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January 10, 2007

Surfing Scholarship Awarded

Crikey!! - a scholarship to study and learn surfing - it wasn't like that in my day - more's the pity!!

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A YOUNG Port Alfred surfer has been awarded a surfing scholarship from the International Surfing Association.

Lungani Memani, 17, was chosen along with four other surfers from a pool of 20 applicants as recipients of the 2007 scholarships.

Memani and the other recipients will each receive $12 000 (R87 000).

Memani, who started surfing when he was 10, said he began as a lifesaver before doing any surfing.

“I was approached by Warwick Heny, a surfer, who asked me if I was interested in doing surfing.”

Memani said he enjoyed surfing so much that he wanted to become a professional surfer.

“It‘s a very good feeling to be in the water. I don‘t think there‘s anything I‘d like to do more than surfing.
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Posted by drk at 05:26 PM |

December 12, 2006

Rip Curl Gromsurf

Everyone knows there’s no shortage of surfers on the Gold Coast and today the younger brigade of Gold Coast surfers showed us there’s plenty of talent coming through the younger ranks, all keen to emulate their more famous Gold Coast elders like Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore!

Coolangatta surfer James Woods opened day two in good 1m waves at Duranbah with an easy win over Pt Lookout Queensland surfer Darcy Phillips. Woods is the number one seed at this event following his good recent form and his win today was strong enough to suggest he’ll be very hard to beat in the blue ribbon 16 and under Boys division.

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Posted by drk at 06:19 PM |

Surfing the Triple Crown

In old Hawaii, the kahuna were endowed with special powers: prophecy, healing, canoe making, predicting the surf. As the Executive Director of the Triple Crown Randy Rarick is a modern day kahuna, responsible for the entire apparatus of the Hawaiian surfing events, an apparatus that goes into motion when Randy and his partner Bernie Baker sniff the wind, read the buoys, look at the satellites, consult their sub-kahuna, feel their bunions and decide the surf conditions will be worthy of a Triple Crown event.

It’s all a big deal, that requires a great deal of patience and experience, but Rarick has that experience, as he has lived on the North Shore for 35 years and has been involved with competitive professional surfing going back to the early days of the IPS and the ASP.

On Sunday, December 3, Rarick is at home, in his office, cruising a little bit during an off day in the Triple Crown. The O’Neill Sunset is on hold, and the North Shore is moving out of a period of bad weather and bad surf. Rarick answers a phone all from a guy in Las Vegas who is looking for a board to go with this woodie. Randy deals with that, and with a Brazilian guy wanting to buy some t-shirts, then he sits in his office, tries to ignore the phone and answers a few questions.

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Posted by drk at 06:18 PM |

Pipeline Masters

Pipeline Masters

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Posted by drk at 06:09 PM |

October 31, 2006

Girlie Camps

Following on from the recent posts about female skateboarders in Argentina I found this little gem - and yes they really are called "Girlie Camps"
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Girlie Camps offers camps for girls who wish to share the joy of snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding and skiing.Since 2003 Girlie Camps has been around the world creating experiences and unforgettable moments. Today more than 1.500 girls around the world have joined us!

We offer a platform for women who ride or want to start, at all levels and ages, and want to meet other girls with the same passion, sharing the same interest.
Our experience and network give us the opportunity to supply you with perfect conditions - riding the best spots for your own level together with experienced instructors and proriders from our partners..

Have a look around at what we offer. Girlie welcomes you onboard! We
hope to ride with you some day, some where!
// Girlie Crew

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Posted by drk at 07:02 PM |

October 25, 2006

Best Australian Waves

Tracks magazine has drawn up a list of the 101 best surfing spots in the country and puts Kirra narrowly above the nearby Superbank as Australia's best wave.

Gnarloo in Western Australia, Lennox Head in northern NSW and North Point on WA's Margaret River coast rounded out the top five, with another Gold Coast beach, Burleigh, ranking seventh.

A panel of 30 of Australia's best surfers, including former world champions Tom Carroll and Mark Richards and current pro tour surfers Mick Fanning and Mark Occhilupo, submitted their 20 favourites to make up the list.

Tracks editor Sean Doherty said each wave had been selected for its individual merits, although he acknowledged the argument over the best waves was far from over.

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Posted by drk at 07:10 PM |

October 21, 2006

Vodaphone Surf Sessions

The Vodafone Surf Sessions competition kicks off on Saturday at 11am and finishes at 3pm. The competition has a round robin format with the surfers competing in two heats. Each heat will comprise of two Kiwis and two internationals. The event will climax in a rare format with a New Zealand versus The World tag team event.

The two teams will compete for a trophy board designed by DK’s brother Aaron Kereopa. The trophy is carved from a surfboard blank and features a figure representing Tawhirimatea – Maori god of the elements, the winds, storms and tempest. Without Tawhirimatea manipulating the ocean, there would be no waves.

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Posted by drk at 07:14 PM |

September 11, 2006

Aussie Girl Surfers

Surfing Australia annual All Girls Surf camp is one of the HPC most popular programs with over 20 girls attending in 2006. This style of camp aims to take your surfing to the next level・during 5 days of surfing, surf coaching, surfing adventure, great waves, new friendships and loads of fun.

World renowned female surfer/coach Jodie Cooper (Pro surfer, Australian Junior Team Coach, WCT commentator) and Jenny Boggis (Pro Surfer, High Performance Coach) will head the All Girls Surf Camp 2007. The coaches 斗ive in・with the surfers providing 24 hour supervision and surfing opportunities from day light until dusk.

Participants of the All Girls camp will get the chance to hangout and surf with some of Australia top Professional surfers, receive surf product giveaways and a visit to Dreamworld new Flowrider.

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Posted by drk at 06:43 PM |

August 22, 2006

Historic Surfing Photographs

DESOTO BROWN is the first to admit he's not actually the surfing type himself. He's more of an indoor, controlled-environment kind of guy. But growing up in Hawaii, the call of the waves was irresistible. Even a dryfoot like Brown managed to get his toes wet on occasion, and once you caught a bitchin' ride, you never quite forgot the feeling.

But that was high school in the '60s, this is now, and Brown -- an archivist at Bishop Museum and one-man fount of Hawaii pop-culture ephemera -- has rooted around in the museum's massive photo collection and assembled the aptly titled photo book "Surfing -- Historic Images from Bishop Museum's Archives."

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Posted by drk at 06:29 PM |

May 25, 2006

UK Surfers

Britain's surf capital draws die-hard wave riders | Reuters.com

Despite Britain's often harsh conditions and inconsistent swells, surfing now ranks as one of the fastest-growing sports, with more than 500,000 taking to the waves each year at spots from the northerly Orkney Islands to the southern Isle of Wight.

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Posted by drk at 07:06 PM |

Surfing delayed

Sportal.com.au - Other Sports

Surfing at the Globe WCT Fiji event on the ASP World Tour has been called off with swell conditions having dropped off from the previous day's surf.

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Posted by drk at 04:04 PM |

May 15, 2006

2006 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships


Mason fourth in World Junior Surfing Championships

Final Placings

Under 18 Girls
1, Pauline Ado, 15.50, FRA
2, Sally Fitzgibbons, 15.06, AUS
3, Diana Souza, 9.50, BRA
4, Airini Mason, 7.33, NZL

Under 18 Boys
1, Julian Wilson, 17.67, AUS
2, Jordy Smith, 16.90, ZAF
3, Caleb R-Boquist, 14.50, AUS
4, Jeremy Flores, 13.87, FRA

Under 16 Boys
1, Owen Wright, 16.20, AUS
2, Alejo Muniz, 11.64, BRA
3, Shaun Joubert, 10.80, ZAF
4, Marc Lacomare, 8.20, FRA

ISA Cup Tag Team
1, South Africa
2, Australia
3, New Zealand
4, France

Overall Team Points (Unofficial)
1, Australia
2, France
3, Brazil
4, Hawaii
5, South Africa
6, USA
7, New Zealand
8, Venezuela
9, Tahiti
10, Portugal

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Posted by drk at 07:04 PM |

May 12, 2006

Shane Dorian Big Wave Surfing


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Posted by drk at 06:26 PM |

April 08, 2006

The "Perfect Wave" - if not the perfect weather!

There is a great article about Aill Na Searrach - or "Aileen's Wave" in the Independent

"That's our wave; the most perfect wave you will find in Europe," says McCarthy. Moving towards the cliff face, the lip of breaking water is suspended some 20-30 feet above the surface of the sea as it races forward. Aileen's, as the local surfers affectionately call this monster, is a new discovery and until last October had never been surfed.

Make no mistake - the wave might be big - but this is not Hawaii.

The weather is a bit different from Hawaii's; the wind-chill factor in winter makes the sea unbelievably cold. Big-wave surfers who head out in sub-zero conditions cover themselves up in 6mm wetsuits, hoods and gloves, and have to combine the endurance of a mountaineer and the athleticism of a ballet dancer to survive the conditions.

The article is qute long - and illuminating - I didn't realise how large the surf related market was - i.e. "baggy shorts, t-shirts and sandals" - rather than boards and wetsuits - but the true story is about the guys that surfed the wave first.

"You are not thinking about it at the time, but you realise that if this huge weight of water lands on your head, it can kill you," McCarthy remarks. "It's one of the biggest waves anywhere, but what makes it unique is its shape. It throws off this enormous oval-shaped tube and that is where the surfer needs to place himself."

Epic stuff - enjoy.

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Posted by drk at 06:04 PM |

April 01, 2006

Man killed by freak wave

Just to remind us that WAVES can be dangerous whether you are an extreme sports enthusiast or not - and should be treated with respect.

A man has drowned after he was dragged into the sea by a freak wave.

The victim was sitting on some steps off Blackpool Promenade late on Friday night with two friends when he was hit by the wave and dragged into the sea.


I live near the sea and there are drownings every year when the wind changes, and when drunken tourists who rarely swim ignore the warning flags.

There are spots along the coast that have lethal undertows for the inexperienced - obviously these are great surfing spots because the waves get big - but people die every year because they do not heed the basic warning signs.

I was with a friend at a local beach near Cape Trafalgar - he took one look at the waves and said "I'm not going in - I don't want to put myself in a position where I have to wave good bye to my friends and family as I am dragged out to sea"

I regard him as a very strong swimmer - much much better than me - and I also regard him as a man with common sense.

I didn't go in.

He is a sensible bloke - but we average 2-5 drownings a month off of Cape Tragalgar - mostly tourists from the city who rarely swim.

People should NOT leave their common sense behind when they go to the beach - especially if they swim little or not at all - the sea is not your local municipal pool.

Respect the waves - respect the sea - and most of all - respect your own abilities.

Then enjoy the beach, the sun and the surf.

After all - that's what its there for.

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Posted by drk at 05:09 PM |

February 12, 2006

Rip Curl Pro

There's a good report of the Rip Curl Pro competition here.



Rip Curl Pro

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Posted by drk at 06:04 PM |

January 26, 2006

Filling the Foam Shortage

I was reading about the "Great Foam Depression" on SurfLine

... in the wake of the infamous Foam Depression, the surf industry had a real issue to address. The now defunct Clark Foam had supplied the industry with 250,000 to 300,000 polyurethane blanks per year.

On Friday, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) held a board builders forum at the Orange County Convention Center to address the concerns of domestic surfboard producers.

One quote in particular struck me:

"What got us into this problem was complacency. We were going on 45 years with the same material. It's about time we look at some other material," said Linden.

Having learnt a little about the technological development of surfboards over the last few months, I was a little surprised to learn that the major surfboard manufacturers were using materials technology from 45 years ago.

I thought that someone, somewhere, was experimenting with the kind of composite materials used in hi-tech manufacturing by now - and I was right.

A company called Hydro Epic are making boards that are made from "an array of aerospace composites including, but not limited to"

  • Polyphenylene Terephthalamide - "Kevlar"
  • Carbon Fiber
  • Epoxy Resin
  • Aluminum Honeycomb
  • Air

    So maybe the "Great Foam Depression" is a great time for small board manufacturers to sell boards made of the new aerospace composites.

    Maybe if enough people try these new hi-tech boards - and like them - it will revolutionise the sport as much as the introduction of the "short board" and the 45 year old foam technology.

    Another one to watch out for - the irresistable combination of technological innovation & extreme sports means that there's always something to look forward to.

    Are you a Surfer?

    What are your opinions about the technology behind surfboards?

    Please contact the author to be interviewed for "Extreme Tales"

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    Posted by drk at 06:04 PM |

    • January 17, 2006

    Jersey Surfers

    I think they are brave - because it's cold in the UK this time of year - note the wetsuit.

    These guys are serious about their surfing - pretty hardcore - no surf and sun here!



    Cold?? What's cold?

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    Posted by drk at 06:04 PM |

    January 13, 2006

    Surfing title in Kereopa's sights

    From New Zealand

    Raglan's Daniel Kereopa has hit form at the right time as he pursues the major silverware at the national surfing championships in Northland.

    Kereopa mastered the right-hand waves at Ninety Mile Beach's Bluff to blitz his rivals in his open men's semifinal heat.

    He scored 15.75 to bound into the final where he will meet a trio of Gisborne rivals in Damon Gunness, Dane Simpson and Maz Quinn.

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    Posted by drk at 06:04 PM |

    December 31, 2005

    Extreme Tales: Call for Contributions

    Calling all cave divers, base jumpers, free climbers, surfers, bungee jumpers, zorbers, parkour enthusiasts, skateboarders, kite boarders, free divers, wing-suiters, freefall specialists, wind riders, wake boarders, urban exploration experts, wind surfers, cavers, mountaineers and white water rafters.

    Dr. K, author of "Hackers' Tales" is currently researching a new book called "Extreme Tales".

    Are you an extreme sports enthusiast?

    Do you have tale to tell about your extreme sport?

    If so please contact the author.

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    Posted by drk at 06:04 PM |

    December 12, 2005

    Girls Go Surfing Day

    In Victoria, as far as the weather goes, it was simply perfect to learn to surf. Almost 40 degrees and a small ocean swell saw the girls flock to the beaches to experience the thrill of surfing in a safe and fun way at the annual Rip Curl Girls Go Surfing Day.

    Kate Ceberano was on hand at Jan Juc Beach to encourage the girls and support the partner to this years Rip Curl Girls Go Surfing Day - The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

    "What a fantastic turn out by the girls and what a great sport to be involved in - It's healthy and fun and you can just tell that all these girls who experienced it today will be back for more and many will be hooked on the sport for life - It's a great program!" Last year, an amazing 6705 girls participated in the weekend and Surfing Australia expects the numbers to again increase this year.

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    Posted by drk at 06:20 PM |