The ASP may be in some organizational turmoil, but you wouldn't know it judging by the solid race for this year's world title, which moves to the beachbreaks of Hossegor, France, this week for the Quiksilver Pro. History tells us we can expect anything from two-week flat spells, to massive 10-foot bombs in the Bay of Biscay. France is the place where surfers simply have to be prepared for anything...



When the elements do come together in France, it quickly becomes one of the exciting events on tour. Who could forget 2004, the year Andy and Bruce Irons squared off in a classic final showdown in 8- to 10-foot surf. Or the numerous times Mick Fanning has emerged from French tubes to claim victory. And then there was last year, when rookie Gabriel Medina, surfing in just his second event as a member of the ASP's Top 32, ripped his way to victory with a his mind-bending aerial attack.

Historically, however, nobody impacted this event more than Andy Irons, whose incredible versatility made him the perfect match for France's fickle conditions. Irons' legacy of domination is still the one that looms largest at the Quicksilver Pro, where he made four straight finals between 2002 and 2005, winning three in a row after coming up short in 2002. As we approach the Quik Pro and the second anniversary of Irons' death, his memorable performances are one more reminder of why he's so dearly missed.

Unless you've been stranded on an island for a few years, you've undoubtedly seen footage of those brave souls who jump off mountains in wingsuits and dare to fly, at speeds well over 100 mph, just feet from the ground. Man's quest for flight is getting that much closer to reality with each improvement in wingsuit design. And while you've undoubtedly seen some incredible footage, this short eight-minute movie about where leaders have progressed the "sport" will still leave you breathless.

Multiple camera angles allow the viewer to follow world champion flyer Espen Fadnes of Norway from a variety of heart-pounding perspectives. Whether we're staring off the edge of the cliff, taking his initial straight-down plunge, or just buzzing the rock outcroppings, canyon walls, tree tops, hiking trails---even a gondola filled with tourists---it's one heck of a descent.

Capturing the remarkable speeds being reached by these daredevils is one of this film's biggest accomplishments, yet we also get a better look at what goes into each jump. As Fadnes points out, 99.9 percent of his jumping trips are about preparation. Not surprisingly, a huge part of that ritual is repeatedly reaching for his parachute deployment handle just to verify it's there.

Because of the fear factor, wingsuit flying ultimately requires the suppression of human instincts. When everything in Fadnes' body is telling him to get away from the cliff edge, he must quiet his mind, and forget both past and future, before leaping into what he calls "the now."

"It comes so naturally, steering your body through the air," Fadnes says in the video. "It almost makes me believe at some point humans can fly."

And thanks to those advances in wingsuit technology, and the skills of those flying them, that's exactly what Fadnes is doing. Of course, he's not exactly climbing in altitude, and his flight times are pretty darn short. Though his latest trip took nearly six days, he made only seven jumps, each one lasting a little over a minute. "The actual exercise is just a split of a second," he says, "which probably says a lot about how fun it is."

Editor's note:Kelly Slater clinched his 50th ASP World Tour win Thursday by beating number 2 ranked Australian Joel Parkinson in the final. Slater defeated number 1 ranked Mick Fanning in the semifinal. The win lifted Slater to the number 3, just ahead of rookie John John Florence of Hawaii.

In sports, like life, progressive leaps rarely come at a steady pace. They comes in spurts---or rather---waves, like the huge wave rolling through the world of pro surfing right now thanks to a dynamic crop of teenage rookies who are smashing the barriers of aerial surfing with added amplitude, reverse rotations, and a variety of landing techniques. By pushing the degree of difficulty through the roof with their newfangled acrobatic aerials, they're forcing veterans like 11-time world champion Kelly Slater to adapt, or die. That's certainly been the case at this week's Hurley Pro taking place at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.

Two of today's brightest young aerial stars are 19-year-old Hawaiian John John Florence, and 18-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Medina. Both have made an immediate impact since qualifying for the ASP World Tour midway through last season, and a big reason why is their incredible bag of acrobatic moves.

Medina's aerial assault helped him become the fastest surfer to nab two ASP World Tour wins. He earned both victories in a span of four events, and he sailed past Slater more than once along the way.

One month later, Florence became the youngest surfer to win the prestigious Vans Triple Crown in Hawaii. He hasn't slowed since. Halfway through the 2012 season Florence is already ranked third in the world, one slot ahead of Slater, which puts the rookie squarely in the race for this year's world title.

The last time a rookie was in the running for an ASP world title was 1992, way back when guys like Magic, Jordan, and Bird were part of the Olympic Dream Team and Bill Clinton was campaigning for president. That was the year Florence was born. And that was the year Slater, as a 20-year-old rookie, clinched the first of his 11 world titles at Pipeline, right in baby John John's backyard.

That Slater has been able to fend off numerous waves of rookies in the two decades since then is one of the most remarkable feats in sports. What's especially impressive is his ability to adapt, and learn the new moves being brought to the forefront.

This year, a 40-year -old Slater will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his first world title by trying to capture his 12th. And this week, Slater is vying for ASP World Tour win number 50 at Lower Trestles, the same hallowed surf break where he won his first pro contest back in 1990. He's also vying for his third-straight Hurley Pro title, having already clinched five of them since 2002.

Make no mistake, no athlete has dominated a discipline longer than Slater. Period. That's why he's entered the world's greatest athlete conversation.

But Slater will be the first to tell you he's got his back against the wall this year. While the rookies are constant threats, they've also raised the game of the more pliable veterans, including Aussies Joel Parkinson and two-time world champion Mick Fanning, who are blending the best of the old and new in their approaches.

With more than 20 years separating rookies and veterans on tour the variety of surfing approaches is as diverse as ever, making for one heck of a world title race and some very creative high performance surfing.

Photos: (Top to bottom) 18-year-old Gabriel Medina is the youngest surfer on the ASP tour, but his impact has been immediate and dramatic, much to the delight of surfing fans who hike one mile into San Onofre State park to watch the world's best surfers perform at Lower Trestles. Of course, nobody draws more fans than 11-time world champion Kelly Slater.

In sports, like life, progressive leaps rarely come at a steady pace. They comes in spurts---or rather---waves, like the huge wave rolling through the world of pro surfing right now thanks to a dynamic crop of teenage rookies who are smashing the barriers of aerial surfing with added amplitude, reverse rotations, and a variety of landing techniques. By pushing the degree of difficulty through the roof with their newfangled acrobatic aerials, they're forcing veterans like 11-time world champion Kelly Slater to adapt, or die. That's certainly been the case at this week's Hurley Pro taking place at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.

Two of today's brightest young aerial stars are 19-year-old Hawaiian John John Florence, and 18-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Medina. Both have made an immediate impact since qualifying for the ASP World Tour midway through last season, and a big reason why is their incredible bag of acrobatic moves.

Medina's aerial assault helped him become the fastest surfer to nab two ASP World Tour wins. He earned both victories in a span of four events, and he sailed past Slater more than once along the way.

One month later, Florence became the youngest surfer to win the prestigious Vans Triple Crown in Hawaii. He hasn't slowed since. Halfway through the 2012 season Florence is already ranked third in the world, one slot ahead of Slater, which puts the rookie squarely in the race for this year's world title.

The last time a rookie was in the running for an ASP world title was 1992, way back when guys like Magic, Jordan, and Bird were part of the Olympic Dream Team and Bill Clinton was campaigning for president. That was the year Florence was born. And that was the year Slater, as a 20-year-old rookie, clinched the first of his 11 world titles at Pipeline, right in baby John John's backyard.

That Slater has been able to fend off numerous waves of rookies in the two decades since then is one of the most remarkable feats in sports. What's especially impressive is his ability to adapt, and learn the new moves being brought to the forefront.

This year, a 40-year -old Slater will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his first world title by trying to capture his 12th. And this week, Slater is vying for ASP World Tour win number 50 at Lower Trestles, the same hallowed surf break where he won his first pro contest back in 1990. He's also vying for his third-straight Hurley Pro title, having already clinched five of them since 2002.

Make no mistake, no athlete has dominated a discipline longer than Slater. Period. That's why he's entered the world's greatest athlete conversation.

But Slater will be the first to tell you he's got his back against the wall this year. While the rookies are constant threats, they've also raised the game of the more pliable veterans, including Aussies Joel Parkinson and two-time world champion Mick Fanning, who are blending the best of the old and new in their approaches.

With more than 20 years separating rookies and veterans on tour the variety of surfing approaches is as diverse as ever, making for one heck of a world title race and some very creative high performance surfing.

Editor's Note: Kelly Slater clinched his third-straight Hurley Pro on Thursday, defeating Australian Joel Parkinson in the final. In the semifinal he beat current world tour leader Mick Fanning, making this year's world title race even closer.

Photos: (Top to bottom) 18-year-old Gabriel Medina is the youngest surfer on the ASP tour, but his impact has been immediate and dramatic, much to the delight of surfing fans who hike one mile into San Onofre State park to watch the world's best surfers perform at Lower Trestles. Of course, nobody draws more fans than 11-time world champion Kelly Slater.

For surfers, there's nothing worse than spotting a large gray figure swimming underneath you. In that brief moment where the brain tries to process the information, the body can go into shock, which is downright debilitating.

Rookie pro Kolohe Andino had a tough second-round match at the Hurley Pro, and then he had the real locals he had to contend with. Both Andino and fans watching got a good scare when this surfing fan got a little too close.

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Pro surfer Kolohe Andino's moment of panic came smack dab in the middle of his Round Two heat Tuesday at the Hurley Pro, as he spotted something underneath him just as he was taking off on a wave at Lower Trestles.

With thousands of people watching, Andino wasn't the only one who spotted it. Fans on the beach and judges in the scoring tower saw even more of the big gray lurker than Andino did, and debate as to what it was was rampant.

"Was that a dolphin? Or a shark?"

Those pushing the shark argument noted that the dorsal fin looked a little too straight to be a dolphin, and that it was swimming alone, which is way more typical of a shark. Meanwhile, those arguing dolphin pointed to the whole pod of them frolicking in the surf at a neighboring break in the San Onofre State Park earlier that morning. They also pointed to the tail that looked more horizontal, a sure sign of a dolphin.

[RELATED: Kelly Slater wins his 50th ASP World Tour event at the Hurley Pro]

Indeed, dolphins are the true local surfers at Trestles. They've been riding waves off the cobblestone point there for many millennia. On the flip side, white sharks are also regular visitors to the San Onofre stretch of coast. In fact, stand up paddlers that frequent nearby breaks have even started naming the regulars, including their favorite "Fluffy," who they insist is a frequent visitor.

Fortunately, Andino was able to complete his ride unscathed. Unfortunately, he didn't make it out of his heat. He also never got a definitive answer as to what it was swimming beneath him while on the beach.

If it's any consolation, those same paddlers claim it didn't look like Fluffy, and when we sent the photograph above to American Cetacean Society researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger, she was quite certain it's a bottlenose dolphin based on what she believes is a single falcate dorsal fin.

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