CONTRIBUTORS

Monday, February 8, 2010 3:52pm PST

A First Look With Fred Gall

By: MORINformed

One of Jersey's finest Fred Gall gets a sneak peak at the newest Thrasher.

Monday, February 8, 2010 12:53pm PST

The Book of John

By: mull

Truth be told, it's about time. We were beginning to worry, really. John Florence (he's just John now by the way) had been a household name among surfers for more than a decade, and beginning in 2010, with a balls-to-the-wall performance at Pipeline and a praise-worthy performance at the Triple Crown, he's truly coming into his own this year. To be blunt, John's becoming a man.

When he first broke into the scene, he was fresh out of diapers and already paddling out in solid Pipe. Not yet striking a double-digit age bracket but still scoring sets, John had the admiration of the media well before Junior High. He graced the glossy pages of surf publications the world over, his blonde hair and tanned face a reflection of the picture perfcet grom. He was destined for great things, and even the likes of Slater touted his praise as "the next big thing."

And then something happened. To be more precise, nothing really happened. Yes, John continued to be in ads and have photos run, but there was something amiss. This Nordic-featured lad was supposed to be akin to the Second Coming of Christ in the surf world. He was ripping, no doubt, but we were left feeling a little empty. That was until about mid-November of this year when John's prowess at crippling Pipeline began to blitz through the coconut wireless. He was back on the radar, dominating flash players on the surf sites across the Internet. And it didn't stop there. Between his showings while in a jersey at Pipe this winter and his freesurfs at Off the Wall, it was like we were looking at a different surfer taking form before our eyes. A more, well, manly surfer. Now 17, John looks and surfs with all of the grit and poise that warrant the reputation of one of the top Hawaiian junior standouts. He's become the surfer we all thought he would be. The surfer we all knew he could become.

But talking to John, you get the feeling that he's oblivious to the hype, immune to the media and their critique and praise.

"I try and ignore the hype and block it out. You have to. Or it won't be fun anymore. You gotta stay humble," said John.

And as for the remainder of the year, what does John have in store? Will he beginning the steps to a taking his rightful seat on the World Tour? Well, yes, sort of.

"My goal is just to surf. Do what I've always done. Yeah, I'm going to do the 'QS, and when I turn 18 next year, that will become a top priority. Which will hopefully lead to the 'CT...but I just want to surf."

Monday, February 8, 2010 12:16pm PST

The Winter Dew Tour: Winners, Injuries, And The Looming Shadow Of The Olympics

By: mountain_girl6

The whirlwind of the 2009-2010 Winter Dew Tour has come to a close after the final event this past weekend at Mount Snow. With a different overall atmosphere and vibe resulting from the timing of the Winter Olympics and the shocking monumental injuries, this competition was an emotional roller coaster surrounded by drama and what seemed to be lack of interest. Many big names were missing from the last stop of the Dew Tour because of a little thing called being on the US Olympic team, so this provided a huge window of opportunity for the rookies to get in the spotlight. Regardless of speculation and which prime time events were being aired simultaneously, the riders didn't let it affect their riding or their attitudes. Who knows if they even noticed? They were there to thrown down, and throw down they did. Here are the final winners in each event:

Men's Freeski Slopestyle - Andreas Hatveit

Men's Freeski Superpipe - Jossi Wells

Men's Snowboard Superpipe - JJ Thomas

Men's Snowboard Slopestyle - Sage Kotsenburg

Women's Snowboard Superpipe - Kaitlyn Farrington

Women's Snowboard Slopestyle - Jamie Anderson

In the men's freeski events, Andreas Hatveit's performance at each stop was mind blowingly consistent and flawless. He was at the top of the podium in Breckenridge and then had a 2nd place finish at Snowbasin and came into the last stop of the Dew Tour tied with Tom Wallisch. This Norwegian Dew Tour newbie took home first place in Vermont along with the title of freeski's Dew Tour champ in slopestyle.

The race for first place in men's freeski superpipe was filled with top dogs like Simon Dumont, Jossi Wells, Xavier Bertoni, and Peter Olenick. After a final balls out, crowd pleasing run from Simon Dumont that landed him in first place at Mount Snow, it was Jossi Wells who ended up with the overall Dew Tour win. This kiwi had nothing to complain about after a stand out season so far that rightfully earned him the championship.

Now for the drama that is men's snowboard superpipe. After the crash of Kevin Pearce that hushed crowds across the nation, Danny Davis' almost perfect journey to the Olympics followed by a spinal injury that took him out for the rest of the reason, and many other top riders missing due to Team USA rules and regulations that restricts them from competing in any event before the Olympics, we begin to wonder, was this year's Dew Tour doomed from the start? In a difficult time, it's hard to focus on an event like the Winter Dew Tour when it seems like there are so many bigger and more crucial things to be worrying about. This year's Dew Tour was fighting for appreciation against the looming shadow of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics along with the fact that the last stop was being aired the same weekend of the NFL Superbowl. Well, I hate to disappoint but the athletes still left in the fight for the championship could care less about Peyton Manning or the Saints, and I believe the energy of the upcoming Olympics and their fallen friends only inspired their riding.

www.allisports.com

Monday, February 8, 2010 9:31am PST

Carrie Underwood's big screen debut set for surfer's inpirational biopic

By: Chris Mauro

A day after singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, Carrie Underwood, the Grammy Award winning singer and former American Idol champion, is readying for her next big career move...a jump to the big screen. Underwood is headed to the North Shore of Oahu, where she'll be playing a key supporting role in a biopic movie based on Hawaiian surfer Bethany Hamilton, the young lady who had her arm severed during a shark attack in 2003 while surfing in Kauai.

The film is called Soul Surfer, and Underwood will be playing Hamilton's longtime friend, Sarah Hill, a youth counselor at Hamilton's church who played a significant role in Hamilton's amazing comeback. The aspiring surf star was just 13-years-old when the incident shattered her dreams...or so she thought.

While the headlines have faded from view Hamilton's story has not. She's become an incredible symbol of perseverance. She got back in the water months after the incident, adapted to her challenge by learning a new set of skills, and went on to win a national surfing title in 2005, bringing many in attendance to tears. Today, 19-year-old Hamilton is living her dream, surfing at the professional level around the world and inspiring people at every stop.

Underwood will be sharing scenes with Anna Sophia Robb, who will play Bethany. Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt will play Tom and Cheri, Hamilton's surfing parents. And Lorraine Nicholson (Jack's daughter) will be playing the role of Alana Blanchard, one of today's most popular female surf stars and great friend of Bethany. Blanchard was in the water with Hamilton on that life-altering day.

Soul Surfer filming is already underway on the North Shore of Oahu, and is due out this summer.

Sunday, February 7, 2010 7:49pm PST

2011 Product Preview: Round 2

By: mike horn

Flow NXT-ATSE

Flow's lightest binding yet gets the full endorsement from Flow rider and U.S. Olympic Team member Scotty Lago. The NXT-ATSE has an aluminum alloy baseplate that's solid yet lightweight, and Flow's signature reclining hiback. It's capped off with the micro-adjustable Powerstrap that distributes pressure evenly over your boot instead of pinching pressure points. Great paint job, too.



Gnu Danny Kass C2BTX

Mervyn Manufacturing's Pete Saari said, "Danny Kass has gone bananas, but wanted to hold hands in the dark with his friend camber." So the crew at Gnu designed Kass a new all terrain freestyle board with a blend of banana and camber, plus Magne-Traction edges for maximum traction in the pipe and on icy park features. The former Olympic medal winner uses this board for everything from park to powder to giant kickers.




DC Judge

You either love the Boa boot lacing system or you hate it. For Boa fans, the DC Judge is a highly-adjustable boot that allows you to make micro-tweaks of both the upper and lower regions of the boot for optimal fit and comfort. It's got a flex rating of seven for all-mountain versatility and a synthetic leather shell splashed with some retro-fluorescent colors for added edge. Available in sizes 7-13.



Arbor Snowboard Highlights

Arbor debuted its "System" technology last year, which is essentially the brand's rocker/grip-tech technology that was developed with a systematic, board-wide approach. It was introduced on the Draft snowboard which ended up winning multiple rider's choice and innovation awards. For 2011, Arbor has taken the System and broken it up into three segments—the Mountain System, the Park System and the Jib System. System tech is now available in five boards, including the four pictured. From the left, the Formula, Westmark, Draft, and women's-specific Cadence.