SURF & SPORT

Action Continues at HB Pier on Day 4 of SIMA Surfing America USA Championships

2009-08-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Check out all the Top amateur surfers from all around the U.S. OF A right here at South side of the Huntington Beach Pier. You can also check out all the live action at: http://surfingamericalive.com/live/

Billabong ISA World Surfing Games

2009-08-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Billabong ISA World Surfing Games
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
7 de agosto de 2009

Day 7 of the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games is in the water right now and the waves are amazing. Solid 6 foot barrels are breaking in Hermosa! ENJOY THE LIVE ACTION!

The partial Overall Team Standings show a strong USA lead. The current top five nations are:
1º - USA - 19080 points
2º - Hawaii – 16960 points
3º - Australia – 16720 points
4º - South Africa -15040 points
5º - France -14040 points
Note: The above points show the potential maximum that each team can achieve. The final scores will be always lower

SCHEDULE FOR TODAY
Competition restarts tomorrow at 7:30am, local time (GMT: -06:00), the following rounds will be held:
-Open Men Repercharge: 7, 8 and 9
-Open Men Main Event: 5
-Open Women Repercharge: 5, 6 and 7
-Open Women Main Event: 5
-Longboard Repercharge: 5, 6 and 7
-Longboard Main Event: 4

The contest will be web LIVE everyday at www.BillabongISAWorldGames.com

Check all the latest Billabong gear online at HSSsurf.com

BRETT SIMPSON WINS US OPEN OF SURFING

2009-07-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, July 26, 2009) – Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA), 24, has claimed the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing over former ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (Coolangatta, AUS), 28, in front of an ecstatic hometown crowd, netting surfing’s biggest victory purse ever – US$100,000.

An event that will go down in surfing history, the 2009 Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing was treated to incredible surf (waves reaching as high as ten-to-twelve feet), an unprecedented number of elite ASP Dream Tour competitors in attendance as well as the biggest winner’s prize in surfing history. The young local’s emphatic victory in front of the hundreds of thousands on the beach provided the storybook ending and vaulted the event to unprecedented heights.

Simpson wasted no time in putting his opponent on the ropes in the Final, collecting a 6.83, a 7.83 and a 9.10 in the opening half of the heat with razor-sharp turns, explosive aerial maneuvers and a supernatural rapport with the Huntington Beach sandbanks.

“I knew the tide was coming up and there weren’t going to be as many waves,” Simpson said. “I knew I needed a quick start. We (Mick Fanning and I) both got off to pretty quick starts. We both picked up some good scores off the bat and I was able to build a little momentum throughout my opening waves. I couldn’t believe it when the heat finished – I’m still at a loss. I can’t ask for more than to beat Mick Fanning in the Final at home. With that, and the $100,000 and the 2,500 ’QS points, I’m nearly in tears at the moment.”

Each one of Simpson’s maneuvers was met with a thunder of cheers from the hundreds of thousands of spectators on the beach, and the young Californian’s win was caused an unparalleled eruption of excitement to ripple through the Hurley U.S. Open event site.

“When you’re riding on the ski in front of the crowd and you hear the applause it definitely pumps you up,” Simpson said. “Every time I was feeling a bit tired, the energy level of the crowd would lift me right up. It’s unbelievable to have all the support and my family and friends here with me. This is the best day of my life.”

In addition to taking away professional surfing’s biggest first prize in history (US$100,000), Simpson earned 2,500 ASP WQS points solidifying his campaign in the qualification race for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour. The progressive natural-footer is in excellent position for a berth next season at professional surfing’s most elite level, the ASP World Tour.

“I don’t know what to say,” Simpson said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m just stoked. It’s my best result ever. It’s so important to my qualifying campaign and such a huge boost of confidence to me. My goal has always been to compete on the World Tour and I’m definitely focused on finishing the season strong. I don’t know what else to say. I’m really excited and I can’t wait for the rest of the year.”

Fanning was in phenomenal form this morning, eliminating two fellow ASP World Tour campaigners en route to his Finals berth, but the current ASP World No. 7 was unable to navigate the decreasing afternoon conditions. Despite missing out on the US$100,000 first prize, the Australian exhibited true sportsmanship, congratulating Simpson as well as the event.

“It’s been an amazing week for me,” Fanning said. “I haven’t been here for seven years and to come back into an event like this is just amazing. The setup, the crowd, the waves, it’s all been a dream. Congratulations to Brett (Simpson), he’s a true champion and we look forward to seeing him next year on tour.”

Adriano de Souza (Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, former ASP World Junior Champion (2004) and current ASP World No. 3, caused the upset of the event this morning, defeating nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), 37, in Quarterfinal 3. Despite the impressive feat, the young Brazilian was unable to overcome a rampaging Fanning in the Semifinals.

“I’m disappointed that I couldn’t find the waves against Mick (Fanning),” De Souza said. “It’s still a great event – so many people and good waves, sunny. Obviously, my highlight was beating Kelly (Slater) this morning. There weren’t many waves in that heat, but I was able to get on the better ones and surf pretty well. Kelly can

C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne Beach, FL), 30, current No. 2 on the elite ASP World Tour ratings, was another ASP Dream Tour campaigner to shine at Huntington Beach. A consistent high-scorer throughout the rounds, Hobgood came up short to eventual winner Simpson in the Semifinals.

“I’m so stoked it all came together for this event,” Hobgood said. “All the people and the waves were great. I’m bummed I missed out on the Final, but I had a great week so I’m happy I came here.”

Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 23, who narrowly missed out on qualification for this season’s elite ASP Dream Tour, was another strong Southern California performer at the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, finishing equal 5th, further solidifying his position within the Top 10 on the ASP WQS ratings.

The next stop for the men on the 2009 ASP WQS will be the ASP WQS 5-Star Relentless Boardmasters in assoc. with Vans from August 4 – 9, 2009 in Newquay, England.

Running in conjunction with the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing was the ASP Grade-2 Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, Stop No. 5 of 9 on the 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior Series. Today’s Final was an incredible assemblage of global talent, with Kai Barger (HAW), 19, taking the big win over Tonino Benson (HAW), 19, Dillon Perillo (Malibu, CA), 19, and Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 18.

Barger, reigning ASP World Junior Champion, went on an absolute rampage in the star-studded junior Final, smashing both rights and lefts to net an impressive 15.50 out of a possible 20.

“This is hands down the best contest ever,” Barger said. “Biggest crowd, great waves, lots of sun, big money. Best event ever. I don’t really go out into heats thinking about what I need or what I want to accomplish. I go out to win. That’s what I did out there today and I’m having a great year!”

Highlights from the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing are available at www.usopenofsurfing.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com and www.aspnorthamerica.org

Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing Results: ASP WQS 6-Star Men’s Event

Final: Winner Receives US$100,000
1 – Brett Simpson (USA) 16.93
2 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.50

Semifinals: 4 surfers remaining (winner advances)
SF 1: Brett Simpson (USA) 13.00 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.90
SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.07 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.47

Quarterfinals: 8 surfers remaining (winner advances)
QF 1: Brett Simpson (USA) 13.50 def. Nathaniel Curran (USA) 10.27
QF 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.76 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.77
QF 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.10 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 10.00
QF 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.27 def. Michel Bourez (USA) 12.40

Nike 6.0 Pro Junior Results: ASP Grade-2 Pro Junior
1 – Kai Barger (HAW) 15.50
2 – Tonino Benson (HAW) 14.30
3 – Dillon Perillo (USA) 12.53
4 – Nat Young (USA) 9.53

Courtney Conlogue Wins US Open Womens Event

2009-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Saturday, July 25, 2009) – Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 15, won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open today over defending event champion Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), 15, who claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, in a high-scoring Final in six-to-eight foot (2 metre) surf today at South Huntington Beach Pier.

Surfers competing at the prestigious Hurley U.S. Open event are battling for the important ratings points on offer towards qualification for the ASP World Tour.

Conlogue won the hard-fought battle over the young Hawaiian with huge backside blasts on the steep lefthanders in the Final to log a 9.00 and an 8.17 in her score line, placing the defending champion in a combination situation. Each of the impressive scores earned by the Huntington Beach local were awarded with one single maneuver, allowing her to take out her first major ASP WQS victory.

“I’m pretty much speechless,” Conlogue said. “Malia (Manuel), she’s an amazing surfer and to win that heat was to die for. I want to thank Malia for putting on a good Final with me. I’m so stoked to have had that Final with her. I was just going out there and having fun and that’s what I’ve been doing this whole contest and it ended up working out. I’m going to try and carry that throughout all of my contests this year.”

The young American’s victory today solidifies her as a threat to the rest of the world’s finest competitive surfing talent and continues to establish the explosive regular-footer as a frontrunner in the women’s progressive surfing movement. After completing her educational goals, Conlogue expects to set her sights on the Women’s ASP World tour.

“I’ve got to finish school first, but definitely the ASP World Tour is coming soon enough,” Conlogue said.

Malia Manuel put on a banner performance throughout the entire Hurley U.S. Open, and claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior en route to her runner-up ASP WQS finish. Manuel’s Final berth was no easy feat, as she defeated reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (Tweed Heads, AUS), 21, in the women’s main event.

“I’m so over the moon even to make it to the final day,” Manuel said. “It was great out there. Courtney is an amazing athlete and she was the deserving heat winner.”

Manuel took out her U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior title in dramatic fashion when she nabbed a last-minute wave to overtake the win over Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA), 18, who finished in second, defeating fellow finalists Cannelle Bulard (REU), who finished in third and current ASP World Tour rookie Coco Ho (Sunset Beach, HI), 18, who finished fourth.

“I’m glad I had the Pro Junior to fall back on,” Manuel said. “Surfing against Coco (Ho) was great and Sage (Erickson) almost had it in the bag and some miraculous wave came and I got to pick it up and got a score. I’m just happy to be here today and surf in both finals.”

The young regular-footer is now ready to start gaining more ASP WQS experience to eventually make a push towards qualification for the ASP Women’s World Tour.

“I think it’s time to put my foot through the door and do a couple of WQS events,” Manuel said. “I’m in no rush, I’m only 15, so I’m just going to get some experience going on and hope for the best and hopefully in a couple of years I’ll be doing what Coco (Ho) and Steph (Gilmore) are doing right now."

Men’s Hurley U.S. Open competition started the day off today and witnessed reining nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), 37, blast a perfect 10-point-ride with a committing backside barrel to continue his campaign as the frontrunner of Hurley U.S. Open action. The Floridian Champion followed up the score with an 8.50 to notch the highest heat total of ASP WQS 6-Star competition for the second consecutive day.

“I’m stoked,” Slater said. “There are big, huge, walled close-outs, but there are a few corners out there. The tide is coming in and it’s not as hollow as this morning, there were probably a few barrels out there. That first one I got was so big, it just barreled. I started grabbing rail as I was going down the face, and doing a slow, long bottom turn, trying to brush off some speed. I was thinking, did I dork this, because for I second I didn’t think it was going to barrel. Then it started to pitch. I was starting to think I would look really silly trying to grab rail mid-face on a wave that didn’t barrel. I was hoping I could get out of it and get a hit, but it was just too quick.”

Tomorrow will conclude Hurley U.S. Open action and will crown men’s ASP WQS and U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior Champions by day’s end.

Cory Lopez Surfboard Raffle July 25th & 26th

2009-07-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Stop by and pick up your free raffle tickets for a chance to win a Cory Lopez surfboard! There will be one board given away each day so don't miss out. Tickets can be had through the O'Neill section of HSS.

Our Main St. Store is located at:
300 Pacific Coast HWY,
Huntington Beach CA, 92648.
Phone: (714) 841-4000

All the Top Dogs are in Town Come by and Get Their Autographs!

2009-07-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Come on down and meet all your surf heroes at HSS @ 300 Pacific Coast Highway (corner of PCH & Main)
While you're down here check out all the latest Hurley US Open of Surfing stuff!

Billabong & Primo Present Aloha Friday!

2009-07-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Come hang with Andy & Donavon tomorrow July 17!
5pm - 6pm at HSS presented by Billabong and Primo.

HssSurf.com
Store Locations

US Open of Surfing Kicks Off July 18th

2009-07-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

What’s the closest thing to watching the world’s best surfers compete in a full-on stadium atmosphere? Look no further than Huntington Beach in July, when up to 500,000 people will find their way to the real Surf City, post up in the sand and cheer on their heroes at the Pier. It’s been that way for 50 years now, starting with the US Championships in 1959 and evolving to today: the Hurley US Open of Surfing®.

As the new title sponsor of this storied event, Hurley and its partners intend to make it a life-changing experience from dawn to dusk: Late-afternoon concerts. Hurley’s Walk the Walk fashion competition. Elite-level BMX courtesy of Nike 6.0. The best skateboarders courtesy of Converse and Red Bull. And a swarm of activity, demonstrations and booths surrounding our “50 Years at the Pier” celebration.

Of course, center stage will be reserved for the ocean, where both men and women will be competing for points, prize money and HB glory in the title event, the Hurley US Open of Surfing®. As a six-star ASP qualifier at the mid-way point in the season, the winner here often goes on to the coveted Dream Tour. Case in point: last year’s US Open Men’s Champ Nathaniel Curran, who ended up winning the 2008 World Qualifying Series and is now a rookie in the elite Top 45. Along with the six-star, Nike 6.0 will be holding an ASP Pro Junior event — another important challenge on the path to become the 20-and-under world junior champion. Rounding out the center stage will be a celebration of the world’s top longboarders in a soon-to-be announced format that will certainly have the crowd cheering for more.

In addition to all of this, the Hurley US Open, in conjunction with the World Professional Surfers athlete union, will be introducing the first-ever WPS All Stars event. This will include participation from 10 of the world’s best surfers voted on by you – the fans. They will surf in the event, sign autographs and blow us away in a special-format expression session that must be seen to be believed.

This isn’t just the closest thing to a stadium; it is a stadium. The only place to witness a gathering of the world’s most talented action sports stars all in one stretch of sand. As local favorite Brett Simpson says, “Competing in the US Open is one event I look forward to all year — there’s no other event like it, really. The crowds, the activity, the excitement…it’s like you have no choice but to perform at your very best.”

Find the full event schedule online at the USOpenofSurfing.com

Grab all your official US Open gear online at HSSsurf.com

Parkinson Takes Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay

2009-07-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Wednesday, July 15, 2009) – Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, has claimed the 2009 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in clean three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) surf over Damien Hobgood (USA), 30, strengthening his stranglehold on the ASP World Tour ratings lead.

Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will go down as one of the finest in history, with the two final days of competition enjoying pumping surf and amazing performances, culminating in today’s exciting finale.

Parkinson wasted no time in the 40-minute Final, smashing an excellent 9.47 out of a possible 10 on his opening wave. The wave exhibited the Australian’s unparalleled mastery of the Jeffreys Bay lineup, a symphony of beautiful forehand arcs and committed barrel riding, taking off from “Boneyards” section at the top of the point and riding well over 200 metres to the eruption of crowds on the beach.

“I knew the waves were dying down towards the end of the day and it was going to be important to get on the board early in Final,” Parkinson said. “I’ve been sitting up the point at Boneyards for most of the event and trying to find the ones that would run all the way down the point – that one was no different. As I stood up I had a really nice line on it and I tried to make the most of it. Turned out to be a crucial part of the heat.”

Today’s win comes 10 years after Parkinson’s inaugural victory at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, last ascending the winner’s dais in 1999 when he competed as a wildcard.

“Wow – 10 years seems to go by really fast,” Parkinson said. “I’ve enjoyed coming here every year since that first one, and it’s been a pretty incredible trip since then. To bring it together 10 years down the track, it’s a pretty special feeling and all I can say is that it’s a fantastic event and I’ll be coming here as long as I can.”

Throughout the competition, time-and-again, Parkinson proved to be the form surfer, collecting two Perfect 10s (Round 3, Semifinals) as well as several 9-point plus rides as he deftly advanced through five heats of battle. This victory marks the phenomenal natural-footer’s third ASP Dream Tour win this year alone, strengthening his position as frontrunner in the race for the ASP World Title.

“The conditions for this event were just unbelievable and the surfing speaks for itself,” Parkinson said. “The past two days are a bit of a blur – so many massive scores and barrels from everyone. In terms of the world title, I do my best not to think about it. In the past, I’ve done my head in by wondering how many points behind or ahead of someone I am, and this season, I’ve just focused on the task at hand. I’ve had a good start, but it’s a long year and a lot can happen. I’m looking forward to heading home to see my family and training hard for the next one.”

Unfortunately for Hobgood, inconsistency plagued the back half of his Final clash with Parkinson, and the Floridian was unable to find a rhythm in the challenging conditions. However, today’s Runner-Up finish marks second career result at the venue for Hobgood (the other to Slater in 2003), an impressive feat for a goofy-footer.

“It’s an honor to come here every year,” Hobgood said. “The place is magical and it’s just so beautiful. It’s easy to get distracted by how beautiful it looks when waves are coming down the point. Joel (Parkinson) opened up with that really good wave and at that point, the only thing I could do was pray for an 8-footer to come through. It’s not an easy wave for goofy-footer’s to excel at, but I feel really fortunate to finish in the Final. It’s a great result for me.”

Hobgood’s route to the Final was no easy feat, navigating through a bevy of in-form surfers: Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, in Round 3, Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, and Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, in the Semifinals. Today’s result bolts Hobgood from 10th to 5th on the ASP World Tour ratings, putting him in excellent position to contest the back half of the season.

“This is definitely my best result of the year and moving up to 5th puts me in good position for the back half of the season,” Hobgood said. “I opened up with a pretty good result on the Goldy before having some average outings in the last three. Today’s finish definitely gives me a lot of confidence heading into the next few events, and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Dane Reynolds (USA), 2008 ASP World Tour Rookie of the Year, lost a wave-starved Semifinal to eventual Runner-Up Hobgood, but impressively stamped his authority on today’s proceedings, besting 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie Michel Bourez (PYF), 23, in the opening heat of the day before taking down giant-slaying wildcard Sean Holmes (ZAF), 31, with the highest-scoring heat total of the event, a 19.20 out of a possible 20. The feat included an incredibly long barrel punctuated with a high-risk floater for his second Perfect 10 of the event, as well as uting a mind-blowing fin-throw: exploding through the lip, grabbing rail and landing in reverse before pulling his board around to recover.

“It was a bit of a bummer to have things die down like that after the Quarterfinals,” Reynolds said. “I’m still happy to be here though. The waves were so much fun that it didn’t even really feel like a contest. (On that 10) There were a couple of moments when I didn’t think I was going to make it. It was really difficult to navigate, but I punched through and was stoked. I also got to do a pretty big turn in the Quarters, and I kind of wanted to do one of those this whole event, but didn’t have a lot of opportunities – when you’re on a wave like that one though, you start gaining some confidence and I just tried to do a big turn. Worked out pretty well.”

Today’s equal 3rd place finish is not only a personal best for the young Californian, but rockets Reynolds up from No. 34 to No. 20 on the ASP World Tour ratings, a major relief following three, consecutive equal 33rds prior to the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay.

“This event was obviously a welcome change in my year so far,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t have a good start to the season and came here a bit more motivated to compete. But then I started out pretty slow with some board problems and stuff, so I don’t know. I don’t do well when I think about what I need in heats and that, so I just go out to surf. This result takes a bit of pressure off in terms of ratings and stuff so hopefully I can get a few more before the year is done.”

Kai Otton (AUS), 29, was another goofy-footer to bust through Jeffreys Bay’s challenging walls on his backhand, besting Dean Morrison (AUS), 28, in the Quarterfinals before going down in a tit-for-tat shootout with eventual winner Parkinson in the Semifinals. Otton’s equal 3rd place finish bumps him from 27th to 19th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“I came to Jeffreys really trying to focus on getting a result here,” Otton said. “For me, that means not thinking in heats, and just surfing, so that seemed to work out pretty well. It can be a difficult wave for goofy-footer’s to do well at, but I really think the size helped throughout the event. It allowed us to open up a bit more as it wasn’t breaking really fast on the bricks. I’m looking forward to heading home and training hard for the next event.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 37, reigning nine-time ASP World Champion and past four-time winner of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, fell to compatriot Knox in their Round 3 bout this morning. Starting the year with three uncharacteristic 17th place finishes, Slater rebounded with a win in Brazil last week, and was poised to threaten the current tour frontrunners with a strong showing in South Africa. However, today’s equal 9th place finish and current ASP World No. 8 rating make a potential charge for an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title much more challenging for the Floridian.

“I’m going to probably have to win three straight now to get back in this thing,” Slater said. “If you do the numbers, I think before this contest, Parko (Joel Parkinson) was ten heats ahead of me, and if I want to contend, I need to catch up. That obviously wasn’t happening for me today.”

The next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Hurley Pro Trestles in Southern California from September 13 – 19, 2009.

2009 ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5076 pts
2 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 3672 pts
3 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3613 pts
4 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 3460 pts
5 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 3374 pts
6 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 3357 pts
7 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 3350 pts
8 – Kelly Slater (USA) 3030 pts
9 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 2942 pts
10 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2896 pts

HSS SURFBOARD SALE - July 11th & 12th

2009-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

HUGE SURFBOARD SALE! - Saturday & Sunday, July 11th & 12th.

Over 50 Surfboards will be on sale for just $350 at our Bella Terra Location! Get em while they last. Brand names from JS, LOST, Chili Surfboards, Ezera, Bill Johnson, Roberts & more...

Located at:
Huntington Surf and Sport
7777 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Call (714) 890-0800 for more info.

Kelly Slater Wins Santa Catarina Pro

2009-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

IMBITUBA, Santa Catarina (Friday, July 3, 2009) – Kelly Slater (USA), 37, reigning nine-time ASP World Champion, has claimed the 2009 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro over an in-form Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, in clean three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at the main site of Praia Vila.

Event No. 4 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Hang Loose culminated in a dramatic finale with perennial ASP World Title threats all pushing one other towards the finish line.

Despite the Brazilian smashing his way out to an early lead, Slater found his form mid-heat with a 9.27 out of a possible 10 for a series of high-risk maneuvers, exhibiting a near-perfect variety of repertoire. Not satisfied with only one high score, Slater nailed the coffin shut with an 8.67 in a dying minutes to secure his 41st ASP World Tour victory.

“There were much better waves in the Final than there were for my Semifinal,” Slater said. “Adriano (de Souza) found a pretty good rhythm early on and posted some pretty good scores, but I felt comfortable out there and felt that the waves would come to me if I were patient. Both of my scoring rides allowed me to a bunch of maneuvers and I felt that the scores were maybe a little high, but I haven’t had many good scores this year, so it was bound to go my way at some point.”

Nearly pulling out of both the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro and the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay altogether, Slater made a last-minute decision to come to Brazil for the fans, but his journey here was riddled with delayed flights, visa complications and missing baggage. After a Round 1 loss on a borrowed board, the Slater juggernaut built momentum throughout the event, riding everything from self-shaped, asymmetrical quad-fins to epoxies to his bread and butter performance boards.

“I definitely feel like I sharpen as the event moves into the later rounds,” Slater said. “I started out pretty slow in Brazil, and I wasn’t even planning on coming initially. I rode borrowed boards, ones that I shaped, epoxies, everything and I definitely think I found my formula today. I actually called my girlfriend before the Final and said, ‘every time I show up to an event after trying to pull out, I win.’ I guess that held true today. I have less pressure on myself and am free to perform to the best of my abilities.”

Slater’s win today breaks his worst slump ever as an ASP World Tour campaigner, three 17ths in three events in 2009, and rockets the Floridian from 25th to No. 9 on the ASP World Tour ratings. Although a mountain of challenges still stand between Slater and an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title, today’s victory has re-ignited the competitive fire for him.

“I feel like I have all those guys (ASP World Title contenders) right where I want them,” Slater said. “I don’t feel like I have any pressure on me, and I tend to do my best when I have no pressure. We’re coming up on Jeffreys Bay, which is probably my best event historically and hopefully I can build off my result here today.”

With the support of Brazil evident in the thousands on the beach, De Souza wasted no time in putting the Floridian on the ropes in their Final, collecting a 6.67 and an 8.00 in the opening half. However, despite an impressive opening, Slater would ultimately eclipse De Souza throughout the back half of the affair, rendering the Brazilian with his second Runner-Up finish of 2009.

“I felt like I peaked in the Final,” De Souza said. “I don’t think I could have surfed any better. I thought I had him (Slater), but he’s the nine-time world champ, and you have to be perfect to beat him. I’m still very happy with my Runner-Up finish. It is my second of the year and puts me in a really good position heading into the next event.”

Today’s finish advances De Souza from ASP World No. 5 to ASP World No. 2 heading into the next stop on the ASP Dream Tour, rendering the former ASP World Junior Champion (2004) a major threat in the race for this year’s ASP World Title.

“It is a huge deal for me to represent my country so well here today,” De Souza said. “I could feel them supporting me on the beach every time I stood up. It was an amazing feeling. I felt strong and confident and I think I made Brazil proud with my performance today.”

Having failed to advance out of Round 3 at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in several years of attempts (first as a wildcard, then as an ASP World Tour competitor), De Souza’s Runner-Up finish today marks the first time a Brazilian has made the Final since 2005.

“When I was a little kid I used to come to the event and dream of competing here,” De Souza said. “To be here today, in front of all my friends and family, competing against my hero in the Final, is a very special moment for me and one I will remember for the rest of my life.”

C.J. Hobgood (USA), 29, former ASP World Champion (2001) and current ASP World No. 3, edged past Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, and Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, en route to his first Semifinals berth of the season, but inconsistent conditions would give the nod to eventual winner Slater, resulting in Hobgood’s equal 3rd finish at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro.

“There just wasn’t anything I could do out there,” Hobgood said. “There were no waves that allowed me the opportunity to even get a decent score. We were talking about holding out for a restart, but Kelly (Slater) took a bad wave and that sort of ended that possibility. A 3rd is a good result, but I’m just really bummed about my Semi. I keep telling myself that I tend to get my best results at the end of the year so hopefully that will complement my good start.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, current ASP World No. 1, was in sensational form through the final day of competition, dispatching of ASP Dream Tour rookies Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 23, and Dustin Barca (HAW), 27, in his Round 4 and Quarterfinal heats respectively. In a grudge match re-igniting their Final bout on the Gold Coast during the season opener, Parkinson and De Souza went blow-for-blow in Semifinal 1, with the Brazilian claiming victory this time around, advancing in front of an ecstatic hometown crowd.

“I’m really frustrated as I wanted to win that one,” Parkinson said. “I had an okay start, but Adriano (de Souza) picked up a few good scores towards the end. I got him at home and the Goldy and he got me here in his home country – that’s what is great about the tour, everyone surfs in their own country at some point. I’m disappointed, but an equal 3rd is a good result for me and I’m feeling confident heading into the next event at Jeffreys Bay.”

Next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in South Africa from July 9 – 19, 2009.

Highlights from the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro will be available via www.aspworldtour.com

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3876 pts
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3206 pts
3 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 3072 pts
4 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 3050 pts
5 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2940 pts
6 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2625 pts
7 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 2532 pts
8 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2486 pts
9 – Kelly Slater (USA) 2430 pts
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 2342 pts

Summer Sale Happening Now

2009-06-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

New Mens and Womens items added to our Summer Sale

CLICK HERE

Win A Limited Edition Maloof Money Cup Skate Deck

2009-06-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Free Etnies Hat with Purchase of Etnies at HSSSURF.COM

Enter to win a limited edition Maloof Money Cup skate deck.

Enter Here:

.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER HOUSEHOLD.
-This contest is subject to these Official Rules and any other rules at any time promulgated by Sole Technology, Inc and/or Huntington Surf & Sport (HSS) Sole Technology, Inc. and/or Huntington Surf & Sport (HSS) reserve the right to amend these rules at any time in its sole discretion. In the event that any provision or rule is found unenforceable by any court of appropriate jurisdiction, such provision or rule shall be severed herefrom and the remainder of the Official Rules shall remain valid and enforceable. The contest rules shall be interpreted according to the substantive laws of the State of California, without regard to choice of law principles. In the event of any question or ambiguity with respect to these Official Rules, Sole Technology, Inc.’s interpretation of such question or ambiguity shall be final and binding upon all participants.
-Up to 3 (three) Limited edition Maloof Money Cup Skate decks will be available for this contest from June 2nd to July 12th . This promotion is valid while supplies last or July 12 whichever is earlier. All entries shall be subject to availability, and entries received after July 12th for the limited edition Maloof Money Cup skate deck shall be invalid. Sole Technology, Inc. reserves the right to substitute like prizes of equal or similar value. Winners are responsible for all taxes in connection herewith.
-Winners will be selected by random drawing[s]. Winners will be notified around July 13th for the limited edition Maloof Money Cup skate deck. If a potential winner does not reply to the winner notification within 48 hours of its issuance, he/she will be deemed ineligible. If he or she cannot or does not comply with the Official Rules, she or he will be disqualified, the prize will be forfeited and an alternative winner may be selected, at Sole Technology's discretion. The total value of all prizes awarded hereunder is approximately $100. Prizes shall not be redeemable for cash. Odds of winning are subject to number of entries.
-THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR WHERE PRIOR REGISTRATION OR OTHER FILINGS OR NOTICES ARE REQUIRED UNDER LAW. This promotion is not open to employees of Sole Technology, Inc. and their families. Sole Technology, Inc. shall not be responsible or liable for lost, stolen, misdirected, delayed, destroyed or illegible entries or submissions. Winners agree that their name, certain biographical information, and/or a photograph of them may be used by Sole Technology, Inc. without further compensation, in any publicity. This promotion is only open to legal residents of the continental United States.
-ALL SUBMISSIONS, ENTRIES, DRAWINGS AND ANY COPYRIGHTED OR COPYRIGHTABLE ARTWORK OR DESIGNS OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONTAINED THEREIN ARE AND SHALL BECOME THE SOLE PROPERTY OF SOLE TECHNOLOGY, INC. and the entrant agrees to execute such assignment or other documents as are necessary to enforce the rights of Sole Technology, Inc. granted herein without any compensation of any kind to the entrant.

Win an Andy Irons Surfboard

2009-05-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Come to our Billabong Store Grand Opening. We will be raffling away an Andy Irons surfboard, plus a bunch of other goodies:

- First Hundred guest get a free raffle ticket
- Free Billabong T-Shirt with $25 purchase
- Save Mike Fishers Head - 3% of Saturdays sales will be donated to Mike Fisher for his Cancer treatment
- 11am Raffle: Grand Prize - Andy Irons Surfboard, First Prize: $250 Gift Card, and tons of other prizes!

Memorial Day Weekend Sale!

2009-05-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Memorial Weekend Sale!

Huge Sidewalk Sale all weekend long at all locations.

40% - 90% Off Everything outside.

Should be a nice weekend. Join us for all the fun.

Billabong Store Grand - Opening

2009-05-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Billabong Store Grand Opening in Huntington Beach!

Come celebrate the Grand Opening of our all NEW: HSS / Billabong Store

When: Saturday, May 23rd 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Where: Huntington Surf & Sport (Main & Walnut) 126 Main St. location only.

What: Grand Opening
- First Hundred guest get a free raffle ticket
- Free Billabong T-Shirt with $25 purchase
- Save Mike Fishers Head - 3% of Saturdays sales will be donated to Mike Fisher for his Cancer treatment
- 11am Raffle: Grand Prize - Andy Irons Surfboard, First Prize: $250 Gift Card, and tons of other prizes!

OCCY IS IN TOWN! GROM COMP AT GOLDENWEST ST...FREE ENTRY!

2009-04-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Come hang out with Occy April 11th at Goldenwest in Huntington Beach

That’s right. Occy will be here in Southern California and he’s coming down to Goldenwest St on April 11th. We’ll be running a Free Surf Contest for the Groms and giving out a bunch of prizes. Also, He's going downtown to the new HSS/Billbaong store around noon for a bit. Rumor has it that he'll be throwing out Free shakas. Here’s the rundown:

What: Occy Grom Comp

When: April 11th, 2009
- 8 am - ?

Where: Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach

Divisions:
Boys 14-16
Boys 10 -13
Girls Open
Push in Division

Great Food provided by Chipotle

Media: Fuel TV, Surfline, Transworld Surf

Prizes from: Billabong, Globe, Hoven, Monster Energy Drink

Sign Up will be on the beach and there are Limited Entries, so get there early

Every Competitor receives a Billabong T - shirt

COME SHOW OCCY WHAT YOU GOT!

SIMPLY SIMPO EPISODE 4- TRAINING DAY

2009-04-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Simply Simpo - Episode 4 from LIEBER VISION on Vimeo.

See Brett Work

Billabong Primo Boardshorts Are Here Now!

2009-04-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Pick up your Billabong Primo boardies and enjoy the good times! Got Poi?
Buy Now!

Spring Sidewalk Sale. 50% Off

2009-04-08T12:54:00.001-07:00

We will be having a Huge Spring Sidewalk Sale Friday April, 10th to Sunday April, 12th.

Everything outside will be 50% Off.

Hope to see you down there!

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Round 1

2009-04-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Snickers was completed today in three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves in the Bells Bowl, and the implementation of the new format, rendering the opening round an elimination man-on-man affair, saw surfers lifting their competitive game to survive a dramatic day of action.

Event No. 2 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is a pivotal point in the season and today’s action saw 16 of the world’s best surfers sent packing after just one heat. Despite the criticalness of the format, some incredible performances were logged.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 21, stamped his authority on today’s proceedings, eliminating highly-touted event wildcard Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 20, from Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach competition. The intercontinental clash was reminiscent of the two’s famed battles during their junior careers.

“I am really good friends with Matt (Wilkinson) and it felt like an old times junior heat out here,” Smith said. “I surfed my first overseas contest out here and it was against him. I was lucky the tide was a bit lower and it was walling up nice on the inside today.”

Smith’s mastery of the Bells Bowl today saw the young natural-footer attain the day’s highest heat total of an 18.70 out of a possible 20, securing two excellent-scoring rides for a blistering and fluid series of forehand maneuvers.

“My normal shortboard is 6'2 ?” and Bells is kind of a sloppier and longer face so I brought my 6'3 ?” and it tends to get through the flat spots a bit better,” Smith said. I surfed earlier this morning on the higher tide and struggled a bit so I was thankful for the low tide out there this afternoon.”

Smith will take on Damien Hobgood (USA), XX, in Round 2 when competition continues.

Owen Wright (AUS), 19, wildcard at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, caused the upset of the day, defeating incendiary American Dane Reynolds, 23, in Round 1 of competition.

“I am really happy,” Wright said. “I went out there knowing that I needed to get a wave under my belt straight up and put the pressure on him. I did that and got the wave, surfed it all the way through and managed to get a little back up.”

Wright’s tenacity and solid game plan provided him with the win over his marquee opponent and the young goofy-footer will need to employ the same tact as he continues here at Bells Beach.

“Dane (Reynolds) is an excellent surfer,” Wright said. “I let him have what I thought was average wave and he got a 6.8. He is definitely a solid competitor and I am just stoked to get through the heat. I had been watching a lot of heats and I thought that those guys that get the bigger score early are the one going through. I really focused on getting that first wave and ended up getting it.”

Wright will face reigning nine-time ASP World Champion and defending Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, in Round 2 when competition resumes.

Spring Sidewalk Sale. 50% Off

2009-04-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

We will be having a Huge Spring Sidewalk Sale Friday April, 10th to Sunday April, 12th.

Everything outside will be 50% Off.

Hope to see you down there!

Simpson Jumps to Second on ASP WQS After 6-Star PRIME

2009-04-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

The first Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME event of the 2009 season saw HSS Team Rider Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, California), 24, lead the American charge in Western Australia, finishing in a respectable ninth place at the Drug Aware Pro in Margaret River. Simpson's result bumps him up to second overall on the ASP WQS.

All surfers competing on the ASP WQS are looking to earn points towards qualification for the prestigious ASP Dream Tour, with 15 of the series' finest earning their chance at an ASP World Title the following year. The Drug Aware Pro is an ASP 6-Star PRIME event, which offers the most points towards each surfers ASP WQS rating. The significant ratings points drew the world's best up-and-coming talent to Australia's shore for a chance to get a good start to their 2009 campaign.

Simpson earned a ninth place finish at last week's O'Neill Cold Water Classic event, an ASP WQS 6-Star contest held in Tasmania, and stayed consistent again this week when he matched his performance at the ASP 6-Star PRIME contest and the back-to-back performance displayed by the young Huntington Beach native sets him in second place overall on The Grind.

The talented regular-footer ousted several top international surfers on the way to his solid finish, including former ASP World Tour competitors Travis Logie (Durban, ZAF), 30, and Leonardo Neves (Saquarema, BRA), 29.

Other top American performers at the premier event were San Clemente natives Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, and Dane Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 23. Both surfers earned 17th place results.

The next event on the ASP WQS calendar will be the ASP WQS 4-Star Protest Vendee Pro in France from April 6-12, 2009.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org
Follow Brett's quest for the Dream Tour this year at http://www.simplysimpo.com/

Congratulations Christian Saenz On Your NSSA Southwest Conference Open Men's Title!

2009-04-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Our very own Christian Saenz joined an elite club of surfers which includes Tom Curren, Mike Parsons, Pat O'Connell, Timmy Reyes and Pat Gudauskas by clinching the Southwest Conference Open Men's title at Open #10 at HB Pier. To make this achievement all the more sweeter, he iced it with a victory on his home court in epic 4-6 foot HB perfection. Christian's thirst for competitive success and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic are second to none so look for him to make a strong statement at the 09 championships. You get the feeling that we are seeing just the beginning from this hard-working, incredibly talented kid.

The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships is ON!

2009-04-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

(Salinas, Ecuador) April 1, 2009 - A powerful 6-8 foot south swell slammed into la FAE beach today making for challenging conditions for surfers at the 2009 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. Amazing performances were turned in by the world's best young surfers as they bravely fought through treacherous currents and clean up sets.

“We had some high scores today but for most of the competitors, it was really difficult,” said Contest Announcer Gary Linden. “La FAE is one of the most consistent waves in Ecuador because it is the most exposed. When it gets big, it is often too big. In most contests, you are always hoping the swell will come up but in this one we are hoping it backs down some. Tomorrow and through the weekend will be really good as the swell fades and these kids are able to show more performance surfing.”

Under 16 Boys teammates Carlos Muñoz and Jordan Hernandez found the right waves in their heats and showed the world today that Costa Rica is home to a stable of exciting junior surfers. The team's star, Carlos Muñoz, is surfing in both Under 18 and Under 16 division. He could potentially surf an exhausting 20 heats this week.

The competition has gotten much tighter as the event continues on to the later rounds. Heat three of the Boys Under 16 was stacked with the future of surfing's powerhouses as South Africans David Brand and Mikey February faced USA's Kolohe Andino and Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau. In the end Brand took the win, followed by Andino for second, and February and Lau in third and fourth, falling to the repercharge rounds.

The standout of the day for the Under 16 Boys was Hawaii's Keanu Asing. His experience in bigger waves proved to be advantageous in today's conditions. Taking off on a solid 8 foot wave, Asing put together a combination of beautiful backhand turns, connecting to the inside and finishing off with a few more solid hacks in the shorebreak.

The French team currently leads the Under 18 Girls division with all four surfers still in the main rounds. Teammates Canelle Bulard and Justine Dupont ended up in the same heat today, but were able to both advance, taking first and second over Peruvian Nadja de Col and New Zealand surfer Rosa Thompson. French surfers Johanne Defay and Marie Dejean also made it through their heats to advance on to round four.

In heat three with the swell peaking, only eight waves were surfed between the four competitors. South African Bianca Buitendag and Australian Laura Enever were able to put together two scores a piece to finish in the one and two spots. Team USA surfer Lakey Peterson caught only one wave in the entire 20 minute heat. Peterson finished third and Hawaiian Nage Melamed finished fourth falling to the repercharge rounds.

Team USA surfer and former ISA World Junior medalist Courtney Conlogue placed second in her heat and will be the only USA Under 18 Girls surfer to continue on to round four of the main event. Teammates Peterson, Lani Doherty and Kaleigh Gilchrist will compete in the repercharge rounds starting tomorrow.

It was a difficult day for surfers in the repercharge heats at the secondary contest site with the increased swell combining with an onshore wind and bottoming tide. Organizers held only two rounds before postponing the Girls Under 18 repercharge heats until tomorrow when the swell is expected to decrease slightly.

Two of the leading teams, France and Hawaii, each saw one surfer from each team exiting the competition today, Dimitri Ouvre and Kyle Galtes bid farewell to the contest. Local Ecuadorian Fabio Dapelo kept his medal hopes alive taking the win in repercharge heat two over Hawaiian Tanner Hendrickson who finished second. Kai Ojima from Japan won his heat while teammate Taiki Kurokoshi finished second later in the round. Barbados surfer Lewis St. John kept his team in the running for the Under 18 Boys division, winning his heat over Tahitian Teiki Charles, Japan's Kaishu Tanaka and Chilean Tomas Villegas.

In the Boys Under 16 repercharge heats at Podium 1, Jamaica and Ecuador had exciting wins. The two teams had surfers in the same heat back-to-back and both teams advanced to the next round. The reaction on the beach to their wins was electric as surfing is new to these nations and their surfers are having their most successful ISA juniors event to date.

Competition will resume tomorrow at 8:00am at la FAE beach in Salinas, Ecuador with round four of Under 18 Boys and Under 18 Girls, along with repercharge rounds for all three divisions.

For more information on the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, LIVE web, free photos and on-demand video highlights, visit www.quiksilver.com/isa.

HSS Bikini Sale this Weekend!

2009-04-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Simply Simpo - Episode 3!

2009-04-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Simply Simpo - Episode 3 from LIEBER VISION on Vimeo.

Check out the Simply Simpo site for all of Brett's fun!
GO BRETT!

NOMINEES REVEALED FOR 2009 BILLABONG XXL GLOBAL BIG WAVE AWARDS

2009-03-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Biggest Waves and Best Rides from Around the World Vie for $130,000 as
Surfing's Top Big Wave Event Prepares for Annual Awards Ceremony on April 17

NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- (MARCH 25, 2009) -- The finalists for the 2009 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy were announced today following yet another remarkable year of surf. Following 12 months of enormous swell events from Europe to South Africa to Australia to California and beyond, over 550 entered images have been distilled down to this year's elite nominations. Video and still images of all the top rides are now available for viewing on the updated event website at BillabongXXL.com .

The winners will be announced on Friday, April 17, 2009 at the ninth-annual invitation-only awards gala at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California before 2,250 surf world VIPs. The entire night's festivities will be webcast live on the event website and will also be the focus of a one-hour television special airing on the ESPN2 network on the evening of May 29.

The top prize in this Oscars of surfing -- the Billabong XXL Ride of the Year Award -- carries a $50,000 prize for the surfer with the single most amazing performance on a big wave captured on video. This year features a diverse array of epic rides, including a pair at Tasmania's Shipstern Bluff -- local surfer James Hollmer-Cross qualified with a thick double-tube ride while Gold Coaster Ryan Hipwood made entry by surviving a massive airborne leap down a heaving stair-step face. California's Greg Long became a finalist for one of the biggest paddle-in barrels ever seen during the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event at Dungeons, off Cape Town South Africa, while Hawaiian hellman Garrett McNamara is up for his backside vanishing act inside the spitting guts of Tahiti's famed Teahupoo break. And in a new twist to the Ride of the Year category, California's Brian Conley is nominated both for escaping a deep tube in Mexico, and for filming it as well, using a hand-held Point-Of-View camera throughout the ride.

The Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award will likely generate double extra large debate as to which was the tallest face of the year. Two of the nominees come from Belharra, France and feature Benjamin Sanchis (France) and Axi Muniain (Basque Country, Spain) atop huge faces at the break which has been nominated numerous times before but has yet to win the XXL title. Another pair of massive contenders come from Western Australia's Cow Bommie with local Damien "Taco" Warr and Sydney surfer Mark Mathews in the right spot at the right time. The fifth nominee is Grant "Twiggy" Baker of Durban, South Africa for his wild ride down a bumpy, mountainous face at Tafelberg Reef off Cape Town -- a wave which has been widely acknowledged as the biggest ever faced on that continent. One of the five nominees will receive $15,000, a Honda Aquatrax watercraft and a HSA rescue sled in honor of their accomplishment.

This year, the Monster Paddle division has raised the bar ever higher as top surfers refocus their energies on stroking into bigger and bigger waves without the use of a jet ski assist. Three rides come from what may be the best day ever at Maverick's -- the legendary California big wave break just south of San Francisco -- with Grant Baker and Californians Nathan Fletcher and Derek Dunfee in contention. Also in the running is Axi Muniain for one of the first paddle-in rides at big Belharra, and James Taylor of Cape Town for a late, great drop at Dungeons during the day of the Red Bull BWA. Interestingly, three of the rides feature two surfers on the wave, but according to the XXL rule book, the surfer furthest back gets credit for the feat. Also of note is the fact that for the first time, two athletes have been nominated in both the Monster Paddle and Billabong XXL Biggest Wave categories: South Africa's Grant Baker and Basque surfer Axi Muniain. Some $15,000 is at stake for the largest wave caught by arm-power alone.

The Monster Tube Award features a number of amazing still images of the most stunning barrel moments photographed in the last year. In contention are Australians Kerby Brown at the Southern Bommie, Dylan Longbottom at Teahupoo and Ryan Hipwood at Shipstern Bluff. Also in the running are Hawaiians Garrett McNamara (for second wave at Teahupoo) and Mark Healey (for a mutant slab in the Pacific Northwest).

Next week nominations will be announced in additional Billabong XXL categories including the Surfline Best Overall performance, Billabong GIrls Performance and the Verizon Wireless Wipeout of the Year. For the first time, the public will decide their favorite unsuccessful ride of the year by texting in their vote.

In all, over $130,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to the world's greatest big wave surfers in this edition of the Billabong XXL Awards presented by Monster Energy. Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda is the official watercraft of the event. Surfline.com is the exclusive surf forecast of the XXL. The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine, Air Tahiti Nui and High Surf Accessories.

For all details about the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, please see the website at www.BillabongXXL.com .

The nominees for 2009, in alphabetical order:

FIVE BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $50,000 - Video prize $5,000)
Brian Conley (San Diego, California) at Boca Grande, Mexico on October 22, 2008.
(Video by Brian Conley)
Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on October 11, 2008.
(Video by Tim Bonython)
James Hollmer-Cross (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on October 11, 2008.
(Video by Dave Otto)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 26, 2008
(Video by Fixerfilm/RedBull BWA)
Garrett McNamara (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on April 8, 2008
(Video by Simon Saffigna)

FIVE BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $15,000 and a Honda Aquatrax watercraft with HSA sled - Photo/video prize $4,000)
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Tafelberg Reef, South Africa on August 9, 2008.
(Photos by Nic Bothma and Alan Van Gysen. Video by Fixerfilm/Hutchmotion.)
Mark Mathews (Maroubra, N.S.W., Australia) at Cow Bommie, Western Australia on September 20, 2008.
(Photo by Jamie Scott. Video by Tim Bonython.)
Axi Muniain (Basque Country, Spain) at Belharra, France on January 16, 2009.
(Photo by Greg Rabejac)
Benjamin Sanchis (Hossegor, France) at Belharra Reef, France on January 18, 2009.
(Photo by Stephane Salerno)
Damien Warr (Yallingup, Western Australia) at Cow Bommie, Western Australia on September 20, 2008.
(Photo by Jamie Scott)

FIVE MONSTER PADDLE AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $15,000 - Photo/video prize $4,000)
Grant Baker (Durban, South Africa) at Maverick's, California on November 30, 2008.
(Photos by Nikki Brooks, Robert Brown, Todd Glaser, Seth Migdail, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte. Video by Eric Nelson)
Derek Dunfee (San Diego, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 30, 2008.
(Photos by Robert Brown, Todd Glaser, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte)
Nathan Fletcher (San Clemente, California, USA) at Maverick's, California on November 30, 2008.
(Photos by Robert Brown, Seth Migdail, Fred Pompermayer and Frank Quirarte)
Axi Muniain (Basque Country, Spain) at Belharra Reef, France on January 9, 2009.
(Photo by Greg Rabejac. Video by Fred Berho)
James Taylor (Cape Town, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 26, 2008.
(Photos by Nic Bothma, Jeff Flindt and Alan Van Gysen. Video by Fixerfilm/Red Bull BWA)

FIVE MONSTER TUBE PHOTO AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $5,000 - Photography prize $2,000)
Kerby Brown (Kalbarri, Western Australia) at South Bommie, Western Australia on July 6, 2008.
(Photo by Russell Ord)
Mark Healey (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Yeti, Oregon on September 24, 2008.
(Photo by Jason Murray)
Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on October 11, 2008.
(Photo by Rodd Owen)
Dylan Longbottom (Gold Coast, Australia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on April 8, 2008.
(Photos by Edwin Morales and Fred Pompermayer)
Garrett McNamara (Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on April 8, 2008.
(Photos by Tim McKenna and Fred Pompermayer)

OCCY GROM COMP AT GOLDENWEST ST...FREE ENTRY!

2009-03-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Come hang out with Occy April 11th at Goldenwest in Huntington Beach

That’s right. Occy will be here in Southern California and he’s coming down to Goldenwest St on April 11th. We’ll be running a Free Surf Contest for the Groms and giving out a bunch of prizes. Here’s the rundown:

What: Occy Grom Comp

When: April 11th, 2009
- 8 am - ?

Where: Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach

Divisions:
Boys 14-16
Boys 10 -13
Girls Open
Push in Division

Great Food provided by Chipotle

Media: Fuel TV, Surfline, Transworld Surf

Prizes from: Billabong, Globe, Hoven, Monster Energy Drink

Sign Up will be on the beach and there are Limited Entries, so get there early

Every Competitor receives a Billabong T - shirt

COME SHOW OCCY WHAT YOU GOT!

HB Surf School Introduces Spring Break Surf Camps

2009-03-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Huntington Beach, CA) March 25, 2009 – The City of Huntington Beach and HB Surf School will be offering two surf camp sessions during Spring Break. The surf camps, run by Bill Sharp who heads the city’s Learn to Surf program, will run Monday – Friday, from 8:30 am – 11:30 am the week of April 6 - 10 and April 13 -17.

These one-week camps are designed to help advanced beginner/intermediate surfers take their skills to the next level. For those who have the basics down, this program will help improve overall paddling and board riding ability,=2 0master a variety of basic and advanced maneuvers, understand tides and swell, and learn important ocean safety. For those who desire to compete, competitive analysis and techniques will also be covered. There are no age restrictions but camp surfers should be proficient ocean swimmers.

Cost for the camp is $245 per person. Campers will receive a goodie bag and T-shirt and Del Taco lunch will be served on Friday.

The surf camp instructor is Bill Sharp, who also heads the Learn to Surf program for the City of Huntington Beach. Sharp, a former pro surfer from South Africa, has been coaching and teaching surfing for more than 30 years. He is the former coach of the South African National Surf team.

For more information about the camps, see The Sands community magazine online at www.surfcity-hb.org or email hbsurfschool@yahoo.com.

SIMPLY SIMPO-The Brett Simpson Series Episode 2-Check it Out Now!

2009-03-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Simply Simpo - Episode 2 from LIEBER VISION on Vimeo.

Introducing Simply Simpo! A one-of-a kind web-episode series featuring HSS's very own Brett Simpson on his quest to qualify for the WCT. Brought to us by The Pursuit's very own Aaron Lieber who will be following Brett this year on his WQS journey. The series will feature free surfing, contest footage, and everything in between. Visit the Simply Simpo website for all the latest. Or, Click Here to buy Aaron Lieber's Pursuit. Go Brett!

Congrats to Joel Parkinson on his Quiksilver Pro Win at Gold Coast Australia

2009-03-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

KIRRA, Australia (Wednesday, March 11, 2009) – Joel Parkinson (AUS), 27, has won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by LG Mobile, defeating fellow finalist Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, in solid six-to-eight foot (3 metre) surf at Kirra.

After a 12-year hiatus, today’s action brought the ASP World Tour back to Kirra for the Finals of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. Whilst it was not classic Kirra, the challenging conditions at the historic pointbreak offered churning barrels with massive scoring potential.

Parkinson, winner of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in 2002, was fearless from the outset in the hard-fought Final, collecting an excellent 8.83 out of a possible 10 on his opening ride, breaking his board in the process.

The hometown favorite would return to the lineup to collect a bevy of high scores, including a 7.50 and an 8.17, before nailing his second perfect 10 of the day, pushing his heat total to an unsurpassable 18.84 out of a possible 20.

Parkinson now sits atop the ASP World Tour ratings, in excellent position for his 2009 campaign for the ASP World Title.

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:

1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.83

2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.30

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINALS RESULTS:

SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19.93 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.66

SF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.84 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 5.34

New O'Neill Hyperfreak Boardshort

2009-03-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Made to outperform and outlast any other stretch fabric, the HyperFreak 4 -way stretch material features a unique memory composition that allows it to snap back to its original shape over and over again. It is an incredibly durable fabric which and has been specially treated with a water - resistent finish that allows for extremely fast dry time. It is an unbelievably lightweight boardshort with an incredible amount of stretch. These boardies are inseam-free to provide the user with the ultimate in rash-free experiences! It has a lycra lined superfly closure, and a fit which has been customized to accomidate the extreme stretch fabric. Details include 22" Outseam features engineered printed boardshort with superfly 2.0 closure, locking drawcord, not inseam, welt zip pockets, screened and embroidered logos. If William Wallace surfed, it would be in these bad boys. Check out the all new Hyperfreak performance boardshort at HSSsurf.com

Quiksilver Pro Semi-finalists Decided

2009-03-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Quiksilver Pro is set for a fairytale finish with the semi-finalists of the season-opening ASP men’s world tour event being decided in cyclonic tubes at Coolangatta this afternoon.

Australian surfers dominated today’s quarterfinal action with three of the four winners coming from the land Down Under.

With the Gold Coast tipped to be lashed by a rising swell tomorrow, contest organizers’ are hopeful of holding the last three heats in epic barreling conditions.

Up first will be an ‘All-Coolie’ semifinal with Mick Fanning facing off with Joel Parkinson.

The second semifinal will see Brazilian Adriano De Souza clash with Aussie Taj Burrow.

Get set for some incredible surfing...

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINALS MATCH-UPS:

SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)

SF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)

TAJ Zero Gravity Boardshort

2009-03-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Zero Gravity boardshort is made from Airlite Stretch material making them one of the comfiest boardshorts around. The comfier you are the longer you can surf. Details inlcude Taj Burrow Signature Series Boardshort with an exotic all over print, applique / embroidery detail and new 21" fit. 100% Polyester. Fast Dry airlite stretch / 22" Out Seam.

Check out the all new Zero Gravity boardies at HSSsurf.com.

Semifinalists Decided At Roxy Pro

2009-03-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Gold Coast, Australia (Friday 6th March, 2009): THE stage is set for a groundbreaking finish to the Roxy Pro, with surfing’s established stars to go head-to-head with a new wave of teenage rookies after semi-finalists were decided in rising 1-metre waves at Duranbah on the southern end of the Gold Coast today.

In a battle of old versus new, two-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore (Coolangatta, Aus) will take on rampaging rookie Paige Hareb (New Zealand) in semi one, while world no.7 Melanie Bartels will face off with young gun Coco Ho in an all-Hawaiian second semi when competition resumes.

Reigning world champion Gilmore confirmed her position as the queen of women’s surfing, recording a near-perfect 9.73 to eliminate former world champion Chelsea Hedges (Coolangatta, Aus) in the biggest heat of the day.

Gilmore, who in 2007 was upset by Hedges in the quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, turned the tables on her opponent, going to town with some powerful, stylish surfing to prevail in the highly-anticipated quarterfinal clash with a two-wave combined total of 15.83 to Hedges’ 14.83.

Check all the latest Roxy gear online at HSSsurf.com.

Huge Wetsuit Sale March 6th - 8th

2009-03-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

Who: The neoprene deprived.

What: HSS Wetsuit Sale; All brands.

When: This Friday, Saturday and Sunday; March 6th - 8th

Where: All store locations including online at HSSsurf.com

Why: Save 20% Off Mens! 30% Off Boys! And 40% Off Womens Wetsuits

Huntington Surf & Sport
300 Pacific Coast Hwy
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 841-4000

Quiksilver 'the cool out' Boardshorts

2009-02-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

Summertime on the South Side requires patience, humility and confidence. The Cool Out trunks can help with one, you're on your own for the other two.

A FLY IN THE CHAMPAGNE - Tonight at Lido Theater

2009-02-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

The rivalry between Andy Irons and Kelly Slater has been one of folklore for a decade. The two most influential surfers of all-time have had a much-publicized dislike for each other over the years.
Irons Brothers Productions embarked on a two-week excursion to

Indonesia

with Andy and Kelly to capture what everyone thought could never happen, a trip together. What ensued was groundbreaking and captivating.

Shot from land, boat, and water, Irons Brothers Productions captured history. This project was shot solely on HD and film cameras. With co-sponsoring from Quiksilver®, Billabong®, and Transworld Surf®, and featuring the 2 best surfers in the world, there is no doubt that this will be a highly successful project.

Join Quiksilver, Transworld Surf, ESPN.com & Billabong @ the Lido Theater on Thursday Feb 26th @ 8pm.

Tickets are $5/person

See you there!

HSS SURFBOARD SALE - Feb. 27th - March 1st

2009-02-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

HUGE SURFBOARD SALE! - Friday though Sunday, Feb. 27th - March 1st

Over 50 Surfboards will be on sale for just $350 at our Bella Terra Location! Get em while they last. Brand names from LOST, Chili Surfboards, Ezera, Bill Johnson, Roberts & more...

Located at:
Huntington Surf and Sport
7777 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Call (714) 890-0800 for more info.

Fantasy Surfer Reminder

2009-02-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

The WCT kicks off at the Quiksilver Pro on February 28th. Pick your fantasy surfer team now fool!

New Billabong 'LSD' Eco-Freindly Boardshort

2009-02-24T14:30:00.001-08:00

The new Billabong LSD (Live, Surf, Die) boardshort is in stock. Made of 100% recycled material. Save a cow, eat polyester!

NEW Von Zipper Sunglasses

2009-02-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

We have a ton of new Von Zipper Sunglasses now Available.

Styles include:
Von Zipper - Saffron
Von Zipper - Banshee
Von Zipper - Zorg
Von Zipper - Clutch

And More...

CLICK HERE To Check them out

Courtney Conlogue: Keeping the dream alive

2009-02-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

WSA PRIME: STEAMER LANE
The best under 18 surfers in the west competed in what was called "the best surf conditions for an amateur contest ever, hands down." Having never surfed Steamer Lane before, Courtney took 1st in the event! This was all after taking 3rd in the Billabong World Juniors event in Australia, and tying for 1st at a local NSSA event in Huntington Beach. She has definately started tho 09' season off with a bang.

Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast event kicks off ASP world tour

2009-02-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

The number one event each year on the ASP Mens World Tour sees the top 45 surfers and three wildcards surf it out in the perfect waves of Queensland’s Gold Coast for a share in $340,000 US dollars and the all-important lead in the race for the world title.

Nine-times world surfing champion and the man now regarded as perhaps the greatest athlete in the world today, Kelly Slater, will defend his Quik Pro title – won over local legend and 2007 World Champ Mick Fanning at Snapper last year.

Will another win be enough to inspire Slater onto his 10th world crown? Log in live right here to see the action unfold via the webcast or come visit in person at Snapper Rocks! It’s free!

The Quiksilver trials kicks off on Feb 27th, with the main event competition window stretching right through to March 11th.

Only four days are needed to find a champion, and the event can go mobile from Duranbah (just over the hill to the South) up to Stradbroke Island in the north – if surf conditions demand.

There is plenty happening in and around the event: Come check out the womens Roxy Pro presented by LG Mobile; the Quiksilver Pro Show music festival (March 7th) starring headline act Bliss n Eso, along with Kram and Ash Grunwald; the LG Marquee; Quik Pro store, Corona Expression Session and plenty more!

For surfing updates, scheduling, condition reports and more backstage entertainment – check back right here to stay informed! And enjoy some of the best surfing in the world!

Don't forget to pick your fantasy surfer team.

The New Billabong A.I. Signature Boardshort "Prism" is in Now!

2009-02-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

Check out the all new A.I. Signature Boardshort from Billabong. Complete with Fast Dry airlite Stretch fabric, these things are Sick!

HB Surf School - New Dates for Spring Camps

2009-02-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

These one-week camps are designed to help advanced beginner/intermediate surfers take their skills to the next level. This program will help improve overall paddling and board riding ability, master a variety of basic and advanced maneuvers, understand tides and swell and learn important ocean safety. For those who desire to compete, competitive analysis and techniques will also be covered. Surfers must be 8 or older and be a proficient ocean swimmer. Camp meets at the Beach Service Center south side of the Pier. Equipment is available, but it is recommended that surfers practice on their own boards. Bring a towel, wetsuit, hat, sweatshirt, sunscreen, water and snacks. Sponsor gift packs handed out and Del Taco lunch served on Friday.

Here are the Dates:

8 - 18 years - Monday - Friday, April 6th - April 10th -------- 8:30 AM - 11 :30 AM

8 - 18 years - Monday - Friday, April 13th - April 17th -------- 8:30 AM - 11 :30 AM

Kanoa on Fire!

2009-01-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

HSS Team Rider Kanoa Igarashi Sets New NSSA Record of 22 Wins
January 14, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

At his home break in Huntington Beach, Ca, our very own eleven year old Kanoa Igarashi set a new NSSA record of 22 wins in a single season by winning the Southwest Open event last Sunday. The record has stood since 2001 by Cory Arrambide, and was thought to be untouchable with all of the incredible talent surfing today. There are still multiple events left in the season to build upon his achievement and with the way he's surfing, there will be many more to follow!

In 1-2 foot clean conditions, Kanoa, surfed flawlessly in all his heats and won the Boys final late in the day to break the record he's had his eyes on for a while now. He was carried from the water on the shoulders of his friends with a big smile on his face while his parents looked on with pride. "I had so much fun out there, even though it was real small, Kanoa said. I'm so stoked to have the record!"

Kanoa's secret weapon this year has been On It Pro's, Xtreme Cream Performance bottom coating! A polymer based product which came out of the performance boating industry has shown in tests to reduce drag by over 15%! Once the coating is easily applied, the surface area is more slippery than water, thus reducing friction and creating more speed and maneuverability. "My Dad puts a coat on my "Roberts" the night before each contest and I really can feel the difference, Kanoa says! My board is so fast and loose and I really fly through all the sections!"

"I came here to support Kanoa, he's really surfing great, says On It Pro's CEO, Erik Nordskog, I've been following his progress and watching him grow into an amazing surfer. He's a great kid who's really focused and determined and has all traits of a future world champion!"

"Xtreme Cream is not a product you have to put on every time before you surf, Nordskog continued. It will stick and stay on your board for almost two months, depending on usage, but Kanoa loves it so much, he wants a fresh coat every time! This is the latest in technology for hydro-phobic coatings. Our exotic polymer VS721, aggressively bonds with the surface from the moment you wipe it on, you must try some out, it really works! Put it on any poly or epoxy surface and you'll be very happy with the performance, I guarantee it!"

With the new age of surfing going into incredible new realms, speed is a must for all situations. Whether your trying to out run that wall behind you or your launching yourself into new heights, Xtreme Cream will give you that extra edge!

Kanoa Igarashi in one of many aspiring young athletes who are changing the face of surfing while On It Pro is changing the way we look at performance! Hope for the future!

Most items on Sale EVER!

2009-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our Sale Section now has the more items than it ever has had. Hundreds of items are on sale, and more stuff continues to be added!

CLICK HERE to see what items you can save on!

After Christmas Sale Extended to Jan 1st

2008-12-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

Our After Christmas Sale will be extended into the new year!

Save 20% on everything online. Also come by our stores where we will be having a huge sidewalk sale with items up to 90% Off!

Get $30 Off Fullsuits!

2008-12-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

Get $30 Off your fullsuit purchase when you spend over $150 on any Fullsuit.

Enter code: full30

at checkout to receive savings.

Thank you for shopping!

Biggest Sidewalk Sale Ever! 50-90% Off

2008-12-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

We are having the largest Sidewalk Sale Ever! with deals from 50%-90% off everything! We are adding fresh new merchandise every hour. Hurry, supplies are limited.

CLICK HERE for sidewalk sale locations.

20% Off Girls Clothing

2008-12-18T10:58:00.001-08:00

Get 20% Off all girls clothing! Enter coupon code: girls20
at checkout.

Today is the last day to order 3-Day Select Shipping to receive your order by Christmas.

HUGE Sale This Weekend - December 12th, 13th, 14th

2008-12-12T10:18:00.001-08:00

This weekend we will be having a huge sidewalk sale!

New product from: Hurley, Volcom, Billabong, and more arriving daily!

Save 50% on everything outside. Tons of hoodies, walkshorts, dresses, skirts.

Check out new stuff going on sale at HSSSURF.COM

Free Volcom Video with Volcom Purchase over $50

2008-12-11T13:44:00.001-08:00

Get a Free Volcom DVD when you spend over $50 on Volcom Merchandise.

We will throw in a copy of "the Bruce Movie," "Lets Live," or "Escramble" with a Volcom purchase over $50.

CLICK HERE to shop Volcom @ HSSSURF.COM

Billabong Pipeline Masters Is In The Water!

2008-12-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

BANZAI PIPELINE, Hawaii (Tuesday, December 9, 2008) – Round 1 of the Billabong Pipeline Masters will hit the water at 8am. Surf is in the five to seven foot range and building. The ASP Dual Heat format will be utilized meaning all of Round 1 and half of Round 2 will be completed today.
Forty of the 64 surfers competing in the 2008 Billabong Pipeline Masters are full-time ASP World Tour competitors. The rest of the field is comprised of five replacement surfers, three event-nominated wildcards, 14 Pipeline specialists, one Tahitian invitee and one Vans Triple Crown contender.
Replacement surfers, wildcards and the lowest seeded surfers on the ASP World Tour will surf first in Round 1 with the middle and higher rated surfers seeded into Rounds 2 and 3 respectively.
ASP World Tour surfer Ben Bourgeious (USA) pulled out of the event citing injury today and has been replaced by Reef McIntosh (HAW). As previously reported, Neco Padaratz (BRA) and Jordy Smith (ZAF) are also out with injuries and Travis Logie (ZAF) declined his spot for personal reasons.
As the final competition on the 11-stop 2008 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pipeline Masters is the last chance surfers have to cement their spot on the 2009 tour. Only 27 of the Top 45 surfers on the ASP World Tour requalify at year’s end with the remaining 18 competitors earning spots via finishing Top 15 on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) or receiving one of three ASP wildcard spots.

Help Toms Give for the Holidays!

2008-12-01T18:26:00.001-08:00

Help Toms Give for the Holidays. For every pair of toms you buy, one pair will be donated to a child in ethiopia this holiday season.

Click Here to visit Toms Shoes @ hsssurf.com

Cyber Monday Sale Today!

2008-12-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Our After Thanksgiving Sale Continues Today! For online customers only!

Enter Coupon Code "Thanks" at checkout and receive 20% off your entire order.

Thank you for shopping with HSSSURF.COM

Thanksgiving Sale Starting Early

2008-11-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Our Huge Thanksgiving Sale Starts NOW! and will go on till Sunday November 30th. Everything online will be 20-50% Off!

* Use coupon code "thanks" during checkout, and you will receive a 20% discount on your order.

Free Billabong Occumentary DVD with Billabong Purchase!

2008-11-24T14:43:00.001-08:00

Get a FREE copy of Occumentary on DVD with any Billabong Purchase over $50.

Just spend over $50 on Billabong Merchandise and we will throw in a DVD with the order. Its easy as that.

Thanks for shopping with HSSSURF.COM

Thanksgiving Sale Coming Soon!

2008-11-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

We will be holding our Huge After Thanksgiving Sale Online and Instore!

Friday, Saturday & Sunday. November: 28th 29th & 30th

* Everything online will be 20% OFF (use coupon code: thanks)

* 20%-50% Off All clothing In-Store

*Huge Sidewalk Sale at all Locations

*$99 Fullsuits

Locations:
Pierside - 300 Pacific Coast Hwy. Huntington Beach, CA 92648

HSS Girls - 126 Main St. Huntington Beach, CA 92648

HSS Bella Terra - 7777 Edinger Ave. Huntington Beach, CA 92647

HSS Warner - 3801 Warner ave. Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Click here

NIXON HEADPHONES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE!

2008-11-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

We were so freaking excited about these things.They are finally here! The entire collection of brand new Nixon Headphones are available for sale now! Rumor has it that Nixon underproduced on these, so if you want them, you better get them now. Click Here to Buy! Happy listening!

Brett Simpson gets top score of the day at Haleiwa

2008-11-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

Haleiwa, Oahu, HI - (Fri. Nov. 14, 2008) - Huntington Beach surfer Brett Simpson, 23, notched up another memorable day at Haleiwa today, posting the highest wave score of the Reef Hawaiian Pro to date: 9.93 out of a possible 10, during round three. Simpson, 23, won his four-man heat ahead of three of the North Shore's best surfers, including current world No.11 Fred Patacchia. The Reef Hawaiian Pro is the first jewel of the prestigious $815,000 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Haleiwa was reeling off right-hand perfection today that Simpson compared to Lower Trestles, only more powerful. He has tasted success here before, reaching the final of this event back in 2006; the same year he received the NoseGuard Vans Triple Crown Rookie of the Year Award.

"This is one of my better events and the waves are super good and fit my surfing," said Simpson. "It's pretty high performance. It's just like surfing Lowers just a little bit more powerful.

"When you get a score like that, even if you get a 5-something you're still in the 14 total and that means guys need two 7's, which is totally possible when the waves are this amazing.

"There are really good waves out there and it's just a matter of getting them. Hopefully I'll keep starting off with a little bang. I got one of the better ones and you can't really ask for more."

San Clemente's Mike Losness also advanced through round three today.

The star of yesterday's opening day of competition, Mark Occhilupo (Australia), was eliminated in round three today by fellow Australian Daniel Ross (Angourie), and long-time tour rival Sunny Garcia (Hawaii).

Ross, 25, was on fire in the peeling rights and Garcia was laying down his trademark Haleiwa power gouge, but Occhilupo was unable to achieve the same degree of verticality and power on his backhand in the head-high surf.

The final scoreline showed Ross' two-wave total at 15.67 out of 20; Garcia with 14.9; Brazil's William Cardoso with 8.56; and Occhilupo with just one wave: a 4.17 point ride.

"It's nice surfing against both those guys," said Ross. "Sunny and Occ are such good surfers over here. To get a heat win felt really good. I've got so much respect for those guys. They're such good surfers over here and I've followed them for years. And, a lot of surfers that are in this contest competing have seen them in videos or watched them live. That's why surfing is where it is today because of Sunny and Occ. It's a trip to be competing against them.

"I've been coming here for 15 years now and I always like surfing in the big and powerful stuff. A combination of that, training and good boards, I've been working on that for years in Hawaii. I just want to keep progressing.

"I bombed out early in this contest last year. It was pretty disappointing and I needed a good result in the end at Sunset. Hopefully, I can get a good [result] here and back it up again with Sunset would be even better."

Hawaii's Hank Gaskell cranked out the highest heat score of the event: 18.8 points against Hugo Savalli (Reunion), Corey Ziems (Australia), and Brad Ettinger (Huntington Beach, CA) in his round two clash this-morning. Hank's third round heat will take to the water on the next day of men's competition.

Other strong heat wins were posted today by Jarrad Howse (Australia), Joel Centeio (Hawaii), and Jay Thompson (Australia).

Competition concluded just prior to the end of the third round today. Organizers expect to resume at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning with the first rounds of the women's Reef Hawaiian Pro. To examine surf updates for the coming days, visit official forecasters Wetsand.com.

HSS TEAM RIDER SPOTLIGHT- 11 YEAR OLD KANOA IGARASHI IS ON FIRE!

2008-11-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Kanoa Igarashiage-11
School- Dwyer middle school
Grade 6th
Board size 4' 9"
Ridding for HSS since the age of 6
Surfing NSSA open and explorer- boys & juniors WSA prime - 14 and under

Kanoa has not lost a contest this whole season and has a remarkable 7 straight wins. Last weekend up in El Morro Rock Kanoa won the final with 2 perfect 10's to make it the best heat of his life! Have to ask the staff at NSSA has any surfer scored a perfect 20 in the final EVER. Did Bobby Martinez ever?
Kanoa attributes a lot of the recent success to his new boards shaped by Mark Pesce. Mark Pesce has many ripping surfers ridding his boards and there is just something new and fresh with his shapes and understanding of what works and for who. You can grab a Pesce surfboard from the rack or speak to Mark on the board room floor at HSS Main St. Call ahead of time and make sure Mark is working @ 714-960-2266.
Kanoa is going over to Hawaii in November to get some training in larger surf with his family. And he said he just loves hanging out on the North Shore with fellow rippers from home and pushing each other and the warm water ain't bad either!
Kanoa's Goals for this year:
He wants to win the NSSA National title in one or more divisions.
He hopes to keep practicing with the USA Team and loves all the work outs Joey Buran provides. He remarked the one week training camps are so fun to surf all day against the best guys in the US. But the night time was even better, Kalohe Andino, Ian Crane, Parker Coffin snuck into the room where Kanoa and all the younger team were sleeping and painted everyones faces, poured hot sun screen lotion on them.
Thanks Kanoa for being such an awesome team rider!

CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTIAN SAENZ ON YOUR NSSA OPEN SEASON WIN!

2008-11-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

NSSA SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
OPEN SEASON EVENT #4
OCEANSIDE SOUTH JETTY
NOVEMBER 1-2, 2008
CONDITIONS: Southwest swell and calm winds combined for excellent 3-5 foot surf on Saturday. A new west swell arrived for Sunday’s finals with solid 4-6 foot surf.

CHRISTIAN SAENZ

The fourth stop of the NSSA Southwest Conference Open Season was off and running November 1-2 at Oceanside South Jetty and the calendar date hit a bulls eye with mint conditions on offer. Clean, 3-5 foot glassy waves were on offer throughout Saturday’s preliminary rounds compliments of a solid southwest swell. On Sunday, a new west swell arrived providing good 4-6 foot surf.

After two second place finishes, Saenz finally got the job done. The Huntington Beach High School junior pulled out all the stops in the 25-minute final including his trademark top to bottom power moves and an uncharacteristic aerial display which resulted in securing his first win of the season. Matched up in the final against ratings leader Riley Metcalf, Open #3 winner Vance Smith and 15-year-old Jared Thorne, Saenz paddled out with a no-holds-barred approach. Despite conditions getting tricky as the tide bottomed out, Saenz went for broke locking in the final’s high scores of 7.00 and 6.33. “I pull airs free surfing all the time but I don’t really go for them too much in competition,” Saenz said. “In the final, I wanted to blow up and make a statement. I just wanted to bring it all out.” Saenz was both ecstatic and relieved to finally finish with an Open Season victory. “I wanted it so bad,” Saenz said. “It’s so hard for me to lose. You go home after losing and don’t want to judge yourself because of results. Then when you win one it’s like I can do this. I feel like I’ve really accomplished a big step.” While Metcalf stayed on track with a four-event finals streak, Saenz inched closer to him in the conference title chase. Metcalf now holds a tightening 280 point lead which makes the race a long way from over. And Saenz is fired up on all cylinders to be in the hunt for the conference championship. “Riley has been surfing good all year, and I feel like it’s going to be a good battle between us for the conference title. Vance has always surfed good but now he seems more focused and his results are showing it. The race will be nail-biting but it’s going to be fun.” With the Mid-Season five-star Open Season approaching in two weeks at Church, the points race is sure to heat up. Valuable double ratings points will be at stake and could shake things up. Great job Christian!

Kelly Slater Talks FCS Fins

2008-11-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Kelly Slater talks about what kind of fins he uses on tour and how to switch it up based on what type of wave you are surfing.

get your FCS FINS here

Get 40% Off All Reef Shoes

2008-11-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

Reef Shoe Blow out! Get 40% off all reef shoes. CLICK HERE

Free HSS Tee with Fullsuit Purchase

2008-10-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

Get a Free Huntington Surf & Sport - Hardcore shirt, with any fullsuit purchase over $100

-Specify tee color and size preference under "special instructions" during checkout

Click Here to go to fullsuits

30 Percent off Springsuits, Wetsuits Jackets & Vests

2008-10-27T15:40:00.001-07:00

Click Here and get 30% off all springsuits, vests and jackets.

CONGRATULATIONS TO HSS TEAM RIDER MICAH BYRNE FOR CLAIMING THE MACY'S CA TRIFECTA! NAT YOUNG WINS O'NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC

2008-10-27T13:18:00.001-07:00

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic marked the final event on the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series, an ASP specialty series, which offered an additional $15,000 prize purse to the series winner. Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA), 27, claimed this year’s Trifecta title and $10,000 paycheck by advancing into the Semifinals.
“I’m so stoked,” Byrne said. “I knew I had a lot of ground to make up in the beginning because of Asher (Nolan), and Kieran (Horn) is almost guaranteed a Final here every time, so I wasn’t stressed until the last day or two. I couldn’t even sleep last night.”
Asher Nolan (Jacksonville, FL), 30, with an equal 33rd finish in the O’Neill Cold Water Classic came in second on the Trifecta to pocket $3,500. Nate Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) who didn’t compete in the event, finished third and garnered $1,500 in the final Trifecta standings thanks to a strong performance at Lower Trestles and the win at the Oakley Newport Beach Pro.

Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 4-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic in great four-to-six foot surf in front of his home crowd at Steamer Lane. Young defeated fellow finalists Chris Waring (Seal Beach, CA), 21, Granger Larsen (Lahaina, HI), 18, and Sean Moody (North Shore, HI), 25, and reclaimed the O’Neill Cold Water Classic title for the Santa Cruz locals in a close Final.
The ASP WQS offers valuable ratings points towards qualification for the ASP World Tour. Each surfer looks to earn a top 15 position on the ASP WQS by year’s end in order to qualify for the ASP Dream Tour for the following year.
Young came out on top after a nail-biting Final against his fellow competitors. The Steamer Lane local displayed some of the best backside surfing throughout the event and continued his amazing form to claim the O’Neill Cold Water Classic win.
“I’m super excited,” Young said. “I lost in the junior’s and just wanted to do good in this. Just making the Final in this was good, and to win it…”
Young’s Final berth came after a long day of competition. The goofy-footer won both his Quarterfinals and Semifinals heats in the last few minutes of each heat on the way to his event victory. Young ousted fellow Santa Cruz locals Jason Collins (Santa Cruz, CA), 34, and Randy Bonds (Santa Cruz, CA), 31, in his Semifinals heat, taking top honors over his local idols.
“It’s been a long day,” Young said. “I’ve been in my wetsuit since about 7 a.m. and I squeaked through a couple of heats and made the Final and everyone was surfing so good.”
Young also finished second on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series and will go to Australia to represent America at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. Young is looking forward to his first experience at the contest in Narrabeen, Australia.
“It’s my first time in that contest, so I’m excited,” Young said. “There’s a bunch of good guys there and it’s going to be a great learning experience.
Larsen, who finished third, caught a wave in the last few seconds of the Final and could have potentially stolen the lead from Young. Unfortunately for Larsen, he did not find the score needed to take the win, but still was happy with his first ASP WQS Final appearance.
“This is my first WQS Final so I’m really psyched right now,” Larsen said. “I’m just stoked to be in the Final and I’m super psyched, just over the moon.”
Larsen ousted local standout Bud Freitas (Santa Cruz, CA), 24, with an impressive performance in his Semifinals heat. Freitas had been unstoppable up until the Semifinals, earning some of the event’s highest scores, but Larsen notched the score needed in the last few minutes of his heat to end the local’s chances at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic title.
“My board was working good on those medium sized ones, and those are the best waves that come in,” Larsen said. “I had one that was a full horseshoe that was coming at me and I was able to hit it at the end.”

Complete results, images and video highlights available at http://www.coldwaterclassic.net/.
Special thanks to the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, Oakley Pro Junior and Macy’s CA Trifecta supporting sponsors: O’Neill, Oakley, Macy’s, Red Bull, Coors, Fosters, Palm, SURFER Magazine, SURFING Magazine, WaveWatch.com and FUEL TV. For more information on the Macy's California Trifecta Surf Series visit http://www.catrifecta.com/.

O’Neill Cold Water Classic Results:Final:1 – Nat Young (USA) 13.872 – Chris Waring (USA) 13.843 – Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.934 – Sean Moody (HAW) 11.94
Semifinals: (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Granger Larsen (HAW) 13.87, Chris Waring (USA) 13.84, Micah Byrne (USA) 13.36, Bud Freitas (USA) 6.80Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 12.67, Sean Moody (USA) 12.43, Randy Bonds (USA) 11.00, Jason Collins (USA) 7.60
Quarterfinals: (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Micah Byrne (USA) 10.77, Granger Larsen (HAW) 9.37, David Gonsalves (HAW) 7.50, Mason Ho (HAW) 7.34Heat 2: Bud Freitas (USA) 13.50, Chris Waring (USA) 11.50, Chad Compton (USA) 10.40, Blake Howard (USA) 7.24Heat 3: Jason Collins (USA) 14.66, Randy Bonds (USA) 11.16, Matt King (USA) 8.10, Kyle Garson (USA) 7.34Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 14.67, Sean Moody (HAW) 10.80, Shaun Ward (USA) 10.34, Cory Lopez (USA) 7.70
Macy’s CA Trifecta WQS Results:1 – Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA) $10,0002 – Asher Nolan (Jacksonville, FL) $3,5003 – Nate Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) $1,500

Holiday Sidewalk Schedule 2008

2008-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Holiday Sidewalk Schedule 2008.

We will be holding a sidewalk sale at our, Pierside (Main St.), Girls, & Bella Terra Locations on the following dates:

November: 4, 11, 18, 25, 28, 29, 30

December: 2, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Join Us on the above dates, and save a ton on all sidewalk sale merchandise.

Click Here to go to our online sale page

20 Percent Off Boardshorts & Shorts Sale

2008-10-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Get 20 Percent Off any pair of boardshorts, when you type in coupon code: 20boardshorts
Directions: under "Sales & Discounts" in shopping cart type in "20boardshorts" and click apply to receive 20 percent of your next boardshorts purchase.

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Get 20 Percent Off any pair of walkshorts, when you type in coupon code: 20shorts
Directions: under "Sales & Discounts" in shopping cart type in "20shorts" and click apply to receive 20 percent of your next walkshorts purchase.

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Free Socks with Purchase of Shoes

2008-10-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

Get a free pair of socks, when you purchase any pair of mens shoes at HSSSURF.COM!

No need to type in any codes, just buy a pair of shoes and we will send you a free pair of socks in the order.

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C.J. HOBGOOD WINS GOLD FOR USA AT ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES: USA SURF TEAM TAKES SILVER TEAM MEDAL WITH THREE INDIVIDUAL FINALISTS!

2008-10-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

ASP World Tour number six, C.J. Hobgood blazed to victory in an Australia heavy final at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games today. Hobgood, who was the form surfer of the event, bested Aussies Kai Otton, Dayyan Neve and Heath Joske to claim the Open Mens gold medal and secure a silver medal for Team USA. However, Australia was able to defend their gold medal team finish from the 2006 ISA World Surfing Games.
"It would have been the ultimate to win a team gold but we had the second best team and it was all good," Hobgood said. "It was a sick team and everyone got along so good. Everyone laid it all out there and that's how the cards fell."
Hobgood and his fellow finalists each picked a peak and let Mother Nature decide the fate of the final. In the end, the lone American held scores high enough to solidify the victory and the USA silver medal.
Other finalists for the USA Surf Team include Womens surfer Lauren Sweeney, who, despite a lackluster final, surfed with authority throughout the entire qualifying draw of the double-elimination format. Sweeney finished fourth, earning a copper medal.
Longboarder Taylor Jensen claimed a bronze medal for America. Jensen faced a heat full of fellow ASP World Longboard Tour competitors in the four-man dual. His stylish nose-rides mixed with a progressive approach to draw accolades from the judges and fellow competitors alike.
PacSun USA Surf Team coach Joey Buran remarked, "Our depth is why we were able to hang on so long in this competition."
The USA Surf Team roster for the 2008 ISA World Surfing Games in Costa da Caparica, Portugal included:
Mens:C.J. Hobgood,Ben Bourgeois,Dillon Perillo, and Nat Young
Womens:Lauren Sweeney and Demi Boelsterli
Longboard: Taylor Jensen
Mens Bodyboard: Jeremy WrightJacob Romero
Womens Bodyboard: Keila Grodzen
For complete results of the ISA World Surfing Games check out http://www.wsg2008.com/

CONGRATULATIONS KELLY SLATER ON YOU 9TH WORLD TITLE!

2008-10-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Kelly Slater Wins 9th ASP World Tour TitleMUNDAKA, Spain (Friday, October 3, 2008) – Kelly Slater, 36, has won a record ninth ASP World Title after advancing out of Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka – the ninth event of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour. Slater came into the event needing an equal ninth finish to clinch the title, he secured that by beating local wildcard Eneko Acero (EUK) in four foot waves at Mundaka this morning.
“It’s going to take a little while to sink in,” Slater said when mobbed at the water’s edge. “I’m probably going to have to call home and talk to family for it to really hit me.”
Slater’s 2008 crowning comes 16 years after securing his first ASP World Title at age 20. He is the oldest and youngest surfer in ASP history to win a world title. The now nine-time ASP World Champion joined the tour in 1991 and won his first ASP World Title in 1992.
When asked if he had ever dreamed about achieving such a feat when he came onto the scene 17 years ago, Slater was close to speechless.
“I never even thought about it,” Slater said. “It never even popped into my head. It’s crazy.”
Despite entering his 14th year on tour already the owner of most every accolade in professional surfing, 2008 has been a banner year for Slater. With five wins in the first seven events of the year, a second place finish at the last event in France and a Round 4 berth at the Billabong Pro Mundaka later today, Slater is on track to post his most successful season to date. Slater’s winning average in 2008 is 89 percent at present.
“I felt a lot more at ease this year,” Slater said. “It’s probably my personal life. That’s the biggest change in my life. I’m happy and settled and I’ve got the support there that just feels amazing. Nothing else has really changed, I’ve worked with my boards a little bit here and there and I’ve always worked on my mind and my emotions, but something just really clicked into place this year.”
After winning his first ASP World Tour title in 1992 and claiming five titles in a row from 1994 to 1998, Slater went into semi-retirement at age 26 citing burnout and lack of motivation. He returned to the tour full-time in 2003, lost a heart-wrenching title race to Andy Irons (HAW) that same year, and wasn’t able to reclaim the crown until 2005. Slater cruised to title No. 8 in 2006, finished World No. 3 in 2007 and is once again World No. 1 after winning his ninth ASP World Title today.
“In 1996 I had a good year – I won 7 out of 13,” Slater said. “In 1996 I won five events of 12 – but both years I was counting ninths at the end of the year. This year I’ve won five events of eight, I’m sitting on a second and I still have a throwaway to spare. The depth of success I’ve had this season is the deepest of my career.”
With such a monumental lead so early in the season, it was less a matter of if Slater would win the title, and more a matter of when.
“I think there were key heats this year, a few I had with Taj, Parko and even Bobby in Fiji, where I got waves under the other surfers’ priority and won important heats, that it really sunk in that it was going to happen,” Slater said. “It was probably JBay where it really sunk in.”
Slater was quick to acknowledge 2007 ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and the support he’s given him both professionally and personally today.
“When Mick won last year I was obviously really stoked for him.” Slater said. “I think I knew from the first contest last year that Mick was going to win. He was really focused and he didn’t have anything standing in his way mentally or emotionally. He was the one person who sent me text when I was looking at leaving that said, ‘We need you to stay on tour. Don’t worry, you’ll find that personal stuff. It will happen,’ and now it has. Even though he is the toughest competitor on tour he’s always been a good friend and I have a lot of respect for Mick.”
Because Slater lost interest after winning five titles in a row from ’94 to ’98, and then toyed with retirement again after winning No. 7 and No. 8 right after each other, it would seem like winning back to back titles might have lost its appeal for the world’s most decorated surfer.
“No, winning them back to back is still pretty sweet,” Slater said with a smile. “If I can go back to back starting now that would be pretty sweet. It is really nice to come back and win it after you lost it the year before though. I’m sure if Mick were to come back and win one, or Andy were to come back and win one – C.J., any of those guys, they would definitely say how sweet it is to win it again.”

Slater One Heat Away from # Nine!– Round 1 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka a Wrap

2008-10-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

MUNDAKA, Basque Country/Spain (Wednesday, October 1, 2008) – Kelly Slater (USA) needs to finish ninth or better in the ninth of event of the year to win his ninth ASP World Title. He’s one heat away from doing so after scoring a 9.00 and a 7.33 to win his Round 1 heat at the Billabong Pro Mundaka back-up venue of Sopelana today.
Slater’s 16.33 heat total was the second highest of the day easily trumping the single digit totals of his opponents Taylor Knox (USA) and replacement surfer Reubyn Ash (GBR). He advances straight to Round 3 with the result.
“Where I surfed, the waves were better,” Slater said. “I had more options. I couldn’t really hear the scores, but once I did I could tell that Taylor was kind of struggling. Then I found a right with a nice open face and a big air section and that was my 9.00.”
Slater came extremely close to clinching the 2008 ASP World Title in France last week. In doing so, he would have secured his 40th ASP World Tour win at the same place he won his first—in Hossegor. It would have also been the earliest he, or anyone else, had ever won a world title.
Just one good-scoring wave away from overtaking Adrian Buchan (AUS) in their French final bout, Slater came up short and had to settle for second place and a trip to Spain. Being so close to the inevitable is taking its toll on the eight-time ASP World Champion.
“I hadn’t really thought about it that much until I was out there in the water but I don’t want to deal with the emotions of worrying about it anymore,” Slater said. “I just want to try to win one more heat and get it done.”
There is only one scenario that stands in the way of Slater clinching in Spain – him failing to advance from Round 3 and World No. 2 Taj Burrow (AUS) subsequently winning the event.
While Slater seems squarely focused on the next heat, Burrow has his eyes on the Billabong Pro Mundaka title. Burrow top-scored today with a 16.34 heat total.
“I just want to win an event and this one would be great,” Burrow said. “It seems like there is a lack of motivation from everyone on tour, people are going home, they’re over it – it just feels like it is over with Kelly wrapping up the title. I’m just trying to capitalize on that and win these things.”
Two-time defending Billabong Pro Mundaka champion Bobby Martinez (USA) is also looking to capitalize on the low morale to strengthen his position in the Top 10 and go for his third consecutive Mundaka crown. He beat Ben Dunn (AUS) and wildcard Mark Occhilupo (AUS) in Round 1 today.
“For me it’s different,” Martinez said. “I am still pretty new to this tour – I am not going to give up, I’m not going to quit just because Kelly is going to win the title. I still want to do my best. People where I come from don’t get the opportunity to do this kind of stuff and I have so I’m going to take it and run with it as far as I can. As much as people are over it after watching Kelly win all the time, I look at it like there are kids where I come from who have nothing and this is something big for me.”
Replacement surfers Eneko Acero (EUK) and Nic Muscroft (AUS) advanced from their Round 1 heats today. Acero, who was only invited to participate in the event last night when another replacement surfer had to withdraw, sent World No. 4 Adriano de Souza (BRA) and high profile rookie Jordy Smith (ZAF) to Round 2. Muscroft beat Pancho Sullivan (HAW) and the winner of the last event, Adrian Buchan (AUS).
Muscroft, who is the first alternate ASP replacement surfer after narrowly missing full-time ASP World Tour qualification last year, has competed in six events this year. His convincing heat win over Buchan and Sullivan today is his first ASP World Tour heat win this year.
“That’s surfing for you, anyone can win the heat,” Muscroft said. “It’s so even so that’s why I’ve thought all year that I’ve been in with a chance. I’ve had some good heats, I’ve just been unlucky here and there, so it feels good to get through one finally. I’ll just take this year as experience. It’s been tough because I haven’t been at every event so maintaining focus is hard, but hopefully I get a crack again next year.”
Muscroft is currently rated 24th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) – the top 15 surfers on that series qualify for the ASP World Tour at year’s end.
Brazilians Heitor Alves and Jihad Khodr advanced straight to Round 3 today. Kohdr, who is rated World No. 41 at the moment, must make a huge leap on the ratings to requalify via the ASP World Tour.
“I’m so stoked,” Khodr said. “It’s hard to make a heat when you’re one of the last guys on the ratings. I’m so happy to take the win. It looks like a Brazilian beach break. There’s a lot of paddling, a lot of waves and a lot of white water.”
France’s Miky Picon and Portugal’s Tiago Pires will join Acero as Europeans avoiding Round 2. Australians Mick Campbell, Tom Whitaker, Dan Ross, Daniel Wills and Kieren Perrow are also into Round 3. Buy your Official Billabong Pro Mundaka contest T-shirt Here Now!
For more info visit: http://www.aspworldtour.com/ and http://www.billabongpro.com/.
Billabong Pro Mundaka Round 1 Heat Results:Heat 1: Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.70, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 10.83, Kai Otton (AUS) 9.00Heat 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) 13.17, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.93, Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 8.37Heat 3: Nic Muscroft (AUS) 16.00, Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 12.00, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.00Heat 4: Roy Powers (HAW) 10.00, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.93, Manoa Drollet (PYF) 5.03Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.84, Ben Dunn (AUS) 14.00, Mark Occhilupo (AUS) 8.50Heat 6: Eneko Acero (EUK) 13.16, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.27, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 10.93Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.60, Tim Reyes (USA) 10.66, Hodei Collazo (EUK) 5.33Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.33, Taylor Knox (USA) 6.16, Reubyn Ash (GBR) 3.50Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.34, Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.00, Marco San Segundo (EUK) 11.27Heat 10: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 15.00, Txaber Trojaola (EUK) 12.50, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6.43Heat 11: Daniel Ross (AUS) 15.00, Luke Stedman (AUS) 14.17, Jay Thompson (AUS) 8.00Heat 12: Jihad Khodr (BRA) 12.56, Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 11.94, Chris Ward (USA) 10.76Heat 13: Mikael Picon (FRA) 15.00, Leonardo Neves (BRA) 14.34, Dayyan Neve (AUS) 13.67Heat 14: Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.67, Dane Reynolds (USA) 12.40, Travis Logie (ZAF) 5.87Heat 15: Daniel Wills (AUS) 14.83, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 10.00, Ben Bourgeois (USA) 6.60Heat 16: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 11.00, Luke Munro (AUS) 8.23, Royden Bryson(ZAF) 7.10
Billabong Pro Mundaka Round 2 Heat Match-ups:Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Reubyn Ash (GBR)Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Marco San Segundo (EUK)Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Txaber Trojaola (EUK)Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Hodei Collazo (EUK)Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Mark Occhilupo (AUS)Heat 6: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Manoa Drollet (PYF)Heat 7: Luke Stedman (AUS) vs. Ricky Basnett (ZAF)Heat 8: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)Heat 9: Dayyan Neve (AUS) vs. Leonardo Neves (BRA)Heat 10: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)Heat 11: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Ben Bourgeois (USA)Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Luke Munro (AUS)Heat 13: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Royden Bryson (ZAF)Heat 14: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)Heat 15: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)Heat 16: Ben Dunn (AUS) vs. Pancho Sullivan (HAW)

Billabong Presents: The Pipeline

2008-09-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Pipeline: Deep Inside the Worlds Most Respected Wave

There is no other wave in the world that has dominated the hearts and minds of surfers like Pipeline. For nearly fifty years, this frightening gift of nature has stood out as one of the most challenging and perfect waves on the planet. Through two-hundred pages of captivating and timeless images from over fifty of the worlds best photographers, combined with words from surfing's most renowned writers, "The Pipeline: The Worlds Most Respected Wave" tells the stories from almost five decades of heart-stopping action: The first rides, the first contests, triumphs, deaths, localism, foreign invasion and performance revolution.

Special Engagement
Book Launch and Signing
Space is limited, only 350 Tickets Available Now

Saturday November 8th 2008
6:00pm to 10:00pm
@ Billabong 119 Water Works Way, Irvine, CA 92618

Tickets
$35 Entrance Only
$100 Entrance and Standard Edition Book,
$200 Entrance, Limited Edition Book (Silk Bound), Pipeline Masters 2008 Contest T & Poster
(Food and drinks included with all tickets)

To purchase tickets go to billabong.com/us

Billabong Pro Mundaka Waiting Period Starts Monday, September 29th-Slater can clinch #9 in Spain!

2008-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

MUNDAKA, Basque Country/Spain (Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008) ASP World Tourratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) was 7.31 points away from clinching hisninth ASP World Title when he was beaten by Australia¹s Adrian Buchan intheir French final bout yesterday. Slater now has to secure an equal 9thfinish at next week¹s Billabong Pro Mundaka to clinch crown No.9.
³I was one wave away [from the title],² Slater said. ³One wave away is a lotcloser than two heats but we¹ll see how we go.²
Slater won his last world title in Mundaka and will do so again this yearshould he advance out of Round 3. If he doesn¹t, and reigning ASP WorldChampion Mick Fanning (AUS) or World No. 2 Taj Burrow win the event, therace will continue to Brazil. Slater will match-up with wildcards in theearly rounds.
³In Mundaka for some reason I haven¹t had trouble in those wildcard heatsbut in Brazil I have before,² Slater said. ³Taj and Mick haven¹t won thisyear but they¹ve both won in Brazil and they¹ve gotten seconds and thirds inMundaka, so those are good contests for those guys. But worse case scenariofor me, it will be narrowed down to one guy at the next event.²
Bobby Martinez (USA) has won the event for the last two years the only twotimes he¹s competed in Mundaka. Martinez finished equal 5th in France andnow sits 7th on the ratings.
³It¹s so tough because I just got lucky with waves and my luck is bound torun out sometime so it could be this year,² Martinez said. ³Mundaka has beena cool place to me the last couple of years and it will always be cool nomatter what happens but I¹ve never done good in France and then I¹ve donegood in Spain so I¹m just hoping it¹s not the other way around this yearsince I just did alright in France.²
The Billabong Pro Mundaka waiting period stretches from next Monday,September 30 to Sunday, October 12.
Top 10 ASP World Tour Ratings going into the Billabong Pro Mundaka:1. Kelly Slater (USA) - 7852 points2. Taj Burrow (AUS) - 6002 points3. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5668 points4. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 5426 points5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - 5373 points6. Mick Fanning (AUS) - 5310 points7. Bobby Martinez (USA) - 5092 points8. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 4880 points9. Adrian Buchan (AUS) - 4719 points10. Jeremy Flores (FRA) - 4407 points

SAVE TRESTLES! Public Meeting is underway

2008-09-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Public Hearing to Save Trestles is underway! Here is the schedule for the day:

• 10:30am-1:30pm: Testimony from Elected Officials. There are several outstanding elected officials speaking on our behalf including Bobby Shriver, Donna Frye, Bill Lockyer and others.
• 1:30pm-2pm: Testimony from Organizations. Surfrider Foundation and other interesting organizations will be heard during the next few hours.
• 2:00-2:30: Official Hearing Break. We are having a rally in the pavilion area behind O'Brien hallcome and learn more about how the day will go and what to expect.
• 2:30-5:00: Continued Testimony from Organizations and Native American Tribes.
• 5:00-5:30: Official Hearing Break. Please be sure to visit our letter writing station during the break. We want to fill the drop boxes with letters opposing the toll road.
• 5:30-8:30: During this time, organizations will finish speaking and the general public will begin testimony. It's challenging to say exactly what time the general public will speak. As you know, not everyone from the public will be able to speak since the meeting ends exactly at 8:30pm. See the list of speakers below.
• 8:30pm-9pm: Meet us outside of the O'Brien hall as we gather to celebrate our efforts, enjoy acoustic music, and listen to special guest speakers. Recognized singer-songwriter Steve Ybarra will play music which has been featured on radio and television across the country. Shaun Tomson, World Champion Surfer, will be our featured guest speaker. Upon listening to Shaun, we will hear from prominent environmental leaders. As you know, there will not be a decision made at the hearing, so it's important that we come together to ‘celebrate our efforts of the day' and begin to look forward! We expect the Federal Government will make their decision by then end of the fall/early winter.
View list of speakers: click here If you plan to drive yourself please note that the Del Mar Fairgrounds charges $9 for parking. Check out carpool belwo. Please pass this around to everyone who cares about protecting our State Parks! We need thousands of people to attend!
Also, please review guidelines for the hearing. click here Attending hearing is much like being in a court room; we need to be calm, cool and collected. We can't cheer, hold our signs above our heads, or be distracting. Read the rules--they are long, but they say it all! See you all down here! Or, if you cannot make it in person, you can follow all the latest details... click here

Micah Byrne makes final at Oakley Newport Beach Pro

2008-09-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Congrats to HSS Team Rider, Micah Byrne, who made the finals in the Oakley Newport Beach Pro. Also congrats to Brad Ettinger for making the semi's. Nice work!

Read more about it here

SAVE TRESTLES! Stop the Toll Road Public Meeting Info

2008-09-19T11:52:00.002-07:00

WHEN, WHERE?The hearing will be held on September 22, 2008 in O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, CA 92014.
WHAT TIME? The hearing will begin at 10:30am, and end promptly at 8:30pm. Public should arrive by 10am. Come for two hours, four hours, or the entire day if you can.
MOTOR HOMES, RVSYes, but be advised that front row parking can not be arranged in advance. To ensure the best possible front parking, we recommend that large vehicles arrive before 9am.
WHO SHOULD ATTENDYou and everyone in your company. Give staff members some time off to travel and stay at the hearing at least two hours. The “sweet spot” will be from 10:30am – 1pm. We need to have a strong showing right at the beginning.
WHO WILL SPEAKOnly those who have requested in writing to speak will be allowed time at the podium – 3 minutes for individuals, 5 minutes for representatives of organizations and elected officials. Dick Baker has requested to speak on behalf of SIMA. The Department of Commerce will post the list of speakers later this week. Once that list is published, I will forward a link to the site so you can see if you are on the list. I would appreciate hearing from you if you will be speaking. Just email to my address (robertmignognacox.net).
MORE SCHEDULEA 30 minute intermission will be called at 2PM and again at 5PM. Other recesses may be called as necessary by the hearing officer,
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE THEREThe venue holds 6,000 people, considerably larger than Wyland, which held 3,500 max. That means we need TWICE as many representatives from the surf industry. Please determine how you and your company can contribute to achieving our increased attendance goal.
WHAT WILL HAPPENThe Department of Commerce will be sending legal representatives from NOAA, which is a division within DoC, who will chair and conduct the meeting. They will hear from the public but will not make a decision at the meeting. Rather they will return to Washington D.C. and report to the Secretary of Commerce. He will make the decision and respond to TCA before the end of November. If he refuses TCA’s appeal to overturn the CA Coastal Commission’s decision, the alignment on the table will be dead. If TCA wants to pursue another alignment, they will need to create a new process to do so. In other words, the Save State Parks – Save Trestles campaign will have been won. However, if the Secretary of Commerce approves TCA’s appeal, then TCA will continue on its path to build the road, which means it will still need approval from seven other government agencies before construction can begin. One of those seven agencies is the CA Coastal Commission (again). The road could get shut down at that juncture but we do not want it to go that far. WE WANT THIS STOPPED NOW. Your attendance next Monday in Del Mar will help achieve that goal.

Oakley Newport Beach Pro Back ON in Increased Swell!

2008-09-19T11:52:00.001-07:00

NEWPORT BEACH, California (Friday, September 19, 2008) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star Oakley Newport Beach Pro is back on with Round 4 paddling out in four-to-five foot (1.5 metre) racy barrels at 56th Street in Newport Beach, California.
The Oakley Newport Beach Pro has already been treated to some dramatic surfing with Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, two-time defending event champion and former Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series Winner (2006), dominating yesterday’s proceedings while top seed and current No. 4 on the ASP WQS Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA, 22, was a surprise elimination.
The ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior will follow today’s ASP WQS action, running all the way through the Semifinals.
Both the Oakley Newport Beach Pro and the Oakley Pro Junior represent the second stop in the 2008 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (an ASP North America Specialty Series) with competitors looking to net a solid result before the third and final stop in Santa Cruz in October.
The Oakley Newport Beach Pro will be webcast LIVE via www.newportbeachpro.com
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com and www.aspnorthamerica.org

Quiksilver Pro Waiting Period Open but Off for the Day, Slater Ready to Pounce!

2008-09-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

HOSSEGOR, France (Friday, Sept. 19, 2008) – Eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) has a shot at claiming his ninth ASP World Title sometime this week but he’ll have to win the Quiksilver Pro France to do so.
“I know I have to win the event to clinch the title and a second won’t be enough, that’s the math,” Slater said.
Slater won’t get started today however. Though the Quiksilver Pro waiting period has officially begun, conditions are looking better for tomorrow and competition was called off this morning.
Having already won five events of seven held this season, another first place performance in France does not seem out of the question for Slater. That said, Slater has only one French ASP World Tour win to his credit 14 years into his career.
“It is a great event but I got third place four years in a row which is pretty frustrating,” Slater, who earned an equal 17th result last year, said. “The first and only time I won here was in 1996, 12 years ago.”
Even if Slater does win the Quiksilver Pro, the three surfers sitting behind him on the ratings can spoil his chances to clinch in France. Specifically, if World No. 2 Taj Burrow (AUS) finishes 3rd or better or World No. 3 Bede Durbidge (AUS) or World No. 5 Mick Fanning (AUS) make the final, the race will continue until the following stop in Mundaka, Spain. World No. 4 Joel Parkinson (AUS) only stays in ASP World Title contention if Slater finishes second or lower in France.
Tim Boal (FRA) won the Komunity Trials to join Joan Duru (FRA) and Michel Bourez (PYF) as the final wildcard into the event. Nic Muscroft (AUS) and Gabe Kling (USA) are replacing Neco Padaratz (BRA) and Dean Morrison (AUS) who pulled out citing injuries.
Another call on competition status will be made tomorrow at 8am local time.
For more details visit www.aspworldtour.com and www.quiksilverprofrance.com
Quiksilver Pro France Heat Draw:Heat 1: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Ben Dunn (AUS), Leonardo Neves (BRA) Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Jay Thompson (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS) Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Roy Powers (HAW), Aritz Aranburu (EUK) Heat 4: Andy Irons (HAW), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Jihad Khodr (BRA) Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA), Taylor Knox (USA), Ricky Basnett (ZAF) Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Nic Muscroft (AUS) Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Dane Reynolds (USA), Michel Bourez (PYF)Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA), Chris Ward (USA), Joan Duru (FRA) Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS), Tim Reyes (USA), Tim Boal (FRA) Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Gabe Kling (USA) Heat 11: Kai Otton (AUS), Mikael Picon (FRA), Travis Logie (ZAF) Heat 12: Bruce Irons (HAW), Heitor Alves (BRA), Daniel Wills (AUS) Heat 13: Luke Stedman (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) Heat 14: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Mick Campbell (AUS) Heat 15: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Ben Bourgeois (USA) Heat 16: Dayyan Neve (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF), Luke Munro (AUS)

Offspring talk about new Album with NME wearing HSS Hardore Shirt!

2008-09-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Dexter and Noodles talk new album with NME. Check out Dexters Shirt. HSS Hardcore Logo. Thanks to the Offspring for supporting HSS!

Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Champion to be Crowned this Afternoon!

2008-09-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Thursday, September 11, 2008) – There are only nine heats of the Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley remaining and those heats will run in three to five foot swell today. The 2008 event champion will be crowned early this afternoon.Former event winners Kelly Slater (USA) and Bede Durbidge (AUS) are still in contention, as are rookies Dane Reynolds (USA) and Jordy Smith (ZAF). California’s Bobby Martinez (USA), France’s Jeremy Flores and reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning have all made the quarterfinals as well.The last two heats of Round 4 are up first. Competition will start at 8am. The final, which will be between 35 or 40-minutes in duration, should hit the water at around 12:40pm.Watch it LIVE on www.aspworldtour.com or www.boostmobilepro.comUpcoming Round 4 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Match-ups: Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)Heat 8: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)Upcoming Quarterfinal Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Match-ups: Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)Heat 4: TBA

Boost Mobile Pro is Live Now!

2008-09-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Round 1 of the Boost Mobile Pro Begins at Lower Trestles at 8am
SAN CLEMENTE, California (Monday, September 8, 2008) – Round 1 of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley will run at Lower Trestles today. The first heat is slated to hit the water at 8am in three to five foot (one metre plus) waves.Officials will endeavor to run all 16 heats of Round 1 and the first two heats of Round 2 today. Heats will be 30 minutes in duration. Bolstering the already stacked field will be former top-rated ASP World Tour surfers Rob Machado (USA), Sunny Garcia (HAW) and Shane Beschen (USA) and wildcards Yadin Nicol (AUS) and Brett Simpson (USA).The Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley will be webcast LIVE via www.boostmobilepro.comUpcoming Round 1 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Heat Match-Ups:Heat 1: Kai Otton (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Travis Logie (ZAF) Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Aritz Aranburu (EUK) Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Taylor Knox (USA), Jihad Khodr (BRA) Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS) Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW), Roy Powers (HAW), Ricky Basnett (ZAF) Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA) Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Tim Reyes (USA), Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA), Dayyan Neve (AUS), Shane Beschen (USA) Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Rob Machado (USA) Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS), Chris Ward (USA), Sunny Garcia (HAW) Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Dane Reynolds (USA), Heitor Alves (BRA) Heat 12: Bruce Irons (HAW), Mikael Picon (FRA), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) Heat 13: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Ben Bourgeois (USA) Heat 14: Luke Stedman (AUS), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Luke Munro (AUS) Heat 15: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Jay Thompson (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF) Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS), Mick Campbell (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)

COME MEET JOEL PARKINSON AND THE JS SURFBOARDS CREW @ HSS

2008-09-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

On Friday 9/05 at around 10:30 am, Parko and the JS Surfboards crew will be hanging out in our surfboard room at our HSS Pierside store answering questions an just talking shop. Feel free to come down and talk to them.

CONGRATULATIONS TO HSS TEAM RIDERS ANDREW DOHENY AND COURTNEY CONLOGUE ON MAKING TEAM USA!

2008-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

2009 PacSun USA Surf Team announced after impressive surfing display
San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – August 24, 2008 – Surfing America, the national governing body for the sport of surfing, is excited to name eight new USA Surfing Champions after the youth divisions wrapped up in two-to-four foot Huntington Beach, CA surf. After six days of competition at the SIMA Surfing America USA Championships presented by PacSun, the new PacSun USA Surf Team was also announced.
"The level of surfing at this year’s USA Champs was unbelievable," said Surfing America executive director Mike Gerard. "The performances were tremendous, the judging was spot on, and the new PacSun USA Surf Team looks stronger than ever."
Hawaiian Keanu Asing proved the standout of the event by taking USA titles in both the Boys Under 18 and Boys Under 16 divisions amongst a stacked field. Asing, who surfed for the Hawaii team at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championships, is ineligible for the PacSun USA Surf Team but showed his mainland counterparts that he was the form surfer throughout the event.
"I wasn’t really thinking of a double. I just tried to get good waves and surf really good," said Asing. "It’s cool to come here see all the USA guys and compete hard with them. I just tried to do my best and have fun."
Conner Coffin, who suffered an early elimination in Under 16s, gave Asing a run for the title but came up short in the rapidly deteriorating conditions. Nonetheless, Coffin secured his spot on the 2009 PacSun USA Surf Team.
The top female finisher in Girls Under 18 was Santa Ana, CA’s Courtney Conlogue. Conlogue defeated the 2007 champion Sage Erickson by busting big bottom-to-top combos, edging out double finalist Taylor Pitz for the win.
"I was pretty nervous going into that heat," said Conlogue. "All the girls were really good and it was just a final where you had to have your game on or you’d go down."
Conlogue, at 15 years old, elected to only surf in the Under 18s, while most of her competitors surfed in both divisions. The decision proved beneficial, as she remained focused throughout.
"Just surfing in one division gave me confidence," Conlogue continued. "But I didn’t have that second chance, so I had to go full force. I had more motivation to do well."
Also qualifying for the PacSun USA Surf Team was Hawaiian Nage Melamed, who brought forth outstanding performances throughout the entire event. Melamed won the Girls Under 16 title in the final minutes, overtaking South Carolina’s Keenan Lineback.
San Clemente, CA’s Kolohe Andino and Hawaii’s Ian Gentil defended their USA titles in Boys Under 14 and Boys Under 12, respectively. Gentil pushed Andino by taking second in Under 14.
"I like this event because they make you feel cool," said Andino. "The four-man, twenty-minute heat format is sick. It’s a great event and I love doing it. Making the USA team is a great privilege. Plus you get to train with Coach Joey Buran and go around the world with your friends to compete."
At the conclusion of the surfing action, Coach Buran was excited about the 2009 PacSun USA Surf Team roster.
"This is a much better place than we were last year because there is already a solid program in place," said Buran. "The goal of the selection was to have surfers on the roster who will compete for those three ISA starting spots and we have that." Watch highlights!

Screening of No Polo Widow @ Bella Terra Presented by Toms Shoes

2008-08-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Toms Introduction of the Wrap Boot.

Join Fernando & Vicky Aguerre for a screening of: No Polo Window

When: August 20th, 2008

Music Provided by: Kai Brown & Amy May

Where: Huntington Surf & Sport @ Bella Terra
7777 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

For every pair you purchase, Toms will give a pair of shoes to a child in need.

BUSTIN DOWN THE DOOR COMES TO HB!

2008-08-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Bustin’ Down The Door is now playing starting today in Huntington Beach at the Regency Charter Centre Cinemas 5. This film is truly an outstanding documentary on the historical significance of what went down in the 70’s in Australia, South Africa and Hawaii. It tells the true tale of the birth of Professional Surfing. It is a must see for anyone that surfs!
There are also only a few limited edition "Bustin Down the Door-HB" T-shirts left. Get 'em while you can!

CONGRATULATIONS BRUCE IRONS ON YOUR RIP CURL PRO SEARCH VICTORY!

2008-08-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Sunday, August 3, 2008) – Bruce Irons (HAW) has defeated fellow finalist Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) to claim the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search in rifling four-foot (1.5 metre) lefthanders ‘somewhere’ in Indonesia.
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search saw a marathon day of action capped off by a stunning barrel shootout finale between the young Hawaiians.
Irons, who took down reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and Dream Tour sophomore Ben Dunn (AUS) en route to his Finals berth, came from behind in last 10 minutes of the event, grabbing an 8.33 and a 9.33 to scalp his first ASP World Tour victory.
“One of my goals when I joined the Tour was to win an event and I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen since I’ll be stepping away after this season,” Irons said. “But the waves pumped this event! This is what the Dream Tour should be like all the time. I’m definitely stepping away from the ASP Tour at the end of this year, but I’m not retiring. I’m still planning on competing at Pipeline and Teahupoo and at venues that I can get into.”
The progressive natural-footer eased into the Final against Patacchia grabbing small scores before unleashing a fury of backhand tubes and commited re-entries over dry reef to take the win and move into No. 10 on the ASP World Tour ratings.
“I was tripping out in the water when they kept announcing Fred (Patacchia) and I in the Final – you never hear that,” Irons said. “It was all business though. This is only the second time I’ve ever made one on Tour and I wasn’t about to let it go. I was trying my hardest out there.”
Irons maintains the family monopoly on Rip Curl Pro Search events, joining older brother Andy, who has two Rip Curl Pro Search titles (2006, 2007) under his belt already.
“My brother has won this event twice and all I could think about in the Final is how I wanted that trophy,” Irons said. “The thing is sick! It was a great event and we’re going to have a huge party tonight!”
Patacchia was in stunning form all event, netting high scores and eliminating top seeds before coming up short in the Final.
“Bruce (Irons) and I are good friends but we were super competitive in that Final,” Patacchia said. “Both of us wanted to win and we were hassling and trash-talking and everything. I had one wave at the start, but Bruce got two bombs towards the end and I could tell he was really gunning for it.”
After suffering an injury early in the season, Patacchia has since rebounded, finishing equal 9th in Fiji and Jeffreys Bay before his runner-up finish ‘somewhere’ Indonesia. The stylish goofy-footer now sits at No. 14 on the ASP World Tour.
“It feels great to come back after a slow start to the year,” Patacchia said. “The waves were so good for this event and I’m bummed I didn’t win, but to have Bruce (Irons) there and since he’s stepping away, it feels good that we kept the title within Hawaii.”
Chris Ward (USA) was another who was in blazing form all day, eliminating former three-time ASP World Champion and two-time defending Rip Curl Pro winner (2006, 2007) Andy Irons (HAW) and 2007 ASP World Tour runner-up Taj Burrow (AUS) before coming up short against an in-form Irons.
“I’m not even bummed,” Ward said. “If I had come out of that one barrel, then I would have been in the Final, but I’ve had a great day and a 3rd place finish really helps me this year. The next event is in my backyard, Lower Trestles, and I’m pretty confident out there. I’ll be spending a lot of time preparing for that event, but first I am going to enjoy this magical island and all the beautiful waves it has to offer.”
Tiago Pires (PRT), 2008 Dream Tour rookie, put in the best performance of his young career, dispatching of eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) in Round 3 before rampaging through to an equal 3rd place finish.
“This is the best result of my career and it takes the pressure off of me to get a 3rd at the halfway point this season,” Pires said. “I don’t know what it will do to the ratings, but it should help me and give me a better seed going into Lower Trestles. I have a pretty busy summer. I am doing all the ASP WQS events in Europe so it is a lot of surfing for me coming up.”
All Rip Curl Pro Search videos, photos and news are available via http://live.ripcurl.com/

HUGE BACK 2 SCHOOL SALE

2008-07-31T16:32:00.001-07:00

Huge Back to School Sale at all locations. Dont miss out.

Sale Features:

- 20-50% Off All Clothing
- Free Tee Shirt with $50 Purchase
- Huge Sidewalk Sale at All Locations
- All items online on sale: CLICK HERE

Join Us August 8th, 9th, & 10th at all HSS Locations.

Locations:
- Pierside: 300 Pacific Coast HWY, Huntington Beach CA, 92648. (714) 841-4000

- Girls Store: 126 Main St. Huntington Beach CA, 92648. (714) 374-6266

- Warner: 3801 Warner Ave. Huntington Beach, CA 92647. (714) 846-0181

- Bella Terra: 7777 Edinger Ave. Huntington Beach, CA 92647. (714) 800-0900

THE RIP CURL PRO "SOMEWHERE IN INDO" IS ON NOW!

2008-07-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Tuesday, July 29, 2008) - The Rip Curl Pro Search, stop No. 6 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, has announced that swell is set to pulse "somewhere" in Indonesia for a Day 1 start of this year’s event.
Surfline, official forecasters for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search event, have indicated that the region in Indonesia is expected to see solid surf in the double-overhead to triple-overhead range from a Southwest swell on the opening day of competition, Wednesday, July 30, 2008.
Kelly Slater (USA), eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader on the 2008 ASP World Tour, has won an impressive four out of five events this season and is eager to get the Rip Curl Pro Search event underway should the swell deliver.
"It’s always exciting to come somewhere new and have swell be on the horizon," Slater said. "Things have gone really well for me this season, but my luck will run out sooner or later and I’ll need to put some hard work in. I think the points don’t really reflect how close it really is and the title race is far from over."
Mick Fanning (AUS), defending ASP World Champion and former winner of the Rip Curl Pro Search event (2005), is current sitting 4th on the ASP World Tour ratings and will be one of the marquee athletes to perform at this year’s venue.
"Each year, it’s exciting to find out where the Rip Curl Pro Search event is going to be held," Fanning said. "I’ve been here a few times before and the waves and the locals and the culture are all fantastic and I’m really looking forward to starting the event."
Komang "Gogo" Suijaya (IDN), winner of the ISC Padang Cup and wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere, will face Slater and Timmy Reyes (USA) in the opening round of competition.
"To be awarded the wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro Search is just a dream," Suijaya said. "To be competing against my heroes like Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater and Pancho Sullivan is really exciting and I hope we get great waves."
Suijaya will join fellow wildcards Owen Wright (AUS) and I Made Garut Widiart (IDN) and Bruno Santos (BRA) against the world’s best surfers when competition commences.
Jordy Smith (ZAF), former ASP World Junior Champion and current No. 16 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, has had a mixed bag of results this season, most recently securing an equal 9th in South Africa.
"I’m not really too concerned with results at this point," Smith said. "Rookie of the Year would be cool, but it’s my first year on the ASP World Tour and I’m just learning a lot. I haven’t been to lots of the places on tour so it’s cool to go and check out the waves and the culture and the scene."
The location for this year’s Rip Curl Pro Search event isanother spot that Smith is infamiliar with, but the powerfulnatural-footer will look to consolidate in Indonesia.
"I’ve only been to this year’s Search venue once before and it was about one-foot when I went," Smith said. "It’s a sick spot though and I know they’ve had waves the past few weeks so hopefully it will pump for the event."
The waiting period for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Seach begins tomorrow, Wednesday, July 30, 2008 and extends through to August 10, 2008.
The event will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com/
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPSHeat 1: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jay Thompson (AUS), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Travis Logie (ZAF)Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Tiago Pires (PRT)Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Jihad Khodr (BRA)Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW), Dane Reynolds (USA), Daniel Ross (AUS)Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Roy Powers (HAW), Ricky Basnett(ZAF)Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Bruno Santos (BRA)Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA), Tim Reyes (USA), Komang Å¨ogoSuijaya(IDN)Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS), Taylor Knox (USA), Owen Wright (AUS)Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS), Bruce Irons (HAW), I Made Garut Widiart (IDN)Heat 11: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Chris Ward (USA), Ben Bourgeois (USA)Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF)Heat 13: Luke Stedman (AUS), Luke Munro (AUS), Daniel Wills (AUS)Heat 14: Dean Morrison (AUS), Mick Campbell (AUS), Leonardo Neves (BRA)Heat 15: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)Heat 16: Dayyan Neve (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Mikael Picon (FRA)

Congrats Surfers' Hall of Fame Inductees - 2008

2008-07-25T11:48:00.001-07:00

Congrats to the 2008 Surfers' Hall Of Fame Inductees:

Mike Parsons
Brad Gerlach
Sean Collins
Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew

Thanks to everyone who came out. More pictures to come.

Bustin Down The Door Premier @ HSS Bella Terra

2008-07-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Last night Shaun Tomson, Rabbit Bartholomew, PT, Ian Cairns, Mark Richards, and Michael Tomson were on hand at HSS Bella Terra to help celebrate the premier of "Bustin Down The Door" It was an incredibly special night! The movie itself is a must see for anyone who surfs! It chronicles the lives of a few hungry surfers that turned the surfing world upside down in the mid '70's and eventually helped launched professional surfing as we know it today. It is one of those special stories that can't ever happen again. Click Here for showtimes and locations. There are still a few Bustin Down The Door t-shirts available... Get yours today before they are gone!

Bustin Down The Door is finally Here!

2008-07-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

BUSTIN’ DOWN THE DOOR chronicles a tumultuous two-year period of competitive and cultural clashes in the mid-Seventies in surfing's Mecca - Hawaii's North Shore of Oahu - as a small crew of Australians and South Africans set out with attitude and determination to change the world of surfing. Framed around the emerging careers of World Champions-to-be Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards, Bustin’ documents how these young men risked everything to become the best surfers in the world, and how their courage and vision began a cultural revolution that led to the birth of professional surfing and ultimately what has become today's billion-dollar surf industry.
This is an absolute "must-see" film for every surfer. It debut's at The Lido in Newport Beach on Friday July 25th at 1:00 PM. We will be having an autograph signing with MR, Rabbit, Shaun Tomson, Ian Cairns, PT, and Michael Tomson on Wednesday, July 23rd @ 5 pm at HSS at Bella Terra and also Saturday July 26th @ 2pm at HSS on Main and PCH(across from the pier).
There is also a "Bustin' Down The Door" limited edition T-shirt available only at HSS and http://www.hsssurf.com/.

US Open 2008 - Signing Schedule

2008-07-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 19
1:00 pm Cobian - TJ Baron, Matt Beacham, Will Tant, Sterling Spencer, Christian Saenz, Alana Mock, Dane Johnson, Tyler Hallen

2:00 pm Electric - Kalani Robb, Brad Gerlach, Gabe Kling, Jay Quinn, Dylan Graves, Micah Byrne, Dean Randazzo, Blake Jones, Andrew Doheny, Riley Metcalf, Jeremy Johnston, Raoni Monteiro

3:00 pm Smith - Josh Hoyer, Alek Parker, Asher Nolan, Alex Smith

Sunday, July 20
1:00 pm Freestyle -Cory Lopez, Anthony Walsh, Alek Parker, Teddy Navarro, Adam Virs, Sage Erickson

2:00 pm Surf Stronger - Serena Brooke

3:00 pm Etnies

Thursday, July 24
12:00 pm SPY -
1:00 pm Globe - CJ Hobgood, Damien Hobgood, Yadin Nicol, Spencer Regan, Corry Arrambide, Dane Zaun

2:00 pm Sanuk - Donavon Frankenreiter, Timmy Turner, Alana Blanchard, Torrey Meister, Phillip Goold

3:00 pm O’neill - Sage Erikson, Kyla Langen, Malia Manuel, Kaleigh Gilchrest

4:00 pm Rusty

5:00 pm Vans

Friday, July 25
10:00 am Surfers’ Hall of Fame - Inductees: Mike Parsons, Brad Gerlach, Sean Collins, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholemew

1:00 pm Quiksilver - Julian Wilson, Dylan Graves

2:00 pm RVCA - Makua Rothman, BJ Penn, Alex Knost, Mickey Avalon

3:00 pm Volcom

4:00 pm Von Zipper - Mike Parsons, TJ Baron, Josh Kerr, Tiago Pierez, Donavon Frankenreiter

5:00 pm Roxy

Saturday, July 26
12:00 pm HSS - AJ Collins, Micah Byrne, Lisa Andersen, Brett Simpson, Taylor Pai, Brad Ettinger, Andrew Doheny, Christian Saenz, Courtney Conlogue

1:00 pm CHOC - Mike Parsons, Peter Mel

2:00 pm Bustin’ Down the Door - Mark Richards, Shaun Tomson, Ian Carrins, Rabbit Bartholemew, Peter Townend

3:00 pm Matix - Gabe Kling, Micah Byrne, Ricky Whitlock, Brian Toth

4:00 pm DVS - Jordy Smith, Corey Lopez, Gabe Kling, Chris Ward

5:00 pm Billabong - Dane Zaun, Torrey Meister, Kolohe Andino, Tamaroh McComb

Sunday, July 27
12:00 pm Hurley - Brett Simpson, Yadin Nicol, Hank Gaskell, Kai Barger, Dillon Perillo, Joel Centio, and others

1:00 pm DaKine - Kalani Robb, Ian Walsh, Mike Losness, Hank Gaskell, Kai Barger, Cala Alexander, Ben Bourgeois, Eric Geiselman

2:00 pm Hoven - Tim Curran, Occy, Teddy Navarro, Corey Duffel

See you There!

The US Open of Surfing Starts Tomorrow!

2008-07-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when the best surfers from around the world converge on good ol' HB to do battle on the Southside of the Huntington Beach Pier. Mens competition starts tomorrow at 8:00 am. We will also have all the pros signing autographs out in front of HSS(300 PCH). As usual the US Open T-shirts here and looking insane! Check 'em out Here!

Slater Scalps Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Fourth ASP Victory This Season

2008-07-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Thursday, July 17, 2008) – He’s done it again. Eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) beat reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) today to win the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, earn his 38th ASP World Tour victory and claim the fourth event on the 2008 ASP World Tour.
“I didn’t realize I was going to be overwhelmed by it, but I haven’t been in this position before, at this point of the year, with this many wins,” Slater said. “There are great things going on in my life so I’m just trying to soak it up and be appreciative.”
Surfing his 14th season on the ASP World Tour, Slater is still the only member of the Top 45 to win an event this season. The one tournament Slater lost was won by an event wildcard. He now has a 1262 point lead on World No. 2 Joel Parkinson and is in commanding contention to claim his 9th ASP World Title.
“I’ve put a lot of years in obviously, it’s been my life on so many levels for so long, in a way I was trying to pull back from it, but also I do love it,” Slater said. “I get a lot of enjoyment out of competing because competing really pushes your level. The best performances in the world are on tour.”
Slater beat Fanning 16.73 to 9.40 in the Billabong Pro Final. While conditions early this morning were clean and six foot (two metre), onshore winds made the semifinal and final tricky.
“It was really challenging,” Slater said. “You really have to change your frame of mind because we were looking at waves the other day where we were getting 30-45 second rides and doing six to eight maneuvers and now we’re looking at waves where if you get three moves it’s a good score. It’s really hard to change your perception on how you are going to surf a wave. I didn’t really catch on until the very end of that heat when I realized I could get a three move wave and probably seal it.”
With six events remaining, there is still a possibility the title could be clinched by another surfer on the ASP World Tour roster, but the probability that will happen is small – something Slater’s competition knows all too well.
“I’d like to think I have it the bag but I have to be realistic, it’s early on – we’re not quite half way yet,” Slater said. “We have 11 events this year and this is number five. Last year at this point I was looking at Mick [Fanning] that way. He had a first, a couple seconds and a third so I’d imagine being on the same side of that coin and looking at someone with four firsts and a throwaway is probably tough to look at.”
Only one member of the Top 45, Taylor Knox, is older than Slater. At 36, Slater already owns the title of youngest and oldest ASP World Title winner. He won his last World Title at age 34 in 2006.
“When I was a kid I would never have imagined a guy who is 36 winning four events on tour, let alone having a chance at the world title, so I’m just trying to soak that up,” Slater said.
Fanning was understandably disappointed to lose his second final of the year to Slater – the two met in the final of the first event of the year on the Gold Coast of Australia too.
“I surfed like an idiot,” Fanning said. “I had the opportunity to win the whole thing and I fell and I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened, I just had a shocker. I was feeling great, I just couldn’t stay on my board.”
Fanning, who was hoping to defend his ASP World Title this year can’t help but take a defeatist’s look at the 2008 title race.
“I guess it’s not over ‘till it’s over, but it’s like climbing Everest and he’s halfway up the bloody hill,” Fanning said.
Fanning moved to 4th with his second place result at Jeffreys Bay. He beat last year’s World No. 2 and the defending Billabong Pro Champion Taj Burrow (AUS) in the semifinals. Burrow now sits 5th on the ratings.
“I’m pretty disappointed,” Burrow said. “Mick just wave-ed me to death basically. He picked the absolute best waves and must have surfed them pretty well because he got a 9.00. I got really crap waves and tried my guts out to try to do some turns and throw airs but it was just really choppy and hard. I needed to be more patient really.”
Burrow, like most of his compatriots, shares Fanning’s sentiments on Slater’s victory today.
“Kelly wins another final, enough said, unbelievable.” Burrow said. “The door is really closing as far as I can see it. He’s got a ridiculous amount of keepers now so… how many events left? Not enough!”
Slater beat Parkinson in a close semifinal en route to the final. He stays in 2nd on the leaderboard with the result.
“Conditions really deteriorated but I had my chances but I let one or two waves go that I probably shouldn’t have I could have got my scores on them,” Parkinson said. “It’s hard to tell because you stand up on a wave and it looks like it’s going to be a piece of crap and it turns into a good wave or you stand up on a wave that looks good and it turns into a piece of crap. That’s the nature of the game.”
The next event on the 2008 ASP World Tour remains undisclosed. The “Search” event will be held July 30-August 10, 2008, “Somewhere.”
For more details visit www.aspworldtour.com and www.billabongpro.com.

Slater Sets the Pace Heading into the Business End of the Billabong Pro

2008-07-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

(Wednesday, July 16, 2008) – Kelly Slater (USA), professional surfing’s most decorated athlete, showed no signs of slowing down in Jeffreys Bay today. The eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader blitzed in both his Round 3 and Round 4 Billabong Pro clashes.
Slater defeated Travis Logie (ZAF) 19.14 to 12.06 in Heat 8 of Round 3 before beating Tom Whitaker (AUS) 18.03 to 10.67 in the last heat of the day.
“The waves just came in in that heat,” Slater said. “Tom had a few good ones, but I ended up getting the one big long one with a lot of sections on it. I think I got about eight turns in and then got that little tube at the end. Sometimes you just will your way into certain things and believe it’s going to happen and it does.”
Slater will now meet current ASP World No. 4 Adriano de Souza (BRA) in Quarterfinal 2.
“Adriano gets it done,” Slater said. “He’s learned a lot over the past couple of years and he’s been impressive out here. He’s been really fast and throwing a lot of spray, and doing a lot of turns, so I’m definitely not going to underestimate him.”
Slater’s closest competition, Joel Parkinson (AUS), relished a narrow victory over fellow Australian Kai Otton in the first heat of Round 4.
“Kai needed an 8.2, he got an 8.1 and he lost by .1,” Parkinson said. “A win is a win. I think I was kind of lucky in a way, but it’s a good result for me. My goal was to lift a little I felt like I had another notch in me and going into tomorrow everyone is going to be surfing really well.”
Parkinson is currently rated ASP World No. 2. With Slater still in Billabong Pro contention Parkinson knows he has to keep the pace. He will face World No. 3 Bede Durbidge (AUS) in Quarterfinal 1.
“You can’t really slack off at any point now because Kelly has got such a lead,” Parkinson said. “I pretty much have to win all my heats so I’ll try that. I can’t really do anything about what he does, but hopefully come some point toward the end of the yea, I’m still there with a chance.”
Defending Champion Taj Burrow (AUS) beat South African Royden Bryson in Round 3 and has yet to surf Round 4 – only heats one through four of that round were run today. Burrow will meet another South African in Jordy Smith in Heat 7 of Round 4.
“Jordy is a tough heat for sure,” Burrow said. “He’s gotten better and better and he’s got the local crowd behind him and he knows this wave so it will be good.”
Burrow beat Smith in the semifinals of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in 2006 when Smith was surfing the event as a wildcard. As the sole South African remaining in the event, both Smith and the local crowd will be looking for revenge.
“I lost to Taj a couple of years ago, so hopefully we get the waves and we’ll see what happens,” Smith said. “I’d love to get him back but Taj is surfing really, really well.”
France’s Jeremy Flores will meet three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) in the last heat of Round 4. Both surfers escaped elimination by advancing out of Round 3 today.
“Andy is one of my favorite surfers and I’ve looked up to him since I was a little kid so having a heat with him is a pleasure,” Flores said. “If I win I’ll be so happy, if I lose it will be kind of normal so I just have to do my best!”
Twenty heats of competition were run in the four to six foot (two metre) conditions on offer today. Only 11 heats of the Billabong Pro remain.
The first heat in the water when Round 4 resumes will be Heat 5 featuring reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and Hawaiian Bruce Irons. A former winner at JBay, Fanning seems unfazed by his current 7th place rating and is instead concentrating on the second half of 2008.
“I’m surfing good,” Fanning said. “I’ve just had one bad result this year, so that’s a good base for me for the rest of the tour and I really enjoy the second half of the year.”
Chances are excellent that a Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Champion will be crowned tomorrow. An official call on competition status will be made at 7am. Check out www.billabongpro.com later tonight to watch all the action!