Bethany Hamilton (HAW) made a great start to her Telstra Drug Aware Pro campaign. PIC ASP/Robertson.

MARGARET RIVER, WA/Australia – South west W.A. is swarming with the world’s best surfers who are in town for the 2012 Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River. The event got underway today starting with the Women’s Round of 60, in blustery 3 foot (1.5 meter) conditions at Surfer’s Point.
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), the 17-year-old from Phillip Island, Victoria, started the day with a convincing heat win. Van Dijk carved up the Margaret River line-up to advance to the Round of 48, where she’ll face Malia Manuel (HAW), Ornella Pellizzari (ARG) and Suelen Naraisa (BRA).

Olamana Eleogram of Hawaii placed 9th in the Burton Toyota Pro in Newcastle Australia. He was the highest placed Men's Hawaiian at the event while fellow Hawaiian Malia Manuel was the highest placed Woman by placing 2nd.

Newcastle's Surfest 2012 comprises two Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6 Star World Tour events - The  Burton Toyota Men's Pro and the  Hunter Ports Women's Classic. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) has won the ASP 6-Star Hunter Ports Women’s Classic over Malia Manuel (HAW) in 2 foot (1 meter) surf at Merewether beach, Newcastle today.

Tao Berman, an extreme kayaker, has claimed a new world record for biggest ocean wave surfed in a kayak. The athlete, who claims three other world records, surfed a 40-foot wave at the Nellscott Reef off the Oregon coast. According to Matador Network, Berman had announced three years ago that he was designing a boat for big-wave surfing and that he would be attempting to set a new world record for the largest ocean wave ever surfed in a kayak. In the video below, Tao gets plowed by a wave at the 3:44 mark.

 

By Jake Howard ESPN Action Sports.. Go HERE for the story.

"I thought the cameras were paparazzi for some celebrity, then I was like, 'Wait a minute,'" McIntosh said.

With a waiting period that has extended for the better part of four months, there was no shortage of worthy contenders: Bruce Irons, Jamie O'Brien, John John Florence and Kelly Slater to name but a few of the finalists. Through all the spray and backwash, McIntosh's bomb at Off The Wall on Dec. 2, 2011, stood the test of time.

Photo: Courtesey Griggi.

Check this ESPN Story By Jon Coen of a talented female photographer.

"Pipeline on an evening swim -- by far one of the most beautiful moments I have experienced from the water. It was glassing off and the colors were perfect. Pipeline is truly an experience, whether you're surfing, shooting or just watching," she says.

Despite the "Blue Crush effect" (that may be waning at the moment) surfing is dominated by X chromosomes. If surf photographers had their own clubhouse, there wouldn't even be a ladies room. And of the lensfolk who paddle into the ocean to shoot, you will rarely ever see a female treading a pair of Churchills at a heavy break.

Jeremy Flores, Teahupoo © ASP/ Kirstin
by Casey Butler at ESPN

World waits while ASP explores Pay-Per-View option

Surf News, 15 March, 2012 : When the ASP released its official 2012 World Tour schedule in November, Fiji's happy return and the memories of last year's Teahupoo and New York City comps promised a riveting season. When we lost New York in December, half of us said good riddance to the so-called "City Tour." A few days later, an upgraded Cold Water Classic at Santa Cruz added some diversity in the form of an iconic and challenging American break. People were ogling the roster, going, "Dayumn, Tour, you look fine. Where you been hiding these past couple of years?

Pro Surfer Garrett McNamara premiered a flick at Surfer, The Bar. He describes what it was like on the monster wave that rode him into record books.
And check this out...he says there's 'Much Bigger Waves" around there but that he cant tell us...(it's cool, just show us the video and photo G Mac! And we'll watch from the safety of our computors.

Thursday March 15 2012: Surfest, Newcastle Australia...Image © ASP/Robertson

Newcastle's Surfest 2012 comprises two Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6 Star World Tour events - The Burton Toyota Men's Pro and the Hunter Ports Women's Classic.

The number one seeds are Taj Burrow (Australia) and Carissa Moore (Hawaii).

Event minisite which includes live vision, scores, results and press releases can be located on the front page of www.aspworldtour.com - top right link to Newcastle events.

Kelly Slater and Simon Dyson : photo courtesy Life...and what a Life he leads...

Surf News, 14 March, 2012 : - - Kelly Slater has revealed an interest in joining the Champions Golf Tour in the United States when he finally hangs up the surfboard. Slater a five-handicapper, joined The Golf Show host Brett Ogle for nine holes while on the Gold Coast for the ASP's Quiksilver Pro.

In an entertaining interview, Slater told Ogle about his experiences at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Alfred Dunhill Links, where last year he partnered eventual winner, Englishman Simon Dyson.

Andrew "Cotty" Cotton (Croyde, South West, United Kingdom) gets towed into a massive wall at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on the last-minute XXL Europe swell. Video by Jamie Russell. An entry in the Ride of the Year category of the 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. For more info see www.BillabongXXL.com.