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SURFERMAG.COM NEWS

From Reuters:

The law, which is expected to be approved by EU ministers, will immediately ban most single-hull ships older than 23 years of age from carrying the highly polluting forms of oil from calling at EU ports, an EU Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio said.

"This is a spectacular step ahead," de Palacio said, adding the EU would push for the ban to be adopted globally by the International Maritime Organization by the end of the year.

"(With this law) the Prestige would not have happened," said French transport minister Dominique Busserau.

Or would they? The ban will, however, only apply to tankers visiting EU ports, not to transit vessels. A worse cast scenario would have a ship--just passing by in the night--burping out a few thousand tons and bon voyage, away they go.

Call me a cynic, but why 23 years? Who came up with that number? Why not implement a plan that demands all single hull tankers be retrofitted immediately (on a rotating basis)? Seems more than a bit fishy. But what do I know?

This much I do know, the French beach resort communities and the embedded surf industry are crossing their collective fingers. Economic effects from The Prestige tragedy, coupled with travel trepidation in the face of Operation Iraqi Freedom, will be felt for quite some time. Palooza hopes people get on with their lives, including travel to France, Bali and the like.

...FOUND: Kudos to ...Lost Enterprises which just recently stepped up to the plate to sponsor America's premier junior surfing competition, The Lost Pro Junior. This is America's largest junior event with 128 red hots vying for a $10,000 purse--that 'll buy a lot of Brittany Spears posters. The Lost Pro Junior is held in conjunction with Philips Fusion Featuring the Honda Element U.S. Open of Surfing Presented by O'Neill, July 26th to August 3rd at the Huntington Beach Pier. FMI visit these websites: www.fusion.philips.com and lostenterprises.com.

BIG WAVE JIHAD: The five finalists for the annual Billabong XXL "Biggest Wave of the Year" award were announced. Not only will this year's winner get big money, they will also receive bragging rights of national proportions--literally. That's right, this year's XXL takes on a new significance as a symbolic showdown between two countries at odds over global policy -- France and the United States of America.

In alphabetical order, the 5 nominees for the Billabong XXL Award are:

• Fred Basse (France) at Belharra Reef, France on March 10, 2003.
• Cheyne Horan (Australia) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 26, 2002.
• Noah Johnson (USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 26, 2002.
• Sebastian St. Jean (France) at Belharra Reef, France on March 10, 2003.
• Makua Rothman (USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 26, 2002.

To view images of all five nominated rides, go to BillabongXXL.com or Surfermag.com's Gallery section where you can vote for your favorite.

IT'S REALLY SIMPLE TO DO!: Taylor Knox has teamed up with Maxim magazine haircolor. Hey, cmon, gotta pay the bills, right? Says Knox in the ad, "Anywhere in the world, beach style is relaxed and easy. I may be super intense when I'm out riding four to five foot sets, but when I'm back on the beach I just want to kick back." So, he colors his hair? I'm sure Taylor is gonna get chided a bit for this one, it might as well start here.

MORE PROS WITH NEW GIGS: Shane Beschen informs us that he's starting a new clothing company called Monument. I'd love to see Beschen become ultra focused, re-qualify and dominate. I'm not alone. Best of luck Shane!

WE WANT YOU!: Not for the army, but for the action sports industries. If you looking for a new gig, check out Malakye.com. It's a great source for action sports employment opportunities. Need proof? Sole Technology, Inc, Podium Distribution, O'Neill and Rusty have all committed to year-long service agreements.

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