Quiksilver Riders Blog

Polls Open For The 26^th Annual Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau

(Huntington Beach, Calif.) August 11, 2010 — Public polling has begun for the 26th annual Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau. Voting will close August 31, 2010. More than 70 of the world’s best big wave paddle-in surfers are posted on the polling list. To vote for your favorite big wave rider go to www.polls.quiksilver.com. Voting is limited to one vote per voter.

This is stage one of the selection process to elect the esteemed 24 invitees for the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau. The event will run on one day between December 1, 2010, and February 28, 2011, when waves at Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, reach a minimum of 20 feet. An Opening Ceremony on December 2^nd, 2010, will bring together the Aikau Ohana and selected Invitee and Alternate competitors.

This year sees four South African’s included in the prestigious voting process. Grant ‘Twiggy” Baker (Durban) was voted and participated in last years event and is back in the polling process, he stands a good chance of being reselected after his recent run of outstanding accomplishments. Jason Ribbink (Durban) was selected as one of the 2008 invitees but never got to compete as the 24^th edition of the event never took place. Andrew Marr and Chris Bertish, both of Cape Town, have also been drafted into the poll and both stand a good chance of being selected due to their reputations in big solid surf. Bertish has definitely made his intentions clear after winning the 2010 Mavericks contest ahead of a very strong international field. To vote and give the South African crew a better chance of being selected go to www.polls.quiksilver.com.

A testament to the global appeal of Aikau’s story, “The Eddie” has grown to be the world’s longest-running and most respected big wave specialty event. First staged at Sunset Beach in the winter of 1984/85, then moved to Waimea in 1985/86, it has been held eight times. Its strict adherence to wave height stipulations has only served to underscore the authenticity and importance of the event. Past champions are Denton Miyamura (1985), Clyde Aikau (1986), Keone Downing (1990), Noah Johnson (1999), Ross Clarke-Jones (2001), Kelly Slater (2002), Bruce Irons (2004), and Greg Long (2009).

On December 8, 2009, during the most epic big wave season on record, the Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau was staged in breath-taking waves as tall as palm trees. Images and stories from that day reached the largest international audience in history for a surfing competition.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is staged in honor of Waimea Bay’s first official lifeguard and Hawaii’s most famous big-wave rider. A humble Hawaiian surfer, Aikau set the bar for big wave riding at Waimea Bay in the ’60s and ’70s. A natural born waterman, Eddie saved countless lives during his watch as Waimea Bay lifeguard. He also traveled as one of the first touring professional surfers in the mid-’70s when he was ranked among the world’s top 16. During his travels Eddie touched countless lives around the world as he voluntarily delivered a personal message of aloha from Hawaii, often accompanied by his younger brother Clyde and their slack-key guitar playing that was famous for bringing people together.

Eddie lost his life at the age of 31, during an ill-fated voyage of the Hokule’a sailing canoe in 1978. En-route to Tahiti from Oahu, the Hokule’a capsized in the Molokai Channel in heavy weather and giant seas, injuring crewmembers. Aikau was last seen paddling for the Hawaiian Islands to get help. His life, spirit of aloha, and passion for the ocean and mankind is celebrated annually through this big wave event. It is arguably the most famous story in surfing.

This year’s list of potential invitees includes big wave riders from Australia, Europe, South Africa, South America, Japan, USA, and Hawaii.

9-times ASP World Surfing Champion and former event winner Kelly Slater (left) was on top form in 2009 but finished second to overall winner Greg Long (USA). High resolution images are available on request.

About Quiksilver

Quiksilver is committed to providing tools for uncovering, expressing and expanding your personal style.  Our aim is to foster the sense of individual expression and excitement – the stoke that is the essence of boardriding*.  We’re also here to spread the word because the only thing better than finding stoke is sharing it.

*Boardriding is about timing and style.  It’s youthful, active, casual, and free flowing.  There is no wrong way to ride a board.  The goal is simply to learn, progress, improve, and give it your own interpretation.

Quiksilver is offering one lucky customer the opportunity to win a trip for two to Bali, Indonesia for 7 days!

All you have to do is purchase any pair of Quiksilver’s latest summer 2010 boadshorts available nationwide, fill out the entry form attached to the boardshorts and send it in. The competition will run from 1 August 2010 until 31 January 2011.

The trip will include 2 X international return air tickets and accommodation plus some insane Quiksilver gear to keep you and your mate or girl looking good on the trip.

Terms and Conditions apply and will be posted at www.quiksilver.co.za

Entries can be sent to:

Quiksilver Competition
PO Box 47254
Greyville
4023

Terms and Conditions:

CONTEST RULES

Article 1
New Pier Trading t/a Quiksilver and with its head office at 4th Floor san Angelo Building, 218 Mathews Meyiwa Road, Durban (hereafter referred to as the “Organising Company”), is holding a free contest with no purchase necessary from 1st August 2010 to 31st January 2011.

Article 2
This contest is open to all physical persons residing in Africa, Mauritius, Reunion Island and Seychelles, except employees (and their family members) of New Pier Trading, its subsidiaries, Quiksilver shops and any company that has been involved in the concept of this contest.

The Organising Company draws attention to the fact that all minors who enter the contest shall be deemed to enter under the control and with the consent of their parents or legal custodian(s) or guardian(s).

Each contestant (same name, same address) may submit only one entry to the Contest. If a contestant submits multiple entries, only the first entry received by the Organising Company will be taken into account.

Any erroneous or incomplete entry form cannot be taken into account and will be considered null and void. In particular, entry forms will not be taken into consideration if the contact information provided is incorrect or incomplete, if they do not comply with the terms of these rules, if they are submitted multiple times, or if they are sent after the end of the Contest.

Article 3
The winners of the prizes mentioned at article 5 hereafter will be selected in a random draw.

This random draw will take place on Quiksilver’s premises at the latest on 20 February 2011 included from among the properly registered contestants.

The winners will be informed of the result by email no later than 21 February 2011 included at the email address provided in his/her entry form. No message will be sent to non-winning contestants.

The winners will have to answer at the latest on 28 February 2011 included. If the winner does not answer within the delay granted, the prize shall be lost and cancelled.

The winners shall authorize all checks regarding their identity and their domicile.

It is expressly agreed that the data in the information systems owned by the Organising Company or its technical service providers have evidentiary weight in terms of login data and in determining the winners.

Article 4
This random draw will point out the winners of:
* 2 X domestic and international return flights to Bali, Indonesia.
* Accommodation to be arranged by Quiksilver for 2 people for 7 days

Article 5
The Organising Company declines any liability for any dispute concerning the way of awarding the prizes.

The prize(s) will be accepted as it(they) is(are) described on the Contest web site. They cannot be exchanged or returned, nor can they be substituted with financial compensation or the financial equivalent of the prize. No change prize(s), etc.) for any reason whatsoever may be requested of the Organising Company. It is stipulated that the Organising Company will not provide any guarantee or support services, as the prize(s) consist solely in the awarding of the prize(s) specified for the Contest. In any event, the terms and conditions for the awarding of the winnings, the acceptance and the use of the prize(s) will be as per the terms defined or stipulated by the Organising Company and which the winner undertakes to accept, failing which the Organising Company reserves the right to designate another winner. Any complaints concerning the awarding of the prizes may not consist in financial compensation and/or financial equivalent.

The Organising Company reserves the right to replace the prize(s) with prizes of equivalent value, without the winner having the right to lodge any complaint whatsoever in this regard.

The Organising Company may not under any circumstances be held liable for any delay in awarding the prize(s) or in the event that the winners cannot be awarded the prize(s) for reasons beyond the control of the Organising Company. If the prize(s) cannot be sent by post, the terms for accepting it(them) will be specified to the winner(s) in the prize confirmation email or by any other means at the convenience of the Organising Company.

It is expressly acknowledged by the winners that the Organising Company declines any liability for any injuries or damages of any kind that may arise from the enjoyment of the prize awarded and/or result from its use.

Article 6
Entering the contest implies the contestant’s knowledge and acceptance of the Internet’s characteristics and limitations, particularly with regard to technical performance, response times when checking, querying or transferring data, the risks of interruption, connection-related risks, the lack of protection against possible diversion of certain data and risks of contamination by any viruses in circulation on the Internet. The Organising Company may not be held liable, in particular, for malfunctions that may affect the Internet or for any problem with the configuration or relating to a specific browser.

The Organising Company does not guarantee that the Internet site and/or Contest shall operate without any interruption, that they do not contain any computing errors, or that any detected errors will be corrected.

The Organising Company may not be held liable in the event of a technical malfunction in the Contest, if contestants are not able to log on to the Contest website or to enter the Contest, if it does not receive the data relating to a contestant’s entry form for any reason for which it may not be held liable (for example, an Internet connection problem due to any reason at the user’s premises), or if an entry form is illegible or impossible to process (for example, if the contestant has hardware or a software environment that does not comply with his/her subscription) or in the event of email routing problems. Contestants will not be entitled to any compensation in this regard.

Moreover, the Organising Company may not be held liable for any damage, material or immaterial, caused to contestants, their computer equipment and the data stored therein, or for any direct or indirect consequences that may ensue, particularly consequences on their personal, professional or commercial activity.

Article 7
Entering this contest implies full and unreserved acceptance of the terms set out in these rules.
Any breach of a term of these rules will disqualify the contestant who has committed the breach. Any dispute on the interpretation of the rules will be settled by the organisers.

Article 8
The Organising Company reserves the right to revise these rules at any time and to take any decisions it deems useful for the application and interpretation of the rules. The Organising Company may inform contestants of a revision by any means of its choosing. The Organising Company also reserves the right to modify, extend, cut short, suspend or cancel the Contest, without warning, due to an event beyond its control, and in particular in the event of force majeure or an act of God. The Organising Company reserves the right, in particular, if there is due cause, to declare invalid and/or cancel all or part of the Contest if it appears that fraud or malfunctions have occurred in any form whatsoever, particularly in computing aspects within the framework of entry to the Contest or determination of the winner(s). In this case, it reserves the right not to award the prize(s) to the fraudulent contestants and/or to commence legal proceedings against the persons having committed the fraud. An act of fraud immediately disqualifies the person having committed it.

The Organising Company will not be liable in regard to the forgoing, and therefore the contestants will not be entitled to any indemnity or compensation of any nature.

Article 9
It is reminded that to enter the Contest, the contestants must necessarily provide certain personal information relating to them (name, address, etc.). This information is recorded and saved in an electronic file and is essential to the eligibility of their entry, the determination of the winner and the attribution and routing of the prizes. This information is provided to the Organising Company and may be submitted to its technical service providers and a service provider handling the shipping of the prizes.

In entering the Contest, the contestant may also register to receive an email newsletter from the Organising Company’s partners. The data thus collected may be used within the legal framework.

Quiksnow 2010 Concludes With Epic Riding at Afriski

Quiksnow 2010 presented by Resolution has come to the end of the three day snowboarding festival in what has been called by organisers and competitors the best edition in the event’s five year history. “We’re ecstatic with how things have gone this year,” said organiser Oliver Schwankhart. “We’ve done everything we can to outdo ourselves year after year and 2010 has really raised the bar. We’ve had an amazing turnout, the weather was pristine and the slope couldn’t have been better.” Quiksnow crowned Men’s and Women’s champions in the Slopestyle and Giant Slalom divisions. Alex Heath and Vicki Mayes took top honours in Giant Slalom while the Slopestyle title went to Jojo Krivec and Marta Jekot, who is a five time defending champion.

“It’s great that there are more women competing every year,” Marta, a software systems developer, said. “I think there are a lot of girls out there who would be surprised by how easy and fun it is to snowboard if they only gave it a try.”

Visiting Slovenian judge and instructor Istok Sumatic was impressed by the talent he witnessed on his first trip to Afriski, South Africa’s premier snowboard destination. “I love what I’ve seen of South Africa and Lesotho and really impressed with both the dedication and talent of the local riders. With the right support I think things can really take off here, and this event is a great foundation to build off of.”

The new venue and setup has certainly raised the bar, with a number of never before seen tricks being landed in competition. Jojo Krivec landed the first 900 ever completed in an SA contest and the course was nearly double the size of the last event. The presence of the Bag Jump for the first time, a facility to help riders practice their more difficult tricks, has resulted in a huge boost in local rider ability.

A new addition to the event was the DC Rail Jam held on Tuesday night under starry skies and very difficult sub-zero conditions. Prizes went to Errol Krauss for a backside 270 onto the flat bar and Kat Maponyane for a 270 on, 270 off on the rainbow.

Although Quiksnow has traditionally been held at Tiffindell, Quiksilver marketing manager Dane Patterson is pleased with the results this year’s new venue. “There are always hiccups when you move to a new location but this has been a real pleasure. Afriski is closer to Durban and Johannesburg and more accessible, which means the event is easier to grow and easier to support. This is a really positive change for snowboarding in general and Quiksnow in particular.”

The Resolution Biggest Slam award and R1000 went to Luke Dutton, who despite a horrendous crash in practice resulting in him being stretchered off the slopes managed to compete and place second in the Junior division.

The highlight of the local season has come to a close and as the domestic season winds down riders will begin making preparations to train for next year’s event.

Footage from the event will be broadcast on a future episode of Boardriders TV and aired on SuperSport.

Quiksnow 2010 Slopestyle Champion Jojo Krivec starts his winning run in the freeride park at Afriski. Photo by Alexa Cunningham.

Quiksnow presented by Resolution, the premier South African snowboarding event, began today under ideal conditions and perfect sunny skies. At an altitude of over 3220m and hosted for the first time by Afriski in Lesotho, the event is set to be the largest in its six year history. South African snowboarding is a small but growing subculture driven by a tight knit and dedicated community.

Mens Slalom Winner - Alex Heath - SA Olympian Skiier

The two events that make up Quiksnow are Giant Slalom and Slopestyle, which focus on very different skill sets. Giant Slalom is about getting through a demarcated course as fast as possible, while Slopestyle is scored according to a competitor’s ability to perform a variety of tricks over a course made up of kickers (launches and landings made of snow used to perform aerial maneuvers) and rails (an assortment of obstacles loosely based in design on urban landscape features like handrails, benches and tables).

Park shapers have worked day and night to have the slopes groomed and ready for the Slopestyle qualifiers tomorrow. “We’ve built decent sized kickers at SA champs before but these are probably the biggest we’ve ever had,” commented Rueben Storbeck, who is responsible for developing and maintaining the course. Consensus amongst the riders has been overwhelmingly positive, with a much higher standard of riding evident during practice runs earlier today.

The focus today was on speed rather than style, with the Giant Slalom competitors doing their utmost to get from the top of the hill to the bottom as quickly as possible. Winners Alex Heath and Karin Weich were overjoyed with their performances.

Qualifiers for the Slopestyle event happen first thing Tuesday morning. Marta Jekot, a long time competitor and the favourite to win the Roxy ladies division will be looking to successfully defend her title. The mens event will be hotly contested with a number of competitors hungry to claim victory. Kat Maponyane, Marcin Jekot, Matt Amoretti, Robbie Alunni and Rueben Storbeck are all capable of winning. Speculation at the filled to capacity resort is rife as to the outcome, but everyone agrees that the level of intensity is much higher than ever before.

“I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen so far on the course,” said Dane Patterson, marketing manager of headline sponsor Quiksilver. “We’ve been part of snowboarding in SA for a few years and to watch the talent pool grow in both numbers and level of riding has been really rewarding.”

Some of that recent growth can be attributed to the Bag Jump, a huge inflatable landing that allows riders to safely perfect high risk maneuvers before attempting them on the unforgiving rock hard landings made of snow and ice. “The Bag Jump is great for progression, which is usually a slow and painful process,” said Kat Maponyane. “You can figure out and correct your technique before it leads to a major injury and that means more time to ride and less on the sidelines.”

Other events will include a Bag Jump demonstration, Foosball tournament and tomorrow evening a floodlit DC Rail Jam set up at the foot of the slopes, where onlookers can watch from the warmth and comfort of the Gondola Bar. Presenting sponsors Resolution will also be awarding a cash prize to the competitor who takes the most intense crash during the event. The Finals and prize giving take place on Wednesday 4 August. Quiksnow will be broadcast on an upcoming episode of Boardriders TV on SuperSport.

Professional and long time Quiksilver representative Johann ‘Puddy’ Zwennis has announced that he will be skating from Johannesburg to Cape Town for a “Skate for Change” project to raise money for a non-profit organization, SOS Children’s Village.

Puddy Zwennis of Pretoria flips over the vehicle that will be accompanying him on his 90 day Jo’burg to Cape Town charity expedition.

The SOS Children’s Villages (www.sos.org.za) build families for orphaned and abandoned children. 8 to 10 children are cared for in small family-type homes and are raised like brothers and sisters. The head of the family is the SOS Mother, who provides the family with the affection and security that they need for their sound development.

Zwennis, a young and talented professional skateboarder, is a founding member of the project and realizes that the challenge is a BIG one. Puddy, as he is known in the South African skate community has been skating for over 15 years and has numerous accolades under his belt including representing South Africa at the Asian X-Games which was broadcast on ESPN. He is a public figure that will undeniably help raise more money for the charity.

Puddy will attempt to skate from Johannesburg to Cape Town in 90 days. This attempt has never been done before and the whole trip is approximately 1900 km’s in distance. He will be taking on approximately 25km’s per day to reach this goal. This is a mammoth task and Zwennis will be assisted by 5 crew members in 2 vehicles throughout the 3 months. The trip will go through 5 provinces and 33 towns all over South Africa and is sure to be an epic journey.

The departure date is the 31^st of July from the Ennerdale Children’s Village in Johannesburg. Fundraising events will be arranged by a dedicated team in all major cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. The main goal is to help these children in need and get South Africa behind a great charitable cause.

You can donate by visiting the website, using any easy pay point at a Shoprite/Checkers store or by SMS: ‘Puddy’ to 38665 – R10 will be donated for every SMS.

For more information you can visit the projects website: www.skateforchange.co.za

Contact Details:

H Bergh: human@stixandstones.co.za
Mobile: 0835557811

The post-World Cup blues in Durban will be eased in late July with the launch of the 2010 edition of the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival.

Wavescapes, presented by the Save Our Seas Foundation and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), kicks off with a free outdoor film at 7pm on the Bay of Plenty lawns on Sunday 25 July, followed by five days of indoor screenings of the latest surf films.

Quiksilver and Roxy have teamed up with the very popular festival for 2010 and are extremely excited to assist in brining some quality international surf films to Durban for all to enjoy. “I think it is great that the guys at Wavescapes have put their heads down every year to bring us these unreal films, it is great for surfing, the industry and all that appreciate the sport and lifestyle that surrounds it” said Quiksilver’s marketing manager Dane Patterson.

Another calm winter’s evening is forecast for the opening film ‘Dear and Yonder’, a soulful history of women’s surfing flowing with fluid grace. To celebrate, more than 80 members of the cast and crew of Blue Crush II will take a break from filming to join the audience at the Bay of Plenty.

Among the visitors are four stunt doubles who represent South Africa’s top professional surfers: Roseanne Hodge (East London), Bianca Buitendag (George), Tanika Hoffman (South Coast) and Taryn Chudleigh (Cape Town). Hodge is ranked 12th on the Association of Surfing Professional’s World Championship Tour.

Prize giveaways from Roxy and official surfing sponsor Quiksilver will be handed to lucky recipients from the expected 2,000 members of the audience.

According to curator of the festival Spike from Wavescape.co.za, the festival offers the most diverse line-up of films since its inception in Durban five years ago.

“There is something for everyone, from the usual soulful visuals and underground soundtracks to the hot moves of the now generation. ‘Still Filthy’ features the best waves shredded by the best surfers. ‘Modern Collective’ showcases the outrageous aerial skills of the new guard such as Dane Reynolds and Durban’s own Jordy Smith. Our opening film, the soul-filled ‘Dear and Yonder’, flows with the Zen-like mastery of top pro surfer Rob Machado, star of ‘The Drifter’.

“However, we also represent the darker side of surfing. ‘Sea of Darkness’ exposes the sometimes grisly, drug-scarred underbelly of the surf travel dream, while the award-winning ‘Lives of the Artists’ documents a freakish French snowboarder, crazy Irish surfers and an angry British punk band in their quest for the salt-encrusted, powder-snowed, guitar-ghettoed grail of their inner artist.”

‘Fibreglass and Megapixels’ brings to life the vivid digital world of surfing photography, featuring top South African photographer Pierre Tostee, while the visceral and languid but beautifully crafted poetry of ‘The Present’ is a counterpoint to ‘Quest for Fear’, featuring the 10-year migration to the big wave bombs of Dungeons in Cape Town. A different addition to the festival is ‘Gum for My Boat’, a feel good film about the growth of surfing in Bangladesh.”

Films will be screened at Ster Kinekor at Musgrave Cinema from Monday 26 July to Friday 30 July. Tickets are R32 and special discounts apply.

Eleven films will be screened at the festival. For more info visit: www.wavescape.co.za

The principal funder for DIFF is the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Wavescapes Surf Film Festival Schedule:

Sunday 25 July – Big Outdoor Screen, Bay Of Plenty Lawns – FREE
Dear & Yonder, 19:00

Monday 26 July – Ster Kinekor Musgrave
Gum For My Boat, 18:00
Modern Collective
Lives Of The Artists, 20:00

Tuesday 27 July – Ster Kinekor Musgrave
Still Filthy, 18:00
Quest For Fear
Fibreglass & Megapixels, 20:00
The Drifter

Wednesday 28 July – Ster Kinekor Musgrave
Modern Collective, 18:00
Cancer To Capricorn
The Present, 20:00

Thursday 29 July – Ster Kinekor Musgrave
Quest For Fear, 18:00
Still Filthy
Sea Of Darkness, 20:00

Friday 30 July – Ster Kinekor Musgrave
Gum For My Boat, 18:00
Fibreglass & Megapixels
Cancer To Capricorn, 20:00
Dear & Yonder

Winter is at its zenith and that means only one thing: Quiksnow. Africa’s premier snowboarding contest is gearing up to throw down at a new location that will have more rails, bigger kickers and easier access than previous events. Presented by Resolution, the contest will run from August 1 – 4 and is hosted for the first time by Afriski in the heart of the Maluti Mountains, a mere five hour drive from Johannesburg and six hours from Durban (on tarred roads all the way). Another first will be the presence of Bag Jump, a device to safely attempt new moves without the risk of serious injury. Similar in concept to the foampits used by FMX and skateboard pros, riders will have the opportunity to perfect their most dangerous tricks before taking them onto the snow.

DC Shoes will be getting involved for the first time with a Rail Jam happening on one of the evenings. A free ride format rewarding creativity as opposed to a formal scoring format which penalises falling, riders will be rewarded with prizes ranging from snow gear and footwear to boards for the best showing of the evening.

After a one year hiatus Quiksnow is returning with a vengeance. A park with more rails than you can imagine and kickers ranging from the 3 – 20 m range are prepped and ready for South Africa’s best to show what they are capable of. This will also be the first year that the Snowboarding championships have been run independently of the ski championships, which is a big vote of confidence for the fledgling sport. “We feel that the momentum Quiksnow has built up over the last few years has reached the point where the event can run on its own steam, not only in terms of media and sponsors but in terms of riders and riding level,” said Quiksilver marketing manager Dane Patterson. “The fact that the resort is fully booked is a testament to just how much Quiksnow has grown.”

Quiksilver team rider Kat Maponyane midway through a frontside tailslide at the last Quiknow event.

A dedicated team has spent weeks prepping the course, ensuring a run as outstanding as humanly possible. “We want riders of all levels to have a good time,” commented Ollie Schwankhart, the event organiser and SA Snowsports Association representative, “But we also want to push the level of riding and build on the development and growth we’ve experienced every year. Our top guys need to have the facilities to prepare them for an international level of competition. A big part of that is creating top quality rails and kickers that will push the riders to the edge of what they can do.”

That edge may be significantly beyond passed events, with a number of the top riders showing significant progression garnered from travelling to Europe and the US over the domestic off season. The recently held Kings Cup was marked by an intense clash between Marcin Jekot and Rueben Storbeck in the mens division. Marcin is probably the most competitively successful snowboarder in South Africa, but consecutive years riding and working in the resorts of North America have helped Rueben close the gap. Storbeck took top honors at King’s Cup with a number of spins including a text book Backside 5 (a 540º rotation where the rider is unable to see his landing and must do so “blind”). Marcin’s younger sister and fellow champion Marta Jekot is likely to continue her stranglehold on the Woman’s Division and spectators will be looking to see if any challengers can end her domination of the Roxy Slopestyle and Slalom events.
Dark horses in the Mens Division include Kat Maponyane and Matt Amoretti, two of the younger, hungrier riders eager to earn the accolade of best in the country. Quiksilver team rider Maponyane, son of former football star Marks Maponyane, has said, “I’ve been to Quiksnow three times and was checking out the park earlier this week. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it looking this good. There’s a lot of chatter amongst the riders about how stoked they are.” Either competitor has the skill to top the podium in Slopestyle.
Quiksnow 2010 is about speed and style, with two divisions: Giant Slalom and Slopestyle. Giant slalom involves getting down the mountain along a predetermined course as fast as possible and is a thrilling race against the clock. Slopestyle is more interpretive. Each contestant must navigate a series of kickers, rails and obstacles, utilizing the course to showcase their skill, style, and control. Both divisions guarantee thrills and spills, with presenting sponsor Resolution putting R1000 in cash in the hands of the rider deemed to have taken the worst slam of the event.

It’s going to be glory, fun and chaos in the mountains in August, and all of it will broadcast on an upcoming episode of Boardriders TV on SuperSport.

Kelly Slater attended for a signing, along with some of the best surfers in the world from the Quiksilver international surf team. Dane Reynolds (USA), Fred Patacchia (Hawaii), Jeremy Flores (France) and local surfer Travis Logie from Durban will join the best surfer in the history of the sport for an evening of autograph signing at Quiksilver’s mega store in J-Bay.

Quiksilver is offering an unreal sale countrywide starting 12 July 2010. At all stores in South Africa you will be able to get insane product at reduced prices. Boardshorts, walkshorts, hoodies, tees, footwear and more – up to 50% off. There is also a wide selection of surfboards, wetsuits and surf accessories reduced with up to 30% off.

To find out where your closest Quiksilver store is merely go to the store listing under the ‘stores’ tab on the website and choose your region (www.quiksilver.co.za).

See you in the store.

Kelly Slater To Head A Star-Studded Signing at the Quiksilver Mega Store, J-Bay.

Jeffrey’s Bay – Nine times ASP world champion Kelly Slater will be in attendance for a signing, along with some of the best surfers in the world from the Quiksilver international surf team. Dane Reynolds (USA), Fred Patacchia (Hawaii), Jeremy Flores (France) and local surfer Travis Logie from Durban will join the best surfer in the history of the sport for an evening of autograph signing at Quiksilver’s mega store in J-Bay.

Kelly Slater

While Kelly needs no introduction as the nine-time world champion, team mate Dane Reynolds has risen to the top of the sport for his outrageous new school competitive surfing and is the current favourite surfer of groms the world over. Fred Pattachia or ‘Freddy P’ as he is affectionately known, is a perennial stand-out at World Tour events and is always a surfer to watch on his backhand at Supertubes, Jeffrey’s Bay. Jeremy Flores was a child wonder who has transformed into an explosive and focused professional surfer with some massive signature moves, while Travis Logie must be one of the quickest professional surfers to ever stand on a board. Travis is one of the most accomplished South African professional surfers and also enjoys incredible popularity when at home as a result of his easy-going and friendly nature, as well as great coverage in South Africa surf and mainstream media.

Kelly Slater has his mind set on a 10th world title, and at this stage of the game is leading the rankings coming into the Billabong Pro. A victory in Jeffrey’s Bay will see him solidify that lead and put him within grasp of this unprecedented world title. Kelly Slater’s place in the history annals of professional surfing is assured, but there is a very real possibility that should he secure his 10th title he might not be back next year, which means that this could be one of the last times to meet him in person and get his signature.

There will be signed posters and sticker giveaways on the night, as well as 50% off all clothing, accessories and footwear in the store. There will be a skate demo by some of the region’s top skaters in the skate bowl that resides inside the store, and there will also be top shapers shaping new surfboards in the store’s dedicated indoor shaping bay.

The signing is set for Saturday 17 July at 18:00 at the Quiksilver Mega Store in the Fountains Mall, Jeffrey’s Bay.