Glassy & waves

Hello Friends,

0645: the early-risers getting a few...

Quality’s not amazing, but there are definitely some waves around this morning and the howling wind of yesterday has disappeared as expected. Sets at Dee Why look to be around the chest high mark, maybe a touch bigger. The point seems to be smaller than the beachy and it’s much less consistent. According to the MHL buoy, the average size of the south swell at sea is around 3 metres and the average period is around 10 sec with some 11 second stuff in the mix.

0745: more waves in the beach break than at the point.

This is the Bureau’s summary for NSW: “A pulse of large southerly swell will affect the NSW coast today and Thursday. It has the potential to cause some dangerous surf conditions, though given the southerly nature, it is likely to affect southern facing beaches most; primarily in the Hunter. The timing is such that the highest swells are likely overnight tonight with an easing trend from the south during Thursday. Northerly winds will freshen this afternoon with a rather weak southerly change affecting southern coastal parts on Thursday. Winds should quickly revert to a northerly on Friday ahead of a change on Saturday.”

Sounds like a plan to get out there asap.

Go well!

SURFCOMP TO RAISE FUNDS FOR SICK KIDS

Bob and Bandaged Bear need your help for sick kids.

Loquat Valley Anglican Preparatory School in Bayview will hold their biennial Surf Competition and Family Beach Day on November 22nd at Palm Beach. Details are on www.lvssurfcomp.com  

The aim is to have a great day on the beach and raise much-needed funds for the children of Bear Cottage.   An initiative of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Bear Cottage is the only hospice in NSW providing respite for children with terminal illnesses and their families and palliative care at the end of their illness. 

Fraser Dovell gets a neat one.

In 2006, Loquat Valley’s Surf Comp and Family Beach Day raised $10,000 to support the vital work Bear Cottage provide.  ”We’re thrilled that the Loquat Valley School Community have chosen to support us again” said Bear Cottage Community Relations Manager, Kate Henshall.  ”We rely entirely on donations from the community to operate and are privileged to have Loquat Valley Preparatory School as an ongoing supporter of The Cottage”.

The day’s events are being planned in conjunction with Surf Life Saving Sydney Northern Beaches and the Palm Beach Surf Club.  The day will be fun for the whole family with friendly competitions in surfing, bodyboarding, sandcastle building and sand sculpting, beach volleyball and nippers events.   Lessons in surfing and water safety will be provided to those who are new to the sport.   Steve McInnes, CEO of Surf Life Saving Northern Beaches said, “We see this as a really good initiative for both fun and competition for young people.  We are quite happy to support this event again and in the future.”

Over 100 kids built sand castles!

A Silent Auction will feature donated items from local businesses, families and the surf industry including Rip Curl, Soft Board Australia and Billabong.  Items for auction will include a five night stay in the beautiful Koro Sun Resort for two adults and two children in Fiji through Fiji Island Tours, a sail with the Australian 18 Footers League, accommodation for two with dinner and breakfast at the historic Mutton Falls Guest House in Tarana, NSW, a night of entertainment by musician Lionel Robinson and gift vouchers from local businesses including Pandora Jewellery, Deese of Avalon and Palm Beach Surf School.  

The principal at Loquat Valley, Graeme Watson, said the school’s surf day is one of those wonderful family occasions in the life of a school.  ”Importantly, while getting families together helps build community strength, the school’s Parents and Friends’ association has also made the day a major fund-raiser for Bear Cottage, and this is another great typically peninsula example to our children about looking beyond oneself to the needs of others.”

The competitions are open to Loquat Valley School students, parents and Year 7 ex-students.  The BBQ and silent auction is open to the public.  All kids are welcome to come and meet the Bandaged Bear from Bear Cottage!

For much needed sponsorship and any donations to the Silent Auction, please call:  

Bob Allo 0411 473 173 or 

Betina King 0418 481 969.  

For full details, check out  www.lvssurfcomp.com

Surfboard Testing Day – Sponsor Needed!

As you may have heard there is movement to create the first ever Surfboard Testing Day on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, bringing surfers and shapers together at the beach.

This is a great opportunity for a business to get heaps of exposure as a sponsor. The cost is very low and the potential return is high.

Check out -

http://www.surfspono.com/modules/friendfinder/view.php?id=81

or

http://forum.realsurf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14969

for more information

Contact shan on 0411 564 565 or sir_fur71@yahoo.com.au  to discuss.

Watching the US election

Hi folks. This is a post for that small group of you who are also following the twists and turns of voting day in the USA. Everybody else advised to skip past this!

I’m watching trends on the following sites:

New York Times big board (very cautious)

538.com electoral projections

Pollster.com electoral projections

Great round up of online resources at alleyinsider.com

Peek-a-boo with Jake (DYSH)

Bit of wait between waves (DYSH)

INVITEES ANNOUNCED FOR 2008/2009 THE QUIKSILVER IN MEMORY OF EDDIE AIKAU

Huntington Beach, California – Quiksilver is pleased to announce the 2008/2009 Invitees and Alternates for The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau and the official launch of the event website at Quiksilver.com/eddie.

Scheduled to take place at the hallowed grounds of Waimea Bay, on the North Shore of Oahu, between December 1, 2008, and February 28, 2009, the event, otherwise known as “The Eddie”, requires one day with a minimum of 20-foot surf (Hawaiian scale) in order to run. It is the world’s most prestigious big-wave surfing event and is the only big-wave surf contest sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the governing body of professional surfing.

Held in honor of the legendary Hawaiian waterman, Eddie Aikau, the The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau gathers 28 of the most skillful and dynamic big-wave surfers from around the world as polled by a comprehensive panel consisting of influential watermen, members of the surf industry, and internationally recognized surfing Associations.

The first memorial event for Aikau was held in 1984 at Sunset Beach, two miles north of Waimea Bay. It was won by local standout Denton Miyamura. Following the inaugural event, The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau moved to Waimea Bay, where it has remained ever since. 2008 marks the event’s 24^th anniversary; in only seven of those years have the waves been big enough and the conditions right to hold the contest.

In the realm of big-wave riding, the name Eddie Aikau commands as much respect as Waimea Bay itself. Aikau was the North Shore of Oahu’s first lifeguard, watching over the Bay when he wasn’t charging the biggest waves of the winter. Tragically, he lost his life in 1978, at the age of 33, during a re-creation of the Polynesian voyage between Hawaii and Tahiti. In huge seas, the voyaging canoe Hokule’a was capsized. Eddie paddled off in an attempt to reach help for his fellow crewmen. He was never seen again but his spirit and legacy live on.

The complete list of Invitees and Alternates for this year’s event are available online at www.quiksilver.com/eddie. The website also includes photos and video from previous year’s events, Invitee profiles and swell updates. Visitors can sign up to receive text updates for the “Official Contest Call” and watch online when the Bay calls the day.

Collectible limited-edition The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau merchandise, including boardshorts, t-shirts, hats, sandals and backpack, are also available online at www.quiksilver.com/eddie and in Quiksilver stores. 

We have waves!

3-4 foot of south swell with light north wind that needs to blow for a little longer to clean things up- it’s still lumpy but improving by the minute as the tide drops and offshore wind picks up.  Swell should stick a little but drop over the next few days.  Enjoy.

Gilmore Wins Back-to-Back Titles in Peru to Regain ASP Ratings Lead

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 20, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion, regained the ratings lead on the ASP Women’s World Tour.

PISCINA, Peru (Tuesday, November 4, 2008) – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 20, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and defending event champion, collected her second consecutive win in Peru today, defeating Silvana Lima (BRA), 24, to claim the Movistar Classic Mancora Peru presented by Rip Curl as well as the ratings lead on the ASP Women’s World Tour.

Event No. 6 of 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Movistar Classic Mancora Peru pres. by Rip Curl relocated from the primary venue in Mancora this morning to Piscina, an hour and a half south, where swell was running in the three-to-four foot (1.5 metre) range.

After building momentum throughout the day, Gilmore peaked in the Final, posting the highest heat total of the event, a 16.10 out of a possible 20, with brilliant flair and power on her backhand, to claim her second consecutive event title in Peru.

“I am so stoked right now,” Gilmore said. “I love coming to Peru. The waves are always really fun and the people are so passionate about their surfing. I came here confident that I could get a result and to come out on top is just fantastic.”

After stumbling with an equal 9^th at the last ASP Women’s World Tour event in Sydney, Gilmore’s win today sees the young natural-footer back on top of the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings and on course to defend her ASP Women’s World Title.

“I think Sydney was good for me in that it motivated me to refocus on my primary goal which is to win another ASP Women’s World Tour,” Gilmore said. “Now that I’m ahead, I feel great, but I know there are still two more events and a lot can happen. I excited for Hawaii and am looking forward to a great end of the year.”

Lima, current No. 4 on the ASP Women’s World Tour, was in brilliant form all day, even netting an 7.70 out of a possible 10 in the Final, but it wasn’t enough to stop a rampaging Gilmore.

“I am very happy with my performance today,” Lima said. “I felt like I was surfing well and that my equipment was working really good. It is a shame that I couldn’t win in the Final, but I am happy with my result.”

Today’s runner-up finish marks Lima’s second in two events (she finished runner-up at the last event in Sydney), and the progressive natural-footer rockets up to 4^th on the ASP Women’s World Tour.

“I really want to win an event one of these days, but Steph (Gilmore) was ripping,” Lima said. “I am still very happy with my result and my place in the ratings. I don’t know what Hawaii will hold for me, but I am looking forward to the events.”

Rebecca Woods (AUS), 24, current No. 7 on the ASP Women’s World Tour, scored the upset of the day, defeating former ratings leader and event favorite Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 25, in the Quarterfinals.

“Sofia (Mulanovich) is an incredible surfer and we were surfing at Lobitos this morning and she was surfing amazing, even with an injured foot,” Woods said. “Fortunately I got a couple of good ones off the bat and was able to maintain the lead. It’s a great win for me and my first Semifinals of the year so I’m stoked.”

Layne Beachley (AUS), 36, former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current No. 3 on the ASP Women’s World Tour, opened up her Semifinal heat with a blistering 9.00 out of a possible 10, but was unable to halt the assault of eventual winner Gilmore.

“It’s frustrating when you open up the heat with a good wave and can’t back it up,” Beachley said. “I guess I am frustrated a bit more because I lost to Steph (Gilmore) and I had her and let her get away from me. It’s really frustrating.”

While it appears that Gilmore and Mulanovich are running away with the race for the ASP Women’s World Title, Beachley is still motivated to perform in Hawaii.

“I excited to get to Hawaii and I hope we get Sunset at 20 feet and Honolua at 15 feet,” Beachley said. “Hawaii is my old stomping ground and it’s where I feel like I’ve cemented a place for myself and I’m motivated by the desire to win and I’m looking forward to the winter.”

Highlights from the Movistar Classic Mancora Peru pres. by Rip Curl are accessible viahttp://www.beachbyte.com.br/eventos/mancora08/

The next stop on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour is the Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach, Hawaii from November 24 – December 6, 2008.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Movistar Classic Mancora Peru pres by Rip Curl Final Results:

1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.10

2 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 14.70

Movistar Classic Mancora Peru pres by Rip Curl Semifinal Results:

SF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 13.73 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 13.16

SF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.60 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 15.23

Movistar Classic Mancora Peru pres by Rip Curl Quarterfinal Results:

QF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 13.83 def. Karina Petroni (USA) 8.83

QF 2: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.50 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.83

QF 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.00 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 11.87

QF 4: Layne Beachley (AUS) 12.94 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 10.17

Current ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings: Following Event No. 6 of 8

1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 5148

2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 4963

3 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 4454

4 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 4166

5 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 3691

6 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 3612

7 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 3050

8 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 3038

9 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 2628

10 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 2544

11 – Julia De La Rosa (PER) 2474

12 – Karina Petroni (USA) 2244

13 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 2232

14 – Megan Abubo (HAW) 2064

15 – Nicola Atherton (AUS) 1836

16 – Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 1692

17 – Serena Brooke (AUS) 1656

18 – Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 912

Mona Vale

There was nobody out MV this morning and for a pretty good reason. The conditions were great but the whole beach was a closout. Warriewood on the other hand has a nice little bank right in the middle so i suggest everybody goes out there haha

South Swell North Wind.

Nice conditions at the city beaches this morning with best bets at Tama lefts for the goofies and Bronte reef and south Bondi for the nats. Pretty much shoulder high and off shore so get away from the computer and get wet.