All time Kirra

Empty Perfection amongst the madness! (Photo: Dunbar)

Its a dredging sandbank in the heart of the chaos that is the Gold Coast. It's bred multiple world champions and countless super stars. The day after the Quiksilver Pro it turned on for the many that had been waiting and what a show it was...

K I R R A 13 from THEMADHUEYS on Vimeo.

Dane Reynolds caning California

The guy may not love contests or want to win a world title, but he surfs some truly inspirational lines. I just love how Dane surfs! The kook wipeout parade at the start also nearly made me crap my pants I laughed so hard. Enjoy...

Quiksilver Pro 2013 Review - Kelly wins & the young guns falter...

Joel Parkinson showing his feelings for the Priority System in the Final. Kelly just smiles! (Photo: ASP)

I, like many out there, thought this was the year it was going to happen. The year that the old guard finally stepped aside as the wealth of new pumped up youngsters took control of their destinies and the World Tour. The old boys pretty much just bitch slapped that idea though. Kelly Slater glides to the final where he showed he sill has the surfing and the mental game to win, taking out crowd favorite and current World Champion, Joel Parkinson. The photo above shows the defining moment with Joel deep in a Kirra pit, but Kelly had priority and he used it. Sly old bastard!

These two were joined by Mick Fanning in the semi finals along with semi youngster Bourez. But where were Jordy Smith, John John, Medina and company? After a banging start Jordy lost to good mate and constantly overlooked Saffa, Travis Logie - will Jordy pick himself up and cane Bells? You tell me. John John cracked his ankle skating on a layday. Medina fumbles and the only guy of the new class to get anywhere was Julian Wilson, with a little support from Matti Wilko.

Bottom line - the old goats are not going anywhere! See ya at bells.

Kelly Slater is still the Boss

'What the...."

Say what you want about the man, he still surfs like no one else on the planet. Kelly Slater is back for 2013 and seems to be ready to surf the ASP World Tour. Interesting to hear him speak about hating missing good waves because of contests though, so be sure that if somewhere on the planet looks epic, Kelly will not be in places like Brazil for the contest. Check out this video of a recent Bali trip and remember why we all want to surf like the Boss!

Oasis - Sally Fitzgibbons surfs the Desert

Take one of the world's best female surfers and drop her into the Arabian Desert. One would imagine that there would be no surf, but thanks to man's ingenuity, Sally gets to show just how far women's surfing has come...

In this emotive art film Sally Fitzgibbons tackles one of the most unique waves on the planet. Shot in beautiful super slow motion in a striking landscape, this film follows Sally through Dubai and the Al Ain desert as she takes her surfing to the air.

Stay tuned for Episode 1 of Sally Stories Wednesday, November 21st at 10pm PST/Thursday, November 22nd at 5pm AEST! www.redbull.tv

Kelly Slater wins in perfect French Tubes! QuikPro France 2012

King Kelly takes win 51 in France!

I don't think you could ask for a better final day in professional surfing. Kelly versus Joel Parkinson and Jon Jon Florence versus Dane Reynolds, followed by a Dane and Kelly final. Some big names were also beaten early, meaning the world title race is now wide open! Joel has moved to number 1 with his 3rd place finish in France and Kelly slots in at number 2. This means poor Mick fanning has slipped to 3rd, followed by John John and Taj Burrows.it is super tight between the top 3 and you can believe that Portugal is going to be a huge fight for points.

Hats off to Dane Reynolds making the final as a wildcard. The guy ripped France and Kelly was the only guy ever looking like beating him. Kelly is a machine! With his 51st win on tour, he puts himself right back in the hunt for world title number 12 and solidifying his place as the greatest athlete of all time.

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 17.26 2 – Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.00

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Dane Reynolds (USA) 15.70 def. John John Florence (HAW) 15.60
SF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.27 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.93

CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 5 (After Quiksilver Pro France):
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 46,200 pts
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 45,450 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 43,000
4. John John Florence (HAW) 39,150 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 31,900 pts

Quiksilver Pro France 2012 Preview

Here is hoping Jordy Smith canes it in France after being ripped at Trestles! (Photo: QuikPro/ASP)

The Quiksilver Pro starts today with the trials in some pretty heavy looking French beachbreak. After a manic week at Trestles, Kelly Slater has shaken the title race up and while Mick Fanning is still in the lead, he will be feeling Kelly breathing down his neck. Joel Parkinson and John John Florence are in the top 4 and both of these guys can cane the beachies in France. They were in the Brazil final with John John winning and if the swell stays small to medium, they could quite easily be in this final. Keep a beady eye on the Brazza, Adriano da Souza, sitting in 5th on the rankings and looking solid at Trestles.

My dark horses are Dane Reynolds, who has been awarded a wild card, and would probably love to win the contest doing the most outrageous surfing possible. But, my big call has to be Jordy Smith. he was totally ripped off in California and he knows it. I am hoping to see a hungry and merciless giant in the water in France. Jordy needs to take his surfing to the line and cane every wave he surfs. The French beachbreaks are very similar to the waves he grew up on and the man is just to good not to start winning more contests. I think France could be it.

The Winter Surf Video Face Off with Brendon Gibbens & Brandon Jackson

Brendon takes to the Cape Winter Skies.

Monday has dawned with a great Winter Surf Video battle for your enjoyment. (Well, I say battle, but these guys probably love each other.) What is interesting, besides being launched the same day, is that both videos have Winter in their titles, both surfers are from SA, both surfers names start with "BR", both guys are sponsored by Quiksilver and both guys get tubed off their faces.

I have to say, my favorite is Brendon's due to the better filming and editing, along with variety, but that is a bit unfair as Jacko's video is of just one super session. Both videos rock. Which one do you like most?
Brendon's wont let me embed, so here is the link...
Winter Bliss

Beyrick de Vries Edit 1.0

Beyrick ripping at home. (Photo: Zigzag)

Beyrick de Vries has been slaying it this year, with some solid results in the contests and arials all over the show during free surfs. This is his new web video.

Beyrick de Vries edit 1.0 from Luke Ochse on Vimeo.

Quiksnow 2012 Final Day Action - Afriski Lesotho

JoJo Krivec on his way to Quiksnow Boss! (Photo: Quiksilver/Patto)

Another awesome day of snowboarding went down at Quiksnow 2012. The Afriski Park was the perfect playground for the Pro Mens Final. Defending Champion, JoJo Krivec was in amazing form, considering he has just come off 5 months of injury, to win the competition. Marcin Jekot fought off the youngsters to once again be the SA Slopestyle Champion. His sister, Marta, once again won the ladies and new kid on the block, Jan Linze Veenstra took down the Freeski title. Enjoy the video and get to Afriski!

Results Quiksnow 2012 
Snowboarding Amateurs
1) Davo Philips 2) Michael Rassmann 3) Alessio Lacovig
Snowboarding Women
1) Marta Jekot 2) Brigitte Heeb 3) Vanessa Jackson
Freeski Men
1) Jan Linze Veenstra 2) James Barret 3) Dale Andrews
Snowboarding Pro Men
1) JoJo Krivec (Slovenia) 2) Marcin Jekot (Gold SA) 3) Luke Dutton (Silver SA)
4) Dean van Greunen (Bronze SA)

Quiksnow 2012 Day 1 Highlights

Ryde Jones Backflip (Photo: Quiksilver/Patto)

Check out all the action from the Park at 3600m above Sea Level. Welcome to Afriski and the 2012 Quiksnow SA Snowboarding Champs. Day 1 saw some great riding in the newly extended Park. The foreign contingent were raving about the condition of the Park, so check out all the action from Day 1...

Quiksnow Preview 2012

That's right kiddies, the most mayhem filled weekend of the year is upon us! Snow, altitude sickness, boarding, airs, rails, booze and crazy antics are on the way for Quiksnow 2012. Since 2005 this event has ruled the roost as the most fun Action Sports event of the year. judging by the pictures i have been seeing of the Park at Afriski, this is going to be a stellar year, with all of the top SA riders attending, some crazy new junior riders and of course the usual mix of international chargers that make the trip out to the Southern Tip of Africa. I will be there to bring you all the mayhem first hand!

In the meantime enjoy the teaser for this year, which I just made!

Captain Kai's World on www.2ov.fm - Show 32 Podcast

Commentating the Llandudno Boardriders over the weekend.

After a 2 week break, thanks to my marvelous holiday up North with Roosta, it was great to be back in studio at 2 Oceans Vibe. I had, pro surfer, Mikey February on the show to talk about his double victory at the Bloodscan Pro, the upcoming SA Champs in Cape Town and how excited he is to be surfing at the Billabong Pro in Jbay this July. Quentin "Dragon" Chong joined us with two of his fighters for this weekend's "Fight Night" at the Dragon Power Gym. Glen from 4 Elements Gaming was back for the monthly computer game segment, where we gave away 2 copies of "MX Evolution" and talked about the launch of Diablo 3.

Download the Podcast - Captain Kai's World Show 33
(Right Click and Save as)

This is what I was doing over the holiday...

Nice clean waves..

Catching Fish...

Roo was getting tubed..

Up for the Sunrise every morning...

Don't be to jealous!

Kelly Slater's Secret Atoll

Kelly Slater, who is missing the Billabong Pro in Rio, due to a tropical reef cut on his Heel, went on a little exploration holiday for Surfer Magazine just before that and discovered a new wave. The wave is a super long right hand barrel and it looks like Kelly made the most of it...

Candide Thovex presents "Few Words" - The Art of Flight for Skiing

While the snowboarders have had their mass market success stories when it comes to film, most notably Travis Rice and his double success with both "That's it, That's All" and "the Art of Flight", the skiing community have had to wait until now for their big movie. Watching the trailer i could not help but draw similarities between Rice's works and this, but having said that, why not use a proven winning formula. That formula being amazing landscape and chopper shots, utilizing Phantom Camera shots throughout and of course a kick ass soundtrack. Quiksilver and Candide Thovex have found the formula and made it work. "Few Words" looks epic in scope and magnitude and I for one cannot wait to watch it.

 

Quiksilver Presents Candide Thovex's first feature-length film FEW WORDS. This long anticipated movie has finally become a reality for Candide Thovex , while we take a look back at his youth and early days skiing Candide shows you what it took to get to this point in his career, winning X-games gold's and breaking his back before winning the free-ride world tour. Now embarking on a mission spending 2 winters and summers filming and traveling over the world to get the best conditions possible Matt Pain and crew have captured Candide in his element and the stunning nature surrounding. Few Words will Premier in October in Paris with a world tour to follow in a city near you.

The Friday Mix - Jaws charger Kai Lenny, Aspire kiteboard, Wizard of Oz BMX & Craig Anderson Surf

Welcome to the Friday Mix, where I give you the finest selection of Action Sports videos on the web for the week. First up we have a 19 year old waterman from Hawaii, Kai Lenny. This kid inspires me no end as he surfs, tows, kites and windsurfs massive Jaws, all in one day. This is the premier of his new Web Show, Positively Kai. (Pretty cool he shares my name to.)

Next up we go BMX with the "Wizard of Aus", Corey Bohan. After some serious injuries, he is on the road back to XGames and has his own Web Show so we can tag along. This is the teaser for the show, Wizard of Aus"...



Craig Anderson has to be one of my favorite surfers and is a really nice guy to boot! Born in South Africa and now living in Australia, he lives the free surfer life and travels the world surfing perfect waves.



Aaron Hadlow is the best at what he does, but now he is developing new technologies to enable him to grow the sport of Kite Boarding. Introducing rails and jibs to the technical riding disciplines. Check it out...

Captain Kai's World on www.2OV.fm - Podcast Show 29

The Easter Show was great with EFC Africa fighters James "Jambo" Le Roux and Jaydson Costa in studio to discuss their upcoming title fights at EFC Africa 13 at Grand West Casino on Friday 13th April. I will be attending the event and we will have feedback on next week's show. Was great to find out both fighters surf!  Robby MacDonald was with me to talk about the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, the Quiksilver Pro Junior in Durban and the Billabong Grom Games in PE over the Easter Weekend. We also had a surprise skype call from Roland Schoeman from his flight back to SA from the States, to come compete in the SA Olympic swimming trials.

Download the Podcast here - Podcast Show 29
(Right click and Save as.)

The Friday Mix with Captain Kai - Xgames, Dane Reynolds & Ultimate X

Welcome to the Friday Mix for this week and what a mix it is. First up the long awaited GOPro video from Ultimate X - we still waiting for the 3D edit - followed by Dane Reynold's highlights from the Quik Pro at Snapper. He did not make Round 4, but hells he did some amazing surfing before being knocked out. Lastly, the king of Superpipe, Shaun White, takes another XGames Gold in France at the European Winter XGames. Shaun posted an almost perfect 98 on his first run to take the victory!



 

 

Jacko on the North Shore

 

Brandon Jackson decided to give the North Shore of Hawaii a good go this year and spent an extended amount of time there proving himself at Backdoor, Pipeline and the Food Land check outs. You will notice Josh Redman, Frank Solomon and Twig making cameos in the video as they also dedicated a lot of time to chasing the Shore this winter. Pretty short video, but I liked the edit and some good surfing from Jacko.

Quiksilver Pro Round Up 2012

Taj Burrows on route to the Number 1 Slot (Photo: ASP)

The WCT finally got under way with the Quik Pro and after a year of drama in 2011, this year could be the same. Taj Burrows walks away for the 3rd time with Quik Pro honors and the number 1 spot on the rankings for the start of the year. He beat an in form Adriano da Souza in the final, after a very controversial victory over Jordy Smith in the Semi's. I will give it to Taj though, he surfed really well throughout the competition and the guy is looking fast and loose as always. I give Adriano a lot of grief most of the time, but even I must admit that he was ripping. The guy has clearly been working on his aerial game and he came to the party in this event. Needing a high 7 in the final, he went for broke with a massive punt, but just came short.

Another guy who was firing all event was Josh kerr. The tiny Ozzy is looking pretty motivated to win and will be worth keeping an eye on for the rest of the season. Everyone was waiting to see what the 40 year old Kelly Slater would do and after a great start to the event, he got knocked out in the Quarters. He finds himself back in 5th place on the rankings and this will probably just motivate him even more to come out firing at Bells.

After last year's controversy with the judging, this event had a few close calls. There were certainly a number of surfers who would have been questioning their losses. The most puzzling one had to be Semi 2 with Taj just beating Jordy Smith. I have watched the heat over a couple of times, I have to be honest, I think Jordy was very underscored on his top ride. Watch the heat review and let me know your thoughts - Taj Vs Jordy Semi 2

 

The tour now heads off to Bells Beach where Taj will be looking to consolidate his Tour lead. So many times the bridesmaid in the World title hunt, can this be the year that he proves he is a world champ? Jordy Smith also has a lot to prove after leading the tour last year till his season ending injury at Teahupoo. Sitting in 3rd, a good result at bells could see our man making a solid push for the Number 1 slot in 2012. Is Kelly still hungry? Come on, the man only knows one way and that is be the Champ! He will be at Bells.

 

SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland/Australia (Sunday, March 4, 2012) – The final day of the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover culminated today with perennial ASP World Title threat Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, and four-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, taking the respective wins in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at the primary venue of Snapper Rocks. The opening stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast enjoyed sunny weather, light winds and a capacity crowd for the final day of competition, with the world’s best surfers putting on a spectacular display of high-performance surfing. Burrow defeated dangerous South American Adriano De Souza (BRA), 25, in a Final that came down to the wire. De Souza caught a wave in the dying minutes and launched into a massive air-reverse, requiring a 7.87 out of a possible 10 to take the lead. The judges deliberated until after the siren sounded and when it was announced that De Souza came a mere 0.27 short, Burrow was chaired up the beach and declared the 2012 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast champion. “I feel so good now!” Burrow said. “I had a really good event last year, but came up short in the Final against Kelly (Slater). Then today when I found myself against Adriano (De Souza), I was really nervous because he got me in a Final in Brazil last year. He’s really tough and I don’t like competing against him to be honest. There was a lot of weight on my shoulders in that Final so it’s pretty rewarding to come out on top.” The ASP World Championship Tour will next head to Victoria, Australia for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, stop no. 2 of 10 in the race for the 2012 ASP World Title. “I’ve been going for the ASP World Title for a while now,” Burrow said. “I don’t know what to say. I just want to surf my best and hope that the rest falls into place. I love Bells. I love throwing on a full wetsuit and doing some big arcs in the Bells Bowl.” De Souza finished runner-up at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast for the second time, after coming 2nd to Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in 2009. De Souza was easily one of the event’s top performers this season with gouging turns and inverted aerials taking him to a podium finish. “I’m really happy with my result here today,” De Souza said. “It was such an amazing Final. Last year Taj (Burrow) and I had such a great heat here as well. It was one of the best heats of my life and he beat me. It’s amazing to be on the podium here again. In 2009, it was me and Joel (Parkinson). It’s a great way to start the year and I’m happy to be back up here.” Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion, her fourth Roxy Pro Gold Coast title after defeating ASP Top 17 sophomore Laura Enever (AUS), 20, in a hard-fought Final. Gilmore was dominant throughout the event, posting scores in the excellent range in every encounter throughout the draw. Gilmore jumps back to No. 1 on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour ratings, a spot she lost at this event last year after holding it for four years. “To be carried up the beach with your friends underneath you with thousands of people around has got to be one of the best feelings in the world,” Gilmore said. “It took me back to 2005 when I won here as a grom. Last year went so quickly and it felt like I didn’t even exist on the rankings and that fire wasn’t really there. This year it’s so good to have that back! My cheeks are so sore from smiling already.” Enever, who defeated Gilmore in the Quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast last year, today was unable to replicate last year’s magic but managed a career-best Runner-Up today against Gilmore. This is the first ASP Women’s World Tour final appearance for Enever, who finished 10th on last year’s ratings. “Coming into this event I felt like a new competitor,” Enever said. “I’m so stoked to make it all the way to the Final. It was so good to be out there with Steph (Gilmore). She’s coming back now which is great to see. It’s a good way to start off the year. I’m in the ASP Women’s World Title race and it’s not a fluke. I want to be up here for the rest of the year and hopefully go one better next event.” Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion and last year’s Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner was eliminated in the Quarterfinals this morning by Josh Kerr (AUS), 27. Slater had previously defeated Kerr four times on the 2011 ASP World Championship Tour and was a favourite to take the heat today. However, it was Kerr who advanced thanks to one of a massive forehand air-reverse in the final minutes of the heat. “If the waves were better I would be really bummed that I lost,” Slater said. “I got one at the end that I thought would be good, I went for the carving 360 and got stuck. Then I turned around and Josh (Kerr) was on a pretty nice one and he got that air at the end. He’s always going to be a threat in conditions like this where he can throw big airs. I got Josh a few times last year, we had four Quarterfinal battles last year where I got him, so he owed me a couple. It never feels good to lose, but I’m happy for Josh. I’m not sure if I’m going to Bells. I’m just going to go find some good waves in the next few weeks. Then I’ll figure out what I’m going to do for the year.”

Highlights from the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast are available via www.quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2012
The next stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford from April 3 – 14, 2012. For more information, check out www.ASPWorldTour.com

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.86
2 – Adriano De Souza (BRA) 15.60
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL RESULTS: SF
1: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 14.16 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.57 SF
2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.56 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.20
 QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 16.43 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 13.73
QF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.43 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.04
QF 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.56 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.30
QF 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.86 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.97

CURRENT ASP TOP 5 (After Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast):
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10,000 pts
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8,000 pts
3. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 6,500 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 6,500 pts
5. Kelly Slater (USA) 5,200 pts
5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5,200 pts
5. Owen Wright (AUS) 5,200 pts
5. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5,200 pts