Freesurf February 2013 by Freesurf Magazine

Big

Volume 10 Number 2

Deal MADE PARKO in Hawaii

Pipeline

Peâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ahi Eli Olsen Photo: Tony Heff

Free Parking

Derek Dunfee says hello to Pe’ahi’s inside bowl. Photo: Tony Heff

Features 22 Billabong Pipe Masters 34 Aperture 52 Parko Interview

Departments 6 Free Parking 12 Cover Story 14 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note 16 News & Events 62 She Rips 66 Environment 70 Surf Art 72 Grom Report 76 Industry Notes 80 Last Look

Mahina wearing San Lorenzo Photo: Jessica Wertheim

Table of Contents

Heff Editorial ™

Publisher: Mike Latronic Managing Editor: Lauren Shanahan Editor -at- Large : Chris Latronic Staff Photographers : Tony Heff, Tyler Rock, Mike Latronic, Taylor Ivison, Chris Latronic Art Director : John Weaver Multimedia Director : Tyler Rock Free Thinkers : Tiffany Foyle, Matt Luttrell, Nick Carroll Office Manager: Amy Withrow Contributing Photographers Eric Baeseman (Outbluffum.com), Brian Bielmann, John Bilderback, Kyle Burnett, Kelly Cestari/ASP, Quincy Dein, Patrick Devault, Brooke Dombroski, Paul Fisher, Tiffany Foyle, Pete Frieden, Greg Huglin, Erik Ippel, Bryce Johnson, Ha'a Keaulana, Ehitu Keeling, Kin Kimoto, Bruno Lemos, Gary Miyata, Trevor Moran/AFrame, Zak Noyle, Sean Reilly, Sebastian Rojas, Jim Russi, Epes Sargent, Kirstin Scholtz/ASP, Jason Shibata, Batel Shimi, Gina Sinotte, Spencer Suitt, Bill Taylor, Patrick Vieira, Jessica Wertheim, Peter Joli Wilson Sales Senior Sales Executive : Sean Wingate, Mike Takahashi Advertising Executive : Shaun Lopez, Maile Botelho Business Coordinator : Cora Sanchez

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Eli Olsen. Photo: Heff

Cover Story

If you’ve been watching the north shore talent surge this past year, then you probably have seen Eli Olsen charging harder than ever. From successfully battling the daily grind at Pipeline to finding victory in avid pursuits of epic paddle sessions at Jaws, this north shore bred, Sunset Beach Elementary School alumni wave magnet has been making his presence well felt in the surfing world. Excelling in waves of consequences, Eli didn’t fail to spark interests to bid for his allegiance after his former patron, Analog, found its destiny away from the surfing lifestyle; showing off enough vigor and prowess to have earned the mark of surf industry big, O’Neill. And after cruising in the same O’Neill house time and again with good friend and former O’Neill rider John John Florence, he can now officially call it home. Taking a spot next to new teammates like bulldog big wave virtuoso Mark Mathews, goofy foot connoisseur Cory Lopez, Cali-barrel magician Timmy Reyes, and big gun world tour contender Jordy Smith for good measure… Look out for Eli trying to drop in steeper and deeper than these monoliths of surfitude. To add even more icing to his cake, Eli snatches this month’s cover of Freesurf. Showcased in a pristine backdoor nugget, Mr. Olsen showed Andy Irons-like composure under a heaving lip section, displaying what it takes to be a BIG EFF’N DEAL during winter seasons on the North Shore.

Heff

Editor’s Note Starting 2013 Off With a Bang!

loha freesurfers! It’s 2013 and it finally

late-Christmas offering of supreme WNW

in Memory of Eddie Aikau contests set

looks like winter! Been awhile since

swells. Starting the New Year off right!

to go at anytime, we should get used to

it rained more then 3 days straight… But

Droves of eager spectators and surfers

seeing Pipeline-sized crowds during every

that’s a good thing! We love the rain and

(but mostly spectators) began their influx

capable swell from here on out. So get

wind here... It makes our waves. And

to the northern shores to witness the

ready for more ground breaking big wave

more is on the horizon. Yes! It’s a big

magic of the ocean’s wrath. To see strong

triumphs to be had, cause this year has

deal! Well, maybe not to the common

willed men and women risk life and limb

already set pretty high marks.

surfer like me. Don’t get me wrong; I

for a few seconds of cerebral bliss on

love a good adrenaline rush. But going

top of a monster of water. It is quite the

With Seabass blazing onto the world

out to chase death defyingly big surf...

addictive sight. In this issue we highlight

tour in heroic style, Parko finally winning

Let’s just say I’m not quite there yet. But

our exclusive interview with newly

a well-deserved world title, the US

to warriors of the ocean, it is a BIG deal.

crowned king of surfing Joel Parkinson,

government evading a fiscal cliff and a few

These guys spend their lives tracking

introduce you to the latest woman who’s

presumed apocalyptic days gone false, it’s

storms that can give them their potential

been sneaking into heroine bombs at

turning out to be a pretty crazy interesting

fix. Sometimes I ponder the mentality of

Waimea, and check out the latest surf

year. I guess the only way to avoid late-

these wave gladiators, do they have an

prodigy who’s been making waves from

drops is to charge ‘em hard, right? So

adrenaline imbalance? Maybe someday

the Big Island.

from the Freesurf family, live well, live

a clinical study will emerge to educate

healthy, no worries, no fear, Chance ‘em,

us more... But until then, as an avid surf

Freesurf was also on hand to document

charge ‘em, and be happy in 2013! Hope

watcher, to all those who fearlessly seek

this year’s superb delivery of waves.

to see you in the water, (even if I’m just

out this lifestyle; I salute you and am

Chasing the action as it graced pristine

watching you from shore) Aloha!

thankful for your aspirations (even if you

Waimea Bay and Pipeline on Oahu,

got some screws loose). We love you

and Pe’ahi (Jaws) of northern Maui...

- Chris Latronic

here at Freesurf! You keep us busy ;)

And I have to mention, we’ve just seen

Editor-at-Large

big wave paddle-in surfing reach ever The new year of 2013 ended and began

exceeding levels of gnar. With the Red

in epic fashion, gracing the isles with a

Bull Jaws Paddle at Pe’ahi and Quiksilver

43rd Surf N Sea Haleiwa International Open presented by Hurley

Taylor Ivison

News & Events

Isaiah Moniz, Junior’s Shortboard division winner. he 43rd Surf N Sea Haleiwa International Open presented by Hurley, the longest running amateur surf contest, absolutely fired in 2012. Huge WNW swells made a tear down the north shore, bringing some of the gnarliest surf the HIO has seen in some time. Rolling peaks of 4 to 6 feet made for plenty of scoring opportunities and exciting exchanges. The senior men’s division was dominated by performances of Jock Sutherland and ‘Big Wave’ Dave DeMarkle, who slashed it out side by side all the way to the finals with Uncle Jock taking top honors. In the masters division, a similar suited pair was Rainos Hayes and Mike Latronic. The renowned world team coach and Freesurf’s own publisher impressed the judges with their vintage style and veteran rail work all the way to the finals. The second day was for the girls and boys. The swell dropped to a fun sized 2 to 4 foot in the morning, allowing for perfect rights and lefts. But the swell built swiftly toward the afternoon, unsheathing some massive sets and putting the young field of groms to the test.

The coveted junior’s division frothed as they experienced the peak of the swell the next morning. Displaying some of the most progressive surfing of the event proved that Hawaii’s junior surf scene is healthy and ready for the next level. Without a hiccup, there is no doubt that the 2012 Haleiwa International Open was nothing short of exceptional. Pumping in solid waves for all divisions and with each contestant enjoying 4 man heats, victory or defeat, everyone couldn’t help but feel

Chris Latronic

Rainos Hayes, Master’s Shortboard division winner.

Chris Latronic

News & Events

Honolua Bloomfield, Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Longboard division winner. Jock Sutrherland, Seniorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Longboard division winner. Latronic

like a winner. But below are the results of the extraordinary standouts: Congrats to everyone who participated in the 2012 Haleiwa International Open. Mahalos to Jason Shibata, Joel Centeio, Zen Yoshifuku, and the entire HIO crew for coming together and putting on a fantastic community event!

Results Japan Men

Men

1. Kai Matsumoto

1. Matty Costa

2. Shuji Kasuya

2. Kanoa Dahlin

3. Shimpei Horiguchi

3. EJ Mitsui

Boys

Masters

Women

Men LB

Senior LB

1. Imaikalani DeVault

1. Rainos Hayes

1. Dax McGill

1. Ikaika Kalama

1. Jock Sutherland

2. Kalani David

2. Mike Latronic

2. Bailey Nagy

2. Nelson Ahina III

2. Warren Hoohuli

3. Seth Moniz

3. Chris Owens

3. Mahina Maeda

3. Robin Mark

3. Dave Sherman

Juniors

Seniors

Women LB

Master LB

1. Isaiah Moniz

1. Ricardo Silva

1. Honolua Bloomfield

1. Gino Bell

2. Ezekiel Lau

2. Bitch Pereirra

2. Ashley Ahina

2. Kalani Foster

3. Makai McNamara

3. Jock Sutherland

3. Kui Adric

3. Brent Cooper

Verizon Hawaii Team Goes to China The ISA has announced the 2nd edition of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival, the first event of the ISA China Cup. Slotted for this past January 25th-30th, this invitationonly surf event was decided to run a second year due to its large success in 2012. ISA President Fernando Aguerre says last year’s Surfing Festival “produced the largest media audience ever in the history of the ISA.” Marked as the second ASP event ever in China that counts toward the ASP Men’s World Ranking, we’re sending out our congratulations to this year’s Verizon Hawaii team members: Sunny Garcia

Dustin Cuizon

Kapio Jaquias

Nage Melamed

Kaolia Kahokuloa

Alessa Quizon

HASA / NSSA Upcoming Events Maili Point / (Ulehawa Beach Park #2 February 2,3,9,10 HASA #8 Pinetrees February 26th & 27th NSSA #8 Sandy Beach March 2,3,9,10 HASA March 2013 NSSA Hawaii Championships/Open, Explorer, and Airshow Haleiwa Beach (Ali’i) April 13, 14, 20, 21 HASA Ala Moana Bowls April 25, 26, 27, 28 HASA State Championship ASP / HIC Pro Jr Kuhio Beach Aug 19-22 Check freesurfmagazine.com for complete Hawaii surfing events

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Pipe Masters By Matt Luttrell

In Memory of Andy Irons

The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons is

Mark “Occy” Occhilupo summed it up best during this year’s

the oldest contest in the Hawaiian Islands. It is surfing’s

Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, “It’s the

SuperBowl. And it is surfing’s World Series, Olympics and

greatest show on Earth.” As anyone who has watched the

World Cup all wrapped into one. While crazier waves have

event from the beach can attest, the former Pipe Master

made appearances over the past four decades, Pipeline

and world champion wasn’t spitting hyperbole. No other surf

remains the benchmark by which all surfers are judged. Pipe

contest holds a candle next to the Pipe Masters. And this

will always remain surfing’s Mecca because A) it’s Hawaii and

year’s event was even more electric than normal. For the first

B) as a venue, the Banzai is the one surf spot in the world that

time since 2009, the world title race would be coming down

most closely mimics a Coliseum. And as everyone knows,

to the final event of the year, and the surf world was buzzing.

sport is best when athletes perform in front of cheering

Would it finally be Joel Parkinson’s year to win his first world

masses.

title? Could Mick Fanning pull off the impossible by winning a 3rd championship? Or would it be the 12th world title for Kelly

Latronic

Billabong

Slater, the greatest surfer of all time? The drama pitting 2012’s top

wild cards proved especially dangerous, with Kalani Chapman,

three ranked surfers was something out of Shakespeare.

Billy Kemper and former Pipe Master Jamie O’Brien all taking Round 1 victories. Triple Crown leader Sebastian “Seabass”

Mother Ocean must have been excited about the world title race

Zietz continued his sizzling Triple Crown form, handedly

also, because she sent the Banzai Pipeline a thumping eight-to-ten

beating Glenn Hall in the last Round 1 heat of the day. Plenty

foot west northwest swell on the first day of the waiting period.

of spitting barrels and poundings throughout the first day had

The first true Pipe swell of the season handed out great barrels

the beach crowd ready for Day 2.

and brutal beatings to both the ASP Top 34 and the eight Hawaii wild cards. An excited Saturday crowd saw defending champ

With the waves still firing on Sunday, contest organizers

Kierren Perrow hit the water first, starting right where he left off

made the wise call to run Day 2 of the Billabong Pipe Masters

in 2011 by defeating Pipe specialist Evan Valiere in a hard fought

in Memory of Andy Irons. The previous day’s long period

duel. Not all of the Top 34 were as fortunate as Perrow. The Hawaii

swell had dropped off just a tad, down to six-to-eight foot,

and the slightly smaller conditions opened

ever known, and emerged triumphant.

dream alive. Mick Fanning wasn’t as lucky

up Backdoor much to the delight of the

Uncharacteristically poor wave choices by

as Parko and Slater in his Round 3 bout

regular-footers. All eyes were on the 3rd

Florence, combined with Zietz catching

as the 2-time champ drew Shane Dorian.

heat of the day, with Kauai’s Sebastian

the best waves during the 40-minute

White Lightening lost an extremely

Zietz going up against South African tube-

heat, saw John John bow out in his first

close battle against the Big Island heavy

slayer Travis Logie. The eleven-fingered

heat of the event.

water commando, setting the stage for

surfer’s luck continued, with Seabass

a possible Parko/Slater match up in the

winning the round 2 heat by .56 points.

Round 3 saw the event’s top surfers first

finals. Before day 2 wrapped up, the first

Just two heats later, Adam Melling lost

surf of the event, and all eyes were on

two heats of the no-elimination round

his round 2 heat to an in-form Miguel

Heat 6. Joel Parkinson, the number one

4 heats went down. Sebastian Zietz

Pupo. Melling’s loss gave the young

rated surfer in the world coming into

again took care of business, smoking

Kauaian his first Triple Crown title. To

the event, had drawn local threat Kalani

Damien Hobgood and Dane Reynolds

the delight of the crowd on the beach,

Chapman in his heat. Parko kept busy,

in his heat, and advancing directly into

Seabass was chaired on his surfboard all

and found his rhythm early in the heat.

the quarterfinals. In the last heat of the

the way from the Oakley house down to

With just three minutes left, Parkinson

day, Joel Parkinson surfed lights out,

the podium in front of Pipe. Never has a

found a Backdoor nugget, which he surfed

annihilating C.J. Hobgood and Kierren

Triple Crown victor received his trophy

perfectly for a nine point score. Three

Perrow in a lopsided heat. Parko nabbed

with more panache and style than the

heats later, Kelly Slater hit the water to

every single good wave, comboing both

man they call Seabass. The fairy tale

face wildcard Billy Kemper. The world’s

of these talented Pipe surfers with a

continued just an hour later, as Sebastian

number two ranked surfer earned the

tremendous performance.

Zietz found himself in the first heat of

highest heat score of Round 3 with a

Round 3 against John John Florence.

deep Pipe left and backing it up with a set

Needing just one more day to complete

Still drenched in beer, Seabass faced

Backdoor wave, handedly beating an in-

the contest, event officials had to make

one of the greatest surfers Pipe has

form Kemper to keep his 12th world title

an extremely tough call to run the final

King Kelly in all his glory, giving the lucky Pipe fans a show.

Heff

Josh Kerr didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the final without taking a few beatings.

Heff

Yadin Nicol en route to an equal 5th place, his best Pipe finish yet.

Heff

day of competition with 6 days remaining in the waiting period. With the winds looking terrible until December 20th, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Executive Director Randy Rarick made the tough call to run the 3rd day in some pretty dicey looking conditions. Once the horn blew, the shifty 6-foot peaks offered up tricky tubes for Josh Kerr, Gabriel Medina and Kelly Slater. Josh Kerr ends up winning the heat despite injuring his shoulder. King Kelly had a shocker of a heat, never finding rhythm or a wave with a clean exit. Relegated to Round 5, Slater regained his fighting form and put on a clinic against young Miguel Pupo, easily waltzing into the quarterfinals. Joel Parkinson’s first surf of the final day was his quarterfinal match up with Pipe standout C.J. Hobgood. Parko kept calm in the wave starved heat, surfing smart by collecting a small Backdoor runner and backing it up with a wonky left at Pipe to keep his title dreams alive. In what was the heat of the day, Kelly Slater faced best friend Shane Dorian in the last quarterfinal as the waves completely turned on. Both of the bald Momentum Generation surf stars put on clinic in Backdoor barrel riding. With most of the beach believing Dorian was underscored on his best wave of the heat, Slater squeaked through the heat, and it looked like everyone’s dream of a Hollywood-style Parko/Slater final was imminent.

Shane Dorian nearly took out Slater in the quarters,

The waves continued to pulse in the first semifinal, pitting Joel

putting in a stellar performance at Backdoor.

Parkinson against the sole remaining goofy footer left in the event, not won the Billabong Pipe Masters since Rob Machado claimed victory at the Banzai back in 2000. With the majority of scoring waves coming from the rights at Backdoor, maybe Billabong should consider renaming the event the Billabong Backdoor Masters?) From the beginning of the heat, it was obvious that Parko was going to win the match up. Parkinson had the mojo, plain and simple. Parko scoured the shifty lineup and always found himself in the right spot for the best scoring waves. After his commanding semifinal win, Parko retreated to the Billabong house

Sean Reilly

to watch Slater take on Josh Kerr. While the energy on the beach

Sebastian Zietz earned his first berth into the Billabong Pipe Masters with his strong Triple Crown showing.

Pipeline came alive just in time for this year’s Billabong Pipe Masters after a slow start to the winter.

Kirstin / ASP

Damien Hobgood. (It’s interesting to note that a goofy footer has

Cestari / ASP

Billabong Pipe Masters Results 1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.17 2 – Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.83 BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS SEMIFINALS RESULTS: SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.30 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.63 SF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.13 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 4.90

A determined Joel Parkinson, took the 2012 Billabong Pipe Masters and ASP World Title

the second semifinal, making for a bizarre heat. Kerr managed to nab the first wave of the heat, a clean Backdoor barrel, and exited into the channel with a score of 9.20. Meanwhile, Kelly Slater didn’t even make a wave during the heat, getting pinched on both of his scoring waves at Backdoor for a combined score of 4.9 points. Kelly’s shocker of a heat meant that all eyes were focused on Joel Parkinson. Parko nervously watched Kelly Slater desperately scramble around the lineup for 25 minutes from his bedroom lanai. When the horn finally blew, the beach erupted for Joel Parkinson. The four-time World Title runner-up hugged his wife and friends before being chaired up to receive his long coveted crown. It’s hard to make the finals of the Billabong Pipe Masters anti-climatic, but Parko winning the world title usurped all the remaining drama. As Kerr and Parko paddled out for the final, it was practically pre-ordained that unless a meteor hit the Earth, Parkinson was going to win the event. Josh Kerr didn’t back down an inch and surfed impressively in the blustery conditions, but it was Parko’s day. Despite trailing for the first 23 minutes, Parkinson styled through two Backdoor nuggets to earn his first contest victory of the season, and his very first Billabong Pipe Masters victory. It was a fitting end to an incredible 2012.

Bill Taylor

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Aperture

Ricardo dos Santos standing at attention at Pipeline. Photo: Kyle Burnett

Connor Baxter braves the left at JAWS. Photo: Heff

Jamie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien right at home in the green room at Pipe. Photo: Patrick Vieira

Ian Gouveia gunning for the front door at Pipe. Photo: Mike Latronic

Mark Healey, evening delight at Pipeline. Photo: Jim Russi

Nils Schweizer, driving through the Backdoor. Photo: Ippel Films / Red Digital Cinema

Billy Kemper taking the plunge at Peâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ahi. Photo: Tony Heff

Anthony Walsh enjoying the moment at Pipeline. Photo: Joli

Tyler Larronde joins the paddle crew at Peâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ahi. Photo: Tony Heff

Dusty Payne, poised and positioned at Pipeline. Photo: Joli

Jonah Morgan taking advantage of local status at Pipeline. Photo: Sebastian Rojas

The drop at Waimea will always hold a special place in surfing. Kahea Hart and friends. Photo: Taylor Ivison

Gavin Beschen finding a line at Pipe. Photo: Taylor Ivison

Hawaii wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only place going off at the end of the year. 16-year old Landon McNamara made the long trek to Cortes Bank to turn some heads. Photo:Greg Huglin

Kirstin / ASP

Parko Intro by Nick Carroll

The relief won’t wear off for months. Of his generation’s world champs, Joel Parkinson is the one who’s done the most in pursuit of the crown – the guy who’s simultaneously been the one most expected and the one least lucky. He’s been blessed with the smoothest rail carving style on the planet, praised by everyone in the sport, yet he’s had to watch over and over as his buddies, Mick Fanning, Andy Irons, and Steph Gilmore have picked up the silverware. He’s had fin gashes, broken ankles, and visits to the sports psychologist while they’ve had their dreams come true. Now he’s got that title, the one (as Sunny Garcia told everyone on Parko’s victory night) that nobody can take away from him, the one that etches him into the sport’s history. There hasn’t been a more popular result in years. Yet despite his popularity and his two Triple Crowns, I bet there’s many surfers outside his home nation, hell outside his home town, who don’t know much about the new world champion. Partly because he’s humble by nature and doesn’t love the interview process; partly because his friends have attracted more of the limelight; partly because he’s been around for a while, and we all know what that means as far as surf PR goes, with the rare exception of KS. So what the heck, let’s fill you in on the man with the big nose and even bigger cutback. Joel Parkinson was born April 10, 1981 on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, three hours’ drive north of the better known Gold Coast. The Parkinson’s – Dad Brian and uncle Darryl – were a well-known surfing family, and Joel grew up around the ocean, surfing and fishing in Queensland’s warm waters. His big boyhood

surfing buddy was Nathan Hedge, whose Dad Greg was best mates with Brian Parkinson. The family eventually split and around the age of 13, he moved with Brian down to the Goldie, where he was initiated into the mysteries of Kirra by new friend Dean Morrison. The pair would take days off school to surf the magic barrel-world whenever it broke, once or twice scoring it almost to themselves. In the late 1990s Joel and Dean, along with fellow recent Gold Coast émigré Mick Fanning, were part of a generation busting crew of young Aussie surfers, including Hedgey, Dave Rastovich, Damon Harvey, Bede Durbidge, Ace Buchan and a dozen more young hotshots. In a nation defined by competitive surfing success, they restored pride in the sport, a pride badly dented by Kelly Slater’s dominance. They didn’t all follow the pro tour pathway. Rasta set off to save the cetaceans, Harvey went into business – but the ones who did all had major success. Now Parko, perhaps the best of them all, has put his name on the big list. Back in 2001, as he was setting out into WCT Land, Joel

it’s not a bad one. But he’s gone on to be a bit more than that.

Brian Bielmann

quote: “I wanna be the funnest surfer ever.” As goals go,

Cestari / ASP

made the cover of Australia’s Surfing Life magazine with a

Do you remember your first wave, or your first experience

Were there any adjustments (emotionally or psychologically)

in the ocean?

you made this year?

I was four years old and we were on a camping trip with my

The year before last I got pretty… not burnt out, but it was just

parents and we were there with Nathan Hedge’s family, and

heat after heat. This year I thought, ‘Enjoy it.’ From the first heat

we surfed this little place called Double Island Point. It was

at Snapper, I was thinking, ‘I’m having fun. I’m going to enjoy it.

1-foot whitewater and I remember being on Dad’s board like,

Win or lose, even if I’m stuck behind, I need a combination of two

‘Yeah’, just circle-working these 1-foot closeout white waters

scores, whatever I need’. If you push me in a corner I’m going to

and thinking, this is amazing. That was my first real memory

fight my way out. In France I lost a heat to Kelly in the semifinals.

of surfing. My dad said he pushed me onto waves before

The waves were good. We had a good heat. I didn’t come out

that, but that was the first time I really had a go myself, and

of one barrel, but by the time I got up to the competitors area I

I remembered that surf. It was unbelievable. And then I think

thought, ‘that was fun’. Having those kinds of heats where, win

for Christmas that next year I got my first board. I remember

or lose you go out there and enjoy it. Feeling confident seemed to

another little place we surfed when I was six and I remember

work well for me this year.

going to the beach and surfing this one wave. It must have been just the right day for me, you know 1-foot little runners. I

Was this Billabong Pipe Masters stressful?

remember those little moments. It’s probably the same feeling I get today with a good wave or a good day of surfing.

The whole time in the water I was telling myself, ‘Leave it all in the water.’ I wanted to come in and know I gave it my all. I enjoyed

When did you know you wanted to be a pro surfer?

it. It’s what we’re here to do. It’s why we surf. I free surf for enjoyment and I surf contests for enjoyment. I don’t want to get

I was twelve when Kelly Slater’s Black and White came out. I

to the end of an event and feel like it wasn’t enjoyable but you got

remember thinking, ‘wow, that’s what I want to do. I want to

the right result. You’re in it to enjoy it.

surf like that. I want to win contests and be world champion’. As I got older I went to high school with Mick and Dean.

How did you get so comfortable with Pipeline?

Deano was so far in front of us surfing. He won everything. Mick and I would just battle for 2nds and 3rds. And there was

I don’t know. The same way I did with Teahupoo. Five years ago

another guy Damon Harvey, and that was our little four-pack.

you wouldn’t have thought Mick and I would be in the final of

All of a sudden we went to the Under 16 World Grommet

Teahupoo together. When you’ve got a competitive nature, born

finals in Bali. It was always a dream. When you’re 12 years old

and bred in you, you quickly adapt to places and waves. And Pipe’s

you want to be world champion and as you get older you see

one of those places where it can be really hard. Not only getting

reality and think, ‘maybe I can just make it on the tour’. Then

waves in a free surf, but learning the wave. It takes a little longer.

once you’re on the tour, you go back to that same dream when

You can’t just come to Pipe for a swell and think you’re going to

you were 12, of wanting to be world champion.

get every wave. You can go to Teahupoo and just find it uncrowded and learn it quickly, but Pipe’s a lot harder to figure out. Especially

How important is confidence?

directions. The trades. There’s so many variables out there. It’s not always perfect, that’s for sure.

It’s a huge thing. Confidence comes in a few different ways. Sometimes you wake up confident. Sometimes you wake up

Do you wish that you faced Kelly in the finals of Pipe Masters?

sluggish. You just don’t know. You have those heats where mother nature just keeps sending you those waves. All of

As long as it was the same result, I would be happy. It would

sudden you’ve got two 9’s fifteen minutes into the heat, and

have been crazy. If I had to face Kelly in the final, that would have

she’ll keep giving waves. And then there are times when you

tested me emotionally for sure. He was on fire. Every heat he

paddle out and you’re scrapping around for 4’s, and a 5 or 6 is

was getting 18’s and 19’s, so it would have been unbelievable for

a huge score. I think those are the times when you can feel

a spectator to see it come down, but I thank Josh for what he did,

that confidence when you need it. For me, when I had those

he killed it.

dogfight heats, I feel confident now. Not like in the past when it all bubbles up and you’re gasping for air.

Do you feel Andy wanted you to win Pipe since you were such good friends? Well, he’s a friend to all of us. I couldn’t be more honored to win

on it, which is amazing. It’s definitely one of my proudest trophies. You said you felt like a champ when you woke up Friday morning, how did you feel when you woke up Saturday morning? The next morning was a little cloudy. My nervous system was shot from the day before. Just so much emotion. It wasn’t till this morning (Sunday morning) waking up when I thought, ‘Wow, it feels amazing.’ It feels like it has sunk in now. Was there ever a point when you thought you could win this? Yeah, Friday morning. I woke up and I kind of had that feeling, I’m not going to lose today. I just wasn’t going to accept it. I just had that will to do it. I kept telling myself, ‘Get the s#!* out of my head, take out all the bad stuff. There is one thing to do and I’m going to do it. I’m not gonna lose.’ Even when I had those couple of shaky heats where I was behind, I was just thinking, ‘No, this isn’t happening.’ After four 2nd place finishes, what was your mindset coming into Pipeline? As I said, I wasn’t going to let myself lose. I did not want to have five bridesmaids, I did not want to have that tag of the best surfer to never win a world title. If I lost, I’d probably still be locked in my bedroom crying. I just didn’t want that feeling. I wanted that enjoyment feeling, I wanted the winning feeling. Is there a psychology to winning? The psychology of winning is never give up, never say die. It’s confidence and the right attitude. The bummer about surfing is we have mother nature to deal with. Like Kelly’s heat (semifinals). Kelly was amazing. He had two of the most amazing heats and then he paddled out for the semis. When ever have you seen Kelly get a 2 and a 3 at Backdoor for half an hour? Mother nature. If you get a good wave it just doesn’t want to let you out and it clamps and swipes your board out from under your feet, it’s the way it is. We’re not swimming in straight lines. We’re not running. We

Kirstin / ASP

this contest in honor of him. The Gerry Lopez board I have has AI

Parko was one of the few World Tour Surfers to paddle Cloubreak during the massive Volcom Fiji Pro swell.

got mother nature, which is 50% plus of

surfs. My uncle surfs. We all surf so different. Style’s just one of those things that

surfing contests.

just feels comfortable in the right position at the right time, balancing on a board, but everyone’s different.

Do you think there is a 6th sense or rhythm thing at play in surfing?

You are the smoothest surfer on tour. When you go out to surf, do you try to be smooth or do you try and put some flair on it?

Definitely. I think so. You see the way Kelly reads it. You just have to look at

Not at all. It’s completely the opposite. At Lowers this year, I was trying to put a

the way people are paddling around the

little flair on my surfing. I think when you first get on tour it takes a little while for

lineup to where the waves you think are

the judges to form an opinion of how you are and get a bit of a grasp on how you

coming. There’s little subtleties like that

surf. Degree of difficultly. When you’re a rookie, it’s uncharted waters for them

that people do to hunt down good waves.

so they like to see what you are capable of. When I first got on tour my style was

Some things you gotta learn like that.

kind of green and raw as a kid. It was just the way it was. Just that real relaxed approach. Nowadays I definitely surf with a bit more flair, and a bit more power. I

When you needed that 7 against

think that helps. I almost see John John the same way. So relaxed. His turns are

Hobgood, was it patience or did you

so amazing. Sometimes I think he makes it look really, really easy in a really hard

call out to the Parko god?

situation. The judges after a long day can say, ‘Ah yeah’ and write their scores

No, I called out the AI gods (laughs). I was like, ‘AI, where are you brother? Send it in, send it in. I need it.’ Did you feel any pressure being in the lead since people thought you were the underdog against Kelly? Definitely. He’s got the best Pipe record of anyone. He’s broken all the records. Heff

He’s got 6 wins. I can’t even imagine how many finals and semi-finals he’s gotten. For sure. I was the underdog, but it was a different year. I was a different competitor, a different person. Three of four years

down. I think the judging is better nowadays, but there is still human error. We all

ago, it may have been too much and

think it’s amazing as a surfer, the guys that see a difference, but it’s just a natural

overwhelming. I might have thought I was

progression. When you’re a kid you come out raw and your style changes as you

meant to lose because it’s Kelly at Pipe.

get older.

The intimidation of it all. But if you have enough experience, I made the final at

What is the significance of coming to Hawaii and testing your mettle?

Pipe last year, and I really drew on that and felt I could do it again.

Duke came and brought surfing to Australia. In a way it’s a father figure. Back before I was even born the Aussie guys came in and out of Hawaii trying to prove

Give us your opinion on style.

themselves in the waves. A lot of them connected with the place and made such good friendships. Back when times were a little bit heavier on the North Shore,

Style is a huge thing. Coming from the

some of the old stories are folklore, but they’re etched in surfing forever. From

Gold Coast, it’s all right points. MP, Rabbit,

whatever you do, like a Jamie Mitchell who has come here and blown doors

they all used to talk about style back in

down in the paddle race. And the surfers that have come and won. Australians

the day. Style was heavily weighted back

really consider Hawaii as the biggest challenge, and I think it is.

then. Terry Fitz, Elkerton… Remember Elko’s thing? I used to like all those things.

How important is your pilgrimage to Hawaii each year?

Style’s not something you work on. I couldn’t tell you how I got mine. My dad

It’s huge. It’s amazing. To come to Hawaii and win the Pipe Masters and the

Moran / A-Frame

Moran / A-Frame Rock

title in the same day. Hawaii is our little epicenter of the whole surfing world. For it to come down to Pipe, it’s something I guess you would dream of as a kid. Hawaii is really special to me. I came here in the summer to do the Molokai race and it was such an amazing vibe and such a good atmosphere around it. It’s something I’ll never forget, how special it is. Do you want to win another world title? I think I would like to win another one, but lets just get through Christmas and the New Year (laughs). I feel like if I can go into the same approach next year and give it everything I got, then hopefully I’ll be in contention again. What is the first thing you plan on doing when you get back to the Goldie? My two older daughters are at home. I haven’t seen them for about three weeks, so I can’t wait, they are so excited. I spoke to my five year old daughter, and she said, ‘Dad, I made a big area in the trophy room, we’re gonna put the trophy here.’ She had already cleared the space. When I was on the phone it almost made me cry. She was so proud of her dad. It was amazing. 2012 ASP World Tour Champion

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Emily Erickson By Lauren Shanahan

Brooke Dombroski

She Rips

hen your first board is a 10’6 Brewer gun, perhaps you are simply destined for big waves. Or because your dad is a big wave charger maybe fearlessness runs in your blood, coursing a path that exists without thought. If natural athleticism is in your genetic makeup, then you might have surfed massive Sunset beach during a winter swell within your first six months of taking up the sport too. But probably not. Because the rate that Emily Erickson picked up surfing is ground breaking. And we haven’t seen anything quite like her kind on the north shore. With only four years of surfing experience, this 23-year-old female charges big waves like it’s her career. And really, it is. Because Emi believes that to surf good waves and live simply is what life is all about. We couldn’t agree more. Born on Oahu, Emily lived at Rockpiles till the age of six, enjoying beach days that formed her early love for the sea. Her family then moved to the east coast, where she lived between the Outer Banks and inland Virginia, always missing the warm ocean. After graduating high school, Emi felt compelled to move back to the islands. “I came back to Hawaii because of the vivid memories I had as a child.” Her first winter back on Oahu, she body boarded big Sunset. Once she showed an interest in surfing, her dad (the rugged yet smooth big wave charger of the north shore, Roger Erickson) hooked her up with his 10’6 gun. Roger was an inspiration to surf, and he was stoked when his daughter took up his lifelong sport. “He was probably scared for me at first, then realized I can take care of myself. We walked down to Sunset together a lot that first winter, and he was always supportive.” Emi feels a strange legacy for herself out here on the north shore, and thus has made it her life. When asked whether or not she’d always been intrigued to surf big waves, Emi responded, “I never gave any thought to it, it wasn’t a plan.” Yet with a constant love for the ocean, surfing seemed inevitable. “I love surfing big waves. It’s a real rush and the sense of accomplishment afterwards…I love the sense of triumph. I do it for myself and it makes me really happy.” Speaking of doing things for you, the only contest Emily has ever been in was the 2010 Pipeline Women’s Pro. “Only because my boyfriend entered me,” she laughs. “I have a different taste for waves than they’re going to have for those kinds of competitions.” Uninterested in competitive surfing, this free surfer feels that mixing something lucrative with something you do out of love just doesn’t make sense. Plain and simple. “I’m just a different breed. I surf all kinds of boards, anything you can think of…garage sale specials, pluggy longboards, big wave guns and single fins. I don’t just ride modern short

Gary M’s Creations

She Rips Emily Erickson boards.” Drawn to guns from the beginning, Emi collects older boards, but her specialty is single fins. “My most cherished board is the blue-striped single fin gun my father gave to me, shaped with his own hands. That board has seen everything.” With only four years of surfing under her belt, a big question is, what’s it like as a female in the lineup during a big swell? “Sometimes I feel intimidated by the people or by the waves. Ultimately, I’m there to have a good time, so I keep that in mind always. Even though I’m still learning, I feel capable and try to be smart about my waves, especially when it’s big. Being female, I don’t really know what difference that makes. I notice a lot of guys are really surprised if I even make a big drop. Maybe there is some underestimation of me, but I’m in my own world out there.” With plenty of insight and even more stories to tell, Emi shared with us the day that her mind was made up. The first winter after she broke an ankle, ’09-‘10 El Nino brought in some nasty weather and even nastier waves. To avoid the crowd, Emi drove to Makaha where she found “the biggest, most cleanest, best waves I had surfed up until then.” That Christmas day brought solid 15-foot waves her way, with only a few other people out. From the point all the way to the west bowl, Makaha was breaking beautifully. Racing the sections on one massive wave, Emi recalls feeling as if she were on a cloud. The biggest high she’s ever had, it was this wave when it sank in that she was meant to surf big waves. “After that session I almost blacked out, my mind was so blown,” recalls Emi. “It never felt incredible until then”. Without any sponsors, Emily embraces being a free surfer. This past winter marked the first year where she decided to make the waves her priority despite her finances. Committed to surfing, Emily is determined to seek out good waves and continue progressing. With only one surf trip to speak of, Emily and her boyfriend Jensen Hassett (another big wave charger on the NS- can you say “power couple”?) aspire to travel more, since surfing is her goal. She’s open to exploring the possibilities that come to her, but mostly she’s just pure stoked on living and surfing in Hawaii. Emily Erickson leaves us with one final thought for the Freesurf audience: “Follow your love.” A motto to live by, keep this in mind and may goodwill trail.

Emily Erickson charging Waimea.

Environment

The Pros Say No to GMO Tiffany Foyle

with Kala Alexander, Dustin Barca, Mark Healey, Pancho Sullivan & Crystal Thornburg-Homcy

By Tiffany Foyle

consumption. Dustin Barca recently got the surf world’s attention when he paraded a bright yellow and red banner in front of the

In addition to some of the best waves in the world, Hawaii has

cameras and crowd littering the beach to watch the Pipeline

one of the best climates in the world to grow food year-round.

Masters this winter. The banner read: “MONSANTO’S GMO

Unfortunately, Hawaii’s most prime Ag land that could be used

FOOD POISONS FAMILIES.”

for growing food for local consumption instead hosts the largest number of experimental biotech crop trials in the US.

“Being From Kauai, we are ground zero for chemical testing and GMO crops,” Barca explains. “[GMO companies] have poisoned

Monsanto and other GMO companies tested biotech

the drinking water with atrazine on the Waimea-Kekaha area

pharmaceutical crops in Hawaii until 2006 when a federal judge

and many people are getting cancer and lung diseases because

ruled that the US government did not follow proper procedure

of uncontrolled open air poison testing.” Kelly Slater was also

in allowing the Hawaii trials. Now these companies mainly

seen running up the beach with a surfboard that said “Boycott

grow genetically engineered seed corn in Hawaii. Statewide

Monsanto.”

acreage of GMO crops has been increasing at an average rate of over 300 acres per year. There are approximately 15,000 acres of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Hawaii currently. GE

The New Big Five

seed corn is the state’s leading Ag “crop” at 10 million pounds

Monsanto, Pioneer, Dow AgroSciences, Syngenta and BASF, the

produced annually, even though it is not for human consumption,

largest agrochemical companies in the world, have established

is exported to mainland research facilities (therefore no local

research stations on the islands of Molokai, Maui, Oahu and

excise taxes are collected, nor state income taxes, because

Kauai. As big money sugar and pineapple plantations closed

the farm product is not sold in Hawaii) and doesn’t benefit local

down in the 90s, agrichemical companies like Monsanto,

economy.

Syngenta and Pioneer Hi-Bred (owned by DuPont) bought much of the high quality farmland in Hawaii because they had the

That means GMOs instead of food are grown in an island

money to outbid independent farmers.

chain that could be sufficient in local food production—Ancient Hawaiians are testament it can be done. The 50th state

Kamehameha Schools has recently come under fire for

is dangerously dependent on importing food (85-90%) for

leasing 1,033 acres on Oahu’s North Shore prime farmland to

Heff

Monsanto since 1999. “The truth is public, we all know that Kamehameha Schools is going against the Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and her wishes on how the land would be cared for,” says Barca. “Everybody whose children or family members go to school there got to get involved and the students need to get involved. Once they all learn the truth I’m sure they will be as concerned as the rest of us. Wake up Hawaii!”

What is a GMO? Think of the GE corn seed like books in a library. Corn has the capacity for 50,000 genes in its DNA. Companies like Monsanto engineer the seed to put one more gene among that 50,000, taking one book and putting it on the shelf right where they want it to be. Then they patent that

“I started getting curious about GMOs when I saw corn fields popping up around Haleiwa. I initially thought

seed so that no one else can use it unless they pay the company a license fee, and if they find that seed growing in a farmer’s field (due to pollen drift or not), they can sue

that corn was an odd crop of choice for the area. After

for patent infringement.

a year I had still never seen any local corn in the grocery store shelves, so it made me wonder what those fields were really all about.”—Mark Healey

In addition, one book on the GE corn shelf is a protein from Bt, a bacteria that secretes an insecticidal toxin. Monsanto’s argument is that the Bt toxin in GE crops poses no danger to human health because the protein breaks down in the human gut. However, a recently

Courtesy Dustin Barca

published Canadian study entitled, “Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Township of Quebec, Canada,” (Reproductive Toxicology, May 31, 2011) found the Bt toxin in the blood of 93 percent of pregnant women tested and in 80 percent of their umbilical cord and fetal blood. “GMOs are not tested before going to market—We are the test,” exclaims big wave surfer and avid hunter/shark rider Mark Healey. “We are at all time highs in infertility, autism and certain types of cancers that have been linked to not only GMO foods, but the pesticides sprayed on them.”

Label the Fields Virtually all GE crops are designed to either produce or sell pesticides, which makes good business sense, since Monsanto and other agrochemical companies have long been involved in pesticide production. GMO companies rely on very high levels of synthetic chemicals to eliminate pests and fertilizers because GMO seed crops need to be grown in an almost sterile environment. “Because they

“If our food can’t reproduce than those eating it can’t reproduce and that alone is a crime against humanity.”—Dustin Barca

are producing a ‘non-food’ crop, regulators allow seed growers to use harder pesticides,” Earth Justice attorney Paul Achitoff explains. “After planting, the fields are then left fallow for large parts of the year, leaving the fields vulnerable to erosion and runoff of polluted soil.”

Gina Sinotte

Frankenfoods About 90 percent of all soybeans, corn, canola and sugar beets grown in the U.S. are grown from GE seed, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (DOA). FDA guidelines state that food containing GMOs doesn’t have to be labeled as such and can even be labeled “all natural.” “The scariest thing for me is seeing a person in a ‘Hazardous Materials’ uniform spraying the crops, and then thinking about people eating it after that,” says professional surfer and Patagonia Ambassador Crystal Thornburg-Homcy. “Even worse we can’t wash off the chemicals because it’s in the DNA of the crops being grown. You can’t go home and simply wash off your pesticides and herbicides, they are in every bite.”

Problem-Solving On a visit to Hawaii, Jeffrey Smith learned that the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) doesn’t require testing to determine whether food crops have been contaminated by pollen drift from biotech research crops. “The biotech industry claim that their small buffer zones protect against contamination is especially laughable in Hawaii and to Hawaiians who know that

“Hawaii needs to pass a labeling bill. I believe that like

seeds travel far and wide,” Smith relates, pointing out that the

all other ingredients, GMOs must be labeled in foods.

biotech companies operating in Hawaii do not offer any plan for

All consumers have a right to know what they are

how to deal with seed and crop movement in case of hurricanes

buying. Once GMOs are labeled I believe more and more people will try to avoid them. —Crystal Thornburg-Homcy

or flooding where GMOs may be carried out of their boundaries; and there’s no insurance policy against resulting damage that could occur to the environment, the economy or health. “[The HDOA] has none of the tools necessary to protect the land and

the people,” Smith says. “So companies like Monsanto completely call the shots and will never be held accountable.” According to a 2011 report prepared by Plasch Econ Pacific LLC for Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting. The report, Oahu Agriculture: Situation, Outlook and Issues, an interruption in shipping for whatever reason would obviously be detrimental to Hawaii’s dependency on imported food, the Plasch Econ Pacific report reminds us that it would also make it difficult to export, thereby freeing about 65,000 acres statewide (according to a 2010 estimate) for replanting to supply local markets. The report proffers that if increased food self-sufficiency were to occur, then, instead of sending dollars out of state for imported foods, more money would be spent in Hawaii, thereby increasing jobs and incomes locally. MA‘O Farms’ 24 acres of organic crops produce approximately 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of produce per week. There is a tangible solution to the problem, but sustainable farming practices must become a priority for the private landowners that lease Ag land (like Kamehameha Schools) in order to achieve food sovereignty and integrity. Labeling laws would help consumers protect themselves and effectively lessen the profits they are currently, unknowingly contributing to GMO companies. As more surfers use their platform as professional athletes to spread awareness, Hawaii has hope of progress. “We all live on this planet together and most of us have children,” states Kala Alexander, who was recently featured in the “Evict Monsanto” video campaign directed at Kamehameha Schools. “We all should be doing whatever we can to preserve the Earth. We know these poisons aren’t good for the land or people, but none of know us know the real long-term effects for sure. It could be worse than we can even imagine. Everyone needs to be more aware of the health of our planet as well as their own health.”

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Brodi Sale Age: 9 Birthday: February 6th (Happy Birthday) Height: 4’5” Weight: 68 lbs School: Innovations Public Charter, 4th grade Current sponsors: Billabong, HIC, Eric Arakawa, Vertra, Dakine, Basik Acai, Mom & Dad. Short board dimensions: 4’6.5”, 15.5”, 1.75” How many boards in quiver: 3 Tell us about your first time surfing: I surfed on my dad’s back while he was body surfing. Favorite maneuver: Getting barreled! Best contest result: NSSA Explorer Menehune 12 and under at Kewalo Basin - 1st place. Favorite food: Teriyaki beef burger Favorite TV show: We don’t have cable or video games at our house. Favorite surf movie: Trilogy Favorite Hollywood movie: The Hunger games Hobbies: Homework, board/card games Favorite land sport: Basketball Favorite Local spot: Banyans Favorite Oahu spot: Kewalo Basin Favorite California spot: Salt Creek Favorite music: All sorts. Popular stuff, older “Sublime” stuff, and Jack Johnson. Favorite Surfer(s) and why: 1. Shane Dorian - He’s a great big wave surfer, a good dad, and a wonderful friend 2. Joel Parkinson – I like his style 3. CJ Kanuha - Teaches me how to do good airs 4. Kelly Slater - Makes me want to do better 5. Sebastian Zietz – He’s humble and surfs great. Always had a smile on his face during the Triple Crown. Other then a pro surfer, what else would you like to be: Any job that would let me surf all the time Last words: I am really thankful for my coach Rainos Hayes. He is a really good friend, is very nice, and tells me all the things I need to hear. He helps me out a lot.

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Surf Art

7th Annual Surf Art Show By Lauren Shanahan Wyland. The most reputable name in ocean art. The name synonymous with larger-than-life marine murals. The name that turned environmental outreach programs widespread through art and education. Known as one of the most influential artists of the 21st century, Wyland is recognized on an international level. His passion for our ocean and beaches has cracked into the world of environmental conservancy, with a humble impact also made on the ocean-conscious north shore. During the world’s most prestigious professional surfing events of the year, Wyland had an equally important event to share with the community. On the night of Saturday, December 15th, 2012, Wyland Galleries Haleiwa accommodated one of the world’s most powerful conglomerations of surf artists. Held every year during the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, the timing of this art event is no coincidence. The 7th Annual Surf Art Show featured the inspired work of many acclaimed surf and ocean artists. Their pieces glowed against the lit walls of the gallery through mediums of acrylic, blown glass, watercolor, photography, even gold. Very influential work was delivered. Wyland put it well when he said, “Art is so beautiful and powerful, it can change the world.” A public meet and greet ensued through the evening along with exclusive interviews, artwork signings, and a toast from Wyland to all the featured artists and guests. It was a memorable event and turnout was a huge success, which continues to build every year. Approximately 80 guests met and mingled within the rooms of the gallery. With 13 artists including Wyland plus 5 other guest artists featured at this 7th Annual Surf Art Show, each one added a presence to the buzz and excitement of the crowd. “Art can inspire people to not only see the beauty, but take action to protect it,” Wyland remarks. And with a gallery full of talented young artists each hoping to bring awareness to the world, he has successfully affected the masses. Drifting through the gallery, it doesn’t take long to see how each art piece contributes to Wyland’s mission.

Heather Brown Heather’s work illustrates the colors and vibrancy of Hawaii, favoring mediums that include acrylic, screen-printing, and linocut. Her inspiration comes from the energy of the sea and from her tropical surroundings, which she constantly strives to soak in. She went to school to study art and simultaneously began surfing, and believes her art expression took the direction of surf art on its own. With a very distinct style, Heather’s work has spread internationally, giving fans and collectors a sense of happiness, optimism, and a piece of Hawaii’s beauty.

David Wight Capturing the essence, the liquid-ness of the ocean, is David’s main drive behind his blown glass artwork. Combining a passion for water and an enthrallment of molten hot glass, David came to realize that the movement, the flow of glass blowing closely resembled the movement of water, and sought to capture this. “Everything I’ve ever done has evolved around water. I wanted to bring it into other people’s lives because it had such a positive impact on mine.” It is said that David’s beautiful glass curvatures of barreling waves help bring peace and tranquility to the home of the collector.

Surf Art Steven Power A surfer for 30 plus years and an artist with Wyland Galleries for 13, Steven has always painted waves. Drawn to the ocean by his love for surfing, and having an artist as a father, Steven felt compelled to not only paint waves, but to paint them the way they actually looked in real life. Thus his talent erupted into art pieces that depict unbelievably lifelike scenery and landscapes, with the ocean always at the focal point. Taking on a fantasty-esque tone, Steven’s pieces are skillfully detailed, luminous, and shockingly beautiful.

Troy Carney The artist for the 2011 Vans Triple Crown posters, Troy’s work became popular through its ability to personify the ocean with godlike qualities, in order to give special meaning to water. Working with 12-24 karat gold, layers upon layers of the precious metal are used to bring out different reflections of a wave. Troy believes that both water and gold are sacred elements, and therefore paints ocean scenes in a way that indigenous cultures would view nature’s qualities; more special, more godlike, and giving pointed ode to the sea. Troy also worked alongside his professional surfing stepfather airbrushing boards for shapers such as Dick Brewer and Mark Angell on Kauai, and his artwork depicts this passion for surfing.

Colleen Wilcox Enraptured by the beauty around her, Colleen hopes to express her own unique interpretation of what it’s like to live in Hawaii through her art. Surfing, hiking, spending time by the sea, and her love for the islands was enough to inspire her to begin an art career. Although she’s been drawing and painting since she was old enough to hold a pencil, she only began pursuing a career three years ago. But her work speaks something much greater; an established style where she pulls the essence and shape from subjects. In this way Colleen creates surf art through her fluidity and stylized island scenery depictions.

Steven Valiere Darker tones of deep reds, greens, and blues accent Steven Valiere’s unmistakable brush strokes. When asked which scenes of Kauai he most enjoys painting, Valiere responded that none of his canvases actually depict a true-to-life place. Rather he gathers inspiration from a wave and then allows his work to be organic and spontaneous, yet purposeful. His work is largely inspired by graffiti art, as well as his 50 years of surf experience. Also influenced by popular surf artists of the 60’s, Steven’s work is free and loose. “There’s something about surfing that’s indescribable, the feeling. All we can do is share the emotion (of it) with people through art.” Photos courtesy of Signature Gallery Group

Model: Jasmine Photographer: Susan Knight

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