Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Rio Pro Recap, John John Florence Wins

Get used to the sight of John John being carried up the beach
Say what you want about the waves in Rio but for a second year in a row the Rio Pro delivered!!! By no means were the waves epic but as far as watching and following a contest goes it was as good as it gets! Insane barrels, ridiculous airs, good judging, and intense battles in the line-up!!!

John John finally found what he's been looking for, a World Tour Victory!!!!  Man did he earn it too! Pretty much just steam rolled through the contest comboing his competitors at the drop of a hat. He had Joel up against the ropes six minutes into the final so bad that Joel hardly made it out of combo land by heats end.

What's crazy is that out of all the contest on tour this year this is the one I would least expect John John to do well at. The fact that he won here says a lot about what we're going to see for the rest of the year.  Looking forward to the coming months there are five, yes FIVE, events that John John will be heavily favored to make quarters, semis, and finals. Tavarua, Teahupoo, France, Portugal, and Pipe are all going to be barrel shoot outs and it's no secret that John John is the BEST barrel rider on the tour, maybe the planet.  If John John maintains his current form the title race will be coming down to two names this year...

JOHN JOHN FLORENCE & KELLY SLATER.....

As far as the rest of the field went Josh Kerr, Julian Wilson, Joel Parko, Mick Fanning, and Alejo Muniz all looked amazingly in form and surfed so well.  The wonder boy, Gabriel Medina, who came in riding his recent Trestles win absolutely flopped losing in the opening round... Big surprise for a lot of people... Not so surprising, Taylor Knox earned his 3rd 25th finish of the year, how stoked is he that they did away with the mid year cut off this year???

Now looking at the Pioneers Fantasy Surfer Club we've seen some places change hand!  Coming in as the club winner for the Rio Pro,  Sialylphllx did it with his team earning him 955 points!!!  Well done!! Swing by the shop some day this weekend and we'll hook it up with a little prize pack!!!  Now the big story is Jon Mackin, club leader for the past two events, has been dethroned and sent back to sixth place. Our new leader is non other than MUD DUCK!!!  I've personally had a hard start this year but after being mid pack I'm finally starting to inch my way toward the top ten.  Log into your account and see where you're at, and don't forget to start thinking about your barreling left handed team for Tavi/Teahupoo!

We'll see you in the water!!!


Monday, May 14, 2012

MANNY SANTIAGO x AXION MIJO LIMITED EDITION


A limited run of less than 300 of Manny Santiago new signature shoe. The MIJO from AXION will be available early August. We have some on order!! If want to be guaranteed a pair swing by the shop and reserve a set of these kicks!!!

PIONEERS X SURFRIDER BEACH CLEAN UP


ALL THE INFO YOU NEED IS ABOVE!!! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU BRIGHT AND EARLY TO DO YOUR GOOD DEED FOR THE DAY FOLLOWED BY SOME FUN WAVES WITH FRIENDS!!!!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Oakley Sunglasses and Apparel at Pioneers in New Hampshire

FRESH BLAST OF OAKLEY IN THE SHOP 05.10.2012


We got a bunch of new shades including the ones pictured above. Oakley Acid Tortoise Frogskins are here. Limited edition and soon to be gone. Don't sleep on these ones or you'll be forever bumming..... We've also got a couple runs of the Oakley/Frogskin Tees (graphic picture above) in white and black.

 We got a grip of new Oakley New Era Caps in . We've got he Black/White color combo pictured above as well as a Red/Black and a aqua blue/plaid one.  All very proper lids.

The Oakley Like A Flash Board short is what you want if your the live in your board short type guy. Welded seams, super stretch, quick dry, mesh pocket, these trunks have it all plus style for miles.



Tuesday, May 8, 2012

FCS & Future Fins at Pioneers in New Hampshire


It's time to talk fins. First off fins make a difference, in fact fins can make all the difference.  Choosing a fin that suites your style of surfing and the type of waves you surf is just as important as choosing the correct size board.  If you have a board that has never really felt correct it could be as simple as switching the fins and your least favorite board could end up being your magic board.

Think of it this way... If you bought a Porsche would you go to Walmart to get tires for it??? No, of course not, there is no sense spend mega bucks on a sports car and then having it drive like a Kia because you put cheap tires on it.  Same is true for your surfboard. If your going to drop some money on a new board think about investing a little more in a set of fins so that you are truly getting the most out of your board and your surfing.

Both FCS and Future Fins offer great explanations of their fins as well as a tool that will help you research which fins would work best for you.  For me, based on my style of surfing and the waves I generally surf I swear by my FCS K2.1 quads.  Lots of drive but still very loose and playful. I ride them in my Lost Motivator, my Lost Rocket, and my Lost Mini Driver. They are my go to fins.  That being said I still try other fins when I get the chance because as fin technology increases you never know what you're going to find next that will work even better.

I ordered a bunch of fins lately so I'm gonna throw a few different ones up to give you and idea of what we've got in stock.  If you've got questions or you want to see the fins in person we've got about 50 different fins in stock at the moment from little grom fins, to thruster sets, to quad sets, to longboard fins.















Mick Fanning's signature fin with Tricoil Technology. Provides maximum drive; ideal for power surfers who like to snap hard off the top and carve long roundhouse cutbacks.















Jeremy Flores' signature fin featuring a long base and narrow tip. Perfect for driving hard off the bottom and snapping vertically off the top. Subtle tip flex provides smooth transitions between turns.













Kelly Slater's signature quad set with K2.1 PC in the side and Q-1000 in the rear. Produces incredible start-up acceleration and speed while maintaining manoeuvrability in tight sections. (MY PERSONAL FAVORITES)















Simon Anderson's medium size quad set. Identical template across all fins. Suited to lighter surfers who like to drive hard off their fins, draw a longer line and accelerate through turns.












This is Clay Marzo's next fin incarnation featuring an updated template and built in our Techflex construction for powerful surfing. The large base provides drive off the bottom while the small tip allows you to release the fins.















The WCT has a unique upright template making the fin very fast and pivoty. Designed for tight vertical snaps and critical surfing.











One of our most popular templates available as a quad setup. The F4 is a great for template medium sized riders looking for a fin that is a little looser or for smaller sized riders looking for a setup with a little more drive.







Co-designed with one of the world's best free surfers, this V2 quad set was created for high performance surfing. These fins are made with renewable bamboo, which provides a lively flex pattern, and are wrapped in symbolic art provided by Rasta. A medium sized template that performs in a variety of conditions. The Quad set up with a medium base and tip allow you to generate more drive and stay on rail. A portion of the proceed from sales of the Rasta Quad will be donated to the Dave's non-profit organization, Surfers For Cetaceans.

Plenty more options here at the shop, so swing by and take a look and see what FCS or Future with a little help from Pioneers can do for your surfing.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Billabong Rio Pro x Pioneers Fantasy Club



The third event of the ASP World Tour kicks off this Wednesday as the boys converge on Rio De Janeiro, BRAZIL for the Billabong Pro...  Out of all the waves on tour this one is probably the worst but the city and the crowds that show up might be the best.  The Brazilian takes their surfing as serious as a heart attack and they treat the surfers like absolute rockstars!!!! While I was in Brazil I got to check the contest site out and while they're were no waves I was there I could see the potential.  It really is right in the city, in a great neighborhood,  surrounded by a vibrant and lively scene.

The swell forecast for the event is looking promising at this point for the contest to run on wednesday with a decent ground swell and some offshore winds at Arpoador.  The Brazilians are extra stoked right now after seeing Gabriel Madina claim victory at Trestles just the other day. I expect we'll see some of the other Brazzos surfing well fueled by the energy of their homeland.

As far as picking your Fantasy Team for the event goes take into account that the wave is primarily a left, last year airs were earning the scores (with the exception of one floater), and the Brazilian will be going for broke in front of the home crowd.  Also something to consider in the long term is that this event and the next two are all lefts and the next two are mostly focused on barrel riding.  Stocking the team with goofys that can blast airs and get pitted wouldn't be a bad idea.

At this point I'm not 100% sure who's gonna make the cut but this is what I'm thinking at the moment.
Gabriel Madina- Hot off a victory, his frontside attack is on point, he's got the home field advantage.
Josh Kerr- Surfing very well in the past events, awesome air game.
Jon Jon- Maybe the best backside reverse in the game and finds barrels when no one else does.
Wilko- Go to goofy for airs and barrels
Fanning-Hot off a victory and his fire is lit, fast as hell in the beach break conditions.
Wilson- If he doesn't get an interference he could go all the way here.
CJ- Priced right and surfs lefts as good as anyone
Yadin- Priced right and surfs beach break as good as anyone


Shea has yet to post his picks so your stuck with mine for the moment.  FCS has a tee for the winner of the event.  The girls will also be surfing in this event so get your ladies team in order as well.

Waves have been pretty damn fun in NH lately and the week long forecast is very promising for waist high surf every day. It was pretty epic waking up to perfect waist high peelers and a blue sky. Hope everyone got a chance to sample the good.  We'll see you in the water all week long!


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

New Rayne Longboard Skateboards at Pioneers in New Hampshire


Rayne Team Rider Douglas Dalua is a beast on the hill and has taken top podiums for years. After all his hard work, he now has a pro-model board all to himself. The Rayne Amazon is one of our most exciting releases of the season. The Amazon has some design similarities to the recently released Rival and Supreme as a symmetrical, radial drop deck, but has some distinct differences.

The Amazon is special in the following ways:

5/8" RADIAL DROPS that are deeper than the Killswitch but make you feel more locked in like the Nemesis.
3 stage ROCKER to help naturally lock your feet in and make tucking and turning easier.
An all new concave called ‘MEAN CAVE’ that gets steeper at the waist to create natural gas pedals along the side and sick pockets where it meets the radial near the end.
No distinct kicks at the nose and tail.
DOUBLE DROP and now includes vairable wheelbase Drop Thru mounting.
SPEED STIFF and is intended for high speed Downhill and Race competition.
Custom designed graphic by Brasilian Artist Marcelo Barnero, matching Dalua's custom race helmet.
Specs:

Length- 38.5"
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 30" or 31"

Rayne Supreme Specs:

Length- 40"
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 28" or 29"

(Want these features a larger deck? Check out the Supreme!)

Features:

Sharp Edges - Final touch for locked in feet.

Vert-Lam Bamboo Core - Stronger than steel, light like a feather.

Pre-tensioned fibreglass - Adds long life, durability, strength and energy return.

Sublimated Artwork - Scratch-resistant ink is tattooed into the deck.

Firm Flex - Drift and thrash with little effort.

Twin Shape - Don’t get bounced! Stiff boards will make you stable at high speeds.

3 Stage Rocker - Pre-loads your legs for fast precise slides and easier spins.

Radial Drop Platform – Cradles your feet to keep them where you want. Ideal for freeriding.

Mean Cave – Concave designed to be steeper in the middle to give you both pockets and gas pedals.

Universal Variable Top Mounting - Lets you pick the wheelbase that works best for you.

Bee Orange Finish - Smells good, taste great, and seals and protects your board without harmful chemicals.
Rayne Rival Specs:

Supreme Specs:

Length- 42.5"
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 30" or 31"

(Want these features a smaller deck? Check out the Rival!)

Features (both boards):

Sharp Edges - Final touch for locked in feet.

Vert-Lam Bamboo Core - Stronger than steel, light like a feather.

Pre-tensioned fibreglass - Adds long life, durability, strength and energy return.

Sublimated Artwork - Scratch-resistant ink is tattooed into the deck.

Firm Flex - Drift and thrash with little effort.

Twin Shape - Don’t get bounced! Stiff boards will make you stable at high speeds.

3 Stage Rocker - Pre-loads your legs for fast precise slides and easier spins.

Radial Drop Platform – Cradles your feet to keep them where you want. Ideal for freeriding.

Mean Cave – Concave designed to be steeper in the middle to give you both pockets and gas pedals.

Universal Variable Top Mounting - Lets you pick the wheelbase that works best for you.

Bee Orange Finish - Smells good, taste great, and seals and protects your board without harmful chemicals.









The NEMESIS has a deep tub concave and a 1" dropped platform. The platform is large enough to feel comfortable no matter what the occasion - perfect for quick aggressive manoeuvring. Lighter and shorter than the Demonseed the NEMESIS gives the rider the comforts of the world's best downhill board in a tighter smaller package making it ready to thrash tighter turns. Slashing your way through allies or effortlessly bombing the steep grade this villain is shaking things up. The variable wheelbase at 32" and 33"allows the rider to customize their set-up. The taller ride height of the NEMESIS allows the rider to leverage their turning while still maintaining a low center of gravity.

Specs:
Length- 39"
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 32" or 33"






The Hellcat has ergonomically designed foot space, a symmetric shape “Pleasure Dome” to an already inspiring deep tub concave. The Hellcat is ideal for free riding and racing. What is the PLEASURE DOME? The PLEASURE DOME makes it easy for riders to master toe side corners, pre-drifts and slick stand-up slides by adding a second concave in the middle of the board! When engaged the pleasure dome grips your toes where there is normally no concave. When in heel-side turns the pleasure dome ensures no foot slip. Don't be turned off by flat concave - find ultimate pleasure with the dome. The aggressive W inspired concave is big where you need it and minimal where you don't. Where don't you need it? When pushing!

Specs:
Length- 41.25”
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 32"







 The Demonseed is the most comfortable speedboard on the market Capable of reaching speeds you can only dream about. This board has a long wheelbase, TONS of foot space and a DEEP TUB Concave that is comfortable on long hill bombs while still gripping like a vice in the corners. For Maximum Versatility and Stability, the Demonseed has a 1" Dropped platform and drop-through mounting so that you can further adjust the riding height and truck angles of your board by adding riser Pads between the Trucks and the Board.

Specs:
Length- 44"
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 34.5"







The Rayne Vendetta has evolved from the need to do everything from light bombing, freeriding, carving, and pumping all in one board. The solution for answering all these needs is in the harmony of features which make for a great all around city board.

Specs:
Length – 40”
Width – 10”
Wheelbase – 30”




The Killswitch says it all. The brainchild of Kevin "K-Rimes" Reimer is finally out and ready to steal your time, your urethane, and your minds. With years of experience riding downhill and a sharp mind, Kevin has taken the time to think about each and every movement you make when riding downhill, and how a board could make those manoeuvres easier through being positively "locked in". Ergonomics were the name of the game when this board came to be and it stickhandle’s through the competition better than Gretzky ever could.

The locks on this board are several:

1: 3/8" Radial Drop Platform - subtle drops in the front and rear so as to cradle the life that it is stealing you from regular monotonous board design

2: K-Rimes' own Pleasure Dome - concave with a subtle feel that is enough to lock you in, but not enough to become bothersome on long bombs or pushes. The W concave also allows for butter toe-side pre-drifts and heel-side stand up checks by keeping your rear foot in place.

1+2 = 3: Where the small drop morphs into the flat-topped Pleasure Dome concave, you place your foot in that "special spot" where the two lovers meet. You will find your foot and toes are dropped into an aggressive forward facing stance that is similar to that of a runner on a starting block. This allows for pushing bad'assery and major comfort when you're out on the track

4: Three-dimensional wood bending: used in this deck to give a full, cupped feeling for the front and rear toes. This allows the body to lean far away from the board while still maintaining full contact of the front foot. The rear foot will find a pocket specially designed for those who tuck, and tuck fast.

5: The "Drop-Lock". When you stand on this deck your front foot will naturally position itself into the "Drop-Lock" where the toes sit beside the drop rather than behind it. This makes for a complete and total lock of the front foot for toe-side drifts.


 For years, people with smaller feet, stance, and/or preference for smaller boards have been successfully using the full-size Killswitch to shred like the Champ. Now, we've taken the core design of the World Championship winning K-Rimes signature model Killswitch, shrunk it down and tightended it up to help the next wave of champions manuever down hill better than ever before. Keeping the ergonomics of the full-size model, we've tweaked this Baby Killer and made it fully symmetrical on both the top and drop model options. Now the shape and concave offer you the ability to ride with complete comfort, control and lock-in no matter what stance you prefer or direction you're going. All the features you want, only the board you need, say goodbye to your time and urethane, this boards going to destroy hills.

The locks on this board are several:

1: 3/8" Radial Drop Platform - subtle drops in the front and rear so as to cradle the life that it is stealing you from regular monotonous board design

2: K-Rimes' own Pleasure Dome - concave with a subtle feel that is enough to lock you in, but not enough to become bothersome on long bombs or pushes. The W concave also allows for butter toe-side pre-drifts and heel-side stand up checks by keeping your rear foot in place.

1+2 = 3: Where the small drop morphs into the flat-topped Pleasure Dome concave, you place your foot in that "special spot" where the two lovers meet. You will find your foot and toes are dropped into an aggressive forward facing stance that is similar to that of a runner on a starting block. This allows for pushing bad'assery and major comfort when you're out on the track

4: Three-dimensional wood bending: used in this deck to give a full, cupped feeling for the front and rear toes. This allows the body to lean far away from the board while still maintaining full contact of the front foot. The rear foot will find a pocket specially designed for those who tuck, and tuck fast.

5: The "Drop-Lock". When you stand on this deck your front foot will naturally position itself into the "Drop-Lock" where the toes sit beside the drop rather than behind it. This makes for a complete and total lock of the front foot for toe-side drifts.



New to Rayne for 2012, the Vandal was inspired by some of our favorite NorCal riders and developed by our global team. Most top mounts are heavy weights with few locks and flat-cave's. The Vandal is intended to be smart, simple, stiff and light weight. We combine minimalist design thinking with Rayne's signature construction to offer unique 3D bends that build useful features into the board. The Vandal is here to insite more confidence and gnar shredding in all you top mount lovers out there.

The Three Dimensional Concave on this board works like this:

1: Integrated Wheelwells: subtle, pressed in curves in the front and rear open up the concave to naturally allow for more diverse wheel options, while allowing the rider to find their front foot without looking.

2: Integrated Gas Pedals: extending from the Wheelwells in the rear, the pressed in curve creates a natural ridge to dig your foot into pushing out toeside drifts and slides and a valley to sink your foot into for heelside lock-in.

Specs:
Length- 35.5"
Width- 10"
Wheel Base- 25.75" / 26.5" or 27.25"




Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bureh Surf Club of Seirra Leone, Africa Update!!!


Good morning gang!  Just wanted to give everyone the update and get a last minute push going for the boys of the Bureh Beach Surf Club of Seirra Leone, Africa. If you missed the last blog on the Bureh Beach Boys check it HERE!  My good friend Andre, the ground guy in Serria Leone, recently just wrote a couple of rad blogs profiling the boys of the Bureh Surf Club.  Here is one I copied and pasted, check  Lay Off The Iodine to see more of the boys that your contributions benefit.  



Name: Charles Samba
Nickname: Samba/Charlito/Charlie Boy/Wave Thief Jr.
DOB: 2/3/1996
Stick: Shortboard
Year of the Stoke: 2005
Introducer: Francis [Brima] and John
Stance: Goofy
Left s or Rights: Left because when I dey surf de left I de see de wave when confirm how I de go.
The Point or the River: River
Best time to surf: Rainy season because we dey get big wave.
What does surfing do for you? When I see me campin de surf I axe em if hard for surf, they say e simple then I axe dem for teach me. Surf done different thing inside me system, like; one, e don keep me fitness, two, everybody don know me half of the world.
How do you feel when you first stood up? I feel like I de heaven
Results: 2nd Place at the 1st B.B.S.C
Form: Junior Secondary 3

At this point we've got $300 dollars for shipping and for gear.  We've also had a bunch of people drop off board shorts, leashes, and fins.  If you have anything you want to donate try and have it here by Friday, that's when the boxes will be shipping.  Thanks for the support!

First come first serve... 6'2 JC Sting Ray.
$100 CASH!!! All the proceeds go to the Bureh Surf Club in Seirra Leone, Africa.

SOLD!!!!

First come first serve... 6'4 JC NX-1.
$100 CASH!!! All the proceeds go to the Bureh Surf Club in Seirra Leone, Africa.

SOLD!!!!

HUGE THANKS TO J.J. FOR DONATING THESE BOARDS AND OUR FRIEND SARA FOR DONATING $100 FOR SHIPPING!!!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Volcom at Pioneers in New Hampshire


Another day at Pioneers means another round of boxes from Volcom.  As usual we have not been disappointed by what we've seen.  We'll start from the feet up, eight different sandal options to choose from that range from inexpensive slaps to insane leather flops. We got a good selection of Volcom denim ranging in fit from from slim to relaxed in black, blue, and some rad moss green. Tons of tees, tanks, and button downs. Awesome colors, awesome fits, awesome graphics, it really doesn't get any better!!!  Finish it off with an awesome fitted, snap back or flex fit hat and your ready to roll!!! As always we also have a killer selection of Volcom rash guards, trunks, shorts, and accessories.  Stop by and see for yourself!

VOLCOM... Killing it since 1991!!!

















Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lib Tech Waterboards / Surfboards Coming Soon @ Pioneers in New Hampshire


So stoked to get our first glimpse of the Lib Tech Waterboard and that glimpse is coming soon!!! I found this amazing interview that I wanted to share with you. In it Mike Olsen the mad scientist behind all thing Lib-Tech talks about the creation of Lib Tech so many years ago and how the waterboard came about.




All the technology deep inside the waterboard...

Shapes and dimensions soon to be available...


Olson shows off the concave top which not only makes the board more responsive, but also doesn't hit your sternum while you're paddling.

“Every material in these has never been used in a surf or snowboard before, except for the [fin] screws,” says Olson of the boards. Olson began shaping surf boards in the early 80s and actually funded the launch of Lib Tech snowboards with his efforts. “It has been a dream forever to bring surf back in the mix,” he says.

The line includes three different series with 14 distinct shapes, all of which include grab rails, honeycomb construction, rubberized elastomer sidewalls, and concave tops. They also feature a non-absorptive foam, so even if you get a ding you don’t have to get out of the water. That said, following two years of protos being ridden around the world, dropped on rock beaches, and other pummeling conditions, riders have only been able to get two dings. Lib’s calling the boards “2D to D” or Dang Difficult to Ding.

As with all its other products, Olson and his crew have focused on the environmental impacts of the boards, as well as their toxicity for the shapers, and the lay-up process uses no brushes or sand paper. The honeycomb weave you can see on the boards is the result of a process called Isotropic Fusion, a one-step reaction that bonds all of the board’s materials incredibly fast. ”You can make a board at six in the morning and surf it by noon,” adds Olson. The honey comb construction also adds strength to the boards, whose flex Olson describes simply as “awesome.”

Lib is also building its own fins, but the fin boxes are FCS compatible. “FCS fins are available anywhere in the world,” explains Olson about the design.

So far only Olson and Jeff Henderson have seen the entire design process, but the duo is working on training others at the company’s headquarters in Washington, where all of the boards and fins will be made. The plan is to ramp up to full production in the next month for deliveries to hit retail, where they’ll sell for $696.96, in late spring.

The anticipation is killing me... WATERBOARDS!!!!



Board art that will be available!