Enter a world of magic and mystery, in my own head, where surfing and snowboarding are considered real jobs! Amazing feats of daring and skill are performed every day - and that's just getting the footage onto film!
Media anarchist, film guru, surf addict and web video blogger!
It is that time of the year again, when the Wavescape Film festival hits Cape Town, starting with their awesome cinema night on Clifton Beach. Every year the Festival shows the best and latest in surfing cinema, with both traditional surf films for amping you up, as well as hard hitting documentaries and short films. I will be previewing some of the movies over the next few weeks and you can win tickets (See below) to the Festival to come watch the movies you want to see.
WIN TICKETS:
In order to win tickets to the Wavescape Film Festival, to watch movies at either the Labia Cinema or the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, simply leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite surf film of all time and why it is your favorite. You can also get active on Twitter, just tweet the above to myself @KapteinKai and @WavescapeSA and you can also win. I have 5 sets of tickets to give away, so tell your friends about it, or just post this blog on your FB or Twitter. I will announce the winners on my radio show on Monday 12th December, 8-10pm, on www.2ov.fm
Film Festival on the Radio:
Tune in to Captain Kai's World on 2 Oceans Vibe Radio on Monday to listen to the guys from Wavescape talk about the Festival, as well as Roosta and Chris Mason talk about their new documentary, Sharks and Surfing, which is featuring at the Festival.
Date: Monday 5th December
Time: 8pm
On: www.2ov.fm
You probably don't need to see this, as you sit at your desk working hard. But, hey it might just amp you up for that next wallet busting trip to paradise. This is Taj and his mates spend their down time from the ASP World Tour. Kelly makes an appearance in video 1, shralping perfect sunset Restaurants and Taj and the boys continue in Video 2. My favorite is the third video, where Taj and Jay tow a perfect and very shallow, right, reef pass, while being filmed from the air.
Taj finds the tubes and takes the win. (Photo: ASP)
You might have wondered why I have not blogged on the Triple Crown yet and the simple answer is that not much has really happened yet - well till the last day of the event at Haleiwa. The surf for the first few days looked like School Champs in Port Elizabeth - in other words really small and not what we expect from the North Shore. You got to know that is the case when the guys are surfing Haleiwa left! The young guns were reveling in the small stuff, throwing airs all over the show - see video further down. But they finally got some swell on the last day and Taj looking hungry as ever took the win. Next up is Sunset and hopefully they get swell...
HALEIWA, Hawaii (November 23, 2011) - West Australia’s Taj Burrow, a virtual veteran of pro surfing at 33 years of age, has claimed his first Reef Hawaiian Pro title in Hawaii to pocket $25,000 and take an early lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing ratings. Burrow, who has been competing in Hawaii for 15 years, left the field in his wake today, finding a form all his own in the pumping overhead surf. Coming into the final, he claimed that this was his year to shoot for the Vans Triple Crown. He kept his word. Runner-up was East Coast Australian Adam Melling; third was Adriano De Souza (Brazil); and fourth was Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA.). The Reef Hawaiian Pro is the first jewel in the prestigious $830,000 Vans Triple Crown presented by Rock Star Energy Drink.
Burrow surfed through four rounds today, gaining momentum in each. While aerials were at the front of most surfer’s minds, Burrow got creative with every heat, strategically building scores with a mixed plate of form-bending tube rides and lip-belting close-out snaps. He eclipsed his challengers in the final, posting a two-wave total of 16.90 out of 20 (9.37 and 7.53). Melling (12.6 – 6.43, 6.17) and De Souza (12.5 – 7.5, 5) battled it out for second. Nat Young, who had tapped into the best rhythm of the day up until the final, was left high and dry with a two-wave total of only 6.10 (3.73, 2.37).
“I had a good run, it feels good scoring in the 9-point range and it’s hard to do,” said Taj, world #3. “I just really wanted to win an event here. I am really happy.
“It’s funny I have never really gotten a good shot (at the Vans Triple Crown). I was thinking, maybe I should really have a go at one of these things so I actually have it right in the front of my mind.
“I love being in Hawaii. I was saying to a few of my friends it is so good to come to Hawaii and sit and make a base for six weeks. We are getting on a plane every other weekend normally, it’s draining. Coming to Hawaii you just get in a good routine, you unpack your bags and you can kind of relax. We train and eat good food and just the whole routine of it all I feel much better then having to skip town every two weeks.”
Melling, 26, was the quiet achiever through the rounds, chipping away with rock-solid performances and error-free, text-book surfing. A podium finish was a new high for him in Hawaii, and $12,500 wasn’t bad either.
“I am feeling pretty good you know, always wanted to do well and get on the podium here in Hawaii because the waves are so testing,” said Melling. “You can get any kind of conditions. You can get one foot or 12-foot closeouts. I needed to podium this year, I need the points so bad. I have been on the borderline for a while now, so hopefully this can push me up and I can get a couple more results.
“I have some good big boards that have been sitting in the garage for a while. I’m definitely looking forward to Sunset. I hope we get some swell because anything can happen out there. I have lost heats needing a 0.2 and counting a one. So it gets pretty hectic at times but I am looking forward to it.”
De Souza, world #5, has had a stellar season on the elite ASP World Tour and, like Taj, is hoping for a strong Hawaiian season. At 24 years of age, De Souza is undisputedly a member of the youth movement that is driving a fast road to the top of the pro surfing world.
“I am so happy right now with the third, it has always been my dream to get to the finals here in Hawaii,” said De Souza. “I have been watching the last 10 years, all of the finalists, and I have seen them with all their trophies and leis. So I always been dreaming to be one day here. I am really proud of myself. It was an amazing week. Actually the flat waves at the start helped me a lot. I needed the rest. I am really pumped for Sunset. It is going to be big waves so it is going to be a big motivation.”
Young, the youngest of the finalists at age 20, had been on fire in the earlier rounds. He posted the highest heat score of the entire event in the quarters – 17.77, popping two huge reverse 360 aerials on one wave for a 9.77 – the highest single wave of the event. He surfed through more rounds to reach the final than the others and looked to be peaking at the same time. But his cat and mouse game with the waves in the final was fruitless and frustrating.
“Yeah I was super frustrated in the final,” said Young. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong for me. I mean, it’s great to make the final and I’m so stoked about that. It’s all good and I will go into the next event with a little more confidence.
“I feel confident out at Sunset. The waves where I live are like big rights and that is kind of the same. I have done good there the past few years and I am excited.”
On his double air 9.77 that has earned him a shot at the 250,000 Hawaiian Miles Air award: “If you get a long enough wave you can do two airs, it’s just hard to do one right at the beginning and follow it up with another. I was happy to get that. The (second air) was kind of a sketchy landing because I landed it so far out on the flats. I didn’t really think I was going to land it, so that was nice.”
Prior to the final, local favorite John John Florence, 19, floated on air and threaded through barrels to reach the semi finals, but hit a wall at Burrow and Young. Regardless, he was ecstatic to compete in front of a strong home crowd and hopes to build momentum through the remaining two events.
“I’m happy,” said Florence. “I would have loved to make the final but I’m stoked to make the semi’s. All the young guys, Nat (Young), Kolohe (Andino), Evan (Geiselman), Granger (Larsen), everyone’s just kind of killing it, doing airs, getting everything together. It’s great, everyone’s down here, I’m stoked. I feel so at home. Sunset’s next, it’s gonna be big, it should be fun!”
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing now moves north to Sunset Beach for the Vans World Cup of Surfing (Nov. 25-Dec. 6). The Surfline.com forecast for the coming week promises exactly the kind of hefty, challenging surf that the venue is famous for. Sunset has a reputation for separating the men from the boys and is where a bid for the Vans Triple Crown is usually cemented or crushed.
Happy Thanksgiving! FINALS
Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.90pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 12.12.60pts ; Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.50 pts ; Nat Young (USA) 6.10 pts SEMIFINALS
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.84pts ; Nat Young (USA) 12.70pts ; John John Florence (HAW) 11.50pts ; Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 10.67pts Heat 2: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 13.54pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 13.16pts ; Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.30pts ; Roy Powers (HAW) 4.57pts QUATERFINALS
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10pts ; Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 15.60pts ; Evan Geiselman (USA) 15.00pts ; Kolohe Andino (HAW) 6.90pts Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 17.77pts ; John John Florence (HAW) 14.27pts ; Kieren Perrow (AUS) 5.50pts ; Glen Hall (IRL) 5.20pts Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.50pts ; Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.30pts ; Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 12.20 pts ; Jesse Mendes (BRA) 9.17pts Heat 4: Roy Powers (HAW) 15.00pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 9.90pts ; Brett Simpson (USA) 7.33pts ; Granger Larsen (HAW) 6.83pts Round of 32
Heat 1: Evan Geiselman (USA)11.33pts ; Kieren Perrow (AUS)10.73pts ; Hodei Collazo (EUK) 6.84pts ; Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 2.90pts Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (HAW) 11.84pts ; Nat Young (USA) 9.70pts ; Adrien Toyon (REU)9.27pts ; Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.13pts Heat 3: Glenn Hall (IRL) 15.43pts ; Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 14.37pts ; Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 10.34pts ; Leonardo Neves (BRA)10.00pts Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 16.27pts ; Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.26pts ; Thiago Camarao 7.77pts (BRA) ; Daniel Ross (AUS) 7.70pts Heat 5: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.67pts ; Brett Simpson (USA) 12.34pts ; Dusty Payne (HAW) 9.60pts ; Adrian Buchan (AUS) 9.30pts Heat 6: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 11.19pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 10.73pts ; Dion Atkinson (AUS) 8.83pts ; Adam Robertson (AUS) 8.50pts Heat 7: Roy Powers (HAW) 9.94pts ; Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.50pts ; Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.57pts ; Marc Lacomare (FRA) 5.83pts Heat 8: Granger Larsen (HAW) 14.60pts ; Jesse Mendes (BRA) 12.60pts ; Nathaniel Curran (USA) 10.84pts ; Aritz Aramburu (EUK) 7.93pts CLASH of the LEGENDS
Heat 2 : Ross Williams (HAW) 14.50pts ; Shane Dorian (HAW) 14.44 pts ; Rob Machado (USA) 10.83pts ; Kalani Robb (HAW) 8.27pts
I have been sitting around waiting for Season 3 of Nitro circus to arrive. It's probably my all time favorite TV Show. So first I was totally disappointed to hear that due to Travis Pastrana's ridiculous schedule, they would not be making Season 3. But happy days, now we get a full length feature film instead and in 3D at cinemas (Lets hope our SA cinemas wake up and show it.) The guys are apparently lifting the bar on the stunts in this one - they almost killed Jim DuChamp already. So to tantalize your cringe and funny taste buds, check these out...
Make sure you don't miss theGoodLife show 4 tonight on Supersport. The show has got a great mix of sports with the best BMX event in SA, Halloween Jam, as the main piece. Also on the show are the Backyard Burnout, skate event in Durban, we profile SA's top trial biker, Andrew Guest and take a look at the Surfer's Ball and surf contest in Plett, which was in memory of shark attack fatality, Tim.
Brighten up your day/eve with Podcast 15 of Captain Kai's World on 2 Oceans Vibe Radio. I had Jason Hearn on the show promoting his new surf film, the Africa Project, Dom from Goldfish talking music, surf and travels and Wok pulled by to talk shit and make us laugh - he is good at that!
Red Bull continue their annual celebration of New Years eve, with mind blowing stunts performed by their top athletes. This year in San Diego sees the return of Robbie and Levi...
Song: "Sail" by AWOLNATION (Red Bull Records)
A motorcycle and a snowmobile walk into a bar...Well, not quite, but not too different, as a motorcycle and a snowmobile will simultaneously fly over water in the latest installment of Red Bull: New Year. No Limits.
This year will bring together two incredible athletes who have found their way back to the annual New Year's Eve celebration via different paths. The event will air live from San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, December 31.
Dallan has one of the best Whips in the business! (Photo: CTBF)
Dallan Goldman is the rising star of SA FMX. He won the Jungle Rush trials earlier this year to win a place at the Masters of Dirt show in Cape Town this December. The kid is going places! Check out the teaser for his film project.
Masters of Dirt at Cape Town Stadium - 16-18 December 2011 - Find out MORE
This is a teaser video of the soon to be released Dallan Goldman 2011 feature video. Dallan is one of the leading riders in South Africa and is a force to recognized!
CHECK OUT:
www.freestylefilms.co.za for more videos
Sweet Lord of the surf, I am amped for this movie! Jason Hearn has been working on the project for about 3 years now and I have got to see sporadic pieces of the footage, which have kept me frothing! South Africa's best surfers exploring Africa and SA for waves, to an insane soundtrack and with really good interviews. There is even a short piece on our history as South African surfers with legends like "Oom" John Whitmore.
I even got some shots in the film - look out for the extreme west coast and a certain tube fest on the East Coast with a big rock in the foreground!
Surfers include Jordy Smith, Travis Logie, Royden Bryson, Franky O, Shaun Holmes, Grant "Twig" Baker and many more...
The Premier is on Friday 25th November, in Cape Town and if you love surfing, the lifestyle or even just adventure, you want to be there!
Venue: Trinity, Green Point
Time: Pre-Drinks 6:30pm - Screening 8:00pm
Event Page on Facebook - HERE
The Africa Project on YOUTUBE
Show 14 was a petrol head vibe with a touch of dirty surfer! Guests were Lance Isaacs, SA Superbike Champion, Anthony Raynard, SA MX Star and Wok, SA's most controversial surf blogger. We chatted about the Cape Town Bike Festival, with Supercross and Masters of Dirt in the Cape Town Stadium. Also headline artists Seether and Haddaway - Wok seemed pretty amped on the "What is Love" Icon! I talked about the crazy Volcom Party with Goldfish over the weekend in Durban - see my previous blog.
