ARSA SURF SLAM WRITE UP

[Paul]

It dawned on me early on friday morning, that after months of prep work leading into the Surf Slam, we hadnt actually prepared anything. Not that i was surprised in the slightest. After all, when you take a few surfers with no previous planning experience, and tell them to plan an event, you should automaticlly be prepared for a lack of preperation. And yet, during our planning stages we did have several meetings, unfortunately they were usually hosted at one of calgary's finer beverage dispensing establishments, and of course the meetings allways got side tracked.

Friday September 22, a date that will live in infammy... Wait, i think some famous gentleman said that about another date. The official kick off of the first ARSA Surf Slam began as Albertas river surfing community began to settle in at the campground in the late afternoon. With a healthy crew ready and willing, friday night started and quickly changed, or deteriorated (depending on your view point) into what was perfectly described by one surfer as "primal". Drums, digireedos, flaming sticks, a bit of nudity, and slowly the night took on a life of its own.

As the sun arrived on saturday it brought with it a host of surfers who didnt have the intestinal fortitude to spend the friday night camping. As these lesser surfers arrived they became mortified by the appearence of those who had been involved in the previous nights festivities. The nights destruction was clearly etched on the faces of all the vicitims of the 22nd.

By 8:30am we had 17 surfers, and a host of others gathered around a smoldering fire and ready for the days instructions and safety meeting. After a 15 minute discussion, the heats were set, and we all retired to every surfers favorite past time, The Eternal Struggle, getting into 5mils of rubber.

As the water gods began filling the river bed with 30.8 cubic meters of frozen glacial water, the first heat took to that water. The day would see the beginers first, followed by the advanced riders. I will have to apologize to everyone, as i cant remeber who was in what heat or what they did. ARSA has taken on a huge number of new surfers in the last few months and the beginer comp had to be split into two heats, both with 5 riders, with the top two from each heat moving on. Stand outs in the heats were Negs, Big Steve who got his first rides ever, Devin the grommie of the group and Tyler. These would be the four for the final of the beginers.

The beginners final truelly highlighted what arsa is all about. Neil, steve, and devin, all new to the world of surf got in, and surfed there guts out, much to the appreciated of the crowd. Tyler should have been there as well but was forced to withdraw due to a sever case of Toomuchbeerlastnightasitis. In the end the beginners final was taken by big steve, although the judges were split on their score cards. Neil came second, and everyones favorite grommie Devin took a respectable 3rd place. For his first place performance Steve recieved $100 gift certificate from bigswell, Neil received $50 and devin earned $25 bigswell dollars.

NExt up the advanced riders took to the frigid water. In classic ARSA fashion format was thrown away and it was decided that the 7 riders would go ina single group, surf for an hour then declare a winner. The competition was far less a competition and far more a group of close friends surfing, laughing and trying to one up the next guy. The comp was clearly dominated by Ben "the way forward" Murphy from start to finish. His silky turns, combined with his effortless style and progressive outlook on surfing placed him on a pedastool beyond the rest of us. For the remainder we were relegated to our own internal competition in between bens surfing exhibition. Every guy in the water provided moments of brilliance and recieved well deserved hoots from the water, cheers from the crowds and flashes from the cameras.

Highlights from this round would be Pirate Balls longboarding skills, Dallas and jeff showing thrusters do work, Fordy getting it done on the green egg, Jake and his crab styles, the unknown quality of danny, and bens ollie, and switch riding skills.

With the final whistle gone the score cards were gathered up and reviewed. Despite some discrepencys on one score card, the final standings were clear enough. Ben took first and was awarded $100 gift certificate from bigswell, Paul took a distant second worth $50, and Jeff Brooks pulled in a third place finish and $25 gift certificate from Bigswell.

The afternoon was highlighted by the first ever ARSA cricket test, sunshine, and relaxation. As saturday faded away so too did many of the ARSA members. But, some did stick around for a much more subdued evening relaxing around the fire.

All in all, the Surf Slam was exactly what many of us wanted out of the event. People uniting to surf anf enjoy others company. next years event will be bigger and better thats a guarantee.

Cheers,
Paul

[C.R.S.A]

Nacho Clown has Turned CRSA back over to Colorado Surfers click boom
If you would like help selfo destructo Nacjo Clowno press (:BOOM:) CRSA is Born thanks
(:BOOM:) http://internationalsurfingday.ning.com/video/video/showFullScreen?id=2058662:Video:4174

What do You guys think about this Idea http://www.fuel.tv/BUILDWAVES/blogs/view/3255

CRSA would like to invite ya'll to a what about a Triple Crown International Surfing Day Canada ,Europe.USA http://internationalsurfingday.ning.com/main/search/search?q=World+River+Surfing+Association missing some Associations Where you at log in World.
.All of you are the Best river surfers in the World so please join to make a statment of Unity for river surfing if you want?I will take out the Trash

http://internationalsurfingday.ning.com/main/search/search?q=Alberta+River+Surfing+Association.


just a thought for the WRSA and all that it means to us Passion and the Love of River surfing the World . If would be great to see us all on the same page for the Future is now right Aloha thank you ,Chads going surfing now he is free i hope to see all of you there on that page . SURFsON thanks again to all of you. see ya in the river
Chopper ,Close out. take care friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3kFG0_D4SI Eli and the Munich brothers and siters allready got the sock hop event down reminds me of this WRSA undergroundforever.Viva the Worldriversurfing revoultion
Chopper Chickens out .

[faddelia]

What is a great beginner's surfing beach close to LAX airport? Surfing magazines make California one of the top ten surfing destinations in the world. For Christmas, I bought my husband and I a weekend trip to California, but our trip is short. What is the best surfing beach close to the LAX airport and the coolest town in the area for quaint pubs and funky restaurants?
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market samurai ~ marketsamurai ~ marketsamurai.com

[Jeff]

Head to Huntington Beach!