Some of North Africas finest barrels, Morocco well and truly firing, insane stuff with Natxo Gonzalez and crew.
Getaway To Moroco | Film and edit by Jon Aspuru @jonbakio
Surfer Natxo Gonzalez @natxogonzalez1
Other Surfers
Samir Larzhal @Samirlarzhal, Ramzi Boukhiam @ramziboukhiam, Noa Mizuno @noamizuno, Guillermo Barandiaran
Additional footage Christian Edwards @thechristianedwards
Skateboarding legend Tony Alva’s longtime friend Chuck Ames unearthed a rare 8mm film he made of Tony Alva, Ted Deerhurst, and John Davison surfing, and skating at Linclon Jr. High School, the Santa Monica Jetty, and Bixby Ranch in Santa Barbara, back in 1971.
“For our latest installment of Weird Waves, the crew took off to Texas to investigate a more industrial powered form of wave riding, commonly known as tanker surfing. In this episode the Weird Waves crew plan to explore what it means to be a tanker surfer. Yes, when big ships go by there are people who hunt down the waves they create, otherwise known as tanker surfing. We thought it would be good to start directly with the man who coined the phrase ‘tanker surfing’ itself, Capt. James Fullbright. This story begins in Galveston, Texas.”
The 2021 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) will now head to the Rip Curl Rottnest Search presented by Corona, the fifth stop on the CT and the final event of the Australian leg. The event window opens on May 16 and runs through May 26.
After three action-packed events in Australia, the world’s best surfers will now focus their attention on Strickland Bay on Rottnest Island. The island is offshore from Western Australia’s capital, Perth, and its breaks are some of the most consistent in the state. Strickland Bay is predominantly a left and is considered one of the best waves in southwest Western Australia.
With unforeseen injuries taking out five athletes from the draw, new and returning faces will join the world’s best surfers, potentially shaking up the event and the battle to make the Final 5 on the road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals.
Taj Burrow (AUS above), West Australian icon and former CT competitor, has come out of retirement to replace Adrian Buchan (AUS), who withdrew from the Rip Curl Rottnest Search following a back injury. Burrow has been one of the biggest names in surfing across multiple generations and, after five years away from the CT, has lost none of his explosive flair he’s so well known for. Burrow’s technical backside turns will be suited to the lefthanders at Strickland Bay.
“I’m excited to throw on the singlet for one last time — I hope — at a new destination,” Burrow said. “I love Rottnest and I think it’ll be an incredibly fun event. I’m feeling happy and relaxed and not one bit concerned about winning but more so showing my family what I’ve done my whole life and also reuniting with all my tour friends. It’s gonna be great.”
Kolohe Andino (USA) and Kelly Slater (USA) withdrew from the Australian leg due to respective ankle and foot injuries and continue to focus on their recovery. Andino will again be replaced by Mikey Wright (AUS), the men’s injury replacement. Slater will now be replaced by Liam O’Brien (AUS), who sits inside the top 4 Australian male surfers on the Australia/Oceania Qualifying Series. This event will mark O’Brien’s first time competing on the elite CT, a Tour he has been knocking on the door of for the last couple of years.
“I’m really excited to have been awarded the wildcard into the Rottnest Island CT,” O’Brien said. “It will be my first ever event at a CT level and also my first time to the island, so with that said there’s a lot to look forward to. Most of all, it will be a great learning experience where I’ll get an insight into what is required to compete to a CT standard.”
John John Florence (HAW), two-time WSL Champion, was the favourite for these events in West Australia until he suffered a knee injury in the Round of 16 during the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro and withdrew from that competition, as well as Rottnest Island. Florence will now be replaced by Stuart Kennedy (AUS), who missed out on CT qualification by one spot the last year the QS ran in full.
Mia McCarthy (AUS) and Kael Walsh (AUS) earned entry into the Rip Curl Rottnest Search via the local trials. McCarthy placed runner-up at the trials and will compete after first-place winner Felicity Palmateer withdrew due to injury. This will be Walsh’s and McCarthy’s second time competing in a CT event following their debuts at the 2018 and 2017 Margaret River Pro events, respectively.
“I’m really happy for the opportunity to compete in my second Championship Tour event,” McCarthy said. “I’m honored to be representing Western Australian. Can’t wait to get to the beautiful Rottnest Island. It will actually be the first time I’ve surfed there and the first time I’ve been there since I was five, so I can’t wait to get over there.”
Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN) continues to replace Lakey Peterson (USA), who withdrew due to a back injury ahead of the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic pres. by Corona.
Jacob Willcox (AUS) was awarded the men’s event wildcard through the event’s title partner, Rip Curl and will have another opportunity to compete against the world’s best surfers after his 17th-place finish at the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro.
Watch LIVE
The holding period for the Rip Curl Rottnest Search presented by Corona opens on May 16 and runs through May 26. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
Although Rottnest Island will remain open for visitors while hosting the event, spectators will not be permitted at Strickland Bay as this will be a broadcast-only event.
UK’s biggest ever beach clean set to revitalise people and planet. Surfers Against Sewage launch “Million Mile Beach Clean”
UK charity Surfers Against Sewage today marked the launch of their ‘Million Mile Beach Clean’ with a 50-metre sand drawing of a seal surrounded by plastic on Cayton Bay in Yorkshire.
The striking image highlights the impacts of plastic pollution on marine wildlife, which the charity aims to tackle this year by inspiring 100,000 people to clean up their local beach, river, street or green space. The result will be one million miles cleared by the end of the year, protecting oceans, beaches and wildlife – and giving Brits a much-needed boost as we emerge from lockdown.
The Million Mile Beach Clean is part of a new environmental initiative, the Million Mile Clean, encouraging people to get out locally, on streets, country lanes, in parks and along local waterways to tackle plastic pollution and litter. The campaign aims to reconnect people with their local environment to help their physical and mental wellbeing. The lead partner for the campaign over the next three years is the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF), building on its previous support for nationwide beach cleans.
Whilst the initiative will run throughout 2021, the first week of action will take place between the 15th and 23rd of May. Surfers Against Sewage are calling for Clean Leaders across the UK to join the biggest ever beach clean and register to lead a clean during this period.
According to new research commissioned by Surfers Against Sewage, over half of Brits (54%) think COVID-19 has led to an increase in plastic pollution, with almost two-thirds (59%) seeing more waste in their area over the last 12 months. This increase could be down to the fact that nearly a fifth (18%) of the population has bought more single-use plastic items as a result of the pandemic, with the same proportion opting to use disposable face masks rather than reusable ones.
Tosh Tudor, son to legend Joel Tudor, is carrying on the surf legacy. A fun week a while back in Hawaii, switching up between his traditional longboarding style and a steady glide on a short board, it’s easy to see his father’s influence in the way he carries himself on the water. Tosh is lucky to have a mentor like Joel, but there’s no denying this grom is carving out his own path in surf history.
