Surf's up for Obama! Crazy Shirts honors Hawaii-born President-elect, and bodysurfer, Barrack Obama with the release of its "Obama Surfs" T-shirt.

The newly designed T-shirt is now available at select retail stores in Hawaii, Laguna Beach and San Diego, as well as online at crazyshirts.com.

"We think it's really cool that our next President is a kama'aina and wanted to commemorate this moment in history with a special design," said Crazy Shirts CEO Mark Hollander.

"People around the world saw photos of President-elect Obama showing off his body surfing skills when he was back in Hawaii this summer. Now, we have a shirt that lets everyone know that our next President knows how to live the Crazy Shirts lifestyle, too."

The front new "Obama Surfs" T-shirt reads "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, President Obama 2009" alongside a wave-riding bodysurfer and the Hawaiian Island chain, while "Obama Surfs" over a barreling wave graces the back. The shirts are available in adult sizes and retail for $25.

Founded in 1964, Crazy Shirts is among the first companies in Hawaii to design, manufacture and sell the "T-shirt" as we know it today.

Summer met winter during last weekend's eighth annual Jupiter Fall Classic surfing contest.

During Saturday's preliminary rounds at Carlin Park, the temperature was in the high 80s. On Sunday, the mercury plummeted to the mid 60s.

Fortunately, the waves were good both days, said Classic president Jim McDow.

"(Saturday) were had 2 to 3 foot waves, clean and glassy," McDow said. "You couldn't ask for a better day, unless the waves were bigger.

"Winter arrived (Sunday night) but the waves were still good."

It was a great two days.

"It was fabulous," said McDow. "Any year we can have this is great. We had a great turnout. It was almost a record breaker."

The contest drew 164 pro surfers, another 30 to the Eastern Surfing Association competition for boys and girls and about 50 more to the youth surfing clinics.

The Classic drew pro surfers from all over Florida and the East Coast, said competition director Mike Bloom.

"We also had pros from Puerto Rico and the Jamaican Surf team," Bloom said.

The junior pro division title went Evan Thompson, 16, a home-schooler from Jacksonville Beach.

South African Reubin Pearce wins 2008 UK Pro Surf Tour in a dramatic day of surfing at the Animal Newquay Open.

Reubin only had an outside chance of clinching the title going into the event; he needed Sam Lamiroy to be eliminated early and then had to reach the final, but must place himself ahead of Animal team rider Alan Stokes.

All of which went to plan, although he had a few very nervous moments, for the first ten minutes of the heat he was placed last.

But then he picked off a right hander which allowed two very powerful and vertical turns to take victory away from Alan Stokes and allow him to take the tour title despite not winning the event.

The Women’s tour was dominated and won by Irish surfer Nicole Morgan. Back from a year in Australia she only lost one event entered and that was to fellow Irish Surfer Easkey Britton.
 
Tom Butler had a remarkable year, despite being over shadowed by Reubyn Ash and Jayce Robinson; he won the 2008 UK PST Pro Junior Title.
The Under 16 Boys division was very competitive throughout the year, however with great determination and incredible ability Toby Donachie took the title.

Despite fantastic performances from many of the Under 16 Girls, Zoe Sheath from Isle of Wight dominated, not loosing one heat all year to take the title.

Surfers can expect to see increased numbers of girls in the waves this summer following another hugely successful Rip Curl Girls Go Surfing weekend presented by Ford Fiesta which saw over 4000 girls across all ages take to the surf.

The Rip Curl Girls Go Surfing Day is the longest running and largest girl’s surfing day in Australia and over 60 of Surfing Australia’s Affiliated Surfschools from all over Australia introduced the girls to the sport of surfing.

Jenny Sams from Miami was a typical participant and after her two hour surf lesson said “It’s been awesome fun and I’m definitely keen to keep surfing – Learning through a surf school absolutely gets you through the early stages way faster and it’s not so frustrating – They get you up and surfing in your first lesson and from then on you seem to progress quickly.”

Around 75% of the girls who participated in the weekends learn to surf lessons are expected to come back for more surfing lessons and take on one of Australia’s major lifestyle sports.

2008 is the event’s 18th consecutive year, making it the longest running and largest all-girls learn to surf program in the world and approximately 4000 girls are expected to go and give surfing a go this weekend under the safe and ideal learning environments of the Surfing Australia Surf Schools.

A few of the well known beaches and surf schools that began the program today include Surfers Paradise, Noosa, Coffs Harbour, Bondi and Summerland’s Beach at Phillip Island.