Germany may not be the perfect country for surfing in Europe, but the stoke is all there. They've got the waves and wind of Sylt and the famous Eisbach river wave in Munich. And there's more.

This time, the Hamburg Surf Festival promises extreme action on the shores of the Elbe river. There's a surf movie festival, surf art exhibitions, skate park activities, SUP tests and, of course, a surf contest.

But, where are the waves in Hamburg? No problemo. The title of "King of the Küste" will be contested in the Snow Dome artificial wave park, in Bispingen.

The legacy of surfing is secure. Matt Warshaw, the surfer/writer who believed and published the famous "Encyclopedia of Surfing" is putting the finishing touches in the digital version of the book.

The project has been funded by the planetary surfing community - through Kickstarter - and promises to be the most complete collection of stories, facts, photos and videos of the history of surfing.

The digital Encyclopedia of Surfing involves tons of work, research and verification. Warshaw and Justin Housman are managing the entire information and building a solid website, in which surfers will have the opportunity to browse and learn more about past surfers, surfboards and contests.

The good side of the web version is the possibility of constant updates and corrections. Web surfers can easily search for thousands of written entries and media.

Surfing is a sport of records and incredible achievements. The passion and commitment showed by surfers and the power of oceans and Nature have transformed surfing into an extreme sport, quite capable of testing the toughest limits of humans.

The Guinness World Records have an interesting number of stunts and accomplishments that are breathtaking and, some, funny at the same time. Who holds the "Most Wins of the Pro Surfing World Championships"? You might get this one right. Correct, Kelly Slater.

What is the world record for the "Most Surfboards Stacked on a Car"? The famous book says a group of surfers successfully stacked a total of 282 surfboards on top of a car and drove 30.4 m (100 ft) near Santa Barbara, California, USA. Incredible, isn't it?

What about the "Most People Riding a Surfboard" record? Guinness says 47 surfers simultaneously rode a scaled up surfboard measuring 12 metres (39ft), Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia on 5 March 2005. The process was not simple and the giant surfboard carrying all the surfers was towed through the water until being released.

Well, Dale Webster, from USA, must still be tired. He has been surfing every day since 2 September 1975, at least three waves to shore each time, to own the "Most Consecutive Days Surfing" title. Hard to beat.

Did you know Donald Dettloff, from USA, owns 647 different surfboards? Well, he holds the record for the "Largest Collection of Surfboards". These planks are stored in his property in Haiku, Maui, Hawaii. The modest collection is the result of 15 years of investments. Dettloff used the boards to create a fence. Crazy.

SurferToday.com reported the record which belongs to Gary Saavedra, from Panama. The national surfing champion confirmed the "Longest Wave Surfed on Open Water": 43.1 miles (66.47 kilometres), on the Panama Canal, in Panama, on the 19th March 2011.

Mike Parsons, the famous big wave charger, owns the record for the "Largest Wave Surfed". The stunt was achieved at Cortes Bank, when the North American surfer rode a 23.4-metre wave face (77 ft) in height.

The "Longest Surfboard" was shaped by Nev Hyman, from Australia, and it is 12 metres (39ft) long, 3 metres (9 ft) wide and 30 centimeters (11.8 in) thick.

Steve King is a lucky man. The British surfer has enjoyed the "Longest Surfing Ride on a River Bore", after traveling, literally, 12.23 kilometres (7.6 miles) in the Severn Bore, on the River Severn, Gloucestershire, UK, on 30 March 2006.

Kurtis Loftus should be tired, too. He has completed the "Longest Surfing Marathon", which lasted 29 hours and one minute, at Jacksonville Beach, Florida, between 26th-27th October 2011.

Now, for a quick surf quiz. Who was the "First Person to Score Two Perfect-10 Rides in Surfing", in the same heat? The correct answer is Kelly Slater, during the final of the 2005 Billabong Tahiti Pro contest, in Teahupoo. The Floridian surfer scoring 20 out of a possible 20. Impressive.

Last question: what is the "Fastest Speed for a Surfboard Towed by a Car"? Layne Beachley got ticketed for driving a surfboard at 78.26 km/h (48.62 mph), at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith, NSW, Australia, on 21st March 2011.

Surfboard painting designs have been colouring the art of surfing for a long time. Many surfers defend their simple, clean and white surfboards, but many others like to express their passion for surfing with drawings, catchphrases, political statements, flowers, tribal shapes and Hawaiian landscapes.

Painting surfboards is not as easy as it may look. Applying colours and artistic ideas require time, detail and experience. First of all, you should carefully plan your project. Draw the full scale picture in rice paper before entering the custom paint job.

The American Pro Surfing Series (APSS), a homegrown California three-event surf series, will hold its inaugural event between April 28-29, on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

The series will host its second event in late September and the third and final event in early November. Created by industry veteran Scott Waring, the events are an opportunity for domestic surfers to hone their competitive mettle without leaving the country.

Further, a tempting prize purse and a mountain of bragging rights will ensure a healthy mix of established progressive surfers, as well as, a slew of California legends. All surfers, except the ASP Top 34 World Title athletes, are welcome to enter.

Huntington Beach, south of the Pier, will serve as the venue for the series. With a five-day holding period, each event is scheduled to run over two days.