Outrageous!

The World Surf League, which bills itself as “the global home of surfing,” has certainly tried to be a big tent. Or maybe not tried but attempted to at least pretend. There is, of course, the regular Championship Tour featuring high-performance surfing. There is the Longboard World Tour, though it has been chopped nearly unrecognizable with only a small handful of stops and sitting champions who are not allowed to compete. And there is the Big Wave World Tour which, hours ago, is no longer any sort of tour at all but rather a front for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Per the stunning press release:

Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the WSL Big Wave Record Chase, the new model for verifying and celebrating Big Wave World Records. Through this new property, the WSL will continue its commitment to big wave surfing through a revamped strategy focusing on GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles for the women’s and men’s divisions across the paddle-in and tow-in categories. The WSL will host a total prize purse of $500,000, which will be allocated to athletes who achieve new world records for Men’s Biggest Wave (Paddle), Women’s Biggest Wave (Paddle), Men’s Biggest Wave (Unlimited), Women’s Biggest Wave (Unlimited).

“This shift is designed to elevate and refine the World Records property,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL SVP Tours and Head of Competition. “By creating a more transparent process, rewarding the achievements of the athletes, and shining a light on their incredible achievements, we hope to build a platform to showcase the immense talent of big wave athletes.”

WSL Big Wave Record Chase: Submission and Review Process Submissions will be open to all big wave surfers who surf and capture their rides within the eligibility window. The submissions will be open via the WSL’s online portal WorldSurfLeague.com/worldrecord, and submissions must be registered by the designated timeframe to be analyzed and considered for a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title.

But do you recall perusing the Guinness Book of World Records in elementary school? Oh, I very much enjoyed learning who had the longest tongue, mustache, fingernails, hairiest family (pictured above) etc. and am thrilled that our big wave heroes and heroines have found a place alongside of them.

Rewarded achievements.

Light shone upon incredible achievements.

Immense talent.

Interestingly, it appears the tour is now open to you and me, as well, as long as we capture our rides within the eligibility window. Will you alter your business card to read “Big Wave Athlete?”

I’d recommend.

Quickly, though, while you are here, what is the “World Records property” that is being elevated and refined?

More questions than answers.

First Brad Pitt, now this.

Encinitas, California, some thirty minutes north of San Diego and hugging the Pacific, is not used to much buzz. Residents enjoy waking up early, riding electric bikes down to Swami’s cafe for breakfast, or, if time allows, Pannikin coffee. Maybe going to drink a craft IPA at The Bier Garden after a little healthy pilates. A paddle at D Street or Seaside might follow, depending on Rob Machado’s whereabouts, before the sun is watched setting with many ooohs and aaahs about the gorgeous pastels.

Simple folk, living simple lives and, thus, not prepared for the bombshell that exploded in their simple Outerknown S.E.A.-swathed laps overnight.

For overnight the news broke that famous first daughter Emily Ratajkowski who graduated from San Dieguito High School and sometimes shops at Seaside Market is, in fact, dating the world’s most desirable man Pete Davidson.

Per Us Weekly:

A new romance. Pete Davidson and Emily Ratajkowski are dating, Us Weekly confirms.

“Pete and Emily have been talking for a couple months now,” an insider exclusively tells Us, adding that the pair are “in the very early stages, but both really like each other.”

Both ended relationships over the summer. Davidson, 28, split from Kim Kardashian in August after 10 months of dating. Ratajkowski, 31, split from husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in July after nearly four years of marriage and officially filed for divorce in September amid rumors of the producer’s infidelity. The exes share son Sylvester, 20 months.

Sparks started flying when mutual friends set up the model and the comic. “Pete makes Emily laugh and he loves how intelligent she is,” the source exclusively reveals to Us.

Davidson, who counts Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Larry David’s daughter Cazzie, and Kate Beckinsale as exes, has seen his stock rise incredibly over the years and there is not doubt that paparazzi will descend, en masse, upon Encinitas in order to snap photographs of the new happy couple.

Smashing into simple folk trying to enjoy a craft IPA at Modern Times. Blinding simple folk attempting to lick ice-cream cones from Gelato 101 in peace.

But how will these simple folk react?

Will they go to war against the shutterbugs like they did Arizonians many years ago?

Accept the spotlight and wear the fanciest hats when going out in an attempt to be discovered?

Currently more questions than answers.

Also Brand of the Year.

It was a night to remember for Rip Curl. The surfwear giant, last in the news for withdrawing sponsorship from sexy time Surfer (The Girl) competition, might have expected to do well as its team dawned Sydney’s famed Coogee Bay Hotel for Australia’s Surf and Boardsports Industry Association Awards, but not historically well.

Not mouth-bloodying brilliant.

The evening began with the Torquay-based brand nabbing the coveted Sales and Customer Service Office of the Year followed quickly by the Australian Account Manager of the Year (congratulations to Daniel Jenkin) before the dam truly broke.

Wetsuit of the Year.

Boardshort Brand of the Year.

Swimwear Brand of the Year.

Brand of the Year Large.

Six hefty awards in but a few glistening hours. Billabong gasping for air, clutching its only bauble, the Ladies’ Marketing Campaign of the Year (The Billabong x Steph Claire Smith Collaboration). Volcom dry heaving in the corner, trying not to soil its singular achievement, the Men’s Marketing Campaign of the Year (Welcome to “Beer’a’dise”).

Quiksilver escorted out of the hotel by security, lurching, spewing curses into the late spring air.

Entirely empty handed.

Industry watchers will certainly be curious as to how Rip Curl will lord the dominating performance over its rivals and also if Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom might form an unholy axis of powers to destabilize the juggernaut.

Welcome to Beer’a’dise, Now Go to Hell.

View the glamor here.

Every rose has its thorn.

The World Surf League is halfway through a three-year deal to host its most famous, insanely watched Final’s Day there on Lower Trestles cobbled stone and, no doubt, San Clemente officials are confident of their place in the pantheon. Yes, the Spanish Village by the Sea is often considered one of the best surf towns in America what with its Trestles (uppers, lowers, middles), Andinos, Colapintos, Bioloses etc. Oh, Huntington Beach, just up the 405, dubbed “Surf City, USA” might have something to say about that and, likely, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii too there across the Pacific but San Clemente has Final’s Day and that speaks volumes.

Though apparently not volumes enough for, hours ago, San Clemente along with Huntington Beach, Haleiwa, Santa Cruz, Princetown, Coos Bay, Kill Devil Hills, various Newports were stunned as respected travel blog ParkSleepFly dubbed Kelly Slater’s Cocoa Beach, Florida the “best surf town in America.’

Per Travel + Leisure:

The world’s best surf spots have more than just reliable waves. To get the ultimate surf vibe, you need warm water, plenty of breaks, and a nice long beach. And it doesn’t hurt if there’s a fun surf posse out in the water, too.

The travel blog ParkSleepFly took this all into account — and more — while evaluating some of the best surf spots in the U.S. The site considered natural factors like the number of surf breaks, water temperature, and the length of coastline in addition to social factors like the number of Google searches and Instagram tags. And Florida’s Cocoa Beach came out on top with a score of 8.32 out of a possible 10.

The long-time surf town beat out other spots like Waikiki Beach in Hawaii and Huntington Beach, California. And it made the win look easy. In Cocoa Beach, which produced world-renowned surfer Kelly Slater, the average sea temperature is a balmy 80 degrees, and there are 78 surf breaks packed in almost 12 miles of coastline. The beach is also trending online, with more than 3,000 surfing-related Instagram hashtags and 5,800 Google searches.

But as any surfer knows, a good surf spot is about more than good breaks and a cool crew. To keep the stoke alive, you need to eat and sleep — and if you’re a newbie, chances are you’ll need a lesson. Here’s how to plan a surf break (see what we did there) in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

But have you surfed Cocoa Beach? I’ve been, once, and went to the giant Ron Jon surf shop and also the Kelly Slater statue. The waves were sub-knee high (Surfline 5 – 8ft) during my visit and I didn’t consider paddling. Had I known that it was trending on Instagram, though, I might have thought differently.

Pop a bottle of… something to celebrate.