Newsletter join now Keep in touch with all the latest surf news, green scene and partner info by joining the Drift weekly update. SIGN UP NOW
What are we made of? Drift Magazine is made from ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) FSC Certified pulp and low VOC vegetable inks. Studio power by Ecotricity and delivery made using Biopower V100 waste oil.
20/11/2006:// Morning tsunamis generated by the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in the Kuril Islands delayed the start of the women's Op Pro at Haleiwa, but eventually calmed to make way for the first day of competition in the 24th annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Repeated surges were easy to monitor at the Op Pro Hawaii contest site, with Haleiwa's Ali'i Beach Park bordered by a small boat harbor.
Boats rose and fell repeatedly as the high-water level rose five feet to cover the piers, before dropping away to leave boats teetering on the sand-bottom.
Once the currents and tides settled into their regular patterns, competition commenced with the women's trials and round one heats that were held in clean three- to four-feet surf.
Thirteen year-old Carissa Moore of Honolulu, Australians Stephanie Gilmore and Amee Donohoe, and Californian Holly Beck posted wins to advance to round two, where they will meet the top seeds of the competition.
South African Rosie Hodge was one of the last to advance through today's rounds, shaking off opening-day nerves to squeak through her six-person heat in third place.
But the real stress-test will face her in the very next round when she comes up against 6-time world champion and current ratings leader Layne Beachley (Australia), and Op's number one female surfer Serena Brooke (Australia).
Hodge is on the verge of qualification for the Association of Surfing Professional's elite level of World Tour competition and the Op Pro Hawaii is her final shot at making it into the top ranks.
"Every heat is really nerve-wracking" said Hodge, after advancing. "Since this is the last qualifying event and there's a lot of pressure, my strategy is to take it one heat at a time and have fun, because that's why I surf in the first place.
"Layne is one of my heroes, so I'm really looking forward to surfing against her. Coming from South Africa, I'm used to reef breaks and point breaks, so I like a little more power, and Layne charges, so if it's a little bigger, it will be nice."
The Op Pro Hawaii, at Haleiwa, is the first stop on the annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series that runs in its entirety from November 12 to December 20, on Oahu's famous North Shore in Hawaii.
The Op Pro Hawaii is a 6-star World Qualifying Series event for both men and women, collectively offering $155,000 and critical points towards qualifying for the elite World Championship Tour of 2007.
Skype us
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Surf art 
Surf environment