Surphang Magazine Issue 52

Surphang Magazine

Issue 52

Proudly presents

A Pro Show Duo King Kanoa &

mendes Makes Big!

Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

Tuning In To Trestles Sennen's Shredsters

Last of the Summer Vibes

Surphang Magazine

01 - SM

'Down to Business' It seems to come round quicker and quicker but yes we have reached the business end of the competitive surfing calendar as surfers all across the globe really step up their contest campaigns in a last ditch attempt to bolster or maintain their position on their respective rankings. So with that in mind, we're taking the opportunity to focus on a selection of surfers who are all in some pretty interesting positions of their own – from the safety of being at the top to clinging on to that Dream Tour spot, we've got it all. And what better setting for our 52nd Issue than the ultimate surfers' playground, Lower Trestles itself.

It's time to get down to business and score some waves!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

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Surphang Magazine

Magazine Editor: Stuart Gaston Contributing Photographers: Paul Carpenter, Craig Nicol, John Philpotts & Chuck@Surf-Shot.com Staff Photographer: Stuart Gaston

Send any photographic submissions for future issues of the magazine to: surphangmagazine@ymail.com

Cover Shot: Kanoa Igarashi igniting Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

The end to another good day's surfing!

Photo: John Philpotts

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ThisIssue'sFeatures

Pro Show Uno Pro Show Duo

Surphalosophy

King Kanoa

mendes Makes Big!

Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

Having won the US Open of Surfing, here's Kanoa Igarashi looking to keep momentumn and maintain his CT spot!

Now looking like almost a CT certainty for next year, we look at the surfing of Jesse Mendes who has made it big this year!

Time to meet one of the younger surfers on the QS grind, Griffin Colapinto who has really risen up the rankings into the Top 10!

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Jordy Smith smashing one out of Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ThisIssue

Moving On Up!

Sennen's Shredsters

Make it into the Top 10 and if you can stay there and make it count, then you'll be moving on up – here's those lucky few!

If you go down south west today, then you're in for a big surprise because there's a small pot of talent really brewing away!

Last of the Summer Vibes It's the best time of year for a surfer with those autumn swells so here's three wetsuits that will see you right through the season!

Tuning In To Trestles It's a surfer's playground and also home to the next big contest as the CT steps up a gear – say hello to Lowers!

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Welcome to

Pro Show uno KING KANOA! Photos: Chuck@Surf-shot.com; Words: Stu Gaston

07 - SM Kanoa Igarashi igniting the right at his home break, Huntington!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno Having won the US Open of Surfing, Kanoa Igarashi will now be looking to keep up that momentumn and maintain his CT spot into next year. With surfing that speaks for itself, let's take a look at Kanoa's current form, enough to convince us all that he means business!

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King Kanoa

09 - SM Kanoa Igarashi caning one with his backhand!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno

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King Kanoa

11 - SM Kanoa Igarashi keeping up thise bread and butter turns!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno

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King Kanoa

13 - SM Kanoa Igarashi igniting his backhand attack at his home break, Huntington!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno

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King Kanoa

15 - SM Kanoa Igarashi laying back into a right!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno

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King Kanoa

17 - SM Kanoa Igarashi keeping his eye on the prize!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno

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King Kanoa

19 - SM Kanoa Igarash will grab every opportunity to keep himself on the CT! Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowUno

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Welcome to

Pro Show Duo mendes Makes BiG! Photos: Chuck@Surf-shot.com; Words: Stu Gaston

21 - SM Jesse Mendes jamming out one of his trademark big moves!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo Now looking like almost a CT certainty for next year, let's take a look at the surfing of Jesse Mendes who has made it big this year!

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Mendes Makes Big!

23 - SM Jesse Mendes jamming one off the top!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo

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Mendes Makes Big!

25 - SM Jesse Mendes grabbing some air time!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo

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Mendes Makes Big!

27 - SM Jesse Mendes gauging out quite a spray fan!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo

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Mendes Makes Big!

29 - SM Jesse Mendes jamming into layback!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo

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Mendes Makes Big!

31 - SM Jesse Mendes making the most of that left!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo

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Mendes Makes Big!

33 - SM Jesse Mendes never tires of the big moves!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

ProShowDuo

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Surphalosophy

Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

Photos: Chuck@Surf-shot.com; Words: Stu Gaston

35 - SM Griffin Colapinto up, up and away!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy Time to meet one of the younger surfers on the QS grind, Griffin Colapinto who has really risen up the rankings into the Top 10!

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

37 - SM Griffin Colapinto catapulting that tail round!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

39 - SM Griffin Colapinto punting as ever!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

41 - SM Griffin Colapinto pinning his tail to the air!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

43 - SM Griffin Colapinto can carve well too!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

45 - SM Griffin Colapinto always punting!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

47 - SM Griffin Colapinto's been heading high!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Griffin's Ranking Grabbing!

49 - SM Griffin Colapinto keeps soaring up those rankings!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

surphalosophy

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Tuning In To Trestles Photos: Chuck@Surf-shot.com; Words: Stu Gaston

51 - SM Jordy Smith head and shoulders above the rest at Trestles!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots It's a surfer's playground and also home to the next big contest as the CT steps up a gear – say hello to Lowers!

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Tuning In To Trestles

53 - SM Jordy Smith taking that tail high at Trestles!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

55 - SM Joel Parkinson always puts on a show when he performs at Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

57 - SM Filipe Toledo always throws himself fully into the Lowers rights!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

59 - SM Jorhn John Florence flourishes in this surfer's playground!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

61 - SM Julian Wilson will look to make the most of what Lowers has to offer!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

63 - SM Gabriel Medina may make a comeback carving up the Lowers lefts!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

65 - SM Connor O'Leary will love lashing out on those Lowers left lips!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

67 - SM Kolohe Andino could be coming home to triumph at Trestles!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

69 - SM Michel Bourez bursting with competitive spirit!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

71 - SM Conner Coffin carving up a Lowers right!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

73 - SM Caio Ibelli laying back at Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

75 - SM Italo Ferreira on fire in California's surfing playground!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

77 - SM Ezekiel Lau launching into layback at Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

79 - SM Jack Freestone grabs some air time at Trestles!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

81 - SM Leo Fioravanti looking to fuel his fire for re-qualification at Lowers!

Photo: Ryan Miller

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

83 - SM Nat Young will want to notch up some points at Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

85 - SM Jadson Andre will grab the opportunity to boost his ranking!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

87 - SM Josh Kerr kicking out those fins!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Tuning In To Trestles

89 - SM Ethan Ewing will have his eye on picking up his pace at Lowers!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

HotSpots

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Moving On Up! Photos: Chuck@Surf-shot.com; Words: Stu Gaston

Make it into the Top 10 and if you can stay there and make it count, then you'll be moving on up – here's those lucky few who are on course to moving on up in 2018!

91 - SM Michael February has really made his mark on the QS this year!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

TheGoss

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Moving On Up!

93 - SM Tomas Hermes has been on form this year!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

TheGoss

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Moving On Up!

95 - SM Yago Dora has driven up some impressive results so far this year!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

TheGoss

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Moving On Up!

97 - SM Hiroto Ohhara has been really on form!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

TheGoss

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Moving On Up!

99 - SM Ricardo Christie has also risen right up those rankings this year!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

TheGoss

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Sennen's Shredsters Photos: Paul Carpenter; Words: Stu Gaston

101 - SM Connor Stratton-Darling doing his thing as Jake Sage and Isaac Marshall look on.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots If you go down south west today, then you're in for a big surprise because there's a small pot of talent really brewing away!

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Sennen's Shredsters

103 - SM Connor Stratton-Darling grabs some air time for his recent sponsor Vissla.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

105 - SM The stunning Sennen backdrop lightened up by Jake Sage's surfing.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

107 - SM Jake Sage showing how it's done.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

109 - SM Jake Sage seeking shelter from the sun in the green room.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

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Isaac Marshall making the most of summer surf down Sennen.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

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Isaac Marshall maxing out on that lefthand section.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

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Isaac Marshall igniting a right with his backhand attack.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

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George Carpenter kicking that tail round.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Sennen's Shredsters

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George Carpenter catapulting himself off a fun looking section.

Photo: Paul Carpenter

HotShots

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Last of the Summer Vibes Photos & Words: Stu Gaston

121 - SM Eric Geiselman giving it some in Vissla's 7 Seas Vibes wetsuit.

Photo: Courtesy of Vissla

HotWots

Looking at what's hot in the end of summer season's wetsuits, we've once again taken our 'Hot Wots' reviews to the next level and brought some of the best wettie brands together to pit their rubber wares against the other.

So this time around, we've taken the high-end, quality product brand, O'Shea from Wales and seen how they size up alongside fresh forwardthinking brand Vissla and global giant, O'Neill. To help us out, we hooked up with two upcoming surfers – Welsh Junior Team member and O'Shea sponsored, Logan Nicol who as well as his own O'Shea 4/3 Stealth, also put Vissla's 3/2 7 Seas Vibes through its paces. Meanwhile, surfing instructor and O'Neill team rider, Jake Sage sampled O'Neill's 4/3 Hyperfreak – between them they saw how each suit measured up in terms of everything from style to stretchability. So first on, let's see how Vissla's summer Vibes version of their 7 Seas wetsuit fared during a surf on a typical British summer's day...

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Vissla Vibes

123 - SM Eric Geiselman getting to grips with Vissla's 7 Seas Vibes wetsuit.

Photo: Courtesy of Vissla

HotWots

STYLE With its understated appearance, the 3/2 summer Vibes version of Vissla's 7 Seas suit takes style to the next level with its clean uncluttered look – a clear, straightforward logo on the back and badge-like emblem well positioned on the chest coupled with cool and colourful stripes set off the all black wetsuit perfectly.

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Vissla Vibes COMFORT Vissla's 7 Seas wetsuit was one of the most comfortable suits I've worn. Due to it's anatomically correct engineered body lines, it fitted like you'd want a wetsuit to fit and I got no neck rash at all! The The inside of the chest panel supported your upper body really well but not so tight that it was uncomfortable. Indeed the upper body panels were so well fitting that it felt like the suit sat on you just right, so much so that it was as if you weren't wearing a wetsuit at all!

FEATURES Based on the premise of less is more, Vissla stripped away the irrelevant knick-knacks and designed a suit to give you what you need - warmth in the ocean.

Super stretch light neoprene, sealed seams, quick dry lining, a superb tailored fit, and a minimal bulk chest-zip closure system, Vissla have built for you a top of the line wetsuit at an approachable price without all the marketing gimmicks.

Whether you like to set your line and trim on your single fin or get your fins above the lip on your thruster, we've built a catalogue of wetsuits in color ways and cuts to match your water intentions.

Everything you need in a wetsuit, nothing you don't.

125 - SM Logan Nicol surfs the 7 Seas Vibes.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots FUNCTIONALITY The 7 Seas was seriously good at what a wetsuit should do – keep you warm! It fitted so well that it had absolutely no water flush whatsoever as both the neck seal and the chest zip entry system with its minimum bulk and contoured watertight design did their jobs really well! Despite the lack of a smoothskin panel on the chest to protect from wind chill, the inner lining did compensate in the water and keep you nice and warm!

FEATURES - 100% Super Stretch light neoprene - lighter, warmer, softer, stretchier, easier to put on and take off, and allows for more freedom of movement - Thermal hollow fiber lining insulates heat and dries fast - Tailored fit - anatomically correct engineered body lines allow for unrestricted performance and warmth - Chest-zip entry, minimal bulk with contoured water tight design - Tripled glued, double blind stitched seams - Vissla super stretch tape allows for maximum seam sealing while having unrestricted stretch and comfort - Knee pads - supratex abrasion resistant jersey for flexibility and strength - Liquid taped cuff seals to prevent flushing - Easy access secure key cord

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Vissla Vibes

127 - SM Logan Nicol seeing how stretchy the 7 Seas Vibes can be.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

STRETCHABILITY The 7 Seas wetsuit is surprisingly stretchy, meaning it does fit like a glove. It's perfect for busting all those moves when you're out surfing, be it high performance aerials or setting your line for a solid lip slash.

Because the suit is such a good fit, it doesn't let in any watar whatsoever so you can really push the limits of your surfing! It's really flexible but not so stretchy that it will lose its shape after a lot of use which once again would stand this suit apart from many others.

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Vissla Vibes

129 - SM Eric Geiselman giving Vissla's 7 Seas Vibes wetsuit a good testing.

Photo: Courtesy of Vissla

HotWots

USABILITY Vissla's 7 Seas Vibes wetsuit really is a brilliant balance of comfort, flexibilty and practicality. It's really flexible in all the key places so you don't feel at all constrained when whacking out those moves on the board. Under the arms and on the shoulders, the suit was super flexible which really helped with paddling and as it's so lightweight, I could have happily spent hours out in the surf without fatiguing too quickly.

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Vissla Vibes

131 - SM Logan Nicol looks impressed by Vissla's 7 Seas Vibes wetsuit.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

THE VERDICT Personally I was really impressed with the Vissla 7 Seas Vibes wetsuit!

Its simple look with only subtle use of colour and logos draws you in so you stand out by being understated.

It's better to have a suit that allows you to blend into the lineup when a surf's not going your way, but with enough style that you stand out when your surfing speaks for itself.

The suit is great in the sense that it is tight fitting but really comfortable at the same time! I'd certainly be happy to spend many an hour surfing in the 7 Seas wetsuit!

STYLE ●●●●●●●○○○ ●●●●●●●○○○

FUNCTIONALITY ●●●●●●●○○○ ●●●●●●●○○○

COMFORT ●●●●●●●●●○

STRETCHABILITY ●●●●●●●●●○ ●●●●●●●●●○

USABILITY ●●●●●●●●○○ ●●●●●●●●○○

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Shimmery O'Shea

133 - SM Logan Nicol notching up more testing time in O'Shea's Stealth wetsuit.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

O'Shea's Stealth wetsuit is high-end, quality products made exclusively from 100% limestone based neoprene, the ultimate in stretch, warmth, fit and durability. It also features the advanced Mitsu liquid tape system.

STYLE What you notice first is its subtle yet striking look – a silver logo in the centre of the chest and patterns on the shoulder and limbs add some liveliness without being too bold on the black wetsuit.

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Shimmery O'Shea COMFORT When the Stealth was on, it felt comfortable enough – not the comfiest suit I've ever worn but it hugged my body nicely, not letting any water in and is certainly better than many brands. The Thermal Insulator Core kept you super toasty and the upper body felt really snug due to the liquid taped seams which means there's no water leakage. This tape can make it feel less flexible at times but other than that, the Stealth was good in terms of overall comfort.

FEATURES A Titanium Chest and Water Resistant Nylon Membrane means less wind chill factor when the suit is wet.

This Thermal Insulated Chest Panel, made from an advanced polypropylene fibre, insulates your body heat and retains it within the suit itself.

The Stealth is made from 100% Truflex Neoprene which, with its 100% stretch factor, makes it warm, light and flexible.

Full 'Mitsu' Liquid Tape is a unique combination of glued blindstitched seams and O'Shea's own exclusive tape which is an intelligent three layer compound designed to provide maximum stretchability, durability and water seal. All together its 100% water proof that keeps water out and retains body heat.

135 - SM Logan Nicol suited up in the Stealth.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots FUNCTIONALITY Overall, the features of the Stealth worked really well and were a real asset to the suit.

Although the chest zip entry system can be a little confusing to figure out at first as there's a lot going on to prevent flushes, the additional neck inlay seal really does mean that no water got in whatsoever which was a real bonus. So all in all, a good set of features on the Stealth.

FEATURES The Pullover Zip Membrane is a watertight construction that ensures that water never enters the suit generating maximum heat for maximum performance.

The Supertex Kneepads are not only super flexible but also exceedingly durable, allowing you a maximum range of movement and handling copious amounts of duck diving.

And of course the handy external Key Pocket provides easy access to anything you need to stash away before hitting the surf on a cold, wintry day.

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Shimmery O'Shea

137 - SM Logan Nicol noticing the full freedom of movement O'Shea's Stealth wetsuit allows him.

Photo: Craig Nicol

HotWots

STRETCHABILITY On the whole, the Stealth does feel stretchy enough to be comfortable when on. Not as flexible as some suits, but the Tru-flex technology used in the neoprene definitley lives up to its name, so there's no trouble or restriction from the suit, just the liquid taped seams hold it back from having that super stretch.

USABILITY The Stealth performs really well and allowed me the freedom of movement you'd want to be able to drive through bottom and top turns and overall it really does lend itself to high performance surfing. The one drawback would have to be that it doesn't quite have the flexibility of some other suits. Other than than, it performed really well.

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Shimmery O'Shea

139 - SM Logan Nicol knows that O'Shea's Stealth wetsuit really performs when it needs to.

Photo: Craig Nicol

HotWots

THE VERDICT I've been using O'Shea's Stealth wetsuits for a good few years now and while they may not be the best wetsuit ever made, they really are a good all-rounder and certainly ooze quality! From the subtle all black theming with the bold silver logos to its high quality features including the liquid taped seams, the Stealth is great at doing what a wetsuit needs to do – keep you warm and comfy in the water. Better still, they really do last for a very long time without wearing out so all in all, O'Shea's Stealth suit is a top quality wetsuit!

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FUNCTIONALITY ●●●●●●●●○○ ●●●●●●●●○○

COMFORT ●●●●●●●●○ ●●●●●●●●○○

STRETCHABILITY ●●●●●●●○○○ ●●●●●●●○○○

USABILITY ●●●●●●●●●○ ●●●●●●●●●○

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Feel the Hype!

141 - SM Jake Sage putting O'Neill's Hyperfreak through its paces.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

Of course, if a classic wetsuit is what you want, then there's none more classic than the original wetsuit pioneers themselves, O'Neill and their range of Hyperfreak wetsuits.

Founded in California in 1952, the young Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her won game. Pioneering the world's first neoprene surf wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a way to extend his surf sessions in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern California. While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, O'Neill's initial vision of producing functional and innovative board riding products still lives on in their current range of Hyperfreak wetsuits.

So for our final suit of the three, we asked O'Neill team rider, Jake Sage to put his similarly unstoppable passion for surfing into testing out the Hyperfreak F.U.Z.E. 4/3 late summer wetsuit for us and give his surfer's eye review on this classic of all classic wetsuits!

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Feel the Hype!

O'Neill's Hyperfreak is a clean cut suit – it's quite minimalistic with not too many panels, perfect for both contest performance and enjoying a chilled summer surf. The first thing that stands out about the Hyperfreak is how light it is – you barely notice it sitting on the nose of your board as you head off for a summer surf. And of course being a classic O'Neill suit, the rest speaks for itself.

The Hyperfreak is constructed with super buttery 100% Technobutter, clean graphics, insane Colour blocking, light and flexible GBS seams, Lumbar Seamless Design (LSD), unfinished cuffs, and Krypto Knee Padz. The lightweight, quality materials and attention to detail make this another team inspired favourite.

-4/3mm Technobutter Neoprene -Strategic seamless paddle zones -Minimal Seam Deisgn -Contortionist seamless shoulder -Sidewinder S-Curve seams -F.U.Z.E Entry System -Critically Taped-Reinforced seam junctions -Glued & Blindstitch Seam construction -Double super seal neck -External key pocket with loop 143 - SM Jake Sage suited up.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots FUNCTIONALITY The Hyperfreak 4/3 wetsuit is packed with handy features including the F.U.Z.E neck entry system which means you can adjust the neck easily to prevent any flushing. The knee pads are comfortable enough and the glued and blindstitched seams were pretty good at keeping out any chilly autumnal water.

FEATURES There's a very good reason that HyperFreak is the go-to wetsuit for many of the O'Neill Team riders; It's one of THE most flexible and lightweight wetsuits in the range. The Hyperfeak series is squarely aimed at the serious surfer and benefits from the latest soft and flexible TechnoButter 2 Neoprene and light and flexible GBS Glued and Blindstitched seams. The signature F.U.Z.E (front upper zip entry) closure system uses a short chest zip with a generous and stretchy 'step in' opening and an overhead flap with snap and toggle adjustment to seal at the shoulder. This system increases the flex in the back of the wetsuit and reduces water entry with a much shorter zip.

Incredibly light and flexible with neat colour-blocking and branding and Lumbar Seamless Design (less seams = more stretch). The 4/3mm Hyperfreak is a must-have for the serious UK surfer who wants a wetsuit for Autumn and Spring when its too cold for a 3/2 and not cold enough for a 5/4.

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Feel the Hype!

145 - SM Jake Sage seeking comfort from the Hyperfreak.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

STYLE The style of the suit is quite clean and understated – there's enough colour on the shoulders to stand out in the line up yet overall it's a classic darker suit so you don't draw too much attention to youself.

The panels of the suit make it both look really clean but also function really well with no unnecessary seams.

COMFORT When the suit's on, as it has so few panels, it's really comfortable and stretchy – in fact its so light, you don't even notice it's on! Made out of 100% Technobutter, the feel of the suit is silky, smooth which makes it practically rub free and super comfy when you're out in the water waiting for that next set.

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Feel the Hype!

147 - SM Jake Sage showing just how flexible the Hyperfreak really is.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

STRETCHABILITY The Hyperfreak 4/3 is so stretchy it's really easy to get on and off. And as for when you're heading out in the water, it made paddling really straight forward as you feel like your just wearing boardshorts.

USABILITY Out in the water, the Hyperfreak is anything but restrictive, allowing you to push your turns harder without even noticing it's on again. It's so flexible with less seems that you're free to push your surfing further without being restricted by the suit at all which means you can stay in the water longer and surf as much as you can muster.

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Feel the Hype!

149 - SM Jake Sage seeing just how super stretchy the Hyperfreak can be.

Photo: Stu Gaston

HotWots

THE VERDICT Well I found the Hyperfreak super stretchy so you can stay out in the water for longer as you don't get tired. The style's really cool too – a classic look which makes it simple but effective. So for me it really is an all round late summer suit, suitable for high performance in contests but also just as good for a relaxed day down the beach surfing in the sun with your mates as it dries so quick you can just whack it on and off in between surfs. All in all, the guys at O'Neill have once again delivered another classic wetsuit in the Hyperfreak – one that I'll happily be wearing right through the end of summer and into the autumn!

STYLE ●●●●●●●○○○ ●●●●●●●○○○

FUNCTIONALITY ●●●●●●●●●○ ●●●●●●●●●○

COMFORT ●●●●●●●●● ●●●●●●●●●○

STRETCHABILITY ●●●●●●●●●● ●●●●●●●●●●

USABILITY ●●●●●●●●●● ●●●●●●●●●●

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T H E G A L L E R Y

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Kanoa Igarashi giving it all he's got to keep his CT spot!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

TheGallery

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T H E G A L L E R Y

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Jesse Mendes with his sights on making it onto the Dream Tour for 2018!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

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T H E G A L L E R Y

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Griffin Colapinto catapulting himself still higher up the all important rankings!

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

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T H E G A L L E R Y

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Gabriel Medina made CT champion before – can he do it again?

Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com

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Surphang Magazine

to look ahead to the joy to be had surfing decent sized waves!

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NextIssue Not only then is it down to business for the contest calendar but also it's officially the end of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere but that surely means only one thing – decent swells should be on their way! Well here's hoping and while they do, we'll continue to Support Upcoming Rider Potential Here And Now Globally. So keep SURPHANG!

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Thanks for reading the Fifty-second issue of

Surphang Magazine

Caio Ibelli carving up Lowers Photo: Chuck@Surf-shot.com