Rip Curl Pro Bells Preview

It's been too long since we last saw the boys in jerseys (for a World Tour event at least).  I can't be more excited for the Bells event.  The other week, the guys went mad down at Margaret's River and young John John took the top prize after an epic final between him and fellow Hawaiian Olamana Eleogram (who had quite a showing this past winter at Sunset Beach and his memorable 10 point ride).

Bells is always a special event on tour due to its historic meaning to the surfers and fans.  The forecast is looking perfect, and if all goes well we could finish this up in the first few days of the waiting period.  It is always a hard event to pick fantasy teams for and picking a victor.  I feel that I put together a solid fantasy surfer team.  It consists of Kelly, Julian, Kolohe, John John, Michel Bourez, Taylor Knox, CJ and Jadson Andre.  A pretty wide range of surfers here.  Obvious notes for Kelly, his strong power surfing is the best of all time and it will show on the big, long walls of Bells.  Julian is a pick of mine to win the world title next to Taj and Kelly.  I think that he will have a good result here and could end up in the quarters or semi's possibly the final if he can stick the strong turns he has shown.  John John was a pick out there that could end up well or it could be a mistake.  He is coming into the event fresh off of a major win.  We know his for his barrel-riding and airs but he is known to have powerful turning ability as well.  Kolohe is also known to be more of an arial surfer, but his power surfing is extremely underrated.  Michel Bourez is a sleeper of mine, he has arguably the best turns on tour next to Taylor Knox, Kelly and Jordy which is a reason that I also picked TK.  We saw what Taylor did last year in San Francisco in big waves with his turns.  I expect him to get far in this event.  CJ is always a favorite of mine to watch in an event.  His backhand is one of the best in history and he is lethal with it in heats.  Jadson was a pick of mine who is a steal for the price in the right event.  He has shown over the past few years that he can hang with the boys. He hasn't had as many results as he would've liked but he can turn like the best of them and pull off some radical maneuvers.

I'm hoping that I picked the right team, I feel that it could turn out really well for me if the forecast is what they say it will be.  Here is my team and the official trailer for the event which goes from April 3 - April 14.  This will also be an emotional event after the unfortunate passing of surfing legend Michael Peterson who won the first three Rip Curl events at Bells.

Rest In Peace MP - always a legend

Dyke Marsh Clean Up

I have been lacking on the environmental posts...a lot.  So I figured it'd be appropriate to start off with a recent event that I attended with Surfrider DC.  We traveled down to the Dyke Marsh by Belle Haven Marina in DC for a clean up.  We weren't expecting as many people to come out that did, it was awesome. The marsh, which is about 100 yards across the harbor is an important site for DC's ecological foundation.  Many birds, fish and animals live and breed here.  We incorporated water sports to get to the marsh; some brought their SUP's and paddled across, some kayaked (what I did) and others chose to take the power boat that also acted as the trash bag collector.  When I arrived on the bank of the marsh, I was disgusted and mortified as to what I saw.  There was trash everywhere.  The 3 feet of bank that separated the water and the tall grass was covered in everything from styrofoam to plastic to cans.  I am not exaggerating when I say that there was one part where I could not see the ground below the trash.

The day was hugely successful.  In all, the ~40 people who showed up, ranging from young kids to adults, removed hundreds of pounds of trash from the marsh including industrial sized (40inch) tires, propane tanks, syringes, plastic, styrofoam, bottles, beer cans and the list goes on.  While we have only made a dent into the clean up, it was still a major step towards cleaning that area up.  It is obvious that some of the trash was dumped on purpose because it could simply not float there, so it is sad to see that people are purposefully hurting the environment.  

These clean ups are great and I seriously suggest that everyone to get out and volunteer in a clean up.  If there is not a local Surfrider chapter, there are other non-profit volunteer groups that conduct environmental clean ups.  

If you are in the DC area, contact me through here or on the Worn Trails Facebook page (which you can find at the top left of the page and click "like") and I can give you all of the information on upcoming events and cleanups!

Here are a few pics from the day:

Remember Your Roots

As some of you know, I am an intern at the Surfrider Foundation's DC Chapter.  I have been fortunate enough to meet some of the metro area's biggest environmental actors.  Recently, I have come across two guys, Mike and Paul, who have started up their own clothing company called "Remember Your Roots".  It is blowing up into a brand that has sold plenty of apparel and is starting to sponsor some big name up-and-comers; They don't limit themselves to just surfers, but take more of a RVCA-esque type mentality by expand their audience to the arts, athletes, skate and snow, music, blogging, etc.  They currently sponsor Aer, the young hip-hop group from the Mid-Atlantic that are quickly becoming one of the largest "college-oriented" groups in the country.  

Aside from how big this label is becoming, they have really impressed and have even inspired me with their goal - To be Environmentally and Ecologically Conscious.  This is something that some clothing companies are starting to switch too, but it is rare to see a new label come out that is totally committed to using 100% organic cotton and/or post-consumer recycled material in all of their products.  It is great to see a locally grown clothing company realize how important it is to be aware of some effects clothing has on the environment and humans alike.  Taken off of their website, iamryr.com, they mention this by stating, "The importance of being an organic clothing company cannot be understated. Environmental damage done by companies making clothing out of conventional cotton is immense. Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming."  

In addition to being an awesome company and one who caters to the health and protection of the environment, they have also teamed up with Surfrider DC.  They have become heavily involved with the community in more ways than almost any major label can say for itself.  By attending meetings, events and participating in cleanups, RYR is at the front line in making sure that the DC Metro Area is clean and green.  They apply their mission wherever they go; they pledge to clean up 1lb. of trash at each Surfrider Clean Up for each product they sell.  They stick to their word as well, last weekend they came out to our clean up at the Dyke Marsh in DC, went over their quota and helped contribute to the hundreds of pounds of trash cleaned up that day.  

Remember Your Roots has fantastic gear but an even better goal in their company which I believe sets them way above most clothing companies in this world.  In no time, RYR will have gone from being a company started up by two guys to a major label that will change this environment for the better every day.  

I HIGHLY suggest that you all check out their gear and website; buy one of their awesome products and help contribute to the betterment of YOUR environment!

Website: http://www.iamryr.com/

Shop: http://www.iamryr.com/products

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RememberYourRoots

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IamRYR  @iamryr  

Dane or Kelly?

Alright all, I am looking for a good amount of responses here.  The discussion is Kelly Slater vs Dane Reynolds.  Who is the better all around surfer?  I don't care, in this case, who has more wins over the other or more career contest victories but instead, who has a better repertoire of moves and more tricks in the bag.  If they were to go one-on-one, not in a contest, but in a free surf than who would be more radical.  Im going to upload a few videos of each but I'm sure most of you have seen enough footage or contests to know how both of them surf.  I am really interested to hear what you all have to say in response to this.  I am also going to try and get responses from Kelly and Dane to see how they feel about each others surfing.  

Here is my take on both of them:

Kelly is surfing better than he ever has.  He is still beating the "new generation" of young guns such as Gabe Medina, Julian Wilson, Kolohe Andino, etc.  At the same time, he continues to beat the worlds best surfers, Mick, Joel, and so on.  We've all seen what he can do in a contest and in free surfs.  His contest contest surfing is arguably the best we have ever seen (based off of his track record, victories and scores) and in my opinion, no matter who wins a contest, his surfing is always the most exciting.  We all think, "what will he do this time" when the announcers say, "Kelly Slater, up and riding".  And nine times out of ten, he has at least one amazing maneuver that makes the crowd, and me, go wild.  Seeing Kelly free surf is a sight as well.  In fact, I think watching him free surf is more exciting than his contest surfing.  He drops in to riskier waves and seems like he is having more fun.  He also has performed some of his best turns and airs in his free surfs as well as getting some of his best barrels.

Now for Dane.  He has publicly stated that he wants nothing to do with the Tour.  The hype surrounding him when he first qualified was immense and he proved to the world why he deserved to surf with the best.  He has been labeled countless times as the best Free Surfer in the world.  He is always on Surfline with some sort of highlight of a move or an air he pulled off.  Simply put, he does some things that seem inhuman and that no other surfer would be able to pull off if they tried 100 times.  As a contest surfer, we have seen Dane make good results and bad ones; nonetheless, he has pulled off some of the best maneuvers we have ever seen in contests.  He is without a doubt the best aerialist the world has ever seen.

The thing is, I personally can't decide who is better.  If these two were put in the water alone, I don't care how long they had to surf, it wouldn't be enough.  ASP judges aren't qualified to judge the surfing that these two do because they have created a level of surfing that we may never see again, at least not in my lifetime.  Kelly has proved for almost thirty years why he is the best and Dane puts out video clips every week that will blow our minds even more than the week before.

So my question is this, who do you think is the better surfer and why.  Please respond to this.  Best responses will get re-posted!  Either respond here or if you want email them to clementiv@comcast.net

Here are a few video clips to look at to help you decide.

Kelly:

Dane:

(air at the end...)

An Incredible Act of Humanity

I just came across this video and I must share it.  Its a beach in Brazil where a pod of dolphins swimming in the surf beached and were stuck.  If it weren't for the people on the beach, they most likely would have died.  Check this out and share it with your friends.  It shows that there are still good people out there who care about nature and animals!

Some Video's To Take You Into the Weekend

It's finally Friday.  Busy weekend coming up for me, new projects for Surfrider and school work.  Hope you all have a great weekend and are fortunate to catch some waves wherever you are. Send in pics to me at clementiv@comcast.net and get them posted from whatever you did this weekend!  Spread Worn Trails to your friends

Probably the most inspirational video I've ever seen

The Official 2012 Final Day Wrap Up of the Roxy Pro

New Swell Just Hit Ireland, Possible XXL nomination here

Kolohe Andino's First Compeition

Equal 13th from Kolohe Andino on Vimeo.

Paul Fisher is probably one of the funniest guys on the planet, check out his site: followthefish.tv

HAS ANYONE SEEN KELLY.... from Paul Fisher on Vimeo.

PIPELINE from Paul Fisher on Vimeo.

Anyone that loves surfing or the environment should get involved

Surfrider overview from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.

Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro Wrap Up

Well I was wrong...kind of.  Out of my predictions for the men and women, I only got two of them right - but thats okay.

Well start off with the Roxy Pro; With the semi's and final's that were left in the contest, we saw some outstanding surfing.  The Laura Enever vs Tyler Wright heat came down to the final seconds.  Enever was fighting the whole time while Wright threw down some big scores early on.  In the last few seconds of the heat, Enever caught a perfect wave and made something of it.  She went to the beach with her head down not knowing if she had one and it wasn't until she made it to the grandstand that she heard the news she was going to the final.  The Gilmore/Fitzgibbons heat was one for the ages.  Two friends trying to start off the year with a win.  Gilmore opened with an 8.57 and Fitzbibbons with an 8.00.  Steph followed up with a 9.73 giving her a total heat score of 18.30 combo-ing Sally Fitzgibbons.  The Final was what we wanted to see for the year and it gives us great hope to see more great surfing out of the Women's division.  Laura Enever started out on top in the final with a 7.77 while Steph opened up with a 7.17.  It was looking bright for the young Aussie who showed the world that she belongs with the best after a mellow 2011 season.  Steph Gilmore soon answered back with a 9.20, really putting the pressure on Enever and reminding her and the crowd why she is a 4-time World Champion.  Enever's last effort came in the final minutes but failed to best Gilmore, only receiving a 6.43.  Even though my predictions for the final were completely wrong, I still feel that Sally Fitzgibbons will come around next competition and we may see a Gilmore/Fitzgibbons rivalry brew this year.  It was a huge result for Enever putting her at the top of my list for those who will bring major upsets this year and could get a win under her belt.

Now for the Quiksilver Pro.  I can't even describe how good these heats were - better than I could have imagined.  First was Adriano de Souza vs Owen Wright; I thought both of the Wright siblings were going to put on a clinic in front of their home crowd, but it seemed more like a beach in Rio than anything.  Adriano had half of the beach behind him and it showed off in some of the turns and airs he was doing.  In Heat 2, the heat I was most excited about, Josh Kerr vs Kelly Slater.  Just as I had predicted in my last post, conditions would be perfect for Kerr's high-flying surfing.  As soon as I saw the conditions, I knew that it was his heat to win.  Kelly even mentioned in a post heat interview that when conditions are like they were, Kerr is almost impossible to beat.  In probably the most anticipated heat on the Gold Coast was Heat 3 where local boy, Joel Parkinson took on South African, Jordy Smith.  Jordy had some fire in him coming into this heat when local tabloids told him too "Look Out" after the heat Joel previously won to get into the Quarterfinals.  Jordy came out firing with a mix of strong power surfing and aerials.  He posted two high 7's before Joel even had contend-able scores on the board.  In Heat 4 it was West Australian, Taj Burrow and fellow Australian Ace Buchan.  Ace came out strong showing that he might be the first goofy-footer to win this event in many years.  In a high scoring heat, Taj opened with a high 7 and Ace a low 8.  Ace followed up with a 7.90 and Taj now needed a 8.05 to take the lead and was quiet for most of the heat.  It wasn't until the last minute where he caught a wave and put everything he had into it.  He was on the beach before it had dropped and the crowd went wild when he received an 8.93 to win the heat.

The Semi's offered two heats with similar styles of surfing.  Heat 1, Adriano vs Kerr, two surfers who can do any air but can still do strong turns.  It looked like it was going to be Josh Kerr moving into the Final until the last few seconds when de Souza posted a 7.23 to take the heat and advance to the finals, a much needed result.  In Heat 2, Taj and Jordy went at it in a true spectacle.  Taj once again surfed extremely well and proved to everyone why he is a World Title contender.

The Final was epic, Taj and Adriano went at each other all heat.  Adriano took to the air early and earned himself an 8.00 to start off and put the pressure on Taj.  A little while later, Taj answered back with a strong wave, that looked like it was nothing, but Taj turned it into a 9.43 and suddenly the table turned and Adriano needed a big score to try and clinch a win.  Right back out, Taj grabbed another wave and scored a 6.43 and Adriano needed a 7.87 to take the lead with only a few minutes left in the heat.  With under a minute left, Adriano took off and pulled off a massive inverted air and did a few tiny turns on the inside.  Judges took a while to analyze knowing that this will make or break the win for Taj. The heat ended before Adriano's wave was scored and Taj had already made his way to the beach hoping he could pull it off, whilst Adriano waited alone in the waters of Snapper Rock's to hear his score.  He was waiting on the back of the jetski with his hands over his face when the judges announced that he had earned a 7.60, just short of what he needed.

The 2012 Quik Pro was the start of what will be a year unlike any other.  The surfers on Tour are some of the most progressive and radical surfers and are hungrier than ever for a win and chance to win the World Title.  Next up is the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach.  Here are videos from the final day of both the Quik Pro and Roxy Pro as well as some photo's.  Thanks for following during this contest and don't forget I will be doing this for each of the contests this year.  Also remember that I will be posting environmentally related articles soon!  Spread the word about Worn Trails!

photo from Surfline
Videos from Youtube/ASP