Congratulations Courtney Conlogue on your 2008 Vans Pier Classic Victory and Brad Ettinger on your 3rd place finish!

The 2008 Vans Pier Classic kept tradition today, crowning Huntington Beach locals Shaun Ward and Courtney Conlogue in their respective divisions, while Brazilian transport Bruno Rodrigues (Huntington Beach, CA) took down the Ezekiel Pro Junior.
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star event culminated a week’s worth of action today, in contestable two-to-four feet peaks at Huntington Beach Pier. Ward, who had been the standout surfer of the event, connected the dots in a hard-fought final against fellow contenders Dylan Graves (Isabella, PR), Brad Ettinger (Huntington Beach, CA) and Austin Ware (Solana Beach, CA).
“I’ve been training a lot, and putting a lot into my surfing,” Ward said. “I’m overwhelmed to win a ASP WQS at home, I’ve been trying for a long time, so I’m so excited to take the win at home. I’m off to Australia tomorrow, so I hope I can keep the momentum going.”
Running in conjunction with the men’s division, the ASP WQS 2-Star Vans Pier Classic also ran a hotly-contested women’s event, which saw youngster Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA) take down fellow finalists Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA), Naje Mulamud (Hanalei, HI) and Lauren Sweeney (Carlsbad, CA).
“I felt pretty confident going into the finals,” Conlogue said. “I just wanted to go out there and win it. Last year I got second place, and I wanted to improve on that. My goal is just to surf as good as I can.” The ASP Grade-2 Ezekiel Pro Junior was privy to some of the most sensational junior action all season as an international field of top talents took to the Huntington Beach peaks.



Results:

Final:1- Shaun Ward (USA) 15.252- Dylan Graves (PRI) 13.653- Brad Ettinger (USA) 9.104- Austin Ware (USA) 8.90


Semifinals: 8 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Austin Ware (USA) 16.25, Brad Ettinger (USA) 13.10, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.65, Kyle Ramey (HAW) 8.85Heat 2: Dylan Graves (PRI) 15.50, Shaun Ward (USA) 10.50, Jason Miller (USA) 7.20, Ian Rotgans (USA) 4.75


Quarterfinals: 16 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 16.75, Brad Ettinger (USA) 8.50, Dane Gudauskas (USA) 7.45, Chris Drummy (USA) 5.65Heat 2: Kyle Ramey (USA) 12.50, Austin Ware (USA) 10.50, Matt King (USA) 8.95, Heath Walker (AUS) 8.75Heat 3: Dylan Graves (PRI) 13.00, Ian Rotgans (USA) 9.75, Casey Brown (HAW) 8.00, Sunny Garcia (HAW) 6.30Heat 4: Shaun Ward (USA) 15.00, Jason Miller (USA) 14.00, Jason Collins (USA) 10.95, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 9.65



Final:1- Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15.352- Sage Erickson (USA) 12.753- Nage Malamud (HAW) 11.004- Lauren Sweeney (USA) 8.65


Semifinals: 8 surfers remaining (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Nage Malamud (HAW) 14.60, Lauren Sweeney (USA) 14.50, Anastasia Ashley (USA) 8.50, Christa Alves (USA) 7.85Heat 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 17.75, Sage Erickson (USA) 12.30, Leila Hurst (HAW) 11.10, Bo Stanley (USA) 5.10

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Huge 3-Day Sidewalk Sale starts Friday March 28th!

Come join us for some insane deals on our sidewalk sale this weekend at our Main St., Girls Store, and Bella Terra locations. There will be all new Spring 08 styles of boardshorts, t-shirts, walk shorts, sandals and more at 50% off!

For store addresses and phone numbers, click here.
For Sale stuff online, click here.

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Slater Steals the Show and Rings his Third Bell at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach!

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Thursday, March 27, 2008) - Kelly Slater (USA) has further asserted that he is the best surfer on earth after winning the Rip Curl Pro pres. by Snickers today. Launching a huge air to earn a last minute score and beat Bede Durbidge (AUS)in the final, the 36-year old has claimed his 36th event win and rung the bell for the third time.
“It feels awesome; it feels really good, ” Slater said. “The Bell is arguably the best trophy you can win in surfing. I do have a couple, but to get there and have the chance and get a third one feels really good. I’ve just joined my good friend Sunny (Garcia) with three, and I think MR (Mark Richards) and MP (Michael Peterson) have four or five – those guys are crazy.”
Slater trailed Durbidge for the first 27 minutes of the 30-minute affair. Surfing his fourth heat of the day, the 8X ASP World Champion was tired and had all but given up.
“I thought Bede had me,” Slater said. “I wasn’t trying to worry too much or stress – I was happy just to be in the Final – but before the heat I heard Rabbit (ASP President) say something about going up to Rincon so I thought I would sneak up there to see what I could find.”
What he found was a ramp from which to launch a daring double-grab aerial. He was awarded an 8.83 (out of 10.00) for the massive maneuver and took the lead.
“I was really surprised Bede (Durbidge) let me paddle up to Ricon by myself,” Slater said. “I thought that when I looked back, he would be 10 yards behind me, but when I looked back, he was still in the Bowl. Then that wave came that let me do that big air.”
Claiming victories in the first two events on the 2008 ASP World Tour, Slater has now replicated the 2006 season-start that eventuated in his 8th ASP World Title. He confirmed that’s he’s made plans to attend the next event in Tahiti and is thinking about No. 9.
“It’d be silly to say it’s not on the radar somewhere, but my whole approach and attitude at this point is just to have fun,” Slater said. “There is a lot of hype with Dane (Reynolds) and Jordy (Smith), and don’t think it’s just hype – those guys are the real deal. I know it’s got me excited to see what I can do on a wave and to push my equipment. The title thing is there to get, but at this point it’s more about pushing my performance to see how much I can do on a wave.”
Slater retains the World No. 1 rating and fellow finalist Durbidge has moved to World No. 2 with the result.“There are murmurs of Bede being a world title contender and I would say he’s up to that challenge,” Slater said.
Durbidge was disappointed with the loss but his performance at Bells Beach has positioned him as a clear contender.
“It’s pretty frustrating, but he’s the champ and freakish things happen to him,” Durbidge said of Slater. “I saw him paddle up to Rincon and I just let him go. He just got one and went pretty freakish, did a big air, rode it all the way through and got the score.”
Durbidge’s final berth today was the fourth of his four-year career. He finished World No. 5 last year after winning the last event of the year in Hawaii and started 2008 with a semifinal showing.
“I’ve just been getting through heats and I’ve been going all the way to the end so it’s been going pretty good for me,” Durbidge said.
Durbidge eliminated California’s Bobby Martinez (USA) in a one sided semifinal affair today.
“I would have liked to keep on going but Bede stopped me in my tracks, Martinez said. “He deserved it he’s surfing good. I kind of got wave starved and was never really in it. If you are not on the good waves you’ve got a good chance of losing just because everyone surfs so good. Like I’ve said over and over again, anyone can beat anybody."
Martinez has moved to World No. 8 after bettering his 17th place finish on the Gold Coast of Australia.
“It didn’t start for me so good here, I’m glad it ended alright,” Martinez said. “It’s a Catch 22, because you are so close to where you want to be but at the same time, you failed. You’re happy but at the same time you are a little bummed out.”
Taj Burrow (AUS) was also bummed out after his semifinal loss to Slater.
“It was pretty frustrating to lose like that,” Burrow said. “I just couldn’t get a wave, it was really choppy out there. It was pretty hard to pick a wave, I don’t even know if there were any decent ones out there. Kelly had the right approach taking a lot of waves and maybe one of them would form together but I was trying to wait for that one and I couldn’t really find a clean face.”
Burrow was runner-up to the World Title in 2007 and hopes to be a contender this year too.
“Third is a keeper for sure,” Burrow said. “I was hoping to make a bit more ground on the guys at the top but I am stoked to be there mixing it up with them. It’s just all about the next one.”
Dane Reynolds (USA) fell to Burrow in the Quarterfinals but still leaves the event with his best result in an ASP World Tour event. Sitting equal 11th, Reynolds is the highest rated rookie on tour and his performance in the Rip Curl Pro did not go unnoticed.
“I think Dane might arguably the best surfer in the world right now,” Slater said. Just everything from barrels to airs to carves, he’s really got the whole bag of tricks and power and everything. He’s so well rounded, and I think that’s got us all pretty fired up.”

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Bells Beach Update: Final Day is on!

It's On! The quarterfinals of the Rip Curl pro at Bells beach are in the water. Slater and AI just advanced out of their round 4 heats and will meet up in a classic quarterfinal heat later today. Don't miss it! The Finals will be today.

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Huge Fullsuit Sale is on Now at HSS!

Yes, it is that time of year again when we have a HUGE Sale on all of our winter fullsuits. If you haven't gotten a new suit for the year yet, or if yours has gotten a little tattered, then now is a great time to score a freshie! You can shop at any of our stores or shop online and save some lute on all the best wetsuit brands including O'neill, Billabong, Hurley, Quiksilver, and more.

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Congratulations to HSS team rider Andrew Doheny on joining Vans!

Vans footwear has announce the signing of local surf phenom Andrew Doheny to the Vans Surf team. Though only 15 years-old, Doheny has been a dominant force in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) for years, with 84 NSSA wins and 16 titles already under his belt, including the 2007 NSSA Open Juniors Champ title. Over a short period of time Doheny also snagged six Western Championships and four national runner-up titles, quickly establishing him as one of the sport's most talented amateurs.
Born and raised in Newport Beach, CA, Doheny has been surfing since the age of 5, honing his skills at Newport's popular 54th Street, where he still surfs everyday. Though Doheny just recently officially jumped on board, his relationship with Vans and other local Vans Surf team riders goes back a few years.
"We're proud to have Andrew officially join us," said Vans Surf Marketing Manager Scott Sisamis. "He's an amazing surfer and we already felt like he was part of the team."
"I'm stoked to be a part of the Vans family and a hippie like all the other Vans guys," said Doheny. Check out all of Andrew's favorite Vans shoes here!

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Proven Performers Rock Winkipop in Round 3 of the Rip Curl Pro

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Tuesday, March 25, 2008) – Round 3 of the Rip Curl Pro presented by Snickers went mobile when event officials decided that the nearby break of Winkipop was offering higher scoring potential than the primary site of Bells Beach this afternoon. Americans Dane Reynolds, C.J. Hobgood and Kelly Slater wasted no time illustrating that the move was a warranted one when they posted a series of excellent scores in the first two heats held at the back-up venue.Reynolds, a rookie, matched his event-high heat total of 18.73 out of 20.00 by earning a near-perfect 9.90 and high eights in Heat 12 against 2001 ASP World Champion C.J. Hobgood. The former world champ lost despite posting a 9.70 wave score of his own –the third highest single wave score of the event behind Reynolds’ 9.90 and 9.73.“That was a really fun heat,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t even care who won, we were having a great time just trading off waves. It was so much more fun at this spot than at Bells. Bells is really hard to surf and wonky and weird and this is just the perfect little wave. It was fun that it really just came down to surfing.”Slater who shared similar sentiments about the move this afternoon, beat Jihad Khodr (BRA) when he logged 9.17 and 9.23 wave scores to best the Brazilian 18.40 to 12.50.“I’d say that nine days out of 10, the waves are better over at Winki,” Slater said.”It’s just more surfable on the face and it stays steeper. It’s getting to be the full tide over at Bells and it’s pretty small. If it was six feet, it’d be one thing as the conditions are nice, but it’s pretty mushy.”With a comfortable lead, Slater opted to share his aerial prowess with the fans as the clock ticked down – the daring moves were rewarded by the judges and his winning margin grew even wider.“Once you get ahead in a heat and the other guy needs a combination of scores to beat you, you can play around a little bit,” Slater said. “Jihad got one or two sets that really didn’t do anything for him and you do the numbers and can assume there won’t be too many more sets. That’s when you can play around and perform, that’s kind of what we’re here for.”Slater will meet Damien Hobgood in the next round and could meet fellow performer Reynolds in the quarterfinals if they both make their Round 4 heats.“I think Dane (Reynolds) has really put a call out to everyone this year that good surfing stands,” Slater said. “If you’re going to play conservative, he’s going to eat you up in pretty much every aspect.”Reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) beat wildcard and former Top 45 surfer Troy Brooks (AUS) at Bells Beach proper this morning. Fanning went for broke on the last wave of the heat and was rewarded with a 9.17 and Round 4 berth."Yeah, Brooko (Troy Brooks) didn’t want that last wave and I just thought there might not be any others after that so I just went for it,” Fanning said. “I just got lucky. I got a couple of sections so I was stoked."Former event winners Taj Burrow (AUS), Joel Parkinson (AUS) and Andy Irons (HAW) are also through to Round 4. Burrow and Parkinson earned their berths surfing at Bells Beach earlier today, while Irons is through after winning at WInkipop.“I think it was a good decision to move today,” Irons said. “The waves down at Bells weren’t really offering a lot of scoring potential this afternoon and we saw heats like Kelly’s and Dane’s where they got lots of good scores. There wasn’t a lot on offer for the last few heats, but I’m stoked I got a few scores at the beginning.”Irons is slated to meet Kai Otton (AUS) in the last heat of Round 4.There is one full day of competition remaining and four more days in which to run it. Another call on competition status will be made tomorrow morning at 7:30(1:30 pm p.s.t).

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Stephanie Gilmore Wins 2008 Rip Curl Women’s Pro at Bells Beach!

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Monday, Mar. 24, 2008) – Reigning ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) has defeated 2004 ASP Women’s World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) to claim the 2008 Rip Curl Women’s Pro presented by Ford Fiesta in classic four-to-six foot (2 metre) surf at Bells Beach today.Event No. 2 of 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro final was a repeat showdown of last year’s event, where Gilmore and Mulanovich squared off for the first time at Bells Beach. Today’s victory marks the second consecutive Rip Curl Women’s Pro win for Gilmore, who jumps from equal 9th to No. 2 on the ratings.“I’d like to admit that that is probably the best performance I’ve ever put on in my career,” Gilmore said. “It feels absolutely amazing to ring the bell for a second time in a row. I really tried to brush off the first event and come down to Bells with a fresh head. We’ve had classic Bells conditions all morning, to be able to showcase your talent out in such good waves with just one other girl is an incredible thing.”Although Mulanovich held the lead for the majority of the final, Gilmore stroked into a solid Bells righthander with five minutes remaining, stylishly weaving through floaters and top turns to scalp the day’s high single-wave score of a 9.33 out of a possible 10. Gilmore took the lead and Mulanovich could not keep the Australian from claiming her second consecutive Rip Curl Women’s Pro title.“I don’t know how I did that on that wave,” Gilmore said. “Sofia (Mulanovich) had been surfing so well all day and to come back from such big scores, it just feels amazing. I was feeling a bit nervous and I knew I needed a big score. My boards have been feeling good all week, so I just put everything I had into it, and it paid off.”Mulanovich, who took out the season-opener on the Gold Coast of Australia, saw her ratings lead on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour strengthen today with her impressive Runner-Up finish at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro.“I’m feeling really good, and to lose to Steph (Gilmore) like that isn’t a bad thing,” Mulanovich said. “She was ripping, and yeah, a first and second to start the year out is what you need to do to win world titles. I’m just happy that I’ve had a strong start to the season and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”Finishing runner-up to Gilmore in last season’s Rip Curl Women’s Pro as well as the 2007 ASP Women’s World Title race, Mulanovich has set herself apart as the No. 1 challenger to Gilmore’s current crown.“Steph and I seem to be making lots of finals together, so it is exciting,” Mulanovich said. “She’s a really great champion and I think it’s good for women’s surfing that we can have these kinds of competitive rivalries."Layne Beachley (AUS), 7X ASP Women’s World Champion and 3X past winner of the ASP Women’s World Tour event at Bells Beach (’94, ’98, ’99), looked solid in her Quarterfinal victory over Samantha Cornish (AUS) this morning, but a crucial priority mistake in their Semifinal bout saw the legendary Australian fall to eventual champ Gilmore.“I’m really pissed off right now,” Beachley said. “I had priority on that one set, and then I second-guessed myself and Steph (Gilmore) got it, and that was my undoing. Then I had the wave at the end and I normally thrive under pressure, but for some reason, my foot slipped off and that was it.”Beachley, now rated No. 5 in the world, collects an equal 3rd place finish to join an equal 5th from the season opener of the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour season, and will look ahead to the next event to strength her campaign for an unprecedented eighth ASP Women’s World Title.“Equal 3rd is a good result, but to come so close to a victory when it’s been so long, is just really frustrating,” Beachley said. “One of these days, I’m going to get these grommets back. I’ll definitely head to the next event with lots of confidence and I’ll look to make another dent there.”Amee Donohoe (AUS), who posted a sensational last-minute Quarterfinal win over Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) earlier in the day, was unable to find her rhythm against Mulanovich in their Semifinal clash and collects her second equal 3rd place finish of 2008.“It’s good to get another 3rd, but a bit frustrating that I couldn’t crack a final,” Donohoe said. “Everyone wants to do well here as Bells Beach is such an amphitheatre and we all want to perform. There’s always next year though, and I’ll just focus on the next event from here out.”The 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour will now break until July, when the ASP Top 17 will meet again in Brazil.While the Rip Curl Women’s Pro has completed, the Rip Curl Pro presented by Snickers has yet to finish with the ASP Top 45 gearing up for a showdown of their own at Bells Beach. Round 3 of the Rip Curl Pro pres. by Snickers commenced at noon. Event officials are aiming to complete as many heats of the round as possible this afternoon. Another release covering the men’s portion of proceedings will be distributed this evening.

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Bells Beach Update: Big Day, Big Swell & Big Names Shine

Swell forecasters had predicted an increase swell this morning which was found accurate with 6-8 ft sets (2.5m) drawing crowds in early today.
ASP World No. 1 Kelly Slater (USA) came to the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach to surf big waves. He took advantage of the eight foot (three metre) conditions on offer today to post the highest heat total and single wave score of day. The 8X World Champion left competitors Adriano de Souza (BRA) and wildcard Troy Brooks (AUS) needing big scores to beat him when he added a near perfect 9.50 wave score to an 8.00 earned earlier in the heat. "I didn't do a whole lot on that wave," Slater said. "I did one turn to start off with and then this section loomed up ahead of me that was crazy - it was so smooth, especially for what's out there. I had a ton of speed and I held the bottom turn as long as I could and was able to get that carve in. It reminded me of the turn I had in the final against Parko (Joel Parkinson) that one year." Slater defeated Joel Parkinson (AUS) in the Final of the 2006 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach to win his second Rip Curl Pro trophy, but Parkinson can lay claim to trophy of his own. He earned it by beating Taj Burrow (AUS) in the event Final in 2004. Parkinson finished ahead of local surfer Nic Muscroft (AUS) and Ben Dunn (AUS) to advance straight to Round 3 today. "I expected Mushy (Muscroft) would be a really hard competitor," Parkinson said. "I had him on the Gold Coast and got him there and I’m sure he doesn't like to lose to someone twice. I expected him to come out with guns blazing and use his local knowledge. I think he’s probably one of the better guys out here." Parkinson's best wave, a 9.33 out of a possible 10, was the second highest single score of the day. "When I stood up, I knew it was going to be a good wave,” Parkinson said. “Although sometimes you get a wave like that and get off and wonder how it was. When I finished it, I thought it could have been a 5.0 or an 8.0, but then I heard the score and was happy.” Parkinson finished runner-up to the ASP World Title in 2002 and 2004 and has been considered one of Australia’s most likely contenders for a world championship ever since. Reigning ASP Champion Mick Fanning’s (AUS) recent title win has reignited a fire inside the Australian contingent – Parkisnon among them. “Mick showed us that it was all possible, especially with Andy and Kelly on tour,” Parkinson said. “He’s definitely opened doors for us all.” Fanning was forced to surf the sudden-death round for the first time in 15 events when Adrian Buchan (AUS) and wildcard Stuart Kennedy (AUS) bested him in Round 1. A relieved Fanning went on to eliminate Kennedy in their Round 2 rematch. “Round 2 sucks,” Fanning said. “My heat this morning was pretty tough. I think Adrian got a 6.0, everyone else was getting 3.0s and 4.0s and I was getting 1.0s and 2.0s, so it’s good to get through that heat and live to fight another day.”

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HSS Team Rider Christian Saenz pulling in some Late Winter barrels at Off The Wall!

After all the Hype of the pro tour has left the North Shore, there are still some magical days with a lot less heads in the water. Christian took off with the Hurley boys to score some fun days on the North Shore. He still claims that his Advantage boardshorts are the best boardies ever to surf in! I wonder if these pics will work as a re-admit for school on Monday? More photos from this trip will be coming soon!

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Slater Ready to Ring the Bell at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

COOLANGATTA, Australia (Monday, March 17, 2008) – The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Snickers, the second of 11 stops on the 2008 ASP World Tour, will commence tomorrow, March 18, 2008. Kelly Slater (USA), the most decorated surfer in history, will be there.Despite winning the first event of the year, Slater was uncertain as to whether or not he would attend the Rip Curl Pro. After 14 years on tour, the 8X ASP World Champion has been adamant that he will compete selectively in 2008 in order to pursue other interests. Slater officially withdrew from the event late last week but had a change of heart after seeing the swell forecast for the March 14-29 waiting period. He arrived in Australia today.“A combination of things influenced my decision to come to Bells,” Slater said. “I had called ASP Tour Manager Renato Hickel to ask to be officially taken out of the event and that is when he asked me if I had seen the swell forecast.”Current forecasts indicate that a new swell could see the event start early in the waiting period and that Easter Friday is poised to produce six to eight foot (two metre plus) waves akin to the classic Bells Beach conditions Slater won the 2006 Rip Curl Pro in. “I was also checking out some media online and I came across some video interviews that the Geelong Advertiser had done with the locals about whether or not I would come,” Slater said. “There were some pretty strong responses about wanting to see me there. So that, the swell and some changes in my personal life and suddenly it was perfect timing for me to get away. All the signs pointed this direction so it seemed like the thing to do.”It seemed like the thing to do in 2006 too. Slater was in an identical predicament in the 2006 lead up to the event as he was prior to this one – a win in the season-opener, a world No. 1 rating to start the year and serious indecision about whether to attend the event or not. Slater won the Rip Curl Pro and his eighth ASP title that year.“The decision to come was a little more clear this year,” Slater said. “In 2006 I decided to come at the last minute to get my mind off some personal things and to get a little more focused. This year, the similarities to 2006 are the excitement of a looming swell and a great week of surfing I want to be a part of.”Slater will face Brazil’s Adriano de Souza and wildcard and former ASP World Tour surfer Troy Brooks in Heat 10.For more information and to watch the LIVE webcast visit http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/index.asp.

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World’s Best Surfers Heading to Victoria with Aspirations to Ring the Bell

COOLANGATTA, Australia (Thursday, Mar. 13, 2008) - The countdown is on for commencement of hostilities at Bells. With Easter falling extremely early this year, the Rip Curl Pro follows quickly on the heels of the recently concluded Quiksilver Pro at Snapper. The world’s Top 45 Men & Top 17 Women are making the annual pilgrimage to the famous Bells Beach with plans to snatch the holy grail of pro surfing, the coveted Bell awarded to both winners at the conclusion of the respective finals.On the way, some, like Hawaii’s Roy Powers, have stopped off at Soldiers Beach for the Arrive Alive Central Coast Pro. Initiated by none other then ASP Chairman Richard Grellman, this is an initiative of the NSW Motor Accident Authority, in conjunction with Surfing NSW and ASP Australasia. The Arrive Alive campaign is targeted at primarily young passengers in motor vehicles, as well as P plate drivers, in a bid to educate young Australia on the awesome responsibility of being in charge of other people’s safety. It is wonderful to have pro surfing aligned with this initiative, as well as a great opportunity for the rising stars of the sport to have a crack at the 1500 WQS points on offer for both winners.The fabled cliffs of Bells are entrenched in Aussie surfing folklore, from the legendary pioneering days of walking in and surfing through winter in footy jerseys, to the late 60’s, the birth of Rip Curl, when founders Doug "Claw" Warbrick and Brian "Sing-Ding" Singer would do the dawn patrol then go cut wetties out of ancient rubber at a little hole in the wall off the main street of Torquay. Then came the 70’s, the birth of pro surfing at the 1973 Rip Curl Pro, where the infamous Michael Peterson came and conquered for the first of his three straight Bells.Two of the figures that contribute to the mythology of the area are Ted Spencer and Charles ’of the sea’ Bartlett. Great, great surfers, Ted not only won two Bells but surfed the place as big as it got. In 1974, a classic year where a contingency from Hawaii, including Reno Abellera, Jeff Hakman, Sam Hawk and Owl Chapman, came and showed the Island way of surfing 10’ waves, Ted and Charles took up residence in a cave around at Centre-side Bells, surfing and living off the land in this most rugged of landscapes.Having been to every Bells since 71, I guess I’ve seen a lot of wild stuff going down, and while it doesn’t get any more raw then the 70’s, with all Claw’s innovative judging criteria’s and event formats, there is a rich seam of history running right through the 80’s, 90’s and into the millennium. The last half dozen years has seen the dominance of pretty much the status quo of the Big five, with Andy, Mick, Joel, Kelly and Taj lofting the massive perpetual Bell above their heads. Last year saw the return of top flight Women’s surfing to Bells, and to usher in a new era of rip and tear on the famous bowl, rookie sensation Stephanie Gilmore left her indelible footprint on the event, bringing to the Rip Curl Pro a brand of surfing unseen in the annals of Women’s competition. That Steph went on to claim a maiden World Crown underlines the importance of this event as both a yardstick of talent and a barometer of who is contending in any given year.The Men’s division was exemplary in 07. Mick Fanning arrived as the new World #1, and a 3rd place finish kept the Cooly Kid on World record pace, however it was twice champion Andy Irons, who was coming off a shock 33rd at Snapper, and the fleet footed Taj Burrow who shone under the glare of the world media. Any Bells final is intense, only one name goes on the trophy, and while Andy was looking for title #3, it was a breakthrough performance by Taj Burrow that snatched victory at the final effort. What an amazing final day that was, we had to wait, as is the tradition, until the penultimate day of the waiting period, but what a delivery of excellence it was.This year we have that entire layer of new talent ready to unleash on the cool walls, and even though Easter is super early and on the very cusp of the autumn season, the early forecast looks promising. There are just so many potential contenders, we saw how gnarly it got from the Rd 32 on, that top guns have to have their A game with them a round or two earlier then in previous campaigns. A couple European guys, current #3 Jeremy Flores and Portugal’s Tiago Pires, headed down to Bells straight after Snapper, making their intentions known. It worked a treat at Snapper; Jeremy Flores arrived maybe three weeks early and scored a 3rd, his intimacy with the bank noticeable.Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich has finally begun the year with a win. A notoriously slow starter on the World Tour, Sofia usually comes storming back from a Snapper shocker at Bells; it will be interesting how she fares as a frontrunner. Sam Cornish showed glimpses of the form that briefly took her to the #1 ranking mid last year, she surfs unreal at Bells, and this could be her shot. Layne Beachley and Stephanie Gilmore still loom as the dangers. The 7 times champion has by far the best record at the Rip Curl Pro, she would love to turn the clock back to her halcyon years at Bells and claim another.This time it will be the defending Rip Curl Pro Champion, Stephanie Gilmore, who arrives wounded from a Snapper setback. She definitely surfed a conspicuously tentative heat against rising superstar Carissa Moore at her home beach, she will have a point to prove at Bells and will need to extract her best if she is to reign in Sophia and Sam and Amee Donohoe.The stage is set for another titanic struggle for the mighty Bell. Who will emerge from the Aussie leg with that all important momentum? The stakes have definitely been raised. Get your ya-ya’s out, we’re going to Bells.

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HBHS WINS 2008 INTERSCHOLASTIC STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT CHURCH!

STATE CHAMPION HUNTINGTON BEACH HIGH SCHOOL

The NSSA kicked off its 2008 Championship Series March 7-9 with the Interscholastic State Championships at Church beach in the treasured San Onofre State Park. Consistent combo swells from the northwest and southwest provided rippable 2-4 foot conditions for 350 student surfers at Churchs’ fun cobblestone reef. 15 colleges, 12 high schools and 10 middle schools competed for prestigious State Championship crowns while also vying for qualification to the 2008 National Interscholastic Championships June 18-21 at Salt Creek.
No. 4 ranked Huntington Beach High School came ready to challenge and it showed as they trounced the competition 108-82 over runner-up Carlsbad. The State Championships provides a stiff early test to the Nationals and the Oilers came prepared and focused on their championship goal which was a key element to their success. The 17-time National Champs came marching in from the get-go and never surrendered their lead from round one. Although National Champion San Dieguito, Carlsbad and San Clemente kept it close after the first round, the Oilers went on a tear in round two and never looked back. The championship result may have been lopsided but the High School Men’s final was well represented with HB, San Clemente, Carlsbad, Carpenteria and Edison team members. “I’m amazed at the high level of surfing this weekend,” said Huntington Beach head coach Andy Verdone. “The traditional powerhouses like San Clemente, Carlsbad and San Dieguito are still killing it and always a threat.” Now Edison is right there and Newport Harbor has some mad skills and are going to be dangerous.” Oiler team members Kyle McGeary and Quinn McCrystal earned High Men’s final berths placing second and fifth respectively. HB’s special teams also played a significant role with Sara Taylor placing fifth in the Women’s final and Wade Carden taking sixth in Longboard. “Team captain Quinn McCrystal led us all the way through to the finals and he’s been trying to do that for four years,” Verdone said. “We have a great class this year. Our entire team was down here giving support. Our coaches Barry and Jeff Deffenbaugh are emphasizing fundamentals again whereas I think we got away from that in the past few years. They are former NSSA Champions and they bring youth and excitement to the squad.”

San Clemente High School’s Doug Van Mierlo made the hometown crowd proud winning the Men’s final in a close decision over HB’s McGeary 13.66-13.33. Both surfers put on an electrifying aerial show with McGeary launching a huge aerial reverse on a right earning the highest wave score of 8.83 while Van Mierlo was punting on the steeper, racy lefts. Newport Harbor’s Kaleigh Gilchrist nailed her first NSSA championship title in a close decision over Laguna Beach’s Taylor Pitz 10.50-10.17. Pitz was in contention after notching a heat high 7.0 wave but fell a fraction short on her second score. Both Gilchrist and Pitz hold a top five ranking in the Southwest Open Season. In the Longboard division, Edison’s Jeff Newell surfed strong enough to claim his first NSSA championship crown despite getting slapped with an interference penalty.

With HB’s elevation to No. 1 status and their confidence riding high, the National Championships will be as exciting as it gets. Last year’s runner up Carlsbad is sick of silver and will be hungry to go all the way in 2008. Reigning National champion San Dieguito will be on a quest to defend and eight-time National Champion San Clemente can’t be overlooked. Edison and Newport Harbor made plenty of noise at State and could be a title sleeper in June. When asked about his National title hopes Verdone said, “I think our chances are strong and we are going to be there to compete. Salt Creek is a whole nother venue with a different approach. I’m excited for the kids.” It would be their first since 1998. “I think we have a good chance to win the Nationals and we’re definitely not going to start slacking off now,” added McCrystal. “I’m going to get everyone out there bright and early tomorrow, keep working and keep going. We haven’t won the Nationals in ten years, so I’d be stoked to finally be the one to bring it back.”

As expected, Shorecliffs dominated the Middle School Championships with a 138-77 blowout over Sowers. For the third consecutive year, Shorecliffs came with a powerhouse squad that led from start to finish. The team boasted five of the six finalists in the Boys division including defending Boys State Champ Ian Crane who pulled off his second straight. In an extremely tight final, Crane used his impressive aerial skills to edge out Carpenteria’s Parker Coffin. Crane stomped a technical frontside air reverse on a left which earned a 7.17 and put him out front of the pack. “I wanted to stick to the lefts because I’m goofy-foot,” Crane said. “I was going for the bigger moves and then pulled that air reverse which was enough.” In the Girls final, Shorecliffs’ Melina Smith claimed her first NSSA championship title. Dwyer’s Tony Bartovich surfed a fantastic heat in the Longboard final posting two good wave scores of 7.67 and 6.00 and taking the victory by a four point margin.

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MARCH MADNESS IS HERE! The NSSA State Championships at Church March 7-9

HB TEAM CAPTAIN QUINN MCCRYSTAL photo courtesy: Kevyn Dean

The NSSA will kick off its 2008 Championship Series with the Interscholastic State Championships at Church, San Clemente March 7-9. This championship determines which schools will receive an invitation to the 2008 National Interscholastic Championships at Salt Creek June 18-21. The top 12 colleges, the top 10 high schools and the top 8 middle schools will qualify for the Nationals. A complete State Championship schedule of events in available on the NSSA website at www.nssa.org under the menu button “heat times.”
The NSSA State Championships is one of the most exciting contests of the year and Church beach is the best arena for it. The beach is absolutely buzzing with passion, tension and energy as the most competitive schools on the west coast battle it out for State titles. 15 colleges, 12 high schools and 10 middle schools will contend in the team showdown. 2007 National Champion San Dieguito will lead the charge in the high school category with defending State Champion San Clemente trying to claim their eighth State title in 10 years. Number two ranked Carlsbad High School was runner up at the 2007 Nationals and are looking to make a serious title run this year. Legendary Huntington Beach High School has the winningest National Championship record at 17 and the team appears as fired up and ready as ever. Carpenteria and Newport Harbor have solid lineups and have a decent chance to upset one of the heavy favorites. Go Huntington!

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The Limited edition Billabong / Metallica co-op boardshort has Arrived!

Billabong and Metallica have teamed up to create this Limited Edition one of a kind boardshort. We've got it in now for a limited time. Rock on!

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Kelly Slater Back to World No. 1 with Quiksilver Pro Win Over Fanning

COOLANGATTA, Australia (Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2008) – Eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) is once again World No. 1 after beating Reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) at his home break of Snapper Rocks.Slater defeated Fanning 17.94 to 15.23 to claim his second Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast title and position himself atop the ratings for the first time since claiming his last ASP World Crown in 2006. “It’s really satisfying,” Slater said. “I didn’t feel like I really got into motion last year. Obviously Trestles was good with a win, but the end of the year was pretty lackluster for me. Even getting into the Quarters today I was thinking, ‘This is the best result I’ve had in six months’ It just felt great.” Slater and Fanning have now met in ASP competition nine times; Slater leads the exchange 5 to 4. Notably, previous to his win today, Slater had not beat Fanning since 2003. Both surfers have now won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast twice – Fanning in 2005 and 2007 and Slater in 2006 and 2008.“Mick is definitely the best competitor in the world right now,” Slater said. “He makes very few mistakes and surfs the face of the wave real well time and again. He’s one of those rare guys who can come from behind or take control from the front and pull out the big manoeuvres to get the big scores when he needs to.”Compliments aside, Slater had no reservations about beating the Reigning and ASP and Quiksilver Pro Champion at home in front of a capacity crowd. “Feel bad about beating Mick at home? Not in the least,” Slater said. “He’s won this event twice, I had to catch up.”Slater has hinted that he will compete on the 2008 ASP World Tour selectively and has gone so far as to say he won’t surf the next event in Bells Beach. He made similar statements in early 2006, but after winning the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper, decided to go to Bells anyway. He won the ASP World Title for the eighth time that year.“Yea, I was in the same position back in 2006 and didn’t decide on Bells until two days before,” Slater said. “The one thing that got me over the edge was the swell forecast and the fact that I was in Australia at the time. I was sort of at a low point personally with a lot of things and the event sort of kept my mind off it for a week or two while I was there – it kind of got me in the swing of things for the year and I was coming off a lot of confidence from the year before, so the wins where coming easy in heats. I seemed to be making the right choices in the water and riding that wave of confidence from the year before.”Slater’s wins didn’t come easily today. He had to beat 3X ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) in the Quarters and 2007 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Flores (FRA) in the Semis prior to his heat with Fanning today. “I’ve never get to surf against Andy (Irons) until the finals and we haven’t surfed against each other in a two man heat in about two and a half years,” Slater said. “In that heat against Jeremy (Flores) I had very little energy and I really had to push it on my one big score. It’s good to win a contest, but to beat the top guys to get there is even better.”Fanning, who took the World No. 1 spot with a win at this event last year, had not relinquished the top spot until today. He had the highest scoring wave of the Final heat – a 9.33 – but needed to back it up with an 8.61 he never found.“I wanted another wave to come through and unfortunately for me it didn’t happen but Kelly surfed amazing all event and he’s the greatest surfer of all time,” Fanning said. “I was just praying for another wave but it didn’t come.Fanning had to beat an in-form Bede Durbidge (AUS) and Dean Morrison (AUS) prior in the day to earn his Final berth this afternoon.“I didn’t know exactly how I was going to go in this event, but I felt really relaxed the whole event and did things when I needed to,” Fanning said. “I just needed one more little wave to pop up but it didn’t happen.” Fanning’s Semifinal clash against Durbidge was a repeat of last year’s event Final which Fanning won.“It’s crazy that we met here again,” Durbidge said. “I wanted to get him so bad, but he’s just been surfing so well and he was the better man out there. It’s still a good start to the year though. I wanted to put myself up amongst the top contenders and up there on the ratings.”Durbidge, who is now rated equal 3rd behind Slater and Fanning, won the last event of the 2007 ASP World Tour in Hawaii and finished the season World No. 5. He was hoping to better his 2007 Quiksilver Pro result and win at Snapper Rocks, but failed to find the 8.73 he needed to change the situation. The 8.50 he did manage with minutes to go was close, but not close enough.“I’m a little bit disappointed, but it was a good heat that came down to the wire and Mick just got me in the end,” Durbidge said. “It was so close it was frustrating, but it was tricky and a little bit smaller and I tried my hardest and just didn’t come through.”Jeremy Flores (FRA) also finished equal 3rd today. Despite opening the heat strong and pressuring Slater to find a combination of two excellent scoring rides to beat him, Flores eventually lost the heat 15.47 to 15.17.“It’s a great result for me in the first event,” Flores said. The heat was pretty close but I think I could have surfed better. I didn’t really open up my surfing too much in this competition, I could have surfed a whole lot better, but I’m happy with my result and losing to Kelly in the Semifinal is not too bad.”

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