NEWS JANUARY 2008

31/01/08
Well, we're a bit late but welcome to 2008! After a short break over Christmas and New Years, there's plenty to report on in the world of UNITE. It's all here including Injuries, Hawaii updates, and new sponsorshit.

Queensland and Northern New South Wales was bombarded with swell after swell in late December / early January. Novy, Nick O, and Winston McCall all scored memorable sessions, Novy in particular, who surfed "this bank that hardly ever gets swell" above.

It's been an abnormally slow Winter in Hawaii this season. Novy, who touched down on the North Shore a couple of weeks back, reports that conditions are only now just starting to heat up.

Not that it concerns Tommy Smith too much. He landed on The Rock in mid December and without scoring much in the wave department, he had an accident on Christmas Day involving a bike, a wet, sandy driveway and his foot. The result? A fractured foot and surgery.

Despite his hard luck, Tom is optimistic and has decided to stick it out in Hawaii until the IBA/USBA Pipeline Pro in February.

"My foot is all good, it's healing up fast. I went for my first surf a few days ago but only with one fin on. I think it may be a touch longer until I wear the other fin just to make sure. I could wear it now but I want to be safe. Waves have been pretty bad, not many swells so that kinda softens the blow for me. I've been really keen to get out there when its small just to stay as sharp as possible. It's ok though just hanging out and soaking up the rays, I'm still having fun."

Kingy is due to fly out to Hawaii next week. "I've been training pretty hard lately," he said this week. "I drove down to Sydney and cracked the whip on Reon [Fisher - 4Play head shaper] to make me some boards. He's come up with the goods, I have some really sick ones. Psyched!"

Following his break through section in The Waldron Bros. film There's No I, grommet abuse victim Mitch Woodland is now riding for EBB.

<< BACK