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Surf News
Surfers test waves in Iceland with 6mm wetsuits
Saturday, 08 November 2008 16:02

Surfing Iceland 

This October saw cold water adventurer and Fox Surf team rider Josh Mulcoy hit ice cold gold in Iceland. Josh’s trip, which was featured on Surfline, included Friends of Fox Timmy Turner and Sam Hammer.

Throughout their respective careers all three surfers have established reputations for braving harsh conditions in search of perfect surf. Good thing wetsuit technology has evolved by such large leaps and bounds since the first suits hit the market in 1953.

These days at frosty surf destinations like Iceland, 6mm of high tech neoprene allows surfers like Josh Mulcoy to survive and thrive in potentially deadly cold water temperatures (hypothermic water temperatures are generally considered anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit).

Read more...
 
Billabong XXL '09 prepares for the big wave season
Friday, 07 November 2008 10:17

Twiggy in action 

Winter may still be technically a month and a half away in the Northern Hemisphere, but the ninth-annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy is off to an all-time start thanks to numerous major swells all around the surfing world over the last seven months.  The brand-new BillabongXXL.com event website is brimming with both video footage and still photos of some of the biggest waves and best rides in the history of the event.

Among the most dramatic images are those from South Africa's Cape Peninsula region.  Durban surfer Grant "Twiggy" Baker is clearly among the XXL front-runners for the 2008/09 year with a massive wave at Tafelberg Reef as photographed by Brenton Geach and Alan van Gysen in early August.  Baker is also an early favorite for the Monster Paddle Award along with James Taylor for a huge wave they shared during the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event two weeks earlier.  Another epic Ride of the Year contender from the Red Bull BWA is the successful tube by California's Greg Long.  Long's ride stands out as one of the biggest paddle-in tubes of all time and must be seen to be believed.

The current event window continues through the Spring Equinox on March 20, 2009, with the annual gala awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Southern California during the second week of April, 2009 and will be featured as a one-hour show on the ESPN networks.  The Billabong XXL event features over $130,000 in cash and prizes in an array of categories and is open to all qualified and invited surfers at every big wave break around the world, based on the photographic evidence.

Australia has been another hotbed of XXL production in recent months.  Western Australia's Outer Bommie reef produced some massive walls on several days, some clean and some quite ugly, with Damien "Taco" Warr and Mark Matthews among those scoring key rides.  And Tasmania's notorious Shipstern Bluff has outdone itself once again, with a pair of astonishing rides by emerging big wave star Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) among the potential nominees for Ride of the Year at this early juncture.

But there are also some superb entries from unlikely locations -- such as the first ever XXL submissions from Puerto Rico.  Shot on the very first day of spring (and the first day of the annual XXL cycle) the images of Carlos Cabrero at Tres Palmas by Steve Fitzpatrick are clearly the biggest waves ever ridden in that part of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Pancho Sullivan wins the 2008 Xcel Pro
Friday, 07 November 2008 09:57

Pancho Sullivan 

Congratulations Pancho Sullivan, winner of the 2008 Xcel Pro Presented by Honolua!

In an all-Hawaiian, high-scoring 30-minute final, ASP World Tour surfer Sullivan took home his fourth Xcel Pro title, having previously won the event in 1998, 2000, and 2003.

Sullivan dominated from the start, hitting a contest-high 9.77 that put him firmly in the driver's seat over fellow finalists Kamalei Alexander (2nd), Danny Fuller (3rd), and Makua Rothman (4th).

"Epic," "pristine," and "all-time" were just a few ways used to describe the glassy morning conditions, as a new northwest swell came in overnight and brought clean, corduroy lines to Sunset Beach. Sets were firing from the very first scored wave by Marco Giorgi (Uraguay), who lined up a barrel less than 3 minutes into his heat.

The long period swell stayed clean through the finals, challenging riders to stay in position off Sunset Point for optimal set wave selection.

"I held back and paddled a little deeper," Sullivan said after the winner's ceremony on the beach, on his strategy to move outside of Sunset's west peak. "The third [9.77] wave of the set really helped me build momentum," as he soon built upon his lead with another crowd-pleasing 8.67.

Runner-up Kamalei Alexander of Kauai, needing a 9.45 to overtake Sullivan in first, wasn't able to catch the four-time Xcel Pro champion, taking off on an 8.70 in the final seconds of the heat.

"It was a fun, amazing final," Sullivan noted. "The best final ever here, and such an honor to win the 25th anniversary Xcel Pro."

The win surely vindicated Sullivan's decision to bypass the World Tour's Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil, and instead focus on competing at his local break. Raised (in his words) "surfing the reform" at Sunset Beach, Sullivan prepared for his Xcel Pro win with smart training on his home turf.

Sullivan has announced his plans to retire from the prestigious World Tour at the end of this 2008 season.
Read more...
 
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SURFING

Jordy Smith wins the Billabong Rio Pro 2013
19/05/2013
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Jordy Smith has conquered the Billabong Pro Rio 2013, in clean two-to-four foot (1 meter) waves, at the primary site of Barra da Tijuca, in front of thousands of surf fans.
The best ocean conditions of the entire Billabong Pro Rio 2013 came in the finals' day, with Jordy Smith beating Adriano de Souza in the last heat of the last day of the event waiting period. Win it or break it. Adriano de Souza and Jordy Smith were up and riding with different trumps under their belts. The Brazilian w [ ... ]


Guinness confirms Shawn Dollar's 61-foot paddle-in wave record
19/05/2013
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The Guinness World Records have officially certified Shawn Dollar's 61-foot wave, at the Cortes Bank, off the coast of California, as a new paddle-in world record.
The 30-year-old resident of Santa Cruz, California, caught the superlative wave on December 21, 2012 during a terrifying session at the Cortes Bank, a notorious offshore hazard to shipping located over 100 miles west of San Diego in international waters. A panel of experts measured the wave at 61 feet on the face. Dollar caught th [ ... ]


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KITEBOARDING

Kitesurfing in India kicks off with the Red Bull Quila Surf
20/05/2013
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The first kitesurfing competition will hit India, between 23rd-25th May, at Mandwa. The Red Bull Quila Surf will showcase 70 Indian kitesurfers in the water.
The costal district of Raigad is ready for action. The Red Bull Quila Surf is the first ever kitesurfing competition in the country and anxiety grows. Ines Correia, the 2011 Kite Surf Pro (KSP) World Tour champion from Portugal, has been invited to judge the riders based on speed, maneuverability and attitude.


"Death loop" kills kitesurfer in Quebec
14/05/2013
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A 32-year-old kitesurfer has passed away when he was sailing on the Lake of Two Mountains, in Quebec, Canada.
Julien Blanchard was enjoying a kitesurfing session in the part of the river delta widening of the Ottawa River, in Quebec, when he suffered what is commonly called the "death loop". The rider was dragged to his death on the lake, after fell and being kept underwater by his kite for about 20 minutes.


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WINDSURFING

Taty Frans and Kiri Thode blast the Curacao Challenge 2013
17/05/2013
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Taty Frans and Kiri Thode have claimed the Slalom and Freestyle titles at the Curacao Challenge 2013, in the Netherlands Antilles.
A total of 85 windsurfers from some of the world's best sailing countries like Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao competed in front of hundreds of spectators. The 5th edition of the Curacao Challenge showcased an high level of competition mixed with a great atmosphere. The event held a Tow-In Freestyle contest, Slalom races and a SUP battle.


The windsurfing book for young people
14/05/2013
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"Go Windsurfing!" is a windsurfing book for young people published by the Royal Yachting Association.
Written and illustrated by Claudia Myatt, "RYA Go Windsurfing!" offers easy reading style and engaging content to children aged between 7-12 years old. The entertaining and clear format takes the reader from the beginnings through to starting to race and what they need to know to stay safe while out windsurfing. There is also an informative section at the back which explores Windsurfing amaz [ ... ]


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BODYBOARDING

Dan Ryan air drops into vertical Teahupoo
15/05/2013
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Dan Ryan has scored epic air drops into deep barrels, in Teahupoo, Tahiti, during the largest swell of the year.
The adrenaline-fueled 13th May 2013 has been considered an historical big wave surfing day, in the French Polynesian island. Too big to paddle-in, too vertical for surfers. No worries. Dan Ryan, member of the big wave bodyboarding club, was one of the few prone riders defying fear, at the Teahupoo bowl. When the moment came, he went for it, big time.


World's best tube riders fly to El Gringo
14/05/2013
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The 2013 IBA GoPro Arica Chilean Challenge kicks off on the 17th May, in Arica, Chile, at the infamous El Gringo bodyboarding spot.
The third stop of the 2013 IBA World Tour is a Grand Slam Series events, which means there's a lot at stake. With $40,000 in prize money and 2000 points for the winner, Chile is a must. Moreover, the Arica Chilean Challenge is celebrating its 10th anniversary and all riders will be trying to claim the trophy, in front of thousands of hardcore bodyboarding fans.  [ ... ]


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