Plus, Founder of the Athlete Recovery Fund, Aaron Cooke is on the Habit. Also, they caught up with Jesse at the 2008 Life Rolls On 5th Annual Night by the Ocean in Hollywood.

Jesse Billauer’s sponsors include: Nike 6.0, Hurley, Al Merrick, Boost Mobile, Honda, Balance Vector and Life Rolls On.

Are you living in the middle of nowhere, so much so that despite all the demos and autograph postings we advertise on this site, you’ve yet to see a team in your neighborhood, or at least a few hundred miles of your neighborhood?  One prime example of a lonely skater was featured on THE BERRICS named SKATE KIM.  I bet that’s his real name too.  But that kid was so awesome and lonely at the same time, you’ve got to assume that there are thousands of kids like him all over the world.  It’s humbling. 

A new website called Mycharitablelive.com has come onto the scene with a new business model.  You can bid on autographed gear via auction and portions of that winning bid will go to your favorite charity. 

Now excuse me while I go search out a sweaty Ryan Sheckler t-shirt, or a Nyjah Huston lock. 

Life changing opportunities that come around in our lifetimes are far and few between.  Maybe you should have been that bellybutton ring MODEL when you were approached by a world famous photographer who wanted to use your stomach when he saw you at Raging Waters.  Or perhaps you did have a niche for singing when your grandmother suggested you should enter the hit show American Idol because she thought you would go far.  These opportunities come and go and I’m willing to bet that these breaks pass us by since we’re too pessimistic to take them on. 

The visionary individuals who dared to take on something different usually reap the benefits.  When squirrel shooting KARL MALONE from the Utah Jazz accepted a pay cut in order to win a championship with Shaq and Kobe came his way, he took it.  Unfortunately they didn’t win but they came close.  And back to American Idol, when WILLIAM HUNG skipped out on engineering classes to become a star, his time and dedication definitely paid off.  He brought new life to a forgotten RICKY MARTIN classic. 

The same can be said about Julian Wilson and his bold and daring move to forego next years WQS.  But this is no shot in the dark.  Julian was given the opportunity to star in a film with non other than the Irons brothers.  We’re not talking about chopped liver here, we’re talking filet minon.  Suring with two living legends while getting paid for something that will forever live in surfing movie history, why not?  Although they will have some tough competition.  I heard that Point Break 2 will be coming out around the same time.   Good luck guys!  Check out the press release at THEDAILY.COM

Several days after the conclusion of the Women’s ASP World Tour season in Maui the roster for the 2009 Tour has been finalized.  While the surfers on tour will include 11 year’s worth of titles, there are also five rookies joining the vets — all teenagers.

Sally Fitzgibbons, 18, made history earlier this year by becoming the fastest surfer ever to qualify for the world tour in a season.  She will be joined by Brazil’s Bruna Schmitz, Kiwi Paige Hareb, Hawaiian Alana Blanchard (all 18) and Coco Ho, 17.

Aussies will dominate the tour, with Fitzgibbons and current world champ Stephanie Gilmore leading eight of their compatriots.

Seven-time world champ Layne Beachley remains on the tour, though she previously announced her retirement.  The move allows her to still compete at some events, though she will not participate in all events (there are eight total events).

The new season kicks off on Feb. 28, 2009 with the Roxy Pro Gold Coast.

Here are the 2009 World Tour Surfers:

1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
2 – Silvana Lima (BRA)
3 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
4 – Layne Beachley (AUS)
5 – Amee Donohoe (AUS)
6 – Samantha Cornish (AUS)
7 – Melanie Bartels (HAW)
8 – Rebecca Woods (AUS)
9 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
10 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
11 – Chelsea Hedges (AUS)*
12 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
13 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
14 – Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
15 – Paige Hareb (NZL)

One of the O.G.’s of surfing Gerry Lopez has a pretty in depth interview in the LOS ANGELES TIMES today.  Now 60 years old, you might recognize Gerry for a number of things.  In the 70’s, Gerry was widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, tuberider in the world by winning the Pipeline Masters two years in a row.  Or you might recognize him for his innovations in surfboard designs.  Lopez created the simple but eyecatching LIGHTNING BOLT jag that every surfer in the ’70s wanted.

But not me.  I don’t recognize him for those things.  I don’t even surf.  I recognize Gerry for his groundbreaking film role as “SUBOTAI” in one of my favorite films of all time, CONAN THE BARBARIAN starring California’s Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  That film really showed the ruggedness that can only be portrayed  by an extreme sports athlete.  He is by far, the best thing about that film besides Conan himself.

FYI, Gerry has also appeared in other films such as Big Wednesday,  North Shore, and Riding Giants.

Check out the interview over at the LA TIMES.

You’ve been through that predicament.  You’re watching a sick ROLLERBLADING video with all your closest homies at your mom’s house munching on some Rice Crispy treats and Bobby all of a sudden screams in his girliest voice, “Damn dawg!  Did you see that spot ARLO EISENBERG was totally shredding?  We gots ta hit dat spot up dawgs!  Who’s wit me!??” 

Unfortunately for you, Arlo, and your dawgs, you had no clue where that spot was.  Why?  One reason is because Rollerbladers probably get beaten up at that spot by wandering jocks in lowered S-10 pickups or simply because you and your friends just don’t know.  All of us have experienced this hype from watching skateboard, snowboard, surf, and HEELY vids, just to later be let down due to little or no info on these certain spots. 

Well we now live in 2008, close to 2009 and long are the days when we don’t know squat.  We can literally pull the encyclopedia out of our ass pockets and look up anything in the entire universe, 24/7.  Well ad NEW BREEDERS to your favorites list  (next to HOTORNOT.COM) because now, you can look up any spot in the entire world, any time.  Ever wonder where and how you can get to that spot Arlo was tearing things up?  Look it up on New Breeders.  Ever been on a road trip and you find some obscure city and wondered where to go?  New Breeders will lead you there. 

Check it! 

Kelly Slater capped off an amazing season Friday by winning the Billabong Pipeline Masters contest in Hawaii for a record sixth time.  Slater, who clinched a record ninth ASP World Tour title earlier this year, won a total of six out the tour’s 11 events in 2008.

Slater was unbeatable in the heats leading up to the final, scoring a combined 19.00, 18.63 and 19.40 (out of 20.00).  In his final against Chris Ward waves were sparse, and Slater took the contest with a 14.00 to Ward’s 7.23.

“It was disappointing that the waves didn’t really turn on for us in the final,” Slater said. “That’s what we are here for, to put on a show for people – at least give them some big wipeouts or something.”

More exciting was Slater’s semifinal against Timmy Reyes, when Slater came from behind with minutes left in the head to score a perfect 10.00 and a 9.00.

While Ward’s second-place finish assured him of a spot on the 2009 World Tour, he came up short in the final rankings for the Vans Triple Crown honor.  Joel “Parko” Parkinson, who scored a history-making perfect 20.00 earlier in the contest, ended up taking the Triple Crown thanks to his performance over the three season-ending Hawaiian contests.

The 2008 ASP World Tour surfing season is now complete and will resume next year on Feb. 28 when the holding period of the Quiksilver Pro commences.

Read more about the contest on the ASP website.

2009 ASP World Tour rookie Nathaniel Curran – cr. Covered Images

The 2009 ASP World Tour roster has been decided with the conclusion of the 2008 season.  After the Billabong Pipeline Masters, the top 27 surfers from the current world tour earn a spot in 2009, along with the 15 top-ranked World Qualifying Series (WQS) surfers (who didn’t otherwise qualify) and three wildcards chosen by the ASP.

There are few surprises, since most of the list was decided after the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing earlier this month.

Surfers will get more than two months off before kicking off the 2009 season on Feb. 28 with the Quiksilver Pro in Australia.

For more about the rankings, check out the ASP website.  The full list follows…

1. Kelly Slater (USA)
2. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
3. Taj Burrow (AUS)
4. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
5. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
6. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
7. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
8. Mick Fanning (AUS)
9. Bobby Martinez (USA)
10. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
11. Luke Stedman (AUS)
12. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
13. Andy Irons (HAW)
14. Chris Ward (USA)
15. Kai Otton (AUS)
16. Tim Reyes (USA)
17. Tom Whitaker (AUS)
18. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
19. Dayyan Neve (AUS)
20. Bruce Irons (HAW)*
21. Mikael Picon (FRA)
22. Dane Reynolds (USA)
23. Taylor Knox (USA)
24. Damien Hobgood (USA)
25. Heitor Alves (BRA)
26. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
27. Ben Dunn (AUS)
28. Nathaniel Curran (USA)
29. Chris Davidson (AUS)
30. Michel Bourez (PYF)
31. Gabe Kling (USA)
32. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
33. David Weare (ZAF)
34. Josh Kerr (AUS)
35. Nic Muscroft (AUS)
36. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
37. Greg Emslie (ZAF)
38. Tim Boal (FRA)
39. Dustin Barca (HAW)
40. Tiago Pires (PRT)
41. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
42. Drew Courtney (AUS)
43. Dean Morrison (AUS)**
44. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)**
45. Marlon Lipke (DEU)**

* Irons has previously stated that he is retiring from full-time competition after the 2008 season.
** Wildcard chosen by ASP & Surfer’s Union.

Joel Parkinson accomplished something on Wednesday that only one other surfer in history has done:  score a perfect 20.00.  Parkinson notched two perfect 10.00 waves in his third-round heat at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, matching a feat only Kelly Slater previously had done.  Slater scored his perfect 20.00 in the finals of the 2005 Tahiti contest.

“I never thought I would get two perfect 10s,” Parkinson said.  “Kelly did it in unreal fashion, mine was a just in a third round heat, but it’s at Pipe and it’s definitely something that when I grow old, I’ll think, ‘I did something in my career my name’s next to Kelly’s on that one.’”

Parkinson also moved one step closer to winning the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing honor following the defeat of front-runner Dusty Payne (who was beaten by Parkinson’s 20.00) and second-place CJ Hobgood.

“I have to start thinking more about the Triple Crown now. I have to forget about those 10s and start surfing heats from now on and not get too ahead of myself,” he said.

Also eliminated from the Pipeline Masters Wednesday were Bruce Irons, Taj Burow, Mick Fanning, Daniel Wills, Dean Morrison, Pancho Sullivan and Ben Dunn.  Irons, Wills and Sullivan have previously announced their retirement from full-time competition in 2009, while Morrison is expected to apply for a wildcard to make the tour in 2009.

One day of competition is left to finish the Billabong Pipeline Masters and action is expected to resume on Friday due to poor weather.  For more about the event, visit the official site.  Full round three results follow.

Billabong Pipeline Masters Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Marcus Hickman (HAW) 14.56 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.83
Heat 2: Luke Stedman (AUS) 7.34 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 5.50
Heat 3: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 20.00 def. Dusty Payne (USA) 15.16
Heat 4: Tim Reyes (USA) 14.83 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 10.56
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.77 def. Ezra Sitt (HAW) 7.90
Heat 6: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 14.83 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.50
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.50 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 6.60
Heat 8: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 16.50 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.86
Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 18.26 def. Daniel Wills (AUS) 17.94
Heat 10: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.83 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 12.16
Heat 11: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 16.24 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 16.10
Heat 12: Kamalei Alexander (HAW) 12.56 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.00
Heat 13: Chris Ward (USA) 17.27 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 13.83
Heat 14: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.93 def. Shane Dorian (HAW) 12.63
Heat 15: Evan Valiere (HAW) 18.13 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.60
Heat 16: Andy Irons (HAW) 14.37 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 13.17

Kelly Slater may have clinched his record ninth world title earlier this season but there are still three spots open on the ASP World Tour roster for 2009.  The season-ending Billabong Pipeline Masters will decide who will get those slots, and Chris Ward made his statement in round two Tuesday,  scoring a high heat total of 19.90 out of 20.00.  Ward is currently ranked 24th on the tour and the cut-off for the 2009 Tour is the top 27.

Current world tour surfers who were eliminated today from the 2009 tour roster were Daniel Ross, Royden Bryson, Ricky Basnett, Jay Thompson, Rodrigo Dornelles, Luke Munro, Mick Campbell, Roy Powers and Leonardo Neves.

Action on round two is expected to continue on Wednesday and can be watched via a live webcast on the official Triple Crown of Surfing website.