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Coffee with Bede

21 Sep

Bede Durbidge | Focused

With the 2011 Hurley Pro in town we got to spend some time with Bede Durbidge before the event started. Unfortunately the waves were meager on this particular day so we didn’t shoot any surf action; instead we just pounded some coffee and shot some lifestyles. Our main goal was to get some images of Bede in the new Killer Shark Tide for some upcoming ads in Surfer Magazine, Transworld Surf and Surfline. We can’t wait until the new Shark Collection is released to the public, and in particular the new Killer Shark Tide. We made a major upgrade to the bands, switching from Polyurethane to Silicone. The Silicone Bands are much softer and more comfortable than polyurethane, plus they resist fading and changing colors better than the previous models. Here are some outtakes of Coffee with Bede. He’s sporting the Killer Shark Tide in grey, due out by November 2011. Unfortunately, only a couple days after these photos were taken Bede lost out in the 2011 Hurley Pro due to lack of waves. He only needed a measly 5 point ride to advance and the ocean went flat on him. But Bede knows as well as anybody, that’s just the way contest surfing goes. You can bet Bede will come back with a vengeance during the European Leg of the WT. Speaking of the contest, how are Kelly Slater and Owen Wright making their 3rd Final in a row? It’s unbelievable, and their performance at trestles was mind blowing. Congrats to Kelly Slater for taking the win again. Enjoy. Coffee with Bede. www.sharkbrand.com

Bede Durbidge | Tools of the trade

Coffee with Bede

Bede Durbidge | Muffin Time

Bede Durbidge | Grubbing

Bede Durbidge | 2011 Hurley Pro Quiver

Bede Durbidge | Killing Time in the new Killer Shark Tide

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Categories Product, Surf, Watches, bede durbidge
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Cory Lopez Free Surfing Ballito

20 Sep

Cory Lopez captured in Ginger-Vision

You may remember the WQS early in the year at Ballito, South Africa in which the waves were pretty much as good as it gets for a contest. It was pumping; guys were getting shacked of their heads dropping 10’s like it was nothing. Cory Lopez was one of the guys who scored a perfect 10 in one of the early rounds before having a shocker and losing his very next heat. When all was said and done, it was Pat Gaduaskas taking the win over John John Florence. But this post is not about the contest, it’s about the incredible free surfing that went down in and around the contest before during and after. Here’s a video Cory Lopex from Blake Kueny aka Ginger-Vision. Clearly Cory is having more fun than a kid in a candy store on Ballito’s fun ramps and hollow sections. Damn good surf.

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Categories Cory Lopez, Surf, Video
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Surfing Hurricane Katia

14 Sep

Hurricane Katia | Danger Rip Currents

Continuing with our Fall 2011 Surf Expo review, we must also report we scored some fun waves courtesy of Hurricane Katia. Seeing the forecast for Katia looked promising I made the last minute decision to bring my trusty surfboard. Upon landing around 5pm on Tuesday, September 6th we grabbed a rental car and blasted the hour and a half drive to the coast. Unfortunately, the Katia swell was only just starting to show but on the other hand it was kind of a good thing as even a popular spot like Sebastian Inlet had next to no crowd. With only about 40 minutes of light remaining, I went for a paddle and Nick shot some of the sights.

On the road to Sebastian Inlet

Welcome to Sebastian Inlet

The best kind of crowd...light!

Some nuggets down the beach

Sebastian Inlet | 11 O'clock smack

Sebastian Inlet | The jetty that makes the wedge happen

Welcome to Florida

Sebastian Inlet | Creepy Weather

Sebastian Inlet | Daniel Guthrie

Sebastian Inlet | Small but fun

Little Sebastian Inlet Wedge

Sebastian Inlet | Wedging fun

Then back in the car for an hour and a half drive back to Orlando. We headed out for a late dinner and tried to catch some shut eye before doing it all over again. Up on less than 4 hours of sleep we powered back out to the Central Florida coast to see if Katia had stepped up her game. She definitely had, and we ended up surfing some spot in the Melbourne Beach area, no idea what it’s called. Amazingly, I surfed by myself in waves that would no doubt be crowded as heck in California. Not sure why, maybe it was the jelly fish that were stinging the heck out of me or maybe this was a sharky spot. To be honest, I almost had my hand bitten by a shark going after a fish at one point. Sketchy! Nonetheless, it was well worth a fun hours worth of surf before heading back to Surf Expo to finish setting up the booth. Of course, the next day when we didn’t have time to make the drive the surf was really pumping.

Hurricane Katia Swell | Somewhere in Melbourne Beach Florida

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Categories Surf
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Living Like a Kyuss King

25 Aug

Kyuss King - Making his mark.

Meet Kyuss King. Groms got game. Just saying. www.sharkbrand.com

Live Like A King from ZINGARI PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

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Categories Skate, Surf, Video
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Bede Durbidge and Cory Lopez Poster Signing Today

4 Aug

When: Today, Thursday August 4th 3pm – 5pm
Where: US Open of Surfing @ HSS and Jacks
What: Poster Signing with Bede Durbidge and Cory Lopez!

Stop by and meet Bede Durbidge and Cory Lopez today!

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Categories Cory Lopez, Events, Surf, bede durbidge
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2011 Nike US Open of Surfing Gallery 2

4 Aug

Good Morning HB!

Here’s a quick recap of yesterday early morning action at the 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing. Freestyle rider Bede Durbidge was up early for his heat and took top honors to move on to the next round. While the waves continue to be meager, the boys are making the most of it in hopes of surviving to the weekend when a decent swell from Hurricane Eugene is forecast to arrive. Best of luck to Bede in the rest of the event! www.freestyleusa.com

Bede Durbidge | HB Slop fest

Bede Durbidge | Doing Work

Bede Durbidge | Racking up some points

Bede Durbidge | Post Heat Interview

Pray for Surf

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Categories Events, Surf, bede durbidge
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2011 Nike US Open of Surfing Gallery 1

3 Aug

Cory Lopez | Setting the Shark Watch

With the 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing in full swing we headed down to check out some of the action and catch Cory Lopez in the first heat of the morning. While the waves on offer were weak and meager, the boys still put on an amazing show. With Cory being sponsored by Freestyle, we may be a bit biased, but he got robbed and lost out by .6 of a point. The backside reverse he pulled in the last minute of the heat was like hitting a 3 at the buzzer in basketball. It was clutch and he should have been awarded the points needed to move on. Regardless, he surfed really well and you can bet he’ll get them next time.

Cory Lopez | It's go time!

Cory Lopez | 7.33 for this air. Unfortunately, for a loosing cause.

Graffiti Girls | The US Open is not just about surfing anymore.

After the heat we headed down to Newport for a free surf and Cory put on an above the lip show in some pretty cruddy surf. It is ridiculous how fun he can make bad surf look. In fact, it should be illegal. Here’s a bunch of shots of the scene of the crime. www.freestyleusa.com

Cory Lopez | Gearing up to surf some Newport slop

Cory Lopez | Just another day at the office

The action on the beach was quite interesting too...

Cory Lopez | Lip Annihilation

Summertime and the living's easy

Cory Lopez | Fins Free Fun

Cory Lopez | Closeout Smash

Where there's beach, there's bikinis!

Cory Lopez | Spider Monkey

Cory Lopez | Look out below!

Cory Lopez | Surveying the slop

Bede Durbidge made a late appearance too. Unfortunately the surf had really gone to the pits by this time. But it was a good warm up for him.

Bede Durbidge | Durbo heading out for a practice sesh

Bede Durbidge | Off the Lip

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Categories Cory Lopez, Events, Surf, bede durbidge
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Caption Time Caption Contest

3 Aug

Leave a comment with a caption for this photo of Cory Lopez boosting in front of a bunch of onlookers. Best caption wins Cory’s signature watch, The Lopex III.

Cory Lopez | Houston, we have problem!

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Categories Caption Time, Cory Lopez, Surf
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2011 US Open of Surfing Preview

1 Aug

Anyone want to go to a party?

If you haven’t already been down to the circus like atmosphere of the 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing, it’s time for you to set aside some time to dive into all the hoopla. Here’s some images of what went down last year. While there are a million things going on from motocross to skate to BMX to live music to outrageous parties and rubbing elbows with all the great athletes and brands, at the heart of it all the event is still just a surfing competition. All the hype created by all the people on the beach just ads to excitement for the surfers in the water. Just ask Sage Erickson, as she explains in this video. Winning the US Open in front of thousands of people is an exhilarating experience and just makes you hungry to want to win again. While Sage is not competing in the Women’s Pro Jr. this year, she is battling it out in the Women’s division. Here’s to great event! www.freestyleusa.com

Will we see Sage Erickson #1 again?

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Categories Sage Erickson, Surf, Video
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This is why Kelly Slater might pull out of Jbay

12 Jul

Perfect Big Fiji or small Jbay? What will Kelly Slater do?

The internet is a buzz with reports that Kelly Slater is going to pull out of the Billabong Pro Jbay because the surf in Fiji is all time. Judging from this footage from Cloudbreak, what would you do?

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Categories Surf, Video
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Mini Grom Kaleb Kirshenbaum at Salt Creek

12 Jul

Mini Grom Kaleb Kirshenbaum attacking Salt Creek

Kaleb Kirshenbaum | Salt Creek Shred Sessions. Oh to be 8-years old again! If we could travel back in time it would be awesome to be able to rip like Kaleb Kirshenbaum. Kaleb recently came out to California from Florida and spent a bunch of time tearing into the fun waves at Salt Creek. Here’s an edit from his last couple days. Fun times! www.freestyleusa.com

kk @ the creek from todd kirshenbaum on Vimeo.

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Categories Surf, Video
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Anthony Walsh and the Wayne Webster Quad

11 Jul

Anthony Walsh | About to get shacked!

Anthony Walsh | Indo. Great surfers can ride just about anything in any conditions. Sometimes experiments go well, sometimes not so much. It can be easy to say for the sidelines that the board was too small, too big, to flat, too many fins not enough and so on and so on. But in this case, it’s clear that Anthony Walsh and this 5′7″ Wayne Webster Quad is a match made in heaven. As long as you consider heaven to be a heaving right slab in Indo, you’re on the same page as us. Watch and learn folks, this is how to ride the tube on your backhand with a little surfboard. www.freestyleusa.com

anthony walsh on a 5′7 quad fin in indo. from webster surfboards on Vimeo.

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Categories Surf, Video, anthony walsh
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How to take over Lower Trestles

21 Jun

Captain Barbosa's Raid on Lower Trestles

If you see these guys coming you have 2 options. You can either join them or run like heck in the opposite direction.

While this is not advised during an epic swell, this is how you take over Lower Trestles on a cheese breezin afternoon. If you see these guys coming, it’s probably just better to join them than to put up a fight. Aye! www.freestyleusa.com

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Categories Surf, Video
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2011 International Surfing Day

20 Jun

Daniel Shea | Boosting for 2011 ISD

Surf Watch | 2011 International Surfing Day in Newport Beach. Thank goodness for whoever thought up the idea of having an International Surfing Day. Just brilliant! Surfing is so much fun, why not have a day to celebrate it? We took advantage of 2011 ISD as well, and headed down to Newps to scope out the action. While the waves were pretty poor by most standards, there was no shortage of fun and radical action going down in the water. Here’s some snaps of 2011 International Surfing Day from 48th -52nd Streets in Newport Beach featuring Daniel Shea, Chase Wilson, Bobby Okvist and a bunch of other surfers enjoying the day. We hope, if surfing is your thing, that you were able to make the most of International Surfing Day too! Now get out there! www.freestyleusa.com

Beach cruising for International Surfing Day!

Bobby Okvist | Finning out on 2011 ISD

Chase Wilson | Flaring for 2011 ISD

Daniel Shea | Floating for Speed.

Chase Wilson | Floating for fun.

Token drop wallet for 2011 ISD

Chase Wilson | Busting for 2011 ISD.

International Surfing Day Cut Back.

Gone Surfing!

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Categories Surf
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Cory Lopez Interview on ESPN Action Sports

9 Jun

Exclusive Cory Lopez interview on ESPN.go.com/action

Espn Action Sports | Cory Lopez Interview | Scratching at the Door | June 2011 | It’s always nice to see a team rider get the lead story on an ESPN site. This time it’s Cory Lopez on espn.go.com/action (click image above for full interview and photos on ESPN.go.com), and he’s sharing his insights into the new pro tour and his thoughts on requalifying for the World Tour. We are proud to keep Cory on time for all his heats with his signature Lopex III Watch. Visit the watch shop to explore all the colorways of the Lopex III. When you have a guy like Cory Lopez testing you waterproof watches, you know they are going to get a serious water resistance test. Especially when he’s surfing heavy waves like Teahupoo or Pipe, if a watch claiming to be waterproof or water resistant holds up in those conditions, you know it’s going to perform well at your local beachbreak. Peep the video below for Cory Lopez conducting some serious Lopex III R&D at Teahupoo in 2006. Guys a legend. www.freestyleusa.com