Josh Kerr quitting the WCT, "it's holding me back"

You all remember that insane rail grab flip thingy that Josh Kerr pulled off in the final at the Gold coast Quiksilver pro against Mick Fanning. I remember watching that final thinking damn Mick is in form, and when he had Kerr combo'd was like there is no way in hell anything Kerr does is going to pull this out of the bag for him, and I was right. But then he pulled that move, probably the sickest most innovative move I have seen done on the tour, and I was like who cares if fanning wins that was SICK!!!!

Final highlights of the Gold Coast Quiksilver pro watch for that flip!!

From then on I watched Kerr a whole bunch more, thinking man if this guy can keep linking the base moves like snaps, floaters etc and throw in moves like that, no-one on the tour will have a hope. I saw the future of pro surfing at that moment and it looked like fun, much in the way people must have felt watching Kelly bust the fins out back in the early 90's. So how sad it is when you hear that Kerr has decided to pack the tour in and focus on the free surfing, I love to watch the tour online, and am always stoked when I see a surfer not play it safe, but I guess this move away from the tour will mean that we can expect to see some crazy new surfing from Kerr over the next few years.

The tour however will be under going a huge changing of the guard in 08' with the departure of Occy, without a doubt one of the sports most loved and iconic surfers, but the arrival of Dane Reynolds, who we all saw blow up the pack in trestles this year. A new world champion, and an ever hungrier pack chasing the crown, 08' is looking to be one hell of a battle, lets just hope that all the events get their webcasts up to scratch, and ol' huey kicks in with some epic surf!

Below is the story I read about Kerr leaving the tour

Free-spirited Gold Coast rookie Josh Kerr is to quit surfing's world tour next year, believing it's holding him back.

A former world aerial surfing champion, Kerr was expected to make a big impact in his first season on the World Championship Tour, especially after debuting with a memorable fifth place on his home break of Snapper Rocks.

But he's ranked 35th in the standings heading into the season finale at Pipeline in Hawaii this week and says it'll be his last event even if he climbs into the top 26 to re-qualify for the 2008 season.

Kerr is sick of having to temper his progressive aerial style in an effort to maximise points from the judges and wants to go back to the scene which helped land his million dollar sponsorship deal with surfing clothing company Rusty.

"I'm not going to do the tour next year anyway, even if I re-qualify," Kerr told FoxSports News.

"It's not my thing right now. I'm only 23 and I want to go and do some free surfing and make some videos and do some photo shoots.

"I feel like I'm training right now to surf safer and that's just not who I am.

"I want to be able to do what I want and be able to go out there in a heat and execute the same thing."

In the season-opening round on the Gold Coast, Kerr reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to now world champion Mick Fanning in what proved the highest scoring heat of the year (19.53 to 19.10) as both surfers blazed to near-perfect scores.

Kerr says he's now over the tour grind, but won't rule out a Mark Occhilupo-like comeback down the track.

"I feel like I'm not ready and not focussed enough on the tour to give it a good shot just yet," said Kerr.

"I'm going to take a few years off.

"If I win a world title I want to do it the way I want to surf it."

Occhilupo, who won his 1999 world title after a sabbatical from the sport, has backed Kerr to return better from a break.

"A break might be a good thing, I took one and there's no reason why other guys should not," said Occy.

World No.4 Joel Parkinson believes Kerr is making the right choice by stepping away from the competition scene.

"Kerry is not someone you can tie down, he just needs to let loose," said Parkinson.

"Whatever lets him do that is the right thing I reckon."

However world No.2 Taj Burrow disagrees, saying next year's world tour is going to take progressive surfing to the next level with highly-touted youngsters such as American Dane Reynolds and South African Jordy Smith set to join the tour.

"Next year on tour is going to be out of control, there will be some wild surfing going down," said Burrow.

"(But) I know the itch he feels. I would love to just take on the free surfing and just hunt down the best waves in the world and just have fun."

Lay-days were called for the final events of both the men's and women's tours in Hawaii because of small surf.

There is only one more day of action needed to complete the women's Billabong Pro Maui, with Australia's Stephanie Gilmore and former champion Sofia Mulanovich facing off for the world title.

Gilmore and Peruvian Mulanovich are both into the third round, with the 19-year-old rookie Aussie needing to progress further than her rival to claim the world title.

The men's Billabong Pipeline Masters is yet to begin.

Laird saves Lickle from huge 80ft wipeout naked

WAILUKU, Maui — Ever in search of the 100-foot wave, extreme surfing star Laird Hamilton came to the aid of a fellow surfer off Maui.

Brett Lickle, who was rescued by Hamilton, his dramatic rescue "the most intense thing I've been through."

Lickle said Hamilton stripped naked so he could tie his surf trunks into a tourniquet after Lickle suffered a huge gash on his leg in a wipeout on what he said was an 80-foot ocean wave.
Lickle, 47, (pictured below)

was recovering Wednesday at home in Haiku.
In the incident Monday at a tow-in surf spot called Outer Spreks, Lickle says he was cut by the fin of a board on the Honda AquaTrax watercraft he and Hamilton had used to get to the spot where the waves were breaking. He says he was trying to stay ahead of the monster wave, but it crashed down on him.

Hamilton is among extreme surfers who have pioneered in the riding of superwaves that ordinary surfers don't tackle. He and fellow big-waver Dave Kalama premiered a short film, "All Aboard the Crazy Train," on tow-in surfing in 2005, warning that it wasn't a sport for the inexperienced. Hamilton also was among surfers performing in feature-length films highlighting the sport, "Step Into Liquid" and "Riding Giants."

The outer reef off Spreckelsville is a big challenge for big-wave surfers.

"If ever you're going to find a 100-footer, it's there," said Lickle.
He and Hamilton had surfed the area in the morning and then returned in the afternoon when the accident occurred. He said only one other tow-in team was on the waves at the time.

Lickle said he was trying to outrun the looming water wall in the watercraft when it caught him. Hamilton was in tow.

"I'm in big trouble," he said he told himself.

After the wave crashed down on them, he reunited with Hamilton about three quarters of a mile offshore.



One fear, Lickle said, was the blood from his wound would attract tiger sharks that hover around the Maui shoreline.

He said that after tying the tourniquet, Hamilton swam "like a bat out of hell" for about a half mile to recover the watercraft.

Surfers said ocean conditions on Monday created waves of historic size.

"There were the biggest waves that any of us have seen," said Buzzy Kerbox, another Maui big-wave surfer who saw the Outer Spreks waves but chose to take on another surf spot.

What a great surf game show, super hot models riding surfboards!

Just found this vid on Youtube and knew I needed to share this with my fellow surfers!

My euro lingo isn't so good, but I think it is in Italy, this smoking hot girl has to see how long she can keep her balance on a mechanical surfboard, I am still a sucker for a girl in daisy duke riding a bull after shooting back a tequila or 2, but this is also pretty damn hot!

*note keep an eye out for the catty look the other smoking hot contestant is giving her, after it is obvious she has got the hang of hanging ten on that mean red surfboard looking thingy! Surf & hot girls what else do we need?

A great big wave charger is lost at Ghost trees!

Peter Davi, a renouned big wave rider died Tuesday at heavy break known as Ghost Trees, a Monterey County spot known for its fast-moving 20-foot monsters.
Peter Davi of Monterey lost his board and was attempting to swim to shore, but never made it, according to onlookers. Friends of the 45-year-old Davi lost sight of him and later found him floating in the water unconscious.
Monterey County Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis English said a department search and rescue team responded to a report of a surfer in distress, but Davi was dead by the time the team got to Pebble Beach.

"It's just extremely high surf. Waves are crashing against the rocks, kind of dangerous," he said. "It's primo conditions for surfers."
According to the Mavericks big wave surfing contest Web site, Davi was one of the early pack of brave surfers to test themselves at Mavericks after word got around about its massive waves.

Jeff Clark, surfed Mavericks alone for 15 years before sharing his secret with close friends — including Davi. Clark described Davi as a "rambunctious big wave rider" together he and Davi had shared a bunch of surf trips and campaigned the huge surf at Mavericks each winter.

(Homer Henard and Adam Replogle, both from Santa Cruz, Calif., look on as CPR is performed on Peter Davi, who drowned while surfing in Pebble Beach, Calif., Tuesday. Monterey County Herald photo by Vern Fisher via AP)

"He was one of the early guys that I was able to convince to come up and surf Mavericks with me. He was like blown away at how big a wave it was," Clark said.

Davi's death came just days before the waiting period was set to open for the big wave surf contest at Mavericks off the shore of Half Moon Bay, where equally large swells rolled in Tuesday.
The epic surf also attracted onlookers who had to be chased off cliffside property in exclusive Pebble Beach, English said. California Highway Patrol officers were called in to ticket motorists who flooded the scenic 17-mile Drive.
A high surf advisory was in place for the coastal Bay Area Tuesday, issued by the National 

Weather Service. And we all know how those repor

ts will get any surfer frothing, whether you are paddling out or just watching.
In Santa Cruz, lifeguards had to evacuate at least four surfers from the Mitchell's Cove surf spot after high tide rolled in.
Further north, the U.S. Coast Guard and the San Mateo Sheriff's Department searched for a fishing vessel with two people aboard off Pillar Point.

Clark spoke about the dangers of taking to the waves on a day when advisories were in effect and rough swells were the norm along the coast.

"The ocean is a place that really has no conscience. It's something you have to be prepared for. You live your life to the fullest, do the best you can and keep going," he said.

(A surfer looks over the covered body of Peter Davi at Stillwater Cove in Pebble Beach, 

Calif., Tuesday. Monterey County Herald photo by Vern Fisher via AP)

Taifu Surf Japan

Here is a video I am sure many of you have seen, guys surfing some gnarly taifu surf in Japan, these shots were taken from down near Miyazaki I believe.
I have thrown a few pictures I took from another break further north from that swell, below the video. Enjoy them, because the local government here in Sendai is planning on closing down this beach to make more room for shipping containers, and this great break, home to so many surfers, will be lost forever.

A $10,000 kickflip! Can it be done?

To date, no one has ever documented a cleanly landed kickflip on a surfboard. Volcom is giving away $10,000 to the first person that can land a "proper" kickflip while surfing! By proper we mean an "above the lip" kickflip where first you launch an air, use your front foot to flip the board, and then land on it and ride out cleanly. No backwash, no fingerflips, no grabs, no laybacks. Just a proper kickflip. We're going to be strict on these following guidelines. The rules are all listed here, so get out there and put this trick in the history books. Good luck!Rules:1. Your entry must be on video from the start of the trick through the ride out. No photos allowed.2. This contest is open to everyone. The contest begins today November 21st, 2007, and will run until there's a winner.3. The kickflip must be a real air "above the lip" - No backwash, No chop hops, or anything in the flats or below the lip of the wave.4. All waves must be self caught - You must paddle into the wave. This means NO tow-ats, step-offs, jetskis, boats, dinghys, winches, canoes, oars, helicopters, dolphins or assistance of any kind.5. No grabs of any kind. Not before, not after, not during.6. You must completely "ride out" of the kickflip. That means if you land on the back of the wave and fail to continue surfing the wave - it's not a make!7. No heelflips. Or else we'd have called it the Heelflip-Off.8. No shoes. Who surfs in shoes anyway? Regular "made for surfing" booties are acceptable.9. You must be riding a surfboard with at least one fin. No boogie boards, wakeboards, wakeskates, skimboards, kiteboards, trays etc.

How to Enter:Click this link to download your entry formEntry form must be printed out and sent with footage to:

Volcom's Kickflip-Off1740 Monrovia AveCosta Mesa, CA 92627

Check out some footage of Ozzie Wright's near-makes by clicking over to Youtube.com/kickflipoff Make sure to send in your own footage of your attempts and close calls. We will post the attempts on the youtube kickflip-off page so all can see.

*All kickflip entries are subject to verification and review by Volcom. No video tampering please. Let's make this legit!

A nice swell this week in North Japan

Here is a pic of my buddy Alexei scoring a nice wave! I had to work and missed this swell I may need therapy to recover!!!

The air temp dropped to 5c (41F) today wont be long now before them ice cream headache surfs are here OUCH! oh wait, that's right I am going to Bali hehe

A quick little inside section cutty, setting up for the sandy hollow cruncher that we all know and love here in Sendai!

Photo by Yoshi

More great sites:

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One reason why Laird is a GOD!

I mean, just look at this picture and try to fathom what the hell it must take to scare this guy, he is standing on a board that i no way designed to ride the tube, especially not the death cylinder that is Chopes! But what fries my brain about this pic is how far out on that heaving lip he is and the dude isnt even looking!!

Big shout out to Tim McKenna for this shot it is a personal favorite.

If you still need some proof that Laird Hamilton is the bigest hellman of all time, just look at the next few shots!

Another SUP shot and yet again Laird is charging at Chopes !

Huge Left at Jaws, No comment needed...INSANE!

Teahupoo Holloween 2007 that is a thick damn lip!

And of coarse, THAT SHOT FROM CHOPES!!! I mean guys have riden bigger since, but the lip on this one still gives me chills. We have all seen this wave a thousand times over, but hell just look at it, it's like a car crash, you just can't look away!

Surfers Break Chinese Law and a Surfing World Record

China's tidal bore, known as the Silver Dragon, is the greatest on the planet with 8.9 tidal range max. After 1988's debatable success to ride the bore (UK Stuart Matthews rode the bore for 11 secs in the whitewater), a team of French, Brazilian and Italian riders managed to ride several waves at different locations on the Qiantang river, about two hours from Shanghai.

Following expedition leader Antony 'Yep' Colas first scouting river trip on a jetski, Eduardo Bag (Brazil) on a longboard and Patrick Audoy (France) on a stand-up board, managed to ride the bore for 1h10, on a distance assessed at 17,1 K.
There are about 80 rivers in the world producing a tidal bore like the Severn Bore in England (first ridden in 1955), the Mascaret in France (Garonne, Dodogne), Pororoca in Brazil (Amazon basin), Lupar Benak in Malaysia but none gets more dramatic than the Chinese Guanchao. It's a tremendous phenomenon, observed and studied by scientists, poets, spectators for more than 2,000 years. Part of the Qiantang river is bordered by a fish-scale wall originally 200km long, some river version of the China Great Wall. Because of a 100km wide perfect funnel-shaped estuary, the bore can break as long as 120 km, an equivalent of 6h. Because the river is so wide and particularly shallow, the bore breaks as a continuous wall of whitewater, until it hits deeper parts where amazing peeling waves can be ridden on the shallow edges.


Whatever the tidal range is, there is always a wave rolling somewhere along the estuary, which makes it the most consistent waves in China and maybe in the world. Even Hawaii and Indonesia get flat days! On October, 14, Antony Colas and jetski pilot Xavier Leroy did a first river reconnaissance trip and after a first 3min ride, the old 800cc jet broke down, putting an abrupt end to several months of preparation work. After a week of land trips, 6 surfers jumped in again on October, 24th and brazilian Eduardo Bag and french Patrick Audoy disappeared in the haze. They stopped their amazing ride at the bridge, 1h10 min later or the equivalent of 17,1 km.
It's legally forbidden to take any activity in the river during the bore, especially after 12 people were killed last August 2nd watching the bore at night near Hangzhou. In the last 20 years, the bore has taken about 100 lives, victims being mostly unaware spectators getting caught on the banks, not able to swim. The law got reinforced and it's no surprise that the police eventually caught the surfers. Following a cover article by Wang Xinke in the Hangzhou Youth Times stating "Foreigners break the law and a surfing world record", situation changed when Chinese Authorities started to smell the economical potential of creating a possible surfing show on the river. Law has not changed yet but when surfers got wet again, many helped them to catch up with the bore hitching rides along the riverbanks!

The world surfing record standing up on a surfboard set by Sergio Laus was officially accepted by Guinness World Records as a distance of 10.1km (33 minutes 15 seconds) set on the Araguari Pororoca on 24th June 2005 while Picuruta Salazar had on mid-April 2003 an unofficial 12 km length ride (about 37min). An all Brazilian affair! Beyond an unofficial record, the main point here is that surfers have been changing Chinese Authorities perception of the recreational use of the river during the bore. If any surfing demonstration should be done for the next Olympics Games in China 2008, there it should happen!

Hot surfing, Hot girls and a World Title!

The worlds best surfers ripping, A ton of hot Brazillian girls in Bikinis and a new world champ!

This video is a must see!

Enjoy all!

Fanning wins the world title

A big congrats is in order to Mick Fanning after clinching the 2007 World title in Brazil today!

The news came through while Fanning was already in the line up waiting for his heat against Parko to start, Mick showed his elation by taking off on a closeout wave with both hands in the air! Fanning went on to win the heat against Parko, even scoring a little cover up!

Taj the last remaining threat to Mick's title was taken down by fellow Aussie surfer Tom Whitaker, needing an 8.10 to keep his title hopes alive.

Kelly Slater lost in the 4th round to another Aussie surfer Kai Otten who was on fire the whole event. Kelly seemed to be waiting for the perfect setup to really explode on, kicking out of several waves, while Kai powered his way through the heat with some impressive surfing.

For me I was really hoping to see Taj pull out a miracle and win the title at Pipe, but you have to hand it to Fanning, this year he has never lost a round one heat, had only one result worse than a 3rd (at trestles where an on fire Dane Reynolds smoked him, despite Fanning posting a 15+ score out of a possible 20). Fanning's consistency, drive and determination all accumulated in his first ever world title. On a touching note, he has been chasing this title since his teen years as a promise he made to his late brother. Good on ya Mick, you deserve it!

Kelly ever the good sports rep, came down and congratulated Fanning, handed him the cup and filled it with champs, so I guess that will mean that Eugene not Fanning will be surfing the final at Brazil!

Oh yeah and just to make it a little more fun, so tht no-one could claim they gave him his title, Fanning went on to win the event in Brazil, check out the crazy pic below, with crowds like tht it is remicient of the days of the OP pro in Huntington.
Feel free to post a comment and share the joy! Aussie Aussie Aussie!!! Oi Oi Oi!!!!

See the Video here

Aussie surfing champ takes on British Airways

By Jennifer Hill in London
November 06, 2007 11:28am
Article from: Reuters

TOP Australian surfer Mick Fanning has backed a bid by British surfers to overturn a British Airways ban on surfboards.
Delegates from the British Surfing Association (BSA) will hand a petition of 8000 signatures to the carrier's London headquarters today - the day the ban is due to come into force.Fanning, the Australian professional ranked No.1 in the world, is among those who have signed the petition, while a group on the social networking website Facebook has attracted 10,000 opponents of the ban. British Airways (BA) announced the ban a fortnight ago, saying surfboards were too cumbersome to check in. Other items banned from flights from today include windsurfing boards, hang-gliders, polevaults, javelins and canoes. The airline will continue to allow passengers to travel with other sporting items, including skis, snowboards, cycles, golf clubs and diving equipment. Karen Walton, national director of the BSA, said the group was optimistic its action would be successful.

"News about the ban has spread though the global surf community by word-of-mouth, through the internet and through the international media," she said. "Without a doubt, the reaction has been one of disbelief, shock and anger. "It is essential that BA realises just how strongly they are alienating the global surf industry and reverses this ban and it's critical that other airlines understand that this is not an example they can consider following." Asked whether the airline would stick to its guns, a BA spokeswoman said yesterday: "This is the new policy as of tomorrow."She said BA was one of the few airlines to carry a wide range of sporting goods free of charge, but had decided not to accept certain larger items following a review of its hold baggage policy. "It's not a case of trying to penalise surfers," she said.
"We had to take a tough decision."
The airline was working with freight forwarders to find alternative means for customers to transport surfboards and other banned sporting items.

OK so my take on this move by British Airways, are they mad???? Just stop and think about the average surfer, we spend at least 70% of our waking hours dreaming of not only riding the perfect wave, but also doing it in some far away exotic tropical locale, and on top of that we want to take our mates along too. We are a low maintenance group, essentially too stoked to be flying off to ride perfect barrels to give a rats ass about the lousy food, cramped seating, slow service or the impossibly boring in flight entertainment.What airline in their right mind would give up customers like us?

Learn How to Surf video part 1

Hi all came accross these 12 videos on learning to surf, hosted by Trent Munro and Phil Macca.
If you are thinking of getting into surfing take a minute and check this video out. Learn the basics, learn to be safe and then get out there and rip.
This is the first video, just click the menu button on the YouTube window to see some more of these lessons.

SURF VIDEO SALSIPUEDES BAJA JAN 07'

This was a cool trip, we had a great time, got bombarded super hard by the Santa Ana winds, and the waves weren't all that we had hoped for, but surfing isn't just about the waves. It's about time spent with good mates enjoying the marvel that is the ocean! Here is a video we made from our little trip, Enjoy!

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Note if any of the artists that have songs featured on this little home video feel we have infringed their copyright, then just let us know and we will pull the video down.

cheers and yes I know I misspelled Barrel

Soundtrack credits:

"Tomorrow People" Ziggy Marley

"Rodeo Clowns" Jack Johnson

"Good People" Jack Johnson

"Dani Califonia" Red Hot Chili Peppers

Feelin' the Chill!

It was a cold and wet December day, when my feet touched the sand at Sendai Shinko. The sand was blanketed white with fresh snow, the sky grey, the waves perfect, and the line up empty. It should have been a perfect setup, the kind of day a surfer dreams of, but I could barely muster up the enthusiasm to strap on my leash. That December day was last year, it’s fresh in my mind now as the first snows are starting to fall on the mountains around Sendai. Oh well, here we go again.
Being an Australian, growing up in Queensland, I have never had to think about cold. Cold water surfing prior to Japan was wearing a 3mm full suit in winter for the early session for comfort rather than necessity.To say I loath the cold would be an understatement, but there is something to be said for it, and that’s what this article is about.
Anybody can keep stoked on surfing in the tropics, it’s easy. You wake up in the morning in your boardies, scratch your self grab a drink and head to the beach to check the swell. If it’s good you run in paddle out and surf until you get sick of it. If it’s flat, you feel bummed, but figure a swim will probably help you shake of the sleep and get the day underway, like I said, easy. Surfing in a snow covered winter is a whole other story. Your alarm rings, you wake up, it’s dark, and your face is cold. You pull the blanket over your head and tell yourself it’s just a bad dream, eventually one of your buddies who has just gone through the same nightmare, calls you up and tells you to get you ass out of bed.The nightmare continues, you get your wetty out of the bathtub, which is still wet, but now icy cold and stuff it into a bag, fill up a tank with steaming hot water pull on three to four layers of clothes and head out the door to scrape the ice and snow off of the car; it’s still dark by the way.
Once at the beach, the real challenge begins, standing on either ice or snow, with winds pouring off of the snow capped mountains around 50km away, you have to somehow get off you three to four layers and put on your icy cold wet wetty, boots, gloves and hood. Then walk through ankle to knee deep snow down to the shore, and begin the paddle out.

Unlike paddling in summer paddling in winter is like trying to swim while wrapped in a blanket, with oven mitts on. All this isn’t too bad compared to the joys of taking a duck dive under a 2 degree Celsius wall of water, which brings an instant ice cream headache.
While sitting in the line off shore wind blows against your wet hair, if you are like me and cannot stand the claustrophobic feel of a hood while you wait for waves, I only pull my hood up when it hurts to leave it down.The 5mm wet suit feels like an iron suit, with the boots and gloves on I feel like G.I Surfer, my body locked into a permanent posture rigid all movement forced, but then it happens, then one event which seems to make all the misery disappear in an instant, the peak approaches. As you paddle for the wave, icy water bounces off the nose of your board and stings your face and eyes, almost blind you feel for the moment when you know you've got the wave, be it a head high wave or double over the rush is the same, rather than the fear of a pounding, which is usually measured by the size and force of the wave, in these conditions it's the cold that rattles you, any wipeout is going to suck. One such wipeout held me down deep for two waves, I climbed up to my board trying to keep conscious and proceeded to throw up. Your feet hit the deck and you're off, cold gone, though you feel as weak as a kitten and a turn or two can leave you out of breath, but the stoke is the same. Due to cold and fatigue a winter surf usually is under one hour, that when the joints stop bending and the feet are numb, you stumble out of the water and brave the wind on the walk back to the car, once there you begin to strip off the layers of rubber, daunting task as your extremities are totally numb, one time my hands were so numb that as I pulled off my glove my wedding ring came off and I didn't feel it, winter surfing nearly cost me my marriage. Back in the car the heater blasting, toes completely numb, you begin driving home smiling ear to ear, you've made it, nature at it's worst and you were up to the challenge. You truly are a surf warrior!

Just for fun check this video of a guy surfing this mad wave in Alaska!

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Baby Pink dolphin!

Hey I know this isn't really surf related but really how often do we get to see a rare pink dolphin! How long till Disney release the feature film about this babe dolphin and his grumpy old grey turtle friend searching the ocean for the magical kingdom of the un-natural hued sea creatures? Anyway enjoy the pics they are worth a peek, and will have a few new surf pics up in the next few days, working on a neat little article right now, with the onset of winter time to dust off the 5mm and get ready for the brain freeze.

Rasta and 30+ surfers paddle out to honor Dolphins slaughtered in Taiji Japan

Less than 24 hours after professional surfer Dave Rastovich led an international group of over 30 surfers, celebrities, and musicians on a peaceful paddle-out ceremony to honor the more than 25,000 dolphins killed each year in Japan, fishermen in the tiny village of Taiji resumed the slaughter that had been delayed by the increased worldwide media attention.

In response, the surfers decided in solidarity to make a pre-dawn return to the killing cove to recreate the ceremony, albeit with fewer people to evade detection. Rastovich and the others paddled within a stone’s throw of a pod of captive pilot whales and their calves that had been herded into the cove for early morning slaughter.

“The reason we surfers were there was to share the blood-stained waters at eye-level with our ocean kin awaiting their execution,” said a dripping, visibly shaken Rastovich just after paddling in. “Despite the fishermen taking great pains to hide their acts of cruelty, we seized an opportunity to bring this travesty to the world’s attention.”

Taiji-area fishermen, who kill dolphins and whales for their meat, netted off the bay and constructed green tarps to shield the slaughter from prying eyes and front-line cetacean activists bent on shutting down the dolphin trade forever. When the surfers learned of the imminent slaughter, they did not hesitate to return despite the distinct possibility of violent resistance and police arrest.

Rastovich and his core team of surfers trailed by camera crews arrived at the infamous Taiji cove to paddle out to the captured pilot whales. After entering the water they quickly arrived alongside the whales who swam back and forth along the edge of the seaward net.

The six paddlers, including Rastovich, his wife mermaid model Hannah Fraser, Heroes TV star Hayden Panettiere, Australian actress Isabel Lucas, author Peter Heller and professional surfer Karina Petroni, formed a traditional surfers’ memorial circle situated between the whales and the blood-ridden shallows.

Local fishermen converged almost immediately, harassing the paddlers with yelled threats and advancing on them with whirling propeller blades. The irate fishermen, who yelled “Why are you here? Go Home!” then used a long wooden pole to attack and intimidate the surfers.

“Even though the fishermen used force to try and break us up we held our peaceful stance. The feeling in the circle was of incredible strength” said mermaid model Hannah Fraser.

With tensions escalating and the police sirens growing, the surfers quickly paddled back to shore where a distraught Hayden Panettiere fell to her knees sobbing, overwhelmed by the carnage she and the group had just witnessed.

“I couldn’t believe how red the water was,” said Panettiere. “The whales were so scared. Hopefully their deaths won’t be in vain.”

After hightailing it out of Taiji, 30 policemen readied with a paddy wagon stopped the three-van convoy at the border of the Wakayama prefecture. After politely checking passports and questioning the group intently, the police waved the crew on their way.

Rastovich expressed extreme sorrow, saying “With many nets and kill boats waiting beyond the cove, the fishermen’s intense desire to kill left no room for escape.”

Reflecting on the day’s experience, a somber Isabel Lucas expressed that the worst part was that the whales are probably all dead by now. “We couldn’t save these whales but hopefully shining the light on their deaths will save others.”

For more information:

Surfers For Cetaceans

http://www.surfersforcetaceans.com/

Save the Whales Again
http://www.savethewhalesagain.com/

Save Japan Dolphins
http://www.savejapandolphins.org/

Minds In the Water Visual Petition
http://www.mindsinthewater.com/

Sea Shepherd http://www.seashepherd.org/

How sick are these shots!

Here are a few photos of Sendai Shinkou on a very solid swell, I tell ya this place has its dayz and then it has dayz like this!

How much would you like to trade places with this guy! Great thing about this break, when it turns on like this there are only a hand full of guys with the right boards and the nerve to go out, so you can get waves like this with only 5-10 other surfers out on the peak, and on days like this it is usually the older crew out and there is a lot of respect floating around!

Now this is the setup we all dread, the ol' caught inside feeling that you just have to accept is gonna happen if you paddle out in surf like this!

Pics sent in by Alexei Kononenko (pictured below)

Photos by Yoshi Slow Surf

A FEW OF JASONS MOMENTS!

This here is my buddy Jason. Jason is one of those guys you can count on to try his best when the camera is on, here are a few shots of him doing his thing, no matter what the conditions! One super stoked surfer for sure!

Taking a wipe out on a closeout day. The break is called Shichigahama,Japan.

"There is a Tube here somewhere I seen it!"

"Ha, ha Told ya I was gonna get a cover up today!"

Setting it all up!

It should be said that Jason is now over in Margret River tearing into huge pits, no more laydown barrels aye boi!

SURF STRETCHES

Before each surf stretching is so important. When I first started surfing in Japan 6 years ago, my buddy and mentor pointed over at a couple of Japanese surfers who were stretching on the sand and laughed.
“Look at those wallies!” he mused, “It’s 2 ft, what the hell they thinks gonna happen? Probably saw some pro- surfer do it on a dvd or something!”
At the time , I was just as amused, couldn’t understand the reason for doing stretches before a leisurely surf session, then one day I actually saw former WCT pro Danny Melhado stretching before heading out into 2-3ft onshore chop. I approached him and asked why he was stretching so intensely for these conditions, surely he wouldn’t get hurt in this, his reply opened my eyes.
“it’s not the size or the injuries I am stretching out for bro, it so I am limber and can perform better! Not worried about ripping a muscle, I want to rip the wave!”
After that I thought why not give it a try, I have never looked back since, my friend still doesn’t stretch before a surf despite my assurances, but I can’t blame him, he is from a different era. So in this article I will briefly outline a few of the stretches I do to limber up before I paddle out and rip!





days like this you really should stretch just a little



1. I start by rolling my head around to limber up my neck, in surfing where you look is where you go and it is so easy to tweak your neck in the moment, just watch a Slater DVD that guy rips his head all the way round in each turn.


2. Touch your toes, I tend to bounce down slowly letting my weight take me to full extension, don’t force it or you will cause an injury before you even get wet!


3. Pull my feet to my arse, stretch them quads, they are the mot fundamental part of any maneuver


4. It on the sand with 1 foot crossing over the other knee, then twist from the waist looking over your opposite shoulder, right foot over twist to the right


5. While sitting arch your back and reach for the stars, lock your fingers palms facing up.


6. Lastly I do a bridge, feet flat, reach back and place your hands on the sand and arch your back, with your stomach facing the sky.


7. Lastly stand up shake loose strap on the leg rope and go rip!