Quick Hits Archive: August 23 - August 29, 2007
Sep 06 2007 / Los Angeles, CAAugust 29, 2007
Speaking of Fuel: New Website Coming Soon
Published: 3:01 a.m. PT by Greg
We at Lat34 have been waiting for Fuel to relaunch its website -- something that's been in the works for awhile now. As fans of the network nothing pained us more than trying to use its website to check in on the latest about any of its shows.
After having the beta site for weeks and weeks, we hear it's finally close to launching: Check it out (screengrab below).
My opinion? Looks much nicer -- should be easier to watch clips from shows, which is great. A lot of flash on the front page -- that's something it has in common with the current site, still much better than what they have now.
What do you think? Let me know! Maybe I will print some of the better opinions.
Old Site: Bleh
New Site: Nice
Dean Morrison, Mike Spinner Featured on Fuel's Daily Habit
Published: 2:43 a.m. PT by Greg
Get ready for a couple of interesting episodes of "The Daily Habit" on Fuel. Tonight, ASP Foster's ASP World Tour surfer Dean Morrison stops by along with Josh Kerr -- a promising all-Aussie surf lineup.
Then tomorrow (Thursday) the show goes all-BMX Park as recent AST Dew Tour winner Mike Spinner stops by the studio (you know him -- he's only the first guy to land 1080 over a jump and a 360 triple-tailwhip) and Scotty Cranmer takes viewers on a tour of his indoor BMX park. Sweet.
Episodes of "The Daily Habit" air each weekday at 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm PT) while re-airing later in the evening at 12:00 am ET (9:00 pm PT), and the following day at 3:00 pm ET (12:00 pm PT) and 6:00 pm ET (3:00 pm PT)...
For more about the show, check out Fuel's website.
Dean Morrison
Mike Spinner
BMX Gets an Olympic Warmup in China
Published: 2:43 a.m. PT by Me
As a sort of test-run for the debut of BMX (racing that is) in the Olympics in Beijing a BMX Supercross event took place inside Laoshan track in China with Donny Robinson taking first in the Men's competition and Shanaze Reade doing the same in the women's competition. The event took place on a track that some found lacking but apparently was good enough for the International Cycling Union (UCI), which oversees the banner under which BMX enters the Olympics, to say about it, "Even if it's not the best, it's one of the best." Ringing words of endorsement huh? Sounds like it might be a rough year heading into the Beijing Olympics.
For details on the event as well as hope-to-be-prophetic words about Shanaze Reade check out the report by Adventure Sports Weekly.
ASR's Goldbox Mission
Published: 2:13 a.m. PT by Me
The ASR trade show for the past few years has had a good idea going: build a small area to feature up-and-coming brands in the hopes of shining a spotlight on something that might have gotten lost in the shuffle. See that's what they've been doing with their Goldbox Mission presented by Boost Mobile and this year is no different. First up to be featured in the Goldbox is Big Black's (of MTV's 'Rob and Big not to be mistaken for any other 'Big Black' you might know) label 'BB' which you might have seen him sporting all around.
More of the same from skaters Terry Kennedy and Jim Greco as they will be hocking Brigada Eyewear. Other brands hoping to get the Goldbox Boost (pun intended...I hope the check's in the mail guys) include Lexie Barnes, Initium Eyewear, Elias, Hit + Run, Reqwium, Tavik, Atwater and Factor 54. Whew what a list. And there's more, check out the press release to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Man Breaks Speed Record On "Skateboard", Gains No Respect
Published: 1:52 a.m. PT by Cary
When he finally reaches the pearly gates of heaven one day Joel King will be asked "What have you done with your life?"
At which point Joel King will be able to answer "I traveled 110 mph on a skateboard".
St. Peter would then roll tape on his accomplishment. The nearby spirits would then drop all the heavenly things they were doing and point out the leather suit in which King accomplished his feat and the neon colors in which he decorated the board and his cat-suit. Despite being benevolent beings these spirits would then break into malevolent laughter, and despite being immortal beings living in a painless paradise these spirits would induce burning in their abs and groinal area due to the laughter.
St. Peter would then roll tape of the countless hours King had spent building his cherished contraption. The footage would feature the plenty of nights he spent crying because the cylinders in the motor didn't align right, or the bearing of the wheels weren't functioning correctly. It might even show the moment at which his wife lost her love for him because of his obsessing over the machine.
Tears will begin to fall from King's eyes, tears of humiliation. The spirits would then feel ashamed at their callous act. St. Peter would then let him in to the rejoice of all.
Joel King would have finally found a place he was accepted.
That's all just beautiful fiction though...well...except for this part.
Adidas And Marononi Collaborate On Retro Bike
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Me
In line with what we saw earlier this month with the bike Puma designed Adidas is now releasing a cool new track bike to commemorate the opening of an Adidas Originals store in Montreal.
The cycle is a collaboration with Marinoni Cycles, and design/creative-ideas company, Breadwinner, and is really a throw back to classic racing bikes (like the ones you see in those old movies with dudes wearing short shorts). The only thing is that this bike isn't gonna be mass produced and sold...instead it's going to be up for auction for charity. Damn.
Check Breadwinner for more details on the bike.
Uncle Vito (Halfway) Stares The Law In The Face, Gets Charged
Published: 12:32 a.m. PT by Me
Looks like "Uncle Vito" of 'Viva La Bam' fame is in trouble with the law again. This time for 12 counts of violating the terms of his bond, he's out on bond because of the charges of sexual assault on a child he's facing. The terms of his bond included checking in by telephone twice a week, random urinalysis by an approved provider, no contact with children under the age of 18 and no drugs or alcohol, but it appears he didn't live up to his side of the bargain leading to the current mess. For full details check out this report...here's to hoping everything turns out the better.
Who is the Top Snowboarder of All Time?
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Greg
It's an interesting question -- there are some obvious names that come to mind, but which person belongs on top? And in a sport where women are just about equal with men, would a woman make the list?
We here at Lat34 wouldn't presume to make such a list (at least not now) but we found a couple of people/sites that do. One is a newly published list of the top ten influential snowboarders of all time. That "influential" is important, because right away it seems to favor some of the early snowboarders who paved the way for the Danny Davis, Torah Bright and Shaun Whites of the world. That list, written by Matt Belair, Snowboard Trainer and C.E.O of SnowboardAcademy.com is hard to argue with. Here it is (check out his post for his reasons)
1. Craig Kelly (pictured below)
2. Peter Line
3. Terje Haakonsen
4. Shaun White
5. Jamie Lynn
6. Kevin Jones
7. Shaun Palmer
8. JP Walker
9. Jeremy Jones
10. Travis Rice
Belair is careful to note that "there is no number #1, they are all kings" but when you make a list, you have to have a top and a bottom. Craig Kelly seems to be tough to argue as number one as far as influence goes, but no doubt there would be some strong discussion about the order and content of the rest of the list.
The second site we bring up is a poll site that has been up for almost four years. It asks users to choose their favorite from a list of 51 riders -- and this time it's just your favorite. Given that it's older, many young bucks aren't on the list -- so that may make a difference. Also, people can vote for as many or as few as they'd like... So scientific it ain't -- but it does have more than 3,600 votes. Even so, the list is crowded with only one clear leader...
Favorite Snowboarders
1. Shaun White (9%)
2. Terje Haakonsen (5%)
3. Craig Kelly (3%)
4. JP Walker (3%)
5. Danny Kass (3%)
6. Travis Rice (3%)
7. Jeremy Jones (3%)
8. Phil Pare (3%)
Five tied at 2%
Given the fact that this poll is not on any website specific to the sport, it's hard to take it seriously, but you can't argue that the top seven, at least, are pretty strong riders and worthy of votes.
All things considered, it's clear that Shaun White, Craig Kelly and Terje Haakonsen would be around the top of any list of top snowboarders. Let's just say the definitive list has yet to be done...
Check our full story on this for related links...
Photo Credit: Trevor Graves © Burton
Craig Kelly in the 1989 US Open of Snowboarding.
August 28, 2007
*Giggle Giggle* Shaun White And Lisa Andersen Win Teen Choice Awards *Giggle*
Published: 1:36 p.m. PT by Me
This past weekend both Shaun White and Lisa Andersen were chosen as Choice Action Sports Male and Female respectively by an audience eager to get their braces removed at the 2007 Teen Choice awards. How this awards show became the phenomenon it's become is still lost on this writer (along with the 'High School Musical' thing too) but apparently it was a huge event with celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Steve Carrell who won for Choice TV Actor (wait what?!?!?! Teens watch 'The Office'? I smell producer tampering, which is a great segue into...), Lauren Conrad from 'The Hills', and Jason Lee showing up. The award winners were given a surfboard as a trophy and most likely a package of goods that included a plethora of Clearasil products, and Chris Hansen's chat-log.
For a complete list of the nominees and winners (especially for all you NAMBLA readers out there) check the winner's list here, and for a brief recap of the award show itself go here.
HP Helps Jake Burton Spread His Wealth....Of Knowledge
Published: 11:46 a.m. PT by Me
As part of a greater $300 million campaign Jake Burton, founder of Burton Snowboards, is going to collaborate with HP, formerly Hewlett-Packard, to help market the new small business aspects of HP's "What Do You Have To Say?". The campaign is intended to help small to mid-size businesses take advantage of some of HP's new printing services as well as to help open up communication between businesses themselves, which is where Burton comes in. Burton will not only be a spokesperson for the new services but also be used as a 'role model' of sorts for the small businesses HP is trying to attract. Burton will share his own experiences in building Burton Snowboards from a company born in a Vermont barn to the huge indestructable super company you are all familiar with.
Kinda think of it like a technology version of those Nike Ads for Kobe awhile ago where they showed his whole workout regime and everything, but this time instead of weights you have 'product' and instead of 'dribbling' you have 'branding' (I'm not sure what would be the equivalent of 'a female hotel worker from Colorado' though).
I hope that all made sense, but if it didn't you still have this press release that'll explain it better. You can also check out the Burton portion of the "What Do You Have To Say?" campaign here.
"Life of Ryan" Episode One - We Watch So You Don't Have To
Published: 2:13 a.m. PT by Greg
So did you watch the first episode of "Life of Ryan" (Sheckler) on MTV last night? Sure you did! But if you didn't, we did and have not only a clip of the show (below) and a gallery of screengrabs from the episodes, but we have a full recap of the episode as well.
Even if you watched it, you can check out what we thought.
Longboarding Alert: 2nd Annual Roxy Jam CardiffPublished: 1:55 a.m. PT by Me
As a reminder (I'm pretty sure we'll also remind you again closer to the date) the 2nd Annual Roxy Jam at Cardiff, California will be taking place September 22nd - 23rd. It's one of the three ASP-sponsored events held in North America each year and it's a big one...SIX stars! Long considered the "stepchild of surfing" women's longboarding will have a chance to strut its stuff as the weekend event will offer a pro competition, an open-to-public amateur competition (separated into 5 categories) as well as a paddleboard race (huh?).
For more details on the event check the preview here.
The $84,000 Skate Video
Published: 1:22 a.m. PT by Me
Ever think the skate videos you and your friends make at home (and can upload to your Lat34 profile) aren't worth much? Well here's something that might change your mind/turn some heads/wet your pants. Contemporary artist Shaun Gladwell's 'Storm Sequence' has just sold at a Sotheby's auction in Australia for $84,000 AUD (that's about $70,000 USD). 'Storm Sequence' is a five-minute, 37-second video loop, featuring Gladwell doing skate tricks as a storm front moves in with, some might say, "the elegance of a ballet dancer". See a screen shot of 'Storm Sequence' yourself and be the judge.
Read the story for more details on the auction (check halfway down). As a fan of art in general I'm not going to be one to bash this, but I have a distinct feeling you're going to see a lot of rollerbladers videotaping themselves in the midst of a tornado in 35mm to cash in on this.
Skater One-Ups Blind Surfers
Published: 12:23 a.m. PT by Me
Remember that story we mentioned about the surfing instructors who took several blind teenagers out to surf? Well 14-year-old Tommy Carroll says hello. Carroll is a teen who has been blind since the age of 2, and who despite his condition has picked up the art of skateboarding at local skateparks without assistance. What Tommy does is upon entering a new skatepark he surveys the scene by walking through it then by doing a preliminary skate through. This helps him create a 'mental map' which he then uses to actually skate the park like we do (well maybe not me...you and Tommy are probably better than me).
Amazing huh? And you thought memorizing your PIN number was hard (if you really find it hard you should share it with me, I'll help you memorize it...here right it down on your ATM card and pass it over here). To read more on Tommy and the process by which he skates check out the Chicago Sun Times' write up on this extrordinary kid.
Pastrana At The Rally America National ChampionshipPublished: 12:09 a.m. PT by Me
In case you were following everything Travis Pastrana does in his career here's a new tidbit to store in your scrapbook: He just finished 2nd at the Round 7 of the Rally America National Championship. Supposedly it was a tough day to be a driver as it was all dirt and chaos, but seeing as I don't know anything worthwhile about racing in all forms I'll leave it to the report to fill you in on Pastrana's day.
August 27, 2007
'Life Of Ryan' Promises To Be A Huge Hit So Long As Teenage Girls Have Electricity
Published: 11:45 a.m. PT by Me
As the premiere of 'Life Of Ryan' looms nearer (a reminder of which can be found below) the Orange County Register (essentially his hometown newspaper) has done a pretty thorough profile of Ryan for what seems like an audience that might not be too familiar with the kid to bring them up to speed. The article goes through the whole thought process behind the development of the show including quotes from the producers, execs, Gretchen Sheckler, and of course the star of the show himself. Surprsingly the article offers a good amount of insight into something that has been covered a little too much maybe, including this revealing tidbit from one of the MTV execs about her view of Sheckler and more importantly the key to MTV programming in general: "Most of the people who walk in, who have a little fame, come in with a little bit of confidence and maybe some attitude. He was just a really sweet kid, and we thought, 'Oh my God, girls are gonna love this sweet kid!'"
So to read the OC Register's little pregame warmup to the premiere of 'Life Of Ryan' head over here and we promise the media onslaught, along with the anxious giggling, should slow down in a few weeks.
Community Rallies Around Injured Motocross Rider
Published: 12:16 p.m. PT by Me
There's an old Hillary Clinton saying (which came from an old African saying) 'It take a village to raise a child', well in the case of Ventura, Califonia, the saying is very much alive and true. This is because residents of the city have banded together to donate about $28,000 to a fund set up for Justin Eubanks, a 17-year old kid who was seriously injured in a motocross accident last month. While the total funds needed might eventually add up to over $1 million, because of the seriousness of his injuries, it is still pretty touching that regular citizens were ready, willing, and able to pony up this type of money for a kid in their community, including in one instance a lady handing over the jackpot she won at a nearby casino.
To read up on the story and hopefully warm over that cold, dark, damp heart of yours (maybe I'm projecting) go here.
Beastie Boys' MCA Will Skate in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground; Soundtrack Revealed
Published: 2:47 a.m. PT by Greg
A few days ago we lamented the inclusion of a demo for Guitar Hero III on the new Tony Hawk game. Now we might have to buy it after all to get a chance to control MCA of the Beastie Boys in the game. Yep, that's right, MCA will be the latest celebrity skater who can be unlocked (following Travis Barker, Gene Simmons and others). Not only that, it looks like he will actually be skating on the moon - check out some grabs below...
At the same time that was announced, so was the soundtrack, featuring 54 songs from everyone from Foo Fighters to Silversun Pickups to The Cramps to Kittens to The Rolling Stones. Here are some of the songs:
Well, hell, looks like we'll have to buy it after all... Get all of the songs here.
grabs cr. Activision
Aaron Cormican Rules East Coast Championships
Published: 12:44 a.m. PT by Greg
So there was plenty of surfing this weekend -- you had the WCT women's event in Brazil, the WQS event in France and then the East Coast Championships in Virginia. We told you Saturday about Courtney Conlogue repeating as the women's champ on her birthday. Well, yesterday Aaron Cormican won his second iEast Coast Championship in a row as well. Cormican defeated Jadson Andre, Adam Virs and Kellen Ellison in the finals.
There was also some Longboard action (won by Tony Silvagni) and a Pro Junior comp, won by Brazillian Miguel Pupo.
Read more if you dare.
HOLD EVERYTHING: "Life of Ryan" Premieres Tonight
Published: 12:08 a.m. PT by Greg
If you haven't set your Tivo to record MTV tonight at 10:30 p.m. that means one of two things -- you don't own a Tivo or you forgot that "Life of Ryan," featuring some kid named Ryan Sheckler, premieres tonight. If you're hoping for the next "Rob & Big," I think you will have to hold your breath. But if you're looking for "The Hills" featuring someone with some talent well, you might be in luck. Maybe they should call it "The San" (as in San Clemente -- get it?).
We have a page set up for the show where we will track the episodes, follow reaction and basically be a shrine to all things Sheckler. You can check it out. Meanwhile, I have to go take a shower.
August 26, 2007
Soven, Wing Top Wakeboarders in WORLD
Published: 7:29 p.m. PT by Greg
Phillip Soven won the Men's final of the Rockstar WWA Wakeboard World Championships today, earning him the title of the world champ. Meanwhile, Dallas Friday was upset by Amber Wing, who won the women's final.
Soven's younger brother, Jason, also won a title, taking the Junior Boys division (9 and under) title. In all, seven titles were handed out in a variety of divisions. Check out all the results.
Cansdell Wins Top WQS Event -- France's Rip Curl Pro Super Series
Published: 11:25 a.m. PT by Me
Shaun Cansdell may already be part of the Foster's ASP World Tour -- the "elite" tour as they say -- but that doesn't mean that winning the Rip Curl pro Super Series in France wasn't special. Cansdell defeated American Dane Reynolds in the final, which earned Cansdell a $20K payout and 3500 WQS points.
Reynolds was perfectly happy with his second-place finish, which earned him more than 3000 WQS points and a $10K payout. More importantly, he now has unofficially qualified for the 2008 ASP Foster's World Tour along with South African Jordy Smith.
Read more about the final.
WQS: Courtney Conlogue Defeats Karina Petroni to Win 2007 East Coast Surfing Championships
Published: 1:24 a.m. PT by Me
Today was a special day for Courtney Conlogue -- not only did she turn 15-years-old, but she also won the 45th Annual East Coast Surfing Championships at Virginia Beach. While turning 15 was a first, winning the East Coast Surfing Championship was not as she won the contest last year.
Coming second to Conlogue in the four-woman final was US Open runner-up Karina Petroni.
Read more about the final.
Final Results
1 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.67
2 – Karina Petroni (USA) 11.50
3 – Lindsey Baldwin (USA) 9.23
4 – Quincy Davis (USA) 7.37
August 25, 2007
Cornish Wins Billabong Pro WCTPublished: 5:45 p.m. PT by Greg
Samantha Cornish has won her first ASP event in four years, capturing the Billabong Girls Pro Itacaré over hometown favorite Silvana Lima in Brazil today.
After failing to qualify for the tour last year and only getting to compete thanks to an injury wildcard, Cornish now finds herself ranked No. 2 in the world in the ASP Women's World Tour. Stephanie GIlmore is first, thanks to her equal 3rd finish today. Chelsea Hedges, who entered the contest tied with Gilmore at the top of the tour rankings, slipped to World No. 3 after her equal 5th finish yesterday.
The women's world tour continues next month with the Rip Curl Girls Festival in Spain.
Read the full breakdown here.
Billabong Pro Girls Itacare Final Results
Heat 1: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 12.00 def Silvana Lima (BRA) 8.10
Billabong Pro Girls Itacare Quarterfinal Semifinal Results
Heat 1: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 14.75 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)9.00
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA)8.25 def Rebecca Woods (AUS)7.75
Billabong Pro Girls Itacare Quarterfinal Results
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.50 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 8.00
Heat 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 12.00 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 11.40
Heat 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) 17.00 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 14.25
Heat 4: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.25 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 8.30
Birdhouse To Premiere 'The Beginning' All Over The CountryPublished: 1:44 a.m. PT by Me
Almost ten years after the amazing video 'The End' (Wow am I really that old?) Birdhouse is finally following up with its newest video 'The Beginning' (hey better than calling it something like 'Live Free, Die Hard' or 'Endless Bummer'). Though they've suffered some attrition in between (Andrew Reynolds moved over to Baker, Rick McCrank to Girl) the film still features the Birdhouse stalwarts, Tony Hawk (makes sense since he's the OWNER), Jeremy Klein, and Shaun White, as well as some upcoming AMs like Justin Figueroa, Randy Ploesser, and of course Riley Hawk (makes sense since he's the OWNER'S SON...wait why am I yelling).
In celebration of the release the Birdhouse team is premiering the film throughout the country starting from Southern California in October, all the way into the Midwest in November. So if you've been patiently waiting for this film ever since you turned off 'The End', like I have, check out the premiere dates here and see if you'll be able to catch one of them near your place.
Travis Pastrana Likes To Dip His Toe Into Everything (Possibly Even Your Food)
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Me
Despite dominating his own sport of Moto X Travis Pastrana just can't stop scratching the itch that is race car driving, and this December Pastrana is going to try to prove that he is just as adept at racing than he is at motocross. That's because Pastrana has signed up to race in 'The Race Of Champions'. Now this race isn't some lame celebrity race event, it's a race where top race car drivers from around the world come to compete on a level playing field (each participant is driving the exact same car their competitors are) to see who can win based on skills alone. Past participants in the event include NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon, seven-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, and F1 king Michael Schumacher. This year is no different as Pastrana will face the likes of NASCAR Champ Jimmy Johnson in order to be crowned "The Champion of Champions" (which is what imaginatively they call the winner).
For more on the event and Pastrana's participation in it check out the official release.
Surfers Teach Blind To Surf
Published: 12:56 a.m. PT by Me
In a heartwarming story (enough to put my jackass-ery on hold) out of Massachusetts, instructors from a local surf shop decided to work with a local center for the blind to help share the exhiliration of surfing to some of the center's teens. Jamie Hosker, co-owner of Brickhouse Boards, took seven teens with some type of visual impairment out for a day of surf at Good Harbor Beach. After teaching them the basics of surfing while on the shore each teen then went out into the water and did their best to cath a wave while being guided by instructors. The teens ended up catching on pretty quickly and were hooked (just check the photo out below).
For more details about the experience read the Gloucester Daily Times write up on the event.
Needless Deaths
Published: 12:21 a.m. PT by Me
These are stories that we probably don't want to post but feel compelled to, kinda like war reports. In two separate instances a skater and a "surfer" died in accidents when they tried to combine their sport with the art of driving. In Texas Kyle Darroca was getting pulled by his friends car while on a skateboard ("skitching") when he tried to ollie a few times. According to police on his fifth attempt Kyle fell and ended up getting run over by the vehicle. In the meantime in Iowa Ron Kuhfus was "car surfing" on his way home from football practice according to reports (in reality he was most likely just sitting on the trunk of a moving car, but "car surfing" sound wayyyyyy more dramatic and action packed huh?) when he fell of and hit his head on the pavement leading to his death.
While both are sad deaths it's worth note that in the story on Kyle Darroca officials offer us an idea of how one accomplishes an ollie. So in the end you still learn from tragedy.
***Update***
As a sort of epilogue read this story on one community's reaction to a recent "skitching" death. As you can already guess reactions vary quite a bit and really depend on the person's perspective on skateboarding.
Clark, Finch Win in Halfpipe at Australian OpenPublished: 12:02 a.m. PT by Greg
The Burton Australian Open ended Saturday down under and Andy Finch and Kelly Clark took the top spots in the halfpipe competition. Finch scored a huge 91.50 in his second run and never looked back. Louie Vito was the only rider to come close, scoring an 81.25 in his second run. Mitchell Brown was third. Chas Guldemond, who won the slopestyle title on Friday, finished in 15th place. Finch took fourth in the slopstyle competition.
The women's contest was much closer, with Kelly Clark edging Elizabeth Beeman by a score of 79.25 to 79/00. Juliane Bray ended up in third with a 76.50, barely ahead of Elena Hight's 76.00. Jamie Anderson, the winner of the slopestyle finals, finished in sixth. Hometown favorites Torah Bright and Holly Crawford didn't compete. For Clark and Beeman, the finishes secure their spots at the top of the TTR rankings. Final rankings following the halfpipe finals are yet to be released.
For more, you can check out the official site or the TTR site
Men's Halfpipe Finals - Top Five
1. Finch, Andy USA - 91.50
2. Vito, Louie USA - 81.25
3. Brown, Mitchell NZE - 77.50
4. Horgmo, Torstein NOR - 75.75
5. Kokubo, Kazuhiro JPN - 75.50
Women's Halfpipe Finals - Top Five
1. Clark, Kelly USA - 79.25
2. Beerman, Elizabeth USA - 79.00
3. Bray, Juliane NZE - 76.50
4. Hight, Elena USA - 76.00
5. Furihata, Yuki JPN - 73.75
August 24, 2007
Giants Fall At The Billabong Girl's Pro Itacare
Published: 5:13 p.m. PT by Me
After a bunch of lay days action picked up at the Billabong Girl's Pro Itacare, and when we say action we mean action (though maybe not the "action" you might be thinking of). That's because of the four heats that took place, three of them, yes three of them, featured upsets. The first happened when ASP rookie Stephanie Gilmore took out 2004 ASP Champ Sofia Mulanovich, this was followed by Chelsea Hedges losing to Samantha Cornish, then finally Silvana Lima topped reigning Billabong Pro champ Layne Beachley. As they say in the NBA, the playoffs don't start until someone loses on their homecourt. Well in this case it's not really the playoffs, and there really isn't any homecourt to lose, so essentially that was a terrible analogy...but I hope you get the point. The point: things are gonna be pretty intense going into the semi-finals.
To find out how everything went down, and to get a post-game interview with the winners (look I wanna try and salvage some of that NBA analogy if I can) check out the wrap up of the quarterfinals at Itacare.
Round 3 At The WQS Rip Curl Pro Super Series
Published: 12:06 p.m. PT by Me
A field of 144 surfers trying to make the 2008 ASP World Tour has been cut down to 24 with Round 3 finishing up today despite conditions that weren't exactly ideal. Pros like Luc Munro and Adrian Buchan took their heat with no problem while Jordy Smith took a relaxed approach (since he had already qualified for the 2008 Tour) yet scored the highest single score of the day. For full details of the day's work check out the update.
Bob Hurley Talks Trestles
Published: 3:21 a.m. PT by Greg
The Boost Mobile Pro in Lower Trestles isn't the biggest contest on the Foster's ASP World Tour but it is the only contest to take place in North America which means it gets a lot of press and everyone wants to show up. Hurley signed up last year to sponsor the event (officially it's called the Boost mobile Pro Presented by Hurley) and it's back again for another go. Transworld Business Magazine has a short, but interesting, interview with Hurley CEO Bob Hurley to talk about the event which is coming up with a holding period of September 9-15.
Read the interview and get enlightened.
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Battles EA's Skate by... Using Guitar Hero?
Published: 2:59 a.m. PT by Greg
We've been talking about EA's Skate a bunch lately (Could it be because we're giving it away? Nahhhh) but only a few scant weeks after Skate hits shelves and slips into X Box's everywhere, the next installment in Tony Hawk's plot to rule the universe video game monopoly franchise will come out. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground will come out on October 9th and guess what will be included to help sell oodles of the games? A demo of Guitar Hero III. Ah, what?
That's right -- buy Tony Hawk's Proving Ground and you will get five tracks in the Guitar Hero III demo that is included (only for X Box 360). I guess the idea is that some Guitar Hero fans will go out and buy a copy of the game just to play the demo (or rent it, as this blogger suggests). My opinion -- I would not buy the game to avoid getting anything that includes "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar.
Yes, that classic is one of five songs included in the demo:
Lay Down (by Priestess)
Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
The Metal (by Tenacious D)
Hit Me with your Best Shot (by Pat Benatar)
Rock You like a Hurricane (by Scorpions)
The last two were actually covers, I guess. Who really cares? The guys who actually like this game, I suppose. Am I the only person in the world who thinks Guitar Hero is just the worst thing ever? Yes, I think I am.
Mary Perkins Replaced By Matt Buyten on FreestyleMX.com Tour
Published: 2:21 a.m. PT by Greg
FreestyleMX.com has replaced Kiwi "Scary" Mary Perkins on its current 2007 National Boost Mobile FreestyleMX.com Tour with X Games gold medalist Matt Buyten -- though to be clear it was in Step Up so it really should be more like a "Fools Gold" medal.
But seriously, F.O.L. (Freind of Lat34) Perkins was injured earlier this year and according to the press release the injury was still "seriously affecting her ability to ride and to confidently perform her gravity-defying famed 'Scary' Mary jumps and high-octane tricks."
Hmmm. Oh, and then there's this:
"While we made every effort to have Mary Perkins continue on with us for the balance of the tour... in a reduced capacity as a featured celebrity rider just appearing to sign autographs... she felt, since she could not perform as expected... or at least at this point in time... she would prefer to immediately discontinue her participation in the tour and return home for further medical care."
Ouch. That's a lot of "..." (ellipses they're called). Anyway, that was Marc Burnett, the tour organizer.
So Perkins is back in New Zealand recuperating. To find out more about her (she's a world record holder, after all), check out our Girl On profile and photo gallery. We'll catch up with her soon. To check into the dates of the tour, you can check out the website or our events calendar. (it's better)
Oh yeah, here's the full press release for you, too.
Roxy Offers You Culture Next Week
Published: 1:43 a.m. PT by Me
In a cool little collaboration Roxy and artist Elizabeth Paige Smith are holding the first ever Roxy Studio Exhibition next Wednesday (August 29th). The exhibit will take place at the Elizabeth Paige Smith Gallery in Venice Beach, California, and will feature works from artists like Jenny Bowers, Jeff Canham, Greg Lamarche, Rob Ryan, as well as Smith herself (who is a heavy-weight herself with LACMA and MOCA shows, among others, in her catalog). The exhibit will then be capped off with a screening of Smith's film "Ritournelle".
***Mental Note*** This is a perfect date event/thingy, it shows culture, good tastes, and class. Scrap the plans you made to take her out to play video games and check out your new car stereo system. Must click on this link to find out more details about this exhibit/film premiere. ***End Of Mental Note***
Get a Look at NikeSB's 2008 Line
Published: 1:18 a.m. PT by Me
NikeSB.org had gotten an exclusive glimpse at the early 2008 clothing line for Nike SB. If you didn't know NikeSB.org isn't an official site for Nike SB but as you can see it's got enough hook-ups with the mothership that it could offer such a sneak peak (but we're not 100% sure this was really an exclusive since most of the shots look like they were pics taken of a catalog). The collection of course includes t-shirts, jackets, hats, hoodies, and bags...I don't know if your taste matches mine but I see several things in there that made my eyes sparkle, kinda like when you spotted your first love. Awwww how sweet, now go look at the pictures.
BTW, in related NikeSB news, the company is releasing a new Joe Strummer shoe. You can find out more about that and other Strummer stuff here...
Reminder: Forget Summer, Remember The Australian Open Of Snowboarding; Slopestyle Results Published: 12:39 a.m. PT by Me
Don't forget this weekend the Garnier Fructis (what does shampoo have to do Axiom CMSwith snowboarding?) Australian Open is gonna pop off. It's the second stop on the Burton Global Open Series and is a Ticket-To-Ride (TTR) event. If you didn't know and happened to be a redneck the TTR is like the Nextel Cup Series in NASCAR, in that it's a competition based on cumulative scores from those events participating in TTR. Thus paying attention to the Australian Open is like making sure you watch "Godfather II" so that you won't be clueless when you watch the piece of cinematic trash that is "Godfather III."
It's a little tough to follow the action down under... After all, it's already Saturday there and the Slopestyle Action has all gone down. Oh well, from work tomorrow we'll check the live scoring on the official site to see who wins on the halfpipe. We suggest you stop by the TTR site to get a briefing on The Open in the meanwhile.
Men's Slopestyle Finals
1. Chas Guldemond USA
2. Torstein Horgmo NOR
3. Kazuhiro Kokubo JPN
4. Andy Finch USA
5. Alessandro Boyens GER
Women's Slopestyle Finals1. Jamie Anderson USA (pictured, right)
2. Jenny Jones GBR
3. Priscilla Levac CAN
4. Claudia Fliri AUT
5 Ali Deane AUS
'Dude Where's My Car' + Surfboard = 'Endless Bummer'
Published: 12:02 a.m. PT by Me
Really quick note...I just read about Hollywood filming a teen-comedy called 'Endless Bummer' about a group of teens trying to track down a stolen surfboard. It will be directed by the guy who did 'Free Willy 3', and it just recently added Matthew Lillard (of 'Scooby Doo' fame) to its cast list. Can it get any better? YES, they can add Steve Guttenberg in the cast.
August 23, 2007
Rip Curl Pro Hossegor/Billabong Pro Itacare Rundown
Published: 1:56 p.m. PT by Me
While we're still in the midst of both the Rip Curl Pro Hossegor and the Billabong Girl's Pro at Itacare we've got a kinda halftime report from the good folks at ASP on both events. Here the importance of the Rip Curl Pro (a 6 Star WQS event) is broken down into great detail especially for pros like Adrian Buchan and Luke Munro where the event can be almost a make or break type deal.
On the other hand the Billabong Girl's Pro at Itacare has had two consecutive lay days due to conditions, which means a perfect time to analyze what might come next.
For the full breakdown/halftime report/expert analysis check the release here before things start picking up again and you're out of the loop.
Jeremy Lusk And The Globe Team On Fuel TV
Published: 11:46 a.m. PT by Me
Another short reminder, tomorrow both Metal Mulisha Member Jeremy Lusk and the Globe Skate Team will be featured on Fuel TV. Lusk will be the featured guest on 'Daily Habit' which is Fuel TV's daily lifestyle show. The Globe Team will be featured on 'United By Fate: Behind The Scenes Of Episode 2' which as you can clearly read is a behind-the-scenes special on Globe's short film series 'United By Fate' which includes skaters like the legendary Rodney Mullen, Vans Invitational winner Greg Lutzka, Mark Appleyard, and Chris Haslem. For complete info and air times for both shows check out the update.
AND oh yeah don't forget to catch the rebroadcasts of the Jason Lee/Chris Pastras episode of 'Daily Habit' tomorrow at 3:00 pm ET (12:00 pm PT) and 6:00 pm ET (3:00 pm PT).
Newport Beach To Host 'Young Guns 3' Screening TONIGHT
Published: 2:23 a.m. PT by Me
Just a reminder: If you like seeing the night sky and surfers in the night sky don't forget that Quiksilver is going to screen its film 'Young Guns 3' at Peninsula Park next to the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, California, tonight.
For more about 'Young Guns 3' go here, to see what it was like at the last 'Young Guns 3' screening at Huntington Beach go here.
Jennifer Aniston + Courtney Cox + Surfboards = Bikinis + Awkward Poses
Published: 1:48 a.m. PT by Me
Seems like paparazzi have caught friends (pun intended) Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox holidaying in Hawaii where they took up the sport of surfing and paddle-surfing. If you're wondering why the hell we're even mentioning this read the headline again, and if you still don't understand read it again, especially the part after the equal sign. Get it? Well fine then don't look at the following picture or these other ones
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Me
Though it's billed by Hurley as the world's largest surf film premiere in history (and they're technically right) it probably isn't. That's because the premiere for the first volume in the 'Sound & Vision' short film series is going to be packaged into the live webcast of the Boost Mobile Pro starting September 9th, which is expected to have around 300,000 viewers. Not to say that the film won't have a traditional premiere too... it will, in the form of ten satellite viewing events around the country.
The 'Sound & Vision' series is meant to be a series of short films documenting the life of different Hurley pros, from Tim Curran, to Rob Machado. First up in the series is Yadin Nicol. For more info on the series, specifically Volume 1, head over here.
Baltimore Discovers That Skaters, Like Humans, Prefer Variety
Published: 12:55 a.m. PT by Me
It used to be conventional wisdom that if you were gonna build a skatepark it would by default include things like transitions, bowls, ramps, and maybe even a mini-ramp. But as the city of Baltimore is figuring out, that's not necessarily what the skaters want. Inspired by the Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza in Kettering, Ohio, skaters in the Baltimore area are demanding a more street-based skatepark featuring the stuff that skaters skate which in any other setting would cause them to get in trouble by "the Man".
The Baltimore Sun has thus written a great article dealing with the issue, including some interesting tidbits about the opposition, by skaters, one county faced when they planned to build a skate park for the same skaters. Seriously read the story it's pretty good...not in the lame way a newspaper article can be when it covers such a thing (except in one line they mention ramps and jumps, but that's excusable).
Aussie Duo Surfs All 50 States. USA! USA! USA!
Published: 12:31 a.m. PT by Me
The AP has a cool little story about 2 Australians surfers who got creative with their plans to travel through My-Country-'Tis-Of-Thee. Instead of doing the normal thing and getting slapped by their fathers in a station wagon these guys decided to try to surf in ALL 50 states of the Union.
What about the states with no surf you say? Well they would try to surf anything, usually something the state is famous for, which included cornfields in Nebraska, the 'Rocky' steps in Philadelphia, and a screening of the 'Wizard Of Oz' in Kansas. The trip was also funded mostly by the kindness of each state's residents, as well as Hurley which offered them a free ice cream truck to use as well as 800 shirts to sell for disposable cash. For the whole story, including other examples of their more unique instances of surfing a state check the AP article here then see if you could name me the 6 states of Australia.
