Live the Life

Kelly Slater talks about Jordy , Dane and Australia

Yves Van den Meerssche — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:54:58 +0000

Who would have thought it possible that Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Kelly Slater could all stumble in one day ? South African surfing star Jordy Smith produced one of his best performances to date when he ousted former nine-time world champion Kelly Slater … check this video where ”Kelly Slater talks about losing to Jordy Smith at the Quiksilver Pro, Dane Reynolds and scoring tens and what you need to do to win world titles. Plus: Kalani asks her man what he thinks of Australia.”

This is why the Surf Media is so keen to be around Kelly, if he has something to say it’s world (surf) news, a scoop, hot, whatever, … while some might say it’s all buzz, mind games, we actually think a hype doesn’t get to claim 9 times number one, in my humble opinion, Kelly is what he is, a surfing legend and one that always has a good story for the press …

Talking about good stories … Just to see if there was any more news about Kelly , I googled his name and came up with this “Kelly Slater Sculpture Project“. Which proves my point, there’s always news when the King Of Surf is around … and that’s a good thing, because the world can really use some Good News. Kelly’s the Good News Show. And we love him for that !

The Kelly Slater Sculpture Project has been established to execute the goal of honoring a great champion by installing a bronze sculpture at 4th St. North and A1A in Cocoa Beach, Florida. As you probably know, Kelly grew up in Cocoa Beach and has won nine world titles in the sport of surfing. The pose for this model was selected because it represents one of Kelly’s signature moves. The sculpture will highlight the importance of his contributions to our community, create interest, serve as a focal point for visitors.

More Kelly Slater News ? Here we go :

Kelly Slater teaches science through surfing
Kelly Slater will refocus in his bid for world title No 10
Kelly Slater starts strong in Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
New Kelly Slater Film in 3D : Ultimate Wave Tahiti :

Featuring nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, The Ultimate Wave Tahiti will immerse audiences in the story of an ocean wave and the lives it impacts and transforms. From astounding 3D surfing action to the chaos of ocean storms, the film leads audiences on a quest to understand one of this planets most intriguing and dramatic phenomena.

Cirque Belgique Episode 7 and 8 – Belgian HD WebTV

Yves Van den Meerssche — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:18:20 +0000

Episode 8 – Full Feature from Cirque Belgique on Vimeo.

Full length eight episode of the famous Belgian snow, skate, surf HD tv-show. In this episode: a full repo about the roots of O’Neill in Santa Cruz, a look at the new Videograss teaser and a stunning selection from Forum Forever. After the break the full length episode #7 …. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do … we’re back in J-Bay now and we have not yet reconnected our DSTV, so getting to watch some Belgian HD WebTV just makes my day, especially when it looks this good. Gotto Love BE.

Episode 7 – Full Feature from Cirque Belgique on Vimeo.

In this episode: a full repo about the Hot-Zone Park Opening in Hintertux, a day in the life with the Nike 6.0 Benelux Team in Capbreton. and the Tracking Eero trailer. Oh and if you’ve missed the previous Cirque Belgique WebTV episodes …. have a look at livethelife.eu/cirque-belgique , they’re all there for you to enjoy. Pura Vida. Yves

One heat. Two legends. Three reasons to be @ Bells

Yves Van den Meerssche — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:34:38 +0000

The Occy Vs Curren Showdown…Part 2 ! Californian style guru Tom Curren vs Australian surf hero Mark Occhilupo. One heat. Two legends. Three reasons to be at Bells Beach this Easter. Check out live.ripcurl.com & twitter.com

Last year at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay spectators could watch these two superstars as they re-ignite their intense rivalry in the world’s best right hand point wave, going head to head for the first time in over two decades. Each has won eight of their 16 previous encounters and the Clash of the Icons will provide yet another chapter in their 26 year rivalry…

“I saw Occy before he became a household name, when he was first breaking out, it was at Jeffreys,” said Curren. “He had so much energy, just pushing every turn with so much speed and power. I watched his footage over and over and seeing him for the first time I remember thinking his anticipation going into every turn was something great; something amazing.”

Occy – amped, animated, and outspoken – was a young Aussie mischief-maker and a powerhouse hell-competitor beloved by everyone. Curren – enigmatic, humble, and deceptively understated – was a precise but devastatingly savage contest opponent idolized globally.

“I first saw Tom surf when I was really young in Cronulla, it was at Wanda Beach,” said Occhilupo. “He was staying at Jim Banks’ house, I walked over the hill to the beach after school and it was like solid 6-8ft and he was the only one out. I think he won the Beaurepaires that year and the first time I saw him he was at his peak, he was just ruling.”

No matter where the event was held or who else was in it – there were always two camps, the Occy troop and the Curren crew. It was goofy vs. natural, radical power gouges vs. the sublime style-master, Australia vs. America.

Curren went on to win 353 heats, 33 events and three World Titles while Occy won 380 heats, 12 events and one World Title. Both featured in spectacular comebacks – Tom returning from a two year hiatus to clinch his third crown from the trials in 1990 while Occy’s well documented rise to the 1999 crown after a decade in the wilderness is one of the greatest feats in sporting history.

Both have been singled out for their amazing wave riding at J-Bay – Occy winning the inaugural version of the event in 1984 with a performance that redefined backhand surfing and going on to become one of the South African surfing Mecca’s favourite sons. Curren’s Rincon inspired lines provide a unique insight on how to ride the legendary walls of Supertubes.

The pair have never met in a heat together at the fabled point. The 2009 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay provided the opportunity for their most exciting match-up ever – a visual feast of Occy’s massive backhand blasts and Curren’s inventive flawlessness which earned them their reputations at J-Bay.

PS : Rip Curl has announced that the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search “Somewhere In The Caribbean” will be held from October 30 to November 10. The official location will not be revealed until the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach … I so wish I could book a ticket to Australia today and just go watch it all LIVE, webtv is great, but nothing beats the real thing … I’ll have to wait 4 J-Bay !

Star Koat I Mentawai Surf Charters

LiveTheLife — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:05:28 +0000

Star Koat Mentawai Charter Boat View

Stephanie Gilmore winning 2010 Roxy Pro Australia

Yves Van den Meerssche — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:30:34 +0000

Final day action highlights – congratulations to Stephanie Gilmore winning the 2010 Roxy Pro Australia !
Great start of the year to the current world women’s surfing champion…

Check out the action highlights of the final day Quarters and Semi finals.

Heat on Demand video: Stephanie Gilmore versus Melanie Bartels

Following the completion of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast (won by Taj Burrow), the Roxy Pro Gold Coast completed the Quarterfinals, …The opening event of the 2010 ASP World Tour season, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast whittled the field down to the final four competitors with Australians and Hawaiians battling it out for supremacy.

Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 26, former ASP Women’s World Champion (2005), was in sizzling form, posting an impressive 16.60 out of a possible 20 to dispatch of 2009 ASP World Runner-Up Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, in their Quarterfinal bout.

“I’m so happy,” Hedges said. “It was such a hard day making decisions whether to run like earlier in the high tide or wait for the low tide, and I think the girls stuck to the plan and said ‘no, let’s wait for the low tide when it’s a little more rippable’. And I think it’s a good decision. The wave is not great, but it’s a little more top-to-bottom now.”

Hedges, who took a sabbatical from full-time competition in 2008 to become a mom, is now back in the driver’s seat, putting herself in contention for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Title.

“I’m enjoying and loving my surfing right now,” Hedges said. “I probably don’t get to surf as much as the other girls with free surfing. Being a mom is tough. It’s hard to get all those hours in the water. I’m lucky to get one surf a day, but at the same time, every surf I do have, I’m really amped, and I love every minute of it. I’m like a little kid again. I feel like Coco (Ho) and Sally (Fitzgibbons) and those girls – I’m just a bit older though.”

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST REMAINING ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 5: Silvana Lima (BRA) 14.33 def. Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 6.50
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 13.50 def. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 12.17
Heat 7: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 13.23 def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (HAW) 12.97
Heat 8: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 14.27 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.37

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Coco Ho (HAW) 14.33 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.07
QF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.00 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 5.47
QF 3: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 16.60 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 9.83
QF 4: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 11.43 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.76

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS:
SF 1: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
SF 2: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) vs. Melanie Bartels (HAW)

Read more & check out the worldclass pictures @ roxypro.com.au/photos
and last but not least the fashion webtv series @ roxypro.com.au/fashiontv

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Best Documentary at Sundance Film Festival: The Cove

LiveTheLife — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:48:18 +0000

The Cove Trailer from TakePart on Vimeo.

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, The Cove follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade as practiced in Taiji, Japan. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.

The Cove exposes not only the tragedy of dolphin slaughtering in Japan, but also the dangerously high levels of mercury in dolphin meat and seafood, the cruelty in capturing dolphins for entertainment, and the depletion of our ocean’s fisheries by worldwide seafood consumption. We also see how the mandate of the International Whaling Commission has been manipulated by the Japanese Fisheries Agency for its benefit and its subsequent effect on the rest of the world.

Find out more about the film and how you can get involved at TheCove.

In this pulse-pounding eco-thriller, a crack team of divers, activists and special effects experts infiltrate a secret cove in Japan to expose one of history’s most shocking and unimaginable crimes against nature. Winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, ‘The Cove’ is sure to be one of the most talked about films of the summer.

Academy Award® Winner for Best Documentary of 2009, THE COVE follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret.

The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action.

THE COVE is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.

Documentary “Heart of a Soul Surfer”, Bethany Hamilton

Pat, Tanner and Dane Gudauskas : the3tree.com

LiveTheLife — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:52:08 +0000

One Day in France. from Tanner Gudauskas on Vimeo.

Pro surfers Pat, Tanner and Dane Gudauskas launch the3tree.com !!! The site looks really good and we love the webtv series on vimeo as well … check out more videos from the Gudauskas brothers after the break …especially the last one !

Tanner Gudauskas from Tanner Gudauskas on Vimeo.

Its always nice to be home. Tanner ripping in San Clemente California.

Favorite place to travel to? France, Portugal, anywhere in Europe really. My brothers and I have been very fortunate to meet some really great people over there that we always enjoy seeing when we go back over. The waves and lifestyles are second to none. I will also have a permanent soft spot for Tahiti. It’s as close to heaven as you can find on earth.

Pat v Tanner, one morning at trestles from Tanner Gudauskas on Vimeo. ENJOY !!!

Inspiration? Inspiration for me is all around. Pops always would tell us that ‘today is the first day of the rest of your lives’, kind of the ‘carpe diem’ attitude… I just wake up stoked to be doing what I am doing, and I want to make the most of every opportunity whether it’s meeting new people, or just enjoying the company of the ones around you. Living in the now I guess is my huge inspiration to be the best I can as a person. More about Pat

Pat Gudauskas, Tanner Gudauskas, and Dylan Graves make a trek down to Mexico to escape the el nino rains that flooded the California coast in January. Video by Vans

Purchase Prices, Land & Construction Costs in Bali

Yves Van den Meerssche — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:30:44 +0000

As our LiveTheLife Team Riders Thomas, Rémi & Storm are on a mission to Bali … I started working night shifts to skype with our partners in Indo … and pretty itchy to book myself a flight and join them … there’s a reason why Thomas has named his beachfront surf lodge in Jeffreys Bay, Dreamland ! Anyway, started to wonder what the property prices are like in Bali … and hopefully you’ll see some surf view properties for sale @ LiveTheLife … The Surf Real Estate Search Goes On

Purchase Prices, Land & Construction Costs in Bali (via baliproperties.com)

To give you some idea about prices: existing high-quality villas with garden and a swimming pool which have been built a few years ago start around US$400,000 and can go up to US$2,000,000 and more. Land prices range currently from US$50 to US$300 per square meter (11 square feet) depending on the location (in the middle of nowhere you might still find land for less than US$20). A plot not too far from the beach and the tourist areas in South Bali will cost today about US$70 to US$150 per square meter. If it’s located right on the beach, offers a spectacular view or is part of an up-market development, it can be US$300 and more per square meter.

” The basic construction cost of good quality residential buildings is right now about US$500 to US$1,200 per square meter. This does not include any access roads, site preparation and development, water and electricity supply, swimming pool, water pumps or filtration, waste water treatment, power generators, landscaping, architects and consultants fees, costs for the many licenses and permits required, etc.” Read more @ baliproperties.com

King of Style Tom Curren as Waterman of the Year

Yves Van den Meerssche — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:48:50 +0000

As surfing’s style master, honoring Tom Curren as Waterman of the Year has been a long time coming,” said Doug Palladini, SIMA President and the VP of Marketing for Vans. “His one-of-a-kind, soulful style ignited the surf industry in the 1980s and continues to inspire surfers today. It is truly an honor to recognize Tom for his accomplishments and contributions to surfing at the 2010 Waterman’s Weekend.”

“On behalf of the surf industry, SIMA is proud to honor a duo like no other, Tom Curren and Al Merrick, for their unique and powerful influence on the sport and industry of surfing. We are also incredibly thrilled to celebrate Robert F. Kennedy’s commitment to protecting and preserving the ocean and waterways at the 21st annual Waterman’s Ball.”

Three time World Champion and Waterman of the Year, Tom Curren, is considered the leader of the surfing revolution of the ‘80s and a source of inspiration for many of today’s surfers. As the King of Style who has been emulated the world over, Tom’s buttery-smooth rhythm, raw power and unique check turns led him to outsurf the rest.

During his reign as World Champion, everyone wanted to surf like Curren. The rivalry in the 80’s between Australian wunderkind Mark Occhilupo and California soul champion Curren produced some of the most exciting competitive clashes in the history of surfing. Their most memorable battle was the Rip Curl Bells Pro semi that clinched Curren’s first World Title in 1985.

In 2009, the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay pitted the duo in a “Clash of the Icons” for two expression session heats resulting in a tie with one win each.

Outside of the water, Curren developed a memorable surfing career alongside Channel Island’s Al Merrick, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, co-producing and riding many pro surfboard models such as the Black Beauty and the Red Beauty. As an overall ambassador for the sport of surfing, SIMA is proud to be honoring Curren as the 2010 Waterman of the Year.

France Square Metre Prices ! Property is a Numbers Game ?

Yves Van den Meerssche — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:35:49 +0000

Valuation of property by square meter prices. Property is a numbers game … Is It ? To get an idea of international property prices per square meter, I was about to compare the average square metre price of residential property in the centre of France with costs in other similar capital cities. But what is there to learn ? Yeah sure, Monaco is 35.000 euro a square meter, the average in France is around 10.000 euro a square meter … but this made me think , ok sure but let’s “think global, act local” … If I was to buy property in France I would be looking for a lifestyle property in the SW, so that’s when I stumbled upon the average housing value (for sale) in France. For every French region, you could find a valuation of the regional Real Estate markets’ prices. The area that I’m focussed on is the Aquitaine, and I was happy to see that the average price per square meter dropped below 2006 levels … an obvious opportunity to buy ? Is it ? The prices are just below 2000 euro/sqm. Is this as good as it gets ? ….

( Note : Low interest rates boosted house prices from 2001 to 2006. Price increases peaked in 2004. When interest rates rose and lending conditions tightened, house price appreciation ground to a halt in 2007.France’s economy grew by only 0.3% in 2008, formally entering recession in Q3 2008. GDP was expected to contract by 3.3% in 2009. However GDP rose unexpectedly by a surprising 0.3% in Q2 2009, making France one of the first countries out of recession in Europe and the OECD. Read More)

Ok so far, so good, it is a numbers game. But I was actually trying to make a point here … As a matter of fact I believe I can still buy property in France at 1 euro per square meter & build for 500 euro / sqm …

Sounds too good to be true ? Maybe, but stay tuned and I will showcase some properties that will blow you away … and well below the 2000 euro / sqm … Give us a shout if you’re up to it … A+

Yves

PS: I will soon make another post about square meter prices in Africa, America & Australia …I don’t consider myself to be an expert but I’m keen to share my learning curve with our LTL fans. Speaking of fans, please make my day and become a LiveTheLife fan @ FaceBook. Thanks ! It’s a good spot to track down all our latest listings … Have a nice day …