Kaenon

Insane, intense, gnarly. It is none other than Jaws. The latest episode in The Isle, a video project created by Rockstar shows the ups and downs of big wave surfing. Albee Layer and Matt Meola share their personal insights into what it was like leading up to and after, Meola’s two wave hold-down at Pe’ahi, the reef break on the island of Maui known as Jaws.

One of the greatest dangers in big wave surfing, is the risk of being held underwater by two or more consecutive waves. These waves move at incredible speeds often 30mph which can push a surfer down 20 to 30 feet. A major issue argued between big wave surfers is the necessity of the leash on the surfboard. In many instances, the leash can do more harm than good to a surfer, catching and holding them underwater and diminishing their opportunities to fight towards the surface. That’s exactly what happened to Matt Meola when he got hog-tied by his leash.

Watch this incredible footage and hear firsthand the emotional narrative on Matt Meoala‘s life changing experience at Jaws this year. This video highlights surfers’ ability to remain physically and mentally prepared at all times. It shows the importance of precision, timing and execution in this sport and the pure guts it takes to face the fate of Jaws.

5/7/13

On the AC45s the sailing gear we wear is critical to our performance, with the speeds of the boat water is constantly spraying the crew similar to a fire hose, adding to this the cold temperatures of San Francisco and you need quality gear to get the job done. Our team is lucky enough to be sponsored by Events Clothing, specifically Line 7 gear, we wear a number of layers made from a similar material to that of wetsuits. With the extremeness of the boats we also wear some safety equipment, with padded gear, helmets and wake boarding life jackets. Our team wears Kaenon Hard Kore sunglasses to give us the best eye protection and the SR-19 clarity advantage to pick up the wind on the water first.

Sailing-specific recap of events
I am currently in Qingdao, China competing in Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series, our team is in third place overall after two days racing and we are just about to begin day 3. We are constantly developing as a team in this series and getting stronger with every race. Our goal is to gain a podium finish at one event this season and then push for a podium finish overall next season.

Turning Point
This event, our team has been concentrating on routines and sticking to them. The reason for this is that for sailing, you need to be consistent as there are a number of races that form a regatta. To help us with being consistent, we feel that the off the water activities need to be as much of a routine as possible to put you in the right mind set going into racing.

Funniest Moment of the week
On the first day racing here in Qingdao I fell overboard in between races trying to pick up a plastic water bottle out of the water, little bit embarrassing but I did my bit for the environment.

Fears/Concerns/Doubts
If we can maintain our solid performance here in Qingdao and pick up our first podium.

Inspiration/Motivation
The chance to drive our sponsors Ferrari in Hong Kong next week.  (We’d say that was motivation alright!)

Currents:
Currently Listening to: Eminem
Currently Watching: Any movies on in the hotel.
Currently Reading: Rulebook again

Charlie Buckingham is back in town and doing some F18 training and getting a feel of the catamaran during the team’s second training session.

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Will Tiller, coming to us live from Qingdao with an update from the second day of racing in the Extreme Sailing Series. As the team gets better acquainted, the results improve.

Back to the Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

5/1/13

Charlie Buckingham, who just returned home to Newport Beach, CA from Europe, breaks down the gear he uses while sailing, and gives us an inside scoop on the way he views his events leading up to the Olympics and Worlds.

Gear:
“Team USA45 racing and I will be wearing Magic Marine technical gear and Kaenon sunglasses. Due to the dynamic nature of our movements around the boat, it will be key to be wearing streamlined, flexible gear. As always, glasses will be a key part of our kit, as it will protect our eyes from spray and allow us to read the wind better.

We need gear that allows us to move well around the boat, while also keeping us warm because of the cold SF bay temperatures. During our last training camp, the Magic Marine farmer john wetsuits and fleece rashguards seemed to do the trick. In terms of glasses, I will most likely wear the Trades or Kores on the water because the big lenses don’t hinder my peripheral vision and provide good protection from spray.”

Reflecting on Palma and Hyeres:
“I just finished up two events in Europe, the ISAF sailing world cup events in Palma and Hyeres. While I didn’t achieve my greatest results, the events provided me with insight on what I need to work on moving forward and I am motivated to get to work on them.

Pretty much all events beside the Olympics and World championships are used as a barometer of your skills. Obviously, it is good to go out and post results at World Cup and other high profile events, but at the end of the day it is most important to learn and improve to the best of your potential leading up to the Olympics and/or Worlds. Less than ideal results force you to look at your current skill set and evaluate your areas of weakness if the results wasn’t good. From there you can implement a training plan aimed at improving those weaknesses before your next important event.”

Currents:
Currently Listening: The Jamaicans – Ba Ba Boom
Currently Watching: Skyfall

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Noa Ginella recently put together a new website NoaGinella.tv, loaded will video and first-hand accounts of his travels around the world. Check out his most recent post below, and visit his site for everything else. We can’t wait for the next installment….

From NoaGinella.tv:

“Here is a short edit I put together of my last trip to Abu Dhabi(UAE) where a SUP exhibition was held on the Wadi Adventure WavePool put on by the Watermans League. It has always been a dream of mine to surf / design a good wave-pool so when this event came up I was quick to say “count me in!” After watching footage of the wave pool on youtube prior to heading over there, I decided it would be crazy not to bring a few more toys with me to play with in the pool. Of those toys were my 7’6″ Naish SUP, a 5’10″ Short-board, a hand-board and fins, and my newly made 5’9″ Alaia(thanks to the help of Trent Johnson and Tommy Nellis).

Going there I wasn’t sure what to expect about the wave-pool but after catching my first few waves I was impressed. There were many wave shape options. A left point-break, right point-break, A-Frame, and close out, with a consistent ‘desert swell interval’ of a wave every 100seconds; the place never got old. Its the perfect place to fine tune your small wave surfing being that every wave that rolls through is pretty much identical.

After 3 long days of surfing the wave pool and riding every craft I brought with me, I decided that the wave was pretty epic for everything. For SUP, the pool was a blast and I really got to work on the different approach you need to take on sections; due to the large board size. Short-boarding and bodysurfing were also a bunch of fun on the pool eccept I only managed to ride a few waves on each. I must say though that the perfect craft for the pool(in my opinion) would have to be the Alaia. Since the waves were smallish and generating speed was somewhat difficult for the other boards, the Alaia excelled. With its perfectly flat bottom, creating little to no drag on the water, the alaia was able to go lightning speed in the slower sections of the wave. For me, this was a blast.

I would love to go back one day with a group of friends and catch 100 of the same waves on each board. If that ever happens again, I will guarantee you that my Alaia will be right there with me. If anyone that reads this manages to go to this wave pool in the Middle East any time soon, I recommend throwing a plank of wood into your board-bag as-well. You wont regret it!

ALOHA!” – Noa Ginella

4/25/13

See a preview of the upcoming event on the Extreme Sailing Series Pete Burling and his team they make a stop in Qingdao, China. Pete will continue to compete against the competition with his Team Korea crew as he prepares for the Youth America’s Cup.

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Pro surfer Paige Alms recently put together a video for Sanuk, letting us in on her surf beginnings and plans to continue charging big waves like Jaws, Todos and Mavericks. See it all (and keep an eye out for Gauge!) in the video below:

Charlie Buckingham is currently competing in Hyeres in the Laser class. Check out his Day 1 Recap, with all the highs and lows that come along with competition:

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Brittany Howard and Alabama Shakes recently performed at the White House for the President and other prominent members of his staff. It’s amazing to see how far the band has come as they continue to remain true to their roots.

“In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” (on PBS) honored the memorable soul sounds from the mid- to late-1960s that came from Memphis, Tennessee and legendary labels like Stax-Volt Records, featuring artists such as Al Green, Mavis Staples, Ben Harper, Alabama Shakes and many more. The evening payed homage to Memphis, a segregated city in the 1960s where many whites and blacks nonetheless came together to make soulful music, a mix of gospel and potent rhythmic grooves – known today as “Memphis Soul.”

See Albama Shakes perform below, just after the 22 minute mark.

Brittany Howard wears the Kaenon 405 Optical Frame in Olive Cream.

Paige Alms is charging. And the surf industry is taking notice.

In the upcoming Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, Paige is nominated for the Billabong Girl XXL Performance Award. If you haven’t watched the above video of Paige paddling into Jaw back in October, take a minute and check it out. Congratulations on the nomination, and good luck at the awards. You’ve got our vote.

Paige Alms wears Kaenon Eden sunglasses.

Pete Burling recently returned to New Zealand after a 6th place finish at the X40 event in Singapore. He quickly checked in with us to let us know how the event went and where he’s off to next:

What successes/disappointments did you face during the X40 event?
“We were a little off the pace for a few reasons, made the week pretty tough. Really frustrating when you put the boat in a good spot a don’t have the speed to hold it. And the speed problem is caused by the hardware.”

Where is your head at right now?
“Just got back to NZ, and we are putting our 49er campaign back together so I’m spending a lot of time on that.
Next up is Qingdao in the Extreme 40 before we’re off to Europe in the 49er.
Right now I’m off to pick up my new moth, before a few lectures at uni.”

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Will Tiller checks in during the Extreme Sailing Series stop in Singapore on April 12.

Back to the Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

4/10/13

“I got injured on the final day of competition and had to go to a Spanish hospital to get eight stitches in my shin. The doctors, nurses and I cracked some smiles trying to speak broken English and Spanish to each other while I was getting treated in the hospital.

One of the hardest things to do as an athlete is to forgo training because of injury. For the next week, I’m not allowed to use my leg strenuously or go sailing as a precautionary measure to ensure my cut doesn’t open up or get infected while I’m over here. In the short term, idle time is hard to endure with stuff like this, but I need to put this in perspective and do what is right for the long term.” – Charlie Buckingham

Currents:
Listening: One Thing Leads to Another – The Fixx (Listen Here)
Watching: Hoosiers
Reading: Sport Psychology

Charlie just completed competing at the ISAF World Cup Palma de Majorca where he finished 12th overall.

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

4/4/13

“After returning home a couple weeks ago from our month-long stint overseas with the RBYAC Selection Series and ESS Act 1, I have been taking it easy sailing wise. I competed with Mike Sanderson over the weekend in the Elliot 5.9 Nationals, I was in charge of ‘adventure land’ (Bow) and had a bit on just quietly. It was awesome racing and although we didn’t do as well as we had hoped with a 3rd place finish it was great event and so much fun to be involved with grass roots NZ sailing.” – Will Tiller

Currents:
Listening: Watch the Throne – Kanye West & Jay Z
Watching: Breaking Bad
Reading: Eating Dirt – Steve Gurney

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Charlie Buckingham gives a recap of his event at Palma de Majorca, Spain on April 3.

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Charlie Buckingham explains what Kaenon sunglasses he wears and why:

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Will Tiller explains what Kaenon sunglasses he wears and why:

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Pete Burling explains what Kaenon sunglasses he wears and why:

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Pete Burling gives us a recap of his current moth sailing, after winning the 2013 AUS Moth Nationals. He also shares with us why he sails barefoot…

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

“For the last 18 years, my life has led me to [the Youth America's Cup]. Introduced to sailing by my Father at the age of six, I developed a passion for the sport. Being on the water is home and my nirvana.

I continued sailing as my chosen sport, competing in all major centreboard classes, however it wasn’t all plain sailing. When I failed in my pursuit of the Youth Worlds in the Laser Class, I had a stint away from the sport as the lure of college rugby took precedence. After figuring out I wasn’t the physical specimen I believed myself to be it was back to sailing.

In 2006, aged sixteen, I was one of 10 selected for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme. This really kick started my sailing career by providing an environment to develop a broad range of skills on and off the water. I also made friends for life and this group now form the core of our team.

In April 2010 I graduated from the programme with 12 international Youth Match Racing regatta wins. After graduating, I joined FMJRacing to further my sailing, skippering and managing this team over one and a half year period we have taken my Open ISAF match race ranking from 70th to 5th in the world.”

“I was born and raised in Newport Beach, CA, where family influence and accessibility to the ocean drew me to water sports from an early age. Surfing and sailing became the sports I loved most and stuck with, but surfing would become more of a creative outlet while sailing fueled my competitive fire. Sailing has brought me to where I am today.

As I rose up through the youth, high school, and collegiate sailing ranks in the United States, steady progress and success at each level encouraged me to pursue an Olympic sailing campaign after graduation from Georgetown University in June of 2011. In addition to my Olympic campaign, seven crew members (Jake Ladow, Jake Reynolds, Nevin Snow, John Wallace, Matt Whitehead, Peter Kinney, Graham Landy) and I were recently selected to represent the United States in the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.

The America’s Cup is widely considered to be the pinnacle of the sport of sailing, but there has never been a clear pathway to the event for aspiring sailors. This is now changing with Red Bull’s creation of the Youth America’s Cup. Being selected to compete in this groundbreaking event is both a huge honor and opportunity for the team as it will give us direct exposure to the America’s Cup arena and could lead to future America’s Cup or other sailing opportunities. At the very least, my team members and I will learn a lot about team work, management and professionalism as we go through the processes of building up for the RBYAC.

This process won’t be easy. From aligning the schedules of eight individuals to finding ways to pay for our self-funded effort, we have our work cut out for us between now and September. Despite these and other seemingly large obstacles, I am confident in our collective ability and believe that if we are able to take the right steps in the upcoming months, we will be in a position to compete to the best of all our abilities and perform well at the RBYAC.

As helmsman and oldest member of team USA45 racing, I carry a lot of responsibility for this team. The AC45 is a difficult boat to sail and the RBYAC is no small competition, so the crew will be looking toward me to lead them in the right direction for the next five months. This will be challenging, but I’m lucky to have such great athletes, sailors, and people as part of the team and I look forward to the journey ahead.” – Charlie Buckingham

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

“In a few months time I’ll be in San Francisco, leading a group of young Kiwis intent on making our mark in New Zealand’s proud Americas Cup history by winning the inaugural Youth Americas Cup. The YAC will be a very tough competition — every team has worked very hard to get to this point – and we are under no illusions as to the strength of our opposition.

Sailing has been a huge part of my life since I was about 8 years old. My pinnacle achievement to date has been winning Olympic Silver in the 49er class at the London Olympics with Blair Turke — New Zealand’s first Olympic sailing medal outside of board-sailing for 20 years.

For the four years leading up to the Olympics, London 2012 was our sole goal. New Zealand had not competed in the 49er at the Olympics since 2000 and our young age (at 21 and 23 we were the youngest 49er team at the Olympics) was also seen by some as a disadvantage. We worked hard together to change these obstacles into strengths.

While Blair and I have recently confirmed our intention to campaign together in the 49er towards the Rio Olympics, this post-Olympic year is a great opportunity to enjoy some of the many other aspects of sailing with the aim of incorporating the lessons learned into both our YAC and Olympic campaigns.

Soon after the Olympics it was really exciting to get the call from Team Korea to helm their AC45 in the Americas Cup World Series in San Francisco. While there was only a few days warm-up for this regatta, creating a very steep learning curve, this was an awesome opportunity to sail against legendary sailors — especially at 21 years old. Finishing second in a race was a personal highlight.

Since the Olympics, I have competed as tactician in the winning boat in the China Cup, won the Australian Moth Nationals, finished fourth in the 18 foot skiff “JJs” (unofficial Worlds), helmed in my first extreme 40 regatta in Oman for Team Korea, and won Sail Auckland in the 49er — as well as training with the awesome group of sailors in the NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand Youth Americas Cup team. This semester I am combining my sailing with 3 University Engineering papers.

Long term, there are so many awesome role models in sailing and fun classes to sail — my aim is to win more Olympic medals to combine this with Americas Cup sailing — and to win the Moth Worlds along the way. Most of all, to continue to enjoy every part of my sailing — a sport I love.” – Pete Burling

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.

Charlie Buckingham
From: Newport Beach, CA
Age: 24

Current Goal: Rio Olympics – Laser
Team: ORACLE TEAM USA/USA45 Racing

Achievements:
4x Collegiate Sailing All-American – Georgetown University
2x Collegiate “Sailor of the Year” – Georgetown University
4x Individual Collegiate National Titles
Runner Up 2012 ISAF Olympic Class World Cup

“I was born and raised in Newport Beach, CA, where family influence and accessibility to the ocean drew me to water sports from an early age. Surfing and sailing became the sports I loved most, but surfing would become more of a creative outlet while sailing fueled my competitive fire. Sailing has brought me to where I am today.”

Read more from the “Road to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup” here.