Recently the Ryan Sheckler foundation held their annual fundraiser event at the Lake Forest Skatepark to benefit the A Skate Organization. The A Skate Organization supports children with Autism with skateboarding equipment and lessons to help give their participants the best skateboarding experience possible. A who's who of pro riders and industry were on hand to support the event. The festivities for the day consisted of a bowl jam, a street session and a cross country race. The winners of each event were awarded money to donate towards the A Skate Organization. At the end of the day over $50'000 dollars was raised for the A Skate Organization. Thanks to all the skaters and sponsors who cam out to support a great cause!

Recently the nations largest exchange post opened up on base at Camp Penelton in Oceanside California and world champion Ocean Current team rider and long time Oceanside resident Taylor Jensen was on hand for the grand opening of the new 150 thousand square foot facility. The new exchange post is incredible and the folks there at Camp Penelton threw a proper celebration by hosting several of the top action sports brands carried there on base for a huge parking lot celebration. Taylor Jensen flew all the way in from Australia for the event and signed hundreds of poster for the surf stoked residents there on base. Camp Penelton's Del Mar Beach is renowned for it's hollow beach break barrels, the marines stationed there are lucky to have a world class beach break to surf and now with the nations largest exchange post open on base they have all the best surf gear from brands like Ocean Current at their finger tips. Our hat's are off to all the marines stationed at Camp Penelton and to all of our U.S. troops who make it all possible for Americans to live and surf freely!

Blue Tile Obsessions recently blogged about Ocean Current team rider Austin Poynter!

http://ozzieausband.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/austin-poynter/

Austin Poynter was recently featured in a interview in Poweredge Magazine, follow the link to read further into this young vert prodigy and learn what makes him tick.

http://poweredgemagazine.com/?videos=austin-poynter

Recently Ocean Current team rider Austin Poynter participated in a skate demo for the Children Mending Hearts Foundation which is dedicated to empowering disadvantaged youth through education and arts programs. Their goal is to directly engage the youth of America in global children's causes where they can positively impact the life of another child. Austin is great young roll model for aspiring youth to challenge them selfs and follow their their dreams. Professional skaters Chad Bartie, Mimi Knoop and legends Mike McGill and Dave Duncan also came out to support the cause and represent skateboarding in a positive aspect.

Words by Pacific Long Boarder Magazine

CURL CURL MALJAM PRIMED FOR A CRACKER DAY
Monday, 9 April 2012

The organizers of the 2012 Maljam have been overwhelmed by the response from competitors who have filled the event to be held on the 28th of April at Curl Curl Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

The Maljam had its inaugural launch in 2011 and the one day pro format proved to be a hit with all involved. The Maljam still claims the title of the richest one day event on the longboard calendar with $12,000 ups for grabs across six divisions.

This year will highlight the clash between a host of local surfers and some of the best pro surfers in the longboard world. The likes of Laurence Harkness , Christian Pimm and Jason Livingston will take on the reigning world champion Taylor Jensen, current Australian Champion Josh constable, former World Title holder Harley Ingelby, Hawaiian hot shot Ned Snow, top performer Jared Neal and the Sunshine Coast’s Dane Wilson – This is going to be a veritable Clash of the Titans.

Taylor Jensen clinched the ASP World Longboard Title in November 2011 in Andora in Italy and is highly regarded by his peers and followers as a true champion and icon for the sport of longboard surfing. A near perfect performance at New Zealand’s Sandy Bay Event, in February, saw him take the honors with a 17.35 out of 20 in the final. Taylor then went on to eclipse former World Title holder, Harley Ingelby at the Australian Longboard surfing Open held KIngscliffe in late March. It is with these performances under his belt that he comes to Curly’s Maljam to take on the crème de la crème of the local and Australian exponents of the longboard art.

The Maljam will also host some of the hottest single-fin riders on the planet with the above mentioned crew joined by local and interstate surfers of the caliber of Longreef’s Matt Chojnacki, Sunshine Coast’s Harrison Roach, the inimitable Isaac Fields and rising star Kai Ellice – Flint. This retro based event is in exponential growth phase and the riders take to the water on “logs” that emulate the design and characteristics of the first foam boards that adorned the 1960s.

The remaining Divisions include and Over 35s where Curly champ Sean Dry will defend his 2011 Title, the Over 50s where Manly’s Paul O’Grady will attempt to win two in a row, the Under 21s will be contested by local Tom Leach and last year’s runner up Kai Ellice Flint.

A unique highlight of the day will be a demonstration by local legends on original and reproduction boards from the 1950s called “toothpicks” and “okanuis”.

In addition to the above surfing extravaganza there will be an ice breaking attempt by former world record holder and martial arts doyen, Tim Riley, who is also the major sponsor through his 4 Elements Coaching Academy. Trade stalls will display the latest surfing equipment and fashion whilst the food tent will supply a wide range of popular and exotic gastronomical delights.

We look forward to you joining us on the last Saturday in April to indulge some of the finest surfing and atmosphere on the 2012 Longboard Surfing calendar.
- Phil Nicol – President, North Curl Curl Longboard Club

words by aspworldtour.com

KINGSCLIFF/NSW/AUS (Sunday, 25th March, 2012) – Current World Champion Taylor Jensen (California, USA) has held off a late charge by former World Champion Harley Ingleby (Emerald Waters, NSW) to win the Australian Longboard Surfing Open presented by Surftech.

The prestigious event at Kingscliff in northern NSW featured both men’s and women’s Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) divisions with $20,000 total prize money.

In shifting 1-2ft (.5 metre) swell, Jensen took the men’s final on the back of two early high scores while in the women’s final local favourite Chelsea Williams (Tweed Heads, NSW) had the highest single wave score of the heat to edge out Jennifer Smith (California, USA) after both surfers finished on 13.87.

In tricky conditions on the incoming tide, Jensen (16.26) locked in an early 7.43 and backed it up with the final’s highest single wave score of 8.83 with 15 minutes remaining to finish ahead of Ingleby (15.04), Nic Jones (Buderim, QLD, 10.10) and Dane Wilson (Coolum Beach, QLD, 9.27). Ingleby scored an 8.27 with 10 minutes remaining, but it wasn’t enough with Jensen holding on for the win.

“You had to go for anything that looked like it might wall up and that first one walled up on the inside for me and halfway through the heat I could see that second one would wall up so I was happy to get those two in,” Jensen said.

“But I wanted to put a better heat score together to feel a bit safer as Harley has come back against me before late in the heat and locked in a winning score so I would have liked a better back-up.

“I was confident nothing was going to come through and offer the mid-8 score he needed on the inside so I sat out back to make sure if the bomb came through I had it protected.”

KINGSCLIFF/NSW (Monday, 19th March 2012) - Meet Australia’s top longboarders. They’ll be hanging 10 in this week’s Australian Longboard Surfing Open presented by Surftech.

To be held at Kingscliff from the 21st-25th March, the prestigious longboard event will feature both men’s and women’s Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) divisions with $20,000 total prize money as well as a noserider specialty event, retro boards, amateur divisions, SUP surfing and racing, and coaching clinics.

The Green Aussie Cleaner ASP LQS Men’s division will be spearheaded by current ASP Men’s World Longboard champion and 2011 event champion Taylor Jensen (USA). He’ll be joined by an all-star cast of longboarders including 2009 ASP Men’s World Longboard champion Harley Ingleby (NSW), 2006 ASP Men’s World Longboard champion and six times Australian champion Josh Constable (Qld), as well as Jackson Close (QLD), Mitch Surman (QLD), Thomas Kibblewhite (NZL), Jared Neal (AUS) and Dane Pioli (NSW).

In the women’s LQS division, expect to see the winner of the inaugural pro event in China, Chelsea Williams (NSW) together with 2010 ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion Jen Smith (USA) and a host of other internationals from Hawaii, California, Canada and France.

And, the forecast looks promising for competitors with a new round of mid period east groundswell expected to arrive across the Tweed Coast on Wednesday, originating from the same high pressure ridge spanning the north-eastern Tasman.

Event Director Sean McKeown is expecting the event to go to a new level of fun and entertainment in 2012.

“With so many world rated surfers we are looking forward to five days of great surfing across not only the ASP Pro divisions but the speciality divisions like the noserider, retro boards, stand up paddle and old mals as well.”

“On the land we have heaps of activities to keep everyone entertained as well.”

The Australian Longboard Surfing Open will also host lifestyle stalls, surf vehicle show & shine, music, movies, bikini parade and for the first time ever a seafood cooking demonstration by Eoin Shoemark head chef from the award winning Fins Restaurant at Salt.

For all event updates please visit – http://www.australianlongboardopen.com/

About Australian Longboard Surfing Open: The Australian Longboard Surfing Open the 2012 event will be staged from 21st – 25th March at Kingscliff NSW Australia. It is set to take Australian Longboard Surfing to a new level of fun and entertainment with ASP LQS Men’s & Women’s divisions, a noserider event, SUP Surfing & Racing and amateur surfing divisions. On the land there will be a music festival, lifestyle market stalls, art, cooking demonstrations and movies.

*Taken from www.aspworldtour.com

Double is stoked, cruising in Florida getting ready for the Florida Bowl Riders Cup this weekend.

For all your Floridians! Team rider Aaron Astorga (AKA - Double) will be skating at the event this month. Make sure to stop over and say what up to Double! For more info on the vent please go to: www.bowlriderscup.com

Check out team rider Taylor Jensen in some crispy editorial in ALB Magazine.

IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge
Event 1 of 8, Mens Grand Slam Series
Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
Feb 15-24th, 2012
ibaworldtour.com

Friday, 17th February 2012, Ehukai Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii -Jeff Hubbard (Honolulu, HAW) has taken out the 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge for the fourth time. Defeating fellow Hawaiian and 11 times Pipe Champion, Mike Stewart in second place, Dave Winchester (Mullumbimby, AUS) in third and 21 year old Sam Bennet from Port Macquarie, Australia in fourth. The flawless 6-8 foot Pipe and Backdoor waves made for one of the highest scoring finals in the history of the IBA.

Hubbard posted a total heat score of 18.65, placing a strangle hold on the remaining finalists as all of them needed a combination of scores to overtake him. In the opening minutes of the final, Hubbard launched the biggest Air-Roll-Spin of the event, for which the judges rewarded him with a massive 9.0 out of a possible 10, confirming that the three time Pipeline Champ is worthy of another win at home. Although the other finalists had posted two scores each, in the excellent range (8.0 or higher), Hubbards final wave sealed the deal for him. Splitting the peak with good friend Mike Stewart, Hubbard chose to go right, taking on the notoriously dangerous and unpredictable Backdoor section, as Stewart scooped into a flawless Pipe bomb. Stewart was rewarded with an 8.15 for a long and deep tube ride, pushing him into second place, when moments later the judges gave Hubbard with a 9.65 after he miraculously exited a near impossible barrel at Backdoor with a roll.
Dropping off the IBA Grand Slam Series (GSS) last year, Stewart will need to back up results like this one on the 2012 GQS (Global Qualifying Series) if he is to regain a spot on the 2013 GSS.

Combined, Mike Stewart and Jeff Hubbard have claimed 15 Pipeline Titles and 11 World Titles together.
Although Winchester and Bennet both put on stand out performances, their impressive heat totals of 16.5 and 16.25 respectively was not enough to overtake Stewart or Hubbard.

Winchester has been a World Title contender for several years now and thanks to this third place result has a good start to what is looking to be a momentous year on the IBA GSS tour.

The 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge is Bennets first event as a Top 24 IBA GSS competitor. Although only 21 years old, the young Australian has put on a show-stopping performance throughout the event and is looking like a potential 2012 IBA World Title contender.

Ladies and DK will resume on Saturday 8am Honolulu time.

Jeff Hubbard is the 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge champion. The Hawaii won the event in flawless 6-8ft barrelling waves, in what people are calling the best Pipe event in 15 years.