Based out of Bozeman, MT Spark R&D is rider owned and operated, dedicated to pushing innovation in the sport of splitboarding, since 2005. With a view of the Bridger Mountains from our shop, we design and build splitboard bindings and accessories with backcountry performance coming first.
All of the products are manufactured and/or assembled in a small shop in Bozeman, Montana USA. From machining to anodizing, laser engraving to assembly– everything is done by a skilled team of workers who are also passionate splitboarders. In-house design and manufacturing capabilities allow our products to quickly evolve and provides us the flexibility to cater to niche customers within the splitboarding market. Spark R&D continues to step it up; seeking perfection based on customer needs and rider feedback, keeping pace with the rapidly expanding splitboarding community.
We are really excited to be working with Spark R & D in the upcoming 2011/12 season. We currently have both bindings pictured here available at the shop. Splitboarding in NH is on the come up!!!
The wife, dog, & I recently spent a little time up in Maine. Acadia is beautiful this time of year and it was hard to leave. I brought the rocket but there just wasn't anything breaking anywhere... maybe next time. Just thought I'd share a couple of my favorite photos, enjoy.
This is the best ever and I just had to post it!!! If you ride a ...Lost then you know exactly what I'm talking about... If you're still not riding a ...Lost, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?????
Make sure to go directly to ...Lost and check it out! They are also giving away prizes if you've got something good to add to the list.
Kelly Slater has won his fifth Hurley Pro at Trestles title, defeating Owen Wright in a hard-fought Final that saw the iconic Floridian overtake the young Australian in a last-minute exchange with a final score of 17.50 to 16.74. As for Slater last minute 9 point ride, I'm not entirely sure that was the right score but I'm not in the judging booth. Had I been, that heat would have went to Owen and I'd be writing a different blog here. Check the heat replay HERE and have a look for yourself.
Either way you see it, Slater and Wright’s third consecutive Final bout marks a first in ASP history, as no two competitors have faced off in three successive ASP Dream Tour Finals – a noteworthy statistic in sparking this new rivalry in the battle for the ASP World Title.
Slater roared to life on the Final day, unloading the highest heat-total of competition, 18.40 out of 20 in the Semifinals, and maintained his lethal form throughout the day’s entirety with a consistent display of new-school airs and patented carves to clinch his unprecedented 48th elite ASP World Tour victory and third of the season.
“Owen is tough and he’s been surfing great,” Slater said. “There really are no weak points to his surfing and he’s going to be a standout in every spot. A lot of the guys tried to get him this week and I got lucky in that last exchange. I was taking the first wave of the set under his priority and once I got priority I wanted to wait. It almost looked like there wasn’t a wave after Owen’s. It’s been fun surfing against Owen and surfing Lowers. It’s been a great week and thanks everyone for the crazy support, it’s been wonderful.”
Wright, current No. 2 on the ASP World Title rankings, has continued to build momentum throughout his sophomore year amongst the ASP Top 34 and dispatched of a rampaging Mick Fanning and rookie prodigy Julian Wilson en route to his rematch against Slater, but was unable to solidify the victory over the veteran in the Final.
“I’ve been enjoying the rivalry,” Wright said. “We’ve had some great heats and the last three finals have been great. I’m glad the sets came through at the end. It was a bit of a dud final but I’m glad that last exchange came though at the end. It made it exciting.”
Julian Wilson was a standout throughout the Hurley Pro at Trestles, earning the highest single-wave score of 9.80 as well as the second-highest heat-total of 18.23 in his Quarterfinals win over Joel Parkinson and consistently unloaded some of the most progressive maneuvers of the contest.
“I had a bit of fire after yesterday, not against Joel, but just to show that I could beat him,” Wilson said after his Quarterfinal win. “I’ve dreamed about surfing against Joel and Mick my whole life and yesterday gave me a lot of confidence to go against him today.”
The young Australian got off to a slow start in his Semifinals matchup versus Owen Wright after an interference and was unable to rebound, finishing equal 3rd overall. Wilson now sits at No. 11 on the ASP World Title Rankings.
Heitor Alves who finished equal 5th in New York, continued his giant killing spree at the Hurley Pro Trestles, defeating ASP World Title campaigners Taj Burrow and Adriano de Souza before falling to Slater in the Semifinals to earn his career best result of an equal 3rd place finish.
“Thanks God for everything in my life,” Alves said. “This is a good result for me. Adriano is a good surfer, he rips this wave and surfs very well. This is a great event for me and I enjoy this wave.”
Alves’ performance moves him from No. 20 to 14 on the ASP World Title Rankings.
The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season will be the Quiksilver Pro France from October 4 – 13, 2011.
HURLEY PRO AT TRESTLES FINAL RESULT: 1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 17.50 2 – Owen Wright (AUS) 16.74
HURLEY PRO AT TRESTLES SEMIFINALS RESULTS: SF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.40 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 16.57 SF 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.74 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.04
HURLEY PRO AT TRESTLES QUARTERFINALS RESULTS: QF 1: Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.77 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.50 QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.60 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.07 QF 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 15.67 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.67 QF 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 18.23 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.93
HURLEY PRO AT TRESTLES ROUND 5 RESULTS: Heat 1: Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.74 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.80 Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.27 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.97 Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.23 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 10.27 Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.67 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.37
CURRENT ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 10 (After Hurley Pro at Trestles) 1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 44,950 pts. 2 – Owen Wright (AUS) 39,900 3 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 35,400 4 – Adriano de Souza (BRA)31950 5 – Josh Kerr (AUS)30,800 6 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 29,250 7 – Mick Fanning (AUS)28,200 8 – Jordy Smith (ZAF)27,500 9 – Jeremy Flores (FRA)23,700 10 – Michel Bourez (PYF) 22,250
Despite having three decades of product innovation under their belts, the designers at Burton are still coming up with big ideas, like how to make high-performance boards smaller. With our 2012 Best of Test top finisher, The Nug & Nug Directional, they’ve done just that. Conventional wisdom has long dictated that a good overall board length should hover around one’s chin but the Nug is meant to be ridden 8-10 cm shorter than your regular board.
By tweaking tip and tail geometry, contact-point flexes, waist width, and camber in a way that compensates for the condensed size, The Nug not only achieves the stability of a conventionally sized setup, but improves upon performance due to the lively characteristics it gains from reduction of weight and materials. To ensure that The Nug can handle all the same conditions as a normal board, Burton has also integrated its V-Rocker reverse camber, Jumper Cable suspension, and Frostbite edges into this compact package. Easy to throw around, light under foot, and surprisingly floaty, it also features V-Rocker, a slight taper in the Nug Directional, and Side Effects to further enhance quickness and floatation. For these reasons riders from the White Mountains to the Sierra Nevadas proclaimed The Nug their top choice in the 2012 Best of Test.
Website: burton.com Best of Testimonials
“I charged, straight-lined it, and tried to go super-fast. I hit some jumps and boxes and it was super-fun everywhere. I rode a 138, but it didn’t feel any shorter than a 150. It was better than any other reverse-camber board I tried; really fun and really poppy.” -Carlos Foralta, Alpine Meadows, CA (Shop: Ground Zero)
“It ripped and gripped. It was great in the woods and was a phenomenal all-around board.” -Bill Langlands, Loon Mountain, NH (Shop: Darkside)
“Super-short and super-playful.” -Justin Berkhart, Snowbasin, UT (Shop: Hole in the Wall)
“It’s stupid fun. You get out there and spin like a top, and you can still have control over it.” -Mike Hogan, Winter Park, CO, (Shop: D and E)
"Beyond STOKED on my Nug! I've got two in every size!!!"
-Buck Rowlee, Hampton, NH, (Shop: Pioneers)
The NUG and NUG Directional is only available at RESTRICTED SHOPS, Pioneers is RESTRICTED!!!
As always PIONEERS is your number one source for all things SURF-SKATE-SNOW on the Seacoast!!! Hit us up with any questions or stop by to see the Nug for yourself!!!
You might not guess it but ESPN has one of the best surf blogs going staffed by some telented writers and surfers. This blog comes to you from Jake Howard and this dude knows his sh*t!!!
"This fall you could wear your wetsuit from last year. You could. You could dig it out from the back of the garage, dust it off, check the sleeves for black widows, and you'd be good to go. Oh, but the glory of a new wetsuit. It's hard to resist. Coincidentally, Rip Curl reached out to us a couple of weeks ago to see if we'd be interested in "field testing" their new Flash Bomb wetsuit -- a solicitation that just so happen to coincide with a dramatic drop in the Pacific Ocean's temperature. Due diligence in mind, we entertained the offer and went surfing. The result: think furry convention meets Mick Fanning.
The immediate reaction upon first climbing into the fuzz-lined 3-mil: "Mmm, cozy." It's like putting on a pair of fleece pajamas, or maybe a mink coat, or maybe if you're Matt Wilkinson a cheetah costume you can surf in. It's got all the flex and comfort of a normal top-of-the-line suit, but thanks to Rip Curl's "Flash Dry" lining, it has an extra little tickle in it. The claim to fame is that the Flash Bomb dries in 30 minutes or less. The selling point is that you won't ever have to sling on a soggy suit again. Does Rip Curl pull either off? Pretty much, yep.
"The Flash Dry lining is what we call a double-layer knit fabric." says P.J. Elbing, Rip Curl's Director of Technical Products. "When water hits the top layer it wicks to the second layer of the material. When the water hits the second layer, gravity allows it to drip down and out the bottom of the panel. The result is a lining that is dry and warm to the touch within 30 minutes."
Why it rules: The idea of never putting on a wet wetsuit is pretty dang enticing. As Taylor Knox says, "I used to have to have a quiver of wetsuits, but not any more." Because you can take the suit off, and literally in 30 minutes it will be dry to the touch (I timed it, mine took 18 minutes in the sun before it was good to go again), the worry of cold dawn patrols and shocker lunch sessions is severely mitigated.
"Our development team spent over two years testing and refining the new Flash Dry material," says Elbing. "We went through six versions to arrive at a point where drying time, flexibility, weight, and durability were up to our highest standards. We performed both in-field and lab tests on new developments to quantify key variables such as stretch, weight, warmth and durability. Once we fine-tuned these attributes, we were ready to release the suit."
The seams are taped on the inside and out, so not a drop of water leaks through, which makes the suit all the more toasty. And with the chest zip version you don't get any seepage from the zipper. (A back zip model is available for $30 less, and I'm sure it works fine.) All told, it's a very warm, very well designed suit that feels like it'd would keep you warm even when the water temps start to dance in the low 50s.
In about a dozen sessions the suit was never once rash inducing, which is nice. It moved well in the water, although to be fair, I'm deathly scared of peeing in it. Growing up in colder water I'm a huge proponent of the sacred ritual, but this double-knit fabric and water tight fit has me worried. Otherwise, stoked, it's a great suit that I'd recommend to any one of my gainfully employed friends. At $400 it's not cheap, but then can you really put a price on creature comforts?"
Where to find it: Support your local surf shop. Buy it here at Pioneers, 3/2s and 4/3s in stock with 5/4s on the way!!! We are your number one resource for Surf, Skate, and Snow on the Seacoast!!!!
Been looking at these boards in the Global line-up for a while. We finally added a could to an order and man are we glad we did!!! This board is insane and it's affordable!!! The 9'6 comes in at $765 and the 10'0 comes in at $795...
The Modern Old Skool is an old school design with some modern additions like Super Light epoXy (SLX) technology, making it a lot lighter than it's friends back in the day. This board is a dedicated noserider and features 60/40 rails and a massive 7" squaretail with a deep single nose concave set in a bellied vee-to-vee bottom contour.
The Old Skool's classic shape and tuned 60/40 rails make this board stick in the pocket so you can hang heels or blast drop-knee turns on the shoulder. The single fin box comes with a massive noseriding fin finishing out this gloss polished classic longboard. This is a beautiful board to look at, admire and ride. It has real character both in and out of the water.
Boards are now instock here at Pioneers, hit us up for more info or questions!!!! SURFING!!!
DIMENSIONS LENGTH WIDTH THICK VOLUME FINS APPROX WEIGHT RANGE 9'6'' 23 5/8'' 3'' 76 ltr 9 1/2" Classic Single Ideal for all weights 10'0'' 24 1/4'' 3 1/8'' 83 ltr 9 1/2" Classic Single Ideal for all weights
Wow!!! Just got a rad email from Matt Biolis and the boys at Lost Surfboards. Now I know like Steve and I you are all Lost fanatics so I figured I would share some of the awesome new stuff Lost has going on for their 2012 lineup!!! The best part is if you can't wait all of these models are available RIGHT NOW for custom order!!!! Below you'll find photos and a brief description of each model. Give us a call or swing by with questions or custom orders!!!!
Ever find yourself drifting away to far away places, dreaming of scoring empty line ups in tropical water? Me to, but not in the past couple weeks! There is no place I'd rather be for the month of September than right here at home on the right coast. The tropics are active and we're getting our share of hurricane swell, the worlds best surfers were just in NYC scoring perfect beach break and showing the world wide surf community that we've got our days too, and the weather is as good as it gets!!! Plus more storms developing and heading our way.
I hope you all got to be as glued into the NYC Pro as I was but if you missed it check out this snackpack, 18 minutes of awesomeness!!!! It's a really good recap of everything that went down at Long Beach!
As far a shop happenings are concerned it's all about the transition to fall and winter! Like you we are holding on to summer as long as we can but we know what's on the way and we're ready to embrace that too. We're well stocked with 4/3s from Ripcurl and O'neill and our boot and glove racks are stocked as well! Still sticking by my claim the Ripcurl Insulator and the O'neill Mutant are the two BEST 4/3 on the market for surfing in New England. I can't stress enough how versatile, flexible, and warm these suits are due to their removable hood systems. Check the videos below for the tour!
Snow gear is also HERE!!! Burton hardgoods are in the shop and we're working on getting everything out on the floor for you to check out! We've got plenty of NUGS if your in the know and we're expecting all the soft goods shortly. Videos are due in shortly and the HIGHLY ANTICIPATED Travis Rice film, ART OF FLIGHT, is shipping tomorrow. We've got plenty of catalogs and deals on last years gear, while we may not have the snow yet the STOKE for it is HERE at Pioneers!!!
Switch on the HD, Fullscreen it, and turn the volume up to 11!!! Get AMPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With a weeks worth of waves on the way I figured this blog might help you out. It could be argued that skipping out on work during a recession to go for a surf is, well, somewhat “irresponsible.” But ask yourself this: How irresponsible would it be to let the day of the year at your homebreak pass you by? Yeah, that’s what we thought. We consulted a few everyday surfers to get the workingman’s perspective on shunning work to go surf. The next time perfection knocks and you need an excuse to bail from your cubicle, do yourself a favor and consult our list of pointers below.
Work Late... If you’re trying to shun some responsibility at home, working late tends to be a golden excuse. If your significant other has you scheduled to assemble that new end table from IKEA all afternoon, but the forecast is pumping, consider “putting in some overtime” at the office. Turn your phone off so you can really “focus,” grab your suit and board, and commence shredding. As a word of advice, you’ll need to come back from your session looking like you’ve been in front of a computer screen for 10 hours. Spill some coffee on yourself, look disheveled, and most of all, rid yourself of anything that can connect you to your session. “I’ve definitely pulled out of some responsibility at home to go surf and used the working-late excuse,” says Taylor Schultz, who works in marketing. But be warned, “You just want to be careful not to let your wife think you’re having an affair.”
You've got some time to start preparing so keep your eyes on the prize and plan accordingly. Lay the ground work now and reap the benefits later. Katia is coming!!!
After Irene ran her course things were looking questionable for the Quiky Pro in New York. Long Island got pummeled and the city main concern was focusing all it's resources on the city and it's residents. Well the good news is;
THE QUIKSILVER PRO NEW YORK SURF CONTEST WILL RUN
August 30, 2011
An important update from Long Beach — Quiksilver is working closely with the City of Long Beach to preserve the heart of the ASP World Tour surf contest scheduled to start on Sunday, September 4 in light of the impact of Hurricane Irene and concerns for the Long Beach community, which suffered significant damage from the storm. The Quiksilver Pro is scheduled to start its 11-day "holding period" on Monday, September 5. The Quiksilver Pro Trials presented by Unsound Surf will run on Sunday, September 4.
The situation has been changing daily, and we recognize that City resources are focused on hurricane restoration and clean up as first priority. In that context, we have been informed by the City that the festival and music components of the event are no longer achievable.
The Quiksilver Pro NY is first and foremost about the surf contest and Long Beach has an incredible surfing tradition and spirit. We are committed to holding the ASP tour event at Long Beach so that together we can promote the sport by bringing together the best surfers in the world to this terrific community.
The waiting period starts on Monday and if Hurricane Katia does what it looks like it's about to then both the top 34 and every New Englander is going to be in for a real treat! Get stoked!!!
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!
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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.”
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.
