Surf Talk Guru

Here is a cool short video of Dan “the man” and Ollie “the real deal” showing there skills on a kayak. looks to me they could use some help. they do redeemed themselves with the surfing at the end. that wave is a monster. Click here to view the video.

Need some Kayaking lessons or tours? Click here for more info.

Ossies Surfshop tow surfing team Dan Hasselschwert and Ollie Richardson shows you what they love and do best. Its a pretty cool short video of what the cold North West Tow surfing is all about.

Interested in Tow Surfing? Ossies Surfshop on the Oregon Coast does privet tow surfing lessons from beginner to intermediate tow in surfers. Click here for More information and to sign up for tow surfing lesson with Dan and Ollie.

Name: Dan “The Man” Hasselschwert

Age: 35

Occupation: Real Estate Broker/ Teacher/ Surf Shop Chain Owner/ Pro Tow-in Surfer

Sponsors: Rebel Surfboards/ Ninkasi Brewing Company/ Ossies Surfshop/ O’neill/ Viper swim fins/ Envision Surfboards

Tell us a little bit about your Surf Shops: There’re the shit!

Years Surfing: since 97, so 13 years

Place Born: El Paso, Texas

What is Surfing to You?: Surfing to me is exercise, inspiration, and purpose to get out of bed every day.

What Drove You to Surf The Ocean Waves in The First Place?: Westfallia camper van

What Dives You to Tow-in-to Monster Waves?: I have a unquenchable thrust for adrenaline

Describe Your Very First Wave Experience: I drove from Ohio to Nye beach and got right into my board shorts with my 6′2 shortboard and paddled out. The water was 72 degrees, because it was an el nino year. That was my first experience.

Describe What it is Like to Tow-in-to The Yeti: It feels like your running from the police and there is a good chance you’l get your ass beat down.

Describe Your Surfing Style in 5 Words: aggressive, fast, fun, stoked, far out.

Describe Yourself in One Word: far out man

Why Are You so Rad?: thanks to mom and dad

Favorite Place in the World: where ever i am right now… stoked

Favorite Food: Mexican or sushi

Favorite None Surfing Activity: Partying!

Any Last Words?: Follow your dreams…

Writers Note: Dan has always been a great friend and boss to work for. He is very driven to get out there and make money, which makes him a great businessman. Ive only had a chance to see him surf a few times, but on those few times he was rippen it. It was definitely “FAR OUT” as he says. Dan opened Ossies Surf shop, which is located in Newport Oregon, almost 12 years ago with the idea of being a rental shop, but now its much much more. Plus he opened another surf shop, called Otter Rock, 2 years ago. Otter Rock surf shop is located in Depoe Bay, Oregon. Dan has been know as a pioneer on the Oregon Coast. Exploring for new monster waves to tow-in and to get his adrenaline fix. Him, along with his good friend and team mate Ollie Richardson, were the first to Tow into Scotts Reef. This Monster Barrel has been called the cold water Teahupoo. The Picture above is of  him towing this Cold Water Teahupoo. Dan and Ollie both have been recently nominated for the Billibong XXL Award for Monster Barrel of the year. Its great to see guys giving a great reputation for the Oregon surfing scene. I’m sher we will see even greater things from Dan in the future. Dan is as getting married to the beautiful Heather Dodge this coming August. Hes done good, so congratulate him if you run into him. Thanks for being so Great and I wish the best of luck. -Pat-

Click here For Surfing and Tow-in Lessons with Dan “The Man”, plus to check out his surf shop.

Three years ago Dan Hasselshwart and Ollie Richardson were the first to tow into a northwest super barrel, that  is now know by many names. Over the years some of the names have been: The Monster Slab, The Yeti, Scots Reef, Mysto Reef, a cold water Teahupoo, but to Dan and Ollie its home. After their first conquest of Scots, Dan and Ollie started exploring the Northwest coast for new waves to be towed into, and soon after received the tittle as the Lewis and Clark of the Northwest tow surfing scene. At the end of 2009, during the tow in season for the north west, Transworld surf came to the coast to do some photographing of this cold water Teahupoo. Soon after these photos were nominated for the 2010 Billabong XXL Awards. Ollie was nominated for the heaviest wipe out of the year, and Dan was nominated for the monster barrel of the year. The Billabong XXL Awards are on the 23rd of this month of April, so give support to your local chargers. They both have a good chance in winning this award.

Click here to view a video of this Northwest Super Barrel. This Video was filmed in 2007 when Dan and Ollie first subdued this monster barrel. It was filmed by Ken dog from Awesome surf videos. Since then, Dan and Ollie has been surfing this barrel at a whole different level.Click here to view the new nominated photos of Scots Reef and to learn more about the North west tow-in surfing scene.

Name: Ollie “The Real Deal” Richardson

Age: 31

Occupation: Teacher/ Couch/ Professional Tow surfer

Years Surfing: 22

Sponsors: Rebel Surfboards, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Ossies Surfshop

Birth Place: Coos Bay, Oregon

What is Surfing to you?: Surfing to me is my life to some existence and the majority of my decisions based are around the sport I love; Surfing.

Explain your surfing style in 5 words: Fast,  Charging,  Smooth,  Progressive,  Stocked!

Explain yourself in one word: Stocked!

Why are you so rad?: Because i’m super friendly, I charge, and I’m fun to surf with.

Favorite place in the world: Anywhere in the ocean.

Favorite Food: Mangoes. I like a good mango.

Last words for the readers: You need to enjoy life, live to the fullest, have fun, and stay Stoked!

writers note: Ollie Richardson is a great guy and an amazing surfer. He is also a surf instructor on his spare time at Ossies Surfshop. He has a wonderful family with a new born daughter and great friends. I had the privilege to have him as a teacher, coach, and friend. And I do beleve we are going to see some great things in Ollie’s surfing career in the future. thanks for everything. -pat-

To check out where Ollie Gets all his fresh gear or to sign up for private surf lessons with a pro Click here.

Check out this feature on local tow-in team members Dan Hasselschwert and Ollie Richardson: http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2010/02/hail_to_the_reef.html

The photos capturing their superior performance on Scott’s Reef on the Oregon Coast have caused a media sensation. Their epic rides (and epic wipeouts) were featured on Billabong’s XXL Global Big Wave Awards. Everyone knows that Oregon surfing is core, but these locals proved it and showed the world.

This winter has brought us plenty of big, burly waves and local tow surfing teams have enjoyed what the storms have delivered, but it won’t last forever! Summer will come before you know it, and weeks of flat or wind-sick surf will populate the calendar. If you are looking for a new skill to add to your surfing quiver, tow-in surfing lessons are available on the Oregon Coast. Springtime is one of the best times for towing into monster waves.

Since tow surfing is an extreme sport with relatively few experts in the field, it can be difficult to find someone trustworthy to learn from. In fact, there is only one certified instructor in Oregon. If you want to learn to do it right, and do it safely, sign up for a lesson from Dan H. at Ossie’s Surf Shop in Agate Beach. Now is the time, as the conditions will most likely continue to be good through the winter and on into early spring.

Congratulations Dan & Ollie for getting nominated for Billabong XXL Contest! A first for Oregon surfers happens twice in the same session! Both Dan Hasselschwert & Ollie Richardson have been nominated for the Monster Tube of the Year award in the 10th Annual Global Big Wave Awards. Dan got a super deep tube at Scotts Reef that got nominated for the award which pays $5,000.00 to the photo that is selected as the winner.

Ollie was also nominated for a big barrel he probably wishes he would have made but instead took a huge wipeout….another catagory in the Billabong XXL Contest is “Wipeout of the Year” which Ollie’s photo is also a candidate for. As a result of years of hard surfing, training and dedication this Oregon Tow team now has the 3 opportunities to win the $5,000.00 prize. This is the first time an Oregon surfer has been nominated for the prestigious big wave award. Dan & Ollie…..way to go BIG!!!!

Check out the Billabong Site Here: http://billabongxxl.com/monster_tube/index.html

It’s starting to build already, but Friday is supposed to be the worst day of a huge storm on the Oregon Coast. A Pacific typhoon is making its way east as it dies, but it’s not going down easily. The swell will get up to 32 feet at 19 second intervals, creating waves 57 feet high! Storm watchers from all over will want to come check this out. But I hope they come prepared because the wind will be gusting up to 55 mph and it will rain, rain, rain every day for the forseeable future.

Tow surfers should definitely go out today, Thursday, while the surf is still building up to 24 foot wave faces. I would say it’d be mighty sketchy to go out Friday. Again, make sure every part of every piece of your tow surfing gear is ready to perform for you under the worst conditions. Replace any gear necessary.

Big swell is coming to Newport! A Pacific storm is moving east. Thursday’s forecast is for 18 foot seas and Friday’s is for 26 foot swell! For those tow surfers out there, go big, but be careful!

Make sure all your equipment is working at optimum performance. Have a good Xcel wetsuit and PFD on in case something happens, and try to get some pictures!