Nixon’s ‘the Weird’ event has been running globally for a few years now, and built up quite a following. The basic premise is to get some great surfers together and present them with a handful of super weird boards – then let them battle it out in a peer judged surf comp – where the winner takes all – and walks away with a fistful of cash! For the most recent edition, held in the UK, we decided to really mix things up a bit by splitting the event into 2 sections - to allow us to highlight not only the great surfing, but also to celebrate the art of the board shapers and their craft.
Nixon gathered 6 of the most respected, innovative and influential shapers in the UK together in one place at Walters - in St. Agnes Cornwall - at the same time - and gave them the challenge of Hand -shaping a ‘weird’ (but functional) board, entirely by hand - from start to finish in just 2 hours! Each shaper was given a specific ‘Weird’ design element - eg finless, singlefin, super short etc. and then they were let lose! - What followed was such a refreshing mix of ideas, collaborations, mutual reverence and ultimately a showcase of the skill and craftsmanship that goes into creating these mind-bending dream sleds by hand. Once each board had been shaped it was time to colour match it to one of our fine ‘The Mission’ Smart watches -and then Jeremy at Walters had the challenging task of glassing and sanding these mind bending creations ... no simple feat!
Everyone involved brought something original to the mix - and the ecclectic assembled crowd on the day were ultimately left with one underlying question ... how will these boards actually surf? To find out how the boards performed (and who won the shapers and surfers events) you’ll just have have to check out the video of part 2 on thursday December 21st. Shapers/Surfers – the board they had to shape - and the colour of the Mission watch that matched each craft:
Lee Bartlett - channel bottom - Orange Andy Gale - super short - Blue Hugh Brockman - finless - Grey Chris Harris - single fin - Black Luke Young - Twin fin - Green Brad Rochfort - assymetric - Yellow
BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Monday, December 18, 2017) – John John Florence (HAW) clinched the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Title today at the Billabong Pipe Masters, making him the first male surfer since the late Andy Irons (HAW) to successfully defend a maiden world title (Irons was ’02, ’03). Mark Richards (AUS), Tom Carroll (AUS) and Tom Curren (USA) are the only other male surfers to have achieved this feat.
“It’s been my dream to win here at home,” Florence said. “There’s been a nervous build up to this event and I just don’t know what to say, I’m shaking. So many people have been here for me this year and it’s been awesome. It’s been an awesome year and I’m just so stoked.”
Florence’s season started out with strong results during the Australian leg, including his first event win of the year in Margaret River. After two 13th place finishes in Rio and Fiji, Florence steadily improved his results through the remainder of the season. With a 5th place in both Jeffreys Bay and Tahiti, followed by Semifinal berths at Trestles and in France, Florence reclaimed the Jeep Leader Jersey from closest rival Jordy Smith (ZAF).
Challengers Smith, Owen Wright (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Adriano de Souza (BRA) all suffered early eliminations in Portugal, falling out of reach of the title. Going into the Billabong Pipe Masters, only four surfers remained in contention to clinch the title, but contenders Gabriel Medina (BRA), Julian Wilson (AUS), and Smith weren’t able to deliver the results needed to block Florence at his home break in Hawaii. Florence’s victory was sealed after Medina was eliminated today in the Quarterfinals at the hands of eventual event winner Jeremy Flores (FRA).
“I think I learned a lot about myself this year competing with all the pressure, especially coming from last year’s win,” Florence continued. “It’s been a hard year and I’ve had some ups and some downs, but mostly I had a lot of fun. I think that’s what came out of last year and I really, really wanted to enjoy every moment of it.”
Universally-regarded as one of the best all-around surfers, Florence has diligently worked at improving since qualifying for the elite WSL Championship Tour (CT) in 2011. A seven-year competitor on the CT, the surfer form Hawaii claimed his maiden title in 2016 with an early-season clinch in Portugal, having previously finished in the Top 5 twice before (4th in 2012 and 3rd in 2014). With this second title, the surfing world is eyeing the beginning of a new dynasty in high-performance surfing.
“It’s been scary being that close in points to someone like Gabriel (Medina) who’s such a great surfer out here and a fierce competitor,” said Florence. “His comeback in Europe was amazing, he won two events in a row and then was right there in the title race. Surfing with him out here has been nerve racking but it would have been cool if we had a final for the title.
“I couldn’t have done it without my guys traveling with me and I have to thank my mom for all this because she took me and my brothers traveling when we were young and really just got us to love the ocean and I think that’s what we’re all in this for – the love of surfing – so thank you, mom, I wouldn’t be here without you.”
In addition to cementing his status as the best surfer on the planet, Florence spends his free time and celebrity working toward ocean health initiatives and environmental causes.
FLORENCE 2017 WSL CT RESULTS – Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: 3rd Drug Aware Margaret River Pro: WINNER Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: 3rd Oi Rio Pro: 13th OK Fiji Pro: 13th Corona Open J-Bay: 5th Billabong Pro Tahiti: 5th Hurley Pro at Trestles: 3rd Quiksilver Pro France: 3rd Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal: 5th Billabong Pipe Masters: 2nd
Jeremy Flores (FRA) claimed his second Billabong Pipe Masters victory today after defeating Florence in an exciting Final. Flores, the 2010 Pipe Master, took out Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and Gabriel Medina (BRA) en route to the Final against the new WSL Champion. Flores rounds out the year at 15th place on the Jeep Leaderboard to solidify his place on the 2018 CT thanks to today’s victory, his best result of the season and his first CT win since Tahiti in 2015.
“Winning the Pipe Masters against John John Florence like that in perfect Backdoor in the last seconds, that’s the best way to win,” Flores said. “I couldn’t think of any better way to win this Pipe Master. I’m so, so stoked and there’s a lot of emotions. Congrats to everyone. Congrats to John John (Florence) and Gabriel (Medina), these guys are next level. My goal was to win this event but this is crazy, I’m so happy.
“To be honest, I don’t like to be that guy that’s deciding titles – it should be a showdown between John and Gabriel, these guys work so hard,” Flores continued. “That’s why honestly when I beat Gabriel I felt bad. It’s been an emotional day and yesterday was stressful. I had to make one heat to re qualify pretty much and I made it with a 4 and a 2. I just wanted to have fun today and I did and the waves showed up. Through all the ups and downs I have so much good support and this is for everyone so thank you. I won this title for France and it doesn’t happen very much!”
After a slow start to the Final, it was Florence that found the first score of significance with just over twenty minutes remaining with a long barrel that was rewarded with an 8.93. Flores answered with a 7.90 but a relaxed looking world champ was right behind him with a clean tube ride of his own for 7.23 and a solid heat lead. Flores was left searching for an 8.27 in order to claim his second Pipe Masters, but with limited opportunities the clock ran down. In the final seconds the Frenchman found an opportunity and the crowd waited anxiously for the result. The score came in and Flores stole the win from Florence, turning the heat with a thrilling buzzer-beater barrel.
“I almost got a Pipe Masters but I’m super stoked for Jeremy Flores,” Florence said. “That last wave was insane and this whole event has been amazing.”
Florence previously dispatched world title contender Julian Wilson (AUS) (who finished out the year in third place) in the Quarterfinals and then, following news of his title clinching, the new WSL Champion went on to face Ian Gouveia (BRA) in the Semifinals before taking on Flores in the Final.
Gouveia built his scoreline in the Semifinal clash with two mid-range rides while Florence had only small scores. With one minute remaining Florence found the exit from a barrel and then landed an air rotation to steal the win with an 8.73. Gouveia answered seconds later but couldn’t complete the ride and was eliminated in third place.
Kanoa Igarashi (USA) faced eventual winner Flores in the second Semifinal. Igarashi kept busy through the opening half of his heat to hold the top spot but the Frenchman stayed patient and found the wave of the heat for an excellent 9.37. Flores backed it up with a smaller inside wave to move into first position, eliminating Igarashi who takes home a second consecutive Semifinal berth and moves to 17th place on the Jeep Leaderboard.
World title contender Gabriel Medina (BRA) finishes the year in second place on the Jeep Leaderboard with a 5th place finish at the Billabong Pipe Masters after being defeated by Flores in the Quarterfinals.
Medina’s season started out well with a third place finish at the season opener in Australia but a series of less than stellar results saw him slide down the rankings. A third place in South Africa, followed by a runner-up result in Tahiti and then back-to-back wins in Europe saw the young Brazilian rocket up the Jeep Leaderboard and into the world title race. The 23- year-old from Maresias, Sao Paulo became Brazil’s first WSL Champion when he clinched the title in 2014. Medina has been in the World Title race every year since his maiden World Title victory in 2014 (No. 3 on the Jeep Leaderboard in 2015 and 2016).
“2017 was a great year,” said Medina. “I had an injury at the beginning of the year which wasn’t great but I tried to do my best. I had some bad results but I also had some great results. I’m so tired right now because I put everything in the water. I just tried to never give up because there’s always a chance no matter what’s going on. That was a long year and it’s hard to deal with all the ups and downs so it was stressful. That’s all part of the game, you just have to do your best. My goal here was the final but I’m stoked everyone got to watch and I’m coming back for next year.”
11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) was dispatched by Medina in Round 4 Heat 3. The Brazilian went all out in the battle against the American with two excellent-range scores, an 8.90 and a near-perfect 9.07. Slater charged into numerous tubes but was not able to escape a majority of his attempts. Stuck needing two new scores to overcome the 2014 WSL Champion, Slater was not able to answer and is eliminated in Equal 9th place.
Freshly qualified for the 2018 CT, Griffin Colapinto (USA), 19, added to his thriving season by taking the 35th Annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing honor today and became the first Californian to ever win the coveted surfing series.
“I’m feeling incredible right now and it’s the best feeling ever,” said Colapinto. “I was just looking at the names that have won the Triple Crown, just all the names on there are insane and to win after John John (Florence) won last year is amazing. It’s been a really fun day watching the contest and to see all the action. John, congratulations on winning the World Title, I’m so stoked for you. And Jeremy winning the Pipe Masters, two times now, that’s insane. Just really excited for next year and for Snapper and I think there will be a lot of energy there and to have my name on a jersey will be special. Thanks so much!”
Colapinto captured a runner up finish at the first Vans Triple Crown jewel, the Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa Ali‘i Beach Park, then went on to final at the second event, the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach, for a commanding lead on the series. After Italo Ferreira (BRA) went down to Igarashi in the Quarterfinals the young American secured his victory.
WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (after Billabong Pipe Masters):
1 – John John Florence (HAW) 59,600 pts
2 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 53,700 pts
3 – Julian Wilson (AUS) 48,650 pts
4 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 47,600 pts
5 – Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 40,700 pts
Billabong Pipe Masters Final Results: 1 – Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.23 2 – John John Florence (HAW) 16.16
Billabong Pipe Masters Semifinal Results: SF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 12.56 def. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 12.33 SF 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.20 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 11.33
Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinal Results: QF 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 9.70 vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.40 QF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.60 vs. Julian Wilson (AUS) 2.64 QF 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.76 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 6.04 QF 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 9.57 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.67
DREAMING OF SUMMER SUN AND WARM WATER WAVES?
Then kick off summer with a week of sunshine, waves, yoga and music with the Boardmasters Surf Camp taking place in Moliets, France, 30 June - 7 July 2018.
Boardmasters Surf Camps will keep you smiling and entertained from the first wave to the last beat; with top secret Boardmasters Opening and Closing parties featuring very special live music guests to soundtrack your surf holiday. Not only that, but you can expect intimate campfire sessions and the hottest DJs spinning your favourite records as the sun goes down!
Boardmasters Surf Camp in the vibrant town of Moliets, southwest France is the perfect mix of surfing and living the good life. We have carefully selected this unique location to kick-start the summer and invite you to enjoy a sun filled week set to a Boardmasters soundtrack. Expect intimate live gigs from some very special guests, surfing lessons, yoga sessions, late night parties and campfire chilled vibes.
The warm water wave conditions of Moliets Plage and the surrounding areas are perfect for surfers of all levels, from complete beginners to those looking to sharpen their surfing skills. Each day we will head down to the beach 1km from camp, where you can surf, swim or sunbathe on the white sand.
The trip is great for single travellers, students, small and large groups and anyone looking for as much excitement out of the water as in it. You don’t have to be a pro, anyone who has caught the surfing bug can keep the ride going.
The Boardmasters Surf Camp is nestled in the stunning pine forests and is made up of stylish bell tents, large shaded eating areas, skate ramps, three-tier outdoor cinema and tiki cocktail bar. With table tennis, balance trainers, skate and longboards available to borrow and many other things to keep you stoked, entertained and smiling it’s impossible not to have fun. The team accommodate all levels of ability within the sport.
Beginners will learn the basics on friendly beach break waves, under the expert guidance of the Boardmasters’ qualified coaches, whilst the more advanced surfer will explore more challenging surf spots along this stretch of fabulous French coastline. There’s even a surf theory shack for those wanting tips for mastering the waves.
Andrew Topham, Co-CEO of Vision Nine and Boardmasters said, “Our Boardmasters heritage is firmly in surfing, yet surfing, music and yoga all naturally intertwine across our events, but also across the world. Over the years, thousands of our followers have discovered their love of surfing with their first lesson on Fistral Beach or Watergate Bay, and much as we encourage them to continually return to our Cornish home, we’re keen to give them another destination where they can enjoy our style of laidback fun and great waves. We’ve merged all of the best experiences of our Boardmasters beach festival into special stay, bringing all of our surf, music and soul elements into the perfect getaway for those who want to start their summer with some serious fun and adventure.”
The WSL Longboard tour will welcome another Brit this year. With Adam ‘Bearman’ Griffiths and Ben ‘Skindog’ Skinner both re-qualifying and a young chap from Devon, Jack Unsworth, long touted as a world class contender.
So WSL qualification, heats with a crew of legends and hobnobbing with the worlds elite does that feel?
Feels pretty good! I’ve grown up watching edits of all these boys charging so it’ll be epic to be able to be able to share heats with them.
Both Bearman and Skindog have been ripping on tour for a few years now. How have they inspired you?
I think back in 2015 when Skinner made the semis in Hainan, China, the world of competitive longboarding suddenly realised that surfers from Great Britain are a force to be reckoned with. He’s an incredible all-round surfer but in my opinion specialises in the bigger stuff, so to place 3rd at a small left-hander on his backside was nuts. Also Grifter’s recent 5th place finish really got me buzzed because he just seemed so stoked to make heats and his confidence progressed as heats went by. So their performances have just made me believe in my natural ability and not be threatened by the opposition.
You surf against both on the BLU, and have beaten them, and they have beaten the worlds best so that must instil you with confidence when to comes to the tour?
Ah yeah 100%. I believe I have the ability to drop high scores because I’ve done it at European WSL level before. Earlier this year I was less than half a point away from beating Eduardo Delpero in a semifinal at Caparica, so I know I’m capable of making a few heats, just hope the right waves come! Brett Simpson’s beaten John John at Trestles so anything’s possible!
Obviously it is an expensive business following your dreams on tour, do you want to give a shout out to the sponsors that will help you on the way?
It’s expensive, for sure. Especially as a student. Thankfully some of my sponsors offer me financial support, such as Gul Wetsuits and Plymouth University as I am a Sporting Excellence Scholar there. Skindog shapes all my boards and having him there mentoring me at a level he’s been used to for years is going to be super valuable.
Which waves are you most looking forward to?
At the moment it’s nice just to think about surfing in boardies again! However I’ve heard that the first stop on the 2018 tour in Papua New Guinea is at a left/right hand point setup which sounds mental. Later on in the year there’s the event in Taiwan, and there seems to be hundreds of quiet spots around there. There’s also a qualifier in Batu Keras, Java – which is like a quiet Noosa – just before Papua New Guinea so that’s very tempting!
Are you planning to do any other comps globally?
At the moment I’m just thinking about the 2018 World Tour. I can’t really afford to miss much more Uni either, financially and academically. I’m thinking about going to Cali during the summer and doing some events at Malibu thanks to some encouragement from CJ Nelson when I met him this summer. The most important thing for me is just to get my name spread around and have people in the surf world know who I am, if that’s successful then sick.
British pals Sebastien Smart and James Parry alongside Adrien Toyon flew into Cape Town on a mission to conquer South Africa’s best spots. Their local guide? None other than South African hot newcomer Mikey February. The crew is joined by local heroes and South African Vans “Brus” Shane Sykes & Vanilla the Gorilla aka Josh Redman forming one of the most eclectic casts of shredders you could ask for.
“It's always amazing to explore your home country with people for their first time. With a mix of some rad, creative and surf syked individuals you can't go wrong in South Africa. We surfed the east coast and the west coast, crashed cars, shared some beers, ate biltong and had an epic time with some epic vibes,” says Mikey February, Vans Surf Team.
“The Vans trip to SA was really fun..like all vans trips the focus is all on smiles rather than pressure and stress. Not gonna lie though, we had a couple of serious to extreme experiences, some life threatening one could say, but other than that, fun waves, fun times, fun people,” says Seb Smart, Vans Surf Team.
Well our trip was a blast full of emotions, sharing, taking care of each other, from day one until the end of it.. starting with our big session at Dungeons, with the addition of fun little tubes up the coast ending up at J-bay. We were waiting for that swell to come, luckily enough J-bay woke up a bit and we got some until the last day. After all when I think about it, to share some of these moments with good friends is definitely worth it, I want more in the future,” says Adrien Toyon, Vans Surf Team.
Filmed on location in South Africa.
Find out more details on all things Vans surf here.
Holiday-makers and crowded beaches, surf schools and bathing areas, sand castles and speedos, tiny waves and huge sunburns. Summer is great, all of us loves it, but at one point we really like when it stops. When the calm comes back, when the beaches are empty, when coastal villages become villages again, when the light is softer, and when waves arrive.
