Wavelength Surfing News

another Monday morning

CheyneMoore@lrip.eu (thebeachlife) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:21:00 GMT

It’s just another monday morning here on the north cornish coast, with a couple of dog walkers strolling Constantine and some fun looking empty waves at Boobys.

Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Gold Coast

james@wavelengthmag.co.uk (James Wilkinson) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:24:08 GMT

The opening event of the men’s and women’s ASP World Tour will take place between the 25th February and 7th March on the Australian Gold Coast. The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast hosts the world’s best men and the top 17 women for the first competition of the season on the elite circuits of the 2012 ASP tour.

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST
The chase for the 2012 World Championship title begins.
The Roxy girl Sally Fitzgibbons, ASP number 2 in 2011, started 2012 with a bang. The 21-year-old Australian, who was runner up to Carissa Moore in 2011, triumphed at the Australian Open last week, showing she has fully recovered from her fractured ankle, which she injured during a session at Cloudbreak just before Christmas. She remains one of the top contenders for the crown in 2012.

Lisa Anderson makes her competition comeback
Perhaps the biggest comeback story of the year could go to the legendary Lisa Anderson, who was four-times World Champion between the 1994 – 1997 seasons.
The iconic figure of women’s surfing, will attempt to win a wild card for the Roxy Pro during the Moskova Trails, which takes place on the 24th February.
The great Floridian at 42 years of age will be in the running alongside France’s Lee-Ann Curren and ex elite surfer Johanne Defay, European Champion and runner up at the World Junior Championships.

Stephanie Gilmore readies herself for the title race
Dethroned by the Hawaiian Carissa Moore last year, the Australian Stephanie Gilmore, four-times World Champion is motivated to chase her fifth title, after having spent part of her down time in Senegal in her role as ambassador to the Quiksilver Foundation.
The 24-year-old iconic surfer has 18 victories on the ASP World Tour; with 3 at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, she remains a hot favourite for the 2012 World Title.

The most anticipated season in history?
It was Joel Parkinson, ASP World No. 2 in 2011 who said the 2012 ASP World Tour season promises to be the most exciting ever, as generations clash like never before. On one side there is Kelly Slater 11-times World Champion; Joel Parkinson entering his 12th season in the elite and 3-times World Champion Mick Fanning who is back from injury. Whilst on the other are the new rising stars in men's pro surfing including the phenomenonal Gabriel Medina, Owen Wright, Hawaiian rookie John John Florence, as well as Julian Wilson, who now has the maturity to challenge for a world title.

The Return of Jeremy Flores
For Jeremy Flores, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast marks a comeback to competition. The surfer from Reunion Island, who missed the last 4 events of the 2011 Tour after an injury at the Quiksilver Pro France, is heading into the new season after spending many hard months in rehabilitation.
Aged just 23, the number 1 French surfer, winner of the 2010 Pipe Masters and hero of the Teahupoo event in 2011, can’t wait to compete in this, his sixth straight season amongst the elite.

Kelly Slater: how far can he go?
After winning his historic 11th World Title in 2011, the legendary Floridian who has just turned 40, remains unclear about his intentions for this coming season. One thing is certain, King Kelly will compete at both the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and the Quiksilver Pro France in September.
What happened in between those events is a mystery… whatever happens, Kelly who won last year’s Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast event will never lose the motivation to compete.

Dane Reynolds – always a Wildcard
Everyone agress that Dane Reynolds is one of the most creative and exciting surfers in the world. His 2011 season was marred by injury (forcing his withdrawal from six events). At just 26 years old, the cool Californian returns to competition via a wildcard. He placed 3rd in the 2010 event and Dane will start this year’s Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in the first round possibly surfing against... Kelly Slater.
http://quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2012/

Last Light, Last Look - Micah Lester

tim@wavelengthmag.co.uk (Tim Nunn) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:12:00 GMT

FOG

CheyneMoore@lrip.eu (thebeachlife) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:36:00 GMT

It’s a very foggy morning, with not much to be seen.

Groomed Lines

CheyneMoore@lrip.eu (thebeachlife) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:34:00 GMT

The strong southerly winds are grooming the little lines at Harlyn perfectly but the wind and rain aren’t making conditions so good for a walk.

Wavelength March Issue 212 Out Now

james@wavelengthmag.co.uk (James Wilkinson) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Romance is dead. With Valentine’s Day over for another year, it’s time to start focussing on yourself again and to mark this beginning of 364 days of self indulgence, the new issue of Wavelength hits the shelves today! Not only will you be able to lose yourself in the best shots from the UK and abroad during the month in surfing that was January, but you will also be justified in ignoring everyone around you as you read Tim Nunn’s feature on scoring stand up pits in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Selway has been getting the UK pros’ training secrets so that you can boost your own surfing and turn into a machine with buns of steel. There’s also an exploration into all the tiniest parts of surfing that most of us forget about; the stories behind the nuts and bolts within our world of surf that muggles will not understand. All of that plus a selfishly mind-blowing gallery, an illegal photoshoot with a shaper and some words of wisdom about weeing in your wettie from a Scottish lass makes this issue of Wavelength the most indulgent one ever – because you’re worth it.

January: A month in surfing...

All The Small Things: The vital cogs in surfing...

Upgrade: Surf and train like a pro...

The OC: Tim Nunn in California...

Vison: Wave porn for the masses...

A Word With: Time to chat to the great Dane...

Plus: Meet the Adams family, Scottish film maker Allyn Harper, survive winter and Inch Reefs have there day...

Student Surf Tour, Croyde, March 16-18

james@wavelengthmag.co.uk (James Wilkinson) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:59:04 GMT

North Devon is poised to host it's first ever Student Surf Tour over the weekend of March 16-18th. The National Inter-University Surfing League (founded this year by students from Falmouth) roves around the county allowing university surf clubs to get together to compete and party.

Croyde will once again feature the Mens/Womens shortboard divisions, limited to 32 spaces. Prizes are an Adams Surfboard and a Gul Womens Wetsuit! The Croyde event also sees the very first Retro/Longboard Cup, which will be hosted on the Sunday. Extra points for retro hair and beaver tails, definitely time to break out that old single fin!

Accommodation for students is available at Ruda Holiday Park using an exclusive SST Discount Code. Evening entertainment comes in the form of live bands and general madness at The Thatch, North Devon's premier location. Rumour has it a combination of UWE student birthdays, a rugby match and glorious sunshine are aligning to form the best ever SST after parties on both nights!

To register a team for either the Shortboard of Retro/Longboard Cup; come along and party or to find out more then contact the SST team - enquiries@studentsurftour.co.uk

Overcast

CheyneMoore@lrip.eu (thebeachlife) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:57:00 GMT

It’s a bit dull and overcast this morning. That persistent onshore is still killing the surf so fingers crossed for a better weekend.

Random ink from the last few months

tim@wavelengthmag.co.uk (Tim Nunn) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:11:00 GMT

Iceland from The Bomb (SA)

Iceland Wavelength

Iceland

Iceland Baco (Italy)

France Wavelength

Random Cover in Norway, or at least the wave

Gabe Medina

Lunasurf Team in California

Canada in Surf Session (France)

New Dawn for British Surfing

james@wavelengthmag.co.uk (James Wilkinson) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:50:54 GMT

New board of directors for Surfing Great Britain on quest to make the UK a potent and vital force in the world of surfing. The body which represents surfing in Great Britain is undergoing fundamental changes with the dual aims of: -

i) invigorating, inspiring and connecting with the British surfing population, and increasing participation across all age and ability levels throughout the country, and

ii) implementing performance development strategies with the view to producing a British World title contender within the next 10 years.

These are the aspirations of a new board of directors who have recently signed up to the re-branded Surfing Great Britain (SGB) organisation.

Leading the charge is new SGB chairman, former British and European Champion Nigel Semmens from Newquay.

Nigel says: “While we have a massive amount of surfing talent in this country, male and female, we haven't had someone competing internationally for a number of years. To reach the same level as someone like Kelly Slater, we need to have a more structured approach which puts a premium on top quality coaching and commitment, and which seeks and obtains sponsorship that reflects the massive interest in surfing in Britain.”

Kelly Slater (USA) is the current ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour champion. The last British representative to compete on the elite tour was Russell Winter from Cornwall, whose performances a decade ago met with serious acclaim from surfing professionals from the sport’s traditional hotbeds of Hawaii, Australia and California.

While the SGB’s new board of directors is determined to harness the array of talent among British surfers in order to find successors to follow in the footsteps of Russell Winter, they will also be actively looking to make surfing more socially inclusive - working at grassroots level with a view to increasing participation in the sport at a young age, supporting local clubs and schools throughout the UK and developing surfing within the PE curriculum where possible.

The board is comprised of individuals who have a history of surfing and industry experience, and, along with SGB’s newly constituted acting executive officers, the rebranded body amounts to the largest and most knowledgeable group of experts ever assembled for a British surfing organisation. Athletes, coaches, environmentalists, media specialists and surf industry representatives have joined forces to breathe new life into SGB, with the aim of securing formal National Governing Body (NGB) status as soon as possible.

Some of the country's top surfers, including former British champions Gabe Davies and Sam Lamiroy from Newcastle, former Welsh champion Lloyd Cole and Scottish champion Chris Noble, are committee members and will be taking an active role in the progression of British surfing. Well-known surfing journalist and author of Surf Nation, Alex Wade, has also helped in the reshaping of the new body.

Alex Wade says: “There is tremendous energy and excitement behind SGB as it seeks to push British surfing forward to the next level. By the end of year in which the Olympics returns to Britain for the third time, we expect to be well on the way to achieving NGB status. As such, SGB will be looking after the interests not just of the elite surfers who are good enough to turn pro but everyone in Britain – from Thurso to Brighton, Tynemouth to Swansea and Portrush to Perranporth – who loves to ride waves. There is tangible good news already, too: we have landed a European contract from the NEA2 Project which will go towards the development of a national governing body.”

And, as Nigel Semmens says, there is a pressing task: “Our immediate goal is to try and get sponsorship for a team of youngsters to compete in Panama in April this year for the World Junior Championships. We are working with drinks company Calypso, who have been very supportive to us in the past, and we hope to get through the selection process and get our team together as soon as possible.”

surfinggb.com