The second edition of Billabong’s Freewave Challenge is set to kick off on the continental U.S. on June 20th. As summer officially kicks off, so does the follow-up to the inaugural virtual surf contest put on by Billabong this past winter in Hawaii. You gotta think surfers who are looking forward to entering their clips are praying that Jamie O’Brien has no plans to make his way over from the islands to take part in this edition of the Freewave Challenge. O’Brien took both 1st and 2nd in the Best Performance Ride category, while Huntington Beach’s Timmy Reyes easily brought home the Best Tube Ride honors with a Backdoor shack that many called one of the North Shore’s best waves of the winter.

With the growing success of the Freewave Challenge concept as a showcase for the best surfing outside of typical surf contests, the event has evolved and added new categories. Video clips may be uploaded and entered in five different categories: Monster Maneuver, Small Fries (16 and Under surfers), Best Barrel, Heartbreaker (Female Performance) and the Longest Ride. A total of $40,000 in prize money will be awarded to the surfers and videographers with the most progressive and popular rides. Surfers and vidographers have until Sept. 22 to get their entries entered before the judging process begins.

This new style of format for a surf competition is exciting in that the door truly is opened for any surfer that wants to enter. Jamie O’ and Timmy Reyes were highly deserving of their wins in the Hawaii version of the event, but how rad would it be to see some unknown surfer step up and take a win in the mainland version of the Freewave Challenge? With the best of the best being on the North Shore for the winter, it made it unlikely for anyone to come out of the dark to pull it off. The pool of contestants is sure to be quite a bit larger and the door wide open for any surfer on the continent to make a name for himself in this version of the Billabong Freewave Challenge.

Summer is set to start. If you feel like you have what it takes and want to make some extra cash just for doing what you love, be sure to check out the rules and regs for the Challenge and get set to capture your best stuff.

With the onslaught of jaw-dropping footage coming from what many call one of Australia’s heaviest and gnarliest waves over recent months, Shipsterns Bluff has now firmly placed itself among upper echelon of big-wave locations in the world.

It’s not like surfing’s version of the tasmanian devil just recently started breaking, it’s just that until recent years it’s remote location and the desire of locals to keep it a secret have kept it as a relative unknown amongst the other well-known heavy waves around the world. Michael Brennan’s air drop into the pit of a classic Shipsterns bomb placed 5th in this year’s Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards and sealed Shipsterns Bluff’s spot as a destination for those seeking to put it all on the line by charging the biggest and most dangerous waves the world has to offer.

For the average surfer like myself, there is nothing about surfing that wave that appeals to me. It would chew up a surfer of my skill level and spit me out with the greatest of ease. With that being said I am completely fascinated by the footage that continues to emerge from this snarly point break located off of Southern Tasmania. Taylor Steele’s Trilogy has a clip of Joel Parkinson getting unleashed on by Shipsterns Bluff that puts it’s lack of respect for even the world’s most talented surfers on display for all to see.

It’s always bittersweet to see a relatively unknown spot be put on display by the surfing world. It’s a dilemma in surfing that we face each time an unknown is brought to light. Those who have ridden there for years are undoubtedly frustrated by the eventual crowds that follow. However, Shipsterns Bluff appears to be vicious enough to take it upon itself to weed out those who simply just don’t belong.

Surfer Magazine has reported that Dean Morrison suffered a serious injury while surfing in West Oz. Dean was surfing and being photographed at the Western Australia break Mufflers when he came up out of the water following a fall screaming for help. He initially thought he had broken his back. The location of the break and lack of phone reception made it difficult to receive immediate medical attention. Paramedics arrived after an hour and a half, treated him, and took him to the hospital.

Luckily there appears to be no serious damage to his spinal cord or any broken bones, just a gaping hole in his back that is sure to be painful for the days to come. Initial reports are that he will be back on his feet in 2-3 weeks.

Following an impressive 9th place 2007 finish on the ASP standings, Morrison had high hopes for 2008. He is currently sitting at 17th with a mixed bag of results so far in 2008.

We wish Dean the best and hope for a speedy recovery.

With so much going against us as we fight against the demise of our environment, it’s both motivating and inspiring to watch natural leaders rise up and open paths for those who are new to this battle. The massive success of Jack Johnson’s annual Kokua Festival has led to a partnership with Surfrider Foundation as one of a select group of non-profit organizations chosen by Jack to participate in his 2008 world tour and help launch his All At Once campaign.

The All At Once campaign and online community take a page out of the Kokua Festival by bridging the gap between Jack’s fans and local, as well as national, organizations who make saving the environment their life’s work. Surfrider CEO Jim Moriarty has coined the term “on-ramp” when describing methods to get the average joe like many of us onboard and passionate about doing what we can to help. Creating these on-ramps is what the All At Once campaign is all about. The A.A.O. campaign puts concert-goers face to face with these organizations in order to provide steps of environmental actions they can take, both large and small. Once the show is over, the online community will ensure the work will continue by providing a network for those who are already involved to stay connected with those just getting their feet wet.

“I can’t think of a better reason to put on a concert than to bring people together to create positive change,” said Johnson. “With this year’s tour we are bringing together all of our resources All At Once to give back to each community that we visit.”

Jack’s continued efforts to aid in this cause are remarkable and open up the door for so many who otherwise may not know where to start. This partnership with Surfrider is ideal and goes to show that the surfing community as a whole are leading the way when it comes to cultivating the culture of global activism.

If you’re searching for an on-ramp, the All At Once campaign is a perfect way to get onboard.

“A local is just a dirtbag who can’t get his shit together to travel” - Owl Chapman

This world we live in is continually becoming smaller and is as accessible as ever before. The waves that fill our dreams night after night are becoming more reachable for any with the will and drive to go out and make riding them a reality. For those who seek to chase swells and surf at breaks that will leave you in awe and with a smile for months to come this is truly a golden age to live.

With surf travel becoming so much easier for us than for those in years past, there really is no reason why we shouldn’t be studying up on our dream-wave and making the necessary arrangements for your trip of a lifetime to happen. As you get ready to chase swells and ride in foreign lands you may want to check out a few helpful hints that will make your next adventure a memorable and positive one, not just for yourself but also for the people whose land and cities will serve as hosts for your future journey…

1. “Don’t Drink the Water.” - I pulled a title off of one of my favorite Dave Matthews songs for this one. Depending on your choice of location, the tap water may leave you ripping on the porcelain throne instead of in the ocean. Study up and ask questions about water quality and more than likely just stick to the bottled stuff.

2. Immerse Yourself in the Culture - There is so very much to learn from wherever it is you decide to go. Who knows when you’ll find yourself there again so soak it all in, appreciate it, go beyond the ocean to see what treasures it may hold.

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We’re sitting just a few days out from International Surfing Day so hopefully everyone has their plan of attack for celebrating what is truly the greatest sport around. Our friends at Surfing Magazine have marked June 20, 2008 as the day for surfers and those who love and appreciate everything surfing is about to not only promote wave-riding, but to also raise awareness for our oceans and beaches and the perils they face.

The goal is for all who enjoy surfing to paddle out wherever you may be, catch a few waves, and do your best to leave your location of choice in better shape than you found it. Surfrider Foundation and Surfing have organized several beach clean-ups, however, lending a helping hand and beautifying whatever location you may find yourself is encouraged by all.

Now what about those land-locked transplant surfers who find themselves far far away from any of our oceans or seas? For one group of surfers who now call Salt Lake City, UT. home, location makes no difference whatsoever. A group has been organized by several California natives who have surf-stoke running through their veins to hold a paddle-out in the Great Salt Lake. Although the forecast calls for windswell somewhere in the 4-8 inch range and locals consisting only of brine shrimp, this group of surfers is as excited as any I’ve come across to let everyone know what surfing means to them. I guess that kind of takes any excuses away from all of us located just minutes from the ocean to not go out and celebrate International Surfing Day.

After five years of mixed results and a failure to find a competition format that worked and excited, the plug has officially been pulled on surfing for this years Summer X Games in Los Angeles. And while earlier this year we witnessed ESPN and X Games organizers get blasted for the decision (one that was soon after overturned) to axe the half-pipe competition, I’m not so sure that the exclusion of surfing from this years games is going to elicit the same type of reaction.

The allure of the X Games is seeing the worlds most talented and skilled athletes competing at the highest level and in the most challenging arenas for each sport respectively. While that was the case for the majority of the action sports showcased in the games, organizers were simply unable to find a way to fit surfing into their mold in order to capture the hearts and minds of their audience when it came to surfing.

The conflicting schedules of the ASP world tour with the timing of the summer games was one of the major issues that organizers were facing. There was no way they were going to pull any of the fellas off of the WCT in order to participate in their event. Although I would personally be thrilled beyond belief to watch the mind-blowing exhibitions of WQS regulars such as Clay Marzo, Dusty Payne, and Pat Gudauskas as well as the always explosive and innovative Jamie O’Brien running wild on Puerto Escondido, it doesn’t appear that was a sentiment shared by those calling the shots. Those looking to sponsor the event were undoubtedly looking for surfers with highly recognizable names more along the lines of Slater, Taj, A.I., and Parko. With the Billabong Pro J-Bay running in the same time frame as Summer X, that simply wasn’t going to happen.

Try as they may, I’m not sure the X Games will ever be able to capture the greatness of surfing the way they have been able to with many of the other featured events. The same unpredictability and uniqueness of surfing that draws many of us to this amazing sport is what makes it difficult for X Games to package up and deliver to those they are seeking to reach. The ocean runs on it’s own schedule and waves cannot be built and disassembled in a matter of hours. So while the plan is for the surfing portion of Summer X to take a year off and be evaluated for future improvements, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go away completely. If the X Games remains unable to put on surfing’s best face and celebrate it’s majesty, maybe it’s better that they didn’t put it on at all.

Coming into the 2008 ASP World Tour there was quite a bit expected from Kauai’s Andy Irons. Following a disappointing 2007 campaign - at least according to the standard set by the 3x world champion - there were many who expected A.I. to come back to form and put himself into a viable position to regain a crown that fell upon the head of someone besides himself and Kelly Slater for the first time since the abbreviated 2001 tour.

He is currently sitting at 8th in the WCT rankings following the Australian and South Pacific legs of this year’s tour. While I’m sure there would be a Trestles line-up worth of surfers who would gladly take an 8th place ranking a third of the way through the year, this clearly isn’t good enough for a surfer who will undoubtedly go down as one of the all-time greats both in and out of competitive surfing.

Andy’s frustration with his current position came to a head and was visible to all (actually, with the malfunctioning Globe webcast it may or may not have been all that visible….but that is another post in itself) with his antics throughout his loss to fellow Hawaiian Fred Patacchia. Between his boxing matches with the ocean, his punting his board away on kick-outs, and his eventual dropping in on Freddy P and picking up a last second interference he made it known that he is not at all happy about simply being ranked in the top 10. He wants it all, world title or bust. And to be honest, in my opinion he is the only surfer on tour who has any shot of keeping Slater from what many consider to be his inevitable 9th world championship.

How can that be? Well the simple fact that Andy has performed nowhere near to the level he is capable of is something he can look to as a positive. Yeah, he is in 8th and up against a seemingly impossible climb to reach Kelly, especially with Kelly appearing determined to end the whatever title hopes anyone else may dream of at the upcoming Billabong Pro J-Bay. But if Andy can somehow put himself anywhere near the top heading into the Hawaii stretch, he and he alone will be the only surfer able to pull off the miracle it will take to deny ‘the king.’ Of course the North Shore will have to cooperate and do the exact opposite of what it did last year in the form of swell.

I’m not sure Andy will have much of a chance if he’s forced to scrape up scores on meager waves. But if it does, and Andy is close and back to the form that has made him one of the most exciting surfers to watch and a living legend in his own right….Love him or hate him, he will be the only obstacle standing in the way of what looks to be clear path for Kelly Slater’s eventual crowning(again).

You may or may not have already noticed from your latest surf-shop excursions, but it’s looking more and more like bright is back. The fluorescents that lit up the ’80s are once again popping up in line-ups everywhere and apparently making a loud comeback from their nearly 20 year stay in the penalty box of style.

Before I go any further I have to throw out a disclaimer - Fashion trends and styles aren’t exactly my cup of tea. 90% of my entire wardrobe has more than likely come from surf shop outlet stores. T-shirts and boardies are my version of the suit and tie, so an expert on fashion sense I am not. With that being said, I am all in for this return of brightness onto the boards, shorts, pictures, and videos of surfers all over the world.

I’m sure much of this excitement for me as well as many others comes from the nostalgia brought by the return of colors from the days when Potter was king and Kelly was cutting his teeth. If you’ve ever strapped on a pair of A.P.E. gloves or applied un-godly amounts of purple sunscreen to your nose then you know where I’m coming from.

The infusion of brightness back into surfing is going to be entertaining to watch no matter how you feel about its return. At the very least, even if bright colors just aren’t your thing, when this go-round of the fluorescent phase is over we’ll be reloaded with fresh images and videos to look back on when we want a reminder of the days when bright came back.

Less than a month after 24-year-old Adrian Ruiz of San Francisco died after being bitten by a shark while surfing off Troncones beach in Acapulco, another surfer has been attacked and killed by a shark just 6 miles away. Osvaldo Mata Valdovinos, 21, was attacked Friday while surfing off Pantla beach, which is located west of Acapulco. The species of shark involved is not yet known.

This continues a string of attacks at beaches not typically known for these types of encounters with sharks. Exactly four weeks ago, Dr. David Martin was taken by what is said to be a 17 ft. Great White while swimming off of Solana Beach in San Diego. The following week saw the death of Ruiz by a shark whose identity is still being debated, many suspect it was a tiger while Mexican authorities claim it was a reef shark.

Aside from the tragic and unexpected life of another fellow surfer, this second attack near Acapulco is sure to escalate the tensions between those with two very different views on how to react. The response following the Ruiz attack by the Mexican authorities raised an incredible firestorm of opposition. The day after the attack, baited hooks were set to catch any sharks in the area without discretion. Environmentalists vehemently opposed the hunt and demanded that authorities post signs in the area’s beaches warning about sharks as an alternative to shark-slaughtering.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones of Osvaldo Mata Valdovinos. We will keep you posted as more information is obtained