The words “Follow Your Passions” will forever be inscribed in concrete on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street.

Sean Collins, the founder of Surfline.com, wrote the phrase when he was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame in 2008 and lived by those words. The influential surfer dedicated his life to following waves, tracking winds and sharing stories of swells with the world.

Collins, 59, died Monday from natural causes, according to the Orange County coroner’s office.

His youngest son, A.J., said Collins was playing tennis at his club in Newport at about 2 p.m. when he died suddenly from a heart attack. The family was together, trying to grapple with the news.

For the surfing community, Collins’ death means the loss of one of the most influential surfers in the world. He changed the way people sought out waves around the world.

Collins founded Huntington Beach-based Surfline, which started as a phone service and became one of the most powerful surf forecasting web sites in the world, guiding surfers who once aimlessly searched for waves but now had information readily available to predict the best windows for waves.

read more at ocregister.com

also see article on surfline

Gerard Butler is recovering after a surfing accident that took place Sunday afternoon on the set of the upcoming Fox 2000 movie “Of Men and Mavericks,” according to multiple reports.

The actor was filming a scene for his role as Jay Moriarty, a surfer who died in a free-diving accident at age 23.

Butler was hospitalized after being dragged over rocks and held underwater by two waves at Mavericks, a popular surfing destination in Northern California that was frequented by Moriarty.

Butler was rescued by coastal patrolmen and taken to Stanford Medical Center, where he was later released.

Butler, 42, was shaken up but not seriously injured.

Representatives at Alan Siegel Entertainment and CAA, which represent Butler, did not return TheWrap’s requests for comment by press time.

Representatives for Fox 2000 did not immediately return TheWrap’s requests for comment.

Butler had been surfing with pro surfers Peter Mel, Zach Wormhoudt and Greg Long, who are consulting on “Of Men and Mavericks.”

In January, a rookie surfer named Jacob Trette nearly died after being involved in a similar surfing accident at Mavericks. In 1994, Mark Foo, a veteran surfer, died while surfing there.

Jonny Weston and Elisabeth Shue also star “Of Men and Mavericks.” The movie is directed by Curtis Hanson (“The River Wild,” “8 Mile”).

“Of Men and Mavericks” is due in theaters October 26.

story via reuters.com

A surfer has been pictured riding one of the biggest recorded waves ever to hit Irish shores.

Jayce Robinson was photographed catching the major Atlantic swell at Mullaghmore Head, which produced waves of up to 67ft.

The daredevil dislocated his knee – and his board snapped in half – during his efforts on Tuesday.

But Mr Robinson, from St Ives, is no rookie to the surf. He is the former top Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) European junior – and hits the waves in international surfing competitions as much as possible.

The 22-year-old, who has been surfing since he was just seven, told Sky News Online: “It was definitely the biggest barrell I’ve ever surfed.

original story via skynews