'The Endless Journey' to be Released Next Month

With Wingnut, Robert and Sam August, Mary Osborne and more, The Endless Journey (set for a March release) definitely looks like a flick for the longboard tribe to get excited about.

The trailer features some excellent Costa Rican righthanders, along with some double-overhead peaks in Guatamala. Check it out now at SurferMag.com.

North Shore Tow-in Championships Go Off at Puaena Point

So you thought that holding periods are difficult to deal with during WCT events? How about trying to pull off a tow-in event with a holding period?

Yes, a burgeoning tow-in tour is underway, but the first event - at Puaena Point on Oahu's North Shore - proved somewhat less than spectacular.

Oh well, when awaiting waves we're all at Mother Nature's mercy.

Check out full coverage of the Bank of Hawaii North Shore Tow-in Championships presented by Buttons Hawaii and Towsurfer.com at Surfline.

An Insider's View of Pipeline

...from the Pipeline Posse.

Watch the trailer now at Surfline.com.

No WCT in Fiji This Year?

Take a look at the 2007 men's WCT schedule and you'll notice that the usual visit to Fiji in May has gone missing, no doubt due to the political situation in Fiji, which is once again unstable.

Nevertheless, the WCT is set to kick off in less than two weeks on the Gold Coast of Australia. Check out ASPWorldTour.com for more details.

Veterran Surf Forecaster George Mason Found Dead

Long before Surfline began as a call-in surf forecast service (which pre-dated its current online offering), George Mason was posting reliable surf predictions for the north, south, east and west shores of the Hawaiian Islands.

Mason disappeared during the first week of last November, and his body was identified several days ago, according to detectives investigating the case.

For more on the 30-year surf forecasting career of George Mason, visit SurferMag.com.

Pancho Sullivan on His WCT Rookie Year

Despite the '06 performance of Bobby Martinez, it's definitely not easy being a rookie on the WCT.

And when you're the oldest 'CT rookie ever, things can be even more precarious, as Pancho Sullivan explains in a feature on Surfline.com.

Waimea Goes Big - But Not Big Enough for Eddie

As winter rolls on and we anxiously await the arrival of a swell that's big enough to run the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave event (and the Maverick's Surf Contest, for that matter), Hawaii Surf Session Report captured lots of action on a medium-sized day at Waimea Bay a couple of weeks back.

The five-minute video clip comes complete with an interview with Chris Owens - brother of former ASP star Bobby - who caught the wave of the day at "Da Bay."

Watch Hawaii Surf Session Report #119 at Waimea at podcasts.yahoo.com.

Gerry Lopez on His First Time - At Pipeline

While perusing the Patagonia web site, I just found a great story from Gerry Lopez on his first visit to Pipeline, way back in 1963.

Probably not coincidentally, that same Saturday was the first time that Lopez met Jock Sutherland, whom Lopez would one day replace as the guy known as Pipeline's best surfer.

Check out the story at Patagonia.com.

New DVD to Showcase Gary Linden

Whatever your age, you've got to hand it to Gary Linden. The guy's now 56 years old, and along with being a respected shaper, he still paddles in at world-class big wave spots like Todos Santos in Mexico and Dungeons in South Africa.

Now comes word that a new DVD called Shaping a Life will chronicle Linden, from his early days in San Diego to his hard-charging in big waves.

More to come soon on Gary Linden and the Shaping a Life project.

Another Death at Pipline?

Thirty five year-old surfer/shaper Joaquin Velilla went surfing late Thursday afternoon and has not been seen since he paddled out at Pipeline.

A large-scale search is currently being conducted by the Honolulu Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and North Shore lifeguards.

Read more on this developing story at Surfline.com.

Does the Future Hold World-Class Waves for All?

Since creating this blog, I've been keeping tabs on the RonJon Surf Park project in Orlando, which promises high-quality, ultra-consistent pool surf a long way from the coast.

While things seem to be moving along slowly but surely, other man-made developments - namely artificial reefs - are generating perhaps even more excitement and anticipation among the worldwide surf community.

Surfing Magazine has an extensive online feature on the "State of Reef." Check it out now at SurfingTheMag.com.

Jordy Smith Joins O'Brien, Reynolds in Young Elite

For a couple of years now, all of the talk around surfing's elite young ranks has surrounded the super-progressive performances of Hawaii's Jamie O'Brien and California's Dane Reynolds.

Add a third name to that list: Jordy Smith of South Africa. Smith surfed great last summer in the WCT at J-Bay, then followed it up with strong showings in the first two Triple Crown events in Hawaii in November.

And now, Smith has won the junior world championships in Australia. Looks like Surfer Magazine knew what it was doing when it did a feature story and interview on Smith for its current issue.

Read about Jordy Smith's victory at the junior world championships at the Sydney Morning Herald web site.

Teahupo'o Turns Back On - In December!

It's hard to imagine a full-blown tow session at Teahupo'o in the dead on winter, but it happened last month right before Christmas, and the local crew was there to take full advantage of the very unusual occurrence.

Check out the images and sequences at Surfline.com.

Donald Takayama to Call it a Career

Legendary shaper Donald Takayama has recently announced his retirement, and will relocate from Southern California back to Hawaii, where he and his wife have built a new home.

For more on the career of Donald Takayama, checkout TransWorld Business.

The Slow, Inevitable Transformation of Silver Strand

Want to find out what happens when cash-rich folks from the Valley move to a tight-knit community with a world-renowned reputation for localism?

Read the story of the transformation of Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard at VenturaCountyStar.com.

WCT Webcasts - Can They Be Better?

Ever tuned into one of the WCT contest webcasts and thought "this guy sucks" or "I'd like to hear more from this guy?"

Scott Bass of Surfer Magazine rates the WCT webcast analysts, and his top pick might be a bit of a surprise. Read the story now at SurferMag.com.

Dustin Cuizon Sets Sights on WCT

Will the next Hawaiian surfer on the WCT come from the Waipahu/Ewa Beach area?

Dustin Cuizon has his sights set on accomplishing just that this year. And in an online interview with Surfer Magazine, he explains how he plans to do it. Read the interview now at SurferMag.com.

NASCAR Star Kyle Busch Takes on Waves at Waikiki

Wanna seen what happens when a guy who drives around in a circle (fast) for a living takes on some soft rollers at Waikiki with WCT charger Luke Stedman?

Check out the report from TransWorldSurf.com. Turns out Kyle Busch is a regular foot...

Shaun Tomson at Work on New Documentary Film

Former world champion Shaun Tomson of South Africa is currently at work on a new documentary film called Bustin' Down the Door, which chronicles the late-'70's coming of age of a brash group of Australian and South African surfers and how they managed - through much trial and tribulation - to establish themselves on the North Shore.

Tomson conducted more than 30 interviews this winter with nearly all of the players, from Aussie charger (and current ASP kingpin) Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew to Da Hui top dog Eddie Rothman.

Those with an interest in surf history should be very interested in the film once it premieres during the 2007 Triple Crown season in Hawaii. To find out more about Rabbit Bartholomew's take on the Bustin' Down the Door era, check out the HarperCollins.com.au.