Jaws will eat you alive! Ian Walsh trying to avoid being the next dish getting served! Frame grab: The Ian Walsh Experience / Network A
It’s Friday, so it must be time to take a look back at all the best bits of surfing on the web from the last 7 days! This week’s TGIF party features 5 bits about rising, established, and deceased stars of the sport, plus an interview with one of the men who documents all the madness and must see moments on film. And now, time to get on with the show!
Mad Max
Mad Max Huscenot airing out and taking his life in his hands at the same time in the very sharky waters of Reunion Island. Frame grab: Mad Max 974 / Focus Prod
France’s first male ASP Pro Junior World Champion hasn’t impacted the pro ranks in the same way some other former holders of that title have, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a serious talent! Not too strangely, since he comes from Reunion Island and has been coached by some of the same people, his style closely resembles that of the island’s favourite son and current ASP Top 10 surfer Jérémy Flores. This is a clean little edit by Charly Chapelet of Mad Max ripping his bull and tiger shark infested spots in Reunion, followed by a few sessions at the world’s best great white shark infested right hand point break at Jeffrey’s Bay.
This video is dedicated to Alexandre Rassiga, one of the recently deceased victims of shark attacks in the waters off Reunion Island.
A Mob Frame of Mind
An inspirational moment of trim for a man called Mob. Frame grab: Frame of Mind / Dragon Alliance
In U.S. surfing circles, Californian style master Rob Machado is about as close as you can come to God after multiple world champions Tom Curren and Kelly Slater. Yes, he used to compete on the world tour, and even challenged for the title a few times with his career culminating in a heat at Pipeline where he exited the tube and high fived his best buddy Kelly Slater as he surfed past him into the channel. Now Rob gets paid to… well, just be himself. He surfs, plays guitar, surfs some more, grows his hair, works on new board designs, and goes surfing again. Life is good.
The Drifter keeps an open mind about things, and surfs with as much style above the lip as below it. Frame grab: Frame of Mind / Dragon Alliance
This fourth and final episode in the ‘Frame of Mind’ series gives a little look, listen and feel of what goes on inside the head of The Drifter.
Happy Jack is Here
Surfing Magazine digs people who do things differently.
Jack Coleman does things differently. He is a filmmaker… but not in the same way as other people who make action or adventure sports videos nowadays. He actually still shoots his films… on film. On reels of Super 8 to be exact, and the result is arty, old school and rather unique.
His latest work, ‘Imaginary Carpet Market’ will be released in less than a month, but you can acquire another of his little beauties ‘Happy Beach’ on-line now.
“It’s funny. After a day of surfing and shooting guys are so used to going, “okay, let’s go check the footage now.” But with me, it’s like, ummmm, cool, let’s have a beer.” – Jack Coleman
Surfing Magazine loves Jack’s work so much they tracked him down at his studio (actually they found where his car was parked, because he lives and works in it) for a little chat. Here’s the rest of what he had to say!
HAPPY BEACH – “surf film trailer” from Jack Coleman.
Ian Loves Jaws
Ian is a founding member of the Peahi paddle-in posse. Frame grab: The Ian Walsh Experience / Network A
No. His favourite film isn’t the Steven Spielberg epic that kept people out of the water for ages after they first saw it. He doesn’t have a thing for the super villain with the silver teeth from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and ‘Moonraker’ either. This is surfing, people!
The star of the surfing version of ‘Being John Malkovich’… or something like that! Frame grab: The Ian Walsh Experience / Network A
We’re talking about the massive mountain of a wave that makes men shake in their sandals and shiver in their boardshorts. We’re talking about the spiritual home of the tow-in. We’re talking about Maui’s most amazing surf spot, known by the locals as Peahi, but internationally renowned as the wave called Jaws!
Just another day at the office… Frame grab: The Ian Walsh Experience / Network A
“When you get one of those big waves you feel it in the bottom of your stomach, and I still have those feelings every time I go out… Jaws started to become more and more appealing to me.”
Although Laird Hamilton is the King of Peahi, Ian Walsh is the Crown Prince waiting to take over the throne. Find out why he is so infatuated with the place in the latest instalment of ‘The Ian Walsh Experience’.
“After a few years at Jaws, it really turned into the circus it still is now.” Frame grab: The Ian Walsh Experience / Network A
Old Dog, New Tricks
Teaching the kids a thing or two about high flying antics in Costa Rica! Frame grab: Cory Lopez – Legendary / Team O’Neill
35 years might not seem old in some sporting circles, but in professional surfing it is absolutely ancient. Yes, there are still two 40-year olds on tour, Taylor Knox and 11-time world champ Kelly Slater. The former is a fitness freak. The latter is a freak of nature. Both are exceptions that prove the rule. Admittedly, Cory Lopez is a few years younger than they are. But, if he’s still pulling the same tricks he does now when he hits the mid-life crisis mark he’ll be re-setting the bar of what’s physically possible for old people to do on a surfboard. I know King Kelly can still dig deep into his bag and occasionally pull out a massive, full rotation aerial in a heat, and when he does he’s usually rewarded with a 10-point wave score. However, as this video attests, Cory busts airs like that on a regular basis… in his sleep!
My Brother Made Me Do It
Back off, Bruce! This one’s mine! Frame grab: That Wave / Billabong
It’s not often when pro surfers admit to being afraid, and pretty much unheard of from Hawaiian world champions. As you’ll see and hear in this memorial re-release of a defining moment in the life of Andy Irons, he was not scared to speak about his fears when faced with 15 foot Tahitian death pits for the first time. Now, it is time to crack open a cold one in his memory, and to let Andy’s surfing and holy spirit recount the rest of the story…
And that, as they say, is that! Stay classy, surfers! And have an EPIC weekend!