Rip Curl is releasing a signature Mick Fanning watch as a part of Fanning’s Ultimate Titanium Oceansearch platform. Less than a thousand watches will be distributed worldwide, with only 100 pieces being released in the United States. Fanning’s signature will be engraved on the watches caseback, along with the individual number.

Mick Fanning Ultimate Oceansearch Titanium Watch

This classy bit of kit is finished in stealth black titanium carbide plating and comes in a custom black packaging that showcases the product and includes a commemorative booklet chronicling Mick’s historical achievements in the world of surfing.

The watch features a programmed tide system for over 200 surf beaches around the world through 2022 and an automatic tide system that can be set to thousands of beaches worldwide. It also features tide prediction for tide forecasting and a digital compass.

Made out of titanium and depth tested to 200 meters, the watch also has dual time with tide spot storage, a stopwatch, timer, two alarms, and a full screen backlight.

We are not sure how many are coming to the UK – so keep your eyes peeled. This could be a pretty hot product for any surfers christmas present list, so no doubt eBay might be showing a couple up for auction in the future too.

In collaboration with Timeslice Films, Rip Curl took on an ambitious bullet-time campaign shoot in Malaysia’s Sunway Lagoon Wavepool with lead surfers Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore, Owen Wright and Matt Wilkinson.

Mick Fanning in the Pool

The revolutionary campaign captures surfing in a way never seen before, with the final visuals baring more resemblance to a fight scene from the famous Matrix movies than a promotional surfing video.

The two-day rental of Sunway Lagoon Wavepool allowed Rip Curl and Timeslice to operate in a more stable environment than the open ocean offers. The Rip Curl surfers were repeatedly towed into the machine-controlled waves by Jetski and their operational space was determined by the 52-camera rig, several Apple computers, and external hard drives set up in the pool.

Unfortunately, the image above doesn’t do the video clip and justics – as you miss the true depth of field. So check out the Advert in the video clip below – it is absolutely awesome.

Mike Fanning Interview

Mike Fanning was interviewed by Andy Morris of ESPN Action Sports after his Wavepool experience:-

Was Malaysia the first time you surfed in a pool?

Yep — such a wild experience. It’s so bizarre surfing in a swimming pool.

How are the waves generated?

There are these big tanks behind the back wall that hold heaps of water and they pump the water out of the tanks simultaneously and that creates the wave.

Were they able to generate more power by increasing the depth of water so there was more volume and push in the waves?

They can increase the size and that determines where the wave will break. At a medium size, it hits the best part of the pool and stands up most, and offers the most power. If it’s bigger, they crumble a little further out. It takes a little getting used to, but once you know the personality of the pool it’s the most predictable wave of your life. It doesn’t really break with any power though.

So Rip Curl and Timeslice teamed up to capture your every move in 3D. Was it shocking seeing your style from angles you’d never seen before?

Those scenes from “The Matrix” blew everyone away when they first came out, so to see something like that of myself surfing in general is wild. It didn’t really reveal anything, style-wise, because I’ve seen myself from most angles. It was just crazy to see all those angles in one shot.

Right now I’m done over-analyzing technique and style in surfing. I’m just enjoying riding waves and following my instincts.

–Mick Fanning

We’re usually limited to one angle at a time through cameras and video, but with this technology you were able to view more than one angle at a time of your surfing. How does this benefit you?

The benefits are in the viewing. I wasn’t looking at technique or anything like that when I saw the footage. I was just psyching on seeing it all come together for the first time.

The footage is a world first in surfing. Did Rip Curl take the modelling, simulation and measurement from the imagery and study the biomechanics of your style?

It’s definitely some of the coolest vision I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure it’s more than just incredible footage at this stage, though. I’m not sure if anyone is using the clips to breakdown style and technique.

So you haven’t reviewed the footage from a training perspective, but what are some of the things you learned from a three dimensional perspective?

That I pull some awful heads when I take to the air. Ha!

Cameras all set up ready to capture the action

What did you think when you saw yourself from the front, then the behind on the same maneuver?

It’s just a mind-blowing unique visual the first time you see it and that’s what I took from it. Now that you mention it, though, I probably could go back and look at the footage, and break it down, then take a closer look at what’s going on there with technique and style.

However, in saying that, it’s not a real wave and you probably adjust your technique to compensate for that, so I’m not making any changes after seeing the footage.

Do you think the 3D modelling will benefit your performance with aerials?

I don’t know. All practice helps but I don’t think you can take what you’re doing on an artificial wave and apply it to the ocean where there mores power and elements to take into consideration.

What about rotating in general — shifting your weight, the position of your arms and stuff? I’ve always been pretty comfortable with rotation; it’s height I’m always looking to get more of.

Sports science is big business these days. Is it a direction you want to take your training to optimise your technique and reduce in injury? I go through phases with it. It’s always there in my head but at the moment it’s kind of at the back of my mind. Right now I’m done over-analyzing technique and style in surfing. I’m just enjoying riding waves and following my instincts.

Rip Curl Mirage Featured Videos

You can view more clips on the below links:
Rip Curl Mirage Feature Clip :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZPmA…
Rip Curl Mirage Behind the scenes Clip :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyDVmI…
Rip Curl Mirage Mick Fanning Clip :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z2nrQ…
Rip Curl Mirage Stef GIlmore Clip :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCr5L6…
Rip Curl Mirage Owen Wright Clip :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUTtxA…
Rip Curl Mirage Matt Wilko Clip :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHPHXG…

… a surf trip like no other

Rip Curl Tip 2 Tip

The Rip Curl’s ‘Tip 2 Tip’ Search project is a surf trip like no other. Six-months on a boat, 21 professional surfers, a mission to explore the entire Indonesian archipelago – from one tip to the other…

A journey about discovery, adventure, adversity and the people who share the laughs along the way, Rip Curl’s ‘Tip 2 Tip’ has it all and more. From perfect waves to unlocked mysteries, feral pirates to cabin fever, from cheers and tears to fresh fish and beers.

Now, thanks to 14 cameramen, seven editors, five journalists and a handful of untitled others, Rip Curl will unravel the entire search trip online with anyone keen to jump on board for the ride.

Rip Curl will launch its “Tip 2 Tip” blog on Monday 16th Auguest at www.ripcurl.com/tip2tip.

Web users the planet over will share stories from a unique part of the trip every week until the entire project wraps up in October, 2010.

Each chapter will boast three video episodes, several photo galleries, trip stories and other random bits and pieces putting you with the crew Living The Search.

“We have created a crazy amount of content from this six month expedition, so we worked out that we’re going to need nearly three months to share all the best stuff on the T2T microsite,” says Neil Ridgway, Rip Curl International Marketing & Advertising Chairman. “The site will be a cool way for people around the world to follow the trip and get involved with some of the stories.”

Rip Curl took possession of the Quest 1 charter boat in March this year, signed on longtime surf guide Albert Taylor to lead the charge, and then rotated surfers and image-makers on and off the boat accordingly while searching every beach, reef and stretch of coastline they could find.

“Rip Curl started The Search trips for its early surf films up there in the ’90s with Martin Daly, so to take Indo Searching to the next level, we knew we had to have a boat that could just Search wherever and whenever we wanted,” continued Ridgway. “It took a lot of work by a lot of good people, but ‘Tip 2 Tip’ proved that it’s still possible to find new waves and new locations to surf – at the end of the day it’s true that the Search never ends. We also had the chance to put some of our best creative designers on board as well and there’ll be a Search inspired range for surfers to check out in 2011.”

Rip Curl Tip 2 Tip Stars

The “Tip 2 Tip” project stars a global cast of the best RC riders including:

• Dillon Perillo (USA),
• Dean Brady (AUS)
• and Bruno Santos (BRA),
• while featuring Gabriel Medina (BRA),
• Steph Gilmore (AUS),
• Koa Smith (USA),
• Bethany Hamilton (USA),
• Garut Widiarta (ID),
• Ricardo Christie (NZD),
• Tyler Wright (AUS),
• Davey Cathels (AUS),
• Stu Kennedy (AUS),
• Kekoa Bacalso (USA),
• Taylor Knox (USA),
• Alana Blanchard (USA),
• Timmy Turner (USA),
• Ben Dunn (AUS)
• and reunites the legendary Search team of Frankie Oberholzer (ZAF) and Tom Curren (USA) and Tom’s sons Pat and Frank.

Follow all the action of the “Tip 2 Tip” Search project online at www.ripcurl.com/tip2tip from August 16th.