Here is a new edit of current World #1, Taj Burrow, surfing on his home turf in Yallingup, Western Australia.

The footage was shot by Rick Rifici on a RED Epic camera, the most cutting edge tech in high speed digital cinematography, capable of capturing images at up to 300 frames per second. The whole rig costs upwards of $60,000, which is a lot of money to have floating in the impact zone.



Summer Solstice from Rick Rifici on Vimeo.

Taj Burrow has claimed the Reef Hawaiian Pro over Adam Melling, Adriano De Souza, and Nat Young.

Ross Williams also celebrated a victory today, the legends expression session over Shane Dorian, Kalani Robb and Robert Machado.

Taj's win puts him in the pole position for the Triple Crown, and gives the aussie a fair bit of momentum going into Sunset and Pipeline.

Ross's win reminds us how absolutely incredible Kelly Slater is. I mean the guy's best friends are in the legends heat, and he just clinched his reigning eleventh worltd title. Easily. That's absurd.

Taj was on fire all day, threading tubes and scalping come-from behind wins in the windy conditions. Haleiwa wasn't an easy woman to handle today, making many a surfer look awfully foolish at times. By day's end there was quite the highlight reel of toilet bowl-wipeouts being looped on the webcast.

With this being the last day of the waiting period, the second jewel of the Triple Crown at Sunset Beach commences Friday. With a large swell forecasted, look for that to get underway very soon.

FINALS
Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.90pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 12.12.60pts ; Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.50 pts ; Nat Young (USA) 6.10 pts

SEMIFINALS
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.84pts ; Nat Young (USA) 12.70pts ; John John Florence (HAW) 11.50pts ; Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 10.67pts
Heat 2: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 13.54pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 13.16pts ; Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.30pts ; Roy Powers (HAW) 4.57pts

QUATERFINALS
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10pts ; Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 15.60pts ; Evan Geiselman (USA) 15.00pts ; Kolohe Andino (HAW) 6.90pts
Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 17.77pts ; John John Florence (HAW) 14.27pts ; Kieren Perrow (AUS) 5.50pts ; Glen Hall (IRL) 5.20pts
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.50pts ; Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.30pts ; Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 12.20 pts ; Jesse Mendes (BRA) 9.17pts
Heat 4: Roy Powers (HAW) 15.00pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 9.90pts ; Brett Simpson (USA) 7.33pts ; Granger Larsen (HAW) 6.83pts

Round of 32
Heat 1: Evan Geiselman (USA)11.33pts ; Kieren Perrow (AUS)10.73pts ; Hodei Collazo (EUK) 6.84pts ; Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 2.90pts
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (HAW) 11.84pts ; Nat Young (USA) 9.70pts ; Adrien Toyon (REU)9.27pts ; Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.13pts
Heat 3: Glenn Hall (IRL) 15.43pts ; Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 14.37pts ; Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 10.34pts ; Leonardo Neves (BRA)10.00pts
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 16.27pts ; Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.26pts ; Thiago Camarao 7.77pts (BRA) ; Daniel Ross (AUS) 7.70pts
Heat 5: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.67pts ; Brett Simpson (USA) 12.34pts ; Dusty Payne (HAW) 9.60pts ; Adrian Buchan (AUS) 9.30pts
Heat 6: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 11.19pts ; Adam Melling (AUS) 10.73pts ; Dion Atkinson (AUS) 8.83pts ; Adam Robertson (AUS) 8.50pts
Heat 7: Roy Powers (HAW) 9.94pts ; Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.50pts ; Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.57pts ; Marc Lacomare (FRA) 5.83pts
Heat 8: Granger Larsen (HAW) 14.60pts ; Jesse Mendes (BRA) 12.60pts ; Nathaniel Curran (USA) 10.84pts ; Aritz Aramburu (EUK) 7.93pts

CLASH of the LEGENDS
Heat 2 : Ross Williams (HAW) 14.50pts ; Shane Dorian (HAW) 14.44 pts ; Rob Machado (USA) 10.83pts ; Kalani Robb (HAW) 8.27pts

These two clips are from very different people in very different places. Mason Ho, turning heads at his beloved rocky point, and Jay n Taj take turns launching missiles at rabbit hill in WA. Ah the familiarity that comes with home court, and sideshore winds, what confidence it breeds. Mason especially, landing nearly every variation and grab he can conjure up. Enjoy





1111 from Elsegoodproductions.com on Vimeo.

Here is part II of III in Riley Blakeway's Fiji Vignette series chronicling a romantic jaunt to Tavarua with Kelly and Taj, both of whom brought along their lady-friends, and Chippa Wilson, who brought along Jay Davies.

Watch the first chapter, along with some filthy photos of the trip here



Fiji Vignette 2/3 from Taj Burrow on Vimeo.

Back in the middle of summer Kelly Slater and Taj Burrow went on a double-date to Tavarua with their sibling-girlfriends. Aussies Chippa Wilson and Jay Davies were the fourth and fifth wheels on the trip, which was aimed at meeting a healthy South Pacific swell at Cloudbreak.

Kelly would get a cover shot from a chopper shoot during the big day, and finally we have our first visions of the trip courtesy of Riley Blakeway. The photo at right, taken by John Respondek for Surfing Magazine, is from the bird.

Below is an entire Todd Glaser photo gallery of the trip from Surfer Mag.



This is chapter one of three. More to come...



Fiji Vignette 1/3 from Taj Burrow on Vimeo.