Billabong Teams With Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters
Friday, June 1st, 2007
Billabong has announced a new special limited edition, Signature Red Hot Chilli Peppers boardshort for summer 2007. A red and black colour palette coupled with bold stripes fading into the Pepper’s signature logo, fit the image of the band perfectly, tying the rock & roll attitude championed by the RHCP’s and the loose functional fashion of the surf culture.
While not a Signature Model item specifically endorsed by one of Billabong’s top professional surfers, the boardshort has been prominently worn by team riders like Junior World Champion Jordy Smith.
In keeping with the music relationship Billabong initially developed with surfing stars like Donavon Frankenreiter (now with a hit CD of his own) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billabong will be continuing a Signature Boardshort Series model designed by the Foo Fighters. It will continue to be personally endorsed and worn by World Champion Mark Occhilupo. Graphics for the board short will include a raging bull, Occy’s moniker.
Fittingly, the boardshorts were released in conjunction with a new Billabong editors cut “Occumentary,” starring Occy himself. The digitally re-mastered and re-edited version of the classic surf film in DVD format for the first time includes a number of tunes by the Foo Fighters, including the aptly titled “My Hero”.
Billabong has announced a new special limited edition, Signature Red Hot Chilli Peppers boardshort for summer 2007. A red and black colour palette coupled with bold stripes fading into the Pepper’s signature logo, fit the image of the band perfectly, tying the rock & roll attitude championed by the RHCP’s and the loose functional fashion of the surf culture.
While not a Signature Model item specifically endorsed by one of Billabong’s top professional surfers, the boardshort has been prominently worn by team riders like Junior World Champion Jordy Smith.
In keeping with the music relationship Billabong initially developed with surfing stars like Donavon Frankenreiter (now with a hit CD of his own) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billabong will be continuing a Signature Boardshort Series model designed by the Foo Fighters. It will continue to be personally endorsed and worn by World Champion Mark Occhilupo. Graphics for the board short will include a raging bull, Occy’s moniker.
Fittingly, the boardshorts were released in conjunction with a new Billabong editors cut “Occumentary,” starring Occy himself. The digitally re-mastered and re-edited version of the classic surf film in DVD format for the first time includes a number of tunes by the Foo Fighters, including the aptly titled “My Hero”.
They seem simple enough — molded rubber slip-on clog-like shoes. So what’s so special? A lot … But, first, what are Crocs? They are a mix of clogs and comfort, made of a patented closed-cell resin that is said to be warmed by your feet so they soften and mold to their shape. The molded material is extremely lightweight, cushy, has a built-in arch support, has anti-slip soles and is anti-microbial. Plus, being one molded piece of material, you can get ’em dirty, then rinse ’em off. And, being a rubbery material, you can get ’em wet, then let ’em dry without any damage. You can take the back heel strap and leave it behind your heel or pivot it so it sits on the top of the shoe, transforming it into a true clog. With slip-resistant soles, these shoes were originally designed for boaters and fishermen to wear on slippery decks. But with holes around the bottom for plenty of ventilation allowing air, sand and water to pass through, it makes them perfect for the beach!
Nike 6.0 Air Mogans are one of the coolest looking shoes in the Nike 6.0 “nerd” lineup. You can get them in some striking sporty color combos, and corduroy. But looks aren’t everything – and Nike 6.0 Air Mogans are good for skateboarding as well. They’re double stitched and lighter weight, so they won’t last as long as some of the other heavy duty skateboarding shoes on the market, but they do reach a good balance between skatability and style. Plus, if you have the money, these Air Mogans match really well with some of the clothes available in the Nike 6.0 Nerd lineup!
We recently got some of Arnette AN 3044 sunglasses sent through. Personally, I’ve never been keen on Arnette glasses in the past, I felt they always looked just like any other random surfing style gigs. These ones are however quite different with a large, sleek shape hinting at the trend-setting styles emerging from the fashion arena. A look that fuses sport and fashion to satisfy the need for both style and function. It combines these elements with Arnette’s technical experience in wind and sun protection and extreme lightness as the full wrap frame and large eye shield lenses provide full protection from the sun and the elements and has the Arnette wings logo running down the beefy arms.
This product helps to remove trapped water in your ear after being in the water, it also kills bacteria that can cause ear infections. Swim Ear is a must for surfers that have trouble with water getting stuck in their ears after a hardcore session. We tried it out on a recent trip to the Canary Islands and it seemed to work a treat, all you need to do is add a few drops in each ear and it doesn’t take long for you blocked ears to dry out!
We’re always interested in surfing innovations and we’ve been sent another one this month with the OllyPop Surf Towel. It claims to be the only surf towel that is also a surf training device. Catering for both regular and goofy footers the OllyPop towel has an illustration of a surfboard printed on it with footprints and handprints which are supposed to train people learning to surf where to position themselves on a board when popping up. The towel itself is a bit on the thin side if you are planning to use it for drying purposes but it seems like a great gift idea if you don’t know what you want to get that wanna be surfer! Visit their website for more information at 
Lots of new surfing products pass through the office at coldswell.com and many of them are very nice but very occasionally something lands on our desk that really impresses. When we came across the new Bubbleloc thermal rash vest from Stik Up we thought that those board hanger people are now jumping on the band wagon and selling bits of surf wear. It wasn’t until we opened the package when we realised exactly why the innovators at Stik Up were sending us one of their rash vests. A rash vest that is definitely not like any other rash vest we’ve ever come across before. 
Stik Up’s latest innovation is a sturdy velcro sealed pocket on the back of the vest containing a thick rubber PakPak pouch attached by a leash which apparently has a water tight seal which has been tested to 50m depth to keep your car keys, immobiliser or favourite chocolate bar completely dry. The vest itself is made of thick, high quality lycra and is very comfortable to wear. To say we were impressed is an understatement. It is a truly revolutionary garment, why has nobody come up with this idea before?
Now we are heading into the summer season Oakley have kindly sent us through some of their new Crosshair polarized sunglasses to test drive. They have taken the classic aviator style and refined the frame and lenses for sun protection that’s right on target. If you’re wearing a pair of these bad boys there is no doubt you’ll be making your pals green with envy, we’ve been fighting furiously with each other over the samples we’ve had through. They are incredibly comfortable and adjust perfectly when you go from bright sunlight into the shade so you can keep them permanently fixed to your face. These glasses are on the lighter side for Oakley but they are incredibly sturdy. The frame design also allows good peripheral vision. Check out their full range at 
Footprint’s Surfing Europe Book is described as the definitive surf travel guide to Europe and it’s not far wrong. This book covers over 600 surf spots in Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and the Canary Islands. It includes tips and anecdotes from some of Europe’s top surfers such as Russell Winter, Eneko Acero and Tiaro Pires and international legends such as Dan Malloy, Pat O’Connell and Nat Young.
If you thought Stormrider was good, it is nothing compared to the attention to detail that has gone into this masterpiece. When and what conditions the breaks work under, how to get to them, are the ‘locals’ friendly, and the poor surfer’s vital info like where you can get away with free-camping without arrest and the best places for a night out. The information within this book is spot on with the sort of insider info you can only get from someone whose spent a lot of time there. Unlike some similar books like this, it was obviously written by a real surfer who knows the area, not by someone who just pestered the tourist office and wrote the answers down. It gives the real info real surfers need and even has the essential Spanish “pulling” phrases! With 240 pages, 88 colour photographs by some of the World’ leading surfing photographers, 13 maps and city guides this is a must for every surfer, planning a cool trip to Spain. For more details visit 
At last the classic 60’s surf film Big Wednesday is available on DVD and is still as good as ever. If you’ve never seen it then amongst the backdrop of incredible surfing scenes, comes the story of 3 guys growing up under the uneasy shadow of the Vietnam war. But life throws up it’s own set of problems and hard decisions for the lads to take. And the escape is the water, the swell and the search for the perfect wave. The complexity of the different personalities lends an endearing quality to the whole production and a magnaninous end that leaves you choking for breath. The thumping soundtrack of classic sixties tracks rams it all home of course.Coming forward to present times, it hasn’t gotten any easier. And this wonderful film reminds you that life’s a beach, a VW Camper, a board and beer. Enjoy.
