Northern California – Maverick’s

This competition features 24 of the greatest surfers going up against each other in Half Moon Bay. You can expect loads of excitement as these pro surfers compete on the big waves for the $30,000 prize.

Dates: 3 January 2018-28 February 2018

Global – WSL World Tour

This competition takes place in 10 destinations where 45 male and 17 female pro-surfers will compete against each other. Surfers are judged on their technique, speed, power and flow.

Dates: March-December 2018

Hawaii – Vans World Cup of Surfing and Billabong Pipeline Masters

This competition features three legs where all contestants have to be able to adapt to the everchanging moods of the Hawaiian ocean. Each part of the competition is guaranteed to offer thrills and excitement.

Dates: November 2018

United Kingdom – Boardmasters

Get your tickets for Boardmasters and don’t miss out on this epic 5-day festival in the UK. For great music, surf lessons and a wide variety of extreme sports competitions, look no further than Boardmasters.

Dates: 8-12 August 2018

France – Quicksilver Pro

The ninth leg of the Men’s championship is not to be missed. If you find yourself somewhere in the vicinity of Hossegor, France, you’d better get there!

Dates: 3-14 October 2018

Portugal – Meo Rip Curl Pro

This event marks the tenth leg of the Men’s Championship surfing tour. If you can attend the event you should! Supertubos guarantees loads of barrels and excitement for the competitors.

Dates: 16-17 October 2018

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest updates and news on all these exciting events and more!

On the eve of his first ever ASP Men’s World Tour heat as a full time professional, Tiago Pires (Ericeira, Portugal) has re-signed with iconic global surf brand Billabong.

The 28-year-old is the first surfer from Portugal to ever qualify for the elite level of professional competition and will join Andy Irons (Kauai), Taj Burrow (Yallingup, WA) and Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta) as the fourth Billabong sponsored athlete to contest the 2008 men’s world tour. *

Pires joined the Billabong team in 1999, establishing himself as one of the brand’s top European surfers.

“I feel like part of the family at Billabong,” said Pires. “For the past nine years the company has really looked after me, especially the guys in Portugal, so I’m honoured to be continuing the relationship.

“Billabong has an amazing history which I feel proud to have been a part of and representing the brand has always been very important to me.”

Brand Manager for Billabong Europe Reid Pinder said Pires will be a crucial part of the company’s future marketing plans.

“Tiago has proven himself to be a fierce competitor and a highly respected surfer which fits perfectly with Billabong,” he said. “We are looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish on tour in 2008 and we will be backing him every step of the way.

“He will be an asset to the continued growth of the Billabong brand, especially through Europe.”

Joining the World Qualifying Series in 1999, the path to top 45 qualification has been a long and arduous one for the powerful natural footer. Back to back wins of the 6 star rated Buondi Billabong Pro in his home country in 2005/2006 marked a career highlight, but struggling for consistency withheld the talented surfer from his rightful place on the men’s world tour.

2007 was the year things fell into place. A 2nd at the Drug Aware Pro 6 Star in Margaret River, followed by a string of 9th placed finishes in South Africa, France, Japan, Maldives and Newcastle rocketed him into a qualifying position early in the year. From there all he had to do was hold tight. He did exactly that to finish the year in 5th with easily enough points to secure his 2008 tour position.

Pires will now focus on the first ASP World Tour event that gets underway at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, Australia tomorrow, (23rd February – 5th March).

* Billabong has seven world tour competitors in total. Rebecca Woods (AUS), Nicola Atherton (AUS) and Silvana Lima (BRA) represent the brand on the women’s world tour

Cornish surfers will fill seven of the eight places in the grand final of the South To South Frostbite Junior Winter Series.

Jack Whitefield, Josh Piper, Seb Smart, Morgan Elston, George Picking, Marcus Lascelles, and Bert Wright will be joined by Newport’s Robert Webster-Blythe in the mobile contest showdown next month.

The places were confirmed following the third qualifying event at Porthmeor, in St Ives.

Webster-Blythe made the journey down from Newport in Wales worthwhile by securing victory in the Under 18 division of the South to South Frostbite Sessions, and winning the qualifying series by a clear margin.

After a second place at Portreath, the 18 year old came out on top at Porthmeor is solid four to five feet waves.

With two of the three event results counting towards the final outcome, the ratings leaders were all in contention, lead from the start by Newquay’s Josh Piper.

Gwithian contest winner, Marcus Lascelles was back after six weeks out with an injured ankle, and in the under 16’s local boy Jack Whitefield was looking for a second victory, with Seb Smart from Sennen hot on his heels and keen to improve on his previous results.

From the start, Smart was looking like the surfer to beat, winning all his heats convincingly, though being matched on the other side of the board by Josh Piper, also surfing easily to the under 16 final, to be joined by Jack Whitefield and Morgan Elston from St Agnes.

In the under 18’s, it was to be a repeat of the previous weeks final, with the same line up of Josh Piper, Rob Webster Blythe, Jack Whitefield and Bert Wright.

Unfortunately by finals time the wind had swung onshore, and low tide Porthmeor was not playing ball, making conditions difficult.

The Under 18’s were first in the water, with Josh Piper taking an early lead with a powerful re-entry, and Jack Whitefield continuing his strategy of taking every wave he could find.

Robert Webster-Blythe showed his experience in wave selection, but with only ten minutes remaining there was no standout between the three of them.

Bert Wright, who had managed a final place in all three events, just couldn’t find the waves. Robert then pulled out the stops getting the highest scoring wave of the day, by pulling into the shorebreak, and taking the lead.

One good wave from Whitefield could have taken him ahead but it was not to be.

As conditions worsened the Under 16’s final got underway, proving to be hard work for all four surfers, and making it almost impossible to complete more than one turn on a wave.

Jack Whitefield, surfing his home break, couldn’t repeat his previous form, and it was Seb Smart who managed to show that bit more flair and determination to win on the day.

With all three qualifying events now completed, the top eight surfers will be taken off to surf the best waves that Organiser Tyson Greenaway can find on the day.

As to the location, Greenaway is keeping that close to his chest, but he has a number of “secret” locations in mind.

“The conditions have been so good to us so far, so we’ve got to make the final something special. I really want it to be great for them. That’s what this whole series has been about; giving the top juniors the chance to compete in the best available waves,” he said.

The winner of the final will win a sponsorship deal offering the youngsters a vital stepping stone onto a future surfing career.

Porthmeor results:

U-16
1st Seb Smart
2nd Josh Piper
3rd Jack Whitefield
4th Morgan Elston

U-18
1st Rob Webster Blythe
2nd Jack Whitefield
3rd Josh Piper
4th Bert Wright