Surfing Australia today announced its powerful  TravelSIM Team Australia which departs in the final week of July  for Costa Rica to represent Australia at the  Billabong ISA World Surfing Games 2009.

The eight surfer team consists of four current Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour surfers along with the two open Longboard surfers who are experienced ASP World Tour competitors.

Team Coach and World Surfing Champion Barton Lynch was enthusiastic with the team announcement saying, “We are stoked with the team we have been able to put together. This team is a great well balanced with a solid combination of experience and youth. Importantly, we have excellent friendships in place among team members that will ensure a cohesive and spirited team to defend our title”.

Surfing Australia CEO and Team Manager Andrew Stark commented on the team today saying, “This is  a very high quality and experienced  team and we are looking forward to the challenge of defending the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games title.

Being a part of TravelSim Team Australia and representing Australia is a proud achievement for all of the team and we’ll head to Costa Rica fully prepared for the challenges ahead.”

The Billabong ISA World Surfing Games 2009 are to be held at Playa Hermosa, Jaco, Costa Rica, August 1st through the 8th.

Open Men:

Mick Campbell (ASP World Tour rating 13/Port Macquarie NSW ),

Dayan Neve (ASP World Tour Rating 24/ Manly),

Dane Atcheson (Current Country Energy  Australian Champion/Central Coast/Copacabanna NSW),

Matt Bemrose (2007 Country Energy Australian Champion and 2008 runner up/Manly).

Open Women

Samantha Cornish (ASP World Tour rated 9/Crescent Head NSW),

Amee Donohoe (ASP World Tour rated 13/Central Coast NSW )

Open Longboard

Harley Ingelby (ASP World Tour rated 3/Coff’s Harbour NSW)

Dane Pioli (2008 ASP Australasian Longboard Qualifying Series Champion/Wollongong NSW)

Head Coach

Barton Lynch

Assistant Coach (first reserve open team)

Beau Mitchell

Team Manager

Andrew Stark

Medical Manager

Matt Butel

original from ISA

Huntington Beach — Jeff ‘Mr. Sunset’ Hakman, a former Pipeline Masters and Duke Kahanamoku Classic champion, and co-founder of Quiksilver USA, is entering the Surfers’ Hall of Fame.

Hakman joins Bruce Brown, Joey Buran and Pat O’Connell as the 2009 inductees into the prestigious Hall of Fame, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 24 in front of Huntington Surf & Sport (corner of PCH and Main).  More information is available at http://hsssurf.com/

“Jeff Hakman is truly one of the greatest surfer’s ever and has been one of the major influences of “Big Wave surfing,” said Surfers’ Hall of Fame founder Aaron Pai,  “He’s about to get a little concrete on him…and we can’t wait to thank him for all he has done for our Sport of Surfing!!!”

Born in Southern California’s south bay in 1948, Hakman began surfing when his father bought him his first Velzy-Jacobs board at the age of eight.  The two would frequently take day trips to surf up and down the west coast.  Shortly after his family relocated to Oahu at the age of 12, Hakman would waste little time establishing his North Shore credentials.  He began receiving free boards from master shaper Dick Brewer, and also landed a cameo in John Severson’s surf movie Angry Sea.

At the age of 17 and pitted against 23 world class surfers, he won the inaugural Duke Kahanamoku Classic at Sunset Beach in 1965 before a CBS film crew.  His win would result in an invitation to join Duke’s surf team and promotional tour.   From age 21 to 27 Jeff won more major surfing titles than anyone in the world including the first Pipeline Masters, two more Duke contests, three Hang Ten Internationals and the Gunston Pro.  His mastery of and fearless approach to Sunset Beach led to his lifelong moniker, “Mr. Sunset”.

read more at surfersvillage

SAQUAREMA, Rio de Janeiro  – Itauna Beach cranked open the surf tap with clean four-to-six foot (1 – 2 metre) waves on offer for the third straight day of competition at ASP WQS 6-Star Coca-Cola Saquarema Pro pres. by Rip Curl that saw the event favourites and top ASP WQS campaigners No. 1 Brazilian Jadson Andre and No. 3 Australian Adam Melling advancing with good perfomances.

One of the highlights of the day was Brazilian Pedro Henrique, who got a beatiful barrel in the first heat of the day. Henrique took down top ASP WQS campaigner No. 8 Patrick Gudauskas posting an almost perfect 9.83 score (out of 10.00), with three judges giving him the perfect score (10 points) on his first wave of the heat.

“Ahh great heat without no doubt,”Henrique said. “WQS Tour is always difficult, all heats are strong, if you not get good waves you lose. I just want to thank God for that wave (9.83 points), I saw Trekinho (Marcelo) took an 8.30 on a wave that I almost went, so I knew I had to start well with a high score, and then that perfect wave came to me and it was just a magical wave. That thing bowled up on the inside and I managed to stick with it and come out. I was super stoked because the view was insane – whether I came out or not I was happy.”

Who came close to the new record of Coca-Cola Saquarema Pro pres. by Rip Curl was the American Brett Simpson, who earned a 9.17 from judges with three strong maneuvers, with pressure and speed.

“The waves are really fun, fortunately the waves came on my way,’Simpson said. “On my 9.17 score (out a possible of 10), I was on the spot and the other guy was too deep so I paddled into the wave, did two big turns and a huge floater in the end, that was a great waveThis is my first time here, for sure is the best waves that I always surfed here in Brazil, Fernando de Noronha Island is better but a different type of wave, and here is a great place for a contest and if the waves continues like this will be perfect for us.”

Brazilian Neco Padaratz who finished in second place in the ASP WQS 6-Star event last week in Florianopolis ended in second place in the last heat of the day, moving straight to Round of 24 of Coca-Cola Saquarema Pro pres. by Rip Curl.

read more at ASP