From the blog

Metal Mulisha Storms Hawaii

Posted by Kacee ON September 1, 2010 • EventsMotoComment

Hawaii

Our Brand of the Month Metal Mulisha is loading up the bikes and heading out to Honolulu, Hawaii! Locomoto-X is hosting one hell of a event and Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Ryan Hagy, Jimmy Hill and Ronnie Faisst are ready to hit ramp-to-ramp for all of our Hawaii fans at the Blaisdell Arena! Come check out one of the biggest freestyle motocross shows Hawaii has ever had on Sunday, September 05, 2010 03:00 PM – 11:00 AM!

Taka Higashino

Cruise out for Monday fun day with the team! We will be heading out to No Fear at the Winward Mall in Kaneohe at 12:00 noon! Come on down and check out the store, get some autographs, hang out with the riders and have a fun time! Check out the times and dates below and do not miss out on any of these events!

Sunday, September 05, 2010 03:00 PM – 11:00 AM
Neal S. Blaisdell Arena
777 Ward Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96814
USA
Phone: 808-591-2211

Cost:
Event Pass prior to 5pm $4.00
Event Pass after to 5pm $5.00
In/Out Rate $6.00
Daily Non-Event $5.00
VIP Parking available for select events – $20.00

Elite VIP Parking:
VIP Parking is open for ticket holders only, subject to availability
Select Blaisdell Arena events – enter off of Ward Ave., South (Makai) of Box Office
Select Concert Hall and Exhibition events – enter off of Ward Ave. between Exhibition Hall and Concert Hall
Note: No left turn permitted on Ward Ave. into driveways
Hours of Operation – 1 hour prior to event until end of event time
VIP Parking Customer Service:
For Elite VIP Parking purchased through Ticketmaster call customer service at 1-877-750-4400

King Street Enterance:
This is the main entrance to the Blaisdell Parking Lot.
The gate opens at 5:30 a.m., Monday through Saturday. The gate closes at 6:00 p.m. on all evenings with no event scheduled. The gate closes 45 minutes after the last event is completed. On Sundays and Holidays, gate operation is determined by events.

Monday, September 06, 2010
12:00PM Noon
No Fear, Windward Mall
46-056 Kamehameha Hwy #L4
Kaneohe, HI
Phone: 808-235-7546‎

Monday Funday: Tahiti Pro Stickers

Posted by Kacee ON August 23, 2010 • EventsSurf39 Comments

Every Monday we like to hook you up with free stickers! This week in honor of the kick off to the Billabong Tahiti Pro (August 23- September 3) we are giving out some classic Billabong stickers.

To win some stickers all you have to do is send in a question you have for Vainui our resident blogger from Tahiti. This can be a question you might have in regards to the upcoming Billabong Pro, or even a question you might have about Tahiti. Vainui will be answering the best 25 questions in next weeks Monday blog (so try and get em in by this Friday!).

Also, check out her most recent blog from the Von Zipper Trials that took place last week >>The Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials

>>Free Shipping to U.S. residents only. Best 25 questions win sticker packs and their questions will be answered!

The Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials

Posted by Vainui ON August 23, 2010 • EventsSurfVideo1 Comment

It’s that time of year again, when the pros of the world, local contestants and free surfers all gather together at the end of the road, in the little village of Teahupo’o. The name Teahupo’o coming from a long history of bloody battles that took place in this part of the island during the pre-European era (meaning wall of skulls). For the 10th consecutive year, the entire surfing industry comes together and turns towards Tahiti and it’s infamous wave for the Billabong Pro, Tahiti (August 23rd-September 3rd).

If the Billabong Pro Tahiti is the reason behind all this hype, there’s another surfing battle that most people wait for every year: the Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials, offering the winner and the best Tahitian surfer the opportunity to enter the main event. If most local riders wait and train hard for it to see their dream of surfing in a WCT event come true, a larger part of the local population is also eager to watch those 2 days of fierce competition. Why? Because they want to see one more guy from Tahiti entering the Billabong Pro, with hopes of seeing him winning the finals. Crazy dream maybe, but that’s what we’re secretly hoping for every year! Don’t get me wrong, we love this competition for what it is, a WCT event, and we’re always excited to watch the different heats no matter who the guys surfing are :D

Back to the trials: Tahiti’s best riders usually train for months in order to get this wild card, and this year was no different: Teahupo’o and the Hava’e pass became their daily training ground, whatever the conditions: wave after wave, barrel after barrel, they perfected their riding skills, sitting deeper and deeper and trying to make their way out of every wave they could catch.

The Trials which last 2 days, were launched this past Monday, on glassy waves ranging from 6 to 9 ft. Needless to say, the crowd was there to see some of the most talented riders surf against each other in those epic conditions. The first day was a tough one for the locals who had trouble winning against guys like Wade Goodall, Anthony Walsh and Kamalei Alexander, to name a few. But just like every other competition, the most focused and determined managed to find their way to the finals, thanks to their unbelievable commitment and incredible tube riding style.

The winner, Taumata Puhetini, a 23-year-old surfer who grew up surfing Tahiti’s beachbreaks, won every single heat he surfed and even scored a perfect 10 in the quarter finals: “I had been watching this contest for years, from my boat in the channel, and this year was definitely the year I wanted to give it a try. I trained a lot, more than 4 hours everyday, and it paid off. I’m so stoked!”

And so am I, it’s always a great pride to see a local winning those prestigious trials, especially a surfer that nobody was expecting at this point of the competition (even if he already has a lot of experience on the local contest scene).

Along with the other finalist, his long-time friend Tamaroa McComb,  Taumata enters the main event starting this week (watch live at >>BillabongPro.com), thus joining 2 other Tahitian surfers, Teahupo’o charger Manoa Drollet (who got a wild card) and WCT pro surfer Michel Bourez.

If you have any questions about the event, or Tahiti leave em as a comment here and I’ll answer them in next weeks blog!

Good luck guys!!

-Vainui

Win a 2010 US Open Hat!

Posted by Kacee ON August 7, 2010 • EventsNewsSurfComment

Killer Dana is pumped to partner with Hurley and offer 3 free 2010 US Open Surfing hats to our friends! To win a hat all you have to do is participate in the treasure hunt on KillerDana.com

How it works: Three US Open hats have been hidden within KillerDana.com in the Hurley clothing sections. All you have to do to win one of those hats is find it’s location and comment on Killer Dana’s Facebook page with the secret code. Each hat that is hidden on the site will have a different code.

Rules: One hat per code. One hat per home mailing address is allowed. First 3 people to comment on Killer Dana’s Facebook page status (relating to the US Open Hat contest) with the exact secret treasure hunt code from each hat image will win a hat.

Search on >> KillerDana.com

Comment on: Killer Dana’s Facebook >> Facebook.com/killerdana

***PLEASE NOTE THIS CONTEST IS NOW OVER. ALL 3 HATS WERE FOUND***

Wounded Warriors Re-Cap

Posted by GW ON August 5, 2010 • CausesEventsSurfComment

The Wounded Warriors were stoked, and Killer Dana was a proud co-sponsor of the event!

Killer Dana co-sponsored the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association’s second annual “Wounded Warriors Surf Day” Saturday, July 24, at Church surfing beach on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. Members of DLSA who also served their country in the Armed Forces created the event to honor our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who have sacrificed so much with a day of surfing and camaraderie.

The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association is an organization dedicated to board surfing in a clean and natural environment. In relation to that philosophy, the DLSA acts as a support group for other organizations with similar views and objectives.

The surf on this day was excellent for intermediate and expert surfers, but just a bit intimidating for beginners. But these brave soldiers weren’t about to let a couple of overhead sets deter them from getting some great rides! All the Wounded Warriors participated with the assistance of volunteers from the DLSA who spent many hours in the cool water guiding the novice surfers into some great rides, as well as avoiding the bigger clean-up sets! Learning to surf is difficult for anyone, but these soldiers had to battle both the waves and their disabilities incurred in battle. These young men were completely determined to get great waves, and their enthusiasm was undeterred by any physical limitations – they were charging into any wave that came along, and each participant got some great waves.

Doheny Longboard Surfing Association volunteers like co-organizer Tom Dolton helped the Wounded Warriors throughout the event.

The Wounded Warrior Project surf day was spearheaded by Tom Dolton and Mike Patrick of the DLSA. Tom conceived of the idea after volunteering for Project Amputee for his church group in 2008. He found out that Mike Patrick and Wounded Warrior Area Outreach Coordinator Norbie Lara had started a surfing program for these disabled veterans, and in 2009 he approached the DLSA with the idea to sponsor a surfing event. That first event in 2009 was a huge success, with Killer Dana Surf Shop donating all their rental boards to the soldiers for the day. This years event was even more popular, because the word had spread among the Army and Marine soldiers about what a great time a day of surfing is. The DLSA provided a BBQ lunch and cold drinks as well as a couple of dozen stoked volunteers who spent many hours in the water assisting these brave men. The surfboards this year were actually stand-up paddle boards donated by Hobie as the larger boards were a little easier for the Wounded Warriors to stand up on. Quiksilver donated posters, stickers and hats, Victory Wetsuits provided suits for the day, Sonny’s Pizza delivered an early lunch, and Killer Dana Surf Shop provided great goody bags, filled with KD tee-shirts, Rusty hats, Surfer magazines, wax, stickers, posters and Killer Dana discount coupons for the veterans and their families.

DLSA volunteers Tom Bistline and Dick Whited were proud to assist the Warriors in the lineup...

Killer Dana Surf Shop is involved with many events each year. We are active as volunteers, sponsors, and product donors at surf contests, school events, charity functions and many other beach related activities. All these events are part of our business as stoked members of the Orange County surfing community. There is one event in particular that we are the most proud to be actively involved with: The Wounded Warrior Project. On a personal level, helping these brave young men, and watching their courage and enthusiasm as they battled to catch waves, made me realize how much of a debt we owe to these servicemen for their sacrifices they have made for us in battle. Whatever your political outlook or however you may feel about our current global military involvement, watching these brave Warriors made me very proud to be an American.

-Gary Wright (Killer Dana Founder)

Check out more photos from the event here >>Wounded Warriors Gallery

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000149 EndHTML:0000001347 StartFragment:0000000199 EndFragment:0000001313 StartSelection:0000000199 EndSelection:0000001313 “The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association is an organization dedicated to board surfing in a clean and natural environment. In relation to that philosophy, the DLSA will act as a support group for other organizations with similar views and objectives.”

The above quote is the mission statement of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, which started as a small group of like-minded longboard surfing enthusiasts back in 1998. Since then, the DLSA has remained active on many levels, including environmental issues and surf competitions with other longboarding clubs and coalitions statewide.

The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association sponsored their second annual “Wounded Warriors Surf Day” Saturday, July 24, at Church surfing beach on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. Members of DLSA who also served their country in the Armed Forces created the event to honor our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who have sacrificed so much with a day of surfing and camaraderie.

Win US Open of Surfing Sunnies!

Posted by Kacee ON August 4, 2010 • EventsSurf8 Comments

Can’t make it to the US Open of Surfing this year? No problem, Killer Dana’s got your back, and we’re here to hook you up with some free Offical 2010 US Open sunglasses! (Hats will be given away this Friday, tune in)

All you have to do to win is follow Killer Dana on Twitter, and re-tweet this message, “WIN THESE Official @USOpenofSurf sunglasses! Follow & RT mess to enter http://bit.ly/9SfiHY Ends 8/9 (5 winners)”

5 winners will be announced Monday August 9th 2010!

Follow us: Twitter.com/KillerDana

US Open of Surfing: UsOpenofSurfing.com

SHOP HURLEY CLOTHING >> KILLERDANA.COM

US Open of Surfing: Starts Sat. July 31st

Posted by Kacee ON July 22, 2010 • EventsSurfComment

Reigning U.S. Open Champions Brett Simpson and Courtney Conlogue set to defend their titles against the world’s elite surfers.

If you missed last years US Open of Surfing, I’m sorry to hear that. It was one of the funnest surfing events I’ve ever been to. Imagine perfect waves, free concerts, fashion shows, free giveaways, and mass amounts of beautiful people (try 50,000+). Not to mention that they also had world famous shappers doing live surf board shaping demos, BMX, and skate performances, and top industry vendors demoing their product. Check out what the “offical” US Open of Surfing website had to say on the up coming event:

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Building upon last year’s historic event that showcased epic waves, 500,000 fans, record prize money and a superior field of world-class surfers, the U.S. Open of Surfing presented by Hurley, Nike 6.0 and Converse sets the bar even higher with an Association of Surfing Professionals’ (ASP) “Prime” rating in 2010.

The world’s largest professional surfing competition begins its nine-day run on Saturday, July 31 at the Huntington Beach pier and continues through Sunday, August 8. Boasting a rich history dating back to 1959, the massive event boasts North America’s only combined ASP Men’s Prime and Women’s Six-Star-rated events and is a pivotal point on the ASP World Tour. The event is owned and produced by IMG, a global leader in sports and entertainment. More information and live event coverage is available at www.usopenofsurfing.com.

The $350,000 U.S. Open boasts an unmatched field of international entrants that includes the vast majority of top men and women surfers on the planet. The $250,000 Men’s Prime division has the highest purse among similar events, offers 6,500 points to the winner and features a $100,000 first place prize. Simpson (Huntington Beach) must defend his title against household names like Mick Fanning (Australia), Taj Burrow (Australia), Andy Irons (Hawaii), C.J. Hobgood (Florida) And Rob Machado (Cardiff), along with “new breed” stars Dane Reynolds (Ventura), Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente) and current world number one Jordy Smith (South Africa). Nine-time world champ Kelly Slater, who has entered but not confirmed attendance, may also be on hand to send the fans into a frenzy.

Courtney Conlogue will aim to repeat her 2009 performance that earned her the title of 2009 US Open of Surfing Women’s Champion.

The $60,000 Women’s Six-Star division is equally as impressive, boasting two world champions – Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) and Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) – 12 of the top 16 girls on the ASP World Tour, and most of the top women in the current World Rankings. First-rate talent like Jessi Miley-Dyer (Australia) and Jacqueline Silva (Brazil) will battle against rising stars including ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons, Coco Ho (Hawaii), Sage Erickson (Hawaii), Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana) and Karina Petroni (Florida) for the unprecedented $20,000 first place prize.

Since its inception in 1994, the U.S. Open has carried the sports’ competitive torch on the U.S. mainland, rating six stars or higher and offering a consistent pathway for American competitors to reach the ASP’s grand prix circuit. Twenty nine out of 32 men’s and women’s ASP World Titles have been captured by former U.S. Open champions—the list reads like a who’s who of professional surfers with Slater, Lisa Andersen, Irons, Layne Beachley, Sunny Garcia, Mulanovich and Gilmore all standing atop the winner’s podium. Several U.S. Open champions have finished runner-up in the title race including Machado, Shane Beschen and Taj Burrow.

“I think last year was a good example of what the U.S. Open can actually be,” says three-time champ Rob Machado. “Combining waves, the world’s best surfers and that crazy crowd puts competitive surfing on a whole different level. When you’re competing at Huntington, you feel like you’re surfing in the Super Bowl.”

Long considered America’s “consumer showcase” for the sport of surfing, the U.S. Open also features the U.S. Open Men’s Junior Pro (a $10,000 ASP Grade-Two event) and Women’s Junior Pro (a $10,000 ASP Grade-Four event) presented by PacSun, Life Rolls on Expression Session and $20,000 Pacifico Nose Riding Invitational. The second annual WPS All Stars event let the public choose 10 top pro surfers from around the world to compete in the U.S. Open and features athlete “meet and greets”, in-water expression sessions and more during the festival.

Headlined by the one-of-a-kind, 20,000 square foot Action Sports’ retail and brand experience, U.S. Open spectators will enjoy an interactive festival featuring more than 100 exhibits, autograph signings, DJs, guest emcees and prize giveaways. Top national acts will perform live on the concert stage Tuesday through Saturday, August 3 to 7. The lineup includes Cold War Kids, Bedouin Soundclash, Switchfoot, Cobra Starship and Weezer among other acts.

Open to the public free-of-charge, the U.S. Open of Surfing begins on Saturday, July 31 and runs through Sunday, August 8. The U.S. Open showcases hundreds of world-class athletes in the sports of surfing, skateboarding and BMX along with music, fashion and youth culture. Live webcast and consumer information is available at www.usopenofsurfing.com.

Wounded Warrior Surfing Event

Posted by Kacee ON July 21, 2010 • EventsNewsSurfComment

Killer Dana is teaming up with the Doheny Longboarding Association, and Hobie to put on a surfing event for wounded veterans Saturday July 24th. This is an event that Killer Dana was proud to support last summer, and we are happy to continue our support this year.

A message from the Doheny Longboarding Association:

“Come be a part of this fun and rewarding day by sharing your love for surfing with some Wounded Vets. Doheny Club Members as well as non club volunteers are being called to sign up and help. It’s going to be fun to be in the water helping teach, pushing in and spotting the Vets as they learn. There will also be some good food and drinks to go along with the new friendships made that day. The event is being held at the

Volunteers will be given access to park in the on base beach parking. So please show your appreciation for their ultimate duty to our country by helping out.

Volunteers, please get on the list by contacting: dlsawebmaster@hotmail.com

If you are a company or individual who would like to sponsor products or services for the event, please contact us as well. We are still looking for Sponsorship with SUP Boards to use, wetsuits for approx. 20 Vets, food and drink items and anything else appropriate to go along to make this a great event for the Warriors.

With your help, we will make this a day another great one for all.

Thank you!”

Doheny Longboarding Association: DohoSurf.org

Wounded Warrior: WoundedWarriorProject.org

KD Team Riders Score in Hawaii

Posted by Steph ON July 20, 2010 • EventsSurf1 Comment

Recently team rider, Nicaela Moskos and I departed on our long awaited Hawaiian escapade.  This was only Nicaela’s second trip to the islands, and my first trip back to Oahu since moving away nearly a year ago.  I couldn’t wait to get back to see old friends, eat at all my old favorite restaurants, and of course, surf!  We went for one week, and it turned out to be just the vacation we had envisioned, amazing!

There’s no greater feeling than stepping that first foot off the plane when you land in Hawaii.  You immediately feel the warm tropical breeze hit your skin and smell the sweet smell of fresh plumerias. You hear Japanese, Pidgeon, and English coming out in an unrecognizable jumble all around; see smiling tourists wearing their Aloha shirts and sneakers with high socks; hear the sounds of the ukulele, and arrive outside to be picked up in your friend’s gloriously run down 1990 something beater car; Mmmm home..

There are a million things that I miss about the islands. One of my favorite restaurants of all time was first up on our agenda: Kona Brewing Company.  This place is pure gold!  Besides the fact that they have all of their brews fresh on tap (try the Wailua Wheat, best beer of all time!!), they also have a menu that makes my water mouth just thinking about it.  Their Po’okela Quesadilla is just about the greatest pulled pork quesadilla you will ever eat!  Their bartenders and servers are like family, making you feel right at home, and every Friday and Saturday night they have live local Hawaiian music.  I love that place, obviously!

First stop: Kona Brew, second stop: surf!!  We surfed every day that we were there.  We tried to get in at 3-4 hours of surfing a day.  We surfed all over the south shore while we were there.  From Big Rights and Courts at Ala Moana, to Toes and Secrets in Hawaii Kai, we covered it all.  The water was warm and the sun was shinning bright every day, it really couldn’t have been better. While we were there the waves for the most part were 1-3, with a few days at 4 feet, Hawaiian on South Shore.  North Shore got a pretty large swell while we were there as well.  We went to watch, but I can’t say either of us had the nerves to paddle out!

Luckily, I have a friend that let me borrow his GoPro Camera for the trip.  So nice!  For those of you who don’t know, the GoPro is a HD fisheye video camera that comes with water casing that attaches onto your surfboard.  It’s tiny, the size of my palm, and super easy to use with just one click to turn it on and off.  There is no way to imagine how great these videos can be until you try it out yourself.  They are so fun!  It’s like having your own personal surf video.  We loved it so much we took it everywhere!  Surfing, diving, hiking, drinking, that thing documented our whole trip!  By the time we got back home to Cali we had hours and hours of footage to sort through.  I finally made myself sit down and make those clips into something semi-interesting.  Here’s what I came up with, my first homemade surf video… starring me & Nicaela! Hey-ooooo! Check it out:

Is that not great?!  You can at least admit if anything it either made you want to go surf, or go buy the camera!  Well, either way I love it.

We coincidentally planned our trip the same weekend as the Kokua Festival.  This is the biggest concert of the year on Oahu.  It’s during Earth Week.  It’s put on by main performer Jack Johnson and friends to raise money and awareness of how to be kind to Mother Earth: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!  We tried to buy tickets before we got there, but tickets sold out in a day.  We ended up scalping tickets at the door, and it was totally worth the extra money.  Jack Johnson is like a god there.  He was born and raised on North Shore, and the locals there just can’t get enough of him.  The concert was a great time, so glad we got in!

It’s funny how small Oahu is.  I left almost a year ago to the day, and still everywhere I went there I ran into someone I knew.  I miss that.  Grocery store, secluded beach, happy hour, it doesn’t matter where you go.  Everyone knows everyone, which is kind of nice.  Everyone that I wanted to see, planned or unplanned I got to see.  It was a pleasant surprise.

Overall we got to do everything we wanted to do.  We snorkeled, hiked, hit up all the yummiest eateries on the island, explored North Shore, booze cruised, and surfed until our arms were numb.  Cheers to a great trip!

Aloha,
Stephanie

Nate Yeomans Wins 1st Round at Billabong Pro

Posted by Kacee ON July 15, 2010 • EventsSurfComment

Epic Conditions Witness World’s Best Dominate Day 1 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay

JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Thursday, July 15, 2010) – The 2010 ASP World Tour returned with a vengeance today, bearing witness to Day 1 of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay and the greatest assemblage of surfing talent in history tearing into excellent four-to-six foot (2 metre) waves at the iconic pointbreak.

With clear skies, idyllic surf and the world’s greatest surfers on hand, Round 1 of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay saw the 2010 ASP World Title Race reignited with the top seeds putting in sensational performances.

Nate Yeomans (USA), 28, 2010 ASP World Tour rookie and current ASP World No. 41, secured his first elite tour victory this morning, powerfully dispatching of Bede Durbidge (AUS), 27, and Luke Stedman (AUS), 34, with an impressive 15.83 out of a possible 20.

“I haven’t been looking at the ratings this year and just trying to focus on getting through heats,” Yeomans said. “I thought I was in the 20s or something, but 40s, wow, that’s a ways to go. It’s all good though. I’ve got through that first heat and will just be looking to push harder from here on out.”

In his first trip ever to Jeffreys Bay, Yeomans’ backhand assault was surgical on the Jeffreys righthanders as the young Californian drove through bottom turns and sliced off top turns.

“The waves today are awesome,” Yeomans said. “I’ve been here about a week and it’s been good preparation to sort out boards and try to get myself adjusted to the wave. The surf came up this morning and I saw a friend of mine, Grant Baker, in the lineup who gave me some tips for today. They obviously paid off.”

Yeomans led today’s rookie class assault on the world’s best that saw wins from fellow first-years Adam Melling (AUS), 25, Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 21, and Owen Wright (AUS), 20.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, reigning ASP World Champion and two-time past winner of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay (2002, 2006), kick-started his 2010 campaign in fine form today, lacerating the pristine walls of Jeffreys Bay with the highest heat total of the event, a 16.70 out of a possible 20, to advance through to Round 3.

“The conditions changed a bit in our heat and we were slightly out of sorts,” Fanning said. “We were all hunting for the barrel because a lot of the previous heats had them, but they didn’t pan out for us. After I readjusted to the conditions, I was really focusing on my turns and if a barrel presented itself, I would go from there.”

Currently ranked No. 4 in the hunt for the 2010 ASP World Title, Fanning is confident in his ability at Jeffreys Bay and looks to ignite a similar form that saw him steam to world No. 1 in 2009.

“This year, you have to take every heat seriously,” Fanning said. “There are so many threats and even the rookies can do damage. I feel like I’ve been surfing well all year and I’m just focusing on every heat, and hopefully that takes me to a solid result.”

Jordy Smith (AUS), 22, current ASP World No. 2, showed the world just why he is the most dangerous man in South Africa, comboing opponents Tom Whitaker (AUS), 30, and Joan Duru (FRA), 21, with a 16.37 out of a possible 20 for an effortless display of forehand power gouges and beautiful tube-riding.

“I think the only kind of pressure that exists is that which I put on myself,” Smith said. “Winning last week in Durban was a great feeling, but this is where I love to be and getting to surf firing Jeffreys with only two other guys out is an incredible experience.”

Representing South Africa alongside fellow ASP World Tour campaigner Travis Logie (ZAF), 31, Smith enjoyed the full support of the locals today, who broke out their Vuvuzelas to cheer on their countrymen.

“Being No. 2 in the world and in South Africa is an interesting feeling,” Smith said. “Obviously I want to get a good result and make my country proud, but all that really isn’t on my mind when I’m out there and Jeffreys is firing. All you can think about it surfing your best. Hopefully I can continue the momentum throughout the next few days.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 38, former nine-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, nearly missed his opening round heat today, suffering a bevy of travel delays only to arrive this morning. Despite the delay, the iconic natural-footer proceeded to put on a Jeffreys Bay clinic, hunting barrel after barrel, blasting off the top and uting carving 360s.

“Everything that could have gone wrong on my trip over here did,” Slater said. “My flight got delayed on the East Coast because of storms, and then there were mechanical failures and more delays. I had to overnight in Johannesburg and then my bags didn’t show up. I think it took me 40 hours door-to-door and I only arrived this morning. That said, sometimes all that happens for a reason and I ended up having a fun surf there and getting through Round 1.”

Currently sitting in the No. 1 spot in the hunt for an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title, Slater is firmly in the driver’s seat and looking for another solid result at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay.

“They’re all important events to get results at but you definitely know when you need to strike,” Slater said. “It’s approaching the middle part of the year and you definitely don’t want to be picking up any throwaways. You want keepers from here on out and Jeffreys has historically been a venue where I can perform.”

While the ASP World Title Race took center stage today, coming a close second was the dramatic battle to survive the mid-year cut-off from the ASP Top 45 to 32.

Andy Irons (HAW), 31, former three-time ASP World Champion and past winner of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay (2004), returned from his 2009 sabbatical with a vengeance today, seamlessly threading the barrel and mixing it up with his signature forehand blasts to advance to Round 3 past Jay Thompson (AUS), 27, and Jadson Andre (BRA), 20.

“J-Bay is a special place for me,” Irons said. “I’ve had some of the best results of my career here and I’ve also had some of the hardest losses. To come back here after taking last year off and to get such amazing surf for Day 1 is a great feeling.”

Currently rated No. 23 on the ASP World Title Race rankings, Irons will be looking for a good result in Jeffreys Bay and Tahiti to survive the mid-year field reduction from the ASP Top 45 to the Top 32.

“So happy to get through Round 1 here,” Irons said. “At the last event in Brazil, I came there rated 13th, got a 33rd and ped down to 23rd so this is an important event for me. No one is immune from that mid-year cutoff and yeah, it can be stressful.”

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available via www.billabongpro.com/jbay10/

Surfline, official foreers for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, are calling for a slight decline in surf tomorrow before another pulse fills in on Saturday.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be Jadson Andre (BRA), 20, up against Sean Holmes (ZAF), 32, in the third heat of the elimination Round 2.

The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will on Friday, July 15 and run through July 25, 2010.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Adam Melling (AUS) 12.17, Taylor Knox (USA) 10.80, Luke Munro (AUS) 10.17
Heat 2: Andy Irons (HAW) 14.77, Jay Thompson (AUS) 10.56, Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.24
Heat 3: Nate Yeomans (USA) 15.83, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.74, Luke Stedman (AUS) 11.43
Heat 4: Dane Reynolds (USA) 15.30, Marco Polo (BRA) 12.97, Daniel Ross (AUS) 12.10
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 16.43, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.37, Blake Thornton (AUS) 7.60
Heat 6: Tiago Pires (PRT) 15.23, Tim Reyes (USA) 13.27, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9.07
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.37, Joan Duru (FRA) 11.90, Tom Whitaker (USA) 10.57
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.93, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.40, Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 12.37
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.20, Dale Staples (ZAF) 13.34, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.83
Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.70, Sean Holmes (ZAF) 10.27, Roy Powers (HAW) 8.33
Heat 11: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 13.60, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 9.60, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.17
Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 12.60, Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 12.34, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.27
Heat 13: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.53, Dean Morrison (AUS) 11.76, Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.43
Heat 14: Chris Davidson (AUS) 15.17, Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.86, Brett Simpson (USA) 11.63
Heat 15: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.87, Ben Dunn (AUS) 11.50, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.77
Heat 16: Owen Wright (AUS) 15.56, Travis Logie (ZAF) 13.93, Drew Courtney (AUS) 7.73

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.70 def. Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 9.44
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 16.17 def. Dale Staples (ZAF) 14.67

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Remaining Round 2 Match-Ups:
Heat 3: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Sean Holmes (ZAF)
Heat 4: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Tim Reyes (USA)
Heat 6: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Blake Thornton (AUS)
Heat 7: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 8: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 9: Roy Powers (HAW) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 10: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 12: Daniel Ross (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 13: Luke Stedman (AUS) vs. Drew Courtney (AUS)
Heat 14: Luke Munro (AUS) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 15: Pat Gudauskas (USA) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)

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