R.I.P. Shawn “Barney” Barron

Having grown up in the “punk” era watching the Santa Cruz crew push the limits of surfing with awe, I was very saddened to learn of the death of one it’s core members, Shawn “Barney” Barron, yesterday. Known for his wild antics both in and out of the water and for being at the vanguard of arial progression and charging Mavericks, he was an inspirational surfer. I loved his video parts growing up, mostly because of his humour and unbridled passion for life, as well as those mad wetsuits. He was an cool guy and the surfing world mourns the loss of another great surfer today.

RIP Barney Barron

Get ready for the North Shore!

All eyes turn to the North Shore of Hawaii next week as the Triple Crown of Surfing begins and the World Tour of surfing descends on Oahu. Outside of the winning the World Title, the Triple Crown is probably the most prestigious trophy in surfing and has been won by the best of the best. With 3 events spanning a month long period, it will put surfers to the test, from high performance Haleiwa, to monster outside Sunset and of course the caverns of Pipeline and Backdoor. Defending Triple Crown Champ, Sebastien Ziets will be wanting to defend his title for Hawaii, but annual stars like Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and Jordy Smith will be looking for that title, as well as the World Title. All the players and scenarios are in place for an epic showdown. Follow all the drama – http://www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/

On the back of this, the invites for the Quiksilver in memory of Eddia Aiku Big Wave contest have gone out and Grant Twig Baker is on that prestigious list! With the waiting period stretching over the whole North Shore winter we can only hope that this year the spirit of Eddie will arrive and we can once again watch the beautiful chaos that is the Bay! Follow the mayhem – http://quiksilverlive.com/eddieaikau/2014/