Matt Warshaw, a lifelong surfer and chronicler of the sport, was nowhere near the water in 2004 when he first saw the view that reminded him of what he was missing. Mr. Warshaw, 49, is a former editor of Surfer magazine and the author of “The Encyclopedia of Surfing” and the coming book “The History of Surfing.” For years, he lived in San Francisco’s Sunset District, where he had panoramic ocean views and 12 surfboards in the closet. A nondescript bench in a pocket park on the slopes of Twin Peaks changed his perspective.

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PENICHE, Portugal (Saturday, October 17, 2009) – The Rip Curl Pro Search will culminate the European leg of the 2009 ASP World Tour in the wave abundant Portuguese region of Peniche, hosting the world’s best surfers from October 19 – 30, 2009.

Event No. 9 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search is poised to deliver high drama with projected sizable swells setting the scene for a possible ASP World Title showdown and several requalification campaigns.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 1, has been on a rampage during the back half of the season, claiming back-to-back wins in California and France before taking the ASP ratings’ lead last week in Spain. If Fanning finishes higher than 3rd at the Rip Curl Pro Search in Portugal, the Australian could claim the 2009 ASP World Title in Europe, contingent upon the finishes of other frontrunners.

read more at aspworldtour.com

What started as a weekend surfing trip to the Outer Banks ended tragically when a 15-year-old Pender County teen drowned Friday after his surfboard became entangled in a fishing pier.

The teenage boy, Craig Marshall, a student at Topsail High School in Hampstead, was surfing with a group of eight teenagers on Hatteras Island when the current dragged him into Avon Fishing Pier sometime around 11:30 a.m., said Bob Helle, the assistant chief with the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad.

Helle said the leash on Marshall’s surfboard – the cord that connects the surfer to his board – became tangled in the pylons, trapping him in the rough waters beneath the pier.

“Basically, his leash held him there underwater,” Helle said.

Rescuers had a difficult time reaching Marshall because of waves 8 to 10 feet high and a fast current, Helle said. Eventually, the surf board broke and Marshall’s body was recovered shortly before 1 p.m.

read full story at starnewsonline.com