Winter is creeping upon us and not everybody lives in Southern California and still surfs in a 3/2 suit (that's me...)

So, I'll try to cover all grounds here...

First, you're going to want proper footwear for sunny SoCal mid say sessions and dawn patrol sessions more North...

You're going to need overly comfortable sandals, like the Sanuk Fur Reals. $34



But it's not always going to be warm, so get some ugg-type sandals as well. Like the Lumberjacks... $60



Unfortunately, we can't be surfing naked everywhere. So we need boardshorts that feel like they don't exist. Hurley Phantoms have been spotted on sale for $80, snag some high-end 120s before they're back up to one hundred.



Not in the water? Well it's Winter so snag some denim to drive to the beach to... Billabong Recyclers. $70



Those Recyclers falling down? Get a Billabong Alliance belt to match. $18



If you live in a really cold area and can't get away with a semi-thick layer, go for the Hurley Peak. $89



If you can get away with something thin though, check out O'Neill's Avalanche flannel... $56



Sunny where you live? That's okay, buy sunglasses. I recommend the Quiksilver J&D shades... $90



It might be so cold you have to cover your beautiful locks with a beanie. O'Neill Ashbury. $18



I tried to scope five tee shirts that you should have to wear before and after your session. Just links though.
RVCA Original ANP tee $27
AMBSN Mazed tee $26
Hurley Almighty Vneck $35
Lost Movement tee $26
The Ryde Peace Pipe tee $24

Now, again, it is Winter. Let's get into some wetsuits... click the links to look at them and buy them...

You live in Southern California, don't mind some cold and want that flex so you go 3/2. Rip Curl Classic. $140

You live in Southern California, but cold shivers your timbers? That's okay, go 4/3. Billabong Revolution. $200

You live in Northern California or the likes, and get ice cream headaches. Go 5/4. O'neill Mutant. $350 but worth it...

There's no denying that Alana Blanchard is easy on the eyes, but having surfed with the Kauai bombshell for the better part of a decade, I can personally attest to the fact that she's been dropping jaws with her prowess in the water long before she became a poster girl. Let's not forget that she's won at Pipeline (yeah, that Pipeline) twice and is more than halfway through her maiden voyage on the CT, with a pair of 9th-place finishes to her name. Recently, I caught up with Alana to get her take on her first year on the CT and being more than just a pretty face in the 21st-century world of women's surfing.

Do you feel that sometimes people look at you like just a pretty face, and forget that you're a very talented surfer? If so, does it bother you?

I never really thought about that until Megan Abubo mentioned it on her blog. My first WCT season has started off on the slow side but there are still five contests to go so hopefully I can get some good results and prove that I deserve to be on the world tour.

Where do you see the women's tour in 2010?
We have Sunset again, and with the new event in New Zealand, 2010 is looking very promising. Hopefully we get Haleiwa again next year as well.

Is there someone alive right now that you look to and say to yourself, "This person has their act together, that's the way to do it."

I think Steph Gilmore seems to really have it together. She keeps her composure whether she's winning or is behind in a heat. She is a really good speaker. She is always smiling and is just a really nice person.

Joel Parkinson is crispy black and smoking about now, and he needs help, because he's been struck by lightning twice in the past two weeks. Somebody needs to yank his ass inside and batten down the hatches--and quickly-- if they want to keep his title hopes alive. Because Mick Fanning, the man behind that lighting storm, is still looming, and right about now it looks like Parko just put a metal driver in his hand as the clouds are growing darker.

Fanning just won again at the Quiksilver Pro in France, defeating his mate Bede Durbidge in the Final with the same laser-sharp attack he's been bringing all year. While early on this season Mick's flashes looked pretty out there on the horizon, they weren't threatening anything or anyone. Up until last week Fanning had gone without a win since 2007, the year he won his title. But after back-to-back direct hits at Trestles and Les Bourdains in the span of a week, he's jolted this season's title race back to life with only three events left to go.

"It's back on for sure," says Fanning. "I'm just phsyced on heading into the rest of the season."

Fanning has pulled away from the rest of those giving chase with his wins, making it a two horse race now. Fanning was trailing Parko by more than 900 points heading into France, he now trails him by a scant 146 points as the tour heads to Spain.

Both CJ Hobgood and Kelly Slater were dealt serious blows today by failing to capitalize on Parko's second-straight early loss. Hobgood lost to Ben Dunn in the fourth round. Slater, meanwhile, made it to the quarterfinals, where Portugal's Tiago Pires--a frequent thorn in his side--defeated him in a close one.


Tiago is one of the only surfers who actually beat Slater last year during his amazing title run. Before his loss today, Slater was cautiously optimistic after Parko's loss on Saturday, "I don't smell blood yet," he said. "I'm still trying to find him in the forest."

Slater looked rattled by the loss. He knows now some clear-cutting will be necessary in Mundaka if he wants to keep his title hopes from fading to total blackness. Both he and CJ Hobgood have had success at Mundaka in the past, but the problem now is they're both chasing two surfers instead of one. The Australians must have a total meltdown for either to get his foot in the door.

In the meantime, Parko and Mick will be trying to slam it on each other.

Things just got a lot more interesting.

Results of Quiksilver Pro France 2009

1. Mick Fanning
2. Bede Durbidge
3. Patrick Beven, Tiago Pires
5. Ben Dunn, Bobby Martinez, Kelly Slater, Taj Burrow

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10 (After Quiksilver Pro France):

1 - Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5896 points

2 - Mick Fanning (AUS) 5750 points

3 - C.J. Hobgood (USA) 4872 points

4 - Bede Durbidge (AUS) 4792 points

5 - Kelly Slater (USA) 4638 points

6 - Adriano de Souza (BRA) 4573 points

7 - Taj Burrow (AUS) 4417 points

8 - Damien Hobgood (USA) 4384 points

9 - Bobby Martinez (USA) 4314 points

10 - Taylor Knox (USA) 4216 points

Both CJ Hobgood and Mick Fanning got back on track over at the Quiksilver pro in France, getting through their Round Two (losers round) heats in dominating fashion. Fanning's was sent to the losers round after an especially close shave in Round One. In that heat, all three competitors ended up within a one point range, but Fanning was stuck right in the middle between Kekoa Bacalso of Hawaii, who finished thrid, and Wild Card Patrick Beven of France, who won that heat.

Hobgood was still rattled by his board swiping incident during Round One, but has apparently shaken it off, having secured an alternate board. The alternate was a board he gave and signed for the guys at Euro Glass last year. Given his crisis, they were cool with him borrowing it off the wall.

Damien Hobgood ripping his way straight into Round Three during his first heat at the Quik Pro in France. CJ had a tougher time working his way to Round Three after his boards were stolen. Apparently, he had a tough time finding somebody who who's similar in size, weight, and surfing ability who rides similar boards...hmm. Photo: ASP/Scholtz via Getty Images.

Hobgood had a close one against Alain Riou of Tahiti, but came out ahead. While Fanning dusted Gabriel Villaran in his second round heat. There was a big upset though, with Adriano de Souza finally getting shot down early by a pumped up Phillip MacDaonald. Macca looked solid in the punchy beachbreak, as he usually does when there's some juice flowing.

Notable survivors of Round Two include Bobby Martinez, Fred Patacchia and Bede Durbidge. But both Timmy Reyes and Chris Ward were eliminated. The event is on hold today.

Round Three Match Ups:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Nic Muscroft (AUS)

Heat 2: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)

Heat 3: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)

Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)

Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Greg Emslie (ZAF)

Heat 6: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)

Heat 7: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)

Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Patrick Beven (FRA)

Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)

Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)

Heat 11: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)

Heat 12: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)

Heat 13: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)

Heat 14: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)

Heat 15: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)

Heat 16: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Chris Davidson (AUS)

At 18 years old, Alex Smith is standing at a crossroads in his surfing career. Behind him, a mess of NSSA victories, photo spreads, and a passport littered with the stamps of far-flung locales mark his amateur career. Outstretched before him is the path of a professional career that looks like forty miles of bad road, a trail littered with the broken dreams and dismantled aspirations of those that came--and failed--before him. It's never an easy choice to make, stepping out from the farm into the city, but it's one that Alex has his heart set upon. Recently, we sat down with the Hawaiian phenom to find out what makes him tick and how he copes with debuting to the Big Leagues.

First off, let's talk about Ben Aipa. I know he's been a mentor and coach for you for some time. Can you talk about what your relationships like with him?

We have a real good relationship and I've known him since I was 12. He's pretty much been with me the whole time I've been surfing. I definitely wouldn't be as far as I am without him. He's pretty much almost part of the family. It's not the awkward feeling of hanging out with a coach at all, it's just like hanging out with him as friend. I'm real lucky to have him in my life.

As an upstart, it's no secret that you have to circumnavigate the globe to keep your career in gear. How many times a year would you say you get on a plane?


It's way too many to count. Flying on planes is a part of life and I don't really mind it. Normally I just throw on the iPod and read a book...that will pass 11 hours in no time. All the long international trips end up being a blur; I can't even remember my last plane flight to be honest.

It's hard to turn on the TV or have a conversation with anyone without the word "recession" popping up. Has this whole economic mess affected you at all, as a surfer?

I think it affects everyone a little. Less contests, less sponsors, less trips, less money, more board fees, more rules, more pressure to blow up. But I'm sure we'll all make it through it just fine. But the whole thing is just too negative.

Home school. Are you for or against it?

I did home school for most of my high school. It's great when I was doing it, but when I look back now I wish I went to a high school for the social scene. I was lucky my mom made me do all my shit or I would have done nothing. You can't expect a 16-year-old kid to sit in his house and do work by himself. There's just too much temptation. But I would send my own kids to a regular school to answer the question. It's important to be smart and educated.

Being from Kauai and having Andy and Bruce Irons as local icons, does is it ever get to you and your brother Koa when people compare you to Andy and Bruce?

No it wouldn't annoy us. They've been our favorite surfers since we started surfing. Raw Irons was my first surf video, I could watch that shit all day.

Can you talk about the music in surf videos. It seems like the soundtracks have really changed a lot in the past few years.

I guess it's all a matter of opinion as to what makes a good soundtrack. My itunes is about 80% electric-techno-popish music right now. I definitely like watching surfing to that kind of "new wave" music with edgy editing. The Modern Collective movie sounds cool, I read there's gonna be a wide variety of music. The carelessness and randomness of Volcom's new movie, BS, is sick. But it's more about the surfing than the music.