While we're on the Shaun White tip: Here's his appearance on Conan O'Brien. Man, he's been busy.

With a solid NE swell rocking the buoys on the coast of Florida, The king of the peak is on! Choppy Wedges are a normal condition for the King of the peak and the boys will be ready. With some big names of the sport fighting for the title and the unknowns trying to become the known this weekend. With over a 100 entries battling it out for the overall king of the peak title. The king of the peak title is one of most coveted titles on the east coast. Former Title holders include Kelly Slater, CJ Hobgood and many more east coast locals.


Winning the king of the peak wont come easy to anyone though. With a large NE swell forecasted for this weekend conditions will not be favorable. Large wedges will bounce off the jetty creating the famous peak but with 20-25mph winds the uncontrollable chop will make it hard for surfers to line up for the perfect spot. A constant fight against the current and wind will leave most surfers fighting for air. There is no better place to be this weekend on the east coast with over 10,000 dollars in prize and one of the most prestigious titles on the east coast. All eyes will be on the Peak this weekend to see which local boys can defend their break and take home the title.

Make sure you check back next week for Video Highlights.


The famous 1st peak wedge.


Victory at Sea conditions for this weekend.

Photos Courtesy of: Quiksilver http://events.quiksilver.com/event_detail.aspx?evntid=210

Sean Kilgus is one of wakeboardings top videographers and is still changing the way things are done in the industry. Working with the sports top athletes Kilgus is able to produce some of the most influential videos of their time. His latest film DRIVE rivaled most films in quality and cinematography. Kilgus is currently filming a new video with Danny Harf and friends. The video will be documenting the progression of Danny Harf and Friends over the next year. Check out his website for a ton of videos and more info!

Sean Kilgus Interview

PW: Seems like you have been around the sport of wakeboarding forever with a camera in hand? How did you get started shooting?

SK:Haha...It does seem like forever sometimes. I actually started filming in college with some buddies of mine. We were heavy into our snowboarding and rode at a really cool mountain back home called Mt. Baker. There were a lot of good riders and we just wanted to document our riding at the time. We were always building booters and hiking out of bounds. I actually just found a bunch of my old DV tapes from around 2000-2004 of just old snow stuff. Every year after snowboarding was done, I was super excited to wakeboard and I just started meeting people locally like the The Ennen brothers and Danny Bergman up in Bellingham, Wa. The first rider I filmed was Brent Starr. He was the best rider around where I grew up and he was my hero back in the day. It was cool getting to work with him throughout the years in all my videos coming up.

PW: Working with the top athletes in the sport must really help the overall creative process. What’s it been like working with the legends of the sport?

SK:It has definitely been a great experience to work with riders like Danny Harf and others top notch riders like Rusty and Randall. Each one of these athletes has taught me a lot about what is important in their riding styles and have supported my creative growth throughout the years. I have always felt that the cast of riders in my films really shows how I perceive wakeboarding to be. Riders like Benny G and Randall can blow your mind one day and you feel like you just saw history in the making. The next day you go film double ups with Rusty and Danny and you just saw something totally different but just as awesome. I have also been humbled by the same riders and learned a lot about professionalism in this industry. I appreciate the athletes and all that they bring to my projects.

PW: You have shot a ton of videos. What's your most memorable one?

SK:I would say that The Butter Effect has always be the one that is the most memorable. That was the first time I learned how to shoot 16mm film. Gotta give Justin Stephen’s credit for helping learn in the beginning. Talk about patient. Haha. Justin is my hero. At the time of shooting BE, I was really trying to push myself and show the best riding at the time. I know that is the goal with every movie, but that was the first time that I got an opportunity to really push it creatively with the riders. They all got really involved and supported that movie. The Magazines did too. That was the most coverage for a movie I had ever received yet in my career.

PW: Can you tell us about your new DEFY movie based around Danny Harf and Friends?

SK:Danny and I have been kicking around the idea of doing a movie for a number of years. Being a caliber of rider like Danny, he always has a lot of very important projects and responsibilities to uphold every year. So we wanted to wait until we could truly focus and get the movie done right. The Teaser we released this summer was the first step. It turned out really good and I know Danny was pumped to follow through and see where we could take this project. The movie is based solely on progression of wakeboarding. Since Danny is such an innovator, his direction is endless. We basically just want to make a great film that best shows where he is at as a rider and where he sees wakeboarding today. That is why we have the “and Friends” to add to this progression. Our cast is growing and will include; Rusty Malinoski, Benny G, Kevin Henshaw, Shawn Watson, Shane and Parks, all the boys in Ronix for Radar session, the Fox team, and more. I don’t want to give away too much, but Danny and boys have by far surpassed expectations from last year already. Very exciting to see these riders influencing each other every time we film.

PW: You've used the film camera alot compared to most guys shooting everything digital. What makes you want to spend all the extra time, money, and hours working with film?

SK:Ya. That one. Well, its tough these days to justify the expense. When I started filming, I always gauged my abilities and accomplishments off of the great filmmakers before me like Ronn from Sidewayz, Justin Stephens of course, and for sure off of snowboarding films. These guys pushed it made me want to learn how to shoot film so I could earn their respect coming up. I think that it is a necessary skill to learn. You truly learn a lot more about what it takes to get a shot and why you need to think things through before you go the next set. Nowadays it’s not so important to shoot film it seems like. With so many new adapters and cameras out there. I am glad to know that when the time comes to shoot film this year, I know we can get what we are hoping to get.

PW: Your mostly known for shooting wakeboarding. What else have you pointed a camera at?

SK:Snowboarding was my first experience shooting and then into wakeboarding full time. For the past few years I have shot the whole Nautique boats product line and produced their webisodes and product DVD with Ryan Wolfe. I have always produced a ton of product videos for Hyperlite, Ronix, and some work for Body Glove. That has truly been a good eye opener for me as far as expectations and professionalism. I have shot a few local commercials and a lot of product based stuff. Oh ya. Some weddings. That’s the goods…haha

PW: You have any tips for a videographer who is trying to get into shooting action sports?

SK:The best advice I can give is to love what you do. You will always run into road blocks through every step of the way. It’s your ability to move past these tough spots and focus on why you are doing this stuff in the first place. I have a time every year that I call the dark month, where I am just burnt out and need a break and that is exactly what I have to do is go take a break. I find you can come back and have a clear and fresh perspective afterwards.

PW: Where can people see your recent work and keep updated on your progress with DEFY?

SK:I have been putting tons of new stuff on my website.www.bfyproductions.com We have a ton of behind the scenes stuff and teasers. Follow us on Twitter under bfyproductions.com and on Facebook under Sean Kilgus. Also find us on Wakeboarding magazines website and in the issues.

Thanks!

Sean Kilgus

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m getting pretty damn sick of hearing about the Modern Collective. Said to be the surf movie to end all surf movies, the film marks the directorial debut of Kai Neville, a protégé to Taylor Steele, and has garnered just about as much press as Michael Jackson’s death. In the beginning, I was just as psyched as everyone, perhaps more so, on the upcoming release. The world’s best surfers, a new filmmaker set on the avante garde…what’s not to like? But a few months in, I’d heard all I wanted to about the film. It was like eating at a buffet, two hours stuffing your face and you just can’t seem to take anymore in. And I could only imagine how the director felt, fending off a six-month blitzkrieg of media interviews. With that in mind, I decided to give old Kai one final strafe before the film releases later this month to see what gives.

It seems like I can't pick up a surf mag or go to a website without there being something on the Modern Collective lately. As your major debut, does the flood of media attention ever make you wonder if the film is being over-hyped and setting an unrealistic, golden standard for you?

The coverage has been wicked, I started the little blog on our first trip to France and we have generated a unique following. I assume the film will be very different from people’s expectations. The movie is session based so what you see is what you get. No two-minute bang of keepers. It showcases a more candid approach to the way these guys surf. I know people are expecting a lot out of this movie, the pressure is on for me to bring the goods. You can’t appeal to everyone though I’m trying to find an enjoyable medium. I religiously watched surf vids around the age 13-17 so my main focal point is to keep the younger generation psyched to go flair.

What or who do you look to for creative inspiration? I know surfing in the past hasn't been the most progressive of genres, but is there a person or a magazine or cinematographer that makes you reexamine how you do your job?

The audience for sure craves more today and I have been tapping into a few genres and music videos for ideas, taking what I like and trying to apply that technique to a surf film. Also, I draw ideas from design and culture magazines like Wonderland, Wallpaper, Dazed, etc. This style has created a really clean and minimal look to the project. More emphasis on the subject rather than applying wild motion graphics and titles across the screen. I love the look in most features and fashion ads of using small text with extravagant imagery as opposed to covering the page with hideous graphics.

When the last of the editing is done and the film is released, how are you gonna unwind or are you gonna start plugging away at another film?

I’m stoked right now just finished the main edit. About to embark on a wild North American tour! After that I will be ready for a little break to actually go surf and also work on the pre-production for the next movie.

Modern Collective teaser ft: Jordy from Poor Specimen on Vimeo.

Brewce Martin, the madman behind Skatopia has team up with Volcom to bring you a collaborative clothing collection. Skatopia is one of, if not the, craziest skate facilities in the world. I think it was actually named the only thing cool in Ohio by the state's governor. It's out in the middle of nowhere, and is full of sketchy pools and bowls, and just everything hesh. It's a place you go to blow shit up, shoot guns and skate.

The boys behind the Stoneage gear, Volcom's skate line, thought what would be better to associate themselves with than Skatopia? A magical land of concrete and explosions that every true skateboarder should experience at least once. Click here to check it out.

Here's a little video of what Skatopia is:

Last night, we gathered to celebrate the future of surfing. In the heart of HipsterWood CA, most people who attended would have been told to go home and put on more appropriate attire. instead, Le Deux nightclub was bombarded by flannel, sandals, tight jeans, and beanies for a night
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To be more exact, we were there for the primeire of Modern Collective, the newest film by Kai Neville featuring 6 young high performance surfers, Dane Reynolds, Dion Agius, Yadin Nicol, Mitch Coleborn, Dusty Payne and Jordy Smith. This movie is about focusing on state of the art, high performance surfing. It wasn't about perfect hollow barrels and long drawn out point breaks, it was more about pushing the limits on a surfboard.

The greatest thing about this movie was the way in which Kai Neville captured the essence of each of the surfers individuality in the film. It's pretty fair to say these guys each have their own "Uniqueness" about them, which is why the movie was so appealing. This movie was more of an Art Piece than your standard Surf Porn film, the cinematography is going to set a new standard. After the movie I wasn't sure what i was more impressed with, the lifestyle parts or the Surfing?

Speaking of the Surfing, there was plenty of stuff that will make you want to go back and watch it over and over. All of these guy's charge, especially Jordy, he had some air that seemed impossible, especially for a guy his size...




Kai also did something original for this film, they posted on the modern collective blog the ability for people to submit music they think should be in the film. Not sure how many songs they pulled from that, but the music was quality and fit the feel of the film perfectly. The sound of the movie was so important, Skull Candy gave out wireless head phones as you walked in the door to make damn sure you heard the movie...

The way too fancy club actually turned out to be a great place for the premiere, it definitely fit the hipster vibe of flannels and tight pants. In fact I think there were more flannels than women, but it was a great night, all the surfers, especially the Australians enjoyed themselves.

Make sure you get Modern Collective, it comes out next Tuesday...










Check out some VIntage Polaroids by J Fry who actually brought a Polaroid to the Party...

After wrapping an historic event up in Canada, the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series rolled down the coast to Santa Cruz this week, and with a huge swell expected to arrive this weekend the CWC stands a great chance of living up to its billing. But the fervent local fans of Santa Cruz were dealt an early blow on Tuesday when defending champion Nat Young, last year's defending champion and heir to the Santa Cruz throne, lost in a close one yesterday along with Noi Kaulukukui, another Santa Cruz standout.

In early high-tide conditions, Young was defeated in the waning moments of the heat by Granger Larsen and Nathaniel Curren. After going on a serious tear last year, this is the latest in a string of early round knockouts that have pulled Young back to earth. Last month he was knocked out of the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge in Bali Young. It's a string the 18-year-old seems to be keeping taking in stride. On his Facebook page, he posted a humorous little status update summing up his frustration. "Just lost first heat...Stoked."

Things will start heating up as the top seeds get underway. The O'Neill Cold Water Classic has been upgraded to a 6-Star Prime this year, which means it's a mandatory stop for anyone hoping to qualify for the world tour. It's a great place to get a glimpse of what the future of surfing looks like. Stay tuned for much more.

When it comes to style in modern skateboarding there are many names that come to mind, but one in particular is Sewden's own, Ali Boulala. With a name like that how could you not be stylish? Shit, just signing his name is steezy. Ali is the complete package when it comes to creating a cool persona around professional skating ability. While he was skateboarding for a living he was simply put; different. The way in which he skated was like no other, the way in which he dressed was like no other, and the way he acted was like no other.

That brings us to what is so sad about the skate career of Ali Boulala; it was cut short. He is currently incarcerated in Australia after a motorcycle accident that killed his friend and fellow professional skateboarder, Shane Cross. Boulala had a blood alcohol level of .162 at the time of the incident and was found to be responsible for the crash and sentenced to 4 years in prison, even though the Cross family never pressed charges. Boulala was critically injured in the crash and sustained brain injuries that will have life long affects on his motor skills. It was just an all around sad thing that happened on that Australian night two-and-a-half years ago. Ali made a gigantic mistake, and is now paying for it.

His friends in the skateboard community have done a great job of making sure his contributions to the skateboard culture are never forgotten. He hasn't stepped foot on a skateboard in over two years and still managed to have a part in the biggest skate video release of 2009, his long-time board sponsor, Flip's Extremely Sorry. Out of all the brands in skateboarding, Flip was affected by that crash more than any other, by far. They lost two riders, as Cross was one of the deck manufactures best up-and-coming ams. Even though Shane and Ali haven't skated in years, if you go to www.flipskateboards.com, you'll see that both still are listed as team members (with profiles on each), and Boulala still has pro-model decks, and Cross has a limited edition Extremely Sorry deck. Never Forget Shane Cross.

To keep the memory of Boulala alive the guys over at Shake Junt have even released a limited edition Ali Boulala tee shirt that features the one and only Swedish ripper in mid Michael Jackson tip-toe pose. That's the thing with Boulala, he was such a unique character that he will never be forgotten, and this shirt parallels his persona to that of the King of Pop on a skateboard.

Just like Jackson, Boulala combined great talent with a unique sense of style that set him apart from the rest. His get-up could best be described as a modern day gypsy, meets pirate, meets jester. He would combine some of the most outrageous pieces of clothing together perfectly, and that combined with the way he just chose to skate made his video sections some of the most anticipated. Whether it was old Baker videos, or Flip's Sorry trilogy, he would always find some sketchy thing to ollie off of, onto something even sketchier. He would find some ledge that went down an insane amount of stairs, and do the most stylish nose slide down it perfectly, and in some crazy gear to boot. One of his most famous displays of sketchiness, came in Flip's first video Sorry, when he attempted two 25 stair ollies. Not one but two, and the compression his body experiences in the second sends shivers down anyone's spine.

Style in skateboarding is such a subjective thing, but at the same time one of the most important. If you don't have style no one wants to watch you skate. From the way you just push, to how you skate, to the clothes you wear. It all comes into play. One Ali's impacts on skateboarding can be seen in the pants a lot of skateboarders wear now. During his infamous Piss Drunx days he was one of the first to start wearing the super tight pants. He combined them with leather jackets, and punk rock accessories. Then 10 years later you have a guy like Corey Duffel, but Ali did it first. Then, he moved onto his gypsy/pirate/guitar face and that's about the time we lost him.

Ali Boulala was a style master on a skateboard, who threw caution into the wind with every crazy thing he attempted. It was that ultimate risk taking behavior that ended Shane's life, and his own skateboarding career. Everyone makes mistakes, some worse then others, but with this one it's hard not to be mad at Ali. Let's just hope that something positive can come out of this, like someone thinking twice about driving drunk. I would be a lier if I said I've never driven after some drinks, but with events like this on my mind I don't anymore. I hope there more out there like me. Skateboarding lost two very good skateboarders, and two of it's most stylish. NEVER FORGET SHANE CROSS and FREE ALI BOULALA.

Here's Ali's two 25 stair ollies:

With winter just around the corner and for some parts of the US its already in action. Some lucky people still have favorable conditions in the southern states for wakeboarding. But the cold is coming for everyone! Check out the following gear from Jetpilot to stay warm this winter on the boat, on the shore, and on the water.

2010 Jetpilot Vest to keep you afloat.


2010 Jetpilot wetsuit to keep you warm in the water


2010 Jetpilot boardshorts for when you go to cable and everyone makes fun of you for not wearing boardshorts over your wetsuit



2010 Boombox hoody by Jetpilot. Everyone needs a hoody