Have you been wanting to try a 7S Superfish? Here’s your chance - this Saturday, 6 Dec, on the Dee Why-Long Reef stretch - from 8am - noon. RealSurf is hosting our first surfboard demo and test drive day - and it’s free. This first is in conjunction with Global Surf Industries. They will bring 50 different boards from their 11 brands. Some traditional, some funky. So come on down. Don and I will be there too.

Shari

FirstStoke.com has written this great article:

Aspiring pro surfers are always looking for that little edge to help them to get sponsored. To help out with this, First Stoke talked to pro surfers, team managers, and other surf industry veterans from around the world to get their perspectives on getting sponsored.

Here’s a link to the full story:

http://firststoke.com/news-events/articles/how-to-get-sponsored-for-surfing/

Here’s a link to another good site called Surf Spono:

http://www.surfspono.com/modules/xt_conteudo/?id=2

Interesting reading even if, like me, you don’t have a hope.

Shari

The Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival has been granted funding for a further three years by the Victorian Government leading up to the 50^thanniversary in 2011 the Premier John Brumby announced yesterday at Bells Beach.

Mr Brumby and the Sports and Recreation Minister, James Merlino met with two-time World Champion and Rip Curl Pro Contest Director Damien Hardman at Bells Beach today to make the announcement.

“The Rip Curl Pro is a major draw card on a dynamic calendar of major events including the Melbourne Grand Prix, Australian Open and the AFL Grand Final,” Mr Brumby said.

“That’s why I am delighted to announce that the Victorian Government will support the Rip Curl Pro for a further three years, delivering on our commitment to building on Victoria’s world-class major events.”

Mr Merlino congratulated event organisers for supporting both men’s and women’s surfing at the annual Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival. 

“It creates an exciting platform to celebrate excellence in sport and attracts strong tourism to the region,” Merlino said.

Rip Curl Group Advertising and Marketing Chairman Neil Ridgway said Rip Curl was excited to extend its relationship with Victoria for a further three years and to have the world’s most prestigious surfing contest sit in the Victorian ‘Hallmark Events’ program sanctioned the Rip Curl Pro as elite. 

“This partnership helps to cement both men’s and women’s professional surfing for the next three years and that is very important for both ASP world tours. Rip Curl sees surfers as equal no matter what their gender and that attitude is epitomized in the Rip Curl Pro.”

Surfing Victoria Rip Curl Pro Event Director Max Wells welcomed the announcement. 

“The Rip Curl Pro is an amazing event that is held in very high regard by our surfers worldwide, so on behalf of Surfing Victoria, I wish to express our appreciation of the long term and continuing support of our iconic event by the Victorian Government,” Mr Wells said.

From Honolulu Star-Bulletin - Honolulu, HI, USA:

Tahiti’s Michel Bourez used a combination of deep tube-riding and critical turns to win the Reef Hawaiian Pro yesterday at epic, barreling Haleiwa.

In the process, Bourez gained entry into the 2009 World Championship Tour and shot to second place on the World Qualifying Series rankings. He’s only the second Tahitian surfer to qualify for the tour and was excited to represent French Polynesia on it.

Read the article:  http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20081123_tahitis_bourez_takes_haleiwa.html