North shore local Flynn Novak has been anounced as the winner of this year's Kustom Airstrike $50,000. Novak submitted 3 different clips of him landing his patented "Flynnstone Flip", which is basically a frontside double-grab backflip. The contenders included several clips by Josh Kerr, Chippa Wilson, Mitch Coleborn, and others. The win could not have come at a better time for Novak, as he had just been disqualified from Taylor Steele's Innersection contest under suspicious circumstances, and without a major sponsor, has been funding his career by himself. When Novak got the call from last year's winner, Dusty Payne, he was more than happy.

"Pretty much the best thing that's happened in my career. F-ing psyched right now!"

Well done Flynn!



Untitled from Kustom Airstrike on Vimeo.

With tomorrow being the August 31st deadline for the contest period, Kustom put together this little video with the top 9 contenders for this year's prize. Last year it was Dusty Payne winning the 50 geees after much debate about the numerous mind-blowing entries, and this year it looks like the judges will have some debating to do as well. The technical brilliance of Chippa's big spin, the innovation of Novak's backflip, or the sheer amplitude of Kerr, Mitch, Craike and Carlson.. Or maybe someone has another clip in the bag that they are sending in just before the wire...This one should be interesting... The winner gets announced in the first 2 weeks of September.



KUSTOM'S TOP 9 AIRSTRIKE ENTRIES from Kustom Airstrike on Vimeo.

Oh and heres another backflip that Flynn Novak just landed in Bali....



Flynn Novak from Kustom Airstrike on Vimeo.

Flynn Novak - Airstrike entry 2010 from Kustom Airstrike on Vimeo.

Hawaiian Flynn Novak just submitted this clip to Kustom Airstrike. Frontside Full Rotation Backflip. WOW.

And after Flynn got disqualified from Taylor Steele's Innersection (for a clip featured years ago on grindtv- we had no idea) under shady circumstances (possible sabotage) its great to see that he now has a shot at the $50 Grand.

see all the Kustom Airstrike entries here.... Ryan Carlson's kerr-upt flip is unbelievable as well...

Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson will begin their ASP World Title showdown Saturday in what's expected to be epic conditions at Pipeline. But it's obvious they've got a lot more to worry about than each other, because the threat from this year's trialists and wild card entries is more lethal than ever.

Andy and Bruce Irons, John John Florence and Shane Dorian will be relishing their spoiler roles. And they're just the tip of a long Hawaiian spear that has already impaled a number of ASP stars struggling to survive. Torrey Meister, Hank Gaskell, Liam McNamara, Flynn Novak and Gavin Gillette have crushed more than a few dreams already. And the casualties are likely to keep mounting.

Yesterday, Bruce Irons closed the door on Timmy Reyes, who is now headed back to the minor leagues after a lackluster season.

Today, Andy Irons dealt Australia's Drew Courtney a similar fate. Both Reyes and Courtney needed only to advance out of one heat to stay above the line and make next year's tour.

Hawaiians Flynn Novak and Hank Gaskel, who qualified via the WQS contest at Pipe last winter, knocked out Tahiti's Michel Bourez and Australia's Ben Dunn, who, coming into the final event of the season, were sitting 21st and 22nd respectively. Luckily for both, almost everyone in their vicinity was knocked out too, so they stand a good chance of survival. But Roy Powers and Ace Buchan are hoping to pounce.

And one of the most talked about threats now is 16-year-old grom, John John Florence, who, while playing in his back yard out at Pipe, held a clinic today at Backdoor---undoubtedly stoked to be sharing the lineup with only three other surfers. "There are so many perfect waves coming in it was just crazy," he said, "It was really fun out there." Of course, his fun was somebody else's pain. Heitor Alvez's 2010 tour chances were ended by Florence.

With new ASP seeding rules going into effect in 2010, there's much more at stake at Pipeline. Making the Top 10 will earn surfers a late round seed all year. Making the Top 16 will earn a late round seed through the first half of the season. But everyone who qualifies will be instantly put on notice, since the field of 48 will be reduced to 32 by mid-season. The better your seed now, the better the your chances of survival.

Oh yeah, then there's that little title race thing. Mick Fanning has a clear advantage over Parko at this point. At last check Parko has to make it to the semifinals even if Fanning bombs. Both will have tough draws; Fannign will face Meister while Parko is up against Gavin Gillete, so anything is possible.

Stay tuned...This is going to get good.

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Torrey Meister (HAW)
Heat 3: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 4: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Flynn Novak (HAW)
Heat 6: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Michael Picon (FRA)
Heat 7: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Chris Ward (USA)
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Hank Gaskell (HAW)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Liam McNamara (HAW)
Heat 10: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 11: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Dayyan Neve (AUS)
Heat 13: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 14: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 15: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Gavin Gillette (HAW)
Heat 16: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)