The Tag Line: Carveboard is THE original board with adjustable air pneumatic tires to control speed & grip. It carves harder than any board on the street. When the surf snow sucks…

Secondly, this board is designed for riding hills or bombing down moderately sized slopes … not flitting around flat streets and sidewalks, or a mode of transport from class to class on campus. Designed to replicate the motion and movement of surfing through a long rolling wave or a powdery snowboard session down your favorite mountain, the Carveboard uses its massive dual axles and over-sized tires to bring surf and snowboard to life on pavement. You will need anywhere from a slight incline to a moderate hill to get the full effect! After all, as in real life, when the waves are head high or the trails are blues or better (not the bunny hills!), that’s when the FUN begins.

This is a lean, mean carving machine! The similarity between the carving on the Carveboard and carving on a surf board is such that you will feel ocean spray in your face. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, BUT you can ride this board in a steady gentle manner, flowing into turns and still having the feel of surf style progress or take it to the limit and find yourself a nice stretch of tarmac and you can go rail to rail as long as your legs will stand it!

Let’s put it this way: it’s not a longboard skateboard designed for a leisurely cruise down the street, nor is it a performance bombing machine designed to scream you down the steepest of paved streets in San Francisco.  No. This is a machine built entirely for (wait for it) … CARVING. It simulates the graceful and powerful carves you would do while surfing or snowboarding … period.

WHAT & WHY: So why buy this massive, one-purpose board in the first place? When the waves are small, when your surfing needs a boost of grace and style, or when the snow is nowhere to be found … the Carveboard will fill your need! Even in the deepest of carves and the tightest of turns, the Carveboard replicates carving on land like no other board out there.

It will be surprising for new riders to see how hard you can really push the board and not have it spin out. Imagine large rail to rail carves – tight turns, and fast rail switches. Going from rail to rail on the virtually flat you can tune up your pumping techniques and in those crazy annoying high pressure spots when the surf is flat, you can keep your muscles toned and ready to go when the swell returns by regularly using the Carveboard.

Additionally, the wheels allowed me to adjust the air pressure depending on the hills I was riding or how fast I wanted to go —  higher tire pressure results in a faster ride, while lower tire pressure provides more traction for intense carving, and serves to regulate the speed on steeper grades.

The VERDICT: IF you have a surfer in your life, and you want them to feel that same stoke when the waves are good even when the oceans are flat, then the Carveboard will get them as close to the same feeling of carving on their surfboard on flat and waveless days.

…

The TV campaign told the story of a Polynesian surfer who managed to ride a very big wave, under pretty interesting circumstances: white horses were running with enormous power behind the huge wave.

“Surfer” was shot in Hawaii, won several prizes, based on “Neptune’s Horses”, an 1893 Walter Crane painting.

Emily has been patrolling Malibu’s Zuma Beach, with her inventor claiming that she can swim twelve times as fast as human lifeguards.
Emily doesn’t look like your ‘traditional’ robot. Instead she is a four-foot-long remote-controlled robotic buoy. Emily is set to cost around $3,500, and also makes use of a sonar system which builds 3D maps of surrounding water currents and is able to identify noises associated with swimmers in trouble.

47-year-old inventor Tony Mulligan claims that his latest creation can power through Malibu’s heavy white-water breaking surf at over 24 miles an hour. Quite an achievement, as any would-be surfer that’s tried paddling out in heavy waves will know.

Emily was later born out of an original project back in late 2009 to build a small remote-controlled boat to monitor marine life for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mulligan’s new startup is an Arizona-based company called Hydronalix, producing ‘new technology concepts for maritime robotics.’

However, those pesky old-fashioned ‘human’ models of lifeguard are not taking this robot threat lying down. ”This is a classic example of an inventor’s idea of how to solve a problem that doesn’t necessarily coincide with reality,” according to the president of the US Lifesaving Association B. Chris Brewster, who also points out that Emily would be of no help to an unconscious swimmer or surfer.

The Company: Based out of Haleiwa, after moving out of a makeshift production line at a house on Sunset beach, Xcel was founded in 1982. Looking to provide wetsuits and water wear, Xcel became widely known as it expanded into sun protection gear, commonly known as rash guards. Xcel services the surf, paddle, dive, wake and sun protection industries … and while it has branched out onto watersports wear as a whole, Xcel’s dedication to the product has not retreated on quality. The market is saturated by many surf and rash guard manufacturers; while the competition has grown to include many cheap unknown and known brands, Xcel rash guards continue to be a great value for the price.

The Product: Excel rash guards provide an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 50+ — for comparison, a new t-shirt provides approximately UPF 5. The UV protection is afforded by the weave of the rash guard. Excel rash guards are made of thick Lycra with flat locked seams. You can easily feel the difference in thickness by rubbing the various branded rash guards between your fingers and then trying the same with the Xcel rash guard. Xcel provides the Lycra with added thickness that adds a more supple feel next to your skin. The flat locked seams provide longevity as you change into your rash guard each surf session.

As a surfer, let me tell you that nothing is more annoying than your rash guard stitching unraveling around your hand while executing a quick pop-up to beat out five other surfers for the wave of the day. The cut and shape of the xcel rash guard provides superior range of motion for surfing, which I am forever grateful.

Rash guards sizes are the same as shirt sizes, however, they are made to fit snug. When buying a rash guard as a gift the same shirt size should fit comfortably snug. Sometimes a surfer prefers one size larger for a looser fit. Thank goodness for gift receipts!

The Verdict: The surfer in your life probably already has a rash guard but believe me, they could always use another one, especially if it bears the quality and longevity of an Xcel rash guard. Remember that donning a dry rash guard is always preferable to a cold, sticky, wet one! A friend even made a special request for an Xcel rash guard for her birthday last year! And watching her smile as she paddled out wrapped inside that new Xcel rash guard, I knew that it was a happy birthday for her!

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[originally posted as ‘12 Days of Xmas’ #6: Xcel Lycra Rash Guard (for Wahines like me!)]

2. It’s tall…
Mauna Kea on the Big Island has a snow capped (and snowboardable) summit that scrapes 14,000 feet above sea level. Below sea level it goes down another 18,000 to the sea floor; which equals a total height of 32,000 feet. Making it the biggest mountain on earth. Mount Everest, in comparison, is a paltry 29,035 feet, and to make matters worse Everest has got 4-foot shorter in recent times due to glacial melting.

3. It’s been surfed for a long time…
They may have a strong claim to being the oldest surfing race on earth, having invented the whole deal, but the Polynesians/Hawaiians aren’t a patch on the Peruvian goat boaters that have surfed on waveski’s made of reeds since year dot. But as goat boating doesn’t really count then the Hawaiians can take the honor.

4. The Union Jack is on the flag…
Odd as it seems the Hawaiian flag has the British flag in its top left corner, much the same as the Aussie Flag. The rest of the flag consists of eight red, white or blue stripes that represent the eight main islands (Nihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii). It goes back to the early 19th century when the Hawaiians agreed to be a protectorate of Great Britain. The UK didn’t run the show, they ran their own affairs, but we looked out for them against the Frenchies and the Americans.

5. We’ve just moved in…
The Hawaiian chain was one of the last places on earth to be colonised by mankind. Earliest evidence suggests some traces of man around 100AD, but the Polynesians didn’t properly colonise the joint until 400AD. First contact with the western world was made on January 19th, 1778 by Yorkshires finest- Captain James T Cook; he first hit land on Kauai. Now home to the Irons brothers.

6. There’s no shelf…
It’s the lack of continental shelf that gives the waves so much power on the North Shore. As the Hawaiian Islands are all volcanic islands that have grown steadily up from the sea floor there is no shelf to slow up the waves. The Big Island of Hawaii is less than 500,000 years old, cos its so new and fresh the lava reefs there are extremely sharp as they haven’t had time to erode.

7. It’s far…
The Hawaiian Island’s are the most isolated bits of land on Earth. It’s over 2400 miles to the continental USA and the other Polynesian islands in the South Pacific. 24 miles is a long way to go in a canoe. 2400 is off the scale, especially when you consider the Polynesian explorers had no idea where they were going or if there was even anywhere to go to. They must have been so glad when they finally hit Waikiki.

8. Spelling is easy…
There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet. Cool huh? The vowels: A, E, I, O, U and the consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W. So that’s why so many place names, like Waimea, Haleiwa etc have such a distinctive ring to them. It also shows that few surf spots go by their local names, Banzai Pipeline is hard to make from only those letters.

9. Good java…
Hawaii is the only state in the US that produces coffee beans. Considering how much coffee the Americans drink it’s very odd. The Arabica beans grown on the Big Island that are sold as Kona coffee make for a damn fine brew. Coffee is also grown on the slopes overlooking the North Shore of Oahu between Wahiawa and Waialua …

10. Lava lava lava…
Mt. Kilauea is the most active volcano in the world and has been since 1983. Which makes the mapmakers in Hawaii angry, because every couple of weeks they have to redraw the map of the island; as it keeps getting bigger. This might not be a problem soon as a huge fissure, known officially as the Hilina Slump, and unofficially as the ‘Big Crack’ is opening up and a 4,760 cubic mile chunk of the Big Island is poised to fall off. Cue much tsunami action for Oz… At the moment it’s moving four inches a year, but has moved up to 26-feet in one day.

[posted via slidemag]

The days of Endless Summer’s idealized surf trip pre-requisites of “surfboard, wax, sun screen and passport” are long gone … having given way to multiple airport security screenings, expensive airline fees for oversized luggage, and the sudden boom of surf-related anything all over the world thanks in large part to the multi-billion dollar push from the surf industry moguls.

But have no fear, minor inconveniences will not deter determined surfers from their goal of finding surf nirvana around the globe, it just requires better planning and preparation for what may lie ahead. (There are considerable differences when surfing in warm water and cold climate locations, ranging from the type of wax you will need all the way to the rash guard or wet suit you will wear … so we’ll try to keep that factor in check as we go through the list.)

Outside of doing your usual Google research on visa requirements and entry fees for the countries you are visiting, and making sure your credit cards, passport and driver’s license are up-to-date there are some essential tips to know before embarking on a surf trip. And so, dear kindred spirit of the waves, with a few million miles under our collective surf-travel belts, we have assembled the quintessential surf trip primer for all you travelling surfers:

Surf Camp or Going on your own? This is the mother of all the check list pre-requisites; the one that determines how you will be preparing for the trip from here on in! Your goal will be to get there the easiest, the fastest, and in the most efficient method available to maximize your water time … so an all-inclusive surf camp may be the most beneficial to your budget and timeline. That being said, a surf adventure where you discover your own way and seek out your own waves provides a more rewarding experience for the globe-trotting surfer. Choose wisely so that your ultimate goal of maximum surf time is addressed properly!

Although a slightly more expensive method for surf travel, the surf camp experience traditionally will provide you with almost everything you may need. You can relax knowing things are covered – ranging from accommodations, meals, a local surf guide, transportation to and from various surf breaks (either by land or by boat), surfboards to choose from, wax, leash, repairs … and even facilities to chill or exercise, whatever you may need.

Surf camps generally cater to surfers who want to land at the airport and know that their gear is available and ready to go, just point to the break and they’re off surfing. Set in a setting where you are with other surfers and seasoned staff and surf experts to assist you, this type of surf travel relieves you from some stress. You do not have to pack much of your usual surf gear (especially your surfboards!), and the camp quiver allows you the luxury of avoiding oversized luggage fees and the paranoid fear of someone dinging your board (or worse!) during transport.

Surf Bag or Case. If you choose to bring your own board or a selection from your quiver, be sure to protect your surfboards! In the past, we have gone with surf bags padded with rash guards and towels on the inside, surfboard coffins that held 2 or more boards, and even professionally packed and shipped boards. In that same order, we (meaning us and our boards) suffered from dings and broken surfboard noses, expensive airline luggage fees, and stolen – even oddly replaced with another older - surfboard. But over the years, although the number of airlines have reduced (even removed) routes that allow surfboard travel … some seriously decent board protection has evolved (see Soma), allowing peace of mind for the insistent quiver snob!

Surf Wear. Although most surf camps provide you with all-around-use rash guards or wet suits, they do tend to be used. During our surf travels, we have found it extremely beneficial to have our own surf wear in tow. With the added benefit of wearing your favorite brand or style, SPF protection, and the security of properly fitting wet suits (one’s that are not loosely hanging off our bodies while surfing in cold water!), the packing space is minimal for two or three rash guards or wetties!

Hats and sunglasses are also a must! Whether you are sitting in the line up, at the beach, or in the jacuzzi, proper sun protection allows you to extend your surf time. There can be nothing more frustrating than travelling halfway around the globe and being sidelined from surfing by a bad sunburn!

Surf Gear & Accessories. Yes, you need to bring your first aid kit and a slew of spare or preferred surf goodies like fins and key, leashes (they are either righteously expensive or well worn!), ding repair kit (in water repair kit is better!), surf wax (remember to bring temperature relevant and eco-friendly wax!), and duct tape. We cannot stress the duct tape enough to travelling surfers … it can act as ding repair, leash repair, packing tape, laundry line, well you name it! Another surprise travel item that we found extremely useful is a lock box that we stashed room keys, cash, and credit cards in while surfing. Locked to the car, van, or boat it allowed us to surf freely and return to safely stowed dry cash and cards for the lunch stop or a quick round of drinks at the bar before heading out again.

Dry Bag. Whether it be boat trips or the unexpected downpour, your change of clothes or towel and snacks will thank you for bringing this essential piece of travel gear! Not just for surf travel anymore, a sturdy, waterproof dry bag can protect all of your electronics, surf accessories, and identification cards from the very playground you are floating around in!

Waterproof Camera and memory cards / flash drives. Much like the mythical Wendigo or Bigfoot, no one will blink twice when you wax poetic about “that double overhead left that stayed open after a late drop” if you can’t produce a decent photo. A blurry snapshot of what could be you or Bigfoot on either a knee-high or double overhead wave just cannot cut in on Facebook these days! With a plethora of inexpensive digital cameras with waterproof housings or cases in today’s market – like the Hero Pro or Olympus’ Underwater line – your surf trip will shine brightly with photos to document your journey – since most of us cannot afford to have filmmakers following us around to surf breaks!

Gift Items and Goodies. Here is the key to merry travelling and extremely useful tool for establishing good will: a gift or token of appreciation. More than a cash tip, you can extend friendship and goodwill while surf travelling with some surf-related gift items from your home land. Things like surfboard-shaped keychains or surf t-shirts for your surf guide and surf hosts may ensure that you get the better transport or boat at an earlier time to that secret local spot.

The most important thing to bring above it all is your sense of adventure and wonder! All the preparation and packing will be better complemented by a happy-go-lucky spirit … there are a of of things that will go right, and even a few that may go awry, but through it all make sure you extend that surfer spirit and smile with aloha in your heart!

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Storms following a path like Earl’s, running roughly parallel to the coast, can threaten outcroppings like Cape Hatteras, N.C., where a mandatory evacuation was in place on Wednesday. But they can also create a brief, rare season of world-class surfing on the northern Atlantic, particularly on beaches that face south or that, like Masonboro, are protected by a jetty.

“This is like, prime time,” said Evan Barton, 17, a competitive surfer who takes high school classes on the Internet, thus allowing him to begin his surfing day at 8 a.m. Evan, with sun-bleached hair and a complexion beyond the reach of sunscreen, piloted a boatload of friends to Masonboro from nearby Wrightsville Beach.

Others played a form of hooky for grown-ups, rising early to scan Web sites like Swellinfo.com and to compare notes with fellow enthusiasts. “When they name the storm, that’s when you start planning your schedule,” said Mark Mitchell, a 59-year-old real estate developer, standing on the hot sand with a friend, Douglas Sprunt, an architecture curator, each with a board under his arm.

Austin Nichols, 30, an actor on “One Tree Hill,” which is taped in Wilmington, said he had shot a scene in the morning but had gotten off in time to get some surfing in.

“I think hurricanes should have menacing names like, ‘Hurricane Edward Scissorhands,’ ” he said. “Hurricane Earl sounds like a guy drinking a beer on a porch. That’s not scary.”

Mr. Nichols was not impressed by Earl’s somewhat erratic effect on the waves, either. By late afternoon, in fact, the beach was dotted with surfers standing in perplexed clumps, scrutinizing the water and wondering what exactly had gone wrong. The waves were “closing out,” or cresting all at once instead of in a ripple. Or they were coming too fast. Or maybe it was the tide?

“For the storm to be right here, it should be a lot better,” said Richard Edwards, 33.

But surfers know that their sport depends on an ever-changing array of variables. Evan, who had gotten in a couple of dangerous-looking moves, emerged from the water. “It’s not as good as it was this morning. It’s closing out,” he said.

But he shrugged it off. Hurricane Earl would be driving the surf for a few days to come, followed by tropical storms Fiona and Gaston. Edward Scissorhands will have to wait.

Your traditional gym workouts will take care of your strength and aerobic requirements, and your yoga class will be more than adequate for flexibility. However, for surf-specific coordination, agility, balance and proprioception, you will need a surf-specific workout.

What is Sport-Specific Training?

In the past decade, sport scientists have begun to reevaluate the way we get fit for a specific sport. Past sport training programs usually involved isolation exercises, which strengthened the muscles used for the sport. However, according to movement science research, traditional strength training does little to enhance sport-specific skill. As such, trainers are now using the dynamic pattern theory of motor learning, which states that the brain is more efficient at memorizing movement patterns than it is at muscular isolation. For example, consider the traditional leg extension machine. Its movements are in no way similar to those used in surfing. Now, imagine a squat, performed in a surfer’s stance on a Bosu or wobble board. The exercise now resembles the movements of surfing, and is therefore a better way to enhance surf-specific skills.

Surf Balance

Let’s start with balance training. Surfing requires three different types of balance:

• Dynamic Balance is balance in motion. This is in sharp contrast to the postures you perform in yoga class.
• Anticipatory Balance is related to agility. It means that you can anticipate the next pattern of the waves, and prepare accordingly.
• Transitional Balance is required for movement fluidity.

When choosing exercises for a surf-fitness program, it’s important to select workouts that enhance all three types of balance. Fortunately, with the excellent variety of balance-training tools on the market, it’s possible to cover all three aspects in one exercise. For example, the Stability Ball Toss and Catch is a superb exercise for developing core strength, agility and balance.

You will need a partner for this exercise:
Partners sit facing each other on the ball, about one foot away. One person sits upright. The other holds the ball from the “crunch” position. · The person holding the ball tosses it to her partner. This brings her to the upright position. · As the partner catches the ball, she goes into the crunch position. Only do as many repetitions as you can perform using good form. Stop if either partner feels the exercise in their neck or lower back.

Bosu for Surfers:
The Bosu is another fantastic piece of surf-fitness training equipment. There are two sides to a Bosu; the dome side and the platform side. The dome side exercises are similar to those performed on a stability ball, while the platform side is similar to a balance or wobble board. As such, the Bosu is an excellent investment for anyone who does not have the funds and/or the room for a stability ball and a balance board. The Bosu is an excellent tool for developing proprioception, which is your body’s awareness of its position, posture and alignment in space. Since water environments are not similar to the typical concrete on which we walk, proprioception is extremely important for surfers.

Proprioceptive skills also enhance dynamic, anticipatory and transitional balance skills.

Try this Bosu Proprioception Exercise: Start by simply standing on the Bosu. Now close your eyes. You will probably feel an exaggeration of the body’s mechanisms for adjusting to balance challenges. Open your eyes and raise one arm. Follow it with your eyes. Keep following your hand as you bring it down, to the left and right, and back behind you. Repeat this using your opposite arm. When you become comfortable with the Bosu, turn it over and use it as a wobble board. Stand on the board and shift your weight forwards and backwards, and then side to side. Try a few squats. Can you keep the board centered? Surf-Agility Plyometric exercises on the Bosu are great for developing surf-specific strength, balance coordination and agility.

Check out the Bosu Jump, Toss and Squat v Stand on top of the Bosu. Feet are parallel, and open to the width of your average surf stance. v Inhale and jump. v As you exhale, land in this sequence: Toes first, then the ball of the foot, then the heels, then squat. If you body is in correct alignment, there will be minimal wobbling of the feet upon landing. However, don’t expect to be paralyzed! Remember, athletic balance is dynamic. There may be some small degree of motion occurring. You can add agility training to this exercise by tossing a medicine ball in the air as you jump up, and catching it when you land in the squat. Surf’s up! Are you ready? Get on board with a surf fitness plan!

His six-month soul-seeking journey is chronicled through his journal – the basis of his heart-felt narration in The Drifter. A beautifully shot, emotionally resonant film, The Drifter documents this major turning point in Machado’s life, during which he comes full circle and ready to take on the next phase in a career in where he’s blazed a path and sealed his legacy as one of the world’s most stylish surfing ambassadors.

Always the cool and laid-back guy, Rob Machado answers 5 questions for us:

Q: … I love the line from the trailer, “Sometimes when you’re most alone, you’re not alone at all.” Yet, you have four filmers with you. Do you do irony?

Rob: Oh, well, ah…okay… at that point in the movie, we were on a outer island and our camera crew actually had to drive two hours to the nearest town, that’s where they were staying, because they had to charge batteries and download cards, all that nonsense they gotta do and I just stayed out there and camped by myself. Yeah, but I ditched my phone. I tossed it on the side of the road. It’s funny cause in the movie it keeps coming back to the phone, just these random phone calls, one from my manager, one’s from the consulate telling me they’ve found my passport somewhere…

Q: In the film, which is fact, which is fantasy?

Rob: Well, I mean, the message we’re getting across is it’s…what’s the line…(pause)… Inspired by the wanderings of Rob Machado. Because, when it boils down to it, it’s not a documentary because there are moments in the film we had to recreate because the guy’s weren’t with me. Something weird’d happen to me and I’d be telling em about it, and they’d be like, shit, let’s try and make it happen again so we can capture it.

Q: Were the children you play soccer with imported talent and how many takes did you need to nail that “happy, simple” look as you play?

Rob: That shot, I played soccer for, like, two hours. I left there with a folded toenail, bleeding. They actually took me to the little medical room and bandaged me up. Once you throw me in those little moments, I just run in. Cool, we’re playing soccer!

Q: Are you going to have a third movie, The Grifter? Do you know what a Grifter is?

Rob: I have no idea.

Q: I saw a Steve Sherman photograph of web comments at the Hurley contest. It said: Rob smokes weed. Have you ever seen people smoking “it” and have you ever “done it”?

Rob: Oh yeah, I get that all the time. Yeah, I’ve smoked it. You know, if you had two rooms and you filled one with people drinking alcohol and one with people smoking marijuana, it’d make for an interesting social experiment. You’d have the guys in the weed room laughing and nibbling food. In the other, it’d be a macho scene with fights breaking out everywhere.

[by Derek Rielly]