Commonwealth Bank WCT

Finally....a women's WCT event is on again!

The last WCT on the women's side of the draw was in April and now after a loooong (much needed?) break the women will return to competition! I think all the women will be fired up and ready to go and some may have even learned a few new tricks that they could wack out during competition. Silvana Lima air reverse anyone?

From September 30th to October 5th the Commonwealth Bank WCT event will be underway. It will take place in Sydney, Australia and will feature Sydney's northern beach, Dee Why as competition central. Although for the past 4 years that this event has been running it has taken place at Manly, this year contest directors have decided to move it to Dee Why.

It should be good to see the women get underway again!

This event has never been won by anyone over the age of 21! Will it happen again this year? Last year it was won by this firing grom, Tyler Wright who has gotten herself a wild card again this year. Can she do it again?


With the large number of rookies on tour this year there is a high chance that an under 21-er will take it out!

I certainly hope so. I'm rooting for a rookie to take a WCT event and feel it would be fitting for Aussie girl Sally Fitzgibbons to take this one!

Though you can't look past World Champ Steph Gilmore!

Check out http://www.beachleyclassic.com/ to see live coverage.

Courtney Conlogue

Courtney Conlogue wins Hurley Us Open of Surfing! She beat defending champ Malia Manuel in the final!
There were massive waves for most of the womens competition but they all surfed the waves brilliantly, especially Courtney! It shows how good women can surf when you give them the right conditions!

She pockets $10,000 for the win!

Congrats!

Huntington Beach Surfing

Right now there is a surf competition on at Huntington Beach in California, US. It has a stacked line up for both the men and womens side of the draw and i cant wait to see who takes it out. The winner of the mens comp gets $100,000!!!! Talk about having an incentive!
Anyway im most excited for the womens comps. The junior girls finalists have already been decided with Malia Manuel, Coco Ho, Sage Erikson and Canelle Bullard competing it out. If Coco wins it that would be the second year in a row!

The womens comeptition should be super exciting as most of the womens top 20 are there, if not all of them. It will be a real showdown! I think the womens final is going to be on Saturday 25th and so will the Junior girls final! Can't wait!

Mr Price Pro Ballito ON NOW!

The Mr Price Pro Ballito in South Africa is on now! The women are currently in the water after a lay day yesterday as the surf was too big and deemed dangerous. You can check out the live webcast at www.mrpricepro.com

Paige Hareb

I know i have featured a few Hawaiian and Australian surfers on my blog but i think that Paige Hareb deserves a wealth of credit. She represents New Zealand in the surfing world (shes the first female New Zealander to make it onto the WCT!) and she represents NZ superbly. She has a such an agressive style but has lots of flair and tries manoeuvres that are most women cant complete. Shes not afraid about who she comes up against in heats but just wants to prove that she has what it takes to compete with the best and she definitely does that. Shes a great example of the surfing ability that is rising up the ranks in NZ as there is a lot of female surfers in NZ that are following in Paige's footsteps. However Paige is doing a wicked job at leading the way.

Keep it up Paige!

You can keep up with what shes doing on her bebo and her myspace. She also regularly features videos that follow her on her travels and gives a great insight into the life of a WCT surfer.

Also Curl Magazine is a fantastic magazine that regularly features her. Curl is a NZ magazine that features female surfers, skaters and snowboarders and has wicked articles and great photos and keeps up with the latest happenings in the board world so check it out!

You can subscribe and take a look at it at http://www.curl.co.nz/

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

This is the most inspiring book i have ever read.

Randy Pausch wrote a book called The Last Lecture when he discovered that he was going to die from cancer. He dedicated his final moments of life to this book and the presentation he called his 'last lecture'. Reading his book i was moved, sometimes to laughter, but more regularly to tears. Not because it was sad but because he was such an inspiration simply through his passion of life that he transfered into words. It saddens me when someone so humble and generous and with so much to offer is given an early end. Randy's knowledge, his love of learning and his positive, warm demeanour was lost before he truly had time to unleash it on the world. I am pleased that his children will be able to relate to and understand their father through the book and his last lecture presentation that can be seen on youtube. His love for life is contagious, and presented through his book and he demonstrated a perspective and a knowledge that i had never experienced before. His words warmed my heart and i learnt so much from him through his passion for life.

I know his kids love and respect him and will learn to understand the father they didnt have long to be with because i truly believe Randy is an example of an admirable man and a testament to the way people should live.

R.I.P. Randy Pausch.