Ten years of watching surfers will lead you to conclusions.

One of them is that Orange County is loaded with good surfers. I mean really fine, world class surfers. Another is that they don’t get enough recognition for simply being athletes. They might sell a lot of boardshorts or look great in the magazines or might even be called artists. But virtually none of them are given enough credit for what they accomplish physically in the water.

Hence, my very first shout out to the top male and female surfing athlete in this county, the Orange County Surfer of the Year award. Yes, I realize the year’s not over yet, but close enough for me to make my choice.

I also want to hear your choices. You can vote online for the readers choice for men’s surfer beginning Friday. Your winners and mine will receive their award at a banquet at Nalu’s Island Grill in Irvine in December.

And without further ado, here’s my picks: Greg Long and Courtney Conlogue. You’ve probably seen me put out a lot of ink about these two. They deserve it. Each is an excellent athlete with the results to show for it.

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Santa Cruz local Nat Young won the 2008 O’Neill Cold Water Classic Sunday at Steamer Lane.

In very good four-to-six-foot conditions at his home break, Young edged Seal Beach’s Chris Waring and Hawaiians Granger Larsen and Sean Moody in a nail biter where Larsen caught the last wave with just seconds left in the final, but didn’t get the score he needed to overtake Young.

Huntington Beach’s Micah Byrne reached the semis and took home an extra $10,000 for winning the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series. The Cold Water Classic was the final event in the series.

Florida’s Asher Nolan was second in the series and San Clemente’s Nate Yeomans, who didn’t even compete at Steamer Lane was third, due to strong performances at the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro and the Oakley Newport Beach Pro.

Also, Brazilian transplant Bruno Rodrigues of Huntington Beach finished third in the Oakley Pro Junior ASP North American Championships.

Greg Long had another great summer in South Africa.

He spends every summer in the southern hemisphere and while he was there this year he finished second in the 2008 Red Bull Big Wave Africa to good friend and rival Grant “Twiggy” Baker. But didn’t leave empty handed, he also caught a massive barrel that is a sure XXL award candidate.

He chatted with the Register about his summer holiday and the barrel ride. Here’s Greg in his own words.

Q: What kind of expectations did you have going back to S. Africa this summer. I mean, you’ve had a really good year, and you got to go back with stickers on your board for the first time in a while.

Greg: I look forward to coming to South Africa every year.  This was my eighth year in a row, and each time I have spent anywhere from 2-3 months.  It is really starting to feel like a second home for me.  

From a surfing standpoint I was more excited and motivated than ever.  I had been out of the water recovering from a broken foot, ear surgery, and a torn hamstring the three months prior. I came to Cape Town before the winter had really kicked into gear this year in order to regain my focus and start working my way back into the surfing groove. 

My first three weeks here the waves were very small which was a blessing in disguise.  I spent the downtime training extensively while making sure all my equipment was dialed. My first session back in the water came about during my second week and I felt so rejuvenated…like a little kid again.  Having just signed a new contract with Billabong gave me even more motivation to get back in the water and charging again.  During the height of winter down here the question isn’t if you are going to get a big swell, but when.  After my first few weeks I had rebuilt my strength and confidence and was ready to go.

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The U.S.A. Surf Team beat their own expectations and used strong surfing to a silver medal finish Sunday at the 2008 ISA World Surfing Games in Portugal.

It was the highest finish of a U.S. team in the games since 1996 and a giant shot in the arm for a program struggling to rebuild itself.

Australia won its third consecutive team gold by a wide point margin, but the U.S. team finished well ahead of bronze-winning Brazil and copper-winning France. The U.S. was led by Florida’s C.J. Hobgood, and San Diego County’s Lauren Sweeney and Taylor Jensen, who all won individual medals.

The 2001 world champ Hobgood outsurfed three Aussies, two of which are fellow World Championship Tour members, to win the gold in the men’s shortboard. Though he started the day with a scare, getting knocked into the repercharge final, he bounced back to beat Australia’s Heath Joske, 15.80-15.66.

Joske got off to early lead but Hobgood crept back in 10 minutes later. He took the lead for good moments later on a righthander and put it away with a 7.20. Hobgood went on defense and sat on Joske the remaining three minutes. Read the rest of this entry »

The ISA World Surfing Games were postponed today due to small swell and high tide.

The contest director decided to use an available lay day for the games on what would have been day 4. The next call will be made early Thursday morning.
 
The U.S. team will have to wait another day for their next heats at Costa de Caparica, Portugal.

The U.S. Surfing team are keeping their hopes high and expectations low with their admittedly makeshift bunch for the 2008 World Surfing Games.

On one hand, head coach Joey Buran’s juniors team was building momentum after returning to the medal podium at the World Junior Surfing Championships, but on the other, the WSG is a slightly different creature, open to the pros and too often featuring odds stacked against the U.S.

Since the 1990s, U.S. teams have usually been scraped together, hardly ever representing the best collection of talent here, yet facing teams from Australia, Brazil, Hawaii and South Africa that quickly bury U.S. hopes. The 2006 team was an exception. The Hobgoods, Pat O’Connell, Chris Ward, Julia Christian, Colin McPhillips and Courtney Conlogue put on a show of strength and won medals.

Putting that team together took months of effort. Buran never really had that option. Nevertheless, at the end of day three in Costa de Caparica, Portugal, the U.S. team is essentially right where they were at this point in Huntington Beach two years ago.

East Coast pros C.J. Hobgood and Ben Bourgeois, along with junior team holdovers Nat Young and Dillon Perillo are through the first round. It’s a bit of a surprise that Hobgood is back competing for the U.S. after he reacted angrily to sloppy judging in Huntington Beach. Having the 2001 world champ back is a big relief.

The women’s team of Lauren Sweeney and Demi Boelstirli took first round victories but are already facing the shadows of Australians Claire Bevilacqua and teen phenom Sally Fitzgibbons. Both U.S. surfers finished second in second round heats behind the Aussies. At least if the trend continues, U.S. women can battle and accrue enough points to get the team near the medal stand.

Defending U.S. Open longboard champ Taylor Jensen is holding his own and has won his first two heats. Jensen is still one of the top American longboarders, as reinforced by his U.S. Open performance. Jensen is facing surfers he is used to seeing and should be a steady veteran presence on the team.

It was no secret even before the team was named two weeks ago, that bodyboarding would be the trouble spot for the team. Not surprising then, that Jeremy Wright and Keila Grodzen finished third in their first heats and have been knocked into the repercharge. If they are eliminated early, it will deal a serious blow to U.S. medal hopes. However, Jacob Romero finished second in his opening heat and is into the second round.

The key to victory in ISA team events is keeping as many of your team mates in the competition for as long as possible. All surfers must finish in the top two of their heat (in the winner’s bracket). If they are knocked into the repercharge (the loser’s bracket), they must still place in the top two of each heat or cost their team.

To follow the live webcast or to get more information, click here.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation has the world’s best collection of boards, clothing, literature and more detailing surfing history. This week, the featured item is a Peruvian fishing and surfing craft called a “Caballito.”
 
According to the foundation, here’s the story:

The “little horse” is a made from native reeds and the design has remained mostly unchanged over 2,000 years, proving itself a direct ancestor to stand up paddleboards.

A bamboo pole is split down the middle as a paddling device. Felipe Pomar, winner of the first World Surfing Championships in Punta Rocas, Peru in 1965 donated two to the foundation, arriving in San Diego aboard a Peruvian Navy vessel.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation is located at 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente. For more information or to make a donation, click here.

Kelly Slater won his ninth world title this morning in Spain after beating Spanish surfer Eneko Acero in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka.

Slater topped Acero, a wildcard in the event, 14.96-10.00 in rainy three-to-four foot conditions at the fickle left hand break. He needed only one more heat victory to capture the 2008 men’s title and continue perhaps what could turn out to be the most dominant season in pro surfing history.

Here are some of the records the 36-year-old Floridian holds: 
Most ASP World Titles: Nine (2008, 2006, 2005, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992)
Most ASP World Tour Victories: 39
Oldest ASP World Champion: 36-years-old (2008)
Youngest ASP World Champion: 20-year-old (1992)
Highest Heat Total: Only perfect 20 out of 20 ever earned (Tahiti – 2005)
Most Event Wins in a Season: Seven in 1996

Other Round 3 results, for those paying attention:

Two-time defending event champ Bobby Martinez advanced, as did San Clemente’s Adriano de Souza, Taylor Knox, Taj Burrow, Bede Durbidge, Joel Parkinson, and C.J. Hobgood. Eliminated were Huntington’s Timmy Reyes, Dane Reynolds and Jordy Smith.

As the hours tick down to Kelly Slater’s ninth world title, they took care of a little bit of business in the Basque Country of Spain.

Round 2 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka was fired up by barrelling four-to-five foot conditions. South Africans Jordy Smith and Royden Bryson had the top heats of the day, but Tim Reyes, Adriano de Souza, Taylor Knox, Dane Reynolds, and C.J. Hobgood also picked up victories.

The unfortunate task of being a surf history trivia question will fall to Spanish surfer and event wildcard Eneko Acero.

Wildcards have had the best luck against the Floridian this year, so the single heat victory Slater needs for this year’s crown, might not be a sure thing Friday.

Kelly Slater’s inevitable ninth world title is just one heat victory away.

The super-Floridian beat Taylor Knox of Carlsbad in Round 1 of the Billabong Pro Spain 16.33-6.16. Reubyn Ash of Great Britain was a distant third 3.50.

While Slater skips directly to Round 3, it’s just more time for him to think about the thing hanging over his head.

“I hadn’t really thought about it that much until I was out there in the water but I don’t want to deal with the emotions of worrying about it anymore,” Slater said. “I just want to try to win one more heat and get it done.”

It’s unclear who Slater will face in Round 3, but watch this space. Or, to follow the live webcast, click here.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation has found themselves a victim of their own success.

It’s sort of a good problem to have, in a way. But regardless, executive director Tom Pezman is facing a brave new frontier. On one hand, the San Clemente group was greeted with an outpouring of enthusiasm, funding and fantastic amounts of stuff over the first few years of existence.

On the other, their early success inspired them to take on more ambitious history-preserving goals. That in turn requires greater resources. Of money, yes, but also of time, and effort and technological skills. And so, like public television or National Public Radio, they’ve started their first membership drive. And much like the former two, they’ll be saying thanks with gifts for those who join.

“It’s a matter of capacity,” Pezman says. “We’re in need of greater support, so we’re reaching out with our friends to expand the reach of what we’re doing. What we hadn’t done before is reach out to the broad public.”

One of the most difficult, yet most important projects the Cooperstown of Surfing has initiated is an oral history program. Requiring far more than the small staff can possibly pull off, even with a recent sizable donation from Nell Newman, daughter of the late actor Paul Newman, from the Newman’s Own charity.

“It’s an overwhelming amount of work. And time is of the essence,” Pezman says. “For what has done so much for the culture of the United states at large, we have done so little to help young surfers understand who was in the lineup before they were.”

To get more information about becoming a member, call 949-388-0313.

C.J. Hobgood and Taylor Jensen head the list of names announced today of the new USA Surf Team headed for the upcoming ISA World Games in Portugal.

Surfing America executive director Mike Gerard and USA head coach Joey Buran announced the team that included 2001 world champ Hobgood of Florida and longboarder Jensen of Oceanside. Both surfers are previous U.S. Open champs and Hobgood was a member of the 2006 US world games team.

The full team is as follows.

OPEN MEN: CJ Hobgood, Ben Bourgeois, Nat Young, Dillon Perillo 
OPEN WOMEN:  Lauren Sweeney, Demi Boelsterli
LONGBOARD:  Taylor Jensen 
MEN’S BODYBOARD:  Jeremy Wright, Jacob Romero
WOMEN’S BODYBOARD: Keila Grodzen

The Olympics of surfing will be held October 11-19 in Costa de Caparica and feature over 20 countries in shortboard, longboard and bodyboard competitions. The event will be webcast at www.isasurf.org.

Billabong’s annual Cosmic Creek event finished Sunday with a good time had by all at Salt Creek in Dana Point.

The retro-inspired, two day-celebrity pro/am surf contest and concert raised over $50,000 for cancer research and provided fans and competitors a chance to surf Salt Creek with just three other guys in the water.

It gave average fans a chance to watch a very cool mix of pro and legends ride rare boards from the 70s and 80s as well.

Tom Curren, Peter Townend, Rob Machado, Pat O’Connell, Greg Long, Tim Curran, Jesse Merle Jones, Nathan Yeomans, surfing musicians Donavan Frankenreiter and G-Love and members of their bands, along with groms and granpas caught waves during the event.

A new non-competitive division for kids still learning was added this year. Kids were pushed into small waves to the cheers of the crowd on the beach.

Curran, now spliting his time between competition and music, won the “Cosmic Pros” final over Yeomans, O’Connell, David Giddings, Evan Valiere, and Sterling Spencer.

“You hope you get a good board,” he said, very pleased with the 6′2″ single fin Gerry Lopez Pipeline board from 1980 that helped his cause. “It was great to see what great surfers Donovan, Tom, Nate are and how they adapt to anything and to be a part of a great cause.”

Curran said he always looked up to Frankenreiter, one of the contest organizers, as a kid. “It would have been crazy back then to think that I’d still be surfing and playing music with Donovan.”

Billabong USA president and former pro Paul Naude, who beat Townend, G-Love, Tito Hargrer, Eric Brigman and Cat Brighton in the “Cosmic Legends” final loves the community feel of the contest.
 
“It’s fun to ride the boards again, but the spirit of the event goes back to something older,” Naude says. “It’s more about the vibe. It’s good for surfing.”

Other winners included:

Paul Thorsen beat the field of Chris Boland, Chris Andrews, Kevin Billy, Steve Clark, and Chris Kinner in the “Rolling Stones (45 & Over)” final.

Vinni Dela Pena topped Billy, Bobby Lockhart, Eric Diamond, Kreg Williams and George Mayou to win the “Honolua Groove Masters (ages 35-44)” final.

Eric Mehlberg won the “Rocket Men (ages 25-34)” division over Paul Franzen, Scott Finn, Dave Boehne, Blake Petit, and Grant Ellis.

Ryah Arthur topped Tommy Loy, Mike Leach, Michael Callahan, Matty Johnson, and Mike Voeglin for the “JR. Space Cadets (ages 17-24)” title.

Frank Curren, yep, the son of Tom, took the “VZ Grems (16 & Under)” title over Daniel Johnson, Conner Johnson, Nathan Cook, Brett Roth and Conner Dolan.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation has the world’s best collection of boards, clothing, literature and more detailing surfing history. This week, the featured item is a Big Wednesday movie poster.

Ed Clapp donated 141 vintage surf movie posters & handbills to the foundation, spanning the late 1950s through the present.The art included classics like The Endless Summer, two versions of Pacific Vibrations, Five Summer Stories, Morning of the Earth, Blue Horizon, Riding Giants, Loose Change, Ride the Wild Surf, and Gun Ho.

Over the summer, 46 were on display in the SHF showroom and 2008 also happens to be the 30th anniversary of Big Wednesday. Gary Busey, Jan Michael Vincent and William Katt starred in the movie about three lifelong surfing buddies who lives diverge during the Vietnam War and are brought back together on one big swell.

The Surfing Heritage Foundation is located at 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente. For more information or to make a donation, click here.