Emerald Surf City

Mark Watts

2012-01-06T12:25:00.000+11:00

This clip of team rider Mark Watts has been around for a few weeks now, but is definitely worth a watch again! Edited by Spencer Frost, it showcases Mark's season in Hawaii 2010/11. Mark is there again as we speak, looking to improve on his efforts from last season. For a little man, he has some big wheels on him!! Well done Wattsy!

Mark Watts Bodyboarding 2011 from spencerfrost2107 on Vimeo.

Sam Venn Photograpy Best of 2011

2011-12-29T19:12:00.000+11:00

Local photog grom Sam Venn has been a busy boy this year, shooting all the action in and around Cronulla, and to celebrate the end of the year, he has made a quick clip of his favorite shots of 2011. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we did!!!

2011 Surf Photography Highlights of Sam Venn from Sam Venn on Vimeo.

Clips Galore!

2011-12-08T09:50:00.001+11:00

As the title would suggest, we have a few clips to share with you today, that really should be watched by all of you who bodyboard!

First up, we have Emerald team rider Mark McCarthy shredding it up in Mexico. This was from around the time that the Zicatela Pro was on. Mark made the most of his time in the warm waters of Mexico, and put on a great show for anyone who happened to be watching his surfing. Check the
air rev he pulls at about the 3:15 min mark!! Hectic!

Next up we have the amp-up clip from last year's El Fronton event, which has a few waves of Jared Houston thrown in there. Definitely a good clip to check out leading up to tonight's round 2 action in the Fronton comp!

BOSSITUP PODCAST EPISODE #2.1 from Boss It Up on Vimeo.

Last but definitely not least, we have the last "Sponsor Me" clip that Joel Taylor made before breaking his back out Pipeline in 2001. For those of you who don't know who Joel is, he is now recognised as the man behind Unite Clothing, but before his injury, Joel was up there on the level of Hardy, BP, Kingy and those guys. If you can get your hands on a copy of Superstars 2, watch the bonus section of Hardy and Joel out North Point, to see Joel showing Hardy how its done, at one of Hardy's home breaks!

JOEL TAYLOR SPONSOR ME TAPE CIRCA 2001 from Unite Clothing Company on Vimeo.

Sully Gets a Cover

2011-12-01T10:39:00.001+11:00

Emerald team rider Glen Sullivan has scored his first magazine cover! This shot, from one of the many high quality swells to hit the East Coast this winter, was a day where the Island was not particularly surfable, so a few of the boys went in search elsewhere for some quality waves. This spot was big and quite sketchy, with plenty of backwash coming off the rocks. Some serious backwash and a solid wave can result in some pretty crazy imagery, as you can see from the cover!

Surge Magazine is an online mag, originating from Hawaii. Keep an eye out for the new issue to be released very soon, with this shot of Sully gracing the cover! Check out surgebodyboarding.com for a high quality online mag!!

Well done to Sully, as well as photographer Steve Jones, who also scored his first cover shot with this photo, and Diarmid Heidenreich for towing Sully in to this beast!

Movember is nearly over!

2011-11-29T10:25:00.001+11:00

Ok, so a month ago I made a post about joining up for Movember. I also mentioned that I personally am participating in this year's Movember Fundraising. Well its almost the end of the month, and for those of you who are not friends with myself or Emerald on Facebook, here is an up to date picture of the flaring lip caterpillar that I've been cultivating for the last month.

It's pretty ugly! But all for a good cause. The Modyboarders group on movember.com - a group of bodyboarders who have teamed up to raise money for Movember - have so far raised a total of $3163! Big props go out to Kieran Woodall, who has raised $1893 by himself!! The top 5 money raisers in the Modyboarders group can be found below. Click on their name if you wish to help add to their tally's!

Kieran Woodall

$1,893

Alex Woolfenden

$400

Ian Macdonald

$325

Ross Shepherd

$220

mitch Oates

$110

There is still a day or so left, so if you are keen to help us raise some much needed money for mens health issues such as prostrate cancer and depression, make sure you click one of the links above and donate! Any amount will help, and any amount over $2 is tax deductable too!!

Flipmode Clothing's Chout Premiere ticket comp

2011-11-26T11:59:00.001+11:00

The good guys at Flipmode Clothing have got their hands on a few tickets for this Friday's Chout The World Premiere in Cronulla. To celebrate, they are running a comp to give away 2 tix to some lucky punter! Follow this link to see how to enter. FLIPMODE TICKET GIVEAWAY

Also if you haven't got your tickets for the premiere yet, hurry up and get in contact with the guys in store, as they are running out fast!!

New Emerald Team Rider!!!

2011-11-18T17:02:00.000+11:00

Emerald is very proud to welcome Cronulla's hottest young talent back to our stable - SAM STRACHAN!!
After a stint riding for the now defunct shop 662mob Australia, Sam is back on the Emerald team, ready to tear the bag out of some big bowls and heavy pits.

Now Sam is off to the West Coast for a while in search of some much needed waves! Its been a well below average last few weeks in the Cronulla region, so Sam's off in search of something to do. We know he will do us proud! Look out for some action from grom in the very near future! Be sure to check out his blog for regular updates from the man himself. samstrachan.tumblr.com
Sam is currently riding for Turbo Bodyboards, Zion Wetsuits and Plastic People Clothing.

Photos courtesy Mitch Pearson & Sam Venn

DON'T BAIL YOUR BOARDS!!!!

2011-11-16T11:01:00.001+11:00

This photo is a good explanation as to why you really should learn to duckdive properly before going out crowded waves of consequence! Russell very nearly permanently lost his eyesight in his right eye after getting hit in the eye by a board that a grom bailed in front of him. Turns out Russell had to have an operation on his eyeball, to help release blood pressure that was pinching the nerve behind his eyeball, almost blinding him permanently. He now has several stitches in his eyeball! DON'T BAIL YOUR BOARDS!!!

Chout The World Premiere Details!!

2011-11-09T12:01:00.000+11:00

Chout The World's first premiere will be held at Zink Bar & Restaurant in Cronulla on the 2nd of December 2011. Tickets will be on sale tomorrow from Emerald Bodyboard shop in Cronulla. Entry $10. Doors will open at 6:30pm til 9pm. Heaps of prizes and giveaways so get your tickets now.

This will be an all ages event, however under 18's must be accompanied by and adult. Please contact us at Emerald (02) 9527 4149 or emeraldsurfcity@optusnet.com.au for full details!! This will be a crazy night, so do your best to get down to Zink in Cronulla!!

Image by James Raper, artwork by Rich Lornie

Its time to join up for Movember!!

2011-10-31T16:48:00.000+11:00

Below is the short blurb Doc from Fluidzone posted in regards to this year's Movember events. You can find out any info and links that you need in regards to Movember on the website http://au.movember.com/

"It's Moustache Season, so we've decided to do our bit for men's health and commit to grow and cultivate a fine looking moustache during Movember. We're on the hunt for fellow fine and like-minded individuals to join our Modyboarders team. Together we can change the face of men's health.To join our Movember "Modyboarder" team click here

Movember is about raising funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and male depression. Close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer in Australia each year and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime. Many of these men do not seek help.

We'd like to try and change those statistics.

The more people we can get to join our team, the more lives we can impact. You can either grow a moustache as a Mo Bro, or join as a Mo Sista and help to recruit other Mo growers to the team, or simply promote the page where you can.

Once registered, the Movember team will send you all the information you need to raise funds and start growing as part of our Movember team.

If you'd like to find out more about the type of work you'd be helping to fund by supporting Movember, take a look at the Programs We Fund section on the Movember website . This is a great opportunity for bodyboarding to reach out to the general community.Modyboarders Team page http://mobro.co/modyboarders

Doc

Pictured is a framie of Emerald Surf City's Ross Shepherd a.k.a 'Roscoe' who is on board for this year's event."

If you wish to donate to Rosco's Movember fundraising, please follow this link! Any help of any size would be amazing!! Cheers guys!!

Lester in the Paper

2011-10-27T09:18:00.001+11:00

This post is a little overdue, with the National Champs having been held all last week and completed on Sunday!
We would like to extend a big congratulations to all of our Team and Club riders who entered!
Special mentions go out To Andrew Lester, who coming second in the Aussie Pro Tour event secured his 4th Australian Championship Title, and be came the oldest and the youngest competitior to have won the title! Also Aaron Glossop, who won his DK division, making him the National Champ for 2011! This was the first time Azza has entered the national titles, so he has done amazingly well to come out top dog! Jon Capilli is another Emerald rider who entered the event, and Jon came out on top of the Senior Mens division for the second year!
We would also like to say well done to Glen Sullivan, who made 3 finals in various divisions, but unfortunately didn't manage to win any of them. Still, getting to the finals is an achievement in itself!

Today sees Andrew Lester gracing the back page of the local paper, the St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader, celebrating his big win!

Chout The World Official Trailer

2011-10-19T09:08:00.001+11:00

Well, it's taken a while but Chout The World is very nearly done! Filmer Rich Lornie has released his official trailer today, and it looks epic! With big heaving barrels and massive boosts from around the world, this vid is sure to get you amped to slay some waves, or get you through those annoying flat spells.

We will keep you posted as to premieres and release dates, but Rich is looking at a late November premiere and early December DVD release.

Chout the World Trailer from Chout Films on Vimeo.

Jared Houston Mexico Podcast

2011-10-18T17:50:00.000+11:00

Jerry's new podcast, from his recent trip to Mexico for the IBA World Tour event at Puerto Escondido, includes some very big barrels, boosts and beatdowns! Jerry keeps moving from strength to strength, and his placing again in the top 10 on the World Tour this year is evidence of that fact.

His new boards - the Turbo V LTD have recently arrived in store, and they feel amazing! Support the young Saffa, check out his crazy Mexico podcast below, and get in and grab one of his boards from Emerald!

Turbo V ltd Podcast - Starring Jared Houston from Glenn Taylor on Vimeo.

Riot In Everyone Cronulla Premiere

2011-10-17T17:29:00.001+11:00

RIOT IN EVERYONE ..the new JONO BRUCE video.. Cronulla premier..this saturday night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats right folks, head down to Cronulla this Saturday and check out the NSW premier screening of the new Jono Bruce movie...this is an all ages event!

Saturday 22nd at Cronulla RSL Club,
38 Gerrale St, Cronulla
7pm till 10pm
$10 entry fee payable on the door

There is a full bar service and full security

ALL AGES WELCOME

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW

Big Dane Woods

2011-10-13T17:25:00.000+11:00

Young Emerald rider Dane Woods has sent us through a couple of images of a recent swell he managed to score some waves on. The kid may be a whopping 5' 3" but he has no fear when it comes to charging heavy slabs! When Dane grows a bit and has some more weight to throw around, he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the big juice!

Thanks to Stork Photo for the shots!

Turbo Has Arrived!

2011-10-12T10:26:00.001+11:00

The new Turbo 2012 range has landed. They are looking and feeling amazing! We have the full range of Turbo boards available right now in Emerald, so if you've been waiting for one of these, we have what you want now!

This means that we have all of the new 2012 boards from all of the companies we stock in store now! With the addition of the Turbo boards that arrived late yesterday afternoon, we now have well over 650 boards in store and ready to walk out the door! You'd be hard pressed to find a store that has more boards in stock than what we have right now! Its pretty crazy to see this many boards in one place, and to be honest, we are running out of room for them, so if you need a new sled, come in and hit us up for a deal, and we will see what we can do for you, because we need to move some boards!

Check the images below to see just how many boards we have!

Chout The World Sneak Peek

2011-10-08T18:43:00.000+11:00

Good mate of Emerald and local film guru Richard Lornie has released an new 'sneak peak' of his upcoming vid "Chout The World"

The vid looks like it is going to be even more impressive than his previous release Chout. We can't wait to see the finished product, which should be out in around a month's time.

Chout The World! (Sneak Peak) from Chout Films on Vimeo.

2011 Nissan Reunion Island Pro

2011-10-07T12:15:00.000+11:00

The first 4 rounds of the Nissan Reunion Island Pro have been run, and today is looking good to see the final day run. The event has seen good waves, with strong cross-shore winds making high performance surfing dificult, but that has not stopped the guys from going absolutely nuts in the water. They have a very shallow, urchin infested coral reef to contend with, but it seems as though the guys think its a beachie, with some crazy punts being thrown down!

Below are a few of the shots from the first 2 days of competition, which saw a bunch of big names knocked out of the event, including the current top 4 in the World Tour Race. Below is the Quarter Final draw. Tune in from about 2pm Sydney time today to see the final day's proceedings on www.ibaworldtour.com/live or on redbull.tv

Make sure you click the read more link to see all of the images!

Dane Woods on Fluidzone!

2011-10-07T11:46:00.000+11:00

Ok. So I've been lagging a bit again since I hurt my shoulder. Again. Sorry. So while I was away, chillin in bed trying to get better, one of our young up-and-coming riders - Dane Woods - has scored the Daily Frame on Fluidzone. The young feela has spent a fair amount of time travelling up and down the coast from where he lives, and it is showing in his surfing. He has improved a lot since he joined the Emerald Team, and he can be seen ripping it up at the up-coming National Titles in Kiama. Dane made it to the finals in both of the State rounds this year in his division, so we are hoping for big things from the little fella!

Here is his Daily frame shot, and be sure to check out http://www.fluidzone.com/galleries/1779-gooding-woods for a small gallery of Dane also on Fluidzone.

New Window Display

2011-09-29T17:08:00.001+10:00

The boring blank window that was the front of our new shop has now had a makeover! That means a big new picture of Emerald team rider Ryan Hardy, the likes of which have never been seen at Emerald before, thanks to the guys at VS Bodyboards!

The work was done quickly and professionally by Matt Dawson from Gecko Projects in Taren Point, Sydney. If you have any signage or banner needs, these are the best guys around so get in contact with them! You can reach Matt on 0405 221 568 or email him at matt@geckoprojects.net.au

Eddie Solomon Paddle Out

2011-09-26T10:56:00.000+10:00

Recently a much respected part of the boadyboarding community lost his battle with cancer. Eddie Solomon was known throughout the bodyboarding community for his crazy antics out massive Teahupoo and Newport Wedge as well as running the worldwide bodyboard shop 662 Mob.

Due to a large contingent of Cronulla locals being very close to Ed, including Alex Leon who runs 662 Mob Australia, the boys organised a memorial paddle out, out Shark Island to remember the man. On Saturday, about 30 or so guys paddled out the Island to remember the life of Eddie.

Below are a few shots of the event, thanks to Paul Gleeson.Our thoughts go out to all of Eddies friends and family in this tough time.

Jerry's South African Grom Bash Goes Off!

2011-09-26T10:17:00.001+10:00

Jerry's Grom Bash for 2011, presented by Turbo Bodyboards, Gotcha, Cafe Sofia and WPBA got off to a smoking start on saturday, the 24th of September in 4-5ft, offshore, peaky conditions at Derdesteen, just north of Tableview.

Over 40 keen youngsters, all under the age of 20, some from afar afield as Plettenberg Bay on the South Africa's east coast rocked up to have their chance at the title of "King of the groms" in 2011.

This years event boasted two divisions, the Under 20 division aswell as the hotly contested Under 16 division, which incidentally was the biggest and most competitive, even though most of the Under 16
competitors rode Under 20 aswell. This is a very postive reflection on the state of Bodyboarding in South Africa and after watching these kids ride all day, I can safely say the sport is in good hands.

Straight from the word go, big scores were being scribbled down and the upsets were being dished out like the barrels out the back on low tide, FREQUENTLY. Jason Fowler fell prey to some hungry upstarts and was eliminated early, this meaning a new king would surely be crowned come sunset. Nik Martin, from Plettenberg Bay impressed the judges with a massive roll on the outside earning him a 9.5. Some other standouts from throughout the day include, Bas Koopmans, Gabrial Hair, Tristan Roberts, Wilder Schultz and Aiden Wilson.

As the tide came in the action moved to the shorebreak and it didnt slow down right until the final minute. Big scores were flying, my mouth was hanging open and people were hooting!

Once the dust had settled everyone headed over to "Cafe Sofia" for the official prizegiving, where everyone kicked back, got some refreshements, some grinds and the stage was set for the new champions to be crowned. Up first were the Under 20 finalists, although it was really an all Under 16 affair with the only actual "legal" rider, David Lilienfeld, coming away with 4th position and some sweet Gotcha goodies. Tristan Roberts, who is only 14 and perhaps one of the most advanced riders in the world for his age, came 3rd, winning a Gotcha schoolbag. This left Aiden Wilson, who had been impressing all day and Nik Martin, the events highest scorer and overall smooth cat. In the end Nik was just to smooth for Aiden and he walked away with the "King of the groms" title in the Under 20's, earning himself a new Turbo IV bodyboard and a Gotcha Boardbag for his efforts!

The Under 20's Finalists

Next up were the finalists of the biggest, and most competitive division, the Under 16's. Coming in 4th place, after ripping it up all day with some high flying inverts on some big sections was Bas Koopmans, also taking home some Gotcha goodies. Aiden Wilson, almost went back to back but came a close 3rd, taking home his own Gotcha schoolbag. This left the "Wonderkid" Tristan Roberts and a relatively fresh face to the CT scene, Wilder Schultz, fighting it out for the 1st and 2nd places. Wilder surfed a smart heat and used wave size to his advantage taking waves way out back, doing some big moves before connecting them into the Shorey before giving it one last go, this proved to be the winning formula and Wilder Schultz is your new "King of the groms" in the Under 16 division! Wilder took home a brand new Turbo V LTD, and a Gotcha Boardbag and one hell of a sunburnt face for his efforts!

The Under 16's Finalists

Aiden Wilson walked away with the "Unknown Threat award" and Nico Arlotti was the lucky fish who won a pair of the new Jared Houston signature model Deluxe fins in the lucky draw! Well done boys.

Aiden Wilson - The Unknown Threat

Nicko Arlotti - Lucky prize Winner

Nik, Wilder and a host of other youngsters thoroughly impressed me yesterday and as a South African I am so proud and content to see that the future of the sport in my country is in good hands!

I want to thank the sponsors, Turbo Bodyboards, Gotcha, Cafe Sofia and WPBA for making this event a reality, I really look forward to working with you in years to come. A huge thank you to my father, Angus Houston for all his work, aswell as my Mother for totalising and my siblings and Natasha for all their help aswell! Jen Koopmans, thanks for all you do for us and the sport, aswell as the Judges (the boys) and anyone else who helped out during the day.Thanks to the parents for bringing your children out to compete and thanks for hanging with us the whole day! Until next year, see you all in the water and, Derdesteen for life!

Lester Wins Knights!

2011-09-26T09:21:00.001+10:00

Cronulla local Andrew Lester took out the win at the SA Knights Beach Pro on the weekend. In fun 3-4 ft heavy left hand wedges, Lester smashed the opposition to take home the crown. this is the second time he has competed in the event (the last being 2007) and the second time he has won the event! To celebrate, Fluidzone gave him their Daily Frame yesterday. Well done Andy!

Luke O'Connor - Daily Frame

2011-09-24T09:10:00.001+10:00

While the East Coast has been under a bit of a Spring Slumber wave wise, it has allowed the good guys at Fluidzone.com to revisit some of the action from this year's amazing winter swells. Today sees Luke O'Connor about to have a good old wrestle with the famed Shark Island shocky in the Daily Frame.

And while the waves have been pretty slow around here in the past few weeks, the shop has been heating up, with new board ranges arriving from nearly all the big brands, and the last couple to arrive very shortly. Including new arrivals from Found Boards and ID Boards, 2 brands we have not previously had in store.
School holidays mark the start of the silly season, with all new boards in store, and pretty much all of the winter stock on sale! All of our clothing in store is on sale, as well as all 2010/11 summer wetsuits, and most of the 2011 Winter suits as well! If you need some new rubber, you can be sure to find a bargain in store now!

Grom's Daily Frame

2011-09-05T09:53:00.001+10:00

Today we once again see one of Cronulla's up and coming prodigy's scoring the Fluidzone Daily Frame. This time it's Cronulla Bodyboard Club member Sam Strachan getting his scoop on out the Island on one of the heavier days of the year so far. You can check out what the "grom" has been up to recently on his blog www.samstrachan.tumblr.com

Azza's Daily Frame

2011-08-31T08:54:00.001+10:00

Once again Aaron "Azza" Glossop has graced the front page of Fluidzone, with their Fluidzone Daily Frame. This time its a tight fisheye shot taken by Matt Harber, on a super glassy surge beast. Check the reef starting to show its head out in the flats!

Strachan's Trip

2011-08-31T08:45:00.002+10:00

Young Cronulla grom Sam Strachan has just arrived back in Aus from a Turbo team trip to the South Pacific. He reported getting fun waves most of the trip, and will have a podcast coming out soon from the trip. Below are a few shots that didn't make the cut from the trip. Photos thanks to Jarrod Nichols.

Azza's Fluidzone Interview

2011-08-30T15:57:00.001+10:00

Our main DK man in Cronulla has been turning lots of heads lately, especially with his crazy antics out some big, heavy Shark Island. Below is an interview that Doc from Fluidzone had with Azza recently.

Aaron Glossop has been pushing himself to lay the knee in bigger and meaner Shark Island pits. Here's a few words with the man to see where he's heading...
Interview by Doc

Matt Harber Photo

Hey Azza, You've been making moves to push your DK riding. What's the main thing you're trying to achieve?
AG: Well! I'm just about finished on my 4 yr hospitality apprenticeship, which has been well worth it, but I've felt that my love for body boarding was out weighing my career as a chef. To be honest, I want to be the best in the world at drop knee. I work really close to Cronulla beach, so on my 2 and a ½ hr break, I'm always out the island, or anywhere local that's firing.

FZ: Do you only surf Shark Island and the Cronulla area?
AG: I surf the area a lot! Why wouldn't I? It has so much to offer, but the beaches have a bad reputation for being weak and sloppy most of the year.
On a good day though, it has potential to be one of the best beaches in NSW in my opinion ( especially the
old Ally rip bowl!!), so that's why my DK riding is based mainly on reef breaks like the island, suck rock, and all the other reefs around the area.
I love going south for surf trips, being a chef kind of limits me to do so with mates, because I work split shifts on weekends and during the week, I only have 2 days off in a week and they change all the time. I basically just surf as much as I can at home and miss all the good surf trips my mates go on! I don't mind really, because I love cooking and it's what I have to do to set myself up for the future.

FZ: For the record, what's your Age, Weight and height?
AG: Geez! So specific! I'm 23 in November, my weight is 65kg, and my height is short! (1.65cm)

FZ: What are you riding currently? (Core type/dimensions/shape etc)
AG: Well I've been lucky enough to be riding toys' body boards for the last 4 yrs, they're just that good! At the moment I'm riding an AKA2 polypro double stringer no channels, it's a weapon!! I met Will George one time in Emerald, and we've kept in touch since then, and he sent it to me, I was so stoked!! Before that, it was another AKA2 and Dez at Emerald hooked me up with it! The guys at emerald are the most inspiring bunch of guys for my body boarding, and I appreciate it so much. They're always pushing my riding out the island, even though most around Cronulla are prone riders, I feel it's more of a challenge surfing with guys like josh (blackie) Kaihe, Sam Strachan, Shaun Pyne and many others.

Matt Harber Photo

FZ: What's your riding history - When, how and why did you start DK, how many years have you been riding for, which riders have influenced you most?
AG: I started surfing stand up when I was really young, like 6 or 7, and used to do the local board riders comps every now and then. I was always in the water with my friends, my dad and younger brother after school without fail, and I only surfed (stand up) until I was in high school. I can surf alright, like I'm not a kook or anything! I was totally influenced by my mates in high school to start body boarding just because it was more fun for the sucky take offs out at all the local reef breaks like island and the reefs etc. When I was younger, I found it kind of boring just to lay down, because of surfing the fiber glass first ( and because of my dad! He wanted me to stand up!), I really just fell into DK because of this, and I was hooked on it when I was 15 out at my local reef break, ( which only breaks 3 or 4 times a year, but when it does, it's a machine!) . I then started buying body board vids and found that it was such a unique stance for wave riding, I really looked up to Dave Ballard, Kainoa Mcgee, Roach, Lackey, Mitch Rawlins and Ryan Hardy back then. Nowadays, I have so much respect for all of them still, but also including Kim Feast, Mason Rose, Aka Lyman and Micah McMillan.
In my opinion, there are so many underground DK riders out there that shred, but most are busy doing what really needs to be done, pay the bills...

FZ: What boards have you had, what has been your favorite and why do you ride the unit you have now?
AG: My first board was a BZ stock board that used to grate my guts every time I rode the thing! That might be why I started DK more haha! My first drop knee board was a Toys ‘the game' blue with grey slick, and it was so good!! I pushed my riding every time on that board. My current ride is a Toys ‘AKA 2' all blue, and it's such a sick board! I've only had it for a few days but it feels good and I've already got a couple of kegs on it!

FZ: Fins - how crucial are they to your riding? which ones have you tried, which fins do you use and what do you think of them?
AG: I used to wear manta blades, and to be honest, they were so good for DK! But for some reason, I kept getting bulbs on my feet from them, so I switched to Redley fins, and they were a perfect fit! I cut the ends of them, without losing any propulsion as well, I found them to be very comfy. At the moment, I'm wearing Toobs blunt cuts, and they top all the fins I've ever worn, not because a lot of DK riders wear them, but because I find them to be versatile and useful for driving through turns and snaps drop knee. If you have never tried blunt cuts before, they are heavier than most fins and feel a bit weird at first, but they give you more control in tight turns.

FZ: What do you see as the premier DK events these days?
AG: From what I've seen in the past year or so, most DK riders are into fun beaches, but in saying that, most of the top guys are riding hollow, fast and sucky waves, similar to stand ups. I think it's a bit of a joke to have a DK comp in small , gutless beach breaks, as I feel it has potential to be very successful in big , fast and steep waves, it would definitely demand a greater skill level and thus push drop knee in a direction where it has more space to grow.

Jeremy Wirth Photo

FZ: Any thoughts on the current DK world tour?
AG: The DKWT is still in its teething stage in my opinion. It could be such a huge thing for body boarding with the right swells, right locations, and just right mixture of characters on tour. To be honest, I think that the tour and its competitors need more coverage, and also a lot more support from the IBA with the money side of things. I don't really know much about how it all works, but as a DK rider, I feel as though I'm disadvantaged to an extent. There just isn't any coverage for drop knee on a global stage, I mean; some people I work with don't even know what it is! (Most likely kooks anyway!). This in turn affects the sponsorship side of things, being paid to drop knee to the extent of calling it ‘a living' doesn't really exist at the moment and its sad, but true. If there is more coverage of it, than the appeal would increase and hopefully that dream could come true.

FZ: Favourite Waves and why they're faves?
AG: SHARK ISLAND! Because it's so powerful, so risky, and so rewarding!!! I really love the place, even if it's got 40 groms flapping on the shoulder! That just shows how much this sport is growing, and if those groms see someone like me get up DK on a heaving 6ft death slab, I'd hope that at least one of them would man up and do it too! I'm not liking the crowds out there, but for the record, I was once a grommet on the shoulder, flapping about, getting in the way, I really have no grudge against grommies on the shoulder because I know that later on, one of them could be the future of the sport! I just can't stand kooks but! Stick to gardening or some shit! Another fave spot is suck rock, I have the feeling that DK could really excel in waves like suck, because it's fast, and the end bowl is just so good for boosting! If you land the air is a whole different ball game! My favorite waves that I haven't yet surfed are North Point, Pipeline, Chopes, and Mexico, they are at the top of my list for surf trips!

FZ: Any travel on the agenda?
AG: I'm heading to the gold coast in October and hopefully there's some swell, other than that, I've pretty much set myself up for a long haul at home( saving for a world trip end of next year). I'd really like to follow the DKWT, but with my wage, it's almost impossible to see happening. I believe with a lot of hard work, I can do it, and also tackle my fave waves mentioned above in the process!

FZ: Ultimate surf trip - who would you take on your ultimate DK trip and where would you go & why?
AG: I've been currently talking to Kim feast on FB and he is a frikken legend! I would defiantly want to do a surf trip with him, also Micah McMillan; they both are such powerful riders right now. Also, Dave Hubbard is my candidate for a surf trip, I have always looked at his posters in the mirror to try copy his style front side! Ha-ha, in all seriousness Dub shreds and I actually wish I was goofy DK! (For the record, I stand up goofy, also Skate goofy, but Drop Knee natural.) I've been trying switch but it's a bit hard!

FZ: Biggest wipeout so far.
AG: Voodoo, that place dealt me the longest and furthest hold down that I've ever had. That was when I rode a stand up though, my most recent wipeout that comes to mind is one a few weeks back, out the island, rissole(Christian riccoucini, not sure if that's how you spell it!) let me have it from the peak and as I bottom turned, I felt the foam ball all around me, not realizing the size of this south beast ( around 6 to 8 ft) I tried to straighten out, and all of a sudden, a surge boil popped up and sent my board down into a dead stop leaving me to skim on my stomach into dry, exposed reef! Luckily, I didn't hit, but it rag dolled me to the point where it thought I'd dislocate a limb! After that, I went back to work, because I was on my break and it was roast night! I've had a fair few beat downs just trying to get up on these steep, fast waves, and it's made me more confident in big waves, just because it's a kind of practice on how to deal with the turbulence underwater, the possibility of hitting reef is always in my mind, but if you handle it properly, you can limit the intensity of a beat down for sure. I had a fun session out Mystics 2 or 3 years ago, and the backwash was huge that day! I got up on the side wash , backhand, and it peaked at about 6 ft when it linked up with the wave, I got pitched and thrown with the lip hitting the sand straight away! Proper mashed.Good times!

FZ: Fave photographer(s)
AG: Paul Gleeson. The guy has been in the game for a fair while, and he's a sick c*nt! Ha-ha just a good dude in and out of the water, also Matt Harber, he has been so supportive of my riding, and always keen to take shots when its cranking, even going to the effort of waking me up the bastard! He DK's pretty well too! I really respect all the big wave photographers and those dedicated to surf photography, especially guys like Phil Gallagher, Tim Jones, and Tim Bonython.

FZ: Any tips for proners thinking of getting into DK?
AG: Patience is a virtue, practice makes perfect, style is everything, I don't know really, just keep doing what your girlfriend says you should, GET IT UP! Ha-ha!

FZ: Your future aspirations?
AG: To be the best at DK in the world, also feed people delicious food! I really just want to push the sport and DK stance onto the world stage, also being able to raise a family and own a house. I want to push drop knee into big waves, with the aid of towing maybe, and I really just want to see the world, travel and enjoy life, because I know there are less fortunate people out there that don't get the same chances as someone like myself, my younger brother being one of them.

Mark Halliday Photo

FZ: Who would you like to thank for supporting you?
AG: My Family first and foremost , especially my younger brother Andy,(he was born with a disease called Spina Bifida, which affects his legs and in turn, disables him to enjoy the things I do like body boarding), he really is my motivation and the reason I push myself to do the things I do, whatever it may be. I would like to thank Dez and Ross at Emerald, good dudes, Will and Aka at Toys body boards, Ryan Mattick at Zion wetsuits(I'm not sponsored by Zion, but there the best wetties on the market I reckon!) all my mates, Parkway Drive, my girlfriend, and all the people I look up to.
I'm not good at this stuff! But I'd like to say thanks for the interview; I hope you don't fall asleep reading this! Ha-ha, peace.

Thanks for your time Azza

Matt Boseley's Daily Frame

2011-08-28T09:25:00.001+10:00

Local boy Matt Boseley teaming up with photographer Mitch Pearson and Shark Island earlier this year for today's Fluidzone Daily Frame.

NEW BOARDS IN STORE

2011-08-20T15:58:00.001+10:00

We are now currently getting new 2012 model boards in store on a regular basis. We have a bunch of the new Jake Stone VS's, the new Nick Gornall Morey's and a whole load more new boards! Come in and check out your stylish new sled now!

Shark Island from the Inside!

2011-08-14T13:05:00.002+10:00

Check this clip our good mate Matt "Chiefy" Hall has put together of some of the super fun sessions he has had out Shark Island this winter with his various GoPro mounts.

Nulla2011 from Chief on Vimeo.

Hubb wins Puerto Pro, Hardy Second!

2011-08-14T12:34:00.002+10:00

PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Oaxaca / Mexico (Saturday, Aug 13, 2011) - Jeff Hubbard (HAW) has won his second IBA Grand Slam event of the year, in massive 10-12 foot surf at Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Hubbard, took out Ryan Hardy (Margaret River/AUS) in the Final, to win the 2011 AGIT/Turbo Zicatela Pro, presented by Found Boards, ID Boards and Colorada Surf.

Jeff Hubbard managed to defeat his brother Dave Hubbard (HAW) in the Quarter-finals, setting him up against an in-form Pierre-Louis Costes (Capbreton/FRA). Costes, picked off some incredible tube rides, but was unable to exit a particular one, that may have seen him through to the Final.

Costes commented: "10-12 foot Puerto for a contest, it does not get any better! To have a competition in this, gets me so amped. I'm so proud to be a bodyboarder these days."

Pierre Louis Costes scoops into a bomb

With Hardy disposing of Guilherme Tamega (Copacabana/BRA) in the Quarter-final and Mitch Rawlins (AUS) in the Semi-final, it was inevitable that the 2011 AGIT/Turbo Zicatela Pro Final was going to be a showdown of epic proportions.

Ryan Hardy driving off the bottom on the final day of competition

Both Hardy and Hubbard are equally capable in big surf and have each won an event on the 2011 Grand Slam Series. Hubbard proving his worth at home in Hawaii, taking out stop 1 of 8, the Pipeline Pro in February. Hardy took charge at the Box Pro in Western Australia, stop 2 of 8, not loosing a single heat throughout the event.

Within minutes of the final commencing, Hubbard got busy with his usual high-flying maneuvers, launching the biggest air-reverse of the event. Unable to complete the move, however rewarded with a 5.0 points for his efforts, Hubbard continued his arial assault backing up his 5.0 with a 5.5, leaving Hardy in the lineup to answer back.

Jeff Hubbard launching a massive air reverse in the opening minutes of the Final

Hardy had only accumulated a couple of small scores, needing a 6.0 point ride to take the lead. Within moments of hearing his requirements via the beach commentary, Hardy scooped into good looking right hander, whipped a clean spin under the lip and finished off with a big roll, earning him a much needed 6.0 points and the lead.

At this point, Hubbard had not caught a wave of consequence in almost 20 minutes and needed to improve on his 5.0 to regain the lead. As the heat grew to a close, the crowd on the beach grew restless with anticipation, knowing that either one of these bodyboarding icons, fighting for the title of AGIT/Turbo Zicatela Pro Champion, have the ability and drive to exit the water victorious.

With only 3 minutes left, Hubbard managed to find a huge ramp, giving him one last opportunity to score big as he took to the skies with one of his well known invert airs. Launching well into the flats and completing it without fault, the judges rewarded him with an excellent score of 8.5 point, catapulting him into the lead.

The huge invert that sealed the result in the final for Jeff Hubbard

Hubbard commented: "It was really heavy out there. I was just blessed to be in the right spot a couple of times." Hubbard added, " This is my second win this year…this one is so important to me. Its been a dream of mine to win here in Puerto."

Hardy was left in the line-up with priority at two minutes remaining, but was unable to improve on his situation.

"The waves today were so big and perfect, its pretty much as big and good as a beach break can get. Jeff turned it up in the Final. I was just watching his airs from behind and hearing the hoots from the crowd, which were totally deserved." Hardy added, "He is a machine and a really good athlete."

Perfect massive beach break barrels were the order of the day!

Hubbard was carried from waters edge to the podium by his brother Dave and the rest of the Hawaiian contingent, where he personally thanked the Zicatela lifeguards for their heroic efforts throughout the day.

Jeff chaired up the beach by his brother Dave and the rest of the Hawaiian contingent after taking out the win

Final

Jeff Hubbard (HAW) def. Ryan Hardy (Margaret River/AUS), 14.00 vs 10.50

Semi Final Results:

Semi 1 : Ryan Hardy (Margaret River/AUS) def. Mitch Rawlins (AUS) 15.50 vs 12.40

Semi 2 : Jeff Hubbard (HAW) def. Pierre-Louis Costes (Capbreton/FRA), 13.90 vs 10.35

Round 5/Quarter Final Results:

Heat 1: Ryan Hardy (Margaret River/AUS) def. Guilherme Tamega (Copacabana/BRA), 16.50 vs 12.75

Heat 2 : Mitch Rawlins (AUS) def. Ben Player (Avalon/AUS), 14.25 vs 8.35

Heat 3 : Pierre-Louis Costes (Capbreton/FRA) def. Jared Houston (Cape Town/ZAF), 13.60 vs 12.35

Heat 4 : Jeff Hubbard (HAW) def. Dave Hubbard (HAW), 13.50 vs 8.25

After stop 4 of 8 on the 2011 Grand Slam Series, the ratings are:

1. Jeff Hubbard (HAW)

2. Guilherme Tamega (Copacabana/BRA)

3. Ryan Hardy (Margaret River/AUS)

4. Mark McCarthy (Richards Bay/ZAF)

5. Magno Oliviera (Guarapari/BRA)

6. Pierre-Louis Costes (Capbreton/FRA)

7. Jared Houston (Cape Town/ZAF)

8. Amaury Lavernhe (REU)

9. Dallas Singer (Newcastle/AUS)

10. Ben Player (Avalon/AUS)

Dave Hubbard dropping into a very big Puerto peak

This keg couldn't quite get Guilherme Tamega through his Quarter Final


Jared Houston claiming as he pulls into a massive closeout, as his hopes of a victory ran out of time in his Quarter Final

Jeff Hubbard just scraping over a huge closeout set during the Final

Skis were on hand to assist the riders in the very large and dangerous conditions

Mitch Rawlins in a nice pit during his Semi-Final which he narrowly got beaten by Ryan Hardy

This final day of action was broadcast live on IBAwourldtour.com and redbull.com.

Check out the IBA website for live action and daily updates and video packages

IBA Puerto Pro

2011-08-12T09:23:00.001+10:00

The IBA Puerto Escondido Pro has been under way the last few nights Australian time. With the waves a consistant 3-5ft the competitors have been putting on quite a show for all who have been able to tune in. Emerald's 3 contenders in the comp have been surfing quite well, with Jared Houston and Ryan Hardy making it through to the top 16 and the man on man heats. Unfortunately Mark McCarthy just missed out on the top 16, placing 17th after the first 3 rounds.

Here are a few pics of our boys in action, thanks to Sacha Specker from the IBA Media team. Make sure you check out www.ibaworldtour.com for all the latest pics and video clips of the event, as well as the live broadcast.

Mark McCarthy

Ryan Hardy

Jared Houston

Mark McCarthy

Jared Houston

Cam Green Blog

2011-07-26T17:24:00.001+10:00

Be sure to have a good look around Cam Green's blog at http://thegreenfeed.tumblr.com as there is some pretty crazy stuff going on on there! He is only a small man in stature, but he has balls the size of an elephant, and will throw himself into anything that even resembles a barrel!

Dropping the Ball!

2011-07-26T16:56:00.003+10:00

So the last few weeks have seen me get a little lazy with the blog updates! This is due in part to the amazing run of waves we have had - there is so much to write about, but being so buggered by the time I come in to the shop most days, I just don't get around to it.

We saw an impressive run of South swell and clean winds for the last week of the school holidays, where most of the groms who chill in the shop regularly got barreled and launched as much as their hearts could desire, as well as a few of the older crew being onto some lesser known breaks that awoke from their slumber.

Straight after that we saw the second round of the State Titles held in Cronulla, alongside the Barrels,Boards and Breakdowns music festival in the park behind the event. Emerald and Cronulla were well represented, with Emerald riders Azza Glossip taking out the State DK division, with Glen Sullivan finishing in the final to take out the overall State DK Title. Also Emerald Bodyboard Club riders Dane Woods and Sam Strachan making the Final of the Juniors division. Brendan Ryan who is also a member of the CBC took out the Masters division. Add to that Emerald rider Jon Capilli taking out 1st in Senior mens, as well as 2nd in the Pro DK division, and I'd say Emerald riders had a quite successful State Titles!We would like to extend a big congratulations to all the riders who entered, and special mention goes out to Diarmid Heidenreich who organised the best event the State Titles has seen in a long time!!!

Add to this another very large swell that has been hitting the Sydney region, with the first few days being very strong onshore, but then cleaning up from late Saturday arvo until now, and you will understand why many East Coast surfers have very big smiles spread across their mugs! Various breaks around the region have been absolutely pumping, one of which was Shark Island. Notable standouts have been Andrew Lester, Alex Leon, Nick Ormerod, Shaun Pyne, Sam Strachan, Josh Kaihe, and young guys Jack Baker and Jeremy Wirth, who have definitely stepped it up a notch in the last few months as well!

Below are a random mix of shots, contributed by Sam Venn, Alex Ross, Elliott Gooding and Steve Jones, from various days and various breaks around the Cronulla and South Coast areas. There have been just so many shots coming in to our email, I do apologise to the many many people who I have missed in this update! Make sure you click the Read More link below to catch all of the shots!!!

Jack Baker in some strife!

Sully

Jack Baker

Jeremy Wirth

Dessie

Dessie having some fun

Dane Woods

Jacob Romero - Guy Hags!

2011-07-08T10:59:00.002+10:00

We were recently blessed with the presence of Jacob Romero in Cronulla, as he was here for the Shark Island Challenge. Jacob was unlucky in hos heat for the Challenge, however he managed to score some fun sessions during his stay here, and was a regular fixture here in Emerald. He gave us a nice little wrap on his new blog page - you can see what he had to stay about his stay HERE. Makesure you check out his new blog page www.jacobromerohags.blogspot.com to stay up to date on his movements and how much he's ripping in the salt! Cheers Romero!!!

TAND Event Highlights

2011-07-07T09:01:00.001+10:00

Jared Houston - Pic Simon Heale

Once again we would like to say Congrats to Jerry for winning the inaugural TAND Invitational event in South Africa. Below is the official highlights clip for your enjoyment.

The Tand Invitational 2011 Highlights from Joshua Kleve on Vimeo.

You can also check out all the event info on their Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/TAND-Invitational-2011/146348852103476

Well done Jerry and Boetie!

2011-07-02T12:09:00.000+10:00

Emerald would like to congratulate two of our riders - Jared Houston and Mark McCarthy for their efforts in taking out 1st and 2nd places respectively in the inaugural Tand Invitational in South Africa this week. You can see a full wrap up of the event in the post below, as well as some photos of the comp. So - WELL DONE BOYS!!!!! Keep up the good work and we'll see you soon!

South Africa's TAND Invitational GOES OFF!!!

2011-07-02T12:04:00.001+10:00

THE DAY THAT WAS. THE FUTURE THAT IS!

Attie Van Heerder - Cobus Bosman Photo

The green light call was made. The TAND Invitational 2011 was set to run on Wednesday 29th of June. Everyone was unsure about the swell and winds. The charts had been swinging around for the past week more than a pair of tango dancers. But the contest directors consulted wise minds, stuck to their guns and went ahead with the call. And boy oh boy did it pay off!

The crowd gathered in cold early morning conditions - Photo Simon Heale

Everyone gathered in the shell-filled "car park" while it was still dark; some eager, running to the point to keep an eye on any incoming wave to hoot at....but NOTHING. Swell was predicted to start pushing early, but now it was only pushing mid to late morning. Sitting in the cars, dodging the sporadic downpours of rain and uncomfortable gusts of 5 degree winds, the event was put on hold until Mother Nature decided to send some sweet blessings our way. At exactly 11:30, those sweet blessing started arriving in force.
The skies opened up, filtering some well welcomed sun rays through the grey morning, and the contest was a go!

Jerry on a round one - Photo Cobus Bosman

A mad flurry ensued to get the judges and media boat out, and the 1st heat in the water. Crowds gathered, lining the rocks, waiting in anticipation for the start of this momentous contest.
The buzzer sounded. Game face on!

Every heat throughout the event was ridden like a final: nobody holding back in anyway, riders pushing their own abilities to the very end and then some.
Quarter finals were up first and the few big stand-outs there were Jared Houston, Tomas Degenaar, Mark McCarthy and Johan De Goede. Everyone was riding super clean and technically in the biggest waves.
Going into the semi finals the swell had picked up a bit more but the winds had turned slightly wrong. That didn't deter any of the riders from going at it full force though.

Jared Houston - Photo Cobus Bosman

The first semi final boasted Jared Houston, Josh Kleve, Aden Kleve and Johan De Goede. Jared started out all guns blazing with big moves and unbelievably deep barrels. Johan followed suit with very technical riding and some crazy close outs. Aden Kleve was a big stand out too having just arrived back from Australia and feeling eager to prove himself as a worthy competitor. He got a really good barrel midway through the heat but just couldn't find a substantial back-up to help get him through to the finals. Older brother, Josh Kleve, was left getting a few good medium sized waves but it just proved too little to make the cut.

McCarthy flipping out of the Tand end bowl - photo Simon Heale

Semi final 2 was made up of Iain Campbell, Tomas Degenaar, Jarret Johnson and Mark McCarthy. Mark very much dominated this heat from start to finish with a close fight between Iain and Tomas for second place. Iain just edged out Tomas in the end with a few technical rides on the mid-sized waves. Jarret Johnson unfortunately got a fourth in this heat. Although that was nothing to be ashamed of, the way he was falling into massive pits out there.

Jarret Johnson drops in next to the scetchy looking take-off rock - Photo Peter Lambert

A call was made to get the boat onto land as it was getting very wild and woolly out in the bay. So while the finalists rested for a few minutes, the judges touched land and made for the point as Jared Houston, Johan De Goede, Iain Campbell and Mark McCarthy prepared to go to battle for the last time that day.

Johan De Goede - Photo Peter Lambert

The waves were minimal in the beginning with a few big clean moves being launched. But within the last ten minutes of the heat everything changed. All the riders had a few average waves under their belts, but then, Johan De Goede took off on an absolute monster peach, lined it up and sat pretty all the way to the end, coming out to the uproar of the crowds on the shoreline. This scored tens across the board, and rightly so!

Mark McCarthy on a cracker! - Photo Cobus Bosma

Then two sets later, McCarthy took off on a drainer, good long barrel and came out with a smile.

Jared Houston - Photo Simon Heale

Positions were jumping around like there's no tomorrow and in true Houston style; in the last ten seconds of the heat, he caught "the one". Taking off behind the lip, falling into white froth, getting a barrel all the other competitors couldn't believe he made it out of, and coming out flying, giving the crowd on the beach a little "thanks-for-coming" claim.

Iain Campbell invert - Photo Simon Heale

The final results ended up being: Iain Campbell in fourth, Johan De Goede in third, Mark McCarthy in second and the winner of the first ever TAND Invitational, JARED HOUSTON, bagging himself a modest R10 000 in prize money.

Jerry celebrates winning the first ever Tand Invitational! - Photo Simon Heale

The other finalists all walked away with a few coins in their pockets too.
Attica wetsuits sponsored R1000 in cash for the "ATTICA BEST WAVE" which goes to a contestant who didn't make the final. Tomas Degenaar strolled away merrily with that award, owing to his massive barrel to ARS in his quarter final heat.

Thomas Degenaar - Photo Peter Lambert

A HUGE thanks goes out to all the support on the beach. From everyone who was there and stuck it out, to all the riders for putting in every ounce of effort you had. And of course to all of our sponsors, Vivid Zeal, Attica, Pride, Alphapharm, Magson Marine, SDI/ Ambusave, Vitamin water and WPBA!
Stay tuned to the Facebook page for the video wrap up coming soon.

Below are a few more shots of the day's events.

Johan De Goede (finals) - Photo Cobus Bosman

Jarret Johnson - Photo Simon Heale

Warren Baynes - Photo Simon Heale

The crowd on the rocks, watching the action - Photo Simon Heale

Jerry rolling his way to victory - Photo Simon Heale

The finalists line up to find out who the winner is - Photo Simon Heale

Jerry celebrates his win in style! - Photo Simon Heale

The view competitors get during the paddle out - Photo Peter Lambert

Luke's Daily Frame

2011-07-01T16:33:00.002+10:00

Once again, one of the local boys from the Cronulla region has scored an epic Fluidzone Daily Frame, with a crazy pit out Shark Island, shot by another Island regular Matt Harber.
Good work boys!!!

You can also check another gallery of a few of Matt's shots on Fluidzone HERE. Enjoy!

SIC 2011 Phantom Preview

2011-06-28T15:46:00.001+10:00

Here is a short clip, filmed by Chris Bryan, edited by Todd Barnes, using the amazing Phantom Camera, which shoots an amazingly high number of frames per second which makes for some incredibly smooth and clear slo-mo's. Check out this clip of things to come!

SIC 2011 - Phantom Preview from IBA on Vimeo.

Flat Spell Reminiscing

2011-06-28T10:54:00.001+10:00

The last few months on the East Coast have been nothing short of amazing. From late April until mid June, the swell has been constant, and winds have been favorable. That is until the last week and a half. Those people who were initially saying that it was good to have a break from all the early morning starts are now wishing they never had those thoughts, with very small to no swell on the offshore days, and plenty of onshore winds, it has been a miserable week and a half if you're a bodyboarder! There looks to be a few small waves on the way, just in time to keep the school holiday kids amused, but until then, Jeremy Wirth has provided us with a few reminders of just how pumping the Island was on the day of the Brett Young Memorial Trials. Cheers Noodles!

Early Morning Empty

Benny Sawyer pics off an early one

Jase Finlay on a round one

Jimmy Williams patented late scoop on Surge

Jase Finlay on one of the larger sets of the day

Nick Ormerod on a cracker

Charles Ward sampling some Island flavour

Azza G out of the barrel, straight into a big carve

Shark Island Challenge Highlights Clip

2011-06-28T10:22:00.001+10:00

For those who haven't seen it yet, here is a sick clip that Todd Barnes of the IBA has put together, full of all the highlights from this year's Bodyboardbet Shark Island Challenge!

Shark Island Challenge 2011 - Highlights from IBA on Vimeo.

Island Comp Water Shots

2011-06-21T14:16:00.002+10:00

Sorry for the delay in getting these shots to you, but here are some shots from the water of this year's Shark Island Challenge, taken by our young friend Sam Venn! Enjoy.

Sam Strachan

The crowd of groms in the channel enjoying the action

Ben Player

Wingnut

Ben Player

Andrew Lester

John Showell

Andrew Lester

Rissole

Empty

Sam Strachan

John Showell

Rissole

Another Empty slips by

Dave Ballard

Island Challenge Photos

2011-06-20T10:14:00.001+10:00

Here are a few photos of the action that went down in the water on Friday, at the 2011 Bodyboardbet Shark Island Challenge.

All photos courtesy of Matt Viesis and Jeremy Wirth. Thanks boys!

Nick Ormerod

Ben Hall

Shaun Pyne

Joe Clarke

Dave Winchester

Jacob Romero

Dave Ballard

Sam Strachan

Rissole

John Showell

Chase O'Leary

Andrew Lester

John Showell

Mitch Rawlins

Jeff Hubbard

Mike Stewart

Dave Winchester

Ben Player

Dave Winchester

Ben Player

Dave Winchester

Mike Stewart pops the cork on the celebrations

Winny, being drenched in the glory of his victory

2011 Shark Island Challenge Wrap Up

2011-06-20T09:23:00.003+10:00

Here is a quick wrap-up of the day's proceedings at this year's Shark Island Challenge, courtesy of Doc at Fluidzone. Be sure to check their site for all things bodyboarding!!

Australia's Dave Winchester (Mullumbimby/North Coast NSW) today won the Shark Island Challenge in near perfect powerful 2m surf at the notorious Shark Island reef off the point of Cronulla.
This prestigious specialty event sanctioned by the International Bodyboard Association (IBA) only runs when Shark Island produces great waves and today's international field enjoyed idyllic conditions as the 2m swell barrelled across the shallow outer reef.
Winchester started the final slowly and was virtually scoreless ten minutes into the 40 minute final allowing local Cronulla rider Andrew Lester to build up a solid lead but his patience paid off when he found the biggest and best wave of the final, negotiated a long barrelling section by foamballing his way through the tube scoring a strong 7.8.
Shortly after Winchester found another excellent barrel ride and opened up a huge lead when he scored an excellent 8.03 and his fellow competitors were unable challenge him with Winchester winning the final on a scoreline across his top two rides of 15.83 to Lester on 13.5 with Hawaii's Mike Stewart in 3rd place and Nth Sydney rider Ben Player in 4th.
"It's the biggest win of my career for sure" said an elated Winchester after the final.
"This event has a lot of history and to be added to the winners list is special."
"The waves were exceptional, perfect barrels and the final had a lot to do with picking off the best waves and scoring the deepest barrel rides - I waited for those waves and it was a winning strategy for sure."
For popular local rider Andrew Lester it was his second 2nd placed finish in this event as a win continues to elude him.
Hawaiian Mike Stewart never found the right waves in the final but the nine time Bodyboard World Champion enjoyed his day none-the-less.
"It's a great Bodyboard wave out here - seriously intense and ideal for the best riders to compete in" said Stewart.
"I didn't have a great final but I scored plenty of great waves through the quarters and semi's and it's been a really good day."
Stewart was awarded the best barrel ride of the day for a 9 point ride he scored on his final ride in the semi finals which saw him jump from 4th place to 2nd and got him into the final.
Nth Sydney rider Ben Player (Avalon) also had a disappointing final placing 4th after dominating his quarter and semi finals and was awarded the best aerial move of the event which he pulled in his semi final win.
Final Placings -
1st Dave Winchester (AUS/Mullumbimby)
2nd Andrew Lester (AUS/Cronulla)
3rd Mike Stewart (Hawaii)
4th Ben Player (AUS/Avalon)

Azza's Daily Frame

2011-06-15T08:47:00.001+10:00

The good guys at Fluidzone have once again chosen one of our Emerald team riders for their Daily Frame! This time it's Aaron "Azza" Glossop, just chillin' in the pit on the knee at Shark Island! Make sure you check out fluidzone.com for your fill of all things bodyboarding!!!

2011-06-14T14:50:00.000+10:00

New In-Store Promo Dates!

2011-06-14T12:51:00.001+10:00

As promised, the 2011 Shark Island Challenge in-store signing that was scheduled to be held at Emerald earlier this month has been re-scheduled for this Thursday the 16th of June. All the guys who are in the event will be here to sign your gear and answer your questions, from 6:30pm til 7:30pm.

New Emerald video add

2011-06-13T14:59:00.003+10:00

Emerald Surf City Cronulla (Bodyboarding Specialists) from Chout Films on Vimeo.

Mark McCarthy's Fluidzone Interview

2011-06-12T16:00:00.001+10:00

Mark McCarthy has been storming the world tour in 2011. Another saffa grabbing big waves by the balls, Mac has taken the time to share some words and fill us in on what's happening in the world of "Our boetie"

Interview by Doc, Photos courtesy Spex.

FZ: You and fellow Saffa Jared Houston are cranking on the world tour at the moment. South African riders have a big history of going hard in the big waves. Why do you think you and your countrymen have this ability?

MM: I just think that the level of the top bodyboarders is really high and to keep up to the pace of it all you have to push yourself to your full ability. It seems to be working for Jared and myself... But it's nice to know that we patrial the history of going hard in big waves.

FZ: We've got a lot of young new crew to BB here in Oz. can you give us a quick rundown on your comp and riding history to bring them up to speed on how damn experienced you are bru, including finishing in the top 10 of the IBA world tour the last five years in a row.

MM: Thanks Doc for the kind words, It all started in Hawaii at the end of 2006 when I when over for my first season. Prior to going over I had not been bodyboarding much for 2 years as my main focus was location assisting in the film industry. I went over to Maui and entered my first event which was the Ledgers Pro and ended up getting 2nd to Mike Stewart in the Final. That pretty much kicks off a spark in my drive to become a Pro bodyboarder. I then entered the Shark Island trials and make it to the main event where I got 2nd to Ben Player. I got a 10 and 9.5 in that final but Ben was on fire in that final and got a 10 and 9.8. That year I finished 4th on the tour that year. I won my first event the next year at the Ferrol Pro in Spain and have been addicted to
the feeling of victory ever since! Last year going into the last event on the tour I was lying in 18 and needed a good result to qualify for that Grand Slam Tour and ended up winning my first Grand Slam event and finish 9th last year! Every year has its challenges and you will be so surprised on how much you learn at every event! This year I am more focused than ever and having Jared on tour really pushes me so I am really stoked to finally have another Saffa on tour. Let's hope we can take that World Title back to South Africa ?

Your home mag Sixty40 is going from print to digital. Sixty40 has always been a great read with Kelly, Gareth , Sampi, Damo and the boyz doing a mega job. Where can folks catch the next online issue if they want to catch up on the Saffa scene?

MM: Yes they are doing a great job at 6040 and it always good working with them to push the sport back home. I am not too sure when they next issue will be released but I am sure it will be soon. There is also another Saffa bodyboarding site call www.keiki.co.za and they are also pushing the sport back at home.

Dessie at Emerald has taken onto their team along with fellow Saffas Wattsy and Jerry (Mark Watts and Jared Houston). How would you describe the riding ability and style of these two lads?

MM: They both have amazing talent and a great future in the sport. Jerry was built up on riding the cold waters of Cape Town where the waves pump all year round. Watts is from the warm waters of Durban where that was is not that great but very consistent. One thing is that they both have the same habit of charging, going big and both have the talent to go all the way.

We all had a good feed after the Viking prem. You're not a huge bloke but you sure do eat a lot (Parallelled only by ‘Ribs Roscoe'). Do you have a diet and exercise regime you follow coming up to big comps?

MM: What you mean a small bloke???hahah No I don't slow down when it comes to eating mate. I don't eat too much junk food and don't find a need to starve myself when I am hungry! When it's time to eat I do a proper job of it and try to eat everything in proportion. It also helps to have a good metabolism so I don't pick up the weight.

Arica is a mean bitch of a wave, the locals carrying scars up their ribcages. How did you find the comp there?

MM: I think we could not have asked for better waves than what we got! It's always very intimidating out there. The hardest part of it all is choosing the right wave that holds up enough for you to get barrels or lunch off.

How powerful does that wave feel when you're deep in the barrel?

MM: It's not too bad when you in the barrels, it's actually the safest place to be at El gringo. It's the rocks that you get washed up on which is the problem. But this wave has lots of power and its really challenging to land moves out there! I think if this wave did not have that barnacle infected reef that runs dry, then I would be just the best waves in the world!!

There is a new comp organised in South Africa by Simon Heale called the TAND comp (Readers, if you haven't heard of it see http://www.fluidzone.com/news/1638-tand-comp ). The selection has come off a public voting criteria, can you explain how that worked?

MM: It's not the best way of choosing but I really think it has worked this time as the best riders have made the cut for the top 16! Not never easy as you can never please everyone. I just think it's a cool concept to get the public involved.

I can remember when we couldn't even write the name TAND, never mind see you guys have a comp there. What has changed?

MM: Well Tant has been exposed in mags and all over the web so it's no longer a secret. It's a great time to utilize this incredible wave to showcase SA boarding to the world!!! SA bodyboarding needs these kinds of events to put us on the map. We do have a SA tour but most of the events are in averaged beach breaks so to have an invitational event at one of the best ledges is just want is needed!

Can you describe TAND as a bodyboarding wave for the many of us who have only seen stills and never ridden it?

MM: If I have to compare it to any wave I would say the Box. It has so much to offer! There is a real tech barrel with a perfect ramp always awaits you on the exit.

What are your aspirations for the rest of 2011?

MM: Well my main goal and focus is the IBA tour so I am putting all my energy into that right now! I want to stay in the race for the title! I am currently lying in 3rd and tend to stay up there! Besides the tour I hope to go up the west coast again to just get away for a bit. It's always good breaking away from the competitive side of bodyboarding and pushing yourself in other disciplines.

You handle your twitter account well, @yourboetie , mostly posts relevant to boog, not too many, but informative too. How are you finding social media as a communication base to crew following you as a Pro rider?

MM: Well I try to post as much as I can, I do get lazy at times but I do try keep it fresh. I do a blog and you can also see what I have been up to on www.followyourboetie.com

Lizzard clothing sponsor you too. We don't hear much of them out here - are they a Saffa BB clothing brand?

MM: They are a Saffa brand and have been around for since 1991. They started out as a core bodyboarding brand but have moved over to surfing and other sports too. They are also based up on the gold coast now...

Thanks for your time Mac! There is some big news coming with Mark, so it won't be long before you're hearing from this boetie again...........

For more pics and heaps of other interesting news and pics from around the bodyboarding world, make sure you check www.fluidzone.com!!!

Shots, Shots and more Shots!!!

2011-06-11T14:23:00.002+10:00

Yes that's right, here are some more shots that have surfaced from last weekend. These are mostly from the Friday, and a couple from Sunday.

All shots Sam Venn (water) and Matt Viesis (land). Cheers boys!

(Don't forget to click the "Read more" link to see all of the shots!)

Friday -

Early Morning Empty

Jimmy Williams

Jase Finlay

Charles Ward

Nick Ormerod

Hayden Bunting

Andy Lester

Azza Glossop

Joe Clarke

Jase Finlay

Joe Clarke Showing Trials winning form

Jimmy Williams

Jack Baker

Nick Ormerod

Jack Baker

Sunday -

Mawake Gudgeon

Alex Mills

A Few More Shots

2011-06-11T10:45:00.003+10:00

As promised, here are a few more shots form last weekend's epic swell out the Island.

Thanks to Elliott Gooding and Matt Harber for the shots!

Jack Baker - Elliott Gooding photo

Ewan Donachie - Elliott Gooding photo

Shaun Pyne - Elliott Gooding photo

Nick Ormerod - Elliott Gooding photo

Ben Hall - Elliott Gooding photo

Andrew Lester - Elliott Gooding photo

Billy Danzey - Elliott Gooding photo

Rosco - Matt Harber photo

Shark Island Challenge Heat Draw

2011-06-06T11:32:00.001+10:00

Last night saw the official launch party for the 2011 Shark Island Challenege and the Heat Draw at Rydges Hotel Cronulla. There was quite a large turnout, and a great night was had by all, with bodyboarding vids playing throughout the bar all night and the premiere of Mitch Rawlins' movie Hiding From Comfort. Below is a picture of the heat draw - looks like an epic comp!!!

Island Pumps AGAIN!!!

2011-06-06T11:15:00.001+10:00

The last few days have seen the best swell of the year so far hit the Island. Just in time for the Shark Island Trials at Cronulla Point, which got some good conditions (see below article) the swell lit up the Island for those who were keen to have a dig. It was very heavy direction on the Friday, with a bit of north in the swell and pushing 6-8ft on the sets, which made for some crazy barrels and hectic wipeouts. Then on Saturday we woke to a swell that had pulsed overnight, and was now hitting the Island in the 8-10ft range with the occasional bigger one. The swell direction and size, combined with a pretty small high tide meant that again, there were some super crazy wipeouts, and some nuts barrels for anyone game enough to try and tame a bomb. There were plenty of big names in the lineup, with a large contingent of locals - John & Doug Showell, Andrew Lester, Ringa, Ben Williams, Ben Hall, Kane Cox, Shaun Pyne, Sam Strachan - and guys from all round the country - Ben & Toby Player, Nick Ormerod, Joe Clarke, Dan Worsely, Damien Martin, Winston McCall just to name a few. Everyone had a dig, and surprisingly no-one got seriously injured! Then just to back that up, Sunday had a few 4-6ft leftovers, again, very scetchy direction and tide combo, but still good!
Here are a few frame grabs from filmer Rich Lornie who was on hand on Saturday and Sunday, some of this footage will definitely be on his upcoming vid Chout The World. Stay tuned for more pics as they filter in!

Saturday-

Ben Hall

Brad Gilles

Jon Capilli

Ross Shepherd

Damien Martin

Nick Ormerod

Shaun Petersen

Shaun Pyne

Sunday -

Rissole

Thomas Bailey

Des

Trent Goucher

Jimmy Williams

Alex Mills

Luke O'Connor

2011 Brett Young Memorial Trials wrap Up

2011-06-06T10:35:00.001+10:00

The 2011 BodyboardBet Shark Island Challenge, 2nd June - 25th July. An IBA specialty event presented by RYDGES and supported by Emerald, Riptide , Paramount Concrete and Uptown Group.

The 2011 Brett Young Memorial Trials Completed
Consistent with the forecast, competitors today were blessed with 4 - 6 feet waves and offshore winds at Cronulla Point for the Brett Young Memorial Trials. Up for grabs were 4 highly sort after places in the 2011 Bodyboardbet Shark Island Challenge and the honour of being crowned the winner of the highly regarded Brett Young Memorial Trials event. The level of bodyboarding was world class with barrels, flips and rolls featuring from the first heat of the day all the way to the final.

The event winner and standout performer of the day was Joe Clarke (QLD). Joe surfed with confidence all day and never looked at risk in any of his heats today. Joe was absolutely stoked with his win and confirmation of an entry into his first Shark Island Challenge. Joe went on to say "I had a taste of some sick barrels this morning at Shark Island and used this as my motivation to secure my spot in the main event. I am stoked and excited to get some big barrels in this amazing event."

The 3 remaining finalists and qualifiers through to the main event were 2nd place Damien Martin (NSW), 3rd place Nick Ormerod (QLD) and Chase O'Leary (NSW). Damien Martin was the surprise packet of the event as he has historically focused on his free surfing, though today he looked at home in the competitive arena and thoroughly deserved his 2nd place finish with high quality all round
polished surfing. Nick O has competed in the Shark Island Challenge no less than 5 times in the past and based on his form today will be a threat again in 2011. Chase O'Leary continued his stellar comp form in 2011 with another solid result and will be entering his first Shark Island Challenge.

Other standouts today who were unlucky not to progress to the final were Jason Finlay (NSW) and Dan Worsley (South Africa). Both riders looked on track to progress with impressive surfing in their heats though just couldn't find the waves when it counted in the qualifying finals.
The waves for Saturday 4th June are looking great for the Shark Island and whilst the main event will not run, www.ibaworldtour.com will be running a webcast of the free surfing session from 8am local time.

The official 2011 Bodyboardbet Shark Island Challenge launch night will be held on Sunday 5th June at 6:00pm at Rydges Hotel in Cronulla. The heat draw will be webcast on www.ibaworldtour.com/live at 7pm. This is where the heat draw will be taking place, with the majority of the 20 competitors in attendance along with the announcement of the live betting odds through www.bodyboardbet.com Mitch Rawlins will be in attendance and this will be the venue for the NSW premier of his Hiding From Comfort Movie. We will also be showing the DVD of the historical 2001 Shark Island Challenge.
All event information will be on www.ibaworldtour.com or follow updates at www.facebook.com/ibaworldtour

Sixty40 Mag Issue 13

2011-06-02T11:04:00.002+10:00

The latest Sixty40 mag from South Africa has hit the net (it's now an online mag only) and Emerald's South African team riders have a very large presence in it! With Mark McCarthy on the cover with a bomb sequence he scored out the Island during his quick stay here, Wattsy killing it at Pipe, and Jerry with some shots in the Canaries.
Below are a few quick shots from the mag, make sure you go to http://www.sixty40.co.za/magazine/thirteen
and check out the whole issue, as there's some pretty sick stuff in there!

In-Store Promo Changed

2011-05-31T14:17:00.002+10:00

The in-store signing for the 2011 SIC that was scheduled in Emerald this Sunday has been postponed due to the unavailablity of a bunch of the riders. Sorry to get your hopes up but it should happen, we will let you know as soon as we have a new date!

Arica Chilean Challenge Decided!

2011-05-29T14:05:00.003+10:00

Tamega celebrates his win at the 2011 Arica Chilean Challenge

South American powerhouse, Guilherme Tamega (BRA, Copacabana) has defeated Dave Winchester (AUS, NSW, Mullumbimby) 16.00 pints VS 13.00 points, to take out stop No. 3 on the 2011 IBA World Grand Slam Series (GSS), the Arica Chilean Challenge.

The win, accompanied by 2000 GSS points was no easy feat. In building 3-4 meter swell, Tamega gained momentum on his fellow competitors, navigating through monstrous barrels and launching huge rolls over the notorious El Gringo reef, covered only by inches of water.

Tamega on his way to a big win!

After being carried onto the podium by his fellow countrymen, Tamega covered up the tears as he thanked his family and friends for their support, contributing to this memorable win. "This is like a dream come true. I really needed this win to get my motivation going and show me that 2011 is not over," said Tamega.

With a half a dozen World Titles and runner-up finishes alike, Tamega will be a strong contender for the 2011 World Title.

Dave Winchester driving towards 2nd place

Winchester was the man to beat, until reaching the final where he was unable to find the waves he needed. Winchester commented: "Every heat I was getting a bit more
confident. I just got into a bad rhythm in that final and I could not get out of it, so I got second. I'm pretty happy with that."

With equal third place finishes, both Ben Player (AUS, NSW, Avalon) and Mark McCarthy (RSA, Richards Bay) walk away with 1460 points and $ 2500 each.

Ben Player scooping into a bomb

Player was in good form throughout the event, but was unable to match Winchester's semi final performance. Player commented: "I could not buy a wave out there and Winny is an excellent competitor. In my eyes he is Top 5 in the world, so I'm happy losing to him."

Mark McCarthy on a mountain of a wave

McCarthy was happy with his result, considering the conditions and risks involved during this event. "Tamega wanted it so bad, he is so hard to beat when its big and crazy like today. He deserved to win today."

McCarthy's performance has solidified his 3rd place on the GSS rankings, making him a title contender as the tour approaches the half-way mark at the Zicatela Pro in Puerto Escondido, Mexico from August 4-13.

Local Alan Munoz stunned many people with his performance

Alan Munoz (CHI) stunned the bodyboarding world with his stellar performances and local wave knowledge. As a trialist, Munoz gained confidence with each heat, until running out of steam in Round 4. "I am happy to have competed at this level, but sad I did not make it further. I now am looking for a sponsor so I can go to the next event in Mexico

The top 4 celebrate the days proceedings

All photos - IBA/Spex

2011 Shark Island Comp In-Store Promo

2011-05-29T09:15:00.002+10:00

Yes it's that time of the year again, where all your favourite riders from Australia and around the world converge on Cronulla for to compete for the coveted Shark Island Challenge crown.

We will be having an in-store signing in Emerald on Sunday 5th June from 4:30pm until 6pm. At this point we are expecting all of the riders involved in the contest to be present, so come on down and grab an autograph from your fave rider or ask him a question you've been dyeing to ask! We hope to see you all here on Sunday arvo!!!

Phil's Daily Frame

2011-05-29T09:03:00.001+10:00

Friend of Emerald, and local hellman, Phil Ruell has scored today's Fluidzone Daily Frame. Phil loves sitting super deep in dark heavy holes such as this one. You can find him out the Island and various other local breaks whenever its big and heavy!!!

Dessie's Daily Frame

2011-05-28T13:37:00.003+10:00

Yesterday (Friday 27th May) the good guys at Fluidzone ran this shot of Emerald owner Dessie doing his thing out the Island as their Daily Frame. Cheers Doc!

The guys also ran a little article of the sequence of the same wave, so you can check out the full sequence at http://www.fluidzone.com/galleries/1641-emerald-isle

WBA Event One 2011 - Cronulla Beach

2011-05-24T11:35:00.002+10:00

Below is a wrap-up of the first WBA event of the year at Cronulla on Sunday 22nd May. Words by Lilly Pollard.

Fun times and fresh faces to the first event of 2011...

7am, Elouera Beach. A nice little crew of girls arrived bright and early to a beautiful sunny morning, light offshore winds, and 1ft peeling rights. Yeah, it was small, but it was still fun!

“Lilly the Lagger” as I not so proudly tend to call myself, turned up a little late with newcomers to the club, Loren Collyer and Kate McAdam, not far behind.

Stoked to see a few new faces showing up, and everyone looking happy and keen to surf!

Wasn’t too long before we were set up on the beach, kicking the football around while some filled out registration forms. Yes Laura’s last name is that tricky she even spelt her own name wrong as she filled out her form. I was quick to point this out to her… Um, isn’t there a “J” in there somewhere? Ha…

Rani, Kerry and Julia were lagging even worse, almost an hour late, but to their credit, they were the only ones dressed up to the theme, “Hen’s night!” Um, not sure why I picked that theme, because it’s kind of stupid, and too general, considering that “Hen’s nights” usually have a theme themselves ha. Anyway, their outfits were cool. Julia came in fluoro tights and running gear, claiming she chose that outfit because last hen’s night she went on they did a 10km run… Ok then… And, by the way, I forgot to take photos of their outfits, but they looked good. ha. Moving on….

Everyone got ready and we ran through the rules of competing for the newcomers and “A” division then headed out.

The WBA “A” division is basically for the girls who are just learning and developing their bodyboarding, and we encourage them to catch the bigger waves, longer rides, and any attempts at moves are rewarded

with higher scores.

First heat, Rani the rocket shot straight out the back on her air mat, first out the back! For someone who has no use of her legs, Rani can damn well paddle fast! So awesome…

The three girls traded waves, Rani going for length of ride and bigger sets, charging hard as always. Loren showed that she had really great natural style, and setting a really good line on her waves, even doing a cutback and trying to land a roll! Pretty impressive for someone who has only ridden a bodyboard a handful of times!

However, today, it was Jayda Sharpe that stole the show, with a good shaped wave in the final seconds that she managed to get a nice little barrel on! It even got the crew cheering on the beach! Woo! 9 point ride for the super grom, and enough to take out the division for today J

Next up, the “”AA” girls headed out.,. Right from the beginning, it looked like Kate McAdam was onto all the best waves, and completed a couple of fast spins as well. Awesome work considering it’s her very first contest!

Kerry Head executed a really impressive carving reverse with spray, looked so sick! Definitely the best wave of the heat, but she couldn’t find a second good one.

Julia Heasman, went for a few spins in her very smooth spin style, but wasn’t having much luck making them today, while Ali had a similar problem. The surf was just so tiny!

“AAA”

Always a pretty tough division, but also usually lots of fun (and a nice relief from the seriousness of Aussie and World Tour contests J), the top level WBA girls headed out to try and impress...

Straight up, Nicole (Tassie) Fleming found a set wave and completed a nice spin to roll.

Laura Verjbitski found a few nice ones to execute her text-book style spins and reverses…. So smooth.

Jane Keel seemed more focused on drowning yours truly, and then, when she caught waves, her aim was mostly on ensuring that she didn’t lose her jiggy-jig hat.

Jane completed a nice reverse and then landed a roll, while still keeping her hat on her head, she was stoked! Unfortunately she soon lost the hat and I quickly snapped it up, wanted a go of the lucky jiggy-jig cap.

I did manage a spin and a roll during the heats, and despite completing three hat spins (which involves spinning the hat around on my head, as it was way too hard to actually do a spin in the wash in this tiny surf ha), followed by a DK ride into dry sand to face plant, my efforts were not rewarded, and Nicole scored the win, with myself second, Jane third and Laura Vee in fourth.

The surf was small, but the weather and clean conditions had everyone keen to stay in the water for longer, so we got out the Milkshakes soft surfboard and the Surfing Green wooden bodyboard to play on. Good times!

We headed up to Emerald’s new store for the presentation. The shop looks so good! Comfy couches and bodyboarding videos playing on the big screen all day, we didn’t want to leave! Des is always so entertaining to talk to as well!

Soon our tummies started grumbling, so we ventured off for some sandwiches at a café in the mall, which included some conversations and laughs that scared off the people from surrounding tables ha.

Thanks again to the support of our sponsors for this event:

Emerald Surf City –for the supply of tent/equipment/judges and first place prizes for each division! Yew! http://www.emeraldsurfcity.com/

Hive Swimwear -15% discount voucher for every competitor today http://www.hiveswimwear.com/

Treehugger Surf Wax –free (and all natural, and so sticky!) bodyboard wax for every competitor http://www.treehuggerwax.com/

Milkshakes Designs -20% discount on custom bodyboards for all WBA members http://www.milkshakesdesigns.com/

RESULTS:

1^st -Jayda Sharpe (Sutherland) –won a pair of Stealth fins

2^nd -Loren Collyer (Gerringong)

3^rd –Rani Head-Toussaint (Avalon)

1^st –Kate McAdam (Port Kembla) –won a Swarm bodyboard hoodie

2^nd –Kerry Head (Avalon)

3^rd –Julia Heasman (Seaforth)

4^th -Ali Kriz (Avoca)

AAA

1^st –Nicole Fleming (mobile in the van…) –won a pair of Dragon sunglasses

2^nd –Lilly Pollard (Gerringong)

3^rd –Jane Keel (Shoalhaven Heads)

4^th –Laura Verjbitsky (Cronulla)

Lilly Pollard

Jared Houston Fluidzone Interview

2011-05-23T09:17:00.003+10:00

Below is an interview between Doc from fluidzone.com and Jared Houston while Jerry is in Chile for the GSS Arica Challenge event. Make sure you check out the live webcast at ibaworldtour.com/live to watch the action at arguably the best event on the tour!!

Jared Houston is impressing everyone with his hard-core, gutsy surfing and his high-flying aerial skills. Jerry took time out from his Arica preparations to fill us in on where things are at.
Interview by Doc & Photos by fellow South African - Spex

FZ: Hey Jerry, You're in Arica at the moment, how is the vibe over there?

JH: Hey Doc! Yeah man been here for over a week now, heading on for two and it's been cool. The pace of life here is incredibly slow once your done surfing for the day at twelve when it goes onshore you pretty much just hang at your hotel until bedtime. My girl arrived today so all smiles.

You and fellow Saffa Mark McCarthy have been killing it this year, both currently holding 3rd and 4th on the world tour. How is it having a saffa mate to hang with on the tour?

JH: Yeah we're actually equal 3rd. Travelling with Mark is by far a highlight of the tour for me. He is a bit older and although he hates it he is kinda like a big brother to me and helps me out so much! He pushes me heaps and there is no bad competitve blood between us which is epic!

You're both supported by Emerald Surf City in Cronulla. Dessie spotted your talent early in the piece, spotting you before anyone else realised your potential. How much support has Emerald given you along the way?

JH: Ah man, lets just say Emerald surf city has had my back since day one, he actually originally thought I was a blatant kook but for some reason took me in anyway. No australian trip I do to this day would be possible without Dessie's support and Im so grateful to them, Emerald has been paramount in my success. In other words, literally impossible without them.

Arica is a pretty mean wave. You're known for pulling some pretty tech moves over dry reef. Is El Gringo a wave that makes even an air maniac like you think twice?

JH: El Gringo is the most dangerous wave on tour. I am incredibly scared to hit the left, but I am usually pretty scared whenever I hit any big or heavy section, it hasnt stopped me yet.

You're riding for Turbo Surf Designs on a Turbo 5. Are you on a stock board we can all get from the shops, or have you had a custom unit made up for your comps?

JH: This year Im actually riding the Turbo 5 limited edition which is a board Turbo and I came up with together. It's a sick shape, great colours and features a sweet deck contour as well as a unique three stringer system Kingy and I both use.
It hasnt been released yet but I'm pretty sure what I'm riding now you will be able to buy 'as is' in the shops. I have no problem riding stock boards with Turbo, they are always up to scratch.

What core are you running in Arica?

JH: PP. Same always, dow is just to weak and Im not a fan of 3D. PP kills - speed, projection, power. The only place I felt a bit uncomfortable on it was at Luna's last month. Challenging to say the least.

Board technology is taking a few steps up. How are you finding the boards are lasting these days, especially under your big landings, compared to a year or two ago?

JH: Man, I go through boards incredibly quickly, I don't know if it's the way I land or what but they just don't last. That being said, out of all the boards I have had, the ones I had last year each last a fair while longer than anything in the past 6 years. So far this year I'm off to a bad start with two snapped clean in a month, but you get that on these big jobs.

The world tour - how are you finding the locations, format, judging, points system and locations for the GSS?

JH: Im just so stoked and blessed to be a part of it all. Im loving it. The new format is harsh, but sick because you surf 3 times. It can go many different ways thoug, poor form and you get embarrassed three times, surf your heart out three times you could still lose, win three heats feel like the king of the world. It's good and interesting!

Sixty40 mag is going digital. Kelly, Gareth, Sampi, Damo and the fellas there have been putting out a great hard copy issue for years. How are your feelings about it going digi and what benefits do you reckon it will bring to the South African bodyboarding scene?

(note to you, the reader - if you haven't checkedthe latest 'Voyager' issue of Sixy40 online - do! But only if you like fresh waves, killah stories, crisp editing and talented graphic design of course...... )

JH: I have not had to much contact with the boys lately. At the end of the day its cheaper to make and free to read, but for me I love print, its just so prestigous. Im 100% behind their decision though, aslong as South Africans have some kind of mag then I'm stoked!

Give me five words to describe each of these Saffa characters:

Wattsy: heart. caring. good manners. driven. silent achiever.

Spex: knowledge. sensible. tech as hell.

Mac: annoying. hilarious. unselfish. deserving. thinker.

Rat: compulsive liar. driver. calculated. shreds.

Kelly: works hard for free. legend.
Gareth: quiet. heavy metal. warm. plett.

Sampi: jawline. spanish wife. designer. wedge. legend.

Damo: studies. smiles, relaxed. good mind.

Cobus Bosman: Intelligent. tequilla. honest. real. entertaining.

Al Taylor: quiet. calculated. hard worker. father

Pik: Good looks. heart. yes man. love.

Si: one of my biggest supporters, the man.

Saffas seem to be getting the recognition they always deserved these days. What are few reasons you think this is happening?

JH: They want it and they're prepared to work for it. Work ethic is a key, globalisation of bodyboarding is another. Australians' eyes have extended further than the South Coast for the first time in many years. There are very good bodyboarders out there.

One of the things we're always impressed with it that, no matter how successful or how hard you ride, Saffas never let it go to their head. You guys are always a pleasure to hang with, ride with, have dinner with. What is it that keeps you all so level headed and bloody real?

JH: Thanks Doc, I think it's just an appreciation of life and just how lucky we really are. SA is a great place to grow up in but it moulds you in ways that other countries don't. Australians (if I had grown up there I'd be the same) take a lot of things for granted that I particularly don't. Take for instance, riding public transport, that shit is cool man! I cant do that at home. I can't just cruise around with my ipod in my ears, my little brothers and sister couldnt just go to the park alone and play because you always have to expect the worst. It's not like your gonna get shot at every second or raped and pillaged by the minute, but that stuff happens, everyday. So when we are crusing the streets of some faraway place, following our dreams, I guess we seem cool and happy because we are, genuinely happy. I don't know, it's the only reason I could really think of besides we're just all legends! haha

Big wishes for the tour Jerry, thanks for your time man.
You can keep up with Jerry at his blog http://jaredhouston.tumblr.com/

Don't forget to check out FLUIDZONE.COM for more pics of Jerry in action!

Mysto Missions

2011-05-21T10:55:00.001+10:00

On Wednesday with the predicted south swell looking good for a couple of well known breaks down south, Rich Lornie teamed up with Shaun Pyne and Alex Leon to head down and see what they could find. Upon ariival at their chosen spot, they found that just about everyone else had the same idea where to surf, so instead of battling the crowds, they chose to surf a lesser known spot that they had heard might be firing. Check these framies from Lornie to see just how hard they scored, with only 5-6 guys in the water!!!

Alex Leon

Damien Martin

Shaun Pyne

Tau Whiu

Glen Thurston

Wednesday Waves

2011-05-21T10:14:00.002+10:00

The much anticipated long period south groundswell that had been predicted all week hit the East Coast on Wednesday. The crowds who had managed to wrangle a day off work/school headed on mass to any of their local south swell magnets. The light offshore winds meant that the swell was perfectly groomed, and waiting to unload itself onto any unsuspecting rock ledge in its way. While Shark Island is reasonably protected from a south swell, the long period of the swell meant that it wrapped around Bundeena headland and into the bay quite nicely. Sam Venn was on hand to capture the action before he headed off to school, but with 50-60 guys in the water, there was plenty for him to shoot. Below are a few of his shots for you to enjoy.

Azza Glossop deep on the knee

Kane Baker flying high

Wazza extending his time in Surge

Rosco sneaking into a bomb before opening Emerald

Thomas Bayley enjoying a round one

Sam Strachan putting his new board through its paces

Scotty Levitt in a bit of trouble

Rosco coming unstuck in a big way!

Azza putting on a DK show

Shark Island Challenge Trials Entry Forms

2011-05-20T12:40:00.003+10:00

The 2011 Brett Young Memorial Shark Island Trials - The Gate Way To The 2011 Shark Island Challenge.
The Deal: All competitors are to download and complete the attached entry and medical form. (Note: 64 Man Field; i.e. first 64 entries received).

Please Note: All competitors must sign entry form and applicants U/18 years of age must have entry form signed by Parent/Guardian. Any unsigned applications and/or applications without money or medical forms will not be accepted...

Entry Fee: All trials participants must pay $150 AUD to enter – confirmation of entry via email / contact number

Closing Date: Last entries 30th May 5pm - Beach Entries available only in first round if a paid competitor fails to turn up.

Information
Date: 2nd -5th June, (best swell day)
Time: 8am Start
Venue: Cronulla Point, Cronulla (event to moved to best location in Cronulla region)
Check-in: 6:30 am Cronulla Point or otherwise re-directed.

SIC 2011 promo clip

2011-05-20T12:30:00.000+10:00

Untitled from Fluidzone on Vimeo.

This short clip put together by SIC Contest Director Alex Leon in conjunction with the IBA shows just how beautiful and brutal the Island can truly be. This is the reason why the title of Shark Island Challenge Champion is coveted world wide. For your chance to win your way into the main event, be sure to hit http://www.riptidemag.com.au/images/stories/downloads/2011SIC_trial_entry_form.pdf and get your forms in quick smart!!!

Chout The World Sneak Peak

2011-05-17T14:40:00.001+10:00

Check out the short teaser that Lornie has released for his upcoming vid Chout the World. It is the second film for Rich Lornie, and looks to be an impressive follow up to his successful debut release CHOUT!

Chout! The World (Sneak Peak) from Chout Films on Vimeo.

Swell Times

2011-05-17T10:58:00.001+10:00

The incredible month of May has been producing the goods once again this year, with good waves almost every day since late April, there have been a lot of smiling faces, and tired sore bodies in the lineups around the state. The last few days have been no exception in the Cronulla area, with fun waves at several of the local breaks, which helps to spread the crows and keep happiness to a maximum. Good friend of Emerald, Big Rich has sent through a few shots of yesterday arvo and this morning. Check out these sweet juicy images!! Don't forget to check out more of his work at Robsonsvids on Flickr
Enjoy

Golden Arvo Glow

Azza Glossop

Rich Lornie

Jye Zappacosta

Shaun Pyne

Sam Strachan

Luke O'Connor

New rubber a must

2011-05-17T10:35:00.001+10:00

The weather has been cooling down very rapidly, and the water temperature is sure to head south very soon too. We now have a full range of Reeflex, Dunes and a bunch of Attica suits in store, with the new Zions due to land in the next week or two as well. There have been some massive improvements to the quality of most of the suits this year, so make sure you're toasty in the water this winter, with a top quality bodyboarding wetsuit!!! We currently have well over 100 winter suits in store, so there's sure to be one for you!

Jerry's Chile Warm Up

2011-05-17T10:05:00.001+10:00

"Mark Mccarthy and I have been in Arica, Chile for almost a whole week now, getting some practice in for the up coming event starting the 20th. I decided not to do Peru, because I felt that last year I was ill prepared for this event, especially in regards to picking the good lefts which offer the highest scoring potential!
I was invited(along with mccarthy) to go in the local contest held at el Gringo this weekend and I jumped at the oppurtunity to practice under contest conditions. The locals really surprised me from the Semi Finals onwards and some of the guys I really hope qaulify for ACC 2011 include Alan Mu`noz and another alan but im not sure of his surname!The guys rip! I ended up winning the event and got a sweet trophy so im pretty stoked, Alan and I were pretty tight in the final so I was stoked to come out on top! Cheers for having me!
Tommorow looks like the arrival of some swell so im itching to get some good waves and some more valuable practice!Well done to Sam Bennet and all the other competitors at the Peru comp, great job!"

The words of Jared Houston, on his preparations for the upcoming IBA Grand Slam event at Arica, Chile.

Jared Houston gets The Daily Frame

2011-05-13T15:44:00.001+10:00

Jerry managed to get himself a few decent waves on his brief visit to the east coast after the IBA Box comp, and managed to bust this invert that the boys at Fluidzone.com thought was worthy of their website's Daily Frame! Check it out, and check out their awesome site, for all things bodyboarding.

The run of swell continues...

2011-05-10T16:11:00.003+10:00

The last couple of weeks have seen a very fun run of swell in and around Cronulla. The weekend was no exception, and the forecast for the next week also looks quite promising! Saturday morning saw some very good direction, groomed swell out the island, with Surge absolutely on fire, and a few good ones from the peak as well. Although he arrived a bit late, Rich Lornie managed to catch a bunch of the action for us. Here are a few frame grabs from the Lorndog! Enjoy...

Ben Hall

Dave Ballard

Kane Cox

Rissole

Alex Leon

Andy Lester

Shaun Pyne

Luke O'Connor

Kane Cox

Shaun Pyne

Jared Houston Le BOOGIE Interview

2011-05-10T15:10:00.001+10:00

Earlier this week Jerry caught up with Le BOOGIE's Nick Perry for a quick interview while on his way to the airport... Check it out!

Jared Houston talks to Le BOOGIE Magazine from le BOOGIE on Vimeo.

Venn's View

2011-05-05T15:00:00.002+10:00

Monday and Tuesday morning were predicted to be the perfect size and direction swell and wind combination for Cronulla's infamous Shark Island to roar back into action. As it turned out, there was a bit too much north in the swell for the Island to be amazing. There were still plenty of punters ready to have a dig and run the gauntlet that is Shark Island.
Bundeena's Sam Venn was in the channel documenting all the action that went down before he had to scoot off to school. Sam is a budding young photographer, who seems to be improving at his chosen craft swiftly. Look out for some more images coming from Mr Venn's lens soon.
Thanks to Sam for providing us with these shots, a mixture from Monday and Tuesday.

Jack Baker

Ryan Hutt

Rosco

Glen Sullivan

Jeremy Wirth

Glen Sullivan

Josh Kaihe

Tuesday's Morning hello

Glen Thurston

Jared Houston

Josh Kaihe

Island Fun

2011-05-03T12:29:00.001+10:00

The last week has seen fun swell out Shark Island, most mornings and afternoons have had rideable waves. The swell has been up and down in size and yesterday morning provided some very east almost nor-east waves out there, for those who were keen to try their hand at pulling in.
Here are a few frame grabs from Chout Films' Richard Lornie, who was on hand to document all the action.

Andrew Lester

Shaun Pyne

Jared Houston

Keep an eye out for an upcoming new teaser for Rich's new vid Chout The World, the much anticipated sequel to his successful first DVD Chout.

Monday Morning Madness

2011-04-23T11:23:00.001+10:00

Early Monday morning we woke to a small fun swell out the island, brushed by light offshore winds. We got out there early, to try and get a few before the crowds, and be done in time to watch the Box comp. Due to school holidays, there were a lot of others with the same idea, and at one point it got to about 40-50 guys out there scrapping for waves. Photographer Sam Venn made the wise choice to leave his board at home and capture the craziness on film. You can check out all of his work on his blog at samvennphotography.tumblr.com.
Here are a few of his shots of the morning.

Ando

Damo

Des

Ross

Deano

Jimmy

Des

Emerald Team Dominates Box Event

2011-04-21T09:53:00.001+10:00

We would like to extend our biggest CONGRATULATIONS to Ryan Hardy, for his efforts in winning the IBA Box Pro in Margaret River WA yesterday! Hardy was the hometown favourite from the beginning, and dominated throughout the comp, winning every heat he surfed.

We would also like to congratulate team riders Jared Houston and Mark McCarthy, who both surfed extremely well throughout the event. Jared was beaten in the quarter finals by fellow team rider and countryman Mark McCarthy, who in turn was eliminated by team-mate Ryan Hardy in the semi finals.

This is the first time an Emerald Team rider has won a World Tour event, so there were celebrations all round, in the shop, where we had the event showing on the big screen, and as we understand, some very large celebrations went down at the local pub in Margaret River after the event!

So once again, well done to all the boys, who surfed very well in some testing conditions! For a full run-down of the event, check the posts below.