Stop No. 3 of 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Rio Pro utilized the entirety of the event waiting period, culminating in a high-performance showdown from the ASP Top 34 amidst a bevy of barrels and ramps of Barra Da Tijuca.

Smith showed an incredible variety of technical airs and turns in the Final against De Souza, launching a massive straight frontside air for a 9.33 and a stailfish air-reverse for an 8.50 to top De Souza for the win. The Billabong Rio Pro victory marks the third career ASP WCT event win for Smith and his first away from South African soil.

“This win feels unbelievable,” Smith said. “It’s another dream come true. I knew I could win a World Tour event, but I had to prove to myself that I could do it away from South Africa. Thanks to crowd and Adriano (de Souza). He’s been ripping the whole event. Thanks to all of my friends and family for all of the amazing support.”

Smith’s run to the final was nothing short of amazing as the South African powerhouse defeated dangerous rookie Filipe Toledo (BRA), 18, and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, en route to the Final. Smith attributed today’s success to his ability to adapt to both his competitors and the ever-changing conditions of Barra Da Tijuca.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Smith said. “I was really nervous in the first heat against Filipe (Toledo). Luckily I got through that one and when I came up against Mick I waited for better waves. When the swell dropped against Adriano and he took to the sky, I knew I was going to have to do the same, but luckily I got a couple of scores.”

Smith now sits at No. 2 on the ASP WCT Rankings.

De Souza, 2011 Billabong Rio Pro winner, went on a rampage to advance to his second career Billabong Rio Pro Final, eliminating 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 41, and goofy-footer Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, but was unable to top Smith’s devastating form in the Final.

“I did my best out there and thanks to the crowd for being behind me 100 percent,” De Souza said. “Congrats to Jordy (Smith). He beat me in the final from start to finish. I’m so happy to be here representing Brazil. Jordy was the best out there today and congrats to him.”

De Souza’s win at Bells Beach combined with his Runner-Up effort today at the Billabong Rio Pro vaults the hard-working Brazilian to the No.1 position over then rankings leader Kelly Slater, highlighting his chances to be the first-ever Brazilian ASP World Champion.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, was incredible on the final day of competition, earning a perfect 10-point ride for a lengthy barrel-to-air combination in the Quarterfinals. The high-flying Brazilian was equally dangerous in his Semifinals bout against fellow countryman Adriano de Souza with a stout 17.50 out of 20 heat total, but fell just short of a final appearance despite a valiant last-second effort, finishing equal 3rd.

“It’s so hard to get that close to the final and lose, but it was a good event for me,” Medina said. “My ankle injury has finally healed so that’s good progress for my season and congratulations to Adriano on the heat win. Hopefully I can do better in Fiji.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, matched his Billabong Rio Pro result from 2012 with a Semifinals finish. Fanning looked deadly in his Quarterfinals victory over ASP WCT rookie Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 24, but was unable to find a rhythm against Jordy Smith in their Semifinals clash.

“It would have been good to go one better, but the semis is good,” Fanning said. “This whole week was so tricky and it was one where you had your heart in your mouth whole time. I think I went out there and over-thought it. I got way too excited watching Jordy, Filipe, Adriano and Medina and tried airs and embarrassed myself. The waves I had at the start didn’t really allow turns so I thought I’d go for airs and find waves that allowed turns at the end and it didn’t work out. Congrats to Jordy. He’s been surfing great this whole event.”

Fanning, current No. 3 on the ASP WCT Rankings following his Semifinals finish, has been incredibly consistent throughout the opening events of 2013, is now hoping to carry the momentum from Brazil to the next event in Fiji.

“We saw upsets go down early and you come to this event and can’t expect anything,” Fanning said. “Last year we watched Gabe (Medina) go down in the first heat, so a Semifinals result here is good and I have three out of three keepers for the season. I’ve had a couple of good weeks.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 41, 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 4, was near-flawless in yesterday’s action but was out of rhythm in the opening Quarterfinal of the morning against De Souza.

“I thought there were a lot more waves than there ended up being and didn’t make the adjustment during the heat,” Slater said. “Adriano (de Souza) did and that made all the difference. Quarterfinals is not the worst resul – it’s better than I went last year. It was a long wait this window and if I had waited that whole time and lost yesterday, I would have been bummed. I’ll take a 5th and look ahead to Fiji.”

The next stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Volcom Fiji Pro from June 2 – 14, 2013.

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.80
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.34

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.64 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.50
SF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 8.26

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.33 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.30
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.43 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.93
QF 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.50 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.37
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.76 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.07

ASP WCT TOP 5 SURFERS (Following Billabong Rio Pro);
1. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18,500 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18,250 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18,200 pts
4. Kelly Slater (USA) 16,950 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15,700 pts

On a Saturday in March, under a warm Hawaii sky in Waimanalo, the spirit and culture of Hawaiian tradition was very much alive and well. The cathedral-like ridges of the Ko’olau mountain range were the ideal backdrop for an afternoon spent at the Hui Malama O Ke Kai ‘Ohana Strengthening Workshop Series: Kalai Papa He’e Nalu (Surfboard Making). Taking place over the course of 15 weeks at the Waimanalo Teen Center, keiki, teens, and parents gathered together for a hands-on experience shaping their own traditional surfboards. Led by waterman and HPU professor, Ian Akahi Masterson, the workshop was made possible through Hui Malama O Ke Kai (HMK) or “the group that takes care of the ocean.”

Fine curls of wood shavings scattered on the grass as rasp hand sanders were used against the grain of the boards. While the surfboard shaping is the focal activity, the real purpose behind the workshop is family strengthening. Malia Greaney, former HMK Director/member of the Board of Directors and current Program Evaluator, mother of two, and Molokai native spoke about the purpose and importance of this grass roots organization. Community-based and non-profit, HMK began 15 years ago through the efforts of ocean-minded and youth development people such as Jerry Vasconcellos, Nani Akeo, Sharon Majit-Gorion, Eric Bunyan, Kawika Eckart, Sonya Evensen, and others. These surfers, body surfers, lifeguards, and canoe paddlers recognized the need for a free after-school program for the keiki. Furthermore, a program that taught kids to be safe in and love the ocean and stay grounded through Hawaiian culture and values.

Hired to teach the classes, Ian, big-wave surfer, father of three, and former HMK Program Specialist/Curriculum Developer, learned to shape and ride traditional Hawaiian surfboards. He too recognizes the great value of this ‘ohana strengthening program. “The seminar uses Hawaiian culture to bring families and individuals back to nature, which is the main thing that needs our attention.” The keiki of HMK are taught from the beginning that whatever happens on the land effects the health of the ocean; believing that it is ours to both enjoy and care for. We take care of it and it takes of care of us. Proving to be very popular, the multi-week family approach to teaching Hawaiian values through traditional surfboard making is so innovative, it may be the first ever. Malia says, “The kids, their parents, and even grandparents keep coming back every week because they believe in it too”.

The various programs within HMK are designed to give kids and families a sense of pride and ownership through cultural practices and ocean activities, ultimately instilling a personal desire to care for their community and the land. The future is bright and it is in the hands of our keiki, and HMK aims to inspire good values at impressionable ages. Words like “pono” (righteousness), “malama” (care), “mana‘o” (knowledge), and “kuleana” (responsibility) floated through the air that day, testament to the survival of the native culture.

Malia and Ian, along with other members and supporters of the foundation, believe it is important to reclaim the pride and brilliance of native Hawaiians and share it with the community. What better way to do this than to begin with our keiki, by teaching them about the ways of the native people who lived in a true state of “lokahi” (unity, harmony) with the ocean and all of nature. Malia spoke passionately about the future of the program and the bigger picture of its efforts; “If we can regain it, it’s a lesson not only to Hawaii, but to the whole world…We’re going to heal ourselves as a people, claim it and regain it, so it can continue to service all of us.”

This process of traditional board shaping helps bring families closer and creates a sense of ownership and pride. The beautiful end product also hopefully stands as an heirloom for families to pass down through the generations, as this ancient art and practice once was. It provides meaningful time spent together, both during building and when surfing after the workshop. For the next few months, Ian will continue to share his knowledge; from cutting the plank to shape, planing out the rocker, carving the rails evenly, and applying the homemade kukui nut oil for water resistance, the families get to spend each Saturday crafting a symbol of tradition. Once the boards are finished, the families will test them out together in the waters of Waimanalo. They’ll learn to surf on the wood boards and share in an ancient sport of the ali‘i (royalty), helping keep it alive. The family strengthening and cultural values teaching will continue on through HMK’s unique after-school youth development and leadership programs, ‘ohana programming, and youth-and-family driven community service projects.

Alberto Ricordi, a Brazilian member of HMK’s Kalai Papa He’e Nalu (surfboard making) workshop, speaks about what he’s gained here in Waimanalo. “When we are doing these activities, everybody has the same challenges, it doesn’t matter if you are Brazilian or Hawaiian, you still have to have the patience and perseverance like everybody else.” Alberto also described how the inclusive seminar has been a different way to gain an understanding of Hawaiian culture. “This is a unique opportunity for intergeneration relationships. You don’t find this knowledge in books; you only learn it by doing it together, with other people… It’s passed down from generation to generation and hopefully the kids will be the ones in the future to be teaching the process.”

With such a positive impact seen in the keiki, families, and community of Waimanalo, HMK members anticipate similar programs growing out of other communities in Hawaii. Malia sees opportunity for growth and is excited for what lies ahead as she shared the most fulfilling part of her involvement in Hui Malama O Ke Kai, and it couldn’t be more radiant. “These children are so much more ready to face their futures and perpetuate their past. They go forward with confidence knowing the beauty and history of this land. That to me is the most fulfilling and beautiful part.”

For more information or to learn how you can help or get involved, please visit www.huimalamaokekai.org or contact Kathy Morris, HMK’s Executive Director, at (808) 258-6717.

By Jericho Rell

As surfers it’s difficult to imagine our lives without the reef. It is the major component that shapes some of the best waves in the world. Without these rock and coral formations, our ocean ecosystems would perish and waves wouldn’t be the same.

I met up with Leah Kamoiokalani Sausen, born and raised on the North Shore of Kauai. An avid surfer and activist for clean water and an intern at Kauai Surfrider Foundation, Leah offered some insight into the future of our oceans. I also met with her mentor Carl Berg, the chairman of Surfrider Foundation and a research scientist in water testing and ocean study.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.

What inspired you to join Surfrider?

Leah: Being born and raised here on the North shore of Kauai, I grew up with great appreciation for the land and the sea. Most of my childhood memories are at the beach. I love the beach and love surfing. I am really lucky to have a dad that shapes me custom boards. It makes surfing even more special, I get to take this board out that my dad put all his mana in and be in nature and ride some amazing waves and have fun. I feel that the ocean is a healing place and I always come out feeling better. It brings joy in my life. So joining Surfrider Foundation was just natural to me. I want to do something to make a difference whether it is fieldwork or educating others on issues.

What is the state of the reef right now?

In 2004, Surfrider Foundation brought in Dr. Greta Aeby from the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and a group of researchers to look at the diseased coral.

Carl Berg: What’s happened recently is that somebody has come and started diving around and noticing a lot of the reefs are dead. The long-term trend for Hanalei in there is about twenty-five percent live coral cover, which means there is seventy-five percent dead coral. Last summer when those groups came out, they didn’t find any major change in the present live coral cover. Dr. Aeby came and did find some diseased coral.

We have this huge set of data going for sixteen years that shows that the coral reefs here are holding their own and they are actually pretty good and the fish stocks are pretty good too. Now that’s not case everywhere. We do have events with a lot of sediment runoff. From the GMO fields on the Westside where all this mud washed in and smothered the reef. Things like that have happened in Kaneohe Bay as well. So we have major perturbations that have killed off the reefs. What the department of health is doing and has been doing for decades is monitoring the water at the beaches. And they are also monitoring it for public health.

Are we going to get sick if we swim in those waters? 

Carl Berg: The indicator of the health of the water is bacteria that comes from feces, so it’s fecal indicating bacteria that they do the tests for. Then we can say whether the water is contaminated with feces, which would indicate that there is a lot of diseases that would get us sick out there.

They don’t measure on a routine basis for chemicals. They do, and Leah does, measure the trepidity, or how muddy the water is. That is the measure of how much sediment is in the water and that affects the reefs too.

Leah: I was really interested in what the bacteria counts were where I would go surf. I started sampling Hanalei and Wainiha. So when our professor had us go out and get samples, I chose Hanalei River and it was ten times the amount of what it should be. And that day when I took the sample I saw kids playing right there. So that really inspired me to get involved with Surfrider.

What are the major factors affecting the reef of the islands?

Carl Berg: The structure and what they look like, and percentage of live coral cover that is really determined by the amount of wave action… The thirty, forty-footers that come in all the time. So the major driving factor of the coral reef health here is the surf.

The second thing that we are finding is the amount of sediment that is coming off. But my own research and what I think is most perturbing, is the affects of global climate change. As scientists we don’t know how these things are going to interact. Dr. Paul Jokiel at the University of Hawaii has been studying the affect of temperature and ocean acidification and it is killing off the reefs. I have been looking at ocean acidification throughout Hawaii.

So you have global scale perturbations coming down off the reef. Too many nutrients going in the water, too much mud going in the water, too many people walking on the reef, diving, anchoring on the reef, sewage runoff, runoff from agricultural lands, runoff from department of transportation.

How can we preserve the reef?

Carl Berg: This is a hard question because I am a scientist and I am doing work on ocean acidification and climate change. I think there’s no way we can preserve the reefs. The question is whether they are going to be gone in twenty years, thirty, one hundred, two hundred years. We’ve already hit the point where glaciers in Canada are melted. They are never going to come back again.

We have hit this tipping point where if we stopped putting out C02 today it would still be two hundred years before we got back to what we have. But we are not stopping it now. We are on this downhill slope. The only question is how fast are the reefs going to die off. Are they going to die off by diseases or by the hot water temperatures?

So I don’t think we can. But we can in the short term. The big thing is, this is happening in all the worlds’ oceans not just Hawaii. I don’t advocate not doing anything; we should still be taking measures.

How do you think as a surfing community and as individuals we can become involved?

Carl Berg: Speak out on any new developments and what’s happening to your sewage. If you see or smell something suspicious when you are out in the water you should speak out. Help clean up all the plastic, net patrol, don’t litter your cigarettes, and don’t buy bottled water.

What are the main reasons the reef is important?

Carl Berg:

1. It provides surf breaks.

2. Shoreline protection. It protects the shoreline from being totally washed away when the big waves come in.

3. Food source. It provides us food in the islands where we really have to become more self-sufficient. On this island we are remarkably self sufficient, we have a lot of people that are out there fishing.

4. Self-sufficiency. How we as an island become self sufficient, the reefs are going to help us do that. Especially with climate change and huge amounts of droughts we are going to lose all of our grasslands, all our cattle, food crops. We will become more dependent on the ocean, so the reefs are becoming more important to us. We also know if we over-fish, the reefs will be taken over by seaweed and destroy the ecosystem.

Leah: For all of those who share this love or gain from surfing whether you are a pro surfer or a soul surfer, give back, (not saying that they don’t do their part). Maybe start by making small choices like limiting plastic- no bottled water… or educating. Volunteering in net patrol and beach clean ups. I always think of this quote from a childhood friend:

“…Surfing always makes you feel better. No matter what, when I’m in the water, even if I don’t catch a wave and just swim in the ocean, I always come out a better person.” -Andy Irons

Team South Africa is the new 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games Team Champion.  South Africans is the winner of the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, named and donated by the long-time ISA President who was first elected in 1994 and has been diligently working on fulfilling the ISA’s mission of developing the sport of surfing around the world.

Additionally, the Team Champion received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President’s Trophy and the “Copa V Centenario Del Descubrimiento Del Oceano Pacifico,” or 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean.

South Africa’s Shaun Joubert is the new Men’s Reef ISA World Surfing Games Champion. With powerful turns and aerial tactics, Joubert earned the Gold Medal.

Shaun Joubert from South Africa. Photo: ISA/ Michael Tweddle

Australia’s Dimity Stoyle is the new Women’s Reef ISA World Surfing Games Champion. Stoyle earned the Gold Medal with a high scoring wave in the last minutes of her heat.

Dimity Stoyle from Australia. Photo: ISA/ Rommel Gonzales

“This has been a very intense week of waves and hot weather in Panama along with the warmth from the Panamanian people who have welcomed us during this whole time,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “I know that at times we didn’t have the waves that we wanted, but being patient with the waves is part of being a good surfer understanding that waves come and go just like in life we have to take the time so we can find the best.”

“To all of you that have come to Panama for this event, I give my warmest congratulations,” continued Aguerre. “Some of you are going to take home medals, most of you won’t, but all of you are champions for having made it to Panama as members of your National Surfing Teams. I hope that all of you will go home as friends of Santa Catalina, Soná and Panama and whenever you think of a surfing vacation in a good destination with warm water and good waves, you think of Panama.”

The swell predicted by Surfline, the official forecasters of the event, arrived with clean surf in the chest to head-high range. An onshore breeze picked up in the afternoon, but the waves remained consistent and pumping all day.

The perfect reef break of Santa Catalina allowed the world’s best surfers to compete at their highest potential and fight for the Team Championship and individual Gold Medals.

The Final Day started with a long way for the surfers in the Repechage who had to surf up to 3 different heats to make it to the Grand Final.

In the Women’s Repechage, Australia’s Codie Klein had a great start to the day earning 15.27 defeating Dominic Barona (ECU, 9.16) and Kelly Ann Laide (PUR, 5.24). Klein continued to the Grand Final were she got second place earning the Silver Medal.

The Women’s Final featured Australia’s Dimity Stoyle, teammate Klein, New Zealand’s Ella Williams and Brazil’s Suelen Naraisa.

South Africa’s Shaun Joubert is the new Men’s Champion and Australia’s Dimity Stoyle is the Open Women’s Champion at the Reef ISA World Surfing Games. Photo: ISA/Rommel Gonazales

Stoyle was in third place until in the last few minutes of the heat, when she posted the heat’s highest single wave score of 9.50, to take the lead and the Gold Medal. In second place, earning the Silver Medal was Klein (AUS, 12.63), followed by Suelen Naraisa (BRA, 12.47) earning the Bronze Medal, and Ella Williams (NZL, 10.83) with the Copper Medal.

“It is a such an honor to be on the Australian Team; it means everything to all of us,” said the Gold Medalist, Stolye. “We came here and we just wanted to do it for the team more than for ourselves.”

The Men’s Repechage Final had a nerve-wracking fight for the final two spots in the Grand Final. Australia’s Russell Molony won with 13.37 points and in the last minute the local favorite Jean Carlos “Oli” Gonzalez managed to get a place in the Final earning 10.80 tying Chile’s Guillermo Satt (10.80) and defeating Argentina’s Leandro Usuna (9.97). Oli advanced to the final because he had the highest single wave score.

To finish the event, the Men’s Final featured Shaun Joubert (RSA), Cristobal de Col (PER), Russell Moloney (AUS) and the local hero, Gonzales. The South African, in the first minutes of the heat took the lead earning an impressive 9.33 points. He then backed it up 8.33 solidifying his lead. The Panamanian was the only one within reach, but was unable to find the right wave to get the necessary score to move up to first place.

In the end, Joubert (RSA, 17.66) earned the Gold Medal, Gonzalez (PAN, 14.90) earned the Silver Medal, Cristobal de Col (PER, 12.93) earned the Bronze Medal and Russell Molony (AUS, 6.93) earned the Copper Medal.

“I really enjoyed the waves in Panama, we had amazing waves all the event,” said the Gold Medalist Shaun Joubert. “It’s nice to come as a team and actually be at the beach cheering the other guys and you want your team to do well. It’s fun to see all the flags and people from other countries; it’s a special event.”

The local, “Oli,” made history by being the first Panamanian to win a medal in the ISA World Surfing Games.

When the surfing competition concluded, the Closing Ceremony took place to officially close the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games and award the team trophies and individual medals.

Team Panama and South Africa at the Closing Ceremony. Photo: ISA/ Rommel Gonzales

Official Results:

Overall Team Results:

1. South Africa- 11,102 points and Winner of the Fernando Aguerre World Team Champion Trophy, The IOC President’s Trophy, the 5th Century Cup of the Discovery of the Pacific Ocean and the Gold Medal

2. Australia- 10,332 points, Silver Medal

3. Peru- 9,636 points, Bronze Medal

4. Brazil- 9,146 points, Copper Medal

5. Panama- 7,946 points

6. Costa Rica- 7,678 points

7. Argentina- 7,422 points

8. Chile- 7,286 points

9. Venezuela- 7,000 points

10. Mexico- 6,752 points

11. Ecuador- 6,630 points

12. New Zealand- 6,620 points

13. Puerto Rico- 6,520 points

14. Japan- 6,116 points

15. Italy- 6,060 points

16. El Salvador- 5,400 points

17. Guatemala- 4,866 points

18. Switzerland- 4,504 points

19. Uruguay- 3,732 points

20. Jamaica- 3,096 points

21. Turkey- 1,152 points

22. Canada- 720 points

23. Sweden- 720 points

24. Russia- 576 points

The top 7 placing teams will qualify for the ISA China Cup, the ISA’s signature event that is held annually in January on Hainan Island in the South China Sea.

Open Men’s:
Shaun Joubert (RSA), Gold Medal
Jean Carlos “Oli” Gonzalez (PAN), Silver Medal
Cristobal de Col (PER), Bronze Medal
Russell Molony (AUS), Copper Medal

Open Women’s
Dimity Stoyle (AUS), Gold Medal
Codie Klein (AUS), Silver Medal
Suelen Naraisa (BRA), Bronze Medal
Ella Williams (NZL), Copper Medal

For a full list of results visit: http://isawsg.com/results/

For the full event coverage with daily videos and photo galleries visit- http://isawsg.com/

The 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games officially opened Saturday, May 4, 2013. In attendance were the 24 countries with over 150 athletes and team officials, who traveled to Panama from every corner of the world. Local authorities, officials and thousands of enthusiastic Panamanians were witnesses to the start of the World Championship.

The National Delegations congregated in the town of Soná and walked through the streets that were filled with thousands of supporters. When arriving to the Opening Ceremony stage for the Sands of the World Ceremony, two representatives of each delegation walked on stage, one waving the national flag while the other poured sand from their local beach into a glass container, symbolizing the peaceful gathering of nations through the love of surfing.

Karol Baule and Orlando Ortega representing Team Panama during the Sands of the World Ceremony. Photo: Isa/ Rommel Gonzales

“It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games in Panama, in this incredible place of Santa Catalina and its amazing Panamanian waves that are feeding us a lot of energy that will transform this into a historic championship,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerrre. “I want to give special thanks to President Martinelli, the Minister of Tourism Salomon Shamah, the organizers of the event Tuti de Leon and Patrick Castagnet and all of the Panamanians that since four years ago have been welcoming us with open arms and warm hearts to brighten our stay.”

“First of all, we are bringing this event to the interior of the country where our nation’s natural resources are and the spirit and culture,” said Vice Minister of Tourism Ernesto Orillac. “By bringing all of these people from all over the world, will leave as ambassadors of our country.”

“Everyone that is involved in sports knows that even with great support, a lot of work goes into putting on this kind of World Championship,” said Panama’s National Olympic Committee President Camilo Amado. “These types of occurrences have a great effect on our national athletes to help them develop and represent our country by improving year after year.”

After a beautiful showcase of local Panamanian traditional dances, the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games was officially declared open.

24 Nationals Teams plus the locals supporters during the Opening Ceremony. Photo: ISA / Rommel Gonzales

Following the Opening Ceremony, the Official Press Conference took place featuring ISA President Fernando Aguerre, Panama’s Vice Minister of Tourism Ernesto Orillac, Mayor of Soná Faustino Camaño, Reef Latin America Marketing Manager Alejandro Azpiazu, Panama’s National Olympic President Camilo Amado, Team Panama’s Gian Carlos “Oli” Gonzales, and Team Australia’s Coach Mike McSuliffe. Dozens of Panama’s media outlets were in attendance.

The Official Press Conference of the 2013 Reef ISA World Surfing Games took place featuring local authorities, officials and team representatives in front of dozens of Panama’s media outlets. Photo: ISA/Michael Tweddle

Competition starts on Sunday with The Morning Show at 7:40am (local time) followed by all 24 heats of the Open Men’s Qualifying round.

The live webcast of the entire championship is available on http://isawsg.com/

Here is the schedule:
Sunday, 7:40am Santa Catalina, Panama
Sunday, 5:40am West Coast USA
Sunday, 2:40pm Western Europe/ South Africa
Sunday, 11:40pm Sydney, Australia
Monday, 12:40am Auckland, New Zealand

 

The Surfing Heritage & Culture Center today announced that The Surf Riders of Hawaii, a truly unique and exclusive historical piece of surf history, will be one of the hallmark items in the Surfing Heritage Vintage Surf Auction, May 11, 2013 at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, California. Presented by Quiksilver Waterman Collection, the “California Gold” themed auction will feature historical surfboards and memorabilia with California flair from the 1920s through the 1990s. The auction will also include a live online option for those rare book and surfing enthusiasts who want to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from anywhere in the world.

Made by hand by A.R. Gurrey, Jr. between 1911 and 1915, The Surf Riders of Hawaii holds a revered place in the world of surfing. Initially made to sell in his local art shop in the still desolate Waikiki beach in the early 1900s, A.R. Gurrey, Jr. was one of the first photographers to capture the surfing phenomena, thereby opening the sport to world-wide attention. With only eight known versions of this book in existence, the one available at the live auction was the copy that was found by Gurrey’s family in his personal belongings.
“Just over one hundred years ago, surfer and photographer A.R. Gurrey, Jr. hand made and self-published the first book dedicated to wave riding,” said Surfing Historian Tim DeLaVega. “The rarity of The Surf Riders of Hawaii, combined with the dramatic story of the book’s creation and re-discovery over the last 10 years, testifies to the fact that the only copy sold at auction was at Sotheby’s in 2012 for $37,500. We are excited to see this piece of surfing history bought and preserved by someone who will appreciate its value and history.”

The book is comprised of six leaves of heavy brown woven paper, with eight mounted gelatin-silver photographs of native Hawaiians surfing Waikiki. The pages are stab sewn into stiff mottled wrappers with a decorative cord as the binding agent. Inside the book, there are three printed pages of text featuring eight black and white silver prints and a poem titled “Childe Harold,” by Lord Byron.

“The Surfing Heritage & Culture Center is honored to be working with the Gurrey family heir to provide such a unique opportunity to surf enthusiasts everywhere with the sale of The Surf Riders of Hawaii,” said Scott Bass, Auction Director at The Surfing Heritage & Culture Center. “Preserving surf culture and having the opportunity to exhibit and auction such a valuable piece of history is a highlight of this year’s event.”

Stay up to date with all event news by “liking” our fan page at https://www.facebook.com/VintageSurfAuction or on twitter: @SHSurfAuction. To pre-register for online bidding, please visit the website at http://www.thevintagesurfauction.com/. Visitors can also pre-purchase bidding packages for the event in Costa Mesa. Also available to those who are interested in previewing the book for auction, is a video on YouTube located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f9jSkdJg6nQ#!.

Prior to the auction, from March 2 – May 4, 2013, The Surf Riders of Hawaii will be on exhibition at Surfing Heritage & Culture Center. The exhibit consists of reproductions from each page in the book, the book itself, and reproductions of all the known photographs to have been in the book. Additional photographs by his wife Caroline Haskins Gurrey will also be included. The exhibition is open to the public from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily except Sunday and Surfing Heritage & Culture Center is located at 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente, CA 92672.

About The Surfing Heritage & Culture Center
The Surfing Heritage & Culture Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting surfing’s heritage for the appreciation and education of current and future generations; and to achieving our goal of surfing being more accurately understood, represented and enjoyed. For more information on the foundation and how you can help support the cause, visit www.surfingheritage.org.

Professional Surfer Nathan Florence and Water Photographer Tony Heff honored the legacy of Sion Miloksy by winning the 2012-13 Steep and Deep Pipeline Photo Challenge. During its second year, this contest grew immensely. Participants submitted their sickest steep and deep shots from the water, land and aerial angles of Banzai Pipeline and Backdoor from November 2012-March 2013.

“We had more participants than the first year with more surfers and photographers alike,” said Sion’s wife and contest director of the Steep and Deep Pipeline Photo Challenge. “Camera companies are taking notice of the contest from the photography side and we are lucky to have Aqua Tech be a sponsor this year. Our sponsors have showed more interest and support in the cause and we are so grateful. Everyone has been helping put the word out on this contest and we are hoping this contest just gets better and better as we get more organized. This is just a great event for the boys who charge and shoot Pipe while perpetuating Sion Milosky’s extraordinary legacy. We are stoked to put this together to showcase all the sick images that come from Pipe and we would like to thank all the sponsors, judges and participants.”

Surf Photographer Tony Heff, 33, won a $2500 prize purse from Vans, a custom-engraved-framed-picture of the winning image and an $3,000 Aqua Tech underwater housing camera pack (water housing, pistol grip and dome port) for the winning image of Nathan Florence. Heff—who is originally from Satellite Beach, Florida, but now resides at Sunset Beach—nailed the shot on the last day of January in tricky 16-to 24-foot wave face heights at the world’s most dangerous wave.

“Pipe was pretty good that day and then the evening was a little tricky with not as many good waves coming through [compared to the morning],” explained Heff. “I went down to the beach thinking it was going to be really good and perfectly backlit evening session at Pipe, but it was not looking good at all. There was absolutely nobody shooting from the water, but I was there with all my stuff so I decided to swim out and see what I could get anyway. There was a lot of current and all over the place. I swam out and that was the only wave that came through and I shot. It was the only photo I got from the whole swim that evening. It just all came together. Like I said, it was all over the place so being in the right spot was little trickier than some days out there.”

Sion Milosky was known for being in the right spot when Pipeline was huge. Miloksy was an inspirational person for the way he skillfully charged and negotiated giant waves and the Banzai Pipeline. Furthermore, Sion’s commitment to his family, friends and trade is perhaps the most inspiring part of his life says Nathan Florence.

“Sion was one of the gnarliest guys to ever come out of [Hawaii],” said Nathan Florence, 19, who is the younger brother of John John Florence. “The sick part was that he had a family, he had a job building custom-gates—like we have a sick gate system on our house that he built—during his off-time he was making money for his family and picking up his kids from school and bringing them to the beach. He was charging big Pipe or big outer reefs harder than anyone. We all definitely looked up to him a ton and it was one of the most radical shockers when he passed away because it’s hard to believe such a good person could go so fast like that. Sion is definitely one of the top legends.”

Florence—was awarded a $2500 prize purse from Vans, a custom-engraved-framed-picture of the winning image, a custom Will Scovell surfboard and Kicker audio gear—had his eyes set on the Steep and Deep Pipeline Photo Challenge from the start. He was unsure about his chances of winning. So the teenager from the North Shore of Oahu was over-the-moon stoked to find out he won.

“This is the sickest thing I ever won! Pretty much our whole little group—or our generation or age group—was so psyched when the [Steep and Deep Pipeline Photo Challenge] came out and the fact that I actually won is baffling,” beamed Nathan. “I had no idea because I entered kind of late that one of my shots would win. It feels super good and I’m super psyched!”
For more info and to see the other top images submitted go to : www.livelikesion.com

2012-13 Steep and Deep Pipeline Photo Challenge Results:
1) Nathan Florence and Tony Heff
2) Ricardo Dos Santos and Paulo Barcellos
3) Koa Rothman and Brent Beilmann
4) John John Florence and Zak Noyle
5) Tie between Evan Valiere & Brent Beilamnn and JD Irons & Juan Munoz

T&C Surf is stoked to announce the 16th Annual T&C Surf / Surfer Magazine Grom Contest presented by Chili’s Grill & Bar. Join the T&C ohana May 18-19 at Queen’s surf break in Waikiki for a weekend full of surf, fun and sun.

The event gives inspiring surfers age 12 and younger the opportunity to compete at one of the South Shore’s premier surf breaks. Groms take on the waves at Queen’s surf break in the shadow of the legendary Duke Kahanamoku statue at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. T&C Surf and Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, our non-profit partner, produces the event each year to introduce young surfers to the world of competitive surfing in a less-intense setting. Only surfers age 12 and younger who have never participated in NSSA or HASA events may compete. We are anticipating more than 300 entries for this year’s contest.

“Each year we look forward to sharing the stoke of surfing with a new batch of kids. Our focus is on providing an opportunity for those kids that do not regularly compete and give them a chance to gain some experience and feel the thrill of competition. It all about fun!” says Craig Sugihara, president and founder of T&C Surf. “This year no NSSA, HASA or other competitive surfers will be eligible to participate. We think this is a positive development, as there are many contests out there for surfers who focus their energy on competing. Our goal as always is to share the stoke of surfing with as many people as possible and bring family and friends together for a fun weekend of surfing.”

The contest has grown so popular that T&C Surf added a kokua division last year for keiki ages 3 -6 years old. The division maxed out and organizers expect the same this year. Adults are allowed in the line-up during these heats to help little ones catch waves. It gives the youngest of surfers the opportunity to take part in a contest with some extra support from a grown-up. The addition of a kokua division follows an increase in divisions for girls over the past several years. T&C Surf now offers three age groups for girls in both shortboard and longboard divisions.

The expanded offerings bring parents, uncles, aunties and kids from across the island chain to Waikiki Beach for a full weekend at the ocean. The fun kicks off Saturday with preliminary heats in three divisions for boys and girls: shortboard, longboard and bodyboard (schedule is subject to change). Passing the time between heats, kids enjoy beach games with opportunities to score prizes from their favorite surf brands. Before the sun sets, the top young surfers will advance to the finals on Sunday.

Kids also get stoked about being in the spotlight of Surfer Magazine, the shared title sponsor of the event. Many of Hawaii’s notable surfers, who now grace the pages of surf magazines worldwide, got their start at this grom contest.

”Surfer Magazine is once again proud to partner with T&C for the 2013 Grom Contest! We at Surfer know how much the kids look forward to this special event each year and how much fun everyone in attendance has! Craig and Linda Sugihara and the entire T&C crew are helping make memories that the groms will carry with them for years to come. Can’t wait for the event”! – Jeremy Schluntz, Associate Publisher of Surfer Magazine. “The crew at T&C Surf creates an experience that kids will remember for the rest of their lives. No other surf competition in the islands celebrates having fun and healthy competition the way they do.”

Adults can also get in on the fun by signing up for the FreeSurf Magazine Expression Session. Grown-ups join keiki in a special adult/child tandem surf event that gives them the opportunity to share the waves family style.

“There are so many surf events in Hawaii. We have been historically picky about when we get involved,” says Mike Latronic, publisher of FreeSurf Magazine. “T&C Surf’s Grom contest highlights that special bond that ocean-loving families share. We are honored to be invited back to participate in the event”

The Expression Session is open to all adults and children (under age 5). On-site entry is free (limited to 10 entries) and prizes and trophies are awarded to the top three teams.

The event wraps up with the final heats on Sunday, where the top six in each division receive trophies and prize packs filled with surf products from event sponsors and the opportunity to win one of two custom T&C Surf boards.

The Board Stories film crew will be on-site to capture all the action in the water for a segment on Board Stories TV this summer.

Entry forms are available at all T&C Surf locations, online at TCSurf.com/grom13 and on Facebook (keyword Grom Contest). A portion of the proceeds from contest T-shirt sales will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii. The public can call 808-483-8710 for more information.

The waves were incredible throughout the Finals. The morning heats saw glassy surf in the 6-8 feet range at the perfect right hand point-break in Montañita, Ecuador. A gentle onshore breeze picked up mid-morning, but the waves remained consistent and pumping all day

Team Hawaii successfully defended their title of World Team Champions and winners of the Eduardo Arena Perpetual Team Trophy, named after the Peruvian founder and first President of the ISA in 1964.

“Huge congratulations to all of the winners. This was an amazing competition with great waves and excellent performances from all athletes,” commented ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “Thank you to everyone that helped organize this amazing event including the President of Ecuador Rafael Correa, the Minister of Sport Francisco Cevallos and the Deputy Minister Augusto Moran, and the over 20 government organizations that helped make this World Championship a reality. Ecuador is an incredible surfing destination. We plan to come back next year with another ISA world championship.”

Grand Kahuna (over 50) Chris Knutsen was rewarded for his powerful surfing and impeccable wave selection with his fourth ISA World Championship. The South African reached the Final via the Repechage rounds, and put on a display of powerful, clean surfing. During the live webcast interview, the South African expressed his desire for a fourth gold medal to have one for every one of his grandchildren.

Knutsen scored 15.17, overcoming Silver Medlaist Craig Schieber (CRC, 12.10), Bronze Medalist Allen Sarlo (USA, 11.33), and Copper Medalist Eric Graciet (FRA, 9.80).

In an action-packed Grand Mastsers (over 40) Final, Sunny Garcia (HAW), defended his 2012 Gold Medal, scoring an impressive 17.08, defeating Silver Medalist Marcelo Alves (BRA, 10.66), Bronze Medalist Love Hodel (HAW, 10.50), and Copper Medalist Dean Randazzo (USA, 10.27).

Hawaii’s Mike Latronic, who also reached the Final through the Repechage, won the Kahuna (over 45) division.

In the Final, the Hawaiian scored a heat total of 12.90, earning the Gold Medal, defeating Silver Medalist Andre Malherbe (ZAF, 11.34), Bronze Medalist Jojo de Olivenca (BRA, 10.04) and Copper Medalist Ricky Schaffer (USA, 6.43).

Australia’s Layne Beachley continued her domination, winning the Gold and reclaiming the Women’s Masters World Champion title.

In a very close Final, Beachley came out victorious with 13.76, defeating Heather Clark (ZAF, 13.67), Andrea Lopes (BRA, 12.96) and Rochelle Ballard (HAW, 11.60).

Greg Emslie from South Africa is the new ISA Masters (over 35) World Champion. Emslie was unstoppable in the Final with a near-perfect total heat score of 19.46, the sum of two individual scores of 9.83 and 9.63. In second, Kalani Robb (HAW, 14.50) won the Silver Medal, Magnum Martinez placed third for the Bronze (VEN, 12.83), and Sunny Garcia, surfing down into the younger age group, (HAW, 12.30) placed fourth, winning the Copper Medal.

The last event of the day was the thrilling ISA Aloha Cup, a tag-team relay competition that featured the four finalists, who earned a position in the Finals by advancing through the semi- finals the day before.

Today’s Aloha Cup Final featured teams from Hawaii, Brazil, Australia and Venezuela. Each Team is made up of 4 men and 1 woman, and each surfer is scored on the best two of a maximum of three waves. The Final was one hour long.

Team Australia won the ISA Aloha Cup showing great strategy and teamwork defeating Venezuela, in second place, Brazil in third and Hawaii in fourth.

The Closing Ceremony took place in Concha Acustica on the beach, to officially close the 2013 ISA World Masters and award the Eduardo Arena Perpetual Team Trophy and all the individual medals

As part of the ceremony, a special gift was awarded to all the first place finishers.

The local surf shop in Montañita that specializes in Balsa surfboards, “Balsa House,” along with its owner, Cesar “Rasty” Moreira, presented a custom hand made Balsa Wood Surfboard to each individual Gold Medalist.

In addition, a special announcement was made by ISA President Fernando Aguerre and Ecuador’s Surfing Federation President Xavier Aguirre that an ISA World Championship will return to Ecuador in 2014 with the support of the Ministry of Sport.

Official Results:

Overall Team Results:

Hawaii- 10,844 points and winner of the Eduardo Arena Perpetual Team Trophy
South Africa- 8,976 points, Silver Medal
USA- 8,165 points, Bronze Medal
Brazil- 8,087 points, Copper Medal
Australia- 7,882 points
Argentina- 6,360 points
Venezuela- 6,357 points
Peru- 6,133 points
Costa Rica- 6,055 points
France- 6,011 points
Japan- 5,955 points
Ecuador- 5,580 points
Puerto Rico- 5,436 points
Uruguay- 4,690 points
Chile- 4,675 points
Spain- 4,515 points
Mexico- 2,716 points
Dominican Republic- 1,375
Panama- 1,110 points
Great Britain- 720 points
Masters:

Greg Emslie (ZAF), Gold Medal
Kalani Robb (HAW), Silver Medal
Magnum Martinez (VEN), Bronze Medal
Sunny Garcia (HAW), Copper Medal

Women’s Masters:

Layne Beachley (AUS), Gold Medal
Heather Clark (ZAF), Silver Medal
Andrea Lopes (BRA), Bronze Medal
Rochelle Ballard (HAW), Copper Medal

Grand Masters:

Sunny Garcia (HAW), Gold Medal
Marcelo Alves (BRA), Silver Medal
Love Hodel (HAW), Bronze Medal
Dean Randazzo (USA), Copper Medal

Kahuna:

Mike Latronic (HAW), Gold Medal
Andre Malherbe (ZAF), Silver Medal
Jojo de Olivenca (BRA), Bronze Medal
Ricky Schaffer (USA), Copper Medal

Grand Kahuna:

Chris Knutsen (ZAF), Gold Medal
Craig Schieber (CRC), Silver Medal
Allen Sarlo (USA), Bronze Medal
Eric Graciet (FRA), Copper Medal

Aloha Cup:

Australia, Gold Medal and winner of the ISA Aloha Cup Trophy
Venezuela, Silver Medal
Brazil, Bronze Medal
Hawaii, Copper Medal

Due to the extreme morning low tide, the competition was put on hold for an hour and a half to allow for optimal surfing conditions and give the athletes the best chance of performing in the day’s best waves. Once the competition resumed, the surf improved throughout the day.

In a stacked heat during the Masters (under 35) Qualifying Round 5, the first two finalists in the division were confirmed. With a score of 13.53, South African Greg Emslie defeated 2012’s runner up in this division, Sunny Garcia (HAW, 11.80), sending Kalani Robb (HAW, 11.17) and Magnum Martinez (VEN, 6.53) into the Repechage.

“It was an amazing day with good sized waves and more tension in the water,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “As competition is nearing the end, all surfers are performing amazingly, but of course some people will be eliminated. Today is getting down to the wire. Montañita is going to have great waves for the last two days of competition, with Saturday being bigger and Sunday the biggest day. We couldn’t have scripted better this event.”

It was an action packed day where some surfers had to compete up to three times because they were surfing in multiple divisions. Most of the action that took place was in the Repechage as the surfers were trying to avoid another defeat, which would put them out of the contest. Every division except Grand Masters has confirmed two out of the four finalists.

The remainder of the finalist will be confirmed on Saturday during the final rounds of Repechage.

The best performance in the Grand Masters division was Glen Pringle (AUS,15.86), who defeated Wayne Monk (ZAF, 11.70), Felipe Rodriguez (ECU, 11.40) and Santiago Di Pace (ARG, 11.20). Pringle managed to earn high scores in the difficult, windy afternoon conditions, posting a 7.30 and 8.83 in his two top waves, defeating Monk and sending home the local Rodriguez and Argentina’s Di Pace.

In the Women Masters division, 2008 and 2010 ISA Women’s Masters World Champion Heather Clark from South Africa was the top former. Clark posted a total heat score of 15.00, advancing along with Uruguay’s Maria Celia Barboza with 9.00. Japan’s Akiko Kiyonaga placed third with 5.34 and the upset of the heat was the elimination of last year’s Copper Medalist Lucila Gil (ARG), who was fourth with 5.33.

In the Kahuna division, two more finalists of the event were confirmed. 2012 ISA World Master Silver Medalist in the Grand Masters division, Jojo de Olivenca (BRA) reached the Final, where he will be battling against Ricky Schafer (USA), the 2012 ISA World Masters Silver Medalist.

Olivenca posted the highest total score of the division with 15.67 points. Schafer placed second with 14.33. In third, Reuben Balmores (HAW, 12.70) and fourth Glen Valaire (AUS, 12.43) will have to fight through the Repechage to get to the Finals.

For a full list of Day-6 results- http://www.isawmsc.com/results/

Saturday will be an interesting day that will decide the rest of the finalists and will also feature the two semifinals of the ISA Aloha Cup, a tag-team relay competition featuring the top 8 finishing teams from last year’s Masters, each with teams made up of 4 men and 1 women.

Also, a special Balsa Wood Surfing Demonstration will take place, organized by the Balsa House in Montanita.  The 45-minute surfing exhibition will feature seven local surfers and the ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

Ecuador has a rich history as the country that has supplied balsa wood for surfboard shapers for decades.  For more than 4,000 years, people from the local Valdivia culture, were able to navigate in open seas as they made pilgrimages to a sacred island- La Isla de la Plata- located 30km from the coast. This expression session symbolizes the local culture that has been around for thousands of years along with the sustainability of using the material that is used to make these surfboards.

The ISA World Masters Surfing Championship resumes Saturday at 7:40am (Ecuador) with The Morning Show hosted by Mark Fewell featuring Sunny Garcia and Greg Emslie, which will be broadcast live on the internet at www.isawmsc.com.

Saturday’s Schedule:

Grand Masters (over 50) Repechage 7
Grand Kahunas (over 50) Repechage 4
Masters (over 35) Repechage 7
Women’s Masters (over 35) Repechage 4
Kahunas (over 45) Repechage 7
Grand Masters (over 50) Repechage 8
Masters (over 35) Repechage 8
Kahunas (over 45) Repechage 8
Balsa surf Expression Session
ISA Aloha Cup

The live webcast of the World Championship is available everyday during the contest period on www.isawmsc.combeginning at the following times:

Friday, 7:40am Montañita, Ecuador
Friday, 5:40am West Coast USA
Friday, 2:40pm Western Europe
Friday, 11:40pm Sydney, Australia