Stab’s last print issue featured this double-page spread of Julian Wilson using an Astrodeck front-foot traction pad. Julian tells the Stab readers about how Christian (Fletcher) gave him the pad and why he loves the grip so much. In Julian’s own words: “It felt like the best grip I’ve ever felt, like my foot couldn’t come off. I was hooked. So, now, I’ve just been using it on all my boards. It’s just really light and really sticky. I haven’t looked back since.”

Thanks to Elliot Struck and the guys over at Stab for shooting this over to us!

Julian Wilson on Astrodeck

We’d like to give a huge shout-out of congratulations to one of our own, John John Florence.

If you haven’t heard by now, John John just snagged his first WCT contest win at the Billabong Rio Pro in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with an impressive 16.37 tally over Joel Parkinson’s score of 11.44. To get to the victor’s podium, John John also went through a series of heats against Josh Kerr (in the semi-finals) and another one of Astrodeck’s favorites, Julian Wilson (in the quarter-finals).

This puts John John as #6 in the current ASP rankings while Parko is on top as Numero Uno.

The guys will be heading to Fiji next. And we can’t wait to see some more of the John John Florence Show. World Title this year? There’s a good chance. Future World Champ? That’s a definite.

Here are some frame grabs from the Billabong Rio Pro. Congrats again, John John!

So if you haven’t heard about it by now, you will be soon enough. Yesterday Herbie gathered together some of surfing’s brightest surfers to start production on his new and upcoming Wave Warriors film that will be released in late 2012.

This happened once before with the original Wave Warriors photo shoot back in the mid-80s, but since then nowhere in the history of surfing will you ever see these cast of characters together for a group pic. Everyone from Rob Machado, Danny Fuller, John John Florence, Bruce Irons, Christian Fletcher, Nathan Fletcher, Julian Wilson, Kolohe Andino, Buttons, Rory Russell, Makua Rothman, Alex Knoxt, the Gudauskas Brothers, and a slew of others got in on the act. Oh, yeah, and some guy named Kelly Slater - whoever he is, he was there, too, as was reknowned artist Julian Schnabel.

If you couldn’t tell by the elite list, this was an invite-only shoot of the best surfers on the planet, with loving acknowledgement and memory going out to Marvin Foster, Andy Irons, and Sion Milosky as well.

Past, present, future… we are the Wave Warriors!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se-kjVywe4I

December 12, 2011: Off-The-Wall, Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Jim Russi

We get a little chuckle here when we find random pro surfers riding our traction pads. But who can blame them, right? Best grip, no slip, truly the originators - Astrodeck.

Oh, look! Here’s Julian Wilson during the Hurley Pro 2011 at Trestles. And what? What’s that on his board? You don’t say! Why, that looks like the 403 Crossroads in black and green! And funny thing is? We’ve heard that Julian scored the highest wave this particular day. Hmmm, coincidence?