hiya wa howa aswat

Gabriel Medina, Kolohe Andino, Nat Young and Michel Bourez are in the semifinals of the Fiji Pro 2014.

It was an intense day of action, at Cloudbreak, getting the most of the three-to-five foot (1 - 1.5 metre) surf on offer in Tavarua. Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater fell in the quarterfinals.

In one of the most exciting heats of the season, standout Michel Bourez met Kelly Slater. Bourez was the first to register a noteworthy score and back it up. Slater was left with low scores and swapped surfboards in the hopes of bridging the score gap, but he was unable to find the scores needed. Bourez becomes only the fifth person ever to beat Slater in a man-on-man heat at Cloudbreak.

"I thought Kelly would win and when I knew that I was going to surf against him, I was really excited. To have a chance to surf against the best guy out here is a chance for me," says Michel Bourez.

Nat Young busy chose some medium sized waves to take the lead while Fanning waited until the 18-minute mark before posting any scores. The Californian extended his lead and Fanning tried to fight back, but was unable to the find the waves he needed. Young moves ahead to the semifinals where he will face Bourez.
"The goal is to win the Final but you've to take it heat-by-heat. I'm stoked that I get to surf on the final day tomorrow in the Semifinals, and I hope the waves will be fun," says Young.

John John Florence and Gabriel Medina faced off in inconsistent conditions at Cloudbreak in the third Quarterfinal. The Hawaiian got on the board first, connecting a series of backhand turns. Medina waited nearly 10 minutes to find his first ride but the Brazilian soon found his rhythm, adding a 7.37 to leave Florence searching for a score that never came.

"I felt good and John John is always a tough guy to beat. We've already had some good battles with each other and he's one of my favorite surfers, so that felt good. It's always good to be up there at the top of the ratings and this was a good result but I'm focused on my surfing and having fun," explains Medina.

Fiji Pro 2014 Quarterfinal Results:
Quarterfinal 1: Nat Young (USA) 14.27 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 7.50
Quarterfinal 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.33 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 8.90
Quarterfinal 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.20 def. John John Florence (HAW) 6.34
Quarterfinal 4: Kolohe Andino (USA) 18.36 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.93

Fiji Pro 2014 Semifinal Match-ups:

Semifinal 1: Nat Young (USA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Semifinal 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)

The video, which shows several black swans repeatedly catching waves as curious beachgoers look on, was uploaded to YouTube by Channel Nine on Friday and has been picked up by major media outlets around the world including Live Leak and Grind TV.

The YouTube video has been viewed more than 20,000 times while Queensland's Nine News Executive Producer Cullen Robinson said it had been viewed another 75,000 times on their website, been shared 11,000 times from the Ninemsn website and was 'liked' 10,000 times.


"The footage is amazing and so unusual. We were excited to share it with Nine's audience and now the world," he said.

Local man Kelvin Mills shot the video and said he'd never seen swans at Kirra before, let alone ones that were surfing.


`We see Mick Fanning and others and Kelly Slater but not four black swans,'' he told Nine News.

Hawaii

Let’s not pretend that the insane non-stop wave generating elephant isn’t sitting in the corner. Hawaii is the Mecca of surfing, the hallowed center of the wave riding world. Besides being universally recognized as the motherland of our sport, Hawaii has served for decades as the ultimate proving ground for both professional surfers and big wave thrill seekers. With over 800 miles of coastline along its four largest islands (Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu, and Maui) and a temperate climate all year round, it's an obvious attraction for beach goers, but add massive swells from the North Pacific that arrive right on schedule each winter and clean South Pacific waves that glide in each summer, you've got the center of the surfing universe.

As far as waves are concerned, the only question you need answered when traveling to Hawaii is when, not if. More importantly, you might want to know, “Will it get too big?” You will get waves in Hawaii, but be careful what you ask for when the buoys hit 25 feet and you find yourself searching for a mellow nook on the opposite side of the island to stay safe from open ocean sneaker sets that will put a gray streak in your hair and a load in your pants. There is nowhere in the world like Hawaii for a surfer.

Indonesia

Since the 60’s, Indonesia has been a target for Australians surfers. But with some 1,700 islands and a wide open swell window facing out to the Indian Ocean, Indo’s vast reef network, warm tropical climate, and rich local culture have enticed several generations of surfers to explore ever deeper and ever farther out to the surfing frontiers of the region. Bali, Java, G-Land, and Sumatra and the Mentawais have all become synonymous with magazine spreads and epic boat trips that make for the wettest of all surf dreams.

It’s a pretty expensive and extensive trip for most surfers (Aussies have it a bit easier than most), but the surf makes the travel factor all worthwhile. The waves in indo can get big, but an average day can accommodate intermediate surfers as well. Crowds have become a factor in recent years, but surf forecasting and unimaginable Google mapping of the region have given surfers many options for exploring new wave fields.

Maldives

As a surf destination, the islands and atolls of the Maldives were discovered by a couple wayward Aussies on their way to Africa. The waves are perfect, the islands are remote, and the possibilities are endless. Billed as mellow perfection for intermediate surfers, the main waves can get populated by ever growing surf resort and charter companies, but the vast field of play includes some 1200 islands and 26 atolls that offer even the moderately inspired surfer to go one better and find a little slice of solitude.

Tahiti

The island of Tahiti is a paradise. And I don’t use that term loosely. A sub-tropical swell magnet packed full of reef passes and shallow slabs that offer serious barrels for serious surfers. While there are some novice nooks available, the bulk of Tahiti’s allure comes from heavy South Pacific drainers like Teahupoo. For traveling surfers, Tahiti is expensive, but the culture and surf more than make up for the prices. From October to March, you can expect small but consistent waves, but the South Pacific lights up from April to September.

Australia

Australia has become the world’s most powerful force in surfing. A land once ruled by its aboriginal population and seen as a haven for criminals and pirates, the continent is perfectly suited for wave riding as its location places it square in the path of the planet’s most powerful and consistent surf energy.
A rich and storied surf history and world class waves have cultivated a veritable surf star breeding ground. Lineups run deep with talent and the waves are relentless. A laundry list of classic waves like Snapper Rocks, Kirra, Margaret River, Bells Beach, Lennox head, and …the list is almost endless (if that’s possible).

Raimana Van Bastolaer at Teahupo‘o

May 2005

Photo by Brian Bielmann
Widely regarded as the heaviest wave in the world, Teahupo‘o, on the idyllic island of Tahiti, has seen its fair share of shocking wipeouts, but none generated the shock and awe quite like the time pro surfers Reef McIntosh and Raimana Van Bastolaer teamed up to tow into some big waves at the fabled surf spot. Reef McIntosh explains what went wrong…

“I went down there for a big swell and met up with Raimana at dawn. He was like, ‘Hey, Reef, drive the ski out there,’ and I was like, ‘Sure, no problem!’ Anyone can drive a Jet Ski in a lagoon. So I drive it out to the lineup and there’s Brock Little towing Shane Dorian into a wave. Seeing those guys, Raimana got all excited, but his usual driver, Arsene, wasn’t there; he was late or something. So Raimana says to me, ‘Hey, put the tow rope on the back of the ski.’ I knew how to put the rope onto it, so I was like, ‘Sure!’ Then he jumps into the water and says, ‘Let’s go!’

“I started looking around, thinking, ‘Is someone supposed to be jumping on this Jet Ski?’ Then I’m like, ‘Are you talking to me?’ He says, ‘Exactly, brother!’ I’m like, ‘You’re crazy! I don’t know how to drive it!’ Then he says, ‘No, brother, you can drive it! You got this!’ I kept saying ‘No, no, no. I can’t!’
“That went on for a while, then I’m like, ‘Okay fine, let’s go!’ So we head out there and I got him into a couple waves; I was getting more comfortable and thinking to myself, ‘Maybe I can do this…’ Then he sees that wave [pictured] and says, ‘Go! Go!’ So I went, he let go of the rope, and…

“So there was, like, a chop on top of the wave; it was kind of stormy and crossed up, making these little waves on top of the waves. So as I’m looking down at him I felt the wave pick the ski up, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gliding on this thing with no control!’ People were saying that I should have turned and gassed it out the back, but I’d never been in that position before; I’d never really driven a Jet Ski in surf at all! So once I felt that the wave had me and the ski, I just ejected out the back to save myself, all the while praying that the ski would go over Raimana and not tumble down the face onto him.


“Once I popped up, I was just praying that I’d see him kick out into the channel; that’s all that mattered to me. Once I saw him do so, I was so relieved. After that I just had to deal with a bruised ego and a lot of embarrassment. Andy Irons was in the channel, and he was like, ‘You shouldn’t have been out there,’ and I was like, ‘I know!’ It was in Sports Illustrated, the “[Late Night with David]Letterman” show, “Good Morning America”; that shit was everywhere! I can look back on it now and laugh, and once I saw Raimana, I was like, ‘I told you I couldn’t f–kin’ drive!’”

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There is a lot of debate between those who are into surfing and those who are into bodyboarding about which one is better. One of the reasons why there is so much debate is because one is more glamorized then the other. Surfing is something you see on TV at times, it is something you have seen on popular television shows. You really do not hear much about bodyboarding . There are also competitions that take place during certain times of the year in places like Hawaii, where surfing is brought to the forefront again. Once again this gives an edge to surfing over bodyboarding.

Which one is better?
Determining which one is better is actually quite difficult and it’s going to be a matter of personal opinion. The reality is that each one has its pros and cons. For instance, if you are someone who is just starting out in the water and you are uncomfortable and nervous about it, then bodyboarding is a good starter for you. Bodyboarding is going to teach you how to ride the waves perfectly so you can get over the intimidation factor the ocean presents. Bodyboarding also is much easier and takes far less time to learn than surfing.

What does this mean?
Someone who has reserves about going in the ocean may feel more comfortable with bodyboarding long-term. Instead of going on to surfing they may decide to keep honing their skills at bodyboarding until they are an expert at that. But if surfing is seen as being the next step, such a person may still be looked down upon by those who are expert surfers. Surfers see themselves as being more skilled, because they have the skills of the bodyboarder in most cases and they also have good surfing skills.

Surfing
When it comes to surfing, it is said to be better because different variations can be done while taking part in it. You can bend down, stand up, and do all types of other tricks when you are surfing. Bodyboarding does not offer the same advantage. One reason why some people may prefer body boarding over surfing even still is because they may have injuries that prevent them from maneuvering the way they need to on a surfboard. Seeing as how they are not able to ride it the way they need to, bodyboarding affords them the chance to still enjoy the ocean waves even if they are hurt.

Bodyboarding
Bodyboarding is seen by those who are serious surfers as being something only enjoyed by those who are either less skilled, or simply too afraid to try full-fledged surfing. But is this true? Most of the time those who are serious about bodyboarding genuinely have more fun doing it than surfing. They may be able to do more with bodyboarding than what they would surfing. Also, there is far less chances of falling off with bodyboarding rather than surfing. This offers a sense of assurance with those who do not want to keep falling into the water or may be intimidated by really big waves.

The reality is that bodyboarding and surfing are both two really good sports to be involved in. Each offers the individual a chance to express themselves in different ways, from everything to the clothes they might wear, to the design of bodyboard or surf board they might have. If the body boarders see themselves as outcasts, then this role is to be embraced. Surfers who see themselves as being superior can engage in friendly competition amongst the bodyboarders. Some pretty good rivalries have been created this way.