O’Neill UK appoints Soulsports for their public relations
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - O’Neill, the original Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand, has appointed Soulsports as their UK PR and social media agency, with immediate effect. O’Neill was founded in 195 …

Layne Beachley & Rabbit join Surfing Australia’s board
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Surfing Australia is proud to announce that Layne Beachley has accepted a position on the Board of Surfing Australia concurrently with Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew also accepting the …

Rip Curl launches Mirage boardie and retailer program
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Costa Mesa — The launch of Rip Curl’s Mirage Boardshort Premium Retailer Program has officially been ignited in core surf shops nationwide. The MIRAGE is Rip Curl’s Ultimate Board …

RT surfboards expands content with website re-launch
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - You will find on the new web site the latest board models, a complete description of all the options available, team riders footage and a fast link to get the advice and all the in …

Bobby Martinez gets honest on new sponsor and ASP
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Santa Barbara’s Bobby Martinez has just signed with O’Neill. And I think they really make a big deal with one of the most powerfull and consistent surfers on Tour. …

Tour stalwarts the Bros Hobgood onboard with Dakine
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Hood River, Ore — Dakine is pleased to announce the addition of WCT standouts CJ and Damien Hobgood to its international surf team roster. One of the best barrel riders in the wor …

What’s triple-overhead to a grom? Lakey Peak dishes
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - The first leg of the 2010 Rip Curl GromSearch series ran in pumping waves at Lakey Peak Sumbawa this weekend 7th March. Groms from all around the Lakey area took on the triple over …

Locals shine as Yallingup hosts state longboard series
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Yallingup delivered the goods over the weekend for the first round of the Surfing WA State Longboard Series presented by SunSmart. Small but near perfect conditions prevailed for c …

Protest partners up with the British Surfing Association
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Protest has joined forces with the national governing body, BSA, to help support surfing from a grassroots level and subsequently help to create world-class riders of the future. …

Rip Curl’s Stephanie Gilmore starts season with a bang
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - Rip Curl’s Stephanie Gilmore has kick started her quest for a fourth consecutive world crown in perfect style by taking out the season-opening event at Snapper Rocks today in front …

Billabong opens their latest concept store in Bali mall
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
8 March, 2010 : - - It was an exciting day today as the latest Billabong concept store opened in Discovery Shopping Mall, the busiest shopping center in Bali. Billabong have partnered with locally bas …

Peter Pan..

I know this is hard to believe, but we have had better natural snow conditions at the Yawgoo Valley Ski Area than they did for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. And when we ran our annual snowboard competition for area bragging rights last weekend, no one had to truck in snow from other parts of the region. With a solid base of 18 to 48 inches and already over 45 inches of natural snow thus far this season, there has been some mad riding on all 12 trails at the ski area. Owner Max DeWardener admitted that; “This has been without a doubt, the busiest season I have ever seen in all my years of running this place.” 

Max feels that the economy has had a big impact on the ski industry this year. “It seems that the big destination ski areas are not doing that well, due to the high prices of lift tickets and lodging. Most of the smaller day resorts are doing great business,” he said. The best example of this success is looking no further than Exeter, Rhode Island where the great skiing and snowboarding conditions have drawn riders from all over Southern New England to Yawgoo Valley.

This brings us to the annual battle to decide who is really the “king of the hill” at the ski area.  In previous years, it has been arial tricks, massive jumps, and downhill racing as the competition venues. Last week, it was strictly a rail jam that involved various tubes, pipes, and actual metal rails.  Snowboard daredevils used these objects to launch off of, and then attempt wild skateboard influenced gymnastic feats of craziness.

As expected, it was local riders most knowledgeable of the quirky Yawgoo terrain, who dominated  their respective age group contests. There were three divisions and all were highly competitive. In the 12 and Under Final, it was North Kingstown’s Carter Lyle who dazzled the crowd with an array of “50-50 180” and “360” outs, several frontside board slides, and some smooth backside board slide “180” outs, back “180” ons and front “180” offs. Wakefield’s Noah Guarriello was close behind as he found some nice height off the rails and tubes for 2nd place. Sam Torres and Dylan Latham, both local North Kingstown riders finished up the final round in 3rd and 4th places respectively.

In the highly competitive 13-17 Year Old Final, it was Wakefield ace surfer/snowboarder Allen Santucci charging to the victory with an array of radical tricks off all the park toys. Santucci pulled off smooth tricks such as “front lip 270’s” back boards, nose press “270’s, front “180” on/ switch back “360” outs, front “540s” and front “270’s”. Jamestown’s top gun, Matt Boyle took the second spot, followed by newcomer Jake Smith from Richmond. Narragansett’s Brandon White made some smooth transitions into the final 4th place spot.

Meet organizer and longtime Yawgoo Valley rider Guido Silvestri judged the contest, and was very impressed with Men’s Open winner Dylan Gamache. “Dylan pulled off some amazing combinations and drew some innovative lines off the stuff we gave him to work with,” said Guido. “He was clearly the class of the contest.” Gamache grew up right down the street from the ski area in Exeter, and it showed with his  uncanny knowledge of the terrain. His combinations of front “540”s, hard way “180” on and offs, front “270” backs and offs, and switch back “360” outs dazzled the judges.

Another longtime Yawgoo Valley rider Marcus Rand of Saunderstown managed to unleash some nice combo boartdsides and “50-50” 360 outs with clean landings to take the second spot in the final round. It was Morgan Clark and Mike Hoey, both of North Kingstown, finishing in the 3rd and 4th positions in the final round.

Big credit should be given to the only female rider in the contest, Lydia Gamache, who surprised the crowd with some nice frontside and backside board slides, finishing up with clean transitions. All finalists received merchandise prizes from the following sponsors: Bond Clothing, Volcom, RVCA, Von Zipper, Electric, Ride Snowboards, 32, Vans, Smith, and Magical Go-Go. The contest was co-sponsored by the Yawgoo Valley Ski Area and the Civil Skate and Snowboard Shop.

P.S. Please note that in the photo ids, Cameron Lavallee is catching some elevation over the tubing.  Same Torres is actually grinding off a slide on the rail.  Please correct the captions previously emailed.

Cocoa, FL -  February 26, 2010 – Global Wave Ventures, organizer of the Boards & Waves Expo, announced the appearance of Drew Brophy, an award winning professional surf artist whose work has been featured in numerous surf and art publications as well as surfboards across the nation, at the event April 17^th and 18^th, 2010.

Drew not only paints works of art on surfboards, he’s been commissioned to design skateboards, wakeboards, bikes, guitars, shoes and clothing apparel.  His motto, “It’s my job to make things look cool” has no limits.  Recently, he illustrated and published his second children’s book, How to Draw with Drew Brophy published by Walter Foster Publishing.  Drew’s diverse creativity can be seen on his website, www.drewbrophy.com. 

 “I feel honored to be included as an artist with the shapers and pioneers of our sport at the Boards and Waves Expo.  I enjoy connecting with active surfers; they are what drive our sport and our industry.  Relationships with these people keep me in tune with what’s really going on,” says Drew.

The expo will be held April 17^th and 18^th, 2010 at the Cocoa Expo Sports Complex. It will feature some of the best surfboard shapers, manufacturers and artists from the surfing community.  Over 70 local and national exhibitors of surfboards, fins, surf accessories, Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and action sports are expected.

The event is open to the public and promises to educate those already involved in the sport or who want to learn.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Surfrider Foundation and the Cocoa Beach High Surf Team.

The Cocoa Expo Sports Complex is located in Cocoa, FL off I-95 and SR520, 10 miles directly west of Cocoa Beach.

Focus Surfboards Backdoor Haifa Champs go off in Israel
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - The FocusT Backdoor Pro was held in Bat-Galim Haifa, Israel on Feb 27, 2010. It was a great event with some fierce competitors who turned out to participate even in some stormy co …

Retailer Zumiez reports their comps climb during February
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - Zumiez Inc. announced that total net sales for the four-week period ended Feb. 27, 2010 increased 19.6% to $27.6 million, compared to $23.1 million a year earlier. Comparable stor …

La Biarritz Quiksilver Maider Arosteguy se déroulera Avril
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - La Biarritz Quiksilver Maider Arosteguy est l’une des plus anciennes compétitions de surf en Europe, elle est la première épreuve de l’année sur le territoire français. En 2010, no …

Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast runs through the quarterfinals
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
4 March, 2010 : - - Snapper Rocks, Queensland Australia — Round 4 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover has been called ON today with the opening heat hitting the water at 7:30am. …

Fuel TV promoting key executives Olivares and Tomlin..
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - Los Angeles — Fuel TV’s Vice President of Programming and Development, Shon Tomlin, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Programming and Marketing, it was announced today …

New South Wales Fire Brigade fights for win at Surfest
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - Merewether, Newcastle New South Wales — Members of the NSW Fire Brigade have claimed four of the five events contested in the Westfield Kotara Triple O Challenge held at Merewethe …

Ediana Putra, Agus Saputra win Rusty Gromfest Keramas
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - Today Nusa Lembongan’s Ediana Putra unleashed a barrage of explosive maneuvers enroute to victory at the first event of the three-part Rusty Gromfest series held at Keramas beach, …

South Africa, and the world, eye Smith & Slater match up
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - South African surfing ace Jordy Smith has set up a highly anticipated clash against former nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) after another scintillating performance i …

Tiago Pires earmarks prize money for island of Madeira…
Surfersvillage Global Surf News;
3 March, 2010 : - - On February 20, 2010, tragedy struck the idyllic Portuguese island of Madeira when heavy rains caused flash flooding and landslides, resulting in dozens of deaths with several peop …

Dear Everyone;

The East Coast’s ONLY “consumer expo for surfers”

 

The guys from Northeast Surfing are heading north to climb MT. Washington, New Hampshire. We plan on getting to pinkham notch, north of North Conway at around 7 or 8am, Saturday Morning, March 20th, 2010. From there we are planning on climbing up through the snow trails to the Tuckerman Ravine Bowl, where we will summit through the bowl and up over the steep headwall. From the top this time of the year we can ride, or ski, to the parking lot. We would love your company, and hope to bring a film crew. Here is some information below about Tuckerman Ravine, located on MT. Washington, New Hampshire. USA.

Tuckerman Ravine, on the east side of Mt. Washington in the White Mountain National Forest, is famous for its spectacular scenery, deep snow, and challenging terrain. Thousands of motivated visitors make the six-mile roundtrip to the floor of Tuckerman Ravine every year. Some push on to ascend the steep slopes above and a smaller number decide that a descent through Ravine is a good choice for them.

Tuckerman Ravine is located within the White Mountain National Forest and is thus managed by the US Forest Service. When added with its neighbor to the north, Huntington Ravine, the area forms the Cutler River Drainage, the most heavily used backcountry area on the White Mountain National Forest. You may visit any time of the year though the most popular seasons are the spring and summer. No matter when you come the most important rule of thumb is to plan ahead and prepare! The terrain can be overwhelming; the weather is often downright inhospitable; and the sometimes-sizeable crowds can cloud your perception of the Ravine’s actual remoteness.

by Peter Pan

I still remember surfing in the first New England Mid-Winter Surfing Championships on an icy cold Saturday in December of 1968. Connecticut surfing pioneer and New England ESA District Director Will Jacobs ran the event. It was called the Iceberg Open and it was held in 2-3 foot waves at First Beach in Newport. Narragansett surfers swept all three divisions. Final results were as follows: Women- Dale Terranova of Westerly, Junior Men- Warren Gerraty of Narragansett, and Men-Peter Pan of Narragansett.

The next year the contest was held right here at the Narragansett Town Beach. The surf was big and nasty that day. It was rough enough that those of us who advanced to the finals did so by riding into the beach and then running up around the seawall and hopping back into the surf near the Coast Guard House.

The wetsuits we used were primitive at best with most of the competitors in Parkway two piece diving suits or Dive N’ Surf one-piece front zipper suits. There was no such thing as 6mm wetsuits. Most of them were 3mm and would flush with the icy cold water. The boots and gloves were leaky and untaped 3mm style diving style….hardy suitable for the icy cold New England winter. Many of the top riders were on crude and experimental short boards, most of which were obsolete two months later. Kook cords (surf leashes) had not even been invented yet. When you wiped out you actually had to swim for your surfboard.

Westerly’s Scott Tasca got the biggest waves and rode them the furthest to win the Men’s title and Wakefield’s Donna Johnson captured the Women’s title with one big wave that held up right to the beach. This was the first contest that the newly chosen New England ESA District Director Doctor Colin Couture ran. Judges included  the super hot Boys sensation “Demmie” Rayta of Narragansett and former director Will Jacobs. It had been Rayta’s idea to do the event so Couture let him run the show.

Throughout the 40 years after that event, the contest has been held at just about every reef and beach break in Narragansett and Newport. The surf has ranged from less than one foot to 10 feet and the weather has been as balmy as 60 degrees with sun and as nasty as a raging blizzard with sub-zero air temperatures. At one event, the air temperatures were so frigid that  as the competitors removed their contest jersies, they froze in mid-air. The only way the next group of surfers could put them back on was to dip them into the 32 degree ocean water, which was warmer than the icy air.

New England ESA officials are hoping to get nice ridable waves and moderate air temperatures for this year’s contest, scheduled for February 20th at the town beach. “The ocean water temperature is about as cold as it gets….at 32 degrees,” said ESA Co-Director Ron Belanger of Westerly.  “We can do without the frigid air temperatures,” he said. “It just makes it hard to keep the contest moving along.”

Interestingly, this competition has never been cancelled. It has been postponed for lack of surf or because the roads were buried in snow and ice, but the show has always gone on. ESA New England Competition Director Mario Frade has his theory on the longest running winter contest in the world. “The surf is always better in the winter in New England,” he said. “We might have postponed the contest a week or two, but there is always another winter storm or nor’easter coming up the coast. Over the years we have had some epic surf conditions for this contest.”

Hyperflex Wetsuits of Millville, New Jersey is this year’s official sponsor of the event. All top finalists will win a a pair of the popular 6mm Oven MItt winter wetsuit mitts. Along with prizes, ESA competitors will receive full rating points for this first contest of the new 2010 season. The contest is on call for Friday night on February 19th after 6:00 PM on the ESA phone line 401-789-1954. Last minute updates will be given at that time. Non-ESA members can join on the beach. Entry fee is $20.00 which includes all events. ESA officials expect to see competitors from across the New England and the mid-atlantic states to participate in this year’s contest. “I have gotten emails and phone calls from New Jersey and Maryland,” said Belanger.  “If the roads are passable, we are looking forward to a good sized contest.”

Interested competitors can contact the ESA by email at bicsurf@hotmail.com for more information.  Signups will take place on the beach only.

On The Edge

Water Test Results

by Peter Pan

The 2010 edition of the Surfrider Foundation Blue Water Task Force ocean water testing cycle began two weeks ago in relatively calm seas off the local coastline. On January 23, volunteer surfers braved the frigid air and water temperatures to collect their samples at 12 of the area’s premier surfing breaks. Despite the fact that there had been no major storm activity, there was some evidence of water pollution found in the results that were released yesterday. Several groups of bacteria species are used to indicate the presence of human sewage and associated pathogens or disease causing organisms. In Rhode Island two groups are monitored in order to protect human health-fecal coliforms and enterococci.

The highest pollution readings came at the same two problem spots. Both K-39 and the Weekapaug Breechway tested at 41 and 42 enterococci per 100 mL of water samples. The Rhode Island Department of Health standard for recreational contact (swimming and surfing) is 35 enterococci per 100 mL. or less. This means that there were increased risks of contracting gastrointestinal illnesses from water contact at those two surf spots. Although the criteria for marine waters is higher at 104 enterococci per 100 mL. this does not mean that the ocean water was clean by any standards. Local surfers are advised to avoid swallowing ocean water and covering up the ears when surfing these areas. It is also wise not to surf with an open cut or sore. All other surf breaks showed an average of 10 enterococci per 100 mL. which was passable and clean by Rhode Island Department of Health standards.

In the other water test involving fecal coliforms the Scarborough Beach South area showed the highest pollution content at 13 fecal coliform per 100 mL. Both Conant Avenue and First Beach in Newport had readings of 10 fecal coliforms per 100 mL. The standard for pollution alert is 14 fecal coliforms per 100 mL. so while both surf spots are just under the minimum requirements for pollution it is advisable not to surf without covering the ears and avoiding swallowing the ocean water at both locations.

Some volunteers felt that if the heavy rains that followed the water testing had occurred earlier the pollution levels probably would have been substantially higher at all the breaks. Blue Water Task Force coordinator Lauren Russo of Charlestown said that she was very pleased at the first turnout of volunteer water testers and appreciated the fact that all the testers had to paddle out in the water early in the morning to get the samples on the 23rd. The next test will take place on February 6th. For more information on volunteering to collect the samples, interested participants are asked to email Lauren at lsrusso@gmail.com.