Vitor Oliveira

Dear readers, today, your SurferToday is celebrating its 17 anniversary. In the past 12 months, surfing and skateboarding have had the opportunity to get ready and present themselves as Olympic-deserving sports. In other words, these unique board sports had a shot at bringing the best out of their culture and performing skills to impress the world and honor Olympism and its values. In the past 365 days, athletes and the remaining 99 percent of recreational surfers and skaters continued having fun. Gabriel Medina's iconic Teahupoo photo made headlines on all continents. Also, minutes after winning her maiden world title at only 18 years and 322 days of age, Caitlin Simmers was clear about her generation's attitude toward surfing. "I don't surf to win contests," the young Californian expressed. And while the people of surfing were making Duke Kahanamoku proud of the wave-riding spirit, the industry continued its path of self-destruction. The only motor sp...

I am in love with water in all its forms. Entering the water is a form of prayer for me. My name is Elena Pinnen, and I was born in Rome, Italy. I am finalizing my PhD in Literature and Science from the University of Cambridge and work as an instructor in Italian literature and language. At the moment, I live between Italy and the United States. I move quite often. As a surf lover, I have recently published a book of poems about waves and surfing with The Los Angeles Press. It's called "On a Breaking Wave." The book was inspired by a relationship with someone whose first language is English. So, for me, English was my mother tongue at that time; it was the only language possible. Also, I am fascinated by the expressive possibilities of a language that is not my own. "Life is in the mouth. Death is in the mouth," says a Hawaiian proverb I quote in the book. I often address the issue of colonialism because it is extremely linked to that of surfing. I al...

He presents himself as a surfer who is "a twist of a rock star and a spiritual guru." Meet Brazil's big-wave rebel, Pedro "Scooby" Vianna. Although not a name widely recognized in the mainstream, Anglo-Saxon-dominated media, he is the second most followed surfer in the world, only behind Gabriel Medina. Pedro Henrique Mota Vianna was on August 10, 1988, in Rio de Janeiro. He had his first contact with surfing through his father when he was only five years old, even though he was mostly raised by his mother, Gracinda Mota. Pedro studied in a traditional catholic private school in Barra da Tijuca. He did not go to the beach between the ages of 5 and 10, though. While riding horses at his father's farm, Vianna dreamed of becoming a cowboy. "Scooby" only resumed surfing at 11, when he started winning his first competitions and spending more time surfing. "I had a tough life. My father was arrested when I was still a kid, and suddenly I saw...

John John Florence and Caitlin Simmers have taken out the 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) titles at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. The WSL Finals returned to Lower Trestles , a wave that, for many, represents what high-performance surfing is about. The arena known for demanding power surfing prowess, aerial antics, and occasional barrel work delivered fun three-to-five-foot A-frame waves. The iconic venue welcomed the circus with blue skies, a glassy line-up, loud fans on the beach, and a world-class roster eager to put their hands on the coveted Duke Kahanamoku World Champions Trophy and write their name in history's champions list . The morning kicked off with the revenge of the fifth-placed surfers and both Tatiana Weston-Webb and Italo Ferreira riding safely into the semifinals. Weston-Webb defeated Molly Picklum and Brisa Hennessy, while Ferreira eliminated Ethan Ewing and Jack Robinson. A surprise? Maybe quite not so. In men's matc...

Waves of many forms surround our daily life. Some are invisible, and others are in every item our eyes come across while we're awake. And then, the most magical of them all: liquid waves. When was the first time you have ever seen the breaking of an ocean wave? Were you young or already a grown-up adult? Were you alone, with family, friends, or schoolmates? How and where did you first see a wave? In a newspaper, magazine, TV, or real life, right in front of your eyes? Do you remember what you felt? Wonder, fear, excitement, doubt, hypnotism, fascination, attraction, obsession, or a bit of all of them plus a few more? Waves are forever intriguing, unique, and pretty much like every single one of us. We do share a lot with these ocean travelers. We, the people, and the waves are born, evolve, grow, and blend together until we eventually reach our ultimate destination and dissipate for eternity. We witness waves through their whole life cycle , and, in a way, they too. The ...

Australia's Chayne Simpson was crowned the 2024 kneeboarding world champion at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. The 2024 Kneeboard Surfing World Titles were held from August 17 to 25 in good to epic conditions at one of the world's premier point breaks. It was the largest-ever gathering of kneeboarders, and the performance level was an all-time high. Simpson and Albert Munoz - both former world champions - finished first and second, respectively, in the open division, outlasting more than 120 competitors from 11 countries. Anne Milochau claimed the open women's division, followed by Patti Hook, who traveled from Outer Banks, North Carolina. Three American kneeriders earned world titles, and several others performed well amongst the most talented field ever assembled. San Juan Capistrano's Kevin Skvarna, current US champion, won the pro junior division (ages 20 to 29), San Diego's Brad Colwell won the immortals division (ages 65 to 69), and Ventura's Scott We...

One of the beauties of surfing is that each session has a story to tell, an experience to share, or an unusual event that will be remembered forever. The act of surfing implies moving and traveling, even if you're riding a bike to your local surf break. Also, the fact that it depends on natural elements and variables makes the art of walking over water an even more magical adventure. Riding a wave is not only a personal challenge or a display of vanity and endless skills and style. It's also meant to be fun. Sometimes, it's also funny and humbling, reminding us that even champions fail, fall, and have their embarrassing moments. We decided to search for a few amusing, short surf stories shared by anonymous surfers in the digital world. In the end, SurferToday found some hilarious accounts worth a read. We've slightly edited them for a better understanding but tried to keep their original writing style to respect the author's sensitivity. Hopefully, they...

Imagine a competitive surfing heat in which surfers catch no waves and score zero points. Who wins? Who advances to the next stage? The surreal scenario is not an impossible one. Recently, in a World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) event, two surfers were tied with 0 points with under two minutes to go. Teresa Bonvalot and Bahia Frediani were surfing a quarterfinal heat at the Pantín Classic in Galicia, Spain. The swell forces were low, and the small sets on offer were spaced out. Minutes passed without any surfer taking off on a wave. Both athletes were sitting side by side, with Bonvalot wanting to keep close to her opponent. At some point, the WSL Rulebook (10.02) gives the head judge a few options. It states that if no surfers have had a ride after ten minutes have passed in any heat of 30 minutes or less or event finals, the head judge may: Continue with the priority situation maintained; Restart with the priority situation continuing if it had been established...

The Indonesian authorities are building a concrete seawall around the Uluwatu cliffs to prevent the Pura Luhur Temple from sliding into the Indian Ocean. The decision to proceed with the controversial $5 million construction raised the alarm among the local surfing community and several non-governmental organizations. The plan is to create a protection ring that saves the sacred Uluwatu temple and strengthens local river systems and waterways. The goal is to build a coastal road and an 82-foot (25-meter) seawall that protect the cliffs and human-made structures from collapsing. The cracks on the southern cliff face are visible, and the situation is not new. The initial signs of deterioration in the integrity of the coastal feature date back to 1992, when an earthquake compromised the tall and steep rocky faces. The local government limited the number of visitors allowed in the religious site and area, but it was not enough. Now that there's imminent danger and the risk of l...

When was the last time you were asked to pay to step on a beach? Probably never. But if you have, then you're most likely in New Jersey, where beach tags are required to access its Atlantic sand strips. Most of the world's beaches are free access, meaning everybody can enter, walk, and swim in the ocean. Consequently, this also means that private beaches are rare , with most of them possibly located on private islands. So, why is New Jersey charging residents and non-residents fees to enjoy the sandy zones by the sea? Are beaches a luxury in the Garden State? Yes and no. The Concept Beach tags, or beach badges, are essentially permits that beachgoers must purchase to access specific beaches during the summer months. The idea is simple: if you want to spend a day on the sand, you need to buy a tag and display it visibly on your person or belongings. The cost of these badges varies, with different prices for daily, weekly, or seasonal access and occasional discounts for ...

My name is Andy Steckel. I was born in Pennsylvania and grew up on Long Island, New York, but I have lived mostly in Northern California. I spent many summer days bodysurfing at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York, with my younger brother and older sister. I loved the weightlessness of flying for a few seconds and then lying in bed that night, still feeling my body bobbing. I also loved watching the surfers glide off Robert Moses State Park Field 5. I tried it myself a few times as a teen but never had a good balance, and I soon happily returned to the more comfortable shallow pool. I moved West for school and spent 30 years as an environmental engineer working on air pollution regulations in San Francisco. I retired in 2017 and started drawing cartoons about things that interest me, like the ocean, nature, climate change, and sometimes politics. I am 63 and still love bodysurfing when I make it to warm waters back East or in Southern California, and I get my breath tak...

River surfing is a growing outdoor activity with hundreds of thousands of participants taking off at all types of inland water streams. Nowadays, it is incredibly easy and inexpensive to create a river surfing wave when it is not readily made available by Mother Nature. Standing waves are fun to ride. They allow inland surfing enthusiasts to enjoy the pleasures of wave-riding thousands of miles away from the ocean. River surf breaks are, therefore, getting increasingly crowded. Whether you're at the Eisbach in Munich or at the Bend Whitewater Park in Oregon, there are some guidelines you need to follow before jumping into the water. River waves have two main limitations compared to their oceanic counterparts: the rideable length is limited, and they're confined to potentially hazardous boundaries. Consequently, there are rules and precautions one must embrace to make it safe and pleasant for everyone. The following directives help ensure the river surfing experience ...

Double-up waves are a striking and relatively rare type of ocean wave and simultaneously a challenge for advanced surfers. A double-up wave is as spectacular as weird and unusual. It somehow defies the common understanding of what a normal oceanic wave is. Why? Because it morphs and eventually becomes two waves. These freaks of Nature are characterized by their immense power and distinctive structure and have a reputation for being both exhilarating and dangerous. But how do these mutant liquid walls of water work? A double-up wave forms when the crests and troughs of two separate waves align and merge, creating a singular and uneven amplified wave. The merging is not merely the simple addition of two waves' energy but a complex interaction that leads to a distinctive wave formation, often marked by a midface step. Consequently, the resulting wave is not just larger in size but also more powerful and unpredictable, making it a challenge for surfers to ride. Sometimes, it...

Belmar police officers arrested a 28-year-old surfer for allegedly failing to display a required beach badge. The unusual incident occurred on Wednesday, August 21, at Belmar Beach's 19th Avenue, a popular New Jersey surf spot, and was captured on video before being shared widely on social media. According to witnesses, Liam Mahoney, a resident of Junction City, California, had just finished his surf session when he was approached by police officers. The officers questioned him about his beach badge, a pass required to access Belmar beaches during certain hours. Mahoney and a woman at the scene insisted that the badge was attached to his beach bag, though it was not displayed on his wetsuit. Tensions escalated, and the situation quickly turned physical. In the video, Mahoney is seen trying to explain his side, but officers attempt to handcuff him. When Mahoney resists, an officer places him in a chokehold, and within moments, the surfer is pinned to the ground with a knee t...