Girls in the curl!

It’s the 50th anniversary of the surfing events at Bells Beach and the female surfers are all keen to ring the bell!

Belles of Bells - Carissa Moore, Tuler Wright and Stephanie Gilmore with the coveted trophy.

You can follow all the women’s events sportstar.com.

Stay tuned, it’s going to be an exciting couple of weeks!

Surfers also must be sport ambassadors

Cori Schmacher writes that surfers also must be sport ambassadors. She has decided that she will not defend her longboard world title in China this year this year because of its human rights record. According to Cori, a wave of change is needed.
Read Cori's article about her decision in The Guardian...

Thankful surfing

Yesterday evening at Torquay Point a couple of dozen surfers on all manner of craft were out enjoying the mild water and small, fun waves.

It was the last day of summer, the waves were breaking and everyone seemed in a buoyant mood, laughing as they rode ‘em in. Surfboards, bodyboards, waveskis, paddleboards, even the surf boast from the life saving club was out there.

As far as summer goes, it’s been a shocker – loads of rain, on-shore winds and junky conditions. But compared to what our mates in Queensland, Western Australia and Christchurch are going through, it’s a minor hiccup.


There’s so much horror and sadness in the news at the moment. Next time you go out and catch a wave, be thankful. Just being able to get out in the ocean and surf is an incredible privilege. We are so damn lucky to have the ocean on our doorstep, be well enough to paddle out and able to surf.

Wild Women Water Day

Wild Women Water Day is an all female surf competition taking place on the 26th Feb 2011 with a 7am start at Point Impossible. This competition celebrates womens surfing in all its forms, having open shortboard, longboard and SUP. Along with these open divisions there are also U/16 & U/18 shortboard, two division that will be hotly contested by a large number of the local girls. And there will be an Over 35's longboard division.

Including SUP in an all female surf comp will be a first for girls days. so it should see some interesting surfing.

This comp will appeal to those wanting to try there hand at an event along with the seasoned competitor. Its a fun non threathening atmosphere with heaps of goodies in the competitor showbags.

Its happening on Saturday 26th Feb 2011 at Point Impossible, start time 7am.

Divisions
Shortboard - Open, U/18 (can't turn 18 in 2011), U/16 (can't turn 16 in 2011)
Longboard - Open, O/35's (can't turn 35 in 2011)
SUP - Open

Competitor showbag with each person

Online entries are now open for the 2011 Wild Women Water Day on Saturday 26th Feb at Point Impossible ALL - Female Surf Competition. 7am start..

Vale Leeroy Granis

Revered surfing photographer LeRoy Grannis passed away at 93 last Thursday.

A key proponent in the rise of surf photography in the 1960s, he later went on to co-found International Surfing Magazine, an early incantation of Surfing magazine.

A master of the lens, Grannis sold his first photograph to Reef Magazine for $7. He went on to becomea true master of the lens..

Read more about this incredibly talented man at Surfers Village.

Cover - Image from Leroy Grannis: Birth of a Culture: 60s and '70s Surf Photography

Friends in need

Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew once told me that “bakeries in surf towns never go broke”.

The intimation was that surfers love to fuel up on crabs such as pies, sausage rolls, buns, biscuits and rolls. Now a bakery in Torquay that is a hit with the local surfers has decided to help out our friends in Queensland who have been devastated by floods and now a cyclone. Faith Davis who run Point Bake (next door to Barrie Sutherland’s Watermarks Gallery ) has been selling cupcakes with $1.50 from each one going towards the Queensland Flood Appeal. Many a local has popped in for a post-surf pie only to see the sign and then changed their mind to scarf down a cup cake or two. Thanks everyone!

So far Faith and her team have rased over $600 – that’s a lot of cupcakes.

As surfers we should be supporting businesses like Point Bake who give back to the community. So please encourage your local barkery or café to do something similar – and feel welcome to send me a photo and I’ll post it up on surfsista!

Story and image by Alison Aprhys appeared in the Surf Coast Times 1st February 2011.