Name: Jeremy Flores
Nicknames: Mimi, Jezza
Hometown: Reunion Islands/Capbreton, France
Age: 21 (D.O.B 27.04.88)
Stance: Regular
Sponsors: Quiksilver, Orange Mobile, Moskova, Kommunity Project

One of the most celebrated young surfers on the ASP dream tour, Jeremy Flores has captured the hearts and hopes of the French surf scene from a tender age.  Flores has a dynamic style of surfing that has consistently seen him do well on the tour.  Sharp turns, quick maneuvers and a passion for tube riding has helped Flores to quickly progress through the levels of competitive surfing.


Born in the French Reunion islands, it was almost destined that Flores would be a great surfer.  He started surfing when he was only 3, and began competing when he was only 12 years old.  With a background of the tropical waves of the islands, his wave experience was cemented when his parents decided to move between surf holidays destination Capbreton, France and Newport, Australia each year.  In these superb conditions Flores was able to develop his style and turn into a world class surfer.

This French tour de force has hurled himself into the elite surfing world over the past 3 years.  In 2005 he became the ASP European Pro Junior Champion, an achievement equaled the following year when he won the ASP World Qualifying Series. With Flores’ momentum a hat trick was almost inevitable, in 2007, his first year on the ASP world tour, he won the Rookie of the Year Award and finished 8th in the world.  Amazingly he was only 18 years old, making him the youngest surfer ever to make the tour.


Flores’ success in his inaugural year has helped to reawaken interest in European surfing.  Last year he was joined by fellow Frenchmen Miky Picon, Michel Bourez, and Tim Boal on the tour; and European surfers Tiago Pires (Portugal), Marlon Lipke (Germany) and Aritz Aranburu (Spain/Basque Country).  Out of the Europeans Flores has been deemed the most likely to achieve a world title.  He made the semi-finals at Trestles in 08’, and followed this quickly as runner-up in Brazil also in 08’, yet that initial ASP dream tour win still eludes him.

In 2008 Flores finished 10th on the world tour, a feat that proved he was staying around.  However, in 2009 he has struggled with a recurring ankle injury and so missed out on the final 3 events of the year.  Yet, in spite of only competing in 7 of the 10 possible events in 09’, Flores has managed to requalify for next year’s tour as he finished the year in 25th place.

What next for this French regular footer?  With numerous Junior and Grommet titles under his belt, no doubt he will be back in 2010 ready to go.  He is very competitive and has been complimented by even nine times world champion Kelly Slater, who has said that Flores surfs better than he did when he was Flores’ age.  So we will just have to wait and see, but no matter what- Flores is definitely a young-gun to watch.

No matter where a surfer is in the world, knowing whether the waves are good and at what time they get even better, is of the greatest importance.  It used to be up to some gnarly waterman to tell you that the big waves were coming.  However, times have changed and now you can check what the surf is doing in an instant with the joy that is surf forecasting websites.  Yet which one to pick...?

www.surfline.com


Surfline’s website is one of the most comprehensive and progressive for surf forecasting on the internet.  It provides you with all the necessary data for checking your favourite surf spots around the world and some.

The site is run from Surfline’s headquarters in Huntington Beach, California, and its weather and wave predictions are spearheaded by the renowned surfer and surf forecaster Sean Collins.  With over 90,000 people per day checking in with the website, Surfline takes its job and information very seriously.

You can check the surf through web cams, weather reports and wave models that can predict the waves for up to 5 days. 


www.magicseaweed.com


The beauty of Magicseaweed’s website is that it provides its surf reports through a number of different mediums.  A combination of surf science, weather report predictions and web cams all help to give a picture of what to expect.  Yet one of the best tools is a simple one.  People are able to contribute their “eye-ball” report, passing on the info on what a break is doing right in front of them. 

So you can check out your break on the web cam and read the update on what the break is doing by an actual surfer.


www.swellnet.com.au


For those who are lucky enough to be heading south to Australia any time soon, Swellnet is the Aussie’s choice.  Focusing on the main breaks in each of Australia’s states, Swellnet gives the daily surf report through charts, pictures, personal run down and gives an easy to understand view of the weather.  Our favourite feature of the site is the suggestion for what board to use for the wave. 


www.a1surf.com


Here’s one for those of us in Ireland and the UK.  Since its launch in 2001, A1Surf has been an excellent source of regional and local coastal knowledge.  It is run by surfers and welcomes contributions from its surfer following.  So the content is often a mixture of great personal photos combined with good solid technical data for wave predictions.

The site is very popular amongst the surfers from Devon and Cornwall in the UK, and it receives well over a 1,000 hits a day.


www.surf-forecast.com


Surf Forecast gives the location and wave forecasts for waves around the world.  However, you wont find secret spots on there as they respect a surfer’s right to the uncrowded wave.  What you will find is a collection of swell, wind and wave maps that will help you to see what a particular spot is going to do.

Added interest comes from the interactive swell surf maps and the beautiful local spot photos.

So hope the above will help you on your quest for good waves. And is you have booked a surf holiday make sure you check out and print the forecast the day before you go...

Surfer
Surfer Magazine has been running ever since 1960 when John Severson created it.  The magazine is arguably the most established and is published monthly from San Clemente, California.


Surfing
Also run from San Clemente, California, Surfing magazine was established in 1964 and has continued to have a worldwide following over the decades.


Transworld Surf
This often controversial surf magazine is created from its office in Carlsbad, California after it was originally created in 1999 in Oceanside.


Surfer’s Path
Established in 1997, the Surfer’s Path magazine is a little bit different from the rest.  Since May 2004 it became the only totally recycled surf magazine on the market.  Its home is the UK, but reaches a global readership.


WSSM
Women’s Style Surf Magazine is the number 1 women’s surf magazine in the USA.  It’s relatively new, created in 2004, and edited from Hawaii.  It focuses on unsponsored female surfers of all ages.


Wavelength
Based in Cornwall, UK, Wavelength magazine has represented the British surf scene since its creation in 1981.


Tracks Magazine
After its original start in 1970 in Australia as a cheap surf tabloid, Tracks Magazine has risen up the ranks.  It is now one of the Aussies favourite surf mags and offers great worldwide coverage.


Zigzag Surfing Magazine
This South African surf magazine has catered for the ever growing SA surf scene since 1976, catering for the demand for competition news and surf photos.


3 Sesenta
Spanish surfing magazine that supports the local European surfers in particular.  Established in 1987 and run from its offices in Santurzi, Spain.


Surf Europe
Published in 5 languages, Surf Europe provides a great deal of backing for the European crew.  It was created in 1999 and is produced in the UK by the Media Factory.

Name: Robert Kelly Slater, aka Kelly
Nicknames: Slats, King Kelly
Hometown: Coco Beach Florida,
Resides: Flordida, California, Australia, Tahiti, North Shore of Hawaii!
Age: 37 (D.o.b. 11 Feb 1972)
Stance: Regular
Sponsors: Quiksilver, FCS Fins, Channel Island Surfboards, Komunity Project Accessories

What can be said about the phenomenal Kelly Slater?  He is 9 times world surf champion, the youngest and oldest surfer to win the ASP tour, instigator of the duel heat competition format, winner of 41 tour titles... and manages to be involved with charity work and dates supermodels and actresses.  Jealous/Inspired?  Kelly has arguably pushed surfing further than ever before, influencing generations of surfers to gone beyond their boundaries, and has changed the way surfing is viewed around the world.


Kelly’s rise to superstardom officially began in 1992 when he claimed his first world title.  At the tender age of 20 he was the youngest surfer to achieve this hugely coveted pinnacle, yet it was only the beginning.  Flash forward to 2010 and he has 41 ASP tour wins, and claimed the world title in not only 92’, but 94’, 95’, 96’, 97’, 98’, 05’, 06’ and 08’.  His feats have surpassed all who have gone before him.

Not only has he set the record of world titles (closest is Australia’s Mark Richards- MR holds 5), he took the title for most tour wins from Tom Curren (who has 33) in 2005, and became the oldest surfer to win the world tour in 2007.   He has even achieved the elusive win at the Eddie Aikau Memorial Big Wave Invitational.  Pretty good for a guy from the small waved beaches of Cocoa Beach, Florida.


Kelly began surfing at only 5 years old and learnt on an adapted body board, which he used to best his surfboard owning friends.  He started to enter competitions soon after and progressed extremely quickly turning heads a long the way.  By 1990 he was picked up by Quiksilver and the rest you could say is history.  His autobiography and even his demeanor when being interviewed is always understated and dismissive of his incredible talents, yet no other surfer or athlete can touch on his achievements.

Kelly has proven that with enough focus, determination, training and a ridiculous amount of talent- anything is possible.  He has even made an awe inspiring come back from his partial retirement from the tour during 1999-2001.  So the question that is on everyone’s lips is what will 2010 bring?  Kelly won only one ASP event (not a lot for him!) in 2009- the Hang Loose Santa Catarina in Brazil, and finished 6th on the tour at the end of the year.  What with the heated competition between Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson, Kelly was not the centre of attention for once.  Yet, after achieving 9 world titles, it is likely that Kelly will want to complete the set and win a 10th.

We took some snaps of him getting a nice little barrel in the Rip Curl seach in Peniche, Portugal last October (ok so we're not pro photographers!!!). The event is now a permanent fixture on the tour and one of our most popular destinations for surfing holidays in Portugal:






So all eyes are on 2010 and the Australian competitions coming up over the next few months.  In the meantime, take a look at this quick overview of Kelly in the lead up to the launch of the new 3D film “The Ultimate Wave Tahiti” in which he stars.

Name: Joel Parkinson
Nickname: Parko
Hometown: Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia
Age: 28 (Dob 10 Apr 1981)
Stance: Regular
Sponsors: Billabong Wetsuits and Clothing, Von Zipper eyewear, Kustom footwear and JS Industries surfboards

In 2009 Mick Fanning won the ASP’s World Championship Title, yet his bestfriend Joel Parkinson came in as runner up and in the process won the hearts and imagination of spectators around the globe.  So who is this smiling surfer who graciously accepted defeat and chaired the newly victorious Fanning up the beach at the Pipeline Masters?


Joel “Parko” Parkinson grew up on the Gold Coast of Australia.  He started surfing at a young age, and was joined by fellow Coolangatta surf freak kids Mick Fanning and Dean Morrison.  At the tender age of 18 Parko made the surfing world take notice when he won the Billabong Pro at Jeffrey’s Bay in 1999.  He was the youngest unseeded wildcard in history to win an ASP world tour event.  So it was of little surprise that he shortly joined the ranks of the tour in 2001.

In 2002, Parko sky rocketed up the tour’s leaders board and completed the year in an incredible 2nd place.  He had set the standard and he proceeded to surf brilliantly over the following years, notching up a 5th in ’03, another 2nd in 04’, and then almost all top 10 rankings over the following years.  It has seemed that Parko has been ripe for a world title since he joined the tour.  Yet, that crown keeps slipping from his grasp.


After finishing 4th in both 07’ and 08’; 2009 seemed set to be the year Parko would finally win the ASP’s world title.  He won the Triple Crown of Surfing in Hawaii at the end of 2008, and opened the new season in 09’ in style.  He won the Quiksilver Gold Coast Pro and the Ripcurl Bells Beach Pro back to back, and solidified his lead in the rankings by winning Billabong’s competition at Jeffrey’s Bay.  However, 09’ wasn’t to be Parko’s year.  He suffered a foot injury mid season whilst training, and couldn’t get the points to continue his campaign until the final stages of the tour. 

Parko was pipped to the post by his bestfriend Mick Fanning when they battled it out for the world title at the Pipeline Masters.  Yet the devastated Parko paddled over the elated Fanning, shared congratulatory words and hugged in the water.  Parko’s bittersweet episode in Hawaii saw him lose the world title, but gain his second Triple Crown of Surfing and a whole lot of respect from those who looked on.

2010 will be an exciting year for Parko.  He just got knocked out of the Quarter Finals of the Quiksilver Gold Coast Pro held at his home beachbreaks but the tour is only just began.  So maybe on his 10th year on tour, Parko will finally get a chance to raise his game, show the world that persistence really does pay off... and win that elusive world title.  Yet no matter what, we know that he’ll do it all with class and style.

Take a look at Parko’s perfect 20 out of 20 score at 2008’s Pipeline Masters to see why he’s up there with the best... tune in at 1min05