Breaking Ice

I was fast asleep after a night of partying with Lionel Richie and Natalie Cole when the call came in from SANS president John Fluke.

A group of sixty or so determined surfers had made the voyage to White Point Lodge on the south shore of Nova Scotia for the third annual Billabong Nor’Easter Surf Classic. Although there was nothing too staggering about the results of this frozen water surf contest, the spin offs were very important especially for the ISA junior boys Canadian contingent.

Now, here are your results:

More…
Continue Reading »

The snow is still falling, the roads are icy and unsafe and the elderly are in the throws of terrible fits of arthritis. The beginning of spring has come and graced the Maritimes with it’s sunny disposition. But the blustery conditions may hold for a decent swell at White Point tomorrow for the Billabong Nor’Easter Surf Classic. That’s right. It’s a go. Obvious by the green traffic light cutout glowing proudly on the SANS website.

Continue Reading »

photograph Cam Scott and www.coastalbc.com

I’ve been catching up on some past articles dealing with localism in places like Santa Cruz, Jordan River and the Hawaii Islands. I started to think about all of the stories I’ve heard about localism here in Nova Scotia. First it was the local fishermen in the 60’s and 70’s looking to scare off the first generation of Nova Scotia surfers. They stayed, bought up land and settled in. This place has been growing ever since.

Continue Reading »

Hey everyone,

I need to let you in on a trailer for a new surf film I came across at Apple’s Movie Trailer Page called Surf Wise directed by Doug Pray. I love a good highlight reel but I love a great story even more. I think it may very well be the best surf film of the year. Here’s a little bit about it. Check out the trailer when you have a moment.

Like many American outsider-adventurers, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz set out to realize a utopian dream. Abandoning a successful medical practice, he sought self-fulfillment by taking up the nomadic life of a surfer. But unlike other American searchers like Thoreau or Kerouac, Paskowitz took his wife and nine children along for the ride, all eleven of them living in a 24 foot camper. Together, they lived a life that would be unfathomable to most, but enviable to anyone who ever relinquished their dreams to a straight job. The Paskowitz Family proved that America may be running out of frontiers, but it hasn’t run out of frontiersman.

Cheers

Mike

[source: apple.com/trailers]

[Mick & Carissa Fanning, Heath Walker : photo ASL]

The world’s best surfers have been decided by their peers and top honours went to Australian surfers and world champions Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore at the 16th annual Surf Life Peer Pole Awards at Bells Beach.

The Surfing Life Peer Poll Awards are the only surfing awards that surfers themselves vote for. For most who are nominated it is truly one of the highest honours around.

‘Being voted by your peers there is no better award. I am so stoaked,’ Fanning said. Gilmore said she appreciated the support of the magazine in continuing to raise the profile of female surfing.

Check out Surfers Village for all the contest results and happenings at the Rip Curl Pro

 

 

Dale Staples : photo Steve Robertson
Many of the worlds greatest 16 and under surfers competed in 1m clean surf today to decide the Rip Curl GromSearch Champion for 2008 at Bells Beach in Australia. The results are in. Thousands of spectators were on hand and Dale Staples (St Francis Bay/Sth Africa/16 years) didn’t disappoint becoming the second South African surfer to make the Rip Curl GromSearch international 16 Boys and under final. The other was Jordy Smith who placed second in the event three years ago, but this time Staples claimed top prize.

 

 

“It’s my biggest win ever and I can’t believe I’ve won. To do one better than Jordy is unbelievable and I only hope I can do what Jordy’s doing now and eventually make ASP World Tour – He’s an amazing surfer!”

 

For other contest results check out Surfers Village

 

 

 

 

Checked in on the action at Bells Beach and it looks like ground breaking surfer Dane Reynolds is making his presence felt. The 22 year old World Tour rookie from California led the pack in the second round nailing the highest wave score (9.73 out of 10) and a best heat total of 18.73 out of twenty.

“That (9.73) was just a perfect clean face,” Reynolds said. “I would have had to really blow it to not get a score. I basically connected the dots, I didn’t do anything too ridiculous, but that is all it took.

For more info on the Rip Curl Pro presented by Snickers check it out at Surfers Village

Stephanie Gilmore [Photo: Robertson/ASP Covered Images]

I caught the results for rounds one and two at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro presented by Ford Fiesta at Bell’s Beach.

No surprise that reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and defending event champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) netted the day’s highest heat total of a 17.40 out of a possible 20.

“It takes a fair bit of hard work (defending your title),” Gilmore said. “Everyone is surfing so well this season and everyone’s hungry for the win. It’s definitely going to be a bit harder than last year. However, I’m just taking it heat by heat. I was focusing on that last heat, and now I’m just looking ahead and focusing on my Round 3 heat.”

For a look at the standings after the first two rounds check out

Global Surf News

I was surfing the internet this morning and came across an article on surfersvillage about a new small wave hybrid board coming out of Australia called the Mini-Mini…

At first glance the Mini looks simple enough but move closer and you will soon discover the science of the cathedral hull which gives the board paddle way beyond its length and would also encourage anyone still alive from that era to pull a Paul Strauch cheater five when no one is looking. Rockers, widths, thicknesses and plan shape are all designed to give the best paddle performance (for a short board) without once interfering with any facet of performance.

Bourton Shapes designer, and partner in Australia’s BASE Surfboards, Murray Bourton has been creating specialty boards for some 38 years. Sniffing around his site, I think he may have just designed a board that could make those tiny spring sets that plague our waters on the east coast of Canada a bit more fun.

[via Surfers Village via Bourton Shapes ]

[source: Footprint Books]

In case any of you are prepping a surf trip to Europe in the next little while here’s something that you may find extremely helpful.

Chris Nelson and Demi Taylor are releasing their second edition surf travel guide Footprint Surfing Europe.
It’s completely overhauled for 2008 and packed with accurate surf information and mapping.

The continent’s wave-rich coastline comes to life with stunning photography from some of the world’s most creative cameramen. And it’s chalked full of surfer’s tales of adventure and discovery.

Surfing Europe is a comprehensive guide that combines detailed surf and travel essentials with recommendations on the best places to eat, sleep, drink and even get your board fixed, ensuring maximum water time. Covering England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco plus new regions Northern Ireland and Italy, it’s an essential companion for anyone serious about surfing in Europe.

Best of all it will fit in your glove box. Available from all good surf shops and book stores £24.99.