Slide Magazine...

Taj Burrow Smokes Slater In The Pipe Final...

 
Taj Burrow has claimed his spot in the venerable fraternity that is the Pipe Masters. The surf may have been on the way out but Teebs was the man today, adapting from barrels early on to aerial flaring in the final. Kelly looked the dogs in the quarters and semi but it fell apart for him in the final and he didn't even break double figures...

Slide Mag's Guest Cameo Appearance In The Micktory!

 Now I don't usually do cameos in world champions new mini sites but seeing as it's Mick I thought I'd do it this once... I'm the speccy berk in the opening shot, just tastefully out of focus at the back... I don't normally rock a beard I'd just been on the road in Europe for a month and standards were slipping.

Billabong Pipeine Masters Highlights Viddy...

 For those of you that prefer a moving image here's the highlights reel from the epic day at Pipe on Saturday. You might want to add your own music to drown out the commentary and hair metal. Clip after the jump-

Pipeline Timeline Part 2- Micktorious...

 

And it came to pass that Joel Parkinson came up against Gavin Gillette in heat 15 who got a 9 for one wave and would've got an 11 for this next one had he not just been clipped right at the last minute..

Pipeline Timeline Part 1- The Bit Before Mick O'Clock...

 

It’s about time they changed the name of this event to the Backdoor Masters cos today was all about Pipe’s twisted little sister. A blessing for the natural foots and  a pain in the arse for the goofys as B-Door isn’t as backside friendly as Pipe. Trouble is Backdoor Masters sounds like the name of a bad porn film of the pain in the arse variety… Anyhoose- big things occurred today here’s the goss’ laid out in pictures and words-

Now I'm No Lawyer... But This Is The ASP Rule Book 2009.

 
But I think Sunny was ripped off. Kelly and Wardo were both late for heats in France and allowed to surf. Sunny would've won his Rd2 heat in fun Backdoor as well. It's not just about the event he was 2nd in the Triple Crown ratings which is $50,000 he won't be seeing now. What do you reckon?

Pipe Pipe Line Line... So Good They Named It Twice?

 
After one day of relative relaxation after the madness of the Eddie event we're straight into the Pipe comp... Here's some nugs from Day 1-

Crumbs Chief...

NS Day-3...The O'Neill World Cup is on and the waves are nasty. Sunset is showing a side only a mother could love. Big wash through sets, bouncy walls and a near impossible line up to read or find your spot. In other words a day when I'm supremely glad my genes are those of a surf photojourno scum rather than a WQS warrior. Sure they get laid more, paid more and are better looking but I was safe on the beach today not paddling around in the maelstrom dodging bombs.

Sunset Imminent...

Well, I guess it is every day. Heh heh. Anyhoose- The O'Neill World Cup at the legendary Sunset Beach should be kicking off soon, maybe today, if the hell swell that closed out the North Shore has backed down enough. I get there Monday so will be bloggin' the hell out of it from then. In the meantime here's a nice little teaser clip after the jump to remind you-

The Results Are In...

Had to wait until the mags came out in case this got used. Didn't make the cut in the UK due to space constraints but should be in ASL... Ladies and Gents the scores are in: The 3 big European World Tour events scored on the availability of coffee, food, parking, waves, controversy and more... In chronological order.

One QS Event Left... Who's In The Frame?

Ladies and gents we are approaching the last WQS of the year long grind. The end game where the winners achieve that coveted dream tour berth and will be bathed in golden light and kisses from fair maidens whilst the losers stand out in the cold rain, in a depressing communist country, little hands pressed against the grimy window of what could have been. If they'd only got through one more heat...

Super Supertubes Clip...

The good gravy from the super Supertubes day... Check it after the jump-

Mick... Again.

The surf dropped, the wind swung and Supers was back to being Pupertubes today so it wasn't exactly a world tour final of note. After yesterday's sublime sandy shacks no one really cared that much. Bede did Parko, Mick got a bye into the final cos Owen's ear is buggered from yesterdays Super's bitch slap so he was stoked and then he won. So it's all done. Euro leg c'est fini. I'm outta here tomoz for the fezza home thank firk... Final day pics on the Rip Curl link above...

Holey Sheeeeat!!!

There's been a lot of merde thrown at the ASP and the World Tour recently. Bad waves event after event, rebel tour rumours and interweb forum bitching. Today will hopefully remind people why the tour is a good thing- the world's best surfers in the world's best waves. Waves that us mere mortals would not have a hope in surfing. 10-point tube rides like this.

Portuguese Smog...

Been a rum old day at the Rip Curl Pro Search Peniche. That dastardly Portuguese foe- the fog bank has been playing havoc with us all day. Pity cos there were some fun waves at the Belgas site. Bit bigger than yesterday and not as shapely but still ultra-smashable.The call from 8.00 was every half hour or so until 2.00pm. A long time to be stood on a damp, noisey, draughty beach in the fog.

Only 3-Heats But A Shedload Of Action...

Twas a day that started with a 'Oh... That's not good.' Pushing the curtains back at the Hotel Soleil revealed a grey miasma (that's right- a miasma, google it) and any concept of surf contests went out the window. Fog ain't good. Unfortunately we still had to drag our sorry arses out of bed, scarf down a quick brekkie and lead boot it out to the event site in Cabbage Land. Even with signposts we took the wrong turn four times and drove about like eedjits. As semi-secret spots go it will be fine after the event as we can't find it when we know where it is with directions...

Wheely Big Airs...

Actual Waves For A Euro Leg Event Shocker!

It's a crazy concept I know but the World Tour actually got decent waves today. As in barreling, good, not-shit in anyway waves. The guys were getting kegged left, right and centre. Punts were hucked and made and life as a photographer was generally a joy rather than a chore. Half of Portugal came to watch and cheered whenever someone walked down the beach for their heat, came back or rode a good wave. All in all the best day of the European leg by a million miles...

Hmmmm...

So. The Rip Curl Pro continued today. The painful 'who gives an arse' Round 1 of the new short format was finished. I have decided that I don't like the short format. The classic model gives you all the best guys surfing in the first round. The short format gives them all a by into Rd2. Meaning the back 32 are scrapping for a spot in Rd2 and interest is low. Add fat, slow, unsmashable waves and it was a day that couldn't pass fast enough.

Peniche Pics A Plenty...

Busy day in Peniche today, first half of Round 1 got run but I was frothing on freesurfing before, during and after the event... The results of which can be seen here...

Heaven & Hell all before 9am...

Exciting times at the Rip Curl Pro Search in Peniche. The big swell totalled the Supertubos event site over night leaving electronics, speakers, bio-loos and every other bit of event guff swilling around in the sand, "It's kinda like Katrina down there" was the pre-dawn report this morning. It took a while to go and check it out at dawn as the gate security were being overly zealous and not letting anyone down. So I just parked away from the site and walked down the beach. It was a mess. The photos show you the devastation. Shortly afterwards half the top-45 went out for a puntathon at Mohle Leste beach at the N end of the event site. So good to see some freesurfing finally...

Nom Nom Nom...

Waking up to the sound of torrential rain and the wind whistling through the cracks in the Hotel Soleil Peniche is as good an alarm clock as you could wish for. Nature’s way of saying, “wake up there fella! Time to be functioning so you can go through the pantomime of pretending that a surf contest might happen today.”

Cafe Con Leche...

No surfing in the Rip Curl Pro Search yet. Supertubos was head high but not exactly 'aving it this morning. This little reef in the vicinity was kinda fun but it ain't one of the three event sites. So. What's occurring? Lot's of surfing in weeny beachbreak waves, a lot of light Facebooking and a day structured entirely around food. Most events are not renowned for the food, if any, that us media scum can purloin.

It Comes Down To This...

 

Greetings From Peniche...

Welcome to sunny Peniche in Portugal. A town famous for it's super tubes, fish stench and rancid bodyboarders; it's now also famous as the fifth spot for Rip Curl's globally mobile WCT event (nice discovery guys!). You'll be glad to know the all-pervasive smell of squished fish entrails has vanished. In the good old days it was an olfactory assault that  'would make you wretch' if you encountered it.

Billabong Pro Mundaka- Day 3...

I’d like to say I had high hopes for the last day of the Billabong Pro but that would be a lie. I knew the swell was dying in the ass, I knew an easterly Biscay swell that blew up over night was gonna do weird things and I knew there was no more swell on the horizon. I didn’t know the crisp autumnal morning would bring a spectacular river of fog flowing eerily down the estuary and over the rivermouth of broken dreams… shimmering as it was in the purple half-light of dawn.

Billabong Pro Mundaka- Day 2...

The first call this morning at the Billabong Pro Mundaka was at 7.30am. One thing wrong with that- it was still totally and utterly flipping dark and with first light not for another 23-minutes and sunrise lagging half an hour after that the concept of an 8am start was a bit, well, premature. It was also raining, cold and onshore making it even more dark, miserable and thoroughly unwelcoming outside the snug Mundaka bungalows…

ASP World Tour Slims Down To A 32...

Mundaka is a great place for lay days as long as you don’t mind a very quiet life. Today’s relaxed, dreamy reverie was interrupted by a fairly huge upheaval in the way the ASP World Tour runs its core business. A press conference was held, somewhat perversely, overlooking the 6-inch ripples at Mundaka…

J'arrive Mundaka ...

After a 730-mile jaunt from London via Calais to Hoss' yesterday (and a 'not great' sleep in the car-park at Estagnots last night- it may be October but there are still hippy bastards playing bongos at stupid o'clock in the morning) I've made it to the river mouth of dreams- Mundaka. It's flat as you'll know but there's swell brewing. So. All good. Billabong have furnished me with an awesome lil bungalow, all mod-cons and wifi so I can work up a storm from here... Long range charts- :)

I Lost The News...

That's right, you read it here first, while the Billabong Pro Mundaka get's under way at the river mouth of myth in deepest, darkest Northern Spain your correspondent is sat in a terraced house in the low-rent, stabby bit of the East End of London choking on his Corn Flakes and oh-so-British cup of tea. Even modern technology can't help him bluff through his balls up- seeing as the webcast isn't actually working yet.