Curl 33

wi nt er ess en tia ls

CURL women’s surf & lifestyle magazine

the state of surf sponsorship

CURL#33 $7.20 INCL GST

PIC: JEFF BROCKMEYER

A LT Y R S E R I E S | P U R E J A C K E T , B E R G PA N T

Urska Pribosic by Jerome Tanon

Urska Pribosic by Jerome Tanon

See more about the Infinity Jacket at ripcurl.com See more about the Infinity Jacket at ripcurl.com

winter 2012 - Issue 33

contents out the back

8 from the editor | 10 curl.co.nz | 46 yoga tips 70 how to choose the right skis | 72 winter gear guide 78 cool stuff 79 subs| 80 sign posts

main event cvr

lakey peterson

12

tsb bank nz surf festival

Image compliments of NIKE All the action from the event, including the Dow Agro Sciences Pro

26

the changing face of sponsorship

28

your hero, who me?

34

surfing lessons for life

42

lady of dogtown

50

snow profile

54

snow profile

56

in tune with nature

60

over exposed

cvr

Thandi Tipene tells it like it is

The life of a pro surfer

A look into the lives of three inspirations young women Peggi Oki’s latest challenge Anna Willcox-Silfverberg Amber Arazny

The tragic tale of a day on the mountain A look at the overexposure of snow athletes

12 28 50 60 54

34 managing Editor & senior photographer Steve Dickinson P: (09) 428 3046 | M: 027 577 5014 E: steve@pacificmedia.co.nz

Distribution Gordon & Gotch, Ph (09) 979 3000

editor/design Lynne Dickinson P: (09) 428 1193 E: lynne@curl.co.nz

other publications Adventure | Ski & Snow | Prime Times | NZ Surfing | KSM

Proof Reader Katie Algie

Publishers Curl magazine is published four times a year by Pacific Media Ltd P.O.Box 562, Whangaparaoa, New Zealand 0932 Ph (09) 428 1193 | Fax: (09) 428 3046

Advertising sales Sophie Dickinson P: (09) 428 1193 E: sophie@pacificmedia.co.nz Contributing Writers and Photographers Holly Thorpe, Anna Willcoz-Silfverberg, Amber Arazni, Penny Oki, Isabella Nichols, Peter Hogg, Chris Peel, Ryan Huxley, Kris Herbert, Thandi Tipene, Liz Alder,

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Contributions of articles and photos are welcome and must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope. Photographic material should be on slide, although good quality prints may be considered. All care is taken but no responsibility accepted for submitted material. All work published may be used on our website. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without permission. While the publishers have taken all reasonable precautions and made all reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of material in this publication, it is a condition of purchase of this magazine that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in this publication, or from the use of information contained herein and the publishers make no warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to any of the material contained herein.

• 3 hand Japanese quartz movement • Domed hardened mineral crystal • Laser etched imported leather band

the MeLLOR

CUSTOM-BUILT, AUTONOMOUS, PRECISION.

nixon.com

winter 2012 - Issue 33

from the editor Where have all the flowers gone?

There was a song my dad used to sing to me when I was a wee girl. It went like this, “Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing, where have all the flowers gone, a long long time ago, where have all the flowers gone, young girls picked them everyone, when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?”

In 2010 it was amongst the Top 20 Political songs of our time for its anti war spirit.

Leading up to this year’s Taranaki Surf festival, after receiving a press release about the event, this song came to mind again. For the third year in a row, Taranaki has been host to New Zealand’s biggest surf festival and each year the event has grown. This year Taranaki managed to extend the event to a ten day festival including a comp for micro groms, an airshow, Masters, ITL Women’s event and the penultimate Dow AgroSciences Pro ASP World Tour event with a prize purse of $110,000.

In a time where surf events are dropping like flies and the economic climate has hurt many a well-established company, how is it that a small rural community in NZ has managed to host an event of such magnitude. Is it with the help of Surfing New Zealand? Is it with the backing of the major surf companies? Absolutely not! There is not a single surf brand stepping up to back this event nor the surfing association of our country, instead it’s the individuals, companies and organisations of Taranaki that have bound together and stepped up to make sure this event happened.

Approximately 60 companies from Taranaki, including the TSB Community Trust, TSB Bank, Venture Taranaki, Dow Agro Sciences, ZM, New Zealand Communty Trust, New Plymouth District Council, ITL, and Powerco, have offered significant support and only two major sponsors, (Sport NZ and DHL), come from outside the region.

Usually I do not take huge notice of sponsors, realizing that for most surf companies, to sponsor an event is simply a great way to market their product. They are surf brands and what better way to get exposure than to host a surf event. But seriously, what is actually in it for those 60 companies in Taranaki who have backed this event. As I write this, prior to the event even being held, I have a huge sense of pride in provincial New Zealand and the people of these communities that make these events happen. In a time where the girl’s World Tour is losing events year after year, it seems almost unbelievable that the small community of Taranaki can do what some major surf companies cannot.

It is no wonder that Taranaki is producing it’s fair share of top NZ surfers. Paige Hareb, in her third year on the World Tour, and Thandi Tipene, New Zealand National champ, both call Taranaki home.

Huge props to all those people of Taranaki who got behind this event.

You have made this Kiwi girl very proud!

“Where have all the surf sponsors gone, long time passing, where have all the surf sponsors gone, long long time ago, where have all the surf sponsors gone, young boys got them everyone, when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?”

winter 2012 - Issue 33

curl.co.nz Wahine on waves

I often get asked who our main readers are and I always find this a little difficult to pin down. Our readers come in all ages, from the very young to the not-so young. Here one of our youngest readers, Jay Chris Ryan enjoys her copy of CURL.

SUrf camp Each year, Orewa College Yr 13 Outdoor Ed class studies surfing for a term, (wish it was like that when I was at school). This year’s camp was held at Tawharanui and Chelsea Blair sent in this great pic of this year’s class.

a california serf

PAige gains debitsuccess Yet another “non industry” company has stepped up where the surf companies have failed to help support NZ’s top female surfer. Debitsuccess, CEO, Allan Dickinson, (no relation I promise), is proud to put the company’s support behind athletes like Paige. “New Zealand produces some amazing competitors who continue to accomplish great things. Paige is an example of an extraordinary Kiwi achieving great things through commitment, hard work and ability and we wish her every success for the rest of the tour.”

Hats off to Debitsuccess - and if you need anyone to provide expert direct debit billing services then look no further than Debitsuccess. They have offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, so help out those who are helping keep the sport of surfing alive!

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One of the things I love about my job is all the fantastic emails I receive from you all. Earlier this year I received ta poem from Kelly Johnson: A barefoot pauper on plunging waters Pulls it, jacks it and rips it up Then catches a break And melts away with a spilling wave In celebration, he waxes up his stick Then paddles out to the sandbar Where he gets jammed at the pit In a fogbank on a classic longboard Here he hopes to forget The surging Malibu chips he shoulders And hopes to remember An attainable greenhouse hot curl Who also looms at the bottom carve turn Dispersion of the tidal wave tales of turbulence Is diffracted by the tube barrels That he seas and then gulfs As he dishes it up then pours it out From the crest to trough of a wave’s face Only surface tension waves Remind memories unshore Yearning for beaches Of sand castles and bonfires at bay Stokes drift a pipeline Of empy promises of a new swell With fair winds and ride able rolls Towards a coastline of straits Lest a rip current Of truths in a laying way Pull him farther into the cool waters Of the ocean’s grave.

one pass nz

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Cardrona Alpine Resort, Treble cone, Snowpark, Snowfarm, Ohau, Mt Dobson, Roundhill and the Porters Ski Area have all joined forces to bring you OnePass NZ An interchangeable pass that gives skiers and snowboarders access to the partner ski areas, the pass has been designed with fun and flexibility in mind. One Lucky reader will be in to win, head to CURL.co.nz to find out more.

Created by professional snowboarders, inspired by travels from Alaska to New Zealand to Japan and just about everywhere in between.

Atreebutes have given us a Donner Ranch Blouse to give away to a lucky reader head to our website www.curl.co.nz to enter.

Also check out www.atreebutes. co.nz

the body shop New to The Body Shop: Activist, model and actor, Lily Cole has become The Body Shops first ever global brand advocate and as part of the celebration they have launched a new, limited edition make-up range celebrating their against animal testing ethos. So get your hands on some this winter!

giveaway

Hi Lynne, Here's a few pics at my 'local' - Wadi Adventure in the middle of the desert, United Arab Emirates.

I moved here from NZ 1.5 years ago to work as a teacher...then 4 months ago they opened this wave pool at the base of the mountain, Jebel Hafeet. It apparently creates the biggest man made waves in the world. I haven't been surfing long and am not really good...but I am now hooked! And it's a pretty unique place to learn. If you have any questions/want to know more I'm happy to share :) Thanks, Nicole

Now you can make a fashion statement on the slopes while keeping warm in Icebreaker’s latest Bodyfit base layers! We have 3 of these to give away enter online at Curl.co.nz RRP $139.95 www.icebreaker.com

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Featuring The

PRO I 2012 Words and images by lynne & steve dickinson

Sun, surf and sponsors, the three main ingredients for a surf contest to be successful. Having just returned from Taranaki (at the time of writing) I can happily report that the TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival had all that and more. The weekend began with competitions for the micro groms, masters, and an aerial show before moving into ITL New Zealand Women’s Open where the winner would gain entry into the Dow AgroSciences Pro ASP World Tour event. The preparation for this event had not been easy. Gaining much needed sponsorship required endless hours of work gaining over 60 different sponsors to help make this event happen. Noticeably absent from the list were any of the major surf companies, this event instead was held together by a range of industries from the Taranaki, including ITL, an engineering design and build company for the Oil, Gas and Marine Industry; Dow AgroSciences, a company that provides advanced technology in weed and pest control across New Zealand; and of course the TSB Bank, New Zealand’s favourite bank!

The ITL New Zealand Women’s Open is a unique event, with open entry and the winner gaining the opportunity to surf against the world’s best. This year we were blessed with fantastic conditions and also a fine array of New Zealand’s women surfers. Flying in from the Gold Coast was Wini Paul and Grace Spiers, joined by local surfer Thandi Tipene and Airini Mason (amongst others), all hoping for the coveted spot. However, it was fifteen year old Gaby Sansom from Auckland who claimed the prize. Although not new to surf events, Gaby was new to surfing in the Open divisions. At the

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Gabby with current World Champion, Carissa Moore, and four times World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore.

tender age of 15 she has been entering the age restricted events and receiving some excellent results. While shooting at Stent Road over the weekend, NZ Surfing editor and photographer, Cory Scott, noticed the twins and told the event organizer Jarod Handcock, to make sure the girls entered.

Mum, Lynne, was somewhat reluctant at first, not wanting to crush the girls confidence, before agreeing.

They were both super excited to just be surfing alongside their NZ competitors, excited to have the chance to surf against the likes of Wini Paul and Airini Mason, so you can only begin to imagine how Gaby must have felt when she took out the ITL New Zealand’s Women’s Open and earned her place in the main event.

The rest of the week played out like a dream for Gaby, coming up against four times World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore in round one and then against the reigning World Champion, Carissa Moore in round two. For Gaby, and the rest of her family, this was simply a surreal experience, not only surfing against their surfing heroes but also simply being a part of such an incredible event and getting to hang out with the best surfers in the world for the week.

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Everyone’s favourite Taranaki surfer, Paige Hareb in action

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For those of us watching, the week showcased just how far women’s surfing has come. There were standout performances during the week from just about every girl surfing.

Laura Enever looked to be the initial favourite with some devastating maneuvers, along with Courtney Conlogue, rookie surfer Lakey Peterson, and Sally Fitzgibbons, but to be honest, any of them could have taken out the event, the level of surfing was just so impressive. But our Kiwi hopes lay with an on fire Paige Hareb. Pulling some of the most critical moves throughout the week, she looked almost unbeatable. Her wave selection was spot on and she just looked super tight. However, you can never count out the Four Times World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore, who nailed an almost perfect ride in the dying minutes of the semifinals before taking out the win against Carissa Moore in the finals.

As well as the surfing, there was plenty more going on at the festival.

Icecreams to be eaten, signatures to be collected, photos to be taken and beaches to be cleaned. Thanks to Sustainable Coastlines who set up an excellent initiative to get the kids involved in keeping our beaches clean.

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Sarah Mason, the second ever female surfer to qualify for the World Tour showing why she’s one of the top in the world.

LUXURY VEHICLES AND 4WD CENTRE 331 St Aubyn Street PO Box 4227, New Plymouth

www.harebdekenmotors.co.nz

Phone 06-759-9943 Proud sponsors of the TSB Bank New Zealand Surf Festival

Keep all your legal problems on shore with Govett Quilliam

www.thelawyers.co.nz

Looking back on this event I am not only overwhelmed by the level of surfing but also by the level of support from the Taranaki community. If you have not read my editorial, please do so, because without the financial backing of all those that sponsored this event, New Zealand just wouldn’t have the opportunity to witness surfing of this calibre up close. There really is nothing like seeing this all in person. For the thousands that crowded the beaches and got to see their surfing heroes, there is really nothing more inspiring and motivating than actually being there, and the numbers entering the micro grom competition just show what ongoing effect exposure to this type of event has had on the future of surfing in New Zealand.

Without all the financial support, along with the countless volunteers this just would not be possible. I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed that Taranaki can do this again next year so that we can once again enjoy all that surfing and Taranaki has to offer.

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Courtney Conlogue showing that girls really can do anything!

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Rookie surfer, Lakey Peterson was on fire showing she is a force to be reckoned with.

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Malia Manuel was a fan favourite

Laura poses with fans

Laura Enever and brother/manager/ Sage Erikson signing autographs coach, Chris enjoy the atmosphere.

Smiling Sally Fitzgibbons posing with fans

The bank at Fitzroy was the perfect place to watch the action.

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ABOVE: The smiles all round say it all. Stephanie stoked to win the event and the local girls excited to have their photo taken with event winner and four times World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore.

Crowd favourite, Carissa Moore making the most of what Fitzroy has to offer.

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Four time World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore showed she’s still got what it takes, taking out the event Dow Agro Science Pro.

LEFT: One of the things that made the Dow Agro Science Pro such a unique event was the all-women commentating team. Huge thanks and congrats to Kiwi born Aussie chick, Kara Wepa, local girl, Thandi Tipene, and legendary women’s surf supporter, Jonnie Meads.

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The changing face of sponsorship Words by Thandi Tipene So I rock up to an audition and am instantly catapulted into an unfamiliar world...

I’m told to say a few lines and act out a role. Now for some people this is easy and comes naturally, and for others its awkward and makes them giggle. I am a giggler and knew this job would go to some other girl who fit the part.

The same goes for most things in life, so often we hear the saying; stick to what your good at. Well I agree to an extent but what if your not good at something that in the end can hold you back from your dreams? Do you rise to the challenge or turn back and try and get to what you want another way?

The point I’m trying to make is about gaining sponsorship when there is an economic down turn. It’s a tough time for most businesses and companies and has been for some time but there is still light at the end of the tunnel.

Do you love surfing and put in time, energy, blood (fins are the worst), and tears; come on girls I know you must have cried once or twice after losing an event? Are you competing and struggling to cover some of the huge costs involved? Boards, accessories, wetties, petrol, accommodation away, entry fees? The list goes on.

The face of sponsorship is changing and each of us can tap into this change with excitement! Firstly, figure out what makes you unique from all the other surfers around you? Then, look at companies inside and outside of the surfing industry you believe could benefit from a sponsorship agreement with you? What can you offer them and how can you market yourself suitably with their brand values? Sounding like a school seminar?

How you will gain media coverage and promote their business is key! Lets not forget we happen to be healthy, fit, active and

mostly down to earth athletes that have a sensitivity to taking care of environment. Spending many hours in the ocean amongst sea life and other wave lovers we truly do spend time in the elements. I think the point I am trying to make is that there are people out there that appreciate surfing as a sport and its natural environment. Remember, surfing is a fast growing sport, especially women’s surfing and there is a strong synergy between our sport and a vast array of health, nutrition and lifestyle products. Sponsoring surfing is a unique way to get behind the healthy living lifestyle we are renowned for, and the positive connection with sponsor products and brands has unique commercial appeal. After all its about selling more product and what better way to do it.

A good example of this is “The Collective”, a dairy company specializing in natural, probiotic, preservative and artificial free gourmet yogurts, cheeses and yogurt drinks. This company, where a healthy living, active lifestyle, and getting behind communities is important, is backing a team of girls with their surfing this year!

The team includes Gaby Sansom, Bianca Sansom, Milly Crewe and myself. Not only do the girls get to slurp away at delicious yogurt drinks, they get an opportunity to gain financial support. I am fortunate to have these guys back me with other key sponsors which enables me to attend some WQS events, that I may not have otherwise been able to enter.

The wonderful truth of the matter is that thinking outside the box and seeking advice on creating a suitable CV for particular companies will get you the sponsorship you need to continue your sport! Its super exciting to think of the possibilities the future holds and good luck with creating your support team to propel you forward with your surfing...

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above: Sarah Beardmore| right: bec woods | below left to right: Bec WOods, Sofia mulanovich, charlotte hand, jess grimwood, paige hareb

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Your hero?

Who me? words and IMages by lynne dickinson

We often assume that the rich and famous, or in the female surfing world, simply the famous, revel in their notoriety and we assume that their egos are stroked by the admiration we bestow on them. This may be true for some, however, many are baffled by the unrelenting attention they receive. What can sometimes be mistaken as a shunning of us mere mortals is often just a simple bewilderment at why anyone would really care that much about them.

Most female surfers I have met are just that, girls who love to surf. They are not weighed down by huge egos and they will make time for anyone they meet on their journey, however, many of these girls have had to grow up under the media spotlight.

Growing up from a young women to an adult is not the easiest phase of life to go through, and then, for no other reason than the fact that you’re a good surfer, you have the media watching and recording your every move. Many of the young girls who are achieving in advance of their years are interviewed relentlessly and expected to be at media functions and have something to say when a microphone is placed under their noses. To be honest, and not to be disrespectful to anyone at all, but what topic of real significance can a sixteen year old speak knowledgeably on. Often their own values and opinions are still being shaped and they have only just begun to live their own lives. Suddenly they are thrust into the role of sporting hero, with their values, attitudes and lifestyles being held up as models for us

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to aspire to.

Meanwhile, there are a whole heap of girls out there that have been around long enough and experienced a bit of the world to have developed an admirable knowledge of the world and have formed their own opinions on a wide range of topics. It was this latter group that I shared time with earlier this year while sharing a house for a week in Manly. I watched as the media went crazy on the frothing groms while almost ignoring the “veterans” of the sport. Surely they would have something interesting to speak about and share. In the press release following the quarter final match up the writer discussed the first three heats and failed

top: aussie, jessica grimwood | right: irish lass, nicola | far right: Kiwi Paige hareb | Below: checking out the surf at narabben

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to even mention the fourth quarter final between 2004 World Champion, Sofia Mulanovich and tour veteran, Rebecca Woods, despite the fact the Sofia had the highest heat score of the day.

So while the youth were being hounded, we were afforded the luxury of time to do as we pleased without the constant hounding by the media. This meant days spent free surfing up the coast and time spent hanging out with friends. I know many guys fantasize about the lifestyle of the pro surfer girls; the speculations about what they are doing and whom with, fills many a guy’s day dreams. I hate

Your hero?

Who me?

“I watched as the media went crazy on the frothing groms while almost ignoring the “veterans” of the sport.

Surely they would have something interesting to speak about and share.”

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sofia mulanovich

charlotte hand

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Your hero?

Who me?

“Sofia was super keen to surf Avalon, due simply to the fact that it was Chelsea Hedges home break.” to burst your bubbles, but these girls are just like anyone else, they just happen to be good at surfing too.

One of the things that struck me was Sofia and Paige’s admiration for their surfing compatriots.

Sofia was super keen to surf Avalon, due simply to the fact that it was Chelsea Hedges home break and they both had such huge admiration for Chelsea. It’s funny because this admiration seems to be missing somewhat in today’s surfing youth.

When Curl was first launched, almost eight years ago, the big names of surfing were the girls who had “done their time” so to speak and had “earned

paige hareb uses jess grimwood as a human skateboard

their stripes”. Girls such as Keala Kennelly, Layne Beachley, Megan Abubo and Rochelle Ballard were respected and revered by the rookies on tour.

Now it’s the rookies that are dominating and the balance has been altered.

On one of those trips to Avalon, after a fun surf we went to the skate park for a bit of a photo shoot. With only one skateboard between us, and a shaky one at that, Paige resorted to using Jess as a human board, the photos tell the story!

So as with any trip, there were many stories I could share but the old saying applies, “what goes on tour, stays on tour”.

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“Sometimes you fall and end up in the “impact zone” but can’t give up, you have to just get back on your board and paddle back out because you never know what the next wave will bring!”

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Surfing Lessons for Life

Interview and intro by Liz Alder (Director at wowsurfschool.com, Gisborne, NZ) Surfing has the ability to transform, inspire and hurtle us into realms of greatness, humility and euphoria.

In this interview with three interesting pro surfers, we delve beyond the sponsors and the winning manoeuvres to look into the hearts of these beautiful young women. We explore their inspirations, challenges and how lessons for life are taken from surfing.

Bethany Hamilton is one of the most inspiring surfers in the world. Despite loosing her arm to a shark at the age of 13, she has worked her way into a professional surfing career. Sponsored by Rip Curl, Bethany has competed in numerous ASP World Tour Events. Last year a movie about her life “Soul Surfer” was released to the world screening in over 2000 cinemas.

How did you get into surfing? Some say I have saltwater in my veins. My parents both lived to surf. Surfing is the reason they both moved to the island of Kauai, Hawaii, and it’s how they met each other. So, naturally, they took our family to the beach pretty much every day growing up! They had me on a surfboard before I could even walk! And they taught me and my brothers how to surf when we were each old enough. Being a water girl, I started surfing at like age five or six. I guess I just liked the feeling of riding a wave and the fun of it. I started getting better and better, and I was hooked! As I got older (around seven) and found a friend my age (Alana Blanchard) to surf with, I really got into it, and started competing in the amateur competitions.

What does surfing mean to you? There’s something about it that I just can’t explain, but that continually draws me back! The ocean is so refreshing and every time I surf it’s unique! It’s a place where I can go and de-stress. It’s a place I can enjoy God’s creation, get exercise and be creative on the waves. The adrenaline I get when riding a wave is so addictive! Those factors keep me inspired and passionate about the sport. Whether I compete, tow, or (my favourite) just free surf - I just love the art of riding waves!

Who inspires you? Jesus, my family, my friends, and others who love life!

Are there lessons from Surfing that have translated as lessons for life? Tell us about them.

BH: I’m not one to use metaphors but my mom is! She has a good one that actually ended up in the beginning of my movie Soul Surfer. Basically it’s when you’re surfing sometimes you fall and end up in the “impact zone” but can’t give up, you have to just get back on your board and paddle back out because you never know what the next wave will bring!

What are you thankful for Bethany? My family and friends, life, beauty, the ocean and waves, God’s love, salvation and the opportunity to tell others about it!

Bethany, I read about you often and something that always stands out is that you aren’t afraid to

share your faith in God, that’s pretty brave. How do you actually go about this? I hope through my actions and my lifestyle - through the love I try to share with others. Occasionally at an appearance or in a one-on-one conversation with a friend. I’m certainly not perfect and I fall short of his glory all the time, but I always try to keep in mind that God takes the weak things in this world (you and me!) to bring him glory!

What is in your heart to do with your life? I’m just taking it one day at a time, one year at a time, hoping for whatever God has in store for me. I want to surf till I’m a Granny though!

Tell us about some of the best experiences in your life? Well there’s been too many, but here are a few!

Filming Soul Surfer in Tahiti, we got some really good waves and just filming was also a great feeling of accomplishment!

Another experience was when Soul Surfer released in LA! It was an incredible night and with my family and friends and all our new friends that worked on the film and everyone coming together in celebration of a great film being finished and soon to release!

On a more personal note, it was pretty exciting when my brother and sister-in-law had their first kid making my parents grandparents! It’s beautiful bringing new life into the world and I’m really glad to be an auntie!

Yeew Auntie Bethany! How do you deal with setbacks? Setbacks can get very draining. Like for example the past few years I’ve had really poor contest results. I’d travel to the other side of the world and lose in my first or second heat. The worst part was that it was happening again and again. It’s hard to turn off those emotions that say, “I give up!” But that’s what you have to do. Quitting is not the best option. So, I try to wait for the emotions to pass, then rethink things and make the next plan of action to get myself back on track toward achieving my goals!

If you had a microphone to tell the world something what would you want to say? I would just keep doing what I’m doing. I’d share my life experiences and hope that encourages others, especially if they are going through something or life’s taking a new turn!

Anything you would like to add? Readers can join in my adventures through my website blog, monthly newsletter and social networks: www.bethanyhamilton.com.

You can also like Bethany on facebook https:// www.facebook.com/SurferBethanyHamilton

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“Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can't do something, because what I have learned is, if you truly want to do something you can.”

Lakey Peterson is sponsored by Nike and is in her rookie year on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour.

Lakey is 17, and is the first female to land the first-ever aerial in National Scholastic Surfing Association competition history. She is quickly moving through the ranks of the top 17 female surfers in the world. I caught up with her while she was on tour in Australia.

How did you get into surfing? I learned to surf at Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia when I was five years old at the surf school there. After that I didn't really pick it up again until I was 11 or so... Then I started doing contests and what not, and everything just fell into place.

What does surfing mean to you? Well... surfing is obviously a very important thing in my life right now. It is amazing, it takes me all over the world and I get to do what I love. But I feel like I am doing it for a bigger reason. I really want to get involved with charities and things and use my name and surfing to help raise awareness about them!

Are there lessons from surfing that have translated as lessons for life? Tell us about them.

Yes, a lot of times people look at my life and just tell me, "Wow Lakey, you have the best life, you don't have to do anything but go on vacation". Ok yes, I do have an AMAZING life and I am beyond blessed. But surfing, to get to the top, requires a lot of hard work and dedication.

What are you thankful for? EVERYTHING! Seriously I am blessed to live the life I live. There are people out there that don't have families or food to eat. That is why I want to start getting involved with charities because everyone deserves to have happiness in their life, and we can help make more people happy.

I noticed on your ASP profile you mention your inspiration is Jesus. To me I just feel like when I am close to God I am happier and nicer to people, and if I didn't have him in my life I would feel so lost. I feel like I am in the surf industry for a reason and I just want to represent him.

But I think that actions speak way louder than words in this situation.

What might your actions be? So I just try and lead by example and if a time comes where someone wants to know more about Jesus then I will just say what I think should be said in that moment. I don't really think about it before it happens I just live in the moment as much as possible.

Who else inspires you? My brother and sister mostly.

They are not surfers but they are just amazing people, I want 36 //curl #33

to be more like them.

What is in your heart to do with your life? Well right now my main focus is surfing. But like I have been saying I want to help people. Last summer we showed the movie I was recently in called "Leave A Message" by Nike, at one of my local theatres and we gave all of the money to charity. We raised $16,000 for a charity called Hands For Others. Hands For Others builds wells and gets clean water to places in this world that don't have water. That night we made enough money to build almost two wells, which will save about 4,000 peoples lives. That kind of stuff just feels so good to do! So I think I would love to do more things like that.

You are doing really well in your surfing, what advice would you give other young people wanting to follow in your footsteps? I would just say don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something, because what I have learned is, if you truly want to do something you can.

Tell us about some of the best experiences in your life? When I was five years old, my parents took my brother, sister and I around the world for seven and a half months. We went all over the place! It was time that I will never forget and it made my brother, sister and I so much closer.

How do you deal with setbacks? I just know that everything happens for a reason and if I have a bad contest or something I just learn from it.

What motivates you to keep pushing? I love what I do. I really don't need to be more motivated. I mean yes motivation is always good, but I love surfing and competing.

It’s not like I don't want to be doing this.

So passion for what you are doing is the driving force. If you had a microphone to tell the world something what would you say? I would probably just tell everyone to just stop for a second, people are just go, go, go, all day long. Just take five minutes to look around and enjoy where you are or talk to another human being. Just take the time to enjoy life a little bit more. I think that's what I would tell them. Because you never know what the next minute will bring.

Anything you would like to add? Thankyou everyone that supports me and what I do!! Xoxo For more on Lakey check out her Blog http:// lakeypeterson.com/ For more about Hands for Others check out http://www.hands4others.org

Lakey www.curl.co.nz//37

Mischa

38 //curl #33

“What it really comes down to though is how much you really want something in life. If you’re truly passionate about something then you won’t let anything stop you from doing that.”

Mischa Davis is the current NZ Women’s Long board champion, she is sponsored by Sitka. As well as juggling a law degree, she is a bit of an ambassador for keeping Aotearoa beautiful.

How did you get into surfing? I was very lucky to be born into a surfing family, growing up on Piha beach, both my parents surfed and so they both taught me. It was a natural progression for me as I have always been very sporty and active, I used to do gymnastics, nippers, soccer, diving, but have always loved being in the ocean and surfing just took over.

What does surfing mean to you? It was only after I started university four years ago that I began to realise what surfing actually meant to me. And now today I feel like I am enjoying my surfing more than ever. I can’t imagine my life without surfing. And I have actually tried it too when I spent six months studying in the Netherlands. Yes it’s true I am not the same without surfing. Surfing is my happy place and it is also my way of expressing myself. When I’m not able to surf I feel oppressed and incomplete. Surfing has taken me right the way around the world, introduced me to many new cultures, ways of life, and many interesting people. This has contributed to me becoming a more worldly, independent, intelligent young and very happy human being, and I owe it all to surfing.

Who inspires you? The people that inspire me most in life are those passionate ones, to the point of obsession, and best of all when their passion is for something that helps the planet. Whether it is through art, science, surfing, or even something slightly crazy like mermaiding, (putting on a mermaid tail and cruising around round underwater).

Are there lessons from surfing that have translated as lessons for life? It probably sounds cheesy but surfing really taught me how to follow my heart.

It was a big decision for me to quit the competitive surfing world overseas and give up my ‘pro surfing’ dream to go to university. But I knew in my heart that that life was not making me happy. Since then I feel like surfing means more to me now than it ever has, and I have not quit competitive surfing either because I still really enjoy doing that here in NZ. I am now nearing the end of my law degree and have no idea if I actually even want to be a lawyer! But I have my goal to graduate and know that as long as I do what feels right in my heart then everything is going to be just fine.

What are you thankful for? I am so thankful to be from this beautiful country Aotearoa. We are so lucky here in NZ and I don’t think people understand just how lucky we actually are. We need to cherish this country and look after her. I am so thankful for having surfing in my life, for my wonderful family who brought surfing into my life. I am also so thankful to be from Piha, I feel very blessed to call that little piece of paradise my hometown.

You are doing really well in your surfing, what advice would you give young people wanting to follow in your footsteps? I say just have fun. Don’t be

afraid to dream big and don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t worry about what people think of you, believe in yourself and trust yourself. Enjoy surfing for what it is but also remember that there is a big wide world out there without surfing that is also incredibly interesting. Within the surfing world try to look outside the competitive world for inspiration, it will keep your surfing interesting. Always remember why you surf and if you’re not having fun with it stop and take a break, the waves will always keep coming. Oh yes and of course...follow your heart!

Tell us about some of the best experiences in your life? The best experiences of my life have always involved the ocean. One occasion was at my beautiful home of Piha I was having a sunset surf with my best friends when three little Maui dolphins popped up and joined us for about 20 minutes. Maui dolphins are critically endangered so I know that this was an extremely rare sighting and now feel very blessed to have had that experience. It will be an absolute tragedy to see these creatures become extinct. Since I started my new passion of mermaiding, the most amazing experience with this was when I was mermaiding out in the line-up at Lakey Peak in Indonesia.

It was the first time I watched surfing from underneath the water and it was a whole new experience almost quite spiritual to actually to be part of the wave instead of riding above it. Mermaiding has given me a new found appreciation for the magical way that waves break, the ocean and for the environment in general.

How do you deal with setbacks? Nothing is really a set back if you take it the right way. However in saying that it’s totally ok and normal to feel down about things too. To get back on track though I always try to look at the constructive side and how whatever has happened can make me stronger and smarter. If I have a bigger problem or there is a decision I am really struggling with I go to my mum, she has a funny way of always being right about things.

What motivates you to keep pushing forward? Just life in general, it amazes me everyday! But also the people I meet and have managed to surround myself with. I try to keep my life dynamic and interesting by trying new things and meeting new people and in doing so new doors open and new opportunities arise. In terms of my university study well, I have set myself a goal and I am still on the way to achieving that. What it really comes down to though is how much you really want something in life. If you’re truly passionate about something then you won’t let anything stop you from doing that.

You have a microphone to tell the world something what would you want to say? Take an interest. Get political. Vote Green!!!

Anything you would like to add? We always need more ladies in the water so I am 100% supportive of girls wanting to start surfing. Surfing with girls is the best, we are more relaxed, we know how to laugh at ourselves, we have less ego than men, and we just create a much better atmosphere in the water. Come on girls get into it!!!

www.curl.co.nz//39

INDO a-z Words by Peter Hogg | Images by Peter Hogg & Chris Peel

with Isabella Nichols

Fourteen year old rising surfing star, Isabella Nichols from the Sunshine Coast, Australia, met the first big Indian Ocean swell of 2012 in an effort to ramp up her competitive surfing and follow her dreams. It was her first surf trip overseas away from her family. Isabella (Bella), travelled with her personal Olympic Sports Physiotherapist and swimwear sponsor, Hive Swimwear, to the exclusive surf camp ‘Telo Island Lodge’, to consolidate her personal fitness regime and to gain valuable experience in testing reef breaks. Isabella plans on a strong performance in the Australian Titles in Tasmania at the end of the year in U16 category.

Active Warm Up : My sports physio Hoggy insisted I warm up dynamically everyday including running, tuck jumps, balance drills and core maintenance. Apparently I need to do more of what I like least! I already do most of what I like best, (I do agree).

Beef Rendang : is of Indonesian origin and there is no wonder it rated the most delicious worldwide food in a poll of 35,000 people. Rich tender coconut caramelised beef with rice. It is served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. My favourite!

Coolum Surf : Thanks to the guys at my local surf store for assisting me with gear.

Dinged favourite DHD “Duck” surfboard : Despite being upset at the time (as it was my best board ever) - I know Darren Handley at DHD can make me another great board as he is a legend.

Equator : We surfed on the equator so I needed warm water wax.

(The equator is 40,075.16 km around the world.)

Family Isolation : This was one of my biggest hurdles – just as well I had skype!

GT Surf Break : My favourite tubing right hander in the Telo lslands.

During my first surf session there, I was asked by people at the local traditional village to wear more than just my surf bikini to respect the local culture.

Hive Swimwear : The director of Hive Swimwear really looks after me. Hive Swimwear is the best swimwear in the world for surfing as it stays on and looks cool. Swimwear that Sticks!

Indonesia : 17,508 islands, 238 million people, 150 active volcanoes, heaps of surf breaks.

Java : The biggest island in Indonesia and 58% of Indonesian people live there.

Kolohe Andino : Dane Reynolds, Taj Burrow and Matt Freestone surfed at 6 ft Max’s Right with me (only 5 of us). They were making a movie on aerial manoeuvres and I had the opportunity to watch up close. They even let me have a wave.

La Ba : A favourite wave to practise linking turns. The local kids were on the beach and screaming out for me to pull into the tube.

Malaria : A mosquito born infectious disease of humans and animals that I had to be very wary of as I have no spleen, (making it harder for me to combat illness). 655,000 people died from Malaria around the world in 2010. My prophylaxis malaria medication of choice is Malarone as it has few side effects and in particular less sun sensitivity.

Nautilus Shells : These shells are very beautiful and common just north and south of the equator. The nautilus draws in water and expels it to move – jet propulsion. They have a lifespan of 15-20 yrs and unlike the octopus, the tenticles have no suction cups.

Orangutans : They are critically endangered in Sumatra. They need protection.

Photo Shoot : My Hive Swimwear sponsor and Telos Island Lodge photographers took over 1,000 snaps over the 10 day surfing and training camp. I learnt not to touch the face of the wave while riding in a tube as it affects depth of field and ultimately causes splash in my face I eventually scored some nice images.

Quality Waves : There are short fast tubing right handers over 40 //curl #33

shallow reef and long peeling glassy lefts. I have never seen so many uncrowded world class quality waves.

Rupiah : The Indonesian currency – I soon realised that 80,000 rupiah is equivalent to AUD$10.00. This helped me with bartering for local goods including my big conch shell that I carried back to Australia.

Selemat Malam : In Indonesian means “goodnight”.

Telos Island Lodge : An amazing and exclusive surf camp that supported my venture – great staff, fast boats, beach side accommodation, healthy food and centrally located to over a dozen world class waves. (“Terima kasih “which means thank you.)

Unbelievable : This summarises my experience and the benefits to my surfing.

Visas : Easy to get at the Medan airport for only US$25 which covers 30 days.

Warm water : The water is above 25 deg C so I could surf in my favourite Hive bikinis.

X Factor : The Telo Islands have this!

Yep – I am going! When surfing over the reef it is imperative not to hesitate. Be confident.

Zee Wetsuits – Thanks for providing me with ‘wetties’ for the colder days in Australia.

www.curl.co.nz//41

TheLadyof

Dogtown

Peggy Oki does a frontside grind at her local bowl in Southern California. IMAGE BY Jeff Donovan

Skateboarding legend on a mission to save the Maui’s dolphin: An interview with Peggy Oki

By Holly Thorpe

Interview by Holly Thorpe I first met Peggy Oki a few years ago. We were on the same flight heading back to New Zealand, and both bound for Raglan. I was heading home after a year working at a university in the UK, and she was going back to surf and to continue her campaign to save the Maui’s dolphin—a critically endangered species of dolphin that lives only the west coast of New Zealand. We were both working our way through security at LAX—busily unzipping our backpacks, removing our shoes— when I first spotted her, and I recognized her immediately. In my eyes, Peggy Oki was a skateboarding legend. I’ve watched the Dog-Town Z-Boys documentary so many times. Peggy’s grace and style on a skateboard is timeless—she carved across the concrete walls with her long hair flowing, and her arms reaching into her turns— and I have always been intrigued as to how she found space within the otherwise all-male Zepher team. I think I may have acted more like a star-struck teenager than a university lecturer when I finally gathered up enough courage to introduce myself.

Let’s just say, I was stoked to walk away with her signature in my diary.

A few months ago, I bumped into Peggy again at a friend’s BBQ in Raglan. She did a double take when we were introduced. “Have I met you before?” she enquired.

I admitted shyly that yes, we had met briefly in LAX airport a few years ago. She looked a little confused, and I was relieved that she didn’t seem to remember our first encounter. With good food and surrounded by friends on a late summers evening, we had a long conversation about her skateboarding past, long-time passion for surfing, and her environmental activism. It was during this conversation that I realized that Peggy Oki is much more than a skateboarding legend. She is a deeply passionate, artistic and inspirational woman on a mission to raise awareness and protect the few remaining Maui’s dolphin. I followed up our conversation with an interview via Skype. Here is part of the Peggy Oki story beyond Dogtown and Z-Boys.

The moment that changed her life…

It’s Christmas Eve, 1999, and Peggy is sitting on her board, feet dangling in the water, waiting for the next set to roll in over the horizon. A beautiful morning at Blacks Beach on the Southern California coastline—glassy, offshore, shoulder-high waves—Peggy couldn’t be happier. As she looks out across the glimmering water, she sees the water sprays of a pod of grey whales spouting as they migrate south. What a perfect way to spend a Christmas morning, she thinks. Then, to her surprise, a grey whale ‘spy hops’ just fifteen meters from where she is sitting. With its enormous head jutting out of the water, she feels its eyes upon her. In that moment, she experiences a deep and meaningful connection with this beautiful creature. As the whales continue on their way, their arching backs rising and falling, she is overwhelmed by a sense of responsibility to fight for these animals that can’t speak for themselves.

Holly: Wow, I can imagine this would have been an incredibly moving experience. So, what was your next move after this ‘epiphany moment’ Peggy? How did you initially get involved in ocean-related environmental activism? Yeah, it was a really spiritual experience. I’ve always been really good with animals, and I think those whales sensed what I am about.

I think they picked up my vibe and thought, “hey, maybe this human will help us”, and that’s exactly what I ended up doing. After this experience, I got involved in a campaign in Baja (Mexico), to protect a beautiful pristine lagoon that was a really important grey whale calving and nursing ground. Mitsubishi and the Mexican government were working in partnership to build a salt mining facility in the lagoon.

So, a lot of organizations were working to stop it. I got really involved, and luckily we were successful. After a lot of public pressure on Mitsubishi, they backed down.

Then I found out about what was going on with whaling. You know, back in the 1960s there was the big thing about saving the whales. Whaling was supposed to stop after the IWC (International Whaling Commission) moratorium in 1986. As most

Peggy’s smile lights up the room.

Peggy next to her origami Maui’s dolphin curtain exhibition at the Waikato Museum people thought that whales weren’t being slaughtered any longer, I was shocked to find out whaling was still going on, I was like, “wait, they’re still killing whales?” So that became my thing, and it has been ever since. It’s been a really tough battle.

So, you’ve studied too haven’t you? Yeah, back in Dogtown I was at Santa Monica College studying field zoology with my interest in studying dolphins in the wild. Some animal behaviorists were beginning to associate play behaviour with intelligence. So thinking, “hey, well dolphins surf waves, so that shows intelligence, right?” I wanted to be a researcher to carry on field studies and prove dolphins’ intelligence, and went to the University of California, Santa Barbara towards that interest. They are such amazing creatures. They aren’t that dissimilar to humans, they nurse their young, and there are so many stories of dolphins protecting humans from sharks, or if someone is drowning they will carry them to the shore or nudge them to the surface. I think the human-dolphin relationship is really special. In my life path I didn’t end up becoming a biologist, however my passion and my interest in protecting whales and dolphins is supported by my studies.

Can you tell me a bit more about the “Let’s Face It” campaign? The “Let’s Face It” Visual Petition campaign is a result of my trying, through various means, to get the attention of the New Zealand government to develop more protective measures for Maui’s dolphins. In 2009, when I learned that there were only 111 Maui dolphin’s left, I knew I had to do something to help.

In my Origami Whales Project I have been inspired by the Japanese legend of 1,000 cranes. According to this lore, if you have a deep wish that you really want to come true, you should create 1,000 origami cranes, which the gods will hopefully look kindly upon.

I’m Japanese American, but my family roots are from Hiroshima. I’ve been to Hiroshima a couple of times; my father’s younger brother perished in the bomb, and my grandparents lived in Japan. So, I have a connection to that catastrophe. My Origami Whales Project is inspired by this Japanese tradition, and the effort to create peace through artistic measures rather than nuclear warheads, (see http:// www.peggy-oki.com/cu_origami.html).

So, at the Maui’s Dolphin Day in Raglan in 2009, I encouraged people just to make lots of origami Maui dolphins. From these, with the help of friends I made one curtain of 1000 origami dolphins, and another separate curtain of 111 to illustrate the small number of Maui’s dolphin remaining. A local schoolteacher and surfer in Raglan, Angela Prain, helped me with this effort. She is really passionate about the environment and teaching her students about environmental issues. Angela and two of her students took the curtains down to Wellington to present them to the Prime Minister. Disappointingly, John Key didn’t make the time to see them or the curtains of Maui’s dolphin, I guess he was a bit of a chicken and didn’t want to confront the issue. But it wasn’t totally a lost cause. Victoria Travers from World Wildlife Fund New Zealand (WWFNZ), arranged for the curtains to be displayed in TePapa and, later, the Waikato Museum. So that was very cool!

This year I thought to myself, “what can I do to really get the attention of the New Zealand government?” I was inspired by Dave Rastovich’s organization Surfers for Cetaceans, (see www.s4cglobal. org), and their use of visual petition. I had lots of experience with their campaign, so I thought, lets collect images of people with Maui’s dolphins and then send hundreds of faces as visual petitions to the New Zealand government. With the support of my activist friends in Raglan and around New Zealand, we gathered nearly 600 photos; Sarah Saunders Jones and Gareth Jones from Raglan were particularly amazing volunteers. As a team of 2-3 at Maui’s Dolphin Day, we collected over 300 Visual Petitions (VPs). At a surf contest and walking around town the following weekend, we collected another 200 VPs. Three huge banners of over a thousand Visual Petitions were printed and carried at a protest in Wellington in April and were displayed at various other events in the major cities. It was a huge effort to make sure it all came together, so it felt really good to see this. On April 3rd, sets of “Let’s Face It” posters of the same size and images were hand-delivered along with an information letter to the three key decision-makers of the New Zealand government in advance. Then we submitted a formal submission to the government

Peggy combines art and environmental activism.

Peggy Oki: All style, always.

with thousands more Visual Petitions that we posted on our campaign page, (see www.lets-face-it-dolphins.com).

But, you know, the Department of Conservation just revealed results from a study that estimates there are just 55 Maui’s dolphin left, and this is very worrying to me. Since learning of and becoming involved in efforts concerning the plight of the Maui’s seven years ago, I’ve seen their numbers fall so perilously close to extinction. Since five years ago, the population of Maui’s dolphin has dropped by half. Unless the New Zealand government takes urgent measures to do everything possible NOW, in another five years the Maui’s could be gone forever! We don’t have a lot of time, and I am doing everything I can to save these precious dolphins. View Peggy’s “Let’s Face It” campaign video by Juan Duazo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vYNyidN1mI. Your approach to raising awareness and petitioning on behalf of whales and dolphins is really artistic and interactive. Where has this come from? Well, before I studied biology I was actually an art major, and then went back to this later.

I’m definitely a very visual person. So, my activism is a melding of my background in biology and visual art by working to educate and empower through inviting persons of all ages to participate in creating positive change for the dolphins and whales.

So, your interactions with whales and dolphins while surfing have deeply inspired your work over the past few decades. Have you found surfers to be more supportive of your Origami Whales Project and “Let’s Face It” campaigns?

Do you think surfers’ connection with the ocean makes them care more about these issues?

I would like to see more support. I think the potential is out there.

I have friends who are surfers who help me with the Origami Whales Project, but there are a lot of people who just love whales and dolphins, who maybe don’t surf, but maybe went on a whale-watching trip, saw how amazing these beings are, and want to help. You know, it takes a bit of courage to become a surfer. So, while not everybody’s a surfer, they can still love dolphins and whales. But I would like to see more of the surfing community care about dolphins and whales because I think, in lots of ways, we’re like them; we connect with the

ocean. We both play in the waves. So, I really want to give back to them because they are these amazing beings in the ocean that inspire me in so many ways. I really like what Dave Rastovich has been doing with Surfers for Cetaceans. He really does want to reach out to the surfing community, and I want to do the same, and to reach out to the skateboarding community too. Skaters geographically may not be so ocean oriented, but if I can get them to listen to me, then that would be great.

Do you think your role in the Dogtown and Z-boys documentary has helped you raise awareness about these important issues? Well, I think it has helped me get some attention.

I have this little saying; “I work it for the whales”. Any time I grant interview requests, I say that I want to have a little bit about my art and my activism, it’s not just about the past. But yes, it has helped. My friend Wentzel Ruml IV from the Zepher team has actually been quite supportive of my environmentalism over the years. In the documentary he said that none of us really cared about being famous, we just wanted to skate and have a good time. I certainly didn’t care about becoming famous and stuff. But being famous does have the potential for influencing people, hopefully in a positive way. So, I try to work it as much as I can, for the whales and dolphins.

So, what are you working on right now Peggy? Where to from here? Right now, I’m at my home in California, just down the road from Rincon actually, (laughing). But, yeah, I’m still really busy working toward the submission of our full petition to the New Zealand Government. I just really hope more people will get behind the “Let’s Face It” campaign and fight for the future of the Maui’s dolphin. Then I am heading to Utah to meet some friends and go climbing. I really need a holiday! (laughing).

Thank you so much for your time Peggy, and your ongoing work to protect dolphins and whales around the world. I’m sure your efforts to save the Maui’s dolphin in New Zealand are particularly appreciated

by Curl readers, many of who are passionate surfers, skaters, and dolphin-lovers, like yourself. Your motivation and preservation towards this cause is truly inspirational.

HOW TO:

Cycle curl-up for core strength

For most snowboarders or surfers the term Pilates will often conjure up images of a dancer or Hollywood star immersed in a new fad exercise regime. The reality is quite different. Pilates was developed by a German gymnast and boxer in the early 1900’s and has since evolved into a comprehensive, progressive form of exercise formed around the key principle of core strength. For a snowboarder or surfer, completing the correct selection of Pilates exercises will increase strength and power in the deep abdominal muscles and protect your lower back, pelvis and hips from injury.

Modern science has caught up with this tradition and provided sound evidence that Pilates, when administered correctly, is a proven means to prevent and manage lower back pain.

A strong core also allows you to move from your centre, creating increased control, fluidity and grace to your surf or snow experience. It increases the efficiency in transferring power between the lower and upper body. This translates to greater power on your board with less effort. One of my favourite Surfbodysoul team members is New Zealand surf pro Paige Hareb. What any aspiring female athlete should know about Paige is that her fitness regime ABOVE: Core strength allows Paige Hareb to make powerful manouvers. includes Pilates core strength exercises.

BELOW: Ryan performing the cylce curl-up.

Below I have provided a sequence that I include in Paige’s home program, the ‘Cycle Curl-up’. This exercise increases core strength and allows you to get radical on your board of choice, whether on the snow or in the water. Add this to your own exercise program, 3-5 times per week for great results. I look forward to seeing you on the mat, at the snow, or in the water!

Ryan is a university qualified Physiotherapist and Exercise Physiologist, advanced Hatha Yoga teacher and Pilates instructor. He operates www.surfbodysoul.com, a business that sells online exercise programs specifically for surfers. He also teaches classes, prescribes personalized exercise programs and treats injured surfers from his studio in Byron Bay, Australia and from Soul&Surf India.

Cycle Curl-up: Instruction - Start lying on your back.

- Engage your core muscles by tucking the belly in, flatten the lower back and raise both legs off the ground to 90 degrees.

- Take your hands behind the head, keeping the elbows wide. Raise the head and chin towards the chest.

- Exhale move your right elbow in the direction of the left knee as you straighten the right leg towards the wall in front.

- Inhale return to the starting position.

- Exhale repeat on other side.

- Complete 5-15 each side (depending on strength).

- It is important that you rotate or twist the body from between the shoulder blades and keep the very lower back flat. This ensures that your lower back is supported throughout this exercise.

Yoga, Pilates and Surf Specific Conditioning Programs

“I find that SurfBodySoul has changed my attitude to my body.” — RUSTY MILLER, 1965 US Champ | ‘Morning of the Earth’ | Big Wave Pioneer

— Surf with Style & Grace — Paddle Stronger — Make Powerful Turns — Improve Balance — Increase Board Control — Gain Flexibility — Reduce Risk of Injury View our full range of programs for all levels:

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Chasing Peaks

Pearl Going

earl Going is chasing mountain records. Big ones. Fast becoming a sporting powerhouse with a sponsor family including Adidas Outdoor, Smith Optics and Black Diamond, she is more than familiar talking about what she is wearing to tackle peaks. She is well on her way to becoming the fastest woman to scale the seven summits. In July 2012 she will front up in Europe to attempt an Alps trilogy of Mont Blanc, Eiger and the Matterhorn. Sound exciting? Well Kiwi product Skinnies sunscreen is taking a front seat ride.

Big-name brands always chase the next big thing, and a name that has hit international news outlets can be a match made in heaven. It was when Pearl was approached by an international beauty brand offering an endorsement deal that the idea of partnering with Skinnies took shape…

”Some people would have looked at the cash and signed. Kiwi brands are never going to have the money to compete with that so there comes a point where you have to make a choice. I'm a sponsored athlete so I've got a fair bit of pressure on me not only to perform but also look good doing it. Others follow your lead and the idea of fronting something that I knew wouldn't perform never sat well for me.

Going with Skinnies was a no-brainer. I don't know what magic they put in there but it doesn't freeze up the hill. If you are looking for a sunscreen that performs and won¹t leave you looking like you've been out on the hill, this is it.”

Follow Pearls adventures via her facebook page facebook.com/PG7-Pearl-Going-7-Summits Or follow her on twitter https://twitter.com/pearlgoing

www.colorado-traders.co.nz

Anna Willcox-Silfverberg 50 //curl #33

Twenty year old Aucklander, Anna Willcox-Silfverberg has skiing in her blood. Her yearly holidays to Mt Ruapehu and to the South Island with her family have helped develop her love of the mountain. We caught up with Anna for a quick chat...

DOB: 9th April 1992 Local ski field: Whakapapa Can you tell us a little about your family?

Brothers? Sisters? Anyone else ski? My family are pretty big on snow sports, my mum being from Sweden and all!

My mum taught me to ski when I was about 4, and she’s still one of my favorite ski buddies! We have a share in a cottage down in National Park so my whole family tries to get down as much as possible.

I hear you speak a bit of Swedish, can you tell us about your Swedish connections? It’s from my mum! I’ve spent loads of time up in Sweden! I have a huge family on my mum’s side so we try get up as much as possible to see them.

Growing up in Auckland, how did you develop a love for the mountain? I was a weekend warrior for

most of my time through high school. After I got my license I may have been “sick” a few too many times on Fridays and Mondays. I had a great group of friends through school who were always down for a mountain mission!

Can you tell us a little bit about freestyle skiing.

What is it you love about the sport? It’s the endless possibilities that I love so much about it, you never get bored... there’s always another trick to learn! There’s also the freeskiing culture in small towns and up the mountain that is so fun and refreshing!

You have travelled a lot with your skiing, can you tell us about some of the best and worse places you have been to? Start with the worst shall we! Sleeping on the floor of a backpackers with my best friend for almost a week in Banff, Canada, as a result of lack of funds and plans!

Though it did turn out to be one of the best winters ever.

Best would be waking up everyday for 2 months this year and making the tough choice of riding Breckenridge… or Keystone.

Any other sports you are into? When I’m around in the summer I love joining my friends for surf over at Muriwai or up north at Forestry and Te Arai point.

What’s your goals for the next five years and beyond? I hope sometime soon to be competing internationally in comps such as Dew Tour, Gatorade Free Flow Tour, and the Winter X-Games. Also maybe one day be able to represent NZ at the Winter Olympics!

What’s your views on smoking? Paying loads of money to smell bad and eventually kill yourself… not my cup of tea.

What’s on your ipod right now? Mos Def, Cali P, Jaylib, Notorious B.I.G., and The xx.

If you could go see one musical artist (dead or alive),

who would it be? Biggie Smalls or Michael Jackson.

If you had a super power, what would it be and why? To teleport… so ideal! Imagine popping over to any resort or mountain in the world… whenever! Forget heli-skiing.

What or who is your favourite right now?

Female athlete - Maude Raymond Male athlete – Parker White, Sig Tveit or Tom Wallish… so hard to pick just one!

Snow movie – Weight - Stept Productions Singer – Florence and the Machine Food – Anything with bacon and avocado in it!

Shout outs to? Support from – O’Neill, Sway Collective, Rossignol, Ice Breaker, Pow, Bern, and Fulltilt Also my parents who I get endless support and advice from and who have gotten me where I am today!

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HAVE THE

BEST

DAY

EVER

AT

MT RUAPEHU

www.mtruapehu.com

Call Whakapapa: 07 892 4000, Turoa: 06 385 8456

Freestyling at ruapehu

It’s that time of year again, that time when our thoughts turn to cosy fires, leg warmers and fondue parties. The season is turning, the beaches are chilling, and THE SNOW IS STARTING TO FALL ON RUAPEHU! While I’m always a bit heartbroken to leave summer behind, I’m totally uplifted again when the sun’s rays give way to light fluffy flakes of snow falling from the sky over the Central Plateau. OK, so I have romanticised it just a little, because we all know it takes a fair few freezing blizzards to get a good snow base, but the pretty thoughts keep me going till I can get my Mt Ruapehu snow fix.

Now, while you are cosying up by your fire in your vintage aran jumper and matching leg warmers, the busy people at Mt Ruapehu are prepping, grooming and perfecting the slopes to get ready for opening days. Despite having had more seasons up there than I can shake a ski pole at, I never fail to get super excited when I see those groomer lights going up and down, back and forth on the mountain at night.

There’s a heck of a lot going on up there this year. Whakapapa will be faithful as ever to its dedicated riders with its huge variety of topography and trails, and the new terrain park at the top of the Valley. I love it that Whakapapa has the wide open slopes of the West Ridge area as well as the chutes and steeps of the Pinnacles. I always seem to find my bliss in that place, no matter what the snow conditions.

Turoa has some big changes this year that are going to make it a huge season on the south side of the mountain. I can’t wait to see the new and expanded terrain park that will have heaps more space now that they’ve pulled out the High Flyer Chairlift. But what is the one thing that will make me drag my backside out of bed at 6am to get first tracks? The new Ngã Wai Heke chairlift! This lift is opening up a big new backcountry area around the South East Basin that has massive scope for freeriding and a 3km run. If that’s not enough reason to get up there this year then I don’t know what is.

Oh hang on, yes I do! There is something else big happening at Turoa this year, something big, bouncy and a whole heap of fun.

Back from last year is the air bag and it will be a permanent feature in the Alpine Meadow this season. It’s like a giant marshmallow that’s waiting to swallow you up when you land on it. Who can resist launching themselves into the air, attempting your first 360, and knowing it isn’t going to hurt (well, not too much, apparently) when you don’t nail the landing? These air bags totally rock for anyone wanting to learn new tricks. They’re everywhere now and freestylers the world over are using them in training.

I was lucky enough to catch up with one such freestyle skier, the talented 18 year old Rose Battersby, who’s just returned from her first season competing overseas. Rose is an all-round good sort and proved this with her patience as I asked her all sorts of naive questions! I asked about her amazing achievements on the world stage, about how she got into freestyle skiing on her home mountain of Ruapehu and about these fandangled air bag thingies. Here’s what she said: How old were you when you learnt to ski at Ruapehu?

I was 6, and it was in Happy Valley with my sister who was 7. I used to go up with the Waipahihi School team too.

Did you compete in events when you were younger?

Yes, I was in the Whakapapa Race Team. Ski racing is an awesome

platform for becoming really good. When I was 13 I took up free skiing and started competing in events. I used to totally suck at first, but then I got heaps better through competing. Competing shows you what you need to do to progress and where you are at in line with everyone else. It took a while to click with me but I got it!

What disciplines do you specialise in now? Slopestyle and Halfpipe.

Where did you base yourself during the northern winter? In Colorado. I mostly skied at Breckenridge and Keystone.

How does Mt Ruapehu compare to where you’ve been skiing overseas? Ruapehu has got heaps of different sorts of terrain. There’s wide groomed stuff and off-piste as well, so it’s a good place to learn as it’s great for any type of riding.

Will you be competing in New Zealand this winter?

Yes. The Olympic qualifying season starts this year. I’ll be doing the World Cup at Cardrona in August and the NZ Open.

What’s been your biggest achievement in the past year? 9th in Slopestyle at the X Games in Aspen and also 9th at the X Games in Tignes, France. I also got 3rd at the World Skiing Invitational Big Air at Whistler.

What’s it like standing on the podium at the World Champs? There are so many people there taking your photo and trying to get your attention. And the massive jump is right next to the podium area which is pretty freaky at first, but once you get used to it it’s fun.

And now to the air bag…

Do you train using an air bag? Is it a good way to learn how to do tricks? Yes and yes! They help with progression.

You can learn tricks on a trampoline first then move to the air bag so you’re landing on something with less consequence. It’s less scary so you can try things you’re not confident to try on the snow. I’ve found it especially good for learning halfpipe tricks.

What would your advice be to anyone wanting to get into freeskiing and competing? Do as many competitions as you can to try and get noticed. And pretty much just ski with guys because they learn and progress quickly so you’ll want to catch up and beat them. It’s always fun beating boys.

What’s the hardest thing about doing what you do?

The fear factor. Pretty much all the jumps in competitions are 60 feet and over so it’s big and scary but you have to do it and get used to it.

And injury. You’re a broken leg away from nothing.

What’s your favourite part about what you do? The travel. And the people. When I went to the European X Games it was my first time to Europe.

So do you plan to do this for a while then? Yes, hopefully I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can and as long as my body lets me.

You can check out what Rose is up to on her new website www. rosebatts.com So now you know where to head to on your next road trip. If you’re not already into freestyle skiing or boarding then this season is the perfect time to try it at Mt Ruapehu. There are specialist instructors who will take you out and show you the basics to get you started, or you could go full throttle and give it a go yourself on the air bag at Turoa. Either way, it’ll be the most fun you’ve had in ages! For more information go to www.mtruapehu.com

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Amber Arazny

Stats/Bio Name: Amber Arazny DOB: 5th September 1990 Age: 21 Sponsors: GNU, Electric, Anakie Outerwear, Semantics Started snowboarding: First tried when I was about 10 Started competing: First comp was an Interschool’s race when I was about 16 Stance: Goofy, 21.5inches, +18, -9 Hometown: Cambewarra (South Coast, NSW) Home mountain: Perisher Favourite overseas mountain: Can’t go past Breck and anywhere in Cali!

How did you get into snowboarding? Started in the usual way, family trips to Perisher in the school holidays when we skiied, then my twin sister and I wanted to try snowboarding because our older sister did it!

What about competing, how did you get into that? After I picked up the basics- which as anyone else will tell you, is not easy and probably makes you hate snowboarding at first – I wanted to join the Winter Sports Club after watching all the kids shredding and looking like they were having the best time learning to ride park. So I got a job at Maccas when I was about 15 (lol) and Mum promised if I saved enough for my pass and to join the Winter Sports Club, she would drive me to the mountain whenever I needed to!

That was enough motivation for me, I saved and she stuck to

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her word!! Then I got involved in Interschool’s, (and actually won Nationals in Boardercross in Yr 12 haha), but then realized what I enjoyed most was pipe and park.

So you’re a bit of a pipe jock now? Yeah I’d say that’s true. I compete in pipe over park just because I way prefer the progression involved, and pushing myself, but I love hitting jumps and rails too. Especially love riding park at home at Perisher – hot laps with friends on sunny slushy days is possibly the funnest thing ever!

What do love most about snowboarding and competing? It’s not even just about the competing, but the fact that snowboarding is a lifestyle that I have embraced and wouldn’t be able to get away from even if I wanted to! It’s become a whole part of my life, and when I’m not

snowboarding at home or overseas, I’m planning my next move to go snowboarding, or skating and surfing and working out to help me push myself when I next strap in.  Who do you look up to or most enjoy riding with? I always want to ride with people that appreciate every day they get to strap in and shred, and don’t take anything for granted! I think myself incredibly lucky to lead a lifestyle that I love, but there is hard work involved, with saving money, planning trips, and pushing myself and getting injured. So riding with people that also appreciate everything that goes with this lifestyle makes for a great day cos you know they genuinely wouldn’t want to be anywhere else at that moment! That’s something I hope I express when I’m riding.. just enjoyment! There’s too many riders I look up to to name, but one of my all time faves is Kazu, just for his attitude, his style, and his ability to kill it at whatever

terrain he hits.

What are your favourite accomplishments so far?

Everytime I land a new trick is the best feeling ever, because I know it’s something I’ve been working at, and that work has paid off!

Competition-wise, representing Australia at Junior Worlds in New Zealand for Halfpipe was awesome, and one of my best results would be at the Copper Mt Revolution Tour last season where I made my first finals ever, and came 5th out of about 30 girls in a comp that was won by an Olympian, (Kiwi, Bex Sinclair)!!

Last words? Thanks to everyone that has always supported me, and helped me live a life I am absolutely loving. Obviously this is in huge part to Mum, Dad, my sisters Tegan and Shae, and thanks to GNU, Electric, Anakie and Semantics. If you have a dream, no matter how big or small, don’t be afraid to chase it!

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In tune with nature?

Recently while we were putting together the latest issue of NZ Ski and Snow, I was proof reading some of the editorial and came across this story. I sat at my computer, tears streaming down my face and thought this was a story we really had to share. I would like to thank Karolina Ekman for sharing her story and continuing her love of the mountain despite suffering such tragic loss. This is her story...

By Karolina Ekman

As most of the people in the resort are now desperately praying and wishing for the snow to come I cannot say that I’m overly concerned. It will come when it comes. Perhaps I can be all relaxed and casual about it since I’ve just had a great week of race training on the glacier in Sas Fee. Although I think there’s more depth to my inner peace than that. It’s much more than just slowly and pleasantly easing into winter mode…

I’m progressing through my counseling. I still relive the traumatic accident from last winter in my head, over and over again. Yet, each time I ascend the mountains to ski, I find it easier. I now also experience moments of joy and completely forgetting about it. I’m enjoying life, perhaps just a little more each day.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere near being through or over it, I don’t think you can. For instance I still get really upset when I read articles and watch ski/snowboard movies with the undertone that it is cool to ignore the rules of nature. How nauseous it makes me hearing peoples slang-manifested spiels about these movies, boasting that it’s “radical” and “epic” to challenge avalanches; or the nonchalant comments in the movies down the lines of “how it could have ended a lot worse but luckily didn’t, hah, hah…” This kind of disrespect towards nature will always upset me.

Let’s just say that I’ve come to terms with the loss. I’ve reached the next stage of the process: I know I have to look at it from an appreciative angle. I’m now thankful for the lesson I was taught. Naivety and greediness in the mountains have a steep price. Always have and always will…

March first 2011; I watch the snow break up in big blocks and start to accelerate down after my boyfriend Scott. “Avalaaanche!” I scream at the top of my lungs, while also understanding that it won’t change anything. The steep chute has no escape route.

Nor any “island of safety”. He’s got no option but down. It’s game over. I’ve never skied here myself, but from watching previous runs on Scott’s helmet cam footage, I know there’s a narrow bottleneck straight-line in the middle of it... It is his favorite run in the world.

Scott has lived for skiing since he was little and it has allowed him to travel the world following his dream. He has never competed in big mountain skiing but he skis like he has and he’s got the scars and injuries from accidents during past exploits in the mountains to prove it.

In contrast, I’ve recently retired from competing. After seven fun and successful years I was ready to start enjoying skiing at a more relaxed level. Witnessing two fatalities in the world tour free skiing finals simply took the fun out of it for me. Scott hasn’t yet arrived at this transition. He still likes to push the limits to the extreme. His euphoria is unmistakable when he gets himself into close call-situations and pulls it off. It’s like he is in such intimate contact with nature that he loses the ultimate feeling for it. Like today during our ride back up for our second run.

“The” run this time, down the steep north facing backside of Mt Bonvin in Crans Montana, Switzerland. He was bouncing off the walls in the gondola with excitement… ….I have to quickly evaluate my different options of getting

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“My mind is racing. “Why do they take me in here, to a separate room? It can only mean the worst, no…?” I try to fight my negative thoughts for 20 minutes. One look at the doctor then entering the room tells me that fight is over. Scott is officially pronounced dead…” down to the debris. I decide that the safest is to follow the avalanche and ski down the slide path. There is hardly any snow left at all. The bed surface consists of sharp rocks and ice. I call Rescue while side slipping down, far too aware of how precious the time is. As I keep moving down I continuously search for clues of where Scott may be.

It’s still too steep, too convex, to see the bottom of the couloir.

Soon I’ve reached the bottle neck crux. There’s absolutely no snow left here at all. Just steep rock outcrops and cliffs on each side, making for an impossible passage. Miraculously I somehow manage to “billy goat” down the rocks over on the one side. As I reach snow again I can see something dark in the debris way down at the bottom. It could be a rock but I’m so hoping it is Scott. I hastily continue down and as I get closer I see the dark shape moving. In a wave of hope I race down the last bit, my skis bouncing uncontrollably in the debris which is hard as concrete.

He’s got blood all over his face. His helmet is beaten up, his clothes are torn. He’s talking to me. He’s upset. There’s blood coming out of his nose and mouth. I do the quick Rapid Body Search I’ve been taught through numerous first aid courses and conclude nothing is broken. But I hear an alarming rustling noise from his chest when he breathes. I have the Rescue on the phone again, changing my alarm from avalanche search, to helicopter “as fast as possible”. My experience from working as a ski patrol in Canada tells me the truth.

We don’t have much time; if any at all. At the same time I have to keep the hope up…

Scott complains of difficulties breathing. I help him drain the blood from his mouth, trying to remain calm and steady. Focus on what needs to be done. He goes unconscious. I put my jackets on top of him to keep him warm. He stops breathing. I beg him to breath -yell at him to breath, on the verge of hysteria now. He takes one last breath as if only to please me. I proceed to do heart massage. Up until now I’ve only done it on dolls in the class room. I don’t know what an actual rib cage should feel like, but I’m certain it’s not supposed to feel as mushy, soft and shattered as Scotts.

“Un, deux, trois…” my phone is propped between my helmet and ear and a man from the Rescue team stays with me, helping to count my strokes, correcting my pace once again. I keep going too quickly.

Where is the helicopter? I cannot panic, I have to stay focused. Please, please let the helicopter turn up soon…

He was so happy, so “stoked”, to use one of his favorite words.

Jumping up and down at the top with excitement, like a child at Christmas. So eager to ski his favourite run with his favourite ski partner, that nothing could hold him back. Not even me dragging my feet this day, unsure of how to interpret the weird, unpleasant feeling I’ve had in my gut since the evening before… …After what seems like an eternity the helicopter finally arrives. A 58 //curl #33

doctor takes over and I fall to the side, unable to stand up, unable to feel my arms or hands or anything at all. I watch them package Scott and hoist him up into the helicopter. Wondering if I’m going to panic now, get hysterical? Instead I feel mostly empty, hollow and blank. It’s too surreal to process.

“Would you like some tea?” One of the patrollers asks me. They’ve taken me to their top hut. I shake my head at first. Then, changing my mind, I get a small thermos cup of sweet tea. The patroller kneels down so his eyes get to the same level as mine. He tells me that for what it’s worth, he wants me to know that I’ve done everything right, everything by the book. I’ve optimized Scott’s chances of surviving.

And no matter what happens he wants me to carry that knowledge with me. I nod, thinking of whether or not I even dare to be sad. That would be to give up, to lose hope, wouldn’t it?

They show me into a small, secluded room, behind the waiting room. I clumsily stagger in as I am still in my ski boots. I sit down to wait. My mind is racing. “Why do they take me in here, to a separate room? It can only mean the worst, no…?” I try to fight my negative thoughts for 20 minutes. One look at the doctor then entering the room tells me that fight is over. Scott is officially pronounced dead…

It’s a beautiful blue bird day. The sun glistening so brightly on the snow covered peaks it could easily be mistaken for a fun, light day of pleasure. Inside me it’s anything but light.

There’s about ten of us hiking up to a mellow peak above Verbier ski resort. Scott’s home mountain. A few friends of his from North America, his sister and myself. At the top we spread his ashes, taking turns to say a few words, although they mostly get stuck at the back of our throats. The essence still gets proclaimed; what a wonderful, vivid and energetic person Scott was. That he died doing what he loved the most, in the arms of his sweetheart, with his love. That he would tell us to keep skiing, keep smiling, keep enjoying the mountains. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and instantly the image of his bloody face at the bottom of the avalanche reappears. Followed closely by the images from my farewell of him at the hospital; his pale, handsome face, with a hint of a smile on cold lips, resting in peace.

I wipe the tears off my face and put my goggles down. Time heals, they say. I try to believe it. I try to be brave. Try to believe that skiing will be fun again, someday. It will have to be enjoyable right now, as this run is for Scott.

I’m thankful for all the fantastic moments I got to share with Scott, thankful for knowing him and having embraced life to the max with him. But I cannot help but thinking still that life is far too good and the world is far too beautiful to waste through thoughtless actions and ignorance. I believe that Mother Nature will always make sure to teach us who’s in charge; teach us to stay humble, balanced and peaceful within. It is better to play with her, than against her.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

5.

7.

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1.Maria Hoefl-Riesch, skier, Bleacher Report | 2. Hannah Teter, snowboarder, Sports Illustrated | 3. Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarder, FHM | 4. Alexandra Jekova, snowboarder, Bleacher Report | 5. Julia Mancuso, ski racer,Lange Promotion | 6. Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarder, ESPN Body Issue | 7. Tara Dakides, snowboarder, FHM | 8. Kristi Leskinen, freeskier, FHM | 9. Lindsey Vonn, ski racer, Sports Illustrated

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x

over e

posed

Using Sex to Sell (the Soul of) Snowboa rding: A Hot Debate

By Holly Thorpe Upon picking up the last issue of Curl, I was so excited to read the article ‘Over-Exposed’ by Lynne about the current trend toward the hyper-sexualization of female surfers. In this article she canvased an array of top female surfers to ask their opinions on whether women should be using sex to sell surfing. Female surfers are not a homogenous group, so it’s not surprising that their opinions varied, ranging from those who wholeheartedly embrace and endorse women using their femininity and sexuality to enhance their profile and sell products for their sponsors, to those who recognized the damage this might be doing to the position of women in surfing culture more broadly.

As a sociologist of sport, I’m interested in the ways female (and male) athletes are portrayed in the media, and how such representations affect the opportunities for current and future generations of men and women in sport. I have written about this in my book, Snowboarding Bodies in Theory and Practice, and we regularly debate these issues in my classes on media and sport at the University of Waikato.

A few years ago I did a research study on the ways female snowboarders are represented in the mass media (television, newspapers, mainstream magazines) and niche media (snowboard magazines, videos, websites), focusing particularly on the emerging trend for top female snowboarders to pose in men’s magazines. I was interested in understanding the ways other female (not just elite snowboarders) and male snowboarders interpreted these images. My interviews with snowboarders revealed some interesting findings. Much like the surfers in Lynne’s article, female snowboarders were divided on their opinions on this topic.

My interviews revealed generational differences, with women from earlier generations less enthusiastic about seeing female athletes posing in men’s magazines. Some of these women felt such images prioritised women’s hyper-femininity and sexuality over their physical skills and athletic prowess, which negatively impacted on all women in snowboarding culture. In comparison, younger women tended to read these images as celebrations of snowboarders’ femininity and physical prowess; the two are not deemed mutually exclusive. Interestingly, I also found that those women who are immersed in the sport and culture tended to be more supportive of their peers who make the decision to ‘strip off’, whereas women who have either retired from elite competition or are no-longer ‘living and breathing’ the culture, tend to see the bigger context and be a bit more critical.

This debate actually has a long history with its roots in the feminist movement. I know lots of young women don’t like using the ‘f-word’ anymore because it seems out-dated, and there are just too many negative stereotypes attached with it (e.g., man-haters, bra-burning lesbians). But, the idea underpinning feminism—“a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression (bell hooks (1990)”—is basic human rights. Over time, however, there have been lots of different strands of feminism—some more radical than others.

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Lindsey Vonn: Image Patrick Hoelck/Red Bull Content Pool

Waves of Feminism: Generational differences The feminist movement consists of three waves of activism. The primary concern of first wave feminists (1848 to the mid-1920s) was women’s suffrage (as you probably know, the Kiwi gals were pretty impressive on this front). The 1960s marked a new, more controversial phase of feminism. Secondwave feminists (1960s to early 1980s) built feminist organizations and fought for legislative changes regarding the family, sexual relations, reproduction, employment and education. Many of the opportunities we enjoy today (e.g., sport, education, work-force, paid maternity leave) were because of the struggles of this generation of women. Third-wave feminism emerged in the early 1990s and it is an attempt by young women to redefine feminism as relevant for girls and young women today.

Third-wave feminism is a product of the contradiction between ongoing sexism and greater opportunities for women. “We are the daughters of privilege,” says Joan Morgan, a black feminist speaking on behalf of the younger generation, and “we walk through the world with a sense of entitlement that women of our mothers’ generation could not begin to fathom”.

Although “sexism may be a very real part of my life…so is the unwavering belief that there is no dream I can’t pursue and achieve simply because ‘I’m a woman’”. In contrast to second-wave feminists who argue that women need to work collectively to change the maleness of society, the focus of third-wave feminists is typically individual action, not collective activism, and they tend to be more playful in their politics.

The body is often an important site for political statement. Many young women today express feminist ideas but resist the feminist label, which has lead the media to refer us as the ‘I’m not a feminist but…’ generation.

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One of the highest paid snow sports athletes in the world, American, Linsday Vonn has shed her ski clothes for Sports Illustrated, but has backed this up with 2 Olympic Golds, 5 World Championship medals and 3 back to back World Cup Titles.

Using Sex to Sell: So, now that we have a little bit of historical context, I can better explain how second-wave feminists differ from many younger women in their response to the decisions by female athletes to pose in ways that emphasise their sexuality over their hard-earned athlete status.

Second-wave feminists typically take offense to the overtly sexualized displays of female athletes. For example, Varda Burstyn, author of multiple books on women’s rights and sport, argued that as the product of “a backlash against women” such images diminish their power, trivialize their strength, and put them in their sexual place”. Donna Lopiano, the executive director of the Women’s Sports Foundation in the US, also argued that, “any exposure in a sports magazine that minimizes athletic achievement and skill and emphasizes the female athlete as a sex object is insulting and degrading”.

In contrast, third-wave feminists recognize that some women are making conscious decisions about the display of their bodies and are not necessarily exploited or manipulated. According to Leslie Heywood and Shari L. Dworkin, authors of Built to Win: The Female Athlete as Cultural Icon, representations of women’s bodies coded as athletic can work to “redeem female sexuality and make it visible as an assertion of

over e

female presence” (p. 83).

Some of the ideas expressed by the surfers in Lynne’s article and the snowboarders in my study, reflect third-wave feminist ideas, whereas others continue to see some truth in the secondwave perspectives. Let’s look at this issue in relation to female snowboarders now.

Stripping off: Female empowerment or sexploitation?

Many of the new generation of top female snowboarders have immersed themselves in commercialization. They are aware of their commodity value and have no qualms about marketing their sexuality to boost their public profile and image, and reaping the financial benefits. Since the late 1990s, American female snowboarders including Tara Dakides, Gretchen Bleiler and Victoria Jealouse have featured in male magazines such as Maxim, Sports Illustrated, and FHM. By posing in ways that promote their heterosexual femininity, the bodies of female boarders become “fetishized” commodities that are attractively packaged, marketed and sold.

Many elite female snowboarders who pose in men’s

magazines argue that they make conscious decisions about the display of their bodies and are not necessarily exploited or manipulated. Rather, they proclaim that their decisions are informed and conscious and as such reflect their positions of power. For example, in response to the question, “What was it like to pose practically nude for the cover of FHM?”, Tara Dakides replied: “I’m always open to new experiences and looking and feeling sexy and doing different kinds of photos. I think every woman should feel good about themselves and go out and have nice pictures taken of them”.

Similarly, in the lead up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, American Olympic gold medallist half-pipe rider Hannah Teter featured in US Sports Illustrated in various states of un-dress— wearing a bikini or lingerie and snowboard boots in various snowy settings (e.g., on a chairlift, in a gondola). The special feature titled ‘The Hottest Women of the 2010 Winter Olympics’ also included hyper-sexual images of US Olympic team skiers Lindsey Vonn and Lacy Schnoor, and fellow snowboarder Claire Bidez. The issue was highly controversial. But, in response to accusations that she was “being exploited” and “sexualizing the Olympics”, Teter was adamant: “I’m not suppressed... I don’t believe in the criminalization of the body and I don’t believe women should be ashamed of their bodies. That’s just so wrong”.

posed

x Lindsey Vonn in action at the Alpine Skiing World Cup in Italy earlier this year : Image Erich Spiess/Red Bull Content Pool

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Women’s Voices: Opinions on posing in men’s magazines The article ‘Over Exposed’ focused mostly on the opinions of top female surfers. But, in my research I was also interested in understanding how everyday snowboarders (not just the top riders) make sense of these images. Not dissimilar from some of the female surfers in the last issue, most of the young female snowboarders I interviewed applauded such images as the celebration of women’s sexuality. For example, Mel, a top New Zealand female boarder applauded Tara Dakides and Gretchen Bleiler for featuring on the cover of FHM wearing nothing but body-paint: “Good on them! If you’ve got it, which they clearly do (how hot is Tara’s lil’ butt!), flaunt it I say. It certainly doesn’t damage the industry or women’s snowboarding in any way, so go nuts ladies!” Mel also commends Gretchen Bleiler for her recent appearance in FHM and Maxim magazines: “Awesome Gretchen. YEAH!! Both of these publications are pretty much saying ‘snowboard chicks are hot. Here is an example’, and it’s true, snowboard ladies are so hot! If publications choose to

portray female riders as lil’ hotties, go nuts. Because we ARE hot. Every last one of us…”

When asked her perspective on female snowboarders posing in FHM, Pamela Bell, a retired professional female snowboarder, explained that under the early influence of a second-wave “staunch feminist/equal rights mum” she opposed this choice. But today she holds a different perspective: “if you have a hot body you can do whatever the hell you want with it, so I actually think ‘good on them’”. When asked to comment on Gretchen Bleiler’s decision to pose for FHM and Maxim magazines, Pamela said: “I have to say ‘good on her.’

She has a strong, fit and athletic body, so it’s probably good for guys and other women to see that she is not a stick figure with balloon boobs”. Here Pamela makes an interesting point.

Bleiler’s “athletic” body offers a positive alternative from the over abundance of images of very thin models with large breasts (and often sans visible muscles). Pamela argued that

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x

posed

Jamie Anderson showing what girls can do on the snow. Image compliments of Billabong

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To Pose, or Not to Pose…

“If you have a hot body you can do whatever the hell you want with it, so I actually think ‘good on them’.” Pamela Bell

Holly with snowboarding buddies, Elena Height and Gretchen Bleier, US Halfpipe Olympians

such images do not undermine the snowboarding culture: Male and female snowboarders “often have fantastic bodies” of which they should be proud.

Similarly, South African snowboarder Robyn asserts that, “women’s sexuality is a tool that gives us power over men…so go girls!” She applauds female snowboarders who “make money off males”. Robyn supports women who capitalize upon financial opportunities and understands these women’s actions as the result of strategic decisions, rather than exploitation or manipulation.

This seems to echo some of the ideas expressed by some of the surfers in the previous issue; in a highly competitive industry, and with sponsorship dollars drying up, it makes (financial) sense to capitalize upon your ‘ass-ets’. It is important to remember though, that such opportunities are only available to those women who are born with the ‘right’ look, or are willing to invest enough (time and/or money) to obtain it.

In the current cultural moment, the market enjoins male and female athletes to ‘sell themselves’ as a way to ‘make it.’ Resources, however, are still skewed toward men. These factors have a powerful effect on female boarders and their views of self-promotion.

Professional US boarder and Olympic silver medallist Gretchen Bleiler understands that “times are tough, and it’s crucially important to seize every opportunity in order to make the most of your career;” adding, “trust me, I know... I was featured dressed up in body paint on the cover of FHM”. In another interview she demanded that sponsors “whip out your checkbooks” and “show me the money”. Unlike earlier generations who had to fight just to get access to sports, young women today seem to be more aware of their economic worth and not afraid of ‘taking’ what they feel they deserve. Still, I wonder, if female athletes were paid more for their athletic performances, would they still seek out these opportunities?

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To Pose, or Not to Pose…

Not all women who get offers to pose in men’s magazines accept them, and some do give careful consideration to the broader implications of their decisions to pose in ways that emphasize their sexuality. Upon receiving an offer to pose in a Playboy feature on women in extreme sports during the late 1990s, professional snowboarder Tina Basich’s first reaction was “Hell no!” but she admits that “curiosity led me to call them back”. She gave the offer serious consideration but, following discussions with her parents and analysing the content of Playboy, concluded that she did not belong in the magazine. Despite numerous offers, Australian Olympic gold medallist snowboarder Torah Bright also refuses to feature in any “FHM style” photo shoots because of her “religion”. In her own words, “I’m Mormon, so I personally would not do it. We are taught that our bodies are our most sacred things. I definitely would never do anything like that to better my career, but each to their own”.

It’s also important to acknowledge that not all women who choose to pose in this way are doing so for purely individualistic reasons. Some women are using the mainstream coverage they gain from posing in men’s magazines to boost their personal profile and contribute to philanthropic causes. For example, Hannah Teter used the photo shoot in US Sports Illustrates Magazine to launch ‘Sweet Cheeks’, a company producing personally designed and politicallyinspired women’s knickers to raise funds for various social causes (see

www.sweetcheekspanties.com). Teters also donated all earnings from the Sports Illustrated shoot to her philanthropic project that provides clean water to AIDS victims in Kirindon (Kenya). Teter’s alternative ‘body politics’ epitomize third-wave feminism. Not only is she vocal and proactive in her response to an array of social inequalities, she is also aware of her commodity value and has no qualms about marketing her femininity and sexuality to boost her public profile and image, and secure financial rewards for an array of charities and social justice organizations.

Mediated images of female athletes that emphasize their sexuality tend to be interpreted differently by women (and men) from different social and cultural backgrounds and in different historical contexts.

The majority of the female snowboarders I spoke with were in their twenties and early thirties, and supportive of other women’s decisions to display their bodies in a sexualized manner. Many female snowboarders seem to have internalized an “each to their own” mentality. “It’s up to the individual,” explained one long-time rider for the US, “these images do not represent all female boarders”. But some women I spoke to do not personally agree with such overt sexual displays. A few women argued that, while it may be beneficial for the individual involved, it puts unnecessary pressure on other female snowboarders to look a particular way if they hope to get media coverage and sponsorship. Consider, for example, the pressure Layne Beachley must have felt to ‘look’ a particular way such that she admits to having liposuction and breast implants during the peak of surfing career!

Queralt Castellet performing at the Women’s Superpipe Finals at the World Snowboarding Championships in Oslo, Norway earlier this year. Image by Danvojtech.cz/Red Bull Content Pool

66 //curl #33

over e

New Zealand snowbaorder, Rebecca Sinclair

Pressure to Conform to ‘The Look’ Not all of the women I spoke to supported the decision by female snowboarders to feature in men’s magazines, or to appear in ways that prioritise their physical appearance over their skills. Some argued that the women posing in these magazines were only thinking about themselves, and showed limited awareness of the unintended broader consequences of their actions. One of my older female interviewees proclaimed that the young women who pose in men’s magazines fail to think beyond their own bank-balance and consider how posing in this way might affect the role of women in sports more broadly.

Jaime, a passionate American snowboarder, told me: “yeah, to be honest, it kind of pisses me off. I don’t want people thinking female snowboarders are like that. I’ve fought long and hard to be taken seriously on the slopes, and these sorts of images really don’t help”.

For some women, part of the appeal of snowboarding is that it created a space in which they could create an alternative female identity. In her autobiography, Pretty Good for a Girl, Tina Basich describes how, during the 1980s, snowboarding offered her group of female snowboarding friends a liberating alternative to the ‘girly girl’ femininity celebrated at their local high school: “we were the misfits of the misfits—the anticheerleaders. We didn’t fit in [at high school]. Snowboarding was a saviour to us”.

Some of the women in my project expressed similar ideas.

However, some noted changes over the past decade as a distinctive female snowboarder identity and ‘look’ has emerged which puts pressure on some women: “Most women featured in fashion magazines are perfect pencil thin, and perfectly made-up. But in snowboarding I think those things are frowned upon. I think snowboarding is more about

being yourself, being natural, and having your own style. I think snowboarding lets you be yourself, be beautiful just how you are. I like wearing hoodies, sneakers, hats and beanies. Yeah, I rock that look. But, I guess there is an ideal image of a ‘shred Betty.’ And I suppose I do kinda live my life under that shadow. I definitely feel pressure to look good and I do feel like I need to keep up and have the new gear every year (US snowboarder).

All girls grow up wondering why they didn’t turn out like Barbie or the chicks in the magazines. Models constantly reinforce a thin image, which we all carry around in our heads but we all learn to deal with it in different ways. Self-confidence is key and this comes from age, independence, and finding something in life where you can excel and feel proud – for some girls, like me, this is snowboarding. There is a media image of the ‘ideal’ female snowboarder but it is definitely different from the models in most women’s magazines. In snowboarding, there is a media image of a freestyle chick with long hair out of a beanie, matching snowboard outfit, a bit grungy, and riding hard with all the boys, etc. …heaps of young girls appear to feel they need to conform to this snowboarder ‘image’ to fit in (NZ snowboarder).”

posed

x

“An obsession with body image has been so destructive to the world and I would prefer to become a role model by working hard to achieve goals and dreams, as this can be a healthier way to gain exposure for the sport and a better focus for people.”

Bex Sinclair

Some women enjoy snowboarding because it offers an escape from daily social norms and routines. But the increasing the sexualisation of female snowboarders worries some women who don’t want trends in broader society to infiltrate snowboarding culture. During interviews, some of the women I spoke to expressed concern that these images might prompt young girls and women to feel new pressures to ‘look cute’ and ‘sexy’ on the slopes, which could distract them from the more valuable activities of developing their confidence on different terrain and having fun in the mountains with their friends.

www.curl.co.nz//67

2011 Freeride World Champion, Anne-Flore in action. Image compliments of Billabong

over e

“Heli-riding Queenstown, not thinking about looking cute” Author,

Holly Thorpe

These debates have a long history, and yet they continue to rage in the action sports world, and beyond. Rather than rehashing old arguments, I believe the next challenge is to consider the affect these images might be having on the next generations of female surfers and snowboarders. I wonder how pre- and early-teen girls make sense of these images?

Upon seeing these images (and noting the attention particular female athletes get from the media and sponsors), do girls and young women feel more inspired to surf like Alaina Blanchard, or snowboard like Gretchen Bleiler, or do they start investing more time and energies into trying to ‘look’ like Alaina, Gretchen, and their other ‘role models’?

The message seems to be clear, if a female snowboarder or surfer wants media attention and sponsorship, then she needs to ride well and look ‘hot’, and be willing to pose in ways that emphasize her femininity and sexuality. While this equation might benefit a select few, it does not improve the position of girls and women in surfing and snowboarding cultures today, and may in fact be doing damage to the future of these sports.

Sadly, women who snowboard or surf amazingly, but don’t have the ‘look’ desired by the media and companies, are the ones experiencing the negative consequences of ongoing sexism and inequality. As we know, skill, physical prowess, courage and determination speak much louder than gender on the slopes and in the waves, so why don’t we see this mirrored in the media? The next logical question then, is how do we challenge and change this situation so that future sponsorship and media coverage is based simply on skill and performance, rather than appearance?

posed

Considering the Broader Impact

x

Using Sex to Sell:

Reflection: To further recognize the diverse opinions on this controversial topic, I suggest asking your mother, grandmother, aunt, sister or niece, for their interpretations of such images.

Compare your perspective with theirs—are there differences or similarities in opinions on using sex to sell surfing and/or snowboarding? Sometimes hearing different perspectives on a topic such as this can help us think differently and challenge our assumptions. This is a good thing.

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Words by Kris Herbert | Image compliments of Kingswood

How to: choosing skis

At it's core, skiing is a very simple sport. Snow, gravity and a couple of sticks on your feet. Like surfing, it's the magic of fluid motion and the raw outdoors that fuels the stoke and keeps you coming back for more.

Gear heads love skiing too, because there's an endless combination of dimensions and profiles that can be deconstructed and debated for hours. Don't let this put you off. It's easy to choose the right ski by narrowing down the choice to what suits you.

The first question is: Where do you ski?

On-piste If you're sticking to the groomers, you'll go for either a carver ski or a narrow all-mountain ski. Carvers have a skinny waist and wide tips and tails, which gives the ski lots of sidecut. Heaps of sidecut makes for quick, easy turning on the smooth piste but they'll be a disaster if you decide to try out the fresh powder. An all-mountain ski is a bit more flexible because the shape is less radical. It might be up to 85mm under the foot and will have less sidecut. All-mountain is the biggest category of ski and you can find varying degrees of width and sidecut that will suit your proportion of on-piste versus off-piste.

Park Park-specific skis are true twin tips with the bindings mounted dead-centre for taking off and landing backwards with ease. The flex is soft to absorb landings and hit rails. A park ski can double as an all-mountain ski but you will lose some performance compared to more specific piste or powder skis.

Powder If you're a powder hound with little regard for on-piste performance than you'll probably already know that FAT is best. The more surface area the ski has, the more it floats on the powder and the better the fun. Powder skis are wider under foot, have less sidecut and are often a bit softer in flex. Some powder skis work well all around the mountain while others are extremely powder specific.

Again, it comes down to what proportion of powder versus piste you ski.

Rocker Rocker is a ski shape that has made powder skis more versatile. The rocker profile of a ski is what you see when you look at the ski side-on. A traditional ski curves up at the tip and then also rises up under the binding – this is the camber.

A true rocker ski is flat under the binding and then starts rising up just past the binding and all the way to the tip. There's now a heap of variations on this idea, profiles called early rise, reverse camber and rocker camber. The basic idea is that the tips and tails will float better in powder while allowing large skis to turn more quickly on piste because there's less edge on the snow. Most modern powder skis will have some form of rocker. The more radical the rocker profile, the more powder specific the ski becomes.

Women-specific skis Women-specific skis do all the same things as the men's skis, but they are generally lighter in weight and softer flexing. Sometimes the binding mounting point is brought forward to account for women's different centre of gravity.

Aggressive female skiers will often find women-specific skis to be too soft and they will choose men's skis for more stability and performance.

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Winter gear guide

BILLABONG/ASTER JACKET bLA BLA BAL NZD$349.99 Part of the Sorient series, the most versatile series in our snowboarding collection. You’ll find a mix of colour blocking and fabrics that truly set this series apart. 10,000mm / g waterproofing / Breathability, Critical taped seams and printed Nylon Taffeta and Tricot lining. www.billabong.com.au

Patagonia/Rubicon Rider Jacket NZD $499.00 Updated this season with a more contoured silhouette, the Rubicon Rider has a soft yet durable polyester ripstop shell for stop-and-go breathability and warm ThermogreenÂŽ insulation for riding on the coldest days.

BILLABONG/MILA JACKET NZD$249.99 8,000mm / g waterproofing / Breathability, and Critical taped seams.

An affordable pant without sacrificing the technicality of the product. They have elasticated waist Adjusters, Venting zips, Boot gaiters and an intergrated pant to jacket system. www.billabong.com.au

oneill/coral Jacket $329.95 10000mm/10000grs, custom fit, mini herringbone, critically taped seams, articulation, armpit vent zips, firewall 1 insulation, pant connector system, fixed hood, chin guard, inner storm placket, audio, goggle and lift pocket, adjustable cuff with wrist gaitor, key hook powder skirt, micro fleece lining. www.oneill.com

oneill/agate Jacket $249.95 5000mm/8000grs, twin ripstop, light insulated, critically taped seams, articulation, pant connector system, fixed hood, chin guard, single storm placket, goggle and lift pass pocket, adjustable cuff with wrist gaitor, powder skirt, micro fleece lining. www.oneill.com

BILLABONG/ANNE-FLORE JACKET NZD$399.99 10,000mm Waterproofing, 10,000g Breathability. Fully taped seams 100% recycled polyester. Lining is Brushed Tricot body and Nylon hood.

Asymmetric collar zip opening. www.billabong.com.au

ANNITA Woman’s Jacket $749.00 Gore-Tex performance 2 layer shell Strategic thermal regulation active 80g/60g in cool zones performance mesh is hot zones. Top of the line in technology and style. www.colorado-traders.co.nz

Patagonia/Insulated Snowbelle Jacket NZD $599.00 This ultrawarm insulated jacket revels in the motion and cadence of freeriding and slopestyle, providing unsurpassed storm protection for riding the mountain in whatever way you choose.

Audry Woman’s Jacket $449.00 10.12 Waterproof breathable with all the bells and whistles. A very stylish Jacket – be in quick for this one. Also in solid black, vapour and fiery red. www.colorado-traders.co.nz

RIPCURL/FUSHION Jacket $399.99 Fabric: RT Fortress 10k Dobby. Mesh vent, Fully taped seams, 3D removable hood, Removable snowskirt, Jacket to pant connector. Plus MP3 pocket, goggle pocket, flip out pass pocket and more. www.ripcurl.co.nz

CAMILLA Woman’s soft shell $329.00 10.10 Spectrm soft shell lamination 10,000mm/10000br Underarm venting, hand warmer pockets, Full interior windflap. www.colorado-traders.co.nz

RIPCURL/INFINITY Jacket $449.99 Fabric: Gum 2way stretch, 15,000/10,000gr. Ultimate stretch lining, Waterproof zips, Fully taped seams, 3D removable hood, Removable snowskirt, Jacket to pant connector. www.ripcurl.co.nz

www.curl.co.nz//73

Winter gear guide

Patagonia/ Capilene 3 Bottoms NZD $99.00 Our most versatile synthetic baselayer keeps you dry and warm in cool to cold conditions. 5.4oz Polartec® Power Dry® 100% polyester (65% recycled) doubleknit, with Gladiodor® odor control for the garment.

oneill/STAR PANT $199.95 8000mm/8000grs, Regular boot cut, poly twill, critically taped seams, articulation, snow skirt connector system, waistbandstraight back, basic fly 2 buttons, wb adjustor, abrasion protection, bottom reinforcement, snow gaitor, bonus printed belt. www.oneill.com

ripcurl/jeanius PANT $349.99 15,000/10,000 slim fit. Jacket to pant connector, Fully seam sealed, Mesh vents, 100% Polyester DWR treatment, Kick patch, Leg gaitor, Boot hook, Fleece pocket, Boot split, Waist adjuster. www.ripcurl.co.nz

Patagonia/ Insulated Snowbelle Pant NZD $399.00 These warm insulated pants revel in the motion and cadence of freeriding and slopestyle, providing unsurpassed storm protection for riding the mountain in all conditions.

DAKINE/CAMINO GLOVE NZD$109.99 A super warm glove with a removable fleece liner. Has nose and goggle wipe thumb panels.

Durable rubbertec palm and waterproof inserts. www.dakine.com

POW/Chase NZD$99.99 The slim fit of this model is perfect for the ladies hand. Good grip and toasty warm. www.summitcollective.co.nz

Patagonia/mW Ski Socks NZD $45.00 Ski socks cushioned throughout for the rider requiring extra warmth in cold conditions. 60% merino wool/37% nylon/3% spandex.

Patagonia/LW Merino Ski Socks NZD $39.00 Lightweight ski socks cushioned in the footbed and shin. 57% merino wool/40% nylon/3% spandex.

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ripcurl/dandy PANT $299.99 RT Fortress 10k recycled Dobby, 100% Recycled polyester, DWR treatment, Kick patch, Leg gaitor, Boot hook, Fleece pocket, Boot split, waist adjustor, Jacket to pant connector, Fully seam sealed, Mesh vents. www.ripcurl.co.nz

BILLABONG/BERG PANT $179.99 8,000mm / g waterproofing / Breathability, and Critical taped seams. An affordable pant without sacrificing the technicality of the product. They have elasticated waist Adjusters, Venting zips, Boot gaiters and an intergrated pant to jacket system. www.billabong.com.au

BILLABONG/gipfel PANT $189.99 8,000mm / g waterproofing / Breathability, and Critical taped seams. An affordable pant without sacrificing the technicality of the product. Reinforced Hell paneling and Loop Jacket to pant interface Outer Shell: Poly Twill. www.billabong.com.au

oneill/AGATE PANT $189.95 5000mm/8000grs, Regular straight cut, twin ripstop, insulated, critically taped seams, articulation, waistband- straight back, basic fly 1 button, wb adjustor, abrasion protection, bottom reinforcement, snow gaitor. www.oneill.com

DAKINE/helipro 18L NZD$169.99 The Girls Heli Pro is designed specifically for women riders who want a serious backpack to their snowboard or skis to. Made out of highest quality 600D Polyester, its built to last and keep your goods safe, even your laptop. Stash your ice axe in the quick draw. www.dakine.com

DAKINE/helipro deluxe NZD$219.99 20L of awesomeness. Whether you are hiking back country with skis or a board, you will still have a place for a shovel, helmet and ice axe. Not to mention it has a goggle pouch. www.dakine.com

Smith/Allure NZD $189.99 The Allure delivers enlightened style and a plush, fleeced tricot lining in the world’s lightest certified snow helmet. www.smithoptics.co.nz

smith/voyage NZD$229.00 Utilising hybrid in-mold technology to minimise mass and mazimise ventilation without sacrificing one ounce of protection or style. www.smithoptics.co.nz

www.curl.co.nz//75

Winter gear guide

scott/reply NZD$179.00 Neon Pink, Stunning colour, all the bells and whistles of Scotts upper end range. www.colorado-traders.co.nz

scott/aura NZD$229.00 global art series. Spherical Scott Optiview double lens (blue chrome), No –Fog Anti fog treatment, ACS Air Control system for active lens venting. www.colorado-traders.co.nz

scott/dana NZD $129.00 Sensory White. Scott Dana Sensory White with Spherical Optiview lens. New for the Girls this season… www.colorado-traders.co.nz

scott/hustle NZD$129.00 Plaid Yellow Scott Hustle Plaid Yellow with Cylindrical Optiview Illuminator lens for those low visibility days. www.colorado-traders.co.nz

K2/Limelight NZD$699.00 The all-new Lime Lite Snowboard is made for the women that rides the whole mountain with a freestyle mind-set. The Lime Lite’s Jib Rocker® Tweekend™ Baseline sets the perfect balance between a maneuverable jib feel and grip and response when the situation calls for it. www.k2snowboards.co.nz

Kingswood/177cm SMB NZD$1350.00 The perfect ski for girls who like to charge all around the mountain. A subtle rocker ski for amazing performance in powder but still easy to turn on-piste. Ideal for South Island fields, Japan and North America! www.kingswoodskis.com

scott/rosa NZD$1049.00 Ideal for woman who seek safety and comfort in off piste and big mountain conditions.

158/168/178cm www.colorado-traders.co.nz

VON ZIPPER/MISSLEPOP NZD$99.99 Whether you are a space boy or a rocket queen, the visual acuity this goggle offer will touch you down in style. The ergonomic frame design make this a comfortable helmet compatible goggle The dual spherical lens will allow wide peripheral vision with limited fogging. www.vonzipper.com

VON ZIPPER/chakra NZD$189.99 This goggle accommodates a small to medium face size. It gives 100% UV protection with it dual cylindrical polycarbonate lens. With a flexible frame, this will be comfortable on the face and fit with your helmet. A portion of the sale of this goggle will be donated to Boarding for Breast Cancer. www.vonzipper.com

Smith/i/os NZD $299.99 The fluid lines and revolutionary outrigger locking mechanism of the I/OS key off the success to bring rimless interchangeability to an even broader audience. Equipped with Smith’s revolutionary new 5X Anti-Fog Inner lens, the I/OS provides anti-fog performance never before seen in a compact goggle. www.smithoptics.co.nz

Smith/phase NZD $199.00 This cold weather crowd-pleaser offers up all the performance of the Phenom, while adding a woman’s touch to an iconic style. www.smithoptics.co.nz

Ride/OMG NZD $899.00 Combining the surfy feel of rocker with the hard charging pop you get from traditional camber under foot, this Hybrid Twin offers the max in versatility and stability. Built to go big without the fear of rocker washout, the OMG is ideal for riders that require a playful feel and true landing control. www.ridesnowboards.co.nz

scott/lOLA NZD$1099.00 The All in one. The Lola is the ideal one ski quiver. Twin tip rocker helps backcountry/freestyle ski float through deep pow, whilst our 3D sidecut adds edge control when carving turns in the resort. 165/175cm www.colorado-traders.co.nz

Kingswood/168cm Skinny NZD$1250.00 The ideal ski for Australian or North Island conditions. Lovely on-piste and great for starting to explore off piste. Custom made with nice, soft flex, early rise tip. Great edge hold on the harder stuff. www.kingswoodskis.com

www.curl.co.nz//77

Winter essentials 78 //curl #33

giveaways: Look out for the snowflake to see what’s being given away this issue. For more details go to our website, www.curl.co.nz

Olay Wet Cleansing Cloths are perfect as they fit comfortably in the sports bag for girls on the go! RRP$8.99 (30 cloth pack) www.olay.co.nz

The Beardo is the World’s Only beanie with a foldaway, detachable and adjustable beard! www.beardowear.ca

The Collective 1% fat…no added sugar... high in protein... skinny greek yoghurt... strong is the new skinny...no bull! www.thecollectivedairy.com

Skin Alive: 4.2g Lipbalm, RRP $9.95 “Travis Rice uses it” Save your lips on the mountain from sun and wind burn. www.snowskin.co.nz Radiessence For a Natural Bronzed tan throughout winter try the Radiessence Self Tanning Mousse with Applicator. Each application will last for 7-9 days. www.radiessence.com

Skin Alive: 40ml Sunscreen, RRP $12.95 “Travis Rice uses it” Handy size, it’s perfect for on the mountain. www.snowskin.co.nz THE BODY SHOP new limited edition fragrances in Love Etc…™ Sun Kiss, Dreams Unlimited™ Sun Fresh and White Musk® Sun Glow RRP $50.00 www.facebook.com/TheBodyShopNZ

Le Tan Flawless Legs Covering freckles, veins and imperfections Le Tan Flawless legs creates beautiful, smooth, bronzed legs for any occasion, day or night. It washes off the next day and is transfer resistant, keeping your clothes clean and your legs beautiful. www.letan.co.nz

Skin Alive: Hands free stick, 40g RRP $22.95 “Travis Rice uses it” This quick no mess sturdy applicator delivers without leaving your hands greasy. www.snowskin.co.nz

Le Tan Sports Gel 30+ The light gel formula won’t clog pores and very high protection sunscreen provides broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB. www.letan.co.nz

Too Late Too Late has now released their popular Mash Up watch in a Slim version. Water resistant to 3atm. Available in 25 color combinations. www.too2late.co.nz

Paul Mitchell: Introducing Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger; Included in the range are a Finishing Spray, Texturizing Sea Spray, Styling Treatment Oil and a Keratin Intensive Treatment. http://awapuhi.paulmitchell.com/ www.pharobeauty.com

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SIGN POSTS surfboards * wetsuits * rentals * lessons * repairs

SKI TRADING POST 32 e a s t t a ma ki ro a d • pa pa t o e t o e • au c k lan d www. s ki t ra di ngpo s t . co . nz

one of nZ’s largest ranges of surfboards, wetsuits and surfing hardware. come and check us out for everything you need, beginner to expert.

Ownedand andrun runbuy by its itsowner ownerAndrew Andrewfor for2422years years this store Owned this store hashas developed Largest ski/snowboard/waterski/ developedinto intoAucklands Auckland’s Largest ski/snowboard/waterski/ wakeboard/rental and workshop south of the Bridge.

It is wakeboard/rental and workshop south of the Bridge. It is convieniently to to thethe Southern Motorway for easy convienientlylocated locatedclose close Southern Motorway for access (with of off street parking).

We stock the latest gear for easytons access (with tons of off street parking).

We stock theSnow and water sports - all brand new and have an awesome range of latest gear for snow and water sports - all brand new and packages as well. Come on in and see ARKWRIGHT and his staff. have an awesome of packages.

Come on in and see Whatever your moverange whatever your groove we have the right gear for “ARKWRIGHT his staff - Steve and Jenny. Whatever your you?

PLUS - 14“and off street carparks!! move whatever your groove we have the right gear for you!

PLUS - 14 off street carparks!!

Cnr LyaLL Parade & Kingsfordsmith street airPort end, LyaLL Bay WeLLington Ph: 0064 4 3878798 emaiL: team@reaLsurf.Co.nz www.realsurf.co.nZ

Great Barrier Island

108 Mason Road, Medlands Ilone Grady 09 4290352 Great Barrier Island Facebook - Sun Sea Surf

NEW Skullcandy 2.0 arriving in July at Yoobee and all leading surf skate snow stores