It’s still the first month of the new year and already people are geared up, foaming at the mouth, ready for action and prizes.
Volcom is hosting its first ever world-class surfing ASP event, the Volcom Pipeline Pro Surfing Competition on Oahu’s North Shore. Countdown began with the traditional blessing on Day one, 23 Janaury as the ‘watch’ begins for the next fortnight or so through 5 February for waves worthy of the surfing talent gathered there to compete. There are more than a 100 or so, and some of the biggest names in surfing are among the many hopefuls.
Unsurprisingly, the first, second and third day’s calls were ‘OFF’ as Lei Days as posted on Volcom’s site.
Today, day four is also a waiting game as the call is also another Lei Day.
To while away those hours waiting and watching for the pounders to come in off the Pacific, Surf chatter and Surf buzz is the order of the day, keeping the nerves down. Even over a spiced soy latte, though, everyone looks anxiously over the narrow ribbon of highway to see what the wind has whipped up, ready to make a breakaway for their boards.
Shapers and surfers mingle, and the die-hard fans, organisers and attendant photographers all ‘talk story’, while toeing the sand like restless colts, dying to run and divide the spoils.
Forget the 60 foot waves. The wait is a killer all of its own.
Meanwhile a world away, another waiting game of sorts is happening, keeping its stable of followers anxious and tethered, the prize a secret.
Sports Illustrated‘s super sexy Swimsuit issue, the world’s most profitable single magazine issue seller, generating 7% of SI‘s net profits last year, and a multi-million dollar stand-alone franchise poster child, has frothed up its testosterone-based readership into a frenzy worthy of a monster wave.
With a countdown, too (today announcing only 13 more days to play time), its own website, a weekly teaser video clip releasing early pics of the chosen models, and sneak peek Twitpics, Twitter chatter and even NYC subway posters and Las Vegas hotel billboards of the uber beach babes like Brooklyn Decker, Bar Refaeli and Julie Henderson curvaceously smiling, standing larger than life-sized in killer bikinis, SI has foamed up the playing field with eager excitement. It can, with some 155,000 reported photos taken in exotic locales from Chile to India from which to choose.
The winning cover model is not even announced from the 18 or so who were shot until the day before the magazine’s release, 9 February, and there are red-carpetted parties, events and televised coverage as the festivities move from New York to Vegas. Yes, you heard Vegas!
Maybe the expression ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’ is aptly wry for the shark-frenzy aftermath of such a militarily-orchestrated papp opportunity and plethora of follow-on treasure post-launch. Forget the suites of gifty-giveaways–there will be calendars, books, posters, and maybe even movie deals done before Valentines hits.
One thing is for sure. The surfers and models have waited long for their moment, competed like the pros they are, and the wave of glory comes quick, fast and hard, and then, suddenly it’s over.
There will always be another one right behind it, bigger and better. And more booty.
For surf-ready Hawaiian bikinis
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