The State of Origin series is kicking off next week and with that comes rivalry between states!

There's a passion reserved for origin that's not seen in international fixtures, and the pride of wearing the blue or maroon jersey runs through the blood of most Rugby League players from an early age.

We've teamed up with Coastalwatch to run a competition for the duration of the State of Origin series, all you need to do is snap a picture of one of Coastalwatch's surf cams.

It's beach against beach, state against state and the best snaps will WIN a pair of custom made Quiksilver State of Origin Boardies.

With over 100 surf cams to choose from this will be easy, we want to see your local cam in all its glory! 

There will be TWO Winners drawn each game day! Send in a screen shot or iphone app grab of the Gold Coast points pumping, your local beachie turning it on, maybe an awesome sunrise or the largo (late arvo glass off) or just a funny snap like below.

You can enter by emailing your pictures to instagram@coastalwatch.com or #beachVSbeach on instagram. it's that simple and you could be wearing you're own pair of QLD or NSW Quiksilver boardies on game day! 

Start snapping and best of luck!

Terms & Conditions apply.. Can't be bothered taking part but still want a pair of boardies? You can pre-order them here.

Quiksilver team riders score perfect, throaty tubes in the Wild West of Africa with plenty of seals and possibly sharks, no humans though..

The Surfrider Foundation announced this week that World Champion surfers Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore have signed on to be this year’s International Surfing Day Ambassadors.  Observed globally on June 20th International Surfing Day celebrates the sport of surfing and helps raise awareness about issues facing our oceans, waves and beaches.

Kelly Slater has dominated competitive surfing for two decades, garnering an unprecedented 11 ASP World Championships, 48 Elite Tour wins, two ESPN X Games gold medals, 14 Surfer Poll Awards, a four time Laureus World Action Sportsman of the Year Award, and induction into the Surfing Hall of Fame.  He has also received high praise from the U.S. House of Representatives with a (unanimous) bipartisan resolution passed in May 2010 recognizing his outstanding and unprecedented achievements in the world of surfing and for being an ambassador of the sport and excellent role model.  Kelly’s professionalism, philanthropic work, character and style have also redefined the archetype of a surfer.  He is committed to protecting the world’s oceans and its marine habitats, using his influence and status to educate the public about important environmental issues.

“International Surfing Day is a day to take some time to appreciate this wonderful world we have and this incredible relationship we each have with the ocean,” says Slater.  “It is a day for environmentalism, family, friendships, travel and, most of all, riding waves.  For us, this should be our big holiday right up there with Christmas and Halloween and Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.  It is a good time to remember all we’ve done and all the people and places we’ve gotten to know and reflect on where we’re going to be in the future.  Every day is a good day for all of these things, but this one just reminds us how good we have it and to not take it for granted.”

At 24 years old, Australian native Stephanie Gilmore has already become one of the most accomplished surfers in the world.  She’s won four consecutive ASP Women’s World titles, and still remains the only surfer to take the title during her rookie year.  Like Kelly, Stephanie also holds a Laureus Award for her groundbreaking achievements in women’s professional surfing.  Since coming into the women’s professional surfing scene, Stephanie has received an ESPY for Female Action Sports Person of the Year, three Hawaiian Triple Crown victories, two Surfer Poll Awards and 19 Elite Tour Victories.  When she’s out of the water, Stephanie can be found strumming her guitar and snapping photos of her world travels.

“ISD will be a special day to celebrate the beauty of our surfing lifestyles. All the enjoyment, passion, stoke, challenges and life changing experiences that we encounter at the beach are limitless, and ISD is the perfect way to pause for a moment, appreciate this rare relationship we humans have with the ocean, and encourage others less familiar to join in.”

“We’re extremely excited to have both Stephanie and Kelly on-board as this year’s International Surfing Day ambassadors,” says Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications.  “Their positive influence as surfing and environmental role models to so many youths aligns perfectly with the goals of ISD and we hope that their involvement helps us reach a wider audience.”

Follow Kelly on Facebook (facebook.com/KellySlater) and Twitter (@KellySlater), and Stephanie (@steph_gilmore) on Twitter as they update fans on what they are doing for International Surfing Day, and how supporters can get involved with a local event and give back to our oceans, waves and beaches.

They're warm because they're sealed - Fuseflex Wetsuits available here

Its all about NSW beachies at the moment, it's been pumping lately! Jesse Adam and Matt Hoy enjoying some fun waves over the last few weeks, inside and above the lip.

Photos: Jack Taylor

WHATEVER YOUR SURF LEVEL, COME AND SPEND A WEEK WITH THE PRO-SURFER OF YOUR CHOICE 

One week of board-culture immersion in Hossegor South West France from April to October. With coaching from pro-surfers such as Jeremy Flores, Aritz Aranburu, Marc Lacomare, Lee-Ann Curren, Bixente Lizarazu, Lisa Andersen, Tiago Pires, and Robby Naish. Fred Robin, a pro-surfer and pioneer of professional surfing in Europe will join the surf camp as the in-house coach on a quasi-permanent basis.

The athletes will share their experiences with you and you'll discover the world of surfing with a visit to a surfboard shapers, you'll also try stand up paddling and Yoga and stretching lessons with live concerts in the evening.

After your surf lessons you can kick back in the incredible Boardriders House which offers sports grounds, a games room, an authentic library, video room and internet point... the perfect setting for the ultimate surf experience.

Find out more at boardriders-week.com

This long anticipated movie has finally become a reality for Candide Thovex , while we take a look back at his youth and early days skiing Candide shows you what it took to get to this point in his career, winning X-games gold's and breaking his back before winning the free-ride world tour. Now embarking on a mission spending 2 winters and summers filming and traveling over the world to get the best conditions possible Matt Pain and crew have captured Candide in his element and the stunning nature surrounding.

Few Words will Premier in October in Paris with a world tour to follow in a city near you.

Team Rider Matty Chojnacki recently went on a trip to Indo.. Looks like he scored some fun waves!

Images via Deus Customs 

It looks like Ando has been killing it at home lately, we asked fellow local and Quik team rider Jesse Adam the story behind these pics....

"...i know that two or all three of these pics were shot at a spot called "the Wedge" in the city. It's called the wedge cause it breaks right off of the newcastle harbour wall and makes some heavy wedgey left peaks. Im pretty sure its Craigs favourite wave at home (besides merewether) Its epic for airs and barrells. I've seen Craig throw down some of his biggest tricks out there. He films there a lot with filmer jay grant and i think they were shooting while jack was snapping picks for an up and coming film project craig is working on. All the photos are rad and ive seen the clips from this session and he stomps all of this shit! He was nailing it this session - Jesse Adam"

Photos : Jack Taylor

Check out the highlights from Maz Quinns King of the Groms contest held in fun waves over the weekend of 28th - 29th April 2012, Wainui Beach, Gisborne. Read the full story over at Surfing NZ

Ando's kicks are available to buy over at DC Shoes: The Pool LE Shoe & The Boost Unilite Shoe.

Garrett Parkes has retained his Easter Classic title with back to back wins at Byron Bay. Here are some shots of Garrett shredding

Photos: Bertrand Pommier, Finscape Photography

Team rider Garrett Parkes has just started his new website and blog, here's Garrett shredding in Sumatra. via garrettparkes.com

Photos: Jack Taylor

Jesse Adam looking more comfortable in the air than on the ski... If you don't remember, let the clip below remind you of the classic Quik Pro 2012 stack.

There is no question that Quiksilver team rider Travis Rice is a master of his craft. For the terrain he is riding, and the features he is hitting he has to have every step of the way planned out ahead of time, otherwise the consequences could be deadly. In this video, Travis flies 90 miles deep into the Canadian Rockies to tackle an infamous backcountry arch known as the "Hole In The Wall".

"...here`s a new clip from a sesh we had yesterday. Been flat out the last month working on a exiting new project. keep an eye out for crazy new stuff coming soon" Craiky

India doesn’t have surf. Yeah, right! Craig Anderson and friends journey to the Lakshadweep Islands off the Southwest coast of India and score! via Surfline

One of the things that sets Dane's online portal MarineLayerProductions aside (apart from the best surfing in the world), is the sounds. Some detest, some wonder where he finds such genius. Whatever side of the fence y'sitting on, Dane's music is stirring. These songs are the creme of his clip soundtracks from the year gone by. Many are from his Mexican sojourn Lost Interest. Some appear in the Singles series. All dazzle.

1 > Evening - By Tops. 2 > Johnny Dance - By Suicide. 3 > Pocket Calculator - By Kraftwerk. 4 > Craigness - By The Fall. 5 > Arbuckle's Swan Song - By Ambulance Ltd. 6 > Coast To Coast - By Dirty Beaches. 7 > Marshmallow Yellow - By Peaking Lights. 8 > A To B - By Peepak Alypse. 9 > Sonora, By Tyvek. 10 > Duck Blinds, By Tyvek. 11 > Aloha - By Bo Diddley.

Features: 2 bedrooms with 1 bathroom, stunning ocean views, ducted air-conditioning, private parking, dishwasher, washing machine / dryer and fully-equipped kitchenette.

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Location: Jan Juc | Date: Friday 6th April, 8AM-Noon*

Meet Quiksilver surfers & shapers and test-drive the latest equipment.

Jeremy Flores | Travis Logie | Fred PattachiA | Tiago Pires | Jake Paterson | Mark Richards | Brett Warner | Christian Bradley | Mark Phipps | Greg Brown

Shapers will be in store at Quiksilver Torquay Friday – Monday offering their expert advice. come by for daily give-a-ways and prizes.

Surfing Magazine put together a 125 page flip book documenting the Quik Pro, it captures the excitement at and around the event.

"Some surfing tips from Kelly Slater, Matt Banting and Tom Carroll, after spending a weekend at Snapper Rocks for the Quiksilver Pro. Hot chicks, big waves, big names, and one massive kook." Christian Van Vuuren – Bondi Hipsters.

Clay Marzo throwing tail all over Maui.

Can't decide where to skate? Why not throw a dart at a giant map and let that determine your spot... Like Reese Forbes' kicks? Grab a pair here.

'Excerpt' is fragments from a couple of Dane's most recent Marine Layer Production. Track 1 is Tops - Evening. Track 2 is Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti - Underground.

In Episode 5, Tony and the Crew Skate the Sonic Generations Contest in Venice Beach where amazing skateboarding goes back to its roots. Watch as Tony, Andy McDonald and Mitchi Brusco pad up and drop in for a little triples vert action.

For over forty years Quiksilver has travelled to the world's greatest beaches, supported legends like Kelly Slater and witnessed some of the greatest moments in sporting history. Last night marked a new milestone for the brand and an Australian first for a surf brand, with the opening of the new Quiksilver Apartments and Flagship Store in Australia's premier surfing destination, Byron Bay. Click here to view the Full Press Release. Store opens between 9am - 5:30pm click here to view location in Store Locator.

For more information on the Quiksilver Apartments, click here.

Like all good things, Steph’s travel diary has also come to an end… but there is still more to come and we’ll be soon sharing with you a short documentary of our African adventure and much more!

For everyone involved in this mission this was a live changing trip and our experiences and souvenirs will accompany us forever. I hope you have felt the same. For us this is not the end of a trip, but the beginning of a new path with a refreshed new mind-set…

In the name of the Quiksilver Foundation I would like to thank everyone involved in our Senegal mission this year: our ambassadors, Stephanie Gilmore (4 x Surfing World Champion), Alain Riou (Surfer) and Tom Frager (Musician)… Our image production team: Bernard Testemale and Vincent Kardasik… Everyone at Coeur de Foret: Jérémie et Thibault, Jean Marc, Krim… our guide in Dakar : Pantxo and of course, all the people in Anambe.

Here’s a snippet of what’s to come…

Maritxu Darrigrand

Quiksilver Sustainable Development Director

NIO FAIR WITH STEPH GILMORE - TEASER

After publishing Steph Gilmore's travel diary on the Quiksilver Initiative website we will soon be sharing with you a short documentary of our African adventure and much more! Here's a snippet of what's to come... stay tuned.

Eight VEGEMITE SurfGroms were living the dream on the Gold Coast as VIP guests to the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. Read full news story here.

Surfing icons Tom Carroll and Matt Hoy along with former NRL stars Andrew Johns and Mat Rogers, introduced the new range to waiting fans, which represents all 16 NRL teams via their own specific boardshort.

The boardshorts feature designs based around the NRL logos and team colours and are made from Quiksilver's game-changing Diamond Dobby DLX four-way stretch fabric, making them incredibly light, stretchy and rash resistant. 

The NRL greats got amongst the action at Australia's leading surf contest, heading into the surf with Quiksilver's surfing ambassadors to try out the new threads.  Despite the torrential downpour, hundreds of waiting fans were on hand to catch a glimpse of the boys in action.

"The Quiksilver Pro is the ultimate surf contest in Australia, so we're excited to be here for the first day of trials to launch the new Quiksilver NRL Boardshorts," said Tom Carroll.  "Personally, I'm a Quiksilver Pro fan so I guess it's a good thing Johnsy and Mat were here to represent some of the other teams!"

Quik team has taken out 2 of the 3 categories. Jamie Mitchell won the biggest paddle-in award with a gem at Cow Reef
Tyler Holmer-Cross won the biggest Slab award amongst the hundred entries from a crazy Shipsterns Bluff session

fierce social commentary from the fall, 1982, set to a thundering tribal beat and meandering tuneless ukulele. surfing done dec. 24th, 2011 - jan. 11th, 2012, except three rides, which were recorded sometime before that.

Did you see Jeff Rowley paddling Jaws on the weekend news and think where can I get some custom made boardshorts that match my board? Fear not.. go to the Quiksilver Custom Boardshorts site and design your own. They cost $99 and are hand made in Australia!

Clay Marzo, Ry Craike and friends cross vast deserts in pursuit of shallow slabs.

Feat. Kelly Slater, Travis Rice, Tony Hawk and the rest of the Quiksilver Team.

Quiksilver Groms shred the points and beach breaks along the Central America coastline.. images via surfline.com

Vote for Travis here and continue to vote every day through January 18, 2012.

Quiksilver's Tony Hawk, the greatest skateboarder of all time, made an astonishing performance in Mumbai for the first skateboard event ever organized in India. In front of almost 5000 spectators massed at Dhirubhai Ambani International School Grounds.

Tony Hawk, along with his friends Kevin Staab, Andy MacDonald, Sam Bosworth and young prodigy Mitchie Brusco, surpassed themselves to entertain the massive and enthusiastic crowd packed up around one of the world's biggest portable vert ramp especially built up for the show by Quiksilver.

Just got back from a trip to taiwan. it was heaps of fun!!! we actually scored some really fun waves and id love to go back one day. it was a cool contrast to come from the desert and set foot into the concrete jungle! my good mate rick rifici came along and shot the whole thing for me. these are a few frame grabs from the trip…. stay tuned for the clip to come soon. oh yeah we also stopped by java on the way back home and scored a fun little left in a magic little bay. it was a fun trip yew craiky

The world-first national junior surfing development program will be taking over Australian beaches during summer and there are programs available throughout the school holidays.

Already more than 3000 children across Australia have enjoyed SurfGroms programs, which offers youngsters aged 5-12 years old an opportunity to develop strong ocean awareness and beach safety skills, while also developing a proficiency in surfing.

SurfGroms is supported by an extensive and robust website – surfgroms.com.au – which will allow all children and parents to register for a safe and secure social network called the GromRoom. It will allow participants to share their favourite SurfGroms moments with family and friends.

Parents can still register their children through the website with programs available throughout summer through the Surfing Australia Surf Schools Network with more than 60 delivery centres around the country.

Every child signing up to SurfGroms will receive an awesome Quiksilver backpack bursting with surfing merchandise including a Quiksilver t-shirt, hat, rash vest, towel and wrist band, plus two Wahu beach products and a tube of Vegemite Spread. 

Quiksilver’s Xplosive Wetsuit, the company’s most innovative wetsuit with unparalleled technical design, will be tested this week on Hawaii’s North Shore by Kelly Slater as he competes in The Pipeline Masters, the final stop of the 2011 ASP World Tour. Slater first wore the distinctive, handmade and anatomically designed wetsuit in San Francisco last month when he won an historic 11 X ASP World Championship.

Following the success of the Quiksilver Xplosive Boardshort, launched in June of 2011, the Xplosive wetsuit is the answer to what’s next in Quiksilver’s technically designed apparel. The Quiksilver R&D team has been working with leading sports physiotherapist Malcolm Browne to create a wetsuit that assists “explosive” movements, reacts to changes in position and aids control of major muscles- an important factor in reducing injury.

“The power lines have been designed to mimic the naturally-occurring stretch reflexes within the body,” says Browne. ”By adding these lines to the already established reflexes we can amplify the body response of action and reaction. This allows the athlete to move smoothly through all actions which are required by their sport but in a highly energized way. The athlete’s awareness of their body is both complemented and enhanced by the suit.”

XPLOSIVE WETSUIT DESIGN FEATURES INCLUDE:

XPLOSIVE PANELS/BANDS: Anatomically placed panels/bands with a rubber band like quality designed to exaggerate the body’ s response for action with corresponding recoil to bring the body back to its normal position with technology to assist amplified explosive movements.

PROPRIOCEPTION: The athlete’s awareness of their body is both complemented and enhanced by the suit. The quicker the body acts in a sporting sense the quicker the suit will react to that change in position.

INJURY PREVENTION: The wetsuit aids the control of major muscles during explosive actions and also allows for smooth movement. This is highly important in injury prevention.

Last night, Surfer Magazine hosted their 41st Annual Surfer Poll awards at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu. Quiksilver had a tremendous showing with Kelly taking first and Dane in second. Congrats guys!

Check out Ry's latest clip of a few summer sessions, heaps of tunnel vision.

Dane looks motivated, warm, happy....like he’s enjoying his Fuseflex wettie... He’s ripping too.. Clip via Marine Layer Productions

Craig Anderson might just be the most watchable surfer in the world. Ando is a guy who oozes style, a guy who makes every turn look syrupy and effortless, the kind of guy who looks good just standing still on a wave. He’ll surf across a wave with cat-like nonchalance, drawing the coolest and most casual lines, only to launch and land an obscene air to close it out. Craig first joined the Quiksilver team as a grommet back home in South Africa, before moving to Merewether, Australia with his family as a 15-year-old. In the years since, his fusion of progressive aerial surfing and classic, silky lines has seen him gain a global cult following. Anderson was announced as the 2010 Breakthrough Performer of the Year at the prestigious Surfer Poll Awards, and his surfing has been lauded in feature films Moments, Modern Collective, Castles in the Sky and Innersection. He has surfed in ASP World Tour events and featured on the covers of magazines across the world from Australia to the USA, Japan and Europe. The Godfather of Merewether, the great Mark Richards, describes Ando’s surfing as, “someone in tune with the moment.” Ando describes it this way: “I do my own thing. Whatever makes me feel happy when I kick out on a wave.”

Dane’s also refreshing in that he follows his own path and always speaks his mind. He’s an avid reader and his taste in music tends toward indie bands. He loves surf films and was a key contributor not only for his mind-blowing surfing, but also for his creative eye on his 2006 Surfer Poll winning signature film, "First Chapter."

On the competition front, he took his full throttle approach to the ASP World Tour in 2008 and, despite an ankle injury, won Rookie of the Year. By staying true to himself and refusing to dial back his surfing for competition he’s winning over eve more fans and setting new standards every time he paddles out.

Jeremy Flores was born in Madagascar and grew up on Reunion Island.  He has been surfing every day since the age of 3 under the guidance of his father Patrick Flores who, over the years, has played a major role in Jeremy’s development as a competitive surfer. Jeremy and his family have spent long periods of time in Australia on Sydney’s Northern beaches, whole summers in Europe and notched up a string of seasons in Hawaii. Jeremy maintained his academic commitments through correspondence schooling and still found time to surf the amazing surfing venues of the globe. This worldly young surfer has had an unconventional upbringing but it has enabled Jeremy to experience life in different countries and cultures and has helped him to feel totally at ease on the World Tour. 

His career and personality are exceptional in more ways than one. Jeremy is not only the youngest surfer ever to break into the professional elite of world male surfers. His first year on the world tour saw him win the Rookie of the year” Award. Leading surfer of the Euroforce (European surfers of the ASP World Tour), which counts 7 members in the Top 45 this year. Last year, his second year on tour, was also a success, Jeremy finished the season in the top ten.

Jeremy spends a lot of his off time at his new house in Capbreton France, as soon as winter shows its head Jeremy follows the summer and spends time with this family in New Caledonia.These are the testing grounds for many of his boards that he develops with his shaper Mark Phipps. 

When Jeremy is not surfing he stays in shape mentally and physically with an intensive Jiu-jitsu training program. Don’t mess with Jeremy he’s a fighter.

For the 3rd year on the WCT world tour Jeremy is aiming at a top 5 finish or better. We believe that Jeremy has the potential to be the first ever European to win a world title. 

Name: Kelly Slater
Discipline: Surfer
Hobbies: Golf and looking for waves
Favorite Trophy: The ones l have
What you ride: Channel Island Surfboards
What you drive: Audi A4 S Series 
Twitter: @kellyslater 

From a place beyond greatness comes Robert Kelly Slater. The Floridian’s 11 world titles will never be equaled, not in this lifetime and surely not in lifetimes to come, and his stratospheric success makes him not only the greatest surfer who ever lived but in all probability the world’s greatest athlete. The numbers tell a story – at 20 he became surfing’s youngest world champion, at 39 it’s oldest, there are the 48 tour wins and the $3 million in prizemoney – but the numbers only hint at the real story. Over a 20-year career he’s pushed performance boundaries in small waves, big waves, life-threatening waves. He’s pioneered board design and evolved his surfing to not only compete with, but trump successive generations of challengers. He’s won events at all the world’s most iconic waves, from Pipeline to Teahupoo, Jeffreys Bay, Cloudbeak and Waimea Bay. Charismatic and considered, in many ways he’s become bigger than surfing itself. After winning his 10^th world title in 2010, Kelly said of it, “I don’t know whether that’s my Everest or my K2. I really don’t know. There’s definitely a part of me that wants to go out on top, but there’s another part of me that thinks that if I did go out on top, I’d never know if I could have stayed top.” History will say it was only his K2, and the most phenomenal aspect of the Kelly Slater story is that Kelly believes much of it is still yet to be written. “I definitely feel like my best surfing is yet to come.” 

Clay Marzo is an aquatic human who packs in more water time than most ocean mammals. He surfs like no one else and his style is spontaneous, creative and unpredictable. Don't try to figure out what he's going to do next because he has no idea. What is for certain is that this 20 year old is a rare talent who will be blowing minds for years to come. 

His parts in Young Guns 2, 3 and Tomorrow Today are the stuff of legend and he was up for Maneuver of the Year at the 2007 Surfer Poll Awards. He regularly scores covers and massive interviews and profiles in the major mags. 2008 saw the release of his signature video, 'Just Add Water'. 

Clay came to prominence in 2005 with the release of Young Guns II where Kelly Slater said Clay was surfing so insanely well that it actually intimidated him. Look for HUGE things in the future from him.

A day of desert lefts, a dinner of barbecued crays and a night sleeping under a blanket of stars makes Ry Craike a happy boy. Craikey is a guy who knows the simplest pleasures in life are always it’s finest. Growing up on the isolated and featureless edge of the Western Australian desert, with a red horizon to the east and a blue horizon to the west, Craikey defines down to earth, a guy as likeable as the day is long. The closest wave to Ry’s Kalbarri home features a heaving outside barrel followed by a skate park inside section, so while he learned to tuberide like a man possessed, he also developed an explosive forehand finner that became his trademark, a turn Kelly Slater called the best forehand turn in the world, and a turn that’d take him far beyond the red dirt world he grew up in. Craikey never fancied surfing heats, instead traveling the world chasing the best waves he can find and burning it all on film. His movie creds include Campaign 2, Stranger Than Fiction, There’s No I In Go Ry and Quiksilver’s Young Gun series. Ry’s chase for perfect surf however, inevitably leads him home. “There’s nowhere on Earth I’d rather be when it’s like this the waves are all-time.”

Regarded by many as the best grommet on the planet, the snowy-haired kid from Margaret River has redefined what a 13-year-old with a surfboard is capable of. His surfing at places like Grajagan, the North Shore of Oahu and Snapper Rocks has dented the egos of surfers twice his size and twice his age… while captivating them at the same time. We all know grommets like to surf, but no grommet likes to surf as much as Jack Robinson, frequently clocking up five, six, seven-hour sessions, only coming in when his ride home arrives or the sun disappears. The impish smile, the shock of bowl-fringed blond hair, every conversation referencing surfing, Jack embodies everything good about grommethood. The future for young Jack could just about hold anything, but for now though Jack is busy, “just going surfing. I’m not thinking too much right now about the future and where I’d like to go with my surfing. I just want to catch some waves and have some fun and whatever happens, happens.” 

Roxy’s Sally Fitzgibbons Hands 94 Million Rupiah Cheque to Kuta Beach Sea Turtle Conservation (KBSTC) on Behalf of Quiksilver Indonesia

On Tuesday November 1st, Roxy team rider and 2011 ASP Women’s Championship runner up Sally Fitzgibbons from Australia had the honor of handing over a whopping Rp. 94,830,204 (around $11,000 AUD) cheque on behalf of Quiksilver Indonesia to Pak Agung Tresna of the Kuta Beach Sea Turtle Conservation, in support of the on-going effort to preserve the endangered sea turtles of Bali and ensure their survival.

Want to know more about baby turtles? You can checkout the Zombie Kid that also likes turtles here or read more about Sea Turtle Conservation here.

Hometown: Culburra Beach but currently residing in Lennox Head
Home break: Boulders 
The worst wipeout I've had that springs to mind is … doing a floater at bells, coming off and landing on my fins.
My favourite five posessions include: my dog, surf board, wii, ipod touch & my bed
My idea of happiness is … having fun
I Googled myself and I discovered … I'm a parliament minister
My musical talents include … guitar
Something not many peeps knowabout me, but should is … I like to ride moto bikes!
My best childhood memory is … waterbombing people
Sword or gun? Gun
Life Motto: Live Life Happy

That’s how Mikey Wright took his first unknowing steps towards surf stardom.

“I remember the wave, a little bit. It was when I turned eight, so 2005,” reflects Mikey, now aged 12, as if his young life has since become a blur.

“There was a surf comp on. Kelly Slater and Andy Irons and all that was there, it was a pro comp I think. Yeah, it was a WCT (World Championship Tour event).”

With his dad egging him on, Mikey flung himself down the face of a Bells Beach swell. It was a set wave on a decent sized day and Mikey, being all of 4’-foot-nothing, made the wave look twice its actual size.

He followed a committed top turn with a swift, ambitious tube ride. Made it, came out, ripped into a cuttie, then lined up the inside section and finished with a skillfully timed floater, like a satisfied carpenter hammering in his last nail.

The whole ride, Craig Stevenson, Global Brand Manager of the ubiquitous “Quik” was cruising behind Mikey, copping the spray of this little blonde-haired natural foot tear-away, and thinking only one thing: “Who is this little kid?”

Within 24 hours, eight year-old Mikey was almost certainly one of the youngest sponsored surfers in the world.

“It felt cool to get sponsored. I thought I was in trouble when he said drop by the office later. I went upstairs and my dad waited outside, and he said something like, ‘Hey, you’re the guy who dropped in on me. I’m not impressed,’ but then he laughed and said you’re getting a contract.

And while Mikey certainly has ‘it’, one look at the rest of his family will tell you if it wasn’t Stevenson that spotted him, someone else inevitably would have.

Older brother Owen claimed the Quiksilver World Junior Surfing Championships U/18 Boys division in 2006 and is now headed for the pro-ranks full-time. Sisters Kirby and Tyler are regular finalists and winners of Australian girls junior comps, and dad’s eldest, Tim, rips the bags out of it too.

“There’s six of us who surf in our family. Mum is the only one who doesn’t surf. We tried to take her out once at Byron Bay, at The Pass, she was having so much fun. We were just helping her out in the shore,” says Mikey.

“Owen gives me heaps of tips, tries to help me out. It helps heaps. We go a lot of places together. With the family we’ve had two trips overseas to Bali, and we’ve been to Fiji. But Uluwatu in Bali is my favourite wave. We had it pretty good. Pretty big. About six-foot.”

“Waterman” is a surfing related term popularised in Hawaii and is used to describe only the most talented and knowledged of practitioners. Typically, a waterman either dives, swims, surfs, sails, paddles or fishes the sea. A waterman is always top of his class in at least two of these fields.

The Gold Coast’s Jamie Mitchell is a true Waterman.

He is an accomplished big and small wave surfer, tow-in surfing exponent, stand-up paddle boarder, professional lifeguard and the undisputed King of the World  when it comes to open ocean long distance paddling.
At the top of Jamie’s remarkable list of achievements is his unprecedented eight consecutive Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race wins.

The annual race is considered the world championship of paddle boarding and requires paddlers to traverse one of the roughest stretches of water in the world – the 32 mile wide Ka’iwi channel stretching between the North Shore of Molokai, Hawaii to the South Shore of Oahu.

Paddlers are subject to completely unpredictable currents and open-ocean swells sometimes reaching up to 30-feet. The ultimate test of endurance, the race challenges a participant’s surfing skills and ocean navigation skills.Jamie’s sixth win in 2007 remains the fastest finish in the race’s history: 4 hours, 48 minutes, 23 seconds. 

In 2002, Jamie also claimed the first of six consecutive US Paddleboarding Championships, proving that while he may have honed his skills on Queensland’s coast, he has certainly made his mark in America.

In 2007, a giant beast of a wave Jamie rode at Todos Santos, Mexico earned him a nomination into Billabong’s annual XXL Big Wave awards. It was quite an honour. From hundreds of video and photographic entries, just five were nominated in the “Monster Paddle In” category, proving once again Jamie’s arms – and almost certainly, his man-sized heart - are among his greatest assets. 

Surfer Magazine in the USA suggested the session was possibly the heaviest paddle sesh ever, which saw Jamie and fellow Quiksilver team rider Mark Healey take some of the worst wipe-outs of their lives and get caught inside numerous occasions.
Further though, it cemented Jamie’s place among the world’s elite big wave riding club, at least publicly. For many years, Jamie and his Hawaiian mates were members of their own unofficial “20-20” club. Open only to those who had paddled a minimum of 20 miles in the open ocean and readily rode waves exceeding 20 feet in size.
Jamie has since been invited to surf in the Mavericks Big Wave Contest (as an alternate in 2009), the Ku Ikaika Challenge, the world’s only stand-up paddle big wave invitational and the 2007 Peahi (Jaws) World Cup Tow-In Championships, Hawaii.

In Australia, Jamie works as a lifeguard at Burleigh Heads and runs the Jamie Mitchell School of Paddle and Surf along with business partner Jocelyn Kemp. The remainder of his time is divided between hang time with his girl, surfing on a completely diverse range of equipment (anything from a 5'10 fish to his 18ft paddleboard!) and of course his intense weekly training schedule.

“Molokai is my Everest,” explains Jamie. 

"This race is important to me personally, financially, in every way … The feeling you get when you cross the line … I don’t get that from anything else. That's why nothing comes close to it.”

Fuseflex Wetsuits available here

Jackson, Wyoming’s favorite son has come a long way since first strapping in on the steep mountain slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Mixed into Travis’ ‘Rider of the Year’ accolades are iconic video parts, X Games medals and even his own video game character. Nearly a decade into the game, Travis has and continues to progress snowboarding in its entirety. Whether it be continually raising the bar with mind blowing “first ever” tricks; experimenting with new board technology; producing and starring in mega-budget snowboarding films; or pioneering next-level contests like the Quiksilver Natural Selection, Travis settles for nothing short of exceptional. With film credits including the award-winning “That’s It, That’s All” and his latest multi-year project, “The Art of FLIGHT,” Travis is not only pushing snowboarding’s limits, but bringing that progression to the masses.