Quick Hits Archive: November 22 - November 28, 2007
Dec 19 2007 / Los Angeles, CANovember 28, 2007
Day 1 Action At The Roxy Pro In The Books
Published: 12:32 p.m. PT by Me
The first day of the Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach saw two rounds of action completed and, more importantly, three different pros keep their hopes. First and foremost was Stephanie Gilmore who kept her hopes of clinching the World Title at the event alive despite a sketchy first round heat that landed her in Round 2. Gilmore had early round jitters to blame as she scored a 4.33 in her first round heat, but things got back on track as she posted the day's highest total (18.10), including the highest single wave score (9.60), in her Round 2 heat. By advancing to Round 3 Gilmore still has a shot to win the World Title crown at this event (the penultimate event on the Women's Tour) which would put her in the history books as the first ever to win the Title as a rookie.
The second pro to keep her hopes alive was Megan Abubo who after winning the Reef Hawaiin Pro earlier this month is looking to also grab the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown with a Roxy Pro win. Abubo was placed in a tough heat for Round 1 as she had to face legendary pro and reigning World Champ Layne Beachley as well as Rochelle Ballard, but Abubo rode the momentum she had built at Haleiwa and topped her heat to head into the Quarterfinals where she'll face the likes of current WCT No. 2 Silvana Lima in her heat.
The last story of note is that of Rochelle Ballard, the iconic women's surfer who's been a stalwart on the women's World Tour through the years who also is making this year's Tour her last. Given the fact that she's planning on retiring from the Tour her performance at the Roxy Pro determine how much longer her swan song will last. Luckily her hopes to keep surfing is still alive as Ballard eeked through her Round 2 heat after scoring a 5.33 (the eliminated Jacqueline Silva had scored a 5.00 in the same heat). Ballard as mentioned has been a staple of the World Tour having been on the Tour since 1991. Despite winning no World Titles in that span Ballard has finished in the top eight of the year-end rankings 10 times, including a No. 2 finish in 2004. She has also been a driving force behind the upsurge of women's competitive surfing through her work with the union and other activities. To read up on Rochelle Ballard's Roxy Pro experience in light of her nearing retirement check the profile the Honolulu Advertiser has done on her here. For more on the first day's happenings at the Roxy Pro check the official recap here.
Surfline Checks Where Sunny Garcia's Head Is At
Published: 2:19 a.m. PT by Me
One of the main story lines at recent ASP events that we have been following is the return of Sunny Garcia to competitive surfing. After serving three months in prision and six months on house arrest (which he is still currently serving) for tax evasion Garcia was finally allowed by a judge to participate in the Boost Mobile Pro this past September and since then Garcia has been participating every now and then in different WQS events, including the Reef Hawaiian Pro these last 2 weeks where he finished in the Round of 64 before being eliminated. At the Reef Hawaiian Pro is also where Surfline was able to catch up with Garcia for an exclusive video interview to check up on Garcia to see what kind of state of mind he's in as he is trying to make his way back onto the surf scene.
The interview also gets the input of a lot of the top surfers that were at the Reef Hawaiin Pro in terms of their feelings on Garcia, the surfer, and his comeback. But really the meat of the interview is Garcia himself, who seemingly has stayed the same strong-willed competitor that everyone remembers him as (check what he says about the sponsors that dropped him during his jail term). Garcia sums it up perfectly towards the end of the interview where he says about himself, "I'm just me, man. A little older, a little wiser, but basically still me."
To watch the Surfline interview of Sunny Garcia from the North Shore check the link here.
eS and Girl Present "The Avers"
Published: 2:00 a.m. PT by Me
Usually the collaborations we throw at you here involve companies from two different areas of focus who come together to produce something that highlights both their strengths (well the good collaborations at least). But in this most recent case we got two separate skate companies working together in what's a completely unexpected match. Seems Girl Skateboards have teamed up with eS footwear to come out with a pair of shoes called "The Avers" for Rick McCrank (who rides for both teams). Though both companies have a solid relationship, I mention that the teaming is unexpected because of the fact that Girl has its own shoe company, Lakai, under its umbrella of companies which should make eS sort of a direct competitor, but if they're all cool with it why should I complain...there ain't nothing wrong with competitors being friends and not blood-thirsty corporate types.
The shoe itself features a brown/black/orange color way with the Girl logo featured prominently on the side of the heel, and like all eS shoes The Avers should be pretty dependable in terms of surviving the wear-and-tear of skating. For more info on The Avers and the collaboration between Girl and eS (hopefully there'll be more) check the eS blog entry announcing the collaboration here.
When The (Far) East Is In The House: Zoo York In China Video
Published: 1:45 a.m. PT by Me
A little while back we mentioned how the Zoo York team was touring China, a land that just recently is getting a lot of shine from the skate world. Back when they first updated us on their travels there Zoo York only hit us with photos, most of them of the tour madness/non-skating type, but now they've put up video from the tour through their Zoo York podcasts. The footage shows the team, including Zered Bassett, Brandon Westgate, Anthony Shetler, Matt Miller and Donny Barley, hitting up Hong Kong and the nearby city of Shenzhen where they go off at local skateparks as well as random untouched spots (having been to China I can tell you there are tons of spots that have yet to be broken in) which makes for some pretty sick footage. Luckily beyond their regular podcasts ( which you can check here) Zoo York has also posted the footage up on Youtube (albeit in Youtube quality) which means you can check the video right here:
Oh yeah one last thing, as an Asian I have to wonder when it is that we're gonna stop hearing "Kung Fu Fighting" as the song dubbed in everytime we or our countries are brought up on video/film/TV/radio/etc. Until that day comes I'mma pray that Asian countries starting playing Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff" everytime a Caucasian comes on screen.
Strange Notes & Escapist Drop Trailers; Flip Plays Tease
Published: 1:22 a.m. PT by Me
Couple of trailers we've noticed out for different skate videos that's worth mentioning:
First there's the trailer for Strange Notes' (Santa Cruz's family of companies) upcoming video 'Tastes Like Awesome' which you can catch here. With skaters like Andrew Reynolds, Geoff Rowley, Dan Drehobl ( who also just joined the Elwood team), and Chet Childress under the big banner of Strange Notes you can just imagine how nice 'Tastes Like Awesome' will be...and the trailer attests to that.
The other trailer that just popped up is the one for Kansas City retailer Escapist Skateboarding's untitled video that will drop in 2008. Though there are probably plenty of local shops that have their own video this one gets our (and your) attention because one of their riders is the incredibly talented Sean Malto, which should make for excellent viewing. The trailer itself got lots of goofs and slams mixed in between skating and Will Smith so you can only wonder what the finished product will be like (*please have 'The Legend Of Baggar Vance', please have 'The Legend Of Baggar Vance'*). You can check out the Escapist trailer here.
Oh yeah one last thing before we end it right here. Check out this anticipation-creating teaser Flip's put up on their home page:
Those Who've Already Seen 'Fully Flared' Can Go To Hell
Published: 1:11 a.m. PT by Me
While most of us regular laymen are eagerly awaiting the official release of Lakai's 'Fully Flared' (December 7th...just a week and a half), some others that are connected or in the industry have already seen the thing through the premiere that launched earlier this month in Los Angeles (as well as in London and other cities around the world), we envy them.
Luckily/Unfortunately Lakai's put a face (or more properly faces) to our envious envy with a photo slide show of the people who were at the reception in Los Angeles after the premiere. Check it out as dudes like Spike Jonze, Brandon Beibel, Rick McCrank flash their pearly whites (as well as their ubiquitous Bud Light cans) for the camera set up at the reception for the premiere (kinda like prom pictures) so that you can figure out who you wanna be when you grow up (answer: someone who was at the Lakai premiere). You can see the slide show right here.
Also, for rubbing-it-in sake, take a look at the people who showed up to the London premiere of 'Fully Flared', courtesy of Document Skateboard, over here.
It's All Fun And Games At The Roxy Pro
Published: 12:52 a.m. PT by Me
Earlier this week the Roxy Pro 2007 started off with a lay day as conditions didn't quite rise to the occasion, so do you know what the girls of the contest did? They re-enacted 60's era beach movies with various different beach games such as tug-of-war, innertube challenges, dodgeball, and kayak urination (you read me right). Teams were split up between Team O'Neill, Team Billabong, Team Randoms and Team Snap as the girls showed they were just as competitive outside of surfing as they are when the waves hit, then after the games were all over they gathered 'round the fire and did the shimmy to some Dick Dale while Frankie declared his love for Annette (ok I'm lying about that part but apparently not on the urination thing). But yeah check out what it's like to be a female pro surfer with time to kill as Surfline covers the O'neill Team Challenge at the Roxy Pro.
Photo courtesy of Surfline/Kirstin Scholtz
Alex Perelson: San Diego's Favorite Son
Published: 12:31 a.m. PT by Me
Three years ago a 13 year-old named Alex Perelson took home first place at the Damn Am Vert competition in Costa Mesa after showing all the potential of a young [insert good vert skater's name here...most likely Shaun White] as he threw down a 540 in his final run. Ever since that moment (and one might argue even before that moment) everything's been heading up for the kid from San Diego, culminating in Perelson joining the Monster Energy Drink skate team and thereby turning pro earlier this year at the age of 16.
As a pro Perelson has taken home second place at the LG Action Sports World Tour as well as fourth place at this year's X Games in Los Angeles, which is great work for such a short amount of time and which helped draw the attention of one of his hometown newspapers, The North County Times, who've decided to cover Alex. The lengthy story covers all the benchmarks of the rise-to-fame stories from traditional news sources, including how he got started (watching friends skate), how his parents feel (proud), and the difficulties of his career path (school issues), but still if you're a fan of the kid go ahead and check out the North County Times story on Alex Perelson here.
Random News And Notes
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
• A week or so ago we mentioned Hurley running the 'Walk The Walk' fashion show competition where they let different High School classes in local areas build their own Hurley fashion show from the ground up and award the best show with a $5,000 donation to the school's Arts & Music Departments. Well Honolulu has a winner and it's Pearl City High School. You can get more info on the contest winners here.
• The World Cup Of Skateboarding has released its 2007 rankings and the winner is...Greg Lutzka (for Street) and Sandro Dias (for Vert). Given that the rankings are based on various international contests including the Asian X Games, The World Championship of Skating in Rotterdam, and Rockstar MASA Pro 2007, which many skaters don't even participate we can't really say there's much stock in these rankings (though both Lutzka and Dias are sick), so take it for what it's worth. For the whole set of rankings including Bowl, Ladies, and Masters rankings check the link here.
• Check out another way THE BLOCK is better than your favorite hotel/resort.
• Surfing Magazine has named its 2008 Shaper Of The Year (2008? Are they a year ahead of the rest of us?) and it's Rusty Preisendorfer who shapes boards get ridden by the likes of Josh Kerr and Jamie O’Brien. For more info on Preisendorfer check the link here.
• Quiksilver's got a new Senior Vice President of Marketing who's got a pretty stacked resume. Check out more info on the hiring here.
November 27, 2007
Volcom Wants to Give You $10,000
Published: 1:02 a.m. PT by Me
Okay, well it's not that simple. You actually have to earn it. By kickflipping on a surfboard.
This isn't as easy as it sounds. In fact, it's never been done before. Here are some rules to check out...
Rules:
1. Your entry must be on video from the start of the trick through the ride out. No photos allowed.
2. This contest is open to everyone. The contest begins today November 21st, 2007, and will run until there's a winner.
3. The kickflip must be a real air "above the lip" - No backwash, No chop hops, or anything in the flats or below the lip of the wave.
4. All waves must be self caught - You must paddle into the wave. This means NO tow-ats, step-offs, jetskis, boats, dinghys, winches, canoes, oars, helicopters, dolphins or assistance of any kind.
5. No grabs of any kind. Not before, not after, not during.
6. You must completely "ride out" of the kickflip. That means if you land on the back of the wave and fail to continue surfing the wave - it's not a make!
7. No heelflips. Or else we'd have called it the Heelflip-Off.
8. No shoes. Who surfs in shoes anyway? Regular "made for surfing" booties are acceptable.
9. You must be riding a surfboard with at least one fin. No boogie boards, wakeboards, wakeskates, skimboards, kiteboards, trays etc.
So do you have the golden ticket? Go here for more about entering... and check out YouTube for some close calls.
Is 'Life of Corey' Next on MTV?Published: 12:41 a.m. PT by Me
Apparently Ryan Sheckler will have some company from Aussie BMX rider Corey Bohan on MTV. While Bohan doesn't have his own show, he will be making some appearances on "The Hills" as the new boy toy for Audrina Patridge -- the roommate of Lauren Conrad, who is the show's "star."
The show airs each Monday at 10 p.m. and next week should mark his first "official" appearance though the blogosphere has been buzzing about his hunky self. Check out a quick preview of next week's episode here.
Tara Llanes Update
Published: 12:09 a.m. PT by Me
If you haven't been following the recovery of mountain biker Tara Llanes on her MySpace page it's a good time to do so. Tara has been blogging about her recovery, including being able to get some movement in her toes.
Meanwhile, Tara is definitely not slowing down her life. She writes in her blog of hitting Denver's REI store, seeing a Denver Nuggets game and also car shopping.
To support Tara through donations of any type, visit the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery website. Be sure to check out Tara's MySpace page for more updates and photos.
November 26, 2007
Ryan Sheckler Spells "Awkward", B-M-E
Published: 1:33 a.m. PT by Me
Ok this is sorta out of left-field. I guess snowboarders Luke "The Dingo" Trembath and Danny Kass have joined the BME Click. If you're wondering what the BME Click is, well BME Records is the record company of Dirty South producer/sometimes-rapper-more-times-adlib-guy Lil' Jon, so the Click would probably be Lil' Jon's stable of artists under the BME Records umbrella which includes fellow Southern rappers Lil' Scrappy, Trillville, and Bay Area legend E-40. What's crazier is that The Dingo and Kass aren't the only action sports athletes that rep the BME Click, apparently BME even claims Ryan Sheckler and Greg Lutzka as some of their own.
According to BME's website the mission of The BME Click is "to expose as many people as possible to BME Recordings", which probably means Sheckler, Kass, Trembath, and Lutzka will be sporting BME logos on their gear during contests and probably big-upping The Click in interviews, which gives me a sigh of relief because at first I was thinking these guys were actually gonna record some music...and we all no how bad of an idea that is (meaning when athletes produce music - i.e. Shaq's rapping, Kobe's rapping, Allen Iverson's rapping, Chris Webber's rapping, Ron Artest's Rapping...I can keep going if you want).
For a little more on The Dingo and Danny Kass becoming Lil' Jon's brother-in-arms check out the official announcement here.
Karina Petroni's Ready For The 2008 ASP World Tour
Published: 1:11 a.m. PT by Me
Fresh of her qualification for the 2008 ASP World Tour Surfline has checked in with Karina Petroni, the once rising star of women's surfing who's become a rising star of women's surfing once again. The interview pretty much focuses on the 19 year-old's struggles of late, the causes behind the struggles (mainly tragedies within her close circle), and her "comeback" (don't know if you can talk about a comeback with a 19 year-old who's yet to hit her prime). Given that Petroni is itching to rep the East Coast (she's a native Floridian) in next year's tour as well as the fact that she's definitely gonna be one to watch at the Roxy Pro this week the interview is definitely worth a read. To check out Surfline's post-Reef Hawaiin Pro/pre-Roxy Pro interview check the link here...and don't forget Petroni was once a Girl On profilee.
Burton Seeks Pro-Bono Designers
Published: 12:19 a.m. PT by Me
If you've ever hit up your local snowboard supplier and thought to yourself "My those boards are ugly, I could design better" Burton is asking you to put your money where your mouth...in a figurative way of course, since you wouldn't be spending any money and you probably wouldn't have actually said that out loud at the snowboard shop for fear of getting kicked out and all. Burton Snowboards in conjuction with Suzuki Automobiles are running a contest in which contestants can design their own Burton snowboard with the chance of winning a both a board and a 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Freeride brandished with their design.
The contest will be run in three different heats (based on the next three months) in which the top 5 designs for each heat as voted on by online visitors of Burton's website will qualify for the contest's finals (as well as being given a free bag of Burton shwag). The finals will then be judged by a jury of Burton's pro riders, board designers, artists, and other experts on March 2008 with the final winner decided by the jury winning the overall prize of the custom designed board and car. Sounds like a cool deal huh, especially for all you art students slaving away with no income (outside of the girls who strip to "get themselves through college") and no car.
For details of entry or a chance to vote for submitted designs (in case you ain't up for the challenge) check out he official contest site right heret.
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
You might remember a little feature we did a few months back about this 9 year-old named Kalani David who's some sort of prodigy at skating and surfing, if you don't remember here was the little entry we did on him. Well Kalani's no longer nine anymore but he's still a surfing/skating prodigy, which compelled Surfline to do a little "Day In The Life" feature on Kalani as part of their "6 Weeks On The North Shore" feature. The feature, which is done almost entirely in photos (there's some audio added in), really hits home the fact that this kid is just that, a kid, with photos thrown in of him at his school's jungle gym or spending his evening doing homework in between shots of the stuff he does best, hitting the waves and the skatepark. If the photos in the feature aren't enough to convince you of how good this kid is (check out the air he gets at the bowl) you might wanna check out the Youtube clip that was included in the previous entry we did about him, then check out the last photo of the feature where Kalani has hit bedtime by 8:52pm, then wrap your head around all of that. To check out what it's like to be a surfer/skater way beyond your years hit up Surfline's "A Day In The Life Of Kalani David" feature here.
November 25, 2007
Mick Fanning's Lightning In A Celluloid Bottle
Published: 1:56 p.m. PT by Me
I guess it's kind of a big deal when you're the first Aussie to win the ASP World Title in 8 years huh? Because not only has Mick Fanning celebrated like a madman since clinching the crown several weeks ago at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro, he's getting a full on celluloid treatment of his Title winning year courtesy of his sponsor Rip Curl and filmmaker Matt Gye. The 26-minute long film titled 'White Lightning' has not completely wrapped production but so far it's had $200,000 and 18 months sunk into it.
Gye, whose previous surf films included Montaj and 3 Degrees, followed Fanning around for the past year-plus and gathered about 50 hours worth of footage which he is currently putting together for a January 3rd deadline. His hope is that he creates a film that fully documents what it took for Fanning both physically and mentally to come out on top, where the grind of the Tour might have done another person in. To get a sense of what Gye is trying to get at he quotes Fanning in this way: "Mick said `I don't know how Kelly and Andy have won multiple world titles and remained friends with anyone, had a relationship, had a life'." Sort of reminds me of that movie about Yao Ming, 'Year Of The Yao' minus the basketball stuff and several feet and the whole "Chinese" thing. For more on the making of the film check out the Australian Associated Press story on Gye and 'White Lightning' here.
Epicly Later'd Episodes 14 & 15: More Heath Kirchart
Published: 12:10 a.m. PT by Me
Days after premiering Episode 13 of their Wild Ride series VBS' Epicly Later'd is back at it again with episodes 14 and 15. The subject for these episodes is yet again Heath Kirchart, and whereas episode 13 focused on getting an idea of what type of guy Heath is (in a vague sense we get an idea that he's "intimidating") the two newest episodes focus on Heath's back catalogue of tricks and video parts. Episode 13 features the old Foundation tour/mayhem video "Barbarians At The Gate" (one of my favorites as a young skater), which if you haven't seen it you should especially if you're a fan of the Jackass type stuff because "Barbarians At The Gate" was pretty much a forerunner of all that stuff. Episode 15 covers Heath as the author of the amazing tricks he's known for from his teen years in the Foundation video to the crazy stuff he pulled in Birdhouse's "The End" and beyond. Through multiple clips cut into the episode we see not only some of the tricks but also some of the ridiculous slams Heath's taken trying to get those tricks down, including the ugly fall taken at the Fashion Island ledge in Newport Beach, which all in all gives the viewer a real idea of how hard Heath goes at skating. To watch the Heath Kirchart arc of Epicly Later'd head to the show's main page here. WPS Highlights The Pellsrus Groms
Published: 12:06 a.m. PT by Me
This is a nice story to make you all aware of. World Pro Surfers have done a little feature on the surfers/groms of Pellsrus Township in South Africa and their Jeffreys Bay Surf Club. The feature focuses on the possibility of the sport of surfing lifting these groms out of their rugged location (townships are essentially ghettoes that were built during South Africa's Apartheid era which have lasted long past the end of Apartheid). Through the Jeffreys Bay Surf Club which was founded by Pellsrus natives Stephen and Paul Jeggels many of the local youth have been encouraged to surf their local spot, Kitchen Windows, where several top pros, including Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, Pancho Sullivan, and many others, have also come to visit the club and share advice as well as boards. The hope of the Club (and the feature) is that some day one of their surfers (some of whom are already placing in local competitions) will be able to stand up and rep their origins on a WCT podium, which is probably something we should all be hoping for. To catch World Pro Surfers' feature on the Jeffreys Bay Surf Club/Pellsrus Township click on the link here.
Brandon Beibel Gets Interviewed By The Brits
Published: 12:05 a.m. PT by Me
Brandon Beibel is like that guy that's like friends with a bunch of other people who don't seem like they have anything in common yet they vibe really well probably based on some shared sense of humor. That's what he seemingly is for the Girl team, he's the dude rocking basketball jerseys and fitteds while the other guys on the team might be sporting button ups, plus there's the way he talks (you know if you've watched any of the Girl/Chocolate videos). Either way he seems like a funny ass guy and of course a really sick skater.
Well the European skate site Kingpin got a chance to pull Brandon off to the side after the London premiere of Lakai's "Fully Flared" and check up on how he and the Lakai team are doing. The interview basically focuses on the creation of "Fully Flared" from Brandon talking about what it took to film his part (as well as the others parts too), to why the video was pushed back so many times, to what it was like working with Spike Jonze. Beibel also gives a little glimpse of what the premieres have been like on both sides of the Atlantic, if you're like me and weren't able to catch any of them, and he even gives his opinion of the new Nike SB video. It's a good interview to catch if you're a fan of the Girl skate family, and you can do so at Kingpin right here.
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
Well this is a creative way to put together a slam section: Roxy's snowboarding team has thrown together a short little video clip called "The Roxy Girls Have A Bad Day" where they get the girls to act out a rash of bad luck for a day then throw in footage of slams they have from those same girls. The clip (with sketchy acting) starts out with the girls just getting the short end of the stick for much of the morning from accidental hits to walking into glass doors which carries over onto to the mountain when we really get to see the girls take some hits from hard falls to outright failure to get up a halfpipe. The clip ends with one of the girls (Buass I believe) out in the cold with just a bikini and towel after unsuccessfully trying to hit the pool. Again its just a slick way to get us to watch some slam footage. To check out the Roxy Girls having a bad day go here.
November 24, 2007
Roy Powers Wins The Reef Hawaiian Pro
Published: 12:20 a.m. PT by Me
In what proved to be a grueling final day of competition Hawaiian native Roy Powers topped a stacked field and took home the 2007 Reef Hawaiin Pro title and a 2008 ASP World Tour berth. The day saw 5 rounds of action take place in intense surf conditions where many surfers were left spent having used all their energy to endure the 12 to 20 feet waves that pounded the surfers all day.
Powers defeated Aussies Bede Durbidge (who finished 2nd) and Joel Parkinson (3rd), as well as Haleiwa local Sean Moody (4th) in a Finals heat where Powers nearly pulled of two perfect scores despite having already surfed through three 25 minute heats earlier. What's more impressive is that Powers along with Moody had earlier in the day taken down both 2007 World Champ Mick Fanning and defending Triple Crown Champ Andy Irons in the same Quarterfinal heat. Fanning had come into the contest riding a wave of momentum with both his World Title and Santa Catarina Pro win in bag and he showed it early with a high scoring heat in Round 5. But in Round 6 Fanning's score dropped, though he eeked out a berth in the Quarterfinals where he eventually was eliminated by Powers and Moody. Also of note in today's action Taj Burrow was eliminated early in the Quarterfinals by Basque surfer Aritz Aranburu who also took out Bruce Irons and clinched a 2008 World Tour spot before bowing out in the Semifinals. With the win Powers not only took home $15,000 but also took the early lead in the Vans Triple Crown standings and ended up in the 12 spot on the WQS rankings board (the Reef Hawaiin Pro is a 6 star WQS event) thus assuring qualification for next years tour.
For more on Power's win including post-game quotes from all the major players at this year's Reef Hawaiian Pro check the official recap of the final day's action here.
The Perfect Time For A Flip Feast Tour Lookback
Published: 12:12 a.m. PT by Me
While you're feasting this weekend on whatever Thanksgiving dinner had for leftovers why not also feast on another Feast that happened earlier this month, and that's the Flip's Feast Tour (clever usage of the word "Feast" huh...next word to play with: "redundant"). The tour update comes courtesy of Flip themselves as they have posted two separate recaps from the Northwest stops of the Tour (from Medford, OR to Spokane, WA). The recaps themselves are mostly about the randomness of touring with photo galleries featuring very little skating in favor of a lot of shenanigans (check out the ongoing tour van wars full of mustard, honey, ketchup, and probably other stuff not worth mentioning). There's also plenty of in-store shots full of packed in sweaty kids grabbing for any free product, which I know some of you are all well aware of. All in all the photos are definitely worth a look at if only just for the shots of the vans post mustard-ing, you can check out the Flip's Feast Tour's Oregon recap here and the Washington recap here. Also check out the Skateboard Mag coverage of the Flip Feast Tour for a different perspective (and up-close shots of the Ketchup covered vans). You can check out their galleries here and here.
Photo courtesy of Flip Skateboards
The Roxy Pro Promises Plenty Of Drama
Published: 12:10 a.m. PT by Me
While the men just closed the book on the first leg of their Vans Triple Crown the women are gearing up for the second leg of the Triple Crown with the Roxy Pro (which doubles as both a World Tour event and a Triple Crown event). When the event begins tomorrow out on Sunset Beach in Oahu there'll be two main stories to follow, the first being hometown girl Megan Abubo's chase for the Triple Crown. Abubo had been previously struggling (by her standards) for much of this year's Tour but with her dominating performance at the Reef Hawaiin Pro (both the first leg of the Triple Crown and a 6 star WQS event) she assured herself a berth (her 12th) in next year's Tour relieving some of the pressure she's been dealing with. Abubo now is looking to see if she can ride the momentum she built for herself at the Reef Hawaiin Pro and grab another win at the Roxy Pro to boost her chance at earning the Triple Crown as well as her first Tour win of the season. 
The other main storyline to follow is whether current WCT ratings leader Stephanie Gilmore can call it a wrap for the 2008 season by clinching the Title at Sunset Beach. Gilmore who's been other-worldly in her rookie year is hoping to fend off the challengers nipping at her feet (No. 2 Silvana Lima and No. 3 Sofia Mulanovich being the biggest ones). There are many different scenarios Gilmore is looking at in going into the Roxy Pro but the main one she's probably got in mind is if she wins the event and Lima finishes 3rd or lower, the Title is hers. Talk about pressure huh? For more on the upcoming Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach, complete with full breakdowns on Gilmore's chances of clinching the title, check out the official ASP preview of the event here.
A Look Back On Active's Bling Fest And Am Competition
Published: 12:06 a.m. PT by Me
You can thank some egghead scientists for pretty much everything associated with modern life and the following is no different, because if you missed out on any of last weeks action at the Active Bling Fest and Active Am Contest held in Rancho Cucamonga, Califonia (not a great place to be other than for the contest by the way) you don't have to worry (not like you were worrying anyways) because 411VM has put up footage of both events. As a reminder the Active Am was won by Sun Diego skater Wes Kremer while the Bling Fest had two (you can actually say 4) winners, the overall winner being Billy Marks while the KREW Best Trick winner was Adam Dyet (get our recap of the event here). You can watch the highlights of both events at the 411 update here. Snow Resorts: On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
As we're officially moving into the holiday season and closer to the official beginning of Winter it's worth taking note of the various snow resort openings across the country (actually just the West for now) in case you're starting to get the urge to hit the slopes, so we've done you a favor and listed a few of the recent openings from across the land below:
• Open three days ago (Nov. 21st) was world famous Vail Mountain in Vail, Colorado. The resort opened up two of its Born Free trail for snowboarding/skiing while the The Eagle Bahn Gondola will offer scenic rides for those just interested in seeing some snow (most likely old people). For more info on Vail check their official website here.
• Another Colorado resort, Beaver Creek, opened up yesterday with both the beginner Haymeadow run and the intermediate Latigo trail open for snowboarding/skiing. For more info on Beaver Creek check their official website here.
• Also open yesterday in Colorado was Eldora Mountain Resort near Boulder. The resort opened with 4 trails including Hornblower to International on Challenge Mountain and Bunny Fair and Sunkid on Little Hawk Mountain. For more info on Eldora Mountain resort check their official website here.
• Moving down the Northwest in Oregon we got Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort which opened up shop yesterday. As of now two lifts - Buttercup and Easy Rider - will operate from 9:00AM to 3:00PM, with limited terrain offerings off of each of these lifts. For more info on Mt. Hood Meadows check their official website here.
• Moving further south we get to the California resorts starting with Heavenly Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe, which will be opening its doors today. Snowboarding and skiing will be offered primarily on the Orion Run which is actually on the Nevada side of the mountain, while sight-seeing (again for old people) and snow playing (for their grandchildren) will be available via the Heavenly Gondola. For more info on Heavenly Mountain Resort check their official website here.
• Finally Southern Californians will get their winter fun with the opening of Mt. High in Wrightwood today. Three trails are planned for use accessing beginner and intermediate terrain, including Upper Chisolm, Lower Chisolm and Cruiser. Sunnyside, an excellent beginner trail, and the Playground Jib Park may be open as well. For more info on Mt. High check http://www.mthigh.com/.
November 23, 2007
Garcia Out as Fanning, Irons Advance in Reef Hawaiian Pro
Published: 1:01 a.m. PT by Me
The Reef Hawaiian Pro is expected to continue today in Haleiwa but the last day of action on Wednesday featured one notable exit as several big names advanced. Local hero Sunny Garcia was ousted as he arrived late for his heat thanks to the traffic in the area. Getting into the water late, he only managed to score one wave and despite only needed a tiny score to advance, he couldn't catch a break. On the other hand, current world champ Mick Fanning advanced easily, along with other big names like Andy Irons, CJ Hobgood and Taj Burrow. Fanning scored one of the highest waves of the day with a 9.10 and a total heat of 17.50. There is plenty of surfing left as the remaining surfers in the round of 64 are still to go before reaching the round of 32. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the final day of the holding period.
Watch the live webcast on the official site here.
Brian Anderson Gets Extra Long InterviewPublished: 12:29 a.m. PT by Me
If there was one skater who's sponsor list I'd probably like as my sponsor list if ever I was good enough to become pro it would probably be Brian Anderson. First off he skates for Girl, which pretty much means there's nothing more that should be said, but then also Nike SB, who despite their corporate affiliation is able to get their skaters business class flight ticket for tours. Then there's his clothing sponsors like Four Star (another Girl company) and the skate/streetwear brand Diamond Supply Company. I mean the dude probably gets some of the best shwag in the business. Did I mention he's also a damn good skater too? Just check his oh-so-short part in Nike SB's 'Nothing But The Truth' for an idea of what we mean. Why am I currently so infatuated with Brian Anderson you might ask. It's because UK site Crossfire has done an extra long interview with Anderson where they cover all the bases and beyond. In the interview Anderson hits subjects like the backlash against Nike SB, his 'Nothing But The Truth' part, his artwork, politics in general, tattoos and a whole lot more. It's seriously a good read especially if you're all into the Girl team like I am. Check out Crossfire's Brian Anderson interview here.
Oh yeah on the other interview tip check out the also-long interview Snowboarder Mag has done with Rail Jam stalwart Yale Cousino here.
Burton Snowboards Helping The World One Girl At A Time
Published: 12:02 a.m. PT by Me
It's always great to hear about companies doing socially responsible things as opposed to stashing their dollars underneath a mattress slept on by supermodels (God I hate Donald Trump), so there's no hesitation for me to applaud Burton Snowboards' newest outreach venture, despite how girly it is. See Burton is spearheading an effort to encourage American youth (particularly girls) to not only pursue their dreams but also to encourage them to let their passion spill over into charitable work. The effort will be in conjunction with the January release of 'Girl Overboard' a young adult novel published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers. The novel, written by Justina Chen Headley, is a fictional story about about a rich young Asian-American girl who due to injury gives up her dream of being a pro snowboarder but through it all finds a greater calling. As part of the effort Burton will help sponsor a book tour for the novel as well as a challenge grant with Hannah Teter as one of the faces of the effort. The Go Overboard Challenge Grant offers 12 $1,000 grants to youth groups who offer unique action plans that intend to benefit their local community. Beyond that Hannah herself deserves kudos for her own charity work including donations of all her Olympic-related profits to World Vision, her 'Hannah's Gold' charity organization, as well as her other fundraising efforts.
To read more about Burton's newest outreach program check the announcement here and also check out the official Go Overboard site they setup here.
November 22, 2007 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
And For Black Friday We Leave You This
Published: 1:32 a.m. PT by Me
I know most of you'll probably be out and about on Black Friday given the tradition of buying stuff at rock-bottom prices that's probably made in China...but just in case you aren't shopping we should remind you that every Friday you got Transworld Surf's Model Search where they offer prize packages to the girl who sends in snapshots of herself (preferrably in bikini) and gets selected as the girl of the month. Check up on Transworld Surf's main page this Friday for the latest batch of "contestants" who might just look like her:
Video Round-Up: P Rod's 'Proof', eS Team In Europe, Element In Europe Too, Transworld's Got Footy, Santa Cruz In Humbolt, And 'Time Well Wasted' Trailer
Published: 1:11 a.m. PT by Me
Since you'll probably be at home with the loved ones today we figure you'd appreciate some video clips to help you get through the agony of dealing with your little cousin Mitchell who just found out that people hurt when they get hit in their gonads.
• At the top of the list is the trailer for Paul Rodriguez's 'Proof', the follow-up to 'Forecast', which is up at Sk8site. Similar to 'Forecast' the film focuses on the up-and-coming talent who might not be getting the exposure they should as the video will feature skaters such as Darrell Stanton, Nyjah Houstan, Keelean Dadd, Terell Robinson, Chazz Ortiz, and others. You can check out the moody trailer for 'Proof' here.
• Next eS has put up some old footage they have of some of their team riders like Rick McCrank, Silas Baxter-Neal, and Justin Eldridge taking a trip out to Europe to shoot a McCranks ad, session spots and visit the "Take eS To Your Spots" contest they ran earlier in the year. The clip is pretty long with lots of smooth skating and of course the European scenery. You can check out the eS team in Europe footage here.
• More European flavors as Element Europe skaters Michael Mackrodt and Jo Lorenz head to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus (near Greece and Turkey) to check out the local scene and do some skating. Short clip. Check out the Cyprus visit footage here.
• Transworld's got some compilation footage featuring a gang load of skaters such as Brandon Biebel, Stefan Janoski, Matt Jones, Taylor Bingaman, and a bunch of others hitting up random spots. It's essentially just a bunch of dope tricks editted together and set to music (Eric Clapton), which makes it totally worth the watch. Check out Transworld's Warming It Up video here.
• Over at Strange Notes (the home page for the Santa Cruz family) they've got footage of the Santa Cruz team dropping by Humbolt, California, specifically Arcata Skatepark out there. The clip features plenty of the team's riders doing a lot of transition and bowl skating plus a random kid's crooked finger. Check out the footage from Humbolt over here.
• On account of the current lack of snow hitting the mountains, we'll throw in a snowboarding clip for compensation. This one being the teaser for Sandbox Films' 'Time Well Wasted'. The clips got some great riding from their team as well as great music (BRMC). Check out the 'Time Well Wasted' teaser right here.
Epicly Later'd Targets Heath Kirchart
Published: 12:57 a.m. PT by Me
As if on cue VBS has just posted up the newest episode of Emerica's Wild Ride on Epicly Later'd after we mentioned the Vice Magazine/MTV partnership yesterday. This go-round for Epicly Later'd is dedicated to Heath Kirchart, the all-business (some say "strange") member of the tour. Basically the whole episode is dedicated to talking about how Heath isn't really "one of the guys" in the sense that he isn't really the out-going type, and not much of anything else. Different team riders talk about how Heath gets involved in pranks (which might come close to abuse), kinda hazes new riders, and essentially intimidates the hell out of a lot of the skaters on tour (check the last shot for proof). Quite a change from the Heath that blew up off his amazing parts in those old Foundation videos and quite a departure from the last skater that was profiled Jerry Hsu. To catch the episode of Epicly Later'd devoted to the imposing figure of Mr. Kirchart (along with any of the past episodes you might have missed) check the link right here. 24 Hours Of Braydon Szafranski In 10 Minutes Time
Published: 12:23 a.m. PT by Me
This is another one of those entries that probably could have fit in with some of the other ones from earlier today but I figure its one of those ones that generate interest on its own. Braydon Szafranski's probably one of the more popular skaters out now with his out-going attitude and shiny golden locks, plus he skates for Baker which is a company that's really popular with the young kids I hear making this entry that much more of an attention grabber. See Active's filmed a Day In The Life segment with Szafranski where they spend...um...a day in his life (minus the nightlife section which as he mentions might not be appropriate for the Active crowd). The 10 minute clip begins at Braydon's house but quickly moves to the pool built inside a shop co-owned by one of the Good Charlotte brothers where Szafranski and Think's Lizard King session it up. Soon after Braydon picks up some of his fellow Baker riders and they head to Downtown L.A. where they hit up spots, get kicked out, and move to other spots and just cause random mayhem for the rest of the time. Describing it kinda flattens it out huh? I guess you just have to check it yourself to get an idea, though I have a sinking suspicion that this isn't necessarily a "normal" day in the life of Szafranski (he's probably toned it down a hell of a lot). Catch the Day In The Life clip here.
Red Bull Offers A Different New Year's Countdown
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
This New Year's Eve while the rest of us will be working on partying and creating a hangover for the next day, Robbie Maddison and Rhys Millen will be at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas working on breaking two different world records with the help of their sponsor Red Bull. In something Red Bull has dubbed "The Red Bull Experiment", motorcross star Maddison (pictured at a previous Red Bull X Fighters stop) will be trying to jump the length of a football field in order to break the motorcycle distance jumping world record while Millen will attempt the first ever full backflip in a off-road racing truck (those monster truck vehicles don't count). The two hope to time it so that both records will occur at different midnights, one for Eastern Standard Time one for Pacific Standard Time, to mark the special occasion.
The event will also serve as another type of countdown for New Year's partygoers (as opposed to the usual casino marquees flashing countdown numbers) who will get a chance to witness the event for $12 entrance fee. And for those that aren't in Vegas for the countdown and are stuck in front of a TV, they'll be able to watch it live on ESPN's New Year broadcast. But let's hope they got something better to do if they aren't in Vegas. For more details on the "Experiment" check out the official Red Bull announcment here.
