I was out west mid January to compete with the Fox surf team in the Katin Team Challenge. We ended up taking 4th place in surf that was Maxing out the North side of Huntington Pier. I almost killed my self trying to advance out of my first round heat. Out of the three other competitors in the line up, only six waves were caught due to the strong drift into the pier and less than desirable closeouts bombs coming through. I needed a score, and pretty much gave up on trying to find a good wave and turned on the biggest thing that came through. The bomb took me high-speed towards the pier giving me only the opportunity to snap under the lip and come flying out with the explosion, dead set for the most piling congested part of the pier, the “T”. I bailed, turned on my sonic the hedgehog forcefield and hoped for the best. When I came up, I had traveled between the barnacle covered, concrete “life-enders” with out a scratch. I made the heat, but I scared the crap out of myself..

Moment before the bail, and my pinball manuever..

The pics below are from one of the free surf sessions I had on the south side of HB pier during the event with Ryan Carlson, Jesse Evans, and the Turner bros. There was an against the grain left barrel that offered one of the sickest views of the pier I’ve seen, inside lookin out… We traded off catching “the one,” a wave that appeared to be a closeout into the pier that offered a perfect tuberide and exit about ten feet in front of the treacherous pilings. There was no “Huntington hop” going on this session, just perfect drainers and punchy air sections! We had a blast!

The air section was sick!

Last weekend Alex DePhillipo’s New Jersey surf Documentary, “Dark Fall” played a trailer at the largly hyped “pre”-premiere of poor specimens latest production “Modern Collective.” Showing right in the middle of a block of films including “Gum for My Boat” which takes an intimate look into the growth of the Bangladesh surf club, Red Bulls “Mentawais Super Trip” showcasing some of the energy drinks top athletes, the “Dark Fall” teaser boasted some of the loudest reactions in the theater! 

The Theater was packed for two nights straight as the Film Festival logged in yet another successful year. Much thanks goes out to the parties involved with making the event possible and for supporting “Dark Fall”!!

You know the boyz were holding it down at the open bar that offered cold pints of PBR on the house!

I’m in Tahiti now and chopes has yet to show her face. The swell we came down for was thwarted by poor wind conditions and now it’s time to wait. The ocean has a funny way of testing my patience. Hurricane Bill is heading up the East Coast on one of the best storm tracks I’ve seen in a long time, pretty much guaranteeing epic surf at home, and, although we’ve had some fun rip-able sessions at Teahupoo and the surrounding reef passes, I remain to feel empty handed and lost in the wrong hemisphere while my home breaks are lighting up. I won’t be leaving until I get my wave..

To pass the time we’ve fished, played a round or two of “Coconut Bocce”, a game of soccer, we even climbed the mountain behind our tahitian residence “Chez Biff,” pretty much all we can to burn the minutes. Traditional Tahitian tattoos may be next on the list before the next swell arrives.. So, until I see the beast awakens, I am Tahitian, and I will be here at Teahupoo waiting..

Top of the Mountain. It took about thirty minutes to climb up the shear mountain-side covered in thick ferns and about seven minutes to slide down!

Passing Time in front of "Chez Biff." We climbed the mountain in the background later that day..

Keali'i Mamala and myself climbing the mountain, that cliff-side was at least 65 degrees all the way up..

It's a must to land airs when the wave breaks over shallow reef.

Waiting for Teahupoo...

Last week the National Surfing League (NSL) got together with Red Bull, for the third straight year, and ran their high school qualifying event for The Red Bull Riders Cup. Brad Gerlach and Shaun Burrell, two well known and accomplished professional surfers from southern CA, are the minds behind the NSL, and responsible for bringing surfing and their “surf game” format to the X-Games in years past. I can remember watching surfing debut into the X-Games at Huntington Beach in 2003, where the venue was set up with huge stadium bleachers along the waters edge, a score board and instant replay screen hung from the pier, and the East coast vs. West coast team match-ups made for one of the coolest new events the world of surfing had ever seen. I was nineteen at the time, and with a VIP pass for the event, I couldn’t imagine anything better than watching my heros compete in such a surreal setting.  The best part about this format is that it provides a team based event similar to one you’d see in a main stream professional arena, with strategy in using substitutions and timeouts, and it all runs in a spectator friendly three periods. Total run time is about two hours, short and sweet and AWESOME! The format had success for three years in the X-Games, as well as in a pro tour known as the California Cup, but for the past few years has lived through it’s High School version.

Water Coach

A few new Jersey Pros were involved with the event, including a couple contributors of this webpage. Sam Hammer was the head referee for the Game, while Dean Randazzo and Kevin Richards judged. It is not only a fun event to work, but also great way to stay involved with the upcoming youth who are always nipping at our heals.. I coached for Middle Township, a group of tough competitors, who gave the event favorite, Ocean City, a close battle to the end. When Middle wasn’t competing, I filled in as a commentator, and had a blast hyping up the action in the line-up, much like I had experienced back in H.B. as a grommet. The Final for the event was very close, and extremely exciting. For the three years Red Bull and the NSL have been running this event nation wide, this was said to be the most successful as far as great surf, close competition, and a beach full of screaming fans. It was absolutely insane, the entire venue knew what was going on in the line up, who needed what score, and when Mikey Ciramella threw a crazy, fins free, reverse to drop a 9pt score, the beach erupted. Ocean City had the bottom of each period and when Chris Kelly started his team off, in pursuit of an 18pt lead Middle had regained, The crowd went nutz with every turn. Ocean City came out with the win for the third straight year, and, with the growth in popularity of the Riders Cup, a special year it was.

Mikey Ciramello slashes while Coach Ges talks strategy with beach coaches Brian Heritage and Frank Walsh

Ocean City Coach Matt Keenan congratulates team MVP Chris Kelly on pulling off the win

Having involvement with the game initially as a spectator and over the years as a coach/commentator I can only hope that the idea, that Brad Gerlach and I discussed post event, of bringing the format back to the professional arena materializes. I honestly couldn’t imagine an event I’d have more fun as a participant.  Of the surfers I know that would be involved, and the young athletes coming up through these high school events, New Jersey will have a powerhouse pro team that I think would be a contender for a national title for years to come. So, until then my fingers are crossed.

2009 Red Bull Riders Cup: New Jersey Youtube video link