Active Action Sports

2008 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards

Active Sara — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:21:00 GMT

The 2008 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are quickly approaching and will take place April 11 in Anaheim, California. There was an enormous amount of big wave rides this year so the competition will be tough. Check out the video below to see the nominees and let us know how you would rank them.

This is the order of nominees in the video:

2008 BIGGEST WAVE NOMINEES

Grant Baker (South Africa)
Cortes Bank (off California)
January 5, 2008

Tyler Fox (California)
Ghost Tree, California
December 4, 2007

Brad Gerlach (California)
Ghost Tree, California
December 4, 2007

Vincent Lartizen (France)
Belharra Reef, France
January 4, 2008

Mike Parsons (California)
Cortes Bank (off California)
January 5, 2008

RIDE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Michael Brennan (Australia)
Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania
January 14, 2008

Carlos Burle (Brazil)
Ghost Tree, California
December 4, 2007

Shane Dorian (Hawaii)
Teahupoo, Tahiti
November 1, 2007

Manoa Drollet (French Polynesia)
Teahupoo, Tahiti
November 1, 2007

Ian Walsh (Hawaii)
Teahupoo, Tahiti
November 1, 2007

What do you think? How would you rank the nominees?

To see the nominees for other awards go to 2008 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards.

Volcom - Pushing the Limits

Active Sara — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:02:00 GMT

Have you ever wanted to make history? Have you ever wanted to be the first to do something? Well, here is your chance. It's been over a month since Volcom announced it would give away $10,000 to the first surfer to successfully execute and document a 'kick flip' and the contest will continue to run until a winner is crowned. Although there are numerous videos floating around the internet of documented attempts, there has still been no sign of a surfer landing a "proper, above-the-lip" kickflip, as Volcom describes it.

In order for the kickflip to count, the surfer must launch in the air, flip the board with their front foot, and cleanly land and ride out of the wave. There is to be no towing, grabs, wakeboards, boogie boards, trays, shoes or dolphin-assistance. Yes, you read that correctly-no dolphin assistance.

It is only a matter of time before Volcom hands over a big check to some lucky surfer who's been stomping waves, not for the money, but for the feeling that comes with being the first ever surfer to document a kickflip. This is an extremely difficult trick, but surfing will always be a sport where limits are pushed. Volcom is simply adding a little extra motivation for surfers all over the world. What are you still doing reading this? Grab your board and start paddling out. It's time to make history!

Go to Volcom Kickflip-Off Contest for official rules and entry forms.

X Games 13

Trish18 — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:31:00 GMT

The 13th annual X Games are quickly approaching. Three new events will be featured this year: surfing, BMX freestyle big air and motocross racing.

While X Games 13 will take place August 2 to 5 in Los Angeles, California, the surfing competition is scheduled for July 3 to 6 at Puerto Escondido, also known as the Mexican Pipeline. In addition to women's surfing, this year's competition will feature a "USA vs. the World" format that replaces the "East Coast vs. West Coast" approach from past years. This format pits surfers on opposing teams against one another as they compete for the highest score based on speed, control and power, all in support of a team victory.

The surfing competition is less than a week away. Until then, this video should hold you over.

Surfing 50 States

ActiveAdmin — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:30:09 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/01/surf50_3.jpgWith Memorial Day weekend behind us and schools dismissing their classrooms, summer is (unofficially) here. The season for vacations and road trips is upon us, and I’ve got a few trips lined up that I’m looking forward to. However, none of my plans are nearly as cool as the trip two Australians, Jonathan Durrant and Stefan Hunt, just completed.

Durrant and Hunt traveled for seven months to complete their mission to surf in all 50 states. When told that they couldn’t possibly surf the inland states, they found "waves" in irrigation ditches, snow and even in a potato field. Raised in St. Louis, I was curious to see where they chose to surf in Missouri and was expecting to find they took on the Mississippi River. I think they did one better in checking off Missouri by surfing down the steps at the Arch.

Their rules were simple: to surf all 50 states, “surf” was defined as being on a surfboard with some sort of momentum, and to document and share the experience with as many people as possible.

To top it all off, they had an ice cream truck donated to them by a sponsor to help minimize their costs. However, during the 20,000 miles they traveled, it seems the truck ended up being more trouble than it was worth. It needed two engines, two alternators, one muffler, one repaired fuel tank, one battery, one ignition coil, two rewiring repairs and three tows.

Judging by their stories and pictures, it looks like it was worth it.

(Photo provided by Getty Images)

Stand up paddle surfing

ActiveAdmin — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:19:40 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/15/paddlesurf2.gifStand up paddle surfing is an aspect of surfing that has seen a recent resurgence. For those that are not familiar with the sport, it entails standing on a large longboard and propelling yourself with essentially a canoe paddle. Recently, it has been picked up as an alternative way to ride surf and as a means of staying in shape. The level of surfing on stand up paddle boards has sky rocketed in the last few years.

This type of surfing involves using a massive longboard — generally 12 feet long, 30 inches wide and 4-5 inches thick — with a canoe-style paddle that should be about six inches taller than you. You throw the board in the water, paddle out past the shorebreak with the paddle tucked under you, then pop to your feet with the paddle in your hand. With your feet parallel, you can then balance on the board and paddle around. Once you get the feel of it, the next goal is to propel yourself into waves.

Stand-up paddle surfers have found they can have fun even in small, mushy waves because the paddle and the massive boards add entirely new abilities and dimensions. It wouldn't be ideal for crowded conditions, because of the size of the board. But on a marginal day or during a swamped-out high tide, stand-up can make surfing possible and really fun.

Women Surfers Want Equal Pay Too

ActiveAdmin — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:24:49 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/femalesurf.jpgIn surfing, the participation and performance of women have been surging, boosting industry profits. But going on 50 years since Kathy Kohner Zuckerman (nicknamed Gidget), earned grudging respect from the guys — and two weeks after pledged to pay equal prize money to women — gender equity for the sport remains a point of contention.

The Association of Surfing Professionals men’s and women’s world tour seasons began last week on Australia’s Gold Coast, near Brisbane, with the men’s Quiksilver Pro and the women’s Roxy Pro. The contrast is stark.

On the men’s tour, 45 surfers compete in 10 events, with the Quiksilver Pro offering $300,000 in prize money. The women’s tour consists of 17 surfers in seven events. The Roxy Pro, which was won by Chelsea Hedges on Monday, paid a total of $80,000 in winnings. Layne Beachley, the seven-time and defending women’s world champion, said the surf industry needed to do more.

“There is always room for improvement, both at the elite level and at grass roots,” Beachley, 34, said in an e-mail message from Australia. “And considering the industry have made an enormous amount of money through its representation of this lifestyle, I feel that the disparity between the incomes of the men and women still have a long way to go to become ‘equal.’ ”

Women's Surfing added to X Games

ActiveAdmin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:13:49 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/womensurf.jpgESPN announced the full lineup of events for X Games 13 to be held in August. The major change to the event slate is the addition of Women's Surfing.

"In the tradition of progression, adding Women's Surfing is a perfect fit and will highlight the best athletes in the world competing on the biggest stage in the world," said Ron Semiao, senior vice president, ESPN Original Entertainment.

Surfing's seven-time defending Women's World Champion, Layne Beachley, commented on the addition from her hometown in Australia. "The talent of women's surfing coming through the ranks from all over the world is definitely justified now as it is included into the X Games," said Beachley. "I am really excited that finally the world of action sports acknowledges the existence of women's professional surfing, and I think it is going to be a great environment for our sport to be exposed to."

The X Games is the premier action sports event in the world, featuring athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and Rally Car Racing. Last year for X Games 12, more than 138,000 fans attended the competition while another 35.6 million fans tuned in on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Now, X Games 13 is shaping up to be the biggest one ever!

(Photo provided by Getty Image/Rebecca Woods)

Surf's Up!

ActiveAdmin — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 04:22:34 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/73202071_2.jpg Have you ever wondered why surfing seems to be so much easier for kids than adults? This is because people of different ages learn surfing in different ways. Here's some tips on learning to surf for children, teenagers, and adults:

Children

Young children are usually eager to learn all sorts of things and learn it quickly. Children learn gross motor skills like "jumping to their feet" easier than the fine motor skills. When instructing or learning, spend more time on style, body positioning, where to look and foot positioning across the stringer than other skills.

Surf Kayaking 101

ActiveAdmin — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:22:22 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/977759_1.jpgStubby plastic whitewater boats with fiberglass wave skis and and fins on the bottom represent the evolution of the sport known as surf kayaking. Surf kayaking allows you to catch many more waves, paddle back out more quickly, and get to breaks that would be a long walk or paddle on a board more easily. Plus, you can have fun in more diverse conditions.

The biggest thing for beginners to grasp is the period of waves. The closer together the waves are, the harder it is to get out through them. So when launching off the beach, look for patterns in the series of waves. Wait for the larger ones to pass, then launch when the water is as close and low down on the beach as possible. Be on the lookout for side shore currents as well.