Surf

John John Florence has been on a tear this winter. He landed that insane backflip at Backdoor Pipeline and just won himself his 4th Volcom Pipe Pro crown. And this Monday filmer Aaron Lieber released this 4K quick hit of John John busting an alley oop that is quite possibly bigger than anything else he's ever landed. Granted, he doesn't land this one, but god-damn look how high off the lip he is! It's gonna be an exciting year on the World Surf League (formerly known as the ASP).

Check out a GIF of the near-make alley oop and watch the full video below.

Mark Healey and Mike Ho are no doubt two of Pipeline's biggest legends. Recently they wanted to pull off a double barrel, with Healey behind filming the angle from deeper in the barrel. They accomplished the feat on January 28 and showed everyone that sharing truly is caring.

Thumbnail image via Mark Healey's Instagram

Martin Pollock is a true story of inspiration. In 2010, while serving as a rifleman in Afghanistan for the British Army, an improvised explosive device took both of his legs and part of his left arm. Pollock had always been an active athlete, and was not going to let his injuries keep him from doing things he wanted to do in life.

So he eventually started surfing through Operation Surf, which helps people learn to surf that have to overcome life challenges. Having surfed for a couple years now, Pollock recently visited Hawaii and got to surf with big wave surfing legend Laird Hamilton, and even share a few waves with him. Pretty awesome that Pollock is not letting his injuries keep him down.

Weren't you always wondering how Kelly Slater's golf game really is? We're certain this isn't how the 11-time world champ tees off on a regular basis, but he can smash the shit out of it when he does.

But that's not all we find out from surf photographer Morgan Maassen's 2014 iPhone compilation clip. Last year's mashup gave us some incredible moments of Laura Enever twerking, Kelly kissing a dog, Steph Gilmore lip-syncing, and so much more. This year we get to see Spike Jonze throwing a cake, Quincy Davis singing in the car, and lots of other candid moments with some of the world's best surfers.

Check out the Slater GIF below and watch the full video for some hilarious moments.

East Coast surfers are a breed all of their own. They don't have it easy when it comes to getting good waves, and when they do it's usually freezing and doesn't last very long. Which is why these brave Montauk, NY souls paddled out during whiteout conditions from winter storm Juno. It's hard to let waves like this pass up, and Travis Beckmann, Nick Joeckel, Grant Monahan, and Charlie Weimar put up with the extreme cold, snow, and wind to get their's.

Yes, Jamie O'Brien is the king of the board-to-board surf transfer. But he's never done a board-to-board-to-board transfer, which pro skimboarder Austin Keen has just completed. Going from a SUP to a longboard to a skimboard, Austin Keen flawlessly raises the bar for boards on boards on boards. Now, is Jamie O'Brien gonna give this one a go at Pipeline?

If you're not familiar with Hawaii's Paige Alms, then let this be a much-needed first introduction. The female big wave surfer has made a name for herself the last couple years by charging harder than most men. On a recent dynamo swell at Jaws, she caught what many are claiming as the biggest barrel ever ridden by a female at the treacherous big wave spot. Biggest or not, it's certainly worthy of a nomination for Ride Of The Year at the XXL Big Wave Awards.

Do you think this is the biggest barrel ever ridden by a woman? Tell us in the comments.

Pipeline is one of the most powerful waves in the world. This is a fact. But sometimes it's hard to really gauge just how powerful. Well how about spleen-rupturing powerful?

Pro surfer Torrey Meister had the unfortunate luck to display this for everyone on a a Backdoor Pipeline wave earlier this winter. Getting rocked pretty hard, the wave exploded Meister's spleen and he had to surgery to repair everything. The ocean will certainly humble you, and take pieces of you with it as well.

Check out the Instagram video below, and good to know that Torrey is getting all healed up.

Leave it to fashion brand H&M to release a commercial with some cold water surfing in snow in a highly unlikely place: Sweden. Featuring Sweden's first pro surfer, Freddie Meadows, he treks through some deep powder to get to the Baltic Sea to catch some freezing barrels.

Just add Sweden to other places with lots of snow you can surf like Iceland, Idaho, Lake Erie, and New Jersey. With all the snow pounding the Northeast United States right now, you'll be sure they're trying to capture a piece of that surf culture's pie.

Surfer Alex Gray himself is pretty damn good at the surf selfie. So it makes total sense that surf photographer Mike Nulty enlisted Gray to capture one of the best surf selfies ever documented.

But the below Instagram video of Nulty capturing himself and Gray at P-Pass is only the tip of the iceberg with Nulty's surf selfie skills. He gets festive with them, hangs with Elmo in the barrel, and gets deeper than most in pursuit of the surf selfie.

Check out some of his best instances below.

The Emerald Isle isn't really widely known for it's surf. But it should be. One of Ireland's most touted surfers, Fergal Smith, shows you why Ireland needs to be thought of as a surf zone. Cold water, rocky waves, and some solid thumpers add up to a place we'd like to surf before we cease to exist.

Check out Line9's full series with Fergal Smith here.

"Waves don't fart! That's not a real fart! This is dumb."

Those are all things that people without a sense of humor might say about this video by The Inertia. Barrel spits of surfers exiting barrels equated to the waves farting on the surfers is ingenious. Even Kelly Slater gets farted on at Pipeline in this one.

What do you think of this video? Tell us in the comments.

Follow surf photographer Stu Gibson's drone around the world as he captures footage of some of the best surfing spots with some of the best surfers. Big waves, perfect waves, and everything in between, Stu is getting some incredible imagery.

Everyone's got their own pre-surf warm-ups. Anastasia Ashley probably has the best (if you like twerking). But this guy in Australia might rival hers, in terms of hilarity at least. I mean, the guy has the whole "visualize and attack" approach down pat. Now he's just gotta figure out the whole surfing part...

What do you think of this pre-surf warm-up? Tell us in the Comments.

It's no secret that Curren Caples was born to ride a skateboard. The Flip pro and X games gold medalist has been fixture on the contest circuit since the tender age of 14, and this year flexed his formidable street skills in Flip's 3, announcing himself as a four-wheel force to be reckoned with. What you might not know, however, is that Curren (named after legendary surfer Tom Curren) is equally comfortable carving breaks as he is pool coping, as evidenced in Surfer Magazine's The Now: Curren Caples. Check it out (and don't worry, it's OK to be jealous).

Anastasia Ashley is one tough chick. But she doesn't look bad in a bikini either. In 2014 she was featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and did not disappoint one bit. Enjoy these outtakes (with a bit of twerking) and warm up on this winter Friday evening.

Surfing in the winter in the northeast is not for the faint of heart (or those who get cold easily). New Jersey surfer Rob Kelly shows why by trudging through some snow just to get some ice cream headache barrels in the Garden State.

What do you think of this cold water surfing? Tell us in the Comments.

In December, Southern California was experiencing something astronomical that it rarely (if ever) does: weather. More specifically, weather in the form of pouring rain for days on end.

Chris Coté, former Editor-in-Chief of the now-deceased Transworld Surf, took full advantage though and relived a childhood past time: the urban boogie slide. So Coté geared up with a boogieboard, a GoPro, a pair of BMX gloves, some old jeans, and the dream to bring the sport of Urban Boogie Sliding back from obscurity! Good thing it worked out for him, unlike that kid who tried it down stairs.

What do you think of urban boogie sliding? Tell us in the Comments.

Never heard of Zoltan Torkos? Well you should have at this point. The first person to land a kickflip on a surfboard, Zoltan has been making surfing kickflips look way too easy for years now. And this new footage shows Zoltan (who is also a magician) landing not one but two kickflips on the same wave. Wonder what Zoltan has up his sleeve next...

What are your thoughts on the surfing kickflip? Tell us in the Comments.

There are plenty of sports that involve being towed behind a horse. Skijoring (which is awesomely ridiculous) and horseboarding are two great examples. But none of these involved water. Until now that is.

Horse surfing, horse wakeboarding, inland boredom—call it what you will. Getting towed behind a horse on a surfboard/wakeboard is a real thing. We don't have much information on it, but we can certainly say it's highly innovative and right up there with horseboarding.

What do you think of horse surfing? Tell us in the Comments.

h/t Devour

The Big Unit. #51. The mullet. A formidable foe to birds coming across his path. These are the things the world knows Hall Of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson for. But Johnson has another incredible talent, and one we happened to stumble upon due to his recent election into the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Photography is Johnson's art outlet, and he's pretty damn good at it—he has a bachelor's degree in Photojournalism from USC. Living in Southern California, he regularly gets the opportunity to shoot surfing, skateboarding, BMX, and all the fun things people like us love to do. He's shot the X Games, the US Open Of Surfing (including our very own Alana Blanchard), and lots more.

Check out a few photos of the Big Unit's below and head over to his website for more at rj51photos.com. And congrats to #51 on the Hall Of Fame induction!

It was only a few years back when Backdoor Pipeline was a wave that most people shyed away from being highly-progressive at. But these days, what with John John Florence landing backflips there, it seems like it's almost treated like any other playful wave (though we all know that's not the case).

Jamie O'Brien is the master of the board transfer, especially when it comes to soft top surfboards. So he took his soft top transfer skills to Pipeline yet again, this time tackling Backdoor. The skill and precision he possesses to do this is totally unfathomable—all while holding a GoPro in his mouth. Factor in the danger of the wave (albeit on a smallish day) and it's pretty nuts.

What do you think of this board transfer? Tell us in the Comments.

Yes, surfers Flynn Novak and Gabriel Medina have landed backflips at Rocky Point and Off The Wall before, respectively. But at treacherous Backdoor Pipeline? That feat belongs to one North Shore god by the name of John John Florence.

A video was posted earlier this week of John John landing a completed tweaked-out frontside rodeo flip (or backflip), but it was quickly taken off the Internet because the footage is set to be in an upcoming part of his. But former Pipe Master Jake "The Snake" Paterson caught the feat as well and posted it on Instagram for all to enjoy.

Watch it below, over and over again, and be amazed. Where do you think this ranks among the great surf airs of our time?

Alana Blanchard is used to spending time in front of the camera, which she's very adept at doing. But to kick off 2015 she decided to get behind the camera a bit too and make her first surf edit, GoPro POV style.

Watch it below, and hopefully Alana makes a habit of making more of these in 2015.

A-Frame is a new series on NetworkA.com that features great photographers and some of their unique photo essays and works, as well as the gear they use and swear by. Think you're worthy of being featured? Hit us up at [email protected] to inquire.

"Capturing or creating a moment or feeling in time is what really
inspires me. Shooting with film makes things a little tricky because
you don't have the 30-shot burst and you really have to wait for a
moment to happen before you while being fully prepared to capture it
when it comes along. I have had a lot of rolls come back to me that
I'm not happy with or didn't turn out quite like I wanted them too,
but when I get that one frame where everything lines up it makes it
that much more rewarding."—Matthew Lawless

24-year-old Matthew Lawless was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Maui. He had plans on seeing more of the world than just tropical paradise and headed north to study Motion Design at the Vancouver Film School in Canada. He's since settled in San Diego where he gets to spend plenty of time in the Pacific Ocean shooting with top-notch pro surfers and friends.

Check out more of Matthew's work on his website (matthewlawless.com) and his blog (shoots.matthewlawless.com). And give him a follow on Instagram @matthewlawless

It may be 2015, but 2014 is still worth looking back on. Case in point, big wave surfing wipeouts. 2014 was a banner year for them—big wave surfing is pushing limits, and therefore more insane wipeouts happen as a result. So Surfline put together some of the best (or rather worst) wipeouts from the year that was. It's certainly worth the 9-minutes of cringing.

Which of these wipeouts was the worst? Tell us in the comments.

We gave you a sneak peak of Nazare's crazy waves earlier this month, and they were downright scary to watch, even when not being surfed. Never one to back away from a swell, however, pro surfer and certified madman Benjamin Sanchis decided to take advantage of the Portuguese big-wave haven's crazier-than-usual surf, setting out to ride one of (if not the) biggest waves on record. Did he make it? Well, you just have watch and see...unless of course you're afraid the ocean, in which case you should just run and never look back.

December has been a helluva month for big wave surfing. Nazare in Portugal went totally bonkers and did its best impression of sea monsters. And then Mavericks was all like: "Oh no you didn't Nazare. I've been in this game wayyy longer than you. Watch what I can do. I can flip hellman Mark Healey off a boat."

So here's some footage from that very session when Healey was flipped off said boat. It's full of brutal, cold wipeouts and some makes. Overall, it will haunt your surfing nightmares.

What do you think of this Mavericks session? Tell us in the Comments.

Kelly Slater's perfect 10 at 2014's Volcom Pipe Pro was some of the best drone footage captured at Pipeline to date. This recent drone footage from above at Pipe though definitely gives that a run for its money. Jamie O'Brien (on a regular board and a soft top), John John Florence, Mason Ho, and more tackle good Pipeline and the above angle (with some epic lighting) makes it look like a video game.

What do you think of this drone footage? Tell us in the Comments.

Big wave surfer Mark Healey is a certified hellman. Of course he was there this weekend when the big wave spot Mavericks was maxing out this past weekend. It was a classic Mavs day, and was pretty crowded with insane rides and epic wipeouts. But Healey's wipeout took top honors.

No stranger to getting caught inside at Mavericks, Healey's boat found itself in that very situation this weekend. All the fellow surfers on the boat grabbed a railing, but Healey being Healey he let himself get catapulted off as the boat got washed up by a big rogue wave in the channel. This is something that no other person would be involved except Mark Healey.

Thankfully, all is OK and he's laughing about the situation now. It could've certainly ended in disaster. And no, it wasn't a sea monster that ejected him (though the case could be made for that because these waves were also pretty large).

Check out a photo and video footage below.

Thumbnail via Shannon Marie Quirk's Instagram

OK, you're probably not going to get frostbite from watching the Iceland part from Globe's Strange Rumblings In Shangri La surf film. But it's going to at least make you shiver and put on some warm socks.

Surfers Dion Agius, Nate Tyler, and Brendon Gibbens braved the icy seas of Iceland in search of Shangri La, in the process getting some pretty fun waves. So if you're ever in Iceland maybe look up Svava and her iceboat-driving third-cousin. Also, don't eat hot dogs.

Would you surf in Iceland? Tell us in the Comments.

What's a sandy butt photo you ask? It's exactly what it sounds like. A female in a bikini posing with lots of sand on her butt. They're sorta like surfing's beach equivalent of a barrel shot. There's always some great ones from the surfing world, and usually from the likes of stars Anastasia Ashley, Alana Blanchard, and the entire Miss Reef calendar. So we decided to put some of the best together in one spot for you to look back on the year of sandy butt photos with fondness. You're welcome.

Those things that surfers are riding in this video, they're not waves. They're sea monsters. BIG. F—KING. SEA MONSTERS. And that big wave spot Nazare in Portugal has spawned some of them again recently.

Nazare, as you'll recall is like Jaws on steroids, is home to the biggest waves on Earth. Last fall, Carlos Burle saved Maya Gabeira's life there, and it continues to be the focus of the largest wave riding in the world.

So that whole nor'easter that the Northeast U.S. had went through last week went across the Atlantic and did this. Again, sea monsters (as in big mountains of water), not waves.

What do you think of this big wave session? Tell us in the Comments.

Forget sharks, man. As any surfer will tell you, their biggest fear is the ocean itself, and if this video from Round Two of Pipe Masters in Oahu doesn't prove that, nothing will. When the swell surged this weekend, threatening to leave several surfers stranded, the north shore water patrol made a daring rescue attempt that has to be seen to believed. Check it out.

If we told you that Boise, Idaho had a surf community you'd probably assume we were kidding. Except we're not. They tackle the Boise River Park and brave the coldest of the cold temperatures. Conditions may not be bigger than waste high, but they still get stoked enjoying a day of river surfing.

What do you think of cold water river surfing? Tell us in the Comments.

What better way to start 2015 than following female surfers Alana Blanchard, Tyler Wright, Pauline Ado, Nikki Van Dijk, and Brisa Hennessy down to Mexico for warm waters and good waves? Definitely somewhere we'd much rather be right now...

Where are you traveling to in 2015? Tell us in the Comments.

Last week, Stephanie Gilmore solidified her sixth women's ASP world title. And now it's up to the men to wrap-up the 2014 ASP World Tour season. After last year's intense showdown for the world title at the Pipe Masters, it once again comes down to the North Shore arena to determine a men's champ.

Will it be Kelly Slater winning his elusive 12th world title? Or Mick Fanning claiming his 4th and second in a row? Or Brazilian Gabriel Medina taking his first, and the first-ever for Brazil? Only drama like this could be determined at the greatest wave in the world, Pipeline.

The 2014 Title race scenarios are now as follows:

• If Medina finishes 2nd or better at the Billabong Pipe Masters, he
  will clinch the 2014 ASP World Title.

• If Medina finishes 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will
  need to win the event and Slater will be out of contention.

• If Medina finishes 5th at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will
  need to win the event and Slater will be out of contention.

• If Medina finishes 9th at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will
  need to finish 2nd or better and Slater will be out of contention.

• If Medina finishes 13th or 25th at the Billabong Pipe Masters,
  Fanning will need to finish 3rd to win or 5th to send the title race
  into a one-heat “surf-off” between himself and Medina.

• If Medina finishes 13th or 25th at the Billabong Pipe Masters,
  Fanning will need to finish third or better, and Slater will need to
  win the event.

The Billabong Pipe Masters holding period starts today (12/8) and can be seen live at ASPWorldTour.com. Check out a season wrap-up and some awesome backstage footage from last year's incredible Pipe Masters.

We got the first visuals of Paul Fisher's penis surfboard 2.0 (aka the hippy dick) earlier this week, and it's glorious. Now we get the first sessions Fish had on the board, and just like the first penis surfboard, he rips on it. Maybe Fish should just surf penis surfboards for the rest of his life...

What do you think of the hippy dick? Tell us in the Comments.

Ben Thouard's short video here of some awe-inspiring underwater imagery at Teahupoo makes it seem like the loveliest place to surf in the world. Mind you though: that reef is razor sharp and will tear flesh off your body. So yes, while this makes Teahupoo seem more inviting, it's not. But hell, the view from under there is god damn gorgeous.

Would you surf Teahupoo? Tell us in the Comments.

Greyson Fletcher is already one of our favorite skateboarders to watch right now. As known, he's surfing royalty with his dad Christian having brought airs to surfing, his uncle Nathan revolutionizing big wave surfing, and his grandpa Herbie founding Astrodek and being one of the first to surf Backdoor Pipeline.

What we also find out in this episode of Vice's "Hi Shredability" is that Greyson may be the only 3rd-generation pool skater in the world. Grandpa Herbie was skating pools back in 1963 barefoot and with clay wheels—years before Jay Adams and the Dogtown days. And what's scary (besides that whole burning yourself with cigarettes game that Greyson likes to play) is the fact that Greyson has started surfing in the last few years. And big surprise, he's getting pretty good.

You remember The Right, don't you? Well in case you don't, go familiarize yourself with that mutant-of-a-wave via Ryan Hipwood here.

Below you'll find XXL Big Wave Award entries for Ride Of The Year by Chris Ross and Dean Morrison, which take place at The Right. They're both extremely intense and oh-so terrifying. What possesses these men to tow into this force of water is beyond our understanding.

Second generation installments are always great. You've had time to test and try the first prototype, finding all the things that need to be fixed. And the 2nd-gen is the first attempt at correcting what wasn't correct with the first-go.

Surfer Paul Fisher had some great times with the 1st-gen of his penis surfboard: Taj Burrow fondled it and Kelly Slater had a laugh about it. Fisher's had some time to tweak it and now the world awaits the Hippy Dick. Who wouldn't want to surf a penis-shaped tie-dye surfboard? You rule Paul Fisher.

What do you think of the second-coming of the penis surfboard? Tell us in the Comments.

The leggy Australian Stephanie Gilmore is queen of the ASP once again. Taking home her 6th ASP world title championship on Thursday, November 27, she comes one title closer to Layne Beachley's 7 career world titles.

Steph fell to Courtney Conlogue in the quarterfinals at the Target Maui Pro, leaving the door open for fellow Australian Tyler Wright to win the world title. Wright needed to win the event to force a one heat surf-off with Gilmore for the crown, but Wright ended up being ousted by Carissa Moore in the final and helping Gilmore claim the title.

Her 6th world title caps off a bounce-back year for Gilmore, one in which she reasserted her dominance on tour after an off-year in 2013. At only 26, Gilmore is surely destined to become the greatest female surfer ever (as we've mentioned in the past).

Congrats Steph, keep ripping!

Surfers Jason Finlay and Scott Denis are good buddies. They adhere to the "sharing is caring" philosophy, and during one particular session in New South Wales, Australia Finlay took off behind Denis on a solid barrel and got himself an epic POV. Hopefully Denis returned the favor later.

What do you think of this epic POV barrel? Tell us in the Comments.

If you're not privy to the name Emmett Malloy, let this be an introduction to one of the best right now behind the lens. He got his start working for legendary surf filmmaker Taylor Steele and has branched out to all walks of life. Creator of surf films like A Broke Down Melody, Thicker Than Water, and 180-Degrees South, Malloy has some serious music video credentials as well: The White Stripes, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Vampire Weekend, Blink-182, and more. And he's also responsible for the gem that was Zach Galifianakis's first feature film, Out Cold.

Recently though, Malloy has been doing sports pieces. Did you see that new Lebron James/Nike commercial that aired at the beginning of the NBA season? Yup, that was Malloy. And he also spent the summer with reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant working on an HBO documentary entitled, The Offseason: Kevin Durant.

Monster Children recently had a great interview with Malloy about his breadth of work and getting to spend a summer with KD (which can be read here). Check out the promo below and catch it on HBO now.

2014 was a helluva year for big wave surfing: Brad Domke rode the largest wave ever on a skimboard, Anastasia Ashley took a pounding in Mexico, Jamie O'Brien did an insane board transfer at The Wedge during Hurricane Marie, really the list goes on and on.

And with such boundaries being pushed in such large surf, there are always massive wipeouts. Here's some of the worst from 2014, and make sure you go vote for the Worst Wipeout of 2014 at Surfer Poll here.

Which one of these was the worst? Tell us in the Comments.

Tahitian surfer Matahi Drollet knows the ins-and-outs of Teahupoo well. So well that he came out of this impossible wave, which is now up for Ride Of The Year honors at the XXL Big Wave Awards. This one is completely terrifying.

Do you think this was the Ride Of The Year? Tell us in the Comments.

You know that whole crazy blizzard that's burying Buffalo and all those Lake-Effect affected areas? Well, Kevin and Christian here decided to surf Lake Erie during that whole fiasco. Surfing during a blizzard might be the coldest surfing there is. Good on you two though for showing dedication.

What do you think of this blizzard surfing? Tell us in the Comments.

A-Frame is a new series on NetworkA.com that features great photographers and some of their unique photo essays and works, as well as the gear they use and swear by. Think you're worthy of being featured? Hit us up at [email protected] to inquire.

"Growing up in New Jersey near the beach surfing, skateboarding, and
being interested in that culture, I've always romanticized the idea of
living in California. This past year I made the move with my fiancée
from the Northeast to the West Coast. These photographs explore the
idea of living somewhere I used to dream about, experimenting with
different ways to get the dreamlike qualities across."—Phillip
Mansfield

Phil Mansfield is one of the nicest humans you'll meet. He's also a first-class surfer and a first-class filmer/photographer. Hailing from the shores of New Jersey, Phil studied at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida and followed that up with an MFA from School Of Visual Arts in New York City. He's traveled extensively through Latin American countries, and now calls San Diego home with his fiancée Tracy.

Check out more of Phil's work on his website (phillipmansfield.com) and his Tumblr (phillipmansfield.tumblr.com). And give him a follow on Instagram @phillip__michael

If you've never heard of photographer and surfer Mike Coots, then let this be your much-needed introduction to an incredible human being. Not only a great photographer, Coots grew up on the Hawaiian island of Kauai surfing. In 1997 he survived an attack from a tiger shark, but lost his right leg from the knee down. But that hasn't stopped him from surfing, shooting photos, and even advocating for the preservation of sharks. Talk about an inspiration.

h/t The Inertia

The first contest of the Triple Crown of Surfing wrapped up this weekend with Maui's Dusty Payne winning the Reef Hawaiian Pro. Coming back from knee surgery this summer, it was good to see Payne back to his normal self.

Amidst the classic Haleiwa conditions during the contest, there were inevitably lots of wipeouts. So here's a montage of some of the best. And stay tuned for the next Triple Crown event, the Vans World Cup of Surfing, when it starts on November 24.

What do you think of these wipeouts? Tell us in the Comments.

You know it's the North Shore winter season when Jamie O'Brien starts doing crazy things at Pipeline again. It's the time of year he waits for—even though he'll go to the Wedge and do board transfers, too. The winter on the North Shore has begun though, and it's official start is JOB riding the foamball like no other at Backdoor Pipeline. How he makes it out of this one we have no idea.

What do you think of this POV barrel? Tell us in the Comments.

We get it Shane Dorian: you ride really really big waves. Like giant waves no one else wants a part of. But you didn't have to go rubbing everyone's noses in it on opening day at Jaws yesterday and get the f—king wave of the day. You just can't help yourself can you? OK fine, yes, we'll say what you want to hear Dorian: you're one of the greatest big wave surfers to ever live. TRUTH.

What do you think of this wave at Jaws? Tell us in the Comments.

Now this is by no means a complete compilation of all the best drone surfing from 2014—a few missing pieces would be that Hurricane Marie Wedge footage, that Puerto Escondido drone footage, and Josh Sleigh going for kickflips. But it's a good start, and well worth a watch. It's funny to think that from-above footage used to be looked down upon in surfing (mainly because it flattens waves), but there's something about drone footage that seems to add a different element to surf videos that's been missing for a long time.

What's your take on drone surfing footage? Tell us in the Comments.

Well, it seems like we've found our newest idiot. Yes, this guy is dumber than the guy trying to surf on a dead whale. Though details remain scarce so far, this man was dared by his friends (as revealed in the video) to jump on a live tiger shark swimming near their boat. Listen guy, you are not Shaun Harrington using a birdcage as a shark cage. We're in disbelief over this one, and even more surprised that he didn't lose a limb.

What do you think of this dare? Tell us in the Comments.

Earlier this month, Swedish heritage brand Fjällräven launched their first-ever North American ad campaign. To bring it to life they tapped world-renowned surf photographer Chris Burkard. For one of the three videos, Burkard traveled the Pacific Northwest with surfer Eric Soderquist in a Land Rover Defender 110 hunting for waves and adventures.

The result was some incredible imagery and videos. We caught up with the ultimate surf adventureman Burkard to talk about the trip and the surf. You can check out the two other video campaigns by Fjällräven here.

Kelly Slater did a lot while in Portugal for this year's Rip Curl Pro Peniche surf contest. He landed that 720 air and also traveled through some incredibly deep barrels at The Cave. The Cave is no easy wave, but Slater makes it look like a cake walk.

What do you think of this surf video? Tell us in the Comments.

Big wave surfer Brian Conley is well-known for his gigantic barrel explorations. So it's no surprise when a video surfaces of Conley getting a mammoth beast.

Taking place during the same swell of Brad Domke's insane skimboard ride, Conley tows into a crystal blue gem and stands tall. His jetski driver can immediately tell that it was a really good one. Now it's up for a nomination for Ride Of The Year in the XXL Big Wave Awards, and could be one of the best entires so far.

Do you think this was the XXL Ride Of The Year? Tell us in the Comments.

Seriously, would it get any better than spending days on end in Bali in some fun surf with the likes of Playboy models Sylvi Bodi & Janni Hönscheid? Playboy bunnies surfing is kinda like when those Playboy models skated. Our day is pretty much made now. And those follow-along bottom turns remind us of someone...

h/t The Inertia

God bless you Reef. Your Miss Reef calendars are something we look forward to every single year. They're page-turners that always get you excited for the next month to come. It's always the tasteful amount of booty and it's a privilege to have one on your wall.

Watch the teaser below and check out a few of the photos. And then go buy a calendar here.

If there's one thing that marks the beginning of the North Shore winter season, it's the excitement of the prospect of the Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau big wave surf contest. This winter marks the 30th year of the event, though it hasn't run every year because of the 20-foot wave height minimum. The contest hasn't run since 2009/2010, with Greg Long being the winner that year. Will Waimea Bay produce 20-foot plus waves to honor Eddie Aikau this year?

The holding period starts December 1 and runs till February 28. For more information on the Eddie Aikau big wave event head over to quiksilver.com/surf/events/eddie-aikau.html, and check out this year's invitees and teaser below.

*Photo courtesy Quiksilver

Invitees

Aaron Gold

Bruce Irons

Clyde Aikau

Dave Wassel

Garrett Mcnamara

Grant Baker

Greg Long

Ian Walsh

Jamie Mitchell

Jamie O'Brien

Jamie Sterling

John John Florence

Kala Alexander

Kelly Slater

Kohl Christensen

Makua Rothman

Mark Healey

Nathan Fletcher

Noah Johnson

Peter Mel

Reef Mcintosh

Ramon Navarro

Shane Dorian

Sunny Garcia

Ross Clarke-Jones

Takayuki Wakita

Tom Carroll

Jeremy Flores

26-year-old Harrison Williams is just a lover of animals. While with his buddies on a boat in Western Australia, Williams noticed this whale that, as he said, "looked in distress." So he decided he'd try to go help it. Clearly, a rotting whale carcass and a living, breathing whale look very similar to each other...

Anyways, Williams had to be saved because the whale carcass was being fed on by tiger sharks and great whites—because, you know, it's essentially a chunk of meat being dangled out there for an easy meal. Good thing the whale didn't explode while Williams was "surfing" it.

Check out the video below.

Flow boards aren't cheap. And if you don't have one you've still got to rent one. So why not just use your friend as your flow board like these guys do at Provo Beach Resort in Utah? Well, they use boards too, and do some pretty insane stuff on them.

What do you think of this flow riding? Tell us in the Comments.

We've come a long way in these 2 years. Boardwalks are being reconstructed. Houses are being rebuilt. And crucial infrastructure is being overhauled in preparation for future storms.

On October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy made destructive landfall in the New Jersey/New York region, and things have yet to be the same since. As I stated earlier, we've come a long way, but there are still people who haven't received insurance checks, still people without homes, and boardwalks and roads still torn apart. Hurricane Sandy caused over $68 billion in damages and took the lives of 286 people. It uprooted life as we know it for millions.

Surfers were the first to respond and enact plans in many coastal areas, I was a first-hand witness to that. Any one of us will tell you that all the negatives that came from Sandy were awful, and lots had it way worse than each one before us. But at the same time, as a surfer, we also know that Florida scored (at the expense of many others). So let's take a moment to reflect on that and find the silver lining in what was a horrible natural disaster.

Got a story about your experience with Hurricane Sandy? Let's hear it below.

Photo: NY/NJ Surf

When you get the world's best surfers like Kelly Slater, John John Florence, Taj Burrow, and more and can film them on some of the best cameras in the world, the end product is usually pretty damn good. And that's exactly what videographer Chris Bryan has done for us right here. Enjoy the slow-motion and incredible cinematography.

What do you think of surfing at 1,000 frames-per-second? Tell us in the Comments.

ZJ Boarding House in Santa Monica, California has held the Haunted Heats Halloween surf costume contest for 7 years running now. And this Saturday, October 25 it once again went down. There really isn't a better excuse to dress up, act like a fool in the water, and raise money for a good cause (the contest benefits Boarding 4 Breast Cancer).

Check out some of this year's highlights below.

Most 85-year-olds are holed up somewhere in a nursing home neglected by their younger relatives with not enough time on their hands to give them the proper care they need. They probably have terrible memories, don't exercise much beyond walking to the shitter, and are fed too many pills because of our pill-happy society. Barry "Magoo" McGuigan is not most 85-year-olds though.

The self-proclaimed Tasmanian surfing champ, Magoo has been surfing since 1944 and hasn't looked back for a day. In this short film about him, Still Swell At 85, we learn that surfing and a healthy diet did in fact help him beat cancer only a few years ago. The guy is a complete legend, and if we're still around at 85 and doing half that good we'll consider that a success.

What do you think of this old surfing? Tell us in the Comments.

Oliver Schrott Kommunikation and Karsten Boysen have teamed up to bring to light a lesser-known, growing surf region within Europe. The Algarve coast in Portugal is home to a South and a West Coast, which offers every sort of wave and condition a surfer could ask for.

The short film, Always On The Road: Surf's Up At The Algarve, Portugal, dives into what makes the region so unique and why it's becoming a popular European surf hub. From life-long locals to Portugal's finest pro surfers, the film gives some great insight into a fantastic place to be a surfer.

Watch the short film below and check out some exclusive photos from photographers Joao Bracourt & Danny Bastiaanse.

The "Dad Of 2014" award is definitely going to Kaleo Roberson. Father of 3 surfing children, Stevie, Justin, and Eric, Roberson and his sons recently had a run-in with a large tiger shark while surfing Maalaea Freight Trains on the island of Maui.

As Roberson told Stab Magazine, the family was surfing and Roberson luckily had his eye on the channel when he noticed a large swirl and the water parting about 20-feet away. That's when the tiger shark torpedoed straight at them with its mouth open. Roberson reacted quickly and pushed his son that was closest away as he shoved his own surfboard into the shark's open mouth. He proceeded to hit the shark a few times with the board as his sons were paddling in. The shark flailed and launched Roberson with its tail, where Roberson almost caught up to his sons.

They paddled hard in, and on their way in Roberson picked up a photographer, Pataoa, who was also out there with them. As you can see in the photos below, the shark left some sizable teeth marks in Roberson's surfboard. And if you'll recall, Stevie Roberson is that little 6-year-old ripper from Maui, along with his brothers who are all promising young surfers. The surf gods were definitely looking down upon the Robersons on this day.

It's always great seeing little dudes ripping. 6-year-old Stevie Roberson charges some well overhead surf at Honolua Bay (on him at least) and handles himself incredibly. He's been doing it for years, and don't be surprised to see him charging more and more as he goes through elementary school...

What do you of this kid surfing? Tell us in the Comments.

The future of surfing is 42-years-old. His name is Kelly Slater, you may have heard of him before. And if you have, you undoubtedly know that he is the world's greatest surfer, EVER. And in case you need some more evidence of that, here he is in Portugal landing the first full-rotation 540 air, or what could also be called a reverted 720.

Kelly Slater, we bow down to you. I say it with total confidence and conviction that there will never be another surfer greater than King Kelly. Watch the crazy air in slow-motion GIF form and the full video below, and be in awe.

When the best surfers in the world descend upon a town for an ASP World Tour event, there's usually some pretty heavy free surf sessions that go down. Peniche, Portugal is currently playing host to the ASP for the Moche Rip Curl Pro, which means the world's greatest are enjoying all Portugal has to offer.

Here's one of those particular incredible free surf sessions with Portugal providing its very best. Kelly Slater, Taj Burrow, Jordy Smith, Mick Fanning, Kolohe Andino, Josh Kerr, and more completely destroy it on this day.

What do you think of this all-star surf session? Tell us in the Comments.

On Thursday, October 8 around noon, Donnie Griggs captured some of the most terrifying shark footage we've ever seen. A little feeding frenzy right in the shorebreak at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. More than a hundred sharks go to town on a giant school of blue fish, beaching themselves and going bonkers. Thankfully we weren't surfing while this was going on.

What do you think of this shark feeding frenzy? Tell us in the Comments.

This is one of those things that makes our brains hurt. It makes absolutely no sense. Why is there a Chanel No5 surfboard? When did Gisele Bundchen learn how to surf? When did she start surfing Teahupoo? When did Tahiti start having dune grass? What does perfume have to do with surfing?

These are simply just a few of the many confusing things that this new Chanel ad presents us. Obviously that is not Gisele surfing Teahpuoo. And obviously the CGI is only a few steps better than that of Blue Crush. It's just bad. So bad.

What do you think of this Chanel commercial? Tell us in the Comments.

CJ Hobgood is one of the most versatile surfers there is. Whether he's charging frightening Teahpuoo or excelling in 2-foot Florida mush, he's always one of the most stylish and connected in the water. So here CJ is during a recent free surf in Portugal with a near-deadly encounter with a large rock, and somehow making it look stylish. CJ had landed an air, at the request of fellow pro surfer Filipe Toledo, and turned back to the lineup after landing it to let Filipe know he had. And as CJ turns back towards the beach he realizes he's about to go face-first into that large rock.

CJ got off extremely lucky here, and you can tell so by his reaction afterwards. He took the brunt of the wipeout in his chest, and thankfully it was his face. Check out some GIFs of the wipeout below, as well as the full video.

It really doesn't get much better than this in the ocean. Channeling his inner Mikala Jones, pro surfer Derek Dunfee takes us through some decent-sized Southern California barrels in some great lighting.

What do you think of this surf edit? Tell us in the Comments.

Dogs are typically the most common of the surfing animals. But there's always the surfing pig Kama, the surfing goat Pismo The Kid, and of course nature's best surfers, dolphins. It's always great seeing another dog get in the mix though. French Bulldog puppy Fergie rips apart some waves in San Diego on a gorgeous day.

What do you think of this surfing dog? Tell us in the Comments.

Twin brothers Jared (guitar) and Jonathan (drums) Mattson have already traveled the world with their surf inspired jazz/rock, playing regularly with the likes of Ray Barbee and Tommy Guerrero. With their new album Agar, The Mattson 2 move to a new psychedelic sound created by the brothers playing strictly as a duo and using their twin telepathy. Check it as they talk on Dose about their DIY tour strategy, new sound, and their Instagram side hustle.

Buy their new album Agar on CD here or on iTunes here.

Dedicate 38-minutes of your Friday (or this weekend) to watch pro surfer Josh Kerr's new movie Kerrzy—you won't be disappointed. One of the greatest aerial surfers in the world, follow Kerr around the globe as he surfs with other top surfers like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Jordy Smith, and more.

What do you think of this new surf movie? Tell us in the Comments.

Eric Barretto had it all figured out. He would rent a hot air balloon from Panda Air Balloon Flights in Del Mar, California for a breathtaking sunset ride with his girlfriend. There, Barretto would finally propose to his girlfriend and set his life on the path it needed to be. Except that path was headed straight for the Pacific Ocean.

The pilot had a bit of trouble, and according to Gawker, touched the balloon down in the ocean in Cardiff By The Sea at Pipes right after she said yes. So naturally, the best way to seal the deal was to let the newly engaged couple swim to shore. Thankfully, there were lots of surfers on hand to help with the rescue—there's always lots of surfers on hand at Pipes. Hopefully the wedding goes a little smoother than the proposal...

What do you think of this fail? Tell us in the Comments.

I had a chat with old friend Eli Morgan Gesner (founder of Shut and Zoo York skateboards, surfing enthusiast, and designer extraordinaire), about the present trend of everyone and their mother in NYC deciding that they are into surfing and then actually trying to go surf at Rockaway Beach.

Not surprisingly, he had some interesting things to say on the subject. Take a read below and then head over to Shut Skate Mechanics at 158 Orchard Street and pick up a piece from their new "Surf Season" collection. You can even mention that you read this for a discount, but be careful they will know if you are lying.

You can keep up with Timbo at @timbojbaggins / @radcollector and see more of his work weekly on Dose or on Radcollector.com.

Earlier this year, The Inertia debuted their Creators series with a piece on Clark Little that gave the world insight into the life of one of the most renowned surf photographers there is. Clark Little has changed the landscape of surf photography with his eye for immaculate shorebreak moments. Check out this cutting room floor piece that gives a behind the scenes look at what Clark does, what he's thankful for, and what keeps him producing images at the top of his game.

Watch the original Creators Project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pXMO

Subscribe to The Inertia: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccO

Check out more surf content from The Inertia: http://www.theinertia.com/

Did you really expect Kelly Slater to be a terrible dancer? Of course you didn't. The way he moves in the water, so fluid, so precise—it was apparent that he had some dance moves. We're learning a lot of new things about the champ lately.

So while talking to The Inertia's Jeremy Searle about the ASP changing its name next year to the World Surf League, Searle and Slater decided to dance. We made some GIFs for you to enjoy over and over again of the 11-time champ cutting some rug (err sand in this case).

h/t The Inertia

Nothing good could have come from this roof surfing attempt. It was just destined to fail from the start. Though we admire the guy for giving it a go, we're also left saying he probably shouldn't have attempted this in the first place. But hey, the Wright Brothers would've never flown if they didn't jump...

cc: Kook Of The Day Instagram

Anastasia Ashley is one of those rare women who can take a brutal wipeout in Mexico one week and the next make your jaw drop to the floor by just walking around in a bikini. Thanks Maxim for making this. But most importantly thanks Anastasia for being you.

What do you think of this bikini video? Tell us in the Comments.

There's no denying that we're huge fans of Anastasia Ashley—I mean, anyone with eyes should be a fan of the professional surfer/swimsuit model. The thing most people don't realize about Anastasia though is she actually f—king charges. Like harder than you. And when you charge as hard as she does, there are bound to be some brutal wipeouts. Like this guillotine below. We made GIFs (real-time & slow-mo) for you below.

Surfer Girl gives viewers an inside look at the life of Alana Blanchard. And what a life it is. Blanchard grew up on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kauai and journeys around the globe competing and surfing at beautiful beaches. She has even been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Blanchard’s success is the result of hard work and the support of a tight group of friends and family. Hang out with Blanchard as she lives the dream.

Surfers Mitch Crews, Michael Dunphy, Alisha Gonsalves and Bree Kleintop are are staying together under one roof on the North Shore when the biggest swells roll in and the most important contests take place. While they may be staying in paradise, it is a pressure-packed environment. One wave can make or break a career. Surf House captures the ups and downs as Crews, Dunphy, Gonsalves and Kleintop ride the wave of a season on the North Shore.

Pro surfer Laura Enever was just 16 when she competed in her first six-star contest on the ASP world tour. Since then she has become one of the biggest stars in women's surfing. Enever's unique style both in and out of the water stands out and on her show IM LAURA she lets viewers in to see the ups and downs of life on the pro tour, meet her friends, and share in her love of the ocean.

Pro surfer and star of the Network A hit series 'Surfer Girl,' Alana Blanchard teaches LookTV host Valentine Bureau how to catch her first wave on Kauai, Hawaii. With Alana's expert instruction Valentine is surfing in no time.

Join Valentine as she explores Alana's wardrobe: http://bit.ly/Y5Hlzr

http://www.youtube.com/networka

Subscribe to Network A!
‪‪‪http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=networka‬ ‬‬

Like us on Facebook: ‪‪‪https://www.facebook.com/networka‬‬‬
Follow us on Twitter: ‪‪‪http://www.twitter.com/networka‬‬‬
Follow us on Tumblr: ‪‪‪http://networka.tumblr.com
Follow @NetworkA on Instagram

In Provo, Utah, Devin Super Tramp discovered an underutilized wakeboarding tool: the backhoe. Devin had a group of wakeboarders drive a backhoe into the middle of Utah Lake, attach a towrope to it and start spinning. The backhoe whipped the wakeboarders and some inflatable rafts 360 degrees in a complete circle. This looks like a lot of fun...until you see all the painful slams. Then it still looks like a lot of fun, but the kind of fun that you're happier watching than participating in.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TRACK HOE BOARDING? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

In the early 1990s, a surfboard trend started that changed what everyone around the world rode for many years. Kelly Slater's shortboard from Al Merrick at Channel Islands was the basis for everything guys rode in the 1990s: thin, narrow, and tons of rocker. It is a board that is very difficult to ride good because there is very little surface area. These days, surfboard shapers realize that more surface area is a good thing, and Slater himself has helped refocus surfboard design with that in mind. On this episode of Red Bull Decades the crew of Julian Wilson, Jamie O'Brien, Ian Walsh, and Kolohe Andino get to try their hand at a surfboard design that has basically been left in the dust as the shorter-wider revolution has swept over surfing in recent years. They admit the board difficult to surf, but they're pro surfers so they figure it out.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE KELLY SLATER 1990S SHORTBOARD? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

The 2013 Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles starts on September 15. Trestles is like a skatepark in the ocean, so it takes a special surfer to do well there. To get ready for the only ASP WCT event in the United States, Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, and Kolohe Andino offered their thoughts on who to keep an eye on when the world's best surfers converge on Lowers. Spoiler alert #1: Everyone thinks Slater will do well. Spoiler alert #2: The sun rises in the east.

Although few people have heard of him, Bill "Beaker" Bryan is to skimboarding what Kelly Slater is to surfing. The only difference is that Bryan has more world titles (15 to Slater's 11) and hair. The skimboarding legend was kind enough to give dose host Michaela Eichenbaum a private lesson in Laguna Beach, California, and talked to her about his favorite skim spots (Cabo is to skim what the North Shore is to surf), his success on the FlowRider, and why skimboarding is so great (you can catch a wave and then go right back up the beach and grab a bite of your sandwich).

San Clemente, California-based competitive pro surfer Kolohe Andino talks about the early influences that lead to his pro surfing career and competing on the ASP World Tour at a young age.

The Way Up is a series presented by Target and is directed by Steve Berra.

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing on the North Shore of Oahu is the climax of the professional surfing season each winter. The world's greatest surfers gather at the world's greatest stretch of surf for over a month of contests, huge swells, and parties. As always, ASP World Tour qualifications are on the line, and this year a world title will be decided on the rock as well. Careers are made and broken on the sands on Oahu. The three contests that make up Triple Crown (which runs from November 12 through December 20) are the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset, and the Billabong Pipe Masters at Pipeline. We're so excited that we came up with our 10 favorite things about the Triple Crown of Surfing.

10. The top surfers dressing up for the Surfer Poll Awards###

9. The chaos that happens when the contests have flat days and don't run###

8. Tourists getting pummeled by shorebreak###

7. Usually seeing Jamie O'Brien surf against the world's best###

6. The potential conjunction of The Eddie Aikau big wave event###

5. Bikinis on the beach and in the lineup###

4. The unsung hero qualifying for the World Tour###

3. Hawaiian surfers getting the best waves###

2. Crazy parties at the Volcom house###

1. World titles being decided at Pipeline

There's no shame in eating it at Teahupoo, just don't do it on the shoulder.
Teauhupoo is famous in surfing for dealing out some of the most brutal wipeouts and rewarding with some of the most glorious barrels. Here's a collection of the former from the first day of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. The surf wasn't too macking so no one got seriously throttled. Still, it never feels good to go over the falls at Teahupoo, or anywhere for that matter.

He is so good that it's not even fair anymore.
Jamie O'Brien has been pushing boundaries at Pipeline for a long time. Riding switch, sharing barrels, you get the idea. But some of the stuff he's been doing at Pipe recently is remarkable even by O'Brien's standards. The fifth episode of Who is JOB 3.0 shows O'Brien paddling out with two surfboards—a soft top longboard and a shortboard—on a day when Pipe is firing. After getting out to the lineup (a challenge in itself), O'Brien drops into massive second-reef waves on the soft top and then steps off onto the shortboard. It's completely nuts. If he had just ridden his shortboard, O'Brien probably would have had the wave of the winter. Instead he got a standing ovation as he walked up the beach.

Snowboarding's biggest and best movie premiere tour is back for summer 2012. Absinthe Films' now legendary European tour will hit 21 cities bringing the season's sickest shredding to fans across the continent. Absinthe Films tour 2012 features new movie venues, new cities, and all new clubs for post-premier partying, plus badass giveaways and a grand prize trip to Canada. The world premiere kicks off August 27th in Zurich, Switzerland at Absinthe's classic venue the Kaufleuten, highlighted by a concert from Santigold.

The tour will be a party on wheels, delivering riders and Absinthe crew to nearly every stop. Moviegoers will get a chance to win stuff from Anon and Dakine, lift tickets from LAAX, boots from Nike plus the incredible grand prize: a two-week trip to Vancouver sponsored by EF: www.ef.com/absinthe

In case you haven't realized it yet, Iceland is a real surf destination (just ask Laura Enever). World-renowned surf photographer Chris Burkard makes Iceland one of his regular stops on his travels around the world. Burkard has Iceland pretty well dialed now. And why wouldn't he? When a place yields incredible surf photos like these ones that Burkard captured, you'd want to figure it out too, even if it does mean wearing lots and lots of neoprene.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS TRIP TO ICELAND? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.