ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 4

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Sat 14 July 12:00am

Point of order before we move to the main game: Everyone is hailing Heath Joske's move from Day 3, the high line run with his hands in the air, as an excellent soul arch. Yet I dispute that call, not that it wasn't excellent - damn right it was! - but that it was a soul arch. To me it looked like someone taking a high line run with their hands in the air. If you need something more succinct than that perhaps ol' Heath can lend a name to it.

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 4

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Sat 14 July 12:00am

Point of order before we move to the main game: Everyone is hailing Heath Joske's move from Day 3, the high line run with his hands in the air, as an excellent soul arch. Yet I dispute that call, not that it wasn't excellent - damn right it was! - but that it was a soul arch. To me it looked like someone taking a high line run with their hands in the air. If you need something more succinct than that perhaps ol' Heath can lend a name to it.

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 3

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Fri 13 July 12:00am

This year the Billabong Pro J'Bay is a 6-star event. Star events don't have waiting periods like World Tour events do, they just unfurl the tent, blow the hooter and start banging out heats in whatever surf is in front of them.

As it happens the surf in front of them is better than what the J'Bay comp has received for many years as a high-flying, top-tier contest. For the third day running Supertubes pumped silly with no less than four 10-point rides dished out today - a new ASP record.

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 3

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Fri 13 July 12:00am

This year the Billabong Pro J'Bay is a 6-star event. Star events don't have waiting periods like World Tour events do, they just unfurl the tent, blow the hooter and start banging out heats in whatever surf is in front of them.

As it happens the surf in front of them is better than what the J'Bay comp has received for many years as a high-flying, top-tier contest. For the third day running Supertubes pumped silly with no less than four 10-point rides dished out today - a new ASP record.

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 2

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Thu 12 July 12:00am

The Billabong Pro J'Bay: From no webcast on Day One to the state of the webcast on Day Two - internet complaining has never been so much fun!

Yep, Billabong fired up the webcast for Day Two but rotten tomatoes were being thrown from all quarters as transmission was reportedly timing out and the commentating was less than inspiring. Still, it pumped and that's what us hoary, unwashed mugs wanna see.

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 2

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Thu 12 July 12:00am

The Billabong Pro J'Bay: From no webcast on Day One to the state of the webcast on Day Two - internet complaining has never been so much fun!

Yep, Billabong fired up the webcast for Day Two but rotten tomatoes were being thrown from all quarters as transmission was reportedly timing out and the commentating was less than inspiring. Still, it pumped and that's what us hoary, unwashed mugs wanna see.

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 1

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Wed 11 July 12:00am

This year the Billabong Pro J'Bay has dropped the 'CT glam and gone old skool. Gone are the mincing primadonnas from the top tier ranks and in are the back room brawlers from the 'QS including a handful of South Africa's finest (surfers, not dagga).

Gone also is the webcast. Yep, it's just like old times with scores only available on the internet, Twitter, Blackberries and iPhones. Ahh, it takes me back...

Swellnet Sessions

Billabong Pro J'Bay - Day 1

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Wed 11 July 12:00am

This year the Billabong Pro J'Bay has dropped the 'CT glam and gone old skool. Gone are the mincing primadonnas from the top tier ranks and in are the back room brawlers from the 'QS including a handful of South Africa's finest (surfers, not dagga).

Gone also is the webcast. Yep, it's just like old times with scores only available on the internet, Twitter, Blackberries and iPhones. Ahh, it takes me back...

Swellnet Sessions

Mr Price Pro - The pictures that tell a couple of words

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Thu 5 July 12:00am

At last year's Mr Price Pro the surf at Ballito pumped. Pumped!

This year the surf at Ballito has been rubbish. Rubbish! Tiny, gutless, sloppy li'l waves that are topping out at waist high and are terribly boring to look at. In fact, I think you wasted your time by clicking on this link.

So imagine how the surfers who flew halfway 'round the world to surf it are feeling.

Swellnet Sessions

Mr Price Pro - The pictures that tell a couple of words

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Thu 5 July 12:00am

At last year's Mr Price Pro the surf at Ballito pumped. Pumped!

This year the surf at Ballito has been rubbish. Rubbish! Tiny, gutless, sloppy li'l waves that are topping out at waist high and are terribly boring to look at. In fact, I think you wasted your time by clicking on this link.

So imagine how the surfers who flew halfway 'round the world to surf it are feeling.

Swellnet Sessions

Mr Price Pro, Ballito, 2011

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Tue 3 July 12:00am

The 2011 version of the Mr Price Pro at Ballito was one contest the organisers didn't have to rely on tinny euphemisms like 'contestable waves' to talk up their press. That's because for five straight days the righthander at Ballito pumped like crazy. If every right in South Africa gets compared to J'Bay then this was a heavier, bowlier, shorter-but-more-intense version of its famous brother.

Swellnet Sessions

Mr Price Pro, Ballito, 2011

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Tue 3 July 12:00am

The 2011 version of the Mr Price Pro at Ballito was one contest the organisers didn't have to rely on tinny euphemisms like 'contestable waves' to talk up their press. That's because for five straight days the righthander at Ballito pumped like crazy. If every right in South Africa gets compared to J'Bay then this was a heavier, bowlier, shorter-but-more-intense version of its famous brother.

Swellnet Sessions

Pipe Masters Day 2

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Sun 11 December 12:00am

Day 2 of the Pipe Masters went off in flawless 10-foot waves. John John scored his second perfect 10, Gabriel Medina shone on only his second day at Pipe and Kelly Slater did as Kelly Slater does.

(Photos: ASP: Cestari / Kirstin)

Swellnet Sessions

Pipe Masters Day 2

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Sun 11 December 12:00am

Day 2 of the Pipe Masters went off in flawless 10-foot waves. John John scored his second perfect 10, Gabriel Medina shone on only his second day at Pipe and Kelly Slater did as Kelly Slater does.

(Photos: ASP: Cestari / Kirstin)

Swellnet Sessions

Pipe Masters Day 1

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Fri 9 December 12:00am

The first two rounds of the Billabong Pipe Masters were held today in perfect 10-15 foot surf on the opening day of the waiting period. Hawaiian wildcards dominated the day although it was Hawaiian World Tour surfer, John John Florence, who scored the highest wave - a perfect 10.

Here are the first batch of photos. We'll have more shortly.

All photos ASP: Cestari / Kirstin

Swellnet Sessions

Pipe Masters Day 1

ASP/ Cestari, Kirstin

Fri 9 December 12:00am

The first two rounds of the Billabong Pipe Masters were held today in perfect 10-15 foot surf on the opening day of the waiting period. Hawaiian wildcards dominated the day although it was Hawaiian World Tour surfer, John John Florence, who scored the highest wave - a perfect 10.

Here are the first batch of photos. We'll have more shortly.

All photos ASP: Cestari / Kirstin