What I thought was really cool is that they are constantly tweeting out coupons for local surf shops. What makes this service unique is that surf shops can use Peaks and Barrels to release their coupons and surfing deals.  Instead of following all of the shops in your area you can also follow peaks and barrels and you will get all surf deals even if you’re traveling to a destination break; very cool feature! After you grab your coupon from the PNB website or Twitter, visit their Surf Travel Map which is very easy to use and makes traveling a much simpler experience. The map contains the well-known surf breaks and the local surf shops. Right now they are expanding the map to feature only the things that surfers need; food, surf, and sleep.

It is very comforting knowing that by going to PeaksandBarrels.com I can line up a surfboard that I want to surf during my trip at a local surf shop, and I can avoid a $300 board bag airline charge.  (By the way, when using Peaks and Barrels to organize your trip just mention peaks and barrels and they will totally take care of you!!!) Peaks and Barrels had really jumped into the 21st century of surfing by finding their niche, identifying a problem and offering an innovative solution.  They are essentially an extension of the local surf shop on the global level. Their goal is to bring surfers back to the local surf shops, especially the traveling surfer.

They have a surf team that is headed up by World #6 Amee Donohoe. She can be quoted as saying “I really feel like I am at home with Peaks and Barrels.” She told me that she had never heard of them before they had approached her. We asked her if PeaksandBarrels.com had any other plans besides the surf travel maps? She Smiled and replied “You will have to wait and see, but I can tell you this…It is exactly what the surfing world needs!”

You may have noticed they sell their own brand tee shirts as well. We don’t know who is behind the design of their apparel but they are doing a great job. Their shirts are fashionable and they have a great look! Peaks and Barrels is really attempting to make their mark on the surfing world and they are doing a fine job at it.

They are in the midst of developing some tools that the surf world has been waiting for all this time. The target audience of peaks and barrels are surfers. If you surf, and you travel; then you want to be Surfing Peaks and Barrels: Where Surfers GO!
In the past, typically, you have never been able to plan ahead when it comes to surfing. That is beginning to hurt the local surf shop because people are purchasing online or at the mega surf shop right when they arrive at their destination. Here is the problem with this, you just missed out on your opportunity to get a local board shaped by a local shaper designed specifically for the waves you came to surf.  You will probably pay too much and received to little. We want to keep the small businesses above the water in the industry that many of us dream to be working in. PeaksandBarrels.com envisions a solution to some of these issues, and they are working to put the local surf shops back on the map for you, The Traveling Surfer. Go – Surf – Ride – Peaks and Barrels.

Technorati Tags: Costa rica, peaks and barrels, PeaksandBarrels, saving the waves, surf map, Surf News, surf shop, Surf Travel, Surf Trip, surfboard bag, Surfing, US Surf shop

For Immediate Release

Sept 30^th 2009

Surfing ‘Peaks and Barrels’ Is Announcing a New Internet Swell

New surfing website moving into an interactive way to plan your “surf.”

Surfing ‘Peaks and Barrels’ is taking the country by storm and is proving to be more than just your run-of-the-mill surf site. The wave has swelled and has become a Facebook favorite for surfers and beach lovers alike. P&B has been in the works since April ‘09 and is now launching the first version of it’s website, where it will offer popular gear, such as it’s “classic style” T-shirt.

PeaksandBarrels.com is thrilled to soon offer an interactive tool for surfers to plan surf sessions and get in touch with your local surfing community. In the meantime, Peaks and Barrels will have many other interesting promotions and products for fans to check out.

PeaksandBarrels.com is a supporter of non-profit organizations like SurfAid International, Saving the Waves, Saving the Firepits, and Surfrider foundation. Invite PeaksandBarrels.com to your event and let them assist in the fund raising and getting the word out.

Peaks and Barrels, it’s what you surf.

If you would like to learn more information visit http://PeaksandBarrels.com and enter your name & email, then click ‘Get Barreled‘.

Peaks and Barrels Set up for the Board Recycling Project.

Surfboard Recycling Project with VERB Media.

Technorati Tags: australia surf, Bali, Beach, Costa rica, Indonesia, Montauk, Outer Banks, Pavones, peaks and barrels, PeaksandBarrels, rob machado, rusty, saving the waves, Surf Competition, Surf News, Surf rack, Surf Travel, Surf Trip, Surfaid, Surfboard, Surfboard Rack, Surfrider, Trestles

October 5, 2009

The Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley saw today the Men’s action with the first round heating the water around 9am in small but clean two foot waves (0.5 metre). One of the highlights of the day was the heat with Brazilian Gabriel Medina (15), who won a Grom Event in France with two ten points rides in the final.

“It was very cool this event in France. The waves was very good there and I could show my surfing. I was happy that many people commented on about my heat and about my two scores of 10, including Mick Fanning. But now is another contest and I just want to show my surfing here in Rio, without pressure” said Medina, who in July became the youngest surfer to win a WQS Event after his victory over Neco Padaratz at Mole Beach, Florianopolis.

The Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley is the 32th stop of 2009 Men’s WQS Tour and the 101th in Brazil. A lot of surfers who was competing in Guaruja this weekend came directly to Arpoador. One of them is the Brazilian Diego Rosa, who competed yesterday in the quarters and today was in the water competing in the 5th heat of Round of 144.

“After a long time competing and traveling you get used to surf many heats without a break. Earlier physical stress was much higher, but these days the body has already absorbed more quickly. I was one of the last to arrive here in Rio de Janeiro and one of the first to surf this morning here in Arpoador” said Rosa, after qualifying for the Round of 96.

“I’m happy to move on. The waves are very difficult, the luck factor counts a lot because sometimes the ocean gets flat for 5, 10 minutes, so I am glad that I had enough time to wait and surf good waves”. conclued him.

The small waves of the first day of Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley favored the Brazilians surfers at Arpoador Beach, but some foreigners also triumphed on this Monday. One of tham was the surfer from South Africa, David Richards. “It’s always hard to dispute a heat only with Brazilians in Brazil. There are some good waves out there, but hard to find them”.

“The sets are taking too long to come, but when it gives a good wave to surf is good. But it is difficult to compete in these conditions with four surfers in the water. You have to be quick and smart during the heat, if not, you dance, so I’m happy” said Richards.

The younger surfer from Porto Rico, Dylan Graves was another who found his rhythm in the waves of the Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley today. “I’m definitely stoked to have advanced and have caught some waves out there, the drop area is very short and with 3 more surfers in the competition area makes the heat very intense”.

“The vibe here in Rio seems to be good, this is my first time here and this is such a beatiful place with all this mountains, so I have no complaints, this place actually reminds me a San Juan in Puerto Rico, of course with less people, cars and buildings” commented Graves.

Arpoador Beach will receive 144 Surfers from 19 different countries, who are competing for 2.500 points and 145.000 dollars in the Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley. Brazil has 83 competitors, USA fifteen surfers followed by Australia (11), South Africa (8), Hawaii (5), France (3), Porto Rico (3), Spain (2), Portugal (2), Peru (2) and Mexico (2), with eight countries with one surfer each: Ireland, Japan, Tahiti, Reunion Island, Costa Rica, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina.

WOMEN’S DECISION – In the last WQS event of the year, the Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley, a Women’s 5 Star event will receive 48 surfers competing for the tittle and for a spot in ASP Women´s World Tour in 2010.

In Arpoador Beach, ten of sixteen surfers from the Dream Tour will be competing in this big event. The Women’s competition should start on Wednesday or Thursday. With twelve Brazilians in the event, three has chances to classify to the ASP Women´s World Tour and one of them is Claudia Goncalves.

“I’m stocked to still have a chance, but a lot of excellent surfers are coming here to compete, then it will be hard as hell” said Claudinha. “Certainly, for us Brazilians is a little more favorable this event here in Brazil. I’m training a lot, surfing with good boards and I will do everything possible to reach the dream tour next year” promises Claudinha.

She also commented about the victory of Brazilian Silvana Lima over Stephanie Gilmore this week in Australia. “It was awesome. I followed all the heats on the internet and Silvana was ripping. Certainly she will be the first to bring a world title for Brazil” bet Claudinha. Silvana will be one of the main attractions in Rio de Janeiro this week.

The next call will be tomorrow at 7am for a 7:30 start.

The 2009 Rio Surf Pro International presented by Oakley are sponsored by Oakley and Skol, with co-sponsor by Metrô Rio, Rio de Janeiro State Government, Rio de Janeiro City Hall, Azul Airlines, Suzuki, WQSurf and Sandalias Ipanema RJ. The Men’s and Women’s WQS events are sanctioned by ASP South America with a realization of Adding Sports and Acesso Comunication Solutions, also with the support of Rio de Janeiro State Surfing Federation, Favela Surf Club and Arpoador Surf Club. Watch live at www.aspsouthamerica.com.br

http://peaksandbarrels.com

Technorati Tags: peaks and barrels, PeaksandBarrels, rob machado, rusty, saving the waves, Surf Competition, Surf News, Surf rack, Surf Travel, Surf Trip, Surfaid, Surfboard, Surfboard Rack, Surfrider, Trestles

“I pretty much fell off the face of the earth and chased great waves around for 6 months.” -Machado

by Scott Bass
Scott@surfermag.com
SurferMag

DOWN THE LINE SURF TALK RADIO – LET THE SALT WATER NOSE DRIP POUR
http://www.xtrasports1360.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=downtheline.xml

San Diego’s Rob Machado, one of the most stylish surfers alive, discusses last summer’s Indonesian sojourn and his new movie chronicling his experiences abroad.

You were drifting around Indonesia on a motor scooter most of last summer; tell us about your Indo experience cruising around Indo.

I prefer to call it a motorcycle. Motor scooter makes it sound like a Vespa or something. I actually bought a Honda CB 100. I cruised around filming for my flick. I spent about six months living…sort of based out of Bali. I ventured out to the outer islands from Sumba to Lombok to Java…spent a bit of time in Java. There are a ridiculous amount of waves there that you can find if you really want to find them.

You sort of did the unconventional surf trip, in that you veered off the beaten path. You hung out with the local people in, as you mentioned, rather remote regions. I see that you helped the local communities out over there too.

As the trip went on I sort of realized that to really get away you have to venture way out. My bike started breaking down, and I used public transport and got into some cool funky places and I did a lot of camping, and I removed myself from my normal routine and it was good.

Your movie is called, tentatively, THE DRIFTER. With whom are you working on this film project? Is this a Taylor Steele production?

Yeah, Taylor and I came up with it, and Hurley is backing it and gave me the opportunity to basically disappear in Indo for six months. I pretty much fell off the face of the earth and chased great waves around for six months.

Undoubtedly, you scored some great waves and some great tubes. Photos have already trickled into the pages of surf magazines and on websites. We’ve seen some insane barrels from your trip. The notion that time stands still in the tube, the old surfing cliché, do you think there is any truth to that?

Wow, that’s pretty deep right there. For me, it’s about not thinking. I like the idea of actually being on a wave…I think that’s the only time that I’m actually not thinking. That’s the magic of surfing for me. There aren’t too many things that you do in life where your brain shuts off and you acting on what you are feeling and you’re not consciously making decisions.

Seems like the free-surfing vibe fits you perfectly. But watching you surf in events, your level of performance surfing is higher than it’s ever been. Do you still enjoy competitive surfing?

Yeah. Occasionally. It’s still fun, and I like watching those guys. That’s where the best surfing in the world is happening. If you watch those guys: Mick and Joel and Kelly and Andy, and now Dane and Jordy, The stuff that’s going on is pretty radical, so it is fun to go in there and mix it up with those guys. It’s hard because those guys are on tour together all the time and constantly pushing each other. When you are not around that level of surfing all the time it is hard to maintain and stay at that level. I try and hang with those guys as much as I can; it is inspiring to see those guys in person that’s for sure.

So the guys at Cardiff Reef aren’t inspiring you too much then?

(Laughs) Oh, you know, not quite the same level. But those guys at Cardiff are cool.

You mentioned Kelly, and I’m wondering, earlier in the year, Slater played in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and hit some great golf shots. Especially on number 17, the par 3, it’s 200-plus yards, he hit it into a strong 20-knot head wind. Kelly put his tee shot 8-feet from the hole and birdied. Being an avid golfer yourself and a friend of Kelly’s, did you see that shot?

No I didn’t see this year’s event. That’s cool. That’s heavy. Serious stuff.

The movie is THE DRIFTER. Where are you at with that?

We are elbow deep in the editing room right now, so we are looking at a summer time release, we hope.

Are you involved with the music on the movie?

Oh yeah, I’m involved, and it’s pretty exciting. We just had Warner Brothers music come on board so we’ll be adding some of their acts to the flick. I recorded some music. We recorded some music in Indo. We are throwing everything we can into the mixing bowl and see how it goes.

Rob, thanks for the time today. Can’t wait to see the movie.

Thanks for calling, and thanks for the inspiration at Cardiff (laughs).

Interview by Scott Bass
Scott@surfermag.com
http://www.surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/the_drifter_qna_with_life_glider_rob_machado/
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http://www.mysurfboardbag.com
http://www.peaksandbarrels.com
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Thank you Rob Machado.

Technorati Tags: Al Merrick, al merrick surfboard, Bali, Beach, Costa rica, Drifter, Drifting By The Sea, Hurley, Indonesia, LOST.TV, Ocean, Pavones, Peru, rob machado, Rob Machado Movie, saving the waves, Surf Film, Surf News, Surf Travel, Surf Trip, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Rack, Surfrider, The Drifter

DEE WHY, New South Wales (Sunday, October 4, 2009) – Silvana Lima (BRA), 24, won the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic this afternoon over reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP Women’s World No. 1 Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, in stormy three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) conditions at Dee Why in an action packed Final, marking back-to-back wins for the hungry Brazilian after claiming the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.Gilmore jumped out to an early lead in the sea-saw battle for the 2009 Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic title, but Lima fought back throughout the heat, collecting a 7.77 and eventually securing the win with an 8.83 for a lengthy forehand barrel to post the highest heat total of the event, an impressive 16.60 out of 20, en route to her first victory at the event after three consecutive Final appearances.

“I can’t believe it,” Lima said. “I’ve been in the Final in this event three times and I finally won. I was feeling really confident. The waves here today were like the waves in Brazil and I’m always surfing in these conditions. The final was really good. Steph (Gilmore) got some good waves too and I was able to get two good ones.”

The back-to-back ASP Women’s World Tour wins secured by the hungry Brazilian have significantly tightened the ratings for this year’s ASP Women’s World Title and although Gilmore still holds on to the ratings lead, Lima is following closely in the No. 2 position.

“I’m definitely looking at the title, but it’s too early,” Lima said “There are still four contests left this year, so there is more work for everyone, but I feel so much more confident after my first win at Bells.”

Gilmore was in devastating form throughout the entire Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, blasting some of the event’s top scores with a committed forehand attack on the steep Dee Why right-handers, but was unable to top Lima in the Final.

“To come back after such a long break and still make the Final, I’m pretty happy with that,” Gilmore said. “Silvana (Lima) beat me at Bells and her confidence is through the roof at the moment, so my challenge is to step it up another level. I did it in the Semifinals, but maybe I peaked too early.”

Gilmore, who fell to Lima in the Final at the last stop on the ASP Women’s World Tour, knows claiming this year’s ASP Women’s World Title will be no easy task and is preparing for the next four stops scheduled on the 2009 calendar.

“It’s definitely game on,” Gilmore said. “There are four events left and everyone is really fired up and off to Portugal, Peru and Hawaii, so I can’t think of a better way to finish off the tour.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 26, was also on fire throughout the entire event, topping 2005 ASP Women’s World Champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 25, en route to her third place finish, but could not find a solid score in her Semifinal heat against eventual Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic winner, Lima.

“I couldn’t really find a rhythm in that last heat,” Mulanovich said. “I couldn’t land a turn, but it’s alright. I guess I was a bit nervous and the waves didn’t come my way, but it’s the same conditions for everyone. I’ll just look at where things went wrong and use that for next time.”

Mulanovich, who was the 2004 ASP Women’s World Champion, has now notched back-to-back third place results, leaving her in third overall on the ratings, but as a former champion, the Peruvian natural-footer knows she’ll need to win events this year if she is to claim another ASP Women’s World title.

“Silvana got me at Bells too,” Mulanovich said. “It’s the same result. A third-place is a good result and I need to work a little more on the mental side of things, but I know that, so that’s what I’m going to do. A third is good, but you need to win events to win the title. I’m still towards the top of the ratings and I’m just going to go from there.”

Melanie Bartels (HAW), 27, was a standout performer throughout the event’s entirety, ousting an international field of competitors including Rebecca Woods (AUS), 25, and Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), 22, on the way to her Semifinals berth. The talented Hawaiian struggled to find a solid score in her battle against Gilmore, bowing out of the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic with a third place finish.

“I just wasn’t in rhythm out there and I couldn’t find anything,” Bartels said. “It’s tough out there, but I’m stoked that I made the Semifinals, it’s a good result, but I just wanted to surf well, I wanted to put on a good performance and I don’t feel like I did that, but that’s how it goes.”

The next stop on the ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Rip Curl Search in Peniche, Portugal, which holds a waiting period from October 26 through 30, 2009.

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Final:
1- Silvana Lima (BRA) 16.60
2- Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.67

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.17 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 6.87
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA)10.60 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 5.40

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Quarterfinals Results:
Heat 1: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 6.35 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 5.97
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.54 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 8.80
Heat 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) 12.57 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 9.00
Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.86 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 8.10

ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings After Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 3241 points
2 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 2880
3 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 2139
4 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 1983
5 – Coco Ho (HAW) 1723
6 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 1711
7 – Paige Hareb (NZL) 1704
8 – Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 1519
8 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1519
10 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 1512
11 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1308
12 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 1116
12 – Alana Blanchard (HAW) 1116
14 – Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 1110
15 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 918
16 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 756
16 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 756

http://www.aspworldtour.com/2009/news_show.asp?rEvent=&rcode=13257

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http://www.peaksandbarrels.com

http://www.mysurfboardbag.com

Technorati Tags: Al Merrick, al merrick surfboard, ASP, australia surf, Beach, Beachley classic, Beachley Classic Results, Beachley Results, Beachly Results, common wealth bank, Ocean, peaks and barrels, saving the waves, Sb5120, Surf Competition, Surf Travel, surfboard bag, Surfboard Brands, Surfing Competition

Almost 3,000 people are still trapped under rubble following Wednesday’s powerful earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, officials say.

Massive quake: A member of an Indonesian military rescue team walks through a collapsed building in Padang (Reuters: Singgalang-Muhammad Fitrah)

More than 1,000 people are known to have died and the chances of finding survivors are growing slimmer.

Rescue teams from several countries are heading to the Indonesian city of Padang in a last push to save lives.

Some were focused on a hotel where as many as eight people may still be alive, and where noises were heard.

As night fell, rescuers said they were close to a room where a seminar was being held when the quake struck.

Voices were heard from under the rubble earlier, and a newly-arrived Swiss rescue team said it had picked up frantic knocking sounds using sophisticated audio equipment.
AT THE SCENE

Rachel Harvey, BBC News, Padang
Darkness has fallen for the third time since the earthquake struck and once again powerful floodlights are trained on what remains of a large hotel.Twisted wreckage of cars and rubble are still piled high here and the rescuers say they now may be close to a room where it’s known a seminar was taking place on Wednesday evening. Several people are thought to be trapped inside that room and the rumour here tonight is that miraculously even at this late stage some people may have survived and there is a long queue of ambulances here waiting just in case.      Shattered Padang tries to cope but an AFP reporter also described a stench hanging over the hotel, as bodies there began to decompose in the equatorial heat.

At least one survivor, a young woman, was pulled from under a collapsed school earlier in the day.

The rescue of Ratna Kurnia Sari on Friday was a boost to emergency workers who were enduring tough conditions as they scrambled to reach survivors in Padang.

At least one other young woman was reported to be trapped close to where the first rescue took place.

Although rescue efforts focused on Padang, aid workers and reporters said that in rural areas thousands more buildings had been destroyed and whole villages flattened.

“From the aerial assessments carried out yesterday, the feedback is, yes Padang city and environs are bad, but once you go outside into the surrounding rural areas, the situation is very seriously grave,” said International Red Cross coordinator Christine South, quoted by AFP news agency.

There was still no information for some areas including Mentawai Island, 57km from the coast, she added.

An AP reporter said parts of Pariaman district, to the north of Padang, had virtually no buildings left standing and had received no outside help.

Need for machinery

US President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Jakarta, called his Indonesian counterpart to offer condolences and help with the relief effort, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari has appealed for more foreign aid to help the rescue effort.

MAJOR INDONESIAN QUAKES
26 Dec 2004: Asian tsunami kills 170,000 in Indonesia alone
28 March 2005: About 1,300 killed after a magnitude 8.7 quake hits the coast of Sumatra
27 May 2006: Quake hits ancient city of Yogyakarta, killing 5,000
17 July 2006: A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills 550 people
30 Sept 2009: 7.6 magnitude quake near Sumatran city of Padang, thousands feared dead
1 Oct 2009: Second of two quakes near Padang, magnitude 6.8 – no damage or casualties reported

SurfAid has a Padang Earthquake Relief Appeal. People can donate through our website. We are in Emergency Response mode and currently assessing the coastal areas south of Padang. We are buying tents, tarpaulins, food, water, medical and sanitation su…pplies in Medan to ship down. We have five Indonesian staff still unaccounted for in Padang. Any support much appreciated. Cheers www.surfaidinternational.org

Padang’s race against time <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8285986.stm>
Woman rescued from rubble <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8286638.stm>
Eyewitness: Sumatra earthquake <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8284924.stm>
UK rescue team flying to Indonesia <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8285409.stm>

There were calls in particular for skilled rescuers with specialised equipment to penetrate the unstable rubble.

A team of British firefighters is due to arrive over the weekend.

In Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said a plane carrying engineering and health teams was on its way to Indonesia, with a 44-strong rescue team due to arrive in Sumatra.

Other nations have also pledged aid to Indonesia, among them China ($500,000; £315,000), South Korea (43-strong rescue team and $500,000), and Germany ($1.5m).

The quake struck on Wednesday close to Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, bringing scores of buildings crashing to the ground.

The main earthquake struck at 1716 local time (1016 GMT), some 85km (55 miles) under the sea, north-west of Padang, the US Geological Survey said.

A second quake of 6.8 struck close to Padang at 0852 local time (0152 GMT) on Thursday causing panic but no reports of casualties or damage.

Sumatra lies close to the geological fault line that triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Geologists have long warned that Padang – a city of 900,000 people – could one day be completely destroyed by an earthquake because of its location.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8287573.stm

Surfing Padang

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http://www.mysurfboardbag.com/
http://www.peaksandbarrels.com/

Technorati Tags: australia surf, Bali, Earthquake, Indonesia, Natural Disaster, Ocean, Padang, Surf News, Surf Travel, Surfing, World News

DEE WHY, New South Wales (Wednesday, September 30, 2009) – The opening day of the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic saw current ASP World No. 5 Melanie Bartels (HAW), 27, and reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, lead the world’s best women’s surfers through Round 1 in two-to-three foot (1 metre) surf at Dee Why.

“I wasn’t really focusing on redemption over Wright, but it was more about shaking off the first heat nerves,” Gilmore said. “Chelsea (Hedges) and Tyler are a couple of my favorite surfers and Tyler did so well here last year, so I guess it felt good to come back with a win after a long break. It’s a bit disappointing that we’re not surfing at the point this morning, but it’s (Dee Why) a great wave and who knows what’s going to happen later in the week, maybe we’ll be up at the point for the Final, that’d be awesome.”

Although the talented regular-footer felt pressure entering the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic after a long mid-year break, Gilmore showed no sign of nerves and the poise shown by the defending ASP Women’s World Champion carried her directly through to Round 3.

“I think there is pressure after such a long break,” Gilmore said. “There’s sort of that safety net of Round 2, but I wanted to go out there and surf hard and my equipment is amazing at the moment and I’m stoked to be through to Round 3.”

Aside from the pressure of returning to contest mode after a long break, Gilmore also expressed the weight of entering an ASP Women’s World Tour event as the top seed.

“The pressure is always sort of there if you’re within the top five on the ratings, especially when you’re No. 1,” Gilmore said. “You’re expected to be fit and ready to go. I’m feeling fit and happy and I’m excited to be back in the action.”

Gilmore will have a Round 3 rematch against Wright when competition resumes.

Bartels surfed impressively throughout her entire opening round heat, but found her two best waves in the back half of her bout to claim the highest heat total of the day, an impressive 15.25 out of 20, while capitalizing on a rare barrel, leaving fellow competitors Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), 22, and Amee Donohe (AUS), 28, needing a combination of scores to top the Hawaiian standout.

“I’d been eyeing that little barrel out there,” Bartels said. “I was just waiting and that wave came to me and I was able to find that little barrel which gave me the good score. It’s been such a long time between events that I forgot I was surfing in a contest out there. I just tried to get a wave and surf.”

The explosive Hawaiian veteran started her year off strong with a runner up finish at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast before suffering a 17th place finish at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. Bartels was elated to advance directly through to Round 3 at Dee Why and get the second half of her season off in the right direction.

“Bells is a very hard wave and it was really small when we surfed it, so it was tough for me,” Bartels said. “The waves out here are offshore and bigger than two-foot, so it’s perfect, I’m stoked.”

The Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic holds a waiting period from September 30 through October 5, 2009. Event officials will reconvene at Dee Why at 7am local time tomorrow to assess conditions for the potential start of Round 2 at 8am.

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.45, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 9.15, Layne Beachley (AUS) 8.25
Heat 2: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 15.25, Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 11.05, Amee Donohoe (AUS) 10.85
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.00, Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.40, Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 12.05
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA) 8.60, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 8.60, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 4.70
Heat 5: Coco Ho (HAW) 10.65, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.35, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 10.25
Heat 6: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 9.55, Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.85, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 6.40

Upcoming Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Round 2 Heats:
Heat 1: Amee Donohoe (AUS), Layne Beachley (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Heat 2: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Bruna Schmitz (BRA), Alana Blanchard (HAW)

For additional ASP information log on to http://www.aspworldtour.com

________________________

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By Tetsuhiko Endo

Brett Beyer NY Surf Festival

With last weekend’s Unsound Pro surf contest in Long Beach, Long Island; the second annual New York Surf Film Festival in TriBeCa, which ended last night; and the recent art opening of the female longboard pro Kassia Meador of California at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, the New York area has been crawling with the biggest names in surfing. A friend of Waves, the surf writer Tetsuhiko Endo, caught up with the film festival over the weekend.

Rob Machado, professional surfing’s ambassador of soul, was standing outside Tribeca Cinemas on Friday, waiting for the national premiere of his new movie, “The Drifter,’’ at the second annual New York Surf Film Festival.

The oddity of the location for his United States premiere — the theater is on the concrete corner of Varick and Laight Streets — was not lost on Mr. Machado, who can more regularly be found in Hawaii, Tahiti or Indonesia, where “The Drifter” takes place.

“There’s this crazy, underground surf scene here that no one seems to know about,” he said while waiting outside the theater for his film to begin. “And it makes it really cool to come to an event like this.”

In his narration of “The Drifter,’’ Mr. Machado says, “The surf world moves like a traveling circus.” Well, that circus came to town this weekend along with the festival, whose organizers were hoping to showcase the eclecticism of a spreading area surf scene that is increasingly drawing fascination from other parts.

A quick look around Tribeca Cinemas on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday underscored his point: The New York/New Jersey surfing scene showed up in force, from swaggering hipsters to suit-wearing bankers, to the Jersey boys in their flannel-shirt-and-baseball-hat uniforms. The rest of the crowd was a mélange of industry types from California, Aussie expats, a handful of Irish, the odd Basque, and even a couple of Ohio lake surfers. The filmmaker Andrew Kidman and local pros like Will Tant and Dean Randazzo blended in happily with local recreational surfers, including the fashion designer Cynthia Rowley .

“It doesn’t feel like a typical surf event,” the Australian filmmaker Stefan Hunt agreed. Mr. Hunt’s movie, “Surfing in 50 States,” was one of 18 featured over the weekend along with 13 shorts. “Usually, theses things are filled with the surfer dudes with bleached hair, the skinny girls in bikinis, and a bunch of surfing films that all look the same.”

Homogeneity is one of the things that the event’s founder, Tyler Breuer, who is also manager of the Sundown Surf Shop on Long Island, said he specifically tried to avoid. “I want the old guys I grew up surfing with in Long Beach, I want the grommets who are just interested in the shred flicks, I want the artists, and I want the people who don’t surf at all,” he said.

Sancho Rodriguez, the founder and organizer of the San Sebastián Surfilm Festibal, who was also in attendance, praised the mix of the crowd over the lip of his beer can. “New York is a strange place for a festival like this, but doing things that are slightly out of the ordinary is good for surfing,” he said. “We have to understand that our sport is growing and maturing, so the role of festivals like this is to convey the best parts of surfing to people that may not have been exposed to them.”

Ms. Rowley suggested that the surf world was ready for some distance from its traditional epicenter on the West Coast, and that New York seemed to be providing it.

“Californian surf culture has been a little mined,” she said, in that dismissive way that only fashion designers can fully evoke. “People are inherently interested in things that are alternative.”

When asked what she thought of the general surfing vibe in the room, she called it “aspiring to be non-aspirational,” and added: “New York surfers are a stylish bunch. In fashion, it’s got to be genuine to be cool, and this definitely feels genuine.”

Waves is an occasional City Room feature chronicling surfing in and around New York City, and the issues important to local surfers. Its author, Jim Rutenberg, is a Washington correspondent who grew up surfing in New Jersey and continues to surf regularly on Eastern Long Island. Ideas and comments are welcome at Wavesnyt@gmail.com.

Article at: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com

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“There has been a big break on tour so it is somewhat fitting for it all to get back underway with the richest prize-purse on offer,” Beachley said. “It’s wonderful to have support from Australia’s leading bank, the Commonwealth Bank, and I’m looking forward to a terrific start tomorrow.”

After standing on the leading front of competitive female surfing for nearly 20 years, Beachely is now blending her competitive spirit while working hard to continue to create a future for the sport by founding events like the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic.

“I really find myself in juxtaposition this time of year,” Beachley said. “Emotionally I am invested in staging a great event but also wanting to compete at the best of my ability. I’m really focused on running a wonderful event for the surfers, sponsors and fans.”

Paige Hareb (NZL), 19, is currently sitting in the No. 3 spot on the ASP Women’s World Tour and is the leading rookie after the first two events. The young New Zealand talent has been keeping busy after the lengthy break by competing on the ASP WQS while spending some of the down time at home.

“It’s been like one big holiday,” Hareb said. “I’ve still been doing the world qualifying series in between but had a three-week break in California and have also been at home a bit hitting the snow!”

Although Hareb exceeded her expectations in the first two events on the 2009 calendar, the young Kiwi is hoping the keep the ball rolling at this week’s Commonwealth Bank Beachley classic and is looking to climb to the top of the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings.

“To be honest I’m surprised,” Hareb said. “I’ll take it though and of course I’m going to try and stay there if not better it.”


There will be an official press conference Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 10:45am at Dee Why Surf Club. Surfers Layne Beachley, defending ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, and defending Commonwealth Beachley Classic Champion Tyler Wright (AUS), 15, will be attending.

For additional ASP information log on to
http://www.aspworldtour.com
http://www.beachleyclassic.com/

_________________________

http://www.peaksandbarrels.com/
http://www.mysurfboardbag.com/

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By mbauer – September 23, 2009 – 09:05

Tuna Aquaculture Project Threatens Wave at Pavones, Costa Rica

Tuna excrement, red tides, algal blooms, and hydrogen sulfide are not the first things that come to mind when planning a surfing vacation to Costa Rica. But the country’s recent approval of a tuna farm project could contaminate coastal waters and dismantle one of the areas best preserved surfing destinations.

A proposed tuna farm project at the mouth of the Golfo Dulce, located along Costa Rica’s remote southern Pacific coast, threatens the area’s water quality and the overall pristine state of the wave at Pavones – considered to be one of the world’s longest lefts.


The company responsible for the tuna farm project, Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. (GAGSA), selected this section of coastline because the area’s swift running currents would bring a consistent flow of clean water to the captive tuna. However, these same currents could sweep the massive quantities of fish excrement and food waste produced by the tuna right up to Pavones’ doorstep.
Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court suspended the project’s approval in 2007, sighting inconsistencies in GAGSA’s environmental impact study. A part of the suspension, the court ordered a detailed independent investigation be done on the superficial and deepwater currents to better understand where the tuna byproducts would end up. This study was to be undertaken before any future environmental viability approval would be issued by the Costa Rican Environmental Ministry. However, in May 2009 Costa Rica’s environmental minister, Jorge Rodríguez, reopened the case and approved the project’s environmental viability without performing the court-mandated study.If the project is allowed to proceed, there is a high probability that the unappetizing mix of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane – all chemicals found in tuna excrement and leftover decaying food products produced at other tuna farm projects around the world – would reach Pavones. If this were to happen, algal blooms, decreased dissolved oxygen amounts, and wide spread dinoflagellate occurrences resulting in red tides and widespread fish kills could contribute to the dismantling of the area’s aesthetic beauty, artisanal fisheries, vibrant ecotourism businesses, and surfing industry.

Local surfers and conservation groups are vociferously campaigning against the tuna farm project (see related articles below). They are urging the international surfing community to write letters to Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister’s assessor, Marissia Obando, reminding her how important surfing is to the country’s economy and how crucial it is to protect coastlines and marine areas for recreational and economic opportunities.

Pavones was recently nominated to Save The Waves’ World Surfing Reserves program – an initiative designed to proactively protect the greatest and most threatened surf breaks around the world – because of its world class wave and the local community’s dedication to conserving the area’s natural surroundings.To get involved in the campaign and urge the Costa Rican government to protect the wave at Pavones – please send a letter to:

Sra. Marissia Obando
Minister’s assessor, Ministry of Tourism San José, Costa Rica,
Email mailto: mobando@ict.go.cr
Copy email: mailto: info@pretoma.org

Sample Letter:

Dear Sra. Marissia Obando,

I am extremely concerned about the fate the wave at Pavones, one of the most pristine surfing destinations in Costa Rica. Please act now and work with the Environmental Ministry to revoke the environmental viability given to the tuna farm project planned for the mouth of the Golfo Dulce and comply with the Constitutional Court’s resolution 2007-06315 to perform an extensive study of the areas currents in order to determine the environmental impact of the project.

Thank you.
–For more information please contact Andy Bystrom at mailto: andy@pretoma.org or visit the following websites:

Costa Rican Conservation Network: http://costaricanconservationnetwork.wordpress.com/

Pretoma: http://www.pretoma.org/

Please EVERYONE this is your call to action TODAY!!!

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