Breaking Surf News
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Perrow Wins Billabong Pipe Masters, Florence Takes Vans Triple Crown Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34, has won his inaugural ASP World Tour event, taking out the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons over fellow countrymen Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in four-to-six foot waves.... -
CARVE sign sponsorship deal with Sunny Garcia The Australian based company has been working hard to launch the brand into an ever growing global market place and building a team to compliment it’s passion for action sports. With U.S business partner... -
Taj Burrow Wins 1st Ever Reef Hawaiian Pro West Australia's Taj Burrow, a virtual veteran of pro surfing at 33 years of age, has claimed his first Reef Hawaiian Pro title in Hawaii to pocket $25,000 and take an early lead on the Vans Triple Crown... -
Reef Hawaiian Pro - Day 1 Australian Jack Freestone, 19, the reigning ASP World Junior Champion, set a high-flying pace at the Reef Hawaiian Pro today. The event finally got underway in head-high surf after nine days ...
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Surf
Right On, Target
Department mogul Target made its first strides into the surf world recently by officially signing one of surfing’s most publicized female upstarts, Hawaiian Carissa Moore, to their brand last week. The deal opens up the Minnesota-based company that posted a net income of $2.2 billion in profits in 2008, to the surf industry for the first time. Although the company’s entrance to the sport will inevitably raise a number of eyebrows, Target has been a player in the action-sports industry for nearly a decade, supporting snowboarding giant Shaun White for eight years.
By signing Moore, who at 16 years old is an 11-time NSSA National champ and is currently leading the WQS, Target is making a relatively understated entrance to the game. The details of Moore’s contract have not yet been released.
“We’ve been looking at Carissa for a few years now…after meeting with her and her family, we feel that she’s a perfect fit for our company and represents us well,” said Target Lifestyle Manager, Troy Michels. “Right now we’re not looking at doing anything but supporting Carissa and making sure that she gets all of the best opportunities out there."
Currently, Target is keeping their role in the surf world low-key, opting to keep their marketing team restrained in the coming years. “We’re currently not going to do any advertisements in the magazines or sponsor any events,” said Michels.
When asked if Target will be pursuing any other surfers to add to their bulls-eye logo, Michels did not discount the idea but remained adamant that they are currently only supporting Moore. “I can’t say if we’re going to be sponsoring anyone else or not in the surf industry just yet. But right now, we’re putting our support behind Carissa.”
Moore, who is poised to make her debut at the elite level come next year, effervescently stated that, “I love Target and I am honored to make my relationship with them official. Target opened two stores in Hawaii this year and it’s been great to have one so close to home. I’m really excited and am looking forward to working together. I know we’ll have a lot of fun.” —Jeff Mull
LEROY KAIWI on DK HYBRID
'The Landlord' as his close friends call him doesn't have much to say in the lineup. Whether it be from Pipeline, Off the Wall, local spots in Kauai, or his hometown of Maui...no other rider since the infamous Kainoa McGee has been able to transcend from island to island at the heaviest of localized spots and sit on the biggest and best set waves of the day without a blink of an eye from any local. Leroy has been busy developing with No.6 one of the most revolutionary hybrids for DK and prone.
"Im not a huge contest rider and geared more towards free surfing sessions looking for the best swells" Kaiwi will tell anyone about his methods. "I still consider it important to have presence and participation in them though to support the scene and make sponsors happy."
Leroy has turned his eye focus onto developing into what he has called the REMIX : old school stability and new school twist. The most important element of his design was to keep a focus on a new board that will enhance both DK and prone with subtlety lying in the new deck option and the power of CNC development. "There's only a few I would trust to help me develop and market a design like this...so it was a win win for the industry."
Leroy is currently shooting for upcoming podcasts under the Electric Eye segments filmed by No.6 and taking advantage of the summer swells on the outter islands shooting with fellow team rider Kyle Matsumoto.
The Chinatown Boardroom has become a bastion for Hawai‘i surf art and culture and their monthly Surf Discussion Series is a means to that end. On July 15, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., legendary filmmaker Jack McCoy will take the stage. With over 20 movies under his belt including The Green Iguana and the Occumentary, the Hawai‘i-born movie-man will be on hand to talk about his expansive career and talk story. His Boardroom visit comes in conjunction with the second annual Surf Film Festival at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
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- Embedded at Chopes Day 2
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Featured Articles
- Aperture
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- Rainos Hayes
Long Live the Queen
FREESURF: It seemed like you just took off on a roll this year. Granted there was some talk of a rivalry between you and Sally [Fitzgibbons], but it seemed like it was more of a matter of when, not if, you would secure your title this year. Was there a point this year when you felt like, “yeah, I can win a title this year”?
Carissa Moore: I think every woman on tour wants and believes that they can win a world title, otherwise they wouldn’t be competing at this level. Dad and I talked about the title a few times, but never more than using it as motivation. Sally was nipping at my heels the whole year and there was a placement shift halfway through where I was nipping at hers. It was so close that I never really could let my guard down, just had to keep my head focused and take everything one step at a time. When the seconds started counting down in the Steph-Sally semi in France and Steph was ahead, I think that was finally the moment that I let it all go. Read more...
An All-Star Crew Descends On Perfect Cloudbreak
Kohl Christenson, underground in more ways than one.
Read more...
Billabong Team Manager/Mentor to Keanu Asing
Freesurf: What was your life like before you became a team manager?
Rainos Hayes: Well, I grew up on the North Shore pretty much in the same place that I live now, kind of by Sunset Beach. I was a pro for a while and rode for Quiksilver from about 15 to 25 years old and had a limited amount of success.
