The morning of the fight of the year... Manny Pacquiao and his quest for #7

Joining an elite family of Nike Athletes, such as Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, and Kobe Bryant, Manny Pacquiao continues the legacy of "Just do it..." work ethic.


On November 14, 2009, Manny moves up to the 145 lb. welterweight division and vies for an unprecedented 7th title in 7 different weight divisions. I wish for a successful outcome for Team Pacquiao and the overall well being of both fighters.




























These images were shot during the last training session before the November 14th fight date. Simultaneously HBO's 24/7 filmed their final episode and called for dim lighting with only natural available light to influence the tone of their presentation.


Images shot with the K7, DA*200, & FA 35 f2


All Images ©2009 Mark Dimalanta

The Best of Huntington Beach

Best Place to get your morning cup of Energy:



Java Point Cafe in Huntington Surf & Sport. They have a coffee tumbler which retails for abut 4 bucks, but you get 0.99 cent refills there after.



Eyres & Lindsey always have a fresh brew ready to start your day

The Best Breakfast in Town:






The Sugar Shack: Located in the heart of Downtown Huntington Beach, this local favorite offers fresh and hearty preparations that wont break the bank. Enjoy the Keppler's Special in the highly sought after outdoor patio for quick service and a perfect spot to people watch.



213 Main St

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

(714) 536-0355

www.hbsugarshack.com





The Best Restaurant:






Sushi on Fire has some of the most innovate sushi rolls that make your mouth water from the "Ken's Special" to the "Stroll roll" all of the rolls are made to order prepared with fresh ingredients. The Filet mignon is often considered the best steak in town.


My daughter enjoying the edamame:






The Ken's Special:



Filet Mignon with Green chili sauce:





301 Main St

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

(714) 374-8885

www.sushionfire.com/





The Best Boutique:






For all your surf and sun needs visit Huntington Surf & Sport





All in the family, Surfboard shaper Mark PESCE with son Mark, Jr.
both provide expert advice for all your surfing needs.


A core surf shop by surfers for surfers. Owner Aaron Pai has been providing surf city with the best deal in all your active lifestyle needs, from surfing equipment to fashion, HSS is your one stop all inclusive surf shop.



(714) 841-4000

300 Pacific Coast Hwy # 104

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

www.hsssurf.com





The Best place to stay:






The best place to watch a sunset is a tie between the southside of the pier or an ocean front room of the Shorebreak Hotel




a big cozy bed with views of the pier to check the surf and watch the sunset



Groovy decorative lifestyle shots, a sony Ipod dock, remote control of your big 42" LCD TV




Each room has surf memorabilia like this Art Brewer coffee table book showcasing fine surf photography



Enjoy breathtaking views of the setting sun during the fall months of October/November. With warm Santa Ana winds blowing offshore, the California coast lights up a brilliant collection of warm hues over Catalina Island with a giant setting sun to the west. The Shorebreak Hotel is the perfect place for an unobstructed view of the setting sun, since it sits in perfect view of California's only 8 mile stretch of pristine beachfront. Its one of the only hotels with truly "surf" centric decor, surf videos streaming in the lobby and unique surf inspired art.



(866) 942-5091

500 Pacific Coast Highway

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

www.shorebreakhotel.com

Huntington Beach from a local perspective...

In the October 2009 issue of Mabuhay Travel+Lifestyle Magazine I featured an article detailing the summer experience in my hometown of Huntington Beach. I wanted to feature an in depth review of how locals enjoy our beach and provide a guide on the what and where to do while visiting the city.




The only way to really live…

By:

Mark Dimalanta

There isn’t much in this lifetime that comes close to the joys experienced when Surfing is your lifestyle. No other city in Orange County defines what life is truly like, here in Southern California, than Huntington Beach. It has become the major hub of the surfing world, epitomizing all things cool, casual, and fun. So much so, that it has been appropriately named… “Surf City.” Not only from a business standpoint, where the surfing lifestyle is a raging and multi-billion dollar per year industry, Surf City is where it all started. Many of the most prolific icons of surfing can trace their roots back to Surf City in one form or another beginning when Hawaii’s proudest son, Duke Kahanamoku, brought Surfing to these shores.

With a dynamic sunny Mediterranean climate and idyllic setting, it is home to more than 200,000 residents. Surf City takes pride in its eight miles of scenic, publicly accessible beachfront and year-round surf. All of which, make this destination a surfer’s paradise. It boasts the largest stretch of uninterrupted beachfront on the West Coast. With over 11 million visitors annually, beach tourism sustains much of its bustling economy. Guests flock to Surf City during the summer for professional sporting events like the US Open of Surfing, the world’s largest surf contest, and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball tour. Shopping and casual dining are in abundance along downtown Main St, especially during the weekly street-fair bazaar, where one can purchase fresh organic produce, arts and crafts, and be entertained by street performers, amidst a carnivale atmosphere.

But above all, it is the call of the surf that makes life here truly special. Waking at the crack of dawn, to surf with your best mates, practice yoga on our white sands under a golden sun, or to take a simple stroll/bike ride along the boardwalk makes life here truly unique. Surfing at its simplest is essentially celebrating life. Each wave has a beginning and an end, and we are the ones who dictate what happens during the middle. If I were to advise of only one thing in this lifetime, get out there and experience what it means to truly surf. It is never too late to bask in one of life’s greatest joys.

Only a 30 minute drive from Downtown LA, and a stone’s throw from neighboring Newport Beach and South Orange county, HB provides the perfect hub from Orange County to all of Southern California.




Entering from the south on Pacific Coast highway, the gateway to downtown HB






The Iconic HB pier. The largest pier structure on the west coast hosts a platform to view the surf, coastline, or go fishing.






The view of the lineup from the pier's perspective






With year round surf and vanilla skies during the fall months, Surf City provides idyllic views of what life should be like...






Tourists and locals-alike flock to downtown Main St. for a Tuesday evening bazaar otherwise known as "local nights"






Nathaniel Curran wins the 2008 US Open of surfing






Misty May-Treanor wins the 2008 AVP Huntington Beach Open






Morning Surf sessions are a daily ritual






Yoga on the beach with local surfer Charlotte Dellea



All Images ©2009 Mark Dimalanta

Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational – October 21-27, 2009

Reigning Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational champion Edito ‘Peso’ Alcala (Philippines), who rode barrel after perfect barrel to beat 2007 title holder Wade Goodall (Caloundra, Qld, Aus) in last year’s final, will don a competition vest to defend his title in this year’s event. Image: Jake White / Surfing Australia

D-Day Looms for Surfers in Next Week’s Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational

(Friday 16th October, 2009): D-DAY is looming for an international cast of surfers with the Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational in the Philippines less than a week away from starting.

'Cloud 9', a powerful, hollow right-hander located on Siargao Island will again be the focus of the global surfing community with entry confirmations from some of the world’s hottest surfers including pipeline master Jamie O’Brien (Hawaii), 2007 runner-up Nick Vasicek (Coolangatta, Australia), 2006 champion Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia), New Zealand's first ever World Champion surfer Jay Quinn(Gisborne, now Gold Coast, Aus) and Hawaiian surfing royalty Makua Rothman.

An invite to compete in the 2009 competition was made all the more attractive with USD $20,000 on the table and the allure of flawless, barrelling waves.

48 surfers from Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa and 12 local wildcards will compete in a specialised format, which culminates in man-on-man heats from the quarterfinals.

Reigning champion Edito ‘Peso’ Alcala (Philippines), who rode barrel after perfect barrel to beat 2007 title holder Wade Goodall (Caloundra, Qld, Aus) in last year’s final, will don a competition vest to defend his title.

Local ace Alcala, who learned to surf at the revered break, will again prove tough competition for his international riders after putting in plenty of practice at Cloud 9 in the past month.

“It’s been pumping for weeks,” said 20-year old Alcala.

“We’ve been experiencing plenty of typhoons that have created some great waves. Hopefully it’ll continue into next week.”

What separates the specialty event from standard competitive surfing is that invited contestants are involved in deciding what conditions they will surf in.

With only two full days required to finalize the competition and a seven-day competition window, organizers have the luxury to wait for ideal conditions in which to run the event during Cloud 9’s prime swell period.

Due to Siargao's proximity to the Philippine Deep, big swells from the Pacific Ocean roll in from the second deepest stretch of water in the world to create flawless,hollow barrelling waves.

The 2009 tournament will run from October 21-27,2009.

The tournament contest site is Siargao Island’s 'Cloud 9', a powerful, hollow right-hander that has been frequently compared to the renowned surf of Hawaii and Indonesia.

The Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational 2009 is proudly supported by Billabong, Province of Surigao Del Norte, Stoked Inc, Von Zipper sunglasses, Nixon, Kustom footwear, Friendster, and Sagana Resort.

www.billabong.com<http://www.billabong.com/>

MIZU, Today for Tomorrow

The Mizu line:
a great look, with sturdy construction
a beach-goer filling up his Mizu
Kale Gray, a pretty sick photographer and one man operation kept the crowds rehydrated.

"We are mizu, because we believe in living life today in a way that will give you the tomorrow you would like to see."


While shooting at the Hurley Pro 2009, I got a chance to meet Kale Gray, a representative for the Mizu water bottle company. What struck me most was their sincere and clever conservation concerns regarding the wasteful use of bottled water.


Mizu provided colorful stainless steel bottles for purchase which you could endlessly refill for free during your visit to the ASP tour stop down at Trestles, San Clemente, California. There were people even filling their generic bottles, all at an attempt to limit the number of littered plastic bottles that end up on beaches and landfills. It was all quite a refreshing sight, and it did have a great impact on the level of trash you typicially see after a surf event.


Kudos to the boys at MIZU, very progressive and conscious thinking!

The speed of the Pentax K7 at the 2009 Hurley Pro

One of the milestone improvements of the Pentax K7 is the Faster frame rate. For those of us who shoot action, photojournalism or even street candids, FPS rate tends to be important because the precise moment can be varied by milliseconds.


I shot these photos this morning down at the Hurley Pro 2009 Trestles, in San Clemente California. After returning home from the concrete jungle of NYC, there was nothing more I wanted to do but return to the beach and surf. Just a few days prior, Pentax Imaging was on site at the International Center of Photography in Midtown Manhattan holding a press release for the launch of the Pentax KX.


I was fortunate to be invited to the launch and showcase my Surfing Lifestyle Imagery. What I wanted to add is that my present photography is far more improved with the overall faster performance of the K7. The Entry level KX, is also pretty fast with a FPS rate of 4.7


Kai Otton spraying a big fan...


Heitor Alves Sequence...

A Phoenix Rising: The Launch of the new PENTAX KX

Key Features: 12.4MP CMOS
2.7 inch high resolution LCD
720P 24FPS HD video
fast 4.7 FPS
affordable price-point: 649.00 with DA-L 18-55 Kit lens
Available in black, red, white, & blue

Chris Pound, Product Manager showcasing the gear:


For the first time in several years, Pentax Imaging Company USA held a press conference to break ground for their new entry level 12 mp KX. The event took place at the New York International Center of Photography. The Gallery was buzzing with amazing iconic imagery from Richard Avedon (1944-2000), packed with media representatives, distinguished guests, and a slew of Pentax equipment for demo. It was my pleasure to be on hand to showcase my imagery shot with Pentax glass and talk shop with the guests, let alone sample the tasty hors d’oeuvres.

Pentaxian Photographer Mark Dimalanta showcasing images and "talking shop" with the press.



The company’s executives namely; President Ned Bunnell, Bill Zani, Vice president of Marketing & Sales and John Carlson, Senior Manager each discussed the future of Pentax & Hoya Corporation, a restructured sales strategy, and the product features of the new KX, respectively. The overall buzz in the air was of an energized and focused direction of the New Pentax.

President Ned Bunnell discussing the New Pentax and Hoya's Strategy



Vice President Bill Zani detailing the Business Strategy



John Carlson, Senior Manager, Product Marketing & Customer Support unveiling the KX



The excitement of a re-energized company and the launch of the KX, an unprecedented entry level DSLR are a foreshadowing of a Phoenix Rising.

Stay tuned for an update which will include detailed notes from the press conference. The following are just a collection of photos from the event. For detailed specs of the KX refer here:

http://www.pentaximaging.com/


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091703pentaxkx.asp

Drew Barrymore of the cover of Time Out New York for the main feature which showcased celebrities shooting NYC.



Ned Bunnell's photo from his presentation detailing what he carries in his Billingham, the compact nature of the Pentax System:



Claudia Gramley, Executive Assistant to the President, enjoying the "red" KX. One of the many color variants of the new KX



More images and notes on the event to follow...