It is the latest thing to bounce onto our desk in the Coldswell office and apparently it’s this summer’s hottest beach craze. An innovation that is a ball that actually bounces on water!

If you’re looking for some entertainment during those long flat spells between your surf sessions this summer rather than just lounging around in the sun all day the Waboba Ball could be the answer!

You can skip it across the water like a flat stone or bounce it hard and it’ll go high, then catch it and throw it back! Faster than a Frisbee, there’re loads of games you can play with a Waboba Ball that all add to the fun of a day at the beach.

It is made of a squishy polyurethane with a lycra coating, its mix of different materials is the secret to the way it bounces and floats on water and It also comes with instructions on how to play the Waboba game.

shralp! is always trying to give the best user experience and the most easiest access to its free and popular surfing video news shows. The new website http://shralp.com/ gives easy access to features like comments, search or archive. The simple and low-key design draws the attention towards the video. “We wanted to have it straight forward and clean. The website is just a tool to deliver the videos. It has to serve”, says Christian “mee-z” Miessner, who founded shralp! in October 2005. (more…)

The Fat Face Night Surf is coming to Lusty Glaze Beach, Newquay between the 22nd-24th June, and its looking set to be the best event yet!

In conjunction with the BPSA, (UK Pro Surf Tour), The Fat Face Night Surf is now in its eighth year. Following such a great turnout last year, where a ‘one in’, ‘one out’ system had to operate, this year the Saturday Night is being ticketed. Admission will be allowed with a Fat Face Night Surf Wrist Band, which will be available on a first come first served basis from 1st June 2007. It is recommended that these are obtained well in advance from the Fat Face stores in Newquay, Fistral and Truro or from Lusty Glaze Beach.

The Night Series are top events which encourage people to give it a go and compete alongside some of the greatest names in the sports, including, for The Night Surf, Fat Face Team Riders and Newquay locals, Emma Skinner and Chris Thompson, as well as defending champions and UK pro tour riders Alan Stokes and Nicole Morgan. Serious prize money is up for grabs, as well as tons of spot prizes and oodles of Fat Face goodies! (more…)

The Rip Curl Pro Search WCT Chile got underway today in Arica. Under cloudy skies in glassy very consistent 5ft barrels, the best surfers of the world entered the cool water to get on with this third edition of the Search Foster’s ASP World Tour event. After two years of success, Chile offered the “Search” crew a pretty perfect start and some surprises went on straight away.

After his best result of the year in Tahiti last month, Jérémy Flores paddled out confidently, always positive about the experience he can get at each of his heats. Facing longtime top 45 competitor Mick Lowe (Aus) and newcomer Bernardo Miranda (Bra) in the last heat of the day, the youngest surfer on tour knew it would be tough. Big wave lover, Lowe had the conditions to express his style but couldn’t get in the rythm of Arica’s pipeline.
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The Foster’s ASP World Tour is definitely on and our one and only european on tour Jérémy Flores will soon hit Chile for the Rip Curl Search WCT event which will take place in Arica, northern border of the country.

The ninteen-year-old man, 2006 World Qualifying Series Champion, has already prooved all his potential and rise in the three past events, as he currently sits in 9th position on the ratings, with 1742 points. After several big results including his victory over eight-times world champion Kelly Slater in round 4 of the Tahiti Billabong Pro, Jérémy is still learning from some of the best surfers ever, including three times world champion Andy Irons (Haw) and current world leader Mick Fanning (Aus).

Surrounded by the masters of the sport, young Flores will fly from France, where he relaxed after achieveing his best result of the year so far when he reached the quarterfinals in Tahiti, to discover Chile and the much awaited Rip Curl Search WCT event. (more…)

The 28th edition of Soöruz Lacanau Pro, presented by PlayStation takes place from the 9th to the 19th of August, in Lacanau (France-Gironde 33) attracting the best surfers in the world. This important stage of the world surfing championship is a springboard for the new surfing champions, as well as for new musical groups, sharing both the same values of the “Beach Culture”

Since its was created in 1979, the French Pro called for the third consecutive year Soöruz Lacanau Pro gives the opportunity to discover new talents among the surfers coming from all over the world to brave the “girondine” waves. In 1994, Kelly Slater confirms his superiority by taking the first place on the podium before taking the title of world champion the same year.
More recently, it is the turn of the young prodigy Jeremy Flores, to display his talents. Finalist in 2006, he qualifies in Lacanau for the WCT and he is now one of the best world surfers.
As for Adrien Valéro, born in Lacanau, he is well known by eliminating the American surfer Rob Machado. At 19 years old, he is among the best French juniors, whose aim is to challenge the Australian title holder of the OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR : Mitchell Coleborn.

For the third edition of the feminine junior event a new stage has been added to the world circuit, and takes places for the first time in the “girondine” capital of surfing during the Soöruz Lacanau Pro 2007. (more…)

With surfing legend Joel Parkinson making quite an impression in the Billabong Tahiti Pro competition, why not step into a pair of Kustom designed by the man himself.

You might not have the talent like Parko to surf the quarterfinals in Teahupoo but you can certainly step into the shoe of the man who can!

In November 2006, Kustom collaborated with the world championship surfer Joel Parkinson to develop the aptly named ‘Parko’ shoe. The signature surf shoe comes in black, white or black/white/orange – the colours of his beloved Snapper Rocks Board Riders Club on the Gold Coast.

Parkinson’s signature range is not just a renowned surfer putting pen to paper but he is also putting something back into the surf community by donating a percentage of sales to the Kustom – Parko programme.

“If I can give back to surfing through this program and give some kid an opportunity, where they may never have got it, I’ll be stoked!”

Parkinson wants to give promising young surfers, from deprived backgrounds, the opportunity to fulfil their potential by recommending young grommits to the programme committee who, without the funding of the Kustom – Parko programme, may never have had their talent recognised or believed in.

The places that Parko surfs really do leave an imprint in his heart. After taking part in the Tahiti pro, Joel along with Kustom donated $2,000 to the Teahupoo surf club in order to purchase learner surfboards for the local children.

The Rip Curl Girls Tour will once again be providing girls with the opportunity to try surfing for the first time or improve on their surfing skills when the event launches during the Rip Curl Boardmasters (6th – 12th August 07). Girls will be offered half price lessons during the Boardmasters event, before the European Girls Tour moves on to six UK surf locations including Cornwall, Devon, Wales and the South Coast ( Bournemouth/ Brighton) the weekend of 18th and 19th August 07.

The event is exclusively just for girls – offering inspiration and confidence to any girl who wants to try something new or enhance their technique. Rip Curl pro surfer and model, Elise Garrigue, along with a selection of other Rip Curl riders, will be giving fellow surfers hints and tips in addition to the fully qualified instructors taking the lessons.

Tandem surf classes will also be on offer – a completely new element for the 2007 event, providing a unique experience for girls taking part. Health and Yoga workshops, BBQ’s and evening parties will also be available as part of this year’s surf tour.

Rip Curl Girls Tour is open to any age group and lessons cost £25 per two-hour session and £40 for the whole weekend.

Log on to www.RipCurl.com to find your nearest surf school.

Remember the La Jolla spot in Mexico? Rip Curl served up the most spectacular event for the 2006 season there! The 44 WCT surfers simply drooled over the most perfect right-hander ever. Rip Curl are at it again, this time in the Arica region of Chile.

Contrary to most of the events on the pro circuit, the Rip Curl Pro Search WCT hold what is officially called an ASP Floating License, which means that it can set up wherever they want, depending on where the best waves are.

This year, Rip Curl has chosen South America and the Chilean coast to host a stage of Foster’s ASP circuit for the first time. The 4th stage of the Dream Tour will take place between June 20th and July 1st, in the delightful Arica region towards to the north of the country.

Neil Ridgway, Rip Curl’s International Marketing Director, is waiting impatiently for this new edition of the Search to start.

”After last year’s success in Mexico, we’re just can’t wait for June to arrive. These spots represent the spirit of the Search perfectly, the philosophy of the Rip Curl brand – blending the world class performances of the world’s 44 best surfers and one exceptional surf trip. Two years ago, Rip Curl was in St Leu (Reunion Island). Last year, it was Mexico’s turn to show off its perfect waves. In 2007, what can Chile throw at us…”

Rendez-vous LIVE on ripcurl.com to follow the hottest event on the tour from June 20th

The Extreme Academy will host the penultimate – and quite possibly decisive – round of the British Longboard Union series of surfing contests next weekend.

The country’s best longboard surfers will congregate at Watergate Bay on the weekend of 16th and 17th June to compete in the Oxbow Midsummer Classic, the fourth of five events which make up the 2007 BLU series.

With two events already completed and the third round in Jersey to be held the weekend immediately before (9th and 10th June), all eyes will turn to the renowned waves of Watergate Bay. With each surfer’s best three results counting towards the titles, the 2007 BLU Champions are likely to be decided there.

“With so much at stake for so many of the surfers, we anticipate the Oxbow Midsummer Classic will be one of the most compelling contests of the year,” said Will Ashworth, Managing Director of The Hotel and Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay.

“Watergate Bay is the local break for many of the top competitors, including Ben Skinner, Chris Thomson and Ben’s sister Sophie, and it will be fantastic to see them competing on home territory. The sandbanks have been in great shape all spring, and combined with a good swell we could be treated to a classic event.”

Two of the four divisions, the Masters and Juniors, are close to being decided following dominating performances from two surfers. Ben Haworth from North Devon has won both of the junior events so far this year, and a win in either Jersey or Watergate Bay would see him clinch the Junior Championship for a second consecutive year.

Similarly, Chris “Guts” Griffiths has won two events in the Masters division, and needs just one more win to guarantee him another title to add to his bulging trophy cabinet. One of Britain’s most successful competitors, the Swansea surfer won the European Longboard Championships in 1997 and 1999 and has won a dozen Welsh and British titles.

With two second places in two events, Porth’s Sophie Skinner is the most consistent surfer in the Ladies division this year. Marja Van Leuwen from St Agnes and Newquay’s Louise West have each won one event, and the next two events will be critical.

The Open division is also wide open after two events. Elliot Dudley from Wales and Newquay’s Adam Griffiths have each won one contest, with James Parry and Ben Skinner each claiming one second place. Skinner, who came second in the 2006 World Surfing Games, was joint winner of the 2006 Open division with Sennen’s Sam Bleakley.

Also in with a chance of winning the Open division is Masters Champion elect Chris Griffiths, who is the only surfer to have made the final of each event so far.

Gone are the days when flips flops were things you’d buy on your holidays to last you two weeks at most. Flip flops are becoming a more popular choice of footwear in all aspects of life and as such have been getting much more well made. We’ve had some Calafinas sent through to the Coldswell office this week from Merrell that are the highest quality we’ve ever come across. They certainly don’t come cheap at 40 quid a pair but you can see where your money is going. With a full grain leather upper, smooth pig skin lining and cow suede leather footbed your foot really feels like they are having a treat. The sculpted sole is very chunky like you might expect from a Merrell walking boot and contains an air cushion for added cushioning. You’d definitely never feel any stones through these bad boys. However it is the heavy soles that is the downside to these flip flops. Although you might be living in the height of flip flop luxury, if you are planning on doing a lot of walking the weight of the base can put a lot of strain between the toes. And even though they do look good enough to wear to the office, when you slip your foot out, the suede beneath your feet does look quite worn out pretty quickly. Merrell sandals have long been known globally for their comfort, durability and fashionable beach styles and the Calafina are no different. The build quality is second to none and they look fantastic, just don’t plan on wearing them for any long treks or the hefty weight might give you a bout of toe strain!