Pioneers Crew!!! How's life? You feeling the HYPE!!! Hurricane Irene is heading in our general direction! We're going to get waves for sure, but the quality and timing of those waves are a bit up in the air... However, I'm already hearing some great predictions... 25ft by Sunday, a repeat of the GREAT HURRICANE OF 1938, cloudy with a chance of meat heads. Either way the hype will continue to build through the weekend, that's for sure. Hopefully there is a lot more to come about Irene but until now let's just leave it at she's coming...
This past week was one for the record books her in NH. Thursday, the 18th, the Wounded Warriors project hit the beach and man did we hit it hard!!! True American heros surfed their brains out and shared an afternoon full of stoke! The event gets better every year and I was so happy to be a part of it this year. Huge shout out to all the men and women that both came to participate and to give their time and energy. The old saying pictures are worth a thousand words carries truth here, check it out!
Saturday and Sunday played host to the second annual MOLLY! Saturday was all about the kids and Sunday was all about the adults and their costumes... and man were there some good ones!!! This weekend was EPIC!!!! This is another one of those times when words just can't do what pictures do. Here are a few of my favorites!!!!
Well gang it's that time of year again, OUT WITH THE OLD, AND IN WITH THE NEW!!!
We've got a bit of everything on sale right now, in the tent we've got adult shoes for $30 a pair and kids shoes for $20. Last years snowboard gear has also made it's way down from the attic. We've got racks of jackets and pants at both 50% and 25% off. Snowboards out in the tent for 50% off as well as some really nice Ripcurl 3/2s. In the shop we've got surfboard deals, and skate decks starting at $40! Every day we're adding new deals to the bargin rack so stop in and have a look, it's a good time to score!!!
All day today, all day tomorrow, The MOLLY SURF CELEBRATION is the place to be!!!
The second annual Molly Surf Celebration is on for August 20-21st. We are going to hold the GROM event on Saturday, August 20th and the adult event on Sunday the 21st. We had such an amazing event last year that we decided to continue with the same theme. Yes, no need for the adults to bring their boards to the event because we will supply ALL of the surfboards. Before each heat, the adult surfers will draw the boards that they will have to ride in their heat from my COWBOY hat! FUN!!! The Molly Surf Celebration “vibe” is more of a festival than an actual “contest.” How uber competitive can you truly be if you happen to draw a 1967 Eaton or a 8’0 soft top rental board for your heat? The focus is having fun and enjoying the day in the water with all of our friends, so in order to take that fun to the next level we’re going to award the adult surfers with additional points if they SURF IN COSTUME!!! I have my Spider Man and Hannah Montana kits dialed and I’m ready for action. $20 is the entry fee for both the Groms and the Adults – we’ll have sign ups at 7:00am at 10th St at The wall on both days, so please mark your calendars and joins us for a weekend on the beach in order to CELEBRATE MOLLY!!! Please check the website weekly as we will post more details as we get closer to the August 20th weekend and all NH area surf shops will have The Molly Surf Celebration info/event fliers.
I was re-organizing my office the other day and I came across a card, a “thank you” card, which I received last year from a family that received support from The Molly Fund. Sometimes I get caught up in the chaos of life – trying to balance work, family, play, and The Molly Fund – and I lose sight on the big picture and the reason why Molly’s legacy continues with the Foundation. The thank you card was an instant reminder and I’d like to think that it was no accident that I re-discovered this family’s note. An amazing amount of people are helping drive The Molly Fund forward. We are raising a lot of money and by working with Dana Farber and The Jimmy Fund we are able to reach out and help so many families that desperately need the kind of financial support that The Molly Fund can provide. Meg and I are only a small part of what happens behind the scenes because we’re blessed to have the support of so many people that are always more than willing and only too eager to lend a hand and raise a few bucks in order to help families in need. I can honestly say that our friends, family, and our wonderful community enabled us to survive another year without Molly and somehow a sincere “thank you” can’t even begin to describe how truly grateful Meg and I feel. Looking back to July 12, 2009, I wrote that there has to be some good that will surface from Molly’s death. At the time, I had just lost my daughter. My only thought was praying for the strength to continue living, and I really had no idea what “good” could come from Molly’s death. But today all I have to do is open that “thank you” card and it all makes perfect sense. We’re doing some good things and it certainly takes an army to make it happen. We love you all and we are so very grateful for your help. Please join us as we celebrate Molly this summer. Go HERE for all the details:
The Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui will commence tomorrow Saturday, August 20, 2011, and with swell models projecting significant activity for the region, this year’s event is shaping up to be one of monumental importance.
Event No. 5 of 11 on the ASP World Title season, the Billabong Pro Tahiti comes at a crucial time in both the 2011 ASP World Title race as well as for surfers looking to solidify their positions amongst the world’s elite before the September rotation.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, current frontrunner in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, is cautious when discussing this year’s campaign, and with seven events remaining before year’s end, the Australian style guru is readying himself for the long road ahead.
“There have been four events and four winners so the ASP World Title race is wide open at the moment,” Parkinson said. “The first surfer to get a second win up there will have a big advantage moving forward. We’re going to have a pretty crazy run here in the next few months with nearly seven events back-to-back. You can definitely get some momentum going there.”
Parkinson will take on C.J. Hobgood (USA), 32, and Adam Melling (AUS), 26, in the opening round of the Billabong Pro Tahiti.
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and past three-time Billabong Pro Tahiti winner, is coming off a recent victory in Huntington Beach for the ASP Prime Nike US Open of Surfing. Winning the event on a quad-fin set-up, Slater plans on using similar equipment at Teahupo’o
“I plan to ride quad-fin setups in Tahiti this season,” Slater said. “Last year I rode it and it felt great. They're faster in barrels and have enough control. I feel like it's definitely an advantage if you have a good one.”
After missing the last ASP World Title event in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, Slater dropped to No. 6 on the ASP World Title rankings, but is admittedly motivated to perform well in Tahiti.
“I feel the motivation when I get there but now I have no room for error for the rest of the year,” Slater said. “Only two throwaways left now and I need to just lock in good results to have a shot at the title. It starts this week. I'm in a tighter spot than I thought. Could be a good thing – who knows?”
With the solid swell models projected for the event window, Slater maintains that this will play a major role in those who are successful at this year’s event.
“I'm expecting goofies to be a factor this season,” Slater said. “The Hobgoods (C.J. and Damien) and Freddy (Patacchia) and Cory (Lopez) to all have a good shot at any heat. It's going to be big and that will factor in for sure. It's going to be good finally and guys are going to be put in positions that are outside their comfort zone. We don't get that often on tour.”
Slater will face Daniel Ross (AUS), 28, and Heiarrii Williams (PYF), 23, in Round 1 of competition.
Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, current No. 11 on the ASP World Title Rankings and No. 6 on the ASP World Rankings, is well within the safe zone regarding the September rotation, allowing the talented Australian to focus on performance at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.
“I'm comfortable with where I'm at on the rankings for sure,” Buchan said. “I don't focus too much on them this early in the year to be honest. I'm just trying to do all the little things right that put me in a position to perform well. The back half of the year has been a strong point for me and I'm really looking forward to being on the road for the rest of the year and having no distractions and enjoying the competition. I love Tahiti and feel pretty comfortable there. Last year Kelly (Slater) beat me in the Quarterfinals but I was in the mix there on finals day and that’s the goal again this year.”
The first proper lefthander this season on the ASP World Title Series, the Billabong Pro Tahiti presents an excellent opportunity for goofy-footers to shine.
“It’s great to be at an out and out left because we really lack that balance on tour at the moment,” Buchan said. “I've been going there since I left school and although it hasn't been big for the event the last few years, I've put plenty of time in there on good big days in the past so I’m comfortable. You need to put your head down and go out there, but you can’t just be a cowboy because Teahupoo will slap you and you'll be in the Lagoon watching your heat from there!”
This year’s event will be shrouded in reverence for the defending champ and former three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) who was sensational at the venue. Irons passed away in November of last year.
“Andy (Irons) was the guy that in my mind had the best mix of skills and bravado there,” Buchan said. “He showed that again and again over the years. I think Kelly (Slater) is very comfortable there and the Hobgoods (C.J. and Damien) too.”
Buchan will battle Chris Davidson (AUS), 34, and Cory Lopez (USA), 34, in the opening round of competition.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, is calling for the first week of the contest waiting period to see plenty of swell. Medium size SW shifting SSW swell this weekend will be followed by slightly larger S swell for early next week. Long range charts indicate a very solid SSW swell could move in around Thursday/Friday the 25th-26th, with even more way out on the horizon.
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Chris Davidson (AUS), Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jadson Andre (BRA), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Raoni Monteiro (BRA), Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Daniel Ross (AUS), Heiarii Williams (PYF)
Heat 7: Owen Wright (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 10: Damien Hobgood (USA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Julian Wilson (AUS), Josh Kerr (AUS)
PAST EVENT CHAMPIONS:
2010: Andy Irons (HAW)
2009: Bobby Martinez (USA)
2008: Bruno Santos (BRA)
2007: Damien Hobgood (USA)
2006: Bobby Martinez (USA)
2005: Kelly Slater (USA)
2004: CJ Hobgood (USA)
2003: Kelly Slater (USA)
2002: Andy Irons (HAW)
2001: Cory Lopez (USA)
2000: Kelly Slater (USA)
1999: Mark Occhilupo (AUS)
CURRENT ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 10:
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 25700 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 24750 pts
3. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 22250 pts
4. Mick Fanning (AUS) 19500 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 18250 pts
6. Kelly Slater (USA) 16950 pts
7. Michel Bourez (PYF) 16000
8. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15000
9. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13900 pts
9. Owen Wright (AUS) 13900 pts
Tomorrow is the day. The Wounded Warriors will be hitting the beach!!! The party starts at the Wall @ 18th street. Come one come all, cheer these vets into and out of the water! Get them stoked! Make them smile! Share a laugh! Support those who have supported you!
This is always one of my favorite days of the year so come one, come all!!! SUPPORT!!!
There isn't a nicer guy in the world then Manny. He's been on the hustle for years BUSTING his ASS to get to where he is today. Seeing him stand on that podium at the Portland Dew Tour was the best. So happy and proud of this kid from Lowell making it happen and proving to every single kid out there that the WORLD IS YOURS if you want it!
Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, I'm writing to tell you that Pioneers is your Back to School HEAD QUARTER this season. If you're looking for a one stop shopping experience here we are.
We've got an amazing selection of footwear, pants, jeans, shorts, tee shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and backpacks. All you've got to do is cruise in let us know what you need and we'll take care of the rest...
Here is a quick list of some of the brands we stock;
Owen Wright goes hard. There’s no two ways about it. He rampaged through the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series, terrified the Star and Prime events and vaulted into the Rookie of the Year spot in 2010. With that in mind, Wright opted out of the US Open to further rehab a niggling ankle injury and then took his freshly-rehabbed hoof to Lombok’s infamous Desert Point to warm up for the upcoming Billabong Pro Teahupoo. Amidst a pumping southwest swell, Owen got a closer view of the reef than he would have liked. Tracks Magazine caught up with the current No. 9 on the ASP World Title Series to survey the damage. This…is their story…
Last Saturday at 1:22pm ninth ranked ASP world tour surfer Owen Wright suffered a nasty head injury surfing Desert Point on the Indonesian Island of Lombok. On an increasing southwest swell (a dangerously low tide) and just two weeks out from the ASP World Tour Billabong Pro event in Tahiti, Owen, unperturbed by the funky winds pulled into a solid pit only to be slammed head first into the hungry reef below. Tracksmag.com caught up with Owen for all the exclusive details of the accident, what equipment he’ll be riding at Teahupoo and his aspirations for the event.
I understand it was low tide, a little bit windy and the swell was quite west, but you decided to hit it anyway?
“The wind was a little onshore, but it wasn’t too bad. I went out to try and get a few barrels… I’d been over in Bali and hanging out with my mates and getting in some practice for Chopes [Billabong Pro Tahiti]. It was my second trip to Deserts – so I’d already scored – but then I was starting to push it a bit more and hunt the barrel a lot more, but with that swell being west you could really pull into some long sections and that time things didn’t really come off too well.”
And when you came up you had a handful of blood? “Yeah, well I popped up and I knew I’d hit. I was like: ‘Yep, that hurt.’ You know when you scratch the reef it’s like, ‘arghhh’. It hurts. This thing didn’t hurt that much, but as I paddled back out I looked down at my board, as you do, and saw all the blood and then I stuck my fingers so far inside my head.”
Did you think of Teahupoo then, like: ‘Oh, no I’m out of the water?’ “Not until I was sitting on the beach with all my mates trying to play doctor did it cross my mind. I was like: ‘How bad is it?’ And they were like: ‘Ummm.’ Not really giving me a proper answer and then I was like: ‘let’s just super glue it and butterfly clip over the top’ because the swell was coming up the next day. They were like, “yeah, kinda? But perhaps you should have a look in the mirror first” And then I did and I was like, ‘holy shit!’ Lets go get this stitched up.’
Even your friend Eddie ‘The Predator’ Blackwell suggested plastic surgery, it must have looked bad? “He was like, ‘Mate, you don’t want to end up looking like me, you better go home and get plastic surgery.’”
Was getting medical help a fairly scary proposition on Lombok? “Oh, hell-yeah, the first joint I went to, Ed and I walked in (he was kinda supervising for me), we checked out the equipment and there was blood all over the needle, over the operating table, and it was that dirty and the utensils were rusty – we just turned around and got out of there. Drove further on to another joint and bought all new stuff. We washed it out [wound] and they stitched it up, which we probably shouldn’t have done on the Island because of infection – that’s when it gets dangerous over there (when you get infection).”
Then you took the slow ferry back to Bali? No speedboats or helicopters for you? "Nah, this was a trip with the boys, none of that stuff. The ferry ride is kinda slow, and I had a good headache. I was going to stay and surf, it was picking up and getting stitched up and surfing again would have been good practice for Teahupoo but the gash got infected and I had to get out of there?”
It’s not the first time you’ve had stitches is it? "No. I’ve had a few stitches. But this is the first time I’ve ever taken antibiotics. I don’t get sick that much. I don’t like taking anything but when my head swelled up I was like, “shit”. In Bali they undid the stitches (that looked like shoe laces in my head), and left it open because of the infection. I’ve since been to hospital in Australia and they asked me what type of antibiotics I was taking and when I told them they said, “you need stronger ones!” Which was a bit scary but it’s all good they cleaned it all up and I have another appointment today. The wounds straight in front of my forehead [laughter] and your sinus’ are there so they got to check all that out."
So cosmetic stuff’s on hold, just deal with getting out of danger first?
“Yeah, the infection is the most important thing to get rid of. The doctor could not believe how infected it got – and so quickly. But I told him it’s a pretty dirty joint.”
Sounds like you’ll be sporting a healthy scar in Teahupoo, but after that maybe a fine slice and some plastic surgery?
“Nah, nah, that was just Ed giving me shit.”
So you’ll leave the scar no matter how bad it is? “I’ll run the Harry Potter scar.”
Not only were you working on your tube riding in Indonesia, but also your boards. Can you tell us a little about that process? “Yeah, I was travelling with Parish Byrne [son of Owen’s shaper Phil and a shaper in his own right], and a few of the boys from home [South Coast NSW] and we were all pushing each other, yelling at each other and that... and with Parish, we go over the boards with a fine tooth comb and sit around and talk about boards and fins and figure it all out.”
It looks like there’s a good swell hitting Teahupoo next week, what type of board to see yourself riding if there’s a decent swell? “I’m going to pull out a board that’s around two inches up from my normal board, so about a 6’3” or a 6’4”, bit bigger, and one that sits really low in the water – not above. Soft rails and a really deep double [concaved bottom] and my standard round tail – with a little extra foam up under my chest for paddling.”
Do you get a little extra glass or keep them for strength? “I’ll just make sure I have a fair few boards there, in saying that, Teahupoo boards do need to be a little stronger than normal, so there will probably be a little extra glass on there – but nothing too extreme.”
You currently sit ninth on the ASP World Title Rankings, knowing the type of competitor you are you’d want to climb higher and Teaupoo must be a place you feel you can do well? “I love left hand barrels, and I’m pretty excited actually just to get a left on tour that is hitting – so that will be fun. I definitely want to get a good result and move into the top five. I’m looking for a good result – I’d love to be up there in the finals.”
Have you ever paddled into a big wave at Teahupoo before? “I don’t think I’ve paddled into a real big one there, but I’ve been out there when I was around 16 on that swell where Andy [Irons] got shot out of that barrel in the air! When he took off and his foot came off, and he put it back on... I was out there that day trying to picture myself paddling into a big one like that.”
What about other fellow goofyfooted competitors who seem to do well there like Bobby Martinez (if he turns up?), Damo and CJ Hobgood? “Bobby is definitely one of the better goofyfooter’s out there – in fact all of the goofys are good out there. The Hobgood’s, Freddy P [Fred Patacchia] and Bobby. Even Ott’s [Kai Otton]. A lot of goofyfooters surf well there. Just watching them, they’re going to be going for it – especially because it’s the first left of the year.”
Andy, who was one of the leading innovators of backhand tube riding at Chopes (along with Kelly Slater), with the bum and hand drag technique, has given the natural footers a lot of confidence out there? “Andy definitely opened things up for the natural footers there. He dominated that joint on his backside. I don’t know how many wins he had there? But he opened it up for those guys to get great results there.”
Kelly just won the US Open, he’d be bummed he missed J-Bay, coming off a win he’ll be hard to beat out there too? “Yep, Kelly’s always hard to beat anywhere. I don’t know how many years he’s been on tour?”
Will you try get in the water as soon as possible or relax let your wound heal and get to Teahupoo fresh? “Yeah, just let it heal, it’s not too bad, it’s just going to be a good scar – despite Childsy [photographer Jason Childs] and Ed giving me shit about plastic surgery.”
We’ll keep an eye on the scar and give you an honest appraisal? “Let me know what you think at Chopes [laughing], at the moment it’s still looking preettttty good.”
Just got "the board" of bodyboards back in stock here at the shop. The board is called the Wave Skater Pro FF and as far as bodyboards go this thing is certified Bad-Ass. The 2011 Wave Skater Pro "FF" bodyboards utilize a one-piece EVA/PE construction with fully textured surfaces, dual taper pontoons, dual mini-channels, 50/50 rails, recessed stomach cavity and arm wells and ergonomic hand rails. As in the "Classic" versions, the textured surface adds extra lift on the bottom of the board and extra grip on its deck. And the dual pontoons make turning and maneuvering much easier than traditional bodyboards.
We currently have 48" x 23 1/2" x 3 1/2" - XL MONSTER in, it features;
- Nose width = 15"
- Widest point (23 1/2") is 20 1/2" down from the nose
- Tail width = 20"
- This board will support someone weighing up to 350lbs!!!
We also stock the full range of Wave Rebel and Hydro Bodyboards as well as fins, leashes, and all the accessories. Board prices start at $35 and you can be assured these boards are not gonna blow out on you in one day. Swing by to check em out!
Came across this video today on SurferMag.com about Aamion Goodwin and his round the world adventure with his family. Aamion is a under the radar surfer out of Hawaii, the dude charges pipe and gets huge barrels. He came in 4th at the Volcom Pipeline Pro last year earning him a spot in the Pipeline Masters this year. Can't say I know the dude but seems like the kinda guy I wouldn't mind kicking it with.
Their blog, titled The Goodwin Project, will be a first hand accounting of both The Goodwin's and the crew's experiences in front of, behind and away from the lens. They are traveling around the globe for one year just soaking it all in and giving back what they can. They Goodwins are currently in Iceland and you can see tons of photos of their travels thus far on their website/blog.
A teaser from the upcoming film and a description of their adventure to be...
"A young family leaves their home on Kauai. It is time to return to the itinerant path from which all things in their uncommon lives come; beginning and ending on a remote dot in the Pacific. They nomadically trace continents to places where waves meet their edges, envoys of aloha. It is what they will learn, what they bring others, what they will pass on to their children in the hyper-expanded classroom, the lab of direct being; a legacy passed from a father to his family.
An adventure cannot be written before it happens so the film remains untitled until it unfolds. Together with a small film crew the Goodwins will document how they are changed by their travels, and the effect they have on their acquaintances, hosts, friends and ticket agents as they circumnavigate our planet, through 18 countries and four seasons. This is the story of their encounters with the world.
They step into the current faithfully, inquisitively, boldly and with good will."
Well gang, at this point it looks like Emily is going to fizzle out and go bust on us... I could be wrong but from what I'm reading that looks to be the most likely scenario. If you're counting, Emily makes five named storms without so much as a taste of tropical waves. A short sighted surfer would whine and bitch about that fact but if you look at the statistics the 2011 Hurricane season is off to an active start. Remember, August just started and we've already had 5 named storms. What that's telling me is that the tropics are active we're on track to having a wave filled fall with many storms to come. So don't go burning your boards or lose it on a tourist yet. Keep surfing those knee high days so that you stay in surf shape and when the waves come you'll be rested and ready!
Remember to keep the stoke alive any way possible. Here is a quick clip of Ozzie Wright surfing a Wegner Tuna. We have two of these boards available for demo, all you gotta do is swing on by and pick one up to try. Waves will come, stay stoked!
After missing the last ASP World Title event in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, Slater dropped to No. 6 on the ASP World Title rankings, but is admittedly motivated to perform well in Tahiti.
