Beth Hamilton / Rip Curl

Beth Hamilton / Rip Curl

Hawaiian surfer Bethany Hamilton has been riding with Rip Curl since 1999. After being scouted at a Hawaiian junior surfing event, she signed on with the brand at just nine years old. Today, 23 years later, Bethany and Rip Curl have just inked a new five-year deal that will see their partnership grow into an exciting new phase.

“I have just been kind of in awe that we have been together this long,” says Bethany. “It feels amazing to have been with Rip Curl for this long, and it really feels like we align on so many different levels. I love how the brand is approaching the environment of young women in surfing and really supporting females in the water – that’s something we are really focusing on together.”

Over the next five years Rip Curl and Bethany Hamilton will collaborate across video projects, surf trips, surfwear collections and more. Soon Bethany will launch a Masterclass for the next generation, where women can learn from her experiences both in and out of the water – this is due to launch on the Rip Curl YouTube channel in late February.

“I am really energised with what we are hoping to achieve together over the next few years,” continues Bethany. “In the water I haven’t really set any huge goals at this point, but I’m always ready to charge. Outside of my surfing goals, I love finding ways to empower young women to live their best lives, to overcome challenges and to learn how to have fun in the process.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about my future and what I hope to do with my career, and I feel like with this new deal, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”

Rip Curl echoes this sentiment, and is looking forward to what can be achieved in the next five years of this long partnership. “Bethany is all about pushing boundaries,” says Ryan Fletcher, Rip Curl International Team and Events Manager. “And not just for herself, but for women’s surfing in general. That’s something we want to support at Rip Curl.

“She has obviously had fantastic success in WSL Championship Tour events in the past, including a historic semifinals finish at the 2016 Fiji Pro, but her ability to surf the way she does, train as hard as she does, and be a wonderful mum and wife – it’s all a part of the inspiration that is Bethany.”

Stay tuned to Rip Curl and Bethany’s channels over the coming months for exciting new content designed to inspire women in surfing, both in the water and out.

Stay up to date with Bethany and Rip Curl:

Instagram: @BethanyHamilton / @RipCurl_Women

Photo: @chachfiles

Kolohe Andino

Kolohe Andino

O’Neill are excited to announce the latest addition to Team O’Neill, Kolohe Andino. Born and raised in San Clemente California, Kolohe started out as a successful amateur surfer and holds the record for most NSSA titles won with nine overall. Further developing as a top-tier professional, Kolohe first qualified for the CT in 2012 at just 18 and has enjoyed a successful career both as a competitive and free surfer. From being the first American to qualify for the 2020 summer Olympics in surfing to directing, producing, and starring in his latest film, Reckless Isolation, Kolohe continues to thrive as one of the world’s best and most exciting surfers.

When asked about joining Team O’Neill, Kolohe said,
“The thing that gets me the most excited about the brand is being aligned with a company that has its roots planted in surf. To me, O’Neill feels like one of the most core brands in the world. In my life, everything revolves around surfing and being in the ocean and those two priorities bleed through the O’Neill brand.”

Sitting alongside Jordy Smith, his good friend Ian Crane, and the rest of Team O’Neill, we couldn’t be happier to welcome Kolohe Andino to the team and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Derek Hynd Styling Fins Free

Derek Hynd Styling Fins Free

Featuring liquid legend Derek Hynd, originator of surfing finless boards, filmed a few years ago at J- Bay, South Africa. This edit of Kelly and Derek riding the same wave became a hot topic on style and performance between the two and their chosen sleds. Some timeless surfing by the pair, well worth a revisit. Hit play and slide away with two of the finest.

Da Cat!

Da Cat!

I’ve a cat, well one lives with me and my daughter, it’s a pain in the ass, with fleeting moments of joy. Don't get me wrong, I'm an animal lover but cats do what cats want to do. The closest it gets to surfing is when it pees on my wetsuit in one of its many territorial pissings. The idea of taking it to the beach, or in the freaking sea, gives me the heebie-jeebies, like trying to give a bath to a wild bear and it taking your head off with one quick swipe.

Make of this edit what you will, I'm fairly sure the cat would go full Wolverine on his human servants if it wasn't down with this kinda malarky. The dude seems to not only be down with swimming, but also keen on londboarding, Da Cat lives, the world if mad and the internet loves cats.

The Skelton Brothers

The Skelton Brothers

How cold is too cold, cold enough to freeze not only your ass, but your beard off. The Skelton brothers and frozen beards hit up Lake Erie for their first successful ice bearding session! Hipsters beware, the chances of said beards snapping off when frozen is fairly high. Click in for surfings ZZ Top tribute session.

Lake Erie

Vans Introduces the Circle Vee

Vans Introduces the Circle Vee

Vans reaches milestone in broader sustainability goals by tapping into renewable materials and knitted uppers that reduce waste

Vans, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand, is excited to ​introduce the Vans Circle Vee™, an all-new silhouette that taps into renewable materials that regrow as they are used and a reduced-waste approach — because every little bit helps.

For the Circle Vee, Vans looked at every detail that goes into making a shoe and adjusted where possible. The one-piece knitted natural upper has a classic Vans DNA look and feel and was designed to reduce waste in production compared to Vans’ traditional cut and sew uppers. The upper is stitched directly onto the outsole and is made of 48% organic cotton, 47% hemp, and 5% nylon, while the laces are made from 100% jute natural fibres.

The Circle Vee boasts a brand new EcoCush™ drop in footbed and provides all-day comfort and support with a moulded heel cup and arch shape. The silhouette also ushers in Vans’ EcoWaffle™ outsole made from an all-new rubber compound that utilises natural rubber instead of petroleum-derived synthetic rubber and is obtained from sources that follow proven ethical and sustainable practices that minimise harm and have positive benefits within the natural and social ecosystems in which they operate. This new rubber compound was developed and engineered to maintain the grip and durability for which Vans is known. The Circle Vee is available in natural/gum and dawn blue/gum colour ways.

Vans is committed to taking steps toward a more sustainable future and putting in the effort with the little things. All the small, thoughtful choices made daily—like riding a bike, picking up trash, refurbishing old boards, or hang drying clothes—add up to a big move in the right direction for the ocean and surfers everywhere. With the Circle Vee, Vans is proud to be doing our part.

To support and protect the world’s oceans, Vans will be donating $1 for every Circle Vee product sold—with a minimum of $25,000 donated—to the Tides Foundation to support ocean conservancy.

The Vans Circle Vee is available now at Vans retailers and at Vans.eu. For more information about Vans’ sustainability efforts, visit Vans.eu/Sustainability.