Quick Hits Archive: July 12 - July 18, 2007

Mar 20 2008 / Los Angeles, CA

July 18, 2007

Blake "Bilko" Williams Update
Published: 3:59 a.m. PT by Me

Aussie FMX rider Blake "Bilko" Williams broke his foot during the FMX finals in Baltimore's first AST Dew Tour stop and he is going to miss this weekend's action in Cleveland and next month's X-Games as a result, as well as probably the next couple of Dew Tours (if not the rest of the season).

Here's a snippet of his latest update of how things are going for him.

Well, I'm finally back home now. It's been quite an adventure with highs and lows, but mainly lows. My first week in hospital was a nightmare, after having my foot and ankle put back into place while I was awake I laid in bed for another week waiting for surgery. But because I wasn't critical I kept getting pushed back by people who needed doctors more than me.

Eventually my foot became too swollen to operate on and they told me I would have to leave the hospital as they cant keep me there for that long waiting for the swelling to go. At this point my manager who had stayed with me had to return to California, so my dad flew over to rescue me... haha.

... So we arrived in California and had an appointment to see Dr Deiman. he works with Dr Alexander, and they are the doctors for riders such as Deegan, Nate, Chad Reed, Grant Langston, Kevin Whindham, the list goes on! It was good to know i was seeing a Doctor with a lot of dirtbike experience.

He told me my foot was a 9 out of 10 stuffed but fixable. I had a slight blood infection so he admitted me to Hospital straight away for IV antibiotics, and scheduled the surgery for 2 days later. I had the surgery and all went to plan.

I was in hospital for another week. I had 3 pins in my foot, the type that stick out the skin so they can be removed without surgery, like a nail thats not hammered in all the way, a screw in my ankle and a fair few clean ups on my knee. I still have a torn ACL though that needs to be fixed but other than that I'm all on the mend.

I then returned home and since have had some quality time on the couch. I will be returning to America in 2 weeks to do some commentating at the X Games so that should be fun, followed by a further 4 weeks on crutches and hopefully knee surgery then.

... It's a disappointing end to what could have been but its the risk we take in the sport and thats all there is to it...

And while I'd actually really love to post them here, but maybe some of you are eating breakfast, there are some gnarly photos of his foot and leg after the operation. You can check them out, as well as the full update, here.

No Billabong Pro Today
Published: 2:35 a.m. PT by Me

So who else stays up until 2:30 a.m. PT to see whether or not the Billabong Pro at J-Bay is going off? Then gets the nice message on the live webcast that it's off. Go ahead and guess.

For future reference, South Africa is 9 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Pretty interesting, eh?

Check the official site to see a pretty picture of the waves. See you in 24 hours.

Red Bull X-Fighters Visit Poland
Published: 1:32 a.m. PT by Me

The next Red Bull X-Fighters contest may not hit Madrid until July 27, but that doesn't mean the riders are taking the time off. Sure, some of them are hitting other comps, but some are also doing a side tour. One such tour happened earlier this month as several riders hit seaside cities in Poland, making crowds in towns such as Miedzyzdroje, Pobierowo, Koloborzeg, Sopot and Gdansk very happy...

The team of riders making the tour included Chris Birch, Nick Franklin, Jimmy Verburgh, Mathieu Rebeaud and Ronnie Renner and we have a nice photo gallery of some of the demos that were done.

There will be a live webcast of the next X-Fighters contest on the official site...

You can check out some photos below, but the full gallery is here.

Oakley to Release New Limited-Edition Super-Cool Must-Have....  Wait, What Are We Talking About?
Published: 12:19 a.m. PT by Greg

So ignoring the fact that Oakley's being bought by some huge corporation (not that it wasn't pretty darn big before), the company is going to have some limited-edition sunglasses coming out that will feature custom designs from well-known artists, musicians and designers from around the world.

The "Square O" collection will be featured, and each release will be available in limited quantities and only available at exclusive retailers... Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last...

Anyway, one of the first artists featured will be Art Chantry, who is best known for his grunge-inspired poster and album art that captured the Seattle grunge scene. He worked with bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden, and the special edition glasses will feature a collage borrowed from his catalog of more than 300 posters and album covers...They are called HIJINX Art Chantry Edition sunglasses.

Now this is interesting and all (here's a story about it), but it was even more interesting when these sunglasses were announced the first time, a couple of months ago...


Skatopia v. Skatopia
Published: 12:07 a.m. PT by Greg

New blog South of the North poses the question whether Ohio's established Skatopia is aware of, or even cares about a clothing company named Skatopia that is getting some high fives from Hypebeast.

It looks like the website is based in Taiwan so even if they have the same name, good luck trying to do anything about it. After all, I think they sell Parnosonic and Sorny TV sets there, right?

July 17, 2007

Round 3 At JBay Complete
Published: 11:55 a.m. PT by Me

Day 7 was cut short and action was limited to just two heats, but at least Round 3 saw its end at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay. As the rest of the field sat and watched Adriano de Souza beat Bruce Irons to advance to Round 4 and Bede Durbidge ousted Rodrigo Dornelles to do the same.

Check here for the full story on Day 7.

You can also watch along live on the official site

Stephen Murray Update: Trying the Move Again
Published: 12:47 a.m. PT by Me

Stephen's move to Denver appears to be back on. Here's the latest update from his family as posted on BMXTalk.com:

The last couple of days Stephen has remained stable and is looking forward to Rehab in Denver. We've been told that he will fly tomorrow (Tuesday).

As you can imagine,there has been a lot going on in the background and we apologize for not giving you every detail as we appreciate there are literally thousands of people around the World who are concerned about Stephen and his well being.

For everybody out there who are sending your well wishes, please just keep your fingers crossed. The trip to Denver is worrying but essential and we have done everything possible to make sure it goes smoothly this time.

Once again, thank you for all your support, it means more than you can ever imagine.

Additionally, The Washington Post has a very well-written, in-depth story on Stephen and what he's gone through, with the most access and behind-the-scenes information that has been revealed thusfar.

Many of Stephen's close family and some close friends are interviewed, and it fully covers the accident and its aftermath. There is no real news that hasn't been previously reported, but for a package of information up to this point, this is very well done and worth a read. It's also worth a mention that it features one of the only published photos of Stephen after he seperated from his bike, but before he landed -- giving readers a look at what an awful position he was in...

Read the article here. There is another article from the Baltimore Sun from a few days ago that explains a little more about the intricities of how insurance and these big competitions work, but the family didn't provide any quotes to that one. Still, some interesting information.

Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

Paris Hilton Surfs With Bra Boy, Flashes Paparazzi
Published: 12:32 a.m. PT by Greg

Here at Lat34.com we pride ourselves on bringing you the latest information on surfing celebrities... Well, we actually don't care that much but when surfers like Kelly Slater keep hanging with women like Cameron Diaz what are we supposed to do -- ignore it? As the Brits might say, not bloody likely.

Anyway, as it is, there's this woman named Paris Hilton you may have heard of (she's a faux actress/singer or something) and while she's been caught surfing before (read here about a little journey to Hawaii), it appears that she's actually getting serious about the sport. Why's that? Well, she's working with Australian big wave surfer Koby Abberton, one of the infamous Bra Boys, to help give her some pointers. Abberton was in Malibu last weekend to work on Paris' form (and before you get any ideas, there's nothing romantic here -- Abberton's girlfriend Tahyna Tozzi was also there) and the result was a paparazzi's dream. Not just pictures of Paris in a bathing suit (one-piece, not a bikini) or pictures of Paris on a surfboard - but pictures of Paris' top slipping down to expose herself to her friends (and the watchful eyes of the paparazzi).

We're not going to post those photos here -- you can check Egotastic for that -- but we do have a small gallery of some of the other photos of her in "action." - Check it Out

Worth noting (again) that the Bra Boys documentary has been a huge hit and Russell Crowe (who narrates the doc) is developing a Hollywood version of it -- maybe Hilton is looking to get a part in the yet-to-be-cast film?

Here's a taste of Paris.


Read more about Paris and Bra Boy Abberton... and if you want to read a totally unrelated story about how the pulic is eating up celebrity photos like this, check this out -- of course, only after you have seen the gallery.

AST Dew Tour Sets Up Auction For Stephen Murray
Published: 12:09 a.m. PT by Greg

Since Stephen Murray's terrible accident at the first stop of the AST Dew Tour, there have been a number of benefits and auctions started, all with the goal of helping raise fund for the rider's medical bills. However, the Dew Tour itself was notably absent from those announcements -- at least until now. The AST Dew Tour has announced an impressive set of auctions, some already started, and some coming up, that will run through August 10th.

All the auctions will be held on CharityFolks.com, a leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, and can be accessed at the URL www.charityfolks.com/astdropsin. All of the auctions will raise funds for the Stephen Murray Recovery Fund. The recovery fund is a larger fund that has been organized and all funds from the more-publicized Stephen Murray Family Fund go directly into it.

Already up for bid:

• "Dirt-N-Vert" – Authentic GuitarMania Guitar Signed by the 2007 Right Guard Open Champions - Minimum Bid: $3,000
• Autographed Ryan Sheckler Deck (that he will use at the Right Guard Open in Cleveland) - Minimum Bid: $200
• Dave Mirra Autographed BMX Bike - Minimum Bid: $200
• Adam Jones Autographed Freestyle Motocross Gear - Minimum Bid: $150
• Paul Rodriguez Autographed Skateboard - Minimum Bid: $160
• Chad Kagy Autographed BMX Competition Helmet & Shirt - Minimum Bid: $85
• Autographed Anthony Napolitan BMX Helmet - Minimum Bid: $75

Items still to come:

• Camp Woodward scholarships
• Travis Pastrana signature series dirt bike
• Shaun White autographed skate deck
• X Games 13 VIP Trip Package
• Dew Tour Finale VIP Trip Package

and more to come...

Read more about the auction here or check out the auction directly here...

Also, here's a photo of the cool guitar that is up for auction (pictured in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).


Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

July 16, 2007

More Stephen Murray Auctions and Benefits
Published: 1:52 a.m. PT by Greg

While Stephen Murray continues to recover from his injuries, there are still ways to support him and his family. The BMX community in the UK has set up a series of auctions to help raise money, ranging from autographed magazines to full bikes. Just keep in mind not all of these auctions will ship to the US (so check). A recently-completed auction from Albe's and DK raised $1,000.

Also, here are a couple of upcoming events that will help raise money for the Stephen Murray Family Fund. One of them happens tomorrow in Huntington Beach, but the other one is on August 4th, smack dab during the X Games on August 4th. It's to honor S&M Bicycles' 20th Anniversary.



Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

No Billabong Pro Today
Published: 1:02 a.m. PT by Greg

I guess one-foot swells just aren't going to cut it for the Billabong Pro at J-Bay. The event is off for the second time in three days, and yesterday they only managed to fit in five heats... Conditions don't look like they will pick up tomorrow but possibly Wednesday things will start to change.  Thursday is more likely...

Lets take this opportunity to bring you up to speed...  Many of the big names are still in the hunt, with only two of the top 10 in the Foster's ASP World Tour race out of the contest: World #2 Damien Hobgood and #8 Kai Otton...

Of the top surfers left in the competition, Joel Parkinson has been the most consistent, with his two heats ranking in the top three.  Taj Burrow has the other top heat, thanks to a perfect 10 he scored.

Only one more full day of action is needed to crown a winner, and depending on where Mick Fanning ends up, his pursuit of a world title could be almost over.  Kelly Slater needs to finish high to have a chance, and Andy Irons will be a happy man with a win. 

Remaining Round three heats:

Heat 15: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)
Heat 16: Bruce Irons (HAW) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)

Completed Round Three Heats

Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.83 def. Trent Munro (AUS) 10.90
Heat 2: Taylor Knox (USA) 12.07 def. Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 11.83
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.50 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.00
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.83 def. Neco Padaratz (BRA) 6.00
Heat 5: Danny Wills (AUS) 14.67 def. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 8.34
Heat 6: Travis Logie (ZAF) 14.33 def. Greg Emslie (ZAF) 10.90
Heat 7: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 9.33 def. CJ Hobgood (USA) 6.66
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.34 def. Shaun Payne (ZAF) 9.27
Heat 9: Andy Irons (USA) 12.84 vs. Warwick Wright (ZAF) 10.33
Heat 10: Frederick Patacchia (HAW) 11.50 def. Chris Ward (USA) 10.17
Heat 11: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.84 def. Michael Lowe (AUS) 12.67
Heat 12: Dean Morrison (AUS) 15.34 def. Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 11.84
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.00; Luke Munro (AUS) 12.33
Heat 14: Luke Stedman (AUS) 12.50 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 9.33

Want more info? You can check out the official Billabong Pro site


Swag for the ESPY's Nominees and Presenters
Published: 12:22 a.m. PT by Greg

Did you catch the ESPY's yesterday? Sure you did -- if you didn't, we have the winners and recap, photos from the show, pre-event party recap and pre-event party photos..

But anyway, check out what you would have gotten in the gift bag if you were a nominee or presenter at the show.

• ALEK Essentials - ALEK Scrub, C-Silk Eye Therapy, Firming Face Serum and Spa Robe
• An annual world deluxe subscription to Ancestry.com
• BBP super ergonomic hybrid messenger backpack
• Breville_juice_fountain_plusJuice Fountain Plus JE95XL from Breville USA
• Alias, Grey's Anatomy and Lost DVD box sets
• Free burritos for a year from Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Pass
• Dr. Assil Eye Institute gift certificare for LASIK
• ESPN Golf Schools Three Club Tour gift certificate
• iGourmet.com gift certificate
• Invicta Anatomic Watch
• A gift certificate for 4 to attend show taping and green room access, a Jimmy Kimmel Live hoodie and hat
• Two-night stay at the Mondrian Hotel South Beach
• Two-night stay at the Palms Casino Resort
• Rosetta Stone 3-month online language subscription
• Transformers_optimus_prime_voice_chSonic Impact Video 55 portable iPod player
• Sports Club/LA bi-coastal membership
• TeamBabyEntertainment.com gift certificate

And this is only a selection -- if you want to see the whole list, click here...Not sure if anyone will actually use half this crap, but so be it...

Jennifer Smith Crowned 2007 ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Greg

American Jennifer Smith was named the 2007 ASP Women's World Longboard Champion yestrday following her victory in the Roxy ASP WWLC in France.

Smith edged French surfer Justine Dupont in the finals, 11.00 to 9.00.

More about the event here....

July 15, 2007

Set Your Tivo: AST Dew Tour TV Schedule For Next Weekend
Published: 11:46 a.m. PT by Me

Here's the Dew Tour TV Sked for you if you're not lucky enough to be in Cleveland this weekend!*

AST Dew Tour Stop #2 - Right Guard Open (Cleveland, OH)
July 19-22
Thursday 7/19/07 - Open Qualifiers/practice/prelims - NO TV
Friday 7/20/07 - BMX Dirt Finals (USA 12-1 a.m. PT/ET)
Saturday 7/21/07 - Skate Vert Finals + Skate Park finals highlights (Live on NBC 4-6 p.m. ET/1-3 p.m. PT)
BMX Park Finals (USA 12-1 a.m. PT/ET)
Sunday 7/22/07 - FMX Finals (NBC 4-6 p.m. ET/1-3 p.m. PT)

* Sked is subject to change. Last month, FMX ended up streaming online and BMX Vert was on TV. At this time, though, no BMX Vert planned for TV, though there may be highlights on Sunday.

The exact TV subjects for AST Dew Tour stops 3-5 is to be released, but they always have Friday/Saturday night on USA at midnight, then Sat/Sun live on NBC from about 4-6 ET (or 3-6 p.m. ET)

Here are the dates for you so you can mark those down:

AST Dew Tour Stop #3 - Vans Invitational (Portland, OR)
August 16-19

AST Dew Tour Stop #4 - Toyota Challenge (Salt Lake City, UT)
September 20-23

AST Dew Tour Stop #5 - PlayStation Pro (Orlando, FL)
October 18-21

We have a lot of Dew tour coverage onLat34 so we'll keep you updated.

Billabong Pro: Round Three Almost Done at J-Bay
Published: 11:46 a.m. PT by Me

The Billabong Pro at J-Bay got some action in today before the comp was called after only five heats of action due to small swells. But those five heats did include Kelly Slater and Bobby Martinez advancing... Still to go - Bede Durbidge v. Brazillian Rodrigo Dornelle and Bruce Irons against Adriano de Souza (also from Brazil).

Here are the full results from Round 3 so far (including today)...

Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.83 def. Trent Munro (AUS) 10.90
Heat 2: Taylor Knox (USA) 12.07 def. Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 11.83
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.50 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.00
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.83 def. Neco Padaratz (BRA) 6.00
Heat 5: Danny Wills (AUS) 14.67 def. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 8.34
Heat 6: Travis Logie (ZAF) 14.33 def. Greg Emslie (ZAF) 10.90
Heat 7: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 9.33 def. CJ Hobgood (USA) 6.66
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.34 def. Shaun Payne (ZAF) 9.27
Heat 9: Andy Irons (USA) 12.84 vs. Warwick Wright (ZAF) 10.33
Heat 10: Frederick Patacchia (HAW) 11.50 def. Chris Ward (USA) 10.17
Heat 11: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.84 def. Michael Lowe (AUS) 12.67
Heat 12: Dean Morrison (AUS) 15.34 def. Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 11.84
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.00; Luke Munro (AUS) 12.33
Heat 14: Luke Stedman (AUS) 12.50 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 9.33

Want more info? You can check out the official Billabong Pro site

We also have a a photo gallery for the earlier rounds.

Simpsons Vans Sell Like Hotcakes -- On EBay
Published: 3:28 a.m. PT by Me

If you weren't one of the few hundred people who lived within driving distance of the dozen or so stores that started selling super-limited Simpsons-themed Vans shoes (you can read more about that here), don't worry -- you can still pick up a pair. On Ebay.

So far we see 68 pairs for sale (as of press time) on the wonderful Internets auction site, with one pair -- Chukka Boot LX (size 12) -- selling already for $400. Ouch! Of course, the shoes were $100 plus tax out the door.

Oh well -- good luck and good bidding.

Check out the auction here...

Latest Stephen Murray Benefit Draws More Pros
Published: 1:15 a.m. PT by Me

The local BMX community in SoCal has continued to band together to support injured rider Stephen Murray -- with the latest fund raiser happening Saturday at the house of brothers Rick and Mike Lakin. Many of the same pros who have come out to support Murray in two previous benefits held at The Compound in Perris, CA, showed up again, including Cory Nastazio, Corey Bohan, Dave Dillewaard, Corey Walters and TJ Ellis.

We were there, and we have a recap here as well as a photo gallery here.... Following are a couple of photos, as well...


Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

July 14, 2007

Stephen Murray Update: Staying in Baltimore
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

Though his condition continues to improve doctors are keeping Stephen in Baltimore for a little longer. Here's what his family wrote on BMXTalk.com:

This is a difficult E Mail to write but we want you know the facts.

First of all, let us say that Stephen's condition is continuing to improve.

Thursday morning started early with a sensation examination by the neurosurgeon. This was a high point as Stephen showed more signs of sensation in his upper arms, and at various places from his buttocks to his toes.

Then came the transfer to Denver.

At this point we don't know all the facts but this is what we do know. After being prepared for the journey Stephen was happy to be leaving the Shock Trauma unit and there were smiles all round. He was tranferred onto a portable ventilator and taken by stretcher to the Ambulance.

Five minutes from the Airport his heart rate started to drop and then breifly stopped. CPR was administered and within a minute he responded. He was then rushed to the nearest hospital. There he was checked over and eventually it was decided to return him to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Unit. Not only was this traumatic for Melissa, who was travelling in the Ambulance with him but also for the rest of us back at Shock Trauma.

By the time of Stephen return, his condition was the same as when he left and he was again asking for ice cream! The hospital are investigating what could have caused this incident and the general feeling is that it was more likely to have been a problem with the ventilator rather than a problem with Stephen. It has now been decided to have a transition period where Stephen will slowly get used to the type of ventilator required for travel. This should lessen any worries that a similar incident may occur. It now appears that Stephen will transfer to Denver at some point next week.

Today, Stephen had another challenge as the Hospital tested to see whether he was ready to swallow. The first test was to see whether he physically could, which he passed but it was decided to not give him food until a more comprehensive test has taken place. This will be conducted on Monday.

To say the last three weeks have been a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement but their are no words to desribe the highs and lows of the last 24 hours. For those of you out there who are willing Stephen to come through this, keep it up because even when it looks like everything is improving, there are still unforseen bumps in the road. There are still mountains to climb and your support will help Stephen to do this.

Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

 

Torstein Horgmo Claims Top Prize At The Burton Abominable Snowjam
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

When Volvo is sponsoring the top overall prize for an event you know the swag has gotta be good. Torstein Horgmo can tell you just that as his Volvo Overall Rider Award at the 2007 Burton Abominable Snowjam came with a new 2008 Volvo C30 attached. Oh yeah runner-ups have nothing to complain about too as Hana Beaman and Scotty Lago were each presented with 2007 Harley-Davidson XL 1200N Nightster motorcycles for bagging the event's Most Inspired Ride Award. All this after 3 days of events.

For a full wrap-up of the event check the official website.

July 13, 2007

Day 3 At The Billabong Pro JBay Complete
Published: 11:46 a.m. PT by Me

The Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay keeps chugging along with the top pros doing what they always do, dominating. Day 3 saw pros like Mick Fanning and Andy Irons breeze past their wildcard competition as half of the round 3 match ups were completed. Next up: Kelly Slater and Dean Morrison. Oh yeah and what's this we hear about a shark in the water?

Here are the results from Day 3 competitions...

Today’s Round 3 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Results:

Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.83 def. Trent Munro (AUS) 10.90
Heat 2: Taylor Knox (USA) 12.07 def. Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 11.83
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.50 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.00
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.83 def. Neco Padaratz (BRA) 6.00
Heat 5: Danny Wills (AUS) 14.67 def. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 8.34
Heat 6: Travis Logie (ZAF) 14.33 def. Greg Emslie (ZAF) 10.90
Heat 7: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 9.33 def. CJ Hobgood (USA) 6.66
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.34 def. Shaun Payne (ZAF) 9.27
Heat 9: Andy Irons (HAW) def. Warwick Wright (ZAF) 10.33

For more on Day 3's action check out the official Billabong Pro site

Click here for a recap of Day 2 as well as a photo gallery for the earlier rounds.


Scott Byerly and Dylan Slater On "The Daily Habit"
Published: 12:34 a.m. PT by Me

If you don't know what your doing this weekend Fuel TV's got some suggestions for you, and they all happen to involve watching Fuel TV. If your not a subscriber to digital cable or satellite then you're probably outta luck kid.

Wakeboarder Scott Byerly (Friday, July 13th) and Pro Surfer Dylan Slater (Monday, July 16th) will be featured on the "The Daily Habit", while Skateboarder Kristian Svitak will stars in the original series "Firsthand" on Sunday, July 15th. To get the complete rundown of who and what else will be appearing on these programs as well as the different air times check this update.


Dogtown And Surfrider Host "The Green House Effect"
Published: 12:16 a.m. PT by Me

The boys (and girls) over at Dogtown aren't resting on their laurels. Instead they're keeping busy with 5 new deck designs, a boutique style clothing line named "Dogtown Select", and the planning for an event called the "Green House Effect". The invite-only event, which will be going down this Saturday July 13th at Venice Beach, is an Arts/Music/Culture Festival indended to raise awareness for the Surfrider Foundation's Ballona Wetland Project.

Sounds good? Well then here's your invite, and then head on over to the Dogtown site to show some appreciation.


X-Dance Hopes You'll "Pray For Me"
Published: 11:45 p.m. PT by Me

A documentary about legendary former skateboard pro, custom-chopper builder, and full-time lowrider Jason Jessee doesn't only involve hard work and production deadlines, it also involves death threats, drug transportation, customs, the FBI, loaded weapons, international travel, and debt. But all the filmmaker's blood, sweat and tears don't go to waste as X-Dance is going to screen "Pray For Me: The Jason Jessee Film" as part of its free Hollywood Screening Series on August 21st at Cinespace Hollywood. So mark the date on your calendar, especially if you got a hot date and you want to impress her with something out of the ordinary.

For more information on "Pray For Me: The Jason Jessee Film" check the film's official website. To find out more about the X-Dance Hollywood Screening Series go to the Official X-Dance page.

July 12, 2007

Billabong Pro is Going Off in J-Bay
Published: 2:03 a.m. PT by Greg

*UPDATE*  The second day of action is finished at the 2007 Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay with Taj Burrow pulling a perfect score for his Round 2 run.

 

Find out what happened here >

 

The Billabong Pro contest in Jeffrey's Bay started off yesterday and will go through at least all of round one today, with all the obvious names (Slater, Irons, Fanning, Hobgood) advancing. The only name of note to not advance was Taj Burrow, who lost in his head to CJ Hobgood. Burrow will have to wait until round two to see if he can bounce back from his bad luck at the Rip Curl Pro in Chile.

Here are the results so far for round one...

Round 1 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Results:
Heat 1: Luke Stedman (AUS) over Shaun Cansdell (AUS) and Tom Whitaker (AUS)
Heat 2: Daniel Wills (AUS) over Mark Occhilupo (AUS) and Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) over Phillip Macdonald (AUS) and Troy Brooks (AUS)
Heat 4: Bede Durbidge (AUS) over Fredrick Pattachia (HAW) and Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) over Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Trent Munro (AUS)
Heat 6: CJ Hobgood (USA) over Taj Burrow (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 7: Damien Hobgood (USA) over Ben Dunn (AUS), Luke Munro (AUS)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) over Jeremy Flores (FRA), Shaun Payne (ZAF)
Heat 9: Andy Irons (HAW) over Michael Campbell (AUS), Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF)
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA) over Chris Ward (USA), Warwick Wright (ZAF)

 

 

Want more info? Check out the official site and webcast.

Tons of Results From the Abominable Snow Jam:  Beaman, Kass, Bleiler Among Winners
Published: 1:49 a.m. PT by Greg

Burton's Abominable Snow Jam is going off at Mt. Hood, Oregon, and there are plenty of familiar names at the top of the podium.

In Tuesday's halfpipe competition, Danny Kass took the top honors, followed by Kevin Pearce and Scotty Lago. In the women's competition, Gretchen Bleiler was first, followed by Kelly Clark and Clair Bidez (who also won best trick).

Wednesday's quarterpipe finals had a few surprises, with Torstein Horgmo and Kevin Pearce taking the top two spots. Less of a surprise was Hana Beaman (pictured) taking first for the women, followed by Yuki Furihata and Kelly Clark.

All the action wraps up today with the slopestyle finals.

Read full recaps of the Halfpipe Here and the Quarterpipe Here

Stay tuned for more info and photos!

Halfpipe Final Results - 07/11/07
 
Men:
1. Danny Kass
2. Kevin Pearce
3. Scotty Lago
Best Trick - Keir Dillon (alley-oop McTwist)

Women:
1. Gretchen Bleiler
2. Kelly Clark
3. Claire Bidez
Best Trick - Claire Bidez (frontside 900)

Quarterpipe Final Results - 07/10/07

Men:
1. Torstein Horgmo
2. Kevin Pearce
3. Mason Aguirre
4. Jake Blauvelt
5. Dustin Craven
Highest Air - Fumiyuki Murakami (2008 Polaris 600 RMK Snowmobile)
Best Trick - Scotty Lago: Alley-oop 720 Truck Driver (Rolex Watch)

Women:
1. Hana Beaman ($5,000)
2. Yuki Furihata
3. Kelly Clark
4. Mag Pugh
5. Leslie Glenn
Highest Air - Kelly Clark (2008 Polaris 600 RMK Snowmobile)
Best Trick - Yuki Furihata: McTwist (Rolex Watch)

If you need more you can visit the official site.

Stephen Murray Update:  Leaving Baltimore
Published: 1:10 a.m. PT by Greg

Some good news -- Stephen Murray is going to be moved from his current location in Baltimore to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Here's the latest update from his family on BMXTalk.com:

What an unbelievable day this has been. For once every single thing that we aimed for we achieved. Nothing is impossible!

The day started early with the arrival a clinical ascessor from Craig Hospital Denver, Colorado. Her job was to determine whether Stephen would be suitable for their Rehab facility. During the 3 hour meeting, Stephen was accepted and a bed was available for tomorrow, Thursday, the last admission day for this week. The family were informed of how his Rehab programme would proceed.

The next step was to organise the air ambulance without wasting a minute as the cut off time was 4pm.With half an hour to spare we got the thumbs up. Telling Stephen he would be leaving Baltimore was the high point of the day and the expression on Stephen's face was priceless. After Stephen's journey was finalised, the rest of the family started organising their travel plans and accomodation for Denver. Vans and Rockstar Drinks , once again, came up trumps and kindly took the job out of our hands. Many thanks go out to Jerry Badders and Steve Mataus for ensuring that we will all be arriving tomorrow, just a few hours after Stephen himself.

Stephen continues to progress, gaining more movement in his right shoulder. He's a tough cookie, says his wife, Melissa. The pneamonia is diminishing and his condition remains stable.

Two firsts for Stephen today were that he had his first breath of fresh air since the accident and he swallowed for the first time. When Melissa offered him Lemon or Chocolate ice cream, his definate response was "Both!"

Close friends Adam Aloise and Joey Marks(who travelled 10 hours), came to see Stephen before tomorrow's departure.

Tomorrow we leave Baltimore behind and looked forward to Denver.

The most important thing about the time spent in Baltimore was the total dedication, love and expertese of the staff at University of Maryland Hospital, especially the team of the Shock Trauma Unit. The family cannot thank them enough. Words cannot exppres our gratitude to each and every one of them.

Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

Older Archive: July 5 - July 11, 2007