hiya wa howa aswat

Redondo Beach, CA (January 22, 2014) – The official green light has been posted and the Body Glove Mavericks Invitational presented by GoPro is scheduled to run this Friday, January the 24th. Tune to the RedBullTV.com for live streaming of the contest as well as NBC Sports, which will air the event final, live.

“The magic of Mavericks is just around the corner. After a solid flurry of solid surf to start the week off, The Mavericks invitational will complete the cycle and run on Friday,” states Gary Linden, Commissioner for Big Wave World Tour. “This highly anticipated event is sure to be worth the wait and fortunately we will all have the opportunity to be involved, live webcast all day long.”

This one-day, invitation-only surfing competition is held at the legendary Mavericks surf break, which is known as one of the world’s most dangerous breaks on earth, located in northern California just north of Half Moon Bay. The Mavericks Festival will run simultaneously giving fans the opportunity to gather together, enjoy the weather, music, and refreshments and watch the action streaming live on the JumboTrons.
The winner of the Body Glove Mavericks Invitational will receive a two and a half foot handcrafted bronzed statue titled the “Waterman” that immortalizes Body Glove founders, Bob and Bill Meistrell as LA County Lifeguards in the 50’s.

“We are extremely proud and excited to have the opportunity to present this years winner the Bronzed Waterman Memorial Trophy,” says Robbie Meistrell, Body Glove International CEO. “We feel that the trophy is fitting for the event since it was created to memorialize my father, uncle and all past, present, and future watermen around the world.”

“Our team is excited to be working with Universal and Red Bull, two industry giants, to deliver an unprecedented big wave event. The waves at Mavericks present one of the most spectacular canvases in the world, and this year we will be streaming the legendary competition with a monumental production,” says Jay Johnson, Executive Producer of Body Glove Mavericks Invitational. “The Body Glove team brings 60 years of surfing history and production expertise to the game and GoPro will ensure we capture more unique angles than ever before, and they will be infused directly into the live show.

“The waves are looking promising for Friday, swells are predicted to be between 30-40 feet,” says Rocky Raynor, Mavericks CEO and President. “The weather looks great and I think that we are going to have a great event.”

The Red Bull Signature Series TV show will air shortly after the event, giving everyone a chance to relive the greatest moments from the competition. Six weeks after the contest a one-hour program on the Red Bull signature series will air on NBC.

Invited Surfers
Ryan Augenstein
Grant “Twiggy” Baker
Chris Bertish
Carlos Burle
Ken “Skindog” Collins
Shawn Dollar
Shane Dorian
Nathan Fletcher
Mark Healey
Rusty Long
Greg Long
Alex Martins
Peter Mel
Ryan Seelbach
Jamie Sterling
Anthony Tashnick
Grant Washburn
Dave Wassel
Ben Wilkinson
Zach Wormhoundt
Tyler Fox
Collin Dwyer
Nic Lamb
Kohl Christensen

Alternates
Frank Solomon
Shane Desmond
Kelly Slater
Tyler Smith
Danilo Couto
Derek Dunfee

About Body Glove:
Founded in 1953, Body Glove is a leading, worldwide water sports brand specializing in wetsuits, swimwear, clothing, footwear, accessories, and technology accessories. The company sponsors one of the most respected surf and wakeboard teams in the industry with such powerhouse names as pro surfers Jamie O’Brien, Cheyne Magnusson, Anthony Walsh, Alex Gray, Zeke Lau and Guinness World Record Holder Garrett McNamara and wake boarders Rusty Malinoski, Harley Clifford, Bob Soven and Jeff McKee.

 Body Glove and Jean-Michel Cousteau and his Ocean Futures Society have formed a legendary alliance to help preserve and protect the ocean while providing ocean and diving geared equipment to water enthusiasts around the globe. Some of the proceeds from the sale of those products go directly to Ocean Futures Society. Through Reef Check, SIMA’s environmental fund, and the Surfrider Foundation, Body Glove also works to preserve the purity of the waters it loves. Body Glove products are sold in the U.S. by a network of independent retailers. Body Glove is also sold in approximately 50 countries internationally.

One is a beacon of country club civility, the other a pursuit once relegated to society’s fringes. Though the two sports make unlikely bedfellows, surfers love golf. It’s nothing new. Legendary watermen Mike Diffenderfer, Mike Hynson, and Miki Dora were avid golfers. Their passion has left a legacy among a new generation like Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Bruce Irons, and three quarters of the ASP World Tour. But what do these two seemingly antithetical sports have in common?

“I think both offer a similar challenge,” says Pebble Beach Pro-Am competitor, Kelly Slater. “You might just do something you’ve never done on the next shot or hole.”

“I think the reason they go hand in hand is the sheer independence of being on your own,” says Kahuku Golf Team alumnus and one-time caddy for Adam Scott, Benji Weatherly. “You’re in your own world when you golf, and you’re in your own world when you surf.”

Alpha-golfer Ross Williams has a more practical theory: time and convenience. “There are a lot of good golf courses where we’re surfing,” says Williams. “We’re always waiting for the waves to get better. Golf’s a great way to kill time.”

All explanations seem plausible. But the connection might be deeper, especially since the same man dominates both sports.

“The best golfer in surfing is the best surfer,” says Benji Weatherly. “He’s the most focused. Kelly can float through a whole round and not even know it happened. If we had a competition and everyone had to play with a single handicap, Kelly would win every time.”

But Kelly attributes his golf addiction to the bonds he’s forged on the course. “You can literally break down any barriers with the people you play with,” says Slater. “I’ve spent some of the greatest times of my life with friends on the course talking about life. And it’s for everyone…you or I could play against Tiger and have a shot. And although it’s not the same freedom and instincts of surfing and being in the ocean, it’s one of life’s great challenges.”

The latest hi-tech toy in the world of imaging is the drone. In essence a radio controlled multi-propped helicopter thing. Now there’s different levels of drone from the top of the line many thousand of pound units as used by Timmy Boydell here in Kernow and the £400 Phantom off Amazon which you can slap a GoPro on. Whichever system it is it’s allowing us that rare aerial view of the world that was previously limited to photographers ponying up the big cash to rent a helicopter. The plus side being the downdraft from a drone is negligible as opposed to a proper heli which really get on the surfers’ wicks.

Sitting here on the southern end of the Gold Coast, we’ve spent the past month gazing towards the horizon, longing to carouse on the side of sunsets, the West Coast. Y’see, it’s been pumping over there, and uh… less than, here.

Just to get a little taste, we rang up Taj to see what’s been on his cards since Hawaii, and what we can look forward to this season. As luck would have it, he’s got his eye on the prize. It’s Title time, baby!

Hey Taj, what’s up?
Nothing. Just about to go to the dentist.

Root canal?
No way!

Phew. How’s your off-season been?
It’s been really good. I got back from Hawaii about December 20^th and have been at home settling in ever since, hanging out with family and friends. Been eating a bunch of food and have had some good nights out and a bunch of good surf. It’s been a really packed with swell over here, it hasn’t been under about 4ft since I’ve been back. It’s been a great summer, with waves right out the front of my house.
It was a really successful season and today I’m just starting to get my life back on track… get my emails done and organize for the next year, or this year I guess it is. Sure comes around quickly.

What’s on deck for next year?

I’m really looking forward to next year. I spoke to my trainer Johnny Gannon, my trainer, the other day and we were just talking about how we don’t want to go through the New Year putting in a half-assed effort. I want to really prepare myself and have a good crack at winning the World Title, because I mean, because I can. That opportunity won’t stick around forever. We’re gonna get down to it and start training. I’m scared, but you know. He works me hard but is smart about it, nothing too hectic.

ur staff photographer, Shieldsy, also spent some quality time with Taj this season in Hawaii.

Doing anything different?

I have a couple minor things going on but nothing really to report on. I’m just gonna be serious about it. Have fun, of course, but be really serious at the same time.

Speaking of fun, what’d you get up to for New Years?
Quite a few people around here really like to party, basically all my friends. So every New Years I’ve always thrown some sort of pool party at my house, but it’s always definitely a bit stressful. You’re always worried about how much damage is going to get done and, like I said, my friends can get pretty wild. So I was a bit nervous coming into this year about what was gonna happen, and no one else was really keen to throw a party. But then, fortunately for me, my nextdoor neighbors said, ‘Yeah! We’ll have a party!’ Couldn’t have been better. So yeah, I basically went round there and made a mess of their house then came down to a clean house. It was pretty nice.

Any trips planned before the season starts?
I’ve had a few opportunities, but nothing yet. There’s one I always do, I always take my dad on a trip somewhere in the South Pacific and I don’t know if I’m going to fit it in this year. If a swell pops up, I might go for a few days. But I think I’m just gonna sit put and train for the time being.

And that's a wrap, folks!

Shaun White has been confirmed in two snowboarding events, at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, in Russia. The famous snow rider is also a regular surfer, but when he was only seven, a frightening wipeout almost changed everything.

Snowboarding is gaining momentum. Unlike surfing, the winter board sport has been building its own space in the Olympic movement. In the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, snowboarders will compete in five events: parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, snowboard cross, half-pipe and slopestyle.

Shaun White, 27, is perhaps one of the most popular snowboarders in the world. He stole two Olympic gold medals, and holds the X-Games record for gold medals and highest overall medal count.

His impressive career has always had a dual path. Skateboarding pushed snowboarding, and vice-versa. With the helping hand of Tony Hawk, White's outstanding skills in the board sports arena never stopped collecting titles, awards and accolades.

The mountain man, the challenger of the snowy slopes, the "Flying Tomato" has a special interest in surfing. After buying a $3.85 million dream house in Encinitas, California, Shaun White is sometimes spotted duck diving his long red hair under the local white waters.
Interestingly, Shaun White was supposed to be a pro surfer. He's named Shaun after the South African surfing legend Shaun Tomson. White's father wanted him to be a surfer, but a frightening experience, when he was only 7, kept him out of the waves.

"The day I actually first surfed, my dad got me a hard board and I'll never forget because it had the Tasmanian devil on the front", reveals White.

"They sent me down a giant wave, and I just got tumbled immediately; came up for air, couldn't get it, tumbled again, got tumbled, swirled again. I came up, finally got air, and right as I did the board hit me in the face".

"I'm bleeding, and I'm sitting there like, 'I hate you. I'm never doing this again. This isn’t going down anymore".

Although his wave riding talent is not enough for a future pro surfing career, the truth is Shaun White has been influencing surfing and surfers with his snowboarding/skateboarding creativity.

Back to back double corks (snowboarding), frontside heelflip 540 body varial, and a cab 7 melon grab (skateboarding) are a few examples of how the San Diego extreme sportsman has been pushing surfers to the new frontiers.


Surfers will be taking notes of Shaun White's air assaults during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, between 7th-23rd February, in the Russian icy landscapes.

GoPro: Shaun White Backyard Surf Sessions