Big wave surfing

apart of the surfing community, this saying speaks to a man who exuded bravery, courage, selflessness and sacrifice. It is a call to action, to push yourself out of your comfort zone and to do the right thing no matter what. Most importantly, these three words are a way of honoring the late and great Eddie Aikau. To understand the legend of Eddie Aikau, one must first understand the Hawaii that Eddie was born into. Born on May 4th, 1946 as Edward Ryon Makuahani Aikau in Kahului, Maui, he was the middle child of the six Aikau kids. The Aikaus were prominent among the Native Hawaiian community. They were a direct descendent…

Chris Burkard, Outdoor and sports photographer: Chris Burkard became known for his epic surfing photo’s at age 19, where he worked in his hometown of California. Living in his car he would photograph surfers during the day and try and make a sale on the beach to the athletes that same afternoon. Chris is 31 years of age and a creative entrepreneur, he worked as an intern during 2006 for surfing magazines and he got educated on the workings of editorial publication. The outdoors was…

sport of riding a wave toward the shore standing or lying on a surfboard. Surfing is one of the oldest sports on the planet. It is known that during the 15th century, kings, queens and people of the Hawaiian islands were big into the sport of wave-sliding. The first surfers were fishermen who discovered riding waves as an efficient method of getting to shore with their catch. Surfing is also one of the few sports that has its own culture and lifestyle. That's what makes it so special! Surfing…

choices when it comes to surfing spots. The city’s beautiful coves and beaches are accompanied by excellent surfing sites. Here is a list of top areas that offer challenging and enjoying San Diego surfing experience. Oceanside: Those looking for a quaint and laidback setting should check out the surfing spots in Oceanside. The area has miles of excellent harbor side with surfing spots. Because the steepest southern parts of the coast have good waves, many excellent and advanced surfers often…

Eddie would go. This is a statement known around the surfing world and encompasses big wave surfing. Eddie Aikau developed a reputation of being one of the best big wave surfers in the world. Sadly, Eddie lost his life in 1978 when a canoe he was traveling in capsized and he paddled off into the open ocean for help. He was never seen again but his memory lives on through one of the biggest surfing competitions in the world now known as The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau. Eddie Aikau will…

Surfboard design has always been a very personal thing. Shapers tend to be surfers themselves, and board design is as much an engineering feat as it is a love for surfing. Professional surfers work closely with shapers, as each surfer rides waves differently, and they know better than anyone how their surfboard needs to perform. Surfboards have evolved as surfers tackled new ‘liquid terrain’. Ancient Hawaiian surfboards In the early days of surfing in ancient Hawaii. Surfing was a deeply…

It was late June when we got out of school. It was our last day and I couldn’t wait to sleep in and chill on the beaches in southern Florida. Me and my family had planned to head down to Miami, Florida by tomorrow night, and I couldn’t wait. I went to Florida when I was little, and I remember boogie boarding across the small ocean waves. Most of my family members were excited for the weather, hot, not cold like it was here in Michigan. But I was excited for the hot sand between my toes and blue…

The inspiring story of Bethany Hamilton, a young champion surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack, has hit the big screen. The biographical movie, ‘Soul Surfer’, is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, was released on April 8 in 2011, starring Anna Sophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid and Carrie Underwood. Director Sean McNamara explains that ‘Soul Surfer’ is all about "the feisty unwavering attitude of a girl who never stopped believing in herself, her family or in the sheer…

of southern California. Many people know, it's a big aspect of our culture to go and spend time at the beach. But also its known for the vast majority of surfers here in the big blue Pacific ocean. So...me being a curious kid...I tried to go surf for the first time around the age of 8 and instantaneously I wanted to give up. As I watched more and more people surf, sitting on the beach just was not going to cut it for me... I knew I had to keep trying.Getting in the water was definitely a…

Surfing has grown exponentially over the past several decades and with it surf brands have exploded and surfing has become considerably more marketable. However, at one point in time, this did not seem like it would ever be possible. In the 1960’s there was a vast expansion of surf culture, but before that surfing was not seen as a popular activity. The counter-culture ways that were associated with the sport created a view that surfers were slackers and druggies as their time was largely spent…