Extremehorizon surf blog providing: regular surfing news, updates, stories, surf pictures, product reviews, surfer interviews and anything from the world of actions sports which is begging to be blogged!
" It was a day for the big name surfers to shine as The O’Neill Highland Open by Swatch moved into the second round. But it wasn’t just the surfers who were putting on a great show at Brims Ness. Conditions here in the north of Scotland finally sorted themselves out and in the words of event commentator, Dave Mailman; “We’ve got five to six foot of swell, offshore winds and sunny skies. What more could you ask for from a 6 star prime ASP WQS event.” The answer to that was provided in the drama that unfolded throughout the day. Last year’s winner, Australian Nathan Hedge just squeezed through, needing a wave in the dying seconds of his heat in order to move up into second position. “I couldn’t hear anything from the water,” said Nathan. “I thought I was either third or last. I had no idea I came second.
The Highland Open was first staged in April 2006. Thurso had long been known to hardcore UK surfers as the home of one of the most serious and demanding waves in Europe and O’Neill took the decision to stage a major WQS contest to put the town on the world surfing map.
The Event is a 6 star WQS, so it brings out all the names on the WQS circuit including, Sunny Garcia from HAW, who's attempting to qualify for the WCT tour next year and a few of our lads, inc Alan Stokes, Oli Adams, Sam Lamiroy.
The event was off yesterday due to lack of swell and its been moved to Brimms Ness this morning in the hope of better conditions.
Mr B's films have been getting better and better and the latest offering due out this summer is no exception. The film contains a who's who in British surfing and highlights the variety, potential and quality of the waves on our own doorstep...the film's final cut isn't ready yet but going on the trailer (click on it below) it's going to be one to buy. Heres what Wavelength mag had to say:
"Substance is the title of the follow-up to the massively sucessful Performing Monkeys from Mr. B Productions. The new movie, which is currently in the editing phase, is very slick, very high performance and entirely shot in the UK and Ireland with local surfers. Having seen the first rushes be prepared to see the doors blown right off the barn with this one, which is looking to become the best home-grown movie ever."
This is a hilarious 1967 clip from the original Batman TV series, where the man himself in full costume (including baggy yellow satin pants) has a surf off against the Joker. This is completely off the camp, cheesy scale...so make some popcorn, pull up a chair and prepare to watch Batman put his shark repellent spray to optimum use :)
Endless Summer has to be up there with the best...its one of the originals, Bruce browns commentary is a laugh (though not quite politically correct in parts by modern standards) and the locations are great. Its a time capsule of how surfing used to be, somehow more innocent...definately one to watch.
Below is a press release from the APT, which looks interesting as it suggests this years big wave tow in events may be a pre-cursor for a future big wave world tour...logistically very difficult and really long waiting periods for events but how cool...
Holding Period begins for the APT/Punta de Lobos Tow-In Event
The Association of Professional Towsurfers, Inc. (APT) is proud to announce that the holding period for the Punta de Lobos, Pichilemu Chile World Cup Tow-In Surfing Championship that will take place in South America has begun and will last thru July 15, 2008.
This will be the first stop for the 2nd Annual 2008/2009 APT World Tour Tow-In Season and it is anticipated that this event will set the stage for the entire tour and the future of professional competitive towsurfing.
Rodney ‘Handsome Bugga’ Kilborn, APT’s Global Vice President and Event Sanctioning Director, along with Chile’s APT Vice President and Event Logistic Manager, Rodrigio ‘Fletcha’ Escobar are excited and ready to make this event a huge success once the right swell is delivered.
Along with the main tow-in event, there will be a big wave traditional surfing contest to be held at the same location during the same swell. In total, there will be $35,000.00 in prize money to handed out. Along with prize purse money, Mike Slattery of HighSurfRescue.com (HSA) will sponsor additional prizes by giving away a rescue board to the winning first place team and tow-in equipment for 2nd and 3rd place teams.
Competitors for this world-class event will consist of the top eight rated teams from the 2007 APT season along with Chile representation and professionally established big wave riders from Hawaii, Australia, Tahiti, Mexico, California, Brazil and Ireland.
TORQUAY is bracing itself for the planet’s biggest, meanest and deadliest waves to roll into Surf World.
Riding Liquid Mountains, which opens at Surf World in March, will be the most comprehensive big wave exhibition in the world.
The exhibition will take visitors on an adrenaline-pumping journey, exploring the evolution of this death-defying sport, its pioneers, champions and the technology that enables surfers to take on the biggest waves in the world.
Photographic images capturing big wave riders at their best will be a particular highlight of the exhibition, along withdisplays of big wave surfboards, artwork and personal memorabilia.
Riding Liquid Mountains will showcase big wave surfboards, events and locations from around the world including:
Dozens of big wave surfboards will be on display including a Greg Noll/ Jose Angel 11” gun, a 12” 3’ Velsey Gun Spear through to modern day tow in boards.
In 1965, Barrie Sutherland captured on film the biggest swell ever at Bells Beach. Included in this stunning photographic exhibition is an image of John Monie surfing a monster 25 foot plus wave at Bells Beach.
The iconic Bell will be on display as well as images and items from big wave charges Jeff Watt, Simon Anderson, Terry Fitzgerald, Russ “Hell Man” McConachy and Greg Brown.
Every annual event poster from the Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay will be featured as well as Tony Ray’s event trophies.
Spectacular images of every winning biggest wave and biggest paddle in wave ridden since the inception of the Billabong XXL.
Images from the Billabong Odyssey, Japan, Mavericks, Ireland and Shark Park.
Artwork from Norvell Watson and John Severson as well as big wave posters, clothing, books, moving image, magazines, a jet ski, sled, tow rope and even a foil board belonging to Ross Clarke-Jones will also feature in the exhibition.
In terms of surfing, Lincolnshire is rarely placed on anyones map (not all bad as theres more waves for us!) but Pete Robinson who runs the British Surfing Museum out of Brighton has got together with the Grimsby National Fishing Heritage Centre in NE Lincolnshire to host a display called "An art History of british surfing". Nice one Pete! For more info check the press release below:
"AN ART HISTORY OF BRITISH SURFING
Art and surfing have been inextricably linked for hundreds of years, and now a new exhibition looks at how both these elements combined to glide into British consciousness over the past few centuries.
From early sketches of surfers during the voyages of Captain James Cook in the 18th century and iconic hand sculpted wooden surfboards, to the flower power of the 1960s and garish fluorescent colours of the 1980s – paintings, posters, photography and film – ‘an art history of British surfing’ is a visual feast.
The act of riding a wave itself, is perhaps the purest form a surfing art; the surfer propelled by a pulse of energy from mother nature, painting lines on the ever changing canvas of the wave.
This exciting new show has been put together by Brighton-based not for profit organisation, The Surfing Museum and is sponsored by the clothing company Oxbow and the Wavedreamer graphics team in North Devon.
Among the artefacts on display will be original British surfboards dating back almost a century featuring art and sculptural form. It will be complemented by an eclectic mix of memorabilia showing amazing artwork from the creative minds of surfers and those drawn to this ancient pastime.
Also on show will be stunning replicas of ancient Hawaiian surfboards hand carved by the Tom Pohaku Stone – a lecturer in Hawaiian culture and surfer of legendary status."
The National Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby - June 28th to September 7th 2008
You may have seen a post a few days ago where I tried to second guess the outcome of the Biggest Wave award at Billabong's XXL award...well I got it wrong and Mike Parsons scooped the award for the second time for a 70ft wave ridden at Cortes Bank.
"San Clemente big wave legend Mike Parsons, 43, officially surfed into the record books for riding the wave judged to be 70ft+ (24m+) to win the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award. The feat was performed at Cortes Bank off the Californian coast on January 5th 2008. Judges measured the wave at 70ft but due to the photo cutting off the bottom of the wave they were unable to accurately pin point the exact base of the ride, meaning it is actually somewhat larger. It is the second time Parsons has secured the prestigious Biggest Wave Award after taking out the inaugural title in 2001 for a 66ft wave ridden at the same location."
How long before the ultimate 100ft wave is surfed?
I've read a quite a few surf books and surf mags over the years and theres often a link mentioned between surfing and mountain climbing. Admittedly this connection appears primarily amongst California writers but it got me thinking (not good!)...surely these sports have nothing in common? Then I recently watched a TV documentary on Alain Robert who has to be the worlds most mental solo free climber. He's the guy who climbs the worlds tallest buildings unaided. The documentary repeatedly stated that if Robert slipped and fell he would die... no argument...dead . So in that sense what Robert is doing is a true adventure sport balancing on the line between life and death in search of the rush...much in the same way as big wave surfers. Surfers who take off on 25ft+ waves are staring at a potential life threatening challenge. Deaths amongst big wave riders occur but thankfully only rarely, so I guess thats where surfing and solo free climbing meet, the real possibility of death, true adventure sport where participants step up to the edge and peer right over. Check out this clip of Robert in action, its awesome...
Its the annual Billabong XXL big wave awards this Friday being held in California. This award is recognised as the one to aspire to for Big wave chargers and its eagerly awaited every year. There are numerous categories, including monster tube, monster paddle, ride of the year, but the category for me is the Biggest Wave ridden. There are 5 nominees being towed into waves at Cortes Bank, Ghost Trees and Belharra but I've picked out 2 which in my humble opinion are likely winners...in fact sticking my neck out and being bias towards Europe, I'd say the ride by Vincent Lartizen at Belharra should take it...but what do I know, I could be completely wrong. Check the pics and see what you think (Grant Baker, Cortes left pic/Belharra right pic). Either way these are epic waves. The XXL awards are being broadcast live on the web (02.00 GMT Sat12th)
WHICH SHOT LOOKS LIKE A WINNER TO YOU: FEEL FREE TO POST A COMMENT BELOW
Starting next week at Caswell Bay, Swansea (£30 for four session all surfing equipment included)
This operates Monday to Friday after school and on Saturday mornings running up to the summer school holidays when we start our famous summer surf camp for young people.
This after school surfing academy helps create confident individuals and gives the young people attending a skill for life. The skill of understanding the ocean and its dangers, GSD aims to help all young surfers become good water people and understand the dangers and risks involved with the ocean and environment. They provide all the surfing equipment needed for the classes and will give advice on purchase of surf equipment when the time comes and the young surfer is ready to start surfing by themselves.
The Northshore of Oahu is the global epicentre of surfing that draws surfers from all over the planet every winter to test themselves in some of the most challenging waves anywhere. Its an amazing place to visit but imagine living there with an ocean front view of Sunset...well if you have a spare $15,000,000 you can. I was trawling the internet looking to see if it was possible to tow a caravan to the North shore via Grimsby and I stumbled upon this incredible house. Its a touch out of my price range but if I do ever manage to get a caravan to Oahu I can park it on the Kam highway for nowt and who'd be laughing then :)
This is the British entry for best surf film ever and compared to the US conterparts its much more down to earth (no surprise there). Its got a great cast including Catherine Zeta Jones, looking very cute pre- her current w*nky fake American persona , theres some very funky wetsuits, some very dodgy surf clips and even some Northern Soul thrown in ( I never knew Northern Soul had made it all the way south to St Ives) This film was never going to win any Oscars but its British and its great fun.
OK, Pointbreak its not a surf film as such, more of an action movie with a surf theme but whatever its very watchable. The film has obvious flaws the main one being the final scene which was set up to be staged at Bells beach, Victoria, when filming actually took place in Norcal, somewhere that looks nothing like Bells/Torquay and the actual wave shot is Waimea. But this can all be forgiven as the story is about big wave riders robbing banks to pursue the endless summer and the biggest swells...how cool!
"Its not tragic to die doing what you love, if you want the ultimate you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price" Classic stuff :)
