SurfWatch

Xtreme Surf Alliance - XSA Hits Braata

2009-07-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

SurfWatch recently caught up with Kristoffer Juneau, co-owner of JJ Lane's Furnishings, Braata Beach sims, and now co-founder of XSA, to find out more about this new surfing organization.

SurfWatch: What's the name of your new surfing organization and where did the name come from?

Kristoffer Juneau: The Xtreme Surf Alliance - XSA. We wanted a name that brought together the power and excitement of cutting edge surfing with the tightness of a community of dedicated surfers. Once we heard the name, we immediately knew it was perfect. Website is http://surfxsa.com/ and our HQ is on Tortola.

SW: What made you want to start a new organization at this time?

KJ: We have been laying the groundwork for our own competitions for some time now, going back to last summer with our first SLSA comp on Morant Cays. As surfing in Second Life and soon other grids has been growing rapidly, competitions in other organizations are getting to capacity. Surfers are looking for new and exciting venues and that is exactly what the XSA will deliver. The SLSA has had tremendous success and has built a solid organization, but our thoughts on direction differ slightly from theirs. Not that our ideas are better, they are just different, and we want to offer options to the community.

The cutting edge developments in boards lately, such as the wipe-out feature and realistic tricks in Action boards, is opening up for major changes for surfing in SL. We are seeing boards being developed that are much more resembling RL surfing, and that is what has really pushed us over the edge to do this now. We felt we needed to take many ideas people have and put these ideas into action and lead the way. Also, we wanted to start this organization to be able to hold regularly scheduled comps at Braata Beach and use what we have built for the community. It's a natural progression for us.

SW: Give us some background on the steps you took to start it, who is involved, etc.

KJ: The XSA founders are Aurora Jacks and myself. We have been talking with many people in the surf community and have been gaining so much insightful knowledge from so many experienced individuals. Our goal is for the whole surf community to be involved, tho we are looking for a group of dedicated supporters and encourage anyone to IM us who wants to either surf or help run the organization. So far, the response has been wonderful, and we have been assembling many people. We are building this organization the same way we have built our business - thru dedication, hard work, and setting achievable goals.

SW: What are the goals and philosophy of this new group?

KJ: Our main goal is to offer surfers the ability to be free from constraints and freely participate in a vibrant and passionate community. We aren't looking to bite off too much, and our first goals are to have a good foundation with our website, forums, and home base at Braata Beach and get our first comp running. Historically, many surf sims have come and gone due to lack of funding. We feel this is where we can set ourselves apart and leverage our seasoned business with JJ Lanes and our partners' affiliations to be a solid anchor for the XSA and Braata Beach. These marketing channels offer our sponsors unique advertising and marketing opportunities. Not only will sponsors receive advertisements the day of a comp, but also in the weeks leading up to the comp in multiple strategic high traffic areas.

SW: You said the new group will be holding competitions. Tell us about that - circuit comps, locations, rules, etc.

KJ: The XSA will be holding comps and tentatively has the first one scheduled for August 15. Initially, comps will be held on Tortola at Braata Beach. Braata Beach has been designed to be a premier surf location for large venues. We held the largest SLSA comp, and I believe largest ever in SL, this past April with the JJ Lanes Longboard Epic. We had 60+ surfers and 125+ total people at the peak spread across 3 full sims to reduce lag. With our 3 full sims and 2 homesteads, we are the ideal large venue hosting area and are quite proud of that. In addition, we are open to hosting XSA sanctioned events at other locations as well, and the use of our sims is always open for anyone to use. We have a new scoring system under development that will offer unique ideas not yet seen in surfing competitions. Some key features are instant scoring after a run, competitor involvement in judging, and eventually, scores immediately posted to the web. We are aiming for this to be ready by the 15th, but RL commitments may delay that a bit.

The rules are a work in progress at this point and initial drafts can be found on our website. Our focus is one step at a time, and that begins with the basic groundwork and having our first comp. From there, we want to bring in more of the community to help form the XSA so it is by the surfers, for the surfers. Equally important in this ideology is protecting what we have built and helping to keep those ideals on track. This is the tough balancing act we are struggling with in the beginning.

SW: Will the new group be affiliated or sanctioned thru the SLSA at all so currently ranked SLSA surfers can use points towards their rankings? If not, will this new group have a ranking system?

KJ: The XSA will not be affiliated with the SLSA and will be a completely separate organization. The XSA current structure does not have a ranking system in place, but it certainly is in the long term goals of the XSA. Initially, we will just be holding single competitions with the aim of large prize payouts for the top 3 finishers.

SW: Is this open for anybody? Are there fees? Restrictions on boards?

KJ: It is open for everyone, and there are no fees for surfers. The idea is for open board competitions, but we may try to bound that somewhat and are discussing this, for instance, bounding this to just commercially available boards possibly (Action, HP, SSI). Another area we want to look at is requiring boards for some comps that have a wipe-out feature enabled and also a true long board competition. Some of these ideas do put some restrictions in place, but they don't restrict to only one vendor. Any board meeting the requirements of these type of comps would be eligible. The XSA wants the community to help form these standards, and it is important to let competition drive innovation in the marketplace.

SW: Will Braata be participating in SLSA events in addition to this new group, or focusing on just this group's activities?

KJ: Braata Beach will not be putting in to be a host site for an SLSA venue this upcoming season. Their competition format doesn't fit in with the open board format that Braata Beach wants to promote. Instead, we will be focusing our efforts on comps for the XSA and for organizations wanting to hold open board type competitions such as MUST. JJ Lanes/Braata Beach will be sponsoring a surf team as we did last season with Team Piranha and members of the team, as always, will be sponsored to surf in any organization.

For more information, stop by our headquarters at http://slurl.com/secondlife/JJ%Lanes%20ll/131/253/23 and visit our website at http://surfxsa.com. Site content is still a work in progress and rules being finalized until one week prior to the first competition. If interested in joining, you can sign up for our forums at http://surfxsa.com/forums and join our in world group "Xtreme Surf Alliance". Interested in forming a team, sponsorship or any other questions, please contact Kristoffer Juneau.

ANNOUNCEMENTS II

2009-07-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our second installment of Announcements, Announcements II! Be sure to go to Announcements and see what else is shakin' in SL surfing!!!

THE LATEST BUZZ

eMOTIONS

Sweet Kitty Creation, a new line of poses specifically for those short/tall avatar combinations. Custom poses available, couples poses, singles poses, singles animations, unique photography props. Check it out at eMOTIONS by *SKC*, Fetish Alive (51, 183, 31) or contact Sierra Sugar for more information.

DEAD HEIST

Ashleigh Dickins, star of everything she touches, zombieing it up in Dead Heist, July 19th, 2:10 AM only on Showtime Next...I see dead people...set your DVR and you can, too!

FRANKIE MILES CREATIONS

Wax on..wax off...Frankie Miles surf wax goes on soooo smoooooth. In 3 varieties: basecoat coconut, cold pineapple, and tropical watermelon. Listen to the rhythmic ocean waves, knees pressed into sand, feeling the sun on your back as you wax your board. You can find it at Sol Mananero (47, 18, 25) or fmcreations.wordpress.com. Makes a great gift, too!

GRAND OPENING, LAVAL GALLERY AND STUDIO

Featuring:
Bonheur Cheneux in her first show, on the first floor of Laval Gallery. As Bobbi Laval, owner of Laval Gallery, describes it, "Bon has always been an inspiration to me. Her photos tell a story, sometimes a dark and disturbing story, and evoke an emotional response."

And Bobbi Laval with all new, never before seen photos. "For this show, I have done something completely different. I have let my darker side out. No pretty landscapes, flowers, or trees. More like latex, razor blades and blood."

Laval Photography Gallery and St. San Gabriele (209, 28, 22)

Sharkbite

Bikinis, boardies, shirts, rashies, tops, jeans for men and women, the latest hot snazzy surfwear in SL. Two locations to serve you - SharkBite at Mori Pwani (87, 235, 22) and Ripple-SharkBite, Dana Island (179, 84, 21)

Peahi

Duplicating the beauty of RL Peahi in Maui, Hawaii, experience Peahi at Braata to surf, hang out, or explore the beach. (4, 15, 21)

Kohana Kahaka

Looking for a tropical paradise sim surrounded in lush gardens, waterfalls, refreshing pools, white sand beaches, and a down-to-earth chill environment to whittle away all your stress? Kohana Kahaka offers one of the most unique surf spots in SL: a three panel epic, pipes and fluffs, and a 100m Sunset wave are rotated on the sim to offer ever changing surf conditions, all of which pound into an exposed reef that offers each rider with a challenge to aboid the dreaded Vanu. Come check out Kohana Kahaka. It is one of those secret spots so many will call home. BlueSky Dreams (182, 130, 21)

Kahuna

Kahuna magazine - SL's first in-world surf magazine giving you an in-depth look into the world of SL surf. Second issue scheduled for release this weekend, July 4 & 5. Pick up a copy in world and check out Kahuna.

Blazing Inferno

The club where all the action is HOT HOT HOT! Open Tues thru Thurs, 8-10 PM SLT. Trivia all 3 nights with DJs. Live entertainment one night a month. Check it out, Blazing Inferno, AMS - Charmed Beach Isle (101, 77, 718) Contact Blaize Korobase for more information.

BIRTHS

JIGSAW, HAIKU, DECUIR, GALLI

Kimmy, Sandi, Wil and Rick proudly announce they are having babies<3!!!>

Expected date of delivery: 18 August 2009

They are all so proud to be adding 3 additions to their lovely family and older sister, Lacy!

Share da love! If you have a partnership, birth, death, business, announcement , venue, opening, concert or event you'd like to have posted, let all your friends in SL surfing know about it! Contact Tauri Tigerpaw and we'll get the word out!

2009 SURF CALENDAR

2009-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

COMPETITIONS
(editors note: All events and activities subject to change - recheck the schedule often!)

SharkBite Mini Comp:

Each Wednesday, SharkBite will hold a fun surfing competition with 5 riders and 2 judges! They will visit all the surfing sims, raise the crazy Sharkbite flag, send a note, and the first 5 riders who arrive are in! Each rider pays 100L to enter and the winner gets the FULL JACKPOT! There will be rashies for the riders from Sharkbite to wear. The winner is The CRAZY Sharkbite of the week! There are no rules, any board can be used!

Contact ONeill Auer or Lala Recreant for more information.

Brazilian Surf Association:

Surfing Championship Level 4 Sunday September 6: Surf Point HP, 11 AM SLtime
Watch SL surfers compete for the title of Jaws Waves Surf Champ 2009!

Contact Leogarto Burt for more information.

ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Mori Pwani Beach Activities:

Monday, 11-1 SLT, Beginners Surf Instruction

Wednesday, 11-1 SLT, Advanced Surf Instruction

For more details on what's going on at Mori and Tuli, contact VW Sands or check out their Vibes website at http://mpresort.wordpress.com/

DJS AND PERFORMERS

Sierra Sugar Friday Night Rock Party
(Rock, alternative, punk, requests)

8-11 PM SLT every Friday night
Sevel Ultra Lounge - Free admission

Tauri Tigerpaw in Concert
(all times SLT)

Thurs Jul 16 Club Red Door 1 PM

Fri Jul 17 Blues Heaven 2 PM and The Lodge 6:30 PM

Sat Jul 18 Chelsea 5 PM and New Club 6:30 PM

Mon Jul 20 SurfSide Hideaway 2 PM

Tues Jul 21 The Breakers 7 PM

Sat Jul 25 New Club 6 PM

Thurs Jul 30 Ally B's 2 PM

Fri Jul 31 Blues Heaven 2 PM

Tues Aug 4 The Breakers 7 PM

Wed Aug 5 wedding and Club Visiwa 1 PM

Sat Aug 8 Z's Club 7 PM

Mon Aug 10 SurfSide 2 PM

Fri Aug 14 Black Jewel noon

Wed Aug 19 Club Visiwa 1 PM

Fri Aug 21 Ally B's 2 PM

Mon Aug 24 SurfSide 2 PM

Sat Aug 29 Ally B's 2 PM

(Shows subject to change - see her profile for the most current listing)

CONCRETE AND NEON

Simboarding Competition Schedule:

Wednesdays, 12 PM SLT, VSN Half-Pipe Open - 600L in prizes, open to everyone

Fridays, 5 PM SLT, VSN Skyracing Open - 600L in prizes, open to everyone

Saturdays, 12 PM SLT, VSN Half-Pipe Open - 600L in prizes, open to everyone

Sundays, 12 PM SLT, VSN Half-Pipe Pro - 1000L in prizes, open to teams only

Leading up to 25,000L PRO Championship

Contact Cyphien Heart for details

If you want to add your event information, please contact Tauri Tigerpaw

Useful links
URL: SLSA

RfaC Open and Heroes Beach Preview

2009-07-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

by Socks Clawtooth, Senior Furry Correspondent

On July 11th, surfers gathered for the "Riders for a Cure Open" at Tsunami beach. The format was simple. For a 250L donation to Relay for Life, surfers had three minutes of time on the water to show their stuff. The judge, Lissa Pinion, was open to donation bribes for a higher score. It was an open water format meaning literally anything was legal. Any surfboard, windsurfer, boat, jetski, or in fact anything that floated, was legal!

The event had a lot of interesting water craft out there, including a sailboat and some interesting hovercraft. The winner of the event was Abel Halderman. Second went to Sunrize Mornington. And third, based solely on bribery alone, went to WickedV Carver who had a special benefactor behind her who wished to remain anonymous. Mostly.

The big winner was, in fact, Relay for Life. RfaC raised over 40,000L during the event, pushing the team total to above 110,000L over the last few months. In real world terms, the surfing community has raised $450 USD thru a few events and kiosks on several beaches.

This has all been leading up to the real "Relay for Life" event. Since March of this year, teams have been fundraising and have raised (at this typing) 43,909,435L (Source: http://www.integratingsl.com/teamtotals.php). That's over $220,000 USD from the online community! Every fundraising record has been not only broken, but shattered and rewritten. And this is all before the actual event has taken place.

The RfLSL event is taking place on its own dedicated cluster of 37 sims. Theme builds include Mars, a metropolis, a dedicated sailing sim, and for the first year ever, there is a dedicated surfing area. RfL is no stranger to surfers, but this is the first time its a featured activity on the route. There will be an estimated 3,000 walkers this year passing by every campsite for the 24 hours the event will be held.

What follows is a quick photo tour of the beach, enough to get you ready for the weekend. We would still like to find volunteers to help man the beach to help new riders, greet people, and have some fun showing people in Second Life what surfing is all about.

The entrance to Heroes Beach. The sign is right along the sim border and it's actually not ON the route. It's a slight detour. But as you're walking, just follow the boardwalk! We're easy to find, just off one of the main hubs.

This is the boardwalk area where we will have stuff for sale to benefit Relay for Life. We already have some swimwear items for men and women as well as more casual apparel. There's also some simboard items out there, too! We would love to stock this spot with dozens of swimwear choices, so if you own a shop and would be interested in donating apparel, contact Socks Clawtooth in world. Behind that you can see the pyramid that belongs to our neighbors, the "Ministry of Dance".

These huts serve a special purpose. This one is the "Learn to surf" hut. Next to it is a small msueum of surf history in SL. The third hut will have some photos from the RfaC events from the last few months and be a nice chill-out area.

Lifeguards may be on duty if needed. Probably not, tho - we like to surf, too!

The bonfire is big! It's also next to a dance ball, so people can hang out here and dance if they'd like. We're not the Ministry of Dance, but we're not so bad.

Our "Freebie shack" has some stuff from surf places as well as some RFL logo wear people can puck up and wear instantly. Grab a t-shirt! You can also see the halfpipe, too. Why is it somewhat transparent? When you ride, you'll understand.

Our site even features camping! Just not what you think it is in SL.

Here is where the pier is a nightmare for surfers! The wave is a dual pipeline with a fluffy down the middle. And the pipeline straddles the pier! Yes, you can surf between poles, and yes, you can hit them, too. It won't stop your wave, but it'll give you a headache, that's for sure!

Surfers As Talented Off the Waves as On

2009-07-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

If you missed out on the grand opening of Laval Gallery, you sure missed out! Not only was blues musician, Tone Uriza, there pleasing the crowd and making us sway, but artists Bobbi Laval and Bonheur Cheneux were on hand to greet guests and discuss their art.

"Bobbi and I have very different styles which I think makes it nice, to see how people view things differently," Bonheur told SurfWatch. While the two artists may have different views and styles, they both have talent. The amazing photography was a centerpiece that Tone had to work hard to compete with, though he did admirably, setting a wonderful mood for the party.

Tone Uriza serenades the crowd.

Many faces familiar to SurfWatch were spied wandering through the gallery and dancing on the deck, including Aries Ashton, Robbin Ember, and Brigit Ranger. Bobbi was a gracious hostess, sure to greet each attendee and thank them for coming. Bonheur was just as hospitable, answering questions with more than a hint of humbleness.

Both women's photos showed a visible love for the art of photography, with painstaking detail. "[It] is a definite labor of love for me. Surrender took me 10 hours to complete," said Bonheur. It was time well spent, as the photos are thought provoking and evoke an array of feelings. "I dont want to just take a photo, anyone can do that," Bonheur said. "I want it to be something you can't take your eyes from but wonder if you should be looking in the first place."

Bonheur Chenaux answers guest questions (left); Bobbi Laval enjoys the music while greeting guests at the door (right)

Judging by what what shown at the grand opening, she succeeded in that goal, and both women have a promising future. Make sure to visit Laval Gallery in St. San Gabriele (209,28,22)

Dr. Love Answers...

2009-07-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. Love,

I have noticed a lot of people recently who have engaged in SL relationships with people who are married in RL. I do have friends who are an RL couple and are not (a couple) in SL, but they are very open in both worlds. I've watched my own RL mother discover some incriminating e-mails sent to my RL father and seeing the hurt at first pained me, and I had a lot of trouble being respectful to my father after that. Most of it was due to my own guilt as I have been known to show interest in someone who is taken in RL. Then I was witness to my mother deciding that the woman was so far away, and he never promised to meet her and, in fact, had not told her anything about what he really did as a job or lived. This still makes me wonder what makes people engage in these relationships. Is it okay? Is it healthy? Or is it dependent on the personalities of those involved?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous:

You ask the doctor, "What makes people engage in these relationships?"

People engage outside their relationships for a multitude of reasons. Usually, it is simply due to the fact that they want to experiment, to try other things they might otherwise be too shy to share with their partner in RL. This is all part of the human experience. As I travel thru SL, I have come across many people who have loving and fulfilling RL relationships, yet they maintain another and equally satisfying SL relationship. This practice seems to have the uncanny ability to strengthen their RL relationship making it even more satisfying. Life is complicated. Relationships are complicated. If entering into another one in SL helps strengthen the RL partnership, then by all means, have at it.

You then ask, "Is this okay?"

This is where it gets a bit tricky. There are a few areas of concern here, and it would best be served to weigh the answers, think about all of them, and try to make a rational decision based on your emotions and moral code.

1. Are they hurting anyone else? Like the other person's husband or wife or significant other?

2. Is this based solely on a sexual relationship? We all know that if your answer to this one is yes, then the relationship is doomed, so why start it! Sex is wonderful but real and honest relationships consist of so much more. If this "relationship" is going to be a temporary release from the pressures of your RL...or SL...and nobody gets hurt, then and only then is it okay!

You ask, "Is it healthy?"

It probably is but not for the long term! Most of these relationships are based on emotion. The kind where both parties click. Probably physically at first...with some great conversation and sex to follow. Now where do they go? This is where real long term relationships are built. The kind that last a lifetime.

Anonymous - the doctor seems to recall this being his third response to your questions. As much as I enjoy our little "chats", you may want to make a private appointment so we can get you comfortable on this beautiful leather couch where so many others have been helped (winks)...

The doctor's quote for today:

"Sometimes I think we're alone. Sometimes I think we're not. In either case, the thought is staggering."

Peace and love,

Dr. Love

If you would like to leave a question or comment for Dr. Love, you may do so, anonymously if you wish.

Riders for a Cure RFL Surf Open

2009-07-09T05:35:00.000-07:00

Until there's a cure, we relay and ride! Our goal is to raise money for "Relay for Life SL". All proceeds from this event benefit the American Cancer Society.

Where: Riders For a Cure (109), RFL Awareness (128, 251, 25)
When: July 11, 11 AM SLT
What: RFL fundraiser and surf competition
Prizes: Trophies and ...

Each participating rider will pay an entry fee of 250L to participate. Randomly selected riders will be called to the water in groups and have three (3) minutes of water time to strut their surf! They can change boards, use HUDs and animations, sit and soliloquize on Plato...Depending on participants and time, there may be a Round 2 and 3 available for additional linden. Judges will score the riders on a 1-10 scale based on no particular guidelines and definitely influenced by bribes donated to RFL! Any board - even an ironing board - is allowed!

Come out and participate in a day where surfers show how much we care, and let's ride for a cure!!!

Mankind Coming to Braata

2009-07-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Braata Beach will be hosting four stops on the Peace, Love, Belief III Mega Concert on July 12 featuring Mankind Tracer! This is a massive 20 sim concert where Mankind will perform a few songs at each stage and jump to the next and the next until he gets thru them all, and the entire event should last about five hours.

Mankind's words:
"I am trying to spread the idea of peace, love and belief (PL&B) to as many as I can. Those who attend my concerts always offer me their thanks for the idea of a PL&B, and I"m so happy so many are taking to it. I want more people to hear about it and possibly feel even a taste of it. I'm trying to advance the spreading of an idea that can help people in relation to each other but, more importantly, inside themselves. This idea is something I have found helps ME, and I would love to be able to share it, to help others in this way."

Braata Beach has the following stops:
Seven Mile Beach - http://slurl.com/secondlife/jj%20Lanes/89/222/22
Tortola - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tortola/18/23/21
Peahi - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tortola/221/15/21
JJ Lanes Furnishings - http://slurl.com/secondlife/jj%20Lanes/243/79/26

It all kicks off 12 PM SLT July 12 at Mankind's Sweet Spot http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Bay/227/66/26

ASSOCIACAO BRASILEIRA DE SURF NO SL

2009-07-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today was the 3rd of 5 competitions in an exciting event featuring the top Brazilian association surfers along with SLSA surfers Colleen Brennan, Wilfred DeCuir, Kimmy Jigsaw, Bobbi Laval, Bonheur Chenaux, Rick Galli and Markfoo Waverider. The results of the July 5 ABSSL competition in the Curcuito Brasileiro de Surf no SL -HP4 Jaws Surf World Cup 2009 series:

Final Winners:

1st place: Tico Bechir 3750L

2nd place: Markfoo Waverider 1500L

3rd place: Beatriz Viper 750L

Colleen Brennan shredding it up

Wilfrid DeCuir taking the wall

Kimmy Jigsaw tucked in the curl

Bobbi Laval skimming the edge

Mori Celebrates Independence Day

2009-07-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

The party got HOT HOT HOT at Mori for the 4th of July celebrations! On deck, Socks Clawtooth, self appointed safety officer, tried to keep the danger spots under control, but the surfers and suits were sizzzzzzzzlin' and he definitely had his hands full!

If you have party and/or event pictures from activities going on at your sim, let SurfWatch help you share them with SL! Contact Tauri Tigerpaw and we'll show everyone how much fun is going on at your place!

Dr. Love Answers Anonymous

2009-07-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. Love,

Is it wrong to lust after a co-worker? More than one? Maybe a boss? Especially since we are lusting after pixels, and we really don't get paid? And if they are REALLY Hawt???

Thank you in advance for your response,

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous:

Answering your question about lusting after a co-worker or workers is an easy one for the Doctor. Your question leaves a lot open and it seems you're not really asking for resolution but advice on whether this is acceptable or not.

YES, it is OKAY and not "wrong" to lust after a co-worker or workers regardless of their position, whether they are your boss or a peer!

It is quite common in RL for people who spend time together to become emotionally attached and SL is no exception. The difference in SL, as I've noted previously, is that every avi is drop-dead gorgeous! No flaws and just perfect to the eye. It then becomes all about the real person behind the avi. Apparently, this is who you are really lusting for. My recommendation is this:

Lust all you want after these persons in SL. In your private time, you can fantasize to your heart's content. A bit later on, tho, you need to ask yourself if you want to actually approach these people to let them know your most intimate thoughts about them.

Have some fun, Anonymous! Isn't SL great?!!

We all remember the great line Michael Douglas used in Wall Street, don't we? He said, "Greed is good!" Well, people, in SL, "Lust is good!" It's healthy, it's fun, and it's so sexy!

Peace and Love,
Dr. Love

If you have a question or comment for the Love Doctor, feel free to post anonymously or otherwise. Or drop a notecatd to Dr. Love care of Tauri Tigerpaw. She will keep it anonymous if you so request.

SurfWatch Comment Postings

2009-07-04T22:41:00.001-07:00

Regarding postings in the comments section of SurfWatch, this is the current policy in place and will remain the policy until further notice:

While we require those posting comments to identify themselves and not use profanity, we also request that there be no direct name calling and that the discussion remains civil. We attempt to remain fair and impartial in allowing comments. However, SurfWatch will, at staff discretion, freeze the comments periodically to review comments and policy.

The comment section of SurfWatch is provided as a courtesy and privilege to readers. Readers opening the main blog page CHOOSE to view the blog post comments. SurfWatch is not obliging readers to look at or respond to comments.

The editor-in-chief is always interested in your opinion and point of view. Please contact Tauri Tigerpaw if you have any questions. Or leave a comment.

SurfWatch In World - Volume 1

2009-07-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More surfwatch

Click the application to view larger! Contact Tauri Tigerpaw or Ashleigh Dickins in world for your copy or a kiosk set for your land!

Who IS Dr. Love???

2009-07-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

A lot of you are wondering who I am. Your guesses are amusing, and I absolutely love this! I'm going to clear up a few things here today, but I'm going to keep my identity a mystery. There are reasons why I choose to remain anonymous, and I'll leave that to everyone to ponder why that is. I can only imagine what wild ideas you guys are going to come up with!

Dr. Love

Tauri Tigerpaw

First: Tauri Tigerpaw is my BOSS! A long time ago, when Tauri and I first met, we hit it off and became good friends almost immediately. One of the reasons I am the Love Doctor is my ability to read someone's personality very quickly and know if this person is real. With Tauri...what you see is what you get. I am asking her not to edit this column, as I know she would (editors note: pfffffffffffffft), due to the fact that she's the Editor and I'm writing about her in this week's column! Tauri...get your hand away from the eraser! Folks, I am NOT TAURI!

Second: I AM A MAN, through and through, and I love women and only women. I know that every woman has something special to offer any guy who's smart enough to see it! You ladies all drive me crazy. I sincerely love you all! You make my life so much brighter every day with your wit, your conversation, your sense of humor, your brains, and your beauty.

When Tauri first approached me about this column, she asked what I thought. I told her, "Hey, I would love to do this." But I have only one condition and that is, I remain anonymous to everyone but her, of course. I made her promise vociferously or I wasn't going to do this. I also asked that my name be Dr. Love, and she agreed.

Will I ever reveal myself to the readers of this wonderful SL mag? Probably not, at least, not in the near future. Ask yourselves this: isn't it really kind of fun that nobody but Tauri Tigerpaw knows who I am? I think it is, and I hope you all agree and let's have some fun with it. So people, keep guessing, and I promise this: if anyone gets my identity correct, I will fess up! But, if it's one of you gorgeous female avis, then you and I must go on a date...alone...to the place of your choice! Then maybe you'll see just exactly what the Doctor really knows!

This week's quote:

"Always remember that love is giving someone the power to break your heart and trusting them not to."

Peace and Love
Dr. Love

If you have a love question for the Love Doctor, feel free to post anonymously or not in the comments section. Or drop a notecard to Dr. Love care of Tauri Tigerpaw.

SurfWatch In World Edition

2009-07-03T09:30:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen the June SurfWatch In World Edition, you haven't seen anything! Pick up a copy at a SurfWatch kiosk or contact Tauri Tigerpaw or Ashleigh Dickins to get a copy. SurfWatch In World Edition will be issued on a quarterly basis with stories and photos not covered in the standard SurfWatch. If you would like to host a SurfWatch kiosk at your beach, sim, club, store, venue, please contact us and we will be happy to provide you one.

Who's watching the surf?

SurfWatch

Riders for a Cure Surf Open

2009-07-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

by Socks Clawtooth, Senior Furry Correspondent

"Riders for a Cure" is hosting a surf event on July 11, 11 AM SLT, at Tsunami Beach. The event is a "surf open", meaning that it's open to anyone to enter, and it's open to any board, surf, sim, wind, kite, and so on. The event is not a "serious" competition but a more laid back event for everyone.

Competitors will be donating 250L to enter the event. They will get 3 minutes of open water time to show off anything they want to. They will then be judged, possibly given an opportunity to bribe the judges with another donation to RFL, and the scores recorded. At the end of the event, the rider with the highest score wins. Time dependent, there may be a re-buy round in which people can donate a little more to get a re-try at the water.

The winners of the event will get trophies but, more importantly, the winner will be "Relay for Life". Post event? Knowing the surf crowd, anything can and probably will happen.

We're currently looking for volunteers who would like to help out, possibly a DJ or similar. Please contact Socks Clawtooth for more information.

World Cup Renamed to International Surfing Challenge

2009-07-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

The SLSA (Second Life Surfing Association), in conjunction with the ABSSL (Associacao Brasileira de Surf no SL), announced a name change to their planned interleague surfing competition. The new name is the "International Surfing Challenge" and is designed to better reflect the love of surfing and spirit of fun and cultural exchange which this event is designed to foster. Each of the associations have their own multi-event seasons which require a sustained level of surfing excellence over an extended period of many months, and the winners of those seasons are very special surfers in their own right. This event is designed to bring together people from different backgrounds who share the love and passion for the sport of surfing in a unique, cooperative and fun event, from both a surfing and social point of view.

New to SL Surfing? Try these Places First!

2009-07-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

by Socks Clawtooth, Senior Furry Correspondent

These are the five places I recomend people new to SL surfing try first. All have loaners on the beach, some have free items, and all are great spots to learn surfing for free! It has all the wave types you'll find in SL, and give you a good taste for surfing here. Then, once you've tried them, you can try the rest of the Rough Guide for size!

Chi (125, 211, 22)
Wave type : Pipe / Fluffy
Freebies : None that I've found, but search the sim
Sales : Board sales on the beach near the break, and SE up in the town area, as well as apparel.
Beach Loaners : Almost always at least 3-4 boards out.
Pros : One of the oldests surf breaks on the grid, and also maintained regularly.
Cons : The break is short and narrow, but the saying is if you can surf Chi, you can surf anywhere. It can also be "laggy" occasionally.

Moana'Ina @ Weather Island (41, 164, 29)
Wave type : Epic
Freebies : Once you teleport, you will be put on the TP hub on Weather Island. Either walk North over the bridge and follow the path east, or fly direct to the cooridnates you see above. You'll see a blue shack maked "Sebastian's Surf Shop". Walk in through the curtain. Once inside, you can touch a surfbaord and get a free one for you to use. Don't get too excited, it only works on Weather Island. Also look for the crate next to it for a free wetsuit for you to wear too. A little sim crawling will turn up all sorts of freebies.
Sales : The surf shack also has boards for sale, but they don't advertize that fact.
Beach Loaners : None, but the intent is that you go to the surf shack, and pick up a board there to use instead of leaving them on the beach. So, in reality, there's loaners there.
Pros : The build is incredible, so for that alone it's worth coming. The site is also the home of the original "epic" wave, so there's a lot of history here. There are also a lot of atmospherics that make it a great place to ride.
Cons : No music, so that's kinda a downer. It gets very crowded here sometimes, and I've seen on occasion where I couldn't get in becasue the sim was full! And the loaner board is an older script. But even in spite of all that, I still come here to surf when the mood strikes me.

Mori Pwani (121, 221, 21)
Wave type : Epic, but pipes and fluffies are next door
Freebies : Some "dollarbieS" in the stores, but some searching will reward you with some good stuff.
Sales : Plenty, almost all the surfboard reps are here.
Pros : If you want a slice of surf culture, this is the place to go. Good people, good waves, good everything. The people who run this sim also ran the legendary breaks of "Majini" and "Pepo", both sites of past competitions. Also, I recomend joining the "Vibes" surf group while you're here. you'll be happy you did. And check out the pipes / fluffy run next door at Tuli Bahari.
Cons : They don't leave a lot of loaners out, and some days it's crowded. But to be truthful, the surf is only one reason to come here.

Surf Camp (145, 196, 21)
Wave type : Pipeline / Fluffy combination
Freebies : If you go just N / NE of the waves, check out the blue tent and the surrounding area. Lots of cool stuff.
Sales : Lots in the surrounding area, going NW / W of the waves.
Beach Loaners : If you're less than 90 days old, there's a rezzer on the water you can use. Or you can join the Surf Camp group to use the other.
Pros : Well maintained sim, and a good place to get a lot of information about surfing and the SLSA.
Cons : No easy to get loaners, unless you're new or in the group. But, it leaves a lot less clutter on the beach.

Thetis Bahia
Wave Type : Pipe and Fluffy
Freebies : None
Sales : some board sales on the beach
Beach Loaners : Minimal, but I know they're there usually.
Pros : Great place to learn pipes. They have a 3 wide "mini-epic", as well as a standalone pipe. There's also a fluffy run as well.
Cons : None really, except it's usually not that crowded. Not really a ocn, unless you like socializing

Tsunami Beach (247, 103, 21)
Wave type : "Sunset" A single "Megaprim" wave with no seams
Freebies : None
Sales : "Freeport" is one sim over, and has a lot of shops on it with everything from surf clothing to boards
Beach loaners : At any time you'll find longboards, shortboards and windsurfers on the beach ready to use
Pros : Very good sim, and the first to really showcase the "Sunset" wave.
Cons : The "Sunset" is a very hard wave to master. But if you can surf this one, you can ride anything.

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

2009-06-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

SurfWatch, like the rolling waves of the surf, is rolling with the times. We are so proud to announce our SurfWatch In World edition, spearheaded by the In World edition editor, Ashleigh Dickins, that will be hitting newstands shortly. This has been a labor of love in the works since late last year, and Ashleigh has put together a truly remarkable product. We hope to issue an In-World edition on a quarterly basis.

We have added two columnists and a researcher to our staff and continue to look for quality reporters and staff interested in what is happening in the SL surf community with the goal of keeping that community strong and growing. Please contact Tauri Tigerpaw if you are interested in contributing.

We are as of now freezing our comments section and will post no comments to past posts until we complete our research and discussion of how best to moderate comments with guidelines that are both fair and impartial and allow debate while maintaining civility. We believe everyone has had sufficient time and space to present their points and vent. There are appropriate venues outside of SurfWatch for investigating legal grievances and it serves no purpose to bog SurfWatch down with those issues, many of which have been simmering for years. We are interested in reporting current SL surfing news.

We are also interested in ideas you may have for current stories. While we make no promises that we will cover every suggested topic - this is, after all, SL and there are too many waves calling!!! - we will discuss those that seem to be of interest to most readers and attempt to cover them, as well as posting all your announcements and events and activities and celebrations.

The sun sets and rises over another sandy beach and with the new day, we look forward to a great day of SL surfing, sharing time with friends, and having fun. Did anyone bring the tequila???

SIERRA SUGAR ANNOUNCES, "NO MORE THOR"

2009-06-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's SLSA season end awards ceremony took a shocking turn of events when, following the SLSA's announcement of the coveted Thor Bishop award to Socks Clawtooth, Ashleigh Dickins shouted to the crowd, " I AM SORRY EVERYONE BUT I AM LEAVING. I LOVE YOU SOCKS. BUT IT WAS WRONG OF THEM TO ANNOUNCE THIS NOW. SIERRA HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE VOTING OR THE WINNER AND WAS NOT EVEN ASKED TO BE HERE TO GIVE THE AWARD". Sierra Sugar, long time love of the late surf icon, Thor Bishop, called a public meeting following the ceremony to make an announcement regarding the Thor Bishop award. Following is a slightly condensed version of her announcement:

"Now that most everyone is here, I have to say in the 2 years or so that I have been involved in the surfing community and the SLSA, there has been many ups and downs, drama, good and bad. But today I feel that irrevokable damage has been done, and I need everyone to understand exactly where I stand and how serious this is to me.

Thor was my soulmate, my love, my once in a lifetime. Many of you were there when I lost him and helped hold me up til I could find a way to stand again on my own. The *THOR BISHOP* MVP Award is JUST that, NOT an arbitary SLSA MVP award. When Sally came to me about the MVP award, it was originally suggested that I choose the winner. No nominees, no vote, my choice. In my short sightedness, I suggested a public nomination with a private vote between me, active directors, and advisors. I have been in talks with Robin, Colleen, Sally recently to ensure the honor of Thor's memory is upheld in selecting the MVP award, that when *I* hand out the award at the ceremony, I could do so in good conscience and honestly give a heartfelt presentation because too many today never met Thor and have no idea what the award stands for.

I have been watching the forums, the advisors circle. There were nominations. The last information on 6/26 - yesterday. No information about when or where. I was never notified of the awards ceremony. VW, a director, has no idea how this award was choosen as he didn't vote. I know *I* didn't vote. There was no vote created in the advisors circle. Total and blatant disregard for protocol. I was in IMs via offline messages with VW today when he asked me to come and hand out the award. I was at RL work and was floored.

I begged him and Ash to not hand out the award, to wait for me to be home to sort things out. It is MY award to hand out in honor and memory of Thor and yet the award was handed out anyway... arbitrarily picked like throwing a dart at a board - eenie meeinie minie mo. I'm sorry... NO. That is UNBELIEVABLE and unforgivable disrespect to me and Thor. From this point forward, I revoke permission for use of my name or Thor's name in ANY and all official relation to the SLSA.

I withdraw my support of the SLSA, and I DO NOT give my permission to give a THOR BISHOP MVP award. The SLSA can make their own. I *WILL* have Thor's RL family log in on him and send an official statement. Misfits is disbanding, and I am severing ALL ties with surfing and the SLSA. I'm DONE. I will be contacting Heather to remove Big Dawg boards. I cannot BELIEVE that his memory would be so blatantly marred. This is the worst disrespect possible to me, to him, to anyone who has struggled to set up the guidelines and rules for the SLSA to be followed."

The SLSA Board was contacted to issue a statement. The Board response follows:

"We, as the SLSA, truly regret any and all pain Sierra might have endured over this. We, as the Board, want to ensure all surfers that we take her comments to heart and are in discussions to make the appropriate changes where needed."

Editorial Comments

2009-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

by Special Correspondent Rhett McMahn

Much like life, our SecondLife surfing community is in turmoil. I don't speak of turmoil in a negative sense, as it is really not. Turmoil is just part of our day to day world. Turmoil as in the gut wrenching feeling associated with what we know to be true and factual changing. The ending of a relationship; the loss of a loved one; the stresses associated with work, business, community, finances. All of these things play a factor in who we are at any given moment.

The SLSA was formed as a group of surfers who wanted to be connected personally as a community. They have transcended their original organizers’ hopes and evolved into a highly efficient sport sanctioning body. Every step along the way, there has been turmoil. It is all part of the evolution process in any SL group’s history. At some points, the turmoil seems larger. As adolescents, we call this turmoil "growing pains."

I read everything I can about our community. I study and write articles as a journalist. I listen to people discuss their issues. Not one person I have encountered has said anything wrong. Of the 10-20 IMs a day I receive discussing various things, everyone has valid positions on every side of the situation. Not everyone in a community should have the same agenda, life would be boring. As I read other postings here in the SurfWatch venue, I observe tons of evidence supporting the entire surfing community’s "growing pains."

It was my pleasure to investigate this story about the SLSA's historic events surrounding the 2009 Season 1 Topanga comp. I have been able to spend time with some amazing people getting their feelings on the matter. I first interviewed Kimmy and learned her feelings on the matter. Always stern and intensely passionate to her beliefs, Kimmy laid out why she was so upset that day. She shared conversations she had with SB, and made you believe she was absolutely right about her reasons for creating a scene at her own hosted competition in her own sim. She was up front and frank when she stated that, even though she felt bad about how she chose to handle the moment, she would not back down from believing that what she did was right. Not only that, but that was done for the betterment of our sport. Even though Kimmy faced the turmoil of making that choice, losing her best ever finish in her competitive career, she acted from her heart for something she believes in.

After completing my first interview on my first lead assignment (within two hours) I got reminded of two well known SL facts. Loose lips abound and note cards travel fast. I still have not figured out why we as a species love our gossip, but I make my living now as a reporter so I don't argue. As I was interviewing, the interview was being cut and pasted by one of the people present to at least one 'trusted' friend, who note carded it and distributed it. I got my first introduction to SB within the two hours.

My first interaction with SB was brief. He pasted into my IM excerpts of the interview I had just finished. He told me quite convincingly how he felt about it, and what I was and was not going to do with my interview. Yeah I was pissed at first, but then laughed it off as this is nothing new. It happens in RL all the time. It is part of a community. It's part of my job. Of course, his view of what is right is his and yes, they are right. My views and understanding of journalistic license and laws lets me know I'm right. I followed up with him when I returned to work, we had a frank but professional conversation. I was surprised SB thanked me for staying objective and taking my time to care about surfing enough to write about it and stay on top of it. I actually was very surprised knowing my lead in article was about him posting as a non member in the SLSA's forum (http://surfwatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/sexyboy-oh-speaks-out-illegally-in-slsa.html) had ran just hours before.

SurfWatch Editor-in-Chief, Tauri Tigerpaw, interviewed SB on the matter, and he held true to his beliefs that the SLSA does not invite true competativeness, and that someone comes along and invests thousands of hours becoming good, they are not accepted, that other competitors are scared. He grasped at every available angle as to how the laws were flawed, unclear, that you have to join to enter, but not have to stay in the group to compete, others who had left the organization and come back. Not a stone unturned. I gained a lot of respect for SB in this process. As a true competitor, I respect how intensely he fought to get what he believed right out into the public eye. I, too, had opportunity to go to SB's new home and have a little face to face with the man who took the SLSA by storm in his rookie year. I tried to offer him suggestions of places he could find quality builds for his new place, and I started to understand more of what drives SB. He literally will not settle for anything he has not mastered and done himself. I understand that type of personality. I have it somewhat. My father was almost identical in philosophy to SB.

Is SB bitter? Yeah, but who could blame him? Was he wrong in fighting tooth and nail even though the SLSA has no appeal process? Absolutely not! SB is standing firm by his beliefs and even though his efforts will not correct his mistakes as seen by the Disciplinary Board of the SLSA, they will affect the thoughts of the people involved to make their organization better in the future. Perhaps some day maybe a structured rule for an appeal process? Who knows. But SB was right.

Nowhere in this process did I see evidence of huge amounts of pettiness. What I did see was tons of passion, tons of right opinions, and, yes, tons of turmoil. One thing occasionally being able to write editorials does is let me give MY opinion. Here are my thoughts. In my almost four years in SL, I have seen groups go through about a one year cycle of extreme issues as well as a major effort to self destruct themselves at about three years old. As a community, we all need to be aware that these turmoils are natural. As much as we would like them to never happen, they compound. Just last night new turmoil erupted, starting the next news cycle. SurfWatch is a news organization. We objectively report the news. By staying informed we reduce the effect these turmoils have on the negative side of our world and gives us information to think through our actions. Embrace the growing pains, stay involved to make a difference. Like my departed, father would have said. "Be part of the solution, not part of the problem." He would have liked both Kimmy and SB. I know I do.

SLSA Director Reflects on Recent Disciplinary Actions

2009-06-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

By Rhett McMahn, Business Columnist and Special Correspondent

The last couple of weeks have been a trying time for the SL Surfers Association (SLSA). Their Directors were forced to instruct their Head Event Judge to form a disciplinary board against two of its more prominent members. SurfWatch caught up with SLSA Director (one of five) Abel Halderman by e-mail and asked him for his opinions on the process.

SW: Abel, for the first time in history, the SLSA has had to discipline some of its members. It proved to be tough for everyone. SW had an independent study done of the SLSA Constitution, Rules, Codes, and found the DB had the authority to hand down broad rulings and DQ was their correct option of action. Do you feel that even though unpopular, the processes put in place worked correctly?

AH: It was a dark moment for everyone. It was hard for the two people that were DQ’d, it was hard for all other surfers, and I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for the Committee members. However, what had been done about the two cases of Code of Conduct (CoC) violations was necessary. I’m not sure if it was unpopular.

I know that a few people didn’t see it as a right thing to do. Right now, besides those who were directly involved and accused, I can think of maybe 5 or 6 of those who were unhappy about the result. But you know what? I trust the committee. I know how hard they worked on the cases and how much stress it cost them. As you know, the definition of unsportsmanlike conduct is broad and in my opinion it should be so. The commission acted according to rules that we ALL accepted. They investigated all the facts, spoke to many witnesses, and finally made the decision, maybe the hardest one in the SLSA history. What kills me is that those people, that accepted the hardest job in the SLSA history, are now sometimes disrespected.

Let’s not forget, while in an election SLSA members vote for their representatives, when it comes to executing legal rules we, as a community, gave that right to the representatives. On the other hand, any of us is allowed to submit a proposal on changing those rules, too, so I encourage everyone to read the rules again and share their doubts and ideas like some of us did on the SLSA forum.

SW: The rulings came against the SLSA 2009 Season 1 reputed 'Bad Boy' SexyBoy Oh (SB) and SLSA Co-founder Kimmy Fitzgerald-Jigsaw. Do you feel that this process shows the ability of the SLSA to govern itself and its competitions fairly? Make decisions based on facts and not who is involved?

AH: The whole thing caused a lot of stress and negative emotions. I think SLSA is able to act against anyone if rules are broken and harm to the community is made. I can’t say “It’s too bad that it happened to Kimmy as one of the SLSA founders, and SB – one of the best surfers this season”. It should and will happen against anyone who breaks the CoC.

Of course there are always at least two sides of a case. So, I’m sure Kimmy had her reasons to act like she did, and SB had his. Personally, I’d say Kimmy cared so much about her baby – the SLSA – that she made a mistake and acted in a disrespectful way. Her intentions were not bad, but at the same time intentions are not something to judge. Actions are. As for SB, like I said in one of my posts on the SLSA forum, I think we disappointed him, as a community. I can understand his reasons to leave the group, I can understand more or less how he felt. At the same time, even that I understand that, it’s not intentions that are judged, but actions.

I had doubts before the whole process started. Not that I had anything to say about it. It is the Event Committee who executes sanctions, but I felt like sharing my thoughts with other directors. I thought it was a serious and important step that SLSA had to do. On one hand maybe it will never be the same. Maybe, as a group, we just lost some kind of innocence, if you know what I mean. By having that process we crossed some line. Since now there will be no excuse for unsportsmanship-like behavior which means no one will be able to act according to the “no see evil, no hear evil” saying, which for many of us was a nice thing to do. We rather wanted to forget and move on than face some facts. I’m not saying it was right. I just think that it was easier.

On the other hand, we have reached a point where violation of the CoC rules is becoming much more common than in past seasons, and that is a bad thing. Therefore, that process, even that it was so hard, even that it was painful, should have happened. Violation of the SLSA basic rules, our foundation, is not, and will be not tolerated.

SW: A lot of discussion was made both publicly and privately about the SLSA rules being currently edited; the infamous missing 'rule 2'; the FAQ being the only place that clearly states you must be a member to compete. What steps are being put in place to correct this before next season?

AH: In my opinion, Rule 2 is complete. The FAQ says something that is obvious. Want to be treated with event rules, win or lose, earn points? You need to be in the group = having accepted its rules. However, I do agree that one or two clauses may need be added to it, and I know that at lease some of other directors think the same way. The off season IS to correct things that didn’t work or didn’t work the way we expected them to. There are a couple of projects on modifying rules coming, and I think one of them will be about specifying the CoC rule 2, although personally, I would say it should stay broad because it is impossible to predict all kinds of general sportsmanship violation behavior.

SW: Looking forward... What's next for the SLSA, what should its members be excited about going into 2009 Season 2?

AH: Before the next season starts, we will have a surprise for our surfers. I shouldn’t talk about it yet, though. It will be announced soon.

As for the next season, we can expect a lot of excitement. SLSA will be still growing and hopefully the Board will be ready to handle large competitions even better than this past season. My hope is that if we organize the responsibilities within SLSA a little better, we’ll be able to get involved in different kinds of activities. We are discussing possible ways of cooperation with other surfing associations. Just imagine how much of excitement that can bring! I am also sure that a lot about the excitement can be done by small simple changes, just like drastically modifying or removing the “no tie for second place” rule, as suggested by SLSA members on the forum. What I, as a surfer, expect from the organization is fun! Give me fun and I’m happy! “Fun” is not a simple thing though. It is consisted of positive vibes, good ruling and exciting events. That’s what the Board’s only interest and a general plan for the next season.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2009-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

THE LATEST BUZZ

KAYAK DERBY RESULTS

Second Life's first Kayak Derby and Fishing Tournament was held Saturday morning under clear virtual skies in the beautiful Tidewater Canyon River at Wilder Keys. A great time was had by all, with Lacy Rossini winning the top prize of $1000L with a final time of 3:43 for all three runs. Taine Ansar took second place, and Dick Seerose took the third spot. In our 7Seas Fishing Tourney, Goose Overland caught fish at an amazing rate to take th top prize.

Here are the times for the top three:

Lacy Rossini 1:23 1:10 1:10 - 3:43
Dick Seerose 3:24 1:52 1:42 - 6:58
Taine Ansar 1:31 1:22 1:23 - 4:16

Thanks from GT Whitewater Kayaks and the SL Paddlers Association to everyone who attended and congratulations to all our winners! Join the SLPA for more info and updates for the next event or contact Guiles Tidewater!

MICK LUNASEA AND SURF LESSON 101

Mick Lunasea, former SLSA director, member of Da Hui Surf Team, and long time surf instructor, is scheduled to speak on Thursday, July 2, 4 PM SLT, at Knowhere on Surf Lesson 101. Be there for everything he knows about the basics of surfing. For more information, contact Kohana Schimmer.

SPLENDEURS 5.2

Splendeurs is pleased to announce they are carrying new 5.2 boards in stock! Check it out at Splendeurs. Surfwear at its finest.

RIPPLE AND REDLIGHT TOPLESS CALENDAR 2010

Be sure to pick up your copy of the Ripple and Redlight Topless Calendar 2010! The most gorgeous sufers, baring it all for 2010! The calendar is available for 350L with 1/3 of proceeds going to charity. Contains 13 months, with a bonus Jan 2011 month, all topless and all surfers!

Contact Lala Recreant for information on where you can get your copy.

BRAATA NEEDS YOUR INPUT!

Braata is currently testing different waves to continue to provide everyone with the best possible surfing experience. They are looking for input on Action Beta waves. Contact Kristoffer Juneau for a notecard explaining the entire process. There are specific sections on the notecard indicated by "Evaluation:" and a space where you can enter your feedback and return it back to Kristoffer Juneau. Your feedback will be used to improve surfing in Second Life, so the more participation, the better!

HP SURF POINT

--- with a new look!!! Beautiful...natural...surfable...retail goods available! Come check out the most realistic island of SL at Crab Island (149, 82, 22)

RIPPLE NEWSFLASH

ONeill Auer continues with the Ripple Surfwear lines located at Mori, Surfside and Maa sims. However, we would like to announce a NEW development. ONeill is also designing clothes for a new brand, Redlight Fashion and Redlight Lingerie. There will be a new location for the Redlight range and rest assured, they will be both sexy and trendy clothes.

In addition, ONeill is about to open Redlight Productions, a state of the art photo studio. You may remember ONeill formerly had studios in SL called 3D Vision and Unique Photography and is known to the surfing cogniscenti for his surfing pics. Redlight Productions is celebrating its opening with a Ripple Surfbabes Calendar, celebrating the topless beauty of some of our lovely surfing girls and also the Ripple bikini line. The calendar will retail at 350L and a donation will be made to Reef Riders charity as Ripple is a proud sponsor of Reef Riders. Stay tuned for more info on calendar availability!

BIKINI FEST AT RIPPLE, MORI

Woot! Newsflash!!! All Ripple bikinis at Mori Beach reduced to 100L! Take a look - over 50 kinis to choose from!!! Also, if you buy 3 bikinis, we will refund you the third! No better offer available and it's good thru the month of June so come on by!!! If you need more info, contact Lala Recreant!

IFROG DESIGNS - CUSTOM BUILDING & LANDSCAPING

Lollypop Congrejo. Remember the name and see the best custom sim designer in SL. You can check out her recent projects on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollypopcongrejo/. She creates her own textures to make your sim or home special. iFrog Designs - Custom building, Ocean estate 9 (225, 207, 21)

KAHUNA IS COMING...

Kahuna magazine will be Secondlife's first inworld surf magazine. The magazine will give an in-depth look into the world of surf in Secondlife, focusing on surfing as the sport, as a lifestyle and give a look into the world of fashion that follows the surf. For the people who love to chill on the beach, paddle out into the water and live. Founded by Aries Ashton and EllieShea GossipGirl, scheduled release dates (subject to change) are the first Sat of every month: June 6, July 4, Aug 1. Pick up a copy in world and check out Kahuna!!!

FROZEN AT THETIS BEACH

Come ride the new Sunset 100 along with the pipes and fluffies at the newest SL surf sim to open, Kimmy Jigsaw and Wil DeCuir's Frozen at Thetis Beach (214, 79, 21). And if you're looking for prime beach real estate with incredible views, check out the adjoining residential sim, Topanga Canyon, and contact Kimmy if you're interested in finding out more.

BEACHMICE

Stretch out in the sand, feel the sun, and surf the waves of the newest surfing beach to hit SL: Beachmice at Kryten (208, 116, 21), Buffy Munro and Abel Halderman's slice of surfing heaven.

CH CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE

Modern...stylish...sophisticated...furniture that makes you go mmmmmm...check out Celestria Henley's designs at ch Contemporary Furniture located at Blues Island (160, 43, 23).

SANDDOLLAR BAY AT SUNSET

Come surf the pipes at Sandipanimuni Haiku and Kimmy Jigsaw's newest surf sim (116, 49, 21)! Relax in the sun under the palms and swap surf stories - plenty of sand, sea and surfing!

REBEL SURF CO.

Rebel Surf Co. for the latest in surf fashion ala Emilyn Knoller. You know the designer, now come see the designs. All bikinis are tat friendly and 100L. Currently two locations to serve you: Debaser, SmartVest (172, 244, 34) and PDH Shopping - Azure Sky.

JAWS AT GAN

What's that getting ready to slam into shore at Gan??? Jaws...grab a board and see if it tries to bite you in the butt! Check it out, now rolling at Gan (192, 220, 26)

RODASS BOATS

Kickazz badazz Rodass Boats! Visit the shop at Surf City. Speedboats, catamarans, sailboats and custom boats. IM Rod Ambrose for test rides and details.

ISLAND SEA DREAMS

Countess DeCosta's shop, Island Sea Dreams, carries the latest in beachwear fashions, stained glass, jewelry and furniture AND she does custom requests! With two convenient locations to serve you! Now open at JJ Lane's (189, 160, 21) and Surf City (195, 125, 25).

CREATIONS BY RACHELLE

Creations by Rachelle, Rachelle Seeton's newest creative venture, carries the latest in hot, sexy, provocative outfits, from clothing to shoes. Whether she's building, surfing, or flying planes, Rach is always creating. Visit her shop at Cardew (150, 77, 33) and see if you can walk out without spending any linden.

RIPPLE SURF BEACH

Ripple Surf Beach is rolling an epic and is open for surfing! 3 panel epic surfing on a low lag sim. Ripple Surfwear is set for a grand opening very soon. But the beach is open! Come down and enjoy some excellent surfing! Group membership is required, so contact Lala Recreant or Oneill Auer for a group invite and an LM.

PECOS

Kantbe Thursday is proud to announce a new addition to her family!
Name: Pecos
Became family member: March 24, 2009
Weight: 50 lbs
Age: 3 years old
And they call it puppy looooooove...

BIRTHS

PARNALL

Zenon Parnall is proud to announce the birth of RL baby Leonie
Date: Feb 23, 2009
Size: 51 cm, 3080 grams

KAFFEBAUM/CHENAUX

Birth of a prince
**Birth of baby boy Kai Kaffebaum-Chenaux**
to proud moms, Shannon Kaffebaum and Bonheur Chenaux, on 23 March, 2009
Baby born: 10:10 am
Weight: 6 lbs 1 oz
Length: 19

WEDDINGS

KOROBASE AND VLODOVIC

Blaize Korobase and Lothor Vlodovic are proud to announce their marriage on May 23, 2009. Karah Raymaker and Mocha Shilova were maids of honor with Circe Falta as bridesmaid. Rexx Capalini gave the beautiful bride away. Retaliator Bury and Oowalt Lowey were best men. The couple had one week of honeymoon bliss at the Loveknot.

LANE AND LOWTIDE

Emily88 Lane and Bodhi Lowtide were partnered on May 26, 2009. Emi is the owner of Emi'z Custom tats and DJs at a variety of places in SL. Bodhi owns Bodhi's Board Shop, the #1 shop for your surfboard needs, board shop headquarters located at Monkey Paw (235, 60, 23), just down the pier.

PINKLADY AND MAPP ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Monq Pinklady and Robin Mapp celebrated the one year anniversary of their May 23, 2008, SL union at the beautiful Eons Ballroom at the Island of Maa on Sunday, May 24, 2009. Many guests attended the formal event where the couple was seranaded by the talented and beautiful Althea Baxton, and Tricia Bracken kept the party hopping spinning tunes.

MAA AND SPOTTER RECOMMITMENT CEREMONY

Quench Spotter and MaryAnn Maa are proud to announce their recommitment on Sunday, May 17. Best Man was Rory Ofarrel. Maid of Honor was Asyah Thorne. Flower Girl was Kim Henig. The ceremony was held at Weddings by Maa which is one of SL's premier full service wedding sims owned by the bride.

MUNRO AND HALDERMAN WEDDING

Abel Halderman and Buffy Munro are proud to announce their marriage on Saturday, May 2, at 1:30 PM SLT. Maid of Honor was Cloudy Matova and Best Man was Milo Voss. Bridesmaids were Emilyn Knoller, Slave Lacey and Tauri Tigerpaw. Grooms were Crusader Arado and VW Sands. Giving the bride away was Quench Spotter. The wedding was a sunset oceanside ceremony arranged and performed by MaryAnn Maa of Weddings by Maa. The happy couple will be honeymoon in the attic with the mice (hey - that's what the bride said!!!).

RAGU AND SORBET WEDDING

Rastaman Sorbet and Nanu Ragu are proud to announce their wedding held Wednesday, April 8. Maid of Honor was Halie Hermit, Best Man was Dawgbone Clip. Bridesmaids were Nekki Lovenkraft, Aurora Jacks, and Jasmine Kass. Groomsmen were CROW Luminos, Gath Gothly, and Danny Korkus. Musical performances during the ceremony and at the reception were performed by Gath Gothly, Jimmyt49 Dukes and Tauri Tigerpaw.

WEITMAN AND DOCHERTY WEDDING

Xtereme Docherty and Harmonie Weitman are proud to announce their wedding on Saturday, April 4, 2009. The ceremony was followed with an open reception held at The Wild Rose.

DECOSTA AND DESTINY WEDDING

Countess Decosta and Yendor Destiny are proud to announce their marriage on Sat, March 28, at 7 PM. A mixture of Aussie mates and surfing buddies got together and celebrated the day. According to the bride, Socks Clawtooth looked fabulous in lap lap and lei. With the bride from the South Seas, the wedding was set as an island event, and the service was conducted by Fleur Ferris. Altho many were willing to pay big money to find the newly wedded couple on their honeymoon, they kept that very private and enjoyed every moment.

SARAMAGO AND SARAMAGO WEDDING

Sebastian Saramago and Thalia Saramago are proud to announce their marriage on Feb 15, 2008, at 4 PM. Seb is one of the designers and creators of SL surfing (editors note: see SW 10/6/08 Interview - Sebastian Saramago), and he and Thalia share a memorable love story. The video of the ceremoney can be seen at: http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/sexy/watch/v178380532kprnc9A.

SurfWatch is the source for all your Second Life surfing news and information. If you are a member of the surf community and you would like to announce a wedding or birth or other important event, contact Tauri Tigerpaw.

Letter from the Editor

2009-06-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

SurfWatch reports what's going on in the surf community. If readers choose to comment on a story, we ask that they stay within the parameters of identifying themselves and no profanity. SurfWatch has asked commentors to voluntarily modify their statements where there has been blatant and direct name calling without compromising their point, and so far most have done so. We remind those making comments to posts that, while SurfWatch has been a forum for members of the SL surfing community to discuss issues that are important to them and SurfWatch has resisted censoring, we ask that those commenting not use the forum for additional personal attacks. This is an opportunity for discussion, examination, and growth in our community. Consider whether your comments are benefiting the community and what they are reflecting about yourselves. While venting may serve some purpose to clear the air, at some point it becomes counterproductive and clouds the issues in irrelevency. While SurfWatch does not believe in censorship as it relates to our ability to report all aspects of the surf community, SurfWatch is interested in responsible reporting and will not be a tool to damage the surf community. Please consider your comments before requesting that SurfWatch post them.

Tauri Tigerpaw
Editor-in-Chief
SurfWatch

SL SURFING WORLD CUP

2009-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

SurfWatch recently caught up with Colleen Brennan, SLSA Advisor and lead organizer of the SL Surfing World Cup competition, to get all the latest information on this multi-league event. The SLSA (Second Life Surfing Association) and ABSSL (Associacao Brasileira de Surf no SL) are reportedly making significant progress in negotiating the details of this Surfing World Cup competition first announced approximately two weeks ago. Since making an historic hand-shake agreement to stablish the first “international” interleague surfing competition, representatives from the SLSA and ABSSL continue to meet and iron out the details such as when, where, and how. SurfWatch will be providing team coverage of the entire process right thru the finals of the series.

SurfWatch: Is this competition intended to create a "champion of surf champions"?

Colleen Brennan: No, absolutely not. Despite its lofty title, this competition is not in any way intended to crown the “World Champion of all SL surfing.” Rather, it is an exhibition match bringing together top surfers from each league in a friendly competition designed to promote surfing in Second Life, unity of Second Life surfers in general, and to be a cultural exchange of sorts. Bottom line, it is an excuse - if anyone even needs one - to go out and have fun surfing.

SW: Who is “in charge” of the organization of the SWC?

CB: It is a joint effort of both leagues. I am most familiar with how the SLSA side is organized and can comment on that. Recently I submitted a proposal through the sponsorship of Bonheur Chenaux (current SLSA Director) to the SLSA Board. It basically asked for Board approval to sanction a joint venture establishing an exhibition match for fun between the two leagues. With Board approval, we are able to access and use SLSA resources such as the forums pages for registration, the spectator stands, the judges HUD, and the scoreboard system.

SW: Who is “we”?

CB: I was getting to that. “We” is a secret international conspiracy headquartered in Zurich and made up of international bankers, politicians, and the secret owners of the military-industrial complex .... just joking, of course. For the SLSA component of “we”, the proposal approved by the SLSA Board established a special competition committee composed of SLSA Board members, SLSA Advisors, and SLSA members who actively want to make this happen. It is important to emphasize that this competition is an independent joint venture of both leagues and an owned subsidiary of neither. That way, it is able to draw upon the expertise of each league in running a competition, yet is financially independent and will have to get its own sponsors. The point person for the SLSA Committee is Boneur Chenaux. Her counterpart from the ABSSL is none other than Leogarto Burt. Bon is doing a great job and it is so helpful that she is fluent in Portugese.

SW: What is the format of the actual event and who decides who participates? Is it invitational only, or is it open to all?

CB: Each League will choose its own format for deciding its 15 representatives. The SLSA is all about being open to all whenever possible, so all members can compete for one of the 15 open positions to represent us. The committee will host an open surfing competition similar to the first round currently used in SLSA competitions and the top 15 will move on to represent the SLSA team in the joint World Cup Match. One significant difference is that current SLSA rankings have no bearing on the selection. All members have an equal shot to make the team based solely on their performance in the open.

SW: Wouldn't it be easier to just take the current top 15 surfers and send them?

CB: Perhaps, but that is not what this is all about. We want to offer the maximum opportunity for members of both leagues to participate. Additionally, earlier I mentioned the cultural exchange component of this event. As you know, the SLSA and ABSSL use different wave systems and boards during the course of their respective seasons. By coin ,the first SWC will be held on the ABSSL waves at Crab Island using ABSSL HP Boards. Because of that “cultural exchange” , SLSA surfers will have to operate on a wave that will be new to them and a board they perhaps have not seen before. Current standings therefore have very little bearing. We will need to choose the top 15 based on performance on the wave and boards that will be used in the Cup.

SW: Won't that put the SLSA surfers at a disadvantage?

CB: Well, of course, it presents a challenge for the SLSA team to have to learn a new system and compete at a high level on it. I have never seen an SLSA surfer run away from a challenge, though. Many will embrace the challenge as a fun thing and the ones who do the best with adapting will be in the main event. We did lose the coin toss when it came to picking location and board system, but our surfers can still win this competition despite that. In fact, I am guessing many members will like the fact that even our most seasoned surfers will have virtually no greater amount of experience of the boards used in the open and main event. This may be the most competitive open we have ever had.

SW: What “cultural exchange” will the ABSSL surfers have to deal with?

CB: While the competition will be at the ABSSL home sim and using ABSSL boards, it will be run under the SLSA heat format and will have SLSA judges scoring system. This will be new to most ABSSL surfers. They are used to a format in which each surfer gets 4 minutes alone on the water to surf as many waves as they can and score as many points as they can in that time.

SW: How can you use SLSA judging if the board is scripted differently?

CB: The SLSA judging standards are, for the most part, independent of any particular script. They are “universal” in that the things that count are style, control, use of wave, and length of ride. They have survived several script changes and will be applicable for the ABSSL board and waves as well. The judges, as always, will have to have knowledge of the waves and boards in use, their capabilities, their limitations, and the degree of difficulty of various surfing moves. The details of unifying the SLSA standards with the ABSSL ones and training of judges is one of the things currently being worked out by the Committee. It is a challenge, but not an insurmountable one by any means. By the time the event occurs, the judges, as well as our surfers , will have had sufficient time to come fully prepared.

SW: It sounds like a lot has been done already. When will the full details be available? What is still holding things up?

CB: A lot certainly has been accomplished, but there is still much to do. A lot of people are working very hard to make sure it does get done. The committee has to get sponsors, the event still has to be scheduled, and both leagues must come to formal agreement on even some of the things I have discussed here. One of the very big challenges also arises in the area of having very good translation. We need to be certain that all surfers fully understand all the rules, how the judging works, etc. Additionally, not to put Socks (Clawtooth) on the spot, but he and others have already, at least tentatively, agreed to help with the all important tutorials so that our surfers can learn from each other how to quickly adapt to competing on a different board for one event. Also, there are always a million other details that need doing to have a successful surfing event. They run the gamut from getting rashies made and distributed prior to a competition to having pose balls in place for the winners on the podium at the end. We are on top of it though, and I feel very certain that everything will be officially announced in the near future.

SW: Do you have any other major concerns at this time?

CB: Right now, my main one is that people understand exactly what thiswill be. It will be a fun competition and reason to surf. It will be a challenge for all involved. It is also an opportunity to share a mutual love of surfing with another surf group, as well as an opportunity to restore the team spirit and feeling of good will and community in our ownSLSA group. This is an exhibition event for fun. Though anyone would love to win and certainly winning this event against such competition is a major accomplishment, the intent is not to say the winner is the definitive champion of all surfing.

Some people have even taken me to task over the proposed name of the event. This is still subject to change. Admittedly it is “promotional” and draws attention. But I have also personally already received a cultural lesson. As an average American who barely follows American football, I did not quite grasp the connotations involved with the title “World Cup” and soccer. If viewed only in comparison to the soccer World Cup, obviously this comp pales in comparison and is not for determining a world champion.

That was never the intent, though. The intent was so that all surfers could see that there is a bigger surfing “world” than just the one they have immediate involvement with. Also, if the event is a success, it is hoped we will have another in about 6 months alternating waves, boards and sims to the SSi ones currently in use by the SLSA. Also, if the Japanese league were to be resuscitated, they would be more than welcome to send a contingent to compete, as would any other viable SL surfing association

Finally, as most of us already realize how truly international the SLSA itself is. It is my hope that no one thinks the SLSA is the “American Surfing League.” We already are a worldwide league, and I have always loved that about SLSA. How else would I have gotten to be friends with the Big Kahuna of all Poland?

Stay tuned to SurfWatch for more information on the SL Surfing World Cup event.