The bru’s over at Stab Magazine just released these juicy little nugget’s of industry information.

- Andy Irons will take next year off to chill and do some surf trips. He will aim for a wildcard in 2010. Billabong is backing him all the way, and has just given him a new five-year deal. (Parko’s just signed up for another five, too.)

- Wonder why Bobby Martinez has been shredding Pipe with no stickers on the nose of his board? He’s no longer riding for Reef. Despite the tough economic times (and his management persuading him to put ink on paper), Bobby walked away from an offer that was three-quarters of what he’d asked for. When he simmered down, Bobby went back to Reef, saying okay, I’ll take the deal, but Reef had withdrawn. It’s gonna be tough trying to find a company with $500k kicking round in its marketing budget right now. But Bob has signed some of the smarter deals in surfing. Remember seeing huge Monster energy drink green and black “M” on the bottom and deck of his board? Rumors suggest this nets him around $US300k.

- As always, Dane’s endorsements are the subject of constant speculation. The latest has it that the golden child is going to break his deal with Quik to join Analog. With Burton’s backing, Analog’s certainly got the cash. But Dane has not suggested he’s even thinking about moving, so the rumour remains unfounded.

The Andy Irons info actually makes a lot of sense. Time away from the Dream Tour has worked out well for past champions Curren, Occy, and Slater. And if Billabong is backing this, chances are there will be unreal amounts of fresh footage of Irons freesurfing to look forward to next year.

As for the industry as a whole, especially regarding sponsorships, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens in the upcoming month with the economy being what it is. Everyone is re-evaluating their financial strategies and chances are we’ll be hearing more stories similar to the Bobby Martinez/Reef situation.

In 2005, Tahiti’s Michel Bourez won a small surfing contest that was held in the Canary Islands. Until Saturday, that victory has served as Bourez’ best result to date. By putting on an absolutely stellar display of surfing at Haleiwa, the 22 yr. old Bourez can now lay claim to winning the first leg of the Vans Triple Crown, the 2008 Reef Hawaiian Pro.

While conditions at Haleiwa weren’t quite up to the standard set in earlier rounds of the event, the final day of action still saw plenty of opportunities for some of the world’s best surfers to let loose. And that’s exactly what Bourez did. In doing so, Bourez not only took home $15,000, bragging rights, and an early lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series ratings, he also took a no. 2 ranking in the WQS standings and a guaranteed spot on the 2009 ASP World Tour. “It means a lot to just qualify for the World Tour. I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life since I started to surf. I’ve been watching all the best surfers, like Kelly Slater and Rob Machado, all those guys. And, right now I can surf with them. It’s a good opportunity for me and all the Tahitian surfers. I’m stoked for Tahiti.”

The final day at Haleiwa offered up a good number of deep barrels for the surfers, something Haleiwa is not generally known for. I don’t really think you’ll find any of the riders complaining about this though, everyone looked like they were just really digging the opportunity to get shacked at one of the world’s most prestigious events. Bourez especially looked right at home from the semi-final on. “That semi was maybe the best heat of my life,” said Bourez. “Everybody was getting barreled I was screaming my head off. It was so sick. I was having so much fun out there and that’s what I call a good contest.” In the process of screaming and having as much fun as he was, Bourez posted the highest wave and heat scores of the entire event: 18.96 points out of 20 for the heat, and 9.93 out of 10 for his top tube ride.

Congratulations Michel Bourez, winner of the 2008 Reef Hawaiian Pro!

FINAL RESULTS

MEN’S FINAL
1st. Michel Bourez (Tahiti) – 16.77 out of 20 (9.77 & 7.0) – $15,000
2nd. Jihad Khodr (Brazil) – 16.5 (8.5 & 8.0)- $7,500
3rd. Kekoa Bacalso (Hawaii) 15.83 (9.0 & 6.83) – $4,500
4th. Dusty Payne (Hawaii) 4.67 (2.67 & 2.0) – $4,400

MEN’S SEMI-FINALS:
H1: Michel Bourez (PYF), Kekoa Bacalso (HI), Nic Muscroft (Aus), Brett Simpson (CA)
H2: Jihad Khodr (Brz), Dusty Payne (HI), Joel Parkinson (Aus), Bede Durbidge (Aus)

MEN’S QUARTER FINALS:
H1: Kekoa Bacalso (HI), Michel Bourez (PYF), Evan Valiere (HI), Greg Emslie (SAf)
H2: Nic Muscroft (Aus), Brett Simpson (CA), Sunny Garcia (HI), Kieren Perrow (Aus)
H3: Bede Durbidge (Aus), Dusty Payne (HI), Chris Ward (CA), Dayyan Neve (Aus)
H4: Jihad Khodr (Brz), Joel Parkinson (Aus), Dustin Barca (HI), Tim Reyes (CA)

A high surf advisory was issued by the National Weather Service at this morning for the north-facing shores of Oahu. Sounds like a perfect time to get the ball rolling on the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, the first leg of the 2008 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

“The Reef Hawaiian Pro sets the tone for the rest of the Triple Crown events to follow,” says Randy Rarick, Director of the Vans Triple Crown. “Both the Men and Women who do well at Haleiwa, put their stamp on the start of the North Shore competitive season and are destined to have their names etched in the record books.”

And for the surfers who already have their names firmly engraved in the record books Mr. Rarick speaks of, Haleiwa and the Vans Triple Crown overall serve as the perfect chance to remind everyone else that they are still forces to be reckoned with as far as competitive surfing goes. As I write this, Triple Crown legend Mark Occhilupo is just putting the finishing touches on an absolutely stellar opening heat. Although looking a little more filled out in his retirement days, Occy and the North Shore is clearly still as potent a combination as any. While Occy can surf the Triple Crown pressure free, another Triple Crown legend, Sunny Garcia, is actually searching for valuable WQS points at Haleiwa in hopes of making back to the Dream Tour. Sunny currently sits at 20th on the ‘QS. Although that’s a bit outside where he needs to be come years end (top 15 make it), Sunny’s gotta be loving the position he’s in on his quest to return.

The webcast is looking super smooth and there is sure to loads of incredible surfing to watch as the event progresses. You can catch all the live action here so be sure to tune in. As always, 5ones will keep you posted on all of the happenings at the Reef Hawaiian Pro and Vans Triple Crown.

Reef has announced that they have come to terms with current world champion Mick Fanning on a new 5 year deal. Mick’s partnership with Reef dates all the way back to 1995. Since then, he has established himself as one of Reef’s elite footwear team riders, along with the likes of Rob Machado and Sofia Mulanovich.

“I’m so stoked to continue my relationship with Reef, they have been my longest sponsor along with DHD. I have been wearing Reef shoes and sandals for as long as I can remember. The people who work there are like family which makes the partnership that much easier.”

Mick’s journey to the top has been a long, arduous trek. Reef has seen him progress through National titles, Pro Junior series, and the grueling WQS on his way to winning the ASP title last year. Mick is as hard a worker and as dedicated a surfer as you’ll see on the tour. Reef has to be especially stoked on this deal, seeing that Mick’s consistency will almost undoubtedly keep him at or near the top of the standings in every one of those five years. Congratulations, once again, Mick Fanning.

mick fanningreef

Reef, whose best known as a footwear company, has been making a strong push into apparel with the latest being their full line of girl’s swim and sportswear.

Reef first launched its full line of girls-specific sandals 10 years ago. They have since expanded into closed-toe footwear and handbags. They’re now planning a massive launch that includes both swimwear and sportswear for females. Girls Brand Director, Trisha Hegg has this to say about the line…

“Our target consumer is 17 to 24 years old and wants hip styling that still ties back to the beach. She has an active lifestyle connected to the water, but still wants to be fashionable.”

The swimwear collection will launch with 34 suits with tops prices from $38 – $46 and bottoms from $36 – $44. The sportswear line will launch with around 90 pieces in the $24 – $78 range.

Reef says they are backing the launch with a huge marketing campaign and in-store push. This will include a new logo, a new trade show booth, premium retail fixtures, and an ad campaign in Teen Vogue magazine. I haven’t seen any mention or evidence of an online marketing campaign yet which would be a huge mistake for Reef.

New media channels offer a great place to create mindshare and connect with consumers on a more personal level. Most 17 – 24 year-olds spend a good amount of time on social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. Lets not forget search either; Reef will be missing out on the opportunity to reach the millions of people who search for girl’s surf wear on Google.

Reef