Eli Kallison Surfing Carmel and El Porto

Though not the most exciting footage, I felt the need to make/upload a video of me surfing a shitty day at Carmel and a shitty day at El Porto.  Enjoy the music?

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Nat Young Qualifies for 2013 ASP World Tour in #VTCS

Nat Young Surfing

Nat Young qualified Sunday for the 2013 ASP World Tour.  As a fellow Central California surfer, Nat is the first from Santa Cruz to qualify for the ASP World Tour in 15 years.  Congratulations, and looking forward to checking out the action early next year.

Stay tuned, and I'll post some more about the Pipe Master's this week.  Here's a sick little video of Nat surfing in Africa...

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#VTCS Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Photos

#VTCS Adam Melling clinches the 2012 Vans World Cup f Surfing at Sunset Beach yesterday.  Amazing 8 footers were rolling through almost all day, with a little bit of texture that let the guys absolutely rip.  The younger surfers ran this tournament, with Gabriel Medina, age 18, taking 2nd behind Adam Melling, 27.  Slater and Florence didn't make it into the final day.   Check out some of these beautiful Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset photos from the 4-day tournament.

Please note, all photos are provided by the Association of Surfing Professionals.

Surfer Chris Ward at the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Jeremy Flores Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Sebastien Zietz Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Kelly Slater Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Travis Logie Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Kieren Perrow Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset 

Adrian Buchan Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Alejo Muniz Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

John John Florence Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

Taylor Knox Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset

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Gabriel Medina Surfing Backflip

Gabriel Medina Surfing Backflip

I've got to say, it's a pretty slow day out there on the Internet coming off of Thanksgiving and with Black Friday in full swing. So how about I give you all (and myself) a little jolt of visual espresso in the form of a sweet backflip-while-surfing stunt in the video above.

The quick, but very impressive trick was performed and posted by Brazilian surfer, Gabriel Medina (with some dubstep music from Skrillex to up the ante of the clip).

Source: CBS News


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Reef Hawaiian Pro Surf Competition

Cory Lopez at Reef Hawaiian Pro Surf Competition

HONOLULU – (Thursday, November 15, 2012) — The 30th Anniversary Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, hydrated by vitaminwater, officially got underway on the North Shore of Oahu today. Organizers of the REEF Hawaiian Pro were forced to wait on Mother Nature before a solid swell increase at midday sent competition into immediate fever pitch.

With $250,000 on offer in this event alone, and eight rounds of competition from start to finish, much is on the line for the 128 surfers from 15 nations who make up the REEF Hawaiian Pro. Surfline.com forecasts that wave heights will peak tomorrow morning before slowly declining through the weekend. It will be all systems go again tomorrow, and Saturday.

Nathan Hedge, 33 (Australia), Cory Lopez, 35 (Florida), Hank Gaskell, 25 (Maui, HI), and Mason Ho, 24 (Hawaii) headed the field today. Lopez is back after four months out due to an ankle injury that didn’t hamper him in the least today. Cory took to the air in a display that shot him to an early lead in the Hawaiian Air Show that offers 250,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles for the top aerialist of the series.

Find out more: http://surf.transworld.net/1000154679/news/reef-hawaiian-pro-day-1-results/


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GoPro HERO3: Black Edition - Smaller, Lighter and 2X More Powerful by GoProCamera

                             

Insanely awesome video taken with the GoPro.

World Record: Most Surfers Ever On One Wave

World Record: Most Surfers Ever On One Wave

A SURF Coast surf school has celebrated its 25th anniversary by claiming a world record at Anglesea with a little help from 120 surfers.

The record was for the largest number of surfers to ride a single wave and will be officially recorded by Guinness World Records.

Organiser Wes Smith from Go Ride a Wave surfing school said the previous record of 110 was set in South Africa three years ago.

"The new record now stands at 120 following our successful attempt (on Saturday)," Mr Smith said.

"The rules were simple: All surfers had to ride the same wave in at the same time and stand for at least five seconds while doing so."

There was a time limit of one hour from when the first attempt began for a new record to be set.

Mr Smith said the event attracted more than 200 board riders.

"The trick was to get them all to do the same thing at the same time," he said. "It was an operation of military-like precision and we finally got there."

The event required an army of workers, wave spotters, on-water group leaders, camera crews and official scrutineers.

When likely waves loomed a siren sounded and the board riders paddled.

Everyone hoped that everyone else was on the same page and the same wave. There was some confusion early on when large numbers of riders had trouble remaining upright. But on the eighth attempt, which was completed just within the time limit, the record fell.

Mr Smith said applying for entry to the Guinness book was complicated.

"They sent us a Brazilian rainforest worth of paperwork to register the attempt initially," he said.

"Then we had to video it before two judges from Surfing Australia and four other independent stewards."

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Steamer Lane's status as world-class surf break questionable

Gabriel Medina catches air during a free ride before the finals of the 2012 O'Neill Coldwater Classic

As suntans fade for the throngs of surf aficionados, organizers and spectators who attended the Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane over the last week, the question lingers: Was our wave worthy of a World Tour?

Steamer Lane -- the break where Jack O'Neill lost his eye developing the now ubiquitous wetsuit and surf leash -- was chosen by the Association of Surfing Professionals to host the top 34 surfers in the world as the 10th of 11 venues on its World Tour. The break earned the honor both on the merits of O'Neill Wetsuits celebrating its 60th anniversary and the spectacular Santa Cruz scenery.

But as far as being a break worthy of the world's best, there's still some debate as to whether Steamer Lane fit the bill. Between sloped wave faces and a fickle temperament for swell and tide conditions, the Lane is unlike most of the other World Tour stops.

"I don't regard the Lane as a world-class wave, I think even the locals would tell you that. It's a world-class amphitheater and this just happens to be a beautiful place," 11-time world champion Kelly Slater said shortly after losing his Round 1 heat to local prodigy Nat Young.

Even though the Lane was on its best behavior during the contest, Slater didn't change his opinion before getting eliminated in Round 5.

"I just can't seem to figure this wave out," Slater said later in the contest. "I'm as frustrated as can be."


Read More: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_21962647/steamer-lanes-status-word-class-questionable

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Mavericks surfing contest window opens

Mavericks surfing contest window opens

Surfers and organizers on Friday planned an opening ceremony and paddle out at the break to mark the season's opening.

Each year, wave forecasters wait for the right combination of swell and weather between early November and the end of March.

When conditions are just right, the call goes out to 24 of the world's most daring big wave surfers, who get a day's notice to fly to the Half Moon Bay area to compete.

The big wave break off of Pillar Point is one of the world's most dangerous - legendary Hawaiian surfer Mark Foo died there in 1994, and in 2011 experienced waterman Sion Milosky died during a session.

Source: Sacramento Bee


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Billabong Tow-In Session Ireland

Some of the world's best big wave surfers are making their way to Ireland again this winter to compete in the third annual Billabong Tow-In Session presented by Monster at Mullaghmore in county Sligo.

The waiting period for the event started on November 1 and finishes on March 1. Organisers only need one day of giant waves to stage the event. Last year's event was cancelled because the required waves in excess of 20 feet failed to arrive during the four month waiting period.

The inaugural event in 2010 however saw competitors taking on 20-30 foot waves at Mullaghmore, a break that is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most fearsome and best big wave locations in the world.

"Mullaghmore is an incredible wave, one of the heaviest I've surfed and one that holds unlimited potential for giant waves," said the 2010 winner Benjamin Sanchis from France (pictured above at Mullaghmore). Sanchis and his partner Eric Rebiere have been invited back to defend their title.

Because lives are at stake only those surfers with recognized big wave experience are invited to compete. Competitors are also expected to be well versed and qualified in all the necessary rescue and water safety procedures. Along with the defending champions competitors from Ireland, Hawaii, USA, Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Tahiti and South Africa have all been invited.

The runner-up team from the inaugural event, Peter Conroy (Co. Clare) and Glyn Ovens (GB) are among several Irish teams set to challenge the overseas surfers in their home country.

"Mullaghmore is impressive with its grassy headland acting as natural amphitheatre for spectators to watch the event," said Conroy, "but it's a scary place when the surf is big. There's lots water swirling around and surging up from the underwater reef ledges. Hopefully this year's event will get great waves and we will all return safely to shore."

Here's the teaser for this year's contest:

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Steep & Deep Pipeline Photo Contest

A Steep & Deep user-generated photo contest... what a great idea put on by Surfing Magazine.  It's pretty self-explanatory, and there are a number of jaw-dropping images that were submitted.  Check these out...

















Click here for a little more detail: http://www.surfingmagazine.com/news/steep-and-deep-pipeline-photo-challenge/

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Taj Burrow Wins 2012 O'Neill Cold Water Classic

Australian Taj Burrow has been crowned the O’Neill Coldwater Classic champion today, as stop 9 of 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) came to a close.

Here are the match ups and results from the quarter finals on...


O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC FINAL RESULTS:

1 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.10

2 – Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.70

O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC SEMIFINALS RESULTS:

SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.57 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.40

SF 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 17.73 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.10

O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:

QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.83 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 8.60

QF 2:Travis Logie (ZAF) 13.83 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.00

And here are some photos...

2012 O’Neill Coldwater Classic Runner-Up Matt Wilkinson Photo: Ryan Miller  

Taj Burrow Wins 2012 O'Neill Cold Water Classic

Taj Burrow O'Neill Cold Water Classic 2012

Air O'Neill Cold Water Classic 2012

Taj Burrow Wins 2012 O'Neill Cold Water Classic

Taj Burrow Wins 2012 O'Neill Cold Water Classic

Taj Burrow Wins 2012 O'Neill Cold Water Classic

Gabriel Medina O'Neill Cold Water Classic 2012

Kelly Slater  O'Neill Cold Water Classic 2012

Here are the video highlights...

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Kelly Slate Infographic - Greatest Athlete Ever?

Is Kelly Slater the greatest athlete of all time?  There's a lot of debate about that, and there's no definitive answer but this infographic is a bit of fun.

The following infographic was created and distributed by Quiksilver. Let us know what you think!



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Eddie Aikau Big Wave Contest at Weimea

The 28 invitees to The Eddie Aikau Big-Wave Invitational were made public yesterday. An invitation to compete in the Eddie—which owes its namesake and acts as an homage to the late Hawaiian big-wave legend Eddie Aikau—has served as a highly coveted chevron on the sleeve of big-wave surfers since the contest’s inception. For the event to run, conditions at Waimea have to exceed the 25-foot mark, and in its 28-year history, the contest has only been run eight times.

This year, the selection process was handed over to members of the big-wave community, who were asked to create a dream team of competitors and alternates. According to Quiksilver, the event sponsor, “Each surfer’s vote was tallied and the highest ranking 24 surfers became this year’s list of Invitees. An additional four regional Invitee selections were chosen by Quiksilver, making up the final four of a total of 28 Invitees.” The new faces graduating from alternates to official invitees include John Florence, Ian Walsh, and Alex Gray.

“My whole life I’ve been going to the opening ceremony, looking at all the big guys with their big boards, and paddling out to the circle since I was super little. Something about Waimea and the way Eddie surfed it back in the day, all the stories you hear about him, it’s just such a powerful place,” says John Florence. “You can feel it when you’re out there. To be able to grow up and kind of learn to surf that wave since I was little, and be able to watch the last couple of Eddies has been crazy.”

The waiting period for the event begins on Dec. 1 and will run until Feb. 28 2013.

Invitees:

Alex Gray

Bruce Irons

Carlos Burle

Clyde Aikau

Dave Wassel

Garrett McNamara

Grant Baker

Greg Long

Ian Walsh

Jamie O’Brien

Jamie Sterling

John Florence

Jeremy Flores

Kala Alexander

Kelly Slater

Kohl Christenson

Makua Rothman

Mark Healey

Nathan Fletcher

Noah Johnson

Peter Mel

Ramon Navarro

Reef McIntosh

Ross Clarke-Jones

Shane Dorian

Sunny Garcia

Takayuki Wakita

Tom Carroll

Alternates:

Danny Fuller

Kalani Chapman

Kahea Hart

Michael Ho

Keoni Downing

Brock Little

David Standt

Danilo Couto

Ben Wilkinson

Jamie Mitchell

Keoni Watson

Kealii Mamala

Rusty Keaulana

Gabriel Villaran

Tau Hannemann

Mark Mathews

Evan Valiere

Deigo Medina

Rusty Long

Aaron Gold

Myles Padaca

Chris Bertish

Andrew Marr

Anthony Tashnick

Shawn Dollar

Ross Williams

Derek Dunfee

Source: http://www.surfermag.com/features/eddie-invitees-announced/


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WaveJet; "Jet"-Powered Surfboard

Jet propulsion on your surfboard?  It's a dream- you can surf tiny mushy 1 ft surf like it was 5x bigger... on a short board.  So, it might cost a few grand for one of these bad boys, but when it comes to year-round surfing (those small, frustrating summer days) this can't be beat.

Check out this video and WaveJet's website:

http://wavejet.com/

And another cool take on this, a little bit more powerful:

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O'Neill Coldwater Classic 2012 Highlights

The O'Neill Coldwater Classic at Steamer's Lane in Santa Cruz kicked off last week and there's a lot of unusual movement in the competition.  Here are highlights from the tournament so far.

O'Neill Coldwater Classic Day 1 Highlights

O'Neill Coldwater Classic Day 2 (Layday)

O'Neill Coldwater Classic Day 3 (Layday)

O'Neill Coldwater Classic Day 4 Highlights

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Surfing Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy wasn't all bad... there was some sick surf that came out of it.

Check out these guys surfing Hurricane Sandy in Florida in Pump House shot by Dasher.  Surfing where surfing has never been done before... you can see the big post of a bridge right next to where the guys are surfing.

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Rogue Player Winston Garland Discovered in 1993 Rockets Championship

Sudden appearance of a rogue Rockets player in the 1993 NBA Championships.

Back in 1993, the Houston Rockets were playing the Seattle Supersonics in a Game 7 second-round series that had gone to overtime. In 2012, you wouldn't expect a last-second missed shot in that game to be of much note. But ESPN writer Ethan Sherwood Strauss noticed something weird. He writes about it at length here; I decided to break down the clip to help illustrate what happened. It is weird. As. Hell.

Let's set the scene: Houston trails by one. 13.6 seconds left. Rockets are inbounding, and everyone knows the ball is eventually headed to Hakeem Olajuwon.

As you can see, there are five Rockets players on the court. Which makes sense. This is basketball.

The ball is inbounded and the clock starts running.

Naturally, the Rockets work it in to Hakeem as quickly as they can.

But Hakeem gets trapped, and he kicks it back out. However, something strange also happens here. Something very, very strange.

This is the same GIF, but with an explanatory arrow. A Rockets player comes onto the court. From the bench. A sixth player. And nobody notices.

Let's zoom in. The player is a little-used bench guy named Winston Garland — #22.

As the Rockets' attempted game-winner bricks off the rim, Garland is actually not that far away from rebounding position. A slight change in the bounce of the ball and he could've had the rebound.

HE EVEN PROTESTS THE OUT-OF-BOUNDS CALL. Dude! You're not even supposed to be in the game! Don't draw attention to yourself!

Why'd Garland do it? He told Strauss:

"I was just trying to will us to win. Whatever we needed to do, whether it was cheering or helping up a teammate. That was my goal, probably, that was my purpose in walking on the floor."

Well, that makes no sense. Anyway, here's video of the play transpiring:



Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ktlincoln/a-ghost-player-was-just-discovered-in-a-twenty-yea

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