Second time a charm for Portuguese surfer Bonvalot

Portuguese surfer Teresa Bonvalot surfs during her heat in the Sydney Surf Pro
 on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Australia, May 19, 2023.

When Portugal's Teresa Bonvalot qualified for the Tokyo Games in 2021 as a then 21-year-old, she had barely a month to prepare for surfing's Olympic debut and the biggest event of her life.

Now, more than a year out from the Paris Games, Bonvalot has again booked an Olympic ticket and is relishing the extra time to ready her mind, body and equipment.

"That was unbelievable to get the news to mark my spot there," Bonvalot said during a competition in Australia last week.

"The good thing for me this year was I did qualify earlier, so that will give me a year and a few months, which is great to prepare boards and all of that stuff."

Portuguese surfer Teresa Bonvalot gives an interview after winning her heat in the Sydney Surf Pro
 on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Australia, May 19, 2023.

Bonvalot is one of four female surfers to have qualified through their involvement in the 2023 World Surf League's championship tour, along with Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb, Brisa Hennessy from Costa Rica and France's Johanne Defay.

A total of 24 women's places are available, with the International Surfing Association's World Surfing Games in El Salvador this month providing the next qualification spots.

Bonvalot, who grew up surfing the wave-drenched coastlines north of Lisbon, surfed her way to a credible ninth-equal place in Tokyo in shifty, stormy conditions at Tsurigasaki Beach.

She faces a much different challenge at the venue for the Paris Games - the perfect but sometimes terrifying reef pass of Teahupo'o in Tahiti.

"It's one of the most gnarly waves that I've surfed," said Bonvalot. "Just being in the water feels scary, literally."

Off the picturesque southern coast of Tahiti, powerful swells from deep in the Southern Ocean lurch out of deep water onto a shallow coral reef, providing giant barrels for the skilled and horrendous wipeouts for the unlucky.

"You see a wave, it doesn't seem like a really big one, but then the water just like sucks. So you go down and the thing just like blows on you and ... it's like the most amazing vision that you probably will get in your life, even if you fall.

"It's definitely a moment that you feel like that kind of anxiety, but that kind of adrenaline that just makes everything worth it."

 

Heavy Water - Waynes World

Video by Tim Bonython " After returning home from 3 and half months at Nazare Portugal, 26 hours later i am lucky enough to score a very raw & angry Cape Solander. The East coast of Australia including Sydney has copped so much rain that its turned the ocean into a brown foam that's supposably not good for your health.  This edit will show you the reason why. I spend the morning following Wayne Cleveland plus longtime OURS regulars Jesse Polock & James Adams. Plus local legend Kipp Caddy, Maxime Rayor, Zac Martin and backhand specialists Max McGuigan & Kirk Flintoff. Slab master Dylan Longbottom scores the bomb of the day and also tows his daughter Summa into a couple. They name this spot Cape Fear for a reason. Watch and you will understand why. Enjoy."

Dynamic Duo | Andrew Kaineder and Russell Bierke

Episode 3 is a short film by Andrew Kaineder showcasing Russell Bierke’s latest and craziest waves. It’s a mix of hi-fi cinematography, low-fi lifestyle, and photographic stills while being backed by a suspenseful and moody original psych-rock score. Andrew used abstract imagery and mixed media of nature and landscapes to help break up the edit. It’s a perfect balance, showcasing Russell’s thrilling big wave skillset and the hard-charging he’s known for. Russ Bierke is a surfer's surfer, quietly spoken, but someone who lets his actions do the talking. With an ability to remain calm in serious situations and a surfing maturity well beyond his years, it is no surprise that Russ has stepped into the world's big wave riding elite. Australian film director Andrew Kaineder focuses on telling genuine human stories. The simplicity of his work is in the beauty, strong cinematography, honest performances and unique audio scores. He has created many award-winning documentaries and narrative films within the surf world, claiming prestigious awards like the AUS surf film of the year. Andrew is passionate about being authentic and aims to push the boundaries. His recent work includes: An Introduction, Flow State, Beyond the Noise and Derek Hynd TV Series.

nudie Australian Boardriders Battle 2021 National Final Day 2

Live action from Newcastle's Main Beach as the country's best clubs go toe-to-toe at the nudie Australian 

Boardriders Battle National Final.

The nudie Australian Boardriders Battle is Australia’s biggest grassroots boardriders event and involves more than 60 of Australia’s best boardrider clubs! Taking place across eight state qualifying rounds, only 24 clubs will come together at the National Final to battle it out to become the 2020/21 Australian Champions.

Hackers attack surf star's Instagram page sends porn to her 40k followers

Australian surfing star Blaze Angel Roberts, 18, from Sydney, had her Instagram account hacked at 40,000 followers, by raunchy invaders who sent porn to her fans.

(Photo: blaze_angel/Instagram)

A famous Instagram star has had her account taken over by raunchy hackers who flooded her feed with explicit images.

Blaze Angel Roberts, 18, from Sydney, was sent an email by hackers pretending to be Instagram, asking her if she would like to verify her account.

The keen surfer, who has 40,000 followers, clicked on a link and her email account was hijacked, locking her out of her Instagram account, and email address.

She was eventually able to regain access to her email and was horrified to see pornographic images sent to her followers.

Hackers also posted explicit pictures to her Instagram feed, bombarding followers with raunchy pictures.

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Little preview of tonight’s show @acurrentaffair9 🙌🏼❤️ 7pm on channel 9!! • • • #weaponsurfboards #fallenbrokenstreet #minorsurfwax #minorsurfwaxteamrider #theamigotowel #amazonpower #featherandarrowco #donjoyperformance #acurrentaffair #acurrentaffairpreview #surfergirl #influencer #sydneyinfluencer

Uma publicação partilhada por Blaze Angel Roberts (@blaze_angel) a 15 de Jun, 2020 às 12:0

To get the account back, Blaze had to prove her identity by seeing a photo of herself with a code provided by Instagram.

Blaze was following Instagram’s instructions but had noticed the hackers, a bearded man and a blonde woman, were also doing the same thing.

She believes the hackers are from Turkey as the emails she was receiving were in Turkish.

Blaze told A Current Affair: “I kept messaging Instagram with screenshots and photos to try and send them the proof and they kept saying they didn't have enough proof and they didn't know what I was talking about.

She closely monitored her old account for three weeks as she watched hackers change the username and continue to post photos.

(Photo: blaze_angel/Instagram)

Eventually, Blaze created a new account and was able to reclaim her old username, and some of her followers.

The account stands at 5,317 followers, and her new biography states "new account since I was hacked at 40,000 followers."

Blaze is unsure of what other information the hackers could have access to, she said: "I don't know if I've ever sent my address to a friend, I don't know if I've ever sent my bank details to someone I know.

Follows in the new account here: https://www.instagram.com/blaze_angel/?hl=en

#Australia #surf

Slab Surfing At Shipstern Bluff | Red Bull Cape Fear 2019 FULL REPLAY

After Red Bull Cape Fear 2016, the 2019 event had some big shoes to fill. But on Monday, May 13, 2019, it quickly became clear that contest director Mark Mathews' decision to relocate to Tasmania's infamous Shipstern Bluff was a brilliant call. Among the surfers on hand for the competition was 3-time World Champion Mick Fanning, along with Shipstern Bluff legends Mark Mathews, James and Tyler Hollmer-Cross, Mikey Brennan, and more. In the end, Hawaiian Nathan Florence took the 2019 Red Bull Cape Fear crown over Hollmer-Cross, Brennan, Laurie Towner, and Justen “Jughead” Allport. Watch every second of the historic event right here.

Desert Blue

Desert Blue presented by Pistol Surf Co. A total of 37 days in the desert, based in the North West of Australia, featuring Jake Edwards, Nick Muntz, Jack Chalis and Josh Cattlin. Filmed and edited by Billy Cervi, Michael Tartaglia, Nick Muntz and Jack Ogrady.
 

The best wave in Australia

One minute of crowded perfection out at the Superbank.

The wave has gained such popularity that this has become a real problem. People have to fight for a spot on the wave, sometimes literally.

Australian Coastline Watch

Australian Coastline Watch

Shark attacks and rip currents have been an on going danger for surfers and swimmers in the
beaches of Australia. Surf lifesaving and patrol teams have begun to utilize DJI’s Phantom 4
drones to more effectively perform rescues and surveillance. In this way, priorities of safety as
well as maintaining harmony within the eco-system can both be addressed.

Incredible photographs in famous Australian swell

Large swells hit the coast of western Australia

A surfer rides a wave at Surfers Point

A jetski rider looks for a sufer at Surfers Point

Celebrated surfing photographer Russell Ord snapped the heart-stopping action as several of the world's best surfers took on the massive waves.