Socks spot of the week - Kekoa

By Socks Clawtooth, Senior Furry Correspondent.

Another week, another chance to go exploring! This one's a new beach that found me, actually. But it's a fun out-of-the-way place if you want to hang out for a while.

Kekoa's LM puts you into a spot where the first thing you're offered is a beer. Already, I like the place. They have two unsynched pipes that overlap slightly, like a zipper. A technical break with a fluffy down the middle.

The rest of the area, however, is why I put
Kekoa in the spotlight. There's a lot of cool spots to hang out in scattered in the main island. So plenty of chances to find a nice, secluded place to hang out with that special someone. A little exploration and you'll find fishing out there too.


Kekoa has a feel of a private surf beach but it's open to the public. The surf might be shorter than some places, but I still maintain that it's the area that makes a surf beach fun. And here is no exception.

Useful links
SurfWatch: Sock's spot of the week - Nymphs Beach
SLURL: Kekoa
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Surfing calendar November 2008

Surfing competitions


VSA Surf Jam 8

Saturday 1 November 2008, 1200 hrs SLT (1900 hrs GMT)


Vibrations Surf Alliance (VSA) Surf Jam 8 takes place 12 noon SLT Saturday 1 November 2008 on Majini Island, Bishara Resorts. The competition will be run on Majini's Epic wave and open to any HG longboard. Open to VSA members only, first 20 entries. Spectators welcome.


Surfers contact: VW Sands


SLURL: Majini Island



SLSA Majinji Longboard Competition

Saturday 15 November 2008, 1100 hrs SLT (1800 hrs GMT)


November's Second Life Surfing Association's (SLSA's) surfing competition takes place at Majini Island's Epic break, instead Livestrong as announced in July. This competition takes place on Saturday 15 November at 11am SLT. Only SLSA surfers may compete. Open for all spectators.


Surfers contact: Ashleigh Dickins


SLURL: Majini Island



ABSSL Surf Circuit (4th stage)
Sunday 23 November 2008 1000 hours SLT (1400 hrs BRT)


The Associação Brasileira de Surf no Second Life (Brazilian Second Life Surfing Association) or ABSSL will hold the fourth event in its 2008 surfing event circuit on Sunday 23rd November at Neart.


Surfers contact: leogarto Burt


SLURL Neart



Surf City Open
Saturday 29 November 2008, 1100 hrs SLT (1800 hrs GMT)


Surf City hosts the Surf City Open at Surf City South beach on Saturday 29 November 2008 starting at 11am. The competition will take place on Surf City South's double pipleline break and board-choice is wide open.


Surfers contact: monq Pinklady


SLURL: Surf City South



Surfing lessons


Bishara Surf School (weekly)

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 1000-1300 hrs SLT (1700-2000 hrs GMT)


Established two years ago now, Bishara Surf School (on the East side of Majini Island) offers open surfing classes with a maximum of two students per instructor. One-on-one coaching can be arranged by appointment. Instructors include long-time SL surfing instructor Slave Lacey, Bishara Estates Manager VW Sands, Vibrations surf team captain Buffy Munro or Vibrations co-captain QUENCH Spotter. Lessons are free, donations to the sim appreciated.


Surfers contact: Slave Lacey, VW Sands, Buffy Munro or QUENCH Spotter


SLURL: Majini Island


Judge/Marshall Masterclass
& Competition Surfing Masterclass
Sunday 23 November 2008 1000-1300 hrs SLT (1700-2000 hrs GMT)


Ever wondered exactly how SLSA competition judging works? Want to get involved in running Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) competitions? Or perhaps want to win one of those competitions? The SLSA will hold a masterclass training event on Sunday 23 November between 1000 hrs - 1300 hrs.

Competition Judge Masterclass
Sally
LaSalle will train 6 people at 10am, 11am & 12 noon SLT

Competition Marshall Masterclass
Tauri Tigerpaw will
train 6 people at 10am, 11am & 12 noon SLT

Competition Surfing Masterclass
VW Sands
will train 6 people at 10am, 11am & 12 noon SLT

The training sessions will take place at Chi Island and involve mock competition heats with live surfing, marshalling and judging. Each training session will consist of 20 minutes lecture, 20 minutes of practice and 20 minutes of debriefing to help prepare participants to take part in Second Life surfing competitions.

Surfers contact: Tauri Tigerpaw


SLURL: Chi Island

Updated 30 October 2008

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Sock's spot of the week - Nymphs Beach

By Socks Clawtooth, Senior Furry Correspondent.

After talking with some people, apparently I've got the 'privateer' reputation down now. It's to the point that I've been told that the surf doesn't exist 'till I find it. Well, yeah, I spend a lot of time on Second Life looking for new breaks and new places to go, but come on... I can't have found them all!

I wrote the Rough Guide list as a live document, but even then I only put out an update every three months. A lot of cool places pop up in the meanwhile, and I'd like to share them before the guide updates again. So this isn't a full fledged review of a surfing location. Think of it as a postcard from the grid. A cool surf spot that deserves a little highlighting. Some of these will be 'old' places that are well underloved, some you can still get the new wave smell from the break. But either way, it's a fun place that makes a fun change of pace from your favorite sim.
So this week, I want to kick things off with an underloved sim that's been around a long time, Nymphs Beach.

I've known
Nymphs Beach for a long time, but every time I go nobody else seems to be there. It's a shame too, it's a spectacular surf area. Loaners are on the beach for new people, but no stores, no groups, just the waves. And at night there's a spectacular bonfire on the West side of the sim. In fact, this was the first place I'd ever been on a shortboard in Second Life, as a loaner.


The break runs diagonally, to get the most distance out of the pipe and fluffy. The pipes are also unsynched, so you can play around on them as they come to shore. Very much a no-nonsense surf sim. It's got a nice feel to it, quiet. If you need to practice your riding technique, this is a great place to do it and be left pretty much to your own devices. The area is also spectacular to hang out in too. A great retreat into the woods, some exploring will reward you with a nice waterfall, as well as a few other nice places. Oh, and the sim is still near Helio and Black River Harbor, so don't be afraid to look around there too.

Useful links
SurfWatch: Sock's Rough Guide to Second Life Surfing (July)

SurfWatch Surf Reports: Black River Harbor: surfing serenity (20 Mar 08)

SLURL:
Nymphs Beach
SLURL: Heliopolis
SLURL: Black River Harbor
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Wilfrid widens his lead

Ranked just 18th at the end of the Second Life Surfing Association's 2008 Season I, Wilfrid DeCuir's first place at the Chi Shortboard Pro is now his second win in the Season II competition calendar. Wilfrid started Season II with a big win at Boneyard, but only secured 5th place at the next SLSA event at Morant Cays in September. However, his Chi win and the 1,000 points that comes with it has certainly helped consolidate his lead in the SLSA competition rankings.

Meanwhile, whilst Desirae Beaumont retains her second place in the SLSA rankings, there has been some movement in the rest of the table. Express Zenovka has jumped six places from 9th to take the number three position in the table. QUENCH Spotter has moved down from 3rd place to 4th place and Bobbi Laval has moved down from 4th place to 5th place in the Season II rankings.

The SLSA announced the post-Chi Surfboard Pro surf team table results on Sunday, with Team Tsunami rising up two places and knocking Reef Riders off from the top of the table. Reef Riders are now second place in the team table, with Vibrations Surf Team coming in third.

Useful links
SurfWatch Results: Chi Shortboard Pro Results
SurfWatch: Top surfers vie for Chi title (17 Oct 08)
SurfWatch: Registrations open for Chi Island event (11 Oct 08)
SurfWatch: SLSA 2008 Season II surf breaks announced (30 Jul 08)
SurfWatch Surf Reports: Chi, unique surf breaks with a touch of Zen
URL: SLSA 2008 Season II Rankings
URL: SLSA Team Table (SLSA Forum)
SLURL: Chi Island
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LIVE RESULTS -- Chi Shortboard Pro

11.00am SLT 18 October 2008 -- SurfWatch is reporting live from SLSA SLSA Chi Shortboard Pro 2008 surfing competition at Chi Island. The competition starts at 11am SLT.

SEE LIVE RESULTS NOW


SurfWatch Results is also available on the mobile (cellular) Internet via SurfWatch Mobile

Update 6.30pm 18 October 2008 -- Final results for the Chi Shortboard Pro 2008 now posted. Just click the Live Results link above to view them.

Useful links

SurfWatch Results: HEAT DRAW - Chi Shortboard Pro
SurfWatch: Top surfers vie for Chi title (17 Oct 08)
SurfWatch: Registrations open for Chi Island event (11 Oct 08)
SurfWatch: SLSA 2008 Season II surf breaks announced (30 Jul 08)
SurfWatch Surf Reports: Chi, unique surf breaks with a touch of Zen
SLURL: Chi Shortboard Pro spectator stands
SLURL: Chi Island (surfers only)
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Top surfers vie for Chi title

Second Life's top surfers are getting ready for the Second Life Surfing Association's (SLSA) third surfing competition of the 2008 Season II the Chi Shortboard Pro 2008, which takes place on Saturday 18 October. However, just who are Second Life's top surfers? As the SLSA surfs well into its second year of competitions, picking winners has never been more difficult. We took a look at the top ten ranked surfers in 2007 and 2008 seasons and tried to make a little more sense of the line-up.

Veterans
Veteran surfers Bobbi Laval, Colleen Brennan, Cipriano Grut, Craig Stallion, Christine Daffodil and last 2008 Season II Pova Rustamova (see pic right) have all registered for Chi. Only Pova and Colleen have made it to the winners podium this year, but Bobbi has surfed well in Season I and is well placed to breakthrough at Chi.

Surfer - Rank (Season)

Bobbi Laval - 9th (2007), 10th (2008 SI), 4th (2008 SII)
Pova Rustamova - 14th (2007), 1st (2008 SI), 6th (2008 SII)
Colleen Brennan - 4th (2007), 3rd (2008 SI), 19th (2008 SII)
Cipriano Grut - 19th (2007), 15th (2008 SI), 8th (2008 SII)
Craig Stallion - 3rd (2007), 8th (2008 SI)
Christine Daffodil - 10th (2007), 7th (2008 SI)

First Season Talent
Meanwhile, Desirae Beaumont (see pic left), QUENCH Spotter, VW Sands and Abel Halderman have all made names for themselves this year. Desirae took 2nd place at Surfline, 1st at EL Corazon and 2nd at Boneyard. Quench surfed to 1st place at Neart earlier this year and managed to secure a first at the last SLSA competition at Morant Cays. The top spot on the podium has so far eluded VW Sands, but he has come close with a 2nd at Neart and a 3rd at Boneyard. Abel has just one podium finish under his belt, but it was right on top at Surfline. Desirae has surfed consistently well since hitting her stride halfway through 2008 Season I and is a strong contender for the 1st prize on Saturday.

Surfer - Rank (Season)
Desirae Beaumont - 2nd (2008 SI), 2nd (2008 SII)
QUENCH Spotter - 11th (2008 SI), 3rd (2008 SII)
VW Sands - 6th (2008 SI), 12th (2008 SII)
Abel Halderman - 5th (2008 SI), 20th (2008 SII)

Surfers to watch out for
Wildrid DeCuir (see pic right), Crusader Arado, Fungus Kamachi, Express Zenovka and Carolin Gausman all shredded well during 2008 Season I and have managed to significantly upped their performance for Season II. Wilfrid DeCuir's biggest hurdle last season was taking part in enough competitions, only making it to Surfline and El Corazon, but coming 4th and 7th at those respectively. Now Wil is ranked number one in Season II after a first place at Boneyard and a 5th at Morant Cays. The other up and coming surfers have improved significantly over the past few months and are all now in a position to threaten more established competition surfers.

Surfer - Rank (Season)
Wildrid DeCuir - 18th (2008 SI), 1st (2008 SII)
Crusader Arado - 22nd (2008 SI), 5th (2008 SII)
Fungus Kamachi - 49th (2008 SI), 7th (2008 SII)
Express Zenovka - 29th (2008 SI), 9th (2008 SII)
Carolin Gausman - 13th (2008 SI), 10th (2008 SII)

The SLSA Chi Shortboard Pro 2008 starts at 1100 hrs SLT (1800 hrs GMT) Saturday 18 October 2008 at at Chi Island.

Heat draws now posted on SurfWatch Results.

Useful links
SurfWatch Results: HEAT DRAW - Chi Shortboard Pro
SurfWatch: Registrations open for Chi Island event (11 Oct 08)
SurfWatch: SLSA 2008 Season II surf breaks announced (30 Jul 08)
SurfWatch Surf Reports: Chi, unique surf breaks with a touch of Zen
URL: SLSA
URL: SLSA Forum
SLURL: Chi Shortboard Pro spectator stands
SLURL: Chi Island (surfers only)
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One Track Mind debuts on Facebook

One Track Mind, the newest film from Chris Malloy and surf film house Woodshed Films will premiere on Facebook, the world’s largest online social network, for 48 hours straight starting on Thursday, 16 October 2008. The movie will be the first to be introduced via the 'Film on Facebook' project.

Shot on location in Mexico, Indonesia, Micronesia, Australia and Southern California, One Track Mind explores the mindset behind what it takes to be one of the best surfers in the world. The movie features world champions Kelly Slater, Tom Curren and an all-star cast that includes Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, Dane Reynolds, Joel Parkinson, Sunny Garcia, Mark Occhilupo and Wayne Bartholomew. The cast also up-and-comers, such as Jordy Smith, Kolohoe Andino and Julian Wilson.

The film will be broadcast on Facebook through the Kyte digital media platform and Chris and crew are celebrating the release by inviting fans to participate in a live chat on the One Track Mind Kyte channel, which will begin at 5:30 pm Pacific time on October 16th. Kelly Slater and Tom Curren and other featured surfers from the film such as super grom Kalohoe Andino, along with Brushfire Records recording artist Matt Costa, will join Chris in discussing the film from Patagonia’s headquarters in California before the film airs.

Patagonia, the environmental clothing manufacturer and Etnies, the action-sports footwear and apparel company, will co-sponsor the premiere with Surfing Magazine and Wetsand.com as promotional sponsors. People that want to watch are encouraged to RSVP on Facebook.com/film in advance. To view the film, just type in www.facebook.com/film, then click on the One Track Mind Kyte channel. Anyone can view the film at facebook.com/film and share it with their friends.

Useful links
URL: Film on Facebook
URL: Surfing Magazine interview with Chris Malloy (audio + slides)
URL: One Track Mind trailer (video)
URL: Woodshed Films
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Registrations open for Chi Island event


The Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) opened registrations for its third surfing competition of the 2008 Season II, the Chi Shortboard Pro 2008, which takes place on Saturday 18 October.

"I'm very happy and excited to have the SLSA return to Chi after more than a year," said Sally LaSalle, SLSA director and owner of Chi Island. "I look forward to everyone having a fun day 'surfing the old fashioned way'."

One of Second Life's first surfing spots and the venue for the first ever Second Life surfing competition (the Namiko Pro in March 2007), Chi has a unique surf break that is sure to challenge surfers next Saturday. One of the shortest pipeline breaks in Second Life, pipeline and fluffies break for about 100 yards into the bay in the Northwest corner of Chi Island. The pipeline break is just one section across and runs very close to the shore line on both sides of the bay leaving little room for error and plenty of opportunities for surfers to end up grounded if they overshoot the end of the wave.

With the postponing of October's VSA Surf Jam and
ABSSL (Associação Brasileira de Surf no Second Life) surfing competitions and the cancellation of the TCH Surfers Open, the SLSA Chi Shortboard Pro may be the only surfing event to take place until November.

A new spectator sim called Tai is expected to open next to Chi on Friday 17 October.

Useful links
SurfWatch: SLSA 2008 Season II surf breaks announced (30 Jul 08)
SurfWatch Surf Reports: Chi, unique surf breaks with a touch of Zen
URL: SLSA
URL: SLSA Forum
SLULR: Chi Island
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Heliopolis latest victim of economics.

Heliopolis and Black River Harbor sims may soon disappear from Second Life.

By Ashleigh Dickins
.

A storm moves in over Heliopolis' double pipe break

As much as many people like to keep the real world and Second Life separate, sometimes one can't help but effect the other. Now, as the stock markets plunge and global economics spiral out of control, Surfwatch has learned that classic surf spot Heliopolis and it's sister sim Black River Harbor in Helio Estates are up on the proverbial chopping block and the real estate is to be sold.

"I did not expect to need to do this," said the owner of Helio Estates, Carenahh Kuu, who told SurfWatch that the sale of the sims has come about due to unexpected real life expenses. Helio Estates closed and sold its Monkeh Barrel surf sim earlier this year due to economic pressures.

Black River Harbor in the morning

Just last month Surfwatch reported on the seemingly forced sale of TCH Enterprises and most of the estate sims. Now it seems that Heliopolis and Black River Harbor could be just closures in a long line of sim closings affecting the surf community. Earlier this year the community was saddened to see the disappearance of the Surfline and more recently Livestrong sims. In fact, there have been at least 7 or 8 surf sim closures during the past three months.

It is common knowledge that many sim owners in Second Life are facing economic challenges and there are questions on everyone's minds, as owners scramble to find ways to keep their sims going in difficult times. "I do hate giving it up," Carenahh told Surfwatch, "I love Heliopolis."

All this leaves Second Life's surfing community hoping for the best and wondering which sim will be the next to fall.

Useful Links:
Surfwatch: TCH Estates For Sale On Ebay (26 Sep 08)
Surfwatch: TCH Headed For Watery Grave (24 Sep 08)
Surfwatch: Surfline Shuts Down (28 Jun 08)
SurfWatch Surf Reports: Black River Harbor: surfing serenity (20 Mar 08)
SurfWatch Surf Reports: Monkeh Barrel Takes No Prisoners (22 Feb 08)
SLURL: Heliopolis
SLURL: Black River Harbor
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