SEA LIFE™ Aquarium turns one August 11th and LEGOLAND® California Resort is celebrating with the launch of the Celebrity Mosaic Project to benefit the Surfrider Foundation. Celebrities including Al Pacino, Brooke Shields, Heidi Klum, Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Facinielli, Thomas Gibson, Tom DeLonge and Tony Hawk have built their own unique ocean-themed LEGO® mosaics that will be on display at LEGOLAND California Resort from August 11 to September 8, 2009 and as a listed auction on Charitybuzz.com with proceeds donated to the Surfrider Foundation.

“We are excited to be celebrating SEA LIFE Aquarium’s first birthday and partnering with them for the Celebrity Mosaic Project,” says Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications.  “Their idea to use unique celebrity mosaics as a creative way to educate the public about our fragile ocean and marine environments is fantastic and aligns perfectly with our mission.”

“It is exciting to see so many of today’s most popular celebrities come together to support Surfrider Foundation,” said Peter Ronchetti, General Manager of LEGOLAND California Resort. “What a fun tribute to the Aquarium’s first birthday! I may even be tempted to bid on a few of the mosaics myself.”

The Surfrider Foundation is one of the world’s largest non-profit organizations dedicated to the protection and preservation of our oceans, waves and beaches.  Now in its 25th year, the Foundation continues to carry out initiatives for clean water, free and open access, and the preservation of coastlines through its global grassroots networks made up of all types of ocean lovers.

read more at transworld

@joelparko My new site is online… hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts http://www.joelparko.com

San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – July 16, 2009 – Surfing America, the National Governing Body (NGB) for Surfing in the United States, announced today the PacSun USA Surf Team for the 2009 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games that begin July 31st and run through August 8th in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. The U.S. side will look to improve upon last year’s team silver, though they will be without defending Men’s Champion, CJ Hobgood.

Instead, the Americans will send former ASP World Tour standouts, Ben Bourgeois and Cory Lopez. With over a decade of World Tour experience between them, the injection of these two savvy veterans instantly puts the U.S. side in the middle of the championship debate. Lopez’s barrel riding exploits have been well documented since leaving the Tour and both he and Benny B, who retired from World Tour competition after the 2008 campaign, are well suited to this particular wave-type. Rounding out the PacSun USA Surf Team men’s squad are Austin Ware, who is currently ranked in the Top 10 on the WQS, and Nat Young, the fifth rated Junior in North America, both of whom have proven that they can perform and turn in solid, if not winning, results against top flight competition on the world stage.  Look for all four competitors to not only deliver, but also open some eyes, in the barreling surf at Hermosa.

Currently without a representative on the ASP Women’s World Tour, the United States opted to go with a youth movement on the women’s side. Courtney Conlogue and Sage Erickson are America’s two most heavily touted female surfing prospects, and the ISA World Surfing Games will be a very true indicator as to just how big of an upside each has when they go up against an international field featuring a handful of the Top 16. Conlogue, 16, has shown she can hold her own against the biggest names in the sport and at the highest level – look no further than her eye popping performance at the 2006 Billabong Pro Maui at Honolua Bay – and is the 2009 ISA Girls Under 18 silver medalist. And Erickson, 18, is in the top 15 on the WQS. Clearly, these two products of the American amateur ranks will be out to prove they can produce at the next level.

In the Longboard division, the PacSun USA Surf Team will be represented by Toni Silvagni and Steve Newton. Newton is number three on the Professional Longboard Association (PLA), the North American qualifying series for the ASP World Longboard Tour. Silvagni is also currently ranked in the Top 10 on the PLA this year.

Open Mens

Ben Bourgois

Cory Lopez

Austin Ware

Nat Young

Open Womens

Courtney Conlogue

Sage Ericson

Longboard

Toni Silvagni

Steve Newton

read more at Surfing America