Tag: surfer

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A story of bravery and inspiration! Adaptive Surfing SA

SA Team member, Caleb Swanepoel, supporting his team mates.

Adaptive Surfing Champs changed my life

I really did not realise what I was in for when I signed up to go to the Adaptive Surfing World Champs in California last year. I had helped at a couple of Adaptive surfing clinics, I was aware of how inspiring these were, but I was not prepared to witness the level of inspirational bravery and camaraderie that I witnessed at this event.

The Project

After chatting with the team and Surfing South Africa, we all decided that Adaptive Surfing in Sa needed some exposure. They needed their story to be told. I put up my hand to follow the team’s journey and to film it for a documentary. For that purpose I filmed a few clinics, training sessions and went to the ISA Adaptive World Champs in La Jolla, Sand Diego.

The Adaptive Surfers

Watching the process these surfers go through, each time they want to surf, blew my mind. Watching the hardships, the difficulties and even just getting to the water. Never did I see an unhappy face, hear a complaint or even remotely feel any negative emotions. Everyone one there, from the competitors, helpers and even people who just happened along on the beach, had huge smiles on their faces and they left feeling better about themselves and life in general. These peole, these surfers, embodied what surfing is all about.

It Changed my Life

I was severely obese – though most would not have said it – unable to surf a shortboard properly and very unhappy inside. I arrived at this event in turmoil emotionally. I left with a new lease on life, a determination to change my situation and a new feeling of hope. Watching and experiencing the Adaptive World Champs literally inspired me to change my life. No more excuses, no more, I am not surfing as the waves are terrible, no more self pity. These brave and inspiring individuals forced me to look at myself and not only realise how lucky I actually was, but that I had no excuses!

The Movie

I hope you enjoy this film I have made and that it gives you a small taste of what I experienced with these incredible people. Please support them and Adaptive Surfing! You will not regret it for an instant.

Support Adaptive Surfing South Africa – HERE

Watch the 2018 World Champs – HERE

Enjoy the Movie and please share, like and comment! This film needs to be seen by all.

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Driven – Jbay Surfer Matt McGillivray is on Fire

Matt, Jbay and his trusty 44 GForce!

Matt McGillivray is a man on a Mission

The Jbay local, Matt McGillivray, started his year winning a QS 3000 in Israel and he has his sights firmly fixed on the World Tour. Having current SA star, Jordy Smith’s, dad in his corner seems to be helping. Graham Smith shapes Matt‘s surfboards and they look like magic carpets under the young man’s feet.

The Story of the 44

The board was designed for Stab Magazine’s, Stab in the Dark. A video project where Jordy Smith got to take a number of unmarcked boards to test in perfect waves. One of his favorites was the number 44 Surfboard, which he broke after loving it. Only after the results were done, did he find out it was shaped by his dad. It is now one of Gforce Surfboards most popular models.

Matt has Jbay in his DNA

Growing up on the groomed right pointbreaks of Jbay has given Matt a real power base in his surfing. I was lucky enough to shoot with him over the Jbay Open, he was a wildcard, and further up the SA coast a bit later in the year. This video is from around 3 hours of shooting, pretty impressive stuff.

Enjoy the Video

Driven – Matt McGillivray and the #44 from Kai Linder on Vimeo.

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Could this be the best Right Point in the World?

Perfection Found

It all started with Mick Fanning and images of a long, perfect looking, right hand point. Then videos started popping up, the Spanish contingent put more footage up. Then  the debates started raging, where was this wave? Is it the same wave? No one is talking, yet…

Follow your heart

When Portuguese Surfers Anotonio Silva and Diogo d’Orey got some insider intel that a mysto and fickle right point was going to turn on, they pulled the trigger and went for it. Getting skunked is a real possibility when searching for new, perfect waves, but the rewards, as can be seen here, are very real!

Natural Footers Perfect Wave

For a number of years now, the goofy footers have had Namibia and now it finally looks like the natural footers dream wave exists too. Antonio and Diogo are not spilling the beans though, but I can guarentee that a mob of surfers are scanning google earth as we speak. Good luck and good fortune, I know I am definitely wanting to go find this one.

Watch the Video

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SA Surfer nearly jumps on a Shark – Great Arial footage of Garden Route Wave

First off, this video is great and really well shot. The place is one of the most beautiful stops on the Garden Route and there are waves up and down the coast. That said, there are and always have been a large population of Great White sharks in the area. The local surfers simply get on with it, even when sharing the lineup with one guy in a grey suit. They have accepted that they share their chosen environment with this apex predator and thus get on with the job at hand, enjoying the ocean as much as possible. Having said all this, if the surfer at 02:37 actually saw what he nearly jumped on top of, he may have stained his wetsuit… that is one big shadow. Surfing in South Africa is not for sissies.

Surfing in harmony from Stuart Brink Films on Vimeo.

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Twerking Surfer goes mainstream! Anastasia Ashely for Cheeki Brand

So one day you are a relatively talented Pro Surfer and you decide to twerk for your warm up at a competition and suddenly you are an internet sensation. That is pretty much what happened to surfer, Anastasia Ashley and now she finds herself modelling for underwear companies, posing for Sports Illustrated, promoted by Playboy and going pretty much mainstream. It has to be said she has a great ass and if you have it, why not earn on it. Check out her latest video for the Cheeki Brand…

And the video that started it all…

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Top 5 Web Surf Videos of 2014

With the Surfer Poll having just gone down and most sites picking their highlights for the year, I thought I would give you guys my picks for the best web surf videos over this year. There have been some absolute bangers, some that follow the old music and surf formula and the newer arty ones that mix and match between old french people smoking and John John busting. My criteria is simple, good music, great editing and surfing that gets me pumped to go session!

Before I get into the Top 5, one video worth watching in number 6 is this one, Clay on Clay by Surfing Mag. Unleashing Clay Marzo and Matt Meola on West Oz was a great idea. Maybe a little to many left handers, but the surfing and footage are insane.

Clay is Clay from SURFING Magazine on Vimeo.

Number 5 – LNF: Diamond of the Desert
With the focus on just the one spot, this video still inspires and fills with a sense of wonder. Having one of the longest tube sequences ever filmed also helps, with Koa Smith the standout.

LNF: Diamond of the Desert from LastNameFirst.tv on Vimeo.

Number 4 – Enjoy
John John Florence and filmer, Blake Kueny, have made some memorable web videos. This one definitely went arty on us, but the surfing footage and the feeling of being in France created by Blake definitely got me amped to go surf and eat baguettes.

Enjoy from John John Florence on Vimeo.

Number 3 – The Getaway
Jordy Smith has been having a banger year and he backed it up with this sweet video shot in Mozambique. Huge gaffs, big punts and long tubes in paradise make this video a keeper.

Jordy Smith: The Getaway from O'Neill on Vimeo.

Number 2 – Cheese 2
Noa Deane has just found himself in the cuck after some rather bad behaviour at the Surfer Poll Awards, but he still won the AI award and this video won best web video. There is a reason why, he rips and the video is shot so well with insane tunes. I almost made it number 1.

Noa Deane | Cheese II from Rusty Brasil on Vimeo.

Number 1 – Dirty Dozen
Pumping track, huge moves and of course Mr Dane Reynolds. This is everything you need in a surf short and its simplicity is the winning factor. Short, sharp and to the point, make this video my winner for 2014. These are twelve of my best clips of Dane Reynolds. Filmed in Sumbawa, Japan, Hawaii, and California from 2011 – 2013, for various Marine Layer Productions projects such as Excerpt, LOADED, and Kai Neville’s Dear Suburbia.

Dane’s Dirty Dozen in High Definition from mini blanchard on Vimeo.

So thats my web surf video choices for 2014. Let me know your thoughts and if I missed any good ones?

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I Miss Andy!

It started watching the Fiji pro at Cloudbreak and now with Supertubes around the corner, it’s gotten worse. I miss watching Andy Irons surf! He was probably the best backhand surfer ever born and no slouch on the forehand either. What I loved most about his surfing though was that raw, unleashed power. He did turns where others were looking for the shoulder and rode the tube deeper than almost any other person. So to celebrate how much I loved watching him surf, check out his last video part before he died and remember how good he was to watch! We miss you Andy…

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Quiksilver Pro France 2013 Preview – Watch Live

Bam, straight back into action and the World Tour battle is alive and well! Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater have a slight gap out in front, but Jordy Smith and Parko are in the hunt with Taj Burrows closing with his win at Trestles. Kelly and Mick have both had success in France before, but after his performance in similar beachbreak in Rio this year, watch out for Jordy Smith.

Dane the dark horse is back. He had a disappointing run in California, but you can never count the guy out. Another guy to keep an eye on will be Gabriel Medina. A past winner in France, he has had a quite one this year, but never for a minute think he is out of it. Julian Wilson is hot property right now, especially after a great run at Trestles. Many thought he would win in California and he will want to keep his roll going.

All in all we should be looking at one hell of a contest, with everything to win or lose for the top 8 surfers and the guys bringing up the rear realising they need a result now with just 3 events remaining.

Check out the teaser and you can watch the webcast below:

Heat 1: Josh Kerr (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF), Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Marc Lacomare (FRA)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA), Adam Melling (AUS), Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kolohe Andino (USA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 7: Julian Wilson (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 8: Adriano De Souza (BRA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 9: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), John John Florence (HAW), Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 11: Nat Young (USA), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA)

Watch Live here: