Remember the La Jolla spot in Mexico? Rip Curl served up the most spectacular event for the 2006 season there! The 44 WCT surfers simply drooled over the most perfect right-hander ever. Rip Curl are at it again, this time in the Arica region of Chile.

Contrary to most of the events on the pro circuit, the Rip Curl Pro Search WCT hold what is officially called an ASP Floating License, which means that it can set up wherever they want, depending on where the best waves are.

This year, Rip Curl has chosen South America and the Chilean coast to host a stage of Foster’s ASP circuit for the first time. The 4th stage of the Dream Tour will take place between June 20th and July 1st, in the delightful Arica region towards to the north of the country.

Neil Ridgway, Rip Curl’s International Marketing Director, is waiting impatiently for this new edition of the Search to start.

”After last year’s success in Mexico, we’re just can’t wait for June to arrive. These spots represent the spirit of the Search perfectly, the philosophy of the Rip Curl brand – blending the world class performances of the world’s 44 best surfers and one exceptional surf trip. Two years ago, Rip Curl was in St Leu (Reunion Island). Last year, it was Mexico’s turn to show off its perfect waves. In 2007, what can Chile throw at us…”

Rendez-vous LIVE on ripcurl.com to follow the hottest event on the tour from June 20th

The Extreme Academy will host the penultimate – and quite possibly decisive – round of the British Longboard Union series of surfing contests next weekend.

The country’s best longboard surfers will congregate at Watergate Bay on the weekend of 16th and 17th June to compete in the Oxbow Midsummer Classic, the fourth of five events which make up the 2007 BLU series.

With two events already completed and the third round in Jersey to be held the weekend immediately before (9th and 10th June), all eyes will turn to the renowned waves of Watergate Bay. With each surfer’s best three results counting towards the titles, the 2007 BLU Champions are likely to be decided there.

“With so much at stake for so many of the surfers, we anticipate the Oxbow Midsummer Classic will be one of the most compelling contests of the year,” said Will Ashworth, Managing Director of The Hotel and Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay.

“Watergate Bay is the local break for many of the top competitors, including Ben Skinner, Chris Thomson and Ben’s sister Sophie, and it will be fantastic to see them competing on home territory. The sandbanks have been in great shape all spring, and combined with a good swell we could be treated to a classic event.”

Two of the four divisions, the Masters and Juniors, are close to being decided following dominating performances from two surfers. Ben Haworth from North Devon has won both of the junior events so far this year, and a win in either Jersey or Watergate Bay would see him clinch the Junior Championship for a second consecutive year.

Similarly, Chris “Guts” Griffiths has won two events in the Masters division, and needs just one more win to guarantee him another title to add to his bulging trophy cabinet. One of Britain’s most successful competitors, the Swansea surfer won the European Longboard Championships in 1997 and 1999 and has won a dozen Welsh and British titles.

With two second places in two events, Porth’s Sophie Skinner is the most consistent surfer in the Ladies division this year. Marja Van Leuwen from St Agnes and Newquay’s Louise West have each won one event, and the next two events will be critical.

The Open division is also wide open after two events. Elliot Dudley from Wales and Newquay’s Adam Griffiths have each won one contest, with James Parry and Ben Skinner each claiming one second place. Skinner, who came second in the 2006 World Surfing Games, was joint winner of the 2006 Open division with Sennen’s Sam Bleakley.

Also in with a chance of winning the Open division is Masters Champion elect Chris Griffiths, who is the only surfer to have made the final of each event so far.

Gone are the days when flips flops were things you’d buy on your holidays to last you two weeks at most. Flip flops are becoming a more popular choice of footwear in all aspects of life and as such have been getting much more well made. We’ve had some Calafinas sent through to the Coldswell office this week from Merrell that are the highest quality we’ve ever come across. They certainly don’t come cheap at 40 quid a pair but you can see where your money is going. With a full grain leather upper, smooth pig skin lining and cow suede leather footbed your foot really feels like they are having a treat. The sculpted sole is very chunky like you might expect from a Merrell walking boot and contains an air cushion for added cushioning. You’d definitely never feel any stones through these bad boys. However it is the heavy soles that is the downside to these flip flops. Although you might be living in the height of flip flop luxury, if you are planning on doing a lot of walking the weight of the base can put a lot of strain between the toes. And even though they do look good enough to wear to the office, when you slip your foot out, the suede beneath your feet does look quite worn out pretty quickly. Merrell sandals have long been known globally for their comfort, durability and fashionable beach styles and the Calafina are no different. The build quality is second to none and they look fantastic, just don’t plan on wearing them for any long treks or the hefty weight might give you a bout of toe strain!

The UK leg of the Moskito Tour went off this past weekend in great 4 to 5 foot conditions at Fistral Beach!

With just under a 100 groms entering the 2 day event and great conditions throughout the weekend the UK leg of the European Moskito Tour has proved to be the best yet in 2007!

The event kicked off early on Saturday morning with a consistent 2-3 foot swell and light offshore winds giving competitors a great opportunity to show off their skills. With the rain holding off, and the promise of sunny skies ahead, the crowds at the beach were about to witness the UK’s best up and coming surfers in action.

The early rounds of the Under 12’s and Girls divisions got underway, with heats running back to back maximizing the great conditions on offer. From early on, 11 year old Harry Timson proved to be a surfer to watch out for, ripping through his early heats in the under 12’s division with some fantastic surfing.

Zoe Sheath (15) and Holly Donelly (15) cruised through the early girls rounds getting themselves into the final against other stand outs Kathlean Spears and Tassy Swallows.
It was Holly however who took the honors winning the girls division with some impressive surfing to seal the victory! Holly also posted the highest score of the event with a 9.17.
In the Under 12’s, Harry Timson convincingly took the win, with a high standard of surfing beyond his years, even managing to combo the other 3 finalists with a combined 2 wave score of 17.33! After the prize giving Harry said, “I’m really excited, I surfed well today and I can’t wait to get in the Under 14’s tomorrow, I’m gonna try and win that too!” Harry walked away laden with prizes from the event sponsors.

Competitors were greeted with an increase in swell size on Sunday morning. With a solid 4 to 5 foot shorebreak pounding the high tide mark at Fistral event directors were pleased to have completed the under 12’s division the previous day. “The shorey was pretty heavy,” Phil Richardson said, “some of the younger kids were amped for it but you can’t expect everyone to get out there, especially if they don’t know the break at Fistral as well as others.”

The first round of Under 16’s got underway from 9am with all 8 heats running back to back, followed by the quarter finals of the Under 14’s division. As the tide dropped the swell started to pick up on the good banks at Fistral, providing perfect 4 to 5 foot competition waves.

Again, youngster Harry Timson was proving to be a formidable contender, cruising through his heats in the under 14’s and working his way into the semis with some impressive surfing in the larger conditions. Leon Mansfield (14) also showed off some great moves, putting in powerful turns and high performance maneuvers throughout his heats, working his way into the Under 14’s final.

In the Under 16’s heats Jack Butler (16) and Toby Donachie from Constantine showed off some fantastic surfing, with Toby posting the highest Under 16 combined score of 16.90. Jack was unfortunate not to make the final but Toby powered through to meet the other 3 finalists – Josh Hughes, Stuart Campbell and Josh Piper.

The final of the Under 14’s kicked off in excellent mid-tide Fistral surf. From the outset Leon Mansfield posted high scores and looked set to win the heat hands down! His high standard of surfing and wave selection was phenomenal and he was rewarded by the judges high scores, combo’ing his fellow competitors with a 16.00. When the hooter sounded for the end of the heat it was obvious who had won.

The final of the Under 16’s was the most competitive heat of the event with all 4 surfers working hard to claim the win. With some great surfing Toby almost had the final in the bag and was getting ready to claim the win but in the dying moments of the heat Stuart Campbell rode an excellent wave from way outside, whacking it all the way through to the inside, and scored well for it, getting the score he needed to steal victory away from Toby.

The awards ceremony signaled the end of the 2 day event, with all finalists being awarded a mass of prizes from the event sponsors, including the latest sunglasses from Electric, clothing from Santa Cruz and Board bags and other goods from Globe.
During the prize giving the lucky winner of the highly sort after limited edition Santa Cruz G-Deck surfboard was awarded via a raffle draw.

With kids of all ages entering the event, the youngest competitor being 8 year old Angus Scotney from St Mawgan, the UK leg of the Moskito Tour was deemed a huge success!

Phil Richardson, Marketing Manager for Electric Europe, said “I’m really stoked with how the event went off, we couldn’t have asked for better conditions, the standard of kids surfing in the UK is as good as anywhere in Europe! I was really impressed with the way the kids attacked the surf and also with the UK surf scene”.

Brad Hockridge, Santa Cruz Europe, said “The event was a great success, we were blessed with great waves for competitors to show off their potential. We flew Matt ‘Ratt’ in from the States and we were stoked to see him throwing some big maneuvers in the UK surf and for him to be on hand to explain the Santa Cruz Epoxy board revolution.”

The Moskito Tour now heads to Santander in Spain to get the best out of the Spanish groms!

Read the rest of this entry »

What do you normally do when between sessions or when the surf just doesn’t appear? Well this summer we have a new suggestion. Do you remember Twister? Yes, that game where you had to bend yourself around your chums on a smelly plastic mat? Well now you can get The Twister Beach Towel!

This huge beach towel is not just for drying yourself or for lying on while soaking up the rays with but for getting stretchy with your mates in your swimwear whilst slathered in sun oil on the beach. Perfect for keeping your joints supple and flexible, ready for your next surf. The towel comes with a pair of tethered inflatable oblong dice that you lob about to find out where to stick your bits. The beaches of the world will never be the same again.

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”.

After rocking France, Spain, and Portugal the 2007 Moskito Tour is on its way to Newquay!

With great contest waves predicted for the coming weekend, UK grommets are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Moskito circus to blow into town and get the event underway. With many grom’s pre-registering for the event, via the Moskito Myspace page, the forthcoming weekend is looking to be packed with competitors surfing heats back to back.

The 2007 Moskito Tour kicked off at the end of April with the first event at Costa Da Caparica in Portugal and then headed straight onto Les Sable d’Olonnes in the Vendee region of France followed by a great event at La Torche in Brittany.

So far La Torche has provided the most testing conditions with strong winds, rain and stormy surf which the 34 competing grommets found challenging. However its the 4th leg of the tour that is looking set to give UK groms the best of the Moskito so far!

Considered by many the epicenter of the UK surf scene, Fistral Beach will be playing host to the UK leg of the 2007 Moskito Tour, the first time the event has come to the UK. The South West surfing fraternity and their kids are counting the days, with local Newquay grommets like Harry “The Weiner” Timson (11) amping for the arrival of the event. Talking about the event Harry said “I’m really amped! I’m aiming to win all my heats and try my hardest in all the older divisions, I can’t wait until the weekend!”

Alongside the best junior surfing in the UK the Moskito Tour will be providing the opportunity of an FCS test drive centre, to try out the latest fin designs, and a Santa Cruz surfboard demo day where US pro rider Matt “The Rat” Schrodetz is flying in from the Sates and will be on hand to explain the epoxy revolution!

The UK leg of the Moskito Tour 2007 will be taking place at Fistral Beach in Newquay on 2nd and 3rd June. The event is open to all levels of surfing with divisions of:
– Boys 12 and under
– Boys 14 and under
– Boys 16 and under
– Girls 16 and under (Girls are also eligible to enter all boys divisions)

The event will begin from 8am on Saturday morning with event inscriptions closing at 9:30.
To pre-register for the event visit the Moskito Tour 2007 Myspace page at: www.myspace.com/moskitotour2007 or email [email protected]. For more details call the British Surfing Association directly (01637 876474) or visit www.electricvisual.com.

The Moskito Tour 2007 is presented equally by – Electric, Santa Cruz, Globe and FCS

Europe’s biggest surf, skate and music Festival, the Rip Curl Boardmasters, will return for it’s 26th year to Newquay from 6th – 12th August 2007.

As a premier lifestyle and Music Festival, the Rip Curl Boardmasters has gone through massive evolution since it’s early days. Born during Britain’s pro surfing explosion in the 1980s, the Boardmasters festival has welcomed a number of surfing’s World Champions. Now spread across the whole town of Newquay in over three sites, the festival features a huge range of activities that entertain around 220,000 visitors each year, heavily boosting the tourism industry within the South West area.

The Rip Curl Boardmasters events include a $100,000 5* Men’s World Qualifying Series† (WQS) surf contest, a Women’s 3* WQS $15,000 event, Vans Summer Session Vert and Eastpak Miniramp skate contests, a huge trade village and Foster’s Beach bar. The festival’s music event, Unleashed, will also return for a 3rd year at the stunning cliff top location of Watergate Bay, arguably the country’s most unique location for a live music event and previously headlined by major music acts including Feeder, Razorlight and James Blunt.

This year’s headliner for Unleashed is rising star Paolo Nutini, confirmed for Saturday 11th August with support act The Guillemots. Further headline acts for the festival’s remaining nights are to be announced. In addition to the Unleashed rock festival, the musical offering at the Rip Curl Boardmasters continues to grow. The Foster’s Beach Bar on Fistral Beach will host seven nights of live music at the ‘Beach Sessions’ presenting a selection of artists across a plethora of musical tastes from reggae soul to rock and punk.

The Rip Curl Boardmasters is the UK’s longest running surf event held at the country’s most famous beach break. The International surf contest hosted over the week-long festival is considered the start of a series of European Events on the gruelling WQS circuit and is visited by the World’s hottest surfers.

The Vans Summer Session is the biggest vert skate comp in the UK, if not Europe and is a massive highlight of the entire Rip Curl Boardmasters Festival. Skaters are invited from around the World to challenge for the coveted Summer Session Crown and the $20,000 prize purse!

Tickets for Unleashed cost £25 each night or £45 for a weekend ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketweb.co.uk (search for Rip Curl) or call Ticketweb’s 24-Hour charge-by-phone on 08700 600 100

For further information on the Rip Curl Boardmasters visit www.ripcurlboardmasters.com

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.