Rip Curl's TIP2TIP series follows a season-long boat trip through the Indonesian archipelago with Rip Curl's team of riders rotating on and off the ship. In this episode/trailer an expedition into the deep inland jungles of Sumatra, led by Tom Curren and co., finds the most unbelievable tidal bore waves to date. The clip is definitely a tease, as it only reveals glimpses of how good the waves were, but jeeezus those brown tubes look like they were fake. Cant wait to see the rest of this..

Rip Curl's Tip 2 Tip series tracks the course of a single Indo boat trip that lasted an entire season and spanned the length of the Indonesian Archipelago. Watch the first chapters here, here, and here. For this chapter the legend himself, Tom Curren, hops aboard for a few waves. He still rips, and he can play a mean 6-string as well. Tom's 2 young sons, as well as South African legend Frankie Oberholzer join the crew as they stumble upon the most incredibly idyllic sand bar setup i've ever seen. As Frankie put it,

"Yesterday we surfed the best beachbreak in the world, i reckon. Never seen a wave break like that on sand. Rights and lefts all day.."

Big statement for a guy who was on 'the Search' for over a decade...Check it!

Tom Curren celebrated the 25th anniversary of his first world title yesterday by beating Mark Occhilupo -- the same guy he beat at Bells back in 1986 during a semifinal showdown that earned him his championship.

On Saturday, Curren, 44, looked as spry as he did a quarter century ago. Occy had his moments too, but struggled a little more in the mushy conditions. Their match was the second round of their Clash of the Icons series. Occy took the first one last July in Jeffreys Bay.

The heat at Bells was a nice flashback moment for hardcore surfing fans. Curren's first ASP world championship was a watershed moment for pro surfing. After more than a decade of Australian dominance, his victory ushered in an era of American resurgence and, ultimately, dominance.

At the time, Mark Occhilupo was rapidly becoming his biggest nemesis. He was Australia's best answer to the freak-ish American. Occy boldly proclaimed in the press that he would do anything to "stop these American wankers." He was the perfect yin to Curren's yang: Australian vs. American; goofy vs. regular; brash vs. reserved, and it didn't hurt that they were the two most exciting surfers on tour. Crowds flocked to see them.

Their semifinal clash at Bells in 1986 escalated a Cold War between Australia and America that helped propel the fledgling pro surfing circuit to a new level, which set fire to today's multi-billion dollar global surf industry.

Seven months earlier Curren won his world title at Bells Occy handed Curren a stunning loss at the Op Pro in Huntington Beach in the final. Suddenly, pro surfing had its hero and villain. But who played what role depended entirely on your taste. Naturally, they traded white hats in their respective countries.

Pro surfing has had its share of great rivalries: M.R vs. Cheyne Horan, Kelly vs. Andy even Parko vs. Mick -- but none impacted the larger surfing world like the Curren vs. Occy one. These guys changed surfing forever. And now -- more than ever -- it's a good thing we're celebrating that chapter in our history.

Here's hoping they get some good waves for the rubber match.


Photos of Curren and Occy by ASP/Kirstin

One of surfing's most legendary rivalries will be rekindled once again. American regular foot, and style icon, Tom Curren, will surf another expression session style heat against Australian goofy foot, and power master, Mark Occhilupo. It's all set to go down during the 2010 Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Curren and Occy at Bells decades later, this should be good.

The heat coincides with the 25th anniversary of their legendary battle back when they were both establishing themselves as two of professional surfing's elite. The year was 1985, surfing was in the midst of Australian dominance, but America had been given hope in the form of a stylish young surfer from a land of point breaks. Santa Barbara, CA native, Tom Curren, paddled out at Bells against the future of Australian surfing, Mark Occhilupo, and the rest is history. He surfed "Black Beauty," his black railed Channel Islands surfboard, to victory over Occhilupo. That year, Curren would go on to win his first ASP World Championship Title, which would usher in a period of American dominance in professional surfing.

That was 25 years ago. Kelly Slater was 13 years-old, and his biggest rival, Andy Irons, was 7 years-old. What about Dane Reynolds and Jordy Smith? They weren't even born yet. This is the second time the ASP has brought these two surfers together to relive one of their historic battles. The first being last year at the Billabong Pro Jeffery's Bay. Curren still has that magical bottom turn that he uses to draw perfect lines, and Occy can still throw buckets with those tree trunks he calls legs. Style meets power once again in 2010.

Photo: Tom Curren in their first rematch at last year's Billabong Pro Jeffery's Bay.

Did we see it? Was yesterday's second Semifinal heat between Dane Reynolds and Jordy Smith a preview of things to come? Are they the next Occy/Curren? Or, maybe since they're both regularfooters, Slater/Irons.

Whatever the case the performance of these two third year ASP World Tour surfers is the talk of the surf streets. In their Round 4 heats Reynolds took out 2009 World Tour runner-up and consistent top 5 finisher, Joel Parkinson, and Smith, who had already taken out nine-time World Champion, Kelly Slater, sent Bede Durbidge, a top 5 finisher for the past three years, packing.

Their heat may have been one heat from the Final, but for many in the surf world this was more important. Watching a heat between these two is kind of funny. They made their tour debuts together, they were both in the most progressive surf flick in years, Modern Collective, and they both have the full arsenal when it comes to above the lip antics. One thing's for sure they know what the other is capable of. It's like watching the last two guys in a World Poker Tour event trying to figure out what the other is going to do.

Will they surf somewhat safe like they've been told to by the old guard, or will they throw the rules out the window and just go for it? The later half is what each is afraid of in the other. Smith doesn't want to surf a great heat percentage wise, and then have Reynolds stick two air variations, go vertical three or four times in between, and steal the heat, and the admiration of the new school. And vice-versa.

When the horn sounded it was Smith on top. The two are now tied 1 to 1 as far as ASP World Tour head-to-head match-ups go. This saga is going to be fun to watch. Maybe, one day the surf word will get to witness an Occy/Curren Jeffery's Bay type heat between these two, but at some insane aerial friendly wave (hint hint Rip Curl and your Somewhere contest). Instead of comparing lines drawn, we'll be comparing flight paths. We'll see.