Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue just hit the news stands, and the hottest female surfer is....Anastasia Ashley! There has to be something in Hawaii's water that consistently produces such talent. Here are Anastasia's semi-nsfw pics on SI's page. And I can't help but wonder if her viral twerking video (below) catapulted her to the top of of Sports Illustrated 'it' girl list. Check out what she had to say about the video with in GQ magazine here. Enjoy the pics and vid, because after the 68th consecutive northeast snow storm this winter, we all deserve to remember what summer looks like.
 Kelly Slater, crouching, focused at sea and on land. photo: http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2014-03/max-adler-surfers-who-golf After the 67th winter storm this year, summer has never seemed so far away. If you're like me, when the temperature goes below 50 degrees or the waves go flat, you begin to look towards other hobbies to keep you busy. Most of us will pick up another board sport that mimics the movement of surfing, but what about a sport that improves the mind game and mental focus? It should come as no surprise that Kelly Slater is 2 handicap golfer. His mental focus allows him to succeed at almost anything he does. But golf is growing among the younger crowd on Hawaii as well. Golf Digest is reporting a new found love of the sport among surfing's next generation like Julian Wilson and Dusty Payne. Hawaii has some of the best golf courses within a short drive from the best surf spots, making it easy to take a break from the waves while improving focus and body awareness on the greens.  Shane Dorian in Australia. photo by Adam Greentree, http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/shane-dorian-is-your-neighborly-bow-hunting-big-wave-surfer/ For Shane Dorian, bow-hunting is more than just a hobby outside of surfing, it's necessary to protect the agriculture on his property. Deer and pigs are a real nuisance and potential health threat on Hawaii, since they have no natural predators. Shane Dorian was hooked after his first hunt. Bow-hunting certain animals (like deer) requires extreme focus and breath control, because you have to get within 40 yards for an ethical kill shot without being detected. This mental focus goes hand-in-hand with Dorian's big wave surfing when focus on every detail is a vital to survive a ride or a wipeout. There is a code of responsibility that all hunters should follow, and Shane Dorian embodies the best of that code. Grindtv.com has a great interview with Shane on his journey into bow hunting.
 Photo:http://www.volcompipepro.com/ He's done it again. Kelly Slater won the Volcom Pipe Pro. The writing was on the wall in Round 4 when Slater air dropped into a meaty barrel, almost submerged his entire board, then pulled in, got covered up, spit out, and scored a perfect 10. Then in the first minute of the final he pulled a clean barrel and put up a 9.57, no one else even stood a chance. His past 2 wins at Pipe (the Billabong Pro in December and the Volcom Pro) prove he is still #1 and I'd say he's just getting warmed up to surf one more year on the ASP. Highlights and pics can be seen at volcompipepro.com. And for some super crazy hi res photos check out surfingmagazine.com.
I've never understood Polar Bears. Not the cuddly furry white creatures that rip apart seals, walruses, and fish to eat. That makes perfect sense. But the humans that voluntarily jump into near freezing water for fun does not make sense. Well our Photo Chief, Ray (above with a cute fan), is going to do just that on Super Bowl Sunday in Long Beach, NY. But he is doing it to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation. If you're going to risk cardiac arrest, you may as well do it for the kids. We will put up photos next week assuming his Speedo is not R-rated, but in the meantime anyone who wishes to donate can do so here. Ray usually raises the most money and this year should be the same. It's a great cause, so do it for the kids!
Remember all the hype that surrounded the Segway scooter before it was released, only to be disappointed to discover it was just an big electric scooter for lazy rich people? Well that kind of excitement should be generated for the Onewheel. Onewheel is a battery operated, gyro balancing, self propelled skateboard. It can glide over bumps with ease, and looks like a cross between snowboarding and 'hoverboarding' from Back to the Future II. With a $1,300 pre-order price tag it's not cheap, but you will definitely be the coolest kid on the block.
The HollywoodReporter.com is saying that Gerard Butler is in final talks to play Bodhi in the Point Break remake. This remake has been a bad idea since day 1. Butler should just kick over Patrick Swayze's (RIP) headstone and desecrate his grave. Classics should not be re-made. Anyone who loved the original must boycott everything associated with this blasphemous remake. It is wrong on so many way levels, let's count them...- It's disrespectful to the late Mr. Swayze. What's next, a Road House remake?
- "Lawyers don't surf," and neither does Butler. Remember how he almost died while making Chasing Mavericks.
- Having Johnny Utah play an older mentor like Pappas might have worked, but Keanu Reeves TURNED DOWN the remake!
- Butler has already jinxed any movie involving surfing, Chasing Mavericks barely made $6 million.
- Butler is old as dirt. He's already 44, he'll by 45 when it films. How many 45 year-olds (Kelly Slater is the exception, and he's still younger at 41) are believable surfing gurus and bank robbers??
I guess their MTV/Jackass money has run out and their insurance premiums are unaffordable under Obamacare, so Travis Pastrana and the Nitro Circus is taking their show on the road. They sold out Madison Square Garden last night, and they are filling their foam pits with dollars just like Uncle Scrooge. But I feel better knowing that my dollars are supporting insanity and 3 hours of non-stop jumps, as opposed to 3 hours at a baseball game and only seeing 17 minutes of actual action. Yes that last statistic is a sad fact, read it here.So enjoy the "Nitro Bomb" at the top, and Josh Sheehan's double back flip below.
It has been a long three weeks since getting back from Hawaii and trying to get back into the swing of things. Thanks to the Polar Vortex gripping the nation, I discovered it's hard to type while wearing mittensfocusing on starting a fire in my tiny apartment to keep warm. But to kick things off for 2014 we'll do some shameless promotion of this year's Women's Surfer Poll winner, Alana Blanchard. She recaps her 2013 year and looks forward to 2014.
Usually when you spot a drone overhead it means you should duck and cover, because Uncle Same is about to send a hellfire missile through your front door, or maybe Amazon is dropping of a pizza. But now that quadcopter drones fitted with GoPro cameras are affordable for everyone, you can pretend to be the CIA and capture some amazing aerial footage. This was shot by Eric Sterman of Hawaii, full link is here. I wonder how long it will take before you will need permits to fly drones over ASP contests and other events.
Fanning on a last minute barrel for the win. photo: aspworldtour.com
Slater getting covered. John John getting lifted. photo: theinertia.com
The coveted 2013 Pipeline Masters trophy. Shaped by Gerry Lopez, with a painting of Andy Irons done by Phil Roberts, based on a picture taken by Pat Stacey. Slater said this was the trophy he most wanted to win since the first Pipeline Lopez board trophy, which he won in 2008.
It was the perfect setup for the final contest of the year; A sunny Saturday morning, huge crowd on the beach, 12-15 foot waves at Pipeline, with the Billabong Pipeline Masters title and the ASP championships on the line. All Mick Fanning had to do to win the ASP championship was advance past the quarterfinals and he would mathematically eliminate Kelly Slater. Not an easy task considering Fanning had to defeat CJ Hobgood in Round 5, and then Yadin Nicol in the quarterfinals.CJ Hobgood looked unbeatable in Round 5, until Fanning did a great Kelly Slater impression and caught a 9.50 point barrel with 1 minute left in the heat for the win. Then Mick Fanning did the same thing in the quarterfinals against Yadin Nicol. Fanning was behind the whole heat until he caught another last minute barrel! Fanning needed a 9.59 score or better. It took over 5 minutes for the score to arrive, but the judges gave him a 9.70. Fanning won the heat and clinched the title by a mere .13 points! But Fanning's luck ran out in the semifinals when the waves seemed to stop coming to him and only scored a combined 5 points to John John Florence's combined 18.30 points.The final was now set. Florence vs. Slater, young vs. old, it would be the perfect passing of the torch if Slater wanted to retire after this year. But never count out Kelly Slater when he's focused and needs to win. From the beginning of the contest, the only way Kelly Slater could have won the 2013 title was to win at Pipeline, and even though he was now mathematically eliminated, he still accomplished his goal to win. Waves in the first half of the final heat were messy, with both riders being forced into close out barrels. Then the bigger sets came and the two competitors traded 7, 8, and 9 point waves. Each ride was better than the previous one. Until Slater shut the door on John John with a barrel which scored a 9.87 to win the event.
Slater surfed flawlessly, Fanning surfed like a fierce competitor winning when he needed it most, and John John Florence proved he will be a champion in the near future. It was like seeing 3 champions being crowned.
- Mick Fanning is the 2013 ASP Champion.
- Kelly Slater wins the 2013 Pipeline Masters.
- John John Florence wins the 2013 Vans Triple Crown (best combined performance at Haleiwa, Sunset, and Pipeline).
Will Slater compete in 2014? Most likely. When asked about winning Pipeline but losing to Mick due to forces beyond his control, Slater replied, "I think that has pissed me off just enough to come back."
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