SOL SEARCHER

presents make me very happy, especially when they feel like a fresh summer breeze. I can't wait to stand on a desolate beach, watch the sun drown into the sea at my feet and wear this beautiful dress by Billabong.

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DIANE SAGNIER x BILLABONG

summer time is road trip time! billabong and photographer and multi-media artist diane sagnier take us on a journey that brings us straight into the beating heart of summer. it's this magic place where life's less ordinary and where we duck dive into the bright blue sea.

every unforgettable road trip has at least one unforgettable song.

hop on! here's my road trip soundtrack.
francoise hardy – le temps de l'amour
diiv – follow 
allah las – tell me (what's on your mind)
coconut records – any fun
charles bradley – strictly reserved for you

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BILLABONG KIDS SURF CAMP SYLT

 

for now it's enough of endless dunes and beautiful scenery images. the time of the kids has come! for the seventh time about thirty children between eight and fourteen years came together in sylt / rantum. while some of the kids chased the first wave in their lives they'll probably never forget, the groms – the more advanced girls and boys – were here to improve their surfing skills. you can call them the next generation in surfing and you should definitely watch out for this small talented people in the line up next time.

besides many kids who came a long way to the northern sea and surfed for the first time there were billabong teamriders malte mappes, tim schubert, marc thomsen, niggi brüggen, markus mager and rachel scheele as guests in the camp.

but it was not just all about surfing on this weekend. it was about getting a general body conciousness and confidence, having a good time with each other and to learn from each other. on the first afternoon there was a football match as well and the kids had time to get creative by designing their own boardshorts. life's better in board shorts, you know.

on saturday the conditions were quite rough. the more than dedicated instructors of surf club sylt used the first day of the camp to share their knowledge about dunes and waves and practised first aid in a workshop.

after a stormy layday there has broken sunday, as perfect as it could be for first steps in the water. after an intensive warm up and some dry runs on the beach the kids grabbed their boards and faced up to the sea. the instructors helped with words and deeds and cheered on the kids with a loud hooray for every try to chase a wave.

we've heared a lot of hoorays! and yeahs! the kids made it. they catched on wave after another and even if they missed the point to stand up they were shining and left the water with a smile in their face.

 

if we would have children or nephews or nieces or a little brother or sister we would like them to experience something like the billabong kids surf camp. so go and tell all the little wild childs around you about this great thing.

go surfing is a gift. not all children have the possibility to do it light hearted and as a matter of course. at this point we would like to highlight mizu sports. florian gränert, founder of mizu sports and part of the instructors team, amongst other things offers therapeutic surfing for cancer-suffering kids.

in this connection we also spread the word about the stand up 4 kids charity event. it's a stand up paddle event that collects donations for therapeutic surfing. it will take place on the 26th august in hörnum / sylt.

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TOM VEIGA FOR BILLABONG

amidst the roxy pro circus we visited the billabong instore event showing tom veiga's artworks.  he is famous for his wave series which can be found on bikinis, hoodies, tees and accessories now. we enjoyed having some drinks and to test ride some sector 9 beauties.

but the most pleasant incident was to meet daniella ciano by chance – the bikini designer based in sydney – we interviewed more than a year ago in australia. it's a small world.

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ABOUT A GIRL – CATHERINE CLARK

catherine clark is brimful of life. she is blessed with talents like surfing, singing and playing guitar and would never call them her own.  for us catherine has a very impressive and beautiful attitude towards life. listen to the wise words of this 17-year-old girl from ventura and get inspired by her pulsating creative vein.

where are you at the moment and what are you up these days?

right now I am at home. I have been traveling around the world here and there, making music and really getting to know myself. since my injury, I have found such a new way of life. I am becoming more and more immersed in the power of positive energy. there is such a flow to the world that most people have yet to awaken to. since I have acknowledged this energy of the world, this essence of being that truly connects us all, I have been opened up to an entirely different way of life.

you travel a lot and many girls would say you live a dream. do you feel the same?
I feel like I live a life that even I couldn't have dreamt. it is such a blessing, and every moment I am grateful for this path. it's amazing to be able to meet people all over the world. I have met so many people that I'll be friends with for the rest of my life.

you must have been a real good person in your previous life. you are endued with music, you surf like a goddess and you are a natural beauty. do you believe in karma?

thank you! I do not just believe in karma, I live it. every positive you put in comes positive back, every negative comes back negative. I work incredibly hard for everything I do, and I put my soul in to it. that's why things fall together for me, because I have the right intentions and I have a vision. I know I have a divine path, because I have realized how valuable life really is. we all have the ability to be the best we can be. I want to be the best I can be so others can see it in themselves. we are all equal, but often separated by our own insecurities. this false reality keeps people in negative and ungrateful places, but we often forget that situations can be turned 180 degrees just by changing our thought patterns. negative thinking is as simple as a habit, it must be broken in order to come to a new state of being. as an individual, I have realized my potential is infinite. and when we realize this as a collective, our impact will be absolutely profound.

you have a great blog called cateatscake. we can see you singing, playing piano and guitar, surfing, painting and writing poems. is there anything you are not good at? 

the thing is, I have been granted these gifts, they are not my own. most of my music and poetry is straight through me. it is a message I am supposed to give the world, not a message that is MY own. I am here simply for the reason of embracing and celebrating life. I shape my life to be the one I want to live. if we all followed our passions, we would live in a completely different world. I could tell you this, no matter what job I did, I could find a positive in it, and that's just how it would be, because I know I have the choice to look at things in the light. we all forget that life IS a choice, always. we are dealt situations that are insane at times, but it is completely our choice to how we will let that situation effect us. I have had blessings fall in to my lap my whole life, but I know it is not just because I got lucky, it is because I have embraced my path as an entity on its own. a beautiful flow of life that I must surrender to and let be. I cannot force anything, it all falls together when we decide to let it go.

besides being in the US surf team of billabong catherine is also the face of sol-ette.

your heart beats for surfing as well as for music. which part in you is more touched by music and which one more by surfing?

surfing is such a beautiful way to set yourself free. it is just a matter of complete connection to the ocean, it's purely a form of meditation for me. before my injury, I was getting selfish in the water, I was getting egotistical and greedy. I think that was part of the reason I got injured, I needed to look at that situation as a whole and ask, is what I am doing the right thing? music is a whole different realm of existence really. music to me is the catalyst from which you can truly express yourself. it is such a beautiful thing when an artist truly reaches my heart, that feeling of being immersed in a song. and it is only when they are letting their spirit drift out in the open, that's when it reaches yours.

on your blog we also saw you went to coachella. how was it? and which bands impressed you the most?
coachella was amazing. it was so fun but really hot! I was absolutely entranced by Mumford and Sons. their whole combined energy is absolutely riveting. they are the rock stars of this generation for sure. I also really enjoyed the Black Keys, and I was captivated by the Lucent Dossier Experience, which is kind of like a musical, dance, circus, play all wrapped up into one.

do you have any rituals you do before going to water or before big contests?

no, and that's why I wasn't doing well. if I was to do a contest now, I would meditate on catching the right waves and being able to do the turns I know I can do. it is all about confidence. I often went into heats with no confidence, and found myself systematically falling a part. the most important thing in success is having a vision, and going at it with everything you have built up to make your vision a reality. on another note, surfing is so special because you are connecting with the ocean. I think water is so much more alive than we give credit. if you put the right energy in, it will come out to your advantage, always. one thing I used to do was give love and gratitude towards the ocean and a set would always come. it was when I surfed in vain that things didn't work out. your intention must always be the right one for things to work the way they are supposed to. our limitations come solely from our own manifestations.

 

please tell us about your biggest moment in surfing.

my biggest moment in surfing has definitely been my current process of getting back in the water. it has taken on a whole new meaning. it is no longer about how many hits I did on that wave, or if my spray was bigger than that other girls. it is about me getting to be in the ocean. I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to have this connection, and to live in a place where I get to do something I love so much.

is there any sea creature you are fascinated by?

dolphins! I am so incredibly intrigued by them. I can't wait for a moment when I can truly connect with a dolphin, I think that moment will be big. we, as humans, forget that everything around us has a life and a soul. everything has a recognizable consciousness, but it is not until we recognize, that things truly come to life!

do you know a legend about the region you are coming from. anything mystical you would like to tell?

there is a place called Hollister Ranch, and the Native Chumash said when a soul passes on, they are released through the western gate as a dolphin. the western gate is point conception, right above the Ranch. If you have ever been here, you know it is an incredibly spiritual, serene place. a true vortex of cosmic energy. I have been places that impact me in this way, that there seems to be a certain presence of the land, almost a personality. Ibiza had a very strong energy, as did Tahiti.

do you have any special tips for girls who are just beginning with surfing?

I would say, do it for the enjoyment, the moment it starts getting frustrating, just remember, you're surfing! there are a lot worse things to get frustrated about. you will always have fun if you always allow yourself a break and patience.

what´s coming up next?

big things, massive plans. writing, music, travels and hopefully some public speaking opportunities. I have a message to give to the world, it is just a matter of time before people start listening.

please finish following sentences
when i am surfing … I am free 
when i am singing … I am immersed 
when i am writing … my soul turns to ink

we have a sophisticated billabong jacket from the upcoming winter collection to give away! ... and be sure next winter is certain to come.  just finish following sentence on our facebook page until june 26th: "WHEN I AM RIDING ..."

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THE KILLER BIKINI

when we went to sydney last november we did an interview with billabong bikini designer daniella ciano which can be read now finally in super cute and lovely material girl magazine. go and get it and grab an INDIE magazine on this occassion as well. if you´d like to reminisce about this great time in down under with us you can follow us here and here.

photography by rosa rendl

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DESIGN FOR HUMANITY

take some fresh bikinis and models, add bands like the vines and operator please, strew some cool djs and mix it up with paintings and installations from claudio kirac ... and there you got an unforgettable night full of fashion, art and music. billabong brought all these ingredients together and delighted not only the party crowd in sydney.

more than 18 million people, including eight million children have been affected by pakistan’s worst floods in living memory. 100% of the proceeds of design for humanity benefit go to unicef’s pakistan flood children’s appeal. we like brands who care and mingled with the crowd.

 

operator please, a great band from australia, if we could choose a little brother he would look like their drummer

 the long awaited fashion show

yes, the vines! we enjoyed their version of mrs. jackson, uuuuuh 

what would a party be without its terrific guests

girls wearing the two finalist bikinis of the bikini showdown design contest

flight facilities at work

as if claudio had customised this installation 
just for us

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SURFLESSON WITH ELLIE-JEAN & HOLLY-SUE COFFEY

uuh yeah! we would have never dared to dream to meet billabong pro junior ellie-jean coffey and to get a surflesson by her personally. ellie-jean is one of the brightest stars of australian junior female surfing. rarely before we met such a natural and fun girl. she lives a dream.

 

ellie-jean was accompanied by her little sister holly-sue. they are both hailing from a family of surfers. for a long time the whole family was travelling around australia in a bus to catch the best waves and aim for the stars.

ellie-jean was so nice to borrow me her wetsuit. 

ellie-jean (with a serious facial expression): have you peed into it?

me: naturally not! 

ellie-jean: oh ok, it would have been no problem.

 

thanks to ellie-jean we know australian dollars are undestroyable. wheter you take them to water for surfing or try to burst.

we´d like to say thank you to all the people who made this day possible. we enjoyed the lesson with ellie-jean, holly-sue and their helpful dad jason and will never forget this wonderful day on manly beach.

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AUSTRALIA DREAMIN

we got the great chance to meet daniella ciano today. she´s girl garment designer at billabong and is responsible for the bikini designs. daniella told us about the design for humanity event, her work and gave away some exiting secrets. don´t miss to read the whole interview in the upcoming spring issue of material girl magazine.

daniella´s tip for having a good time in sydney is going to bondi beach. enjoy the sun, the beach and the people. so we did.

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FIELD OF DREAMS

today we got a fantastic preview on billabong´s winter collection 2011. the upcoming collection "field of dreams" will banish winter blues and comes along with a lot of variations of our beloved boyfriend jeans and bold pops of colour. anybody who expected bulky jackets and stockings went wrong. we are in australia, the continent of endless summer and the gipsy way of life.

 
besides the presentation we enjoyed this quite impressive view from the penthouse.

 

we met bec from the billabong campaign and think she´s a real fun girl. the girl on the left side is cristina from spanish teenie magazine ragazza.

 

and this is how legs of australian editors look like.

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