Not so Fantastic..!

In the Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who was cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity.

A beach cleanup on Midway Atoll made them feel just like Sisyphus.

Thirty Thousand, the movie

I just checked out a trailer to a new movie called Thirty Thousand a movie about 2 surfers traveling from Casablanca to Cape Town. I liked it so I posted it on FM.

Thirty Thousand Trailer from Lightbox Pictures on Vimeo.

Emergency SOS from Captain Watson

Sea Shepherd needs our help!

The flagship, the Steve Irwin, has been seized by the British courts due to a frivolous lawsuit by a tuna poacher. We need your support in raising money for the bond. SOS - Save the Ship!

https://my.seashepherd.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=399

J-Bay thru the lens of Dan Ross

One of the many perks of be a pro surfer is pumping sessions when the events been called off...

Your initial though is lucky bast@#%? , but my second thought is I know just how much work Dan's put into get to this moment and absolutely deserves every wave, every moment...

"Its going to be pumping tomorrow boys" Dan Ross from iPhone...

Stay tuned for Dan's Heat 1 Round 3 vs. Frenchmen Jeremy Flores

The mind boggles - 4ft perfect lines, cool off shore breeze with only 2 guys in line up..

Power to ya Rossy!

Fly the flag bra!

Bruce Irons Opens Up About Brother Andy...

July 21, 2011 |  ASP International
SYDNEY, New South Wales/Australia (Thursday, July 21, 2011) – The Irons family produced perhaps the most potent sibling force the surfing world has ever seen. While it was younger brother Bruce that would see competitive success early as an amateur, it was Andy that would fuel his own fire and rampage to unprecedented heights, dethroning King Kelly Slater and claiming back-to-back-to-back ASP World Titles. The events of November 2, 2010 sent shockwaves throughout the sporting world, but nowhere were they felt as hard as upon Andy’s family. Sam McIntosh of STAB recently caught up with Bruce on a boat trip to the Mentawais to get his first impressions on record since this tragedy. This…is their story…

WARNING: May contain inappropriate language.

Stab: Describe how you’re feeling right now?
Bruce: Fucking – without the f’ing – really good. I’m actually doing really good right now. Here. Happy. I’m in a good spot. I couldn’t say that about a week ago. Well, y’know what, I have uh, I guess I was a little lost after my brother passed away. I just didn’t want to believe it. It’s still hard for me to believe. Feelings are a hard trip to deal with.

Stab: When I saw you at Pine Trees for Andy’s service, you looked like you weren’t even in your body.
Bruce: Oh, hell no. I think back to those first couple months and I can’t even remember any of it. I had no feelings. I was trying to numb it. (Aggressively) It’s just a…fucking… I didn’t want to believe. I just thought, “Nah, he’s coming back from a trip.” My brother was everything. I looked up to him, followed him, did everything. Then, all of a sudden… it’s hard for me to even say the words. When I do stop and think about it now, I kinda go into depression. My whole life I never dealt with my feelings. Me and my brother never talked to each other about feelings. We never sat there and said, “Are you alright, brother?”.

Stab: Where were you when Andy died? Who told you?
Bruce: That was the worst day of my life. I was at home and it was two weeks after the thing we did at the Canaries (Bruce did a trip with Stab to the Canary Islands last year). I remember we went to the fair the night before – me, Mia and Kaimelia (wife and daughter) – Halloween fair and my daughter was all psyched. I was at home. I was in a deep sleep and it was about seven in the morning and I heard Lyndie at the door screaming. I came out of a dead sleep and as I came to it (Bruce snaps his fingers) – I instantly knew it. I heard her voice at seven in the morning, very pregnant, and it that split-second, I knew it. I knew instantly it was what it was. It’s a fucking trip to wrap your head around it. Lyndie was very pregnant and I was trying to calm her down and it just didn’t register. I had to call the coroner. It worked me. It tweaked me out. I was frantic and then it was, like, “Aha, no way this isn’t happening.” I was calming Lyndie and she was very, very pregnant and I was trying to make sure she and the baby were alright. It was horrible.




BRUCE IRONS FLARE SHOOT from STAB on Vimeo.

Water challenges ahead...

Good friend of FM Toby Bourke, recently attended the Signapore International Water Week 2011 and suggested that we share some of the video from the event with the FM followers...

Water is the "liquid of life" as it is fast becoming a rare commodity and something that we have taken for granted must be carefully managed, appreciated and realised...

Somalia Crisis...

Famine in Somalia: How to help

Famine in parts of Somalia has killed tens of thousands of people, according the United Nations. Half of the population faces hunger, malnutrition and other related problems, and tens of thousands of refugees are fleeing to neighboring countries.

Here are some organizations that are taking donations for the relief effort.

CARE

The Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya is extremely beyond capacity and the influx of new arrivals is straining already-limited resources. CARE delivers emergency aid to save lives in Somalia.

Catholic Relief Services
Somalia, Kenya and Ethi­o­pia are in need of humanitarian assistance due to drought. CRS is working to feed millions of people suffering from hunger in these countries.


Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)

The Somali population— those in Somalia and the many who have fled to overcrowded camps in Kenya and Ethi­o­pia — is drastically affected by drought and famine. DWB is reinforcing its medical intervention in these areas.

Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps has teams on the ground in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, providing food, water and other critical assistance to hungry families.

Oxfam America

Every day, 3,500 Somalis are fleeing their country for refuge in Ethiopia and Kenya. Oxfam is aiming to reach 3 million people with water, sanitation services and food.

Save the Children
800-728-3843
Hundreds of thousands of Somali children are severely and acutely malnourished inside Somalia. Save the Children aims to reach half a million of the most vulnerable children and their families with vital help, including food aid, nutritional support, water and health care.

U.N. World Food Program

The World Food Program has declared a corporate emergency, elevating the crisis to the highest level of action and indicating grave concern about the possibility of widespread loss of life. The program is moving to airlift supplies and food to hungry populations.

UNICEF United States Fund

UNICEF is on the ground in refugee camps in Kenya and Ethi­o­pia, delivering lifesaving nutritional support and other basic supplies to keep vulnerable children alive and prevent disease.

Mountains - Teaser #1 - Team 360Life Documentary Film

A South African mountain bike stage race with the highest UCI status, the Absa Cape Epic, has never had a South African team finish on the top step of the podium.

Two of South Africa’s most talented and decorated cyclists, Dave George and Kevin Evans, have formed a professional cycling team with the express purpose of achieving this goal.

This is their story.

A Sinamatella Productions Film 1% For The Planet Member. Presented by 360Life.

Cinematography by Gary Perkin, Dale Hunt, Kat Millar & Shaun Lee
Additional Footage by Alice Evans
Edited by Kat Millar
Produced by James Walsh

To follow this story visit:

team360life.co.za
&
sinamatella.com

Dan Ross on Surfari...

Zee-bra...

Small waves during the 2011 Jeffery's Bay Billabong Pro waiting period, has given the Surfers a chance to check out some of the other treasures of South Africa...

Check out what else you can experience at http://www.ectourism.co.za/index.asp

Also check out www.onepercentfortheplanet.org Member  www.sinamatella.com/

And  a couple of 1% Recipients http://www.wildlands.co.za/home.aspx & http://www.penguin-rescue.org.za/

SOS Sea Shepherd...

SS vessel the Steve Irwin  has been detained by the United Kingdom courts because of a civil lawsuit brought against Sea Shepherd by a Maltese company: Fish and Fish Limited (F & F).

Back in June 2010, the Steve Irwin rescued endangered bluefin tuna from F & F nets. They are claiming damages. We believe these fish were caught illegally - after the season closed, without an inspector on board, and without any legal paperwork for their catch. This lawsuit gives us the opportunity to expose what we allege are illegal activities by F & F and we will aggressively defend the case on this basis. 

Read More; http://www.seashepherd.org/

J-Walkin' from Bell to Bay..

From Big Bells to J Bay- DAN ROSS Interview on ASL

Read the Interview and see more pics at:
http://surfinglife.com.au/worldtour/home/6228-dan-ross-from-big-bells-to-j-bay

 

Dan Ross is a surfer who has done it the hard way: after a killer junior surf career, Rossy first qualified for the World Tour in 2008, before he fell outside the top 44 in 2009. But with a lot of hard work, training, perseverance and winning on the WQS Tour, he made it back to the big league last year to finish 20th overall. Most recently, Dan has just enjoyed a productive break from the World Tour, and just a few days ago he was destroying some Bells Beach bombs in front of a huge crowd of curious onlookers. After seeing the photos of the massive waves, we had to get in touch with Dan:
Read the Interview and see more pics at:
http://surfinglife.com.au/worldtour/home/6228-dan-ross-from-big-bells-to-j-bay

1% for the Planet is shifting gears...

www.onepercentfortheplanet.org is moving into an exciting new phase, putting the final touches to 1% Ambassador Program that Dan and I are happily contributing too...

Already we're actively raising awareness and inspiring Companies around the World, big and small to sign up and become a  Member and donate 1% of there sales to a network of 2,500+ Environmental Organisations worldwide and we can't wait for the official launch coming soon..

So, for those of you who aren't familiar with the 1% Movement, the below video is a great start... Enjoy..!

Think before you buy your next can of Tuna... Supply vs. Demand..!

More Than Half of Tuna Species Facing Extinction, But Over-Fishing Them is "Too Profitable" to Stop...

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.15.11

Photo: Flickr, CC
Sh.. Just Got Real
As we've written about previously, tuna's in trouble, and it's not just limited to one species and/or one geographical region. A new study conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and published in the prestigious journal Science found that 5 out of the 8 tuna species are at "risk of extinction".

Photo: Flickr, CC
The problem in good part lies with the commercial appeal of these species. There is little interest in stopping over-fishing because it's so profitable. And when there are regulations, they are hard to enforce because of the logistical difficulties of monitoring fishing, and because of a lack of political will. Basically, money talks.

IUCN experts warned that all three bluefin tuna species - southern, Atlantic and Pacific - were susceptible to collapse because of pressure from fishing for the high-value fish. Southern bluefin tuna are already critically endangered, the highest category of risk, and Atlantic bluefin are endangered, the assessment for the IUCN red list of threatened species found.
Bigeye tuna are vulnerable to extinction, while yellowfin and albacore tuna are close to being under threat, or will be threatened with extinction if conservation measures are not put in place to turn their fortunes around. (source)

Photo: Flickr, CC
Dr Kent Carpenter, manager of IUCN's marine biodiversity unit: "If no changes are made to current fishing practices, the western Atlantic bluefin stocks are at risk of collapse as they are showing little sign that the population is rebuilding following a significant reduction in the 1970s."
Problem is, countries like Japan and Canada (shame!) are opposed to adding bluefin tuna to the UN list of protected fish, because of the impact it would have on fisheries. What they need to realize is that the impact will be worse, and permanent, if these fish go extinct.
See also: Bluefin Tuna Doesn't Stand a Chance Against EU's Industrial Fishing Boats

Taiig "BOMBING" his local hill.

Taiig Ross having a go and learning the art of "Bombing". Not bombing graffiti style and deafently not bombing military style but "Bombing" a hill on his skatey.
If you've ever skated then this little number will bring back some memories of the young days and the art setting a line and trusting in your own ability.

FRESH - The Movie...

Of course we love the name of this movie, but its well worth a look... The time is NOW! Not after your next McPesticide & Preservative Supersize Meal Deal, now...

You can taste the difference..!

For more information visit: www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp/Fresh_The_Movie

Bob Barker in Sydney, Australia...

Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker docks in Sydney Harbor, welcoming visitors and supporters with tours of the ship. For more info and to keep up with the vessel's activities; go to www.seashepherd.org.

Last month FM had the pleasure of boarding the vessel in dry dock midst a hive of activity and spending time with Andrea, Potts and crew. Last week we met with Sea Shepherd Australia's Director Jeff Hansen and discussed concepts of how we can actively contribute to their cause/efforts, with some exciting results and look forward to the developments, which we will share as they unfold...

FM in conjunction with www.alkaway.com.au donated a AlkaStrean to the crew of the Bob Barker to filter, energise and alkalise the vast water supply, which I know they will appreciate and enjoy... ;-)

Peace

Plastic State of Mind... (Parody)

Made by passionate volunteers on a super tiny budget, on the behalf of Green Sangha! Thanks folks! www.GreenSangha.org/​plastics-campaign/​ and www.NewMessageMedia.com/​contact/​

What the FRACK is going on..?

"My Water's On Fire Tonight" is a product of Studio 20 NYU (http://bit.ly/hzGRYP) in collaboration with ProPublica.org (http://bit.ly/5tJN). The song is based on ProPublica's investigation on hydraulic fractured gas drilling (read the full investigation here: http://bit.ly/15sib6).

Music by David Holmes and Andrew Bean
Vocals and Lyrics by David Holmes and Niel Bekker
Animation by Adam Sakellarides and Lisa Rucker

Revolution..!

We're big fans of www.option-g.com never disappoints... You can buy his art at treehugger.com

Enjoy..!

Billabong PRO - J Bay 2011 - Round 1 Heat 9..

A super solid start for Rossy at what is one of his favourite events..!

Advancing through to Round 3 offers an even better chance for much bigger, quality and quantity of waves next week...

New green arm wetsuit looks trick... www.patagonia.com

Pics from J-Bay.

Hey lads ,
these are shots we can use for FM- Kelso shot them and said its all good:)
It was at a place called oyster bay that me, mick and micks mate holtsy surfed as a warm up when j bay was flat.
Was pretty fun.. you might find some shots of mick from the same day on kelso's blog on surfing life site!

yeew

Goyte - Somebody that I used to know...

Wow, been away for a for a couple of days and just had to share this master piece before I get back into the swing of things...

Enjoy!

Into the Wilderness...

Jaspur Ross showing his Uncle Dan (on the shoulder..) a few finer points of coming off the top for the next stop on the www.aspworldtour.com at J'Bay... "Just like grab the rail and boost..."

"Ok Dan, now watch how this puppy goes..." Jasper taking out a Wilderness Surfboard Shaped by the late great Wayne Williams of Angourie, RIP...

There's a cool story behind this bright boxy railed thruster, with a paint job you could never forget...

About 15 years ago whilst living in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, I was surfing on a cold and lonely Winter's morning and this micro grom paddled in my direction from nowhere.. As he approached with the nose riding high out of the water as grommets do, I noticed a strangely familiar decal on the underside, which triggered some familiarity with home... "Are ya getting any good ones Mister?" the grommet shrieked with a slightly broken high pitched voice, in the pouring rain... "Yeah, there's a couple of little lefts into this shoreeeee....." as I paddled into a throaty little runner... I flicked off to watch the ballsy grom stroke into a grinder and get minced as he goes over the falls... I couldn't help but notice the super bright fluro colours flash and the Wilderness Decals dominating the deck as decals did in the 80's, as the board played Followed the Leader over the falls... "Yeah Grommy, that's was a pretty sick one... can I have a look at your board..?" "Wow, grom this board is from up the coast where I'm from and the shaper passed away a few years back,,, can I buy it from you..?" "I'll have to ask my mum, Mister..."

Anyway, long story short, I paid cash for it and proudly bought it home to ride at The Point and it went like an 80's wet dream,,, flat and fast with big boxy rails and super drive with the extra volume...

A few passed and I had my brand new steamer stolen from my car immediately after a surf at pumping Burleigh and for whatever Gold Coast reason was short of cash... Nav had a spare back home for cheap and I reluctantly took the board to the pawn shop in Yamba at the same time Ben Ross was holidaying with family in the area...

5 years later, during the 50th Bells Beach Classic this year when we were staying at Ben's place to support Dan, I spotted the unmistakable Wilderness proudly positioned and stored in the rafters of his garage.... "No way Rossy........."

Enjoy Jaspur, that's a sick board...

UNCLE - Rabbit in your headlights by Jonathon Glazer

One of best videos ever for so many reasons... Enjoy.....!

Mandala magic...

There's something fascinating about geometric shapes, a comforting, an insight into life and the universe, I'm not sure... When you stare at this Mandala its has an instantaneous calming effect that's difficult to comprehend...

Dan Ross gets his very own Patagonia Page...

Check out Dan's new Patagonia Ambassador page at www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go

We're super stoked for Rossy and Patagonia, as Patagonia's culture and ethics fit him like a glove and its just an extension of who he already is...

Patagonia's Jason McCaffery and design team have been testing out some new suits at J'Bay recently and fine tuning some high lines for Dan's next stop on the www.aspworldtour.com

There's something magically warm about those marino wool interiors......