EPS/epoxy surfboards gain momentum in Santa Cruz

Fifty years, and we're still using the same old recipe to make surfboards. That tried-and-true combination of polyurethane foam and polyester resin.

As Surfing Magazine editor Evan Slater writes in this month's annual Surfboards Issue, "...after the demise of Clark [Foam] and our two-year bender on alternative materials, we've finally sobered up and gone back to our old, faithful polyurethane Thruster like nothing ever happened." Well, Santa Cruz didn't get the memo.

Here in Surf City North, surfboard design and construction have always evolved ahead of the curve. Unlike most regions in our afraid-of-change surfing world, creativity is part of the surfing heritage in Santa Cruz.

New ideas tend to be given a fair trial instead of being immediately burned at the stake for heresy.

Need some examples? UV resin, Future fins and Surftech all took off here before gaining acceptance abroad, not to mention other minor surfing innovations like the wetsuit and the leash.

Today, Santa Cruz, more than anywhere else in California -- or the rest of the surfing world for that matter -- is EPS/epoxy country.

On an average day at Steamer Lane, you are likely to find the best surfers in the lineup riding high-performance shortboards constructed of Expanded Polystyrene foam and glassed with fiberglass and epoxy resin.

M10 and Stretch, two of the biggest surfboard manufacturers in town, whose labels are recognized throughout the surfing world, are currently producing almost exclusively EPS/epoxy boards. Shapers Geoff Rashe and William "Stretch" Riedel know that EPS is no gimmick, and their EPS/epoxy boards have proven themselve

Read the full article by Leo Maxam at the Santa Cruz Sentinel

ASP North America WQS O'Neill, Nike events go 6-star

With 2009 just around the corner, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America is gearing up for several new and improved events for next year.

Currently, the nation hosts an ASP World Tour event, formerly the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley, and now named the Hurley Pro, at Lower Trestles, and several ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), ASP Pro Junior and ASP Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) events each year.

The WQS act as a qualifier for the prestigious ASP World Tour, while the ASP North America Pro Junior Series acts as a qualifier for the nation’s top surfers to earn a spot at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships.

The first improved event of the year will be the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro. The ASP WQS event has moved up from an ASP WQS 4-Star to 6-Star event.

The change will draw some of the world’s finest ASP WQS competitors to the event due to the increased prize purse and ever-valuable ratings points towards qualification for the 2010 ASP World Tour.

In addition to the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro, the nation will see the O’Neill Cold Water Classic moved up from a 4-Star to a 6-Star Prime, offering the most points available for a WQS event.

O’Neill has also introduced another 6-Star event with the O’Neill Cold Water Canada. The event will be held the week prior to the original Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz.

The ASP LQS has also contributed to beefing up the 2009 ASP North America Schedule.

There will be five new ASP LQS 1-Star events sponsored by several different sponsors to begin a regional longboard tour. Each of the five events will include both men’s and women’s divisions. To see next year’s ASP schedule log on to aspworldtour.com or aspnorthamerica.org at the beginning of January.

2008's best new snowboard

Best- of lists and articles are always a bit silly when it comes to snowboard equipment because so much of what makes a "best board" is entirely subjective and changes from rider to rider. With that in mind, I hereby declare that the 2009 Never Summer SL-R is the finest snowboard of the 2008-2009 season and very likely the best board that has ever been manufactured. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not a shill for Never Summer. I just can't find anything wrong with this board.

I recently spent two early season days at Loveland putting an SL-R 161 through its paces and frankly, I was blown away. Never Summer designed the SL-R with rockers and camber, a setup they're calling R.C. Technology, and their new Vario Sidecut (a multi-radius cut similar to Lib Tech's Magne Traction). This board handled well in every type of terrain that I was able to find. On groomers it handled like a much shorter board, turning, rotating and buttering with almost unnerving ease owing to its rockers. Leaning into an edge at high speeds, the cambers engage aggressively for highly stable carves without the overly grabby feel of a Magne Traction board. Popping ollies off of side hits and rollers the board practically levitates off of its tail. The amount of pop is nothing short of incredible. And when I ducked the ropes above Richard's Run to hit some fresh machine made powder ( I said it was early season) the nose floated like a powder board without any lean-back on my part.

If you're a fanatical rider like I am but you can only afford one board at a time, I can't recommend the SL-R enough. If you're thinking of getting ahold of one this season though, you might find yourself hunting for it. Never Summer has shipped all the inventory they're building for the year and I've noticed that this board is becoming scarce in the shops. Try talking to the guys at Thrifty Stick on Broadway or the fellers up at Mountain Wave in Breckenridge.

Babbitt’s Kawasaki 2009 Arenacross Lineup Boasts Series’ Best

After coming up just short of the 2008 AMA Arenacross Series Championship with rider Kelly Smith, Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki returns in 2009 with one of the most talented pairs the series has ever seen.

Seasoned veteran Smith returns this season, but new to the stable is the defending series champion and two-time title holder Chad Johnson. Team owner Eddie Babbitt’s has been known for putting the best talent on his bikes and in 2009 it won’t be any different.

“We couldn’t ask for anything better for this season,” said Team Manager Denny Bartz. “Kelly is one of the most experienced riders in the field and Chad has proven he knows what it takes to get the job done. Hopefully, these two do what they did last season and put on a show for the crowd and give Babbitt’s a 1-2 finish.”

Smith, from Ludington, Mich., has raced professionally since 1998. He has been a part of both AMA Motocross and AMA Supercross, but appears to have found a home in the AMA Arenacross Series with one of the most successful teams on the circuit.

Johnson, from Rhienlander, Wis., has won two of the last three AMA Arenacross Series titles. A full time arenacross competitor since 2001, he has arguably logged more laps on the challenging, technical layouts than any of his competitors.

Based out of Grand Rapids, Mich., Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki has the fortune of kicking off the 2009 season in their backyard at Van Andel Arena, January 2-4. With that incentive, fans can count on seeing the green duo up front as they fight for their spot on the podium in front of family and friends.

A limited number of Gold Circle seating is available. Kid’s seats are just $5 (excluding Gold Circle.) Tickets are available at Van Andel Arena Box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone 616-456-3333 and discounted tickets available at Babbitt’s Sports Center.

Tickets are available for the 2009 AMA Arenacross Series online at www.Arenacross.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.tickets.com. For more information on the AMA Arenacross Series log on to www.Arenacross.com.

About Feld Motor Sports
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy® Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com

Surf Session Big Challenge 09 waiting period in effect

The Surf Session Big Challenge invitational event is set to run again in France during the 2008/09 season. The event will be run in minimum 15 feet waves, and will be held off the south west coast of France in the well known big wave riding spot at Parlementia, Bidart/Guethary, France.

The event will be called on in best conditions with minimum 4 meter waves between 01 December 2008 and 31 March 2009.

The spot “Parlementia" at Guethary can offer between 6 to 20 feet right-hand breaking reef waves. To insure the biggest waves possible, there is a four month waiting period between December 2008 and March 2009, and the biggest Saturday of the period will be chosen.

Only 24 surfers will be invited to compete. The event is sponsored by Watermansport and Globe, and supported by local surf clubs at Guethary & Bidart, Urkirola Surf Club & Bidarteko.

Standby for updates on GO status
More information at:
www.globe.tv
www.surf-report.com
www.surfsession.com

2009 US Vintage Surf Auction looking like biggest ever

he February 21, 2009 US Vintage Surf Auction promises to be the biggest and most exciting vintage surf auction to date. For the first time at any vintage surf auction, every single auction lot is being sold to the highest bidder with out a reserve!

Every few days photos of auction lots will be added to "Pix of the week". Once the auction starts more detailed photos and descriptions will be available on each "Auction Detail' page. Offered will be some of the most scarce antique and vintage surfboards to ever be seen at auction. In addition, there will be rare surfing art, statues, trophies, posters, patches, decals, clothing, books, figurines and more.

Many of the items have very significant provenance attached; like four time World Champion Mark Richards' 1977 Lightning Bolt Gun. Or World champion Jimmy Blear's first place World trophy. How about a large never seen original Rick Griffin art board or an ultra rare three piece surfboard from 1965 by Morey-Pope. There's also a 'lost' set of 10 large photographs of 1940s Malibu Beach with lots of surfboards and surfing taken by Marlyn Monroes' photographer.

Nearly two dozen antique and vintage wood surfboards make this the largest selection of wooden surfboards to ever be offered in one place. Included are 1910s and 20s solid redwood Hawaiian ala'ia and paipo boards. And 1930s and 40s mixed wood laminate boards made of balsa and redwood. Also Tom Blake models by 3 of the 4 makers of his boards. And a large selection of solid balsa boards from the 1950s.

The list of 1960s boards is extensive, including more than two dozen model surfboards. And an all star selection of Hawaiian big wave guns. Other significant 60s pieces include World Champion Nat Young's 1969 trophy and a 1961 Surfboards Hawaii rhino chaser, #64 signed by Dick Brewer for Henry Mahi.

Boards from the 1970s include some very significant riders like 1974 Pipeline Master Jeff Crawford's Pipe board. A Lightning Bolt by Gerry Lopez for Surf Movie film maker John 'Orly' Hitchcock. Also a 1970 first place trophy for World Champion Peter Drouyn.

With over 125 lots totaling more than 200 rare and collectible items all being offered with no reserve, the February 2009 US Vintage Surf Auction will likely be the most thrilling surf auction ever.

Bidding is all done online and registration to bid is free and simple. And if you only want to watch the auction, that's free too.

You can contact us at Auction@USVSA.com or call 1 (808) 969-7171

February 21, 2009 Auction - Preview

We have worked tirelessly over the past year to make the February auction the biggest and best vintage surf auction ever. Many of the February 21, 2009 auction items are outlined below.

Recent Improvements and Additions:

The February 2009 auction is a 100% No Reserve auction
You can now request a final auction day phone reminder and phone assisted bidding
More and better packing options for your surfboards
Now you cannot miss out on a later auction if you're busy bidding / watching an earlier auction
Better photos and more detailed descriptions
Many items at auction are documented in a full color, hard-back book available in 2009
Auction page click to refresh buttons allow you to update auction results every few seconds
A 'Home' page clock counts down days, hours and minutes to the next auction
A 'World Times' page has been added so you can compare your time to the auction time
There will be no 'Sealed Bid' auction this year
We've added more payment options, see General Information page for that and other changes.

Remember, this is a No Reserve auction!

Items available in the February 21, 2009 auction include:

Vintage Surfing Art and Decor:

Original 1700s & 1800s copper engravings of the earliest images of surfers and surfing
An amazing original etching by listed Hawaii artist Huc Luquins from 1918 of Surf-Riding at Waikiki
A very large, never seen before, signed original by Rick Griffin
A very rare painting of Duke Kahanamoku surfing Waikiki by Hale Pua / Frank Oda
An original painting done for a magazine cover art depicting surfers
A scarce 1920s metal art deco Surfrider girl
Never seen 1951 Surfrider Lamp
A large 1940s ceramic Hawaiian girl surfing figurine
A metal Surfrider man also from the 1920s - 30s
Malibu Beach set of 10 'lost' original 1940s photographs, each 8" x 10", of 1940s surfboards and surfing
Original oil paintings by Severson

Late 1800s to early 1900s books with surfing:

1946 California Surfriders by Doc Ball
1935 Hawaiian Surfboard by Tom Blake
1899 Hawaii
1901 A Trip to Hawaii
1900 Kelea the Surfrider

The most significant vintage surf trophies ever offered at auction:

Included is a 1930 trophy inscribed to Kahanamoku
World Champion Nat Young's 1969 trophy
1970 first place trophy for World Champion Peter Drouyn
World champion Jimmy Blear's first place World trophy
A 1940 San Pedro trophy

Antique Wood Surfboards:

Early turn-of-the-century boards:
The finest examples of all original, untouched early Hawaiian wood surfboards to ever reach an auction

1920s and 30s solid wood surfboards:
Solid redwood and redwood with balsa surfboards
Two very rare Hawaiian boards made entirely of balsa

1930s - 40s surfboards collection:

A Woody Brown Hotcurl
A rare Tom Blake - Mitchell 'Hawaiian Surfboard' near mint
A Tom Blake by Rogers
A Tom Blake by Catalina
An unusual experimental Bob Simmons
And other outstanding solid wood boards from this era.

1950s balsa surfboards will include:

An all original Greg Noll
Very rare signed Gordie
A beautifully crafted Woody Brown
A near flawless Allen balsa
Rich Chew's personal balsa board
A monster balsa by Hobie

Other balsa boards:

Bing - Brewer Pipeliner gun
Diffenderfer gun
Diffenderfer balsa / redwood

Vintage 1960's surfboards:

Greg Noll,
Weber,
Hobie,
Bing,
Greek,
Con,
Hansen,
Morey-Pope,
Gordie,
George Downing,
Chuck Dent,
Surfboards Hawaii,
Brewer,
Felker,
Interisland,
Phil Edwards,
Makaha,
Hynson,
Velzy
Gordon and Smith.

Big Wave 60s Guns:

1961 Surfboards Hawaii #64 signed by Dick Brewer for Henry Mahi
1968 Surfboards Makaha 'Tigerstripe' pintail
1965 - 10' 10" Hobie - Brewer #84
1966 - 11' 0" Gordie
1960s - 10' 8" Hobie rhino chaser
1968 - 10' 0" Greg Noll Surfcenter Hawaii signed

1960's models include:

Bing 'Pipeliner' Gun and Standard by Brewer
Morey-Pope 'AAA Eliminator'
Greenough - McTavish 'Spoon'
Velzy 'Bump'
Hansen '50 / 50'
Bing 'Nuuhiwa Lightweight' tiger stripes
Greg Noll ' Da Cat'
Surfboards Hawaii 'Chivas Monster'
Con 'Ugly'
Gordon & Smith 'Hynson HY1'
Hobie 'Phil Edwards'
Greg Noll 'Slot Bottom'
Weber 'Feather'
Greg Noll 'Bug'
Gordon & Smith 'Tiger Stipe'
Hansen 'Lopez'
Hobie 'Corky Carroll'
George Downing 'Delux'
Hobie ' Gary Propper'
Hansen 'Lightweight'
Greg Noll 'California'
Hansen 'Competetor'
Hobie 'Brewer'
Greek 'Eliminator'
Greg Noll 'Infinity'
Rick 'Barry Kanaiaupuni'
Hansen 'Superlite'
An ultra scarce Morey-Pope 'Trisect'
And more!

1960s surfing memorabilia:

Rare Team Clothing:

A set of 1965 Weber Team shorts & jacket with provenance
An super rare 60s Duke Invitational team jacket
A 1964 Hobie Team jacket with provenance
A rarely seen set of Duke Kahanamoku shoes with the matching shirt.

Collectibles with four (4) or more items in each lot:

Surf Patches

Greg Noll,
Weber,
Hobie,
Hansen
and many others

Surf Decals

Con,
Phil Edwards,
Weber,
Jacobs,
Greek,
Bing,
Hobie,
Corky Carroll,
Greg Noll,
Harbor,
Ole,
Dave Sweet,
Wardy,
Collier,
Matador,
Carbonell,
Aloha,
Hawaii,
Rick,
Wind an Sea,
World Championships,
Grannis,
and others

Surfboard price lists

Sweet,
Wardy,
Ole,
Flaherty
Diwain

Surf company business cards

Sweet,
Wardy,
Ole

Surf movie posters

1966 Endless Summer,
1963 Angry Sea,
1963 Let There Be Surf,
1962 Surfing Hollow Days,
1963 Once Upon A Wave,
1962 Dynamite,
1962 Cavalcade Of Surf,
1958 Slippery When Wet,
1963 Gun Ho,
1963 Ride On The Wild Side,
1968 Moods of Surfing,
1962 10th Annual International Surfing Championships at Makaha,
and others

Surf related albums

A single lot of more than 100 albums!

Vintage 1970s surfboards:

Lightning Bolts by Gerry Lopez, Barry Kanaiupuni, Tom Parrish and Reno Abellira
Brewer
Bing
Interisland
Hansen
Webe
Hobie
Gordon and Smith
Ocean Pacific
And others!

Big wave guns from the 70s:

Lightning Bolt by Lopez
Bing 'Eaton' Waimea gun
Three Lightning Bolts by Parrish, BK and Reno
Two Dick Brewer Pipeliner guns
Rick 'Barrry Kanaiaupuni
Interisland - Brewer, Reno Abillera

Surfboards of particular importance:

Mark Richards' personal 1977 Lightning Bolt Gun
Personal Brewer Pipeline gun of Pipe Masters Champ Jeff Crawford
1943 Woody Brown Hotcurl
Rich Chew's balsa
Ultra rare Morey-Pope 'Trisect' * Early Simmons experimental board
Near mint 1934 Tom Blake 'Hawaiian Surfboard'
Lighting Bolt by 'Lopez' for film maker John 'Orly' Hitchcock

For more information visit http://usvsa.com or email us: Auction@USVSA.com

Phone: (808) 969-7171

America’s top juniors prep for Billabong ASP World Jrs

America’s top Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Pro Junior Series surfers are getting fired up to showcase their talent at the prestigious Billabong ASP World Junior Championships to be held in Narrabeen, Australia from January 3-10, 2009. The states will send six men and three women to this year’s coveted contest in an attempt to claim the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

All ASP North America Pro Junior Series competitors dedicate their entire regional season in hopes to earn a spot at the upcoming event in Australia where they have the chance to attain an ASP World Junior title.

The 2008 season saw the top five men’s competitors on the junior series, Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), 19, Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 17, Andrew Doheny (Newport Beach, CA), 16, Travis Beckmann (Vero Beach, FL), 20, and Blake Jones (Melbourne, FL), 20, plus the top seed of Junior age on the ASP WQS Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 20, earn berths into the event, while the top two women on the series, Christa Alves (Cocoa Beach, FL), 19, Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 16, and wildcard Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA), 18, will represent the American women.

Arrambide, who was the ASP North America Pro Junior Series men’s champion in 2008, achieved the goal he originally set out at the beginning of the year by taking the regional series title and now the Ventura local will look to add a global championship to his list of accomplishments.

“I’m stoked to have won the junior’s in 2008,” Arrambide said. “That was the goal that I had set out for myself at the beginning of last year and now I can’t wait to go to Australia. I’ve been training and surfing as much as I can to prepare for the event and am really looking forward to the contest.”

Young, who finished second on the series behind Arrambide, won the last ASP WQS contest of the year held in the states in front of his home crowd at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic. The explosive goofy-footer is hoping to carry the confidence earned from the ASP WQS victory over to his ASP World Junior campaign.

“Winning the coldwater helped build my confidence going into worlds because there were a bunch of really good surfers in that event,” Young said. “Not only were there the best juniors from USA, but there were also some top ‘QS guys. Also, there were some juniors from Australia and Hawaii. Just beating those really good surfers helps because I know I can do it again if things go my way.”

Gudauskas, earned his ’09 ASP World Junior Championships berth by his 60th place finish in the ASP WQS, the highest of any North American competitor of junior age. Tanner, the youngest of the Gudauskas trio, was the top American finisher in last year’s Billabong ASP World Junior Championships with a third place finish, and now the young talent will look to take the title home to America in his final year of eligibility for the event.

“I am looking at the WJC this year with a new slate and enthusiasm to do well,” Gudauskas said. “I know that there are going to be a ton of great surfers, so I don’t have anything to lose by trying my hardest and leaving it all in the water. I feel like I have gained more experience just through all of the WQS events that I have done, so I am stoked to try and put some of my knowledge down on the mat.”

With past champions such as Andy Irons, (Hanalei, HI), 30, Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta, AUS), 27, and Adriano De Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 21, the young Americans know that a win at the event has the potential to set them up for a successful professional career.

“A win would mean the world,” Gudauskas said. “Right now I want to prove that I can have my name at the top of the junior world and can surf just as well as anyone. I would be so stoked to bring home a world title. It’s definitely not going to be easy with how many good guys are going to be there, but I am just going to give it my all and see where the cards end up.”

Conlogue, who was the top American female finisher last year at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships with a third place result, is heading back to Australia in 2009 in hopes to take home her first ASP World Junior title. The explosive talent from Orange County, California knows that a victory will be no easy task and does not expect a standout repeat performance to come easily.

“I know going into this event that I will face some of the best from around the world,” Conlogue said. “Every year there will be new competitors that maybe I haven’t faced before, so I have to go into each and every event with a fresh start. Last year’s results have nothing to do with this year’s event and I just hope to do the best that I can.”

The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships will run from January 3-10, 2009 and will be webcast LIVE via billabongpro.com

www.aspworldtour.com

www.aspnorthamerica.org

Professional Longboard Assc announces 2009 events

rofessional Longboard Association announced, today, their 2009 surf series schedule. In its first year, the PLA, held a four contest event series that saw two of those events sanctioned by the ASP, and over 30 pro men surfers per contest. In 2009, the PLA, has already expanded and grown into an official qualifying series for the ASP’s Longboard division.

The PLA will run five contests; all sanctioned by the ASP, and will see both ASP Men and Women longboard professionals in attendance. Currently all events are set at one-star events, with a possible three-star event to finish off the season, details on the championship and whether the PLA will make it a three-star event will be announced later.

2009 PLA schedule:
March 13-15 Huntington Beach, CA- 9th St
April 24-26 Ventura, CA- “C” St
June 19-21 Huntington Beach, CA- HB Pier
October 2-4 San Diego, CA- Crystal Pier (PB)
November 13-15 Oceanside, CA- Oceanside Pier

“FDt Marketing is excited to bring the PLA back for its second year at this magnitude. With the addition of three more ASP sanctioned events to the PLA calendar, alongside a PLA ASP women’s series, we feel this is a strong step in the right direction in helping build longboarding back up”, Jeff Stoner, owner of FDt Marketing and Executive Director to the PLA.

About Professional Longboard Association
The Professional Longboard Association is owned by Jack and Jim Flynn of San Diego, CA, and managed and operated by From Downtown Marketing also of San Diego, CA. The Professional Longboard Association is dedicated and committed to providing world-class competition with an atmosphere that focuses on the joy and experience of surfing.

www.surfpla.com

The APEX Mountain Snow Report

Apex Mountain Resort remains one of the hidden gems of Canadian skiing. Located a short 30 minute drive from Penticton, BC, Apex is a full service destination resort with quality snow, great weather, incredible terrain, and friendly people. Apex being located in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, features the perfect mix between large amounts of precipitation and low humidity that makes for the lightest champagne powder snow imaginable. Smiles stretch from ear to ear, as locals and visitors alike hoot and holler amongst the glades & open terrain, leaving clouds of powder snow to lightly settle behind them. With an average temperature of -4º C, Apex receives about 600 cm of dry "Okanagan" powder each season.

ALL LIFTS WILL BE IN OPERATION TODAY! 36 of our 68 runs are open and in excellent condition. Look for more terrain to be opening as the snow pack grows. Apex is open for seven day a week operation through until March 29th! And for the first two weekends of April (4,5,10-12) for spring skiing.

Looking for that perfect gift for that skier or boarder? Look no further! GIFT CERTIFICATES are available from the Apex Administration Office. Give us a call @ 1-877-777-2739.

Burton Amateur Series Superpipe Sat. 3/14/2008

You could win a wildcard spot into the US Open of Snowboarding Superpipe contest. Click HERE for all registration information.

Maverick's back on, sponsors save a big-wave contest

he Maverick's surfing contest has been revived. After a troubling autumn in which sponsorship became an issue, contest organizers have set a waiting period of Jan. 1 through March 31 for the event pitting the world's best big-wave riders against the giant surf off Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay.
Because of the struggling economy, and the fact that an exact date cannot be promised, Maverick's Surf Ventures Inc., needed more time than usual to summon sponsorship. Sources indicated that details are forthcoming, but the primary sponsors are said to be Jim Beam bourbon and benefactors Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision Equity Partners.
"We're all stoked that the sponsors stepped up and we're back for another year," said contest director Jeff Clark, the Half Moon Bay surfer who pioneered Maverick's in the mid-1970s. "When Maverick's is on, it's the most challenging venue in surfing." Once the call is made, surfers will be on 24-hours notice to arrive for the event.
The entry list includes the previous six contest winners: Darryl (Flea) Virostko, who won the first three (1999, 2000 and 2004); fellow Santa Cruz standout Anthony Tashnick (2005); South Africa's Grant (Twiggy) Baker (2006), and last year's champion, Greg Long, who is based in Southern California.
For a variety of reasons - notably the absence of ideal conditions - the contest has not been held every year. If the current big-wave season is any indication, the prospects are bright for 2009. The northwest swell that hit Northern California on the weekend of Nov. 29-30 produced what many surfers called the best Maverick's surf they'd ever seen.
Read the full article by Bruce Jenkis at SFGate.com

Frustration over Ottery skate and BMX park delays

OTTERY'S long-awaited skate and BMX park is "in jeopardy of having to be abandoned" according to one of the driving forces behind the project.
Frustated by a lack of progress, Elli Pang, secretary of Ottery and Distirct Skate and BMX Group, said she has been "bounced around like a tennis ball" by authorities unwilling to take control of the stagnating bid.
Elli, who has been championing the park for more than three years, said: "I promised the youngsters of the town a skate park and feel ashamed we are incapable of doing it-somebody is taking the mickey."
"We have raised a third of the money and had every support from the town council, however, there are other stakeholders. We have been bounced around endlessly year after year after year by East Devon District Council and Devon County Council.
"If it's not going to happen soon then we have to give it up. It's such a shame, we have gone so far and all it needs is some pulling together."
Mayor Glyn Dobson said: "All councillors are in agreement, the problem is who will take the land over. EDDC do every other skate park in the district and I don't see why they can't do Ottery's. There must be a way forward."
Ottery's district councillor Ray Bloxham said the unique plans for the park, in Higher Thorne Farm Way, set it aside from others in the area. He added: " Others cost £40,000 to £60,000 and are a more simple issue. The skate park approved here is £150,000, it's a big project and a different ball game. If it was the same as in other towns it would have been delivered by now."
Cllr Bloxham said the fact four different parties, Leisure East Devon, Devon County Council, Est Devon District Council and The King's School, all have an interest in the land complicates things further.
Councillor Roger Giles expressed his disappointment at a lack of progress and said: "We have sat in here and criticised the kids- it is incumbent on us to deliver something for them. It seems a long to me and must be an inconceivable time to wait if your 13,14 or 15- this is drifting on for years. The town council must take it on itself to thrash this out- we need to make progress."
Cllr Giles likened problems to the town's much-maligned bid for a cyclepath. and added: "All we are looking for is one authority to be the lead authority, but they are squabbling instead of sorting it out- a lot of effort is going in to not doing it.
The town council will arrange a meeting between all involved authorities in an attempt to kick-start the bid.

Sugar on Snow Celebration

We have some great events planned at Mount Sunapee.
Look through the calendar, browse through the complete list below or fill out our "Custom Events Listing" for a list of events going on during your upcoming visit. Be sure to click through on each event for more details.
Please note: All events are subject to change & cancellation.
Also, check out "what's happening" at our sister resort, Okemo Mountain, VT
If you would like us to consider posting an event that you are hosting, please email info@mtsunapee.com with all the details of the event.

Description
Sample some of the finest locally produced maple syrup served on Mount Sunapee's famous natural snow.

U.S. Women Dominate Grand Prix Qualis

U.S. women dominated the international competition Thursday as they took seven of the eight qualification spots for the halfpipe finals at the U.S. Snownboarding Grand Prix, presented by Sprint, at Copper Mountain.

The U.S. Snowboarding all-stars who will appear in the pipe Saturday are Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT), Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA), X Games gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), Grand Prix podium performer and Copper Mountain athlete Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO), and rookies Kaitlyn Farrington (Bellevue, ID) and Maddline Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO).

Soko Yamaoka of Japan was the only international rider to make finals.

Men's qualifications begin Friday at 9:00 a.m. MT.

The U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix will be webcast live on go211.com Saturday at 11:00 a.m. MT.

Welcome to the SIA.09 SnowSports Trade Show Registration System.

The SIA SnowSports Trade Show is an industry trade event produced by SnowSports Industries America. As a trade event, the SIA.09 SnowSports Trade Show is open to our Retail community, current SIA members and Industry Professionals. This is not a consumer show. Admission to the SIA.09 SnowSports Trade Show is non-transferable and registration fees are non-refundable.

SHOW ADMISSION

• Registration fee is $35 for qualified buyers/retailer.
• Admission for industry sales representatives who represent an exhibiting company/brand at the SIA.09 SnowSports Trade Show is free.
• Admission for independent sales representatives of a company/brand not exhibiting at the SIA.09 SnowSports Trade Show is free.
• Admission for company staff/guests of exhibiting SIA Members is free.
• Admission for Non-Exhibiting Supporting SIA Members is free.
• Editorial/Press registration is free if you are on the approved list.
• Non-Editorial Press is $35 per registration and must register as an Industry Associate.
• Visiting Manufacturers, Distributors, OEM's, Industry Professionals and Service Providers: "If you have attended the SIA SnowSports Trade Show previously as an Industry Associate you need to become a member to attend the Show". If you are unsure of what member type to choose or have questions, please contact our Membership Department, Patricia Grenke E. PGrenke@snowsports.org P. 703.506.4222 or Mary DeOrnellas E. MDeornellas@snowsports.org P. 703.506.4205. Click Here to become a Member.
• International Attendees may register as a buyer/retailer or as an Industry Associate depending on your business at the Show. Please review the International Invitation Letter for visa information. (Must be completed by Attendee)

Quiksilver reports 4th 1/4 and fiscal year 2008 results..

Huntington Beach, California, Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK) yesterday announced operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended October 31, 2008. Consolidated net revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 increased 3% to $606.9 million compared to $587.3 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007. Fourth quarter pro-forma income from continuing
operations was $41.6 million or $0.32 per share, and excludes a $55.4 million goodwill impairment charge associated with the company’s revised outlook for its business in the Asia/Pacific region. The pro-forma earnings result exceeded the company’s expectations because of an unanticipated tax benefit of $4.6 million or $0.04 per share. The goodwill impairment charge is a non-cash expense and does not affect the company’s operations, cash flows or covenants associated with its debt. A reconciliation of GAAP results to pro-forma results is provided in the accompanying tables. Including the goodwill charge, the loss from continuing operations for the fourth quarter was $13.8 million or $0.11 per share, compared to income of
$43.9 million or $0.34 per share in the same quarter a year ago. Net revenues and income from continuing operations for all periods exclude the results of the Rossignol wintersports and golf equipment businesses which are reported as discontinued operations.

Consolidated net revenues for the full year of fiscal 2008 increased 11% to $2.26 billion compared to $2.05 billion in fiscal 2007. Full year pro-forma income from continuing operations for fiscal 2008, adjusted to exclude the goodwill charge, was $120.9 million or $0.93 per share. Full year income from continuing operations for fiscal 2008, including the goodwill charge, was $65.5 million or $0.51 per share, compared to income of $116.7 million or $0.90 per share in fiscal 2007.

Robert B. McKnight, Jr., Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quiksilver, Inc., commented, “I am proud of the efforts of the entire Quiksilver team around the world as we fought through a deteriorating global economy to deliver financial results that were consistent with the outlook we provided 6 months ago. As economic conditions continue to worsen in our key markets in the US and in Europe, we’ve continued our efforts to reduce expenses and capital expenditures, to carefully control inventory and to reconfigure our post-Rossignol capital structure.”

Net revenues in the Americas increased 10% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 to $306.9 million. European net revenues decreased 4% during the fourth quarter to $216.3 million and declined 6% in local currency. Asia/Pacific net revenues increased 2% to $82.6 million in the fourth quarter and increased 10% in local currency.

Net revenues in the Americas for the full year of fiscal 2008 increased 7% to $1,061.4 million. European net revenues increased 16% during the full year of fiscal 2008 to $933.1 million and were up 4% in local currency. Asia/Pacific net revenues increased 9% to $265.1 million in fiscal 2008 and were up 3% in local currency. Consolidated inventories increased 5% to $312.1 million at October 31, 2008 from $296.2 million at October 31, 2007. Inventories grew 15% in local currency. Consolidated trade accounts receivable decreased 2% to $470.1 million at October 31, 2008 from $478.0 million at October 31, 2007. Trade accounts receivable grew 6% in local currency.

The company completed the sale of the Rossignol Group in November 2008 and sold Roger Cleveland Golf Company in December 2007. Both of these businesses are treated as discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of income attached to this press release. Quiksilver expects to recognize a non-cash loss of approximately $150 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2009 associated with the sale of Rossignol.

The company stated that as of October 31, 2008, it had approximately $215 million of available liquidity, including non-restricted cash and available borrowing capacity on its existing credit facilities. The company ended fiscal 2008 with $1,071 million of debt, including $11 million of debt within liabilities held for sale. The company is currently in discussions with its European and Asia/Pacific banks to refinance its short-term debt, including $167 million which is uncommitted, and a $72 million facility due to mature in March 2009. In addition, the company is negotiating a term loan to supplement its current credit availability in the US, subject to approval by its US lenders. The company believes that its projected cash flow from operations, together with its existing credit facilities, will be adequate to service its debt and to finance the projected capital requirements of the business. The company also believes that it can obtain additional financing needed to extend the maturities of its debt, reduce the amount of short-term uncommitted lines of credit and better position itself for the long term.

Mr. McKnight concluded, “Now that we have completed the sale of Rossignol and eliminated our exposure to hardgoods manufacturing, we’ve refocused our attention toward our three strong boardsport lifestyle brands Quiksilver, Roxy and DC. Despite an increasingly challenging retail environment, Quiksilver remains the clear number one surf brand in the world, Roxy is still the
number one female surf brand and DC is one of the top three footwear brands in the entire action sports industry.”

Click here for CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)

About Quiksilver:
Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE:ZQK) is the world’s leading outdoor sports lifestyle company, which designs, produces and distributes a diversified mix of branded apparel, footwear, accessories and related products. The Company’s apparel and footwear brands represent a casual lifestyle for
young-minded people that connect with its boardriding culture and heritage. The reputation of Quiksilver’s brands is based on different outdoor sports. The Company’s Quiksilver, Roxy, DC and Hawk brands are synonymous with the heritage and culture of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding, and its beach and water oriented swimwear brands include Raisins, Radio Fiji and Leilani. The Company’s products are sold in over 90 countries in a wide range of distribution, including surf shops, skate shops, snow shops, its proprietary Boardriders Club shops and other companyowned
retail stores, other specialty stores and select department stores. Quiksilver’s corporate and Americas’ headquarters are in Huntington Beach, California, while its European headquarters are in St. Jean de Luz, France, and its Asia/Pacific headquarters are in Torquay, Australia.

www.quiksilver.com

Monster Energy® Supercross “Goes Green” in 2009 with Pit Party Recycling Efforts

Monster Energy®, the title sponsor of Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, is doing its part to help the environment by going green for the 2009 season.

At 12 of the 17 races this season, excluding Atlanta, Indianapolis, Daytona, Toronto, and Las Vegas, fans can bring a Monster can to the stadium and receive a free pit pass, with valid race ticket, just for recycling. In an all out effort to aid and promote environmental awareness, Monster Energy® has teamed up with Global Inheritance to promote recycling efforts.

“Recycling is very important to our company and many of our fans,” said Geoff Bremmer, Monster Energy® Brand Manager. “Through Monster’s partnership with Feld Motor Sports, Global Inheritance and our retail partners we’re able to reward supercross fans with an enhanced live pit experience for free, just for doing the right thing by recycling their Monster cans.”

Those planning to attend Anaheim I (1/3), II (1/17), and/or III (2/7) can purchase their Monster Energy® products at all Circle K and Stater Bros. stores in the Southern California area. Circle K, the official convenience store of the Anaheim Monster Energy® Supercross races, has all 16 oz. Monster cans at two for $3. Stater Bros., the official grocery store of Monster Energy® Supercross, has all 16 oz. Monster cans at the everyday low price of $2.29.

Fans who would like to know more about Global Inheritance and their initiatives can find information within the Monster Energy® pit display while at the stadium or visit www.globalinheritance.org.

For more information on the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305.

About Feld Motor Sports
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy® Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

About Monster Energy
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it SX, rally, insane distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster’s fruit juice hybrids dubbed Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 and Monster MIXXD, the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with Monster Energy’s blend, and the brand new 3 oz. Monster Hitman Energy Shooter. Ryan Villopoto digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

About Global Inheritance
Born in 2002, Global Inheritance is a 501c3 non-profit organization working to empower individuals worldwide to think and act creatively in solving global imbalances. Our unique initiatives focus on the power of creativity to communicate and push for progressive social change. Through technology, the arts and interactivity, Global Inheritance reinvents activism to a new generation looking to make a difference in their communities and beyond. With each step forward, Global Inheritance will continue to build bridges uniting individuals with the causes that need their help the most.

Babbitt’s Kawasaki 2009 Arenacross Lineup Boasts Series’ Best

After coming up just short of the 2008 AMA Arenacross Series Championship with rider Kelly Smith, Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki returns in 2009 with one of the most talented pairs the series has ever seen.

Seasoned veteran Smith returns this season, but new to the stable is the defending series champion and two-time title holder Chad Johnson. Team owner Eddie Babbitt’s has been known for putting the best talent on his bikes and in 2009 it won’t be any different.

“We couldn’t ask for anything better for this season,” said Team Manager Denny Bartz. “Kelly is one of the most experienced riders in the field and Chad has proven he knows what it takes to get the job done. Hopefully, these two do what they did last season and put on a show for the crowd and give Babbitt’s a 1-2 finish.”

Smith, from Ludington, Mich., has raced professionally since 1998. He has been a part of both AMA Motocross and AMA Supercross, but appears to have found a home in the AMA Arenacross Series with one of the most successful teams on the circuit.

Johnson, from Rhienlander, Wis., has won two of the last three AMA Arenacross Series titles. A full time arenacross competitor since 2001, he has arguably logged more laps on the challenging, technical layouts than any of his competitors.

Based out of Grand Rapids, Mich., Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki has the fortune of kicking off the 2009 season in their backyard at Van Andel Arena, January 2-4. With that incentive, fans can count on seeing the green duo up front as they fight for their spot on the podium in front of family and friends.

A limited number of Gold Circle seating is available. Kid’s seats are just $5 (excluding Gold Circle.) Tickets are available at Van Andel Arena Box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone 616-456-3333 and discounted tickets available at Babbitt’s Sports Center.

Tickets are available for the 2009 AMA Arenacross Series online at www.Arenacross.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.tickets.com. For more information on the AMA Arenacross Series log on to www.Arenacross.com.

About Feld Motor Sports
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy® Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com

Oxbow joins forces with the upcoming Rincon Classic

Oxbow is pleased to announce its involvement with the upcoming Rincon Classic January 17 and 18. 'This contest is the longest running and most revered surf event on the central coast. We are honored to be a sponsor of the 2009 event, states Gary Hunt, CEO Oxbow USA. We believe our participation with the Rincon Classic will help solidify Oxbow as a key brand in California.'

Coming off the recent sponsorship of the World Longboard Tour in San Clemente, Oxbow is thrilled to be the major sponsor of the Longboard division. “I have worked with Chris Keet in the past, and am very confident this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever,” enthused Tom Brown, Oxbow Sales.

Oxbow’s Team Manager, Tom Reese, will be on hand to scout new riders from the Central Coast to add to the newly formed Oxbow Surf Team. “This is a great opportunity to showcase the area’s top surfers in all divisions,” states Reese.

http://oxbowdealers.com
www.oxboworld.com

About 2009 Deckers Rincon Classic

Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara county’s oldest and most revered surfing competition returns to the fabled cobblestone’s of Rincon Point on Saturday and Sunday January 17 & 18, 2009 for the Deckers Rincon Classic presented by Surf Happens. With over $25,000 in sponsor donated prizes, and the bragging rights of competing for the coveted divisional titles on the line, not to mention surfing the Queen Of The Coast with only a hand full of people out, the 26th annual event will showcase the areas top surfers, bringing together the multi-generational extended family of locals who call her shoreline home, to celebrate the spirit of Aloha through the sport and lifestyle of surfing.

The surfing competition is an all ages event consisting of fourteen divisions from the 11 & under Gremlins, to the 55+ Legends division and will run from 7:00am to 5:00pm both days. In addition to the regular divisions, for the fourth year running the 09 Rincon Classic features the specialty division favorites, the Red Bull Airshow, the Budlight Professional “Budlight Pro” Division, the Wahoo’s Expression Session and the Oxbow Longboard Divisions. Entry fees are $60 for regular divisions and $150 for the Budlight Pro division. Entries will be available online at surfhappens.com beginning Monday November 17 and are available to Santa Barbara county (805) residents only.

If you can’t make it down to the event, watch from the comfort of your own home for the first time! Both days feature a live webcast broadcasted courtesy of Reelcomp.com. This new addition to the Classic features live scoring and announcing, along with heat recaps, instant replays, daily highlight reels, heats on demand, and online give aways!

The 09 event will once again be a “green” event with the goal of improving upon last years success to defer 90% + of all waste from areas landfills. Special fundraising events include the Hugs For Cubs halftime party Saturday January 17, & the 09 (information TBA), and the Deckers 09 Rincon Classic awards ceremony on Sunday January 18 @ the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum from 7:00-10:00pm. The awards ceremony is free to contestants and open to the public for a $25 fee and will include dinner, live music, live and silent auction, raffle, slide show of images, video highlights from the event, and the awards presentation. Proceeds benefit the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Hugs For Cubs, Heal The Ocean, and The Surf Happens Foundation.

WMO: Arctic ice volume lowest ever as globe warms....

Ice volume around the Arctic region hit the lowest level ever recorded this year as climate extremes brought death and devastation to many parts of the world, the U.N. weather agency WMO said on Tuesday. Although the world's average temperature in 2008 was, at 14.3 degrees Celsius (57.7 degrees Fahrenheit), by a fraction of a degree the coolest so far this century, the direction toward a warmer climate remained steady, it reported.

"What is happening in the Arctic is one of the key indicators of global warming," Michel Jarraud, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said. "The overall trend is still upwards." A report presented by Jarraud at a news conference showed Arctic ice cover dropping to its second lowest extent during this year's melt season since satellite measuring began in 1979.

However, the Geneva-based agency said, "because ice was thinner in 2008, overall ice volume was less than in any other year." It added: "The season strongly reinforced the 30-year downward trend in the extent of Arctic Sea ice." The dramatic collapse of a quarter of ancient ice shelves on Canada's Ellesmere Island in the north of the Arctic Ocean added to earlier meltdowns, reducing cover in the region from 9,000 square km (3,500 sq miles) a century ago to just 1,000 sq kms.

The WMO said the slight slowdown in warming this year, an increase of 0.31C over the 14C of the base period 1961-90, against an average 0.43C for 2001-2007, was due to a moderate-to-strong La Nina in the Pacific in late 2007. "This decade is almost 0.2 degrees (Celsius) warmer compared to the previous decade. We have to look at it in that way, comparing decades not years," Peter Stott, a climate scientist at Britain's Hadley Center, which provided data for the WMO report, told Reuters in London.

LA NINA, EL NINO

La Nina is a periodic weather pattern that develops when Pacific sea water cools. It alternates irregularly with the related El Nino -- when the Pacific warms up -- and both affect the climate all round the world. The WMO report was based on statistics and analyses compiled by weather services among its 188 member countries and specialist research institutions, including government-backed bodies in the United States and Britain.

"Climate extremes, including devastating floods, severe and persistent droughts, snow storms, heat waves and cold waves were recorded in many parts of the world," the agency said. In many of these, hundreds or even thousands of people died. Among the disasters was Cyclone Nargis, which killed some 78,000 in Myanmar's southern delta region in early May. In the western Atlantic and Caribbean there were 16 major tropical storms, eight of which developed into hurricanes.

In an average year, there are 11 storms of which six become hurricanes and two become major hurricanes. In 2008, five major hurricanes developed, and for the first time on record six tropical storms in a row made landfall in the United States. The WMO says the 10 hottest years since global records were first kept in 1850 have all been since 1997, with the warmest at 14.79 C in 2005. Countries have been struggling for years to reach agreement on how to halt the trend.

This month a two-week meeting of leaders in Poznan, Poland, called to prepare a treaty for late 2009 seemed to falter amid rows between rich and poor nations and what some climate campaigners say was lack of will to get things done.

Read the full article at WMO

Billabong Pro Am Malaysia setting sights on monsoons

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 December, 2008 : - - Malaysia -- The stage is set for the first annual Billabong Pro Am Malaysia surfing competition to be held at Cherating Point in the state of Pahang. Consistent monsoon swells have hit the South China Sea coastline for the past three weeks and all predictions point to an increase in swell size and quality for the duration of the event.

The little known monsoon swell season from November through to February has come as a shock to the international surfing community, with many still skeptical of its potential. “I really didn’t know what to expect and I’ve been surprised, we’ve been surfing this crazy point up the road in the mornings, about 4ft and perfect left barrels for hundreds of metres” said Billabong Indonesian surfer Rahtu Suargita.

“Then in the afternoon we’ve had the longboards out just to see who get the longest wave, Tai (Graham) got one for three minutes and fifty two seconds the other day, it was silly!”.

The event will run from the 19th – 21st of the month and there will be representation from Indonesian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai, Philippine, and Australian surfers. There will be a heap of action with competitors flaring it up in five main categories, Men’s open, Women’s open, Groms, and masters. There will also be daily Billabong Professional surfing demos at the point and several music performances over the course of the weekend.

The Billabong Pro Am Malaysia is proudly supported by Nixon, Vonzipper, Kustom, Satusuku, Tourism Pahang, Tourism Malaysia, and the Kuantan Municipal Council.

Oxbow to sponsor longboard event at Rincon Classic..

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 December, 2008 : - - Santa Monica -- Oxbow is pleased to announce its involvement with the upcoming Rincon Classic January 17 and 18.

“This contest is the longest running and most revered surf event on the central coast. “We are honored to be a sponsor of the 2009 event,” states Gary Hunt, CEO Oxbow USA. “We believe our participation with the Rincon Classic will help solidify Oxbow as a key brand in California.” Coming off the recent sponsorship of the World Longboard Tour in San Clemente, Oxbow is thrilled to be the major sponsor of the Longboard division.

“I have worked with Chris Keet in the past, and am very confident this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever,” enthused Tom Brown, Oxbow Sales. Oxbow’s Team Manager, Tom Reese, will be on hand to scout new riders from the Central Coast to add to the newly formed Oxbow Surf Team. “This is a great opportunity to showcase the area’s top surfers in all divisions,” states Reese.

Since its creation in 1985, Oxbow has catered to core participants and aspirants within the field of boardsports. Offering a wide range of products to countries throughout the world, Oxbow surfs between seas and mountains. With corporate headquarters in France, Oxbow recently launched its flagship store in Santa Monica.

The collections range from a complete surf catalogue of clothing, wetsuits and surfboards to outer wear for snowboard and ski enthusiasts. Oxbow sponsors over 50 professional athletes worldwide, including big wave riders Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama, plus Longboard Champions Colin McPhillips and Jennifer Flanigan, both of whom are expected to be signing autographs at Rincon.

www.oxboworld.com
http://oxbowdealers.com/

Extreme surfing in Alaska

It was the last Saturday in November, and snow was falling in Anchorage. In Southeast Alaska, however, the sun was shining, a rainbow arced the sky, the air temperature hugged the freezing mark, and some of the best surfers in the world were frolicking in the waves off Yakutat.

Not just any waves either. These were gnarly 5-6 metre Aleutian swells, quite possibly the biggest waves ever surfed in Alaska.

So says Australia-born adventure surfer and moviemaker Tony Harrington, who captured the moment on film.

Behind Harrington on the beach at Point Carrew - which overlooks Yakutat Bay and the wild Gulf of Alaska beyond - a celebratory crowd of locals hugged the rim of a bonfire, revelling in the sight.

"Guys on four-wheelers. Hunters with their guns. Children and parents. Everyone was just blown away," Harrington said. "The whole town was talking about it."

After eight days of grey, snowy weather and dark, choppy seas, big-wave surfer Jamie Sterling of Hawaii was out beyond the break line, clasping the handle of a tow rope attached to his partner's jet ski. At Sterling's signal, the pair took off, racing into the fray.

As proprietor of the Icy Waves Surf Shop (with T-shirts that tout its location "on the Far North Shore"), longtime Yakutat resident Jack Endicott often finds himself hosting adventure surfers. Usually they arrive in summer to ride the Southeast coast's decent but modest 2-metre waves.

Never before in his memory had anyone shown up in the heart of winter trying to tackle the biggest waves of the year. Good thing too.

"When you get into the 6-metre range, you kind of need to know what you're doing," says Endicott, who doubles as the town's meteorologist. "With the amount of water that's coming down (off the wave) - in shallow water - it could get ugly."

As it so happened, Sterling knew what he was doing.

Earlier this year, the 27-year-old native Hawaiian and professional surfer finished third in the four-month-long Mavericks Surf

Contest, an elite competition off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. His web site is studded with sensational surfing shots.

Harrington was a veteran too.

As a photographer of extreme skiing and surfing competitions around the world, he'd visited Alaska about a dozen times before, usually in pursuit of the high-country snow behind Valdez. On one trip home, he noticed the surf out the window of his plane.

"There were these amazing big waves just rolling into the point there, and I thought, 'Oh my god, I'm dying to go to Yakutat."

A few years ago, he began planning a trip that would culminate in a documentary film on extreme adventures, including a surfing scene in Alaska.

For expertise, he began corresponding with Endicott, asking about Yakutat's winter weather and wave patterns. For funding he tapped the Red Bull energy drink corporation, which sponsors a team of professional surfers. He invited five.

All he needed now was the wave.

Big wave surfers are part meteorogists, Endicott says. They end up studying real-time data from the extensive US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) network of wave bouys, which can tell them the height, speed and direction of ocean swells anywhere in the world.

In mid-November, Harrington and team determined that some big sets were rolling toward Southeast Alaska and due in about a week. On November 20 they stepped off the plane in Yakutat with a budget that would last 10 days.

Air temperatures hovered around the freezing point, and the water was only slightly warmer, Harrington said. That was OK, they expected as much. But for the first week the waves were disappointing. And sitting in the water in the doldrums made it colder.

At one point Brazilian surfer Maya Gabiera grew hypothermic and was urged back to shore. At another, Tahitian jet-ski driver Raimana Van Bostaloer got hit in the head by a flying surfboard (resulting in a three-staple suture to his skull).

The waves improved in late November, but time was running out. On November 29, the day before the group was scheduled to leave, a buoy about 80 km southwest provided good news: A wave 7-metres high was headed toward Yakutat. Others were nearly as big. Best of all, they were expected to arrive in the middle of Yakutat's brief five-hour window of daylight.

"Then all of a sudden the tide changed, rideable waves appeared before our eyes and the only 20 minutes of sun of the entire trip cast the most incredible rainbows we had ever witnessed," Harrington said.

Sterling and Gabiera had a ball.

"They were certainly the biggest waves ever surfed in Alaska, and they were ridden with style and finesse," said Harrington (who's posted multiple images of the day on his web site, at www.wheresharro.com).

Endicott agrees with both statements. "It was really, really cool," he said.

Seven Europeans qualify for the 2009 ASP World Tour

Waimea Bay, Oahu - With the Billabong Pipeline Masters coming to an end yesterday, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International officially announced the new ASP Top 45 members who will compete on the world's best waves for a shot at the prestigious ASP World title in 2009. After a historical year for European surfing in 2008 that saw four of its soldiers join the elite, next year will be another record for the rising nation in the sport as a total of seven competitors from Europe will be part of the Dream Tour.

With Jeremy Flores (FRA) and Miky Picon (FRA) guaranteed to requalify after their respective second and third places in Brazil, pressure was on those waiting for wildcards or big results in the last event of the year.

Tiago Pires (PRT), who was sitting No. 30 in the world before the Pipeline event, had a shot at requalifying directly through the ASP World Tour with a good result but unfortunately got injured, having to use his ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) No. 13 rank to secure a berth amongst next year's ASP Top 45. That could have affected Marlon Lipke's (DEU) fate as the German surfer, who finished his 2008 qualification campaign ranked No.
16 just outside the qualifying group, was hoping for Pires to score big at Pipeline and leave his WQS spot available.

Despite Pires not attending the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Marlon Lipke was given a wildcard by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International and the World Professional Surfers (WPS) getting his 2009 ASP World Tour ticket and joining the biggest European crew on tour ever. Lipke, a former ASP European Junior champion, who came to the final events on the North Shore of Oahu ranked No. 9, lived a nightmare during the two consecutive ASP WQS 6-Star Prime events where he dropped down to No. 16. Eventually, rewarding him for his stellar year and efforts, Lipke makes it to the top of the sport and becomes the first German surfer ever to compete on the ASP World Tour.

With ASP WQS campaigners Tim Boal (FRA), who was guaranteed to qualify after an impressive summer run, and Michel Bourez (PYF) who secured his Dream Tour pass after winning the prestigious ASP WQS 6-Star Prime Reef Hawaiian Pro, the last man waiting to find out about his destiny for 2009 was Aritz Aranburu (EUK).

Aranburu, who suffered three consecutive injuries during his rookie year among the ASP Top 45, ended the year with an equal 9th in the Billabong Pipeline Masters, a last effort that convinced the ASP and the WPS to award him a wildcard and a second chance to show his surfing in 2009. Aranburu had to wait until the end of the final day to be guaranteed to surf on next year's ASP World Tour, the first ever Basque surfer being fully recovered and looking more determined than ever to get things going.

With seven men flying the European flag on the 2009 ASP World Tour, European surfers have made it clear that what many thought was historical in 2008 when four men qualified, is only the beginning of an era that could possibly see a European surfer become an ASP World Champion in the future.

2009 DREAM TOUR EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS
ASP World Tour No. 10 in 2008, Jeremy Flores (FRA)
ASP World Tour No. 18 in 2008, Miky Picon (FRA)
ASP World Tour No. 40 in 2008, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) INJURY WILDCARD
ASP WQS No. 3, Michel Bourez (PYF)
ASP WQS No. 11, Tim Boal (FRA)
ASP WQS No. 13, Tiago Pires (PRT)
ASP WQS No. 16, Parlon Lipke (DEU) WILDCARD

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world's best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

www.aspeurope.com
www.aspworldtour.com

MORE THAN TWO FEET OF NEW SNOW AT MOUNTIAN HIGH IN WRIGHTWOOD

More than two feet of new snow has fallen at Mountain High and that number is expected to rise as snow showers blanket the region. The West Resort is now 100% open offering 31 trails and a good mixture of beginner to advanced terrain. The East Resort will make its seasonal debut later this week and resort operators are currently evaluating the North Resort for a possible weekend-opening as well.

Mountain High's late opening was seen as an omen by many but this major winter storm has put the Wrightwood Resort right where it wants to be pre-holiday. All three resorts will be open for skiing and snowboarding by Christmas, and the North Pole Tubing Park will open this Friday as well. For a complete listing of lifts and trails along live cams and custom weather forecasts log onto www.mthigh.com.

Says John McColly, Director of Marketing, "It's fantastic out there. I just got off the mountain and it's as good as I've ever seen it."

Ticket rates return to regular price first thing tomorrow morning but skiers and snowboarders looking to save money can still get a season pass for just $349. That's $250 off the regular rate but this sale ends Sunday, December 21^st, so guests are advised to act quickly. For avid skiers and snowboarders, a season pass is the best way to save money and pays for itself in just six visits.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Laura Johnson, Marketing Manager, at 760-316-7831 or ljohnson@mthigh.com.

Heavenly Offers $40 Lift Ticket for Pass Holders from Other Resorts

WHO: Heavenly Mountain Resort

WHAT: Lake Tahoe’s premier destination resort offers discount tickets for other resort pass holders.

WHERE: Heavenly Mountain Resort, South Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.

WHEN: Wednesday, December 10 through Friday, December 12, 2008

SUMMARY: Heavenly Mountain Resort announced today that for three days only, 2008/09 pass holders from other resorts can purchase a lift ticket to Heavenly for $40. Available Wednesday, December 10 through Friday, December 12, 2008, visiting pass holders can purchase Heavenly lift tickets in the Season Pass office at the Gondola or California Lodge for $40 with a valid 2008/09 season pass from any mountain resort and a current valid ID. This is an opportunity for all 2008/09 mountain resort pass holders to experience Heavenly’s phenomenal early-season conditions at a discounted rate. Heavenly will operate for skiing and riding these days from 9 am to 4 pm.

The West Coast’s largest snowmaking system has covered Heavenly with the deepest snow pack in the Tahoe Basin, creating the best snow surface conditions and skiing and riding experience in Lake Tahoe. Heavenly is offering an incomparable early season experience. Heavenly is offering intermediate skiing and riding on three mile-long Nevada cruisers, Orion, Big Dipper and Comet; no beginning terrain is available. Tahoe’s largest terrain park is open on Comet run with more than 15 features including one jump. Access is via the Heavenly Gondola, Tamarack Express, Comet Express and Dipper Express. Heavenly season passes are on sale now for $379 at www.skiheavenly.com, refer-a-friend who purchases a Heavenly season pass and receive $40 in mountain money.

For more information or photos, please call (775) 586-4461 or go to www.skiheavenly.com

Tags: heavenly, heavenly season pass

RED BULL ANNOUNCES FIRST SKY-HIGH URBAN SNOWBOARD EVENT IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS RED BULL SNOWSCRAPERS

Join 16 of the world's best snowboarders in New York City on the banks of the East River February 5th from 3- 9 pm, as they compete to own a piece of a $100,000 prize purse at the 5Star Swatch TTR event. Red Bull Snowscrapers marks the debut of the largest snowboarding contest held in an urban setting in North America complete with top music acts (soon to be announced) and a spectator village located in East River Park (corner of Houston and FDR).

For the first-time ever, Red Bull will create an amazing 90-foot state-of-the-art structure for top riders to own the iconic Manhattan skyline. The athlete's will drop in from a nine-story building before flying off the specially constructed kicker toward an immense 80-foot long hip. The innovative hip built by world-renowned designers Frank Wells and Mike Bettera of Snow Park Technology allows riders multiple angles of trajectory— frontside or backside, landing on either the right or left side of the massive 45-degree spine. Additionally, the groundbreaking ramp design will allow spectators to get up close and personal giving fans an opportunity to experience the action first hand as the riders spin roughly four stories into the sky.

New York spectators may deem them insane, but for the competitors, pushing the limits is a constant frame of mind. Although both their skill and style will be put to the test, the challenge here lies in the Red Bull Snowscraper' s unique double-sided pyramid landing that pushes the envelope of big-air competition and rider adaptability.

With so many angles of approach, options, and opportunity, the athlete who ultimately conquers may be determined by their creative state of mind. And that creativity will be rewarded handsomely with hefty $50,000 to the winner. With so much on the line Red Bull left nothing to chance enlisting snowboard legends to judge the banner event soon to be announced.

Iconic snowboarders including Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White, freestyle / backcountry legend Travis Rice, ultra-progressive phenomenon Pat Moore and soon to be announced others will compete against the majestic backdrop of the East River and the New York City skyline in a contest that should prove to be the biggest winter event in the city.

The Red Bull Snowscrapers will join the ranks of the most prestigious snowboard events on the planet as a 5Star stop on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour. "We are very excited to have the Red Bull Snowscrapers come on as a 5Star event on the TTR World Snowboard Tour" says Reto Lamm, President of the TTR World Snowboard Tour. "It is great to have another innovative Red Bull concept on tour and there is no better location then New York City to put this on. New York has a huge snowboard community and this will be a great opportunity to showcase our sport on such a large platform." The TTR crowns a World Snowboard Tour Champion at the culmination of each season and pays out an end-of-season prize purse worth $200,000.

For more information please visit www.RedBullSnowscrapers.com Go to www.ttrworldtour.com for videos, news and rankings of the Tour.

ERGO SIGNS HECTOR SANTA MARIA TO ITS SURF TEAM

ERGO is proud to announce that 16-year-old, Puerto Rican standout, Hector Santa Maria, has joined its already stacked surf team and will be laced in ERGO for the 2009 season.

Santa Maria is the hottest talent coming out of Puerto Rico since the Toth brothers and Dylan Graves. With a strong amateur career under his belt thus far, his accolades include a finals birth in the prestigious Professional Association of Surfing of Puerto Rico (APSPR) Corona Pro Series last year and showing up all over Mundo Rad and Fuel TV.

"Hector's raw, creative riding style and eager, hell-bent attitude makes him a perfect fit for our team," says ERGO Vice President, Pete DiSpirito. "He's young and possesses the technical abilities and seeming ease of performance that does not come naturally to some of the older, more experienced guys he competes with."

This year, Santa Maria will be competing in the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Jr. Pro series with aspirations to qualify for the ASP World Jr. Championships in Australia. The ambitious, barrel-seeking grom is currently working to develop his big wave surfing game while blowing up ERGO. Stay tuned to www.ergophobia.com to see what Santa Maria gets into next&

SQUAW VALLEY SKI PATROL TO HOST 17TH ANNUAL SNOW GODS BALL

Squaw Valley Ski Patrol is hosting the 17th Annual Snow Gods Ball on the evening of Saturday, December 20. Open to the public, the Snow Gods Ball is set to take place at the Plaza Bar in Squaw Valley's Olympic House.

This year's ball features live music with Monophonics, DJ Dusty Love, and DJ Waffle. Snow Gods Ball raffle prizes include a Squaw Valley USA Midweek Season Pass, lift tickets, ski and snowboard gear, and more. The doors open at 8 pm and the music starts at 9 pm. All party goers must be 21 or older to attend.

Snow Gods Ball headlining act, Monophonics, bring a unique blend of old school soul/funk and rare groove. Since coming together in 2005, they have quickly evolved into one of the hottest live instrumental funkbands in the Bay Area. Recognized for their retro sound, style, and approach (primarily inspired by late '60s and early '70s artists like The Meters, The J.B.'s,The and Crusaders), these young heavy-hitters aim to spread live, instrumental dance music as well as represent and continue the tradition of California/Bay Area soul, jazz and funk. They have just finished recording their second album featuring vocalist Marcus Scott and special guest Karl Denson which is scheduled to be released in 2009. www.monophonics.com

Tickets to the Snow Gods Ball are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling Squaw Valley Ski Patrol at 530-581-7260. More information about this year’s celebration is also available by calling 530-581-7260.

The most up-to-date operations schedules, event calendar, lift ticket deals, and season pass information are available at squaw.com.

Billabong's Ante Up Contest

Billabong Ante Up, presented by Monster Energy is going to be taking place Jan. 9-10th, 2009 at Canada Olympic Park (C.O.P.) in Calgary. The event will be a double jump slope style event, with the winner getting an entry spot in the 2009 Billabong Innsbruck Air and Style event that will be taking place Jan. 31st in Austria.

Contest Facts

Billabong Ante Up, presented by Monster Energy

Date: Canada Olympic Park (COP), Calgary, AB Jan. 9-10th, 2009

Entry Deadline: Dec. 14th, 2008

Prize Money: $15,000 CDN
Entry Fee: $100 CDN

Selection Process:
A panel will look at all completed registration forms. Competitors will be chosen on a variety of qualifications including former results, video parts, and overall skill level.

Selection date:
A list will be posted on this website Dec. 17th with qualified riders and waiting list

Waiver:
All selected riders will be contacted once selected and will be given access to a liability waiver that MUST be signed by compeitor and parent/guardian (if under 18) in order to compete

Move over, X Games

A kangaroo flip over a huge tabletop, a 900-indy grab out of a superpipe and a switch disaster onto a double-kinked rail.

To many people, those descriptions would sound like gibberish.

But from Thursday to Sunday in Breckenridge, pro skiers and snowboarders will be throwing all of those slopestyle and superpipe tricks — plus some — at the first-ever Winter Dew Tour in Breckenridge.

Consisting of three stops — Breckenridge, Mount Snow, Vt., and Northstar, Calif. — the inaugural Winter Dew Tour will hit Summit County this week. The Dew Tour has not been to Colorado since its summer stop in Denver in 2006.

Run by the Alliance of Action Sports, the tour will be nationally televised and offers a total prize purse of $1.5 million.

Because action sports have become so popular in recent years, BJ Carretta, director of marketing for the tour, said there was a need to create a consistent, annual series similar to the PGA Tour for golf.

“I think action sports as a whole has grown over the last 10 to 20 years across the world,” Carretta said. “It has become a lot more mainstream.”

With athletes such as Tanner Hall, Simon Dumont, Shaun White and Hannah Teter competing in superpipe and slopestyle events, the roster is similar to that of the Winter X Games. But unlike the X Games — which are invitation-only — Carretta said the Dew Tour has an open-qualifier format, which gives athletes who did not prequalify the chance to compete in the series.

“We are looking to grow these sports and maintain them ... across all disciplines,” Carretta said.

Based on a cumulative point system, the Dew Cup — the most prestigious award at the tour — goes to the athlete with the highest number of points gained after the three stops. Carretta said last summer’s Dew Cup winner — 14-year-old Chaz Ortiz — initially won the open-qualifier format, known as the “Free Flow Tour,” before beating Ryan Sheckler for the award.

Besides the skiing and snowboarding, the four-day event will include a festival village with interactive events and free concerts from such bands as the All-American Rejects, People Under the Stairs and Boulder rap group 3Oh!3.

The event is free to the public, and spectators can ride the BreckConnect Gondola up to Peak 8 to view all of the extreme sports action, according to Breckenridge spokesman Ryan Whaley.

Whaley said everyone in Summit County is excited for the first stop of the tour.

“This is the biggest event that Breckenridge has ever hosted, and it is a great opportunity to do what we do best, which is to bring the mountain and the town together,” Whaley said.

Many of the competitors arrived in Colorado last week to train for the event, he said.

“The pros are in Summit County, there is no question about that,” Whaley said. “They are training at Keystone, they are training at Breckenridge and at the other resorts and are just getting ready for the Dew Tour.”

Team Toyota rider Elena Hight, a 19-year-old pro snowboarder competing in the superpipe event, said the Dew Tour is one of the highlights of her competition schedule.

“It is basically like having 3 X Games all season,” Hight said.

Because of the three separate stops and the number of professionals competing, Hight said, the tour allows people to see the progression of skiing and snowboarding firsthand.

“The top snowboarders and skiers are in this contest, and it is pretty much the only time you will be able to see all of them in one spot,” Hight said. “It is an amazing contest.”