It’s the all photo issue and it looks pretty good, we’re waiting for it in our mail box. Check the cover here and download these images, they could do a fine desktop wallpaper we reckon.
Wallpaper 1 – Mitch Rawlins
Wallpaper 2 – Virgin Wave
Wallpaper 3 – Jose Marquina
Wallpaper 4 – Simon Thorton
Enjoy.
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Mmmh Monday, Monday ! The round 1 of the Shark Island Challenge is now complete. Check the IBA Tour Event’s Wesbite for more info, pictures, videos etc.
Seriously i dont remember any event with such a cool website, webcast, pictures galleries for all heats, press releases and all. It’s awesome and great for the sport in general. Congrats to all the people working for this event. This is what we need to make it happen, along with good mags like Movement, Riptide, Vert etc.
Other than that we got more Spongercity™ truckers caps in stock this week, there’re back by popular demand ! Check the Spongercity Store to get yourself one: Store is here. We ship almost everywhere worlwide for FREE.
We got some news from Manta team rider and Gold Coaster Tom Smith the other day and i forgot to post them here, so here you go now.
Click below to read Tom’s story.
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We just added a couple more clips on the Spongercity Podcast: A short 4PLAY video clip from the Cook Island edited by Todd Barnes and another short clip from Team MANTA (Tom Smith and fellow Manta team mates John Showell and Dave Crowley tearing on a trip they did to the South Pacific)… cool editing by Todd Barnes also.
How to download the clips ?
Easy:
- If you are already subscribing to our Podcast, just open iTunes and refresh your podcast page, you’ll se the 2 new clips and will be able to get ‘em and play them.
- If you are not yet a happy subscriber, you can subscribe to the podcast now for free by clicking here. This will open iTunes automatically.
- You can check our RSS feed for all videos here if you’re an RSS feed geek.
- Or you can click here to watch and download the Manta clip and here to watch and download the 4PLAY clip.
This is it, now plug your iPods and iPhones in and suck those clips in your little hard drives, tomorrow you’ll be watching them at school. Ain’t that perfect hey ?
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Isolated by Hayden Parson (www.isolated.co.nz) is the most comprehensive New Zealand bodyboarding DVD ever. It’s 98% pure NZ waves (but also features waves from all around the world) and NZ riders with the exception of a few riders like Hardy, Tom Smith and Liam O’Toole who’ve been tripping to NZ and were filmed by Hayden Parson. Read the rest of the review below.
Contrast Magazine Issue 05 is here ! Check it out here online.
In this issue you have:
- Bali Belly, Bintang & Barrels – A two sided story. Our feature story that has a closer look at the two sides of the famous Bukit Penninsula
- Snapshot with Robert Sherwood – A young Central Coast photog whose images will has you foaming at the mouth
- Perfection in Portugal – Yep this place pumps and we got the images to prove it.
- Plus all the usual truck load of great images from all over.
Check out Evan Howard in a Sth Strad cavern on the cover and Enjoy.
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It seems that Movement Mag is out every month now, you dont even have the time to finish reading an issue that the other one’s already coming out ! Peep the trailer for issue 24 here on Youtube. “This issue runs with our first dropknee cover in almost two years, the exact amount of time since our last all-dropknee trip, the next instalment of which happens inside. The heavy wave crews and those who smile at other people’s foolhard-bravery will be suitably appeased with a Shipsterns bonanza starring Dave Winchester, some Sydney crew and a new young face whose proving a local sensation, Charlie Ward. Our pick of the nation’s unsigned talent took the new season’s board models on media trips to various corners of Oz, surfing everything from wedging D’bah to big, ledging Lunas and profiling their rides along the way. On sale now”. Dub’s on the cover by the way with a sweet BSDKFLTRTLK (read: Backside Drop knee floater that looks killer). Yewwww.
Side note one: South African rider Wes Fisher just won the N°6 shark island trials. Congrats’ Wes ! The other riders who qualified for the main event are: Ryan Hardy, Brad Hughes, Chad Jackson, Jones Russell, Michael Chapple, Max Arent, Airam Cabrera (Spain – Canary Islands), Charlie Chaplet (France – Reunion Island). Now get ready to watch the live event here beginning of July !
Side note two: Blogs are cool (not all, most are boring and never updated) but… some are actually of interest, and we noticed that our mate Chad Waldron got himself a blogger thing and uploaded a few cool shots from his daily observations: www.photosfromapocket.blogspot.com
On Chad’s blog proof is that the VS and NMD crews were not all as serious as it seemed during their Bali mission last month. Hardy and Max Arent – Bintang time !
We should say the long overdue review. We lagged so much on “There is no i” and “Insert name here” reviews that it’s fuckin’ unacceptable. Kane and Chad, i’m sorry guys, i suck. I’ve been wanting to write up a great review for this DVD ever since i first saw it coz it’s one of the best DVD i’ve watched lately and i just never could find the right words to describe it. Anyway, here’s the review and it’s worth reading it now if you never purchased this DVD ! (has anyone not purchased it yet though ?)
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Yeah, that’s right, we got the news in our mail box, ROAM II is coming soon ! Chris James, Matt Lackey and Glen Thurston have been busy the last 6 months surfing the best waves Oz has to offer filming the new Nomad film project, ROAM 2. Once again Bryce Thurston is behind the lens capturing the most amazing angles in High Definition, and the crew have many memorable sessions already in the can and the photos to feature in Australia’s 2 premiere bodyboard mags shortly. Joining them in the journey this time around is Adam Luehman, Simon Ormerod, Jake Stone, Michael Novy, Dave Hubbard, Ryan Hard, Nick Ormerod, Dallas Singer, Alex Bunting, Pierre Louis Costes, Amaury Laverhne and Mitch Rawlins. ROAM 2 is proudly supported by Limited Edition Fins and Agent18 Wetsuits.
First screen captures of the movie are here:
- Chris James at Luna Park
- Glen Thurston at Luna Park
- Lackey, bird eye view from the chopper
- Adam Luehman getting shacked at the box
- Simon Ormerod shacked deep at the box too
- David Hubbard, bird eye view floater
Talking about Chris James… he’s been handed a wildcard entry into the prestigious Shark Island Challenge! Here’s what Nomad says about fellow team rider Chris “Grizzly” James: Big Griz has built a solid reputation as one of Australia’s leading big wave free surfers and this caps off an extraordinary 12 months for him. Following on from last years breakthrough ROAM project, Chris then spent “40 days travelling around the World”, taking in the Philippines, Ireland, San Diego Wave house, and Mexico. Recently Chris received severe bruising to his ribs and elbow after boosting his large rig at his local and smashing into dry reef, but has bounced back and got his mind set for surfing massive kegs in Victoria last week. Good luck Griz!!
Oh and talking about the Shark Island Challenge, The No.6, the official bodyboard of the Cronulla Shark Island, is proud to announce The No.6 Shark Island Trials begin Friday, signalling the beginning of the Cronulla Shark Island Challenge waiting period at the trials end on Sunday.
This year’s No.6 trials event will not disappoint, with only one Australian (ex-world champ, Ben Player) currently ranked in the Top 16, the rest of the Aussie contingent must battle it out against array of international talent to secure a Wild card into Australia’s most prestigious bodyboarding event. This will make for an explosive event and if your in the Sydney area make sure you get on down to Cronulla to support the best riders in the world.
Coinciding with the event, the No.6 launches on to the Australian market next week: The No.6 range includes some of the most advanced technological breakthroughs in bodyboarding history, including the new Engineered Flex Core (EFC). Variable flex Stringers, Graphic Decks, Graphic Slicks, quad Jaguar channels, padded decks, fantastic new contour deck and concave bottom designs, as well as the new VICE THE BINDS Bicep leash, featuring the patented FLEX Panel for rider comfort which arrives in August. Check www.theno6.com and www.myspace.com/no6bodyboards for more info.
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Two cool short video clips that you should watch this week:
- The Bodyboard Expedition 08 Ventura (USA) – Trailer: It’s classy and well edited with a good mellow soundtrack. Good bbing action with Jake Reeves and Phil Harnsberger (note his smooth backside attack at 1:38 min.).
- The 4PLAY crew tearing apart the Cook Islands. Awesome footage shot by Todd Barnes. Super good but too short alas !
Coming this week on Spongercity: the Isolated DVD review.
Coming next month on Spongercity: we ran out of Spongercity Trucker caps but we’ll have more available in July !
Also coming next month… an exclusive interview with mmhh nah, you’ll have to wait and see ! Interesting interview it will be hey !
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We just got a little Manta Update from Manta’s shaper Reon Fisher: W.A.’s Brendon Backshall has been over at Manta HQ working on his new rides and is stoked with the way his new stock boards are looking. “I am so happy with the look and feel of my new boards. Reon (Manta shaper) and I worked on getting a nice clean template for all conditions and it has been working great.” Brendon timed his trip to the East Coast well and has been scoring all over the South Coast, linking up with video lens man Todd Barnes for his upcoming feature film “Thrash”.
Cronulla’s Johnny Showell is also amping on his new boards. “I have been training hard for this year’s Shark Island contest and with the new CCT core in my boards, it works great for flex and speed out the Island. Fingers crossed we get a good swell during the waiting period.”
Tommy Smith, fresh back from a trip to South Oz with 2x World Champ Damian King, is determined on qualifying for this years Shark Island contest. “Everything feels right at the moment. My boards and equipment are working well, I feel fit and like my surfing is at the top of it’s game.” With determination like this and the skill level of Tommy’s riding, he is a near certainty to qualify.
Manta’s new 08/09 boards are avaliable in all good surf retailers now. For more go to www.manta.com.au
Here are some pictures from Brendo and Showell at the Manta shaping room: Brendo, Brendon again, John, John and Brendo, and a cool Manta double spread ad.
Other than that make sure you log on Riptide’s website to choose your next board on their new Riptide Buyer’s Guide. Note the cool NMD logos, they always come up with a nice design for their signature series (BP and Winny for example), also note what seems to be a golden VS board ! We’ve also notice heaps of PE boards with mesh layers, which sounds great, and noticed the VS “graphic slick” thingy that might be something new for 2008-2009.
Last minute news Plastic People news from the UK for those of you living in Europe and more specifically in the UK and looking for US New-York based brand Plastic People cltohing: Chuck Guarino and Mike Murphy’s bodyboard clothing brand Plastic People now has a UK distributor, Jonathan Tutte from Soul life store in Plymouth. Any interested stores who would like to carry the brand should contact jonathan@plasticpeoplenewyork.com Established in 2003, Plastic People Clothing is the brainchild of longtime friends Chuck Guarino (of THECAST) and Mike Murphy. These New Jersey natives joined forces to create a downtown New York design and clothing label that they themselves are eager to wear and to share with others. Plastic People is a lifestyle, celebrating the best of 80’s and 90’s surf design, punk-rock, & new wave style. Sometimes bright, sometimes dark & dirty, but always fun. For more information and news about Plastic People visit http://www.plasticpeoplenewyork.com. Soul life store is a bodyboarder owned streetwear and lifestyle store based in Plymouth, UK established in 2004. The online version of the store www.soullife.co.uk includes bodyboard brands Plastic People and Opine Clothing and offers free worldwide delivery on all orders.
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