JF WORLD & WORD

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2012-02-16T17:52:00.000-10:00

Hawaii

Hora extra no North Shore

Por Bruno Lemos em 07/02/12 00:01 GMT-03:00

Jean Ferreira, Pipeline, North Shore de Oahu, Hawaii. Foto: Bruno Lemos / Lemosimages.com.

Muito surf! Essa é a melhor definição do que rolou aqui no North Shore de Oahu nos últimos dias.

Foram várias ondulações seguidas, uma atrás da outra, com ondas grandes, médias e pequenas.

Dos reefs de outside, passando por Waimea, Pipeline, Backdoor e Rocky Point, quase todos os picos funcionaram clássicos.

O crowd? Parecia auge da temporada! Carros com pranchas no teto e surfistas para todos os lados.

Para esta semana, a previsão indica o maior swell dos últimos meses, mas infelizmente, segundo os gráficos, ele chega acompanhado de vento maral intenso.

Agora é esperar para ver o que acontece e torcer para o vento não detonar a formação das bombas.Featu

Say aloha as in goodbye to the haleiwa we know and love?

2012-02-14T17:19:00.000-10:00

Aloha All: We all know how bad traffic is already in the country. It's maxed out like code black NW swell. So, now lets put in a Hotel?

Tomorrow, Saturday 2/11, The Hui O He'e Nalu, Friends of Save Haleiwa, Save Sunset Beach Coalition and Friends/Family of Squiddy Sanchez, will be hosting a peaceful protest fronting Haleiwa Beach Mauka park from 10am till 1pm. Purpose is to let Andy Anderson know that we don't want his hotel and molding Haleiwa town into another Waikiki with its over abundance of tourists, rising costs, TRAFFIC and basically removing the country ambiance and feel of the North Shore. Many come to the North Shore to get away from the "hustle & bustle" and relax with their Ohana on the beach or in the parks. We strongly support local business and more jobs, but Haleiwa is a small, quaint town. There is no room for this hotel.

We understand Andy is still pushing his hotel idea behind the scenes. So we will conduct this protest to let him know that the community, who doesnt support his plan, still feel the same way and are not going anywhere.

All are welcome to join in if you support our mission. This will be a peaceful protest. If you have the same goal, e komo mai.

Mahalo Piha,

Mahina Chillingworth

Vice-President, Hui O He'e Nalu

Hawai'i Event Coordinator, DA HUI, INC.

2012 IBA Pipe Challenge Forecast.

2012-02-14T08:41:00.001-10:00

Wednesday the 15^th February, the first day of the contest, the swell will be coming in from the northwest, in the 5-7ft range early in the day, building all day, and by late afternoon waves should be in the 8-10ft region. This direction means both Pipeline and Backdoor will be breaking, we will most likely see heats with riders splitting the peak. The wind will be coming from the east and gradually swinging to an east-southeast direction in the afternoon, getting gusts of up to 17miles per hour (14 knots). This wind direction is ideal for Pipe as it is going to be straight offshore all day.

The forecast for this year’s IBA Pipe Challenge is brought to you by: www.swellinfo.com.

Thursday the 16^th February, day two, the swell will be at its biggest day of competition, as the swell peaks in the afternoon. The morning will see sets in the 10-12ft range with possible bigger ones throughout the day. The swell will continue to approach from the northwest and the winds will be blowing, with gusts of up to 16mph (13knots) from the east.

Friday the 17^th February, day three, the swell will calm down. Waves will possibly be in the 8-10ft range and the swell direction will remain from the northwest. Winds will be from the east in the morning, swinging to east-northeast by the afternoon, with gust of up to 20mph (17 knots).

Saturday the 18^th February, day four, the swell will drop some more. Waves should be expected in the 6-8ft range, the swell from the northwest and the wind from the east in the morning, swinging to east-northeast by the afternoon, with gust of up to 24mph (20 knots).

Sunday the 19^th February, day five, the swell drops to 4-5ft and the direction remains from the northwest. The wind is meant to blow from an east-northeast direction with gusts of up to 21mph (18knots).

The IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge.

2012-01-23T09:20:00.000-10:00

The International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) is pleased to announce that the IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge has secured the sponsorship support of some of the industry and Hawaii’s leading brands. Ocean Current, Dave & Busters, Aqua Hotels & Resorts, Town & Country Surf Designs, and go!Mokulele Airlines have committed to the sponsorship of the event, which is shaping up as one of the most anticipated events in the history of the IBA World Tour.

YouTube will be the media partner of the event, with the live event webcast showing on both www.ibaworldtour.com and www.youtube.com The IBA are pleased to confirm all 4 days of action will be streamed live- that is over 30 hours of action from the IBA Pipe Challenge.

The IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge is event one of eight of the IBA Grand Slam Series for the undisputed World Championship of Bodyboarding. Defending and 3 times IBA Pipe Challenge winner, Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii – USA), will face off against current World Champion, Pierre-Louis Costes (France), along with the top 128 bodyboarders in the world.

The IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge will also feature the first event of the 2012 IBA Women’s World Tour. With a confirmed field of the top 32 women bodyboarders in the world, the action will be intense, as current Women’s World Champion, Eunate Aguirre (Basque Country), takes on the world’s best riders.

Event one of 2012 IBA Dropknee World Tour will round out an amazing line up for the IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge. With a field of the top 32 drop knee riders in the world vying for a strong start to the World Title race and the opportunity to prove their worth at Pipeline, it will be action packed.

The official contest window is from February 15 – 24, 2012, with event check in at the Ehukai Beach Park on February 10th between 12 noon and 4pm. All riders are required to check in, including the top 24 IBA contracted riders, Wildcards and riders wishing to enter the trials event. The trials will be held at Sandy Beach on February 11th – 12th for the men’s, women’s and drop knee divisions.

Online registration for the IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge is now open atwww.ibaworldtour.com/registration/ All riders are encouraged to register online to secure their place and to save on the entry fee.

Managing Director of the IBA, Gregg Taylor, commented, “The anticipation around the 2012 IBA World Tours is unprecedented and Pipeline is the perfect venue to launch what will be an amazing year of professional Bodyboarding. The IBA is very grateful for the support of the brands backing the event. The IBA are excited to be working with YouTube as our media platform provider to take the footage of the IBA World Tour to the masses”

Jeff Marshall, Marketing Director and Team Manager for Ocean Current, stated, “We here at Ocean Current are stoked to support the sport of Bodyboarding and being a part of Bodyboarding history at the most prestigious wave in the world… The Banzai Pipeline.”

Please refer to www.ibaworldtour.com for the latest information and news relating to the IBA 2012 Pipeline Challenge.

Please subscribe to www.youtube/ibaworldtour for the latest IBA exclusive clips

On Facebook at www.facebook.com/ibaworldtour

On Twitter at www.twitter.com/ibaworldtour

Expedition White Shark App.

2012-01-22T22:20:00.000-10:00

Expedition White Shark is the world's very first app that tracks sharks that have custom satellite tags attached to their dorsal fins. As a shark reaches the surface it is geo-located by satellites. The app also shows attacks that have been attributed to the Great White shark.

The chances of being attacked by a shark are super slim. Still, an app that gives a heads up of recent shark activity at the beaches is helpful, even if it does feed shark-attack paranoia. The app includes photos and videos of sharks and a game. The photos and videos are awesome. The app allows you to receive live tracking data for the tagged Great White sharks, at the same time as the research scientists. You can explore the histories of individual Great White Sharks, and find detailed historic tracking data and bios for each shark tagged, including two individuals from the Farallon Islands off central California, USA

Biggest Teahupo'o Ever.

2012-01-22T22:15:00.000-10:00

This day at Teahupoo- Aug 27th 2011 during the Billabong Pro waiting period is what many are calling the biggest and gnarliest Teahupoo ever ridden. Chris Bryan was fortunate enough to be there working for Billabong on a day that will go down in the history of big wave surfing. The French Navy labeled this day a double code red prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water.
Kelly Slater described the day by saying "witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people's lives all day long, it's life or death. Letting go of that rope one time can change your life and not many people will ever experience that in their life."

More Surfing Videos All images where shot by Chris Bryan using the Phantom HD Gold camera. To see more of Chris' work check out his website. WWW.CHRISBRYANFILMS.COM
Music: Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun' by M83.
by Chris Bryan

Danny Fuller for Allure Homme Sport by Chanel.

2012-01-22T21:56:00.002-10:00

Danny Fuller will be the star of the Allure Homme Sport, a perfume for men developed by the haute couture fashion house Chanel. The men's essence will be launched in February 2012. Chanel had already entered the world of waves when they presented their own line of surfboards costing $4000 each.

Academy Award-winning film director Kathryn Bigelow will be in charge of the TV commercial that will feature the popular Hawaiian surfer, who also has a passion for photography.

It seems that the Allure Homme Sport offers especially designed fragrances for extreme sports enthusiasts. The official site for the perfume describes it has "a casual, brisk fragrance spiked with heightened notes of freshness and sensuality".

Peppermint, mandarin, musk and even black pepper are the main ingredients that Danny Fuller will help boost sales. The ad campaign for the new version of Allure Homme Sport will market the perfume with its associations with the Hawaii culture and surfing.

The men's fragrance by Chanel was originally created by Jacques Polge and is constantly revised every season. Let's see how Kathryn Bigelow and Danny Fuller will enchant the world surfing community.

You can buy the perfume, here.

2012 IBA Pipe Pro.

2012-01-21T08:20:00.000-10:00

Basque local Alex Uranga will be one of many new faces on the 2012 GSS

The 2012 IBA World Tours are about to launch in February with one of the favorite stops on tour at the infamous Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. This event usually attracts the cream of world bodyboarding as the riders test their skills against one of the most perfect yet challenging reefs in the world.

The dates are as follows

Check in: Ehukai Beach Park, Feb 10^th,12pm – 4pm
Trials: Sandy Beach, Feb 11^th & 12^th,8am – 4pm
Main event: Pipeline, Feb 15^th till 24^th

This first event is always very popular due to the nature of the format and seeding that sees a variety of the planets best placed in the main event.

First off you have the new Top 24. These guys are the 24 highest rated riders at the end of the 2011 Grand Slam Series and are seeded into the ultimate round (R6) at Pipe.

This year the IBA Top 24 has several new faces including the Australian duo of Sam Bennett& Chase O’Leary as well as Alex Uranga (Basque) and this will be their time to shine as they kick off their 2012 campaigns.

Joining the Top 24 in the top 32 are the 4 wildcards and 4 “Permanent Alternates” for 2012

No 17 from 2011 GSS Mike Stewart (Hawaii)
No 18 from 2011 GSS Diego Cabrera (Canary)
No 9 from 2011 GQS Adam Morley (Sth Africa)
No 10 from 2011 GQS Jones Russell (Aust)

The 4 main event wildcards for the 2012 Pipe Pro are

Spencer Skipper (Hawaii)
Paulo Barcellos (Brazil)
Kainoa McGee (Hawaii)
Brian Wise (Hawaii)

Seeded behind these guys are the 16 next highest rated riders from the 2011 GQSratings followed by the 48 “Regional seeds” from the worlds National Tours.

These National tours are the official chapters of the IBA:

IBA Japan JPBA
IBA Australasia Rebel Sport Pro Tour
IBA America USBA
IBA Africa SABA
IBA Latin America IBALA
IBA Brazil Brazilian Pro Tour
IBA Europe ETB

World Tour manager Terry McKenna explains the theory behind this arrangement.

“IBA allocate seeded positions into the main event at Pipe for a variety of reasons. Firstly, we want to be able to offer the regions the opportunity to showcase their best riders from the domestic tours at Pipe” he said.

“This is a great incentive to follow your National tour, knowing that you will surf Pipe with only three other guys. Secondly, if these newcomers get a good result they might continue to follow the tour. It’s a great way for us to bleed new talent into the Word Tour whilst strengthening the National tours,” Terry added.

And finally the bottom 16 spots come from the trials.

The entry fee for the Mens Grand Slam is US$250

Here is a graph showing the seeding sequence for the 2012 Pipe Pro.

Top 16 x IBA Internationals from 2011 GSS Tour (seeds 1-16)

12 x IBA Rated riders from previous year (seeds 17-28) + 4 x Wild Cards (seeds 29-32)

Then 16 spots after that will be from 2011 GQS Ratings (seeds 33-48)

48 x IBA Regional Tour Spots (seeds 49-96)

Then 16 positions will come from the trials (seeds 97-112)

The trials for the event will be set for Sandy Beach on Feb 11 & 12

The Women’s World Tour will also commence again at Pipe and this year IBA have extended the field to 32

This Grand Slam event will comprise the Top 24 riders from the 2011 WWT rankings along with 2 Wildcards and 6 trialists.

The Wildcards for 2012 Pipe Pro are

Aoi Koike (Japan)
Claudia Ferrari (Hawaii)

It was an incredible finish to the 2011 WWT with Eunate Aguirre (Basque) just pipingIsabella Sousa (Brazil) in the final event at Azores. With so many spots up for grabs a record field is expected to sign up.

The entry fee for the Womens Grand Slam is US$200

Finally the 2012 DKWT will commence at Pipe with newly crowned World Champion Damian King (Aust) heading up a stellar cast.

The DK Grand Slam event will comprise the Top 16 riders from the 2011 rankings taking on 8 wildcards and 8 trialists

The entry fee for the DK Grand Slam is US$180

There are two ways to enter the 2011 IBA Pipe Pro:

1. By the online registration system on the new IBA website This costs US$250

2. At the event check in on Feb 10^th at Ehukai Beach Park between 12 noon & 4pm This costs US$270 (includes late fee of $20)

All enquiries can be directed to event technical director terry@ibaworldtour.com

Remember to follow all the action online at www.ibaworldtour.com

On Facebook at www.facebook.com/ibaworldtour

On twitter at www.twitter.com/ibaworldtour

SAG Signatory Casting Call on HAN‏.

2012-01-20T14:52:00.000-10:00

Japan Television Commercial

KONA CASTING UPDATE

Signatory Company: U International Corp.

Shoot Location: Kona, Hawaii (Big Island)

Tentative Shoot Date: February 15, 2012

Rates: General Extras - $323 per 8 hour day; Principals Group - $433.55 per 8 hour day plus $1,517.45 Internet fee.

Seeking Extra Performers Able to Portray the Following:

A slender Polynesian Female Hula Dancer: Age range 20-30.

Coffee Plantation Worker: Pacific Islander, male and female. Age range 30s and 50s. Authentic plantation worker look.

Seeking Principal Performers Able to Portray the Following:Coffee Plantation Tourist(s) or Guest(s): Caucasian or part Caucasian, male and female, age range 30s and 50s. Blonde or brown hair, clean cut to portray tourists/guests from Europe/Australia/mainland visiting the coffee farm.

Go to the SAG group on HAN for more information.

Mahalo to the SAG office for all you do in the building of Hawaii's film industry.

Visit Hawaii Actors Network at: http://www.hawaiiactors.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Brazil's Rising Star.

2012-01-18T08:28:00.000-10:00

As the U.S. and most of the world's countries limp along after the crippling recession, Brazil is off and running with jobs, industry, and resources. Steve Kroft reports.

Pierre-Louis Costes is The New World Champion.

2011-12-14T15:58:00.000-10:00

He led the world tour most of the year, but in the end, all Hawaiian Jeff Hubbard, could do was wait and hope that his nearest rival, the new kid on the block from France, Pierre-Louis Costes, would not make it into the semi-finals of the 2011 NMD-Pride-Stealth Fronton Pro today. The French 21-year–old took off deep on a ten foot set wave in his quarterfinal heat, disappeared behind the thick lip came and out seconds later on the foam-ball with a clenched fist. Pierre-Louis Costes will remember the wave as the one that won him his first world title. “That was the wave of my life. I will always remember that wave; I will always remember Fronton. I love this place”, said Costes.

The schoolteacher from Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia with a passion for big waves, recently signed a board sponsorship deal with NMD- one of the event sponsors- and was selected to be the international wildcard for the event. Jason Finlay, the man who stopped Jeff Hubbard in round four yesterday, put on a display of seamanship for the spectators as he pulled into barrels the size of two story buildings, aimed for the lips and went for airs on his way to victory in the heaviest waves ridden all year on the Men’s World Tour. “I’m the happiest man in the world. The main goal was never to win the comp, I just wanted to do some big airs and try and mix it up with these guys. The whole comp I tried my hardest, so it paid off”, said Finlay.

Mitch Rawlins surfed the trials to get into the main event and made it all the way to the finals. Rawlins caught one of the longest barrels of the day and also pulled into by far the biggest wave of the day. Unfortunately, he was unable to find the waves he caught in previous heats and finished 1.1 points behind Finlay.

Perrow Wins Billabong Pipe Masters, Florence Takes Vans Triple Crown.

2011-12-10T21:18:00.000-10:00

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, December 10, 2011) – Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34, has won his inaugural ASP World Tour event, taking out the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons over fellow countrymen Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in four-to-six foot waves. John John Florence (HAW), 19, also found his way to the podium as the overall winner of the 2011 Vans Triple Crown.

Perrow, who finished runner-up to Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, in last year’s Billabong Pipe Masters, returned to form again this year and charged the massive Pipeline conditions on the opening two days of competition to solidify his position on the 2012 ASP World Tour. The Australian was equally deadly in the smaller conditions on the final day and commanded the Final against Parkinson in a backdoor shootout to secure his maiden ASP World Tour victory.

“It took me up until now to get over getting second to Jeremy last year” Perrow said. “It’s so good to get back here. I just felt so comfortable the whole time. I’ve had such a great event anyway and coming in to today, it was just amazing. The waves have been phenomenal. I haven’t surfed Pipe like that in my entire career. This is pretty much the pinnacle for me.”

Parkinson, a multiple Vans Triple Crown Winner, came close to clinching his first Billabong Pipe Masters Title, but was unable to find a rhythm in the Final against Perrow.

“It’s a hard one to lose because you’ve only got one guy to beat and you’ve beaten so many, but it’s the hardest one to win,” Parkinson said. “I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving than Kieren (Perrow). He’s a true Pipe Master and one of the best guys out there and I’m so glad he won.”

Parkinson battled his way into the Final with a hard fought victory over Kelly Slater (USA), 39, in their Semifinals clash. After a series of exciting exchanges, the Australian was in need of an 8.21 with just minutes remaining and Parkinson drove through a barrel on his backhand to secure an 8.60 and his Final berth.

“I knew my work was cut out for me,” Parkinson said. “Surfing against Kelly (Slater) is the biggest thing you can do. After he got that 9, I thought, ‘here we go.’ I thought he peaked against John John and he was just at it again. That wave just came to me. It was one of those situations where you forget about everything else, am I in the right position, am I doing anything right. Conditions are not perfect at all, but there are some really good waves.”

Kelly Slater took an amazing come from behind heat win in his Quarterfinals matchup against lethal Pipeline local John John Florence (HAW), 19. The Floridian was in need of a combination of 16.70 to overtake Florence with just three minutes remaining on the clock, and maintained his composure, threading the needle on two back-to-back backdoor barrels for a 9.70 and a 7.83 to surpass the young Hawaiian en route to the Semifinals.

“I was just going to try and have some fun because I didn’t want to run and I thought we’d find another day,” Slater said. “I figured I’d try and get in that head space and I’d ride a short board and I actually got a really good left and my board was wrong for it. I thought it was going to cost me the heat. It just came to me in last three-or-four minutes. I’m just trying to hold John John (Florence)at bay because he’s going to rule Pipe for the next 20 years. I just want to get a couple before I’m done. He’s been the man to beat out here. He’s had two 10s and a couple of high 9’s.”

Slater put on another strong effort in his Semifinals clash against Parkinson, but was unable to surpass the Gold Coast native and finished equal 3rd overall.

“Joel controlled it from the beginning with a 7 to start,” Slater said. “He was holding position from there. I got the 5 and we were in the cycle where he had priority besides that one that I got that 9 on. I’m super surprised that he got both of his good scores on the lefts because we’re usually looking at the right on days like today. He was just in sync with it and there’s not much you can do about that.”

Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, who was rated 3rd on the Vans Triple Crown ratings entering the Billabong Pipe Masters, needed to advance to the Final to surpass Florence on the ratings, but finished painfully close when he lost to Perrow in the Semifinals. Despite falling short of the Vans Triple Crown Title, the equal 3rd place finish marks the Tahitian’s best result of the year.

“It was a painful way to lose, especially when there weren’t many waves out there,” Bourez said. “I wish I won the Triple Crown, but it happens sometimes. It’s good for the confidence and a good result for the end of the year. It’s good to make the Semifinals, but I just wanted one good barrel out there and it never happened.”

John John Florence put on an amazing show at this year’s Billabong Pipe Masters, taking the event’s only two perfect 10-point rides, but fell to Slater in the Quarterfinals. Florence’s overall effort including a win at the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach and a 5th place at the Reef Hawaiian Pro secured his first Vans Triple Crown win, making him the youngest competitor in history to win the prestigious series.

“I’m so stoked to be here, I’ve been surfing these waves my entire life and watching everyone over the years,” Florence said. “I’m so happy that I won this and to have my name with everyone else who has won over the years. I just want to say thanks to my Mom and Pancho Sullivan and John Pyzel and all my sponsors. Thanks to everyone.”

For highlights of the 2011 Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons log on to www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2011

Billabong Pipe Masters Final Result:
1 – Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.17
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 7.00

Billabong Pipe Masters Semifinals Results:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.23 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 16.83
SF 2: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 12.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 4.07

Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinals Results:
QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.00 def. Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 9.43
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.53 def. John John Florence (HAW) 16.70
QF 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.70 def. Evan Valiere (HAW) 3.66
QF 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 17.23 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.26

2012 ASP Top 32 Decided, Two Wildcards to be Determined Next Week.

2011-12-10T21:11:00.000-10:00

BANZAI PIPELINE, Hawaii/USA (Saturday, December 10, 2011) – After two historic days at the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, the final stop on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, the ASP Top 32 surfers have been determined for 2012. The ASP Wildcard Committee will determine the two wildcards in the coming week, rounding out next season’s ASP Top 34. The following list of names are the confirmed ASP Top 32 for 2012 (in ASP World Ranking order, but could change depending on final event results):

2012 ASP Top 34
Kelly Slater (USA)
Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Taj Burrow (AUS)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Josh Kerr (AUS)
Michel Bourez (PYF)
Damien Hobgood (USA)
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heitor Alves (BRA)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
John John Florence (HAW)
Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Brett Simpson (USA)
Adam Melling (AUS)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Tiago Pires (PRT)
Jadson Andre (BRA)
Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Dusty Payne (HAW)
Taylor Knox (USA)
Travis Logie (ZAF)
C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Wildcard 1
Wildcard 2

As noted above, these 32 surfers (combined with the two surfer wildcards to be determined next week) will comprise the ASP Top 32 for the start of 2012.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time for a possible 8am start and will possibly crown a 2011 Billabong Pipe Masters Champion by day’s end.

For all of the LIVE action log on to www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2011

Big Swell Expected for Opening Day of Billabong Pipe Masters

2011-12-07T22:44:00.000-10:00

Gabriel Medina (BRA), Kelly Slater (USA), Taj Burrow (AUS), Bruce Irons (HAW) and John John Florence (HAW) at the Billabong Pipe Masters press conference.

The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons is set to unfold from December 8 through 20, 2011 and with a big swell looming on the horizon, the world’s best surfers could be battling massive Pipeline on the opening day of the waiting period.

The final stop on the 2011 ASP World Title Series and the third jewel of the Vans Triple Crown, the Billabong Pipe Masters utilizes a unique overlapping format which hosts an expanded field to accommodate the talented list of Hawaiian Pipeline specialists.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, freshly crowned 11-time ASP World Champion, was admittedly more relaxed entering the upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters after securing the 2011 ASP World Title in San Francisco, but is still anxious to tackle the dangerous barrel after nearly a year out of the North Shore lineup.

“In theory, having won the title in San Francisco takes the pressure off a lot, but there’s a big swell coming,” Slater said. “There’s been nothing to prepare on and I haven’t been there even if there was. It’s going to go from zero to 10 here pretty quick in the next few days and there’s not going to be a whole lot of waves to free-surf beforehand. The pressure is off, so I don’t have to worry about that, but the anxiety building up to surfing the Pipe contest is a lot. I haven’t felt it until sitting here today thinking about it, but it’s exciting and I can’t wait to get in the water. The pressure’s not there (for the ASP World Title), but there is the excitement, the anxiety and getting rid of the nerves after a year of not surfing Pipe.”

Slater, who has won several elite ASP event victories at Pipeline, also explained that the massive swell expected to ignite the infamous reef instantly changes a competitors’ heat strategy in comparison to smaller first-reef Pipeline typically seen in previous years at the Billabong Pipe Masters.

“It’s a whole different deal, you kind of have to make a decision,” Slater said. “Everyone would love to get one of those second-reef bombs in their heat. The truth is, they are heats and you get scored so the chance of getting out there and getting a second reef wave and maximizing your scoring potential at Pipeline probably isn’t going to happen. It’s been a long time since someone’s had a second-reef Pipe wave in a contest, but it’d be nice to see.”

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, 2009 Billabong Pipe Masters Champion, has been putting his time in at Pipeline in preparation for this year’s contest, but feels the smaller swells on offer earlier this year have done little to prepare him for the serious swell expected to deliver on the opening day of the waiting period.

“It looks like the surf is only going to get better, so I’m getting excited,” Burrow said. “I’ve been surfing out there a lot, but it’s mainly only been rippable little turns, so I’m looking forward to getting some barrels. It’ll be fun. Big Pipe is pretty intimidating, it’s scary for sure, but it’s awesome at the same time. I’m excited to surf such an incredible wave with just a few guys out.”

Burrow, who won the first event of the Vans Triple Crown, the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, stumbled at Sunset Beach, but is hoping for Redemption at the Billabong Pipe Masters to keep his hopes alive for the prestigious Hawaiian title.

“I was definitely thinking about the Triple Crown on route to Hawaii,” Burrow said. “In the past Joel Parkinson won it a lot, and it seemed like he won it with ease and I noticed a few of the guys weren’t doing it this year. Triple Crown was something I really wanted to do and I want to win it. It’s looking like a good race with John John (Florence) and Adam (Melling) getting some good results, so it should prove to be an exciting finish.”

John John Florence (HAW), 19, winner of the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach, is currently leading the Vans Triple Crown ratings entering the final stop at his home break and is chomping at the bit to battle the world’s best surfers despite the pressure that comes along with competing in front of the local crowd.

“It should be fun, we haven’t really had a Pipe swell this year and it’s looking like this will be the first real swell, so no one has had the chance to surf it yet,” Florence said. “There’s definitely pressure. I live there and surf there everyday and I don’t want to lose first heat. I want to have fun out there surfing with only three other guys in the water, it’s amazing.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, who joined the ASP Top 34 after the midyear rotation, has been in stunning form while scalping two event victories and the young Brazilian is looking at this year’s solid swell as an opportunity to build crucial experience in bigger surf.

“I’ve been to Hawaii five times, but I haven’t surfed Pipe much because it’s always so crowded,” Medina said. “Hopefully I can get some good waves this year with two or three guys in the water. I don’t have a lot of big wave experience, but I’m excited and I’m going to do my best.”

Due to the expanded competition at Pipeline, the ASP has awarded two wildcard spots to surfers next in line on the ASP World Rankings, Kolohe Andino (USA), 17, and Willian Cardoso (BRA), 25. Both surfers will receive ASP World Rankings points for their campaigns at the Billabong Pipeline Masters.

The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons will run from December 8 – 20, 2011 and will be webcast LIVE viahttp://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2011

For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Match Ups:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Marcus Hickman (HAW)
Heat 2: CJ Hobgood (USA) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
Heat 3: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Evan Valiere (HAW)
Heat 4: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 5: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Ian Walsh (HAW)
Heat 6: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Kai Barger (HAW)
Heat 7: Daniel Ross (AUS) vs. Aamion Goodwin (HAW)
Heat 8: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Heat 9: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Laurie Towner (AUS)
Heat 10: Willian Cardoso (BRA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 11: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 12: Mason Ho (HAW) vs. Hank Gaskell (HAW)

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Match Ups:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 4: John Florence (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Adam Melling (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Dusty Payne (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. TBD

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Match Ups:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBD

VANS TRIPLE CROWN TOP 3 (Heading into Billabong Pipe Masters):
1. John John Florence (HAW) 9,780 pts
2. Adam Melling (AUS) 9,650 pts
3. Michel Bourez (PYF) 8,480 pts

ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 5 (Heading into Billabong Pipe Masters):
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 63,350 pts
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 48,600 pts
3. Owen Wright (AUS) 47,900 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 43,700 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 42,200 pts

Custom X History.

2011-12-05T22:28:00.000-10:00

Debbie Colwell, owner, originally got her feet wet in the bodyboarding industry with Tom Morey at Morey Boogie in 1976. Years later she moved on to manage Scott Hawaii, where, in addition to her responsibilities, she shaped custom boards on the side. The once side project, known as Custom X, then progressed into retail stores as customers began requesting the brand. With the help of Dave Dale, Mike “X-Man” Fleming, and Dave Cunniff, production flew into full swing and the adventure began.

Through the years, many of the industry’s best shapers and professional athletes have passed through the doors of Custom X. Shapers like Mike “X-Man” Fleming, Jimmy Linville, Kevin Wood, and Pete Anaya, who currently runs factory production, harnessed and perfected their craft with the company. In addition, team athletes like Fred Booth, Robbie Crawford, Jordan Hetrick, Babby Quinones, JJ Ayala, Brandon Foster, Dave Hubbard, just to name a handful, developed professional bodyboarding careers with Custom X.

Just as in the beginning, Custom X continues to take pride in providing its customers the highest quality bodyboarding products in the industry. Today’s team of professional athletes likewise continue pushing the limits, both in and out of the water, for the company more than ever. With that much said, the legacy of Custom X presses fervently into the future of bodyboarding.

Ewan Getting Twisted. Photo: Toinz

The 2011 IBA Fronton Pro

2011-12-04T09:13:00.000-10:00

IBA 2011 NMD, Pride, Stealth Fronton Pro

Event 8 of 8, Mens Grand Slam Series

El Fronton, Galdar, Gran Canaria

Dec 6-15, 2011

ibaworldtour.com

The International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) is pleased to announce that the IBA 2011 Fronton event has secured the sponsorship support of some of the industry’s leading brands. NMD, Pride and Stealth have committed to the Naming Sponsorship of the event, which is shaping up as one of the biggest events in the history of Bodyboarding.

The IBA 2011 NMD, Pride, Stealth Fronton Pro is event 8 of 8 of the IBA Grand Slam Series for the undisputed World Championship of Bodyboarding. Going into the final event, the world title race is wide open, where 4 riders can still win the prestigious World Title. Jeff Hubbard (HAW) is the current tour leader, though hot on his heels are the contenders: Pierre Louis Costes (FRA), Ryan Hardy (AUS) and Guilherme Tamega (BRA).

The venue for this amazing showdown is the infamous El Fronton, located in Galdar, Gran Canaria. The IBA has been working closely with the support of the local authorities to ensure the stage is set for a memorable contest at the wave that is often regarded as the ‘perfect canvas for performance Bodyboarding’. Holding waves up to 15 feet and serving up lefts and rights, with hollow barrels and sections made for boosting, the Bodyboarding world collectively holds its breath to see what Mother Nature will deliver.

The official contest window is from December 6 – 15, 2011, with event check in at the La Guancha event site on December 5th between 12 noon and 4pm. All riders are required to check in, including the top 24 IBA contracted riders, Wildcards and riders wishing to enter the trials event.

There will be 8 spots available in the main event for riders to progress from the trials event that will be held from the 6th December 2011 at La Guancha. The treasured spots in the top 32 of the IBA 2011 NMD, Pride, Stealth Fronton Pro are not the only thing that will make the Fronton Trials one of the most exciting of the year. There are 12 riders from the Global Qualifying Series (GQS) still in contention for the 8 available IBA top 24 contracts for 2012.

The 4 event Wildcards for the IBA 2011 NMD, Pride, Stealth Fronton Pro have been awarded to Elliott Morales (CNY), Nelson Mora (CNY), Genesis Reyes (CNY) and Jason Finlay (AUS).

Managing Director of the IBA, Gregg Taylor, commented, “The script could not have been written better for the final event of what has been a revolutionary year for the IBA GSS World Tour and the GQS Tour. The IBA is very grateful for the support of the industry-leading brands of NMD, Pride and Stealth. It is industry support such as this that will underpin the ongoing growth of the IBA World Tour and the sport of Bodyboarding”.

This IBA Grand Slam will be live on www.redbull.com and www.ibaworldtour.com

Large NW Coming for The 2011 Pipeline Masters.

2011-11-30T16:07:00.001-10:00

NPAC: This Thursday we get a great follow up on the BIG surf last Sunday; the jet Stream is lower (25-45N) & fattened up. These large upper air currents are enhancing-steering winterlike low pressures west to east off the Kuril Is. & N Japan to latitudes even to North of Hawaii; the last BIG one's dipped to 500 north which didnt give the open ocean swell much time to drop or cleanup;

CURRENT: the NNE swell from the old front is 4' with 12 seconds; this is mixing with 3' NNW which peaked 8-12+' of NNW that peaked midday Sunday. This was the Biggest Swell of the season by far but not for long (keep reading). The Big NNW Source was a severe 'captured' gale fetch in the 330-350 band Friday 11/25; this system was inbetween the High and Low pressure centered 1500 miles to our North and nosed to within 500 miles by Saturday so the episode had a mix of long 16 seconds and short 11sec periods. NEXT 2 swells: Last Saturday a gale Low moved east off the Kurils and by Monday tracking ESE with some captured fetch, intensifying and splitting off into another more powerful low; the 1st storm stays 1500 miles further away as it weakens by Tuesday. We should see a beautiful long lined up 4-6' NNW filling in Wed afternoon 11/30; the secondary Low got going sunday and passed the dateline Monday with some storm force 47kt winds and got to within 1000 away. This NNW was upgraded to well above advsry levels and peak at 8- 10 maybe even some 12' sets at Sunset Thursday, Dec 1st. As she fades to 8' Friday expect some short period N to mix later in the day from the nearby winds of an eddy low just to our NNE. NEXT: a Low off the same area Fri 12/2 also has a captured fetch and crosses the dateline over this coming weekend with gale force winds and nosing to within 600 miles by Monday; lets claim some 4-7' NNW with 11-15 sec on Monday 12/5 with an associated front the winds and weather may be an issue. LAST but not least...Monday's models show a BIG Low tracking east off the Kurils storm force gales near 50kts filling a large portion of the West pacific basin; seas should get 35' or greater as it crosses the dateline Tuesday just 1200 miles away. This one could be BIIGGER than Sunday's 15' peak sets Thursday Dec 8th. This EXTRA BIG NW will veer NNW as it moves east; it will likely be too big for the Billabong Pipe Masters for a day or two. The great news is this will wash away the sand and lead to a classic Pipe scenario; when u compare where we were just a week ago in the forecast this is an absolute blessing compliments of the famed North Shore. Pls keep in mind: Long range is 7+ days out... and are subject to sharp U turns.

SPAC: NOW: we see a tiny 15 sec, 1.5' maybe a few 2' set SSW ( 18 sec forerunners Monday). About a week ago, there was a low over 4000 miles away...off NZL's east coast ...which pulses Tuesday 11/29 with average of 15seconds. NEXT: Great News! A rare winter caliber Low came right up the east coast of NZL this past Friday into Sunday with a partially captured fetch and 40+kts and 30' seas. We can expect long 18 sec period forerunners Thursday afternoon leading to an overhead 2-4' from the SSW Friday Dec 2-4th. LAST: another more compact fetch in the same area off NZL tracks up our way for some smaller 3' SSW around Wed 12/6. Sweet. Again..the longer the range, the shorter the confidence.

Wind Waves/Tropics: Holding 2-4+' from the NNE at Makapu'u...the winds weaken for 2 days as the high moves off to the east; a new one comes in from the NW and leads to another round of fresh NE trades and waves Thursday- Friday. The typical Winter pattern of wind rotating from light to strong and back again as the Highs and Lows to our NW and NE will continue to move west to east.

Victoria's Secret Angels Lip Sync 'Moves Like Jagger'.

2011-11-29T18:54:00.000-10:00

Supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana LIma, Anne Vyalitsyna, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel, Doutzen Kroes, Erin Heatherton, Lily Aldridge, Lindsay Ellingson and Miranda Kerr get a thumbs up from Adam Levine as they put their own spin on 'Moves Like Jagger'. To watch Maroon 5 perform it, tune in for the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, November 29, 10/9c on CBS.

Mars Science Laboratory Lifts Off for Red Planet.

2011-11-26T17:44:00.000-10:00

NASA's Curiosity rover has begun the journey to Mars after its Atlas V rocket launched successfully from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 26. Ten instruments aboard MSL will provide new data about whether the area within and around Mars' Gale Crater could ever have supported microbial life. The Mars Science Laboratory is expected to reach Mars next August.

Auditions at TAG for Seven Guitars.

2011-11-21T13:43:00.000-10:00

Tonight – November 21st at 7pm!
By August Wilson
Dole Cannery Square
650 Iwilei Rd Suite 101, Honolulu 96817
You may park in the Home Depot end of the Costco parking lot.
Walk down the driveway next to the Dole structure out to Iwilei Rd.
Turn left on the sidewalk to enter the front door to TAG.

Synopsis & Character Descriptions
In the backyard of a Pittsburgh tenement in 1948, friends gather to mourn for a blues guitarist and singer who died just as his career was on the verge of taking off. Through flashbacks, the audience learns of the events of the past week that led to Floyd Barton’s death. Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" is the sixth chapter in the continuing theatrical saga that explores the hope, heartbreak, and heritage of the African-American experience in the twentieth century.

Parts for African-American actors ages 18-65. Three men, three women. Singing and musical abilities a definite plus, but not required for all roles.

Vera- Floyd’s ex-girlfriend who he is trying to win back
Louise- Vera’s friend and confidant. Suspicious of Floyd’s promises.
Ruby- Louise’s young niece who exudes sensuality
Canewell- harmonica player in Floyd’s band
Red- drummer in Floyd’s band
Hedley- the fiery neighborhood eccentric who treads the line between sanity and madness
The role of Floyd Barton has been pre-cast

For more information on the auditions please email Ashley at smash_05@hotmail.com

Visit Hawaii Actors Network at: http://www.hawaiiactors.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Dazed 20/20 Cover Preview.

2011-11-18T13:00:00.000-10:00

Kate Moss
text JEFFERSON HACK
styling CATHY EDWARDS
hair JAMES BROWN at PREMIER HAIR AND
MAKE-UP for JAMES BROWN LONDON PHOTO
FABULOUS
make-up KRISTEN PIGGOTT at JED ROOT
for RIMMEL
manicurist NICHOLA JOSS at PREMIER HAIR
AND MAKE-UP
styling assistant YANA SHEPTOVETSKAYA
jacket by YVES SAINT LAURENT

Pharrell Williams
text KARLEY SCIORTINO
styling SALLY LYNDLEY
grooming JOHNNY CASTELLANDS
styling assistants ADAM BALLHEIM, SEIKA IWAO,
AEYUNG KIM, STEFF YOTKA
jacket, jeans and belt by BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB

The Iron Lady - Official Trailer

2011-11-15T18:46:00.000-10:00

Release Date: 16 December 2011
Genre: Biography | Drama
Cast: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant
Directors: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan
Studio: The Weinstein Company

Plot:
A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.

Around The World Fantastic Video by NASA.

2011-11-14T08:16:00.000-10:00

Time lapse sequences of photographs taken with a special low-light 4K-camera
by the crew of expedition 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from
August to October, 2011.

HD, refurbished, smoothed, retimed, denoised, deflickered, cut, etc.

Music: Jan Jelinek - Do Dekor (Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records) | ~scape 007 cd
janjelinek.com | scape-music.de

Editing: Michael König | koenigm.com

Image Courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory,
NASA Johnson Space Center, The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
eol.jsc.nasa.gov

Shooting locations in order of appearance:

1. Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
2. Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
3. Aurora Australis from Madagascar to southwest of Australia
4. Aurora Australis south of Australia
5. Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night
6. Aurora Australis from the Southern to the Northern Pacific Ocean
7. Halfway around the World
8. Night Pass over Central Africa and the Middle East
9. Evening Pass over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East
10. Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night
11. Pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay
12. Islands in the Philippine Sea at Night
13. Pass over Eastern Asia to Philippine Sea and Guam
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
15. Night Pass over Mediterranean Sea
16. Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
17. Aurora Australis over Indian Ocean
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night

Official Trailer - 2011 Reef Hawaiian Pro

2011-11-13T20:49:00.000-10:00

Official teaser for the 1st jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing - Reef Hawaiian Pro 2011.

Junior Dos Santos beats Cain Velasquez for UFC heavyweight title.

2011-11-12T21:00:00.001-10:00

Dos Santos drops Velasquez with a right hook and wins UFC prime-time bout in 64 seconds.

Cain Velasquez has no defense for the relentless ground-and-pound blows by Junior Dos Santos, who won the UFC heavyweight belt Saturday with a first-round TKO. (Gary A. Vasquez / US Presswire)

By Baxter Holmes

November 12, 2011, 10:29 p.m.

The nation caught its first network prime-time glimpse ofUltimate Fighting Championship on Saturday.

But just a glimpse.

Your average channel surfer could have landed on Fox for UFC's heavyweight title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos and witnessed everything in the time it takes to cook Minute Rice.

In short — and the fight UFC President Dana White billed as the biggest in his organization's history was — Velasquez, the defending heavyweight champion, was gone in 64 seconds.

In front of 14,019 at Honda Center, Dos Santos earned a technical knockout and the heavyweight belt after dropping its former owner with a heavy right hook that connected above the left ear.

"My coach used to tell me, I've got pretty heavy hands," Dos Santos said, "so I try to use them at the start of the fight because it's a good time to use my power because I'm 100% in the moment."

The fast finish quelled fears that the fight would conflict with the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez boxing match scheduled on the same night in Las Vegas.

"It was my fault I didn't pressure enough," Velasquez said. "The game plan was to go in and pressure."

He added: "You can definitely learn a lot from losses. This is no different. I strayed away from the game plan so I'm going to learn not to do that ever again, even for a little bit."

Velasquez hadn't fought in a year after suffering a shoulder injury during his one-round demolition of Brock Lesnar in the same arena last October when Velasquez won the heavyweight crown.

Velasquez said he still had some nagging injuries, but the fight didn't last long enough to notice.

There were 10 fights total, but by design only the main card was shown on Fox.

"For anybody to [complain] about this fight and [that] they didn't get to see that fight, shut up," White said.

"You should've bought tickets then if you wanted to see all the fights and you don't want to watch onFacebook."

White called this a test run for UFC's seven-year deal with Fox, which begins in January, so the broadcast format could change.

Through the terms of that deal, Fox will air four prime-time Saturday night UFC fight cards a year, and Fox's cable channel FX will air "The Ultimate Fighter" and six live fights.

This fight earned a live gate of $1.1 million, and though White had predicted it wouldn't last five rounds, he had to have hoped it would last at least just one.

He didn't care. The production was all that mattered.

"It was perfect," White said.

"I agree," Dos Santos quipped.

baxter.holmes@latimes.com

Encanto Pro Puerto Rico Finals Press Release.

2011-11-11T18:59:00.000-10:00

Had he won he would have become the first person to win two divisions in the same event. Dave Hubbard from Hawaii showed his versatility on a bodyboard when he won the dropknee final against new world champion Damian King and came second to Frenchman Pierre-Louis Costes in the men’s final at the Encanto Pro Puerto Rico today.

With less than 30 seconds left in the final the Frenchman still needed a good scoring wave to win, in the hollow four to six foot conditions. A wave came his way and he gave it his all, landing two back flips in a row and getting the score. His friends carried him on their shoulders to the presentation area where he celebrated his first Grand Slam Series win in front of the cheering crowd. “It feels amazing, it’s my first grand slam victory. I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. If you don’t win you’re never happy and I finally got that feeling” said Pierre-Louis Costes.

Before she surfed in the final, Lilly Pollard from Gerringong in New South Wales Australia told current Women’s World Tour leader Eunate Aguirre, she would win the event for her. A win would stop her nearest rival, other finalist and reigning world champion Brazilian Isabela Sousa, closing the gap between them in their title race. The Brazilian could not find the form she had in her semi-final performance, where she scored a perfect ten, was left in a combination situation at the end of the final.

Pollard’s experience of riding the heavy reefs around her hometown helped her to victory as she rode two barrels, rolling out of the one, flawlessly. “After seeing Isabela’s heat yesterday I knew it was going to be a challenge”, said Pollard after the final.

Both Men’s and Women’s World Tour titles will be decided at the final event of each respective tour; the Men’s in the Canary Islands and the Women’s in the Azores. Pierre-Louis Costes has leapfrogged up the rankings to second and 300 points behind tour leader Jeff Hubbard while Pollard’s win has pushed her into third position on the WWT and Aguirre has maintained a 379 points lead on Sousa.

Day 8 of Encanto Pro Puerto Rico.

2011-11-10T00:26:00.000-10:00

Spectators on the beach whistled and clapped while those who had missed it in the competitors area, shimmied over to the Flat-screen TV for a replay of reigning world champion, Brazilian Isabela Sousa’s, ten point ride at the Encanto Pro Puerto Rico, in perfect four to six foot conditions today. She took off deep on a set wave; bottom turned into a long barrel, came out and landed a tidy air reverse worthy of her title.

Guys still in contention for the world title started to think of possible scenarios as Frenchman, Pierre-Louis Costes, beat tour leader, Jeff Hubbard from Hawaii, in the fourth round. His fourth round loss allows those chasing him to catch up, forcing the world title to be decided in three weeks, across the Atlantic in the Canary Islands.

Six quarterfinalist-Amaury Lavernhe from Reunion Island, Jake Stone from Australia, Jared Houston from South Africa, Pierre-Louis Costes from France and Brazlians Magno Oliveira and Uri Valadao- all have a chance to win the world tour if they win this event. Dave Hubbard from Hawaii and Roberto Bruno from Brazil make up the other two quarterfinalists.

Hopes of a Puerto Rican in the women’s final were ended when Natasha Sagardia narrowly lost her semi-final in the last heat of the day to Australian Women’s Tour champion, Lily Pollard. Pollard kept priority and waited patiently for a good wave to improve her situation as time slipped away, 30 seconds from the end of the heat a wave came to her. She scooped into a sucky right and rolled out of the bowl and into the flats and took the win from Sagardia.

Newly crowned Dropknee World Tour Champion, Australian Damian King, will face up against two times world champion Dave Hubbard from Hawaii in tomorrow’s dropknee final.

The “39 Days of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing” Calendar Starts Saturday.

2011-11-09T12:52:00.000-10:00

HONOLULU, Hawaii (November 9, 2011) – This Saturday, November 12, marks the official start of the world’s premier professional surfing series on Oahu’s North Shore: THE VANS TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING, Presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. The first stop is the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park. From November 12 through December 20 — 39 days — Oahu’s North Shore will be the focus of the international surfing world, featuring the final three events of the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals Tour, and a host of entertaining surf-inspired events.

The North Shore extends a special welcome to World Champion-elect Kelly Slater (USA), who officially clinched his 11th ASP World Title this week, & defending Vans Triple Crown champion Joel Parkinson (Australia). The North Shore also welcomes Hawaii’s very own ASP Women’s World Champion Carissa Moore, who has been granted a wildcard to compete against the men in the first two stops of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

All surfing events of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, and the SURFER Poll Awards, will be broadcast live on Time Warner Cable in Hawaii and Southern California:
HAWAII: Oceanic Time Warner Cable Channels 250 & 1250
LOS ANGELES: Time Warner Cable Channel 101
SAN DIEGO: Time Warner Cable Channel 411
DESERT CITIES: Time Warner Cable Channel 111

SURFING EVENTS OF THE VANS TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING:
Reef Hawaiian Pro
November 12-23 (on the 4 best days of surf in the period)
Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park
$145,000 prize purse
Defending Champion: Joel Parkinson, Australia

Vans World Cup of Surfing
November 25-December 6 (on the 4 best days of surf in the period)
Sunset Beach
$250,000 prize purse
Defending Champion: Raoni Monteiro, Brazil

Billabong Pipe Masters
December 8-20 (on the 3 best days of surf in the period)
Banzai Pipeline
$425,000 prize purse + Nixon watch
Defending Champion: Jeremy Flores, France
Also decides Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion – $10,000 bonus

Giant asteroid to pass close to Earth Tuesday.

2011-11-07T22:49:00.001-10:00

This radar image of asteroid 2005 YU55 Monday showed it 3.6 lunar distances (860,000 miles or 1.38 million km) from Earth.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The closest approach will occur at 6:28 p.m. ET Tuesday
The asteroid will pass within 202,000 miles of Earth, NASA says
The space rock poses no threat of an Earth collision

(CNN) -- An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will pass Earth to within eight-tenths of the distance of the moon Tuesday, the closest approach to Earth of an object this size in more than 30 years.

The closest approach will occur at 6:28 p.m. ET when the asteroid passes within 202,000 miles of our planet, NASA said.

The space agency classified the asteroid as a "potentially hazardous object."

If the asteroid were to crash into Earth, it could cause a 4,000 megaton blast and a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, according to scientists at Purdue University. If it fell into the ocean, it could cause a 70-foot high tsunami within 60 miles of the crash site, the experts said.

However, the space rock, called Asteroid 2005 YU55, poses no threat of an Earth collision, according to NASA's Near Earth Object Program.

NASA plans to study the asteroid with the Goldstone radar antennas in California's Mojave Desert. Goldstone antennas are very sensitive radio telescopes used to investigate quasars, radar mapping of planets and comets.

Scientists plan to reconstruct the shape of the asteroid with a resolution as fine as 13 feet (4 meters) using the antennas. Several days of high resolution operations are also scheduled at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

It will also provide a rare opportunity for amateur astronomers to directly observe an asteroid with optical telescopes.

Gabriel Medina Wins Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco.

2011-11-07T21:48:00.000-10:00

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, winner of the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco!

OCEAN BEACH, San Francisco/California (Monday, November 7, 2011) – Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, has won the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco, defeating Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in firing three-to-five foot waves at Ocean Beach to secure his second elite ASP World Tour victory this season.

Stop No. 10 of 11 on the men’s ASP World Title Race, the Rip Curl Pro Search saw Kelly Slater (USA), 39, officially secure his 11th ASP World Title yesterday while several surfers looking to secure a result prior to the ASP Top 34 end of year rotation put in stellar performances.

Medina, who joined the ASP Top 34 after the midyear rotation, has been in amazing form thus far, winning two events after competing in just four as an official member of the 2011 roster. The highly-touted Brazilian wasted little time in his Final campaign against Parkinson, belting a 7.50 and a 9.00, both out of 10, in the opening minutes with critical backhand blasts and controlled the heat throughout its entirety.

“This has been incredible,” Medina said. “This is my second World Tour win and it has been great. I’m having fun on the Tour. I don’t know what I did out there, I just try to go big and it was great to have a final with Parko (Joel Parkinson). He is one of my favorite surfers.”

Medina’s run on the Final day of competition was nothing short of amazing, as he took the day’s highest heat total of 17.33, out of 20, while defeating freshly crowned 11-Time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 39, and Taylor Knox (USA), 40, before topping the Stylish Australian in the Final.

“I feel good and confident and I’m really happy,” Medina said after his Semifinals heat win. “It was hard with Taylor (Knox) and Kelly (Slater) and I’m just stoked. That was a tough heat and I knew it’d be hard. I just got my last wave and it saved me. Conditions are kind of fun, it’s cold, but it’s really fun and I just tried my best.”

Parkinson quietly navigated through the opening rounds of competition, but lit up the high-performance beachbreak conditions on the final day, threading several technical barrels and unloading his patented carves en route to the Final, but was unable to put a stop to Medina and finished runner-up overall.

“It would have been nice to have won that won but I couldn’t find a wave out there,” Parkinson said. “Gabriel (Medina) has been absolutely ripping this whole event and congratulations to him. He’s got a huge future and I’m excited to watch him over the next few years. I just want to thank everyone here in San Francisco, it’s been amazing.”

Taylor Knox (USA), 40, was impressive in the powerful beachbreak conditions on offer at Ocean Beach, besting high-flying Brazilian Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, veteran Australian Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34, and Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, to match his season-best result of an equal 3rd place finish after he fell to Medina in the Semifinals.

“I’m happy to be in the Semifinals and be one of the last four standing,” Knox said. “I’ve really felt like my consistency finally came around, at age 40. I’ve been finding my zone and having fun and been enjoying the city and surfing as well and enjoying the culture a little.”

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, 2011 ASP Dream Tour rookie, matched his best result of the year today, cracking the Semifinals for the third time this season. The young South American blitzed an in-form Brett Simpson (USA), 26, in the Quarterfinals before going down to Parkinson in the Semifinals despite vaulting some solid aerials.

“I’m frustrated to not make the Final again,” Muniz said. “I feel like my surfing is there and I’m ready but it didn’t happen again. It’s okay. This is another good result for me and Joel (Parkinson) was surfing very well. I still have a lot to learn but I know I will keep improving.”

Slater fought hard in his Quarterfinals matchup against young Brazilian Gabriel Medina, but was unable to find the score needed to advance out of the heat and is now changing his focus towards the final stop on the ASP World Tour at the iconic Banzai Pipeline.

“At this point I’m just going to be focused on Pipe,” Slater said. “I’d love to win Pipe. Every year Phil Roberts makes an amazing trophy. Gerry Lopez shapes it and Jeff Divine puts a photo on it and Phil Roberts paints it up. In my eyes that’s the prized possession in surfing. It’s really a piece of surf history. I won three years ago, but two years ago Taj (Burrow) got me and last year I gave Jeremy (Flores) that wave and I didn’t get the chance to make that Final. It’s exciting to have that chance.”

Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco highlights can be found at www.live.ripcurl.com

The next and final stop on the 2011 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pipe Masters, which unfolds from December 8 through 20, 2011.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.50
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.90

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.33 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 14.27
SF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.97 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.34

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.96 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 12.83
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.50 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 11.10
QF 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.83 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 11.83
QF 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.76 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.93

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SAN FRANCISCO ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.67 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.83
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.93 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.70
Heat 3: Brett Simpson (USA) adv. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) *Gudauskas withdraws due to injury
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.60 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 6.40

Ezekiel Lau Wins ASP 4-Star HIC Pro pres. by Vans.

2011-11-07T21:45:00.001-10:00

Ezekiel Lau, a 17-year-old high school senior, has won the $85,000 HIC Pro Presented by Vans, held at Sunset Beach today. Lau, who attends Kamehameha School, posted a convincing win over 15-year-old Maui schoolboy Ian Gentil; Kauai’s Kamalei Alexander, 33; and defending HIC Pro champion Billy Kemper (Maui, 21) respectively. Today’s final day of competition was held in consistent 4- to 5-foot surf.

With school now wrapping up, Lau is focused on his opportunity to compete in the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing that begins next week Saturday, November 12.

Lau maintained the momentum he had built through today’s rounds and kept his rivals on the defensive for the duration of the 35-minute final. Gentil offered up the strongest challenge, posting the highest single wave score of the final for a couple of critical fins-free maneuvers that earned him 6.8 points out of 10. But without a second solid score, he was no match for Lau, whose professional competitive experience eclipsed the 15-year-old. Alexander and Kemper were in a similar position, finding themselves short on back-up scores.

This is Lau’s second ASP victory this year, having taken out the equally rated 4-star Copa Quiksilver El Salvador event back in July.

“This is my first year doing a lot of the WQS events,” said Lau. “I got a lot of opportunities to travel more and I had a good summer. I did this event last year and it was totally different. I was struggling through the whole event. I just wanted to come over this year and improve on last year. I did that and I’m happy with a win. I’ve been looking forward to this my whole life pretty much, watching everyone get out there and get in the Vans Triple Crown, so just to get in it, I feel honored.”

Maui’s Hank Gaskell, the 2009 HIC Pro champion, lost in the semi-finals today but still amassed sufficient points to win the 2011 ASP Hawaii Regional Champion title. His result earned him $1,000 and a wildcard into the first two events of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

“It means a lot to me,” Gaskell said of his ASP Hawaii Championship. “There are so many good surfers in Hawaii. Even though there are only three events, it’s the closest thing we have to a (regional) tour out here. Just to get the seed into the Triple Crown, that’s what I’m most excited for. I’ve surfed against all those (world tour) guys before, it’s always good to surf against the best guys in the world. It’ll push me to do my best, personally. I just hope I can battle them.”

The HIC Pro (Oct. 28-Nov.10) and Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (Nov. 12-Dec. 20) round out the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, crowning the regional and world champions respectively. The 2011 ASP tour then commences in Hawaii with events in January and February to close out the Hawaiian winter.

FINAL:
1st: Ezekiel Lau, Honolulu, $12,000 – 12.35 points (6.35, 6.0)
2nd: Ian Gentil, Maui, $6,000 – 10.9 points (6.8, 4.1)
3rd: Kamalei Alexander, $4,000 – 10.2 points (6.1, 4.1)
4th: Billy Kemper, Maui, $3,000 – 9.4 points (5.0, 4.4)

SEMI-FINALS:
H1: Billy Kemper; Kamalei Alexander; Joel Centeio
H2: Ian Gentil; Ezekiel Lau; Mason Ho; Tyler Newton

QUARTER FINALS:
H1: Billy Kemper; Joel Centeio; Kahea Hart; Mikey Bruneau
H2: Hank Gaskell; Kamalei Alexander; Albee Layer; Ian Walsh
H3: Tyler Newton; Ian Gentil; Makuakai Rothman; Jamie O’Brien
H4: Mason Ho; Ezekiel Lau; Pancho Sullivan; Michael O’Shaugnessy

ROUND OF 32:
H1: Joel Centeio; Ian Walsh; Alex Smith
H2: Kahea Hart; Kamalei Alexander; Makai McNamara; Flynn Novak
H3: Hank Gaskell; Mikey Bruneau; Kaimana Jaquias; Taylor Thorne
H4: Albee Layer; Billy Kemper; Jesse Merle-Jones; Jonah Morgan
H5: Ian Gentil; Michael O’Shaugnessy; Manuel Selman; Eala Stewart
H6: Tyler Newton; Pancho Sullivan; Christ Foster; Jack Perry
H7: Mason Ho; Makuakai Rothman; TJ Barron; Solomon Ortiz
H8: Ezekiel Lau; Jamie O’Brien; Evan Valiere; Danny Fuller

The Moment: Slater Officially Awarded 2011 ASP World Title Trophy

2011-11-07T21:43:00.000-10:00

Brodie Carr and Renato Hickel award Kelly Slater the ASP World Title trophy.

After a week that will not soon be forgotten by the surfing world, Kelly Slater (USA), 39, officially clinched the 2011 ASP World Title today, besting South American young guns Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, in Round 4 of the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco. Following a second impromptu ceremony spawned by Slater’s legions of fans at Ocean Beach, ASP CEO Brodie Carr and Tour Manager Renato Hickel find a quiet moment to apologize to Kelly for the week’s drama, congratulate him on his well-deserved win and officially award him the 2011 ASP World Title Trophy. Understated and classy.

To read about this week’s drama, check out THIS

Congratulations to Kelly.

King’s Dropknee World Tour Winning Snap.

2011-11-07T21:40:00.000-10:00

Quarterfinal number one on the Dropknee World Tour at the Encanto Pro Puerto Rico will always be known as the heat, Damian King, from Port Macquirie in New South Wales Australia won and became the first DKWT champion to have two Men’s World Tour titles too.

His opponent from the Canary Islands, Ardiel Jimenez, was beating Damian King for most of the heat. About three minutes from the end, a set pulsed in, King had priority and let Jimenez take the first wave of the set. He took the second wave and fell off in front of Jimenez, thinking the fall had cost him his dream, King quickly paddled out the back and retained priority.

In the waning seconds of the heat, a wedging left popped up in front of the quarterfinalist. King used his priority and put everything on the line with a powerful backside snap in the pocket, sending bucket loads of spray into the air, bottom turned again and did a smaller snap. Meanwhile in the competitors area, his Australian friends with shaken cans of beers in their hands, waited for the last wave of the heat’s score to drop.

The winning score reached his ears as the Australians raced to the water’s edge to shower their friend in beer.

Many cameras were focused on the faces of his opponents, Peruvian Cesar Bauer and Hawaiian Dave Hubbard, in the competitor’s area as he took off on his winning wave. Unfortunately, Damian King’s press release went out last night without his winning wave. Here is his world title winning snap.

The 2011/2012 Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau.

2011-11-05T19:42:00.000-10:00

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is the most venerated big wave surfing event on Earth, held at Waimea Bay, Oahu, on a single day during the Hawaiian winter when, and if, waves exceed the 20-foot minimum requirement. The official holding period for this year, the 27th annual, is December 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012. You can find this year's list of invitees, sign up for email alerts and follow Mark Healey's weekly updates from Waimea Bay at: www.quiksilver.com/eddie

Kalani Lattanzi's 2011 Latin American Champion.

2011-11-04T18:05:00.000-10:00

17yo Maui boy Kalani Lattanzi raised in Itacoatiara/Brazil is The 2011 Latin American Champion!

Kelly Slater isn't new world champ yet; ASP says it made an error.

2011-11-04T16:58:00.000-10:00

Check that: Surfing legend Kelly Slater didn't win his 11th world title ... or at least not yet.

The Assn. of Surfing Professionals released a statement Friday admitting the organization made a calculation error in its rankings system and prematurely gave Slater the title Tuesday.

In fact, the 39-year-old Slater needs one more heat win at the Rip Curl Pro Search in San Francisco or at the following event at Pipeline in Hawaii to win his record 11th world title.

"Our rankings' system is designed to split tie-breaks based off of seed points,” Renato Hickel, ASP World Tour Manager, said in a statement. "Kelly and Owen [Wright] tied at best nine of 11 results, so we went to best eight of 11 results and the system gave it to Kelly based off his higher seed position. We were operating under that assumption and created the ASP World Title scenarios based off of that.

"This was a mistake. In the end, we’re responsible for this and should be held accountable. We apologize to our fans, the surfers and to Owen and Kelly.”

RELATED:

Kelly Slater pays tribute to Andy Irons

U.S. Open of Surfing: Kelly Slater, Sally Fitzgibbons win men's, women's titles

-- Baxter Holmes

Photo: Kelly Slater holds the ASP World Title trophy at the Rip Curl Pro Search at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Nov. 2. The ASP said Friday that Slater was awarded the title prematurely. Credit: Kirstin Scholtz / EPA / ASP Handout

Rick Genest for Dermablend

2011-11-02T15:03:00.000-10:00

Is beauty only skin deep ? In the latest campaign of Dermablend, the brand asked Zombie Boy Rick Genest to do something astonishing –he literally peeled away his appearance to unveil his true self using a specially formutaled coverage make-up. While his astonishing tattoo laden body is the subject of interest to most, many still wonder who is the man behind the ink. Dermablend sought to answer that riddle in this amazing transformation captured on video.
Morphosis also offers you a behind-the-scenes footage.

Kelly Slater Claims Historic 11th ASP World Title at Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco.

2011-11-02T12:23:00.000-10:00

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, clinches a historic 11th ASP World Title in Ocean Beach.

OCEAN BEACH, San Francisco/California (Wednesday, November 2, 2011) – Kelly Slater (USA), 39, has claimed a historic 11th ASP World Title today, clinching the year-long pursuit with his advancement out of Round 3 at the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco.

2011 ASP World Title Series Results:

Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: WINNER
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Equal 5th
Billabong Rio Pro: Equal 13th
Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay: No Show
Billabong Pro Tahiti: WINNER
Quiksilver Pro New York: Runner-Up
Hurley Pro at Trestles: WINNER
Quiksilver Pro France: Equal 5th
Rip Curl Pro Portugal: Runner-UP
Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco: TBD
Billabong Pipeline Masters: TBD

Kelly Slater’s ASP World Title Clinch Locations:
2011: Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco – USA
2010: Rip Curl Pro Search Puerto Rico – USA Territory
2008: Billabong Pro Mundaka – Basque/Spain
2006: Billabong Pro Mundaka – Basque/Spain
2005: Nova Schin Festival – Brazil
1998: Mountain Dew Pipeline Masters – Hawaii
1997: Expo 98 Figueira 97 – Portugal
1996: Coca Cola Figueira 96 – Portugal
1995: Chiemsee Pipe Masters – Hawaii
1994: Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters – Hawaii
1992: Alternativa Surf Rio – Brazil

The Contenders

2011-10-30T20:33:00.000-10:00

To become a three times world champion, Hawaiian Jeff Hubbard needs to win The Encanto Pro in Puerto Rico next week. However, according to careful calculations by Ryan Hardy which were confirmed by IBA head judge, Craig Hadden, there are 12 other world title contenders, from five different nations, going into the second last event of the IBA Grand Slam Series world tour.

The 12 riders names are: Guilherme Tamega (BRA), Ryan Hardy (AUS), Amaury Lavernhe (REU), Dave Winchester (AUS), Mark McCarthy (ZAF), Pierre-Louis Costes (FRA), Jared Houston (ZAF), Magno Oliveira (BRA), Ben Player (AUS), Dallas Singer (AUS), Jake Stone (AUS) and Uri Valadao (BRA).

According to Ryan Hardy there are three different groups of riders:

Group C: Ben Player, Dallas Singer, Jake Stone, Jared Houston, Magno Oliveira and Uri Valadao.

Group B: Amaury Lavernhe, Dave Winchester, Guilherme Tamega, Mark McCarthy and Pierre-Louis Costes.

Group A: Ryan Hardy.

If Jeff Hubbard places fifth, riders in Group C need to win, riders in Group B need to finish second or better and the rider in Group A needs to place third or better.

If Hubbard places third, riders in Group C are out of contention but Jake Stone and Magno Oliveira move into Group B while Dave Winchester and Guilherme Tamega move into Group A. The riders in Group B need to win and riders in Group A need to place second or better.

If Jeff Hubbard comes second, riders in Group A need to win. If Jeff Hubbard wins the event, Ryan Hardy needs to place second in order for the title to be decided in the Canary Islands.

Curated Documentaries and Films.

2011-10-30T14:34:00.002-10:00

Welcome http://www.documentaryguide.com

mandy.com's sister-company has this week launched one of the largest OPEN SEARCH platforms for curated documentaries and films from around the globe available freely on the Internet for educational purposes.

The content is curated from anthropological, geographical and social issue based perspectives.

We have created a single destination to enable all film makers, educators and students to have access to this content for research, awareness, and academic purpose or purely for being interested in conscious content that people around the world have realized to make an impact. This a platform where you will discover content that is extremely popular or on the other extreme has never been found anywhere, at not available on DVD's and rarely seen. The content identified here is very valuable when it comes to learning about a region, culture, event, issue or other aspects such as science, consciousness or environment.

Why Documentary Guide?

Documentary is the most influential form of content and can have sustaining visual and emotional impact on each of us. It can drive within us a need to make a difference, to become aware and to call for common understanding of social, political, environmental and every other type of global issues that we as humanity face today. Our urge to create documentaryguide.com came from these fundamental beliefs.

Documentary Guide is conceived to bring to its audience the widest collection of documentary films from around the World Wide Web. It is one of the few CURATED search engines on the Internet. We have researched and indexed thousands of films, hundreds of sites and numerous databases from around the globe. We have organized them, tagged them and curated them for education and awareness. This platform is made for film makers, researchers, filmgoers, students, educators and all individuals who strive to learn more, know more and do more.

With tens of thousands of films, festivals and schools indexed for your research and education purpose, this is the largest database on the Internet by far.

We are non-commercial in nature and we are here to enable education for our audiences about changes we face as humanity. We believe we are using the visual medium as the core method since it appeals to every gender, race, and individual, irrespective of age or education.

Hope you find this site useful for your students. Share it freely with your network of influencers so more individuals can benefit from it: http://www.documentaryguide.com

The Documentary Guide Team

Peace. Harmony. Oneness.

{tell us how to improve it: contact@documentaryguide.com }

2011 Billabong Pipe Masters Trailer.

2011-10-28T09:30:00.002-10:00

The Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop of the Vans Triple Crown and the final event of the ASP Men’s World Tour, is the perfect venue for the culmination of both series.

An iconic and historic wave, the Banzai Pipeline is often referred to as the best wave on the planet. Known for its perfect, heaving top-to-bottom barrels and its close proximity to shore, not only is it the perfect wave for those willing to charge, but also for the spectators on the beach. Part of the allure of Pipeline is that with the perfection comes consequence.

Pipeline is one of the most dangerous waves on the planet. It has claimed more lives than any other wave in the world—one fatality a year, on average—inflicts numerous injuries and breaks boards for a hobby. The cause of danger, a shallow slab of reef with crevasses and coral heads, is also the reason for the barreling shape and immense power of the wave.

Whether competitors drop into a wedging Pipeline left or free fall into a Backdoor right, surfing Pipe, especially big Pipe, requires a physical and mental commitment all to itself. It’s why the Pipe Masters title is so prestigious and its champions are some of the most highly respected surfers on the planet.

World Title Could be Decided at The Encanto Pro.

2011-10-27T15:44:00.000-10:00

The last time two-time world champion and IBA Grand Slam Series tour leader Jeff Hubbardwent to Puerto Rico was in 1999. Next week he returns to Puerto Rico, hoping to win theEncanto Pro and his third world title. The only thing stopping the tour leader from winning is 31 of the world’s best bodyboarders. A win for any of the top ten riders in Puerto Rico will result in a showdown across the Atlantic, in the Canary Islands, in the final leg of the world tour.

“I haven’t been doing a whole lot besides surfing and stretching and core exercises. I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of waves are similar to that wave in Puerto Rico and I’ve been watching some YouTube clips of that wave and surfing waves that are similar here in Hawaii. I’m getting ready for whatever mother-nature and God throws at us”, says Hubbard.

The Encanto Pro in Puerto Rico, from the 2^nd to the 13^th of November will by far, be the most exciting event to watch live on this year’s IBA world tour. The predominantly right-hand reef known as Middles offers deep barrel rides as well as big bowls, allowing riders to showcase their abilities on all parts of the wave, be it above the lip or inside the tube.

“I think the wave is like the Hawaii of the Atlantic. I am looking forward to this event”, says world number two Guilherme Tamega.

“Hubb is definitely the man to beat at the moment. The fact that is it is righthanders gives me confidence because all of my local breaks are rights, so I feel a bit stronger. It’s a huge task, but something I think is doable”, says world number three Ryan Hardy.

“I think it’s going to be pretty awesome. I have a feeling the Puerto Rican people are going to put on a cool show for us and there is going to be a good vibe and everyone is going to be having a really good time, says Jeff Hubbard.

My Week with Marilyn Trailer.

2011-10-25T18:56:00.000-10:00

My Week with Marilyn hits theaters on November 23rd, 2011.

Cast: Michelle Williams, Emma Watson, Dominic Cooper, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond, Dougray Scott, Derek Jacobi, Zoe Wanamaker, Toby Jones

"My Week with Marilyn" chronicles a week in the life of Marilyn Monroe in which she escapes the shackles of her Hollywood career and embraces British life with Colin Clark. Directed by Simon Curtis and produced by David Parfitt, the film is based on Colin Clark's diaries and has been adapted for the screen by Adrian Hodges.

In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark, just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a lowly assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, the film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe, who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright Arthur Miller.

Nearly 40 years on, his diary account "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me" was published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later as "My Week with Marilyn" - this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work.

My Week with Marilyn trailer courtesy The Weinstein Company.

Leo DiCaprio New Movie: J Edgar.

2011-10-25T09:44:00.001-10:00

Release Date: 9 November 2011
Genre: Biography | Drama
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts
Directors: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Dustin Lance Black
Studio: Warner Bros.

Plot:
As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

Disney's Aulani is a Hawaiian fantasyland.

2011-10-23T08:01:00.000-10:00

Disney's 21-acre Aulani Resort & Spa, about 30 minutes from Waikiki in Ko Olina, Hawaii on the island of Oahu, opened in late August. (Paul Hiffmeyer)

The pricey new $800-million resort on Oahu manages to celebrate island magic and culture without the corporate-branded mouse prints becoming too heavy-handed.

By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 23, 2011

Reporting from Ko’ Olina, Hawaii ——

On leeward Oahu, it is 85 degrees and the trade winds are blowing. Beyond a towering volcanic outcropping, the Pacific Ocean, at a steady 70 degrees, beckons. Honeymooners sip tropical drinks under a thatched-roof hut as the afternoon sun begins its lazy descent.

This is Hawaii. Do you really need Disney?

My wife, Nancy, and I and our 11-year-old daughter, Hannah, journeyed last month to Disney's new Hawaii resort to see whether Mickey Mouse & Co. could improve on near perfection. Aulani sets out to replace the clichés of tiki torches, totem poles, bamboo furniture and tacky luaus with a resort that celebrates Hawaii's history, legends and cultures with just a sprinkling of Disney's trademark pixie dust.

And, for the most part, it succeeds — not only as a vacation resort but also as an entity that capitalizes on rather than marginalizes its destination, ironic for a company that built its brand on fairy-tale fantasy. Disney pulls it off with style, grace and beauty, and this $800-million resort delivers on its promise and its considerable marquee name.

Aulani opened in late August with 359 pricey hotel rooms and 460 time-share units. The 21-acre resort, about 30 minutes from Waikiki in Ko' Olina, is worlds apart in look, feel and spirit from that tourist mecca of high-rise monoliths.

"It feels like we're on a different island even though we're still on Oahu," said Michelle Blake, visiting Aulani with her family from nearby Waipahu.

And perhaps that is its magic, one or two missteps aside. Oahu — at least this part of Oahu — becomes the Hawaii we're all hoping to find.

Three A-frame thatch huts greet you when you arrive at Aulani, along with a pair of towers that rise like modern interpretations of a Hawaiian fishing village — if fishermen could build a 15-story hotel. An Aulani hostess greeted us, presenting Nancy and Hannah with flower leis and me with a kukui nut version. Telephone pole-sized timbers support the lobby's cathedral-like vaulted interior. From the ceiling, lights dangle like luminescent jellyfish caught in clusters of fishing nets. A verdant ribbon mural depicting island life wraps the lobby's perimeter.

Once in our room (about 382 square feet), we found whimsical touches throughout, including the pineapple-patterned quilt woven with hidden Mickeys, an outrigger canoe motif in the headboard and giant hand-carved fishhooks framing the wall mirror.

A flat-screen TV with a Blu-ray player (loaner DVDs were available in the community room for a fee) and hookups for video games (brought from home) sat atop a six-drawer dresser with a hidden mini-fridge. A table for two featured the only overt Disney reference in the room: a lamp with a ukulele-playing Mickey Mouse.

A small side table with compartments below for a coffee maker and an ice bucket stood nearby. Beneath the bed was space for stowing suitcases, a smart touch. On the nightstand sat a gourd lamp and an alarm clock with an iPod dock.

In the bath, a mirror with a wave-motif frame flanked by seashell sconces stood above a single sink vanity with six cubbies for storage. Island art on the walls and floral print throw pillows added just enough aloha flavor.

Once we had settled in, it was time to start exploring.

Just as it does in Hawaiian life, water plays a central role at Aulani, in such features as the water-park-like pool, sunset-facing hot tubs, saltwater snorkeling pool and the adult and youth spas.

The centerpiece of Aulani's pool is a man-made volcanic outcropping where hidden stingrays, squid and crabs are carved into lava-like rock. Two water slides — one a zippy body slide through the dark and the other an inner-tube slide with plenty of airtime — start at the top of the peak.

Hannah loved riding down the slide with me on the two-person inner tube that starts at the volcanic peak.

"The extra weight makes it go faster," Hannah said, clearly unaware I'd lost 10 pounds in preparation for the trip.

At the bottom of the slide, Hannah rocketed forward like a human cannonball as we hit the pool, the inner tube bonking her on the head and dunking her.

"Let's do it again," she said as she surfaced, unscathed and undeterred.

Hannah's favorite part of the Aulani pool complex was the 900-foot-long lazy river that wound through misty caverns, under footbridges and around the resort's tropical grounds.

But she had one complaint: "This lazy river is too lazy," said Hannah who didn't realize the meaning of island time. Life slows down a bit here.

The saltwater snorkeling lagoon, an 8-foot-deep pool filled with 1,000 angelfish, tangs and butterflyfish, was the most interesting part of the pool area. Hannah held tightly to my arm as we explored the man-made volcanic caverns and coral reefs as fish swam up to and around us.

It was a fine introduction for a first-time snorkeler like Hannah and a second-time amateur like myself. An all-day fee ($20 for adults, $10 for kids) included use of the snorkel equipment in the protected cove just beyond the Aulani's beach.

Nancy, meanwhile, had been looking forward to the resort's Laniwai Spa, choosing the $45 day pass. Her first stop was a fragrant steam room, which proved a bit too steamy. She jumped out within moments, grabbing a chilled towel from a refrigerator. Out in the garden, she tried the seaweed and eucalyptus vitality pools, where an attendant quietly brought her a selection of three hot teas. Next she sampled the six "rain" showers, each with varying flow levels. Her favorite: the mist shower with upward-spraying water jets.

Nancy said the spa would indeed have been a "freshwater heaven," as Laniwai translates from Hawaiian, if not for the guy conducting business on his cellphone while lounging near the vitality pool and the trash truck loading a Dumpster just beyond the wall of the outdoor garden.

Next door to Laniwai, Hannah got her first massage at the Painted Sky teen spa, choosing the 25-minute chair massage ($50) that included her choice of lotions (she went with mango) as well as hot towels for her face and neck.

"She massaged my face, my arms, my legs, my feet and even my toes," Hannah said. "It was awesome."

What wasn't quite as awesome for Hannah was not fitting in with either the teens or the younger kids, both of which had their own hangouts.

The age at Aunty's Beach House, a kids' club featuring a host of activities such as hula lessons and island crafts, topped out at 10, and at 11, she felt a little old for that crowd. She preferred the Painted Sky Spa, which doubled as a teen hangout and offered movie nights, pool parties, beach bashes, stargazing tours, lei making, dessert decorating, scavenger hunts and fitness challenges. Disney counselors welcomed her warmly at both locations.

The Pau Hana community hall near the pool was a family room with tables for crafts and shelves filled with games. The three of us made bracelets with our favorite Hawaiian words. Hannah's bracelet said powawae, or soccer, surrounded by kukui nuts and turtle-shaped beads. Nancy went withmakuahine, for "mother." I made things difficult, searching for a definition for avocadoville, our name for our backyard "tavern." I settled on hale pae, "house of avocado."

Here we checked out a modified cellphone that doubled as a GPS for the Menehune Adventure Trail, a treasure hunt game in which hotel guests search for menehune, as Hawaii's mischievous little people are called.

About 300 menehune statues were scattered throughout the resort, and spotting them quickly became Hannah's favorite pursuit. The Hawaiian leprechauns could be found under footbridges, inside the shave-ice stand and atop bookcases. Hannah's favorite menehune was sleeping in the upper reaches of one of the elevators. More than once we waited in the lobby for the menehune elevator.

On the menehune trail, we used the way finder to track clues leading to madcap menehune mischief. By speaking into the phone, we caused the menehune to pop out of the rocks, blow conch shells and even start fires with the help of Disney magic. The finale sent us into a dark cavern where volcanic lava began to flow (on a cleverly disguised LCD TV screen).

"Daddy, look at the walls," Hannah said, gripping my hand tightly. "They're glowing."

For all that was good about Aulani, there were a couple of things that didn't work quite as we thought they should.

Disney generally went pretty light on theatrics, but an afternoon poolside party was an exception. Aulani's contrived character poolside party featured a Disney employee, using a public address system, extolling swimmers to scream, splash and hop up on deck for a hula contest. The pump-up-the-energy vibe disrupted the tranquil mood poolside. I cringed.

I would have dismissed the overexuberance as grand-opening jitters if not for the Starlight Hui, the resort's marquee event. In an effort to avoid the pan-Polynesian luau common at many resorts, Disney produced a tradition-rich show that paid tribute to Hawaii, its people and customs.

As the stirring show drew to a close, a youth counselor jumped up onstage in a but-wait-there's-more moment and called all the Disney characters one by one. The folklore-rich show quickly devolved into a disco with the characters leading the crowd in the "Electric Slide." I was dumbstruck but decided to jump up and boogie with Hannah, who could have cared less about thematic inconsistencies.

The other issue was the restaurants. They were expensive and somewhat limited, unless you like fine-dining food and prices at every meal.

On our first night, we tried 'Ama 'Ama, Aulani's signature beachside restaurant. Dinner for three with cocktails came to $200, before tip, for what was pretty standard hotel fare. The restaurant, designed to look like a fisherman's waterfront home from the 1890s, featured an international menu. I ordered the goat cheese ravioli ($31) and asked for the recommended Sauvignon Blanc (although the wine never arrived and I wasn't charged for it). Nancy got the Chinatown duck breast ($40) and Hannah, who will never be a cheap date, went with the New York strip ($41). The food, we agreed, was good but not great.

For lunch, our choices were either high-end 'Ama 'Ama or poolside service, with $19 sandwiches and $21 burgers.

On our second night we had reservations at the Makahiki buffet, which was most in keeping with the resort's Hawaiian theme and was our favorite meal at Aulani.

At $43 a person, the Makahiki was more expensive than any buffet we had ever tried. (Hannah paid the full adult rate because the $21 kids' price was only for those 9 and younger.) Among the Hawaiian dishes: octopus poke, lomi lomi salmon and, of course, the omnipresent poi. The best of the entrees: the guava barbecued ribs.

On our last night at the Aulani, Hannah watched "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" under the stars while Nancy and I went for pub grub at the 'Olelo Room, the resort's etymological-themed bar.

At the 'Olelo (Hawaiian for "word") bartenders provided pointers on Hawaiian pronunciation in a cocktail lounge covered floor to ceiling in the local Hawaiian dialect. Surprisingly, the most Hawaiian room in the resort offered the least Hawaiian fare. Nancy went for the Kobe sliders ($15), and I got the cheese plate ($17).

What Aulani lacked was a fast, casual sit-down restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here's hoping that's on the horizon.

In the end, the Aulani was not unlike going to Disneyland: It's a fun-filled fantasyland that ends up being far more expensive than you expected. At least you go home with memories that can last a lifetime.

brady.macdonald@latimes.com

Countdown Is On To Historic First Ever ASP Event In China.

2011-10-21T21:06:00.000-10:00

Lindsay Steinriede (California, USA) the current ASP Women's World Longboard Title front-runner after winning the Roxy Pro in Biarritz. Credit: ASP/Bonnarme.

COOLANGATTA, QLD/Australia (Friday, 21 October, 2011) - The world’s best female longboards are preparing to head east to the island of Hainan located in the South China Sea for the second and final event of the 2011 ASP Women’s World Longboard Tour, the SWATCH Girls Pro China hosted by Wanning, the event that will decide the 2011 ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion.

There’s a multitude of scenarios that could play out to determine this year’s ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion, but ASP World Longboard Tour Manager Al Hunt says there’s really only 8 contenders.

“Technically anyone can still win the ASP World Longboard Title at this event,” Hunt said. “But realistically the women who made it to the Quarterfinals and better at the opening event in France are in the driver’s seat. We will have to see how it all unfolds, it’s going to be an exciting and historic event.”

At the helm of the SWATCH Girls Pro China will be Contest Director – Harley Ingleby the 2009 ASP World Longboard Champion. Ingleby will bring his lifetime of competitive and surfing experience to provide competitors with a level playing field.

“I really want to give everyone an equal chance to do their best and compete,” Ingleby said. “I think this is really important considering the competitors will be fighting for an ASP World Title and a place in the history books!”

The SWATCH Girls Pro China will also be the first ASP event to feature a Chinese competitor with local longboarder Darci Liu awarded an event wildcard.

The SWATCH Girls Pro China hosted by Wanning will run from 26 – 30 October. For more event info and your chance to win SWATCH Touch Eventwatches stay tuned to www.swatchgirlspro.com

For more info logon to www.aspworldtour.com

ASP Women’s World Longboard Tour Ratings:
1. Lindsay Steinriede (USA)
2. Jennifer Smith (USA)
3. Ophelie Ah-Kouen (REU)
3. Kassia Meador (USA)
5. Justine Dupont (FRA)
5. Kaitlin Maguire (USA)
5. Kelly Nicely (USA)
5. Amy Trujillo (USA)
9. Karina Abras (BRA)
9. Chloe Calmon (BRA)
9. Leah Dawson (BRA)
9. Estitxu Estremo (ESP)
9. Megan Godinez (BRA)
9. Rosie Locke (AUS)
9. Cristiana Pires (BRA)
9. Roxy Towill (ZAF)
17. Stacia Ahina (HAW)
17. Rachel Barry (USA)
17. Geodee Clark (HAW)
17. Melissa Combo (AUS)
17. Pandora Decoster (FRA)
17. Haunani Kane (HAW)
17. Coline Menard (FRA)
17. Kelia Moniz (HAW)
17. Emma Neuschwanger (REU)
17. Candice O’Donnell (GBR)
17. Summer Romero (USA)
17. Yuko Shimajiri (JPN)
17. Miku Uemura (HAW)
17. Hatsumi Ui (JPN)
17. Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN)
17. Chelsea Williams (AUS)

Hawaii Winter Surf Season Launches with ASP 4-Star HIC Pro at Sunset Beach.

2011-10-20T11:01:00.000-10:00

Sunset Beach, site of the ASP 4-Star HIC Pro.

HONOLULU, Hawaii/USA – (Thursday, October 20, 2011) – Winter waves are pulsing onto Oahu’s North Shore with regularity, signaling that the world renowned big wave Hawaiian surf season is upon us. The HIC Pro at Sunset Beach – the precursor to the annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink – will kick-start the season, running October 28 through November 10 on the best three days of surf.

The HIC Pro is an $85,000 4-Star ASP men’s event that will decide the 2011 ASP Hawaii regional champion and reward him with one highly coveted berth into the first two events of the Vans Triple Crown series: the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa (Nov. 12-23), and the Vans World Cup of Suring at Sunset Beach (Nov. 25-Dec. 6). More than 100 surfers, mostly from Hawaii, will be on hand to take on the powerful and challenging surf on offer at Sunset Beach.

While visiting international and North American surfers will focus on gaining water time and experience at the complex and shifty break, Billy Kemper, the defending HIC Pro Champion, is part of a cadre of ultra-competitive Hawaii locals, for whom a win at Sunset is all-important.

“This contest has a lot of pressure for the Hawaii surfers to do battle to get into the Triple Crown,” says Kemper. “I put in a lot of time out at Sunset and have been training really hard with Kahea Hart in preparation for this event and the winter.”

Given the competitive nature of Hawaii surfers and the lure of a golden ticket into the Vans Triple Crown, the HIC Pro will deliver a hot mix of power surfing, critical fins-free maneuvers and barrel riding to each heat.

“Sunset can change so much that you need everything in your arsenal,” Kemper explains. “I always feel like raising the bar is needed. At Sunset, you always have to push yourself to the top if you want to make it. Hard work and dedication is what it takes!”

Contest days of the 2011 HIC Pro will stream live on the Internet at vans.com/HICPro. The HIC Pro will also broadcast live on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channels 250 and 1250HD, contingent on the ASP World Tour event in San Francisco. If the two ASP events happen to run on same day, the ASP World Tour event will take broadcast precedence. The HIC Pro will also stream live on the iPad and iPhone via the free VANS LIVE app.

On the final day of competition, between the semis and final, a “Champions” heat is slated to go down, featuring six legendary former HIC Pro champions.

2011 ActorFest.

2011-10-19T16:15:00.001-10:00

ABOUT ACTORFEST

Every day, Back Stage works hard to help take your acting career to the next level. But when it comes to our annual Actorfest, we pull out all the stops.

Since 1960, Back Stage has been the most respected trade publication for the performing arts. Nearly every top talent you love started by picking up their copy of Back Stage, and learning how to chart a course through the swirling currents of show business.

Now in its 19th year, Actorfest 2011 in New York and Los Angeles will be the most spectacular and exciting events to date. Actorfest offers you a unique chance to learn all about the business of being an actorýeverything from finding a top acting coach and terrific headshots to making the most of that important audition. Learn from top professionals how to succeed.

What Actorfest 2011 Will Offer

Attend interactive workshops hosted by casting directors, talent agents, managers, acting teachers and working actors;
Participate in casting calls hosted by TV networks and big-name casting directors looking to hire;
Visit our Exhibit Hall, which offers opportunities for you to get the skills, products and training you need;
Take part in "Meet and Drop" sessions with top-level casting directors in film, TV and theater;
Meet and share your experiences with fellow actors in our Networking Cafý.

Admission

Note: Everyone must register to get into Actorfest. Basic admission to Actorfest is FREE. With basic admission you can attend the Exhibit Hall, audition at one of the open casting calls, and socialize in the Networking Cafý.

However, to attend the Workshops you must purchase one of the available package deals. (Click on "Register" above for more information.) Seating for workshops is on a first-come, first -serve basis. In addition, Casting Director Meet and Drop Sessions are free to attend with the purchase of any workshop package.

Under 18

Actorfest is for all age groups. However, anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian.

Exhibit Hall

The Actorfest Exhibit Hall is free to attend and filled with companies offering products and services to build an acting career. It provides an energetic and friendly environment where actors can dialogue and compare notes with acting teachers, headshot photographers, temp services, fitness companies, financial specialists, voiceover coaches, and more.

Open Casting Calls

The Open Casting Calls at Actorfest are FREE to participate in. Actorfest partners with various major studios, networks, and casting directors to provide calls for "real" jobs. Detailed information on this year's casting opportunities is available on our Casting Opps page. (Please be sure to read casting notice to ensure that you are qualified.)

Casting Director Meet & Drop Sessions

A Meet & Drop session offers you a chance to meet with a professional casting director one-on-one, at which time you can chat, ask them for advice, and drop off your headshot and resume. (Please staple your headshot and resume together prior to the event.)

You'll only have time to meet one (1) casting director. The meetings typically last for two minutes. Please be prepared to stand in line for up to an hour or more. However, we cannot guarantee that everyone will meet with a casting director. Starting at 2 p.m., actors will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

Meet & Drop Sessions are available to attendees who have purchased a Workshops Package. When you purchase a package, you will be given a pass to attend the Meet & Drops for free.

Workshops

Back Stage's editorial staff seeks out talented industry professional to participate in the Workshops and provide an enhanced and coveted learning experience for all attendees. Actorfest has two types of workshops: Career Panels and Focus Sessions. Each workshop is programmed with top casting directors, agents, managers, coaches, and more.

Detailed information and definitions are posted on our Workshops page.

Any questions? Please feel free to contact Actorfest.