Keramas delivered. Uluwatu did not disappoint. And now the world’s best surfers return to Bali’s world-class waves for the third time in 2018 for the highly anticipated Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang.
Surf fans around the world are counting down the days as the WSL and Rip Curl prepares to bring this one-of-a-kind invitational tuberiding event to a global audience for a third straight year.
Sixteen of the world’s top tube masters – eight of Indonesia’s finest and eight of the world’s best barrel riders – are ready to take over the show from the CT’s Top 34. And there is no greater show on surf than when the Indian Ocean delivers at Padang Padang.
“The Rip Curl Cup is always such an epic time of year here in Bali,” said James Hendy, Rip Curl SEA’s Marketing Manager. “The waves are firing, the vibes are high and the competition is bigger and better than ever.”
“WSL are extremely excited for this year’s Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang,” said Will Hayden-Smith, WSL Australia/Oceania Regional Manager. “There’s something really special about events like the Rip Curl Cup that only run when mother nature produces that one special day of waves, and we see who is at their best when the ocean is at its best. We will get to see a crop of the best tuberiders from around the globe take on Indonesia’s finest at one of the world’s most mystical waves.”
With less than two weeks before the start of the event holding period, Rip Curl has officially announced the 16 surfers invited to compete in the Rip Curl Cup 2018, set to run on the best day of waves at Padang Padang between July 1st – 31st.
Among the world’s best barrel riders preparing to push the limits of tuberiding in pursuit of the prestigious title are former WCT performers turned barrel hunters Jack Freestone (AUS) and Damien Hobgood (USA), as well as Tube Tour kamikazes like Mason Ho (HAW), Jay Davies (AUS) and Jack Robinson (AUS). Among the national surfing heroes representing Indonesia are defending Rip Curl Cup Champion Mega Semadhi, Indonesian surfing ambassador and 2014 Rip Curl Cup Champion Garut Widiarta, and two-time Indonesian Champion Lee Wilson.
According to James Hendy, an invite to compete in the Rip Curl Cup isn’t about tour points, big-name sponsorships, or number of followers on social media. The sole criteria to get a shot at the Cup is performing at the highest level on the heaviest swells of the year at the planet’s most hollow waves.
“You have to have a proven track record in world-class tubes and waves of consequence, whether it be in boots and a 6mm wetsuit or in boardshorts at a mysto Indo reef,” Hendy went on to say. “That means fans get to see renegade tube masters like Mason Ho, Jack Robinson, Jay Davies and Damo Hobgood face off against the underground legends that own their local slab on the best day of the year.”
Following are the 16 surfers invited to compete for the 2018 Rip Curl Cup:
International Surfers:
Jay Davies (AUS)
Jack Freestone (AUS)
Mason Ho (HAW)
Damien Hobgood (USA)
Gearoid McDaid (IRL)
Bruno Santos (BRA)
Jack Robinson (AUS)
Jacob Willcox (AUS)
Indonesian Surfers:
Bol Adi Putra
Mega Artana
Mustofa Jeksen
Alik Rudiarta
Mega Semadhi
Agus “Blacky” Setiawan
Garut Widiarta
Lee Wilson
RIP CURL CUP PADANG PADANG 2018 EVENT SCHEDULE:
Event Waiting Period
July 1st – 31st
Rip Curl Planet Beach Cleanup
Friday, June 29th at 8 AM, Padang Padang Beach, Bali
Opening Ceremony
Sunday, July 1st at 3 PM, Padang Padang Beach, Bali
1. Meet the surfers
2. Press conference
3. Traditional Balinese Kecak Dance
Official Rip Curl Cup Party
Friday, July 27th
Live performance by special guest at Ulu Cliff House
The Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang 2018 is sponsored by: GoPro, BINTANG, ALBENS CIDER, S RESORT HIDDEN VALLEY, ULUWATU CLIFF HOUSE and official internet provider by BIZNET.
“I’ve only been shooting with Coby for a year and he’s gotten way better in that time. Coby is pushing himself more, surfing with Chippa Wilson and Dion Agius and doing trips really elevated his level of surfing. He’s probably the most motivated guy I shoot with” – Dan Scott.
Swansea’s only independent cinema, Cinema & Co., have announced a drive-in outdoor screening taking place at sunset on 21st July, 2018 at Rhossili Bay carpark on the Gower peninsula.
The event will be the first of its kind in South Wales and will feature the Welsh premiere of Andy Irons: Kissed by God, a documentary about American pro surfer Andy Irons.
The evening will showcase surf culture and champion local independent businesses. There will be Welsh craft beer, street food, surf-wear, board makers and a unique opportunity for local filmmakers and surf photographers to exhibit their work.
The event is an opportunity to fundraise for the National Trust and Surfability UK, and to show the positive impact of surfing for everyone involved.
Anna Redfern, owner of Cinema & Co. said: “I’m really excited to be hosting such a unique cinematic experience in such a picturesque setting, and to be able to raise money for two worth while causes at the same time”, Anna said.
Ben Clifford, Director of Surfability UK CIC, said: “The drive in Cinema will be a fundraiser for Surfability UK CIC to help us provide surfing experiences for disabled people in our community.
“Andy Irons was an amazing athlete. He had a radical life which shone through in his surfing.
“He had no first gear – just flat out all the time. It was great to watch but a hard thing to sustain and I’m really excited to see the film about his life and couldn’t think of a better place to watch it than Rhossili”, Ben Clifford said.
General Manager of Mid & South East Wales National Trust, Paul Boland said: “We are really pleased to help Cinema & Co. with this screening. The National Trust land at Rhossili must be one of the best backdrops for a surfing film”, Paul Boland said.
Tickets start from £14 per person which allows you entry to the venue, admission to the screening of ‘Andy Irons: Kissed By God’ and a wide range of entertainment.
Do you like surfing, five star resorts, travel and surf coaching? If so this is for you. Tropic Surf are a fantastic team that run luxury surf coaching in five star plus resorts.
They are recruiting customer-serviced couples who can attend their annual training and assessment intake at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa Maldives this September. This is exciting concept allows couples to create their own destiny and enjoy many of the lifestyle and financial benefits that a Tropicsurf career can offer.
This could be your coffee break…
Currently boasting a team of more than forty surf guides and coaches, Team Turtle is on the hunt for more high calibre, self-starting surfers to live the dream at one of their many idyllic five-star locations. Think Cloudbreak at Six Senses Fiji Resort, Zippers at One&Only Palmilla, Occy’s Left at Nihiwatu Sumba, Sultans at Gili Lankanfushi, Witches Rock at Four Seasons Costa Rica. You get the drill. Some of the necessary personal criteria include:
– Extensive surf coaching experience for at least one person in the couple
– Physical strength and fitness incorporating an ability to complete lifeguarding qualifications and handle oneself in larger surf
– Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, self starting capabilities, humbleness, business acumen, passion across a diverse range of surfing pursuits
– A proven ability to work away from home for extended periods, an eagerness to serve others, and a love of surfing.
Please note that it is not a requirement for couples to both be surfers. Whilst it is advantageous, typically the non-surfing applicant must demonstrate good administration skills and outstanding customer assistance commensurate with a five-star service environment.
Interested? Send a written expression of interest, and surfing stills or video to [email protected]
Kelly Slater is probably the most intelligent and most competitive surfer you will ever come across. He listens and watches stuff intensively. His recall of anything and everything that has happened in surf history is second to none. He is fallible though, and that is one of the things I like about him. That and how he responds to criticism or what he regards as competitive threats. It makes him interesting.
Negative remarks about the Ranch event and the launch of Waco would have hurt. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kelly had been out in the dead of night with a rusty teaspoon sculpting out imperfections of the banks of the Ranch. So when Wacos air section popped up and Seth Moniz flipped, so would have Kell…
So what did he do? He got two of the games best air guys on a private jet and got them fine tuning his banks… Sounds like the A Team , apart from drugging Mr T….
Albee posted on his Instagram…
“The other day @josh_kerr84 and I flew on a private jet to go surf a perfect man made wave then after each wave we had the ability to give @kellyslater and the rest of the @kswaveco crew feed back working on an air section, making it a little better and different every time. A couple sections we try’d out were starting to get pretty crazy and I had no idea the literally thousands of different settings this wave can offer. What a f**ken time to be a surfer and how the hell did I weasel my way right into the thick of this space race going on with the wave pool moment? Like when I was dreaming of a scenario like this as a kid it would of sounded pretty fricken outlandish, but here we are. Thank you”
It’s still a wave built for the elite ‘club’ though, and none of us will ever get to surf it, which is what all we want to do…So maybe it’s just another dial on a toy for the rich kids.
Quiksilver’s recycling program — in collaboration with REPREVE® —hits the 100 million-bottle mark. Since its start in 2012, about 3500 tons of plastic has been repurposed into boardshorts, jackets and other garments.
Recycled polyester both gives a second life to used plastic and reduces the global footprint of a product significantly. Arguably the most environmentally impactful step of a production cycle is the creation of the raw material. Producing recycled polyester consumes significantly lower amounts of energy (45) and water (20%) than virgin polyester. Overall, the recycled fabric produces a third less greenhouse gases than conventional polyester ones.
The 100 million bottles recycled through the Quiksilver x REPREVE® program save close to 9 million litres of drinking water and provide the annual energy consumption of close to 1000 households. Each Quiksilver x REPREVE®boardshort contains about 10 recylced bottles.
Made from fossil fuels, plastic is a raw material that we encounter everyday. Only 10% of all plastic produced worldwide is currently recycled — the rest ends up in a landfill or worse, the ocean. Today, large amounts of plastic floating in the ocean are threatening both marine life and the global climate. For more information, please click here.
“We are very excited to contribute a part to the protection of something we genuinely care about — the ocean. As surfers and snowboarders we need to think about the future, so our grandchildren can enjoy the mountain and the wave we love so much. Up-cycling plastic waste into something that is useful for us, even today, is an important step”
Garry Wall
Global General Manager of Quiksilver.
Quiksilver and fellow Boardriders Inc. brands Roxy and DC shoes have been using REPREVE® yarn as an essential part of their product offering for more than 5 years.
REPREVE® starts the process by turning used plastic bottles into plastic flake, which is then converted into REPREVE® chips. The chips are then melted, extruded and converted into yarn that carries the same performance qualities as conventional polyester. On average, a Quiksilver boardshort using REPREVE® yarn contains about 11 recycled bottles. Currently about 50% of the range consists of REPREVE® products. Over the next few years, the brand is committed to using 100% REPREVE® yarn in all boardshorts. The snow collection will follow suit, increasing the adoption of both REPREVE® yarn and other sustainable materials.
Recycling is one thing, reducing another, 100 million bottles are a milestone, now we are working on a refined strategy to fight plastic waste through innovative products and actions. There are still many areas where we need to improve and we look forward to bringing green values into all areas of our business, a responsibility that our industry as a whole needs to assume.
Garry Wall
Global General Manager of Quiksilver.
On World Surfing Day (June 16th, 2018) 10$ of every Quiksilver boardshort containing Repreve fabric will be donated to 5 Gyres, a non-profit organisation empowering action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure.
A word about micro-plastic…
Research has shown that all synthetic materials — based on recycled polyester or not — contain so-called microfibers. These tiny pieces of plastic lead to another severe form of ocean pollution that can make its way through the food chain and onto our plates. Despite multiple efforts to tackle the problem at its source, there are currently no alternatives to synthetics when it comes to producing high performance products such as boardshorts and swimwear. However, there are a few measures you can take to reduce the impact of these fibres:
· Wash your synthetic fabrics less and hand-wash if possible. · If you’re buying a new washing machine, choose a front loader — a study found it releases less microfibers. · If you already own a washing machine, consider installing a microfiber filter. It can’t catch everything, but it can help. · Keep your lint filter clean so that the microfiber particles that it captures end up in the trash, not the air. · More information can be found here.
