The Wedge is on fire

The Wedge on fire Ok well we have no waves here today but check out these blokes on their SUP’s. Maddness.

VID: Billabong Pro J-Bay finals highlights

Billabong Pro J-Bay 2009 finals highlights

Check out the J-Bay 2009 finals highlights reel from www.billabong.com on RealSurf.tv.

Looking for clip author

Can you help?

UPDATE: it took less than 12 hours for the RealSurf community to come up with the answer on this one!

We received the following email…

I am a TV producer looking for information on a video clip which was originally posted to the Real Surf message board, and was apparently was filmed on Collaroy Beach.

I want to use the clip on the show I am working on, but in order to do that, I need to get permission from whoever shot or owns the footage. I’m doing some detective work to try to track that person down, since the person who posted it on youtube doesn’t own it but says they got it off the Real Surf message board.

Here’s the clip:

Please let me know if you happen to know anything about who shot this, or who is in it, who originally posted it, etc. Any help at all or would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s just forwarding this message on to others who may possibly know. We would officially license it from the owner and pay them a fee, so someone may be happy to get this message. J

VID: Layne nails Ours

If you haven’t seen it yet, Layne Beachley at Cape Solander (video hosted on surfline.com)(aka “ours”). It was shot by none other than Tim Bonython. Very, very impressive pit!

Pic grabbed from online ver. of video by Tim Bonython.

VIDEO:: Day 1 Highlights from the Billabong Pro Teahupoo, Tahiti

There is now a Day 1 Highlights clip on RealSurf.tv. Click the link below to be taken straight there.

Another lay day today.

Day 1 Highlights – Billabong Pro Teahupoo, Tahiti

Enjoy!

VIDEO: Daniel Ross Wins Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River

Dan Ross's feet above the sand. Photo: Mario Vassallo

Margaret River, Western Australia — DANIEL Ross (AUS/NSW/Yamba) has won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) six star prime rated  Drug Aware Pro defeating fellow North Coast NSW Australian surfer Adam Melling in clean 3 to 4 feet (1.25m) surf at Margaret River in Western Australia today.

It was Ross’s biggest career victory and could not have come at a better time for the powerfully built surfer who fell short of requalifying on the ASP World Dream Tour last season and also recently lost his major sponsorship deals!

“ I was so pumped to win this event and I can’t believe how good I feel right now” said an elated Ross after his win.

“I’ve made the semi’s the last two years here and I knew coming here I was a really good chance to win, I’ve trained hard leading into this event and it has really paid off for me in a big way.”

“Without a major sponsor the cash that comes with winning ($US20 000) will make my year of competing that much easier and I wanted to prove to everyone out there right now  that I am worth sponsoring and capable of big results!”

Ross surfed the ASP Dream Tour last year but failed to requalify. Today’s result has him exceptionally well placed for requalification this year.

Dan Ross in action to win. Photo: Steve Robertson

“That’s my aim for sure and now I’m winning I want to get on a roll and string together a lot more excellent results.”

With the lead  see sawing in a  high scoring quality  final, Melling opened with an excellent 8.67 ride and looked to have control when he backed that ride up shortly after  with a strong 6.07 ride.

Ross opened with a 6.77 score, remained patient and found the finals best ride when he scored an outstanding 9.43 at the twenty minute stage of the 30 minute final.

Ross unleashed all his power on this ride combining two massive bottom to top turns sending fans of spray  high off the wave and it was immediately clear to the large crowd on the hills of Margaret River that he had taken the lead with that ride.

While Melling searched for an achievable 7.54 to regain the lead, he fell on a few critical turns late in the final and was forced to settle for second on a score line for each surfers top two scoring rides of 16.20 (out of a possible 20) for Ross and 14.74 to Melling.

Melling’s second place today is the second time he has finished runner up  in an ASP prime 6 star event.

“It’s disappointing not to win but Rossy is a great guy and I’m really stoked for him today” said Melling.

“Having made the finals twice I now really want to win one of these events; my start to the season has been great but there’s still a lot of work ahead to qualify for next year’s Dream Tour – that’s my goal and I have to remain focused because the season has really just started.”

Despite being disappointed at not winning, Melling’s  good early season form see’s him as the number one rated surfer on the ASP World Qualifying Series Ratings ahead of Brett Simpson (USA) , Dion Atkinson (AUS) with  Ross in fourth place.

In what turned out to be a dominating day for the Australian surfers, with all Australian semi finalists, Luke Munro (AUS/Gold Coast) and Dion Atkinson (AUS/SA) placed equal 3^rd both picking up valuable 2625 rating points along with $US2950.

Both Atkinson and Munro have firm goals to qualify for the ASP Dream Tour for next year.

“I’m really happy with my start to the season, 5^th last week  in Tasmania and 3^rd here is a great start to my season” said Atkinson.

“That’s two ‘keepers’ already to the season in my aim to qualify and that is a lot better than most other surfers this early in the season so I’m feeling great”

For most of today’s finalists their next stop on the ASP World Qualifying Series will be South Africa in mid April for the Quiksilver Pro presented by Virgin Mobile in Durban, another six star prime event.

Melanie Redman-Carr winning her fourth Drug Aware Pro title at Margaret River. Photo: Mario Vassallo/Surfing Australia

Veteran Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Dream Tour surfer Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS/WA/Dunsborough/33 years of age) won her fourth Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River defeating rising Hawaiian star Coco Ho (17 years old/North Shore Ohau) in clean 1.25m (3 to 4 feet) surf.

Redman-Carr’s local knowledge and experience at the break saw her select the superior waves in the final which she won comfortably with a combined top two wave final score tally of 12.60 To Ho on 7.67.

“I have really surprised myself winning here today” said Redman-Carr.

“The younger emerging girls here have been ripping and I was sure I’d be eliminated in the opening quarter final today when I faced Carissa Moore (Haw); she has been the form surfer all week and I thought she’d win the event”

“The waves were really fun out there today and I’m sure my local knowledge helped out a lot” added Redman-Carr.

Redman-Carr opened with a 5.83 ride and was never seriously challenged by Ho who had difficulty finding the right waves to deliver any high scores at all.

Redman – Carr  sealed the final with 3 minutes remaining when she used her priority on a clean righthand breaking wave, scoring the finals top scoring ride of a 6.77.

That left Ho chasing a very difficult 8.10 and with no waves in the final few minutes the 2009 Drug Aware title was Redman-Carr’s.

Redman- Carr’s experience includes finishing second on the ASP World Tour on two occasions, the last time in 2006 and she officially retired from full time  professional surfing this year following the birth of her daughter Willow last year.

Being a local girl with an affinity to the surf here at Margaret River she accepted a wildcard into this event and went on to win $US 4000 in prize money.

Drug Aware Pro Margaret River is the biggest ASP World Qualifying Series Six Star Prime Rated event in the world. Prize money totalling $US145 000 and essential prime rated points on the ASP World Qualifying Series ensures an outstanding field of the world’s best surfers. A field of more than 250 surfers representing countries such as New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, USA, Peru, Brazil, South Africa, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Reunion Island, Canary Islands, Japan and Israel will be competing with some of Australia’s best surfers across the week long event

VID: Billabong XXL big wave award nominated waves

CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO THE VIDEO ON REALSURF.tv
The nominees have just been announced for the 2009 BILLABONG XXL GLOBAL BIG WAVE AWARDS. Regarded as the Oscars of surfing, the BILLABONG XXL AWARDS recognize the athletes who ride the biggest and best waves over the last year everywhere in the world, based on the photographic evidence. The ninth-annual event hands out over $130,000 in cash prizes in an array of categories including the Ride of the Year, the XXL Biggest Wave, Monster Paddle and Monster Tube. Here are the nominees for the Ride Of The Year Category, check all the rides on www.billabongxxl.com

O’NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC – SURFING’S TOP NAMES TAKE TO THE WILD SOUTHERN OCEAN

Jordy Smith (South Africa/Durban) showed all his power in skill in the solid waves in Tasmania today posting the day’s top scoring ride of a 9.6 in his comprehensive round two heat win. Photo: Steve Robertson/Surfing Australia

Marrawah, Tasmania – The third day of competition at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)  O’Neill Cold Water Classic and the event found itself at its third new location where surfing’s big names took to the water.

With conditions easing ever so slightly, contest director Matt Wilson chose Marrawah’s exposed Lighthouse Beach as the spot to finish off the round of 96.

In this isolated northwest corner of Tasmania, the likes of Jordy Smith, Cory Lopez, Ben Dunn, aerial master Josh Kerr, and Damien Hobgood made the most of the powerful beach break.

There are high expectations for the 21-year-old South African surfing phenomenon, Jordy Smith – winner of this ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) tour two years ago.

And he didn’t fail to disappoint, waiting until the second half of his heat to pull out his high scoring waves. “It’s interesting being back on the WQS,” he said, “because you can go through with 5’s… I can’t get away with that on The World Tour,” he said.

This is the first time for Jordy on Australia’s island state, but he is fitting right into the Tasmanian waters,

“I met a few of the locals yesterday evening out in the water. I was asking them how to get back because it was getting pretty dark and we were pretty far from anything,” he said. “They were like, no worries catch a ride with us. It was crazy driving through the night with all the Tasmanian Devils about and stuff. We almost hit something the other day – I would have felt bad. We didn’t though, we stopped and let it cross the road.”

The heat of the day today was a battle of spectacular young talent, with 19-year-old up and coming Australian star, Owen Wright taking it out ahead of Dusty Payne, Lincoln Taylor and Wiggoly Dantas.

It was a pretty close heat,” said Owen who has been appreciating the good conditions made possible by the mobile format of the event. “The first day was incredible – the Bluff is an awesome wave,” he said. “But it’s great it’s mobile. It keeps all the options open and you can get the best waves every day.” 

“I’ve been over to Tasmania before,” he said. “But never to this corner. It’s a nice untouched place – it’s an awesome place to have an event.”

As Rob Bain, O’Neill’s Asia/Pacific Marketing Manager said; “It’s not just about the surfing here. We’ve had amazing waves and most of the surfers are discovering them for the first time ever. But this is also more like a road trip – it’s about the different experiences.”

“Yesterday we had the most amazing sunset here – it went crazy purple, and later that evening we saw the most incredible bright stars in the sky I have ever seen. And the first day we were sitting in someone’s house watching this perfect reef break,” he said. “It’s all those things that make this event.”

Visit www.oneill.com/cwc for the daily highlight shows.

Video:: GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing – Day 7 Highlights

Video:: GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing 2009 – Day Six Highlights