Movement Magazine, the best mag in the business just announced they were only gonna release 2 issues in 2012 BUT the issues are gonna be massive and insane. So no worries we’ll still be able to read the Movement bible, thanks god ! Anyways, below is Ben Player (Movement Mag Owner) explaining why they took the decision to cut some issues in 2012 and why the Mag is still gonna be the best thing that bodyboarding has ever had.
Dear Reader, Subscriber, Advertiser and Friend!
Eight years ago we – Murray Bell and myself – put together all of our money and passion and started Movement magazine. We knew that the bodyboarding community needed a quality magazine that spoke to the entire breadth of the market: from the tech kids at D’Bah to the guys still kicking on from the 80′s. Our focus was to set a benchmark in terms of quality and coverage which is why I am still so proud of Movement – despite it only being financially break even.
The last Issue – 39 – was a tribute to all of us and shows how much we have grown as a sport, a community and across the whole bodyboard industry. We no longer ride on the tails of the surfing industry, and together have changed the way bodyboarding is viewed and have set the future benchmark for the surfing industry to follow.
Sadly 2011 was the financially toughest year for most of us in the industry, in the aftermath of the GFC hitting hard. For Movement it was the most difficult financial year we had ever experienced and it looks as if 2012 will be even tougher. As a magazine we are the most vulnerable to any kind of financial hardships as we depend on bodyboarding companies’ generosity in the form of advertising to cover our overheads and maintain the level of quality you have come to expect from Movement.
This brings me to the reason I have written this letter: we have decided to cut back to 2 issues releases for the rest of 2012 with a higher level of: quality; pagination and content, which means even more bang for your buck. In light of this we are pushing back issue 40 to the middle of June and then issue 41 for Christmas in November. However we hope to increase the number of issues in 2013 – perhaps earlier if and when the economy and advertising improves.
Thanks for all of your essential past support and we endeavour to make the best bodyboarding magazine in the world. We will be in touch with more details as soon as they come to hand but rest assured, Issue 40 will be the BEST bodyboarding magazine ever made.
Mashup clip of lifestyle & bodyboarding footage from various locations in Tahiti, East & West Coast of Australia. Team Riders featured in the clip are Ewan Donnachie, Todd McRorie, Jacob Romero & Jones Russell. Additional footage by Nic Barclay & Nick Bannehr. Cameo appearance by Damien Martin & John Duval. Song is Death by White Lies (Chase & Status remix)
Isabela Sousa, from Brazil, is the 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge Womens champion. The former world champion clenched her first Pipe title in fun three to four foot waves. Defeating Karla Costa-Taylor, Minami Hatakeyama and Neymara Carvalho in a close fought final.
Sacha Specker is the new 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge dropknee champion. The South African took top honours, defeating three Hawaiians- Bud Miyamoto, Miles Kauhaahaa and Kainoa McGee- in fun three to four foot waves.
Congrats guys !
Follow the tour, the videos, the recaps etc. on the ibaworldtour.com
Jeff did it again ! Yeah Jeff ! Jeff Hubbard – who we interviewed here just a few days ago – is the 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge champion ! Congrats Jeff ! The Hawaiian won the first event of the 2012 world tour / season in flawless 6-8ft barrelling waves, in what people are calling the best Pipe event in 15 years.
Defeating fellow Hawaiian and 11 times Pipe Champion, Mike Stewart in second place, Dave Winchester (Mullumbimby, AUS) in third and 21 year old Sam Bennet from Port Macquarie, Australia in fourth. The flawless 6-8 foot Pipe and Backdoor waves made for one of the highest scoring finals in the history of the IBA.
Cool highlight from Day 1 at Pipeline (yesterday). Can’t wait for today as the swell got bigger and conditions should be insane ! Stay tuned and check the IBA site coz the contest should definitely be ON later today, in a couple hours !
From the IBA:
IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge
Event 1 of 8, Mens Grand Slam Series
Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
Feb 15-24th, 2012
ibaworldtour.com
Wednesday, 15th February 2012, Ehukai Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii – Day one of the 2012 IBA Pipe Pro started off with two Rounds of Women in flawless 4 foot waves at Pipeline and Backdoor. Emma Cobb (AUS) was a standout amongst the ladies, drawing clean lines and negotiating through a long barrels, showing that she deserves a spot in the quarter finals. By mid morning the top 16 Women had been decided as a new Northwest swell started producing a constant flow of bigger sets. Round 1 and 2 of the Mens got under way in building 4-8 foot offshore waves.
Working his way through the trials and into the main event, Lewy Finnegan (AUS) managed to scoop into a perfect Backdoor barrel, exiting cleanly to earn him the only 10 point ride of the day.
“It was pretty unreal, I was just lucky to get onto that wave, it pretty much did it for me.” Finnegan commented. “To get a 10 in a comp like this…I am pretty happy. I can’t wait for tomorrow to get some big pits.”
Other standouts and heat winners included, Nick Ormerod (AUS), Micah Oh (HAW) Bud Miyamoto (HAW), Tim Hamilton (HAW) and JB Hillen (HAW).
Tomorrows forecast is calling for a large bump in the swell with clean conditions, the perfect recipe for a show-stopping three rounds ahead.
Records were broken today as 12 year old Tanner McDaniel (HAW) became the youngest rider ever to compete in the Pipe Challenge main event. Although blitzing his trials heats, McDaniel was unable to keep his momentum in Round 1 and was eliminated by Ruben Quinones (PUR) and Micah Oh (HAW).
During his post heat interview, McDaniel commented: “I got a couple good waves, not the best, but it was so much fun. I am so glad I got to do this.”
Tomorrows event is scheduled to start with Round 3 of Mens and will run to the end of Round 5 of the Mens, completing 24 heats from 8 am until 4pm Honolulu time.
The Coffee Break Interview ? What’s that new format ? Not familiar with the new Spongercity.com interview format ? It’s basically short interviews with pros that we’ll be doing regularly on the website with unusual questions that are not just related to bodyboarding. We’ll ask questions about books, life, girls, whatever, but not bodyboarding-related questions or only weird ones… Different approach, different questions, the time of a coffee break basically… The rules are simple: The questions are not your classic ones and the last rider being interviewed chooses who’s gonna be interviewed after him (or her) !
This month Jeff Hubbard did us the favour to be our guest for this new Coffee Break Interview as Ben Player suggested Jeff as our new Coffee-Break-Interviewed rider. Thanks Jeff for taking the time to answer our questions.
Read the interview, enjoy and discover who we’ll interview next at the end of Jeff’s interview as Jeff has choosen his successor in the next Coffee Break interview.
Hi Jeff, how are you ?
Doing great just surfed fun pipe all day now relaxing watching the “hangover”
So this is our “Coffee Break” Interview format and as you know the last interviewed rider chooses who gets to be interviewed next. Benny Player was the first rider we interviewed with this new format and he chose you for this new coffee break interview as you also like coffee, oh and he added you get nuts when you drink a good one. So what’s up with coffee Jeff ? You’re also a coffee lover ?
Yeah i froth on a good cup of espresso or and ice mocha so amped on them.
What else gets you nuts appart from coffee ?
Good waves , pipeline especially
I guess you’re in Hawaii the moment ? Any good waves ?
Yes great waves almost every day
Getting ready for the pipe contest very soon ?
Yeah training hard and looking forward to the comp waves look epic
This year (2011) was really competitive on the tour and it was also the first time bodyboarding has had such a good great tour with good media coverage, webcasts, venues, riders, commentators etc. what do you reckon ?
I totally agree. it was a great step forward for the sport.
You surfed amazingly well all year and came short at the very last moment, with PLC being crowned 2011 world champ. Has this motivated you even more for the 2012 title or has is pissed you off ?
Yeah i am excited about 2012 and really looking forward to the year on tour ahead. So more motivated now.
You’re a great competitor, super smart in your heats and of course an amazing free surfer but do you adapt to contest formats sometimes or pretty much just charge and hit the biggest sections anyways ?
I pretty much try to go big all the time. It works well since the contests are so difficult you have to go all out all the time.
You’re one of the rare pro rider i now (if i remember well) who went to Uni and studied for a while and got a degree or diploma. What did you study and why ?
I studied business and got my masters in international business. it was awesome to learn super interesting and challenging and made me a better person for sure.
You’re really close to your little bro David, both on tour and out of the tour since both you guys follow the IBA world tour. How is it having a family member with you on the tour ? We’ve seen you two motivating each other before heats, we’ve even seen Dub giving you a massage before a heat in Puerto this year for example. Do you reckon it makes both of you stronger to have a brother on tour ?
Yeah its great to have that support when you really need it when you are getting ready for some heavy heats ect. Even if we don’t stay together all the time we still amp each other up and have a lot of fun every where we go.
Have you competed against each other already ?
Yes and we have a heat at pipe this week too !!
You and David have different personalities though, don’t you ?
Yes for sure.
And you have another brother as well yeah ? Is he bodyboarding too ?
Yes his name is mike and he surfs and bodyboards really well!!
How come you dont DK more when you see your bro David ripping on the knee as well as ripping prone ?
I think I will dk more this year it is super fun and I am doing dk at pipe this year and kinda scared ha ha.
What inspires you in general ? in life ? in the water ?
My family friends god and just enjoying life and all it has to offer us humans.
Do you follow or do other sports ?
Yes i enjoy soccer and football.
What books are you reading at the moment ? Anything you’d like to share ? Any good books ?
Reading healthy eating -healthy world. really good book
A lot of people first noticed you in the NO FRIENDS videos in the late 1990’s, how were those years ? The NF crew ? These vids were a serious influence on many many people i guess and to these days the NF vids have kinda set a standard in bodyboarding videos and what is cool with bodyboarding: travelling, filming, a crew or good friends etc. Do you still see or chill with the NF crew ? Stoker ? Roach ? Skipp ? Ronk ? Ross ? Do you miss these days ?
Yeah those were awesome fun days for sure and yeah miss them some times ha ha
You’re one of the rare pros (with the exception of a couple other guys) to be sponsored by a more mainstream or surf-oriented clothing company called Oceancurrent, how is it riding for a bigger company or a more mainstream company ?
Its awesome they support me so well and are supporting the sport amazingly i am really lucky and amped on them. great clothes and great people.
You’re from Kaui, Hawaii yeah ? You spend a lot of time on the North Shore of Oahu in the winter and surf Pipe everytime it breaks. How is it between islands ? Is there a rivality or a sort of priority for north shore guys when you surf at Pipe ? It’s hard to imagine for people who have not surfed in Hawaii before but there’s a serious pecking order at Pipe and it’s hard to get the good ones on crowded days yeah ? Where do you sit in the pecking order there ? People know you and you get more waves or is it still hard to get waves with the locals ?
I am from kauai and have lived on oahu off and on for the last 20 years. I know all the locals and respect them they respect me. I get my waves but there are so many guys tring to get waves at pipe I choose to sit in certain spots to get the most or best waves.
Can you still feel a rivality between bodyboarders and surfers in Hawaii or elsewhere in the world ? Yeah a little bit in hawaii but no that much mostly maybe in california most of those surfers over there are just such kooks.
You must have travelled quite a lot but is there a place you never surfed before and would love to surf ?
I have been to a lot of places but would really like to go to ireland and and try surf a few waves over there and check out the scene one day.
If it was not a surf trip but just a classic touristic trip, where would you like to go ?
Maybe Italy to check that zone out as well.
Would you rather return to Cloud9 with the crew who went with you in WELFARE (McGee/Booth/Skipp/Burk etc.) or go back to indo on a boat trip with the NF crew (Botha/Stoker/Skipp etc.) ? I know this is a hard one ! haha
Yeah thats a tough choice but probably cloud 9 with the welfare crew we would own that place no one else would get a wave off our crew thats for sure ha ha!!!
Bat tail ? You’re one or the rare pros who consistently ride a bat tail board, what’s the difference and what’s better for you ?
The bat tail offer better projection and faster better boosts which i really like to do most of time in most waves.
What kinda board do you ride ? PP or PE ? Thin board with 2 stringers ? Who shapes them ? Dan Sivess now ?
Dan Sivess shaped my new boards. Thin board one stringer mesh pp. They go insane.
Is there any question we should ask you ?
Not really too many questions already JK lol
Is there a question you’d like to ask us at Spongercity ?
Keep it up every one enjoys the website and interviews thanks
Alright, thanks heaps for your time Jeff, we hope you’ll score and get sick waves in the pipe comp, it’s now time for you to choose who will be interviewed next for the next Spongercity Coffee Break interview, who do you reckon we should interview next ?
I think you should interview Amaury Laverhne as he does not like coffee but likes doing interviews.
thank theo aloha
With the recent signing of James Kates to the team is was only a matter of time before bodyboarding accessories company Soyroll™ got noticed and well noticed, so we decided to introduce you to the brand. Once in a while there’s a brand that pops out of the blue and actually has something different and cool to offer, we believe this one does. Made in the USA, brainchild of a European designer and tested in Australia, the small accessories brand has something to offer that others don’t. After a year of selling directly online thru their own Soyroll.com website on their own online store and only selling to selected core bodyboard stores in Europe the brand is about to work with international and sell in the US and Australia in 2012 so it was time we introduce you to Soyroll.
From the About section on the Soyroll™ website:
“Soyroll™ has been around for a more than a year now and the idea with the brand is to offer the best bodyboarding accessories out there, to offer accessories for bodyboarding exclusively, no other sports, and be good at it. All the leashes and accessories are proudly Made in the USA with mostly just Limited Editions series and Soyroll™ not only offers great products but is also putting the emphasis on good designs and communication. At Soyroll™ we like it clean, nice, neat and well designed, we want it all: a good product and a good design, well-thought, and purposely built for bodyboarding.
We’ve also done what no other brands have done before in terms of environment respect and eco-friendliness. The brand reflects our desires to push the bodyboarding accessories a step ahead: not only the Soyroll™ accessories and garments we offer are the best around but our production process and the materials we use respect our environment to the maximum: organic cotton, soy-based and water-based inks, recycled packaging and business cards with ISO 14001 and FSC papers, and last but not least: a unique Recycled Urethane Technology (R.U.T) for the urethane in our leashes.
We’re glad we did this because no one else did this before which seems absolutely incomprehensible. It’s the first time ever a bodyboarding (and surfing – for a fact) brand produces leashes with a process that allows urethane recycling and puts that much effort into being eco-friendly thru all the production, marketing and packaging process without compromising at all the quality of the end-products: they are stronger than other products. It’s as simple as that”.
With more pro-riders to come, an impressive list of amateurs and local shredders already on the team and a strong upcoming worlwide distribution you should soon see more Soyroll™ products in the lineups and in the shops around you in Europe, USA and OZ. Stay tuned for more !
