SLATER’S CONTINUOUS WAVEP POOL DISCONTINUED
LM Investments, the company in Australia that the Kelly Slater Wave Pool Company  had entered a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the world’s first continuous wave pool at Maddison Estate in Queensland, has gone into voluntary administration.  LM Investments is also investigated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for multiple breaches of corporation law. While no contracts had been signed and no money had changed hands, it seems the Wave Pool is uhm, dead in the water. Kelly has yet to comment on LM Investments problems or the latest setback in his artificial wave idea.

OCCY JOINS BELLS COMMENTARY TEAM
Occy and his Occyisms are set to join the Bells commentary team, which for our money will be the highlight of the webcast. Sure Martin Potter’s disinterested clipped tones gives us a hard on, and Shmoo’s incessant carping makes our heart race, but Occy’s unpolished bumbling is always the best. And as this clip shows, no one before or after, can do head flicks at Bells like Occy.

ABBERTON’S CELEBRITY SPLASH
Koby Abberton is set to be one of the “celebrities” in Australia’s spin-off of the UK television show called Celebrity Splash. The Maroubra surfer will go up against other athletes and socialites in a high diving competition. Abberton, who has been living in Bali and removed himself from the the surfing spotlight for the last five years, signature dive is said to be the bomb.

SURFING BOOK FOR SALE FOR $US30,000
A copy of The Surf Riders of Hawaii, arguably the first book soley about surfing, is to be auctioned May 11 through the Surfing Heritage Vintage Surf Auction and is expected to raise more $US30,000. It was first printed by surfer/photographer A.R. Gurrey  in 1914, and with a print run of 6 to 8 (each book was bound by hand) depicts surfers in Waikiki between the years 1910 and 1914. It is considered the rarest pieces of surf memorabilia in existence. In other news, the 25th edition of Surf Europe, published in 2005, on a machine is set to raise €4.20, one euro less than the original cover price.

Industry Bizness
Rip Curl have announced a new Group CEO, Michael Daly. The former Group CFO and then Group COO (whatever that is) takes over from Bring Singer, the co-founder who was acting as interim CEO. Elsewhere Electric (a part of the PPR group), have appointed ex Billabong Brand Manager Reid Pinder as Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Surf Lounge in France has been appointment as exclusive distributor of Sex Wax products for France, and will be responsible for the range including wax, branded apparel and accessories.