Jordy Smith 22 girls for Billabong Pipeline event. Jordy showed up on the North Shore this winter with a 22-board quiver of provocative sleds. Some are jealous of the art, others (namely his ex-girlfriends) think it’s gross, Jordy thinks it’s funny. “Kelly had those boards with the girls on them back in the day,” says Jordy. “I thought it was classic, and that’s kind of what gave me this idea.” Jordy Smith’s Quiver for Pipeline >

The 22-year-old prodigy born and raised in the rough and tumble land of Durban, South Africa is set to embark on his third year on the ASP Dream Tour. The powerful regular-footer’s spotless season in 2007 saw him claim both the 2006 ASP World Junior Championships as well as the ASP WQS season, qualifying for the coveted ASP … Read More »

FAST FACTS

AKA: Parko
DOB: April 10, 1981
Born: Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Resides: Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia
Hobbies: Fishing and spending time with the family
url: www.joelparko.com

VITALS

Height: 6’0′ (183 cm)
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Stance: Natural
Sponsors: Billabong wetsuits and clothing, Von Zipper eyewear, Kustom footwear and JS Industries surfboards
Shaper: Jason Stevenson
Magic Stick: 6’2″
Training Ground: Snapper and D’Bah
Favorite Wave: Long ones
Favorite Maneuver: Big ones
Inspirations: Kelly Slater, Mark Occhilupo and Matt Hoy

2010 Rating: DL
2010 Points: 10500
2010 earnings: $20,000.00
Career earnings: $1,141,226.00
Highest Rating: Runner-Up in 2009, 2004 and 2002
Elite Inception: 2001
Years on Tour: 2011 will be Joel’s 11th year on the ASP World Tour
Sabbatical: None yet

Rating by Year:
2009: 2nd
2008: 4th
2007: 4th
2006: 6th
2005: 12th
2005: 2nd
2003: 5th
2002: 2nd
2001: 21st

Filmography: Still Filthy (2009), Stranger Than Fiction (2008), Trilogy (2007), Free As A Dog (2005)

Honor Roll: Two-time ASP World Junior Champion, ASP World Runner-Up in 2009, 2004 and 2002, Perfect 20 … Read More »

Mark Richard’s Winning Smirnoff Surfboard

Smirnoff Contest, Hawaii

1st Mark Richards (Winning Board ) Featured
2nd Ian Cairns
3rd Rabbit Batholomew
Other finalists  Reno Abellira (H), Jeff Hakman (H) and Shaun Tomson (SA)

To surfers born after 1980, Mark Richards is just the old guy whose record Kelly Slater broke. But not long ago, MR had another title, that of the greatest surfer of all time. So dominant was he, that no one regarded him with anything but awe, even as he paddled out in a silver wetsuit with a Superman logo on his board. It’s doubtful that even Kelly could pull that one off.

Richards was born in Newcastle, Australia, the only child of a car salesman. He was surfing by age six at Mereweather Beach, and his dad’s car dealership eventually transformed into a surf shop. His mom and dad surfed a bit … Read More »

Original Article by Jay DiMartino of World Champions of Surfing

Peter “PT” Townend had a professional surfing career before there was such a thing.  Before MR and Curren. Before Slater and Fanning, Peter Townend was the “best in the world.” Some argue that the inaugural tour was loosely planned and the competition was quite a bit less developed than today, but his title remains. Hailing from the talent rich soil of Coolangata, Australia; PT went on to transcend competitive surfing to become an ardent supporter and organizer of modern surfing in the United States. His resume exudes commitment to the sport and art of surfing as PT has been a competitor, movie stuntman, contest organizer, writer, publisher, marketer, and coach to future superstars; serving as an embodiment of the professional career surfer he hoped to create.

Peter Townend … Read More »

Kelly Slater’s impact on surfing mirrors the 90s Internet revolution. A piece of new technology originally dismissed as a cute, space-age toy that ended up changing the world in every conceivable way — from performance to money to records to design to longevity. Before Kelly, surf stars were just that: surf stars. After? They were highly paid, professional athletes with international appeal and limitless possibilities. The scariest fact? He’s still not finished.

Slater got his feet wet on the bunny slopes of Cocoa Beach, a sleepy Central Florida town made famous by a sexy, prime-time genie in the ’60s. Cocoa Beach, in Slater’s estimation, is as good a place as any to inherit a solid foundation as a surfer. “It breaks farther out,” he says, “so it’s easier to learn. If I had the choice of learning in Florida … Read More »

The surf world is full of specialists. There are aerial wizards, tow-in nuts, contest machines and freesurfing free spirits. Longboarders, long-johners,watermen and hellmen. Many surfers can claim knighthood in one or two disciplines, but few, if any, have the broad spectrum of skills that enables them to wear any hat they choose.

And then there’s Shane Dorian.

Since turning up on the surf media map in the late ’80s, the once-tiny kid from the Big Island has won a Hawaiian state title, pushed the paddle-in limits on the North Shore’s outer reefs, redefined deep tuberiding at spots like Backdoor, helped spearhead the “New School” of surfing, won WCT events, contended for a world title, towed in at spots like Jaws and continues to be on the frontier of cutting-edge, high-performance surfing on flawless canvasses like the Mentawais. And if that’s not … Read More »

One of the most stylish and successful American goofyfoots of all time was almost an Australian. That’s right: Rob Machado, Cardiff’s humble, smooth-flowing prodigal son, former world runner-up and 2000 Pipe Master could have easily been a cocky, animal-nicknamed ocker who had a single purpose in life: stop those American wankers. And the scary thing is, he just might have done it.

Machado was born in a Sydney hospital to Jim and Chris Machado, a California surfer and British student who had met at an Australian ski lodge in the mid ’60s. Rob’s father, Jim, who had grown up surfing under Ricky Grigg’s tutelage, decided to hit the road after a short stint in the military and a couple of years of community college. Australia was the highlight of his travels, and with the escalating war in … Read More »

In the mid-’70s, surfing was wild — long hair was paramount, contest conformity was bogus and feral quests for mystical waves were the road to nirvana. The last thing the sport wanted was a professional, well-spoken figure at the helm, but that’s what it got in Shaun Tomson. Years ahead of his contemporaries, he stood alone with articulate grace and redefined tuberiding in the process.

Tomson was born in Durban, South Africa, where he picked up his first longboard at age 10. He made the transition to shortboards as the revolution encompassed the world in years to follow. By the time the ’60s were out, Tomson had won the South African Boys’ title, attended his Bar Mitzvah and had his first experience in Hawaiian surf.

In 1973, Tomson performed his civic duty by serving 18 months in … Read More »

Consistency is a dirty word to young pros. Nobody wants the label, and nobody could benefit more from it than Andy Irons.

In the full range of conditions, Irons has blown out the field on multiple occasions, even taking out six-time world champion Kelly Slater. Given a hint of the “C” word, Irons could be king. Most recently Irons took out a stacked roster of locals and the top WCT pros for his 4th Vans Triple Crown Title, including a win at Haleiwa and the infamous Pipeline Masters.

The lush tropical setting of Kauai has been home to the Irons clan from day one. Phil Irons transplanted from California in 1970, marrying wife Danielle in 1976. Just a year younger than Andy is brother Bruce — his childhood sparring partner and an equally talented surfer.

Kauai, … Read More »