It was tough to spot Santa Cruz teenager Nat Young, 17, in the lineup at Sunset Beach today. Out in the water for round two of the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing, Young's windblown shock of white hair, white surfboard and white contest jersey blended perfectly with the white-caps and spray that ruled the day. It was a tough morning for even the most seasoned Sunset competitors as the eight- to ten-foot surf rapidly declined and competition was halted after only eight heats. But Young was full of smiles, braces gleaming, after a self-confessed clueless performance that saw him advance to round three behind local charger Kekoa Bacalso.

It's not that his surfing doesn't measure up; Young is a former NSSA champion and won the 2008 O'Neill Coldwater Classic back home at Santa Cruz. He just has zero experience at Sunset Beach, which the champions will tell you is a tough venue to master. Add the world's top-ranked surfers and the prestige of the $1,000,000 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, and it's obviously an overwhelming scene for a rookie.

"I'm so stoked, it was pretty tough out there," said Young, after his heat. "I don't know the wave at all. I just kind of caught a bunch of waves and it worked out.

The Australian Sports Commission’s Indigenous Sport Program (ISP), which works to increase the number of Indigenous people participating in sport, has partnered with Surfing Australia and the University of Queensland to conduct a three-year (2009–11) research project measuring the impacts of sport on Indigenous Australian communities.

It will be funded by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, an international apolitical organisation that uses the positive influence of sport to address social challenges.

The idea for the research project came out of a need, identified by the ISP, to substantiate claims around the benefits of sport with empirical evidence, not just on the basis of anecdotal accounts. “This is the first time that research of this nature has been conducted in this field” said ISP Senior Sports Consultant Richard Kilian.

ISP has formed a useful partnership with the University of Queensland to provide expertise in the development of the research agenda. Similarly, Surfing Australia has joined ISP as the organisation primarily responsible for providing the context and sites in which the study can take place.

Carissa Moore (HAW), 17, won the sixth of seven stops on the ASP Women’s World Tour today, the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, over fellow finalists Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, freshly crowned three-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, and Vans Triple Crown ratings’ leader Alana Blanchard (HAW), 19, to claim her first ASP Women’s World Tour event victory.

Moore, who entered the Gidget Pro via a Trials’ victory, stamped her authority on ASP Women’s World Tour competition when she surfed with amazing poise and maturity throughout the event’s entirety to eventually win on her home Island of Oahu.

“It’s such an honor,” Moore said. “I’m speechless right now. I never thought that I would make the Final in this event. All of the girls were surfing so well and congratulations to Steph (Gilmore) for winning the World Title.”

Moore is no stranger to ASP Women’s World Tour competition despite her young age, and had already made the Final’s at a Roxy Pro Gold Coast event in 2007 when she earned a Runner-Up finish to Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 26. Having entered previous ASP Women’s World Tour events in the past as a wildcard, the young Hawaiian looked comfortable in the heightened level of competition.

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, has claimed her third consecutive ASP Women’s World Title today, making history as the only surfer ever to win the prestigious crown each year they have competed at the elite ASP World Tour level (men’s or women’s).

The clinching was somewhat unexpected as today’s competition began with six surfers in contention for the 2009 ASP Women’s World Title. With each heat advancement and the narrowing of the field at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, Event No. 6 of 7 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the irrepressible Gilmore navigated her way to her third ASP Dream Tour Title.

“It’s surreal to win for a third time,” Gilmore said. “It’s amazing! I woke up this morning and knew it was going to be a good day. The waves were building and you sort of get that fuzzy feeling throughout the day. I really don’t even know what to think about it. I just want to thank everyone for the support that I’ve had throughout the whole year.”

Gilmore, who was focused on preparing for the Final at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, had remained intentionally aloof to the ASP Women’s World Title possibilities on the final day of competition, and was surprised when informed she had clinched the historic crown.

A massive swell in the 15–to-18-foot (5-6 metre) range has slammed in to Oahu’s North Shore and has forced event officials to call the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, Event No. 7 of 8 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, off for today.

“Of all the places in the world, this is one where you call a contest off because it’s ‘too big’ rather than ‘too small’,” Randy Rarick, Vans Triple Crown Contest Director, said. “We’ve got 15-to-18-foot surf conditions that are expected to build throughout the day, and it’s closing out Sunset Beach so obviously too big for competition. It will be a day for Waimea today. We’re off tomorrow for Thanksgiving, and this swell should be slowly declining throughout the next several days so we’ll look to catch the backside of it on Friday.”

Surfline.com, official foreers for the Vans Triple Crown, are calling swells to remain strong over the next several days but gradually decline from today’s peak.

The Gidget Pro Sunset Beach represents the second stop on the highly coveted Vans Triple Crown Series and the sixth of seven events on the ASP Women’s World Tour, playing a crucial role in surfers’ quests for requalification for a spot amongst the elite in 2010.

Patience and faith in his home break of Haleiwa delivered local boy Joel Centeio the biggest victory of his career today, winning the Reef Hawaiian Pro in 6- to 8-foot surf with a late barrel ride and only the mandatory two waves to his credit.

Joel, 26, came from the very first round, winning all seven heats he contested. He now takes an early lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink series ratings. His win today earned him $20,000. If he can stay the course and win the Vans Triple Crown series title, it will pay another $50,000 as well as a $10,000 custom Nixon watch.

Runner-up in the final was Florida’s CJ Hobgood, third was Australian Jay "Bottle" Thompson, 27, and fourth was Tahiti’s Alain Riou. Hobgood and Thompson were always within striking distance - requiring less than a 7.0 point ride to turn the tables - but Haleiwa chose to favor her own.

While the win catapulted Centeio from 131st on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings to 51st, he still has no chance of qualifying for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour.

It was all about the next generation of surfers today at Cronulla as the beachside suburb’s favourite surfing son, Mark ‘Occy’ Occhilupo, donned a contest singlet to take on the division winners of his own signature junior surfing contest – Occ, Stock and barrels.

In stifling 40 degree heat and in very small 0.5m waves, Occhilupo faced a big challenge taking on the light-footed trio of Jake Scott (Malabar), Veronica Charles (Cronulla) and Jarrod Szele (Warilla), who had all gained the chance to surf against the 1999 ASP World Champion in the Occy Grand Final by earlier winning their respective divisions.

With waves few and far between at a packed North Cronulla Beach, wave selection and a little bit of luck were critical factors in the ‘Occy Grand Final’ and it was Veronica Charles who opened a narrow lead early over her more fancied opponents.

However her lead was shortly overtaken by Jake Scott who was awarded an 8.0 for a flurry of smooth turns on a rare set wave. Scott then backed this up with a 4.83 to move into a near unbeatable position.

Hawaii’s Alana Blanchard (Kauai) hit a career high today, defeating reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) to post a win in the Vans Hawaiian Pro, the first stop of the $1,000,000 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Blanchard won $2,500 today but now leads the Vans Triple Crown series ratings that will pay $25,000 to the women’s winner at the end of the three events.

Blanchard, 19, is a rookie on the ASP Women’s World Tour this year and this is her first full crack at the Vans Triple Crown series of events.
The women surfed through all four rounds of the event today in head-high surf.

It was a hard-fought final between Gilmore and Blanchard, with little separating the two who were equally as impressive on their backhand attack on the lefts. In the end, just 1.12 points was the difference. Blanchard with a two-wave total of 14.16, and Gilmore ($1,750) with 13.04. Third place in the 30-minute, four-woman final went to Sofia Mulanovich (Peru, $1,500), and fourth was Australian Rebecca Woods ($1,250).

Sunny Garcia, 39, was once quoted as saying that "tricks are for kids". Twenty years deep in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rock Star Energy Drink, Garcia’s power surfing looked to be pulling rank again today. In the second-to-last heat of the day, Garcia posted the event’s highest two-wave total: 13.5 out of 20 points. But while Garcia enjoyed the moment, 20-year-old Clay Marzo, known world wide for a bottomless bag of convoluted tricks, was oblivious to the world and notching up a crowd-stunning score of 16.23 to close.

Garcia won his first Hawaiian Pro title here back in 1992, around the same time Marzo was first starting to show his affinity for water in his baby bath. His mind-blowing natural talent was front and center today as he became the only surfer to top Garcia.

Sunny is looking for a dream here, in search of his sixth Hawaiian Pro title and seventh Triple Crown title as the cameras of his documentary film roll. For Marzo, this is his grand appearance on surfing’s premier stage a total newcomer to the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

The New Wave Primary School Champs took place at Gisborne last weekend with pumping waves on offer at "The Pipe". Young local surfers dominated the event with Korbin Hutchings (Gisborne Intermediate) taking out the boys title.

The sport at this level provides an opportunity for new entrant surfers to develop their contest experience and to compete in a professionally organised surfing event with their peers. The level of each surfers ability is tested and enables them to decided whether they are ready to commit to the sport and move to the next level and compete in the Surfing New Zealand Grommet Series.

Surf ranged from 1.0m – 1.5m with excellent but challenging conditions for New Zealand’s best young surfers.

Hutchings was impressive all weekend winning every heat before taking out the final. Likewise Milly Crewe (Waimauku School) was unstoppable in the Girls Division winning every heat through to the final where she eventually beat Britt Kindred (Waimauku School) on a ‘count back’.