How important are the Non WCT events now - World Tour Surfing

Davo will want to improve on 2nd last year at Trestles Pro (Photo:ASP)

With the new changes to the ASP World Tour, the top tier surfers are finding it very important to surf the 5 and 6 star prime events on the qualifying circuit. Confused? Check out this helpful video from the ASP.

With that in mind the upcoming 6 Star, Nike 6.o Lower Trestles Pro is a highly important event and will see many of the top tier WCT surfers competing. Check out the preview from MeSurf TV now -

Captain Kai's Video of the Week - 6 - Silent Trial Bike

Raga caning his normal Petrol Version

Unbeknown to me, April 27th, was International Noise Awareness Day. Luckily, thanks to the peeps at Red Bull, I came across this video of team rider Adam Raga. He wanted to do something special for this important day and decided to take a film crew along as he rode an electric bike through the beautiful Valley of Silence in El Bierzo, in Northern Spain. I found it kind of strange to be honest, as I have been programmed to hear that rumble of an engine. It has to be quite strange to be riding along and when you rev there is just this light whistling noise. Any way, its an amazing video, beautifully shot and edited!

Wakeboarding an Ice Rail

This is pretty nuts. Wipe out and you get caned on either the ice rail, or freezing below zero water.

The Spirit of SA Music - Spoek Mathambo

“Spoek Mathambo, is a Johannesburg visionary who bridges South Africa’s past to its brilliant future through his gleaming electronic rap tracks.” The Fader

Lets get it out there, I was a huge fan of Sweat X.  In fact everyone seemed to be huge fans of Sweat X. So I was pretty unhappy about hearing they were no longer. Lucky for me, half of that duo, one mister Spoek Mathambo, has embarked on a solo career and the praise is already flowing in!

“Building on the kind of heavy electro and crunk framework that have made him a European blog phenomenon, its lyrics add politicised topics like racism to the hedon- istic party vibe of old while turning back to Africa for musical inspiration drawn from its rich melting pot of domestic and imported sound.” DJ Mag

Getting on the cover of Fader Magazine is just one of the signs this guy is about to become a global phenomenon. He is our ambassador of the new, hip, extremely cool South Africa, if you will. Spoek is taking our post apartheid eclectic chic out to the world. Outside of all this arty stuff, his beats are raw, very base driven and cool as ice! I caught up with him for a quick interview, while he was busy traveling the world and owning it.

Kai - First off, who is Spoek?
Spoek - Spoek is Nthato Mokgata

Kai - Why art and music - do they naturally combine, or two separate entities?
Spoek - it's all the same thing.

Kai - Whats happening with Sweat X?
Spoek - nothing!

Kai - Tell us about your first solo album?
Spoek - I was happy to put all the different songs I had been writing over the last couple of years together and not to have to compromise. It was my album the way I wanted it done.

Kai - Where do you want your music to go - where do you want to go as a musician?
Spoek – I want money like Barry White, a perm like Eazy E, and more money...like Patrice Motsepe.

Kai - Tell us about being on the cover of Fader Magazine.
Spoek -It is great that they have been so supportive over the last 3 years...that was a culmination of the relationship.

Kai - Do you take part in any action sports - surf, skate etc?
Spoek - No

Kai - There have been some pretty amazing descriptions of your music, how would you describe it?
Spoek - New South African music

Kai - Where to next for Spoek?
Spoek - To the moon...to the Grammys...to the cemetery.

You can follow the man at his website - Spoek Mathambo

Check out his latest track - Control

SPOEK MATHAMBO - CONTROL from spoek mathambo on Vimeo.

and


Spoek Mathambo - Don't mean to be rude ft Zaki Ibrahim from leneopen on Vimeo.

This is snowboarding - and a little RB triple Cork

The public holidays and Easter time have been messing around with my posts on the continued DC "This is Snowboarding" campaign. So today I give you the latest two videos from the series, as well as a little extra from Red Bull, with Seb Toots, doing a super huge triple cork 1440! Hold onto your panties!

I am Wok and I dont give a fuck!

Different things come to mind for different people when you mention Warwick "Wok" Wright. To some he is a great surfer and a man who won the ISA World Surfing Title, making him a world champion for SA. To others he is a cocky, some would say arrogant, loose as hell, party animal, who just wants to be famous. To some of us, he is just a good mate and always a good boy to have round for a laugh. Any way you look at it, the guy keeps himself in the public eye. After saying good bye to professional, competitive surfing, he has embarked on a path to celebrity, with his own blog, I am Wok, his partnership in the web exploits of the Tripod crew and now he is embarking on a mission to conquer Hollywood. I thought it was time to catch up with Wok and get the score...

Wok suits the Hollywood, I don't give a fuck look!

Kai - What was it like growing up in Durban, I understand you had a rather interesting childhood?
Wok - Durban is home, I grew up on south beach, it wasn't a good area, it was hard, kids had no money and there were drugs and all sorts of shit going on down there, I'm not saying I grew up in the ghetto and all that cry for help crap. My mom gave me everything I wanted and all my best friends today came from there, I learn't to surf there and coming from there made me street smart, which was a blessing I think.

Kai - Why surfing - how, who and why did you surf?
Wok - Living on the beach it was bound to happen,my next door neighbor surfed and took me a few times and I got hooked. I got hooked on it quick, I started when I was 6 and have surfed everyday since. Why? Because I'm good at it, hahah.

Kai - You had a good professional career in surfing, why leave it and what do you do now?
Wok - Ya I had a pretty good career, I never qualified though. I felt there were certain waves on tour that suited me and that's where I got my results, but myself and my sponsors agreed why keep fucking around and being a top 100 surfer forever... Now I surf, I party and I market myself through that. My site does really well and it benefits my sponsors more by me being around in the limelight in S.A and selling t-shirts than surfing 1 foot Brazil shit.

Never forget this guy can really surf!

Kai - What is the Tripod?
Wok - The Tripod is myself, Ricky Basnett and Daniel Redman. I don't know what else to say about us given the characteristics; We loose, we surf, we party, we sarcastic and we are 3 good friends.

Kai - If you could do anything what would it be?
Wok - I would own a club in Hollywood and I'd let everyone in besides celebrities and models!

Kai - Any plans to get married and have kids?
Wok - Right now, hell no. I love woman too much to be with just one, hahaha, and I love kids but I got a feeling I'm sterile.

Kai - You have been spending time in and around LA. What has it been like?
Wok - LA is the shit,I love it out here. The waves are not as bad as you think, there is so much to do as well. I'm looking into moving here, I feel like I'm destined to be here.

Kai - US Girls or home grown?
Wok - Woman here ,looks wise, will shit on our chicks,they are absolutely gorgeous. They look after themselves, a lot of them are rich which is always a plus, haha, but on intelligence basis our girls take the cake. I battle to hold conversation with most woman in LA. I get bored and tired of hearing about pretentious shit and there is a lot of it here.

Kai - World Champion Surfer or Hollywood Star?
Wok - Can I be Bethany Hamilton, because I guess she's both, haha. I've won a world title , I'll leave Jordy to that for now, Hollywood needs me, I can see this.

Kai - Finally, any advice for your adoring Grom fans out there?
Wok - My advice is this, if you wanna be a good surfer, then surf everyday and enjoy it, but if you wanna be a world champ you gonna gonna have to step out your comfort zone for the rest of your life and push yourself harder and harder each day. Its taken till now to realize how bad these guys want it...but if you wanna be like me, you need style, a sense of humor and good looks, hahahaa, I'm kidding!

After all is said and done, I can tell you one thing about Wok. Hang around with this guy and you will never be bored!

Check out his blog at - I am Wok and the madness at Tripod Tv

Wok can surf!


And he loves taking the piss out of his mates!!!


He rolls hard in LA!

Parko rings the Bell - Mick comes close!

I have to be honest, I thought Joel was a little lucky in a couple of his heats, with a few over scored waves. On the flip side, he has gone through years of being underscored by judges due to his insanely smooth style. So, well done Parko and game on World Title race.

BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Sunday, April 24, 2011) – Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, has claimed the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger over compatriot and former two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, in an electric Final in solid six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) waves at Bells Beach.

The second stop of the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach celebrated its 50th year of operation this season and the Southern Ocean delivered one of the best swells in recent history for the world’s best to sink their collective fangs into. Today’s Final ran in front of a capacity crowd at Bells Beach, maxing out as early as 11am with cars lined back to the center of Torquay, and the elite ASP Top 34 delivered in sensational fashion.

Leaving little to chance in the highly-anticipated Final, Parkinson opened up with an 8.53 on the first ride of the heat and drove the nail into the coffin with a Perfect 10.

“To me, Mick (Fanning) has been the form surfer of the event and I was never going to take him lightly,” Parkinson said. “I think we both had the same game plan of getting the first good one that came through and putting the momentum behind us. We scrapped for that first wave and I got the nod. Even though it was a mid-8, I knew I needed a lot more to hold him off so I just kept the pressure on from there.”

Today’s victory marks the third Bells title for the Gold Coaster and his 10th elite tour win overall.

“It’s incredible,” Parkinson said. “It’s not so much the fact that I’ve won the event, but more so that it’s the 50th anniversary. It feels that much more special. We’ve had such good waves too. I can’t remember the last time that Bells had such good waves. I’m so excited. I can’t believe this.”

Parkinson, who’s last two ASP World Title campaigns have been marred by injuries, is adamant that he is 100% healthy this season and surfing better than ever.

“I definitely feel like I’m back,” Parkinson said. “I feel like I’m surfing better than I was back in ’09 before I hurt my ankle. I’m feeling fit, I have some really good boards under my feet and I’m excited for the rest of the year.”

Parkinson vaults from 9th to 2nd on the ASP World Title Rankings.

Fanning, who last rung the bell as a wildcard in 2001, was the in-form surfer of the event, consistently notching the highest single-wave scores and heat totals from Round 1 onwards. However, the lightning-fast natural-footer was unable to overtake his Gold Coast sparring partner in the Final.

“It was a tough Final,” Fanning said. “For some reason overtime we have a heat he gets in sync real early. I tried to fight back but it was too little too late. Surfing against your mate is just like surfing against anyone else you’ve just got to go out and think about yourself and catching waves and getting scores. To have a mate beat me makes it a bit easier to swallow, but I’m still fired up for the rest of the year.”

Fanning moves from 13th to 6th on the ASP World Title Rankings.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, 2010 ASP World Runner-Up, cruised through to the Semifinals of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach despite admittedly feeling out of rhythm throughout the event.

“It was a nice last wave, but it was a pity I didn’t get any before that,” Smith said. “I’ve felt off all week so to get a 3rd is pretty good. I’ve got two 3rds now, which is kind of frustrating because you want to make the Final, but that’s how it goes sometimes. 3rd is better than 5th.”

Smith further cements his position at ASP World No. 3.

Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, flew the South American flag high through the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, scalping a number of high-profile competitors before falling to Parkinson in the Semifinal.

“I found my rhythm in the heat against Kelly (Slater),” De Souza said. “But against Joel (Parkinson) I couldn’t find any waves. I’m so frustrated because I wanted to ring the Bell, but I’m really happy with my result. Kelly is my hero, 10 x ASP World Champ, he just didn’t get any waves, then it happened to me in the next round. It happens to everyone. Next up is my home event in Brazil, I hope Brazil is proud of me and Jadson (Andre) for doing well at this event.”

De Souza goes from 9th to 4th on the ASP World Title Rankings.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, suffered a surprise elimination at the hands of De Souza in this morning’s Quarterfinal clash. The young Brazilian left little room for the Champ to respond and an admittedly out-of-rhythm Slater saw his Bells Beach title defense cut abruptly short.

“It’s not my day, not my week and that happens,” Slater said. “For some reason you don’t make the right choices and you’re not in sync with it, I’m definitely not in the zone this week at all. Every heat of mine has had slow surf and then when there were, waves I was on the wrong ones. It’s the way it goes, you win some you lose some.”

Slater’s Equal 5th at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach sees the American holding the lead in the race for the 2011 ASP World Title heading into the next stop in Brazil.

“We’re two events in and I’ve got a 1st and a 5th so I’m averaging about a 3rd, you want to be there and higher,” Slater said. “These kind of waves favor the best guys, the guys you’re going to expect to be at the top at the end of the year and all those guys are still in the event. A 5th isn’t that bad a result, but when all the guys who you expect to be in the world title hunt finish higher than you it feels like a 17th.”

Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be available via www.live.ripcurl.com

The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season is the Billabong Pro Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 – 22, 2011.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Full report coming soon…

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.53
2 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.26

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.33 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.00
SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.87 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.23

Surfing Rivers - 7 Ghosts, The Severn, China's Qiantang and the Pororoca

Over the last couple of weeks the internet has been abuzz with the video of the 7 Ghosts, a tidal bore wave situated in Sumatra, Indonesia. If you follow this blog, you would have no doubt already seen my articles on this amazing place. This got me to thinking that there must be more of these "waves" that are surf-able. And indeed there are. Apparently there are about 100 rivers world wide that produce these tidal bores. A quick note on how they work - In most tidal rivers the change from ebb to flood is a gradual process. The ebb current downstream slows, there is a period of slack water and then very slowly the flood tide starts flowing upstream. In a few rivers however, the behaviour is remarkably different. The onset of the flood tide is marked by a distinct and sometimes very vigorous wave - a bore. (Thank you the National Oceanography Institute.)

So, I went investigating and can now show you the four premier tidal bores for surfing.

1 - The Severn Bore
In the UK the most famous and spectacular example of a river bore is the Severn Bore, and as such it attracts thousands of tourists. it has also been surfed for many years.

2 - The Quiantang River
The largest tidal river bore in the world, China, can be 4m high, 3km wide and travel at speeds in excess of 15 mph. At certain locations reflected waves can reach 10m and the roar can be heard over an hour before its arrival.

3 - The Pororoca Brazil
The pororoca (Portuguese pronunciation: [poɾoˈɾɔkɐ]) is a tidal bore, with waves up to 4 meters high that travel as much as 13 kilometers inland upstream on the Amazon River and adjacent rivers. Its name comes from the indigenous Tupi language, where it translates into "great destructive noise". It occurs at the mouth of the river where river water meets the Atlantic Ocean. The phenomenon is best seen in February and March.

4 - 7 Ghosts Sumatra
Recently discovered this unique river wave even has its own surf camp. Made famous by a recent Rip Curl Search trip.

So now you know where to go for some fresh water surfing! Notice ow these are all very brown water spots, use ear plugs!

Yes, I did drop in on you - Durban becomes the Burn Capital

Take that you dirty drop in artist!

I have always been wary of surfing the piers in Durban. Take nothing away from the the quality of the waves, but I don't really enjoy surfing in a huge crowd of aggro locals who drop in on you at the drop of a hat. I mean, I am a 130kg guy and am not really used to being dropped in on, let alone screamed at for even paddling for the wave. Once this happened and the guy wanted to go to the beach, luckily his girl talked him out of it, she was clearly alot brighter and had better eye site than he did. Even the famous and infamous are getting in each others faces these days, just look at the recent confrontation with Burn and Ribbink. The site of two of Durban's most famous surfers slugging it out caused quite a stir. My point is, I would rather go surf up or down the coast where there are plenty of waves going unridden every day - ok, so no shark nets, but sometimes I think I would rather tussle with a Zambo than the ouens at the Piers. You think otherwise? It has gotten so bad even the lifeguards are dropping in on surfers!

Last week Durban had a great run of swell and the circus descended on the Bay. Our man in the know, Jimmy Reynolds, was there to capture the madness.
He says of filming the surf, "I just did this edit to show how all the dudes were burning each other. I got so over it I didn't want to shoot any more that day and probably missed a whole bunch of really good waves. I hope I don't get dropped in on for putting this online..."

Seems in Durban, surf etiquette does not exist.

Watch the footage and make up your own mind. You will notice that no one was exempt, from young spongers, to dolls, to stars such as Twig and  Stan badger - who showed what he thought of the douche bag who ruined his wave. Looks like the aggro vibes are not going anywhere in the Durban lineup.

Rip curl Pro Bells - Round 1 Highlites

Parko caning Round 1 (Photo: ASP)

BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Wednesday, April 20, 2011) – Today marks the commencement of the 50th Anniversary of competition surfing at Bells Beach as Round 1 of the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells presented by Ford Ranger got underway in clean four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) surf.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the second stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season, enjoyed consistent surf throughout the day as the world’s best surfers unleashed a barrage of high-performance ripping on the classic canvas of Bells Beach.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Champion put in a sensational performance this afternoon, electing to sit up at Rincon to secure the day’s highest scores.. Parkinson locked in the highest wave score and the highest heat score of the opening day of competition scoring 17.74 (out of a possible 20.00) to advance directly through to Round 3 of competition.

“I fell off twice on the bowl,” Parkinson said. “It was really hard to ride. Then CJ (Hobgood) went across to Rincon and got a score, so we followed him over and it worked out for me. It’s great to get that opening heat win, especially at Bells. You never know what conditions you’re going to get in a heat, so to be able to skip round two and maybe get a day off is a huge advantage.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and defending event winner, was clinical in his attack in his Round 1 heat. Slater had his fellow competitors Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, and Kai Otton (AUS), 31, on the ropes only minutes into the heat, scoring an impressive 16.00 (out of a possible 20.00) on his opening two rides.

“I don’t free surf out at Bells a whole lot,” Slater said. “When the waves are good the comp is on and outside of that it’s pretty crowded. So I’m still learning with each heat out there still, surfing against a guy like Robbo (Adam Robertson) you’ve got to watch where he’s sitting, how far our and how deep.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, currently equal 13th in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, went into today’s competition with renewed vigor after a shock early exit at the last event on the Gold Coast. The past two-time ASP World Champion came out and dominated his Round 1 battle over Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, and Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17.

“I’m stoked to get a good start,” Fanning said. “It’s been 10 years since I won here as I wildcard, I got close last year but Kelly Slater got me in the final. You want to win every event, but being the 50th Anniversary and so much history at this event, it’s like the Wimbeldon of surfing, it’s a hard one to win but it’s the one everyone wants.”

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, led today’s rookie charge, continuing his sensational run after the and equal 5th on the Gold Coast, and dispatching of fellow Brazilian Ranoi Monterio (BRA), 28, and Australian Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28 in this morning’s opening round heat.

“It’s so good out there!” Muniz said. “This is my first time surfing at Bells and it’s the most amazing place. It’s got perfect rights, and it’s the kind of wave that I love to surf. It’s the best place ever, best waves, best weather and I love surfing in wetsuits.”

Jeremy Flores (FRA), 22, bounced back after missing the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast with a knee injury, to score a comprehensive win over Taylor Knox (USA), 39, and Cory Lopez (USA), 34.

“I wasn’t very confident before the heat,” Flores said. “But I got that first wave and did a big turn at the end and got a good score. I think that’s what you need to do these days, finish the wave strong. My knee still isn’t 100%, but I went for it and it’s good to win. Big thanks to everyone at the Gold Coast Suns Football Club for helping with my knee, it’s feeling much better now.”

Stu Kennedy (AUS), 21, scored a last minute wildcard into the event and caused the upset of the day, eliminating 2010 ASP World Title runner-up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 22.

“I’ve been coming here for years,” Kennedy said. “I won a Pro Junior here in 2008 and I know where to sit. I don’t think Dusty and Jordy know the break as well as I do so that helps. I’ve been up since 3am because I’m jet-lagged from coming home from Scotland. I woke up with a bunch of energy it’s my shaper’s birthday so I woke him up at 5am to go surfing. I had to win my heat for him for his birthday.”

When men’s competition resumes, up first will be 2010 ASP World Runner-Up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, up against Trials Winner Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, in the opening heat of Round 2.

Following the completion of the men’s Round 1 today, the ASP Top 17 hit the water for Round 1 of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta.

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and defending three-time Rip Curl Women’s Bells Beach winner, returned to her winning ways today, after bowing out early at the last event, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast.

“My first two years on tour I didn’t have great results on the Gold Coast,” Gilmore said. “I always bounced back at this event and then finished the year well, so hopefully I’ll do that again this year. The Gold Coast was a fine showing of what women’s surfing is up to now and everyone has to try and keep up. It really pushes me and I think anyone who wins an event from now on will be a very deserving winner because of that fact.”

Pauline Ado (FRA), 19, the French rookie caused the upset of the women’s event, defeating current ASP World Title front runner Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, in a nail biter of a heat.

“I’m really happy, I had a lot of fun out there,” Ado said “I got one of my good waves in the first few seconds so after that I felt confident and knew I could be more selective and wait for the right wave. A heat against Carissa is always a tough one, so I’m really stoked to win.”

When women’s competition resumes, up first will be Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 24, in the opening heat of Round 2.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be webcast available via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.23, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.26, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 7.37
Heat 2: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.30, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.00
Heat 3: Heitor Alves (BRA) 14.36, Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.14, Owen Wright (AUS) 10.60
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.60, Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.07, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.27
Heat 5: Stu Kennedy (AUS) 11.70, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.50, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.00
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.00, Kai Otton (AUS) 10.13, Adam Robertson (AUS) 8.53
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.17, Cory Lopez (USA) 5.83, Taylor Knox (USA) 4.67
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.60, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.20, Gabe Kling (USA) 3.50
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.60, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.23, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.07
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.74, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.44, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 8.17
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.60, Chris Davidson (AUS) 10.83, Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.83
Heat 12: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.40, Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.43, Brett Simpson (USA) 8.93

The Box Pro - Saffa BodyBoarders into the Quarters

Ok, besides the contest name sounding like a dodgy lesbian porn contest, the footage is bloody insane. These guys have balls made from Adamantium! I know, the eternal struggle of Surfers vs Bodyboarders, but to be honest I am over it. Some of my best mates charge the Ledges harder than we can on surfboards. So check out this insane footage from the IBA World Tour, with not one but two South Africans making the Quarters by going mental! Will post the final day as soon as it happens.

Just eight riders remain in contention for event number two on the International BodyBoard World Tour, The Box Pro, with quarter-final placings being decided today in heaving four-to-six feet (two-metre) waves.
South African, Jared Houston (ZAF), found himself in a unique situation; the 21 year-old had his board split apart after an aerial attempt gone awry. Houston punched a huge air-forward off a wedging Box end-section and came down hard over the front of his board. It caved in beneath him, buckling under the pressure, and folded straight down the middle.
“I saw that section and just went for it,” he explained. “I came down so hard my arms hit under water, I was still holding onto my board so I knew straight away it had snapped. I tried to ride out of it, but there was no way that was happening.”
Houston borrowed another board from someone waiting in the channel, but the relief was short lived. It was two inches shorter than what he normally rides.
“I was kinda going nowhere with it, then the guys on the ski went and picked up my back-up board and brought that to me, but I’d never ridden that either, it had no wax on it, it was so slippery. So the whole heat I was just trying to make the most of a pretty bad situation,” said Houston.
Houston regrouped to advance into the quarter-finals, where he has now drawn fellow countryman, Mark McCarthy (ZAF), in an all South African match-up. The only time the pair have faced off at the elite level occurred at Pipeline two years ago with Houston getting the nod.


Follow the IBA World Tour

Waves for Change - Surfing helps Township Kids

It's not often I feel moved by a short little video, especially considering how much heart string pulling crap floats around out here in digital land. Having said that, this video really made me feel proud to be a surfer, knowing these kids can find happiness even in their little disjointed worlds. Having lived in the Kommetjie area and seen how bad conditions in Masi are, I can only give a big thumbs up to these guys and their fantastic project.

‘We can become successful and responsible surfers, we can become successful and responsible adults’. Taken from The Isiqalo ´Waves for Change´ curriculum. 

To Support Waves for Change go here - Waves for Change

50TH Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro - Chat with Simon Anderson

Welcome to Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia. Made famous through the years by one of the most famous surf contests in history, the Bells Rip Curl Pro, and not by that stupid movie claiming a 50 year storm and that Keanu could surf. This year is Bell's 50th as it officially becomes the greatest surf contest in history. Heavy call? Just take a look at the roster of past champions - Bells through the Ages

So tomorrow the battle between the world of pro surfers and Mr Kelly Slater continues. Kelly, with a couple of rings of the famous Bell should be pretty confident, especially considering there is some serious looking swell on the way and we hopefully wont have to watch this historical contest go down in shitty beach break at Johanna Beach.

In line with the great past, I decided to interview the man with possibly one of the greatest victories ever at Bells (He also started a surfing revolution in the process, thanks to his then "Radical" board design, with 3 fins, yes the Thruster was born!) I chatted to Simon Anderson...

Simon on his way to a historic win for himself and the thruster

Kai -  Bells turns 50 this year. What are your thoughts on this momentous occasion for a surf contest?

Simon - Bells has always been the longest running professional surfing event globally and if surfing needs traditions then this is a good thing.
I believe surfers like the idea of Icon events with a great history particularly in good wave locations.

Kai - When did you first surf Bells?

Simon - In 1971 at the Australian Titles.

Kai -  How has it changed since then?

Simon - The surf not a bit, the town quite a lot, the contest has evolved a lot but still primarily setting the standard for presentation of pro surfing at the highest level.

Kai - What was the best board you ever had for Bells?

Simon - That's a hard question, generally my boards suit Bells and Winki. I had good boards in 77 and 81 but I guess my favourite has been a 7'8 19 3/4 2 7/8 Rounded Pin vee bottom that I've surfed a lot at Winki Pop on 6 to 8' plus days through the 90's

Kai - What went through your head standing on the rocks with a new board design, about to paddle out at huge Bells for the finals, the day you won?

Simon - I won at Rincon the surf was 1 to 2 feet and I thought Cheyne Horan was going to kill me. On the big day initally I was concerned about getting out, being able to sneak through between the Winki button and Bells bowl inbetween the massive sets and then once out the back whether or not I could catch a 12 footer on a 6'6. fortunately at that size Bells seemingly breaks in the one spot so it wasn't too hard to track one down.

Kai - Besides your victory, what was the best win at Bells for you?

Simon - The best win is when you get a clean offshore heat at 6 to 8 feet.

Kai - Who is your favorite Bells surfer?

Simon - I have many Sunny Garcia, Andy Irons, Adam Robertson, Occy, Tom Curren, Wayne Lynch, Mark Richards to name a few.

Kai - Who you calling for 2011?

Simon - It's wide open the wave really suits Parko, there are a few dark horse new guys, Dane has a good chance if fit and maybe Jordy if it's sizeable.

Thanks Simon! What a legend. Here is hoping it is sizeable and Jordy can ring the Bell for the first time!

Lord Dorrington crowned at Cold Water Classic Scotland

Lord Dorrington, to you serfs! (Photo: ASP)

THURSO EAST, Scotland (Sunday, April 17, 2011) – Brent Dorrington (Gold Coast AUS) 24, won the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland, his maiden Asp Star Tour victory, defeating Jay Quinn (NZL) 27, in a low scoring final in inconsistent 2-3ft (1m) waves at Thurso East reef. Competition was placed on hold during the low tide mark and resumed late in the afternoon where a dominating Dorrington claimed his title as Lord of Scotland, the lead in the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series overall rankings and raised the most sought after trophy on the ASP Men’s Star Tour, the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland Sword.
Dorrington surfed brilliantly on the final day of competition with a stunning semi-final performance defeating equal third placed Richard Christie (NZL) with a combined two-wave total of 18.50 out of 20, the highest of the entire event. Dorrington then went on to control the tactical final heat in the remaining pulses of an epic swell that has been hitting Thurso East for the past 3 days.
“I have never won a comp in my life so to be in a final and win it is truly amazing. I’m on top on the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series now,” said an elated Dorrington. “l am looking for the bonus at the end of the series and the points from this contest are really important to me. It has just pumped here this week and it has been the best waves I’ve had in a comp.”
“The semi-final was unreal,” continued Dorrington on his massive heat total that included a near perfect 9.50 out of 10. “I just snagged two waves in the first 10 minutes with a first turn and then a barrel on both of them. There hadn’t been any barrels before that or after so they were the only two out there and I got them both, lucky me. (laughs)”
Dorrington, who had never before experienced the freezing waters of Thurso, decided to compete this year thanks to encouragement from good friend and fellow competitor Romain Cloitre (FRA) and made it to the top of the podium at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland.
“I wasn’t going to come over here but my mate Romain (Cloitre) talked me into coming over and getting on the wetties and I owe him a beer for sure. The sword I am going to hang it up in my pool room. It will look good for sure on the wall. Adam Melling and Royden (Bryson) are good friends of mine and they have one so I am stoked to join the club.”
Jay Quinn (NZL) was unable to get into the race during the 35-minute final which held a restart due to lack of waves in the first 10 minutes. With no real scores on the board the final came down to the final minutes where Quinn was unable to find a decent scoring ride.
“Things just didn’t go to plan and there were a lack of waves in the final so basically nothing went right for me. I was looking for anything and nothing really eventuated. I had a good heat in the quarters and a bit of a slow semi but in the final I wanted to get some waves under my belt but it didn’t pan out like that.”
Quinn held onto his priority wisely throughout the final stages and was unlucky not to catch a scoring ride on the last set of the day and had to be content with the runner-up placing, his second following his narrow defeat in Newquay last season.
“That one set that came through in the end and the wave broke on top of me as I was taking off was a good wave and could have made the difference.”
“Two finals and two seconds is a bit heart wrenching,” continued Quinn. “I have a Prime event next week in California so if I could win that one it would be better then both of them put together for sure.”
Alain Riou (Tahiti, PYF) 27, finished in equal third in a slow tactical heat against Quinn after the midday hold off. Behind the eight ball after the opening exchange where Quinn secured a solid ride, Riou played catch-up surfing, failing to over haul the leader in a one-sided affair.
“Can’t be mad with a semi,” stated Riou. “It has been my best result for the last year. Disappointed that I didn’t get to the final but there weren’t that many waves and I made a mistake in the first place with him getting the first wave. That set the rhythm for him and then he got another wave. It was a slow heat and it could have gone either way but he got the good waves.”
Riou, who at one stage held the lead by the smallest of margins after adding a 3.00 ride to his two-wave total, attempted to place pressure on his opponent by taking away his leadership. Quinn did not fall into the trap and waited for his back-up score and a comfortable win.
“It is always a better position to be in first place. You are a bit more comfortable. He had priority and I was either going to sit with him or try and get the lead, explained Riou. “I got the lead but I knew there was going to be another set and we would both have to get to work on that and unfortunately he got the set. Jay has been surfing well all event so good on him.”
Richard Christie (NZL) 22, who was chasing down his opponents massive 18.50 two-wave total, could do little to peg back a rampaging Dorrington in semi-final No. 2 and had to be content with an equal third placing and 2080 World Ranking points.
“It just didn’t go my way that heat at all. Brent got screamers and he is an amazing surfer so of course he is going to get those scores so good on him”
Christie’s fight for the first wave of the heat back fired on the young Kiwi when the following set waves offered far higher scoring potential which Dorrington latched took 100% advantage of.
“I saw Jay (Quinn) get the first wave in the last heat and it was so slow so I went off that heat. However as soon as I caught that wave two screamers came through before I even had time to get out the back. To get those scores you need good waves and after that I don’t think any more came through.”
The O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland is stop nº 2 of 4 of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series which now moves on to Tofino, Canada, October 15-21, 2011.
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland is scheduled from April 13 -19, 2011. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases log on to http://www.oneill.com/cwc/Scotland.html or www.aspeurope.com


O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND FINAL RESULT
Brent Dorrington (AUS) 9.00 Def Jay Quinn (NZL) 7.66
O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Heat 1: Jay Quinn (NZL) 11.17 Def. Alain Riou (PYF) 7.17
Heat 2: Brent Dorrington (AUS) 18.50 Def. Richard Christie (NZL) 12.50

O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Heat 1: Jay Quinn (NZL) 12.70 Def. Joan Duru (FRA) 12.67
Heat 2: Alain Riou (PYF) 14.67 Def. Hodei Collazo (EUK) 10.60
Heat 3: Richard Christie (NZL) 16.96 Def. Leonardo Neves (BRA) 14.33
Heat 4: Brent Dorrington (AUS) 13.40 Def. Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 10.93

Captain Kai's Video of the Week - 5 - Bells Classics

Ok, so today's video of the day is actually 4 videos. Why you ask? Well first off, I like you guys and felt you could be spoilt. Secondly, The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, turns 50 next week and I thought you should get ready by watching the highlights from years past! Enjoy!

Scotland delivers perfect tubes for Day 1 Cold Water Classic

Micah Lester (GBR) getting pitted on the first perfect 10 of O'Neill CWC Scotland competition.

Thurso East – Scotland (Wednesday, April 13, 2011) – The opening day of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star event, saw some of the world’s top surfers offer incredible displays of surfing in clean 6ft (1.5m) barrelling rights at Thurso East. Cold winds and freezing waters were compensated with perfect swell lines wrapping along the slab reef producing an excellent kick-off to stop No. 2 of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series 2011.
Micah Lester (GBR) 30, claimed the first 10 point ride of the event with a perfect barrel across the Thurso reef late in the evening. Lester needed only seconds to open his account to perfection and to the delight of the large crowd on hand watching the action.
“In the first minute it just turned on and I lucked into a bomb. A lot of the waves have been pinching on the take off and then you have to pull into the end section. All the guys were trying to hold the inside position so I sat wide and when I saw the set I bolted across, took off and lucked into one that went from the start to the finish. The best wave I’ve ever caught at Thurso East.”
Lester, who only got back into the water after a serious ankle injury that kept him from surfing for almost a year, was unable to find a backup and finished in second place behind heat winner Brent Dorrington (AUS). Lester had to hold off a desperate challenge by Shaun Cansdell (AUS) who fought down to the final siren.
“I was nervous for sure. Against Shaun Cansdell you know for sure he is going to pull something out of the bag but if the waves don’t come through they don’t come through. It is quite typical for Thurso with such long range swells,” explained Lester. “They have to wrap into the bay so you will get a bomb set and then there will be long waits with the cold wind and the cold water and you have to make sure you get the sets.”
Romain Laulhe (Anglet FRA) 26, showed incredible barrel riding skills to claim the highest two-wave total of the day with 17.54 out of 20. Laulhe put it all together and found himself in complete rhythm with the epic late afternoon session.
“I was excited about getting into the water but at the same time I haven’t surfed a lot this winter so I was quite stressed at the beginning but after the first good wave I could relax and enjoy my time in the water. Here, even if you have a good one you can lose a heat,” continued Laulhe. “There are not so many waves in a heat so it all came together today. You just have to thank Mother Nature for this gift.”
Laulhe, who has returned to full time studying, has surfed only on a handful of occasions during the European winter and finds this life style change and break in active surfing has helped him to develop.
“I couldn’t be happier after that because I didn’t expect to win my heat. I went out to just have fun and to do my best but in the end everything came my way so perfect. It was hard to find my surf again but I think sometimes it is good to stop, think about your surf and you improve when you come back again. I am stoked just to surf because I was sitting in a classroom yesterday so now it`s cool.”
Richard Christie (NZL) 21, stamped his mark with two excellent waves exiting throaty deep barrels combined with huge front-side hacks to achieve a massive two-wave total of 17.50 out of 20 and advances through to Round Two of competition.
“I saw the guys getting barreled in the heats before me and I went out there thinking the same thing that I wanted to get one of those as well. I felt relaxed and it just kept pumping and it was great to get a couple of runners. To get in the tunnel.” (laughs). It is so good to get back to Europe and to Scotland again,” continued Christie. “With the waves as fun as they are today I hope that it just keeps up.”
Lincoln Taylor (North Stradbroke Is, AUS) 22, laid down a series of massive backhand smashes in the most critical sections of a long right to earn a 9.10 out of 10 and finished with one of the highest two-wave heat totals of the day, 15.60. Taylor, who is yet to find a result in the CWC series, felt relieved to get through Round One of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland.
“I went out there to feel my feet and on my backhand I felt strong for sure. You don’t want to get knocked in Scotland in the first Round because it is a long way to come. I got knocked out in Gisbourne first up which was a bummer so it’s good to get through here to get the ball rolling.”
Dion Atkinson (Seaford SA, AUS) 24, tore into the open faces on offer early this morning, with powerful forehand gouges and skillful tube riding to amass a two-wave combined total of 15.33 and wants to continue with his positive campaign start.
“It is good but it is a bit worrying if you don’t start off with a strong wave. You then have to battle for position so it is always good to get one under the belt and control the heat a little bit more. You can then wait and try and consolidate your position which I did and managed to get 3 or 4 good waves.”
Atkinson, who is accustomed to the icy waters of Thurso East, reveled in the near perfect peeling rights and never looked in doubt of advancing ahead of young Japanese surfer Yujiro Tsuji.
“It is ideal out there at the moment if you can handle the cold you couldn’t ask for more to compete in. It is good enough to be a World Tour event. I’ve been here for the past 4 years and I’m from South Australia where we have cold water and reef set ups like here so I feel right at home here.”
Patrick Beven (FRA), who placed first in his 30-minute clash scoring only one wave, emerged from a huge forehand barrel to earn 9.33 out of 10. In a bizarre wave starved second half of the heat, Bevan searched for a backup score which never eventuated.
“It feels like I haven’t made a heat in months,” laughed Bevan. “I was so happy to make that wave. I knew that there were sets and I just waited and waited. I only had one score but the other guys had no big scores so I tried to find another wave which never came. The wind and size is good today and I hope it stays like this all week.”
The O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland is stop No. 2 of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series with surfers out to solidify their overall standings as well as gain valuable Asp World Rankings points.
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland is scheduled from April 13 -19, 2011. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases and LIVE webcast log-on to http://www.oneill.com/cwc/Scotland.html or www.aspeurope.com

Ruan "Fangzz" Potts looking for his Title Fight - EFC 08

Tonight on EFC 08, Ruan Potts will continue his mission to be the best MMA heavyweight in Africa, when he takes on Baygon Obutobe. While I wish I could tell you about his opponent, there is very little information out there, all I know is he is 38 and weighs in at 108kg.

Heavyweight confrontation!

 Ruan "Fangzz" Potts entered the EFC cage for the first time at EFC 07 against Calven Robinson. In a fight where most of the media were calling Robinson, the more "experienced"fighter, for the win, Ruan decided to not follow the script and took him out in under 3 minutes. He now takes on Baygon, knowing that if he wins tonight, he will have his title belt clash at the next EFC in June.

Ruan "Fangzz" Potts

Ruan fights under the Dragon Power gym and his trainer and Sifu Kru, Quentin "the Dragon" Chong.

For more on Ruan check out his profile on - Dragon Power

Check his bio at - EFC Africa

I have no doubt he will win tonight and earn himself a title shot! Not sure, check out how fast he dealt with Robinson, a way more established fighter...

You can surf the 7 Ghosts - Indonesia's now famous river bore waves

To say that this story has exploded would be an absolute understatement. It seems people have been surfing the river bore, known as the "Bono", for longer than thought, but it was the Rip Curl trip there with Tom Curren that has blown the spot wide open. My previous posts have been going crazy, with viewers not being able to get enough. Now, you can book your trip to this crazy wave.

Bono surfing not just for the Pros.

A word of warning before you do though,
1) This is a river in third world Sumatra, very far from any decent medical facilities. The water is filthy, people on the Rip Curl trip got serious staff infections and there are 4m crocodiles in the river.
2) The operator does not have jet skis. They use small speed boats.
3) Malaria is around.
4) No Booze! heavy Muslim community.
Having said all that, if you are about surf exploration and adventure - this definately fits the bill. Maybe it is time to go explore.

Check out - Bono Surf Camp

Dumont Dunes and Ronnie Renner - Dirt bike mayhem!

What do you get if you add Ronnie Renner and his FreeRide Tour mates to the Dumont Dunes in the US of A? A whole lot of petrol fumes, sand all over the show and a lot of massively cool riding! Check it out...

Dane Reynolds is still injured - but not out!

Dane is still broken. He injured his knee before the pipe Masters last year and the bugger still has not healed completely.

My knees would also be over me, with airs like this! (Photo: ASP)

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California / USA (Monday, April 11, 2011) – Dane Reynolds (USA), 25, a leading force in the world of progressive surfing and No. 4 on last year’s ASP World Title Rankings, suffered a knee injury prior to the Billabong Pipe Masters in December, forcing the Californian to opt for surgery. While rehabbing the injury, Reynolds was still out of commission for the season opening Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and sources have just confirmed that he will also miss the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach due to the lengthy recovery process.

Although Reynolds knee is still too tender for competition, the progressive mastermind is hoping to make his return at the upcoming ASP PRIME Nike Lowers Pro in May at Trestles in California.

“Dane will not be attending Bells, but he is hoping his knee will be better by the time the PRIME event comes to Lowers in May,” confirmed Blair Marlin, Reynolds’ Manager.
Reynolds’ injury updates will be available via www.aspworldtour.com
For additional information on Dane view his full ASP WORLD TOUR PROFILE.

If you take a good look at these videos (From his upcoming surf film, Thrills, spills and what not), you will realize two things. one is that Dane is a phenomenal surfer. I don't think anyone has rode their own lines like this since Tom Curren. Second, once he gets back to fitness, he will continue where he left off on tour, and climb that ladder to number 1 - unless he decides to give it all up and go free surfing. With Dane, you just don't know!

Seven Ghosts - Indo river delivers world class waves!

Surf Heaven?

The world of the internet has been going mental over the discovery of a tidal bore in deepest Indonesia, called Seven Ghosts. Rip Curl took a hardy crew, including Tom Curren, to this amazing location and they scored epic waves. You have watched the first teaser, now take a look at this...

Surfing Magazine Swimsuit Edition 2011

Melissa Miller, popular with the boys!

Ok, this is sure to make your Monday a little happier! I was lucky enough to spend some time with one of these gorgeous woman recently - you can take a guess at which one - and was amazed at how down to earth and cool she was. I can only hope all swimsuit models are that cool. Enjoy the video, order the mag!

 To see more order your copy - Surfing Magazine

Enjoy the video!

Damo Hobgood wins the Margaret River Pro

Damo has always been one of my favorite surfers. His clean style and brass balls in the heavy stuff make him a formidable surfer. He has not really had the results lately, so I was stoked when he took out his first win in quite some time at Margaret River, West Oz.

Damo cracking the turns on his way to victory. (Photo: ASP)

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia (Saturday, April 9, 2011) - Floridian surfer and former ASP World Number 4, Damien Hobgood (Fl, USA) has claimed his sixth major ASP event victory by taking out the Prime-rated Telstra Drug Aware Pro ahead of local, Yadin Nicol (WA, AUS), at Margaret River in West Australia today.
“I’ve been coming to Margaret River since I was 13-years-old. It’s right up there with home and the North Shore for my favourite places” said Hobgood on the podium.
“Thank you to the West Australian government, it’s so awesome that you get behind surfing like this, Back home surfing is so small.
“It wasn’t really much of a final – I’m sure Yadin is bummed, it would have been great to battle it out- I saw that it was getting smaller and just wanted to go out and get some scores under my belt – I stuck to my game plan and it worked.”
Hobgood earned US$40,000 and 6,500 valuable ratings points for his win and moved him to 10th position on the ASP World Rankings.
Following a hectic week that saw the swell size peak at five-metres, the greatest challenge for competitors on the final day was to find any rides at all. And in the 30-minute decider, Hobgood got the jump on the local crowd favourite by clinching two early scoring waves.
Nicol, surfing his maiden final, was forced to play catch-up but with Mother Nature calling the shots, was never in the hunt.
“What can you do? If the waves don’t come to you, you can’t be too bummed. – Damo got busy at the start and then it pretty much over from there.
“I was looking at the waves he was going for thinking, are they even waves? So I waited and nothing bigger came.”
Hobgood ran away with the win, finishing on a two-wave combined total of 12.83 points to Nicol’s low 6.94 points.
Nicol’s runner-up finish is a career-best result for the 26 year-old, and he has rocketed up 30 places on the ASP world ratings ladder, and now sits just outside the all-important mid year top-32 cut-off.
Finishing in equal third today was Willian Cardoso (BRA) of Brazil and Granger Larsen (HAW) of Hawaii.
Cardoso’s final hopes were dashed in the early moments of his semi when he suffered an interference penalty versus Nicol. With one of his two scoring waves halved, Cardoso was never a threat to the Australian and was forced to settle for equal 3rd place.
Surfing legend and ten-times ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (Fl, USA) made his first competitive appearance at Margaret River in 18 years, but was bundled out yesterday in equal 13th place by New Zealand rookie Billy Stairmand (Raglan, NZ)
The next event on the second tier ASP Men’s Prime event calendar is the Nike Lowers Pro, to be held at Trestles in California beginning May 3rd.
While the sport’s biggest names will compete at event #2 on the ASP World Title Tour, The Rip Curl Pro, which begins at Bells Beach, Victoria in just over a weeks time (April 19-30).
Spectator entry to the Telstra Drug Aware Pro is free. For more information, visit www.telstradrugawarepro.com

Captain Kai's Video of the Week - 4

For this week I had a couple of options, but eventually I decided to go with this great little video on, Johnny Aubert, the legendary Enduro rider. I like how they gave you a look at what he is like, told a little story and showed some crazy Enduro riding. I wish I could ride a bike like this guy!