“That’s it? It’s over?” grinned Mark Occhilupo while making his way off the beach at Pipe with his wife and kids in tow. “Can I do it again?”



And like that, with a loss to Troy Brooks in Round 3 of the 2007 Pipe Masters, after spending almost his entire life as a professional competitive surfer, Occy has officially made the transition from competitor to icon. 



So in honor of Occ, lets take a brief stroll down memory lane: Born on June 16, 1966, at Occy first took to the water at Cronulla at the age of nine. In 1983, at only 16, he traded his schoolbooks for a career in the budding pro surfing scene, finishing in the top 16 his first year on tour, and thus solidifying his place among the world’s best for years to come. We all know about his epic clashes with Tom Curren over the year, especially at the OP Pro in Huntington, which in turn led to Occy’s groundbreaking performance in the 1987 epic, North Shore. In the early 1990s the Raging Bull might have been raging a little too hard as he somewhat lost his way, ballooning up to a 245-pound couch potato. But by 1995 it was time to pull it back together and get out on tour again. The hard work paid off as he finished second in the ’97 rankings behind Kelly Slater, and then two years later went on to win his first and only world title. In 2003 Occy and then girlfriend Mae had their first child together. They were eventually married the following year, and the rest, as they say, is history.



“It’s been an amazing journey,” Occy said after being carried up the beach on the shoulders of his countrymen. “I’ve made so many good friends and had so many good experiences, it’s hard to walk away, but I’m building a house right now and I can finally get down to the business of raising me family.”



There you have it, I could have spent this whole story writing about the tricky conditions at Pipe today, or the fact that the WCT surfers found a bit of footing against some of the local boys, or all of the other baggage that’s accompanying this year’s Pipe Masters, but for now this is Occy’s moment, and we should celebrate it as such.



Rumors of Kelly Slater stepping away from next year’s tour swirled around the beach, as did rumors of Victor Ribas’s retirement, but at the moment that’s all hearsay and speculation. So put your hands together for a man that’s given so much to the sport of surfing. And if you want more on the Raging Bull check out billabong.com.au/occy.



With the conditions going from bad to worse throughout the day, and a Billabong sponsored lifeguard party up in the Waimea Valley tonight, I can almost hear the beers cracking open already.



Round 3 Results:

Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.17 def. Mikey Bruneau (HAW) 6.10

Heat 2: Dayyan Neve (AUS) 17.43 def. Victor Ribas (BRA) 6.57

Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.60 def. Roy Powers (HAW) 13.50

Heat 4: Troy Brooks (AUS) 9.94 def. Mark Occhilupo (AUS) 8.93

Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.50 def. David Wassell (HAW) 3.56

Heat 6: Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 7.16 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 7.10

Heat 7: Ian Walsh (HAW) 13.67 def. Bobby Martinez (USA)10.93

Heat 8: T.J. Barron (HAW) 13.34 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 5.17

Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 15.50 def. Myles Padaca (HAW) 4.90

Heat 10: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.33 def. Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 10.10

Heat 11: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.34 def. Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 4.67

Heat 12: Chris Ward (USA) 12.50 def. Gavin Gillette (HAW) 8.90

Heat 13: Mikala Jones (HAW) 10.00 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 5.47

Heat 14: Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 16.67 def. Flynn Novak (HAW) 15.33

Heat 15: Gavin Beschen (HAW) 13.33 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8.33

Heat 16: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) def. Danny Fuller (HAW)

As told by Jason Kenworthy, SURFER Staff Photographer



We got to the bay in the morning and it was dead flat – not much larger than one foot, and Contest Director Dino Andino was pacing back and forth looking really stressed out. The window for swell was closing quickly and nothing was projected on the horizon. The tension was thick but Dino made a ballsy call to run the competition.



They ran the first heat, and it was really slow, but it kept getting better as the day wore on – so kudos to Dino for his gutsy decision.



The first main heat to go down was between Sofia Mulanovich and Keala Kennely. Keala entered the event as a wildcard. She hadn’t been surfing on tour all year long, was surfing on her back hand, and the whole beach thought there was no way she could take down Sofia. Then, right off the bat, Keala got a bomb backside barrel and finished it off with a big turn and floater. Her first wave set the tone for the heat. She got a few more good scores after her hot start, and Sofia just couldn’t find the waves she needed to win. Keala even got the highest score of the day with a 9.9, proving she’s still got the goods. The heat turned a bit emotional as Sofia shed a few tears because the loss ended her 2007 World Title campaign.



Keala seemed a bit bummed about the whole ordeal as she didn't want to be a "dream-killer." Kennelly acknowledged she had been in the same position before and regretting dashing a competitor like Sofia’s hopes. "It was a shame that’s how it had to go down," Keala said.



After that, the surf really started to pump – and the marquee read Steph Gilmore vs. Rochelle Ballard. Rochelle was one of the two remaining title contenders. When the horn sounded, Steph started out with a beautiful little barrel and solid, stylish turns; they were Parko-esque. Rochelle came back and got a few good ones, but Steph continued her solid surfing, and that’s all she wrote.



The only thing left hanging in the balance at that point was the Silvana Lima factor. Lima had Roseanne Hodge in her heat, and though the waves slowed a little with the tide, Silvana appeared determined as ever to claim a world title - or at least keep the race going. She paced the Competitors' Area like a possessed Brazilian. Silvana lead the heat through its entirety, but Hodge patiently waited out the back for a big score and she got it in the closing minutes.



That sealed the deal. New world champ. Steph Gimore. Steph was biting her nails in the bleachers throughout the remainder of Silvana's heat, surrounded by her friends and Team Manager Kate and Coco Ho. She was absolutely beside herself after the final horn, and the realization of what that meant.

The Rip Curl Team broke out the Happy Gilmore hats, and Steph was speechless, winning the World Tour as a rookie, drenched in champagne, hoisting the trophy. Steph Gilmore: 2007 ASP Women’s World Champion.

My friends and I have just finished recording a new album called Sleep Through the

Static.  At this point in my life I weigh about 190 lbs and my ear hairs are getting longer. 

I also have a couple of kids.  My wife popped them out, but I helped.  Some of the songs

on this album are about making babies.  Some of the songs are about raising them. 

Some of the songs are about the world that these children will grow up in; a world of war

and love, and hate, and time and space.  Some of the songs are about saying goodbye

to people I love and will miss.  

 

We recorded the songs onto analog tape machines powered by the sun in Hawaii and

Los Angeles.  One day, JP Plunier walked into the studio and told us, “It has been 4 to 6

feet and glassy for long enough,” and so we gave him a variety of wind and rain as well

as sun and so on.  And Robert Carranza helped to put it all in the right places.

 

After inviting Zach Gill to join Adam Topol, Merlo Podlewski, and myself on our last

world tour, we decided to make him an official member of our gang.  So our gang now

has a piano player, which probably makes us much less intimidating, but Merlo, our

bass player, is 6

The world’s foremost junior surfers will have one New Year’s resolution in common come January 2, 2008; to become the 2007 ASP World Junior Champion.



The Billabong ASP World Junior Championship takes place at Sydney, Australia’s North Narrabeen Beach, from January 2- 10, 2008 and will see only the top six Under 20 male and top two Under 20 female surfers, as well as four wildcards and two trialists, from eight surfing regions (South America, North America, Hawaii, Australasia, Africa, Europe, Japan and an ASP International emerging region) invited to compete.



The event now in its eleventh year, is the hardest on the Junior circuit to qualify for and the hardest to win. Surfers must reach the top of their respective regional junior series tours in order to qualify for the international competition. The highest seeded Men’s U20 ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) surfer from each region is also invited to compete.



Last year saw current WQS ratings leader Jordy Smith (ZAF) add his name to the prestigious honour roll, which includes 3X ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW), current World No. 4 Joel Parkinson (AUS) and current World No. 24 Adriano de Souza (BRA), making the Billabong ASP World Juniors an accurate gauge for future world beaters.



Parkinson burst onto the international stage during his junior career, winning the ASP World Junior crown in 1999 and again in 2001, becoming the only surfer to win the event twice.



“It is probably the biggest achievement for an U20 surfer,” Parkinson explained. “You can win a lot of junior events but this is the hardest; especially these days when the whole junior world is competing. It’s like a checking point, time to decide whether to turn pro and go on tour. I think it is one of the most important junior events today.”



The girls division, while only in its third year, has crowned the likes of reigning World Junior Champion Nicola Atherton (AUS) and 2005 ASP Women’s World Tour Rookie of the Year Jessi Miley Dyer (AUS) and continues to reveal the depth of talent in the female ranks.



This year’s heat draw is brimming with fresh faces with wildcard Pablo Paulino (BRA) being the only returning former World Junior Champion.



Leading their respective regions into battle are regional Billabong Junior Series Champions, Charlie Brown (BRA), Mitchell Coleborn (AUS), Casey Brown (HAW), Rudy Palmboom (ZAF), Adrien Valero (FRA), Noboyuki Osawa (JPN), Adam Wickwire (USA) and Angelo Lozano (MEX) in the guys division and Bruna Schmitz (BRA), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Alessa Cuizon (HAW), Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF), Lee Ann Curren (FRA), Nao Omura (JPN) and Courtney Conlogue (USA) in the girls division.



The four event wildcards have been awarded to Paulino, Tonino Benson (HAW), Torrey Meister (HAW) and Tamaroa McComb (TAH) while the two Billabong wildcards will be Paige Hareb (NZ) and Kirby Wright (Aus).



South America leads the team ratings based on the four best scores from each region and has a history of dominance at this event. Three former Billabong World Junior Champions including Paulino (2004), De Souza (2003) and Pedro Henrique (2000) hail from Brazil.



The event format mirrors elite ASP World Tour specifications, meaning junior surfers must compete in man-on-man heats, utilizing a priority system as if already competing on the prestigious ASP World Tour.



In addition, surfers will compete before an ASP International Judging Panel, the same panel which judges their surfing heroes on the ASP Men’s and Women’s World Tours.



Former ASP World Tour campaigner Luke Egan (AUS) will be the contest director for the fifth consecutive year, presiding over surf conditions and offering valuable insight into ASP World Tour format.



The Billabong World Junior Championship requires six full days of surfing to be completed (four for the boys and two for the girls) and is considered the best preparation for junior surfers hoping to one day compete on the top tier tour.



The event will be broadcast live on the web at www.aspworldtour.com and www.billabongpro.com

The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines has completed the first day of competition, and the three remaining surfers in contention for the ASP Women’s World Title set the pace with blistering forehand surfing in the two-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at Honolua Bay, Maui.



The final event of the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui carries with it the added weight of deciding both the 2007 ASP Women’s World Champion as well as the Vans Triple Crown Champion.



Silvana Lima (BRA), current No 3 on the ASP Women’s World Tour and contender for the ’07 title, was in incredible form this morning, netting the day’s high heat total of a 17.20 out of a possible 20 for her progressive forehand attack.



“Sometimes I think about the title, but then I relax,” Lima said. “I think more about the event. I really want to win the event. If the ASP Women’s World Title comes, then great, but I’m focused on the event. I love it here. I’m really happy.”



Lima will have a long way to go before her ASP Women’s World Title aspirations come true as frontrunners Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and former ASP Women’s World Champion Sofia Mulanovich both advanced through to Round 3 with impressive performances of their own.



Gilmore, who amassed a solid 16.25 out of a possible 20 in her Round 1 victory today, could make ASP history as the first surfer ever to claim an ASP World Title in their rookie season. Although, Lima and Mulanovich are right there in the hunt, the prodigious Australian takes solace in the fact that the Billabong Pro Maui is being run in a solid, righthand pointbreak.



“If I wanted the whole race to come down to any kind of wave, it would probably be one like this,” Gilmore said. “I’m in a really good position and my surfing feels really good.”



Gilmore will face off against veteran Rochelle Ballard (HAW) in Round 3 when competition resumes.



After the first two events of the 2007 Vans Triple Crown, veteran competitors Megan Abubo (HAW) and Sofia Mulanovich (PER) are out in front in the race for this season’s title, having won the Reef Haleiwa Pro and Roxy Pro Sunset respectively.



Abubo, who suffered a horrendous wipeout at the Roxy Pro Sunset, put the pain aside this afternoon to post the day’s highest single-wave score of a 9.25 out of a possible 10 for a blistering series of forehand attacks.



“I think the Triple Crown is what is really driving me to perform right now,” Abubo said. “Also, I would like to do well at Honolua. I’ve never really done well here and I would like a result. I feel like I am surfing better this year than last year and hopefully I can get a result.”

What up Surfers?

For those of you on the West Coast, I hope you’re enjoying the swell that hit last week—it was huge!

OK, so here’s the inside scoop this month, Surfer Magazine and the Surfer Hot 100 are giving away a Bobby Martinez “Bobby” Board, shaped by Al Merrick. All you have to do to be eligible to win is join the Hot 100 community by 12/15/07. A random drawing will decide the winner by 12/17/07, right in time for the holidays!

The Surfer Hot 100 is a one of a kind community that revolves around the hottest up and coming surfers around the world. Get in depth bios on all the surfers, watch exclusive videos, learn tips and tricks from Pro’s, and most importantly, WIN FREE STUFF! Again, this month it’s Bobby’s board, from world renowned shaper Al Merrick. Come on! He’s shapes boards for Tom Curren, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Dane Reynolds and now the Hot 100’s own Jordy Smith. You know you want it.

So join now!

NSSA ANNOUNCES TWO YEAR WAVEWATCH.COM SPONSORSHIP

 

Huntington Beach, Ca., December 3 - The National Scholastic Surfing Association today announced a two year sponsorship with WaveWatch.com.  The partnership will designate WaveWatch as the official surf forecasting service of the NSSA. The sponsorship will allow WaveWatch to reach thousands of NSSA members and their parents with premier forecasting features and tools.  Surfers visiting WaveWatch.com will have easy and free access to a smorgasbord of features including animated surf forecast maps with a 7 day timeline into the future, detailed surf reports, current conditions, live cams, video forecasts and a host of other progressive and up to the minute components.  The NSSA will benefit by utilizing top notch surf forecasting from WaveWatch’s knowledgeable team of surf forecasters and meteorologists. 



“We are proud to be working with WaveWatch and its superior group of surf forecasters,” said Janice Aragon, NSSA Executive Director.  “This partnership provides us with the opportunity to provide our members with valuable state-of-the-art forecasting technology along with dialing them into current wave conditions so they are equipped and ready for competition and upcoming events.”



"WaveWatch is excited about the opportunity to work with the NSSA and the future of America's surfing talent,” said Rafael Patterson, Brand Manager of WaveWatch.  “The NSSA offers the groms the chance to develop their competitive abilities and WaveWatch will be there along the way keeping them updated on the conditions to be better prepared for competition."