“The SolarCycle Diaries is what happens if you wake up one day and decide to cycle round the world  – then make things more complicated by going through the Sahara. I’m not going to lie to you, it was pretty epic: sandstorms, heatstroke and a lot of men with guns. It’s February – get transported somewhere 50 degrees hotter.”  Susie Wheeldon.

‘Quiksilver discovers Susie Wheeldon’ is part of the latest Quiksilver project to promote and support inspiring and creative artists, writers, musicians, campaigners, and adventurers achieve their dreams.

“If you’ve met Susie you’ll be familiar with her incredible amount of enthusiasm (about anything), loud contagious laughter, and very creative ideas for simple things such as buying a pint of milk to the more challenging and obscure such as solar cycling in the Sahara.  As a writer, adventurer, lead singer of a rock metal band, and solar energy advocate, she inspires people to achieve their dreams by believing that nothing is impossible and that everything is obtainable.  She is exactly what ‘Quiksilver discovers’ is about.’ Meena Rajput, Quiksilver Marketing Manager

Quiksilver is really pleased to be working alongside Susie Wheeldon and SolarAid by supporting the launch of The SolarCycle Diaries.  SolarAid exists to confront humanity’s greatest challenges – climate change and poverty – by harnessing humanity’s greatest resource, the extraordinary power of the sun.

All proceeds of The SolarCycle Diaries will go to SolarAid.  Go to  www.solar-aid.org / www.videos.solar-aid.org to learn more.

THE SOLARCYCLE DIARIES, by Susie Wheeldon

“So, um, tell me again why we’re pedalling through the Sahara in June…”
In 2010 Susie Wheeldon and Jamie Vining rolled back into London complete with stings, bites, leathery skin and thighs of steel. With their co-rider, Iain Henderson, they had set out nine months earlier on a 12,000 mile round the world bike ride, promoting solar power and being tracked using solar nanotechnology.

Only, as Google maps and your thumb are not the most precise tools with which to plan a global circumnavigation, they had instead ridden 13,500 miles across North Africa, past the Himalayas and through some of the Earth’s more pungent road kill. Braving blizzards, tackling thunderstorms and getting blown off the road, they had been chased by dogs, attacked by killer bees and rerouted by the bubonic plague.

Their quest to promote all things solar had seen them followed by the police, accosted by goat herders and giving a talk – from a dog kennel – somewhere in the Deep South of America.

From the painful to the bizarre, this in an account of their journey through France, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and the USA.

It was one hell of a ride.”

Go to www.quiksilver-women.com to learn more about our brand and our inspiring ambassadors.

Ben Howard UK And Ireland Winter Tour:

2^nd November - Brighton, The Dome

3^rd November  - Plymouth, Pavilions

4^th November – Cardiff, University (Great Hall)

5^th November – Bristol, Colston Hall

7^th November -  Dublin, Olympia

9^th November – Belfast, Mandela Hall

10th November – Glasgow, O2 Academy

12^th November – Manchester, Apollo

14^th November - Leeds, O2 Academy

16^th November -  Newcastle, O2 Academy

17^th November -  Aberdeen, Music Hall

19^th November - Cambridge, Corn Exchange

20^th November – Lincoln, Engine Shed

21^st November - Leicester, O2 Academy

22^nd November – Nottingham, Rock City

24^th November - Birmingham, O2 Academy

25^th November  - Bournemouth, O2 Academy

26^th November -  Southampton, Guild Hall

28^th November -  London, O2 Brixton Academy

www.benhowardmusic.co.uk

It’s now February so we’re starting on the first SurfGirl of the year. It’s been a long winter but just we’re starting to think about warmer days and summer now that January’s over – wahoo!

So this is what we’re thinking, we had such a good response to last years DIY issue that this year we’re going to feature some of your work every issue. If you paint, photograph, make stuff – whatever it is you do we’d like to see it. Each issue we’ll run a couple of pages of your work and put it on the website and in the app too. Get involved, get your camera, pens, scissors out and surprise us with your creativity!

Below is a list of the things that we are featuring in each issue and the deadline date to get your work in by.

Issue 36 – Homemade crafts – anything beachy that looks cool and funky that you’ve made using fabric, paper, shells or whatever. Deadline 1st March.

Issue 37 – Surf art – inspired by the ocean. It can be art on surfboards too as well as canvas or paper. Deadline 1st April.

Issue 38 – Photos – that showcase at your local break. Deadline 25th April.

Issue 40 – Winter – send your pics and photos in of snow on the slopes or at the beach. Deadline 25th September.

How to send your work in.

This is the tricky bit! So email me and let me know what you’re sending louise@orcasurf.co.uk and then send your images by wetransfer only – sorry but this is the only way to send stuff to my computer! Also jpegs are the way to go. Say which issue your work is for and include your email address on the wetransfer notes bit. The images need to be hi res and 1MB otherwise they are too small for print. Make sure the photos are well lit and close up.

Good luck ladies and get creating!

Thanks to Gemma Louise Fryer for her piece of inspiration!

Coffey shared her “favourite place on Earth” with the two-time Grammy winner who was in Polynesia to perform at the opening ceremony of one of the world’s most spectacular and revered sporting events, the Billabong Pro, Tahiti. Held each August, the Billabong Pro is set against Tahiti’s breathtaking natural backdrop and thousands of fans flock to watch the world’s best surfers try and tame the legendary break; Teahupo’o.

“It was a cool feeling to see how far music can travel. These people knew my music and were singing it back to me. It was really a nice feeling,” said Caillat.

Caillat and Coffey enjoyed ‘ringside’ seats at the tournament, positioned in boats just meters from the waves, and both ocean lovers jumped at the chance to confront another of their fears – swimming face-to-face with sharks in the waters off neighbouring island, Moorea.

The not-to-be-missed video diary can be seen on VEVO, the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform, and billabong.com from January 24.

Chart-topping SoCal singer/songwriter Caillat’s newest album ALL OF YOU has received rave reviews from Billboard, People Magazine, LA Times, and debuted at #1 on iTunes.  The first single “I Do” was a #1 track on iTunes and the current single “Brighter Than the Sun,” is #7 at Hot AC and is featured in the national ad campaigns for Pantene and for ‘The Help.  Caillat is currently on tour (check dates on www.colbiecaillat.com).

The Water Dancer, features a series of short videos exploring the similarities between surfing and dancing, involving Quiksilver brand ambassador and 4X ASP World Champion Stephanie Gilmore and three professional New York dancers.

Stephanie went to New York for the project, where she met with the dancers skilled in ballet, hip-hop and commercial dance. The women discussed the creativity, elegance and audacity of surfing as it relates to the splendor, power and beauty of dance. Stephanie sought to capture the dancers’ unique culture, breathtaking talent and exciting stories, while demonstrating the relationship between the art of dance and the sport of surfing.

“Quiksilver and I created this concept to shed light on the way surfing is described, in a way that truly shows how beautiful female surfing is,” said Gilmore. “I once read that surfing a wave can be described as a dance performance: ‘The wave is your stage and the sun is a spotlight.’ I like to think surfing and dance have similar qualities like power, grace, improvisation, rhythm and most of all, performance. When I’m competing, the majority of my drive comes from the performance. When I’m surfing I want to be powerful, but perform with style and grace, similar to that of a dancer.” Thus where the idea came to light.

Famed choreographer Noemie LaFrance is one of the three dancers profiled in the video series. Hersensitivity to environment, muscle memory and improvisation were just a few of the many things that deemed Noemiea fascinating interview subject. She related her dancing to the way Stephanie rides a wave: both women understand the languages of the body and how far one can push their body. “It’s a constant adaptation,” Noemie said. “…a lot of times what is ‘improv’ is what is most natural and beautiful.” Each goes into their ‘dance’ with extreme structure and planning, but the two women connected on the need to let go and let the music or the wave take over.

Tiler Peck, the second dancer to take part in the series, is a determined and graceful New York City ballet principal. Very young for her level of success, the two women connected instantly on their early achievements and their being ‘thrown into’ a world of early stardom. Both Stephanie and Tiler acknowledge how their competitive drive enables them to put on a good show. “Every step is important, even the in between ones are even more,” Tiler says.

The final woman partaking in The Water Dancer is Brooklyn breakdancer and musician Casandra ‘Defy’ Rivera.  Defy sheds light on the female presence in a male-dominated culture. On breakdance culture, she remarks, “It is male-dominated and it takes a lot of strength. Girls are intimidated by it.” Similarly, men dominate surfing, and both Stephanie and Casandraagree on the importance of being aggressive while keeping femininity in their movements.

Speaking to dancers from varying backgrounds, cultures andgenres of performance, Stephanie has achieved a unity between surfing and all forms of dance and movement. Both surfing and dance require determination, strength and creativity. The true essence of The Water Dancer is toteach women the importance of constantly seeking inspiration in all that you do.

For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/quiksilverwomen or www.quiksilver.com/women

Words by Caroline Nieuwenhuis. Photo courtesy Roxy.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Jessi to the ASP management team as Women’s Tour Manager,” Richard Grellman, ASP Executive Chairman, said. “In addition to competing against the world’s best over the past six years, Jessi has served as surfers’ representative and board member and brings a wealth of experience to the position. We’re confident that she’ll serve the girls well as we work towards stabilizing and enhancing this dimension of our sport.”

Miley-Dyer, a former ASP World Junior Champion and six-year veteran of the elite ASP Women’s World Tour, is excited about transitioning to the head office and working with the world’s best surfers in this new capacity.

“It’s an honor to serve the girls on tour right now,” Miley-Dyer said. “I’ve been following the tour my whole life and can confidently say that we’ve never had such an incredible mix of talent as we do in 2012. It’s an exciting time for women’s surfing and I’m looking forward to working with the girls this season.”

Miley-Dyer will commence her role as ASP Women’s World Tour manager immediately. The ASP Top 17 will begin the 2012 ASP Women’s World Title season at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast from February 27 to March 7, 2011.

2012 ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TITLE SCHEDULE:
Roxy Pro Gold Coast (February 25 – March 7, 2012)
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach (April 3 – 9, 2012)
TSB Bank New Zealand (April 11 – 15, 2012)
Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic (April 18 – 23, 2012)
Billabong Rio Pro (May 9 – 13, 2012)
Roxy Pro (July 10 – 14, 2012)
Nike US Open of Surfing (July 30 – August 5, 2012)

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

The latest issue of SurfGirl is available to buy on iTunes featuring Lea Brassy surfing in Iceland, the Rip Curl girls team in Indo, plus lots of top tips for snowboarding and surfing.

There’s an extended DIY issue so if your work wasn’t in the print version you’re probably in this one. Plus lots of snow and surf vids to keep you stoked during these long, dark winter nights. Hit the link and download it to your iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android, PC, Mac – most things digital.

Click here to download from the iTunes App Store

The youngest ever ASP Women’s World Champion

Moore was declared the ASP Women’s World Champion, the youngest winner of the title, in July 2011. During the course of the 2011 tour, Moore won the Billabong Rio Pro, the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic and the Roxy Pro Gold Coast before securing the title at the Roxy Pro in Biarritz, France, finishing runner-up to former champion Stephanie Gilmore after competing in her sixth successive final (another ASP record). Carissa saw off her closest challenge, Sally Fitzgibbons, in the overall standings. It’s a rivalry which seems set to dominate women’s surfing for years to come.

The first Hawaiian surfing champion for 30 years
Moore became the first Hawaiian to win a world title since Margo Oberg in 1981.“It feels amazing to make all these finals and win the title,” Moore said. “I’ve been thinking about this since I was a little girl. Just to be here right now and being world champ is pretty crazy. I dreamed of surfing at this level my whole life since I was a little kid and I don’t think you can ever expect or anticipate the feeling.”

The first woman in the modern era to compete in the men’s Triple Crown of Surfing
Moore was handed a wildcard to compete at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing on Hawaii’s North Shore earlier this year. “The wildcard invites for the Triple Crown were something that I talked about and joked around with my dad about, but I never thought it would become a reality. It was a total surprise and very flattering to be given that opportunity.” Carissa finished fourth in the opening event in Haleiwa in November.

Shortlisted for National Geographic’s People’s Choice Award
National Geographic Society shortlisted Carissa for the 2012 People’s Choice Award in December. The Adventurer of the Year accolade has been running for the past seven years and rewards extraordinary achievement in exploration, conservation, and adventure sports.

Check out Carissa’s site www.carissamoore.com

Words: Chris Stanton courtesy Red Bull