"Surf Champ": the best pinball surfing machine of all time


"Surf Champ" was one of the first arcade surfing games ever. The pinball machine was built by D. Gottlieb & Co., in 1976.

In professional surfing, 1976 was the year of Peter Townend. The Australian secured the only world title of his career, in the newly-created International Professional Surfers (IPS) circuit.

In the entertainment world, the introduction of microprocessors brought pinball into the realm of electronic gaming. Digital sound effects, speech, and complex rules were getting into these coin-operated machines.
"Surf Champ" is widely considered the best pinball surfing game of all time. The official record says the production reached a total of 1070 units, but serial numbers of "Surf Champ" compiled by fans indicate that over 4000 machines were manufactured.

The electro-mechanical structure featured flippers, pop bumpers, slingshots, star rollovers, five-bank drop targets, one kick-out hole, and one spinning target.


The pinball surfing game had a maximum display score of 99,990 points, and three chimes. The "Surf Champ" model was designed by Ed Krynski, and the artwork was a creation of Gordon Morison.


"Surf Queens" (1946), "Surf Club" (1954), "Surf Rider" (1956), "Surf Side" (1967), "Surfers" (1967), "Surf Champ" and "Surfer" (1976), "Surfing" (1972), and "Surf 'n Safari" (1991), are some of the most important pinball surfing machines ever produced.
Between 1929 and 1996, D. Gottlieb & Co. released 624 different pinball machines. Their most popular arcade game was "Baffle Ball" (1931).

The Best Surf Towns For People Who Don't Actually Surf


Surfing is admirable as a sport and all -- but when we hit the waves, we're really just in it for the tan lines and congratulatory burrito (shh, don't tell).

Some surf towns are known for their big breaks, but these getaways also happen to have "gnarly" nightlife, shopping, sweets and culture. They're totally worth the trip, even if you never set foot on the surfboard. Paddle on in!

THE FOODIE SURF TOWN:
San Sebastian, Spain

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Just a few simple beaches make this surf town manageable -- but you'll stay for the pinxtos. San Sebastian's signature dish is just a little snack, typically stuck onto a slice of bread with a toothpick. This means you can pop into dozens of bars before you get full. Visit in film festival season to see Javier Bardem on the cobblestone streets, and hike Monte Urgull for a sunset you'll never forget.

THE WOODSY SURF TOWN:
Tofino, Canada

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Who wants to wake up at a bed and breakfast in the forest before hitting the spa, day-tripping to hot springs and watching whales and sea otters? You, that's who. Tofino may be Canada's surf capital, but going in the water is too chilly for anyone who's not a fanatic. Rugged, damp, and woodsy, Tofino is the perfect place to stand-up paddle on the smooth-as-glass sound, then bundle up, grab a coffee, and spot for black bears near the rocks.

THE RETRO SURF TOWN:
Santa Cruz, California

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While some boardwalks get seedy over time, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has modern comforts (hello, concerts on the sand and chocolate-covered bacon!) and all the classics (a wooden coaster from the '20s, and the old-school sky ride). The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum will make you feel like you've checked the sport off your bucket list... then you're free to bike West Cliff Drive and meet the "groms" for a post-surf slice at Pizza My Heart.

THE ARTSY SURF TOWN:
Todos Santos, Mexico

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They call this "unspoiled Mexico," aka one paradise the tourists haven't wrecked yet. Browse the colorful art galleries near Plaza Centenario to feel like a bohemian hipster. Bodegas full of wine, adobe alleyways and hidden beaches make this a romantic spot to wait while your buddies finish on the waves.

THE SWANKY SURF TOWN:
Pacific Palisades, California

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Malibu's ritzy little sister isn't quite so full of Barbie lookalikes. This is beachside glamor at its most authentic: Jennifer Garner and Adam Sandler hang out here, as downtown is a manageable little mashup of bakeries, sidewalk pizza joints and frozen yogurt shops. The Getty Villa doesn't scream for attention, either: tucked on a cliff right off PCH, it turns out to be a sprawling coastal mansion full of ancient statues and gurgling fountains. Who said anything about surfing?

THE SPORTY SURF TOWN:
Paia, Hawaii

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Paia is one of the least touristy towns you'll find on Maui (and with less tourists come more famous people). If you're not a surfer but still adventurous, try windsurfing, Paia's signature sport. You'll probably get a glimpse of Laird Hamilton's abs while you're at it. With no big resort in sight, everything here is more low-key: Willie Nelson has been known to drop into the local saloon, and nobody even asks for a photo.

THE PARTY SURF TOWN:
Florianópolis, Brazil

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With no less than 42 beaches, "Floripa" is the ultimate South American surf town. Kelly Slater even took the stage with his guitar at a local bar after he won a world title here in 2005. But from English pubs to sidewalk bars to the revamped colonial villa where big-time DJs play, you will find plenty to keep you busy hours past a surfer's bedtime.

THE ZEN SURF TOWN:
Nosara, Costa Rica

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Playa Guiones is the most surf-able of Nosara's beaches -- hit Playa Garza to explore a chill fishing village and Playa Pelada if you're into rugged hikes. Nosara is where your soul will float back down to Earth, whether with open-air yoga and a smoothie at The Harmony Hotel or frolicking among howler monkeys in the biological reserve.

THE CITY KID'S SURF TOWN:
Montauk, New York

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Who knows if you can even call this a "surf town" anymore -- it's officially joined the Hamptons hype scene, and there's no going back. But Montauk, waaay at the end of Long Island and an afterthought to the more glamorous Hamptons, has plenty of laid-back pockets amidst all the gourmet lobster shacks. A trip to the lighthouse will start your day off with class, but come noon it's time for drinks and tunes on the Sloppy Tuna dance floor... ahem, patio.

THE BACKPACKER'S SURF TOWN:
Montañita, Ecuador

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Montañita's style is best defined as straight-up Rasta. Its full moon party is legendary, but not as tacky as the ones in Thailand. Surf camps and hostel shacks are easy places to crash between nights of bar hopping (and everything's walkable).

THE "CAN I JUST STAY FOREVER?!" SURF TOWN:
Byron Bay, Australia

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For somewhere so beautiful, Byron Bay is impressively small town-ish. If seven pretty beaches don't call to you, maybe the pretty boutiques will (they're Vogue-approved, after all). The local farmers' market is an authentic hangout, as are the bungalow-style cafes and old-school cinema house
with indie films. ...but really, just go to the beach.

5 Unexpected Surf Destinations For The Adventurous Shredder

Not all surf trips are sand, sunshine and small islands. Die-hard surfers will shred anywhere there's flowing water and a decent wave -- even if that means braving below-freezing temperatures or fighting the upstream current of a river.

In fact, some of the world's best surf spots force adventurers past icebergs or through war-stricken deserts just for the thrill of a perfect peeling wave. And we don't blame them. After all, not all surfers are on a strict sun and beach diet.

Case and point? Check out the below 5 off-the-grid destinations:

1. Yakutat, Alaska



Alaska has 33,000 miles of cold coastline and this small town with a population of roughly 700 people is known as Surf City, Alaska, or -- to locals and big wave surfers-- "The Far North Shore." When the swell is just right, the surf reaches more than 20 feet, but you have to trek across the snow and the unforgivably rocky shoreline before ever reaching the water.

Once you get there -- if you can handle the temperatures -- it is so worth it. Chilling breezes and even colder water keeps the lineups empty. When in you're in town, don't forget to visit Alaska's first (and the town's only) surf shop, Icy Waves.

2. Gaza Strip

Surprised? Yeah, we were too. But apparently, in the past decade, this politically tumultuous slice of the middle east has developed a small surf community, bringing a temporary escape for many who live there via the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. Al Deira beach is a popular spot for local surfers and, according to WannaSurf.com, is best when the swell is breaking over the reef at three feet.

Getting to the Gaza Strip is a journey of its own. Security around the border is extremely tight with no shortage of barbed wire fences, walls and roadblocks to monitor your every move. If you add this destination to your surfing bucket list, take note: visiting the Gaza Strip is difficult and can be very dangerous and most countries advise against it.


3. Qiantang River, China a.k.a. The Silver Dragon




Imagine a river the color of milk chocolate swirling a quick-moving wave miles through a city. It may sound like a surfer's Willy Wonka-themed dream, but it's the freak wave at Qiantang River. The wave is actually a tidal bore, which forms when the incoming tide from Hangzhou Bay is funneled into the river, creating the long breaking wave locals call "The Silver Dragon."

According to National Geographic, the wave can reach almost 30 feet and travel at a speed of 25 miles per hour. For most onlookers, the wave, which occurs with every full moon but is strongest in the fall, looks like a freak of nature. For surfers, however, it is a dream come true. The river hosts the Red Bull Qiangtang Shoot Out, where teams of surfers are towed into the fast moving dragon, making it one of the craziest and most unique surfing contests on the planet.

4. Tanker Surfing, Texas


Texas may be famous for BBQ, football, and oil, but it's not exactly known for its surf environment. Thankfully, determined surfers in the Lone Star State discovered tanker surfing: riding the wave left behind by massive moving tanker ships.

While tanker waves are decent at best, they can go on for miles, giving wave-starved surfers exactly what they've been itching for. According to ESPN and echoed throughout surf blogs, the best tanker surf spots are kept hush-hush, but the most known wave is at Galveston Bay. For a price, Texas surf tour companies like Tanker Surf Charters will find those perfect man-made waves for you.

5. Antarctica


When the water can literally freeze you to death, we have to wonder: is catching a wave really worth it? If you're big wave surfer Ramón Navarro, the answer is always yes.

Antarctica was only recently recognized as a surf spot when Navarro and Patagonia surf ambassador Dan Malloy ventured to the South Shetland Islands in the Arctic for a Red Bull-funded surf trip. While their two-week trip produced less-than-ideal conditions, Navarro and Malloy unearthed a new challenge for extreme surfers. Are you brave enough to take your surfing to polar levels?

Where's the craziest/scariest/most extreme place you've ever surfed? Let us know in the comments section below!

‘The Bomb’ – Chile’s JC Lombardi blows up!

Wow. We knew Chile had good waves and a certain amount of talent, but this vid is pretty nuts!
One of the most popular surfers from Chile: JC Lombardi. We are just going to call him ‘The Bomb’ cos he just blew the doors off this one!
Song: Flume – Left Alone



Surfers Rescue 24/7 transforms wave riders into lifesavers


Surfing NSW, with the support of the New South Wales authorities, are giving all surfers in the region the opportunity to do a free Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Board Rescue Course.

Surfers are on the beach from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. A lot of them are responsible for hundreds of thousands of unsung rescues. In conjunction with pro surfers, who are currently working as lifeguards, Surfing NSW have identified board rescue techniques that may prove to be crucial in times of need.
Any competent surfer - from recreational grassroots boardrider to professional surfers of every disciple of surfing - all are welcome to participate in Surfers Rescue 24/7.

The Surfers Rescue 24/7 program consists of one and a half hours of nationally accredited CPR course, and one hour of board rescue techniques. Hopefully, you will never have to use it, but if found in a tough situation, it may just save a life.

"Recognising the enormous contribution that recreational surfers make to water safety on a daily basis in New South Wales is a great message to send to our group," underlines Kelly Slater, Surfers Rescue 24/7 ambassador.

"What better way to make the ocean safer than having people who know what's going on happening in the ocean, skilled up to save someone who may be in trouble," states Laird Hamilton.


"There's nothing like feeling helpless in the ocean, so if Surfers Rescue 24/7 helps so that people don't have that feeling, then it's definitely a good thing. I've saved a lot of people who've been in trouble in my time, and I think all surfers feel a bit of responsibility to look out for others in the ocean."

How to build a GoPro mouth mount


Professional big wave surfer Mark Healey teaches us how to take a GoPro head strap mount and turn it into a bite plate without cutting anything.

Simple, easy and very useful. A GoPro mouth mount captures stunning footage, in point-of-view mode. It's a great way of reliving the greatest surfing moments of your life. If you can also impress friends and family, then great.

"There's a few things that you're going to need. One is neoprene tape. You can find this at any hardware store. You can just cut an old wetsuit or just find something soft, so it's not so hard on your teeth. You're going to need scissors and electrical tape." explains Healey.

Start by taking the head strap apart. You don't have to cut anything, just slip the straps right off. You'll only need the plastic mount.

Now, roughly measure the neoprene tape and cut it. Wrap it around the plastic mount, and make sure it's stuck on there good. Then you're ready for electrical tape. A couple wraps of tape and you're ready to hit the waves.

As you can see, with neoprene, tape, and a few simple alterations, you can make a fully functioning bite mount with no harm done to your original head strap.


Get the GoPro Hero3+, a head strap mount, and a floaty backdoor. Enjoy life.

The Best Father's Day Surf Gift

Great electronics gift ideas for Dad. Father's Day 2014 is Sunday, June 15.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Smartphone



Introducing the Samsung Galaxy S5, loaded with fingerprint access, built-in heart monitor, and a 16 MP camera that captures split-second shots. With 4G LTE speed, this Android-powered 2.5 GHz phone from Sprint lets Dad stream in record time, bringing movies and games to life on the 5.1-inch HD display.

GoPro HERO3+: Black Edition with SanDisk Extreme 16GB microSDHC Memory Card

  • 20% smaller and lighter housing (waterproof to 131'/40m)
  • 33% improved image sharpness and reduced distortion
  • Faster built in Wi-Fi for enhanced connectivity to the Wi-Fi Remote (included) and GoPro App
  • Super View video mode captures the world"s most immersive wide angle perspective
  • 30% longer battery life


Smart TV - brighter than ever.

With built-in Wi-Fi, this 55-inch smart TV lets Dad easily stream movies, shows, and games in Full HD with crisp 1080p resolution. LED backlighting delivers brilliant colors and exceptional clarity. Plus, LG's intuitive WebOS means less time navigating and more time enjoying premium entertainment.



Classic style. Incredible sound.
Inspire Dad's inner rock star. Modeled after the legendary ES-335, the Epiphone Dot delivers the same warm, rich tone on an amateur musician's budget. This semi-hollow electric guitar features Alnico Classic humbucker pickups, mahogany neck, and laminated maple body in vintage starburst.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Zoom Lens & EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens + 11pc Bundle 16GB Deluxe Accessory Kit



The History of Surfing



Matt Warshaw knows more about surfing than any other person on the planet. After five years of research and writing, Warshaw has crafted an unprecedented history of the sport and the culture it has spawned. At nearly 500 pages, with 250,000 words and more than 250 rare photographs, The History of Surfing reveals and defines this sport with a voice that is authoritative, funny, and wholly original. The obsessive nature of this endeavor is matched only by the obsessive nature of surfers, who will pore through these pages with passion and opinion. A true category killer, here is the definitive history of surfing.

Surf: 100 Greatest Waves



In this book, Transworld SURF’s expert editors and photographers visit the 100 best surf spots on Earth to bring you insider information on beaches everywhere from Australia and California to emerging destinations in West Africa, Japan, Norway and beyond. Packed with amazing photos, pro tips, and travel details, this is the book you need--whether you’re planning a lifetime of trips, or the trip of a lifetime.

Every surfer dreams of catching the perfect wave--of that magical day when the beach, the water, and the weather come together to make for an unforgettable ride. The editors of TransWorld SURF magazine have been there and surfed that, with some of the world’s top pros. This book collects amazing photos of the 100 top spots to surf around the world, along with hands-on tips on how to go there yourself. From the classics you know and love (Mexico, Fiji, Thailand) to those inside secret spots (Iceland, Lakshadweep, Wales) this is where you’ll find the best surf the planet has to offer. Whether you’re a globetrotting barrelhunter chasing the perfect wave, or a weekend wave-rider dreaming on the perfect vacation, let SURF: 100 Greatest Waves take you there.

Surf Surfer Surfing Wave Handmade iPhone 4 4S Full Hard Plastic Case



BRAND NEW, handmade case for your iPhone 4 or 4S. This 2-Piece clear plastic case provides full protection for the front & back of your iPhone. The photo is printed on specialty high-quality photo paper and laminated on the inside of the case, protecting the image from scratches and peeling. This is a craft handmade item, unique and unlike any other available. Cases are compatible the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S from all service providers.

Mobiflare Apple iphone 5S / 5 Rip Curl Surfing Snap on Artistry Design Case



Protect and personalize your Apple iphone 5S / 5 with Mobiflare Snap on Artistry Design Case:
Mobiflare Apple iphone 5S / 5 Snap on Artistry Design Case will helps prevent accidental drop, scratches to your device.
High Quality Artwork printed with ECO Ink in USA, Mobiflare does not use sticker to stick on the case
Excellent Slim design fits comfortably in your palm.