Joel Parkinson victorious at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach...

Joel Parkinson was victorious at the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach after defeating Mick Fanning in an electrifying Final in solid six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) waves at Bells Beach.

Fanning was the in-form surfer of the event, consistently notching the highest single-wave scores and heat totals from Round 1 onwards. However, the lightning-fast natural-footer was unable to overtake his Gold Coast sparring partner in the Final.
“It was a tough Final,” Fanning said. “For some reason overtime we have a heat he gets in sync real early. I tried to fight back but it was too little too late. Surfing against your mate is just like surfing against anyone else you’ve just got to go out and think about yourself and catching waves and getting scores."
The Australian clash was the perfect celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic surfing event. The historical swell, the huge crowd and the quality of the surfers couldn't be better.
Parkinson opened up with an 8.53 on the first ride of the heat and drove the nail into the coffin with a Perfect 10.

“To me, Mick (Fanning) has been the form surfer of the event and I was never going to take him lightly,” Parkinson said. “I think we both had the same game plan of getting the first good one that came through and putting the momentum behind us. We scrapped for that first wave and I got the nod. Even though it was a mid-8, I knew I needed a lot more to hold him off so I just kept the pressure on from there.”
Today’s victory marks the third Bells title for the Gold Coaster and his 10th elite tour wins overall.
“It’s incredible,” Parkinson said. “It’s not so much the fact that I’ve won the event, but more so that it’s the 50th anniversary. It feels that much more special. We’ve had such good waves too. I can’t remember the last time that Bells had such good waves. I’m so excited. I can’t believe this.”
Parkinson, who’s last two ASP World Title campaigns have been marred by injuries, is adamant that he is 100% healthy this season and surfing better than ever.
“I definitely feel like I’m back,” Parkinson said. “I feel like I’m surfing better than I was back in ’09 before I hurt my ankle. I’m feeling fit, I have some really good boards under my feet and I’m excited for the rest of the year.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, suffered surprise elimination at the hands of De Souza in this morning’s Quarterfinal clash.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, 2010 ASP World Runner-Up, cruised through to the Semi-finals of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach despite admittedly feeling out of rhythm throughout the event.
“It was a nice last wave, but it was a pity I didn’t get any before that,” Smith said. “I’ve felt off all week so to get a 3rd is pretty good. I’ve got two 3rds now, which is kind of frustrating because you want to make the Final, but that’s how it goes sometimes. 3rd is better than 5th.”
Smith further cements his position at ASP World No. 3.
 

The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season is the Billabong Pro Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 – 22, 2011.
 

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.53
2 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.26

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.33 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.00
SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.87 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.23
RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.66 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 13.16
QF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18.00 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 11.24
QF 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.16 def. Chris Davidson (AUS) 11.10
QF 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.46 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.03

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.17 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 9.26

Sally Fitzgibbons wins at Rip Curl Woman's Pro Bells Beach...

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 20, claims her maiden ASP event at the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta.

BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Saturday, April 23, 2011) – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 20, claimed her maiden ASP Women’s World Title event win today after a hard-fought Final with current ASP Women’s World No. 1 Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, taking out the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta and firmly announcing herself as a threat to the 2011 ASP World Title race.
The second stop of the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title season, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach enjoyed some of the best conditions ever offered to the ASP Top 17, culminating in this afternoon’s epic clash in glassy three-to-four foot (1.5 metre) waves at Rincon.
Fitzgibbons, who finished Runner-Up in three events in 2010 as well as finishing the season in the Runner-Up spot, consistently outshined her fellow ASP Top 17 members at Bells Beach, launching into incredible high scores from the opening round of competition.

“This is so overwhelming,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s been a long journey for me to finally win and this is incredible. I can’t feel my arms or legs and I’m just trying to keep from crying right now. It’s been a really long time coming and I want to thank all the girls for pushing me as well as all my family and friends who have supported me over the years.”
Today’s maiden victory was made all the more emotional for the young Australian, clinching the title in the event’s 50th year of operation, surrounded by her heroes and sporting icons.

“It’s extra special to win it this year for the 50 years event,” Fitzgibbons said. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always watched my heroes surf and win here and I’ve always dreamed of ringing the Bell and now that it’s happened, I don’t know what to say. The other night at the 50-year ball, I saw all my icons on stage and I was so inspired. So to win right now is a dream come true.”
Fitzgibbons now sits at ASP Women’s World No. 2 with today’s win.
Moore continued her rampage amongst the world’s best here at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, only falling short to Fitzgibbons in the Final. The gracious Hawaiian remains firmly in the driver’s seat in this year’s hunt for the ASP Women’s World Title, and will look to further cement her position at next week’s event in New Zealand.
“I’m stoked to have made the Final with Sally (Fitzgibbons),” Moore said. “For her to come out on top was awesome. We’ve have a lot of good clashes last year and this year, and her win’s been a long time coming so congrats to her. Of course I would have liked to have rung the Bell, but that may have to happen next year.”
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion, enjoyed more of a return to form at Bells Beach, but the former three-time event winner was unable to overcome a rampaging Fitzgibbons in their Semifinal clash. Today’s Equal 3rd place finish has Gilmore sitting in ASP Women’s World No. 4 heading into the New Zealand event.

“I felt really good this event, my surfing felt more confident,” Gilmore said. “I’m happy with my performance, but hopefully I’m just building towards No. 1. Sally (Fitzgibbons) was so in form, she was throwing away scores that I was keeping as my top two, she’s well deserving of the win.”
Silvana Lima (BRA), 26, past event winner, put on a valiant effort in today’s conditions but ultimately fell to eventual winner Moore in her Semifinal heat.
“Very happy with my performance at Bells and that we had good waves for the girls,” Lima said. “I’m sad that I couldn’t make the Final, but Carissa (Moore) was surfing really well and she deserves it. I’m looking forward to New Zealand.”

The next stop on the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title season will be the Subaru Pro TSB Bank Women’s Surf Festival in Taranaki, New Zealand from April 27 – May 1, 2011.
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be available via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger completed Round 4 of competition this morning with Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, Kelly Slater (USA), 39, Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, all taking out wins and advancing straight through to the Quarterfinals.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
When the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Rangers resumes, up first will be Owen Wright (AUS), 21, against Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, in the opening heat of Round 5.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.77
2 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.40

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.10 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 12.60
SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18.37 def Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.60

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 15.57 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.60
QF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 13.34 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 5.90
QF 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.00 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 11.44
QF 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18.56 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 14.53

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 14.50 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 8.50
Heat 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 12.50 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 12.04
Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.60 def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 12.47
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18.83 def. Pauline Ado (FRA) 11.50

ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TITLE TOP 5 (After Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach):
1. Carissa Moore (HAW) 18,000 pts
2. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16,400 pts
3. Tyler Wright (AUS) 13,200 pts
4. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11,700 pts
5. Silvana Lima (BRA) 11,700 pts

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.26, Owen Wright (AUS) 13.84, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9.14
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.67, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.17, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.04
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.27, Chris Davidson (AUS) 13.37, Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.63
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 19.10, Jadson Andre (BRA) 13.17, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.40

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 5 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 3: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 4: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)

Browse the home of surfing at ASPworldtour.com

MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN

The traditional recipe for a mural requires:

• One (1) person wealthy enough to own a big wall; and
• one (1) person talented enough to paint on it.

Unfortunately, these two ingredients don't always mix well. 

The reason for this probably dates back to ancient Babylonia.  The cruel and powerful King Belshazzar, worshipper of gold and merchandiser of the souls of men, had conquered all his neighbors.  He had nothing left to fear from anyone.  Yet, when he held a victory feast for a thousand of his princes and warlords, Belshazzar became rattled by markings he discovered on his palace wall:

Poet Sir Osbert Sitwell beautifully described this biblical story, and what happened when the great king saw the famous writing on the wall:

And this was the writing that was written:
"MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN"
"THOU ARE WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE AND FOUND WANTING."
In that night was Belshazzar the King slain
And his kingdom divided.

Whatever the origins of the bad blood,  trouble seems to flare up regularly when artists write on the walls of the rich and powerful.  One side or the other seems to get weighed in the balance and found wanting.

British shipping magnate Frederick Leyland commissioned James Whistler to paint a mural on Leyland's wall but then refused to pay Whistler's price.  Whistler returned to Leyland's house and changed the mural to portray Leyland as a vain peacock squabbling over a bag of gold.

Whistler proudly proclaimed that he had immortalized Leyland as a peacock (and in fact most people today probably remember Leyland this way).

In 1925 the great Frank Brangwyn was commissioned to paint a mural of "the British Empire" for the House of Lords.

Brangwyn put his heart and soul into what he hoped would be a great masterpiece, but after only five of the eighteen panels were completed, Brangwyn too was weighed in the balance and found wanting. the Royal Fine Art Commission, in a stunning display of bad judgment, rejected the mural.  Among the excuses later offered was the fact that the panels, designed as “a profusion of motifs drawn from all over the world, a rich brightly-hued tapestry of allusions to Africa, India, Burma and Canada, teeming with humanity and exotic birds and beasts,” were not appropriate for the traditional staid English decor. 

Five years later, Brangwyn became enmeshed in another controversy over his murals for Rockefeller Centre in New York.  In 1934 he was selected by the fabulously wealthy Nelson Rockefeller to paint a mural  on the theme “Man at the Crossroads.” Brangwyn's mural included a picture of Jesus but the Rockefellers ordered it removed, so Brangwyn ended up repainting Jesus with his back to the viewer.  In the words of Bertram Wolfe, Brangwyn made Jesus turn his back “upon the Temple of the Money Changers.” 

But Brangwyn had it easy compared to another muralist for Rockefeller Center.  Diego Rivera's entire mural was famously destroyed by the Rockefellers because Rivera refused to paint out an image of Lenin.   

Which brings us to Paul Le Page, the buffoon currently serving as Governor of the State of Maine. LePage removed a mural from the state's Department of Labor because the mural offended his "pro-business philosophy."   In what must be a new low in the history of human reaction to art, Le Page cited an anonymous fax complaining that in “communist North Korea... they use these murals to brainwash the masses.”

The artist, Judy Taylor, claimed that the mural was intended to depict milestones from the state's labor history, including Rosie the Riveter at Bath Iron Works and a famous 1937 shoe worker’s strike.  “There was never any intention to be pro-labor or anti-labor, it was a pure depiction of the facts.”

 At the time of Diego Rivera's battle with the Rockefellers, E.B. White wrote the following poem, which appeared in the New Yorker:

Said John D's grandson, Nelson.
[T]ho your art I dislike to hamper,
I owe a little to God and Gramper,

And after all,
It's my wall.....
We'll see if it is, said Rivera.

I think that White put his finger on the heart of many of these disputes.  Wall owners and muralists sometimes have different notions about who owns the wall in the more meaningful sense.  There is more than one kind of property.

Soul Surfer Movie Trailer Official (HD)

Surfing Movies for sale

Round 2, Heat 1 - Jordy Smith vs Adam Robertson

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach off to a flyer...

Today marks the commencement of the 50th Anniversary of competition surfing at Bells Beach as Round 1 of the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells presented by Ford Ranger got underway in clean four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) surf.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the second stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season, enjoyed consistent surf throughout the day as the world’s best surfers unleashed a barrage of high-performance ripping on the classic canvas of Bells Beach.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Champion put in a sensational performance this afternoon, electing to sit up at Rincon to secure the day’s highest scores.. Parkinson locked in the highest wave score and the highest heat score of the opening day of competition scoring 17.74 (out of a possible 20.00) to advance directly through to Round 3 of competition.
“I fell off twice on the bowl,” Parkinson said. “It was really hard to ride. Then CJ (Hobgood) went across to Rincon and got a score, so we followed him over and it worked out for me. It’s great to get that opening heat win, especially at Bells. You never know what conditions you’re going to get in a heat, so to be able to skip round two and maybe get a day off is a huge advantage.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and defending event winner, was clinical in his attack in his Round 1 heat. Slater had his fellow competitors Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, and Kai Otton (AUS), 31, on the ropes only minutes into the heat, scoring an impressive 16.00 (out of a possible 20.00) on his opening two rides.

“I don’t free surf out at Bells a whole lot,” Slater said. “When the waves are good the comp is on and outside of that it’s pretty crowded. So I’m still learning with each heat out there still, surfing against a guy like Robbo (Adam Robertson) you’ve got to watch where he’s sitting, how far our and how deep.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, currently equal 13th in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, went into today’s competition with renewed vigor after a shock early exit at the last event on the Gold Coast. The past two-time ASP World Champion came out and dominated his Round 1 battle over Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, and Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17.
“I’m stoked to get a good start,” Fanning said. “It’s been 10 years since I won here as I wildcard, I got close last year but Kelly Slater got me in the final. You want to win every event, but being the 50th Anniversary and so much history at this event, it’s like the Wimbeldon of surfing, it’s a hard one to win but it’s the one everyone wants.”

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, led today’s rookie charge, continuing his sensational run after the and equal 5th on the Gold Coast, and dispatching of fellow Brazilian Ranoi Monterio (BRA), 28, and Australian Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28 in this morning’s opening round heat.
“It’s so good out there!” Muniz said. “This is my first time surfing at Bells and it’s the most amazing place. It’s got perfect rights, and it’s the kind of wave that I love to surf. It’s the best place ever, best waves, best weather and I love surfing in wetsuits.”

Jeremy Flores (FRA), 22, bounced back after missing the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast with a knee injury, to score a comprehensive win over Taylor Knox (USA), 39, and Cory Lopez (USA), 34.
“I wasn’t very confident before the heat,” Flores said. “But I got that first wave and did a big turn at the end and got a good score. I think that’s what you need to do these days, finish the wave strong. My knee still isn’t 100%, but I went for it and it’s good to win. Big thanks to everyone at the Gold Coast Suns Football Club for helping with my knee, it’s feeling much better now.”

Stu Kennedy (AUS), 21, scored a last minute wildcard into the event and caused the upset of the day, eliminating 2010 ASP World Title runner-up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 22.
“I’ve been coming here for years,” Kennedy said. “I won a Pro Junior here in 2008 and I know where to sit. I don’t think Dusty and Jordy know the break as well as I do so that helps. I’ve been up since 3am because I’m jet-lagged from coming home from Scotland. I woke up with a bunch of energy it’s my shaper’s birthday so I woke him up at 5am to go surfing. I had to win my heat for him for his birthday.”
When men’s competition resumes, up first will be 2010 ASP World Runner-Up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, up against Trials Winner Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, in the opening heat of Round 2.

Following the completion of the men’s Round 1 today, the ASP Top 17 hit the water for Round 1 of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and defending three-time Rip Curl Women’s Bells Beach winner, returned to her winning ways today, after bowing out early at the last event, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast.
“My first two years on tour I didn’t have great results on the Gold Coast,” Gilmore said. “I always bounced back at this event and then finished the year well, so hopefully I’ll do that again this year. The Gold Coast was a fine showing of what women’s surfing is up to now and everyone has to try and keep up. It really pushes me and I think anyone who wins an event from now on will be a very deserving winner because of that fact.”

Pauline Ado (FRA), 19, the French rookie caused the upset of the women’s event, defeating current ASP World Title front runner Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, in a nail biter of a heat.
“I’m really happy, I had a lot of fun out there,” Ado said “I got one of my good waves in the first few seconds so after that I felt confident and knew I could be more selective and wait for the right wave. A heat against Carissa is always a tough one, so I’m really stoked to win.”

When women’s competition resumes, up first will be Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 24, in the opening heat of Round 2.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be webcast available via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com


RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.23, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.26, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 7.37
Heat 2: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.30, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.00
Heat 3: Heitor Alves (BRA) 14.36, Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.14, Owen Wright (AUS) 10.60
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.60, Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.07, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.27
Heat 5: Stu Kennedy (AUS) 11.70, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.50, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.00
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.00, Kai Otton (AUS) 10.13, Adam Robertson (AUS) 8.53
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.17, Cory Lopez (USA) 5.83, Taylor Knox (USA) 4.67
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.60, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.20, Gabe Kling (USA) 3.50
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.60, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.23, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.07
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.74, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.44, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 8.17
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.60, Chris Davidson (AUS) 10.83, Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.83
Heat 12: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.40, Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.43, Brett Simpson (USA) 8.93


RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Adam Robertson (AUS)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 7: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 8: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 9: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 10: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 11: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)


RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.93, Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 8.70, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 8.66
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA) 14.94, Laura Enever (AUS) 8.84, Melanie Bartels (HAW) 7.54
Heat 3: Pauline Ado (HAW) 14.60, Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.44, Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 10.63
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.30, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 9.00, Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 6.50
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.10, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 12.83 Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.47
Heat 6: Coco Ho (HAW) 12.90, Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.00, Pauline Ado (FRA) 6.37

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Paige Hareb (NZL) vs. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Heat 2: Laura Enever (AUS) vs. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Heat 4: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) vs. Bethany Hamilton (HAW)
Heat 5: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 6: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Rebecca Woods (AUS)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2011 Day 2 commences...

“We have good-looking surf on offer this morning and have called the men’s on at 7:30am,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “We’ll have the women on standby, and we anticipate an excellent day of surfing. Good luck to all the competitors.”

Up first will be Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, and Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 28, in Heat 1 of Round 1.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.

The Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented Ford Fiesta is on standby today and will open up with Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 27, Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 27, and Rebecca Woods (BRA), 26, in Heat 1 of Round 1 when competition commences.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2011 Lay Day called...

Day one approaches, but a lay day was called for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford, second stop of the ASP 2011 World Title season offering one-to-two foot (0.5) metre surf.

“We went on hold until 10am this morning to see if the swell would fill in but as it hasn’t, we’ve called competition off for the day,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. “We’re looking at some fairly promising swell models that are projected to fill in over the coming days so we’ll be back tomorrow morning to see what Bells has to offer.”

Event organizers will reconvene at 7am tomorrow morning to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start. When competition resumes, up first will be Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, and Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 28, in Heat 1 of Round 1.

When the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta kicks off, up first will be Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 27, Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 27, and Rebecca Woods (BRA), 26, in Heat 1 of Round 1.

Coastalwatch, official surf forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, are calling for a new 3-4 foot groundswell with clean mostly offshore to begin building on Wednesday. On Thursday, a stronger building trend with wave heights increasing throughout the day before peaking at 4-6 foot on Friday, gradually easing off into the weekend, but still 3-5 foot surf until mid-next week.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will take place at Victoria’s pristine Bells Beach from April 19 – 30, 2011 and be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.

RIPCURL PRO BELLS BEACHROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)

Heat 2:Taj Burrow (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS), Josh Kerr (AUS)

Heat 3:Owen Wright (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Bobby Martinez (USA)

Heat 4:Mick Fanning (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Gabriel Medina (BRA)

Heat 5:Jordy Smith (ZAF), Dusty Payne (HAW), Stu Kennedy (AUS)

Heat 6:Kelly Slater (USA), Kai Otton (AUS), Adam Robertson (AUS)

Heat 7:Jeremy Flores (FRA), Taylor Knox (USA), Cory Lopez (USA)

Heat 8:Michel Bourez (PYF), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Gabe Kling (USA)

Heat 9:Damien Hobgood (USA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS)

Heat 10:Bede Durbidge (AUS), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Joel Parkinson (AUS)

Heat 11:Adriano de Souza (BRA), Chris Davidson (AUS), Julian Wilson (AUS)

Heat 12:Brett Simpson (USA), Jadson Andre (BRA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1:Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rebecca Woods (AUS)

Heat 2:Silvana Lima (BRA), Laura Enever (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)

Heat 3:Carissa Moore (HAW), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Bethany Hamilton (HAW)

Heat 4:Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Alana Blanchard (HAW)

Heat 5:Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Melanie Bartels (HAW)

Heat 6:Coco Ho (HAW), Tyler Wright (AUS), Pauline Ado (FRA) 

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2011 Official Trailer

An ODE to CONTRAST (verse 6)

Because contrast is a game of extremes, it gives an artist license to cast aside nuance and embrace all kinds of lurid and gorgeous combinations of color and form.

Frank Tenney Johnson

George Innes

Carl Spitzweig

Still, it's not true that the farther apart the elements, the greater the contrast.  On the contrary, contrast has to remain confined by a common set of rules or it becomes less effective.  Contrast between elements of equivalent weigh tends to create tension, while contrast between elements of unequal weight tends to create movement.  Either of these relationships can be powerful, but they require the elements to be tethered together if we want to create the illusion of greatest distance between them. 

If you just try to place elements as far apart as possible, without a common set of assumptions, you run the risk of punching a hole in your picture, through which all of the integrity of the image will simply drain out onto the floor:

Only two days....

The much anticipated launch of The West Coast Boardriders Event Number 1 is just two days away from commencement.
Founded  in March 2011 in Big Bay, West Coast Boardriders is a non profit organization with the intention to develop and grow surfing as a sport on the West Coast of Cape Town.
For more info visit...West Coast Boardriders

An ODE to CONTRAST (verse 5)

Contrast is like those bad boys your mother warned you to stay away from but you just couldn't help yourself.

When you first encounter a picture, your eye is irresistibly drawn to the points of greatest contrast.    Other parts of the picture-- the largest shape, the prettiest color, the darkest or lightest form-- may strive for your attention but there's something about contrast that always catches our eye first.

In this painting by Motherwell, our eyes pass over the huge black shape and go right to the tiny corner with the contrast.

Milk contrasted against the shadows in N.C. Wyeth's lovely painting

Arthur Mitchell

This doesn't mean that contrast is the best or the most important part of a picture.  To the contrary, pictures contain many other fine, respectable elements.  As your mother told you, once you get past first impressions you may learn to appreciate subtle details and other less glamorous virtues.  All it takes is patience and time.

Harvey Dunn

You can go on to enjoy a long, satisfying relationship with the less flashy components of a picture.   But it seems that a mature relationship must wait its turn, until we get beyond our initial fascination with contrasts-- that rough, vulgar but sexy feature that first catches our eye.

A dreamlike wave found in an Indonesian river is stunning surf world

A dreamlike wave found in an Indonesian river is stunning surf world

An ODE to CONTRAST (verse 4)

When Alex Raymond drew the comic strip Flash Gordon, he often used  smooth, tapered lines that flowed seamlessly from light to heavy, from narrow to wide.

They were dazzling.  However, as he matured as an artist, Raymond no longer worried so much about blending the two extremes.  Instead, by the time he drew the strip Rip Kirby years later, he would contrast light, airy pen strokes with thick, choppy brush strokes, leaving them to co-exist on the page in sharp juxtaposition to each other.

Compare the subtlety and precision of Raymond's lacy lines forming the 
head and hands with the raw brush marks on the man's shoulder

Compare the strength of the chiseled effect on the man's overalls with the more refined, mellow lines in Flash Gordon (above)

A fine, diverse assortment of line. 

I promise you, this change in Raymond's approach was not because he forgot how to make smooth gradations in line.

An ODE to CONTRAST (verse 3)

Artists have experimented for centuries with visual techniques for contrasting opposites.  However, it is difficult to think of an example which has benefited from so much enthusiastic experimentation as the contrast of something small, pretty and vulnerable with something big, mean and scary:

Let's see if we can tiptoe around some of the murky reasons people enjoy pictures of women in peril and focus instead on the interesting contrast at the heart of this popular genre.

 The pulp magazine covers of the 1930s and 40s merely continued a tradition that stretched back to medieval paintings of St. George & The Dragon (where a helpless virgin was chained to a rock, to be gobbled up by a fierce monster) or silent movies (where a helpless girl was tied to railroad tracks, to be run over by a fierce steam engine).  No mere gun or knife would do; it was the enormity of the disparity that makes these works successful.

As Frazetta shows us, sometimes it heightens the excitement and dread if the pretty girl lacks even a thin layer of clothing to shield her. 

But not every example uses nudity to heighten the contrast.  Some heighten the contrast employing  light vs. shadow, or vertical vs. supine compositions, or male lower class vs. female upper class.

Some artists believe they get more mileage from a threat that is a disembodied shadow, or by throwing a child into the mix:

Putting aside the politics of these scenarios, and regardless of whether the damsel is saved by a knight in shining armor or rescues herself, the contrast between these two extremes seems to capture the imagination.

An ODE to CONTRAST (verse 2)

Saul Steinberg was an artist of insatiable intellectual curiosity.  His imagination overflowed with fresh, orthogonal views of the world and he came up with so many connections and comparisons that he sometimes had to stash long lists of them in imaginary cabinets and closets. 

Sometimes he went beyond words, and diagrammed the meeting of two concepts:

The juxtaposition of these concepts is plenty thought-provoking, and Steinberg's little diagrams add a nice touch of whimsy and mystery.  But I confess a special fondness for Steinberg's pictures where his contrasting concepts have been integrated into the pictures, not just spelled out in words.  Here, Steinberg puts a  mechanical, symmetrical image in bed with a fanciful flourish and leaves us to imagine their love life:

Here, Steinberg compares two realities using a clever graphic device:

 

In my view,  the contrast of these concepts is more successful in images than in words.

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach prepares for 50-Year Celebration

Time is near and the stage is set, as Victoria prepares to shine for the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. The event presented by Ford.

The second stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season, this April, will celebrate its 50-year anniversary.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2011, running from April 19 through 30, will host the ASP Top 34 which is presented by Ford Ranger. As well as the ASP Top 17 in the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta.

“It’s going to be a very exciting Easter at Bells Beach this April, with some special events planned to celebrate the amazing half-century anniversary of the Rip Curl Pro and the Bells Beach Easter Rally,” Brooke Farris, Rip Curl International Event Manager, said. “This year’s event will really be a ‘gathering of the tribe’, with each of the world’s best ASP surfers keen to etch their name in the history books by winning the anniversary Bell and most of our former competitors and past champions in Torquay to re-live many of the amazing moments and stories they created over the past 50 years.”

The golden anniversary of professional surfing at Bells Beach will be marked this 2011 and the world’s best surfers will be there to honor this auspicious occasion, as well as battle it out for the World Title.

Kelly Slater , reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, has bagged four Bells titles (’94, ’06, ’08, ’10) and with a win at the opening event of the season on the Gold Coast, will have his sights on defending his title this at Victoria

“The Bells trophy is probably one of – if not the – most sought after trophies in professional surfing,” Slater said. “Anyone who has ever gotten a Bell has talked proudly of it. It’s like winning a World Title trophy.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, former two-time ASP World Champion (’07, ’09), posted his first elite tour victory as a wildcard at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in 2001.

“Fifty years at Bells is huge,” Fanning said. “It has so much history, from the first days with MP to MR to up until now. So many great surfers have won the Rip Curl Pro because it’s one of the hardest ones to win.”

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will take place at Victoria’s pristine Bells Beach from April 19 – 30, 2011 and be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.

An ODE to CONTRAST (verse 1)

Peripheral vision may be our greatest weapon against ignorance.  Your eyes don't need to stray more than an inch before they might bump into a view of reality that is startlingly different from your own:

Matter and antimatter coexist in this catalog of classes from the Learning Annex

Of course, we can't always rely on our peripheral vision.  Sometimes we have to seek out contrasting views.   For example, if you were a young woman with artistic talent in the 1950s, you might find this type of ad quite persuasive:

Just look at my art director!

But unless you took the extra effort to check out what was going on in magazines for young men, you might never realize that the same art schools were wooing your male counterparts with a very different set of promises:

Do you like Art?



This may explain why some people argue that the best way to avoid unhappiness is to wear blinders.  If you try to reconcile two conflicting extremes you'll only end up confused and frustrated.

But for me, I'd say that in art-- as in life-- contrast is one of your very best friends.  Elements of a picture, when set in opposition to each other, can heighten the effect of the whole.  The task of balancing opposing elements forces us to develop more complex and sensitive vocabularies, and to be alert for subtler shades of meaning.  With these enhanced vocabularies we can flesh out a more profound range of thoughts and feelings.  Contrast is the place where the enriching force is born.

By merely selecting locations between the top and the bottom of the musical scale, Beethoven composed great symphonies. By selecting places between the top and bottom of the value scale, artists compose great pictures. The aesthetic character of a line, for example, is determined by an artist's selections on the continuum between rough and smooth, or between delicate and bold.

This week will be my ode to contrast.  Each day I'll post a different example of contrast in picture making.  Let's see if we can have some fun.

Surfboard repair/ding repair....

Regardless whether you a pro, intermediate or beginner surfer, you are going to ding your surfboard. For small minor dings, instead of dropping it off at your local surf shop for repairing, you could fix it yourself. After all, it could be costly and it could take days to be repaired. So I’ve posted a few tips on how to repair a surfboard and save money.

Step1
Clean the board. Make sure the fibreglass is wax free and perfectly clean. Make sure the ding is completely dry and clean as well (you could use a hair dryer to speed up the process). Take a knife or razor blade and trim the ding, cutting off broken edges of fibreglass and sand the immediate area with a rough sandpaper to ensure that the resin will bond. Tape the section off an area about 3cm around the ding to stop any resin from dripping onto other parts of the surfboard.

Step2
Cut a piece of fibreglass to cover the ding area, which will help secure the brittle resin and seal the repair from water entering the board.

Step3
Mix some resin and a few drops of catalyst. The more catalyst you add the faster it will harden. However, if you add to much catalyst into the mix it could heat up and become dangerous as it may catch on fire.

Step4
Then pour the resin into the ding, covering all the corners and make sure they are filled. Don’t fill it to overflowing. Then place the cloth over the ding. The cloth will absorb the resin and adhere to the ding.

Step 5
Wait for about 1-2 hours. The ding area should be completely covered and the resin totally hardened. Then sand the ding with dry sandpiper to get it flat, smooth and flush with the board.(be sure not to over-sand the board and re-open the ding). If you are a perfectionist, you can use an extra layer of gloss over the top to produce a nicer finish.