Empire Ave

It’s been a wild season of surfing this year. Upsets galore. Carissa and Steph returning with fire. Fantasy teams going to tatters before round three. With the adjusted format this year, there are less picks in the men’s and you’re forced to perform right from the first ho**er. We’re loving the cut throat nature of it.

Now that the dust of adjustments has settled, we’re jumping back into offering our top picks, dark horses, and surfers to avoid. Here are your Best Fantasy Surfer Picks for Teahupo'o 2026. It’s all about the tube lords and ladies.

Full guide of glory in bio.
Photos WSL

Keeping the logo stories going and following on from 'b**g the other day, here's a look at the Rip Curl logo history. Tip of the cap to JT and Egan at Rippy for the help in pulling this one together. A very cool look at the evolution of the Rip Curl logo since '69

Personally, I'm still a sucker for the '65 wetsuit one. It was the first surf logo I can remember, and the was a logo that me and Ado tried to ‘copy’ to make our own surf brand - at 12, we called it FACTOR and re drew it in the same look.

But for surf stoke, the first set of 'The Search' logos are epic and throw me back to Feral Kingdom, Beyond the Boundaries, etc.

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As a follow up to the previous logo iteration post the other day, Lank (previous CD at B**g for a couple of decades) sent this over. Which gives us a really solid look at their Billab**g logo evolution over time.

Personally, I'm still a sucker for the '87 one. But the '92 one gives memories of Bunyip Dreaming, Munga and Luke Egan.

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Inside Oakley Headquarters: A tour of One Icon in California.

Oakley’s headquarters in California might be the most recognisable office in the action-sports industry. We recently stepped inside for a tour. Somehow, it’s even stranger and more impressive in person.

Come take a spin around, or go for the full image spectacle on EmpireAve.com

I wasn’t fussed about what fins I put in my kids boards. Once they moved past the straight-to-the-beach phase and were looking for a bit of rail-to-rail action, the “M for Everyone” strategy started to look a bit lazy. It was time to actually test if the right tools made the job easier.

We rounded up a crew of mates and tested the heavy hitters in the lineup:

FCS II Mason Ho Signature (Small): The “vibe” choice.
FCS II Matt Biolos (Small): The “all-rounder” for the performance-minded.
FCS II Al Merrick (X-Small): The raked-back classic for the lightweights.
FCS II Mick Fanning (Grom): The pint-sized version of the fastest fin on earth.

As it turns out, kids can definitely tell the difference… to a point.

O’Neill, are, without a doubt, one of the top wetsuit brands in the world. Since the beginning, they’ve built their name on well-constructed, warm, reliable suits that don’t make you feel like you’re wearing a straight jacket.

The O’Neill HyperX 3/2mm is the most recent wetsuit we've reviewed and it is a stellar performer that punches well above its price tag. It combines O’Neill’s storied reputation for durability with genuinely impressive tech, most notably the Stitchless Seams and TB3X rubber.

Full review on the site.

Guessing most of the tour are pumped that Eimeo isn’t in the draw with how he’s attacking the current swell in Chopes right now. Also, the forecast for the comp period is looking extra delicious (from the couch).

Fantasy Picks tho!! The strategy here is simple: pick tube pigs who’ll send it over the edge and come out grinning

Leo’s an absolute tube slt and he’s about to fire up pit Tinder this week. In Tier B, he’s a steal for your Fantasy team. His lust for heavy barrels and knack for finding the glory hole at Chopes could see him go all the way.

Best WSL Fantasy Surfer Picks Tahiti – Empire Ave If it helps you surf or gets you exited about beach lifestyle, it’s on Empire Ave. Product reviews, activations and interesting interviews. We also get our geek on with social media analysis and event breakdowns now and again.