Posted: November 30, 2010 by
Francesca
It’s official, it is less than a month before Christmas so it is all systems go. Time to start getting the presents in so you can relax, enjoy the festive season and start planning the next few
surf holidays. To make life easier here are a few gift ideas for you to use for that important male surfer in your life. Happy shopping.
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Surfboard Rack |
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A quick solution for storing a surfboard. The Finger Grips are attached to a wall with strong double sided tapes that are also removable and they take about 30 seconds to fit. The grips themselves are made of soft EVA foam, so will be perfect for holding the board gently until it is time to use the board again.
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£24.99 / €28.49 |
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Quiksilver Alarm Clock |
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Next time your surfer tries to wake up, help them out with a Quiksilver Alarm Clock. Along with the obvious time display, this clock has the ability to tell the temperature and humidity, so at least they can be a bit more prepared for the day ahead. It also has a build in calendar and comes with a year’s guarantee.
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£26.99 / €30.77 |
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Da Kine Laptop Cover |
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Just because it is swish, Da Kine has brought out a range of laptop covers to keep your precious laptop in good nick. The cover has a fleece lining and fully padded, and will fit most 17inch laptops.
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£18.99 / €21.65 |
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Shooting the Curl |
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This beautiful book is all about the best surf photographers and their work. This one is a great gift and will be a great read/look through for any coffee table or even toilet.
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£22.99 / €26.21 |
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Surfholidays.com Voucher
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Ok so maybe we are a bit biased but it still makes a great present. We have vouchers for any amount starting from €20/£20. Vouchers are valid for 1 year and can be put towards any accommodation or surf lesson options we have on our site. Just email info@surfholidays.com or call us on the numbers at the top of the website
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From £20/ €20 |
Posted: November 25, 2010 by
Francesca
Name: Layne Beachley
Nicknames: Gidget, Beach
Born: Sydney, Australia
Hometown: Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Age: 38 (dob 24 May 1972)
Stance: Regular
Sponsors: Blue Kiss, Oakley, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Darcy Surfboards,Vodafone, Musashe
When you think of the greatest surfers of all time, who comes to mind? Kelly Slater, Laird Hamilton, Eddie Aikau? Or Layne Beachley? Layne Beachley competed as a professional surfer for 20 years and raised the bar within the industry- she won 7 world titles, 6 of which were back to back. So who is this record breaking surfer?
Layne didn’t have the easiest of childhoods. She was born Tania Maris Gardner, and was given away in adoption to Neil and Valerie Beachley. However, tragically in 1979 Valerie passed away, leaving Layne to be brought up by her dad and family friends. Her escape and her joy was surfing, which her Dad introduced to her when she was only 4 years old.
Fast forward 10 years or so, and Layne enters her first surf competition at aged 14, and then turns professional aged only 16. Get ready world because there’s a champion in the making.
It wasn’t easy on the professional circuit for Layne, it took her 4 years to finally win her first contest. However, with mentoring from World Champion Pam Burridge along the way, Layne finally started to move up the rankings during the 90’. Then in 1998 it all fell into place...
Layne Beachley pushed defending world champion Lisa Andersen out of the spotlight and took her first World Championship title. Layne was unstoppable, and continued to win the title for the next 5 consecutive years. 6 titles and counting, a feat that is still not surpassed today.
Peruvian phenomenal surfer Sophia Mulanovich managed to halt Layne’s run of titles in 2004. However, Layne proved her point by returning to win an amazing seventh world title in 2006. The only surfer in history to beat Layne’s record of 7 titles is, of course, 10 time world champion Kelly Slater. In a word, Layne is “amazing”.
In 2008 Layne retired from professional surfing after spending 20 years on tour. She now runs her own surf camps in Australia, has written her biography, runs charities and holds the Beachley Classic surf competition each year. She has even got married to rock star Kirk Pengilly from the band INXS last month. To say that she was ‘retired’ wouldn’t nearly do justice to the work that Layne does now.
So what is next for Layne? She continues to work with the up and coming girls on and off tour, helps to promote women’s surfing, and runs one of the best prize purses in Women’s surfing at the
Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic , which is stop number 4 on the women’s world tour. Who knows what she will do next? Just know that no matter what, if she puts her mind to it, it will happen.
Posted: November 23, 2010 by
Francesca
What would you or that all important surfer in your life like for Christmas? A
surf holiday of course. So whilst your planning your next adventure here are 5 inspiring surf films for stocking fillers to get you in the mood.
1. Castles in the Sky by Taylor Steele
You know when you are watching a Taylor Steele surf film, as the man has a distinctly beautiful take on the world. Steele’s new film “Castles in the Sky” is all about the incredible destinations that surfers travel to. Focusing on the place, the experience of travelling and discovering some new waves, Steele’s new film is something different and very special.
2. Dear & Yonder
Every so often there comes along a great girl’s surf film, bringing together inspiring footage of the best female surfers out there. Dear & Yonder sets to encourage with its images of World Champions Stephanie Gilmore and Sofia Mulanovich ripping it, and stories of the new crowd of Coco Ho and Sally Fitzgibbons. The film showcases everything from shortboards to longboards and gives a real flavour for women’s surfing.
3. Melali- The Drifter Sessions
For those of you who saw Rob Machado in the mesmerizing ‘The Drifter’ earlier this year “Melali” will be the perfect follow on. It was filmed during Machado’s ‘awol’ time in Indonesia, and features everyone from Kelly Slater to Kalani Robb surfing incredible lines in the Indo surf.
4. Fiberglass and Megapixels
Beautifully shot in Hawaii, this is an interesting take on what it means to combine incredible surfing with the photography industry. With interviews from the world’s best surfers and surf photographers, ‘Fiberglass and Megapixels’ puts you in the water and literally changes your perspective on professional surfing.
5. Scratching the Surface
It was a long time coming, but finally Julian Wilson has his own surf film. After years of cameo appearances in the Quiksilver Young Gun flicks, Wilson has gone international with his debut film “Scratching the Surface”. It documents ‘a year in the life of’ in stunning HD film as Wilson travels around the globe.
Posted: November 22, 2010 by
Francesca
Every November the surfing community returns home to the beautiful beaches of Hawaii for the last of the surf contests. The men battle it out for tour qualifying points and the Pipeline Masters title, whilst the women come together to claim the Haleiwa Pro and Sunset Beach contests.
The events form the Vans Men’s and Women’s Triple Crowns of Surfing, with a total massive prizes purse of $1,000,000 there’s a lot of incentives to do well. Here’s the breakdown for each event all of which can be found on the one website
triplecrownofsurfing.com/vtcs10
Mens
WQS
Event: Reef Hawaiian Pro
Rating: 6 Star Prime
Date: 12th to 23rd November
Location: Alii Beach, Haleiwa, Oahu
Prize Money: $145,000
Last year’s winner: Joel Centeio (HAW)
This year’s winner: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Event: O’Neill World Cup
Rating: 6 Star Prime
Date: 24th November to 6th December
Location: Sunset Beach, Oahu
Prize Money: $145,000
Last year’s winner: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
WCT
Event: Billabong Pipe Masters
Date: 8th to 20th December
Location: Banzai Pipeline, Oahu
Prize Money: $400,000
Last year’s winner: Taj Burrow (AUS)
Womens
WQS
Event: Cholos Women’s Hawaiian Pro
Rating: 6 star
Date: 12th to 23rd November
Location: Alii Beach, Haleiwa, Oahu
Prize Money: $35,000
Last year’s winner: Alana Blanchard (AUS)
This year’s winner: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
WCT
Event: O’Neill Women’s World Cup
Date: 24th November to 6th December
Location: Sunset Beach, Oahu
Prize Money: $100,000
Last year’s winner: Carissa Moore (HAW)
Speciality Event:
Here the top four women from the Cholos and O’Neill events get a chance to battle it out and become the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion
Event: Vans Duel for the Jewel
Rating: n/a
Date: 8th to 20th December
Location: Banzai Pipeline, Oahu
Prize Money: $55,000
Posted: November 19, 2010 by
Francesca
At 9.42pm on Monday 25th October 2010 a massive earth quake struck just off the coast of the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. The quake measured 7.7 on the richter scale, and created a 3 metre high tsunami. This wall of water swept over the Mentawai islands killing 447 and injuring another 173 seriously. With still 57 people missing and entire villages completely destroyed, there has been a massive need for help.
Over the past few weeks there has been an international push for aid, spearheaded by Surf Aid International
www.surfaidinternational.org. The Islands lying off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia are best known around the globe as a world class surf destination. Professionals and amateurs alike travel thousands of miles every year to visit the spectacular waves of the Mentawai Islands.
The earth quake has left the islands reeling from the tsunami’s damage, with many dead and the destruction to every day life. However, help is finally making it through after the set back of bad weather and treacherous conditions. Surfers and aid workers have teamed up under the banner of Surf Aid to deliver much needed help to the areas most effected by the disaster.
One of the areas that demonstrates the damage caused by the tsunami is next to the world famous wave Macaronis. The luxurious beach huts of the Macaronis Beach Resort and its surroundings have been all but swept away, leaving only the severely damaged central building. However this scene only gives a small indication of the massive needs that the survivors of the tsunami still have in the months to come.
Fresh food, drinking water, cooking equipment, shelter, sanitation, medicine and eventually the rebuilding of homes, are needed to restore life to those who have lost everything. Over 500 homes were destroyed, and over 200 damaged, with the result that 15,000 people have been displaced. It’s a situation that is hard to imagine. However, as a surfer we should never forget that even though we may all visit incredible surf spots around the globe from time to time, it’s really important to look after the places we may go to, as we are part of a wider surfing community.
So whether you have just looked at a picture of the amazing waves of the Mentawais, dreamt of going there, or maybe have even been, take a moment for the victims of the Tsunami, and if you can- support the work that Surf Aid is continuing to carry out.
SurfAid Mentawai Tsunami report - 3 Nov 2010 from SurfAid International on Vimeo.