Pete Thomas Outdoors

Canada's Sarah Burke among Olympic Hall of Fame inductees

Sarah Burke, a star freeskier who died last January of head injuries suffered during a fall in the superpipe, is among athletes who will be inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame this summer.

Burke was one of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Assn.'s premier athletes, and the first female skier to land a 1080, or three full rotations above the superpipe.

She was instrumental in lobbying efforts to get women's freesking (superpipe and slopestyle) into the X Games and, more recently, the Olympics for their debut in 2014 at the Sochi Games in Russia.

In a news release announcing Hall of Fame inductees, Burke's mother, Jan Phelan, stated:

"Sarah was one of those extraordinary women who believed that anything was possible. I think that her belief not only helped her succeed, but inspired others to be the best that they could be. I know that Sarah would be happy that all she worked for and sought to achieve is being honored with her induction into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame."

Also being inducted, during a Sept. 21 ceremony in Toronto, are Olympic heroes Jean-Luc Brassard, Daniel Igali, Beckie Scott, the 2006 women's hockey team, 2010 men's hockey team, and longtime national synchronized swimming coach Julie Sauve.

Injured snowboarder Kevin Pearce rides again

Nearly two years have passed since snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a violent crash that shattered his dream of participating in the Olympics and left him with a severe brain injury, facing long odds of a successful recovery. 

On Tuesday at Breckenridge, Colorado, Pearce rode a snowboard for the first time since his accident, and for family and friends, and just about anyone familiar with his story, the event was both inspirational and heartwarming (see video).

Pearce, who was a rising star and considered a favorite to win a medal at the Vancouver Games, remembers nothing about that December night in 2009. As he was preparing for the Olympic trials, something went awry while he was airborne, and he slammed his head on the lip of the icy halfpipe.

He'd spend the next several weeks in the hospital. He experienced loss of memory, blurred vision, and problems with balance and speech, as he left the hospital to enter an extensive period of rehabilitation.

His snowboarding career was over, but that didn't matter. His family and friends just hoped Pearce would recover enough to be able to enjoy a somewhat normal lifestyle.

Pearce put snowboarding aside and worked tirelessly at rehabilitation, ultimately regaining his speech and vision, while trying to reclaim enough balance to one day ride his snowboard again. That would be his personal Olympics.

"There are bigger things in life than snowboarding," he said during a recent interview. "It was my whole life for the last 10 years, and my life got flipped upside down 100%. So it's different now in every single way. What's so cool, though, is that I've been able to deal with it."

His ride at Breckenridge was remarkably smooth, his turns crisp. He smiled a lot and his personality shone. It was a good day on the slopes, one of the best days yet.

Kelly Slater versus John John Florence again at Pipe Masters

Five rounds of the Billabong Pipe Masters have been held in two days in triple-overhead surf at iconic Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore. Standing out above a stellar field has been John John Florence, 19, who has scored two perfect 10s and on Friday defeated Kelly Slater, 39, in the non-elimination fourth round.

Now comes a quarterfinals rematch that might render the final anticlimactic.

Florence, a Pipeline local, is a rising star, and ratings leader of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The Pipeline contest is the series' final jewel.

Slater, 39, has won 11 ASP World Tour championships and has dominated pro surfing for two decades. The Pipe Masters also is the World Tour season-finale. Slater clinched his 11th world title in the previous contest.

But the Floridian has plenty to prove; he was trounced by Florence in the best-two-waves format in the fourth round, 17.67 to 8.50, at Pipeline.

So the burning question is, how will he respond, after winning his fifth-round heat to force the rematch?

"I hope I'm not peaking too soon," said Florence, sporting a swollen and bloodied face from a wipeout and reef face-plant Friday. "I'm just going out there to get the best waves I can. It's so perfect ... it's the best Pipe in a long time. You just want to go on every wave.

"This is definitely a dream, just surfing these waves at my home break, beating Kelly ... This has definitely been the best year I've ever had."

Florence knows Pipeline better than most. He surfs the notoriously hollow break just about every chance he gets. Slater knows the break, too, and has won heats at Pipeline against far more established surfers than Florence.

But Slater, who won his first world title at age 20, less than a month after Florence was born, is realistic. "I see John John as the guy to beat," Slater said. "He's had two 10s and he's probably the best guy all around out here now. I lost to him earlier — it was kind of a non-elimination thing. But if I were to lose to him tomorrow, it's definitely no shame. I think he's better than everyone else in this contest."

This helps set the stage for what promises to be another eventful day of competition.

While the swell is expected to subside beginning Saturday, organizers are optimistic that the final seven heats of the Billabong Pipe Masters will get underway at 8 a.m., with the Pipe Masters champion and the Vans Triple Crown champion crowned at midday.

Which surfers do you expect to see at the top spots on the podium?

— Image of Kelly Slater in action at Pipeline on Friday is courtesy of Kirstin/ASP

Giant surf generates thrills, spills on Day 1 of Pipeline contest

The first day of the Billabong Pipe Masters on Thursday will not soon be forgotten by any of the competitors who surfed in wildly epic conditions at the notorious Banzai Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore.

A fresh swell and thunderous 15- to 20-foot breakers greeted ASP World Tour competitors for the event's first and second rounds. Some scored amazing rides, including future superstar John John Florence, 19, a local who registered a perfect 10 after getting fully barreled twice on the same wave.

Many surfers struggled because of the incredible volume of water rushing shoreward and jacking up over Pipeline's series of shallow reefs. There were broken boards, bruised bodies and egos, and an overall feeling of trepidation mixed with exhilaration.

"It's as gnarly as Pipe gets," said Tanner Gudauskas, a Southern Californian who endured two broken boards and did not advance past the second round. "I was super nervous watching, so many gnarly wipeouts. I just wanted to make it down the wave face but then I didn't on one wave. It happens so fast in the moment that you don't think about it. I'm just glad to be back on the beach."

The Pipe Masters is the World Tour season-finale and the third jewel in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, led by Florence, who described conditions as "dreamy" after advancing to the third round, which will commence Friday with more large surf on tap.

Jamie O'Brien, another local, described conditions as deadly but added: "These kinds of days I'm scared all day, but it's so fun and exciting. It's kind of cat-and-mouse--you've got to watch out for the big ones, not get cleaned out, then you get a perfect one that comes through."

Hawaii-based surfers fared best, understandably, but the world's top-ranked surfers, including 11-time and reigning world champion Kelly Slater, were seeded directly into the third round and will compete Friday.

One can only imagine what was going through their minds watching the action on Thursday.

— Photo shows Ian Walsh amid a cascade of whitewater at Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore. Credit: Cestari/ASP

Surfers expect large swell for start of Billabong Pipe Masters

The season-ending Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons looks as though it will begin Thursday, the first possible day of competition, because of a large swell that already has arrived on Oahu's North Shore.

Waves were 8-10 feet on Tuesday and the Surfline forecast calls for sets in the double- to triple-overhead range on Thursday, with face heights exceeding 15 feet, and brisk offshore trade winds.

The swell will fade only slightly Friday, and slightly more Saturday, but overall conditions should be outstanding for the first three days.

Though Kelly Slater has already clinched the ASP World Tour title, there's plenty at stake for surfers hoping to improve their position in the standings, and for those in the running for the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title.

The top five in the World Tour rankings are Slater, Joel Parkinson, Owen Wright, Adriano de Souza and Taj Burrow.

Leading the Triple Crown race is Hawaii's John John Florence, 18; Adam Melling and Michel Bourez.

The competition window for the event, which is being held in honor of the late surfing icon Andy Irons, closes Dec. 20.

-- Image of Pipeline as seen from the beach Tuesday is courtesy of ASP

Kelly Slater beats Owen Wright to claim edge in new rivalry

Pro surfing finally boasts a fun rivalry again, featuring 10-time world champion Kelly Slater and second-year ASP World Tour competitor Owen Wright. Living legend versus rising star. U.S. versus Australia.

Slater won the first of the three finals in Tahiti. Wright got even in New York. And on Wednesday afternoon it was Slater claiming the rubber match with a  high score on the last ride of the day to win the Hurley Pro at fabled Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif.

Slater, 39, pulled ahead by earning a 9.00 out of a possible 10 on the final wave to prevail by a best-two-scores margin of 17.50 to 16.74, and with the dramatic victory he proved yet again that he's not quite ready to relinquish his dominance in a sport he has ruled for two-plus decades.

Conditions were ideal, with three- to four-feet waves and no wind. Both surfers unleashed aerials, vertical top turns and savage tail-slides, which pleased the judges and a large crowd that lined the remote, cobblestone beach.

Wright needed an 8.31 to take the lead when the last set rolled in, with 1:50 remaining. He earned an 8.87 on the first wave of the set, but behind him was Slater, carving up a slightly larger wave. Slater earned the 9.00 to win just before time expired.

“Owen is tough and he’s been surfing great," said Slater, who won his fifth World Tour contest at Lower Trestles. "There really are no weak points to his surfing and he’s going to be a standout in every spot. A lot of the guys tried to get him this week and I got lucky in that last exchange."

The victory, Slater's third this season, gave the Floridian a commanding lead in the race for the world title, with four competitions remaining.

The 21-year-old Wright, however, solidified his second-place spot in the rankings and made yet another statement to the rest of the tour that he should be considered the heir apparent to Slater, and the top Aussie on a roster top-heavy with Aussie talent.

"I’ve been enjoying the rivalry," Wright said. "We’ve had some great heats and the last three finals have been great. I’m glad the sets came through at the end. It was a bit of a dud final but I’m glad that last exchange came though at the end. It made it exciting."

Next up is the Quiksilver Pro France, Oct. 4-13.

-- Image showing Kelly Slater enjoying some air time in Wednesday's Hurley Pro final is courtesy of © ASP/ Kirstin

For Lindsey Jacobellis, summertime blues are reason to sing

 

Snowboarding superstar Lindsey Jacobellis has an Olympic silver medal in the rollicking sport of snowboard-cross, and has dominated the event at the Winter X Games. She has loads of talent while on her board, but what else can she do?

Sing. (Well, you be the judge.)

Above is her remix (or parody) of Disney's "Tangled," which she titled "Curled." It takes viewers through the curly-haired athlete's summer, in anticipation of winter snow. It's creative and amusing, and probably not something her fans would have expected, but she will not be appearing on "American Idol" anytime soon. As a much older song goes, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

See more at YoBeat and Boardistan.

Large surf expected to add to World Tour drama at Tahiti

 

Large waves are expected for the Billabong Pro Tahiti at notorious Teahupoo, which begins Saturday, and that means thunderous barrels for the world's top-ranked surfers. For most of them, anyway.

Defending event champion Andy Irons died last November and will be honored in memory at the event (see video below, of Irons at Teahupoo last year).

Dane Reynolds essentially has given up on the ASP World Tour and will not compete at Teahupoo. That's too bad because Reynolds is in that small percentage of surfers with enough talent to win a world title, not that he cares.

Bobby Martinez, who probably would not have re-qualified for next season, has quit the tour. A great loss? Martinez, who won at Teahupoo in 2006 and 2009, showed promise as a rookie in 2006, finishing the season ranked No. 6. But that was his best finish and he subsequently slipped into the category of World Tour surfers who would never win or seriously contend for a title.

Thankfully, since the shrinking of the tour in 2010 to 34 surfers and a mid-season cut, there are fewer of hangers-on and more competitiveness in the middle ranks.

So who will win the tube-riding contest known as the Billabong Pro Tahiti?

Kelly Slater, a 10-time world champion who won at Teahupoo in 2005, needs a good result to put himself in better position to win an 11th world title. He's currently ranked No. 6.

With large surf in the forecast, he expects the goofy-footers to do well, with the advantage of facing the ominous-looking lips that will hurl over their heads. They include C.J. and Damien Hobgood, Fred Patacchia and Cory Lopez.

"It's going to be big and that will factor in for sure," Slater said. "It's going to be good finally and guys are going to be put into positions that are outside their comfort zone. We don't get that often on the tour."

The top five, heading into the fifth of 11 World Tour competitions: Joel Parkinson (No. 1), Jordy Smith, Adriano de Souza, Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow. The event will be shown live via webcast on the ASP and Billabong Pro Teahupoo websites hyperlinked above.

Below is some video of Irons last year at Teahupoo. He'll be on a lot of people's minds over the next week or so.

 

Kelly Slater deals with Malibu crowds like a true champion

Fans of Kelly Slater, who are accustomed to watching the 10-time ASP World Tour champion competing in man-on-man heats against other top-level surfers, might get a kick out of watching how Slater deals with a crowded Malibu lineup.

Basically, he carves circles around the many wetsuit-clad obstacles, kicks spray into their faces and makes them appear as though they're surfing at a slower speed.

Slater, the most prolific competition surfer in history, was at fabled Surfrider Beach recently to greet a large south swell and, of course, people filmed his remarkable session. Here's the YouTube version, courtesy of Oglevision:

 

Surfer Adriano de Souza wins in Brazil, leads world title race

Adriano de Souza not only posted an ASP World Tour victory for the home crowd, by defeating Taj Burrow in the final of the Billabong Rio Pro on Friday at Barra Da Tijuca, Brazil. De Souza, a Brazilian now living in Southern California, vaulted  to the top of the ratings board in the race for the world title.

Trailing De Souza in the rankings are Joel Parkinson of Australia, 10-time world champion Kelly Slater of the U.S. and Burrow, another Aussie.

"There are no words to express how I feel right now," said De Souza, who prevailed in tricky two- to three-foot surf. "Thanks to my manger for pushing me every day, I couldn’t have done this without him. Thanks so much to my fans, who have been on the beach supporting me from the beginning to the end and to my sponsors. I’m happy to keep the [event] title in Brazil one more time."

Of his perch atop the standings De Souza said, “It’s still very early days and next event will be J Bay so I’m going to be pushing myself. Kelly and all of these guys are such amazing surfers and have been on tour for such a long time, but I’m going to try my best."

A Brazilian has never won a world title. De Souza is talented enough to challenge for the distinction but there are eight competitions remaining, including the next one at legendary Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. And Slater, though he suffered a close third-round loss to Bobby Martinez in the Rio Pro, looms shark-like at No. 3.

Burrow, also seeking his first world title, opened the final with a 7-point ride but was unable to get a second high score in the tricky conditions.

"I didn’t even really start that well and it really slowed up in the final," Burrow said. "Adriano had a good tactic in that heat and connected with two pretty good waves. I just couldn’t find a wave out there."

De Souza prevailed by a margin of 15.63-12.17 in best-two-scores format.

-- Image of Adriano de Souza courtesy of ASP / SCHOLTZ