The 3rd place marks a superb start to the season for Jérémy Florès, and 2012 is already shaping up to be a fine year for the Frenchman. Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, posted two massive wins today over lethal rookie John John Florence (AUS), 19, and form goofy-footer Owen Wright (AUS), 22. The young Frenchmen dissected the Bells walls with unmatched precision, but a priority interference in his Semifinal bout with Slater would see Flores bundled out with an Equal 3rd.

"I'm disappointed with the result," Flores said. "I feel like I was surfing really well and I didn't agree with the interference call. That's surfing though so I just have to brush it off and focus on the next one."

In the final round, the American Kelly Slater displayed his full range of talent with a full-rotation aerial that earned him a magnificent 10/10. The legendary natural-footer backed it up moments later with an 8.07 to take the lead, but would only hold it briefly after an assault from Fanning.

"I was moving around trying to get active and I was just finding my feet," Slater said. "I knew Mick (Fanning) was going to be real patient. I knew he got that start and then I tried to talk to him and he put his serious head on and pissed me off, so I thought I'd throw a big rotator on him and it wasn't enough. That was pretty exciting for me. Even when he had the 9 and 8-something, I had a feeling I was in it. I felt like something good was going to come my way and it started to. I had one more chance and that was about it. I knew it was going to be a bit of a struggle with the waves out there, with the long intervals and long lulls, but that's just the way it goes."

America's 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater, meanwhile, qualified for the final where he found himself up against Australia's Mick Fanning. The Aussie finally edged a tight contest, winning by just 8 tenths of a point (18.80pts to 18.07 pts for Kelly Slater).

Slater's Runner-Up finish moves him back to the No. 1 spot on the ASP World Championship Tour ratings.

 https://vimeo.com/39696064

Sun, sand, surf and live music make Quiksilver Apartments Byron Bay's most exciting location. Positioned above the new landmark Quiksilver store, the apartments are across the road from, The Beach Hotel just steps away from Main Beach and Byron Bay's best cafes.

Check out legendary surf breaks "The Pass" and "The Wreck" from your private, sun-drenched deck. Wake up to the sound of the waves and go surfing or do laps in the 50 metre public pool out front. Kick back with a beer and a local band at "The Beachie" or take an afternoon stroll to the lighthouse and watch the sun setting over the hinterland.

White-washed interiors, sun-kissed timber floors and the uber-cool, surf-inspired decor provide the ultimate chill-out zone.

Features: 2 bedrooms with 1 bathroom, stunning ocean views, ducted air-conditioning, private parking, dishwasher, washing machine / dryer and fully-equipped kitchenette.

Book Online

Watch out for ticket and limited edition Quiksilver 'I Am Giant' t-shirt giveaways on our quiksilver facebook page.

Tickets are £6 online and available to buy now www.hmvtickets.com/performances/14029/book

First 5 Star TTR event 2012/2013 with innovative video judging system

For ten years the Quiksilver Spring Battle has made a reputation as one of the most popular snowboarding events in Europe. An accomplished combination of the premium setup at the perfectly shaped Absolut Park with an innovative video judging system has been thrilling riders and spectators at this year´s 5 Star TTR Big Air snowboard competition. In the Qualification round on Thursday, all riders were showing off on the perfectly shaped 22 metre Big Air kicker, even if the weather conditions were getting worse due to strong winds. With the actual start list it was hardly surprising that double corks and 1260´s have been stomped even in the first round. The best ten competitors advanced to the subsequent Semi Finals. Together with ten invited riders out of the TTR Top 10 World Tour Ranking, they kept on pushing it to the limits, ignoring the upcoming storm in the Semis. The Finals were supposed to go down on Friday, 31^st of March but had to be in the true sense of the word blown off in last-minute. The ten best Semi Finalists were automatically nominated for the final Video Judging on Friday Night. They had the opportunity to pick their favorite run for the Video Juding, which was conducted on a video screen from different viewing angles.

International Podium and local Superstars in the top 10

Again, previous year´s winner Seppe Smits could not be beaten. Despite tough conditions due to strong winds, the Belgian convinced the judges and audience stomping a clean Cab 1260 Mute Grab over the Big Air kicker. Seppe won the Quiksilver Spring Battle for the second time in a row. Beside honour and glory, he took home 15.000 Euro prize money and 850 TTR points counting towards the 2012/2013 season. Nuutti Niemelä from Finnland was close on his heels and became second with the same trick, a Cab 1260 Mute Grab for which he was rewarded with 9.000 Euros. The American Eric Willett took 3rd place on the podium with his Frontside Doublecork 1080 Mute Grab, that brought him in 5.000 Euros of prize money. Finnish rider Ville Paumola missed the podium, but raked in 2.000 Euros for the 4^th place. Clemens Schattschneider was the best Austrian rider in the final round, reaching 5^th position. He took home 1.500 Euros as well as Markku Koski from Finland for his 6^th rank.

Another Austrian snowboarder, Michael Macho, became 7^th before Max Buri (SUI), Jan Necas (CZE) and Sven Thorgren SWE). They all got rewarded with 1.000 Euros each for their spot in the Top ten of the Quiksilver Spring Battle 2012.

After the prize giving, FM4/Texta DJ Dan took the tiller for the FM4 Club Aftershow-Party at  the ceremonial hall of Flachau. Riders and party people celebrated the 10th Spring Battle Anniversary properly until the break of dawn.

This innovative system conceals the connection between the earphones and the MP3 player, located in the jacket's front pocket.

Now available online, click here!

Just 18 years old, Mikyska from Prague was the only one to win the battle against the bad weather at this years Quiksilver Snowjam. Although Friday was sunnier, his ride on Saturday was still flawless, finishing with a Frontside 900 on the kicker at the end of course. Throughout the year, Martin showed excellent form at all competitions in which he took part. He was able to use those experiences from throughout the year to dominate Quiksilver Snowjam. Martin told us, „It was amazing, there were tons of insane tricks, though it's too bad the weather was less than ideal. But the atmosphere overall was great like every year here. I got first prize thanks to the combination of all the features of the course. I got a really strong half pipe score, a pretty good score on the jib, and one of the best tricks on the kicker. It's one of the most amazing feelings to win. It's hard to find the words. Thank you."

Young Finnish rider Ville Paumola took second place at Spindleruv Mlyn. Third place was seasoned Quiksilver Snowjam rider Thomas Franz from Switzerland. Although there were bad weather conditions, 3,000 spectators came to the slopes at Svaty Petr to witness world class snowboarding.

Quiksilver's Thomas Krief today clinched his first Winter X Games medal in front of a massive crowd (31700 people), his family and friends. At the age of 19, the French skier, recognized as one of the most talented riders of his generation and sponsored by Quiksilver since he's a kid, finally gets a medal after finishing in 5^th position twice (last year in Aspen and Tignes). Just behind the untouchable US phenomenon Torin Yater Wallace (USA), 16, who gets a well deserved first gold medal.

"Toto" was overwhelmed to be on the Winter X Games podium for the first time: " It took me some time... I got 4^th, 5^th places. It's hard to realize, I have to look at my medal to believe it. What happened tonight is fantastic. I'm overwhelmed. Usually I cry when my friends win, this time I can cry for myself. It was my goal to get a podium on a big event. It took me some time to find my rhythm at the beginning of the season. Thanks to my friends Xavier, Kevin, Ben and Greg, and the public supporting me, I made it."

Earlier today, another Quiksilver rider, Eric Willett jumped on the Winter X Games podium. Eric Willett took the third place of the Slopestyle Snowboard competition won by Shaun White (2 gold medals in Tignes). Winner in 2010, bronze medallist last year, Willett stays on the Winter X Games podium for the third year in a row.

These Winter X Games Tignes were a great edition for the Quiksilver Team with 3 medals. Iouri Podladtchikov took bronze in SuperPipe Snowboard, Eric Willett who also took bronze in Slopestyle Snowboard, and Thomas Krief with his silver medal in SuperPipe Ski.

Bobby Brown rose to the challenge and took the gold with a massive Rodeo 450 in his second run (95 points). And even if Bobby Brown's run was fluid and flawless, the other competitors runs where just as impressive. But still, riders like Tom Wallisch, Quiksilver's rookie James Wood or Andreas Hatveit couldn't reach Bobby's level today.

In the Men's Snowboard SuperPipe final, the tension was maximum with Shaun White, Iouri Podladtchikov and Louie Vito in course for the win.

For his first attempt, Shaun White threw one of his best runs ever in competition. He almost killed the contest with this first run (98 points) achieved with an impressive and effortless amplitude. Today White was flying. Iouri Podladtchikov and Louie Vito had to battle to secure silver or bronze. After winning gold in 2010, silver last year, Quiksilver's Podladtchikov finally took bronze with a score of 88 points behind Louie Vito (92 points).

In the last event of the day, Quiksilver's Thomas Krief did a very good job in the Men's Ski SuperPipe elimination. Thomas took the second place of the qualifications just behind David Wise. Tomorrow the final will be held at 8:10pm.

The strongest contender for gold, Tom Wallisch (USA) won the qualifications (with a 95.66 points score) despite a first bad run. Talented UK rookie, part of the Quiksilver team, James Wood goes through with a 5th place finish (9 points).

The women's ski Slopestyle finals also took place today. The event was held on the same course as the men's, just one hour later. Kaya turski, singled out as favourite for the event, remained untouchable and claimed a third consecutive gold medal in Tignes. The young Norwegian Roxy rider Tiril Sjastad Christiansen took the 10th place.

As for snowboarding, in the SuperPipe Snowboard final, Kelly Clark stole the show. After winning everything this season, she got a new Winter Games gold medal with a score of 95 points. Elena Hight takes silver while the Gnu rider Kaitlin Farrington wins bronze. Roxy's Olympic medallist Torah Bright gets 4th.

In the final event of the day, the Men's SuperPipe Snowboard elimination, Shaun White (two Olympic half pipe gold medals and 12 Winter X Games gold medal) looked impressive with 2 solid runs. Without tapping in to all his talent, Quiksilver's Iouri Podladtchikov took the 5th place with a score of 70 points. Tomorrow, the 2010 Winter X Games Tignes gold medallist will be stepping it up to make the top 3.

Including Superpipe, slopestyle ski and snowboard for men and women.

The best winter Quiksilver and Roxy athletes are invited to compete : Iouri Podladtchikov, Eric Willet, James Woods, Thomas Krief, Mathieu Crepel, Torah Bright, Kjersti Buaas et Aimee Fuller

Watch on www.quiksilver.com

    Wednesday, March 14

1:25 – 2 :30pm         Skiing Slopestyle Women's Final

6:10 – 7 :30pm         Snowboard Superpipe Women's Final

Thursday, March 15

1:25 – 2 :45pm         Skiing Slopestyle Men's Final

6 :30 – 8 :00pm        Snowboard Superpipe Men's Final

Friday, March 16

10 :25 –11 :45am     Snowboard Slopestyle Men's Final

12 :55 – 2:00pm       Snowboard Slopestyle Women's Final

6:10 – 7:30pm          Ski Superpipe Women's Final

7:55 – 9:30pm          Ski Superpipe Men's Final

Iouri Podladtchikov wins the Burton Global halfpipe overall and TTR halfpipe overall title. After a great season and finishing in 7th at the US Open Iouri came out on top winning both these titles and getting ready for the Euro X-games in Tignes this week.

Ulrik Badertscher Finishes 2nd at the US open Slopestyle in Stratton Vermont.(I already sent these press shots). He also took a nasty fall at the big air/ rail event on the final night and ended up with a nasty concussion and broken arm but in his true Viking spirit says he will be back soon although gutted to miss the Euro X-games. We wish you a speedy recovery our Viking friend!

Jonathan Charlet claims another win at the World freeride tour in Fieberbrunn leaving him on top of the tour and the roll into the last event of the tour in Verbier which takes place from the 24th of march. Jonathan has been riding strong all season and is looking good for the last event , so lets hope the snow holds up for there final stop of the tour.

Mathias Weissenbacher finishes 2nd and Freddy Austbo 3rd at the Quiksilver new star  4 star TTR Slopestyle in Russia. After finishing second last week in Leysen Switzerland TTR slopestyle event Mathias who just came back from a nasty injury to his leg looks like he has been training hard and its payed off with another podium for him as he gets ready for the 5 star Quiksilver Spring battle taking place at the end of the month in Austria.

The opening stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast enjoyed sunny weather, light winds and a capacity crowd for the final day of competition, with the world's best surfers putting on a spectacular display of high-performance surfing.

Burrow defeated dangerous South American Adriano De Souza (BRA), 25, in a Final that came down to the wire. De Souza caught a wave in the dying minutes and launched into a massive air-reverse, requiring a 7.87 out of a possible 10 to take the lead. The judges deliberated until after the siren sounded and when it was announced that De Souza came a mere 0.27 short, Burrow was chaired up the beach and declared the 2012 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast champion.

"I feel so good now!" Burrow said. "I had a really good event last year, but came up short in the Final against Kelly (Slater). Then today when I found myself against Adriano (De Souza), I was really nervous because he got me in a Final in Brazil last year. He's really tough and I don't like competing against him to be honest. There was a lot of weight on my shoulders in that Final so it's pretty rewarding to come out on top."

The ASP World Championship Tour will next head to Victoria, Australia for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, stop no. 2 of 10 in the race for the 2012 ASP World Title.
"I've been going for the ASP World Title for a while now," Burrow said. "I don't know what to say. I just want to surf my best and hope that the rest falls into place. I love Bells. I love throwing on a full wetsuit and doing some big arcs in the Bells Bowl."

De Souza finished runner-up at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast for the second time, after coming 2nd to Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in 2009. De Souza was easily one of the event's top performers this season with gouging turns and inverted aerials taking him to a podium finish.

"I'm really happy with my result here today," De Souza said. "It was such an amazing Final. Last year Taj (Burrow) and I had such a great heat here as well. It was one of the best heats of my life and he beat me. It's amazing to be on the podium here again. In 2009, it was me and Joel (Parkinson). It's a great way to start the year and I'm happy to be back up here."

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, reigning four-time ASP Women's World Champion, her fourth Roxy Pro Gold Coast title after defeating ASP Top 17 sophomore Laura Enever (AUS), 20, in a hard-fought Final. Gilmore was dominant throughout the event, posting scores in the excellent range in every encounter throughout the draw. Gilmore jumps back to No. 1 on the ASP Women's World Championship Tour ratings, a spot she lost at this event last year after holding it for four years.
"To be carried up the beach with your friends underneath you with thousands of people around has got to be one of the best feelings in the world," Gilmore said. "It took me back to 2005 when I won here as a grom. Last year went so quickly and it felt like I didn't even exist on the rankings and that fire wasn't really there. This year it's so good to have that back! My cheeks are so sore from smiling already."
Enever, who defeated Gilmore in the Quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast last year, today was unable to replicate last year's magic but managed a career-best Runner-Up today against Gilmore. This is the first ASP Women's World Tour final appearance for Enever, who finished 10th on last year's ratings.

"Coming into this event I felt like a new competitor," Enever said. "I'm so stoked to make it all the way to the Final. It was so good to be out there with Steph (Gilmore). She's coming back now which is great to see. It's a good way to start off the year. I'm in the ASP Women's World Title race and it's not a fluke. I want to be up here for the rest of the year and hopefully go one better next event."

Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion and last year's Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner was eliminated in the Quarterfinals this morning by Josh Kerr (AUS), 27. Slater had previously defeated Kerr four times on the 2011 ASP World Championship Tour and was a favourite to take the heat today. However, it was Kerr who advanced thanks to one of a massive forehand air-reverse in the final minutes of the heat.

"If the waves were better I would be really bummed that I lost," Slater said. "I got one at the end that I thought would be good, I went for the carving 360 and got stuck. Then I turned around and Josh (Kerr) was on a pretty nice one and he got that air at the end. He's always going to be a threat in conditions like this where he can throw big airs. I got Josh a few times last year, we had four Quarterfinal battles last year where I got him, so he owed me a couple. It never feels good to lose, but I'm happy for Josh. I'm not sure if I'm going to Bells. I'm just going to go find some good waves in the next few weeks. Then I'll figure out what I'm going to do for the year."

Iouri's winning run was made of Frontside 9 tail to backside 900 mute to frontside 1080 double cork and a cab 1080 double cork to finish. This victory puts him in perfect conditions for the US Open to be held from March 7th to 10th and the Winter X Games Tignes which will be held from March 14th to 16th.

The opening stop of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour season, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast enjoyed incredible action throughout the first four days of the waiting period, narrowing the fields down to the men's Quarterfinalists and women's Semifinalists, and will recommence competition when conditions improve.

"The wind has swung back Southerly and cleaned conditions up significantly," Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. "However, we haven't had the swell fill in properly yet so competition is off for the day. We expect to get a start tomorrow with the potential to finish both the men's and women's event."

Event organizers will reconvene at 6:30am tomorrow to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

The opening stop of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour season, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast enjoyed incredible action throughout the first four days of the waiting period, narrowing the fields down to the men's Quarterfinalists and women's Semifinalists, and will recommence competition when conditions improve.

"There's not much out there that you would classify as ‘contestable' today and we've called a lay day for the men and women," Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. "It looks like we'll see a directional change in wind and some swell materialize over the next 24 hours so we'll be back tomorrow morning to reassess conditions and make another call then."

Event organizers will reconvene at 6:30am tomorrow to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

"The swell is on the decrease and the onshore winds are scheduled to get worse throughout the day so we've called a lay day," Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. "I cannot remember a time when we've ran the first four days of a combined event and we're in a good position to capitalize on the remainder of the waiting period. The swell forecast for this weekend looks promising but we'll be back tomorrow morning to assess conditions and make a call then."

Adriano De Souza (BRA), 25, won the first three-man, non-elimination heat of Round 4 of the Quiksilver Pro. The lead changed multiple times between De Souza, Owen Wright (AUS), 22, and Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, with the Brazilian taking out the two Australians and advancing directly into the Quarterfinals.
"I just tried to concentrate on my myself because Owen (Wright) is one of the form surfers of this event and Josh (Kerr) can also do some damage out there," De Souza said. "I tried to catch the best waves and sometimes luck is on your side and it worked out for me in that one. I'm stoked to skip Round 4 and move straight into the Quarterfinals."

De Souza will once again face Owen Wright (AUS), 22, who went on to win his afternoon Round 5 heat, in Quarterfinal 1 when competition resumes.

Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11 x ASP World Champion and last year's Quiksilver Pro winner, didn't take his foot off the gas in his morning Round 4 heat win. The iconic Floridian built momentum throughout the affair, even changing equipment mid-heat to adjust to the conditions.

"On that first wave I could tell my board didn't have the pop I wanted," Slater said. "Because the waves are so small, you need a small board to fit in the pocket, so I switched to a shorter, wider board. None of us really got in sync in that one. It was really tough to pick the right waves. I only woke up 40 minutes before my heat. I thought we were going to be off today so I was sleeping in and I got a call saying ‘get up, we're on.'"

Slater will now face Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, in Quarterfinal 2 when competition resumes.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, edged out Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 20, in an exciting Round 4 exchange at Snapper Rocks. Smith and Parkinson put on an epic show for the crowd and finished the heat with only 0.14 separating their score lines.

"I wanted to beat Joel (Parkinson) bad," Smith said. "He has beaten me pretty much my whole life, so I've got a lot to get him back for. He's also one of my favourite surfers so it's tough to come up against him. Miguel (Pupo) is another tough one because he's got all the tricks in the book. Choosing the right waves is pretty key out there."

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, two-times Quiksilver Pro event Champion posted the event's first perfect 10-point-ride in 2012 in his afternoon Round 5 match. Parkinson battled Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, for a Quarterfinal berth in glassy conditions this afternoon and the local natural-footer was in unbeatable form.
"I got stung by a blue-bottle and that fired me up!" Parkinson said. "There's still some good waves out there and I thought we were going to have an air-off. Julian (Wilson) did some, and I tried a few, then that one came through and it had some good air sections, but they were better turn sections. I've got some rivalries going today – I surfed against Jordy (Smith) and we have a good one going, now Julian and I are one building too. That's what makes healthy competition. You're happy to get involved in a real rivalry."

Parkinson will now re-match Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in Quarterfinal 3 when competition resumes.

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, former Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner and last year's event runner-up, once again showcased his familiarity and affinity with Snapper Rocks by posting a massive heat total – 17.34 (out of a possible 20).

"It was pretty much a 9-point-wave by itself and I just rode it," Burrow said. "I got one good turn out the back and then one good one on the end. The judges like a good start and a good finish, so I knew it would be up there. Once I had that 9, I just really wanted to back it up with something solid. It's pretty tough out there, but I managed to find another good score."

Event organisers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to access conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, 2012 ASP Top 34 sophomore, found form in his Round 3 heat against Adam Melling (AUS), 26, posting the highest heat total of the day, an 18.57 out of a possible 20. On his third different board in as many heats, it appears that the young natural-footer has dialed in his equipment moving forward.
"I lost in this round last year in a close one against Taj (Burrow) and went on to lose a bit early in the next few events so I was nervous before that one," Wilson said. "I did want to make a statement. In my first two heats I wasn't myself – it didn't feel like it was coming together for me. Then in that heat I felt a lot better, felt solid on my board and good to get some high scores."

Wilson will take on Adrian Buchan (AUS), 29, and Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, in Round 4 of competition.

Miguel Pupo (BRA), 20, caused the biggest upset of the event thus far by eliminating perennial event favourite and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 30. Pupo put pressure on Fanning early in the heat by posting a 7.60 (out of a possible 10), and the local Queenslander was unable to recover from a slow start.

"I just tried to find good waves because it's pretty tough out there," Pupo said. "I had to win that one, to be on tour you have to beat the big boys. Mick (Fanning) surfs so good. He's got a couple of ASP World Titles and I knew that it would be a tough one. I tried my best."

Pupo faces Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, and Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in Round 4 when competition resumes.

Owen Wright (AUS), 22, opened the day with an exciting match-up against compatriot Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 23. The pair of goofy-footers gave the crowd a sensational display of backhand surfing at Snapper Rocks, with Wright getting the better of the exchange by a mere 0.40.

"That was our first man-on-man heat on the world tour," Wright said. "I was really nervous before the heat, but once I got out there I felt comfortable. I knew he was going to get an 8-point-ride, and I knew I could answer straight back. We went wave for wave, score for score, there was nothing much in that heat. We were paddling in and none of us knew who won and I was just happy that one of us was going through to the next round."

Wright will battle Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, and Adriano de Souza (BRA), XX, when competition resumes Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion and defending Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner, once again put on a dominant performance at Snapper Rocks over Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 30. Slater's signature searing forehand carves saw him earn two scores in the excellent range to easily advance to Round 4.

"I could see that Freddy's (Patacchia) game plan was to sit and wait for those open faced waves," Slater said. "I just wanted to get moving. There are a few sneaky ones that don't look good at the peak, but grow down the point. At the start I fell on a couple of good ones, and either one of those could have been a good score. Then I got into a couple of good ones and got some scores, and Freddy never really got into it. Everyone always makes a big deal about weather I'm going to keep going on. When I'm going to quit I'll tell everybody, how about that?"

Slater will take on Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, and Heitor Alves (BRA), 29, in Round 4 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.

Adriano De Souza (BRA), 25, used his experience in his seventh appearance at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast to take the Round 3 win over ASP World Championship Tour rookie Kolohe Andino (USA), 17.

"It was a tough heat for sure," De Souza said. "I respect Kolohe (Andino) a lot, he's only 17-years-old, but he can do a lot of damage out there. I'm feeling good and trying to concentrate on myself, I came here 10 days early and really know the wave out there, and I think my experience from 7 years on tour helped me in that heat. I was trying defend my position in the top 5 and he's trying to do well in his first event, it was a good heat."

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, came flying out of the gates in his this afternoon, scoring an 8.33 (out of a possible 10) and a 9.10 on his opening two waves. Smith surfed smooth and fast to eliminate veteran powerbroker Taylor Knox (USA), 40.

"I just had to make sure I was on the waves that allowed for those big power turns," Smith said. "If I could do that and mix it up with some explosive stuff, I knew I'd get the scores I wanted. After losing yesterday, I promised myself I'd go out there and have fun. I'd built this contest up way too much in my head and now I'm feeling more relaxed."

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, 2011 ASP World Runner-Up, was back to winning form today after a shock Round 1 loss at his home break yesterday. Parkinson eliminated trials' winner and runner-up to the 2011 ASP World Junior Title Garrett Parkes (AUS), 20, in a one-sided affair.

"Snapper always has a bit of morning sickness, and being a local helps me to know where to sit," Parkinson said. "Yesterday I knew no one loses in Round 1, it was a great heat to be in and a good warm-up for the event. I walked away thinking I didn't have a shocker and the tour is all about man-on-man heats. Then today I expected Garrett (Parkes) to throw out some big scores, the kid has a big future, it's only a matter of time before he takes down a big name and I'm glad it wasn't me."

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, and Dane Reynolds (USA), 26, had the Sunday Snapper crowd on their feet in their epic Round 2 clash this morning. Both surfers unleashed big aerials and monster carves, but it was Burrow who was able to find the lengthier waves and link his turns together to advance to Round 3.

"It was good to get that one out of the way because I was tossing and turning last night thinking about what I was going to do against Dane (Reynolds)," Burrow said. "His approach to surfing is kind of the same as mine, so I'm glad we put on a show. Before that heat I hadn't really had a good wave out there yet this year, because yesterday I only caught one piddly two footer. I was just finding my feet today at the start of that heat, then I saw Dane hang his board out on a couple of turns and it got me pumped."

Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26, 2012 ASP Top 34 rookie, won his first ASP World Championship Tour heat at the Quiksilver Pro today over highly-touted fellow rookie Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18. Nicol qualified for the elite ASP World Championship Tour during last year's mid-year rotation (as did Medina), but was forced to give up his spot due to an ankle injury.

"It was a frustrating six months being injured and missing the events," Nicol said. "The last five minutes of that heat was nerve-racking, so to get the win, I'm over the moon. I'm stoked. I wasn't really nervous, but I was focused on winning that first heat on tour. I didn't want to be the guy who goes the whole year without a win, and now I don't have to worry about that now I'll see what I can do from here."

Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, snuck through a tight heat against Jadson Andre (BRA), 21. Flores and Andre both pulled into multiple tubes but failed to find exits, until Flores threaded a classic behind-the-rock barrel to score an 8.17 (out of a possible 10) and take the win.

"I knew there was going to be some barrels on the low tide," Flores said. "I wanted to get barrelled, I got a few and was so close to coming out and didn't make any except the one. Maybe it was the pressure. I'm feeling a lot of pressure at this event, like I'm a rookie again. I don't know why, this is my sixth year on tour. I'm only 23-years-old, but kind of feel like an old guy with all these rookies. It's good it makes us work more. I've been trying to push myself and do some turns that I haven't done before."

Kolohe Andino (USA), 17, battled fellow Californian Brett Simpson (USA), 27, in the final heat of the day, with young Andino taking a first win in his highly-anticipated ASP World Championship Tour debut. Andino showed rookie nerves, falling and catching the wrong waves at the start, but managed to pull it together and lock in some impressive scores in the back half of the heat.

"I'm stoked to win my first heat on tour," Andino said. "I don't think I was surfing too good though. I was kind of jittery out there with all my nerves and stuff. The end of the waves were kind of tweaking me because they were dumping in shallow water. I didn't see to many people doing airs today, so I just tried to go for one out the back and I'm stoked that I did."

(Photo credit: ASP)

Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11 x ASP World Champion and defending event winner, sent a clear message to his fellow competitors by posting a massive 18.80 (out of a possible 20) in the first 10 minutes of his opening heat of 2012. Slater was matched up against 2012 ASP rookie sensation Kolohe Andino (USA), 17, and event trials' winner Garrett Parkes (AUS), 20.

 "30 seconds before our heat started I saw a really good one behind the rock," Slater said. "So my plan was to wait for the deep ones. If you watch the heats and see who won and how they won, it's all about wave quality. The waves are fun when you get them, you just have to catch the second wave of the set because the first waves comes through and cleans it all up." 

 John John Florence (HAW), 19, fresh from his maiden Vans Triple Crown win, posted the highest heat total of the day, a near perfect 19.60 (out of a possible 20). This is Florence's first Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and he was the only 2012 rookie to notch a Round 1 win today.

 "Last night was my first time surfing at Snapper, it's an amazing wave!" Florence said. "I knew there was some good ones out there, I was out at this time last night and I got a couple. I so happy right now, I was stoked to just get those two waves, but to win the heat with some good scores is even better. I'm having a lot of fun." 

Owen Wright (AUS), 22, scored an epic come-from-behind victory in an all-Australian heat against Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, and Kai Otton (AUS), 32. Durbidge took control of the heat early, but failed to find a backup score after posting the highest wave score of the heat and was overtaken by Wright who managed to find two good scores.

"It was a really tough heat!" Wright said. "I was out of position for a while at the start, I tried to get a couple of quick scores but it didn't really work out. Then in the last 15 minutes I decided to wait and be more selective, and I got that wave that I got the score on and I was stoked because it had a nice wall on it. There was a couple of sections to do finners, so I thought I'd fin it to win it."

Adam Melling (AUS), 26, took out an action packed heat against Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, and Dane Reynolds (USA), 26. All three surfers lit up the Snapper lineup with massive turns and deep tubes, but it was Melling who put his Lennox Head pointbreak experience to good use by catching the best waves

 "It's feels great to win that one!" Melling said. "I saw in the news and they were calling it the Dane (Reynolds) verse Parko (Joel Parkinson) heat and I was thinking - what about me, I'm in this one too. Both of those guys surf unreal and I happy to get the win, my boards are feeling good and my body is fit and I'm hoping for a big year."

Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, was ecstatic after his heat win against ASP World Championship Tour rookies Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, and Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26.

"It's looking good out there on the low tide," Monterio said. "I'm very happy to go straight to the 3rd Round, relax a bit, surf some different boards. I'm happy to be here again, I've got no sponsor so I'm going to try and get a good result. Gabriel (Medina) is the guy to beat, I don't think he's too happy right now, but he will get used to it, someone loses and someones wins. He's been doing great, winning contests and he's going to well again this year, for sure."

Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, advanced directly into Round 3 after an incredible tube that netted him a 9.67 (out of a possible 10), the highest single wave score of the day.

"I waited for that wave for about 15-minutes, it was such a good feeling," Bourez said. "I knew I needed a big score and I knew I needed to wait for the big waves to get a barrel. After the barrel you just have to hit the lip as hard as you can to get a good score and I'm so stoked. I'm glad to be here, it's a blessing to be on tour surfing against the world's best surfers." 

Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, two-times ASP World Champion and former event winner, was on point in his Round 1 heat at the Quiksilver Pro today. Fanning used his local knowledge to position himself in the best spot to capitalise on the available tube rides, finishing the waves off with his signature speed carves.

"It's great to be at home," Fanning said. "The neck injury at the end of last year wasn't great, I missed Pipe and spent a lot of time on the couch. Coming in to this event I guess you never know what to expect until you hit the water, Kerrzy (Josh Kerr) and I have had some great battles out here over the years. I didn't have the best start to that one, but after a few waves, run arounds and rock jumps I got a couple of scores."

(credit photo: ASP)

Matt Banting (AUS) went back-to-back at the Australian Open of Surfing after claiming the Pro Junior division title yesterday and today winning the blue ribbon ASP 6-Star division. Banting battled hard in the Final against American Evan Gieselman (USA), with both surfers going for broke in the small, but fun surf. The 17-year-old from Port Macquarie took to the air and landed some massive air-reverses that saw him post some big scores and claim the USD$25,000 1st prize and 3,500 ASP World Tour ratings points.

"This has been the best week of my life!" Banting said. "I'm so happy, this is the best feeling I've ever had! I'm shaking so much I can hardly talk. Evan (Gieselman) is a really good surfer, he was blowing up for the whole final, I was really scared. I was just lucky to start off well with a couple of good waves. I just want to thanks my Dad and Mum for supporting me, I love them!"

Iouri also expressed the support from the swiss time and his sponsors and would like to thanks everyone for there support.

At the age of 23, Iouri clinches his first World Champion title in front of a massive crowd and his parents. With the trophy he was awarded with a 40,000 USD purse.

Iouri Podladtchikov is now heading to France for the Winter X Games Tignes with his sights set at winning gold again and ending his season in a blaze of glory.

Quiksilver swiss rider was beaten by American Louie Vito, runner up on the Dew Tour ranking before the last event in Snowbasin (Utah, USA). The American pulled off his victory in front of his home crowd with the highest score ever set in the Dew Tour (98 points) and finally took the trophy for the second year in a row. After winning the last Dew Tour event in Killington (Vermont, USA) and getting Silver at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Iouri is heading to Oslo for the world champs then Tignes X-Games with his sights set at winning both.

Travis Rice stopped by London for the UK premiere of his little known movie, 'The Art of Flight' back in November and took the time to chat with Front magazine on all sorts of things snow related. So rightly so, he is Febs 'Dude of Sport'. Only the best get this honour..

So check out a sneak glimpse about of the 4-page interview. Well worth a trip to your local newsagents to spend your pocket money. This months issue, not only with T-Rice, is packed full of great content and on shelves now. 

www.frontarmy.com or follow on Twitter @frontmag

Italian young prodigy Leonardo Fioravanti won this week end the Ocean & Earth International Teenage Rampage Final, a competition gathering Australia's under 16 best groms. Quiksilver's wonderkid wowed crowds with his phenomenal surfing. Winning all three rounds in the lead up to the semis, Fioravanti seemed unstoppable, with Sam Bond knocked out in the semi's and Broulee event winner Matt King (Ulladulla) going down to Mikey Wright and Luke Hynd, the final was packed with talent.

At the age of 14, the youngest contender of his category appreciates his performance : "Surfing against Australia's best teenagers was awesome, these guys ripped out there all day and it came down to the last minute it was unreal. It's so good being in Australia, I love the culture and the people here in Cronulla have been so friendly, I've made some good friends here and would love to come back and surf again", said a super excited Fioravanti.

The Swiss Russian born snowboarding star won the final throwing a Cab 720, frontside crippler into back 1260 into front 1080 to cab 1080 all perfectly landed with an impressive amplitude and his tailor made smooth style. Despite an engaged second run, Vito could not overtake Iouri, declared the winner by the judges with a 96,75 points score out of 100. After his third place finish in Breckenridge last month, Iouri takes the lead of the Dew Tour Rankings with 182 points in front of Louie Vito, second with 180 points. With one week to go before the X Games, I-Pod looks in a terrific shape !

Legendary skier, James Woods, was welcomed to the Quiksilver snow team just before the season kicked off back in August. And we couldn't be more stoked to have him onboard!

Here's a quick look back at him representing in Fronts issue 163.

Representing for Quiksilver... and representing for skiiers all over as he takes on snowboarder, Dan Wakeham. But as Woodsy puts it:

'... in reality that whole rivalry is kind of old- fashioned. The only difference between the two sports is that we stand facing forwardand they stand sideways.'

But if your choosing sides... In this case, it's got to be skiing!

You can follow him on Twitter @JamesWoodsy or keep checking on the Quiksilver blog for more team updates and news on Woodsy's season.

And check out www.frontarmy.com for daily news and interesting chit chat. Another exciting Front 'Dude of Sport' featuring one of Quiksilvers most famous team members is out January 29th...

You might have had the pleasure to have already checked out a live performance from 'Auction for the Promise Club' as they played to the crowd at the Quiksilver Pro Junior in Newquay this past August bank holiday. But if you've not heard of them or from them, do not despair as they are about to release their debut EP on February 24th.

Hailing from, the fishing village of, St Agnes, Cornwall, the band has recorded at Abbey Road Studios and have received some recent credible radio time. Introduced on BBC 6 Music by Tom Robinson, on XFM by John Kennedy and on Absolute Radio by Sarah Champion, as well as regional BBC Radio Show's across the country. The female-fronted rock band have garnered critical acclaim for their unique sound, which channels shoegaze through giant hooks and huge choruses.

2010/2011 saw Auction for the Promise Club play support slots before Paolo Nutini, Martha Wainright and Pendulum at the Eden Sessions and also Reverend and The Makers.  The band has racked up performances at some of the country's most renowned venues, including Liverpool's Cavern Club, The Factory/Fac251 in Manchester, Birmingham's Gatecrasher and the ICA in London, as well as headlining a closing show at London Fashion Week, Jalouse, Mayfair.

The band have recently released videos for the tracks 'Under China' and 'If' from their debut 'One' EP that was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Cube Recordings. Two more videos are in production to tie in with the digital release of 'One EP' on February 24th 2012 with a show at 100 Club, London.

Check out the video for their track 'Under China' and be sure not to miss the band's special show at London's 100 Club on Feb 24^th which marks the release of this fantastic EP.

www.auctionforthepromiseclub.com

Big mountain legend and Quiksilver snowboarder James Stentiford killed it on the Freeride World Tour last year, with podium finishes and a 6^th place overall. This year Stentiford is back and stronger than ever, with hopes of glory and a hunger for the title:

‘I know I can win one if I get a good line and with a bit of luck on the day.'

The iconic 40-year old, a legend on the U.K. scene, finds his place amongst the top freerider's in the world and is the only Brit to qualify. He faces tough competition from other international big mountain legends, such as Xavier de la Rue, but with experience rivalling the best of them and the support of the British crowd, James is definitely ready for the challenge:

‘Hopefully I can surprise a few people, I don't really feel under pressure like some of the younger riders so hopefully that will be an advantage.'

So get your mascot outfits ready and your fingers crossed, as things kick off on the 21^st of January in Chamonix. It's the first stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour and what better way to start than on his training ground!

You can follow James' progress on the Quiksilver blog: www.quiksilver.co.uk/england/news with up to date news on all the team. For more information and details on all the tour stops check out: www.freerideworldtour.com.

GO JAMES!

Check out Transworld's trip to Bonnie Scotland for a shred last season. With Quiksilver snow team manager Gary Greenshields, Jamie Trinder and Roxy's Aimee Fuller all getting in on the action.

A sneak peek here:

http://snowboarding.transworld.net/1000167260/featuresobf/scotland-home-of-the-brave/?show=gallery&pid=44611#ngtop

and you'll have to buy yourself a copy of the Febuary issue for the full feature. Out now.

After he pulled out of The Quiksilver Pro and Peniche events, the surfer from Reunion Island was also forced to withdraw the Pipe Masters where he hoped to defend to defend his title.

He still achieved an impressive 13th in the World Ratings despite missing 3 events.

In spite of his intensive rehabilitation program, he traveled to Hawaii to honor his invitation and attend the opening of the Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Event. He is the sole European entrant in the competition that will only run when the waves reach the required size.

On Christmas Eve, Jeremy took part in a trip to Morocco, which was organized by Quiksilver alongside Ramzi Boukhaim and Dimitri Ouvre, to see if his ankle had recovered. A solid swell hit Taghazout near Agadir, which allowed Jeremy and the boys to surf the famous spots of Killer, Anchors Point and the surrounding beaches.

Between Christmas and New Years Day there were some epic sessions at Graviere as well as Peniche and Ericeira in Portugal, where he surfed alongside Aritz Aranburu and Patrick Beven.

After returning to Hossegor, Jeremy Flores is preparing to travel to Hawaii this week in preparation for the start of the 2012 season, which begins with the Quiksilver Gold Coast event held during the 25thFeburay and the 7th March.

©Testemale

Quiksilver is pleased to announce, not only one, but two new additions to their UK skate team with both Jake Collins and Kyron Davies signing on.

Jake Collins, the all-terrain destroyer who is as comfortable on the streets as he is on tranny, hails from Newport, Wales and is part of the Killcity crew, who recently released their long awaited video. Kyron Davies is one of the biggest undiscovered talents in the UK. His effortless style and massive pop make him one to watch for the future. From North London he has cut his teeth at London's famous spots also honing his tranny skills at Bay 66. James Stentiford, team manager, is stoked to have them both onboard:

‘Jake and Kyron are two of the biggest talents in the UK, I can't wait to get out on the road and see them smash it up.'

Keep your eyes peeled for the boys welcome edits, dropping soon.

Jake and Kyron join the, already strong, Quiksilver UK skate team which consists of Sam Bosworth, Alex Decuhna and Dan McDermott. Keep checking on the Quiksilver blog for news, updates and podcasts from the new additions and the whole UK team.

http://quiksilver.co.uk/england/news

This international competition sanctioned by ISA Federation crowned Peru's Roxy Girl Sofia Mulanovich in the Open Women's division while DC surfer Marc Lacomare (France) grew on the 3rd step of Men's Final followed by Quiksilver's Nic Muscroft (Aus) for copper. The Australian was also rewarded with the Oz National Team, winner of the team contest ahead of the French selection.

Open Women Final
Gold – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) – 15.27
Silver – Sarah Baum (RSA) – 13.70
Bronze – Diana de Souza (BRA) – 12.60
Copper – Justine Dupont (FRA) – 10.76

Open Men Final
Gold – Heath Joske (AUS) – 17.50
Silver – Cory Lopez (USA) – 12.33
Bronze – Marc Lacomare (FRA) – 12.30
Copper – Nic Muscroft (AUS) – 4.13

Final ISA China Cup Team Rankings
1. Australia – 12,930
2. France – 11,658
3. USA – 10,690
4. Peru – 10,028
5. Brazil – 9,760
6. South Africa – 8,880
7. Argentina – 7,690
8. Venezuela – 7,460

http://uk.askmen.com/celebs/interview_600/609_travis-rice-interview.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/winter_sports/16440984.stm

Also take a look at The Sun's take on it all (slightly comical):

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4041812/Brave-boarder-Billy-Morgan-is-snow-beginner.html

After spending a month getting ready for the season in Breckenridge Billy was home for Christmas and a quick rest before embarking on a busy contest schedule that kicked off this week with the TTR Oneill evolution 6star event in Davos. Hoping to build on his great start to the season . Follow Billy at as he heads into round 2 of the competition:

http://www.facebook.com/billymorgansnowboarder

Quiksilver's latest signing and on the radar rider, Billy Morgan has qualified through to round 2 of the O'Neill Evolution out in Davos, Switzerland. With a cracking run involving a double backside rodeo and cab 270, gaining him the score of the day!

You can watch him live as he competes in qualification round 2 next on the schedule (snowed off for now...)

http://www.oneill.com/evolution/live.html

Good luck Billy!

From January 6 to 14, China will become the international surfing capital with the world's top surfers competing on their National Teams in the ISA China Cup followed by a second surfing competition, the Hainan Classic, an ASP Men's 4-Star contest. It will be the first time ever in the history of the country that surfing events of this magnitude take place.

More info and live coverage of the event on http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com

With wind and snow issues in the morning, the contest had a rocky start. Hurricane Joachim created quite a stir, canceling Friday's training session and causing the organization to seal off the event site. The crew was challenged to prepare ideal conditions for today's competition, but as the winds calmed today the contest took off and presented some top notch snowboarding to the 6000 spectators.

“It's obviously super cool to win in your home country, the crowd went wild. It's both the first and last contest for me this season, as I will concentrate on filming. Therefore it couldn't have been a better day,” says favorite Elias Elhardt, who won the contest with his Frontside 360 Stalefish - Frontside Boardslide run for style, and  a Frontside 900 Melon - 270 Frontside Boardslide on his technical run. With these two runs combined, Elias had the highest score in the super final.

With another 5Star TTR Big Air contest wrapped up, Roope Tonteri is still solidly leading the TTR Big Air World Tour Ranking. German Ethan Morgan moved up into the Big Air second place. There were no changes in the Overall ranking results, Roope Tonteri is still ranked 3rd. Quiksilver rider Markku Koski (FIN) was ranked 9th, the Austrian talent Mathias Weissenbacher made it to rank 11, and team fellow Felix Georgii from Rettenberg/Germany took rank 22.

In anticipation of the World Snowboarding Championships from 10-19 of February in Oslo, Norway, riders have another few chances in the last days of 2011 to qualify for the Halfpipe and Slopestyle disciplines. 4Star Events US Revolution Tour and the Burton Pro-Test give opportunities in the USA. The O'Neill Evolution, from 2-8 January in Davos (SUI) features a 5Star Halfpipe and 6Star Big Air contest. The 6Star Big Air for men and women will count as a Slopestyle result for WSC qualification. The RedBull Nanshan Open in China is the next 5Star Slopestyle opportunity. WSF 1-3Star events also count for the TTR Points lists.

The riders line-up for the second round of “Relentless BIGAIR Stuttgart presented by Quiksilver” promises a competition on the highest level. The actual number one in TTR's world tour ranking, Finn Roope Tonteri, is taking part, as well as his fellow countrymen, sixth in the Olympics and Quiksilver team rider, Markku Koski. Also attending: Quiksilver team-mate and Austrian Master in Halfpipe & Slopestyle Mathias Weissenbacher, Janni Korpi, who managed to win “Relentless Freeze” last week in London, Swedes Nils Arvidsson and Kevin Backstrom, Mario Käppeli from Switzerland, and highly acclaimed crowd pleaser and last Relentless BIGAIR Stuttgart's second placed rider, Austrian Werni Stock.

For more information, go to: www.bigair-stuttgart.com

(photo: KevinMetallier)

If you missed the London premiere of epic snowboard movie ‘The Art of Flight' don't fret quite yet! Quiksilver is taking the film, everyone has been talking about, on a road-trip around the U.K. and Ireland. Spanning 10 key cities and stores over the next month, there is sure to be one near you, from Glasgow to Truro! It's your opportunity to see the movie, have a drink and enjoy an exclusive after-party. With ‘Art of Flight' goodies up for grabs and more exciting details from each stop to be announced.

Availability of tickets dependent on each location, so be sure to check out the schedule below for contact details and give your local a shout for more information.

There have already been stops all over the UK, starting in Glasgow a couple weeks back the film has made it's way through Falmouth, Cork, Norwich, Manchester, Portrush and Cardiff..

Tonight it's Surfing Life's turn, as the party kicks off at the University of Plymouth Students Union at 7.30pm!

The Art of Flight UK & Ireland Shop Tour Schedule

For more information on ‘The Art of Flight' visit www.artofflightmovie.com

At last weeks epic UK premiere of 'The Art of Flight' at the IMAX in London, Boothnation were on hand to capture some action in their airstream photobooth. People were flying in to get snap happy, strike a pose and grab a souvenir from the event. Including Travis Rice and co. in full 1940's pilot outfits. Check out all the photos on facebook now:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150349022737574.329865.40324877573&type=3

Hosting The Tony Hawk & Friends Show in Mumbai gives Quiksilver a unique and sensational opportunity to celebrate the launch of the brand in India and the recent openings of the first 3 stores in the country in a 5 months period.

Tony's latest appearances with Quiksilver included his show in the majestic surroundings of the Grand Palais in Paris (nov 2009), the European Tour where the greatest skateboarder ever and his crew headlined four amazing performances in Berlin, Rome, Barcelona in front of 25 000 spectators (picture) and Brighton in 2010... Last September, Tony Hawk made a rare exhibition for the Quiksilver Pro New York opening with an unprecedented vert demo held in Manhattan. The Mumbai show promises to be one of the most spectacular and unusual of the Skateboarding Master.

Quiksilver is also thrilled to announce that English artist and producer/DJ Scott Nixon will be performing live during the Tony Hawk & Friends Show in Mumbai. The British deck star is a man of many talents. From his debut at London's superclub - Fabric back in November 05, he's now a regular on the scene playing at clubs nationwide, including Heaven, Ministry of Sound and a host of international festivals. Scott Nixon has been mixing before he first stood on a snowboard over 20 years ago. Being a pro-rider on the European snowboard scene for over 15 years opened up a huge freesport audience to his mixing talents and he's been a regular at massive surf & snowboard events for years, including the Freeze Festival takeover of Battersea Power Station and the Tony Hawk Show in Brighton.

'I can safely say that once ironed and out of the wash, this will be one of your favourite shirts this winter.'

http://www.caughtinthecrossfire.com/skate/product-reviews/quiksilver-ole-oxford-shirt/

Check out the full collection online and instore now: http://quiksilver.eu/fr-fr/skate

The highly anticipated UK premiere of “The Art of FLIGHT,” played at the IMAX in London on Thursday night, with two screenings that saw a thousand lucky crowd watch Travis Rice and crew on the big screen! Those lucky enough to get a seat witnessed the movie projected on the highest quality visual format on the UKs biggest cinema screen. Man of the moment, Travis Rice, dressed in full 1940's fighter pilot gear, turned up to chat to the crowd and introduce his groundbreaking film. A memorable screening and a night to remember, the party continued into the early hour.

Check some photos below with more to follow...

(Images courtesy of Red Bull: http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Article/Art-Of-Flight-London-Premiere-021243123676098)

In addition to the film premiere, there will be appearances by athletes including professional snowboarder Travis Rice and the chance to see the exclusive “The Art of FLIGHT” travelling photo exhibit. Ticket holders get there early to enjoy the experiential area in the downstairs foyer of the IMAX: your opportunity to try out the new SSX courtesy of EA games and dress like an aviator to grab a picture souvenir from the evening.

It's a sold-out show, but if you have been lucky enough to get your hands on a VIP seat, doors open at 7pm with your ticket provided at the IMAX on arrival. Witness the stars of the film arrive as they walk the red carpet at 7.30pm, so have your camera at the ready.  Doors open for the second screening at 10pm, with the film set to start at 10.30pm.

After the movie, it's on to Pulse Club (just under Blackfriars Bridge) for the after-party. Ticket holders are guaranteed entry but it's open to all from 10pm. Kiwi rockers, I AM Giant take to the stage, followed by DJ sets by Scott Nixon and Christian Stevenson.

So get ready and come join Travis Rice and ‘The Art of Flight' Tour as it descends on the UK capital tomorrow.

What: Action sport's most anticipated new film, “The Art of FLIGHT” featuring a guest appearance by pro snowboarder Travis Rice and friends.

When: Thursday 17^th November

7pm Door Time/ 7.30pm Red Carpet Entrance

Where: IMAX, Southbank, London

Tickets:                 Sold Out

Check out the trailer and learn more about the film at ArtofFLIGHTmovie.com.

THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2011 – BFI IMAX

After selling out in less than 48 hours, new tickets have been released for a second screening of ‘The Art of Flight' on Thursday 17 November, at the IMAX on London's Southbank.  The new release of tickets cost only £5 and the movie will be shown straight after the Official London Premiere at 10.30pm.  Although this second screening doesn't guarantee you a seat next to Travis Rice, you can still catch him at the official "Art of Flight" after-party at Pulse!  Go to www.artofflightmovie.com or www.ticketweb.co.uk to get your tickets now and for more information on the World tour.

This 11th historic crown marks a season highlighted by 3 wins (Gold Coast, Tahiti, Trestles) bringing his number of elite victories to 48*; an incredible record in the surfing world and a rare feat in sport at the highest level.  Still at the top of his game after spending 20 years in the elite, Kelly Slater adds a new world title to his immense track record that continues to defy statistics.  Never has the competition been so fierce on the elite circuit, although the rivalry is different from the years with Andy Irons or Mick Fanning.  The next generation of new school surfers who are increasingly radical, such as Owen Wright and Adriano De Souza challenged in the 2011 world rankings, as well as Julian Wilson and Gabriel Medina who have the motivation to beat the supreme master.  Not forgetting the top names Jordy Smith, Jeremy Flores and Michel Bourez.

His Secret? Firstly a talent bordering on genius but also a sense of strategy, reading the wave like no one else, a phenomenal ability to adapt, the temperament of a competitor which matches the greatest champions and finally exceptional physical conditioning.  Above all else a passion for free-surfing.  Always on the lookout for the swell of the year, he is able to cross the globe on a whim to surf great waves, dropping everything including a World Championship event.. (like at Jeffrey's Bay this year).  For Kelly Slater, surfing is visceral and has certainly given him the ability to reinvent himself, he is still, at nearly 40 years old, the absolute reference point in his sport.

*Before Rip Curl Pro Search ends

With only just over two weeks to go until the London premiere of the much anticipated snowboard movie 'The Art of Flight' (17th November), check out the media getting stoked on the film and the man of the moment, Travis Rice.

Check him out, as the cover star of issue #29 Huck, out now:

http://www.huckmagazine.com/blog/huck029-out-now/

The newest addition to the Quiksilver UK snow team, Billy Morgani killed it this past weekend at the London Freeze Battle of Britain snowboard comp. Check out the highlights above and be sure to keep an eye on him this upcoming season.. Sure to be more podiums to come!

If the Quiksilver team surfer goes through the event's Round 3, neither Owen Wright nor Adriano won't be able to catch him up anymore and Kelly Slater will get the 2011 crown, 20 years after his elite inception. His main contender for the title this year, Owen Wright, was just 1 year old, then.

With limited swell and unfavorable tides on several days of the O'Neill Cold Water Classic California waiting period, Tiago Pires had to perform at both the iconic pointbreak of Steamer Lane as well as the beachbreak of Waddell Creek in order to earn a top result.

Pires relied on impeccable wave selection as well as classic rail-to-rail power-surfing en route to his equal 3rd place finish, topping ASP World No. 6 Jordy Smith (ZAF), 22, in his Semifinals bout, but was unable to surpass Pupo for the win.

“I'm stoked, with these kinds of conditions I didn't see myself in the final today and I was just really happy to be out there,” Pires said. “Miguel (Pupo) put on a show and I have to take my hat off to him. He's one of the best surfers in the world in these conditions and he deserves it. I'm stoked I got second and this result is going to help my result on the World Rankings so I'm really happy.”

More info on aspworldtour.com

http://thetrinders.com/

Check out HUCK online for a little review of the AW Dane Reynolds collection, in store and online now.

From the Dane 2 pant, the Pretty Simple Hood or Pickle Dane shirts. Dag, Delt, Dat Tat... Check it out.

http://www.huckmagazine.com/blog/quiksilver-reynolds-collection/

Check out the winter seasons first issue of snowboard mag 'The Reason'. Packed full of goodness and with all the new AW11/12 product to peruse. Take a look at some of Quiksilver's new snow collection. From their Travis Rice signature series; including the hubble goggle, their Utility range and the product inspired by the team trip to South America last season.

Log on to SHOP SNOW online now to take a look at the full collection.

Stop No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Quiksilver Pro France culminated today in exciting fashion as the next generation of ASP World Title contenders announced their intentions on the world stage.

Medina, in only second event as an ASP Top 34 member, cut a swathe through the world's best surfers, securing three of the top five highest single-wave scores of the event en route to his emotional win.

“This is the best feeling ever,” Medina said. “I beat some great guys on the way to Final and I'm very stoked now. I want to thank all my friends and family and god for their support. It has been an amazing week for me. Just two years ago, I was here competing in the King of the Groms and I won that event and now I'm here in the main event and I've won it. It doesn't seem real.”

Opening their final clash with a strong 7.83 for a full-rotation forehand aerial, Medina was put on the back foot by an in-form Wilson until the dying moments, when the young Brazilian blasted several high-risk maneuvers on a lengthy lefthander to secure a 9.17 and regain the lead.

“The start of the heat was slow and it was going high tide so it was a challenge,” Medina said. “It was a fun heat. It was a hard hat as well. Julian (Wilson) is an incredible surfer and I know he wanted to win very badly. I knew I needed a big score on that final wave and I had to throw everything I had to get it. I'm very happy right now.”

Wilson built momentum throughout the final day of competition, dispatching of the tour's heavy hitters and posting some impressive scores. The young Australian's Runner-Up finish today marks a career best and is indicative of his recent run of improvements amongst the world's elite (5th and the 3rd previously).

“Everything feels good and I'm very happy to be here on the podium,” Wilson said. “It's been a great event for me and congrats to Gabriel (Medina) for his incredible run here in France. I have so many amazing memories of watching this event as a kid, seeing Andy (Irons) and Kelly (Slater) go for it and to be in it now is a very special feeling. I'm hoping to improve in the coming events and looking forward to Portugal.”

Taylor Knox (USA), 40, posted his best result of the year today, finishing Equal 3rd and bolting from 32 to 21 on the ASP World Title rankings. Knox, who was in searing fashion throughout the event, eventually fell to the high-flying antics of Medina in the Semifinals.

“This is one of the best events I've had for a while but yeah I definitely ran into ‘Medina Airlines' there in the Semifinals,” Knox said. “It's a huge result for me and I felt like my surfing was really coming together. I have some really good boards right now and I'm hoping to keep the momentum up. We're looking at maybe getting some big barrels in Portugal next week so that will be exciting and we have a lot of interesting events to finish the year with.”

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, back in his first event since injury in Tahiti, exhibited an impressive return to form throughout the event, but was unable to overcome Wilson in their Semifinal clash.

“I'm really happy with a 3rd and it's a good result for me,” Smith said. “To be honest, I'm just happy to be back in the water. It feels great to be back and I just couldn't get into the right waves until the end of that Semifinal there. Julian (Wilson) got off to a good start and he's been ripping so I hope he posts a win here.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, was ousted in today's Quarterfinals by an on-fire Medina. The iconic Floridian looked out of sorts in the shifting morning conditions as the young Brazilian dominated on both his forehand and backhand.

“Not much of a performance by me,” Slater said. “I guess he surfed well, I didn't really see much as I was just floating out the back. Unfortunately, I was out of synch the whole time and didn't really have a chance to battle it out with him.”

With the dust settled in the south of France, it has been determined that the 2011 ASP World Title cannot be decided at the next event in Portugal and will go to at least San Francisco.

Photo Credit: Cazenave

Event No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title series, the Quiksilver Pro France bore witness to some impressive surfing this afternoon with the Quarterfinalists being determined in picturesque conditions.

Kelly Slater - Crédit: Cazenave / Quiksilver

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, current No. 6 on the ASP World Title rankings, blitzed his afternoon Round 4 heat today, comboing both Owen Wright (AUS), 21, and Damien Hobgood (USA), 32, with explosive surfing on his backhand and forehand.

“I did have fun in that heat,” Burrow said. “It went my way towards the end and I got some really nice rights and some good lefts too. I'm sure Owen (Wright) would have loved to have been on a couple of those lefts as they really lined up nicely. It felt great to post some good scores and hopefully the conditions remain fun and consistent for the rest of the event.”

Burrow will take on Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, in Quarterfinal 4.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, continued his surgical dismantling of the La Graviere peaks today, generating unmatched speed and flow to claim his Round 4 victory and advance directly into the Quarterfinals.

“The waves are pretty fun out there and I have a good board under my feet,” Slater said. “I guess I'm comfortable out there. I've been coming to France for so many years that I'm used to the waves here and I know what to look for when it's changing.”

The current ASP World No. 1 was characteristically hesitant when probed about his 2011 ASP World Title campaign.

“Quarterfinals is another good result for me and a lot of the guys that were threatening have fallen out early in this event,” Slater said. “I haven't worked the numbers out, but they may be too far behind at this point. Owen (Wright) is obviously still in there and he's really strong at the remaining events so I wouldn't be surprised if it came down to the wire. There is still a lot that can happen.”

Slater will face Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, when Quiksilver Pro France competition resumes. Medina advanced directly through Round 5 of competition after Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, withdrew from the event following an ankle injury sustained in Round 3.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, back in his first event since sustaining a rib injury in Tahiti, caused a major upset today, ousting current No. 2 Owen Wright (AUS), 21, from competition in Round 5 and shaking the 2011 ASP World Title race to its core.

“I had a great time out there,” Smith said. “I just approached it as a free surf. Obviously, Owen (Wright) is in the title race and he has a bit of pressure on him. My girlfriend actually gave me the best advice as I didn't have the best heat before. She said, ‘babe, if it ain't working, change it up.' That's what I did and it worked really well.”

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, and Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, continued their ASP Rookie of the Year battle, both battling through Rounds 4 and 5 and into the Quarterfinals.

Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, current No. 10 on the ASP World Title rankings, continued his solid run at La Graviere, posting an impressive 14.57 out of a possible 20 for powerfully dismantling the clean lefts and rights on offer this afternoon.

“This is a huge relief for me,” Bourez said. “It's my best result of the year so far. I started the season with five ninths in a row so I'm very happy to finally crack the Quarterfinals. I'm feeling healthy and strong and hopefully we continue to get fun waves for the rest of the competition.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 8am to assess conditions for a possible 8:30am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, and Taylor Knox (USA), 40, in Quarterfinal 1.

Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro France will be available via http://www.quiksilverlive.com

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 4 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.57, Taylor Knox (USA) 11.17, Jeremy Flores (FRA) N/S

Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.83, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.80, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 7.83

Heat 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.10, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.10, Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.03

Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.43, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.13, Owen Wright (AUS) 11.10

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 5 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 13.50 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.53
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) Advances Over Jeremy Flores (FRA) *Flores withdraws due to ankle injury sustained in Round 3 of competition.

Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.74 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.53

Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.16 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.86

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:

QF 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
QF 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

QF 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)

Event No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Quiksilver Pro France rampaged through 12 heats of competition today that saw a number of upsets as well as impressive performances by the event's top seeds. Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, posted a convincing win over wildcard Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), 17, in Round 3 of competition. The iconic Floridian was all business for his midday bout, closely analyzing the conditions and posting the highest heat total of the day, a 16.90 out of a possible 20, for an impressive display of backhand surfing. “I was nervous before the heat because there have been a few that have been slow and guys haven't been getting waves,” Slater said. “I started loosening up there at the end. With the tide changing, I was somewhat confident that the lefts would begin offering better scoring opportunities and that's where I got my two best waves.”

The past three events have seen the historic exchange between Slater and young Australian Owen Wright (AUS), 21. The two have made the last three, consecutive Finals (an ASP first) and have ignited one of the greatest ASP World Title races in recent years.

“I've always known Owen (Wright) to be building up and building up,” Slater said. “By the way people talk, I'm stoked to still be standing. These young guys are incredible. The stuff that Dane (Reynolds), Jordy (Smith), Julian (Wilson) and Owen do is amazing. When I was younger, I was always looking up to the older guys and now I'm looking to the younger guys to see what kind of lines they're taking.”

Wright wasted no time in the final heat of the day, smashing a 7.00 and an 8.17 in the opening minutes to dispatch of Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, and advance through to Round 4, setting up another thrilling chapter in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title.

Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, into his third season amongst the world's elite, dominated the morning righthanders with unmatched power on his forehand. The powerful Tahitian posted a 13.76 heat total in his Round 3 victory over Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34.

“The waves are very fun out there today,” Bourez said. “The bank is good and there are some really rippable rights coming through. I have a great board at the moment and I'm feeling strong. I've been doing a lot of stretching and just focusing on surfing better.”

Current No. 10 on the ASP World Title rankings, Bourez has had an impressive run this season, but has yet to crack Round 5 of an elite tour event – an oversight he hopes to remedy at the Quiksilver Pro France.

“Last year I finished 11th and this year my goal was to finish Top 10,” Bourez said. “I've had a pretty good year so far and my results are going pretty well right now. Hopefully I'm able to reach my goal by the end of the year.”

Bourez will face Taylor Knox (USA), 40, and Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, in Round 4 of competition.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, is back competing in his first event since a rib injury sidelined him in Tahiti in August. Today's Round 3 bout against Dane Reynolds (USA), 26, was one of the most anticipated of the events and the two progressive surfing stalwarts didn't disappoint. Smith opened up strong with two solid waves on his forehand and was able to stave off a late charge from Reynolds.

“There were a few waves out there but the tide got a little bit high so it was inconsistent,” Smith said. “I'm pretty stoked right now. There are some pretty good ramps and I think Dane (Reynolds) found one in the heat. I just tried to find some good waves and put in some good scores early. It was pretty relaxed out there, we've been surfing together all week so it was just another surf for us.”

Smith was sitting at No. 2 on the ASP World Title rankings prior to injury and is hesitant to commit to chasing the ASP World Title in 2011.

“A miracle would have to happen for me to get back in the race,” Smith said. “I'm not looking at the World Title right now as I've missed two events. Kelly (Slater) has a good chance at winning it at the moment. Owen (Wright) is right there too. The rest of us are all just looking to get back in the game.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, newcomer to the elite ASP Top 34 following September's midyear rotation, scored an impressive victory in the dying moments of his Round 3 bout with veteran Australian Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28. The young goofy-footer took to the air on his forehand to net a 7.73 out of a possible 10 in the final moments of the heat to advance through to Round 4 of competition – his best result to date.

“It was a very tough heat for me,” Medina said. “Bede (Durbidge) is an excellent surfer. I was only able to turn the heat in the last seconds. France is a special place for me. I won the ‘King of the Groms' event two years ago and now I'm in the main event. It's a great feeling. The waves and weather are great and I'm very stoked to have the support of my family here with me.”

Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, posted a Round 3 victory over Kai Otton (AUS), 30, but reinjured his ankle before the heat was finished. Although current scheduled to compete in Round 4 of the Quiksilver Pro France, the young Frenchman's status is undetermined at this point.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, defending Quiksilver Pro France winner, was eliminated this morning in a low-scoring affair against teammate Knox in Round 3 of competition meaning a new winner will be crowned this year.

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, punctuated the afternoon's action with some electric surfing on his backhand. The lightning-fast Western Australian ran riot on the inside bank lefthanders, pipping Travis Logie (ZAF), 32, with a final wave in the final moments.

“It was pretty intense there at the end,” Burrow said. “We were the first heat to go try down on that bank so we were the guinea pigs. Travis (Logie) was absolutely ripping too so it was really close. Stoked to get through and feel like I'm settling into France nicely and I think we have swell turning up in the next couple of days so I'm looking forward to it.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 8am to assess conditions for a possible 8:30am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be Taylor Knox (USA), 40, Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, and Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, in Heat 1 of Round 4.

Between two calls, the public had the opportunity to watch at the Rugby World Cup game France vs UK on the Orange big screen, on the beach.

In the afternoon, the huge crowd had the chance to see the world's best surfers in action during the Moskova Expression Session. In the first heat, Kieren Perrow (AUS) took the best wave and Aritz Aranburu (EUK) the best move. In the second, Kelly Slater (USA) got the best wave and Gabriel Medina (BRA), the best maneuver.

Event organizers will reconvene at 8am tomorrow morning to assess conditions for a possible 8:30am start.

When competition recommences, up first will be Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, in Heat 9 of Round 2.

Kelly Slater – Crédits : Sylvain Cazenave/ Quiksilver

Stars of the film Travis Rice and Mark Landvik as well as director Curt Morgan will be attending the London stop with more names to be revealed closer to the time. “We've been working for such a long time to make this happen and I am really looking forward to see how the people like what we did”, Travis Rice states.

The London Premiere offers a unique opportunity to view the ‘Art of Flight', a film produced by Red Bull Media House in association with Brain Farm Digital Cinema, on the most sophisticated motion-picture projection system in the world. The 20m x 26m screen will ensure the film is seen in all its glory so make sure you get your tickets!

Missed out already?! Keep your eyes peeled for a limited number of tickets to be released closer to the date and ticket giveaways to be in with a chance of attending!

Inclement winds have forced event organizers to call a lay day at the Quiksilver Pro France, but improved conditions are projected for the weekend.

Event No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, the Quiksilver Pro France has completed Round 1 and the opening eight heats of Round 2 and will look to recommence as early as tomorrow.

“There's plenty of swell in the water but we have about a 20 knot cross shore wind that's cutting the lineup to pieces today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. “We've called competition off for the day and will be back tomorrow morning for a call at 8am.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 8am to assess conditions for a possible 8:30am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, in Heat 9 of Round 2.

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE REMAINING ROUND 2 RESULTS:

Heat 4: Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.10 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.76

Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 11.86

Heat 6: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.60 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 12.13

Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.43 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.60

Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.57 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.50

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE REMAINING ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)

Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)

Heat 12: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

LA GRAVIERE, Hossegor/France (Thursday, October 6, 2011) – The Quiksilver Pro France completed Heats 4 through 8 of Round 2 this morning in shifting four-to-six (1.5 – 2 metre) waves this morning before calling competition off for the day due to onshore winds.

Event No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Tour, the Quiksilver Pro France plays a vital role in both the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title and the requalification campaigns of the world's best surfers, and has already bore witness to some major upsets in the opening days of competition.

Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, navigated this morning's tricky conditions to upset current No. 5 on the ASP World Title rankings, Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, in the opening heat of the morning.

“It's really hard out there this morning,” Pires said. “There are some really good ones, but the water is moving so much. It's challenging. I was fortunate to find a really good one that stayed open and I got a pretty decent barrel. Josh (Kerr) has been in really good form the last few events so I'm happy to get past him.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, newcomer to the elite ASP Top 34 following September's rotation, utilized his lethal backhand to take down Dusty Payne (HAW), 22, in Round 2 of competition.

“Dusty (Payne) is such a good surfer and can get the score at any moment,” Medina said. “The lineup is very shifty and it's very difficult to be in the correct spot. You just have to take off on waves and surf what you have. I'm very thankful to get through and hope the conditions clean up.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 8:30am to assess conditions for a possible 8am start. When competition resumes, up first will be Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, in Heat 9 of Round 2.

Highlights and LIVE from the Quiksilver Pro France on www.quiksilverlive.com

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE REMAINING ROUND 2 RESULTS:

Heat 4: Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.10 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.76

Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 11.86

Heat 6: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.60 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 12.13

Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.43 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.60

Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.57 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.50

QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE REMAINING ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)

Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)

Heat 12: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

Tiago Pires - Crédit : Eric Chauché

La Graviere delivered heaving 2 meters lefts and rights today for opening day of competition at the Quiksilver Pro France.

Event No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Quiksilver Pro France saw the world's best surfers do battle in the shifting beachbreaks of Southwest France, completing Round 1 and the opening three heats of Round 2 before day's end.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, two-time ASP World Champion (2007 and 2009) and defending Quiksilver Pro France winner, scored a sensational 9.37 out of a possible 10 for an incredible forehand barrel to take the victory in the dying moments of his Round 1 heat.

“It was a wild end to that heat,” Fanning said. “Brett (Simpson) surfed great. He started with an 8 and got a 7 to take the lead and he was really looking in form. He pushed me deep really deep at the end, but I saw the wave had double up and had to put the rocket boots on when I stood up. It had a great line and I was stoked to make it out.”

Fanning's combined wave total of an 18.20 out of a possible 20 marked the highest of the day, clearly announcing the defending champ's intentions for the European leg of the ASP World Title Series.

“You have to be able to adapt in France,” Fanning said. “The wave changes so much and shows you so many different faces. I have a great board now that Simon (Anderson) shaped for me and it felt really good out there. Looks like there will be waves throughout the waiting period and I'm looking forward to the next heat.”

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, returned to elite ASP World Title competition today, after missing two events due to a rib injury sustained during the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Although still suffering from soreness, the powerful South African muscled his way to a Round 1 victory.

“It's so good to be back,” Smith said. “I'm not 100% at the moment – about 75%. It still hurts to lie down on my board and paddle, but it's time for me to be back in the water. I want to be here and I'm happy to have come away with a win in my first heat back.”

Smith was ranked No. 2 in the world prior to injury, and although the injury may have sidelined a 2011 ASP World Title run, South Africa's favourite son is thankful to be back in the game.

“I'd love to give a big thanks to everyone around the world who was supporting me through that tough time,” Smith said. It's been the toughest thing in my life to go from being second in the world to having to watch those two events happen. I'm psyched to be back though and am working on staying positive.”

Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, current No. 10 on the ASP World Title rankings, posted a convincing Round 1 win today, threading glassy barrels and blasting serious turns to advance past South Americans Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19.

“The waves were very fun in my heat today,” Bourez said. “France is like that. The waves can be bad one minute and good the next. I got in a good rhythm and I have a really good board. It feels great to get Round 1 win as I've had a couple of slow events. I'm hoping for a big result in France.”

Today's shifting conditions provided plenty of action for the world's best surfers today, but were, at times, challenging with the ever-shifting lineup.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, survived a difficult heat this morning in a wave-starved Round 1 affair.

“It was a nightmare out there,” Slater said. “I wouldn't be surprised if they called it out there. The tide is really high. It was a bummer and not very competitive. That's the way France is sometimes though. Sometimes it's on, sometimes it's off.”

Also surviving a challenging Round 1 heat was current No. 2 on the ASP World Title rankings, Owen Wright (AUS), 21. Both Slater and Wright will re-launch their Quiksilver Pro France campaigns in Round 3 of competition.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, current No. 3 on the ASP World Title rankings, suffered a shock elimination this afternoon at the hands of wildcard and trials winner Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR) in a wave-starved Round 2 heat.

Dane Reynolds (USA), 26, competing in his first ASP World Title event of the year, punctuated the afternoon's action with a come-from-behind victory over Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24. In need of a solid score at the business end of the bout, Reynolds tore the roof off a ledging lefthander with two powerful backhand turns, attaining a high 8-point ride and the heat win.

When competition resumes, up first will Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, against Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, in Heat 4 of Round 2.

Photo credit : Eric Chauché / Quiksilver

Fin Bremner and Jamie Trinder stepped it up for the British indoor snowboard championships slopestyle this past weekend. Jamie taking second in the junior division (6th overall) and Fin taking the top spot in the kids comp (8th overall). Well done guys. Great start to the season!

For more details and info on upcoming stops check out: http://www.britishsnowtour.com/

Slater and Wright's third consecutive Final bout marks a first in ASP history, as no two competitors have faced off in three successive ASP Dream Tour Finals – a noteworthy statistic in sparking this new rivalry in the battle for the ASP World Title.

Slater roared to life on the Final day, unloading the highest heat-total of competition, 18.40 out of 20 in the Semifinals, and maintained his lethal form throughout the day's entirety with a consistent display of new-school airs and patented carves to clinch his unprecedented 48th elite ASP World Tour victory and third of the season.

“Owen (Wright) is tough and he's been surfing great,” Slater said. “There really are no weak points to his surfing and he's going to be a standout in every spot. A lot of the guys tried to get him this week and I got lucky in that last exchange. I was taking the first wave of the set under his priority and once I got priority I wanted to wait. It almost looked like there wasn't a wave after Owen's. It's been fun surfing against Owen and surfing Lowers. It's been a great week and thanks everyone for the crazy support, it's been wonderful.”

Wright, current No. 2 on the ASP World Title rankings, has continued to build momentum throughout his sophomore year amongst the ASP Top 34 and dispatched of a rampaging Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, and rookie prodigy Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, en route to his rematch against Slater, but was unable to solidify the victory over the veteran in the Final.

The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season will be the Quiksilver Pro France from October 4 – 13, 2011.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Check out the vert highlights from Boardmasters 2011:

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Following his impressive performance in Teahupoo's massive waves this year, Jeremy got a spot (a first for a French surfer) for the prestigious big-wave surfing contest gathering the world's best chargers. Winner of the Pipe Masters, ranked world n°6 on the ASP World Ranking (after NY), the Frenchman now gets to a new dimension while entering the big wave surfers club.

The Eddie waiting period will start on Dec 1^st, 2011 till February 29^th, 2012. The event will be launched if waves reach a minimum of 20 feet (40 feet face). Since its inception in the winter 1984/1985, the contest has only been held 8 times. The Eddie was last held in December 2009 (and won by Californian Greg Long).

Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 13.67 Def. Santiago Muniz (ARG) 8.93

Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro Men's Semi-final Results

Heat 1: Santiago Muniz (ARG) 14.06 Def. Chris Friend (AUS) 9.07

Heat 2: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 16.84 Def. Glen Hall (IRL) 11.84

After a successful stop in Hemel Hempstead, the Whitelines Rail Jam hit Castleford Sno!Zone at the end of August with a great turnout and a successful evening. It was an epic session running throughout the evening, the slope didn't close till midnight, so plenty time for the competitors to throw down and plenty time for spectators to watch/have a few drinks/dress like a banana.

Newly signed, Quiksilver riders, Fin Bremner and Jamie Trinder travelled all the way from their Scottish homeland to represent for the evening. And represent they did! Whitelines quote, Jamie's front flip to handplants as the highlight of the evening and he walked away with prizes and the best trick title.

Lots more action and words on the Whitelines site now, so check out the full report here:

http://whitelines.mpora.com/news/whitelines-rail-jam-hits-castleford-full-report-photo-gallery.html

Quiksilver surfers, Toby Donachie and Tom Good represented at the Volcom Sid Fish this past weekend and they certainly made the most of the swell generated by hurricane Katia. Tom went away with a win in the Junior category and Toby snapped up the Open title, in the (hurricane aided) solid surf.

The Quiksilver Pro New York Final marked a rematch between the pair from the previous stop on the ASP World Title Series in Tahiti. But today belonged to Wright and the monumental nature of the moment was not lost on the New York crowd who passionately rooted on a kid they'd never heard of before this week.

Wright wasted no time in the Final, belting a 7.00, a 9.23, and an 8.00 in the opening minutes of the heat against Slater with a savage forehand attack on the clean left-hand walls. Slater never made it off the ropes, unable to tap back into the brilliance that blinded opponents Josh Kerr (Australia) and Taj Burrow (Australia) in his quarter- and semi-final heats – heats that were worthy of being finals in themselves.

As the clock counted down, Slater made one last push, throwing everything he had into a last ditch effort that ended in a broken board.

“Firstly all my friends and family came to mind,” said Wright. “I'm just as stoked as they are. It just overwhelmed me thinking of them.

“The conditions were perfect for me. I knew I'd do everything I could to get to the final with Kelly and I knew he'd be there anyway. Once I got the final I went, no, this is payback for last week! But I've watched Kelly my whole life. He's been a huge inspiration to me.

“I walked for six hours one day in the city just looking around. I've seen nothing like it before. I went to the top of the Empire State building and looked down and I was thinking Central Park was just some small park, but it's like central forest! It's the biggest thing I've ever seen. But that's just New York. Everything's huge. Huge prize money, hell trophy and perfect surf.”

Prior to the final, Slater was in deadly form. His ultimate loss was taken graciously and he seemed to revel in the opportunity to share the moment with Wright. It was 20 years ago that Slater stood in the place that Owen stands today. Wright was 1-year-old that year.

“Owen's first win – this is going to be a memory for his whole life and I'm stoked to be in that final with him. I'm a hundred per cent confident that he's going to at least one world title. He's basically still a rookie and in my opinion he's probably the most well-rounded guy on tour.

“I felt off from wave one. I took off on the first wave and just misread it.”

On his heat with Taj: “It's funny, because I get nervous until somebody gets a good ride and then I know what I need to do. I almost enjoy it more when somebody gets a big score because it brings you to a level. It opens the flood-gates for you.”

In his semi-final heat against Burrow, Slater was in need of a near-perfect ride in the dying minutes. Of course, he rose to the occasion like no-one else could, launching the event's only perfect 10-point ride with a gigantic frontside full-rotation slob grab on a closeout section. It was a hard defeat for Burrow, who had the crowd in his corner with a ballistic display of both tail-busting power turns and sky-scraper aerials.

“Even with my 9 and a 7.8, I still didn't feel safe because Kelly's capable of (a perfect 10) and he did it,” said Burrow. “He tried lots of wild airs and the wind wasn't cooperating with him… and I was like, I hope he doesn't stick one of these things. But sure enough, he gets a big wedge and I let him have it. It looked too big and dumpy. But he did the best air of his life! I don't know how he does it. It won't even do it justice explaining how freakish that actually is, what he just did. That's the best air he's ever done in his life and he did it when he needed, with a minute to go, and it had to be against me. It hurts. It's awful.”

Josh Kerr leaves New York as another sentimental favorite. He came here with no expectations, hot off a performance in Tahiti that marked his true arrival to the top ranks. Third place today solidifies him in the top 10 – now 6th in the world.

“It's a little frustrating…but maybe it was fate, because what happened with him and Taj was meant to be,” said Kerr. “That's good for our sport what just went down. I was stoked to see it. Still bummed on losing, but bitter sweet.

“Being in the big city and getting a big result, and getting good waves… there's a lot of people watching this. Having heats verse Kelly is obviously a good thing because people will wake up in the middle of the night to watch those.”

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, currently competing in his rookie year on the ASP World Title Series, was in impressive form throughout the entirety of Quiksilver Pro New York competition, but was unable to trump Wright in their Semifinals heat. Muniz's equal 3rd place finish marks his career-best result.

“The Art of FLIGHT” mixes equal parts stunning action footage and harrowing adventure with the inevitable drama encountered along the way, presenting viewers with an exclusive opportunity to experience these endeavors virtually firsthand. Today this opportunity can be enjoyed nearly anywhere, anytime as the film comes out on DVD and Blu-ray™, on iTunes or as part of the limited edition The Art of FLIGHT book.

The DVD/Blu-ray™ package and digital download are both now available at artofflightmovie.com/store. The film is also available at Zumiez, core snowboard shops and Quiksilver stores nationwide. Digital downloads of the film are available in the U.S., Canada, most of Western Europe and Japan. Within an hour of posting to iTunes, “The Art of FLIGHT” became the number one sports download with a five star review from the first viewers.

The Art of FLIGHT book will be sold on artofflightmovie.com/store or with purchase of a Lib Tech limited edition T.Rice PRO “FLIGHT” snowboard while supplies last. The oversized, photo-driven book, which also contains the film on DVD and Blu-ray™, features stunning images captured and exclusive stories made while filming “The Art of FLIGHT” wrapped up in a collector's edition box.

The entire cast of “The Art of FLIGHT” including Travis Rice, John Jackson, Pat Moore, Mark Landvik, Nicolas Müller, Mark McMorris, Eero Niemela, Scotty Lago, Jake Blauvelt, Jeremy Jones, DCP and more gathered to celebrate the world premiere. Joining them were a group of the world's best surfers in town for the Quiksilver Pro.

The cast and crew now hit the road for a screening tour spanning over 20 legendary performance spaces across the U.S. and Canada including Denver's Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Boston's Orpheum Theater, Minneapolis' State Theater and Seattle's McCaw Hall. Throughout the fall, athletes will travel overseas to Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and 15 European cities to share “The Art of FLIGHT” with a global audience. Tickets for North American screening stops are now on sale at ArtofFLIGHTmovie.com.

The global screening tour will offer viewers the most premium way to experience “The Art of FLIGHT” using Dolby's digital cinema package file including the Dolby Screen Server DSS200 and Dolby CP750 Cinema Sound Processor used in major theater chains.

View the trailers, find your local screening stop, purchase the film and merchandise, and much more at www.artofflightmovie.com

The world's best surfers took to the air boosting high-flying maneuvers that kept their audience highly entertained.

Wildcards BALARAM STACK and ASHER NOLAN both fell to their more experienced counterparts, as did Hawaii's KEANU ASING, who got a start in the event after the injury withdrawal of Dane Reynolds.

With several surfers on the bubble of re-qualification, it was an intense day on the water. The elimination of CORY LOPEZ (Florida, USA), GABE CLING (Florida, USA), and TRAVIS LOGIE (South Africa) ended their term on the ASP World Tour for 2011.  They are now relegated to the ASP star and prime events where they would need to re-qualify.

Standouts on the water included the day's top scorers ADRIANO DE SOUZA (Brazil) and TAJ BURROW (Australia). De Souza posted 17.93 out of 20 in Round 2, defeating Logie, then returned in Round 3 with an inspired performance against PAT GUDAUSKAS (California) to post 17.1. Like De Souza, Gudauskas had put on one of the best air shows today.

Burrow eliminated Adam Melling (Lennox Head, Australia) in Round 3 with a score of 17.1 and is through to Round 4.

Others with convincing wins today included MICK FANNING (Qld, Australia), BRETT SIMPSON (California), FRED PATACCHIA (Hawaii), and OWEN WRIGHT (NSW, Australia).

Competition will resume tomorrow as the surf continues to build at the hands of Hurricane Katia. Organizers expect waves of up to 8 feet with improving weather and winds.

(Photo - Credit : ASP / ROWLAND)

A traditional 6-man Hawaiian canoe draped in flowers was the focal point as Pu'u explained that in order to set a canoe into motion, it takes the cohesive efforts of all aboard. And that has been the saving grace of the Quiksilver Pro New York. Despite a direct hit from a hurricane and a seemingly impossible cleanup and rebuild, the event is alive and well because of the synergy that developed between local surfers, the Long Beach City community, the ASP World Tour and the global Quiksilver family.

Local wildcard Balaram Stack, who turned 20 today, received an enormous ovation when he was presented to the crowd. Stack will face the world champ Kelly Slater straight off the bat.

Slater spoke enthusiastically today about being on the East Coast to surf: "I like being on the East Coast, I sort of feel like I'm home. Even today on the beach the crowd just seemed so into it and there's nothing going on yet. Everyone's just cheering it on and I think there'll be an impressive crowd when Balaram paddles out because he got a pretty big welcome on the beach today. I've never surfed a world tour contest since I've been a pro on the East Coast."

With a solid Surfline forecast in hand, organizers anticipate an 8am start tomorrow with competition running four consecutive days to a Friday climax, when waves are expected to peak at eight feet.

Check www.quiksilverpro.com at 7am each day for the status of competition.

Nolan took out the final of today's trials event ahead of Hawaii's Keanu Asing, Australian Garrett Parkes, and Jeremy Johnston, from New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Waves were in the shoulder-high range and all four surfers traded waves for the full 25 minutes, much to the satisfaction of a hugely supportive Long Beach crowd of more than 20,000.

Nolan now joins local Long Beach wildcard Balaram Stack, who he is staying with this week, in the main event of the Quiksilver Pro New York. Nolan will be drawn against two-time world champion Mick Fanning (Australia) and Heitor Alves (Brazil) in his first round heat. Stack is drawn against 10-time world champion and current ASP World Tour ratings leader Kelly Slater (Florida), and Daniel Ross (Australia) in his first heat. The pair are guaranteed a minimum prize purse of $11,000 but will be aiming to work their way closer to the winner's $300,000 pay day.

"I knew it was going to be really difficult today because of the conditions," said Nolan after winning the final. "The 15 other surfers (in the trials) were really good surfers too. I was just taking it one heat at a time, I wasn't thinking about winning the wildcard.

"I'm excited to come to NY. I'm ready to hang out with my friends, surf, go to the city, have a good time, so it's really a win-win situation no matter what.

"I knew I could surf these waves. I've done well here before. I don't compete as much as I used to, but I know that I can do it. This is awesome."

Nolan has been a three-time finalist of the UnSound Pro, an annual rated event at Long Beach, so has plenty of experience at the break.

Main event competition could start as early as tomorrow, when a new swell will start filling in. The surf forecast looks very promising for four consecutive days of competition that could mean a final as early as Thursday.

Check www.quiksilverpro.com at 7am each day for the status of competition.

Watch video here!

Click on the thumbnails to watch his top scoring rides and interview.

Quiksilver's Jérémy Florès was the standout surfer yesterday winning his round two heat against Heiarii William (who had a scary wipe out) and then his round three heat. Flores posted the day's highest two wave combined heat score of 18.63 out of a possible 20 in his big win over Cory Lopez (USA).

Flores goes to round four where he will face Australian surfers Josh Kerr and Kai Otten.

Tomorrow and Sunday, ASP Europe Pro Junior final event and crowning of the 2011 European Champion

French surfer NELSON CLOAREC, today, won the European final of the Quiksilver King of the Groms in 3 to 5 feet fun waves at Newquay's famous Fistral Beach.

Nelson Cloarec , 15, who's brother Tom (17) is also a great hope of french surfing, was born in Brittany, France but lives in Capbreton (South West of France).

The young french ripper who already has a National Champion title in 2009 and a European Champion title in 2010 under his belt, had won his ticket for Newquay's Euro Final thanks to his second place in the French qualifying stop in La Torche a few weeks ago.

In Newquay, the Frenchman ruled this second day of competition posting the event's highest best two waves (a 9,67 and a 9,17 ride in semi final). His domination upon Europe's best 16 and under surfers is awarded by a first King of the Groms win even if Euskadi's Natxo Gonzalez battled hard for the crown until the very last seconds of the heat. As he was leading the final, Natxo (15, coming from Plentzia near Bilbao) let Cloarec take a nice left awarded by a 7,23 score out of 10 and the victory.

None the less, both of them will fly to France to take part to the Quiksilver King of the Groms International final to be held during the Quiksilver Pro France (an ASP World Tour event) gathering the world's best surfers on the Landes coast. An extraordinary experience for these two groms.

Tomorrow, Saturday, at 7am, Europe's best junior surfers will hit the water to compete in the last and most crucial event of this year's European Junior circuit. Among the 80 surfers (under 21 division) participating in the event, tomorrow's surfing stars will fight for the 2011 European Junior Champion crown. Quiksilver's Portuguese team rider, Vasco Ribeiro is the current leader of the ASP European rankings for now but nothing is settled yet. With a victory comes 1000 points, meaning 6 other surfers can still claim the European title. Among them, Carribean surfers Dimitri Ouvré 2010 European Champion and William Aliotti, Medi Veminardi (Reunion Island), Portuguese Frederico Morais, France's PV Laborde and Ramzi Boukhiam (Morocco), winner of King of the Groms euro final in Zarautz in 2009. According to the swell forecast, le 2011 European Champion should be crowned in Newquay on Sunday.

Nelson Cloarec , 15, who's brother Tom (17) is also a great hope of french surfing, was born in Brittany, France but lives in Capbreton (South West of France).

The young french ripper who already has a National Champion title in 2009 and a European Champion title in 2010 under his belt, had won his ticket for Newquay's Euro Final thanks to his second place in the French qualifying stop in La Torche a few weeks ago.

In Newquay, the Frenchman ruled this second day of competition posting the event's highest best two waves (a 9,67 and a 9,17 ride in semi final). His domination upon Europe's best 16 and under surfers is awarded by a first King of the Groms win even if Euskadi's Natxo Gonzalez battled hard for the crown until the very last seconds of the heat. As he was leading the final, Natxo (15, coming from Plentzia near Bilbao) let Cloarec take a nice left awarded by a 7,23 score out of 10 and the victory.

None the less, both of them will fly to France to take part to the Quiksilver King of the Groms International final to be held during the Quiksilver Pro France (an ASP World Tour event) gathering the world's best surfers on the Landes coast. An extraordinary experience for these two groms.

Tomorrow, Saturday, at 7am, Europe's best junior surfers will hit the water to compete in the last and most crucial event of this year's European Junior circuit. Among the 80 surfers (under 21 division) participating in the event, tomorrow's surfing stars will fight for the 2011 European Junior Champion crown. Quiksilver's Portuguese team rider, Vasco Ribeiro is the current leader of the ASP European rankings for now but nothing is settled yet. With a victory comes 1000 points, meaning 6 other surfers can still claim the European title. Among them, Carribean surfers Dimitri Ouvré 2010 European Champion and William Aliotti, Medi Veminardi (Reunion Island), Portuguese Frederico Morais, France's PV Laborde and Ramzi Boukhiam (Morocco), winner of King of the Groms euro final in Zarautz in 2009. According to the swell forecast, le 2011 European Champion should be crowned in Newquay on Sunday.

Ÿ  Tomorrow and Sunday is the ASP Europe Pro Junior final event and crowning of the 2011 European Champion. Watch the live webcast and follow the event http://quiksilverlive.com/pronewquay2011/

ASP Europe Pro Junior final event and crowning of the European Champion (27-29 August)

The elite of junior european surfing has landed in Newquay, Cornwall to compete in the Quiksilver King of the Groms European Final and the final stop of the ASP Pro Junior circuit which will crown the best under 16 surfer on the first hand and the ASP Europe Junior Champion (under 21) on the other hand.

For the next 5 days, the famous and magnificent spot of Fistral Beach has become the European capital of junior surfing.

Today, Thursday 25th of august, the future of professional surfing representatives were the first to hit the water for the Quiksilver King of the Groms European Final's Round 1.

32 young surfers have qualified for the final in Newquay after participating in national qualification events for the past 4 months to earn their ticket for Cornwall.

The youngsters event's Round 1 was ruled by the Italian Quiksilver team rider Leonardo Fioravanti, winner of last year's KOTG European final in Zarautz and owner of a wildcard this year in Newquay.

The young prodigy achieved an exceptional combination of 2 waves (8,83 pts and 8,33 pts out of 10) to win his first heat with a final 17,16 score out of 20. From then on, Leo managed to post the event's best 3 scores. The 13 year old surfer born in Rome and now living in south west of France, is definitely the man to beat and does not hide his deep desire to get a second back to back win in the contest. In the 3^rd round, Leo again displayed strong maneuvers and powerful surfing to dominate his opponents. He won the heat with a solid 15,16 points score and gets through Round 4.

The other Round 3 winners are : Tim Bisso from Guadeloupe, Spanish surfer Marcelino Botin, Euskadi's Alex Iriondo, Frenchman Job Harris and Portuguese rider Joao Kopke.

Tomorrow, the Round 4 will start at 10am (local time) with:

Heat 1 : Tim Bisso (Gua), Leonardo Fioravanti (Ita), Natxo Gonzalez (Euk), Miguel Blanco (Port)

Heat 2 : Marcelino Botin (Spa), Job Harris (Fra), Nelson Cloarec (Fra), Will Davey (Can)

Heat 3 : Alex Iriondo (Euk), Joao Kopke (Port), Tomas Fernandez (Port), Aldric God (Fra)

QUIKSILVER PRO JUNIOR UK 4* (27-29 august)

From Saturday, the best under 21 european surfers will compete in the Quiksilver Pro Junior UK 4* (the only 4* event in Europe). The last of 7 events on the ASP Europe Junior Tour will crown the 2011 European Junior Champion. 80 young international surfers are expected at this event fighting for a share of the $20 000 prize money.

Quiksilver's Portuguese team rider, Vasco Ribeiro is the current leader of the ASP European rankings for now but nothing is settled yet. With a victory comes 1000 points, meaning more than 10 surfers can still claim the European title.

For the first time this year, the European final of the Quiksilver King of the Groms, the competition elite international youngsters (aged under 16), starts tomorrow in Newquay directly before the Quiksilver Pro Junior UK ASP 4*.

After a European qualifying tournament, the names of the 32 surfers who have qualified for the final in Newquay are finally unveiled.  All have participated in national qualification events to earn their ticket for this European Final.  A wildcard will complete the final heat sheet.  It has been given to the young Leonardo Fiorvanti; the 14 year old who was last year's winner.  The Italian has made an impression around the world after winning against older opponents.  He will also participate in the Quiksilver Pro Junior UK 4*.

The competition will be fierce.  At stake for the top 2 continental finalists will be a ticket for the International final which will be held during the Quiksilver Pro France (4-13 October) where they will rub shoulders with the World's elite surfers (Kelly Slater, Jeremy Flores, Dane Reynolds…) on the Basque–Landes coast of SW France.

The list of surfers who have qualified for tomorrows European King of the Groms final.

France

Aldric God

Nelson Cloarec

Titouan Deffarges

Charly Termeau

Arthur Lassée

Andy Criere

Spain

Gonzalez Natxo

Yeregi Imanol

Iriondo Alex

Egiguren Julen

Botin Marcelino

Iribar Markel

UK

Arran Bright

Max Payne

Gearoid McDaid

Jobe Harris

Patty Daniel

Harry De Roth

Portugal

Miguel Blanco

Joao Kopke

Pedro Coelho

Jacome Correia

Tomas Fernandes

Italy

Aaron Farina

Canary Islands

Saùl Torres

Will Davey

Marocco

Joris Greusard

Tarik El Basity

Antilles

Tim Bisso

Elliot Ivarra

Benelux

Boris Feillon

1 Wildcard

Leonardo Fioravanti (Ita)

To follow the event news and updates check on the website: http://quiksilverlive.com/kotg11

Good luck to all the Groms competing!

CHRISTIAAN BRADLEY, MARK PHIPPS, NIGEL SEMMENS

Quiksilver Store, Fistral Beach, Newquay

Running alongside the European Finals of the Quiksilver King of the Groms and the Quiksilver Pro Junior UK 4-Star event this week, world famous shapers; Christiaan Bradley, Mark Phipps & Nigel Semmens, will be making an appearance at the New Quiksilver Store, Fistral Beach, Newquay.

Not only is this weekend the time to witness some world class surfing, but this is your chance to meet the shapers face to face, take a look at their boards, and ask any questions you might have for these 3 legends.

Christiaan Bradley, Nigel Semmens and Mark Phipps will be hanging out at the new beach front store from 2pm-6pm on Saturday 27^th August, 2011.

Alongside the two competitions, a program of music offers the public the chance to see groups and DJ's from across the UK.

Headlining on Saturday will be ‘Auction for the Promise Club', a local group from the village of St. Agnes in Cornwall.  After touring the English summer festivals, they will play tracks from their album ‘One' on stage at the Quiksilver Pro Junior UK, on Saturday 27 August.

On Friday, ‘The Last Gentleman' will ignite the stage.  Based in Brixton, London, Lascelles and Adam Basey have swapped their guitars for a more electro sound.  They will play Friday night after the final of the European King of the Groms.

Program of the QUIKSILVER PRO JUNIOR UK 4* and the European final of the QUIKSILVER KING OF THE GROMS

THURSDAY 25 AUGUST

European Final QUIKSILVER KING OF THE GROMS, FISTRAL BEACH
Start competition*

FRIDAY 26 AUGUST

QUIKSILVER AIRSTREAM STAGE, FISTRAL BEACH 
Prize giving of the European Final Quiksilver KING OF THE GROMS

Followed by a Live DJ set by Samiad *

FISTRAL BEACH BAR, FISTRAL BEACH

21h30 – 22h30:  Live Gig with ‘The Last Gentlemen'

Followed by DJs at Fistral Beach

SATURDAY 27 AUGUST

QUIKSILVER PRO JUNIOR UK, FISTRAL BEACH
Start of competition *

QUIKSILVER SHOP, FISTRAL BEACH

14h- 18h:  Meet the shapers - Christiaan Bradley, Mark Phipps, Nigel Semmens

QUIKSILVER AIRSTREAM STAGE, FISTRAL BEACH

18h – 19h: Concert with ‘Auction For The Promise Club'

OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY VENUES

Belushi's - Fore Street, Newquay

Chy Bar - Beach Road, Newquay

SUNDAY  28 AUGUST

FISTRAL BEACH BAR - FISTRAL BEACH

From 21h:  Live DJ set by Deluxx

MONDAY 29 AUGUST

QUIKSILVER AIRSTREAM STAGE, FISTRAL BEACH

Prize giving Quiksilver Pro Junior UK followed by Live DJ set by

Samiad *

* The times may change due to reasons of waves and competition.

Follow the Quiksilver Pro Junior UK 4* webcast live on www.quiksilverlive.com

“My mentor, Richard Schmidt, came to Peru in the early 80's and he told me about this great big wave. I have dreamed about surfing Pico Alto. Today, I feel really proud to have won my first Big Wave World Tour event here in Peru”, said Peter Mel.

Final Results:

1. Peter Mel (USA)
2. Ben Wilkinson (Australia)
3. Felipe Cesarano (Brazil)
4. Joao De Macedo (Portugal)
5. Jamie Sterling (Hawaii)
6. Kodiak Semsch (Peru)

"During the last 12 months Mitch has gone from strength to strength. Quiksilver is happy to support him in chasing the biggest and heaviest waves not just in the UK & Ireland but around the world too!"

Mitch has already made a name for himself around the surf industry, chasing waves and working very closely with media and photographers to gain coverage. He is a perfect fit to the team and a great addition, as Quiksilver takes pride in supporting serious surfers who are at the top of their game.

"I am extremely happy to have the support from Quiksilver and really excited to be able to concentrate on getting amongst the type of waves that get my heart racing! I love nothing more than getting barrelled and finding new waves and feel so lucky that our coastlines can produce such quality. I have just overcome an injury that almost took my life and now have a mind-set that makes me try to make the most out of every day, in whatever shape it comes in. Hopefully big long barrels. Actually, excited is an understatement!' Mitch Corbett

‘I'm super stoked to be joining Quiksilver and the team! Can't wait to get things going, push things forward and let the good times roll in!'

Billy is the newest addition to the, updated, Quiksilver team and joins recently signed shredders, Jamie Trinder and Fin Bremner. The team now hosts 4 generations of riders with Henry Shackleton and Ollie Jackson still representing.  James Stentiford, team manager, is looking forward to the new season ahead:

‘I'm stoked to have Billy on the team and look forward to riding and working with one of the most promising young riders in the UK, especially with slopestyle confirmed for the 2014 winter Olympics. I'm also excited to have Fin and Jamie on-board. Should make for some epic team trips!'

Keep checking on the Quiksilver blog for news, updates and podcasts as the team prepares for the upcoming winter season.

It's not only your chance to see these world class surfers in the water, but Quiksilver are giving you the opportunity to meet them too! On Wednesday, 10^th of August, Quiksilver riders will be doing a signing in the Quiksilver boardrider right on Fistral Beach. Maxime Huscenot, Miky Picon, Travis Logie, Alan Riou, Aritz Aranburu, Garett Parkes, Wigolly Dantas, Nic Muscroft, Gabriel Villaran and Brit Luke Dillon will be in-store from 5pm. Come meet the surfers and check out the brand new store, which opened this month, a 400m2 space packed with Quiksilver, Roxy, Moskova, and a full technical range of surfboards, wetsuits and accessories.

For up to date information on the signing and other instore activites check out the Quiksilver Newquay facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quiksilver-store-Newquay/215120038525686

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California / USA (Sunday, August 7, 2011) – Reigning 10-Time ASP World Champion and Quiksilver rider Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), 39, has won the 2011 ASP PRIME Nike US Open of Surfing for the first time since 1996, defeating Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26, in a dominant final in two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at the iconic Huntington Beach Pier.

Slater quickly asserted his dominance in the Final against Nicol when he launched a frontside air-reverse and solidified the ride on the reform to earn an 8.50 and backed the ride up with a 7.77 to put the Australian in an early combination-situation and controlled the heat throughout the entirety of the bout.

“I guess Yadin (Nicol) wanted me to win because he didn't catch any waves,” Slater said. “I was just really frustrated for him because he was sitting out the back waiting for the big sets and the big sets were close outs. The small ones he was just two far outside and I got them. I think what happened is I got the 8.50 to start and he was just going to be patient. If he got a good one he would have thrown a big rotator, but it just never came.”

Slater went on an absolute rampage on the final day of competition and fought his way back into a tough battle to overtake progressive Hawaiian Dusty Payne (Lahaina, HI), 22, by launching a hail-mary, no-grab backside 360 air. The massive punt garnered the highest single-wave score of Nike US Open of Surfing competition, 9.77 out of 10, as well as the highest heat-total of 17.94 out of 20.
“Dusty (Payne) had priority and he had gone on a couple of lefts that kind of fizzled out on him and he was probably thinking that left was going to do the same thing his other ones did,” Slater said. “It just let me get going on the face enough and I just tried to rotate as hard as I could and somehow the board stuck to my feet.”
Nicol fought hard throughout the entirety of the ASP PRIME competition, taking out dangerous South African Royden Bryson (ZAF), 28, and prodigious Californian Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 17, on the Final day of competition, but struggled to find a wave in the Final against Slater.

“Kelly started off strong with the 8.5 and I thought I'd wait for a good wave and I think I waited too long,” Nicol said. “At the start of this week I wouldn't have thought that I'd be in the Final with Kelly. I love it. Sometimes things work out and you make the Final and I'm stoked, I'm over the moon.”

Yadin, who was rated No. 36 entering the US Open of Surfing, now sits at 27th on the ASP World Rankings, moving him inside the coveted ASP Top 32 midyear cut for the halfway mark of the year, but with two events remaining on the ASP World Title Season, Nicol remained guarded in claiming his spot for the final elite events.
“There are still two World Tour events to go so it doesn't completely change my life just yet,” Nicol said. “It definitely helps the vibe though.”

US Open of Surfing Men's Final Result:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 16.27
2 – Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.40
US Open of Surfing Men's Semifinals Results:
SF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.94 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 14.90
SF 2: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 13.44 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.87

More Snowboarding Videos

Jamie Trinder Sno!zone July 2011 from gregor samuels on Vimeo.

The 16 year old Scot has been on the UK circuit for a few years now and is part of the GB junior team. Quiksilver is pleased to name him as part of the UK snow team:

"Can't wait for next season to start and get riding with the team! Thanks to Lesley McKenna, James and the whole Quiksilver crew for making this happen!" Jamie.

For now you can check out Jamie's blog: http://thetrinders.com/

Not only new name Jamie, but Quiksilver have snapped up another new rider (and another Scot), 11 year old Fin Bremner. Snowboarding since the tender age of 9, he has few years already on the Scottish circuit and this past season has been making his name on the British scene. Check out his winter 10/11 edit:

'I am totally stoked to be included in the Quiksilver team.  Ive met some rad people so far and I cant wait to get shreddin with the Quiksilver crew.I'd also like to thank everyone who has supported me especially Nicol Paton and Ben Kinnear. Bring on the winter.' Fin

You can also find out more on Fin by checking out his website:  http://www.finbremner.com/

This is just a teaser of many new faces added to the Quiksilver team for the upcoming season. More to follow on the snow team with some exciting new team updates this Friday, so check back for more then...

Keep up to date on the facebook page.

The Boardmasters returns for another year of epic surf, skate and music at Fistral Beach, Newquay.  With the WQS upgrading to a 6* event, some of Quiksilver's best international surfers will be heading down to Newquay to get in on the action, including:

It's not only your chance to see these world class surfers in the water, but Quiksilver are giving you the opportunity to meet them too! On Wednesday, 10^th of August, Quiksilver riders will be doing a signing in the Quiksilver boardrider right on Fistral Beach. Maxime Huscenot, Miky Picon, Travis Logie, Alan Riou, Aritz Aranburu, Garett Parkes, Wigolly Dantas, Nic Muscroft, Gabriel Villaran and Brit Luke Dillon will be in-store from 7.30pm. Come meet the surfers and check out the brand new store, which opened this month, a 400m2 space packed with Quiksilver, Roxy, Moskova, and a full technical range of surfboards, wetsuits and accessories.

For up to date information on the signing and other instore activites check out the Quiksilver Newquay facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quiksilver-store-Newquay/215120038525686

All you have to do to enter is log on the Quiksilver facebook site and answer a simple question: Where is this years King of the Groms European final taking place?

Log on here and answer below the post to be in with a chance: http://www.facebook.com/quiksilver

Don't know the answer? Log on to the event page for some clues:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quiksilver-Pro-Junior-4-King-of-the-groms-European-final/152637418142270

Standout performances from local ripper Taz Knight who showed power turns and local knowledge to make it through the first couple of rounds into the semi's. Also ripping the small left hand peaks, Rhys Barfield with his smooth goofy foot style and young Harry de Roth showing why he's one of the best under 14's surfers in the country. Jobe Harris, who has won the KOTGS twice already, had no problems in the small surf and looked the favourite to try and make it 3 in a row.

On the Sunday the weather changed a little and the surf increased with 2ft plus onshore. Positive conditions for the remaining heats of the under 14's, 16's and girls semi-finals.

With the incoming tide and the finals underway around lunchtime on Sunday, it was time for the best under 16's girls in the UK (Jaide Lowe, Fiora Lawton, Elisabeth Hodson, Peony Knight) to hit the water. It was Peony's local spot and she wasn't giving anything away to take first place with Elisabeth 2^nd, Fiora came up short of a good wave to take 3rd and 4th to Jaide. Everybody was looking forward to the under 14's final because Rhys and Harry had both been ripping throughout the whole event but Harry had a great start with two high scoring waves straight of the bat which left the other three pretty much playing catch up for the whole heat. (Harry de Roth 2nd Will Bailey 3rd Rhys Barfield and 4th Kai Thomas).

In the under 16's (Taz Knight), (Harry De Roth), (Jobe Harris), (Paddy Daniel) were ready for battle when the horn sounded it was straight into explosive surfing from Taz who looked like he wanted to win the contest on his home turf, but Paddy looked very light on his feet and was super-fast and loose in the 2ft fun surf. Again Jobe was looking hungry than ever and wanted to make it a hat-trick he was the biggest surfer in the final but also was the most explosive with very powerful turns and won the 2011 KOTGS and once again will be flying the flag at the European finals at Fistral beach over the bank holiday august weekend . So another successful year with all three series complete and the final list all locked in. The top two names will head to the King of the Groms European final 25th/26th August in Newquay to compete for the crown!

Under 16's

Jobe Harris (1st)

Paddy Daniels (2nd)

Taz Knight (3rd) Quik

Harry -De Roth (4th) Quik

Under 14's

Harry - De Roth  (1st) Quik

Will Bailey (2nd)

Rhys Barfield (3rd) Quik

Kai Thomas (4th)

Girls Under 16's

Peony Knight (1st) Roxy

Elisabeth Hodson (2nd)

Fiora Lawton (3rd)

Jaide Lowe (4th)

For more info on the King of the Groms check out  http://www.quiksilverlive.com/kotg11

And to keep up to date with the King of the Groms European Final plus the Quiksilver Pro Junior 4* event, check out the exclusive facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quiksilver-Pro-Junior-4-King-of-the-groms-European-final/152637418142270

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The event kicks off on Thursday morning, with the King of the Grom's European final – the famous annual series run by Quiksilver.  The King of the Groms contests are held all over the world in order to find the best under-16 surfers, who will compete at the international final during the Quiksilver Pro France in October. The European final brings together the top surfers from each stop in Europe to compete on Fistral beach for the European title and recognition as the hottest new talent.  The winner will be crowned on Friday with the top two surfers walking away with an invite to the international final.

The Quiksilver Pro Junior then gets underway on Saturday 27^th August.  Over 96 of the world's best junior surfers will descend on Fistral beach to compete for the title and the $20k prize money. The outcome of this event will crown the junior European champion.

Alongside these two big surf events spectators will be treated to a whole line up of music over the weekend including bands and DJ's from all over the UK. Already confirmed are local talents ‘Auction for the Promise Club' and ‘The Last Gentlemen'.  More acts will be confirmed over the next few weeks.  Also SAS will be around promoting their latest campaigns. Keep up to date with exclusive event content on the Facebook page: (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quiksilver-Pro-Junior-4-King-of-the-groms-European-final/)

Event details:  Quiksilver Pro Junior 4* ASP and King of the Groms European Final

Date: 25^th-29^th August 2011

Location:  Fistral Beach, Newquay

In the 6* Mens Open, Richard Sills, Luke Dillon and Toby Donachie (who had gained a wild card entry) were there to represent. It was a competitive draw, with riders from all over the globe bidding for the prize packet, but both Luke and Sillsy made it through the opening rounds. Luke, who was also competing in the pro-junior category, impressively charged all the way to the semis.  Sillsy made it to the final and went head to head against Gordon Fontain, Oli Adams and Russ Winter, finally taking the third spot. A great result!

Not only competing in the main draw, Luke Dillon, stormed his way through to the finals of the Pro Junior. Up against some top junior surfing names, he was edged off the top spot by Portugese rider, Luis Eyre, settling for an impressive second place.

In the Grom divisions, the team really stepped it up. Both Harry de Roth and Rhys Barfield made it through to the under-16s final, with Harry taking third place and Rhys in fourth. Welsh Grom, Cieran Hughes fresh from third place at the Welsh stop of the King of the Groms last month, turned up to represent in the under 12 category and placed second overall. It really was a podium take over by the Quiksilver Groms and an impressive show.

More news, pictures and coverage from the event to follow.

The Quiksilver Expression Session is the first specialty event that ASP Europe have sanctioned in Ireland and saw the best surfer's of Ireland and the UK in a simple ‘best move wins' format. 5,000 Euros total prize purse as well as a wildcard spot for best Irish surfer for the up-coming ASP 6-Star Relentless Boardmasters at Fistral beach, Newquay 9-14 August 2011.

A rapid increase in swell late this afternoon offered Quiksilver Expression Session officials the perfect window to run the qualifying heats and final which saw Stokes streak away from the pack with some innovative aerial surfing to clearly take home the winner's cheque.

“It is not a bad day's work really,” laughed Stokes on his win. “Stoked and really happy with the win. There were great waves in the end and it was good to have it on a wedge because it is high performance surfing and it all came good. It is my first trip to Bundoran, I love it and it is great. Guinness and waves I can do airs on is as good as it can get for me.”

“It got so much better the last heat that it felt like it was punchy and you could do loads of stuff so it was a good call by the local boys to run,” continued Stokes. “We were looking at it this morning saying ‘not again' because we have been here for 3 days and looking out at the reef with no waves so it is sick to have waves here now.”

Cain Kilcullen (Easky, IRL) 25, was awarded the best local performance to earn himself a wildcard in the Relentless Boardmasters this August. Surfing hard and mixing it with some of Europe's finest aerial specialists has been a learning experience for the young Irishman.

“I am really happy with the result even though it is kind of embarrassing with the English guys blowing us out of the water but it is really good to see that sort of surfing over here. I am happy so a good day.”

Kilcullen repeats his appearance as a wildcard in Newquay and hopes to continue improving in such a high level event.

“It is way out of my league but it is always good to see that level of surfing. It is a good experience and hopefully do better than last year.”

Best performance in the runner-up round and 500 Euros went to Nick Hardie (Raglan, NZ) 24, for his standout surfing performance during the 25-minute heat. Riding both the left and right peaks, Hardie laid down powerful rail-to-rail turns to impress the hard core crew of onlookers lining the headland.

“I'm pleased with the result and it was flat and raining this morning and then it has turn into a really nice day so everyone is pleased. Some of the surfing, I just saw Stokesy out there, is blowing my mind so there has been some excellent surfing going down in some quality waves. Everyone was a bit apprehensive about going out there in the beginning but it has turned out to be good in the final.”

Quiksilver Expression Session Results
BEST MANOUEVRE; Alan Stokes.
BEST LOCAL PERFORMANCE; Cain Kilcullen.
BEST PERFORMANCE; Nick Hardie.

For more info log on to http://www.aspeurope.com/2011/news_show.php?id=847 or check out the Sea Sessions website.

Whilst other riders had had a few days practice on the specially constructed FlowRider, the Quiksilver and Roxy team were thrown in at the deep-end with a quick practice and straight into the qualifying rounds.

Candice O'Donnell and Gabi Rowe turned up to, not only represent Roxy, but were the only female contestants in the competition. Straight up in the heats against practiced riders, they showed impressive skill and confidence, but didn't make it through to the second stage of the competition.

However, Quiksilver riders, Harry de Roth and Rhys Barfield impressed in round one to make it through to the knock-out stage. Rhys was killing it and beat out some of the bigger (more practised competitors) to make the final and take third place. Ben Skinner (O'Neill) took the title, with Adam Griffith (O'Neill) in second. Nice one Rhys!

Not only flowriding fun was had, the Quiksilver/Roxy crew
enjoyed all that Blanchardstown had to offer: some shopping at 53 Degrees North,  a 3D trip to the cinema and some laser quest action...

Thanks Rhys, Gabi, Harry and Candice for making it over to represent!

Visit 53 Degrees North on Facebook for more photos from the event.

After wrapping up the Welsh event, the second stop of the King of the Groms series was on the West coast of Ireland in the little village of Rossnowlagh, 8 miles north of the famous surfing town Bundoran. With small waves on offer, the Groms were pumped to get the event underway! Two feet and slight onshore conditions meant it was perfect for the little Irish ripper and last year's winner, Geariod McDaid. He was showing great form after his win in Peru at the world games (over Australian champion and relative to Joel Parkinson the Aussie champ Darrel Parkinson nonetheless).

But first up, the girl's final and what a great start from the four Irish lassies! When the final horn blew it was Eva Martin who stole the show with power turns and smooth style. Una Britton took 2^nd place, with some strong surfing but was a wave short, in 3^rd Sophie Scott and 4^th going to Meady McCloskey. All the girls put on a great show to put Irish girls surfing firmly on the map!

Next up was the under 16's final, which was a five man heat and all contestants were full of steam from the word go. Last year's winner and talk of the event was young Gearoid McDaid who took the small left handers to pieces, being a goofy footer it suited his style down to the ground! So the fight was between the other four for 2^nd place, which went to Daniel Britton, 3^rd Jack Scott, 4^th Garbhan McCloskey, 5^th Prahran O'Neil's .

Another great event in Ireland and a great result for Quiksilver with team rider Gearoid taking it for the second year running! See you all in a few weeks in Devon for the final event at Croyde. After this we will have all six riders named for the King of the Groms European final at Fistral beach over the bank holiday in August.

For more info and details on the other King of the Grom contests around the World log on to: http://www.quiksilverlive.com/kotg11/

Wilson looked ominous heading into the final with his momentum and confidence growing with each heat appearance. Repeating his semi-final game plan, Wilson racked up two excellent scores in the opening minutes to place all the pressure on his opponent.

“I am so happy. To put in the hard yards for this one has been unreal. I have had a mediocre start to my year and I have been working so hard to make some heats. I came off four weeks in Brazil without a strong result and I went home to reassess and do a bit of training and got really motivated. I flew over here by myself with just the goal of winning and stayed focused so it worked out.”

Wilson left his best surfing for the final with an impressive mix of fins-out snaps, floaters and power rail-turns to further his lead with a near perfect 9.8 out of 10, the highest single-wave score of the event. To finish off, Wilson hooked into another bomb set to continue his dominance to claim a 9.57 and take the Quiksilver Pro Portugal 2011 title.

“I felt good right from the start when in my first heat of the contest I had a 9 and an 8 and I felt comfortable out there. I never went too much out of my comfort zone and just surfed strong and made sure I was winning heats because I wanted to win this event. I was going to do whatever it took to do it.”

“The waves have been fun all week,” continued Wilson. “I have been surprised at the waves we got because everyone was saying at this time of year it would be small. We have scored with waves, weather, the people are really supportive and you can tell they really love watching surfing. I think it's cool when they get right behind us.”

Gabriel Medina finished runner-up and added another great result to his already excellent season and continues on course to enter the elite ASP World Tour when the midyear cut takes place. Medina showed signs of repeating his recent PRIME victory in Brazil as he cruised through his quarter and semi-final with numerous excellent scores to take on the role as favourite. The backhand approach of Medina was sharp and fast on the long peeling right-handers with savage hooks in the most critical sections of the wave.

“I could not find a good one in the final but I am happy with this result. Julian got two 9's in the final and he surfed really well so congratulations to him. Now I head to my next event in a couple of weeks in Ballito, South Africa and I hope I can do well there like I have done here.”

Miguel Pupo (BRA) 19, in semi nº2, was unable to hold back a rampaging Julian Wilson who got off to a lightening quick start to rack up two excellent scoring rides and put the young Brazilian on the ropes. Despite answering back with a combination of backhand gouges to score 7.87 out of 10, Pupo was left needing a near perfect score to oust the Australian.

“It is a good result but I wanted to make the final. Julian (Wilson) had a quick start and then I was trying to get a good wave but it was bad luck for me. I caught a pretty good one but I fell on the second turn. You never know when the good wave is going to come and Julian did his job well. It is time now to think about the mistakes and go for the next contest.”

Pupo has added to his best results of the year to take one step close to qualifying for the elite ASP World Tour. The added points will edge Pupo higher on the rankings to distance him from the 32-man cut-off mark and place him securely amongst the world's best surfers.

“I was not feeling that good at the beginning of the comp and I was nervous because I needed a result here and now with a 3rd I am happy. My win in Trestles was a good result and a 3rd right now. A couple more results and I will be on the World Tour.”

John John Florence (HAW) finished equal 3rd to receive 4225 ranking points, almost double his previous best result in the last twelve months, to catapult him up the rankings ladder where he was sitting in a low 79th spot before the Quiksilver Pro Portugal.

Florence faced Medina in a classic semi-final clash between the two flamboyant surfers of the event after incredible displays by both athletes in their respective quarterfinal bouts. Florence, in quarterfinal nº2, earned a near perfect 9.70 out of 10 with a massive hack followed by a fins-out forehand reverse demonstrating that he is fully recovered from a back injury suffered earlier this year.

“I was hoping just to make a heat,” explained Florence of his objectives at the Quiksilver Pro Portugal. “I haven't made a heat in the last couple of contests so I am stoked to make it this far.

Definitely a lot more confidence after this contest and it would have been good to make the final but the semis is cool. It is a fun wave and stoked to be here in Portugal. Gabriel (Medina) is so amazing. He is such a good surfer and is a contest machine because he is in such good form and doing the same as he did last week in Brazil.”

Dion Atkinson (AUS) who suffered a knee injury in his final heat yesterday, placed equal 5th being ousted by Miguel Pupo in a close heat despite the injury. Being his second best result of 8 which count for the ASP World rankings, Atkinson currently in 45th position will move closer to the 32-man cut-off mark.

“I am pleased with the result but I almost didn't surf today because of my knee but I thought that I would give it a go. It is my back leg as well so I couldn't get and drive in my turns. I am going home now for a couple of weeks and will get it checked out.”

The ASP PRIME Quiksilver Pro Portugal offered massive points and attracted a selection of the World's finest competitors looking to qualify or maintain their position on the ASP World Tour. European surfers were also out to gain the added points on offer for the ASP European Men's Series.

The ASP PRIME Quiksilver Pro Portugal offers massive points and has attracted a selection of the World's finest competitors looking to qualify or maintain their position on the ASP World Tour. European surfers are also out to gain the added points on offer for the ASP European Men's Series.

Jay Quinn (Gisbourne, NZL) 27, ignited with an explosive display of controlled power surfing with intense forehand snaps and carves to claim a massive combined two-wave heat total of 18.10 to oust Quiksilver Pro Portugal defending champion Hodei Collazo (Zarautz,EUK) 27.

“I feel pretty good after that heat and just opened up with that 6 to get my feet on the board and then I just took it from there and it all fell into place. I was well positioned and Hodei (Collazo) was sitting a bit too wide so I ended up getting a couple of good ones.”

Quinn, a finalist earlier this year in the ASP 6-Star in Scotland, looked for the critical sections to perform his turns on one of his favourite boards that has already taken him to one final.

“I am on the same board I used in Scotland to get to the final so it is going good. There are a few more heats to go before I have to start thinking about finals. First I want to make the quarters and then take it from there.”

Caio Ibelli (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA) 17, destroyed a long right-hander with a mix of critical snaps and flowing rail turns in the opening minute of his heat to kick off with a 9.10 out of 10 one of the highest single scores of the day.

“I am so stoked that I found a really good wave in the first minute with a 9.10 ride. I tried to get a good one when the heat started and that happened for me. The waves are good and fun now and I want to keep going.”

Ibelli had to fight off an inform Alain Riou (PYF) 27, who answered back with an excellent 8.10 to leave him within striking distance of the young Brazilian. Riou threw down the challenge with his precise backhand attack however failed narrowly to peg back his opponent.

“I didn't listen too much to the scores,” explained Ibelli. “I heard my scores and then I went out to catch a backup wave and I got a 6 and then nothing after that but Alain (Riou) surfed very well and the pressure was on in the heat.”

Ibelli, who is sitting low on the ASP World rankings in position nº141, has secured his best result in an ASP PRIME event and will face fellow up-and-comer Miguel Pupo (BRA) 19, and Davey Cathels (AUS) 20, in the following round.

“In the PRIMES this is my best result for sure to make it to the No Loser round. Last year I got a 3rd place in a 6-Star and I want to do better than that here if possible.”

John John Florence (HAW) 17, pulled off a pair of savage hits in a relaxed display against Brandon Jackson (ZAF) to claim an 8.67 out of 10 and a combined two-wave heat total of 16.27 one of the highest of the day.

“I was super stoked and it was a good wave and I got lucky because you are sitting way up the point now and you can't tell which ones are going to close out or which ones are going to run through with a bit of a wall. Then when you do get a good one you have to ride it all the way in and then paddle all the way back out again. It is a fun right point and these are the best waves I have had in competition for a while.”

Jeremy Flores (FRA) 23, was pushed all the way by Andre Silva (BRA) 28, with the young Frenchman paddling into his final wave with only seconds remaining and needing a solid score. Flores kept his composure and laid down a combination of snaps and cutbacks finishing with a strong last turn to secure the required score.

“I was behind in the scores the whole heat so I was in second and I needed 6 points and in the last minute I got the wave. It was the only fun wave I got and I thought not to fall off and I got the score so I am happy to make it.”

Junior Faria (Sao Paulo, BRA) 24, currently nº56 on the ASP World rankings, is on a roll with another excellent result in the Quiksilver Pro Portugal to add to an already successful year for the power house natural footer. In a wave starved, low scoring, tactical clash against Heath Joske (Nambucca Heads, AUS) 22, Faria held a slim lead the entire matchup to eventually steer clear with an excellent 7.50 out of ten in the final moments.

“There is a long wait between sets and even when they come it is hard to know which ones are good so it was a matter of patience and looking for the right ones. This is my best year so far and I had a good contest at Trestles and Saquarema so for me it is about making heats and as last year was not a good year for me every heat is going to improve my ranking.

Pat Gudauskas (San Clemente, USA) 25, relied on a series of forehand snaps and carves on his opening ride to take control of a slow heat to oust Travis Logie (ZAF) 32.  Unable to hear scores due to the extreme low tide and wind, Gudauskas kept composed under the situation to find a solid backup ride towards the later end of the clash.

“I didn't hear until the very end what it was. I was trying to do the math based on what Travis (Logie) needed so I was a little stressed out. It is tricky as it is more north the swell and not so much from the west today so it is hard to pick the ones which are going to hit reef. Also the wind is a bit more onshore so it makes it all a little more challenging but still really good waves out there.”

The Quiksilver Pro Portugal will make a first-call at 09h00 tomorrow for a possible start shortly after to Round Four with Cory Lopez (USA) facing fellow Brazilians Gabriel Medina and Junior Faria.

Featured as this months 'Dude of Sport', with a scary new look and chatting about things he wants to do before he dies. He's off to The Mentawai Islands on Monday to surf and shoot. Definitely can't say he is not living right now...

See what to expect from the July issue of Front Magazine here or like them on facebook.

On the Sunday, again letting the tide play a role in providing the best surf for the Groms, we kicked off the event at 2pm with the quarter finals of the Under 14's followed by the Under 16 Girl's and Under 16 Boys. Standout performances from Quiksilver rider Max Payne, who was showing great form throughout the weekend, making both finals along with local ripper Arran Bright. Both were demonstrating how to make the most out of the 2ft onshore conditions. With small left handers Max was getting the length of ride and being a goofy footer showed off some great surfing but Arran had the bigger moves in the Under 16's final laying down a solid gouge backed up by a succession of snaps to edge out Max in what was very close fought and entertaining final. The stylish Max Pechonis finished a close 3rd and Nathanial James was slightly out of sync in 4th.

In the Under 14's final more great surfing from all four surfers, Cieren Hughes ripping all the way to the final but coming up short of a good wave which meant walking away with 3rd. 4th went to mini ripper George Hudson who looks like one to watch in the future. But it was Arron Bright and Max Payne, once again, fighting it out for 1st place. This time Max outscored Arran thanks to his polished and critical surfing.

The girls final was extremely close, with little separating the four young rippers. It came down to the dying seconds to decide who would take the win. Angharad John (daughter of legendary British surfer Linda Sharp) and Emily Williams were the two battling for top spot, but as the horn blew it was Emily who came out on top with Angharad having to settle for 2nd place. Georgia Hodges and Millie Little can be proud of their performances finishing 3rd and 4th respectively.

All the Welsh surfers were stoked to have another great event back on the Welsh soil and look forward to Quiksilver coming back next year! Big thanks to all involved for a smooth running and great event!

Next stop is Ireland's West coast, Rosslagh, where the competition runs alongside Sea Sessions Festival!'

 

Check out more on the KOTG series; news, photos and details on how you can register to compete on www.quiksilverlive.com/kotg11

Young was on fire as he attacked the main peak with a savage backhand attack that saw him in total sync with the ocean to consistently find the better waves of the 30-minute clash. After discarding several solid scoring waves, Young amassed a two-wave heat total of 16.97 out of 20 including a near perfect 9.10.

Young, whose heat total is the highest of the event, suddenly finds himself as the form surfer at the Quiksilver Pro Portugal with the added pressure that goes along with a display of such calibre. Young's backhand surfing was lightening fast with massive hacks in the pocket combined with speed and flow to complete the judging criteria to a tee.  “Hopefully I can do the same in the next heat the same as I did now. You can tell which ones have got the good walls and they are the ones you want so hopefully I can do it again in a couple more heats. Sometimes you get a high score in your heat and then there is a bit more pressure in the next one but big scores also give you confidence as well.”

Quiksilver Pro Portugal top seed Jeremy Flores (FRA) 23, current elite ASP World Tour ranked nº11, cruised to a comfortable win in his first-up appearance after opening his account with two consecutive high scoring waves after his heat had been placed on hold for over 4 hours due to the high tide.

“I just arrived last night so I got to have a free surf when I was supposed to surf before and I am stoked to get through that one to start. It is a really tricky wave because with high tide and low tide it is a completely different wave and it has all these sections so you want to make all these connections.”

Flores worked the long right-handers connecting rail-to-rail snaps and speed floaters to link through to the inside bowl. A recent illness was not evident as Flores powered all his turns to their maximum potential.
“I got a blood infection in Brazil and I was stuck there for 10 days and now I have just come back from a week at home on Reunion Island and I was stoked to be back home and see my family and my friends I hadn't seen in several years.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17, recent PRIME event winner in Brazil, who is currently in nº27 position on the ASP World rankings and inside the 32-man cut-off point advanced through to Round Two after a slow start that eventually built momentum to finish his last wave with a series of backhand snaps to secure an 8.00 out of 10 and a combined heat total of 15.10.

“I feel good and it is good to get through that heat. With Jihad (Khodr) with me in the same heat was fun and I have learnt things off him because he was on the World Tour for a long time. I feel confident at the moment but I don't think too much about qualifying right now.”

Pat Gudauskas (San Clemente, USA) 25, managed to brush off a niggling neck injury to rack up a series of forehand gouges to secure an 8.50 out of 10, one of the highest single-wave scores of the day. Failing to find a solid backup score, Gudauskas placed second behind a fired up Tiago Camarao (BRA) eventual heat winner.

“I love this wave but I tweaked my neck a little before the heat,” explained Gudauskas. “I was stoked to be loose out there. The PRIMES and the WT events are all equally important to me at this stage so it is good to surf a lot of heats, have fun and make the most of it. Hopefully have some good performances which adds to your whole vibe and that would be my goal right now.”  

Austin Ware (USA) 30, up first in heat nº1, relied on his experience, wave selection and hard hitting forehand surf, to advance comfortably ahead of Dimitri Ouvre (BRB) 19, in a stacked heat which saw former ASP World champion (2001) C.J. Hobgood (USA) eliminated in fourth position.
Ouvre, an event wildcard at the Quiksilver Pro Portugal, snagged a peeling right-hander in the last part of the heat to lay down several critical snaps to claim a 6.90 and jump into second position. In a wave hungry encounter that saw a total of 36 waves ridden, Ouvre was ecstatic with his pass through to Round Two of competition.  “It is a dream for me to be in a heat with C.J. (Hobgood) and all the other goofy footers. I want to thank Quiksilver for the wildcard into this contest because it is important for my surfing and for my ranking next year.” “It was a tough heat at the beginning,” continued Ouvre. “I made a couple of mistakes because I was sitting out the back and I should have gone inside. After I caught an inside one and just expressed myself on the wave.”

Fellow event wildcard Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) also advanced through to the next round finishing runner-up behind Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) in a tight heat that saw Shaun Joubert (ZAF) and Brett Simpson (USA) finish 3rd and 4th respectively. Ribeiro current ASP Europe Junior rankings leader along with Ouvre who is following closely behind in 3rd  spot will both make the most of their opportunity to continue in the Quiksilver Pro Portugal in Round Two.

The Tiago Pires Surf School is a project focussed on the young kids, looking for and amongst them, to form surfers for the future. The school also has a strong element of social work. This project was born from Tiago Pires's wish to actively stimulate a new generation of surfers in Portugal, sharing what he has been learning in his career at the surf's highest stages. “My goal is to make surf get to the largest possible number of people. To have this lifestyle is a privilege and I want to give young people the opportunity I also had to build my career. I want to give back what I got from this sport.”

At a social level, Tiago Pires Surf School will look to develop social support actions along with institutions of solidarity, to create and put into practice partnerships with other schools, promoting exchanges between them. Among the school's services, we highlight the development of skills (Extra Speed) and a course for kids and teenagers (Surf Bloom).

Tiago Pires Surf School will soon be on Facebook, so that everybody can check out all its novelties.

His mastering performance allows Matt Banting to grab the Sixth rank of the Australian ASP Pro Junior Series.

Dimitri Ouvré clamied in Spain his maiden Asp Pro Junior victory thanks to a fantastic wave, 15 minutes before the end of the heat. The Quiksilver rider achieved a fabulous air reverse followed by a forehand snap to snatch a near perfect 9.00 out of 10 and the win.

Ouvré jumps to nº1 position on the Asp European Men's Pro Junior rankings and now has his eyes set on a repeat performance at the upcoming Asp 3-Star Pro Junior in the Canary Islands.

His team mate Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 13, the youngest competitor in the Somo Pro Junior Cantabria Infinita, finished equal 7th claiming his best career result to date. The ever smiling natural-footer who turned heads with his clean flowing rail turns and competitive skills displayed in all his encounters.

The winning design will be produced as the official event tee and distributed over the weekend at the Expression Session!  It might even make an appearance on national TV.  If that's not enough, the winner will also get €500 worth of Quiksilver clothing and of course tickets to enjoy Sea Sessions!!

To be in with a shot log on to http://www.facebook.com/QUIKSILVERTEESESSION

Like the page then get loading!

Closing date for entries is Sunday 22^nd May.

With a lot of surfing to get through over the few days, the Grom and Masters categories were run in clean 3ft peaky conditions and everyone seemed stoked to get the event underway.  Standout performances from Quiksilver riders; Kieran Hughes (a new addition to the team) and Max Payne, who both made it through to finals of multiple categories (12's, 14's, 16's, 18's).

With a nice left hand sandbank peeling though as the tide started to drop back on the Sunday afternoon, the crowd watched from the dunes to see some of Wales best kids step up their game and witness some great surfing. In the Under 12's it was great to see a large turnout of groms. 24 kids competed for the Welsh National title and there were Quiksilver goodies up for grabs. Kieran Hughes stole the show with his fast turns and light weight moves, winning the under 12s and also making it through to the under 14's final. Max Payne was also on a roll as soon as he hit the water. He was unstoppable and looked like he had been busy training throughout the winter, winning both the Under 14's and 16's finals.

In the under 18s division, last years winner Tom Good, fresh and fit from spending the winter training in Australia, turned up to defend his title looking sharp but Max Tucker was also on form and was quick to pick off two long peeling lefts and go to town with his powerful but loose surfing  to steal the show!

Then it was the old boys turn for the Masters division. Showing that they still have the skills to mix it up with the groms! Greg Owen and Mark Vaughan, best of buddies on dry land, but worst of enemies in the water. The competition was fierce! Simon Tucker, also, couldn't be ruled out, being a face of Welsh and British Surfing for the past 30 years and keen to get another title under his belt. But as the siren blew it was Mark Vaughan had got the job done with two short but powerful waves. Greg Owen coming a close 2^nd.

In the Under 18's longboard category, following in his dad's footsteps, it was an easy win for Conner Griffins who showed some great nose riding and mixed it up with some nice turns.

Out of the surf, there was lots going on in the competitor's area. Quiksilver sponsored artist, Cosmic, brought a creative touch to the event with his amazing artwork. He held the crowds attention over the two days putting his hand to endless original designs, with surfboards, skateboards and even a ukulele as his canvas.

‘Old Pine Spring Tour'

It's been an exciting few weeks for critically acclaimed, singer-songwriter Ben Howard.  With the release of his brand new video for the single ‘Old Pine', filmed by none other than Mickey Smith and rave reviews on the radio.

He has been causing quite a stir in the industry, with names such as Zane Lowe, Lauren Laverne and Jo Wiley all talking about his music and some great airplay on the radio. Not only that but check out itunes where he has just climbed to number 30!

To mark the release of his ‘Old Pine' EP on the 23^rd of May, he heads out on a full UK tour supported by SAS and Quiksilver. Grab some tickets before it sells out. The final stop is by the sea and is definitely a gig not to be missed as he performs on, the stunning, Lusty Glaze Beach, Newquay on the 25^th of May. But you can see him this week at stops around the UK- tonight its The Duchess, York from 7.30pm.

« I saw the news on facebook this morning. We've been waiting for this since so many years. It's really nice for our sport. We are going to get more credibility. I'm so happy and excited. I'm stocked. »

Placing 5th at the Winter X Games Europe and US, 3rd at the Dew Tour, the young French prodigy has all the arguments to get his ticket for Russia to enter his first Olympic Games.

In the upcoming weeks, Toto who rides for Quiksilver since he's 9 ( !) will fly to Canada for this season's last contest and then come back to France to take his A level and get his driving licence.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/winter_sports/default.stm

The format of the event was a fun jam session and the final saw ten riders take two runs, with hundreds of people cheering on in the sunny and slushy spring-time conditions. Mathieu Crepel took the victory in the freshly upgraded 4Star Poney Session. It was a treat for the spectators to see him competing in his home region, since he has taken a step back from the competitive snowboarding circuit, focusing on riding powder in the recent years. He was stoked after the event saying,  “It was awesome as usual. I had a perfect day with my good friends and the park was amazing! I rode every line of the slope, I tried new tricks and I landed a Cab Double Under, in the Perfect Jump. I'm stoked to finally get the Pony Title! This event really is worth it's 4 TTR stars and I'll be there for sure for the 10th anniversary next year! "  Mathieu's winning run included a half cab boardslide 270 out on the pole jam, a switch back 900 on the big air, a sweet frontside 1080.

Out of the many Swedish riders competing, it was Isak Björnström who grabbed the second place leaving JJ Roux (FRA) in third. This season has been a good one for Isak, as he has been competing at other European 4Star events, and getting up on the podium at each and every one of them. He took a first place at the 4Star Sony Ericsson Snowboard Fest in Slovakia and a second place at the 4Star Engadinsnow in Switzerland. With his second place at the Pony Session he moved up considerably in the Swatch TTR Tour Ranking. Even though the TTR Tour Champions have been crowned, there are several 1-4Star events coming up on the TTR Tour, where riders like Isak still have the opportunity to collect results in order to determine their Season-End Bonus Points, which will be carried over to the 2011/12 season.

'Well after my podium at the last event in Fieberbrunn I just made the cut for Verbier . As you can see by the Verbier face it's pretty serious! There has been some new snow on the face and for the second time this season I've drawn the first snowboarder bib . Not sure if thats a good thing or not as a lot of snow will be moving during the first few runs but all the landings will be untouched. Heading up tomorrow for another face check and to watch the next generation of freeriders compete in the junior event. Then Sunday morning it's on. Not sure how I feel at the moment, excited, nervous, scared but as soon as you're out of the starting gate it all disappears."

Can't make it to Verbier? You can watch it live and see how James  does here: www.freerideworldtour.com

For Iouri Podladtchikov, who didn't compete in Aspen this January due to an injury, this silver medal confirms that he can throw the biggest tricks and can step up when under pressure. The Moscow native incidentally said that this was his “best day of snowboarding this year”. Louie Vito takes Gold and Christian Haller completes the podium.

Unfortunately, Mathieu won't make the final this year. The Frenchman who had temporarily left the pipe to enjoy backcountry and freeriding for more than one month, probably had not enough trainings in his pocket to get out of the eliminations.

Watch on Canal+ Sport at www.winterxgameseurope.com

Iouri Podladchikov
Mathieu Crepel
Thomas Krief
Ulrik Badertsher
Eric Willett

X Fest, the winter X Games, open from 10am – 7pm
The big stage and the bars of Tignes will be hosting events and entertainments organized by X Games partners. Quiksilver and Roxy are opening the doors to its casino: blackjack, poker, roulette and betting on the final podium places… grow your initial stake and win big! Every evening from 6pm to 7pm, Carlsberg cocktails and DJ set with Deezer. Signing sessions with top athletes from the team at the Quiksilver/Roxy store in Val Claret on March 16th at 5pm and on the stand at the X Fest on Thursday March 17th at 5.30pm. Closing evening, Friday March 18th at the Le Couloir bar from 11pm, with team athletes in attendance. Just remember: what happens in Tignes, stays in Tignes!

More info at:

http://winterxgameseurope.canalplus.fr/
http://www.deezer.com/fr/winterxgames/

As we speak, Stentiford is now in 7^th place on the tour rankings. Three-time World Tour winner, Xavier De La Rue has been knocked off the top spot, for now, by Flo Orley. With the best three stops from each rider being used to calculate their final scores and determine who is invited to the Nissan Xtreme Verbier, James is in a good position. We will keep you updated.

Next stop on the tour is this Saturday, March 12. The riders head to Fieberbrunn, Austria and then on to the final stop in Verbier, Switzerland, on March 19.

For more information on the Freeride tour check out their website (www.freerideworldtour.com).

'Most Surfers Riding One Wave'

In association with Quiksilver and Redbull, you are invited to be part of this challenge taking place on Saturday 2nd April 2011, at East Strand Portrush.

Its an all day event. If you don't fancy surfing the wave with the masses, you can partake in a free surf lesson instead (get your skills ready for the next attempt). Red Bull are bringing the music, with a live dj throughout the day and there are prizes up for grabs. Plus you got to admit, it's going to be pretty fun to watch this happen!!

Book your spot to surf now and attempt to become a World Record Holding Surfer! www.troggssurfschool.com

After a week resting I drove to St Moritz not knowing if I could ride or not . Luckily the rib had recovered enough either that or it was the adrenalin of knowing I was the first snowboarder down the hill having drawn the number 2 bib . I had a much better run and came 5th , thankfully as Ed Leigh and Graham Bell were there from Ski Sunday and I didn't want to do an Eddie the Eagle !

As the snow was pretty average in Europe I headed to Canada for a Split board trip with Whitelines . They are not struggling for snow in over there ! We had a day of Catboarding , a day of Sledding and then four days split boarding , staying in a beautiful log cabin in the middle of no where . I've had enough face shoots to keep me going for a while .

I'm off to Russia on Wednesday for the next leg of the Tour . Hopefully I can improve again and get on the podium !

The park is looking sick (check the park plan here) , the groms are psyched and there is lots more planned for this Saturdays night-time park session at Tamworth Snowdome.  Running alongside the Radar final, the 'Quiksilver Jam' session is open to the public, who can shred the park alongside our hotly picked groms and enjoy the evening hosted by Quiksilver.

With DJ/MC extraordinaire, Christian Stevenson providing tunes for the night, mc-ing the Radar event and keeping his eyes peeled for sick tricks from the public shredders! There are tonnes of prizes up for grabs, from Lib Tech, Quiksilver and Roxy. You can also come make use of our ‘Mini Mervin' demo centre- with a few exclusive Lib Tech and Roxy boards available to get your shred on with.

So come check it out! Session runs from 10pm – 1.30am, this Saturday (12^th February) at Tamworth Snowdome.

Jake Terry

Victoria MacGregor

Tomski Robinson

Fin Bremner

Jake Binnee

Josh Ogden

Michael Rowlands

Bradley Gaulter

Madison Rowlands

Alexander Kozic

These lucky groms now go through to the Happy Riding Day, which is to be held at Tamworth Snowdome on Saturday 12th Feb, 2011.  Quiksilver and the Tamworth Snowdome will build a park for the finalists to throw down moves and impress the judges. With a filmer on hand to catch all the action, each grom will produce a video, from the evening, showing their talent which will be voted for online . These uploads will be judged by the public and pros, with the winners gaining an invite to the XGames grand final!

The slope will be open to all snowboarders from 10pm onwards, so come and support the British groms at the Saturday night Quiksilver 'Radar' jam session.  With a DJ and MC on hand to get the night going and tonnes of prizes for general sickness!

Starts 10pm, Tamworth snowdome. Good luck to all the groms taking part!

For further event information and to vote on your favourite rider: www.quiksilverlive.com

Bronze went to Ville who not only impressed with his flow but also with bs lipslide on down rail, tailslide fs 270 out on the gas pipe, backside nose tap on the quarter rail, fs boardslide on the down rail, sw back side 9 mute to fs 10 indy to bs 7 mute over the kicker line and 50-50 fs 1 out on the pipe.

The young finish Quiksilver rider has been impressing lots of people with his smooth style and large bag of tricks.

Ville will be making his way to the TTR Air and Style events where he will take part in the prestigious rookie challenge against the rest of the worlds top rookies.

Well done Ville and good luck in Innsbruck.

© Ducasse

At the moment conditions are looking pretty average but things can change quickly in the mountains . Everyone is praying for snow !

His close relationship with ‘surf brothers' Miky Picon, Jérémy Florès and Aritz Aranburu, all leading members of the Euroforce and Team Quiksilver, is a long-term thing. Tiago and his friends have travelled, trained and ultimately risen to the top together, playing a massive part in the development of European professional surfing.

The first Portuguese surfer to qualify for a place among the world's elite, Tiago Pires brilliantly  made the cut for the new selection on the ASP World Tour, now slimmed down to a field of 34 competitors. And so Saca is all set to continue his career under the colours of Quiksilver, who will be providing him with an ultra-competent dedicated staff and an optimized organization. Everything Portugal's best ever surfer needs to stay at the top for plenty of time to come. For Miky Picon, Product and Marketing Manager of Quiksilver Europe's technical division, “joining the team that boasts Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds and Jérémy Florès will give Tiago extra motivation. His personality and style are a perfect match for the team and he'll bring huge positive energy. Tiago is really at the top of his game and the best Portuguese surfer of all time… Quiksilver will give him a set-up worthy of the very best  (team manager, physio, physical trainer and top-class logistics), to help him stay on top of the world.”

TIAGO PIRES
Born March 13th 1980 in Alcantara, Lisbon (Portugal)
Lives in Ericeira (Portugal)
Height/Weight: 1.70m / 70 kg
Sponsors: Quiksilver, TMN mobile, Red Bull energy drinks, Pukas surfboards, Moskova
Ranked 21st on the ASP World Tour in 2010
Shaper: Chili, Christian Bradley, Eric Arakawa
Favourite waves: Coxos, Cave and Safi
Favourite moves: tubes and carves
Inspiration: Tom Carroll and Kelly Slater

http://henryshackleton.wordpress.com/

“I have had exceptional support throughout my career and I am excited to have this bright opportunity with the respected team at Quiksilver,” says Gilmore. “I am looking forward to pushing myself to new levels and feel this is a move which will help me stay inspired while competing at the highest level as a professional surfer on the ASP Women's World Tour. It's thrilling to be a part of an innovative and globally respected brand like Quiksilver.  Its rich history and creative direction are well aligned with my personal ambitions.”

“We are very happy to welcome Stephanie to Quiksilver” says Bob McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver. “Her many accomplishments, at such a young age, are incredible. She is an inspirational role model for young women and a perfect fit for Quiksilver.”

22-year-old Stephanie, who was born and raised in NSW Australia has already become one of the most accomplished surfers in the world. She has won the ASP World Title in each of the last four years, was the youngest ASP Women's World Champion (2007) and has 17 ASP Women's World Tour victories. She will compete in the first event of the 2011 ASP season at next month's Roxy Pro on Australia's Gold Coast, February 26-March 9.

In addition to Quiksilver, her sponsors include Cole Clark Guitars, Ford, Sanitarium and DHD Surfboards. She plays both acoustic and electric guitar, including a Cole Clark lap slide and a vintage Fender Strat, and she documents her world travels with a Hassleblad 501c medium format camera.

Stephanie's philanthropic work includes Australia's youth-focused Black Dog Foundation; and she is a sponsor for two children in Kenya and Ethiopia. This Sunday, January 9th, Stephanie will be part of Channel 9 Australia's telethon to raise money for Australia's devastated areas affected by the floods.

Stephanie will continue to hone her talents and pursue her passions as she joins the Quiksilver family and will creatively contribute to and be involved in marketing efforts for the brand's new collection. Designed for young women with a coastal mindset and an independent spirit, the new Quiksilver collection is built on an understated aesthetic with its primary focus on quality fabrics, fits and finishes. This feminine interpretation of the Quiksilver brand has resulted in a beautiful collection that is authentic to Quiksilver's roots while at the same time introducing a unique, feminine perspective to the action sports apparel industry. The debut season of the collection perfectly blends coastal casual lived-in, loved-in designs with airy feminine details and superior hand-feel.

Congratulations Julian! Look for Julian to take on the world's best in the 2011 ASP World Tour, kicking of with the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast!

Ben has been causing quite a stir in the music industry this past year, touring with Xavier Rudd, Fink and Willy Mason. His unique percussive guitar techniques, stunning vocals and evocative lyrics have won him a loyal following on the live music circuit, selling out shows across the continent and cementing his reputation as one of Europe's most exciting new artists.

Ben's latest EP OLD PINE (due to be released soon) is soaked in the salt-water and summer sun that was its' inspiration. Recorded in a barn nestled somewhere between beaches, fields and trees, Ben's blend of percussive folk and raw acoustics are fitting acknowledgements of his roots.

With his debut alum on the way Ben Howard is certainly one to watch for 2011, check out Ben's December dates below:

The 28 prestigious invitees include last year's reigning champion Greg Long and 10 X World Champion and past winner of the 2002 Eddie event, Kelly Slater.  All are ready for the competition, which has a waiting period running from December 1^st through to February 28^th, 2011.

The event marks the global standard of big wave surfing and won't start unless the swell meets the minimum 20 feet (6.5m) size requirement.

In 25 years of its existence, the Eddie has only run 8 times, adding to the legendary prestige of this event.

http://quiksilver.com/eddie

This Saturday, Regent Street becomes traffic-free to host their annual VIP shopping day, giving Quiksilver the opportunity to build a mini ramp and invite some of the best riders in the UK to come play. Expect to see some sick vert riding from European class skaters, with demos throughout the day. Not only that but the chance to meet the talent and lots of giveaways from Quiksilver.

(VIP Shopping Day, Saturday 27^th November at the Quiksilver Boardrider, 229 Regent Street)

The competition was eventually cancelled, but Victor Fernandez accumulated enough points (4167pts) to claim the PWA World Wave Title for 2010.  He placed ahead of rivals Ricardo Campello and Philip Koster.

“I'm really happy.  I worked really hard from the start on the PWA Tour and especially this year.  I expected a good run here, so it's a little disappointing.  The advantage when you lead from the start is that you never know what can happen and you'll always give it your best.  That's what I did and I feel I deserve this victory.”

This is the first World Title for the Andalusian, which confirms his progression, after previously finishing 6^th on the PWA Tour in 2009.  In 2007 and 2008, he already was 2nd on the PWA Tour, therefore quite close to the title. After taking the international crown, the Spaniard has already set out to defend his title.

“I'm going to continue training hard this winter and will make my second film ‘second life'.  I hope to discover some new spots and come back here (to Cape Verde) to progress some more.  Over the next few weeks I'll return home and celebrate with my family and friends.  I'll be coming back next year to defend my title.'

Member of Team Quiksilver, alongside Antoine Albeau, who is also 2010 World Champion in Slalom and Formula windsurfing, Victor Fernandez has now also sailed into the big time.

RESULTS: REEF HAWAIIAN PRO

FINAL
1ST -  Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.00

2ND -  Joel Centeio (HAW) 7.04

3RD - Julian Wilson (AUS) 6.86

4TH - Heath  Joske (AUS) 3.14

SEMI-FINALS:
H1: Heath Joske (AUS) 13.00; Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.90; Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.56; Daniel Ross (AUS) 9.80

H2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.47; Joel Centeio (HAW) 10.17; Granger Larsen (HAW) 8.90; Adrian Buchan (AUS) 6.84

The final of the Under 16 juniors found Myles Lee Hargreave, from Bournemouth, Jobe Harris, from Bude, Simon Trebilcock, from St Ives and Luke Dillon, from Newquay fighting for the title. Luke Dillon showed some great surfing skills and won the division and this also saw him getting the highest score on the tour for the Under 16's and winning the Under 16 Tour overall. Myles Lee Hargreave came in second place, Jobe Harris third and Simon Trebilcock took fourth position on the podium.

In the Pro Junior Final the finalists showed off their talent and Stuart Campbell, Woolocombe came in first place which meant he also won the Pro Junior Title. Toby Donachie, St. Merryn came in a close second and Lyndon Wake, Croyde took third place. Josh Piper who hurt his knee in the semi final still took to the water to fight for the crown and came in fourth.

Results

Pro Junior

1st Stuart Campbell

2nd Toby Donachie

3rd Lyndon Wake

4th Josh Piper

Under 16 Boys

1st Luke Dillion

2nd Myles Lee Hargreaves

3rd Jobe Harris

4th Simon Trebilcock

Kelly clinched the title after putting on an incredible tube riding display in his quarterfinal heat against Brazil's Adriano De Souza.

Congratulations Kelly on your incredible achievement!

Let the party begin!

Click here to see the winning moments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oPBIDWPtOs

“I feel relieved, honestly,” says Kelly. “It's been the most stressful title I've ever had, because it's sort of an unknown place and you know at my age people say ‘you shouldn't be doing this.' And all the young guys are getting better and it's a challenge to believe in yourself and not believe what other people tell you. I know how good Jordy, Dane, Mick, Taj and all those guys are, and it's a marathon, you know? It's not one wave, it's not one maneuver, it's not one contest. It's a year-long thing and I know how to focus and it came together and I'm just so relieved.”

“Kelly's 10^th World Title today will be remembered as one of the most important moments in surf history,” said Bob McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver. “We are honored and proud to have been there to witness and support him over his entire, incredible professional career. Congratulations Kelly!”

Channel Islands Surfboards Founder Al Merrick adds, "I'm just really proud of Kelly right now. Winning a tenth title is such an incredible feat; but being able to do it on a board that he designed himself is a wonderful accomplishment in itself."

Slater, 38, vaulted into the 2010 season points lead mid-way through this year's ASP World Tour title race when he won the Hurley Pro at Trestles (Calif.) in September, taking out 27-year-old Bede Durbidge in flawless 6-foot waves.  The win marked Kelly's 4^th career title at historic Trestles, the site of his first professional win twenty years earlier.

After Trestles, the ASP World Tour continued on to the Quiksilver Pro France at Les Culs Nus Beach, where Kelly took second place to the reigning ASP World Champion, 29-year-old Australian Mick Fanning. Kelly's runner-up finish further extended his 2010 tour points lead as he delivered his first perfect 10 score of the season with a ridiculous freefall drop into a barrel during the semifinals.

In mid-October, the tour continued on to Portugal for the Rip Curl Pro, an event that would play a vital role in determining the 2010 World Champion. Slater stormed to another 1^st place finish in Portugal, earning a career record 44^th Elite Tour victory during some of the highest-performance surfing the world has ever seen. Slater struck stealthily in the final round at epic Supertubos, locking in solid backhand waves in shifting conditions and staving off a late charge from 22-year-old current ASP World #2 South African Jordy Smith.

Kelly won his previous ASP World Championships in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006 and 2008. His career victories also include 44 WCT wins and two ESPN X Games gold medals.

A performance, which the 26-years-old hadn't figured at all. “I'm happy but I was also lucky that the others weren't able to stick their runs. But I guess this is it, right? You have to be on top of the game when you have to,” summed up the 2007 FIS Double World Champion and 2009 world medallist.

Official Statement: HONOLULU – (November 2, 2010) — The world of surfing mourns an incredibly sad loss today with the news that Hawaii's Andy Irons has died. Andy was a beloved husband, and a true champion. Irons, 32, withdrew from a professional surfing event in Puerto Rico last weekend due to illness and passed away during a layover en-route to his home in Kauai, Hawaii. He had reportedly been battling with dengue fever, a viral disease. At this time the family thanks his friends and fans for their support, and asks that the community respect its privacy. The family also asks to not be contacted so their focus can remain on one another during this time of profound loss.

Opening his account with an 8.50 out of ten and then backing it up with an 8.17, Collazo had his opponent in a combination situation early in the battle and looked to be on his way to a comfortable win. Zubizarreta had other ideas and answered back with an 8.90, to get back in the fight with five minutes remaining.

Without priority, Collazo had to watch on as Zubizarreta played his last card on his last wave in the final minute. Coming up short by the nearest of margins, a mere 0.20 of a point, the Quiksilver Pro Portugal 2010 title was in the grasp of an emotional Collazo.

“This is an amazing feeling and I can't describe how it feels to win an event like this. I have never gone further than the quarters, so to be in the final with my best friend and to win it is the best thing that has happened to me.”

Taking out World Tour campaigner, Jeremy Flores (FRA) in the quarter-finals, Collazo grew in confidence and knew that this was his moment.

“I have had so much support from all the people here and also from all the people at home. It is really special and I want to say thanks to all of them for their support. I have taken the whole event heat by heat and tried not to think about my opponents and just focus on my surfing and the work ahead to be done.”

In a somewhat different approach to such a major final, Collazo explains their pre-final preparations.

“It was a different final because we tossed a coin to see who would have the first wave. Normally you are really stressed and earlier there was a lot of pressure in the quarters and the semis but in the final we were talking and looking back to the beach amazed at all the people who had come down to watch us.”

Runner-up, Gony Zubizarreta was on a role this morning after eliminating ASP Dream Tour surfer and local favourite Tiago Pires (PRT) in the quarter-finals with another come from behind performance. Smashing out a 9.87, the highest single wave score of the event, Zubizarreta threatened to go all the way.

“The heat against Tiago was amazing. I managed to catch the bomb and get that score which got me back into the heat. For me it was an honour to be up against him at his home break and to win that heat was really special.”

In the final, Zubizarreta managed to claw his way back to create a dramatic final stage to the 40-minute clash. With no remorse, Zubizarreta was pleased with his ‘never say die' attitude.

“I didn't surf so well at the beginning and then I got that good one so I thought I was still able to get another one. The last wave came and I surfed the best I could but it was close. I think the judge's decision in the end was correct. It was close and I am very happy for Hodei.”

Leonardo Neves (Saquarema, BRA) 30, finished in equal third to achieve his best result in Europe this year. Coming up against an inform Hodei Collazo, the Brazilian made a crucial error losing priority and had to stand by and watch as the win escaped from his grasp.

“I ended up losing priority with a 5.00 point ride and I should have stayed out the back and waited a few minutes more because I had to watch the 8.00 point ride of Hodei. I think that wave marked the difference in the heat because it was a wave with more potential and that was the difference.”

More at home in more powerful conditions, Neves has concentrated on his small wave surfing and is starting to see results. Equipment changes as well as technical adjustments to his surfing are the reasons for this improvement.

“This has been a contest in small waves which has always been difficult for me. Bigger waves are a lot easier for me. So now I have a specific board for small waves that is going really well. Each time my results are getting better.”

Now moving on to further events to be held in the Canary Islands, Neves feels that his momentum is pushing him towards an even bigger result in the near future.

“I am having a good run at the moment with many quarter-final finishes and now a semi-final so let's hope a final is coming up soon for me in the next events in the Canary Islands.”

Marc Lacomare (Capbreton, FRA) 20, also finishing equal third, continued with his consistent results achieved throughout the entire year in Europe including a win at the 5-Star Newquay event. Having no luck in finding any rhythm and surfing on his backhand in the tricky conditions, Lacomare had to admit that some errors on his part cost him the victory.

“He (Zubizarreta) has been surfing amazing since the start of the contest so it was a tough heat. Maybe I made a couple of mistakes in that heat but I am still happy with a semi-final result.”

Remaining a clear leader on the ASP European Men's rankings and with two stops remaining on the circuit, Lacomare is looking strong to back up his 2009 ASP Europe Junior title.

“I am really happy with my year and hopefully I can take out the European title after the Canary events and if not I am just really happy with the results I have done this summer.”

Quiksilver Pro Portugal Final Result

Hodei Collazo (EUK) 16.67 Def. Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 16.47

Quiksilver Pro Portugal Semi-final Results

Heat 1: Hodei Collazo (EUK) 15.43 Def. Leonardo Neves (BRA) 11.33

Heat 2: Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 10.17 Def. Marc Lacomare (FRA) 5.23

Quiksilver Pro Portugal Quarter-final Results

Heat 1: Hodei Collazo (EUK) 13.00 Def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.27

Heat 2: Leonardo Neves (BRA) 8.10 Def. Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) 7.16

Heat 3: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 11.67 Def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.93

Heat 4: Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 16.90 Def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 15.84

The ASP 2007 European Champion and former ASP World Race contender (2008 and 2009) had already opened his 2010 ASP Star Series campaign with a win in Brazil earlier this year, during the ASP 6-star Maresia Surf International.

The Quiksilver Team surfer, Kelly Slater (USA) today earned his third win of the season in Peniche, Portugal (after wins at Bells Beach and Trestles) taking his ASP World Tour career victories to 44.  Surfing in the final against his biggest rival of the season and current World number two, Jordy Smith (South Africa), Kelly won a crucial battle. The 38 year-old Floridian 9 times World Champion, further widened the gap between him and the 22 year-old South African prodigy who now lies 9250 points behind Kelly Slater.

For Kelly, the possibility of a 10^th World Title becomes even more attainable and he can now mathematically seal the historic dream at the next event in Puerto Rico.  If he makes the semi-final in the Caribbean, the Floridian is assured to be the 2010 World Champion.  If Kelly finishes between 5^th and 9^th place, then Jordy Smith must make the final to deprive him of the title.  The last event of the year in Hawaii (December) would then be the decider.

Surfing at Supertubes, Kelly beat Damien Hobgood in the quarters, Chris Davidson in the semis and Jordy Smith in the final.  It was the 5th final of the year for Kelly Slater.  He won at Bells and Trestles, and finished second in the Brazil event and the Quiksilver Pro France in Hossegor.

After receiving a huge trophy on the podium, Kelly said, ‘Congratulations to Jordy.  He would obviously have liked a different result but he's an unbelievable surfer and him and Dane set the standard for all of us.  I'm trying to learn from them and just hang on.  These guys are the present so I'm glad to get this win over with.  I haven't had the greatest success in Portugal, I haven't won here before and finally I get one.'

Jeremy Flores also had a very successful performance in Portugal, finishing in 3^rd place for the second time this year.  His previous podium finish was in the hollow waves of Tahiti in August.

Winner of his first round heat against Dane Reynolds (USA) and Dean Morrison (Aus), the Reunion Island surfer eliminated Bobby Martinez in the 3^rd round and dominated the dangerously talented American Patrick Gudauskas and the South African Travis Logie in the 4^th round.  In the quarter finals, the Quiksilver team rider beat the young Australian prodigy Owen Wright before losing his semi-final encounter against world number 2, Jordy Smith.

‘I am a bit disappointed, but it's a good result for me, which helps my ranking,' said Jeremy.  ‘I'd have really liked to have beaten Jordy but I also know that everyone wants the dream final between Jordy and Kelly.  Even I can't wait to watch it!'

Asked what he thinks of Kelly, the young Frenchman added, ‘ I really admire Kelly who is an idol for me.  I've had the chance to share many trips with him thanks to Quiksilver.  He always gives great advice and has helped me a lot.  Yes he's a freak but he is also a great example to us all.'

This great result propels Jeremy up to 15th in the World Rankings.  Jeremy will stay in Portugal to take part in the Quiksilver Pro Portugal (ASP 6-Star Event) at Ericeira, which starts next Tuesday.  The Europeans will be there in force.  Alongside local hero Tiago Pires, will be Marc Lacomare, Miky Picon, Patrick Beven, Vasco Ribeiro, Charles Martin, Dimitri Ouvré, and Marlon Lipke etc.  Opposition for the home team will include some serious contenders such as Josh Kerr (Aus) and Brazilians Bernado Pigmeu and Jean da Silva.

Follow the Quiksilver Pro Portugal 19^th - 24^th October live on www.quiksilverlive.com

The next event of the ASP World Tour will be 30^th Oct – 10^th Nov 2010 in Puerto Rico.

The 10th world title perspective is becoming more and more concrete for the Floridian who now has 4500 points advance on his young and talented rival Jordy Smith even if the 2010 season is far from being ended with 4 events to run.

Equal third in Trestles (with Mick Fanning), California's Dane Reynolds is still in the 4th position but now gets closer and closer for the podium, becoming a constant threat for Australian Taj Burrow who now just has 250 points advance.

The world's elite surfers from men's professional surfing will land this week in France to compete in the Quiksilver Pro France, in world-class waves of Seignosse, Hossegor, Capbreton and Saint-Jean de Luz. The swell forecast is announcing a long swell for the beginning of the period and a possible early start of the contest. Quiksilver Pro France waiting period starts on Sept 25th till Oct 5th.

ASP World Title Race (after 5 events)
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 40,000 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 35,500 pts
3. Taj Burrow (AUS) 30,500 pts
4. Dane Reynolds (USA) 30,250 pts
5. Mick Fanning (AUS) 29,500 pts

To relive the event from behind the scenes and follow Kelly Slater, don't miss Belly's blog at www.quiksilver.com (Quik TV section)

Despite missing a spot in the final, Reynolds's result sees him move up into the World No. 4 position.

The Hurley Pro will feature the newly decided world's Top 34 surfers who will compete in the ASP's new 36-man format, for the first time in history at the Hurley Pro Trestles the from September 12th- 18th, 2010.

“Scratching the Surface” A hugely anticipated movie of a unique surfer with a very promising future…

Date: Thursday 7th October - Cardiff

Location:  Vue Cinema, Millennium Plaza

Time: 7pm

After Party: Crystal, St Mary's Street, Cardiff

Guest Attending: Julian Wilson

“Scratching The Surface,” the highly anticipated first feature-length HD surf film starring Julian Wilson, will be premiered on Thursday, 7^th October at 7pm, at the Vue Cinema (Cardiff), followed by a VIP after party held at Cardiff's exclusive nightclub, Crystal.

 “I'm really proud of this film and grateful I had the opportunity to create something unique in the surf filmmaking,” said Julian. “I wanted to make a film before I got sucked into full-time competition and the demanding schedule that goes along with it. So instead of competing last year, I put my heart and soul into this project because I didn't know when I'd ever get the chance again.”

Directed by Matt Beauchesne at Irons Brothers Productions, “Scratching the Surface” documents the adventures of Julian, along with friends and fellow professionals Dane Reynolds, Taj Burrow, Dusty Payne, Mick Fanning and others, as they spend a year hitting some of the world's most beautiful surf spots.  Destinations include South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, California, Hawaii, France, Spain and Brazil.  A large part of the film was also shot in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia on a boat trip with Dane, Dusty and Taj. “Scratching The Surface” also teamed Julian and Matt with Brain Farm Cinema, whose goal was to change the way surf films are made by using helicopters and the Phantom camera, shooting entirely in HD, and incorporating an energetic and unique soundtrack.

“Our goal with this film was to be creative, have fun, and enjoy capturing what it is like to be Julian Wilson,” says Matt Beauchesne. “Julian has a bright and vibrant personality that we wanted to carry over into the film's overall feel. He is living every kid's dream and we wanted to shoot this film through his eyes.”

Tickets for the UK Premiere are only £3 where profits will be donated to the Welsh Surf Federation.  Tickets can be purchased from the Quiksilver Store (St Davids Shopping Centre, Cardiff T: 02920 342180), City Surf (27 Castle Arcade, Cardiff T: 02920 342068), or the Welsh Surfing Federation (www.welshsurfingfederation.org.uk).

To get an early peek of this ground-breaking film, the “Scratching The Surface” trailer and webisodes can be viewed at www.quiksilver.com & www.julianwilson.com

Meanwhile, after a hiccup in South Africa (17^th), Kelly Slater got right back on track for the 2010 World Championship. The Floridian is now just 250 points behind the current leader in the world rankings, South Africa's Jordy Smith. A semi-finalist in Teahupoo, Kelly Slater (who scored a perfect 10 in quarters), still as formidable as ever, knocked out Heiarii Williams (PYF) in the 3^rd round, Adam Melling (AUS) in the 4^th and finally Adrian Buchan (AUS) in the quarters, before going down to Andy Irons - who Slater had in fact already beaten in the first round.

Having arrived in Tahiti in 3^rd spot in the rankings, behind Jordy Smith and Taj Burrow, Kelly Slater leaves French Polynesia with a clear lead over the Australian, and just 250 points behind the young South African prodigy. His hopes of an incredible 10^th world title are still burning bright as ever. Slater can now enjoy the relatively pressure-free position of hunter chasing down the top spot, and it's looking good for him going into one of his favourite Tour events at Trestles, California.

The plaudits for the day's other big exploit go to Jérémy Florès. Having made a solid start to the season, the Frenchman was in blistering form in Tahiti. Hugely impressive in the freesurfing session, the Reunionese athlete produced an incisive and tactically astute performance from start to finish in Teahupoo.  After easing past Marco Polo (Br) and Bobby Martinez (USA) in the 1^st round, the Frenchman brushed aside first Luke Stedman (Aus) in the 3^rd, then formidable local wildcard Manoa Drollet (PYF) - who had knocked out Jordy Smith in the 1/8 finals - and finally another Team Quiksilver surfer, Fred Pattachia (Haw), in the quarters.

In the semis, Jérémy Florès was unable to get the better of master tactician and former World Champion CJ Hobgood, eventually going down by 12.93 pts to 15 pts for the American.

This excellent 3^rd place was one of the finest results of his career for the Frenchman, WQS World Champion in 2006 and Rookie of the Year in 2007 (his best ever being a final in Brazil against Bede Durbidge in 2008), and sees him jump into the World Top 20 (19^th). Free of the painful foot problems that ruined his season in 2009, Florès seems sharper than ever and still has time to fight his way up the rankings between now and December.

The next stage of the ASP World Tour will take place in Trestles, California, USA from September 12^th to 18^th, and will be followed by the QUIKSILVER PRO France, from September 25^th to October 5^th 2010.

To relive the event from behind the scenes and follow Kelly Slater and Jérémy Florès, don't miss Belly's blog at www.quiksilver.com (Quik TV section)

Meanwhile, after a hiccup in South Africa (17th), Kelly Slater got right back on track for the 2010 World Championship. The Floridian is now just 250 points behind the current leader in the world rankings, South Africa's Jordy Smith. A semi-finalist in Teahupoo, Kelly Slater (who scored a perfect 10 in quarters), still as formidable as ever, knocked out Heiarii Williams (PYF) in the 3rd round, Adam Melling (AUS) in the 4th and finally Adrian Buchan (AUS) in the quarters, before going down to Andy Irons - who Slater had in fact already beaten in the first round.
Having arrived in Tahiti in 3rd spot in the rankings, behind Jordy Smith and Taj Burrow, Kelly Slater leaves French Polynesia with a clear lead over the Australian, and just 250 points behind the young South African prodigy. His hopes of an incredible 10th world title are still burning bright as ever. Slater can now enjoy the relatively pressure-free position of hunter chasing down the top spot, and it's looking good for him going into one of his favourite Tour events at Trestles, California.

The plaudits for the day's other big exploit go to Jérémy Florès. Having made a solid start to the season, the Frenchman was in blistering form in Tahiti. Hugely impressive in the freesurfing session, the Reunionese athlete produced an incisive and tactically astute performance from start to finish in Teahupoo.  After easing past Marco Polo (Br) and Bobby Martinez (USA) in the 1st round, the Frenchman brushed aside first Luke Stedman (Aus) in the 3rd, then formidable local wildcard Manoa Drollet (PYF) - who had knocked out Jordy Smith in the 1/8 finals - and finally another Team Quiksilver surfer, Fred Pattachia (Haw), in the quarters.
In the semis, Jérémy Florès was unable to get the better of master tactician and former World Champion CJ Hobgood, eventually going down by 12.93 pts to 15 pts for the American.

This excellent 3rd place was one of the finest results of his career for the Frenchman, WQS World Champion in 2006 and Rookie of the Year in 2007 (his best ever being a final in Brazil against Bede Durbidge in 2008), and sees him jump into the World Top 20 (19th). Free of the painful foot problems that ruined his season in 2009, Florès seems sharper than ever and still has time to fight his way up the rankings between now and December.

The next stage of the ASP World Tour will take place in Trestles, California, USA from September 12th to 18th, and will be followed by the QUIKSILVER PRO France, from September 25th to October 5th 2010.

To relive the event from behind the scenes and follow Kelly Slater and Jérémy Florès, don't miss Belly's blog atwww.quiksilver.com (Quik TV section)

IN ASSOCIATION Tiger 24, Gibson Guitar, DC, Monster Energy & Fistral Blue.

Twenty-five year old goofy-footer Johnny Fryer put on a dazzling display of surfing at Newquay's Fistral Beach this weekend to claim his maiden British title.

Johnny surfed consistently throughout the event in the small but very contestable surf.  He showed his true competitive spirit and knowledge to be crowned British champion, and took home a Gibson Les Paul Studio guitar as the champion's trophy. Jayce Robinson & Oli Adams both surfed well in the final but it was Johnny's day.

There was some tough competition this year especially from the new generation of younger surfers. Surfers like Luke Dillon and Toby Donachie were exceptional standouts. Head judge Ester Spears said "Toby's powerful, mature surfing was a joy to watch and surely a great hope for future British surfing success.”

The Quiksilver British Nationals was run over the course of the weekend in beautiful weather with over one hundred competitors competing for the prestigious title of British champion in the seniors, women's, masters, veterans and stand-up paddle boarding divisions.

Against the odds the waves increased in size overnight on Saturday and spectators were treated to a feast of surfing in blazing sunshine as the event reached its climax on Sunday.

Once again the improvement in women's surfing was evident at this year's event. It was to be a second British title in succession for Sarah Beardmore. Sarah's clean cut style and radical approach earned her the crown from fellow competitors Nicole Morgan, Jo Dennison and British junior team member Tassy Swallow.

Newquay's Tony Good took his first veteran title from Colin Bright in a well fought battle. Also fro m Newquay the multiple times British champion Lee Bartlett once again proved to be unbeatable taking both the masters and senior titles to add to his very long list of victories.

This was also the first time that a British Surf Contest was streamed live to the iphone over a cellular network thanks to Tiger 24!  It's a great way to push the sport and make it easily accessible to everyone out there.

In addition to the Quiksilver British Surf Championships, DC joined in on the action with 2 expression sessions won by Rueben Ash & Micah Lester.  DC & Monster Energy kept the crowds entertained between heats with skate demos on the Monster Energy skate ramp by Pro skaters Sam Bosworth, Dan Mc Dermott, and Sam Pulley.

In between all the heats, expression sessions, and skateboard demos, Gibson Guitar hosted the Quiksessions music stage where local bands played live on the beach all weekend – with the best band set to win £1000 of Quiksilver gear.  The line up included The Last of the Pilots, The Dappers, Sam Burrows, The Sum Off, and Alyssa Podesta, joined also by Quiksilver artists I Am Giant and Charlotte O'Connor.  The level of bands was at a high standard and it was difficult to make a call on the winner, but The Last of the Pilots came through with a great performance at the start of the event and won the battle of the bands.

Joanne Hillman of the British Surfing Association said: “I'd like to say a big thank you to Quiksilver, Tiger 24, Gibson, DC shoes, Monster and Fistral Beach Bar for their generous sponsorship, to all the competitors for putting on a great show, and to all the staff who helped with the smooth running of the event. Every year the event just seems to be getting bigger and better.”

2010 Quiksilver British Nationals

Vets

1.            Tony Good

2.            Colin Bright

3.            Jed Stone

4.            Robert Green

Sup Final

1.            Chris Griffiths

2.            Alex Murray

3.            Jim Richardson

4.            Adam Zervais

Masters

1.            Lee Bartlett

2.            Greg Owen

3.            Tyson Greenway

4.            Cully Murrell

Seniors

1.            Lee Bartlett

2.            Eugene Tollemarche

3.            Tyson Greenway

4.            Greg Owen

Womens

1.            Sarah Beardmore

2.            Nicole Morgan

3.            Joanne Dennison

4.            Tassy Swallows

Open

1.            Johnny Fryer

2.            Oli Adams

3.            Jayce Robinson

4.            Toby Donachie

Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) today claimed the Sooruz Lacanau Pro title downing fellow countryman Alejo Muniz in the 35-minute final to achieve his best result of the year and his second ASP Men's Star-Series title in a closely fought final on a day which saw epic conditions for the grand finale to the 31st edition of the Sooruz Lacanau Pro an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) sanctioned event.

Excellent surfing conditions continued for the final day of action at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Sooruz Lacanau Pro with clean off-shore winds and peaks in the 4-5ft (1.2m) range pumping in with the incoming tide. Event officials waited for the optimum swell window for the running of today's heats resulting in an action packed display of futuristic power surfing for the large crowds lining the shores.

Wiggolly Dantas 20, surfed a perfectly controlled final to lead from start to finish despite the efforts of Muniz to close the gap. Starting off solidly it was not until the halfway mark that Dantas hooked onto a long peeling right to lay down a series of powerful backhand turns to snatch a 7.83 and consolidate his lead and leave his opponent searching for a reply.

“It is so amazing right now to surf against one of my best friends in the final and to win the contest and I just went out there to surf my heat and do my best and it all worked out and I am really stoked now.”

“I was thinking about the waves a bit before the final and the rights were looking better and the lefts were closing out a little bit so I tried to concentrate on the rights and in the end I made a good result. You had to wait a little for the good waves and look for the set so that is what I did”

All the Brazilian surfers were on hand to watch the finals go down and support their countrymen as they did battle in the final. Definitely a plus factor for the surfers the patriotic support added to the festivities of the Sooruz Lacanau Pro.

“It is my best result this year and it was perfect because I had a lot of friends here and everybody is together and that is amazing to have all these guys supporting each other.”

Alejo Muniz (BRA) 20, was the inform surfer during the earlier heats this morning laying down some of the biggest turns of the entire event and headed into the final as a clear favourite to take the title. Holding priority for a major part of the final Muniz was unlucky in not finding any waves to wall up down the line.

Muniz tried in vain to get back into the race and required only a modest score to turn the tables however fell short leaving Dantas with a clear road to victory. Visibly upset with the result Muniz was content with his overall second place.

“It was so hard out there and the waves were not coming to me and I tried to do my best but Wiggolly won in the end and I am happy for him. I really wanted to win this contes

SOORUZ LACANAU PRO FINAL RESULT

Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 14.23 Def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.70

http://www.aspeurope.com/

The Quiksilver windsurfer took the second place during the PWA World Cup Alacati in Turkey. With this performance, the french rider combines enough points to get the Slalom Word Champion title before the last event in Germany. This is his 6th slalom world crown and his 18th all competitions taken together.

This victory relieves him of pressure : ‘It feels amazing to have finally secured the world title before Germany, he racing this year has gone really well, although it feels like a bit of a short season, but there's still one more event to go, and I will definitely be there giving it my best shot to win like always!”

Next November, Antoine Albeau, 38, will compete in the Speed World Championship, which will take place near Marseille, in France. The windsurfer could use this occasion to reap another title this year.

Then, he will try to outrun 50 kn on The Saintes-Maries de La Mer Canal. A windsurfer has never achieved this before.

Come join ‘Motivocean', SAS's National Beach Clean & Beach Sports Tour!

This August, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), in association with the Quiksilver Foundation & myGames (powered by v), will be hitting the road with the biggest beach clean tour in its history. Since 1994, the volume of marine litter on UK beaches has increased by 146%* and SAS is helping combat this tide line of trash through its beach cleans and ongoing campaigns.  ‘Motivocean' is SAS's most ambitious beach clean tour to date and will be calling in at over 20 major UK beaches and waterside locations across the nation, including:

19^th August:    Porthmeor (St Ives, Cornwall)

21^st August:    Sennen (Cornwall), Tynmouth (Northumberland) & Cromer (Norfolk)

22^nd August:    Praa Sands (Cornwall) & Croyde Bay (North Devon)

23^rd August:    Porthtowan (Cornwall)

24^th August:    Fistral (Cornwall)

25^th August:    Bude (Cornwall), Newgale (Wales) & Gwithian (Cornwall)

26^th August:    Bigbury On Sea (South Devon) & Ainsdale (Merseyside)

27^th August:    Boscombe Surf Reef (Dorset), Belhaven (Edinburgh, Scotland)

& Scarborough (Yorkshire)

28^th August:    Compton, Isle of Wight (Hampshire), Machrihanish (west Scotland), Saltburn (Yorkshire) & Brighton (east of the pier, near Yellow Wave)

29^th August:    East Witterings (West Sussex) & The Thames (London)

30^th August:    Broadstairs (Kent)

Everyone is welcome at the events and thanks to the support of the youth volunteering charity v, SAS can also offer volunteers between 16 – 25 years old the opportunity to access and experience exciting sports, including surfing, by participating in these beach cleans. The sea and coastal environment are a vital component of so many sporting activities from sailing to surfing, and SAS hopes to further build awareness about coastal conservation by linking beach sports to the protection of the environment.

Hugo Tagholm, Director of Surfers Against Sewage, commented, “We're delighted to be holding our ‘Motivocean 20^th Anniversary Beach Clean Tour' at so many locations this year. The tour will help us engage a record number of new environmental activists and volunteers to make a meaningful difference to the UK's precious beaches and the wider marine environment. We look forward to welcoming everyone to local events; our members, supporters, families and youth volunteers.”

To sign up please email Chris@sas.org.uk with the location

you'd like to join SAS at, your name, age and contact details.

If you are between 16 – 25 years old, you can also sign up

directly at www.vinspired.com.

So, please come along to an event near you, meet SAS team members and like-minded volunteers, and help protect a beach near you!

Quiksilver are proud to present the Quiksilver British Surf Championships this year at Fistral Beach, Newquay.   The event will be held over the Bank Holiday weekend from Saturday 28^th to Sunday 29^th August 2010 where the best surfers across Britain including Russell Winter (former European champion), Alan Stokes (UK Tour Champion), Toby Donachie (former British champion) and current British junior champ Luke Dillon , will be competing to win titles in the British Men's Open.  Gibson Guitar, one of our brand partners, has generously donated a fantastic Gibson Les Paul Studio guitar as the champion's trophy.  In other titles Lee Bartlett, Spencer Hargraves and Greg Owen will be amongst those competing for the British Masters Title.  Gaby Rowe and Beth Mason will be amongst the female surfers challenging Sarah Beardmore for her current women's title in the Roxy Women's Open.  Alongside the surf champs the SUP British Title will also be presented.

This will be the first time that a British Surf Contest will be streamed live to the iphone over a cellular network. So you catch all the live action at www.tiger24.com or on your iphone at www.tiger24.com/iphonelive.

During the 2 day contest DC will be throwing a couple of expression Sessions into the mix with a total prize purse of £500 cash and DC goodies up for grabs. Edward Martin, DC UK Marketing said: "We are excited to get the opportunity to be involved with and help support such a prestigious UK surfing event as the Quiksilver British Championships.  We are looking forward to working with Quiksilver and the BSA in highlighting the UK talent and to continue to assist and develop the UK surfing scene to be one of the strong forces in Europe." 

This year, Quiksilver's presence down on Fistral Beach will be joined by Roxy, Gibson, DC, and Monster Energy Drinks.   DC & Monster Energy will be keeping the crowds entertained between heats with demos on the Monster Energy skate ramp.  Demo-ing for the weekend will be DC, Monster Energy, and Quiksilver Pro Skaters including Pete King, Sam Bosworth, Dan Mc Dermott, Sam Pulley, and John Bell.

After the success of Quiksessions during Quiksilver's surf contest last year, Gibson Guitar & Quiksilver are searching again for local bands to play live at the Gibson Tour Bus & Quiksessions Stage during the Quiksilver British Surf Championships at Fistral Beach.

All local bands and solo artists can win the chance to play live on Fistral Beach on both Saturday 28^th and Sunday 29^th August.  We're looking for up to 6 bands and the best performance over the weekend will win £1000 of Quiksilver product.  Local Bands should call 0207 436 6800 to register (selected bands will be contacted 5 days before the event).

Quiksilver, Monster Energy, and DC will also be hosting the after parties at the Fistral Beach Bar with live rock bands plus a screening of the Quiksilver 09 Eddie Aikau movie presented by Monster Energy.

The exclusive t-shirts, which are available in 4 colours, white, black, blue & green, are now available in surf stores who are dedicated to protecting their local shores: 

Boomerang, Southport: www.boomerangboardwear.com

City Surf, Cardiff: www.citysurfshops.co.uk

Devilwear, Durham:  www.devilwear.co.uk

Dive & Ski, Jersey: www.cisurf.com

Magicseaweed:  www.magicseaweed.com

Ocean Sports, Brighton: www.boardriders.co.uk

Quiksilver Surf School Newquay: www.quiksilversurfschoolnewquay.com

Quiksilver Store, Barnstaple: www.lesportsurf.com

Quiksilver Store, Bristol: www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Cardiff: www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Carmarthen: www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Covent Garden: www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Llenelli:  www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Newquay: www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Regent Street: www.quiksilver.co.uk

Quiksilver Store, Truro: www.quiksilver-truro.co.uk

Surfdome:  www.surfdome.com

Shore, East Wittering: www.shore.co.uk

The Loop at Retallack Resort, St Columb Major: www.surftheloop.co.uk

Tribe, Dublin (Ireland): www.tribe.ie

Troggs, Northern Ireland: www.troggs.com

To add to the Quiksilver/SAS partnership, the Limited Edition T's have been designed by local St Agnes based surfer and artist, Cosmic. He knows the importance of respecting the environment and is actively involved in national, international and local community art projects:

“It was clear that my main focus was the three major goals of SAS: To protect our waves, all water users and the environment… We all have a part to play. Every single one of us makes a difference. This is an amazing force when we all work together.”

Cosmic started working with Quiksilver at the Boardmasters event in August 2009.  Both Quiksilver and SAS were stoked to get a local artist who shares a passion for surf and the ocean on board with this project.

About SAS and Quiksilver:

2010 is an important year for Surfers Against Sewage, as it celebrates its' 20^th anniversary, which is a testament to just how successful its campaigns have been over the years. Launched in 1990, SAS was famed for their hard-hitting campaign actions and gas masked surfers hitting the beaches, which helped expose and tackle the then chronic sewage issue around the UK to great effect. SAS has today developed a broad environmental remit helping protect the UK's waves, oceans and beaches from current pollution and development threats.

The new ‘Protect Our Waves' campaign helps protect UK surf spots from environmental damage, negative impacts on wave quality and to safeguard surfers' right of access to the best waves in the country. SAS aims to protect the coastal environment for everyone to enjoy and safeguard all our beaches and oceans for future generations to come.

This is an issue close to the heart of Quiksilver, as the company's heritage stands with the mountain and the sea. For years, they have actively engaged in charitable activities both locally and globally. Aiming for their philanthropic work to have an impact beyond what they do as one company and believe they can do this by coordinating the support of other like-minded organizations and people.

To join the wave of support for SAS and for more information on all the campaigns please

visit www.sas.org.uk or look them up at www.facebook.com/surfersagainstsewage

The team down at Euroglass, Hossegor, have been rocking the Tees to show a bit of support for the campaign.  Gracey doesn't like to surf in poop….  

After a brilliant 2010 campain, Ramzi Boukhiam born in Agadir, Morrocco and settled in France, earned his first qualification for an ASP World Championship. He will be then 17 years old.

Finalist of the 3rd European Pro Junior event in Canaria Islands at the very beginning of august, and quarter finalist in Lacanau yesterday, the “pearl of the desert” will join the elite of junior surfing along with DC surfer Marc Lacomare and Maxime Huscenot, 2009 ASP Junior World Champion, invited as a wildcard.

The Quiksilver Team surfer from Reunion Island, Maxime Huscenot had caused majorupset last January when he became the first Frenchman to be crowned ASP Junior World Champion (Pauline Ado did the same in the girls category in 2008).

Marc  Lacomare, 20 years old and 2009 Junior European Champion, is also qualified for the ASP Junior World Championship as being the best European junior on WQS tour this year (he recently won the 5 star WQS event in Fistral Beach, UK).

For the  first time, the next edition of the ASP World Junior Surfing Championships will be held in two phases : in Bali on Keramas spot for October 2 to 13 and then Narrabeen, Australiafrom January 8 to 16 early 2011.

“I'm really proud of this film and grateful I had the opportunity to create something unique in surf filmmaking,” said Julian. “I wanted to make a film before I got sucked into full-time competition and demanding schedule that goes along with it. So instead of competing last year, I put my heart and soul into this project because I didn't know when I'd ever get the chance again.”

Directed by Matt Beauchesne at Irons Brothers Productions, “Scratching the Surface” documents the adventures of Julian, along with friends and fellow professionals Dane Reynolds, Taj Burrow, Dusty Payne, Mick Fanning and others as they spend a year hitting some of the world's most beautiful surf spots. Destinations include South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, California, Hawaii, France, Spain and Brazil.  A large part of the film was also shot in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia on a boat trip with Dane, Dusty and Taj. “Scratching The Surface” also teamed Julian and Matt with Brain Farm Cinema, whose goal was to evolve the way surf films are made by utilizing helicopters and the Phantom camera, shooting entirely in HD, and incorporating an energetic and unique soundtrack.

“Our goal with this film was to be creative, have fun, and enjoy capturing what it is like to be Julian Wilson,” says Matt Beauchesne. “Julian has a bright and vibrant personality that we wanted to carry over into the film's overall feel. He is living every kid's dream and we wanted to shoot this film through his eyes.”

To get an early peek of this groundbreaking film, the “Scratching The Surface” trailer and webisodes can be viewed at www.quiksilver.com & www.julianwilson.com

The winners in each category get free entry to the 2011 World Heli Challenge. Snowboarders also get free entry to King of the Hill event in Alaska while Skiers receive the same for the return of the World Extreme Skiing Championships, also in Alaska. Congratulations to Travis Rice!

Ramzi Boukhiam finished 2^nd in the Santa Pro Junior, the third stage of the ASP European Junior Championship, which was held from August 4 to 8, 2010 in the Canary Islands (Spain).

The 16 year old surfer and Quiksilver team member, who is a native of Agadir, delivered a laudable performance by finishing 2^nd in this stage of the Santa Pro Junior, which now places him third in the ASP European Pro Junior rankings, ahead of the final event scheduled to be held in Lacanau August 13 to 16.

The winner of the 2009 European final of the Quiksilver King of the Groms achieved his best performance here, only conceding to Portugal's Felipe Jervis in the final.

Ramzi asserted that he was "ready" for the next Pro Junior, the final stage of the ASP European Junior Championships, where he will launch a serious bid in the quest for the 2010 title.

The young Moroccan from the Netherlands started surfing at age 9, having taken to the water at the urging of his older brother Samir. Discovered on the beaches near his hometown of Agadir, he entered in a local competition at the tender age of 10 and won a ticket to the finals of the Capbreton Grommet Trophy (now King of the Groms). Too young to compete, he was only able to participate the following year, when Quiksilver took him under its wings. Ramzi very quickly started delivering the results, in the process becoming Moroccan Champion in 2004, 2005 and 2006. He ranked fourth in the European Championship in 2008 and 2009, in the “Cadet” (under 16) division and also won the Rip Curl Grom Search Europe competition in 2008.

Ramzi soon caught the fancy of Moroccan production company, “Never Seen” which in 2009 produced a documentary about his unusual journey. The 52 minute feature "La perle du désert (The Desert Pearl)” allows the viewer to share the adventure alongside this young surfing prodigy

With Beautiful sunshine and small but fun waves at Newquay's Fistral beach it was time to see who was the best of the British junior crop and who could be crowned 2010 British Champion.

With legendary winners including Nigel Semmens, Carywan Williams, Spencer Hargraves, Alan Stokes and Russell Winter it's a very special event to have your name engraved on the winning Trophy!

The conditions for the final day were prefect for the grom's to really show off the new school of surfing with names like Toby Donachie, Max Tucker and Jobe Harris all busting airs and plenty of tricks in the mix.  But the best surfing was saved to last by none other than Luke Dillon who had already taken out the Ripcurl English champs back in May, and eared himself a place in the European KOTGS in Spain.  Luke didn't only take out the under 16's but managed to maintain the same rhythm surfing back to back finals to also win the under 18's against a close fort 2^nd to Toby Donachie (Quiksilver), 3^rd Max Tucker, with this years KOTGS winner in 4^th Jobe Harris.

In the Under 12's Harry De Roth (Quiksilver) gave us another great show and is truly putting his mark out there as a name to watch in the future of British surfing.   Harry finished 2^nd in the Under 14's behind Liam Murray Strout, and 3^rd was our new Quik rider Max Payne who also made the under 12^th final with a 4^th place.

In the Under 18's Girls, Gabi Rowe had some fantastic heats throughout the event but came up short of a wave to finish in 4^th place so a great result seeming she still has 3 years in that category.

A great weekend of surfing for the UK Quik team.

Next week l will be in Spain for the European KOTGS so stay tuned to see how all the UK rippers get on.

Keep Surfing, Spence

Leo Fioravanti looked amazing throughout the event scoring three 8 point rides in his opening heat, never slowing down all day and taking out the event! This is why Leo is showing signs of having a potentially massive future in not only Europe but also at World level.

Along for the weekend supporting the groms at his local beach, and also on a break from the WCT, was legend Aritz Aranburu.   In amongst the KOTG competition,  Aritz organised a invitational tag-team contest where teams were made up of 1 local, 1 pro, and 1 grom.  Legends included pros - Micky Picon, Jorge Imbert, and even I got my name dropped into the event!  Surfers had to catch 3 waves each in 50 minutes and the winning team would be rewarded with a friendly cheer from the Basque spectators, and to add to a fantastic weekend was live music from a local band called “The Standard”…..  needless to say, it was my team that won the contest… haha!

At just 12 years of age, the Italian becomes the youngest winner of the Quiksilver King of the Groms for surfers in the under-16 category, in its current format. Having entered the contest as a wildcard, the young prodigy immediately made it crystal clear he was in it to win it, producing an outstanding performance against older opponents. In the final, Leo demonstrated exceptional technical ability and maturity beyond his years, scoring 6.5 for one wave and following that up with an 8-pointer. With a total of 14.50, Leo cemented his place on the top step of the podium and confirmed his status as one of European surfing's most promising young stars.

Having enjoyed the backing of Quiksilver from a very young age, Leo quickly became the mascot of a prestigious and protective team that includes big names like Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Julian Wilson and Jérémy Florès. With special talent for his age, the 'mini gun' created a name for himself early on by winning the Mosquito Tour in 2007 and 2008, and then the Italian leg of the King of the Groms in 2008 and 2009. Following a remarkable debut at the ISA Junior World Championships in France in 2006, Leo did himself and his country proud with a hugely creditable 11th place finish at this year's ISA Junior Worlds in New Zealand. Where, let's not forget, he was competing in the under-16s category! An impressive achievement that drew admiration from across the world of surfing.

His victory today in Zarautz, in the backyard of Artiz Arunburu, is yet another confirmation of this young pro-surfer's unique talent. At 1.53m tall and weighing in at 36 kilos, Leo more than held his own against much bigger guys, to win a major continental title that takes him through to the International Final of the King of the Groms in the Landes, south-west France, at the forthcoming Quiksilver Pro France.

The day rounded off with the Aritz Invitational. Four teams of four surfers, including the likes of Aritz Aranburu and Micky Picon, faced off in a tag team contest. The eventual winners were Txaber Trojaola, Spences Hargraves, Natxo Gonzalez and Asier Muniain.

Tomorrow evening from 9.30pm, the Place Munoa in Zarautz will be rocking to a DJ set with Mahara Mc Kay. A little later on, Spanish band We Are Standard will bring this Quiksilver King of the Groms to a close

Photos, Videos and News on www.quiksilverlive.com

The Tony Hawk & Friends European Tour was a magnificent success in Brighton. After travelling the continent, Tony Hawk and his team Sandro Dias, Jesse Fritsch, Kevin Staab and Neil Hendrix, gave the ultimate performance to celebrate the end of the tour in front of a sell out crowd of 3,300 people on the famous Brighton sea front. Almost the same number again watched Hawk and the Birdhouse riders from behind the ramp on the promenade.

With a number of English friends, Tony Hawk was happy to return to the UK for the final leg of the European tour. During his time in Brighton, the legendary ramp rider and his Birdhouse team made an unexpected stop yesterday at the local skate park, causing huge excitement by surprising local skaters.

Tonight, Tony and friends wanted to finish the European tour on a high performance and therefore the lucky ticket holders that came to support the British skaters (Sam Bosworth, Sam Beckett, Andy Scott, Jussi Korhonen, Alex Halford), Tony Hawk, Birdhouse and the infamous rock group Maximo Park, were not disappointed.

Tony and friends gave the longest show of the tour with a multiple of magical combinations. Tony Hawk and Sandro Dias, with 10 and 5 X-Games medals respectively, performed a sublime 540° together. After the famous 900° in Barcelona, Tony then landed a 720° and 540° ollie on the biggest portable ramp in the UK, owned by Pete King.

Photo Credit: Will Bailey

Tony Hawk, the greatest skateboarder of all time, tonight made an astonishing performance in Europe's Skateboarding Mecca, Barcelona for the 3^rd stop of the Quiksilver Tony Hawk & Friends European Skateboarding Tour.

In front of more than 25 000 spectators massed on the magnificent Plaza del Mar beach in La Barceloneta, the 10 time X Games gold medallist, along with his friends Jessie Fritsch, Sandro Dias, Neil Hendrix and Kevin Staab and a couple of Birdhouse young riders, surpassed themselves to entertain the massive crowd packed up around Europe's biggest portable vert ramp especially built up for the show.

They all displayed their best manoeuvres : airs and liptricks in both old school and modern styles but the public went mad when the Birdman landed a perfect 900°. After some spectacular attempts, supported by the crowd chanting his name, Tony finally succeeded in nailing the two and a half rotation that he built his legend on.

“It's the biggest crowd I've ever skated for in my entire life” Tony Hawk confessed after the show.

The Tony Hawk European Skateboarding Tour is now heading to the UK for the last stop of the Tour in Brighton on July 21^st.

Rip Curl Gromsearch 2010 results:

Under 12 Boys
1. Max Payne (Wadebridge)
2. Alex Gibson (Woolacombe)
3. Liam Murray (Port Isaac)
4. Angus Scotney (Newquay)

Under 14 Boys
1. Liam Murray (Port Isaac)
2. Taz Knight (Woolacombe)
3. Max Payne (Wadebridge)
4. Angus Scotney (Newquay)

Under 16 Boys
1. Jobe Harris (Bude)
2. Luke Dillon (Newquay)
3. Miles Lee Hargraves (Bournemouth)
4. Rhys Barfield (Harlyn)

Cheers Spence

More information on http://quiksilverlive.com/tonyhawktour10

The Brighton show will be held on the seafront at The Old Paddling, Brighton, on Wednesday 21st July 2010, hosted by Christian Stevenson on the decks and Bob Sanderson on the mic.

Brighton's show will kick off with a demo from the UK's best vert skaters, including Quiksilver skaters Pete King and Sam Bosworth. The vert ramp, built by Pete King and his lads at King Ramps, is one of the largest in Europe - measuring in at a huge 4.5m high and 15m wide.

At 8pm Dave Duncan will jump on the mic with Bob to present the Quiksilver Tony Hawk & Friends show, where Tony Hawk & friends: Kevin Staab, Jesse Fritsch, Sandros Dias, Jean Postec will get up on the vert ramp to put on an awe-inspiring and jaw dropping display of the best vert skating the world has ever seen.

After all the skate awesomeness MAXIMO PARK will perform live and exclusively for the Quiksilver Tony Hawk & Friends Show!!

After all the spectaculars there will be an after party for VIPs and guests... tbc.

All this in one show.... get your tickets NOW from www.ticketmaster.co.uk !

SCHEDULE
6pm - Doors Open
6.30pm - UK Skate Demo
7.30pm - Quiksilver Tony Hawk & Friends Show
8.30pm - Live & Exclusive Performance: Maximo Park
10pm - Show ends
10.30pm till late - After Party (tbc)

www.quiksilverlive.com/tonyhawktour10/home.en.html

Get tickets from:
http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/120044D6B99642C3


Tickets - £15
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

Australia's Julian Wilson has won today the 6 stars rated Association of Surfing Professionals Sri Lanka Airlines Pro in flawless 4 to 6 feet surf on an epic final day.

Wilson came into this event courtesy of a wild-card from the sponsor and throughout the event he dominated,  continually posting the day's highest scoring rides and took a deserved win over 19 year-old USA surfer Nat Young.

He controlled the final from start to finish and capitalised early by taking wave priority when Young took off on a poor opening wave.

By mid-final Julian Wilson had a solid lead and Young faulted slightly going for some gigantic floating re entry moves that never quite came off while Wilson  continued to build on his lead scoring a 7.4 ride late in the final which left Young chasing an outstanding 9 point ride to bridge the gap.

“I can't believe what an outstanding event this has been for me and all the surfers who have travelled here” said 22 year-old  Wilson after his win. “The waves have been outstanding everyday and in many ways they are similar to the point waves around Noosa where I live – but probably way more consistent."

“I'm back and over my injuries and seriously looking hard at the qualifying series – this result is ideal for me and I'll head to California for the US Open full of confidence.”

It was Wilson best ever performance at ASP level and both look ready to seriously challenge the highest ranks of surfing.

For rights free videos and photos please contact Steve Roberston at this address:

steve@surfingaustralia.com

http://www.aspworldtour.com/2010/mediaform.asp

The event started at 3pm on friday and ran up until midnight each evening over three days with the beautiful sunset and of course England playing there 2nd game in the world cup the Fistral surf bar was packed !!!!! and of course the surfing finished early that night !!!! and so should of the football after England's crap effort !!!

Anyway back to the surfing, Toby Donachie had just returned from Australia having some intense training with Martin Dunn one of surfing best coaches to date and was looking fast and sharp in the open but fell short of another wave coming 3rd in the semi.
In the Under 16's it seems to be the same four guys sharing the wins in the UK contests this week it was Miles Hargreaves taking it out with Quik rider Luke Dillon 2nd KOTGS winner Jobe Harris 3rd and and Will Davey 4th.

On the Sunday the surf still hanging around and the sun still shining they sent the micro groms out the under 12's and this time it was a new young face taking out the event Liam Strout beating our new team rider Max Payne in 2nd Will Baily 3rd and another Quik team rider Harry De Roth in 4th.

Just to keep you all in the loop see you soon in Spain for the KOTGS !

Cheers Spence

The competition format will reward big moves rather than tactical surfing with the winner. The expression session will be decided on the best move or best wave depending on conditions.
Quiksilver are providing a week trip to the Quiky Pro and will get an all expenses paid VIP trip to the Relentless Newquay Boardmasters and a wild card entry to the WQS event. Quiksilver will also be providing spot prizes for the event. The top Irish free surfers will compete against the winners of the Bundoran Boardriders Junior contest.

The contest will run on either the saturday or sunday depending on conditions. Below is a list of those invited.

Aaron Reid
Cain Kilcullan
Damian Conway/Ollie Flatterty
Nicole Morgan
Easkey Britton
Ronan Ortzen
Steven Kilfeder
Winner of u18 Bundoran Comp
Winner of u16 Bundoran Comp
Local Wildcard
Hugh Galloway
William Newmarsh
Local wildcard

The festival will also be showing Relentless Powers of three, From the Shadows and Lives of the artists on a 10foot lcd TV. Mickey Smith and Barry Britton will be a few of the top names who will be displaying their art at the festival for anybody else whose art is inspired by the ocean or waves and wants to get involved email seasessionsart@gmail.com

After packing up the car in Newquay and setting of up the N/W coast of England to catch the Ferry to one of my favorite places in the world (Ireland). To a spot called Strandhill on the west coast which has some of the best waves in the world !! I was greeted by a mob of groms with 2ft waves and sunny sky's it was perfect for the 2nd leg of the UK & IRL Quiksilver KOTGS. With some great surfing from the up and coming irish surfers boys and girls looks like Ireland will be a strong force in years to come thoughout Europe.

Last years runner up Larom Madden from Bundoran ment bussniess from the word go ! and looked favorite to take out the under 16's this year with powerful turns all the way to the beach.
In the under 14's with some of the best surfing ive seen was a small lad by the name of Gearoid Mc Daid only just turned 13yrs of age was ripping and in my eyes could of had a good dig at taking out the older division !  scoring 7.5 and 8.0 to win hands down cant wait to see him in Europe !!!! A great turn out from the Queens of surfing with the Irish lasses showing they can mix it up just as good as the boys it came down to the dying seconds of the final where Niamh Kelly scored a 8 point rider to win over Eva Martin but great surfing from all the finalist .

So at the end of the day it was a clean sweep for the Bundoran ripper in the under 16's  Larom Madden who is crowned Ireland Quiksilver's King of the Groms. alongside him was Gearoid who also has earned himself a place in the European final in Zarautz on the 30th & 31st July. Also new team rider to the European Quiksilver team .

Again we used the computerized judging RideScoreSystem, which proved to be very successful over the weekend, so scores and positions were constantly relayed to the competitors” and had a great response from all the groms and happy parents who were constantly updated thoughout the heats knowing how there keen little rippers were getting on.

Full press report will follow along with action shots .

See you in Zarautz keep surfing Spence

Saturday's marathon day proved to be a good call with Sunday producing difficult conditions thanks to a strong cross shore wind messing up the 2-3ft surf which deteriorated as the day progressed. This didn't affect the action as our semi finalists took to the water with renewed vigour knowing a place in the final and a shot at the title was up for grabs.
Open semi one saw Blyth and Vaughan take out Max Tucker who needed just a small score to progress only to be denied by Mother Nature. Josh Hughes nailed his place in the final with conviction whilst Jenkins speed saw him progress at the expense of longboard supremo Dudley riding 4ft less fibreglass than normal.

In a tightly fought final the momentum remained with Jenkins the Langland surfer picking off two rights with clean faces allowing him to bash a couple of solid turns to squeak past first time finalist Rob Blyth, former champ Mark Vaughan and favourite Josh Hughes. Clearly
delighted with the win, Adam was lost for words leaving the smile to tell the story, claiming the title previously held by good friend Lloyd Cole (unable to compete due to injury). There was further good news for Swansea as Beth Mason took out the women's title and Nick Dowrick the Longboard crown. The level at which the girls are now surfing is incredible with any of the girls capable of winning. In a day all about catching the right waves it was this that settled the final as Beth's superior wave selection saw her nudge past Jo Dennison, best mate Gwen Spurlock and first time competitor Lisa Dennis. Dowrick's win in the Longboard was perhaps the biggest shock of all beating none other than 2xEuropean champion Elliot Dudley with great foot work, well worked walls and some good timing with the sets, this left OJ Freshwater in 3rd and the ever green Colin Bright in 4th.

Only Greg Owens win in the Seniors stopped a clean sweep for Swansea. Owen added the Senior title to his Masters title won back in May for an old boys double thanks to a count back victory over Mark Vaughan who showed extreme sportsmanship by placing the event on hold, by deciding to wait for Greg to get out of bed for their semi final heat! Chris Seage and Stuart Beale the other two finalists placing 3rd and 4th respectively put in some great surfing to make the final closely fought.

As the crowd assembled for the now customary presentation in the sun with the magnificent back drop of Freshwaters dunes and surf, there was time to draw breath and reflect on an eventful weekend's action that included three tourists lives being saved by two of our competitors Dean Gough and Rob Blyth, well done gentlemen!

The trophies and Quik goodies were awarded to our finalists by WSF President Huw John, and the thanks yous passed out. A huge thank you went out to Liam O'Shea and Meena Rajput as our sponsor at Quiksilver as well as:

The National Parks, Pembrokeshire Coast, RNLI, Jamie Bateman, Mark

Vaughan, Anne Blyth, Kate Blyth, Bob Freshwater, John Purton, Norman

Wright, Tim R, Rona Spurlock, Huw John, Stuart Bentley, Gareth Vaughan,

Breige Lawrence, Tom Anderson, Anne Marie Hughes, Lee Morgan, Store It

Wales, Lloyd Cole, Adam Jenkins and Eryl Mason.

See you next year !

Open

1^st Adam Jenkins

2^nd Rob Blyth

3^rd Mark Vaughan

4^th Josh Hughes

Women

1^st Beth Mason

2^nd Jo Dennison

3^rd Gwen Spurlock

4^th Lisa Dennis

Longboard

1^st Nick Dowrick

2^nd Elliot Dudley

3^rd O J Freshwater

4^th Colin Bright

Senior

1^st Greg Owen

2^nd Mark Vaughan

3^rd Chris Seage

4^th Stuart Beale

Bodyboard

1^st Simon Bevan

2^nd James McGreggor

3^rd Emily Roberts

Luke Dillon and Harry De Roth were both showing fantastic form throughout the event but both came short of catching another wave to seal the the deal !!!!

Jobe Harris who took out the event has been on fire with three concecutive wins under his belt ! the young goofy footer from Devon was powerful and polished throughout the event showing signs of having a successful career  in the Uk and hopefully go on to making a name for himself in Europe ?

The Under 12's Harry De Roth proved to be the talk of the event and with a win under his belt last weekend leading the UK pro tour was the favorite to take out the event but with challenging conditions fell short of backing up his 6.5 ride and Liam Turner taking the title out in the last few minutes of the final  busting a air reverse on his last wave .

Next stop is the West coast of Ireland in Standhill where we will see the best groms show there stuff so stay tuned

Keep surfing Spence

After an intense week of skateboarding and photography in Madrid, last Friday, May 14th, Quiksilver Skate in Vision opened its exhibition.

Those who attended the party that was held at Espacio Espora (C/Embajadores 35) enjoyed looking at all the pictures that had been taken over the week and had to choose their favourite one. At the end the winner photo with the most votes was the one taken by Patxi Pardiñas at the local rider, Juan Cru. Both received a 500 euros cheque.

But the competition is not over yet… very soon all the pictures from Quiksilver Skate in Vision will be posted for public voting at www.dogwaymedia.com. Pictures taken by Patxi Pardiñas (ESP), Hendrik Herzmann (GER), Sam Ashley (UK), Antton Miettinen (FIN) at Quiksilver's… Ignacio Morata, Cristian Cortizo, Manuel Margreiter, Dominik Dietrich and Michi von Fintel and local riders Juan Cru, Raúl Molina, Jesús de Pedro, Borja Santiago, Adrián del Campo and Fernando Pérez.

So you can leave your vote directly at the exhibition at Espacio Espora until next Sunday, May 23rd, or soon you will be able to vote for your favourite picture at www.dogwaymedia.com. Best of all, among all the voters there will be a raffle in which the winner can get 1.000 € worth of Quiksilver gear!!

more info: www.quiksilver-europe.com

Australian surfing icon Mark Richards will be visiting one of Quiksilver's exclusive Union stores, Ocean Sports, Hove, on Sunday 23^rd May at 2pm.

Mark Richards, known as MR, became one of the world's greatest surfing legends after winning 4 ASP world champion titles between the years of '79 to '82.  He was famous for branding his surfboards with the superman logo using his own initials!

Born in Australia in 1957, MR started surfing at a very young age and soon came good. By the mid 70's Mark was winning high profile surf contests and making a name for himself. Mark took to shaping his own boards, and developed his own custom shortboard, with a winged swallow tail and twin-fin.  He quickly excelled to the top, and was nicknamed 'The Wounded Gull', due to his 'swooping' turns.

By 1979, Mark had mastered his twin-fin board and won the World Title... for four consecutive years.  He more recently returned to win the 2001 over 40's World Masters Championship. Mark Richards is truly a great champion surfer.

MR is hugely respected as one of the greatest surfers of all time, the true twin fin pioneer and infamous surf board shaper.  MR's tour comes in time for the launch of his exclusive collaboration with Quiksilver which was inspired by MR's legacy in the surfing world.

Exclusively for Quiksilver Union surf shops for May, the collection including 16'' and 21'' board shorts with custom embroidery, screen printed organic cotton tees, and a trucker hat create this ensemble of a one of a kind vintage collection.  Mark Richards said ‘' Really Impressive!!! You'll laugh… But where can I get this stuff! ‘'

Meet Mark Richards, Sunday May 23^rd, at Ocean Sports, 368 Kingsway, Hove, BN3 4QT!

http://www.boardriders.co.uk/

About Quiksilver Union

Quiksilver Union represents 40 of Europe's best core and independent surf retailers. The vision is to provide them with customer excellence from sales, marketing and service support ensuring success for both companies. Every year special products of a limited nature will be developed and marketed exclusively for the Quiksilver Union clients. The Mark Richards Project is one of these.

About Quiksilver the Boardriding Company

Quiksilver is about passion and part of our passion is to provide tools for uncovering expressing and expanding your personal style. Our aim is to foster the sense of individual expression and excitement the stoke that is the essence of board-riding. It is all about timing and style. It's youthful, active, casual and free flowing. There is no wrong way to ride a board. The goal is simply to learn, to progress, to improve, and give it your own interpretation.

Check out our Web Site at:  www.quiksilver-europe.com

The 2010 European Youth Surfing Championships ended on Sunday 16th of May on Viana Do Castelo beach located in the north of Portugal.

The week started successfully for the Roxy Team thanks to Maud Lecar's win in the Ladies competition. The 17 year old Saint-Martin Island surfer took her first continental victory and brought Team France its first title of the week.

Sunday was the U-18 Men's final and this time a Quiksilver surfer, Dimitri Ouvré, took the European crown in the main event in front of local surfer Federico Morais (Por).

In the Under 16 category, another Quiksilver boy got the ISA Continental title. Vasco Ribeiro (Por) easily defeated french fellows Andy Criere, 2nd and Tom Cloarec, 4th. The Portugese surfer won the final heat with 17,33 points - almost 5 points ahead of Criere.

The excellent 3rd place of Italian Rookie, Leonardo Fioravanti in the Under 14 final (won by Frenchman Nelson Cloarec) is also a great result for Quiksilver Team, proud to have such a promising surfer in the family.

Slightly disappointed Jamie set about winning the Half Pipe the next day his least favourite event. Only deciding to enter at the last minute after learning a run that morning he felt would be good enough to place. Jamie won the Mens overall event with a super clean run beating former Olympian Dan Wakeham and various other team GB half pipe riders.

To round the week off Jamie won the Overall Mens Slpoestyle which was cut down to a rail jam due to the unpredictable weather. Impressing the judges with his smooth style and tech tricks doing a 50 50 to front flip off one of the rails and backside disaster revert on the wall ride.

Henry Shackelton came away with three Bronze medals in the Youth Mens category. Taking bronze in the Boardercross , Big Air and Half Pipe. Making the senior mens Half Pipe final and coming 12th overall. Ollie Jackson also got on the podium with a bronze medal in the junior mens Half Pipe.

With some of the country's top surfers in attendance, the first Flow Rider in the UK officially opened at the five-star Retallack Resort & Spa, Cornwall, in association with Quiksilver & Roxy. The artificial 12m wide standing wave represents the very latest in artificial wave technology and is created by pumping water across a foam-padded incline at high speed to create a 2-inch deep rapid. For the 'grand switch-on' (April 1st 2010), professional wave-riders including British Junior Champion Toby Donachie, Under 16s Champion Luke Dillon, top British female surfer Sophie Hellyer and 13-year old wunderkind Rhys Barfield took to the water to showcase the extreme sports attraction, which is set to form part of Retallack's new 'Loop' complex.

"Having spent the winter surfing in places like Australia and Hawaii, the Flow Rider is a very different experience but it's heaps of fun," says Quiksilver team rider Toby (Donachie). "It's not as easy as it looks but once you get the hang of it it's amazing. There's no waiting around for waves and no paddling out so you learn really quickly."

Socially conscious folk-pop artist Ellie Lawson is touring 9 Quiksilver stores in the UK as part of her sponsorship deal with Quiksilver Women. The singer who was previously signed with Atlantic records in the USA was championed by chat show host Ellen De Generes and has tracks produced by William Orbit. She will be performing with her acoustic band in shop windows on her "Through the Glass" Tour hitting QSW stores at London, Brighton, Falmouth, Newquay, Dublin, Belfast, Loughborough, Bristol, and Cardiff starting May 29th 2010.

The independent singer-songwriter has her own label called 'Create your Own reality' and previously sold 25,000 records with the USA book retailer Barnes and Noble. Lawson's performances include opening for the BBC presenter Jimmy Doherty's festival 'Harvest at Jimmy's Farm' last September in Suffolk where KT Tunstall an Jose Gonzalez headlined. She has also previously played at the Abbey Road studios as part of the Brit awards and performed on the Ellen DeGeneres show where Ellen predicted live on air that Ellie would become 'the hugest, hugest star.' Epiphone are proud to support Ellie Lawson who plays an EJ-200 acoustic guitar and we wish her every success with the imminent 

Quiksilver tour dates. 
 
 More information on: http://www.ellielawson.com

Selected in some 20 countries on every continent throughout the spring of 2010, the current 18 best young surfers around will come together next September in south-west France, during the Quiksilver Pro France 2010 (the only French leg of the ASP World Tour), to compete in the International Final of the King of the Groms, in the same conditions as the world's top senior male surfers.

As a prelude to the International Final, the European tour consisting of 14 stages will have its very own final, to be held in Zarautz on the Basque Coast in early August, where two European surfers will be selected to go through to the Final of the King of The Groms 2010. The European Series will kick off in May in the French Antilles and Canaries, and will continue across the continent through June and July (see schedule below). For the first time Morocco enters the Euro series.

Outside Europe, the King of the Groms is already under way. Qualifying sessions for the World Final have already been held in biggest surf territories like Argentina, for the first time, in Australia, New-Zealand, South Africa, Indonesia or Tahiti. The next stages are scheduled for the spring in Brazil, the United States and Indonesia, among others. Altogether, 14 international surfers (from outside Europe) will be selected to take part in the World Final in late September.

We look forward to seeing you at the event and wish all the very best of luck, entry forms are available on this website and should be received no later than Thursday 29th April.
More information on the web site: www.welshsurfingfederation.org.uk

Jamie came away with the honors doing massive back 7 double grabs . Adding another title to his collection and rounding off his season nicely , well almost he has now been invited to the Mammoth Superpark session which takes place at the start of May . A get together for the who's who of snowboarding and the US media . We look forward to seeing the results from that trip !

Who: Stephen Bell - aka "Belly" - is an Australian surfer, who's now turned shaper, entrepreneur and Surf team manager for Quiksilver International. A charismatic figure from the world of surfing, Belly takes us behind the scenes of the ASP elite tour and follows the stars of the Tour.

When: Three episodes for each leg of the ASP World Tour, which consists of ten events in total (from March to December 2010). Two episodes will go online during each competition, with one at the end of each stage of the "Dream Tour". Latest one is posted on April 8 from Bells Beach with exclusive footage of Kelly Slater's foot injury.

How: Belly's blog is a quirky, distinctly Aussie surf magazine, where Internet users can see highlights from each stage of the World Tour, as well as behind the scenes sequences following Kelly Slater, Jérémy Florès and rest of the world's surfing elite.

Where: From Snapper Rocks (Australia), where the ASP World Tour kicked off in late February with the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, and Bells Beach, which is currently hosting the 2^nd leg of the World Championships, to Hawaii, which provides the setting for the culmination of the Tour in December every year, Belly's blog will be taking us all over planet surf.

The schedule for the next stages of the ASP World Tour and upcoming episodes of Belly's blog is as follows: Santa Catarina (Brazil) from April 23^rd to May 2^nd, Jeffreys Bay (South Africa) from July 15^th to 25^th, Teahupoo (Tahiti) from August 23^rd to September 3^rd, Trestles (California, USA) from September 12^th to 21^st, Hossegor for the Quiksilver Pro France – sole French leg of the Tour - from September 25^th to October 5^th, Peniche (Portugal) from October 7^th to 18^th, Somewhere from October 30^th to November 10^th, Pipeline/ Ohahu (Hawaii) from December 8^th to 25^th.

Watch Belly's blog: http://quiksilver-europe.com/link/tv/searchVideos/Belly

Slightly disappointed Jamie set about winning the Half Pipe the next day his least favourite event . Only deciding to enter at the last minute after learning a run that morning he felt would be good enough to place . Jamie won the Mens overall event with a super clean run beating former Olympian Dan Wakeham and various other team GB half pipe riders .

To round the week off Jamie won the Overall Mens Slpoestyle which was cut down to a rail jam due to the unpredictable weather . Impressing the judges with his smooth style and tech tricks doing a 50 50 to front flip off one of the rails and backside disaster revert on the wall ride .

Henry Shackelton  came away with three Bronze medals in the Youth Mens category. Taking bronze in the Boardercross , Big Air and Half Pipe. Making the senior mens Half Pipe final and coming 12th overall . Ollie Jackson also got on the podium with a bronze medal in the junior mens Half Pipe .

Congratulations to the team!

His warm-up outing at the RedBull Linecatcher in Vars was rewarded with an immediate victory. And so on to the Freeride World Tour…. The skier from La Clusaz began in imperious fashion with a win in the first stage in Chamonix in late January, and followed that up with a 2nd place finish in the second leg of the Tour in early February (which was actually the postponed inaugural stage, originally due to take place in Sotchi but ultimately held in Chamonix). After finishing further down the scoreboard at Squaw Valley (in 17th), Candide arrived in Verbier occupying second place in the provisional rankings, and with plenty of work to do. Poor weather saw the event delayed, and Candide and the rest of the field were forced to wait until Sunday when the conditions improved. And so, this morning, Candide launched himself, for the very first time, from the Bec des Rosses, a dizzyingly high slope chosen as the starting point for the world's top freeriders to display their skills. With a smooth and controlled run, Candide bagged a third podium finish in four events, and gained the ultimate reward as he was crowned as the very best freerider on the planet, alongside fellow Frenchman Xavier De Le Rue, winner of the snowboard category.

From March 1st to March 31st 2010, Quiksilver and Roxy launch a Picture Contest on the theme “No Water Sucks” and invite the web users to post the pictures they will have taken or created, illustrating the lack of water.
 

Required quality to win: being creative and imaginative!
 
The winner will be the one who collects the more votes from web users through a simple one-click vote system.
2 checks of 1000€ to win for the winner: 1 for you, and 1 to support the project you will have chosen.
 

One posted picture = One planted tree
 
For each picture posted, Quiksilver and Roxy promise to plant a tree. All along the Green Campaign, Quiksilver and Roxy will donate 1€ to the water conservation association for each eco-product bought on their e-trade websites.

PLAY !!! 

Thursday, March 11
1:30 – 3:00 pm   / Snowboard Slopestyle Men’s Final with Travis Rice
4:30 – 5:30 pm  / Snowboard Superpipe Women’s Final with Torah Bright and Kjersti Buaas
6:30 – 8:00 pm  / Snowboard Superpipe Men’s Qualifications with Freddie Austbo, Mathieu Crepel and Markku Koski


Friday, March 12
9:30 – 10:30 am  / Ski Slopestyle Women’s Final with Sarah Burke and Lena Stoffel
11:30 – 12: 30 pm  / Snowboard Slopestyle Women’s Final with Silje Norendal and Kjersti Buaas
4:00 – 5:00 pm  / Ski Superpipe Women’s Final with Sarah Burke 
6:00 – 7:30 pm  / Snowboard Superpipe Men’s Final -

SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland/Australia (Friday, March 5, 2010) - Taj Burrow (AUS), 31 has taken out the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover over Jordy Smith (ZAF), 22, in rippable two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Snapper Rocks.



The opening event of then 2010 ASP World Tour season, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast started the year off with a bang, bringing the greatest assemblage of surfing talent in history to one of the most iconic pointbreaks in the world, and the world's best surfers shattered high-performance barriers once again.



"I'm so so happy right now - it's the best feeling on Earth!" Burrow said. "It's unreal. I have a good group of friends with me and my parents are here supporting me. To have everyone cheering me on in the final is really really special."



While the young South African led throughout the first half of the 40-minute Final, it was Burrow who changed the tide with a mid-heat assault, racking up several solid scores in larger set waves amidst the deteriorating conditions.



"I didn't feel like I surfed my best in the Final," Burrow said. "I kind of just did what it took to win. I just waited for the best waves, did a couple nice turns - nothing too wild. I'd rather have taken Jordy's approach - catch lots of waves and just let loose. That's kind of my strategy normally, but it worked fine. Being a bit more patient and ive than usual definitely paid off. But I knew Jordy could unleash and get the big score any moment."



Burrow, who has secured victories in the previous two events entered (Pipeline in December and Burleigh Heads in February), has been in sensational form over the past three months, and will look to continue the momentum in 2010 as he hunts down his first ASP World Title.



"What can I say? I don't know," Burrow said. "I surprised myself really. Obviously, Pipe was the biggest event I could ever win. I was just overwhelmed. I felt like retiring after that event. I just couldn't believe it, and didn't think it could get any better. I guess I've taken the confidence from it and worked on some good boards. Burleigh Heads was a good warm-up. I felt good that there as well - there are fun little rights, and then here, I took a while to get rolling, but I just built up momentum. I felt great out there and here I am on the podium again - it just feels unbelievable."



Smith, who went on a giant-ing spree at the event, eliminating former nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 38, in yesterday's Round 4 before posting the best result of his young career.



"It's my first Final so I'm pretty stoked," Smith said. "It's unfortunate that the waves went kind of dead in our heat there, but we tried our best. It's been a great event though and I'm looking forward to the next one."



Long touted as one of the most dominant forces in the surfing world, Smith had yet to realize his potential in the competitive realm, but if this event's performance is any indication, the powerful natural-footer is a near-certain threat for an ASP World Title.



"I just feel a lot more comfortable with myself this season," Smith said. "I'm having a lot more fun with my surfing and everything seems to be coming together for me. I'm amped with a Runner-Up finish here and hope I can keep the momentum up for the rest of the season."



Dane Reynolds (USA), 24, looked the form surfer of the event yesterday, defeating defending event winner Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, with an impressive 19.20 out of a possible 20. However, the young Californian was unable to find a rhythm in today's challenging conditions, bowing out of the event with an Equal 3rd at the hands of Smith.



"I felt pretty good yesterday and it felt like my equipment was finally working," Reynolds said. "Even though the conditions weren't as good today, I thought I could catch an average wave and surf it well enough to get a good score, but that didn't happen. When the other guy gets a good roll going, it's hard to come back - or it is for me anyway."



With his penchant for churning out Earth-shattering performances and a good start to the year, several pundits are considering Reynolds as a legitimate ASP World Title contender, but the humble natural-footer has yet to commit such a goal.



"I've never been in this situation before so it's hard for me to say (in regards to motivation for the ASP World Title)," Reynolds said. "When you're a little kid, everyone always tells you that the ASP World Title is the goal, but there's only one each season and 45 guys going for it. It hasn't been a goal for me yet."



Bobby Martinez (USA), 27, matched his best result on the Gold Coast today, collecting an Equal 3rd (his first in 2006), but the sole goofy-footer in today's event was clearly upset about the deteriorated conditions.



"It's disappointing to finish when it's windy like this today," Martinez said. "We all want to surf when it's glassy, and I'm disappointed that we have to finish today. I did my best to mix it up out there, but it's very challenging out there on your backhand today."



Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover can be found via www.quiksilverpro.com.au


The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour will be the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach from May 30 through April 10, 2010.


QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:


1 - Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.57


2 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.56



QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL RESULTS:


SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.67 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.00


SF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.30 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 8.96



ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 5 (After Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast):


1 - Taj Burrow (AUS) 10000 pts


2 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8000 pts


3 - Bobby Martinez (USA) 6500 pts


3 - Dane Reynolds (USA) 6500 pts


5 - Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5250 pts


5 - Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5250 pts


5 - Adriano de Souza (BRA) 5250 pts


5 - Kai Otton (AUS) 5250 pts


The opening event of the 2010 ASP World Tour season, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast has consolidated the greatest assemblage of surfing talent in history, and with one of the most iconic pointbreaks in the world firing throughout the day, the world's best put on an incendiary performance.



Bede Durbidge (AUS), 27, current ASP World No. 3, proved the form surfer of the day, posting a near-perfect 19.30 out of a possible 20, to dispatch of Luke Munro (AUS), 27, in their Round 3 bout. Durbidge blended deep tube rides with progressive forehand gaffs en route to his emphatic victory, even posting the day's highest single wave score of a 9.93 out of a possible 10.



"I just made that barrel and I just didn't even care what happened after that," Durbidge said. "I just went for it. On the ride back on the ski, I was thinking I probably should have finished that wave for the 10, but it's all good."


A former Runner-Up at the event, Durbidge is one of the most dangerous surfers at Snapper Rocks, and will look to post a strong result to open up his 2010 ASP World Tour campaign.



"All my family and friends and here and there's so much hype around this event, being the first of the year, I would love to win this event," Durbidge said. "It makes all the difference. There's a lot more energy for you, and waves come your way."



Durbidge will face current ASP World No. 14 Kieren Perrow (AUS), 33, in Round 4 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.



Kelly Slater (USA), 38, former nine-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 6, negotiated the varying afternoon conditions today, putting in a solid performance against 2010 ASP Dream Tour rookie Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 24, in Round 3.



"It's a tough call sitting super deep because you can take off too deep or get one that doesn't barrel and there are a lot of bumps," Slater said. "My first one looked pretty nice, but I couldn't come out and it went from a 10 to a 2, so it's a challenge out there."



Slater has drawn South African wunderkind Jordy Smith (ZAF), 22, in Round 4 of competition.



Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, reigning two-time ASP World Champion, continued his searing form through Round 3 today, besting 2010 ASP World Tour rookie Brett Simpson (USA), 25, with an intimate rapport with the Snapper Rocks sand bank.



"It's pretty tricky out there," Fanning said. "It's high tide and I don't really it. I've seen a couple in the heat before with Dingo (Morrison) and Kai (Otton), and then Steds (Stedman) and Damo (Hobgood). I thought I could have sat a little bit deeper and I was lucky enough just to get two waves like a 6 and I got that good one (9.07). I just looked for waves that would allow two turns at the start."



Fanning will take on compatriot Kai Otton (AUS), 30, in Round 4 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.



Adriano de Souza (BRA), 23, current ASP World No. 5, put on a clinic in the opening heat of the day, amassing a 16.10 out of a possible 20 to eliminate compatriot and travelling partner Jadson Andre (BRA), 19.


'I feel great to get through that heat and the waves are really fun," De Souza said. "It's hard surfing against Jadson (Andre). He's my roommate and team member and he's a really good surfer. He may be a rookie, but he's really smart and he's a dangerous surfer."



De Souza, who finished Runner-Up in the event last season, is enthusiastic about his prospects at the 2010 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, and is confident that a solid result at Snapper Rocks is possible.



"I would love to go one better this year and win on the Gold Coast," De Souza said. "I have been working really hard in the off season, training and with my boards, and I feel ready for 2010."



De Souza will face current ASP World No. 23 Adrian Buchan (AUS), 27, in the opening heat of Round 4 when competition resumes.



Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.


QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 3 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.00 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.46

Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.10 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 13.70

Heat 3: Chris Davidson (AUS) 11.00 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.27

Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.84 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 6.67

Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.16 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 11.26

Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.73 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 13.40

Heat 7: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.97 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 12.60

Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.74 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 10.43

Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.63 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.20

Heat 10: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.17 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 12.64

Heat 11: Daniel Ross (AUS) 13.54 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.00

Heat 12: Dane Reynolds (USA) 13.57 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.23

Heat 13: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 19.30 def. Luke Munro (AUS) 7.37

Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.06 def. Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.43

Heat 15: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.37 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 7.56

Heat 16: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.23 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.77



QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)

Heat 2: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)

Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)

Heat 4: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)

Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)

Heat 6: Daniel Ross (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)

Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Chamonix again provided the thrills of freeride, hosting the second stage of the Freeride Tour: the Nissan Russian Adventure by Swatch, initially planned to take place in Sochi/Russia, but moved to Chamonix for security reasons and difficult weather conditions. Only the men skiers and snowboarders took part of today’s contest, at the north east face of Aiguille Pourrie at the Flégère ski area. With an extremely high performance level, Candide Thovex finished second and Frenchmen Julien Lopez took victory.

The multiple X-Games medallist skier Candide Thovex is now at the top of the Freeride World Tour Ranking. Once again Candide showed us a very playful line, bouncing down the mountain. He took a more obvious line than Lopez and did not take the highest jumps but he was super fluid and executed all his airs with more speed and landed further down than the other competitors. In the end of the run he pulled off a perfect 360° (a complete rotation), taking about 20 metres of distance in the air, really spectacular!

Congratulations to Quiksilver Team Manager and Pro Snowboarder, James Stentiford, who came 3rd at the World Freeride Tour this year at Chamonix.  James decided to enter the contest on a whim.  He needed something to do that day...

"After two years of not competing I thought I should have another crack as the World Freeride Tour was coming to my home resort of Chamonix. As luck would have it they offered me a wild card into the event. Conditions were pretty perfect on the day, a load of new snow, beautiful sunshine and very cold. I felt pretty relaxed about it all until we heard on the radio that a skier had crashed and hurt himself.  After an hour delay in the freezing cold it was finally time for my run.  I was pretty happy with my run even though it didn't work out exactly as I planned due to the changing snow conditions.  I managed to stay pretty fluid and do a backside three, a stalefish over a natural hip and then hit a medium sized cliff at the bottom.  I didn't hang around to watch the other riders as the snow conditions were so good so didn't really have an idea of how I'd done.  So I was pretty stoked when they announced the result.

I've now been invited to the next event which is being held this Thursday. I guess I'll have to put off retirement for another year!"

Copyright: Nissan Freeride Chamonix Mont Blanc 2010 D Carlier

Against the beautiful backdrop of the Mont-Blanc, French Freestyle icon Candide Thovex took his first win in a Freeride World Tour event in Chamonix on 31st of January.

The 50 best freeriders on the planet put on an amazing performance in perfect weather conditions on the 500 metre “Pentes de l’Hôtel” face at the Brévent ski area in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, despite challenging snow conditions.

The most impressive run of the day was the clean victory of French freestyle legend Candide Thovex, debuting in freeride contests, announcing a promising future. After the last few days’ of snowfall the blue skies finally presented a dream like arena for the athletes and spectators of the Freeride de Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. However, the snow conditions where tricky for the competitors. A lot of the fresh powder was taken down by the first riders and parts of the face exposed rock hard snow, and at times ice. Control was decisive.

Event winner was the famous French freestyler Candide Thovex’s first Freeride World Tour contest, and with his explosive run he secured a solid victory. Thovex chose a unique line down the face, literally flying through the course at full speed, stomping several solid cliff jumps, cheered on by the excited Chamonix spectator crowd. Swedish Kaj Zackrisson is one of the veterans on the tour, and a Chamonix local since 10 years.

“I couldn’t sleep very well last night as I wasn’t really sure of my line, and I felt a lot of pressure this morning. But I went up early and got a good vision of the course. I looked for good snow and a line I could enjoy. I spotted some nice Alaska-like spines with great snow! I chose not to do some tricks and to focus on fluidity. I wanted to come down safe and sound. It has been really cool and the atmosphere is great, which was very motivating at the start. I am really happy of the victory and to share the podium with my friend Tim Dutton who soon will be at his home town in Squaw Valley. I am really motivated for the coming events!” Candide Thovex said.

2 weeks after an amazing win at Reb Bull Linecatcher in Vars (Freestyle/freeride mix event), and several years after his last contests, Candide Thovex is definitely back to business. Watch out.

Quiksilver Musician Ben Howard reached number 4 in the itunes album chart after a great performance on French TV Programme "One Shot Not" (French version of Jools Holland).  Ben Howard's EP "These Waters" was the 4th most downloaded album last week, coming just behind the Black Eyed Peas.  It's an amazing result for Ben!  He'll be on tour supporting Australian Musician Xavier Rudd across Europe this month.  

Check out www.myspace.com/benhoward for ticket info.

Tour Dates

8th Feb: Dublin Academy, Dublin

9th Feb: O2 ABC, Glasgow

11th Feb: Academy 2, Manchester

12th Feb: Princess Pavillions, Falmouth

13th Feb: 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, London

15th Feb: Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

16th Feb: Paard, Den Haag

17th Feb: Paradiso, Amsterdam

18th Feb: Effenaar, Eindhoven

20th Feb: Bataclan, Paris

21st Feb: Bierhubeli, Bern

22nd Feb: Kaufleuten, Zurich



Huscenot, who received entry into the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships as an ASP International wildcard, wowed spectators and surfers alike today, besting an in-form Jadson Andre (BRA), 19, in the hard-fought Final to claim the ASP World Junior Title.



“This is the biggest day of my life and it’s absolutely unbelievable,” Huscenot said. “It feels like I just won a heat, not the ASP World Title – it’s incredible. Jadson (Andre) is an amazing surfer and the whole Brazilian team rips so hard. I cannot believe it is my day. I am at a loss for words.”



A relative unknown at the international level prior to this year’s showdown at North Narrabeen, Huscenot bested a bevy of the world’s hottest up-and-coming surfers to take the prestigious title and emphatically announce himself as a force on the world surfing stage. 



“I knew I was not a big name coming here,” Huscenot said. “Jadson was the best surfer, doing massive air reverses that I cannot even dream of doing. But I just surfed the best I could and I guess the judges appreciated it. I never dreamed I would be here. I was injured in October and couldn’t surf for a month. But I trained hard and got the wildcard here and once I made it past the fourth round, I knew it was going to be a good event for me. It feels amazing to be the first Frenchman to claim the ASP World Junior Title.”

Check the list of invitees here: quiksilver.com/eddie

Joan Duru, despite an equal 25th place that did not make the Frenchman better his overall regional ratings’ points total, claims his maiden regional title after an exceptional year of performances and results that puts him in position to qualify for next year’s ASP World Tour at this stage.

“It’s great to get the title after such a year,” Duru said. “I am super happy to add it to my career and hopefully things keep going the same way until the end of the year for me.”

Duru, who opened his spectacular season with a win at the ASP WQS 4-Star Protest Vendee Pro in April, peaked with his career best win in the ASP WQS 6-Star Sooruz Lacanau Pro becoming the second French ever to win a major event in France, twenty-seven years after Thierry Fernandez (Lacanau, FRA).

“It was amazing to win that event in front of the French crowds and with all my family and friends around,” Duru said. “It was a great moment for me and it was really special out there.”

Considered a world class surfer by many, Joan Duru not only made big impressions at all events in Europe but managed to secure a series of solid results that have rocket him to a promising No. 9 rank on the current ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings.

At 20 years of age only, the former ASP European Junior champion (2006) has been following the footsteps of European leading surfers Jeremy Flores (FRA) and Michael Picon (FRA) amongst others, the goofyfooter building a custom-made mix of explosive progressive maneuvers and massive powerhouse turns.

With two major events coming-up on the world famous North Shore of Oahu in the Hawaiian archipelago, Joan Duru will head next to Haleiwa and Sunset where he will try and seal the deal for next year’s ASP World Tour, his dream.

Since the ASP European WQS Tour ratings include all events sanctioned by ASP Europe from 1-Star to 6-Star Prime, every tour winner has been a qualifier for the Elite ASP Top 45 at the end of each season. Joan Duru is on his way…

2009 ASP EUROPEAN WQS BEST RESULTS
1st, ASP WQS 4-Star Protest Vendee Pro
9th, ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro
3rd, ASP WQS 6-Star Prime O’Neill CWC Scotland by Swatch
5th, ASP WQS 5-Star Relentless Boardmasters
1st, ASP WQS 6-Star Sooruz Lacanau Pro
5th, ASP WQS 5-Star Movistar Ferrolterra Pantin Classic

Check the Interview on quiksilver-europe.com/tv

More info on quiksilverlive.com

SEIGNOSSE, France (Wednesday, September 23, 2009) – Round 1 and the opening four heats of Round 2 of the Quiksilver Pro France got underway today with the world's best surfers detonating in punchy three-to-four foot (1.5 metre) peaks at Les Bourdaines beachbreak.

Event No. 7 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Quiksilver Pro France was treated to some fantastic surfing throughout the opening day of the waiting period, with the world's best surfers letting loose in the playful beachbreaks while the event wildcards stamped their authority as real contenders amongst the ASP Top 45.

Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, current ASP World No. 11, is coming hot off the heals of his best results on the ASP Dream Tour, a 3rd in South Africa and a 2nd in Southern California, and continued to push the limits of high-performance surfing today at the Quiksilver Pro France.

Opening with a blistering 8.83 out of a possible 10 with some rapid-fire forehand surfing, Reynolds then fell behind fellow Venturan Nathaniel Curran (USA), 24, who posted an impressive heat total of a total 15.40 out of a possible 20. Needing a score in the dying minutes, Reynolds detonated another roping righthander for grab and 8.50 and the advancement to Round 3.

"I knew that wave was going to offer up a score for me and all I had to do was surf it as best I can," Reynolds said. "It had a good wall on it and I was able to do a few turns. It's too bad for Nathaniel (Curran) as he was surfing really, really well, but I'm sure he'll do well in his Round 2 heat."

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, current ASP World No. 1, suffered his first setback in an otherwise near-flawless season last event, finishing 17th in Southern California. While the media speculated that a quasi-serious ankle injury was the culprit in Parkinson's poor showing, the Australian showed no signs of injury today.

"Everyone has been talking about it (ankle injury) but I haven't really noticed it," Parkinson said. "It feels fine today and I feel like I have full movement. Obviously, I didn't have the result I wanted at the last event, but everyone has a bad one and hopefully I've gotten mine out of the way already."

With extreme tide fluctuations wreaking havoc upon the consistency of the Les Bourdaines lineup, Parkinson effortless posted excellent scores with both backhand and forehand ripping.


"It's pretty tricky out there but there are definitely some pretty fun ones coming through," Parkinson said. "It can be tricky with the tide changes. The waves looked really fun this morning, but as the tide's dropped, some of the good ones are breaking inside and the others are breaking out the back. Looking forward to a few days off now and excited to get back out there."

Julian Wilson (AUS), 20, led the wildcard charge at today's Quiksilver Pro France, besting veteran compatriots Bede Durbdige (AUS), 26, and Dean Morrison (AUS), 28, inRound 1 of competition.

"I've done a few of these events as a wildcard before and the approach of ‘just go for broke' has kind of gone out the window now. I look at these heats as opportunities to establish myself and good training against these guys. I hope to be up at this level of competition in one to two years and this is great experience."

Joining Wilsonin posting Round 1 heat wins today were fellow wildcards Joan Duru (FRA), 20, and Patrick Beven (FRA), 31.

The afternoon saw some electric surfing as Round 2 moved through the opening four heats, and some big names avoided elimination at the Quiksilver Pro France.

Following the close Round 2 victory of former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 2, Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, another former ASP World Champion in C.J. Hobgood (USA), 30, survived one of the most exciting heats of the year.

The current ASP World No. 3, who had all nine of his surfboards stolen his first night in France, was comboed by wildcard Alain Riou (PYF), 26, before snapping another surfboard in the powerful Les Bourdaines shorebreak. Grabbing a spare board he had never surfed before, Hobgood returned to the lineup where he proceeded to tube-ride his way out of the combination situation and to a Round 2 victory.

"We all have a breaking point and a lot of things went through my mind and I was just wondering how much worse it could get," Hobgood said. "I was comboed, my board was broken and I know my back-up one is not even that good. If the ocean didn't turn on I would have had a nervous breakdown (Laughs). But whatever, I am happy to get through that heat."

Upsets continued through the final heat of the day with journeyman campaigner Phillip MacDonald (AUS), 30, taking down current ASP World No. 3 Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, inRound 2 of the Quiksilver Pro France. The powerful Australian man-handled the running lefthanders on his backhand, posting an impressive 16.90 out of a possible 20.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7:30am to assess conditions for a possible 8am start.

Winning the trials, Alain Riou clinches his wildcard for Quiksilver Pro France, ASP World Tour 7th stop.

The Polynesian surfer, scoring a 15,40 during the final has secured his spot for the main event.

Next call, Wednesday, at 7.30AM

Round 1:

Heat 1: Taylor Knox (USA), Ben Dunn (AUS), Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS), David Weare (ZAF)
Heat 3: Damien Hobgood (USA), Tim Reyes (USA), Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Drew Courtney (AUS)
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Luke Stedman (AUS)
Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Dean Morrison (AUS), Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Marlon Lipke (DEU)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), TBA
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA), Mick Campbell (AUS), TBA
Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), TBA
Heat 11: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Chris Ward (USA), Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 12: Kieren Perrow (AUS), Roy Powers (HAW), Nathaniel Curran (USA)
Heat 13: Dane Reynolds (USA), Chris Davidson (AUS), Michael Picon (FRA)
Heat 14: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Jay Thompson (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 15: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Tim Boal (FRA), Greg Emslie (ZAF)
Heat 16: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Dayyan Neve (AUS), Dustin Barca (HAW)

Check it out LiveWebcast on quiksilverlive.com

29^th - 30^th August 2009, Fistral Beach, Newquay

Feat: I AM GIANT (pictured) & BEN HOWARD

In the run up to the Quiksilver Surf Showdown, Quiksilver are searching for local bands to play live at the Gibson Tour Bus & Quiksessions Stage during the event. 

All local bands and solo artists can win the chance to ‘Play on the Beach'.  We're looking for up to 6 bands and the best performance over the weekend will win Quiksilver product & Gibson Guitar. 

REGISTER YOUR BAND NOW!

Go to the "Play On The Beach tab" on http://www.quiksilver-europe.com/ and register your details.

(or for the direct link click http://potb.quiksilver-europe.com/)

Local bands will be selected from this site and contacted up to 3 days before the event!

Quiksilver's Ben Howard, who recently supported Paul Weller, Fink, Xavier Rudd, and performed at this years Glastonbury, Lovebox & Boardmasters festivals, will also be live on stage.  His increasing success has followed after winning the Red Stripe Music awards, and release of his new EP "These Waters".

To complete the rock ‘n' roll experience, the Gibson Guitar Tour Bus one of only five in the world will be parked exclusively on Fistral beach and will provide a media hub, hospitality and a place to relax for Gibson's special guest artists and all surfers.

For more information on The Quiksilver Surf Showdown click www.quiksilver-europe.com

Quiksilver would like to welcome Harry to the team and congratulate him on his two recent wins the Quiksilver KOTGS held in Newquay in July and last weekend taking out the White stuff under 12's division at Watergate Bay . Harry who is only 11 years old is already showing signs of flying the flag for the next generation of young rippers coming though the ranks of British surfing.

Harry comes form St Ives a little Cornish fishing village on the rugged north coast of England is already following in the foot steps of one of his home boys Jayce Robison. Is set to have a promising career and we look forward in supporting him in the future.

Harry's next trip will be to the Quiksilver pro in September where he will be training with our UK top team riders Nathan Phipps, Toby Donachie, Luke Dillon and UK Team Manager Spencer  Hargraves. Also rubbing shoulders with 9 times world champ Kelly Slater.

So we will keep you posted on Harry's progress all the best from the Quik Crew

FISTRAL BEACH, NEWQUAY.  29^TH-30^TH AUGUST 09

8 Shops, 16 Surfers, 1 Winner

The Quiksilver Surf Showdown contest will take place on August bank holiday - 29th, 30th August 2009, Fistral Beach, Newquay.   This unique event will see 8 of the UK & Ireland's most iconic surf shops compete for the chance to win a trip to the legendary Quiksilver Pro France and a personalised Gibson Guitar, the winning pro-surfers will win £500.

2 staff from each store will be paired with 2 surfers from the UK & Ireland's finest 16 pro's including Quiksilver's Spencer Hargraves, Nathan Phillips, Aaron Reid.  Roxy will also add 8 of the UK's Pro Female Surfers to the mix.  These 8 teams will then compete over the two day contest.  Irish surf legend, Andy Hill, owner of Troggs in Portrush is amongst the invited store owners confirmed to compete, alongside cult surf stores; Northshore (Newquay), Tubes (Cork), Dive & Ski ( Jersey), Surfing Life (Plymouth), In Deep (Bude),  and others still to be confirmed

Gibson Present Quiksessions "Play on the Beach"

In the run up to the Quiksilver Surf Showdown, Quiksilver are searching for local bands to play live at the Gibson Tour Bus & Quiksessions Stage during the event. 

Quiksilver's Ben Howard, who recently supported Paul Weller, Fink, Xavier Rudd, and performed at this years Glastonbury and Lovebox festivals, will also be live on stage.  His increasing success has followed after winning the Red Stripe Music awards, and release of his new EP "These Waters".

All local bands and solo artists can win the chance to Play on the Beach.  We're looking for up to 6 bands and the best performance over the weekend will win Quiksilver product & Gibson Guitar.  Click www.quiksilver-europe.com/playonthebeach to enter from Friday 7th August or call 0207 4366800 now.  Local bands will be selected from this site and contacted 10 days before the event!

To complete the rock ‘n' roll experience, the Gibson Guitar Tour Bus one of only five in the world will be parked exclusively on Fistral beach and will provide a media hub, hospitality and a place to relax for Gibson's special guest artists and all surfers.

Sam exclaimed after winning the gold " This place is insane! I can't even speak . Where I come from it rains every day, so getting used to the heat here was really hard. I didn't think I could win, but I did my best. It feels amazing!"

Surfing trhu to the final via the repercharges heats Flores was the form surfer of the event repeatdedly posting the highest heat scores of the entire comptetion . once qualifying into the Grand Final Flores dominated his 3 opponents with a combination score of  17.12 points , the 2 sufers of USA , Ben Bourgerois and Cory Lopez and the Preuvian Gabriel Villaran were left in need of a exceptional wave to over take the Frenchman .

This win for Flores put the French team into a second place on the overall title to team America
Flores Follows on the footsteps of  CJ Hobgood (USA) winner of the previous ISA games.

Credit Photo: Billy Watts

In the final, the Team Quiksilver surfer Ramzi Boukhiam outclassed his rivals with a score of 7.90 and 9.33. With a final total of 17.23 points (out of a possible 20), including one wave judged at 9.33 (out of 10), Ramzi produced the best series of the entire competition.

At the end of the day, at the spot in Zarautz (Euskadi) and for the final series of the event, the quality of the waves improved markedly. For the first few minutes of the final, Ramzi had some trouble perfecting his moves. But with iron patience, the one they call “Ramzouille” gradually gained in confidence and performed a string of rollers, floaters and cutbacks with increasing ease and a radical style. With seven minutes to go in the series, he confirmed his victory with a wave scored at 9.33 that unmistakeably marked the pinnacle of these two days of competition. The young Moroccan richly deserved his win, having remained unbeaten over the two days of surfing. “I’ve changed the way I approach my series, and now I’m more chilled, I don’t put myself under so much pressure. I try to have fun, just let go and it works!” explained the King of the Groms 2009.

His rivals did their utmost to outsurf him, but all in vain. This year, Ramzi was just too good. Tom Neushwanger and Ian Fontaine performed very solidly at the start of the series, but didn’t get the waves they needed to try and keep up with the leader.
In the repechage table, Portugal’s Fransisco Alves and France’s Pierre Rollet saw their hopes of making it through to the final of the main leaderboard slip away. Ian Fontaine and Tom Neushwanger were able to make the most of every one of their waves, giving their two pursuers little chance. The patience shown by Pierre Rollet, waiting for the right wave to arrive, was ultimately to no avail.
Following this final, World Top 45 surfer Aritz Aranburu and the King of the Groms riders performed an expression session for the spectators. For 30 dazzling minutes, all the surfers let their imagination run free, thrilling the big crowd gathered on the beach at Zarautz. Afterwards, Tahiti’s Kevin Bourez emerged victorious with an ollie pop.
Crowned by the competition sponsor Aritz Aranburu, Ramzi will have a major card to play in the International Final. The reward is a wildcard to compete in the trials for the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2010 and the Quiksilver Pro France 2010.
This evening from 10pm at the Place Munoa square in Zarautz, there will be a special DJ set with Mahara McKay. Later, at 11pm, France’s Joan Duru and Dimitri Ouvré will join Australian Craig Andreson to light up Zarautz for the Quiksilver Air-Show - a unique night-time surfing spectacle, that will see the riders towed out by jetskis, performing aerial moves.
Then at midnight, Helltrip are set to rock the living daylights of the Place Munoa!

King of the Groms final - results
1st: Ramzi Boukhiam (Fra)
2nd: Tom Neushwanger (Fra)
3th: Ian Fontaine (Fra)
4th: William Alliotti (Gua)

The 1st round was shock-free, with strong title contenders Ramzi Boukhiam (Fra), Ian Fontaine (Fra), Pierre Rollet (Fra) and Fransisco Alves (Port) all easily booking their places in round 2.

The competition format includes a repechage table, giving the third and fourth place surfers in each series from the main leaderboard the chance to stay alive in the contest and potentially rejoin the main contenders for the final phases. In the 2nd round, the wave conditions improved with the incoming tide. And the surprises – both good and not so good - started to flow thick and fast.

Rounds 1 and 2 saw Ramzi Boukhiam, of Moroccan descent, set the bar very high. Performing solidly, with plenty of air and some radical moves, Ramzi forced his rivals to up the ante right from the start of round 2. He was facing some pretty tough competition, with Portuguese surfer Fransisco Alves making a great start to the event. With the best wave and the best combination of the first round, Fransisco remains a serious challenger for the main event. In round 2, he consolidated his position by taking the second best wave score, just behind Ramzi Boukhiam. Pierre Rollet, another with big hopes going into the European Final, was forced to go through repechage and is now in the secondary table. Having had a torrid time throughout the series, Pierre eventually hauled himself into 2nd place with barely three minutes left, only to see it snatched away in the dying seconds by countryman Gary Landais with his very last wave. In the repechage round, Pierre won his series easily. Though still in the race, he'll have to produce a string of top performances to get back into the main event. Ian Fontaine, another seed, was also relegated to the repechage table after a difficult series that pitted him against another of the favourites, Kevin Bourez. Local hopeful, 13-year-old Imanol Yeregui, really got the spot rocking. Cheered on by a partisan crowd, the youngster didn't let them down, and showed he can mix it with the older guys. The Basque surfer is still in with a shout in the repechage table.

Tomorrow, the surfers will head to the competition spot at 8am for the final phases. In the evening, the European grom king will be crowned, and he and the runner-up will book their tickets to the international final of the King of the Groms. After the award ceremony, from 10pm on the Place Munoa in Zarautz, there will be a special DJ set with Mahara McKay, followed by the Quiksilver Air Show. The night will end with a concert by Helltrip.

Round 2 results
Heat 1: William Alliotti (Gua) 12.50pts, Gary Landais (Fra) 8.03pts, Pierre Rollet (Fra) 7.20pts, Rui Henriques (Port) 6.54pts.
Heat 2: Ramzi Boukhiam (Fra) 14.66pts, Fransisco Alves (Port) 12.30pts, Andy Crière (Fra) 6.70pts, Imanol Yeregui (Spa) 5.60pts.
Heat 3: Paul Cesar Distinguin (Fra) 11.50pts, Kevin Bourez (Fra) 10.94pts, Ian Fontaine (Fra) 10.47pts, Gaminde Txaber (Spa) 8.03.
Heat 4: Jordan Oueslati (Gua) 9.43pts, Gaspard Larsonneur (Fra) 9.17pts, Roberto D'Amico (Ita) 6.80pts, Tom Neushwanger (Fra) 5.90pts.

Round 1 results
Heat 1: William Alliotti (Gua) 10.60pts, Gary Landais (Fra) 7.44pts, Natxo Gonzales (Spa) 7.10pts, Julen Eguiguren (Spa) 6.10pts.
Heat 2: Pierre Rollet (Fra) 10.50pts, Rui Henrique (Por) 10.33pts, Ivan Gonzales (Spa) 4.04pts, Ethan Eguiguren (Spa) 3.57pts.
Heat 3: Fransisco Alves (Port) 12.40pts, Imanol Yeregui (Spa) 6.17pts, Emilien Lojou (Fra) 5.47pts, Maquire Conor (Irl) 3.57pts.
Heat 4: Ramzy Boukhiam (Fra) 8.90pts, Andy Crière (Fra) 7.17pts, Alex Vibert (Uk) 4.90pts, Valerio Giorgi (Ita) 1.27pts.
Heat 5: Ian Fontaine (Fra) 11.34pts, Paul César Distinguin (Fra) 7.93pts, Miles Lee Hargraves (Uk) 4.90pts, Achile Kindt (Bel) 3.34pts.
Heat 6: Kevin Bourez (Fra) 8.10pts, Txaber Gaminde (Spa) 7.13pts, Thomas Fernandes (Por) 2.50pts, Freddie Seymour (Uk) 2.26pts.
Heat 7: Gaspard Larsonneur (Fra) 7.13pts, Roberto D'Amico (Ita) 4.50pts, Josu Alcantara Gran (Spa) 4.50pts, Jobe Harris (Uk) 4.26pts.
Heat 8: Jordan Oueslati (Gua) 11.50pts, Tom Neushwanger (Fra) 8.84pts, Javier Asciano (Spa) 5.50pts, Mikel Zamakona (Spa) 3.80pts.

Reperchage 2 results
Heat 1: Pierre Rollet (Fra) 9.56pts, Rui Henrique (Port) 6.50pts, Natxo Gonzales (Spa) 5.63pts, Julen Eguiguren (Spa) 5.33pts,
Heat 2 : Imanol Yeregui (Spa) 7.03pts, Emilien Lojou (Fra) 6.60pts, Andy Crière (Fra) 6.20pts, Alex Vibert (Uk) 5.13pts.
Heat 3: Ian Fontaine (Fra) 12.17pts, Txaber Gaminde (Spa), Miles Lee Hargraves (Uk) 5.27pts, Thomas Fernandes (Por), Miles Hargraves (Uk).
Heat 4: Tom Neushwanger (Fra) 8.93pts, Javier Asclano (Spa) 8.20pts, Roberto D'amico (Ita) 6.16pts, Mikel Zamakona (Spa) 4.06pts

Reperchage 1 results
Heat 1 : Natxo Gonzales (Spa) 8.20pts, Julen Eguiguren (Spa) 7.17pts, Ivan Gonzales (Spa) 6.86pts, Ethan Eguiguren (Spa) 6.30pts.
Heat 2: Emilien Lojou (Fra) 11.66pts, Alex Vibert (Uk) 9.33pts, Maquire Conor (Irl) 3.70pts, Valerio Giorgi (Ita) 0.00pts.
Heat 3: Thomas Fernandes (Por) 8.60pts, Miles Lee Hargraves (Uk 5.17pts, Freddie Seymour (Uk) 4.67pts, Achile Kindt (Bel) 2.50pts.
Heat 4: Javier Asciano (Spa) 9.03pts, Mikel Zamakona (Spa) 8.50pts, Josu Alcantara Gran (Spa) 8.27pts, Jobe Harris (Uk) 5.47pts.

Quiksilver the boardsports, lifestyle brand, has launched the ultimate Unsigned music search this autumn in conjunction with Gibson Guitars and MySpace. The search is now live! Quiksilver will be on the look out to find the best music talent that the UK & Ireland have to offer. Quiksilver are searching for a mix of talented Bands, Solo artists and an enigmatic rock chick who can either be the front woman of a band or a dynamic female solo artist*.

The winners will be rewarded with the official title of ‘Quiksessions Unsigned Ambassador‘ and will be invited to play in front of surf royalty at the Quiksilver Pro France WCT surf event (Hossegor, France) taking place on 23^rd September.  Other engagements will include the Tony Hawk Show (Paris, France), launch parties, and film premieres such as ‘Cloud 9' starring Quiksilver's ninth time World Surfing Champion, Kelly Slater. As if that wasn't enough you will also receive £500 worth of Quiksilver clothing each season.

All you need to do to enter is log onto Quiksessions Unsigned at www.myspace.com/quiksessionsunsigned and submit a short clip of you or your band performing your favourite song. All videos will be put into a ‘best of' video playlist which will be updated on a weekly basis and will remain onsite until the competition closes on 14^th September 2009.

Once Quiksilver and the judges have picked out a shortlist the semi finalists will be contacted and asked to upload another one minute video, answering a set of questions about themselves for the next stage of the competition. The winners will be chosen based on their musical ability and personalities.

If you want to become part of Quiksessions music, upload your details NOW!

More actions on Belly's Blog

Credit: ASP/CI/CESTARY via GETTY IMAGE

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

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 17.94
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.67

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.97 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.86
SF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.16 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 6.93

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.67 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.33
QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.73 def. Dustin Barca (HAW) 13.04
QF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.60 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.17
QF 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.87 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.17

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 16.90 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.50
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.60 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.00
Heat 3: Dustin Barca (HAW) 11.17 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 8.80
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.66 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 13.33
Heat 5: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.20 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 12.33
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.10 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 11.67
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.84 def. Mick Campbell (AUS) 13.16
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.20 def. Chris Ward (USA) 8.14

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

DATE:   20^th - 21^st June

Despite average conditions of 3ft waves and an overcast setting there was a great turn out of Groms for this years Irish King of the Groms. For the first time in Rossnowlagh, Quiksilver registered 60 enthrusiastic groms - which goes to show's that Irish surfing is on the up!  Quiksilver Pro Surfer Spencer Hargraves has been managing the UK KOTGS Series to seek out new young talent for Quiksilver; "It's always a pleasure working with the ISA and a great location for the KOTGS. It was flat for three weeks before this event so great to have some surf  for the event!"

Madden who won the KOTGS (ireland) last year and went on to compete in France was unlucky with the waves this year. In the dyeing seconds he was piped at the post by young ripper Coner Maquire who is now taking the trip to Spain. In the Under 14's Gearoid Mc Daid won hands down and would have been a favourite for the U 16's.  It was a great contest see you at Fistral.

Interview with Coner Maquire: 

1. How does it fee l to win the KOTG ? I am so happy to win such a big event like this at my home beach with all my school friends watching.

2. You are off to Spain to compete in the KOTGS with some of the best surfers in Europe. Have you been outside of Ireland surfing?  Not to Spain so l cant wait and to surf against some of the best in Europe it's amazing. Also  Jeremy Flores is one of my favourite surfers in the world so it would be great to see him surf in France.

3. Favourite manoeuvre? Tail slide because when l have lots of speed its really easy to push the tail out.

4. Paces where you would like to surf in the world ? I would really like to go to Hawaii one day and surf pipeline and also the super bank where Joel and Mick fanning come from looks sick!!

Ranking :  16's

1. Maquire, Conor

2. Logue, Gan

3. Madden, Iaron

Check it out all episodes on www.quiksilver-europe.com

Broadcast schedule for the Euroforce World Tour 2008/2009:

Episode One – Review of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2008 - 21 February 2009
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2009 episode broadcast - 14 March 2009

Bells Beach (Aus) 2008 episode broadcast – 1 April 2009
Bells Beach (Aus) 2009 episode broadcast – 21 April 2009

Teahupoo, Taiarapu (Tah) 2008 episode broadcast – 2 May 2009
Teahupoo, Taiarapu (Tah) 2009 episode broadcast – 23 May 2009

Fiji 2008 episode broadcast – 20 June 2009

Santa Catarina (Bra) 2009 episode broadcast – 8 July 2009

Jeffreys Bay (RSA) 2008 episode broadcast – 2 July 2009
Jeffreys Bay (RSA) 2009 episode broadcast – 22 July 2009

Bali 2008 episode broadcast – 10 August 2009

Trestles (USA) 2008 episode broadcast – 6 September 2009
Trestles (USA) 2009 episode broadcast – 22 September 2009

Quiksilver Pro France 2008 episode broadcast – 16 September 2009
Quiksilver Pro France 2009 episode broadcast – 7 October 2009

Brazil 2008 episode broadcast – 12 October 2009

Mundaka (Euk/Spa) 2008 episode broadcast – 28 September 2009
Mundaka (Euk/Spa) 2009 episode broadcast – 20 October 2009

Somewhere 2009 episode broadcast – 1 November 2009

Hawaii 2008 episode broadcast – 21 November 2009
Hawaii 2009 episode broadcast – 23 December 2009

The under 14s was dominated by Ben Bates who has won this event for the second time in this age group.

The under 12s, after a weeks training in France during half term put up a good display with both Hayden Bishop and Aaron Rowe getting some snappy turns in. Max Bennett 5yrs with help from mum, Jo, also showed solid control and was able to change direction, which impressed the judges.

Thanks for the sponsor Quiksilver for laying on the event and for the Watersplash for all the catering.

INTERVIEW WITH ALEX:

Alex how do you feel after your win ? so happy it's the biggest conteast ive won to date and cant wait to go to France and Spain for the European KOTGS and surf with some of the best in Europe.

What  was the surf like for the event ? it was flat on Saturday but we did a Ion man event which was great fun. Then on Sunday there were small but fun waves l didn't think l would win up against Matt Chapman and Nathan Elms but l did and am so happy.

Any Good music that got you pumped for the day ? King's of Leon they rock and M&M always gets me fired up !

Well good luck in Spain anywhere else in the world you would like to surf ? Hawaii one day Pipeline and the super bank in Australia looks amazing! Mick and Parko are my hero's  love the way they surf .

Ranking :

1. Alex Vibert                               

2. Freddie Seymour                          

3. Nathan Elms                                   

Screening schedule: Click here

Credit photo: www.aspworldtour.com

Credit Photo : www.aspworldtour.com

QUIKSILVER Welsh Nationals 2009

Swansea’s Lloyd Cole and Beth Mason bothtook home their respective titles in this year’s QUIKSILVER Welsh Nationals. Inthe Women’s final Beth Mason lead the way and surfed some critical lefthandersto take the title. In the Open, Lloyd’s surfing had flowed throughout the eventand this continued in the final with him nailing two big scores making the Opentitle his for the 3rd time.

After last year’s amazing weather and wavesall at WSF headquarters were bracing themselves this year for a weekend ofhowling onshore gales and rain. Surely we had cashed in ‘luck’ vouchers lastyear …. hadn’t we? Maybe not……someone had had a word with somebody somewherebecause once again forecasts for both weather and waves looked fantastic ….well, at least for Saturday and Sunday… !

Saturday dawned with a chill in the air butthe predicted swell had arrived at Freshwater West right on cue with solid4-5ft, glassy waves breaking into Middle Bay. The contest kicked off at 9.00amwith the ten 1st round Open heats running on twin peaks simultaneously sharingthe Middle Bay arena for an electric start to the contest.

As is so often the case when the swell isoverhead at Fresh West the paddle-out is long and un-forgiving. This no doubtcontributed to a few early round upsets as no one was exempt from Fresh's furyas we saw last years finalists and favourites Greg Owen and Harry Cromwelleliminated early, leaving the door open for some new faces to enter the fold.With the tide pushing in and the swell continuing to build Middle Bay providedthe Open surfers with solid walls in which to perform and a natural amphitheatreoffering spectators a ring side ticket to all the action. Llantwit’s StevePhillips was turning heads with his new school approach, whilst Pembroke's RyanThomas was in giant killing mode beating Owen, Cole and Kibblewhite on route tothe quarters.

With the Open given a well earned breatherit was the Juniors turn to showcase their skills with local lad Jack Crispleading the charge with some committed surfing along with Josh Hughes who wascertainly looking like the man to beat. Attention shifted from the youngstersto the Women's event, so often over looked when the waves are pumping in favourof the men, director Bateman was keen to put our girls through their paces andtest their metal in proper waves. To their great credit the girls put in plentyof effort, Olivia Jones typifying the commitment leaving the water bloodied andshaken and forced to retired hurt. Once again it was British Champ Jo Dennisonand Beth Mason who led the charge with typical gutsy displays. Open Round 3 hitthe water late on in the day. What seemed like some of the best waves of theday saw current champ Cole came up against Vaughan and Newquay based Welsh GromJosh Hughes, who was surfing in his 5th heat of the day! The guys went to towntaking apart the left handers on their forehands with a series of high scoringwaves that saw Cole and Vaughan progress at the expense of Hughes who onlynarrowly missed out. A fitting end to an action packed day of good surfing.

Sunday began as Saturday finished. Finesunny weather and good waves at Freshwater West, although the north-west breezewas taking the edge off temperatures reminding us all it was still early May.

Having studied the charts it was clear thatMonday offered little in the way of quality waves and certainly the potentialfor heavy rain making the 3ft sets on offer on Sunday all the more appealing.The call was made to complete the event by running two peaks for most of theday, which although hard graft for the officials certainly made"surf" sense. 

Nine other categories had their firsttaster of competition, with the very young and the very old all keen to stakeclaims as title contenders. With so many heats happening at the same time it’salmost impossible to recall all the action. Standouts include Ryan Tomas, LukeCromwell, Max Payne, Tom Good and Rob Webster Blyth but everyone can be proudof their performances in the testing conditions at Freshwater.

 A fitting moment to the whole contest perhaps was when theGroms U12 final paddled out on the north peak as the Masters final paddled outon the south peak. With only 50yards or so separating 50 years of surfingexperience all the hard work over the weekend seemed very worthwhile.

For one young lady this year’s event was aparticularly special moment. Having missed last years event due to "thathead injury" as well as missing the European Championships, Gwen Spurlockwas more determined than ever to prove she was back to her best which she didin spectacular style taking out the Girls U18 title.

 The U18 Boys had been some what of a headache from the startwith only the slightest margins separating one from the other. With Schofield,Tucker, Reimnitz, Crisp, Good and Hughes all pushing the performance bar upwith every heat, it was a right old tussle. In the end it was Josh Hughes whoout performed the rest with his powerful style suited perfectly to the head highlefts.

 The Women's final saw a three pronged Pembs shot at the titlefrom last years champ Jo Dennison, Siwan Rees and Joanne McHugh hoping to seeoff lone Swansea lass Beth Mason. The low tide sand bars of middle bay wasserving up some sucky long walls to the South ideal for the goofy footedDennison and Mason to go about smashing with their powerful styles. Rees andMcHugh opted for the North rights which proved their undoing as Mason andDennison picked up the consistently higher scores. In the final few minutesMason picked up a left that allowed her to perform a series of solid turnscompleted by a final re-entry that saw her wrestle the crown from Dennison.

The Open final followed a similar patternto that of the Women, with Cole and Vaughan opting to sit further south andMorris and Phillips heading north. Vaughanie got off to a flyer smashing a longleft with trade mark gouges which he quickly backed up with another similarride. Morris and Phillips also started strongly whipping the crowd into frenzywith some smart surfing, before Cole joined the party opting to take thecleaner inside runners. As the final progressed Phillips just couldn't findanother to keep his momentum going and finished up 4th.

Morris perhaps had the greatest opportunityto snatch the title picking off a bomb that clearly caught him in two minds.Having failed to fully capitalize on the first section a short tube followed;he then went for broke with a big close out re-entry but unfortunately Rhysfailed to complete. Vaughanie having got off to a quick start went and satpatiently out the back hoping to build upon his tally, but it wasn't to be asthe set he'd been waiting for caught him out of position and out of therunning. In the end it was Cole's smarter approach, flowing surfing andcommitted turns that sealed the deal. Having started slowly, Cole snuck into atasty one right under the nose of Vaughan taking it to the cleaners with afinal close-out reo landed right at the feet of the judges ensuring the titleremains in the Cole household for another year.

The award presentation began as twilightdescended upon another stunning weekend at Freshwater West. The local residentsea otter even decided to join the crowd to witness the crowning of this year’schampions.

Amongst the champions two special trophieswere awarded, first up was the Matthew Dyson ‘Surfer of the Contest’ award.Rhys Morris of Swansea took this home and seemed a very popular choice judgingby the massive cheer and applause from the crowd.

Legend Fluff, Shane Thomas and Jude Ryderfrom Pembrokeshire Surf Club awarded the Paul Ryder trophy to local surfer,Jack Crisp. Fluff gave a very stirring speech about the legend that is PaulRyder who sadly passed away last year. The trophy is a fitting reminder to anamazing surfer and a great personality who is missed by everyone involved inWelsh surfing.

As the sun finally set all that was left todo was to thank all those who helped to make the event possible with specialmention to Quiksilver – Liam O’Shea and Meena Rajput. The National Trust andPembrokeshire Coast National Park for the use of the beach. The WSF’s ErylMason, Stuart Bentley, Tom Anderson, Mark Vaughan, Lloyd Cole, Alison and DaveWilliams. All of our judges  andthose who mucked in to assist with the second peak, with special thanks to TonySampson and Head Judge Bob Freshwater. And finally contest director JamieBateman who once again gave up hours of his time for everyone else when he’drather have been surfing.

Results

OPEN

1. Lloyd Cole
2. Mark Vaughan
3. Rhys Morris
4. Steve Phillips    

WOMEN                                       
1. Beth Mason
2. Jo Dennison
3. Siwan Rees
4. JoanneMcHugh

SENIORS                                                     
1. Greg Owen
2. Chris Seage
3. Tom Anderson
4. Lee Morgan

MASTERS
1. SimonTucker
2. Brad Hockridge
3. Colin Bright
4. Andrew Pelosi

BODYBOARD                                                        
1. Mark Griffiths
2. Jack Hughes
3. James McGregor
4. Tom Hammett

LONGBOARD
1. Elliott Dudley
2. Huw Bentley
3. Martin John
4. Rob Webster-Blythe
5. Steve Horn

JUNIOR U18
1. Josh Hughes
2. Tom Good
3. Jack Crisp
4. Adam Reimnitz

 GIRLSU18
1. Gwen Spurlock
2. Olivia Jones
3. Mali James
4. Grace Roberts

LONGBOARD U18
1. Huw Bentley
2. Rhys Poulton
3.  Will Pountney

CADETU16
1. Tom Good
2. Max Tucker
3. Josh Hammett
4. OwainBancroft

YOUTH U14
1. Jack Davies
2. Dan Bresnan
3. Nathaniel James
4. Will Pountney

GROMU12
1. Max Payne
2. Aaron Bright
3. Ceiran Hughes
4. Owen Alexander

This event showed that new generation is stronger than ever. The fourth place went to José Ferreira (16 years old) that reachs as Vasco his first Open final.

Justin Mujica, the venezuelan surfer living in Portugal for years, national champion in 1999, win the TMN pro final.
The waves had 0,5/1m, Justin was the best athlete from the beginning, showing a high surf level and good maneuvers.Alexandre Ferreira "Xaninho" was second, marking his return to the comp.


Final Results TMN Pro:

1st - Justin Mujica
2nd - Alexandre Ferreira
3rd - Vasco Ribeiro (Quiksilver)
4th - José Ferreira

Ben: I was born in Middlesex, i now live in sunny Falmouth. 

How did music come into your life?

Ben: I'd say it was probably through my mum. I must have spent 8 or 9 of my younger years listening to her singing and playing the guitar, plus there was always music on in the house like Bruce Springstein, Neil Young and John Martin. A lot of great singer songwriters.

Who or what inspires you to write music?

Ben: John Martin. Definately. His music is incredible. I think you are always influenced by so many different types of music but don't always realise. Its amazing how many different artists you listen to but you're not always aware that the music's being absorbed. The countryside is a massive inspiration too. When i first moved from London to the country, it was a really big shift, a nice shift and that's why i sing about it alot. I like to write about the people i meet or those that have made an impact on my life. My parents come up quite a lot, i guess they've taught me a few things! I love the outdoors, i'm not a big fans of trains and lots of people but i am warming to the London ways!

Who is the person you admire the most?

Ben: Gabe Davies, for sure. He's done so much in the surfing world and has achieved some pretty incredible things but still remains as the most genuine and kind person around in the industry.

How would you describe your music?

Ben: I guess it's sort of acoustic ballads with some percussive guitar and gnarly growling thrown in for good measure.

Describe your clothing style.

Ben: Hoodies, jeans & t shirts. Casual as possible.

Dress code for a night out?

Ben: Hoody, jeans and t shirt... (small pause) Maybe a clean hoody, jeans and t shirt!

Describe yourself in 3 words:

Ben: Yeah, umm... (long pause) Introverted, outgoing, keen. That's going to confuse some people!

What's your favourite quote?

Ben: "Green eyes, green like the sea, pity the one that sees them and doesn't know how to swim." I think it's spanish?

What would you do if you didn't sing?

Ben: If i didn't sing i'd probably hum. No, i'd whistle.

You recently supported Xavier Rudd on his European tour, how was it?

Ben: It was amazing. Xavier is such a nice guy and it was nice to get the opportunity to chill out with him when we weren't performing. The crowds were good too, you could hear a pin drop when i was on stage, the respect they had was just incredible.

Plans for the future? Anything else coming up?

Ben: Just to keep doing what i'm doing really. Making music and getting some more gigs through Quiksilver and hopefully play some tunes on the pro surf tour. 

Check out Ben's videos, listen to his tunes and check out new tour dates for 2009 @ www.myspace.com/benjaminjohnhoward

PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Searle / Carve

Credit Photo: Hilleman / ASP

ESTORIL, Guincho, Portugal (Sunday, April 19, 2009) - Marc Lacomare (Hossegor, FRA), 18, claimed the ASP Grade-2 Estoril B! Pro Junior today at Guincho, back-up venue of the 2009 edition where consistent wind-blown three to five foot (1 to 1.5 meter) waves were breaking for the final day of competition. Lacomare, who came out on top of four consecutive battles to take top honours on the final day, defeated Joachim Guichard (DNK), 18, in a thirty-minute decider to clinch 1500 ratings' points and take the lead of the 2009 ASP European Junior ratings.

Marc Lacomare, who was coming straight from an equal 3rd finish in the ASP WQS 4-Star event in France, used his building confidence with great tactics throughout the three-day competition, the French wunderkind finishing his victorious run with the highest wave score of the event, an impressive 9.67 point ride during his Semifinal, a good indicator of Lacomare's current form.

"To win that event is another great step and I am really happy to take the win today," Lacomare said. "The waves were hard, the wind was so strong and it wasn't easy out there so I am definitely happy with that 8.17 ride I got. I injured one of my ankles a bit before coming here and I felt a small pain during the event but I was able to push my surfing and get big scores."

Lacomare, who confirms his excellent form with this win, will now compete in the ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro event starting Tuesday, April 21, on Estoril's surf coast.

"I've been on a good roll for the last couple of weeks and I feel really good before starting in the WQS event coming-up," Lacomare said. "Getting two results in a row definitely helps my confidence and I hope I can keep that good karma going next week. I am so stoked right now and enjoying the surf a lot."

Estoril B! Pro Junior runner-up Joachim Guichard (DNK), 18, was left in need of an 8.67 ride to catch-up with Lacomare's 13.50 point overall heat score and could not find any good scoring potential wave to reach his target and win the event. Guichard, who had to defeat his twin brother Luka in Semifinal No. 1 to advance through to his first ever ASP Pro Junior final, goes home with 1290 ratings' points giving him a solid base to start with for his 2009 ASP European Junior Top 10 campaign.

"Marc (Lacomare) got that 8.17 right at the start and kept the lead all the way through to the end of the final," Guichard said. "It is an excellent result for me, my best ever, and I am happy with that runner-up finish. I will now build on this to try and reach the Top 10 at the end of the year before going on the ASP WQS and take my chance."

Guichard, whose finish rockets him to No. 2 on the regional ratings, will take part in the upcoming Estoril Quiksilver Pro as well where he will be an outsider to count with when he paddles out against some the world's best surfers.

French young gun from Bidart David Leboulsh (FRA), 18, suffered Lacomare's unstoppable form and finished equal 3rd in Semifinal No. 2, still his best result to date and very promising towards his comeback on tour. Leboulsh, despite an average 7.26 point heat score due to his lefthanders' choice, will definitely be much awaited when the tour recommences next July.

"I am a bit disappointed because I did not show any good surf during that heat against Marc (Lacomare)," Leboulsh said. "I thought the lefthanders would give me some good potential to score but it kept closing out while Marc was ripping and I could not answer back."

Leboulsh, who started his career when he was fifteen, pulled back from the tour for the last couple of years focusing on school but the young man secures a strong result in the Estoril B! Pro Junior showing he is ready to get back with serious intentions.

"I had a couple of good results when I was younger on tour and I am definitely coming back in 2009," Leboulsh said. "It is one of my last years as a junior so I am aiming at the Top 5 on the ratings. That result is definitely a keeper so I'll go with it and I am looking forward to surfing again this summer."

Joachim Guichard's twin Luka (DNK) was stopped by his brother on his way to the final, Luka needing a second good wave to keep any hopes alive towards his first ASP Pro Junior final. Luka, who has been following closely his brother's progression in the last couple of years, was not able to find the better waves during the encounter and takes an equal 3rd finish for his 2009 ASP European Pro Junior campaign.

"The lefthanders were definitely harder with the strong wind blowing side-shore and I was not really in reach of the win," Luka Guichard said. "Joachim is more powerful surfer and that made the difference on the set waves when pushing the turns hard. I am stoked for him and that equal 3rd is a great start to the year."

Luka, whose best result before today was an equal 5th in the ASP Grade-1 Pro Junior event in Amado, Portugal last year, bettered his career best and secures a serious confidence boost before the 2009 tour gets back into business in July.

"This is my best finish ever and it is an excellent start for my last year as a junior," Luka Guichard said. "My brother and I are aiming at a Top 10 finish this year then take our chance on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) and see how things go."

News, photos, results and LIVE scoring are available through http://www.quiksilverlive.com

ESTORIL B! PRO JUNIOR RESULTS
Final
1st Marc Lacomare (FRA) 13.50 pts
2nd Joachim Guichard (DNK) 9.10 pts

Semifinals
Heat 1: Joachim Guichard (DNK) 12.67 pts Def. Luka Guichard (DNK) 8.70 pts
Heat 2: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 16.84 pts Def. David Leboulsh (FRA) 7.26 pts

Quarterfinals
Heat 1: Joachim Guichard (DNK) 10.40 pts Def. Marcos Sansegundo (EUK) 7.50 pts
Heat 2: Luka Guichard (DNK) 12.66 pts Def. Medi Veminardi (REU) 11.77 pts
Heat 3: David Leboulsh (FRA) 15.17 pts Def. Joan Duru (FRA) 13.16 pts
Heat 4: Marc Lacomare (FRA) 12.67 pts Def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.83 pts

2009 ASP EUROPEAN JUNIOR TOP 5
No. 1, Marc Lacomare (FRA)
No. 2, Joachim Guichard (DNK)
No. 3, Luka Guichard (DNK)
No. 3, David Leboulsh (FRA)
No. 5, Medi Veminardi (REU)