So exciting, we have finally matured from a blog to a website! I feel so grown-up! Please don’t desert us, follow this link and we’ll continue where we left off…
Archive for the ‘surfing’ Category
WOW – extreme surfing
June 20, 2009This is taking extreme sports to the limits – surfing a tsunami wave! What a wave, thanks to pads316 for posting it:
and since it’s Saturday and I don’t have much time… I couldn’t resist posting this video from mobscene1003 of other strange occurrences following a tsunami. Bare with the German write-up (unless of course you understand German in which case I apologise!), the fish are worth having a look at.
Your help is needed now – the extreme condition of our oceans
June 18, 2009You might have noticed something new on our sidebar. SocialVibe has created a way of helping good causes and charities, and we have chosen to support a project that is close to our hearts – the protection of our oceans.
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit, grassroots, environmental organisation dedicated to protection and enjoyment of our oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of surfers in Malibu, California, the organisation has grown exponentially.
So you see, surfers are not just beachbums!
Apart from being avid followers of the surfing life, why choose this particular project?
Well, this is something we’ve ranted about before – but did you know that there is a plastic soup in the middle of the Pacific Ocean - known as the dead zone? Here’s a depressing, but important short video from StrangeDaysAction spelling out a few facts for us:
Marine scientist Captain Charles Moore of the Agalita Marine Research Foundation describes a dead zone, an oceanic desert, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean which he calls: Plastic Soup. This trashbin is a huge – I mean seriously HUGE – deep churning cesspool of plastic bits definitely bigger than the state of Texas, and, some say, even bigger, possibly, than AFRICA ! These plastic bits are ingested daily by marine life. And guess what? Who eats marine life? We do.
Scary stuff hmmm?
Captain Moore has measured 6 pounds of plastic for every 1 pound of plankton. He predicts that, unless we do something, in 30 years there will be 60 pounds of plastic particles for every pound of plankton.
And what eats plankton? Plankton is literally the food of life. It is vitally important in the food chain of all marine life.
And lest you are a bit casual about this topic and shrug your shoulders and say, “well, it’s only the Pacific. It’s not our problem, someone will be able to sort it out in due course…” Don’t be misled – there is a similar cesspool in the Atlantic.
Here’s a photograph from National Geographic of an open-air garbage dump which tarnishes the sapphire coast of Barrow, Alaska. Disgusting, isn’t it.
And why should we get personally involved? Well, if you windsurf, kitesurf, scuba dive, snorkel, surf, sail, kayak, freedive, deep water solo to name but a few – you should be concerned. It concerns you directly.
This problem is very nearly out of control. We seriously need to do something about it. And we need to do something NOW.
So click on the sidebar please!
Thank you.
And I’ll leave you on an equally miserable note. Here’s a video from seareport01 on the problem in the Pacific…
So come on guys, let’s do our bit to save our oceans…
Brazil’s getting ready for the ASP Pro surf competition
June 9, 2009The Santa Catarina Pro Surf competition starts 27th June and ends 5th July. This is an important event as the ASP Tour continues towards its final competitions.
And preparations are well under way for what promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable competition. How could it not be… it’s in Brazil after all, a country which knows how to throw not only a competition but a mean party too!
Joaquina and Imbituba are Brazil’s best beachbreaks. They are generally smaller and shorter waves, but they can get powerful and hollow when it pumps. Nice and punchy – a great playground for the surfers to show off their stuff.
The Santa Catarina Pro falls towards the end of the ASP tour and has become renowned as the arena for new champions to be made. The past 6 years has seen the following great surfers crowned:
- 2008: Bede Durbidge (AUS)
- 2007: Mick Fanning (AUS)
- 2006: Mick Fanning (AUS)
- 2005: Damien Hobgood (USA)
- 2004: Taj Burrow (AUS)
- 2003: Kelly Slater (USA)
Joel Parkinson (Australia), Taj Burrow (Aus), Mick Fanning (Aus), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adriano de Souza (Bra) and Jordy Smith are the top 6 surfers on the ASP tour at the moment with Joel #1 and Jordy #6 – though there is still time for more place juggling.
Joel is the current favourite at the moment for the ASP World Title and he’s determined to keep up his form to claim his first crown this year. His dominating performances on the Gold Coast and at Bells were more than enough proof to stamp Parko’s intentions on the 2009 season. Joel has been training and traveling with Wes Berg, an Australian ironman champion and this has helped him to stay focused and ready for the competition without overdoing the warm-ups or partying too much at night. When interviewed in Tahiti he said, “he’s made me aware of what it means and what it takes to be an elite athlete. It’s easy to just get caught up in Tahitian time and just slide away and lose focus. With Wes there though, he kept me on my toes.”
Here’s a great video from ganothesexyy showing just how good Parko is:
However, good luck to you all – the competition is still open…
Feast your eyes and salivate – a eulogy to surfing
May 16, 2009There are great surfers in this world, seriously extreme guys (after all, surfing can be an extreme sport), and there are great surfing photographers – seriously extreme photographers, and Bali Strickland must surely fit into the elite of this catagory. Feast your eyes on his video, balistricko, and then I’ll tell you more…
Strickland has been experimenting with a new super slow-motion German underwater TyphoonHD4 camera that the BBC Natural History Unit had had specially modified at a cost of $100,000. It can film at up to twenty times the frame rate of a standard high definition camera..
The camera required a special housing unit designed and built by German specialist high speed cameraman/technician Rudi Diesel. Until this film, no one had ever tried using this type of camera underwater before. The film shows the awesome power of the waves from underwater and the spiraling vortexes created by these huge waves.
It’s only drawback is that it weighs a TONNE. But apart from that the photography is simply extroadinary.
Now watch this, courtesy of the BBC:
So, here’s where they shot this superb film:
They (the BBC) went to the South Pacific Islands with Bali Strickland and Dylan Longbottom, a world class surfer, to film these sequences because it is well known that some of the biggest waves in the world break here.
However, it was not all plain sailing. Confident in the fact that this was one place in the world where the waves were guaranteed … the two weeks they were there gave them almost millpond conditions. They had to return 4 months later to get these fabulous sequences.
Enjoy them, drool over them, and have a wonderful weekend…
Does Portugal have the best surf in Europe?
May 6, 2009Many people think it does…
Situated West of Spain, Portugal has a very mild Mediterranean climate. The coastline receives swells from the North, West and South and therefore has a wide variety of waves.
Every year thousands of surfers flock to the Western coast of Portugal, an area often overlooked by mainstream tourism but well known to surfers for its solid surf. The offshore breezes bring swells across the Atlantic seaboard generating ideal sized waves for surfing and there is such a wide variety of waves around the various beaches that all standards of surfing can be satisfied.
Not only that, but it’s fantastically cheap compared to mainstream Europe. You can hire a villa for as little as €100 a week – you certainly can’t do that in France and you would struggle to do it on the coastline of Spain.
The Algarve, in the south-west of Portugal, is renowned for its pleasant Mediteranean summer climate and its mild winters which makes it a perfect surf-holiday destination. From mellow beach breaks that are ideal for beginners to worldclass point and beach breaks that satisfy any experienced surfer. Since the Algarve is on the southern tip of Portugal it picks up both south and west swells, making it one of the most consistent places to surf in Europe.
During winter the swell size is around the 6ft mark but can get to 15ft or more, offering some challenging surfing. There is surf throughout the summer months and you can expect waves of 3-5ft. Offshore morning breezes are extremely common.
Portugal is also a very good place to learn to surf with plenty of places offering lessons and packages.
Here’s a tantalising hint of what surfing in Portugal can be like, with thanks to ErrantSurf for the video.
Maverick’s Big Wave Surf competition has been called off.
April 14, 2009“Have as much fun as you possibly can, and quit thinking so much” - Shane McConkey
And why not? Is that not a good motto to live your life by?
Which brings us onto the almost forgotten topic of MAVERICK’s… what happened there? Did the wave happen? was it possible to hold the contest?
As it happens, very sadly the world-renowned Mavericks Surf Contest near Half Moon Bay will not happen this year, making this winter season the fourth that has been skipped since the contest’s creation a decade ago, said contest director Jeff Clark.
The window for the contest closed on Tuesday, 31st March, but Clark said he had extended the permit to use the waters that are a half-mile from Pillar Point Harbor, until 8th April in case a swell materialized.
However, the ocean storms that produce the swells needed for the contest were too weak. The contest organisers are negotiating for the contest window to open earlier next year, possibly as early as 1st November. This year’s contest window opened 1st January, but the months from November to February produce the greatest swells for ideal contest conditions, which are waves of roughly 40 foot.
So a quick re-hash on Maverick – the ultimate extreme big wave… what’s all the fuss about?
Jeff Clark, of Jeff Clark Surfboards and the big wave contest organiser, was brought up 100 ft from the sea and watched the wave for years before deciding to challenge it for the first time in 1975. His good friend decided that he’d rather not, but that he would watch closely and call the coast guards if Jeff needed help!
“That first day I managed to get five waves, barely surviving long enough to kick out of one. It was a great confidence boost for me to have gone where no one had gone before, and to ride waves that were more powerful than anything that I had ever imagined,” he said.
“The 1990s in general brought an amazing assault of big-wave surfing. When Mavericks hit the scene everyone questioned it, but now all of the doubts have been put to rest. Mavericks produces the most consistent big waves in the world, has provided California with a big-wave identity all its own, and has produced some of today’s best big-wave riders…
He sums up by adding, “We are now well into the new millennium and it seems that everything in the world is going in the direction of ‘extreme’, not just in surfing but in all sports. Where it will end I don’t know, but the hunt for better performance and better equipment is really exciting to me. Still, having Mavericks as the testing ground “makes the possibilities endless.”
So, don’t give up on watching this one. It’ll knock your socks off for entertainment value next time it happens…
Are extreme weather conditions set to affect yet another competition?
April 1, 2009What is happening to our weather? Maverick’s Surf Contest window may have to be extended… and it’s not that the weather has been too extreme to surf this magnificent wave… just that there’s been no wave to surf!
The weather forecast hasn’t looked encouraging until a few hours ago…. and now, at last, a swell capable of producing waves worthy of the big wave surf contest appear to be forming near the international date line.
This is fantastic news for the organisers and the big wave surfers for, as Keir Beidling, CEO of Mavericks Surf Ventures and the organisers of the event, says, “These guys are an interesting lot. Without having Maverick’s out there, the guys are like medieval knights without a dragon.”
But is it too late? The window for the competition is about to close…
Also, the swell needed to produce the ‘big waves’ necessary for the contest to take place has to be enough to create faces of at least 20-foot and frequent waves must hit the break for the call to be made to bring in 24 of the world’s top big wave surfers for the contest on 24 hours notice.
The gale that wave trackers have recently spotted could produce 32-foot seas – and therefore even bigger waves at Maverick’s on Monday, according to the San Mateo County Times.
All hangs now on whether the organisers can extend their permit for the competition window – they are hoping to extend through April 8th.
Beadling said the extension hinges on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The NOAA has to grant the company an extension on its single-day exemption to the ban on personal watercraft in marine sanctuaries, including the waters surrounding the Maverick’s break at Half Moon Bay.
“They are an important partner of ours and this is the crucial piece we need to get an extension,” Beadling wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. “I am hoping to hear positive news from them tomorrow, and it’s probably safe to say that thousands of people are crossing their fingers in the meantime.”
Hold thumbs that this contest gets its big swells and gets its ‘ok’ to the permit extension, and in the meantime let me remind you why there is so much hype about Mavericks, thanks to powerlinestv for the video.
Surfing with Orca
February 13, 2009As he enjoyed catching a few waves, experienced surfer Craig Hunter had no fear of becoming the hunted as he shared the waters with a killer whale.
Rather than turning back to shore after paddling out past the breakers he was confronted by a giant dorsal fin, but as the surf was just far too good to miss he stayed in the water.
For the next 45 minutes he bravely shared the waves with the giant Orca and, without realising it, two young calves.
Experienced surfer Craig Hunter shares the waves with a killer whale while surfing off New Zealand’s North Island
The Orca, a regular visitors to the Taranaki coast in New Zealand, paid little attention to the surfers at Stent Rd surf break near Cape Egmont on Saturday.
Hunter, who has been surfing off New Zealand’s North Island for almost 50 years, said: ‘There was no way I was not going in because the waves were too good.’
‘It’s pretty awesome. It’s a pretty special sort of feeling.
‘I was out there on my own for quite a while and the big fella was just cruising. It was really neat.’
Hunter, known to his surfing friends as Billy, said it was not the first time he had surfed with an Orca and added that he was too old to be bothered by the possibility of being attacked.
‘My outlook is they are big enough and quick enough. If they thought I was a seal, I’d be long gone.’
As it turned out his reasoning was sound but we cannot exactly recommend this kind of thinking – only admire it.
Go to Peru for your extreme vacation
February 11, 2009Peru is gaining in popularity as the place to go for indulging in your chosen extreme sport. Whether it be paragliding, surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing or mountain climbing Peru offers some great venues in unrivalled settings and no doubt at a price more reasonable than bak home.
One of the most popular of these sports is paragliding. Peru’s beautiful mountainous terrain and vast unspoilt landscape provide scenic views that make it an unforgettable location for paragliding. What’s more, low-turbulence laminar winds make Peru an ideal location for practicing those difficult paragliding manoeuvres that most weather conditions would not permit.
The video below comes from leontienkragten and shows his paragliding holiday in Peru where all the best paragliding venues were visited – great action.
As well as continuing to grow in popularity as a paragliding location, Peru has also developed a reputation as a surfing destination, particularly amongst spring break students. Peru’s enviable position on the Pacific Ocean means Peru can offer surfers some of the longest waves that are to be found anywhere in the world. In fact, such waves – which often stretch for several kilometres – combined with its reliable weather and relatively unspoilt beaches make Peru an ideal location for a surfing holiday.
Probably the most famous of all Peru’s surfing locations is Chicama; with waves that can stretch more than 4kms, Chicama is the professional surfer’s dream come to true. In addition, 60km up the coast lies another of Peru’s most popular surfing destinations, Pacasmayo; whilst the waves don’t tend to be as long, they can still reach around 500 metres in length.
The video from altubo below is a great representation of the length of the waves to be found at Chicama.
Although popular with surfers, over the past few years the area has also begun to attract a large number of kite and wind surfers. With wind-speeds averaging around 14 knots, the area is perfect for such water spots, the Peruvian coast providing a beautiful backdrop for an unforgettable surfing holiday. This video from kiteclub shows excellent kite surfing action and a brief glimpse of wind surfers in action.
While Peru’s warm seas and long waves have made it a haven for surfers, its rugged mountains and high peaks make it a mecca for mountain climbers. One of the most popular climbing spots is the Cordillera Blanca mountain area near Huaraz.
Although the mountainous region offers various peaks for climbers to enjoy, Huascaran – Peru’s highest peak – always proves to be the most popular. Sitting high above the Rio Santa valley, Huascaran offers unforgettable views of the Peruvian countryside and a challenging climb to mountaineers of all levels. The video from grillbiller shows a successful Danih expedition to summit Huascaran in 2008
