We would like to thank Sean Collins for all of his contributions to the sport of surfing. He is a legend and will be greatly missed. SWELL sends our best to his family, friends and coworkers at Surfline.
Thank you for visiting the Swell blog. Visit us on www.facebook.com/swell for more exclusive fan offers, giveaways and more.You already bought him a cordless drill, a universal remote, and a shaving kit…now what?. They rarely ask for new clothes, don’t like to shop, and contently dress in the same outfit/style they’ve worn since high school. So instead of coercing them into a full wardrobe overhaul, follow the SWELL gift guide to upgrade his look with these subtly awesome looks.
1. Casual is king, especially during holidays at home. Anything lined in the popular sherpa faux-fur is perfect for lounging around the neighborhood, watching groms play with their new wheels. Or great to throw on for that frosty dawn surf-check. Swell carries dozens of these toasty threads that he’s sure to put on before unwrapping the next present. See Swell’s sherpa selections here
2. Inspired by true watermen, surfing icons, and pioneers of the sport, Quiksilver’s Waterman Collection brings back the inherent quality of classics. If your man prefers skinny jeans and bling, this isn’t the ticket. This gear embodies the outdoor spirit with new-school function and comfort. Just tell him that Tom Carroll, Peter Mel, and Mark Healy developed this line while exploring the rugged Pacific North West.
3. You can’t fail with surf videos. Every guy still has that teenage nostalgia to get his stoke fix and mind-surf, letting out the occasional terrets-like outbursts. This works especially well for the lady trying to get her man off the couch and into a healthier body-mass index. Just look in the garage to see what kind of board he has, then peruse the video previews of SWELL’s dvd page to see which one fits his style. Still not sure, take a tip from Morgan, SWELL’s gear guru for his top 5 dvd picks here.
4. Lastly, a simple accessory is appropriate for any friend, husband, or partner. A stylish leather Nixon belt can hide that tattered waistband on his favorite pants. Or, upgrade your favorite nephew from a velcro wallet, to a real deal leather pocket book. SWELL has 100s of socks, boxers, shades, hats, and more, so get your stocking stuffers and more before its too late at SWELL.
John John scores 10s, Slater nails buzzer-beater comebacks, and Kieren Perrow (literally held together by duct tape) redeems last year’s finals fail. Pipemasters 2011 was the culmination of a record year of amazing surf on the World Championship Surfing Tour, and most surfers have the scars, staph, and cover-shots to prove it.
After the opening ceremonies came a special blessing in memory of Andy Irons, and a first birthday cheers to his son Axel Irons smiling on the beach with mom Lyndie. The wave gods proceeded to put on a spectacle of bombing surf that continuously drenched spectators like the Shamu Show.
Surfline predicted the swell would break at second and third reef pipeline during the first day of competition, something we haven’t seen since the 97′ Pipemasters. An irregularly sober mood swept the field of surfing’s favorite jokers. Perhaps out of fear for his riders, Jeff Hurley suggested starting to run heats a day early in more contestable conditions. But Slater said “There’s about 100 yards of sand that still needs to wash off the reef, and the wave doesn’t know where to go until this first pulse can push it off” and everyone reluctantly agreed.
Round 1 started with pipe-savvy Hawaiian wildcards like Marcus Hickman, Ian Walsh, and Jamie O’Brien winning 8 of 12 heats, while the visiting CT boys were just happy to make it back to the sand.
Here’s a few post comments that surfers told the SWELL team after their round 1 heats:
“Those were the worst beatings I’ve ever taken in a contest” -Ian Walsh
“Has anyone seen the other half of my board?” -Jamie O’Brien
“I was praying they would postpone the heats until the swell died down” -Kolohe Andino
“I got slapped around so hard, and had no idea which way I was paddling” -Bruce Irons
In Round 2 John John Florence continued his triple crown campaign scoring a perfect 10 and a 9.93 in round 3. But who other than Slater to nearly dash his lifelong hopes of a triple crown title in their quarter final face-off. From the beach it appeared the judges would be accused of another scoring scandal, but decide for yourself in this heat recap.
After losing to Slater, Michel Bourez had to make the finals to steal surfing’s second highest honor, but honorary Hawaiian Kieren Perrow weaved through backdoor to keep the crown in Hawaii with John John Florence.
Kieren earned his first elite victory after 20 years as a touring pro. Only a day earlier he was facing elimination from next year’s tour, but went on to beat Taj, Dorian, Gabriel Medina, Michel, and finally Parko, to become the 2011 Billabong Pipemasters Champion. This smiling 34 yr old Aussie is the surfer’s representative to the ASP, a respected big-wave charger, and a role model family-man.
Even Slater teared up as he announced the victory over the live webcast. Everyone was “over the moon”
Watch thrills and spills from the first day of firing surf.
Get your piece of Pipemasters history at SWELL 
The SWELL team met up with old lifeguard bros on the Oahu’s North Shore, and they gave a local tip about digging out the Waimea river to create a surfable standing wave. Everyone was itching to get their feet in the wax in preparation for the big winter swells headed for the seven mile miracle.
As the life guards left their towers, Mark Healy and friends grabbed shovels and dug the trench for over an hour before the Waimea estuary began to dribble. Once heavy sand was moved, the force of the river blew out the remaining blockage, and the fresh rain water rolled towards Waimea bay forming chest high peaks.
The board of choice ranged from fins-free squash tails, to boogie boards, to skimboards, but the favorite sled was the Catchsurf board.
To catch the wave, you paddle up-river until you feel the wave begin to hold you in place. Then, pop up keeping your weight forward as not to fall out the back of the wave and get sucked out into the bay. And just like any other wave on the north shore, it flooded with people when word got out that it was pumping.
It only happens a couple times per year, so if you’re ever on the North Shore, ask the locals if they plan to dig the channel
Here are some shots from that day including a stop at the Haliewa Farmers market, cave diving at Shark’s Cove and then back to Waimea for the river surfing session:
