Surf Fest 09

Surf Fest 09 at the new Pacific Coast Hwy sim was a howling success, with a packed beach on hand to hear speakers Leogarto Burt and VW Sands, the tribute band, Def Leopard, and participate in a host of other activities.



Leogarto Burt, head of the Brazilian Surf Association and creator of several wave lines in Second Life, opened the event with a lecture:

Good morning to all present. I'm very pleased and proud to stand here today before the elite of the surfing world to talk a bit about surfing, its history of evolution, and look into the future showing a little of what is being prepared to make the surf in the virtual world of Second Life experience increasingly exciting.


When entering SL, in mid-2007, I found myself facing a very exciting experience. Of course, after seeing something of the game and struggling like any new avatar, I had the pleasure of meeting the defunct Kahuna Beach, where I had the first contact with the surf in SL and I was dazzled.


It did not take long to realize that this was my world, and soon after began to draft my first products, clothes for my own use, which led me to open my first store, the Vibrations Surf Shop, based in Kahuna. Thereafter, I devoted countless hours of study and work to learn what SL can offer, and learn all the tools, which now helps me in the creation of new products and technologies.


With great difficulty, mainly because the language to communicate with other avatars and the drafting of scripts, I created my first surfboard using the sculpted shape that was still a novelty in SL. This was the start of my contribution to the evolution of surfing in SL and introducing the concept of using sculpted in waves, with the release of Teahupo Waves, which consisted of 3 blocks each with 3 sculpteds States. It was something never seen but a made headlines because it had serious problems of synchronization between the blocks.

Further studies led to the introduction of perhaps the greatest developments in the waves of late, with the use of mega prims, initially used the clear physical and wave and soon after was transported to the sculpted, which not only solved the sync problems and made the waves look much more beautiful and pleasant. Later in 2008, I launched the Sunset Waves, which are still used in many beaches scattered throughout SL, bringing a lot of fun and satisfaction to users. But the waves still seemed very still and I had the idea of using multiple sculpteds changed by a timer, giving a sense of movement never before imagined and that together with a number of new ideas were the basis for the release of Jaws Waves, currently considered by many the best waves in SL today.


The Jaws is a wave of extreme complexity, are some 40 scripts, more than 30 different megaprims and 14 sculpteds, which work seamlessly interconnected. These numbers should be multiplied by three, considering that the wave height varies during the series, 7.5m, 10m and 15m. Sound, particles, textures and lighting are used to make it more real.


Also with the Jaws came a new configuration of the transparent and wave physics, which has always been limited to a portion of a cylinder. Jaws in this wave is shaped using various megaprims in order to monitor the wave shape and sculpted to reduce the distance between the surfer and the wave surface, not allowing the surf to occur away from the wave, or worse, to feel like the surfer is flying against the laws of physics.


Other important factors are searching for a perfect timing, regardless of the direction of displacement of the wave, reducing the time to script, ease of installation, customer service and after-sales, which make the waves HP REFERECE international. Some of these innovations are now being used by other manufacturers of traditional waves and should guide their actions in this direction in the medium term.


Now what to expect from HP for the future? For certain I can say that we are committed to reaching a level of more and more high quality and technology, with innovations to ensure the situation continues. Without further ado, I invite you all to know the project of the new wave of HP, named Teahuppo Waves 2, after the first wave sculpted SL. With a completely new design and temporarily using the Jaws as the chassis, the new string of new sculpteds Teahupoo has the intention to extend the wave, going even against reality.


I should like everyone to look at on the stage where they can get an idea of what will be the Waves Teahupoo 2, which is being worked on in the coming days and will shortly be available in the testing phase in HP Surf Point (Crab Island). Good people, I can only thank everyone's attention on this unique opportunity for the community of Brazilian surfers, who are certainly proud of Brazil's participation in the international surf scene.


Special thanks to Mick and Revlon, which gave me the opportunity to speak to you today about my history and HP High Performance Waves for your surfing pleasure. A big hug to all who have helped me in this quest all these years. ALOHA, ALOHA, ALOHA


Next speaker was VW Sands, owner of Mori/Tuli and founder of Vibrations Surf Alliance:


Afternoon Surfers, please join me in a moment of silence for one of my dearest friends and a fellow surfer that has left us. Cip, we will miss you, mate, and ask that you save a spot in the line-up for us all. May all your days bring overhead waves,warm campfires and white sands. Rest easy brother.


Firstly I think we should all give it up for Mick and Rev for having us over today - Thank you. When Mick and Rev asked me to speak today I was excited about having the chance. SL surfing is alive and well and with more new products and developers than ever before fun times are certainly ahead.


People ask me all the time my thoughts on SL surfing and where I think it may be headed. From the looks of Leo's new wave, no place but up!!! In any case, my first counter-question is always, Competive surfing or soul surfing?


Just as in RL, the competitive surfing circuit is about sponsers, contracts and results.It becomes real easy for us to lose our perspective. Some see the rankings as a measure of who is best which has nothing at all to do with who is having the most fun. Some question the officials, bitch about re-rides they don´t get, expect perfect conditions on every ride and so on. The "ranks" ( for some ) become more important than having fun. Plain and simple. I wish we could get back to what the surf comps used to be like and maybe we can. I sure hope so anyway :-)


Having said that, never have I had more fun than I now have just bouncing around the beaches and surfing with friends."Soul Surfing" is more fun than ever before. New waves, new beaches and new riders make SL surfing and the entire scene an ever evolving, ever growing community that I am glad to be a part of. Even though we have lost a buch of cool breaks, new ones are being designed all the time.


The SL surf community is filled with passionate people. It always has been really. We are friends spending time together having never have met (in most cases). We all have our favourite beaches, best boards, waves we prefer and so on but collectively and even though we fight now and again, we are all happiest in the water.


I guess my message today is one of "perspective" I really believe that if we, both as individuals and as a collective, would just take a second to ponder what it is we all really love about SL and about SL surfing and add a healthy dose of respect, we would find that the common denominator is almost always each other. It´s us that makes SL great.


So where is SL surfing headed? Back to the roots in contest surfing (more fun, less BS) and more "soul surfing" to keep us all balanced and with a healthy perspective would be a great direction to strive for in my opinion.


Thank you all so much for coming out to PCH and the Surf Festival 09. Please visit all the kiosks up on the hill, grab LM´s, visit the vendors at their home beaches and applaud each other!! Mahalo!


The results of the Surfboard Art Contest:

1st place, 33 votes: Shark Attack - Angelle Aluveau
2nd place, 31 votes and most humorous: Old Surfergirl - Aldo Courtois
3rd place, 24 votes: Gia Cola - Gia Melody


Most original - Red Spiral - Ronan Roxley
Best Traditional - Sands Classic - VW Sands
Best Use of Known Celebrity - EC=MC2 - 007 Goldshark
Best Flames - Velocity - Yendor Destiny
Best Creative Use of Asian Symbol - Connie's Yin Yang - Countess Decosta
Best Use of Original Prim - My Board - Minka Pearl

Other entries included:
Orca Tribal - Dizzy Dee Waverider
Monkey Cove Day of the Dead - Syx Toshi
Sea Horse - Kohana Schimmer
The Mermaid Custom - Nash Laville
Jellyfish - Sienna Velinov
5.2 Pinstripe - Kimmy Jigsaw
Follo's Tiger Dragon - Folllowingwaves Sirbu
Jack Surf Woody - Aurora Jacks

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