As I’ve said before, I think Rob Machado is becoming a kind of mystic guru of surfing.  One day, surfers will seek him out at secret surf spots for nuggets of surf wisdom.  He’s not surfing on the world circuit anymore, but he does show up as select contests.  Today in his heat, he really [...]

The last heat in the Round of 96 was definitely a stacked affair.  Mick Fanning, Rob Machado, Brent Reilly and Owen Wright in the same heat and only two guys can move on.  When all was said and done, it was Mick Fanning who took first and Rob Machado who slid into second.  But based [...]

There was a lull right at the beginning of the heat.  Each surfer had one waves and there there was a good 5-10 minutes of waiting.  It was starting to look like the biggest second wave was going to take the heat.  But then the swell rolled in and Kelly Slater exploded with a 9.3.  [...]

The lulls between sets are still excruciating at times, but the wave size is really starting to pick up.  Lots of 4s and 5s out there for the surfers to really cut loose on.  Stephanie Gilmore scored an 8.6 on a nice overhead wave.  She secured first place with that wave alone.  Jessi Miley-Dyer and [...]

The fog finally lifted this morning and the final heats of the Round of 144 were completed.  The Round of 96 began and some of the bigger names started showing up to surf.  Some of the bigger shocks so far are that Bruce Irons, Damien Hobgood and Sunny Garcia are all out already.  There have [...]

Can you feel it?  Can you feel the swell building?  Oh Jack Lordy, things are going to get nuts and they are going to get nuts quick.  The Oakley iPhone App predicted 1-3 today in Huntington.  Donnie and I went out at 9th Street to steer clear of the pier since the US Open is [...]