Last weeks announcement of Billabong’s acquisition of San Diego based skateboard brand Sector 9 has generated quite the buzz as well as a wide variety of reaction among the boardriding communities. Sector 9 has built itself on the production of incredibly solid, stylish longboards and has in many ways become the face of the longboard explosion in the U.S. “Sector 9’s products, primarily its longboards, really differentiate it from other brands in the boardsports channel and have appeal to surfers, skateboarders and the broader youth market,” said Billabong CEO Derek O’Neill. “The company has not only proved the viability of the longboard segment, it has experienced sustained growth over the past decade and has become synonymous with the California boardsport lifestyle.” Acquiring one of the premier skateboard companies around obviously had left our friends at Billabong very excited and overflowing with optimism. But what does a transaction of this shape and magnitude mean for you and I?

It’s understandable that many who have cut their longboarding teeth on Sector 9 boards will look at this deal with a fair amount of skepticism. The fear that Sector 9 will lose the identity that has made it what it is today and become absorbed into the Billabong brand is a normal one. However if a deal like this was inevitable for Sector 9, I’m not sure there is a better fit than with the Billabong team.

The first positive sign is that Co-founders and owners Steve Lake and Dennis Telfer and co-owner Dave Klimkiewicz are being retained as part of the acquisition in their current roles. The Sector 9 masterminds are highly respected among the industry and are as passionate about their brand as any. Keeping them at the helm will go a long way to keeping the quality and identity if Sector 9 intact. The opportunity to combine their forces with Billabong has them looking forward to a growth in the international markets. “While Sector 9 continues to maintain solid growth in the US, we are most excited at the prospect of combining our brand’s growing international awareness with Billabong’s proven global distribution network,” said Lake.

With this growth will come the need for new designs, shapes, and jut overall inspiration for longboards that have already proven their worth over the last decade. While I understand the hesitancy of the many who have come to know and love Sector 9 to get amped about a deal like this, there is quite a bit to look forward to with the joining of forces of two of the action sports leading brands. Hopefully for Sector 9, the best is yet to come.

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.

It was the wildcards, Manoa Drollet and Bruno Santos, that stole the show today at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Ultimately it was Bruno Santos who won the event after defeating Teahupoo local Monoa Drollet in a very undramatic final. Big congratulations goes out to the Brazilian, Bruno Santos, as he was an absolute giant slayer defeating Mick Fanning, Taj Burrow, CJ Hobgood, and others on his way to winning one of the biggest events on the ASP World Tour.

It was a long-slow day at Teahupoo as one of the most notorious waves in the world failed to deliver any kind of a consistent swell. The heats throughout the day were very slow as the 2-3 ft swell was on the decrease which made for long waits between sets. Unfortunately, that left many of the surfers unable to find any kind of decent waves in their heats, often times seeing competitors catch one or less decent wave in a 30 minute period.

It’s unfortunate that a contest of this caliber at a break this heavy has to be decided in small waves like this. It would’ve been interesting to see what would have happened had mother nature cooperated. We can’t take anything away from Bruno Santos though as he rightfully deserves the victory he earned today. Here’s to hoping Fiji’s pumping!

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For the first time in 2 years, reigning world champion and current world no.3 Mick Fanning will finish a WCT event with the dreaded T-33 next to his name. Fanning was upset by Brazilian wildcard surfer Bruno Santos 10.00 to 9.17 in round 2 of a Billabong Pro that is really starting to liven up. “Things could be better,” Fanning said. “Every wave was a battle for fours and fives out there. They weren’t opening up and then I was either too wide or too deep – I couldn’t find the happy medium, but it happens. The waves were good, I wasn’t good.”

Fanning won’t be the only big name making a sooner than expected exit from Teahupoo. Jamie O’Brien had the unexpected misfortune of meeting Kelly Slater in rd. 2 following Slater’s round 1 loss to ‘Chopes-specialist Manoa Drollet. Kelly came out firing in their heat and O’Brien quickly found himself in an a combination hole that would lead him to sharing the same fate as Fanning following an 18.70 to 13.90 loss.

Kelly has now moved into rd. 3 where he will face the man responsible for putting him up against O’Brien in the first place, Manoa Drollet. “It’s excellent to beat Kelly,” Drollet said. “I feel bad, he was a bit pissed, but it’s a contest. I was lucky to get the best two waves of the heat, Kelly got one in the end and he almost came back. In this competition, the guy who gets the good waves is going to win the heat, and that was me today.” Drollet kept Slater out of position for most of their rd. 1 heat, forcing Kelly to take off deeper than he wanted do which resulted in the 8x world-champ getting pitched a time or two. Their rd. 3 match-up will surely see both surfers coming out ready for battle.

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After 5 days of waiting and watching, the 2008 Billabong Pro Tahiti is officially getting underway. The waves are in the 3 foot range and although it’s not the Teahupoo we’ve all come to love seeing, 3 foot swell here is still able to lay down a dirty-licking from time to time.

As the first heats are getting going there is still no sign of Kelly Slater anywhere in Tahiti. It has been assumed that Kelly will show up, but maybe the lack of swell has sent the WCT point leader chasing waves in some other part of the world. He’s scheduled to surf in heat 8 today against C.J. Hobgood and Manoa Drollett so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Looks like just another case of Kelly being Kelly.

Contest Director Luke Egan has been on pins and needles with each passing day of the holding period. The new swell is expected to continue building and has him as well as all of the competitors optimistic. The plan today is to cram in as much surfing as possible and hopefully begin moving into the 2nd round. That should make for one hell of a day and anyone interested in catching the action live can check it out here.

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This one’s for all of my degenerate gambling friends out there… you know who you are! Upon learning that bookmakers in the U.S. would be opening up their books and fielding bets on the 2008 WCT I decided to sign up for Surfing-Odds.com e-mail alerts which notify me of the listed odds in the days leading up to each event. My interest in the alerts wasn’t so much for the gambling aspect. In my very limited gambling experience, I’ve quickly realized I am a casino’s best friend and unofficially the worst gambler on the planet. What caught my attention though was seeing how and where they decided to place the odds as each particular event approached.

With the Billabong Pro Tahiti fast approaching, Surfing-Odds was right on cue with the odds for this event. After checking out the Teahupoo odds I thought I would pass on a couple of interesting bets for those who may be looking to lay some cash down on the upcoming event. They’ve even decided to get crazy on us and add a “to make the semi’s market.”

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When you’re a wave like Teahupoo, you don’t really need any hype thrown your way. With that being said, I’m throwing hype anyway. We’re just about two weeks out from the 2008 Billabong Pro Tahiti. And if the swell trends continue this could possibly be one of the all-time events at the bone-crushing left.

Teahupoo has made quite a name for itself in not much more than a decades time. The break that was once thought to be unsurfable, will be on display for it’s 10th WCT event From May 8-18 and as we covered previously, it has taken it upon itself to remind all surfers that it’s right around the corner with its thrashing of last years champ Damien Hobgood.

Those hoping to catch Kelly Slater in the ‘CT standings know how crucial it is do well at this event. If Slater locks this up, or even finishes in the top 5, his 9th world championship may be all but locked up. Mick Fanning knows this and is once again arriving early to get some practice time in. “Kelly had an amazing start and I had a lot of things happening,” Fanning said. “Really good things, but I have finally had some time to myself and I feel really excited about competing again. I’m looking forward to Tahiti. It is always a great event.”

Yep, we’re only two weeks away from the 2008 Billabong Pro Tahiti….

Past Billabong Pro Tahiti Champions:
2007: Damien Hobgood (USA)
2006: Bobby Martinez (USA)
2005: Kelly Slater (USA)
2004: CJ Hobgood (USA)
2003: Kelly Slater (USA)
2002: Andy Irons (HAW)
2001: Cory Lopez (USA)
2000: Kelly Slater (USA)
1999: Mark Occhilupo (AUS)

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The epic swell that set off an all-time Teahupoo on November 1 of last year ended up providing more than just breathtaking waves and jaw-dropping images. Following the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, it also sent surfers Shane Dorian and Manoa Drollet, as well as photographers Gustavo Camarao and Jeff Flindt home with much deserved awards that altogether totaled $62,000.

The Big Island native and big-wave pioneer Dorian took home the highest honor of the evening when he was awarded Ride of the Year. He somehow pulled into a section of Teahupoo that few live to tell and was spit out into a full cart-wheel. It was an unbelievable ride, and one that sent one of surfing’s legends and all-around good guys home $50,000 richer.

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With just a smidge more than a week left until the 2008 Billabong XXL winners are announced, I decided to take another run through and check out the finalists for each category. Now wrapping up it’s eighth year of running, the Billabong XXL is building prestige and helping to progress and grow big-wave surfing in ways beyond imagination. Hundreds of entries are coming in from breaks all over the world, many of which were unknown until recent years. Each year the entries get crazier and more difficult to fathom. 2008 has undoubtedly seen that trend continue.

It’s going to be difficult to decide where the $50,000 grand prize for Ride of the Year ends up. Take a look at this years entries and I’m sure you’ll agree. Mikey Brennan’s Shipstern beast and Carlos Burle’s Ghost Tree ride were both mind-blowing in their own right. However, I would have to guess that this years winner will come from one of three entries from waves ridden at Teahupoo. Ian Walsh, Shane Dorian, and Manoa Drollet all pulled themselves into deep monstrous lefts at the famed break, and in doing so have given the judges work to do when deciding who to hand the $50,000 check to.

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When Billabong launched it’s initial XXL Global Big Wave Awards competition almost eight years ago, it was said that the unveiling of the first contest of it’s kind was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to big-wave surfing. Now with just one month left to go in the entry period for the 2008 awards, we’re starting to get an idea of exactly what that meant.

When word that a contest of this type was first coming out around 2000, I, and I’m guessing many others as well, basically assumed that the winning entries would annually come from the bellies of the beasts we know to be Jaws, Mavericks, or Cortez Banks. As big-wave surfing has grown and expanded all over the world, other jaw-dropping, bone-crushing breaks have introduced themselves to the surfing community and have made the Billabong XXL truly an international event. With still four weeks left in a year that has produced some of the largest and heaviest waves ridden to date, Billabong is already shattering previous marks with over 420 entries already submitted. Equally remarkable as the quantity of submitted entries has been the diversity of the locations that they are coming from. With videos and photographs from Chile, Tahiti, Western Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Tasmania, Spain, the British Isles, and France among others, this contest has gained interest from all over the earth and has helped lift big-wave surfing to new heights.

So just how high are these ‘new heights’ that the Billabong XXL as well as big-wave surfing in general are reaching? One of the recent entries, and my new favorite to load up the $50,000 at the Billabong XXL Awards ceremony this April 11 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim is the shot of a truly epic monster at Belharra Reef off southern France being ridden by Vincent Lartizen of Hossegor. When I first laid eyes on this shot I simply found myself speechless and staring dumbfounded at my computer screen. To me it comes across more as a natural disaster than a surfable wave, and captivates a truly epic display of skill and bravery. It’s nearly impossible to fathom guys charging anything larger than that. With that being said, I learned my lesson a long time ago that with surfing, anything is possible.

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