Jordy Smith RIPs

The man has moves unlike any other! (Photo: Red Bull)

There has been a lot of banter and speculation on Jordy Smith the last few months and the tight loss to good mate Travis Logie at Snapper Rocks just added fuel to the fire. The bottom line is the man does rip hard, whether he gets a world title or not! So just sit back, drop your jaw and be amazed!

1721 Kilometers with Jordy Smith from steven michelsen on Vimeo.

Greatest Wipeouts of 2012 - Surf

Mark Mathews on his way to a royal hiding in Oz. (Photo: O'neill)

Every year Surfline puts together a compilation of the worst wipeouts in surfing. This year was no different and there are some real cringers in there! Nice to see Grant Twig baker representing for the Saffa contingent...

Backside 1440 Triple Cork with Maxence Parrot

There are tricks and then there are tricks. Maxence lands his first ever Triple Cork and joins a pretty elite crew of guys...

Check The Course with Maxence Parrot - Backside 1440 Triple Cork at O'Neill Evolution 2013 from WorldSnowboardTour on Vimeo.

Meet Pro Surfer Sage Erickson

It's Monday, well actually Tuesday, but it was a public holiday in South Africa yesterday which meant a  day at the beach. Today I introduce you to Pro Surfer, Sage Erickson, who has quietly been making waves in the world of Pro Surfing. Hailing from California, she spends a lot of her time on the North Shore of Hawaii between trips for main sponsor, O'Neill. Remember to check in every Monday to meet another gorgeous lady from the world of Surfing. 

Meet Sage Erickson from Shark Watches on Vimeo.
"I think being original and being true to yourself is one of the most important things"

Spend 60 seconds getting an inside look into Shark Brand's very own Sage Erickson.

DONE - John John Florence Film Trailer

John John Florence and his Filmer, Blake Kueny, are ready to release their project, Done. Filmed over 2 years, with loads of footage from SA, including Jbay, Cape Town and the West Coast - and of course exotic locations like Tahiti and Fiji, the movie promises some insane surfing! I will keep you posted on the release dates and hopefully an SA premier...

DONE Trailer from John John Florence on Vimeo.
A Film by Blake Vincent Kueny and John John Florence.
Shot on Location in Hawaii, Tahiti, Africa, and Australia.
Starring John John Florence, Nathan Florence, Ivan Florence, Albee Layer, Kiron Jabour, and Matt Meola
Coming to iTunes soon!

O'Neill Cold Water Classic Preview - Santa Cruz returns to the World Tour

Jordy Smith needs a win and a change of fortune. He has won at Steamer lane before, could this be his moment? (Photo:Miller)

The penultimate event of the World Tour and we welcome back that cold water haven, Santa Cruz. Steamer Lane has produced some legends over the years, specifically in the new school air movement and one of its leaders, Ratboy Collins has a wild card. The other wildcard was won by Nat Young on his backhand and this is a good time to mention that this is one right hand point where the Goofy Footers often trump the naturals!

The last 3 contests were won by two Goofy Footers, Miguel Pupo and Matt Wilko as well as our very own power house, Jordy Smith. The wave has a big shoulder and runs through a couple of Bowl Sections that suit surfers on their backhand. While the natural footers really have to force their turns and keep super tight to the pocket, the Goofys can drive off of the bottom and go vertical into the narrow window for snaps. This is really going to suit surfers like Pupo, Wilko and Travis Logie. Hell, if the surf stays below 5ft, Travis could just cane this contest, the wave is built for his backhand. Gabriel Medina , on his current form, is going to open a can of whoop ass on the wave at Steamer Lane!

In the World title hunt Joel Parkinson needs to win. If Mick, Kelly and John  John don't make semis and Joel wins, the title is done. John John, like Jordy, knows the wave well after coming here for years as an O'Neill team rider. Mick and Joel should have few problems at the Lane, but Kelly, it should be noted, has only ever surfed one event here and got knocked out in the first round. Makes for interesting choices on Fantasy Surfer...

SANTA CRUZ, California/USA (Wednesday, October 31, 2012) – The world’s best surfers have arrived in Santa Cruz, California for the penultimate event of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) season, the O’Neill Coldwater Classic at the iconic Steamer Lane. A staple of the ASP’s qualifying circuit, the O’Neill Coldwater Classic has been sanctioned at the elite level of competition this season, celebrating the brand’s 60th anniversary of operations. The event will play a crucial role in both the 2012 ASP World Title Race and the requalification campaigns of the world’s best surfers and could commence as early as tomorrow.
Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, current No. 3 on the ASP WCT rankings, has two victories under his belt this season, but suffered two relatively early exits over his European campaign. After recharging his batteries at home following the last event Portugal, the polished natural-footer is out to rebound his ASP World Title hopes at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic. “I like to sneak under the radar, but the last couple of events haven’t been the greatest for me,” Fanning said. “It was great to go home and readjust and refocus. I have a new quiver of boards and I’m excited to be here.” Fanning’s appearance at this year’s event marks his first return to Santa Cruz in over a decade and the two-time ASP World Champion (2007, 2009) is excited to take on the challenges brought on by Steamer Lane’s ever-changing conditions. “I think it’s great having this event on the schedule this year,” Fanning said. “The past few years, we’ve had The Search event and you go to new places and it’s great to have a new wave every time and learn the spot as you go through the rounds. This event has been around for a long time, but personally, I haven’t been here since 2000. It’s great to be back and every surfer will be learning, so it’s going to be exciting.” Fanning will face Kieren Perrow (AUS), 35, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 23, in Round 1 of competition.
John John Florence (HAW), 20, current ASP WCT No. 4, has extensive experience in the Steamer Lane lineup despite being one of the youngest competitors in the event. Despite his history with the venue, Florence made it a point to arrive early and reacquaint himself with the break. “To prepare for this contest I arrive a few days early to get used to the cold water,” Florence said. “I’ve been coming here since I was pretty little to surf in the event and Santa Cruz is a cool place. Every year that I come here is a new learning curve for me and that’s why I came here a few days early to get used to it again. To be able to come here and watch everyone adapt to the colder water, and the Lane, it’s not an easy wave to surf, so it’s fun to watch everyone surf it.” Florence has drawn Heitor Alves (BRA), 30, and Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 26, in the opening round of competition.
Miguel Pupo (BRA), 20, winner of last year’s ASP Prime rated O’Neill Coldwater Classic, returns to Steamer Lane as a Sophomore among the world’s best surfers and is ready to defend his title against his fellow ASP WCT competitors. “It’s just great to be back,” Pupo said. “I love this place. Last year was a pretty challenging contest because we had a couple of days at Steamer Lane and a couple of days at Waddell Creek. I’m happy to be back in the water with my booties on.” Pupo admitted that the younger surfers may have more recent experience at Steamer Lane via the ASP Prime rated event of the past, but the top level of competition on the ASP WCT will level the playing field. “I think it’s good because I’ve been coming here the last four years and the young guys have as well because of the Prime,” Pupo said. “We kind of have that advantage, but the veterans have surfed here in the past too. Steamer Lane is a tricky wave and they probably know what to expect. Realistically, it’s the top 34 guys in the world, they surf every wave well, so I think it’s even.” Pupo will face Owen Wright (AUS), 22, and Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26, in Round 1 of competition.
Nat Young (USA), 21, was electric in today’s local trials, stringing together a series of impeccable backhand performances to earn his berth in the main event, marking his first appearance in an ASP WCT. “I knew it was going to be tough in the local trials,” Young said. “We have so many good surfers up here and everyone is capable of doing well and getting big scores. It was a long day and I’m really stoked. I’m against Kelly (Slater), so to be able to surf against my hero at my home break in my first WCT, it’s pretty special.” Young joins Jason Collins (USA), 38, as the two wildcards into the O’Neill Coldwater Classic.
Event organizers will convene tomorrow at 7:15am to assess conditions for a possible 7:45am start. Surfline, official forecasters for the O’Neill Coldwater Classic, have called for: Fun size WNW swell is on track for the first day of the waiting period, Thursday the 1st, although morning wind conditions look problematic before improving over the afternoon. A slightly larger WNW swell is lining up for the afternoon of the 4th through the 6th along with favorable conditions, if the storm behaves as forecast in the next few days.
When competition commences, up first will be Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, and Taylor Knox (USA), 41, in the opening heat of Round 1.

The O’Neill Coldwater Classic will be webcast LIVE via www.oneill.com/cwc/ 

Jordy Smith - The world's best surfer, with the worst luck?

As South African surf fans, we all slumped our shoulders and sighed with dissapointment when Jordy Smith got knocked out in the second round at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal. We all believe in our wonder kid and we desperately need him to win a World Title. So what is going on with the prodigy? No one denies that Jordy is one of the most talented surfers of all time. He brings more raw power to pro surfing than the rest of the field on tour and commentators, industry pundits and the fans all agree he absolutely rips. So where has this season gone wrong for him? Is he just absolutely unlucky and in need of a Sangoma to rustle up some good fortune magic on his behalf, or are the judges to blame as many online peers would have us believe. My thinking steers me to the former. Sometimes the dice just don't roll for you and in Jordy's case, they aint even leaving his hand. There is only one thing for him to do, keep at it! So don't stop supporting our number 1 just yet South Africa, Lady luck is fickle, but she can change fortune in the blink of an eye. Now watch this video of the main man free surfing in Portugal and have your faith restored! (Good film work Laces!)

js- from steven michelsen on Vimeo.

John John Florence is the Electric Candyman

John John slaying giant Cloudbreak. (Photo: Transworld)

Big, small or just plain ludicrous, John John Florence has got all the bases covered. He charges massive tubes, throws the biggest and most progressive airs and is one really nice guy to boot. Make sure you watch till the end for the most crazy angle of this giant tube in Fiji. The footage is all from the Vans Movie, Get-in-Classic Vol 2...

Electric Candyman /// John Florence from Tyler McGill on Vimeo.

Jordy Smith's "Bending Colors" Film Teaser

That's right good people, the eagerly awaited first film from, Mr Jordy Smith is about to drop and I have a little teaser to wet your appetite. I have seen some of the sections and this movie is going to blow your minds with some of the biggest airs, pits and turns seen in surfing. In the meantime enjoy the teaser...

The King of the North Shore - John John Florence

John John very calm and relaxed on a Pipeline Bomb.

By now you all know who John John Florence is, but it may not have sunk in yet how much he rules the North Shore line up at the tender age of 20. As if winning competitions from Sunset to Pipeline and Backdoor were not enough, he just won the Performance of the Winter award in Hawaii. Just watch the video and its not hard to see why! I cannot wait for this kid to surf the WCT events at Teahupoo and Cloudbreak, it's going to be mental. Have a listen to Shea Lopez's predictions of John John's 2012 WCT future in the second video.



 

Jordy Smith murders the Maldives

So ostensibly this video is to advertise Jordy's new range of clothing with O"Neill. I did not pay to much attention to the clothes, I must be honest, as I was very distracted by the surfing. Yeeeew! He ripped these little Maldive bombs!

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

Cold Water Classic Wrap up - New Zealand

The land of the long white cloud. I had nothing but good times in New Zealand and really hope to go back. With the Rugby World Cup there this year it was probably a good move to have the Cold Water Classic, by O"neill, head there for the beginning of 2011.

Adam Melling claims victory. (Photo: ASP)

Shaun Joubert was the highest placed of the Saffers, but it was the top ranked surfers from the tour who did the damage. Adam Melling, who narrowly lost to Jordy at Jbay last year, took the victory and a lead in the Cold Water Classic league, for the big paycheck of 50'000 Dollars.

Check out the top 10 by MEsurfTV