Save The Waves raises $50K

Life Is A Wave, the annual fundraiser hosted by Save The Waves Coalition, rolled into downtown San Francisco last Thursday night, May 27th. The event raised $50,000 for Save The Waves’ environmental programs, to further protect and preserve surfing coastline around the world.

STW also presented Billabong USA president Paul Naude with the organization’s 2010 Wave Saver Award for his environmental and humanitarian work on behalf of the surfing community. “I’d like to dedicate this award to all the volunteers of surf activism,” said Naude to a cheering crowd during his rousing acceptance speech.
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Castles In The Sky – Premiere Recap

It was all the usual suspects in an unusual setting… Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s China Town is The Great Star Theatre with a long history of Chinese performing arts dating back to the early 1900′s. This newly renovated theatre set the scene for Taylor Steele’s northern California premiere of his latest film “Castles in the Sky”. With fans lining up hours ahead and around the block it was a true testament of Taylor’s influence on the surfing community. There were also a lot of great local companies that made all of this happen. With the help of Aqua Surf Shop, Clif Bar, San Fran Psyhco, and the owner of the Great Star Theatre the local surfing community was able to experience a first of it’s kind surf premiere in China Town’s historical neighborhood.
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Aqua Surf Swap – Sat, May 29

Hello Summertime!- time for the 10th Aqua Surf Swap!
This is a perfect chance to get the surf supplies you need. Buy, sell and/or barter used surf equipment like outgrown wetsuits and underused shredsticks, wind/kite surf equipment, and skateboards- there is no fee, so you have no excuses. Check the vendor booths for BIG deals while listening to live music and enjoying food/drink.

What: 10th Annual Surf Swap
When: Saturday May 29th- Noon to 5pm
Where: Aqua Surf Shop – 2830 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco
More: (415) 242-9283
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Castles in the Sky – Fri, May 21

CASTLES IN THE SKY the new film by Taylor Steele, is a visual whirlwind that follows surfers to the farthest reaches of the known surf world and beyond. Filmed in five countries over three years, the movie delves into the true heart of the locations as the surfers journey through with a sense of open-minded awe.  We encourage you to get off your ass and prepare for a trip away from your usual routine, head to the distant reaches of Chinatown and prepare for a totally unique, rewarding adventure.

What: Castles in the Sky by Taylor Steele
Time: Friday, May 21 at 9:00pm to midnight
Where: The Great Star Theater in China Town located at: 636 Jackson Street – San Francisco, CA 94133-5007 | (415) 793-9594
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Chris Bertish Crowned Mavericks Champion

After more than three months of waiting, contestants and fans alike were rewarded for their patience with an historic day for big-wave surfing, as Chris Bertish etched his name in Mavericks lore and was crowned champion of the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest® Presented by Sony Ericsson and Barracuda Networks. With waves described by the competitors as some of the biggest they have ever paddled into, and in front of a crowd of approximately 50,000 fans, Bertish outlasted Shane Desmond, Anthony Tashnick, Dave Wassel, Carlos Burle, and Kenny “Skindog” Collins to claim the Jim Beam Jersey and a $50,000 check from prize purse sponsors Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision and Barracuda Networks. The total prize purse of $150,000 was the largest in big-wave surfing history, with $50,000 going to Bertish, $25,000 to Desmond in second, $15,000 to Tashnick in third, $10,000 to Wassel in fourth, $8,000 to Burle in fifth, and $6,000 to Collins in sixth.
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Save The Waves Film Festival Rocks San Francisco

On Friday night, San Francisco’s surfer and environmentalist communities came together for a very special event at the Victoria
Theatre: the first annual Save The Waves Film Festival, merging film, art, music, surf and environment together into a seamless blend of stoked fun and heartfelt love for the oceans.

Featuring the infamous Plastic Wave (barreled by plastic), the SF premiere of “Lost Prophets” and Captain Paul Watson presenting “The Cove”, as early as 6pm a line snaked around the block past the immigrants, pimps and traffic on Mission Street. Area hipsters in skinny jeans and fixed-gear bikes were greeted by a completely sold- out Victoria Theatre, environmental activists drank plenty of beer and “Save The Waves” shone hard in bright marquee lights high above 16th Street.
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O’Neill Cold Water Classic Day – FINALS

Californian surfer Nathan Yeomans won the O’Neill Cold Water Classic California on a perfect final day of competition at Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz.

“I’m so stoked. I can’t even talk,” said Nathan after his victory. “To win in my home state, and to win a 6 Star Prime event in such an iconic location, and to be up there with the guys who have won this event in its history is incredible,” he said. “I am just so stoked.”

It was a final of epic proportions – not just because of the surfing on display. Some of the biggest sets of the week came as if on cue into the final heat.

“There were a lot of waves coming at me with about 10 minutes to go,” said the O’Neill CWC California runner up, Australian, Heath Joske. “When those sets came through, about 30 of them hit me in the head one after the other. I got battered,” he said. “But it’s the way of the ocean.”
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O’Neill Cold Water Classic Day #6

It was a day in which history was made at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic California, as the massive swell that had been forecast finally hit Steamer Lane with force.

As the sets hit triple to quadruple overhead, producing the biggest conditions this competition has seen in its 12-year history, jet skis were deployed to help the surfers through the turmoil.

“This is the biggest swell we’ve seen here this season,” said local surfer and O’Neill Wetsuits Marketing Manager, Kieran Horn, who won this competition in 2003, and is now the only Santa Cruz surfer through to the quarterfinals.

In addition, the first ever O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series winner was decided today and will be presented with the award after the finals tomorrow. Australian Blake Thornton has claimed the staggering US$50,000 prize money despite being knocked out in the round of 96 here in Santa Cruz after both Jarrad Howse and Adam Melling failed to reach the points they needed to beat Blake to the prize.
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O’Neill Cold Water Classic Day #5

It was a heat of Hollywood script proportions on this third day of competition at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa. The legend – Tom Curren, the South African surfing star of the moment – Jordy Smith, the young up-and-coming kid from Hawaii – John John Florence, and the outsider from Huntington Beach – Shaun Ward.

It was the ending most probably would not have predicted.

Finishing top, with a heat score of 15.77 was Shaun Ward who has been fighting hard on the tour since loosing his sponsors at the beginning of the season. And it was an impressive fight to win.

“It’s funny because everyone’s been talking about that heat,” said Shaun. “Jordy is one of the best surfers in the world, hands down, and Tom is one of the best surfers of all time, and John John is kind of the prodigy, and I was kind of the underdog, but I like it,” he said.
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O’Neill Cold Water Classic Day #2

The swell might have dropped slightly, but the competition definitely stepped up on this second day of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic California.

With five ASP World Tour surfers in the water today it was always going to be a day of surfing not to be missed.

World number three Adriano De Souza came top of his heat – the first in the round of 96 – when the event started in the Californian sunshine.

“It’s important for me to compete in the California events because I’m living here,” Adriano said. Talking about his current standing in the world rankings he said: “I didn’t set a goal of being in third or winning a title this year, but I just wanted to do better this year than I did last year. It’s great though.”
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