When it comes to sharks and surfing I’ve always had the mindset that if I happen to be one of the few out of millions upon millions of ocean-goers to get nabbed there is really not a whole lot I can do about it. If sharks enjoyed the taste of surfer, Trestles on any given day would present a smorgasboard of munchies to fill their bellies with. Fortunately, sharks just aren’t really into us.
With that being said, I have definitely had my moments in the water where I begin to wonder if anything is lurking below that would make quick work of me if it so decided. It’s usually just a passing thought that comes and goes.

After reading about the recent white-shark encounters between Huntington and San Onofre, the next time that thought arises it just may linger a little while more.

Between March 5 and March 22 there were three very well documented encounters with Great Whites in Southern California. Two of them in Huntington, one in San-O. One of the encounters in Huntington is actually being classified as an attack, as an estimated 15 footer grabbed the back of a board with the surfer still sitting on it. The shark quickly let go, and the surfer was unharmed and left with some serious ding-repair.

The encounter at San-O was particularly interesting. A woman was walking on the beach by Trail One when a 6ft. white shark washed ashore and thrashed around for a bit. It had been swimming in very shallow water close to shore and was washed up when a larger set came in. It rolled around on its back for a couple of minutes and eventually worked himself back into the water. How random would that be to see?

San Onofre has been the location of many sightings over the last several years. For whatever reason, the whities that make there way through just don’t see too preoccupied with anyone in the water. One of my all-time favorite shots of San-O is of a local surfer sitting out the back waiting for a set and a massive dorsal fin cruising right in front of him. It was the summer of 2004 when several sharks decided to hang out there for a while and many of the locals became accustomed to them.

If getting grabbed by one of our finned friends is something you truly concern yourself with, I would highly reccomend going to grab some lotto tickets and staying indoors during the next thunderstorm. They really just aren’t into what we have to offer.

With the ASP Tour making the transition from Snapper Rocks to Bell’s Beach we have seen a big part of what makes the tour so great year after year. Each stop provides unique conditions that pose new challenges.

In the early rounds at Bell’s we have seen a stark contrast in conditions with those that presented themselves for the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. We have gone from endless 2-4ft. waves giving competitors unlimited opportunities (Taj Burrow’s mind-blowing 13 turn wave at Snapper for example) to score, to thick, unruly, doubled up 6-8ft. walls with limited sections to open up on. Each wave at Bell’s may present only 2 or 3 opportunities to let it fly. The surfers that have taken advantage of that by placing themselves in the right section at the right time have found themselves with massive scores. As we await the completion of Round 3 at Bell’s, here are some of the story lines to keep an eye on-

Mick Fanning - By having to surf in the second round, the reigning world-champion found himself in a very unusual position. By posting a meager 7.24 score in Rd. 1, Fanning found himself in a spot he hasn’t been in for 15 events- Rd. 2. I was curious to see how he would perform as he spent the weekend leading up to Bell’s strapping on the proverbial ball and chain. He righted the ship in Rd. 2 however, and now faces a tough third round match-up with Bell’s local Troy Brooks.

Kelly Slater - This really goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway - Kelly put on a clinic. The amount of speed he generated from his bottom turn on his 9.5 is almost unfathomable. “I didn’t do a whole lot on that wave,” Slater said. “I did one turn to start off with and then this section loomed up ahead of me that was crazy - it was so smooth, especially for what’s out there. I had a ton of speed and I held the bottom turn as long as I could and was able to get that carve in. It reminded me of the turn I had in the final against Parko (Joel Parkinson) that one year.” The 35 yr old 8-timer is aging like wine and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Dane Reynolds - Dane’s putting up a 9.73 in Rd. 2 was amazing. His humility and attitude when talking about the score even more so. “I got pretty lucky,” Reynolds said of his heat against Alves. “I went out there with a good, positive attitude feeling like the waves were going to come my way and they did. I didn’t see another wave out there that looked like the ones I got, so I was pretty fortunate.” With Jordy going out, this leaves Reynolds as the feature rookie at Bell’s and it will be intriguing to see if he can keep this level of performance going.

Bruce Irons - It’s hard to say what’s going on with Bruce. The bottom line is he is way too talented of a surfer to consistently be going out in the early rounds. He seemed particularly disinterested in his third round loss to Adrian Buchan at Snapper. How sick would it be to see him go the path of Jamie O’brien and just completely dedicate himself to the freestyle thing? Those two alone are surfing as progressively as any, and would serve as worthy pioneers for a new freestyle movement for surfing.

Here are the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 3 Match-Ups:

Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 2: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Dayyan Neve (AUS)
Heat 3: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Daniel Wills (AUS)
Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs.Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 6: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Troy Brooks (AUS)
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 10: Luke Stedman (AUS) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 11: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 12: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Tim Reyes (USA)
Heat 15: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)
Heat 16: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Luke Munro (AUS)

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These last two weeks have given me another opportunity to help a landlocked visitor from Utah try his hand at surfing. I’ve been lucky enough to become friends with an ‘all-time’ group of guys from that part of the country who are for the most part are stoked on the chance to get in the water. All of them are unbelievable when riding on snow, so it has been interesting to see how they do when out of their comfort zone. The one constant with each of them is how surprised and amazed they are at the power of the ocean. Having all seen videos and pictures of the world’s best charging unruly beasts of waves and pulling deep into fire-breathing barrels with apparent ease, standing on the shores and watching 2 ft. Oceanside seems like a walk in the park. Once in the water they are soon looking over at me with the same expression of surprise and disbelief. They, as many do, all underestimated just how powerful the ocean is and are soon given a new vision when it comes to surfing and receive an awakening of sorts after a couple of chest-high waves end up on their head.

For those who make surfing a regular part of their lives and become somewhat accustomed to the ocean and her power, the same type of awakening and renewed respect is brought on in different ways. One of them being when a fellow wave-rider loses his life at the expense of doing what they love.

Once again the most famous wave in the world has reminded us of its power. Twenty-three year-old bodyboarder Joshua Kalai Nakata, who by all accounts loved the ocean as much as he loved life, died Sunday after he apparently struck his head on the reef at the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore. With his bodyboard and fins ripped away by the 8-10 ft surf, Nakata was under the water for about 10 to 15 minutes before he was found, family members said. Lifeguards pulled Nakata out of the water and began CPR until paramedics arrived. He was taken in critical condition to Kahuku Hospital, where he died.

With Pipeline claiming yet another life, our hearts go out to the Nakata family as they experience the loss of their family member and friend.

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As I watched Tiger Woods pull off yet another amazing victory on the PGA Tour yesterday, I started thinking about what the tournaments are like when he isn’t playing. There are still great players playing great golf, but it just isn’t the same and everyone knows it.

As Tiger is to golf, Kelly is to surfing. As long as he is performing at his peak level, any victory by other surfers in an event that Slater doesn’t show up to will be followed with a “that’s great,but….”

It is for this reason that Kelly’s recent decision to participate in the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach should bring smiles to the faces of the surfing world and fellow competitors alike.

Despite winning the first event of the year at Snapper Rocks, Slater remained uncertain as to whether or not he would attend the Rip Curl Pro. After 14 years on tour, the 8-time ASP World Champion has been adamant that he will compete selectively in 2008 in order to pursue other interests. Slater even went as far as to call and officially withdraw his name from the event. Thats when Mother Nature came through. When told of the stellar forecast for the event Slater reconsidered. He stated the combination of world-class waves and pleas of many helped in his decision to show up, and we are all better off for that.

There were some pretty strong responses about wanting to see me there. So that, the swell, and some changes in my personal life and suddenly it was perfect timing for me to get away. All the signs pointed this direction so it seemed like the thing to do.

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The more things change the more they stay the same…

As the 2008 ASP Tour moves from Snapper Rocks to Bells Beach there is an all too familiar name atop the standings. With the much of the build-up to the Quiksilver Pro heavily centered around so many others, Kelly Slater decided to remind us that as long as he decides to show up he is the favorite for any event. Again, that is as long as he decides to show up. There is still no confirmation of Kelly’s decision and we may just have to wait until the opening horn of his 1st round heat to find out if he will be among those looking to ring the famed bell when the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach comes to an end.

In a normal year on tour, average results through these first two Australia stops would still leave the top surfers with plenty of opportunities to make up ground throughout the rest of the year. 2008, however, is by no means an average year. With the number of surfers with legitimate title hopes as high as ever, there is an element of added pressure to finish well at Bells and hopefully come out on top.

This is currently the position that defending Bells champ and last years overall #2 Taj Burrow finds himself in. He was surfing as well as ever at Snapper until his perplexing round 4 ousting at the hands of goofy-footer Adrian Buchan. Taj made it very clear at the beginning of the year that it is world-title or bust for him. With that being the case, he is going to need to come out firing at Bells and hope for a repeat performance of last years victory.

So what can we expect to see at Bells this year? 6 out of the last 7 Bells winners have come from the Slater, Burrow, Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson, and Mick Fanning group. This is a trend that is likely to continue as these are the surfers with the best shot at winning it all in this ultra-competitive year. Mick just got married over the weekend so it will be interesting to see how well he is able to stay focused following his tying of the knot. Parko and A.I. held their own at Snapper with 5th place finishes, but they will both be looking to improve on those results at Bells.

Outside of the ‘usual suspects’ there is no one on tour who has experienced the taste of victory at Bells. That doesn’t mean we won’t have a 1st time winner, but given what is at stake I don’t see it happening. Bede Durbidge and Jeremy Flores seem to be the two with the best chance of ringing the bell for their first time. From the last half of 2007 until now, there are few who have surfed as impressively as Durbidge has. Flores went down to Slater in the semi’s at Snapper, and reportedly went straight to Bells to prepare for the contest. I would be surprised, but not shocked if either of those two found their way into a Bells Final.

The forecast for Bells has event organizers licking their lips. However, we heard the same thing over at Snapper, but not a whole lot ever materialized in the form of swell. It was good, but by no means great. Hopefully higher quality surf will make its way to Bells Beach as we move throughout the week. As incredible of a competition as Snapper was, the added pressure of producing a solid result at Bells is only going to raise the bar that much higher.

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Stand-up Paddleboarding has now established itself as a mainstay within the surfing community, and I have personally placed it firmly atop my list of ‘things to attempt’ by years end. A cousin of mine recently returned from a visit to Oahu, where he was able to take advantage of the late-season swells, as well as find some time to visit family in between sessions. While there he was given the opportunity to try the rapidly growing sport for the first time at one of our somewhat secret spots on the South Shore.

I’ve surfed with him as far back as I can remember, as they would make annual trips from Los Angeles to come spend time with us on the islands. So when he returned with an eagerness to let me know about how much fun it was to give it a try, Stand-up Paddleboarding went from being a passing curiosity to a must-try in no time at all.

If any evidence is needed that Stand-up Paddleboarding is on a rapid rise, simply keep your eyes open each time you paddle out and watch as the number of enthusiasts continues to grow. As it does we will continue to be graced with mind-blowing shots of surfers such as Garret McNamara taking on the worlds heaviest waves with paddle in hand. The number of Stand-up competitions will increase as will the prize money.

The future is looking mighty bright for Stand-up Paddleboarding, and I’ll be sure to report back once I make my goal a reality.

The heightened awareness of the perils facing our environment has inspired companies throughout our industry to find creative ways of helping out, more so now than ever before. The surfing community, as much as any other, has risen up to take the lead on this cause. And why shouldn’t we? We as surfers are completely dependent on Mother Nature and her well-being.

With that being said, substance alone usually won’t sell a whole lot of product. In order for products aimed at helping out the environment to be successful, it is imperative that companies are combining their substance with a whole lot of fresh style. With the “Endangered Waves” sandal(or ’slippah’ for the braddahs out there) Vans and Surfrider have done just that.

With the loss of prominent breaks over the last few years and the endangerment of so many more, Vans, Surfing Magazine and Surfrider Foundation have teamed up to produce a sandal featuring images of four of the most threatened waves from around the world. Ma’alaea in Hawaii, El Gongal in Spain, Bastion Point in Australia and Trestles in California can all be seen on the sandal. It’s a classy design and just an all around great looking set of footwear.

When speaking of the sandal, Surfrider CEO Jim Moriarty had this to say…

Right now a surf break is being lost or otherwise diminished somewhere on this planet, people need to understand that waves are finite resources. Once they are lost or damaged it is difficult, if not impossible, to restore them.

Thanks to Vans, a portion of proceeds, totaling $10,000, from the sales of these sandals will be donated to the Surfrider Foundation to assist them in their efforts to protect and preserve oceans, waves and beaches across the globe. Not only are they doing it with substance, but they’ve got a whole lot of style as well.

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surfrider foundation

One of the common denominators of any book, song, or movie that I have ever considered to be a classic is the ability to experience it over and over and find something new each time. For any production to be labeled great and timeless, it needs to be able to grab the attention of its audience with something fresh time and time again. Taylor Steele’s Trilogy does just that.
I could probably sit and write a never-ending post about everything that makes this movie one of the all-time classics that it is, but the only way to really find out is to get cozy, set yourself up with something to munch, and watch it yourself.

The soundtrack, the cinematography, and so many of the little nuances that are found in all of Steele’s productions have made this my current go-to flick. I’m always ready to throw it in whenever I feel like charging up my session batteries or just pumping out an incredibly solid and varied set of tunes to listen to while I take care of business around the office.

The combination of A.I., Parko, and Taj Burrow works perfectly and gives the viewer the opportunity to watch three of surfings best absolutely kill it, each with their individual touch of style and creativity. Whether it’s Parko’s fluidity, Andy’s knack for unleashing on beastly, throaty barrels, or the picture perfect head movement of Taj as he sets up his third and fourth moves down the line, there is a limitless amount of visual love to take with you every time you get a chance to pop this little slice of goodness in.

On a side note, writing this post reminds me that as much as I’ve taken to this film, it’s probably time to return it to the friend that loaned it to me about a month ago. I guess my delinquency in returning the movie is just another testament to the greatness that is Taylor Steele’s “Trilogy”.

trilogyandy ironstaj burrowjoel parkinson

What took so long, Hawaii? Finally, after several years of discussion, planning and navigation through logistical hurdles, official high school team surf competition is expected to become a reality this weekend. Teams from Castle, Kahuku, Kaimuki and Kalaheo High Schools are scheduled to compete this weekend in what is believed to be the first Department of Education-approved surf competition between schools in the Hawaiian Islands.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, the bureaucracy in Hawaii is notorious for dragging their feet on so many issues that are vital to its communities. With that being said, you would think that a state that so many consider to be the epicenter for surfing would take the lead on providing an opportunity for high-school athletes to compete against one another in the sport they love.

Even though this is a step in the right direction, it is still not quite enough. The upcoming competition is not sanctioned by the O’ahu Interscholastic Association or the Hawai’i High School Athletic Association, so surfing still is not an official high school sport. It is classified as a “club” type extracurricular activity.

While realizing there is quite a bit of ‘red tape’ when it comes to sanctioning high school sports, it is still appalling that the state of Hawaii is so far behind on this issue. I’ve long been impressed with the way California runs their high school surf programs, thus providing a positive outlet for students that would rather let their abilities shine in the water rather than on the field. The positives of high school surfing far outweigh the negatives and hopefully this is the first step of many for Hawaii and they will continue to move toward the sanctioning of surfing as an official sport.

The line-up and location for SIMA’s Surf Summit 11 has just been announced and the event looks like it will be world class.

After holding the event at the same location for the last 5 years, SIMA is turning it up a notch and holding this year’s summit at the beautiful Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa in Cabo.

As impressive as the Sheraton is, the list of seminars and speakers are what makes the Surf Summit 11 a great opportunity for those who are able to make it. They have pulled speakers from all over the surf industry and there will be a variety of issues and topics covered at this years summit. Here are some of the speakers as well as topics they will be covering-

Bob Hurley / CEO, Hurley International - Keynote address

Brad Gerlach / Professional Big-Wave Surfer - In a visually stunning 40-minute presentation, Brad uses his big-wave surfing exploits – both good and bad – to teach the importance of preparation, teamwork and overcoming fears, and how this relates to your approach to business.

Tony Hsieh / CEO, Zappos.com - Learn how to build a customer-focused culture from one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

Kevin Carroll / One of the Masterminds Behind the Livestrong Bracelet Campaign - Kevin uses his masterful story-telling skills to communicate his vast and varied experiences to entertain, enlighten and challenge business leaders and world wide audiences. Using lessons garnered from the spirit and dynamics of play, Carroll helps them understand how to enliven and enrich their work lives, enhance innovation, and improve team dynamics and interpersonal communication.

Sir Ken Robinson / Renowned Speaker and Author of Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative - Robinson shares insight on the creative challenges facing businesses in the new global economy, as well as the different ways creativity is undervalued in Western culture.

Matt Mason / Author, The Pirate’s Dilemma: How Youth Culture Reinvented Capitalism - An expert on youth culture, business and media, Matt Mason will discuss the problems and opportunities created by the rise of piracy and the potential of piracy as a business model. Learn how pirates create markets, signal trends, and develop innovative ways to reach their markets.

Jim Moriarty / CEO, Surfrider Foundation - Jim will discuss next steps in the fight to save Trestles, other ‘Trestles’ situations out there that need our attention, as well as the importance, power and value of the surf industry uniting as one for important causes.

The one thing I always notice that’s missing at these industry events are panels geared toward online marketing strategies. That’s the one area our industry is definitely behind the curve on so I’d love to see more topics and panels focused around the subject.

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