Coco Ho is a Hawaiian surfer who grew up surfing the North Shore—and she’s also one of the top up-and-coming competitors in women’s surfing.

Coc Ho: Image courtesy of Volcom

The daughter of renowned surfing champion Michael Ho and the niece of Derek Ho, Coco was raised among surfing royalty—and both she and her brother, Mason, have followed in their footsteps.

Recently, Coco won the ASP Dream Tour competition in Portugal. She’s currently competing for the ASP Women’s World title—and at nineteen years of age, she’ll be the youngest champion in surfing history, male or female, if she wins. In addition, she’d be the first female winner from Hawaii since 1981, when Margo Oberg won the title. She’d also be the first competitor, male or female, to snag both the ASP World Qualifying Series and the Dream Tour world titles in the same year.

At seventeen, Coco qualified for the Dream Tour—barely making it in as the last qualifier. But that hasn’t slowed her down, and her recent wins have been proof of that. And the prospect of a win isn’t a long shot—with a father and uncle who share six Vans Triple Crown wins, including four World Cup of Surfing and three Pipeline Masters titles between them, it’s easy to see that Coco has surfing in her blood.

Coco is only 5’2”—but she has a powerful and confident surfing style more dynamic than that of many male pro surfers. She’s also known for her progressiveness—she’s known for performing challenging aerials and inventing new tricks that have gained the attention of fans and the professional surfing community.

Appropriately Coco is sponsored by the cutting edge surf fashion brand Volcom which also sponsors Australian surfer Ozzie Wright.

In addition to making an impression at surfing competitions, Coco has also had a debut in film. In 2002, at about eleven years old, she played the younger version of the main character, Anne Marie, played by Kate Bosworth.

Coco is lucky to be part of a high-profile surfing family—and she has the support of her family everywhere she goes. With that advantage as well as her natural, inborn skill in surfing, there’s no question she will go far!

Coco Ho Resources:

• Coco Ho on Twitter – http://twitter.com/coco_ho
• Coco Ho’s blog – http://cocoho.blogspot.com
• Coco Ho on Facebook
• ASP Surfing Profile Page
• Coco Ho Fan Page on MySpace
• Photos of Coco Ho on Flickr
• Coco Ho images on Google
• A day in the life of Coco Ho from Surfermag

Videos online

• Coco Wins WQS / Rookie of the Year – Nike 6.0 on Vimeo
• Hurley USA 2010 – Coco Ho video profile
• Coco Surfing for Lost Tv
• The Coco Ho Song
• Laid back video interview with Coco Ho from Novusswell.com

Movies/ DVDs featuring Coco Ho

• Blue Crush (2002) as young Anne Marie
• Six Days in Paradise (2010) as Alicia McShane
• Heart of a Soul Surfer (2007)  – Documentary story of Bethany Hamilton – Watch Trailer
• Dear Yonder – Daring stories of ladies united by the sea (Surf movie) – Watch Trailer

Clay Marzo : Photo by Chris Sardelis www.sardelis.com

Clay Marzo is one of the most talented surfers in the world. At twenty years old, he is sponsored by Quiksilver and is a member of the Young Guns, having been featured in Kelly Slater’s Young Guns II and III alongside other professional surfers including Adam Durrant and Dane Reynolds. He’s won the NSSA Open Men’s National Championship, Water Man of the Year in 2006, and was nominated for Maneuver of the Year in 2007 at the Surfer Poll Awards. He’s also the first to achieve a perfect score—all 10’s—at the NSSA.

In December 2007, Clay Marzo was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. It’s a form of high-functioning autism, with symptoms including difficulty managing social interactions and expressing oneself as well as a tendency toward obsession and a preoccupation with repetitive behaviors. Marzo’s preoccupation is surfing—and it’s possible that his greatest deficit is also his greatest strength.

While most people with Asperger’s syndrome lack coordination, Clay Marzo is exceptionally talented when it comes to surfing. His signature moves include many that are not technically supposed to be possible—a signature aerial reversal, for example, that has him bent over backwards so low that his hair touches the water before standing up straight on his board.

Marzo is known for scoring perfect landings on flips and other maneuvers that no other professional surfer could perform. Marzo grew up in Maui, about twenty feet from the beach. He was riding his own board by the time he was five. His older half brother, Cheyne Magnusson, was the recognized surfer in his family when Clay was a child. Cheyne was the son of Clay’s mother and skateboarding pro Tony Magnusson, and he was picked up by Quiksilver when Clay was still very young. Still, Clay’s gifts were obvious even from a young age—he won the statewide 200-meter freestyle at the age of ten, despite the fact that he hardly ever practiced swimming. By the time he was ten and eleven, he was winning his first contests.

Clay Marzo is a keen supporter of the Surfers Healing charity. He is a highly talented surfer with several prestigious awards and sponsorships already under his belt—and with his distinctive, fearless surfing style and eye-catching signature maneuvers, he’s definitely a stand-out athlete at even the most high-profile surfing competitions.

YouTube Videos featuring Clay surfing

• Clay Marzo – Just Add Water Trailer
• Young Guns III footage
• The Collection Trailer

Photos of Clay Marzo

• Clay’s Flickr profile

DVDs with Clay Marzo

• Clay Marzo – Just Add Water
• Tomorrow Today
• The Collection – Featuring Clay Marzo and Dane Reynolds
• Young Guns II & III

Sponsors

• Quicksilver
• Future Fins

Kelly Slater after winning a heat

Kelly Slater – Profile

This American pro surfer is known for his dynamic and explosive surfing style and his record of championships.  Kelly Slater was born in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in 1972, with one older and one younger brother, both of whom also surf. His ancestry is Syrian and Chinese, and he was known as “Jack” as a child before he decided to use his middle name, Kelly.

Slater’s surfing style is known for its distinctive agility and aggression—while demonstrating uncompromising form and style, especially in smaller waves. Slater was a pioneer in adapting “skate style” to surfing—going for faster turns, big air and impressive tricks off every wave, rather than “carving” the waves in long, graceful arcs as his predecessors did.

He’s won the ASP World Champion title nine times, as well as the distinction of being both the youngest (at 20) and the oldest (at 36) to win the crown. In 2007, he won the Boost Mobile Pro event in San Clemente, California—making him the most decorated pro surfer in the world. He’s also the first surfer ever to be awarded two perfect scores under the two-wave ASP scoring system.

TV

Kelly  Slater isn’t just a star on the water, though. He’s also made appearances on television, starring in numerous surf films and playing Jimmy Slade on Baywatch in approx 10 episodes. More recently, he made an appearance on the reality show The Girls Next Door, featuring the lives of women at the Playboy Mansion.

Music

You can also hear Slater perform in his band, the Surfers, along with friends and fellow surfing pros Peter King and Rob Machado. Their only album, released in 1998, is called Songs From the Pipe. But Slater has made other musical appearances more recently, including concert and promotional video appearances with Pearl Jam, Ben Harper, and Shirley Manson.

Charity Work

Slater is dedicated to supporting ocean and reef preservation projects, as well as charity work worldwide. His own organization, the Kelly Slater Foundation, is devoted to providing financial support and raising public awareness of socially and environmentally responsible charities. His foundation provides support to charities that demonstrate a dedication to specific, achievable goals.

YouTube Videos Featuring Kelly Slater

• Kelly Slater in Action
• Young Guns 3
• A 10 pt ride at Hurley US Open 2009
• As Jimmy Slade in Baywatch
  

Photos

• Slater on Flickr

DVDs

• Kelly Slater: “In Black and White” DVD 1991
• Kelly Slater: Letting Go – 2005 Trials And Tribulations DVD
• Full List of movies at IMDB
  

Sponsors

• Quiksilver wetsuits and clothing
• FCS fins
• Channel Islands Surfboards

* Photo of Kelly Slater by SoulSurfer3

Photo courtesy of Quicksilver on Mpora.com

Dane Reynolds was born in Long Beach California in 1985 and is now widely regarded as one of the best free surfers in the world. As well as being a gifted surfer Dane Reynolds also manages to be one of the more humble and modest too – as anyone who has watched his movie First Chapter will know.

Now based in Ventura, California Dane is a surfing phenomenon the world over – well known for his experimental, acrobatic, aerial style of surfing.

Starting to surf at the age of 10 years old – Dane went on to appear in Kelly Slater’s progressive Young Guns series and then later in his own (2006 Surfer Poll winning) signature film First Chapter.

At 5’11 and 160 pounds, Dane Reynolds has the rare ability to fuse creative free surfing with the skills required to contend successfully in professional surf competitions the world over (in spite of his “go for broke” progressive style of aerial tricks).

As well as his surfing skills, Dane does not seem to be scared to share a more sensitive, introspective personal style through his blog www.marinelayerproductions.com which includes a range of arty video shorts, random photos and notes.

Competitive Surfing: At the time of writing Reynolds is placed 12th on the 2009 ASP World Tour. Dane achieved 3rd place in the Billabong Pro event at Jeffreys Bay South Africa as well as going on and making second place in the Hurley Pro at Trestles California where he battled in the final with Mick Fanning. In 2009 he has consistently finished in the top ten on a number of occasions the world tour.

Sponsors: Dane Reynolds in sponsored by a number of companies including Quicksilver, Channel Islands surfboards, DC and more.

Dane Reynolds Signature Surfboard: Dane Reynolds is sponsored by Channel Islands surfboards. His signature model in the collection is the ‘The Proton’. For more information on the Proton surfboard – click here. The manufacturer states that as the board is designed for one of the world’s most progressive surfers, it means the Proton board needs to be  ridden aggressively! For the latest info and behind the scenes photos of Dane and his surfboards it’s possible to follow Channel Islands on Twitter.com by following @sleds.

Dane Reynolds Surf DVDs:

• The Collection  – Featuring Clay Marzo & Dane Reynolds
• First Chapter
• Young Guns 1,2 & 3
• Dude Cruise
• Stranger Than Fiction
• Days of the Strange
• The Present

Online Video Clips Featuring Dane Reynolds:

• Super slow motion air move ( See video embedded above)
• Lower Trestles Final V Mick Fanning in slow motion
• First Chapter Trailer
• Behind the scenes short at the Billabong Pro Mundaka, Spain
• Cool interview video with Dane Reynolds

Oska Wright more commonly known as Ozzie Wright (as well as Ozzie Wrong) is the infamous Australian professional soul surfer, artist and bass player with punk rock garage band Goons of Doom. Ozzie Wright’s surfing style is a spontaneous mix of edgy tricks and manoeuvres often involving difficult aerial moves, though he is equally as home with more traditional styles of surfing including barrel riding. He is perceived by many as a unique blend of surf star by day and rock star by night. Ozzie Wright is sponsored by Volcom and Santa Cruz Surf boards. The Volcom sponsorship covers a range of products including a clothing range which features some of Wright’s art, as well as the DVD 156 tricks. His band ‘The Goons of Doom’ are also signed to Volcom Entertainment.

Ozzie Wright: Image courtesy of Volcom

The Santa Cruz sponsorship includes his own range of custom surfboards, which features his art. At the time of writing the main model is the Ozzie Wright Wing Swallow surfboard shaped by Chris Gallagher. the surfboard is available in 5’4, 5’8 and a 6’0 sizes with each surfboard featuring different graphics created by Wright. The surfboards are primarily designed for head high waves, though in his video 156 tricks Ozzie demonstrates a number of tricks achievable in much smaller surf ( see top right for the video).

DVDs you can buy featuring Ozzie Wright:

· 156 tricks
· Drive Thru New Zealand Surf DVD
· Drive Thru South Central America Surf DVD

Links to online videos featuring Ozzie Wright’s Surfing:

· Big Fat Whales
· 156 Tricks
· Barrel riding

Photos of Ozzie Wright:

· On Flickr
· On Volcom’s website

Music featuring Ozzie Wright:

As bass player of the band ‘Goons of Doom’ Ozzie Wright mixes his surfing career alongside both his art and musical commitments. His band the Goons of Doom to date have released the EP ‘Bikey Zomby’ (2005) the 16 track album ‘The Story of Dead Barbie & Ghost’  (2007) as well as their most recent work ‘I Hate My Hair & I Want To Die’ released in 2008. The band have toured extensively in Australia, New Zealand and more recently in 2009 across parts of the USA.

· Goons of Doom website
· ‘Cars’ by Goons of Doom
· ‘Art Books’ by Ozzie Wright
· Goons of Doom video on Gimby

Ozzie Wright’s Art:

Ozzie Wright’s art is quite cartoony but edgy in style – like a cross between Egon Schiele, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Banksy. His art blends graffiti, pop art, a bit of manga and a strong line all in one. Featured on a range of Volcom fashion products and his DVD, Wright has held art exhibitions worldwide as well as working on a number of surfboard graphics. In addition to this he has created various pieces of artwork for his band The Goons of Doom.