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...

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

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!



 

 

Quiksilver Pro New York - The Captain's Preview

The Quiksilver Pro New York begins on Monday and it is a first for Pro surfing. Firstly as this is the first ever CT event in NY and secondly due to the mammoth $1'000'000 prize money. After mind altering and rather frightening waves in Tahiti, the pro show moves to pretty mediocre and cold beach break for this event. There have been many questions asked about the feasibility of taking a contest to these kind of venues, but it seems the bottom line is that the major Brands want pro contests back where they will get huge crowds of spectators.



Major points of interest are that:
1) Kelly Slater is back on top of the ratings, hotly followed by Jordy Smith and Joel Parkinson and it looks like we are going to have a major 3 way battle for the World title this year between these 3. None of them will want a bad result before the half way mark of the tour and moving onto Trestles where all 3 are super dangerous.
2) Will Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds surf? Both have been awol for the last 2 events and neither has indicated they will be surfing in NY. Dane is of course a Quiksilver rider and I would be pretty amazed if he does not pitch up for the event.
3) Travis Logie, who got a wildcard thanks to Bobby not pitching up in Tahiti, and ended up making the semi finals and getting a 3rd place, is on the cusp of making the cut off for the premier tour. He needs two withdrawals from the field, as he is the 2nd wildcard option, but if this happens and he can secure a good result, he will almost definitely make the cut. In small beachbreak conditions you have to know the Durban beachfront local will be hard to beat. Only time will tell though and Travis must be praying that some of the Tahiti injured don't make it.
4) The Cutoff! After this contest there is a reshuffle on tour and anyone outside the Top 32 on the World Rankings is gone, while any WQS surfer in the Top 32 will move up to the big leagues. there are a span of amazing surfers, like John John Florence very close and the Brazilian wonder Kid, Gabriel Medina is already in.  



Why New York and are there Waves? Quiksilver say - The surf industry was created by surfers, for surfers. New York surfers represent the core dedication that has made the sport what it is today. This event is as much in honor of that dedication to wave riding as it is to the stars who light the way. For many, cold water and big city living would be reason enough to turn their backs on the ocean. To be a life-long surfer in New York requires considerable sacrifice and unwavering commitment. It means braving the majority of the year for the incredible surf pay-off that typically comes during a brief window at the end of summer. But the surfing culture is rich and deep on Long Island. The East Coast Surf Championships began on Long Island in 1962 and continues to this day as one of the longest-running surfing competitions in the world. Like California, Hawaii and Australia, New York can lay claim to hometown heroes, mom-andpop surf shops, and die-hard personalities who have supported and influenced generations to become a part of surf history. WHAT ABOUT THE SURF? Forecasters and analysts pored over charts and historic data before selecting the National Boulevard surf site on Long Island, New York. The September 4-15 time frame has historically offered the highest incidence of quality surf and hurricane-generated swell opportunities. Surfline.com, the world's leading forecaster of wave and surf conditions, conducted an independent long term 15-year wave study for western Long Island, New York, summarizing that September 4-15 is one of the most consistent time periods for sizable surf in the region. In addition, independent local feedback supports these findings, with September typically averaging 3+ hurricane swells, typically with at least one 3-4 day swell. Surfline.com is the official forecaster for The Quiksilver Pro New York, serving as a key reference point for contest officials in selecting surf contest days. “ This was a very fascinating study,” said Sean Collins, Chief Forecaster and President of Surfline.com. “The surf climate in Western Long Island is greatly affected by the underwater Hudson Canyon offshore, which can turn average surf into very high quality surf comparable to many of the best surf spots in the world on the right day. We are also in a La Nina year, so we expect the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season to be a little more active and hopefully we can score great surf with the world's top surfers in one of the best cities in the world.”

 
The Wild Cards - As with all Association of Surfing Professionals events, there are two wildcards selected to mix it up with the world's Top 34 ranked surfers. The first wildcard was granted to rising professional New York surfer Balaram Stack, hailed as the most talented surfer to emerge from the New York surf scene. Balaram joined the Quiksilver Pro Team at the age of 14. He is now 19 and pairs his supremely smooth surf style with a repertoire of crowd-wowing, gravity-defying aerial antics. Balaram won the coveted New York UnSound Pro title in 2010. He is also a multiple NSSA East Coast champion. The second wildcard will be given to the top surfer to emerge out of a threestage trials competition that was open to juniors, locals and international talent: Stage 1: The UnSound ASP Pro Junior, held at Long Beach, Long Island, April 27-30, 2011. The winner of the event, Hawaii's Keanu Asing, earned a berth into the final stage of trials competition: Stage 2: The Empire State Surfing Championships Trials for the Trials, presented by Quiksilver, held at National Boulevard, Long Island, July 15-17, 2011. This was open to 16 of New York's hottest home-town surfers. The winner, Leif Engstrom (Montauk) advanced to the international trials competition that will immediately precede the Quiksilver Pro New York: Stage 3: The Quiksilver Pro New York ASP World Tour Trials, presented by UnSound Surf, supported by Vitamin Water, to be held September 1-3 at the National Boulevard main event site. This is open to 14 rising international pro surfers, plus Keanu Asing & Leif Engstrom. The lineup of talent includes solid East Coast representation in Fisher Heaverly, Ryan Carlson, Sam Hammer, Asher Nolan, and Jeremy Johnston. International challengers include: Craig Anderson (Australia), Masatoshi Ohno (Japan), and Marc Lacomare (Europe). The winner will receive the wildcard into the main event. And this is where it really gets interesting. The two wildcards are always immediately drawn against the two top seeds of the event. That sounds like a good deal for the top seeds, but as often as not, the youthful ambition and nothing-to-lose mentality of a wildcard can prove to be the undoing of a champion.



So get your Fantasy Team ready, even in crap waves there is a whole lot to do for the surfers at both ends of the ratings and this should be a banger of a Contest.

The Big Guns Warm Up for Teahupoo

I have always wondered how the World's Best surfers prepare for Teahupoo and finally, thanks to this marvelous video, I know. They dance as Chippendales, hahaha. Kelly, Joel, Jordy, Mick and Dane loosen up before the comp...

Billabong Pro - Dane out and the Seeds change.

Dane not coming to Jbay due to injury.

The world’s top 32 ranked pro surfers are either already in Jeffreys Bay or on their way to the iconic Eastern Cape coastal town where tomorrow (Thursday) the waiting period opens for the R3 million Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011, Stop No. 4 of 11 on the ASP World Tour, the series of events that determine the annual ASP World Surfing Champion.

The last minute withdrawal of Dane Reynolds, citing ongoing problems with an injury that has seen the 25 year-old Californian miss the first three events this year, has altered the seeding for Round 1 of Africa’s most prestigious surfing event with defending champion and South African surfing sensation Jordy Smith now pitted against Adam Melling (AUS) in a repeat of last year’s final where Smith clinched his maiden Elite Tour event victory.

“I’ll just take the same approach as last year,” said Smith of the upcoming match-up. “Hopefully the swell picks up a bit before we get underway and it will be a great battle.”

Scheduled for 14-24 July, the 26th edition of the Billabong Pro J-Bay will again be staged in the fabled waves at Supertubes, the 300 metre stretch of coastline universally acknowledged as one of the planet’s premier high performance point breaks.

While Reynolds’ flamboyant, cutting edge manoeuvres will be missed, the outstanding field for the event includes 10-time and reigning ASP world Champion Kelly Slater (USA), SA’s Smith, Australian former event winners Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow and current ASP No. 1 Adriano de Souza from Brazil. The established stars face an incredibly talented crop of rising stars in the likes of Owen Wright and Julian Wilson (both Australians), Michel Bourez (TAH), Alejo Muniz (BRA) and Hawaii’s Dusty Payne, all of whom will be eager to display their skills in the legendary waves of Jeffreys Bay.

Alongside Smith’s obvious credentials, the South African challenge for the Billabong Pro J-Bay title includes wildcard Sean Holmes (Cape Town). Nicknamed ‘The Nemesis’ for his extraordinary achievements in conquering the world’s best surfers at Supertubes, Holmes has reached the quarterfinals of the event on three occasions and would like nothing better to than a podium finish.

The second wildcard goes to the winner of the VonZipper Superheat, a five-man encounter held on the first day of the event featuring South African Pro Junior stars Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) and Dale Staples (St Francis Bay); international contenders Granger Larson (HAW) and reigning ASP World Junior Champion Jack Freestone (AUS), along with Shaun Payne (St Francis Bay), winner of the Xcel Pro Showdown at Supers.

The 2011 Billabong Pro Music Festival sees three days of major underground music talent running from Friday to Sunday, 15 to 17 July, at the Jolly Dolphin in Jeffreys Bay. The lineup features 14 top SA bands including Aking, City Bowl Mizers, P.H.Fat, Jack Parow and the ever-popular local Hot Wasabi band. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at any Billabong Store countrywide.

The entire event is operated using the best available ‘green’ strategies as Billabong continues its efforts to heighten awareness of local and global surf communities to the challenge of climate change, and how we all need to become part of the solution. Greening initiatives include using renewable energy, biodegradable food and beverage containers, paper instead of plastic bags and bio-diesel fuel in event vehicles where possible, alongside an event recycling program.

The estimated 384.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions generated by the event activities, including the travel by local and international participants and officials, will be reduced wherever possible. The remaining emissions will be offset using United Nations Kyoto compliant carbon credits. More about climate change and what it means to surfers can be found at www.cleanerclimate.com/billabongpro

All the action at the Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011 will be covered live via webcasts on www.billbabongpro.com featuring real-time scoring, expert commentary and interviews, video footage with multiple camera angles, slow-motion replays, video on demand highlights of previous heats and online competitions with valuable prizes.

Surfline, the official surf forecasters for the Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011, predict that a contestable swell from the southwest is possible for Thursday afternoon (Thursday morning slow) and continuing Friday morning, before fading over Friday afternoon. Surf will be in the shoulder to head high range with some slightly larger sets possible.

With the entire Southern tip of Africa under the influence of an unseasonable high pressure system, warm, sunny weather and generally light northerly winds are expected. Newly appointed contest director Eric Stedman will be keen to get the opening rounds of the event underway as soon a possible so he has plenty of time to pick the best conditions for the business end of the contest.

The Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011 is proudly presented by South Africa’s adventure province Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency and further supported by Carling Black Label, Monster Energy, Coca Cola, Amarok, Vida e Caffe, Tavcor, VonZipper and Nixon.

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!

The Nice Surfer - Dane Reynolds

Ok, we all know Dane is a phenomenal surfer. His blog is also one of my absolute favorites, with a great video uploaded every day - Marine Layer Productions. But, as it turns out, he is a really nice guy to! After the devastating natural disasters in Japan, he is donating all proceeds from sales on his Tshirts, as well as matching that amount himself, to help raise funds for Aid Relief.

Dane boosting for those less fortunate! (Photo: ASP)

ASP World Tour - VENTURA, California/USA (Tuesday, March 16, 2011) – The hearts and sympathies of the ASP family are going to our friends overseas in Japan right now and several of the world’s best surfers are doing their part to help those in need. Dane Reynolds (USA), 25, while sidelined with a knee injury, has gotten himself in the game in a big way to aid those in Japan. For the remainder of the week, Reynolds is donating 100% of all sales from his label, Summer Teeth, to Japanese Relief Effort via Relief International. As if that wasn’t enough, the young Californian has also pledged to personally match all sales and donate direct to the fund as well. Big moves from Dane and hats off to the rest of the ASP World Tour surfers for aiding our friends in Japan.
To get your hands on some tastey Summer Teeth threads with 100% of the profits going to the Japanese Relief Effort, check out MarineLayerProductions.com or go direct to SummerTeeth.com
T-Shirts AND a good cause…let’s get it going!

Just to remind you how good he is, check these -

"Moments" from Quiksilver - Free Surf Film

Headed up by Dane Reynolds, sink your teeth into this free surf vid!

Photo: ASP

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!