That Kai Neville is SO HOT right now! Maybe its my skinny jeans talking, but it seems that surfing has found its new king midas. His style reflects the youth, the newly dubbed "tail-high" generation, and if you dont like Kai Neville's work, i have bad news for you. You're old. High quality digital film, creative editing, electronic (yet eclectic) music, and the biggest airs ever seen by mankind, are Neville's arsenal. After his acclaimed first release, Modern Collective, melted the faces off the hipster surf scene last year, Neville's newest endeavor is Landscape Altered (click here to see the trailer). The purpose of this project was to win the Kustom Airstrike, a yearly contest awarding $50,000 for the craziest air landed and filmed. Last year it was Modern Collective Alumni Dusty Payne who took the prize for a massive air reverse in bali. This year, Kustom organized a crew of some of the most futuristic aerial pilots to go on an off-season Mentawai boat trip, which meant zero crowds and puntable on-shore winds. (onshore is the new offshore, duh) Invited to join this motley crew of malaria dodging space cowboys were Jay Davies, Chippa Wilson, Clay Marzo, Mitch Coleburn, and Josh Kerr. Neville was brought aboard to film the whole thing, and edit it into interweb-ready episodes for your convenient consumption. Here is EPISODE ONE.

Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge Field Narrowed to Eight Surfers...



The Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge kicked into high gear over the weekend as a fresh swell hit Bali. While the field of competitors is comprised of surfers from seven different countries it's the Hawaiians who have proven to be the dominant global force to date.

Kai Barger, the reigning World Pro Junior Champion, looks determined to keep his 2009 momentum going. Barger's solid attack earned him a win over local Mustofa Jeksen and a spot in the quarterfinals. But he's sure to have his hands full there, since he'll be facing his friend Clay Marzo, who defeated Australia's Davey Cathels during his round three clash.


Clay Marzo gets slotted during his Round Three Win

Meanwhile, Granger Larsen will be hoping to join the winner of that heat in the semifinals if he can get past Australian Sam Wrench. Wrench put the final nail in California's hopes if bringing home the prize by eliminating Nat Young of Santa Cruz.

All in all, it was a poor showing by the Californians. Dillon Perillo and Nat Young failed to get anything going. With just 8 surfers left, the Hawaiians seem to have the upper hand on taking home the title and the $20,000 first prize on tap, that's because they have three of the remaining 8 slots.


Barger brought his familiar backside attack to Bali, and it looks even more lethal in the hollow stuff.

The big surprise so far has been the solid efforts being put in by the French squad. Charly Martin and Mack Lacomare have been turning heads all week, a harbinger of what's likely to come from that region in the years ahead. Here's how the remaining contenders break down by territory.

3 Hawaiians: Granger Larsen, Clay Marzo, Kai Barger
2 French: Charly Martin, Marc Lacomare
1 South African: Brendon Gibbons
1 Australian: Sam Wrench
1 Brazilian: Alejo Muniz


Match Ups for Quarter Finals
Quarter 1: Granger Larsen V Sam Wrench
Quarter 2: Clay Marzo V Kai Barger
Quarter 3: Marc Lacomare V Brenden Gibbons
Quarter 4: Charly Martin V Alejo Muniz

19-year-old Clay Marzo used his trademark tail-whip to secure his first victory as a pro yesterday down in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, at the 3-Star Quiksilver Pro.

After marching out to an early lead in the final Marzo got lost in the turbulent conditions and struggled to find the backup wave he needed. He sat for more than 10 minutes before taking off on a little corner with some open face. Once in he instantly zeroed in on the section ahead. "I knew I needed to do something big," Marzo said.

His vicious throw-tail turn quickly had him spinning backwards into a reverse, "and I was able to spin it all the way around," says Marzo.

While a victory in a 3-Star doesn't net him a whole lot of qualfying points, Marzo's win is a noteworthy feat. In 2008 Marzo's family and freinds discovered he has Asperger's Syndrome, a rare form of autism. Before identifying the condition Clay was always struggling outside of his familiar comfort zones. While Asperger's is mild relative to the more debilitating forms of autism, its effects on the brain are significant.

In Marzo's case identifying the problem was more than half the cure. It was life altering. By modifying his diet, and working on ways to calm is very over-active mind (Imagine trying to do long division in your head while trying to stand in the middle of a freeway with cars zipping at you, that's how doctor's describe what Clay is going through when he's simply trying to answer a question from a stranger.) he's made huge strides in mitigating the most annoying symptoms, which has allowed him to pursue his career in pro surfing.

The great irony is that much of Marzo's surfing brilliance is directly attributable to the Asperger's that had set him back emotionally for years compared to his peers. One of the hallmark symptoms of Asperger's is getting intensely obsessed in very narrow interests. In Clay's case it's not just surfing, but his specific brand of launch and release, embodied in his patented move that he's perfected with years of repetition.

The story of Clay's journey of discovery with Asperger's was documented in the 2008 movie, Just Add Water, put out by Quiksilver. Since that time Clay has been trying to make his entire world his comfort zone, and his win in Mexico is undoubtedly a sign that it's working. His story continues to inspire many affected by the various forms of autism.