THE Kustom Footwear Airstrike 2012 goes a little something like this: five surfers, one boat and a single $50K bounty for the biggest air. Celebrating blazing youth and brazen talent, one move will rule them all. The cast: John John Florence, Chippa Wilson, Ryan Callinan, Albee Layer and Matt Meola spent late June boosting and corking their way around the Mentawai Islands and the peanut gallery gets to pick the winner. "This will be the third Airstrike that we've run, and despite changing the format up from year to year, its mission remains the same; to produce surfing so inspired & revolutionary that it breaks all the rules, forever changing the face of surfing as we know it," says Harry Truscott, Kustom's General Manager. No small claim perhaps, but by betting the farm on one magnificent move (there is no second place or overall performance award) any safety net or desire to perform within a comfortable performance boundary is stripped away. The good news is that it's already happened, the plays have been scratched into acetate and you decide who wins. Episode One drops here on August 2nd and to get you warmed up here are a selection of sequences which fell off the back to the boat. If you'd rather watch a video of Dave Rastocvich knitting whales then this probably isn't your bag. Keep up to date on Kustom's Facebook here and event site here. © 2013 Nate Lawrence
Kai Neville is back on board to produce this year's Airstrike, and he was instrumental in ensuring that the trip had the best possible surfers "I've worked with all of these surfers on different projects in the past and I'm stoked to be able to bring them together for the Airstrike," says Kai Neville, producer of Modern Collective, Lost Atlas and the soon to be released, Dear Suburbia. "These are the some of the most exciting aerial guys in the world right now. The boys are all so pumped and they went loony". © 2013 Nate Lawrence
John John Florenece, also hailing from Hawaii but recently engaged on a global tour of world domination and ritual humiliation of his elders. © 2013 Nate Lawrence
Chippa Wilson, Australian aerial innovator who's oft described as a leader in the inverted arts. © 2013 Nate Lawrence
And finally, Ryan Callinan, hailing from Newcastle Australia, and recently recovered from a broken foot following a wonky landing. © 2013 Nate Lawrence
Back to Albee Layer © 2013 Nate Lawrence
At the end of the series, the craziest punts captured from all four webisodes will be posted up on to the site, and then it will be over to the people to decide. The aerial which drags in the most votes wins, and the jockey scores himself USD $50,000... simple! Keep up to date on Kustom's Facebook here and event site here. © 2013 Nate Lawrence
The third day at the End of the Road spanned the paddle tow divide with inevitable consequences.
A reality check from the reef at Teahupoo, teeth-to-the-reef horror and jail-breaking Tahitian hospitals
A few nice waves in the Mentawai, especially at Lances Left
Day two commenced with disaster and ended in triumph at The End of The Road.
Adventures in the mysterious continent.
Ex-Teahupoo swell will provide power across the South Pacific especially South Shore of Hawaii.
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