MAVERICKS INVITATIONAL CONTEST: ONE WINDOW CLOSES, OTHER ONE OPENS

Organizers Shift Focus To Mavericks Festival & Inaugural Mavericks Awards

The Mavericks Invitational holding period
closes this week, and though there is a current storm system in place, the likelihood of
contest worthy conditions hitting the break by the 31st is very slim. Though this year’s La
Nina winter did not produce the waves needed to hold the infamous big wave surf
contest, Mavericks Invitational will still celebrate the power of Mavericks and those who
surf the giant liquid mountains.

The group is hosting the first Mavericks Festival, being held outdoors on the grounds of
the Oceana Hotel & Spa in Princeton Harbor, Half Moon Bay, on March 31, the final day
of the contest window.

“There’s very little possibility we will get a swell with the current storm that is hitting the
coast, but realistically there are no significant conditions on the horizon before the
contest window closes.” said Contest Director, Jeff Clark. “We are stoked to have the
opportunity to share the Mavericks season and honor the surfers who challenged the
waves at the Mavericks Festival on the 31st.”

The Mavericks Festival will be emceed by the Bay Area’s own, Eric Byrnes, who’s MLB
career began with the Oakland As, and currently has a nightly show on KNBR from 7pm
– 10pm. The festival will also have a full line-up of bands, surfing video presentations on
the JumboTron, local food vendors, giveaways, Mavericks Invitational gear, and some
very special tributes and presentations.

Festival goers will also be treated to live performances by the bands: Dank Jenkins, Bar
Fight, and The Expendables. Additional information can be found at:

http://mavericksinvitational.com/.

The highlight of the day will be the inaugural Mavericks Awards. The concept behind the
awards is that every year the sport of big wave surfing witnesses a push of progress,
raising the level of performance in one of the world’s most extreme sports. This progress
does not always happen on the contest day. Some of the greatest achievements in big
wave history go unnoticed or can even be overshadowed by the contest itself. The
Mavericks Awards will acknowledge and award those who challenge Mavericks and their
contributions to the sport of big wave surfing.

The 2012 Mavericks Awards categories Include:

• Mavericks Barrel of the Year
• Mavericks Bomb of the Year
• Mavericks Photo of the Year
• Mavericks Female Performer of the Year
• Mavericks Performance of the Year
• 5150 Award (for the most insane wave of the year at Mavericks)

The judging panel for the Mavericks Awards include Jeff Clark, Bruce Jenkins, Matt
Ambrose, Grant Washburn, and Dick Keating, who looked over hours of video footage
and hundreds of still photos taken during the 2011 – 2012 season at Mavericks. The
group unanimously agreed on all the on the top award candidates and winners.

Tickets to the Mavericks Festival are available at Mavericks Surf Shop, 25 Johnson Pier,
Half Moon Bay, or online at http://mavericksinvitational.com/. General admission tickets
are $25 ($35 at the door), and parking will be available for $10 at the Half Moon Bay
Airport, with proceeds benefiting the Coastside Boys & Girls Club.

Mavericks Invitational is the world’s premier, high adrenaline, big wave surfing event.
This one-day, invitation-only surfing competition is held at the legendary Mavericks surf
break located ½ mile offshore at Pillar Point Harbor, just 20 minutes south of San
Francisco. The 24 most daring big-wave surfers in the world will attempt to tame the
massive swells on the biggest and best day of the 2011 / 2012 winter season. For
additional details, visit: http://mavericksinvitational.com/.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Opening Ceremony 2011-2012

THE OPENING CEREMONY December 1, 3pm, Waimea Bay North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
November 22, 2011 04:07AM

It might take a massive swell for the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau to be called “ON”, but the event that pays tribute to the legendary Hawaiian and his powerful legacy takes place every year, without fail: The official Opening Ceremony.

Big wave riding’s greatest gathering of the tribe happens once a year, on December 1st at Waimea Bay, when the 28 Invitees, 24 Alternates, surf legends past and present, and the Aikau family gather to pay sincere respects to Eddie. It’s a true ‘chicken skin’ moment.

The Opening Ceremony is a time when surfing embraces the Hawaiian culture from which it was born. Big Island Kahu Billy Mitchell, personal advisor to the Aikau Family, offers a blessing and rich insight for the surfers and organizers. He reminds them of whose footsteps they follow in and the role and responsibility they now have in carrying forth both the spirit of Aikau, and the ultimate brotherhood of big wave riders.

Waimea Bay has been the Mecca for big wave riders for more than 60 years, and the Eddie Opening Ceremony is a time to reflect upon big wave surfing’s ancestry.

“Nothing touches the Eddie, anybody will agree,” said Quiksilver charger Mark Healey in a recent interview. “There are a lot of other big waves and there are even bigger waves out there, but the thing about the Eddie is the history and the legacy of it.”

Should you find yourself on the Island of Oahu on December 1st, please join us in celebrating the life of Eddie Aikau, and the spirit of big wave riding.

E komo mai….Welcome.

Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Pics:

Invitees

Brock Little (Haw)
Bruce Irons (Haw)
Clyde Aikau (Haw)
Dave Wassel (Haw)
Greg Long (EUA)
Jamie O’Brien (Haw)
Jamie Sterling (Haw)
Kala Alexander (Haw)
Kelly Slater (EUA)
Keone Downing (Haw)
Kohl Christensen (Haw)
Makua Rothman (Haw)
Mark Healey (Haw)
Michael Ho (Haw)
Nathan Fletcher (EUA)
Noah Johnson (Haw)
Peter Mel (EUA)
Ramon Navarro (Chi)
Reef McIntosh (Haw)
Ross Clarke Jones (Aus)
Rusty Keaulana (Haw)
Shane Dorian (Haw)
Sunny Garcia (Haw)
Tom Carroll (Haw)
Carlos Burle (Bra)
Grant Baker (Afr)
Jeremy Flores (Fra)
Takayuki Wakita (Jap)

in memorian

Donny Solomon (Haw)
Jay Moriarty (EUA)
Lester Falatea (Haw)
Mark Foo (Haw)
Peter Davi (EUA)
Tiger Espere (Haw)
Todd Chesser (Haw)
Andy Irons (Haw)
Marvin Foster (Haw)
Sion Milosky (Haw)

Alternates

Kalani Chapman (Haw)
Garrett McNamara (Haw)
Ian Walsh (Haw)
Kahea Hart (Haw)
Alex Gray (EUA)
Chris Bertish (Afr)
Mark Mathews (Aus)
Shawn Dollar (EUA)
John John Florence (Haw)
Danilo Couto (Bra)
Jamie Mitchell (Aus)
Evan Valiere (Haw)
Gabriel Villaran (Per)
Danny Fuller (Haw)
Keoni Watson (Haw)
Ben Wilkinson (Aus)
Diego Medina (Chi)
Rusty Long (EUA)
Derek Dunfee (EUA)
Anthony Tashnick (EUA)
Ken Collins (EUA)
Kealii Mamala (Haw)
Ross Williams (Haw)
Tav Hannemann (Haw)

Champs

1985 – Denton Miyamura (Haw)
1986 – Clyde Aikau (Haw)
1990 – Keone Downing (Haw)
1999 – Noah Johnson (Haw)
2000 – Ross Clarke-Jones (Aus)
2002 – Kelly Slater (EUA)
2004 – Bruce Irons (Haw)
2009 – Greg Long (EUA)

Mavericks event slogs forward; Permit OK’d but costly

Burle Mavericks Contest 2010

Clark, who is returning as the contest director this year, said after the meeting that he was pleased with the decision. “I feel really good about this year’s contest, and the group of people we’ve put together to run it,” he said. The group has renamed the 2011-2012 contest as The Mavericks Big Wave Invitational.

While obtaining the contest permit was good news — the “golden ticket,” as Santa Cruz professional big-wave surfer and Mavericks Invitational board member Ken Collins put it — the Harbor District’s move to unexpectedly raise the cost of the permit by $10,000 was a sticking point.

Two months ago, the District quoted the cost of the Mavericks surf contest permit at $20,000. Members of Mavericks Invitational’s Board of Directors spoke to the Harbor Commissioners about what they felt was an unfair hike on the permit fees compared to what the district charged others. “There’s an event this weekend at the harbor with 500 people,” said Rocky Raynor, Mavericks Invitational board member, referring to this Sunday’s debut Half Moon Bay International Marathon. “Their permit cost $250,” he said. “Ours is $30,000.”

Raynor, who is also the head coach of the surf club at Cunha Intermediate School in Half Moon Bay, said that the Mavericks Invitational’s plan involves bringing in revenue to the Harbor District through paid parking and through the group’s plan to generate income for harbor businesses by granting viewing rights for the contest at local establishments.

“The district doesn’t have a rigid standard schedule for events like these,” said Peter Grenell, General Manager of the San Mateo County Harbor District. Grenell said that the $250 fee is a standard district administrative fee, so it could not be compared to the $30,000 use fee charged for the surf contest.

“We’re aware that the financial benefits are very large and widespread,” Grenell said, citing a study conducted by the University of Hawaii which concluded that the Mavericks surf contest brought in $24 million to the area. “The Harbor District does not share in that except it may get some percentage revenue from a few businesses in the harbor,” he said.

The Harbor District needs “to make ends meet,” Grenell said, citing the district’s financial strain. Jeff Clark voiced his concerns about the fee increase. “Watching this permit fee grow has put questions in our mind,” he said. “I think there needs to be some balance and look at this homegrown group now with control of this event. Moving forward, we’re going to need to have you as partners in this event as well.”

Harbor Commissioner Robert Bernardo voiced concern that the increased fee was too high, and that he wanted to know more about what determined the amount of the fee.

Cassandra Clark, Mavericks Invitational board member, suggested that the group could make up for the $10,000 increase in fees in the long term with the harbor and pay the original $20,000 fee instead. But Grenell and Commissioner James Tucker said they felt it was important for the Harbor District to bring in the $30,000 revenue.

Duplas dos finalistas de 2010 Foto: Bruno Lemos

Previsões indicam entrada de um swell com bom tamanho e a organização acende luz amarela.

A organização do Tow In Championship International 2011 está monitorando um swell com boa intensidade que chegará no Rio de Janeiro na semana que vem.

As previsões indicam que a ondulação, de Sul/Sudoeste, terá seu ápice na segunda feira, dia 22 de agosto.

As ondas podem chegar a mais de três metros, visto que os gráficos apontam para ondulações de 4,1 m, com 13 segundos de intervalo.

Segundo André Bianchi, organizador e idealizador do evento, ainda é cedo para confirmar.

“As condições para a disputa são boas, mas temos até 30 de novembro para realizar a competição e não podemos nos precipitar. De qualquer forma, estamos prontos para realizar o evento. Vamos aguardar a confirmação do swell para tomar a decisão”.

Rodrigo Resende durante o primeiro evento da ACT Foto: Bruno Lemos

Segundo Rodrigo Resende, presidente da ACT (Associação Carioca de Tow In), as expectativas são as melhores possíveis. Sobre a diferença entre Maresias e a onda carioca, ele diz.

“Maresias é uma onda mais tubular. Na Barra teremos um show de manobras, pois a onda daqui e mais manobrável e todos os competidores têm alto nível técnico”, avalia Rodrigo com a propriedade de quem levantou o primeiro titulo mundial do Tow In Mundial, quando em 2001 venceu o Tow In World Cup, em Jaws, no Havaí.

Outro que se mostra animado com a realização do evento em águas cariocas é Kleber Pires, que também faz parte da diretoria da ACT.

Alemão de Maresias em ação na Barra da Tijuca Foto: Andre Biank

“O Rio de Janeiro é a vitrine do mundo. Acho que esse é um sonho realizado por nós do Rio. Teremos a oportunidade de presenciar nomes como Bruno Santos, Eraldo Gueiros, Carlos Burle, entre outros, em nosso quintal de casa”, diz.

Lembrando que a competição será realizada na praia da Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.

A janela de espera já está aberta desde 1 de agosto, e se estenderá até 30 de novembro.

Peter Mel Secures His First Ever BWWT Victory At Pico Alto

Peter Mel © Billabong

Peru’s monster break Pico Alto demonstrated why it commands the world stage as one of the five stops on the Big Wave World Tour (BWWT). Top international surfers from South Africa, Australia, United States, Chile, Dominican Republic, Portugal and Brazil converged on Pico Alto with 48 hours notice to compete along side the top Peruvian big wave surfers at the Billabong Pico Alto 2011 Copa Burn.

At the end of the contest Peter Mel (United States) secured the first place prize, and his first BWWT victory, followed by Ben Wilkinson (Australia) in second and Felipe Cesarano (Brazil) in third. Adrenaline soared for the competitors and spectators alike, as the contest started with great waves in the 30-foot range and continued to grow throughout the day. The hour long final was held in perfect, 35 to 45 foot conditions, offering the biggest and cleanest surf of the event.

Mel & Cesarano at the final

Adrenaline soared for the competitors and spectators alike, as the contest started with great waves in the 30-foot range and continued to grow throughout the day. The hour long final was held in perfect, 35 to 45 foot conditions, offering the biggest and cleanest surf of the event.

Ben Wilkinson (Australia) took command of the heat early, with two excellent scoring waves. Ben’s aggressive approach and progressive power surfing gave him an edge in the extreme conditions. Legendary standout Peter Mel (United States) also started strong with a solid 9 point ride, and waited until the closing minutes of the final to over take Wilkinson and secure his first big wave victory. Other finalists included Felipe Cesarano (Brazil), Joao De Macedo (Portugal), Jamie Sterling (Hawaii) and Kodiac Semch (Peru).

“My mentor, Richard Schmidt, came to Peru in the early 80’s and he told me about this great big wave. I have dreamed about surfing Pico Alto. Today, I feel really proud to have won my first Big Wave World Tour event here in Peru”, said Peter Mel.

Final Results:

1. Peter Mel (USA)
2. Ben Wilkinson (Australia)
3. Felipe Cesarano (Brazil)
4. Joao De Macedo (Portugal)
5. Jamie Sterling (Hawaii)
6. Kodiak Semsch (Peru)

Marcos Monteiro Wins Quiksilver Cerimonial Punta de Lobos 2011

Brazilian Monteiro bests heated field Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta De Lobos

Marcos Monteiro campeão no Chile. Foto: Divulgação.

The day’s atmosphere was intense at the natural amphitheater of Punta de Lobos, with over two thousand fans lining the cliffs and helicopters buzzing overhead. South-by-southeast winds, cool, cloudy weather and 30 – 36 foot waves with 40 foot set waves provided the best contest conditions in three years.

“Viva Brazil! I’ve been coming to this event for a long time and I always knew that if I continued to work hard that this day would eventually come,” said Marcos Montiero. “I kept knocking on the door, and it was finally answered. There are three parts to success in this event; you need to be physically prepared, mentally prepared and you have to have good equipment. Fortunately for me, it all came together today.”

“We could not have asked for a better Quiksilver Ceremonial,” said Gary Linden, Event Director. “We woke up to clear skies and amazing waves. We had been watching this swell for so long, and to see it all come together for the first stop of the Big Wave World Tour was a great way to start the season.”

Adds Quiksilver’s Latin America Events and Team Manager, Jim Compton, “We had amazing conditions and the best surfers in the world down here in Chile. Special thanks to the Pichilemu locals for sharing their waves, and we’re looking forward to a bigger, better Ceremonial in 2012.”

The 2011 Quiksilver Ceremonial participants included: Jamie Sterling, Kohl Christensen, Grant Washburn, Carlos Burle, Marcos Monteiro, Peter Mel, Ben Wilkerson, Cristian Merello, Greg Long, Gabriel Villaran, Frank Solomon, Nic Lamb, Joao De Macedo, Eric Rebiere, Sebastian De Romana, Rusty Long, Felipe Cesarano, Andres Flores, Ramon Navarro, Diego Medina, Fernando Zegers, Reinaldo “Chacha” Ibarra, Matias Lopez, and Leon Vicuna.

The 2011 Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta de Lobos would like to thank the sponsors who made this event possible, including Sony Ericsson, Suzuki, Corona, Carozzi, and and Surfline.com as the Official Forecasting Service used by Gary Linden and the Big Wave World Tour.

Jamie Sterling named Big Wave World Tour Champ

Marcos Monteiro Wins Jim Beam Bold Award

Jamie Sterling Big Wave World Tour Champ © Eggers

The Big Wave World Tour crowned Jamie Sterling from Oahu, Hawaii its second World Champion, receiving $10,000 for his performance. Jamie was a finalist in all of the three BWWT events in 2010/11, winning the billabong Pico Alto event in Peru. As the current Ambassador of the sport, he will be focused on retaining his title as well as representing the Tour in the 2011/2012 season.

The highly motivated Brazilian lifeguard Marcos Monteiro received the Jim Beam Bold Award. Not only did he arrive at all three events without the aid of sponsorship, he was able to amass enough points to finish the year in fifth place. He received a check for $1000 and a complete free dive spearfishing set from Cressi Sub.

The 2011/2012 season is currently underway with the Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta de Lobos – Chile – in its waiting period from April 1st to May 31st.

Big Wave World Tour 2010/2011 rankings:
1st Jamie Sterling – 2509
2nd Kohl Christensen – 1300
3rd Anthony Tashnick – 1257
4th Carlos Burle – 1250
5th Marcos Monteiro – 1131

www.bigwaveworldtour.com

Danilo Couto captures Billabong XXL ‘Ride of the Year’

Danilo Couto Big Rider of the Year

The eleventh annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards fueled by Monster Energy climaxed in Anaheim, California last night as Brazilian Danilo Couto scooped top honors for Ride of the Year. Couto earned $50,000 and the keys to a new Toyota Tacoma truck for a paddle-in wave conquered at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii during one of the biggest swells of the year.

Danilo Couto em Jaws na remada. Foto: Tracy Kraft.

Couto, who has been living in Hawaii for many years in his personal quest to ride bigger and bigger waves, was ecstatic as he accepted his award from skateboard legend Tony Hawk. “I’ve been feeling really good for two months, ever since I caught that wave,” said Couto. “I couldn’t sleep for days, knowing I had done something so special. To be a part of surf history, to have an impact … it’s special.”

Prior to this winter’s paddle-in assault, the Jaws break had long been regarded as a spot so difficult to ride a jet-ski tow in assist was required.

Regarded as the Oscars of big wave surfing, the Billabong XXL Awards recognize the biggest and heaviest waves ridden and documented over the past 12 months. More than 2200 big wave riders, industry VIPs, surf retailers and stoked fans packed the Grove Theater in Anaheim to witness astonishing rides from Fiji, Tasmania, France, Hawaii, Ireland, California and Australia.

Over 1000 images and videos were submitted for judging, with winners decided by a panel of 400 surfers, photographers and surf media editors. All the winners and highlights of the night may be seen on the event website at BillabongXXL.com and at Facebook.com/BillabongXXL

Hawaiian Shane Dorian officially surfed into the record books for paddling into his own outrageous wave at Jaws, Maui (judged to be 57 ft on the face), easily winning the Monster Paddle Award. Dorian also captured the Monster Tube Award for his heroics later on the same wave, as he pulled into one of the greatest barrels of all time.

“It was an epic swell, a real late season swell,” recalled Dorian. “I didn’t really catch a lot of big waves throughout the whole year…I was just stoked the swell came my way, near my house in Maui, and we scored. The Monster Tube award is pretty special –I mean every surfer wants to get tubed, right?”

Hawaii’s, Keala Kennelly took the Girls Performance of the Year Award, breaking the four-in-a-row stranglehold Brazilian Maya Gabeira had held on that category. Benjamin Sanchis, flying all the way from France to attend the festivities, took top honors for the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award with a wave measured at 67 feet on the face.

“I’m not only happy for myself, but I’m stoked for Europe”, said a beaming Sanchis. “This is a big win and I’m really proud, I’m really happy. The wave, Belharra, is about 30 minutes from my house. It wasn’t even a big day for that spot, it gets bigger for sure.”

Rides at Belharra Reef (in the Basque Country near the French/Spanish border) have been nominated numerous times in XXL history, but this was the first victory for the famed European break.

Kauai surfer Sion Milosky — who tragically drowned last month at Maverick’s in Northern California — posthumously won the Surfline Best Men’s Performance Award for a string of outstanding high surf sessions. Milosky was the first top-level big wave surfer to die while surfing big waves since the XXL awards were established in 2000.

Milosky’s wife, children and father accepted the award on Sion’s behalf following an emotional tribute by friend and previous Ride of the Year winner Ken “Skindog” Collins of Santa Cruz. Several winners donated their prize money to the Milosky Family Fund, including Shane Dorian and Australian Mark Mathews, who captured the Verizon Wipeout Award.

For the first time ever, the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards were taped for an immediate airing on FUEL TV less than 48 hours after the gala evening. The show airs Sunday night, May 1 at 6 PM Pacific Time (9 P.M. Eastern) and features a long list of celebrity presenters including skateboarder Tony Hawk, fighter Tito Ortiz and band members from Metallica and Incubus.

In all, over $130,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to the world’s greatest big wave surfers in this edition of the Billabong XXL Awards fueled by Monster Energy. Verizon is the official communications provider and Toyota is the official vehicle of the event. Surfline.com is the exclusive surf forecast of the XXL. The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine, Air Tahiti Nui and Contour.

Billabong XXL Big Wave Results:

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER WINNER:
(Surfer prize $50,000 – Plus Toyota Tacoma year lease)
Danilo Couto

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER SECOND:
(Surfer prize $5,000)
David Scard

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER THIRD
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Mark Healey

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER FOURTH
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Michael Brennen

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR SURFER FIFTH
(Surfer prize $1,500)
Benjamin Sanchis

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR VIDEO:
(Video prize $5,000)
Elliot Leboe

WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 – wave was 67 feet)
Benjamin Sanchis

WINNER BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE PHOTO AWARD
(Photographer prize $4,000 )
Bastien Bonnarme

WINNER MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000 – wave was 57 feet, a new record!!)
Shane Dorian

WINNER MONSTER PADDLE PHOTO AWARD
(Photo prize $4,000)
Batel Shimi

WINNER SURFLINE BEST MEN’S PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Sion Milosky

WINNER BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Keala Kennelly

VERIZON WIPEOUT SURFER AWARD
(Surfer prize $2,000)
Mark Mathews

VERIZON WIPEOUT VIDEO AWARD
(Photo prize $1,000)
Andrew Chisholm

MONSTER TUBE SURFER AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Shane Dorian

MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD
(Photo prize $2,000)
Bruno Lemos

www.billabongxxl.com