With Turkey Day already planned, would-be gift givers and cheer mongers are searching for the hottest and most "perfect-est" gift for their wave riding loved ones. Anyone can go to the local Kook Mart and pick out some cookie cutter clone gear. However, loads of smaller and dare I say more interesting products are out there. Take a gander below:

Avoid the cold in a Radiator Wetsuit

Give the gift of reading with Surfing's Greatest Misadventures, The Story of Miki Dora, and the classic In Search of Captain Zero

How about a pair of Curve Lockdown Racks to keep your board secured for that winter session?

Or even more insane...buy your holiday honey a new surfboard. You will never feel so loved.

If you've never bought a board, here are some tips on How to Buy a Surfboard.

The latest blow to the surf world comes from the death of surfer/shaper Chris Hawk. Chris (along with his brothers Sam and Tom) was an early influence on surfing in Huntington Beach. With shaping experience gleaned from years spent surfing Hawaii and working with shaping legends like Dick Brewer, Chris became one of the hottest shapers on the West Coast in the 60's and 70's. His contributions to surf culture and surfboard design recently garnered him an invitation this year to the Surfers' Hall of Fame, but his induction ceremony was moved forward prior to the normal July event due to Hawk's terminal diagnosis with throat cancer. Chris will be remembered for his contributions to the sport, but his greatest achievement was creating a true surfing life. To build a life experience based on the pursuit of waves and funding said pursuit through a surf-related gig (shaping being the epitome of surf culture perpetuation) is the goal of every wave rider. It's a shame that Hawk's journey was cut short before its completion.

On a much lighter note, the latest edition of Surfer Magazine boasts guest editor Joel Tudor, which in and of itself is not exceptional, but instead, it's his collaboration with editor-in-chief Joel Patterson that is illuminating. Patterson has overseen a steady improvement in both content and delivery at the mag and even his intro to Tudor's foray into surf literature is honest and inspiring. Tudor and Patterson work together to craft a different look and tone (closer to John Severson's original concept), highlighting counter-culture icons and underground legends in a non-traditional layout. But this isn't something out of character for the mag of late. Looking through my collection of Surfer Mags from previous months, I have relished the in-depth profiles of "real" humans (not pro surf puff pieces) and probing articles on travel and the environment. While Transworld Surf serves its purpose as the purveyor of blips and blurbs and gross out comedy (and yes there is a place for that), Surfer has risen above the fray with some great (dare I say) journalism from surfing's inner realm. Keep it up Patterson.

I might as well give in. I have always maintained even as a competing surfer and contest judge that surf contests are lame... and the surfer who is having the most fun wins... and there is no way to impress a qualitative measurement on one wave or surfer over another. That said, I have to admit I love pro surfing. I love the webcasts and contests results and the magazine articles and rooting for my favorites. I love watching surfers with seemingly super-natural abilities shredding exotic waves with the weight of impending points and cash on their backs. Are these people better than us? Well, no, in the case that they are riddled with all the same issues, obsessions, frailties and anxieties that make us all human (although we never see these red flags in ads or magazine articles) but heck NO in the fact that these guys and gals can throw a tail waft or 360 stale-fish air or pull into a throttling barrel at will, on cue and in front of the whole surf world (what essentially is a losing gamble for most but often ends in victory for these guys). And if you have ever surfed Pipe of Sunset or Chopes, you know that pro surfers are earning their money, especially on those less than perfect wind-blown mornings when the sea has yet to calm, the swell is on the rise, and photogs and spectators are still sleeping. That's going for it for the love of the game.

What about the fact that most of these guys aren't making enough the pay the rent? The top-10 surfers are doing well, but the rest of them are just scratching to hold on for a few more years before securing a day job. This ain't golf where even the dude in last place is banking more cash than a college professor. Don't get me wrong. A pro surfer has no reason to whine. I mean really, the pro tour is essentially a travelling Elks Lodge that jets in and out of some the coolest locales on the planet. But I think it's important that pro surfers be viewed among all our great athletes. What are baseball players doing that makes them more worth watching? They never hold a baseball game on the beach in Tahiti. How about a tennis match? No reef. No possibility of sharks or drowning.

The biggest problem is exposure and media access. I said it before. It's time for a super-insane-high-digit wave pool. Quicksilver and Billabong and the rest should all put up some billions to create a true arena that can create replicas of the greatest waves on the planet. Surround it with cameras and perfect lighting. Aim giant fans right into the barrel and invite ESPN and NBC in on the whole thing and run 24 hour back-to back contests with stadium seating, box seats, a giant scoreboard and video screen, and even a night club where a party and contest can run concurrently. But again, I have moved away from the subject. I must state again without reservation that pro surfing is awesome

Amidst the quiet of lake-like conditions, ASP officials and pro surfers took to the mic in Mundaka, Spain to announce that the ASP would remain the only game in town. If you didn't know, Kelly Slater and ESPN were proposing a breakaway pro tour that would court major sport industry sponsorship and gobs of media coverage to essentially pull a rug out from under the ASP's dominance. The buzz of this "Champions Tour" began ruffling feathers and piquing many a pro surfer's interest some months ago when Kelly Slater discussed the idea with several surfing heavies, the Irons Bros and Jamie Obrien to name a few, and convinced them that the current form of the ASP is obsolete and self-serving. But the board of directors announced today that they would lower the number of competing surfers from 45 to 32, up the prize money across the board, and shuffle some internal positions and power wielders. But is that the BIG CHANGE that was on the horizon? Is this all it takes to keep surfers from trying something new and freshening up the game a bit?

I say throw a monkey wrench into the whole machine. Build a pro-level wave pool for use at some contests and mix in a tow surf event as well. Tally team competition points. Build that Aussie-Seppo rivalry again and waving flags. Incorporate board building and design into the process. Require that a surfer shape his own board and ride it in certain events or have surfers compete in short and long board heats (and body surfing too) and add the points at the end. Make the tour more about being a master surfer rather than simply a performance artist in one genre. Surfing is about more than shredding a short board. Surfing is about crafting a life experience that puts riding waves firmly on the priority list and then ruling that experience on a daily basis. Just live and love what you do. Alright, maybe that might be tough to judge objectively.