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!
Businesses close to famous surf spots know it, surfers know it but it seems the fact that a wave can create, boost or regenerate a local economy is lost on everyone else (look at what happened to Mundaka as a case in point). So Save the Waves have done a "Surfomomics" study of Mavericks to find out the economic benefits to Half Moon bay by having a famous wave on their doorstep:
" Save The Waves Coalition announced the preliminary results from its second 'Surfonomics' study, a measure of the economic value of the world-famous big-wave break at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, California. The study found that the surfing site and area has an estimated economic value to visitors of nearly $24 million per year, based on approximately 420,000 annual visitors.
“Mavericks is an iconic, world-renowned surf break that’s truly unique,” said Save The Waves executive director Dean LaTourrette. “This study provides evidence of not just its environmental value, but of its economic value as well. This further reinforces the notion that it and other special coastal areas around the world need and deserve to be protected.”
Nelscott reef, 1km offshore from Lincoln City, Oregon scored an epic glassy 30 ft swell last thursday. Andrew "Cotty" Cotton from Devon was representing the UK...
Paddle in results:
Results 1st Anthony Tashnick-California 2nd Kealii Mamala-Hawaii 3rd Chris Bertish- South Africa 4th Travis Payne-Oregon 5th Greg Long-California 6th Gary Linden-California 7th Mark Visser-Australia 8th Shane Desmond-California 9th Mike Parsons-California
Supertubos, Peniche/Portugal - The Rip Curl Pro Search is headed to Supertubos this morning and started at 8.30am with the Men's semi-finals. It's an all-Australian affair for the final three heats, with Bede Durbidge up against current ASP World No. 2 Joel Parkinson in Semi 1 and Current ASP World No. 1 Mick Fanning against Wildcard Owen Wright in Semi 2 - if Owen elects to surf this morning after perforating his ear drum yesterday. The finals will follow so it should all be over today
The last event of the European leg of the ASP tour in Peniche Portugal is set to kick off this morning in clean 3ft waves after a lay day yesterday when a 15ft swell hit which saw some of the pro-surfers towing in and surfers across the Atlantic coast catching huge waves including 25ft sets at Aileens in Ireland.
Nelscott Reef Big wave comp has the green light for go this Thurs 22nd Oct with a classic 17ft, 15 sec swell forecast, which should produce at least triple overhead waves!
The Nelscott Reef Tow In Classic has become one of the world’s premier tow in events with contestants traveling from all over the world to compete. This big wave contest is held 1/2 mile offshore of Lincoln City, Oregon at Nelscott Reef. With a holding period of Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, organizers wait for a swell large enough to produce 30 foot or greater waves.
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, claimed his inaugural ASP World Tour win today, taking out the Billabong Pro Mundaka, eliminating fellow Finalist Chris Davidson (AUS), 33, in punchy two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at the backup venue of Sopelana.
Stop No. 8 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Mundaka experienced an array of conditions for the event, from clean surf on the opening day at Mundaka to a lengthy seven-day wait before a marathon 24-heat session yesterday, culminating into today’s dramatic finale.
MUNDAKA, Euskadi/Spain (Tuesday, October 13, 2009) – UPDATE: Due to the rapid deterioration of conditions at Mundaka, event organizers have put the event on hold while relocating to Sopelana for a 10am call.
Following yesterday’s marathon session that saw the world’s best surfers attack both the punchy sandbars of Sopelana as well as the roping lefthanders of Mundaka, the Billabong Pro Mundaka has the option to finish as soon as tide and conditions allow for it.
The body of a dead surfer has been found drifting in the sea close to a famous beauty spot.
The man's body - which was still attached to his surf board - was spotted by a passer-by at Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, at 2.15pm 09th Oct. A police spokesman said the body was found next to a slipway.
He added that a camper van had been recovered and steps were being taken to identify the deceased. The spokesman said: 'Dorset police is investigating on behalf of the coroner because there are no suspicious circumstances.'
A spokesman for Portland Coastguards said: 'A member of the public had seen what they thought was a body on Kimmeridge Slipway. 'A coastguard helicopter and rescue team were tasked to attend the scene and confirmed there was a body of a man in the water.
'He was a surfer and was still attached to his board. We are unsure how long he was in the water but yesterday's sea conditions were not very good for surfing.'However, they were the day before, so he could have been at sea for a long period of time before being found.'
A post-mortem examination is due to take place today to establish the unnamed man's cause of death.
The next leg of the UK Pro Surf Tour is set to hit the road for the weekend of the 24th 25th October. The event to be held at Longsands Beach, Tynemouth. This will be the fourth leg of seven UK Pro Surf Tour events for 2009.
Lets hope they get surf and I hope the Southern lads bring at least 5mm of rubber as its getting colder already up here :)
After a swell on the opening day, a lay day (wed 07th) has been called for the Billabong Pro Mundaka, with only small one-to-two foot (0.5 metre) waves and high tide conditions on offer this morning. Event No. 8 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Mundaka commenced competition yesterday at the primary venue, running the first eight heats of the man-on-man elimination Round 1.
“The surf we enjoyed yesterday has dropped substantially since then and we’ve called competition off for the day,” Mike Parsons, Billabong Pro Mundaka Contest Director, said. “We’re tracking some models for the end of the week that look promising, but we’ll be back tomorrow to make another call.”
If you surf in the UK during the summer you cant fail to notice the vast numbers of "surfers" in the water- hotspots like Croyde and Fistral are rammed with beginners and surf schools all vying for their own little space, all dropping into and onto each other. The situation is the same in SW France so much so that the city councils around the Hossegor area are considering regulating surfing!
We spotted this alarming news in Drift magazine, which is online at the moment but is up there with the best in terms of content, images, ethics and design. Well worth checking out. The paragraph below is from their story, the image is ours taken at Croyde bay:
According to regional French newspaper Sud-Ouest, after the high number of surfing related accidents resulting in injuries that occurred on the Capbreton – Hossegor - Seignosse stretch of coast this last summer (up to 35% more than the previous summer), these City Councils are studying the possibility of setting up some sort of surfing regulation. A regulation that, they say, would mainly affect surf schools (they will have a designated stretch of beach each, so as not to have an excess of learner surfers in the same break) but also surfers with rentals and, presumably, little or no ocean experience.
Last week two major earthquakes hit the Padang, West Sumatra, region - the initial 7.6 and then a second 6.6 quake. Padang, the gateway to the Mentawai Islands and where most of the surf charter boats are based, has been seriously damaged and the initial death toll is more than 1,100.
SurfAid has gone into emergency mode and has staff doing assessments of the needs of the people in the coastal areas south of Padang, which are heavily populated and impoverished. SurfAid had Mentawai health program staff already in Padang and they have been reassigned to emergency work. SurfAid will respond to the immediate urgent needs with medical staff and supplies. SurfAid has eight doctors and three nurses preparing medical supplies.
SurfAid is buying tents, tarpaulins, food, water and sanitation and medical supplies in Medan, North Sumatra, and getting these to Padang. The SurfAid office in Padang survived, however the internet system is down, along with electricity and phones, so a priority is to get a new internet system in place along with satellite phones and gensets for power, along with fresh water as the mains water supply is cut off.
Surfaid are asking for donations to help with the selfless relief work, aid and assistance they are providing in Padang. To donate to Surf Aid: CLICK HERE
"The Daily Reviewer selects only the world's top blogs (and RSS feeds). We sift through thousands of blogs daily to present you the world's best writers. The blogs that we include are authoritative on their respective niche topics and are widely read. To be included in The Daily Reviewer is a mark of excellence"