Twin-engine Gulfstream flyovers will help North American weather forecasting

SNN Surf News, 17 January, 2012 : - - A highly specialized NOAA jet typically used to study hurricanes will fly over the north Pacific Ocean during the next two months gathering data that will enhance winter storm forecasts for the entire North American continent. From its temporary base at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Honolulu, NOAA’s high-altitude, twin-engine Gulfstream IV-SP aircraft will deploy special sensors to collect information where the jet stream and moisture from the ocean interact and breed potentially powerful winter storms that impact North America several days later.

The action sports world is full of passionate athletes who occasionally act irrationally, immaturely, or irresponsibly. There are alter egos and inner demons, disorders and destruction. And they are sometimes accepted because they share a body with superhuman talent and courage.

But among the pinnacle of our sports there exists a few individuals who maintain composure and professionalism even when it is challenged. Let's face it, Kelly Slater is not only a freak on a surfboard, but he has an awareness of the world around him like the president (and a much better approval rating.)

(pictured: Surfer rep, Kieren Perrow says most of the Top 34 surfers are in-favor of the ASP's new Anti-Doping Policy.)

ASP International has initiated a new Anti-Doping Policy for the world’s best surfers which will be activated for 2012 ASP World Title season. “This policy represents a consensus between our surfers, events and administrators in evolving the sport of surfing to a more professional level,” Richard Grellman, ASP Executive Chairman, said.

“The desire to initiate this kind of policy has existed within ASP for several years now and with the approval of resource and budget allocation at the November 2011 Board Meeting, we are pleased to announce its activation. We believe this to be an important further step in enhancing professional surfing.”

The 2012 IBA World Tour will kick off in top fashion mode with the crazy Hawaiian stop with a familiar name in the world bodyboarding scene. The Pipeline Pro 2012 is on the horizon and the rules are set.

The Pipe Pro 2012 will see the best 24 riders of the 2011 Grand Slam Series directly seeded into Round 6. Four wildcards (Spencer Skipper, Paulo Barcellos, Kainoa McGee, Brian Wise) and four "permanent alternates" (Mike Stewart, Diego Cabrera, Adam Morley and Jones Russell) have been announced, too.

Mike Stewart, the best bodyboarder of all time, has taken his first kitesurfing lessons in Gran Canaria, Spain.

The 9-time world bodyboarding champion from Hawaii has hit the water with the support of a local kitesurfing school and showed enough talent to pursuit a future career in the wind riding sport.

Waterman Shane Dorian gives us the insight of daily life as a family man and one of the worlds leading big wave chargers.Look back...in less than a decade Mr Dorian has had several of the most memorable moments in surf charging history.
From the ground breaking barrells deep in the bowels of Teahupoo Tow surfing, to paddling into the largest wave ever at Peahi (which was after his near death on a huge Mavericks beast). But that was after the biggest paddling ever at Waimea with Mark Healey on Dec 7,2009!
Lets not forget also why he's called Back Dorian and how he did on the world tour on small high performance surfing from 1993-2004.

Corky's Blog

For Slater, ‘12 in 2012' worth shouting about

Surf News, 14 January, 2012 :  A constantly asked question in the surfing world these days is "will Kelly Slater go for World Championship number 12 in '12?" This remains to be determined as I understand it.

From what I have heard through the grapefruit vine is that Kelly will compete in the opening event of the new year in the Quiksilver Pro to be held on Australia's Gold Coast from Feb 25 and March 7. The feeling is that it's a "let's see what happens and then go from there" kinda situation.

An interesting side note to this is that the great one will turn 40 years old next month. too. The dude is breaking all kinds of new ground. My personal feeling is that I would like to see him go for one more. I mean, why not? How cool to be so talented that you can stay at the top into your 40s and be able to just be out there on the tour.

By Tim Sakahara

Not to Alarm you but only to Alert you. (also, some language) WAIANAE (HawaiiNewsNow) - For a fisherman it's a great story. Addison Toki got away with his catch and without getting bit by the shark. Plus, he got pictures of a magnificent animal which is a true catch indeed.
It was a close encounter with what Toki says was a 15 foot great white shark. Toki was fishing with boat captain Dominick Gaballo about 5 miles off Yokohama Bay near Kaena Point. He had just pulled a 300 pound marlin into his boat when seconds later he saw the fin.

Reef McIntosh has conquered the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout 2012, held in splendid surfing conditions, in Pipeline, Hawaii. Intense heats were surfed in the famous big wave arena, in eight-foot glassy sets. It was an hard fought victory for the Pipe connoisseur. Bruce Irons, Jamie O'Brien and Marcus Hickman were right behind McIntosh until the last surfed wave.

"I just stopped watching because I thought Jamie, and then John, passed me," McIntosh laughed. "I don't want to ever experience that pressure again."

The 2012 Pyramid Rock Body Surfing Championships
6th Annual Pyramid Rock Bodysurfing Championship at Marine Corps Base Hawaii holding period is January 14 through February 19. Money raised from this event goes to help the wounded warriors.
With a North Swell and South winds expected...we could get underway early and score this year with epic conditions! SNN has the entry form for you right here. Grab your trunks and fins.