Last week’s contest site is somewhere yonder in the distance there. © Shieldsy

Well, living the good life down in Bali, just really enjoying the beautiful place and people. Been surfing all over and then checking out town, seems like most of the surfers have stayed after the contest. Went to the Stranger Than Fiction premiere the other night and all the guys came out and was a really good time seeing everyone.

Goofy’s paradise. No, not Goofy the dog who lives in Donald Duck’s spare room, but goofy as in those who ride right foot forward. © Shieldsy

Hopefully will keep getting fun waves around here and then I’ll be heading out on a boat trip to the Mentawais. Good times.

Peace,

Damo

Oska on the mic.

Hey guys,

So … I know that if your friend plays in a band then you are particularly biased. Even if they play crap and you would normally think a couple of nails running down a chalkboard sound better, you still think they are the greatest …

Well, I thought the Goons Of Doom rocked from day one. They have been playing for a couple of years now and the band is growing up. Kids are owned by half the members, so yes there are a couple of fathers now but the beers still flow and the ego is still high.

Only thing is, now these guys deserve an ego. They are good; a full house at the Beach Rd at Bondi, girls running around lip syncing to the words, a following that would make any band member proud and give the confidence to play at peak levels.

Cowboy on the pigskins

Now, I know what you are thinking: "Yer but how many beers did you have?"
The answer is zero, I drove, and I’m off to Bali in the morning to get some game time in at the event site which I’m not allowed to disclose. I signed a huge contract and if I tell then they will fine me $5000 … Heavy, huh?

Anyway, just wanted you all to know that if you see the Goons up in headlights playing at a venue near you, then go and see them. You don’t need to be drunk to see them anymore.

Steds

The decent board getting souvenired by some SA groms. © Joli

Sometime things just don’t fall into place. Went to J-Bay about five days early to make sure boards would arrive and even went for the two small board bags to make sure my chances of getting one would be better. I got one, but the one with most of my boards never arrived and no one could find it. I was looking on the bright side and was happy to at least have a couple of boards.

Getting into the swing of things back home.

I went for a couple of free surfs and one of the boards I had worked good so was amping. Then went out for my heat and caught the best wave I have ever caught at J-Bay and blew the wave and broke my good board.

My other board was pretty crap, I rode it against Mick C, got smoked, and went home with my tail between my legs. The one good thing was I was able to make my daughter’s cowgirl birthday party, which rocked the barn.

Peace,

Damo.

Well, I ‘ve been back in the swing of things in Bali. There has been heaps of swell lately and this time of year up here gets super crowed so I have been lying pretty low and surfing all the out of the way spots and doing a bit of paddle boarding, trying to stay away from losing my mind with how many people froth-out up here.

We’re blessed up here, it’s official.

In Indo, twice a year all the locals get their cars and motorbikes blessed. Since I have been here for about a year now I thought I should get ours done. You can never be too safe on the roads over here!!!

Expect to see these boards flying all over the place when the local Canggu kids get hold of them.

I have also shaped up a 5′3 and a 5′7 for the local kids down at Canggu to share. Some of the kids really do surf good but are surfing on broken or super beat up boards so I wanted to give them a chance to really bring out their potential and give back a little bit to the local crew so I shaped up these boards and got them glassed at the local surf factory, REDZ.

I also had to spend about a week out of the water from an infected insect bite. Check out how bad it got. All better now.

J-Bay starts this week and it’s going to be the first time in about 14 years I haven’t been there for the contest or ASP meetings so I’m feeling a little sad I guess. I really do love the place, people and the wave. Well, life will go on and my life isn’t that bad! Hahaha.

‘Til next time: Live like there’s no tomorrow.

Jake the Snake

The coastline in Nicaragua is as amazing as the waves are.

Well, been surfing a lot lately which is a great thing. I was hanging in California and had some really fun waves then went down to Nicaragua with Timmy Reyes and we had a great time. Just have really been enjoying being in the water.

There are certainly some crazy line-ups in Central America

Looking forward to J-Bay, leave on Saturday with most of the guys in the US. South Africa is a neat place and look forward to getting down there but not really looking forward to the flight it is one of the longest one we have all year.

Worth the long flight.

Peace,

Damo

First day at Giraffes Bay.

Yeah lads,

Just a quick hit to let the world know what the 2 biggest giraffes on tour have been up 2.

We are in J-Bay a little earlier than every other punter this year. It’s our rookie year so we decided to hit it early and try and get in a few head flicks before everyone gets here.

Waves have been small but fun, and - my god - the water is so bloody cold. I was cooking Rossy for bringing booties, telling him he was tripping that he would not need them, and as soon as my big toe hit that water I knew I was the one with egg on my face.

The understated look goes down well ’round these parts.

We went for a mission down the coast for a wave yesterday and were told it was only 30 minutes away, a short drive down a little dirt road … one hour later, and one missing hub, we found this little wave that looked so fun.

The only thing was it was pretty much pitch black and I am pretty sure our big mates under water were frothing at the bit for a couple of giraffe’s to hit it for a late one. So we decided to give it a miss.

Which leaves us with today, the boys were up at 5:30am this morning, pumped for a little session at J-Bay before the weekend crowd hit it. We were the first ones out and snuck a few little grinders in under everyone’s noses.

New warm clobber we got when we hit the local markets yesterday. Yew.

After the surf decided to hit our new local for a couple of hot cups of java and some eggs on toast. Pretty much summed up a perfect morning for the boys.

So, there you go world, that’s what the 2 biggest rigs on tour have been up 2 for the last couple of days.

Kindest regards,

- "John Chin" AKA Bottle
- "Mr Ed" AKA Rossy

The trees I was talking about last blog: that organic mulch will get ‘em charging. BBQ on the verandah: it hasn’t been turned off for the last three weeks.

The days might only be short this time of year but jeez they’re good - surfing, training and cooking up on the barbie every afternoon has been my schedule for this last stint at home.

Baddy has been catching a good bunch of fish in the mornings so I’ve been raiding his icebox through the day and eating fresh fish that night. Cheers Dave, haha.

Boards for Jeffreys; Rod Dahlberg shapes amazing 6′5’s , so I’m taking a heap of them; a couple of Danny Sherrrrwoods from Aloha ; a DS (Darren Symes); and few other 6′3"’s.

There have been some fun days out at the point the last few weeks so I’ve had some good sessions testing out some boards off Rod D, that he has done up for me to take to J Bay.

I was in at the factory the other day chatting to Albert Fox and a few of the other local legends, hearing some hell stories about when they were in J Bay in the 70s; using surgical rubber and rope for legropes, tied around their leg with an old sock. All time, I loved it, it got me so pumped to get over there early and get some waves.

The neighbours … cheeky foxes.

So here I am on the plane, six hours out of Jo-burg and loving my last minute surprise upgrade to premium. Otherwise my laptop would have ran out of battery hours ago and I wouldn’t be writing this blog.

Anyway, I’m going to bail because the altitude makes me too emotional and I could write some weird shit, haha.

Love yas all!

Dan

The new store in the awesome town of San Sebastian.
© Urbieta 4 / aritzaranburu.com

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the opening of the new Quiksilver store in San Sebastian.

Haven’t had much use for these since return home from the Pacific. © aritzaranburu.com

So, back at home and … no waves. But it seems that in J-bay a couple of good swells are hitting before the ‘QS in Durban. Thus, I will sure be flying to South Africa earlier than expected to train for the next WCT.

Next stop: East Cape, South Africa. © Joli

Ondo izan, until the next time!

Aritz

Won this moped in the Jim Beam Surf Tag …

It hammers, eeewwwwww.

Hi all,

Well, it’s been a decade since my last blog … sorry!!! So much has happened -
it’s halfway thru another year, the tour is in full swing, we have had some fun surf this year - I’m loving it.

Dion, up on chocks in Bali.

Around the comps I’ve been having a hell time too … Went to Bali and caught up with a good friend of mine from the South Coast, Kimo Fafie. Dion blew his foot out this day. It was really pumping tho … poor Dion.

Down home for the Cooge Classic.

I just got back from down home. We have a memorial contest every June long weekend. It’s for my dad’s mate Bruce Meaker who passed away back in 1985. It’s called the Cooge Classic. This was the first time I had been back in nine years due to other contests on at the same time. I was so stoked and grew a banging beard for the occasion.

Anyhow, enjoy and I’ll be back soon.

Ottz

For the last three or so weeks I have been in Europe.

I started in France (Hossegor) at the ISA world Junior Championships, run by Quiksilver. It was a long week with some great waves and some unbelievable surfing. I can tell you pro surfing is in great hands with some of the talent coming through from all different countries.

Some of the standouts in my eyes were, in the Under 18’s; Shaun Joubert from South Africa; the winner, Alejo Muniz from Brazil, who peaked right at the right time; and Owen Wright who blow away every other heat in the event and just fell short in the final.

Now to the Under 16 boys, and Holy Moly these kids were ripping!!! The winner was Tamaroa McComb from Tahiti who powered his way through to what was a pretty easy win in the end but little Peterson Crisanto from Brazil really showed he will be one to look out for in the future, another mention would go to Maxime Huscentot surfing for France.

I can also say that women’s pro surfing is going to be good hands as well with some of these girls already surfing good enough to mix it with the top pros. All in all it was a great event that Quiksilver puts on for all these kids, I think there were 27 countries and about 250 kids surfing in the event. Great job ISA and Quiksilver.

After France I was off to Italy (Rome) for a wedding and some sight seeing. As you’ll see from the pictures, some amazing churches and crazy architecture.

Some of the places I visited included; Cinque Terre, Positano …

… Rome …

… Pisa, Lucca, Orvieto, Florence …

… and Venice.

My favourites would have to be the Colosseum and Venice.

Venice is crazy how a city can live with no cars or bikes but boats!! Amazing!!!

All I can say is that I had a great time with the wife and I ate and drunk more pasta and red wine than I knew possible, and that the Ozzie dollar doesn’t go very far against the Euro!!!! Hahahahaha. Only because I’m a tight ass!!! Hahaha

Back to Bali now where I hear the swell is pumping!!!

Snake