Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Bizarre.....


What can we say? Just strange. Japan does make amazing neoprene though....

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Surfing Alpaca in Peru!


It's a bit like a camel and a bit like a llama, so you wouldn't think an alpaca would be able to surf. Peruvian Domingo Pianezzi has tried teaching it anyway. Watch the video here.

Last Event of Hyundai Longboard Competition Underway


The final event of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour got under way in wild conditions at Port Waikato yesterday (Friday 26th March). The conditions made for a difficult playing field with the top longboard surfers in New Zealand vying for the Tour title.

Surfers had to battle with a large 3.0m swell and strong south west winds to kick off the day. Despite predictions of winds easing it was not to be.

The conditions didn't take away from the fact that this year's Port Waikato event is the richest ever on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour with over $6,500 in prize money up for grabs as well as a tonne of other prizes spread across the six divisions being contested.

At the centre of the event is the tightest title race in recent years with leading surfer Dylan Barnfield (Ohope) defending his current number one standing from Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck) and Daniel Procter (Gis) as the two surfers most likely to challenge him for the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour win. Owen Barnes (Mnt) is the fourth surfer in the mix with an outside chance of taking the title
Full run down of competitors and results so far here.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Kristi Zarifeh: Canterbury Surfing Champ for 2010


The O'Neill Canterbury Womens Champs was held on Saturday 6 March in clean 2ft waves at New Brighton Beach. A field of 32 women entered 4 divisions and a stand out star emerged in the Open and Junior events. Seventhwave team rider Kristi Zarifeh (from Sumner) ripped her waves to 1st place in the Open and Junior division, having combined scores from her best two waves and more than doubling those of her fellow competitors. As the conditions deteriorated in the afternoon with a strong onshore breeze Kristi still found high scoring waves doing floaters and re entries that impressed the judges. Pic by Mark Stevenson. Article from SISA.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

MONSTER Teahupo’o! Video evidence!


Wednesday the 17th of March will be remembered as surfing's greatest St Patrick's Day ever! A giant low-pressure system, creating a massive 15-20ft swell that developed and battered the New Zealand coastline then intensified in the Pacific gaining strength and size on its way to Teahupo'o in Tahiti.

All surfers regard Teahupo'o as the heaviest and deadliest wave in the world. This is due to the combination of big open ocean swells breaking from extremely deep water onto very shallow coral reef. This causes the wave to break below sea level and with no back to the wave.

When Teahupo'o gets big the only way to ride it is with the help of personal water craft (Jet Skis), not only to get into the wave but also to save any surfers that wipeout on the reef.

Having already surfed Teahupo'o twice before with one particular wave getting nominated for biggest barrel and ride of the year at the Billabong XXL Awards, Doug Young (Chch) woke up to write his local surf report and realised what he was looking at on the swell map, a chance of a lifetime to surf the break for the third time. Doug had one hour to organise his life. Doug grabbed young surfer Sam Hawke (Chch), rushed to the airport and managed to get the only flight heading to Tahiti for the week.

Reaching Tahiti late and exhausted Doug and Sam slept on the beach and woke up to what locals are calling the biggest day ever in Teahupo'o.

"I scored one of the most amazing barrel rides of my life only to be swallowed by the foam ball and dragged across the reef. I then had another five more waves on the head before finally being rescued by the jet ski. It was a very special day with many of the best big wave chargers from all around the world claiming to have ridden the best waves of their lives." Doug recalls.

Having the right tow partner plays a crucial role in riding these waves; one small mistake by the driver can turn into a big mistake for the surfer. This was not however the case for Young and Hawke, after several hours flying and sitting in seats that were their lucky numbers they didn't want there luck to run out.

Wearing as much green as they could on St Patrick's Day, it was the luck of the Irish when Young raced toward the largest set wave of the day and towed Hawke into the biggest, gangliest wave of his life. The wave of the day which everybody called the biggest ever ridden at Teahupo'o! After getting washed into the lagoon Young pulled Hawke out of the water, struggling for breath, blood rushing out of his nose only to be greeted by a standing ovation from an all star cast of surfers including; Shane Dorian, Ian Walsh, Vatea David, Carlos Burle, Raimana Van Bastolaer and the rest of the local crews.

Full story coming out on www.surf.co.nz.

A special thanks to
Gravis
Byrning Spears
Quiksilver New Zealand

Article by Ben Kennings | Surfing New Zealand

Monday, March 22, 2010

Noosa Festival of Surfing rolls to an end

Global Surf Industries 2010 Noosa Festival of Surfing - day 7 highlights from GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing on Vimeo.


The 2010 Noosa Festival of Surfing has finished over the weekend with some nice cyclone waves and some good results for the kiwi boys. Sumner local Luke O'Neill has placed 4th in the Junior (under 15) division, an amazing result for his first time competing in the festival. Nick Sarjeant, another Sumner local, did extremely well in the prestigious Noserider section, making the semis and mixing with names like Joel Tudor, Christian Wach and Taylor Jensen.

For more video highlights click here, or for some amazing photography of the event check out http://www.surfindustries.com/noosa/gallery/gallery.php

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Ben Bennett ripping Raglan


Team rider Ben Bennett shredding at the Raglan Rip Curl Pro. Check out more pics in the 'Point' Primo Cam slideshow at surf2surf.com.

Wave takes out cowd at Mavericks!



Crazy video! A massive set wave played havoc with spectators at Mavericks, California last weekend with several people injured including a broken leg.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Shot bro!


Ah, pretty New Brighton. Thanks to surf.co.nz for the pic.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Noosa Festival of Surfing is underway!

Global Surf Industries 2010 Noosa Festival of Surfing - highlights from Day 1 from GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing on Vimeo.

Two Sumner surfers, Luke O'Neill and Nick Sargeant, are currently over the ditch experiencing one of surfing's biggest events. Now in it’s 19th year, the Festival is staged around two of the world’s perfect longboarding waves First Point and Noosa West, Australia, hosting over 700 competitors across 20 divisions ranging from the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (Pro), to Amateur, Stand-up Paddle and Specialty divisions.

Here's a video summary of Day One. News, pics and information can be found at the official website: http://noosamalibuclub.org/nfos10/, as well as live steaming of the final days (March 20th - 21st).

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Kitesurfing Colac Bay


Spotted! Mark Sedon sent us in this great pic of him in his MAX Steamer, ripping Southland's Colac Bay. From Mark:

"30 knot session, gusting 40. Cross off shore winds, 3 ft waves. Epic Colac Bay session......."

Cheers for the rad shot Mark.

Friday, March 5, 2010

O'Neill Canterbury Women's Championships


O'Neill Canterbury Womens Surf Championships 2010 is on this weekend at New Brighton beach.
Hosted by womens surf club Tubular Belles

Contest starts 7:30am and will field women from all over the South Island.
Divisions include Open, Junior, Longboard, and a new Senior Womens division this year. Points go towards the SISA circuit.

Entries available online at www.sisa.co.nz or drop into Sisco's Surfgirl, 14 New Brighton Mall, Christchurch. Phone 03 382 6969

Monday, March 1, 2010

Kristi Zarifeh takes the gold in Greymouth!


Westports' Anthony Hema and Sumners' Kristi Zarifeh have won the Mens and Womens' 1/2 ounce pure gold in Greymouth.

Hema won the Open Mens in trying conditions, 3-4 ft low tide sweep at The Channel near the Cobden breakwater. With two high sixes, Hema took the Gold and dedicating his win to his late father. 2nd was Christchurch's and defending champ Hayden Brain, with the highest wave score in the final could not back up the score during the 30min final, until 15 seconds after and caught a wave that could possibly been the score he needed. 3rd was Kaikoura's Sam Dunfoy, who took a early lead, and in 4th, Craig Grimshaw who seemed to have been sweeped 100metres north due the river like drift.

Seventhwave team rider Kristi Zarifeh started with a great opening wave which proved too much for her fellow competitors, taking home the win and the gold. Congrats to her, Alethea Lock and all the other competitors. More pics and video to follow.