DOWN THE LINE Surf Talk Radio

Surfing News – August 12, 2012: Tim Bessell- Master Shaper from La Jolla, California joins us in-studio.

Tim Bessell- Master Shaper from La Jolla, California joins us in-studio.

SEGMENT 1 SPONSOR —

THE BOARDROOM INTERNATIONAL SURFBOARD SHOW

–
HONORING MARK RICHARDS IN THE ICONS OF FOAM SHAPING TRIBUTE PRESENTED BY US BLANKS

October 6 & 7, 2012
Del Mar Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall
Open to the Public
Food, Music, Fun
Exhibits, Shaping, Events, Art
$10; U12 FREE
Free sub to SURFER Magazine for each paid entrant
Surfboard Demo morning at 15th Street in Del Mar Sunday Oct 7

EVENTS AND EXHIBITS INCLUDE:

QNA SHAPING BAY
BEST OF SHOW
VINTAGE SWAP SHOWDOWN
CINEMA GROTTO SHORT FILMS FEST
SURFAID BOARD ART BENEFIT
ARTIZEN LIVE PERFORMANCE ART
ECO-SWIRL LAMINATING
GUN CLUB LOUNGE
MUSIC BY SURFERS FOR SURFERS
Autograph & Book Signings

Surf Report:

Emails, Tweets, Shout Outs:

“I disagree with the listener email last week from Jay (in Carlsbad), that basically called out the surfing and conditions at the US Open. They’ve had really bad days at PipeMasters, when they didn’t even run the contest at Pipe! Sometimes Mother Ocean does not provide, but more often than not she does. Plus, the final day’s action was red hot and very exciting.” - Lisa H. Fan of HB Pier and the US Open from Torrance. California.

SEGMENT 2: Segment Sponsor Quiksilver Waterman Collection is presenting next years’ Surfing Heritage Vintage Surf Auction presented by Quiksilver Waterman Collection which takes place May 11, 2013 in the brand new state-of-the-art building at the OC Fairgrounds called The HANGAR. Quiksilver Waterman Collection and their brand ambassadors on twitter Mark Healey @healeysurf , Shayne McIntyre @ShayneMcIntyre, Jamie Mitchell, Peter Mel @peter_mel, Mel Pu’u: Robby Naish

Lacanau Summer from loyal listener Renz in Europe

Tim Bessell – re-knowned local La Jolla shaper Bessell surfboards

Tim it might be good to go back a bit, Jeff and I grew up in San Diego, so we know all about you...but many of our international listeners don't know your connection to San Diego so let's start there..

Where were you born, raised?

What did your parents do, what was family life like?

When did you become enamored with this thing called surfing?

Do you remember your first surfboard?

As a young surfer who were your influences?

Shaping bug? How did you get involved with shaping surfboards?

What were your early experiences with the planer and foam? Garage stuff?

Sunset Surfboards days...

Regarding early shaping life, who really went out of their way to show you the ropes, or give you tips?

Who did you see go through those doors at Ed Wright's Sunset Surfboards, they had a big influence?
Al Merrick, Ken Bradshaw, Willis Brothers, Ned McMahon, Bill Shrosbree,

In the early 80s you really had a stable of red hot local La Jolla kids including Peter King.

The Artist Series -- tell us how this concept came about?

How did the Clark foam closure in 2005 effect on your business?

I'm of the opinion that cheap entry level, price point boards are good for the local surfboard industry, do you agree with this?

Can a surfer walk into the Bessell shop, and... like going into a Mercedes dealer, choose from a either 300 series, a 500 series or a bells and whistles 700 series?

The Sustainable surfboard... when will an eps, linseed oil resin, bamboo weave be the only board available to surfers?

...it seems we've been hearing about it for years, a day when all boards will be environ-senstive, that they won't eventually find their way into the landfill. Or, if they do, they bio-grade.

Yet, the PU surfboard still dominates the market place. Is it the paying customers that are driving these market conditions or is it the surfboard manufacturers, the industry, that is too stubborn or lazy to change?

THE BOARDROOM INTERNATIONAL SURFBOARD SHOW

–
HONORING MARK RICHARDS IN THE ICONS OF FOAM SHAPING TRIBUTE PRESENTED BY US BLANKS

TOP 5 Stories:
#1 Catch Baldy – demo morning at 15th Street

#2 Shark Week – Great White shark spotted by helicopter off of Carlsbad beach; Reunion Island – French allow for shark culling after a smattering of shark attacks;

#3 SIMA Watermans Weekend honored Sean Collins, Jean Michel Cousteau, and Shane Dorian last night at gala fundraiser that raised money for 20 environmental causes.

#4 US Open last week exciting stuff! Julian Wilson – only ten new guys can make the tour next year…

#5 Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for a low rise in small/short-period SE swell from Sunday, 12th, into next Tuesday, as small WSW swell joins in for waist-shoulder high waves, some plus sets. Similar size SSW swell shows mid week while the WSW drops out. Better, longer-period SW swell and possible WSW swell from current Tasman Sea storm scheduled to move in Thursday, 16th, and peak Friday with chest-head high surf and inconsistent overhead sets. Those waves fade over the following weekend. More onshore flow is expected for the south facing breaks into the start of next week, then SE tending ESE winds on tap for the second half of the week.

AIR TAHITI NUI VONZIPPER TRIALISTS (The winner plus highest placed Tahitian earn Billabong Pro, main event wildcards. If the winner is Tahitian, then 2nd place is awarded the wildcard)

INTERNATIONAL INVITEES – updated list
Jamie O’Brien (Sunset Beach, Oahu, HAW)
Anthony Walsh (Lennox Head, NSW, AUS)
Bruce Irons (Kauai, HAW)
Kamalei Alexander (Kauai, HAW)
Bruno Santos (BRA)
Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, EUK)
Kalani Chapman (Oahu, HAW)
Manoa Drollet (Papara, Tahiti, PFY)
Ricardo Dos Santos (BRA)
Dean Bowen (Gerroa, NSW, AUS)
Wade Goodall (Sunshine Coast, Qld, AUS)
Ben Sanchez (Hossegor, FRA)
Matt Bromley (Capetown, ZAF)
Alvaro Malpatida (Lima, PER)
Shinpae Horiguchi (Wakayama, JPN)
Dylan Longbottom (Sth Coast, NSW, AUS)

PLUS 16 TAHITIAN LOCALS – (as determined by the local ‘trials for the trials’ event).
The Air Tahiti Nui Vonzipper Trials is made possible with the support of the Government of French Polynesia, Sports Minister, Institut of Sports, Sports Department, Tahiti Tourism, Air Tahiti Nui, Coca Cola, OPT, Mana, Hyundai, Hertz, Polynesie 1ère, La Depeche, NRJ, City Hall of Taiarapu ouest and the City Hall of Teahupo’o,

Sunday, February 26, 2012 (San Diego, Ca.) — Kelly Slater is Neptune. Kolohe Andino Nervous. Billabong Worrisome.

Down The Line Surf Talk Radio — Surf talk radio with Bassy & Baldy it is Feb 26 Sunday, 2012.

Big show including lots of Quiksilver Pro discussion. Kelly Slater is Neptune. Kolohe Andino Nervous. So is Gordan Merchant.

We are live every Sunday morning here in San Diego on XTRA SPORTS 1360AM and broadcast around the world via iTunes. email us surftalksandiego AT gmail.com or twitter @sacredcraftexpo @jeffbaldy

NEPTUNE – AT HOME

SHOW NOTES:
An EMAIL – #1 Yeah guy! I’m a northern beaches local and last week I had the privilege of taking my daughter to Manly to watch some of the AusOpen. I think even though Manly is a pretty average wave, it’s one of the best spots that they could have held the event. Manly has the right infrastructure (compared to Avalon further north where I live which has better waves, but couldn’t handle all the people!) It’s great to see contests like this and I think there’s a place for these kind of events alongside the dream tour style contests. Personally even though I’m a big surf contest fan, I didn’t watch that much of the surfing, we were more interested in the skateboarding. Anyway great show guys, I’ve been a regular listener for years!

BTW, it would be great if you could get Tom Curren on the show (like that’s ever going to happen!). — Ziggy

#2 Hi Scott and Jeff, Greetings from Cornwall, UK, where the waves are cold and non-existent right now. Love the show – the podcasts keep me fired up for a surf while driving to work!

I have to zone in on Scott’s comments from a couple weeks back about a need for Pipe ‘SuperBowl’ finale on the ASP tour, where you recommended that no matter how strongly a surfer performed throughout the year, that could be overturned at Pipe. To a limey, that sounds alot like manufacturing the competition for media / dramatic purposes, which surely would only further weaken surfing’s legitimacy as a competitive sport?

We already have a subjective and questionable judging criteria with multiple controversies each year. If you condense all of that and then bring it all down to one event, I just think you have an even less realistic interpretation of ‘the best surfer’ – and that’s if its 12ft pipe – imagine if it were 4ft windblown backdoor – surely it would be a traveshamockery to have the title decided in those conditions?

Also, as amazing as pipe can be, I believe several of the other spots on tour can be right up there, and the performances at those venues need to be fully counted as part of the whole: keep up the good work All the best Paul

A POLL:
Should the Billabong Pipeline Masters be the penultimate event i.e SUPERBOWL of the ASP. i.e No WORLD TITLE being decided prior to the Pipe Masters Event. It all comes down to this event?

Poll online 75% YES 25% No

Add your vote to the POLL – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Down-The-Line-Surf-Talk-Radio/106586356039144

TOP 5 Stories of the Week

Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks: Slater is NEPTUNE in round 1

Kolohe looks nervous in round 1; John John in form; Dane Reynolds in form (if there is such a thing); Mick Fanning solid; Ace solid; Josh Kerr solid

My team: Julian Wilson; Josh Kerr, Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater, Kai Otten, Travis Logie, John John, Dane Reynolds

UPCOMING QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:

HEAT 1: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
HEAT 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
HEAT 3: Adriano De Souza (BRA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
HEAT 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
HEAT 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
HEAT 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
HEAT 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
HEAT 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 9: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Raoni Monterio (BRA)
HEAT 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
HEAT 11: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
HEAT 12: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Travis Logie (AUS)

#1 Billabong business situation – share price way down after profits lag

private equity groups (TPG) wants to take over, offering a price/per share

Gordan Merchant not so happy says, no;

Private equity group employs different strategy by going straight to BoDirectors ; BoD has a fidicuiary responsibility to ALL shareholders, not just Mr Merchant; many nervous fund managers like the price that private equity is offering.

Some analysts suggesting that selling off NIXON was a mistake. NIXON was a hugely profitable business for Billabong. Makes Billabong business weaker from take-over perspective.

Pressure mounts. We’ll see what happens.

Can the umbrella brand stay relevant, focus on its core value?

Brand specialists contend that with plenty of nurture a youth brand can have its use-by date extended.

”A lot of companies had their moment in the limelight only to wake up and find themselves out of touch,” the Ogilvy Public Relations director, Mike Beckerleg, says.

”Apple came back from the brink and Puma staged a huge retro throw-back. The same goes for the Swiss watch industry.”

Billabong Pro JBay downgraded toa 6 star evetn ; off the world tour ; many fans disappointed that Billabong didn’t get rid of Brazil event rather than JBay.

#2 Fukushima tsunami debirs field heading to the USA – Debris from the devastating tsunami that hit Japan on March 11 has turned up exactly where scientists predicted it would after months of floating across the Pacific Ocean. Finding and confirming where the debris ended up gives them a better idea of where it’s headed next.

Millions of tons of debris – pieces of fishing vessels to TV sets

Scientists estimate the debris will wash up on the Hawaiian Islands in two years and the U.S. West Coast in three.

#3 Three weeks ago; The 2012 Quiksilver Rincon Classic went off last weekend. Three-time World Champ Tom Curren, former World Tour standouts Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds, Parker Coffin, Adam Virs, 2011 champ Mike McCabe and a host of other local professionals were on hand for the annual contest. This is a locals only event;

The win was Reynolds’s first contest victory in over a decade. Receiving his 1st place award at a ceremony Sunday night at the Santa Maritime Museum, Reynolds, sheepish yet laughing, explained, “This is the first contest I’ve won since 2001. That’s a long time for a professional surfer.”

TCurren beat Dane Reynolds in a early round heat, Tom Curren rode a Tomo 4′ 11′ and absolutely killed it with his amazing style.

#4 Fellow surfers, including superstar Kelly Slater, took to Twitter and other social media after Chicago surfer Rex flodstroms Slater tweeted, “Surfing is not a crime” and told the Chicago Sun Times, “It makes no sense. … It sounds like a police state.”

Flodstrom appeared in a Chicago court Thursday, with a dozen surfing supporters,

The judge agreed to drop charges against Flodstrom if he completed 20 hours of community service before March 19. But that did not seem to satisfy the surfers, who cited Flodstrom’s arrest as an example of overprotective government.

Mitch McNeil of the Surfrider Foundation told ABC News, “It’s not in the police playbook for them to be policing the surfing community.”

#5 “Of Men and Mavericks” star Gerard Butler has checked out of rehab after developing dependence on pain medication his publicists say was prescribed after a surf accident that occurred while filming on the coast in December.

News reports say a healthy Butler left the Betty Ford Center early Friday morning. The reports quote Gerard’s publicist saying the Scottish actor’s problems began in 2006, during physically demanding filming of “300.” On Dec. 18, 2011, during his final days of filming, Butler was held under for two waves, leading the actor to exacerbate previous injuries. Butler’s manager told online news site TMZ that the actor began struggling with pain management. Rather than developing a reliance on prescription drugs, he checked into the rehabilitation clinic about three weeks ago, TMZ reports.

SURF NEWS: MARTY THOMAS, TRIPLE CROWN SHOWDOWN MASSIVE SWELL FOR HAWAII

DEC 6TH – SURFING NEWS and SURF INDUSTRY INSIGHT – THIS WEEK TRIPLE CROWN MANAGING DIRECTOR MARTY THOMAS CALLS IN FROM SUNSET BEACH AND TALKS ALL THING NORTH SHORE OF OAHU AND TRIPLE CROWN SHOW DOWN

CLICK HERE FOR DEC 6TH SHOW BASSY N BALDY

OR

CLICK HERE

AFTER THE TRESTLES TOLL ROAD DEATH: Following the TCA and the City of San Clemente hijinks? Good article here by Fred Swegles.

TCA is code for DEVELOPMENT. Disband the TCA.

From a native Californian: “California’s gasoline tax is more then enough to cover any and all roadway costs, including eliminating toll roads. The problem….. Politicians in the late 70′s, (Thank Jerry Brown) raided the surplus fund and started using it for other Social Programs. Now, as a state we pay more in Gasoline Tax then any other State in the Nation and we have nothing to show for it.” In retrospect, ye olde gas tax for needles program didn’t go so well.