News

Mentawais Surf Tax

Our good mate Harry updated the quiver and headed over to the Mentawais in early August . Trying to get in before the all new Mentawai Surf Tax takes effect . Yes SURF TAX, you can read all about this new tax here at Surfline website.  But basically every visiting surfer will pay from $76 US upwards to surf the Mentawais Region , depending on the length of your stay . Hit the link above or go to the Jakarta Post for the original  breaking story .

Staying near playgrounds area at the Mentawai Surf Retreat  ,he managed to score a variety of waves from fun little setups like Pit Stops

Where he rode his USC TP1 model, perfect for those smaller days in tropics.

Then when conditions turned on he headed round the corner to a much intense set up called Bank Vaults . Its a fast , shallow barreling wave with a heavy inside section .

This type of wave Harry jumped on his USC Hi Performance model . Locked and loaded and looking for some travel time !

Special Alienator

Special custom Premium Alienator for Paul to add to the quiver.

Paul rides a 5'10 by 19 1/4 by 2 1/2 , 29 litre Alienator and wanted a step up "transition" surfboard for some "mysto" left in the Northern Philippines.

When the typhoon season hits this secret spot can turn on !

His "step up" Alienator is 6'1 by 19 1/4 by 2 1/2, 30.20 litres.

Savy One day Wonder

Click this link to watch on Instagram our team rider going mad over at Lakey Peak. 

Short low res surf edit with an interesting story behind it !

Story Goes , a little like this ,

Hi Res full version coming soon !

Mentawais Performance

Mic ordered a new Premium Hi Performance for his Indonesian sojourn, bound for Aloita Resort in the Mentawais. He wanted a good solid performance surfboard that would allow him to transition easy from everyday beachbreaks to reef breaks , give the confidence and of course be able to be versatile enough to use back home .

Above: Super shallow reef break in Mentawais called "Suicides". 

Rarely surfed as the name suggests you come off here and you gonna lose a little "bark"! Courtesy of a few razor sharp coral heads .

Mic setting up the shallow inside bowl ! 

Above :Mic fun day at Burgerworld.

Looks and sounds like it did the job as Mic gave a us a bit of feedback and by the look of the images , he hooked straight in to some pumping surf in the Mentawais!

Mic Comments :

"In the Mentawais with my new 6 2 and loving it. Does what it says it would do, so stocked "!!!!
Thanks Team

Mint Maldives

Tony Keenan  enjoying every moment in the Maldives on his USC Alien . 2016 will go down as memorable  Indian Ocean season !

Speed , drive & control equals a clean exit .

"Life is better with a good quiver".

Photo : Ford Fotography

We Are Back

We love Indonesia and scored some great waves over there, got to ride some new models and test some surfboards in quality surf. Warm water with uncrowded pumping waves , surf breaks that don't have names yet ! Does it get any better !

We never wanted to leave, but we are back on deck at the Formula Energy HQ...

Sorry If we missed your call or have not replied to your emails . Eden is back in the office and will reply to all your queries very soon !

Email or ring or just come say hello at the Factory !

Above : Testing a new quad USC Fuzz Nutz , photo by Federico Vannao @liquidbarrel .

Quality Read

White Horses issue number Sixteen has finally hit the stands and its been worth the wait ! Need a quality hard copy surf magazine on the coffee table and sick of the regurgitated gutter surf journalism ? Then grab a copy of the issue 16 from the team at White Horses .

Our good friend Pete Geal has racked up a few surf travel miles and you can read about one of his latest adventures in the new edition . This guy travels far and wide , he is most traveled surfer we have ever meet !

Pete is currently Life Guarding in Fiji at the Namotu resort some would say the dream job ! Scoring back to back swells with Kelly Slater in town its hard to jag a bomb with the Outerknown A team in the line up but here is one !Check it out on Instagram ! 

Hit the Link to find out where you can buy the magazine

White Horses.

Save Our Spit

Another Offshore Cruise Ship Terminal proposal is on the table !

The Mayor of the Gold Coast  Tom Tate , again is spearheading a development that would drastically change and essential destroy a pristine part of the Northern Gold Coast . One of the last open spaces , with picture postcard waterways on one side and world class surf beaches on the other . 

Once its gone its gone ! And the fight to hold onto one of the last open spaces on the much developed Northern Gold Coast has been ongoing for over 15 years .

The wider community concerns are not only about the environmental impacts but the lack of thought about infrastructure  to support this narrow peninsula  serviced by one road that often grid locks .

It also happens to have a world class waves , South Stradbroke on its day can produce beach breaks that are the envied all over the world, and the Spit also has been known to fire up every now and then !

Groups like Save Our Spit and Gecko have been vocal about the detrimental effect of building a Cruise  Ship Terminal in such a pristine waterway as of course the local community of Surfers , Boat owners and others that regularly use the area. 

Much has been written on social media, motives implying the obvious land grab of crown land ,but this article by the Liquify Team on the latest proposal by Mayor Tom Tate really explains some hard facts about how "left field" this plan really is and the real motives behind this development !

Jump over to the Liquify Web Site its a dam good read !

Refreshing read by surfers for surfers ! 

Twenty Million

Cyclone Winston 2016 produced one of the most incredible run of waves in South East Qld in recent memory. The SuperBank was the main focus but plenty of other spots lit up over the two week period .

Many media outlets reported it generated twenty million dollars into the local economy .  With the hype and forecasting web world going into overdrive everyone downed tools and headed for South East Queensland. Crowd numbers were relentless but if you could jag a bomb , dodge the punters in the way and not get dropped in on, you probably go one of the most perfect waves of your life !

Our apologies goes out if your custom surfboard deadline blew out ! But with waves like this in our backyard, can you really blame us for "tools down" !

Eden riding his USC Performance Plus surfboard .

Tools down , tube tickle sequence at the SuperBank 

Photos : Simon Muirhead @simsurf

Mentawai Dreaming

Natsuko blasting on her USC BLEND!

Well actually that is her partners surfboard Dave Mathew.  Both of them are building  a new resort in the Mentawais called Alaia , the resort website is currently under construction but you can get daily updates on the progress on they FACEBOOK page. 

Its based in the surf rich Playgrounds area , Dave has been based up there for a long time and sure he is dialled into the conditions ! He loves getting barrelled .. So if you are dreaming of the Mentawais or a little Indonesian surf trip contact Dave and Natsuko.

Natsuko also runs a cool Swimear company for the girls. Check it out here ,its called LANIAZUL Swimwear .