Home of, The Regular Guy and Adventure
As the Northern Hemisphere winter ends and ours begins here in South Africa, I thought it would be good to start amping for snow season with some good snow vids from the Northern Season. We start with Billabong rider, Ben Fawcett, who spent the season at Whistler in Canada. Great riding, really cool tune and amping vibes!
Ok, one thing is for sure, most of the talk from these Rounds will be about Josh Kerr’s upset victory over Jordy Smith and Kelly getting knocked out by Bobby. I leave it to you to decide whether Kerr’s air was worth a big 7.83, personally i thought it was over scored. But, that’s the game and Kerr now looks good for his best result on tour as he smashed his Round 4 heat as well.
BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Thursday, May 19, 2011) – The Billabong Rio Pro returned to the beachbreak of Barra Da Tijuca after two days at the lefthander of Arpoador and saw massive upsets unfold among the event’s highest scores in punchy four foot waves while completing Rounds 3 and 4 of competition.
Stop No. 3 of 11 on the ASP World Title Series, the Billabong Rio Pro not only plays a crucial role in surfers’ campaigns for the ASP World Title, but also offers important points for competitors out to requalify at the halfway mark in the season.
Bobby Martinez (USA), 28, was responsible for the upset of the event when he defeated reigning 10-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 39, in a close heat of 14.50 to 14.10. The talented Californian unveiled a lightning-quick forehand attack and impressive backhand aerial game in his hard-fought heat to take the Round 3 win.
“There were some lefts and Kelly (Slater) went down to the rights and you’re always worried that he sees something that you don’t,” Martinez said. “I just got lucky, things worked to my advantage. I got that one right under his priority and that’s what he usually does. I thought I’d try and reverse the role. ”
Martinez, who is currently sitting at No. 55 on the men’s ASP World Ranking, knows that he is in need of results to try and improve his seed to remain on the elite ranks and hopes the victory over Slater will turn momentum in his favor.
“I hope this helps my seed, this is the best I’ve done in over a year,” Martinez said. “Last year I struggled a lot and this year I have struggled. I’ve had some tough heats, but everything’s tough these days. Sometimes the waves are tough and if the waves are good your competitor is tough. Nothing is easy, but I’m just trying my best.”
Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, went absolutely mental in his Round 3 match-up to eliminate defending event winner Jadson Andre (BRA), 21, by belting a combination of furious backhand maneuvers to earn the second-highest single-wave score of the entire competition, a 9.70, and quickly followed up with a 9.40 (both out of 10). Both rides saw Bourez take the highest heat total of Billabong Rio Pro competition in his near-perfect performance of 19.10 out of 20.
“That heat started before the horn because me and Jadson (Andre) were paddling to get the inside ones,” Bourez said. “The first one came and I knew I needed to get a good score and needed to get a good start. That’s what happened, I got a 9.70. Just after that I tried and air and broke by board and thought ‘oh no, it’s not going to happen.’ I got another right and got that 9.40 and after that my board was done, I couldn’t surf, so I just took a couple of close outs.”
Josh Kerr (AUS), 26, was also responsible for an upset of his own when he lofted a big frontside air on a wedging righthander in the final minutes of his heat to eliminate Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, in Round 3.
“I’m stoked, the whole game-plan was to go down there on those rights,” Kerr said. “I saw Kelly down there and it looked like there were a couple of good ones. I saw Jordy (Smith) get those lefts, but luckily I got that right and went for the punt.”
Kerr later went on to advance directly through to the Quarterfinals by winning his Round 4 bout.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, continued his form after a standout performance in Round 2 and built momentum throughout the day to take his Round 3 heat and followed up with the highest single-wave score of the entire event, a 9.73 out of 10 to win his three-man Round 4 heat in the last seconds, advancing directly into the Quarterfinals.
“It’s kind of one of those things where you’re only as good as your last heat and once you have a shocker you don’t want to have another one,” Parkinson said. “It might have been a blessing in disguise (to lose in Round 1). I’m glad I got that one out of the way and my strategy is good and I feel good.”
Parkinson’s guaranteed 5th place result at the Billabong Rio Pro temporarily moves him to the No. 1 position on the ASP World Title Rankings after Slater’s early elimination, but the stylish natural-footer was cautious in place his new position as the new frontrunner for the ASP World Title.
“It’s too early to think about this early in the year,” Parkinson said. “It’s only the third event of the year to start worrying about it (the ASP World Title). If it was later on in the season, then sure, but as of now, who knows what can happen.”
Taj Burrow (AUS), 32, was one top seed to prevail among the day’s upsets. The veteran campaigner not only took out his Round 3 victory, but also took a commanding win in Round 4 to ignite the day’s second-highest heat-total of a solid 18.40 out of 20.
“That felt good, I felt good out there for sure,” Burrow said. “As long as I can get a wave with an open face I feel like I can get the job done, but that’s the hard thing. Sometimes you just get on a roll and it has a lot to do with confidence. For me confidence is a big thing and it’s a tough one for me. When it’s high, I don’t know what it is, it just does it. I feel like I’ve been on tour long enough to win heats.”
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, was also impressive in Round 3 today and continued to use the support of his passionate Brazilian fans to lift his performance.
“I’m happy to move to Round 4,” De Souza said. “I can’t believe it, there is this massive crowd down on the beach and I wanted to go for it. I’m proud of myself for making that heat. C.J. (Hobgood) is a world champ and he’s surfing amazing and he does so well in these conditions. It was an amazing feeling to get through and I’ll see how I can do in this event.”
De Souza will surf again in Round 5 of Billabong Rio Pro competition and can potentially overtake Parkinson for the No. 1 position on the ASP World Title race pending the final day’s results.
Event organizers will return to Barra Da Tijuca tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible start to Round 5. To watch the Billabong Rio Pro LIVE log on to http://www.billabongpro.com
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com
Billabong Rio Pro Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 18.40, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.60, Daniel Ross (AUS) 8.76
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.23, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.53, Bobby Martinez (USA) 10.73
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 16.30, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.07, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 4.67
Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 16.67, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.20, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 9.26
Billabong Rio Pro Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.66 def. Cory Lopez (USA) 10.84
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.33 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 4.03
Heat 3: Dan Ross (AUS) 12.17 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 7.97
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.50 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 6.77
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.07 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 7.83
Heat 6: Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.50 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 14.10
Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.87 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.17
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.93 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.87
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.17 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.50
Heat 10: Owen Wright (AUS) 11.66 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 9.80
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) 19.10 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 6.83
Heat 12: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 14.84 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.73
Created by DC’s own Rob Dyrdek, Street League Skateboarding™ features the world’s top 24 skateboarders competing head-to-head on a real street course. Along with ISX (Instant Scoring Experience), this event features the largest cash prizes to date, making for the most dynamic street skateboarding competition around.
The Street League DC Pro Tour 2011 kicked off last weekend in Seattle, WA. DC skate team riders Chris Cole, Mikey Taylor, Nick Dompierre and Chaz Ortiz are all a part of Street League Skateboarding™ competed in the event. This year ESPN and ESPN2 will be airing the finals of each stop live, so be sure to tune in to catch all the action from the next three stops : Kansas City. MO June 12th 4-6PM ET, Glendale, AZ July 17th 5-7PM Newark, NJ August 28th 5-7PM ET
For updates from the event, check out DC’s facebook pages at:
http://www.facebook.com/dcshoes
http://www.facebook.com/dcskateboarding
From the no-handed landing of Mad Mike Jones in 2001 to landing a double backflip by cameron sinclair in a freestyle motocross run in 2009, check out the history of Red Bull X-fighters like never before.
2011 is destined to be a historic year as the tour heats up in a truly global competition.
http://RedBullXFighters.com
“A Dingo’s tale tells the journey of a young boy who grew up in a violent and unstable environment but was saved by the ocean and surfed his way to the top of the world.”
I have been waiting for a couple of months for this movie. Ever since I watched the surf film, 3 Degrees, I have been a Dean Morrison fan. He was the quiet kid in the shadow of his more well know mates, Parko and Mick Fanning. But there was something about him that drew my attention. He is one of the best tube riders of all time. Growing up at Snapper and Kirra on Australia’s Gold Coast will do that. But, it was something more, a feral edge to the man behind the quiet and almost shy exterior. Watching this movie, it all became a bit more clear to me. Dingo grew up in a turbulent home, surrounded by drugs and domestic violence. His only escape was surfing. When he met Rabbit Bartholomew, his mentor and guardian, at age 12, his life would change forever. Even rabbit was astounded by the drive Dean showed as a grom to be a pro surfer. More than he wanted it, he needed it! In the end, maybe to his own detriment as a competitor. This is the main story, and almost one could say tragedy of Dean’s life – and boy does he have some tragedy! How would you feel losing your wife, dog and competitive career in one year? But, he is also surrounded by good friends, who support him and help him recover. And this is the magic of the man, everyone loves Dingo!
The surfing is amazing.The amount of expletives coming out my mouth, usually caused by another insane tube ride, were many and vociferous. Dean does not perhaps have the new school tricks and airs down like the Julian Wilsons and Jordy Smiths of the new tour, but when he does a turn or air, you know its going to be huge. For a small guy, he has an immense amount of power in his surfing. But it is once again the barrels, especially at Backdoor, Shipsterns and Chopes that will blow your mind!
I highly recommend this video, as no surf movie collection would be complete without, A Dingo’s tale!
Want to order the movie? Go to Surf Eat Sleep
Ok, so let me introduce theGoodLife rider, Chris Cab. As he says, he left social security for the rock and roll lifestyle. It fits him well, he charges on a skateboard and snowboard, rides a Harley and has Homer Simpson on his wrist, as well as his dog. That’s in Ink, in case you were wondering. From good old South African stock, this guy has been representing in Austria since his youth.
So Cab gets picked up by Monster Europe, tunes them he wants to come down to SA for the Snow Jam at Canal Walk – a great big Mall – and 3 days later, he is on a plane to my couch, in LLandudno, for 3 weeks. Like I said, Rock Star. hahaha
Cab went big on the small rail and jump, landed a one footer in the flats and damaged his back – no more surfing for you till you leave bud! He takes it in his stride though, got more pissed thinking that he might not get home because of the airport closures in Europe. Already macked his seat to first class – he is “Injured” badly and needs to lie down. For real!
A few quik questions with Cab –
K: Who are you really?
C: I would say the Devil, but greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing man he did not exist!
K: Why Rock and Roll?
C: Why not… hahaha Some people call it Electro I call it bullshit!
K: Whats your inspiration?
C: Life – and the depths of hell (I am picking up a metal trend here…)
K: Who supports you?
C: Anyone who has a couch for me (That’s me then.) Monster Energy, Vans, Electric, Altamont, XDouble,Vestal, Grounded Europe and the guys who invented Cream Soda, Black Label and Chutney Chips.
K: Whats next?
C: A shitload of snow and two road trips through Europe and the USA (God help those poor seppos.)
K: Message for the Saffers?
C:Keep it real, stay grounded, love life, live theGoodLife! Oh and eat biltong!
We got some skate footage, the snow footage, Cab surfing – me thinks you will see a sweet section in the next theGoodLife DVD. So take some inspiration from the Cab – life is short, have a good time!
On a balmy and very hot day in Cape Town, spectators at Canal Walk Shopping center were surprised to find a Snowboarding competition in full swing, this Sunday the 19th December.
To celebrate World Snowboarding Day, Canal Walk, along with Liqui Fruit and DC, hosted the first ever, Canal Walk Snowboarding Jam. The event was attended by some of South Africa’s top Snowboarders, including current Euro Cup holder, Marta “Mawa” Jekot. There was also an international flavor, thanks to Austrian Pro, Chris Cab.
All the riders threw themselves onto the 3m Rail setup on the small slope inside Canal Walk for over R20’000 in prizes. There were big spills and huge thrills for the hundreds of people who came to watch the event, while getting in a last minute Christmas shop. The contest was run on a “Jam Format”, meaning the riders had 3 open sessions to impress the judges and the crowd. The first two sessions went down on the rail, before organizers took it out and the last session was an Air Jam.
In the ladies division it was no surprise when Marta Jekot took first place, but Sally Berold, in her first competition came in a deserving second place, as well as winning the best Newcomer Award. Marta completed some high risk tricks with a couple of 180 on, 180 off slides on the rail, as well as a clean 360 off of the small kicker in the air section.
The men, with a much bigger field, were a very close affair. Katlego “Kat” Maponyane, a rail specialist, was throwing down seriously technical tricks, but due to their difficulty had a lower completion rate than some of the other riders. He took out third place, along with the best trick award, for a huge 270 on, 90 off board slide on the rail. In second place was the Austrian, Chris Cab. He was showing his experience with a wide range of tricks and approaches to the rails. Unfortunately he injured himself landing a one-footed air in the last session and had his Granny and family in the audience extremely worried. He turned out to be ok, but he will definitely be out of action for a while.
In first place was seven time SA Champion, Marcin Jekot. He quietly went about his business and stuck multiple board-slides and airs, including a 540 Method Air (Amazing on that small kicker). The judges were suitably impressed and he walked away the first ever Canal Walk Snowboard Jam Champion.
There were numerous wipeouts during the day, a couple of very close calls, but it was Darren Swanepoel, who body slammed the rail face first in the practice session, who took the best Wipeout award. The Guts and Glory award went to BMX rider, Rupert von Tutschek, who impressed everyone with his commitment to pushing his limits and trying new tricks.
Canal Walk Snowboard Jam – World Snowboard Day from Kai Linder on Vimeo.
The event was a huge success and we can but hope that we will see it on the Snowboarding Calendar again in 2011.
Podium:
Mens:
1st Marcin Jekot (SA)
2nd Chris Cab (Austrian)
3rd Katlego Maponyane (SA)
Ladies:
1st Marta Jekot (SA)
2nd Sally Berold (SA)
Best Trick: Katlego Maponyane (SA)
Best Wipe Out: Darren Swanepoel (SA)
Guts & Glory Award: Rupert von Tutschek (SA)
(For the rider who pushed their limits even though they had major falls.)
Best Newcomer: Sally Berold (SA)