Surfing Blog

Surfing aerial at Bondi Beach sho, by Greg Tingle - 12th March 2011

2011-03-13T14:35:00.002+11:00

Bondi Beach is set for aerial assault from the world's best aerial surfers when the Boost Mobile Surfsho makes a splash its final comp day, and what great weather it is. Shame about the small waves, but that's surfing.

About 50,000 people are expected, up about 10,000 from last year.

ASP world tour competitors include Julian Wilson, Jordy Smith, Owen Wright, Josh Kerr and Taj Burrow. The are competing from bragging rights at $25,000 worth of prizes.

Other surfers ripping it up for the fans are Craig Anderson, Mitch Crew, Mitch Coleborn and Jack Freestone, and freestyle is the order of the day for this pool of thrashers.

Yesterday's open qualifying round saw a two-foot swell with Ben Godwin and Beau Foster qualifying to join two-time champ Wright. Waves expected to get to a metre with a slight south-westerly.

The cool and hip event, now in its second year, is the biggest professional contest held at Bondi Beach, say the organisers.

Aerial surfing is the theme, so even when the surf isn't exactly huge, its still great entertainment for news media, fans, hardcores or beach babes.

The event is yet another shot in the arm for the Bondi Beach business community who suffered poor crowds and weather for much of last year, but this year things have certainly picked up.

The comp runs from March 11 to 13. Surfs up enough for a fun day at the world's most famous beach.

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Slater says Aussie beaches world's best - 13th March 2010

2010-03-14T20:43:00.000+11:00

Surfing great Kelly Slater says Australia has the best beaches in the world and he wants to know why Prime Minister Kevin Rudd isn't using them.

The nine-time world champion was at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Saturday to announce a new initiative which recognises significant beaches around the globe.

One iconic Australian beach, which has not yet been named, will be among the first to be declared a world `surfing reserve'.

The sites were chosen from 150 beaches nominated by 34 countries, and also include Waikiki in Hawaii and Malibu in California.

Beaches in Western Australia, Queensland and NSW are all in the running, and Mr Rudd has been invited to make the declaration in October.

While explaining the benefits of the scheme, Slater threw down a challenge to the Prime Minister after raving about Australia's offerings.

"What sort of surf board is (he) riding? Rudd, where are you, come on?" Slater said.

"And Peter Garrett, we gotta get that guy in the water too - he is supposed to be a keen body surfer."

Slater is one of many elite surfers supporting the World Surfing Reserves organisation, modelled from an Australian version which successfully lobbied for the legal protection of beaches deemed as significant surfing spots.

Thanks to the efforts of Australia's National Surfing Reserves (NSR), seven beaches in NSW have been given the declaration designed to preserve beaches for generations to come under the Crown Lands Act.

NSR chairman Brad Farmer said the concept was so successful it's now being replicated in California, Scotland and Hawaii.

"It's the first time in history surfing has been recognised in law, so it's really extraordinary," Mr Farmer told AAP.

"Now the legislation is being used around the world, so it's going world-wide in a very short time.

Slater said Australia was well deserving of international recognition.

"I love the beaches in Australia," he told AAP.

"It really has all the variety of cold to warm, sand to reef and point breaks to beach breaks so you really have more variety in Australia than probably anywhere."

Dave Rastovich and crew, Surfers for Cetaceans, Sea Shepherd, eco warriors and community unite - 5th November 2009

2009-11-05T12:46:00.002+11:00

David Rastovich and crew, Surfers for Cetaceans, Sea Shepherd, eco warriors and community unite - 5th November 2009

Media Man was on hand this morning to witness the exciting and historic arrival of team Transparent Sea Voyage: Dave Rastovich and Surfers for Cetaceans, who have paddled down the NSW coast on a 700km journey.

Rastovich, world class surfer and famed environmentalist, was joined on the epic adventure by JJ (photographer), Hilton Doar and Chris Del Moro (surfer and artist).

A swag of fans, supporters and media was present to welcome the team, despite the overcast weather.

Doar encouraged concerned citizens to write to local members of Parliament, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and environmental minister, Peter Carrett.

Doar said "It was amazing to share the journey with like minded people. We're all inter connected. Australian people love the whales and dolphins. The Australian Government needs to send ships and help. Sea Shepherd is keeping the pressure one as whaling and fishing vessels are frequently Australian waters illegally. People need to help".

Further news reports on Channel Nine, Network Ten and others tonight.

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700 km paddle by Dave Rastovich

Rastovich touched in at Bondi Beach shore 11.15am

36 day journey

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*Media Man Australia is a supporter of Sea Shepherd and numerous environmental causes

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2009-10-28T10:14:00.002+11:00

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Strong dollar threatens earnings wipe-out for Billabong, by Daniel Hurst - Fairfax - 28th October 2009

2009-10-28T09:32:00.000+11:00

Global surfwear brand Billabong is bracing for cuts to earnings as the rising Australian dollar erodes the value of overseas sales.

The Gold-Coast-based company told shareholders at its annual meeting yesterday its after-tax profit had dropped more than 13 per cent to $152.8 million last financial year, with the financial crisis having a big impact on US retail markets.

Billabong International, which owns surfwear, skateboarding, sunglasses and footwear brands, generates more than 80 per cent of its sales overseas. Chief executive Derek O'Neill said he believed the tide had turned in the US and the company aimed to boost its sales margins in the next three years.

The company predicts 5 per cent growth in net profit this financial year if exchange rate variability is not taken into account.

Mr O'Neill said the company's after-tax profit would drop by $500,000 for each US1¢ rise in the monthly average value of the Australian dollar above US92¢.

''I'm not unhappy about the rising Australian dollar,'' he said. ''It has a number of positive benefits. It's just when there is a massive rise in a very short period of time it affects our profits immediately.''

The group's directors put forward a freeze on executive base pay as part of its remuneration report to shareholders - a document that was rejected by 11 per cent of those who voted.

Questioned about the ''huge amount of variability'' in the company's day-to-day share price, chairman Ted Kunkel said it was affected by US retail reports and rapid appreciation of the Australian dollar.

Billabong shares fell 37¢ yesterday to $10.58. (Credit: Fairfax)

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Boost SurfSho at Bondi Beach in March 2010 - Big Air!

2009-10-25T12:35:00.002+11:00

Bondi Beach in March 2010

Sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals

Kelly Slater, Australian big-air specialists Taj Burrow and Owen Wright, and more

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Saltwater Buddha profile

2009-09-08T15:06:00.002+10:00

Jaimal Yogis is an award-winning journalist and photographer who spends a good deal of his spare time surfing and traveling the globe. He has a master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University and his work has been published in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Toronto Star, The Surfers Journal, Beliefnet, Tricycle, San Francisco Magazine, and many others. Saltwater Buddha, which has been internationally praised and is the subject of a forthcoming documentary, is his first book, but he is currently working on a second while also traveling on an extensive book tour (along the coasts of course). You can follow Jaimal on Facebook and Twitter. (Credit: Jaimal Yogis)

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The Official Bra Boys Story: My Brothers Keeper, by Sean Doherty

2009-09-03T12:35:00.001+10:00

Book Description

Maroubra was a tough place to grow up. Ringed by a jail, a sewerage works, a rifle range and a housing commission estate, it was where the streets of Sydney met the beach. It was a place where the local boys surfed hard and partied harder. It was also a place where trouble easily found you. Adopted by Maroubra Beach at a young age, the four Abberton brothers, all born to different fathers and a mother in the clutches of heroin addiction, grew up at a time when the area was shadowed by drugs and gang violence. Raised largely by their grandmother, Sunny, Jai, Koby and Dakota found solace in the surf, and solidarity with their mates, the Bra Boys.

The official biography of the Abberton brothers follows their story from a turbulent upbringing on the sands of Maroubra to international surf stardom, and the fateful events of 5 August 2003, when Jai shot dead Maroubra underworld figure and childhood friend Tony Hines, only to be acquitted on the grounds of self-defence. The Official Bra Boys Story: My Brothers Keeper is raw, gritty, from the heart ... and everything you won′t read about in the newspapers. (Credit: HarperCollins Publishers Australia)

*Media Man Australia off the record interview conducted with Sunny Abberton

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Sydney shark victim's brave return to Bondi beach, by David Barrett - Herald Sun - 13th May 2009

2009-05-17T12:25:00.001+10:00

Just three months ago, Able Seaman Paul de Gelder lay in hospital fighting for his life.

His right hand had been torn off by a bull shark, and within days surgeons amputated his lower right leg.

He'd stared "eye-to-eye" with the monster shark, and cheated death.

Paddling through the waves at Sydney's North Bondi beach Tuesday, Mr de Gelder, 32, was a man determined to recover and live his life.

A keen surfer, he hit the waves with two mates for the first time since the shark attack in Sydney Harbour on February 11.

Emerging from the surf, he told the Herald Sun he felt good being back in the water.

"Mate, I've been falling off my surfboard," he said. "It was my first time back out there."

Mr de Gelder spent about 15 minutes lying on his board, swimming and catching waves. On the beach he did some push-ups and stood gazing out at the water.

"Surfing was a big part of my life before the attack," he said. "So I really wanted to get back out there again.

"I'm a beach boy now."

Mr de Gelder served in East Timor as a peacekeeper and spent four years as an army paratrooper.

He was mauled while testing the navy's counter-terrorism equipment off the RAN base at Garden Island.

In a TV interview on Sunday, Mr de Gelder said he stared "eye-to-eye" with the shark that attacked him.

"You don't even feel the teeth go in. I think the adrenaline, the panic, probably puts a numb on the pain and you don't feel it," he said.

Mr de Gelder said he was very happy to be back in the water: "It's . . . where I feel most comfortable of all, even with these big sharks around."

Mr de Gelder hopes to one day return to work as a navy clearance diver.

"It's gonna be a tough bridge to cross but you can't show weakness," he said.

"Not in my job."

Asked if he was planning more surfing, he said: "I'll be back for sure." (Credit: Herald Sun)

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2009-03-11T15:45:00.002+11:00

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Surfers spooked by shark sighting at Bondi, by Georgina Robinson - The Sydney Morning Herald - 4th March 2009

2009-03-05T17:44:00.001+11:00

Eight people were forced to abandon their after-work surf at Bondi Beach yesterday after a two-metre shark swam under them.

Real-estate agent Karl Timms said he was in the water off Bondi about 7.30pm in a group of about eight surfers when he spotted a dark shape.

"I thought what I saw was a piece of seaweed but when I could actually see what it was ... and I looked out to another guy and said, 'Did you see what I saw' and he said, 'Yeah I saw it too,' " said Mr Timms, a surfer with 40 years' experience.

"It looked like it was very wide, very pointed, so I would say it was probably around the seven-foot [2.1-metre] mark.

"So it wasn't too big but seven foot is also too big, you know."

He said he asked another surfer, who also confirmed the sighting. They told the others and quickly made their way in to shore.

"There wasn't mass hysteria, there was a lot of tourists ... they were probably more excited and elated more than anything else that something like that was out there," Mr Timms said.

He did not surf this morning and would not go out tonight, he said.

"But only because the swell's dropped off. There's next to nothing," he said.

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2009-03-05T17:40:00.001+11:00

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Surf's up in NSW, Australia's Top Surfing Destination - 13th October 2008

2008-10-13T11:00:00.002+11:00

The Minister for Tourism, Jodi McKay reported that, surfing was a key attraction for almost a million visitors to NSW in 2007 with more than $11 million spent on surfing lessons alone.

“Surfing is a healthy experience which is appealing to both domestic and international visitors and is also delivering an economic boost to communities right along the NSW coast,” Ms McKay said.

“Events such as the Beachley Classic in Manly this week contribute to NSW’s reputation as one of the world’s best places to surf,” she said.

Ms McKay continued that NSW was the number one destination for surf tourism in Australia.

“Around 848,000 holidaying Australians went surfing in NSW last year, which was more than any other State,” she said.

“Surfing lessons are popular with the international backpacker market and NSW received 445,000 international backpackers last year,” she said.

“More than half of all international backpackers to Australia are likely to take surfing lessons.”

Tourism NSW estimates that the states 33 accredited surf schools contribute $11.7 million to the NSW economy each year.

Ms McKay said that the state was expecting thousands of visitors to attend the Beachley Classic in Manley which began on Thursday.

The event which has been supported for the past two years by the state government, will be supported by Events NSW this year.

Events NSW CEO Geoff Parmenter said that surfing forms a natural part of an events strategy for New South Wales.

“By securing significant high profile professional and participatory surfing events and by working with Surfing NSW and Tourism NSW we can support their efforts to position NSW as the surfing capital of Australia.

“Surfing provides a unique and targeted foundation from which to build economic and brand marketing benefits for New South Wales.

“Events NSW current investment in surfing encompasses a regional and a Sydney based platform, extending from the Country Energy Australian Surf Festival in Port
Macquarie to Surfest in Newcastle and the Beachley Classic.

“Surfing is not only an Australian pastime; it’s also one of our most successful exports, seriously big business for the surf wear brands.

Ms McKay said seven-time women's world surfing champion, Layne Beachley, has worked in conjunction with Tourism NSW to promote surfing.

This has included headlining an event in Los Angeles for media and travel agents as part of G’DAY USA: Australia Week in January this year.

“NSW has spectacular beaches all along its coastline including 77 of the top 100 surf beaches in Australia,” she said.

“Visitors to NSW want to experience our unique urban beach culture that is a major part of the lifestyle in Sydney and coastal NSW.

“Surfing is part of the Australian way of life and is a great way for visitors to connect with local people and experience our culture.”

There are accredited surf schools all along the NSW coastline from Tathra to Kingscliff including iconic locations such as Bondi Beach, Manly and Byron Bay.

According to NSW surf tourism operators, Sydney is the most popular destination for international surf tourists in NSW followed by Byron Bay.

Other favourites include the North Coast surf touring route including Newcastle, Port Macquarie, the Coffs Coast and Byron Bay.

Tourism NSW promotes surfing in a wide range of marketing activities here and overseas including on our website www.visitnsw.com.

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They surf at Dangerous Banks, 35km off Tassie, by Damien Murphy - The Sydney Morning Herald - 2nd August 2008

2008-08-02T12:09:00.002+10:00

DANGEROUS BANKS is a large shifting sandbar with a mythical and fearsome history, about 35 kilometres off the tip of north-west Tasmania where Bass Strait floods into the Southern Ocean.

Once windjammers coming up from the Roaring Forties were wrecked regularly there and if the weather didn't get them, wreckers lit deceptive beacons on nearby islands in hope of plundering aground ships.

Raging currents, unpredictable winds and giant swells that suddenly jacked up from the depths kept humans at bay for nearly 200 years. But on June 27 three surfers conquered Dangerous Banks. The Australian veterans Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll and the young Hawaiian Ian Walsh were towed onto 30-foot waves as part of their odyssey to surf giant winter swells around Australia for a pay-TV special Storm Riders, expected to be released next summer.

Clarke-Jones, regarded as Australia's most renowned big wave rider, said the Tasmanian wave was barely rideable but being first compensated for that.

"It was more than wild , it was complete chaos. I've never seen an ocean so angry and confused in all my surfing days," he told the Herald. "We managed to catch a few each but must admit that the ocean beat us to a pulp that day. We were lucky to have all made it to shore to tell you the truth."

Days before, Ben Matson, a surfing website meteorologist who had been tracking ocean storms for the project, made the call that a low pressure system forming in Antarctica would send giant waves onto Dangerous Banks within 48 hours. The surfers and support crew scrambled.

In a Los Angeles taxi, Walsh got the text message, told the driver to head for the airport and booked a flight in transit. He walked off the plane at Sydney in boardshorts, T-shirt and hoodie, carrying only his wallet and passport.

The team gathered in Smithton on Tasmania's north-west coast, and, guided by abalone diver Paul Critchlow, put to sea equipped with two powerboats, six powerskis and a helicopter.

It was Critchlow who broke the news about the break eight years ago when a number of surfers, including Clarke-Jones, were competing in the world's first tow-in surf contest on King Island to the north.

Critchlow learnt about the wave the hard way. In the late 1980s he was ferrying a biologist to a nearby island with his wife, Audrey, in the boat when Dangerous Banks took him on.

"A swell reared up out of nowhere so I just swung the QuickCat into the wave and gunned it but the wave went perpendicular. I looked around to see Audrey flying horizontal out the back so grabbed her by the scruff and held on until we punched through the peak," he said. "The bride broke her ankle when we came down the back of the wave and she hit the deck."

Since February, Clarke-Jones, who lives in the Victorian surfing town of Torquay, had prepared for the expedition with three reconnaissance flights but filming proved problematic. There was no set take-off, rogue waves chased off cameramen on powerskis and the most effective platform, the helicopter, was so overworked keeping track of the surfers that low on fuel, it had to head home.

"It was like climbing Everest meets the running of the bulls meets an iron man contest," Clarke-Jones recalled.

There are financial incentives for the men who ride mountains, including a $US1000-a-foot ($1060) purse for the surfer who takes the biggest drop each year. Clarke-Jones and Carroll, a two-time world champion, are watching Australian surf spots hoping they'll turn on before winter goes.

Seven days after Dangerous Banks they rode Cow Bombie, a reef off the southern tip of Western Australia, despite a shark cruising nearby and Carroll suffering concussion from a heavy hit and long hold down. It was only 25 foot. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald).

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Whalers get hot reception in Chile - Gold Coast Bully - 30th June 2008

2008-06-30T20:08:00.002+10:00

Bryon Bay locals were among the many who pitched up at the International Whaling Committee meeting held in Chile.

Dave Rastovich, from the lobby group Surfers for Cetaceans, Skye Bortoli from Teens Against Whaling, Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd and Hannah Fraser and Jeff Pantakhoff all made the trip to South America to air their views.

They have all played active roles in highlighting the plight of marine mammals. They also work tirelessly to stop the slaughter of the gentle giants.

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With Bells on, by Martin Boulton - The Age - 22nd March 2008

2008-03-22T10:06:00.001+11:00

WORLD champion Mick Fanning bounced back from an opening-round loss to keep alive his hopes of winning the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach yesterday.

In tricky 1.8- to 2.4-metre surf and a stiff onshore breeze, the 26-year-old outclassed wildcard Stuart Kennedy after going down to fellow Australian Adrian Buchan in the first round.

It was Fanning's first opening-round loss in a tour event for 18 months, but the world No. 2 attacked from the moment the siren sounded in the sudden-death second round to reach the next stage.

The Tweed Heads surfer unleashed his trademark power and speed against Kennedy to quickly record a 7.5 wave and finished with a combined score of 14.17 points from his best two waves.

Kennedy, from Lennox Head, managed a combined score of 5.50 from his best two waves after 30 minutes in tough conditions, which tested the stamina of surfers throughout the day.

He refused to comment after his earlier loss, but Fanning was all smiles after a solid second heat and said he's looking forward to the chance of winning his first tour event of the year.

"It's good to get through and live to fight another day," he said.

Eight-time world champion Kelly Slater progressed straight through to the third round after scoring a 9.5 — the highest score of the day — and finishing with a combined score of 17.50.

The 36-year-old, who calls Florida and Hawaii home when he's not travelling the globe, thrilled the strong crowd with an awesome display against Brazilian Adriano de Souza.

Slater opted for a shorter board than most in the lumpy seas and produced the wave of the day after organisers feared he might not even show up.

"I wasn't actually planning on coming down here," Slater said.

"I did officially pull out of the event, but then I saw the swell forecast and things lined up the right way … it was a good week to come down."

Slater, who opened this year's tour with a win in the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast, will mount a serious challenge for his ninth world crown if he wins his third Bells Beach title.

"Obviously, I'm in a good position," he said.

"Everyone talks it up and thinks I'm playing cat and mouse with them, but I just say how I feel.

"Sometimes, I don't want to go to the next contest."

Defending champion Taj Burrow, ranked ninth in the world heading into this event, also moved into the third round and said "the plan is to ring the bell" again after edging out Brazilian Leonardo Neves and fellow Australian Nathan Hedge yesterday.

Bede Durbidge, who came third on the Gold Coast, ended Hedge's campaign in Torquay yesterday with a convincing win in the second round.

Joel Parkinson, from Coolangatta, booked a third-round spot after beating fellow Australians Nic Muscroft and Ben Dunn.

"It (was) really tough conditions," Parkinson said.

"You've just got to have a little bit of luck and a little bit of faith, (and) I jagged one early, not much through the middle and fortunately got one at the end just in time."

The second round continues today, with Luke Stedman scheduled to be the first Australian in the water against Chris Ward from California.

Hawaiian and triple world champion Andy Irons moved through to the third round with a combined score of 12.84 on the first day of competition.

"Sixes (were) basically nines out there today," he said. "I just tried to go out there, surf a good heat and get a couple of scores."

http://www.theage.com.au/photography

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Will Jack drop in?, By Peter Gardiner - Sunshine Coast Daily - 8th March 2008

2008-03-17T14:49:00.002+11:00

For fans of laidback surfing singer Jack Johnson, it could be a case of “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” in Noosa for an impromptu performance from the latest face to grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

There’s an underground buzz that Johnson will appear on stage today with the coolest surfer on the planet –newly crowned Quiksilver Pro champ Kelly Slater.

Music inspired by the surf and played by surfers is a cultural phenomenon of recent times, and one that the Global Surf Industries Noosa Festival of Surfing is now in tune with.

Its musical concert at the Noosa Heads Lions Park will have free surfing activist Dave Rastovich performing with Band of Frequencies, and all-time great Tom Curren performing alongside Pico.

“To be honest, I can’t wait to play and it would be a real buzz to have a jam with Curren and Pico – who knows, maybe Kelly (Slater) will join in too if he is around,” Dave said.

Last year festival organiser Garth Prowd, of USM events, sowed the first seeds of speculation when he said how good it would be to have someone like Jack surfing alongside Kelly in Noosa and then the two jamming together.

And eight-times world champion Kelly is supposed to be coming to town for the festival, while Jack, who kicks off his Australian tour next week, is supposed to be in Australia at the moment. Some reports have him staying on the Coast.

Mr Prowd yesterday refused to comment on what he sees as idle speculation.

The word around the festival is that even if Kelly and Jack were both in Noosa this weekend, any decision to play would be an entirely spontaneous thing on their behalf.

So as Jack almost said in his hit tune: “Must we always be waiting, waiting on you guys.”

Your complete guide to the Noosa Festival of Surfing, including links to stories and photo galleries.

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Top sorts - The Sydney Morning Herald - 13th March 2008

2008-03-14T22:15:00.003+11:00

The Award for Best Sort was taken out by a pregnant woman (Katherine Heigl for Knocked Up), Best Nude Scene went to a children's flick (The Simpson's Movie) and Best Documentary was won by a surf gang from Maroubra. The Oscars it wasn't but what the Filmink awards lacked in Hollywood glamour it made up for in unusual award choices. Local stars, host Brendan Cowell, and film brethren Joel and Nash Edgerton stepped out for the awards, held last night at Sydney's State Theatre, while Sunny Abberton arrived without his famous brother, surfer Koby, to pick up the award for their 2007 documentary, Bra Boys. Other awards were more predictable with Academy Award-nominated film Atonement, winning the Best Film, and Australian Film Industry award winners taking out Best Australian Film - Romulus, My Father - and Best Newcomer - Emma Booth. John Travolta won Best Hair for his performance in Hairspray. See video from the awards show at www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stayintouch.

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Constable pulling double finals at the GSI Noosa Festival

2008-03-09T19:58:00.002+11:00

Global Surf Industries Noosa Festival of Surfing

ASP LQS 2 Star Men's Event
Banana Boat Women’s Pro
Noosa, Queensland
3 - 9 March 2008

Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc

Josh Constable into the final of both the Telstra Men’s Pro and the Stand Up Paddle

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 March, 2008 : - - An incredible day at the Noosa Festival of Surfing which included great surfing along with amazing history as no fewer than 13 past ASP World Champions participated in what truly is a celebration of the awesome surfing culture.

Competitively Queensland surfers dominated and in the Telstra Men’s Pro have managed to secure all four finals positions as Seb Wilson, Grant Thomas, Josh Constable (All Sunshine Coasters) and Jackson Close managed to advance through the semi finals and will take their place in what should be a tense final tomorrow.

Thomas and Constable will be shooting for their 3rd victories at this event and the ever confident Thomas said after his semi win today – “ I’m sure I can win it but it’s going depend on me getting the best waves over the others and they’ll be just as determined as I am so who knows! It’s great it’s an all Queensland final but when we hit the water tomorrow there’ll be no friends out there – we’ll be all chasing the win… at all costs!”

The Banana Boat Women’s Pro looks set to be dominated by internationals with just Gold Coast surfer Selby Riddle flying the flag for Australia. Current ASP World Champion Longboarder Jen Smith (USA/California) is the surfer to beat. She has consistently posted the highest scores throughout this event and looks unstoppable. Justine Dupont (France) and Jana Irons (Hawaii) will be in the final making it an international showdown not to be missed!

Some incredible names of the sport took to the Noosa waters today, both competitively and for charity and included current ASP World Champions Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore in a unique team surfing auction that raised a worthy $110 000 for charity!

Names like Mark Richards, Shaun Tomson, Tom Carroll, Layne Beachley, Brian Keaulana and many more champions of the sport enjoyed an awesome day that delighted the large crowds and participants alike in a memorable day of surfing that stamps the Noosa Festival of Surfing as something very special now and into the future.

Stand Up Paddle, Tandem surfing, Noserider Pro and Legends of the sport all enjoyed the perfect small waves at Noosa’s first point throughout the afternoon and organizers are super optimistic that all the finals can capitalize on more of the same perfection on the point all day tomorrow for the finals across all divisions.

It’s a superb final day coming up and will run for an unprecedented 10 hours with the premier finals of Telstra Men’s Pro and Banana Boat Women’s Pro to be put in the water on the prime tidal conditions to get the very best of the waves.

The event will start around 7:00am with the expected location at first point with the back up at Main Beach.

www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com

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Darren Landers
Media Manager | Noosa Festival of Surfing
darren@freshlogicmedia.com.au

Garth Prowd OAM
Managing Director | USM Events
gp@usmevents.com.au

Georgie Hannon
Event Management | USM Events
georgie@usmevents.com.au

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The APT/WG world tour awards party goes big in Haleiwa - Global Surf News - 8th March 2008

2008-03-09T18:03:00.002+11:00

Big Wave News

APT/WG World Tour Awards Party Goes Big

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 March, 2008 : - -The Association of professional Towsurfers, Inc. (APT) World Tour Tow-In Surfing Circuit and Wave Giant (WG) a Brazilian based company, closed the 2007 tour season with an official awards party that was held at Banzai Sushi in Haleiwa, Oahu.

With only one event to account for in the 2007 APT tour season, there was still plenty of stoke to go around amongst the big name winners, contestants, friends and family during the evening of March 2, 2008. The top four winning teams of the tour, not only won some good money but were presented with amazing belts and plaques for their accomplishments.

The top four winning teams of the APT World Tour for 2007 were:
1st Place World Champions - Makua Rothman / Ikaika Kalama -HI
2nd Place - Carlos Burle / Eraldo Gueiros - BRA
3rd Place- Dustin Barca / Sion Milosky - HI
4th Place Jamie Sterling / Wendell Wall - HI

Koby Abberton, Maya Gabeira, Keali’i Mamala, Eddie Rothman, Troy Alotis, Tom Dosland and many others were also in the mix and shared their support for the 2007 winners and APT’s upcoming 2008 tour announcement.

“It was a great party and it gave APT a chance to let everyone know that we are here for the long hall and thank the contestants for their support. Our first season was not so good due to poor surf, but at least we had one event that got the ball rolling. This party also gave APT the opportunity to share some exciting news on our first scheduled event for the 2008 season.”- Said, Rodney Kilborn, APT Vice President and Event Sanctioning Director.

APT would like to thank Wave Giant (WG) for their support in making this awards party happen. The 2008 APT World Tour Season will kick-off on April 15, 2008 and the official press announcement will be sent out later this month. APT/WG clothing line and apparel for the extreme athlete will soon be available online at Protowsurfers.org. The official 2008 event website will not be launched until later this month.

About the Association of Professional Towsurfers, Inc. (APT)
The Association of Professional Towsurfers, was Founded on March 6, 2003 with the charter to support the responsible growth and development of Tow-In Surfing. The Association of Professional Towsurfers, is dedicated to sanctioning and promoting world class competitions, dissemination of safety and technical information to athletes, and technical direction to event organizers.

The Association of Professional Towsurfers embraces corporate sponsors and media entities that provide the support necessary to increase its events and goals. The Association of Professional Towsurfers has goals to expand its support throughout the world, lobby government agencies and municipalities to provide more certified tow-in access to ocean venues, and be ever attentive to the unique technical and safety needs of this evolving sport and its constituents.

www.protowsurfers.org

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Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Big Wave Surfing

Fanning makes a statement in tour opener - The Age - 2nd March 2008

2008-03-03T08:48:00.001+11:00

World surfing champion Mick Fanning showed his readiness for the 2008 season with a storming victory over dangerous wildcard Julian Wilson in the opening event on the Gold Coast.

Fanning demoralised teenaged rival and fellow local Wilson to win 17.57 to 7.33 and advance to the fourth round in his quest for a third Quiksilver Pro title on his home break of Snapper Rocks.

An early eight-plus wave score, backed up by a 9.07 immediately afterwards was enough to send Wilson home, but Fanning was quick to praise the youngster, who notched a win over Kelly Slater in the event last year.

"Julian's one of those up and comers and is really dangerous," said defending champion Fanning.

"There weren't many opportunities for Julian towards the end, and I knew with the tide coming in that was going to happen, so that's why I tried to get some early."

With 10 of 16 third round heats surfed on Sunday, Fanning completed a hat-trick of local successes, with Gold Coast boys Dean Morrison and Joel Parkinson also making it through.

Fellow Australians Bede Durbidge, Ben Dunn and Taj Burrow, who recorded the highest heat score of the day with 19.20 points against France's Mikael Picon, also progressed to the fourth round.

But South African teenager Jordy Smith will be looking to break the Aussie strangle-hold on the event, when he meets Morrison in the fourth round.

The 19-year-old wowed the 3,000-strong crowd with two nine-plus wave scores against world No.10 Bobby Martinez, to end with a near-perfect final heat score of 19.03 points out of a possible 20.

Smith has been labelled a world title contender in just his first year on the professional circuit and is a dark-horse to take out this world championship tour event if he can oust Morrison.

"I'm not really feeling any pressure, I'm just out there to have fun and pretty much just surfing with my heroes," Smith said.

"I'm just focusing on heat by heat."

Kelly Slater and fellow former multiple world champion Andy Irons are among surfers still waiting to contest their third round heats.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Peru's Mulanovich takes out Roxy Pro - The Age - 1st March 2008

2008-03-02T09:35:00.000+11:00

Peru's Sofia Mulanovich has claimed the first victory of the 2008 surfing season, winning the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast to get Stephanie Gilmore's world title defence off to a rocky start.

Mulanovich, who finished last at Snapper Rocks just one year ago, surfed a near-faultless final against Australia's Samantha Cornish, including 8.17 and 9.17 rides, to dominate the decider.

Mulanovich ended up almost 10 points ahead of Cornish - an unsatisfying end to a day replete with nail-biting finishes and big name defeats, including pre-competition favourite Gilmore, Layne Beachley and Brazil's Silvana Lima.

Gilmore's slayer came in the unlikely form of the diminutive 15-year-old wildcard Carissa Moore, who proved the talk of the competition after taking down the reigning world champion in a narrow round three victory.

She went on to record the best heat score of the day in the quarter-finals before losing her semi to Cornish, solidifying her spot as one of surfing's biggest rising stars.

But it was Mulanovich who took home the $12,700 winner's cheque at the season-opening event, where her previous best was third place amid a sea of poor results.

Given her previous track record, the 24-year-old was decidedly upbeat about her victory.

"Guys, I never believed I would win here!" a euphoric Mulanovich told reporters shortly after her win.

With the Peruvian flag draped across her shoulders, she chuckled off suggestions she had declared a full-on assault on Gilmore's world crown.

"It's crazy you know," she said.

"I always used to get bad results here, I guess I proved to myself that I can surf this wave and I'm just so happy this year - everything just came perfect for me."

Cornish, a former world No.1, said she was pleased with her result.

"It's definitely a great start to the year," the Crescent Heads surfer said.

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself today, it was just a super magical day - there were dolphins and stingrays and fishermen, you never really get to see that."

Cornish, who was Australia's last chance to retain the event after Chelsea Hedges' victory last year, will now try to go one better at the Rip Curl Pro event at Bell's Beach later this month.

There, Gilmore said she would also be seeking redemption.

"A bit of redemption, yeah, and to get back in the groove of things," she said.

"It's always pretty hard first event - I mean, I thought everybody was a little bit wobbly but obviously not, maybe it's just me."

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Surfing Pioneer Mark Warren Inducted into Hall of Fame - Press Release - 26th February 2008 - Surfline

2008-02-28T09:00:00.000+11:00

Surfing pioneer Mark Warren (Avalon, NSW) was honoured as the 2008 Hall of Fame Inductee at the 23rd annual Australian Surfing Awards at Twin Town Services Club in Coolangatta last night.

Warren's varied and successful careers within surfing span three decades. A 70s pro surfer - a media sports personality in the '80's - National Coach and ASP Tour Representative in the '90's.

Warren the 1970 NSW Junior Champion from Narrabeen went onto become one of the worlds first pro surfers winning numerous contests including the 1976 Smirnoff World Pro-Am at Sunset Beach, Hawaii and The Duke Kahanamoku Classic at Waimea Bay, Hawaii in 1980.

To this day Warren remains at the forefront of the sport, responsible for the live web streaming of the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro tournaments around the globe.

"If surfing is Hawaii's gift to the world then I'm amazed how, for me, surfing is the gift that keeps on giving," said Warren.

"I get just as big a thrill now out of a half decent wave as I did when I first started surfing over 40 years ago.

"And equally it's a thrill for me to be acknowledged by Surfing Australia in this way, in fact it's a privilege," added Warren.

Warren adds his name to a list of surfing luminaries that includes four time world champion Mark "MR" Richards OAM, seven time world champion Layne Beachley, 1976 world champion Peter Townend, 1998 world champion Mark Occhilupo 1990 world champion Pam Burridge, legends Nat Young, Wayne Lynch, Michael Peterson, Wayne Deane and surfing historian Peter Troy OAM .

Reigning ASP world champions Mick Fanning (Tweed Head, NSW) and Stephanie Gilmore (Kingscliff, NSW) claimed the coveted 2008 'Male and Female Surfer of the Year Awards'.

Gilmore's sensational 2007 performance saw her become the only male or female surfer to win an ASP World Title in their rookie year. A bumper 2007 for Fanning saw him bring the world crown back to Australian shores for the first time in a decade.

"It's another great honour for me. An Australian award has that extra special meaning too," said Gilmore.

In all, 11 awards were presented on the night before 2007 Hall of Fame Inductee Cheyne Horan (Gold Coast) honoured Mark Warren as this year's Inductee in the nights crowning moment.

ASP world junior champion Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, NSW) broke the gender barrier by taking out the inaugural 'Rising Star Award' for her enormous promise and potential. The 17 year-old 'Super-Grom' has again proved unstoppable this year currently leading both the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the Australasian junior rankings.

Joining the elite on stage was Jon Frank for the 'The Best Photo of the Year Award' and Sunny Abberton accepted the 'The Surf Movie of the Year Award' on behalf of the Bra Boys.

"The movie has won a few international awards but this is the first one in Australia and to receive in front of the surfing community is fantastic, " said Abberton.

Former USA surfing champion Rusty Miller - who has recently been in the media spotlight as Elle MacPherson's surfing coach - took back home to Byron Bay 'The Surfing Australia Lifestyle Award'.

"I am very excited to be recognized by the Australian Surfing Awards and that there is a category for me after all. At the Lennox Head surfing reserve dedication I got to really feel again what an amazing tribe we are a part of and that, at my vintage, savour the diversity in style, generation and walks of life represented," said Miller.

Highly respected surfing journalist and author Tim Baker (Currumbin, Qld) was the 'Surf Culture Award' recipient for his latest book High Surf, which profiles inspirational surfers.

Australasian Surf Business (ASB) magazine claimed the 'Pioneer Award' and in doing so acknowledged publisher Keith Curtain's dedication to surfing and hard work in founding the surf industry trade title. ASB magazine has established a strong and proudly independent niche within the surf publishing market in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.

Billabong Australasian Brand Manager Andrew Flitton accepted the inaugural 'Surf Industry Award' on behalf of surf label Billabong.

LE BA Boardriders claimed the Simon Anderson Premiere Club Award as the club that excelled across a variety of levels in 2007.

Leon Norris (Geraldton, WA) was honoured with the Duke Kahanamoku Award for his enormous services to Surfing Australia and the sport of surfing.

The introduction of Team Australia who will contest the 2008 ISA World Junior Championship in France, May 24 till June 1st, 2008 added to the night's festivities.

Both Owen Wright (Culburra, NSW) and Laura Enever (Narrabeen, NSW) feature in arguably one of the strongest U/19 national sides ever assembled.

The night also set a new benchmark for Award presentations by emitting 'Zero C', - no carbons - thanks to the work of Balance Carbon.

The Australian Surfing Hall of Fame would like to acknowledge Surfing Australia, the Australian Sports Commission, Domain Casuarina Beach Resort, ASB , Balance Carbon and Urchins Artwork for their support in staging the Australian Surfing Awards.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Sunny Abberton

Surfing

Coolangatta

Lay day for Quiksilver Pro & Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast - Global Surf News - 25th Feb 2008

2008-02-26T10:54:00.000+11:00

Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
Roxy Pro Gold Coast

ASP Men's WCT Event #1
ASP Women's WCT Event #1
Coolangatta, Qld Australia
23 February - 5 March 2008

Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc

Lay Day for Quiksilver and Roxy Pro presented by LG

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 February, 2008 : - - Event organizers for the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro presented by LG have called for a lay day today due to small surf on offer at the main site at Snapper Rocks and nearby Duranbah Beach.

"While there are a few small waves on offer at Snapper and D'Bah this morning, we've decided to call a lay day for both the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro today," Brooke Farris, ASP Women's World Tour Manager, said. "We've just completed two full days of action for the men and the women, and with the swell looking like it will stay consistent throughout the week before filling in on the weekend, we'll wait until better conditions present themselves before we restart competition."

Saturday's action saw the ASP Top 45 take on Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro presented by LG in punchy waves at nearby DuranbahBeach. Highlights included the domination of Coolangatta kids Mick Fanning (AUS), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Dean Morrison (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS) and Luke Munro (AUS). Munro in particular surfed brilliantly to hold off highly-touted rookie Dane Reynolds (USA) in their Round 1 clash.

Yesterday saw the girls take on clean three-foot (1 metre) waves at Duranbah for the opening two rounds of the Roxy Pro presented by LG, and reigning ASP Women's World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) took top honors for the day with Hawaiians Melanie Bartels and Megan Abubo also impressing the hundreds on the beach.

When Quiksilver Pro competition resumes, former three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) will be up against lethal Komunity Project Trials Winner Tamaroa McComb (PYF) in the opening heat of the elimination Round 2 competition.

Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast pres. by LG Round 2 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Tamaroa McComb (PYF)
Heat 2: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 5: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 7: Michael Campbell (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 8: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 9: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) vs. Ben Bourgeois (USA)
Heat 10: Neco Padaratz (BRA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 11: Leonardo Neves (BRA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 13: Ricky Basnett (ZAF) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 14: Daniel Wills (AUS) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 15: Royden Bryson (ZAF) vs. Tim Reyes (USA)
Heat 16: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)

When Roxy Pro competition resumes, Australians Samantha Cornish and Nicola Atherton will compete in the opening heat of Round 3.

Roxy Pro Gold Coast pres. by LG Round 3 Match-Ups
Heat 1: Samantha Cornish (AUS) vs. Nicola Atherton (AUS)
Heat 2: Layne Beachley (AUS) vs. Serena Brooke (AUS)
Heat 3: Melanie Bartels (HAW) vs. Megan Abubo (HAW)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) vs. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Heat 6: Rebecca Woods (AUS) vs. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF
Heat 7: Amee Donohoe (AUS) vs. Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
Heat 8: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER)

Websites

Global Surf News

Quiksilver Pro

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Surfing websites coming off the Gold Coast campaign

2008-02-26T08:34:00.000+11:00

Media Man Australia Coolangatta Diary

We have just returned from a succesful campaign in the Gold Coast, Tweed and Coolangatta region.

The Quiksilver Pro is currently on. Sunny Abberton pointed out the Rip Curl shop out and we bought some cool gear.

There was a great cafe which is also a surf photography gallery - Slide Cafe - Coolangatta Gallery - Ocean Art Photography

Picked up a copy of radical surfing / surfling lifestyle magazine, Gold Coast Surf

Checked out the view at the Coolangatta Surf Club and Greenmount Beach Club

Breakfast at Outback Jacks Bar & Grill

Taxi back to Gold Coast Airport and flights with Virgin Blue

Home to North Bondi, Sydney

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Public thank you to Sunny Abberton and Neal Cameron

2008-02-26T08:27:00.000+11:00

Public thank you to Sunny Abberton and Neal Cameron for their assistance in helping make the grand opening of the Universal Peace Centre Retreat so successful and enjoyable.

Monster ride to surfing stardom - The West Australian - 17th February 2008

2008-02-19T08:21:00.000+11:00

WA big wave surfer Alex “Alfy” Carter has ridden away with the top prize in the Oakley Surfing Life biggest wave award after an electrifying trip on a 14m-plus wave during an extreme surfing session in the South-West.

The $20,000 prize was presented to Carter at the Bondi Pavilion in Sydney on Thursday night after judges deemed his monster wave was bigger than those ridden by Queenslander Mark Visser and Hawaiians Ian Walsh and Jamie Sterling. It was a sweet victory for Carter who was runner-up last year.

His monster moment was in September at Cow Bombie, a break 6km offshore at Margaret River.

Carter said the win was a major relief.

“Now I can pay the taxman all the money I’ve owed him for the past few years,” he said.

The award opens doors for Carter to compete in other big wave events around the globe that don’t often attract the major money and sponsorship of the regular world surfing tour.

Carter said the award might change some things for him but it would not change the way he surfed.

He also received a new jetski which should come in handy after the same break that won him the award also claimed his old one.

“The ski conked out about 3m from the worst possible spot,” Carter said.

“We got three waves on the head and that was it for the ski.”

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

WA's Cater wins big wave award - The Age - 13th Feb 2008

2008-02-19T08:20:00.000+11:00

The argument is finally settled, West Australian Alex Cater rode the biggest wave during the remarkable surfing session off the WA coast late last year.

But not only can Cater brag to his peers that he caught the wave of the day, his 14m plus ride won the $20,000 Oakley Surfing Life biggest wave award at a presentation in Sydney.

Cater's monster wave was one of several nominations from the extreme surfing session held by some of the world's best big wave junkies at `Cow Bombie', a break 6km off the south coast of WA, in September last year.

Judges, however, decided Cater's bomb was bigger than entries from Queenslander Mark Visser and world-renowned Hawaiian chargers Ian Walsh and Jamie Sterling.

For his effort Cater received a hefty cheque, international recognition and a new jet ski - a timely gift considering the dangerous offshore break recently killed his previous tow-in machine.

"The ski conked out about three metres from the worst possible spot," Cater recalled.

"We got three waves on the head and that was it for the ski."

Cater, who'd been runner-up to Damon Eastaugh last year, said he would shout the other finalists drinks then put the leftover prizemoney to good use.

"Now I can pay the taxman all the money I've owed him for the past few years," he said.

"In a way this award might change some things for me but it won't change why I go surfing."

Tasmanian Marti Paradisis may not have claimed the biggest wave, but he at least took consolation in receiving the best overall performance for his insane surfing session at the Apple Isle's remote Shipstern Bluff.

Monster ride to surfing stardom, by Michael Bennett - The West Australian - 17th February 2008

2008-02-17T13:18:00.000+11:00

WA surfer wins Biggest Wave Award - The Sunday Times - February 14, 2008

2008-02-15T07:55:00.000+11:00

WEST Australian surfer Alex "Alfy" Cater not only survived riding a terrifying 14m wave but beat some of the nation's best surfers while he was doing it.

Carter rode into first place at the Oakley Surfing Life Biggest Wave Awards, held in Sydney this year, by surfing a 14m high wave at 'Cow Bombie’ near Margaret River.

He edged out three other rides, recorded on the same day by Queenslander Mark Visser and Hawaiians Jamie Sterling and Ian Walsh, who travelled halfway round the globe to meet the swell at Cow Bombie last September.

“It was a pretty big day,” says Alfy. “Right after a storm. The wind backed off and we thought, let’s do it.”

Cater just missed out on the big prize last year after placing runner-up to Damon Eastaugh.

This year there was no second best for Carter who took home $20,000 and a new jet ski with his first prize win.

Alfy’s reaction? “A sigh of relief really mate,” he says. “Now I can pay the taxman all the money I’ve owed him for the past few years.”

The award will open doors for him in the growing global big-wave competition field, he says.

Alongside this award, big surf competitions are now held in South Africa, Hawaii and California.

“It’s something I really want to pursue if I can … I’ve been to Hawaii and California and met a lot of the guys who ride their big spots and I’d love to challenge them.”

The jet ski will come in handy too . Not long ago, Alfy and his tow partner Ian “Wooly” McPherson had to abandon their ski under a massive set of 10m waves waves at Cow Bombie.

“The ski conked out about three metres from the worst possible spot . We got three waves on the head and that was it for the ski.”

The fact that they were six kilometres from land at the time barely raises Alfy’s eyebrow – which is a little clue as to the sort of person who takes on surf in this range.

Since being inaugurated five years ago, the Oakley Surfing Life Big Wave Awards have revealed a side of surfing long hidden behind the glittering world pro tour arena – a group of surfers who’ve used their home-grown skills and experience to push the sport’s natural limits, often without much publicity or attention outside their peers and slightly horrified onlookers.

“We’re all pretty rough and ready I suppose but we’re doing this because we love it,” he says. “In a way this award might change some things for me but it won’t change why I go surfing.”

As for Wooly, who towed him into the Award-winner: “He owns a surf shop and he’s one of my sponsors, so he won’t be seeing the colour of my money!” Alfy laughs.

Best Overall Performance Award for the season went to Tasmania’s Marti Paradisis, who said he was “over the moon” after his series of amazing tube rides at the Apple Isle’s remote Shipstern Bluff reef break swept the judging panel’s vote.

“It’s on behalf of all the guys I surf with at ‘Shippies’ and who I know could win this Award too …we’re stoked to have waves in our backyard that are as good as anywhere in the world ..” he says.

The Shooter Award for photography went to Jamie Scott for his image of Cater’s winning ride.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

PRIVATE SYDNEY Andrew Hornery - The Sydney Morning Herald - 31st January 2008

2008-01-31T13:30:00.000+11:00

THE rehabilitation of Sydney's Bra Boys from would-be notorious gangstas to lightweight celebrities appears complete, with the media in the United States falling head over heels for the Abberton brothers.

However a few minor details appear to be missing from the coverage being generated by Koby Abberton , such as the nine-month suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice, relating to a shooting over which his brother Jai was acquitted of murder in 2005.

But with friends such as Russell Crowe about to direct your life story on the big screen, why bother with semantics?

On Tuesday the New York Daily News, which caught up with the Abbertons as they swanned around Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival promoting their documentary, Bra Boys, with the likes of good mate Paris Hilton, described Abberton simply as a "pro-surfer-turned-filmmaker".

The newspaper reported a mildly amusing tale about how the Abbertons and Crowe first got to know one another, describing the association as "a beautiful friendship".

On Monday Abberton's Bra Boys won best documentary at the 2008 X-Dance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, a spin-off from the Sundance festival. The director, Sunny Abberton, and his crew accepted the award, telling the crowd "this film is proof of what brotherhood really means".

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Bra Boys

Surfers bustin' down the door of film festival, by David Knox - The Sun-Herald - 13th January 2008

2008-01-13T09:23:00.000+11:00

Australian surfing greats will join Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett as guests of the prestige Santa Barbara International Film Festival this month.

Former world champions Mark Richards and Wayne Bartholomew have been invited to a civic reception hosted by Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum on January 26, the day Blanchett will be presented with the festival's Modern Master award.

Richards, 50, and Bartholomew, 53, are among Australian, South African and American surfers featured in a documentary Bustin' Down The Door, which will have its world premiere at the festival in the Californian city on January 27.

The film's title is the same as a controversial article written by Bartholomew for US magazine Surfer in January 1977.

The article dealt with the emergence of Australian and South African surfers on the Hawaiian contest scene.

The story and the brashness of some of the visiting surfers triggered a violent reaction from local surfers.

Emerging from a brokered peace was the fledgling world professional circuit, won in its first seven years by Australian Peter Townend, Shaun Tomson, Bartholomew and Richards (four times).

Top-paid surfers on the circuit now earn tens of thousands of dollars in prizemoney and millions in sponsorship from surf industry giants such as Quiksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, Rusty and Volcom.

Director Jeremy Gosch's film includes footage of the surfers in Hawaii in the 1970s and interviews with them 30 years later.

The film, narrated by twice Oscar-nominated actor Edward Norton, is the brainchild of Tomson.

"Shaun felt the exploits of the surfers from that era had been overlooked," Richards said yesterday.

"What we did then was create the blueprint for professional surfing. Surfers now are reaping the rewards."

Former surf magazine editor Bill Sharp wrote: "It should be made into law that every spoiled-brat pro surfer being paid a single dollar in sponsorship should be duct-taped to a chair and forced to watch this film until he fully understands the debt he owes these pioneers who busted down the door on behalf of a future generation."

Film festival director Roger Durling said: "I am super stoked to have Bustin' Down the Door."

Blanchett is also in a festival entry, the documentary In The Company Of Actors, whose cast includes her husband, Andrew Upton, and Hugo Weaving.

Other stars to be honoured at the festival include Julie Christie, Ryan Gosling, Angelina Jolie, Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem.

Richards will take Ms Blum a letter of greeting from Newcastle Mayor John Tate and Bartholomew will do the same with a message from Gold Coast Mayor and former champion long distance runner Ron Clarke.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Film Festivals

Surfing Sally's on top of the world - The Sydney Morning Herald - 7th January 2008

2008-01-07T17:38:00.000+11:00

New South Wales surfer Sally Fitzgibbons won the junior women's world championship at North Narrabeen beach today, thrashing Kiwi Paige Hareb in the final.

The 17-year-old from Gerroa, just south of Wollongong, had a two-wave score of 16.77 points to Hareb's 7.84.

The multiple Australian champion had the final in the bag with eight minutes to go when she completed a near perfect 9.27 ride to leave her opponent requiring a combination of scores to win.

Fitzgibbons had a nine-point ride in each of her four rounds and a perfect ten in her semi-final win over Narrabeen surfer Laura Enever in the one-metre swell.

"I had a tough semi against Laura, she put me in a pretty good situation and I needed a good score," Fitzgibbons said.

"I thought if the wave comes, it comes but if not, she deserves a good win and I was just stoked to get through that one and was on a high for the final."

It was the third straight junior women's title for Australia following the victories of current WCT competitor Jessi Miley-Dyer and Nicola Atherton of Bronte.

A budding WCT surfer, Fitzgibbons will be crowned alongside Australia's 2007 elite tour champions Stephanie Gilmore and Mick Fanning in an award ceremony on the Gold Coast in March.

Hareb, the 17-year-old event wildcard from Taranaki, ended as the best ever New Zealand performer - man or woman - at the professional level.

Yesterday, Brazilian Pablo Paulino captured his second junior men's championship.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Industry rides a wave of change, by Tim Elliot - Fairfax - 12th December 2007

2008-01-07T16:10:00.000+11:00

Everyone, it seems, wants to be a surfer - or, at least, to look like one. This is good news for the surf industry, which racked up $11 billion in retail sales last year. Yet for an industry whose identity is so intimately linked to the oceans, surfing has remained curiously aloof from environmental issues.

Surfing's base components - fibreglass boards, rubber wetsuits and mass-produced clothes and accessories - are inherently unsustainable, and yet the industry has offered little beyond bamboo boards and organic cotton T-shirts.

"The surfing fraternity is great when it comes to grassroots campaigns to protect beaches and coastal communities, but the industry as a whole hasn't reflected that concern, because, like other industries, it's profit-driven," says Ian Cohen, a Greens MP and co-founder of the Cleans Seas Coalition. Cohen, a surfer, once rammed an eight-metre poo through the doors of Ballina Shire Council chambers to protest against a proposed sewage outfall at Lennox Head, on the state's North Coast.

The Surfrider Foundation Australia, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and preservation of the world's oceans and beaches, has been similarly critical. "On the whole, the industry is still dragging its feet," says Stuart Ball, Surfrider's general manager.

Now, however, there are signs of change. In the US, an increasing number of surf brands have started offering environmentally sound products, including organically sourced T-shirts, hats, shoes and sandals. "And many companies, such as Reef, Sole Tech, Volcom and Sector 9, have altered their business operations to reduce their carbon footprint, from using wind credits for power, to new packaging methods and significant waste reduction," says Sean Smith, executive director of the US-based Surf Industry Manufacturers Association.

In August the Surfrider Foundation launched Project Blue, a campaign by some of Australia's biggest surf companies to donate part of their sales to environmental issues. One of the initiative's big sponsors is Billabong, whose products include boardshorts that are made from 100 per cent recycled PET bottles.

Like most big surf companies, the bulk of Billabong's $1.2 billion annual turnover comes from clothes (surfboards represent only a fraction of the industry). This is a problem, says a recent report in the magazine Australian Surf Business, because clothing and textile production "is only narrowly behind oil and mining as one of the most polluting industries on the planet".

Clothing production generates large volumes of waste and consumes huge amounts of energy and water, taking up to 200 litres of water and thousands of chemicals to produce, dye and finish one kilogram of fabric. Billabong's clothes are mostly manufactured in Asia, a practice that has drawn criticism for the surf industry, over its outsourcing of environmental responsibility to developing nations. A spokesman for Billabong, John Mossop, says he is "aware of that issue", and that each of the company's off-shore suppliers "must demonstrate they are working to local environmental laws".

An industry leader, Quiksilver, whose global turnover reached $2.73 billion last year, has developed a range of bags and backpacks using Q-Tec, an environmentally friendly alternative to PVC.
"Q-Tec contains no dioxins, no heavy metals and is more durable than traditional PVCs," says Chloe Messner, the manager of the Quiksilver Foundation. "We've also halved the amount of plastic packaging we use in the warehouse, and we are a certified Wastewise organisation, meaning we reduce and recycle as much as possible."

Rip Curl, meanwhile, has employed a purchasing manager to secure certified ecological products (like hemp, ramie and bamboo), and is developing ways to recycle its petroleum-based neoprene wetsuits (they are torn up and made into beanbag filler).
Overseas, alternatives to the notoriously toxic process of manufacturing surfboards are emerging, with the US-based company Homeblown developing the industry's first plant-based polyurethane blank.

Homeblown says that its Biofoam, made from plant oils, not only has a finer and more uniform cell structure than foams made with petroleum-based materials but results in a 23 per cent reduction in total energy demand.
"It is time for the surfing community to walk the walk of environmentalism it often talks about," the company says on its website.

But some industry figures are sceptical. "If you look closely, most of the initiatives are more marketing exercises than anything else," says Sean Doherty, the editor of the magazine Tracks. "Overall, the industry is still pretty poisonous."

The Surfrider Foundation's Stuart Ball says surf companies must take the opportunity to lead. "They have to see that going green is the way of the future, and that young consumers will increasingly demand that companies operate in an environmentally responsible manner."

Bridging the gap

Helping hand for the residents on shore

IN 1999 Dave Jenkins, a New Zealand doctor, went for a surfing holiday to the Mentawai Islands, an archipelago 150 kilometres off the coast of Sumatra. He found surf, but he also found villages ravaged by malaria, malnourishment, chronic diarrhoea and chest infections. "The incongruity between the tropical surf paradise and the suffering of the local people really affected me," Jenkins says. "So I decided to do so something about."

In 2000 Jenkins founded SurfAid International, a non-profit humanitarian organisation that has become one of the most innovative and effective in the world, recently winning the World Association of Non-Governmental Organisations 2007 Humanitarian Award in Toronto, Canada.

SurfAid has long relied on the surf industry for funding, with one of the biggest donors being Quiksilver. In 2003 it "adopted" Katiet, a tiny village that fronts on to the surf break Lance's Rights, on the island of Sipora. The company has since given $340,000 to SurfAid's Mentawai programs (with a further $100,000 committed over the next two years), culminating with the launch in Katiet last month of the Quiksilver-SurfAid Community Health Training Centre.

The centre operates with a staff of seven in a converted copra trading post and focuses on improving the health of the people through behavioural change. "There are no turn-key solutions," Jenkins says. "Disease prevention is about long-term cultural shifts."

A big part of the centre's work is in land and resource management. "Many of the health problems here stem from poor nutrition," says a SurfAid program director, Brendan Hoare, an agriculturalist and specialist in rural development. "The main diet is taro and banana, which doesn't provide enough micronutrients, meaning that many of the kids you see are physically and mentally stunted. So we're trying to get them to grow a wider variety of food."

The community centre features a model fruit and vegetable garden, where Hoare holds demonstrations and grows seedlings to give away. He is encouraging more composting - important in the predominantly sandy soil - and the greater use of natural fertilisers such as chicken and pig manure. "Many of these ideas were practised here in the past but have been lost to the culture, just as they have been largely lost from Western culture, too," Hoare says.

The water table is prone to pollution from leaking cesspits. "So we're putting a rainwater tank in every house, which should cut down on water-borne contamination."

Hoare, a surfer, is in two minds about the impact of surfing on the local people. "The introduction of a cash culture has in some instances resulted in the loss of more sustainable practices."

Others are more optimistic. "It's easy to be cynical about the effect that surfing has had on the islands," says Bruce Raymond, a former pro-surfer and Quiksilver brand ambassador. "But surfing brought attention to the area. It shone a spotlight on the place, on the good things and the bad things and their needs. It shows that with the right leadership surfers can make a difference."

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Creating waves, by Larissa Dubecki - 6th October 2007 - The Age

2008-01-07T15:53:00.000+11:00

Not one to follow the pack, this classical musician puts his $10m violin aside for an instrument of a different kind - a surfboard, but not just any surfboard.

IT WAS his first session in the water on the surfing trip of a lifetime, but it could have been his last. Richard Tognetti, Australian Chamber Orchestra artistic director, classical music poster boy and pioneer of new-wave surfing, stood on his board in the unforgiving swell of Bass Strait pounding onto the sparse, windswept King Island and planted himself face-first into the sand.

Friends on the beach felt sick when they saw the angle at which he fell, doubly so when he came up clutching his neck, but reports that the ACO would be needing a new lead violin turned out to be premature.

"I landed on my forehead," Tognetti says laughing. "It was nothing — only a graze, but it must have looked pretty bad."

There was no lasting damage done, save for the large red mark on his forehead that is immortalised in Musica Surfica, the documentary commemorating the event of the same name. The King Island trip, which took place during a week in May, had Tognetti, 42, and some big names in surfing such as two-time world champion Tom Carroll, wooden board specialist Tom Wegener and Australia's No. 2-ranked junior surfer, Heath Joske, take part in a radical experiment. The call to join them on the island, a well-regarded if not overly visited surfing spot, had gone out from Derek Hynd, one of Tognetti's closest friends and a former champion pro-surfer referred to by figures in the industry as a "genius" and a "surfing provocateur". The only stipulation was that the boards had to be finless.

A surfboard without fins, which aid balance and movement, is to most modern surfers like a car with no steering wheel. A finless board is in many ways a paradox, requiring fresh thinking or the use of ancient methods pioneered more than 1000 years ago in the Hawaiian islands and largely forgotten in the 20th century with the domination of the quick manoeuvring, foam and fibreglass three-finned board known as the Thruster.

"We had an interesting surf pack down there," says Tognetti. "It was absolutely radical watching the likes of Tom Carroll trying to surf these boards and master them. We had the ancient Hawaiian boards like the olo, koko'o and alaia, and then these radical new devices — these spinning boards, as we called them."

The footage is remarkable, especially to anyone familiar only with competition-driven surfing from the likes of the Bells Beach event. Wegener stands like a captain on a ship on a massive olo, ploughing majestically through the water. Carroll wipes out again and again, reduced to amateur status despite his mastery of the finned board. The nimble Hynd zips through, crouched low on a board that looks no bigger than an Eski lid, and pulls off six quick spins in a row. And Tognetti, in scenes that might have the ACO management committee reaching for the smelling salts, performs a series of perfect 360-degree turns on what looks like a conventional surfboard sawn in half.

It's unusual for a highly trained musician to put his metacarpals — not to mention his head — on the line in the pursuit of sport, but the saltwater running through Tognetti's veins is the legacy of his Wollongong childhood, which was spent following his older brother into the surf at Puckey's, to the north of the city. Things took an unconventional turn when he moved to Sydney at the age of 11 to study violin at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the start of a six-year surf hiatus broken when the lure of Bondi grew too insistent. As artistic director of the ACO since the age of 24, his rigorous touring schedule means he often hits the waves on borrowed boards.

Tognetti is rare among musicians of the classical ilk in attracting mainstream attention. His permanent bed-hair and pierced ear would be recognisable to many people less conversant with composers such as Sibelius and Paganini. The glamour that surrounds him is compounded by his $10 million Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu violin, built in 1743 and one of only 100 in the world, which made headlines when it was permanently loaned by an anonymous benefactor at the start of the year. He calls actor Russell Crowe a friend after tutoring him for his violin-playing role in Master and Commander. His marriage break-up last year, and repartnering with ACO assistant lead violinist Satu Vanska, was reported breathlessly in the gossip column of Sydney's Sunday Telegraph.

An exponent of Socrates' aphorism that the unexamined life is not worth living, Tognetti's philosophy of the surf is Catholic enough to encompass late-19th century composer Eric Satie and 1960s counter-culture icon Timothy Leary. He quotes Leary on surfers, while apologising for the loftiness: "They aren't the black sheep of humanity, but the futurists and they are leading the way to where man ultimately wants to be."

Friction-free surfing, as the finless experience has been dubbed, is rule-breaking, he says, in a similar way to paddling a pink surfboard out at Sydney's Maroubra beach while wearing a yellow wetsuit (he adds that he wouldn't encourage anyone to do that as they would get "the shit beaten out of them"). It's about abandoning the "slash and burn" mentality of modern surfing and opening the mind to the myriad possibilities of movement through the waves. It's about embracing the flow of creativity in any aspect of life.

"People following the pack is the worst thing you can do to the imagination," Tognetti says. "And to be creative is the greatest gift we have. It's what separates us from the animals. If you move around in a pack you just rot. Whereas if you use the creative part of your mind you come alive. I would rate our trip as a success from the first day simply by the number of whoops I heard in the water."

Musica Surfica was not simply a meeting of saltwater intellectuals. The three surfing members of the ACO — along with Tognetti there was Vanska and cellist Julian Thompson — were joined by esteemed folk musicians Mike Keran and Danny Spooner for a series of concerts performed for King Island locals. One of the delights of the documentary is seeing some of the surfers, after their first-ever classical music concert, grasping for words to describe their emotions at the playing of Irish traditionals, Paganini and Bach.

The film's director, Melbourne-based advertising art director and surf nut Mick Sowry, was invited along after he contacted Tognetti about scoring music for a separate surf film project. "I see surfing as a modern dance form, and I love classical music, and musically, I just wanted something different from the normal kind of music you get on surf films," says Sowry. "Our initial plan was to film Musica Surfica so they could have a visual background to their concerts later in the year, but it became obvious there was a bigger story. My job was to try and tease that story out of a bunch of guys who were falling off surfboards all day."

Last Monday's ACO concert at Melbourne's Hamer Hall was far removed from the derelict King Island dairy, but the bill shared the Tognetti risk-taking signature, with the lilting arrangement of Copland's Appalachian Spring: Suite followed by Anthony Pateras' exploratory Autophagy, a ragged and discordant contemporary work involving piano, strings and computer that received rousing cheers and giggling bemusement in equal measure.

The bill concluded with Sonic, a spoken-word collaboration with cartoonist and writer Michael Leunig (who, along with Tognetti, has been anointed a National Living Treasure by the National Trust) based on Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals but transposed to human personality types.

Tognetti's favourite lines, naturally, are about the eccentric ("Yet, of all the creatures, the true non-conformist/Is often the brightest, the boldest and warmest"). It sums up Musica Surfica's exploration of parallels between surfing, music and art; not to mention the sometimes hilarious images of the surfers falling off what must be the strangest collection of surfboards ever assembled.

"To stand still and imagine that you're correct and the assumption that you've found the way in art is for me an acknowledgment that you're stagnating. Art isn't about winning. You can't quantify it. It's hard to qualify. The judging criteria on art is very subjective and very different to something with sport," Tognetti says in the film. "You need to accept failure. Look at all the composers, most of them weren't successful, in a conventional sense, in their lifetimes."

His 17-year tenure at the helm of the ACO has been marked by a singular vision not always popular with purists. He has previously collaborated with artists as diverse as rock musicians Peter Garrett and Neil Finn, and photographer Bill Henson. The ACO program for 2008 features popular singer Katie Noonan appearing in a program of works by British composers and children's choir Gondwana Voices performing The Red Tree against images from Shaun Tan's book of the same name.

Musica Surfica is set to continue with the ACO's second orchestra — the emerging artists program — on its tour of the NSW and Queensland coasts this month. Footage from King Island will be the backdrop to a Tognetti arrangement of Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Paganini. Tim Freedman from the Whitlams and an Egyptian wood player are expected to join the tour, as is Hynd and possibly Carroll, the carefully chosen music and presentation of new-wave surfing opening children's minds, Tognetti hopes, to different ways of thinking.

"Think of the surfers back in the '70s," he says. "The surfing lifestyle wasn't mainstream; surfers had reputations as left-of-field thinkers, ratbags and outcasts, total eccentrics. What a weird thing to do, to travel by boat to remote Indonesian islands in search of the perfect wave. Now you've got these big multinational companies and everyone's riding exactly the same boards and wearing the same clothes and listening to the same music and talking the same language, from California to the west coast of Australia. We're just trying to reclaim a bit of the soul — as lofty as that may sound."

There are some unexpected problems combining surfing with music. Surfer's nose — an unexpected saline nasal drip that can gush from the nose hours after leaving the water — can be a problem when you're holding a $10 million violin, he told surfing journalist Tim Baker in his recent book High Surf. Playing standards can suffer after fingers have been immersed in cold water all day. But more often the intersection of surfing and music is, for Tognetti, a thrilling example of creative possibility.

"You've got to be a futurist in surfing because you're doing an astonishing thing on a wave. It's between performance and sport. Like playing the violin, if ever I feel insouciant, if ever I take it for granted I slap myself as hard as I can because it's an amazing gift to have."

Musica Surfica will screen on Foxtel in December.

Larissa Dubecki is a staff writer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmLOJ0aDJeo)

Profiles

Surfing

Foxtel

MUSICA SURFICA Australia Day World Premiere

2008-01-07T15:42:00.000+11:00

MUSICA SURFICA

Australia Day World Premiere

Saturday, January 26 at 8.30pm

FOXTEL PRESENTS THIS INSPIRING DOCUMENTARY

FEATURING RICHARD TOGNETTI and DEREK HYND

World-renowned violinist Richard Tognetti teams up with surfing supremo Derek Hynd in the inspiring documentary MUSICA SURFICA which will make its Australia Day World Television Premiere on Saturday, January 26 at 8.30pm exclusively on Bio.

MUSICA SURFICA is a documentary that follows one man’s creative journey. Richard Tognetti, leading violinist and artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as he searches for new inspiration and explores new boundaries in classical music and experimental surfing.

Richard Tognetti, an incredibly gifted and brilliant violinist is also a life-long surfer. Richard, who has a love for the ocean, teams up with Derek Hynd, one of the world’s most influential surfers … a thinker, a man with a twinkle in his cultural eye. Both are virtuosos, but with their major talents in different worlds.

In this stunning documentary Richard and Derek bring together a unique gathering of classical musicians and top surfers on remote King Island, as they explore new boundaries in experimental surfing and classical music.

During their King Island sojourn, Richard and surfer members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, along with guest musicians, develop a new repertoire and perform for the people of King Island. It is an unlikely but electrifying combination of classical and folk music, a return to music’s roots, which has since toured Australia to much acclaim.

At the same time, Australia’s leading surfers, including two time world champion Tom Carroll, were given a challenge. Every surfer, and surfer musician, rode un-finned, or unconventionally finned surfboards.

Highlights of the documentary include:

Richard Tognetti, performs with a Guarneri del Gesu “Carrodus” Violin, an extraordinary instrument crafted in 1743 and conservatively valued at $A 10 million.

The violin was donated to him by an anonymous benefactor earlier this year.

This is one of the first “finless” surfing events since the days of the ancient Hawaiians.

Unique footage of surfers riding radically designed, unfinned surfboards AND surfboards based on 300 year old Hawaiian designs.

A rare combination of surfing and outstanding performances and classical music soundtracks by the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

MUSICA SURFICA was produced by Us Phoques Pty Ltd, Writer & Director Mick Sowry, Producers Simon Whitney and Richard Keddie. MUSICA SURFICA was financed by the Australian Film Commission and FOXTEL.

MUSICA SURFICA

World Television Premiere

Saturday January 26,

at 8.30pm EST on Bio.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Foxtel

Swell could be seven feet on weekend, by Mark Furler - Sunshine Coast Daily - 1st January 2008

2008-01-01T14:10:00.000+11:00

The intense low pressure system that has hovered off Fraser Island since last Friday may have wreaked havoc with plans of holiday suntans but for surfers chasing power and size it has broken a long drought.

Noosa’s points have been pumping since Saturday while Mooloolaba has come into its own.

Normally a safe family beach Mooloolaba has delivered enough grunt to attract the likes of professional big wave rider Mark Visser and pro surf Leigh Sedley.

Ti-Tree and Boiling Pot have produced the pick of the waves at Noosa National Park, but the crowds in the water and the packed carparks have seen many surfers decide to sit out the wild conditions.

But with big seas predicted to continue well into January the opportunity for less crowded conditions may develop as surfers become exhausted by the constant battle with dumping waves and powerful sweeps.

The low pressure system that has brought the weather and waves of the past week is starting to drift slowly north but forecasters predict that while the swell will ease to 5.9 feet by Thursday afternoon it will be back over seven feet by late Saturday.

Experts advise caution in surf, by Sam Benger - Sunshine Coast Daily - 31st December 2007

2008-01-01T14:07:00.000+11:00

Surfing experts have been left dismayed by the number of inexperienced surfers who literally got in over their heads at beaches across the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

Despite some great sets, there were too many people in the water who should not have been there, said Sunshine Coast Daily surfing correspondent Robbie Sherwell.

“There are a lot of what I would call ‘weekend surfers’ in the water, and they can be a danger to themselves and other people,” he said.

Some people even swam in the rough conditions and a few even let their children get in the water.

He described their actions as “naive and arrogant”.

“They’ve seen the warnings on TV and they know only to swim between the flags, and they’ve also got the lifesavers warning them on the beach and over the PA system but they’re still going in.

“It’s a mixture of naivety and arrogance – they have no idea how powerful the ocean can be.

“There were a lot of broken boards today and no doubt some people were hurt.”

Big wave surfer Mark Visser agreed that surfers who didn’t know what they were doing should stay out of the water.

“It’s pretty sweepy out there and unless you’re really confident you should stick to the smaller conditions and work your way up,” he said after tackling the swell.

Carroll plans to wave fear goodbye, by Will Swanton - The Age - 30th December 2007

2007-12-31T13:18:00.000+11:00

AUSTRALIA'S former world champion Tom Carroll is 46 going on 16, with the wisdom and fearlessness you get from simultaneously being at both ends of the spectrum.

He's old enough to know the legendary Big Wave Invitational In Memory of Eddie Aikau is seriously dangerous, but still bristles with enough attitude to pack his bags, grit his teeth and go.

The most famous big-wave contest was created in 1985 to honour Hawaiian waterman Eddie Aikau. Twenty-eight of the world's most accomplished paddle-in big-wave riders are on alert, waiting for the call that could come day or night — to grab their bags and converge on the legendary surfing ground of Waimea Bay, on the north shore of Oahu, for the most jaw-dropping contest of all.

The 28 are spread around the globe with their hearts in their mouths while they wait for the beast to start stirring. The holding period is from December 1 to February 29, and heats do not begin until the faces of the waves reach a thunderous nine metres.

A man of Carroll's age and past glories as a double world champion should feel no obligation to keep testing himself in such a frightening cauldron, but as soon as the call comes that the waves have maximised, he will be on the first plane.

"There's plenty of storm activity up there — it's just a matter of time," Carroll said yesterday. "It's the ocean; she's just got a mind of her own. When the time comes, you've just got to get yourself together because you're moving towards an animal, you know. You want the fear to be there. It has to be.

"If there's no fear, there's something wrong with you. There's the anticipation and then you're out there and the ocean is pouring in at you. It's a humbling experience. You sense that you're insignificant, really, but that can be inspiring."

Given the strict wave-height requirement, The Eddie has only been held seven times in 21 years. The winner receives around $100,000 — and unbridled respect.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Places to surf before you die: the Superbank, by Sean Doherty - 17th December 2007 - news.com.au

2007-12-19T18:17:00.000+11:00

IT'S one of the great wonders of the surfing world, but Mother Nature can only take half the credit for Queensland's Superbank.

While man has utterly extinguished the natural beauty of the Gold Coast, it is the ultimate irony that he's been able to create a thing of true beauty - even if it was by mistake. It seems that in the home of the cheeseball tourist theme park, they've even made one for surfers.

In 2001, the Gold Coast council fired up the pumps to start dredging the mouth of the Tweed River, making it safer for fishing boats to put to sea. The sand was to be pumped to the northern side of the river mouth, behind Snapper Rocks, whence it would continue its natural drift north up the Queensland coast.

Gallery: Waves to surf before you die »

When the dredge contractor pushed the button on that morning, he had no idea he would soon become a cult hero for surfers around the world.

Within weeks the local surfers began to notice the change.

The adjacent (yet independent) point breaks of Snapper Rocks and Greenmount were being cemented together by a blanket of sand. A few months later the magic dust had spread out into the bay, the high-tide line was 150 metres further out, and the new wave was even linking up with Kirra, two kilometres away.

It was Frankenstein's monster, only much, much prettier - it was the Superbank coming to life.

Gold Coast surfers couldn't believe what they were seeing. Guys were scoring the waves of their lives.

Twenty-second tubes were clocked; one local surfer, Damon Harvey, rode a wave from Snapper Rocks all the way through to Little Groyne at Kirra. And it wasn't just that the wave was long - it barrelled, walled, spat and slithered all the way. The thing was damn-near flawless, whichever way you looked at it.

The wave begins behind the rock at Snapper - Satan's washing machine. The heaviest section of the whole wave, it's the backwash off Snapper's rocks that makes the take-off here so sketchy, and it's here that the local guys rule.

If you survive this below-sea-level barrel section - which the locals have an uncanny knack of doing - the next kilometre or two is all yours (or, more to the point, theirs).

Beyond this, the nature of the wave itself fluctuates according to the state of the sand.

As a rule, the wave barrels through Little Marley, backs off slightly heading into Greenmount, then goes to the races through Coolangatta into Kirra. But don't worry so much about what the wave's going to do, just worry about getting one.

Cue the circus music, because the best sandbank in the world was never going to remain a secret for very long. Flawless would soon become lawless.

The perfect nature of the wave means that it rarely sections off, so, in theory, a five-wave set can be ridden by five guys for as long as they want. With another 500 guys in the water waiting their turn ... well, you crunch the numbers.

The only way to get a wave is to either take off behind the rock, hope the guy on the wave chokes and falls, or simply burn him.

Sadly, the latter scenario is all too common out here, and the place occasionally degenerates into a post-apocalyptic war zone. From 70-year-olds to seven-year-olds, from Brazilians to the British, from weekend warriors to world champs, they're all thrown together out there, battling each other for their little slice of the legend.

But what man can build, nature can wipe away in a heartbeat, and you always get the feeling there's something impermanent about the Superbank. It will only exist as long as the pumps keep pumping. The bank's short existence has coincided with one of the quietest meteorological periods in modern history, and the place hasn't yet experienced a direct hit from an overdue tropical cyclone.

Maybe Huey, seeing that the place is conjuring up the dark side of the surfing spirit, will do a Sodom and Gomorrah on the Superbank and wash away all trace of it.

The Pilgrimage: 50 places to surf before you die, edited by Sean Doherty, is published by Penguin Books on the Viking Imprint and is available in all good bookshops for $49.95.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Surfing

Fanning in world-title heaven - Imbituba, Brazil - The Age - 8th November 2007

2007-11-08T10:33:00.001+11:00

NEW world champion Mick Fanning's thoughts were of his late brother as a dolphin swam nearby while he clinched the crown at Imbituba in Brazil.

Fanning ended seven years of American dominance, giving Australia its first men's world title since Mark Occhilupo in 1999.

The 26-year-old Gold Coaster clinched the title when he outlasted remaining rivals Taj Burrow and Kelly Slater in the penultimate event of the season, the Santa Catarina Pro.

Fanning was in the water waiting for his semi-final against childhood friend Joel Parkinson when Burrow was eliminated by fellow Australian Tom Whitaker and his dream was realised.

"I woke up this morning and I just had a good feeling that it was going to happen today," Fanning said. "It was so amazing to be out there with Joel.

"When I realised I'd won, I went, 'What do we do, Joel?' and he was like, 'I don't know'."

Not done, workaholic Fanning went on to beat Parkinson then claim his ninth world tour event win by beating Australian rookie Kai Otton in the final.

"To take the reins over from Oc (Occhilupo) is incredible," Fanning said.
"He is pretty much the legend of the sport. He's such a character and such a cool guy."

Fanning has been a model of consistency in his climb to world champion but it has not come easily.

Raised by a single mother who now manages his career, Fanning lost his older brother Sean, also a gifted surfer, in a car accident as a teenager.

The two were very close and Fanning wondered at the presence of a dolphin in the water yesterday.

"It was so cool with Joel out there in the semi-final and there was a dolphin out there, I'm not sure if it was my brother or what," Fanning said.

"Every heat I've had today there has been a dolphin right there in the line-up, just chilling."

Born in Penrith, NSW, Fanning, his four siblings and mother moved to Coolangatta on Queensland's Gold Coast when he was a toddler and he grew up surfing with Parkinson and Dean Morrison, known collectively as the Cooly Kids.

"Joel and Dean are the reason that I train so hard," Fanning said.
"When I was a kid, those guys used to smoke me all the time. I was always trying to be better than those guys."

Making his debut on the world tour in 2002 after finishing No. 1 in the world qualifying series, Fanning was fifth in his rookie year and moved up to No. 4 in 2003 before finishing No. 3 in 2005 and 2006.

His lowest year-end rating of No. 7 came in 2004 after he tore his hamstring from the bone in a freesurfing incident midway through the season.

"Even though I was injured, it was probably the best six months of my life. I didn't have to worry about surfing.

"I had fun with my friends and, at the end of it, I found the girl that I love and want to marry.

"So even though it was bad for my body, it was a million more times better for my mind and my heart."

Fanning is engaged to be married in February to his long-time girlfriend, Gold Coast model Karissa Dalton.

Since winning the Billabong Pro in South Africa in 2006, Fanning has featured in seven finals.

He has also finished as a semi-finalist three times and a quarter-finalist twice from the past 15 events.

This year he had already won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and the Quiksilver Pro France.

Parkinson was thrilled for Fanning after their semi-final.

"It was pretty cool, we were speechless," Parkinson said.

Occhilupo was quick to congratulate Fanning.

"I get goose bumps just thinking about it," Occhilupo said.

"It's been eight years and we've got it back to Australia.

Fanning is now Australia's ninth men's world champion after "Midget" Farrelly (1964), "Nat" Young (1966 and 1970), Paul Neilsen (1972), Ian Cairns (1973), Mark Richards (1975 and 1978-82), Peter Townend (1976), Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew (1978), Tom Carroll (1983-84), Damien Hardman (1987 and 1991), Barton Lynch (1988) and Occhilupo in 1999.
AAP

Aussie Fanning wins surfing world title - NineMSN - 7th November 2007

2007-11-07T09:54:00.000+11:00

Mick Fanning has become the first Australian to win the men's surfing world title in eight years at the Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old secured the world crown following the elimination of rivals Kelly Slater and Taj Burrow in the fourth round and quarter-finals respectively at the tour event in South America.

Having picked up the nation's first men's title since Mark Occhilupo in 1999, Fanning went on to claim the event by edging out countryman Kai Otton in the final.

The Gold Coaster has been ultra-consistent this year, reaching the semi-final in eight of the nine rounds.

He has finished third behind eight-time champion Slater in the title race for the past two seasons before finally trumping the American master this time around.

Fanning has been at the front of the pack since his rookie year in 2002, only missing a top-five finish on one occasion.

That was in 2004 when he missed most of the year due to severe hamstring injury from a freak wipeout in Indonesia that almost brought a premature end to his career.

He completely tore the hamstring and tendons from his bone and was left with a softball sized lump of muscle below his backside.

He endured an eight-hour boat trip and three-day journey without painkillers - and even had to bribe Indonesian immigration - just to get home.

The final event on the world tour is the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii from December 8-20.

Media Man Australia Profile

Surfing

Surfing Poseidon's Peaks, By Kati Turcu - The Epoch Times

2007-11-04T23:51:00.000+11:00

Surfing Poseidon't Peaks (Credit: The Epoch Times)

Describing a good wave or the feeling of surfing it isn't easy. Not before long one finds oneself in superlative wipeout, much like the surfers who attempt it only to fail.

Luckily surfing is not about words. There are those who do and those who watch.

Though the thrill of riding a wave can hardly be described, at least it can be documented in film.

To this end, the Australian Surf Movie Festival (ASMF) is in its sixth year and presents the best opportunity for fans to see spectacular footage from around the world.

Film and Event Director Tim Bonython has been shooting surfing footage since 1978 and understands what makes a good surfing film.

He explains: "It's easy to shoot good surfing as long as you got a good surfer in good waves, but what we'd like to have in relation to the festival is a good story. We transport people to amazing locations and, in most cases the location is scarier than just guys having fun in waves."

One of the features of the festival called Down the Barrel documents the lives of four talented surfers: Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Kalani Robb and Australia's Joel Parkinson. It won The Best Cinematography in this year's Surfer Poll and Video Awards in the US run last month for its underwater barrel shots and masterful jet-ski angles from exotic destinations such as Teahupo'o in Tahiti.

Mr Bonython explains further: "In a festival we want to chop and change and keep people totally entertained from the start to the end. So we start with something exciting and then we pull it back and go on a bit of a profile of a person's career and then we come back and do something exciting.

Then there's the kind of excitement that is best left for viewing."

Filmmaker Brook Sylvester, captures Mark Mathews catching the heaviest wave ever surfed in Australia at the most feared break nicknamed Cyclops. "Surfing this wave is really dicing with death," says Mr Bonython "It's very very thick and it contorts; a beautiful wave but it's deadly."

Sydney's fearless big wave surfer Mark Mathews, whose objective is to surf the biggest and heaviest waves on the planet is also in Three Days at OURS.Shot at Sydney's Cape Solander outside Botany Bay in April 2007, Mathews and the "Bra Boy crew" – Ritchie Vaculik, Evan Faulks, Koby Abberton – and Bronte surfers Kobi Graham and John Dwyer tackle some of the most spectacular barrels ever surfed in Sydney or anywhere else on the planet.

Mr Bonython says: "I promise you that when viewing this footage, which is our finale you will be blown away by the intensity of the action. This is one serious wave, where really only the gutsiest surfers on the planet could take it on."

But Mr Bonython's excitement also masks considerable frustration at seeing Australian filmmakers battling it out financially while surf magazines have been giving away mediocre free DVDs as part of their marketing strategy. The situation makes it difficult for independent producers to make something out of genuinely good films.

He tells The Epoch Times: "there haven't been any good surf-DVD's release in this country for a while now."

The films in the festival are shown exclusively and will only be released next year with tracks as a DVD package.

Alhough the ASMF documents the near impossible feats of the big names in surfing, not all of the films shown focus on the stars. "It's good to have a film where it's not just full of surf stars. It's actually just got your Jo normals out there having a good fun time and in that film it's not life threatening waves, just beautiful endless perfection. When a wave is that good, really the wave is the star," Mr Bonython says.

Sounds like the audience will definitely be stoked.

The Australian Surf Movie Festival premieres at the North Bondi RSL on October 31, 2007 at 8pm and will tour nationally for three weeks, travelling to 22 venues until November 25.

See www.asmf.net.au for a list of venues, dates and ticket purchase information.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Australian Surf Movie Festival

Surfing

Australian Surf Movie Festival Premiers Tonight at North Bondi RSL

2007-10-31T08:29:00.000+11:00

Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry

The Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry premieres at the North Bondi RSL on October 31, 2007 at 8pm and will tour nationally for three weeks, traveling to 22 venues until November 25.

Film and Event Director Tim Bonython says, “the number one objective of the Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival is to have surf movies on the big screen come seriously alive! There’s no better place than sitting with friends in an auditorium hooting surfers riding giant waves and being part of the surf stoke that surf flicks on a big screen create.”

NEWS AT 26th OCTOBER 2007

The Fructis Style Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry has now secured access to the most incredible action from Tasmania's hell wave, Shipsterns Bluff. On 22 October 2007, Shipsterns Bluff erupted with some of the nastiest waves ever surfed there, around 15 to 20 feet, with offshore winds and clear sunny skies.

“The surfing that went down on this day was mind numbing. One mistake and death was a real possibility,” says event director Tim Bonython.

“To add this footage to the festival is the absolute icing on the cake,” says Bonython. With Brook Sylvester's Cyclop's film, 'The One Eyed Monster' and Tim Bonython’s 'Three Days at OURS', the action will be pretty crazy when watching it all on the big screen.

In its sixth year, the Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival has an impressive line-up of surf movies, music and $15,000 in prizes.

THE FILMS:

WILD AUSTRALIA by Tim Bonython
Wild Australia, produced by Tim Bonython takes the viewer on a 30 year journey of surfing including the legendary Bells 81 big waves right through to the most perfect waves ever surfed this year on the Gold Coast’s Superbank at Coolangatta.
Bonthyon says “I have shot thousands of hours of surfing over the last 30 years and Wild Australia is my pick of the best surfing I have seen in this time”. To bring back the 80’s vibe, Tim is planning to narrate Wild Australia live as he did back in the day when he toured pubs and clubs showing the latest footage with his Super 8 – keeping the punters up to date before the video era.

THREE DAYS at OURS by Tim Bonython
Sydney’s fearless big wave surfer Mark Mathews is the star of this year’s Australian Surf Movie Festival. Mark’s objective is to surf the biggest and heaviest waves on the planet. OURS, located at Sydney’s Cape Solander (outside Botany Bay) in April 2007 was surfed as big and mean as it gets.

Surfing Ours with Mark Mathews includes the Bra Boy crew of Ritchie Vaculk, Evan Faulks, Koby Abberton and Bronte surfers Kobi Graham and John Dwyer. These fearless surfers tackle some of the nastiest barrels ever surfed in Sydney and for that matter Australia or anywhere else on the planet.

Bonython says “I promise you that when viewing this footage which is our finale you will be blown away by the intensity of the action. This is one serious wave, where really only the gustiest surfers on the planet could take it on. ”

DOWN THE BARREL by Steve Lawrence
Down the Barrel won The Best Cinematography in this years Surfer Poll and Video Awards in the US run last month. This feature film documents the lives of four unique and talented surfers: Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Kalani Robb and Australia’s Joel Parkinson.
Lawrence and world renowned surf water cameraman Mike Prickett capture surfing from so many unique angles. The entire project is filmed in 16 mm, super 16 mm, and high definition. Amazing underwater barrel shots and masterful jet-ski angles from exotic surf destinations such as Teahupo’o, Tahiti make this movie stand out from the crowd. Bonython enthuses, ‘this film is a really cool flick and fits perfectly to what our film festival represents’.

CYCLOPS, WA 2007 By Brook Sylvester
Mark Mathews catches the heaviest wave ever surfed in Australia at the most feared break, Cyclops.“Surfing this wave is really is dicing with death,” says Bonython. Watching this wave on tape will make you squirm, Bonython believes.

BANKRUPT - THE SUPERBANKBy Tim Bonython
April 07 – Probably the most perfect wave on the planet – In this short this man made wave is the star – Never ever has the Superbank looked so flawless. No surfing super stars – just endless perfection.

HURLEY PRESENTS SOUND & VISION – Yadin Nicol profile.
This is the real deal, Australia, Bali, Africa and more! The sights and sounds of remote locations and near death experiences. The movie features Yadin blowing up waves all over the world while his closest peers lend insight into what makes this million dollar maniac tick. From the water to the local watering hole, Yadin is loud and impossible to ignore.

SHORT STORIES – TIM CURRAN profileBy Jason Haynes
Short Stories profiles Californian Pro surfer and musician Timmy Curren. Timmy Curren was the world’s first surfer to pull a full back flip on a surfboard, has competed at the highest level on the WCT and when he is not surfing for the latest Talyor Steele film or competing in an Airshow he is playing music. In a very short time Tim has gone from playing music in his bathroom to playing with the Foo Fighters at the Sydney Opera house. How did this happen? Find out in Short Stories.

LIVE MUSIC:
Sydney band, Tokenview will perform live acoustic tunes in the intermission at most shows. Tokenview is a chilled out pop/rock band with a great vibe. Check the web site for details of venues Tokenview will be playing. Have a listen - www.myspace.com/tokenview

Slide Show Intermission – Photography montage by Tracks photographers showcasing some of the world’s best still surfing images.

Win a Surf Trip of a lifetime!
The Surf Travel Company are giving one lucky surfer the opportunity to win a surf trip of a lifetime to the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia aboard Arimbi valued at $5,000. The prize includes flights to Padang, return airport/hotel/boat transfers, 11 nights of luxury on Arimbi with all meals and drinks provided and use of all fishing and snorkeling gear. Plus you will receive one naturalfooted medical kit and 2 weeks insurance with Suresave Global Travel Insurance.
Win Surfboards 1 of 10 surfboards!

Firewire Surfboards in conjuction with Fructis Style Surf Hair, we will be giving away 4 Firewire Surfboards.

Tooheys Extra Dry will be giving away 5 MR Surfboards.

STC in conjunction with Simon Anderson will be giving away a custom surfboard with a AUD $100 international gift voucher for use on an international holiday.

Win Sanyo Video Waterproof and dust proof video camera valued at $799.

SAMPLE BAGS:
Everyone who attends the Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry will be given a sample bag loaded with samples and goodies from our sponsors.

SPONSORS

FRUCTIS STYLE SURF HAIRTOOHEY’S EXTRA DRY
BLINDE SDS JETTY SURFHURLEYSANYOTHE SURF TRAVEL COMPANY

MEDIA PARTNERS
TRACKS MAGTRIPLE J FUEL TVREALSURFSWELLNETPODSURF TVSURF DECALS
ASSOCIATION PARTNERS
SURFRIDER FOUNDATIONSURF AID INTERNATIONALSURFDECALS.COM

::TOUR SCHEDULE::
SYDNEY
• PREMIERE Wed 31 Oct Nth Bondi RSL Nth Bondi 8pm• Thurs 1 Nov Paddington RSL Paddington 8.15pm• Fri 2 Nov Randwick Ritz Randwick 6.45 pm• Sat 3 Nov Cronulla Dunningham Park Live music from 7.30pm- films from 8pm• Mon 5 Nov Manning Bar Sydney Uni Sydney 8pm• Wed 7 Nov Nth Bondi RSL Nth Bondi 8pm• Thurs 8 Nov Dee Why RSL Dee Why 8pm• Fri 9 Nov Collaroy Cinema Collaroy 7pm• Sat 10 Nov Avalon Cinema Avalon 4pm• Sat 10 Nov Palm Beach RSL Palm Beach 8pm• Sun 11 Nov Towradgi Beach Hotel Wollongong 7pm ( over 18’s yrs)

VICTORIA
• Tues 13 Nov The Astor Melbourne 7.30pm• Thurs 15 Nov The Esplanade Hotel 8pm ( over 18’s yrs)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA• Sat 17 Nov Mercury Cinema Adelaide 5pm• Sat 17 Nov Mercury Cinema Adelaide 8pm

QUEENSLAND
• Tues 20 Nov Noosa Bowling Club Noosa 8pm
NSW COAST• Sun 4 Nov Avoca Beach Picture Theatre Avoca Beach 5pm• Wed 21 Nov Byron Bay Community Centre Byron Bay 8.15pm• Thurs 22 Nov Twin Towns Star Room Twin Towns 8pm• Fri 23 Nov First Avenue Cinema Sawtell /Coffs Harbour 8 pm• Sat 24 Nov Tuncurry Memorial Hall Tuncurry /Forster 8pm• Sun 25 Nov Newcastle Showcase City Cinema Newcastle 6pm

TICKETING:
Adult: $17.50 Pre-booked $20.00 at the door
Children (under 12) $ 12.50 pre-booked $15.00 at the door
Group tickets ( 5 adults) : $75.00 pre-booked only
Family pass ( 2 children + 2 parents) = total of 4 people = $50.00

TICKETS ON SALE NOW - www.asmf.net.au
Contacts• Film Director: Tim Bonython call 0412500050 or office 02 9973 3842 tbproductions@volatile.com.au
• Event and Ticketing Director: Sandrine Bonython office 02 9918 5300 sandrine@volatile.com.au
• Sales and pr: Phil Osborn 0403091515 posborn@tpg.com.au
• Media & Press Relations: Suzy Anderson 0402 734 173 media@volatile.com.au

_______
Photo Press:
Photo : Bill Morris Surfer: Koby Abberton Location: Ours To download click here.
Photo: Shorty Surfer: Mark Matthews Location: Ours To download click here.
Photo: Nathan Smith Location: Kirra To download click here.

Tweed surfer nabs Deadly award - Gold Coast Bulletin - 1st October 2007

2007-10-30T21:27:00.000+11:00

01Oct07

TWEED Heads surfer Dale Richards has nabbed Most Promising New Talent at the Deadly Awards.

The awards, held at the Sydney Opera House last week, honour indigenous and Torres Strait Islander music, sport, entertainment, the arts and community achievements.

Earlier this year Richards was selected to compete in the trials for the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast the opening event on the 2007 ASP Men's World Tour.

He went on to beat 15 more experienced surfers to earn himself a wild card entry into the main event. In doing so, Richards became the first-ever indigenous surfer to advance to the main round of the elite world tour event.

Joining the world's top 45 professional surfers in the tournament, Richards drew three time world champions Andy Irons (Haw) in his first heat and, after beating him, squared off against one of his idols eight time world champion Kelly Slater in the next.

While he didn't progress beyond the second round with Slater, the tournament still marked an unbelievable achievement for the 18-year-old.

``It is an honour to be nominated and to win is special there aren't a lot of indigenous surfers out there," said Richards, who received a huge round of applause from the thousands of invited guests as he accepted his award.

Growing up 10 minutes from the beach at Tweed Heads, it wasn't long before Richards began surfing.

After taking up the sport at age 11, Richards was soon entering and winning a swathe of local junior surfing competitions, squeezing in training and practice in the surf at every opportunity between school.

By the age of 16 Richards boasted a bevy of sponsors, including surfwear label Quiksilver.

After establishing himself as one of the stars of the pro-juniors and being widely recognised as one of the top young surfing talents in the country, Richards had been building towards a breakthrough performance for some time and it was his 2007 performance against the world's surfing elite that saw him honoured at the 12th annual Deadlys.

Eagle beats McNaught to TV gig - The Daily Telegraph - 25th October 2007

2007-10-25T11:20:00.000+10:00

When they raced each other for the affections of surf god Kelly Slater at this year's Australian Grand Prix, Erin McNaught beat her then roommate Lauryn Eagle to his heart.

But in the latest wave of rivalry between the local beauties, Eagle has landed a prize TV hosting role ahead of McNaught.

While the former Miss Universe Australia got the guy that weekend back in March, Eagle has pipped her to the post for the gig presenting Foxtel's popular surf show, Ra5.

While McNaught was chatting up Slater during the celebrity race, Eagle, an Australian water-skiing champion and part-time model, told Confidential her big break on the new show came through meetings with his Aussie surfing mates.

"I thought he was absolutely gorgeous. I told Erin about him and she was right onto it. I wasn't bothered though,'' Eagle added, ``I met Stuart (Bedford Brown), one of the show's producers and he suggested I try out.''

After impressing during a screen test mid-year for the program's presenter, Eagle got revenge on her racing buddy and romantic rival, who was also considered for the role.

While filming on the fifth series starts next week, the 19-year-old water babe will also take on McNaught's beauty queen territory when she competes in the Miss Tourism pageant in Malaysia next month - more competition for McNaught.

Press Release: Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry

2007-10-23T13:49:00.000+10:00

Press Release: Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival (Credit: ASMF)

Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry
The Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry premieres at the North Bondi RSL on October 31, 2007 at 8pm and will tour nationally for three weeks, traveling to 22 venues until November 25.

Film and Event Director Tim Bonython says, “the number one objective of the Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival is to have surf movies on the big screen come seriously alive! There’s no better place than sitting with friends in an auditorium hooting surfers riding giant waves and being part of the surf stoke that surf flicks on a big screen create.”

In its sixth year, the Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival has an impressive line-up of surf movies, music and $15,000 in prizes.

The movies include:
Wild Australiaby Tim Bonython
Wild Australia, produced by Tim Bonython takes the viewer on a 30 year journey of surfing including the legendary Bells 81 big waves right through to the most perfect waves ever surfed this year on the Gold Coast’s Superbank at Coolangatta.

Bonthyon says “I have shot thousands of hours of surfing over the last 30 years and Wild Australia is my pick of the best surfing I have seen in this time”. To bring back the 80’s vibe, Tim is planning to narrate Wild Australia live as he did back in the day when he toured pubs and clubs showing the latest footage with his Super 8 – keeping the punters up to date before the video era.

Three Days at OURS by Tim Bonython
Sydney’s fearless big wave surfer Mark Mathews is the star of this year’s Australian Surf Movie Festival. Mark’s objective is to surf the biggest and heaviest waves on the planet. OURS, located at Sydney’s Cape Solander (outside Botany Bay) in April 2007 was surfed as big and mean as it gets.

Surfing Ours with Mark Mathews includes the Bra Boy crew of Ritchie Vaculk, Evan Faulks, Koby Abberton and Bronte surfers Kobi Graham and John Dwyer. These fearless surfers tackle some of the nastiest barrels ever surfed in Sydney and for that matter Australia or anywhere else on the planet.

Bonython says “I promise you that when viewing this footage which is our finale you will be blown away by the intensity of the action. This is one serious wave, where really only the gustiest surfers on the planet could take it on. ”

Down the Barrelby Steve Lawrence
Down the Barrel won The Best Cinematography in this years Surfer Poll and Video Awards in the US run last month. This feature film documents the lives of four unique and talented surfers: Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Kalani Robb and Australia’s Joel Parkinson.

Lawrence and world renowned surf water cameraman Mike Prickett capture surfing from so many unique angles. The entire project is filmed in 16 mm, super 16 mm, and high definition. Amazing underwater barrel shots and masterful jet-ski angles from exotic surf destinations such as Teahupo’o, Tahiti make this movie stand out from the crowd. Bonython enthuses, ‘this film is a really cool flick and fits perfectly to what our film festival represents’.
Cyclops, WA 2007By Brook Silvester
Mark Mathews catches the heaviest wave ever surfed in Australia at the most feared break, Cyclops.“Surfing this wave is really is dicing with death,” says Bonython. Watching this wave on tape will make you squirm, Bonython believes.

Bankrupt - The Superbank By Tim Bonython
April 07 – Probably the most perfect wave on the planet – In this short this man made wave is the star – Never ever has the Superbank looked so flawless. No surfing super stars – just endless perfection.

Hurley presents Sound and Vision – Yadin Nicol profile.
This is the real deal, Australia, Bali, Africa and more! The sights and sounds of remote locations and near death experiences. The movie features Yadin blowing up waves all over the world while his closest peers lend insight into what makes this million dollar maniac tick. From the water to the local watering hole, Yadin is loud and impossible to ignore.

Short stories…Tim Curran profileBy Jason Haynes
Short Stories profiles Californian Pro surfer and musician Timmy Curren. Timmy Curren was the world’s first surfer to pull a full back flip on a surfboard, has competed at the highest level on the WCT and when he is not surfing for the latest Talyor Steele film or competing in an Airshow he is playing music. In a very short time Tim has gone from playing music in his bathroom to playing with the Foo Fighters at the Sydney Opera house. How did this happen? Find out in Short Stories.

Live Music:
Sydney band, Tokenview will perform live acoustic tunes in the intermission at most shows. Tokenview is a chilled out pop/rock band with a great vibe. Check the web site for details of venues Tokenview will be playing.Have a listen - www.myspace.com/tokenview
Slide Show Intermission – Photography montage by Tracks photographers showcasing some of the world’s best still surfing images.

Win a Surf Trip of a lifetime!

The Surf Travel Company are giving one lucky surfer the opportunity to win a surf trip of a lifetime to the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia aboard Arimbi valued at $5,000. The prize includes flights to Padang, return airport/hotel/boat transfers, 11 nights of luxury on Arimbi with all meals and drinks provided and use of all fishing and snorkeling gear. Plus you will receive one naturalfooted medical kit and 2 weeks insurance with Suresave Global Travel Insurance.
Win Surfboards 1 of 10 surfboards!

Get your Surf Style!The Garnier Fructis Style team will be coming along to some screenings to help everybody wipe out flat hair for good! Look out for the Fructis Style Styling Tent, come down, get styled, and maybe even get your hands on some great freebies!

Firewire Surfboards in conjuction with Fructis Style Surf Hair, we will be giving away 4 Firewire Surfboards.

Tooheys Extra Dry will be giving away 5 MR Surfboards.
STC in conjunction with Simon Anderson will be giving away a custom surfboard with a AUD $100 international gift voucher for use on an international holiday.

Win Sanyo Video Waterproof and dust proof video camera valued at $799.
Sample Bags:Everyone who attends the Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Movie Festival presented by Tooheys Extra Dry will be given a sample bag loaded with samples and goodies from our sponsors.

Sponsors:

Fructis Style Surf Hair, Tooheys Extra Dry, Blinde Eyewear, SDS & Jetty Surf, Hurley, Sanyo. The Surf Travel Company

Media Sponsors: Tracks, TripleJ, Fuel TV, RealSurf, Swellnet, Podsurf TV, Surfdecals.com
Partners: Surfrider Foundation, Surf Aid International

List of Venues and Dates:
Cinema locations and dates 2007: ALL 8 PM except for the ones noted.

SYDNEY• PREMIERE Wed 31 Oct Nth Bondi RSL Nth Bondi 8pm• Thurs 1 Nov Paddington RSL Paddington 8.15pm• Fri 2 Nov Randwick Ritz Randwick 6.45 pm• Sat 3 Nov Cronulla Dunningham Park Live music from 7.30pm- films from 8pm• Mon 5 Nov Manning Bar Sydney Uni Sydney 8pm• Wed 7 Nov Nth Bondi RSL Nth Bondi 8pm• Thurs 8 Nov Dee Why RSL Dee Why 8pm• Fri 9 Nov Collaroy Cinema Collaroy 8.30pm• Sat 10 Nov Avalon Cinema Avalon 4.30pm• Sat 10 Nov Palm Beach RSL Palm Beach 8pm• Sun 11 Nov Waves Nightclub Wollongong 7pm ( over 18’s yrs)• Fri 16 Nov Gala Cinema Wollongon 8.15pmVIC• Tues 13 Nov The Astor Melbourne 7.30pm• Thurs 15 Nov The Esplanade Hotel 8pm ( over 18’s yrs)SA• Sat 17 Nov Mercury Cinema Adelaide 5pm• Sat 17 Nov Mercury Cinema Adelaide 8pmQLD• Tues 20 Nov Noosa Bowling Club Noosa 8pmNth NSW• Sun 4 Nov Avoca Beach Picture Theatre Avoca Beach 5pm• Wed 21 Nov Byron Bay Community Centre Byron Bay 8.15pm• Thurs 22 Nov Twin Towns Star Room Twin Towns 8pm• Fri 23 Nov First Avenue Cinema Sawtell /Coffs Harbour 8 pm• Sat 24 Nov Tuncurry Memorial Hall Tuncurry /Forster 8pm• Sun 25 Nov Newcastle Showcase City Cinema Newcastle 6pm

Ticket Information:
Adult: $17.50 Pre-booked $20.00 at the door
Children (under 12) $ 12.50 pre-booked $15.00 at the door
Group tickets ( 5 adults) : $75.00 pre-booked only
Family pass ( 2 children + 2 parents) = total of 4 people = $50.00
Tickets sold on www.asmf.net.au
Contacts• Film Director: Tim Bonython call 0412500050 or office 02 9973 3842 tbproductions@volatile.com.au • Event and Ticketing Director: Sandrine Bonython office 02 9918 5300 sandrine@volatile.com.au• Sales and PR: Phil Osborn 0403091515 posborn@tpg.com.au
_______
Photo Press:
Photo : Bill Morris Surfer: Koby Abberton Location: Ours To download click here.
Photo: Shorty Surfer: Mark Matthews Location: Ours To download click here.
Photo: Nathan Smith Location: Kirra To download click here.

The Bra break is OURS - Telegraph TV - The Daily Telegraph

2007-10-23T13:40:00.000+10:00

Bra Boys take on killer waves (Credit: The Daily Telegraph)

THEY are the biggest, meanest waves ever surfed in Sydney.

Now check the amazing video of 'Bra Boy Mark Matthews and his mates taking on Botany Bay's notorious Ours reef break.

Shot by award-winning film maker Tim Bonython in April this year, the footage, from the movie Three Days at OURS, is a feature at this year's Fructis Style Surf Hair Australian Surf Movie Festival.

The festival features six surf films, short story profiles and live music.
It premiers at the North Bondi RSL on October 31 at 8pm and will tour nationally for three weeks, traveling to 22 venues until November 25.

For tickets and festival dates go to http://www.asmf.net.au

Mark Visser eyes 18m swell at Cow Bombie, By Lou Robson - The Sunday Mail - 2nd September 2007

2007-09-08T20:49:00.000+10:00

*Four-storey waves not enough for big-wave surfer
*WA's Cow Bombie may reach record 18m today
*Aussie Visser part of 30-man elite team

BIG-wave hunter Mark Visser is ready to tame Australia's most terrifying surf spot today.The 25-year-old from Buderim on the Sunshine Coast has just conquered New Zealand's meanest wave.

He fought off a viral infection and braved 8C water temperatures to ride 13m walls of water - the equivalent of four-storey buildings. But apparently the waves, which broke at Papatowai on New Zealand's South Island, just weren't big enough.

Today the former World Qualifying Series surfer is set for the ride of his life at a little-known West Australian reef break called Cow Bombie.

"If the conditions are right, it could be up to 60ft (18m)," Visser said. "It's a massive wave which rarely breaks and it's the biggest wave in the country."

The fearsome break drew international attention when top pro Jake Patterson surfed it at between 10m and 13m in June last year.

Big wave riders from Hawaii were shocked by the size of the swell, never before seen in Australian waters.

It was believed the wave could reach a record 18m today.

"It's a big wave all right," Visser said. "My Hawaiian tow partner Jamie Sterling and I are heading over to check it out and if the conditions are right we'll be out there."

A low off Margaret River, south of Perth, could generate enough swell to form huge waves offshore.The deep water reef lies 2km off the coastal community of Gracetown, 280km south of Perth.

"The conditions look promising. I'm pretty excited," Visser said.

The Victorian-born surfer, who used to compete against stars such as Kelly Slater and Mark Occhilupo, left the WQS last year to travel the world as part of a 30-strong team of elite big-wave surfers.

In November, Visser was one of six international surfers picked to surf Mavericks off the coast of California. Waves at the notorious spot, which boasts rocks, white pointers, black water and heavy fog, were between 12m and 18m high.

"That was heavy, but nowhere near as cold as New Zealand."

Papatowai has a bad reputation. The big wave spot is an isolated and cold break - home to Antarctic swell, dangerous rips and big sharks.

Due to the cold conditions, Visser sported a vest, wetsuit, gloves, booties and hood.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Mark Visser

Surfing

Big Wave Surfing

Google News search for "surfing"

2007-07-08T16:47:00.000+10:00

Articles

Down to Earth at Arms - The Manly Daily - 6th July 2007

Surfer Tom Carroll in private clinic - Sun Herald - 16th June 2007

Buderim's Mark Visser joins surfing's big boys - 8th June 2007 - Global Surf News - internet

Google News Australia search for "surfing"

Google News Australia search for "Koby Abberton"

Bra Boys Profile Updated

2007-03-05T00:06:00.000+11:00

The Media Man Australia Bra Boys profile has been updated. Check out their official website.

Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia

Koby Abberton convicted - Sydney Morning Herald - 24th November 2005

2005-12-10T10:15:00.000+11:00

Professional surfer Koby Abberton has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice during a police investigation of a shooting death.

Abberton had pleaded not guilty during his NSW District Court trial of one count of perverting the course of justice in relation to a police investigation into the killing of standover man Anthony Hines.

Earlier this year, a NSW Supreme Court jury found his older brother, Jai Abberton, not guilty of murdering Hines at Maroubra, in Sydney's east, on August 5, 2003.

NSW District Court Acting Judge Brian Boulten, who presided over the trial without a jury, today found Abberton guilty of perverting the course of justice.

He said Abberton had made false assertions to police during an interview in September 2003 about the shooting.

"These answers were manifestly false and were intended to deflect police in their case against his brother and a possible bringing of a case against himself," the judge said.

Abberton's bail was continued on the condition that he surrender his passport.

He will be sentenced early next year.

AAP

Maroubra identity, Carlie Thornton, comes on board with Media Man Australia and SoulMark

2005-11-28T18:21:00.000+11:00

Maroubra identity, Carlie Thornton will be a major part of the Media Man Australia - SoulMark media and publicity campaign. Welcome aboard Carlie.

More more information:

Media Man Australia official website

SoulMark

Media Man Australia blog

Manly Beach Protest - Friday 18th November 2005

2005-11-16T23:07:00.000+11:00

Join us at Manly Beach to keep Australian Beaches Free For All. It will be "Blood On The Sand" or "Bash At The Beach".

More information from Penelope Wynne and Mark Norek. See @

Manly For Families

Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia

Surfing Blog websites

2005-06-25T15:25:00.000+10:00

Maroubra Beach blog

Surfing website links

2005-05-31T09:30:00.000+10:00

Tracks Mag

Australian Sports Entertainment: Surfing

Media Man Australia: Surfing

Association of Surfing Professionals

Waves Surf School

Welcome to the Surfing Blog

2005-05-31T09:23:00.000+10:00

Welcome to the surfing blog.

The surfing blog of Maroubra Beach local and media entrepreneur, Greg Tingle.

We welcome your comments and contributions.

Best Regards
Greg Tingle
Director
Media Man Australia &
Australian Sports Entertainment
e: greg@mediaman.com.au
w: www.mediaman.com.au
w: www.cooldudesandhotbabes.com
a: PO Box L55 Maroubra South NSW 2035 AUSTRALIA