ASP judging: To the nines
Tuesday 26/08 15
There were just three 9 point rides at the Margaret River Pro. By contrast, the just-finished Billabong Pro Tahiti had 68 rides in the 9+ range.
Surfpolitik
Big is the enemy of cool revisited
Monday 25/08 23
As the mega-brands become less so and struggle along the rocky road of ‘profit improvement plans’, it is becoming clear that there's a window of opportunity for a couple of surfers (not entrepreneurs) of passion, creativity and soul to reinvent the surf industry wheel.
One Wave
Tuesday 05/08 22
The shock wave hit me almost immediately. All normal spatial perception was gone. I was wrenched and torn in every direction at once.
Sunshine Coast to house world's first Webber Wavepool
Tuesday 29/07 110
Long suspected as somewhere in the Gold Coast hinterland, the site for Webber's wavepool was today revealed as Glenview on the Sunshine Coast.
Jeremy got off lightly
Sunday 20/07 28
"No one, not even this sentimental old bugger, expects Jeremy to start kissing cheeks again, but just a hint of that youthful grace and charm might help his cause and win back some friends, even in the judging tower."
Daly Heads NSR wins the inaugural National Surfing Reserve of the Year Award
Wednesday 16/07 4
The enthusuastic mob from Yorkes Peninsula win the first ever National Surfing Reserve of the Year Award.
The risks we take
Monday 07/07 36
Surfing is an inherently risky business, and while it's hard to calculate the exact risk we can detach ourselves from any emotional component. Following the death of a surfer at Tamarama, blindboy examines the data that is avaialble.
Surfing and crowdfunding: a capital idea
Thursday 03/07 11
Surfers may have been slow on the uptake but the number of crowdfunded surfing projects has been steadily increasing.
Maldives exclusivity: A dangerous precedent
Thursday 26/06 55
Who owns a surf break? Who can stop others from surfing it and on what grounds? After numerous trips to the Maldives, photographer Joel Coleman questions the right of anyone to stake a claim and restrict others. It's a complex debate but also an urgent one.
ASP: Back to the future?
Friday 20/06 199
Fifty years after the 1964 World Titles at Manly, which attracted 400,000 television viewers, professional surfing has repeatedly failed to reach the heights its adherents believe it deserves. The Sage of Noosa, Phil Jarratt, strokes his chin and ruminates on a not-so-modern quandary.
Muscle...
Tuesday 10/06 265
Loss of upper body strength reduces paddling power. Loss of core strength causes slow transitions. Loss of leg strength causes loss of power through turns. It's time to rage against the dying light and hit the gym.
Kelly Slater, local wildcards, and the future of the Big Wave World Tour
Wednesday 28/05 2
Of all the ASP's recent acquisitions the Big Wave World Tour has the most potential for mainstream appeal. Yet for it to succeed the organisers must pursue conflicting objectives: put the sport's largest names in spotlights while also including unknown local soldiers.