Rip Curl Planet

Rip Curl has launched a brand new website called “Rip Curl Planet”, to help showcase and outline the company’s many environmental priorities – past, present and future.

With the ocean playing such an important part in Rip Curl’s heritage the company prides itself on being one of the world’s most environmentally-conscious companies, stamping “respect for the environment” as a key value ever since Brian Singer and Doug Warbrick founded the brand in Torquay, Australia in 1969.

“We’re really excited about unveiling this website – it’s been a long time coming,” said Global Marketing & Advertising Chairman Neil Ridgway. “Rip Curl has always placed a lot of importance on environmental sustainability and it’s great that we now have a medium to share our efforts and projects with crew around the world, and this website will be another important tool.”

With the creation of the Rip Curl Planet Foundation in 2008, our crew have had the opportunity to increase Rip Curl’s support of several growing environmental projects and further focus efforts on new target initiatives.

“We are very proud of what Rip Curl has done in the past, but there is still much to do to keep the work going,” said International CEO Olivier Cantet. “We created the Rip Curl Planet Foundation to better focus our efforts and commitments around the world.”

“We have a strong determination to be environmentally responsible across everything we do, so our efforts are many and diverse. We will forever focus on the environments we know best – the surf and the mountains – and be environmentally-conscious with our product design and manufacturing such as our Rip Curl Wetsuits wherever we can.”

“Save Our Surf” and “We Surf, We Care” are two of the company’s principle environmental call-outs, hitting home across the Rip Curl world. The company supports several reef protection and water quality projects, working with organisations such as WWF and The Surfrider Foundation to manage the problems.

Tom Curren Supports Rip Curl Planet

“As surfers, we feel first hand the immediate effects of pollution, we see rampant development on our coasts, we see the effects of a runaway consumer lifestyle and disregard for the future of the eco system as a whole,” said three-time ASP World Champion surfer Tom Curren. “I hope my kids will have a rich surfing life, unhindered by the effects of pollution and other global issues. When I was growing up, I was lucky to live in a relatively secure environment with good waves and pleasant climate.”

The Rip Curl Planet Foundation also drives a host of mainstream initiatives, such as energy consumption reduction, material recycling and waste reduction. These initiatives are addressed through a variety of ways, including Rip Curl Pro events, beach clean up days, product design and product recycling.

The Foundation has donated over US$313,205 to environmental groups since its conception, including the Surfrider Foundation, Mountain Riders, Protect Our Winters, WWF, Reef Check Polynesia and Surfers Against Sewage.

Since 2008, Rip Curl has also worked with CO2 Australia to offset greenhouse gas emissions from the Rip Curl Pro and run it as a carbon-neutral event. CO2 Australia calculates the onsite energy consumption at Bells Beach as well as competitors’ and officials’ travel to and from the event. Rip Curl also worked with Waste Wise this year to recycle over nine tonnes of rubbish onsite and donated 50 cents of every ticket sold to Greening Australia, who invested the money into local vegetation management and restoration.

Another important global initiative is the Rip Curl Planet Days program. Regionally managed by Rip Curl’s head offices in Australia, Europe, Brazil, Indonesia and the USA, staff members leave the office for the day and head to the beach or the mountains for a day of rubbish removal and tree planting. In Torquay, the Planet Days have run for 10 years, with staff responsible for successfully putting in more than 50,000 plants indigenous to the area.

“The Rip Curl Planet Foundation has a lot of work on the table for 2010 and the challenges are only getting tougher,” added Cantet. “But we have clear objectives set, such as continually developing our eco-product offerings with every range, so the future is bright.”

Go green online with Rip Curl and access the Rip Curl Planet website at: www.ripcurlplanet.com.

Kelly Slater Celebrates

Despite a hairline fracture to his right foot, Kelly Slater has claimed his fourth Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach title over reigning World Champion Mick Fanning, in clean 3-4 ft waves at Johanna Beach.

Slater had difficulty starting the competition but he quickly took his strengths and overcome the pain of the injury.

The second stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach was completed over four different venues this year.

The conditions meant the competition was moved four times in total, with Round 1 at Bells Beach, Round 2 at Thirteenth Beach, Round 3 and the opening half of Round 4 at Winkipop before the final day was completed at Johanna Beach.

Kelly Slater

Kelly takes the Final

In the highly-anticipated Final, Fanning unleashed with a 7.17 to take the lead.

However, Slater answered back with an incredible Alley-oop aerial maneuver before he recovered for an 8.93.

Slater then paddled out into another excellent wave, scoring an 8.10 to bring his total to 17.03 out of a possible 20 a lead that Fanning would not surpass.

“It was a lot more difficult than it looked out there,” Slater said. “The tide came up and the takeoff was a lot deeper than we thought it would be. On that 8.93, I was up in the air and when I landed, I kind of fell on my butt and did the one-footed shuffle, but I recovered there. Then I paddled straight into that second wave and that was it.”

Despite suffering a hairline fracture in his right foot three days ago, Slater was able to push himself to a record 42nd elite tour victory.

“I’m really excited because before this contest I promised myself that if I won, I would give the trophy to the Wathaurong (local aboriginal tribe) people,” Slater said. “I didn’t remember that until I was out in the water and right when I did, those waves came.”

Today’s win sees Slater vault from 9th to 2nd on the elite ASP World Tour rankings, setting up his campaign for an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title.

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Video of the Final

The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour will be the Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil from April 23 through May 2, 2010.

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:

1 Kelly Slater (USA) 17.03

2 Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.00

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

SF 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.33 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.50

SF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.66 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 3.80

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10 (After Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach):

1 Taj Burrow (AUS) 16500 pts

2 Kelly Slater (USA) 13750 pts

3 Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13250 pts

4 Bobby Martinez (USA) 13000 pts

5 Mick Fanning (AUS) 11750 pts

6 Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10500 pts

6 Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10500 pts

6 Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10500 pts

9 Dane Reynolds (USA) 8250 pts

10 Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 7500 pts

10 Adrian Buchan (AUS) 7500 pts

Don’t forget all the latest Rip Curl Summer Wetsuits are now in stock at The Wetsuit Centre.

Is it a Mirage?

Ok, so the wintry weather may only be a short distant memory but we have been unpacking a lot of Summer surf kit and getting it ready to add to the website.

The surfing brands have begun to unleash their latest gear, designed to make you surf faster, feel more comfortable and up the ‘cool’ factor. Well at least that’s what the marketers tells us.

In the boardies line, Rip Curl have unveiled their main feature 2009-2010 summer boardshort…The Rip Curl Mirage Boardshort.

Rip Curl Mirage Boardshort

The Rip Curl Mirage Boardshorts are already on sale in Australia, but we are hoping to see these amazing shorts in the UK very soon. Rip Curl have done a cracking job in creating a material that has taken the boardshort market to the next level.

Check out the video below to see how Rip Curl show off these fantastic shorts.

“They’re a high performance surfing short, designed and developed with high performance surfing in mind. We’re talking electromagnetic welded seams, rip curls quadroflex quick dry fabric and a heap of other technology outlined in the features list.”

- Rip Curl

The Mirage Boardshort is released in three flavours:

• Mirage 3 (Owen Wright model)
• Mirage Fanning (Mick Fanning model)
• Mirage Flow (Stu Kennedy model)

Rip Curl Mirage Boardshorts Technical Specification

• 21″ outseam
• Performance style
• Metallic ink
• Flex Fly- Eliminates Velcro and reduces bulk
• Silicon laced drawcord- Lightweight- Silicon treatment makes it lock together when tied
• Curved inner Gusset- Moves seams away from critical rash areas
• Flow system- Perforated water release areas allow water and air to flow and reduce drag
• Quick dry
• Quardoflex- 4 way stretch water repelling material- Super durable
• ES3- Beyond 4 way stretch- The lightest most comfortable fabric in the water

Check out more lovely Rip Curl products over at Sorted Surf Shop.

The clocks go back this weekend in the UK which means the days are getting longer and there’s more time to get out there and enjoy the surf.

We have just taken delivery of the new range of Rip Curl Summer Wetsuits for 2009 and they are pretty special. If you are looking for a quality summer wettie that won’t break the bank, check out the new Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Wetsuit.

Available in both Mens sizes and also in a Ladies cut the Rip Curl Dawn Patrol boasts some fantastic technical features that won’t blow your budget.

Wetsuit Specifications:-

• 3mm on the body and 2mm on the arms
• Built with Elastomax3, which is the ultimate in super stretch neoprene offers extra warmth and an allround lighter weight wetsuit.
• All the seams are glued and blind stitched so you get maximum seam stretch and strength but with absolutely zero water penetration
• Up the back is a 3/4 Grid-Loc Zip that is flexible but minimises any water entry
• Seamless Shoulder Panel gives you unrestricted flexibility when you are out in the surf
• Highly durable and flexible
  S-Flex Knees
• A Stash Pocket which has an external zip pocket for easy access
• Fully adjustable collar to seal the neck and prevent water flushes

We are due to get loads more Summer wetsuit stock in the next few weeks and we will be doing a full review of the Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Wetsuit as soon as we can get our test team out of the water.

Buy Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Mens 3/2 Wetsuit or the Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Ladies 3/2 Wetsuit from our online shop. At just over £100 they offer fantastic value, there is also Free Next Day Delivery & Free Wetsuit Bag.

We thought it was going to be a quiet week after the launch of the 2009 Rip Curl Ladies Surfwear Range but hot on their heels is the new Quiksilver Ladies Summer 2009 Collection.

We are sure that the Quiksilver Ladies Surfwear range is going to be popular again this year with a mix of cool nautical, funky pastels and sun dresses. And the best bit is the price. All of the items are priced really competitively.

Quiksilver’s Womens collection is equal parts rebellious and refined. With a range of knits, woven tops, dresses and denim, there is something for everyone from tomboy chic styles to ladylike looks.

Check out a few of the press photos below.

Or check out the video

Sorted Surfshop stocks a great range of Ladies Surfwear and Beach Footwear.

Rip Curl F Bomb Glove Review

Yes, we know that Spring finally appears to have sprung on the South Coast of the UK but we still thought it was useful adding a quick review of the Rip Curl 3mm F Bomb 5 Finger gloves.

We have been wearing these gloves for most of this Winter and can honestly say that the Rip Curl 3mm F Bomb gloves are the warmest gloves on the market. Easy to get on and so supple when you are wearing them, these wetsuit gloves have some great technology to keep your hands warm even in the coldest of surf.

A fireskin fiber interior wicks water away from the skin and helps maintain warmth as it builds up inside. The smooth exterior lining, internal gasket seal and liquid seam welding provides added durability and seam strength. And although we have spent quite a bit of time in the water already this year these gloves have shown no sign of wear and tear.

On the palm you have got a durable grid mesh that helps you grip the rail and actually helps getting them off when you come out of the water.

Available in Small, Medium, Large and X-Large.

The Sorted Surf Shop Test Team  give these wetusit gloves a 5 Star rating *****

Note: As a general rule, When Choosing your wetsuit gloves size, go for a glove that is the same size as your wetsuit. So for example, if you are a Large in a wetsuit, choose a Large for your wetsuit gloves.

Buy Rip Curl 3mm F Bomb 5 Finger Gloves online with free delivery!

If you haven’t been fortunate enough to get away for that winter surf trip to sunnier climes this year then you have probably been thinking about upgrading your winter wetsuit.

The Rip Curl H-Bomb Wetsuit has been on the scene for a while now but is still only one of a handful of heated wetsuits out there in the market place.

Hot Suits of Australia are reported to have been the first on the scene with a “heated kidney belt style” concept that used a gel filled heat pack that sprang into life when the chemical reaction was initiated.

Since then the manufacturers have looked at other methods of generating extra warmth for wetsuit wearers – with the novel approach of using Lithium Polymer Batteries to power a heating element sewn into the suit.

The Rip Curl H-Bomb is a wetsuit that uses the Li-on battery approach and is designed to keep you super-warm by positioning a source of heat on your upper back. The heat, generated by two coated fibre elements, heats your inner core allowing warm blood to circulate to your extremities.

The elements are made of fibre so there is no metal involved, or chance of corrosion when it is exposed to water.

The H-Bomb has two temperature settings, Low: 50-55C (120-130F) and High: 60-65C (140-150F).  And because the batteries weigh only 0.12kg each and are positioned on your lower back where they are cushioned against your body by a layer of neoprene you can’t feel them.

The first test pilot was 2005 World Championship Tour number 7 Nathan Hedge, who commented “It’s one out of the box, it feels sooo good! You keep really warm, even on the low setting and it just keeps you feeling warm all over throughout. I didn’t want to give it back after the R&D session”.

In waters as cold as 5 degrees Celsius, the H-Bomb is receiving incredible feedback by providing surfers with plenty of heat, extended surf time and reducing the thickness of suit being worn.

So if you are considering buying a new winter wetsuit this season why not try the ultimate Rip Curl H-Bomb Wetsuit - available from Sorted Surshop.

Source: ripcurl