Oh my Beer!

Aaaah sweet amber nectar of the Gods! Beer is simply the love of my life - perhaps not the love of my paunch, but god I love her anyway! Thus, it was with great joy and rapture that I partook of the Cape Town Festival of Beer this past weekend. At first, I was just going for Friday after work, have a few dops and spend the rest of the weekend on the beach, but it was so much fun and the beer was so absolutely good, that I ended up spending most of Saturday there too.

It's probably a good thing that the Springboks won against England, for if they had lost, the Beer Fest might have emptied out faster than the cool people at a Celine Dion concert. Luckily the Bok front row were on song and so were most of the people at the Festival, thanks mainly to above average strength of the ales and beers from the many micro breweries.

In my happy place!

My Pick of the Festival?
Newlands Brewery Dark Ale - this stuff was made for the Festival, which unfortunately means that if you were not there, you probably will never get to taste it. It was made to raise money for charity and was cheap and strong! A lovely rich amber nectar with very strong toffee overtones. At 7% alcohol levels it got the party started too!
Darling Slow Brew Lager - What a refreshing Lager. All the traits of the classics, with a slightly unique and almost nutty flavor. This one is great for those hot days in the summer sun!

Boys and gals loved the beer!

Black Label were the sponsors, but it has to be said, that for one of the mass produced big guns of beer, their new draught is scrumptious! It more than held it's own with the artisan brewers on offer. I could easily quaff a few pints of the stuff after a long surf on a hot summers day!

The verdict?
What a great event. it was well run, there were not huge lines and everyone who went had a bloody good time! Well done Cape Town festival of Beer

Roosta was just back from Ireland and gave Newlands Dark Ale the thumbs up over Guiness!

Dope Skating - Street Cred

Cape Town has a healthy populace of tight ass skinny jean wearing, mustashed skaters. These guys go on large missions to find places to skate and any chance to ride a great rail or ledge, especially when they can win free shit while riding, is a huge success. Hence, the Dope Industries Street Cred competition went down like a house on fire - if the guy needed an insurance payout - and the cream of Cape skaters rocked up to entertain the Cape commuters at Cape Town station.

How many times can I fit the word Cape into one blog? haha

Check the video:

Street Cred from Dope Industries on Vimeo.

Street Cred was held in Cape Town, South Africa on the 24th September 2010.

Art of Surfing - Surf as Art

Surf and art, or surf as art? Any way you put it, we surfers have always been connected to the world of art. I guess it comes from our connection to such a powerful and beautiful piece of nature - the ocean is one serious piece of art!

As part of their Surf Film Festival, Wavescape have encluded an art exhibition, utilsing surfboards. What a great idea!

Wavescape's official Run Down:

From this heady mix flows the juice that concocts the creative result of the Wavescape Surfboard Art Exhibition that runs 1-7 December at the Depasco Café on Kloof Street, and culminates in the Wavescape Art Auction on Wednesday 8 December.
Proceeds of the auction, in which 12 decorated  retro 80s ‘Pottz Twin Fin’ surfboards will be sold by funny man Mark Sampson, goes to ocean charities such as the NSRI, Shark Spotters and Ticket To Ride Foundation.

Look out for the asymmetrical, manga-on-acid-like-characters of Black Koki and 35ten73, from the Love and Hate crew. Enjoy and decipher the out-there tapestry of underground grafster Ice7. Ewok, renowned beat poet and graffiti legend works with underground talent Bones on their board. Cape Argus cartoonist and Kommetjie charger Chip Snaddon brings extra surfing cred to the party. Conrad Botes aka “Konradski” from Bitterkomix is back with another tightly encrypted study of South African weirdness. Stalwart ND Mazin, the author of What's so Funny?, a cartoon history of South Africa, and You Must Be Joking - The Year in Cartoons, works on a celestially-charged commentary on the darker side of humanity in the Mystic Duiker. Also with the old guard, come the Durban-based design duo of Scott Robertson and Kim Longhurst who share a board for a two-sided view of their cryptic wit.
Other newcomers Osnat de Villiers and Matthew Pinker bring more than a background steeped in the ethos of surfing and its subculture. De Villiers is a renowned Scarborough-based painter who works with her partner Pierre de Villiers to add custom aesthetics to his Dream surfboard shapes. Pinker, a talented painter, moves beyond the legacy left by his father Stanley Pinker, whose work Wheel of Life (1974) recently fetched R2.5 million as part of a new record set in South African art sales in October (a work by Irma Stern fetched R13.4 million).

This year’s shape – the Pottz Twin Fin – was famous in the early 1980s just before the advent of the Thruster: surfboards with three fins. The board comes with klinkers (wings) and laminated wooden fins. Speaking of wood, Wavescape welcomes the talent of artisan Patrick Burnett as he creates a hand-crafted wooden version of the board, and fine artist Kelly John Gough, who will decorate the piece with one of his trademark nudes.

Wavescape teams up with Tim Cornibear of the Ticket to Ride foundation and Muizenberg artist Claire Homewood to decorate one of the 12 surfboards with development surfer kids from Masiphumelele township. Proceeds of this board go to the foundation for its projects with disadvantaged children.
Also on show, and to be auctioned will be a mini-surfboard reshaped from a broken board, part of the My First Surfboard Project penned by South African surfing’s agent provocateur Conn Bertish.
“Every year, thousands of broken surfboards end up in dumps and landfills, and are environmentally toxic. The project turns broken boards into new boards for beginner surfers who can’t afford them, transforming junk into transforming a kid’s life.”
The money raised from the auction will go to ocean charities including NSRI, Shark Spotters, SOSF and Ticket to Ride, so pull in, enjoy the free beer and bid for a surfboard for a good cause.

For more info go to www.wavescape.co.za or call 079 0260 669

Rudy Palboom Jnr Rips into Sunset - Saffer Power

Hailing from the Bluff, on the south side of Durban's harbor, The Palmboom family are an institution. Rudy Snr has long dominated in the world of heavy waves and his son has taken over the mantle. Not surprising really, when you consider their local wave is Cave Rock and they come from an area that's motto is rough and tough and from the Bluff!

Rudy Palboom Jnr Giving it to Sunset

The ASP had the following to say on the event website -

South African Rudy Palmboom, 22, claimed a whole new fan base in Hawaii today, trumping the scores in the opening round of the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing, the second stop of the annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Palmboom found perfect rhythm and placement in the double-overhead surf to close with the highest individual wave score (8.67 points out of 10) and two-wave heat total (15.34) of the men’s opening day. Sunset Beach leaned more towards playful today, as opposed to its reputation of being one of the more punishing surf spots on the planet.
“It’s pretty fun out there and a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” said Palmboom. “I got an 8.67, a nice little barrel. I lucked into a good wave straight after the siren. It’s more spread out and there’s a lot of waves coming through, which makes it a lot more fair.
“I’ve been coming to Hawai’i since I was 15, 7 years now, and this is my third Triple Crown. I do surf here quite a bit and I’ve started to enjoy this wave. I haven’t had too many heats actually, which is quite a bummer, but I’ve learned to love it.”

Check out Rudy's heat - Rudy's Sunst Heat
Lets hope Rudy and the other Saffers continue the roll!

O'Neill World Cup of Surfing starts today

The second contest of the Vans triple Crown of surfing's waiting period gets underway today, with the O"Neill World Cup of Surfing. The contest is held at Sunset Beach and is definitely one of my favorite surf contests to watch. The wave at Sunset is big, angry and sketchy at the best of times, but has delivered some of the most memorable moments in North Shore surfing. It is also the wave where South Africans first made their mark on the North Shore, when very young surfers, Gavin Rudolph and Johnny Paarman, gave the rest of the surfing world a lesson there at the Smirnoff Cup back in the Seventies. Jordy has had a second there and we can only hope that he and the rest of the Saffers can do well!

Sunset Beach Park

• Second stop of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
• Northern-most beach park on the North Shore coastline.
• Surfing takes place more than 100 yards out to sea.
• Sunset Beach is the standard by which other beaches are measured.
• Pre-modern Hawaiians knew Sunset as Paumalu.
• Surfboard riding began here prior to the 19th century.
• Parking isn’t always close to the beach park so bring additional transportation, like a skateboard or bicycle.

Curtain Call: Sunset is last chance for Qualifying hopefuls

For some it’s a romance. For others it’s a tragedy. And for the men on the ASP World Qualifying Series (QS), The O‘Neill World Cup of Surfing is the climax to a long, grueling season. The first rounds of competition are chocked full of drama with many QS competitors having their World Tour dreams materialized or destroyed in front of a huge audience. Look for QS competitors to put it all on the line at the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing in hopes of qualifying for next year’s elite World Tour.



How heavy was last year's event? Just check the video above!

Saffers crack the nod for the Eddie

It seems our campaigning this year, through the voting system for nominees for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Event have paid off, with a record number of South African riders invited. Grant "Twig" Baker is of course on the list, but 2 more South Africans have made the event this year, with Chris Bertish making the invite list along with Twig and Andrew Marr, long time Waimea Bay rider making the alternate list. Bizarrely the list has Bertish as hailing from Europe and Andy from Hawaii? But, I can assure you both will be flying the SA flag.

The infamous Waimea Shorebreak

Held in honor of the legendary Hawaiian waterman, Eddie Aikau, The Quiksilver in honour of Eddie Aikau gathers the most skillful and dynamic big-wave surfers from around the globe. The Eddie is a surfer’s ultimate challenge, employing unassisted manpower to physically paddle into and ride giant waves.

Eddie launched today with the announcement of the 28 coveted Invitees and 24 Alternates to the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy (an ASP Specialty Event). The event will be held on one day, between December 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011, when waves exceed the 20-foot minimum threshold and Invitees contend for the $98,000 prize purse. The traditional opening ceremony will take place at 2:30pm, December 2nd, 2010, at Waimea Bay. Monster Energy will be presenting the Monster Drop Award for the surfer who makes the most critical drop and rides out of it during the event. The judges will determine the winner the day of the competition and will present the chosen surfer with a unique Monster Drop Specialty Award.
Invitees:
Clyde Aikau (HAW)
Kala Alexander (HAW)
Tom Carroll (AUS)
Kohl Christenson (HAW)
Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS)
Shane Dorian (HAW)
Keone Downing (HAW)
Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Mark Healy (HAW)
Michael Ho (HAW)
Bruce Irons (HAW)
Noah Johnson (HAW)
Rusty Keaulana (HAW)
Brock Little (HAW)
Greg Long (USA)
Reef McIntosh (HAW)
Garrett McNamara (HAW)
Peter Mel (USA)
Ramon Navarro (CHL)
Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Kelly Slater (USA)
Jamie Sterling (HAW)
Dave Wassell (HAW)
Grant Baker (ZAF)
Chris Bertish (EUR)
Carlos Burle (BRA)
Takayuki Wakita (JPN)
Honorary Invitees:
Donny Solomon (HAW)
Jay Moriarty (USA)
Lester Falatea (HAW)
Mark Foo (HAW)
Peter Davi (USA)
Tiger Espere (HAW)
Todd Chesser (HAW)
Andy Irons (HAW)
Alternates:
Kahea Hart (HAW) – Aikau Pick
Ross Williams (HAW)
Nathan Fletcher (USA)
Mark Mathews (AUS)
Sion Miloski (HAW)
Kalani Chapman (HAW)
Keoni Watson (HAW)
Anthony Tashnick (USA)
Ian Walsh (HAW)
Koby Abberton (AUS)
Danny Fuller (HAW)
Kealii Mamala (HAW)
Ken Collins (USA)
Myles Padaca (HAW)
Laurie Towner (AUS)
Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
Paul Patterson (AUS)
Andrew Marr (HAW)
Rusty Long (USA)
Tony Ray (AUS)
Derek Ho (HAW)
Taylor Knox (USA)
Tau Hannemann (HAW)
Manoa Drollet (PYF)

Parko comes back from Injury to win Reef Hawaiin Pro

After an extended injury layoff, which ended any chance he had at the World Title this year, Joel Parkinson came back in real style, to win his first contest back on the tour - the Reef Hawaiin Pro

I suppose we should expect nothing less from the Style Master himself, and lets not forget that he is the 2 time defending Triple Crown champion and well on his way to getting the triple - I am pretty sure no one has ever one three consecutive Triple Crowns, what an amazing end to a mind boggling year in surfing that would be!

Parko - Back with a Bang

Next up is the O"Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, one of my favorite events of the year to watch. Parko is a  3 time previous winner and the rest of the field must be nervous heading into the event with his curent form and searing hunger for success. Parko has the Triple Crown in his sights and a shot at glory to eclipse even this crazy year in surfing.



Watch this space, as I keep you informed and up to date with the Triple Crown. Tomorrow, I preview the World Cup and why Sunset is such an awe inspiring contest.

Shrine to beautiful Bottoms - Reef Calendar 2011

So, this one is for the boys! I covered the Miss Reef Brazil final a while back and it proved most popular amongst the male readers of this blog. Thus, when I came across this fine piece of work from the team at Reef, I had to forward on to the boys.

Reef Girls - your favorite since puberty?

Reef have once again made a calendar of their most beautiful girls in an exotci loaction, this time in Panama. The scenic beauty of the place almost matches the girls! I have to admit, that although the hot woman and rear ends are what attract you this this video, I was really impressed with how beautifully it was shot and edited. So, enjoy the trailer and I am sure you will end up ordering the calendar.



Admit it - it was beautifully shot, haha!

Bonus Pic:

Say goodbye to Blue Fin Tuna...

Today is possibly our last chance at saving the majestic Blue Fin Tuna from extinction!

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) begins tomorrow and is literally Tuna's last chance. The AVAAZ organisation released this urgent press release today:

Bluefin tuna will be wiped out unless drastic action is taken to stop overfishing at the world summit going on right now. Without these magnificent fish, oceanic ecosystems could collapse.

This little known summit is the last chance for Tuna, and elite and even criminal cartels with powerful political allies are lobbying hard to block a vital recovery plan, putting short-term profits before the future of our oceans and fishing economies.

If we can show governments that the world's eyes are on them, the cartels could be exposed and an urgent survival plan could be forced through. Sign the petition to save this ecologically crucial fish and forward this email -- it will be delivered to the negotiators and the media at the summit:

Sign the Petition

 

Also read this article from the BBC

I love my Tuna, its actually my favorite meal. However, I don't want to see the most magnificent fish in the ocean become extinct, because I love to eat it! I signed the petition, you should too.

The changing face of Media

I often wonder where technology is taking us. Many people find the advances in social networking and the proliferation of personal information quite daunting. One of my friends gets pretty upset when people tag him in a photo on Facebook - my immediate question to this, is why have a Facebook profile then? But, the truth of the matter is that people realize that if they are not on the social network, they run a very real chance of watching life go by without them. Invites to parties, business opportunities and special personal moments are all shared via the social network and if you are not on, you wont know about them.

If you on FB, you gonna get tagged.

Social networking has grown to match the demand for online media. People have a cellphone, are connected to the net 24/7 and they want to know whats happening, where everyone is and be entertained. This is simply the way things are going and you can either hide away from the world, or jump right in.



The video above is a truly mind boggling display of stats and numbers that seeks to attune you to the reality of the situation - The Net is king in the land of media. Its not about how you will use it or when anymore - but how successful you are at utilizing the Net for your life, work and contact. Its time to get out of the closet and face reality, you can pretend you don't like photos of you in a compromising pose at your mate's bday, or realize that your life is now part of the world's entertainment and knowledge. We cant have the distribution of knowledge at our fingertips without the dissemination of our lives into the world wide web.

Just a thought! ;)

King of Hawaii - Triple Crown gets underway.

With the World title sewn up by Mr Kelly Slater - 10 titles, mind blowing - it's time for the biggest trophy, in my eyes, in surfing - the Vans Triple Crown. This is the one to separate the men from the babies. With 3 events over 4 weeks at some of Hawaii's most infamous breaks - Pipeline, Haleiwa and Sunset - the guy who does the best over all three events will be crowned the Triple Crown champion and the best surfer on the North Shore for 2010.



The North Shore has always been considered the holy land for surfers, with the world's best making the pilgrimage to this small Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean every year. Many have won the World Title, but only a handful have backed that up with a Triple Crown win. The late Andy irons was a multiple triple Crown winner, as is Kelly Slater. These guys are considered the best because they won both titles.

The first event is the Reef Hawaiian Pro and it got off to a good start yesterday. Rudy Palmboom Jnr got a second in his Round 2 heat to progress to Round 3, as did Shaun Joubert. In the first heat of Round 3, when competition resumes, is our very own Royden Bryson. We will be hoping that Roy and the rest of the Saffers can charge hard. Haleiwa is a difficult wave at the best of times and can hand out some strange results at the drop of a hat!

Check out highlights from day 4 - Reef Hawaiian Pro - Rounds 1&2

The Working Class Wave:

Haleiwa offers high performance surfing

Of all the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing venues, Haleiwa is the working class wave of the illustrious surf series. This is the second-to-last contest of the Men’s 2010 Qualifying season. The hardest working wave rider will be the winner of this event. Whether the surf at Ali‘i Beach is menehune- or moke-sized, to properly ride Haleiwa surfers need to make the fast, racing sections and utilize high performance surfing.

All Ripped:

Current plays a huge factor at Haleiwa

On top of digging deep into their bag of tricks, competitors at the Reef Hawaiian Pro also need to be aware of the strong rip in the lineup. The current at Haleiwa is notorious for pulling surfers away from the ideal takeoff point. As a result, a wave rider is constantly paddling to stay in position while waiting in the lineup.

The craziest snowboarding ever - Deeper

For years snowboarding has progressed primarily through the contest format disciplines such as Big Air and Halfpipe. But at its core, the reason it was developed as a sport, is the Deep Powder riding on Big Mountains. Jeremy Jones has always been at the forefront of this type of riding. Deeper, the movie, looks like it will take us on the wildest ride ever witnessed in snowboarding.


Jeremy Jones' Deeper Trailer - A Snowboard Film from Teton Gravity Research on Vimeo.

From the award winning producers at Teton Gravity Research (TGR) comes the most progressive big mountain snowboarding film to date, Deeper presented by O'Neill.
Follow Jeremy Jones and other top freeriders as they travel to the world's snowboarding meccas and venture past the boundaries of helicopters, snowmobiles, and lifts to explore untouched realms. Hang on tight as Jeremy faces the biggest challenges he has ever encountered in snowboarding. All night hikes, sleeping on peaks, camping 65 miles from civilization, 20 below temperatures, 10 day storms, and 20 mile days bring the adventure back into riding. Deeper puts the viewer in the athletes' boots, from the trials and tribulations to mind-boggling breakthroughs in the sport of snowboarding. "The Deeper crew put cameras in places and in conditions you could never imagine. It is the ultimate first-hand experience and the most insane riding I have ever seen." - TGR co-founder Steve Jones.
This film is 100% carbon neutral.
Athletes: Jeremy Jones, Travis Rice, Xavier De Le Rue, Josh Dirksen, Ryland Bell, Jonaven Moore, Forrest Shearer, Johan Olofsson, Lucas Debari, and Tom Burt

World Miss Reef Brazil Final

Are you kidding me! While the guys in Hawaii waited on the swell for the kickoff of the Vans Triple Crown of surfing, they decided to blow everyone's minds with some of the world's hottest BUMS! You have seen the Reef ads across the mags and years - now they have decided to crown the hottest derier! Oolala! haha

Ruff Cuts - Kom surfers go wild!

Making surf movies in South Africa is a pretty difficult task. This is not due to the lack of talent, or for the lack of incredible waves - its mainly due to the fact that in a market where surfers are such a small portion of the population, there really is  not much money to be made from these projects. Its for this reason that I am always stoked to find local videos, made by the guys who are really passionate about SA surfing and documenting it.

One of these guys is, Alan Robb.



Alan has been making surf films for quite some time now, in betwean his other commitments and work. I had a quik chat with him about the new movie and filming around his home of the Kom, in Cape Town.

Kai - What got you into surf cinematography?
Alan - Being a surfer and enjoying shooting surfing since the first Spur Surfabout... and having a wife who warrants being recorded.

Kai - Its tough sometimes being behind the lens when the waves are cranking - what motivates you to keep at it?
Alan - Injuries, the love of editing, money, and the fact that some waves I just don't want to surf...

Kai - What was the high lite of making Rough Cuts?
Alan - Highlight of Ruff Cuts were numerous... a condensation of west coast trips and good cape days, but the Dream Session in evening light at Hts was good because I got to shoot Scuzz, our captain, who is a legend. Also, being in a rubber duck at Sunset was a rush.

Kai - Who do you think is the best up and coming surfer in SA right now - who really impressed you shooting the movie?
Alan - Brendon Gibbens pulls off some great airs and Dave Richards has a knack for big tubes... then there's the Brands who absolutely rip... and Mikey February.

Kai - You have lived in the Kom for a very long time and this is reflected in the movie - how has the deep south changed since you were a kid?
Alan - Deep south has more surfers now... the spots we kept quiet for years have been exposed to some degree and surf schools help to put more flotsam in the lineups... The place is still beautiful though and quiet sessions are still to be found. And for some reason there are less paddle-skiers..!?

Kai - Where to from here?
Alan - Next: Surf more, shoot more... for the love of it. Shweet!



So there you have it - straight and direct from the land of the KOM! Dam, I wish I had less flying deck chairs - ok, so I only have one, Khimal, but he is the same as 4 more! haha

Check out Ruff Cuts! A new video from Leaping Louse Productions... call 0733838924 for a copy or visit Lifestyle or The Corner Surfshop in Muizenberg or The Kommetjie Surfshop.

Jem scores in Ireland

Our good mate Jeremy Johnson got to Ireland a few days ago for a surf trip - he focuses on big wave surfing - and scored the biggest wave of his life on the first day there! Unreal! His wave is being called 40ft and if you look at the footage, it was definitely the biggest wave of the session caught on film (Jem's wave is the last one on the video above.)

Take a look at the news footage from Ireland -


Jem is in Ireland for 2 months and I am sure we are going to see more of his exploits in the media.

Snow in Africa? Dam Straight

"Kai, why the hell are you talking about snow, when we are clearly heading into the middle of summer?", I hear you ask. Well, put quite simply, we have an indoor snow event happening in December - top secret, but details will follow shortly - and before we get there, I thought it would be a great idea to introduce you to the snow scene in South Africa, which is definately bigger than you think!

Marcin Jekot at Quiksnow Sa Champs

First off, we have our own snowboarding club, Snowboarder.co.za, which puts together both our major competitions, The Kings Cup and our SA Champs, Quiksnow. Both events are now held in the majestic mountain kingdom of Lesotho - admit it, that last bit really caught your attention, it's the word "majestic", does it every time. Every winter, around 300 intrepid and fanatical lunatics head up to Lesotho for 2 long weekends of mayhem and charging and definitely a lot more mayhem. The guys from Afriski ensure we have a world class park and Oliver Schwankheart and his intrepid team of do gooders - That would be me as well - make sure the contest is run both according to international standards and fairly. Not sure you believe me? Check this out then:


Secondly, we have a bunch of extremely talented riders, who not only charge at home, but also have been known to take on overseas contests. At the head of this line must be Marta "Mawa" Jekot. She has dominated woman's snowboarding in SA as long as there has been snowboarding. This year she took a crack at the Euro Cup and ended up winning the tour. She is currently in training for the LG World Cup event in Bardonecchia, Italy, for February 2011. In 2009, we went to the World Cup and Marta finished 10th with no international experience and after only completing one of her two runs. I tell you, watch this space, as she will probably go and win the whole dam thing. Marta is backed up by a dedicated crew of guys with her brother and multiple SA Champ, Marcin Jekot at the head of the list.These guys travel together, ride together and definitely jol together!

Afriski Park being built - lookin good!

Thirdly, we have the DON, Peter Pyper, and his store Gone Skiing, based in Fourways, JHB. This does not mean you have to fly to Johannesburg to buy gear, just check the website out and they will deliver. Pete also has a store on the mountain at Afriski. So if you pull in for some park riding in Lesotho, it's real easy to buy and rent gear.

OK, so now you guys have the down low on South African snowboarding. Get ready for the "Rail Jam" in December, close to xmas, and at Canal Walk, Cape Town. Remember - WE HAVE SNOW

Llandudno Paddle out for Andy Irons

Check the whale breaching behind us - Photo: Craig Kolesky

 You could not ask for more in a Memorial Paddle out, than what we experienced on Saturday morning. About 30 surfers came together, along with around 100 dolphins and a couple of whales to remember one of the World's greatest surfers. RIP Andy

All photos by Craig Kolesky.

Africa's heaviest Slab?

With the amount of coastline at our disposal in South Africa, I guess it was only a matter of time before we discovered our own super slab - similar to spots like the Box and Shipsterns Bluff. The really amazing thing is that the Bodyboard crew have been on these waves for quite a while already, before the tow crew came along and charged the slab as well.

I stood and watched this day and can clarify 2 things:
1) This wave will hurt you - I was witness to a Bodyboarder getting his ass smoked, hands down the worst wipe out I have ever seen! I mean for farks sake, the sequence made Zigzag, a surfing magazine. The guy was so broken, he spent the rest of the day lying down in his tent.
2) It was not perfect. In fact, it was messy, choppy, low tide, meaning there were steps all over the place - in other words, you don't want anything to do with the place.


Slab Chasers from Kai Linder on Vimeo.
Shot on Sony EX3

Sean Holmes was the standout for the day, those 2 giant tubes he gets, were paid for in blood. He took some of the meanest wipes I have ever seen. In fact, the guys who surfed it all took beatings. It was a pretty amazing session to watch, let alone film.

Zigzag ran the story by AVG, as well as the photos. I don't think it truly did the wave justice. the photos make it look a lot more clean and surf able. At the end of the day, if you think you have what it takes to surf this spot, get in your cabby, pack the ski - cause you wont be paddling - and head west. I reckon there are at least 100 more waves like this on our West Coast, all needing a certain wind, swell and tide to work. Good Luck!

Check out Zigzag - Zigzag Video

Anti-Whaling Protest in Cape Town

I was very bummed not to be able to make this last Friday. But, it looks like there was a great response and the message was definitely delivered to the Japanese. Check the video footage -

SLAyTEN - Kelly Slater makes it 10

Kelly Slater claimed his 10th world title on saturday, to become arguably the world's best athlete of all time. He took the title on his wayto winning
the event, the Rip Curl Search WCT in Puerto Rico, he won the title after Jordy Smith was eliminated in the quarters. Jordy surfed well, but fell just short in his quarter, when he let Bourez in on a small wave right at then end of the heat.

Kelly beat Bede Durbidge in the final. He was clearly emotional with this win, especially considering his rival and friend, Andy Iron's, death earlier in the week. He dedicated his 10th to Andy and his family.



While Iam totally stoked for Kelly and his achievemant, have a thought for Taj Burrow, who lost to Slater in the semis. The judges may want to have another look at this heat, where Burrows felt pretty agrieved to have lost.



Congrats Kelly! You are officially THE legend!

Saffers in the Emerald Isles

Aaah to be in the land of Guiness and lovely wee lasses hey! That's exactly where a bunch of wild SA surfers find themselves right now. Richard "Stix" Johnson, pro photo man, has taken Roosta, Liam Wood and Paul Daniels on a jaunt around the Emerald Isles. Feel jealous, then remember that its bloody freezing over there right now - but you can still feel a bit of the emerald green monster, haha.

Check the latest photos here - Irish Surf Gallery (Stix)

And if you want a taste of what they are enjoying, check out this video, probably one of the most beautiful surf pieces I have ever watched! Incredible!

Halloween Jam 2010 - BMX Anarchy

Photo: Jaime Smith

I have to be honest, my experiences with BMX riders are few and far betwean. But 2 things I know for a certainty about these guys, the go hard and they go fucking hard! There is simply no chill factor with these dudes. Halloween Jam just proved this as guys threw themselves into the craziest jumps I have ever seen, again and again, with absolutley no regard for their own health and safety and perhaps even their sanity! I got there with 2 hours sleep after a an absolute bender of an evening and filmed for 5 hours - I did not even notice the hangover - the action was that tight.

Photo: Jaime Smith

The full footage from the event will be in the first ever theGoodLife DVD, which will be available in December 2010. In the meantime you can check out the teaser here and follow this link to our Facebook page for all the photos - theGoodLife Group on Facebook

HALLOWEEN JAM 2010 went down this past weekend (30th-Nov) with sponsors like Old School Productions, Monster Energy, and DC you can sure believe that it was one Epic Event!!!

All riders went off on their bikes the whole day, highlights include: Greg Illingworth doing tricks on every jump and blasting the dirt quater to ...the moon!, Wayne Reiche with flairs on the quater, smooth style and some super close flipwhip attemts, David Rigby riding on his new MP Salvo frame, doing big whips, 360's and many other stunts!, Jason Hood boosting the jumps super high with mad style, almost always sideways and flipped the quater pipe hip to his opporsite way!
Results:
1st - Greg Illingworth
2nd - David Rigby
3rd - Stuart Loudon
Best Trick - Greg Illingworth
Quater Best Trick - Jason Hood
Huge thanks to Wayne & CO. for grooming the jumps for the Event and a Major thanks to Old School Products for setting up an Awesome Event!

Chris Bertish takes 2nd - Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic 2010

Chris "Crispy" Bertish has once again showed that he is one of the world's elite surfers, by taking 2nd place at the Big Wave World Tour Event in Oregon, USA.

Photo by: Richard Hallman - http://www.bigwaveworldtour.com

Chris was the lone South African competitor, but flew the flag for us!

See the results below:

Death of a hero - RIP Andy Irons

I woke this morning with the shocking news that World Champion surfer, Andy Irons, had died of Dengue Fever in a Dallas Hotel Room. What? I mean are you serious? Apparently he contracted the disease while surfing the WCT event in Portugal. Dengue Fever, really? Andy had not turned up for his heats at the Rip Curl Pro, Costa Rica, and there was much speculation about this. As it turns out, things were way worse than anyone could imagine.

Andy was often misunderstood, often maligned, but he was a true champion. He had his own personal battles - many speculated about drugs and other periods of darkness - but at the end of the day he was a world champion, a husband and a brother.

I met Andy in JBay in 1998. He was young, full of life and was not doing to well on the tour. He loved the party, I can attest to nights out with a bottle or 3 of Jack Daniels, girls and very good times. But this never changed his focus in the water - he went hard no matter what he was doing! So to me, it was even more special and amazing when he not only went on to become World Champion, but a 3 time world champion. Andy changed the face of professional surfing in a time when all the world knew was Kelly Slater and his dominion of the sport. Andy not only defied the norm, he beat Slater at his own game. In my opinion, we have Andy Irons to thank for the current high level of surfing on the World Tour.



The Iron's family released the following statement:
The world of surfing mourns an incredibly sad loss today with the news that Hawaii’s Andy Irons has died. Andy was a beloved husband, and a true champion.
Irons, 32, withdrew from a professional surfing event in Puerto Rico last weekend due to illness, and passed away during a layover en-route to his home in Kauai, Hawaii. He had reportedly been battling with Dengue Fever, a viral disease.
At this time the family thanks his friends and fans for their support, and asks that the community respect its privacy. The family also asks to not be contacted so their focus can remain on one another during this time of profound loss.
Irons, who began his career with the elite ASP World Tour in 1998, went on to collect 20 elite tour victories, four Triple Crown of Surfing Titles, three consecutive ASP World Titles and change the sport forever with his unparalleled ability and comprehensive approach to surfing.

My thoughts and indeed the thoughts of all surfers who were amazed, inspired and intrigued over the years by this amazing man and surfer, go out to the Irons Family and Andy's wife. We know he is surfing perfect waves, just waiting for you guys to join him!

Mahalo Andy!

Info on Dengue Fever:
Wikipedia

In Color - Transworld's Vision of Snowboarding

Funny to think that as we head to balmy, stinking hot days here in South Africa, the guys up North are heading into winter, blizzards and snow. While I am most definately looking forward to summer and the beach, seeing as I live about 50m from one of the most awsome beaches in the world and all the incredibly hot girls that visit that beach daily - I do kinda feel sad that I wont be busting any POW this season!

With that in mind I went looking for the latest in Snowboarding video and came across this beauty.



TransWorld SNOWboarding’s new feature film, In Color, documents an action-packed winter with a diverse crew of snowboarding’s most talented riders. From the Canadian backcountry to the streets of the East Coast to Scandinavian park sessions, the riding is heavy. Filmed in stunning HD digital video in Alaska, Norway, Whistler, Minnesota, California, Quebec, Calgary, and beyond, In Color paints a vivid picture of the current state of snowboard action.

You can win a copy if you are quick - check the link - In Color Sweepstakes

World Wide Anti-Whaling Day

Captain Kai will be joining the fight against Whale slaughter this coming Friday, 05 November. Join us outside the Japanese Embassy as we try to force them into stopping whaling operations in the Southern Ocean.

	Friday, November 5 · 2:30pm - 5:00pm

Outside the Japanese Embassy in Cape Town.

For more see Sea Shepherds Facebook event - World Wide Anti-Whaling Day

Billabong Girls shoot with Tarryn Chudleigh

I have to admit to being pretty nervous going into this shoot as I had never shot fashion before. After asking Sport Illustrated Swimwear Cinematographer, Jason Hearn, for advice, all he could come up with was, "Don't let them catch you looking at their lady bits." Thanks bro!

On the flip side, I know Tarryn pretty well, after we shot Blue Crush 2 together and Craig Kolesky, the photographer, is a good mate, so it all went well. My editor even complimented me on some of my framing - such rare moments of congrats! haha

So take a look, please leave a comment (Remembering that Tarryn is a young lady!) and make sure you forward the video or blog on!


Nikon/Billabong Girls shoot with Tarryn Chudleigh from Kai Linder on Vimeo.

This was my first time shooting fashion, at photographer, Craig Kolesky's behest. Craig is one of the Nikon ambassadors for SA and a very experienced extreme sports photographer.
I shot on a Sony EX3 in full HD.
Tarryn Chudleigh, is one of our top, female, Pro Surfers. She is looking at competing on the World Tour and recently started her acting career on Blue Crush 2.

Steph Gilmore is the 4 time Women's World Champ

Steph Gilmore the current woman's world surfing champion from Australia, has claimed her 4th world title at the Rip Curl Search event in Puerto Rico. The event is her primary sponsors and there will no doubt be a huge amount of celebrating in the Island Nation tonight.

“I’m really at a loss for words right now,” Gilmore said. “Mel (Bartels) is one of the most dangerous surfers in the world and has had my number on several occasions. Even on that last wave there, I was certain she’d got the score. I was blown away when they called it out and I’m rapt right now.”

Gilmore has won four consecutive titles on the trot, which is a new world record in the sport.

“I guess I haven’t really been thinking about that,” Gilmore said. “But to hold a record that Layne (Beachley) or even Kelly (Slater) never got is pretty special. I never thought I would even win two, consecutive titles so to win four is a massive achievement for me.”

“This Title means a lot to me,” Gilmore said. “The girls on tour this year have been the best they’ve ever been and I’ve been pushed in every one of my heats. The younger girls especially have a whole new approach and they’re gaining in confidence in every surf. The future for the sport is going to be excited and I can’t wait for it. But for now, I’m going to celebrate my win. Thanks to everyone for all the support.”

I am pretty sure we will be seeing more world titles from this incredible surfer soon!

Jordy/Kelly Title Race goes into Round 3

Jordy Smith has kept his World Title hopes alive, by convincingly winning his Round 1 heat at the Rip Curl Search, WCT event, in Costa Rica. At this point he is the only person who can stop Kelly Slater from winning his tenth world title!

“You get big local support everywhere you go,” Smith said. “Whether it’s J-Bay or Huntington Beach or Puerto Rico, I think it’s great that you get that everywhere you go and it’s awesome to be on both sides of it.”

“At this point for me, it’s all about surfing for me,” Smith said. “He has to lose pretty bad for anything to change at this point so I’m just enjoying things at the moment. It’s an honor to be in the race still and I’m really enjoying Puerto Rico.”




Kelly was not going to let Jordy steal the show however and recorded a solid win of his own in Round 1. He just needs to stay ahead of Jordy in the results to secure a world record 10th World Title, which will surely see him remembered as one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.


“I actually felt a little jittery out there at the start,” Slater said. “I kind of found my feet towards the end and I feel a lot better now that I’m straight into Round 3. I have a really good support crew here. My girlfriend Kalani, my manager Terry and publicist Shelby are flying in. I flew Mark Cunningham over from Hawaii because he’s never seen me at a contest and I told him he had to come. I’ve seen a bunch of old friends from here and Florida and I have friends coming in from Barbados. I’m really thankful for all the support.”


Will Slater get number 10? Will Jordy pull off the upset of the century? Watch Round 3 of the Rip Curl Search to find out. All the live footage - Rip Curl Search Costa Rica Live

Dane Reynolds cracks the biggest turn in Competition

I have always loved the way Dane Reynolds surfs! He combines power with new school flavor almost better than anyone else on tour. Check the first turn he cracks out in his round 1 heat at the Rip Curl Search event in Costa Rica - its mammoth!