NOMINEES ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK, AWARDS CEREMONY IN CALIFORNIA APRIL 23

NEWPORT BEACH, CA – (March 23, 2010) – The annual event period for the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy coincided with the end of the Northern Hemisphere winter last Saturday – but a last-minute off-season swell slamming Tahiti has turned the competition upside down with a fresh influx of stunning big wave images.  The largest waves seen there in three years (and some of the heaviest tubes ever photographed) heaved across the legendary reef at Teahupoo on March 17, scraping in under today’s final deadline for entering images into the XXL event.

For the first time in the ten-year history of the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, a swell with the power to rearrange the potential nominees has come in the final week of the year-long competition.  A unique event in surfing, the XXL honours the greatest achievements in big wave riding anywhere in the world at any time — based on the photographic evidence. Generally, the short list of Billabong XXL Awards nominees has firmed up by late March, a time when the North Pacific and Atlantic are settled down for the season and the South Seas have yet to come to life.  But in a year of high surf superlatives, it should not have come as a surprise that an off-season game-changer would suddenly appear.

“It’s really, really rare to get a big swell this early in March,” said Sean Collins of Surfline.com, the official surf forecaster of the XXL.  “It could be El Nino-related as there’s already been lots of tropical activity in the South Pacific, all of which serves to supercharge these storms – like what we’ve seen in a few of our North Pacific swells this winter.”

Standouts at the all-star Teahupoo session included Tahitian locals Manoa Drollet and Raimana Van Bastolaer along with Hawaiians Shane Dorian and Ian Walsh.   The newest Ride of the Year entries can be viewed at the event website at http://www.billabongxxl.com/roty/index.html where they join video clips of epic moments of the last year at spots like Tasmania’s Shipstern Bluff, Maverick’s in California and Waimea Bay and Jaws in Hawaii.

Almost certainly the still photos of the day will weigh heavily in the nominations for Monster Tube, the award for the most intense barrel image of the year.  A gallery of those shots can be viewed at http://www.billabongxxl.com/monster_tube/index.html.

Nominations will be announced in all the key event divisions starting next week, with the gala Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards ceremony taking place April 23 at the Grove Theatre in Anaheim, California. Featured categories include the Ride of the Year, XXL Biggest Wave, Monster Paddle-In, Monster Tube, Surfline Best Performance, Billabong Girls Performance and the Verizon Wipeout Award.  The event features over $130,000 in prize money and will be televised on the ESPN Networks starting May 18, 2010.

The Tenth Annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy.  Surfline is the official surf forecaster, Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda Aquatrax the official watercraft.  The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui.

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For an array of Ride of the Year clips which you can view or embed on your own website, see www.YouTube.com/surfnews.

Please join the Billabong XXL Facebook fan site at http://www.facebook.com/GLOBALBIGWAVEAWARDS.

Media outlets requiring additional materials for longer-form coverage Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards may request additional high-resolution images and HD video.

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PRESS CONTACT

Bill Sharp

surfnewsed@aol.com

949-548-6740

Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications

PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

AN EPIC YEAR NEARS ITS CLIMAX IN THE BILLABONG XXL BIG WAVE AWARDS;

2010 EVENT WINDOW ENDS MARCH 19, AWARDS CEREMONY SET FOR APRIL 23

NEWPORT BEACH, CA – (March 3, 2010) – Reports of an expanding El Nino weather condition built expectations last year of a spectacular big wave season to come.  And, remarkably, the oceans of the world have responded on cue, delivering an almost endless procession of epic swells and superlative rides by the world’s best big wave riders.  With only two weeks left before the annual event window closes for the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy, the visual evidence is widespread and conclusive – this was the greatest winter of big wave surfing ever experienced.

To date, over 1000 still and video images have been entered into the Tenth Annual Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, where they may be viewed at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.  The event window runs through the vernal equinox (the end of the Northern Hemisphere winter on March 19).  The gala invitation-only Billabong XXL Awards show will take place April 23 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California and features over $130,000 in prize money.  The event will be televised on the ESPN Networks starting May 18, 2010.

By far the biggest theme in this year’s event has been a dramatic push by the sport’s elite to resist the the advantage of tow-surfing’s jet powered assist and return to the roots of the sport – paddling into the biggest waves possible using arm power and bravery alone.  The trend has intertwined with a spectacular run of El Nino-fueled swells which have allowed an unprecedented number of one-day big wave paddle events to run worldwide, including the Billabong Pico Alto in July, the Nelscott Reef Classic in October, the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau in December, the Maverick’s Surf Contest in mid-February and the Todos Santos Big Wave Event just last weekend.

The Billabong XXL Awards include the biggest and best waves ridden all over the world over the course of an entire year, encompassing those caught during surf contests and those rides which happen in the middle of nowhere – provided there is photographic proof.  And this year (for the first time ever in the XXL’s ten years of existence) the vast bulk of the entries are in the Monster Paddle division.  And not only do the entries come from the known-paddle arenas such as Hawaii’s Waimea Bay, Maverick’s in California and Todos Santos, Mexico, they are coming from places which were not long ago considered only possible with a jet ski, including Jaws on Maui, the Cortes Bank 100 miles off California and an assortment of rare outer reefs along Oahu’s North Shore.  No matter when or where, this year surfing’s elite have been “armed” and ready for action.

“Anybody who has paddled and towed into big waves will tell you that paddling in is the ultimate challenge, there’s no other feeling or experience like that,” said Greg Long of San Clemente, California, who has won more XXL categories than any other surfer.  “Personal watercraft came in and sort of revolutionized the sport there for a couple of years and introduced a whole new aspect to the sport.  But right now, everybody’s focus I think has really gone back to paddling into waves and pushing the limits of what’s actually doable.

“With the advancements in forecasting technology, our understanding of the waves, physically what we’re capable of enduring when we wipeout, and then our equipment — the whole limit of what is possible has just been elevated to new heights,” said Long.  “I still think we’re yet to find where any of those limits are.”

To see an assortment of the latest entries in all the key event categories including Monster Paddle, Monster Tube, Biggest Wave and Ride of the Year, visit www.BillabongXXL.com.

For an array of Ride of the Year clips which you can view or embed on your own website, see

www.YouTube.com/surfnews.

And while you’re at it, join the Billabong XXL Facebook fan site at http://www.facebook.com/GLOBALBIGWAVEAWARDS.

The Tenth Annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy.  Surfline is the official surf forecaster, Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda Aquatrax the official watercraft.  The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui.

Media outlets requiring additional materials for longer-form coverage of the paddle push in big wave surfing or any other aspects of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards may request additional high-resolution images and HD video.

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PRESS CONTACT

Bill Sharp  

surfnewsed@aol.com

949-548-6740

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — (January 8, 2009) — The promise of the El Nino winter appears to have delivered for big wave surfers, as many long-standing records are ready to fall in this year’s Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy. And more than ever before, the Monster Paddle category (just for surfers who catch their waves without any jet ski assistance) has taken center stage as the elite of the sport refocus on this elemental man-against-the-sea tradition. Visual evidence of these landmark performances can be viewed at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

While huge swells have blasted nearly every coastline of the planet in recent months, it has been the Hawaiian Islands which have had the most mind-bending proof of the power of the current El Nino weather phenomenon. December 7-8, 2009 saw one of the biggest swells in modern history batter the northern shores of the entire Hawaiian Chain, followed by another extraordinary day of outer reef waves on Christmas. From these historic moments of oceanic grandeur have come images which show several top big wave surfers paddling into what may well be the biggest waves ever caught by human power in the long history of the sport.

Among these superlative rides is a massive dark wall caught by Shane Dorian and Mark Healey which closed out the legendary Waimea Bay on Oahu on December 7. Also up for consideration is another mammoth peak at Waimea ridden by Chile’s Ramon Navarro which earned the South American hero a perfect score in the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau event on December 8. And more recently, grainy, documentary photos have arrived depicting Garrett McNamara paddling into a distant peak at Outer Log Cabins, a rarely-seen outer reef far off the North Shore shoreline, previously only the domain of tow-in surfers with jet-powered watercraft.

All are likely to figure prominently as finalists for the Monster Paddle Award to be given out at the tenth annual Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards to be held in California in late April. A panel of big wave surfing and photography experts will analyze the available images and by interpreting the known sizes of the surfers and their surfboards, calculate reliable height estimates for the face of each wave. One will emerge as the Monster Paddle winner and will receive $15,000 out of the total event purse of $130,000.

The current world record for a paddle-in wave belongs to Taylor Knox of San Diego, California who rode a wave measured at 52 feet at Todos Santos Island off of Ensenada, Mexico during the last major El Nino episode in 1998. Many experts are expecting an update to the Guinness Book of World Records once this winter’s measurements are complete.

Dorian and Healey are veterans of decades of big wave hunting and both concur that their shared ride at Waimea was easily the biggest either had ever caught. “I’d been waiting 15 years for that wave,” said Dorian, of Kona, on the Big Island. “That wave, we could see it from when it was like two or three minutes away from breaking, we could see the wave coming in, everybody’s screaming on the beach and yelling and stuff… When the wave finally came in, it was SO big. The thing was a MONSTER. We both put our heads down and started paddling and somehow we both caught it.

“I was going no matter what,” Dorian added. “And I know Mark felt the same way. It was just fun. A party wave — a wave of that size, and it was for sure the biggest wave I’ve ever paddled into, and to do it with my real good friend, it was very….memorable.”

Mark Healey has lived down the road from Waimea all his life and has been one of its most dedicated practitioners. But he’d never seen waves like this.

“That was the biggest day I’ve ever had at Waimea,” said Healey. “And that wave in particular was definitely by far bigger than anything I’ve ever caught out there, for sure.”

The wave was so large it closed out all the way across the Bay, not allowing the surfers the opportunity to kick out over the top of the wave as usual, and forcing them to straighten out and take the endless tons of whitewater on their heads. But for Healey, a renowned freediver with the ability to hold his breath for over five minutes, it was a fun experience. The longtime friends surfaced unharmed right next to each other, hooting with excitement.

“We were pretty stoked,” said Healey. “Big waves are different, there’s a lot of brotherhood involved, stuff like that. I’d rather have had Shane catch that wave than ride it alone. It was cool to share a wave like that with a friend, and someone I look up to.”

McNamara, another North Shore stalwart, likes his own chances in the Monster Paddle derby. A past winner of the XXL Paddle crown in 2007 for a huge wave at Northern California’s Maverick’s, “GMac” reckons his Outer Logs Christmas present was several notches larger. “I don’t know how big it was,” McNamara said. “But I do know it felt at least ten feet bigger than anything I’ve ever paddled into. The Mavs wave a few years back was small compared to it….”

Remarkably, there may be much, much more to come. This week the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center issued an alert confirming that the current El Nino episode had intensified in the last 30 days from “moderate” to “strong,” adding that the condition would exert a “significant influence on the global weather and climate in the coming months.” And for surfers in the North Pacific basin, that means more enormous waves. According to Surfline.com, major new swell events are lining up in the coming days, impacting the Hawaiian Islands around Monday and the West Coast around Wednesday of next week.

Categories in this year’s event include the Billabong XXL Ride of the Year, XXL Biggest Wave, Monster Paddle, Monster Tube, Surfline Best Performance, Billabong Girls Best Performance and the crowd-pleasing Verizon Wireless Wipeout of the Year. In addition to all the latest entries in each category, full event details including formats, rules and archives of past XXL years can be seen at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy. Surfline is the official surf forecast, Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda Aquatrax the official watercraft. The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui airlines.

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To view a clip of the Shane Dorian/Mark Healey Waimea Monster or to obtain embed codes to
place it on your website, click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1QMjn8Wu_E

Media Contact

Bill Sharp SurfNewsEd@aol.com 949-548-6740

High resolution still photos, broadcast video in HD and SD and web clips are available for download.

WAIMEA BAY, Oahu/Hawaii (Tuesday, December 8, 2009) – After 25 years with most of those spent waiting, Waimea Bay delivered an event of legendary proportions today at the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, Fueled by Monster Energy. It was 25 years to the day since the first “Eddie” was held and waves of up to 50 feet poured in to Oahu’s North Shore as if on cue.

With younger brother Clyde still in the lineup, at age 60, joined by the contemporary top guns of big wave riding, a packed arena celebrated every gutsy ride in brilliant sunshine befitting of a tribute to local hero Eddie Aikau.

When all was said and done, it was California’s Greg Long, 26, (California) who made a late charge in the final heat of the day to claim the $55,000 winner’s purse. Long committed to an unbelievable never-say-die attack, securing all four of his top scores – several of them death-defying and one of them a perfect 100-point ride, in macking 40- to 50-foot waves. It was the high point of his career to-date – pretty incredible given that he only rode Waimea for the first time this week.

“I’m so happy just to be here, invited into the biggest event of big waves in the world with all my heroes, I’m so excited,” said Long.

“It’s a dream come true for me. Riding big waves is my passion and I’ve been following The Eddie since I knew exactly what it was, I was probably 12-years-old just getting into surfing. Since then, I’ve had every single poster from Brock Little to Bruce Irons on my wall. I look to those guys for inspiration and to be standing up here with Sunny (Garcia) and Kelly Slater is a dream come true for me. I never would have thought that this is my first year surfing the event and to come away with a victory is really a childhood dream become real.

“I’m still standing here in awe and I want to go check the scores to make sure someone isn’t going to come here and take this away.

“It really is about the wave and celebrating the ocean. It’s what we do: go out there and ride big waves. The respect and camaraderie in the lineup you don’t find in too many places in the world, and this event really encapsulates everything that’s great about surfing: the friendships you make in the water and looking out for one another.”

Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker became the first South African to compete in the legendary big wave event and rode the first wave of the day in Heat 1. The Durbanite went on to finish 15th overall.

The Monster Drop Award, for the most hellacious-but-successful takeoff of the contest, went to Chile’s Ramon Navarro, who also finished fifth overall. This is his first time as an invitee into the event. Navarro’s winning wave was one of the last of the competition; a huge, seemingly endless drop on his backhand, followed by a detonation of whitewater that he emerged from and then stuck with all the way to the beach. He earned a perfect 100 points.

Navarro first came in 2004 to surf Waimea with an invitation from good friend and fellow contestant today, Kohl Christensen. He baked empanadas and sold them to pay his rent and learn the ropes. Today was pay day. Navarro won $10,000 for the Monster Drop Award, and $2,000 for fifth place. It was a great result for someone who almost didn’t surf today after his pregnant wife was accidentally injured on the beach.

“This is a dream for me,” said Navarro. “I want to say thank you to Kohl Christensen, Dusty Middleton and all the crew because those are the guys that invited me here and taught me how to surf The Bay. I appreciate everything from these guys.”

Nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Florida, USA), who won here back in January of 2002, placed second after leading the score board from the second heat of the day. Long turned the tables on him in the final hour of competition. All Slater could do was look on in as much disbelief as the frenzied crowd who were at that point ready to celebrate with anyone. Slater earned $10,000. Third was Hawaii’s Sunny Garcia, earning $3,000. Fourth was defending Eddie champion Bruce Irons (Kauai), $3,000.

Navarro’s buddy Christensen can lay claim to the most devastating wipeout of the day that remains burned in every mind here today. He also posted several solid scores, but a wipeout like his is as unforgettable as a win.

The call to wait for today and the ensuing result was mind-boggling, especially since many were questioning not running yesterday in 40-foot surf. By afternoon, all concerned were stunned that 79-year-old contest director and big wave icon George Downing had kept his cool so well and timed it perfectly for a second peak in swell energy. The past 48 hours of massive surf is the largest sustained episode to hit the Hawaiian Islands in 40 years.

From the moment the event was declared “on” at dawn, to the final gut-wrenching wipeouts that came with the peaking swell of afternoon, the air was filled with salt spray and adrenaline. Not a square foot of sand or lava rock was empty as a capacity crowd of over 50,000 packed the natural amphitheater of Waimea Bay to experience the pairing of Mother Nature and the men who ride her mountainous surf.

The insane wipeouts that dropped like dominoes, the hairball air drops and perfect scores, the 28 surfers of the event who put their lives on the line in honor of Aikau today – it all made for the greatest day of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau’s history.

Waimea Bay’s best known big-wave rider and first life-guard, Eddie Aikau, was smiling down on his successors today. Along with the surfers, he would have admired Hawaiian Water Patrol for keeping the lineup and the surfers safe all day yesterday and today. There is no greater collection of guardian angels of the sea than the lifeguards of the North Shore.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, Fueled by Monster Energy, is the only ASP sanctioned big wave event in the world.

Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau
Results
1 Greg Long (California)
2 Kelly Slater (Florida)
3 Sunny Garcia (Hawaii)
4 Bruce Irons (Hawaii)
5 Ramon Navarro (Chile) * Monster Drop Award
6 Ross Clarke-Jones (Australia)
7 Jamie O’Brien (Hawaii)
8 Mark Healey (Hawaii)
9 Garret McNamara (Hawaii)
10 Noah Johnson (Hawaii)
11 Shane Dorian (Hawaii)
12 Makuakai Rothman (Hawaii)
13 Reef McIntosh (Hawaii)
14 Andy Irons (Hawaii)
15 Grant Baker (South Africa)
16 Carlos Burle (Brazil)
17 Kohl Christensen (Hawaii)
18 Kala Alexander (Hawaii)
19 Peter Mel (USA)
20 Takayuki Wakita (Japan)
21 Ibon Amatriain (Spain)
22 Clyde Aikau (Hawaii)
23 Keone Downing (Hawaii)
24 Mike Ho (Hawaii)
25 Darryl ‘Flea’ Virostko (USA)
26 Brian Keaulana (Hawaii)
27 Rusty Keaulana (Hawaii)
28 Pancho Sullivan (Hawaii)

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Ends

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: aspafrica@mweb.co.za

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Tuesday 8 December 2009 – South Africa’s Travis Logie has qualified for the 2010 ASP World Tour, professional surfing’s highest level of competition, after a gruelling campaign that saw him finish No. 13 in the yearend ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) rankings.

Logie, who spent four years amongst the world’s top 45 ranked surfers before dropping of the Dream Tour at the end of 2008, went into the final two WQS events in Hawaii ranked No. 11 and needing to advance through one heat to ensure his spot in the Top 15.

Elimination in his opening heats in both events left the 30-year-old Durbanite waiting on the sidelines as first Tanner Gudauskas (USA) and then Dusty Payne (HAW) overtook him. But the rest of his closest rivals were ousted in the subsequent rounds at Sunset Beach and Logie secured a well deserved place back at competitive surfing’s top table.

“I’m really stoked that all the hard work, training and travelling has paid off,” Logie said, shortly after arriving back in South Africa. “I’m really excited to be back on the tour for what will be my fifth year.”

Logie’s commitment to re-qualifying saw him compete in 21 of the 41 events on the 2009 WQS, the highest number by a South African and a total matched by only four of the nearly 1 000 other WQS members worldwide. He clinched a confidence-boosting victory in a 2-Star rated event in Australia early in the campaign before netting his biggest points haul in his home town when he placed 5th in the 6-Star Prime rated Quiksilver Pro Durban in April.

ASP World Tour title contenders Joel Parkinson and fellow Australian Mick Fanning along with Hawaiians Sunny Garcia and Dusty Payne fought out the final of the 6-Star rated O’Neill World Cup of Surfing in tricky 3 – 4 metre waves at Sunset Beach. Garcia, the 40-year-old veteran chasing a record 7th Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, opened his account with an incredible tube ride than earned him 9.47 points out of a possible 10 but could not find a second high scoring ride.

Parkinson clinched victory with rides of 7.0 and 6.17, matching Hawaiian legend Michael Ho’s record of three wins in the World Cup, and rocketed into the lead in the Triple Crown ratings, which he won last year. Garcia held on for second place in the event, which earned him a wildcard into the Billabong Pipeline Masters, with Fanning third and Payne a distant fourth.

Damien Fahrenfort posted the best results by a South African in the event, winning his opening encounter and then recording the highest heat total of Day 3, and the sixth highest total of the entire event – 16.27 out of 20 – before being ousted in the Round of 64.

Brandon Jackson went into the Hawaiian leg rated No. 15 on the WQS and in contention for an ASP World Tour spot. Like Logie, Jackson could not advance out of his first heats at Haleiwa and Sunset and dropped to No. 24 in the yearend rankings, which will give the 22-year-old from Durban North excellent seeding for the WQS contests in the first six months of 2010.

Royden Bryson (Cape Town) advanced through one heat at Haleiwa and none at Sunset to end the year ranked No. 36. Fahrenfort came in at No. 67 and Rudy Palmboom (Bluff), who won both his opening match-ups in Hawaii but was then eliminated in the Round of 96, closed his 2009 campaign rated No. 81.

Warwick Wright (Durban) was the highest ranked of the Saffas who did not compete in Hawaii at No. 81, followed by Antonio Bortoletto (Durban) at No. 87 and Daniel Redman (Umdloti) just outside the top 100 at No. 105

O’Neill World Cup of Surfing (Event No. 41 of 41)
Sunset Beach, Hawaii
Results:
Final:
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) – $20,000 – 3,500 points
2. Sunny Garcia (HAW) – $10,000 – 3,063 points
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) – $5,100 – 2,625 points
4. Dusty Payne (HAW) – $4,900 – 2,494 points

ASP World Qualifying Series
2009 Yearend Rankings

1 Ross,Daniel AUS 15744
2 Gudauskas,Patrick USA 14876
3 Andre,Jadson BRA 14813
4 Melling,Adam AUS 14638
5 Wright,Owen AUS 14338
6 Munro,Luke AUS 13713
7 Thompson,Jay AUS 13638
8 Yeomans,Nathan USA 13419
9 Payne,Dusty HAW 13194
10 Simpson,Brett USA 13150
11 Wilkinson,Matt AUS 12850
12 Gudauskas,Tanner USA 12569
13 Logie,Travis ZAF 12344
14 Polo,Marco BRA 12331
15 Thornton,Blake AUS 12325

South Africans (in the top 150)

24 Jackson,Brandon ZAF 11431
36 Bryson,Royden ZAF 10213
67 Fahrenfort,Damien ZAF 8222
74 Palmboom,Rudy ZAF 7875
81 Wright,Warwick ZAF 7550
87 Bortoletto,Antonio ZAF 7101
105 Redman,Daniel ZAF 6451
125 Smith,Jordy ZAF 5644
130 Basnett,Ricky ZAF 5551
147 Richards,David ZAF 5246

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Billabong Pipeline Masters
Stop No. 10 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour
Pipeline, Oahu/Hawaii
December 8 – 20, 2009

Fanning and Parkinson face off at Pipeline for 2009 ASP World Title

After nine events on the 2009 ASP Dream Tour, the race for the ASP World Title will culminate in a showdown between two lifelong friends at the final event of the season, the Billabong Pipeline Masters, which will also decide the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, from December 8 – 20, 2009.

Mick Fanning, 28, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 1, will face Gold Coast stable mate and current ASP World No. 2, Joel Parkinson, 28, in the hunt for the 2009 ASP World Title as the two battle a minefield of the world’s best surfers and Pipe specialists at the Billabong Pipeline Masters.

While the rest of the Top 45 fight for ratings points and prize-money and the 16 Pipeline specialists battle for prestige, only Fanning and Parkinson can win the 2009 ASP World title, with Parko having to finish two places ahead to overtake the current No. 1.

Jordy Smith, the current ASP No. 10, has been seeded into Round 3 of the event and will be going all-out to improve his yearend ranking. A top 8 finish in the ratings will see the 21-year-old Durbanite guaranteed of preferential seeding for the entire 2010 season while a top 5 place will earn significant performance bonuses from his sponsors.

Greg Emslie, rated No. 31 and just 137 points shy of the No. 27 spot that will automatically qualify for the 2010 Dream Tour, starts in Round 2. The East London based veteran campaigner needs to advance to Round 3 to have any chance of an incredible 10th year in the top fight, while progressing to the last 16 will probably ensure him of a spot.

David Weare occupies the No. 41 position and still has a mathematical chance of requalifying. But the Durbanite starts in Round 1 against Pipe standout Hank Gaskell, who won the Xcel Pro at Sunset Beach last month, and Weare faces the daunting task of having to place first or second at Pipeline to move into the Top 27 in the rankings.

All the action from the Billabong Pipeline Masters can be followed live at www.billabongpro.com starting at 8pm (SA time) daily.

The massive swell currently pounding the North Shore of Oahu has scoured all the sand off the Pipeline Reef which should produce epic waves for the event. While the waiting period starts today and runs until 20 December, it is unlikely that the event will get underway before the swell starts to drop on Thursday.

See www.aspafrica.com for more details on the Billabong Pipeline Masters, including the draw for the first three rounds.

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Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines
Stop No. 7 of 7 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour
Honolua Bay, Maui/Hawaii
December 8 – 20, 2009

Rosanne Hodge in contention to requalify for 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour

The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines will kick off the event’s 13 day waiting period tomorrow and the globe’s finest 17 competitive female surfers will take on Maui’s famed righthand pointbreak of Honolua Bay to do battle for the Vans Triple Crown title as well as the valuable ratings points towards requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour.

Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) has already clinched an unprecedented third straight ASP Women’s World Title in just her third year on the tour and Hawaiian teenager Alana Blanchard leads the Triple Crown ratings.

South African eyes will be focused on Rosanne Hodge, 22, from East London who is currently ranked No. 9 and needs to finish in the Top 10 on the yearend leaderboard to requalify for a fourth successive year on the ASP Women’s World Tour.

Hodge has finished third and fifth in her last two years in this event and needs to stave off the challenge of the eight girls currently ranked behind her to remain at the highest level of women’s surfing.

Attention will also be on the performances of Coco Ho (HAW), Paige Hareb (NZL) and Rebecca Woods (AUS). If that trio all end in the Top 10 in the yearend rankings, then South Africa’s Nikita Robb, who finished the year ranked No. 9 of the Women’s WQS, will qualify for her first year on the ASP Women’s World Tour, potentially giving SA two representatives on the Women’s Dream Tour for the first time since it was introduced in 1992.

All the action can be followed live at www.billabongpro.com/maui09/ and the waiting period runs from today until 20 December.

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Quiksilver Eddie Aikau set to run as MAMMOTH waves hit Hawaii

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy, the only big wave contest to be sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is set to run at Waimea Bay in Hawaii today as mammoth waves in the 8-13 metre range (25-40 foot) batter the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii.

Featuring 28 selected invitees, including South Africa’s Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker, and 26 alternates, all drawn from amongst the world’s best big wave chargers, the ‘Eddie’ honours the memory of legendary Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard Eddie Aikau.

The event is on standby to start at 7pm (SA time) tonight and further details, including a live webcast of the action, profiles of the athletes, history of the event and much more can be found at http://live.quiksilver.com/2009/eddie/

Ends

Photo courtesy Quiksilver

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: aspafrica@mweb.co.za

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Internationally renowned big-wave charger Chris Bertish has launched an innovative range of sponsorship initiatives, including a comprehensive website, to assist in raising the funds required to participate in the three prestigious big wave events in the USA in November and December to which he has been invited.

 

The website, aptly named www.pleasesponsorchrisbertish.co.za, gives full details of the events he has been invited to compete in, the reasons for his fund-raising functions, a history of his achievements challenging the world’s biggest waves over the past decade and plenty of action images and video footage of his extreme exploits, along with unique ways in which sponsors and donors can benefit from supporting his quest.

 

“For the past 10 years I have dedicated my life to pursuing and riding some of the most challenging waves on the planet, and with your assistance, I’m hoping to take the South African flag even further,” says the 35-year-old Capetonian, explaining that while he has support from some of his loyal sponsors, mounting a challenge on these three international events requires a great deal more funding than he can afford.

 

The events at the notorious monster wave spots of Mavericks in California, Nelscott Reef in Oregon and the Hawaiian Mecca of Makaha, where he will represent South Africa in the inaugural Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) World Championships, all have long holding periods to ensure premium waves and conditions which means Bertish must spend a couple of months overseas waiting for the contests to be run.

 

By donating any amount over R250, donors will have their name or company logo printed on a label and stuck on the surfboards Bertish will ride in the events and when he is practicing while waiting and practicing abroad. By donating R1 000 or more, a sticker twice the size will be pasted on his boards so all donors truly feel like they are part of this unique project.

 

And in the spirit of true watermen who not only look after themselves in giant surf, but also watch out for the well-being of others in the line-up, 10% of all funds received via these sponsorships will be donated to the Reach For A Dream Foundation to help youngsters with life-threatening illnesses to achieve their dreams too.

 

Bertish has also organised a fund-raising function in Cape Town on Sunday 11 October that promises to be both a gathering of the local big-wave fraternity and a great social event. Set for Banana Jam in Kenilworth and running from 3pm-9.30pm, the function features a jazz band, giant screen surf films, freebies to the value of R150 per person and an assortment of unique items that will be auctioned and raffled – all for the price of a R90 entrance ticket.

 

The items up for grabs include the Naish SUP on which he conquered Dungeons, two of his big-wave surfboards, a voucher to accompany Grant Spooner of Marine Scene to watch surfers riding Dungeons, a new Firewire surfboard, Freestyle dive-watch, Ocean Minded Footwear, Coreban and Naish SUP paddles and more.

 

And in keeping with his credo of ‘Sharing is Caring’, Bertish will also donate the first R1 000 raised at the function to the Reach For A Dream Foundation.

 

An accomplished marketing expert who has built and grown several major multi-national brands both in South Africa and internationally, Bertish has compiled a comprehensive plan to publicize his trip and activities that will be featured in all branches of both the mainstream and new media outlets, including a website, Facebook, Twitter and his personal Blog site.

 

He will also be posting unique video footage of big wave surfing on the internet. See the latest example of never-before-seen footage of him riding one of the biggest paddle days ever surfed at Todos Santos Island off the coast of Mexico at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwAmcCKNwZo

 

Full details for the fund-raising function on 11 October, which is sponsored by Banana Jam Café, Corona Premium Beer, Red Bull and Olmeca Tequila, are:

Venue: Banana Jam Café – 157 Second Ave, Kenilworth Date: Sun 11th October 3pm-9:30pm Food: Caribbean / Hawaiian platters Dress: Casual – Hawaiian Shirt / skirt if you have Tickets: R90 300 tickets ONLY at the door, Cash only – First come, first served!

Watch the media for further news of this exceptional athlete’s exploits and details of the fund-raising activities that will provide further unique opportunities to get up close and personal with Chris and the global big wave scene.

 

Chris Bertish can be contacted via chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com or 079 524 8344 and additional information can be found at www.pleasesponsorchrisbertish.co.za

 

Ends

Issued on behalf of:

Chris Bertish
C: 079 524 8344
E: chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

 

 

 

South African Chris Bertish, renowned for conquering many of the world’s most challenging big waves, has been invited to compete in three prestigious international big-wave surfing events including the inaugural edition of the of the Stand Up World Tour which will crown the first Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) World Champion later this year.

Invitations to the Mavericks Surf Contest in California, the Nelscott Reef Paddle-in Classic in Oregon and the Stand Up World Tour event at Makaha in Hawaii are recognition for the 35-year-old Capetonian’s pioneering exploits in huge surf around the globe over the past decade.

“I’m truly honoured to be invited to these events where only athletes who have proven themselves in the world’s heaviest waves make the cut,” Bertish said. “I love surfing big waves, it’s my passion, and to be representing South Africa amongst the elite 24 invitee’s from around the globe at Mavericks, the 12 at Nelscott Reef and to be seeded into the top 16 in the world for the first ever SUP World Champs is a huge honour and privilege.”

Bertish’s string of ground-breaking feats include becoming the first surfer to paddle into and ride waves at the primarily tow-in venues of Jaws (Maui, Hawaii), Ghost Trees (California) and the Cribber (Cornwall, England) while at home he introduced Stand Up Paddleboarding at the daunting Dungeons break near Hout Bay and Whale Rock in Table Bay along with being the first to tow-in at Seal Island in False Bay, statistically the most densely populated Great White shark venue in the world.

His accomplishments are not limited to daredevil stunts in mountainous seas as in 2001 he was the first, and to date only, South African surfer to win the Monster Paddle division of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, the Oscars of big wave surfing. And he has reached the final of the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event at Dungeons, finishing third in 2006, amongst other notable local and international results and award nominations.

A former Sales & Promotions Manager for Billabong SA, Brand manager for Gul Wetsuits in the UK and for multi-national apparel and wetsuit giant O’Neill in SA, Bertish boasts an impressive marketing CV. In 2007 he introduced the O’Neill Raw Courage Awards which focus on paddling into and riding the biggest waves within the borders of South Africa and recognise and credit the achievements of the country’s rapidly growing brigade of big wave chargers.

Now a brand ambassador and agent for O’Neill and new media marketer for True Blue Surf Travel, Bertish will be conducting various fund-raising activities to assist in covering the considerable costs of his planned two-month campaign to attend these events in California and Hawaii at the end of the year.

“After almost a decade of investing huge amounts of my time, energy and my personal finances, I have now reached the point where I have received invitations to this trio of highly prestigious International events. With a start-up business and the current tight financial situation I need further backing and support to be able to participate in these events,” Bertish explains.

The savvy marketer has already created his own personal blog & Facebook account and will be posting a weekly journal on two high profile South African websites where the public will be able to follow his activities in addition to the media generated from competing in the events. He will also be posting video clips on various new-media platforms, including never before seen footage of riding huge waves taken from a Go Pro camera mounted on his surfboard.

Watch the media for further news of this exceptional athlete’s exploits along with details of the fund-raising functions that will provide unique opportunities to get up close and personal with both Chris and the global big wave scene.

Chris Bertish can be contacted via chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com or 079 524 8344

Ends

Issued on behalf of:

Chris Bertish

C: 079 524 8344
E: chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

 

THIRD MAJOR SWELL IN A ROW SLAMS SOUTH AFRICA’S DUNGEONS WITH CLASSIC CONDITIONS;
EPIC MONSTER PADDLE SESSION PRODUCES FLOOD OF BILLABONG XXL BIG WAVE AWARD ENTRIES

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — (August 18, 2009) — An El Niño condition may be brewing, but in the Southern Hemisphere there is no more waiting as extraordinary storms have been a regular occurrence over the last several weeks, generating some of the most intense surf seen in years.  Most recently, one of the biggest and best swells to ever hit South Africa arrived last Sunday, producing more eye-popping entries into the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards fueled by Monster Energy.  Those latest photographs may be viewed on the BillabongXXL.com website.

This was the third significant swell to strike the region in ten days, sparking a series of key sessions at the spooky big wave break of Dungeons, off of Cape Town.  A warm-up swell hit the region on August 6, followed by a huge and windy episode on August 11 which saw some massive tow-in waves worthy of the XXL Biggest Wave category.  And on August 16 yet another enormous swell arrived, but this time with pristine sunny weather and light offshore winds — every surfer’s ideal scenario.

According to Surfline forecaster Ken Wallis, “A large complex low pressure system was spinning in the South Atlantic this past week, occupying most of the ocean between South Africa and Argentina. As a result of this consistent storm activity, a series of XXL size southwest swells have been slamming the West Coast of South Africa and, more specifically, the big wave break Dungeons.

“The most recent of these very sizable swells arrived as high pressure briefly settled over the region,” added Wallis, “setting up light wind, clear skies and near flawless conditions.”

Durban’s Grant “Twiggy” Baker — South Africa’s most decorated big wave surfer — was on the scene at Dungeons for the duration, part of the annual “Endless Winter” pilgrimage for the sport’s elite.  But even to Twiggy’s experienced eyes, this recent swell was something special.

“Obviously this was a historic day for us at Dungeons, not just the size of the waves but also how clean it was and that it lasted an entire day,” said Baker. “This is very unusual and the fact that we got to surf it for ten hours straight meant we became very comfortable out there and managed to push ourselves that little further.”

The day’s exploits were yet another clear example of the growing dedication to paddling into ever bigger waves among the top athletes and not simply “grabbing the rope” and utilizing watercraft tow-in assists on extreme surf situations.  In the Billabong XXL Awards, the biggest of these rides qualify as entries in the Monster Paddle Award.  On a number of waves the riders were able to get into the barrel — a special feat which has its own category, the Monster Tube Award.

“The local crew was pushing it all day with James Taylor, Andrew Marr and Mike Baleta standing out,” said Baker of his fellow countrymen.  “Greg Long had some bombs as well.  It’s so important to have the right mix of surfers on a day like this to really help force the level of commitment.”

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, now in its tenth annual cycle, has never experienced such a deluge of world-class entries this early in the season.  Huge Southern Hemisphere storms continue to slam south-facing coastlines worldwide, and many top surfers view this as just the precursor to things to come.  The National Weather Service has announced a strengthening El Niño condition in the world’s oceans, which has many times in the past produced historic swell episodes in the North Pacific for Hawaii and the West Coast of the USA.

Grant Baker is happy with the booming start.  “It’s good to know we have had some big waves in Cape Town this season that will go up against what looks like a major Northern Hemisphere El Niño winter,” he said.

The XXL Awards acknowledge the biggest and best waves ridden anywhere in the world based on the photographic evidence, with the annual awards gala occurring in California each April.  Over $130,000 in prizes are awarded to the top male and female big wave performances in a variety of categories including the XXL Biggest Wave, Monster Tube, Monster Paddle and Verizon Wipeout of the Year.  The top-line Billabong XXL Ride of the Year carries a $50,000 first prize.

In addition to all the latest entries in each category, full event details including formats, rules and archives of past XXL years can be seen at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy.  Surfline is the official surf forecast, Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda Aquatrax the official watercraft.  The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui airlines.

ends

PRESS CONTACT
Bill Sharp    SurfNewsEd@aol.com     949-548-6740

Issued on behalf of:  

Billabong South Africa
Contact:            Peter Nicholson
Telephone:        +27 (0) 42 200 2600
Email:               peter.nicholson@billabong.co.za          

Issued by:

Life’s a Beach Communications 
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

MASSIVE SOUTH AFRICAN WAVES ROCK THE 2010 BILLABONG XXL BIG WAVE AWARDS;

GABEIRA RIDES BIGGEST EVER BY A WOMAN — BURLE, LONG & BAKER ALSO GO HUGE

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — (August 13, 2009) — A mad dash from their homes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Cape Town, South Africa paid off for Maya Gabeira and tow surfing partner Carlos Burle as they rode the biggest waves of the season at the notorious Dungeons break this week.  Photos of the South American pair in action are now among the leading contenders in the Biggest Wave category of the 2010 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy.  The entered images may be viewed at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

Also captured challenging some massive walls at the infamously sharky break were Grant “Twiggy” Baker (Durban, South Africa), Andrew Marr (Cape Town, South Africa) and Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA).  All three have either won or been finalists in the XXL Awards in recent years.

Gabeira, 22, has already won the Billabong Girls Best Performance Award three years running, but on August 11 she reaffirmed her status as the top female in big wave surfing when she charged down an enormous, bumpy face after being towed in by Burle on a personal watercraft.  The duo arrived in Africa five days ahead of the giant swell in order for Gabeira to obtain her skipper’s license to legally operate the jet-powered craft.

According to Gabeira, “My days previous to the big day were the biggest mission ever! The swell came with onshore winds which the waves and ocean bumpy. But in the end of the day everyone had managed to get some bombs and safely finish a day of big surf.

“My biggest wave was just one drop and had a crazy boil in the face that I managed to jump through it,” said Gabeira.  “It was exciting to get that much speed down the face and manage to make such an irregular wave on my backside. Thanks to Carlos I had the biggest waves of my life that day!”

Gabeira was able to return the favor, putting her new driver’s license to work and towing Burle into his share of monsters along the spooky offshore reef.

The tenth annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards season runs through March 19, 2010 and acknowledges the biggest and best ridden waves of the year based on the photographic evidence.
Additional entries have also been arriving daily from around the world in all the key event categories including Monster Paddle, Monster Tube and the $50,000 XXL Ride of the Year.

In addition to all the latest entries in each category, full event details including formats, rules and archives of past XXL years can be seen at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy.  Surfline is the official surf forecast, Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda Aquatrax the official watercraft.  The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui airlines.

ends

PRESS CONTACT
Bill Sharp    SurfNewsEd@aol.com     949-548-6740

Issued on behalf of:   
Billabong South Africa
Contact:            Peter Nicholson
Telephone:        +27 (0) 42 200 2600
Email:               peter.nicholson@billabong.co.za          

Issued by:
Life’s a Beach Communications 
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za