adam Melling (AUS), 25, in front of a capacity hometown crowd.
Event No. 4 of 10 on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay was nothing but blaring Vuvuzelas and roars from the bluff as these two titans went tit-for-tat in an incredible Final exchange. The young South African proved the victor, dominating from the outset and securing an emotional first win.
"This is the best day of my life," Smith said. "The crowd on the beach has been supporting me the last few days and hearing the cheers and the Vuvuzelas just gets me fired up to perform. It feels like they're pushing me along. I couldn't have done it without them."
The most experienced surfer at Jeffreys Bay, Smith left very little to chance in the Final against Melling, opening his account with a blazing 8.90 before backing it up with some scintillating forehand surfing for a 9.03. The combination of scores (17.93 out of a possible 20) proved insurmountable for Melling.
"I knew the swell was dying and I had to take advantage of every wave that came through," Smith said. "Adam (Melling) is such a dangerous surfer. He's been in form all day and I knew that if he got the waves, he would get the scores. I went out there knowing I had to open up strong."
After taking the ratings' lead over former nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 38, yesterday, Smith solidified his position as the ASP World No. 1 with today's emphatic victory.
"It definitely is a different feeling," Smith said. "To be chasing the lead and defending the lead are two different things. It's a long year ahead and you can't count anyone out until it's over. I'm going to enjoy this feeling for now."
Smith's Final's berth almost never was, as the big South African was comboed by lethal Australian Bede Durbidge (AUS), 27, with four minutes remaining in their Semifinal clash. Catching two waves in under a minute, Smith unloaded a barrage of aerials and forehand blasts to claw his way back into the lead.
"I'm still not too sure what happened - it's all a blur," Smith said. "I got that first one where I did the little grab air that I didn't think was good, but the judges scored the whole wave pretty well. Then I backed it up and put everything I had into it."
Melling's "Cinderella" climb to the Finals was nothing short of sensational. Rated a lowly 41st on the ASP World Title Race rankings heading into Jeffreys Bay, the 2010 ASP Dream Tour rookie powered his way through five rounds of competition before coming short in the Final. His Runner-Up finish sees him bumped up to ASP World No. 19, well inside the safety zone for the dreaded mid-year field reduction.
"The ocean didn't cooperate with me in the Final so that's a shame but I couldn't be happier," Melling said. "We had amazing waves and to get the best result of my career is huge. I came into Jeffreys with a long road ahead if I were to make the mid-year cut-off, and now that I'm 19th, I feel like I have a bit of a buffer heading into Tahiti. I worked really hard to get here and I want to stay here."
Durbidge suffered one of the hardest losses of the event, having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by a last-minute crusade by Smith. Despite the bitter loss, Durbidge's Equal 3rd vaults him from 10th to 7th on the ASP World Title Race rankings heading into the fifth event of the year.
"I had him comboed with only four minutes to go," Durbidge said. "He took off on that one-footer and pulled that 'Superman' air and finished off well, then came out and got another one. I think he got two waves in a minute or something. It's a hard way to lose, but Semifinals is my best result of the year and it's something to build on. The focus is on Tahiti now."
Taj Burrow (AUS), 32, consistently wowed audiences with his performance from Round 1 onwards, collecting the event's highest heat total in yesterday's Round 4. Despite today's Semifinal loss at the hands of Melling, the Western Australian moves up to ASP World No. 2 heading into Tahiti.
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available via www.billabongpro.com/jbay10
The event will be broad LIVE on FUEL TV in Australia.
Official fores for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay brought to you by Surfline.
The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour is the Billabong Pro Tahiti from August 23 through September 3, 2010.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Final Results:
1 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.93
2 - Adam Melling (AUS) 10.00
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.40
SF 2: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.00 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.67
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.43 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9.20
QF 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.17 def. Sean Holmes (ZAF) 11.83
QF 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.00 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 3.66
QF 4: Adam Melling (AUS) 16.43 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 5.67
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Remaining Round 4 Results:
Heat 8: Adam Melling (AUS) 17.07 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.50
Current ASP World Title Race Top 5 (after South Africa):
1. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 28500 pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 24750 pts
3. Kelly Slater (USA) 23500 pts
4. Dane Reynolds (USA) 20000 pts
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 19500 pts
6. Mick Fanning (AUS) 19250 pts
7. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 18750 pts
8. Bobby Martinez (USA) 16500 pts
9. Jadson Andre (BRA) 16000 pts
10. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14750 pts
Jordy Smith rips apart the point breaks of Mexico.
Meet Monica, our Gen Next Finalist of the week!
Q: Who are your favorite designers?
A: I don't really have one. I usually go with whatever I'm feeling at the moment.I love vintage stores. My grandmother is my style icon.
Q: How do you accessorize your outfits?
A: Expensive handbags, I love handbags that are bright and make a statement.
Q: Which fashion websites do you visit often?
A: Not all of them are fashion, but some of my favorites are, laughbook.com, tumbler.com, Urban Outfitters, whowhatwear.com, and pop sugar
Q: Which Fashion Institute would you like to attend when you graduate high school?
A: FIDM in LA
Q: What is the craziest thing you have ever done to get in trouble at school?
A: I talked back to a teacher and managed to escape detention.
Q: What is your favorite date outfit?
A: The first date would be jeans and a nice top, but after you get to know the guy, I would get more risky!
Q: What kind of top would you design to score a guy?
A: One shoulder top or racerback with zipper pocket.
Q: If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you want to take?
A: My ipod, cell, labtop and use them until the batterly life ran out.
Q: Team Edward or Team Jacob?
A: Edward!
Alek Parker continues his hurricane chasing adventures. Hunting down Hurricane Alex, the first hurricane of the 2010 season. Good friend and East Coast legend, Cory Lopez, joins Parker in the great state of Texas.
Cory Lopez and Alek Parker go from the first Hurricane swell of the season to a solid southern hemi.
This past weekend O'Neill and the Mauli Ola Foundation teamed up on the Surf Experience Day for Cystic Fibrosis children in Santa Monica. The purpose behind the event was to have Cystic Fibrosis children experience the sport of surfing. Salt water has been proven to be a natural treatment to Cystic Fibrosis, helping to break up the mucus build up in the lungs which is caused by the disease. O'Neill pro surfers Alek Parker and Noah Erickson were in attendance teaching the kids the basic fundamentals of surfing and pushing them into a few waves. Huge smiles all around were the norm from kids.
The Mauli Ola Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2008 to promote awareness of genetic disease and support for patients. One of the Foundation's programs is Surf Experience Days, which pairs professional surf instructors and novice surf students who have Cystic Fibrosis to introduce them to the healing properties of exercise, ocean air, achievement, and fun in a supportive environment. Hypertonic saline (which is prevalent in the ocean air just above the water's surface) has been shown to be a natural treatment for people with Cystic Fibrosis.
Twenty- two-year old Jordy Smith (Dbn) etched his name into the history books today, becoming the third ever South African winner of the Mr Price Pro Ballito, simultaneously moving into the No. 1 position on the ASP One World Rankings.
Smith defeated South Coast star Casey Grant (Scottburgh) in the final to claim an emotional victory before his home crowd. Riding high on the shoulders of his friends, some of Durban's finest surfers as the crowds exploded into cheers of support, Smith was awarded his enormous R121 000 winner's cheque.
"I haven't won an event in front of my home crowd since I was fifteen," Smith said (Smith won the ISA World Junior Games in Durban). "This is just wild! I am so happy right now I don't event know what to say!"
A standout from start to finish, the powerful natural-footer (front foot forward stance) who stands at an enormous 188 cm tall, used his priority to wait patiently for the better-set waves. Unleashing a devastating combination of power carves and fin drifts, Smith posted 7.50 and 6.33 (out of ten) scores off the bat, putting his opponent into a combination situation (needing a combination of two scoring rides) within the first 13 minutes of the heat.
Grant clawed his way back with an impressive three-second barrel ride to put himself back in contention with a 7.33 but it was not to be for the recently turned 21-year-old. Smith soon replied with a 7.93 for a series of savage on the rail carves to seal his victory. "Casey has been one of the most outstanding surfers of this event and I knew I had to bring my A game against him," Smith said.
Despite creasing his board during the semi finals, as well as breaking his favourite board during a free surfing session earlier in the week, Smith looked comfortable and in control throughout the week enjoying some of the best surfing conditions the KwaDukuza coastline has to offer.
"I haven't had waves this good for a while, I've been travelling all around the world and it's crazy to say that the best waves in the world are in my back yard," Smith said. "We're so lucky we've had the opportunity to surf here and I'm really happy that a South African won and made the finals."
Advancing into World No. 1 on the ASP One World Rankings, Smith's result puts him in a fantastic position heading into the next World Tour stop the Billabong Pro Jeffrey's Bay next week. "Its great to be at number one but it's a long road ahead," Smith said. "I kinda look at it like boxing, there's 12 rounds and we've only been through four so there's plenty more to go and you have to hang tight."
Standing shoulder to shoulder with his surfing icon, Grant could not have been happier with his runner-up result. While he could hardly afford to buy a cup of coffee this morning, his result today ensured that Grant will fall asleep R68 222 richer tonight.
"I never dreamed I would be up here alongside Jordy," Grant said. "It's such an honour because I have looked up to him my whole life. It's been an amazing day and I can't wait till that prize money comes in! It's been a blessing to be in contention for the title and to win all this money. Words cant even described how stoked I am right now!"
Touted by the international judging panel as the next big talent to come out of South Africa, Grant displayed incredible flair and style throughout the event, recording one of the single highest wave scores of the competition, a 9.33 (out of ten) earlier in the week.
"It's definitely given me a lot of confidence and a lot of people have said to me I better start stepping it up," Grant said. "I think I'll be doing a few more events this year and then hit the Star Tour full time in 2011."
Placing equal fifth today were Royden Bryson (EL) and Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit) both of whom were eliminated during the semi finals, taking home a respectable R34 112 each.
After an impressive victory over Damien Fahrenfort (Dbn) during the quarterfinals, Bryson proved no match for Smith during their semi final. Smith put some tubes to good use, turning the tables against Bryson by rapidly notching up 7.33 and 7.5 scores, forcing Bryson to settle for second.
2008 ASP Africa Pro Junior Champion Klee Strachan found himself at the bitter end of a seesaw battle against Grant, the pair of South Coast surfers going toe-to-toe with almost identical scores. Eventually it was the fast, flashy surfing from Grant that earned him a 7.17 to bump Strachan off the leader's board, sailing into the final.
Damien Fahrenfort (CT), Greg Emslie (EL) and Beyrick De Vries (Umhl) took top honours during the Island Tribe Expression Session, the threesome earning R7000 each. Fahrenfort secured his win for the biggest aerial manoeuvre while De Vries took home the goods for the most radical manoeuvre. Emslie won the award for the most powerful manoeuvre.
Crowds flocked to Ballito's golden sands as sunshine and blue skies provided an idyllic setting for the final day of South Africa's longest running surfing competition.
RESULTS
Quarterfinals
Heat 2: Royden Bryson (ZAF) 11.00 def Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) 8.60
Heat 3: Casey Grant (ZAF) 14.50 def Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.20
Heat 4: Klee Strachan (ZAF) 8.74 def Brendon Gibbens (ZAF) 8.64
Semifinals
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def Royden Bryson (ZAF) 11.50
Heat 2: Casey Grant (ZAF) 13.34 def Klee Strachan (ZAF) 11.16
Finals
Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.43 def Casey Grant (ZAF) 12.43
Help vote John Florence's video part into the Innersection project. The kid is one of the best "all around" surfers in the world…and this clip proves it. It will only take you a minute to help push his part. Here's the link.
The answer is yes. On a recent trip to California, O'Neill Wake athletes Scott Byerly, Nick Taylor, Collin Harrington, Scotty Broome, Kyle Rattray and Jacob Valdez put in a few surf sessions in between media obligations. As you can see a majority of the boys are quite comfortable in the ocean. With the exception of Jacob. This was his first time surfing, but after he caught his first he was hooked. "I just want another one" he yelled while paddling back out
O'Neill team rider Kaleigh Gilchrist wins the girls 18 and under Surfing America USA Championship title for the second year in a row!!
Today we had a celebration party for Kaleigh at O'Neill headquarters. Read her interview below and check out the pictures. Congratulations Kaleigh!!
Q: How does it feel to be the two time Surfing America USA Champion?
A: It's awesome. One of my biggest goals this year was to defend my title. It feels great to come out and leave my 18 and under age group with a championship.
Q: What are your future surfing goals?
A: Nationals is going on now so I would like to make the finals. The US Open is coming up and I would like to make the finals in the Pro Juniors and get through a couple of heats in the 6 star if I get in. I'm leaving for Indo in a week and while I'm in college I would like to do a few contests and just keep surfing.
Q: How long have you been with O'Neill?
A: Oh wow, a long time, 6 or 7 years...
Q: Tell us your thoughts on USC and going to school?
A: I'm super excited to go to SC, move out of Newport, meet new people and experience college.
Q: Are you going to keep surfing through school?
A: Definitely. I'm going to try and do some QS events and pro juniors for a couple years.
Q: Were you surprised today when you walked into the O'Neill office and everyone was spraying confettie to congratulate you?A: Yeah, I definitely was. I was confused when I first walked in the door and everyone was doing the confetti poppers and stuff. I think my mom even jumped. It was really great to have the support from the whole team at O'Neill.
Lean more about Danielle, our finalist of the week!
Q: Who are some of your favorite designers?
A: John Galliano, Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Stella McCartney
Q: Which Fashion institute would you like to attend after graduation?
A: My heart is set on Parsons The New School for Design in NYC
Q: What are your activites besides design?
A: I'm not athletic, but I love the arts. I play the piano, I love photography, art and especially shopping
Q: What is your favorite season to design for?
A: Fall, because of all the color choices you have
Q: Which fashion websites do you like to visit?
A: fashiontv.com, style.com, seventeen.com, and freepeople. com
Q: What would you look for in a prom date?
A: He has to have a nice smile for the pictures
Q: What is the craziest thing you have done to get in trouble at school?
A: I'm a good kid, but one time I stood up to a teacher and told them that they were unprofessional and needed to retire! It was my 70 year old Algebra 2 teacher, who would announce to the class who was failing.
Q: What is your favorite date outfit?
A: A mondest babydoll dress, with a belt like a bow
Q: What kind of top would you design to score a guy?
A: A one shoulder top. It accentuates the skin, but not too much and you can dress it up or keep it casual.
Q: Date, Dump or Kiss? Ryan Sheckler, Justin Bieber, Joe Jonas?
A: Date-Ryan Sheckler, Kiss-Justin Bieber (but pushing it) and Dump-Joe Jonas
Q: Team Edward or Jacob?
A: Team EDWARD!
O'Neill, Newport Surf Camp and Wahoo's teamed up this past weekend to help kids with Cystic Fibrosis grab a few waves in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis. Salt water is a newly found natural treatment for Cystic Fibrosis, a degenerative disease that causes mucus build up in the lungs and makes it difficult to do the simple act of taking a breath. The idea behind the event was not only to get Cystic Fibrosis kids into the ocean, but also to help to raise awareness for the upcoming fundraiser Pipeline to a Cure in Huntington (July 31st).
Pro surfers Timmy Reyes, Cory Lopez and Alek Parker took a hands on approach in the fight against CF, partnering up with children and pushing them into a few waves. The joy on the kid's faces was truly remarkable, making the surf experience a huge success not only with the kid's but with the parents as well. Visit www.pipelinetoacure.com if you are interested in joining the fight against Cystic Fibrosis.
Team O'Neill highlights from Lower Trestles
In an effort to raise funds for the Gulf Coast cleanup and continue to raise awareness about the dangers of offshore oil drilling, O'Neill and Surfrider Foundation have teamed up to create a limited edition t-shirt, available for purchase online at www.oneill.com and www.killerdana.com while supplies last, starting today.
Proceeds from sales of O'Neill's 'Oil and Water Don't Mix' t-shirt will support the Surfrider Foundation's 'Not The Answer' offshore drilling campaign, which includes monitoring and response efforts in the Gulf, as well as Surfrider's ongoing efforts to reinstate the federal moratorium on new offshore drilling.
"Protecting America's oceans and coastal communities is vital, and this initiative with Surfrider Foundation is our first step against more offshore drilling," said O'Neill CEO, Toby Bost. "We are proud to be supporting Surfrider's efforts in this way and will do our part to help a great coastal region of the country. The 'Oil and Water Don't Mix' tee is just one way that O'Neill will help create awareness for coastal projects this summer, and we hope others will join us in the fight to take back our beaches."
"Once again, O'Neill is leading the charge to help protect our oceans, waves and beaches," added Matt McClain, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Surfrider Foundation. "The Surfrider Foundation is excited to be partnering with O'Neill to address the continuing environmental disaster in the Gulf and work to ensure that this type of catastrophe never occurs again."
On Saturday, June 26, a number of activists, surfers, musicians and celebrities including Rosario Dawson, Amy Smart, Jason Mraz and Laird Hamilton attended the worldwide 'Hands Across the Sand' events in Santa Monica and Oceanside, Calif. that protested proposed offshore drilling projects.
O'Neill team rider, Jordy Smith, said: "From growing up in South Africa and travelling on the Tour, I've been given the opportunity to surf some of the nicest beaches around the world. So when I see what's happening in the Gulf Coast, it's a sad reminder how badly offshore oil drilling can damage our oceans and marine life. Hopefully this t-shirt will help bring more awareness to the issue and keep oil companies away from the waters we love."
For more information and to support the cause, visit www.oneill.com and www.surfrider.org
The Hot Summer Fashion show featuring O'Neill, …Lost, and Vans was presented by O'Neill at Club Motiv in Santa Cruz on Saturday, June 19th. Each brand presented their fresh looks for the season along with fun giveaways and drinks. It was the first fashion show at Motiv which was packed to the brim with over 150 guest
We hope you had a chance to come to Santa Monica and check out the O'Neill booth at the Pacsun Ballyhoo! We had a great time handing out prizes while listening to great bands all day. It was also very convenient to jump in the pool when the heat got to be a bit too much! This was a great inagural event from Pacsun and we can't wait for next year!
You heard it from us first. Noah Schweizer will be the next major talent coming out of the East Coast. The younger brother of Nil’s Schweizer, hailing from New Smyrna Beach, look for big things from this kid in the near future.
O'Neill ECO Ambassador James Pribram held a fundraiser this weekend for the Costa Verde International School in Sayulita, Mexico.
The events included a free surf at Thalia Street in Laguna Beach followed by dinner and fundraising at Mozambique. Everybody looked like they were having a great time surfing the shoulder high sets at Thalia, I even saw James get a short cover up barrel. Mary Osborne was also in the line up showing off her surfing skills.
The event raised approximately $15k for the school.
The Costa Verde International School is a sustainable learning Center for teaching children in Mexico.
Costa Verde's mission is to provide children and adults in Sayulita and the surrounding area with high quality progressive education that is culturally and economically inclusive and focused on environmental sustainability, and to advance ecological responsibility in Mexico.
Students learn through hands-on experience using active learning techniques to stimulate individual interests and innate curiosity. They provide intellectually stimulating curriculum for initial grades from preschool to sixth grade with small class sizes. Dedicated staff of teachers, administrators and involved parents all work together to provide a joyful nurturing atmosphere with a strong commitment to diversity, local culture and environment.
If you would like to learn more about the Costa Verde International School email: info@colegiocostaverde.com or visit www.colegiocostaverde.com.
Show airs at 2:30 PM ET or 11:30 AM PT
Scott Byerly, Collin Harrington, Kyle Rattray, Nick Taylor, Scotty Broome, Jacob Valdez, Vincent Luevanos and Todd Larsen – Wednesday 6.16.10
O'Neill wake team riders Scott Byerly, Collin Harrington, Kyle Rattray, Nick Taylor, Scotty Broome and Jacob Valdez hit The Habit. Also, we bring you a never-before-seen performance on the Stride Sound Stage from Tokyo Police Club. Scott Byerly's sponsors include: O'Neill, Byerly Boards, Rockstar, Reef, Arnette, Skullcandy, Nautiques of Orlando and Performance Ski & Surf. Collin Harrington's sponsors include: O'Neill, Liquid Force, GoPro, Performance Ski & Surf and Vertra Sunscreen. Kyle Rattray's sponsors include: O'Neill, Reef, Anarchy, Gator Boards, Roswell, CTI and Centurion Boats. Nick Taylor's sponsors include: O'Neill, Nike 6.0, Rockstar, Integrity Boards and Republic Boardshop. Scotty Broome's sponsors include: O'Neill, Jstar Wakeboards, Rockstar, Smith, Reef and Tige Boats. Jacob Valdez's sponsors include: O'Neill, Hyperlite Wakeboards, Supra Boats and Wakesports Unlimited.
The day started with a team limo ride to the FUEL studios in Los Angeles, CA. The boys were quickly rushed into the dressing room to get their faces painted by the make-up team doing what they do best. Finally, the cameras got rolling and the personalities began to shine. An hour later the production team called it a wrap. That's how quick it's done…the O'Neill Wake Daily Habit will air this Wednesday. Check out the behind the scenes images in the gallery below.
Find out more about Brianna, our 2nd Finalist we interviewd....
Q: What is your personal style?
A: Bohemian or new age vintage
Q: What are some of your favorite websites?
A: Twitter, Facebook and photography websites
Q: Which Fashion Institute do you want attend after high school?
A: OTIS, but go to Orange Coast Community College first for all general ed classes
Q: What is your favorite season to design for?
A: Summer, because you can be playful with dresses and skirts
Q: What kind of top would you design to score a guy?
A: A tight heart shaped top
Q: Craziest thing you have done to get in trouble at school?
A: We danced on the tables at lunch one day
Q: What are some of your other interests besides fashion design?
A: Singing and hula dancing
Q: What do you look for in a prom date?
A: He has to be a good dancer and photogenic
Q: If you were on a deserted island what 3 things would you bring?
A: ipod, my cat and a cute dress
Q: Team Edward or Jacob?
A: Jacob
Q: Date, Dump or Kiss: Joe Jonas, Ryan Sheckler, Justin Bieber?
A: Date-Joe Jonas, Dump-Justin Bieber, Kiss-Ryan Seckler
Q: Energy Drink of Choice?
A: Rockstar
The O'Neill Wake Team stops by the O'Neill office for a highly contested game of lightning. The players included Scott Byerly, Collin Harrington, Nick Taylor, Kyle Rattray, Scotty Broome, and Jacob Valdez. Rattray took home the title.
New Jersey’s own, Zack Humphreys, enjoying summer in the Northeast.
O'Neill dive are pleased to help out the Sea Shepherd crew on their mission to save our ocean's endangered species.
For more information on how you can help please visit : www.seashepherd.org
Peru was my very first World Championship Tour event ever! The trip was awesome... kinda. It had its up and downs but what trip doesn't. The wave that the contest was held at was versatile and was a good spot to hold an event in my opinion. I missed out by qualifying for the tour last year by one spot. Sad yet great in the sense that this year I've been holding the number one alternate spot. I don't think I was ready for it last year. The WCT is a job, a career and an athlete's dream. You have to be fit not only physically but mentally and I feel like I still have much to grow in those areas. Each contest I have been gaining experience in all of the above.
Peru is a very poor country. Lima was the prettiest/cleanest part that I saw. Driving to SanBartolo there is not much to see but sand hills. I would picture it as Egypt with more dirt/soil. I have never been to Egypt but thats what my visual is. The sand hills are covered with boxcar like homes with no electricity, or running water, nothing. Once you get to the contest area it's beachier versions of the boxcars, some nice homes as well. When my first heat came along I was really nervous. It was the first time that I would be competing against girls like Chelsea Hedges, Steph Gillmore and Sally Fitzgibbons, all whom I find absolutely amazing surfers. I ended up losing in Round 1, a rookie's nightmare. It was a punch to my confidence that I had going into the event. I knew that I had to keep my head up and look onto Round 2, a second chance. In my first heat I received a 7.5 on one wave and needed a 3 to advance and I could not find it. Going into my second heat I knew that I was capable of the scores needed but technical smart heat surfing was needed this time. With visualizing and focus my performance improved in my second heat of the event and I won!
Round 3 was on. I had a lower seed going into the event, I drew former world champion Sofia Mulanvich, Queen of Peru. Not really but that's how it felt. Me against the country. Every time she stood up in a prior heat the roar of the crowed was unheard of. She is a god here, giving me poor hope for success.
I knew going into the 'man-on-man' heat I would have to surf my best, push my resolve and execute everything to perfection. Sofia and I exchanged waves and scores throughout the entire heat. She opened with 2 mid 6's and I opened up with a 7.4. Needing a 6.5 with 2 minutes left I got a smaller wave and surfed my hardest. I saw the quarters ahead of me. Tunnel visioned towards the judges stands I turned and carved. Kicking out of the wave I heard a couple appaloosas. I put my head down and prayed that would be the score..it came through and there it was a 6.8! I got the score..i couldnt believe it. I sprinted and fast as I could back out to the lineup. Only to find sofia pick off a great wave. I closed my eyes and said its in God's hands now. She received an 8 and went back to first. I lost, but not without a fight. When I got to the beach the girls congratulated me on my performance. I was proud to be a part of this event. It lit a fire in my eyes. This is where I want to be, what I want to be and what I will become.
I continued on to watch the girls compete. I really wanted Sally to win. She is a true athlete that I strive to take advice from yet a great friend at the same time. Her surfing is amazing. She continues to progress and I continue to take note. Silvana Lima ended up winning. She surfed amazing in the final and a well deserved first place. I'm headed home now. Excited and ready. On to the next adventure, Indonesia in a week. My first boat trip! Yay.
Each week we are going to feature one of the five finalists for the 2010 Generation Next. Our first finalist is Alee. Check out her interview below:
Who is your favorite designer?
A: Marc Jacobs for his creativity and "out of the box" thinking
What is your favorite season to design for and why?
A: Spring, because you can experiment with more things. Rather than just sandals or boots you can wear both sandals and boots during spring with leggings and mix things up.
What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
A: Designing the dress and handbag. I went home so excited to design more after our first day.
Which websites do you like to visit?
A: eonline, Perez Hilton.com, Seventeen.com and teenvogue.com
What kind of top would you design to score guys?
A: Nothing too revealing, most likely a cool tee shirt.
What is your favorite date outfit?
A: It depends on where you are going, but something that covers you. Jeans, boots and maybe a jacket
What characteristics do you look for in a prom date?
A: No Jerks! I don't want a guy that will leave me and dance with someone else.
Team Edward or Jacob?
A: Jacob!
Date, Dump, Kiss the following: Justin Beiber, Ryan Sheckler, Joe Jonas?
A: Date-Justin Beiber, Kiss-Ryan Sheckler, Dump-Joe Jonas
Favorite Energy drink to get you through the day?
A: Redbull
They’re here to blow up, takes names, and leave their mark on the industry. They are untouchable…they are the Kings of Freak.
Check out Jordy on Grindtv's Daily Grind!
Many of us feel like we're watching a slow-motion, multi-week disaster unfold with no way to personally make a difference. Here are five things YOU can do.
1) Join more than 11,000 others and make your voice heard.
Tell President Obama to restore the FULL moratorium that was put in place under Bush I (and offered protection to our coasts for decades) and allowed to expire under Bush II. Obama, like Bush II, let this expired moratorium stay. It needs to be put back in place. President Obama is, as of last week, putting in place what I'd call a "mini-moratorium." It partially addresses what we're seeking but due to it's limited scope, only offers partial protection. Learn more about this subject and send President Obama a note here.
2) Volunteer in Florida and Gulf. If you live in the Gulf or Florida regions you can document what you see and find on our Spill Tracker here. We also have a oil spill volunteer toolkit here (pdf). If you're in this area and have never connected with a local chapter, now is a great time to do it. The list of the local dozen chapters in the Gulf and in Florida is here.
3) Join thousands across America on June 26th as we come together to make our voice heard. On June 26 we are coordinating a nationwide event. It's called Hand Across the Sand. It will take place in most-to-all coastal states in the United States. More information on Hands Across the Sand here.
4. Stay up to speed on spill details. Our blog, Not The Answer, has been live for two years. We started it and our Not The Answer campaign when the moratorium was allowed to expire in 2008. We've helped document numerous spills that have occurred during that time, most noteworthy was the spill last fall in the Timor Sea which had very similar characteristics to the current Gulf spill. This spill lasted ten weeks before it was stopped.
5. Support alternatives. The United States has 3% of the world's oil and uses 20% of the world's oil. We can not drill our way to national security, it's mathematically impossible.This doesn't suggest we need alternatives, it says with clarity that we need alternatives.Part of this statement points to the simple need for us to use less fuel. If you drive a vehicle getting low MPG, think about that choice and what it means in the grander scheme. If you can use Skype or video conferencing instead of flying, understand these choices save massive amounts of fuel.
If you hear about local, state and national governments looking to invest in alternative energy solutions... pay attention. I can't suggest that every alternative energy proposal will be good because every one will have it's own set of unique costs and impact. Becoming part of that dialog will help you understand the various costs and the proposed return on that investment.
The best way to understand what is happening in the Gulf, the best way to be part of the solution to the disaster in the Gulf... is to engage.
The NSSA Western Championships finished up this past weekend at Huntington Beach Pier and once again O'Neill team riders stepped up in a big way. The surf was solid the entire event with Sunday being cancelled due to large surf and high winds. The finals commenced yesterday and saw surf in the 3-5' foot range and Shaw Kobayashi and Jake Davis crushed the entire field and have added West Championship Titles to their growing accolades.
San Clemente's Shaw Kobayashi has been hunting down this title for his amateur career and with this being his last year in the NSSA it makes even a sweeter accomplishment. Better yet, not only did he win the Men's Open Season Championship and he also won the Juniors Explorer Division to really put his stamp of dominance on the season. His surfing was on point with powerful carves and big moves through out the event. He garnered eight point rides nearly every heat and was on a mission from the first day of the event. With these wins his confidence is up and riding high heading into the NSSA Nationals coming up in June.
"I am super stoked that I accomplished what I have been trying to do all year. I kind of had a hard year and haven't done as good as I wanted too. Now with these double wins it just makes it all worth it. I am psyching and looking forward to Nationals."
Equally impressive was Capo Beach's Jacob Davis who won the Boys division and bettered his 2nd place from last year. His powerful surfing matched up well with the big surf. He excelled in the surf and was visibly on another level than the rest of the competition. He clearly won with a 7.5 and 8.6, which placed the rest of the competitors in a combo situation (needing a combination of two scores). He too will be riding a wave of confidence heading to Nationals.
Colton Ward also had a solid result and a nice run to the finals placing 4th overall in the Open Boys final. He excelled in the bigger surf but came up a little short in the wave department in the finals. Even so, it is a good way to cap off the year and look for Colton for a good run at the NSSA Nationals.
The NSSA Nationals will begin June 28-July 3rd and will have Live webcast at www.nssa.org
The five 2010 Generation Next finalists are gearing up for the runway bringing their best fashion forward ideas with them. The contestant's design and concept sketches will soon come to life, and for all of these girls, fashion equals life. The final five met last week for the first time to create their inspiration boards, a crucial step in the process of creation, which acts as a visual roadmap of imagery and color that illuminates each finalist's individual style and influences. Teaming up with the O'Neill design crew, the finalist's each had a chance to share their designs and get one-on-one feedback on garment construction and development. This year the competition is extremely talented and passionate about seeing their hard work and completed looks achieve success. The journey to the catwalk has begun! Check back in the coming weeks for in depth interviews with each finalist!
O'Neill and Teen Vogue have teamed up once again for the third annual Generation Next Contest; the most innovative fashion design contest in the action sports community.
The contest, a cross between American Idol and Project Runway, is a six month process that gives five high school students the chance to design a look from start to finish with the help of mentors from O'Neill's design and marketing teams. Each finalist will design a dress or a romper and a handbag and incorporate it into a line encompassing their own take on O'Neill's spring 2011 collection. The finalists build a team of 15 peers that assist in marketing, modeling and runway production. Months of hard work climax with a top of the line fashion show, including a celebrity host, popular band, pit access and a red carpet. In the end, it is the live audience and an unlimited amount of web cast viewers filled with family and friends that instantly choose a winner via text message by voting on their favorite look.
Here is your first look at the 2010 finalists.
Alee
El Modena High School
Fashion Statement: Wear whatever you feel comfortabel in, yet stylish
Style Icon: Chanel Iman
Fashion in 10 Words: Fashion expresses each individual's personality not only in the inside, but on the outside too.
Brianna
Torrance High School
Fashion Statement: I dress unique adn up to date. I like to put a little of everything into my style. I absolutely adore vintage clothing and bohemian style.
Stlyle Icon: Mischa Barton
Fashion in 10 Words: It means my life, my strive and my future.
Danielle
Eagle Rock High School
Fashion Statement: Style is the way one wants to be perceived by creating an image they can be proud of.
Style Icon: Janelle Monae
Fashion in 10 Words: Fashion to me is art in movement, it's an expression.
Monica
Rosary High School
Fashion Statement: I like to mix hand me downs from my grandmother with the new trends of today.
Fashion Icon: My Grandmother
Fashion in 10 words: Fashion is a way of escaping reality.
Taylor
John F. Kennedy High School
Fashion Statement: Boho shiek with a tint of glam
Style Icon: Gwen Stefani
Fashion in 10 Words: To me fashion means beauty, self-confidence and self expression.
James Pribram of Laguna Beach was announced today as the May recipient of the Orange County Heart & Soul Award. Pribram, a professional surfer and owner of Aloha School of Surfing, is being honored for his dedication to improving water quality and protecting endangered reefs and wildlife along Orange County's coastlines – an endeavor Pribram embarked upon in Laguna Beach more than 10 years ago.
Created by O'Connor Mortuary, the Heart & Soul Award program is designed to recognize an Orange County citizen each month for their passion for life and for their dedication to making a difference, whether they possess a lifetime of endeavors or for a one-time inspirational achievement.
"James is the perfect selection for our Heart & Soul Award because he's incredibly passionate about what he does. He works hard and remains dedicated to doing what he loves – protecting our coastlines for generations to come," said Neil O'Connor, President and CEO of O'Connor Mortuary. "He's an inspiration for us all to follow our hearts and to use our talents to serve a greater good."
Pribram's journey of environmentalism began locally in 1997. While teaching a surfing class, he entered the water with a small cut on his wrist that landed him in the emergency room only hours later with a near-fatal staph infection. Shaken by the realty of the situation, Pribram knew that something needed to be done to raise awareness and improve polluted ocean conditions in Orange County. After speaking before City Council, he was elected to the Laguna Beach Water Quality Committee in 2000 and has worked relentlessly since to raise awareness of coastal environmental issues.
"The Water Quality Committee gave way to more programs dedicated to cleaning up the beaches, and created awareness among the community that had never existed before," Pribram said. "Now there are beach clean-ups every month in Laguna. People are doing great things and it was all brought on by the ocean committees."
Pribram remained committed to keeping his hometown clean by serving on the Laguna Beach Environmental Committee from 2005-2007, and in 2006, he took his passion far beyond the Southern California coast. With roots in Laguna Beach, Pribram created The Eco-Warrior project, an environmental preservation initiative focused on improving ocean-water quality, preventing destruction of surf locations and protecting endangered reefs and wildlife on an international level. Eco-Warrior's efforts have taken Pribram to Chile, New Zealand, Canary Islands, Peru, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Hawaii, the Great Lakes and Chicago. Most recently, Pribram traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi to report on the massive oil spill taking place in the Gulf of Mexico.
In addition to making a difference in the environment, Pribram co-foundered They Will Surf Again, an organization that raises funds for individuals who have suffered from ocean-related spinal injuries, which has since merged into an outreach program with Life Rolls On. He will also be supporting Project Save Our Surf during International Surfing Day, June 19-20, for a 24-hour surf-a-thon.
As winner of the Heart & Soul Award, O'Connor Mortuary will present Pribram with an official plaque and a donation will be made in his name to a local nonprofit organization of his choice.
Protecting surfers from the elements has always been O'Neill's first priority and, naturally, making them stoked has always been a direct effect. What better way to stoke out the surf community by showering them with free O'Neill sunglasses? Hosted by Zenbu, North County San Diego's premiere sushi spot, the O'Neill Eyewear Launch Party was held in conjunction with Wet Wednesday, a weekly local surf community gathering for top-quality sushi, beverages, and fun!
The new O'Neill Eyewear line was so well received that attendees were willing to do just about anything for a free pair of shades. Whether it was chugging sake, downing a jalapeno and wasabi-heavy rice roll courtesy of sushi chef Tyler, or trading in their old, beat up sunglasses for a brand new pair of top-quality O'Neill shades, every winner was stoked to finally have their eyes protected by the surf company that pioneered sun protection.
And with the sushi and drinks flowing all night, the O'Neill Eyewear crew held true to their motto: First in, last out.
Flying into New Orleans yesterday with the great Mississippi River below us, I
couldn't help but wonder what type of impact the Gulf of Mexico oil spill would
have on this area. I do know however that there is already a halt on all fishing and shrimping in effect in this area. Many of the local fisherman and their vessels are being hired to help in the cleanup efforts.
One interesting note is that five sea turtles have come up dead in the last few
days with no evidence of oil contributing to their untimely deaths. Authorities
here are speculating that because of the shrimping vessels being released one
week early because of the impending oil spill, that rushing fisherman may have
killed them accidentally as they raced against the clock against the soon-to-be
halt on all fishing. Hard to imagine how many more sea turtles may be killed as the oil slick worsens.
After landing yesterday, Kristian Gustavson, who I am traveling with, and I
headed to the multiple lines of defense lab at the University of New Orleans
where we were briefed on the deep water horizon disaster, situation report by
GIS (geographic information systems) coordinator Ezra Boyd.
Some mind-blowing figures are that an oil spill of this magnitude will cost
$285 million dollars for shoreline cleanup for 30 days. There are three basic
ways to combat an oil spill: using oil booms, dispersants and absorbants, as
well the more drastic measure of burning the oil itself, used in a major spill
like this one.Another interesting fact is that the only significant breakthrough in clean up efforts since the tragic Exxon Valdez spill of 1989 is that they now know that they can anchor the oil booms down which help keep them from splashing around.
Right now Kristen and I are coordinating our efforts with the National Audubon
Society Waterkeeper alliance, and Louisiana State University. By this afternoon
we will be chartering a boat and or doing a flyover of the oil spill with Dean
Wilson from the Atchafalaya Basin Keeper. For more information, visit ECOWarriorSurf.com, BelowtheSurface.org or NottheAnswer.org
Peace.
Part 2: It's like the quiet storm here. There's not a soul on the beach and there hasn't been since I arrived three days ago. Fishing boats sit docked like empty houses in an old abandon ghost town. A sad reality of the halt on the fishing and shrimping industry due to the massive oil spill that sits off of the coast of Mississippi.
Here in Biloxi, Mississippi my team and I chartered a boat out to the Gulf Islands National Sea Shore and to my amazement it was far worse than I could have imagined. I don't want to sound like a defeatist here. However once you leave the shore behind and realize the enormity of our Ocean and the impossibility of containing an oil spill of this magnitude; it's darn right heart breaking.
Watching the Bottle Nose dolphins glide through the water just off of our boat, almost at an arm's length away. I could only hope that they would be safe. I feel a certain kinship with them, almost family like. Just a little farther outside sat the beautiful white sand beach of Ship Island surrounded in oil boom. Oil boom, which sits only a couple of inches above the surface, doesn't really do much in windy conditions. Especially in windy, choppy conditions like yesterday when the water just splashes right over it.
This is the best that we have?The reality of this, in recalling my experience of yesterday, has just hit me and it sucks to say the least. I hate to admit this but my eyes are almost teary. On another island we watched birds feeding on a huge bait ball with oil scum floating on the surface. One can only imagine how long they might have?I've heard reports about how this is the greatest clean up effort ever? I can only say that I haven't seen it? Perhaps it's further out? However the oil is clearly within such efforts. I counted 9 boats laying oil boom off of the Chandelier Island and to me, it doesn't come close to being enough?
What is enough?
How much is enough?
I've seen enough, and I feel like I'm watching the slow death of my best friend all over again.
-Peace-
Jordy shows up and blows up with a perfect 10 in his Round of 96 heat of the Lowers Pro
12 year old Florida local, Noah Schweizer, ripping.
~Below the Surface and The Eco-Warrior Team mobilize to assess pre-contamination conditions to establish a baseline for restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico~
New Orleans, LA – On May 5th 2010, the exploration team from Below the Surface (BTS) & Eco-Warrior/pro-surfer James Pribram are expected to arrive and hire local fishermen and pilots to charter their critical mission to assess pre-contamination conditions in sensitive habitats along the Gulf Coast. This oil spill has the potential to be the worst in America's history and has spilled nearly 3-million gallons into the Gulf with no signs of slowing. If the wellhead blows we could see a spill of over 2 million gallons per day; it is currently spewing over 200,000 gallons per day.
It is imperative that a baseline assessment of pre-contamination conditions be established in the Gulf of Mexico to aid restoration efforts. The team will coordinate water and soil sampling while focusing on video footage, and thorough photo documentation. All of these parameters are imperative for successful clean-up and rehabilitation efforts.
The BTS Team will build a comprehensive database using the latest technology with Google Earth, GPS, Time-stamps & proprietary photography techniques. In addition, they will offer real-time updates through their social networks,
coordinate daily media interviews, and offer streamlined fundraising for local NGOs.
"The cost to the fishing industry in Louisiana could be $2.5 billion, while the impact on tourism along Florida's panhandle coast could be $3 billion," Neil McMahon, analyst at investment firm Bernstein, said on Friday.
This spill comes at the peak of nesting & migration in the South for millions of birds and at the start of the shrimping & fishing season. Fisherman Harold Strong told WLOX, "We'll be out of business, basically, pretty much devastated. I see
no recovery. If you lose two to three years, I can see absolutely no way to come back from it." The local economic impact could surpass that of Hurricane Katrina. Oil has begun to wash ashore in remote areas of Louisiana so it is important that the team moves quickly through the Gulf Coast.
It was only three months ago that the BTS team completed their successful expedition on the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana to document nature's resilience and Gulf Coast restoration. A writer and a photographer from Reader's Digest
covered the story and it is due in the June issue.
REQUEST FOR SUPPORT: "Any donation up to the $34,000 budget total to get our crew on the ground for several weeks is greatly appreciated by us, the fisherman whose families rely on this coastline for survival and the animals that
thrive in this area," says Gustavson—donations can be made directly @ www.belowthesurface.org
Taken from Surfermag.com
Undoubtedly one of the most technical junior surfers of today, up until a few months ago, most of us weren't familiar with the name Matt Meola. When a video of the sinewy goofyfoot sticking a litany of some of the biggest airs we've ever seen went viral a few months back, the world took notice of this new prodigy. With the Valley Island building a reputation for producing a host of the best surfers in the world over the past decade, the ascent of Matt Meola is one that were duley noting. Recently, we caught up with Matt to learn where he came from and where he plans on going.
In the past year, you've really begun to make a name for yourself. Can you tell us a bit about who you are?
I was born here in Maui, Hawaii and I am 20 years young. I grew up in Haiku but spent most of my time in a small beach town called Kuau, where my friends and I used to meet up every day to go surf and be groms. As for school, I switched back and forth between home and public but ended up graduating from home school in 2007. Now I'm still living in Haiku and doing my best to keep up with all the rest of the talented surfers coming from Maui.
You're regarded as being one of the most talented and progressive young surfers coming out of Hawaii these days. Being from Maui, with a whole host of guys now at the forefront of surfing, would you say those guys paved the way for you?
I am so lucky to have such great people and surfers to look up to. Guys like Hank Gaskell, Ola Eleogram, and Ian Walsh definitely paved a solid road for us to follow. They are the ones that put Maui on the map and I feel like it is our job to keep it there. They definitely made it possible for all of us and I think we owe them tons of respect.
Can you describe the surf scene on Maui? How is it similar to the rest of the islands? And maybe more importantly, how is different?
The surf scene on Maui is great. It's mellow and has a more country vibe to it than somewhere like Oahu. At times it can be difficult. We don't have the consistency of the other islands due to the strong wind and smaller outer islands that block some swell. We get our fair share of bad waves. Unlike the North Shore of Oahu, when there is swell you are stuck with a decision to to turn right or left. You could spend hours driving just to find out that the other side of the island was firing. Aside from that, the surf scene on Maui is home to my favorite waves and people in the world and I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else.
Why do you think so many good surfers are coming out of Maui these days?
We're all a tight group of friends that push each other. We also have good people to look up to. Other than that, I don't know. Maybe it's something in the water we drink.
Would you say that Maui has the best crop of young surfers in the world right now?
There are so many good surfers all over the world now, but when it comes down to it I guess Maui takes the cake for best crop of young up-and-comers. Being an island in the middle of the Pacific, there isn't much to do here besides surf. I think that's why Maui's talent pool is so deep.
Not too long ago, you were featured in the NY Times' website about aerial surfing alongside Christian Fletcher and Slater. Was that a trip to see yourself in the mix with those guys?
When I first saw the article I was baffled. To hear my name listed next to people that I have looked up to forever was an honor. It was definitely a huge confidence booster.
Are you planning on entering the Kustom Airstrike event?
The Kustom Airstrike is always in the back of my mind every session. Watching Dusty win it last year was sick. Time is ticking down so hopefully I can bag a keeper before the time is up. It would be awesome to keep that title on Maui.
In your eyes, who's the most progressive surfer alive right now?
In my eyes the most progressive surfer alive right now is Clay Marzo. I have the privilege of watching him surf at his home breaks and some of the stuff he does just leaves me boggled.
And in five years, what do you expect surfing to look like?
If you would have asked me this question five years ago I would never have thought it would have escalated to where it is now. After seeing how fast it's progressing, I'm guessing there will be all kinds of flips and spins going down that we couldn't even imagine. Where ever it goes, I hope to be a part of it.
"TUNE IN"
"FUEL TV PRESENTS MISSION: CARIBBEAN" On
Monday, May 3, 2010
Airing Monday, May 3, at 8:00pm ET/PT in Meet & Brotatoes, and re-airing several more times over the next month, FUEL TV will showcase "FUEL TV PRESENTS MISSION: CARIBBEAN."
In this one of a kind special, we join three of the world's best wakeboarders with four of the world's best surfers, on an eight-day surf and wake exploration of the Caribbean . We hop aboard the Tiki XIV, chartered by the family of pro wakeboarder Collin Harrington, to explore the relationships between wakeboarding and surfing, in an epic journey not only for pumping waves, but also for some of the most pristine waters ever shredded. With the likes of WCT veteran Ben Bourgeois, Hurricane Hunter Alek Parker, and the most renowned wakeboarder of all time, Parks Bonifay, and all-around waterman Collin Harrington, it's sure to be a groundbreaking trip in and out of the water.
With a equal 5th place finish after Brazil, Jordy Smith has moved up the ratings to #2 in the World. J Bay is up next. Look for a solid showing from Jordy at one of his favorite waves.
Nick Taylor on his recent trip to the Philippines. Taylor gives you a POV perspective on the countries best cable parks.
Alek Parker and Luke Davis shred the Lowers lineup with the rest of the O’Neill grom crew.
April 20, 2010 (São Paulo, Brazil) – O'Neill (www.oneill.com), the original surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, has added another world-class name to its roster of athletes with the signing of Raoni Monteiro, arguably one of the world's best all-around surfer. Monteiro joins other top O'Neill surfer, including Jordy Smith, Bobby Martinez, Cory Lopez, Mark Mathews, Roy Powers and Timmy Reyes.
The 27-year-old regular footer from Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, has been riding for 23 years, growing up inside the barrels of the Brazilian's most powerful wave, Itaúna. Known for his fluid, powerful and radical style, at the age of seven he took part in his first competition and has never stopped. The excellent results emerged with WQS podiums, showing his maturity at the age of 20 on the ASP World Tour.
After qualifying for the WCT in 2003, Raoni remained in the elite for four year, being touted as the most potential Brazilian surfer with a chance to win the World Title. A knee surgery made his performance difficult in 2008, and consequently his chance at the top 45.
But now Monteiro is back, recovered and stronger than ever. With two very expressive results in both Prime (2nd in Fernando de Noronha) and Six Stars (3rd in the O'Neill CWC Scotland) events on the WQS, he has started 2010 with good ASP ratings points to track his way back to the WCT. "To be part of O'Neill team is great because it gives me even better motivation to keep strong on the Tour", said Monteiro. "I' m glad that now I belong to an important brand which represents a lot to the surf history."
"Now that O'Neill is coming back to Brazil, one of our priorities will be to put together a strong surf team flying the green and yellow flag around the planet," said O'Neill Brazil Marketing Director, Adrian Kojin. "This way, I couldn't be happier to announce that we are signing Raoni Monteiro, widely considered as one of the very best Brazilian surfers ever to take part in the World Circuit. It's our desire to support him in his quest to regain his slot on the WCT so he can have a shot at the World Title, and with his last results he is been showing that he is ready for that."
By O'Neill's James Pribram
Today surfing for me isn't so much about riding a particular board or riding the biggest wave or competition for that matter. It's about people who are joined at the hip for the love of the ocean. I admire those who give back to the very thing that has given them so much and the 1st Annual Punta Long board and SUP classic was a perfect example of just that.
Held at a little cobblestone reef break in Sayulita, Mexico it was an event for the ages. With an open men's and women's division in the long boarding divisions, there was a highly contested men's SUP (stand up paddling) division along with a pro expression with the area's best surfers and let me tell you, those locals can surf.
Really good, in fact. More importantly, it was an event that brought the small community there together while raising money for the local school, as well as other local charities. This was an event predicated on that good old vibe in surfing known as the "aloha spirit," with surfers like Mary Osborne and Chuck Patterson taking time out to visit the local school (Costa Verde) and signing posters for all of the kids. I'm not sure if the kids were more stoked about the posters or the stickers they got, but seeing the smiles on their faces was my favorite moment of the event. Or maybe not?
Perhaps it was when surfer Scott Bass gave away a surfboard that all of the surfers had signed for him. A gift for a young boy whose family was too poor to buy him a surfboard. To me that is what surfing is about — giving back. Because I do believe surfing has the power to change people and united we cannot only give back to surfing but our environment as well. Happy Earth Day. Peace.
JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach native, professional surfer and John Kelly Environmental Award winner. His websites include Aloha Schoolof Surfing and ECOWarrior Surf.com. He can be reached at Jamo@AlohaSchoolofSurfing.com
In honor of "Earth Day", O'Neill put together a New York press preview of the new ECO'Neill collection. Reggae artist, Mishka, also performed live for the crowd. You can check out the recorded LIVE performance on www.facebook.com/oneill
Lord Royden Bryson wins the O'Neill Cold Water
Classic Scotland 2010 in perfect Thurso East Conditions
THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST,
THE COLDEST & THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET
April 19, 2010 – Thurso, Scotland – Lord Royden Bryson has won the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland 2010 in epic Thurso East conditions.
"Really?! I am a Lord?" asked Royden. "I had no idea! I was just so happy with the ASP ratings points and the $20,000 from this competition as well as that highland sword. That's amazing that I have land and am a Lord!"
South African Royden and Brazilian Yuri Sodre – now also Lord Yuri - paddled out for the final heat of this 2010 competition in 6 foot Thurso East, with the sun shining and a gentle offshore wind blowing.
"It was such a beautiful morning," said Royden. However it was 25 minutes until he got a wave in the final, with a restart after 10 minutes while the swell had a temporary little break.
"I was just worried about staying warm out there," said Royden. "It was a long time in the water." But he made the wait worth it with a score of 8.33 from his first wave, following that up with a 5.50.
"I am just so excited to win," said Royden. "I feel like I've had a lot of close results recently. And to actually get there and win again feels amazing."
After such a varied and unique week of surfing the finals today were always going to be something special – especially when Thurso woke on the bright Monday morning to snow on the ground and a frost in the air.
"I got up really early this morning – about 5am to go for a freesurf," said semi finalist Shaun Cansdell. "There was snow everywhere. I couldn't even see out of the car window – everything was frozen. I was so stoked I did it. It was such a nice morning"
Shaun surfed a high scoring close semi final heat against eventual winner Royden Bryson starting at 7.30am as the snow and frost started to melt from the surrounding fields.
"The waves were pumping," said Shaun. "It really came together for the final. I haven't had a result in a while so I am so happy to get third.
Now the competition is over, the surfers gathered here in Thurso have a new challenge ahead of them… getting home. "I haven't looked into my flight yet, but it looks like there is no way out of here at the moment," said Shaun. "However being stuck here isn't too bad an option. It's a choice of either getting barreled or getting powder in the mountains a few hours away," he said. "Eventually though it will be good to get home."
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series now looks to move onto its third event of the year over in Cape Town, South Africa in July. And all the surfers will be chasing those valuable CWC Series ratings points in the battle for the $50,000 for the series winner.
Currently in equal first are CWC Tasmania winner Stuart Kennedy, and Royden Bryson.
"I think me and Stu are equal at the moment. I got quarters here and he got quarters in Tasmania," said Royden. "It will be good to go to South Africa now – my home turf and see what happens there. But yeah, that $50,000 is definitely on my mind now."
FACTS AND FIGURES:
FIVE events exploring the edges of the world over four continents.
FIVE challenging, quality waves all in extreme and not to mention cold conditions.
FIVE ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events rugged and unique locations in the depths of nature.
Taken from ESPN.com. Photo credit: Joli
Back in February Bobby Martinez gave ESPN Surfing a candid interview, in which he called out the ASP's new One World Ranking system, Channel Islands Surfboards, and Kelly Slater. Apparently, a few people read it, and the responses ranged from amusement to concern. Our colleagues at Stab Magazine even got responses from Channel Islands and Slater. Two stops into this year's World Tour, Martinez has two semifinals under his belt and sits alone in fourth on the current rankings. We caught up with him during his short break between Bells and Brazil to see how the dust-up affected him. Once again, we weren't disappointed.
So, the last time we spoke a few people were listening. Slater even responded to your remark, "He's only riding fishes because he can't get a good shortboard."
Ha. Yeah, I heard about it. I have a friend at Channel Islands and he was like, "I have to reply to these guys at Stab about what you said." He's a good friend of mine. It was too funny, but it's all good.
Have you made any fish cracks to Slater since?
Yeah. Well, he sent me a text right after it ran and asked "Are you mad at me?" And I just said, "What are you talking about?" I really didn't know. I saw him after that and we talked. He just really takes everything to heart. I told him -- at least you know where I'm coming from. I'll say what I feel (publicly) and not behind your back.
He was like "I won six out of seven contests the year before last, not on a fish." I agreed with him on that, but I told him I was talking about last year.
This time last year, you guys were heading to Teahupoo. Have you seen the forecast for Tahiti?
No, does it look good? Who was I just talking about this with? We were just saying that they're probably going to get this great swell next week and it's going to be crappy and flat when we go. But there's always swell in Brazil. The wave isn't very good, but there's always been swell in the past.
Much of the talk last year with the alternate tour had to do with an increase in prize money. The ASP stepped up the earnings this year (four million dollars over the ten events in 2010 up from 3.4 million last year). Has it made a difference? Are any of the boys living differently this year? Anyone showing up in a stretch and drinking champagne for breakfast?
It isn't even close to that. This year if you get 33rd place, it's like a thousand dollars more. When they were talking about a new tour, it was a lot more money even for the guys who finished the event at the bottom.
Last time we spoke, you said that the surfers would go where the purse was. The prize money was really all that mattered.
Yeah. This year is barely any different than last year. Nothing has changed much but first place. You have to win the event to see a major difference in earnings. The money isn't going to affect anyone else in a positive way. If anything, they've just caught up with the times and the price of things.
Freddy Patacchia got fined for saying on a live webcast interview that the beach commentators at the Rip Curl Pro had part of Owen Wrights' anatomy in their mouths during his heat. A lot of people see this as an example of why it's bad that event sponsors also own the media rights to those events. Does it really matter to anyone in the water? Don't you think that an announcer is going to blow up a rider at his home venue like the the Lakers announcer at the Forum?
I feel Freddy on that. He told me all about it afterward. It's not that they were blowing up Owen Wright. Freddy just wanted to hear his score and Drew's (Courtney) score. He had no idea who was in the lead or what he needed to post.
I understand them blowing a guy up. They all do it. Hurley announcers do it for Hurley riders. Billabong announcers do it for Billabong riders. But you have to be respectful. Everyone deserves to know what's going on. I love what Freddy said. That s--t gets old and that's what I love about Freddy. You have to know where you are sitting to do your best, otherwise they are taking something from you.
You signed with O'Neill this year. How's that going?
It's been so good. This is the happiest I have ever been. It was definitely worth the wait.
Does that have something to do with your good start?
Yeah. It's just cool. Garth (Tarlow) is there at the events because he wants to be there. I've never had this kind of help in that category before. He really cares and he helps out with everything from a place to stay, bringing things I may have forgot, watching the waves before my heat, and giving me feedback. I've never had that in my career. He's there for every heat. I trust his opinion and I truly believe he's there for all the right reasons.
Riding for O'Neill, you're now a teammate of Jordy Smith. If you watch everyone's video sections now, you would think that he would pretty much dominate everything from three to six-foot. When is that going to translate into a serious world title run?
I think it's already started. I don't know what else you can say. He can very realistically win this year.
After Trestles, the field for each event is going to drop from 45 surfers to 32, plus four wildcards. Wildcards are going to be very important to guys on the bubble, but sponsors traditionally get to pick a few wildcards. What if you're surfing for a company that doesn't own any World Tour events? For instance, O'Neill has a lot of stake in the WQS, but nothing on the World Tour.
Oh yeah. Guys have gotten a free ride in the past on their sponsors. And everyone is going to be shooting for those slots to build points. I don't really know exactly. I don't know if the wildcard points are going to roll over if you're not on the World Tour. Some guy might have a huge advantage to do one event and get World Tour points. I don't know if the ASP even knows how that's going to work.
Before the season started you didn't think anyone really got all the intricacies of the new system.
There are still a ton of question marks. They have these surfer meetings and the ASP sends out these emails. I don't go to the meetings and I don't read the emails, because so much of it winds up being b.s. I call Bede (Durbidge) and ask him any questions that I might have. And at the end of the day, I still don't know how it's going to work out.
Snow storms hit as the semi finalists decided at
the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland
THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST,
THE COLDEST & THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET
April 18, 2010 – Thurso, Scotland – The O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland has a reputation for throwing up some of the coldest and most challenging conditions on the tour. But today hit new levels for both the event and professional surfing's record books with snow storms setting in as the event reached its closing stages.
"It was crazy paddling out with snow coming into your eyes," said Shaun Cansdell who made it into the semi final with a last minute wave against Irish surfer Glenn Hall. "We don't have snow where I am from in Australia so I have never surfed in conditions like this. The cold isn't too bad. It's just my big toes that go numb!"
"I was loving it," said Glenn Hall shivering on the reef. "It was such an incredible feeling to sit out there with the snow falling. Plus if it's going to be cold it may as well go all the way and snow as well. It's better than the rain."
With a 7am start back again at Thurso East the 6 Star ASP event started with the round of 24, moving all the way through to the end of the quarterfinals to set up the final assault for tomorrow.
With similar conditions of 4 to 5 foot swell and light winds forecast for the final day, Royden Bryson, and Shaun Cansdell will surf in the first semifinal.
The second semi final is an all-Brazilian affair. Yuri Sodre beat Marc Lacomare in his quarterfinal. He will surf against Raoni Monteiro who was the in-form surfer of the day winning a thrilling and close quarterfinal against the Cold Water Classic Tasmania winner Stuart Kennedy.
"I was so excited to get that final wave score," said Raoni. "And so excited to be in the semi finals at this event."
Now all eyes are firmly set upon one of the most coveted trophies in the world of professional surfing: the Highland Sword.
"I am so cold and I am so tired right now," said South African Royden Bryson after winning his quarterfinal heat against Nathanial Curran. "But I am one step closer to the sword. I really want that sword. I would sleep with that thing under my bed," he said.
For Yuri Sodre, the sword has been on his mind since before even arriving in Thurso: "I stopped in Edinburgh on the way up here with my girlfriend," he said. "We saw a lot of the Scottish heritage and I actually wanted to buy a Highland sword when I was there. It was my girlfriend who said to me - why don't you just try to win one instead?"
"It would be such a great prize to have with all the heritage and history involved in it. And great that we don't need to kill anyone or fight to get it –just surf and have fun."
The call for the semi finals and finals will be made tomorrow April 19th at 7am
THE O'NEILL CWC SCOTLAND WILL BE SHOWN LIVE AT www.oneill.com/live or www.oneill.com/cwc
FACTS AND FIGURES:
FIVE events exploring the edges of the world over four continents.
FIVE challenging, quality waves all in extreme and not to mention cold conditions.
FIVE ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events rugged and unique locations in the depths of nature.
April 14, 2010 – Thurso, Scotland – Scottish surfer Chris Noble today made history as the first local competitor to ever come through this first round of the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland in the freezing waters of the most northerly event in professional surfing.
Finishing top of his heat ahead of Brazilian surfer Ricardo Dos Santos, Chris was celebrating on the beach with a host of fans… and his Scottish flag.
"It's only the first round," he said. "But it feels like I won the event or something!" said Chris. "I think the difference this year was that there was no pressure on me," he said. "I have a kid now, and we are expecting a second kid, so whereas surfing used to be the be-all-and-end-all for me, I now have different priorities so there is less pressure. I just get to go out there and have fun."
And that he looked like he was doing, making the most of the 4-foot offshore clean conditions at Brims Ness. "I've surfed out here for about 10 years," said Chris. "And even though I am used to the cold, I still have my earplugs in against the cold water and the wind."
After a sunny warm start to the 6 Star ASP event yesterday, the 6.30am call for a 7.30am start this morning was a little bit more crisp as the skies clouded over and the temperature significantly dropped.
Among those feeling the cold up here is the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Tasmania winner Stuart Kennedy: "I didn't mind the cold in Tassie," said the Australian from Lennox Head. "Temperature-wise it's paradise over there compared to here. This is freezing. I have a 5/4/3 wetsuit and two 4/3's so I came prepared. In the water my body is ok, but my toes still get frozen even in my boots," he said.
However having seen the surf up in these parts, he is willing to brave the cold. "I've seen footage of Thurso East and hopefully we will get that working while we are out here. It looks like home on a fun day."
Despite his victory in Tasmania a few weeks ago Stuart has not been amped off his win. "It didn't really feel like I won an event," he said. "Straight from my win I got in the car, drove to Launceston airport in Tasmania, and got on the plane for Melbourne to go straight into Bells!"
The second day of competition here in Thurso, Scotland, saw the event finish the round of 128 in smaller but clean conditions at Brims Ness. "The swell dropped today – but it was luckily enough to finish off this round," said contest director Matt Wilson.
"The forecast looks like it's going to pick up tomorrow so we will probably be starting here at Brims again in the morning," said Matt. "But if it holds good we should hopefully be surfing Thurso East in the afternoon."
The next call will be at 7am tomorrow morning April 15th.
WATCH THE O'NEILL CWC SCOTLAND LIVE AT www.oneill.com/live or www.oneill.com/cwc
Board Up Miami wrapped up today at Miami Marine Stadium in Miami, Florida with
Bob Soven grabbing his first pro win to kick off the 2010 season. Nicola Butler
led the Pro Women division and Kyle Evans ruled the Jr. Men.
Jr. Men Finals
1. Kyle Evans - 53.77
2. Hunter Stitch -
52
3. Freddie Wayne - 47.77
4. Tyler Staggs - 39.45
5. Justin
Gratzfel - 33.33
5. Nick Galotifore - 23.92
April 13, 2010 – Thurso, Scotland – With the sun shining, a solid three to four foot swell at Brims Ness and light winds, this was no ordinary day at the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland.
"As we say up here: don't blink," said event Ambassador Andy Bain. "These conditions can change so quickly – but it's great while it's here."
It was an early start on the first day of this second stop on the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series in Thurso - the northernmost town on the British mainland.
With a 6.30am call, the surfers were in the water for the first heat of the round of 128 at 7.30am as the sun was still burning off the early morning mist.
"It's a really beautiful area up here," said Nicolaus Van Rupp who cruised through top of his heat in this first round. "It's my first time up here. But I am loving it. It's so nice to have a different experience on the tour with the cold water. It makes for a different atmosphere – plus with the perfect slabs up here, it's amazing."
Whilst the conditions might have been peaceful, the atmosphere in the water was of course anything but with surfers battling for valuable points from this 6 Star ASP Event, as well as vital points on the O'Neill CWC Series rankings – for the chance to win $50,000 at the end of the Series in October.
"I always heard stories about Brims, with people snaking each other because the peak is so small," said Nicolaus Van Rupp. "It's really intense when you get out there, you are so close to each other, you are almost breathing up each other's necks," he said.
As the tide changed, and the perfection that can be seen at Brims diminished slightly, contest director Matt Wilson made the call to stop the round of 128 at heat 8.
"This is what we expected from today," said Matt. "Clean 3 to 4 foot surf – a good way to get this event started this year."
"It looks from the charts at the moment that we could be at Thurso East for a couple of days,' said Matt. "It's always good and reassuring to have Brims as a back up though especially as the swell that's coming in looks like its bringing a bit of wild weather with it too."
The next call is at 6.30am tomorrow April 14, 2010 for a possible 7.30am start to start with Heat 9 in the round of 128.
.
THE O'NEILL CWC SCOTLAND WILL BE SHOWN LIVE AT www.oneill.com/live or www.oneill.com/cwc
The sun comes out to welcome the surfers
to this first day at The O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland
Here’s another look into the musical mind of Mishka, with the track “These Waves”
Bells was not her usual self this year. With only one of the four days ran at the famous right hand point break, O'Neill team athletes had their work cut out for them in every condition imaginable. Bobby Martinez continued his 2010 title campaign with his second equal 3rd in as many events, eventually losing to contest winner Slater in the semis. Jordy Smith came in with a 5th and Roy Powers finished with a 9th. Next up is Brazil!!!
Surfers ready to brave the cold as The O'Neill Cold Water Classic ventures north into the icy waters of Northern Scotland
THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST,THE COLDEST & THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET
April 9, 2010 – Thurso, Scotland – The Northern Hemisphere's winter might officially be over, but as the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series travels to the most northerly town on the British mainland, for the 144 surfers getting into the water, it will feel like anything but.
Following one of the coldest European winters on record, and with recent blizzards and snowfall up in the northeast of Scotland, this is going to be one grueling O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland event when it gets in the water from April 13th.
"It's been pretty cold," said local legend and event ambassador Andy Bain. "The river has been freezing up," he said. "There were a couple days you couldn't even surf Thurso East because of the chunks of ice coming down the river."
The 6-Star ASP event in Thurso follows an epic start to the Cold Water Classic Series in March in the wilds of Tasmania, Australia where Stuart Kennedy took victory in perfect 2-meter conditions.
Now as the Series moves to the other side of the world for the northernmost event in professional surfing, it will discover powerful world-class waves to rival Hawaii's North Shore on their day – in some of the most challenging conditions a surfer could face. With both the air and water temperatures hovering uncomfortably low, coupled with the persistent rain and hail - this is the ultimate Cold Water Classic experience. And yet the surfers flood back year after year to brave the conditions.
Among them is the competition's 2007 runner-up, Jarrad Howse. "There's something about the history and heritage of Thurso that takes my breath away every year," he says. "From the drive up there through the snowy highlands to the amazing slate bottom hollow waves, Scotland's northerly coast is my favorite stop on tour and I am not alone."
With a mobile format, the competition is free to make the most of the quality on offer on this coastline - from the steep fast and shallow wave of Brims Ness to the perfection of Thurso East.
"Thurso can see some pretty challenging conditions," said Jarrad. "But in epic 6 to 8 foot Thurso East, no one is complaining. Everyone is after that Highland Sword trophy."
As is tradition with this event, the historic sword is presented to the winner in a reef-side ceremony presided over by Andy Bain. It is not just the sword the surfers are competing for – but also the opportunity to win the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series title – and the $50,000 prize money.
After his win in Tasmania, Stuart Kennedy is currently leading the assault on the $50,000, however, with the likes of Cory Lopez, Dayyan Neve, Tim Boal, Shaun Cansdell and Timmy Reyes making the trip up to Scotland's north coast, maintaining this lead will be no easy feat.
Following Scotland the Cold Water Classic Series will move on to the wildest event in professional surfing in Cape Town, South Africa, before professional surfing's coldest event in Tofino, Canada, and it's most classic in Santa Cruz California – the birthplace of O'Neill.
THE O'NEILL CWC SCOTLAND WILL BE SHOWN LIVE AT www.oneill.com/live or www.oneill.com/cwc
FACTS AND FIGURES:
FIVE events exploring the edges of the world over four continents.
FIVE challenging, quality waves all in extreme and not to mention cold conditions.
FIVE ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events rugged and unique locations in the depths of nature.
WEBSITE
www.oneill.com/cwc
Including daily highlight shows, heats on demand, daily blogs and videos from Jarrad Howse and Sam Lamiroy
www.facebook.com/oneill
twitter.com/oneillcwc
LIVE WEBCAST
www.oneill.com/live
O'Neill has added another world-class name to its roster of athletes with the signing of Collin Harrington, arguably the world's best all-around wakeboarder. Harrington joins other top O'Neill wake riders, including Scott Byerly, Nick Taylor and Aaron Reed.
The 27-year-old regular footer from Orlando, Florida has been riding for 12 years, performing awe-inspiring tricks on his wakeboard, wakeskate and wakesurfer. Known for proficiency on rail maneuvers, Harrington regularly channels his creative style from the water to filmmaking, where he has produced, edited and released a number of online videos through Liquid
Force Films. Recently awarded 1st place at the 2010 West Side Jam, Harrington is also a dedicated surfer, competing as the only non-pro surfer in the 2009 O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Red Bull Tow-At contest in Florida.
"Collin is a great addition to our team – he loves the water, approaches his sport with energy and enthusiasm, and is one of the best riders in the world, hands down," said O'Neill VP of Marketing, Steve Ward. "Not only does he excel on the wakeboard with technical aerials, rolls and rail tricks, but he also gets behind the camera to share his passion for the sport with others. Then the next day, he'll be out on a surfboard or scuba diving off the Florida coast. His athletic talent and other passions in filmmaking and water sports make him a triple threat as a team ambassador."
With solid wins at the World Wakesurfing Championships, Wake Awards and AST Dew Tour Rail Jam under his belt, Harrington released his first full-length video in 2008, "Box of Fun," which he starred in with other top wake athletes to
'bring the fun back to wakeboarding.'
"I'm excited to join the O'Neill wake team with guys like Scott [Byerly] and Nick [Taylor], who are both from my home area in Florida," said Harrington. "O'Neill has been in the wake program for a long time, and it's great to be with a company that's in it for the long haul."
"I'll be sporting O'Neill gear now, but my approach remains the same: try something new each time I'm in the water, and feed my passion for films to spread our sport around the globe."
In addition to O'Neill, Harrington has sponsorship deals with Liquid Force, Freestyle and Performance Ski & Surf.
Take from transworldsurf.com
For kids who have been picked early on to do big things, there's a dangerous wasteland between being a cute, can-do-no-wrong grom and successful pro. Luke Davis is nearing the end of his grom days and is getting ready to make that next big jump.
He's just beginning the transition and is taking the mustache, the knobby knees, and the occasional pimple in stride. But he's also surfing sharper, more radical, and more powerful than ever, and it showed in his comp results last year. He made it on to the squad heading to the very elite Billabong World Junior Championship held at North Narrabeen, Australia this January. "I'm stoked to make that," says Luke.
He also made his first pro final at the Ezekiel Pro Junior held at Huntington Beach back in March. And while he's happy with his contest record, it's lacking one big thing. "I've never won Nationals," he says. "This year is going to be a big one for me."
One thing that's particularly impressive about his game is the
diversity. A common issue with surfers is a tendency to rely on one
"money turn" that gets overused, applied to every section that pops up.
After seeing five of them in a row, your eyelids start to droop in
boredom. Not Luke, though, he's got a remarkable variety in his
repertoire and seems to have a creative approach to whatever section is
in front of him. It's a rare thing to see in a young surfer and one
that ASP judges love.
But the bar is starting to rise, and to keep the at the top, Luke
will have to continue to dig deep and summon his will to climb the pro
ranks in the coming years. The fact of the matter is the cream does
rise to the top, and as long as Luke keeps progressing, keeps making
the grade, and the results keep on coming, the road is wide open for
him.
Another 16 year old O'Neill team rider won Shakedown in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec this year, but the other two positions on the podium were also filled by O'Neill riders. Mark McMorris finished 1st followed by Seb Toots 2nd and Eric Willett 3rd.
The finals format was an hour long jam with 2 judged runs called by the
riders. Mark's winning run was a backside 1080 double cork to a
frontside blunt 450 out on the flat rail following 2 minutes after by
Eric with a frontside 1080 double cork to a frontside board bagel on
the flat rail. A couple of runs later, Seb decided to throw a backside
1080 double cork and a frontside lip tail 270 out on the flat rail.
"I feel amazing! Just to be on the podium with my teammates and two of
my best friends is so awesome and even better to be on top!" said Mark
McMorris, still enthusiastic and freshly back home. The 3 riders had
awesome performances and even more if we consider the high level of
competition. "It is really not easy to win this year with all the
tricks being so technical. The rider who got the 4th place did an
awesome backside 1080 double cork followed by a 5050 backside 360 out,
but our guys pushed the limits with perfect executions and landings.",
said Max Henault the O'Neill North American snowboard Team Manager.
The 5 O'Neill riders at the event went through the finals. Didier
Godbout got 3rd out of around 80 participants for the Amateur contest
and got a direct access to the finals. "I am glad to have brought the
North American Snow team to my homeland and see them winning this!,
added Max Henault. This is a really great season for the team and I'm
happy to see that all the efforts we put into them are giving these
awesome results." Max is also coaching the O'Neill snowboard team
riders and following them through most of their training.
O'Neill has had a strong presence on the podiums lately. Seb Toots won
the FIS Canadian Championship Pro and Junior, that means with the
Shakedown, 13 podiums in a row. Also, Jason Dubois won the T4 in
Tremblant and two other O'Neill riders performed well at a local event,
the Rodeo Fest in Sutton, with Antoine Truchon winning the Big Air and
Nathan Therriault winning the Slopestyle.
For more info about the Shakedown visit www.shakedown.ca
<http://www.shakedown.ca/> and check out the photo report on
cruxco.tv.
Mishka stopped by the O’Neill office and gave an amazing surprise performance for the company. Mishka has recently partnered with O’Neill on the ECO’Neill apparel collection.
The O’Neill groms were given an in-depth coaching session from the coaching master Chris Gallagher. Gallagher broke down the basics and hammered home technique which results in solid surfing.
Nat Young and Jordy Smith search and find a playful peak in Tazzie.
March 28, 2010 - Marrawah,
Tasmania, Australia - In some of the
best conditions this competition has seen so far, Stuart Kennedy took out the
2010 O'Neill Cold Water Classic Tasmania in emphatic style with the highest
combined heat total of the event.
"I guess I just got super
confident towards the end," said Stuart who was surfing in his first ever 6
Star ASP event final. "I was really nervous out there," he said. "But I was almost
crying when I got that 9.5"
The 20 year old from Lennox Head,
Australia scored 18 points in the final heat to beat the sublime talent that is
Wiggolly Dantas, and formally announce his arrival on surfing's world stage.
"I've been training really hard
recently," said Stuart. "I guess I thought it was time to grow up and start
trying to win."
As well as doing just that and
walking away with the $20,000 prize money, Stuart also picked up the Tasmanian
Tiger trophy – a carved wooden sculpture that every surfer has been eying up
over the week.
And to top it off, Stuart now sits
in the in the lead on the Cold Water Classic Series in line for the $50,000 prize
money for the series winner.
"I am definitely going to Scotland
for the next event on the series," said Stuart. "Then after that I will have to
see where I am at."
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic
Series has a habit of producing epic conditions for the finals in every event
in every corner of the world. And here in Tasmania was no exception. "It's some
sort of surfing utopia out there," said surfer and commentator Sam Lamiroy.
Three meter swell, strong offshore
winds and right handers peeling almost all the way to the beach from way out to
sea provided the perfect platform for some of the most talented young surfers
in the world to showcase their skills.
"The conditions out there are
amazing.' said Uruguayan Marco Giorgi, who yesterday defeated Jordy Smith, and
this morning won an awesome quarterfinal against Royden Broyson before being
knocked out by eventual winner, Stuart Kennedy, in the semis.
Whilst Giorgi is off to Bali and
choosing to avoid the cold of Scotland; "I don't like all the layers and hoods
and everything," he said, fellow semi finalist and World Tour Surfer Chris
Davidson, has decided to enter to chase the cold wild conditions in the hope of
winning the $50,000 prize money. "I am not afraid of the cold," said Chris.
"It was so good to come over here
as a warm up for Bells. There were just no waves in my semi final so I was a
bit disappointed to not get to the final," he said. "I really wanted that
Tasmanian Tiger trophy. But now I am definitely going to try to enter Scotland
and see if I can go for that $50,000," he said.
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic
Series now heads up to the northernmost event in professional surfing in
Thurso, Scotland from April 13 – 19. And just off the back of one of the
coldest and longest winters in Europe there is every possibility that this will
be the coldest event in professional surfing as well.
John John Florence, Nat Young and many more! Check out the action of day 1 of the first stop of the Coldwater Classic series 2010 in Tasmania
Spectacular video footage from the second day of the first stop of the Cold Water Classic series in Tasmania 2010. Including a perfect 10 for 17 year old John John Florence.
Timmy Reyes and Roy Powers get away from the contest scene, and explore what Tasmania has to offer.
Scott Byerly recently moved into a new house in central Florida where he has been putting the lake to the test. Check out this quick clip of Byerly.
O’Neill team highlights from Days 1 and 2 of the CWC Tasmania
Defending O'Neill Cold Water Classic Tasmania champion Jordy Smith got out of his sick bed and into the wild and cold Southern Ocean waters to up the ante in this 6-Star ASP event.
But not to be intimidated, 17-year-old John John Florence then took to the water, pulled out some of the most impressive surfing this competition has seen so far, and walked away with a perfect 10.
And this is only the second day of competition at the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Tasmania.
"I couldn't really get any waves out there to start with," said John John. "Then I got this one and thought I really have to do something out there, so I did a few turns and an air and then another air." He scored a 10. "It's hard work out there though," he said. "At times I could hardly breathe."
With a cold and blocked sinuses, Jordy Smith in the first heat of the Round of 96 still managed to produce an awesome display of surfing, scoring a 9.17. Then with an air reverse from the South African, who is currently sitting second on the World Tour, he picked up an 8.0 to couple that. This is from a guy with a cold. Wait until he is back on full form.
"I feel awful right now," said Jordy. "It's all in my ears, nose and throat. I need to go to the doctor and get some antibiotics and lay low and try to get better," he said. "But it's great to come back here and try to win this event as the defending champ."
Despite the challenging conditions in the 3meter swell, there was plenty of entertainment in the surf today. And not all the excitement was limited to the afternoon's round of 96.
Coming through the round of 144 and one to keep an eye on is World Junior Champion Maxime Huscenot. Maxime may be excelling in these wild raw conditions, but it's not on his list of top five favourite places to surf in the world; "I'm from Reunion Island so I don't really like the cold water," he said. "I really want to go to all the O'Neill Cold Water Classic events, but I think maybe Scotland is too cold for me. I can't imagine putting on a thick wetsuit like that with boots and a hood and everything."
Former O'Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland winner Adam Robertson is another surfer to watch out for in this competition. The Australian excels in these conditions and today was no exception. "It's definitely a bit challenging out there. But it's good to actually have waves in these events so I am enjoying it!"
Conditions had eased slightly from yesterday allowing the competition to use its mobile format and head to the more exposed beach of Lighthouse.
That's not to say that conditions were by any means easy. This is the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series after all, and the surfers were battling through 3meter swell with strong winds, to find some of the choice waves on offer.
However, the forecast shows that things are only going to get better. And possibly a lot better at that. "It is showing that everything is gradually easing from here," said contest director, Matt Wilson. "And it's also showing some rare winds coming in so I am taking advice from locals around here because there is the possibility they could make for some favourable conditions."
Bobby Martinez and Jordy Smith hang back after the Snapper Rocks event and score a handful of days of playful surf
ANE ENDERUD CROWNED FREERIDE WORLD CHAMPION 2010!
Verbier, Switzerland – 22 March 2010 - O'Neill freeride skier, Ane Enderud has won the Freeride World Championship 2010 following a spectacular victory in the final event of the season – at the Bec des Rosses in Verbier, Switzerland.
"I just can't believe I am on top!" said Ane after her run, which brought her the World Tour victory.
It is the second year in a row that the Norwegian skier has taken the accolade. And it is made all the more remarkable by the fact that she was forced to sit out the first part of the Freeride World Tour this season with a back injury.
"I am super happy especially after the disappointing start of the season when my back problems forced me to pull out of the competition in Chamonix," said Ane.
However, determined as ever, she followed this up with two victories and a second place result.
And her victory in Verbier on the weekend was the final achievement, which secured her title. "I got a bit lost down the Bec des Rosses and changed my line choice when I skied it," said Ane. "So I was stoked to take the big cliff jump and land it clean without having inspected it beforehand!"
CONGRATULATIONS ANE ENERUD!!
At the first international surf event at Bondi Beach in over two decades, Jordy Smith joins a stellar crew to showcase the progression of aerial surfing.
CONGRATULATIONS ERIC WILLETT!!!!!!!!
O'Neill team rider Eric Willett has won Gold at the inaugural Winter X Games Europe Slopestyle, taking victory ahead of a host of international talent.
The 22-year-old American from Breckenridge, Colorado won gold with 91 points ahead of American Sage Kotsenburg and Slovenian Marko Grilc.
"It was crazy because I had the worst practice ever," said Eric. "The run I ended up doing I only thought about as I dropped into the course."
Despite the lack of planning it was an awesome run consisting of a Cab 9, Backside 7, Frontside 10 Double Cork, Backside Rodeo 5 to Switchback 9, and a double backside Rodeo.
"All the riders had runs that could knock me down. It was just cool to be up there competing with those guys like Marco Grilc and Chas Guldemond and Travis Rice.
It's been an incredible 2010 so far for the O'Neill team rider.
Eric finished second at the Winter X Games Slopestyle in Colorado at the beginning of February behind Eero Ettala.
He then followed it up with a first place finish at the 5 Star TTR event at the end of February in Livigno Italy.
However it is this first place at the Winter X Games Europe that has really stood out for the talented snowboarder.
"I got second place at the Winter X Games back home in Colorado," he said. "That was special because it was at home and it's so popular there. But this Gold at these first Europe Winter X Games is up there with that result – and probably the highlight of my season."
Bobby, Roy and Jordy blow up during a fun South Straddie session.
Timmy Reyes pulls into a big one and scores the Surfing Mag cover for May
Jordy Smith makes his first WCT final but comes up just short of the
win, while Bobby Martinez finishes equal 3rd in his first contest as an
O'Neill team rider.
CALLING
ALL FUTURE FASHION DESIGNERS! Are you a Sophomore or Junior In
High-School? From the LA, Orange County or San Diego area? If so,
here's your chance to show us your talent!!!
O'Neill's Generation Next is back for its 3rd season and is looking for new talent! Be one of the lucky finali...sts
to participate in this year's program and be mentored by O'Neill and
Teen Vogue to design a dress or romper and accessory. Learn the ins and
outs of product design, marketing and runway production, and also put
together a runway show featuring your friends and peers for a live
audience, including fashion industry insiders.
Your
designed O'Neill pieces will be showcased at a live runway show, where
you'll compete for the top-voted design. The 2010 O'Neill Generation
Next winner will receive:
• A $5,000 Scholarship for your future education
• An O'Neill Wardrobe
• An internship at O'Neill
Want
in? Click the following link to fill out the designer/team leader
survey. Be sure to include the required photos and images for
consideration.
http://www.teenvoguepromo.com/1003/win6.cfm
Check out the following link to see last year's Generation Next photos, videos and info.
http://www.oneill.com/#/women/americacanada/events/r.generation_next_2009/
To view on the Official Rules, click on the link below.
http://www.teenvoguepromo.com/1003/win6_rules.cfm
Alek Parker on the road documenting cold fronts
I am currently down in Puerto Rico shooting for a new project I am working on with Carmen Vicari… I've had this idea for a while now, but it took some time for everything to line up and start the production… In a nutshell, my goal is to make a video web series documenting the life of a cold front as it brings harsh weather and epic surf from West to East across the country and Caribbean… Pacific to the Atlantic and down to the Caribbean, we want to give a very indepth look at these weather systems and the local surfers of the locations that these storms effect the most… With the giant swells that have been rocking the coast of California and Baja to the snow covered barrels of the Northeast and down to the beautifuly pristine Northwest swells of the Caribbean, this project will be as action-packed as it is interesting…
I'm very excited that everything is coming together, and I am able to start shooting… Carmen is a very talented videographer and as this trip continues I have learned that we work very well together and are equally excited for the outcome of the finished product… We have a long road ahead of us, but with every trip planned to be more diverse than the next, we shouldn't have any dull moments…
This trip down here to Puerto Rico has been better then we could have asked for… With Brian Toth getting one of the biggest barrels of his life at home to the talent of Gabe Kling, Asher Nolan, and Peter Mendia scoring one of the best swells of the year, we are psyched on the quality of footage we have been so fortunate to collect…
Not sure when we are returning to Florida due to another swell forecasted here for the weekend, but nonetheless, we are anxious and excited to continue on to the next leg of our journey…
I will be posting project updates and behind-the-scenes videos up here on my blog throughout the next few months, so keep checking back for a quick glance into our adventures!!!
Here are a few selects from the feature on Surfline from this past weekend, here in Puerto Rico…
Click this link for all the pics from the photo feature on SURFLINE.COM
Jordy blows up in Round 2 of the Quiksilver Pro posting the highest total heat score
Malia Manuel, Sage Erickson, the Partridge twins and Taira Barron enjoying in the tropics.
Avoiding the crowded Snapper Rocks line-up, Jordy Smith finds a couple drainers away from the contest mayhem.
1st Round highlights from the Snapper Rocks event. Jordy Smith, Bobby Martinez and Roy Powers getting warmed up for a solid contest run.
After a solid Hawaiian season, Florence takes on California’s premier big wave break. Grabbing a few bombs and making his making his claim as an all around waterman.
The surf proved to be challenging for the O'Neill
Surfing America Prime presented by Got Milk surf event held at Upper Trestles
this past weekend, however it did not hold back O'Neill surfers from rising to
the occasion and putting on a great display of performance surfing. Luke Davis
was on a tear all weekend leading the pack in the men's 18 and under division.
His surfing was flawless, Davis put on an clinic with unleashing aerials and
reverses at will. Unfortunately for him in the final he found himself to deep
in the line-up and wasn't able to find the link up section on the inside. His
3rd place finish was a solid result and affirms his position as one of the best
under 18 surfers on the West Coast.
Younger brother Jake Davis also put his stamp on the
event by placing 3rd in the under 14 division. On his way to the finals he
racked up some great waves, surfing with power beyond his years asserting
himself as one of the standouts in his category. Also other standout performers where Ian Crane in the
Men's 18 and under reaching the semi finals, Jasset Umbel semis berth in the
girls 18 and under, and Colton Ward reaching the semi finals in the 14 and
under.
This is the 4th event of the season with the finals
ending up at Lower Trestles in June.
For full results go to www.surfingamerica.org
Timmy Reyes ripping apart the fruits of an El Nino winter. Reyes, taking a break from his Mexico adventure, found the time to dial into a few clean Rincon walls.
Jordy Smith gets in a couple of practice days before heading off to the Snapper contest.
A world class crew takes over the Rincon line up. With a head high swell in the water, O’Neill’s Bobby Martinez, Jordy Smith and Timmy Reyes put on a clinic on the “Queens” perfect rights. Here’s Part 1 of the Rincon Sessions.
O'Neill South Africa Team Rider Chris
Bertish Wins At Mavericks
Half Moon Bay, California, USA - After a historic day
of big wave surfing, Cape Town surfer Chris Bertish emerged victorious at the
2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest. Held in wild waves that many were calling
40-foot and more, Chris put his head down and paddled into a series of giant
waves to take the win from a bunch of dedicated international big wave surfers.
The total prize pool for the event was a staggering US$150,000, which was the
largest in big wave surfing to date, and Chris took home a sweet US$50,000 for
his first place prize. Chris flew 36 hours to get to the event on time,
gambling that the event would run and that the waves and conditions would be
good enough for the contest director to give the go ahead.
Bertish is part of the O'Neill South Africa surf team, and also works as the Western Cape sales agent
for O'Neill South Africa. He has been with the brand for 5 years and has played
an active role in marketing initiatives, as well as representing in big wave
events around the world. Chris is a former finalist in the Red Bull Big Wave
Africa, and his most recent results was a third place at the Nelscott Reef
Paddle In Event.
Paul Canning (PC) from O'Neill South Africa was really pleased on hearing the
news. "We at O'Neill South Africa are really stoked for Chris," said
a proud PC. "I know that this has been a dream of his for a long time, and
he has put a lot of hard work and effort into his big wave surfing over the
year. Chris is really passionate about big-wave surfing and the brand, and he
really stands for what O'Neill is all about."
The waves for the event were big, unruly monsters, some of them up to 40-foot.
There were mentions of 60-foot waves rolling through but with no one able to
catch them. Mavericks is a heavy big wave spot, and competitors all agreed that
these were some of the biggest paddle-in waves that they had ever surfed. Some
heavy wipe-outs, scary sitiuations and blood pouring from the mouth of
competitor Zach Wormhoudt after one nasty fall added to the excitement. Even
winner Bertish took his fair share of the knocks out there, getting caught by
one monster set. "I took the worst beating of my life out there,"
said Chris in a post-event interview.
The inimitable Bertish had a wild ride this year just getting to the event,
which included some self-generated fund-raising, and a few broken ribs, all of
which he overcame en route to this amazing victory and the massive first prize
cheque of US$50,000 (R385,000).
"It was an honor just to be here today and paddle out with these
guys," said an emotional Bertish on his win. "I flew 36 hours to be
here, and this has been a dream come true."
There were an estimated 50,000 spectators lining the cliffs at Half Moon Bay to
witness this unique event and his memorable victory.
To read the entire story visit
http://wakeboardingmag.com/features/2010/02/16/full-circle-scott-byerly-returns-to-wakeboarding/
There's no holding back the goose bumps when stepping into Scott Byerly's
freshly decorated billiards room in his new Windermere, Florida, home. Neatly
displayed are all his pro-model wakeboards, from WakeTech all the way through
Hyperlite. A decade's worth of greatness for all to see — if you're lucky enough
to get an invite to his crib.
Recently, Byerly has been reminiscing about his wakeboarding days and yes,
the rumors are true; he's been strapping on the boots lately. Why is this
significant? Because Byerly as a wakeboarder is our sport's original Legend and
is universally known as the godfather of style. And 99.9 percent of you haven't
seen him on anything besides a wakeskate in the last 10 years. Witnessing the
1994 World Wakeboard Champion arise from the glassy water, carve the wake with
his signature "hook" arm, then bust a toeside end-over-end front flip sent
shivers down our spines. The consensus of our crew in the boat was "This is how
wakeboarding should look."
The ever-so-calm Byerly was surprisingly vivacious during the following
interview, and the energy radiating in his billiards room created the perfect
setting for a chat. You could see the glimmer in his eye as Byerly reflected on
the type of riding he was once so passionate about. Yes, you might have guessed
that Byerly would wakeboard again someday, but no one could have guessed what
actually inspired him to get back on the horse.
This season, Byerly Boards had a huge year, with Aaron Rathy and
Mitch Langfield both taking world titles. Then Mitch started hanging out and
riding with you a bunch. How did all of that come together? Last
summer, I saw Mitch in contests and heard that he might be available. So I
started talking to him and I gave him a board. Then we hit the road for a couple
of months. When I came back, Mitch said he loved the board and was ready to ride
for Byerly Boards. He switched right before the Worlds and won Junior Pro Men.
After that, we did a photo shoot and hung out with Mitch and started to get to
know him. His personality is awesome and the way he rides reminds me of taking
it to the old school, where simple things are so much fun and look good.
At one of your shoots, we heard Mitch talked you into something you
hadn't focused on in over a decade. For years, everybody has been
trying to get me to wakeboard and I've just been into the wakeskate thing. I've
done enough on the wakeboard to where it just hasn't interested me. Mitch just
sort of took it back to the roots and I thought, "Wow, this looks really fun."
Then he came over to ride before he was headed back to Australia and he was just
like, "Hey, Scott, why don't you ride this wakeboard?" The other guys in the
boat had been trying to get me to wakeboard for a long time and were saying,
"You're not gonna get him to ride, you're wasting your breath." But I said, "You
know what, Mitch, throw me that board, I'm gonna check it out." And it was fun.
I took it back to where it was fun. Mitch got me to do it and it was pretty
cool.
Do you think all the wakeskating helps you to be a better
wakeboarder? For sure. Wakeskating teaches you how to ride a board
properly, so you're not just depending on your boots. It felt different being
locked in. I've never really worn closed-toe boots before. Your feet don't even
f—in' hurt. The boards are way different too. It was cool, man, it's like riding
a bike. I think if I rode some more that I would get right back to where I was.
A lot of people will be psyched to see you back on a wakeboard
because they've appreciated your style from day one. What inspires the way you
ride and your style? I don't know man, just grab everything. It's been
so long since I rode. My style is pretty much the same as when I stopped
wakeboarding. Maybe it's from surfing and skateboarding when I was younger,
that's when I learned to wakeboard. And I just tried to incorporate what I
already knew, so I wasn't
trying to copy anybody's style, it just came with
me.
If you don’t know the name Matt Meola, you soon will. Matt has been turning heads on a consistent basis and has a HUGE future ahead of him. Don’t believe us…this video will change your opinion.
Introducing Maui Ripper Matt Meola
If you don't know the name Matt Meola, you soon will. Matt has been turning heads on a consistent basis and has a HUGE future ahead of him. Don't believe us…this video will change your opinion.
Nick Taylor, an emerging force in the wakeskate scene recently
joined the legendary Scott Byerly to discuss the eclectic styles and
progression of the sport.
Spearheading the wakeskate movement, Byerly is determined to
develop quality equipment to further push wakeskating to the limits. While
Taylor is set on creating a unique riding style all his own in order to deliver
all that he can to the movement.
Much like Ying and Yang, Nick embodies the image of a clean
cut, mellowed out Islander, who is comfortable enough with himself to care
about the attitudes of others. Scott, mirrors the same repose, however inked
designs continually peek out from under his clothing. Nick's streamlined style,
next to Scott's tattoo-laden body and shaggy unkempt hair, frames the two to
appear radically different.
Nick and Scott may look like polar opposites sitting side by
side, but at the end of the day, there dedication, perseverance, and desire to
see wakeskate thrive, unites them in the their quest to enhance the sport that
they have both developed a genuine passion for.
Getting their feet wet with the warm clam waters of Florida
from a young age, Nick and Scott's roots on the Florida scene parallel at many
points.
Scott Byerly's reputation as a pivotal wakeboarding icon and
entrepreneur has defined his career, from creating the Toe Jam to building a
successful company--while Nick Taylor's career is flourishing and hitting new
highs, he frequently looks up to the iconic Byerly for guidance and insight.
Despite the fact that both are on different planes in their careers, their
significant contributions to the sport are immeasurable.
Though Nick and Scott have differing objectives to pursue
throughout their
ventures, one thing is definitely certain between them;
success for them is not measured by money or fame. For Nick and Scott, it's all about remaining loyal and
giving back to the sport that has given so much to them.
Jordy Smith, Timmy Reyes, Cory Lopez and Luke Davis take advantage of the endless swells this winter.
Straight from his Costa Rican wedding, Cory Lopez spent a couple weeks in Hawaii in January. Ripping into every wave that came his way.
John Florence showing us how it’s done at his local spots.
Bobby Martinez ripping the points and beach breaks of Santa Barbara in preparation for the 2010 World Tour.
World's Premier Goofy Footer to Sport O'Neill Clothing and Wetsuits
O'Neill Clothing, the original California surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, has officially signed Bobby Martinez to an endorsement deal with both their apparel and wetsuit divisions in the U.S. Martinez, who finished the 2009 World Championship Tour (WCT) ranked eighth in the world, is widely regarded as the most sought after "free agent" in professional surfing, and recently competed the entire season without the support of a major clothing sponsor, a feat that is virtually unheard of in this day and age.
The Dream Tour veteran and Santa Barbara, Calif. native has not only been heralded as a premier goofy footer, but routinely referred to as one of the world's most well-rounded surfers and a perennial world title threat each year since 2006. That is when he claimed WCT Rookie of the Year honors and stunned the industry with a jaw-dropping victory at Teahupoo, Tahiti, arguably the most challenging wave on the professional circuit. Additionally, Martinez finished the year-end rankings in the top 10 each season of his WCT career and has multiple wins at both Teahupoo and Mundaka, Spain under his belt, making him the most successful California surfer during that time span.
"O'Neill is thrilled to welcome Bobby to our surf team," said Garth Tarlow, O'Neill's Director of Sports Marketing. "He is one of the few surfers on tour that racks up WCT victories each season and, bottom line, he's a surfer's surfer with amazing technique, tremendous power and total commitment. We look forward to watching his tenacious approach to the tour this year."
O'Neill Clothing CEO, Toby Bost, added: "In an era of evolving change in the surf industry, O'Neill is committed to building the best team of surfers in the world. We feel this year we have done just that with the addition of Bobby Martinez."
Martinez joins a prominent group of O'Neill surfers, including Jordy Smith, Timmy Reyes, Cory Lopez and Roy Powers.
"I'm more than happy to be part of the O'Neill team," Martinez said. "It's a company of surfers for surfers, and even though it has been a long wait, it's totally worth it."
Stay updated on what's going on with Martinez and Team O'Neill by joining O'Neill's mobile VIP program. Text 68398 to receive up-to-the-minute news, promotions and event info.
For more information, visit www.oneill.com.
About O'NeillO'Neill, the original California surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, was founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game. Pioneering the world's first neoprene wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a way to extend his surf sessions in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern California. He opened up the garage doors to his first surf shop in Santa Cruz soon after.
While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, Jack's initial vision of producing functional and innovative boardriding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. O'Neill's core values -- innovation in style and technology -- have seen the brand devote itself wholeheartedly to the evolution of the action sports lifestyle. From the first-ever neoprene wetsuit and surf leash, to the world's first stitchless boardshorts and range of groundbreaking wearable electronics, O'Neill's progressive spirit will always drive the company forward.
For more information, please visit www.oneill.com.
Surfing Life captured the O'Neill team as they freesurfed through Australia.
Aaron Reed has been sidelined with a broken leg for the past few months. Here's a quick Q&A that will bring you up to speed with Reed.
How's the leg doing? Was the rehab difficult?
The leg is doing much better. I can walk now and I am really starting to progress with my therapy. At times it is difficult. This is my first major injury, so the first time I've had to do the therapy process. At the beginning it was a lot more monotonous, just trying to get mobility back in my leg and ankle, but now I feel like I am able to push it a lot more and make some progress.
Explain a typical rehab day for a broken leg
I start with a heat compress, followed by some stretching. I usually try and ride my bike a few miles each day, and I do a lot of squats, balance exercises, and lunges. I haven't been able to run yet,but that's next. As of now, Chuck Norris and his Total Gym are my best friends.
When do you anticipate getting back to riding?
My doctor cleared me to ride whenever I feel comfortable. Since I have a metal rod inside my Tibia, the chances of it breaking again are pretty slim. I think I want to wait until I can run comfortably before I start to ride. We are having a demo day at the Texas Ski Ranch on Feb. 13th and 14th so that is the date I have set for myself to get back on the board.
The broken leg happened right before your wedding. How did the new wife take it?
If I needed any reassurance that I was marrying the right woman, that was it. She handled it like a champ. Not to mention she waited on me hand and foot for about 6 weeks.
The Obsucra project is well under way. How's it looking so far?
We are really pumped on this whole thing. It is a dream come true for my partner Danny Hampson and myself. We just got samples of our new shoe with DVS and they are incredible. It is really a blessing to be involved with every level of production, from marketing to manufacturing. But I think the real joy for us is managing the team. It's fun to see a group of focused young guys in the position I was in 7years ago. They are hungry, look out!
What's coming up next for Aaron Reed?
This year I am all about traveling around and promoting my new brand as well as O'Neill and my other sponsors. We have a lot of tours planned this year. We are doing demos on the road, but it is more about letting the kids ride all of our stuff. I am really pumped on allof my gear for this year, and we figured it would be best just to let people try it for themselves. The next stop is at the Texas Ski Ranch where itis mandatory that you wear a coast guard approved vest. I am really pumped on this new Revenge CGA vest. It has the mobility of a comp vest with the safety and flotation of a CGA vest. Check obscura09.com for details on when we will be coming to a town near you.
Nils Schweizer finds himself a pre-contest cavern at Backdoor.
John Florence looking smooth at Da Hui Sunset Sponsor Me Open. Sunset is a tricky wave, but Florence makes it look easy on his way to a semis appearance.
Jordy Smith, Shaun Ward and Joey Head take full advantage of this past weekend’s swell.
Today in powerful 8-10' foot surf in the renowned arena ofSunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu. Team O'Neill's highlights were seventeen year old John Florence and Florida's own Nils Schweizer.
John Florence powered through four rounds in the event to reach the semifinals. He came up short in his heat by not having a strong backup wave. Despite not making the finals his surfing was some of the loosest and most progressive surfing in the challenging surf. He was repeatedly scoring waves in the 8 + range. Being so young and surfing at that level amongst some of Hawaii's best is even a greater indication of things to come. He is also on the heals of an amazing run, reaching the Quarter finals beating the worlds best at the Pipeline Masters back in December.
Another Highlight was Nils Schweizer who grabbed the highest single wave score in the entire event. He was awarded a perfect 10 for a big long barrel to a huge carve which was a total crowd pleaser.
The next event will be the Volcom Pipeline Pro starting Jan.23-Feb 5. Tune in and check out updates and Highlights of O'Neill team riders Cory Lopez, John Florence, Bret Barley, and Nils Schweizer.
Here's a look at the 2010 Hyperfreak ads for January and February.
Event number 8 in the NSSA Open Season schedule went off this weekend in Ventura with some of the biggest California Street the event has had in its long history. Solid 6-8' foot surf pumped its way through the point this weekend offering the competitors epic surf to test their skills in.
San Clemente's Colton Ward won his first ever NSSA Open Season Boys final in the double overhead surf. It was a great accomplishment for the 12 year old goofy foot, considering he has been chipping away making several finals this year and now has finally captured the 1st place prize. What makes the win that much sweeter is it was in large challenging surf and didn't come down to groveling in small meager surf. He accomplished his goal by seizing the best waves of the final and laying down big carves on his backhand. Coming in the runner up position was Capo Beach's Jake Davis who was hot on Colton's heels to the very end, but narrowly lost in a few very tense moments to close out the final. With thirty seconds remaining and Colton in the lead Jake managed to grab a buzzer beater, but in the end it wasn't enough and big cheers where in hand for Colton's maiden win.
O'Neill team riders seized three of the top spots in the Boys 6 man final, with Colton Ward in first, Jake Davis in second, and Thelen Mckinna in third.
In the Juniors division we saw Ian Crane back in form after missing the first 7 events due to an injury he sustained last summer. He made quick work of the long beautiful walls displaying his powerful backside carves on many set waves. He reached the semi finals, which is a solid effort to make his way back into competition.
Other O'Neill highlights were Newbury Park's Jake Kelley,San Clemente's Josh Giddings and Shaw Kobayashi catching some amazing rides in the perfect surf.
The next NSSA event will be held at Salt Creek February 6-7.
Here's a look back at the O'Neill team from the past winter on the North Shore.
Malia Manuel and Sage Erickson put their frontside attack on display. The girls didn't disappoint once they got in the water.
Swiss snowboarder Ursina Haller took victory in a closely fought women's halfpipe final at the O'Neill Evolution in Davos.
"I didn't expect to win," said Ursina. "I was hoping for top five or top three – so I am even more stoked with the win!"
The sun came out for this first day of competition at the O'NeillEvolution 2010 to highlight the impressive halfpipe riding from thewomen. "The pipe was really good and the weather worked for us tootoday. We had a good time," said Ursina.
Her winning run of84.5 from her first run of the final, consisted of a FS 5 into a BS 5,a Stalefish, a BS air, and a FS 7 at the bottom.
"The wholevibe of the competition was not to put too much pressure on theriders," she said. "We had so much fun in the qualifications, which wasa jam session, so it felt like you were riding with your friends. Thenin the finals we had three runs too, so we just continued to have fun!"
18-year-old Slovakian snowboarder Cilka Sadar – the youngestrider in the final – was surprised but delighted with her second placefinish – after coming from fifth on her final run.
"I wasn'tnervous because I got fifth in the qualifiers and then before the finalrun I was also fifth. So I didn't really expect to do that good," saidCilka. "I am clearly better when I am not that nervous!"
Finishing off the top three was another Swiss rider, Manuela Peska, whofinished in first place in the qualification round, and with herconsistent runs ended the competition in third place.
Althoughfinishing 6th,Sarka Pancochova was the one partying the hardest at theaward ceremony– with each of the top eight finalists receiving a bottleof champagne– as she maintains her Swatch TTR World Tour lead.
Dutch rider, Cheryl Maas moved up to second place, and now the world number three is Cilka Sadar.
With womencompeting at the O'Neill Evolution for the first time in three years, itproved a decisive and important stop on the Swatch TTR World Tour.
"WhenI saw that women were back at Eovlution on the TRR page I was reallystoked," said the winner Ursina. "It's not far frommy home, and Ialways thought it was a great event – with the halfpipe and having it inthe village. Hopefully they have it again here next year – that would begreat!"
Tomorrow the halfpipe opens to the men – when the qualification round begins at 11am.
FINALS RESULTS
1. ($8,000) Ursina Haller (SUI)
2. ($6,000) Cilka Sadar (SLO)
3. ($4,000) Manuela Pesko (SUI)
4. ($4,000) Kjersti Ostgaard Buaas (NOR)
5. ($2,000) Caroline Beliard (FRA)
6. ($1,000) Sarka Pancochova (CZE)
7. ($500) Nadja Purtschert (SUI)
8. ($500) Akiko Miwa (JPN)
SCHEDULE
Monday January 4 – Training
Tuesday January 5 - Women's Halfpipe
Wednesday January 6 – Men's Halfpipe Qualifications
Thursday January 7 – Men's Slopestyle Qualifications
Friday January 8 – MEN'S HALFPIPE FINALS
Saturday January 9 – MEN'S SLOPESTYLE FINALS
Malia Manuel on where she learned how to surf, her first kiss, how she prepares for a contest and much more.
With a majority of the surf industry gone from the North Shore. O'Neill's Mark Mathews is still grabbing some good ones. Taking full advantage of the drop in the crowds. Here's a couple shots from Off the Wall courtesy of Freesurf's Tony Heff.
John John Florence takes a couple on the head before punching threw one at Log Cabins. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic.
Photo's courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic
John John Florence, Timmy Reyes, and Roy Powers early round highlights from the Pipeline Masters. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic and Tony Heff.
Mark Mathews and Timmy Reyes get a couple large ones at The Bay the day before the Eddie. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic and Tony Heff
Pipeline finally awakens. After a good month of no Pipe, the Banzai finally comes to life and the boys were on it. Cory Lopez, Timmy Reyes, Roy Powers, John John Florence, Brett Barley, and Charly Martin score some good ones. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic and Tony Heff.
Congratulations go out to Patrick Gudauskas and younger brother Tanner Gudauskas for qualifying for the 2010 ASP World Tour! It has been a hard fought year to enter the ranks of the world's elite surfers. For 23year-old Patrick Gudauskas it is a dream that has narrowly been out of grasp and now realized. In 2009 he was one surfer out of qualifying. Yet despite not qualifying he was granted an injury replacement in a couple events last year which gave him a taste of the dream tour. Having the dream within reach only fueled the San Clemente Surfer to campaign even harder which resulted in him reaching #2 on the WQS (World Qualifying Series) and a ticket to further rise up the pro ranks.
Equally impressive is younger brother Tanner Gudauskas who has been hovering in and around the qualifying position most of the year. His dramatic finish and excellent surfing at Sunset Beach during O'Neill's World Cup of Surfing clinched the deal. His quarter finals appearance was undoubtedly a great show of commitment, desire,and hard work that has paid off handsomely. The story in many ways seemed almost scripted for the Gudauskas clan. All the brothers (Dane included) faced each other alongside Mason Ho in the round of 32 where Tanner had to get through to qualify.
This was the first time in ASP history that three brothers surfed together in a heat and even more climatic was that result at Sunset Beach catapulted Tanner's entry into the 2010 World Championship Tour.
"I owe a lot to Pat and Dane because they were like having caddies in the water, and Mason [Ho] as well," said Tanner. "It was like a gentlemen's heat. I couldn't have thought of three other people I would have wanted to have a heat out there.
"We were saying before the heat that we haven't had each other all together in one heat since we were amateurs, like five or six years ago,"said Patrick. "And, to have it for Tanner to be the biggest heat of his life, he's was just been ripping so hard all day, we were just out there hooting for him because we just wanted him to get through it and go the distance.
"We didn't have a strategy going into the heat, but we wanted Tanner to get through for sure. It was definitely the priority and you don't have too many opportunities to help out someone in that situation. Surfing with him next year will be a dream come true."
The level and commitment of surfing from the G-Boys wil ladapt well on the WCT Tour
and they will be a force to be reckoned with as they continue their rise up the ladder.
Next year's ASP WCT will be exciting and will give even more reason for people to be interested in the sport with the fresh faces of Patrick and Tanner Gudauskas on tour. The next chapter to the G-Boys story is Dane's(who finished 58 on the 2009 WQS) 2010 WQS campaign to join his brothers on the Dream Tour for 2011.
6 December, 2009 : - - Sunset Beach -- You couldn't have scripted it any better. The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing reached its highest point in 35 years today in clean 10- to 15-foot surf after riding out the biggest waves in Vans Triple Crown of Surfing history.
When all was said and done, Australian Joel Parkinson was the winner, claiming $20,000 and the lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing ratings presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. More importantly, he gained momentum and psychological ground on close friend Mick Fanning, with whom he will battle for the ASP World Title at Pipeline next week.
But there was even more to the story than that. Joining the Aussie mates was six-time Vans Triple Crown champion Sunny Garcia, 39, who had to finish first or second to win a wildcard into next week's Pipeline Masters and keep his dream of a seventh Vans title alive. He pulled it off as the cameras filming his life story documentary rolled. And then there was Dusty Payne, the 20-year-old from Maui who needed to do well today to become the first Maui surfer in history to qualify for the ASP Dream Tour. He did just that, finishing fourth in the final.
Sunny started out strongest in the 35-minute final, locking in the deepest barrel of the day, worth 9.47 out of 10, that put his rivals on red alert. Fanning and 'Parko' were having their own preliminary world title match up on the West Bowl. The two traded off small barrel rides for average scores, as Garcia stayed busy but couldn't find a backup for his major score.
Parkinson finally managed to post a 7.0 with a couple of smooth on-rail carves and with only two minutes remaining scored a 6.17 for a late barrel through the inside. Garcia scratched as the Nixon timer counted down, ultimately failing to find the mere 3.7 score he needed for a win.
Parkinson joins Hawaii's legendary Michael Ho as the only three-time winners of the O'Neill World Cup at Sunset Beach. If he can win this year's Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title, he can claim a $50,000 bonus and a $10,000 custom Nixon watch. But Garcia is hot on his heels - only 31 points, or less than a place, behind.
"I couldn't hear the score, but I heard the crowd," said Parkinson of Sunny's 9.47 ride. "I knew I had my work cut out for me... With two minutes to go (Sunny) needed a three and I felt like telling him 'you just gotta go anything... It's a little sweeter because I'm coming off a bit of an injury. Right now it feels really good because I'm back on the podium and back winning going into the biggest battle of my career. I love the Triple Crown."
While the commentators, crowd and media drooled over the Parko/Fanning matchup today and prelude to the world title, Mick was quick to deflect the pressure to Joel. "I'm in the lead and all the pressure is on Joel now," said Fanning. "He has to get third (at Pipe). There's no room for error for him. I'm just concentrating on myself and getting through as many heats as possible and making it as hard as possible for him.
"I just wanted to get some heats under my belt. It's getting back in that rhythm of doing heats again and everything feels real good. I'm excited."
In classic Garcia style, none of his brilliance today ended up being good enough without taking the winner's cup home. "It's not how it starts, it's how it ends," said Garcia. "It feels good, but I'm still bummed that I lost. I came this far and I wanted to win. I started off with a 9.4 and to need a three at the end of the heat and not get it was a little frustrating. Hopefully, they'll run the Eddie tomorrow, I'll go get some big waves and wash out this loss and get ready for Pipe."
Known for being a last-minute guy, Payne wait until the last event of the year to qualify. "It's a dream to make the WCT," said Dusty Payne. "I'm over the moon right now. It hasn't sunk in yet and I don't think it will until the tour starts next year."
RESULTS:
Final:
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - $20,000 - 3,500 points
2. Sunny Garcia (HAW) - $10,000 - 3,063 points
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) - $5,100 - 2,625 points
4. Dusty Payne (HAW) - $4,900 - 2,494 points
Semi-Finals:
1: Mick Fanning (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW), Torrey Meister (HAW), Daniel Ross (AUS)
2: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Sunny Garcia (HAW), Mason Ho (HAW), Taylor Knox (USA)
Quarter Finals:
1: Daniel Ross (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Jihad Khodr (BRA)
2: Mick Fanning (AUS), Torrey Meister (HAW), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Glen Hall (IRL)
3: Taylor Knox (USA), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
4: Mason Ho (HAW), Sunny Garcia (HAW), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS)
Jordy, Roy, Nat, and Malia get a session in at Gums. With a massive swell projected for Monday, this was the last session at Gums for at least a week. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Tony Heff.
It's been a tough week for surf. Perfect conditions with no waves, then huge surf with bad weather. Here's a quick look at the boys getting a quick dip at Rockies
Largest Waves Ever Contested at Vans Triple Crown of Surfing
SUNSET BEACH, HI - Thurs. Dec.3, 2009 - The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing can lay claim to running in the largest surf ever contested in the 27-year history of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. Waves were at the outside limit of contestable, topping out this morning at 20 to 25 feet and often closing out totally across the bay. But with a forecast for even larger swells on the way, it was full steam ahead. Organizers anticipate that the final day of competition will be held tomorrow. With very little beach remaining, there is serious concern that all remaining sand will be lost to Saturday's extra-large swell.
Six-time Vans Triple Crown champion and two-time O'Neill World Cup champion Sunny Garcia (HI) was about the only surfer smiling when he stepped onto what remained of the beach. He advanced to the quarter finals and is in good shape to have a shot at his 7th Triple Crown title, which boasts an added $50,000 bonus this winter.
They say be careful what you wish for, you know?" said Sunny. "I wanted big waves and we got big waves. It's almost too big. You go out there and hope you get two waves.
"Some of the sets are kind of big and go into the channel. The takeoff seems like it's going to be a big wave and it turns into a 4-foot mush burger, so wave selection is crucial today. I'm having fun watching some of the kids sit on the shoulder and they didn't want any part of it. That's what I wanted to see!
"Physically, I've been doing four hours of cardio before anyone gets up, so this is fun. I'm having a good time. I'm not using that much energy and as long as you don't get caught inside you're pretty good.
"I rode an 8'4" and it's easier to sneak in and sneak out, and just in case you gotta get out of the way it's easier to paddle."
Aussie Adam Melling stepped up his game to post the highest heat score of the day and the second highest heat score of the event: 16.5 out of a possible 20. Melling looked sharp and managed to crank off some critical vertical turns, proving he'll be a threat next year on the 2010 World Championship Tour.
"I could just hear a few scores, heard I got a good first one and just tried to back it up," said Melling. "It was hard out there. I stayed inside, it was a bit cleaner. I took a 7'0" board, a bit thicker and wider, but you need it to get into them out there. I didn't bring anything bigger."
Although he posted the highest two-wave total of the day, Melling failed to advance out of his Round of 32 heat and was eliminated by fellow Australians Kai Otton and Joel Parkinson.
The Gudauskas brothers had their own campaign going today and all three of them found themselves in the same heat come the round of 32. This was the first time in ASP history that three brothers surfed together in a heat. Patrick has qualified for the elite Dream Tour in 2010, and twin brother Dane is out of WCT contention this year. Youngest Gudauskas brother, Tanner, won the round of 32 heat with North Shore native Mason Ho advancing behind in second. Today's result at Sunset Beach guarantees Tanner entry into the 2010 World Championship Tour.
"I owe a lot to Pat and Dane [Gudauskas] because they were like having caddies in the water, and Mason [Ho] as well," said Tanner. "It was like a gentlemen's heat. I couldn't have thought of three other people I would have wanted to have a heat out there.
"I think Pat and Dane were testing me and making sure I was pushing them so that they didn't just give it to me. I would have done the same for them. I actually had an opportunity last year with Pat and he was in the same spot and I tried to help him out, but this year I had both of them. It was epic."
Patrick, who was eliminated in the Round of 32 with twin brother Dane, said it was a special heat for the brothers.
"We were saying before the heat that we haven't had each other all together in one heat since we were amateurs, like five or six years ago," said Patrick. "And, to have it for Tanner to be the biggest heat of his life, he's just been ripping so hard all day, we were just out there hooting for him because we just wanted him to get through it and go the distance.
"We didn't have a strategy going into the heat, but we wanted Tanner to get through for sure. It was definitely the priority and you don't have too many opportunities to help out someone in that situation. Surfing with him next year will be a dream come true."
Brazilians Alejo Muniz and Jihad Khodr had noteworthy performances today. Khodr posted the highest scoring ride of the day, a 9.67 out of a possible 10 points. The high score came in the form of a big, gaping barrel and followed it up with a giant carve on a 10-foot wave. In addition, Muniz won the Nose Guard Rookie of the Year by making the round of 32.
For all of the LIVE action log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com. Find out the call for the day, each day, as soon as it's made by Director Randy Rarick by signing up for mobile text alerts at triplecrownofsurfing.com. When competition resumes, all the action will be broadcast live on the web at triplecrownofsurfing.com, as well as on Hawaii television on Oceanic channel 250.
Making the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink possible: Reef, O'Neill, Billabong, Gidget Worldwide, Nixon, Turtle Bay Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, JN Automotive Group, Surfing Magazine, Surfline.com, FUEL TV, The Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaiian Springs Water, Road Runner, Climb On! chemical-free skincare, and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). The Series is proud to announce that it is working with local company Tr3ees to embark upon a greener, more sustainable future.
RESULTS:
Round of 64:
H9: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Mason Ho (HAW), John John Florence (HAW), Pablo Paulino (BRA)
H10: Adam Melling (AUS), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Drew Courtney (AUS), Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
H11: Tanner Gudauskas (USA), Dion Atkinson (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
H12: Dane Gudauskas (USA), Kai Otton (AUS), Blake Thornton (AUS), Gabe Kling (USA)
H13: Taylor Knox (USA), Austin Ware (USA), Dean Morrison (AUS), Nathan Yeomans (USA)
H14: Adrian Buchan (USA), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Flynn Novak (HAW)
H15: Brett Simpson (USA), Aritz Aranburu (EUK), Nic Muscroft (AUS), Michael Picon (EUK)
H16: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Sunny Garcia (HAW), Sebastien Zietz (HAW), Granger Larsen (HAW)
Round of 32:
H1: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Glenn Hall (IRL), Bernardo Miranda (BRA), William Cardoso (BRA)
H2: Jihad Khodr (BRA), Torrey Meister (HAW), Luke Munro (AUS), Nat Young (USA)
H3: Mick Fanning (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS), Chris Davidson (AUS), Shane Beschen (HAW)
H4: Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Dusty Payne (HAW), Joan Duru (FRA), Neco Padaratz (BRA)
H5: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS), Dion Atkinson (AUS)
H6: Tanner Gudauskas (USA), Mason Ho (HAW), Dane Gudauskas (USA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
H7: Sunny Garcia (HAW), Taylor Knox (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Cory Lopez, John John Florence and Kieran Horn get a couple at Off The Wall. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic and Eric Baseman.
Sunset Beach, HI - (Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009) - World title campaigner Mick Fanning (Australia) clocked in at the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing today, hitting the water at Sunset Beach for his debut heat of the 2009 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. He looked sharp, highly motivated and ready to get to work as he advanced behind Sunset Beach's favorite son, Pancho Sullivan. Even though this event has no bearing on his world title campaign, it's a critical warm-up to next week's ultimate, season-ending battle at Pipeline.
Fanning's entrance came during the last heat of an intense day that was full of action, upsets, and super clean waves in the six-foot range. Those spectators who stuck it out were rewarded - not only by Fanning's highly anticipated flair, but by Pancho's radical, full-body, on-rail attack that was fueled by his determination to lay claim to his home break.
"I was excited!" said Fanning, 28, after the heat. "I haven't had a heat for a while so it was good. Just stoked to be out there with Pancho. He's one of my favorite guys out at Sunset. Stoked to get through."
Pancho seemed relieved to get his opening heat behind him and notch up an early win.
"These dieing swells that move over to the point are really tricky," said Pancho, 36. "I wasn't really finding a rhythm in the beginning of the heat. I saw the other guys getting waves and I just wanted to get to my feet and join the fun."
Nat Young (Santa Cruz), 18, continued to win over an adoring Hawaiian crowd, taking it a step further today in posting the highest heat total of the event to date: 17.33 points out of a possible 20. His backhand blitz was electrifying and earned him individual wave scores of 9.33 and 8.0. While he was looking more like a seasoned Sunset veteran than the greenhorn grom he his, he still managed to downplay his score-topping performance.
"Ian Cairns has been giving me some pointers and telling me which waves are good," said Young. "The guys I'm staying with, Kieren Horn and Jarrad Howse, I've gone out surfing with them and they showed me where to sit.
"I'm just seeing how many heats I can make and having fun with it. Sunset is a fun wave, but I definitely have a lot to learn.
"I kind of had an idea of where to go. I didn't feel that lost out there. I knew which waves to go on: the ones that looked like a peak, not a huge wall on it."
The downplay continued with his recollection of his 9.33:
"It was a good wave and I did three turns and didn't fall. I didn't think it was gonna be a 9, but I was stoked when I heard it was."
While there was plenty of good news to go around, it didn't find its way to Joel Centeio - winner of the first event of the series last week at Haleiwa and Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series points leader until today. After a blistering run of nine consecutive heat wins in the Vans Triple Crown, it all came crashing down in the second-last heat of the day when he was eliminated in third place behind Neco Padaratz (Brazil) and Daniel Ross (Australia).
In losing, Centeio has opened up the door for Sunny Garcia to make a push for his seventh Vans Triple Crown title. Garcia, 39, will have to step it up again in his next heat, drawn against 2007 Vans Triple Crown champion Bede Durbidge (Australia), and red hot Hawaiians Granger Larsen (Maui) and Sebastian Zietz (Kauai).
The winner of the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing will receive $20,000. The Vans Triple Crown Triple Threat also offers a $50,000 bonus for the most consistent performer across all three events. Hawaii's Joel Centeio currently leads the series ratings after his win at Haleiwa and his successful run so far here at Sunset Beach.
For all of the LIVE action log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com. Find out the call for the day, each day, as soon as it's made by Director Randy Rarick by signing up for mobile text alerts at triplecrownofsurfing.com. When competition resumes, all the action will be broadcast live on the web at triplecrownofsurfing.com, as well as on Hawaii television on Oceanic channel 250.
Making the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink possible: Reef, O'Neill, Billabong, Gidget Worldwide, Nixon, Turtle Bay Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, JN Automotive Group, Surfing Magazine, Surfline.com, FUEL TV, The Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaiian Springs Water, Road Runner, Climb On! chemical-free skincare, and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). The Series is proud to announce that it is working with local company Tr3ees to embark upon a greener, more sustainable future.
Jodi Wilmott - (808) 258-8533
RESULTS:
Round of 96:
H9: Mason Ho (HAW), Phillip MacDonald (AUS), Gony Zubizarreta (ESP), Myles Padaca (HAW)
H10: Drew Courtney (AUS), Pablo Paulino (BRA), Adam Robertson (AUS), TJ Barron (HAW)
H11: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Dane Gudauskas (USA), Ben Dunn (AUS), Dustin Cuizon (HAW)
H12: Gabel Kling (USA), Tanner Gudauskas (USA), Lincoln Taylor (AUS), Cory Lopez (USA)
H13: Nathan Yeomans (USA), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Jay Thompson (AUS), Nathan Hedge (AUS)
H14: Flynn Novak (HAW), Dean Morrison (AUS), Ruben Gonzalez (PRT), Nathan Carroll (HAW)
H15: Nic Muscroft (AUS), Sunny Garcia (HAW), Dylan Melamed (HAW), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
H16: Granger Larsen (HAW), Aritz Aranburu (EUK), Leigh Sedley (AUS), Solomon Ortiz (HAW)
Round of 64:
H1: William Cardoso (BRA), Torrey Meister (HAW), Josh Kerr (AUS), CJ Hobgood (USA)
H2: Bernardo Miranda (BRA), Jihad Khodr (BRA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Chris Ward (USA)
H3: Luke Munro (AUS), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Travis Logie (ZAF), Tim Reyes (USA)
H4: Nat Young (USA), Glen Hall (IRL), Damein Fahrenfort (ZAF), Damien Hobgood (USA)
H5: Shane Beschen (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Marco Giorgi (BRA)
H6: Chris Davidson (AUS), Joan Duru (FRA), Andy Irons (HAW), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
H7: Neco Padaratz (BRA), Daniel Ross (AUS), Joel Centeio (HAW), Jadson Andre (BRA)
H8: Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Mick Fanning (AUS), Renato Galvao (BRA), Jarrad Howse (AUS)
Team O'Neill footage from North Shore, Oahu.
Sunset Beach, Oahu, HI (Sun. Nov. 29, 2009) - It was tough to spot Santa Cruz teenager Nat Young, 17, in the lineup at Sunset Beach today. Out in the water for round two of the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing, Young's windblown shock of white hair, white surfboard and white contest jersey blended perfectly with the white-caps and spray that ruled the day. It was a tough morning for even the most seasoned Sunset competitors as the eight- to ten-foot surf rapidly declined and competition was halted after only eight heats. But Young was full of smiles, braces gleaming, after a self-confessed clueless performance that saw him advance to round three behind local charger Kekoa Bacalso.
It's not that his surfing doesn't measure up; Young is a former NSSA champion and won the 2008 O'Neill Coldwater Classic back home at Santa Cruz. He just has zero experience at Sunset Beach, which the champions will tell you is a tough venue to master. Add the world's top-ranked surfers and the prestige of the $1,000,000 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, and it's obviously an overwhelming scene for a rookie.
"I'm so stoked, it was pretty tough out there," said Young, after his heat. "I don't know the wave at all. I just kind of caught a bunch of waves and it worked out.
"It's definitely hard to find (the waves), especially not being from here and not surfing out there. I have no idea which waves are good. It was a coin toss and I'm stoked I made it.
"The waves here are definitely bigger and trickier than home."
Young got his start in the event with an O'Neill wildcard and plans to use the opportunity for some uncrowded learning time at a venue that can make and break careers.
"O'Neill gave me a wildcard in this and I'm happy I could get in. I did Haleiwa and I did bad, but it's been fun. Normally I would be here just free surfing, but to be able to do contests and free surf is pretty nice."
The top-scoring surfer today was South African Damien Fahrenfort, whose sure-footed, powerful attack surged out of reach of his seasoned rivals Luke Munro (Australia), Liam McNamara (Hawaii), Kieren Horn (CA).
Others to advance today included Andy Irons (Hawaii); Joel Centeio (Hawaii) - who won his ninth consecutive heat of the 2009 Vans Triple Crown series today; Marco Giorgio (Uruguay); and Jihad Khodr (Brazil).
The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing is the second jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. The winner of this event will receive $20,000. The Vans Triple Crown series title, awarded to the most consistent performer across all three events, carries a $50,000 bonus.
The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing will likely continue at 8am tomorrow with a new swell forecast to fill in. For all of the LIVE action log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com. Find out the call for the day, each day, as soon as it's made by Director Randy Rarick by signing up for mobile text alerts at triplecrownofsurfing.com. When competition resumes, all the action will be broadcast live on the web at triplecrownofsurfing.com, as well as on Hawaii television on Oceanic channel 250.
Making the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink possible: Reef, O'Neill, Billabong, Gidget Worldwide, Nixon, Turtle Bay Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, JN Automotive Group, Surfing Magazine, Surfline.com, FUEL TV, The Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaiian Springs Water, Road Runner, Climb On! chemical-free skincare, and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). The Series is proud to announce that it is working with local company Tr3ees to embark upon a greener, more sustainable future.
O'NEILL WORLD CUP OF SURFING RESULTS:
O'Neill World Cup of Surfing
ROUND of 96 (1st & 2nd advance, only 8 of the round's 16 heats were surfed.)
H1: Josh Kerr (AUS), Bernardo Miranda (BRA), Romain Cloitre (FRA), Ola Eleogram (HAW)
H2: Jihad Khodr (BRA), Torrey Meister (HAW), Gavin Gillette (HAW), Leonardo Neves (BRA)
H3: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Nat Young (USA), Blake Wilson (AUS), Rudy Palboom (ZAF)
H4: Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF), Luke Munro (AUS), Liam McNamara (HAW), Kieren Horn (USA)
H5: Marco Giorgi (BRA), Andy Irons (HAW), Marco Polo (BRA), Eric Geiselman (USA)
H6: Chris Davidson (USA), Shane Beschen (HAW), Royden Bryson (ZAF), Brad Ettinger (USA)
H7: Joel Centeio (HAW), Jarrad Howse (AUS), Roy Powers (HAW), Evan Valiere (HAW)
H8: Renato Galvao (BRA), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Nathaniel Curran (USA), Brandon Jackson (ZAF)
Sunset Beach, Oahu, HI (Sat. Nov. 28, 2009) - Sunset Beach bounced to life right on Sunny Garcia's cue today, delivering punchy eight-foot-plus surf for the completion of the first round of the men's O'Neill World Cup of Surfing. With a shot at his seventh Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series title, Garcia, 39, is hoping to replicate his recent performance at Haleiwa, where he blazed out of the opening round gates and took it all the way to the quarter finals. He made solid headway today, posting the highest heat score of the opening round: 15 points out of a possible 20.
Garcia's power was on par with that of the new swell, looking comfortable and focused in the expansive lineup that wreaked havoc with many less-seasoned competitors. Garcia caught a total of four rides during the 30-minute heat, with top scores of 9.5 and 5.5, each out of a possible 10. He looked every bit of the surfer he was 15 years ago when he won this event for the first time in 1994, then again in 2000.
Dane Gudauskas (CA) and Cory Lopez (FL) led the US Mainland charge today, both advancing out of the same four-man heat ahead of Luke Campbell (Australia) and Jason Shibata (HI). Dane broke his surfboard during the heat, but still made it through on backup equipment. He will draw younger brother Tanner in the next round, along with Gabe Kling (FL), and Lincoln Taylor (Australia).
"I'm just so stoked to be here," said the younger Gudauskas, 24. "This is my favorite wave in the world, so I'm stoked to get out there, have a good first heat and make it to the next round.
"I was taking wipeouts. I broke my board and got kind of annihilated. My brother was sitting in the channel, coaxing me to go hard and had my spare [board].
"It's a wild day. When there's nothing there's nothing. But when the waves come it's pumping. It's kind of bizarre."
Surprise eliminations today included Tahiti's Alain Riou, who featured in the final at Haleiwa on Monday but effectively lost all hope of reaching the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 2010 Dream Tour with his loss today. He is also now out of the running for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink title race. After reaching the final at Haleiwa, Riou was looking for at least a semi-final finish here to qualify for the Dream Tour.
Others ousted prematurely were Shaun Gossman (Australia), Hodei Collazi (EUK), Yuri Sodre (Brazil), who was nursing a dislocated toe, and Australian big-wave rider Mark Mathews.
The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing is the second jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. The winner of this event will receive $20,000. The Vans Triple Crown series title, awarded to the most consistent performer across all three events, carries a $50,000 bonus.
The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing will likely continue at 8am tomorrow with the present swell forecast to fill in. For all of the LIVE action log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com. Find out the call for the day, each day, as soon as it's made by Director Randy Rarick by signing up for mobile text alerts at triplecrownofsurfing.com. When competition resumes, all the action will be broadcast live on the web at triplecrownofsurfing.com, as well as on Hawaii television on Oceanic channel 250.
Making the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink possible: Reef, O'Neill, Billabong, Gidget Worldwide, Nixon, Turtle Bay Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, JN Automotive Group, Surfing Magazine, Surfline.com, FUEL TV, The Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaiian Springs Water, Road Runner, Climb On! chemical-free skincare, and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). The Series is proud to announce that it is working with local company Tr3ees to embark upon a greener, more sustainable future.
O'NEILL WORLD CUP OF SURFING RESULTS:
O'Neill World Cup of Surfing
ROUND of 128 (1st & 2nd advance)
H1: Ola Eleogram (HI), Gavin Gillette (HI), Hizunome Bettero (BRA), Brent Dorrington (AUS)
H2: Torrey Meister (HI), Bernardo Miranda (BRA), Derek Ho (HI), Paulo Mauro (BRA)
H3: Rudy Palboom (ZAF), Kieran Horn (CA), Heat Joske (AUS), Christophe Allary (REU)
H4: Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF), Blake Wilson (AUS), Brian Toth (PRI), Kevin Sullivan (HI)
H5: Marco Giorgi (URY), Brad Ettinger (USA), Hank Gaskell (HI), Masatoshi Ohno (JPN)
H6: Shane Beschen (HI), Eric Geiselman (USA), Jack Perry (AUS), Jay Davies (AUS)
H7: Joel Centeio (HI), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Izuki Tanaka (JPN), Danny Fuller (HI)
H8: Renato Galva(BRA), Evan Valiere (HI), Raoni Monteiro (BRA), Kiron Jabour (HI)
H9: Mason Ho (HI), Adam Robertson (AUS), Jesse Merle-Jones (HI), Marcio Farney (BRA)
H10: T.J. Barron (HI), Myles Padaca (HI), Andre Silva (BRA), Shaun Gossman (AUS)
H11: Dane Gudauskas (USA), Cory Lopez (USA), Luke Campbell (AUS), Jason Shibata (HI)
H12: Lincoln Taylor (AUS), Dustin Cuizon (HI), Hodei Collazo (EUK), Charlie Brown (BRA)
H13: Alejo Muniz (BRA), Ruben Gonzalez (PRT), Makuakai Rothman (HI), Hugo Savalli (REU)
H14: Nathan Carroll (HI), Nathan Hedge (AUS), Mark Matthews (AUS), Kai Barger (HAW)
H15: Sunny Garcia (HI), Granger Larsen (HI), Kamalei Alexander (HI), Alain Riou (PYF)
H16: Solomon Ortiz (HI), Dylan Melamed (HI), Jean Da Silva (BRA), Yuri Sodre (BRA)
This is part of the daily routine on the North Shore...checking the different line ups. The first image is Cory Lopez, brother Shea, and Peter Medina assessing the conditions at Pipe from the O'Neill house. The second image is Timmy Reyes checking the World Cup sunset site. Photos courtesy of Sam Olson
Jordy Smith and Timmy Reyes find some open ones at Log Cabins. With most of the North Shore a mess, Log Cabin had some gems on offer. Jordy and Timmy sneak in a couple during the early morning session. Photos courtesy of Sam Olson
Warmond, The Netherlands – November 26, 2009 - Dutch kiteboarder, Kevin Langeree yesterday became PKRA World Champion for the first time ever.
“It’s so hard to believe,” said Kevin. “This season has been amazing. I was so focused on winning the world title, and I did it!” he said.
Dutch kiteboarder, Kevin Langeree yesterday became PKRA World Champion for the first time ever.
"It's so hard to believe,"said Kevin. "This season has been amazing. I was so focused on winning the world title, and I did it!" he said.
The 21 year old O'Neill kiteboarder from Noordwijk in the Netherlands had three years previously been runner up to British kiteboarder Aaron Hadlow. And once again it came down to the final event on the tour – the Teri Kite Pro in the warm waters of New Caledonia.
Kevin came second in this final PKRA stop on the World Tour, however it was enough to push long term rival Aaron Hadlow off the top of the rankings and take the World Title.
The young talented kiteboarder isn't going to take it easy from here however. "I'm going to enjoy this victory," said Kevin. "But I will keep training hard. I want to be ready for next year's tour."
Jordy Smith taking his act to Ehukai Beach Park and Rocky Point. Look for the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing to begin this weekend. Log into www.triplecrownofsurfing.com for all the LIVE action. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic and Tony Heff
The North Shore season started off pretty slow. But it looks like there is a ton of swell on the horizon, just in time for the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing. Here are images of the O'Neill team from last week. Stay tune to more photos as we progress through this years Triple Crown. Photos courtesy of Freesurf's Mike Latronic and Tony Heff
Malia Manuel and Sage Erickson rip apart a small day at Backdoor. Photos taken by Freesurf's Tony Heff.
Twilight's Bella wearing the Morrison sweater in New Moon.
It's the North Shore season once again and what better way to kick it off then to give back to the local kids. The O'Neill team was in full force at the Haleiwa Rec Surf Night. Check out the images from last night.
Professional snowboarding legend Steve Fisher has signed a new two-year deal with O'Neill Outerwear.
Steve is a 2 time X-Games gold medal winner who was born in Kansas, raised in St. Louis Park, MN, and now a Breckenridge local, Steve Fisher knows only one speed when riding: fast. His smooth, aggressive style and towering amplitude and arguably the best backside fives in the world make "Fish" a favorite at every event he enters. Although always under the radar because of his low-key character, Steve cranks up the energy for every competition, but it's the BIG ones that bring out his best riding.
Erik Jorgensen, Marketing Director O'Neill Snow North America, is ecstatic to have another one of snowboarding's greats on the O'Neill Team, and said: "O'Neill Outerwear strongly believes in supporting the most talented and hardest working individuals, all of whom epitomize our passion for the purest form of freedom. This signing also serves to underline our vision and commitment to snowboarding across North America and beyond: "Stay out longer" is an attitude that Steve has always exemplified. From early morning training sessions to late-night pipe sessions, Steve's commitment is stitched into the very fabric of who we are."
Steve can be seen on the podiums this year at events around the globe including: The 2010 Winter Games, X-Games, Dew Tour, and many more. Also, keep an eye out for Steve's signature O'Neill jacket, dropping worldwide in 2010/11.
SANTA CRUZ, California (Sunday, November 8, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME O'Neill Cold Water Classic California witnessed an action packed day of competition when Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 28, claimed the event over Heath Joske (Coffs Harbour, AUS), 20, in pumping eight foot (2.5meter) waves at Steamer Lane. Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 19, won the Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships and also claimed the ASP North America Pro Junior Series Title.
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic California's ASP 6-Star PRIME status attracted some of the world's top surfing prospects out to qualify for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour, who were all hungry to capitalize on the mass of points available at the premier event.
Yeomans wasted no time in the bombing surf at Steamer Lane, jumping on the scoreboard early and leading the heat throughout the entire bout against Joske.The San Clemente native capitalized on the surf at middle peak, dropping a solid 15.33 heat total to earn the convincing win. Yeomans dominated on both his forehand and backhand to take the biggest victory of his career.
"I can't believe it," Yeomans said. "This is the biggest result of my career and I'm speechless. I've been winning 2-Stars for too long and it was time fora big 6-Star win. To have my name up there with all of the great surfers who have won this event over the years is amazing."
Yeomans, who was sitting in the No. 27 position on the ASP WQS entering the O'Neill Cold Water Classic California, catapulted up the ratings and is currently sitting within the top 15 after his impressive performance. The win helps his cause towards qualification for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour and with two ASP 6-Star PRIME events remaining in the season, the goofy-footer will look to Hawaii to solidify his position amongst the top 45 in the world for next year.
"I'm just floating right now," Yeomans said. "This just gets me so pumped to try and get another result in Hawaii."
Joske, who was in devastating form throughout the event, plowed through several of the world's top talents including former ASP World Tour surfer and current top ASP WQS competitor Luke Munro (Currumbin, AUS), 26, to earn the runner up finish behind Yeomans, but was unable to find a rhythm in the Final.
"I'm over the moon with the second place," Joske said. "Nate (Yeomans) just smoked it out there and I couldn't even buy a wave. I was just getting flogged by eight foot sets. I'm stoked for him and pretty happy."
Joske, who groomed his competitive skills as a standout on the ASP Pro Junior Series, will log 3063 points on to his current rating on The Grind, helping his seed for next year's quest for a spot on the coveted ASP Dream Tour.
"This is such a great result for me and it's really going to help my seed for next year," Joske said. "Hopefully I can do well in Hawaii also and give it a good shot for the World Tour next year."
Munro earned a third place finish at the ASP 6-Star PRIME event. The explosive Australian talent was currently sitting in the No. 15 position on the ASP WQS and needed the valuable ratings points on offer at the contest to help his quest for a qualifying spot for the 2010 ASP World Tour.
"This result is really important for my year and my career," Munro said. "I was right on the bubble for qualifying and this will bump me up a few spots, so I'm really happy to have made the Semifinals."
Alejo Muniz (Santa Catarina, BRA), 20, also claimed an equal third place finish by upsetting current ASP World No. 3 Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA),22 in the Quarterfinals, but was unable to surpass Yeomans in the Semifinals.
"The Quarterfinals was great heat win," Muniz said. "Adriano (de Souza) is one of my heroes and to win a heat against him was amazing."
Blake Thornton (AUS), 24, who was eliminated in the Round of 96, was also handsomely rewarded today as the first place finisher on the O'Neill Cold Water Classic series.
Young, who was the 2008 O'Neill Cold Water Classic California champion and the 2007 Oakley Pro Junior champion, won the event with amazing wave selection at his home break of Steamer Lane. Young dominated his heat to top fellow finalists Tonino Benson (Kona, HAW), 19, Dylan Goodale (Kauai, HAW), 17, and Cody Thompson (Jacksonville, FL), 20.
"I'm so psyched," Young said. "I wanted to win; I wanted to do well in this contest. I had a shocker in the WQS and it got me fired up and made me want to win."
The victory also saw the talented goofy-footer pass Dillon Perillo (Malibu,CA), 19, to take the title of 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion.
"It was in the back of my head going into this event," Young said. "It's great to have won the regional title at home."
Although Young won the ASP North America Pro Junior title, he has officially qualified for the prestigious ASP World Junior Championships via the ASP WQS as the top mainland American surfer of junior age on The Grind.
"I was the only kid from Santa Cruz in the junior, so I'm stoked," Young said."It's great to build momentum up for Worlds, even though it's far away, it's good to win this event at home with so many good guys in the draw."
Also representing ASP North America in the ASP World Junior Championships will be stylish regular footer Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 19, Luke Davis (Capistrano Beach, CA), 2008 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), 20, and Brent Reilly (Carlsbad, CA), 19
While winter is capable of bringing the rare beastly swell to the shores of Southern California, pulling out the step-up boards is rarely necessary. Chances are, if you're spending any decent amount of time in the Golden State, you'll need a flavorful selection of short, wide, fat or flat surfboards. And these are the exact elements that Cali girl Sage Erickson looks for when choosing her quiver.
October 13 2009, Berlin, Germany - Sixteen year old Seb Toots won the freestyle.berlin on the weekend with a perfect backside 1080 double cork – showing just why he is currently TTR World Tour number one.
"I am super excited to win," said Seb "There were a lot of good ridersthere so it means a lot to me. It's like a dream to come out first."
The Canadian beat an impressive lineup at the big air contest in its first year in Berlin, taking victory over Eero Ettala and current TTR World Champ Peetu Piiroinen with his backside 1080 double cork. And he made it look easy. "I think the hard part about a backside 1080 double cork is learning it," said Seb. "It's always scary to try the first time, but once you can control it, it's a great trick."
His first place comes right after finishing second at the freestyle.ch a few weeks ago.
"Peetu and Eero are really good riders and you never know what they are gonna throw in the contest," said Seb. "Eero got first place at freestyle.ch, and I got second so I am really stoked to be first this time with this good line up of riders."
CONGRATUALTIONS SEB!
Seb Toots has continued his onslaught of the season – coming second at the freestyle.ch in Zurich over the weekend.
The 16-year-old Canadian snowboarder who currently sits top of the TTR World Snowboard Tour ranking list, pulled off a Rodeo 5 and Back 1000 Double Cork to come second behind Eero Ettala.
And this is only the start of the season. Expect big things this year from the young star.
Tamayo Perry, locking in some serious shack time in West Australia!
Mark Mathews inside Ours with a hand-held video camera.
Awesome footage!
Former 2009 Stair Master Sebastien Toutant and Charles Reid (both from Quebec) were riding as though "they were battling for their lives" and in the end, it was both riders who claimed the title of Stylewars Stair Master, sharing the prize money between them.
After a mind-blowing display of tricks including every single variation possible of a gap-to-270 down the kink rail, first place was just too difficult to score.
Mel Simmons was the head judge and said, "This was probably the hardest judging I have ever done, ever. And I have done a lot of contests."
Simmons has eight years experience in judging and has been traveling internationally judging on the TTR World Snowboard Tour for four years.
"I can quite easily say that it was some of the toughest head-to-head judging that I have ever had to session.
"I would have preferred to nail it down to three hits (in a battle-style format) but unfortunately due to time constraints, it just wasn't going to happen.
"The riding was just so outstanding it was ridiculous. It was just too damn tight to call, Charles and Seb had absolutely everything on lock. And at the end of the day, we just can't let one of them walk away with the title.
"It was a unanimous decision between the judges and event organisers, and we are happy with the outcome."
Season is starting strong for Seb. See details of his latest victory at the Burton New Zealand Open here: "http://www.oneill.com/#/men/americacanada/news/64231.sebastien_toutant_can_won_burton_nz_open_slopestyle/"
French Canadians Sebastien Toutant and Charles Reid clinched the top two spots in men’s semifinals
Toutant taking the top spot by wowing the judges with his signature "Toutsie Roll," a backside doublecork 1080 melon.
Reid couldn't stick his run in the finals, dropping him to the back of the pack, but Torstein Horgmo (NOR) threw down in his third and final run with back to back 1080s, giving him an edge and finishing second.
Eric Willet (USA) stuck back-to-back 900s and had smooth style on the rails, giving him an edge and riding away with third. But in the end, Sebastien recreated his winning run from semis by starting off with a backside 270 on the first rail to 50/50 backside 360 on the second rail, into a backside rodeo 540 indy, into a Cab 900 stalefish, followed by a backside 1080 double cork melon, followed by a noseslide on the uprail to alleyoop backside 50/50 on the quarter, finishing with a frontside boardslide on the kinked rail.
"I'm so stoked to win my first contest of the year," said Toutant. "It was a great course, very different. I had fun trying new things and am so happy to do well."
Check his (sick) winning run on : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwQQVmNGO94
Local Courtney Conlogue Wins Hurley U.S. Open, Malia Manuel Finishes Runner-Up
Manuel Takes Nike 6.0 Pro Junior
HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Saturday, July 25, 2009) – Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 15, won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open today over defending event champion Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), 15, who claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, in a high-scoring Final in six-to-eight foot (2 metre) surf today at South Huntington Beach Pier.
Surfers competing at the prestigious Hurley U.S. Open event are battling for the important ratings points on offer towards qualification for the ASP World Tour.
Conlogue won the hard-fought battle over the young Hawaiian with huge backside blasts on the steep lefthanders in the Final to log a 9.00 and an 8.17 in her score line, placing the defending champion in a combination situation. Each of the impressive scores earned by the Huntington Beach local were awarded with one single maneuver, allowing her to take out her first major ASP WQS victory.
"I'm pretty much speechless," Conlogue said. "Malia (Manuel), she's an amazing surfer and to win that heat was to die for. I want to thank Malia for putting on a good Final with me. I'm so stoked to have had that Final with her. I was just going out there and having fun and that's what I've been doing this whole contest and it ended up working out. I'm going to try and carry that throughout all of my contests this year."
Malia Manuel put on a banner performance throughout the entire Hurley U.S. Open, and claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior en route to her runner-up ASP WQS finish. Manuel's Final berth was no easy feat, as she defeated reigning two-time ASP Women's World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (Tweed Heads, AUS), 21, in the women's main event.
"I'm so over the moon even to make it to the final day," Manuel said. "It was great out there. Courtney is an amazing athlete and she was the deserving heat winner."
Manuel took out her U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior title in dramatic fashion when she nabbed a last-minute wave to overtake the win over Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA), 18, who finished in second, defeating fellow finalists Cannelle Bulard (REU), who finished in third and current ASP World Tour rookie Coco Ho (Sunset Beach, HI), 18, who finished fourth.
"I'm glad I had the Pro Junior to fall back on," Manuel said. "Surfing against Coco (Ho) was great and Sage (Erickson) almost had it in the bag and some miraculous wave came and I got to pick it up and got a score. I'm just happy to be here today and surf in both finals."
The young regular-footer is now ready to start gaining more ASP WQS experience to eventually make a push towards qualification for the ASP Women's World Tour.
"I think it's time to put my foot through the door and do a couple of WQS events," Manuel said. "I'm in no rush, I'm only 15, so I'm just going to get some experience going on and hope for the best and hopefully in a couple of years I'll be doing what Coco (Ho) and Steph (Gilmore) are doing right now."
Men's Hurley U.S. Open competition started the day off today and witnessed reining nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), 37, blast a perfect 10-point-ride with a committing backside barrel to continue his campaign as the frontrunner of Hurley U.S. Open action. The Floridian Champion followed up the score with an 8.50 to notch the highest heat total of ASP WQS 6-Star competition for the second consecutive day.
"I'm stoked," Slater said. "There are big, huge, walled close-outs, but there are a few corners out there. The tide is coming in and it's not as hollow as this morning, there were probably a few barrels out there. That first one I got was so big, it just barreled. I started grabbing rail as I was going down the face, and doing a slow, long bottom turn, trying to brush off some speed. I was thinking, did I dork this, because for I second I didn't think it was going to barrel. Then it started to pitch. I was starting to think I would look really silly trying to grab rail mid-face on a wave that didn't barrel. I was hoping I could get out of it and get a hit, but it was just too quick."
Tomorrow will conclude Hurley U.S. Open action and will crown men's ASP WQS and U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior Champions by day's end.
For tomorrow's LIVE Hurley U.S. Open action log on towww.usopenofsurfing.com
For additional ASP information check out www.aspworldtour.com orwww.aspnorthamerica.org
Women's Hurley U.S. Open Final Results:
1 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 17.17
2 – Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.67
Women's Hurley U.S. Open Semifinals Results:
SF 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 11,17 def Laura Enever (AUS) 6.27
SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.33 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 7.47
Sunday July 5, 2009 – Just hours after celebrating both his 21st birthday and American Independence Day (both on 4 July), Tanner Gudauskas (California, USA) celebrated the biggest victory of his professional surfing career, taking out the ASP WQS 6-Star Mr Price Pro Ballito, today.
Gudauskas defeated Australian James Taipan Wood (Aus) rocketing to World No. 6 on the ASP World Qualifying Series and pocketing R159 000 (US$20 000) as well as 2500 ASP WQS ratings points.
"I just can't believe it, this is a personal best for me!" said Gudauskas. "Every night this week I've been going to bed dreaming about winning this contest and putting myself up there where Pat (Tanner's brother and WQS No. 10 Patrick Gudauskas) was at, and it came through today so I'm fired up!"
Attacking the 30-minute final with unprecedented determination, Gudauskas rode every lump of swell, snatching an early heat lead with a 6.83 (out of 10.00) for some clean backhand turns, riding out in an explosion of whitewater off his final maneuver.
While his opponent Wood opted to play the patience game catching his first wave at the 11 minute mark, Gudauskas projected fast out of his top turns, maintaining speed and power in the wind affected waves to score a 6.67 and further extend his lead over the Australian, who was left looking for a 7.67.
"I just got into this mindset that when the surf got worse I was going to get better and as the tide came up and it got less consistent, I just got more fired up and more pissed off," said Gudauskas. "It's crazy because I can hardly remember half of it now but my priority exchange worked out and it all came together and I'm just super fired up!"
Cloaked in stars and stripes, of the American flag, an emotional Gudauskas was chaired up the beach by his older brother Dane and quarterfinalist Dylan Graves (Pri), surrounded by a sea of adoring fans and media crew all wanting a piece of the newly crowned champ.
"When I came out of the water and saw my brothers and some of my friends all standing on the beach cheering for me I was almost in tears," said Gudauskas. "We have a really strong crew from America right now and we're all pushing as hard as we can to bust down the door and make the ASP World Tour and I think this year could be the year."
Guduaskas is now the highest rated American surfer on the WQS tour, surpassing both WQS No. 7 Brett Simpson and his older brother WQS No. 10 Patrick Gudauskas.
THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST, THE COLDEST & THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET
Blake Thornton, the 24 year old from Maroubra, Sydney, surfed the perfect final in epic Cape Town conditions to knock out local favourite Royden Bryson, and take victory at the O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa.
"I am so excited to win this," said Blake. "Royden fell on his wave at the end. I think maybe the cold was getting to us," he said shivering in his wetsuit. "I am sorry for him, but so glad I won."
In victory, Blake lifted the CWC South Africa trophy – a replica shark's jaw – high above his head on the shoreline at Kalk Bay.
"Thankfully this is a fake jaw," said Blake. "Hopefully I won't see any real ones. There was actually a seal swimming around out there with us in the final," he said. "Everyone knows that sharks love seals, but actually in a heat you're only worried about what's going on in the heat."
After a lay day yesterday which saw everyone hiding away from the storms, conditions came together perfectly on the eastern side of the Cape with offshore winds and a solid six-foot swell.
The barreling left hand reef break of Kalk Bay provided the dream final day for the first professional surfing event in Cape Town in 21 years - the 4 Star ASP WQS O'Neill CWC South Africa.
And local Cape Town surfer Royden Bryson almost provided the dream local ending. "From the water I could hear everyone supporting me – shouting and honking their horns on the beach," said Royden. "I don't think I've ever had support like that in a contest. It was amazing."
"I wish I hadn't folded on that last wave, but what can you do," he said. "I will kick myself for about half an hour and then it will be good."
Although eager to win the trophy, Royden hadn't been too keen on the idea of displaying the shark's jaw. "There would be no way I would want to see that thing before I went in for a surf!" he said.
The anticipation of Kalk Bay working for the final day had been building all week, so when contest director Matt Wilson made the call to start at 11am with man-on-man heats, the surfers were ready.
"It was a good decision to have man-on-man heats out there," said semi-finalist Jarrad Howse. "There would have been too much hassling if you had four man heats."
Jarrad was one of the standout performances of the day – actually looking like he was having a lot of fun as he pulled into barrel after barrel on his backhand.
The shock of the day was the early departure of World Tour star and event ambassador, Jordy Smith – knocked out by Glenn Hall in the round of 16.
And the wave of the day came from the eventual winner who pulled into an awesome barrel to score the highest wave score of the competition – a 9.6.
"My first heat was a shocker, I just wasn't understanding the wave," said Blake. "I think in the next heat I was a bit more relaxed and just pulled into that wave and it worked out."
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa had been billed as the 'wildest event in professional surfing'. Over the past week it more than lived up to its name.
"O'Neill took a risk to hold an event here in Cape Town in the middle of winter," said Royden. "There can be some pretty huge out of control storms down here."
With howling winds, huge rain squalls, and cold winter temperatures both in the water and out – there were definitely some out of control storms.
And although the sheltered east coast of the Cape provided a sanctuary, it was still quintessential Cold Water Classic conditions.
"I was cold all day," said Blake. "I think it is the adrenaline that kept me going. I cannot wait for a hot shower and a few beers. But that's part of the whole series – battling the elements."
And it's not going to get any warmer; next stop on the CWC Series - the freezing colds of Vancouver Island, Canada in October.
"When We Own The Mic"
Artist: 40 love
Album: Advantage
Visit the Band @ www.myspace.com/40lovehiphop
Check out all the O'Neill team riders during the WQS Six Star Prime held at
really good Lowers. Stand out Tanner Gudauskas was on fire reaching the
Quarter finals as well as Nat Young who surfed deep into the event to round
six and made the semi's in the Pro Junior with over four 9.00 rides!
"M Greene"
Artist: Haram
Album: Drescher
Go to www.harammusic.com for more music!
© Lovitt Records, www.lovitt.com
O'Neill Rider Malia Manuel takes top honors at the VQS Hill Billy Stomp held this past weekend at Newport's 54th street. She outshined the competition in the fun 3-5' surf by surfing fast, loose, and progressive. She was able to secure the victory in solid fashion by snapping, slicing, and demolishing every wave she rode.
"The event had fun waves and a great atmosphere. I am pretty stoked right now," says winner Malia Manuel.
She should be stoked because with her win she earned a boat load of prizes and $4,000.00 US dollars and the title as the Champion of Mountain Mommas! This is another big victory after last year's US Open win and will prove to be a nice confidence builder before the NSSA Nationals coming up in June.
Coming in second was Lauren Sweeny who also put on a solid display of power hacks and lip bashes that was good for $1,500.00, and following up was fellow team mate and Newport Beach resident and PacSun USASurf team member Kaleigh Gilchrist who finished 3rd. It was a powerful finish for O'Neill in the women's division, in fact it was Hill Billy domination.
Other big results were newest team member Ian Crane's 2nd place in the 16 and under division where he collected $2,000.00 big bucks and prizes equal to it. He was on point all event posting big scores in every heat and really applied some great rail surfing to achieve this big result.
In the honorable mention category Maui Surfer Matt Meola placed fourth in the Airshow and hucked the biggest backside air reverse and the crowd went nuts! Unfortunately the judges deemed that he didn't ride through it. But none-the-less he was still awarded the "Move of The Day" for an air he landed the prior day and he had the crowd stoked on his performance through out the event.
Congratulations to all competitors!
Mountain Mommas (Girls)
1. Malia Manuel
2. Lauren Sweeney
3. Kaleigh Gilchrist
4. Demi Boelsterli
Porch Babies (Groms)
1. Ezekiel Lau
2. Ian Crane
3. Ian Gentil
4. Kolohe Andino
Grasshoppers (Air Show)
1. Torrey Meister
2. Killian Garland
3. Gavin Beschen
4. Matt Meola
Electric Bolt Thrower Move Of The Day Award:
Matt Meola
"Breathe Like You're Dancing"
Artist: Sybris
Album: Sybris
Visit the band @ www.myspace.com/sybris
"On and On"
Artist: 40Love
Album: Advantage
Visit the band @ www.myspace.com/40lovehiphop
Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 4-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic in great four-to-six foot surf in front of his home crowd at Steamer Lane. Young defeated fellow finalists Chris Waring (Seal Beach, CA), 21, Granger Larsen (Lahaina, HI), 18, and Sean Moody (North Shore, HI), 25, and reclaimed the O’Neill Cold Water Classic title for the Santa Cruz locals in a close Final.
The ASP WQS offers valuable ratings points towards qualification for the ASP World Tour. Each surfer looks to earn a top 15 position on the ASP WQS by year’s end in order to qualify for the ASP Dream Tour for the following year.
Young came out on top after a nail-biting Final against his fellow competitors. The Steamer Lane local displayed some of the best backside surfing throughout the event and continued his amazing form to claim the O’Neill Cold Water Classic win.
“I’m super excited,” Young said. “I lost in the junior’s and just wanted to do good in this. Just making the Final in this was good, and to win it…”
Young’s Final berth came after a long day of competition. The goofy-footer won both his Quarterfinals and Semifinals heats in the last few minutes of each heat on the way to his event victory. Young ousted fellow Santa Cruz locals Jason Collins (Santa Cruz, CA), 34, and Randy Bonds (Santa Cruz, CA), 31, in his Semifinals heat, taking top honors over his local idols.
“It’s been a long day,” Young said. “I’ve been in my wetsuit since about 7 a.m. and I squeaked through a couple of heats and made the Final and everyone was surfing so good.”
Young also finished second on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series and will go to Australia to represent America at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. Young is looking forward to his first experience at the contest in Narrabeen, Australia.
“It’s my first time in that contest, so I’m excited,” Young said. “There’s a bunch of good guys there and it’s going to be a great learning experience.
Larsen, who finished third, caught a wave in the last few seconds of the Final and could have potentially stolen the lead from Young. Unfortunately for Larsen, he did not find the score needed to take the win, but still was happy with his first ASP WQS Final appearance.
“This is my first WQS Final so I’m really psyched right now,” Larsen said. “I’m just stoked to be in the Final and I’m super psyched, just over the moon.”
Larsen ousted local standout Bud Freitas (Santa Cruz, CA), 24, with an impressive performance in his Semifinals heat. Freitas had been unstoppable up until the Semifinals, earning some of the event’s highest scores, but Larsen notched the score needed in the last few minutes of his heat to end the local’s chances at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic title.
“My board was working good on those medium sized ones, and those are the best waves that come in,” Larsen said. “I had one that was a full horseshoe that was coming at me and I was able to hit it at the end.”
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic also marked the final event on the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series, an ASP specialty series, which offered an additional $ 15,000 prize purse to the series winner. Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA), 27, claimed this year’s Trifecta title and $ 10,000 paycheck by advancing into the Semifinals.
“I’m so stoked,” Byrne said. “I knew I had a lot of ground to make up in the beginning because of Asher (Nolan), and Kieran (Horn) is almost guaranteed a Final here every time, so I wasn’t stressed until the last day or two. I couldn’t even sleep last night.”
Asher Nolan (Jacksonville, FL), 30, with an equal 33rd finish in the O’Neill Cold Water Classic came in second on the Trifecta to pocket $ 3,500. Nate Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) who didn’t compete in the event, finished third and garnered $ 1,500 in the final Trifecta standings thanks to a strong performance at Lower Trestles and the win at the Oakley Newport Beach Pro.
Complete results, images and video highlights available at www.coldwaterclassic.net
Special thanks to the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, Oakley Pro Junior and Macy’s CA Trifecta supporting sponsors: O’Neill, Oakley, Macy’s, Red Bull, Coors, Fosters, Palm, SURFER Magazine, SURFING Magazine, WaveWatch.com and FUEL TV. For more information on the Macy's California Trifecta Surf Series visit www.catrifecta.com
O’Neill Cold Water Classic Results:
Final:
1 – Nat Young (USA) 13.87
2 – Chris Waring (USA) 13.84
3 – Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.93
4 – Sean Moody (HAW) 11.94
Semifinals: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Granger Larsen (HAW) 13.87, Chris Waring (USA) 13.84, Micah Byrne (USA) 13.36, Bud Freitas (USA) 6.80
Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 12.67, Sean Moody (USA) 12.43, Randy Bonds (USA) 11.00, Jason Collins (USA) 7.60
Quarterfinals: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Micah Byrne (USA) 10.77, Granger Larsen (HAW) 9.37, David Gonsalves (HAW) 7.50, Mason Ho (HAW) 7.34
Heat 2: Bud Freitas (USA) 13.50, Chris Waring (USA) 11.50, Chad Compton (USA) 10.40, Blake Howard (USA) 7.24
Heat 3: Jason Collins (USA) 14.66, Randy Bonds (USA) 11.16, Matt King (USA) 8.10, Kyle Garson (USA) 7.34
Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 14.67, Sean Moody (HAW) 10.80, Shaun Ward (USA) 10.34, Cory Lopez (USA) 7.70
Macy’s CA Trifecta WQS Results:
1 – Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA) $ 10,000
2 – Asher Nolan (Jacksonville, FL) $ 3,500
3 – Nate Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) $ 1,500
MASON HO CLAIMS OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR ASP NORTH AMERICA CHAMPIONSHIPS;
SEBASTIAN ZIETZ TAKES MACY’S CA TRIFECTA
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct 26, 2008 – Mason Ho (North Shore, HI), 20, won the Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships, an ASP Grade-3 event, in four-to-six foot surf at Santa Cruz’s coveted Steamer Lane this afternoon by posting the highest heat total of the event, a near perfect 19.10 out of a possible 20, leaving fellow finalists Jayke Sharp (Coffs Harbor, AUS), 19, Fisher Heverly (Emerald Isle, NC), 17, and Bruno Rodrigues (Huntington Beach, CA), 20, in a combination situation.
All ASP North America Pro Junior competitors have been working throughout the year to compile their top six results out of the 10 events on the series in hopes of finishing in the top five overall. The top five surfers earn a berth into the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. This year’s top five surfers Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), 19, who claimed the ASP North America Pro Junior title, Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), Andrew Doheny (Newport Beach, CA), 15, Travis Beckmann (Vero Beach, FL), 20, and Blake Jones (Melbourne, FL), 20, will represent North America against the world’s finest junior competitors in Narrabeen, Australia, where each surfer will have a chance to claim the title of ASP World Junior Champion.
Ho proved to be the Oakley Pro Junior competitor to beat, jumping out to an early lead in the pumping Steamer Lane surf. The young Hawaiian earned the top honors with an explosive variety of maneuvers, earning a near perfect score.
“It just feels good to know that hard work pays off,” Ho said. “The reward is great and it’s just cool to win one.”
Ho was thrilled to claim a win in the pumping surf. Despite the cold water, Ho felt right at home at Steamer Lane, stating that the Lane reminded him of Sunset, his home break in Hawaii.
“My Uncle helped me with my heats and my board was just really good,” Ho said. “My board is pretty beat up, but the waves were just so good. It kind of reminds me of my home break, Sunset. It’s so sick. I’m so stoked.”
Sharp proved why he is rated fourth on the ASP Australasia pro junior series with an impressive performance at this year’s Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships. Sharp was one to watch throughout the event, but could not top the near-flawless performance displayed by Ho.
“It’s good to come over here and see how I do,” Sharp said. “I just got a little bit stuck out there and got caught up in the hassling out there and I didn’t really get any good waves, but good job to Mason.”
Although Sharp’s result does not affect the ASP Pro Junior ratings, Sharp will surf against the top North Americans in this year’s Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. The regular-footer made a visit to the states, stamping a lasting impression on his fellow competitor’s minds with his performance here at Santa Cruz.
“I’m looking forward to World’s,” Sharp said. “I’m hoping that Mason (Ho) can qualify through Hawaii so that we can have a rematch.
Rodrigues needed to win the event in order to qualify for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, but could not advance past the amazing surfing by Ho and finished in third. Pagan, who also was a standout in the event, finished in a respectable fourth place overall.
Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 20, who did not compete in the Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships, will accompany the top five ASP North America Pro Junior surfers in Narrabeen via the ASP WQS. Gudauskas was the top ASP WQS competitor of junior age from America, earning him a berth into the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships again this year.
The contest also marks the last of three events held in the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (an ASP North America Specialty Series), which offers an additional ,000 prize purse to its top three finishers. Sebastian Zietz (Kilauea, HI), 20, claimed the top honors and ,000 in this year’s series despite his equal 25th place finish at Steamer Lane. Zietz won the Oakley Pro Junior at Lower Trestles and placed seventh at the Oakley Pro Junior in Newport Beach, which proved enough to claim the added prize purse for the junior division.
“Being down here today at the contest, I knew there was a rare chance for me to win the Trifecta,” Zietz said. “Everybody who needed to win just one more heat ended up losing and I just got really lucky. I’m super stoked though, party tonight.”
Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) pocketed $ 1,000 for second place on the Macy’s CA Trifecta and Fisher Heverly snagged ,000 for third after finishing equal fifth in Santa Cruz.
This event marks the Final contest on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series and the top six surfers mentioned above will surf in January in Narrabeen, Australia against the world’s best junior competitors.
The Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships in Santa Cruz marks the last of 10 events held on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, with six of the surfers top 10 results added up throughout the year to determine each competitors rating. The top five surfers at year’s end earn their spot to compete in the ASP World Junior Championships held in Narrabeen, Australia each January.
Complete results, images and video highlights are available at www.coldwaterclassic.net
Special thanks to the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, Oakley Pro Junior and Macy’s CA Trifecta supporting sponsors: O’Neill, Oakley, Macy’s, Red Bull, Coors, Fosters, Palm, SURFER Magazine, SURFING Magazine, WaveWatch.com and FUEL TV. For more information on the Macy's California Trifecta Surf Series visit www.catrifecta.com
Oakley Pro Junior ASP North American Championship Results
Final:
1 - Mason Ho (HAW) 19.10
2 - Jayke Sharp (AUS) 11.47
3 - Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 11.00
4 - Matt Pagan (USA) 6.67
Semifinals: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Mason Ho (HAW) 12.53, Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 11.83, Cody Thompson (USA) 9.33, Luke Davis (USA) 7.77
Heat 2: Jayke Sharp (AUS) 13.84, Matt Pagan (USA) 9.93, Fisher Heverly (USA) 7.03, Austin Smith-Ford (USA) 5.87
Quarterfinals: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 3: Austin Smith-Ford (USA) 10.94, Fisher Heverly (USA) 9.50, Nat Young (USA) 9.47, Gabe Garcia (USA) 8.73
Heat 4: Jayke Sharp (AUS) 16.37, Matt Pagan (USA) 10.84, Heath Joske (USA) 10.70, Michael Dunphy (USA) 6.17
Macy’s CA Trifecta Oakley Pro Junior Results
1 – Sebastian Zietz (Kilauea, HI) $ 7,000
2 – Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) $ 2,000
3 – Fisher Heverly (Emerald Isle, NC) $ 1,000