There is no other wave in the world that has dominated the hearts and minds of surfers like Pipeline. Through two-hundred pages of captivating and timeless images from over fifty of the world’s best photographers, combined with words from surfing’s most renowned writers, Pipeline: The World’s Most Respected Wave tells the stories from almost five decades of heart-stopping action: the first rides, the first contests, triumphs, deaths, localism, foreign invasion and performance revolution.This Saturday, Gerry Lopez and other Pipe legends will be on hand to autograph The Pipeline at the book’s launch party, held at Billabong-USA’s highly-acclaimed “board room”. Only 350 tickets will be on offer for this historic event. 

Get a copy here! Or pay homage to the “Wold’s most respected wave” with the Limited Edition Book.

While our thoughts and concerns are with all who have to endure the devistation brought on by the recent string of hurricanes, we’d like to show you the other sort of power these monsters can muster. Surfline’s latest photo essay takes you from sea to shining sea to document the phenomenal storm surf. We’d also like to point out that our GEAR department has been stocked with all the heavy ammunition you’ll need to ride out the winter months. (Special thanks to TWSurf for the photo above.)

In this our first installment of our PROFILES category, we talk with North Shore lensman Jim Russi. We were lucky enough to have Jim shoot all of the action shots for our Summer ‘08 catalog, including the much talked about cover. Here, Jim opens up about the pros and cons of going digital, and the future of “quality” surf photography.

As a graduate of a prestigious American photography school, how important is formal education is to a successful career in photography?
The most important thing I learned at Brooks was to finish strong with what I had started…. even when the assignment wasn’t fun anymore.
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We’ve been hearing a lot lately about surfers/skaters/videographers Alex Klein and Bryon Derballa’s monumental documentary and blog, God Went Surfing With The Devil: A Documentary About Life In The Middle East. Currently only 22 days into their journey, the American pair and their growing crew post real-time dispatches from Israel and Gaza. Having gained the attention of major media outlets world wide their story has become a real-life Truman Show of sorts, with independent fan websites and message boards rumored to have launched this past week. Here’s a brief post from April 29:

“The warning came abruptly.
‘TZEVA ADOM… TZEVA ADOM…’ Everyone had roughly twenty seconds to find shelter before the Qassams struck. Tearful children and frantic mothers ran for their lives. The bomb shelter was crowded. Everyone huddled together. Some wept, others prayed, many fearful, and one or two nervous giggles. The bombs exploded and the crowds emerged gingerly. A few drove home, shaken. Others returned to play as though nothing had happened”

Timmy Turner will bring his latest documentary to the Forum Theater in Laguna Beach on March 28. Titled Tsunami Diaries: Voyage To The Epicenter, the film focuses on Turner and friend Dustin Humpherys’ relief mission to Indonesia following the catastrophic tsunami of 2004. Enlisting the help of friends and family, the two set out to bring whatever medical supplies, food and provisions to the regions most devestated areas. For more information on this showing, please call 949-494-8971, ext. 201.

For everyone who bitches that the surf industry is run by kooks who don’t surf, come on over to our house. Our men’s buyer, Christine, won the commitment challenge over New Year’s when she and her posse rambled 13 tough hours past the boarder to San Juanico’s legendary Scorpion Bay. What used to be a super sleepy, semi-secret fishing village is slowing growing into one of Baja’s more popular surf destinations, complete with a camp, a small restaurant and bar, and handfuls of trailer-living ex-pats enjoying life on the outskirts. But the surf itself is still holding strong, with three point breaks that offer consistent right-handers, especially during big south swells. Christine was nice enough to let us post some of her photos, as long as we swore not to reveal their secret spots. (more…)

After days of speculation, proof has finally emerged that Cortes Bank is indeed going off, producing the “tallest wave faces ever challenged in the history of the sport” (you go fancy PR people!), and is expected to earn either Mike Parson, Brad Gerlach, Greg Long, or Grant Baker the Billabong XXL title. Breaking news, photos and videos are coming in fast and furious. See it for yourself here.

How bad has the crime in Rosarito and neighboring areas become? Try VERY. It seems like everyone and their brother has a new tale of terror to tell. From traffic violation scams to roadside robberies to kidnappings and assault; the advice from locals is to stay far, far away. The New York Times has more.

What has four doors, fuel cells, solar panels, and a plug-in electric system? Hopefully, the vehicles we’ll all be driving in next few years. Volkswagon unveiled their “space up! Blue” concept car this past weekend in Los Angeles, further proving that Gov. Ahnold’s plans for “hydrogen highways” aren’t merely science fiction. Dwell.com has more.

Swell model Sophie was nice enough to send us some photos from her recent Quik trip to Thailand. Along with teamrider Danny Fuller and friends, the group got up close and personal with the people, the culture, and alternative means of transportation. (Check out that trunk space!) Jealous much? We are. And while most of us will never get invited by Quik to go anywhere, you too can trek this eco-surf adventure through the Phuket Surf Club. Check ‘em out and tell ‘em we said hi. (More photos after the break.)

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