see video of event on facebook

O’Neill’s first-ever earth-conscious collection, Eco’Neill, made its debut on 4.22.10 in collaboration with j.k. livin artist MISHKA @ Saturdays Surf NYC in the heart of SoHo*. The intimate cocktail party and preview event for the Spring 2010 Men’s Collection welcomed fashion, music and lifestyle media, industry execs and trendsetters to the coolest art-gallery-turned-boutique location on Crosby Street.

Guests checked out the clothes and silent auction items, ranging from a signed Jordy Smith surfboard, TAYLOR guitar, j,k. livin shirt autographed by Matthew McConaughey, surf lessons with O’Neill rider Cory Lopez, a trip for two to Hawaii, and more.

Gourmet hot dogs, Vita Coco water and cocktails were served, while Mishka performed a very cool acoustic set featuring tracks off his newly released album “Talk About”on the outdoor patio.  The show was streamed LIVE on O’Neill’s facebook page for those unable to enjoy it in person – facebook.com/ONeill

A variety of men’s ECO’Neill styles hitting stores this week were on display including soft bamboo beanies, graphic tees, eco wetsuits, signature 1952 Heritage Logo tees made of organic slub, eco twill khakis, organic flannels, and “green jeans.”

A 14-year-old boy named Wonder clambers out of the ocean and onto Durban’s South Beach, exhausted after hours of surfing, and collapses on the sand.

At the end of the day, he’ll return his surfboard to a nearby community centre and then curl up on a downtown sidewalk to sleep.

Wonder is among a dozen young black boys taking to the waves every day through a community group called Umthombo, which is coaching street kids in surfing and other sports to keep them off the street while providing counselling to find more lasting solutions to their problems.

“When I’m surfing, I don’t sniff glue. I want to leave it behind,” said Wonder.

His parents have both died, and he ran away from his uncle’s home, where Wonder says he was beaten and often denied meals.

He says he’d rather live on the streets than return to his uncle. In his tattered wetsuit, he’s found a new identity. After a year of practise, he won second place in a local competition, scooping a trophy, a T-shirt and “a big bag of chips”.

Emma Sibilo, one of the social workers at Umthombo, said Wonder’s story is typical of the estimated 400 street kids in Durban. Most have turned to the streets after their parents died, or to escape abuse at home.

But life on the streets exposes them to drugs and often forces them into gangs that wage violent turf wars in the city, she said.

“Surfing takes them away from drugs. They go there, they become active, they get fit, meaning they engage in less anti-social behaviour,” Sibilo said.

One of the smallest surfers is nine-year-old Khetho, who has spent most of his life on the streets. He sleeps with his three brothers on the sidewalk, has bounced in and out of temporary homes, but was mainly spending his time begging for money and sniffing glue.

Since he started surfing two years ago, he eats two meals a day at Umthombo and spends most of his days in the water.

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NOTE: Controversy over the effectiveness of magnets on sharks see wiki.

A company over the weekend introduced its new shark bite repellent anklet at the Boards and Waves Expo in Cocoa Beach.

The anklet, made by Repel Sharks, LLC, is made of a series of magnets and attractive beads that fits like a piece of jewelry, but repels sharks.

“The magnets interfere with the shark’s sensory abilities,” said Bob Millings of Repel Sharks. “The shark’s electrosense, located in its nose, detects the electrical currents produced by the magnetic fields, creating a repellent response.”

The anklet was designed for situations when low visibility and high surf combine, an environment in which sharks have a tendency to bite.

In many shark attacks, particularly on the East Coast of the U.S., the shark will take what scientists call an “investigatory bite.”

In field tests, the magnetic anklet caused curious sharks to turn away quickly after coming into contact with the electromagnetic field radiating from the anklet.

New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County is considered the shark bite capital of the world.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story

www.repelsharks.com

story via clickorlando.com