Lots of paddling

Certainly got a paddle workout today, Currumbin with a 25knot southerly and a strong sweep. No real air sections just some big fat walls to carve on.

a few pics by Ming here

The long road to Portugal

I cant believe its been 5 months since I sat on the waveski at the US open in Ventura. Well the Kayak is now on the rack until the end of August and training for the Waveski Worlds now starts in earnest. My first surf at Fingal yesterday was a bit sketchy but still managed a few big moves, paddling is such a bitch compared to the Kayak I think I need to lose some weight.

A couple of pics here

2011 Santa Cruz (USA) PaddleFest "survivalfest"

50 knot onshore winds, rain squalls, hail and 15feet + surf, would you go out? Talk about victory at sea this was crazy stuff. For the first time in 25 years the conditions beat the contest which finished up on Saturday as organisers thought the infrastructure wouldn't survive on Sunday. Galen surfed smart again to take the main prize. I needed a score of 66 in my Saturday heat to take the win but fell just short with a 63. I did get to surf Steamer Lane all by myself though. The article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel says it all, check it out here

A few waves on the Gold Coast

In between watching a few heats of the Quicksilver Pro I managed a to get a few waves in at Greenmount and Fingal in final preparation for Santa Cruz.

Pics by Ming here

Quicksilver Pro 2011

Each year we usually go down to Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast and check out the surfing action from the first event of the ASP World Tour. Kelly Slater once again showed everyone who's king and won the competition in some classic surf. In some unbelievable surfing from the girls Carrisa Moore edged out Tyler Wright in the women's final.

Check out the action here

An interview with John "Christo" Christensen

Things just wouldn't be the same without John Christensen's contribution's to the sport of waveski surfing. The interview might be 20 years old but gives a great insight into one of the greatest competitors the sport will ever see. The cover shot is of Simon Ramsay a talented young rider in the 90's

Check it out here

Random boys at play

John McGrath put this great video together of some craziness out at Old Woman Island. This is not somewhere you want to go for a swim.

Check it out here

Surf Ski Quarterly

Back in the late 80's early 90's Dave Butler and John Christensen produced Surf Ski Quarterly a magazine dedicated to waveski surfing. I just happen to have a few copies lying around so I thought I'd scan a few articles in to relive the glory days of the sport. Here's an interview with Col Samways who's still going full steam ahead with Wavemaster. By the way thats Craig Dinning on the front cover who still rips on his ski around the South Sydney area

Check it out here