"FinnSurf", a surf movie by director Aleksi Raij, has conquered the "Best Feature film" award at the 2012 Yallingup Surfilm Festival, in Australia.

"FinnSurf" is the world’s first Finnish surf film and tells the story of five Finnish surfers. More than a surfing documentary, it’s a story of true love and that intense, overwhelming passion we all feel for what lights our fire in the coldest of places.

"The Surfer", a surf movie by Dominic Coleman, won the "Best Short Film" award, while the "Best Cinematography" award was presented to two winners - "El Mar, Mi Alma" and "Come Hell or High Water", who happen to have the same cinematographer, Dave Homcy.

The "People's Choice Award" went to "The Still Point" by director Taki Bibelas, as voted by more than 2500 people who attended the three-day festival, which included day and night film screenings, discussion forums, art exhibitions, live local music and even a fancy dress surf competition for charity.

Waves hitting the 15-to-20 foot range hit the 2012 Volcom Pipe Pro, in the first day of competition at Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii. In three hours of big wave surfing, there were injuries, wipeouts and hairball rides to be registered.

Kauai's Stephen Koehne, the top-scorer of the day, ended up with a gruesome gash to the knee that could well see him out of the water for weeks. Regular Pipeline chargers Mark Healey and Tom Dosland took the wipeout beatings of the day, and Pipe specialist Dave Wassel was the overall standout.

"I pulled into the barrel and next thing I knew I just got shot in the knee by my board," said Koehne. Resident Doctor Leiland Dao said it was a serious injury that required 20 stitches or more to three layers: muscle, fascia and skin.

"I was in his heat but I didn't see it happen," said Wassel. "But I saw his leg afterwards. It doesn't look like he'll be walking for a few weeks, let alone surfing. The hole is huge. Lucky it was his leg and not his head.

The best big wave surf spots in the world have a few things in common. They're only suited for experienced surfers, they only break once in a while and they can kill a rider in seconds.

Let's put things in perspective. A 50-foot wave (15 meters) carries about 1.7 MW of power across each meter of wave front, in a 15-second period scenario.

If you've decided to surf the biggest wave of your life, there are few things you should know. Get the right surf gear, ask for jet ski and boat support. And pray. Then, decide whether you're paddling into the wave or if being towed-in is the best option.

The biggest waves in the world are located in almost all continents. With the right swell and wind conditions you'll be lucky to ride four or five really monstrous waves.

The best big wave spots are dangerous and, in some cases, almost inaccessible without a boat or even helicopter. Carefully selecting which wave will open its face and the right moment for the take-off is compulsory. A mistake will probably cost you life.

The Billabong World Junior Championships Gold Coast are reaching an exciting finish. All Quarterfinalists have been decided in both men's and women's draws, in 2-3 foot (1-1.5 meter) surf, at the world famous Burleigh Heads.

Joanne Defay, Leila Hurst and Philippa Anderson are still in the running after winning their heats and advancing to the Quarterfinals.

"I'm trying so hard not to put pressure on myself," Hurst said. "Of course there's a little bit of pressure, everyone's talking about the World Title, but I'm just trying to have fun."

The Men's ASP World Junior Title race has also seen a mix up with Connor Coffin bowing out of the race after losing to Ian Gouveia. There's still quite a few scenarios that could play out with only Caio Ibelli, Garrett Parkes, Jack Freestone, Filipe Toledo and Ian Gouveia still in the running.

Linda Benson, one of the iconic female surfers of 1960's, has invented a creative way of carrying a surfboard with ease. The "Rail Grabber" is a simple, yet functional light grip that will help you with surfboard transportation.

"Since I started surfing in 1959, I struggled with carrying the board. I designed Rail Grabber to help with this challenge and after my doctor suggested I stop carrying my surfboard on my hip", explains the Californian surfer girl.

"The first Rail Grabber was a very rustic version. It worked so well that I made more for my surf school kids. After searching for the right material and manufacturer, Rail Grabber was successfully launched in August 2011", adds Linda Benson.

Rail Grabber is made of durable, UV resistant ASA plastic. It is attached to a easy grip handle by a nylon cord, tensile strength of 1800 lbs. A pad made of closed cell eva material formulated for marine applications will grip and cushion your surfboard.