Rider Profile – John Mel

The Mel family has a deep history in the surfing industry starting with John Mel Sr., owner of Freeline Surf Shop on 41st ave in Santa Cruz.  He paved the way for his son Peter Mel who is no stranger to the surfing world. Read more

O’Neill Cold Water Classic Santa Cruz Confirmed for 2012 ASP World Title Series

 

SANTA CRUZ, California/USA (Thursday, December 22, 2011) – The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Santa Cruz has been confirmed as an elite ASP World Title event for 2012. The world’s best surfers will journey to Northern California next November for the 10th of 11 stops on next season’s ASP World Title Series.

“We’re very happy to confirm the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Santa Cruz as an ASP World Title event in 2012,” Renato Hickel, ASP World Tour Manager, said. “Santa Cruz offers a variety of world-class waves for our surfers to perform on and we’re hopeful that conditions will deliver for the world’s best to do battle in.”

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic has a long-standing history of competition, previously as an ASP World Title event (before the two-tier system) and then as an ASP Star and ASP Prime event. Next year’s status as a returning elite ASP World Title event coincides with the 60th anniversary of the O’Neill family’s contribution to surfing.

“We are excited to see a World Tour level event return to Santa Cruz as part of O’Neill’s 60 Year anniversary,” Pat O’Neill, President & CEO of O’Neill Wetsuits, said. “Santa Cruz, with its rich surf history and tradition, is the perfect venue for this pivotal event. Mainland surfing started in Santa Cruz, Jack O’Neill developed many pioneering surf inventions here and it’s been home to the O’Neill brand for over half a century. Santa Cruz has always been regarded as a true surf community and was named the number one surf town in the U.S. by Surfer magazine. With a World Tour event in 2012 and the possibility of the World Champion being crowned, we expect to see an exciting chapter in surfing history written right in our front yard.”

An ASP event for over three decades now, the O’Neill Coldwater Classic has been championed by California standouts such as Tom Curren and Bobby Martinez from Santa Barbara, Kieran Horn, Adam Replogle and Nat Young from Santa Cruz, Richie Collins from Newport Beach and San Clemente’s Nathan Yeomans.

Illustrating the global impact of the event, the winners’ dais has also hosted international standouts Martin Potter (GBR), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Toby Martin (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Matt Wilkinson (AUS) and most recently Miguel Pupo (BRA). When the ASP Top 34 hit Santa Cruz next November, you can expect another worthy name to be added to such a historic list.

“Joining the other great events on the ASP World Tour makes celebrating O’Neill’s 60th anniversary in 2012 even more exciting,” Toby Bost, CEO of O’Neill Clothing USA, said. “With such a prestigious event, coupled with the amazing group of past winners and new crop of incredible talent on the Tour, there will definitely be a lot of anticipation and energy heading into Santa Cruz next year.”

The world’s best surfers will contest the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Santa Cruz from November 2 – 12, 2012

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Amazing Surf Adventures – Operation Surf Central Coast 2011 Video

Shaper Profile – Kirk Mcginty of L41 Surfboards

Santa Cruz local Kirk Mcginty of L41 surfboards has created a niche for himself and as a result the L41 logo is starting to litter the waters of Santa Cruz with some rad alternative shapes due to Kirk’s creativity.   Sit down, relax, and read up on the birth and the future of L41 Surfboards.

Warning:  Reading this article will make you want to call L41 Surfboards and order a board.  Perfect timing… Christmas present to yourself!

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NCS: How and when did you start shaping surfboards?
KM: I made my first board in 1996 while working at an industrial design firm in Sunnyvale, CA. My degree is in product design and I’m a CAD designer by trade. I’ve always been interested in forms, surfaces, clean curves, etc.. That combined with my surfing background made designing a surfboard inevitable. My first board was made using hi-end software and was cut on a 500K CNC milling machine. This was before anybody was using machines to produce surfboards. I had it glassed at Full Metal Jacket by Don Hicks and Vince Collier and it worked great! I followed up with a few more and eventually got curious about hand shaping. After a handful of bad attempts and some coaching by a good friend and pro shaper I was able to make something that worked. I’d hand shaped a few dozen boards when I met Marlin Clegg at Cybershapes. He ran the first cutting center in Santa Cruz and spoke my language in terms of CAD/CAM and its role in surfboard manufacturing. I quickly realized that I could get much better results by using a mouse and a milling machine than I could with a planer. Eventually, KKL, AKU Shaper and Shape 3D came along and it got much easier to deliver files to cutters in return for next to perfect pre-cut shapes.

What is the name of your surfboard brand?
KM: L41 Surfboards, short for “Lower 41st Avenue” — one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Santa Cruz and home to some of my favorite waves . It started out as a sort of inside plug to my friends, then as it grew I liked the idea of capturing some of the energy of the area and translating it through my brand.

NCS: What is your favorite aspect of shaping?
KM: Hands down the greatest thing is handing off a custom shape to a stoked customer. Second is to be creating something functional with the tools I have and receiving positive feedback from the people who ride it. There’s also the therapeutic aspect and hands-on creative value to getting in the shaping room with some good music and dialing in a foam sculpture.

NCS: How about your least favorite?
KM: Tough question. Probably the learning curve involved in designing good boards. It’s taken years and endless tweaks to get to where I am now. As soon as I think I’ve got a winner, a subtle change to rocker, fin placement, thickness flow, etc. can make it better. This can be frustrating but then I have to remind myself that there’s a natural evolution to everything. This constant learning and change is vital to the design process.

NCS: Is there a certain shape you sell more of?
KM: I do a fair share of performance shortboards but have to say alternative shapes are my niche. Anything short, wide and flat and any variety of non-standard quads are a staple. I also do a lot of performance SUP designs, long boards, eggs – anything really.

NCS: Is most of your clientele from Santa Cruz?
KM: Yes. However I’ve also made boards for people on the east coast, in southern California and Canada.

NCS: Do a lot of your customers come in knowing what dimensions they want already or do they tell you their skill level and type of waves they surf and then let you run with it?
KM: I’d say half of my custom orders are from people with a particular design in mind. With the advent of model names (i.e., dumpster diver, rocket, flyer, etc.) it’s gotten much easier to interpret a customer’s wants. Of course there are also customers who don’t know exactly what board to order. Using my skill set and experience it can be fun and challenging to determine what would be best for them. I also get orders from folks who have an idea that maybe goes beyond what is considered “normal”. These are the projects I like best. An example would be a high performance SUP based on the Mini-Simmons platform.

NCS: Where is your local surf spot?
KM: The Hook. However it really depends on the time of year and wave conditions. I basically surf anywhere between Rockview and Trees with occasional jaunts down to the beaches and Moss Landing.

NCS: What do enjoy most about living Santa Cruz?
KM: The best thing is the consistency and quality of the waves here. Every day is surfable given the right equipment. I also love how accessible the ocean is and the geography.

NCS: Where would you like to see yourself five years from now?
KM: Retired and living in Costa Rica would be nice but probably not realistic. I hope to be happy, secure in my job and still crankin’ out good boards for people!

NCS: Who are your influences?
KM: If I had to pick any particular people in the industry whose craft or skill I especially respect and appreciate I’d say Gerry Lopez, John Carper and Rich Pavel. But being self-taught and a naturally creative person I never really aspired to be like anyone else or make something “as good” as or better than another guys.

NCS: How should people contact you if they want to order a board from you?
KM: I can be contacted through my website and Facebook page:
www.l41online.com
or by phone at 831.251.0322

NCS: What would you say to the individuals that are just are thinking about shaping or just started?
KM: There’s no better feeling than riding a board that you made yourself. No matter how crappy you may think it looks it’ll always be magic.

NCS: Is there anyone that you would like to thank?
KM: I’d like to thank Mark Brown and the crew at Paradise Fiberglass for years of amazing glassing. Also David Vernor for sharing his tips, tricks and industry contacts with me.

Kelly Slater’s Insane Barrel at the Rip Curl Pro San Francisco – Video by: Levon Kassabian

I didn’t get to make it out to OB to watch this heat but I kept hearing about Kelly Slater’s barrel.   Kelly shows his magical skills with this one as he disappears and no one thought he was making it out of the barrel but Kelly being Kelly, pops out with ease.   And as you can guess the crowd goes bonkers and Levon the camera man actually peed his pants.  Fortunately he brought an extra pair of speedos and just wore those for the rest of the day!  Enjoy the quick clip and keep wishing that you could surf like Kelly!

Kellly Slater’s 11th World Title… GoPro Camera Video Clip!

Check out this video clip.  It was shot by the guys at GoPro.  After watching this video your going to want to get yourself a GoPro camera or wish you could surf like Kelly Slater.  Keep wishing and just go get yourself a GoPro!

 

 

 

Medina vs. Parkinson – Finals Video Clip

Gabriel Mendina vs. Joel Parkinson
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Gabriel Medina wins the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco!

Slater Secures ASP World Title as Round 4 Completed at Rip Curl Pro Search

OCEAN BEACH, San Francisco/California (Sunday, November 6, 2011) – The Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco returned to Ocean Beach in peaky three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) waves after three consecutive lay days and saw Kelly Slater (USA), 39, officially claim his 11th ASP World Title while completing the non-elimination Round 4.

Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, stayed busy in the peaky conditions on offer at Ocean Beach and built momentum throughout his Round 3 bout, consistently launching impressive airs before throwing a one maneuver inverted grab-rail reverse to secure his position in Round 4.
Read more

ASP Admits Calculation Error Prematurely Crowned Kelly Slater 2011 ASP World Champion

OCEAN BEACH, San Francisco/California (Friday, November 4, 2011) – The ASP has admitted that, due to a calculation error within its rankings’ system, the 2011 ASP World Title has yet to be officially decided and that Kelly Slater (USA), 39, was prematurely awarded his 11th ASP World Title on Wednesday.

“Our rankings’ system is designed to split tie-breaks based off of seed points,” Renato Hickel, ASP World Tour Manager, said. “Kelly (Slater) and Owen (Wright) tied at best nine of 11 results, so we went to best eight of 11 results and the system gave it to Kelly based off his higher seed position. We were operating under that assumption and created the ASP World Title scenarios based off of that. This was a mistake. In the end, we’re responsible for this and should be held accountable. We apologize to our fans, the surfers and to Owen and Kelly.”
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