Down the Line Surf Talk Radio, from the April 17th show.
Brought to you by the ‘Stand-up Round-Up’ Flat Water Festival and Board-works Knockout Race on Sunday, May 1st, at Bonita Cove. All of the stand-up paddle industry manufactures will be down there with their boards – this is a chance for you to get out and try out some flat water boards. It’s a great way to get in shape, do some paddling; bring your family out, it’s going to be an all-day affair featuring a friendly knockout race to cap the afternoon.
The New Centaura Surf Company will cruise you around in comfort and style on their fully modernized surf vessel, the Pelarue. Visit Indosurfboat.com to book the trip of a lifetime.
We have more news on the Travis-sham mockery of the decade, the 9/11 of ocean tragedies. Last week, the fire was stoked on Down The Line Radio regarding the news that up to 7.5 million times the legal limit of irradiated waste is being disposed of into the oceans off the coast of Japan as a result of their problems with the nuclear reactors in tsunami effected territories. The main focus of the discussion was on the response that the Surfrider Foundation and other various organizations were arranging to counter-act the illegal procedures. We should note that it is understandable for a certain type of aftermath to result after calamities of this scale, but for there to be no reaction on the part of individuals and organizations who claim to facilitate ocean activities is completely unacceptable. While the main thrust of the blame was cast upon the big name foundations, such as Surfrider, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, even major brands in surfing, fishing, diving, or boating could easily get involved by offering services or donating money. A major movement needs to be seen within the surf industry itself to contribute funds to this cause. The official response from the Surfrider Foundation is that their only course of action is to refer people to the Japanese Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation with donations. The organization has maintained its position that is will not request sums of money from large organizations, but prefers to help make an impact by connecting individuals with those in need of money or services. The official statement of Down The Line Surf Talk Radio is simply 100 for 100. Bassy has initiated the first $100 donation, followed by Surfrider President Jim Moriarti and other personal friends. The idea is: 100 people donate $100, equaling $10,000 – the Surfrider Foundation matches the funds raised. Unfortunately, the Surfrider Foundation is not known to offer such large amounts of money for aid situations, as they do not have the funding or man-power to generate those sums. The sentiment has been offered that “if now is not the perfect time to change that[Surfrider’s] mentality, when would be?” Before we can expect any large contributions from major organizations, we must find ourselves personally accountable. You can join the effort on Facebook and be part of the 100 for 100 movement.
Rip Curl has mustered up a lot of press this week regarding the Indonesian tidal bore known as ‘Seven Ghosts’. This phenomenon of nature is a true wonder to see, with up to 20 barreling lefts lined up next to each other across the span of the river. The tidal bore is created a few times a year as the moon swings its gravitational focus upon the little Indonesian island and the tide fills in to form this mystical, swirling perfection. One wave can be ridden for up to an hour and a half as it rushes down the river but as a result it is a tow-in wave only. Check out the footage below:
Soul Surfer: the Bethany Hamilton story, premiered at number four at the box office its opening week, reaching $10.6 million in sales. The movie had high hopes but it is uncommon for surf movies to make a huge impact in Hollywood. It not only has outdone itself regarding opening sales, but is also captivating its audiences with great surfing and an inspiring message. The story resonates with many different groups of viewers and is a great family movie. It is a film about surfing, triumph, living, learning, hardships, and ultimately being true to yourself. You can see it at a local theatre near you.
Dancing with the Stars: Australia, has hooked up with its newest star; former surfing world champion, Marco Jay Luciano Occhilupo. Marc ‘Occy’ Occhilupo is known by many to enjoy his fair share of karaoke, and may have even displayed a slight ’groove’ from time to time, which should make his transition to the dance floor a smooth an easy one. His professional dance partner is professional dancer Jade Brand. Which high profile American surfer could you see in the American version of Dancing with the Stars? Gerlach? Slater? Machado? Let’s make it happen.
Alana Blanchard. Need we say more? Alana Blanchard has become the Anna Kornikova of surfing, trade marking the women’s surf industry with her gorgeous looks and ever-shrinking bikini. Photos of her rarely display any surfing, preferring to market wetsuits, swimsuits, and surf gear through the age old adage of ‘sex-sells’. I don’t think too many people are complaining. Her celebrity has superseded her surfing ability and she has been able to create a brand of herself by attaining a certain pop status. We should keep an eye on Alana, because we want to witness the evolution of this young surfing powerhouse - who are we kidding?
Rattlesnake season is here and Southern California is known to be a hotspot for dangerous snake bites. Many people will underestimate the range and speed with which a coiled snake can strike. Bites will often occur when humans startle the snake or provoke it, and you should be particularly careful when you come across items that can shelter a snake such as fallen trees or large rocks. Rocky outcroppings and ledges are the most popular places for rattlesnakes to sun themselves but you can often find them in the middle of a trail trying to get warm. If you are walking down any trails or paths that are brushy or overgrown, maintain a keen sense of awareness as you can find these snakes in very uncommon of familiar places and if you do encounter a snake, allow it room to retreat. As the weather warms up and the spring rains fall, the snakes begin to search for food or shelter, often crossing well known walking or jogging routes. They are very aggressive and can attack without being provoked. If you plan on going into any area that is habitable by rattlesnakes you should keep a very close eye out on the ground as well as areas just off the path. Often simple precautions and awareness can make the difference between seeing a rattler and being bitten.
The 50th anniversary of the competition held at Bells Beach in Austrailia will kick off on April 19th. The extensive history of this event sets it apart from any other event on the tour - it being the only venue that has more than twenty years in running competition. Couple that with the incredible list of former world champions that also share the Bells title and it becomes a storied tradition among surfing culture worldwide . Previous Bells Champion, Mark Richards is quoted as saying, “this is the only trophy that matters in surfing and the rest of them are bullocks.” It is a place that lies close to the heart of local surf culture and ‘a Bells run’ is a long-lasting Australian surf tradition. A few names to consider as frontrunners for the title are Owen Wright, Julian Wilson, Adam Melling, and of course, Kelly Slater. Although regular-footers usually have the run of the break, we may see some radical backside wave riding from some of the ‘goofies’ on tour. Although we have 32 different surfers to watch, most bets are that one of the guys from the top ten will be leaving with the trophy. The amount of surfers on tour seems to be superfluous as most viewers are really only interested in watching those matchups featuring the top ten or twenty surfers, something that usually only happens in the later rounds of the contest. We’ll leave you with a quote from Jeff Baldy Baldwin to sum it up: “Everyone’s going to be ripping, but if you’re rated 20 or below, you could have the best heat of your life, but nobody cares…isn’t it a sad truth.”
The San Diego North County Senior Olympics Surfing Event will be held on Saturday May 7th, at Oceanside Harbor. There will be various age brackets within the ‘senior’ category so that you can participate with your friends and peers. Jon Rinehart of Rinehart Insurance is organizing the event and is volunteering a large amount of time. Go to www.SDseniorgames.org to sign up for the SDNC Senior Olympics.
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