Originally the title of this post was going to be "Summer's here". But just as I'd finished loading some random shots from the weekend I got a call to say there was a fire in our part of the canals. Bailed out there to move the sentimental stuff outta our house in case it went. Many thanks to our mates who came to fetch our stuff by boat and carted it off to safety, and to my family for helping cart and carry. We were incredibly lucky - the house over the road from us burnt to the ground. Our good friends and neighbours. I was heart-broken for them.

A special mention of Graham Hynes, legend EP and SA surf coach, who saw not only his house but his memories and memento's go up in flames. We as a surf community need to make a plan to help Hynsie out in any way we can. Well done to local surfer Shaun Payne who was up on roofs wetting them down in amongst the burning homes.

No-one really knows what started it - 2 theories abound - a braai gone wrong, or an electrical fault  We'll probably never know. It makes no difference in the end, around 60 houses burnt down.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who lost their homes and memories.

You know you might own too many surfboards when you gotto buy a new garage just to store them in! Ah well, some chicks have lank shoes and handbags, I have lank boards! Was stoked to get the chance to pimp out my new garage as a board room. Proper foam covered board racks, lots of hooks to hang wetties and stuff from, drip dry shelf for my booties, a spot to hang my fin keys and wax combs, trestles to rest a board on to wax up or switch fins. Now all we need is some surf!!!!!

Today marks the anniversary of Nolan McSkimming's passing. RIP bru. Your bench at Millers watches over the waves every day, come rain or shine, offshore or onshore, flat or pumping. Nolan, an ex-PE local who moved over to San Diego, died of a heart attack whilst surfing at Tunnels, Kauai, Hawaii. The epitaph on his bench says it all "Be alive whilst you are alive." Nolan lived life to the fullest. Catch a wave for Nolan in your next session. Claim it, and go "Here's for you bro".

Nothing can beat a World Title race going down to the wire. The ASP must be having wet dreams! Event 9 of  the 10 stop 2012 ASP World Championship Tour was the O’Neill Coldwater Classic at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane that wrapped up last night. Thanks to the fact that Kelly got further in the comp that Parko, he racked up enough points to keep the world title up for grabs until the ou's paddle out at the last event of the tour, at Pipe.

There are three surfers that are mathematically in contention for the 2012 World Title, and I'm proud to say they're all ballies (well, kind of - they're over 30 - and in the world of competitive surfing that's ballie-hood). Joel Parkinson, Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning will duke it out in the pits of Pipe for the bragging rights of being world champ.

Due to some funky heat formatting of the Pipe Masters, all three surfers will automatically be seeded into Round 3 of competition and finish no worse than Equal 13th (1750 points).

The year-end ranking are based off a surfers top eight finishes from the 10 ASP WCT events in 2012.

Cos Parko is the current rankings leader on the ASP WCT, the following ASP World Title scenarios will be based on his potential finishes at Pipeline.

If Parko wants to take the title he better win at Pipe, cos would be pretty skaam to be world champ and not have won a single event during the year. At least Kelly's won 3 - Fiji, France and Trestles; and Mick's won Bells and Tahiti. So in my books that means one of them deserve the title more than Parko cos they got the wins during the year.