• Psychofreak Featured in New York Times
      • Click on image to go to feature

    • JEREMY JONES DEEPER
    • INSPIRING NEW SNOWBOARD FILM TRAILER FROM JEREMY JONES
    • Psychofreak Named Wetsuit of the Year at SIMA Image Awards
    • Santa Cruz, CA. (October 5, 2009) – The Psychofreak wetsuit by O’Neill received the Surf Industry Manufacturers’ Image Award for the Wetsuit of the Year this past weekend at SIMA Surf Summit 12 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The SIMA Image Awards identify the surf industry’s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry.

      Determined to make the warmest high performance cold water wetsuit, O’Neill introduced the revolutionary Psychofreak with XDS-Air neoprene in fall 2008. &quotAs the original wetsuit manufacturer, it is in our blood to push the evolution of the wetsuit,&quot stated John Hunter, Senior Product Designer at O’Neill Wetsuits. Unlike traditional cold water wetsuits that utilize thicker neoprene, the Psychofreak with O’Neill’s unique XDS-Air neoprene, a complex 3D structure of rubber and trapped air components, provides increased insulation similar to a double paned window, without additional thickness or restriction. &quotThe ultimate goal in designing wetsuits is to make them as warm and flexible as possible; we obviously achieved that with the Psychofreak.&quot

      Chosen by fellow surf industry companies and retailers, the SIMA Image Awards are a reflection of how brands and their products are viewed within the industry, but more importantly by those selling the product to the customer. &quotI really want to thank all of our dealers for supporting O'Neill for over fifty-five years and I'm stoked our dealers and customers recognize the difference between a functional innovative wetsuit and all the imitations out there,&quot stated Pat O’Neill, CEO and President of O’Neill Wetsuits. &quotOur dealers claim O'Neill wetsuits continue to represent seventy to eighty percent of their total wetsuits sales, so I am not surprised the Psychofreak has been recognized as the top wetsuit.&quot

      CLICK ON JORDY/PSYCHOFREAK IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH PSYCHOFREAK VIDEO.....
      • Watch the Psychofreak video?
    • SEB TOOTS WINS FREESTYLE.BERLIN
    • 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 got 2nd at Freestyle.ch Big Air
      • Seb Toots has continued his onslaught of the season – coming second at the freestyle.ch in Zurich over the weekend.

      • Seb 2nd
      • 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.

    • 2009 Surfer Poll Results
      • O'Neill Team win recap at Surfer Poll:
        Jordy Smith - #9 Ranking
        Jordy Smith - Web Clip of the Year - Rodeo Clown
        Cory Lopez - Best Barrel (5'5" x 19 1/4" Redux)
    • Mark Mathews surfing inside Ours
      • Mark Mathews inside Ours with a hand-held video camera.
        Awesome footage!

    • Timmy Reyes chases a South Swell to Mexico!
      • Check out this latest mind blowing footage of Timmy Reyes during one of the biggest south swells to rock the Pacific Coast in the last several years. Some wondered where Timmy was during all the action. Truth be told, he vanished down to old Mexico to score killer Puerto Escondido and the points down below. It's safe to say, he scored big time!
    • Janne Korpi starts his comeback from injury
    • After eight months out Janne anticipating return in New Zealand
      • On January 10 2009, Janne Korpi looked set for the season of his career. Sitting second on the TTR World Rankings he had just taken out the O'Neill Evolution slopestyle… in convincing and outstanding style. And he was looking like he would do the same on the quarterpipe. However a bad fall broke his shinbone and put him out for the rest of the season.

      • Janne Korpi winning Evolution slopestyle
      • Now heading to New Zealand in August for his first time back on a board in eight months, Janne Korpi stopped by the O'Neill office for a quick update.

        Tell us about the injury
        "It was the quarterfinals against Risto Mattila and I landed on the flat and then something bad happened. I felt something break, but I didn't realise it was as bad as it was. It wasn't so painful so I didn't think it was too bad. Plus I watched the video of it recently and it didn't look as bad as it was at all."

        How long does it take to heal?
        "I needed two months total rest. For one month I just sat in my house watching Friends. I went a little crazy. Then I had to start a lot of gym training to get the muscle strength back. My leg was so small after two months of doing nothing."

        When do you get back on your board?
        "Two weeks will be the fist time I strap my board on. I'm going to New Zealand in August. I am not sure if I will compete or not – it depends how my leg is. I'm still a bit worried about how it feels to snowboard after eight months off. The most important bit is that I can ride again. That is my biggest goal for the season – to get back on the snow again. Only then will I start thinking about competitions and everything. The Olympics is the biggest contest in the world and I would love to go there, but there are also more contests."
         

        KEEP UPDATED ON JANNE'S PROGRESS ON HIS TEAM PAGE


    • MARK MATHEWS SCORES THE BIGGEST BARREL OF HIS LIFE
    • O'Neill big wave surfer Mark Mathews 20km off the coast of WA
      • O'Neill surfer Mark Mathews has scored one of the biggest and heaviest barrels ever ridden – in shark infested waters some 20km off the coast of Western Australia.


      • The 26 year old from Maroubra in Sydney waited about six hours in order to get this incredible 15 second ride.

        "It had been really slow all day and I hadn't had any good ones," said Mark. "Then this mountain came roaring out from the horizon I got goose bumps all over as soon as I saw it. I looked up at Hippo (Ryan Hipwood) who was on the jet ski and he didn't even smile he just said "this thing's huge."

        "There was so much water sucking off the reef. I just kept my eyes right in front of me and hoped the corner of the barrel wasn't about to lip me in the head."

        Trying to describe the sensation, Mark said: "Big barrels like that feel like they are alive. They suck all the air inside. That's what surfers mean when they say they felt the wave take a breath."

        "You feel like you're surrounded by the whole ocean. The air has nowhere left to go and just gets spat out into the channel, taking you with it. This is the feeling that keeps coming back over and over and over again."

        "This one can be topped," said Mark. "It's the thrill of the chase that keeps me going."



      • Mark Mathews
      • Mark Mathews
      • Mark Mathews
    • TANNER GUDAUSKAS WINS MR PRICE PRO BALLITO
    • Tanner now 6th on the ASP World Qualifying Series
      • 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.

    • BLAKE THORNTON WINS THE O’NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC SOUTH AFRICA
    • EPIC CONDITIONS FOR THE FINAL AT KALK BAY
      • 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.


    • O'Neill launches the Cold Water Classic Series 2009
    • THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST, THE COLDEST & THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET

      • Pushing boundaries, delving into the unexplored with a sense of adventure and innovation that defines O’Neill – this is the Cold Water Classic Series launching in 2009.

        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 6-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) events in rugged and unique locations in the depths of nature.

        Building on the iconic event in Santa Cruz, and the much lauded Highland Open in Scotland, O’Neill has added events in Tasmania, South Africa and Canada to make the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series a huge and much welcomed addition to the world of surfing.

        "We wanted to provide a unique and challenging experience for the world’s best surfers," says O’Neill’s Global Event Manager, Bernhard Ritzer. "The Cold Water Classic series is the perfect extension of our existing events – it remains true to our spirit of innovation and adventure, pushing the boundaries, and exploring the limits. The CWC Series events will take us to incredible and unique locations around the world, where we will let the cold know that we’re not afraid."

        Kicking off in March 2009, the Series will first travel to Tasmania for the most Southern event within professional surfing. The island state 240km off mainland Australia boasts big powerful surf and a variety of world class reef and beach breaks in a rugged and challenging environment, with an average water temperature of 13 degrees in March.

        "Tasmania is pretty much as wild as it gets," says Australian WQS competitor Jarrad Howse. "It offers the more adventurous a surfing experience like no other in Australia. I love the reefs in Tassie - usually really hollow, and magnets for any swell. It’s a cold, rugged, beautiful place that deserves an event."

      • 2008 Highland Open winner Adam Robertson

      • In May, the CWC Series will head to Scotland for the popular Highland Open event, providing world class reef breaks in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands at Thurso East and Brims Ness.

        Cape Town will host the third event on the CWC Series in June. With powerful swells sweeping into the peninsula, the event will no doubt take full advantage of the mobile format of each of the events on the Series in order to find the optimum waves available.

        The coldest surf contest on the planet follows as the CWC Series heads up to Nova Scotia in Canada in October. This will be the first professional ASP surf event ever held in Canada. Known more for its snow than its surf, Canada’s wild and rugged shoreline actually offers a huge variety of pointbreaks, reefs and beachbreaks that can work on a wide combination of winds and swells. Fog, snow, freezing temperatures and ice-cold water add to the extremity of this event.

         
        The Cold Water Classic Series will end up at the iconic Cold Water Classic event in Santa Cruz in November – Northern California’s premier professional surfing event since 1987.  Now upgraded to a 6-Star WQS event, the Nor Cal event will be where the 2009 CWC Champion will be crowned.

        ASP International CEO, Brodie Carr believes the introduction of the Cold Water Classic Series will have a significant and positive impact on the WQS; "The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series represents an exciting and unique addition to the ASP World Tour Calendar. The established events of Scotland and Santa Cruz are already hugely popular with the surfers and the addition of the high rated events in Canada, Tasmania and South Africa really broadens and supports not only this series, but the WQS as a whole."


        The CWC Series will be officially launched during the Cold Water Classic event from 21-26 October 2008 in Santa Cruz, California. More information about the Series will be released at this time.

    • Nicolien Hosang Signs with O'Neill
    • from Groningen
      • Nicolien signs with O'Neill. YAY!