Sunshine, sunshine, it’s fine, I feel it my skin, warming up my mind.  Day 2 was the polar opposite of day 1.  Wind was offshore but more importantly the sun was shining! Quarterfinals were pretty stacked the one that sticks out the most in my mind was quarter B:  Blair Conklin, John Joyce, Morgan Just and Dave Scott.  I was glad I was not judging because it was a close one!  Blair had a few lofty fronside airs that landed him a spot in the semifinals with Morgan coming in second.  There was a rip current on the north side of the contest zone creating the only peak in the zone.  As the tide filled in the conditions got worse and worse.  The trough got ugly and the swell quickly dissipated with the offshore wind for the semifinals and final.  I missed the semis because I was three-quarters of a mile up the beach catching waves to myself. (Sorry Peluso) The 5^th and 6^th skim off was primarily a technical heat.  Mo Just had a few switch and Austin had a sick frontside 3 shuv reentry and was able to prevail.  The final consisted of Blair Conklin, Perry Pruitt, Sam Stinnett and Jackson Tenney.  The final was just as technical as the 5^th and 6^th skimoff! 3 shuvs on the way out, off the lip, out the back and back to shore.  Jack was going for huge shuv it grab variations out the back but couldn’t quite get any back under his feet. Blair had a few wrap to variations of big spins, 3 shuvs and 180s.  Local boy Perry found himself a few barrels and a huge wrap to airdrop.  Sam was able to find the diamonds in the rough! It was pretty close between the three but Sam pulled out the win which his second in a row! This win will narrow the lead that Austin Keen has to less than one hundred points! Will the world tour come down to Oktoberfest again this year? You can be the judge of that. Jackson Tenney won the SkimUSA pro tour landing him a 1000 dollar check!  The gnome which is given to the best trick in a 15 minute expression session was won by Jake Luke who landed a benihana.  Willy Cunard won the 32 competitor semi-pro division, selected to go pro and pocketed 800 dollars.  Welcome to the ranks Willy!

Mens Pro

Wet \’wet\ adjective – covered or saturated with water or another liquid. Day one of the 2014 OBX Skim Jam was just that. A low pressure system sitting just off the coast brought onshore wind upwards of 20 mph and scattered rain. The wind had switched Thursday night and then continued  blowing onshore for three consecutive days, which of course made conditions sloppy and very difficult to skim. The shorebreak was about two to three feet with a challenging trough section. The first round of pros went off a little after noon about two hours before dead high tide at 2:15pm. As the tide came in the bigger set waves became reachable and scoring waves were easier to come by. Jack Tenney and Dave Scott were standouts in the first two heats. Tenney was managing the trough section very well and Dave spent half of his heat in the air. Also advancing out the first heat was Gordon Levine who did a 540 shuv it out to a wave. Jake Stinnett also made his way out of the second heat and advanced to the quarters. I apologize as I only saw a few waves of the first two heats because I was warming up for mine. Heat C consisted of Johnny Salta, John Joyce and myself. I have skimmed 50+ heats and this was by far the most difficult heat I have ever skimmed. The trough was a monster, the wind was just a burden and the rain made it difficult to even see. Luckily I found a few air sections and managed to make it through. John Joyce had the better wave of the heat a backside line to big spin to edge his way in to the quarters. Austin Keen destroyed heat D the monkey crawl was a huge advantage with the gusting onshore wind. Also advancing from heat D Dave Bracht. Heat E was a close one. Teddy Vlasis threw more 3 shuvs in ten minutes than I have in my entire life but based on the outcome of the heat the judges were looking for wave riding. Perry Pruitt and Max Smetts were trading off backside lines as well as wraps to cover ups and advanced to the quarters. Heat F was an air show brought to you by Morgan Just. He had five scoring waves after going for just six. Tom Bracht monkey crawled his way past Colton Wallace and Ed Hayden to the quarters. Heat G consisted of Sam Stinnett, Blair Conklin, Joe Ryce, and Alex Hood…. Yea… stacked preliminary heat huh? Easily could have been a final. This heat was very exciting to watch both an airshow and some great wave rides as well. Right off the starting bell the battle began. Blair had the wave of the day. Wrapping a wave to an open face, before heading down the line and hitting off the lip. Sam has not missed one beat since The Vic and was picking off the better waves of the day. Not to leave out Joe and Alex who were just barely edged out by the more experienced tour pros. Heat H was filled with rail grabbing frontside turns from Kyle Calendra. Troy Rhoten snagged himself a few very clean backside lines to advance. In the Women’s Pro division standouts include Casey Kiernan and Brittany Osburn who killed both their heats. Also advancing to the womens pro final were Alexandra Badie and Sylvia Garavito. Big shout out to Skim USA who not only started the contest on time in the sideways rain but also managed to get an hour a head of schedule. Hope to see you out at the contest tomorrow! Forecast is calling for sunshine.

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

Skimboarders from around the United States and the world traveled to Laguna Beach this past weekend for the 38th Annual Victoria Contest held at Aliso Beach.  “The Vic” is the longest running skimboarding event in the world and one of the most prestigious skimboard contests for any competitor to place well in.  This year 41 male professionals and 12 female professionals battled it out, hoping to be able to add their name to the short list of people who have won this event.

Competition was difficult as the predicted 2-3′ south swell looked a look more like 0-1′ with the rising tide, and a serious trough made wave judgement difficult.  Still, the best riders in the world were able to impress on many occasions often finding a ramp to loft a big air or lip to duck under (see pics from day one).  On Sunday we were all pleasantly surprised as conditions were looking up quite a bit!  The swell had picked up considerably and this was making the trough less of a factor as waves were big enough to break through it, and you can bet the pros were all over those waves when they did!

The Sunday morning heats were a whole different animal as compared to Saturday.  There were 18 mens pros remaining in the event Sunday morning and with some bigger waves and even a hint of sunshine, they were all over it.

The women were also charging hard.  This was the first event for the Women’s 2014 UST tour and the girls have clearly been practicing.  Of particular note to this viewer was a backside bash on an overhead wave by Tia D’Ambrosio that looked like it would have been a scoring wave in the men’s division.  The progression is unmistakable in Women’s pro, and its very cool to see.

By mid morning there were only 8 men’s pro contestants remaining and it was down to man on man heats.  With the high tide pushing in, the contest organizers made the smart move to wait until afternoon to run the remaining pro heats.  That gave the pros plenty of time to think about their match-ups:  Austin Keen vs Jake Stinnett, Bill Bryan vs Tyler Stanaland, Sam Stinnett vs Blair Conklin and Teddy Vlasis vs Johnny Salta.  There were no easy ones.

From a UST perspective, the most notable matchups were Austin vs Jake and Sam vs Blair.  Austin, Sam and Blair made up the current top 3 UST and each one of them wanted nothing short of the win.  First up was Austin and Jake.  Sam was no doubt rooting for his brother Jake as (a) Jake is his brother and (b) if Austin were to get knocked out at this stage he would have an opportunity to pick up significant ground in the UST points.   Austin came out swinging, skimming fast and confident like he always does but Jake answered back almost immediately getting multiple big backside wraps, one of which won him ‘best barrel’ of the contest.  As the minutes wore down however both riders needed a strong frontside and those were in short supply.  Austin was able to find one but Jake could not, which likely gave Austin the edge on the judges scorecards pushing him to the next round.

In the Sam vs Blair heat, Blair opened up with a nearly flawless 360 wrap down the beach, immediately seizing control of the heat.  Both riders got numerous quality waves as the heat wore on but generally one got the sense that ‘Sam was catching up’.  As the final minutes counted down Sam continued to rack up potentially scoring waves, importantly again, getting a solid frontside cover up.  In my estimation, Blair’s lack of a similar quality frontside may have cost him the round.

This left Autin to take on Bill in semi #1 while Sam took on Teddy in semi #2.  As if it was pre-destined to wind up as a Sam vs Austin final, Bill and Teddy who had both skimmed phenomenal throughout the contest came up a little short in their semi final heats.

So the field was set.  It would be Sam vs Austin.  The 2011/2012 UST Champ vs the 2013 UST champ.  The current number 1 vs the current number 2 UST competitors.  Sam who has won this event twice before vs Austin who really wanted to add this one to his belt.  Somehow, it just seemed right…

Austin earned his place in the final with confidence, winning every single heat thus far in the event.  Sam, took the longer more difficult road getting second place in not one but two of the preliminary rounds.  But that was all in the past.  All that mattered now was the next 12 minutes.

As the heat started the ocean went flat.  For what seemed like ages (1-2 minutes) it looked as if this final would go by without a wave being ridden.  But then on the horizon Sam and Austin saw the smallest bump, and then it was off to the races.  Both riders got some good waves in the final.  Austin got perhaps the wave of the heat with a solid backside wrap.  But Sam had strength in numbers skimming all over the beach and getting solid waves far in excess of the number he needed.  I kept expecting Austin to answer back as did many on the beach but unlike his prior heats over the weekend it just didn’t seem to be happening for him in the final, at least not at the level he would need to beat Sam in top form… and that is really the way Sam was skimming; in top form.  He was pulling out every trick in the book to skim a textbook heat and hence earned his third win at ‘the Vic’.

Despite the narrow loss, Austin will remain in the lead in the 2014 UST tour heading into the 5th event, with just a little less breathing room than he had before.  All eyes will be on the east coast for the next two events!

You can view video recap of the live event here:  http://new.livestream.com/accounts/8919988/events/3135906

Contest Results:

MEN PRO

1. Sam Stinnett
2. Austin Keen
3. Teddy Vlasis
4. Bill Bryan
5. Blair Conklin
6. Jake Stinnett
7. Tyler Stanaland
8. Johnny Salta

WOMEN PRO

1. Casey Kiernan
2. Tia D’Ambrosio
3. Erin Carpenter
4. Keiao Bucasas

Photo care of Taylor Osborn

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

The competition will resume Sunday morning at 8.  You can check out Saturday’s archived footage and the live stream on Sunday @ http://new.livestream.com/accounts/8919988/events/3135906

In the meantime, check out some photo’s from Saturday’s competition care of Taylor Osborn.

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

Last weekend 37 of the best pro skimboarders in the world converged upon Cabo San Lucas for the annual Cabo Clasico.  This year’s pro field was particularly ‘international’ drawing competitors from Portugal, Brazil, Hawaii, mainland USA, and of course… Mexico.  However the country list doesn’t do justice to just how diverse this competition was.  Brazil’s top riders Leandro Azevedo and Renato Lima were on hand to scare just about everyone who got a heat with them, and to demonstrate how to properly ride a skimboard when not in a heat as well.  One of Portugal’s top riders Emmanuel Embaixador was on hand to turn some heads and send some competitors packing.  And finally there was the Mexico contingent.  Seasoned event finalist and Cabo local Juan Carlos (“Bullo”) was on hand to snag probably the best waves of the entire event and pump up the crowd like no one else, but so too were other Mexican competitors like Gerardo Valencia and Jose Eduardo who skimmed impressively throughout the event and knocked out some big name skimboarders.  Hawaiian competitor Jesse James Solomon definitely got some cheers from me as he skimmed the Cabo shorebreak as if he had been doing it all his life.  All of this was in addition to every top UST pro from 2013 making it a true challenge for all who dared enter.

Conditions for the three day event were the best in years.  A solid swell provided near perfect conditions leading up to the event, and indeed, through the event.  Wind which is always a factor in Cabo led the event organizers to choose a 7:30am start time in order to get as many glassy heats as possible.  This worked well and over the three days almost every pro heat ran in glassy near perfect Cabo shorebreak.  The event organizers made one controversial call which was to try and give the amateurs some time in the favorable conditions.  This was great for the AM’s, no doubt, but it also meant that the pro’s had to run Round #3 in extremely difficult wind blown late evening conditions.  Needless to say, a few gripes were overheard.

But they were quickly forgotten the next morning as near flawless waves greeted competitors for the final day of competition.  Twelve competitors remained, six ‘Americans’ and six non-‘Americans’.  Spectators couldn’t help wonder if this would be the year that a non-US skimboarder finally took the Cabo Clasico.  I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have been surprised.  Leandro and Renato were both on top of their game taking the top spot in their first Sunday morning heats joined by Tim Fulton and Teddy Vlassis.  Tour verterans and top UST competitors Sam Stinnett and Austin Keen took second going into the quarter final in close battles.

But then it was down to eight and the man on man heats came into play.

Due to their performance throughout the event thus far, Leandro and Renato had grabbed the top seeds for the quarters drawing Perry Pruitt and Austin Keen respectively.  Leandro was able to edge out Perry Pruitt but Renato couldn’t quite find the waves he needed to unseat the reigning champ.  Meanwhile Bullo got the best of Tim Fulton and Sam Stinnett did what he does in his heat with Teddy Vlasis.

It was then down to four.  Leandro and Bullo squared off in a epic battle to make the final with neither rider coming away with a decisive win, but with Bullo getting the nod on paper.  In the second semi, 2013 #1 and #2 battled it out to make it to the final and also to acquire the precious points they will need to contend for the UST title this year.  In my eyes Sam Stinnett probably had the best of Austin throughout the heat culminating in what appeared as though it would be a trademark ‘final seconds heat winning wrap’ that Sam does like no one else.  Sam glided out to a perfect looking backside wrap as the final seconds ticked down, rode it perfectly coming back around for what everyone expected would be a cavernous barrel, except that it never really opened up the way we all expected.  It was still a barrel, and still a good one… just not a great one.  With even less time on the clock everyone’s attention turned to Austin who was already running for a difficult late wrap.  This one however worked out much better than expected opening up perfectly for Austin’s outstretched arms, embracing his path to the final.

So it would be Bullo and Austin in the man on man final.

For whatever reason, Neptune wasn’t quite doing its thing for the final and great waves were in short supply.  In these conditions Austin who is in my opinion probably the most well rounded skimboarder in the world, was able to find the little bit extra he needed to best Bullo, who probably would have won the whole thing if another one of those big goofy wraps came through.

So that was it.  The 2014 Cabo Clasico.  If anyone has questions (or comments) leave them below!

PRO RESULTS

1. Austin keen
2. Juan Carlos (“Bullo”)
3. Sam Stinnett
4. Leandro Azevedo
5. Renato Lima
6. Teddy Vlasis

Photos by Aaron Peluso, Jaleesa Peluso and Marco Arroyo

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

This day was not much different than any day in George’s life. And, with the exception of 2 kids and a full time job, not much ever seems to  change in the life of this Solag-er. His life still revolves around his greatest passions; family, barrels, and making movies. Click through the photos and see what the soon to be 40 year old gets done with just over 12 hours on the clock.

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]
 

There are 37 pro competitors this year and things are sure to heat up as the top UST riders enter the mix tomorrow morning.  The contest will run through Sunday, conditions permitting…

Pics from today!

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

Pulse is the brainchild of Santa Cruz’s Jackie Gollbach and David Haefele who have teamed up to produce a new magazine for all skimboarders (with some advice from Foreverskim’s Derek Makekau himself).

What do we at Skim Online have to say about all this?  About time!

David and Jackie are energized and full of great ideas.  One that I particularly liked was the idea they had to hold the first issue hostage on their instagram for a few days ‘demanding’ more followers before the issue could be released.

Genius.

Check out the first issue at:  http://www.pulseskimboarding.com/
Follow them on Instagram at:  http://instagram.com/pulseskimboarding

Sununga Day 3 & 4

Three waves to win…win or lose, friends for life! Heat after heat and the athletes keep getting sider after sider. The audience is blown away at their maneuvers and rides after each completion as they navigate back to the sand. How do they do it! The level of Skimboarding at this event along with the rest of the UST always holds a level of professionalism and spark. The beauty of the United Skim Tour is how it integrates so many individuals from so many different areas and aspects of life. Every day the athletes are not only crossing cultural lines and boundaries but are creating lifelong connections. It seems that the flow of the Sununga contest is charging uphill and is picking up speed on the third day. The scattered showers and high tides brought the monstrous waves to a more of a maintainable level.

So again the contest officials made the call to delay the professionals till 3 p.m. and allow the amateurs to get another chance to charge Sununga. The professionals are definitely in trouble if a few of these amateurs continue to progress at their current speed. The first round of the amateur competition was a sight to see. It is always great to watch amateur athletes display their skills with such finesse and passion. After the amateurs battled it out, it was time for the professionals. It was time for Austin, Blair, Renato, and Leandro to finalize this thing and see who is will be crowned champion. Two Brazilians in one heat… two Americans in another. The professional semi finals were blessed with a break from the showers and great sets of waves.

Austin and Blair were first to battle it out in Sununga. Austin started the heat out with a long sider connection across the beach that included a hard surf style cutback. After a long wait for the right one, Blair found a couple secondary siders. Blair and Austin spent plenty of time waiting out what might have been the longest lull of all the heats the entire competition. Austin proved his patience after choosing a nice set to do an inverted 360 alley-oop off the top of the wave. Both riders just couldn’t find any waves big enough to provide a long ride, Blair sealed the heat with a surf style frontside air off a secondary air section and a big spin onto the sand.

Onto local favorites, Renato and Leandro’s heat. Leandro started off the heat with a sketchy 6 foot air drop off the top of a peaky connection solidifying a solid scoring foundation. Renato came back with some great rides that included a 540 shuv-it on one of his connections. However, Leandro proved his wave selection skills by picking out the better waves of the heat solidifying a slot in the finals.

The fourth day of Sununga was blessed with more sunny skies and a packed beach. The contest allowed for the athletes to have ample time to warm up and for the conditions to be just right. The time was perfect and the energy was in the air. It was time Leandro Azevedo and Blair Conklin to square off for the crown of Sununga. The thirty minute heat felt like an hour with the intensity in the air. Leandro started out the heat with a breathtaking ride from end to end of Sununga. Blair responded on the very next wave with a nice in-and-out. The riders rushed back to the notch, Blair even skimming back to position. They rocked the ocean and it rocked them back, the swells died down for a few minutes and the riders were stuck waiting patiently for the right set. The Sununga swell returned just in time for the last few minutes of the heat. Blair landed a few great liners with another amazing in-and-out with a 360 Shuv-it as he returned safely to the beach. The riders attempted waves until the heat ended with the countdown and the final horn. The riders ended the heat in the best way, with a friendly hand shake and a knowing they did their best. After a few hours of waiting the judges determined that the winner of Sununga 2014 is Leandro Azevedo from Brazil. All of the riders congratulated and cheered for Leandro including Blair Conklin who was the first to hug him and congratulate him.

Pro Reults

1. Leandro Azevedo
2. Blair Conklin
3. Renato Lima
4. Austin Keen
5. Sam Stinnett
6. Morgan Just

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

DAY ONE – Monday 3/24

The energy in Ubatuba Brazil is something that new visitors find nearly unexplainable. The skies cleared and the sun rose on March 24, 2014. The big day for the first stop of the United Skim Tour had arrived and what a better place to do so in. Ubatuba, Brazil is home to not only 102 beaches but is filled with an amazing community of people who have welcomed all of us into their family. The stage was set, the grills were hot, music was pounding and the swell couldn’t of have been better. The competitors all gathered for morning practice sessions at Sununga Beach before the big moment. This year’s class of athletles’ has reached a level of epic proportions. This skim family tribe includes athletes from the United States, France, Angola, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, and many more. Jason Wilson aka J-Dub took the lead as the contest announcer along with Emanuel Embaixador , aka “Mega”. Listing the rules and regulations for all the athletes in a variety of languages so no one would be left out! Finally the time was here to start the first round of the contest. The rounds consisted of three riders placed in accordance to their UST standings from the year prior. The riders came out holding nothing back. The Brazilian athletes definitely put on quite a show. Showing the riders that the local knowledge and experience was not only proven by wave numbers, but also by wave selection. The local community showed support to not only the Brazilian riders but also to everyone who competed. Cheers and applause could be heard constantly up and down Sununga Beach all day. Waves were caught, tricks were landed, and the competition was fierce. At the end of the day the scores were tallied and the top two riders from each round moved on to the next round! Every rider proved to be amazing competition and no one round was an easy win. The first day of the United Skim Tour has finished but will never be forgotten. Stay tuned for more updates from Ubatuba, Brazil and the first stop of the UST.

DAY TWO – Tuesday 3/25

Everyone gathered early for the second day of the first stop on the United Skim tour to see the world cup of skimboarding located in Ubatuba, Brazil. The second day of the Sununga contest was blessed with sunny skies and all around great competition. The beach quickly filled with locals and travelers from all over the world just before the first heats took place. The contest officials decided that the prime conditions called time for the professionals to do work. The waves were a lot cleaner and proved to be a Sununga playground for the athletes. The wave periods had shifted and were really long, which made wave selection critical during the heats. The energy was right, the sun was shining, and the athletes were ready for action. The professionals put on quite a show for the spectators for the entire day. Twenty minute heats, back to back all day! Each one action packed with many great rides for the judges to score. Most riders positioned themselves near the sider in order to make it to the best waves in town. The priority rule proved to be very important today at Sununga beach. The “priority rule” is when a rider is given the opportunity to be first in line to select which wave they would like to charge. Any rider may attempt a wave even if they are not in the number one spot. But if the rider in the priority spot is attempting to catch a wave, the other rider must allow them to proceed or risk possible disqualification. Contest announcers continuously notified the riders of the time remaining and who is first in line. Athletes found the rule brought balance to the heats. Showcasing their skills as the shorebreak come crashing toward the coastline. Many scoring multiple in-and-outs on a single wave! The riders found themselves flying through the air and landing back onto the wave and sometimes even making it back to the beach. Only to be met with cheers and applause from the fans on the shoreline. The judges definitely had their work cut out for them and had to keep their pens at the ready and their attention toward the horizon line. Congratulations to all the riders for the amazing display of professionalism and for all their efforts in each session. Tomorrow is the finals and a king of Sununga will be crowned!

Anthony is currently working on a skimboard documentary and is in Sununga covering all the action.

DAY 3 UPDATE:  The pro semi finals ran right at dusk.  Blair Conklin and Leandro Azevedo advanced to the finals and will compete man on man for the cup!  Wave check tomorrow morning.

UST HEAT BRACKET – Day 2

[See image gallery at skimonline.com]

All photos ©ourtesty of Corinne Conklin