Hurting for summer surf
Friday - May 18, 2007
| Share
Del.icio.us
Winners of the VQS Totally Crustaceous Surfing
Championships in Newport Beach include our own
Coco Ho
Howzit, surfers and beachgoers!
We’ve passed the middle of May with smallest surf all year since Mom’s Day; it averaged flat to 1.5 feet. However, we just had two tiny bumps for the North Shore, and the South Shore is expected to finally light up starting late Saturday. It always turns around.
Indeed, the South Shore should stay fun all weekend, plus next week and beyond with three back-to-back swells filtering in. The long range looks better for country, as well, for some overhead waves somewhere near the last week of May. When you’re “hurting” for some surf it helps to remember that deprivation increases the pleasure when waves finally arrive. You know the drill - can’t appreciate the sun without some clouds and rain, or how about you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?
The Billabong Pro in Tahiti will be gone (done) by the time you read this and we’ll have a winner of the Fosters ASP World Tour’s third event. This surf in this event in Tahiti was the smallest ever until they made a good judgement - for the second time in ASP history a contest deadline was extended. However, from what I heard the final seven heats are going to rock hard in heavy Chopo off the main Island of Papaetee. There’s a BIG swell coming and they want to finish in classic g-narly style.
This wave at Teahupoo is pretty much the undisputed heaviest, most feared wave on the entire tour - including Pipeline. It’s the only spot pros say that’s not rideable over 10 feet unless you tow.
I agree. The wave has no back to it, but unloads thousands of tons of steel blue ocean onto a shallow reef far off the coast. Boats sit in the channel and scramble for the best shots - or their lives ... depending. It’s a circus of unparallel beauty and treachery.You better be !@#$ sure you want to be a WCT pro and be willing to risk it all. It makes me appreciate these guys - they can die doing their job.
On the safer side of surf, the Quiksilver ISA World Juniors is pau and the Aussies win overall. In a thrilling day for junior surfing, team Australia and two of its young stars took home gold medals on the final day of the 2007 World Junior Surfing Championships in Costa de Caparica, Portugal. Hawaii did win the Aloha Cup over Australia, France and South Africa. Just wait till next year. Hawaii will bring back the gold.
One of Hawaii’s brightest upand-coming surf stars is 16-year-old Coco Ho, daughter of Legendary Michael Ho. She’s just won the VQS Totally Crustaceous Surfing Championships in Newport Beach. This is part of the “qualifying series” in which one must do well to become a full time world touring pro. It’s the most grueling dues-paying aspect to becoming a pro surfer. Coco continues to prove that she’s a serious competitor. Her bright, energetic persona mixed with her flair in the surf shall suit her and her sponsors well now and in the future. So will the $7,000 she earned. Watch Coco closely, along with Carissa Moore.
Have you sent in your Local Motion Surf Into Summer Entries? Better hurry if you want to be part of Hawaii’s largest surf contest. It’s a three-day surf extravaganza off Magic Island all Memorial Day Weekend. I can’t wait. Oh yeah, the Bowl will be waiting for all of you. Log on now to LOCAL-MOTIONHAWAII.COM and grab your entry there or at any of the outlets.
That’s going to be my surf wrap for this week. Ill finally get into some waves with you over the weekend!
See you out there!
Thanks to Kenny Morris and Tom Carey for the photo of the Volcom winners.
GQ, Dropping In 4 U!
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS Comments (0) |
Most Recent Comment(s):
