Forever Summer Surf Festival Wraps Up

pictures courtesy of Mick Lunasea, Abel Halderman and Lissa Pinion


What happens when you get people who love surfing and want to spread that stoke to others? That's right! Forever Summer Surf Festival! Revlon Benoir and Mick Lunasea hosted a week long surf festival with booths, vendors, games, contests, entertainment, demos, and the best festival food around!

Wrapping up the week was the sweet new HP5 board demo by HP's Leogarto Burt, a surf safari style mini comp sponsored by Vibrations, an awesome photo contest sponsored by Syx Toshi of Monkey Cove, the amazing cover band The Beach Boys, a booth exhibition contest, two great speakers from the surf community (Sally LaSalle and Sebastian Saramago), and a smoking hot Fashion Show! Holy moly is right! Keep reading for scores and pictures.


Vibrations Surf Alliance Surf Safari Mini Comp Winners...1st place: Maryann Maa and oldsurferdude Danitz, 2nd place: Kim Henig, 3rd place: Maxwell Silvansky

The BEACH BOYS Live!

Livia Nayar's Dreaming took 1st Place in the Photo Contest
Syx Toshi's Surf Shop 6 took 1st Place in Booth Exhibition




Fashion Show models walked the catwalk showing off some of the hottest surf wear designers in SecondLife

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Surf Fest 2010 Featuring Sebastian Saramago

Sunday, June 27, 2010, Sebastian Saramago was asked to be a special guest speaker at Surf Fest 2010. Following is a posting of his talk:
Hello all three of you and thanks for coming out today. I promised someone I would try not to make this the same old boarding lecture, so I got completely wasted before hand. Just kidding...Thalia would kill me for sure. Love ya, hun. I apologize ahead of time for any typos. I did not have time for Thalia to proof read it!


So, today''s topic is (deep echoing voice) “The FUTURE of SURFING TECHNOLOGY” Or some such. What does that really mean to us in Second Life? Its means a few things to me.

The first and probably most talked about is using the latest techniques and tools to develop the best surfboards and waves possible in Second Life. That is a tall order and one we always keep in mind when planing the next phase of development. On our part, the importance will be in committing the time and resources to achieve this. We have taken steps in the last few weeks to free up the bottlenecks and start updates and production flowing again. It's all about team work.

The Second thing I would like to focus on is the future of the community in SL surfing. This is not talking about enough as I see it. Bring in new people to the fun of surfing is not only a good time had in the afternoon, meeting new friends, but its also vital to bringing the money into the sims that host the waves we love to surf. I have some ideas on how to do this. They might seem a little corny, but I think it will be fun. I will share one as an example.

Myself or a volunteer or paid surfer to stand in areas like welcome area, concerts and other events they attend and promote surfing. They way they would do this is a bit cheesy, but might be effective. The av will have a surfboard attached in a pose like holding the board upright kinda leaning on it. They need to be dressed in surf gear and look hot (lol).  No noob avs. The board texture will be a sign that says something like, "Want to try surfing waves? IM me for a free surfboard!"   Then when they click the surfboard they receive a note card with this message. "Get your first lesson today at one of the many beaches. Join a community of down to earth people who just love music, waves and having a great time!"

There are people who volunteer to teach surfing now, so perhaps some would like to take shifts teaching people to surf. Thalia and I will be testing this out in the next week.  We will have a kit that can be handed out to volunteers or surf instructors that will be used to market to new surfers.  Included will be a set of surfboards to be given to new surfers. 

Third is what I already mentioned briefly. Support of the sims that host the wave we love to surf on. Really, without them, we don't ride. When we started Surf Systems Inc in 2005, we knew that there would be an issue with people who could give up enough land to dedicate to water. This is no easy choice for a sim owner who wants to decorate or bring in profit. People who love the water as we do and desire a surf beach do so at a sacrifice of usable space for commerce. To offset this, our plan was to work out a system to give back sales to the owners. The first phase was the spit in profit, then the subsequent increase in profit to the surfboard sellers. We have plans in the new feature to take this a step further by allowing the community to share in more products soon to be released by SSi with far greater profits to the resalers.

I really appreciate the opportunity to let me get up here and blab away again. I really do love this a lot, and it's only you who enable my habit. Thanks for that. Mahalo.
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Surf Fest 2010 Featuring Sally LaSalle

photo courtesy Bobbi Laval



Saturday, June 26, 2010, Sally LaSalle was asked to be a special guest speaker at Surf Fest 2010. Following is a posting of her talk:


Hi, I am Sally LaSalle.  Mick and Revy asked me to give a short talk today on supporting your surfing community, so here I am.  This won’t be a talk about me and what I have done, it won’t be a talk about the SLSA, it won’t be a talk about judging or voting machines, this is a talk about *YOU*, the SL community.
So ….

The world turns, the seasons change, off-shore may be two hundred miles away, a storm whips up winds, and those winds make ripples on the ocean’s surface.  Those ripples grow and combine, and two hundred miles later, they swell and rise and curl and crash against the shore.  Standing on the shore at first staring out across the green blue ocean, men and women leaning on their boards gaze in wonder.  This confluence of air, water, and earth ignites a fire in the soul - all elements combine and “surf’s up!”

Paddling out what is to come is a mystery, how will that next wave rise and how high?  Will it run long and smooth or will it top over early?

Will I ride it all the way, or will I wipe out and get churned up with the sand as tons of water tumbles me like a rag doll in a washing machine?  And that sound!!  Standing on a beach hearing even a modest 6 foot swell breaking is like thunder, and the scent of salt in the air, and the feel of the water even in the shallows, dragging around your feet, urging you in.  Yes, I’m talking about real life.

And as you may imagine reading those words, the SL experience, while getting closer every year, is a long way away from reality. (Though reality is the goal of SL surfing developers old and new.)  So why support the *SecondLife* Surfing community?

SL to me has always been a place, literally, in which to ask “what if” questions. What if, I could catch that perfect wave, (while stuck in the middle of a desert)?  What if, I could nail that aerial loop holding the rail (without falling off the board)?  What if, I could sit on the beach with my brahs, telling tall stories and sharing the experience of that “perfect wave” (while stuck on the 30th floor of my apartment building)?   Well guess what? You Can! ... Here, in SL, the surfing community is a place for living that dream, for that Endless Summer of Perfect waves, dodging the sharks and huddled laughing with you mates on the beach afterwards.

“But wait!”, I hear you ask,” I’m not getting wet, I’m not wiping out, I’m not flying”?  No, you aren’t, but that’s where your avatar comes in.   Putting on your avatar should mean in your mind, you slip inside it and feel what it feels, put a little of your *soul* in there, a little of your *heart*, take a risk, catch a wave and transport yourself into the curl.  Ripping and carving on these SL waves, is sometimes criticized for being just “a bunch of finger tapping”, but those critics miss the point!  It’s way more than that!

To surf well in SL as in RL, you need to have a sense of timing, you need to have an understanding of the waves, you need to have developed your sense of balance and equilibrium, your kinesthetic sense, your directional sense, your choreographic sense.  In other words, to feel the waves in SL, there is a lot more going on in your brain than just pushing buttons!!

So yeah, if someone surfs well here, it’s not an accident.  Those folks have practiced their hearts out to develop and coordinate all those senses.  So try it out, be a part of it, feel it, enjoy it and have fun!!  Some folks are so competitively driven, and so focused on winning comps, that they forget to enjoy *the journey* and the mate-ship of their surfing buddies.   And it’s that mate-ship that can truly enrich your secondlife, the friendships and the companionships and the shared experience, that SL Surfing can give you.

And that’s why; you should join in and support the SL Surfing community. But what does “supporting” the SL Surfing Community mean?  The key words in there are “community” and “supporting”.  The word community derives from the Latin terms ‘cum’ (together) and ‘munus’ (gift). And it generally refers to a bunch of people that share a set of common values or circumstances that bind them together.

One thing the SL scripters will likely never simulate is the flat out exhilaration of riding a wave in RL. That is the secret glue that binds the RL surfing world together.  No matter what happens in RL, at the end of the day, you share that common experience, every surfers knows it, every surfer feels it, and it’s like “woah dude” something almost spiritual is going on.

So what’s *our* SL Surfing secret glue?  That’s where the second word comes in, *Supporting*, in RL surfing the word “stoking” is used, and translates roughly into “encouraging”, “feeding the flame”, “giving the good vibes” …. So supporting has nothing to do with cheerleading your team, it has nothing to do with giving money, it has nothing to do with volunteering for event jobs, it has nothing to do with winning!  It’s all about just encouraging your mates to have a good time and then sharing that good time with them. That is how we build a community in SL, and that is the kind of community that I’m sure you will agree, you would like to be a part of.

So, wax down your board, hop on and go catch a wave, but most of all, do it together!! Be that ripple in the storm, and combine with your fellow surfers to create a wave of good will that sweeps thru SL. Make sure you talk to and stoke one person you have never spoken to next time you go out to surf. Don’t just sit in the line-up waiting for your next wave, notice the surfers around you, talk to them, stoke them, watch them on *their* wave!!

And that is one area where SL clearly wins over RL!!, in RL we don’t have built in “cam-lock”, here in SL you get to watch all the way if you want to, up close and personal, and you get to experience each wave in the mind of your surfer mates. That’s what can make SL surfing a great experience for you and the community.  I really hope *you* do! And I Hope to share a wave with you all! Mahalo, Namaste, Shred it! And Party On Dudes!! Thank You.
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HP Kite Boarding

submitted by Luscious Starship


Leogarto Burt has outdone himself again! On June 19th at 1:00am SLT, I bought one of Leo's latest creations - the Kite Surfboard - at HP Surf Point. It's not quite a surfboard, windsurfer or simboard but is something in between and 100% pure fun!

When you buy a Kite Board, it might be a little intimidating because it seems like there are so many parts, but once you figure out that most of the parts are just decorartions, it's really not bad at all. The entire kite board package consists of 5 parts:
1.) The surfboard part which you "SURFAR" or Sit on,
2.) a picture of the surfboard (which you wear on your right foot),
3.) a harness,
4.) a parasail, and
5.) a helmet.

The only thing you really need to move around like you're on a kite board is part 1.) the surfboard. It's a bit strange, though, because when you right click on the board and select "SURFAR", the board disappears! When you stand up, it becomes visible again, so you won't lose it (plus it is copyable). I think the reason behind this is so that eventually Leo can offer a part 2.) the shoe that looks like a board as a MOD part for people to make their own designs for the boards without needing to make the operational board modifiable. The harness and parasail are very detailed and give you the illusion that the sail is "pulling" you when you move, though they are not required to be able to move the surfboard. The helmet if you're a girl *replaces* your hair which isn't particularly attractive, but it does lower the prim count on your av, so I guess the helmet could be considered a lag reduction item.

Now on to the fun part! Kite boarding takes all the fun parts of surfboarding and simboarding and puts them into an experience that is nothing short of pure joy. What's the most laborious part of surfing? Paddling out to the beginning of the wave, right? Well, on the kiteboard, you can "fly" to the beginning of the wave, and fly FAST! Plus you can even perform tricks mid air along the way!! The kite board, in fact, does not even require water or a wave to simply fly around with the kite! Unlike simboarding, control of the kiteboard isn't quite as demanding either.  If you just let go of the controls, you will stay perfectly still on the board and not move anywhere.  No need to constantly adjust to stay in place.

Control of the kiteboard is very similar to control of a surfboard using the arrow keys to control direction and PgUp/PgDn (also "E"/"C") to make your av lift or crouch respectively. Tricks can be performed by holding different keys at the same time. Holding PgUp/PgDn at the same time, for instance, makes you do 360 spins in a crouch position, and you can still move the arrow keys while you're spinning to control your direction! The other cool thing about kiteboarding is that, like windsurfing and sailing, holding the PgUp or "E" key down, you can move left and right and perform "tacking". Though when you are kiteboarding, it turns out the wind direction doesn't really matter, so you can basically fly through anywhere in any direction you like at maximum speed. You can also use the PgDn or "C" key in a similar way and instead of lifting your legs behind you, you will lift the board up to you in a crouch position, the difference being when you are in a crouched position, you can execute really sharp turns mid-air and perform crazy simboard-like turns and spins!

The way the board moves to simulate using the parachute to fly through the air and tilt you sideways and or upside down is truly spectacular. And when you consider the fact that the parachute is really just a piece of clothing (though it's also an animated piece of clothing because when you step off the board it lowers to the ground and depending on how it is pulling you, either one or both of your hands will be attached to it), it's mind boggling thinking about how Leo pulled it off! To top it off, the artwork on these boards *AND* parachutes is nothing short of phenomenal! You'll want them all!

Of course, the only way to experience the latest most thrilling development in the "Evolution" of SL surfing you'll need to GET a KiteSurf board and try it out! Visit HP Surf Point to see the full selection of AMAZING styles of this board and live your surfing dreams on the HP KiteSurf board!

*  Luscious will have a kiteboarding demo at Surf Fest 2010 at 1040 AM SLT Sunday, June 27!

*Additional pictures of Colleen Brennan and Luscious Starship KiteSurfing can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/luscious.starship/HPKiteBoarding?feat=directlink
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Surf Fest 2010 Featuring Tauri Tigerpaw


Friday, June 25, 2010, Tauri Tigerpaw was asked to be a special guest speaker at Surf Fest 2010.  Following is a posting of her talk:


Hi, I'm Tauri Tigerpaw, Editor-in-Chief of SurfWatch, Second Life (SL) surfing's breaking news blog, In-World Edition quarterly publication, merchandiser and video production. Thanks for coming out to Surf Fest 2010! WOOOOOOT!


When Revy (Revlon Benoir) first asked me to speak at Surf Fest, I polled some of my friends to see what kinds of topics they would be interested in hearing me talk about. Ya, I got the expected "sex!", "favorite positions!", and "best sex pose ball" - lol. But I also got some really good ideas, so I'll try to cover them briefly here tonight.


Barchan Paderborn started SurfWatch back in early 2008. He asked me to join about mid-year, initially to help with marketing. I got it in my head that it would be a great idea to document SL surfing history by the people that started it. People have a tendency to rewrite history, and I wanted to talk to and publish it from the horse's mouth.


I think my most challenging story that first year was talking to LL's Project Manager regarding Havoc4 and the impact it was having on the SL surfing community. I didn't quite understand the technicalities myself, so I'm sure it was a challenge for him explaining to me what happened. Go back and read that interview with Sidewinder Linden for an understanding of what happened during that period and the impact it had on SL surfing physics and other interactive SL sports like race cars, sailboats, etc.


Barc had a real focus on reporting live from the competitions, which is a huge undertaking. Socks Clawtooth and Abel Halderman assisted Barc with the live score reports that first year. Colleen Brennan and Ashleigh Dickins also joined the staff. SurfWatch had a total of 172 postings for 2008.


In 2009, I noticed the holiday posting had not changed for awhile, and I was afraid it was the end of SurfWatch. Barchan contacted me early that year and asked if I wanted to take it on. Few people realize the time commitment and effort that goes into keeping SurfWatch viable, and he just no longer had the time. To this point, I still had not learned how to actually post anything - I would give Barc my information and it would magically appear in the blog. Okay, he DID try to show me how, and it was really just easier to let him do it - lol. But once I decided to take it on, I had to learn very quickly how to input information, manipulate it, insert photos and video, etc., not to mention find stuff to post about!


So we entered this experimental phase for SurfWatch. My goal, and our mission statement, is to be a central spot for SL surfing information and planning. While many beaches and organizations have their own websites to post their events, the idea was everyone can log onto SurfWatch to see if there's an activity already scheduled, to avoid conflicting events. We wanted to include more of the community, so we added a segment for partnerships and adoptions. We even tried out the infamous "Dr. Love" - no, it was not me!!!


We saw an opportunity to use SW as an instructional tool with SL surfing tips, SL surfing locations, and to keep the history and people involved in SL surfing alive. With such a rapid time condensation in SL, time and turnover make it easy to lose important names and events, and we want to make sure that doesn't happen. We also want to support the sims that allow us to SL surf by sharing them with readers and promoting them and the products that make SL surfing possible.


So my goals were:
1. Make SW a central clearning house for the community to share and as a central resource for information


2. Utilize SW to promote SL surfing - sims, retailers, creators, people, etc.


3. Create an in-world magazine that would be totally different information from the blog:
The advantages of the blog are that it can reach a large audience quickly with information, as well as quickly get competition results and pictures published. My goal for the magazine would be a more leisurely look at the lifestyle - fashions, people, places. I asked Ashleigh Dickins to head up that project as editor, and she has turned out one of the most realistic amazing magazines in SL that I have seen to date. We decided quarterly publication was the best way to go to keep the quality, and using a themed approach has been so much fun, thinking of ways to work within the themes like our recent "Back to the Future" edition available at SW kiosks now.


4. Create SW merchandise:
One of the goals in merchandising was to generate income to cover our expenses - we try to purchase sponsorships with local organizations and kick in for local contests, as well as offer linden for our own contests. My goal was also to be able to pay our contributors at some point, which I'm still working towards. I also wanted quality products to get the SurfWatch name out to the larger SL population. We are fortunate to have the beautiful Moontan Jewelry and the fashionable Island Sea Dreams as merchandisers, creating unique quality products for SW. The Surf Watch and the SWack (SurfWatch backpack) are available at our SW booth here at Surf Fest and at SW HQ at Boracay.


5. Create SW videos
Develop a SW SL surfing sports video involving members of the SL surfing community. This has been one of the most fun projects, spearheaded by Aeryn Kidd, Soul Wave producer, and SW's Marianna Monentes. Check out the videos when you have a chance - the segments are posted in the blog and also on youtube. I watch them months later and still crack up laughing - I enjoy them so much. These two, and the participants involved - Lissa Pinion and Quench Spotter - have put together a classic of SL video. At some point soon, we will have an entire program, complete with commercials, for release.


We do have other projects in the cooker, and we'll keep you posted when they are ready to roll out!


In February we had our 2 year anniversary party that went for 12 hours straight. It was a constant 12 hours of activity - some of the highlights were the beach fashion show put together by Emma Portilo and Jimbo the Cartboy; and Heather Goodliffe giving a talk from the design and creator perspective. We also had a comedianne, I gave a performance, Tone Uriza performed, we had a drunken party of a competition; an art show, a surfboard design contest...it was exhausting, and I'm still working on the photo album of the event for release.


I've also been involved in live performances to benefit surf sims, the SLSA, SW expenses. It's something I can do that can help the community and keep SW operational. Sometimes people forget I also have expenses and can't always perform for free. But I've always made myself available to help out where it's needed.


SurfWatch has a huge group of contributors, past and present, and we hope to keep adding to our talent. People come up with new ideas, have fresh perspectives, and bring new skills. In 2009, we had 309 postings and mid year 2010, we've already reached 361. This new group of contributors: Jimbo the Cartboy and his Channel Surfing; Kantbe Thursday and Kantbe Serious; Lissa Pinion bringing her organizational and writing talents to an editor position; Harbor Piers with the Search for the Perfect Wave, along with our own Marianna Monentes, Colleen Brennan, Ashleigh Dickins, and the MIA Rhett McMahn, combined with one time submissions from various members of the community, bring SurfWatch to a whole new level, and I hope readers stay tuned to what comes up next!


My first marshall experience:
One night at midnight, Abel contacted me desperate for a marshall for the next days' SLSA competition. I wasn't even an SLSA member at the time - it was very intimidating to me and I had not attended an SLSA comp, altho I had placed in the finals in a VSA comp. I agreed to do it, because I have trouble saying no to anyone that needs help - lol. But I had trouble finding anyone to tell me exactly how to marshall. I ended up with Cip (Cipriano Grut) and Rani (Decosta) giving me a crash course readers digest version, and when comp time rolled around, I was worried sick that I would screw something up. About the time I hit the beach, a competitor walked by and said she was so nervous, she was going to throw up. That's when it hit me - the best thing I could do for them was to stay calm and keep them calm - they were way more nervous than me!  That started a season of some of the most fun I've had in the SLSA, and I marshalled almost that entire first season. People would tickle my feet, we would all crack jokes, and I remember it fondly as camaderie and fun.


Director term: training session at Chi
I was asked in 2009 to run for Director. I was one of 4 people running for 2 open seats, and I was sure I was not going to get it - not that many people knew me compared to the other candidates. But 1 candidate dropped out and I ended up taking 1 of the 2 seats. Initially, it was Ash, Colleen Brennan, Sally LaSalle, VW Sands and myself. After Ash and Col's terms, Sally ran again and won and Mick Lunasea and Caraneah Ku served. I remember it as one of the most challenging 6 months of my SL. The Board actually worked great as a team but I was going thru other SL issues and thinking of leaving. The SLSA Board commitment is what KEPT me in SL during that time.


One of the highlights of my term was holding the surfing/judging/marshalling training session at Chi. We had 3 specialized trainings going on at once at various times of the day- a day of training! Just scheduling people at various times that wanted to attend all 3 sessions was a handful! V taught the master surfer class; Sally handled the judges training, and I organized it and taught the marshall portion. There are things we learned from that to improve on in the future, but the turn-out and enthusiasm of the members was really exciting! I just did a brief training with someone interested in working as a marshall as recently as a few weeks ago, and I'm always available to show anyone my particular techniques of marshalling if they are interested.


People have asked me to talk briefly about other organizations I belong to and other things I do in SL, so I'll touch on those if we have a little time.


- Naked Surf Nation
This group is just for fun - we strip naked and hit the waves! It has nothing to do with any grudges or politics or conflicts or sex - just strictly having a blast surfing! We spontaneously meet, have a naked sesh, laugh and put our clothes back on! Naked Surf Nation wants to rule the world!


- Sisterhood of the Sand
This group started in my earliest of SL with a small band of girls sharing confidences and supporting eachother on the beach. It has grown, and shrunk, and membership sometimes changes. But the core group is still there. We have called on eachother for help, leaned on eachother in tough times, helped eachother. I can't seem to disband the group no matter what is going on. And so, as long as 2 sistas remain in the group, there will be an SOS.


- SL Hall of Fame
I really had no familiarity with this group, altho I had interviewed several members and remain in awe of most of the people in the HoF. It was not something I ever had a goal of achieving or inclinations to aspire to. When my name came up as a nomination, I actually declined the nomination - not because I did not want to be a part of this group, but because I could think of several others that should be inducted. I have great respect for the accomplishments of most of the other members of this group, and am extremely honored to have been nominated and voted in in recognition of my involvement and work in the SL surfing community.


My time in SL is limited right now so my concentration has been on fun when I come into SL. I'd love to do more of the video projects and I have a huge amount of fun doing the fashion focus pieces - I pull something out of my closet and we use it in a photo shoot. Sometimes the clothing retailed is so old, they are out of business, but the pieces stand as sold, and it's fun to combine clothing, accessories, shapes, skin, hair, etc. for a total look. SurfWatch has broadened it's market to a new audience of surfanistas who have no interest in surfing, per se, but they DO want to look hot on the beach! And they will support our retailers and our sims by shopping in our shops and sunbathing on our shores, so it's all good!


- helping people to develop their talents
My most fun in SL is helping people develop and reach their potential. I spent alot of time early on in SL teaching noobs how to surf and to watch them excel is a thrill for me. More recently, I use SurfWatch to open the door for individuals to develop their talents in writing, organizing, managing, creating, etc. And to be able to step back and watch some just blossom and surpass what they thought they could achieve is a huge privilege for me to be a part of. Currently, I have the pleasure of handing Lissa Pinion the oar so she can row the boat when I'm tied up with RL obligations, so don't hesitate to contact her if you need something of SW and I'm not around.


Please check out www.SurfWatch.blogspot.com if you haven't, and join our new subscriber at Boracay, Stables and Mori to sign up for notices on breaking news and gifts! Thank you for coming!
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Fashion Feature: tga Swimwear Hot Pink




Don't plan on being alone for long when you wear tga Swimwear hot pink!

Hair:                       ETD Maxine
Shape:                    Belleza Alyson Shape
Skin:                       Belleza - Alyson Deep Tan 7
Eyes:                      HOE Realistic Eyez Ocean
                               Lois Glowy Cyber Eyes - Female
Outfit:                    tga swimwear/hawt/pink
Accessories:         DP D-Platinum-Sig-Round Bamboo Hoop
                               Belly ring teal star
                               Detour Nails French Pink 1
                               Vixen eye lashes
Location:               SurfWatch photostudios, Boracay
Photographer:       Tauri Tigerpaw
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Surf Fest 2010

Surf Festival 2010 at Avoca Resorts now...until June 27! Check it out! See the June 18, 2010, posting for a schedule of events!







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Introducing: Ashleigh Dickins

This is SurfWatch's first in a series intended to reaquaint the newer members of the Second Life (SL) surfing community with the background and history of some of the long time members that are still active in the community.   It's easy to overlook the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of the members that laid the foundation, stuck with it and continue to support SL surfing thru the years, or to forget the many ways they have contributed to an activity that continues to flourish.  SurfWatch honors those members of the community and looks forward to sharing their background with readers.

Introducing:  Ashleigh Dickins

Ash's is a very familiar face in SL surfing.  Most of the newer surfers know her as a former SL Surfing Association (SLSA) Director, competition official, editor of SurfWatch In-World Edition, popular DJ, club owner and proprietor of Basics and bunny conniseur.  There are few of the "old timers" still around that can tell you that that Ash was involved in SL surfing as far back as the start several years ago, first as a member of Thor Bishop's team, Misfits, then becaming part of the team Radical Twang put together, Reaction.  Her enthusiasm, support and hard work eventually lead to her becoming captain of Reaction which she continues with to this day. 

In December 2007, Ashleigh was instrumental in putting together the "Triple Crown of Surfing", an ambitious series of competitions taking place over three consecutive weekends, even through some tumultuous personal challenges. Her efforts have always been towards promoting SL surfing and benefitting the surfing community.

Since that time, Ash has continued to support SL surfing by serving 2 terms as an SLSA Director and continuously as an SLSA Advisor, supporting the acting Board behind the scenes.  She continues to donate huge amounts of time to pulling together SL surfing competitions, working as a competition DJ, scoreboard, judge and head judge with all the associated responsibilities.  Ashleigh started with SurfWatch as a correspondent back in 2008 under Barchan Paderborn, founding editor, and worked her way up to editor of the quarterly In-World Edition in 2009 under the current Editor-in-Chief. 

"I think the majority of people are not aware of all of Ash's efforts - she seems to stay below the radar in most cases.  I personally can vouch for the blood, sweat and tears she extends towards supporting the surfing community.  We shared some overlap time in terms as SLSA Directors and, of course, we spend significant time working on SurfWatch projects.  If this is my chance to shine a spotlight on Ash, then let me mention the obstacles and heartbreak she's overcome, the challenges she's faced and worked thru, and the uncountable hours of hard work she's put in towards SL surfing" stated SurfWatch editor-in-chief, Tauri Tigerpaw.

According to Rad, "A lot of people always looked past her efforts, but she's always been one who will stand by what she believes in, help where ever she can, and try be there for everyone at any time.. and there's not many that are like that and will take the weight that she has carried on her shoulders."
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Surf Fest 2010

Surf Festival 2010 at Avoca Resorts now...until June 27!  Check it out!  See the June 18, 2010, posting for a schedule of events!




























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Who's Dropping in at Surfwatch Headquarters???


Torley Linden makes a visit to SurfWatch Headquarters at Boracay Island.  How did he miss the staff meeting? 

 

Ohhhh, that's how....Torley, we keep the spare boardies in the bottom desk drawer...under the tequila...
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2nd Annual Monkey Cove Surfboard Design Contest

submitted by Syx Toshi

I’m happy to announce the winners of the 2nd annual Monkey Cove Surfboard Design Contest.

This was the closest contest yet with only a few points deciding the winner and a tie for 4th!


4th Place -Paige Akiri & Belack Zenovka

3rd Place - Rayzza Rubble

2nd Place - Rayzza Rubble

AND THE WINNER: TAKA COEUR



Please congratulate the winners and everyone that participate in the contest, every entry was a work of art.
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Mari's Mailbag: Manipulation is Twisted

submitted by Marianna Monentes

Are you easily manipulated? Can people come along and get you to do anything they want with smooth talk? Well, I nearly fell into that trap just recently and thought this would be a good topic to discuss because there are many here in Second Life (SL) who are pro manipulators. This is straight from Wikipedia.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_manipulation"Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics.[1] By advancing only the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative, abusive, devious, and deceptive.

Social influence is not necessarily negative. For example, doctors try to persuade patients to change unhealthy habits.[cn] Social influence is harmless when it respects the right of the influenced to accept or reject it, and is not unduly coercive. Depending on the context and motivations, social influence may constitute underhanded manipulation."

That being said, manipulation is an art of influencing another for gain of something and usually they gain you are just left overworked or broke. Let this be a wake up call and arm yourself with some anti-manipulation tactics. Like honesty.  Just let them know you are not interested and stay firm with your decision. Oftentimes, flattery causes me to go blind, and I end up standing on my head or broke.  But take note, manipulators: I have finally seen the light, and I may not be as pleasant as you once knew me.  Honesty isn't always pleasing.



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Surf Fest 2010 Paddle Board Competition Results



Surf Fest 2010 just held it's exciting paddle board competition with the following results:

1st place:  Colleen Brennan
2nd place:  Kim Henig
3rd place:  Kalif Christenson

The festival will be running all week with a jam packed schedule of events (See Surf Festival Schedule of Events posted June 18, 2010)!  Come on out to Avoca Resort and join the fun!















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Bikini Spectacular!

This could quite possibly be one of the most spectacular items of clothing in Second Life (SL)! 


With a custom design and fit, high resolution, interactive fabric, this amazing bikini is a special order item. Contact Luscious Starship for more information and details on how to order your one-of-a-kind bikini and have all the heads on the beach turning to look at you!






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SLSA Archipelago Invitational Challenge Results for Saturday, June 19, 2010

scores and photos courtesy Colleen Brennan


The results of the Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) Archipelago Invitational Challenge, the final competition of SLSA Season 1 2010, on Saturday, June 19, 2010:




FINAL RESULTS: 

1st Place:  Yendor Destiny ' 16.33333
2nd Place:  Painless Skytower ' 16.00000
3rd Place:  Abel Halderman ' 15.33333
rain Tigerfish ' 15.00000
Triston Mayo ' 14.66667
Sally LaSalle ' 14.66667


OTHER HEATS:
HEAT 1 SCORES: (color order)


1Yendor Destiny ' 16.50000
2Sunrize Mornington ' 15.33333
3Coolkat Delicioso ' 16.00000
4Jordan Mendle ' 14.33333
5QUENCH Spotter ' 16.50000

HEAT 2 SCORES: (color order)


1Rick Galli ' 10.00000
2Lynda Mimulus ' 16.66667
3Wilfrid DeCuir ' 16.16667
4Mick Lunasea ' 14.50000
5Rayzza Rubble ' 15.33333

HEAT 3 SCORES: (color order)


1Desirae Beaumon ' 15.16667
2Triston Mayo ' 16.00000
3Lacy Rossini ' 0.000000
4Bodhi Lowtide ' 0.000000
5oldsurferdude Danitz ' 14.50000

HEAT 4 SCORES: (color order)


1Harbor Piers ' 15.50000
2Colleen Brennan ' 14.33333
3Velvetori Twine ' 15.16667
4sven Homewood ' 9.666667
5FollowingWaves ' 7.833333

HEAT 5 SCORES: (color order)


1Abel Halderman ' 14.16667
2Maldrul Morris '11.16666
3Sally LaSalle ' 14.83333
4Avidward Flagon ' 0.000000
5Kait Seetan ' 9.833333

HEAT 6 SCORES: (color order)


1MarkFoo Waverid ' 15.00000
2Kim Henig ' 12.83333
3Painless Skytow ' 15.16667
4Arjuna Bombasti ' 0.000000
5rain Tigerfish ' 15.50000

SEMI FINALS
HEAT 1 SCORES: (color order)


1Yendor Destiny ' 16.00000
2Wilfrid DeCuir ' 14.66667
3Harbor Piers ' 15.50000
4Abel Halderman ' 16.16667

HEAT 2 SCORES: (color order)


1QUENCH Spotter ' 14.66667
2Triston Mayo ' 15.83333
3Velvetori Twine ' 14.16667
4rain Tigerfish ' 15.00000

HEAT 3 SCORES: (color order)


1Lynda Mimulus ' 13.83333
2Desirae Beaumon ' 14.83333
3Sally LaSalle ' 15.16666
4Painless Skytow ' 15.00000

For more fantastic competition photos, see Luscious Starship's shots at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/luscious.starship/ArchipelagoInvitational2010?feat=directlink
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