While rummaging through a collection of surf flicks the other day with a few surfing counterparts, all of which are suffering from a mild form of depression due to inclement weather and gurgly (if that’s not a real word, it should be) and almost non-existent surf, our eyes all squared simultaneously on Dave Ogle’s 1998 classic Puerto Underground 3: “Huevos”. That’s all it took, the choice was made, and we’re better human beings for that.

After watching the top Puerto Escondido locals and visiting pros balance that fine line between life and death on ‘Huevos’, we couldn’t stop there. We followed that up with the 2006 Puerto Underground 4: Alma y Corazon, which is Ogle’s most recent addition to the Puerto Underground series.

I realize that nobody really gives a shit about what movies I’m watching when the weather doesn’t cooperate with the need to surf. But the moral of this story is that if you have yet to see any of the Puerto Underground series, or if it’s been a while since you’ve dusted these bad boys off and put ‘em in to watch, I highly recommend you do so. There’s far too many incredible surfers on these films to even begin naming the names of guys shown in the series. That almost becomes irrelevant anyway. When it comes right down to it, the real star of the Puerto Underground series is the “Mexican Pipeline” itself.
Take a look for yourself-

Puerto Underground 4 - Funny home videos are a click away

Just weeks after placement began on Europe’s first first artificial surf reef, the roughly quarter-century long saga of Pratte’s Reef off of Los Angeles, Ca. is officially coming to a disappointing end.

It’s been a long, interesting journey for all involved with the project. One that has been filled with varying thoughts and points of view from those throughout the surfing community.

The concept of the reef was brought about when a large rock jetty was built nearly 25 years ago to protect a marine terminal and underwater pipelines at a Chevron facility in El Segundo, California. The jetty interfered with incoming swells an put a huge damper on much of the surf in the area. Surfrider Foundation stepped up and led a battle to remedy this issue and, after years of perseverance, a deal was eventually put in place to create Pratte’s Reef. The reef, constructed by the placing of geo-textile sandbags, was named after legendary surfing activist Tom Pratte, one of the leading forces in fighting the jetty and eventually getting everything in place for it’s placement.

The first section of the reef was placed in the water in the fall of 2000. When results weren’t what everyone had hoped for, Pratte’s Reef was increased the following spring, an upgrade that did little to obtain the desired results.

Now, roughly seven years later, divers who surveyed the reef have found it in shambles. The bags are dislodged, falling apart, buried in the muck and sand, and Pratte’s Reef has been rendered useless as a means for wave-creation. It is now being pulled out of the ocean piece by piece.

There’s plenty of blame going around right now as to how exactly we’ve come to this point. A recent L.A. Times article included some very informative thoughts and points of view given by those who have taken up the cause that is Pratte’s Reef. If there is any lesson at all to be learned from this, it’s that no matter how smart we think we may be, we will never, ever be able to replicate that which Mother Nature has done on her own.

Chalk one up for all the surfers who can’t stop making a fuss over the ever-growing number of stand-up paddleboarders. The United States Coast Guard has recently stated that it now officially recognizes both stand up paddleboards and traditional paddleboards as “vessels”. This basically means that they are subject to all applicable laws and regulations that go along with being classified as a vessel; such as wearing lifejackets, getting necessary registration, and staying safe distances from swimmers and surfers. Otherwise they could be subject to hefty fines.

With that being said, those (and there are many) who have taken to this blossoming sport can take solace in a couple of points. First, the USCG determined stand-up paddleboards to be classified as vessels when used ‘beyond the narrow limits of swimming, surfing or bathing area’. So depending on how much of a pri…stickler your local USCG officer wants to be in determining just where those limits are, you’ll probably be just fine. Also, I doubt there will be a large number of patrols set out with the intention of nailing SUP’ers for not having a life-vest, although I could be wrong.

It would really be a tragedy if this recent classification of stand-up paddleboards as vessels has a sizeable effect on the sport. I’ve never had any issue with those who choose to ride waves this way, nothing beyond the normal type of stuff that goes on in the water with waveriders of every sort. And, as evident in the clip below, seeing what guys like Bonga Perkins, Laird Hamilton, and Garrett Mcnamara are doing on sup’s, the future of stand-up paddleboarding has quite a bit in store for all of us.

A surfer is the constant recipient of gift after gift from the ocean. Seeing as we are constantly depending on the ocean to give us the chance to ride waves and everything else that goes along with surfing, it’s always a beautiful thing to see surfers recognize the need to give back, in whatever form that may be. For Southern California businessman and lifelong surfer Sean Nevett, giving back to the sport he loves comes in the form opening up his wallet and laying down a $50,000 donation to Surfing America for its National Governing Body and USA Surf Team development programs. This donation comes on top of $100,000 that Nevett has previously donated to the non-profit organization.

“This project is about the sport of surfing and is an important initiative to improve the sport in a really big way,” said Nevett. “I’m pleased to be in the position to help out such a noble cause and I hope others in my situation will also step up and contribute financially to Surfing America. This organization is doing tremendous things for kids, all over the country, who love to surf. It’s a natural giveback for anyone who’s benefited from everything the sport has to offer.”

Surfing America’s purpose is ‘to promote the growth, competitive success, and positive image of surfing in the USA and to provide the best possible experience for all participants by encouraging, developing, advancing, and administrating the sport–while producing champions.’ Needless to say, one of Surfing America’s most diligent workers, executive director Mike Gerard, was beyond charged about this latest of goodwill gestures by Mr. Nevett. “This is an incredibly generous contribution from Sean Nevett for which we are extremely grateful,” said Gerard. “Sean’s ongoing generosity and support has been extremely important to successfully continuing to build the program. Surfing America has come a very long way in a short time, but still carries some liabilities from starting up the rebuild and securing the National Governing Body status in 2004.”

A donation of this type is even more remarkable when you consider the dire state of the economy right now. Good on ya Mr. Nevett. Let’s hope there are who heed your call to step up and contribute financially to Surfing America

The fellas over at Nicaragua Surf Report recently posted a few shots that illustrate the benefits of surfing in under-developed countries. They call it the rainy season right now, and they’re not playing around. It rains…and rains….and rains…but even then, the waves keep coming. When the un-godly amount of water coming down is combined with roads barely suitable for donkeys and cattle, the result is this slice of perfection captured by N.S.R. A wave that at times in the dry season is filled to it’s capacity and then some…now completely empty. All you gotta do is find a way to make it there, which, if you scroll through any of the shots taken by N.S. R. in recent weeks, is much easier said than done.

Nicaragua Surf Report has been at it since 2004. Since then, they have been capturing at the very least a taste of the magic Nicaragua holds on a daily basis. Based out of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, N.S. R. started with the simple concept of taking a few shots with a basic digital camera and posting them online. It has since become a blossoming business that has been huge in propelling the local economy. What has struck me about N.S.R., more than anything, is their rapidly growing grassroots following of those who have experienced Nicaragua for themselves. If you have yet to see for yourself just what the Nica-hype is all about, take a few minutes and scroll through past N.S.R. reports. Nicaragua is really that good…

It’s good to be king. The surfing world is all things Slater right now, and for good reason. Since winning his 9th world championship last week in Mundaka there has been an absolute whirlwind of fresh press popping up regarding Kelly’s run. The chatter surrounding Quiksilver’s offering Kelly Slater a $10,000,000 bonus for winning #10 started long before he took to the water for the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast to kick-off his campaign for #9.

Kelly accomplishing that remarkable feat in Spain last week has eliminated the variable from the issue and turned speculation into a legitimate question. While it’s still officially unknown whether or not Quiksilver has thrown out such an offer, the mere fact that this is even a consideration is unreal. I would be through the roof if someone was even considering paying me $10 to surf the best waves around the world for a year, let alone $10 million.

Surfer Mag’s Chris Mauro penned a solid Kelly piece that sheds some light into just where Kelly is at in his career and puts into perspective the fact that he has reached a point of dominance at 36 yrs. of age. Will a 36-year-old Andy Irons have it in him to win a title in 2014? Will a 36-year-old Mick Fanning have it in him to win another one in 2017? Will Jordy perhaps stand a chance in 2024? I guess anything is possible, but the chances of it being their 9th world championship for any of the surfers mentioned by Mauro are, at best, very slim. Especially given Irons apparent disinterest in the tour at the moment.

Surfing guru and WQS Tour Manager Al Hunt brought up an interesting comparison between Slater and his reign and Lance Armstrong’s 7 Tour de France victories. Over the past few weeks that have led up to Slater’s #9, stories of Armstrong’s return to cycling and the drama surrounding that have far outnumbered any mentions of Slater’s utter dominance in competitive surfing. It’s never really bothered me that networks like ESPN don’t as much of a mention in respect to Slater. I’ve just never really understood the rationale behind it.

Apparently there is more of an interest is an MMA brawler named Kimbo Slice getting knocked cold in 14 seconds then Kelly Slater winning his 9th world championship in a 16 year span. It’s too bad, but for whatever the reason the vast majority of news/sports networks would rather cover some big dude get pummeled for a few seconds over the brilliant performance that took place in Kelly’s title-clinching heat (pay attention to the 00:45 second mark, how he pulls off that floater is still beyond me)

Regardless of how the rest of the world regards Kelly Slater and what he is accomplishing, the surfing community is well aware of just how incredible what we are witnessing Slater do really is.

It’s definitely good to be king, but right now, it’s even better to be Kelly Slater.

With only two more events on the ASP World Tour remaining following the completion of the Billabong Pro Mundaka, the picture is becoming clearer for many of the WQS hopefuls. The Top 27 from the ‘08 World Tour and the Top 15 ASP WQS surfers, plus three wildcards, will make up the Dream Tour Top 45 for 2009.

Of note for the month of October on the WQS is the ever-popular O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz. The 4-star event at California’s legendary Steamer Lane will get underway in just a couple of weeks. O’Neill has bumped the overall prize money for the Cold Water Classic to a cool $80,000. That’s up $5,000 from last years event, one that saw their own Jordy Smith come away with the victory and join the likes of Tom Curren, Bobby Martinez, Taylor Knox, Martin Potter, Joel Parkinson as past winners of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic.

Stay tuned…

The current ASP WQS Top 20 rankings:
1.Curran,Nathaniel USA 13200
2.Davidson,Chris AUS 12525
3.Boal,Tim FRA 11888
4.Gudauskas,Patrick USA 11438
5.Kerr,Josh AUS 11325
6.Weare,David ZAF 10675
7.Nicol,Yadin AUS 10500
8.Courtney,Drew AUS 10475
9.Lipke,Marlon DEU 10375
10.Henrique,Pedro BRA 10263
11.Bettero,Hizunome BRA 10150
12.Khodr,Jihad BRA 9888
13.Pires,Tiago PRT 9663
14.Paulino,Pablo BRA 9600
15.Bourez,Michel PYF 9600
16.MacDonald,Phillip AUS 9450
17.Emslie,Greg ZAF 9375
18.Sedley,Leigh AUS 9375
19.Gossmann,Shaun AUS 9363
20.Garcia,Sunny HAW 9350

C.J. Hobgood kept the party for Florida surfers rolling today with a last-minute victory over Joel Parkinson, a victory that saw him become the 2008 Billabong Pro Mundaka champion.

Although Dream Tour events in which an overall world champion is crowned early on sometimes end up with a funky, anti-climatic feel to them, the remaining contestants didn´t appear to be affected by all of the Slater-hoopla and put on quite a show at Mundaka. Mundaka itself held up rather well and, although spotty and inconsistent at times, made it´s case for remaining on the European leg of the 2009 world tour.

It´s been one of those years for Parko. It looked like he was on his way to ending his two-year victory drought before C.J. picked up a barrel-induced, buzzer-beating 8.57 to claim the victory in Spain. Having seen his good friend Mick Fanning win the ´07 world title, an inspired Parko came into the 2008 year chomping at the bit. Although coming close several times, the Gold Coast surfer has just been unable to lock down a win on tour this year. Just seconds away from ending his dry-spell, Parkinson took off on the first wave of the final set at Mundaka and left C.J. all alone to grab the winning wave.

Following the event, Parko praised Hobgood for grabbing the win and graciously gave him all the credit for the come from behind win. Hobgood deserved every bit of it, and with the win the former world champion now sits at #6 in the overall ASP standings, just a shade behind Adriano de Souza.
Congratulations C.J. Hobgood… winner of the 2008 Billabong Pro Mundaka

Billabong Pro Mundaka Final Results:
Final: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 18.50 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83

Billabong Pro Mundaka Semifinal Heat Results:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.80 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.50
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.66 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 6.70

Billabong Pro Mundaka Quarterfinal Heat Results:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.34 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 6.17
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.83 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 7.40
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.34 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.10
Heat 4: Luke Stedman (AUS) 13.16 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.24

Kelly Slater defeated surfer Eneko Acero today in Rd. 3 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka to once again take his spot atop the surfing world. 16 years after becoming the youngest ever to win a world title at just 20 years of age, the 36 yr. old out of Cocoa Beach, Florida became the oldest ASP World Champion ever with his unprecedented 9th world championship.

Congratulations Kelly Slater… The 2008 ASP World Champion!

Stay tuned to 5ones for more info on all the action at the Billabong Pro Mundaka!

ASP Records Held by Kelly Slater:
Most ASP World Titles: Nine (2008, 2006, 2005, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992)
Most ASP World Tour Victories: 39
Oldest ASP World Champion: 36-years-old (2008)
Youngest ASP World Champion: 20-year-old (1992)
Highest Heat Total: Only perfect 20 out of 20 ever earned (Tahiti – 2005)
Most Event Wins in a Season: Seven in 1996

Our friends at Phoresia recently posted a great interview featuring Dan Malloy. The youngest of the Malloy brothers let loose some of his thoughts on the “green” movement taking place in the surf industry, “sustainability” as a marketing slogan, surf travel and other topics brought up through the well-formulated questions posed by Phoresia.

Dan’s thoughts on the level of surfing taking place in under-developed countries were particularly intriguing to us at 5ones…

“I was just in West Java. There is a kid named Dede there that is better than I will ever be. A better tube rider, better at airs, better at turns. And he is a good farmer too. It was really humbling. You know, Americans and Aussies kind of think we are the shit right now. But if these kids in third world countries ever get decent gear for a couple of generations they will be completely smoking us.”

Witnessing firsthand the level of surfing that takes place in a country like Nicaragua has led me to echo that exact sentiment.

On a side, and completely unrelated note (except of course for the pic. used in the interview), Dan Malloy firmly has my vote to play the role of “Chandler” if anyone ever gets around to making a sequel to the 1987 classic “North Shore”. There have been whispers of a “North Shore 2″ for some time now and the photo used by Phoresia and his overall outlook on surfing make Malloy the perfect fit to fill the role played by Gregory Harrison in the original. One could very well say that Dan Malloy is to “Chandler” as Laird Hamilton is to “Lance Burkhart”. As for replacements for Rick Kane, Vince, Turtle and the others…